“All fathers are invisible in daytime; daytime is ruled by mothers and fathers come out at night. Darkness brings home fathers, with their real, unspeakable power. There is more to fathers than meets the eye.” -Margaret Atwood

The idea of “Focused On Fatherhood” came to me one day when I was sitting in a sea of nostalgia, listening to several voicemails I have from my Father. I had been spending a lot of time using my new camera and admiring the photography of many young stay at home mothers. I admired their work and the way they captured their everyday lives and the “in the moment” photos they took of others. I was noticing that a lot of the photos were capturing the mother and her children, and the father was unseen.

Fathers, of course, spend most of their time working, providing for their wives and children. They come home after the sun has gone down, playtime is over, and the tiredness has set in. They get a good hour or so of time with their children before its bath time, story time and off to bed.

As I was sitting there, listening to his voice, reminiscing of the many memories we share together, it hit me! What if I took my lifelong love of photography and combined it with the lifelong love that I have for my father? What if I was to capture children in the special moments that they share with their daddy? You know, the look on their faces as daddy comes home from work, that first embrace they share and the stories they tell of their day, as mommy tidies up or begins dinner. Or, the weekend playtime, walks, bike rides, story time or any of those moments that may seem insignificant now. One day, you will look back on those memories and those will be the BIG ones.

I look back fondly on omelettes for breakfast; playing on the playgrounds my dad helped build; my dad clapping his arms together, pretending to be the crocodile from Peter Pan, when we would swim at the pool. I remember his night time ritual of tucking us in and playing “Little Red Riding Hood” on his guitar. I remember most vividly the walk off of the ferry to visit him, coming around the corner and seeing him towering over everyone, with the biggest, happiest, most sincere smile on his face. The love would glow from his bright blue eyes. I also remember coming back home on the ferry, and waving goodbye and blowing kisses at him from the back seat of my moms car as she drove off, until we were out of each others sight. He would stand there for so long that he almost missed walking on the ferry a few times! I reminisce on how he would pick both of us up – one child under each arm – we thought he was the strongest man alive!

Those little moments that seemed so insignificant are the memories my mind clings to. Those are the precious moments that I look back on, with a smile on my face, knowing that I was truly blessed. My father gave Shauna and I the type of love that keeps our heart full, even though he has passed. That type of love never dies.

I want to capture those moments for your children. I want to create something so beautiful that they can keep for a lifetime. I have created a package that I think is affordable and is truly a keepsake.

A few weekends ago, Dean and I took Olivia to Smuggler’s Cove, which is a very special spot for us. We have hiked there many times. I wanted to capture them in a very natural setting, where she would see the ocean for the first time. But first, tummy time…Every morning Olivia has 30 minutes of tummy time. Dean always gets weekend morning play time with Olivia. After that, we were off to Smuggler’s Cove!

What is your favourite activity to do with Olivia?

“I like showing her new things, sights, smells..and watching her reaction”

What do you enjoy about being a father?

“Theres a joy in racing home after work everyday to see your family. Watching Olivia grow and change everyday, thats something really special something you really look forward to.”

What does being a Father make you look forward to?

“Watching her grow up and sharing the things I love with her”

What do you hope to teach Olivia in her life?

“Self respect, self reliance and self confidence”

How did it feel, the first time that you held Olivia in your arms?

“Suddenly, everything just changed. I wasn’t living my life for myself anymore”

Did you always want to be a Father?

“Yes”

What lessons did your Father teach you?

“Watching him I learned how to have the confidence to be myself”

What do you love about Olivia?

“She’s always smiling”

(Except when she’s sleepy!)

“Being a Daddy’s girl is like having permanent armour for the rest of your life.” -Marinela Reka

 

Please contact me to set up a date for your “Focused On Fatherhood”session.

All sessions are one hour long and include 10 high resolution images and a hard copy of your questions and answers on a framable card for your child to keep for years to come.