It's been a long time!

June 21. The longest day of the year. By 4:00 a.m., there's already light on the horizon.

It also marks another milestone: six years since our last post. It's the longest we've gone without a blog post...ever!

I decided it was finally time to bring the blog back—but more on that in a moment.

First, can we talk about the fact that Covid was six years ago? Somehow it feels like both yesterday and a lifetime ago. While I certainly don't miss the challenges that came with those years, I do frequently miss the wonderfully empty roads and lack of traffic.

A lot has changed since then.

My own children have gone from preschool to elementary school, and one is finished with elementary school as well. The days of preschool playdates have somehow become conversations about teenagers and high school. As every parent knows, it happens in the blink of an eye.

Our business has changed just as dramatically. Back in 2020, we were still balancing school photography with family sessions. Since then, the school photography side of the business has grown tremendously. And when I say tremendously, I mean it.

Since 2020, our school photography services have grown more than fourfold. Today, we're proud to work with well over 100 schools across British Columbia and photograph approximately 6,000 children each year.

Along the way, our team has grown too. I now have the privilege of working alongside two customer service specialists and four truly incredible photographers. Together we serve communities throughout the Lower Mainland, the Fraser Valley, the Sea-to-Sky Corridor, and Vancouver Island.

It's been an amazing journey, and one that I'm grateful for every single day.

As our business has evolved, so has our approach to sharing images online. In our early years, we occasionally shared photos of children with written parental consent. However, as AI technology has become more prevalent, we made the decision in 2024 to stop posting new images altogether.

The final new images shared on our website and social media—with family permission—were from the 2023–2024 school year. This change reflects our ongoing commitment to protecting children's images and respecting family privacy. All of the images on our website are from the earlier years of our business.

As a children's photographer, choosing not to share images online certainly creates a unique marketing challenge. Thankfully, most of our new clients find us through referrals nowadays...but there are still so many stories to tell and experiences to share.

Enter this blog.

Ten years ago, in the summer of 2016, this little photography business was just getting started. I was a new photographer with a camera, plenty of enthusiasm, and a desire to share my love of photography with others. This blog reflected exactly that. It was filled with snapshots of my own children as I experimented with lighting and camera settings, and eventually grew to include behind-the-scenes moments from the studio: family sessions, newborn photography, cake smashes, and more.

This week, I spent some time revisiting those old posts. More than once, I found myself tearing up at the memories. Photography has a wonderful way of freezing moments that otherwise seem to disappear in the blink of an eye.

Some of those early posts will remain here, including my very first mention of school photography services back in 2017. That means that 2026 marks my tenth year photographing schools—a milestone that's hard to believe! So much has changed over the past decade, including my own photography style. Yet what strikes me most is realizing that some of the children I photographed in those early years are now heading off to high school. How did that happen so quickly?

With this 2026 blog refresh, I'm changing things up a little. As a self-proclaimed honorary Luddite who frequently forgets that social media exists, I've decided this blog will become my home base instead. Here you'll find business updates, new client feedback, helpful information, behind-the-scenes stories, and the occasional collection of random thoughts that life delivers.

And because I'm still a photographer at heart, you'll also find snapshots of nature, interesting moments, and the little things that catch my eye along the way.

And yes—there will be cats. Lots and lots of cats.

After all, my family has played a huge role in this business, and that includes the feline members. They have joined studio sessions, offered their "help" by sitting on my keyboard while I edit, and provided endless cuddles during long workdays. They may not appear on the payroll, but they have certainly earned honorary employee status.

It's the people, pets, and behind-the-scenes moments that have shaped this business into what it is today.

Thank you for joining us on this journey.

And now, without further delay, here's some recent feedback from a school director who hired us for the very first time this year:

June 2026:

Good evening Kirsten,

The children’s photos are absolutely adorable! The entire ordering process is incredibly smooth and user-friendly, and the galleries exceeded my expectations.

Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness. I am truly grateful for your gift and for all the care and effort you put into photographing our school community. It means a great deal to me and my family.

I’m also happy to share that I have received a lot of very positive feedback from our families today. Parents have been telling us how much they love the photos.

Because everything has gone so well, I would love to reserve a date with you for next year’s school photos as well! Please let me know when your schedule opens up, as we would be delighted to work with you again.

Thank you again, and I hope you have a peaceful evening.

-W (Coquitlam, 2026)