Creative Isle Graphic Design & Photography
48 Memorial Drive B2A3M1 North Sydney, NS, Canada

Art has a great impact on everyone, and it should be included everywhere! In an elementary school, it provides colour, whimsy, a bright addition to an otherwise dreary wall, a sense of belonging, team spirit, unity and so much more! We are so pleased that Bras d'Or Elementary commissioned us to create a school logo, and then also to paint it on one of their corridor walls! If your school, daycare, business, office could benefit from all the nice things a bright display can bring to your space, feel free to reach out and talk to Alex about making your ideas happen! He can't wait to get started on the next one.

You know it's true... Let's get those doggies in for some brand new portraits and fill your walls with furbaby!

Happy Chinese New Year! A client requested something festive for her children to celebrate, so I thought I would host a mini session for anyone wanting to celebrate the year of the Ox. In the studio now until February 13th. This set is small for children, but i will have a family option as well. Message us to book your spot! 4 digital images, $60

L-O-V-E Minis, $75 Valentine's Day minis will be here soon. This year it will be a 4-image session plus a digital print-ready collage of all four images spelling out the word Love. This time the images are being cropped to a 1:1 (square) format for that super satisfying grid layout. This one involves a prop, but it will be heavily cleaned between sessions along with the chair for maximum safety, and there will be hand sanitizer for everyone to use upon arrival. February 1st-14th, weekdays and evening spots available too. Images available via download link, usually the same day!

And so begins 2021 :( It came to a surprise to us at home yesterday to find out we were potentially exposed to covid in early January. So this morning I bundled up the whole family and off we went for testing. Which I must say wasn't that bad! We will have the results in a day or so, though we fully expect them to be negative. However, I will be keeping us all at home until after the incubation period because that is the best thing for everyone. But sadly that means my va...cation is now extended until the 18th. I will be messaging everyone that had sessions booked in these next few days to reschedule. Half of me is heartbroken because I was so looking forward to each of these sessions. And the other half of me thinks maybe the universe just knows that a few extra days with my family is a blessing that I plan to enjoy, even under the circumstances! I won't be in the studio at all (Calendar planning will get off to a late start but we can catch up!), and even my new backdrops that arrived yesterday will stay sealed in their packaging no matter how much I'm dying to rip them open to see how they look. It's important to note, the potential exposure occurred after we closed for the holidays and occurred outside of work, so the studio or my clients were never in any risk. By rescheduling our sessions and staying at home, we are ensuring it stays that way. We hope you understand. See more

Still on vacation, sort of, but too excited to get a jump on '21 to sit around the house all the time! Aside from packing away Christmas and getting out all the regular, year-round stuff again, I am looking into the calendar idea, as many people have either commented or messaged me expressing interest. I am thinking of doing the sessions each month on or after the 20th, as that is when most parents get a bit of baby bonus. There would be a princess theme and super hero theme ...each month. The monthly cost would depend on how many people commit, the more that sign up, the more affordable i can make these mini sessions! The sessions would be for one child only, and include three portraits each month, the custom set, and costume. In order to have the calendars printed and ready for Christmas Gift giving, we may have to do the November/December Shoots at the same time. One calendar will be included in the package, and you will have an opportunity to order additional calendars (because these will make perfect gifts at Christmas!) So, to allow me to go forward (or not) with the idea, I need a show of hands! Only reply if you are super interested, but if you are let me know if you would sign up for either princess or superhero, and what the clothing size would be (so i would know the number of costumes i would need to order every month. I would not order every size, but a large enough variety that we can make it work across every size). Comment below like this: princess, size 4 or superhero size 7-8.

It's '21! After all my plans for 2020 went awry, I was hesitant about making plans for this year at all, but this is business; it dies without plans. So while I am technically on vacation this next week, I am still busy putting together my plans and pricing for the year! We anticipate a record number of cake smashes this year. January already has several booked. We have new backgrounds on their way, and a few more in the shopping cart. We are looking into bunny costumes, in... case covid puts another damper on the mall bunny options. We are also wondering if there would be interest in signing up for monthly Princess/Superhero themed minis, with all 12 sessions being compiled into a beautiful calendar next December. I think I'd like to turn '21 into an amazing year, with every month of your little ones captured in fun, dress-up sessions. Comment below if you would find that exciting, still in the planning phases. And lastly, before I return to my vacation, thank you so much for all your support in the past year. It wasn't the year I wanted, but you made it work! We kept the bills paid and the roof over our head. I'm so excited to keep going and see what this new year brings. See more

I have to say, Santa this year has gone above and beyond to make sure he gets to bring as much holiday cheer as he can, and yes we all need it this year! He has volunteered his time and our studio to provide a free picture with Santa for a sensory friendly experience for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and/or sensory sensitivities. No line-ups, no music or crowd, no jolly "ho ho ho". Just calm quiet Santa. Follow the link below if you would like to sign up, there are still a few spots left. https://www.facebook.com/autismcapebreton/posts/5576953282315630?__cft__[0]=AZXeX-tuccmCg3sb6BEs2h9oC0bFJJTMPzXYrEeUZhO4Cwjbprdcby6pLBYtWaKRz1maCV1un8P3rsYNh5r9gmrU6x8fZkBbtdruRdRPkCYkrVVHN2Y2dUk9oLVRFiqpT5IcyJP0vBH3_gHtBOt-LKyXRe784iMfDEfrqT8EOWPQVw&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

Happy Holidays! Bit late, I know. It was a hectic season here. I dont think I had a day off from early November until December 22nd. So all my Christmas prep had to be done in those three days before Christmas. So I am only now getting to sit down and process and post. First of all, I can't thank you all enough for having kept me so busy! It was wonderful, especially after such a dismal year of ruined plans. I worked from the moment I woke up every day until I couldn't keep... my eyes open any more at night. And I already can't wait to do it all again next year :) Secondly, I want to give a heartfelt thank you to my Santa. He made every accommodation possible to come in when he could, as well as volunteering for the Snaps with Santa event for families with members that are autistic. We hope to be lucky enough to do that again next year. We are now closed and on vacation until January 8th. We hope that when we return in 2021 you will continue to be there for us and support our business, knowing that we appreciate it and value each and every one of you for letting us live out our dreams. Your bookings, even your comments/likes/shares all help keep food on our table and give us the freedom to always look for new ways to give back to our communities. Thank you, and may 2021 bring you all wonderful things.

All our Creative Isle 2020 Christmas Mini Backdrops, so you can plan your wardrobes or decide which ones you want to try (or try them all!) We are sold out, no new bookings in the studio now until 2021! But if you want to be added to our waitlist, message us and we will get back to you tomorrow.

Another lovely backdrop has finally arrived! And two announcements. 1: we are completely sold out. I have a handful of messages in my inbox and I am going to try to find room for them, but then that is it. And 2: Santa's big plan! Santa knows there are many, many children that won't get to see him this year the way they usually do. And while he wishes he could change that, he did come up with a brilliant plan. This year, on three evenings, he will be arriving at our studio ...to do a live video for all the boys and girls! They will be held Wednesday evenings on December 2nd, 9th and 16th from 6-7pm. We invite parents to share his video and then comment with their little ones' names and what they want for Christmas so that Santa can say hello to them personally and wish them a Merry Christmas. We hope that this makes up for the lack of parades and Santa at the mall. Now, I have never hosted a live video so I'm a bit nervous of such an undertaking, but Santa assures me that everything will go just fine! I am so excited!! See more

Busy weekend here! Gingerbread portraits, plus two adorable cake smash sessions. Plus working my magic on my holiday schedule to fit in just a few more Christmas sessions before calling this event Sold Out. By the time I finish catching up with my inbox and texts there won't be a spare spot left. Thank you to everyone that booked with us! We promise you won't be disappointed when you arrive at our new studio and see all of our amazing sets this year.

Still busy little bees behind the scenes getting everything ready for our Christmas minis, which have just about sold out. There's just a few spots left. I had the opportunity to speak with Santa recently, as he has a bit more free time than usual with all the parades and mall appearances being cancelled this year. He told me that he has a terrific idea of something fun he can do for the children of Cape Breton, but it is a secret! He will be making a trip from the North Pole to see me soon so that we can discuss it. I'm so excited to find out what his big idea could be!!

We've been a bit hard to get a hold of the past two days, because we were busy packing and moving to our new location. It took everyone working so hard to get it done, and while theres still lots to be done, we couldn't resist a sneak peek. We are without internet there for a few more days, so bear with us if it is taking too long to hear back from us. We really hope everyone will enjoy our new location!

A charming night time sleigh ride through the snow will be part of our Christmas sets, perfect for little babies up to about a year old. And we still have many sets being worked on that we haven't shown you yet! These are busy days!!

If you follow the Peppermint Path, it will lead you to Creative Isle's Gingerbread house! This set took longer for me to make than it will be available in our studio: one weekend only! This adorable set is not part of our Santa sessions, this is just a little extra fun we can't wait to have with you! There will only be a few spots available for it as we have to space them out to allow for Covid cleaning between bookings, so when you see the ad posted tomorrow, be quick in grabbing the spot you want! Details and dates for all our fall and Christmas schedule will be posted tomorrow, and sample images will be posted as soon as all our props and backdrops arrive.

It isn't even her birthday, she just really loves candy! Last time she was in for portraits she spied one of my candy props and begged to come back for her own Candy session. And you just can't say no to her. She counted down all the days until her session, and we had so much fun. You don't need to wait for a special occasion to have a super fun portrait session. Sometimes you just make any old day special by dressing up and striking a pose.

Never trust Elmo around a yummy cake! He was very mischievous during yesterday's cake smash. Glad he is not here for today's "Donut Grow Up" session or there would be sprinkles and powdered sugar everywhere!

Not quite ready to pick out dates and start taking bookings for this one just yet. My schedule is jam packed for the next couple of weeks (thank you! You guys are so amazing!!) But soon...Fall Mini's without the worry of the weather, but still as pretty as any outdoor location.

Literally any theme at all! I had a lot of fun building my very own train track for this request. Cake smash sessions, just $175!

It is so busy 'round here lately! We have booked in a lot of school portrait mini sessions, nothing left in September at all! But October still has lots to offer, weekends, weekday evenings, and don't forget there is still some spots left for our free portrait offer for anyone that can't afford a school package! That is happening October 23/24/25th. Don't be shy - just send us a message asking about one of those dates. Everyone deserves to have their milestone school portrait...!! Not that I have a lot of time for taking on new things, but I am proud to say we have been accepted as a designer for our all-time favourite backdrop supplier: Katebackdrop <3 It's so exciting! We designed this gorgeous Fall backdrop, and it's on its way to the studio now, to be ready for some last minute fall portraits (no dates yet, bear with us! We are going to be a bit behind schedule for the rest of the year now, in order to ensure everyone gets their school portraits) This backdrop will be big enough for family portraits too. We started 2020 with so many big, wonderful plans. This was going to be our best year ever. The year I could finally sit back and say I made it. For obvious reasons, 2020 has not panned out the way we wanted it to, but it has brought us so many new opportunities to make up for it. It is not easy to run a photography business the way we do. "Successful" photography businesses charge sitting fees, they sell expensive packages, they use your images to market themselves, and they do make good money doing it. Our little business model ensures your privacy and offers flat rate fees so you don't get any surprises, and that is not the norm in this line of work. The fact that we are still here, especially in 2020, means that you value and appreciate our business model, and you must have enjoyed your experience here, as different as it is, because you keep coming back and you keep telling your friends about us too! Bottom-of-the-heart thanks to you all. There's still three months left to this crazy year, but it won't knock us down!

It is getting busy in here! Our school portraits are going wonderfully so far. We somehow managed to set up 20 backdrops in our tiny space. Moms are enjoying their sessions and being able to make sure every portrait is perfect, getting their 8x10 print made while they wait (it only takes a few minutes!) and same day delivery of their package. But the very best part of all of it is that all these paid bookings are what makes this next announcement possible, so if you have book...ed your school portrait session with us, pat yourself on the back: Oct 23/24/25 we will be offering every school age child from a low income family a free digital portrait. I have had years when I couldn't afford the school's package, but at least I got the sheet of proofs from the company to hold on to. We want to make sure that no one misses out this year at all, for any reason. We do ask that if you can afford a package, please pay for one, so that we can save the limited free sessions for the ones that really need it. And spread the word, too. We want to make sure that everyone hears about this and has a chance to grab a spot. And, as always, you have our sincere gratitude for all the support you show us. It is thanks to you that we are able to offer the wonderful free services that we do. Thank you! See more

This isn't how I had planned to spend my day today. I was going to be focused, work hard on all the things i need to get done, etc. But when Eleanor dressed herself in last years Hallowe'en costume, I couldn't just let the opportunity pass me by. So my big busy work day turned into arts and crafts to make a few last minute props. I can always work another day, but they days of her coming to work with me are getting fewer and fewer. And I do want to remember these days while they last. My L'il Mario fan <3

I am waiting on some replies from some emails I sent out this morning, but the latest news is that some, if not all, schools will not be offering school portraits at all. If true, we are your best bet for affordable, traditional school portraits this year. We will have about a dozen backdrops to choose from, you will get to approve your images before you leave to ensure they are perfect, and in most cases you will have your digital images the same day, with your free print re...ady within a day or two to either be picked up or mailed to you. **IMPORTANT UPDATE** I know that a lot of families relied on the proofs from the school when they couldn't afford to buy a package, so I am going to go through my schedule in the next day or two and bookmark a date for low income families to come in for a free digital portrait of each child. I only ask that if you can afford to pay for a spot, please do so and save the limited number of free spots for those that really need it. At Creative Isle, we continually strive to find ways to give to our communities, ensuring that important milestone images are treated as a needed part of life, not just a luxury only for those that can afford it. We are able to do so entirely thanks to the amazing clients that choose to book their sessions with us. We know there are dozens of great photographers you could have chosen, but you chose to support us, and in return we pass along the support to those in need at every opportunity. You have never let us down in the five years we have been operating this studio, and we strive to never let our community down too. See more

We know you had a lot to think about recently about back to school. For those that have opted to keep their children home this fall, we want you to know that you don't have to miss out on getting your child's 2020 school pictures. We have oodles of backdrops to choose from, loads of sanitizing happening before and after every session, no props (though they are cute, it increases risk due to handling, but feel free to bring your own if you want to) and plenty of time between b...ookings to ensure that there is no waiting or mingling with other clients. Best of all, you are guaranteed a genuine, happy smile on your wall! The package includes 3 poses, feel free to split them amongst siblings or use them all on one child. (Family poses won't be offered, as this is just for the children, and the studio will be filled with all of our adorable tiny backdrops) *** help us spread the word by sharing this post if you know of parents that will be homeschooling this year! See more

Today was an adorable Toy Story themed cake smash, and it was so much fun!! This mom had a bunch of her own toys to add into the set so I didn't go crazy with my own props, but I know someone on a previous post had asked what the toy story backdrop looked like, so here it is!

Pick a theme, any theme, and message us to book in your Cake Smash session, only $175. Not just for one-year-olds either. We can do a themed birthday bash for any age! Our studio offers an impressive variety of backdrops, and we are always happy to order in new ones if we don't have what you are looking for.

All set for an adorable Mickey themed cake smash! Just add a little cake and a hungry toddler ready to make a mess <3

Two more cake smashes done. Lion King theme and one that was just supposed to be pink/purple/girly. And a new backdrop arrived just now for a future "Toy Story" themed smash. We are always happy to order in just the right backdrop to make your theme complete - just be sure to give us at least two weeks notice so that it arrives on time!

We had a lot of variety in the studio this past week. A fun maternity milk-bath-but-in-a-swimming-pool session (can't share those though), a boudoir session (we REALLY can't share those!), some headshots at various locations both in Membertou and Cape Smokey, mini sessions and cake smashes! It's fun being so busy, and even more fun when the work has this much variety. It makes it hard to feel bored.

Aurora's turning ONE so we celebrated with a cake smash session. Her session was this afternoon, and her mommy already has all her portraits! Nothing left to do now but clean up the mess and get ready for this evenings booking.

Can you believe it? She is going to be turning 5 in just a couple of weeks! We decided to celebrate by creating her favourite video game: Animal Crossing, or as she calls it, The Nanny Things Game (because my first character had grey hair, and Eleanor liked to sneak into my game house and play with my things!) When she walked into the studio and saw the set she couldn't stop squealing with delight, so I think it is safe to say it was a huge hit with her. What better way to celebrate her birthday than with a shooting star event with Celeste and Mr Nook? Can we make a fun birthday event for your little one? You bet we can!

What fun we had today at Creative Isle! An adorable little rainbow baby turned one, so we celebrated with a rainbow themed cake smash! If you have a little one with a birthday coming up, choose your theme and book your session early to give us time to order in any special props or backdrops needed to make your cake smash session one-of-a-kind. $175, and includes 4 portraits on a variety of backdrops, wardrobe change, and all the portraits from the smashy portion of your session (usually 30-40 images in total) and, as always, you get your images back within just a few hours.

"I love you more than the moon and the stars" A new limited-time set inspired by our recent photography adventure to capture comet Neowise. (I've always been a bit obsessed with stars and outer space!) This set will be available as a 3-portrait mini session for $60. August 7,8, and 9th only. And to those wondering how the recent mandatory mask ruling is affecting your experience with our studio, the short answer is: not much at all! I will be masked. You are welcome to wear masks when you arrive if you like, but you will not be encountering anyone not in your bubble, so it isn't necessary. Bookings are scheduled far enough apart that you will not come into contact with anyone at all during your session, and all surfaces are thoroughly wiped down after every session.

Any day is a great day for a tea party with your friends! Sweets, treats, dresses and dress-up! How could they not have fun playing through this photo shoot? Want a Tea Party session for your own group of tots? Send us a message and we will make it happen. Don't have a group of tots? Bring some dolls or teddy bears to be the distinguished guests <3

A lot of people have been asking if I know of any pretty places near water, and I love Rotary Park! A beautiful, lush lake, artificial waterfall, and lots of little nooks and crannies in the forest to stop and take beautiful portraits. Outdoor sessions, only $150 all summer long!