Photographer, hype woman, treat giver, 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!

“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.”

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 sweet pup next to me is Linette (as any pet owner knows, I’m sure you’re more likely to remember her 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 animals, behind a camera, or wandering in nature and am doing my best to bring all three into my life, which means a busy schedule! More than anything I love meeting pets and the people who love them and getting the chance to tell their stories through photographs!

Photo of Calgary Equine Portrait Photographer, Annakah Stadlwieser with her bay horse Diesel. Beautiful image of horse and rider taken at sunset in Alberta.

Calgary Equine Photographer at Rosebush Equestrian Center in Edmonton, AB

Calgary Equine Photographer riding in Show Jumping Competition at Beaumont Ag-Park in Edmonton, AB

animal person.

A huge part of who I am, and why I pursued photography, was a love of animals. The first few subjects in front of my lens were my childhood dog Cooper, our cat Sadie, and my first horse, Diesel. I have always had an unwavering affinity for our furry friends, and truthfully I tend to like animals more than people. This deep love of animals has been with me for as long as I can remember and is the reason I chose to specialize in pet and equine photography. If you’re looking for a wedding or newborn photographer, I’m not your gal, but by the same token, you should trust a photographer specializing in 4-legged friends to capture yours. Working with animals is not an easy job, and trying to get them to sit still for a photo is even harder. It requires immense amount of patience, years of knowledge, an understanding of animal body language and behaviour, and a good sense of humour (and leaving your ego at the door). When you book with me you can trust that my years of experience will allow me to capture the absolute best portraits of your pet, keep them calm, and make it a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

why photography?

Ask any pet photographer why they fell in love with photography and the answer will almost always be that first, they fell in love with an animal.

I feel truly lucky to have loved so many animals over the years, and honestly I could go on and on about the horses, dogs, and cats who I’ve crossed paths with over the years. But I’ll keep it short(ish) with the two most influential boys in my life, Diesel and Cooper.

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 over a decade and is my soulmate in every way. 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 and 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 (read more about his gotcha day story here). 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. I got Diesel in 2012 and my first “real” camera followed shortly after, I was enthralled with taking photos of this beautiful animal that I still couldn’t believe was mine. 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.

But before there was Diesel, there was Cooper. We adopted Cooper from a rescue in Edmonton in 2009 and there is no other way to describe him than the best dog. He truly embodied the words “good boy” and was my cherished friend for over a decade, living to over 16 years old. While my true love of photography came later, Cooper inspired me to pick up our small point and shoot camera and take photos and videos of him, taping into my creative side and my first experience with canine photography. As he aged, I took many more pictures with him, knowing that our time together was limited and I will always look back on those memories with such joy.

My logo features both my treasured boys, a reminder every day of why I started this business and to capture each animal I meet as if I was taking a photograph of Cooper or Diesel, and to remember the importance that these portraits will hold one day as treasured memories of a beloved friend.

Calgary Equine Photographer at Rosebush Equestrian Center in Edmonton, AB

I’m sure you must feel the same way about your pet that I do about Diesel and Cooper, but you probably aren’t a photographer, 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 pet 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.

I need a picture with my pet that isn't a selfie!

Calgary Equine Photographer at Rosebush Equestrian Center in Edmonton, AB

Meet the VIP’s of Reversed Eye Photography

Now obviously VIP means Very Important Pet, and they have more than earned that title, because Reversed Eye Photography wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for all the amazing animals who have touched my life and patiently allowed me to take thousands of photos of them as I built up my portfolio and learned my way around a camera. And if you’re an animal person like me, I know you’re much more excited to learn about their favourite treats than my favourite TV show!

Diesel.

Show Name : All Fired Up, Ship Joy Doc (registered name)
Occupation : Full time heart horse, part time retired pasture puff
Breed : Quarter Horse
Age : 23 (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

Kelliher.

Nick names : Mister meowykins, Killer, Sir, Doofus, Overlord
Occupation : Full time meower, part time counter surfer, lazy biscuit maker, occasional adventure cat
Breed : Flame Point Siamese
Age : 6 ish
Favourite pass time : Being crazy
Favourite Treats : Anything and everything (this cat tried to eat a tide pod once, he’s not picky)
Personality : Never shuts up, perpetually starving, the boss of the house and let’s everyone know it
Position in the house : The King (everyone else is his subjects)

Linette.

Nick names : Stinky, Girlfriend, House horse
Occupation : Full time chewer, part time sock stealer, devoted tail chaser
Breed : Pitbull x Alaskan Malamute x Bulldog x Boxer x Husky x GSD
Age : 5 months
Favourite pass time : Chewing sticks
Favourite Treats : Bully sticks, Cheese
Personality : Either crazy or sleeping, there is no inbetween (typical puppy), super smart
Position in the house : Chaos tornado