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

Christmas Photo Session Calgary: Outdoor vs. Studio Guide

by patil | Nov 7, 2023 | Family Photography, Kids Photography, Life, Outdoor Sessions, Studio Sessions

Christmas Photo Session Calgary: Outdoor vs. Studio Guide

It’s that time of year again, and I’m always excited for Christmas photo shoots. If you’re wondering what your options are for a Christmas photo session in Calgary, here’s a look at how Alpina Photography approaches Christmas-themed sessions.

Christmas is hands-down the most festive holiday of the year — a chance to slow down, gather with family, and connect away from the everyday hustle. As a kid, it felt like living in a fairy tale: decorating the house, writing cards, watching Christmas movies. Now, as a mom of two, that same sense of wonder is still there, just from a different side of it.

Photography is my passion, so I get a kind of double Christmas joy: capturing holiday memories for other families and helping paint their own picture of love and connection.

Rather than offering Christmas minis, which can feel like the same template repeated for every client, I prefer full family sessions customized around your family specifically. If you’d rather skip the cliché mall-Santa photo and do something more personal, we can build a Christmas photo session in Calgary around your choice of location, decor, and style. If you’re short on time, I’m happy to design the whole session for you. Like most portrait sessions, a Christmas photo session can be done outdoors or in the studio — here’s how each works.

Outdoor Christmas Sessions

An outdoor Christmas photo session is a great way to capture the feel of the season against a natural backdrop. Winter’s soft natural light, a snowy landscape, and — if you’re lucky — a few falling snowflakes all come together for beautiful photos. The white snow on the ground also makes a bright, clean base that lets pops of colour in clothing or accessories really stand out.

(For more on this style, see our previous post: Photo Shoot In The Snow.)

Choosing Your Location and Props

For outdoor sessions, you’re in control of the style and feel. We’ll talk through your vision together — favourite parks, an inner-city neighbourhood, or downtown Calgary all work well as locations. For props, small touches like holiday garlands, cozy blankets, or coffee mugs add a nice seasonal feel, and if you have a specific Christmassy item, place, or even a vehicle you’d like included, we can absolutely work that in.

Why Outdoor Sessions Feel More Candid

Outdoor sessions tend to produce more candid, natural images with genuine emotion and action, rather than tightly posed shots. A wide open space also gives far more flexibility for framing — from full landscapes to close portraits, and from action shots to a shallow depth of field. Without the limits of a small indoor space, there’s more room to get creative with different lenses, whether that’s wide-angle, zoom, or prime.

Studio Christmas Sessions

A studio Christmas photo session is the right choice if you’re after more posed, staged photos with curated decor and colour in front of a chosen background. Alpina Photography has a wide selection of Christmas props and decor, especially for kids.

Where and How Long

My home studio is located in Montgomery, NW Calgary, with free street parking available. Sessions typically run 45–60 minutes. Since it’s indoors, weather is never a factor, and you’re free to dress as fancy as you’d like — studio lighting is the perfect place to shine.

As a portrait photographer, I don’t believe there’s one “correct” way portraits have to look, so I’m always open to your ideas and personal touches throughout the shoot. The best results usually come from balancing your vision with the experience and creativity I bring as the photographer.

Planning Wardrobe and Style

For studio sessions, it helps to coordinate wardrobe across everyone in the family so the group feels cohesive against the festive theme. If you need Christmas outfits for your kids, I may have options available — wardrobe use is free. We’ll talk through style, background, and clothing choices during a pre-session phone call, and if you’d prefer a plain backdrop with just a touch of Christmas decor, that’s an easy option to plan for too.

Ready to Book Your Christmas Photo Session in Calgary?

Whether you choose an outdoor or studio session, my best advice for the day itself is simple: relax, have fun, and enjoy the time with your family. A relaxed, joyful atmosphere is what leads to genuinely beautiful, candid holiday photos.

Ready to start planning? Get in touch, or book your session date directly.

Preschool Photos in Calgary: Behind the Scenes at Akidemy

by patil | Sep 15, 2023 | Kids Photography, Preschool Photos, Sibling Photos

Preschool Photos in Calgary: Behind the Scenes at Akidemy

Today I’m sharing my experience shooting preschool photos at Akidemy Preschool in Calgary. Along the way, I’ll walk you through how I photograph little kids and how I retouch their photos afterward.

Children have always been my favourite subject. Starting out as a baby and kids’ photographer, I quickly learned how much fun and energy they bring to a session. On photo day, dressed in their best outfits and hairstyles, they honestly look ready for a kids’ clothing catalogue!

This spring, I was back at Akidemy Preschool for student portraits. We moved photo day from fall to spring this year. By spring, the kids are more settled into school and feel more comfortable in front of the camera.

Why I Love Shooting at Akidemy

Every time I visit Akidemy, I want to dive straight into their activity tables. They’re covered in toys, craft supplies, and fun materials. The space itself is beautifully designed, with natural wood furniture and soft pastel colours throughout. It’s safe, welcoming, and clearly built with kids in mind.

For outdoor shots, I use the preschool’s backyard, which has a few trees that make a lovely natural backdrop. On cooler or rainy days, we shoot indoors instead, using the school’s pretty wallpaper as a backdrop.

My Tips for Getting Great Preschool Photos

People often ask how I get such natural, happy expressions from young kids. Here’s what works for me.

Break the ice first

For many kids, this is their first time in front of a professional photographer. A friendly, relaxed introduction goes a long way before the camera even comes out.

Use props to hold their attention

I bring maracas, a small basketball, flowers, or plush toys for kids to hold. A shaking maraca almost always gets a smile. Plush bunnies and kitties often lead to hugs or pretend play. Props are also great conversation starters, and once a child starts chatting, they usually forget to feel shy.

Ask simple questions

For quieter kids, I ask about siblings, birthdays, or what they want for the holidays. While they talk, I keep shooting. Kids look most like themselves when they’re mid-story, not posing for a fake smile.

Let hyper kids move

Some kids can’t stand still, and that’s fine. I’ll ask them to jump as high as they can or reach for the sky. The energy in these shots often makes for the most memorable photos, especially when I let the child invent their own poses.

Play familiar music

I keep a custom Spotify playlist just for preschool sessions — think Baby Shark, Wheels on the Bus, and B-I-N-G-O. Familiar songs help kids relax and cooperate.

Above all, the goal is connection. When a child sees you as a friend, they relax, and relaxed kids photograph naturally. Parents are often surprised at how confidently their child poses once they see the online proof gallery.

Why Editing Matters for Preschool Photos

Preschool photos matter to parents, so I never treat retouching as an afterthought. With adult portrait clients, I’m often asked to smooth wrinkles or soften a double chin. With 3- and 4-year-olds, the fixes look different: a smudge under the nose, a stray bruise, or a stain on a favourite outfit.

No matter how carefully a parent dresses and styles their child that morning, things change by photo time. Cheerios in the hair, playdough on a nose, a folded collar — it happens. (Honestly, a playdough-covered face makes for a hilarious photo, but I know most parents want the clean version!)

Before I even start shooting, I check each child over and fix what I can on the spot. Even so, professional cameras pick up details the eye misses — dry skin, a bit of nose mucus, or goobers in the corner of an eye. At Alpina Photography, I handle all of that in detailed retouching, the same care I give to business headshots. Parents take home clean, frame-worthy portraits they’re proud to hang on the wall.

Sibling Photos on Preschool Photo Day

Preschool photo day is also a great chance to grab sibling photos. At Alpina Photography, I offer sibling sessions for any preschool kids with a brother or sister on-site. It’s a quick, easy way for parents to get a portrait to send to grandma. Watching siblings hug, laugh, or play together often makes for the most heartwarming shots of the day.

Families simply bring their other children to the preschool on photo day, and I prioritize sibling sessions so everyone can head out quickly afterward. You can learn more on our preschool portraits page.

Capturing Candid Preschool Photos

Every parent knows kids don’t love standing still and posing. The best preschool photos usually happen when I let moments unfold naturally instead of forcing a pose.

A few things help with this:

Interact with the child and join whatever activity they’re enjoying.
Use continuous or burst mode to catch a series of shots in quick succession.
If a child is shy, switch to a zoom lens to capture candid moments from a comfortable distance.

If you’d like to capture some real, natural memories with your own kids, take a look at our kids sessions or family sessions.

For Calgary families curious about Akidemy itself, you can visit the Akidemy Preschool website to learn more.

Photo Shoot in the Snow

by patil | Jan 1, 2022 | Family Photography, Kids Photography, Life, Outdoor Sessions

When the white snow covers the earth, everything looks purer, cleaner and dreamier. While it is actually snowing, probably most of you noticed that magical silence fills the air as if you are in Narnia! Not a few blocks away from Trans Canada highway.

This is a precious opportunity for us photographers to go out and create something beautiful about winter season. New year comes with snow just like a new white page in our lives, ready to start filling it with colourful memories.

When I have an outdoor session in the snow, I always tell my clients to wear colourful clothings or accessories to stand out in that whiteness. With low depth of field, it is easy to blend background noises into the snow’s whiteness and I think portraits appear more distinct with a creamy white background that snow provides. Another advantage of winter shoots is that the sun is always low in the sky, shining in low power, giving us the perfect light. So there is not a narrow window for winter outdoor sessions unlike summer time. (we usually chase golden hour in summer days) We can do it any time of the day before it gets dark.

Of course it has challenges to take photos in the winter. First, it’s cold. The coldest weather that I had a family session was -10 ֯ C . It was difficult for little kids as they tend to get cranky in the cold, so I go to those sessions well prepared not to lose any time on choosing a good spot or thinking of poses or putting together a theme using props. So I do all these beforehand and when we meet for the photoshoot we start it immediately. Keeping little ones toasty is the most important thing. I recommend putting kids in snowsuits before going in the car, so they can get warm on the way and keep their body heat for a longer time. Those tiny handwarmers come in handy for winter sessions. You can slide the them in your gloves or boots, it keeps warm up to 8 hours. They are available in most stores from Canadian Tire to Costco. It’s a good idea to keep some in the car, you can never know when you would need them.

In Calgary, we are blessed with Chinook winds that gives us a break from cold winter. It is such a privilege in our cold country. We are lucky to have snow on the ground and wearing no jackets. I even remember one day we went tobogganing with kids and it was so warm and the sun was shining bright, we took off all our clothing layers down to a t-shirt! As well as -10 ֯ C we have a chance to do a photo session in the snow at +10 ֯ C temperature in this city.

Maternity sessions in the snow would also be great but it is best to do it on a warm Chinook day, so you can pose in a fancy dress instead of big winter coats.

During sessions, I don’t like carrying heavy camera bag on my back so I bring a sled to the sessions to carry my equipment and some props (such as blankets, lantern, garlands) in it and drag along. It also serves as a photography prop and keep little ones entertained.

If you are interested in booking a winter family session at one of our beautiful parks, all you need to do is to choose a date and book it on the Alpina website: www.alpinaphotography.com

Here is a few frames from recent shoots in Montalban Park (Montgomery), Edworthy Park and Confederation Park.

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Cake Smash In The Park

by patil | Jun 4, 2020 | Cake smash photography, Kids Photography, Outdoor Sessions

After a 2-month Corona virus lock down in Calgary, I had my first regular photography session last Friday. It was also my first outdoor cake smash session. Little McKenzie just turned 1 and her family wanted to celebrate this big milestone with a fun cake-smash. Since it is the most beautiful season of all, with the weather warmed up and trees turned to green, I wanted to give it a try and use the nature as my backdrop instead of paper or fabric backdrop and the sun as my main light instead of studio strobes. I was so excited. I started working with the color scheme based on the outfit mom wanted to use for cake smash. I prepared matching banners and made a whole new flower hoop which would go perfect with spring theme. I put together some other settings for different looks during the session. Even though it is a photo shoot with a focus on baby smashing and eating cake, to make it more versatile I always add different props to the scene before introducing the cake to the baby. In a park setting it is easier to change background by simply moving from one place to another. For an outdoor birthday session, I chose Edworthy Park and set up my studio at the meeting place before the clients arrive, so we could start as soon as they come. Babies at this age don’t stay up too long and get tired easily, so I don’t want to waste any of this valuable awake time.

I brought different outfits for each different settings.

First a fairy dress with a matching headband to go with the flower hoop. I used a big wooden bowl and some fluffy layer in it for baby to sit.

Second outfit was pink jumper to use with the pink-yellow decorated balloon basket. Third one was baby’s own cake smash outfit with a fluffy pink tutu skirt and a onesie that to be used with birthday garlands and cake.

I even prepared a fourth setting as a bonus if baby endures all three stages and still doing good, McKenzie succeeded to reach this bonus stage. Main prop for this setting was a white toddler size rocking chair with blue wool layer staged with some white/blue flowers in the back and a mini white lace umbrella attached to the chair.

Since this is a photo shoot conducted with Covid safety measures it was a touchless photo session, wearing a face mask.

As communicated with before, mom was going to be the main person to pose the child. So she followed my directions on where and how to place the baby, which way she should be looking, propping the feet so this cutest part of the baby can be seen in the photos.

The cake was made by grandma and brought to the site. As always, we started with non-cake poses. After the flower hoop and the balloon basket we switched to the most exciting stage of the session: Smashing the cake. 3 year old brother helped a lot at this stage, showing his sister how to smash the cake and letting her feed him cake and make her laugh so hard! After some rather serious looks, we finally were getting some big smiles and laughs. Cake’s sweet taste may have helped too.

At the end, we did some family poses and the bonus setting. Baby McKenzie did great throughout the session.

It was a very fun photoshoot for everyone. . Instead of sitting in the studio, we were enjoying outdoors in a picnic mood. Those cute 1 year old hands covered with cake icing will always be remembered with these photographs.

I loved this outdoor cake smash idea soo much that I want to do all my summer time cake smashes in the park as long as mom wants it too.

Here is some shots from this session. Click on images to view higher resolution.

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Preschool Portraits

by patil | Oct 25, 2019 | Kids Photography, Preschool Photos

This week I was at the University Heights Preschool to take 2019 student portraits. It was amazing to see how such young kids (3 & 4 year old) can follow posing instructions and surprise you! Some were shy, some were like a rockstar, but results for all of them are beautiful. I am not a traditional school portrait photographer. As soon as I get the “school” type of look, I switch to “free style” and try different poses and let them lead the way. When you leave posing to them, they can be really creative and unbelievably cute!! You can see some of them below.

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