Alberta Summer Games Photography | Baseball
During the Games, I probably got to more baseball games than any other sport and I really enjoyed them. The pace of baseball allows for a photographer to really explore not only the performance athlete, but how a team works together to support one another. Not to mention the spectators. Here are some of my favourites from the baseball games that I attended.
Alberta Summer Games Photographer | Opening Ceremonies
Photographing the opening ceremonies for the Alberta Summer Games was such an incredible experience. The energy from the athletes and coaches was off the charts. The volunteers in my hometown of Okotoks went above and beyond to create a wonderful experience for everyone in attendance. Perfect Storm Cheerleading entertained everyone while they arrived. Indigenous drummers, singers and dancers representing the Blackfoot Confederacy wowed us with their cultural performances. The local circus artists from Spectacle Blue Circus Arts took to the field dressed representing all of the different activities. There were even two cranes that lifted the performers representing cycling and canoeing high above the crowd! It was really quite the event.
My job in documenting the event was to try to capture the energy of the athletes arriving and on the field during the event. Not only did I focus on the athletes and coaches, but on the performers and the volunteers. I also had 5 other photographers there that night stationed throughout the event to make sure that we were able to document the audience and dignitaries. Many of the volunteers were seasoned photographers, but there were a couple of young people just starting out on their photography journey and I really enjoyed helping them as they captured some portfolio worthy images. Here are some of my favourite images that I created that night.
Photography Chair for the Alberta Summer Games | Torch Relay
This summer I had the pleasure of being the Chair of Photography for the Alberta Summer Games. As the Chair, I managed a team of around 10 different volunteer photographers as they photographed 14 sports, as well as, the opening ceremonies. Our goal was not to simply photograph the events, games and matches, but to try and capture the true spirit of the games. If you have ever been a part of such an large event, you know that the Games are for the athletes, but the spirit of the games not only comes from them. It also comes from the amazing volunteers, coaches, and spectators.
Since I took thousands of photographs myself over the course of the Games, I thought that I would share some of my favourites from the different events I covered over the weekend. Starting with the torch relay. A big shout out to the folks at Atco Gas who let me ride on the back of their lead vehicle so I could capture the relay without actually running alongside the participants. It was such a fun day to see so many local people out showing their support. Here are just a handful of the images I captured that day.
Spring Adventure Session in the Mountains | Kananaskis Family Photographer
This session is over a year old now, but it’s been sitting in my blog drafts waiting for me to share it ever since. This lovely family wanted portraits in the mountains to document their time here in Alberta. This spot in Kananaskis is a favourite for me because the views are so stunning and depending on the time of year, the landscape can really vary. This session was in the spring and the water was so low. It’s amazing the difference when you go out there in the summer or the fall.
These kids were the perfect age for an Adventure Session. Having an activity and no time limit gives younger kids the space to just be themselves. They don’t have to worry about ‘behaving’ a certain way or following instructions. We allow things to just naturally unfold. The only job a family has is to show up ready to play, have fun, and love each other. I provide enough direction so that you can feel confident that we are going to get the images that you want, but also allow you to just show me your true authentic selves. Here is a sampling of the images that this family created with me. Not only did we get amazing portraits to put on their walls or share with family and friends, but we got a great series of images that allow for a wonderful book that illustrates this moment in their family’s history.
