What does it mean to work with a custom photographer? I explain what it is, why it's important, and why I chose this method for my own work.

The first time I came across the concept of a family film, I was completely hooked, and knew it was something I absolutely needed to do. To me, it just seemed like the absolute perfect combination of beautiful things. I've always appreciated film as a form of art, and am a sucker for the emotion it can induce through strong visuals, music, sound, and story. I'm a huge music buff (nerd), with a tendency to get emotional to the sound of a tune I love. I'm also a photographer, a

with Simone North and her family In early February, I had the absolute pleasure of spending an afternoon with Simone North, her partner Sheldon, and their two girls—Satiya, 2.5, and Symphony, 3 weeks old. Oh, and also their cat, Picnic. Simone is a yoga instructor, focusing on yoga therapy, and a mental health & addictions counsellor. She is an advocate for self care and self love, and aims to raise her daughters in an environment that is accepting and empowering. Simone and

This one is for you Mamas. I see you there, behind the camera snapping photos of your family. You're always seeing those special moments that you want to capture on photo or video. They're cute; they're funny; they're something you want to remember—and that's really important! The only problems is, you're never IN the photos because you're always taking them! I totally get you. I'm a) super camera shy and b) always the one taking a million photos and videos of my family. But

Documentary photography—similar to lifestyle photography—has existed as long as the art form itself.* But it's also a trend that has come in pretty hot over the last couple of years, and for good reason. With the constant access we all have to cameras and photography in our everyday life, it's never been easier to snap a photo of the moment and share it with the world. We've completely normalized having an insider's perspective of people's lives. I mean, it's super weird when

There really is nothing like those very first days with your first born child. The feelings that consume you completely—love, fear, wonder, curiosity, anxiety, hope. It's such an insanely sleep-deprived whirlwind of an experience for the parents, and often our memories of this phase feel like a total blur. This is why I feel so inspired to capture this time through film and photos. I love the idea of documenting some of these super intimate moments between the brand new paren

What an awesome family these guys were to film. The two kids—Tucker Bobby and Scotty Jade (can we talk about what great names those are?!)—were so lovely, with such contrasting personalities. This was something that Colby, the mother, had mentioned to me ahead of filming, so I had made a big effort to portray their personalities throughout the film. Tucker the sensitive, gentle soul, and Scotty the fearless independent. One of my favourite parts of this session was how import