Adventure Session with Teens | Calgary Family Photographer

Adventure Sessions at home are always one of my favourite things. I love documenting kids in their rooms. It is such a marker of time. It’s not about the room being perfectly clean or decorated to look like it should be in a magazine…it’s about the imperfect beauty of a child’s bedroom and how it evolves over time. The room in and of itself tells a story of who that child is so creating a portrait of them in that space is so powerful to me. Even if there is an issue and the bed didn’t arrive in time for the photo shoot(as so happened in this session). Kids—especially teens—spend a lot of time in their bedrooms. They should be documented. When we do an Adventure Session in your home, it allows for me to really capture a glimpse of who you are as a family in a way that just isn’t possible anyplace else.

This Black Friday(November 25th) my Adventure Sessions will be discounted for 2023. As I’ve become busier doing larger commercial jobs, these sessions will be my focus for next year. There will be 10 up for sale at $250 off the regular rate. It will require a $250(+gst) deposit along with the month in which you wish for the session to happen. Everything else will be worked out in January. If you are planning on a session with me next year, this is the day to book that session. My email list will get an email at 8:00am with the link to purchase. If you wish to be added to that list, contact me though the contact form on this website. At 9:00am, the link will be made public via my social media channels.

Let me know if you have any questions. For now, here is a wonderful example of an at home session. This is about 1/3rd of the photographs that they received from me(for reference).

Kananaskis Adventure Session | Calgary Family Photographer

Adventure sessions are my favourite way to document a family. In fact, with young kids, I think this is the IDEAL way to have family portraits. It’s slow portraiture…just like going on an adventure and having me hang out with you while I take some photographs. There is some, but not a lot of direction. We take our time and the kids relax(parents, too). You get portraits for Grandma, epic photos for your walls, and a story that belongs in a book so that you can truly see a little slice of your family from that time in your life. More and more, I’m hearing parents of young kids asking to have the shortest session possible—which feels a lot like rushing it to me…forcing behaviour on your family then crossing your fingers that it all works out. Adventure Sessions are truly a no pressure event—just show up and have fun…I’ll do the rest!!

I have been photographing this family for years! In fact, I photographed mom while she was pregnant with her little girl! It’s such a treat watching the kids grow and change. Plus, it truly is like visiting an old friend—so, this session was so chill…super chill.

I wanted to add that both of these parents are emergency room physicians who have spent the last year and a half fighting the hard fight during the pandemic. I want to THANK THEM and everyone else like them for keeping Albertans safe and healthy. The mom is also a photographer who got special permission to photograph the front lines of this pandemic. She has done an amazing job. You can go follow her work at: https://www.instagram.com/heather.l.patterson

Last year, we met at Upper Kananaskis Lakes for our session during the wild fire season…the mountains were there, you just had to look really closely ;) They also camped nearby so we ended our session at their campsite. Always a treat hanging out with them. Here are the images we created together.

Port Whitby Pier | Adventure Session in Whitby, Ontario

When I was in Ontario in July, this mom(who is also an amazing photographer) invited me to her studio for a photographer’s meetup(which was super awesome!). Then, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting her beautiful little family for a fun evening at Whitby Pier. Her beautiful dog had me wanting another puppy, but Bob has put the brakes on that desire for the time being—but, don’t you think Pughville could use a boston terrier? I’m thinking…um, yes we could!!

I’m on a blogging roll…I’m hoping to try to do this more often so people can see an entire session all together. Instagram is nice, but this is better.

Thanks!

Dana :)

Newborn Adventure Session

There is a joy in being invited to document a family's journey that is hard to explain to someone who isn't a photographer. Anyone who has been following me for awhile will recognize this family. They are a favourite of mine and they welcomed a new little boy this summer. So, we hung out at home and then ventured out amongst the mosquitos and the sunset to take some portraits outside as well. 

September and October are filling up quickly. If you are hoping for a session, please contact me soon to ensure a spot in my schedule.

~ Dana