Family Photo Session at the Calgary Central Library
The Central Library as a photography location
Calgary’s new central library has been a popular venue for all kinds of photography since it was first opened in 2018. It has been defined as an architectural masterpiece by the world’s leading magazines. When it comes to creating lasting memories with your family, choosing the right location for a photo session is key. The Calgary Central Library, with its stunning architecture and versatile spaces, is a perfect backdrop for your next family photoshoot.
In this blog post I will share my experience with a big family photo session I recently did at the Calgary central library and explain why it would be a great location for photography sessions.
I did a quick photo shoot at this location about a year ago. During a recent big family session, I had a chance to explore the space in depth from a photographer’s perspective.
In winter months I continue doing outdoor portrait sessions as long as it is not too cold. This weekend was warm enough, but my clients specifically wanted an indoor space for their extended family session for comfort and outfit change purposes.
Libraries often symbolize knowledge, learning, and growth, making them an interesting place for a family photo shoot. Also, a variety of spaces within a library can provide multiple different looks for your shoot without needing to change locations.
Therefore, I proposed the central library as the session location and my client loved the idea as it is a perfect place to reflect their values as a family who attach great importance to reading and education. They were celebrating their 50th anniversary as a couple and wanted to include their single and married kids and grandchildren visiting from Edmonton in their family pictures.
Before the photoshoot, I checked with the library website to learn about their photography policy and be prepared. Calgary central public library allows photographers as long as they keep their photo shoot low key without using flash units or tripods and pay attention to not block the walkways and stairs. Since this is a big family session with 7 people, I needed to act swiftly when taking photos on narrow passages and stairways. You can find more information about the library’s photography policy at this link : https://www.calgarylibrary.ca/about-the-library/media-centre/photography/
Shooting a family session at the library
On the session day, I arrived at the library early to locate a few good spots for group photos, couples and individual portraits.
When I met with my clients at the entrance of the library, we started our photo shoot right outside at the cave like entrance. The big wood walls arching over the ceiling provide a nice warm and natural background for portrait photos. This spot offers photos a stunning architectural perspective and depth, creating a natural vignette with daylight in the background, resembling the view from the end of a tunnel. We captured lots of different group photos here. Single family, big family, grannies and grandkids, uncle and nephews, grannies alone…
The second stop of our photo shoot was the main atrium with towering ceilings. I of course was going to include that spiral wooden staircase creating a cascaded look over the atrium in the background of the photos. That’s the Calgary central library’s staple look. It was a Saturday afternoon and as you can guess there was a lot of human traffic in this area. That was the biggest difficulty I had during this photo shoot.
When we were done in the atrium, we went upstairs to the reading area. We captured some group photos here sitting on the stairs and some more photos in front of the spiral staircase as it continues climbing up all the way to the fourth floor. The library offers cozy, sunlit reading areas, perfect for softer, more serene portraits or candid shots. We used the geometric shapes on the windows in the western side of the building. Kids loved sitting on the slanted window ledges posing with their uncle and mom.
Children’s play area was great for kids’ photos. The circle boxes made a perfect frame for kids’ portraits. This space also gives families the option to entertain the kids during adults’ photoshoot.
The top floor of the building was great for individual portraits and couples’ photos with abundant light coming from the huge windows and a big depth that yields a soft nice bokeh in the background. There were plenty of seating options throughout the library from stylish armchairs to modern desk chairs and stools. I posed my subjects on a bench near the windows and took a series of portraits, even some headshots. I would come back to do more headshot sessions here.
Library offers lots of on-location props as well. A chess set in a seating area was one of them. I took some photos of the kids playing chess on the top floor. We used library books in another shot where everyone grabbed a book and sit on a layered wooden seating area.
The section with lots of white bookcases was our last stop. I took some kids’ photos here playing pika boo among the bookshelves. Kids had a great time during the entire session without getting bored for a moment. This was a big plus for a family with kids.
At the end of the day, everyone was happy to choose such an elegant place for family photos, kids had a fun time and I enjoyed the privilege of performing my art at such a beautiful, iconic building.
Why choosing Central Library as your photo location
If you ask me why central library would be a great location for your family photos, I would put it in three main bullets:
1. Architectural Beauty
The library’s design is a photographer’s dream. The unique honeycomb-patterned façade, sweeping staircases, and abundant natural light create dynamic and eye-catching backdrops. Whether your family photos are formal or candid, the library’s modern aesthetic will add a touch of elegance.
2. Indoor and Outdoor Options
The Calgary Central Library offers a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces. The landscaped plaza outside is perfect for sunny-day shoots, while the atrium’s warm, wood-paneled interiors ensure beautiful photos year-round—even when Calgary’s weather is unpredictable.
3. Kid-Friendly Environment
If you’re shooting with little ones, the library’s interactive Children’s Library can be a fun and colorful setting. You can capture moments of your kids exploring books, playing with toys, or just being themselves in a vibrant, engaging space.
How to book your family session
At Alpina Photography, we offer family photos in Calgary throughout the year in variety of places. You can choose between beautiful Calgary parks, indoor places like central library or even your own house.
If you are looking for a family photographer in Calgary for your single family (mom-dad-children) or your big family with uncles, grannies, cousins or friends, Alpina Photography is the right address. Single family session takes roughly about 45 min and comes with 5 free edited digital images, while big family takes about 1.5 hrs and comes with 10 images.
You can choose your session location and date and book it directly from our website:
www.alpinaphotography.com/family-photos
Looking forward to meeting you soon!
