This long weekend involved lots of family time.  In between a birthday party, dinner with friends, dinner with family, baking, cleaning and yard work, we also found lots of time to do one of our favourite things – being lazy.  We do the lazy weekend thing very well in our house. There were naps (yes – plural!), long baths, morning cuddles in bed and afternoon reading sessions on the couch.  There were even a couple of days where our pajamas stayed on past noon.  Now that is my idea of a weekend!

I hope your weekend was full or not so full, depending how you like it:)

Sometimes I don’t even know how bad I need out until I’m gone.  Gone, baby, gone.  Out of the city, that is.  Away from the noise, the busy business of daily life, the constant cacophony of our modern lives.  Living in Vancouver means we have access to a whole lot of nature. It is definitely a major perk, one that I must remind myself of when the rains and cold have settled into my bones and the dark clouds seem to build a roof over our heads for months on end. The great big forests, the deep blue sea and the wilds of rural life make my heart pitter patter.  I yearn for the slower pace, the windy roads, the undiscovered (or at least under-discovered) adventures that await us outside the city.

This past weekend we headed over to Gabriola Island – a small island a few hours outside of Vancouver.  A couple of ferry boats later and we hit a little sliver of land full of what I was in need of –  rain, sun, laughs, moments of quiet, long walks, exploration, understanding, love and a deep sense of gratitude.

The moments all started to blend together as I married the past with the present with each click of my camera.  Making memories and saving them for days when I need a little reminder of how good it can all be.

.Island life. from Cherish Bryck on Vimeo.

For this month’s ’10 on 10′ project I’m cheating and posting more than 10 photos and I shot them all during one golden evening at the park.

Life isn’t always what it seems. My kids don’t always get along, in fact, they quite often are fighting or whining or fussing and I’m certainly not a model parent at all times.  I lose my sh&t, get irritated, cranky and sometimes want to give myself a time out.  This is called parenthood.  I know this now.  I’ve been at it for almost 6.5 years.  I ride the waves as best as I can with my whole heart on the line and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  My life is most certainly enriched having a family and learning, growing and loving our way through this messy life together – always together.

So, even on days when sh&t is hitting the fan and I feel like I’m losing my marbles and I’m stepping on marbles all over my living room floor, I try to remind myself that this is what it’s all about.  This is real life. This is my one life. As the Mary Oliver quote goes:

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

I plan to embrace it all, throw off my shoes, run into the golden light and capture the beauty I see. The beauty I am a part of creating.  I am an active participant in moulding the shape and colour of  my life.  That power lies with me. When I turn the camera on my life I give myself perspective and I breathe.  I watch my girls, I feel my breath slow down, I focus, I laugh, I feel joy.

That is what I am going to  keep doing with my one precious life. What about you?

Now head on over and see the shape and colour Bethany’s life…

Sometimes the familiar is what I am seeking.  Something I know and love.  Something that will embrace me as much as I embrace it.  There is so much uncertainty in life that I often crave the habitual, the ordinary, the tried and and tested comfort of knowing what to expect.  My friend Kirstin and I have made a little monthly ritual out of meeting at a favourite coffee shop. We know to expect good coffee, a place for our little girls to run and play and most of all a chance to catch up with each other’s lives, face to face.  That’s the part I love the most.  Sharing a connection, looking at each other and understanding without even having to explain.  The feeling of shared laughter, catching up on our “parallel lives”.  That term arose after way too many instances of us having identical experiences and too many moments of “I was doing that exact thing the same time you were…” Living ‘parallel lives’ also provides the comfort of knowing we are so different and yet all weaving similar stories.

I love purposely creating occasions that offer some comfort as I make my way through the dizzy and consistently busy nature of my life. Whether it be a long standing dinner date with my hub, a certain way to walk to the library, taking a shower with candles (not just for baths!), or making new rituals with my daughters as they grow older and our family changes, I relish the consistency as much as I love spontaneity.   Each has a respected place in my world.

Tell me, do you have any rituals that provide comfort and certainty in your daily life?

This recent lifestyle session was lots of fun.  I love capturing families on their home turf.  You really get a sense of who they are, what they do and how they roll.  I joined these cool cats one Sunday morning as they went about their weekend routine, which included, hot chocolate, lego, cuddles by the fire, a jam session and some requisite silly antics on the couch.  Perfection.  Photos that capture real life. Real love.

Ok – maybe not THE royal baby, but she was conceived in London, during a sojourn that included an appearance of Princess Kate, so that makes her a wee bit royal, right?  It should be no surprise then, that this girl was welcomed as a princess would be, by her loving parents and big brother and sister.  This little royal already has many adoring fans.  Me included.

One cute story about this birth session. After mom got an epidural, the doctor said he would be back in an hour to check on her and that she should get some rest. I decided to leave and give them some privacy.  I headed out, not far from the hospital and told the dad to text me when things picked up again.  Sure enough, about an hour later I got a text saying she was fully dilated and ready to go.  I booted it back up to her room and when I got in she was sitting up, looking cheerful, cracking jokes and told me that when the doctor came in and told her to start pushing, she said “no, I can’t – I have to wait for my birth photographer!”  Imagine the look on the doctors face:)  Needless to say, I got there in time and captured the birth story for this lovely family.  Let’s just say, the only tears in the room were my own.  What a sap.

Is that a royal wave I see?

Doesn’t her little face just say “Ahhh, I’m right where I should be”?

As to how the client felt about the whole experience? Well, here is what she had to say…

“When I first heard about the concept of birth photography, I admit I was a bit skeptical but after my initial meeting with Cherish and learning more about it as well as seeing some examples of birth photography, I knew that this was something I didn’t want to miss out on, especially since this was going to be our last pregnancy and birth experience.  Not only did our session provide us with an incredible keepsake, I actually believe having a birth photographer added to our enjoyment of the event as my husband and I could focus on each other and the task at hand while someone else photo documented our little girl’s arrival.  We will forever CHERISH (pun totally intended) what Cherish Bryck photography was able to capture, her professionalism and the images of welcoming our daughter into the world.”

I will admit, like many others, that this week was hard.  The tally of current events built up a tower of heavy feelings that seemed to forge cracks in my resolve.  Despite being miles away both literally and figuratively from the heart of the disaster.  As the world watched and terror unfolded, I found myself retreating and holding my loved ones even tighter.

Tonight as I put my girls to sleep the words “fragile” kept surfacing in my mind.  Everything seemed a little more poignant and real.  I took time to smell their hair, give extra kisses and answer each and every question until their breaths grew longer and silence finally enveloped the room.  In the darkness of their room I breathed in life and listened to the the rain pour down, providing a much needed cleanse for all of us.

It is not length of life, but depth of life.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Oh my, oh my.  This seems like quite a diversion from my recent family and birth sessions lately.  I felt like this session was so full and layered, so I blogged earlier about it in Part I.  I would love to do another session like this one where a woman gets to explore another side of herself and be playful, sensual and totally present.  I think it’s important to be able to allow ourselves some self reflection time and the camera provides the tool to do this.  I imagine this woman looking back on these photos ten years from now and remembering how it felt to be in her skin, the memories of what life looked and felt like at this age and what hopes and dreams she created for herself.  It’s all here.  Shades of vulnerability, sass, confidence, fear, freedom, happiness,  hesitation, love, laughter and authenticity.