We had a super fun time with our friends Chris & Christine… since we’re both expecting babies in the next 5 months (and our lives to change drastically), we figured that we would have one last “baby-less” trip  But I guess I’ll stop rubbing that in!

On another note, if you’re in the Kitchener-Waterloo area and you’re an engaged couple looking for a wedding planner, you’ve probably heard of Christine Martin from Pure Potential Weddings.  If you haven’t heard of her you may want to head to her website.  She’s usually the one behind the scenes making everything run smoothly for you… But this time around, it was her time to be in front of the camera.

One late afternoon, just before the sun went down, we headed down to the windy beach and took some beautiful maternity shots of her and hubby.  I hope you enjoy them because these two look super fab!!!

There are so many from this series.  I couldn’t narrow it down!!

On our way to the beach, I found this row of small houses.  And it so happened to be an awesome location!

LOVE it!

so fun!

As we headed towards the beach, the wind got FIERCE… so we used it to create some fun shots!

I over exposed this shot and they both really loved it!

Chris really enjoyed fishing off of this pier!

After our ‘a la carte’ dinner, we took a few more night shots to end the session!

If you’re looking to have some casual maternity shots done similar to these, send me an email!

When we decided to take a trip to Italy to celebrate 5 years of marital bliss, we were excited…. but didn’t realize that we wouldn’t have time to plan more than our bed & breakfast for the first 3 nights (and even that was a friends’ last minute suggestion)!  Weeks leading to our trip, I started fretting a bit about not having any plans (I love to plan!) when we arrived to Venice.  But the busyness of wedding season didn’t stop, and it wasn’t until I was on the plane that I started reading about what we would actually do when we got there.

So as you watch this video and look at these photos… think: unexpected, impromptu, surprise!  Because almost everything we saw and did was exactly that for us!

One of our first photos we took in the little town of Chioggia (aka “mini Venice”)

Our B&B in Chioggia… 5 levels.  We stayed on the bottom floor and ate breakfast on the top floor!

Gino, the homeowner, made sure we knew there were 72 steps to the top.  The view was amazing!

Oh Venice… how I love getting “lost” in all of your random streets and alleys.

The BEST pasta I had on our whole trip… fagotini!  YUMMY!

Totally loved being serenaded by the accordionists while eating fagotini… SO Italy

walking or boating… your two choices of transportation!

Justin snapped this photo, early in the morning, of a grocer bringing in the produce for the day!

love this!!

My FAVOURITE photo of the trip

Yes we HAD to experience the GONDOLA.  Here’s our gondolier:

Not everyone takes the short boat ride to the near island of Murano (where they make all of the glass that you buy in Venice), but it was SO worth it!

I thought I’d be bored at the OPERA… but NOPE it was so amazing especially since they were all dressed in the baroque style garb.

Now to ROMA… Our first stop: The Spanish Steps.

There were only a few tourists.

This is where we ran into Nigel Lythgoe… but before we could talk to him or take his picture, he walked into this shoe store!!

Rome at night = AWESOME!  We slept in many days because we loved the cool and lively nights!

St. Peter’s Basilica

The famous Coliseum

Ancient Rome… this is where the saying “all roads lead to Rome” comes from.  We’re right in the center!

LOL!!! One afternoon, we were sitting on a bench, reading and resting, then suddenly we were surrounded by hundreds of Vespas and a wedding party!

I guess I can’t get away from wedding photography

Here are some more night shots, including the Fountain of Trevi:

and the Coliseum again…

Picture this: It’s the end of a long day of walking and we were so tired.  We were trying to find the Metro… and let’s be honest – I was GRUMPY… Until I found this random bakery.

We actually walked by it, but then my nose caught the smell of pastries and I took a few steps back to see stairs leading down to this bakery in the basement of a building. All I could think was THANK YOU GOD!

On our last day in Rome, we headed to the 2nd largest museum in the world: The Vatican Museum!

The Last Supper

This is actually worth more than gold!

The Sistine Chapel = no cameras, no video cameras, no talking, no falling…

Justin disobeyed and took this shot of The Sistine Ceiling. And I’m so glad he did!

This is the middle scene where God infuses his soul into man (creation) being the most famous (and very small) part of the ceiling.

Painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512.  Brilliant.

The End.

Now onto the last post: RWANDA!!! It was very hard for me to choose which photos to post because we spent just as much time in Rwanda as we did in Kenya… and it has a special place in my heart.  In my mind, because of the genocide, I thought the country would be more rundown, the people downcast… but that was so far from the truth.  There was such hope in the people, and the cities and villages were so beautifully clean and well taken care of (and there were NO POTHOLES).

Our first view at the country

Another welcoming dance party broke out at the church when we arrived… this lady was doing the coolest noise with her tongue!

The view from where we were staying in Kigali “Centre D’acceuil”.

I spent half the time in Kigali teaching some music seminars… the other half was spent in Gitarama at the orphanage site.

Once again, we were welcomed with music, dancing, and drama!

some beautiful orphans

my lovely mother

this is what you call A GRATEFUL SMILE.  Even when it is just a sticker on your hand!

The orphanage and my mom doing what she does best… painting.

We had a big celebration for the opening of the orphanage and hundreds of people showed up… You can see them heading our way in this photo.

View from the orphanage

a beautiful girl in desperate need of some shoes!

A few hours before this next photo was taken, I handed my journal over to my sister Amy and asked her if she remembered the words to a song that I had written. YES I had forgotten my own lyrics.

I just had a feeling that they were going to ask me to play/sing… and I was right.  Thanks to Amy, I wasn’t a complete failure

We worked alongside the locals

Back in Kigali… we taught them some basic english.

Here’s mom distributing some of the donations we had received

here’s Amy “mowing the lawn”!!!!! I should say “plucking one grass out at a time”!!!!!

I’m very grateful for this man who was with me all week long.  As I spoke at the seminars, he watched my camera gear and was SO kind to me!!

Here he is with his wife.

At the end of our trip… we headed to the genocide memorial in Kigali.  No photos allowed inside of course, but here’s a few from the grounds.

this flame never goes out in remembrance of all who were slaughtered and killed

As I mentioned before.  All the photos from my AFRICA POSTS are available on the website for purchase. Every penny will go to our upcoming Zambia trip.

I hope y’all have an amazing weekend!!  I’m spending my weekend with 2000 teenagers, then heading to B.C. for a few shoots.

I’ll be posting those photos later next week!

Mel

If you don’t know anything about the Masai people.  You should do some research.  Very fascinating people.  While we were on our safari we had the chance to take a few hours to visit the neighbouring tribe… The small fee we paid went to medical supplies – which they need desperately!!  Here are some of my favourites:

We were welcomed with a tribal dance.  They circled us while jumping up in down with their hands to their side.

They will often have jumping competitions… the highest jumper gets the girl!

FIERCE competitors!

The young Masai (I like to call them Masailets

I LOVE the photo on the right… he’s already started practicing his height!!!!!!!

There are many sick and diseased children in these tribes.  And that’s why I love what Dr Anne-Marie Zajdlik is doing for these people (more about her below).

The huts take seven months to build by the women of the village. They are built of branches, twigs, grass, and cow dung and urine formed into a plaster and applied to a branch frame.

Amazingly, when the mixure dries in the sun it is as strong a cement and does NOT smell!

Stretched ear. Amy, mom, & I each bought a Masai “blanket” that I use regularly actually… the RED colour scares away the animals.

Here’s Amy with hers.

I couldn’t decide which I like best… in b&w or in colour??? Fire maker.  They tried to have me make one… but I failed.  I would never survive on Survivor!! Cattle herders. As I mentioned before, Dr. Anne-Marie is a family doctor and an HIV physician in Guelph, Ontario. In 2005, she founded and now directs the Masai Centre for Local, Regional and Global Health, in response to the growing numbers of HIV/AIDS patients in the Guelph area. The birth of an HIV negative boy named Masai to two HIV positive parents from Ethiopia in 2003 turned Anne-Marie into an international AIDS activist.

Click HERE for more information on the Masai Centre for Local, Regional and Global Health and the Bracelet of Hope Campaign.

—————

My last post tomorrow will be on the second half of my journey to the country of Rwanda!!

The Rift Valley

Some kids on the side of the road seeing us in our van!

They were VERY ecxited!

Catchin’ a ride up a large hill…

We hadn’t even arrived to the official reserve area and we saw some zebras.

Young Masai kids

This photo is hanging in my living room  There’s something amazing about Acacia trees!

The lazy lions would not wake up, until….

….I started yelling out with my cat voice!!  It was quite ridiculous and hilarious… but as the lions started waking up, everyone was very happy with me!

thank you 70-200 mm f2.8L lens

I love the birds hanging out on this giraffe’s back

My favourite photo of the safari… Our eagle-eyed tour guide spotted this cheetah LAYING DOWN IN HIGH GRASS from VERY far away!!!

My heart was racing as I was trying to take the photo because he kept on yelling “We’re not supposed to be here… hurry take your shot and let’s go!!”

Can you see Shrek in this next photo?

check out his legs!

Tomorrow’s post will be about my experience visiting a MASAI TRIBE!!!

Thanks for reading… and don’t forget to comment

In recent days (and because of my upcoming trip to Zambia!!!) I’m reliving my Kenyan/Rwandan trip I took back in 2007.

FYI photogs… these photos were taken pre Mark III 1Ds.  Back then, I was still rocking out the 20d  :)

First stop Nairobi… This was the view we had from our hotel called “the WAB”!

The potholes in Kenya are SO brutal.

While in Kenya, we spent most of our time in Machakos… a little town an hour outside of Nairobi.

The kids have gorgeous spirits… and they LOVE to touch the top of your head (you’ll see this in many of the photos!!) I have NO clue why!!

the facilities

my sister Amy and her lovely friend Bella – whom she became very fond

their reality…

I’m not sure about this scaffolding!

their security system

The simple joys of life.

On the left: humble toys.  On the right: Amy giving the kids stickers.

TIP: ALWAYS bring stickers!!!

This kid had NEVER seen a MUSUNGU (white person) and kept yelling “musungu, musungu” as we walked by!!

MY best Kenyan memory… arriving at a local church and being welcomed with dancing!

What we didn’t know was that, another church was expecting white people to come and visit (photo below)… and we weren’t planned for that.  But I took on the challenge and decided to go to that church and speak to them!

I will never forget this moment. While I was speaking, the translator paused.  When I asked her why she wasn’t asking the children my question “how old are you?”.  She told me “I can’t ask them that question because these children do not know their ages.”

a young girl counting the mornings church offering

the church I spoke at…

And lastly, here’s a photo of my mom holding a “gift” for speaking at the church

I took thousands of photos while I was in Kenya/Rwanda… so there will be a few more posts to come this week

Happy Monday!!

Originally she had decided to wear another dress, but the day of the shoot (which was THE DAY AFTER THE WEDDING) she chose to use her actual WEDDING DRESS. I think I gave her an applause What a brave woman!

Here are the photos…….

As you can see… I REALLY loved this green fence

Jennifer & Tyler’s wedding in Ocho Rios was AMAZING!!!!!!!!  I’ve never experienced anything like it.  The beach, the ocean, the colours, the Jamaicans, the music, the love… all of those things create the PERFECT atmosphere for a wedding

I was so honoured to be there with a select few of their closest friends and family members… and it was pretty sweet to spend the week with these fabulous people!

perfect. paradise. passionate.

Here’s my assistant Christine in action Christine is a wedding planner and is amazing at what she does. You need to check out Pure Potential Weddings if you haven’t already.

She not only helped me all day long with photography… but she made all the other details happen!

I love how many girls are helping Stephanie with her dress!!

Jen’s sister Pamela has the most amazing and contagious smile

Tyler & Jennifer really wanted a low-key wedding because they’re both pretty shy people…  SO we laughed at how many people were staring at them all day long!

I love Jen’s expression – passionate about her new husband  You guys are so cute!!!

As you can see…. they kissed A LOT!!! Ha!

I LOVED this staircase!!! It deserved to be photographed.

And that’s the end of their beautiful day

Their trash the dress session deserves its on post – coming in a few days!

I’m back!!!!!!! What an amazing holiday Justin & I had in Australia with my sister Amy.  It was sweet as… I’ve decided I could probably live there – but that’s probably because I’m watching the snow fall outside my window and my winter boots are SOAKED from solely walking to and from my car!!

Anyway, I have to say I’m a little ashamed at the lack of blogging I’ve been doing.  I know there are a lot of photos that I’ve taken in the past month and they’re coming.  I promise.  But as for now, I really wanted to post a sneak peak to Jennifer & Tyler’s wedding from JAMAICA!!!  What a beautiful week we all had there…

Here’s my favourite of the sweetest bride… Jennifer!!

And here’s one from the “trash the dress” shoot

As I said… way more to come