Sarah's Baby Bump!

Saturday I met up with my dear friend Sarah to get some pictures of her growing belly. She is looking beautiful at 34 weeks and very excited! I have been wanting to do this for a long time now, it's not my story to tell but words cannot express how happy I am for her and Jimmy. She has been waiting for this for awhile and now they are expecting their little girl in March!
I have known they have been expecting for quite some time but while I was taking pictures it finally hit me "this is actually happening!". I have to admit editing a few of the pictures so far got me a little emotional, Sarah is going to be such a good Mom!
Sarah wanted some colourful pictures along with B&W's which I totally had in mind so it worked out well!

I was invited along to her Baby Shower after our session and oh my did she get spoiled, she deserves every little bit of it!

Stay tuned for a few more belly and shower pics!

Cheers

-Tracie

Rainy Days

Well it was another rainy day... surprise surprise! Rainy days in our house mean 'creative' days. I am always trying to come up with ideas to entertain Grayer so we don't have continuous meltdowns. Grayer being a typical 21 month old has a short attention span so we went from play dough, colouring, reading, trains and to my favorite crafts. You never know what you are going to find if you just take a look around the house. If you have glue and paper.. you have a very satisfied toddler!

When it came to bedtime Grayer brought an apple to bed with him. I allowed it since it was a healthy choice. As I was reading him his stories he took a couple of bites of his apple and tucked it into his covers.. and got very upset when I tried to take it away. I have noticed he has started doing those weird things that kids do that do not seem to make sense.. but to them they do :) After he was happily cuddled up with his puppy and his eyes were closed I carefully tip toed out of the room to get some work done! Oh and yes I took the apple...

Before settling myself down to do work I needed something warm and cozy..

Well I was able to get some work done..still slowly working on ALL the pictures from Nova Scotia. I also did some brainstorming for a maternity session of my dear friend Sarah tomorrow. I have been waiting to do this for awhile so I am very excited! Stay tuned for a sneak peak..

It is late and I am going to cuddle with my sheets and listen to the rain..

Cheers

-Tracie

Marcella & Family

While I was Nova Scotia I finally got to meet little Marcella and family. My sister-in-law purchased a gift certificate from me for a Christmas gift to her parents. Knowing I would be going to Nova Scotia I could do a session with little Marcella and her Grandparents. I was so happy to finally meet all of them. She really was a doll, very alert and had lots of smiles. Grayer even posed with her for a few.

One picture.. So Many Emotions..

I was having a very blah day today. I did everything right, got up at 4am (Grayer and I are still on Nova Scotia time) spent the whole morning playing with Grayer, went to the gym.. but couldn't shake frustration. My new site isn't up and running yet and this was not how I wanted 2011 to start.
I continued to try and shake it off but I just couldn't get my spirits up. I decided to spend the evening listening to music and updating my blog with a little editing. I have TONS to edit from my trip but can only do a little at a time. I start to get homesick and the emotions come so I have to stop and go back to them. Tonight I thought I would do a few and post them on the blog, when I came across a photo I don't even remember taking. My Dad and Grayer reading... the smile on my Dad's face made me smile right away, but then the tears came. I love living in BC but I do wish my Dad was closer. I have to remind myself when I am having one of those blah days to just look around and see how lucky I am to have such an amazing family. It's true a picture can say so much...

Grayer couldn't get out "Grampy" so he called him "PP"

Curt is such a good Dad, Grayer wanted to go out in the snow first thing in the morning. Curt bundled him up and went out in his pajamas :)

Curt and I self portrait.

Well that is all for now. I made myself stay up late so I can try and get back on BC time.

Cheers!
-Tracie

The Simple Things.

After getting back from Nova Scotia for two weeks I feel rejuvenated. I needed to see familiar faces and have many good laughs.
While I was there, I realized I love simple things. The houses in that area have so much character and history. Its hard to find that around here these days since everything is new and crowded. While I was there I would just roam around taking pictures of things that we all take for granted and simply walk by without noticing. If we just all took some time and looked at the simplest things we would find beauty in them.
Growing up in Nova Scotia I always knew it was beautiful but never really saw it that way. People would talk about it but I just thought we lived in the boonies and it was inconvenient to get a ride into town. Now that I live in a small city I miss having that privacy. This time I took a look around and saw the farmland from a different point of view, instead of looking at it as just grass I looked at the hard work that goes into it, instead of looking at the muddy brown water as dirty and cold, I looked at it as unique.
From now on I am going to try and see the little details in things and appreciate them more.

Beautiful little white church in Grand Pre, NS

The Beach Breeze Motel at Evangeline Beach, Grand Pre.

Home away from Home

Being in Nova Scotia for the past 2 weeks has made me realize how lucky I am to have two places I call home. When I come back to Nova Scotia I can always count on a few things to stay the same.. my Dad's house, the food, and the same friends I have had since I was in Grade 4. This time around was a little different since I was bringing my Son back for the first time, seeing him places I spent so much time as a child, Seeing him play with the same toys I once did at my Grandparents' really made it special.
I have a few more days here before I go back to reality, a reality I have missed. I am missing my routine and editing, posting and blogging on a regular basis.
The next couple days I am going to try and get some more pictures of this beautiful province so I can fill my home with memories of home :)

Christmas 2010 - 5 more favorites of 2010

After taking a couple days off of not posting, editing, or checking email all day I realized how much I really do love my job, because I missed it!
My holiday was filled with love and laughter with my family. This year was defiently more exciting with Grayer being 20 months. Christmas morning was spent unwrapping presents and drinking 'special' coffees. The best gift of all this year was to have everyone together in the same room Christmas Eve/morning!

The rest of the week will be spent getting organized and packing since we are leaving for Nova Scotia for 2 weeks to visit family. I am SO very excited to not only see everyone and introduce Grayer to them but to get TONS of pictures!

Picking my last 5 favorites was tricky.. there not necessarily the best pictures I have taken but stand out to me for different reasons, which I will explain :)

I captured this one of Mya during there family session, I LOVE her expression and those long eyelashes!

Maybe I am a little bias but this is a favorite of my son. It was the end of the summer and we were out for an adventure so I did a mini shoot of him playing in the rocks :)

If I remember correctly I believe this was the grooms idea. I had SO much fun shooting Kris & Cindy's wedding! They had a few old cars and unique places picked out, I love how this one turned out.

I met Alexis and her family for a session as a Christmas present to their grandparents. She was VERY photogenic! I love her outfit and the color contrast in this one.

Armita's maternity shoot was awesome! They all turned out really good. We did an inside and outside session. I love this one, the glowing belly with the leaves blurred in the background.

Well that was HARD! I have sooo many favorites of 2010, and am so thankful for having the priviledge to capture SO many special moments in peoples lives~!

Cheers for now :)
Tracie

Thankful - 5 favorites of 2010

It is getting close to the end of 2010 and I have a lot to be thankful for. I started Tray Photography in the spring of this year with the hopes of picking up a few photo sessions and experience. I was able to pick up more than a few and gained a lot of experience! I recently held a contest on facebook asking people to pick a favorite, for participating they would have their named entered in a draw and have the chance to receive a free photo session. After going through the pictures of different sessions since I began, I can truly see the improvement along the way.
The first job I took this year and the one I still look back on quite often was an engagement session. It was Mothers Day, a Mothers Day to remember. I brought along my family so we could still spend time together while I worked. I was grateful for the couple to take a chance on someone just starting out, I now use one of their pictures on my current business cards. I would not be able to do this without the support of my family, they are always interested and keep me motivated!
Between now and the end of 2010 I am going to go through my pictures and pick 10 that are my favorites for different reasons.
I am really looking forward to 2011, hoping to gain more experience and knowledge of photography. I continue to think of new ideas for different sessions, but find they just happen when you least expect it!
As of right now I have 2 weddings booked for the summer and can't wait to book more!

Cheers for now!
~Tracie

This is a favorite not only because it was the first session I did, but its cute and fun. If I remember correctly it was his idea for this picture. I'm finding the men have great ideas!

This is Ellen, I was hired for her first birthday/family session to follow. She was adorable, she got her colorful poncho for her birthday which was perfect for a mini photo shoot!

This isn't just a favorite because he is my adorable little brother Hayden, but it was his first day of school and this is truly his personality. I LOVE capturing peoples personalities!

This continues to be one of my favorites! This was at Tanya & Corwin's Wedding, she didn't pose this way on purpose. Just a hungry bored flower girl!

Susan's family was an easy session, all participated very well! I had an idea for this picture while walking around her property, I really didn't know how it would turn out but it's favorite!

That's it for now.. this is going to be a lot harder than I thought!

Baby Riley/Where is the snow!?!

Today was a COLD day! Where is the snow?!? I have been patiently waiting for the snow to arrive and stay on the ground just until I can get a family picture for our Christmas card this year, but no luck yet :(
On the up side, I got to do a photo shoot of 10 week old baby Riley today and he melted me heart! We did some in Christmas gear and then a few others. He did soo well! Definitely got me more in the festive mood!
Hopefully Grayer will go to bed early tonight so I can start editing some, however it has been mission goodbye soother since Friday night! He has done pretty good but bedtime has been a wee bit later the last few nights.. Oh well I can't stand the constant search for soothers!!

Time to get the boy in the tub and hopefully get some work done~!

Pearl + Jon = marriage!

I met Pearl in September at a Starbucks in Vancouver to sit down and discuss her upcoming wedding. We hit it off right away, her kind personality was very obvious as soon as we started talking. She took a interest in hearing about my son and family. On Friday morning shortly before 8am I met Pearl again at the Empire Hotel in Vancouver. She already had her hair and makeup done so we went up to the 42nd floor to the rotating restaurant to enjoy a cup of coffee before a busy and exciting day! I couldn't get over how calm she was for a bride who was about to get married in a couple of hours!
The ceremony was at 10am and the weather ended up being perfect! YAY! It was a very romantic ceremony with close friends and family. Her family constantly offered me food and beverages and best of all they shared family stories with me.
Pearl and Jon truly are a beautiful couple who are most defiently in love! What an awesome job I have to capture the special moments of love!

Bellies, Babies oh my!

I have been busy with maternity shots followed by a newborn shoot! Even with the weather being yucky, we can still find ways to capture those special moments!
Offering a Maternity Special! Book a maternity session and get the newborn session FREE~!
:)

Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love sitting down to a turkey dinner that includes handed down recipes making it taste just like it did when I was a child. Even more importantly I have my own little family to include in the traditions.
This weekend also included a small wedding ceremony at Friendship Gardens in New West, it was cute and very casual. The rain luckily held off for some great shots!
I also photographed a friend and her family, the rain held off until just after the shoot! I can't wait to start editing the pictures, her children are adorable.
I have another busy weekend coming up and will be crossing my fingers once again for the rain to hold off! :)

TRAY Photography: A working mommy..

TRAY Photography: A working mommy..

A working mommy..

As some may have noticed I have neglected my blog. I recently came to the conclusion that being a stay at home mom who also works from home, is going to be challenging. I came up with the brilliant idea to set a working and playing schedule, but I forgot who I was dealing with.. Grayer who has never stuck to a schedule. With my hubby working nights Mon-Friday makes it difficult as well, but I will have to stick to editing late at night or during nap times! As coffee continues to be my best friend I can continue to stay awake during play time!
I truly am blessed with an amazing family and I am doing what I love to do! I would not trade it for anything.

I recently had the privilege to capture the moments at Liam & Flavia's wedding. It was absolutely beautiful. Most of the pictures were taken in Port Moody, which we all know is beautiful.I was able to get some pretty unique shots. In the end the couple loved their pictures which made me feel awesome!

Stephanie & Chris's Engagement

Last weekend I met Stephanie & Chris at White Rock. We wanted to celebrate their engagement by capturing some great pictures. The weather was awesome and the tide was out so we had the whole beach to stroll and take pictures. We had tons of fun and the most importantly the pictures turned out great!

Nothing is better then photography that captures new life, either in the belly or newborn. I recently did photo's for a couple who are expecting a littly baby boy. We did the photos at Friendship Gardens in New West. We took a chance on deciding to do our photos there because neither of us had been there before. If you are looking for a place with little ponds, colorful flowers and lots of greenary it is defiently worth checking out. The weather was a bit overcast so I was a little worried of how the pictures would turn out for us, but they turned out lovely. The overcast provided a nice soft glow which is perfect for a growing belly :)

I recently met a beautiful couple who wanted to get some engagement pictures done. We met at the quay in New West. We were blessed with beautiful weather to allow some great shots.
The couple was very easy going and looking to get some unique pictures. They were very happy with them in the end, as was I!