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

Camping in Kananaskis

I have always had a 'bucket list' of sessions that I wanted to do. A camping family session is definitely one of them. I knew this family had a cool red Boler, so I suggested a fall session out in Kananaskis with their red Boler in tow. Last night on Facebook, my good friend, Nashville photographer Mandy Johnson, posted that she had a wish to do a camping session. I got to thinking how I never had shared this session. I also got to thinking about how lucky I was to have clients who are willing to do stuff like this. Stuff that is outside the box. Stuff that requires a wee bit more effort than simply getting dressed and showing up. I think it was worth it :)

That was the biggest share I've done in awhile :) If you are camping in Kananaskis this summer and would love to have your family photographs done while you are out there, just give me a shout. I'd love to do it for you.

~ 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.

Kicking Horse Family

This is a Kicking Horse family. They were married at Kicking Horse...they have a cabin there...a place where they love to go with their friends and family to do the thing that you do at Kicking Horse--SKI. So, it only made sense to have their session there. We started out at the cabin...typical pre-ski morning before we headed up the gondola for the boy's first trip down from the top. Then, we came home for some lunch(macaroni and cheese from the crock pot). I decided that one thing is for certain--I have NEVER had such a good workout at a session ;) Before I do the next one, I have to practice getting up on my snowboard with my 20 pound backpack on. Thank goodness they all skied and were kind enough to carry the bag for me. As a family that skis, I look at these pictures and think how nice it would be for us to have some like that. I never take the big camera with me up the hill...but, we are headed out this weekend as well(off to Panorama--our kids love it there). Think this time I'll take the big one with me. Especially if it's sunny. Love that snow and blue sky :)

~ Dana