Red Deer Newborn Photography

This little guy was only 12 days old when we did a studio photo session in his home.  Newborn photography can be a challenge and is usually best done when babes are just that....new!  When you see those classic Anne Geddes photos of babies all curled up, they are probably only days old.  This way the babe is very manipulative and does a lot of sleeping ;)  However, any time is really a good time to capture photos of your new baby.  They grow so fast and it's important to mark those moments.

Deanna and Ben | Plus White Balance Cool vs Warm

Last week I worked with  Deanna and Ben to get some fun outdoor winter shots.  The afternoon was quite cool but the setting sun and broken clouds provided nice warm light at such a cold time of the season.  Here are a few pics from that shoot with a comparison of two specific photographs that use different white balance editing.  See below...

Tartine: A Photo Essay

Tartine is a pleasant hole in the wall nestled into one of the many cultural districts of San Francisco.  Friends and I were fortunate enough to visit the bakery in person after only hearing stories, reading their infamous cookbook, and tasting their bread recipes handmade by our friend Tyler.  The visit was most significant to him, however the rest of us quickly learned the caliber of bread baked fresh by the local artisans for 4pm daily.  A line up of needy gluten aficionados waited almost impatiently for their bread as Tartine shoveled them out of the ovens as fast as they could wearing work gloves to avoid self injury from the intense heat still attached to the loaves.  It wasn't long until what seemed like rations was gone again for another day.

I was invited to step behind the counter as the first loaves were brought out from the oven and took a few photographs.  Here are a few of my favorites I would like to share with you.  I am pleased with them even though I had to use such a high ISO (3200) and slow shutter speeds (1/60th was common).  My aperture was also blown open at 3.5.

Destination Wedding Photography Cypress Hills

1/50 sec F4 ISO 1600 Hand held @10mm on Canon 40D - photo by Christal Stenberg

Wow! Have you been to Cypress Hills Provincial Park yet?  Very nice.  Medicine Hat also impressed me with a lot of old growth trees that line the residential streets.  That city has a lot of character.

Darrell and Lindy's wedding was beautiful and set in Medicine Hat for their ceremony and Elkwater for their reception.  I have an unreal amount of photos I could share from this wedding but knocked it down to a chronological flow (I hope).  Here are a few bunch of favorites.  Please check them out and read the captions for insight as to how the photos were taken.

(PS credit goes to my wife for the wide angle aerial photo of the ceremony.  Thanks Christal!)

Edmonton Engagement Photography

technically negative space from the columns fill most the frame.  I love the foreground blur from the depth of field (F5 @190mm)

In Downtown Edmonton, Darren and Maryna met me near the north end of the high level bridge.  We took photos near the bridge as well as the Legislative grounds.  The area provided endless locations in sun or shade as well as the options to shoot with structural and architectural  backgrounds. Park-scape backdrops were also endless with flower gardens, fountains and even an infinity pool!  I can see now why we saw so many other photographers there:)  An excellent location if you are thinking of getting photos done in Edmonton.  Here are a bunch of favorites from this shoot.  It was hard to choose!

Sylvan Lake Family Photography

I met the Henry family in Sylvan Lake at a few new locations I had not used before.  I was always curious about using the rail bridge on 60th street but never ended up meeting anyone there in the past.  It turns out, it was a great location!  We met early, around 9 or 10 AM on short notice on the thanksgiving weekend.  It worked out perfect for everyone and the weather was excellent as it usually is in the fall ;)  After the bridge I was spoiled to take pictures of the family at the Sutter family farm on the outskirts of Sylvan.  A beautiful place to take pictures ;)  However, I cannot take anyone there... this family knew the Sutters.  As usual, here are my favorites from the shoot!

Alberta Family Farm Photography | Father and Son

Just outside of Sylvan Lake near Benalto, I visited the family farm of the Dussaults.  Their farm was beautiful and had an amazing space to walk around and take photographs.  I was like a kid in a candy store and had too many ideas for photo's in the area.  The sun was strong that day and we took photos in the mid afternoon.  I had to compensate a lot with an off camera flash or find creative locations that didn't cause too much squinting but also left me the opportunity to not overexpose the background and still capture the fall colors.  We have many photos from this shoot but here are a few of my favorites.

Edmonton Family and Child Photography

I was in Edmonton recently and took photos for the wonderful Heinz family;)  I have done family photos for them before in Sylvan Lake when their boy, Alex, was much younger.  We headed to a local park near their home and also took some pics in their yard at home.  Most of the time I have to adapt to the families needs and be able to shoot where is comfortable for the children. In this case, Alex had a cold and probably didn't have the energy to focus on pics and travel around too much.  In the end, Alex did awesome and we were able to capture some excellent photographs in various locations!  PS thanks to my Sis Savannah Stenberg who helped me out a great deal on this shoot!

Red Deer Family / Engagement Photography

with strong backlighting, I chose to create a near silhouette with an intense blue vignette.  Just something different ;)

Wow this fall has been busy!  I think the leaves on the trees and colors didn't last as long as they should have with a few early frosts and some strong winds.  I had to work quickly and squeeze many people into a short time frame to get everyone's photos complete.  Now I finally have an opportunity to post a few pics and share my favorites with you.  I hope you enjoy ;)

Red Deer Newborn Photography

I recently met with baby Emerick to take a few photos of him and his mom and dad.  Emerick had some really big super cute eyes that I was able to capture in a few of his photos while he was still curious about what I was doing.  Eventually he fell asleep and did his best to ignore me haha.  Here are a few pics from the shoot ;)

Red Deer Engagement Wedding Photography | Bower Ponds

Caitlin and Travis travelled from Rocky Mountain House to meet me at Bower Ponds in Red Deer for an engagement shoot.  I am photographing their wedding in June 2013.  Getting together for an engagement session allows for the couple to meet me and get comfortable in front of the camera.  It also provides them with a lot of photographs to choose from that they can use for invitations or even an online wedding website ;)

Caitlin and Travis were very easy to work with since they had no problem goofing around, staying relaxed and just having fun with the photo shoot.  In the end, it pays off because they have many great pictures with genuine expressions and interaction....

Lightning Storm Photography explained and "How To"

Last night there was one of the most intense lightning storms I have ever seen.  However it's hard to remember the others since they were so long ago.  It didn't dawn on me until it was almost too late that there were intense lighting strikes happening about every 2-10 seconds right outside my backyard.  I ran for my camera and without a tripod, I shot some handheld exposures up to 30 seconds.  I quickly ran out of time and had to retreat as the hail was soaking me and my camera!  In the end I love the few photographs I obtained and wanted to share them with you and explain how you can do it yourself!

PHOTO #1:   F11, ISO 500,  30sec exposure

Notice the blurry alley and definition of the houses?  Or how about the squiggly looking yellow lights along the bottom of the photograph?  This is because I hand held the camera (without a tripod) to create this effect.  Ideally if I had more time I would have tried both methods but I knew in advance that the lightning strikes would freeze everything from it's "flash" like qualities.  The blur in the houses is as a result of multiple strikes in the same photo.  The "squiggly lines" are street and solar lights in peoples backyards that slowly burned their image into the frame as I tried to hold the camera still.  However I knew that a bit of motion is almost better and adds a cool artistic effect that you cannot achieve with a tripod.

Red Deer Firefighter Childrens Charity Calendar 2013 | MOvember Vote Off!

I am pleased to announce that I am the photographer for the 2013 Firefighter Calendar in Red Deer.  The calendar is being put together by volunteers of the RDFD Childrens Charity.  All proceeds go directly to the charity and supports children in need in our communities here in central alberta.  More information can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/RedDeerFirefighterCharityCalendar  Please visit and "LIKE" our page to keep in the loop and get a sneek peek of what is to come and an inside look at "behind the scenes" media.
*Voting has closed!  Thanks to all that voted here as well as the facebook pages and Zed 99 radio station's website!  The overall winner you ask?? FIREFIGHTERS IN THE MIST!!!

But wait!  We have a problem! We need your help!  We need your votes to help us choose which November AKA MOvember picture goes to print.  Which pic do you like better? Please comment below and/or the facebook page to vote.  

"TROPIC THUNDER"

"FIREFIGHTERS IN THE MIST"

Red Deer Area Graduation Photography

June and July have been very busy months for photography.  June especially with high school graduations.  Cameron and his family live on an acreage just outside of Sylvan Lake on the Burnt Lake trail.  We immediatly took advantage of the landscape and huge grass lawn for our photos.  Cameron was dressed to the 9's and seemed like he had experience posing for the camera haha.

In the end I was very please with the variety of photos we obtained.  Congrats again Cam;)

Sylvan Lake Graduation Family Photography

I recently shot photos with the Graham family in Sylvan Lake.  We used their backyard as our backdrop which provided some vibrant green foliage in the pictures.  We may have only shot for about half and hour and kept it simple.  A similar package to this which would be simplistic, 1 location, and only last 30 min would cost only $100.

If you are looking for a similar photography session because you only want "a few photos" give me a shout and we can discuss details.  (PS different sessions will yield different amounts of photos.  This session yielded 48 edited photos ripped to disc in both online and printable formats)

Kurt

403.307.5367

stenbergphotography@gmail.com

Central Alberta Maternity Photography

Gavin and Holly were a great couple to shoot.  And their two boxers were a treat to be around and include in the photos.  We had a bright sunny day filled with unlimited amounts of fluffy clouds.  This made for a challenging and always changing shoot, but it always pays off with a dramatic vibrant sky that has a lot of character.  

Holly chose to do a more casual style, mostly outdoor maternity shoot (my favorite!).  The emphasis does not always have to be on the belly since it is pretty obvious in all of the photos ;)  We marked the moment in a variety of locations around their acreage and even up against a few windows in their home.  I chose a wide variety of photos from the shoot to show how different and unique maternity photos can be.  

Harley Davidson Motorcycle Photography Red Deer

While out shooting for the 2013 Red Deer Firefighters Calendar, we borrowed the use of FF Mike M's Harley Davidson.  He graciously donated his time and bike as a prop for one of the photographs.  To thank him, I quickly shot this photo of Mike on his HD.  I loved the photo so much I had to post it here!

Check back often for other possible sneak peeks of the 2013 calendar.  Visit our facebook page for the latest information and behind the scenes (and alternate) photographs as we gain momentum through online "LIKES"  click here: https://www.facebook.com/RedDeerFirefighterCharityCalendar

Alpine Mountains Landscape Photography

A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine and I, went on a short 8km hike just north of Lake Louise to the Bow Hut for the night.  Once we arrived we dropped our packs and continued to explore the area and climbed up a small peak called the Onion Skin.  We had a great adventure and took our time, especially on the way there, to capture some great photos.  Thanks to Martin for exersising his patience while I fooled around with my G11 "Point and Shoot" so we could come home with some fantastic memories! 

I couldn't resist posting a few pictures to this blog.  It is not my usual style of photography ie: landscapes! Although I do not normally shoot them, I love a great landscape photograph.  Many of them were "environmental portraits" that include Martin as a subject within the landscape.  The G11 proved again to be a great little alternative to a bulky SLR on a backcountry trip like this one.  The camera shoots RAW which still allows me to have some room to edit once in Lightroom.   Hope you enjoy!

Calgary Engagement Photography

red and green are complimenting colors.  I love this photo for the excellent shape(s) and patters.  And of course the excellent models!!!

Hello again!  Tis the season and I am getting swamped with a wide variety of photography projects including families, graduations, city contracts and of course weddings ;)  My wedding packages also include and engagement session where I meet with the couple months in advance so they can get to know me and get used to being in front of the camera.  The couple also has the benefit of having a ton of photos to use for anything from invites to online wedding websites.  I always return a disc of fully edited images in both "High Resolution"format (for printing) AND a bonus "web size" that is made to share online and look best when viewed from a screen.

I met with Darrell and Lindy in Calgary for their engagement shoot and came home with an abundance of excellent photographs!!!  Darrell and Lindy both pre-scouted some local hidden hotspots that they wanted to have their photos taken.

Red Deer City Facility Photography

I recently shot a number of creative photos for the City of Red Deer to showcase some of their public facilities.  Most recently I documented the Red Deer Recreation Center and G.H. Dawe.  This time, focusing on the pools, I was able to capture some of the amazing architecture from the interior.

Editorial | Fashion Photography Red Deer Sylvan Lake

Hello again!  I was recently approached by a friend who was interested in doing some editorial style fashion photos for her own blog:  SILK LOVE AFFAIR.  

Cronquist House Family Photos Red Deer

Its a nasty time of year with melting snow and dead foliage.  So when asked to do photos for the Cook family, we decided to use the Cronquist House as a backdrop.  With some warm color temps in post production I was able to create a sunset rich feel to the pictures.  Definitely the opposite of what is was like outside!  Although it was very sunny, it was windy and coooold ;)  Here are a few shots from the day.

Enjoy,

Infant Toddler Photography | Red Deer Sylvan Lake

Hello again!  I recently did some photos of Fenton with his Mom and Dad in their home in Edmonton.  We used a mix of natural light from large windows as well as off camera flash with umbrellas just to fill in some shadows.  Here is s mix of some natural looking shots that I enjoyed.