Class of 2013!

It felt like summer this weekend. Summer is senior portrait season, you know. I'm looking forward to seeing the class of 2013 this July and August!

Natasha is a woman of many faces. She's been in front of my camera in the past, as you can see!

 

When she asked to be a senior rep, I was delighted. We scheduled a session while the cherry trees were in full bloom. The result was ... stunning.

I still have openings for reps in the Salem and Portland areas. Give us a call! 

Donna lives in Hawaii now. "But I want a Moonlight Madness portrait!" she said.

"No problem," I replied. "I have photos of a crescent moon, taken last summer. We can photograph you in the studio, and create a fantasy portrait."

"And I want white tigers," she added.

So she caught a flight here, we spent a couple of hours catching up (thank you, Donna, for the vintage wine!) and then it was showtime. One moon + two white tigers + Donna = magic!

And Moonlight Madness.

(The Madness returns August 1.)

Classic Love

Andi and Mark are a beautiful love story. Andi is an accomplished musician, playing violin and music, while Mark owns Poison Frog recording studio and plays guitar. They share not only a love of music, but also a perspective on family life reminiscent of times gone by. "We've got a 1950's outlook," giggles Andi.

For their engagement session, I wanted to capture their classic mindset. We visited a local landmark, Deepwood Estate, and I positioned them on a balcony to take advantage of rim lighting, I added a slightly stylized look in post-production.

The stylizing is mine. The love is all theirs. Can't wait for the wedding!

Every year, I think, "How can I make this year's Dare to Be RED event new and exciting?" And every year, my clients bring ideas that combine with my photographic passion to create magic.

This year, two clients asked, "Can we do a pin-up style portrait?" The answer was a resounding YES! It was so much fun that we created a new event. Pin-Up Parade will happen in July, and people are already signing up. Thanks, Tandy and Allison!

Note the high-key (light) background – quite the contrast from the low-key (dark) background I’ve used in the past. I’ll be focusing on high-key photography for other events this year. Stay tuned!

Raindrops

Being in nature is cleansing for my soul. In times of tumult and unrest, it rejuvenates me to unchain my senses in the natural world. The sight of a raindrop hovering upon a branch, the smell of daphne wafting in earliest spring, the rough feel of bark on a still sleeping trunk–it sooths, heals, and refreshes.

After a recent rain shower, I snuck outside to with my camera to enjoy the fresh landscape, scrubbed clean by Gaia herself.

Serendipity

Like all artists, I’m always looking for the fresh take. How can I creatively capture a moment in time/a client/an idea? Whether my medium is photography or writing, I want to find what is unique and perhaps yet unseen.

Some artists/writers carefully sculpt their scene in advance. I admire their skill, but that method rarely works for me. Instead, I depend heavily upon serendipity, stumbling upon those quirky moments that spark creativity.

During her senior portrait session, Miz Lily surrounded herself with the cosmetics she loves. I caught sight of her reflection in the mirror, and voila! – serendipity scored again.

Generations

It was the eyes that caught me. Who is older, who younger? Logan seems much older than his three years, while his great-grandma still has mischief in her eyes.
The love between them is clear. Love knows no boundaries, not color nor location nor even age.

There is a sacred yet giddy love between grandparents and grandchildren. I’ve been blessed to experience it from both ends, and I can tell you, there is NOTHING better.

This image began as a snaphot, taken by Logan’s daddy. “Can you do something with it?” he asked. I could indeed.