Heidi and Gary have added a new member to their family. The adorable Haley was a treat to photograph. She was very patient with us as she went through a few costume changes and had to endure the endless flashes.

As you can see, Haley has some great parents that are more than excited that she’s here.

Glenmore Park on the North side of the reservoir in the fall is a great place for pictures. It was still warm enough and we had a lot of leaves and color to play with.  The wind picked up a bit to challenge me on some shots, particularly overlooking the reservoir, but once we got down near the water, we found some relief and a few good places to pose at.

This year’s composite image reflected the fall colors more. The bright playground just added a lot of pop to the photo. Can you count all of the Bella’s? This one is my all-time record for the number of merged photos.
A beautiful fall day in the park is perfect for a picnic. It was nice to relax and finish the session with a delicious lunch together.

Devry held their 2011 convocation ceremony Saturday in Calgary.  I was excited to be the official photographer again this year. The occasion also marked their 30th Anniversary. City of Calgary Ward 10 Alderman and Devry graduate, Andre Chabot,  was invited to be the feature speaker.

The portrait session before and after the ceremony certainly kept me busy.  I enlisted the help of my daughter to help set up and to organize the graduates for their portraits.  She did a great job.  She even did a great pose for me on my new backdrop to help me lock in my exposure settings.

They have a great back yard with a play structure that helped them be more comfortable. The weather was great and made for a lot of good contrasts. My son assisted me with a second camera (he’s 13). He got some great shots also. I find that the best way to take photos of children is to let them play and get them while they’re not paying so much attention.

Having family from different towns, they wanted a neutral location that didn’t favour either town.  We picked a cozy location at Big Hill Springs, just NE of Cochrane, AB.  There are some beautiful waterfalls and the overcast sky made the lighting perfect.  The early spring foliage, really complemented the water.  Slowing the shutter gave us the silky water effect that made this a feature photo for their wedding invitation.

We spent a good amount of time just wandering from place to place and taking photos as we went.  They’re a dynamic couple with a sense of adventure that made the photos more relaxed and fun.

What helped is that the day turned out to be perfect weather. A bit cool, but warm and bright enough to get some beautiful contrasts and natural expressions. We’ve been fighting bad weather all spring.

The composite set was my favourite. The posing is a bit random at first, but later, when I put it together, I discovered some poses that led to a “King of the Mountain” interaction in the background. Bella’s parents were absolutely pleased and excited about the results. That’s the part that makes photography so much fun.

From Steven and Amanda

Steven and Amanda are a quiet couple with big plans! For their engagement, we wandered into Prince’s Island Park in downtown Calgary. The recent moisture has made a huge difference in the greenery, but the trees have yet to really show.

Prince’s Island has a number of views that make it possible to do early spring photos. There is enough green space to add color, and enough architecture to add lines and interest. It turned out that our favorite spot is not at all what it seems. For their wedding invitation, they chose a photo that looks like a nice picnic spot with a view of the Centre Street Bridge in the background. If you were to try to picnic there, you would need ear plugs.

We canceled our first scheduled outing due to weather. We nearly canceled this one because of the forecast, but it stayed nice long enough for us to have a fun time and get some great shots. After that, it was miserable weather again for a while.

Having a summer wedding means spring engagement photos. This Easter weekend was definitely sunny enough, but the cold breeze made it a bit uncomfortable. Mark and Jennifer are a great couple, and were very patient dealing with flying hair and goosebumps.

Tom Campbell hill in Calgary overlooks the downtown core. Early spring is very brown, so the elegant stonework and stiff angles of skyline make for a dynamic backdrop suitable to a dynamic couple.

The invitation for their June wedding will feature this photograph.  I left enough space around the image to insert the invitation text without obscuring their faces.  I saturated the colors and added a more dreamy look using the Orton Effect. It gives the feeling of morning from a rather plain afternoon sun. I’m certainly looking forward to their wedding.

That’s what makes a photo shoot fun.  Encourage conversation and help them to relax.  Many of my clients have a lot of ideas and just love to show off.  It just takes a bit of  confidence building to get them started.  I look for the right position to shoot from and do a little bit of directing sometimes.  The results are more natural and relaxed.

With as many kids as there were, it’s important not to let them feel like they’re being photographed.  Some like to give a forced smile.  I’ll take a couple of shots and then try to distract them.  A candid photo where they are laughing or just being themselves are the best. If you tell them to try hard not to smile, they can’t help themselves and they think it’s funny.
Sometimes, an odd perspective loosens things up.  I’ll give them a quick look at how it turned out and it helps them not to be so shy of the camera.?