Drumheller Engagement

If you’ve never been to Drumheller, you’re missing out on a magical place. I’ve always been intrigued by the unique terrain and it’s desolate vibe creates a mood unlike any other location I’ve shot at. Not to mention all the layers in the backdrop and the unique landscape hold thousands of years of history.

Now it’s no secret I love shooting couples, and engagement sessions are right up there as a favourite next to weddings (if you didn’t know I include an engagement session with each wedding I book)

Engagement sessions are just fun, plain and simple. It’s just us hanging out, getting to know one another. I tend joke that we’re now a “throuple” when I’m in there with you up close and personal, but I really mean it. I’m there for your most intense and vulnerable moments on your wedding day, and if you can open up to me, that’s when the magic happens. I truly love and value the bond I create with each of my couples.

H & B are as sweet as they come. A beautiful couple with their wedding planned for next summer. I’d been wanting to do an engagement session in Drumheller for some time, and it worked out that they were up for it. A bit of a drive from Calgary, but worth it. We had the most beautiful warm September evening, and took advantage of it all. Capturing their love was easy, and we had a blast.

Our time together was wonderful, and getting to know these two better gets me so excited for their wedding next summer.

Fall Love

I love being a photographer for many reasons. One of them is the people who come in to my life for a session and end up becoming friends. I’ve always felt very strongly about having to have a connection with my clients to really truly capture the magic. I have had some pretty amazing couples trust me with their weddings and engagements and I love the friendship that is also created.

With the way the last 20 months or so have been with a pandemic looming over us, needless to say its been quite the rollercoaster for me as a photographer. With restrictions coming in and constantly changing, I needed to be flexible. It has been a long road, and finally we’re at a place where I feel like life will resume, but it has been hard on me creatively. I figured out that I need creative sessions to fill up something in my soul. A session thats 100% for me. And I have learned that even during busy time, actually especially during a busy season this is needed.

I asked this couple and was hoping they’d be up for a little creative session. I had the privilege of meeting them last year and shooting their elopement. They were the victim of the ever so changing rules of covid and opted for an intimate backyard ceremony instead of their planned wedding, and I loved meeting them. We kept in touch and I knew they’d be perfect for the session I was envisioning.

We met on a gorgeous afternoon amid the craziness of a fall schedule but I needed it. Adding more to my queue of editing at the time maybe wasn’t necessary but I needed this for me. We laughed, we caught up, and had a lot of fun, and I was so happy with how these images turned out.

High Park Calgary - Chelsea Broda Photography

As a photographer I am constantly inspired by my environment. By what I see on social media, what I watch in movies or read in books. And every so often I have found I need to do sessions that are just for me, meaning I do the model call and set it up, no money is exchanged, I just get full creative ability to execute my vision. I have found especially in the last 2 years in this pandemic, that it is important to take this time for myself.

I met Khira & Brandon a couple years ago when I shot their wedding. We instantly connected and they are pure magic in front of the camera. I had them in mind when I was planning this, and was over joyed to have them say yes to being my models.

I was envisioning a rooftop session, and luckily we have a really great spot to do that downtown Calgary. This was my first time shooting here, and needless to say I loved it. The vibe was exactly what I wanted and it was perfect. Best part was we had it all to ourselves and had a blast.

Here are a few of my favourites!