Dinah emailed me in what she called a “strange request” to photograph a “54 year old broad” around Vendome Cafe here in Calgary. Right off the bat, I knew that we were going to get along famously. As it turns out, we did – and we didn’t even have to leave Vendome Cafe for any of these shots. What a lovely and versatile area! As you can probably tell from the skies, we had just experienced a lot of downpour a few days prior to the shoot and so we were lucky to get a lot of greenery around Vendome Cafe (and lots of lilacs, one of my mother’s favorite Spring-time flowers).
Dinah was extremely nervous about her photo shoot but decided it was very important to go through with it as she was to undergo an important and life saving surgery very shortly thereafter. I can only imagine all the things she must have been feeling and going through, yet she did it anyway – starting off very anxious and finishing off a lot more relaxed (a cocktail from Vendome Cafe may or may not have been required and very much appreciated, I’m sure). She came extremely prepared – chairs, scarves, different shirts, you name it! (Doesn’t she have the most wonderful red lipstick??) Not going to lie, it was probably one of the most emotional portrait sessions I’ve done so far with Dinah explaining the procedure she was about to undertake. A few tears were shed and, once again, I was reminded about the importance of photography in people’s lives – and the memories that my clients help me create by being provided with the amazing opportunity to work with so many different kinds of people. Thanks to Dinah for sharing her beautiful story and tears with me, I think I will always remember this session whenever I visit Vendome Cafe in the future.
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