A portrait is a love letter created especially for you

For over 25 years, Lorraine has built a career as a sought-after photojournalist, telling stories through quiet moments and honest connection.

At Willow Creek Studio & Boutique in Nanton, Alberta, she turns that gift toward women who have forgotten to see themselves clearly while waiting for the “perfect time” to pursue their dreams.

Lorraine gently reminds them: the perfect time is now. Let yourself shine.

Learn more
A woman with curly hair stands in front of a white backdrop, wearing a sheer, flowing fabric that drapes over her shoulders and falls to the floor, revealing her back and legs.
Portrait of a woman with short brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a maroon blazer with floral accents on the cuffs, gold watch, and hoop earrings, smiling and resting her chin on her hand against a dark background.
Two women wearing black leather jackets and black pants, smiling at the camera. One woman has sunglasses on her head, and the other is holding onto a ladder.

Award-winning photographer Lorraine Hjalte at Willow Creek Studio & Boutique is committed to providing a compassionate, uplifting and empowering studio environment for you, in an inspiring ambience that celebrates your remarkable uniqueness.

Step Into the Studio

01

Book The Date

We need to talk! Let’s set up a time to discuss how we will design your dream session. Wardrobe, sets, hair and makeup, we will make this an experience you will never forget with images you will love.

02

Photograph

We are committed to providing a compassionate, uplifting and empowering studio environment for you that celebrates your remarkable uniqueness with images you, and your loved ones, will cherish.

03

Memory

Did you know a portrait is a love letter to yourself? The time has come to celebrate you. You are enough, just as you are, right now. The time is now to get out of your own way and let yourself shine.

Your story is the brushstroke. Your joy is the colour. Your courage is the frame. Be the art in your own life — book your 2026 portrait experience and let’s paint your story in light. Lorraine Hjalte Photography at Willow Creek Studio & Boutique. @willowcreekstudioboutique @lorrainehjalte @jenuinely_trying
Make 2026 the year you take part in a photo experience at Willow Creek Studio & Boutique. From wardrobe to posing to professional hair and makeup, every detail is designed to help you feel confident and at ease. This is more than a portrait.
Make 2026 the year you take part in a photo experience at Willow Creek Studio & Boutique. From wardrobe to posing to professional hair and makeup, every detail is designed to help you feel confident and at ease. This is more than a portrait. It’s a shift in how you see yourself. @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique @dustandcherish @emilyjoyhmua
Coming Soon! I am thrilled to announce the The Fierce, Fabulous and Fascinating campaign podcast with host Jody Rowland. We are finishing up Campaign number two and starting Campaign number three! If you'd like to get in on Campign Two and be part of the Gala on March 28th, you need to book and have your shoot by January 17th! Thank you so much for this Jody! @lovefromjody @willowcreekstudioboutique
You Are the Art There’s a quiet kind of confidence that emerges when you finally see yourself. Really see yourself. Not the version filtered by time or expectation, but the one that’s been waiting to be celebrated. That’s the ene
You Are the Art There’s a quiet kind of confidence that emerges when you finally see yourself. Really see yourself. Not the version filtered by time or expectation, but the one that’s been waiting to be celebrated. That’s the energy we capture here, the essence of you as art. #calgaryphotographer #okotoksphotographer #highriverphotographer #boudoirphotography #Fierce,Fabulous,Fascinating
Before the dress. Before the vows. Before becoming someone’s partner. This is a moment to honour who you are right now. Bridal boudoir isn’t about being sexy for someone else. It’s about remembering yourself. When you’re read
Before the dress. Before the vows. Before becoming someone’s partner. This is a moment to honour who you are right now. Bridal boudoir isn’t about being sexy for someone else. It’s about remembering yourself. When you’re ready, we are here. @willowcreekstudioboutique @lorrainehjalte @emilyjoyhmua @houseatnanton @lovefromjody
When was the last time you had an image of yourself that you loved? When you’re ready, I’m here. @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique @emilyjoyhmua @houseatnanton
When was the last time you had an image of yourself that you loved? When you’re ready, I’m here. @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique @emilyjoyhmua @houseatnanton
Confidence doesn’t come first. Presence does. The boldness follows after you allow yourself to step into the frame. When you’re ready, we can talk. @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique @emilyjoyhmua @houseatnanton @jen_handley_nan
Confidence doesn’t come first. Presence does. The boldness follows after you allow yourself to step into the frame. When you’re ready, we can talk. @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique @emilyjoyhmua @houseatnanton @jen_handley_nanton_mayor @jenuinely_trying @jenhandleyrealestateteam
It’s been a week in Sarasota, Florida. Today @kristenfieldsphoto and I did photo shoots with @catfordcoates. The whole experience, from the Elevate Mastermind Retreat to the photo shoot today has been incredible. My heart is so full. @willowcre
It’s been a week in Sarasota, Florida. Today @kristenfieldsphoto and I did photo shoots with @catfordcoates. The whole experience, from the Elevate Mastermind Retreat to the photo shoot today has been incredible. My heart is so full. @willowcreekstudioboutique @lorrainehjalte
At the Elevate Mastermind workshop in Sarasota, Florida with the amazing coach Cat Ford Coates. Look out world I’m coming home with some brand new plans! @catfordcoates. @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique @thestudiotakeover
At the Elevate Mastermind workshop in Sarasota, Florida with the amazing coach Cat Ford Coates. Look out world I’m coming home with some brand new plans! @catfordcoates. @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique @thestudiotakeover
The beach has a way of reminding us to slow down, breathe, and rise with intention. Sarasota gifted me space to soften… and Elevate reminded me why I’m here. Growth. Courage. Becoming. ✨ @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique @thest
The beach has a way of reminding us to slow down, breathe, and rise with intention. Sarasota gifted me space to soften… and Elevate reminded me why I’m here. Growth. Courage. Becoming. ✨ @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique @thestudiotakeover #elevate
We are living using this magic room in the new space for @decidedlyfit in Nanton. The light is magic, the room is magic and the whole gym is amazing! If you haven’t checked it out you need to do that!! Also have you heard - Reserve your spot i
We are living using this magic room in the new space for @decidedlyfit in Nanton. The light is magic, the room is magic and the whole gym is amazing! If you haven’t checked it out you need to do that!! Also have you heard - Reserve your spot in the first two weeks of January, February, or March with a $100 deposit, and you’ll receive double the images with your Fierce, Fabulous & Fascinating, Come As You Are, or Group Experience session. The offer is only on till Dec.31st. Call or text 403-601-1614. @willowcreekstudioboutique
🎄☃️❄️Me and my sisters in 2021. This year the Holiday Goal is : Stop hiding from the camera like I’m smuggling secrets. This year, I will: ✨ Stand in the front row. ✨ Let my arms be in the photo. ✨ Smile like I actually know and love these peo
🎄☃️❄️Me and my sisters in 2021. This year the Holiday Goal is : Stop hiding from the camera like I’m smuggling secrets. This year, I will: ✨ Stand in the front row. ✨ Let my arms be in the photo. ✨ Smile like I actually know and love these people. ✨ And accept that yes — I was at Christmas 2024, and there’s proof. 😂📸 Oh and to take naps everyday! lol
🌟 2026 Goal Setting (Realistic Edition) 🌟 My official goals for 2026: 1️⃣ Drink water like it’s my full-time job. 2️⃣ Walk into a room and remember why I went in there. 3️⃣ Use all the fancy skincare products I keep buying instead of just s
🌟 2026 Goal Setting (Realistic Edition) 🌟 My official goals for 2026: 1️⃣ Drink water like it’s my full-time job. 2️⃣ Walk into a room and remember why I went in there. 3️⃣ Use all the fancy skincare products I keep buying instead of just staring at them. 4️⃣ Stop treating “editing photos at midnight” as a personality trait. 5️⃣ Actually be in more photos, not just the one taking them. 6️⃣ Make peace with the fact that my “quick tidy” means completely rearranging the furniture. 7️⃣ Achieve my big business goals… but also nap more. 8️⃣ And most importantly, be fiercely, fabulously, unapologetically me. 💁‍♀️✨ 2026, I’m coming for you… just as soon as I find my water bottle, planner, charger, lip balm, and motivation. @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique
📸 Advice from a Photographer (and a Mom, Daughter, Sister, Aunt) The holidays get busy with the food, the laughter, the chaos, the endless to-do lists. But please, don’t get so caught up that you forget to pick up your phone or camera and tak
📸 Advice from a Photographer (and a Mom, Daughter, Sister, Aunt) The holidays get busy with the food, the laughter, the chaos, the endless to-do lists. But please, don’t get so caught up that you forget to pick up your phone or camera and take the photo. Take the blurry ones. The candid ones. The ones where someone’s mid-blink or the lighting isn’t perfect. Because perfection doesn’t matter, presence does. As a photographer, I’ve learned this again and again: one day, those ordinary photos become extraordinary treasures. They hold the faces, the hands, the smiles, the small details that time quietly changes. And please - be in the photos too. As wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, we’re so often the ones behind the camera. But your family wants you in the story. Your kids don’t care if your hair wasn’t done or if you hadn’t planned to be photographed. They love you as you are, right now and one day, these will be their most precious memories. So this holiday season, take the photos. Get in the photos. Because what matters most is that you’re there together. ❤️ Lorraine Photographer, storyteller, keeper of memories @willowcreekstudioboutique
“She thought she wasn’t the kind of woman who did this. Turns out, she is.” Let’s talk. 403-601-1614. @willowcreekstudioboutique @lorrainehjalte @emilyjoyhmua @houseatnanton
“She thought she wasn’t the kind of woman who did this. Turns out, she is.” Let’s talk. 403-601-1614. @willowcreekstudioboutique @lorrainehjalte @emilyjoyhmua @houseatnanton
Because every woman needs photos with the people who know her best. 💕 Girlfriends Sessions/Mother Daughter/ Groups of two to 6 at Willow Creek — laughter, love, and legacy captured forever. @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique @emilyjoyhmua @houseatnanton
It was always hard to get a good photo of my mom, Lois Cowling. I just love that I have this image of her. She was always talking, always moving, always full of life. She’s been gone for almost four years now, and I still miss her every single
It was always hard to get a good photo of my mom, Lois Cowling. I just love that I have this image of her. She was always talking, always moving, always full of life. She’s been gone for almost four years now, and I still miss her every single day. This photo, printed on canvas, is one of my most treasured possessions. When someone you love is gone, you find yourself searching for them, their face, their hands, the way they smiled, the way they looked at you. I want to call her and talk about everyday things, ask her questions. Photographs become the bridge between memory and presence. I wish I could photograph her now, the way I do for others. To capture her beauty, her story, her light. She’s my reason for creating Legacy Fine Art Portraits. Because one day, these portraits will be what we hold onto when words and time fade. ❤️❤️❤️
In this work, I hold more than a camera. I hold secrets, stories, and the sacred trust of the women who step into my studio. The laughter, the tears, the quiet strength behind every glance — I’m the keeper of it all. Every image is a
In this work, I hold more than a camera. I hold secrets, stories, and the sacred trust of the women who step into my studio. The laughter, the tears, the quiet strength behind every glance — I’m the keeper of it all. Every image is a whispered truth, a celebration of a moment that might have otherwise slipped away. I am the keeper of secrets and the maker of memories. And every time I press the shutter, I’m reminded what an honour that truly is. 🤍 #WillowCreekStudio #KeeperOfStories #MakerOfMemories #FierceFabulousFascinating #EmpowermentPhotography #LegacyPortraits #YouAreEnough
💫 Be seen. Be remembered. Be you. Someday, the people who love you will go searching for your image — your smile, your eyes, the way you looked when you laughed. Those portraits will whisper, She was here. She was loved. Don’t wait, let yourself be seen — beautifully, boldly, unapologetically. Because you deserve to exist in your own story. Don’t be a ghost in your life. Be unforgettable. @willowcreekstudioboutique @lorrainehjalte #calgary #highriver #okotoks
The perfect holiday gift? A Legacy Fine Art Portrait session at Willow Creek Studio & Boutique with photographer Lorraine Hjalte. @willowcreekstudioboutique @lorrainehjalte #calgary #okotoks #highriver #lethbridge #reddeer
The perfect holiday gift? A Legacy Fine Art Portrait session at Willow Creek Studio & Boutique with photographer Lorraine Hjalte. @willowcreekstudioboutique @lorrainehjalte #calgary #okotoks #highriver #lethbridge #reddeer
Your story is the brushstroke. Your joy is the colour. Your courage is the frame. Be the art in your own life — book your 2026 portrait experience and let’s paint your story in light. Lorraine Hjalte Photography at Willow Creek Studio &am
Make 2026 the year you take part in a photo experience at Willow Creek Studio & Boutique. From wardrobe to posing to professional hair and makeup, every detail is designed to help you feel confident and at ease. This is more than a portrait.
Coming Soon! I am thrilled to announce the The Fierce, Fabulous and Fascinating campaign podcast with host Jody Rowland. We are finishing up Campaign number two and starting Campaign number three! If you'd like to get in on Campign Two and be part of
You Are the Art There’s a quiet kind of confidence that emerges when you finally see yourself. Really see yourself. Not the version filtered by time or expectation, but the one that’s been waiting to be celebrated. That’s the ene Before the dress. Before the vows. Before becoming someone’s partner. This is a moment to honour who you are right now. Bridal boudoir isn’t about being sexy for someone else. It’s about remembering yourself. When you’re read When was the last time you had an image of yourself that you loved? When you’re ready, I’m here. @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique @emilyjoyhmua @houseatnanton Confidence doesn’t come first. Presence does. The boldness follows after you allow yourself to step into the frame. When you’re ready, we can talk. @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique @emilyjoyhmua @houseatnanton @jen_handley_nan It’s been a week in Sarasota, Florida. Today @kristenfieldsphoto and I did photo shoots with @catfordcoates. The whole experience, from the Elevate Mastermind Retreat to the photo shoot today has been incredible. My heart is so full. @willowcre At the Elevate Mastermind workshop in Sarasota, Florida with the amazing coach Cat Ford Coates. Look out world I’m coming home with some brand new plans! @catfordcoates. @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique @thestudiotakeover The beach has a way of reminding us to slow down, breathe, and rise with intention. Sarasota gifted me space to soften… and Elevate reminded me why I’m here. Growth. Courage. Becoming. ✨ @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique @thest We are living using this magic room in the new space for @decidedlyfit in Nanton. The light is magic, the room is magic and the whole gym is amazing! If you haven’t checked it out you need to do that!! Also have you heard - Reserve your spot i 🎄☃️❄️Me and my sisters in 2021. This year the Holiday Goal is : Stop hiding from the camera like I’m smuggling secrets. This year, I will: ✨ Stand in the front row. ✨ Let my arms be in the photo. ✨ Smile like I actually know and love these peo 🌟 2026 Goal Setting (Realistic Edition) 🌟 My official goals for 2026: 1️⃣ Drink water like it’s my full-time job. 2️⃣ Walk into a room and remember why I went in there. 3️⃣ Use all the fancy skincare products I keep buying instead of just s 📸 Advice from a Photographer (and a Mom, Daughter, Sister, Aunt) The holidays get busy with the food, the laughter, the chaos, the endless to-do lists. But please, don’t get so caught up that you forget to pick up your phone or camera and tak “She thought she wasn’t the kind of woman who did this. Turns out, she is.” Let’s talk. 403-601-1614. @willowcreekstudioboutique @lorrainehjalte @emilyjoyhmua @houseatnanton
Because every woman needs photos with the people who know her best. 💕 Girlfriends Sessions/Mother Daughter/ Groups of two to 6 at Willow Creek — laughter, love, and legacy captured forever. @lorrainehjalte @willowcreekstudioboutique @emilyjoyh
It was always hard to get a good photo of my mom, Lois Cowling. I just love that I have this image of her. She was always talking, always moving, always full of life. She’s been gone for almost four years now, and I still miss her every single In this work, I hold more than a camera. I hold secrets, stories, and the sacred trust of the women who step into my studio. The laughter, the tears, the quiet strength behind every glance — I’m the keeper of it all. Every image is a
💫 Be seen. Be remembered. Be you. Someday, the people who love you will go searching for your image — your smile, your eyes, the way you looked when you laughed. Those portraits will whisper, She was here. She was loved. Don’t wait, let
The perfect holiday gift? A Legacy Fine Art Portrait session at Willow Creek Studio & Boutique with photographer Lorraine Hjalte. @willowcreekstudioboutique @lorrainehjalte #calgary #okotoks #highriver #lethbridge #reddeer