Summer Fun {chilko lake}

we've been planning this weekend for over a year...august long...Chilko lake.
Ahhh so worth it!~ it was fun to get out and hike, fish and hang out by the fire. A weekend with great friends and sunshine what could be better. The mom's set out to do a little hike to the top...an amazing hike. A good grind on the way up...but exhausting on the way down. Tulin Mountain. A six hour hike to an amazing view. A pristine area to check out if your ever in the area.

{styled session} Makenna is 9

My darling Makenna (AKA Doodle) loves loves to read. She is always sneaking at night to read, bring a book in the car, and getting up early to read. She devours books. We keep stocked up by purchasing in bulk from our local Sally Ann and loading her kobo with her newest favourites. Its so great that she is reading all my favourites from when I was that age....(she even was reading during this session...her sister thought she was faking it. But she grinned and said no she read a few pages!)

I'm so excited that she loves to read it makes learning so much easier if reading is pleasurable to you. And I'm so jealous that she has so much time for reading.

We chatted about what to do for her yearly birthday session. She loved this idea of a field, books and lovely pink things. I'm so in love with these images...I love to see this girl smile...Her eyes light up!~

Can you believe our girl is 9!? She is such a lovely daughter and a great big sister. She was so excited to share these photos with everyone!~I'm so pleased she is proud of them. She is so full of kindness and beauty!

Happy 9th Birthday my girl!~ I hope you have a great year full of great new books! xo Momma

stay tuned...Miss C has plans for her birthday session...not too sure how we're going to pull it off. But we'll roll with it!~
ps: I'm so far on blogging these days...But the sun is shining and summer is short here!~ and my trio is growing too fast...So I'm opting to spend the time outdoors with them creating our memories. I'll catch up when it gets too cold outside for me. Until then I'll keep snapping and save the images to share with you soon.

{maternity} Bronwyn

she is such a lovely to photograph...We are so blessed to have this lovely lady in our lives with an added bonus she is expecting our nephew:) During our last visit we squeezed in a quick maternity session during a gorgeous evening. Here is a quick snippet of my fav's...
...we're waiting for the middle of the night phone call!
xoxo

{e-session} J&B

only for these two would I take myself into the "rattlesnake" infested hills of Arizona during the hot season to capture these shots. At one point I forgot about the snakes and scorpions and even lied down on the ground....I get the jeebies just thinking of it...from the scorpions to the snakes homes~ your both worth it.

The best part....is this session was published on a wedding blog!!!! Yay! first time I've been published...so excited that it was with these two. Check out the link by CLICKING HERE.

thanks for sharing your lovely smiles and time with us. We are all thrilled to have you in our lives.
Check out their lovely e-session shots....we will still be doing an urban shoot...but these were too cool to miss.  wishing you a lovely lifetime together ( close to us I hope) xo tam

{Graduation} Lovely Miss A

this session was re-booked due to wet weather...so glad we waited for a lovely evening. Ashley has supermodel in her...she rocked her session! It is soooo fun to shoot a session for someone who just lights up before my camera.

Congratulations on your graduation...wishing you amazing adventures as you head out into the big world!

soooo many lovely shots...I just couldn't shoot which to share...so you get a bunch of this lovely lady in pink.


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{Family} Thompson session

A lovely evening to spend with a fun family of five....with three sweet daughters!~ we were cut short by a windy rain storm that ended as quick as it arrived. But we were able to capture some shots of the entire  family in the meantime. thanks Thompson family!~

Part 2 {C&B Wedding} Mexico!

Part 2: of this amazing wedding. Like I said before...all brides should have a two part wedding. Its a great experience for your photographer:) This time it was Mexico...Playa de Carmen. At a quaint resort just outside of the village of Playa. Situated on the lovely seaside of turquoise blue water....ahhh! Bliss.
An amazing venue for a destination wedding....and oh so easy the resort takes care of everything.

the men being men...with tequila shooters to bring on the festivities...I loved the flower leis in orange that Cody wore. A great way to share your day but with your lifelong friendships...

the beach front ceremony....with the blessing sun shining down on them. Bronwyn made a stunning bride once again...being escorted in by her lovely Momma.

friends and family from far and wide came to join in the fun....South Africa, Australia, Vancouver, Calgary, Vernon, Fort St John, Williams Lake

You don't marry someone you can live with - you marry the person who you cannot live without
~ Author Unknown ~

the lovely venue for the wedding reception...along with lovely treats from South Africa!

Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Watson....here to a lifetime of happiness and a home full of laughter!:)

Part 1 {C&B Wedding}

 ohhh! I love Weddings...especially when its a wedding between two amazing people!
 Check out Part 1:





To start I think every bride should have two weddings....Cody and Bronwyn's first wedding was the
legal pre-wedding before the mexican version.

 It was unique and lovely ceremony in the church that Cody grew up at. The couple was surrounded by the love of their Canadian family and with the brides family via technology with her sister in Australia and her mom in South Africa.

It was then followed up with a lovely tea and cake at their home. It was a great way to spend a sunday afternoon.

Congratulations...stay tuned for Part 2: Mexican fun

{summer lovin'}

I'm counting down the days until summer holidays with my crew. I love SUMMER! I think the best part is having my crew home all summer and able to work on our bucket list. Check out the The Summer Bucket List Challenge if you need help with some great ideas. We do one each year and we each add our own items on the list to do together.  Here's hoping its a hot and sunny summer so we can get outside lots:)

{spring}

finally this weekend....it felt like SPRING! trees are blooming, mowed the grass, sun was warm....oh we love warm weather. Spent the weekend outdoors. A day at the lake with boat rides, tube rides, and soaking in the sunshine. Then a day at home doing yard work and playing outside. I was so busy I didn't snap a picture...decided to grab a few on this beautiful monday morning before the girls left on the bus. I had bought this sweet little spring sign while in arizona and thought we'd use it in march...whom am I kidding...Williams lake spring took a while to appear!:) Glad it decided to arrive.
Enjoy your sunny week!:)

{celebrate} Miss C is 7

Bonne fete a toi
Bonne fete a toi,
Bonne fete a Carrigan
bonne fete a toi!

The sweet group of girls from school and lifetime friends!:) Thanks all for coming out to make Carrigan's party so fun!

 she is a girl after my own heart...above is her planning sheet for her party...she wasn't going to let me off easy this year. Kent said I've done it to myself by setting the bar high for parties. We celebrated her birthday day in between school, soccer and brownies with a family dinner out at BP's. This wasn't enough for my lovely lady. She wanted a party. Actually she wanted a sleepover with a few friends and a party. She had to choose just one. She chose a party. Barbie themed!
It turned out to be a lovely lovely warm sunny spring weekend. So we set up the party outdoors. It was great. Mani/pedi's in the sunshine. Fun with friends on our new trampoline.

Grady was quite concerned that boys weren't invited since she only had girls from her class. He asked Carrigan " are boys like me invited?" Of course she said. He wouldn't wear the outfit Carrigan chose for him...he preferred jeans and his surf shirt...a girl can try.
Boy oh boy I haven't blogged for a while....we must be busy!:) enjoying all the little moments these days along with some big projects, trips, weddings etc. I will catch up here soon. xo tam

FREE session {love session}

FREE....call it what you want...I call it a test-run for your special day. I want you to have the best possible photos for your special day. This will help set your mind at ease that you have made an educated decision in the process. Plus its just plain fun to get in front on the camera and capture some memories...and if your fiance is like my hubby...he needs a little nudging for the process:)

Graduation Session {2012}

'tis the time of year to start thinking about Graduation sessions...each Grad is unique in their style and attitude. Why not let that shine through in a custom session with myself...we will work together to customize a session to suit your personality. This is not your usual cap and gown shoot.... call or email me today to book in for limited dates for your session.
recommendations: I do recommend different locations, wardrobe changes and pro hair style and makeup for session to customize your rockstar/supermodel session!:)

Jasmine Star {Phoenix} theFix

While away in Arizona I was fortunate to be able to attend a couple of different workshops/venues related to my photography business. I hooked up tickets to theFIX with Jasmine Star way back  when they came on sale. I had heard great things about her day long workshops and was sure the evening marketing venue would be grand. Who is Jasmine Star? She is a wedding photographer extraordinaire that has taken herself to amazing places in just a short 6 year career. She is amazing at marketing herself in todays world of ever-changing photography world. theFIX is a speaking tour she is doing while busing around the USA...Phoenix was her first stop.

First of all; Venue. Located in Scotsdale AZ. The Clayton on the Park. Great location, amazing drinks...its was a great vibe to walk into this amazing room with other fellow photogs. I secretly admired all the amazing purse style camera bags:) this girl loves purses...and combine with a multipurpose camera bag = love!
Speaking: Jasmine is a confident warm speaker who speaks from her heart and is happy to share her vibe with fellow photographers. She wasn't selling anything...which is unusual in todays' photo world. She was just there to express the need for us to come together and re-invent this industry to a great standard.
The scoop that I got from Jasmine 1)make friends/connect with others in the industry 2)list your goals...to keep you pointed in the right direction 3) play to your strengths; outsource what your not good at! And develop your strengths and loves! 4) break the mold; your the artist so be true to your creative heart  5) Last but not least; WE ALL STRUGGLE. Embrace it. If there's no Struggle. there's no Change...and change for the better is a good thing. (this was all listed on a thanks for coming email from Jasmine...how sweet) Check out pics from theFIX...even one with me beside the lovely Danielle in the green shirt CLICK HERE
Well I did meet two very lovely ladies from Arizona area...Danielle and Michelle. Thanks to Danielle for capturing a photo of Jasmine and I. If you scope out her blog you will see her post on Jasmine and the photos I captured of her and Jasmine.

some people brought iPad to capture photos...I thought that was a funny thing to haul around considering we're photogs!:)

we're home...hurry up spring

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.  ~Proverb

in some places spring just comes a little bit earlier....as we arrived home in Canada (ie. Williams Lake) to huge piles of snow and then a fresh dump the next morning. This is what we left behind. Arizona in its beautiful spring splendour. Oh how I love Spring and the new blossoms it brings. please send spring our way.
Just going through some of our Arizona pictures. I didn't take many! WHAT!!!! (Grady's new saying) yes I took a break from behind the camera and embraced the time with my family. It was a great holiday with many new things tried and goals set. The kids are rockin the pool! Wow I'm so impressed how far they have come. The last day we were comparing our tanlines...I think Grady has us all beat! He spend hours in the pool.
We look forward to when we get to go back to Arizona!~it feels like home to us. We also look forward to seeing all the family from USA again. We enjoyed meeting more extended cousins this trip. Also loved our tour guides(and cousins) Guy and Lyn and can't wait to get back to their pool for more vodka/tonics with Meyer fruit! YUM YUM my new fav!
We've hit the ground running...busy times with the next few weeks. Weddings, birthdays, and more trips. feeling very blessed to live our best life. oh yes training for the sun run...ughhh glad to hear I'm not the only one feeling unmotivated to get this done. 4 weeks to go from 5km to 10km...(in the snow:(...so I better sign out and get out for a run.

Meyer fruit. cross between orange and lemon...the best part of a vodka/tonic:)

fresh blooms in the Watson cousin's garden!

I love all the unique cactus from Arizona

another spring plant! this was outside Lyn and Guys house...loved it!

thanks to Auntie Anna for getting this p&s shot of me and Kent! This taken on one of our great nights out. At the San Tan Flats restaurant. An outdoor cowboy restaurant with open fires, dance floors, live music, bars, ribs and more. We'll be back for sure.
Thanks to my amazing husband of almost 12 years...wow~what a great trip...2012 is bringing amazing things for our family! Bring it on....

pure bliss...

do you ever need a break from work?...yes I did!~ this trip has been a great way to unwind, slow down, take care of us.

break from camera over...I love love to get out and just shoot. Looking forward to some upcoming workshops/seminars while I'm here to re-charge, re-focus my creativity into a great 2012.

Today my lovely kidlets, with a bribe of going to the farm, were my sweet little models. We loaded up the van and headed to the Schneff farms in Queens creek AZ, we love this amazing little place. Animals, trains, peach trees, gardens and more...and its free! We showered, blow dry, curled and basically just got ready to set out on our little adventure. Grady was thrilled to be heading to the farm. He loves this place. while here before I was eager to come back with camera and check out all the nooks and cranny's of places to take photos. They did amazing my little models. Best part for me it got me excited again to get back behind the camera and create some memories... (**my Carrigan doesn't need any bribes...she loves to be in front of the camera~she picked her outfit and did her own hair~love her stylish self)
and yes to see the peach trees in bloom...they will have peaches in may:) so jealous...I love arizona!
Happy Sunday to all!

Enter to win {spread the love...}

{click on link below to head over to facebook fan page for Tammy Watson Photography} 

Contest will run February 14th to March 17th (Happy Birthday to me and a Green St Patty's day!

{Arizona} family adventures

for the past two years we have taken up spending an extended vacation in ARizona. We love love the warm sunny days here!~ our spring/summer and fall is always very busy for us. With my hubby and I being self-employed winter is our slower time. Our balance in our life is to escape for some quality family time. We are the type of personality that we need to leave our house to have a break. We still find ourselves working while here but on a much lesser level. Its great to be able to catch up with each other and play with our kids. 

Last year we worked on tennis...this year we've added swimming. We have a house with our own pool. Its been amazing. My children are progressing farther than they ever would with lessons. 

We even added a little trip to disneyland. We were joined their by Grandpa and Nana. We loved our day at Disneyland. We rocked it for over 10hours with no meltdowns. Then we brought back G&N to our "holiday house" in AZ. We loved having them here with us and sad to see them leave. We still have 3 more weeks of our time here. Looking forward to some more great days by the pool, tennis court and just hanging out. 

We've taken in a phoenix coyotes/calgary hockey game, road trips to Disneyland, checked out Palm Springs, Mesa flea market, Apache trail, Ostrich farm, schneff farms, eaten many amazing mexican meals,  and many more amazing sights.

This trip so far I've taken a break from hauling around my DSLR camera around...and chosen my iPhone and p&shoot camera to enjoy the time with my family and not worry about spending time behind the camera as much. I great way to recharge.

Enjoy the photos.

Anyone going to disneyland...stay tuned for tips from the Watson's to make it an amazing trip. things we learned.

enjoy your day...smiles, Tammy

ps as I work on this...Kent is helping the girls with their math homework. Love listening to them learn something new. last week was our week off of school this week they are back at their homework...then off for tennis:)

Tea post

at the wedding expo...I had many of you ask where I found the muslin tea bags. I searched high and low to find a economical place to purchase these. CLICK HERE for link to bags and also to a great site for tea. The tea favour I was handing out included a mixture of Green Tea and Chai Tea. Mmmmm my favourites combines to make a warm and tasty treat. To stamp on the bags I used Staz-on ink which can be purchased at most craft stores. If looking for this as a wedding favour why not search around etsy and get a custom stamp designed for your day. Go to etsy and type in the search custom wedding stamps...loads of amazing ideas.

below is my crew who love to craft with me...stamping bags. It was a time consuming activity to stamp and then fill.