The funny thing about being a baby and child photographer is that somehow I have started taking many less pictures of my dear bababoo! I have no idea why. I love photography but maybe it feels more like work? Anyhow, she is so sticking cute that I had to break out the big camera the other day and snap a few candid shots. I am amazed at how much she is starting to look like a toddler instead of a baby. Whhaaaaa!
happy weekend folks. Supposed to be 17 degrees and not raining (angels sing!) on Saturday so you can find me in Parc de Woluwe doing my first outdoor spring shoot of the season…just in time for June. 🙂
What do you do when you want to give a special gift to your professional cello playing husband to celebrate the birth of your third beautiful son? How about taking it to the next level – baby in a cello case!
I was so happy to work with the lovely Evelyn and her eight week old son Mateo to create some special images to surprise Daddy. Mateo was kind enough to slumber away while we made him comfortable in the cello case and grabbed some great shots. Who knows, maybe Daddy’s next album cover. 🙂 Enjoy!
My longest hiatus yet but a busy one. Lots of life going on over here. Have been working hard, lots of shoots, a surprise trip to the US, chicken pox and a devastating blow of losing our godson, Matthias. Â It has been a transformative time.Â
Soon to return to our regularly scheduled programming but first wanted to say a few words on little Matthias. Although he was only with us for 15 months, he had a tremendous smile that lit up the room. He was a wonderful spirit and we are all lucky to have known him. Born with a severe heart defect, through many surgeries and love and support of his parents, he just didn’t quite make it. We miss you Matthias.
Howdy-ho folks! Spring is here to stay. We are so excited to get our sunshine on! Bababoo has had a busy week, taking first steps, babbling up a storm. One of her favorite things in the world is to read books. One of the big discoveries I have had as a new mom is that it is nearly impossible to find kid’s books that don’t feature animals in one way or another (why would you want to?!). So bababoo is quite well versed in chickens, cows, monkeys, elephants, lions, horses and sheep.
Well I realized the other day they though she knows them well in the pages of her favorite books, besides the occasional dog, cat or police horse, she had not seen many animals in person. Well the sun was shining and birds singing so we decided to pack it up and head out to one of Brussels many animal farms, La Ferme Nos Pilifs.
About a 20 minute drive from Chez Bear & Dragon, La Ferme is a true slice of heaven. In additional to lots of happy, well-cared for animals, they also have a lovely little cafe, organic food market and flower and plant nursery. Another really cool aspect is that it is largely run by people with physical or developmental handicaps, providing them with meaningful work and training.
We started with a quick bite in the cafe and soon took a walk to see the animals. We saw some of the greatest hits for sure. Zoe squealed, smiled, touched and altogether charmed a succession of donkeys, horses, cows, rabbits, geese, chickens, goats, sheep and baby lambs. Also two giant pigs that turned out to be favorites. I can only image that this was her first Disneyland-type experience of watching animals she was familiar with come to life before her very eyes. It was truly magical.
What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. Apparently I had so much fun, I barely took any pictures. 🙂 I know we will be back many times! So check out the Ferme and soak in the sun and giggles.
Where:Â Trassersweg 347 – 1120 Bruxelles
When:Â Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 18pm and Sunday from 10am to 18pm
How much: Free!
Here are some other farms to consider. Did not check them out (yet) but they are on the list.
The wait is finally over. Birds are singing, leaves are unfurling, the sun dares to shine and the temperature creeps into the double digits most days. Spring! What a wonderful thing. I am so excited to soon start booking outdoor portrait sessions. I am picturing green hills with blooming trees. Can you see it?
This morning I am happy to share a recent photoshoot with the dynamic duo of Yuliyana and Emma. Keeping with the Brussels theme of internationalization, Emma is a Bulgarian-American beauty with soulful eyes and the very sweetest smile. I was so happy to get to play and photography this lovely mother and daughter. Enjoy!
Hello people! News has it that today should be 20 degrees. 20 degrees! Its cloudy now but just you wait. I can already feel the warmth coming!
It was on a not so warm Sunday about a month ago that the Bear and I flat out ran out of Sunday Funday ideas. it was just then that I remembered a recommendation from long ago. Check out the Toy Museum. We’re in!
It is a tad on the expensive side (5.50 EUR) per adult, under 4’s for free but still cool to check out. Did I mention they are open 366 days a year. Impressive!
Most recommended for the over two set. Happy playing!
When: 366 days a year (WOW)Â from 10 to 12 am and from 2 to 6 pm.
PS Alot of people have been asking how the photography business is going. Great! I am having a blast and meeting all sorts of lovely little ones and families. If you want to learn more about Bear & Dragon Photography, check out our website here. http://bearanddragonphotography.com/
And around and around they go!Putting Easy Bake Oven to shameA Bear steals the camera. 🙂
When Mailken told me she wanted to have a special shoot of her and her beautiful daughter to surprise her husband on their anniversary I thought “Fantastic idea!”. Lucky for me they turned out to be a charming and photogenic duo. It was terribly hard to wait until the gift was given but I can now happily share a few choice shots with you.Â
Oopsie daiseyCozyRibbons
On a separate note, its my birthday! Man do I love birthdays. 32 years down and they seem to just be getting better. Lucky me. 🙂Â
There is nothing more gorgeous than the beauty of pregnancy. Somehow in looking back at maternity photos, one is filled with a sense of disbelieve and wonder. Wow, is that really me?! I love capturing these moments, as fleeting as they are, for all time.
We were so happy to welcome Jessica and Ivan into the studio recently. Due in May, Jessica felt and looked great! Such a fun pair, full of laughter. I am incredibly excited to meet their little one for her newborn sessions in the not so distant future. Please enjoy these lovely images of a fantastic couple on a big, big adventure. 🙂
Well its cold outside…still. Plans for a park picnic no longer make sense so what to do for a fun day out? Today we turn to Cook & Book. After getting recommendations from several people to check out this booky paradise, we finally made it down. Why did I wait!?
Cook and Book is a massive book store with several “kitchens” turning out excellent cuisine ranging from salads and soup, pastas, asian and classic Belgian. Everything we tried was delicious and fairly baby friendly. Booster and baby seats kept bababoo comfortable.
After lunch we ventured into the book sections. I must admit I have a severe weakness for beautiful books. Bababoo seems to be following suit. So we hit up the kids section. The layout was friendly for adult and baby perusal. After careful consideration, we went home three books richer.
Though we did not make it there, I understand the youth section (non-English) is gorgeous with toys, books and play space. Cook & Book hosts many storytelling events that sounds really lovely, especially for the slightly older set.
Life of Bear and Dragon 