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Ten years ago i photographed Christine + Al's wedding at Deer Lake Park in this exact spot... across the water from the house Christine grew up in. Tragically, within weeks of their wedding, Christine lost her father. Shortly after, she also lost her mother.

Recently, on a trip back to Vancouver, Christine called on me to see if i could photograph her and Al with their children at Deer Lake Park. She wanted to surprise Al with a family photo session for their 10 year anniversary back at the place where their life together began.

It was so nice to see them again after all this time... to meet their wonderful children and to hear all about where life has taken them.

After our session, we hugged and promised to stay in touch and i left feeling full and grateful that i have a job where i can develop relationships with amazing people and have them span a decade!

After receiving the images from our session, Christine sent me this email:

"Leanne, I am absolutely speechless - the photos are amazing. I must've watched the slide show a hundred times today, and every single time, I was in tears by the last image. I can't begin to explain what these mean to me, but please know they are much much more than a document of our 10th wedding anniversary! It is hard to put into words, but these photos give me a tremendous sense of peace, and in many ways - healing and closure. I mentioned that it was really painful for me to go through our original wedding pictures because my parents died so soon after we were married; I hadn't realized to what extent our actual wedding day had become a memory of loss and grief. But now, thanks to these beautiful new pictures taken by you, I now have wonderful new memories of our wedding day *and* all the amazing gifts that have come along since then. Wow, I think I am finally ready to put together a wedding album :)

What you do, Leanne, is simply magic - I can't thank you enough."

:::

So what i want to say is this...

Photography is important!!!

As a photographer, i never want to take the responsibility lightly.

Photography makes a difference in our lives. It helps us to remember. It helps us process and heal. It can bring us peace and closure. It keeps love strong.

Why is photography important to you? How has it made an impact on your life?