My Furry Valentine Fundraiser

During this holiday filled with love, I wanted to make sure some very special folk did not get forgotten!

As many of you know I am an avid animal lover and I love to help out local rescues as much as and whenever I am able to.  So to help spread some love, I am doing a mini fundraiser to help out some pets at our local rescue!

Information:

DATES:  Feb. 12 & 13th 2012

LOCATIONS:  Feb 12 - Snicket Park - Sechelt

Feb 13 - Winegarden Park - Gibsons

TIMES:  11am-4pm

COST:  $15.00 - $10.00 of which goes directly to the SPCA Sunshine Coast

This includes the shoot as well as an 8x10 Photo of your session!

YOU MUST RSVP & BOOK IN ADVANCE SO I KNOW WHO, HOW MANY, WHEN AND WHERE PEOPLE WILL BE PARTICIPATING!  

Please be sure to dress for the weather and to bring one of their favourite toys and a few treats to help motivate and soothe them into cooperating.  Also please leave enough time you are not feeling rushed because animals sometimes do not do things on our schedule and have to be continuously re-motivated and soothed. I want this to be a great experience for both you and your pet and those little tips will really help with that.  

So be sure to spread the word & RSVP/Book now and help some very special animals feel some extra love this Valentine's Day!

Valentines Day Contest Bonanza!

Love is in the air and to help celebrate, I have not one, not two, but THREE very special contests to kick things off with! (you can click the photos below to read the full sized photos).  Rules for all 3 include:

1) You must be local to the Sunshine Coast due to the prize.

2) Entry Deadline is no later than Feb. 13 2012 at midnight PST

3) All entries MUST have photos & be emailed to me

4)  All winners will be announced Feb. 14 2012 here on my blog as well as on my website and will 

also be contacted via email.  

5) All entries will be posted on my facebook fan page for fans to help vote on who they think should win.

6) Please be sure to keep the entries Rated G!

CONTEST #1 - FOREVER LOVE CONTEST

~ Send in your entry via email (and don't forget to include a photo as well) of you and your significant other.

You can be dating, married or engaged it doesn't matter, but be sure to tell me the story of you and them, what you love about each other, how you met, why a photo shoot would mean so much and any other funny or interesting things that you think I should  know that would help me pick you as the winner!

Winner will receive: One outdoor 60 minute couples photo shoot with their significant other from their entry

CONTEST #2 - PET LOVE CONTEST

~For some of us, our special valentine is our special furry friends!  In the spirit of that special bond & love 

here is a contest for the pet owners out there!  Send your entry (along with a photo of you and your furry friend)  and tell me about you and your special furry friend, what makes your bond so special, why a photo shoot would mean so much to have done as well as any other fun things that would help me pick you as the winner! 

Winner will receive - One 60 minute outdoor pet photo session with their furry friend they wrote in about!

CONTEST #3 - SPECTACULAR SINGLES CONTEST!

For some, this time of year is not especially cheerful.  So, I could not forget to include some fun for my fellow singles out there to give them a reason to smile on this love-filled holiday.  

~Send me your entry (along with a photo of yourself) telling me what you enjoy & dislike about being single, a bit about yourself, why winning a photo shoot would brighten up your Valentines Day & any other fun things you think would help me choose you as the winner!  

Please note! For this contest there will be TWO winners - One lady and One gentleman will be chosen to win 

one 60 minute outdoor photo session each.

So what are you waiting for! There is a contest for every coaster around to have fun & celebrate this special holiday!  And don't forget to spread the love too and tell your friends and family to come by my page and vote for you too!  

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!!!

Stanley Park Photo Shoot!

As promised - for those on the mainland who were interested in a Vancouver Shoot - here is the information just for you! 

The dates available are:  February 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11th

The Session includes:

60 minute session with up to 4 subjects

1 8x10, 2 - 5x7's, 5 images on CD and

your choice of EITHER 5x7 Photo Plaque OR a 4.25x4.25 Photo Tile 

for $200.00

An RSVP is mandatory because it does take me 3 hrs to get from home to Stanley Park (which includes 2 buses and a ferry) so I need to be able to plan in advance for travel time.  The dates available are due to be wonderfully sunny and Stanley Park is ALWAYS a beautiful place to shoot with so many great options for locations inside the park! Be sure to BOOK NOW for this special shoot! 

Love Is In The Air.......

Now that the holidays are behind us, Love is in the Air here as we prepare for Valentine's Day!

We have many options available for all those Coastal Sweethearts here who would love to celebrate their love!  

Be sure this Valentines Day to capture those extra special moments with your extra special loved ones!

and be sure to check out our new look on the website & here on the blog....

We also have a new Gift Certificate available as well!

There are also new Valentines Day Print Packages to check out!

And some new Session Specials as well!

So be sure to book now and give your Sweethearts an extra special Valentine's Day Gift this year, 

One of memories to commemorate your love for many years to come!

New Year, New Adventure! Welcome 2012!

Well in mid December I finally made the big move to the Sunshine Coast in BC.  The journey from Medicine Hat, AB to Sechelt, BC was a very long, but beautiful trip that took us through some amazing scenery, including Banff National Park which was amazing.  I was bursting with glee and excitement as soon as I saw the ferry arrive and we boarded.  

 Banff National Park At Sunrise

Banff National Park At Sunrise

After many long hours in the car - it was fantastic to arrive at our new home and get to re-exploring!  I am madly in love with the ducks and the duck pond behind our home.....can you see why? 

It was also great to see the majestic trees upon our arrival that surround our new home as well!  

I arrived just in time for the chaos of the Holiday Season to begin!  It was fantastic to be able to spend some time with friends and family and get to reconnect with old friends and connect with some new ones too!

Oh Christmas Tree!

Roberts Creek, BC - Christmas Day 

  It was also amazing to see the ocean again as well!  I missed it so very much!

Sechelt, BC

I even did my first shoot on the Sunshine Coast for an amazing family of 18 wonderful members!  

As the clock struck 12 on New Years Eve, I couldn't believe how much had happened in 2011.  Last year I opened up my fan page & website - and took a deep breath and hoped for amazing things to happen.  2011 brought some amazing friendships (both human and canine), it brought sorrow, frustration & joy.  I learned so very much about my craft & myself and so much more as well.  As 2012 kicks off, I cannot wait to see what it will bring!

Now that the Holiday chaos is finally past us all, I look forward to meeting new people, reconnecting with more old friends again as well, helping those I can here on the Sunshine Coast, taking photos, making memories and capturing them as well.  I am looking very forward to the next page of fun which includes some special Valentines Day fun & more special scenic photos too for you all to enjoy!

To all of you, my family, friends and fans, thank you so very much for all the love, support and kindness you've shown me this first year in business.  You are amazing and I would not be here without you all!  

Here's to an amazing & prosperous 2012 for us all!

Tis The Season

Yep its that time again, or well, its coming anyhow lol  The Christmas Holiday Season is just around the corner - in fact its only 38 days away!  As the bedlam starts in search of the ever elusive and popular "perfect" Christmas Gifts, I wanted to add my two cents about this chaotic search.

This year be sure to get an extra special holiday gift!  Be sure to shop LOCAL! Be it a small book store, local crafter, photographer, pet supply store etc.  Be sure to spend your stashed holiday funds with them.  Why? Because those local small businesses help create jobs in YOUR towns.  They help create jobs, pay taxes & also most of them also GIVE BACK to their communities as well, so it comes back to you in its own special way.  As well, those hand made crafted gifts - they are extra special, taking extra time, thought & care in not only their creation but also in their purchase - and its guaranteed to pretty much be one of a kind & uniquely special.  Local photographers photos also look better and are able to work more with you on what you would like in a holiday photo and capture who you and your family really are - and if you have furkids - you can also include them in your fun Holiday Greetings as well; for often LESS than the price of a corporate giant who gives you the first tossed together pose and costs a TON more.  And as you shop at those local shops & crafty places or get your photos done etc, be sure to stop into those small diners/cafes  - you'll often get a better meal for the same price or cheaper and will get to actually sit down and spend some time with your family together.  Remember this money spent stays IN YOUR COMMUNITY and keeps a business running and puts food on the table, gas in the car etc. of a family in YOUR TOWN.  They pay taxes on their home, their business, spend money in other local shops and keep the cycle going, keeping the money, jobs etc. IN YOUR TOWN, not a corporate giants golden lined pockets.

The other part of this special post about the upcoming holiday season is extra special to me too. Its something I not only learned as a child,  but continue to do and encourage others to do.  The reason for the season is not greed or getting.  It is about spending time with those you love & GIVING.

With that in mind, be sure this season to GIVE BACK to your community as a family.  Be it giving your time helping out at a local food bank, soup kitchen, animal rescue group, fundraising, collecting toys etc.  or be it helping out in other ways like putting that loonie in the kettle, or picking one child from the giving tree who wont even HAVE a Christmas without your help; help a family in need by adopting a family food basket, send a Card or Gift Box to a soldier over seas away from their families for the Holidays, send a gift to a child stuck in the Hospital for the holidays, visit a Seniors Home & spend some time with a loving senior who may not have a family that comes to visit for the Holidays, or the number of other really great organizations that truly need your help.  Be Creative! Pick a cause and discuss as a family how you will choose to help them and why its so important to do so.  It is a lesson I promise will stick with your family for a lifetime.  And if you have a person on your list who is hard to shop for - do something in their name - like helping that child on the giving tree or donating money in their name.  There are a million great ways to GIVE this holiday season - it might seem like something small - but to those who receive the gifts you give - it means the world.  Some of my own special memories include always giving to the Giving Tree to children less fortunate & choosing one of our unwrapped gifts to go to them as well.  I learned very young its more important to GIVE, and is something I try to do year round now as well.  Its a lesson greatly cherished and well learned.

Another great thing to do is to spend TIME with those you love.  It might sound corny, but do some fun things, be it giving back, checking out Christmas lights, singing carols etc. Be sure to spend some extra special time with those you love. It might sound bleak, but spend it as if you didn't get another Christmas with them, and make it extra special.  We never know what the future holds and sadly sometimes we don't realize its our last Christmas we get to spend with those we love so create those extra special memories while you can.  Last year just after the holidays, I lost my father to Cancer, I know too well this lesson as well.  Create the memories while you can, you don't always get a second chance.  Children will not necc. remember the toys they got or the really awesome sweater - but they WILL remember the laughter and love shared during the holidays.  I know I still do.

Now, go forth and find those great extra special gifts from your LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES, GIVE BACK & SPEND SOME TIME WITH THOSE YOU LOVE as you get ready to celebrate the Christmas Holiday Season and have an extra spectacular Holiday Season this year.

*side note*
Since writing this article - I actually have added a special section to my website titled "TIS THE SEASON"
it has 3 sections - SHOP LOCAL, SPENDING TIME TOGETHER & HELPING OTHERS.  If you are local to the sunshine coast be sure to check it out for great local shops, artisans and more as well as a ton of great ideas on things to do together and great causes to help too this holiday season!  If you are not on the list - by all means be sure to give me a shout HERE and let me know and I will happily add your business, organization or great ideas to the page!

JM Oliver Photography is Going Coastal!

Well, its officially official!  As of December 01 2011 - JM Oliver Photography will be making the move to the Sunshine Coast of BC!!!  This was a difficult decision to make, but one I am very confident is the right choice for a number of reasons, both business & personal.  

As some of you know, I'm originally from the Pacific North West where I lived my entire life, until around 5 years ago when I came to the flat prairie lands of Alberta.  I have a lot of very old friends & family still on the coast whom I miss greatly and will be so excited to see! I also miss the coast and its smells, sights & sounds!  

For those who do not know where the Sunshine Coast of BC is, I've included maps below.  The white arrow is where I'll be moving to - Sechelt, BC! I've lived there before and it is simply breathtaking and I cannot wait to get there and start photographing!  You can check out more about both Sechelt, the city I will be moving to and also Gibsons where I'll be also spending a lot of time (its just a little ways away from Sechelt) visiting family & friends as well by clicking on their names which will take you to their websites.  

For those on the Sunshine Coast, here are some of the amazing Grande Opening, Referral & Holiday Specials I have cooked up for you all to enjoy!  So be sure to book quickly! They are limited time offers!

For those who are still in the Medicine Hat area - I do have some moving specials as well! So be sure to book them quickly because these specials have an expiration date of November 15th 2011!!!!!

Now I know some have also asked about what will happen to SOS whom I've been working with helping take photographs of and have really enjoyed working with!  I have found another great local photographer and friend of mine who I know is a PERFECT FIT for them - Renee from Striking Poses Photography!

I know she will work well with SOS & will enjoy working with & helping these amazing pups as much as I have! 

I will really miss so many of my friends that I have made here like, Kelly from La Crosse Photography, CJ from Southern Star Entertainment, Kathy & Ged from the Sheer Insanity Race Team,  Colleen from Henna Artistry by Colleen Garland, Renee from Striking Poses & Sharon from T's Treasures to name a few!  They have all promised to visit - so be sure to check them out and if you're local - be sure to keep them busy so they can be able to come visit me lots! 

So thats a little bit about my big announcement! Ill be adding more about my big move soon so be sure to keep your eyes peeled!