I can’t believe 2014 is already coming to an end. I think I feel this way about every year, but 2014 sure flew by in a whirlwind unlike any other for me–I’m still blogging weddings and sessions I photographed in the summer, that’s how quickly the months passed by! Stay tuned for more to come up here on my fancy new website, which was also a new addition in 2014 thanks so my amazingly talented friend Mareija’s hard work and talent!

 

This year was filled with so many amazing adventures and photography sessions. In January I decided to start a 365 project with the goal of taking one photo each day. I wanted to push myself creatively and to take more notice of the little things in my day to day life. I made it to day 212 without missing many days, but after that I was so slammed with editing and moving houses and photographing weddings and other sessions that, sadly, the project fell by the wayside. So, stay tuned because I’ve decided to give it a go again for 2015! We’ll see if I can surpass 212…

 

In January I also travelled to San Jose del Cabos, Mexico for the first time for a week of vacation (and photo taking of course!) Later, in September, that area of Cabos San Lucas was ravagd by Hurricane Odile and is still recovering from the damage.

 

In April, I attended the Canada Photo Convention in Vancouver for two days and learned so much from so many incredible photographer’s who had come from as far away as Australia to present. The photography community in Canada is so warm and welcoming and inspiring and it was really nice to meet and network with many of them. On the final evening, much to my surprise, my name was drawn for the grand prize of the conference: a trip for two to Maui!! This is by far the biggest prize I’ve ever won and I still can’t actually believe it happened! We went to Maui in November 5 days and my best friend and her boyfriend joined us. We rented a car and explored the island, my camera in tow as always. Eventually I will get around to blogging some of my favourites from the trip. The highlight for me was our morning of snorkeling where I  a) mastered breathing with the snorkeling mask on and  b) saw a massive sea turtle within reaching distance and c) avoided the Tiger Shark that another group of snorkelers encontered minutes before our boat pulled up to a popular snorkeling spot!  

 

 

The summer was a blur of weddings, travel, moving houses and photo sessions of all varieties. I drove up to Armstrong for Matt and Charlotte’s beautiful wedding, traveled to Calgary for some shoots at a gorgeous riding facility (I’ll be back summer of 2015, this time for more than 3 days!) and then in September it was off to Chilliwack–first for the one and only riding event I managed to enter with my horse, Zappa–and then again a couple weeks later to photograph Nicole and Brad’s wedding.

 

This year I expanded my business by offering maternity, lifestyle newborn and boudoir sessions. I love exploring different types of portraiture and the various challenges that each type of session offers. I am so blessed with the most amazing clients and I want to thank you all for trusting me with so many huge milestones in your lives–from weddings to newborns to family sessions–I am forever grateful to be able to document so many beautiful moments.

 

I hope you enjoy the photos–these are a few of my favourite portrait and travel shots from 2014.

 

I can’t wait for all that 2015 will bring–Happy New Year!!

 

 

–Cassidy