Jen Short Photography

Family & Newborn Photography

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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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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.