To Market, To Market... | Vancouver Wedding Photographer

Let me set the tone for you....


Bustling streets filled with people eagerly moving to and fro, searching for the perfect addition to their nightly meal. The sun shines bright against white tents, secretly covering their treasures within. Smells waft their way along the street, winding their way to my nose. Street lights are flashing, 100 year old trees gently blow in the breeze, cars gracefully drive by, searching for the best parking spot they can find. Fresh coffee lingers in the air. Strollers roam the pathways and toddling children trample the play ground in laughter. Each market booth promises more wonders and even better goods than the all the others. Peddlers entice passerby's in with samples of fresh pears and exotic goat cheese. Nursery's feature their best plants, promising to match anyone's price. Accordion music filters in and out of the crowd between activist and balloon animal artists. I'm instantly lost in the midst of market heaven....


Famers market. One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE places, EVER. And I mean ALL Farmers Markets. I've visited many throughout my years, from Southern California, to Kansas City, to Portland, to Washington, even in Paris. My love for travel and for capturing beauty runs rampant in these quintessential locations. Going to market is a fundamental human need, and we all eventually end up there to buy our groceries, or a gift for someone special. My biggest draw to these locations over others, is that the artisans are just that, artists. These artists might be farmers, weavers, painters, or bakers, but they are all artists. I am drawn to their love for their craft, just as I love my own artistic eye for the world. Being lucky enough to capture the beauty of others handiwork is just another example of why I love being a photographer. I am able to experience so much of the world, showcasing its beauty to share with others. 

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I love being a photographer, and am so thankful that I have been blessed with a life where I can truly do the work that I love. I strive to live a life for Christ in all  I do. Through His love and grace, I have been blessed with the amazing gift of having an artful eye and a love for photography. I'm blessed to be used for His work as He sees fit, whether it be through documenting an event, or donating my services to people and organizations who normally do without, to even loosing a son and sharing his story to touch the lives of countless strangers struggling through similar situations. Each day I strive to be His vessel, and that He might use me and my work to touch the lives of others for His good. 

Ephesians 4:11-13
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

What do you love? I challenge us all to really ponder what we love, and strive to meet goals that might seem unobtainable. We were meant to shine for Christ through the good works of our hands; through the very ways He has blessed us.


I recommend taking time each week for the things you love most. Nurturing our soul is the doorway to spiritual and mental growth. I hope this post inspires you to find those things that you love most, and to experience them. The simple pleasures in life are what makes true beauty, even as simple as a trip to your local farmers market can change your perspective from hopeless to hopeful. 


On days when I struggle (and yes I struggle.. a the FAB J-Star would say, "I am a hot mess) and am "in hate" with the world, I break out my camera, and shoot. I shoot nothing really... just normal stuff. From shoes, to backyard plants, to my crazy, adorable 3-year old, I just photograph daily life.  But in the midst of angrily pressing my shutter-release, something inside me "clicks" and beauty engulfs my mind once again. Even the seemingly mundane can change us... in a good way. 


Here are a few "shooting nothing" shots from the past month. I find it ironic that the images I love most are the ones that are unexpectedly brilliant and simple, and completely captured by "living" in the moment.


** a BIG thanks to my sisters, who are both gorgeous and featured in this post, as well as my best friend's adorable daughter, who has been blessed with out of this world incredible hair, and of course, thank you to the Vancouver Farmer's Market vendors for their dazzling displays, Living Hope Church for ROCKIN' it EVERY weekend, for autumn maple leaves, fountain rocks, sea birds, and cheap reed grass. Thank you to concrete wall pourers, my daughters love for "white" ice-cream (her words not mine), and for river shoreline a mere 10 mins from my house. I owe you all, as without your beauty, I would have NOTHING to capture "in the moment".


*a few details about these shots for my fellow photog friends... 
-None of these shots were planned. 
-All were taken "on the fly" and all were impromptu moments captured. 
-I bring my camera almost everywhere, the zoo, the market, on walks, and even quick trips to the store.
-All the images in this post were shot with my Nikon D80, my 50mm f/1.8 lens set between f/1.8 and f/2.8
**PS: MY FAVORITE LENS EVER