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.
Calgary Graduation Portraits
In 2023, I had the opportunity to photograph a lot of young men who were graduating from high school. I think parents of young female graduates always think about having portraits done because there is so much effort that goes into their dress, their shoes, their hair, etc…but, I love that the class of 2023 did not leave out the boys!! There is something so special about seeing these young people at this moment of transition in their life from their childhood to adulthood. Many of them are finishing up their youth sports or activities and making big decisions about what they want for their lives. I love hearing all about their future plans. Getting to spend time with so many grads every spring truly brings me hope for our future.
If you have a 2024 graduate and are thinking about having portraits done, watch here and on my social media for my Black Friday specials to grad $200 off a regular priced session. There will be a limited number of these sessions available and they will be released at 9:00am on Friday, November 24th. When, they’re gone—they’re gone ;) Over the next week and a half leading up that, I’ll be sharing more examples of what you can expect from a graduation session plus some tips to getting the most out of your own session….so, watch here.
