It's Okay to Not be Okay.

We are about one month, give or take, into social distancing and isolation. So how are you feeling during all of this? Some people have made normal routines for themselves even though their days are no longer normal. Set an alarm to wake up at normal work time, make some breakfast, catch yourself up on the latest COVID information. Maybe you do some journaling, maybe you let your kids play outside, but maybe you are finding it hard to function at all. Do you feel lost, and maybe feel like you have no purpose currently? Are you finding it hard to be motivated to change out of your pajamas? You're only going to put them back on later…

Many of us are struggling with being held in isolation and alone. Don’t worry. You are not alone. Everyone is talking about never having time to do anything and right now we are finding ourselves with nothing but time… but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy for everyone to clean their whole house, or reorganize their bookshelves. People are saying if you don’t come out of this isolation with a learned skill, or some kinda side hustle you are just wasting your time. This is not true. If you are having a hard time, please reach out to ANYONE. FaceTime calls have become a lot more popular since COVID, group chats too. If you are taking everything day by day and just trying to do your best with what you have, pat yourself on the back and know that you are doing whatever you can and that is more than okay.

If your house isn’t cleaner, if your books aren’t in alphabetical order or you didn’t pick up a new talent during this isolation, DON’T WORRY. Do whatever feels right for you. Do what feels best for you. Do not let social media and the ideas floating around there burden you or sidetrack you in any way.

We are all just trying to do our best. If you need help in any way.. REACH OUT. Your friends and family would love nothing more than to lend a listening ear and help any way they can.

A New Normal?

I’ve found myself wondering a lot of things during this isolation. I am currently on day 16 being at home. That’s 384 hours. 256 of those give or take that I have been awake. Lots and lots of time to think. I have been outside every few days or gone to the grocery store when absolutely necessary, but usually, I send my boyfriend. My OCD has come back full fledge since COVID, so It’s just easier to stay home.

Everybody is talking about when things will go back to normal again. People say a week, a couple of months, but no one really knows when and IF things will ever be normal again. Think about it. Everyone has now been conditioned to stay away from people, at least 2 meters anyways. If you get too close to someone in the grocery store, you’re basically given a death glare. People aren’t hugging or handshaking anymore. The majority of the population is thinking twice about touching door handles, handrails, and anything else that is public use with their bare hands. Finding hand sanitizer anywhere right now would basically be like finding gold.

Most public places have been closed. Rec Centres, Libraries, malls, practically anything non-essential businesses have been told for safety precautions to either close indefinitely or close temporarily.
These places were normal meet up places for some, or just to visit and spend time at. Now that everyone is being told to stay home, parks and pathways have increased traffic. You can only stay Indoors so long before you need some fresh air. As long as you are practicing #SOCIALDISTANCING, walks outdoors can be a nice escape from your home.

So, after all this uncertainty… Do you think things will go back to normal or will there be a new normal?
I just want to be able to see family and friends again and be able to go anywhere I want. I miss leisurely grocery shopping, and walking around in the malls.

Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below! :)

Unknown Territory

I have never in my life witnessed such a strange time. There have been illnesses that have reached North America, but nothing quite like the Covid-19 virus. This picture is one of my last sessions before things got pretty serious and they started telling us to stay inside when possible. Thanks, @BrennaBartley for being my model in these weird unknown times.

It’s a very interesting time for everyone right now. People are being laid off to try and stop the spread of the virus. We are told to stay home. We are told to only go out if its absolutely necessary and to outings to picking up essential things only. Grocery stores and other essential businesses are taking extra precautions for the warriors who are still coming to work to make sure we are able to still buy food and other items in these trying times.

I’m sure a lot of people aren't used to spending this much time at home. I wonder if Netflix and other streaming services have seen a large increase in their subscriptions lately because I am sure many people are trying to pass the time by binge-watching all the series they may have.

I hear many moms are going stir crazy being locked up with their children too. I feel as though that’s perfectly fine to feel that way. No one can stay cooped up in their home for days on end and still have their sanity 100%. Go outdoors! Enjoy the sun!! enjoy walks in the park, but remember AVOID playgrounds because those places can be breeding grounds for germs! I have seen a lot of cool crafts and games that families are coming up with to keep their children occupied too! People are sharing these ideas all over social media, and I am happy to see even through all this, people are still coming together to help one another out!

The workout community is also on the rise! I recently joined a FB group for a 4 week workout while this is going on and being apart of such a motivating group is amazing! Even though the gyms are closed people are still willing to come together to make sure people can still work out!

The government has also come up with many ways to help those who have lost their jobs or been laid off in order to pay their bills or certain kinds of financial relief. Thank goodness for this because many people and businesses’ are in a real financial strap right now!

Whoever thought Social Distancing would become a known thing? I sure didn't. People, everyone cannot stress this enough! STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK. Stay 6 feet away from anyone you do not live with if you are out for a stroll or a walk in the park. I understand everyone cannot stay cooped up in their homes 24/7 but please keep in my of your surroundings, and be CAUTIOUS. WASH YOUR HANDS. DO NOT TOUCH DOOR HANDLES, RAILINGS. Wash your hands when you get home from an outing so you do not spread germs around your home.

What are you doing to stay healthy, happy, occupied during this time??

What Makes You Feel Beautiful?

For a lot of people, it’s many different things. Makeup, a nice outfit, getting your hair done, your nails done or perhaps a day out at the spa with friends.

Beauty has many definitions and many meanings for different people. For me, personally, beauty is everywhere around us. Beauty is when you pass by a stranger and they smile at you or even say hi. Beauty is waking up feeling like today is going to be a good day. Beauty is a morning sunrise. Beauty is being able to love yourself completely through all the quirks and flaws you may have.

If you are struggling to find that beauty within you, sometimes an outside perspective is helpful for you to understand how beautiful and precious you really are.

Boudoir sessions are a great way for you to feel sexy and bold in a way you may have not thought of yourself or seen yourself before. They are a great opportunity to try new, fun and daring things.

If you have ever thought about doing a Boudoir Session, take the time and let’s chat if you have questions. Maybe right now isn’t the best time to book ... as the world is in a crazy state. But if you have questions .. Ask away! I’m always here!

Thanks to this absolute beauty for this session @codielyn.maki I always love working with you and admire and love you so much!

Check out the link below for the beautiful studio these portraits were taken!

Freedom Sessions

Spring is just around the corner everyone! You know what that means? My Freedom Session will be in full swing again! The weather is a lot more kinder to the naked body when its not snowy and windy and -30!
I am looking forward to the warm weather so much to get out shooting more!! Its time for you to remove all those heavy winter clothes, those big baggy sweaters, and sweatpants and bare it all and LOVE YOURSELF, your NAKED body! Connect with yourself in a new way, confront internal fears you may have with yourself. Trust me when I say, all the ladies that I have worked with so far.. are in love with these sessions and the beautiful portraits that came out of it! .. If you don’t believe me - here’s how Jenn’s Freedom Session went for her.

”Leading into my first shoot with Katrina I was extremely excited and equally as nervous. What are people going to think of me? Am I skinny enough, pretty enough, good enough to do something this bold? Is it going to be sexualized? Am I going to be uncomfortable? What I actually experienced was truly amazing. 

 Katrina is so genuine and so patient with the entire process. She helped me feel truly comfortable embracing the beauty of my true self, my nude self. I went from being timid and afraid of my surroundings to being liberated by the entire process. I became less engaged with the fear of what others may think and more in tune with just being me in the present moment while baring it all. 

 After my first shoot with Katrina, I actually could not get enough of the entire experience. I ended up booking 2 more sessions with her!! This girl rocked my world!! I am able to see the real beauty of myself in a way that I normally have never been able to see. The insecurities I used to have over my body melted away. “That’s me? That’s the way my body looks? I am absolutely stunning.” I remember thinking to myself after she sent me the first of many finished photos. I love them so much I got one printed on canvas to always remind myself of my true, genuine beauty and the damn courage it took to do it. 

 If you’re on the fence about this experience, take it from me, it is worth every penny and every uncertain moment leading up to the day of your shoot. I have never been so in love with who I am and that is exactly what Katrina is creating with these sessions. Flex your self-love muscles starting with a HUGE dose of body positivity and genuine love from the queen herself, K.LynnPhotoArtistry. “

This amazing session was shot in a beautiful little slice of heaven we found tucked away in Canmore, Alberta. This is one of many here. There are also lots of other fun leisure things to do in Canmore as well!
Check out the link below!

The Beauty of Pregnancy

I have to thank Leticia Hubacz for allowing me to photograph her for my very first Maternity Session! What an amazing experience. I have never been pregnant, so I always have all these questions roaring around in my head just waiting to fly out of my mouth once I meet Mama. “Do you have weird cravings, can you feel baby yet, what does it feel like” and on and on and on…

I can’t even begin to imagine the feelings of elation you must have the moment you find out you are pregnant. To be able to grow a human life within our bodies is one of the most beautiful and miraculous things in this universe. Being able to track all the different stages during different trimesters; the baby has hair, the baby has fingernails, etc, must be so thrilling. The thought of each little step forward is so incredibly exciting to me. I am always so excited when Mamas want to share any pregnancy stories with me, makes me feel so excited for my future pregnancy journey.

I was super excited for this session, not only because it was my first but because Leticia had told me that she had a dog, a 5ft lizard and a snake living in her home as well. Everyone who knows me, knows I am 100% a dog lover through and through. So when there are dogs around my day is just that much better! Also, the fact that she had a huge lizard and a snake was totally awesome too! I was really hoping we would be able to work one of them into our session!! Leticia was such a pleasure to work with. She was open to all my ideas and having more of a lifestyle shoot rather than the traditional maternity type session. She is absolutely gorgeous on top of her beautiful pregnancy glow, not to mention, she’s a twice published freelance model as well!

Straight from Leticia, a little bit about her pregnancy journey -
”My husband and I married in 2017, and naturally, we wanted to start our family right away. Unfortunately, having kids never really goes as planned. Over a span of 2+ years, seeing a fertility specialist, trying different medications, we had our first invasive treatment scheduled in the fall of 2019! We were both very excited, to only get a devastating phone call 2 weeks afterwards, that my test results came back showing hormone levels not favorable for our treatment to be successful. I was absolutely devastated...I told myself "it never works on the first try", as much as I hoped it would! We planned for the next round after that call, and I started to notice our dog, Rylee (a Belgian Shepherd), was extra attentive and gentle with me. I assumed it was because she knew my heart was shattered at the news from my bloodwork; pets can just sense these things in the ones they love. She is a very high-energy breed, and I didn't know it was possible for her to become even more affectionate. So on Thanksgiving, I decided to take an at-home pregnancy test. It was the first time in over 2 years of trying that I truly believed it was going to be negative...turns out, she knew the whole time, and we were expecting our little boy!!"

See everyone!! I told you, dogs are the coolest animals ever!!!

Congratulations Leticia & Mark, I am so excited for you two to meet your precious little boy! I’m sure June can’t come soon enough for you guys!!

Btw - if you want to check out this beautiful Mama’s published work check out @worldwideinkmag, @horizontmag or hers @leticious_21 on Instagram and the link below!!!

The Magic of Mamahood

I can’t begin to describe my excitement when someone gives me the gift of being able to capture these precious moments. This strong and proud mama welcomed this sweet, sweet boy into the world after 19 hours of labor just a few weeks ago! He was so calm and precious and just the sweetest little bundle of joy!

I feel as though women being able to grow a human life within their body is the worlds greatest gift.
All the new feelings and changes a mamas body will go through, is like nothing else in the world (or so im told). The absolute glow that comes from within mama is so magical. The first steps of finding out you’re pregnant to hearing babies heart beat for the first time, are some of the most special memories that can be made. It is hard for me to imagine the 9 months of anticipation to finally meet your little one. Feeling baby move around and poke at you from the inside to picking out a name and finally the birth day. What a special and miraculous time it must be.

Congratulations Raven and Bailey. You really have such a sweet boy!

For more precious photos of this adorable family check out the link below!

Freedom Session - Codie-Lyn Maki

People thought I was crazy when I told them I was looking for women or men to pose naked in front of the camera. Many people said I wouldn’t be able to find anyone to do it, but I knew once I explained myself and what I was trying to achieve with these sessions, people would understand more what this was all about. Self Love. It’s a journey to be one with yourself in nature, where we once began. To explore yourself and your body in its truest form. Once they received their portraits, they could reflect back on their experience and have a new love for themselves. A chance for everyone to truly look at themselves in a different light and see how much beauty they really hold within themselves.

This beautiful and witty lady is Codie-Lyn. She is loud and proud and has such a fiery personality! She is one of the brave and fearless women who took part in my Thesis. I was thrilled that she wanted to be a part of my adventure. I know how apprehensive she was at the beginning of baring it all in a public area but boy did she kill it! Her long, brown, flowing locks blowing in the wind made this session so beautifu, not to mention her confident little cheeky looks! This day was quite windy which made it chilly out but she still went for it cold or not! Once she got a little more comfortable, poses and different ideas starting flowing a little easier to her and she absolutely rocked it. So many beautiful and truly amazing shots came from her session. Thank you so much Codie for being a part of this. I can’t tell you how much it means to me. Love you girl!

Testimonial -
What an incredible experience! 

Whoever thought that having your picture taken could result in so many profound changes within you?!

Not me, that’s for sure. 

I truly feel so blessed and grateful that Katrina asked me to be a part of this project. As someone who has spent nearly their entire life body shaming themselves, I wasn’t sure I could do it. “You want me to pose…NUDE!….OUTSIDE?…in front of a camera!??” I was terrified. Even as we drove to our destination, I was having doubts about the whole thing.

I thought for sure I was never going to want to look at the pictures after. I thought for sure I wasn’t going to go through with it.

 Let me tell you though, everything changed when Katrina started shooting, she made me feel so confident, so natural, so beautiful. Her constant feedback from behind the lens pushed me to open up even more and really get comfortable, with myself - with nature, and with being in front of the camera. She guided me and encouraged me the whole time.

 The entire experience truly was liberating, just as she says. There’s something about being out in nature - wild and free..

It was a magical day for me, and the experience was second, only to the outcome of the photos.

I went from never wanting to look at them – straight to “OMG I want them all!” As soon as we started reviewing some shots I could not stop looking at them. They were incredible, even just the raw unedited images were spectacular, and once Trina sent me a few finalized photos, I could not get over them. I still haven’t. I still look at them All-The-Time. Lol.  

This shoot truly did so much for me. It helped me to be more confident, more comfortable with myself and my body, more at one with nature. Trina helped me to see myself in a completely different light than I ever have before. Through her lens, I would do it again and again, and I would recommend it to any and everyone!

 Katrinas’ professionalism and talent, combined with her good-natured and wholesome vibes allowed me to completely embrace this experience and my own beauty, and I am so grateful for it. Don’t miss out and book a session with her, you won’t regret it!

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Check out the link below for some self care tips!

2020 Thesis - Nūde.

So as you may not know, I am currently in school and will be a NAIT graduate come April! I am too excited to start my career after school! Last semester our large project was are Thesis. We could choose any theme we wanted and had to photograph 15 images. I wanted to really challenge myself with this and at the same time, I wanted to help others out too. I came up with photographing people nude in nature. I knew this was going to be very challenging because as soon as I started telling people what I chose, everyone said “Good Luck finding people who will pose naked for you!” … well, thank you for the luck! Not only did I find one amazing model, I found SIX. I found six BEAUTIFUL women who were willing to bare it all to help me out. In my quest to get my project done, I fell In love with this idea of allowing women to love their bodies in the truest form. Of course, every single woman I worked with was hesitant at the beginning but with comfortable coaching and allowing them to work at their own pace and doing what felt right for them, they too fell in love with the process and session as well. It became something bigger that I was striving for these women. I wanted them to love every curve of their body and see these portraits and show them how amazing they really looked.

People are especially harsh on their body image these days. I want to help promote female empowerment through my Freedom Sessions and let people break free of the societal norm of covering up what is yours because the world has sexualized our bodies so much over the years. I want people to look at their naked bodies and feel proud and love themselves no matter what they look like. Its time to practice self-love in a new, exciting LIBERATING WAY!

Be Liberated

Banff Get Away

Theres nothing like a Banff get-away after all the Christmas excitement. Waking up super early Christmas morning, a crazy frenzy of opening gifts and making Christmas breakfast, visiting family on Christmas Day and finally relaxing on Boxing Day. My partner and I treated our little family to a weekend get away in Banff for his daughters first time skiing in the mountains. She brought her friend with her, cause who wouldn’t want to have a double sleepover in a hotel with their bestfriend! These girls both 11, crushed this mountain like they had been riding since they were toddlers! It blew my mind the effort they put into just having a blast no matter what. You would never have known this was their first time!

Of course after two days of snowboarding and skiing we were all very tired and sore, but we couldn’t leave Banff without an afternoon of skating at the rink in the middle of downtown Banff. A couple of coffees and hot chocolates and we were good to go!

Don’t forget to take a stroll downtown if you are there! They have a lot of neat little shops and boutiques where you can pick up some super cool stuff and gear if you need it!

Check out the link below for things to do while in Banff!!