southern alberta wedding photographers
Who is Emblem?
This is a rare photo of us, well, rare up until now. You can see this and a ton of other awesome shots of us on Kellan Studios blog. It is so great to have some personal and meaningful portraits of us and it’s even more special to us because of who took them. We have talked a lot lately about Ryan and Kelly Portnoy and we do so with great and exciting reason. Ryan and Kelly are part of a group of friends and family that have been our support, our encouragement and our mentors. So many have been behind us, giving us strength to pursue and discover our passions. I just wanted to thank these people, share how Emblem is being defined and what that definition really is shaping into.
Christy and I have spent a lot of years pursuing different opportunities, amazing and life changing opportunities, each one so dramatically different then the other, each one so ruthless in its sharpening and shaping of our character, our hearts and our direction. Christy and I have been on a crazy adventure, filled with so many unbelievable stories, with victory and defeat, confusion and clarity, and most deeply filled with generosity and love. There is too much to be said here but know that the last 10 years have been beyond our imagination. We could not have planned any of it, some of it we would never have agreed to if we knew what was ahead but we are so thankful we did because it has been the difficult times that have shaped us, the difficult times that have given us perspective, depth and thankfulness. To look back on your journey is to see where you came from, who was beside you, and how each moment was designed to be an opportunity to discover the beauty and wonder of life.
Since moving from the Okanagan of BC to the prairie of Southern Alberta, we have been blessed with less. We have had so much less distraction, we have been busy, very busy but there has been so much time just spent at home, with family. Time visiting with brothers and sisters, parents, cousins, grandparents. We have been richly blessed with families that cherish us, empower and enrich us. I don’t know very many couples at all who have the joy of thoroughly enjoying and appreciating both families. We have been blessed with an incredible family, a family built on integrity and honor, generosity, faith and love. Our heritage is rich, it is our backbone. So, thank you to our family for your love, your strength, your wisdom and your example. We cherish you, we admire and respect you. We appreciate you and your involvement in our lives, your generosity and your friendship. Being here has given us a much needed clarity and solid stable ground.
Friends and community have been dedicated to us, invested in us in ways we will always benefit from. Summerland was filled with such friends and really was our family for four years. This community kept us accountable, came to our rescue, served us and shared in so many awesome memories. It was harder than we imagined leaving them behind and we try to come up with any reason we can to go and visit. Our little family was started there, our roots developed and sunk deep. Thank you, to our friends and community in Summerland and our friends in Kamloops. You have shared our burdens, shared in our suffering and our joy. You continue to be peace, relief, joy, security and happiness to us. We miss you every day. Thank you for believing in us and for the power of your friendship.
Mentors are experienced and trusted advisors, guides, teachers and councellors. The people that we see as mentors whether they see it or not are our parents: Clint and Janet, Harold and Nelly, my grampa: Harold, my brother: Jeremy, my sister: Danielle and her husband: Brad, our dear friends: Jason and Karen, J-Train, Ryan and Kelly, and our teacher, pastor and friend: Del. Whether you realize it or not, you have been irreplacable resources of wisdom and guidance. You have built not only into what we do and how we do it but who we are. The truth you share continues to shape us and this business, thank you.
Defining Emblem is a rewarding journey that we are thrilled to be on. The last few weeks have been filled with inspiration, encouragement, challenge and discovery. There have been so many situations, tasks and conversations that have truly blown us away. Never before have we felt so passionately about our direction and it is a path that we discover every day. It is scary, frightening sometimes, uncomfortable and so perpendicular to the “safe and secure” traditions of our culture. We don’t know when the next cheque will come in, we don’t know what tomorrow has for us. But what we do know is what really matters anyway, what we do know is what truly is safe and secure. This is what we know: We are passionate about people and their stories. We are inspired by love and generosity. We are story tellers captivated and obsessed with inspiration and creatively sharing it to inspire others. This is the heart of who we are and what Emblem is. So, no matter the subject we are photographing, we pursue the history and the story unfolding, share ourselves and make ourselves vulnerable to discover the love and generosity inside the story. No matter the subject, we are obsessed with its inspiration, capturing it and sharing it to inspire others. What’s at the core of Christy and I is what’s at the core of Emblem, the deep desire to discover the love of God in this world, pull it into our heart and share His wonders. Photography is an incredible artform that conducts this desire beautifully.
This is an amazing adventure that we’re on, thank you to those that are on it with us. We are so excited at what’s ahead. To give you an idea, I have been working on a proposal for the opportunity to be part of team as a photojournalist traveling along the northwestern coast of British Columbia. It’s a two week trip, by boat to completely remote and secluded native villages. Really, a trip of a lifetime, an opportunity to discover a rich and ancient culture. And most definitely an opportunity to hear and share stories of God’s love. This type of work is close to our heart and becoming a very real part of Emblem’s path. We’ll see where this all goes.
Thank you for reading.
