Our second wedding anniversary
We can hardly believe it's been 2 years since our wedding! On May 28th 2011 Jelger and I said ''I do'' and since that moment our lives have changed so much.
To celebrate, we decided to explore BC and drive to Kamloops and back. It was an interesting day with lots of hurdles (not-so-nice bus driver, pouring rain, gps-malfunctions, car rental problems etc.) and lots of joy.
I happened to be in charge of the GPS and wasn't paying too much attention, so we ended up in Kelowna instead of Kamloops. ;)
We both seem to have a VERY serious driver's face.
I had to get out of there because of very angry hissing!
When we left Kelowna, there was a huge horizontal rainbow covering the mountains. I'm afraid you can't see it that well, because I took this snapshot through the window, but it was pretty cool!
BC is so huge! We can't wait to drive to Alaska one day. :)
Gut feeling
I often struggle with losing touch with my gut feeling. Years of living in a certain way, led by what society dictates as being right, probably doesn't help. When Jelger quit his job, to start working for Jelger & Tanja photography, I felt so happy for him. At the same time I felt like the walls around me were closing in with more financial responsabilities and a day job I wasn't passionate about anymore.
One night after work, every fiber of my body just told me to quit. I got into this huge internal struggle between my gut and my brain. My common sense was screaming at me ''Are you crazy?! You have to make money. You need another job first.'' My gut said: ''Just leave. Things will be allright.'' Needless to say I didn't sleep much that night.
I started thinking about that gut feeling of mine. Often I don't think I have one at all, but if I'm really honest and I try to listen to it carefully, it always gives me the best advice. Against all logic, I did give my notice and I'm finishing my job on April 25th.
I'm not sure if we're both getting crazy or if we finally realized again that we (and we alone) are the creators of the life we are living.
Shared passion
When I met Jelger, things felt right. It felt like coming home after a long exhausting journey. We quickly grew very fond of each other and loved spending every free minute together. Jelger was already passionate about photography and bought me my first camera just before we moved to Vancouver. Once we got here, both of us loosened up from our previous stressful lives. We opened our minds to new impressions and a broader future. We dared to dream out loud and what we discovered was beyond our imagination.
The camera Jelger gave me made me realize that I share his love for photography. It opened the door to a whole new level in our relationship. We became each other's mentors. Jelger taught me most of what I know about photography and keeps pushing me further; I helped him jump into the unknown and get crazier. We push and pull, we learn from each other and above all: sharing our creative dream makes our love grow even more.
It's hard to find the right words to describe how I feel when I think of working full-time with Jelger... Knowing that this is going to happen, makes me the happiest girl. It goes beyond ''wedding photography''. It's about connecting and about love... About knowing how love feels and sharing it through our photographs. About living our dream and sharing our passion with whomever comes on our path.
And so we keep walking on our unpaved road, discovering ourselves and we'll share our journey with you, who are with us from the beginning... This is but the beginning of our amazing journey, you'll see!
Remembrance Day
In 2007, one of the first times I traveled with Jelger, we did an improvised camping tour through the little towns and beaches of Normandy. It became a World War tour that left a very deep impression. Just the two of us, the cold and rainy weather, our tiny tent and so much history.
In some small towns it seemed as if the time had stopped and people still lived in the past. A lot of houses still proudly carry an American or Canadian flag to honour the soldiers who made such an enormous sacrifice to regain Europe's freedom. Many little (and big, like bunkers) elements in the environment are keeping the history alive and make sure that no one forgets how many lives were shed.
Numerous private museums and battlefields told us the stories of real people. So many stories of locals who became heroes in the resistance, finding ways to sabotage the building of the Atlantic wall or exploring creative ways to leek information to England.
And of course the D-Day landing beaches... Where so many soldiers just ran straight to their dead. For many people every day will always be Remembrance Day.
It made us very humble and silent. Still.
Engagement session: Sarah & Dries
Sarah and Dries met at Home Fabiola, a student dormitory in Ghent (Belgium) Dries lived on the second floor, as I was. Sarah was ''that handsome girl from the third floor''. She did however often come down to our floor ... very often! It's amazing how they've grown from two dating students to the engaged couple they are today, 8 years later. Yet I can see that very look of adoration in their eyes as when they just started dating.
Sarah and Dries: Jelger and I are so happy to have welcomed you in Vancouver, shared the most amazing day together and been part of your engagement shoot. We'll miss you, but are absolutely looking forward to seeing you again in 2013!
