Vallee Family

The Vallee family lived in Bermuda for four years before moving back to Canada. Since leaving the Island two years ago, they have returned for a family holiday each winter and each time have booked a session with me. The first one was a rainy shoot at Stonehole Bay. Last March, we went to the Botanical Gardens in howling winds and clouds, and this year we chose Grape Bay as our location since it is where the couple used to go when they were expecting. The boys adore to walk barefoot on the sand and run in the shallow waters, splashing everywhere.



Both of the boys were born in Bermuda and Felix is now four years old and Maxim is three. They are the best of friends and play together all the time.



Felix loved missing a few weeks of school so that he could spend time with his little brother in Bermuda. He is sweet, gentle and always smiling. He adores teaching Maxim the things that he has learned at school and wants to help all the time.



Maxim is a little character and such a happy little chappy. He worships his big brother and misses having him around when Felix is at school.



I was on the phone with the Vallees several times on the day of the shoot, monitoring this mad weather we have been having and finally made the call to move the shoot earlier. On the drive to the beach, it started to rain so I rang the family to suggest we put it off. But they were on their way too and decided rain or shine, they wanted to go for it. I tried to explain that the colours are never as vibrant, eyes look hooded and the results from a beach shoot under cloud cover is never as successful as a sunny one. The Vallees insisted they didn't mind and so I kept driving, sad that for the third year in a row, they had an overcast day for their family photo.



Half way through the session, the clouds lifted and it turned into the most unexpectedly lovely afternoon. The colours of the sea became vibrant and the reflected hazy light from the sands was soft. I was in heaven and so grateful they had encouraged me to take a risk on the weather - what did they know that myself and www.weather.bm did not?















Maxim could not come to Bermuda without his beloved bear, Bebe Toutou. I always feel bringing personal items just makes the shoot.







These shots of Maxim being thrown up are priceless - I cannot believe how high into the air he flew - he was fearless as long as he held his teddy.



Felix had that extra year on Maxim and the whole awareness of what could happen has already kicked in so he was not nearly so keen to be hurled into space in the same manner. Spinning still was fun though.







Love how the water mark on their trousers creeps higher and higher as the afternoon goes on.







They tucked into these beautiful apples hungrily.





Good thing the cupcakes were hidden, or they might not have devoured the apples in quite the same manner.









Thank you all for encouraging me to do the shoot despite the weather - it was so worth it - see you next year! xxx