Behind the Camera Archives - Lavish Cards - Fine Art Corporate Greeting Cards

Tranquil Route

Cathi Durrell — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:58:05 +0000

Early morning, just as the day begins to unfold. A glorious sunrise crests the horizon, its rays warming both the air and the ground, shining directly into my eyes and gently pulling me awake. As I walked over a small rise, this scene revealed itself; golden grasses glowing, the path ahead quietly illuminated, and the land stretching out in a calm, unbroken stillness. It was one of those moments where everything feels perfectly aligned, as if the landscape is offering itself without asking anything in return.
Photographed in the autumn near Douglas Lake, British Columbia, this image holds the quiet magic of discovery. There’s a sense of reward in reaching that rise and seeing the world open up before you, bathed in light and possibility. It’s a reminder of how often beauty arrives when you’re moving slowly, paying attention, and allowing the day to meet you on its own terms.
Glen

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AfterGlow

Cathi Durrell — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 21:43:26 +0000

This photograph was taken during a recent trip to New Zealand’s wild West Coast, at the serene Carters Beach near Westport on the South Island. Captured in those tranquil minutes after the sun sets, when the sky still glows with soft, lingering afterlight—delicate gradients of color wash across the sky. Birds sang softly from the nearby trees, their calls mingling with the rhythmic crash of waves on the shore, wrapping the scene in perfect calm.

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Monarch

Cathi Durrell — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 22:26:46 +0000

While staying with friends in New Zealand, I kept noticing butterflies drifting through their garden, returning again and again as if the space belonged to them. At first glance, they looked like the Monarchs I grew up seeing in Canada—familiar, and almost nostalgic. But the longer I watched, the more I realized these were something different. Their wings carried a deeper, richer gold and orange, edged with crisp black lines, and their bodies were dusted with tiny white dots that felt almost ornamental. They moved with an unhurried confidence, catching the light in a way that made it impossible not to stop and look.

Curious, I learned that what we often call Monarchs back home are actually moths mimicking the true butterfly. That discovery made the moment feel even more special—like being let in on a quiet truth of the natural world. This image became less about recognition and more about paying attention, about noticing subtle differences and allowing them to change what you think you already know. It’s a reminder that beauty often lives in those small details, waiting patiently for us to slow down long enough to see them.

Glen

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Cliffs of Moher

Cathi Durrell — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 20:02:57 +0000

In May we traveled to Ireland and were lucky to go to the cliffs of Moher. Pretty mind blowing. For scale, the dots on the green pasture on top are cattle. The white foam on the sea below the cliffs was whales feeding.

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Fall in Wine Country

Cathi Durrell — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 20:13:43 +0000

Often, when I am out photographing, I am surprised by beautiful gradations of color and texture that nature displays. It would be hard to imagine that this occurs purely by random. I was driving in the south Okanagan wine country on a fine October afternoon when I came upon these vines. The plants had spent the summer producing fruit and now that the harvest was over, and before the deep sleep of winter, they offered up this wonderful last show. – Glen

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Always On with Duncan MacPherson – Episode 45

pbeauchemin — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 16:04:25 +0000

People are bombarded with hundreds of emails and messages daily.

In a world dominated by digital communication, you need to do something that stops your clients in their tracks. You have to snap them out of the trance… But how?

In this episode, Duncan MacPherson joins Cathi Durrell, owner of Lavish Cards, to discuss how to build intimate relationships through personalized, hand-made cards that your clients will treasure for years to come! Get ready to get at least one good idea to elevate your client experience.

They discuss:

The emotional impact of receiving a surprise card
Real-world examples of greeting cards serving as a bridge for referrals and advocacy
Simple yet incredibly effective ideas for lumpy mail
The use of AI in enhancing the card-sending experience
Why greeting cards are a great way to connect with the next-generation
And more

Resources:

Actionable Calendar by Lavish Cards

Connect With Duncan:

Pareto Systems
1.866.593.8020
Schedule a Call
Duncan on LinkedIn
Connect With Cathi:

Lavish Cards
LinkedIn: Cathi Durrell
LinkedIn: Lavish Cards
Promotions:

The Blue Square Toolkit™ by Pareto (Start your 14-day free trial today!)
ProudMouth – Be Your Own Loud
About Our Guest:

Cathi Durrell, along with her husband Glen, who is a professional photographer, are the owners of Lavish Fine Art Cards, a company they co-founded 11 years ago. Lavish has grown extensively over the past 11 years and specializes in catering to the bespoke communication needs of its clients. The entire crew at Lavish is committed to creating and supplying the highest quality greeting cards. In her spare time, Cathi enjoys travelling and exploring “the back roads” with Glen in search of the next image for Lavish.

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Always On with Duncan MacPherson

pbeauchemin — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 20:06:08 +0000

Lavish Your Clients with Service with Cathi Durrell (Ep. 23)

Aside from a prospectus, product brochure or statement, your business has become extremely virtual and complex. Adding tangible tools to your approach helps remind both your affluent clients and your prospective clients that there are two types of advisors – salespeople and consultants – and what the differences between the two are.

In this episode, Duncan MacPherson joins Cathi Durrell, owner of Lavish Cards, to discuss how one of the best strategies a fee-for-service professional can do to take their relationship management to the next level.

Cathi discusses:
● Actionable strategies that lead to client loyalty, client engagement, and client advocacy
● How greeting cards reinforce your image as a goal-based professional
● What to do if you can’t find the time to send out personalized greeting cards
● Unconventional card ideas to improve your branding
● And more

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Beauty in Unexpected Places

Cathi Durrell — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 18:15:31 +0000

It was a dark and stormy morning…. it really was, but I was also out at 5 am in a field.The Tulipfest in Washington State is famous. Stunning blocks of color mark the landscape’s horizon. Truly amazing. It was perfect except for the layers of dark clouds that dulled even the most vibrant flower. I waited and waited, it was then that my empty stomach reminded me of the friendly diner I’d driven by on the way. Seemed like a good place to wait out Mother Nature, and it was. It was still overcast as I headed back to the car to contemplate what my next step would be. I noticed the old cement meridians of the parking lot had been planted randomly with every color of tulip, not nearly as precise as the perfect fields I’d come from, but unexpected and cheery. Then, something else unexpected happened. The clouds shifted and for about 5 minutes the parking lot was filled with sunshine and I was able to create this image. Sometimes beauty happens in the most unexpected places.
Glen Durrell

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Saint Patrick’s Well

Lavish Cards — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 20:59:57 +0000

A few years ago that we traveled for a family wedding to County Tipperary Ireland.

It is a beautiful place filled with fields, horses, ancient buildings,
the friendliest people and of course St. Patrick’s Well.
It was thought that Saint Patrick passed through here and may have used this place to bathe or to baptize, it’s also a place that is magically green as the natural spring water saturates and feeds the lush vegetation.

Uncle Glen…as he is known to his young nephews and Dad to our son
who adventured with him this day, likes to trek off regular routes to find the best angles for photos and untouched areas…places their moms would never let them go. They were off!
Over stone walls, through the maze of centuries old structures, taking a sip from the healing waters and then oops, an obstacle. They’d come to a part of the path that ended in water on all sides, not really an obstacle, just a bit of a leap to the other side. One by one the boys made the jump.
Uncle Glen would have no problem with the jump at all, after all,
his 6’5” frame would carry him easily with little effort, right?
It was the landing.
Soggy grass and stuntman moves that would have him airborne with a backside finishing splash of mud everywhere.

After the boys helped him up, they all shared a good laugh and ended their adventure with brown bread icecream. I’m sure we’ll hear this story at one of their weddings.

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Santa’s Arrival

Lavish Cards — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 14:00:16 +0000

Usually Glen’s focus is landscapes. He and Mother Nature collaborate, combining light and shadow. Obviously you can’t have one without the other.

But sometimes you just want to have fun. And you need to enlist some recruits.

We wanted a fun image with a winter theme, so we headed to the ski hill and dragged our son, his friends and their dad, former Olympian Gary Athans, along for the ride. The Athans have been family friends for years and are always up for laughter and adventure.

What ensued was one of the funniest photo shoots we’ve ever done.

Gary would climb up the slope (no small task in ski boots,never mind the Santa suit), fly over the jump while Glen took snaps, pop off his skis, then make the climb again. The kids would throw snow at just the right moment to replicate the spray of powder.

It was springtime. Great snow-pack. Sunshine. Lot’s of fun.

Afterwards, we relaxed with a fire and hot chocolates all around. There are some people in life that make you laugh a little louder, smile a little bigger and live a little better.

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