Caitlin Cleveland Photography

This past summer I was lucky enough to begin a year long journey with a beautiful couple. In the Fall, I photographed Nicole and Robbie as they counted down the days to the arrival of their teeny tiny little rockstar. (Some of you may remember a very cool ultrasound picture floating around Facebook with a baby showing off a rockstar sign with her tiny little fingers- inside this baby bump is that baby!) Unfortunately I had to cancel Robbie and Nicole’s first late August session, but luckily Baby H patiently waited inside mommy’s tummy until we could do our session a few weeks later! And I am so happy she did. It was wonderful working with both Nicole and Robbie. And, once Baby H arrived, she was as much a perfectly content model as her mom and dad!

I so look forward to watching this little one grow!

See my next post about a very exciting art show that is THIS week!

I adore the summer countdown to when this family is together again. Fun family summer time is great, but when I get to be a Reid for the day, it’s even better! I get to wander up the highway to Prelude Lake where I am met by a boat with three captains, two of which are under three feet tall and cute as can be! And then off to a little piece of paradise for some adventures and laughs with great company.

We are two for two because no one fell off the dock again this year…. but there is always next year!

Thanks again for a fantastic day with fantastic company.

I enjoy this bunch so much. The kids are awesome, they have more character than they know what to do with. And mom and dad are hilarious and up for any kind of family fun! I howled when Mr. T, followed closely by younger brother Mr. C, broke out into a hilarious meld of dance-off meets statues in the middle of a parking lot!

Now that I am blogging this, I realize that I am blogging two sessions back to back that both include the beach (different beaches in different towns though and photographed weeks apart!).

I am really really really looking forward to photographing Todd and Breigh’s wedding in the Spring of 2012. It is one of three Spring destination weddings I will have the privilege of shooting, and this very special union is the first. Given that winter’s frigid temperatures have finally set-in in the North, Dominican is sounding absolutely lovely right about now!

I met Todd years ago. He is a pilot who is notorious for his love of warm weather. Unfortunately, it seems Todd held his compass upside-down and found himself starting his career as a northern bush pilot all the way up in Yellowknife. He drove into Yellowknife in the middle of winter and moved in with a co-worker- my then boyfriend, now hubby, Jeff. I can remember many nights sitting on the couch with Todd, watching TV. Him on his laptop, me on mine. I edited many photography sessions in the early days of my career with Todd right next to me. Todd used to always tell me: One day when I find the right girl, you’re shooting my wedding. I would smile at the nice compliment, but I would also laugh at Todd and remind him that once he found that perfect girl, she would be picking the photographer!

Well years passed and last Christmas I sat at my parent’s home in Kelowna and read on Facebook that Todd had found his perfect girl. Todd asked his girlfriend Breigh to marry him on a surf board in the middle of the ocean in Australia. (I love that!) Within hours of finding out, I received a text that made me blush and excitedly giggle all day. It was Todd saying thanks for the congrats and he hoped I was game to shoot a beach wedding! I love weddings, but a wedding, for very special people, on a beach… sounds over the moon to me!

This past summer, I was able to photograph an engagement session for Todd and his perfect girl, Breigh, as they packed up their northern lives and ventured south to Ontario job prospects. We definitely miss them, but are happy to be counting down the days to their very special beach wedding.

I have created a massive bottle neck over the last three months- months worth of new sessions to shoot and shot sessions to edit all at the same time. Some clients I lost, understandably. Others have been beyond patient with me. I now begin to see the light at then end of the tunnel and can almost say I am fully caught up- almost. I was able to work with some fantastic people this summer and Fall. Together we captured some incredible milestones in their lives. I was nervous going into my first session following August 20. My first newborn session, first family session, first wedding. I didn’t feel like my heart was in it to be honest. But as soon as my clients walked in and I began to photograph, it felt natural. For the length of the session I was focused. I had moments where my mind begged to wander. But I wasn’t convinced I would be able to reel it back if it wandered too far. So I threw myself right in to each session. To say I look at sessions the same as before the accident would be a lie. It has certainly changed my drive to get across a certain amount of emotion and feel through my work. Thank you to all of my clients who sent repeated notes, flowers and even dropped off lovely muffins. Your words of encouragement, patience and support meant so very much. I look forward to working with you all again soon!

I have missed out on many blog posts. It took a long time to decide how to reopen my blog again. About a month ago a client sent me a note and asked why I no longer blogged. I was honest and responded simply that I didn’t know how. Do I reflect? Do I not? Her response: “how can you not? it has affected so many people you know. It has affected our whole town.” She was right. How could I not. It took me another month to gather my thoughts and find the energy to begin to type. I still feel weird to blog again. Not sure if it is time. But I also feel that no matter when I start, it will still feel foreign and awkward at first.

I won’t flood you with a summer’s worth of images. But I do want to share some fantastic northerners photographed this past summer! It feels right to start with a new beginning. A new little northerner. Taya and Jason welcomed their first son this Fall; the little rockstar Beautiful Baby H. What a perfect little model he was.