Picture Day At Akidemy Preschool

Calgary Preschool Photos

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. Such an amazing place with 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

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 kids portraits 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. 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

Tips on what to wear for your maternity shoot

what to wear for maternity photo shoot

Tips on What to Wear For Your Maternity Photo Shoot

 

What to wear for your maternity photo session is an important point that needs to be decided beforehand. No panic! This can be a pleasant and fun experience for you!
You can start with your maternity photographer. If they have some outfits to your liking, you don’t have to go through the whole outfit decision process.
Inquire with your photographer if they have a maternity closet available for clients. If they do, you can ask them to share some pictures of the outfits. I have recently added a little section on my maternity photos page to give an idea about what style of clothing is available at Alpina Photography

Alpina Photography-Maternity wardrobe

 

In our maternity wardrobe, it is possible to find formal or casual dress options.  Even tutus! There is no strict rule about what to wear for a maternity session. You can decide it based on what style or look white lace maternity dressyou want for your maternity photos. For studio photo shoots, we usually recommend formal gowns. They in fact work in any setting from natural outdoor shoots to formal studio sessions. If it is an outdoor shoot in a natural setting, you can go with the casual styles too.

In my studio photo shoots, I like using loose fabrics to get a more artistic look. It is so versatile that you can get a few different impressions using the same cut of fabric. When it comes to loose fabric, I love laces, chiffons and tulles. They look very elegant and poetic in maternity pictures.

You can check out this video of Kelly Brown on Youtube:  DIY Maternity Dress with Kelly Brown    This gives an idea on how we drape fabrics on models as an alternative to sewn outfits.

Split open dresses gives you the option to show or hide your belly.

Flower headbands complement lacy outfits so well like an “angel” or a “fairy”. That innocence and purity of “childbearing” cannot be expressed better in pictures.

If you have a very specific style that you are after, you can either buy it online or have it sewn for you. Fabricland has a variety of amazing fabrics that you can buy in Calgary.

As for sizes, maternity dresses are easy to fit different body types, as they are mostly made of stretchy fabrics or adjustable straps. We have sizes from small to extra-large. If you are on the smaller side, you can choose any dress from small to large. We will make sure to make it look good on you during your photo shoot. If you are on the larger side, dresses from medium to extra-large should fit you nicely.

 

If you are planning a DIY maternity shoot 

The most important aspect of a maternity shoot outfit is revealing the maternity belly. Whether it is made of stretchy fabrics or have a split open skirt under the bust, it must do a good job on showing your belly in a flattering way.

Decide whether you want a casual or a formal style. Then you can narrow it down by browsing maternity photos on the Internet and photographers’ websites.

Avoid stripes on your dress as it would make you look wider. Try to choose solid colours as opposed to busy patterns to draw the focus on you. Remember this photo shoot is not about fashion, but your pregnancy belly.

You can use your regular jeans for maternity shoot, just leaving buttons or zipper open. Maternity jeans are not a good fit for photography as it is hard to hide the bulky elastic section on the belly.

For ready-made maternity dresses, I can recommend two online stores: www.asosmaternity.com and www.pinkblushmaternity.com they have both formal and casual styles.

Here is a few maternity clothing ideas for you:

Boho style dresses are perfect for outdoor shoots in a nature setting.

Bandeau bralette and tutu skirt fitted under the belly can be a cute option.

Long sleeve stretchy crop top showing off belly goes perfect with jeans or stretchy tube skirts

For an elegant style, you can consider dresses with deep v neck and rich skirts.

Lacy dresses with long sleeve or cold shoulder.

To be on the safe side, choose solid colours whatever style you decide. Black, white, pink, red, blue. Any colour, just solids! There can be some exceptions where a floral print can be beautiful on a casual dress, depending on its model.

 

Dos and Don’ts when coming to your maternity session

Most maternity outfits that are used in photoshoots have transparent sections like lace or chiffon, so it is best to avoid black, white or colour underwear. Skin colour underwear is the best bet to hide it under the garment. If it is seamless, even better. If you have a tube or bandeau bra, bring it with you; it may come in handy for strapless dresses or loose fabric draping.

Prior to your maternity session, make sure to wear loose underwear so there is no marks on the skin from elastics.

If you need a hair cut or a touch up on your hair roots, get it done before your maternity session.

If your partner will be in the pictures, they should dress the same style as you. If you are wearing a fancy gown, they should choose a dress pants and shirt. If you are going with a casual style, your partner should match it too.

Don’t miss this deal expiring on March 31, 2022Alpina Photography-maternity promotion

Alpina Photography is currently offering a promotion in Calgary, Alberta where you can get $100 off on your maternity sessions. You can save instantly at the time of online booking. All you need is to enter the promo code SPECIAL100 during check out. Your session can be booked for months later but booking needs to be done until March 31, 2022. Don’t miss it, book it today: www.alpinaphotography.com/maternity-sessions

 Contact Alpina Photography:

email: pinar@alpinaphotography.com

Phone: (403) 926-4832

Ballerina Photoshoot in Downtown Calgary

 

Couple days ago, I had a special outdoor photo session with a young and talented ballerina. It was such a fulfilling experience that I didn’t want it to end. A sweet combination of my favourite photography genres: Street photography, lifestyle, Portrait and Dance Photography

We planned it together with our dancer’s mom. The locations, poses, outfits and props.

Our first stop was Memorial Park Library. It is the first public library in Alberta, built in 1910.

This beautiful Victorian style sandstone building was a perfect place for ballerina photos with its strongly articulated entrance with ionic columns and lamp posts symbolizing enlightenment. I have always been fascinated with the classical portrayal of a ballerina lacing up her dance shoes. So I took some of those portraits on the stairs with balconies in the back.

Our second stop was Stephen Avenue Walk. My favourite photography location in downtown. The old Hudson’s Bay building would be a perfect place for some dance poses. This building is noted for its elegant arcade which wraps around the east and south facades. Us, photographers cannot resist when we see arches and pillars. That is why we choose it for many occasions from wedding portraits to architectural photography. It was a little difficult to find moments with no people in the background or Calgary transit bus or train passing by, but we made it.

The middle of Stephen Avenue Walk was where we took our next set of dance photos. This was an interesting experience for our young model as she never danced in the middle of a street before. She was very confident under the admiring gaze of people passing by. She was like a live art piece that brings beauty to downtown streets walking around on pointe, twirling and doing relevés, and assembles.

I love to use street furnishings and structures in my portraits, such as benches, lamp posts, hanging flower pots, stairs and bridges. The red dress worked great with red flowers at Olympic Plaza. We even improvised and used a broom as a prop that city workers left on site. 😊

Then we headed to Eau Claire for our waterside, bridge and bench poses. Some shoe lacing and stretching poses went very well and the time of the day was just perfect. 5pm.

I have tons of street dance portrait ideas in my head for fall, winter and indoor.  I can’t wait for my next dance shoot.

Love is All Around

 

Love, innocence, wisdom, humor… a few of the things I enjoy photographing. Several days ago I had a photo shoot where I got to capture “love”. This young couple are engaged and wanted some photos captured before their wedding. As soon as the session was booked, my creative juices started flowing. This is the perfect season to capture love with all the spring blossoms creating a beautiful backdrop. I envisioned those old movie scenes where two lovers ride a bike and fool around. I would be a perfect engagement photography theme.

To turn the vision on my head into reality, I needed a vintage bike with a basket, a treed pathway with spring blossoms, a good weather with no clouds and sunset time. As my couple has been working from home since the Covid 19 outbreak, date and time wasn’t a problem. The most difficult part was the Cherry blossoms. So we went with their timing avoiding stormy weather. Checking the blossoms and the weather everyday. On the other hand, I started looking for a vintage bike to borrow and I was lucky enough to find one in my neighbourhood just a block away. It’s nice to be surrounded with people who generously offer their help.  The bike was exactly what I was looking for. It even had a basket in the front!

On our day of shooting, we decided to do it just a couple hours before, based on the weather and blossom status. It requires a lot of effort and cooperation to put everything together for a fine photograph. I have plenty of passion that fuels me to go through all those due diligence and preparations.

Working with people who listens to you and cooperate during posing, makes a world of difference. As a photographer, you get to focus better on your job, pay more attention to little details and be more creative. My style is not imposing my ideas, but rather share them with my clients and see if they like it too. I do this during the planning stage of the session, way before the shooting day. In addition to the theme we agreed on, I also listen to their requests during the photo shoot and let them lead the way when we’re done with staged poses. I like that the bride-to-be brought a pair of high heels for some specific poses as it looks much more flattering with high heels. If we didn’t discuss the theme, mood and style before, she wouldn’t think of bringing a spare pair of shoes.

As we started our photo shoot right before sunset, we had opportunity to get some shots with the most beautiful light of the day making your skin glove with a warm hue. In the end, it was a fun session for everyone.

Here is some of the shots from that day. Click on images to view in high resolution.

Cake Smash In The Park

 

 

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.

Tags: Alpina Photography, baby pictures, best photographer in calgary, Cake smah in the park, cake smash, calgary baby photographer, calgary parks, calgary photographer, edworthy park, family pictures, first birthday, kids pictures, milestone photography, one year old, outdoor cake smash, outdoor family portraits, outdoor kids photography, quality photography service, cake smash photography, Calgary cake smash photographer, children’s photography, cake smash pictures, baby’s first birthday, professional photography service, baby’s first year, first birthday