This wedding was epic folks; one for the books. Jackson and Emily are the kind of people that you could sit down and have a cold one with and within minutes of meeting them, you feel like you’ve known them your whole life. They are humble and kind. They are basically, that whole Tim McGraw song, and man, do they sure know how to throw a party. Lucky for me, I got to tag along with my camera and photograph them as they got hitched at the beautiful Barn Kestrel in West Linn, Oregon. From the heart-felt toasts in the rose garden to the kiddos enjoying ice cream from the famous Salt & Straw it was a wedding I’ll never forget.
Take a look at the images from Jackson & Emily’s wedding here.
Meet Hailey… She is running into her senior year with some major goals, and I mean, literally running. She is a cross country and track all-star. This year she and her teams are chasing state titles. Last year as a junior she helped her girls Track & Field team clinch the 5A state title (at my Alma Mater). My mom was a middle school Cross Country and Track & Field coach for over 20 years so this kind of stuff really gets us folks excited. Running for me, however, is NOT my spiritual gift. I actually tried running the 1500 meter race once in middle school and didn’t finish (I told you, not my spiritual gift).
Anyway, back to Hailey. I loved taking her photos and getting to see her shine in front of the camera. She has a calm, cool, confidence about her that is going to serve her well in her bright future. And since she’s a runner, I know she’s determined and has crazy, amazing grit. You know, the kind of grit that doesn’t let you quit, even when everything or everyone else is telling you to.
Thank you Hailey for asking me to do your senior photos! You are a star, and your beauty radiates from the inside, out. Best of luck this year and GO LADY VIKS!
Winter can often feel like a gamble when scheduling outdoor family sessions. While it might be chilly outside, there is a magic glow that makes a sunny winter day one of my favorites for shooting family photos outside. Just look at that lighting (ahhhhhhh). Thank you Amanda for asking me to capture your sweet family again this year and I can’t wait to photograph your newborn in just a few months!!
Large family sessions can feel stressful for those that organize the details, from making sure everyone is on time, dressed, happy, and ready (mentally). I wanted to highlight this large family session because it was magical. There are a few things that made this go smoothly so I wanted to share my thoughts as to why this was so successful.
For starters, the session was at one of the family member’s home. Being in your own space has many advantages for large families. If someone needs a bathroom, it’s right there. If someone needs a snack (including the grown ups) it’s right there. If someone needs a drink (of WINE) it’s right there!! You get the picture. Convenience is the key.
Second, be flexible and let me work it (snapping fingers in a zigzag fashion). You might be worried about the one person that HATES being photographed. Like, hates it more than the average person. It’s my job to get them to relax. So, leave that part to me and watch me get them to smile or be their authentic selves in front of the camera. The less pressure they feel from other family members, the better. 🙂
Plan for at least a 90 minute chunk of time. I will use every minute to engage fully with each person and if someone isn’t happy, guess what, we don’t force anything. We can move on to another family member and then come back when that little person (or big person) is more relaxed and ready.
When shooting at one location with multiple families, I will often use similar areas for backgrounds. This creates a gallery of images that go together well. I am consistently thinking about how the images will display on a wall in someone’s living room. Shooting in the same area with similar lighting, creates the opportunity for these images to become pieces of art and photos that will look amazing together.
Here is a highlight of the Hart family session where I photographed five separate families/couples and then all of them together. You will see slight differences but similarities that makes all of these images compliment each other.
This girl lights up any space she is in. It’s not just her outter beauty that shines, but there is a sweet charm that Danielle has that radiates from in the inside-out. We started dwontown and then moved out to a more open space to create two different feels for her session. Check out some of the images of the lovely Danielle below.
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