Jen Short Photography

Family & Newborn Photography

Family :: Stevenson

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GTA photographer specializing in family photography – Reserve your date

I haven’t seen this family in years. Actually since these two were 6 months old and it was so cool to see how both have grown. They say kids grow fast and they do. Especially when you haven’t seen them in a while. I know with my own, just a weekend away and it seems like years of growth. Personality and hight.

Over the years I have gotten away from driving to the GTA. York Region seems so much safer to drive in (I hate crowds including crowds of cars lol) and I made a decision to limit my sessions to my area. To my surprise many of my Toronto and GTA clients are happy to make the trip up north. I mean, getting out of the ‘crowds’ is always a nice treat and to come to such a beautiful wonderland makes the experience that much better.

There are a lot of images I wish I had of my own family. Images I took of others and can’t do with a tripod. I keep saying I will try again, but it really tests my family’s relationships lol. Like really puts our patience to the test.  Every year I have another photographer do our session and I get stunning images I plaster all over my walls, but it’s hard to see other sessions and not want what they have. It’s hard as a photographer to have a vision and capture it yourself. Maybe if I had those magical kids (and husband) that knew just how to pose and behave when I’m in control.

That being said, I have so many wonderful images from friends that I will cherish forever. And as I tell my clients, just let your family be your family and your true selves will show in the photos. No two families are alike and no two sessions will be either!

Ready to book? Message me HERE

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Family :: Reiter

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GTA Family Photographer – Flower farm session

These are a few of my favourite things! Literally my bff and her family, the flower farm and a sunset. I could spend every night like this!

Country Cut Flowers is a hidden gem in York Region and this family made the trip all the way from the GTA (and made it on time) to capture some of the sweetest photos. As with every session, I want to ensue my families have images they want to blow up for their walls or print in albums. How stunning will these be in a collage on their living room walls?!

This summer our families went camping at the Pinery. If you know me, even just a little, you know that is not my jam. I wear 7 layers of bug spray to each session, freak out every time a critter rustles in the bushes and basically am a girly girl. I even stand on a stool in the long grass incase something slithers by.  As much as it isn’t for me, my kids love it (and my husband – but I don’t do it for him). It was so nice to spend more time with these guys. It was amusing to see how much their kids are just like their parents. Mini versions. I know our kids are like us, I laugh several times daily when they do something and it’s ‘SOOOO Me’ or ‘totally’ my husband. But to see mini versions of my bff and her husband was well worth the mosquitos and racoons.  It’s crazy to think back to when we met and where we are now in our lives. My heart is so happy to see our kids play together and being able to capture these gorgeous images for them is just a small gesture for all the years of friendship.

See more sessions at this beautiful farm HERE

Want to book a session for your own family? Click HERE

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Family :: Van Gyzen

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Flower Farm Family Session – York Region Photographer – Book Now!

How can you not love this place?! How can you not enjoy your session?! Even if the kids aren’t cooperating at least you are in a field of stunning flowers!

I have a few secret locations I love and this tops the list. Rolling hills, fields of flowers, beautiful big barn with old wood and stone and the freshest air around. After covid I have such an appreciation for fresh air and open spaces! I also have an appreciation for fellow small businesses that survived the last couple years and did it with a smile. Country Cut Flowers is honestly the cutest place on earth. It’s owned and run by a wonderful woman who has become a very close friend over the past couple years. I’m so lucky to be able to take clients to the farm and jump at the chance to capture stunning portraits like you see here.

If you haven’t booked your family session for 2022 shoot me a message and let’s get you booked in! Contact me HERE

Check out more sessions on the BLOG

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Flower Farm Mini Sessions 2022 – Now Booking!

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Mini Session – York Region Flower Farm

This year’s Flower Farm Mini’s are half sold out! Don’t wait to book your spot as they are limited.  Due to popular demand for golden hour I have limited each night to just three spots. If you are hoping for a little earlier please contact me HERE for more info. The barn has the cutest corner with vines, flowers and obviously old stone and wood. It’s super pretty and you don’t need to worry as much about the sun.

Country Cut Flowers is an adorable family run flower farm in York Region. It has more types of flowers than I can count (and certainly more than I can name). With rolling hills, sun setting in the background, and fields of mixed flowers, it’s like you’re in your own hallmark movie. Kind of unreal and totally stunning. Selfishly, this is my favourite place to photograph families!

Fun little fact – You can book tickets to cut your own flowers! Check out how HERE

Want to see some previous sessions? You may need to dig a little on my blog, but it’s worth it – BLOG

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Family :: Zuccaro

Twins Photographer – family session at Country Cut Flowers

I get a lot of clients wanting studio sessions for their little ones. They think confined space will make it easier and less for them to get into.  That’s where I disagree. Kids are more like themselves when they can explore and run. When they are allowed freedom and don’t have giant lights in their faces.

This 2 year old duo definitely gave me a good work out. It’s hard enough to chase one small child, try two!  If you have twins I’m sure you’re laughing right now.  When one was happy, the other wasn’t. When one wanted up, so did the other. When one didn’t want to sit, time for the other to jump up and run away.  All that being said,  how stunning is this session. Their little faces are beaming and you would never know how much a workout this was.

I love when parents let me go with the flow. Trying to control kids is next to impossible. Any parent knows that. Yet for some reason, myself included, we think during the session things will be different lol. I’ve done a dozen sessions with my own family and it wasn’t until last year that I just let it go and went with it. Not the easiest thing to do, but I love how natural the images are. How they reflect my kids at this time in their life. My hope is for everyone to just go with it. Trust me to capture your family exactly as you are.

Ready to book your session – click HERETwins Family King City Photogrpaher family session candid photography Family session kids photographer twins photographer family session

Maternity :: Kaitlyn

Maternity sessions in the Peony Patch at Country Cut Flowers might be my fave thing to photograph. Any session here is beyond gorgeous, but there is something especially beautiful about a maternity session in a field of flowers.  I have an obsession with greens, but florals are stealing my heart with each session. Throw in a gorgeous mama and I am one happy photographer.

Peonies only bloom for a couple weeks each year and being able to fit everyone in can be a challenge.  If you have ever booked a session with me, you know how much I love golden hour and that gorgeous light we get just before sunset so not only are we limited on dates, but working with the sunset too.  This maternity session was late in the season (actually the flowers bloomed early this year making it even harder to time sessions in the Peony Patch) and we weren’t sure the flowers would be out. Not only did we get the last day of the season, but the sun came out just in time for the session.  I couldn’t have asked for a better night! Kinda feeling like this might be a lucky baby lol.

Can’t wait to meet this little one!

If you are pregnant and looking to do your own maternity session contact me for more info! – Click Here

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Maternity Session :: Peony Farm

York Region Maternity Photographer

I’m obsessed with nature. Maybe not so much the bug aspect, but the greens and florals. I love when the sun sneaks through the trees and gives that golden glow. The way the darks are brightened in just the right way to highlight features. I literally can’t handle a beautiful sundown without my camera in my hand. I also can’t handle not knowing what my maternity clients are having! Boy or Girl? I’m such a Pinterest mom I had to know lol.

With all the covid stuff happening and being trapped indoors for so long I had a lot of time to look for creative inspiration. No chance to put it to use…until now. I bought this peacock chair for Mother’s Day Mini’s and didn’t get to use it. As upset as I am about missing out on that, I embraced the extra time to make the idea that much better. Turns out it all worked out and I have an amazing set for families.

A huge thank you to Janet at Country Cut Flowers for letting me use her gorgeous property. The peony field was the perfect spot for this mama and for my new baby (aka the Peacock). This chair will be available for mini’s this summer and fall and as an add on to your regular session. So excited!

Looking to book a mini or full session – Contact me HERE

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Personal :: Just do it

Just do it I told myself before letting everyone else know my plan.  I said we were just going to take ‘a couple pictures’.  Really, all I wanted to do was update the two long picture frames in the kitchen. ‘It’ll be quick. Promise’ are my famous words when it comes to our personal photos. I’m pretty sure I’ve used that line too many times, but as long as it works, I’ll keep using it!

So off we went with a tripod and my strict instructions to cooperate.  Just like everyone else, I go through the same getting ready, struggling with what everyone should wear, trying to time the sessions and cranky hour (kids and husband), getting everyone in the car and hoping no one ruins their outfits on the way, and begging for smiles. I go through it all too. And just like every other time, my kids want to run and give me one smile before deciding I have had enough cooperation.

So, I wait. I stalk them from afar with my zoom lens and just take candids.  Every so often I make a crazy sound from behind a bush (like a total nut job) and get that smile I was waiting for.  Stalkerazzi. But I want what I want and that’s gorgeous photos for my walls.

I knew I got what I needed in the first 5 minutes. But like every other mom, I like to torture myself and keep going.

This is where it get’s hairy.

I don’t know why men are incapable of taking a good photo, but they are strugglers.

In all fairness, he’d been handed a fancy camera with the auto settings turned off.  Anyway, he was given the job of taking pictures of me, making me not look ‘well fed’ and getting the kids to smile at the same time, while trying not to jiggle the camera and take blurry photos. I should mention the camera is like 15lbs and holding it still is kind of important.

‘Watch the angles’, ‘how do I look’, ‘did she smile?’, ‘how’s my hair?’, ‘make sure I don’t have a double chin’, ‘get ready, I’m going to bounce her and then pop up and smile. Make sure to catch it when I’m standing straight, my hair stops flying in the wind, and she has a giant smile. Got it?’.

I did get my two photos we set out for and a few more. I left as one happy mama and grateful for luck and the great people around me.  Sometimes, I’m jealous of my clients and their beautiful sessions. This time, I did something about it. Like I said, Just do it!

Big thanks to Janet at Country Cut Flowers for letting my girls run wild in the fields and allowing me to capture these memories. It’s honestly one of my favourite places to be.

Check out more personal blog posts HERE!

 

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Personal :: I get it

I get it. I really do and I find myself laughing during sessions when I see parents getting frustrated. Not to be mean, but because I know all too well what it’s like. My little one won’t look at the camera. She’s happy to get ready and go to the session, but don’t ask her to look in any direction, stand still, or heaven forbid smile. My oldest loves the camera, but takes 73  years to get ready and then another 68 to warm up to the camera. Her socks are too bumpy, the dress has ruffles that make her arms feel weird, the dress is too short, top too tight, pants too stretchy, too long, too grey, too ‘textury’ and so on. Yes, ‘textury’ is a thing. Maybe not a grammatically correct thing, but a totally a thing. I get to sessions and want to cry or chug wine.

It always gets better and just like me, you have to trust your photographer. I choose mine (and I hope that when you choose yours, you do the same) and know that they will capture my family. The true people that we are. Even if one has a donut in hand and us parents are singing ridiculous songs to get our kids to crack a smile.

So I get it. Your toddler rather run then let you hug him. Or your husband keeps rolling his eyes when you tell your kids to ‘Just smile’. I get it. I know exactly how it feels after the session when you think you don’t have a single good photo. When you do the math on how much time and money you spent on getting everyone ready and looking presentable. I get it.

So my words of wisdom actually come from my daughter when she was 3.

I was using her as my model for some princess inspired sessions and she wouldn’t cooperate. Shocker. And when we were done she looked at me and said “You get what you get and you don’t get upset”. Then proceeded to frantically wave (with a giant grin on her face) to Belle (The princess) as we drove away.  WTF. Literally. She’s right though. We need to let our family be our family. In one or even ten years from now, these images are going to mean the world to us. The glare your husband was giving as your oldest stuck their tongue out. The ridiculous smile your toddler gave because they are smiling ‘too hard’.  (We all know the one). Or even if it’s something we don’t love about ourselves. I get it.

Here was my attempt to get a cute shot of my two holding pinwheels. And here is Ivy throwing the pinwheel and running away.  Aria has that look on her face when you’ve been holding your smile too much and you cheeks hurt.  Can’t win em’ all.

Check out some of the ‘better’ images from this session HERE. I love this place! Thanks to Country Cut Flowers for letting me use the fields!

 

FOLLOW ALONG

Jen Short is a family, newborn and maternity photographer in Toronto and York Region area including Markham, Stouffville, Richmond Hill, Newmarket, Aurora.