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Isn’t this little guy adorable? His family came to the studio to celebrate his milestone first birthday with a cake smash session. He loves monkeys so his set consisted of a monkey theme. This cake is from Leah’s Cake Creations, and always, she did a great job of creating this colourful and playful monkey-themed cake. 

When preparing your child for their cake smash session, remember that it may get messy. Some kids aren’t too interested in the cake, and others love to dig in and eat and get messy, so choose an outfit that you don’t mind getting dirty. You may want to put a little bit of cake on your finger and let them taste it – they may not know that it is edible. Even if they don’t dive right it, we are always able to capture cute photos of them exploring the cake, even if they just take small little bites. 

This family involved the older siblings in the photoshoot, and we were able to capture some sweet photos of this little boy and his older sisters. They certainly love their brother and it was fun to photograph the family together. His big sisters also helped to show him that he could eat the cake too!

Cake smash sessions have grown in popularity, and it’s fun to get the family involved too. Be prepared to clean up afterwards, bring your child a change of clothes, and baby wipes plus a plastic bag to put their dirty clothes in. Many times the cake isn’t too destroyed and we will send the remainder home with you if you like. Despite the cakes getting a little smashed, they still taste delicious! 

If you are interested in booking a cake smash to celebrate your child’s birthday, you can find our pricing for shoot packages here on our website. We will work with you to make your baby’s first year celebration extra special!

This cute couple has been the subject of our last few blogs. They have been clients for a while and did their creative maternity session first and then their newborn photos with Gemini Visuals. This elegant maternity session was actually a creative session shot in conjunction with Seattle photographer with Eden Bao. It was actually a model call for the session and this couple just happened to already be Gemini Visuals clients!

This stunning dress is by Mii Estilo and is part of Eden Bao’s maternity wardrobe that she has for clients. We shot these at Siwash Rock in Stanley Park in Vancouver, and this couple were great sports about being on display along the seawall. 

The idea behind this shoot was for us to recreate the look of sunset without any direct sun in the photos. It is also interesting to see the results from 2 photographers shooting together, and how their preferences vary and the final photos will be different too.

Eden Bao shoots with a Nikon, and Adrienne shoots with a Canon camera and in having two different camera bodies and lens, there were some noticeable differences in the final product. It was also interesting to see how the settings vary quite drastically. Practicing with another photographer is an excellent way to help hone your skills and learn more about your craft, as you can always learn from another photographer’s technique and knowledge. Eden is relatively close in the Seattle area, and we often work together on creative projects.

Watch for an upcoming blog on a 3 day workshop we hosted at our South Surrey Studio with Eden Bao. To learn more about her upcoming workshops, visit her website here. 

Thanks so much to our gorgeous couple for modelling for this session. You can see more of their adorable new baby here.  

It’s always a pleasure to see families come back to the studio after doing a maternity session at Gemini Visuals – and then we get to meet their newborn baby. This beautiful little girl was a delight to photograph, and we were able to do a variety of photo set-ups with her and with mom & dad and their beloved pet too. 

Newborn sessions can take anywhere from 2-4 hours to shoot, since babies can be unpredictable! We have a warm and comfortable seating area in our studio, which is perfect for nursing your baby to sleep and taking the time to calm them if necessary. Adrienne has over 20 years experience photographing newborns and is always conscious of a baby’s sleep schedule and feeding time. She will never push anything that may feel unsafe for your baby and will always keep your baby’s best interests in mind.

If you book a newborn session with Gemini Visuals, these are a few things to expect from your session:

• First, we ask that you take baby down to diaper, and then give your baby a good feed. Ideally if you can time your feedings so your newborn is ready to feed or ready for a top-up when you arrive, then your baby will be nice and sleepy.
• Adrienne will handle, soothe, and move your baby in order to get them into the perfect position for photographs.
• Don’t worry about your baby pooping, or peeing – it happens often and is all part of photographing newborns!

Our new studio location is kept very warm during your session to keep your baby calm and sleepy. It is also recommended that parents bring a change of clothes in case of accidents and also to be comfortable if you are doing your family photos first. For more information on packages available for newborn shoots, take a look at our sessions & packages here. 

We can’t wait to see this family again for their Baby’s Cake Smash Session. 

This Surrey maternity session was the first photographed as part of a Baby’s First Year package for these clients. We were delighted when they asked if they could bring in their beloved pets for the session. Being a animal lover, Adrienne was more than happy to do some creative maternity shots in this Surrey maternity session. Photographing animals can sometimes be a little bit tricky, but she was able to capture this sweet detail shot with the dog and cat both looking at the camera.

Cats are not easy to photograph, especially for an outdoor session. In this case, the kitty was especially well-trained and very chill. Remember that your pets must be leashed in most public areas. You can contact us if you have a special request for including pets in your photo session. 

We were able to do a variety of poses and outfit changes during their session. A great tip for any clients is to consider your outfits, and coordinating them with your partner ahead of time. If there is an area to change clothes on-location, it is nice to be able to use a few different coloured outfits and mix up the looks. It gives you more options for your photo packages and you may be surprised at what you end up liking colour-wise. These clients brought their own clothes and she also wore some of our maternity dresses from Sew-Trendy Accessories. 

This couple was all-smiles and excited for their new baby girl to arrive. We captured these photos on the bridge and paths at Elgin Heritage Park.

To set up your Maternity session or Baby’s First Year package, contact us on our website or email info@geminivisuals.com. 

When clients return to our studio with the first addition to their family, it can be a really joyous time for both the family and myself too. I love seeing my client’s extended families grow and in this particular session, I had already done the client’s siblings years before. We were able to get some really gorgeous shots of the new baby, including some very sweet ones with his eyes open and alert, and then also cuddled up in a sweet slumber. 

When our clients consult with us prior to their session, we can brainstorm together some ideas for the types of images that they want from their shoot. In this case, the family really wanted to do some Harry Potter-themed photos with their newborn – so we were able to capture some very sweet images in this particular theme.

Detail shots are also sometimes over-looked by parents of newborns, as we all want to see their sweet faces! However, photos of details of their tiny little feet and hands can make for extra special memories to cherish, as we know that they grow very quickly. I love the images of their little fingers and toes. We also captured some with a little grey hat and this blue knit outfit by Goodnight Baby by Nook.  

Another thing that this family wanted to capture was some images including the grandparents in the session. Grandpa’s arms are seen holding the baby and Grandma was just as eager to hold her new grandson. 

To book your Newborn Session or Baby’s First Year Package, contact us on our website or call 604-312-6330 for more information. 

This past February and March we held our first ever fabric and flour dance minis sessions in our new South Surrey studio location. Dancers came from all over the lower mainland to participate and were of all ages and skill levels. Creative dance photography is a passion of Adrienne’s and she has refined her skill as a dance photographer, offering both fabric sessions and flour sessions to create interesting imagery to highlight a dancer’s skills.  

When a dancer comes to the studio for their session, it helps if they have prepared a little bit ahead of time, practicing poses, looking on our website at other images, and have a general idea of some of the poses they want to achieve. We ask that dancers arrive with plenty of time to warm up and stretch and we keep the heat in the studio a little warmer to make it easier for dancing. 

For each mini session, we offer the option of doing your shoot with either Fabric or Flour. Both concepts are equally as interesting creatively, so it is really up to the dancer’s personal preference. As you can imagine, using flour is a tiny bit more messy (okay, more like a lot more messy) but our studio is fully sectioned off and contains the flour dust inside the shoot area. We ask that dancers come prepared with a change of clothes and a towel, and know that they will probably leave with their hair full of flour.

However, the results are well worth the effort. 

If you are interested in participating on our next set of Creative Dance Mini Sessions,  contact us, and we will keep you on the list announcing upcoming dates. 

A newborn photo session can feel daunting for new parents. You may be worried that your baby won’t sleep, or will need to nurse, spit up or have a diaper accident, however, that’s all part of it! Any situation you can dream up, Adrienne has likely already dealt with it in her 20+ years as a photographer. We can help to make you and your family feel comfortable and we try to make the process go as smooth as possible. 

We love to see our Maternity session clients come back with their newborns to help capture this very special time in their lives. If you book your maternity and newborn session together, you will receive $20 off of your session for pre-booking. We also have our Baby’s First Year packages that can include maternity and newborn. This little bundle of joy was just a few weeks old when his parents brought him into the studio for his first photo session. We look forward to continuing to document his life as he grows up also. 

New parents are also encouraged to bring something special to their Newborn session as this family has done. We photographed the baby with a very personal piece which has special significance to the family. Before your session, think about a momento, an article of clothing, jewelry or a special toy that has special meaning to your family or culture. It makes a beautiful addition to your newborn session. 

To book your Maternity, Newborn or Baby’s First Year package, contact us. You will never regret capturing your family with beautiful photography. 

Maternity photos are some of my favourite to shoot, as it is such a special time in a couple’s journey to becoming parents. While maternity photos have changed in styling over the past several years, indoor portraits can be done with modern and contemporary feel, as we did with this couple.

When capturing a moment as important as your maternity photos, it’s always a good idea to go all-out and have your hair and makeup professionally done. It helps to make you feel your absolute best, which is important when you are having photos taken. Some mothers struggle with seeing themselves with a little extra baby-weight, and professionally done hair and makeup can make you feel even more beautiful and help combat any insecure feelings. If you need recommendations, we can recommend an artist to do hair & makeup in our studio or at the shoot location. 

With this stunning mother-to-be we were able to capture a wide variety of pregnancy photos that were completely unique to her. She brought in several props to pose with and some of her own outfits, but also modeled some of our gowns from of Sew Trendy Accessories. Our next session with this fabulous couple includes their newborn bundle-of-joy that arrived shortly after this shoot. If you book your maternity and newborn session together, you will receive $20 off of your session for pre-booking. We also have our Baby’s First Year packages that can include maternity and newborn.

Contact us and we can advise you on a session that suits your needs. 

One of the joys of being a White Rock portrait photographer is welcoming back previous clients. It’s so lovely to watch our maternity clients walk through my studio doors with a new bundle of joy in their arms! It’s always amazing to see these beautiful newborn babies arrive and to try to pick out features of both mom and dad while spending the afternoon with them capturing their photos. One of my favourite parts of being a photographer is seeing new babies and creating memories of this special time for the parents. 

While newborn sessions can seem overwhelming for the parents, I have over 25 years experience of working with babies, so I won’t push baby past what I think they will do and I won’t do anything that I feel is unsafe for your baby. I keep your baby’s best interests and safety in mind. When you arrive at your session please take baby down to diaper, and give baby a good feed. It’s ideal if you can time your feedings so baby is ready to feed or ready for a top-up when you arrive. We like to start with baby nice and sleepy! I will handle, soothe, and move baby in order to get them into the perfect position for photographs.There’s also a high chance of being pooped on, peed on, or spit up on. It’s a common occurrence, so be prepared – I’m very used to it!

The studio is kept very warm to keep naked newborns calm and sleepy. I encourage parents to bring a change of clothes if we’re doing family photos, since you may want to be in something more comfortable for the rest of the session. For more information on packages available for newborn shoots, take a look at our sessions & packages here. 

Congratulations to this gorgeous family of three, we look forward to seeing them again soon as our new South Surrey neighbours!

During our cooler months its always nice to look back on a session shot in our warmer times, at once of our beautiful parks in South Surrey. This couple booked one of our maternity packages that has both indoor and outdoor locations – the best of both worlds! We were happy to venture outside for part of this couple’s session to capture the most memorable photographs of this mom’s first pregnancy. After capturing sunset at South Surrey’s Blackie Spit Park on Crescent Beach, we went in-studio to capture the remaining vision this mom had for her maternity photos. 

Our maternity sessions & packages can include both in-studio and on location photos, depending on your budget and the type of photos you desire. We have a variety of maternity gowns for creative sessions, or you may choose to bring your own wardrobe. We can consult with you ahead of time and our portfolio online will give you and idea of different shoots that have been done before. 

Outdoor shoots help to take advantage of gorgeous outdoor light. Generally, outdoor photos tend to be less formal and can provide a variety of interesting backdrops found in nature. You may feel awkward in public locations, however we can work with you to find locations that provide some privacy that we have used in other maternity shoots. Sometimes being a little uncomfortable is worth it to create gorgeous photos that you will cherish for years to come. 

While you may not be thinking about your maternity session too far in advance, if you can plan ahead, getting photos done around 30 weeks pregnant will be when you are at your most comfortable. Of course, you can schedule it right up to your due date, however, planning ahead will help us to work with you to create the photos of your dreams.