new project!

want to follow along? it's more personal than business. :)

winter shades of gray

today = a good day.

today i shot a wedding.

#21 of the year.
twenty-one.
(wowthat'salotofweddings!)

seriously, how all of this has happened continues to blow my mind. and this year (even though it's year #2) felt like the REAL deal. too legit to quit kind of thing. and i've only ever gotten business through word of mouth. if you've ever passed along my name or a link to my website, THANK YOU! thank you ever so much.

i'm on a bit of a high at the moment as today wraps up my weddings for 2010. it also switches my focus to what's coming up in 2011.

guess what?
i'm not really sure where this (the photography thing) is eventually going to go.
and guess what again?
i'm good with that. this- all of it- has been such a rich, awesome, amazing challenge. it continues to push me in good ways and i find that i am becoming more myself through doing this for a living. so, cool. win-win-win. :)

it was also a day filled with kindness. i feel very fortunate and grateful to know people in my life that are just lovely and so full of truth. sometimes things just hit you a certain way and gratitude is the only response, you know?

as an added bonus, i spent a half hour filling a shopping cart with deliciousness at trader joe's. :) yay, food!

haha. back to my point. the wedding of rachel and colin. twenty-one of 2010. before i go, i want to share a picture with you of today's rockstar couple:



:) g'nite. talk with you soon.

dave + kate (wedding)

meet dave and kate.


sometimes they make silly faces. or dance like robots.
kate sewed her own wedding dress.
dave gives the best hugs ever. i dare you to try and hug better than he can.
um... sorry. not possible.

dave drew their wedding programs. they chose to have no bridesmaids or groomsmen... but that's not because they are lacking friends. about 400 people showed up to support them and love on them during their big day. it was definitely one fantastic celebration.


they absolutely know who they are... and are who they are to the best of their abilities.
they decided what their wedding day would look like, and were fine with not necessarily fitting inside the box.
which i think is totally, incredibly awesome.
i am all about being yourself.

make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.
(ralph waldo emerson)

































these people love with gusto.
that is an amazing quality.

congratulations, dave and kate. it is a joy to know you and also call you friends. i'm so happy for you both!

g'bye new york, see you soon.

hello again, happy sunday. i'm writing from the airport about to board a westward plane, and if i didn't have a wedding coming up in the portland area, i'd just stay here on the east coast because i'll be turning around to come back in like... a week and a half. ha! it's a good thing i don't mind flying. :) :)

i spent time with a lot of amazing people this time around, they are all close to my heart. but some of the ones i'm most partial to i call family, and i'm grateful for all this travel and time with them despite the fact that i pay rent on a house 3000 miles away. these people, although they do drive me batty from time to time :), are wonderful.







they're good ones to watch movies with, laugh hysterically at during macho chest bumps and handshakes :) and take over your suitcase like it was a new bed set up just for them. my faves.

blogging is more fun than doing other things that are less fun. :) :)

oh hey! good afternoon/evening! guess what i'm up to right now... procrastinating. ha! let me explain.

blogging is simply way better than:
- working on my budget
- sorting through seven weddings (weeding out the pictures i shot from the ones i'll actually use is my LEAST fave thing ever!)
- paying attention to the blister on the back of my heel
- cleaning up my messes around the house
- laundry

see? out of all the options for this exact moment, finishing a blog entry is just so dang appealing. :) i really would like to show you photos from a shoot i did last week with 3/4ths of a fantastic family. i knew these guys from living in upstate new york, and i remember their oldest boy when he was a teeny-tiny little fella almost always in a sling attached to his mom. now he's got a baby brother and he's a big kid, full of great ideas and stories and a sense of curiosity and adventure. we took photos of the boys and their mom (maybe photos with the whole family next time...?) and had a GREAT morning exploring all the leaves, rocks, streams and trails that we could find.

ps, fall in new york is so incredibly pretty! i grew up here, but living on the west coast i think i've gained a new appreciation for the colors in this season on the east coast. a-maaaazing variety.





















great seeing you, old friends! :) glad our paths crossed this time around- spending time with you three made my day.

leah + joe (family shoot)

this is a family photoshoot in more than one way.

a) leah and joe ARE my family. :) leah has been my sister's best friend for almost as long as i can remember. she was always around during our growing up years, and has throughout that time found herself a part of our family. i love that she married joe almost exactly two years ago (happy anniversary, guys!) as he is just a phenomenal man and a great addition to the crowd. leah is such a quality photographer and some of you new york dwellers might recognize her as she frequently shoots with me on east coast weddings.

b) leah and joe are having a BABY!! they announced it to everyone this afternoon and although they've known for a little while, these are officially their first family photos together with the little sprout. i am so so so ecstatic to meet and love on their little baby this spring. here are a few snippets from the time we spent together this weekend.














congratulations guys! i just love you three. :)

talking about (my motivation)

don't ask what the world needs.
ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.
because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
(howard thurman)

today i had a conversation with a dear friend on the topic of motivation. it sparked a lot of thought in this little brain... stuff that i've been mulling over for a while now.

as a result, here comes a post chock-full of honest thoughts. :)

did you know that i never wanted to do photography as a business? it was just a hobby, something i LOVED, and i was actually really opposed to doing this for others. in general, i hate being the center of attention and i hated the pressure of doing something i loved a) on demand and b) with someone else's expectations involved. it wasn't until all other doors slammed in my face, plans crumbled, and i had very few other options that i listened to solid advice from a few amazing people. i was finally open to the idea of not being selfish with what i'd been given. and... wham. the doors pretty much swung wide open. more opportunities than i ever could've come up with for myself. this began a little over two years ago.



lately a few people have asked me how to do what i do. my answer to that is this: there is no formula. i didn't have to "make" this happen. with almost everything in life, we all have a unique story. i really believe that the best way to live often involves following your heart. sounds a bit cheesy, yeah- but what i mean by that is that you shouldn't try to follow anyone else's vision or copy what you think looks like a recipe for success. think about it- deep down, what makes you come alive? what motivates you? figure out who YOU are and who YOU were created to be... and go be it. you are different than i am and i am different than you. it took me a lot of tries before i found this and i'm not even positive i'll continue do this as my job forever. i can't predict what life will bring! if at some point the work dries up i'm sure God will provide another way for me to pay my bills. guess what- i'm totally okay with that. i will take photos if someone pays me and i will take photos if nobody pays me. i'm not anxious about the future of my business and i'm definitely not in competition with or against other photographers. :) that's silly. this is simply what i love to do.

now, i have a confession. parts of this year, i haven't really loved this like i used to. 2010 has been one of the craziest, most disappointing/challenging years i've ever had. while good things have been coming from the struggle- to do something (like photography) that's so related to my heart has been TOUGH. it's hard to put into words, but what i shoot (in large part) comes from what i feel. so when i am wrestling, and life is hard, to try drum up my best work in spite of that- oy. it's been a huge struggle to continue to enjoy what i do. i've been telling myself this lack of love has been because i'm so busy, but i've come to the realization over the past few weeks that it has nothing to do with busy. i can handle busy. :) sure, i've learned how to function inside this valley, but it's been a frustrating process.



however, you know what else i've been thinking about in the past few weeks? no matter what's been going on in my life, it is, has been, and continues to be such a good thing to be a part of your lives. i love spending time with you. i love witnessing your weddings and seeing all the beauty, detail, and emotion that goes into that day. i love laughing with your kids, playing peek-a-boo with your babies, and i enjoy the wonder found in seeing the world through their eyes. i love hearing about your relationships, your lives, and your families. it brings me joy to know you and to have a small window into your world.

i feel privileged to have the opportunity to get to know you and capture some of your life.
so, thanks. you are amazing, every one of you.
as for me and my life? i have a lot of faith that better and different is right around the bend. in the meantime, i am thankful for the growth and the blessings in the midst of it all.

the best is yet to be.

from the east.

this trip to new york has been good for the soul.

friends, family, beautiful leaves, pumpkins and pumpkin-related desserts, mostly sunny days.
very refreshing.

it's fall. so that means that i am getting excited for christmas. yes i know that's ridiculous. no i do not care. :)

tons of photos to share... coming soon.

josh + kelsi (wedding)

this past weekend i shot a very, very lovely wedding.

first of all... it was the perfect sort of day. beautiful. sunny. fall-ish. happy.
secondly... this couple is LEGIT. they have known each other a long time. and they really, really know what it is to love.
also... visually, their style is right up my alley. i don't know that i personally could pull it off like they did, but i sure as heck liked it. :)

here's a quick shot of three crazies before we get on to the stars of the show- i'm the goofy duckface in the middle. :) the blonde is my friend lisa who helped me shoot and got some GREAT photos (i'll feature one here in this blog) and the brunette is my friend crystal who is my connection to the bride and groom- she was also a bridesmaid. (thanks for the recommendation, girl!)



haha. we sure are ::ahem:: special. MOVING ON. :) kelsi and josh. i love love love catching the look on a groom's face whenever he sees his bride for the first time. here is their moment:





um, delightful.
the rest of the post i'll just fill with the story of their day in pictures... enjoy.













(thanks lisa, for the beautiful shot above!)































beautiful day, beautiful love. josh and kelsi- congratulations. :)