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.
An At Home Adventure | Calgary Family Photographer
Not all adventures have to be big. When you have a toddler, every day is an adventure. So, why not document a little bit of your every day? For this family, we just had an evening walk around the neighborhood with a stop at their favourite park. Then, I photographed bath and bed time. It’s a true snapshot of what your family’s life is really like right now. The opposite of a mini session…this is the full meal deal!! I like to think of my Adventure sessions as slow portraiture. It’s my way of trying to calm everyone right down and just be in the moment. Some families take longer than others. Some families never calm down(ha). But, when there is enough time and space to relax a bit, your family’s true personality shines through. If you are someone who wants candid images full of connection…THIS is the way to get them. Not a mini session. The FULL MEAL DEAL.
This family is so calm that the whole session was super chill. This guy might be little, but this is his third session with me. He knows a good thing when he sees it. hahahahahahaha. But, no really…I feel like I am training the whole family to get the best photographs possible. Here is a small sampling of the images we created together.
Adventure Session in Fish Creek Park
Fish Creek in the fall is iconic if you live in Calgary. It is by far the most requested location for family portraits. There are so many lovely little corners of it to explore that it makes it the perfect location for a family Adventure Session.
What is a family Adventure Session? It truly is my favourite type of family session. And, in 2023, it will be the only type of on location session that I will be offering families. I am a self described child lead photographer and, by that, I mean I take the children’s lead. I let them show me their world. They lead the way in an adventure…this is a gentle way to create portraits in the hopes of creating a safe space for the children to show me their true selves. This is the best way to get real expressions. Over the 17 years I have been doing these sessions, I’ve been on many adventures big and small. I’ve met kids of all ages and take the lead only when I feel I have it is necessary. The end result is not just a handful of images where the goal is perfection…it is a collection of images that work together to tell the story of your family’s connection. Life is, after all, perfectly imperfect and I do not see myself in the images where families are wearing perfect clothes, have perfect hair and are all behaving perfectly. My family was never that way, so I would never want my own family portraits to reflect that.
Here is a sampling of the images I created for one family this fall at Calgary’s iconic Fish Creek Provincial Park.
Canmore Mountain Adventure Session
Last year, this family from Toronto drove to Canmore to enjoy some family time all together. They rented the coolest Airbnb in town(no, really, it’s such a cool place) and spent some time exploring Canada’s beautiful rocky mountains. One of the things I love about my job is having the opportunity to photograph families from all across the world who have come here to see first hand the beauty of Alberta. I really do feel so lucky to live here.
My mountain Adventure Sessions are a combination of documentary and casual portraits that allow my to capture your family in a natural way so that the images we create together showcase your connection and unique personalities. There is some direction, but, mostly, it’s like hanging out with a friend who also brings along her camera…so, it is the perfect solution for busy families who don’t want to have to force their kids to sit still and behave a certain way. Family portraits can be SUPER FUN…they don’t have to be stressful. Trust me ;)
If you are interested in visiting this airbnb, go here: https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/18161391 and be sure to contact me to book your family Adventure Session while you are there!
~ Dana
