For the past three years, our Holiday Super Short Sessions have sold out quickly, and we’re excited to bring them back again. These sessions are quick, fun, and you’ll have updated family photos faster than a Starbucks drive-through.

Spots go fast, so don’t wait to grab yours.

The Why

Holiday SUPER Short Sessions are perfect for you if:

• You need a few beautiful family photos for holiday cards or to refresh your walls.
• You like the idea of your kids being corralled on a cozy couch in the studio instead of running around outside.
• A long session makes you want to hide.
• You want to walk into a styled holiday set without lifting a finger to decorate or tidy.
• You appreciate efficiency and want great photos without endless posing.

These sessions might not be the right fit if:

• You want outfit changes, individual portraits, or multiple backdrops. (I offer all of that in other sessions. Reach out if that’s what you’re after.)
• You’re hoping for a gallery of hundreds of images.
• Your kids need more than a few minutes to warm up.
• You can’t make it to Sherwood Park for the session.

A 15-minute photo session at my studio in Sherwood Park. The goal is simple: a relaxed, fun time that captures your family with lots of laughs, genuine smiles and maybe even a pop-up dance party.

The Studio

This year’s setup is Tuscan Holiday inspired. Think soft stucco textures, terracotta planters, natural greenery, and warm touches that feel timeless. It is festive in a subtle way, more like gathering in a cozy villa than being surrounded by tinsel and fake snow. Simple, elegant, and filled with holiday warmth.

​

The Nitty Gritty

• When: November 9, 15 & 22, 2025
• Where: Sherwood Park
• Duration: 15 minutes
• What’s Included: 8 fully edited high-resolution digital images via digital download, ready within 2 weeks. The option to order holiday cards, accordion albums & prints.
• Pricing: $290 + GST (includes the session and 8 high-resolution images). Holiday cards are $150 for 25 cards and $210 for 50 cards.

I can’t wait to capture your family in this year’s Tuscan-inspired holiday setup.

QUESTIONS? Please email us and we’ll get right back to you!

The post Sherwood Park Holiday Minis appeared first on Edmonton Newborn & Family Photographer - Baby Photography.

Every year I offer a limited number of short sessions for families who want updated photos without committing to a full-length session. These outdoor mini photo sessions are a great option for families who want seasonal photos without the full-length commitment. These 30-minute sessions happen on select dates at specific locations around Edmonton.

This year, 15 were released to my email list first and most have already been scooped up. If you’re hoping for a quick, low-key fall session, here’s what’s still available.

What’s Still Available

August 25 – Whyte Ave (Edmonton)
Mural walls, old fire station, alleys
6:00 pm – BOOKED
6:40 – Booked
7:20 pm – booked

(Yes, August may seem early for fall photos, but I can asure you, you’ll be very glad your photos are done before the school scramble and sports start up!)

September 1 – Woodbridge Farms (Sherwood Park)
Forested, natural setting
5:00 – Booked
5:40 – Booked
6:20 – Booked

September 4 – Festival Place (Sherwood Park)
Green space with walking paths
5:45 – BOOKED
6:25 – Booked

7:05 – Booked

September 21 – Government House (Edmonton)
4:40 – Booked
5:20 – Booked
6:00 – Booked

September 29 – Muttart Conservatory (Edmonton)
4:55 – Booked
5:35 – Booked
6:15 – Booked

The Details

– $150 session fee due at booking
– 2(ish) weeks later, you’ll receive a viewing gallery with 20+ edited images
– Buy just what you love: $100 per image or $445 for the full gallery

See you at the shorts!!!

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Right now, we’re in that phase of Alberta spring where everyone is acting like we’ve never felt the sun before. Car windows are rolled down, kids are ditching their jackets at recess (mine 100% is), and just yesterday, I saw a girl confidently strutting down the street in Birkenstocks, biker shorts, and a t-shirt. It’s not quite that warm—but after months of hibernation, we’re all just excited to be outside again. I know Mother Nature is probably just teasing us, but I’ll take it.

Honestly – this is exactly why I love spring sessions. There’s this collective feeling of shaking off the winter slump, getting a fresh start, and actually enjoying the extra daylight. It’s the perfect time to capture your family before summer fully kicks in.

These quick, 30 minute sessions are also a great way to test the waters if you’re not quite ready to commit to a full session. Think of it as a low-pressure way to see if we’re a good fit—and to finally get some updated photos while you’re at it.

And with that, Spring Short Sessions Are Now Open for Booking!

If you:

• Haven’t had family photos in a while and know your kids are growing way too fast
• Love the idea of a laid-back, quick session where no one has to “say cheese” on command
• Want to capture your family without the usual fall chaos…

Then these are for you.

What to Expect

These are 30-minute outdoor sessions—enough time to get a variety of images without dragging things out. You’ll get a mix of casually posed and truly candid photos – best of both worlds.

Dates & Locations

May 4 – Lions Park, St. Albert (trestle bridge, playground, river, greenery, wide open spaces).

May 12 – Henrietta Muir Park, Edmonton (pedestrian bridge, river, trees, walking path)

May 27 – Woodbridge Farms, Sherwood Park (forested)

All sessions take place in the evening for the best golden-hour light.

​The Details

• Session fee of $150 due at booking
• 2-3 weeks after your session, you’ll receive a link to a viewing gallery with a minimum of 20 fully edited images.
• Digital images are available to purchase for $100/image or $445 for the entire gallery.

Spots are limited, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. 

Questions? Ask away.

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I have opinions too (shocking, I know), but mostly I’ve found the emergence of AI over the last few years to be helpful for my small business.

The things that scare me:

• AI can basically create any photo you’d like. Will my job be obsolete one day? Maybe more so on the school side of things than family or newborn sessions, but I hope my photos have enough feeling and emotion that they’re not at risk of being replaced by a computer.
• Are we all going to rely on AI so much that our brains turn to mush? Ok, maybe not full mush, but partial mush? If we let a computer do all our writing, editing and creative thinking will we slowly (or quickly!) get dumber?

Ways I’m currently using AI as a photographer:

• Basic edits – AI has saved me countless hours with colour and exposure correction. It’s taken a lot of trial and error to find the right program and train it on my editing style, but now my workflow includes running every image through AI for basic edits like colour, exposure, applying presets, and background isolation. (My current go-to program is Imagen and I use a custom profile). I still touch every single image for advanced edits, though as I fully believe that’s what makes my photos have life.
• Complicated cloning – I hate air vents, plugs, light switches, animal fur on clothes, and random background distractions (garbage cans, cars, you name it) in photos. These used to take me HOURS to edit out. Now, AI lets me select an area, describe what I want changed, and I watch the magic happen. It’s not always perfect, and I sometimes revert to my old-school methods, but more often than not, it works. That said, you 100% need to know how to do it manually first, so you can spot when AI’s solution looks off or go back to hand edits when it just can’t get it right.
• Automating workflows – THIS is a total game-changer. The school side of my business has a ton of manual tasks: renaming thousands of files, embedding student numbers into photos, resizing images for school admin, and so on. I’ve been using ChatGPT to suggest new ways to automate these tasks. It has helped me figure out Python scripts and to better utilize tools like Zapier for multi-step automations. (Can we talk about how cool it is that now a booking comes in via Acuity and the info auto-generates on a new spreadsheet line! in Google Sheets?). When something doesn’t work, I just paste the code back into ChatGPT, ask what’s wrong, and get a corrected version in seconds. It’s also been amazing for creating complicated formulas in Sheets or helping me figure out how to link pages and such.
• Website design – I still fully believe that a human design for a website is the best design (because as we’ve discussed, it needs personality), but ChatGPT has helped me see my pages from a client’s POV. It ensures the important info is front and centre and helps with consistency. For example, when I updated the “About” page on the school site last week, I wanted to include new bios for Julie and Janice. I had the bios written but wanted the lengths to match. I plugged the bios into ChatGPT and asked it to keep major content and sentences but to make them all relatively the same length. Boom. Done. Then, I asked for feedback on the layout, and it suggested simple tweaks like adding spacing and lines under titles.

I’m sure we’re going to see so many AI advances over the next couple of years and keeping up with the changes will be a job in itself, but for now, I’m thankful for the help!

Chat soon,

Kelly

The post How I Use AI As A Full Time Photographer appeared first on Edmonton Newborn & Family Photographer - Baby Photography.

2024 was one for the books—full of growth and plenty of pivots to keep up. Honestly, in this economy, I wasn’t expecting another year of expansion, but the school side of my business took off, and this little company grew another 25%. While I’m incredibly grateful, the fall was a lot. Juggling schedules (yes, my kids totally complained I had abandoned them), chasing daylight, and editing until my eyes went wonky.

So now, as things slow down, I’m channelling my energy into working on my business instead of in it. I’ve been busy streamlining (I learned how to write code!), tweaking, and generally trying to make my future self’s life easier. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned as a small business owner these last 11 years, it’s that you can never be prepared enough.

On a personal note, I wrapped up 2024 with my family on a trip to Texas and a Disney Cruise. Talk about checking off a bucket list item! (Never in my life did I think I’d be walking down cruise ship stairs and have Mickey Mouse just casually walk by me in his tuxedo. ). Now I’m back, refreshed, and ready for a year that promises fresh new babies, countless family moments, and even more school kids (pass the boogie wipes!).

And because numbers are my love language, here’s 2024 by the numbers:

• 2,897 students photographed
• $8,120 donated back to the community (more than I made in my first three years in business . This blows my mind.)
• 990 boogie wipes used (it’s not always glamorous)
• 4261 a-la-carte prints + 602 print packages delivered
• 47,980 photos hand-edited (so, yeah, my coffee budget tripled)
• 2,274 km driven
• 1 new camera purchased (welcome to the family, Nikon Z6iii, you’re in good company)

I’m so grateful to everyone who made this year possible. Here’s to another year!

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Back by popular demand and bigger than ever!

For the past two years, our Holiday Super Short Sessions have been a huge hit, selling out quickly each time. This year, I’m thrilled to announce their return with even more time slots available! They’re short and sweet and you’ll have updated family photos faster than waiting in line at a Starbucks drive-through!

Don’t miss out—grab your spot before they’re gone!

The Why

Holiday SUPER Short Sessions are perfect for you if…

• You need a few gorgeous family photos for holiday cards or to freshen up your home decor.
• You’re not up for chasing your kids around a field and prefer them comfortably seated on a bench in the studio (trust me, I get it!! ).
• The idea of a 30-minute or 2-hour photo session makes you want to hide under the covers.
• You want to show up to a ready-to-go, beautifully styled, holiday-themed set without having to clean, decorate, or stress.
• You need an efficient photographer who can get the perfect shots in record time.

These super short sessions might not be for you if…

• You’re looking for a variety of group shots, individual portraits, or multiple settings. (I can absolutely do that; I just cannot do it with these sessions. Please message me for more options!)
• You need 45 different images for an epic gallery wall.
• Your kids take more than 5 minutes to warm up and get comfortable.
• You can’t make it to Sherwood Park for the session.

The What

• A 15-minute super short photo session at my beautiful little studio in Sherwood Park.
• These sessions are all about capturing family moments on the studio couch, highlighting the love and connection between you all. You can expect a fun experience with music, laughter, games, dancing, and treats!

The Studio

I’ve been eagerly waiting a whole year to bring this vision to life, and the time has finally come! This year’s holiday setup is modern, minimalist, and mid-century inspired. Picture this: giant West Elm paper honeycomb trees, a beautiful wood bench, fluffy white blankets, and rich dark green fabric draping the walls. Simple white florals add a touch of elegance, creating a perfect backdrop that lets your family shine. It’s going to be stunning, and I can’t wait for you to see it!

The Nitty Gritty

• When: November 3, 10 & 16, 2024
• Where: Sherwood Park
• Duration: 15 minutes
• What’s Included: 8 fully edited high-resolution digital images via digital download, ready within 2 weejs. Three holiday card proofs designed for you, with the option to order cards directly through me (I’ll handle everything, and they’ll arrive at your door ready to address). Option to purchase fine art prints.
• Pricing: $290 + GST (includes the session and 8 high-resolution images). Holiday cards are $115 for 25 cards and $175 for 50 cards.

Can’t wait to capture some beautiful holiday memories with you and your family this season!

The post Edmonton Christmas Mini Sessions appeared first on Edmonton Newborn & Family Photographer - Baby Photography.

THE WHAT

• A 10 minute, easy breezy portrait session for kids ages 6 months -18 years.

• I’m all about making photos FUN! That means no annoying flash bulbs (I use all-natural light) and no “say cheese”. I have a bag of tricks from years of working with kids that result in natural expressions.

• A classic black background that lets your child(ren) shine. (Want to see a ton more examples? You can do that here!)

• A minimum of 4 edited images in a final gallery (each in colour and black and white).

BOOK YOUR SESSION

THE DATES, TIMES & LOCATION

• Sessions will take place from August through early November 2024 with weekend, weekday, afternoon and early evening options.

• The studio is located on the west side of Sherwood Park.

​>>>>BOOK YOUR SESSION<<<<<

THE NITTY GRITTY

• Session fee: $20 for the first child and $10 for each additional child in the family. Please ensure you select the session type for the of number of children you’d like photographed .

• Online galleries will be available for viewing within 2 weeks of the session with the option to purchase digital images and/or print packages.

PRINT + DIGITAL IMAGE PRICING – view complete packages and pricing, available for purchase after you see your photos.

The post Sherwood Park School Photos appeared first on Edmonton Newborn & Family Photographer - Baby Photography.

Photos are like a visual diary, a time capsule capturing what your family looked like at a certain moment in time. Do I want you to feel fabulous when you look at your photos? Absolutely, 100%.

But I also want you to look like you. I want your kids to look back at these photos and see the person who gives the best hugs, the piggyback rides, and fixes boo-boos with just a kiss. I don’t want them to wonder why their parent looks different than in their memories.

I get it; I have body image issues just like anyone else. That’s why I step in front of the camera every year—to remind myself what it feels like.

Here’s what I WILL do:

• Capture angles that showcase the parts of your body you’re most confident about.
• Fix any obvious blemishes (bruises, pimples).
• Slightly smooth skin (it’ll still look like skin, not like you’re made of porcelain).
• Remove fly-away hairs, anything in your teeth, and dirt on your clothes.
• Lightly touch up clothing bulges (like those pesky bra strap areas).

What I WON’T do:

• Use AI to alter your body.
• Erase all lines and wrinkles (those are proof of a life well-lived).
• Ask you to suck it in, hold your breath, or make duck lips.

I’m all about capturing the real you, not the airbrushed magazine version. Let’s capture memories—genuine laugh lines and all!

The post Will I Photoshop that? appeared first on Edmonton Newborn & Family Photographer - Baby Photography.

30 min. Set locations. Set dates. Short, sweet and perfect if you only want a few updated photos and holiday cards.

Session fee (due upon booking): $150

Once you view your photos, digital images are available for $150 each or $445 for the full gallery.

Fully designed 5×7 cards on velvet paper with printed envelopes are available for $115/set of 25 or $175/set of 50.

August 25 – Whyte Ave. Brick walls, murals, train tracks, the old fire hall.

Sept 2 – Whitemud Creek (by Rainbow Valley). Trees, a little bridge, open field.

Sept 16 – St. Albert Botanic Park. Fountain, flowers, green space.

Sept 20 & October 4 – Woodbridge Farms forest area, Sherwood Park. Trees, another little bridge.

The post Fall Mini Sessions Edmonton appeared first on Edmonton Newborn & Family Photographer - Baby Photography.

When you’re photographing outdoors, make sure that you move your body so that there’s no line (water horizon, railing, building) going right across your photo at neck line. This usually means you’ll want to crouch down a bit so that there’s more sky in your photo, which will also automatically help your subjects pop as they won’t be competing against the background.

Here are a few more examples of moving my height to ensure nothing is going through people’s necks.

Now, don’t panic if you have a photo that has the horizon where it shouldn’t be! If you love the moment and the photo then roll with it. Just keep this in mind for the future.

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