Tiffany and I met when we were both working as Summer Students for CMHC. I was based out of Saskatoon, and she was living in Calgary. We became fast friends, and would often stay together when travelling to the same conferences. One weekend I stayed in Calgary and we drove up to Edmonton and road tripped through the mountains, and it made me feel very grown up, then I got a speeding ticket, and that was more familiar to me. Ha. So she had managed to come visit me multiple times, and when I was approved for a conference in Six Nations, ON, we quickly arranged for me to come down to Walpole Island so I could stay with her for a few days after the conference.
Such a good time.
Tiffany is such an effortless friend. We can just “not talk” for months and months and then one day she’ll call me and it’s like no time has passed. So when I showed up at her rez door – lost on the island though – it was full of laughter and grace. I instantly went to her room, cuddled in her blankets, and dozed as she fed her newest addition, Tobias. Her mom shook her head at us and laughed, but we were happy.
We also wanted to do a photoshoot that week, and I was laughing at that, because I am not a newborn photographer, at all. I sincerely feel there is only much I can do with babies, and that there are many, many other talented photographers out there that do newborn photography beautifully. So we compromised. Tiffany had all these items – his blankets, moccasins, etc – that held special meaning, and we just went for it.
Tiffany is a first time mom, and seeing her light up with laughter over her baby was beautiful. It was amazing to be at her home rez – they all treated me amazingly well and fed me so good! – and I can’t wait to visit her and her family again.
