Jen Short Photography

Family & Newborn Photography

Flower Farm Mini’s 2021

Flower Farm Mini 2021

Flower farm mini’s are back and almost sold out! Book now before it’s too late!

This yearly tradition is one of my faves and Country Cut Flowers never disappoints. Who doesn’t want to be surrounded by gorgeous flowers?! There are two options for these sessions with the barn setting and the field of flowers. The field is wide open so I have limited these spaces to the last three of each date. Unless we get overcast weather.  The barn offers an old wood fence, barn with boards and stone as well as lots of flowers! This area is amazing for families with little ones who have an earlier bed time as it is shaded earlier and we don’t have to worry as much about golden hour times.

Limited spaces available on each date. Don’t delay in booking as these sell out every year!

August 16, 2021

August 24, 2021 – ONLY 1 Space available

Sept 14, 2021 – ONLY 3 Spaces Available

Click here for more info or to book – HERE

Flower Farm Mini 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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Holiday Mini’s 2020

Round 2 of Holiday Mini’s are now available!!!

Rustic Holiday Mini at Country Cut Flowers – Nov 1st and 7th (4 spots available)

Garden Centre Mini at New Roots Garden Centre – Nov 8th (2 spots available)

Tree Farm Mini at a Tree Farm in Stouffville – Nov 14th (1 spot available)

BOOK NOW before all the spaces are filled!

York Region photographer

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.