All available sessions during the January 30th Frosty Fotos event have been booked. However, there is still limited space available on February 6, 2010.
Engagement Photography, Family and Couples portrait photography sessions available at this event!
Please contact amydonovan@shaw.ca or 780.271.7082
I look forward to seeing you at the park!
I always loved my Grandmother Maloney dearly. That hasn’t changed a bit, even though she has passed away. However, when I was a kid, love her as I might, I didn’t like to visit. You see, she was an amazing cook, who always wanted to feed you. She was unbelievably funny, bursting into song and dance in front of the washing machine just to mix it up a little. In fact, I remember right up to the end, even with her mind ravaged by dementia, she would grab me and try to give me a twirl around the kitchen. She was always way more fun than me. But for all of her great points, there was one major flaw. She didn’t have cable television. I certainly don’t think she knew that I didn’t like to visit for that reason, because I would always play cards and read back issues of Readers Digest, even if it was way before my time. I still can’t hear the word cougar without thinking of one of those stories every single month where people who just couldn’t help themselves were in the backwoods of British Columbia alone. Those fools always had some heroic story of how they were forced to fend off a cougar, a grizzly bear and a pack of rabid pit bulls using nothing more than an empty pop can, some chewing gum and a hiking boot. But I digress. The cable television was a sticking point for me. Back then, CBC didn’t have much going for it besides Hockey Night in Canada and the Raccoons. If you weren’t a Don Cherry or Cyril Sneer fan, you were hooped. No matter how hard those rabbit ears tried, you were stuck with CBC as your only option. Things have changed though. It’s amazing. I think it started a nice while ago and snuck up on me. Ever a fan of good fun making, This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Royal Canadian Air Farce came along. That made me grin for a bit, but really, pickin’s were still pretty slim. Then one day, while I was home alone and couldn’t find the remote I heard the familiar music of Coronation Street streaming in my ears. Who doesn’t know that familiar tune? Chances are good you heard it at your Grandmother’s house first. That’s where I heard it. As an adult I began to develop a soft spot for the patrons of the Rover’s Return. After all, these characters were all quite common, and I could identify with them. I might also mention that there were no devils, ghosts or fancy gowns like the daytime soaps. Then Heartland appeared out of nowhere. I regret missing the first season and now having to try to play catch up. The light is always beautiful and though I am not a horse fan, I can assure you, it makes me wish I was living on a ranch on those days when the kids are in my face more than I enjoy. Imagine my surprise last year when I was visiting my parents and fell in love the Dragons Den. I am sure I am not the only person who finds Kevin O’Leary to be an ass but thinks that Arlene Dickenson is awesome. Oh and Brett Wilson? Love! Even with this season’s hairdo. I was doing pretty well with my CBC viewing and then it happened- While I was in St. John’s on vacation. Well, you couldn’t go anywhere without seeing parking lots full of production trucks. I had never seen a craft service truck anywhere on the Avalon before. I was pretty darn sure something big was happening. But no one I knew could tell me what was going on. All I kept hearing was “I s’pose they’re making a movie or something.” Well, what they were making was something else all together! Wednesday night is now Doyle night at my house. There is no XBOX or Sports Net or talking. It’s only been 4 weeks, but I am not sure what I did on Wednesday’s before my main man started solving crimes in the big city of St. John’s. Not to mention that not unattractive son of his… I actually am in awe of how good the show is. The actors play real characters, because most of the crowd from home are just that- real characters. The accents are authentic. The expressions are things we all say, even though we wouldn’t admit it or include it in a dissertation. The storylines may seem farfetched, but really Newfoundland, just like any other city has its share of ‘arseholes’. Not a single thing that’s happened so far, is anything that might not have happened at one time or another, nor is it something that might not ever happen. Some episodes, like last night’s, seem to be pretty close to a truth, depending on whose truth you believe. But it’s not just the cases making the show real. Who doesn’t admire that Rose can out and out say that she isn’t interested in playing Mommy to her boyfriend’s teenaged granddaughter? No Cosby Show sickeningly sweet parenting going on there. I am just not sure what to make of Jakes relationship with his ex wife. I find it a whole lot of aggravating that he doesn’t recognise that she has about 80 layers of crazy piled on that little body of hers. He also clearly hasn’t noticed those awful bangs. But really, isn’t that how real life works? So all things considered, hyper critical me has no complaints. Considering I had my suspicions that this show was going to be just another Canadian production that gets taken off the air after we have all had a chance to grumble about how bad Canadian productions always are; I am incredibly impressed. I had initially thought I would tune in to see the scenery, just because it was made back home. But instead my PVR is set to record the series and I have my chips and Pepsi ready long before the show is due to start. The best part of all of it though, is that for a good hour every Wednesday, my accent comes back again, thicker than ever. And I couldn’t be more proud.
I have always said that it was my job in life to be pretty and not smart. Really, I don’t believe I am much of either. A little round around the edges and more witty than book smart, but all in all, I don’t think I am terrible to hang out with. However, there are days like today, when I am neither. When I woke up this morning, it was because Jamie was standing over me, already dressed for work. I was supposed to be driving him downtown because he had meetings and I was supposed to be taking Bridget to Millennium Place in Sherwood Park so Bridget could meet some new friends. Well, if you only give someone 15 minutes notice that it’s time to go out the door, there is an excellent chance that someone is going to face the day in a headband with hair that could really do with a pull through with the flat iron. Of course, getting me into jeans and a sweater (and the classy headband) isn’t nearly as challenging as waking an almost 2 year old, who was up doing callisthenics while watching the Biggest Loser until 11pm. There are few situations in life when I would rather try to wrestle a steak from a mountain lion, but really, it would have been much more fun than what I faced this morning. She woke yelling, like a teenager being roused to do chores on the first day of a really long grounding. That was just half the battle. I still had to change her diaper, change her clothes, wash her face, brush her hair and teeth and then wrestle her into a snowsuit, boots and hat. Of course, the screaming during the dressing process was mild. Someone was even less impressed with having to get into the car seat, even with the promise of an ‘egg-el’ at Tim Horton’s for breakfast. Finally out the door, sitting in the car, I have a chance to acknowledge Daniel. He has 4 minutes before the bell rings at school. We live 3 minutes away from the school. Today might work out after all. “Morning Buddy,” I yawn, realizing I didn’t take time to stretch or wash my face. “Morning,” he replies. “Buddy, don’t forget to get a new library book today for home reading, and come straight home after patrolling. Yes, my little hockey star is a crossing guard at school, I couldn’t be more proud. “Sure,” he replies. We pull out of the driveway and are driving down the street, towards his school. Then he does it. He hasn’t done it since the gingerbread house incident where he had to make the gingerbread house out of whole wheat crackers, due to lack of notice, which you will find in an earlier blog post. “Hey Amy, I need $7 to pay for my overdue library books or I am not allowed in the library at school today.” It’s a good thing for him I was still groggy. The drive downtown was uneventful, aside from a few closed roads for snow clearing, which was just as well. In fact, I might have slept through it, because I don’t remember it at all, and it was only 3 hours ago. It’s a good thing Jamie was driving is all I can say. I didn’t have an uneventful ride for long because, the fun started again when I got into the driver’s seat and Jamie tried to kiss Bridget goodbye. Little Linda Blair lost it. There were tears, and screaming and yelling and kicking. Then, just in case I hadn’t witnessed the meltdown, Jamie felt compelled to inform me, “You’re in for a long day with this one- she is in a bad mood.” Thanks for that. Desperate for a cup of coffee, I head to the nearest Tim Horton’s. It’s the one by my house. If you live near me, you will know exactly who I am talking about when I tell you the guy who reminds me of a character from an unpublished Dr. Seuss book greeted me with his insanely fake happy voice over the speaker. I order up a bacon breakfast sandwich, a bagel for Bridget and a large Double Double. Surely, things will improve from here on in. Bridget, now distracted by hearing the word bagel was finally quiet. Thank God for small favours I figure. Then the voice booms back at me. “Would you like to have a Canada Donut?” Dr. Seuss hollers at me through the speaker. I can hear his fake smile. This guy is so irritating he confuses my senses and causes my ears to see things. No, I don’t, I just told you what I want. Stop with the fake enthusiasm, I want to say. It’s been a long morning and it’s only 9:30am. Normally, I am very patient. But this guy just gets my goat. “No thanks.” I say, in my fakest nice voice. Then I look at the sign above the menu. Sure enough, there they are, Canada Donuts. With little red maple leafs, just like the flags. Morons, it’s still freakin’ January. Not anywhere close to Canada Day. I pull up to the window and sure enough, he is skipping around in there, like a 7 foot leprechaun. “Here’s your coffee,” he says, accompanied by a fake giggle. Like he knows I am having a morning. Because, we all know that fake Dr. Seuss Leprechauns surely to God don’t need coffee to get them into their mental state. They need something much stronger. I am still waiting on a breakfast sandwich and a bagel. “You know,” I say, as though someone asked my opinion, “It’s not even close to the first of July.” “No, it’s not. It’s January 27th“, he says, with an air of superiority. As though with a headband on and sleep crusted in the corners of my eyes, I might not know what the date is. Well that just set me off. “Well why on earth are you selling Canada Donuts, when it’s not even close to Canada Day???” I say, in the tone I reserve for Daniel when he forgets to mention that he needs $7 for overdue library books when I have no cash on me and he is running perilously close to missing the school bell, but refrained from using an hour earlier when I could have. “To support the Olympics,” he says, with a smirk. I don’t like being outsmarted, especially by oversized Dr. Seuss Leprechauns. You can imagine that my morning had taken a turn for the worst. I didn’t think it had any turning left to do, but alas, it had. Once I had my breakfast securely in the car, I hauled out of there like a lady in a mission. It was time to forget about him and get on with my day. I needed to go to Rundle Park to make sure the trails were cleared for this Sunday’s Frosty Fotos mini portrait sessions. I am happy to report that the trails are cleared and the light was amazing. I wished that I had brought my camera with me and I had a more reasonable child to photograph. There was no way with her bad attitude and mine this morning that I was even going to attempt to get her out of the car seat and take her photos, even if I did have a camera with me. Driving out of the park I mentally compiled a list of what I need to accomplish today. It’s a long list so I was trying to put things in the order in which they made the most sense. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I see them, in the distance- A mama bear and her cub. Well I almost went off the road with excitement. I have only seen a bear once in my whole life and seeing them is a big fascination for me. I pull over to the side of the road, and turn on my emergency flashers. I berate myself for being the only photographer in the world dumb enough not to take a camera to the location where she will be shooting on the weekend. Of course I would see a mama bear and a baby when I am without a camera-just like when I saw a deer at arm’s reach in Hermitage Park. I wrestle around, looking for my Iphone. At least I could snap a picture with that, though the quality would surely disappoint me. It’s in the bottom of my purse. The bears are still walking towards me. I can’t even believe my luck. I rummage around in my bag; hopeful they won’t get scared and run off while I am looking in my bag like a fool. Finally, I find it. Daniel had rearranged my Apps again. Where the hell is the camera button? Got it! I press the button to roll the window down all the way while I enable the camera and then hold it up to click the photo. Then I hear it. I hear the mama bear roar, “Can I help you,” in an angry people voice. You see, in all of my haste, I failed to realize that Mama Bear was actually an extremely tall dark haired woman in a really ugly fur coat. And the Baby Bear? You guessed it-an incredibly portly Rottweiler.
It was freezing this weekend when Angela and I headed out with her beautiful daughters for their family portraits. Of course, it was so cold that this particular Edmonton Family Portrait session ended up inside.
Poppy was thrilled when we arrived at the ‘Jungle’. The rest of us call it the Citadel Theatre, in Downtown Edmonton. Sometimes, the best photos come when no one is looking-literally. I love this shot of them just being girls.
Poppy and Tehya are super close. It’s actually really ironic because they have the exact same age difference as Daniel and Bridget- who are also super close. I guess sibling rivalry doesn’t apply when theres a big age difference! I love this shot of the two of them hanging together on the stairs of the LRT station.
And because being a model is such hard work, poor Poppy just couldn’t handle another minute….
I almost blogged this before I had anything else ready to go. I love this shot of the three of them. Though they might get a ticket in the mail for not obeying traffic laws, I really think this shot of them walking downtown in the snow is beautiful!
We all know it’s not so nice outside during the winter, but it’s been super lately. The frost on the trees has been amazing and it’s making my camera ache to get outside. So in honor of Old Man Winter being reasonable for a change, I am having a mini portrait marathon! That’s the why of it, so here’s the rest!
What? Amazing portraits in a 20 minute mini session. Everyone gets 10 fully edited
high resolution digital files that they can print and share to their hearts content!
Where? Edmonton’s beautuiful Rundle Park!
When? Sunday, January 31, 2010 and Saturday, February 6, 2010.
How? Email Amy at amydonovan@shaw.ca to book a time slot. There are both morning and afternoon spaces currently available, though at this price they won’t last long!
Sessions are $100 each and include the session and 10 high resolution digital files. That is absolutely the lowest price you will pay for any Island in the Mist Photography portrait session this year.
