Any photographer will tell you, as soon as a client says the word “travel”, our ears peak like a lab hearing its food hit the bowl. When asked to create assets (photographs) for Travel Drumheller, the brief was to not only cater to the seasonal tourist but also attract a younger demographic whos appetite for an outdoor lifestyle is possible in a small prairie town.

In a perfect world, I would like to say we show up on set, start taking pictures and go home without even breaking a sweat. This could not be further from the truth. There was a lot of planning that went into this shoot consisting of several logistical meetings months prior to production starting, shot-lists created, scouting, sourcing talent, contracting our production crew, and myself scheduling all parties involved making sure every detail was not overlooked. These sorts of things I like to do with the client, that way everyone is at the table, literally, and getting the same information. If problems arise, which they always will, they can be addressed immediately; we are problem solvers, not just picture takers.

The photo shoot happened over three days; one full day of scouting and two shooting. Each day started at 5am and usually didn’t wrap till 8pm that night. We had a variety of weather to contend with that included strong winds in the morning photographing the kayakers, rain for the cabin images which can always be daunting when on-site lighting is needed. For the landscapes, we had smoke that had been drifting in from the West for weeks due to the seasonal forest fires in the mountains. Mix all that with wonderful morning fog each day and you definitely get some conditions that are quite fun to shoot in.

All in all, it was a great shoot, with a happy client and one hell of a good team where none of this would be possible. Now do me a favour, get outside and enjoy some of the beautiful outdoors this province has to offer.

Watch the full behind the scenes video below.

Huge special thanks to the following:

Photo assistants: Brendan Stephens & Trevor LaLonde

Retouching wizard: Caitlin Boyle

Behind the scenes footage: Levi Howell

Behind the scenes footage editor: Ryan Hetherington

Liaison: Alyssa Berry & The Town of Drumheller.

Kayaking Outfit: Red Deer River Adventures.