About Us

We're Jess and Perry - the duo behind the lens of Impulse Creatives!

Jess and Perry are a married couple who reside in Calgary, Alberta, Canada - and are always in for an adventure. Preserving memories have always been important and the art of photography intriguing, which led to the development of Impulse Creatives. Impulse Creatives was originally founded in 2017 by Jess as she was finishing her Bachelor of Nursing. In April 2021, Impulse Creatives expanded and welcomed Perry. The name "Impulse Creatives" comes from the notion of Jess becoming interested in creative projects quickly and photography being a creative endeavour as it is an art. From there, the name Impulse Creatives was born.

Jess has been photographing in a professional capacity for over a decade. From photographing for Pet Valu Dalhousie and Northills over the course of 2 years (santa photos, grand opening, advertisements) to the sweetest wedding and engagement sessions. Jess' work was featured for Pet Valu in 2019 for their dog washing services, along with promotional advertisements (physical and social media) for santa photos. Jess has photographed family sessions, boudoir, maternity sessions, newborn (over 1 month old), events for Buds In Bloom (fashion show), concerts, cheerleading events, porch portraits (COVID-19), and cosplay. She was also the designated photographer for humanitarian trips to Mexico with two separate organizations.

Perry has also been photographing for over a decade. Perry has focused on micro weddings, maternity, newborn sessions (greater than 1 month old), family sessions, and large events. Perry enjoys focusing on creative portraits, and is masterful with lighting.

FAQ

Why photography?

As two people who have had experience with memory disorders, photos are very important to us. For Jess, there are some long term memories from childhood that are stored pristinely, however, there are some memories that are completely gone due to prior health challenges. One of Jess' biggest fears is that she will forget what happened during special occasions and won't be able to remember the feeling from the day. However, making memories with photographs, can help cement the magic of a milestone. Perry has a slightly different perspective. Their day to day memory had been noted as flawed on their first day of primary and it was in their early teens when they realized their memory was different. They have accepted that their memory will fail, and fail fast. It's the heartbreak of others realizing you've forgotten them that pushes Perry to use photos to try to remember.

Jess: Growing up, my mom would always take photos. She would always have her camera out, snapping photos of my older brother and I. As an adult, I still spend time going through those old photo albums and am always filled with such nostalgia. Since those photographs were taken, I've lost both of my grandfathers. Without these photographs, I wouldn't have as many physical memories of my grandfathers. I'm grateful to be able to look back on these photos and remember the moments that I lived with my grandfathers that are no longer with us. I want others to be able to find comfort and solace in their photograph; to find beauty and laughter. I photograph people and places as I love to capture the beauty of this specific moment in time. Making memories is important. Both Perry and I want you to be able to remember where you are in this moment for the rest of your life. I want you to remember your wedding for the rest of your life. With our shooting style, I hope that when you look at the images, you will be able to hear the laughter of your loved ones or feel the love you felt on that specific day.

Perry: I have never liked being on the lens side of a camera - or on a stage - or at the centre of any attention - or really being recognized. This led to me avoiding any of these circumstances for most of my formative years, much to the chagrin of many in my life. As I made my way through life however, I began to realize the potential importance of capturing important moments. While it took a while to be officially confirmed, I live with an episodic memory disorder, making it extremely difficult to place memories in time and as time progresses, memories become harder to recall until the original memory disappears. With the right series of cues however, I can bring these memories back to the forefront of my mind - a process that can also be used for some individuals living with degenerative memory disorders. Photographs not only capture a moment in time, they also act as portals to those moments.

What's your style?

Candid. Authentic. Relatable. Storytelling.

Meet Jess

Photo taken by Perry Dykens of Impulse Creatives

Jess is a born and raised Calgarian; apparently that's a rarity nowadays. Jess is a registered nurse, published author, lover of fries, and is earning her Master's of Nursing. She is passionate about capturing the beauty in the everyday.

Jess' photography features candid snapshots, while also highlighting posed photos. Her photography style centres around being authentic, relatable, nostalgic, and is detail-oriented. Jess focuses on using light to achieve delicate photographs that highlight dramatic shadows. Jess' favourite time to photograph is golden hour (during sunset). One might describe her work as documentary or boho chic.

She provides edits in colour, but also includes select black and white edits as well. Jess is obsessed with the look and feel of film cameras, specifically film grain.

If Jess isn't photographing, she is either writing her thesis or working at the hospital.

Meet Perry

Perry moved to Calgary in 2019 to pursue his Master's of Science with a focus in Clinical Neuroscience. Before moving to Calgary, Perry worked at an art gallery in art preparation and on several academic art projects, which sparked his interest in several different artistic techniques. Perry's background in arts is diverse. Perry's interests revolve around photography, photo editing, cross-stitch, and vector art. According to Jess, Perry is naturally talented and can "pick up" artistic endeavours with ease. If there is any doubt, take a look at the origami cranes and paper flowers he is making for their wedding that is slowly filling up their house.

He has been photographing off and on for eleven years. Perry's love of photography flourished from his dislike of being in front of the camera. His photography style centres on candid photographs, while also capturing some posed portraits as well. His photography style is dramatic, vivid, and dynamic.

Perry is passionate about capturing creative candids and portraits.

Photo taken by Jess Gurnsey of Impulse Creatives

Meet the Kids

We have 3 kids; Faye, Aristotle, and Sabrina. Faye is our oldest, floofy girl. She is very independent and makes it known. Our middle child is Sabrina - she is our spooky black cat, who is filled with so much love. She is our clingy baby, who acts more like a dog than a cat. Aristotle is our youngest and is a lynx point Siamese. He is ridiculously smart which can get him into a lot of trouble. Fun fact: Aristotle will be in another room and meow, but it definitely sounds like "hello."

Photo of Aristotle to come. The Tortoiselle pictured is of Sophie, who we miss.
Here's a bit about our super sweet Sophs:

Sophie is our special needs kitty. She has cerebellar hypoplasia, which is a genetic condition. Sophie was born with this condition, which causes balance difficulties and issues with walking. She is unable to walk like our other girls, but can get around the house by using her front paws to move herself. Due to cerebellar hypoplasia, she also has no idea when she is no longer thirsty, so she is always yelling at us for more water. She could care less about cuddling with us as long as she has water, but she could learn how to pace herself more!

Fun Fact: Before dating, Jess said she wasn't a "cat person," but here we are now with 3 of them.

Contact Us

Send us an email or complete the form below to contact us!