I had the pleasure of taking Jeannines maternity photos at Centennial Beach earlier in the summer. I was thrilled when she reached out to me a month later asking me if she and her sister could gift their mother a photo session! Of course, I was so happy to work with her again!
I loved to see the connection between this stunning mother and her beautiful daughters. The nicest family to spend the evening with down in Boundary Bay!
A photoshoot is one of the best investments you can make for your business in order take your brand to the next level.
In a content-driven day and age, brand photos that accurately reflect who you are, what your brand is about, and the personality behind it all are a sure way to attract the audience of your dreams. Having good brand photography can do so much for your brand so I want to make sure we nail your shoot!
To help you prepare for your next photoshoot, I’ve decided to share a few of my favorite tips and tricks when it comes to shoots so you’ll be totally prepared and we’ll create images that you LOVE!
Plan, Plan Plan!
The key to a successful branding photoshoot is to plan a head! Create a mood board on Pinterest and share it with me. If you have any Instagram accounts you love to follow and aspire to be like, send them my way (and then we will make it your own :). Before going into a photoshoot you should have an idea of your target market and your brands personality (are you fun? professional? friendly?) . I’m here for you 100% of the way and want lots of back and forth so I can make sure I’m going to get images you’ll LOVE!
Go Pro: Hair & Make-Up
It looks amazing on camera and removes the stress of getting ready on your own. Whether it’s lash extensions or blown-out hair, professional hair and makeup will give you an extra boost of confidence in front of the camera, and it always photographs like a dream. If you’re working with a makeup artist, have them apply your makeup in natural light (if possible) so that it looks fresh and not too heavy. Plus, that’s the type of light we’ll be shooting in, so it’ll give you the best expectation of how it will translate on camera. Most of my clients feel like their makeup is “too much” at first, since it’s more than they would wear on a normal day, so if you feel that way, don’t worry! Good makeup artists know how to get it just right for the camera — and my clients always love the final result. If you need a recommendation for hair and makeup, I'd be happy to pass along the artists I love working with! Just let me know and I’ll send you their information. I know they’ll take good care of you!
Choosing your shoot Location
The location of your portrait session is completely up to you! I shoot ‘natural light’ meaning using the light from the sun. To achieve the bright and airy look of my photos, a space that is, outdoor, open air environments are always my first choice. Or if your session is inside, a home or an office with big windows and white walls is my preferred choice.
What to Wear
When choosing colors for your outfits, I recommend selecting lighter, neutral tones and more muted shades. You can never go wrong with light neutral colors like cream, taupe, camel or light gray. The camera loves shades of soft pinks and muted blues, mixed with sophisticated light-colored neutrals. That softer, more pastel-leaning color palette fits beautifully with my editing style. Try to avoid colors like red, royal blue and bright yellow as these colors will ‘color cast’ your skin tone. You’ll also want to consider any colors you’ll want to incorporate into your Instagram grid to keep the look and tones consistent. Or do you have brand colors? If yes, then wear them!
Number of Outfits
I recommend 2-3 outfits for a 1 hour photo session. I want to deliver photos that are diverse and look like they were taken on different days of the week. You may even consider having a blazer for some photos and taking it off for a few - it creates a total different look! You may want to also consider having on business or done up look and one casual outfit to bring out your personality in photos.
Styling your Session
I recommend bringing some props with you to make the images look more editorial. You may want to set up a picnic or incorporate another special element into your session like fresh flowers, a hobby you do or a family pet! If you are a business professional you may want to bring your laptop, notebook or cell phone to show you hustling your your clients.
Think Ahead
Take a look at your calendar and see if there are any important dates coming up in the next few months. Is it your birthday? An anniversary? Earth Day? Halloween? Consider bringing a prop to the photoshoot so you can have a specific photo to post on that special day.
You’ll also want to take into consideration the changing of seasons. If your photoshoot is in the summer time you may want to have a summery looks but bring in some elements or an outfit change for the fall time.
I’m here for you!
I know I just gave you A LOT to think about! Don’t panic :) Just take it one step at a time. And remember, I’m here for you! If you’re deciding between a few outfits and can’t commit, no problem! I’m here. If you love two locations but can’t make up your mind, no worries! I can help with that, too. If you need a recommendation of any kind, I’m on it! Remember, I’m just one email away :)
I’m so excited! See you soon!
- Paige
I’ve been a photographer almost 4 years now. My style has grown and I've adapted and love my job more and more every day. But the thing I love the most about being in business this long is photographing the same family more than once! I love to see a family growing in numbers and capturing milestone moments for them. Seriously, there is nothing better!
I first took photos for the Miller family after the arrival of their first daughter two years ago. So it was an absolute pleasure when they reached out to me to take at home newborn photos when their second daughter came into this world.
This was my first newborn photoshoot since the COVID-19 quarentine had ended. I was SO excited to be back doing newborn sessions again. I wore a face mask and had in my mind the whole time to keep a safe physical distance. When I walked into the Miller home, I was amazed to see how much older sister A had grown! She was a complete sweetheart and gentle with her new baby sister. Their baby was a little replica of big sister (genetics never sease to amaze me!). Baby A was the sleepiest little bundle of joy with the most amazing thick black hair. Both Mom and Dad were so welcoming and at ease with now being a family of four; it made my job a complete breeze. I loved their outfit choices, especially how it tied into their home decor. Just a side note - when choosing outfits for a newborn or family photo shoot, make them match your home decor. My wish is that you will have these photos printed and hung on your walls as art so it’s a good idea if they coordinate!
Thank you to the Miller family for welcoming me back into your home to take newborn photos for you. Your welcoming and kind manner makes my job fun, relaxed and reminds me of why I love this job - to connect with amazing people like you! You totally are nailing this family of four thing and hopefully I’ll see you around town one of these days.
Paige :)
I’ve called Tsawwassen my home since I was 4 years old when my family moved here from Toronto. I spent my youth exploring ever inch of the neighbourhoods beaches, trails and forests. When I became a Tsawwassen family photographer, I thought I knew ever single photoshoot ‘secret spot’. That was however, I connected with another local Delta photographer on Facebook. She had the most beautiful work and stunning images of children playing on what looked like a river bank. Something you’d find down south in North Carolina or Florida. I met up with the other local photographer for a coffee at Petra’s. She had been in the photography game for a long while and now that her own children were grown, she was planning on getting out of the family photography business and move into commercial and big production photography. so bless her, she told me of he secret shoot location in Tsawwassen!
I couldn’t wait to test the location out for myself. When my dear friend Nicole, who I spent my early 20s working at Earls on Robson street with, families photoshoot was nearing, I suggested we tried this new location. Nicole and her beautiful family arrived looking as stunning as always. The last time I photographed Nicole she was 8 month pregnant with her second daughter, so it was amazing to see them as a family of 4.
The new shooting location was nothing short of amazing. The Guidon family was so loving and easy to work with. Older sister was so happy to be infront of the camera and play with mom and dad, while little sister wanted to hug onto momma - which made for beautiful photos. I’m capturing this time in your lives after all.
The highlight of the shoot was walking out onto the glassy tide flats at the end of the session. The sun was glowing the most beautiful golden hue onto the water. Some colors I’ve never photographed before. And as we were walking out, we had eagles soaring all around us. I know I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, we are SO lucky to live here!
Thank you to the Guindon family for coming and meeting up with me and testing out this new shoot location :) I love seeing you guys and love seeing your beautiful family all together.
Another HUGE thank you to Rebekka Logan for taking the time to sit with me over coffee and let me in on one of your favourite shoot locations. You’re so talented and I thank you!
My favourite photo sessions are maternity shoots! There is so much to love about them. The mother-to-be is glowing. The beautiful baby bump. The way the partner looks at the woman who is growing his child in her belly. There is so much love, anticipation and joy during these sessions. And Tiffany and Brandon were the perfect examples of why I love these photoshoots so much.
I loved planning this session with Tiffany. When someone puts thought, effort and excitement towards the session, you always know it’s going to go well! We chatted about outfits and locations months before the shoot. We had originally planned to do the photos at the Abbotsford Tulip Festival but unfortunately, due to Covid - 19 the festival was closed this year, but Boundary Bay is a very good second option :)
Tiffany looked amazing wearing a dress from one of my favourite online maternity shop Acmami and her flawless makeup was done by Justyne. T + B were so lovely and kind and so easy to work with in front of the camera. It was such a pleasure to photograph both of them. Tiffany was glowing the whole time and the only instruction I gave to Brandon was ‘you’re job as the Dad is to just look at your beautiful wife the whole time’ and he totally nailed it. As the photographer, it's my job is to pose and instruct the the whole time, but these two often created the most amazing candid moments for me to capture. While we were out in the water, Brandon started to dance with Tiffany just like they had on their wedding day. Seriously SO special to capture.
At the end of the session both T + B headed down to the water to finish off with some beautiful water shots. The tide was just perfect to walk out and we had the most amazing pastel pink sunset to match Tiffany’s dress. What a perfect end to a perfect night.
Dear T + B, thank you for coming to Tsawwassen for your maternity photos. I’m happy our second choice shoot location was so dreamy for you on the night we took photos! I’m looking forward to meet baby soon now and do it all over again with your newborn photos :)
xo Paige
Ever since I got into photography I always dreamed of shooting in Hawaii.
My husband and I booked our 2 year wedding anniversary in Maui this past November. Before leaving I connected with Steph and found out that her family would be there the same dates ( amazing!). My dream of a sunrise family photo shoot in Maui was coming true!
We met before sunrise, just at 6:30am. It was still dark but the sky subtly was changing to a morning blue. We headed down to Charlie Young beach in Kehei and were the only ones up at this time. By the time we began shooting, the sky had changed into the most stunning sunrise I had ever seen. The two boys immediately warmed up in front of the camera as they played with mom and dad on the beach. We spent the next hour playing on the shore line, taking photos and enjoying the most beautiful sunrise. Momma Steph looked stunning in her blue dress to match the sunrise. Dad did an amazing job wrangling his boys, playing in the sand with them and tossing them in the air to get the most precious smiles.
As a Vancouver family photographer, it was such a treat to shoot at a location new and inspiring. To the Toigo family, thanks for spending the morning with me playing in the sand and waves. It was a perfect way to spend a Maui morning :)
When walking into the home of a new client, you never really know what to expect. The layout, the light, the colours. And what about the family, are they open-hearted, high energy, nervous, a bit of everything?
Turns out this photo session had all the good things; beautiful light, a gorgeous family, lots of love, and the perfect amount of energy from the two little ladies :) You could tell the family was all in shock that they had welcomed a baby BOY into the mix. With two big sisters and not finding out the gender of the baby, it was a big surprise to everyone!
Mom Kristin is a birthing queen. A trained doula herself, she had an all natural birth at home. Well done momma, well done :)
Lifestyle photography is about telling your story, capturing your connections, full of heart and honesty. The chaos, the mess and the love that holds it all together.
Thank you so much for inviting me into your home, words can’t describe how much I enjoyed this session.
Preparing to welcome a baby into the world, especially your first, is an absolutely amazing time of life. There are so many milestones - 12 weeks, 20 weeks (and every week thereafter!) new nursery, new clothes , new sounds and new smells (not always good ones!), and of course new little fingers, new little toes and a new little heart to love. It goes so fast and so slow all at once, which is why I LOVE to help you remember those blurry first days/weeks/months for years to come.
I recently got to help my bestie document her journey from bump to baby and it was pure bliss. Knowing good friends for over 20 years is a blessing and to see them transition into motherhood is such a beautiful thing!
Jess and Geordie, congratulations on your family of FOUR! Love you guys long time, I’m so excited to raise our babes together :)
Paige xo
Mom Megan and I had been chatting about her family photo session for some time over e-mail. I had taken her friends family photos and that’s how she came across my name. I didnt know going into her session that I actually knew her from way back in the day. When I saw her familiar face at Centennial Beach, I was brought back to my first job as a phone girl in Tsawwassen at Mario’s Kitchen, circa 2003. Megan was a server and I remember her just being the absolute sweetest person, to everyone, including us phone girls lol.
The first two thing I noticed about her family was 1.) how beautiful and sweet they all were! and 2.) their perfect choice of cloths for a beach family photo session. Blue and white tones on a crystal clear evening was going to make for such dreamy photos.
The evening of their session was a warm summer night at Centennial Beach. We spent the hour of their family session hanging out, capturing the classic family portraits and the most beautiful in-between moments, which are always my favorite. I also LOVED capturing some special mom and dad portraits, it was the day after their anniversary after all :)
To the Reid family, thanks so much for allowing me to take your family portraits at Centennial Beach. It was such a nice night and loved the dynamic of your loving family.
I’m a Tsawwassen girl, and to be honest, I don’t often venture out of our neighbourhood for photo shoots. Saying that, when a client suggests we shoot at a new location I’m always game! A new location is like a new playground for a photographer. When taking photos somewhere new, it sparks your creativity and allows you to play with new light and landscapes. When beautiful momma to be, Ana suggested we take her maternity photos at Stanley Park in Vancouver, I was super excited! I asked my wedding planner sister Briar of Epic Events for suggested shoot locations in the area as she often does weddings at the Tea House and other Stanley Park venues.
She suggested 2nd beach, when I went to scout out the location, fell in love with right away. The reason I loved it for the maternity session so much was within a 5 minute walk, you went from a beautiful forest setting to a Vancouver beach landscape.
When I met up with Ana and Alex for their maternity photos, the first thing I noticed was Ana’s stunning dress choice and her flawless makeup. The gorgeous couple, and Ana’s perfect little baby bump made for such a dreamy team for the forest photos. As the sun was setting, we took a five minute walk and quick outfit change that brought us down to 2nd Beach for the second half of our maternity photo shoot.
Once again, Ana totally nailed her outfit choice with a soft pink dress that would compliment the sunset perfectly. At this point in the photo shoot we are all relaxed and having fun, which you can totally see through their photos.
Ana + Alex, thank you for choosing me to capture such a milestone moment in your lives. It was so wonderful meeting you two and thank you for allowing me to venture out of Tsawwassen to take your maternity photos!
Word of mouth is everything! I’m so thankful when my amazing clients share their photos on social media, it opens the door to their network, which generally, is other, awesome people. That means they too, will be another amazing client I will LOVE working with.
This was the case with momma M. She saw my photos online and when she reached out to me, she was warm and welcoming . She has a big love of life, travel, her husband, two dogs AND her baby on the way. She and her husband, in week one of having a newborn, had the team dynamics down. It was such a fun loving session, including both of their gorgeous Australian Shepards who join us for our session.
To M + A family, thank you for inviting me into your home at such a special time in your life. I really hope we can do it again down the road :) I’m envisioning your family + dogs and a beautiful sunset!
There are some photos that when I look at, there is so much love, raw emotion and joy it actually makes me smile to myself. Lauren and Cameron’s mother and son photo session at Centennial Beach had many of those moments.
I first met Lauren when I was 6 years old and she was my cool sisters cool friend. I haden’t seen her for year as she lives overseas but she reached out that she was coming back to Tsawwassen for a visit and wanted family photos done. We discussed location and the timing of her session. She was a little worried about a sunset session in July because it was pushing baby Cameron’s bedtime by a couple hours. With two babes of my own I know the importance of baby bed time. But here is a fun fact, in my experience of being a family photographer, if a kid is outside at the beach they are totally happy! And yes, they will be tired by the end of the session, and then we’ll get the cutest baby cuddle photos.
Our session was full of smiles and beautiful candid moments between mother and son. Cameron was a text book angel baby and was all smiles for the first half of our shoot, and then with a few rubs of his eyes near he fell fast asleep in him moms arms.
Lauren, it was so great to re-connect with you and meet your gorgeous baby boy! Thank you for allowing me to capture these moments for you!
I met up with Indy, Matt and there adorable son Adrian at Centennial Beach in sunny Tsawwassen for their family photos. I’m not sure if it was the time of day, the setting, Indy’s dress or ALL of the above, but the color tone of these photos are so magical. Well, almost as magical as Adrian’s smile throughout the shoot :)
Adrian honestly made me feel like the funniest person on the planet. He would laugh and smile at all my ‘jokes’, which included playing peek-a-boo, tickling him with a soft plant, making funny faces. As long as he was cuddling with his mom and dad he was a happy camper.
Indy and Matt, thanks for allowing me to capture your family photos. You guys have such a happy, fun little boy and you all were such a pleasure to photograph!
Jeannine + Kevin met me at Centennial Beach in Tsawwassen on a beautiful spring evening for their beach maternity sessions. The day had been cloudy and we even touched base earlier in the day with the possibility of rescheduling due to weather, but I’m sure glad we didn’t. We enjoyed the most beautiful sunset and gorgeous light as they celebrated the coming arrival of their first baby.
J + K thank you for choosing me to capture this special time in your lives. Your baby is one lucky little guy to have parents like you!
May was my month of the Motherhood Sunset Sessions at Centennial Beach. It was a month of me capturing Mothers with their children as they laugh, played and loved down at the water in Sunny Tsawwassen.
This session was a special one for me. As a photographer, the biggest compliment you can recieve (in my opinion) is when ANOTHER photographer asks you to take their family photos. This was the case with Sioban of Siobhan Deol Photography, another family photographer in Tsawwassen.
The evening at the beach was calm, bright and we had a beautiful sunset. It was the first night where it really started to feel like summer was here. Calm ocean with beautiful pastels.
You could tell her kids were used to being infront of the camera. There were so many special moments between her and her kids. One of my favorite was when her little dude had his ‘mommy and me’ moment of candid photos on the beach. He just embraced the moment and loved snuggling and playing with his momma.
Sioban, thank you for trusting me in capturing your Motherhood Session at Centennial Beach. I look forward to getting together and geeking out of everything photography over coffee..or wine..probably wine!
I first met the Camire family at Centennial Beach for their maternity photos in Tsawwassen a few months back. The day at the beach was sunny but windy, bringing in a cold ocean breeze. Sweet little Isla was such a trooper for their cold and windy photo session. So when I went to the Camire’s house for their newborn photos, I knew Isla must remember me as the lady who made her play at the beach when it was FREEZING! And when I saw her at their house on a sunny and hot May afternoon, I said to her, ‘Hi Isla! Do you remember me?! We took photos at the beach together!’ all she said back was ‘it was cold’. LOL!
I thought I would have to regain her trust and take some time with her to warm up in front of the camera. I was totally wrong! On a scale of 1-10 how well behaved little Isla is, she was a 12. She loved cuddling her new baby sister Emmie and was so proud when it was her turn to hold her. Isla absolutely shone at the end of the session when we had a family dance party in the living room. This is the way I like to end most of my newborn sessions (if there are young siblings), as it brings the energy back up and creates beautiful genuine moments.
The Camire family, you guys are such a pleasure to spend time with! Thank you for inviting me into your home to take your newborn photos :) It was such an enjoyable afternoon and I look forward to the next time we can take photos together. Congratulations on baby #2, you guys are totally rocking the two kid thing :)
If you’d like to see the most gorgeous at home newborn photos, scroll down!
Congratulations to the Bird family on welcoming baby #3 into their family! This sweet newborn, is baby Monroe (just LOVE that name). She was a dream to photograph (I don’t even think she woke up at any point during our photo shoot!) She was SO chill and just did what a third child does, went with the flow.
As a newborn photographer, I LOVE the dynamics when a third child is added in the mix. I’m not sure what it is, but it totally makes the family look complete. Speaking of complete, can we just take a moment to applaud Mom Nikki on her absolutely amazing job on color coordinating her troops!! Even the swaddle choice totally completes the package. Well done girl!
The Tsawwassen newborn session, was a quick and easy experience. I always allow up to three hours in case a kid needs a snack, diaper change or a cuddle. I think this may have been a record 1.5 hours and it was a wrap! Both older siblings were a 10/10 in behaviour and LOVED to cuddle their new little sister. Daddy Bird was just like baby Monroe and went with the flow of the shoot :) You can see three babies in, mom + dad were a super team, and you can tell from the pictures, really in love.
Thanks to the Bird family for spending the afternoon with me allowing me to capture your expanding family. It was truly a pleasure! You guys are just nailing the three kid thing, you may even trick the rest of us into the having another baby because you make it look so enjoyable!
If you want to see a baby smile for an hour consecutively, take them to the Abbotsford Tulip Festival!
I was awake at 3:45am and on the road, leaving Tsawwassen at 4:15am to make it for a sunrise photo shoot at Bloom - Abbotsford Tulip Festival. When I arrived, the sky was a soft blue with the sunlight slowly creeping up over the mountains. I’d never been to the tulip fields before and oh wow, was it a sight to see! Endless rows of tulips spread out over endless farm land.
I met up with Natalie just before sunrise for our photo session. Natalie is an accomplished Canadian TV personality and Momma to her beautiful baby boy Pierce. If I thought I deserved a pat on the back for waking up early, this girl deserves a trophy! She looked AMAZING, arrived earlier than me to tend to her babies needs and was all smiles. The. Whole. Time!
We spent the next hour playing in the tulip fields while taking photos. Pierce was so happy to be surrounded by the colors, smells and cuddling with his mom. Natalie was a dream to photograph and her Wilfred dress choice such a perfect choice for the delicate flowers. There were only a few other people out in the fields at this time, but we had a whole bunch of cows meters away checking out our situation.
As a family photographer, I’m SO passionate about taking photos of motherhood. I’m also am passionate about working mothers who are finding a balance pursuing a career they love, while being a rockstar moms. And Natalie is TOTALLY one of those ladies, finding the balance between the two!
I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I LOVED taking them :)
This was such a special one for me! Jess and Geordie are having a baby! And I had the honour of capturing their maternity photos in Boundary Bay! They’re some of my closest friends and have been in my life for many years! I met Jess in grade 5 at English Bluff Elementary in Tsawwassen. We were immediate besties from day one. We played sports together, travelled together, celebrated holidays together, got into trouble in high school together. Over the years, the only time we EVER had a disagreement was in grade 5 when we couldn’t decide who was going to be Sporty Spice :)
Jess and Geordie met in highschool, and although they never dated until afterwards, our whole friend group saw this couple in the making a mile away. And we were all so HAPPY when they finally figured out they were perfect for each other :)
The evening of their maternity photos can only be describes as dreamy. It was one of the first warm nights of the year and clear skies in the forecast. We headed down to Boundary Bay for their shoot. Jess was totally prepared with a gorgeous red Minca blanket, and Geordie (bless him) came with Four Winds beers to share, with me, not Jess ;) Their sweet pup Bodhi added such a fun and candid element to their photos!
At sunset, we headed to the dyke for gorgeous photos as the skye was changing from blue, to purple to pink. A perfect way to end a maternity shoot.
Jess and Geordie, I know I’ve said it a million times, but I’m SO happy for you guys! You guys are going to make the most amazing parents and I can’t wait to raise our kids together! xoxo P
The sky! Her dress. And the way he looked at her!
I’m just swooning over K + T Centennial Beach engagement session in Tsawwassen. I love to leave plenty of time for engagement photos. This is the time I get to talk to the couple and get to know them. I’m photographing their wedding after all!
I met the couple in the parking lot at Centennial Beach. The first thing I notices was how AMAZING they both looked! I like to think of the beginning of our shoot as the ‘warm up’. I generally get the couple to do things that may FEEL super awkward, but look GREAT on camera! They we’re both such great sports and we captured the most beautiful moments. Once the sun starts to set and we enter the ‘golden hour’, that’s when we will head down to the beach for sunset photos.
I loved when Kathleen said, ‘so we’ve done lots of belly smooshing photos, can we just take some fun ones?’ LOL! Yes! I’m all about collaboration so they pulled out their sunnies for some casual fun photos.
As the sun set over boundary bay, the most beautiful pastel sky finished off their engagment photos. The wind picked up lightly and holy smokes, they looked stunning being photographed at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
Kathleen and Tyler, thank you for letting me capture your photo session. As a Tsawwassen family photographer, to be able to capture two adults so in love, makes such a welcome photo shoot.
