Introducing some of the children that were photographed during Gingerbread Lane’s Halloween Party. They were all so cute. To view the entire gallery, go to www.andreareesportraits.com/index2.php, click on “client access” and enter the password — gblhalloween. Photographed by Anthony & Brittany.
Your portraits will be ready for pick up Fri. Nov. 14th at Gingerbread Lane.
Until next time,
AR
Update Nov.11th:
Thank you for all your well wishes and concern. We really appreciate all your messages and warm thoughts. We are home from the hospital and my son is continuing to improve everyday and is doing well. He has a ruptured appendix and have been told that it will be about 6-8 weeks from now for surgery to remove his appendix. Though we are home he is still being treated with antibiotics. The rupture/infection needs to be treated before his appendix can be removed.
I will be starting back tomorrow to continue working on current orders as well as getting all phone calls & emails returned and viewing appointments scheduled. You can expect to hear from me in the next day or two. I will be keeping my personal session schedule fairly light from now until the end of the year to make sure we can take care of everything that is current. There is still some availability with Anthony for Christmas orders.
In order to maintain the most effective production schedule as well to be able to continue to care for my son until his surgery and thereafter, I will be working to get orders out in 2 phases.
Everything that has already been ordered will be available for a December 5th pick up.
Orders received by Nov.30th will be ready for a December 19th pick up … with the exception of Gallery wrapped canvas portraits, storybooks, folded cards and custom framing for wall galleries (3 or more portraits) as the cutoff date has already passed. A January pick up date can be expected for those items.
If your viewing appointment needs to be scheduled, it will definitely be scheduled in time to meet these deadlines and be ready for the holidays.
I thank you so much for your understanding and continued patience through what has been a scary time for us. We have faith in the doctors at Sick Kids especially after learning there were 5 other children with ruptured appendixes in his ward and that they have treated many children from as young as 18 months old and up with this condition. I’ve also done my own research. Having said that, I won’t be breathing a sigh of relief until his appendix has been removed.
Please note that we have also extended the session cutoff date to make up for lost time until November 19th, but please see the note above in regards to Holiday guarantees and deadlines.If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Andrea
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Just to let everyone know that I will personally be unavailable for the duration of the week as my
3 year old son & I are currently at Sick Kids hospital. He is okay as we caught things in time, but he will need to be here to get back to full health before we can go home. Brittany will still be available to take messages and I will get to them as soon as I am able.
We are expecting a full recovery and hope to be back to normalcy next week with all viewing appointments, orders and emails/calls. Thank you for your patience and understanding as there will be some delays.
I like to think I am friendly and personable (often times a joker and silly) and when my clients are too, that just makes for a lot of laughs in the studio. The C family was very much one of those families. I really enjoyed meeting them. Mom and dad had me laughing quite a bit. I admit that some of my laughs with mom came at dad’s expense, but he was such a great sport and really was the instigator and the one to make us laugh. The boys were just too cute for words. Little C is 4 months old and I call him the “gerber” baby, he is just perfect! Big brother L was very sweet and adorable. I truly love all kids, but I think boys will have an extra special place in my heart for sure…because when I meet them I can’t help but think of my 3 yr old son. If I photograph one that is younger than him, I think back to what he was like at that age and when I photograph one that is older, I can help but imagine what he will be like.
I always think of my personal experience as a mom and how I would want my son captured. It always boils down to this…I want to show the child’s real personality and how they are at this time in their lives and secondly I want to show LOVE. That is key for me and why I will always love photographing families. It’s very important to capture real emotions and show the true personality.
Here’s some images of the C family. Look at this “GQ” family! Mom said she and baby C are more light hearted and smile often while dad and big brother L are a little more serious and that the family portrait was truly representative of their personalities.
Until next time, AR
ps hi L & R, your family is wonderful and I look forward to seeing you soon…the “table” is waiting for you 
It’s the Holiday season at Andrea Rees Photography. This is the time of year that we see more families than usual as everyone is wanting to update their family portraits. We recently welcomed L & R with sons A & J into the studio. When the boys walked into the studio they didn’t seem too thrilled to be here. We pretty much expect that children will be a little unsure and completely understand as it’s not something that you do every day. Let’s face it, it can be a little intimidating …not only for children but for adults too. The good news is, we’re prepared for that and we do all we can to make the kids feel comfortable. We are very easy going and above all…patient. We encourage children to be themselves and let loose, we want them relaxed. Then we get them back onto the set and engage and interact and soon the camera disappears.
A & J got right into it and within minutes were laughing (might have had something to do with how silly I was with that funny and colourful whoozit I was tossing up in the air), nonetheless they did relax and seemed to enjoy themselves and we got some great results. Here’s L,R,A & J and some of their fun images captured by Anthony.
By the way, if you make your way to 3dBabyVision Fetal Imaging in Oakville for your 3d ultrasound, you may recognize Lori as she’s the friendly face you’ll meet or talk to on the phone. Also note, all Andrea Rees Photography clients receive $25 off..check the Links page above, under AR Friends for full information.
Until next time,
AR
This time it’s not me on the W Network.
Just spreading the word on behalf of my brother. He is trying to become the next W Network Beauty & Style Expert. He submitted a video to the website and voting has begun. Although the judges have the final say, they are taking ratings and comments into consideration.
So please help us by spreading the word and voting. If you are on facebook, feel free to join the group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=30091664314 or go directly to his link on the W Network.
Cast your vote! http://experts.wnetwork.com/VideoComments.aspx?ExpertAreaID=5&PageNumber=1&VideoID=5dba7e53-baa5-40f2-bb3c-493ccc8c936c
Thank you.
Until next time
AR
ps while you’re on Facebook, join our page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andrea-Rees-Photography/16543399021?ref=ts
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a great bio from Borealis Academy where he is the Creative Director & Instructor
Pierce Rees is currently one of the most sought after beauty experts in Canada, with expertise in Make-up, Hair, Fashion and jewelry design. Pierce came by his creativity honestly having come from a Fashion Family, his mother an international jewelry designer and his sister an accomplished photographer, its no wonder make-up is an art form he took to naturally.
Originally from Toronto Canada Pierce was the Western Regional Beauty Expert for Christian Dior. And is currently the Business Manager for Armani Cosmetics. Having participated in fashion week in Sao Paulo Brazil, London England and Toronto Canada, Pierce will tell you his passion in make-up lay with fashion and photography.
Pierces influence has been seen in every form from beauty magazines to music videos from advertisements to the woman walking down the street. Here at Borealis Academy Pierce Rees has personally created one of the most innovative and advanced curriculum in the field, drawing from his personal experience as well as enlisting the help from numerous Make-up and industry experts. Enabling our students the best chance of success. Here at Borealis Academy, Pierce will teach more then how to apply make-up, he will teach you what it takes to become a professional Make-up expert.
We had the pleasure of welcoming this beautiful family of 4+ into the studio. I say 4+ because Mom is expecting within the next 1-2 weeks and we can’t wait to meet the new addition. J & P were a lot of fun and full of energy and are the cutest duo. They are both 3 (J will be 4 in November) and they did very well. The dynamic duo are obviously very close and have a lot of love for each other which was really great to see.
So C & D, here’s your sneak peek. We enjoyed meeting your beautiful family. All the best for a healthy delivery and can’t wait to meet baby L.
Another one by associate photographer Anthony.
Until next time,
AR
What does 3 years old look like?
Although we are in the studio, we try to make our sessions as casual and as fun as possible. We let children be themselves. We know that 3 year olds are busy. We know that 3 year olds don’t sit for long and the window of opportunity is small. We know that anywhere between 9am to 11:30am is the best time for a 3 year old. We also know that 3 years olds love to laugh.
So what does 3 years old look like? Well, at Andrea Rees Photography it looks a lot like this…
This session was by associate photographer Anthony. Anthony photographs children, siblings, teens and families with children aged 18mos to 17 years. He is available Monday to Friday from 8am to 11am, Sundays and very limited Saturdays.
If you would like to book a session for your child, please call us at 416.907.9827.
Until next time, AR
She said:
I am happy to welcome Anthony Cohen and Brittany Williams to Andrea Rees Photography. Brittany will only be with us until the early part of the New Year as she is currently in high school and is working at ARP for a co-op placement. She’s an aspiring photographer and is assisting in everything from editing to marketing to photography. She’s in her final year of high school and will be heading to Sheridan next fall. We’re secretly hoping that we’ll have her around for a lot longer than 4 months as she’s learning pretty quickly, is very keen to learn, has a lot of potential and is very friendly and pleasant to be around.
Anthony will be an associate photographer and will primarily be shooting children 18mos-12 years, teens and families with these ages as well as model portfolios, talent and business headshots. This will allow me to primarily shoot maternities, newborns, babies 0-18mos, families with maternity/babies and intimates. Of course there may times when we’ll shoot together and cross over these areas.
He has a lot of experience photographing children as well as shooting headshots and portfolios. Anthony is very down to earth and has a fantastic demeanor that I’m sure will be a hit with the children. He’s currently in school for Graphic Design so we might just see some of his graphic design work around in the not too distant future. With an eagerness to grow and learn, a great personality as well as the intelligence to arm himself with all the tools necessary for a photographer today I’m sure he will be very successful at Andrea Rees Photography. I look forward to mentoring and working with him.
So with that said, here’s a couple photos of him that we took the other day (one photo was taken by Brittany) as well as some of his work and his introduction. Be sure to check out the “We’re looking for Fresh Faces” post if you’d like to grab the opportunity to be photographed by Anthony for his ARP portfolio.
He said:
“So here we go, an opportunity to introduce myself. As the newest member of the Andrea Rees team I will speak both about my history and approach to photography. I began my training in London, England working for one of the UK’s top baby, child and teen modelling agencies. It was there that I learned the essence of capturing the true character of my subjects and bringing them out through my photography. Each individual has an abundance of qualities that we cannot see on the surface. A true photographer can bring out these subtleties and make them come to life in their photographs.
Now five years on with experience photographing all ages, siblings and families my photography has come along from traditional portraiture to a contemporary art form. I have also learned that the experience and interaction during my sessions are just as important as the portraits and result in a far superior end product.
I look forward to the opportunity to work together with Andrea to capture those precious moments of our client’s lives and produce everlasting memories. ”
Until next time,
AR + AC
We are looking for fresh faces for our new associate photographer Anthony to photograph. He has a lot of experience working with children and specializes in those clean, white background, contemporary portraits also known as “high key”. So if you have babies, children or teenagers we are looking for you. He’s also looking to photograph families.
Your session will be complimentary and you are under no obiligation to purchase portraits. Having said that, if you would like to order portraits you will receive 30% off a la carte prices.
This is a very limited offer so don’t delay in calling us at 416.907.9827 if you are interested. This is only available to those that have not been photographed in the last 6 months. Currently he is available Monday to Thursday from 8am to 11am and Friday from 8:30am-11:30am with the option of some Saturdays or Sundays as well. We look forward to hearing from you.
Until next time,
AR
Regardless of your politics and whether or not you agree with the mission of our military in Afghanistan, I want to take this opportunity to introduce you to this courageous and loving family. Drew & Patty are posted in New Brunswick, but their families live in Ontario and I had the great pleasure of photographing both their maternity and newborn sessions. When I first talked to Patty on the phone to set up the sessions I learned that Drew was in the military. I was excited to not only be able to meet one of our brave soldiers but the thought of photographing him in his uniform that means so much to him along with his new baby was truly inspirational to me. I couldn’t help but feel honoured and incredibly grateful when I met Patty & Drew for their selfless sacrifice to protect our freedoms. I was amazed to hear of some of his Afghanistan stories and tickled to know that baby Jasmine is a result of his tour there.
It truly takes a very special person to serve in this way and Drew is no exception. He is such a gentle soul and his love for Patty and his baby girl was so apparent. I feel compelled to honour him and this is my little way of doing so as well as thanking him and all our military serving in Afghanistan and around the world. In addition to the words I had planned to write, I asked Patty if she would write their story in her words for the blog so he can truly know that we admire him and are thankful for him.
Here’s their story and their images.
Until next time,
AR
“Drew and I met in 2003. He was posted at Canadian Forces Gagetown, in New Brunswick and I was living in Ontario. In 2005, I moved to New Brunswick and began my studies at UNB. About a year later, we found out that Drew would be going to Afghanistan on his second tour of duty, (his first tour was in Haiti in 2004). The thought of Drew leaving for 7 months both worried and saddened me beyond belief. January 26, 2007, I hugged and kissed Drew and watched him board a bus, not knowing whether I’d see him again. I still tear up when I think of that day. It was the worst day of my life. For the next 7 months, I wrote letters, sent packages and postcards, obsessively. We managed to speak a couple a times a week, for about 5 minutes at a time. Although the conversations were short, they were enough to keep me going and look at the positive side of our situation-everyday that went by, was one day closer to him coming home. In March of 2007, Drew and I met in Thailand for his 3 1/2 week leave. We were engaged on a small island in the Gulf of Thailand. It was both romantic and wonderful.
After returning to Canada, I kept occupied by staying in school, actually I completely dedicated every moment to it. When I finished up in April, I went to Italy for a summer session for 6 weeks and then backpacked through Spain and Portugal. I actually almost broke down and cancelled my trip because I was afraid that I would miss Drew’s phone calls. I was right, I barely spoke to him, we went an entire month without speaking. It was hard, but I learned a lot about myself and our relationship. After returning to Canada, I went into a French Immersion program at UdeM, in Montreal. During my last week of school there, Drew informed me that he would be on his way home the first week of August. I drove the 9hrs to New Brunswick to meet him. As he marched out, I was tearing up so bad, that I couldn’t keep my eyes focused. And I’ll never forget when the officer commanding yelled out “dismissed!” Drew came rushing at me with tears in his eyes, and all of a sudden everyone and everything around us just disappeared, just for second. We just hugged, then I grabbed his hand and said “let’s go HOME!” Our reunion was short, 2 days later I returned to Montreal to finish up exams. I couldn’t wait to get back to New Brunswick.
I am so proud of him, and I am so proud to be with him. I think it takes a certain type of person to do the job he does. He is my hero and my inspiration. About a month and a half after Drew came home, we found out that we were expecting. What a shock that was!! After a good and normal pregnancy, we welcomed our precious little Jasmine, on May 1st, 2008. She is the best thing that ever happened to us, we are so happy and blessed to have our family. During delivery I suffered a complete seperation of my synphysis pubis, it usually stretches, but my liagaments completely let loose. I couldn’t walk on my own. It took about 3 weeks to walk with walker and about 3 months to feel almost back to normal.
Lucky for me, Drew is truly one of a kind, he’s a great soldier, a loving spouse and a wonderful father. I thank God everyday for all that he has blessed me with. Our relationship has grown so strong, I often compare it to a palm tree swaying in hurricane force winds, and when all is said and done, and the buildings around us have collapsed, the palm tree still stands, strong and ready for the next big hit.”
