Photos by Cheryl - My Favourite Photos from 2020 & Why (Plus My Hopes for 2021)

What a year! I know for a fact that this was a tumultuous time for everyone involved. It goes without saying that no one was prepared for any of the wrenches life threw into our daily routines. Regardless, 2020 was actually quite full of amazing and beautiful sights to behold, many of which I'm delighted to say I managed to catch on camera. 

Let's look at this year with a silver lining in mind, which is to say that despite all of the curveballs and the uncertainty it brought us, it also brought some huge milestones and events that couldn't wait until later to happen. Let's look at some of my favourite photos from 2020, why they are so wonderful to me as a professional photographer, and what I hope will come about in 2021. 

January

I love this family, and I loved that I could do the Four Seasons sessions with them. When we first started our photo sessions the Spring before, we didn’t know that this precious little one would be part of our winter session. So much love in this photo.

Photos by Cheryl - Favourite Photo from January 2020 February

The month of Valentine's Day sessions! I might be a little biased, but I am related to these humans. They are so genuine and hardworking, and they are the best parents to Charlie he could ever ask for.

Photos by Cheryl - Favourite Photo from February 2020 March

Before COVID-19 struck the world this month, I had the chance to do a studio Lifestyle photoshoot for this beautiful lady, for her new website. It was hard to pick just one photo.

Photos by Cheryl - Favourite Photo from March 2020

Porch & Park Sessions

This was where I had no choice but to rise to the challenge and get creative. As a result, there were my Porch & Park photo sessions where I got to meet so many amazing people. 

The first photo you can see here was a Park Session to send to Dad. They have been separated for many months with mom and son in Canada and Dad in the U.S. It was so beautiful just capturing them playing together.

Photos by Cheryl - Favourite Porch and Park Pictures 1
This second photo really shows the beginning days of staying inside. So many families got to enjoy each other’s company and at a much quieter pace.

Photos by Cheryl - Favourite Porch and Park Pictures 2

Best Wedding Picture

Sadly there were so many weddings cancelled this year. However, in all cases and no matter what the circumstances, love is never cancelled. This couple kept their original wedding date but changed the location to a friend’s backyard. As you can see, small and intimate can still be glamorous. Though spending a little extra on flowers and decor, this was a magical day. 

Photos by Cheryl - Best Wedding Photo of 2020 Best Grad 2020 Photos

There has to be more than one of these because really, how do you choose a favourite grad photo when everyone always looks amazing? 

This first photo is all about the experience. How often do you get a bear photobombing your session?

Photos by Cheryl - Best Grad Photos of 2020 1
The second photo is more glamorous. It's amazing what you can do with a simple setup in a backyard.

Photos by Cheryl - Best Grad Photos of 2020 2 Best Candid Maternity Photo

This couple was so fun and playful. The timing of the cherry blossoms was all too perfect as well.

Photos by Cheryl - Best Candid Maternity Photo of 2020 The Top 3 Children & Newborn Pictures

I say top three, but really I love working with kids of all ages so choosing favourites for this part was extra tough! In no particular order:

Photo #1: This little boy, like most kids, was born in the midst of a Covid year. This means way less contact with the baby and more directing towards the parents. Little Joshua is all cozy with his new stuffy.

Photos by Cheryl - Top 3 Children & Newborn Photos of 2020 #1
Photo #2: We had just finished my great-nephew's 1st birthday cake smash and it was now time for some splish & splash. Who doesn’t love someone singing in the tub?

Photos by Cheryl - Top 3 Children & Newborn Photos of 2020 #2
Photo #3: There is nothing better than being outside and playing with the dandelions, especially when you're a kid.

Photos by Cheryl - Top 3 Children & Newborn Photos of 2020 #3 Social Distancing at a Glance

Here's another child-related photo session that took place where I managed to capture my favourite photo while social distancing. Wide open fields provided the perfect place to do this socially distanced newborn shoot.  

Photos by Cheryl - Best Social Distancing Photo from 2020 Fall 2020 Highlights

Fall in Port Coquitlam (and all across Vancouver really) was as resplendent as the year before. This time, I had the pleasure of photographing familiar and brand new families with a lot of love to share, so much so that it made for another tough choice of which ones to feature here. These two really stood out the most.

Photo #1: I could not believe that 8 children/siblings could be so awesome during a photoshoot. These guys were a dream to photograph.

Photos by Cheryl - Best Fall 2020 Photos #1
Photo #2: So much love...the photo speaks for itself. And look at those colours!

Photos by Cheryl - Best Fall 2020 Photos #2

Christmas 2020

Capping off this year were the more festive occasions, which I happened to celebrate early this year (and doing so was quite the trend this past November as well!). The top two from this year's holiday themed sessions really nailed the more fun and lighthearted side of the holiday spirit.

Photo #1: Who else has watched “Home Alone”? This kid has for sure…he had the best faces.

Photos by Cheryl - Best Christmas 2020 Photos #1
Photo #2: “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m just going to enjoy my cookie while you get your photo taken."

Photos by Cheryl - Best Christmas 2020 Photos #2 Some Hopes for 2021

At this point my main hope is to continue creating more ways to best serve families, couples, kids, pets, and pretty much everyone who wants to make some new magical moments in 2021. As a result, plans are already in the works to redo my home's backyard. The goal is to have a beautiful shed that will double as a spectacular backdrop for family photos. Another big goal is to be able to have a place for outdoor mini shoots for every season. 

Building will start late winter/early spring. It is going to be so beautiful and offer even more options for my amazing clients.

Let's Make Some New Memories Next Year

I hope you really enjoyed this article. If you really liked what you saw here and you want to get some new memories captured as well, the best way to get started is to contact me. I look forward to meeting you and helping you relive the best moments from this stage of your life, whatever it may be. See you in 2021.

Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to Photos by Cheryl and a clickable link back to this page.