by Sarah | Engagement
Take me to the mountains. Anytime. I am such a lover of these magnificent peaks and will often spend the day just taking in the beauty and doing some serious recharging. I met Morgan and Kellen out in Canmore and it was a perfect, albeit chilly day. The sun peaked out from behind the mountains to give that later winter glow and it was hard to resist shooting into it. This Canmore engagement session was so much fun and I really loved working with Morgan and Kellen and cannot wait for their July wedding in Calgary.
by Sarah | Engagement Session
Oh it’s so wonderful to get outside and experience the golden leaves in all their glory. Especially spending time with a cool couple like Carly and AJ. The both live in Kensington and AJ actually sent Carly on a community scavenger hunt as part of his proposal, so we thought it would be fitting to shoot their engagement session in the area as well. It was fun to wander the streets and just see where the light took us. We ended in Princes Island Park, always a favourite of mine and I am thrilled with how everything turned out. I cannot wait for their Winter Wedding in Canmore at Murrieta’s!
by Sarah | modern photography
To say that this wedding weekend at the Delta Lodge Kananaskis was fun would be a giant understatement. Fun does not describe how incredible a game of broomball is with all your friends and family, in the dark, in the mountains with the snow pack acting as a beer cooler. Fun also does not describe the luck we encountered in Kananaskis by being practically the only mountain location that received any snow. Let me first say that if you need a great game that is easy to play for all ages, Broomball is the ticket. I loved watching everyone not only learn to play, but truly engage in the competition. The setting was incredible as well, the Delta really provides an ‘all-inclusive’ atmosphere that enhances the intimacy of the day and weekend. Back to the luck aspect, only two days prior, the grounds in Kananaskis were bare and brown just like the rest of the Rockies and Southern Alberta. But to our absolute delight, a crazy band of weather dumped about a foot of fresh powder, dusting the ground into a magical winter wonderland. Blair, my amazing second shooter, and I couldn’t contain our excitement and we were indeed happy that Karolina and Tyler and their wonderful bridal party indulged in our glee and persevered through some chilly temperatures. To say that this wedding was spectacular, in so many ways, would be the absolute, 100% truth. Go on and enjoy this wintery goodness!
by Sarah | Weddings
Whoa. Wait. Surprise? That is the response I got over and over when I told friends and colleagues and facebook followers what I had just done. My favourite was when people thought Brian had surprised Jackie with a wedding. yikes that would have been awkward. And illegal I think! So no, Brian and Jackie were the co-conspirators of this extra-ordinary wedding held at Murrieta’s in Canmore, Alberta. They decided quite a few months ago that they wanted to do something a little different, a little special. I was brought in on the ground level and thoroughly enjoyed helping to scheme and plot. They used an engagement party as the ruse to get their family and friends to make the trek to Canmore, citing that it was to be a big event and that it was extremely important to them to have everyone there. The party would start as any other engagement party might, with lots of greetings, drinks, food and music. Little did the guests know that myself, my uber fabulous second shooter extraordinaire Blair (check her out), Jackie, Brian and their entire wedding party had just spent a few hours shooting their creatives. (On a side note, I have to thank everyone in the wedding party for braving the cold with smiles and laughter) The bride and groom changed out of their wedding attire and back into party clothes in time to greet all their guests. The scene was set for a great night with soft dinner music playing and lots of reunions between family members and loved ones. Then, at precisely 6pm, there was a sudden and very loud music change; Marry Me by Bruno Mars was blasted over the speakers and the wait staff of Murrietas kicked into high gear, swooping in and taking the tables out from under the guests. There was confusion, nervous smiles and a lot of whispers as the room suddenly began to take shape as a wedding ceremony complete with altar and several rows of chairs creating an aisle. Before even I knew it, the ring bearers were walking down the aisle bringing in the stunning vision that was Jackie. The entire plan, the whole night went off without a hitch, not even a glitch. Upon exiting the ceremony, the newlyweds were bombarded with hugs, friendly jabs and jaws on the ground. They had done it with all the love in the world, wanting to create a special surprise for everyone they loved. A photobooth completed the evening as well as some pretty wicked dance moves and the most delicious cookies ever. It was such an honor to capture and be part of something so daring and unique. The only thing missing was Brian’s white stead, but perhaps there can be another party… right Brian? Until next time, Enjoy! x
by Sarah | modern photography
I met Jenifer only a few months ago through a facebook forum. She had posted an image of a bride in an orchard that was really lovely- and then she mentioned she was packing up her life in the okanagan and moving to Calgary! As part of my 2012 year, it was my goal to re-build my network of amazing colleagues as my ACAD crew has either moved away from photography or moved to a different city. We met for coffee at wedstudio and I was thrilled to help her get to know the city, be a resource for her in this new market. I’m born and raised as a Calgarian and my parents, grandparents, brother and lifelong friends are all here- so it was eye-opening to see Jenifer have the courage to move to a place where she didn’t know anyone. Unlike most wedding photographers, after graduating from ACAD with my BFA in photography, I didn’t second-shoot or assist for anyone. I jumped right in, albeit VERY slowly, and have always shot by myself or in the last few years, brough on my trusted and talented second shooters. But being that this is 2012, there is no time like the present to try new things. Jen needed a second shooter and I thought it would be a cool, unique experience. Voila! Sarah the second shooter! As the principal photographer, there is SO much to deal with, think about. consider, during a wedding and especially the creatives. As a second shooter, I loved having the freedom to shoot a little differently than I normally do, concentrate mostly on details, and just generally float around the whole day making sure Jen had what she needed. It was a great day and the whole wedding party was a breeze to work with. You can check out the full wedding at www.jenifersanderphotography.com
