The David Watt Photography Blog

One of the best perks of being a commercial photographer is stumbling upon incredible local spaces I might have otherwise missed. Last November, that discovery was The Hangar Flight Museum.Despite being a local, I’ll admit this spot wasn’t on my radar, but it is now.The atmosphere is incredible. You are surrounded by literally tons of history, from bush planes that opened up the North to sleek military jets. It’s an amazing spot for families to explore on a weekend, but as an event venue, It’s terrific. There is something special about sipping a cocktail under the wing of a vintage aircraft. I’m sharing a few of my favorite shots from the event to show just how interesting and photogenic this space is. If you haven’t visited yet, prepare for takeoff!

My client, Trevor Harding, was seeking a corporate portrait and wanted it taken in his well-designed Calgary residence. I’m often similarly accommodating clients with home-based corporate headshots and enjoy the task of keeping viewers guessing as to the location the image was taken. Almost always I can compose and light a residential space that could be construed as a corporate setting. In this instance I used the elegant main level staircase as a backdrop, using a strobe positioned to viewer’s left and well behind Trevor to produce interesting shadows and lines; and doubling as a kicker light on the subject.So why not have your corporate portrait conveniently shot in your home? Not only can it be far more convenient, it negates any logistical issues that may arise in the workplace. Trevor was relaxed, very obliging, provided me with all the time I needed, all while being able to remotely attend to business during equipment setup and takedown.

I had the pleasure of photographing a local Rhinologist and Endoscopic Skull Base Surgeon, Dr.Jonathan Yip, here in Calgary. It was a fascinating shoot where we didn’t just capture standardcorporate headshots; we captured the story of his practice. We showcased his modern office spaceand even had my assistants step in to model as employees and patients to create genuine,narrative-driven scenarios. The result? Images that exude professionalism, trust, and precision. This brings me to a trend I see all too often: businesses of all sizes relying on smartphone snapshotsto represent their brand. We all love the convenience of the cameras in our pockets, but there is amassive difference between a quick phone snap and a commercially lit, composed image designedto market your services. In the age of social media, your visual identity is often the very first interaction a potential client haswith you. If you are a surgeon, a lawyer, or a consultant, you are selling expertise. If your imagerylooks amateur, poorly composed and lit, or “ordinary,” you run the risk of your business appearingthat way, too. Here is the hard truth: A poor or ordinary …

Never Underestimate the Impact of a Single Image (The full image is found at the bottom of this post) Last year, while capturing images for my long-term client, CLG Displays, that would showcase theirfabulous, varied display at Calgary’s old City Hall and Municipal Bldg., I was challenged to besthighlight these cool ‘Christmas presents’ that were beautifully lit while situated on the fenced lawn infront of the old structure. I pulled out my favorite lens, PCE Nikkor 19mm, placed it on my Nikon D850 that was firmly set onmy Gitzo tripod, used my live view on the camera to find my desired settings of 5 second timeexposure, f20, ISO 64, hoping for extreme sharpness and perhaps some interesting light refraction (itdidn’t…) all while deflecting verbal abuse from some not so friendly ‘street people’, one guy inparticular. I used the tilt/shift function on my lens to capture the full scene with clock tower while keeping mymain subject well in the foreground. This also allowed me to keep my verticals from diverging. Thewarmth of the background against the cool blue, silver and white of the presents made for …

From time to time in these latter years of my photography profession I am presented with a space in which I need to produce an eye-catching and creative image – usually a portrait. And several times in the past 10 years of my 25 years shooting as a full-time professional photographer the thought crosses my mind that goes something like this, “Whew, I’m sure glad I wasn’t presented with this challenge early in my career for I might have fallen flat on my face!” Well, David – ‘Meet Yoav Niv’ as stated on his Nistar Entertainment web site, for keeping in mind his other calling as a highly successful Calgary Criminal Defence Lawyer, my task was to create a portrait that reflected edge and style without diminishing his other persona of criminal lawyer. His Calgary office, while sizable, only had a single space that I felt could be useful to satisfy both our needs to produce such a portrait. It was a boardroom that on one end had a 4 x 5-foot graphic artwork that, if memory serves correctly, was a simple, stylistic, white on …

Check out this insightful article from Keyline Data Systems, emphasizing the impact of compelling visuals on showcasing products and services effectively. Avoid subpar images – quality visuals play a key role in capturing your audience’s attention! As I like to say – If a good image cannot be used then don’t use one at all. Investing in professional photography is crucial for startups (companies) for several reasons, as it significantly impacts the overall visual appeal and brand perception. Here’s why companies should prioritize professional photography for their website and marketing materials: In summary, investing in professional photography is an investment in your company’s brand image, credibility, and overall success. It contributes to a positive brand perception, enhances marketing effectiveness, and sets the stage for building meaningful connections with your target audience.

One of the many delights of my work is being able to spend time with a small group of dedicated entrepreneurs and business folk while performing my function as a photographer capturing their portraits and other aspects of their enterprise.Post-shoot, I typically like to highlight the individual or company on LinkedIn to express my gratitude for their collaboration and cooperation in helping to make for an incredibly successful photography session. And what can we say about HydroEQ’s David Dockman, their Geologist, who helped us hump our gear to our vehicle that I mistakenly parked too far away! Thank you, David! Above and beyond, for sure!So rather than try to condense the merits and focus of their company using my own words, I figure it would be far better to borrow from J.P. Bechtold, President & CEO, of HydroEQ, LinkedIn’s site, as follows…“HydroEQ Inc. is …an environmental consulting company dedicated to addressing water issues in the mining sector. We created this company to make a difference and help achieve a sustainable balance between economic prosperity, environmental protection, and societal health. We are client-focused and provide effective and practical solutions to …

I am not quite sure how long we have been providing photography for Kristjan Thorsteinson, who is the President and CEO of Essential Meetings + Incentives, and a founding partner, but it must be approaching a very satisfying decade that always finds us filled with excitement for every opportunity to photograph him and his fun, super engaging team. They have moved into a larger, more accommodating space and we can’t wait to see what it will offer for photographic possibilities And to offer a quick blurb on this fantastic enterprise….’Essential Meetings is a performance improvement company whose sole priority is to improve their clients’ business results. Since 1999, they have designed and delivered Incentive Travel, Merchandise Rewards and Loyalty Programs, Meetings & Conferences, Corporate Retreats, Continuing Education, Employee Engagement initiatives and Site Selection services to some of Canada’s largest corporations.’ It’s great to be able to ‘toot the horn’ for our incredible clients to whom we provide our photography services! 

Last month we completed a fun photo session using the famous King Eddy Hotel in downtown Calgary, Alberta to photograph Ted Fleming, the founder of Partake Brewing Partake Brewing When Ted needed a great tasting NA (non-alcoholic) beer to enjoy with friends and fit in with his dialed-in life, he rolled up his sleeves and invented one himself. He had a clear vision to create a NA beer that achieved the best-flavour with the lowest calories possible. This hadn’t been done before and to my knowledge hasn’t been replicated since. The result is an award-winning beer known by fans today as, ‘Partake’. Today, Ted continues to share his award-winning and boundary-breaking NA creations with the world. Ted makes every day count. When taking a break from brewing his great tasting beer, you can find him winning a national squash championship, being in total Dad-mode, or scribbling down some new business ideas on the back of a napkin (or coaster). Ted was a fabulous person to photograph throughout our session, which was interrupted by a large city-wide power outage (thank goodness for our power packs!) was engaging, cooperative, generous and all …

I greatly enjoyed photographing McDonald’s new 2-story restaurant on 17th Ave & 14th St SW, Calgary that showcases an outdoor patio, upper and lower-level eating areas and with the upper level accessed through elevator or stairs. There were some interesting aspects such as intermittent dark shading on tables and chairs along with two rows of bar type seating in the main area. The photography required two visits to capture both daylight and nighttime ambient lighting and of course to work around last-minute contractor touch ups and schedules! Rockyview Aerials beautifully took care of the drone work while I obtained all the ground level exteriors and interior shooting. I’m not entirely sure, but I believe this is McDonald’s first 2-story restaurant in Alberta. Koralta Construction were the incredibly capable builders.