Family Photos at Calgary Central Library: A Session Guide

by patil | Jan 5, 2025 | Family Photography, Headshot Photography, Kids Photography

Family Photos at Calgary Central Library: A Session Guide

Calgary’s Central Library has been a popular photography location since it opened in 2018, and it’s easy to see why. Leading architecture magazines have called it a design masterpiece, and its combination of dramatic architecture and versatile spaces makes it one of the best spots in the city for family photos. Calgary Central Library sessions give you a stunning backdrop without ever needing to leave the building.

In this post, I’ll share my experience shooting a large family session at the library, and why it’s worth considering for your own family photos.

Why the Library Works So Well for Family Photos

I’d done a quick shoot at this location about a year before this session, but a recent large family booking gave me the chance to really explore the space from a photographer’s perspective.

I usually keep shooting outdoors through the winter as long as it’s not too cold, but for this session, my clients specifically wanted an indoor space — easier for a big group, and simpler for outfit changes. Libraries also carry a nice symbolic weight for a family session: they represent knowledge, learning, and growth. And practically speaking, a library’s variety of spaces means you can get several completely different looks without changing locations.

family session at the library

This particular family was celebrating a 50th wedding anniversary, and wanted portraits with their kids, their kids’ spouses, and grandchildren visiting from Edmonton. The library felt like a natural fit for a family that clearly values reading and education.

Before the session, I checked the library’s photography policy to make sure I was prepared. Calgary Central Library allows photographers as long as the shoot stays low-key — no flash units or tripods — and walkways and stairs stay clear. With 7 people in this group, that meant moving quickly and deliberately in the narrower passages and stairwells. You can find the library’s full policy on their photography information page.

Shooting Family Photos at the Library: Where We Went

I arrived early to scout a few strong spots for group shots, couples’ portraits, and individual portraits before my clients arrived.

The entrance archway

We started right outside the library’s cave-like entrance, where the wood ceiling arches overhead. It’s a warm, natural background with real architectural depth — daylight filters in behind the subjects almost like the view from the end of a tunnel. We got a wide range of shots here: the whole family, smaller groupings, grandparents with grandkids, and a few solo portraits.

The main atrium

Next was the atrium, home to the library’s signature spiral wooden staircase — arguably the most recognizable backdrop in the building. It was a busy Saturday afternoon, so managing foot traffic through this area was the biggest challenge of the shoot.

The upstairs reading area

We moved upstairs for a few group shots on the stairs, plus more portraits with the spiral staircase continuing up toward the fourth floor. The reading areas here are bright and calm, ideal for softer, more relaxed portraits. We also used the geometric window shapes on the building’s west side — the kids especially loved posing on the slanted window ledges with their mom and uncle.

The children’s play area

This space was great for kid-focused shots, and the circular cutouts made a natural frame for portraits. It also gave the family somewhere to keep the kids entertained between adult portraits.

The top floor

With huge windows and plenty of natural light, the top floor was perfect for individual portraits and couples’ shots, with a soft, flattering bokeh in the background. I posed a few subjects on a bench near the windows and got a strong set of portraits (and even a few headshots) — a spot I’d happily return to for headshot sessions specifically.

Props along the way

The library itself offered a few nice on-location props — a chess set gave us a fun photo of the kids playing a game on the top floor, and a shelf of library books became a prop in another shot with the whole family seated together.

The white bookcase section

Our last stop was a section with rows of white bookcases, where we got a few playful peek-a-boo shots of the kids among the shelves. Throughout the whole session, the kids stayed engaged and never seemed to get bored — a real win for a family session with young children.

By the end of the day, everyone was happy with the choice of location, the kids had fun, and I got to work in one of Calgary’s most beautiful buildings.

Why the Central Library Is a Great Choice for Family Photos

If you’re deciding whether to book family photos at Calgary Central Library, here’s what makes it stand out:

Architectural beauty

The honeycomb-patterned façade, sweeping staircases, and abundant natural light give every shot a dynamic, elegant backdrop — whether your session is formal or candid.

Indoor and outdoor flexibility

The landscaped plaza outside works well for sunny-day sessions, while the warm, wood-paneled atrium keeps things beautiful year-round, even when Calgary’s weather doesn’t cooperate.

A kid-friendly environment

The library’s Children’s Library area is colourful and interactive, giving younger kids a chance to explore books and toys while staying naturally themselves in front of the camera.

How to Book Your Own Family Session

At Alpina Photography, I offer family photos in Calgary year-round across a range of locations — Calgary parks, indoor spots like the Central Library, or even your own home.

Whether you’re looking for a family photographer in Calgary for a single-family session (parents and kids) or a bigger group with grandparents, cousins, and extended family, I’d love to help. A single-family session runs about 45 minutes and includes 5 free edited digital images; a big family session runs about 1.5 hours and includes 10 images.

You can choose your session location and date and book directly on our family photos page.

Looking forward to meeting you soon!

kids portrait at the Calgary Central Library

How to Prepare for Calgary Professional Headshots

by patil | Mar 23, 2023 | Headshot Photography, Life, Studio Sessions

How to Prepare for Calgary Professional Headshots

A great headshot is a partnership. It’s the photographer’s job to set the lighting, guide the session, offer posing direction, and help you feel relaxed and confident in front of the camera. But a few simple preparations on your end can make a measurable difference in the final result — often the gap between a photo that looks “fine” and one that genuinely looks like the best version of you.

Your headshot is frequently the first impression a client, employer, or connection has of you, whether it’s on LinkedIn, your company’s website, or a conference bio. That’s a lot riding on a single image, which is exactly why a little preparation goes a long way. As a Calgary headshot photographer, I always tell clients that the technical side of the photo — lighting, camera settings, retouching — is my job. The part you control is everything you bring into the room with you.

Preparing well for Calgary professional headshots comes down to four things: grooming, makeup, clothing, and posing. Here’s how to approach each one.

Grooming and Makeup

A natural, polished look works best for a business headshot. Get a fresh haircut or trim beforehand, shave or style facial hair neatly, and cleanse and moisturize your skin so it looks clear and healthy on camera. It’s worth scheduling any haircut a few days ahead of your session rather than the morning of — this gives it time to settle into its natural shape rather than looking freshly cut.

Skin prep matters more than people expect. Drink plenty of water in the days leading up to your session, and if your skin tends to run dry, a good moisturizer the night before and morning of can help avoid any flaky or dull patches under studio lighting. If you’re prone to breakouts, try not to introduce any new skincare products right before your session — stick with what you know works.

make up for a headshot photo Keep makeup understated. Heavy or dramatic makeup tends to distract from a professional look, especially under studio lights, which can exaggerate anything too heavy-handed. Choose a foundation that matches your skin tone with light to medium coverage, and blend it carefully into your neck and jawline for a seamless finish. A light dusting of setting powder can also help reduce shine, particularly if your session includes multiple looks or outfit changes.

Your eyes are a natural focal point in a headshot, so give them subtle definition — neutral eyeshadow shades work well, paired with mascara for a bit of length and volume. Keep lips simple with a natural-looking colour close to your own lip tone, or a subtle neutral gloss. The overall goal with makeup for a headshot isn’t to look “done up” — it’s to look like the most rested, polished version of your everyday self.

How to Dress for Your Session

Since the goal is to keep attention on your face, avoid bold patterns, distracting graphics, or visible logos. Solid, neutral colours — black, white, gray, navy — tend to photograph best and read as timeless in a professional setting. Busy patterns like tight stripes or small checks can also create a distracting visual effect called moiré on camera, which is another good reason to keep things simple.

Let your outfit reflect your industry. how to prepare for headshot session A creative field often allows for more relaxed attire, while more traditional or formal industries typically call for a suit or blazer. Fit matters just as much as colour — a well-tailored piece will always photograph better than an expensive one that doesn’t sit right on your shoulders, so it’s worth trying on your outfit ahead of time rather than the morning of your session. If you’re early in your career and want more guidance, MasterClass has a solid overview on how to dress for work.

If you’ve booked a studio session with Alpina Photography, feel free to bring a few outfit options so we can see what photographs best together. Two or three options give us room to test what works with the lighting and background, and it’s genuinely helpful to have that flexibility rather than committing to a single outfit in advance. Just avoid anything overly trendy or flashy — simple, well-fitted clothing keeps the focus where it belongs: on you.

How to Pose for a Business Headshot

Good posture sets the tone for the whole photo. Stand tall with your shoulders back and your chin lifted slightly — this conveys confidence and professionalism from the first glance. Many people naturally lean forward toward the camera without realizing it, so it can help to consciously root your weight back through your heels before each shot.

At the same time, relaxed shoulders matter just as much as good posture. Tension reads on camera, so aim for a natural, approachable stance rather than a stiff one. Avoid leaning or tilting your head too far in either direction, as this can create unflattering shadows. If you’re not sure how a pose looks, don’t be afraid to ask — checking the screen between shots is a normal part of the process, and small adjustments often make a bigger difference than they seem to in the moment.

Find your best angle

Turn your head slightly left or right how to pose for a headshot photo during the session to find the angle that suits you best, and make sure your face is fully visible to the camera. Most people have a side they photograph slightly better from, and part of a good session is simply trying a few variations until we find yours.

Practice your expression beforehand

A genuine smile always photographs better than a forced one. Think of something that makes you happy rather than posing a smile directly, and practice in a mirror if it helps you find a relaxed, natural expression. A more serious look or a subtle smirk can also work well, depending on the tone you’re going for — and it’s often worth capturing a mix of both during your session, since different platforms or uses may call for a different feel.

Give your hands something to do

Resting your hands lightly in your pockets or on a nearby surface tends to look more natural than letting them hang stiffly at your sides. If your headshot includes your hands in the frame, a relaxed, slightly open hand position photographs better than a clenched or overly rigid one.

A strong business headshot should convey both professionalism and approachability. With a bit of preparation using the tips above, you’ll walk into your session ready to look and feel your best — and as your photographer, my job is to make the rest of the process feel effortless on your end.

Ready to book your Calgary professional headshots? As a Calgary headshot photographer, I’ll guide you through every step of the session so all you need to focus on is showing up prepared. You can book your session online in just a few minutes. Leave the details to me — I’m here to help you look your best.

9 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Professional Photographer

by patil | Feb 1, 2022 | Family Photography, Headshot Photography, Life, Outdoor Sessions, Studio Sessions

9 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Professional Photographer

We all take photos with our cameras or cell phones daily. Especially with social media becoming an important part of our lives and the development of smart phones equipped with cameras pretty much shaped our habit of taking photos so, one can ask why I would hire a photographer after all.

During the point and shoot era, dreadful photos filled our photo albums. We kept them for the sake of “memories”. After many years of struggling with terrible picture quality and blurry images we took with our point and shoot cameras, finally we have cell phones that can take some fine photos as long as we have no problem with “image resolution” or “composition”.

Let me tell you about an anecdote from a few years ago:

We were at a restaurant, dining together with old friends first time after many years. I wanted to take a group photo as a memory from our get-together. My friend said, let’s ask the waiter to do it, so all of us would be in the picture. When the waiter took the photo, my friend wanted to see it before letting him go. I found it kind of offensive and unkind, thinking “who can fail to take a simple cell phone photo” My friend checked her phone and she burst into a laughter saying “our heads are missing” I was both shocked and embarrassed for both the waiter failing to take a simple photo, and us being such jerks making fun of this, but I couldn’t stop myself laughing either 😊

Paying attention to including all important human parts in the frame, the second photo was much better with some lighting issues.

Cell phone cameras are terrific tools as an aid in our everyday life. We use them often when we are shopping, when we want to document visible health issues to share with the doctor, collecting inspirations for our art project, file sharing and so on.

On the other hand, photography is a form of art, just like painting or music; not only a tool to document what there is out there. When taking a landscape photo or a portrait, no matter what camera we are using, the purpose is capturing our subject in a visual order that is pleasing to the eye, expressing the emotions in the moment, reflecting the mood of the environment. For a good photograph we need to melt technique and aesthetics in the same pot. If one of them is lacking, the photo ends up being a dull, lifeless picture. It may be ok for capturing everyday life and sharing only on the social media platforms. If you want some beautiful photos that you would like to display in an album or hang on your walls, then you need a professional photographer.

Let’s take a closer look at the 9 reasons why you should hire a professional photographer.

1. Artistically composed images

When it comes to composition, it takes more than capturing smiling faces with all body parts included in the frame. If you are looking for more than quick snapshots, you can take advantage of a professional photographer’s expertise, knowledge and experience. A professional photographer has a trained eye to identify the best positions and angles in each situation. They assess the current conditions and location to decide where and how to position the subject to get the best light and a meaningful composition. Good composition is a vital element for artistic images, making it interesting, attractive and unique.

2. Editing that is worth every penny

In most cases Images do not come out perfect straight out of the camera. We do a post processing to make them look their best. Sometimes the weather or current conditions at the photography location may not cooperate with the type of photos we want to attain. High-end editing tools like Photoshop enables us to turn a gloomy photo into a bright happy one, or vice versa. Cleaning up the photo off the bad looks such as a garbage bin, or a car parked on the side of the road makes a huge change on the photo.

Detailed skin retouch is another aspect of professional photo editing especially for portraits and professional head shots. When you hire a photographer, photo editing is part of the package. You can have outstanding images that you will be proud to share or display.

3. Professional Equipment for excellent results

Professional photographers utilize high-end specialty equipment to get the best results for their genre of photography. At Alpina Photography we have top-of-the-line studio equipment for portrait photography. Our most popular studio sessions are newborn, headshots, maternity, family and children’s photos. We also bring our equipment on site for on-location business portraits, couples and headshot sessions.

4. Strike a pose like a magazine cover

I often hear people say, “I am not photogenic”. I believe there is a right angle for everyone in which they look great. It is the photographer’s job to find it out and guide you through your photo session on posing to get the best shots. Portrait photographers are experienced photographing all body types and ages, so they know how to make you look slimmer, taller, younger or smaller. They steer you away from frequently done posing mistakes. Your photographer can advise on how to dress or make up for specific styles and looks.

They can also point you out the best possible time of the day to ensure the best lighting therefore greatest portraits. In Calgary, for outdoor portraits, I advise my clients the exact time and place for golden hour photos, for blacked out silhouette photos and so on. This little girl in the below photo in the below photo is not a model, but her mom was 😊

5. You can be in the photos too

You don’t need to sacrifice anyone from your family to take photos. When you have a professional photographer, everyone will be in the photos, looking their best.

I wasn’t aware of how important it is until I realized I was missing from every single photo I took through the years, except for only a few, which were strictly posed and taken quickly. It’s a matter of passion. Not everyone volunteers to take photos.

6. Easy access to the best photography locations

Photographers know all the best places in your city to take certain type of photos. As a professional photographer, I am always in search of new places for outdoor photography. In Calgary, I have a list of places for family photos, couples’ photos, business head shots or cake smash photos. To get the best results, I do pre-session excursions to the target location and make sure if it will look pretty on the session date. In Calgary, spring comes late, summers and falls are short, so we need to be on the lookout all the time and check the weather and if necessary, reschedule the session. After a strong windstorm, in place of a beautiful park, you can find a post-apocalyptic movie setting for your family photos. It always pays off to scout the place beforehand.

7. Getting high quality prints

Professional photographers usually work with high end photography print labs that only work with photography companies. The quick photo prints you will get from a local London Drugs or Walmart store will not please you as for quality, colour accuracy or sharpness as their printers are set for “low ink consumption” The bigger problem is, if your photos are taken in a different colour space than sRGB their printers will not recognize it and you may end up with lifeless photos with cold colours, unwanted tints or low contrast.

Another issue with prints is that most cameras take photos in 3×4 ratio. If you print your photos in different sizes such as square, 5×7, or 8×10, you will lose some of the image to fit in that size. Sometimes it is part of your arm or ear in a portrait that you must give up when you print it yourself. When you order your prints through your photographer, they take care of such cropping issues. As a professional photographer, I never order prints as is, but check them and see how they look in the desired ratio and make that photo fit nicely into that size. To be able to do this sometimes I have to go back to photoshop and re-edit the photo or add a section to make it look meaningful or centered.

Professional labs also offer better quality archival paper and variety of print papers such as metallic, fine art giclee or cotton paper.

8. Variety of photography props

You don’t need to worry about props or backdrops when you hire a professional photographer. At Alpina Photography, we have an abundance of photography props from umbrellas to wooden crates, from flower headbands to Christmas decors and newborn size beds. We maintain a big inventory of photo props and backdrops to make your photo project successful, whether it is family photography, kids photography, cake smash or newborn photography we have you covered. If you have a specific theme on your mind, you can also communicate it during pre-session phone meeting. We do our best to accommodate custom themes at www.alpinaphotography.com

9. Convenience

You don’t need to go through the process of planning, scheduling, choosing a location, deciding what to wear or how to pose, editing photos afterwards, finding a good lab to print them out. These are all your photographer’s job.

Hire a Professional Photographer!

If you’re in Calgary Alberta and looking for professional quality photos for your family album, for your website, or for the baby coming into your life soon, give me a call at (403) 926-4832 to discuss what you are looking for and how we can make it happen for you.

www.alpinaphotography.com

pinar@alpinaphotography.com

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