Branding Photography with Erin Thorp | Calgary Photographer

Erin came to me looking for images that she could use on her website and social media channels to promote her work as a speaker, author and a coach. We set up the studio in colours that worked with her branding, brought in a hair and makeup artist and started in the studio. Since then, we did a second session on location to add some variety to her image library. Now, we are looking at a third session to promote her new podcast!! It’s great working with a repeat client as it allows for us to create an image library that works well together. Plus, the more we work together, the more comfortable we are with each other which allows for more relaxed and natural imagery.

If your brand needs to expand their image library, I’d love to chat with you to see if we are a good fit.

A Very Special Graduate | Calgary Graduation Portraits

This very special graduation session happened in 2022—I’m just awful at keeping up with blogging(I mean, I haven’t even blogged my son’s graduation and he was in the class of 2020). These images are from my favourite niece’s graduation day. Anyone who has been following me for awhile will know her as she is my daughter’s BFF since birth ;) She allowed me to follow her around for the day so that we could get some more documentary type images, portraits of family, and some fun images of just her(and some with her bestie who got dressed up for the occasion as well). These were taken in Edmonton on the provincial Legislature grounds and at the Muttart Conservatory.

So proud of this kiddo as she is now studying dance at the University of Winnipeg. We miss her greatly though and I am so excited for her to come home for the holidays.

SCROLL DOWN for part two of this session where we did a Day After session…well, maybe not exactly the day after, but we did a session a little while after where she was just herself in her dress and her converse runners. Because this auntie believes you can never have too many images of yourself in the most beautiful dress you have ever worn!!

Those were all taken on the actual day of her graduation in Edmonton. The ones below were taken later that summer at my home in Okotoks. I love that she allowed me to take images of her with her every day hair and make up as the sun set across the street from my house.

At Home Adventure Session | Calgary Family Photographer

My second Black Friday offering is $200 off of an Adventure Session. What is an adventure session you might ask? Well, it is a mix of portraits and documentary images celebrating your family with a diverse set of images to illustrate the uniqueness of who you are as a family. These sessions can be done at home, at one of Calgary’s many parks or amazing local attractions, or—for the really adventurous—out in our beautiful rocky mountains. We plan the session around your family and pick activities to do together. This allows for a casual session with no pressure. For some reason, I see so many parents opting for mini sessions. They have this idea in their head that everyone needs to “behave appropriately” during a session, but if you can just let go and let everyone be themselves not only will the images be more authentic, but the experience will be better. The less pressure you can put on everyone(not just the kids—dad's always feel a lot of pressure as well)—the better. This cannot be done in a time crunch.

When I was first starting out as a photographer, I wanted to create something out of the box for the families that I work with. I wasn’t interested in perfect outfits and perfect poses. I wanted to see the way you look at each other, the games you play together, the little moments that truly illustrate the bond that you all share. That is worth remembering. That is how my adventure sessions were born. In the 18 years since I started my photography journey, a lot has changed. And, I think in large part thanks to social media, many parents feel this immense pressure to show the world a glossy version of their life. I want to encourage you to show your truth. And, we do that by spending some time together.

If you have any questions about Adventure Sessions, please reach out. I would love to chat with you about my vision for family photography and how it might fit with your own family.

This session is from last year, but I love it so much. I’ve been photographing these kids at least once a year since they were born. It’s always a treat to see them again.

An At Home Adventure | Calgary Family Photographer

Not all adventures have to be big. When you have a toddler, every day is an adventure. So, why not document a little bit of your every day? For this family, we just had an evening walk around the neighborhood with a stop at their favourite park. Then, I photographed bath and bed time. It’s a true snapshot of what your family’s life is really like right now. The opposite of a mini session…this is the full meal deal!! I like to think of my Adventure sessions as slow portraiture. It’s my way of trying to calm everyone right down and just be in the moment. Some families take longer than others. Some families never calm down(ha). But, when there is enough time and space to relax a bit, your family’s true personality shines through. If you are someone who wants candid images full of connection…THIS is the way to get them. Not a mini session. The FULL MEAL DEAL.

This family is so calm that the whole session was super chill. This guy might be little, but this is his third session with me. He knows a good thing when he sees it. hahahahahahaha. But, no really…I feel like I am training the whole family to get the best photographs possible. Here is a small sampling of the images we created together.