After a tough season in the AAA Potter Division, the Oak Park Varsity Raiders football team ended up taking the AA Vidruk Division title in a strange set-up that I still don't fully understand. I give kudos to the Kelvin Clippers and Brandon Vincent Massey Vikings who fought hard to make it to the semi-final and final games.
Always looking forward - here's to the 2018 season back in AAA! GO RAIDERS!
It's not just family photos that have been keeping me busy.
I also became a football mum for the first time this year! I generally make no secret of the fact that hockey is my favourite sport to watch, but I would gladly watch my son and his teammates play football any day of the week! These boys have worked hard all season long, and it's been a privilege to be witness them grow as players and young men.
It's also been great to reconnect with the parents of some of my son's teammates whom I've known since they were all in preschool together, and to meet new people as well.
One way or another, our season ends on Wednesday and no matter the outcome of the big game - I couldn't be more proud of these kids! Proudly a member of the OP Raider Nation!
September and October are always popular months for photos, and this year was no exception. Although the weather was particularly unpredictable and overall pretty rainy, I was still lucky enough to catch some time with these four families!
Some of them you'll recognize from previous photos, and a couple of them are new to the Zaniac family.
You might recognize this beautiful family from a previous wedding. Barb is an incredible teacher at the school my son attended during his elementary years, and now she's someone I consider a beautiful, wonderful friend. Her son was married to his sweetheart earlier this autumn and I was lucky enough to be included in the pre-wedding festivities.
Spending time with this family is truly a gift. They are kind, welcoming and hilarious!
July 9, 2016 marked the first ever Pride march in Steinbach, Manitoba. This was an event surrounded by no small amount of controversy, but that's not what I want to focus on here.
It was a privilege to participate in this event and witness the coming together of humans from all walks of life and many different beliefs in a celebration of love, friendship, community and togetherness.
When I say that Zaniac Photo is For Every Family - I mean it. <3
C has been my neighbour and friend for about 10 years, but the only time I've ever done any photos for her was the time that she needed a single photo for her son's school project!
This year she decided that photos of her and the kids would make a great Christmas gift for her family - and she was right!
We found a little window of time that they were all free in between trips to the rinks and headed off in the cold.
This was a really fun shoot! Not only did I get to catch up with mum, who's been a friend of my sister forever, but I got a private concert from her extremely talented sons!
I bet this family looks familiar! Every single time I get to photograph this family, I realize how fortunate I am. Seeing these boys grow up is such a pleasure! I am so thankful that they have allowed me to be a small part in the family traditions they make.
Have you ever walked on a railroad bridge? If you’ve watched the movie, Stand By Me, then you remember the scene where the boys cross the railroad bridge. If you haven’t seen the movie - watch it right now. Seriously. Drop whatever you’re doing and watch it.
WARNING - some NSFW language, and some viewers may find the scene disturbing.
I am not the copyright holder of this material and I make no claims of ownership. This material is owned by Stephen King, Act III Productions and Columbia Pictures.
Anyhow, in my opinion, this is an extremely accurate depiction of walking on a railroad bridge, even if it’s just a few metres onto it…
Before these photos were taken, I don’t think I’d ever actually been frozen by fear before. I didn’t realize I was such a chicken!
In my defence, the gaps between the railroad ties are HUGE, and they’re not perfectly even and railroad bridges are kind of shaky, and even if there are sides on the bridge, there’s a good metre wide gap between the wall and the end of the railroad tie.
Did I mention that the gaps are huge?
I’m not ashamed to tell you, beloved reader - I crawled like Verne until I got back to solid ground. Then I took some photos.
This summer was a tricky one for viewing the Aurora from our location. There were quite a occasions when the atmosphere put on a show, but unfortunately for the majority of those times, the Winnipeg area was under cloud cover.
*sad face*
We did manage to catch a show at the beginning of September though. Sorry for the intrusive watermark. I can’t remember why I used that one. I regret it now, but I’m too lazy to change it.
Be sure to scroll all the way to the end to see another September gem!
This was an interesting display. It wasn’t the most colourful, nor did it cover a huge expanse of the sky (relatively speaking), but it had some fascinating features to it just the same.
This particular shot shows a beautiful swirl that really conveys the motion of the band. It was like a celestial conveyor belt, swirling in on itself in a continuous loop. Also note the bright blue proton arc in the upper left region.
September held other astronomical wonders for us as well!
Jaime was one of my first clients waaaaaay back when she was pregnant with her first daughter. I was delighted when she called me to do maternity photos for her again a few years later. This summer, I had the privilege of making some new photos for her and her beautiful daughters.
We thought a lovely golden hour shoot in August would be good, so we met at one of my favourite locations and set out. I think we lasted 20 minutes, maybe 30. We were chased out by the mosquitos!
We got some lovely shots, but agreed that we’d try again in the fall when the leaves were changing the mosquitos were (hopefully) gone for the season.
Post-ceremony is both a favourite and kind of a dreaded time for me at any wedding. On the one hand, everyone is relaxed and relieved the smilies are plentiful, but on the other hand, the wedding party’s minds are on a million different things and everyone wants a moment of their attention.
Sometimes I find myself so wrapped up in watching people showering the couple with congratulations that I forget that I’m there to do a job!
