A beautiful Saturday afternoon in the backyard
I have had the pleasure of photographing Nika, Jeff, and little Matteo since he was just a few months old, and I have loved every minute of it! I usually spend a great deal of time during my photo shoots encouraging people to relax (because, lets face it, very few people love having a giant camera shoved in their face) and suggesting activities to play together. The “smile for the camera” mentality is so engrained in us that it is very difficult to “act natural” and have fun in front of the camera, but not for this family. Every time I show up to take their family...
Read MoreA beautiful afternoon shoot at Luther Burbank Park in Mercer Island
I’ve known Mike for about six months now so I can say with some authority that he is a really good person. He classifies himself as an attorney (NOT a lawyer!) and is always ready to greet people with a smile. What I did not know about Mike was that he has such a wonderful entourage of grandchildren. He invited me to join him and (some) of his grandchildren for an afternoon at Luther Burbank Park in Mercer Island. What a treat! Let me tell you, there is nothing sweeter than watching a proud grandpa play with his grandchildren. The cousins hadn’t seen each other in quite some...
Read MoreAn afternoon at Luther Burbank Park in Mercer Island
Last Sunday my family and I found ourselves in a rather unique situation: an entire afternoon and nothing planned! What were we to do with ourselves? Well, if you know us at all, the first thing we did was head over to Freemont to eat yummy Thai food and hit the farmers market. Ilya has been going through a begging stage, so we offered her $5 to spend on whatever she wanted. Can I just tell you how impressed I was that she picked out this lovely bunch of fresh flowers! They are currently brightening up my living room. Make no mistake, though. They are HER flowers Next, we hit Luther...
Read MoreA Family Shoot at Hiawatha Playfield
I frist met Desiree when she hired me to photograph her annual Santa Breakfast (hands down, one of my favorite events of the year). Every year, she and her business partner, Kelly, host this fabulous event to thank their clients. Despite the challenge of coordinating hundreds of families, food, Santa, and crafts, Desiree was the picture of calm and positivity. You could tell how deeply she cared for all of her clients and how much they genuinely liked her as well. Just from that experience, I knew I wanted to work with her again, so I was thrilled when she asked me to take her family...
Read MoreA Sunny Afternoon in Seattle with my Favorite Date
When the sun comes out in Seattle, I get a little loopy. Even if it is windy and freezing, I want to be outside absorbing as much light as I can and this last sunny day just so happened to co-incide with Ilya’s day off from school! We walked to the SSCC gardens where Ilya proceeded to be a complete goofball. I wanted one good picture of her where she wasn’t making some sort of silly face and I also wanted to play around with these bright sun rays that we never get to see. When I asked her to look at me, this is what I got. So, I spent about 15 mintues shooting her making...
Read MoreLeavenworth in December
Some very dear friends invited us to go with them to Leavenworth for a weekend in December. We stayed in a cabin surrounded by snowy trees and starlight. While Ilya enjoyed the snow, I think that she enjoyed the time with her friend even more. Ilya and Clara have known each other since the womb, and the two of them had so much fun together. Clara’s little sister, Darby was as cute as could be, and I couldn’t help grabbing a few shots of her serene little...
Read MoreSpending the New Year Goofing Off
Alright, I’ll admit it: I may be a tinsy tiny bit addicted to Pintrest. I don’t know what happens – I start looking at the site and the next thing I know, three hours have passed and my child and husband are begging me to make dinner. One of the things I like to do on Pintrest is look at all the fun photo ideas that people have, and my favorite ones this year are the ones with kids and christmas lights. Since I had time yesterday, I figured I might as well play around wtih this idea. I took down a string of lights from our porch and put it on the bed. Then I asked my kid to...
Read MoreSpending the Holidays on the Northern California Coast
Thanksgiving was such a wonderful time for me and my family. We drove down to Northern California to visit with our family and meet the newest member – Little Ronin. That’s right – this little cuttie, who is all cheeks and eyes, is my little nephew. You know what that means? I get to spoil him rotten then hand him back to his mama. I have wanted to be an aunt for so long, and he is such a wonderful little boy. I couldn’t be more proud....
Read MoreHand-blown Art at Avalon Glassworks Holiday Openhouse
Avalon Glassworks has always been one of my favorite secret gems of West Seattle. It is the place I take guests when they visit from out of town. The place where I go when I want to see artists being creative, and when I want to buy absolutely stunning hand-blown gifts. Its no surprise, then, that I was thrilled when Shannon, the owner of Avalon Glassworks, asked me to photograph her holiday open house. What a fun event! Katie from Grain Expectations was there passing out THE MOST DELICIOUS FOOD IN THE WORLD (most of it gluten-free, and all of it without refined sugar). So many people came...
Read MoreA Fall Family Shoot in Lincoln Park
Diane and her family are absolutely wonderful. They are the kind of family that you can tell loves each other and genuinely has fun together. Our shoot took place on a Sunday afternoon that started out nice but quickly turned into a rainy hailstorm. I was so impressed with the way they didn’t let the weather bother them one bit. They laughed a lot and had a great time exploring the deserted beach. There were so many really wonderful, meaningful moments during our shoot, that it was hard to narrow it down, but my absolute favorite shoot happened while they were playing in the fall...
Read MoreA Rainy Fall Shoot at Discovery Park
I LOVE fall photo shoots – the colors, the smells, the light…the rain… Mark and I had been planning this photo shoot for months, carefully researching all the possible locations, picking out the perfect wardrobe, and prepping the small child on what to expect. When I woke up Saturday morning to the sound of rain on my skylight, I thought, “Its Seattle – of course it is going to rain. It doesn’t mean we have to cancel.” I checked with Mark, and he felt the same way. I don’t think we were expecting just how much rain was falling from the sky. I...
Read MoreIntroducing PJ – the owner of the X-Gym
Meet PJ. PJ is impressive on so many levels. First – well, just look at him! I wasn’t quite sure that muscles like that actually existed in the real world until I saw them with my own eyes. Second, not only is PJ the owner of the X-Gym, but he has actually developed an entirely new way to work-out where 21 minutes twice a week at his gym is equivalent to 7 hours at a traditional gym. 7 hours! That’s incredible, and let me tell you, the proof is in the pudding. Just look at him! Third, and most importantly in my opinion, PJ is one of the kindest people you will ever have the...
Read MoreFall Family Special
Fall is finally here! You know what that means? Crisp apple cider, pumpkin pie, reds, golds, oranges, beautiful light, hay rides, Halloween and costumes. It is also one of my favorite times of the year to shoot photos. There is so much beauty and love in the air. The colors are gorgeous and people just want to be outside enjoying the season. To celebrate this magical time of year, I am offing a special promotion. If you book a session by the end of October, receive 15% off of any of my packages!...
Read MoreKenji and Family at Lincoln Park
I know that I keep talking about how much fun I have at my shoots, but Kenji and his family brought the fun to a whole new level. I was honored when I was approached by Kenji to take his family photos. He wasn’t looking for an ordinary family shoot. He wanted to capture the moments when his family met his wife’s family for the very first time! Kenji and Zoe, having friends and family scattered all over the globe, had basically eloped. So, this shoot was a chance for everyone from his family, everyone from her family, and everyone in their “seattle family” to meet for...
Read MoreThe Toce Family at Lincoln Park
There are so many things that I love about the Toce family, but the things I love most is their kindness, joy, and the way they love each other. They marvel to me about how easy little Matteo is – how sweet he is – how happy. It is absolutely no surprise to me. How could a child with such kind, sweet, and happy parents be anything else. Another thing that I love about this family is the way they are happy to just play together while I move around them taking pictures. So many meaningful moments were captured – so much love. I had trouble narrowing down my favorite images...
Read MoreValerie in Lincoln Park
From the moment I met Valerie, I knew it was going to be a wonderful shoot. She is one of those people who exudes warmth and kindness from her radiant smile to her very being. It was a beautiful Seattle summer day at Lincoln Park as we wandered from place to place taking pictures. She confided to me that this beach was a very special place for her, and I loved the way her face lit up just looking at the water. it was such a beautiful moment and I felt honored to be there to capture it for her....
Read MoreA Family Shoot at Lincoln Park
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of working with Danielle and her three beautiful children. Danielle is an amazing licensed aesthetician and nail specialist in West Seattle and carries herself with such grace and beauty. Her three children were so much fun and so loving towards each other. At one point, while I was shooting the oldest child, I noticed the youngest son climbing on a piece of driftwood. He was having so much fun and was so proud of what he had accomplished. It instantly reminded me of being an 8 year old girl and climbing on absolutely everything I could find. I quickly...
Read MoreMissie on the Beach
Missie is one of my daughter’s best friends, and despite the age difference (a year and a half is a big deal when you are only 4), they play together beautifully. It was a gorgeous sunny evening in Seattle when we went to Lincoln Park to shoot, and the girls has so much fun watching the sun set over the sound while tossing rocks into the water....
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Rachel, Ember, and Aiden at Lincoln Park
Rachel is one of those rare and beautiful people who has no idea how lovely she is. Her children, Aiden and Ember, remind me so much of my little one in that they never seam to stop moving, but she handles them with such patience and grace – it is truly inspiring. Rachel is not only the worlds most patient mother, but enjoys her children and has fun playing their games with them. She wasn’t worried that they stand or act a certain way for the photos – she let them be themselves, and I think that they all shine because of...
Read MoreNika, Jeff, and Matteo at the arboretum
I had the pleasure of shooting Nika, Jeff, and their adorable 4 month old baby Matteo a couple of weeks ago at the arboretum. What an amazingly positive and fun family! These are the people that make parenting look easy. Because having a four month old child is not challenging enough, they also had a 6 month old puppy and had just completed a kitchen remodel…and they looked well-rested, relaxed and happy. To be fair, I have never met a more easy going child in my life. Matteo was perfectly happy to just be out and about with his family. I don’t think he cried once the entire two...
Read MoreEliana’s Second Birthday Party
Eliana is one of those children that makes people want to have more children. Not only is she adorable with her curly hair and sweet smile, but she lights up every time she sees me and her voice is one of the cutest sounds I have ever herd. She celebrated her second birthday over the weekend (an art party), and I didn’t need to be asked twice to pull out my camera. The party was so colorful and well planned – everyone had a...
Read MoreMiranda and Todd at the P-Patch in Commons Park
Miranda and Todd were the first couple to take advantage of my February Special and what a great way to start. Our plan was to shoot in the snow, but we managed to schedule our shoot for the one day in the middle of the snow storm when not only was it not snowing, but most of the snow on the ground had melted! Miranda and Todd are such a wonderful couple and the love they share is so transparent it was easy to capture it. I love shooting people who are having fun and Miranda and Todd had no trouble at all in the department. Their joy was contagious. I couldn’t stop smiling as I sorted...
Read MoreSenior Portraits on the Beach
The sun poked its head out of the clouds for one beautiful afternoon last weekend and it just so happened to be the day I had a shoot with Karina on the Edmonds Beach. Karina is not only lovely, but probably one of the most brilliant people I have ever met. Seriously. This girl is going to change the world and I will get to say, “I knew her when and I have the pictures to prove...
Read MoreTiffany, John, and Maddy
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of shooting one of the nicest families I have ever met. Tiffany and John were so loving and patient with little Maddy. They set such a relaxed and fun tone for the whole shoot. Maddy was curious, sweet, and absolutely adorable. She would periodically look at my display screen and announce, “Mama! Dada!” Just like my daughter, she was an expert at picking up rocks and examining them to find the very best one. It was such a joy to shoot the whole family on a beautiful autumn day in...
Read MoreThe Corn Maze
Ilya and I spent the weekend visiting Grand mom in New Mexico. I never noticed how bright the sun in the desert is, but we had a fabulous time exploring the pumpkin patch and corn maze in the 70 degree weather. The golden brown stalks of the corn provided the most beautiful backdrop to our autumn photo...
Read MoreThe Children of my Community
A while back I made a promise to myself to do at least one shoot every week and all was going well until last week when I got a terrible cold. I had to cancel the shoot I had planned and spent the next two days moping around the house feeling sorry for myself. Sunday afternoon, the sun came out and I decided that I would take my camera outside and just see who was outside. Living in a co-housing community there are usually some people milling around. I was in luck. Most of the kids in the community, including my daughter, were joyfully running through the gardens and play area. These are some...
Read MoreHigh School Portraits at South Seattle Community College
It was early, gray, and cold when Ian and I set out on our shoot last Saturday morning. Despite all this, Ian was in such good spirits and so willing to get into whatever pose I asked of him. We went to one of my favorite places to shoot, the gardens at the South Seattle Community College, and, seeing as how it was before 10am, they were deserted giving us lots of space to explore. I love the shots next to the stream and the black and white in the grass. I guess its easy to get good pictures when you’ve got such a good model ...
Read MorePortraits in the Duwamish Co-Housing Community
This is my friend, Haley. Haley is one of those beautiful people who as no idea how gorgeous they really are. It was a cloudy afternoon when we began our shoot in the Duwamish Co-Housing Community, but the sun did poke its head out occasionally to provide beautiful orange tones as a background at some of our locations. One of the great things about living in a community is all the different beautiful spaces available for the people who live here. We moved from the south garden, along the path, and around the common house deck to get a variety of...
Read MoreSenior Portraits in Volunteer Park
From the very first moment that I met Jackson, I knew that this was going to be a fun shoot. He was so comfortable behind the camera and easygoing. It had just rained so the park was drenched, but Jackson allowed me to walk him through the wet grass and mud without a single word of complain. Jackson posed for the camera as if he had been doing it all his life and was really able to relax and be...
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