Adventure Session in Fish Creek Park
Fish Creek in the fall is iconic if you live in Calgary. It is by far the most requested location for family portraits. There are so many lovely little corners of it to explore that it makes it the perfect location for a family Adventure Session.
What is a family Adventure Session? It truly is my favourite type of family session. And, in 2023, it will be the only type of on location session that I will be offering families. I am a self described child lead photographer and, by that, I mean I take the children’s lead. I let them show me their world. They lead the way in an adventure…this is a gentle way to create portraits in the hopes of creating a safe space for the children to show me their true selves. This is the best way to get real expressions. Over the 17 years I have been doing these sessions, I’ve been on many adventures big and small. I’ve met kids of all ages and take the lead only when I feel I have it is necessary. The end result is not just a handful of images where the goal is perfection…it is a collection of images that work together to tell the story of your family’s connection. Life is, after all, perfectly imperfect and I do not see myself in the images where families are wearing perfect clothes, have perfect hair and are all behaving perfectly. My family was never that way, so I would never want my own family portraits to reflect that.
Here is a sampling of the images I created for one family this fall at Calgary’s iconic Fish Creek Provincial Park.
Published
One of my goals for 2019 was to submit for publication more. In January, I submitted to the NAPCP’s request for black and white images for their next Inspired Magazine. And, lookie here! This image of Jack from our travels last summer was selected to be included. Making goals is one thing—doing the work to achieve them is always another. People often ask how these things happen…it is always about searching for the opportunities. Being aware when you see the call and taking action.
To see more about this issue, go here: http://www.napcp.com/blog.php/2019/01/31/new-inspired-magazine-tracy-sweeney/
Thank you to the NAPCP for including this image. It was super fun to create!
My Mila | Calgary Commercial Photography
I was so excited to collaborate with My Mila for this recent commercial shoot. I love the simplicity of My Mila's clothes for babies and toddlers. Everything is so soft and comfortable looking that it left me wondering when she was going to make that maxi skirt in women's sizes ;) And, I think everyone needs a toque with a fur pompom not just the babies!!! Although, they look ridiculously cute on them.
Now that I have my own studio space in Okotoks, I have the flexibility to do projects like this. I'll be honest and say that I like working with smaller brands because they don't just see you as an employee...as someone who is just there to push a button. They see you as a collaborator. A creative whose experience can be used to help elevate the images beyond what they can do on their own. I'm looking forward to working more with this awesome company, but would love to hear from other small companies who are looking to elevate the images they use to represent their brand. Please contact me if you are interested in a collaboration!
~ Dana Pugh
