Anna Michalska Photography - Calgary Wedding Photographer

jessica + jason {sneak peek}

anna m — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:00:21 +0000

We were LITERALLY running/driving away from the rain for Jessica and Jason’s wedding… and we somehow lucked out. It was an amazing day. Here are some previews … more to come, as always. :)

mary-anne + derrick {wedding}

anna m — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:44:29 +0000

Mary-Anne is a long-time friend of mine. I’m talking about elementary school here. I’ve moved around so much during my time in Calgary that these relationships I’ve kept (or re-found via Facebook) with old classmates of mine are pretty special to me. It’s definitely something awesome to watch your friends grow up with you. Feels like only a few years ago, we’d be at the playground during recesses trying to cram in every minute of fun… now we’re all grown up and getting married. Life changes pretty fast.

The great thing is my good friend MA still looks just as amazing as she did in elementary, and she made a most beautiful bride. Derrick is a lucky guy and the two of them look fantastic together. I can’t wait to watch my friend grow in her new journey in life. :)

Would you believe it? It was actually raining at this time. Probably one of the first times it has ever rained when taking photos outside with the bridal party. It was very light and actually made for some great shots under the umbrella – if this is as bad as it gets, I certainly won’t complain. :)

jodene + richard {sneak peek}

anna m — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:46:18 +0000

Jodene and Richard tied the knot yesterday, come rain, shine, or… smoke!

dana + jan {wedding}

anna m — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:45:59 +0000

What a busy summer! I’ve been so fortunate to have amazing weather every day I’ve had to shoot a wedding. Dana and Jan’s was no exception. You’ll notice an awesome cowboy theme going on throughout their day and with the help of Mary and Debby from Lavish Event Design, the reception hall was decorated AMAZINGLY beautiful! One of my favorite parts was the cookie table, which was filled with different cookies hand made by Dana herself. She truly is a bride after my own heart. :)

Do you believe in fate or crazy coincidences? Because not only did Dana and her girls get ready in the same hotel that Susanne did for her wedding day, but also the EXACT. SAME. ROOM. … Crazy!

While we were walking through Stephen Ave (incredibly busy during the Stampede, go figure) for photos, we got stopped by people from BR& to come in and take a photo indoors. Boy am I glad we took him up on his offer. What a beautiful place!

Alright, this one below has to be one of the top best photos I’ve ever taken, hands down.

joanna + henry {wedding}

anna m — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:42:14 +0000

It would be an understatement to say I’ve been looking forward to this wedding for a while. Not only was I revisiting one of my favorite churches in Calgary (Sacred Heart), but also finally checking out the amazing Hotel Arts for their reception. Honestly, the venues is why I do this. LOL just kidding. ;)

I remember when we first met, Jo and Henry expressed concern that I would be too energetic or crazy for them – but something must have clicked after all, haha! These two are incredibly athletic people, with Jo playing volleyball and Henry playing pro basketball in Europe for a long time leading up to their wedding. Jo had done a lot of traveling to see Henry play and to squeeze in as much wedding planning time as possible while she was there with him. I was very impressed with their organized nature in bringing everything together after being away from Calgary so many times for so long!

The one thing that really struck me was Henry’s enthusiasm and love for Jo. During his speech to Jo at the reception, there was barely a dry eye in the room (mine included). It was so genuine and unrehearsed; from the heart, suiting Henry’s personality very well. I can’t wait to see where this couple goes in the future. :)

Check out their sneak peek for a few more photos!

megan + dustin {sneak peek}

anna m — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:29:30 +0000

We were so, so, so lucky to have escaped any kind of rain for Megan and Dustin’s wedding. The overcast was just what the doctor ordered — same with some prescription medicine because this poor couple both managed to get sick just before the wedding! But they continued from their beautiful outdoor ceremony to some of the most heart-felt and tear-inducing speeches I’ve ever heard. :)

kassie + mark {sneak peek}

anna m — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 23:31:13 +0000

I can honestly say this was one of my most anticipated weddings of the year… and it did not disappoint. I can’t wait to show you the rest of Kassie and Mark’s amazing wedding photos, but until then, here’s a sneak peak to tide you over. ;)

miranda + terry {family session}

anna m — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:00:07 +0000

Terry is one of my husband’s oldest friends. They grew up together, went to school together, and Terry’s established a wonderful family of his own. We waited until little Janelle, Miranda and Terry’s newest addition, was old enough to sit still in front of the camera. ;)

Here are a few shots of this big and beautiful family!

Haha, I love this shot of Janelle below. She’s like, “who is this crazy lady?”

natasha {portrait session}

anna m — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:10:30 +0000

Tasha is one of my closest and oldest friends. She was in my homeroom Grade 10 class but we both didn’t realize that until Grade 11 when we met under entirely different circumstances. I pretty much fell in love with her long, beautiful blond hair. She would tell me stories of cutting her sister’s hair with scissors as a child and we became fast friends after that. We both attended ACAD together where she inspired me to become better academically. I can probably thank her for indirectly pushing me to be better, eventually getting the “with Distinction” part of my bachelors degree, as watching her go the extra mile for her projects and essays motivated me to do the same. Now she lives in Toronto, continuing her education, though she comes back to Calgary occasionally with her well-traveled Lottie (ragdoll cat).

When she asked me about doing a session with this amazing vintage dress her friends got her, I was excited. After I learned she wanted to go crazy with hair and makeup, I was totally thrilled! Here are a few photos from our crazy shoot. :D

where echoes revive {band session}

anna m — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:59:09 +0000

Not many people outside my close friends are aware that as a kid, I loved playing musical instruments. I started with piano at age 7 and took lessons for a number of years; unfortunately, all I had was an electric keyboard and as the music I was learning got harder, my little keyboard was becoming insufficient and my parents didn’t have the funds to buy me a proper piano – so I had to leave. I used to switch instruments in band at school every semester, going from clarinet to saxophone to violin (just to name my favorites). I’d pick up songs right away and loved music.

I still love music though I haven’t picked up an instrument in a long time, until recently. My sister has an old guitar she used to practice on and I’ve felt the urge to pick up something again. Too bad there’s no room for a piano in the house, but I love learning something I’ve never tried before. I’ve even inspired my husband and he got himself a guitar, too, so we can learn together. :)

Our guitar teacher just so happens to be in a band, and also happens to be a good friend of ours. The band, Where Echoes Revive, plays at The Blind Beggar from time to time. I decided to bring my camera along for one of the gigs just to get some experience in band photography. Boy I learned a lot. It’s not like shooting weddings at all, haha. At least, I didn’t have my lighting setup so having to work with a high ISO setting and semi-slow shutter speed was a challenge, but below is a collection of my favorite shots of the night.

Find out more about Where Echoes Revive on their MySpace and Facebook sites!