Daniel tries out a trials bike while in Peachland for Thanksgiving // Vancouver Portrait Photography
Thanksgiving is one of my brother Daniel’s favourite times of the year. For the last few years, every Thanksgiving my family and Shane’s family come together in Peachland to enjoy a weekend of fall activities and delicious food. Daniel particularly looks forward to the turkey dinner, prepared by my lovely future mother-in-law, Clare. Being born in Canada but growing up with Russian parents has made Daniel crave those Canadian traditions, and Thanksgiving makes us all feel a little more Canadian.
We were lucky enough to have good weather for most of the weekend, and we made the most of it. We went off-roading, picked mushrooms, went to an apple barn, enjoyed wine and picnic at a winery, and had many, many campfires. In BC, the period between fire bans and torrential downpour is short, and we must make the most of it by having a campfire at every opportunity.
The first time Daniel came up to Peachland he was 13, so now he is 16, and it has been so interesting watching him morph from my kid brother to a young man who is now taller than me and helps me decide if clothes are “cool”. Daniel recently started dreaming of buying his own motorcycle, and Shane decided to help out by teaching Daniel how to ride a dirt bike. Daniel started off with a trials bike, which is tiny, and made for climbing and precision maneuvering. Worst of all, it has no seat so you are constantly standing. Daniel did surprisingly well! Over two days of practicing he went from complete newbie to being able to effectively go up medium hills. Didn’t even fall once! Seeing him be so concentrated and improving made me feel like a very proud older sister.
I love these shots of him riding, and I’m grateful that he always puts up with posing for me, because he knows it will be worth it when he is getting all those Instagram likes. If your Instagram feed needs an upgrade, contact me today!
