Tara Whittaker Photography

I just spent an incredible afternoon with Michelle and Luke and couldn’t wait to post a few photos. They were sizzling! Stay tuned….

Back in August, I traveled to Paris with my friend Colleen. If you’re a regular follower of my blog, you may remember the photo shoot I did with Sara and Mike, who were on their honeymoon in Paris. Well I also did a photo shoot for my friend Colleen. She never lets me do photo shoots of her but for Paris, she made an exception. Enjoy and don’t forget the slide show at the end!

I first met Palma back in January when we both worked on Second Bloom, a theatre production of Fire Exit Theatre Company. Palma did an amazing job of the make-up for Second Bloom and I had fun doing some shots of her during the application process backstage. I met up with Palma and Zoltan for a shoot on a VERY chilly morning but they were excellent sports with a lot of personality. You gotta love a girl who understands the necessity of wardrobe changes. Many thanks to The Art Gallery of Calgary for allowing us to shoot in their outstanding venue and warm our frozen fingers.

I was delighted to shoot Pam and Gord’s (see Sneak Peek here) winter wedding in the Safari Lodge at the Calgary Zoo. It was lovely to see their personalities shining through in every aspect of their wedding. Congratulations to Pam and Gord. Check out the photos from their beautiful wedding and don’t forget the slide show at the end.

Tara Whittaker Photography will be supporting earthquake relief efforts during the month of February. I am offering mini-engagement sessions for $300 (plus gst) which include 30 minutes of shooting within the Calgary area and 20 High Resolution Images on a CD. For each mini-engagement session booked during the month of February, $150 will be donated to Help Haiti through Samaritan’s Purse. Give us a call to book your shoot at 403-247-3746.

If you’re interested in making a donation of your own, click here.

I have the privilege of being the resident photographer for Fire Exit Theatre here in Calgary and this week their second play of the season, Second Bloom, opened. If you have a chance to catch their final performances on Saturday the 16th, I highly recommend it. They have 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm performances tomorrow in the Engineered Air Theatre at the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts. Check it out.

If you’re newly engaged and are looking for wedding inspiration, check out Bridal Fantasy at the Telus Convention Centre on January 17th, 2010. Be sure to stop by my booth and say hello. I look forward to meeting you.

Sometimes a “day-after” wedding shoot is the way to go. You’re relaxed, happy and the pressure of the actual wedding day is off. It’s brilliant. Such was the case for Blake and Julianna. I shot their winter wedding photos on a coooold day in December. We started out in Okotoks where Julianna had her hair and make-up done by Shea Brown at Hue Hair Salon. The inspiration for elements of this winter wedding came from Snippet & Ink. Kathryn’s amazing blog is a feast for the eyes. If you’re looking for inspiration for your own wedding, check it out.

Happy New Year to all. I’ll leave you with a few shots of my niece and nephews taken on Boxing Day.

Here are a couple of shots of Julianna and Blake. Stay tuned….

My first shoot with this family was back in June to honour the 1st birthday of their daughter Ella. At the time they told me they were expecting their second child and we tentatively booked a session for November-ish. Well I finally got to meet little Ethan when we did a photo session in a warm house on a very wintery day. It is such a privilege to witness families as they grow and change. Enjoy the photos and don’t forget the slide show at the end.

This photo was an “oops” but I still love how it turned out.

I love how Ella had her hand on Ethan – just letting him know that Big Sister was there.

I was first introduced to Totally Rad Actions about 18 months ago and I’m a huge fan. They have become a staple in my editing process. When I heard that Doug Boutwell had come out with a new set of textures, I had to have them. They just up the “cool factor” of a photo. Check them out.

Meet Shea Brown. This shoot was a special treat for me as I’ve collaborated with Shea on a number of projects. She is a super-talented make-up artist and she works out of Hue Hair Salon in Okotoks. The last time we worked together she mentioned that she would love to do her own wedding photos over again. Ding, ding, ding. Next thing you know we were doing a very-post-wedding shoot for Shea and her husband Allan. Many thanks to Tara Watts, owner of Hue Hair Salon for working her usual magic on Shea’s hair and for allowing us to shoot in her gorgeous salon. Take note of the lovely bouquet and boutonnière that fit into our winter wonderland theme so perfectly. These were provided by Wanda of Wildflowers at Kensington. She has the most beautiful shop on 10th Street NW in Calgary so be sure to stop in the next time you’re strolling through Kensington.