Many of us may remember the days of the department store portrait studio, those (often) awkward, stiff family photos posed against faux backdrops that adorned many a holiday greeting card. Kits-based Bopomo Pictures offers an antidote to that – kid and family studio photos that are fresh and engaging and let your true personality shine through.
Bopomo was started by entrepreneur Elayne Wandler in 2006, and in 2014 Saif Yousif, who was attracted to Elayne's original vision, took over the business. “I come from an independent photography background, which is known for good quality images but being pricey. The concept here bridges the gap between more mainstream studios and working with an independent photographer, so you get a quality experience at a reasonable price,” explains Saif.
Vancouver families obviously think so, too, as Bopomo was named Vancouver's Best Baby Photography Studio in the Georgia Straight's Best of Vancouver awards in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
That could be why many families visit Bopomo annually. Some come in to take Christmas photos each year and wear the same outfits and pose the same way. Other families visit Bopomo after the birth of a child and have them pose with the same props so each child is commemorated in a similar shot. Clients who are expecting will come in pre- and post-baby for photos. And pets are welcome at Bopomo too, some starring in their own shoots, others as part of the family shots. Saif notes, “We've photographed everything from cats to ferrets!”
We have been going to Bopomo faithfully every year for the past 4 years. Every time we go we have the same wonderful service, the same wonderful session and the same wonderful results we have come to expect. From the start to the finish this great photo studio takes their job of capturing your family photos seriously. With a wide variety of props including antique sleds, pedal cars, "snow", leaves, stuffed animals and more the photographic artists go out of their way to create unique and individual shots. Each session they truly go above and beyond in creating copious amounts of images for you to choose your favourites to print. And that is always the hardest part! They do their job so well that we often take far too long to choose our favourites! But we never feel rushed to make a decision, we never feel that we are bothering the staff who to a person great to deal with, we just get to decide what images we are going to use to capture our memories. If you want something out of the ordinary and truly professional and distinct check out Bopomo. They even have a location in South Surrey now!
