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.

Okotoks Graduation Portrait Class of 2023

The best thing about graduation sessions is being able to do a one on one portrait sessions with kids that I have literally watched grow up. I’ve known this kiddo here since she was in preschool and since she performed with my daughter, I have had the pleasure of carpooling with her for a couple of years so I really enjoyed hearing all about her plans for the future.

My number one tip to graduates is to have their session on a day that isn’t the day they are graduating. This allows for us to take advantage of the best light of the day. It also allows us to go to multiple locations or a location that is maybe a bit out of the way from your graduation celebrations. And, if the weather is bad, it allows us to reschedule. Plus, you have the benefit of being able to wear your graduation outfit more than once! If you are concerned about getting images with your cap and gown, we can schedule the session for the same week as your graduation. Most schools require you to pick up your cap and gown a few days early. So, you have it in your possession for at least a couple of days before the actual ceremony.

This gorgeous young woman had one request—no basic ‘standing in a field’ type of portraits. She wanted something different from that. I was happy to fulfill that request!! I also have every client share their dress/outfit with me ahead of time so that I can take that into consideration when picking a location. At the end, we decided on two urban locations in Calgary. These are the images we created together.

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.

Adventure Session Out At The Barn

Everybody always seems to be in such a hurry these days. Especially families with teens. We are so busy running them to all of their things. But, the thing is…as you near the end of your 18 summers(have you all read that quote about 18 summers?), you realize how important it is to take time to slow down and just be together. That’s the adventure that we did for this family. A night at the barn where their daughter spends a lot of time and all of their pets could roam comfortably and be a part of the session.

I know the trend is to go small with a portrait session now—to rush it and go for a quick mini session, but, for me, my heart will always be in these longer sessions. The time and space allows everyone to relax and just be themselves. We are able to create a space where your family can just be together without constraints or cell phones or worrying about fitting everything in. We give ourselves the time for things to unfold organically. Yes, you get a lot of photographs and maybe you think you only need a few, but if you haven’t seen these photographs yet—how do you know what you are missing? I can tell you that in a mini session, there is no time to capture the true personality of your crew. I also know that if you wear clothes that aren’t your own or your force kids into stuffy outfits that they are uncomfortable in, that you won’t see your true selves in the photographs. I want to show you who you are in your family portraits. Maybe that’s something you feel has been missing in your past family portraits—so, if you are ready to see the beauty of your life, try an Adventure Session with me this fall. I still have room in my schedule. before the snow flies.