Happy Birthday to my Two Favourite People!

            June 18th is a special day – it’s the day that my daughter was born, who now is a full year old. It’s also my wife’s birthday, and as a special treat to myself it’s also Father’s Day today. One of the biggest celebration days this year!

I can’t say how lucky I am to be where I am in life, and to have such a fantastic family. My daughter brings so much joy and love (and chaos), and my wife is supportive, caring, and the source of my inspiration. Life is a non-stop adventure and while patience is a virtue explored every day, we have all found a balance that I could have only dreamed of. I get to be a creative professional, a husband and a dad, and every day is fulfilling beyond words. It’s days like today that remind me of this.

To Desi and Danika – you are my world. Happy Birthday!

After the birthday festivities concluded, we headed into our gardens for a photo shoot. We did a few fun concepts, but this is my favourite. If anyone knew me when I was a baby, you probably remember this train. Chime in if you do! I parked it under our largest rose bushes and made sure there were no thorns within reach. The angle was tricky to balance foreground blur, background, and the edges of the frame… so the photographer in me set to work.

I wanted the image to be seen at her level, so I was right on the ground. I also wanted a sense of depth, which was created by shooting through the tall grass under our pear tree which also created the out-of-focus details near the top of the frame slightly covering her hat and face for a sense of “looking through” to something far away. The background was busy, so I dug up some ferns that were not supposed to be growing where they were, and placed the uprooted plants behind the roses to obscure a bench and our house in the background.

The scene was set, and I went inside to get my team players. My wife set our daughter on the train toy, and stood just out of frame swaying some of the branches around to catch my daughter’s attention. She took the bait, for at least a few frames, and then curiously looked in my direction for only a single shot. This was it. :)

I am NOT a portrait photographer, but I am a proud dad and I want my daughter to see the world through my eyes once in a while. She’s a huge part of my inspiration as well, and every day the world gives her something new to explore. Today there were many things, including a few moments playing with the roses. There will be many more of these moments to come, and I look forward to every one.

Taken in: Canada / Ontario / Barrie (show map)

Taken on: June 18, 2017

Tags:

daughter

1st birthday

train

roses

portrait

summer

flowers

infant

child

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Camera: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, f/7.1, 1/160 sec, 235mm, ISO 800 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
Lens:	EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
Aperture:	f/7.1
Exposure Time:	0.006 sec (1/160)
Focal Length:	235mm
ISO:	800
Exposure Bias:	+1 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CC 2017 (Windows)
Show full info

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