Jennifer Roessler Photography

Looking forward to another amazing maternity session this afternoon, just as I send out my last maternity gallery. Is there anything more beautiful?!

Happy Friday on this long weekend! I'm happy to be emerging from a long few weeks of editing 52 preschooler's portraits. I look forward to this every year - one of the perks of having an assistant who manages a preschool - but I can also safely say that if I don't edit another apple on a pile of books again all year, I'll be a-okay with it. Thank you to the parents of Fairfield Island Preschool for trusting me with your children's school portraits again this year!

Just when I thought my studio space and location couldn’t get any more ideal, the coolest antiques collector moved in right next to me. I plan to put a baby into each of these ASAP.

I love everything about this sweet family portrait. When this little one's mom arrived, she noted the books in the room and told me that he'd take an immediate interest. Mamas sure do know their children - he ignored the blocks, the toys, and everything else in the studio but the books, posing adorably with one for almost every shot.

When she told me she is passing on her middle name, Rose, to her daughter, I ran out to the rose garden to pluck a perfect rose to add to the shot.

"Life reveals her beauty one precious miracle at a time. - Flavia

Barbara, by Katharina Hakaj Couture One size fits all

Sometimes simplicity says so much.

I've learned a lot this year, from refining my technique taking portraits outdoors, honing in on my editing style, and really focusing on how to best serve my clients. I've said it before and I'm certain I'll say it always - Cassandra Jones of Noelle Mirabella Photography is a wealth of wisdom that I know I can always learn from. That's why when Cass recommended an incredible artist that turns photographs into 3D videos, I knew this was someone I had to reach out to. Here's the first of what I expect will be many videos I commission from my new friend. I was in love with this image to begin with, so the whimsy he's added by giving it life has blown me away!

Great news! Thanks to your fantastic response to the Santa Experience, Santa and I have decided to open up bookings for November 14th and 15th as well. I've updated the booking calendar below with the additional time slots. Thank you, everyone! https://jenniferroesslerphotography.com/the-santa-experien/

Darcie, my hair and makeup artist, commented that this gown from my studio wardrobe made our client look like Maleficent. That's all I needed to hear... I went FULL Disney Villain with this session's theme.

As I head into a very busy few days at the studio, I leave you with this gorgeous nugget. If I forget to post anything else over the weekend, this little guy's cuteness level will surely tide the page over until Monday!

Creativity breeds more creativity. After doing this session, a client messaged me saying she'd love to do a reading shot during her daughter's upcoming session in October. I had already learned that her daughter loves Anne of Green Gables through the questionnaire I send parents in order to learn more about each child's personality, so I immediately went out and bought a gorgeous hardback version from The Book Man. Now as I still edit sessions from early September, I'm also mentally creating in October!

Hello, friends! I've had a number of email inquires over the last week about whether or not I'll be doing the Santa Experience again this year, and I'm very excited to say that Santa and I have come up with a fantastic premise that will still allow distancing. This year, we'll have a Santa’s Workshop setup, where children get to come and build a simple wooden toy across from Santa at his workbench, which they’ll then be able to take home with them. In order to try to mai...ntain distancing, we won’t have children sit on his lap and whisper in his ear, so this will be a great way for them to experience his magic without getting too close. Sessions will be held on November 7th and 8th, and will last half an hour. There will be a half hour allotted between each session for sanitization of the studio, so I will be booking one session per hour. The cost will be $300 for up to three children (additional children are welcome at $50/child), and with that you will receive three magical digital portraits. Additional images may be purchased on top of that, as well as fine art prints, canvases, or albums. Santa is going to be coming by my studio this week so we can take some pictures to share with you so you can see what the Experience looks like this year, so keep an eye out for those next week! I'll be opening my booking calendar at that time, where you will be able to go in, pick your spot, and reserve your place with the booking fee of $200 (remainder due on the day of the session). If you aren't familiar with my Santa Experience, here's one of my favourite images from last year. I can't wait to make more magic this year!

That perfect tranquility of life, which is nowhere to be found but in retreat, a faithful friend and a good library.

Final planning for tomorrow’s sibling session. Their mama has commissioned fifteen images altogether. Each detail is carefully planned out for each image in advance, while still allowing space for the children to be themselves and enjoy the experience. What does this mean? It means I storyboard each shot, noting which pieces from my wardrobe I’ll be using, the general story I hope to tell with it, the location and angle I’ll be shooting from, and any other details I think mi...ght be important. This session will be both indoors as well as in the studio, so I’ve prepped the outdoor props by the entryway, filled the buckets with apples, and laid out each outfit in its image grouping. The lights are set up and ready for the first shots indoors, the vintage crib in its place, and the first backdrop carefully steamed and hung. The real fun part soon begins!

Here's the third image in the apple orchard series I did with these siblings. There are two more in the series, and then it will be complete. I struggled for a long time with the idea that my sessions are so different from the majority of other photographers I know. There are some sessions I do that are structured around taking one perfect, heirloom portrait. Other sessions are a small series of storytelling images, like this apple orchard session. But never do I do a s...ession where I promise my clients 20-30 images, and because this is often thought of as the norm in the industry, I felt really insecure about this for my first couple of years in the business. But at the end of the day, we can only be best at being ourselves. I am someone who loves art. I am someone who loves storytelling. I am someone who loves creating, as opposed to capturing. I've come to really embrace these qualities and the artwork they produce that is proudly displayed on my client's walls. Before every session, I invite my clients into my space to take a look at the art on my walls. I ask them to tell me about themselves and their families, and what is special to them. I take the time to storyboard every session with my assistant, so every image I take is unique and specific to that family's story. I don't set a time limit on my sessions, and instead make the visit to my studio a relaxing experience. There are healthy snacks for the kids, beverages for everyone, lavender diffusing in the air, and quiet music in the background. Perhaps the difference I struggled with most is that don't focus my business on providing digital galleries. I hand edit each image (usually averaging two hours per edit) with that specific story in mind, creating a dreamy work of art with each one unique in and of itself. I create your art to be displayed, not stored on your computer. For years, I felt that because most photographers provide online galleries, that I should be doing the same. I felt almost apologetic that this wasn't the way I structured things, and it's only been very recently that I've embraced this as a strength, not a weakness. My painstaking edits and attention to the story is what makes each image special to both my clients and to myself.

And if you don't believe memories are worth more than money, then perhaps you've not made the right kind of memories.

I don’t usually post photos of myself, but this one is pretty exciting! Here’s a peek at my new space.

The orchard in front of my new studio does NOT disappoint! What an incredible inaugural outdoor session with this cutie!

The first portrait taken in my new studio! My move went so well! I have it almost all exactly the way I pictured it two months ago when I saw the rental listing online. I just have a few more pieces of art coming in from Graphi Studio to put on my walls (thanks, babe, for putting the canvas gallery wall up for me already!), an area rug for tiny bare feet to run around on, and maybe one more bottle of bubbly for the mini fridge. To celebrate, I had two of my closest frie...nds and their children over yesterday to toast the upcoming birthdays of our daughters, as well as meet this adorable little man. He traveled all the way from Vanderhoof with his sister and my dear friend, Stephanie, for a short but much-needed visit. I love that Leo here was the first little one I got to capture in my new studio. It's so very fitting, because Stephanie has been cheering me on since I first mused over brunch that I thought I might want to delve into professional photography. What a fantastic start to September, and this whole new adventure.

Here's a little more magic from the sunflower fields shoot I did under the direction of Cassandra Jones of Noelle Mirabella Photography I took some time away from editing this set of images last week to spend some time with family, as well as start to prepare Harmony for beginning preschool next month. I was fortunate to find an entirely outdoor preschool for her to attend, and she'll be in a small, five-child class with one of her besties. It's an unnerving time to be sendin...g your child into the world, and I really struggled with this decision. It's certainly not the first difficult decision I've had to make on her behalf, and it won't be the last. I'm cautiously excited for her, though! I have only vague recollections of my preschool years, but the ones I do have are pretty idyllic. I'm so happy that Harmony gets to start building these experiences for herself. I type this as we prepare to leave to meet her teacher in a couple of hours, making the whole experience incredibly real. Wish us luck today! See more

Well, it finally happened. My dream came true. After following her work for years, I finally took the plunge and travelled with Larisa Catto to Grand Prairie so we could learn from Cassandra Jones of Noelle Mirabella Photography. It was everything I hoped for, and so much more. I honed my technical skills, fed my creative soul, and learned so much about myself as an artist, a single mother, and a business owner. If you don't follow Cassandra's page, do yourselves a favour and... go there right now. The passion she has for her family, her friends, and for humanity, is palpable, and it will fill your cup every single day. Here is a shot from one of the sessions Cass arranged and styled for our one-on-one workshop. I had let her know that I really wanted to focus on outdoor sessions, so she walked me through how she styles a shoot like this, from wardrobe, to location, to capturing magical, glowing light. I cannot wait to scout out locations outside of my new studio in Yarrow, and begin expanding my offerings to this style of portrait! I am so happy that I had this opportunity. The timing is perfect with my imminent move to my new location, where I'll begin a new chapter of my photography services. Now, more than ever, I am committed to creating one-of-a-kind art for your family to cherish for generations.

BIG NEWS It's been a while since I've given everyone a general update (with very little to update except covid notes), but now I have TWO exciting things to announce! Over the next month, I'll be realizing two dreams that I never in my wildest dreams I thought would happen. First, in just under two weeks, my awesome assistant, Larisa Catto, and I will be driving to Grand Prairie to learn from my idol, Cassandra Jones, of Noelle Mirabella Photography. Cass is not only th...e most incredibly talented photographer I know of (with oodles of awards to show for it), but one of the kindest humans I have ever encountered. This has been a dream of mine for a very long time, and I feel like the most fortunate person in the world to have this opportunity. Then, two weeks after we return home, I'll be moving my little home studio to a brand new studio space on a gorgeous acreage in Yarrow, with an idyllic apple orchard out front, and a picturesque Christmas tree farm out back. This is literally my IDEAL space to work from, and I'm not ashamed to say that I jumped up and down for joy when I secured the lease. As such, August will be a busy month for me, as I learn from my hero, and prepare for the move. I'd love to welcome you to my new space in September, so I'll be extending my studio promotion of 10 images for $295 until then. I can't wait to share updates as the month progresses!

My current favourite vintage prop for newborn sessions? This gorgeous, yet simple, baby scale.