Mountain Adventure Session
I have always found that there are two kinds of clients...ones who just want quick and painless portraits and the other who want THAT and some great candids. For this reason, I separated my session offerings into two types of sessions. One being Simply Portraits and the other being, what I like to call, Adventure Sessions.
Adventure Sessions are what I like to call 'directed documentary' or 'pure lifestyle'. These are great sessions for active families that like to play together. You decide on an activity and we basically do that activity together while I photograph it. So--dream of having professional photos of you hanging out at your cabin? How about an evening of boating? Or, just making pancakes on a Sunday morning? Street hockey. Running through the sprinkler? However your family enjoys spending time together, it deserves to be documented. Because regular life is beautiful.
This family is incredibly active and wanted to do a session in the mountains. Round one had to be rescheduled due to extreme smoke from forest fires, but round two ended up being a beautiful night--if not a little too windy for the stand up paddle board. It certainly was an adventure.
I am currently booking into June. Once the weather gets good, certain dates tend to be harder and harder to secure--so, if adventure calls your family, I'd love to hear all about it!
~ Dana
Dragonsssss
'Do you wanna play 'dragons' mom?' she asked. 'How does one play 'dragon'? I responded.
'Sssssssssss' she said.
'Pardon me?' I asked.
'Dragonsssssss' she explained.
'Okay, how does one play dragonsssssss?' I clarified.
'Like this' she said and she just started running up and down the hall with her stuffies mumbling important things I'm sure as she ran and jumped and threw things.
This is a common way for her to play. She is very imaginative and often in her own world. We encourage it. Soon enough, it will be gone. She is, after all, already 9 years old. She is not our first so we know that this kind of play will soon be gone from our lives. It makes me happy and sad all at once. As I sit her typing this, she sits just a few feet away in an imaginary world filled with stuffies who need the word 'sibling' defined apparently(that is what she is doing--defining the word sibling). I always smile while I listen to her disappear into one of her worlds...but, I am beginning to see the end of it. I don't often join in this crazy play, but I do often observe it through my camera.
Bob, on the other hand, walked in the door from work and asked 'what are we playing?'.
'Dragons' she explains. At this, knowing all too well how the game looks, he joins in the fun running and jumping down the hallway. The best dad ever.
I shared some of these over on the 5 Minute Project today as well. If you haven't checked out that site, you should. I am surrounded by awesomeness over there.
~ Dana Pugh
Camping in Kananaskis
I have always had a 'bucket list' of sessions that I wanted to do. A camping family session is definitely one of them. I knew this family had a cool red Boler, so I suggested a fall session out in Kananaskis with their red Boler in tow. Last night on Facebook, my good friend, Nashville photographer Mandy Johnson, posted that she had a wish to do a camping session. I got to thinking how I never had shared this session. I also got to thinking about how lucky I was to have clients who are willing to do stuff like this. Stuff that is outside the box. Stuff that requires a wee bit more effort than simply getting dressed and showing up. I think it was worth it :)
That was the biggest share I've done in awhile :) If you are camping in Kananaskis this summer and would love to have your family photographs done while you are out there, just give me a shout. I'd love to do it for you.
~ Dana