Travelling With My Gear

I get asked all the time about what I take when I travel. It's kind of a difficult question because each situation is truly different. I actually consider the scenarios that I see myself in and specifically pack for them. And, truthfully, I am not really a 'gearhound'...by that I mean that I don't see the benefits of carrying a lot of gear and tend towards being someone who works more with what she has on her--the old 'the best camera is the one you have on you' theory. All of that said, this is what I basically take with me--limited by the size of my bag. hahahaha. Speaking of bags--I have been using two: one rollie suitcase thing that is a million years old and one Kelly Moore purse type camera bag so that I could carry both on a plane with me. Both bags are finished and I am shopping for a new one. Preferably one that can carry everything--including my housing which is huge and clunky and takes up way too much room. Suggestions?

So, I always carry with me two bodies. One is a Canon 5d Mark III and the second is the Canon 5d Mark II. My underwater housing is specific to the Mark II, so I'll be using that camera for a couple more years for sure since I don't want to have to invest in another housing just yet. My housing is by AquaTech Imaging solutions and I love it so very much. It has been around the world with me and allowed me to feel unrestricted in the documenting of my children. I carry an arsenal of lenses depending on the situations I will find myself in. For underwater, I use the 35mm, a 15mm Fisheye(not in this picture as I use it so rarely now), and a 16-35mm f2.8. I always carry the 24-70mm f2.8. It is my go to lens and I have the latest version from Canon which is sharp and lovely. I occasionally bring the 50mm f1.2 as I love me a little bit of bokeh from time to time, but it is an easy one not to include if I am feeling like there is a lack of space. The last two things I consider bringing are the 70-200mm and my tripod. The 70-200mm is a great lens, but it is super heavy and sometimes I feel like I only use it at weddings and when I am being lazy, so it's easy for me to leave it out. Especially thanks to the space it saves. I will bring the tripod if I think there will be an opportunity for night sky images. It is the one thing I will risk putting in my suitcase as I feel like if it isn't in my suitcase when I get to my destination, I'll survive. A note about checking your gear--I have heard so very many stories of people losing gear after checking their bag...meaning, airport staff steal it. Truly. Some airports are known to be bad for this(LAX I'm looking at you). So, I never check my gear for that reason PLUS the risk of it being completely broken on the other end. I check the suitcase with my clothes and carry on a suitcase for my gear and a purse that carries another body. 

Two little accessories that I always bring along are my favourite card holder which was a gift when I participated in a Momenta Workshop in India and my camera's rain poncho--also from AquaTech. If they are reading this and feel like sending me free stuff, I am their biggest fan--hahahahaha. 

I typically bring a laptop and multiple portable hard drives. Even though I carry many cards, I like to have multiple backups, so I typically recharge my batteries and back up my images while I sleep. 

Carrying this much gear is not fun. Whenever I fly, I always have to check my luggage and carry on my gear. We are planning a 3 week backpacking excursion to Thailand as a family this summer. The biggest discussion we are having is exactly how much gear I will be bringing. The housing is incredibly clunky and I am torn about carrying it for 3 weeks. I am considering getting a flat port instead of a domed port, so I could carry a much smaller bag(the domed port is a beautiful thing but it takes up so much room). I think I could actually pare things down to one body/one or two lenses if I would be willing to forgo the housing while we are on the beach. Decisions, decisions...what do you travel with?

Any other photography related questions? I'd love to answer them for you in another blog post.

~ Dana

A Family Maternity Session in Studio | Okotoks Photographer

I love this little family and I am so excited that they are welcoming a new little baby into their home!!! And, it's not just because the dad is Bob's cousin ;) They are just so down to earth and such great parents. It's always awesome to visit with them and I love that they trust me to photograph the milestones in their life.

This session was in my studio where we took advantage of some of the items from my studio wardrobe. As well, my friend and incredible make up artist Karlie from Love and Colour Make Up studios was able to come right to the studio and help both mom and daughter get ready. She also helped me get the floral comb provided by the wonderful florists at Fleurish Flower Shop in Calgary just right. And, how cute is that baby's breath floral crown? Such a simple crown that makes such an impact. Grateful for the amazing vendors that I get to work with--they help make all of my maternity sessions just that much more special!!

If you are expecting a baby in 2017, I would love to talk to you about all of my options for interesting maternity photography. Studio, on location, underwater...let's create something awesome together!!

~ Dana

Family Adventure Photographs at Ptarmigan Cirque in Kananaskis

Ptarmigan Cirque is one of my favourite hikes for young families. It is easily accessible as you drive to the Highwood Pass in Kananaskis to start the hike. The Highwood Pass is the highest drivable mountain pass in Canada. The road that leads to the pass is, in my opinion, one of the nicest drives in the Canadian rockies. It is always less busy than anything in the national parks, but the views are easily comparable. It opens for the year on June 15th and closes in December. It is one of our favourite Sunday drives. More than once, we have stopped at the pass and quickly done this hike as part of the drive. It is an easy loop which makes it great for kids. The views are phenomenal. The summer months bring amazing wildflowers and the fall brings the gorgeous yellow of the larches. Anytime of the year, my kids have been able to find fossils in the rocks there. So, when this family asked for a session among the larches, I knew exactly where to go!!

This year, with the hustle and bustle of free admission to the national parks, us locals might want to consider spending more time in Kananaskis to beat the crowds. If you do want to take your kids on a hike, try this one. Simply park at the Highwood pass. Follow the path across the road and up into the trees. It is cold up there, so bring a jacket and some water. When my kids were smaller, we always brought Smarties and gave them out one at a time to encourage them to keep going. Once you are out of the trees(which happens really quickly), the views are amazing. And, if you are lucky, a herd of mountain goats might pass you buy ;)

And, just for fun, I'm doing a blog circle with some of my friends so check out Anna Rasmussen's blogpost of Golden Light Family Portraits in Wilmington, North Carolina and follow the links to check out some wonderful photography from across North America.

~ Dana

Family Photography Studio Session | Okotoks Family Photographer

Recently I heard that this mama is on the short list to be the next Canadian astronaut. Like...to go to SPACE people!!! So, I thought I'd share her studio family session from awhile ago. 

I think people have this horrible idea of studio sessions. Like it will be in some grungy room with tonnes of equipment so they will spend a great deal of time stressing over their children's behaviour instead of enjoying the photographic experience. My studio is not like that AT ALL. It is a natural light studio--meaning, big windows, white walls and bright, kid friendly decor that hides things like Lego and Playmobil. The result are modern, simple photographs that focus on your child's personality and the connection that your family has together. For this session, I suggested the parents bring along some of the children's favourite items. So, one child choose her blankie while another brought his hockey stick(how Canadian is that? he even sleeps with it). There is never a rush--if a child needs to take a break to play with a pirate ship, we take a break to do that. If someone needs to go potty, there is a child friendly bathroom. And, if they need snacks, I've got you covered there as well. So, don't think of this as a studio photography session--think of it as visiting a friend who will take some sweet photographs of you all!! It's a nice alternative to going outside on those crappy days or for families who want a more modern look to their family photographs.

And--a little heads up for all of you local people!! My birthday is coming up and I will be having a HUGE SALE on both studio and on location sessions. If you are planning on a session with me this year--this will be the time to book, so WATCH FOR IT!!!

Enjoy!

~ Dana