Lifestyle Photography Session | Will

A Chance Encounter on a Mountain with Will the Guitar Guy that turned into a Lifestyle Photography Session

Sometimes, a chance encounter can change your day, or sometimes even your life. Recently, the girls and I headed to Canmore and Banff to do some photo sessions with Regan’s grad gown.

After a morning of exploring the river bank at Castle Mountain, taking photos of the light patterns on the rocks in the water and watching my girls frolic and play, we started to load up gear and girls to head to our next photo location.

As I got in the vehicle, I glanced beside me to see a guy pick up his guitar and head down the river bank. I remarked that I’d love to photograph him but didn’t want to approach him and seem like a creeper.

The girls both encouraged me to go, almost pushing me out of the XTERRA, and telling me to take a chance.

Walking down the river’s edge, I stopped twice, thinking to myself “this is lunacy, leave the poor guy alone”. Instead I carried on, really the worst thing he could say is no.

He looked up as I approached, camera in hand, and I introduced myself. I asked him if I could photograph him, and he smiled shyly and told me he was going to set up his phone and take some photos himself, so this was perfect timing.

I learned his name was Will, and that while he called the mountains home right now, he was originally from New Brunswick. I don’t know anything else about him, he doesn’t know me, and it should have been awkward. It wasn’t. There was just this moment, the only sounds his guitar, the river and the click of the shutter, there was a feeling of peace, and of connection.

It’s a strange thing, to have this connection with a complete stranger. It’s a gift of itself, and a reminder to open yourself up, put yourself out there, and take chances. No, I’m not saying “Hey, go talk to strangers!”. That’s craziness. (It was perfectly safe for both of us :), people were nearby).

What I am saying, is that if there is something you want to do, take the chance. If I had walked away, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to meet a pretty cool human, to hear his music along with the river music, and to hear his voice in song float to me on the air as I walked away.

Friends, it’s been a long hard year for many of us. Take those chances, make those memories, and remember:

BE PRESENT, BE IN THE MOMENT, BE IN THE PICTURE

If you would like your own lifestyle photography session in central Alberta or the Alberta rockies, be sure to reach out here.

To see Regan’s Lifestyle Photography Session with her gorgeous grad gown, click here.

Carla Lehman Photography is a lifestyle photography studio telling stories and creating legacies for portraits, weddings, graduates, and brands, serving central and southern Alberta and the Rockies.