saint andrews family portraits: jerry, noreen et al.

there are far too many names to list in the header of this post!! that is what happens when you are commissioned to photograph a family of twenty (ten adults and ten children)!

a few months ago vicki contacted me asking if i would be available to photograph her family sometime over the canada day weekend during their annual family gathering at the seaside beach resort in beautiful st. andrews by the sea.  i was happy to oblige.

the weather was iffy but we managed to get all the large group shots done before the rain began to pour. thankfully there was the perfect little covered nook under which we could photography smaller groups! there were, however, moments when i was standing in the downpour both relishing in the fact that my camera is water-sealed and reconsidering having bangs since photographers will often find themselves (and their hair) exposed to the elements, and rain + my hair = frizz and kinks!

what i loved most about this shoot was observing the large extended family all gathered together from their different corners of the world to spend a chunk of time together just being. this is not an easy task to pull off. schedules must be coordinated, money must be saved, and everyone must have a great amount of intentionality towards this kind of annual holiday; it must be a priority really! this is an unmet ideal for many families, but for this family it is an annual reality and i am envious.

i am SO PLEASED with these images. the overcast sky diffused the harsh sunlight, the wardrobe choices were perfect for the setting (coordinating but not matchy-matchy thank you very much vicki!), the gorgeousness of st. andrews' scenery and the beautiful faces of this family all put together to make some very beautiful family photos!

i hope you enjoy!

love & sunshine,
shannon-may

my absolute favourite from the whole series!! the emotion, candidness, pride and overall sugary sweetness is what i strive to achieve with every family photo shoot! vicki, you are radiant watching your boys with such pride! love how emerson loves his little brother!

this is a close second... stella has the sweetest little smile and the most sparkly blue eyes!!