Christmas Sessions In Calgary

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

Christmas Sessions in Calgary

It’s that time of the year again, and I am so excited for Christmas photo shoots. If you are wondering what your options in Calgary for a Christmas photo session are, let me tell you about our Christmas themed sessions at Alpina Photography.

Christmas is hands down, the most festive holiday of the year. It’s a premium family time that brings people together, taking a break from the everyday hassle and connecting with each other. As a child, it was my most favourite holiday which felt like living in a fairy tale. Decorating the house, writing post cards for the family and watching Christmas movies was the biggest fun for me. Years passed and I grew up be a mom of two kids, but the inner child gazing into the snow globe and dreaming stayed the same.

Photography being my passion, I live a double Christmas joy capturing holiday memories for families, painting a picture of love and happiness.

Instead of Christmas minis, which feel like serial production with the same theme and concept, I tend to do regular family sessions with Christmas theme customized to each client. If you feel the same and want to go beyond the cliché mall Santa photos we can together create a personalized Christmas session for you. In that manner, we can capture unique photos for your family with the choice of location, decors and style on your mind. If you are busy, you can leave the whole session design to me, which is my pleasure. Like many other portraits sessions, Christmas family photos can also be done both outdoors or in the studio.

Ourdoor Christmas Sessions

Christmas-themed outdoor photo sessions can be a fantastic way to capture the holiday spirit and essence of the season against a natural backdrop. In the outdoors, we can create beautiful photos with the winter’s natural soft light, landscape in the background and if we are lucky, snowflakes falling from the sky. Besides, the whiteness of the snow covering the ground makes beautiful bright photos where you can add some vivid colours with clothing and accessories.

Here you can read more about winter time outdoor sessions from a previous post: Photo Shoot In The Snow

When we do outdoor portrait sessions, you can determine the style and feel of the photo shoot. We discuss your ideas and vision for the outdoor Christmas session. You can share your preferences for locations, props, and the overall style you want to achieve. The location can be your favourite park, an inner city neighbourhood or downtown Calgary. As for props, we can incorporate some small items such as holiday garlands, cozy blankets or coffee mugs. If you have a specific Christmassy article, place or vehicle, we can definitely use it in your photos.

Outdoor sessions result in more candid images with some action shots and genuine emotions. These are not posed photos where the photographer tells you exactly where to stand and what to do. The biggest benefit of outdoor sessions is that large outside space gives a wide range of focus and framing options from landscape to portraits, from action shots to shallow dept of field. Not being confined in a limited space gives the photographer freedom of focal length and bokeh (blurred background) options. We get the advantage of being creative with composition, using variety of different lenses including wide angle, zoom or prime lenses.

Studio Christmas Sessions

Christmas photo sessions performed in the studio could be the right option if you are looking for posed photos, staged with curated decors and colours in front of a certain background. Alpina Photography has a wide selection of Christmas props and decors, especially for children.

My home studio is located in Montgomery NW and free street parking is available. Studio sessions take about 45-60 minutes in average. Since it is indoor, we are free from the weather conditions and you can dress as fancy as you want. Definitely this is the right time to shine under the studio lights!

As a portrait photographer who doesn’t believe the portrait photos has to be taken in a certain way, I am always open to ideas and personal touches during a photo shoot. Indeed, it is a perfect balance of what you envision for your photos with the experience, creativity and mastery that the photographer brings to the table.

For studio Christmas sessions, coordinate wardrobe choices for yourself and any family members involved in the session, ensuring that everyone is dressed in a way that complements the festive theme.

If you need Christmas outfits for your kids, I may have something for you. Wardrobe usage is free. We will be discussing the style, background and clothing during our pre-session phone meeting. Some clients prefer plain backdrop with a touch of Christmas décor in the back. If you are one of them, you can share your vision during this meeting as well.

Whether you choose outdoor or studio session, on the day of the photo shoot, relax, have fun, and enjoy the experience with your loved ones. Since a relaxed and joyful atmosphere will help create beautiful, candid holiday memories.

Ready to start planning your session together? Get in touch!

If you want to secure your session date, you can book here

Picture Day At Akidemy Preschool

by patil | Sep 15, 2023 | Kids, Life, Uncategorized

Picture Day At Akidemy Preschool

Today, I would like to share with you my photo day experience at Akidemy Preschool in Calgary and a few tips and tricks about how I photograph little kids and how I retouch those photos.

Starting out as a baby and kid’s photographer, children has always been my most favorite subject of photography. They are full of fun and energy. They look so adorable in their special photo day clothes and hairstyles! I feel like I’m shooting for ZARA kids catalogue. Those school photos can actually be used for modeling agencies, ha ha.

Once again, I was at Akidemy Preschool for student portraits. This time we decided to do it in the spring instead of fall, as the kids get better acclimated to the school and feel more comfortable on the photo day.

Whenever I come to Akidemy Preschool, I just want to be a kid again and dive into those activity tables with tons of different toys, fun materials and supplies laid on them. At Akidemy, they have such an adorable space tastefully decorated with natural wood furniture and pastel colours all around. An amazing place professionally desinged for safe, sterile and fun environment. If they opened this school 10 years ago, it was a no brainer to send my kids to Akidemy. Those days are gone and I am not a preschool parent anymore, but I am now a preschool photographer.

The preschool has a nice backyard with some trees, so I used this space to have a nature background in kids’ portraits. When the weather was cool or rainy, we stayed inside and took advantage of the pretty wallpaper they have on the school walls.

Tips and tricks to get a good smile

People often ask me how I manage to capture such good looking photos of kids. First thing first, you must break the ice with the kids and show your friendly face. This is most probably their first time getting in front of a professional photographer; at least the first they can remember. After spending quite a long time with kids photography, I came up with some tricks to get cute and natural looks from young kids during the photo shoot. One of them is giving the kids some objects like maracas, basketball, flowers or plush toys so they have something to hold in their hands, making them focus and keep busy. For example they love shaking maracas and this makes them smile. As soon as they hold the plush bunnies or kitties, they hug them or start pretend playing. These props are also great conversation starter. When the kids join in the tittle-tattle, they forget about being shy posing in front of a camera. For preschool photos, my target is first getting the typical or natural look of the child and then capture a variety of different expressions that parents would love to remember after years.

Some kids are not a chatterbox, so to encourage them for a conversation, I ask questions about their brothers or sisters, birthdays or what they will ask from Santa this year. When they start talking, I continuously click on my shutter button to capture some cute talking faces. When they are focused on the story they are telling you, they look quite like themselves, using their authentic facial expressions, instead of giving you fake smiles.

Some kids are hyper and can’t just stand still during the photo shoot. When I spot hyper kids, I encourage them to be active and ask them to jump as high as they can or reach for the sky. In the heat of the action, their facial expressions and body language can add excitement to the shot. I allow the child to be creative and try different jumping poses or styles. Sometimes their own ideas can lead to unique and memorable photos.

Another tip is using music at the photo session. I made a custom Spotify playlist that I use for preschool photo shoots. You know, baby shark, wheels on the bus or B-I-N-G-O, all those top tracks from preschool world. 😊 These familiar tunes make kids comfortable and cooperate better during the photo shoot.

The key point is to connect with the child and start a communication. When they see you as a friend, they trust you and relax. When they relax, they look natural and happy in their photos. Most of the time, parents are quite surprised when they receive their online proof gallery and see how capable their kids are when it comes to posing.

Editing is important

Preschool photos are important for parents, so they shouldn’t be taken lightly. As a portrait photographer, I am often asked by my clients to touch up their wrinkles, double chin, white hair or flatten their tummies. When my subjects are 3-4 year-olds, they don’t need any of those touch ups but they need others like editing out the goo around nose, a last minute bruise, stains on the dress… It doesn’t matter how beautifully their mom dressed them on the photo day, how pretty they fixed their hair, this all can change until the photo time. They can get cheerios in their hair, playdoh on their nose, their shirt collar may be folded inside, their cheeks may be marked with a pen. 😊 In my opinion it is also hilarious to take their photo with playdoh on their face, but I guess most parents would like a clean photo, ha ha.

So first thing before photographing a kid, I take a look at the child to make sure everything looks good and try to fix anything fixable. Even so, you may end up with unwanted looks on your portraits, because high-end professional cameras can capture the littlest flaws you normally don’t see with your own eyes, such as dry skin, a tiny mucus in the nose or sleep crusts on the corner of the eyes or food crumbs around the mouth left from snack time.

At Alpina Photography, my clients do not need to worry about any of these, as I do detailed retouching on preschool photos just like my business headshots. In the end, they take home beautiful, frame worthy portraits they proudly display on their house walls.

Sibling photos

Preschool photo-shoots can be a great opportunity for some sibling photos. So at Alpina Photography I offer sibling photos for the preschool kids who have sisters or brothers. This is a great option for the parents who would like a quick portrait of their kids together to send to grandma. Capturing sibling photos while they hug, kiss, or play together can indeed be a priceless and heartwarming experience. Basically, the families bring their children to the preschool with them on the photo day and I give them priority so they can leave as soon as their sibling photos are taken. You can check our preschool portrates page to learn more about Alpina Photography’s preschool photos offering.

A few words on candid photos

All moms and dads know how kids hate to stand still to pose for a photo. The best way to get beautiful and genuine photos of your kids is capturing the moments as they naturally occur. Even for preschool photos I try to create sincere moments and capture a candid look or smile from the children. So it is best to avoid forcing poses or expressions; the genuine moments are often the most precious. Be patient and ready to capture spontaneous moments. Interact with the child and encourage them to play or engage in an activity they enjoy. This can help you capture their authentic expressions and reactions.

Enable continuous shooting or burst mode on your camera to capture a series of shots in quick succession. This can help you catch that perfect moment when the child’s expression is just right.

If the child is shy or easily distracted by the camera, use a zoom or telephoto lens to capture candid shots from a distance without intruding on their space.

If you like to capture some great memories with your kids you can check out our kids and family sessions here.

https://www.alpinaphotography.com/kids-sessions

https://www.alpinaphotography.com/family-sessions

Here is a link to Akidemy Preschool website for the ones who live in Calgary and would like to know more about this amazing preschool. www.akidemy.ca

Photo Shoot in the Snow

by patil | Jan 1, 2022 | Family, Kids, 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, Kids, 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, Preschool

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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A day in the fall

by patil | Sep 22, 2019 | Kids, Outdoor Sessions

A Day In The Fall: A Fall Photo Session At Nosehill Park

It’s Calgary, as everybody knows we don’t have lengthy falls and winter can show it’s face any time with a surprise snow storm. Before this happens, I wanted to capture the beautiful colors of the fall and chose this Saturday as our photo shoot day.

I had a dress from my 20’s. I thought it would be a wonderful photo prop for fall photos. It was big for my 7-year-old but worked fine. She was going to be my model for the day. My son was my assistant holding the diffuser and pulling my equipment wagon. He was very happy with his job unlike his sister who was whining non-stop and refusing to look pretty. I promised them to pay for their work at the end of the day, and she cooperated. The timing was just perfect, we arrived at the park late afternoon and stayed until the sunset. I didn’t know the Nose Hill Park would make a prefect place for fall photos as there are lots of bright yellow trees which are human height so you can easily get beautiful bright fall colours in your portraits. I brought a children size guitar, a wooden stool, some flowers, books and an umbrella. I just loved how all these props worked with the dress. Little country girl in the fall wilderness. I think we can call Nose Hill Park “wilderness” as you can see cayotes and deer wondering around, lucky us, we didn’t encounter any cayotes. When we got to the top of the hill, I started taking as many pictures as possible in the time limit my daughter was giving me. We emerged into a beautiful meadow which was covered with high grass and unfortunately lots of thorns. I enjoyed the golden hour through my daughter’s occasional whining and took some more sunset photos.

The moment I said, “thank you guys, we’re done” they jumped in the air and started enjoying themselves/ one is riding the wagon, the other one is pushing it down the hill, screaming and laughing. And I? of course I was running behind them with my camera trying to capture some action shots. Photography is like an uncurable disease and what I love the most is capturing candid photos of people living that very moment in all its reality and emotion. I am sharing here some of the couple hundred photos I took that day. When I asked my kids as we drove back home what was their favourite part of the photo shoot, they said “the wagon ride of course” LOL, I knew it. I paid $10 each for modeling and assisting. What a slave driver! :))

Give me a shout for your fall family photos.

www.alpinaphotography.com

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