tracy cook {MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY} www.cherryblissphotography.ca

tracy cook {MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY} www.cherryblissphotography.ca

May I share just a couple more from my maternity shoot last night?  Just a few that I love as I'm working through editing all of the images.....

tracy cook {COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY} www.cherryblissphotography.ca

This week I spent a lot of time with toys !

I had the pleasure of doing some promotional photographs for Tumbleweed Toys here in Kamloops.  The owner Vanessa is the sweetest person with such a passion for awesome toys- safe sustainable and inspired is their logo.  The store is located in Sahali Centre Mall and has the most amazing selection of toys !

Educational toys, toys made from recycled materials, high quality beautiful toys, many of which are exclusive to her store !   You MUST check out her store.  And if you are heading to the interior children's expo you may see her banner which will have some Cherry Bliss Photography on it.  Check out some of the images of the store, the toys and the beautiful children helping make the images pop.

That's Vanessa up there, she's very knowledgeable and is happy to offer suggestions and recommendations.  This gal knows her stuff !

Adorable little models to showcase the toys !

Anyone recognize this boy who very happily assisted with showcasing the firetruck?

And some of my favorite images from the store.

So my first commercial photography experience was great !  Lots of fun, looking forward to doing more !

tracy cook {MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY} www.cherryblissphotography.ca

I spent my Wednesday night with a beautiful momma who is expecting her second baby in a couple of weeks.  We took advantage of the 

warm weather and wonderful light.

For me, when I sit down to edit a session, especially one that's different from others that I've done I am really excited to get working, and find myself saying...

 " this is my new VERY favorite set of images"

I said it again tonight.

I think you might agree when you see these !

I love the dreamy nature of the log image....

And at the end of the session, this adorable big sister to be joined us and painted mom's belly !

So cute !

Thanks for the opportunity to capture your maternity images !

I hope you enjoy this preview.

Tracy

tracy cook { PHOTOGRAPHY} www.cherryblissphotography.ca

Let me tell you a love story.  I love photography.  I always have, and hopefully always will.

When I started my photography business, I will totally admit that I made the decision super fast- on a spur of the moment- following the first set of photos I took for friends.

That was it- I was doing it.

Tired of being envious of those who were.

I picked a name.

I bought a domain name.

Started a web site.

I went for it.

Has it been easy?  

Ummmm NO.

It's actually been really REALLY tough for me.  Some people weren't very supportive.  And honestly, I was a bit naive about things.  If I'm totally truthful, when I started, my skills probably weren't where they needed to be.  There are many factors unique to my area that have resulted in me feeling frustrated about my definition of limited success with my photography.  

A few months ago I decided to take myself out of the game in my city and instead of chasing work- just stay open, and see what happens.  Truthfully, I'd sort of written it off. 

Not successful here.  

Not going to work.    

Done.

And for me, who was always successful in my social work career, failure is a tough tough blow.  A knock out blow.

But days after that decision, I ran across a quote; 

You make some big grandiose decision about what you need to do, or who you need to be and then circumstances rise that immediately reveal to you how little you understood about yourself"

-Elizabeth Gilbert

Boy was that true !  Suddenly opportunities presented themselves  I began to work with a mentor who's work I admire, and who's feedback has been tough, accurate, and has helped me grow.  Photographic opportunities presented themselves.  

Am I crazy successful now?  

Have photography mastered? 

 Ummmm NO.  

BUT, the whole reason for this post is to say that feedback from others, when it comes from the right place in a person's heart is invaluable.  

For a former career devoted professional who always excelled, and then turned into a stay at home mom where successes are sometimes hard to measure, 

I fully, totally, and completely appreciate feedback. 

 So thank you to those who have given it.  It would be nice if I didn't care, if it didn't matter what others thought, if I could just do what I wanted but it does matter. 

 I hope I'm able to continue to stumble upon opportunities to grow and learn and find success with photography.  

I will always believe in the power of photography.

And if you are still with me after all that- on a much lighter note, this beautiful wonderful sweet, ear sucking cat swallowed my diamond earring.  Do I go looking for it?

tracy cook {PET PHOTOGRAPHY} www.cherryblissphotography.ca

Every week the wonderful people at iheartfaces.com have a photo challenge.  This week's theme is animals.  I've never entered before, so I thought i'd give it a try with a photo that I took of a neighbourhood dog.   He is the sweetest little puppy soul.  He belongs to our tenants, but Dylan and I are often outside calling him, and trying to coax him to come play with us.  I am wondering how to break it to the tenants they can never ever move out because we are so smitten with their dog.

Cross your fingers that "Oakley" is a fav over at iheartfaces !

tracy cook {MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY} www.cherryblissphotography.ca

Casting Call !

Cherry Bliss Photography is looking for a local Kamloops momma  who is in the early stages of her pregnancy to participate as a model in a new fun type of shoot ! You don't have to be a ~real model~, just a momma-to-be who is willing to have her photo taken multiple times throughout her pregnancy.

So what's in it for you?  

You get a series of maternity photos taken at no charge AND

 a CD of all  the images for your own use.  

You must be available on several occasions throughout your pregnancy, and must be willing to allow me to use your images.

For more info please email me at tracy@cherryblissphotography.ca

The vision for this is *top secret* (for now)  So if you can keep a secret for a few month until we are ready to unveil, and are newly pregnant, I can keep a secret and not reveal your pregnancy either.  :)

Tracy

tracy cook {NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY} www.cherryblissphotography.ca

Happy Sunday !  I had a sweet little newborn with the best head of dark hair in studio this morning !

Here are a few previews of this little sweeties photo shoot.
9 days new.

Hope you like them.

tracy cook {BUBBLE PHOTOGRAPHY} www.cherryblissphotography.ca

Soooo the answer to the 

"what is it" 

from my last post....

here it is again... shot on manual setting on my DSLR Nikon D7000

BUBBLES !

These are two of the less impressive shots taken on automatic.

shot at night, off my balcony,

from an automatic bubble machine !

Pretty neat huh?

tracy cook {PHOTOGRAPHY} www.cherryblissphotography.ca

A few days ago I captured this on my camera.

So what is it?

Guesses?

It's not a trick, it's nothing I made, it's just the way my camera captured it on a certain setting.

I ran unsharp mask on it in photoshop just to pop the colours a bit.

I'll be back on Friday to see if anyone got it.

So post your ideas!

What is it?

(besides pretty cool)

tracy cook {FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY} www.cherryblissphotography.ca

I had the cutest brother/sister duo the other day !  Both were sweet and beautiful, although I'm not sure a boy his age wants to be referred to that way--haha-- but it's true !  Enjoy the images.

This has to be one of my favorite images, I caught her just sitting quietly waiting for me to come to her.

And she was all smiles once we got going

The two of them were soooo photogenic !!

And this is an out-take, but an adorable one... monkeying around after the shoot.  Could you resist capturing this??

tracy cook {FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY} www.cherryblissphotography.ca

My handsome husband doesn't generally want to pose for photos... but I caught him outside reading and relaxing while our boy played in the sprinkler.  I captured this image, that really shows how handsome he is.  But don't tell him I'm bragging about him... it might go to his head, making him more difficult to photograph in the future..haha  :)

tracy cook {NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY} www.cherryblissphotography.ca

Just 7 days new, this cutie with a full head of hair, and wonderful long fingers and toes came for
 his session on his one week birth day.

Here is his preview.