At the end of May, my pole fitness studio Aradia Fitness Calgary, along with the Edmonton and Spruce Grove Aradia’s, held a pole retreat in Canmore. As part of the retreat, we included a photo shoot with me :). The three-day event included a group dinner with a meet and greet and workshops by guest instructor Pink Puma from Russia, all while surrounded by the Rocky Mountains.
For the photo shoot, I picked a spot that is popular for sunrises because of the magnificent view of the Three Sisters. There were some other considerations for a pole dance photo shoot, besides the backdrop. We had to get a 210-pound portable stage pole to the location. The stage needed flat ground to be set up on, and I, of course, wanted to put it somewhere that wouldn’t damage plants. The shoreline along Policeman’s creek was level (ish) and sandy, so perfect for my requirements. It was a chore to carry the stage in on the rocky creek bed – it’s a good thing pole dancers are beasts.
The other challenge of the day was the changing light and wind. Sometimes the reflection on the creek was perfect, and sometimes the wind would pick up too much. Clouds drifted in and out all day changing how much light was falling on the stage pole, and the direction of the light changed through the day.
Here are a selection of my favourite images from each of my clients sets. (Can you guess which pole dancer does drag and loves dressing up?)
