Pictured by Petara

Lyndon & Erika | Part 1

2011-09-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

Someday I will stop posting soooo many pictures per post - but that day is not today! Going through Lyndon and Erika's beautiful wedding day's photos, it is so hard to narrow them down, I am just so excited to share some highlights with you. The day was filled with love, laughter, tears and so much joy. I enjoyed every moment. Except when I locked my keys and camera in my car during portraits. Not that part - but the wedding party was great even through that! Aaaaaah...anyways - part 1 of the beautiful wedding day of Lyndon and Erika. A big thanks to the talented Amanda Oliver for getting the awesome shots of the guys in the morning!
Many more photos to follow!

Marco and Sarah ~ Part 3 ~ Portraits

2011-08-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

I had SO much fun shooting these portraits from Marco and Sarah's July wedding, and there are sooooo many cool shots to share, I just couldn't narrow it down to a few...so here's...well - lots. Thanks to Sarah and Marco for allowing me to be part of this day, and to the wedding party for being so fun! The day just felt so incredibly happy - a pleasure to capture. So at long last - here are the portraits!

Marco and Sarah ~ Part 2 ~ The Ceremony

2011-08-08T23:00:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Marco had a BEAUTIFUL day for their July wedding and I was SO honoured to photograph it! A big thank you to my extremely talented and amazing friend Shalea Priebe who came out all the way from BC to shoot this wedding with me (and so quickly after returning from East Africa). She got many of the awesome shots from the day! VERY fun portraits to come, keep an eye here, I'll post them soon...and don't forget to check out "Part 1" below.
A big congratulations to Marco and Sarah, and your beautiful son, as well! So happy for you.

Marco and Sarah ~ Part 1

2011-08-08T22:50:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for the biggest day of their lives...what fun!

Rusty & Erica

2011-07-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

It was an honour for me to do a mini-shoot of my brother and his wife and their lovely girls while on family vacation last week. Erica is a talented photographer herself, (check out hers site here), and I know how exciting it is to be on the other side of the camera for a change. It was fun doing lots of couple shots, too!
Love you guys, it was so fun spending the last few weeks with you!

Urban Family Shoot

2011-07-05T22:55:00.000-07:00

I so enjoyed spending the evening with this mother and children fam - what a lovely bunch! These beautiful children were so incredibly fun and sweet, and mom Amber even brought me an iced tea...that definitely puts her in the running for one of my best clients ever. ;)Enjoy the sneak peek and thank you for your patience, after a long and crazy month here they finally are!

Engagement - Marco and Sarah

2011-06-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

It was such a pleasure to spend the evening photographing the soon-to-be married Marco and Sarah recently! Nothing brings me more joy than capturing this kind of love! They were so much fun and up for anything - I am so thrilled for you two and can't wait to photograph your beautiful wedding next month! Here's a few of my favourites from your engagement session...

Newborn Noah

2011-05-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

I have so been enjoying my last few sessions especially, partly because I finally bit the bullet and bought all brand-spanking-new equipment, and partly because I've had awesome clients!
So here is the precious baby Noah, as promised in my last post of the maternity shoot. He was an absolute dream to photograph, beside being just plain adorable! A big congrats to the new mom and dad Dave and Nicole, you are a beautiful family!

Maternity Session - Dave and Nicole

2011-05-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a little while since I've posted, I've had a little vacation time off, but stay tuned for many photo shoots coming up! Dave and Nicole were just beaming with excitement for their expected little one when we did this shoot, and now they are holding a precious newborn son in their arms. Check back for an upcoming newborn session! Thanks Dave and Nicole for choosing me to capture such an exciting time in your lives and congrats on your new son!

Kurt and Bobbi + 3...

2011-04-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

So here they are again, with baby number three...the adorable little Jack. When I did this shoot with Kurt and Bobbi, Jack was just over 4 pounds, and soooo sweet! It was so fun getting shots of all these little ones....oh my - ever heard of "Irish twins"? Well, here we have a case of "Irish triplets", 3 kids 2 and under! But Kurt and Bobbi do it so well.
The next photos I'll be posting of this crew will be of their wedding down in Mexico in just 4 weeks...I can't WAIT!!!

Urban Shoot - Sheila

2011-03-09T12:15:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember the beautiful and talented Sheila from our last shoot some time ago, this time we did a urban shoot for her new album! Sheila is crazy musically talented and it is such an honour for me to do the photography to represent her work! Here's just a few favourites from that session.

Baby Kael

2011-02-06T23:27:00.000-08:00

So here is the darling baby boy promised from the previous maternity post - little Kael! It was such a joy to photograph this new family and see our friends Matt and Heather so in love with their son. Here's a few favourites...

Maternity Portraits - Matt & Heather

2011-01-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

The holidays have come to a close - hope you all enjoyed your Christmas as much as I did!
I squeezed in this maternity session in the busy fall time with a promise to get to it after Christmas - so here's the "sneak peek"...funny as this little one has already been born. Stay tuned for the newborn pictures to follow shortly!
A big congrats to our dear friends Matt and Heather on a beautiful pregnancy, and a beautiful baby boy!...stay tuned!

The Bengerts

2010-12-05T21:36:00.000-08:00

At long last I get to post this beautiful family's portraits! Thanks so much to the Bengerts for your patience with me with these being so behind...I guess if anyone understands the roadbumps and delays that come with having little ones you would! :)
I SO enjoyed photographing this gorgeous fam - big sister Alexa and little heartbreaker Joel made my job more than easy, giving me lots of smiles and being so cheerful!
Enjoy the sneak peek!

Engagement Session - Lyndon & Erika

2010-11-11T15:44:00.000-08:00

I LOVE doing engagement sessions...it is just so fun trying to capture the unique connection between a couple madly in love...and Lyndon and Erika were no exception! These two were so fun, I enjoyed this session so much and am looking forward to shooting the big day next summer! Enjoy the sneak peek!

The Grasleys

2010-10-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

I LOVE photographing these guys, my kids' "other family". Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without Ruth who is like a second mama to my kids. The Grasleys are such an amazing family, and their 3 beautiful girls were SUCH great sports during this shoot even though it was getting quite chilly and they were all struggling with colds. Nothing like the promise of sprinkled donuts at the end of the sesison, though, to keep the smiles coming. :)
Enjoy the sneak peek, guys - hope to have captured even a tiny bit of all of your beauty!

The Porfoun Family

2010-10-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

I am so enjoying these fall sessions - although it's a little crazy with bookings, I am loving photographing all these wonderful families and couples in this gorgeous scenery! So stay tuned for many, many more posts!

Ken, Sonja, and their 3 beautiful kids were such a delight! It was such a breeze capturing all the love between these guys because it was 100% organic - love that! Little Mattia loves horses, so this session was a custom fit just for her. :) Enjoy the sneak peek!

The Houstons

2010-10-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

This beautiful family was such a pleasure to be with. Their gorgeous little girl Kyra (I LOVE that name!) was born just days before my son, we were in the hospital at the same time but didn't know it! Can you believe Jill just had a baby?! What a gorgeous mom! And big brother Asher was such a sweetheart, and a breeze to photograph - not common with toddlers, that's for sure. Here's a few of this beautiful, loving family...

Don & Leslie

2010-09-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

I had SUCH a blast photographing these two! This lovely lady is actually Bobbi's mom (who's session is posted below this one). Easy to see where Bobbi gets her beauty from. :)
Don and Leslie had so many great ideas for this shoot and were up for anything - I LOVE that! They are world travelers and I think I caught them somewhere between a trip to China and a trip to Mexico. I honestly have so many great shots of them, it was hard to just put up a few - but here you go - thanks for the great time!

Kurt & Bobbi's Crew

2010-09-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

You may remember this beautiful family of four that I photographed earlier this year from THIS shoot, it was surprising then how close their two little ones were in age, and believe it or not Bobbi is 5 month pregnant in this shoot with their 3rd (well, not hard to believe when you look at THIS earlier shoot when she was 8 months pregnant with her 2nd...where she carries these babies I have no idea!)! We've all had a good chuckle over the idea of having 3 kids 2 and under...well, maybe it was just me chucking! :)
But in all seriousness I am so thrilled for their next bundle of joy, and clearly they are also. Congrats on your beautiful, growing family Bobbi and Kurt - thanks for allowing me to capture you!

Extended Family Portraits - The Kiebels

2010-09-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

We were lucky this past weekend to finish this shoot just minutes before the rain came pouring down! I so enjoyed photographing the Kiebels and loved the western theme, something I haven't done before! I got so many great family shots of this bunch, but here's just a few. Thanks to the family for choosing me to capture "ya'll" (couldn't resist)!

Introducing my new son!

2010-08-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

He's finally here - Desmond Arthur Panabaker; our precious son was born on July 17th weighing in at a whopping 9lbs 2oz! Just like his big brother, Desmond decided to wait as long as possible, I was induced at 9 days over and he arrived safe and sound the following day. We are all absolutely thrilled! I intended on posting photos of Desmond much earlier - he's already a month old - but life with a newborn and a toddler is proving to be quite time consuming. :)

A big thank you to friends and family for all the support, meals and gifts - we are so blessed!

I intend on posting more photos of Desmond and his very proud big brother Malakai soon, as well I begin photography sessions again within the next month, so stay tuned for all of that!

I am now booked solid until December, please contact me if you are interested in winter or spring bookings!

Goodbye... and Hello (soon) to Baby!

2010-06-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

I'm officially done photography for now and waiting for baby! I'm due in 3 weeks but hoping this little one will arrive a tad early before my parents head to Africa, but who knows!
I just had to share these photos taken by the crazy talented Joey Boylan from Fuze Photography! She was kind enough to do these portraits of me and my belly a few weeks ago; I am so grateful for her time and talent, and have learned a lot from her.
Please stay tuned for photos of my little one when he/she arrives, as well as a few sessions that I have throughout the summer, and of course starting again full force in fall. I still have a few openings for November and December, so if anyone is interested in getting portraits done for Christmas, email me!
Otherwise this is my last post as a mother of one...thank you all for sticking with me and for your fabulous feedback and business!

Noel, Janelle & Kids

2010-06-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

It was a race against time for our shoot with Noel and Janelle and their beautiful kids Aiden and Payton on Saturday. We had a small window when the rain held out and we got these shots before we got dumped on, but I'm super happy with what we got...the brewing showers gave us the most beautiful backdrop! What a lovely family - they were such great sports and the kids were so brave feeding the geese who became a tad hostile. :) Thanks for a great time, guys - enjoy the sneak peek!

Extended Family - Marilyn & Crew

2010-06-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

I was so happy I was able to get in Marilyn's family session before my break...Marilyn is a great family friend and I was so pleased to capture her as the 'matriarch' of this clan in celebration of her 60th Birthday! Not only is Marilyn an amazing woman and friend, she just took over The Cocoa Bean cafe in Redcliff...you MUST go there and try her amaaaaaazing cinnamon buns...seriously!
Enjoy the sneak peek!

Family Portraits - The Stevens

2010-05-20T20:51:00.000-07:00

I so enjoyed my time with Dave, Amy and adorable little Breyden this last weekend! I just snapped away while this beautiful little family played down by the river - what a joy to see them interact and the love between them all! So many fun pictures...here's just a few...enjoy the sneak peek!

Gearing Down...

2010-05-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm starting to slow down now with Photography as my due date is just over 8 short weeks away (Eeeek!). Thank you all for your interest and support of my business, I do have just a few more sessions before I'm calling it quits, so stay tuned to my blog for those. I am planning on picking up photography again in the fall (at a slower pace to begin with) and am pretty well booked until November. Please contact me to book Winter sessions!
Although I don't normally share personal photos here, I thought I'd share a shot Rob took on our "Mothers Day Walk" this morning!

Grad Portraits - Mandi

2010-05-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

I had a blast photographing Mandi in her beautiful grad dress this weekend! We had a beautiful cloudy day (oh how I love the look of a threatening sky), thankfully the rain held off so we could get lots of great shots - lots of Mandi, her boyfriend and grad date Evan, and even some shots with her wonderful family. It was so hard to pick just a few for the sneak peek...but here it is, congrats on your upcoming Graduation, Mandi!

Engagement Portraits - Kevin & Stephanie

2010-04-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

I've had so much fun playing with these pictures from Kevin and Steph's engagement shoot today... I just couldn't stop, so I decided to stay up late and get up the sneak peek!
We had fun trying out some new ideas and locations, starting at a laundromat and eventually trespassing on some land (shhhh!). It was CRAZY windy and chilly, but Kevin and Stephanie did great and were very patient with me untill I was convinced we got enough!
I have known Stephanie for many years and will be very honoured to be a part of her wedding party for the big day next year! Congrats on the engagement guys!

Kristen and Jeremy's Wedding

2010-03-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

I had the great privelege of photographing Kristen and Jeremy's beautiful wedding day the other weekend. You may remember them from their engagement shoot we did last fall. What a fun and wonderful couple - I am so happy for them and so enjoyed capturing their funky style! Also a HUGE thank you to my friend and fellow photographer Melissa for helping me throughout the day, which was a huge asset to me being 6 months pregnant! For a peek at a few of her shots from the day click here.
A big congrats to the newlyweds, thanks for choosing me to capture your day!

Snatch up the last spot!

2010-02-24T13:15:00.000-08:00

I litterally only have 2 last dates available for sessions this Spring/Summer, as I'm shutting down shop for a few months as of June, while we welcome our next little bundle of joy into the world this July.
If you've been considering getting portaits done, I have 2 spots left, both in the month of April. If you want to snatch up a last spot, email me ASAP at: petarajh@hotmail.com .
Once they're booked I'm done taking bookings untill Fall! ...Save for some portraits of my newborn of course, which I will proudly share! :)
*Update* Now completely booked untill fall. Thank you to clients for acting fast! I will be taking limited sessions starting in September; email me to book your shoot.

Lana & Derek

2010-02-15T21:13:00.000-08:00

The other weekend my friend Carla's mom, Lana, celebrated her 50th birthday! As a surprise Carla gave her this photoshoot with her husband Derek as a gift, and at the end of the shoot had me lead them to her surprise party at the Esplenade where friends and family were waiting! What a creative birthday surprise - a wonderful way to celebrate I think.
I so enjoyed photographing these two - there is no shortage of spark there, a joy to see in couples at all stages of their journey together!
Thanks for the great time you guys, and happy 50th Lana!

Welcome Baby Luke!

2010-02-01T21:47:00.001-08:00

Less than 2 months ago I photographed Bobbi and Abigail, and now I'm so excited to introduce the newest addition to the family, Luke. Luke was born on Friday. Yes, just last Friday...Bobbi's one amazing woman! So this adorable, tiny little man is only 3 days old in these pictures...melted my heart! Being around him makes me so incredibly excited to have my own newborn again soon!
So without further ado - here's the whole beautiful family, Bobbi, Kurtis, Abigail, and of course Luke! Congratulations on your beautiful son you guys!

Valentine's Day Special!

2010-01-19T13:28:00.000-08:00

Wondering what to do for your man for Valentine's Day this year? How about a gorgeous picture of YOU?
I am offering a short photo-shoot with 3 fully cosmetically edited beautiful photographs of you, and each image professionally printed as 5x7's for $80.00. And when I say 'cosmetic editing' I mean the full cover-girl magazine style look...hey - if the stars can do it why can't we?! You may also order additional prints if you desire.
This offer is available for a few short weeks with limited space, so book soon! Email me at: petarajh@hotmail.com or phone me at: 403-527-9980.

The Prince Family

2010-01-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

This family was such a blast to photograph, I so enjoyed capturing the love between them - parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, grandkids, newlyweds...what a group! I have SO many pictures from this shoot and many more I would've liked to post - but I guess with such a big group it would be a tad lengthy. :) Thanks for a great time, you guys - enjoy the sneak peek!

Newlyweds - Zoe & Jacques

2010-01-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

Thanks to modern-day technology I was able to whitness my good friend Zoe's wedding live a few months ago on the internet as her and her new husband, Jacques, got married above Central Park in New York City. So when the new couple came home for Christmas (Zoe's home...Jacques is from France) I was so excited to meet this guy and do a mini-shoot to celebrate! Congrats again you guys - SO SO SO happy for you!

The Nicholsons

2009-12-28T23:13:00.000-08:00

The Nicholsons wanted to take advantage of family being around at Christmas and we had a picture-perfect day for the session! Fresh snow had fallen leaving beautiful hoar frost on the trees...it was still 20 below, but WOW was little Linden a sport in the cold. We had to get these shots in bits and pieces to allow my camera (and our noses) to warm up. A beautiful and loving family, an honour for me to photograph! Enjoy the sneak peek...I couldn't decide which ones to post and ended up posting...well...a lot!
SIDE NOTE: I am now completely booked for the next few months and am taking bookings for April. For spring sessions or Grad Portraits, email me asap to snatch up spots!

Beautiful Mommy & Daughter

2009-12-18T14:24:00.000-08:00

Bobbi Jo and I go waaaay back, and I was so honoured to photograph her and her little cutie, Abigail. I've been editing some of these shoots a little out of order - I shot this one in November before winter graced us with it's presence. Although it is hard to tell in these photos, Bobbi Jo is expecting a little boy in January...crazy, I know...very unlike myself who is 3 months pregnant but look like I'm 6! :)
Although I have a few shoots coming up, I am taking off some holiday time and am taking bookings again starting at the end of January/beginning of February. Merry Christmas all, may you have a blessed holiday with friends and family!

The Hubers

2009-12-05T23:51:00.000-08:00

Fabian, Nikki and their two beautiful little girls were such a joy to photograph on a chilly weekend - they put up with the cold so well and were great sports with the icy stairwell I so wanted to use! It's always such an honour to capture the beautiful love between a family...my favourite part of this job. After getting outdoor shots we warmed up inside and got some really sweet festive ones of the girls in a greenhouse. Here's a peek to tie you over, guys!

Barb's Family

2009-11-27T22:48:00.000-08:00

First of all a big apology to my recent clients who have been waiting patiently for their sneak peeks and photos, an unexpected move for us has put me a little behind...but I'm working hard to get caught up! :)

On to this beautiful family...
Gorgeous Barb and her children Colton and Avery were such a joy to photograph! In the midst of a very cold and windy day these two little ones were great sports and were so natural with the camera it was easy getting shot after shot of them! Enjoy the sneak peek and thanks for your patience...

The Jollymores

2009-11-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

I've known the Jollymores for years and actually used to be Kaitlyn and Ben's youth leader once upon a time...so it was really cool for me to see them a bit more "grown up", and capture this wonderful family! I was able to get a ton of great shots, in spite of a very cold and windy afternoon (thanks for being such great sports you guys), a tough choice to narrrow it down to the sneak peek!

The Boylans

2009-11-07T07:53:00.000-08:00

John and Joey Boylan, both extremely talented photographers, gave me the opportunity to photograph them using thier equipment the other weekend. It's the first time I've ever used studio lighting and I loved it! It was great to learn from them and get some great shots, too. Thanks for the opportunity you guys! (Oooh, but now I have a bad case of camera lust)...

Engagement Portraits - Jeremy & Kristin

2009-10-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

I had a blast photographing Jeremy and Kristin this last weekend! They are such a fun couple who were up for anything - wandering in back alleys, dancing in the phone booth, lying in the cold, damp grass...! I got so many cool shots it was tough narrowing it down to the sneak peek - but here it is, guys...really excited to shoot your wedding in March!

The Gustafsons

2009-10-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day we had last weekend to photograph the beautiful Gustafson family! Chris and Andra have been great friends to us, and it has been an honour to photograph their two children Owen and Sadie as they grow, remember this little newbie? ... And Owen was my first "model" when I started getting into photography just over two years ago - wow does time fly! I love doing portraits this time of year, nature is the perfect canvas right now...enjoy the sneak peek you guys.

Kayla and Dave's Wedding

2009-10-19T06:40:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I helped my friend (and talented photographer) Melissa photograph the ceremony and some of the portraits of Kayla and Dave's wedding in Prelate, Saskatchewan. I am convinced that having two photographers is the only way to go for a wedding, especially the ceremony. I thought I'd share just a few of my shots from the day, keep an eye on Melissa's blog for more! Congratulations to the beautiful and happy couple, it was an honour to be a part of the day.

The Matheson Family

2009-10-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

Lisa and Kelly braved six degree weather with their little ones this last weekend for this shoot, and wow did they do great! Little Alexa and Caleb are so incredibly cute, I had a lot of fun getting these shots of them while trying to stay warm. A beautiful family, a pleasure to photograph...enjoy the sneak peek!

Kevin & Tina's Crew

2009-10-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

I'm so used to photographing families with little kids, so it was fun to mix it up a bit with the Steinke's and their teens! We had a beautiful evening on the river at dusk, and what a beautiful and fun family! It's always a blessing for me to see the unique interaction of families and a challenge to try to capture that. Thanks, Steinkes for the opportunity to capture you guys! Enjoy the sneak peek...

The Zemp Sisters

2009-09-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

I had such a blast following Abigail and Elisabeth around all morning and capturing their unique friendship. It's so fun for me to see these girls grow up, their mom Sarah and I were 'bff' since grade 6, so now it's like doing that all over again. We got so many fun shots, starting at a cafe downtown and ending at the church, with lots of fun in between! Enjoy your sneak peek!

James & Kelly ~Part I

2009-09-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

On September 12th I had the honour of photographing the incredible event of James and Kelly's wedding. It was a gorgeous day, a stunning bride, an adoring groom, a beautiful ceremony, and an extremely fun wedding party...you couldn't ask for more! And it should be noted that a few of these images were taken by the extremely talented Joey Boylan
who I was lucky enough to have her share her talent with me that day.
I know I've said this before, but it was extremely difficult for me to choose the images for the sneak peek, there are so many great shots that will make a beautiful album for the bride and groom. There are three posts, don't miss the ones below! Thanks to James & Kelly for choosing me to capture this incredible day!

James & Kelly ~Part II~ The Ceremony

2009-09-21T12:08:00.001-07:00

James & Kelly ~Part III~ Portraits

2009-09-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Engagement Portraits - Cyle & Ashley

2009-08-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

This session was such a blast! Cyle and Ashley are an amazing couple, it's been such an honour getting to know them. We had a great evening letting the sparks fly in the midst of hubcaps and the setting sun...I got so many cool shots it was really hard to pick which ones to post. Enjoy the sneak peek - I look forward to shooting Cyle and Ashley's wedding next year!

Tim & Melissa's Beautiful Family

2009-08-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

Hmmm...I'm realizing now I may have gone slightly overboard with the amount of pictures I am posting from this shoot...but it was so hard to stop! Wow, such a beautiful family! Tim and Melissa are great friends of ours, and Melissa being a photographer (side note - a pretty amazing one), rarely ends up on the other side of the camera with her family. So it was an honour for me to be the one to capture her with her husband and two beautiful girls, Bella and Bree. A beautiful evening - a beautiful family! Enjoy the sneak peek!

Couple Session - Greg & Ana

2009-08-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

I met Ana years ago and it was great to catch up with her and meet her boyfriend, Greg, this past weekend! What a fun (and good looking I might add) couple - we had a great time trying out some new ideas and locations. They both got pretty good at maneuvering shopping carts by the end... I got so many fun pictures - but here's just a peek!

Sheila

2009-08-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

It was such an honour for me to meet and photograph Sheila, a musician who booked this promotional shoot. What an incredibly beautiful woman, inside and out. We had a lot of fun together getting these shots - she dared to say those magical words I love to hear..."I'm up for anything!" I was super excited to try out some new ideas, so at the end of the shoot I convinced her to go for a dip fully clothed...I think I'm in love with the results! Here's a few...

The Deshamps

2009-07-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

My good friend Carla, her husband Trent and his siblings booked this shoot as a surprise for their parents' wedding anniversary gift...very cool I think. We had a beautiful evening, although I think some of us thought we might need a blood transfusion after we stumbled upon what was obviously a misquito breeding ground. Ouch. I guess sometimes you have to shed a little blood for good pictures...hahaha, enjoy the sneak peek!

Brian & Doran's Wedding ~Part 1~ The Ceremony

2009-07-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

I was very honoured to capture the beautiful event of Brian and Doran's wedding, which took place in Banff several weeks ago. Doran is Rob's aunt, so it was even more special for me to photograph the happiness and intimacy of family I love so much. It was an amazing day from start to finish, the happy couple radiated joy and beauty! There is a series of three posts, don't miss the pictures below! Enjoy!

Brian & Doran's Wedding ~Part 2~ Portraits

2009-07-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

Brian & Doran's Wedding ~Part 3~ The Reception

2009-07-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

Beth and Colin's Crew

2009-07-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to share these pictures of my aunt and uncle and their three amazing kids! Beth and Colin live in Tanzania, East Africa, and were able to make it here for my bro's wedding the other week. We prayed and prayed that papers would come through for little Franky to come, too, whom they are in the process of adopting... and God came through. What a great time it's been! You'll notice I just had to get a shot of the girls in their beautiful Tanzanian sandals (which are all the rage in our family). Enjoy the pictures, I hope they reflect the beauty of this amazing family!

Mark & Ruth's Clan

2009-07-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

Our good friends Mark and Ruth wanted to take advantage of both sets of their parents in town for a visit, so we did a photo-shoot of all of them together. Wow, those three little girls are loved by a lot of people! We had a great time- Emma, Shophia and little Rachel were dolls...as always!

The Wall Family

2009-06-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

We had a gorgeous morning down by the river on Saturday for the Wall's session! This beautiful family is so special to us, and it was such a privilege for me to do their portraits! Mike and Melanie are incredible parents to their three daughters, Kenadee, Nadine and Karys. What a joy they were!

Sherry and Olivia

2009-06-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

This radiant mother and daughter were such a joy to photograph this past weekend! Olivia was the perfect baby - so happy and all smiles! Her mommy had so many cute little outfits for her, we had lots of fun getting these shots! Lately it seems that I've been on a boy-streak with photographing families, so this was fun for me to try to capture the feminine beauty of these two!

Extended Family Session - The Hildebrands

2009-06-08T12:32:00.000-07:00

Booked in advance, I had the perfect location planned for this extended family's shoot, but who knew it would snow in June?! It's a good thing my new flash came in last week, we found a nice indoor location and worked with what we had. The Hildebrands (no relation to myself...although it is a Mennonite name, so you never really know) were great sports. The kids did fantastic, considering they were cooped up with me all morning. Thanks for your patience you guys, and for being such great models!

Beautiful Sarah

2009-06-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

I had a blast doing a mini birthday-shoot for my good friend, Sarah, this weekend. We did the session at sun-down, and I am in love with the results! So much beauty- the sunset, the water, and of course the subject herself!
As a sidenote - I am convinced that this may be the coolest gift ever...I am thinking of putting together a gift-package of a mini photo-shoot with 6 or 7 fully edited images for a reasonabe price. What woman wouldn't want to get decked out and have gorgeous pictures taken of her?! After all, we're just little girls grown up!

Announcements and Invitations

2009-05-28T14:02:00.001-07:00

I offer announcements and invitations for any occasion you can think of. I never work from templates - all of my announcement designs are from scratch - as unique as you are! Wedding invitations, birth announcements, Christmas cards, missionary support cards, party invites...you dream it, I can design it. I can work with pictures you already have, or offer packages with photo-shoots using my photography.
Contact me for rates or ideas for your own announcement!
(The following announcements are all designed by myself, the photography was done myself unless stated otherwise.)

Photography submitted for design by Erica Hildebrand

Photography courtesy of Melissa Ann Photography

Photography submitted for design, courtesy of Photography by Megan

The Panabaker Boys

2009-05-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

While enjoying the sunshine at the park today, we did a mini-shoot of my hubby Rob, our son Malakai, Rob's brother Tim, and his two sons Calum and Brendan. A good looking bunch of men I'd say!

Custom Art - New Love, New Hope

2009-05-19T12:37:00.001-07:00

This custom art piece was commissioned by my friend, Sandi, a little while ago, and I realized that I never posted it. This was Sandi's gift to her friend who recently adopted a baby from Ethiopia. African adoption is something very close to my heart, after our time spent in Africa and the devastation of orphans that we saw first hand, we have hopes to go down this path ourselves someday. So this was an exciting project for me to take on!
This piece was done as an 8x10 using oil pastel.

I am not taking on additional custom art orders for the time being, as my time is quite spoken for during the next several months. Thank you to those of you who have been inquiring, though, and please stay tuned for when that may change.

And for those of you who are interested, prints of The Bride of Christ are available, contact me for more information.

The Besplugs

2009-05-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

During my session with the Besplugs this weekend we did a combination of nature shots and urban funkiness - complete with Nola asking a random (and sketchy I might add) stranger if we could use his very cool car! Nola and Ryan are a blast, and little Madden is a heartbreaker! I aimed to capture even a little bit of the personality this family of three oozes!

The Baxters

2009-05-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

In the midst of a rainy stretch we were blessed with a morning of sunshine for the Baxter family's portraits this weekend! Todd (who is a very talented photographer himself), his wife Bonnie, and their two adorable sons Ronan and Canyon, were such a pleasure!

Sadie Jane

2009-05-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the honour of photographing our friends Chris and Andra's 3 week old daughter, Sadie Jane. What a beautiful girl! It feels like it's been a little while since I've done newborn photography and I enjoyed every minute of it - she was such a doll!

And of course I could not pass up taking a few shots of Sadie's adorable big brother, Owen, while I was out there!

Crystal and her Boys

2009-04-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

It's getting close to Mother's Day and I enjoyed doing another recent Mother and children session! Crystal Major and her beautiful sons, Blake and Chaise were a blast to photograph - the bond between the three of them is very apparent. Crystal is such a great mom - and the boys were so fun. A beautiful little family!

Custom Art - Bride of Christ

2009-04-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

This piece was commissioned by my uncle Terry to take to his church in Mongolia where he was a missionary for many years. It is based on Ephesians 5:
"...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."
It's hard to tell with a small size of the picture (it was done as a 16x20) but making up the dress of the bride are people from around the world, from different tribes and cultures - the universal church.

This was done in "mixed medium" - everything I could get my hands on to achieve the look I wanted - charcoal, pencil and oil pastel.

I hope it encourages the church in Mongolia!

Mommy & Son session - Elina and Brendan

2009-04-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed photographing my sister in law and her son the other day. They had a great time playing and laughing together- the love between them is very evident and fun to capture!

Engagement Portraits - Ricky and Aoi

2009-04-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

It was hard to decide which few pictures to put up here - this was such a great session! We had a blast and Ricky and Aoi were great sports - it's so awesome when a couple has so much fun together! They will make an amazing husband and wife - wedding this July.

Petara Panabaker - Medicine Hat Photographer

2000-01-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

Contact:

Questions? For more information or to book your session, email me at: petaraphoto@hotmail.com.

About Me:

I am both an Artist and a Photographer, and I aspire to bring elements of fine art into my photography to create truly unique images of you and your loved ones!
I have a thirst for life, fun, beauty and adventure...and it is such a joy for me to capture these things through photography. I have always had a love for the camera, and after experiencing so many joys in my own life - travelling, falling in love, living with a traditional tribe in East Africa, becoming a mother...I have learned the value in immortalizing these moments in creative heirloom pictures.

I'm an on-location, natural light photographer. I photograph people and events. Contact me with your questions and ideas!

2011 Photography Rates:

Portrait Photography (family*, baby, couples, etc) - $250.00
Includes actual photography session, full editing and stylization, and the CD with all edited images at full resolution for your printing freedom.

*Rate includes family up to 5 people, add $25 for each additional person after that.
Wedding Packages ranging from $1500 to $2200 (inquire by email for further details)
Price varies based on amount of day coverage, travelling, etc.
All Wedding Packages include an album of your day with all edited images professionally printed as 4x6's. Also included is the CD with 200 fully edited images at full resolution to do with what you please. Professionally bound leather album avaivable for upgrade.