Rachel Ludwig Photography Blog

Abbotsford Family Session | Kirtis & Chantal, Jordon and Kylie

August 27, 2008

When Chantal contacted me about a family session, and mentioned wanting to incorporate umbrellas, I was smitten. And then when she loved my suggestion about balloons (which I’ve been dying to do a shoot with since I saw Traci’s fabulous balloon engagement session), I swear it was love at second email. And even though Kylie wasn’t as interested in her adorable pink umbrella as we hoped, it was such a great session with a wonderful family. I loved seeing how this family has blended together so perfectly…especially how Jordon is such a good big brother to Kylie. You can tell she absolutely adored him!

And going back to umbrellas…I was worried we were all going to have to huddle under Kylie’s little umbrella as it looked like it was going to start raining any minute. But fortunately it held off and stayed dry for our entire session (and with our all over the map weather lately, I think it was a small miracle in and of itself it didn’t rain!).

Here are a few of my favorites:

The previously mentioned umbrella…check out the adorable dog on the handle (and the one very sweet and adorable little girl!):

Don’t you just love how Jordon is looking at his Dad here, and how intent Kylie is on playing with the rocks and water? (plus, it was a great way to contain a busy and active 22-month old, who loved to run!)

Such a handsome young man, and I was told that he did the faux-hawk just for me. I was rather flattered…being a mom to a boy myself, I know how hard it can be to convince them sometimes on matters of personal appearance!

I can never resist fishy-lips

Are these balloons not totally fabulous? I was so excited when they pulled these out of their vehicle. I know where I’m going to go for my daughter’s birthday party next spring to get some for myself. er. I mean, for her!:

I always need to sneak in a few of mom and dad, I love how happy they are here:

My fave family shot, I just love all the cuddling and happiness:

By Rachel | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged abbotsford family photographer | 1 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

The Fair

August 25, 2008

So I haven’t shared any personal pictures here before, but when I looked through the images I took when we went to a local fair (the NorthWest Washington Fair in Lynden…if you haven’t been before, I highly recommend it!) recently, I couldn’t resist…and I figured it was good warm up for the new baby pictures that I’m sure I also won’t be able to resist posting when the time comes.

Ethan, our six year old, loves this local fair. We went for the first time last year, and I can’t even count how many times since then he has asked when we were going back. The week of the fair finally arrived, and fortunately we had a free evening to go. We had a great time, the kids loved the rides, I loved the fair food, and Tim enjoyed seeing us have fun.

The ferris wheel…it was almost dark when this was taken, but the sky was a lovely shade of blue. I took a ton of pictures during our very very long wait in line:

My little buddy. I’m so sad he’s going off to grade one next week. He’s such a great help with Arden, and I’m sure he’ll be with the new baby as well. He’s so fun to have a conversation with, and I know I’m going to miss his chatter. He’s quite worried about school and a new grade/teacher/class, etc so today we went out on a Mom/Ethan outing where he was thoroughly spoiled rotten with ice-cream for lunch, a few new things for school and time with just the two of us.

Anyways, this is from the fair as we waited and waited and waited some more in line for the ferris wheel. He was getting tired and cold so he cozied up to my belly (aka the furnace!). I love that he’s still snuggly. :

Ethan remembered this stuff from last year, but it was all new for Arden…and she went totally crazy for all the rides/games/activities. She loved it just as much as Ethan, and they thought their resulting small stuffed animal prizes were just perfect.

And these were the pictures I couldn’t resist posting. Arden in all her 2 1/2 year old spazziness. Ahhh, this girl keeps us on our toes I tell ya. She is a real firecracker and she sure lets that side of her personality show on a regular basis. These are as we had a little drink/snack break, and she wanted me to pick her up (which at this point in my pregnancy, is getting rather difficult and uncomfortable). So instead, I tormented her by snapping some pics…as the pictures show, she was less than impressed! Haha, these pictures totally crack me up, and they sure do perfectly portray this side of her personality!

“up, upppp, UPPPP!!!” Notice her signing please?

She’s progressed to full on screeching here (she has a speech delay, which definitely increases her frustration. She thinks we don’t understand her, but she’s able to make herself perfectly clear!!). “UUUUUUPPPPPPPPPP!!!!” (notice her tongue is shaped like a heart here?)

And then the maniacal side comes out. “Mom, mom, mom, mom, MOOOOOMMMMMM! UUUUUPPPPP!!!” (this one is my favorite….man do I love this girl, even with her temper tantrums and spazziness!!)

And lest you think I’m a horribly cruel mother, I did pick her up after this, and she snuggled right in and gave me hugs and kisses. I don’t think two-year-olds know how to hold a grudge, fortunately

Anyways, please pardon this little foray into the land of my personal family pictures. I will have some more client photos coming up soon…including Tricia & Bryan’s sneak peek from their wedding, some family pictures and some wall galleries. Stay tuned!

By Rachel | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Lynden, Northwest Washington Fair | 8 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Patti, Keith and Max

August 22, 2008

It was such a treat to do this session with Patti, Keith and Max. Patti and I had been corresponding for months via email while we tried to nail down a date that worked for all of our busy schedules. We finally were able to squeeze in their session just a few days before they moved from North Vancouver to Kelowna…fortunately we had perfect weather with beautiful evening light and we had a lot of fun at some great locations.

These three were such a fabulous family, I truly enjoyed seeing how they interact together. The love just radiates between the three of them and made me feel all warm and gushy inside just to see it. Max is positively adorable at almost five and so much fun, and I think that Keith and Patti are officially some of the nicest people I’ve met.

Here are a few of my favorites from their session:

Some “eskimo kisses” with mom:

This is cropped at 10×20…I love this size!

I always call eyes like this melted chocolate..aren’t they gorgeous? Makes me a teensy weensy bit sad I’ll probably never have a brown eyed baby, but so glad I get to see them up close like this. Love the bit of spunky personality that comes through in this shot

These three were just so much fun, Patti and I were cracking up at the silly boys eating grass!

These two are just so sweet together! (and ps, isn’t Patti’s skirt amazing??)

Max starting doing some shadow dances…and it didn’t take much for mom and dad to join in

He looks pretty sweet and innocent here, doesn’t he? Give him a few minutes…

…and before you know it you get some fun and silliness too:

Trying out the wink, it’s tough you know, although I think Max has it pretty much mastered:

And one more, because this one cracks me up too!:

Patti…I’ll be in touch soon with your slideshow and proofing gallery. I hope your move went smoothly and that you’re settling into your new home in Kelowna

By Rachel | Posted in Family, Uncategorized | Tagged abbotsford family photographer | 2 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

A few updates

August 20, 2008

Just wanted to mention a few things:

* I just received a big shipment from my lab with lots and lots of prints…it’s always so fun to see the images in person and I’m super impatient for my clients to see them too! I’m going to be packaging orders and assembling albums this week. If you’re waiting for your order, I will be contacting local customers for pick-up, and shipping the out of town orders, hopefully by the end of this week.

* I’m super excited to have my online shopping cart all set up (notice the link up above called Client Login). I will now be offering this as the primary method for client orders, but am also happy to provide an in-person ordering session if you prefer. I have a few other changes that will be coming to this site over the next few months, and I can’t wait! I’ll be sure to post when things are up and running.

* As my due date approaches (mid October, although based on the early arrivals of my first two, I think baby could make his/her arrival sometime in the first part of October), I am busily trying to wrap things up. For any outstanding portrait orders (does not apply to my wedding clients), please submit them as soon as possible so I can send on to my lab and get your portraits to you prior to baby’s arrival. Deadline for orders is September 12th.

* And speaking of baby, I am hoping to take a few months off to settle into life with three kids. I am currently completely booked and will not be accepting anymore sessions until 2009. As it stands right now, I anticipate that I will start accepting bookings again in January. If you want to be put on the wait list for sessions in the early part of 2009, please pop me an email.

* Please note that there will be some changes to my portrait pricing structure…nothing too drastic, but the new pricing will apply to all new sessions booked. I’ve also finalized my 2009 wedding pricing, so if you are getting married in June-December of 2009, please contact me so I can provide that information.

I think that about covers it! If you have any questions on the above (or anything else for that matter) please send me an e-mail at info@rachelludwigphotography.com.

By Rachel | Posted in RLP | Tagged abbotsford portrait and wedding photographer | no comments No Comments | Add a Comment

Darlene & Larry Part 2

August 12, 2008

I promised another sneak peek for Dar & Larry, and I wanted to share some more favorites…so here are a few more from their engagement session at Crescent Beach. The evening is such a great time to do pictures, as the sun is setting you get the most beautiful golden glow.

Dar, I’ll be in touch in the next few days with your slideshow.

Another ice-cream shot….

Apparently I was really into foot shots on this shoot

I love the natural texture the driftwood gives this shot:

By Rachel | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Abbotsford Wedding and Engagement Photographer, Cresecent Beach, White Rock | 2 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Mikayla

August 12, 2008

I headed out to North Vancouver a few weeks ago for a newborn session for Mikayla…you may remember her mom Delores’s maternity session. This little baby has got to be one of the most beautiful little babies ever, not to mention that she was so good during the photo session too. I was almost going to try slip her into my camera bag when I went home, but I think that Delores and Ken might’ve noticed. LOL. It sure does make me antsy for my own baby’s arrival in less than two months (now I am just hoping that I have a baby who is as well behaved!).

I know Delores is anxiously waiting to see these, so here are a few favorites from their newborn session.

I think I did a little squeal when I saw the fabulous bedding Delores had on their bed, so perfect for a backdrop.

Sigh. Isn’t she gorgeous? I love all the hair. And those polka dots are positively yummy!

Almost a smile

I adore little footsies…

Such a beautiful family!

And when I heard Delores had made this blanket, I knew we had had to use it! The colors and patterns were perfect.

She slept almost the entire time…such a good little girl:

I think this is my favorite family picture…I just love how proud Ken looks, and seeing a happy mama totally melts me

By Rachel | Posted in Newborn | Tagged Abbotsford Baby Photography, Newborn | 2 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Darlene & Larry

August 1, 2008

A very quick sneak peek for Darlene & Larry before I head out galavanting for the long weekend. We met up for their engagement session last week in Crescent Beach. I love the area there, and there were so many great shooting locations! We met up mid-evening so we had some lovely sunset light to work with…hmmm, I love the gorgeous warm glow it gives the images.

Darlene and I went to school together for a good portion of our school years, and it’s so neat to see her happy and in love with a wonderful guy! I can’t wait to shoot their wedding in September (at 8 1/2 months pregnant!).

Here’s just a few from the shoot, I hope to have some more to share next week:

I love capturing shots like this…just so real.

There’s this great ice-cream shop there that my kids insist on going to every time we visit the beach…I managed to persuade these two to get a cone as well. Dar put the pressure on Larry by asking him to pick out a flavor for her…I think he got the right one!

A little bit of steaminess:

And one of my favorites…this was just as the sun was setting. I added a bit of vintage lovin’ to the image:

By Rachel | Posted in Engagement | Tagged Crescent Beach Engagement Session | 3 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Delores

July 24, 2008

Delores and Ken came out from North Vancouver for a maternity session at my home, and I’m so glad we scheduled it when we did. I went on holidays the day after their session, and just a few days after I returned she emailed me that her water had broken! I can’t wait to hear the exciting news and meet their little one for a newborn session.

Delores mentioned that they loved B&W photography, and they wanted lots of belly/studio type shots, of course I was happy to oblige. But I did sneak in some color and we also headed outdoors to grab some shots at the end of the session. These two were total troopers, especially considering that Delores was just a few weeks away from her due date and it was super duper hot that day. Thanks for a great session you two!

Here are a few favorites from their session:

See the cute pink toenails peeking out?

I think Delores may be my most favorite client. I’ve had the vision for ages to a do a bathtub maternity shoot, and she was totally game! My bathroom works well because of all the white tile that reflects light beautifully. I applied a little vintage to this one. Isn’t she beautiful?!:

Those toes again!

Isn’t this shirt just adorable?

We’ve had this lovely pile of rocks covered in weeds for a few years in our backyard, and I’ve been wanting to do a shoot with a baby here for a very long time, and it’s just never happened. So I was pretty excited to drag them outside to take advantage of the gorgeous light and beautiful weeds. And it’s a good thing too, as of this week the pile is gone!

One of my favorites…beautiful light, beautiful couple.

By Rachel | Posted in Maternity | Tagged Abbotsford Maternity Photography | 2 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Welcome!

July 11, 2008

After a month or two of hard work and a lot of help from my friends, this blog and my new logo are finally here, and I’m rather giddy about it all. I’m super excited to have an updated look and feel that more closely represents what my photography style has evolved into. In the next few months this site will also become my main site and will replace my current website. Keep your eyes peeled for changes! I’m looking forward to having everything together in one location.

Please bookmark this site as my Typepad blog will no longer be updated.

Feel free to leave a comment with feedback on my new blog and logo or just to say hi. So glad you stopped by!

*** I will be out of town from July 12-19th with limited access to email. Thank you to my clients for their patience as I’ve had a super crazy week while battling a nasty and painful sinus infection. I can’t wait to come back recharged and ready to get all caught up again!

By Rachel | Posted in RLP | 11 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Tricia & Bryan Part Two

July 10, 2008

As the last sneak peek was just a mini one, I thought I’d share a few more from Tricia and Bryan’s e-session. We headed out to one of my favorite freeway underpasses where they have this fabulous graffiti, and I was surprised to see that several homeless people had moved in with their tents since I’d last been there. Along with these people came all their possessions and lots of garbage…but we were still able to get some amazing shots despite the mess. And along with the new residents came some great new graffiti, so that was an unexpected bonus.

Tricia and Bryan like tattoos and rock ‘n roll, and we were looking for a bit of a location that represented that. This location was perfect for what they wanted, and I love how the images turned out, I hope they do too! I can’t wait to shoot their wedding at Harrison Hot Springs in August…I know it’s going to be fabulous!

Here’s a few more favorites. Isn’t the graffiti fabulous?: