Urban Rooftop Graduation Session | Calgary Photographer

I know it’s November so you might be thinking that this isn’t the right time of year to be talking about graduation sessions, but you would be wrong!! Graduation sessions are by far my most popular sale item on Black Friday. So, in the spirit of answering some of your most frequently asked questions about graduation sessions, I will be posting some of my favourite sessions from the last couple of years.

This is the lovely Emelia. We came up with the idea for a rooftop sunset session together after she showed me her dress. I thought it was the perfect choice for this type of session. This session is such a great example of why we don’t have the session on the same day as the graduation ceremony or party. When we make it a separate event, it allows for another day to celebrate your graduate. It also allows for flexibility as far as location, time of day, and outcomes. Every grad is different so I want to make sure that their photographs always reflect that. Allowing for flexibility as far as scheduling the graduation session means we aren’t at the mercy of the weather or the crazy schedule for the day. You can spend the actual graduation day focusing on celebrating as a family and worry about portraits on another day.

This year, my own daughter is graduating and we are planning at least three different portrait sessions(because I really am that kind of crazy). This will definitely be one of the locations as I love it so much. Where would your perfect graduation portrait session location be?

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.

Fall Family Portrait Time | St. Patrick Island

Did you know that I offer two types of sessions? One is what I am known for—Adventure Sessions, but I have found that not all families are up for an Adventure Session…especially in the fall when we are all busy with back to school, back to sports and just preparing to hunker down for winter ;) So, I created what I call a Simply Portraits Session. It is a quick 45 minute session that focuses on getting all of the casual portraits that you love in an Adventure Session without the adventure. This type of sessions is best suited to a family with older kids who are old enough to sit still for a portrait session and this is the perfect time of year for such a session. Here is a favourite fall Simply Portraits Session from last year to give you an idea of what you might expect from such a session.

Thinking of booking your fall portraits? The leaves will be gone before you know it, so reach out soon if you are hoping to secure a spot in my schedule.

Just Add Bubbles | Calgary Family Adventure Photography

Rule #1 of how to run a photography session with kids—when in doubt add bubbles. And snacks. Preferably not at the same time. That’s what I love about Adventure Sessions. There is no timeline. We aren’t trying to get kids to behave a certain way or wear clothes that they find uncomfortable. It’s a time to play and focus on just enjoying your time together. It’s a time to let the kids just be kids….and, the parents, too ;) Let’s blow bubbles, eat watermelon and run through the wild grasses of southern Alberta. That’s the best kind of photography session.