Pool Party Sessions

So, everyone who's been following my blog knows that I have recently fallen in love with underwater photography. I know what you are all thinking....I live in Alberta. How much underwater photography can I do? Well...gosh darnit...I am going to try and figure out a way to do it as much as possible ;) Here are some samples from my recent 'pool party sessions' I offered. I would love LOVE love to do this again, so if you would like to get some unique portraits of your kids(or yourself), email me to get on a list for future potential dates. AND...if you are lucky enough to have a pool and would like me to come and do this for your friends and family--well, I would be happy to create a 'Pool Party' date just for you :) I have been lucky to already be invited out to some cabins this summer, but I'd love to visit you and your family at your cabin :) Pictures off your dock or our on your boat? Sounds like a great idea to me ;)

Thanks to my first bunch of adventurers!! For trusting me to create something unique for them...hope they like them(even the funny outtake at the end).

Summer is here! Let's go for a swim :)

~ Dana

Pool Party Sessions

A unique underwater portrait experience...A new kind of mini session :) First opportunity will be the first week in July. The session fee is $100(+gst)....this does not include any digital files, prints or products. Digital files will be available for purchase and they will be the lowest price they've EVER been.

4 spots 1 spot left. That's it, folks...contact me for more details if you are interested.

~ Dana

Dreams

There are some big changes coming soon to my business...a new website, a new blog...all sorts of changes. The last year brought some ground shaking change to my life. I feel like the dust has settled and every day I can see a little clearer. It feels so so so good. I have new dreams and wants from my photography and I'm going to embrace them. Just like I embraced the desire to shoot underwater. This foothills dwelling girl wanted to see the light down there and when I did, I found myself again. Truly.

So, I'm putting out some hopes and dreams of mine in the hopes that some incredible families will hire me to fulfill their photographic dreams.

I want to shoot more underwater images--maternity, families, babies...I wanna see more light down there. For the first two people to book a pool session with me(in Calgary), I will PAY the pool rental fee. That is how badly I want it. And, now that the warm weather is here--don't you want it, too?

I would also love to visit people in their family spaces. I have been lucky this year to be invited out to people's cabins, to come along with them while camping, to go for a hike in the mountains with them. I want to do more of this and to do more I need some AMAZINGLY AWESOME FAMILIES to email me and tell me their photography dreams. What is the one picture you are dying to have of your family, but were too afraid to ask? I want to take it for you.

My family is planning a month long cross Canada adventure next summer(2014--east)...we are going all the way out to the maritimes and back in July(although I'll also be on the west coast in June 2014). My dream is to document Canadian families all across the way. From farms in Saskatchewan, to lake living in Ontario, to kissing a cod in Newfoundland...I want to see how Canadians live. I'm dreaming that people will want to hire me to photograph that. So, think about that...you have over a year to mull it over ;)

I have also been dreaming about documenting my own family more. I find that most of the photographers who document their family lives have wee babies. Cute, little toddlers who will wear what you put them in and look cute even when they are acting badly. It is hard to find photographers who are documenting their kids as they begin to enter their teens and beyond. I think that this is because it is difficult to do. They think you are dorky. They want to run the other direction when you pull out your camera. Or worse-pose like they are on some weird reality television show. So, I'm challenging myself to document my family life for 5 minutes every day(or almost every day--I will not be upset at myself if I miss a day here and there after all THAT is what family life is all about). I am embracing the imperfection of this time in my life so they are not perfect images. I'll show whatever I get that speaks to me for whatever teeny little reason within that 5 minutes. Very little editing. Very little judgement. I'm calling it 'The 5 Minute Project'' and have started posting the results on our family blog if you want to follow along.

I have so much work to share with you that I don't even know where to begin...I'm finding it harder and harder to get stuff up on the blog. Not because I don't like chatting/sharing with you all, but just because I am trying to spend more time LIVING my life than in front of a camera or a computer. I'll try to share more now that the sun is starting to bless us with it's presence.

~ Dana

PS--and I would love it if you shared my dreams with any families that you think might connect with them :) thank you for your love and support over the last 6 years.

Mexico Rocks

That is the name of the snorkelling spot directly across from the little house we rented in Belize. We could kayak there and jump over the edge and see amazing things. This was a day where we didn't see anything surprising(Georgia and Bob saw 3 six foot barracudas there one day)...but the light was sweet and we had a nice time. Thought I'd share some personal underwater work... I see some more tropical vacations in our future... ~ Dana

* just because I get asked all of the time, I am adding that I have a professional underwater housing that holds my 5D Mark II.