Chase Creek Falls - Mini Session

Well THIS was a fun one! We started the morning at Margaret Falls and were unfortunately told that we couldn’t go in the water and could only be on the trail. So as a last resort we headed to Chase Creek Falls, a place Kyle and I have taken the kids dozens of times because it is so easily accessible and a fairly short drive from Kamloops. I’d never really thought of it as a shoot location. I wish we had just gone there first!! It was absolutely amazing. This first photo was definitely the show stopper, that’ll be the one to print and to save for when you’re 90. The one you show to your grandkids and great grandkids and the one they show off to their friends with the caption of “LOOK HOW BADASS MY GRANDMA IS”.

It was also so cool to see people inspired by this photo in the Kamloops Photographers group head out that way for a shoot! Lots of folks in there helped me come up with a ton of possible locations for this one. #communityovercompetition

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Was inspired to hike and play in the water by @emilymayphotographer recent photo. Still working on my photography skills but the location was AMAZING! 😍 #waterfall #summer #hike #explore #getlost #takeahike #neverstopexploring #adventure #explorebc #goexplore

A post shared by Christina Stefanuk (@gymcoach_willtravel) on Aug 6, 2020 at 7:00pm PDT

@emilymayphotographer

doooont go chasin waterfalls (but do it) ##canada ##bc ##fyp ##Bookworm ##waterfall ##explore ##photography

♬ Fantasy - Alina Baraz / Galimatias

Portrait Session in Kamloops, BC With Emily-May Photography

Heather’s 3rd session with me! She wore a gold dress for her last shoot by Reclamation and of course… I put it on her backwards last year. YIKES! But guess what, with dresses like these, you could wear them inside out and they’d still be gorgeous. It’s always so nice to catch up with regular clients and see how their lives are going. Plus, a few of you are happy to allow me to shoot some super duper awkward BTS videos and I’m so grateful for that!!

Dresses: Gold Star - Reclamation // Client Closet && Floral Dress - North of Esme // Client Closet

@emilymayphotographer

playing dress up for the day ##FavoriteMemory ##canada

♬ Selfish - Madison Beer

Mini Session at Peterson Creek Park in Kamloops, BC

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart…I’ll always be with you.”

This quote popped into my head when I met these lovely folks! When Courtney asked if she could bring her mom for a few photos I was SO excited! We had a blast exploring, playing and creating memories! Sierra even modeled one of the dresses I made and she rocked it!

Courtney’s mom sent a photo she wanted to recreate - I don’t think the second photo was exactly what she had in mind…BUT we sure did try! Precious moments all the same!!

This dress is one I made! And available in the client closet. About a Size 5/6!

Staycation At Sun Peaks Grand Residences

I’m an oversharer so.. scroll through the lovely photos and don’t read the text if you want!

Last week I got a call from my doctor that I’m being sent for a cervical biopsy and I went into fight or flight mode right then and there. Could be nothing, could be something and I am a class A worrier with a medical history covered in “the C word”. We had been considering a short trip somewhere - past Emily was looking out and had booked 4 days off shooting at the same time as Kyle’s day off. That HAS NEVER HAPPENED. So we decided to go up to Sun Peaks to relax and enjoy time together as a family while still staying close to home. You can watch the whole trip in 30 seconds with this Tiktok clip! Or keep scrolling for more.

@emilymayphotographer

a 3 day trip in 30 seconds ##sunpeaks ##MyBFF ##kamloops ##bc ##canada

♬ Stuck with U - Jada Facer & Kyson Facer

We were so lucky to find a room at the Residences at the Sun Peaks Grand. We got a two bedroom suite fully equipped with laundry, a dishwasher, fridge & freezer- the works! It is also Pet Friendly which was so important because we wanted to take Zoe with us. Ella’s favourite thing was having HER OWN TV in her room. Leo loved that there were at least 4 remotes to hide around the entire suite.

I didn’t take many photos of our accommodations - though now I totally wish I had! We will be back though, so I can take more of this home away from home then.

We had our own balcony! And Leo played a few games of peek a boo in the curtains.

Our first night we just hung out in the hotel room & ordered some food! Ella and I put on our jammies from Joe Fresh and I painted her nails. It was a very relaxing night!

After a VERY restful sleep (I wanted to take that King bed home with us!) we went and grabbed coffee and a treat from Bolacco Café! It was recommended by the folks from Sun Peaks Yoga. Not only was the coffee great but they really connected with us in the very short time we were in the cafe.

I can’t remember which day I took these - but what I do remember is that it was a 5 am wake up. Beautiful new dress from North of Esme that I added to the client closet. So excited to have this gown available for clients.

We went star gazing - which.. I wish I had been more prepared for. This type of photography is so different than what I normally do. There is a lot of waiting. There isn’t a lot of action. And… I don’t like to be out past 11 most nights. Luckily I was able to salvage something from it. It isn’t perfect but it’s still beautiful. And what I’ll remember from this photo is Kyle being SO PATIENT with my stubborn self trying to leave after the first shot didn’t work out.

We spent a looooong time at the pool. The kids were loving it, there was only a couple of people around and it was 1030 am so still a reasonable temperature. The pool itself is outdoor and gorgeous, I could have taken photos there all day long.

This is what happened after the pool trip! Leo was also snoozing.

This breakfast was on our last morning - I was determined to use the balcony that I was SO excited to have. And Leo was also determined to eat my breakfast and spill my coffee. But.. that’s just mom life for ya. And he looked pretty cute doing it. I also brought my mug with me from Rachael’s Creations because I love it THAT much. Check her out, they’re all custom pieces of art and Canadian made.

It was a busy trip. A really busy trip. Lots of go go go. But also a lot of rest. We crossed off so much of our summer bucket list and I count us so lucky that we got to go. Travelling with two kids and a dog is no joke but Sun Peaks Grand made it as easy as it could possibly be. Definitely will be making another trip up when we can!