Photographer, hype woman, horse holder, and friend.
Being photographed is a vulnerable experience. Very few people feel naturally comfortable in front of the camera, myself included, and picking a photographer who will help you feel prepared for your session, comfortable in front of the camera, and beautiful in the final images is incredibly important. The most common words clients use to describe me in their testimonials are kind, friendly, patient, organized, professional, easy going, talented, and amazing. I want every client to feel comfortable in front of the camera and leave our time together feeling like they spent the evening with an old friend, and knowing that they just gained a new one.
I started photography because I treasure the beauty of heartfelt memories and genuine moments, and I want to be able to capture yours. To do this requires some level of understanding and a relationship between client and photographer, so that you are able to feel comfortable in front of the lens, and I am able to perceive which moments that unfold in front of me are the ones in which you will see beauty, emotion and value, the moments which you will want to cherish for years to come. I like to start this off by letting you get to know me a bit better!
a bit about me.
Hi! It is so nice to “meet” you! I’ll introduce myself, I’m Annakah Stadlwieser, a full-time equine photographer, serving the Calgary area, and that handsome bay standing next to me is Diesel (as any equestrian knows, I’m sure you’re more likely to remember his name than mine, I won’t take offence)!
I am a type-A personality, observant and compassionate to a fault. I’ve always been the type of person who sees the beauty in the small things and dwells on magical moments as long as I can. Five words I would describe myself with are observant, driven, patient, passionate, and curious. My amazing clients, many of whom become good friends, regularly describe me as friendly, patient, easy going, and warm at sessions. You’ll notice I’ve used the word patient twice, and a large amount of patience is definitely needed when working with horses! I have yet to have a horse truly test my patience, and believe me a few have made good efforts.
I love good music and am the kind of person who will wait in a freezing cold car just a little bit longer to listen to the end of a song and am always thinking what the soundtrack to my life’s moments would be. I’ve watched Friends more times than I can count (seriously, I lost track after my tenth re-watch) and can basically quote every line! I don’t like coffee but am a huge tea lover and think that comfort food is a life necessity. I mean a daily dose of cheese never hurt anyone right? I hope not since I’m a firm believer that there is always room in life for more cheesy goodness!
I am happiest when I am with my horse, behind a camera, or wandering in the forest and am doing my best to bring all three into my life, which means a busy schedule! More than anything I love meeting horses and the people who love them and getting the chance to tell their stories through photographs!
“Even though my horse was very ill-mannered, Annakah couldn't have handled it better. She never once made me feel bad for my horse not behaving and was supportive and kind throughout the entire session.”
Calgary Equine Photographer at Rosebush Equestrian Center in Edmonton, AB
equestrian.
A huge part of who I am, and why I pursued photography, was a love of horses. I was drawn to these animals from early childhood, and as is the case for most equestrians, I was hooked and never looked back. If you know me, you know about my gelding Diesel, I can’t go very long without mentioning him, he has been my loyal companion for the last 9 years and I love him more than anything. As we equestrians like to say, he is my heart horse. We have competed in the 1m Jumper Ring and up to Pre-Training in eventing but are now switching disciplines into dressage, which is a challenge for both of us! He was always the little quarter horse that could and would beat out the big Warmbloods and quick Thoroughbreds in his classes, he truly tried his hardest for me every single time and I don’t know what I did to luck out on this Kijiji horse. He won me a lot of red ribbons, but is worth so much more than all the trophies and ribbons combined and has certainly earned his fair share of carrots! Even though I have traded my helmet for a camera at shows, he will always hold a special place in my heart and be the reason I got behind a camera in the first place.
Calgary Equine Photographer riding in Show Jumping Competition at Beaumont Ag-Park in Edmonton, AB
why photography?
Ask any equine photographer why they fell in love with photography and the answer will almost always be that first, they fell in love with a horse.
Diesel is the horse that I fell in love with and the reason that I hold a camera. I got Diesel in 2012 and my first camera followed shortly after, I was enthralled with taking photos of this beautiful animal that I still couldn’t believe was mine. After purchasing my first camera in 2013, my love of photography only flourished and soon Diesel was not the only subject behind my lens. It started out small, with barn friends wanting pictures of their horses or their rounds at a show and soon branched out to other members of the local horse community. My love of beautiful and intimate photographs grew from the love I have for my own equine and the countless memories we have shared together, images of which tell a story and preserve the relationship we have built. I learnt the value of photography through the joy I received from these images and wanted to be able to bring that joy into other people’s lives by preserving their own memories. I still find I return to him as my favourite model and any day when I can produce images of my best friend is a great day.
I know that most equestrians feel the same way about our horses, but most aren’t photographers, and although you may try to be, cell phone pictures are never going to do your best friend and partner justice, and more importantly, you aren’t in them! They might capture the beauty of your equine but not of the irreplaceable bond that you share. Having images of our best memories with a best friend is truly priceless and I would love the opportunity to capture those moments for you, so you have more than just selfies and blurry photos of your partner, athlete, confidant and friend.
Calgary Equine Photographer at Rosebush Equestrian Center in Edmonton, AB
Diesel.
Show Name : All Fired Up
Occupation : Full time heart horse, part time retired pasture puff
Breed : Quarter Horse
Age : 21 (Acts like a 2 year old, I’m not kidding, he is psycho)
Discipline : Dressage and Showjumping
Favourite Treats : Carrots, Banana chips & Nature Valley granola bars
Personality : Crazy most days, ADHD (in horse form), big puppy dog but, also fire breathing dragon
Position in Herd : The Big Boss, Womanizer
Calgary Equine Photographer at Rosebush Equestrian Center in Edmonton, AB
Well you know a bit more about me now! Hopefully you were able to gather a bit more than just my love of comfort food and have a bit of an idea if we would get along and if I’m your type of person. If you think we’d be a great fit; perfect, I do to!
I am so excited to get to know you and tell your story!
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Based in Calgary, AB
Edmonton Travel Dates :
Lower Mainland Travel Dates :
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hello@reversedeyephotography.com
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