a generational family session in the forest

You may be surprised to learn that this generational family session was not pre-planned! I know, I know I probably shouldn’t admit that to you because I seem like someone who makes a plan and sticks to it, right?! And while I admit that I like to plan ahead and have some sort of structure, I am very comfortable being flexible and pivoting.

And this session was no exception! Initially, Adele and I had planned for the session to take place on a sunny day in August and for it be of just her family, which includes her husband and two young kids. But after having to postpone the session to Labor Day weekend, the timing lined up perfectly as her parents were in town visiting. This was great because I was able to photograph her parents separately and with their grandchildren, which according to Adele is something they never would’ve gotten done themselves!

a lovely summer morning session

As a photographer, there’s nothing more satisfying than when we get perfect conditions for our session! Especially living in Calgary where the weather can change three times in five minutes - which is sometimes cool, sometimes terrifying.

This session with the Dominski family was a perfect example of those ideal conditions as it was a warm, overcast morning with a hint of smoke making the sun look slightly orange. This was great for getting those similar tones that you would see during golden hour, which is either an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset.

I’ve put the slideshow from their ordering appointment below in case you wanted a sneak peek into what that might look like!

a fun-filled in home session

It was so lovely to photograph Masha, Gaurav and Rada in their beautiful home back in April when it still looked wintery outside. In home sessions are quickly becoming one of my favourite things because not only are they cozy and warm in the winter, but it’s also an environment that you and your family feel completely comfortable in!

I’ve found that especially for young kids who can often be offput by the camera and aren’t really sure what I’m doing, having the session in a space where they feel safe to play, laugh and forget about the camera is so important!

In this case, our session began with Rada being quite shy as didn’t really understand why I was there. But by the end of our session, we were giggling about all the cute photos of her and even played a fun game of “How many times can I jump scare the camera lady?”