new river beach (and st. stephen) portraits: dan

university is a life changing period in one's life. many enter this phase of growing-uphood (yes i just invented word) as confident, goal oriented individuals, living away from home for the first time with a nothing can take me down attitude. others enter this season unsure of where we will end up, who we will be when we get there and wondering how we will ever survive without our parents. and there is dan.

his story, which is an incredible one, is not my story to tell today but i will say that this young twenty-something came to university looking to be transformed into someone who loves and accepts himself, and to find a community who would give him the freedom to do so. and the whole time he was figuring himself out -something so many us try to do during our university years and the rest of our life really- he managed to excel in his academic achievements, create opportunity for students' voices to be heard and respected by the senior community (staff, faculty, board), volunteer during many local st. stephen community event, participate in theatre, and become one the most liked students EVER. seriously, ask anyone that has had the chance to know him these past few years and everyone will rave about how awesome he is and that dan is one of their favourite persons! and i am no exception.

through the past few years we have worked together in study groups, classroom discussions, theatre productions and most recently my photography! dan has been one of my biggest fans and encouragers, and is one of the reasons i was able to make the trip to wppi this past february. i have been privileged over and over by his generous spirit and heart, and i cannot imagine what it is going to be like... no can't go there. i feel like my heart is being ripped out right now because after this weekend i don't know when i'll get to see my good friend again.

dan is graduating in a few days. his time here in st. stephen is done and he is moving on toward new opportunities. world, you have to watch out. seriously, this guy puts his whole heart into everything he does and is a born leader.

here are some graduation photos we did together last week. i think you get a really good sense of his exuberant personality and why so many people appreciate him.

being thankful

i am sitting at my desk. the sun is shining. i have delicious coffee in my mug. patty griffin is softly singing. my puppy Ruthie is curled up on the chair next to me basking in the sunshine filtering through the living room window.

i am thinking about how wonderful that last few months have been. and i am thinking about the many doors of opportunity that have opened to me the past few months and the many great new friends i have made and with whom i get to collaborate on some wonderful ventures. and i am looking ahead with a hopeful heart towards to the spring and summer.

i cannot help but express gratitude to God for making all this possible: for making me into the unique person that i am; for teaching me how to turn all my experiences (good and bad) into good things, shaping and transforming who i am; for giving me a unique perspective of people and making everyone and everything even more beautiful when i see all through a camera's lens; for giving me a wonderful family and community who believe in me and encourage your good gifts in me; for a good mind that feels and a good heart that thinks; for answering me and meeting me when i seek Him with all my heart even thought i doubt Him.

i can honestly say that my life changed after i decided let Him walk beside me eight years ago (almost to the day).

love and sunshine,

shannon-may

i think the expression on little ben's face gives you a good idea of the joy i feel today!

wedding wednesday: it's in the details

oh my gosh. i am so inspired. i have been looking through wedding DIY yourself blog posts all morning looking for ideas to reflect on and pass along to my brides and have found myself inspired with crafty ideas to incorporate into my business! win, win!

details. little details such as place cards, thank you trinkets, cake toppers, etc have been staples at weddings for decades. so much so i imagine there has been a time when many brides have rejected these details in a effort to plan a different, more contemporary wedding. and i don't blame these brides. when i see some of the traditional wedding details that are available for purchase my first instinct is react with a negative comment or convulse with disdain. but i try not to because someone may really like the plastic bride and groom cake topper with large trellis-like circle, the foil wrapped fruit cake,  the candy coated almonds, or the white paper doily and carnation center pieces. but i would hope that whatever brides and grooms chose for the details they incorporate into their wedding decor would be personal to them, and tell a story.

when i was a little girl at a wedding i used to love the speeches. i didn't love that i had to sit in the same spot for the eternity while the speeches were going, but i loved the speeches themselves. i loved how the bride's friends knew her so well, and how hearing about how much the groom had with his buddies. i loved hearing how much the bride is loved by her father and how proud the mother is of her son. i loved when the bride and groom would thank everyone for coming and celebrating with them and then turn to each other so thankful the they chose each other to be walk through life together. what i loved, is that they were all telling stories. and i believe the details that you incorporate into your wedding day can tell a story too!

think about it. the way we decorate our home and set up our desks in our offices reflect who we are, what is important to us, represent the lifestyle choices we make, tell about our personalities. they tell a story about who we are. so, when planning your wedding celebration why would you not incorporate details about the story you wish to build together, or have already shared together and the things that are important to you!! it is amazing how creative you can be, and how this can completely personalize your wedding, even when you may be using some of the old traditional details.

but where does one even begin, right? i know. one idea is to look around your home, to think of the things that you and your beloved love to do together. think about your favorite date spots and the best gift you ever received him or her. think about vacation spots you travelled together. think about who you were (your story) before you met this wonderful man or woman and how your lives have changed since being together. and then think about all of this together and how you want to share your story on your wedding day. once you have decided how you wish to share your story this is where the fun begins.

like an author of a children's story who needs to illustrate the book for her young readers, she needs to decide what part of each page needs to be illustrated in order for her readers to have a visual you need to decide what elements of your story needs to be in the details.

did you meet in literature class and fall in love over coffee while discussing professor so-and-so's lecture? why not recreate this scene for your guests by having a little coffee area off to the side where guests can sit at little bistro tables that have copies of your favorite novels?

or do you love to cook together? how about including a recipe on the back of each place card?

have you been influenced by your partner's love of the environment and wish to build together a life that is mindful of consumption? why not incorporate recycling and other earth friendly details. for example. instead of using rented glass water pitchers, on each table sit an up-cycled wine bottle full of water? and instead of renting cloth napkins, gather old cotton material that has never/will never be used and have aunty jane make napkins from it! and use potted plants wrapped in burlap or in compostable containers for centerpieces.

i personally love color - i love colorful fabrics, colorful skies, colorful personalities, colorful stories etc... so i imagine when i get married there will be tons of color in the all the little details!

there are so many ways you can use the decor details of your wedding to tell your story. to personalize your day and make it truly unique to you and the life you will build together. because a wedding is a celebration of a marriage - a life long relationship.

for more ideas check out today's favorite blog: 100 Layer Cake

love & sunshine,
shannon-may

st. andrews, nb (algonquin hotel): lilia, jennifer and jeremy

meet lilia. a sweet, inquisitive and slightly stubborn one year old who gave me a run for my money. it was very hard to keep little girl still, which i find common with her age group during photo sessions. why would she want to keep still when it was only a few months ago she was limited to moving around on her hand and knees, or while propped up against a piece a furniture. and don't even get her started about the months before that when her little body was like a sack of potatoes, having to rely on mom and dad to get her to where she wanted to go!! nope, she'll she use her little legs thank you very much and you can just follow along if you need her for anything! adorable!

lilia entertained us adults long enough to get in some desired shots, and when she was finished she let us know. she would throw up her hands as to say "all done!" as jennifer remarked.. "poor little girl probably thought we just weren't getting it because we kept posing her and sticking the camera in her face!" (my paraphrase).

this is what i love about photographing this age group: when you just let them be themselves you get some pretty cute images that capture their personality so perfectly. jennifer and jeremy will have pictures of lilia smiling, showing off her little teeth, giggling at the funny faces her mom or dad were make, of lilia's serious and inquisitive gaze, her beautiful sparkly eyes (both mom and dad can take credit for these), her graceful stance, and playful reaction to her stuffed pink kitty...

i love these pictures and the diverse images were able to capture while wandering about the common areas of the algonquin hotel and making use of their gorgeous sunlit rotunda (thank you heather for saving us from having to photograph in the wet snow!)!

love & sunshine,
shannon-may

"all done!"