A Spooky Session – Calabogie Peaks

When Chloe – who did my FABULOUS new logo & can be found here – reached out & asked if we could do a session that fit her gothic & spooky aesthetic, I think I legitimately screamed. This has been a dream of mine for a while & I couldn’t have asked for a better couple to do it with.

They brought props like Edgar the raven, a witchy hat, the prettiest celestial headband, & few SMOKE BOMBS, which seriously just tied it all together.

Also, did I mention how AMAZING her dress was?? It was seriously a dream.

We chose Calabogie Peaks partially because it was in between us, her being in the Ottawa area & myself being in the Pembroke area, but also because this forest-y look just fit our spooky vibe SO WELL.

This also pushed me creatively, as they specifically said that they didn’t feel like the usual prompts from couple’s sessions didn’t fit who they are. Being able to fit the session to the couple is something that just makes me so happy & makes me think differently to customize it.

Feeling like the “typical” photos don’t fit who you are, but want photos to be able to post & hang on your walls? Getting exactly what you want is so possible.

How did we do it to make sure we were on the same page? Let me give some tips for you to get your the session of your DREAMS!

1. Find a photographer that you gel with. If you don’t feel like you vibe with them & like you can talk to them, it’s going to be EXTREMELY difficult to do something radical.
2. Start a Pinterest board with your photographer. Here’s the one Chloe & I had, so we could both add & get the feel for what the other one had in mind, so our conversations was less trying to paint a mind picture & more “OMG, that photo you added to the board is ABSOLUTELY what I had in mind!!”.
3. Don’t be nervous to ask! I can almost guarantee that your photographer will be STOKED to do something new & different, or can point you in a direction to someone who would be better suited for what you had in mind – which is better than not getting what you want.

4. Go all out. Bring out all of the stops. The way this couple brought Edgar the Raven, the dress, the witch hat, the smoke bomb… It wouldn’t have had the same feel with just black jeans. If you prefer that feel, that’s fine, but acknowledge how important these things can be without one of those items.
5. Come to the shoot ready to collaborate. If you know what you’d like, advocate to yourself to a certain extent, but….
6. TRUST YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER. They’re the one having to remember which way the wind needs to be blowing to get the most out of your smoke bomb, how to pose you in a way that might feel uncomfortable, but look AMAZING.

7. Recognize that your photos won’t look exactly like the Pinterest photos. You are different people with a different photographer, at a different place. You can’t expect them to look JUST LIKE the photos you’ve been sharing back & forth. Take inspiration, not copy completely.
8. HAVE FUN WITH IT. Seriously, these sessions are so much fun & not stressing about it too much really helps you to look more natural in the photos.

What do you think about this session? Would you do something more creative for your session? Or are you in love with the sessions full of kisses & twirling? I love shooting both!