Ever had one of those experiences that refreshes and awakens you from a sleep you didn’t know you were in? Woah, well let me tell you, this past week, I had just that.

My husband Cam (a.k.a, lead cinematographer, photography second shooter, website manager, editor extraordinaire, and all around awesome sauce partner) and I went to represent Courtney Liske Photography at a photography conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Canadians were definitely in the minority of people in attendance- about 10 in the list of 2500 attendees. I loved when people would come up to us and ask, “So, where are you guys from?” Typically, we just chose to answer with “Canada” and they’d say “Wow! That’s great!” but some would ask where in Canada we were from. We would just answer with “Saskatchewan”, and then after seeing their blank look, proceed to explain it was above Montana/North Dakota. We chose not to bring up that we lived in Regina- anyone who has lived here knows where that conversation goes… It still makes me giggle at some of the things that are said- “I met a guy at another conference who was from Canada too. I think his name was… Dave?” Thankfully Cam is always quick with a quip such as, “Oh yeah, Canada Dave! Love that guy!”

My brain is still slightly zapping at all of the information we took in, but I am absolutely loving how much it challenged and grew us in our business. We can’t get enough of the training- we have continued since we got home with re-watching some online courses to keep our thoughts a-goin’! I had the amazing opportunity to do some hands on classes with some incredible photography legends, and man, my creative centre is on overload! I have taken away so many new and fresh ideas- even learning how to make a couture dress out of duct tape, some newspaper and tulle. I will definitely be taking some time this summer for some really creative shoots- so stay tuned for that…

“What”, you may ask, “are you going to do with your newfound knowledge?” Well, I have some ideas, but mainly I say all of this to say that I want to photograph you. I want to photograph your family. I want to photograph your wedding. Life is full of precious and fleeting moments, and I want to be there to capture them for you. But most importantly, I want your experience to make a family memory. You may take a family portrait once every 5 or 10 years, or perhaps you are one of the few family who do one every single year. Whatever the case may be, I don’t want it to be a dreaded experience- I want this to be something you can look back on with fondness. Believe it or not, having your photos taken doesn’t have to be a terrible experience! Gone are the days of the looks that shout “the family that caters together, stays together”. How am I going to change that for you? Well, let’s work together on that. Let’s create a unique and creative session for you! Pinterest has some amazing ideas or starting points. First off, follow Courtney Liske Photography on Pinterest. Secondly, create a board for your shoot- outfit ideas, stylized elements, locations you might like, and invite me to share it with you! The collaborative process will help us to iron out the details of your session, and ensure that everyone involved has a lot of fun!

Look forward to creating with you!

Courtney