Celebrate Life!
There is a pretty unique trend out there. Doing a flying Dress Shoot to celebrate your 50th birthday! Both Flying Dress Shoots I've done (and both upcoming 2026 shoots) are to celebrate that milestone. But, honestly, they are shoots anyone can can do at any point in their lives. I think they could make for a fun engagement session or a unique graduating senior shoot.
They use very special dresses specifically made for shoots like this. Bespoke Gown Studio on Etsy has wonderful reviews and lots of sales. There are other sellers on Amazon, but when buying clothes, I haven't been too lucky with Amazon.
Flying Dress Sunrise at Peggy's Cove
LOcation, Location, Location...but Peggy's Cove is nice
Both of my Flying Dress shoots were done at Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia, very early in the morning. They are tricky shoots and I fire off a tonne of images as, you don't just need to have the wind catch the dress just right, but you also then, in the next instant, have your pose, face and arms right where we want them! The shoot does work better if you have someone there to help you throw the dress, instead of you having to throw it yourself. But, if at Peggy's Cove, it must be an early morning! Both these shoots, we were on the rocks between 6:00-7:00am, bit because of the low sun (higher sun actually works better with the highlights on the dress, and it's usually winder late in the day, so late afternoon would likely be best) but more to avoid the crowds, which start showing up in earnest around 9:00. Both of these shoots, we had the rocks to ourselves. Actually, it was quite nice.
Visiting halifax
It was especially nice for Joy, who was on a two-day trip from North Carolina to Halifax and told me she only had one morning available for the shoot. This meant we would photograph the flying dress in whatever weather we were handed. It was a wee bit chilly & breezy but very overcast. Of course, we'd rather sun, but where I bring my lights, I'm able to fire up the highlights in the dress, no problem.
However, with photoshop, I'm able to change that sky into something more dramatic. These dresses aren't practical, and only have one purpose; to create a dramatic image. To create art.
Celebrating Life
Creating Art
Normally, I don't care to alter reality. I'm very much an 'Is What It Is' photographer, yes still making the image look as great as I can make it but I'm not the type of photographer that will change real life. However, for Flying Dress Shoots, I feel as if I'm creating artistic wall art. To switch out the sky, remove key elements from the image, or even change the colour of the dress are all things I may do using A.I. and Photoshop to make the image artistically stunning.
Before Editing - still great.
Creating Wall Art
Have a helper
The shoot will go better (a higher percentage of the images will have a better looking dress flair) if you bring a helper to help toss the dress. I can remove them from any image but having them toss the dress for you will allow you to better focus on your poses, etc. They also can carry your shoes, jacket, etc.
Using an Assistant to Throw the Dress
Packages:
Introducing the
Flying Dress Package
I now own the red dress so that makes this a fairly easy process. It is expandable (to some degree) and can fit ladies of different heights (both Jennifer & Joy were around 5'3" - 5'5") . I'll work with you to find the right location for you as well as the right time of day. If we don't have the right weather, we'll bump the date! (Jennifer and I bumped 6-7 times, often at 5:00am when we saw the actual weather for the morning. Rain or fog will bump a shoot but a calm morning may as well.
Includes:
Dress rental
1 Hour shoot
10 Finished Images
Option for more
Package
$475
Plus tax
Package 02
Bring Your own Dress
There are many places you can buy a Flying Dress of your own for the shoot. You can even choose how long the trains are (some are very very long). There is a shop on Etsy, Bespoke Gown Studio out of Ukraine that makes great looking gowns and their shop has wonderful reviews. (The dress I have was bought by Jennifer from Etsy, unfortunately the shop is currently closed.)
There is also a pretty decent chance I'll offer to buy it from you and have it as part of my collection.
Includes:
1 Hour shoot
10 Finished Images
Option for more
Package
$400
Plus tax
On the Rocks at Peggy's Cove
