CONTEST!!!!!
I'll be honest and say that I didn't want to have to make a new website. I mean--I just went through this!!! ha! But, the powers that be(read: Google) left me no choice and so here I am with something brand spanking new. Truth be told--I love how prominent my images are. I love that you can really see the heart of my work. So, it wasn't all bad. The hardest part for me is having to launch when there is still some tweaking to do, but I will slowly get it all done. Such is the life of a busy photographer. I am embracing the imperfect and sharing it all with you anyways ;)
To celebrate FINALLY launching this imperfect version of myself, I have decided to do a super duper giant contest. My awesome photographer pal, Andrea Hanki, actually had a similar contest when she launched her site and I asked her if I could copy her. True story! She gave me the go ahead...So, here it is....I AM GIVING AWAY ONE FULL LIFESTYLE SESSION AND THE COMPLETE SET OF DIGITAL FILES!!!!! It has a $2000 value. There are some 'consolation prizes' as well...which make it the best contest I have ever had!!! You have the ability to earn 10 entries and it's super duper easy--like my Facebook page, follow me on Instagram, comment on my blog post and share it with your friends. My friends at Rafflecopter will be choosing the winner from those entries. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
So, here is the contest entry:
The consolation prizes will be awarded based on my favourite comments on this blog post...sooooooooo...make sure to fill in the blanks as creatively as possible because I will be choosing the 3 sessions I most want to do and giving them 50% off of a collection of their choice(I NEVER DISCOUNT MY COLLECTIONS!!!!). You will have ONE YEAR to take advantage of this special offer if I choose your comment(so until July 1st, 2016). Need some ideas...here are some examples:
Hey! @danapugh please come to Vancouver and photograph my family playing in the water at Whytecliff Park!!
Hey! @danapugh please come to my house in Calgary and photograph my family running through the sprinkler!!
Hey! @danapugh please come to our cabin at Pigeon Lake and photograph my family jumping off the dock!!
Now, take note, if there are travel fees required for the session--you will be responsible for them. So, as much as I would love to photograph your family climbing the eiffel tower in Paris, if we are going to do that, you would have to pay to get me there. Capiche? If I am already going to be in a certain place, then there are no travel fees. So far in the next year I have plans to be in these places:
Okotoks, Calgary, Banff/Canmore, Lake Louise(and area), Jasper, Edmonton, Red Deer(and area), Vancouver(truthfully--we will be driving from Edmonton to Vancouver and then back to Calgary in the middle of July so if you are anywhere along that route we could make it work), Las Vegas, Utah, Toronto.
The contest will run until 12:00am on July 1st, so you have one week to enter!!! So...what are you waiting for?
****warning: emotional segment of the blog post**** just a note to say THANK YOU to all of my amazing clients and friends who have supported me over the last 8 years. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined photography taking me this far. It would simply have not been possible without your support. I have BIG PLANS for the next year....can't wait to share them with you all.
~ Dana
Motherhood
This is a recent shot from a studio session I did. As much as I love the big, loud moments with huge expression and bright colours...there is something equally as appealing to me as these quiet moments. These soft moments of motherhood. They aren't so obvious. We have to search for them. But they are so precious because in amongst the temper tantrums and the teething, we might forget sometimes that they existed.
~ Dana
Brothers
3 boys. Brothers.
I don't know if I have ever told this story here, but I'm going to tell it now either way. About 5 years ago, I saw this woman in Costco. She was one of the most beautiful pregnant women I had ever seen...and, I truly don't know where I got the courage because I had NEVER done this before and I have NEVER done this since, but...I walked up to her and told her I wanted to photograph her. Right there in the walk in cooler. Just like that. And, years later...here we are...a 3rd boy. They are not just my clients. They are my friends. And, it is my extreme pleasure to have witnessed their family grow and change. I have had them in front of my camera so many times that I have now lost count ;) They have grown into such a relaxed and happy couple which is the centre of such a wonderful little(well not so little now) family.
big loves to these boys. They might not realize how lucky they are just yet, but they will one day ;)
~ Dana