Sunset Family Fall Photos

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Alberta's Rolling Grasslands

Drumheller Mini Sessions

Stay tuned for my Dumheller mini sessions, coming this summer 2024. Mini sessions are advertised at a lower priced point, and offer less time to capture photos but still offer the opportunity to have your family photographed in an adventure location. Adventure photoshoots start at $825, depending on the location, and include a full digital download gallery and travel fees. Adventure mini session in Drumheller start at $595 for 5 photos, or $705 for 20 photos, or $$775 for all photos. Photography sessions are 25 minutes long. Please email me at maxinelagarde@gmail.com to inquire.

Fish Creek Park Summer Elopement

I loved photographing Jessica and Kelven on their laid back, summer elopement in Fish Creek Park. This tasteful and romantic elopement consisted of an intimate outdoor first look, a private and personal vow ceremony, followed by a playful sunset session in Fish Creek’s backyard. I love the results. Let me know what you think!

Studio Family Maternity Session

If you’re thinking about booking a studio session for your family photos, they can a great alternative to outdoor photography as they offer a controlled lighting environment, and a variety of great furniture and props for your session. I loved photographing Eriel in her third pregnancy, alongside her beautiful family, in studio. We were able to get all the shots we needed in less than 45 minutes, and because the studio space features large floor to ceiling windows and tones of natural dreamy light, every shot was so easy to edit, yielding the classic photography style Eriel wanted for this photoshoot. I’ve missed shooting in studio and this cute little family reminded me of how much fun can be!

Wedding Planning: What to expect from your wedding photographer

Planning a wedding is no easy feat and can easily lead you to feelings of overwhelm and indecisiveness. Choosing the right wedding photographer is easily one of the best ways to help streamline your planning process and recommend expert vendors and services. This article will discuss what exactly you should expect from your wedding photographer through out the wedding planning process and how choosing the right wedding photographer can help eliminate stress, provide peace of mind and expertise to help ensure your day runs smoothly.

The right wedding photographer will do so much more than photograph you and your partner on your big day. Other services include helping you create a timeline and save the dates, including a free engagement photoshoot, recommending vendors, providing input on colours palettes and florals, and meet up for location scouting and an initial coffee or wine date to ensure you and your photographer are a match. In addition to all this, your photographer should be communicating with you frequently before you your big day to ensure a plan is always in order. Here is my go wedding timeline I share with all my clients, that details when you’ll hear from me and what to expect until you tie the knot!

Right away-

• Upon signing your contract and sending through your 50% deposit, your booking is official and I'll send you my preferred vendors list.

When you're ready

• Happy wedding planning! Feel free to invite me on Pinterest, send me images on Instagram, or email me any inspiration photos of your dress, venue, color palette or floral designs. I love all this stuff, so please include me if you wish!

• Start thinking of any special items you want photographed such as rings, special shoes, matching leather jackets, or anything else that tells your story. Do you want special accessories or fun props like balloons, sparklers, or smoke bombs in your photos? It's good for me to know these things in advance, so start planning and let me know as you go.

A few months before the wedding

• Start thinking of your COMPLIMENTARY engagement session. Where do you want to be photographed and what kinds of photos are you interested in? A complimentary engagement photoshoot is included in all my wedding packages, so please take advantage. I view the engagement session as a way to practice in front of the camera before the big day.

6 weeks before the wedding

• Expect to have the following four documents ready; Wedding Timeline, Wedding Photography Timeline, Wedding Vendor Checklist, and Family Photography Wish List. We’ll have a non negotiable, sit down meeting to go over all the details of the day with a fine tooth comb 6 weeks before the wedding. Please include your wedding planner in this process and have all documents ready in advance. Don't worry, I will help you too!

1 Month before the wedding

• Your remaining balance is due. Please send me your balance through e-transfer to maxinelagarde@gmail.com

10 days before the wedding

• At this time, we will go over all details and make a contingency plan for poor weather and any last minute changes.If you have a wedding planner, please invite them to this meeting.

Free engagement photoshoot for all my wedding couples

I love the way Kelven and Jessica’s YYC winter elopement photos turned out. We lucked out with this beautiful warm winter day in February in Crescent Heights, and Kelven and Jessica were so sweet to photograph. They were slightly nervous, as this photoshoot was there first time being photographed together. This is, hands downs, the best way to practice being comfortable in front of the camera before your big day, so I was thrilled to book their complimentary engagement session and help them create some great memories before their June elopement, later this year. All my wedding clients receive a complimentary engagement session when they book with Maxine LaGarde Photography. Please send me an inquiry if you’re newly engaged, and let’s book your free photoshoot!

Kick Ass Flash Course- By Justine Milton

This blog post is for all my photographer friends in the photography community. Last year I decided to invest in my business and in myself, and I joined a professional development community led by accredited and internationally published photographer Justine Milton. Yah, she’s kind of a big deal, and she really knows her stuff, so trust that if you join, you’ll be in great hands.

Justine offers a one-of-a-kind, comprehensive “Kick Ass Flash Course” to teach you all things “artificial light”. This flash course is jam packed so much useful information to teach you how to master using artificial light, in the most challenging lighting situations. Justine’s course explains, in-depth and specific examples on how to master artificial light to create soft and dreamy or moody images.  As I once specialized in natural light photography, I knew I needed to invest in this Kick Ass Flash Courses to improve my indoor photography skills, and especially to transform my wedding photography. Wedding photography is probably the trickiest photography of all. Often, you are photographing guests in uncontrolled lighting environments with various lighting sources, and distractions, with ridged time constrains.  Justin Milton’s lighting course helped me hone my skills on using artificial light and helped me put this new knowledge into practical use to level up my business. Justine goes over in detail the following topics.

·       CAMERA SETTINGS

·       FLASH SETTINGS

·       COURTEOUS FLASH USE

·       AMBIENT LIGHT

·       VIDEO LIGHT

·       ON CAMERA DIRECT

·       BOUNCE FLASH

·       OFF CAMERA FLASH

In addition to this comprehensive hands-on style of teaching, Justine is always available and ready to help her students learn. She recruits the help of her husband in the course videos, to help demonstrate and explain each concept. Her examples are clearly explained in great detail. She even shares her personal list of go-to flashes and camera gear and provides links on where to purchase your set up.

If you're interested in leveling up your business, learning some new skills from a real pro, and tapping into a new market of photography, Justine milton's Kick Ass Flash Course is definitely for you. For limited time only, I have a very special discount code to share with all of my readers. This discount code is available through to March 20th. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about this flash course, or if you're on the fence, I'd love to hear from you.

Discount Code: learnwithme

It takes 35% off the price of the course!

SUMMER TIME FAMILY PHOTOSHOOT

Everyone loves fall family photos. The cool crisp air, the beautiful colours in the leaves mixed in with a warm sunset and cool breeze always make for stunning photos. Oh, and it’s also my personal opinion that this weather makes for the best Christmas card photos too. This blog post is a friendly reminder to all families wanting to book a fall photoshoot for Christmas card photos, that fall is my busiest time of year for family photos. Please don’t wait too long to book your family session, booking 3-4 weeks in advance will secure you a spot this fall season!

Calgary City Skyline

The cutest engagement session in the heart of Calgary! This is definitely my new favourite spot for all my clients wanting something a little edgier and wanting to keep it local. Congratulations on your engagement Greg and Kassy! I hope you love these shots as much as I do.

Elegant Badland RunAway Church Wedding

This Badlands Elopement will be featured in print in Rocky Mountain Bride in their 2024 spring print edition. Stay tuned for all the beautiful details from this gorgeous elopement.

Photographer: MaxineLaGarde Photography

Stylist/ Planner: The Blondie Bride

Florals: The Blondie Bride

Cake: The Blondie Bride

Hair: The Blondie Bride

Makeup: Makeup by Ruz

Jewelry/Rings: Blu Boho

Stationary: Hooray Weddings

Rentals: https: Modern Rentals

Shoes: GoizHandmadeShoes

Menswear: Ed Williams Menswear

Dress: The Bridal Boutique

Table Numbers: Her Modern Artistry

Ethereal French Country Inspired Mountain Elopement

This mountain elopement was inspired by the raw beauty of the Rocky Mountains, and Canada’s best and most sustainable bridal and engagement jewelry, Blu Boho. Our gorgeous redhead bride, Naomi Jane radiated in this vintage cream lace bohemian dress by We Are Reclamation. The theme features elegant, luscious hair and flawless makeup by Mountain beauties, charming French inspired florals by Posy Floral and fine jewelry engagement wedding rings by Blue Boho. Eloping in the Alberta’s Rocky Mountains never looked so beautiful.

LATE FALL FAMILY PHOTOSHOOT

In Calgary, the first snowfall always comes too soon, and with our chinook winds, we are often lucky enough to see the snow melt away just as quickly as it came. But the weather can be deceiving. Just when you think it’s too cold out for a family photoshoot because its November and it’s been chilly all week, Calgary turns around and gifts you the most beautiful weekend along side the warmest sunset. These are one of my favourite conditions for outdoor photoshoots, making all of mother natures earth tones pop with warmth. Hope you guys like all the yummy warm tones in this family session as much as I do.

Warm Weather, Lazy River Family Session

Warm Alberta temperatures lead to lazy river baths in Calgary’s Sandy Beach recreational area. Check out this beautiful family photo shoot where are my clients splashed around in the Elbow River to make these photos extra special. Sandy Beach’s shallow waters are perfect for families with young children. The soft and lightly wooded landscape make the perfect backdrop for a true Alberta summer family photo shoot. I wore my rubber Birkenstocks for this photo shoot, but I wish I had worn my bathing suit to take a quick dip after the shoot. Would you do family photos at this location? I love how Eriel’s golden dress matche’s the yellow wildflowers on the background.

Gratitude, Love and Bubbles- Family Photography Session

Being re invited to photograph a client is the sincerest form of flattery a photographer can receive. I have had the pleasure of photographing this family many times through all the exciting chapters of their lives, through both of their pregnancies commas births, and the photos and memories we create together I will cherish forever. I love these clients so much because they always approach life with gratitude joy and love. Thank you Kendra and Krasen for re inviting me to photograph you  and your family, time and again.