by Melanie | Feb 4, 2020 | art, childhood, creativity, documentary family photography, family portraits, giving back, love, Photography
Three Collaborations Making a Difference One of my goals for the year is to make a bigger impact through creative collaborations. As humans we are meant to work together to survive and thrive. It is our nature. We forget this sometimes. 1. Working Together to Empower...
by Melanie | Jan 28, 2020 | art, childhood, creativity, dance, documentary family photography, love, music, Photography
The news yesterday about Kobe Bryant and his daughter’s death was heartbreaking. I watched a bit of the Grammys last night with my daughter and it was powerful to see how they were honoured and mourned. I loved that Alicia Keys was hosting the show and setting the...
by Melanie | Jan 21, 2020 | childhood, documentary family photography, family portraits, love, nature, Photography
On Friday, I was sitting at my desk doing some planning for my upcoming Friendship Portrait Event when I got a message from an old friend that contained the above picture that she had taken of me when we were 9. Harmony and I spent many lazy days together when we were...
by Melanie | Jan 7, 2020 | art, childhood, documentary family photography, family portraits, love, nature, Photography
I’m feeling so much gratitude this new year. Just returned from a camping adventure in Nevada and Arizona, in a mostly unheated RV. It was colder there than it was in Toronto. And, it rained for 5 days straight in the desert. But, it was still wondrous. I was grateful...
by Melanie | Apr 15, 2019 | art, childhood, creative process, creativity, dance, documentary family photography, love, Photography
It’s been a month now since we have been back in Toronto from our epic New Zealand road trip with children in tow. Camping and travelling in the camper van with a 6-month old and 8 year old we were told my many how brave we were. It didn’t feel brave to me – it...
by Melanie | Dec 31, 2018 | art, childhood, creativity, love, Photography
It’s no secret that I’m passionate about play and creativity in children. I created Imagination Sessions because I believe that we should nurture a child’s natural inclination to play and be curious. I also believe that the natural sense of wonder and imagination that...
by Melanie | Oct 26, 2018 | art, childhood, creativity, love, Photography
I believe that what you focus on grows. I have spent the past year really working on focusing on joy and wonder in my own life and have seen results that affirm this truth. I’ve been hearing many messages around me lately that echo this idea. Even in the face of...
by Melanie | May 8, 2018 | behind the scenes, creativity, music, Photography
If you have read my blog posts you will know that I am passionate about encouraging creativity in children. I am also passionate about photographing the creative process, whether it is with dancers, musicians, or visual artists. Music photography for me is really...
by Melanie | Oct 30, 2017 | childhood, documentary family photography, family portraits, nature, Photography
What if… What if we never lost our ability to imagine? Would we live in a world where we are more empathic because we can imagine how the other person feels? Would we care more about the environment because we can imagine what might happen if we don’t? Would we...
by Melanie | Oct 6, 2017 | childhood, documentary family photography, family portraits, nature, Photography
Documentary Family Portraits Fall is a popular time for family portraits. It’s a great time to get outside and enjoy the changing colours and to get some gorgeous photographs of your children and who your family is at this moment. I call them Documentary Family...
by Melanie | Sep 14, 2017 | childhood, children's wisdom, creativity, documentary family photography, nature, Photography, play, stories
Here is a list my seven year old daughter and I made up for “How to have a great day”. Get a good sleep Get up early Have breakfast Draw Do yoga Go to school Go to circle (morning community circle at school) Do good work (try your best, try to enjoy it)...
by Melanie | Aug 31, 2017 | childhood, children's wisdom, creativity, documentary family photography, nature, Photography, play, stories
Summer in the country is different than summer in the city. It’s slower, fresher, both contemplative and adventurous. I have lived most of my life in a city. My husband grew up in the country with wide open spaces and days upon days of nature adventures. For the past...
by Melanie | Aug 22, 2017 | childhood, children's wisdom, love, nature, Photography, stories
Last week I was lying in bed with my daughter as she was falling asleep and she said “Mama you are my boulder. You and Dada are my boulders.” And then she listed all the names of our family and said “they are my boulders too”. I asked her what she...
by Melanie | Aug 9, 2017 | childhood, children's wisdom, gender, love, nature, Photography, play, stories
We brought home a dead worm wrapped in a paper towel, carefully placed in a used tupperware container. My daughter was determined to give the worm a proper burial. This, after finding the worm barely alive on a walk through Riverdale Farm. … She picked the worm...