The Tender Side

I've known Hale for years. Active in both choral and instrumental music groups, Hale is a talented showman. He's a natural choice for emcee work with his big voice and personality. He is a man born to be in the spotlight!

I was thrilled when he and his lovely wife, Romona, visited my studio.  Their love and easy laughter showed me the tender side of Hale. Theirs was the last session ever held in my Salem studio. It seemed fitting, somehow. Watch for Hale in my upcoming series, "Oatfield".

Seeing the Big Picture

Today's class, "Seeing the Big Picture: An Exploration for Photographers and Writers" was a success! We had a great time exploring via creativity, writing and photography exercises, and the outdoor photography  was especially nice on this BEAUTIFUL day

I received the nicest compliment from Ryan: "Cherie is an enthusiastic, heartfelt instructor, who brings the magic back to learning." Thank you, Ryan!

My favorite personal photo from today was this image of bleeding hearts. It's always a good day if I have a camera  in my hand. Our next workshop is in July - join us!

A Day at the Beach!

We visited the beach last weekend. What a beautiful day on the Oregon coast!

The ocean always energizes me. I spend my time playing in the waves (yes, it's freezing cold - but after a while, my legs get numb, and then it's just fine. yes, I'm crazy...) and lying in the sand, soaking up the rays.

Bryan has his own way of enjoying the beach. :)

Note the beautiful lighting. This was taken in early evening, about two hours before sunset. It's a PERFECT time for portraits. If it's time to update your family portrait, give me a call, and let's go to THE BEACH!

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!