Vancouver Portrait Photography // Lonsdale Quay with Hannah and Family

As a child from White Rock, North Vancouver was always a big mystery to me. It was fantastically far from my southern kingdom, and although I vaguely realized that we were in North Vancouver when we went skiing, the exact geographical details eluded me (much like they do today). When I got a little older, I braved the treacherous Sea Bus journey with my mom, and together we enjoyed the Lonsdale Quay market under the giant Q, with all its cute little shops and eateries. 

I did not give North Vancouver much thought until I met Shane, for whom it was a hometown. Suddenly, I found us regularly crossing either of the bridges onto the North Shore for visits with his family. I became intimately familiar with the roads around the local ICBC as Shane’s dad taught me to drive, eventually leading to me getting my license. I still get kind of anxious driving around the test route, feverishly trying to remember all the tricky signs and rules. 

When Shane first floated the idea of us moving to the North Shore, I was not convinced. I loved our downtown flat, our views, our ability to get around without driving. Sure, the streets were a little smelly, and our loft was technically just one large room we constantly both occupied, but that was all good. 

Eventually, logic won out, and we moved into Shane’s childhood home, where in the pantry you can still find markings as their parents recorded him and his brother getting taller. I am proud to say that my height has now also been recorded on that wall, and I have apparently not grown since 2017. 

The dock where I photographed Hannah and her family is the same one on which a couple years back Shane and I celebrated New Year’s Eve with a handful of strangers. I remember us walking quickly in the frosty December weather, and finding a good spot along the edge of the dock. We wore our Christmas cracker hats, and toasted with champagne, and watched the fireworks across the water. This northern shore is still new to me, but with each new memory, I put down more roots. 

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Peachland Family Christmas

When the Austins first suggested having Christmas in the Okanagan, I was not convinced. I am a city girl, and I am used to spending the holidays in the city. For the past few years since I have been with Shane, we have done some sort of combination of spending time with my family and his, usually ending up with having Christmas dinner at the Austin house, and meeting later for Russian Christmas or Old New Year (yes, that’s a thing), with my parents in White Rock. That was the routine and I was pretty comfortable with it. 

Now that I am older, Christmas has lost a little of its pure unadulterated joy because instead of just excitedly waiting for Santa to come, I in fact have to keep working right up until the holidays, while also attending various holiday events, and somehow still find the energy, during what are short, dreary, rainy, Vancouver December days to find and wrap thoughtful gifts for the whole family. 

You can see how the thought of having even less time to get all of that done, so that we can be ready to go to the Okanagan a few days before Christmas, was frightening. But, my brother and sister in law do live there full time, and after some consideration, I came around to the idea. And I am so glad I did. 

First of all, leaving home and driving the few hours instantly put me into a holiday headspace. What also helped was arriving to a snowy Peachland, something I have not previously experienced as I am usually there mostly in the summers. Walking along the lake in the evening, with a foot of snow on the sidewalks, and more falling was so peaceful, with streetlights illuminating yellow pools of snow. 

Of course, the best part was just having the whole family together, as we ate lots and lots of treats, hung out  in our pyjamas, watched Christmas movies, and (unsuccessfully) attempted a puzzle. Christmas morning was grander than ever, and Christmas dinner, hosted by Dean and Fadrina, was a warm and cozy affair. 

My favourite memory of the holiday was playing Cards Against Humanity with everyone after dinner. Watching our parents come up with the most hilarious answers, sometimes not even realizing what they were saying, and then laughing so hard they were crying. This is a moment I will treasure forever.

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Mel, Jacob and Sadie

I was sure struggling the morning of this shoot. It was one of those mornings, where even though I planned ahead and left myself plenty of time to get ready, I still found myself rushing out the door with all of my gear. Luckily, I had the address of the family punched into Google maps, so I set out on my journey to this unknown destination.

I arrived on a beautiful shady street, but something seemed wrong. Instead of a house, the address brought me to a small commercial building, an art studio of some sort. This was the point at which I realized that instead of choosing the directions to the house of my clients, I drove to an art studio which my manager volunteers at, and where she invited me to an upcoming event.

Whoops, I definitely learned my lesson about actually being certain where you are going. Luckily, Mel and Jacob were very understanding of my directional struggles, and we jumped right into the shoot when I arrived. The first thing I noticed about their home is the mustard-coloured door. There is really something about a door painted an unusual colour that adds a lot of personality to a house, without an insane amount of effort. We keep meaning to paint our own door green, but it hasn’t happened yet. 

Turns out, mustard is Mel’s favourite colour, and I saw a lot of it around, including their daughter Sadie’s outfit. We started outside, but my favourite shots definitely come from Sadie’s sunlit nursery. Something about preserving the memory of the family hanging around in the nursery feels really genuine and important to me, and I know I wish I had more of those photos from my own childhood. 

I am inspired by the fact that Mel and Jacob managed to stay interesting, outgoing adults, even with a new baby. I know the two of them through my friend Nina, and a couple of months ago, we were at a karaoke bar for her birthday. My favourite memory of the night was looking over at Mel, who was doing a spirited rendition of an early 2000s hip hop song, and there was Sadie sitting beside her in Jacob’s arms with her noise-cancelling earmuffs on, happy as a clam. That is definitely #parentgoals.

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Marie on Granville Island!

Marie is back on the blog, and today she is on Granville Island! 

Granville Island is probably my most favourite place in all of Vancouver. When I was a kid, I would come here with my parents, and while they were enjoying the Granville Island Brewing Company, I was being enchanted by the Kid’s Place. Everything about that place is amazing, from the special child-sized door, to the indoor playground, to the arcade and candy shop, and of course stores selling anything and everything a kid would want, from puzzles to princess dresses to magic kits to stickers. I was particularly into the velvet-covered pencils they had in one store, to little Nadya they seemed like the utmost luxury in graphite products. 

When I was a teen, and there was still a bus that would take you straight from White Rock to downtown Vancouver, Granville Island was a place I loved to visit with friends, because there was so much to see and do, but it still felt safe to my sheltered small-town self. We would people watch, buy cool stickers, and enjoy all the amazing food from the market. 

Those were also the early days of me bringing out what was at the time my dad’s DSLR, and I thought I was getting some pretty incredible shots. But hey, that’s the way it goes with learning. If you’re doing it right, your best work this year is kind of hard to look at in a few years’ time. 

Now that I am a grownup, I am on Granville Island the most in September, during the Vancouver Fringe Festival. For a couple of weeks of the year, Shane and I turn into theatre nerds, and see around 10 independent plays. Being the scheduling aficionado that I am, I try to pack two to three 1-hour plays into an evening, so we often go over to Granville Island right after work, and stay there until bedtime, trying to fit in a meal somewhere in there. Fringe plays are just so fun, because if it’s a good one, you will talk about it for a couple weeks, but if it’s a bad one, you will talk about it forever. Either way, it’s a win-win. Last year we saw one about Josephine Baker that absolutely blew our socks off. 

On this day with Marie we were planning to see my last Fringe play of the season, but figured we could squeeze in a quick shoot beforehand. Marie, being her bewitching self, showed up in this colourful outfit that I would never have considered putting together, and yet, it works!

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Nathan, Jyoti and Nash!

As promised, this week on the blog we have baby Nash, with his adoring parents Nathan and Jyoti. We know these wonderful people because Nathan used to work with Shane, and frankly, I am pretty bummed that he doesn’t anymore. I am of course very happy for him and his flourishing career as a geologist. I used to visit Shane’s office because we both work downtown, and inevitably, Nathan would be sitting there in his office, probably doing something very important, but always making time to chat and shoot the shit and catch up. Nathan has this unique combination of being super chill while also somehow being really caring and attentive. He is a zero-judgement kind of person, but genuinely seems to want to know what’s going on in your life. 

Soon after I met Nathan, I met Jyoti at their company’s annual Christmas dinner, usually held at the Keg. It’s a lovely time, we rent out the private downstairs room, and get all dressed up, and enjoy lots of wine and appies and surf and turf. Most of the other attendees are 30 years our senior, so Shane and I strategically sit with Nathan and Jyoti. One year, we managed to both attend the dinner, and sneak away to a Canucks game. Now that they have moved to Calgary, Shane and I will have to reconsider our whole Christmas dinner strategy. 

In Shane’s office hangs a photo of an alpaca that I took in a petting zoo in Victoria. Nathan always admired the photo, and one year for Christmas, Shane got him a huge print of it on aluminum. Not sure if Nathan was really gunning for that statement art piece, but now he has it. 

When baby Nash was born, we were dying to meet him. Unfortunately, once we finally found a window of time that worked, Shane was away racing, so I went over on my own, with our gift of a llama baby onesie in tow. Their apartment was in the middle of being packed up for their move, so we went out on their balcony, and this is where I took these photos. 

I love the intimate and relaxed feeling of these shots, no posing, no special outfits or makeup, just new parents and their little one. 

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Dustin, Taya and Ryder!

Today on the blog I have Dustin and Taya, at their wedding reception, along with their little baby girl Ryder. Have you ever experienced all the newfound excitement of a crush, but in a platonic way? That was Shane and Dustin. They met at one of the US motorcycle races, and quickly realized that they are somewhat neighbours, with Dustin living in Bellingham. From then, it was a whirlwind friendship. I could tell Shane was smitten, from the way he found everything Dustin said either hilarious or fascinating, and I knew that if I saw him smiling down at his phone, it was most likely at something Dustin had said. 

When I finally got to meet him at an awards banquet (where they had neither a fish or a veggie option, so I ended up just eating a really big plate of mashed potatoes), I understood what drew Shane to him. For one, he looked like a mini Shane, with a body size suitable for a gymnast (something he used to do at a highly competitive level), but with very similar facial structure and hair & beard combination. On top of that, he was just straight up bubbly and hilarious.

Dustin was at our wedding, and he is just the kind of guy who is easily loved by all. He was constantly cracking jokes, and always down for anything. He was the first one in the ocean to play in the waves, and I know Shane really appreciated having a riding buddy for all the awesome motorcycle trails around the house. One evening, I got on the back of Shane’s bike, and Marie got on the back of Dustin’s, and we went to visit Colotepec at sunset. The views, the ride, and just the general vibe of that outing is one of my favourite memories from our trip. 

When Dustin and Taya had Ryder, her birthday just happened to coincide with the birthday of Nash, who is the son of our friends Nathan and Jyoti, and who you will see on the blog next week. Ryder was a great choice for a name because on one hand, her dad rides (rydes) motorcycles, and on the other, Taya is a world-class golfer, and I am told that the Ryder Cup is a kind of golf tournament. But don’t quote me on that, I am just the girl with the camera. 

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Stella!

Guess who is back on the blog! It’s Stella herself. I took these photos during Canada Day weekend, hence the fully red outfit. Sadly Stella will probably be appearing on the blog less frequently, as she, along with her parents, has recently made the move from the Sunshine Coast to Nelson. I’ve been to Nelson once, and I absolutely fell in love with the feeling of this town, so hopefully we will be able to visit every once in a while. 

A little while ago, I got to babysit Stella for an entire weekend. I was so excited, I pulled out of my paints and paintbrushes, and planned lots of fun activities for us. On Saturday, I took her to the Capilano hatchery to see some salmon up close. Apparently we were not the only ones with that idea, so I had to park pretty far away. It was a cold fall day, but as much as I tried to convince Stella to put on her coat, she refused, because she was a princess, and princesses don’t get cold. This is what happens when children watch Frozen. (Frozen: not even once). I ended up having to carry her to the hatchery, but she perked up when she saw all the salmon. 

Next, we went over to my friend Amy’s house to decorate some cookies. Luckily, auntie Amy loves to bake, and she had all sorts of fun icing and sprinkles, and that occupied Stella for a while, and also had the added benefit of distributing the sprinkles all over the floor of the apartment. I am sure uncle Bruce was simply delighted. 

On Sunday, it was all about Science World. Stella had never been before, and she was mesmerized by all the activities and experiments. I saw a lot of little Nadya in her, as she approached each station with the intention of bringing it to order, like collecting all the purple balls in one area, while other children just ran amok. She also made auntie Nadya proud with her great listening skills during all the demonstrations, she sat in a safe area, and politely raised her hand when they needed a volunteer. I haven’t visited Science World with a kid since maybe the time my brother was little, and it made me realize how perfect it is, with so many things to do, you never need to worry about short attention spans. 

Most recently, Stella was the flower girl at our wedding. She took the job very seriously, and her mom Melissa even got her a flower girl activity book to prepare her for her big day. The one hiccup we did not anticipate is that little girls love flowers, and throwing them on the ground felt sacrilegious, and required some convincing. I was not surprised to see her later on, picking up the flowers and returning them to her basket. 

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Brendon and Ashley Engagement Party

 guess I am officially at that age now, because all our friends seem to be getting engaged, married, and having babies! I have definitely seen a shift on my Facebook feed from posts about how hard university is, and all the parties, to parenting memes, and wedding photo albums, and of course, a daily onslaught of baby photos. I can’t judge that hard though, because I am sure I will also think that my babies are the cutest babies to have ever been made, and that the world needs to see them doing everything from eating breakfast to going for a walk to napping with our future dog. And luckily (or not, depending on how you look at it), I will have gathered all this equipment to turn any ordinary family situation into an impromptu photoshoot: “honey, hold the reflector right there please, the light is perfect on the baby’s mashed peas.” I’m kidding, I hope. 

Luckily, I love taking family photos, so this time in my life means I get to capture even more tender moments for the people in my life, and in the process, get to know the people who are important to them. 

This set of photos comes from the engagement party for our friends Brendon (or as most people call him, B-Ray), and his lovely fiancee Ashley. The party was held at B-Ray’s grandmother’s house, and it is a home that is built for big family gatherings. There was a piano in the living room, and a tiny dog that you can cuddle. The tables were full of amazing food, and there were margaritas galore.

I had some great chats at this party, at one point getting some gardening tips from a fellow avid gardener, and learning more about the shenanigans of B-Ray’s dad, Wayne. He has more wild stories than I could possibly fit in my blog post, but one of my favourites involves him riding his motorcycle down to Mexico, and coming back with a chihuahua, also via motorcycle. How exactly he packed him is unclear, but that same chihuahua appears in these photos. 

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Fiona's Baby Shower

Without much family in Canada, the Summerses have definitely taken on the roles of aunts and uncles and cousins in my life; people whose house you feel as comfortable in as your own, people who have seen you grow up, and people you know will be by your side to celebrate important occasions. When I was younger, our Russian community was maybe 10-15 families strong, and we would celebrate major Russian holidays all together in local parks, with food and games and sometimes even traditional costumes. There are definitely some photos out there of preteen Nadya in dresses and traditional headwear. Hopefully those photos continue to stay buried in the sands of time. 

But, as life went on and kids grew up, our Russian community dwindled to a few core families, one of them being the Summerses. There is no one I know who throws a party like Vera and Vera Summers. They are a mother-daughter pair, and they are so incredibly creative, hardworking, and overall inventive, that every time I walk into their home for birthday, New Years Eve, or in this case, a baby shower, the house is transformed with lights, photo collages, streamers, balloons, and of course all kinds of amazing treats. 

On this occasion, we gathered together to celebrate a baby shower for Fiona and Andrey, and their brand new baby Theodore, or Teddy. The shower was fairytale-themed, and the Veras really outdid themselves. All around us were toys and flash cards on which we could write well-wishes for the new mum, the drinks were Alice in Wonderland themed, the snack table was straight out of a child’s imagination, and on the wall there was a giant page from a book, beginning to tell the story of Teddy’s life. Perhaps the most whimsical part was the dessert table, where one of the attendees crafted a cake shaped like children’s books! 

It was such a bright and happy day, being able to celebrate this new baby, and just being surrounded by so much love and support. I was glad to have been there to capture all the moments for the sleep-deprived parents to enjoy in 18 years, once they finally have a nap. 

Vancouver Portrait (and Floral) Photography // Easter Portland Family Trip

These photos come from a family trip to Portland that we took last Easter. It’s actually the first time in a while that we all did something together, and although we are four people who know the precise ways to best drive each other crazy, this was a great trip, and I am remembering it fondly. 

Our first stop was to see the tulip fields, which bloom in Washington every year. Mom is absolutely obsessed with flowers of any kind, and in the spring and summer, I get at least a couple of texts a week of the prettiest flowers she has seen on her walks. In the fall and winter, sometimes she spends her lunch hour in a garden store, so then I still get my fix of her flower photography. Needless to say, she was thrilled to look at all the different colours and varieties, and I enjoyed experimenting with shooting straight down into the tulips. 

We spent a night in Aberdeen, visited the Kurt Cobain memorial, and continued on our way towards Portland. Shane and I have visited the city a few times before, but it was fun showing my favourite parts to my family, and together we discovered a botanical garden I did not know about. Everything was in bloom, and we even saw a bunch of Canadian goose eggs. 

At some point we also stopped at Cannon Beach, and I took them to my favourite place for grilled oysters called River View Dining. The couple who run it have been at it for over 20 years, and their grilled oysters “with everything” are one of the most delicious dishes I have had in my entire life. 

The best part of the trip for me was getting to spend time with my brother. We shared rooms on the trip, and it was probably the most uninterrupted sibling time we have had for years. It was nice to just hangout, I introduced him to Portlandia, and we watched a bunch of it together on my phone. When we got bored, we would go on late night food runs, and crack stupid jokes over burgers and milkshakes. Overall, 10/10 sibling bonding time, would recommend. 

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Svetlana in White Rock

My mom has always been one of my biggest cheerleaders. She has also always been down to be my model while I try new photo techniques. That is obviously because she is a smart woman who knows that she will end up with a bunch of awesome new photos of herself. 

For this shoot, I wanted to play with my different reflectors, so after I came to visit her in White Rock, we went to a nearby park, and set ourselves up. It was a bright sunny day, and I was able to get some different effects from the light and the reflector. 

However, my mom is not one to accept a passive modelling role, and insisted on photographing me as well. Thus, today’s blog post is a collaboration between my mom and I. You may be able to guess the photos taken by her because I am in them. 

Interestingly enough, I recently saw a baby photo of myself, it’s black and white and kind of blurry in a dreamy way, and I am laying in my bed. I went to ask my dad who he thought took it, because back in 92 it was obviously a whole process to take and print non studio photos. And to my surprise, my dad told me that maybe it was him who took it, because he was into photography as a young man! This totally blew my mind. I have been taking photos on anything I could for as long as I can remember, and somehow I didn’t know that this was my dad’s hobby as well. He told me about the darkroom he set up in his bathroom, and all the processes you had to complete to develop your photos. I really want to try this myself one day, just to understand photography in another way. 

This conversation was a good reminder that just because I know them as parents, doesn’t mean I necessarily know them as people, and it might take extra effort on my part to find out these things about them. I guess part of this realization comes from coming to an age where my friends are starting to have kids, and knowing that one day, trivial things about their lives could be important and formative to their offspring. So, next time I see my parents, I will ask them: “What is one thing I still don’t know about you?”

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Daniel on Okanagan Lake

Do you ever see something so beautiful that you just want to shove it into your eyeballs and into your heart so that you can remember it forever, because even an iPhone 11 panorama won’t do it justice? The Okanagan Lake is like that. We have done the drive to Peachland dozens of times, and every time I catch my first glimpse of the lake from the highway, I am filled with awe and joy and just a general appreciation of nature for being so freaking majestic without even trying. 

I love this lake. I love to swim in it, and boat around on it, and look at it, and of course, photograph it. I took these photos of Daniel on a cool fall evening. I love the dreamy peach light, and the meditative mood it sets. 

Daniel just celebrated his 18th birthday, and soon it’ll be time for him to graduate high school, move out, and begin his independent life. When Shane and I first got together, Daniel was just starting high school, and university seemed like forever away. And yet, five years later, here we are. Time, you can’t explain that. 

Daniel probably has more quality portraits of him that most of his friends combined. That’s what happens when you have a sister who takes a camera everywhere she goes. I think someday he will appreciate being able to look back and see himself growing up. These days he looks so much like our grandfather Valentin. 

Having such a big age gap between us has been a unique experience. For most people with siblings, your time before them was kind of hazy, or, if you are not the firstborn, simply nonexistent. For me, I had almost 10 years as an only child. Which was pretty awesome, because I got to just exist as a little princess with all the attention, and no need to compete (which explains why I am pretty competition-averse as a grown up). And then one day in February, I found myself at the Peace Arch Hospital, staring down at a wrinkly little baby (no one told me they’re wrinkly when they come out!). 

Now, only a few years later, that wrinkle is surprising me with his own adventures and plans and insights. It’s been so cool watching him grow and develop and form opinions, and I am grateful that no matter what happens, we will always have each other. Thanks mom and dad. 

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Sergio and Family

This set of photos is really special to me, because I got to go outside my white tourist bubble, and see how the local people live in the town that I love to visit. A part of visiting poorer places is being forced to confront your own privilege which is easy to ignore and forget about when you live in a place like Vancouver, and think that privilege starts when you can afford a mansion in Point Grey or a Lamborghini. So with sharing these photos, I want to acknowledge my deep gratitude to Sergio for showing me his home and his family.

One of the reasons we love Puerto Escondido so much, is that it is not a town built solely on tourism. With no direct flights, there is not a single all-inclusive resort in town, and that means that for the most part, the kind of tourists that come here are surfers, or at least adventurers of some kind. Not a lot of “spring break” vibes over here. 

One day, Shane and I were riding the motorcycle around the area surrounding our house. Just across a highway, you immediately got onto this dirt road, that lead through fields and then came to a small settlement, with a few houses, a church, and a school. There was also a small lake, which we later found out housed a crocodile. On our ride, we saw a little girl at one of the houses, who waved at us as we went by. 

The next day, Shane’s mum, who is our primary Spanish expect, having lived for a year in Mexico City as a teenager, told us that Sergio’s daughter saw us in their village yesterday (Sergio is one of the staff who works at the house we rent). Looking to shoot more portraits on my trip, I asked Sergio if we could visit and photograph him and his family. He agreed, and a plan was made. 

The next day we made the trip back to the house where we saw the little girl. She was there, along with her younger brother, and Sergio’s wife. We spent the next hour or so trying to communicate in broken Spanglish, and I got a lot of photos I really love on that day. One of my favourites is Sergio’s daughter holding my diffuser. It was not planned, but I adore the way it turned out. 

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Christmas with the Olukas

I know it’s nowhere near Christmas, but I simply had to share these cozy holiday photos. The winter holidays can be such a hectic time, and there is so much to do and so many plans, but being at the Olukas’ and decorating the tree together felt like a much-needed breather. When I took the elevator up, walked down the carpeted hallway, and came to their door, I could already hear Owen on the other side yelling “Auntie Nadya!” Kids give pretty warm welcomes. 

In the middle of the living room stood a fluffy plastic tree, already all lit up with lights, just waiting to be decorated. The Olukas had a white tree theme going, with little pinecone and owl decorations, so once Kendra, Jade, and Jade’s boyfriend arrived, it was time to put them up. Surprisingly, a lot of them ended up on the bottom branch. I wonder why. (*hint*: it was Owen, he is not very tall). 

While we are on the subject, I want to take a minute and talk about Kendra. I haven’t photographed her yet, but I am sure one of these days we will get together and shoot. She has the most energy out of anyone I know. She works full-time, and yet somehow finds the energy to teach skating lessons and play hockey! She is always making plans, finding cool things to do, going on awesome trips,  and generally living her best life. During my bachelorette impromptu dance party, she totally killed it as the DJ, dashing back and forth from the party to her phone to cue up requests. You go Kendra. 

I met Kendra through Hannah, and the three of us have formed this little group of women who are so excited for each other, and interested in each others’ lives. I really value having both Hannah and Kendra in my circle. 

For these Christmas photos, I drove my whole flash setup with me to Hannah and Rob’s apartment. It can definitely seem like a lot, but the sharpness and vibrance in the photos make it all worth it. Another year of beautiful holiday memories preserved forever!

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Stella is Back!

Stella is back, and she is adventuring harder than ever! 

These photos are from a trip Shane and I took to the Sunshine Coast in November 2018. It was the Remembrance Day weekend, and I was just about to start my new position, which totally overwhelmed me for the first couple of months. So looking back at these photos is kind of like seeing the calm before the storm. Before I took the job I have now with the BC Federal Council, I was at a bit of a crossroads. I had two job offers at once (isn’t it always like that, when it rains it pours). On one hand, I had a job where the pay was higher, and it was a nice stable place to go work (basically, the kind of job you think of, when you think of government work). On the other hand, I had this not particularly well-paying job, but one that seemed so interesting, with a manager who seemed to be on a similar page with me, who was excited about the unique skills I could bring to the position (like my photography), and who promised me some great connections. 

Definitely a head vs. heart decision, and I luckily I have watched enough Disney movies and romcoms to know which one is the right answer, and here I am a year and a half later working for the BCFC, building the kind of career and work-life balance in the public sector that I didn’t think was possible. Good decision making Nadya, pat on the back for you. 

Anywho, back to Stella. On this trip we watched her go to ballet class, and it was just as adorable as you’d imagine to see a bunch of small children all dressed up in their tutus, taking ballet moves very seriously. Later that day when we got home, Stella got tired of always being the photography subject, and insisted that I let her try and use my camera, which she had to hold up on her knees because it was so heavy. But at 3 years old, she was using a DSLR, and learning how to frame her subject and focus and shoot. As an auntie, I am pleased as punch with this development. The ballet flats is her photograph.

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Andrey and Fiona Maternity Shoot

Another beautiful family on my blog today! Meet Fiona and Andrey (and future baby Theodore!)!

Andrey and I go way back. Our parents somehow knew each other back in Vladivostok in the 90s, and when my family immigrated to Canada in 2001, they were a huge part of our new community here. I was closest in age to Andrey’s younger brother Greg, and I’ve spent hundreds of hours at their house, playing board games and pool and MarioKart and neopets and runescape. 

We all really looked up to Andrey, he was the fascinating older kid. I remember there was a time where he got a job reviewing videogames for the local newspaper, and that meant he could get all the newest games for free, which basically made him the coolest person we knew. Plus he was always so quick and witty. 

At some point, many years ago, Andrey and Fiona found each other. And we are all so lucky that they did, because Fiona is an actual sunshine of a person. She is kind, thoughtful, creative, and so freaking funny. She sends beautiful Christmas cards, and bought me the best-smelling candle I have ever smelled (it’s clementine vanilla). 

Andrey and Fiona are both writers, and actually, the first ever Fringe Festival show was one of theirs. I don’t remember the title, but it was to do with Cthulhu and also a love story I think? In any case it was weird and whimsical,  staged in a small downtown Vancouver theatre, and it planted a lifelong love of the Fringe in my heart. Now I’m the person buying 10-packs of Fringe tickets every year. This past year, I saw a total of 12 shows. If you haven’t ever been, I highly recommend this brilliant festival. 

When Fiona and Andrey wanted to do a maternity photoshoot with me, I was so excited. I was even more excited when they told me they just wanted to have photos of them being their real, silly selves. We met in Pacific Spirit Park, and took advantage of the fall weather and scenery. Fiona, being the imaginative lady that she is, crafted wreaths for herself and Andrey to wear. After seeing them, I simply don’t know why every maternity photoshoot doesn’t have head wreaths.

What I remember the most from this shoot is how much we were all laughing. The wit, love, and creativity of this couple will make them amazing parents.

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Christine, Adam and Seymour: Family Photoshoot

First of all, full disclosure: I am obsessed with the cat you are currently looking at. His name is Seymour, and he is the best boy. He is not the cuddliest, but he is goofy and zoomy, and so curious and athletic, and just overall a 10/10 cat. 

He came into our lives about a year and a half ago, when, after posting a picture of the cutest kitten I have ever seen on her instagram, our tenant Christine approached us, and asked how we would feel about them getting a cat. I immediately asked if it was the one from the photo, and when she said yes, I looked at Shane with the biggest puppy dog eyes I could muster. Long story short, they got the cat. 

It took them a long time to come up with a perfect name, so in the meantime, we called him a wide variety of things, the best by far being Señor Black Balls (because he has huge black balls relative to his little cream-coloured cat body, in case that wasn’t clear). Even as a kitten, he was great at fetch. He has these yellow rubber balls, and he would go crazy chasing them, and then he would grab it in his mouth, and bring it right back to you. Never did teach him to put it in your hand. He was also really interested in shoes as a kitten? He would find a shoe and climb into it, and that was pretty freaking cute. 

It didn’t take long for him to make it clear that he did not appreciate being shut out from the top floor of the house, which turned us from tenants and landlords into roomies who shared a cat. I will say, Shane and I definitely lucked out on that deal, because we get all the cuteness with none of the litterbox. 

Seymour is obviously our favourite, but Adam and Christine are pretty cool too. Adam is the chillest guy I have ever met, and also a pro snowboarder who does crazy things on his board, and somehow makes it look easy. He also plays guitar, and as his upstairs neighbour, I am happy to say he is very good at it. Christine is a helicopter mechanic, which is badass as hell, and overall just a funny, kind, down to earth person. 


It’s been great living with them over the last couple years, and I simply had to take some family photos of them with Señor Black Balls while he was still small. The result is pure cuteness.

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Pumpkin Patch with Nina

This is one of my all-time favourite sets of photos. When Nina and I decided to go to the Richmond Country Farms pumpkin patch, we were hoping for a nice sunny day, but as we drove from Kitsilano into Richmond, it felt like we were driving into a dense milky cloud. Not to be discouraged, we donned our boots, and set off on our mission.

I have been coming to this pumpkin patch since I was a little Russian girl and another more Canadianized Russian girl and her mom took me here, and said it’s fall and this is Canada, and we must ride the tractor, and go into this muddy field and choose a good pumpkin, and then bring it home and then carve something into it, probably  a face but maybe something else, you have options in this regard, and in my humble opinion it's the best pumpkin patch out there.

If I am going to be heading out to a field to choose my perfect pumpkin, I want the whole experience to be as corny as humanly possible, and in that respect, Richmond Country Farms delivers. They have it all: farm animals, a band made up of singing vegetables bobbing around to country music, a pile of hay bales to play in, mini doughnuts and poutine for snacks, a tractor ride to and from the field, complete with a country singalong, and halloween scenes along the way. You can see skeletons and various other spooky characters, and also, an orange elephant for some reason. This one really boggles me. Like was another business offloading an elephant statue, and the enterprising owners thought: “perfect, we will paint it orange, it’ll look super seasonal”? In any case, it’s there and you will see it if you go.

On this day, the fog set a spooky mood in the patch. I'm not really one for scary movies, but I had fun getting these somber atmospheric shots. The colours just worked so well (fall is the undeniable winner for best-coloured season). Shout out to Nina for being an interesting photography subject in particular, and just a lovely human in general.

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Family Photoshoot with Hannah, Rob and Owen!

Get ready for some family cuteness! 

I met Hannah at my first position with Transport Canada. I was a co-op, and she was recently graduated, and fresh off her honeymoon. We quickly bonded over our shared work struggles and personal lives. She was there on the day of my first date with Shane, watching me excitedly await the end of the work day, and she was there for our early days, when I needed input on a text I was sending, or when I just had to vent because boys are stupid. Basically, I was pretty needy and she was pretty amazing about the whole thing, and I am forever grateful. 

Meantime, she was starting her own marriage to a great guy named Rob. They are a couple who compliment each other well. Every time I talk to Hannah, she tells me of their self-improvement efforts; they are always striving, and dreaming big. It was always a treat to visit them at their cozy apartment: they put out an excellent snack spread. Hannah was also the person who introduced me to the Vancouver drag scene, and set me off on a lifetime love of all things drag. 

You can’t imagine how excited I was a couple years later, when, no longer working together, we sat on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery and she told me she was pregnant! The result was this awesome little boy Owen. When he was born, Hannah, our mutual friend Kendra and I scheduled weekly lunch dates, so we could catch up and see this little chubby-cheeked cutie on a regular basis. Now Hannah is living on Vancouver Island and we don’t get to see each other as much, but you better believe that her, Kendra and I are still scheduling weekly lunchtime phone calls to stay connected. 

I took these photos of Hannah and her family on a sunny fall afternoon in Stanley Park. When it comes to toddlers, you can’t do much in terms of direction, so I enjoy just going with the flow, and seeing the fun, candid shots I can get.