Lauren Hamm, Photographer
201 Railway Ave T0J 2T0 Rosebud, AB, Canada

Throwback to my first elopement of the pandemic.

Intimacy can be scary. As an enneagram 8 I can take the plunge and be the first to admit that. However, when it comes to working with my couples, I want you to know: we'll be working together CLOSELY. How close? Well, there will be no need to change our relationship status on Facebook but here are all the ways we'll be in touch over our time working together: Leading up to your wedding/session: an in depth FaceTime (or coffee date if the world would allow) ...call to answer all your questions. Emails to assist with timelines, location choices, outfits, etc. Texts to let you know I'm on my way! At your wedding/session: Directing you to be emotionally vulnerable with each other. Asking you to share stories from you life together. Creating an environment of trust and playfulness to put you at ease with me and each other. After the wedding/session: Text/email with teeeeasers!!! Email with fun surprise extras from your day (videos?? slideshows??). Check in emails to let you know when you can expect your gallery. And finally, a gallery link with all of your high resolution and web sized photos, backed up for 10 years. Does this sound like your dream setup? I hope so! Send me a DM today and let's see if we're a perfect fit for each other. See more

Happy Thursday! Tell me something good.

Look. You could have the coolest style in the world. But you still may be heading into your engagement session at a loss for what to wear. Here are 3 quick tips, enhanced by my favourite editing show: The Office. 1// "Michael always says K-I-S-S. Keep it simple, stupid. Great advice. Hurts my feelings every time" - Dwight. Really though. Keep it simple. Especially if you chose a location with the potential for a busy background. You want to stand o...ut, not blend in. A clean, simple outfit does just that! Neutrals, textures, and layers make my heart sing, and bring the attention to you as a couple. 2// "Whenever I'm about to do something, I think, "Would an idiot do that?" And if they would, I do not do that thing." - Dwight. Avoid logos, brands, and funny sayings or pictures. You may think that the t-shirt you have with the classic "Get in loser we're going....." saying on the front is funny now, but you probably won't in 20 years. Just avoid it. 3// "Man became civilized for a reason. He decided that he liked to have warmth, and clothing, and television, and hamburgers, and to walk upright, and to have a soft futon at the end of the day. He didn’t want to have to struggle to survive. I don’t need the woods. I have a nice wood desk." - Michael. Consider your location. Are we in the badlands? The colours are muted and neutral. Work with the scheme instead of against it. Are we in the middle of a forest? Green and brown may not contrast as well as creams and taupes. Complement your environment, but don't match it! See more

Frequently Asked Question: SHOULD WE DO A FIRST LOOK? I’m a big fan of first looks. They give the couple an opportunity to see each other often for the first time on their wedding day. They get to hug, talk, take it all in, without the added pressure of all the guests watching. Often my couples will follow a first look with bridal party photos or even family photos. This gets them out of the way before the ceremony and allows the couple to relax once the ceremony is done and be present with their guests. In my experience, first looks are often one of the most intimate, emotional, and memorable moments from the day. I like to find a place that’s secluded and quiet, but open enough that the couple can really take each other in and love on each other. Finally, you’ll end up receiving more portraits of the two of you!

Love this canyon. Love this couple. Love that tattoo.

Never stop shooting.

To a visitor, Rosebud may seem like the middle of nowhere. But I’ve been here all my life and despite the long commutes, quiet evenings and lack of outdoor patios available at a moment's notice, there’s no place I’d rather be. My home is surrounded by sweeping grasslands and rolling hills and never do I walk outside without warmly chatting with at least 2 friendly neighbours. ... Where do you live, friend? See more

My favourite thing is when couples introduce me to amazing wild locations within city limits. Other favourite things include: a great cup of coffee, nachos at midnight, watching my garden come up, and the East side of a great sunset. What are some of your favourite things??

I know I'm in the right industry because no matter how tired I am, how many shoots I've done that week, or how far I've travelled, I ALWAYS experience that moment during a wedding or elopement where I think "I can't believe I get to do this". Photography has changed my life, I work with amazing clients, and I’m proud to do what I love. If you have questions about the wedding industry or what I do, leave a comment or send me a DM. I’d love to respond!

Mike and Beth are on the blog! Click the link below for all their stormy badlands engagement portraits! http://laurenhammphoto.com//mike-beth-drumheller-badlands-

All those "I now pronounce you..." happy feelings. Happy Monday, friends! It's a new week. How are we feeling about it??

FAQ: So like, what's your style? I am in love with truthful emotion. A quick look through my portfolio will show a preference for warm and moody portraits, while staying true to natural tones in order to create images that will last through the ages. While I work to stay current, my hope is that in five or ten (or fifty) years you will still be proud to show off your wedding album, without worrying that the style has expired or that you will feel that they have become dated. I want these images to reflect the warmth you feel when you think of your story, and to elicit genuine emotion from you when you look back on them.

Zach + Anna and some pure mountain wedding goodness.

Laura and Frances got married yesterday in front of 12 of their closest friends and family. I LOVE the way these two look at each other, they way they speak to and about each other, and the way they so obviously admire and respect each other. Huge fan.

On Friday evening I was chatting with my brother about a wedding-turned covid-elopement that he was officiating for a friend on Sunday morning. I was asking about some of the ways they were working around the restrictions, and he mentioned that they were just going to have their witness take some photos for them. I felt so sad at the thought of not having any photos of your wedding, especially when none of your family or friends would be able to see it. So I hopped in the car... with him (don’t worry - we’ve been isolating together) and on Sunday morning we hiked up to a mountain lake and I was privileged to witness one of the most beautiful socially-distanced elopements. While my heart just breaks for everyone who has had to cancel or adjust their wedding plans, and for all the family and friends who will have to be satisfied with home videos and photos, I’m so grateful for the opportunity to help create memories like this. They never could have hiked a mountain or had this stunning location to themselves or tobogganed down with a full guest list.

Happy birthday to a woman who exudes kindness and generosity. So glad to know you, and to have had so many opportunities to connect with you (and photograph your stunning self). Much much love, dear Caitlyn!

Spent the afternoon soaking up the first real warm day of spring. This day was not warm, or springy, but it was still incredibly beautiful.

What we’ve been up to.

I’ve spent the last hour listening to Kaia and Bria make up a cello/flute duet. On the one hand, I’m so glad they’re getting along and being creative. On the other hand, that flute might mysteriously disappear for the next 5 months...

Hey friends. Here are some things I’m grateful for, and I hope you’ll join me in my effort to find the silver linings in all this. 1 | being forced to find creative ways to spend time with my girls. See story for more on that. 2 | girls who get used to spending every moment together, and find ways to be generous with each other. 3 | motivation to be creative, and to revisit old work. 4 | the amount of live music I’ve been able to consume.... 5 | the way I’ve seen people come together like never before. It’s truly the most incredible example of community I think I’ve ever seen. Give me some of your silver linings!

Hey friends. I know we’re all being careful and staying home, but as I was thinking about the next months could look like I realized that one of the positives of being home so much is the opportunity for self growth and creativity. So here’s another Tuesday tip for you, even though the world seems to be crashing around us. Because this will end eventually. Let’s come out of it stronger than we went into it. How do you feel heading into meetings with new clients? When I first ...started going for coffee with prospective wedding clients I would have to sit in my car and literally work myself up. Which is strange because I would generally consider myself to be more of an extrovert. But even though I’ve now been doing it for years, and I feel confident in my portfolio and my ability to form genuine connections with people, I can still get frazzled or tongue tied, or just go blank. When I first started, I used to write out a list of questions before I would leave, so that when that happened I had something to fall back on, and today I’m going to share a few of those questions with you! Feel free to save this post to a folder in case you want to reference it in the future! 1: Tell me about yourselves! Where did you meet? Tell me your engagement story! 2: What are the most important elements of your wedding day? 3: What was it about my work that drew you to it? 4: What are some fears you have surrounding your wedding day? Do you have any additions? I’d love to hear them!

Despite all the things we aren't sure about: Spring will come. The snow will melt and all the birds will build nests for their little ones. Trees will bud and new life will be all around us. People will get married and babies will be born. http://laurenhammphoto.com//jarett-stephanie-calgary-mater

So grateful for couples who let me pull them away for a few minutes because of light like this!

For higher quality and quantity,head to the blog! http://laurenhammphoto.com//jack-maria-calgary-engagement-

Today is the perfect day to share Jack and Maria's Calgary Library engagement session because today is not so unlike that VERY cold day when we had to scramble to find an indoor location for their engagement session. It was the perfect opportunity to spend some time photographing in the new library. What an awesome space and resource! Click the link below and scroll through! http://laurenhammphoto.com//jack-maria-calgary-engagement-

New Year, exact same me. BUT in case you’re new around here, I thought maybe I should do a little introduction so you know who the face behind the camera is! . HiHeyHello . My name is Lauren Hamm, but when my friends get mad at me they call me by my full name - Lauren Hamm Photography. I’m heading in to my 5th wedding season as a photographer, and boy do I feel like I’ve found my thing. The thing that makes me feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.... . I have a puppy who is really more of a teenager at this point. Her name is Poppy and she shows up on my Instagram stories more than I do. To be fair, she’s cuter and lives life in a far more instagramable way. . Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and one of my favourite quotes of his is If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward. . Here’s to a year of flying and walking and running and crawling and always, always, ALWAYS moving forward! . Drop your favourite MLK quote below, tell me something about yourself, or ask me a question! We’re all one big community anyway, right? . Ps: in case ANY of you have actually read this far, this photo was inspired by my daughter Bria who says she really hates mirror selfies even though I found a bunch of them on my phone the other day. See more

I LOVE this couple, and their "do it our own way" vibe. Click below to see this awesome two-part mountain elopement! http://laurenhammphoto.com//dave-kayla-banff-elopement-pho Thanks for spending some time with me!... - Lauren Dave Kayla

"Would it show my bias a bit if I said this was my favourite wedding of last season? My brother Keith levelled up significantly when he convinced the lovely Julie to marry him. The day was rich in music, laughter, vintage fur, wagon rides, and ping pong..." To read more, and to see more photos of Keith and Julie's wedding day, click the link below! http://laurenhammphoto.com//keith-julie-alberta-wedding-ph

"Would it show my bias a bit if I said this was my favourite wedding of last season?..." Pretty happy to be sharing Keith and Julie's wedding with you friends! Click the link below to scroll through some of my favourite images of the day. Special thanks to Taylor for coming along as second shooter for the ceremony and dinner! http://laurenhammphoto.com//keith-julie-alberta-wedding-ph Thanks for spending some time with me!... - Lauren

For higher quality and quantity, For higher quality and quantity, click the link below! http://laurenhammphoto.com//liam-ceci-calgary-engagement-p

For higher quality and quantity, click the link below! http://laurenhammphoto.com//bucky-chelsey-airdrie-wedding-