Rolling Into Nostalgia: Brand Shoot for Calgary's House of Skate

When I heard a new roller rink—House of Skate—was opening in Calgary, I knew I wanted to photograph it. As someone who grew up in Calgary, I spent countless birthdays and events at Lloyd’s Roller Rink, so it was exciting to see a new spot bringing back that classic roller-skating vibe.

I reached out the day I heard they were opening—while I was literally sitting on a beach in Mexico. They’d been looking for a photographer, and we clicked right away. We connected immediately and began planning a brand photoshoot that would blend vintage roller rink energy with a polished, modern look for launch.

Brand Photography Goals

• Capture the feeling of classic roller rinks—warm neon, motion, joy

• Create launch-ready imagery for web, social, PR, and ads

• Showcase the space, skaters, and community experience—even while construction was ongoing

• Build an asset library: wide environmental shots, detail textures, dynamic action, and portrait-driven moments

Strategy and Pre-Production

House of Skate completed my pre‑shoot branding questionnaire to align on audience, brand voice, usage needs, and must‑have shots. From there we ran a couple of planning calls to finalize:

• Shot list and visual priorities

• Talent, props, wardrobe, and skate looks

• Lighting approach to honor retro tones without losing clarity

• Usage plan (website hero images, social reels, posters, email, press)

To keep the pace tight, I created a call sheet with a two‑day schedule, contact list, scene breaks, and setup notes. Construction was still underway, so we designed the plan to pivot between finished zones and tighter angles that minimized work-in-progress areas.

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Two-Day Shoot While Under Construction

It was crazy—and fun. We worked around crews, lifted frames between tool runs, and leaned into the grit where it served the story.

Day 1 highlights

• Environmental establishing frames of the rink layout

• Detail shots: skates, signage, textures, rails, and light reflections

• Controlled portraits to define the brand’s people-first feel

Day 2 highlights

• Motion sequences with skaters to capture speed and flow

• Small-group lifestyle moments—friends lacing up, high‑fives, laughter

• Marketing hero images with clean negative space for headlines

Visual Style: Vintage Soul, Modern Polish

• Color: warm ambient tones with pops of neon and glossy skate finishes

• Light: mixed practicals and strobes to keep skin tones true and motion crisp

• Composition: leading lines along the track, low‑angle movement, and layered frames that feel immersive on social and web

Deliverables and Usage

House of Skate received an organized library for launch:

• Website hero banners and section break images

• Social media crops (square, 4:5, 9:16) and motion-friendly frames

• PR-friendly stills for local media

• Poster and in‑rink signage options with intentional negative space

• Detail set for ongoing content (reels, stories, email headers)

  
  

Results

Even before the paint was dry, the brand had the visuals it needed to announce, excite, and invite. The images leaned into Calgary’s love of community spaces and brought back the roller rink nostalgia in a way that feels fresh.

Planning a Brand Shoot in Calgary?

If you’re a business owner, I can help you plan a flexible, efficient shoot that delivers launch‑ready assets on schedule—We'll deep-dive into your you brand, plan a day where we're prepared with a schedule, call sheets, and clear usage-focused shot lists.

Exploring branding photography in Calgary? Ready to roll? Request a brand shoot today.

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