Simply Portraits Dana Pugh Simply Portraits Dana Pugh

Fall Portraits | Okotoks Family Photographer

These are some of my favourite portraits of my girl that I have ever taken. And, that is saying a lot because I literally have thousands to choose from. We took these last fall right outside our backdoor. She wore a suit that my father gave my mother back in the 60’s. He bought it while on a work trip in Montreal.

It is fall portrait season in Calgary and that means that I will be asked a lot of questions about how to get the best portraits for your own family this fall. Here are the most important things to remember:

  • Consider keeping your kids up for golden hour. I know that you have an idea of the time of day that you want to have your session, but—take it from someone who has been taking fall portraits of people since 2005…the best time is that last hour and a half of sun. Especially in the fall as it really makes those fall colours pop.

  • Trust your photographer about when fall happens in your area. After years of fretting over how long the leaves will be on the trees, I can tell you that without a doubt, September is the best time for fall portraits in Calgary/Okotoks…especially the third week in September. After that, we are literally holding our breath for the first big windy day or snowfall. To me, the most important thing about fall portraits is that the leaves are on the trees. It’s also nice if you get a mix of colours and not just a solid wall of yellow(in these images you can see that some of the leaves are still green—these were taken very late in the fall season before Thanksgiving).

  • Wear layers. Plan for it to be possibly as warm as a summer day or as cold as early winter. I’ve seen it all in September and October in Alberta. Be flexible…weather can really mess up your plans, but keeping some flexibility in those plans goes a very long way. I know we all have busy lives, but leaving room to celebrate your family with a portrait session is super important, too.

  • Hire a photographer who suits your style. Don’t expect your photographer to take images you have seen online. Check out their portfolio. Hire them for what you see there.

  • Don’t worry about your children’s behaviour. Come with the idea that you are going to enjoy yourselves and have fun!! If you threaten or bribe your kids to get them to behave in a certain way, things can really go south quickly. Again, trust your photographer to do what you have hired them to do and come with a positive attitude.

I still have some room in my fall schedule so book your fall portraits now before that first snowfall takes us by surprise ;)

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Simply Portraits Session | St. Patrick's Island YYC

Family portraits with toddlers can seem really daunting. That’s why I have a few suggestions…don’t get too caught up on the idea of perfection. Once upon a time, the idea of a family portrait session mean insisting on perfect outfits where everyone is smiling gently at the camera. The reality is—toddlers do not like to be controlled…so, instead of forcing them to behave a certain way, let’s just go with the flow. Come ready to cuddle, laugh and play. Bring snacks and just focus on how much you love being together as a family. Make wishes, give kisses, cuddles, and beard tickles. If we can do that instead of worrying about some other generation’s idea of perfection, we will always come out ahead with a much more enjoyable experience.

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A Backyard Adventure Session (with chickens)

With fall sessions already booking, I thought I would share a favourite Adventure Session from last fall. One of the most common questions I get asked is what is the difference between an Adventure Session and a Simply Portraits Session. Well...for starters, Adventure Sessions are the heart and soul of my business. No truly. These are the sessions I have spent over a decade doing here in the Calgary area. My goal is always to go on an Adventure with a family--whether that adventure is at a park, downtown or right in your own backyard. We explore, we discover, we laugh and have a relaxed time together. This allows me to create both casual portraits, as well as, some more candid or 'documentary' type images. It's really the best of both worlds. 

Here's the thing though--these sessions aren't quick. And, I know that not all families have time to spend on a session like this. You really have to set aside a morning or an afternoon for it all to happen. But--I encourage you to consider taking the day off from all other commitments and taking the time to just live in the moment with your family. To invest in what I have come to call 'slow portraiture'....it's very similar to the difference between fast food and a home cooked meal made entirely from scratch. You can tell the difference with every bite.

If you are interested in an Adventure Session in 2018, please contact me soon as my calendar is quickly filling up! Until September 1st, book a session and receive a free 12x18 print of your favourite image.

~ Dana

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Living With Photographs | Okotoks Photography Studio

I am passionate about filling my walls with photographs from our travels and our life. So, when it came time to design a wall gallery for my studio, I tossed a number of different ideas around in my head before settling on what I am calling my 'website on a wall'. I wanted a way to show the visitors to my studio that displaying family photographs can be cool. 

I documented the process in a stop motion slideshow that you can see below. What we did was take the advice that we found on Pinterest about making paper templates from the Ikea Ribba Frames that we wanted to use. We had a couple of different ideas as to how to go about this, but this was by far the best solution. We did, however, make our first mistake with the templates. I assumed that the Ribba frames had not changed much over the years and used a couple of older ones that we already had as templates. They were slightly out and this tiny difference made us have to make a few adjustments when we went to hang the frames. It also meant that I am a couple of frames short of finishing. I just have to run in to Ikea to grab two more before the prints arrive. 

I know that people will wonder how much we spent on the frames and the answer is close to $600. And, they will also wonder how much we spent on the prints...close to $500(none of them were mounted...they were all simply photographic prints). So, as much as this was a 'budget' solution, it wasn't exactly a dollar store budget solution if you know what I mean. It also took us several days, so you can see the light change in the studio. I am awaiting on the prints to arrive from my lab. Once they do, I'll post the finished product. Until then...enjoy us setting it up. 


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