(nancynoble).photography

what family looks like.

2012-01-31T07:05:00.000-08:00

this past fall, before all the leaves and grass turned brown in upstate NY and winter came barreling through, i was able to spend a bit of time with a dear friend of mine and her family. this photoshoot was F-U-N and also inspiring... it was one of the ingredients that got me thinking about my current model of what a family photoshoot looks like, and what i'd like it to look like in the future. enough on that topic now, but there's more info to come, believe you me. i'm excited to share. :)

back to this darling family- they love well. they really do! and they seriously know how to have fun as a foursome. take a look at some of these shots:

friends, thanks so much for allowing me to spend time in your world! it was a blast and a half. love you all.

hello again, my laptop-y friend.

2012-01-24T22:57:00.000-08:00

sometimes i feel like computer and i are joined at the hip.

75, nay, probably closer to 85% of my work is done in front of a laptop. edit, sort, edit, return inquiries, emails, set up wedding details, edit, back up data, repeat. beyond that i'm a normal girl, right? so i facebook and read blogs and pin all kinds of pointless drivel that somehow makes me feel connected and current.

like i said, i spend a lot of time in front of this thing.

so when my computer had to go for a minor repair late last week i was like sayonara, peace out, catch you on the flip side, yo. i dreamed big dreams of being excessively productive in the great unpacking and settling in effort of 2011 (leftover from moving into husband's house) and in general, doing all those things i don't do when i'm "busy" lurking on facebook.

let's not talk about how productive i actually was, ok? ok.

i don't think i noticed how much i actually did do (which wasn't exactly, ahem, much) while freed from my machine but moreso, my mind and my heart was a lot free-er if that makes sense. tonight, after enjoying a lovely quiet night filled with documentaries and chipotle bought with a leftover wedding present gift-card, i booted up the recently returned machine and began my "really important" business. while next to the hubs i started reading some things, some really negative opinion-y things posted on facebook. ugh. and then i saw something that reminded me of a pretty negative set of feelings and being valued more for "doing" than "being"... which, if you've ever felt that, is really no fun at all. and then i glanced over to my email inbox which is hardly caught up and very much the bane of my days. i started getting lost in the rest of my week and it's only... tuesday.

then this guy i'm committed to 'til one of us croaks leans over to me in the middle of all my weighed-down-ness and whispers to me, "life's too short."

and he's totally right.
so i'm going to power down for the night, shake off the negative blahs, and finish my cinnamon tea which is right now brewing in my favorite multicolored bird mug. i'm going to wake up tomorrow and strive for a little more simplicity and a little more free-ness, even in the midst of not having the excuse of "out for repair." and then i'm going to wake up and continue to do it all over again the next day, and again the day after that.

a spot of sunshine.

2012-01-19T11:29:00.000-08:00

today is a rather dreary day, as are many days in the pacific northwest this time of year.

i got up.
ate some breakfast.
burned some discs to mail to clients.
thought, a lot.
talked with my sister as she drove to the hospital.
worked on my list of "to-do"'s.
figured out a grocery list.

all the while, my heart was rather heavy for old friends i know who are going through an unimaginably hard time.
i think it's just one of those days. which is ok.
but instead of posting just anything, why don't i post a bit of beauty?
that's one of things i love most about the arts.
there can be sadness, tragedy, darkness, tears- and still- beauty is there. and hope is waiting, just around the corner. as is springtime when you're smack dab in the middle of january.

(enjoy these photos taken while on our honeymoon in jamaica this fall. jamaica = stunning, not to mention quite cheery.)

henley and eden (post one of a million :))

2012-01-11T22:01:00.000-08:00

i feel extraordinarily blessed these days.

after a really (really!) scary/tough/uncertain pregnancy, my sister safely delivered twin girls on december 30th. they were born early as we knew they would be, but not as early as they could've been. things are going much better than the doctors expected- but have you ever seen a 3lb. baby in real life? up until last week, i hadn't. t-i-n-y. full term newborns look like giants to me now. :) as these are my first nieces or nephews, i am absolutely over the moon smitten, and even if they were my 15th niece or nephew, i have a feeling i'd be in exactly the same smitten space. let me show you why.

i don't know about you, but prior to this none of my friends or family members had given birth to multiples, and i'd never witnessed firsthand what it's like to have your newborn in the NICU. the best way i could think of to describe it is to imagine that you give birth to a baby (or babies) and immediately put them on the bus for boarding-school kindergarten. this is not exactly how ANY new parent would want to start things off! of course, without the NICU my nieces would not be alive at this point and so my family is super grateful for all the technology and medical advances here, but we're so looking forward to when these sweeties can go home. :) there are tons of things i didn't know before having someone close to me go through this kind of situation, and here are a few of the things i've learned along the way:

when a baby is in the NICU, this is the itty-bitty version of the grown up intensive care unit. when updates say "things are going well"- this does not mean things are going normally and all is perfect. it just means the situation is less life-and-death than it could be, and there's hope of improvement every day. there are lots of ups and downs to your baby needing a lot of extra help to stay alive.

when someone has more than one baby at one time, remember how overwhelming one brand-new infant can be. then multiply. :) multiples are an incredible blessing, but twice (or more than twice) the adjustment. new moms of multiples are trying to learn a WHOLE lot about more than one tiny little person. it's a super busy time for those parents... maybe the busiest time in their lives. :)

things that can be so so so helpful to a new parent going through something like this:
- meals (food of all kinds has been a gem to my sister and brother in law! they definitely don't have time to cook or grocery shop for themselves.)
- cards/letters/notes of encouragement that they can read in their free time
- offers of help (even if a new parent doesn't take you up on an offer, it's so sweet and encouraging!)
- nights in a hotel closeby if the hospital is a drive away from their home
- the occasional text/email/call. even if there's not a lot of spare time, it's awesome to stay connected to people they love.

if a baby is in the NICU or is premature, visitors may be wanted, but not necessarily safe. tiny babes like my nieces are in more danger if they even catch a cold, especially if they're already struggling to eat or breathe. when my nieces are finally released to go home from the hospital, they'll probably still have to be more sheltered from a ton of exposure to people than the average newborn... it's a totally different situation than having a full-term baby.

it's a long road when babies are born very early... most importantly families like this need your prayers! if you think of them, please pray for my nieces in particular. their mommy and daddy want them home and out of the hospital more than anything. :)

heather + thomas (for fun)

2012-01-09T06:15:00.000-08:00

on a chilly day in mid-december, i met up with some dear friends for a mini-shoot of sorts.

wait- i take that back. it was NOT a mini-shoot.
it was a professional/personal/professional shoot. all packed into 45 minutes. bam!
it was wild. we had outfit changes. my fingers froze. (ALL of heather froze at one point as she was only wearing shorts and a t-shirt!) but overall, we three had a lot of fun. they made my job easy, as these guys are easy on the camera lens!

heather and thomas, as always, i loved spending time with you guys! you two lovebirds are certainly gonna have some beautiful babies one day. ;)

sleepy fella.

2012-01-07T06:45:00.000-08:00

beginagain.

2012-01-06T08:31:00.000-08:00

hello, friends.

today is a good day. do you know those seasons in life where everything goes topsy-turvy, the wheels quite possibly come off the cart, and all you can do is keep soldiering on? i'm sure you do; everyone has those times. the precious thing about the tougher points in life are that the blessings seem even more sweet. i'm awake and alive, sitting at my kitchen table listening to good music and drinking delicious tea. my darling twin nieces who had a rough start in-utero and a very premature birth are doing so well today which just so happens to be their one week birthday. almost every bit of news about those sweeties that i get via phone call or text from 3000 miles away continues to be positive. last night the husband used some of his christmas money to treat me to our favorite place (yes, we're classy like that) only for the sake of taking me on a little date. it's the small things that i am treasuring these days and although much is uncertain about the future, why do i need to worry? time and time again we are cared and provided for and as long as we're doing our best, doing our part, that's all we can do. breathe deeply and wait to see.

while i'm waiting i figured i should probably begin posting more and more of the work captured in 2011, eh? between my own wedding planning, moving (more than once, ha!) and actually being out and about, DOING my work, there was little to no time to actually share. this is something i plan on changing, pronto. so many lovely people continue to invite me into their lives and i am honored to be the person they pick to catch these little snippets of life.

for 2012, i want to push myself to continue to grow as a documentarian. anyone can dress up, pose, and smile but do you want to know what my favorite photographs are? the unposed. the beautiful, raw, tender, normal moments captured of real life in real time. i want to get back to the heart and soul of why i began taking pictures in the first place: that feeling of seeing something through the lens and wanting to remember it forever. quality over quantity is a mantra i have to keep repeating to myself... quality over quantity. clients, i'd rather give you twenty GORGEOUS photographs than eighty that are just so-so.

i daresay the caffeine in my tea has gotten the best of me today, someone's rather chatty. :) without further ado, a family shoot of some regular client-friends, you may recognize these faces as i've featured them plenty in the past. erin, kevin, brock and lincoln... thanks so much for continuing to ask me to come back to capture your family! love you guys.

2012

2011-12-31T17:44:00.001-08:00

in a few hours we're going to be spending our evening with some close friends and their kids, having a low-key night in. husband's getting ready and i'm trying to get some last-minute work done. :) i don't know how you feel about new year's, but there's something so refreshing about it on my end, every time.

the main theme that i can't get out of my head going into the new year is gratitude. we are so blessed. i'm thankful for my husband who loves and cares for me in a different way than i ever knew before. i love the conversations we have and also how much time we spend laughing together. he is an amazing partner. i never saw him coming but i'm certainly glad that he did. :)

i'm thankful for my baby nieces who were born yesterday. they're so itty bitty and definitely premature BUT amazing things are happening and they are doing much better than even the doctors expected. i haven't seen them in person yet but i'm absolutely in love with them already.

i'm thankful for the things that have happened this past year that have been hard. the challenges have grown me in profound ways.

i'm thankful for this job that has continued to be what i need.

i'm thankful for breath and life and future and hope.

happy new year. :) blessings.

happy almost new year merry christmas late.

2011-12-28T17:37:00.001-08:00

yes, what the subject line said.

;)

we had a lovely, lovely christmas and from those days i'll be sure and post a few pictures here, soon. it was quiet and loud, simple and complicated, so what we needed and also absolutely what we wanted. all of the above. in this week between christmas and new year's i am still eating like it's going out of style because we have so many killer leftovers overflowing our fridge, which i love. i just won't love it when i can no longer button my jeans. hah. needless to say, we are definitely enjoying this time of year. hope you and yours had a wonderful christmas celebration, too.

a few weeks prior to christmas, a wonderful and regular client of mine called and wondered if we could do a family shoot at the local christmas tree farm. i said YES, absolutely, sounds like a fabulous idea. we got a beautiful sunny morning and a happy little lady, all in all it was a great shoot. take a peek at some of the results:

nick, nicole, and addison- as always, it's a joy and my pleasure to spend time with you guys! thanks for another great family shoot. :)

all is calm, all is bright.

2011-12-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

... just kidding. you might've thought little ellis would've been in the holiday spirit but he wasn't quite in the mood to chill by the fireside while i snapped away... oh no, he made us work for it. :) exhibit a:

perhaps it was this particular chair and he knew yellow was not his color?! REGARDLESS. he is darling and precious and his parents and i had a great time setting him up for these shots in and around their home. take a look and see-

melt my heart! thank you so much for the opportunity to get to know you all and capture your sweet little boy. :) he's just adorable.

runaway!

2011-12-13T15:26:00.000-08:00

candid moments like these are the most fun to capture during a photoshoot! check out that little escape artist. :)

home is wherever i'm with you.

2011-12-02T14:59:00.001-08:00

literally, i am so glad to be back in our house.

this past season has been a whirling dervish of change and transition and WORK. i promise you, i'm not complaining, just explaining... chaos has been the name of the game. whether it's a busier-than-normal fall work season (thanks everyone!) or unexpected real-world stressors where we as a couple (who are definitely not "spring chickens", ha) have had to grow up in new and interesting ways, or extended family pieces we've needed to attend to... there's barely been time for us to learn how to now be a we not to mention us to make this former bachelor pad something home-y. i look around and it definitely reminds me of many moons ago when i first stepped in to j's world and it feels almost foreign to call it "mine"- it definitely doesn't match up with the "mine" i have in my mind. :)

this week promises another work trip (one last one for 2011!) and then i'm firmly rooted... at least for 3 weeks. :) that will be the longest stretch we've had of uninterrupted anything since saying "i do" and WE CAN'T WAIT. first order of business: going to pick out paint colors and find things that are still packed in boxes (do i even remember what i've been missing?!) next, catch up with folks we love and decorate our second christmas tree (first, married). we will just rest (mentally/emotionally) and it will be grand.

today's batch of photos are shots that speak home and this christmas season to me. a contented rest, a peaceful place to land. enjoy.

happiest monday!
with love,
n

happiness.

2011-11-27T16:41:00.000-08:00

moments like these are one of the reasons parenthood is so beautiful to me. :)

(it's personal) thoughts on weddings, particularly my own.

2011-11-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

(all photographs in this post by the amazing and talented bryan rupp. we are so thankful to have had him capture our day!)

weddings are funny. obviously, i knew this well before my own. true confession: i've been a bridesmaid nine times. NINE. no, i don't exactly feel like i qualify for the 27 dresses club, but close. my bridesmaid-ing abilities and desires have hit their limits. oh yes, and i shoot weddings for a living and have been for the past three years. it might be safe to say that in my range of wedding-related experience over the past twenty-nine years, i've seen it all.

when it came to my time to put down the camera and be the bride, truth be told, i never pictured it playing out like this. but when in life do things really go according to OUR plans!? :) and yet, somehow, so much played out exactly like i thought it would or could.

one of the main things i personally realized from seeing this whole, rite of passage "wedding experience" through bryan's lens- there is a powerful opportunity for both redemption and beauty in every photograph from every stage of life. i love these pictures from a friday afternoon in september. artistically, i think they're oh so pretty. and you're only seeing four shots out of 500+.

beyond the surface of "that's a good angle" or "i like the composition of that image"- i am seeing the best of september 30th, 2011. i'm seeing expressions on my face as i look at my new husband, love in my eyes, and his mirrored right back that i never have the opportunity to see play out in real life/real time... because it's OUR moment. we're in it. we rarely observe it. looking at these photos it almost cements the feelings of love and commitment in new and different ways than before because we get a glimpse from the outside, and it's beautiful. photography is one of those things that i often hear goes at the bottom of the budget (be it wedding, or otherwise), but to have the RIGHT photographer capture those emotions and meaningful times- it's worth it.

photographs are a powerful medium. it's been personally revealing to me as i've gone through this season of re-meeting (that's a long story for another time... :)) my husband and the two of us joining our lives just 52 days ago. it's been refreshing and inspiring as i think about the photos i want to take and share with any of you who are still with me after falling off the blogging wagon. ;) (ps... thanks for still checking on this little ol' thing.) i'll continue to share some of my business here. but i also think i'll share photos that i love simply because i look at the image and feel inspired. inspiration is key to the arts and if i'm just throwing pictures out there but no heart is behind it it won't really resonate, with you or with me. more photos. more heart. more feeling. those are just a few goals i have for the next season of my life. coming here, soon. :)

new facebook fan page!

2011-09-07T13:02:00.001-07:00

have you seen this yet?

stay in touch! stay up to date! stay current with photos i've taken this summer!

(nancynoble).photography on facebook

happy september-
n

how my summer is going

2011-07-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

planning a wedding and moving in the midst of my busy season of work = craziness. :) the photo second from the top? yep. that's my mental state much of the time. hah! however, we are finding joy in the middle of all the transitions and lack of sleep and i suppose that's probably preparing me for... (parenthood someday?! most likely).

life is GOOD and i'm not m-i-a due to a lack of things to show and tell, it's just that blogging is literally not going to happen all that often until my life becomes a little less insane. clients- you are AWESOME! i'm loving the families, high school seniors, and bride/groom combos i've been shooting and seeing. there is much in the works for 2012 so if you're following the latest, definitely know fun ideas are in the works for the future. hope you guys are having a great summer and i'll check in again when i can. :)

puppy love.

2011-06-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

for almost a week, i cared for these four cuties while their "parents" (my friends) were on vacation:

oh, man. i adore these dogs.

lovebirds

2011-06-17T00:45:00.001-07:00

this sweet couple and i wandered around downtown portland on a simply GORGEOUS summer day... andrew and stephanie, so nice spending time with you today! looking forward to your portland wedding next month.

yesterday

2011-05-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

the day that came right before today, i made pie.

so tasty & delicious.

i also worked on photos from this family's photoshoot from last week... can these kids get any cuter? probably not.

happiest of holiday weekends to everyone! enjoy the time with your family and friends.

(shift)

2011-05-19T08:29:00.001-07:00

change is so in the air.

moreso than in any other season of my life, i can feel it all around me. tangible. as a child, i was so resistant to change (for fear of the unknown) that my mom used her spare coins as a bribe/brainwashing-lesson and every time she'd hand over a quarter i'd have to repeat back to her the phrase "change is good." probably one of the smartest moves my mom ever made, as it's a lesson that sticks with me even when i'm struggling the most with a shift that i didn't see coming or something that's most definitely outside my control.

it's so humbling to submit your life to someone greater than yourself. yet i honestly have never ever been so excited to follow the leading of the God i love and serve. at the same time, it's the wildest ride i could ever imagine, and sometimes it scares the crap out of me.

what i've waited for as long as i can remember is happening. and this story is more than i could've dreamed in my wildest imagination. no it's not perfect, he's not perfect, i'm not perfect. not at all. but this is so stinking good. it's been worth every past heartache and disappointment, every long year of not knowing if what was deep in my heart would ever come true. now i'm surrounded by the "coming true" and i'm in awe. most times, speechless. it's so crazy i don't even know how to string sounds and syllables together to explain it. my heart is full of gratitude as i absolutely did not put any of my dreams/desires together. God did. in His timing.

in the middle of all this amazingness is also a little bit of pride-poking loss as i also sense God preparing me to focus primarily on my own family. He knows me better than i know myself (thank goodness) and some of the ways i accidentally got my little identity wrapped around and inside my career He's slowly stripping away. it's hard. yet i'm thankful for these humbling revelations as i've often seen played out before me that you can't do it all. you can't do it all and do it all well, anyway.

my 2011 continues to be filled with amazing clients and lots of travel. it's been a wild ride these past few years figuring out a business and seeing where it could go. i'm not giving up, i'm not quitting, i just realize that the winds are changing and i can not wait to see where those winds will go.

(it's personal) happy.

2011-05-05T10:06:00.001-07:00

life is rich and full and i am a blessed woman. so much to be thankful for.

traveling today! west --> east once again, to shoot several families and one fabulous wedding. can't wait to see all those folks and to be able to show you what i've seen once i return!

natalie + casey (engagement)

2011-04-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

good friday morning!

i definitely hope this blog post finds you well. spring is all around us in the pacific northwest, and last week i was able to enjoy some of the springy-ness outside during this engagement session with casey and natalie.

CONGRATS, guys! so thrilled for you two, may you have many wonderful years ahead. :)

weddings in the air.

2011-04-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

with april came wedding season 2011. michael and michelle were an AMAZING couple to help me kick off this year! so excited about the places i'll go and the people i'll see.

congrats you two! it was so fantastic to be there for the start of your new life together.

darlings.

2011-04-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

i didn't grow up with brothers or around an extraordinary amount of boys, but my friend erin's two make me want to have a whole passel of my own. who knew a good game of david and goliath (for the record, i was a philistine) could be so much fun?

(it's personal) begin at the beginning.

2011-04-11T00:30:00.000-07:00

i wouldn't've thought that this kind, friendly man i met nearly 5 years ago (when i first moved to portland) would be "the one."

we were ships passing in the night for most of that time, and then in a hilarious turn of events we were set up (sorta :)) this fall. if you see me in person ask me the story, i love to tell it. a good friend said it so well: "it's a great testimony to God's creativity and timing." seriously. it was nothing either of us could've put together.

fast forward to march 25th, the day that j asked me to be his wife. another great story. the short version: he loves me so well. i have been and continue to be wowed.

(engagement day photos by jelani)

sometimes great things happen when you least expect them. :)

what'd you do this weekend?

2011-03-27T22:49:00.000-07:00

me? oh... i said YES!!! :)

(he is amazing and i'm so excited to have the privilege of marrying this man. my cup runneth over.)

portland loves cambodia

2011-03-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

oh hey, hi, hello.

the past few days i've been sick... which isn't all that unusual. i mean, i usually catch a whopper once in the fall and then again in the spring. other than that- healthy as a horse. this year's semi-annual sickness seems to have been sponsored by harrison ford movies, which have kept me somewhat sane in my feverish state. :) hurrah for that!

i'm getting excited about this year's "busy season"- which is right around the corner! it's hard to believe that spring is here and i am once again refreshed and ready to start shooting. part of this building excitement was looking over some of the work from 2010- if you haven't seen it, check out this album on facebook sampling just some of what i saw in 2010 here. i'm honestly so grateful for all the people who trusted me with their memories and events this past year, it is a joy to know you guys and be a part of your lives.

although the past few months have been quieter than the spring/summer/fall, i've still been photographing from time to time. last month, i was so excited to document a great fundraiser for a great cause, benefiting a really tangible need for women being rescued out of human trafficking. transitions global is a wonderful organization working with victims of trafficking looking to build a new life. check out the photos below from this fundraiser featuring prints from amazing designers, good food and drink, awesome music, and raffle prizes donated from fantastic businesses and restaurants all around portland.

welcome to my world.

2011-03-17T08:28:00.001-07:00

it's been a wee bit drippy as of late.

(but here's the truth: i kind of love it. :))

remembering to have this today.

2011-03-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

adventures in second shooting.

2011-02-18T04:22:00.000-08:00

last december, i was totally honored to shoot a wedding with mr. bryan rupp. not to be too mushy-gushy, but i totally respect this dude's work. it's pretty much my fave. can i be honest with you though? it was WEIRD to be the second shooter and not the one running the show! all day i had an internal dialogue going, reminding myself that this was bryan's deal and i needed to follow his lead. haha, it completely threw me that i didn't have to be the one in charge!

in spite of my silly "simmer down, i'm not the main photog" speech that was on repeat inside my mind, it was a great day. corbin and danielle were so incredibly chill, i wish i could bottle their attitudes and sell it on theknot.com. you know, happy, laid-back bride and groom potion. :) they simply focused on having a good time with their friends, family, and each other- such a beautiful holiday wedding.

beautiful wedding, beautiful gray december day. so glad i was able to be there. bryan, thanks again for the opportunity to shoot with you! i had a blast.

coming soon!

2011-02-16T16:24:00.000-08:00

soon to the blog! pictures from danielle and corbin's wedding where i was second shooting with bryan rupp.

winner!

2011-02-15T10:01:00.000-08:00

laura wrote:

Aw, just one? ;) I'll pick our son, Gavin. I'm so blessed to be the mama to a little boy who is so full of energy and curiosity about the world and all its people and critters. He's amazing to watch.

Bonus: He'll still likes to cuddle when we read together!"

congratulations, commenter #9! :) send me an email and we can pick a time and date for your free photoshoot.

to everyone who participated and shared about people in their lives that they love: THANK YOU! it was so wonderful reading about the folks that you treasure.

love is all you need.

2011-02-13T10:30:00.001-08:00

who do you love?

it could be your mom. your son, your daughter. your husband. your girlfriend. your best friend you've known for 20 years. it could be your cousin or your stepdad.

in honor of valentine's day, i want to hear about it.

leave a comment on this blog entry. tell me, in a paragraph or less, something good about one person in your life that you love.

from the comments, one winner will be drawn at random for a free lifestyle shoot. 45-60 minutes of shoot time, all post production work, and about 50 photos in high resolution on a disc, to use/print/share however you like.

so... tell me. :)

(the fine print)
- free shoot must be scheduled and redeemed prior to 10/31/11
- eligible for redemption in either the albany, new york or portland, oregon areas
- all comments must be posted by 9pm PST on 2/14/11 to be eligible
- scheduling is subject to availability and travel schedules

updated website! annnd a little something extra.

2011-02-10T10:36:00.001-08:00

hello, hello!

my website (nancynoble).photography is now up and running with heaps and loads of new photos including 2 featured weddings from 2010. check it out!

in honor of this upcoming holiday of love, i'll also be holding a drawing of sorts in just a few days. check back by 5pm on sunday the 13th for more details! there just may be a free shoot involved. you just may be interested. just sayin'. :)

talk with you soon.

chad + stacey (wedding)

2011-02-07T16:02:00.000-08:00

this post is long overdue.

long, long, long. see, i'm not always great at consistently blogging. (<--- captain obvious statement, right over yonder.) ahem. moving right along.

i got to know these two pretty well over the course of preparing for and shooting their wedding. (i love when that happens!) when their big day finally arrived, i knew that the whole shebang HAD to make it onto my blog. and... i told them this would be the case. however, just as soon as those words were out of my mouth, the season hit high gear and all i was doing was trying to keep up with work and travel and a little bit of life. taking the time to blog this wedding the way i'd wanted to definitely went on my back burner. but now, in the gloomy cold of winter, we all have a chance to enjoy the story of their big day and the beautiful colors of summer. :) all's well that ends well?

one thing i loved about this couple is their sense of adventure. literally- they were up for anything. yes, that is stacey after several hours of getting ready for her wedding day. yes, she is crossing a river to get to a shoot location. with no assistance. and yes, she has killer balance and coordination, because there wasn't even one close call! bam. go super bride, go.

their actual ceremony was at a family friend's home, overlooking a beautiful lake in upstate new york. family and friends stood closeby to watch chad and stacey say their vows to each other.

...afterwards, there was much celebration. :) who doesn't love a party?

chad, stace, your day was beautiful. i so appreciate the love that you have for each other and the way you celebrated that love on your wedding day. a belated congratulations, and thank you for letting me be a part of your life together!

first comes love, then comes marriage...

2011-01-19T16:40:00.001-08:00

hello hello!

it's late, but i am WIRED, just super excited for a fun weekend ahead... plus i am long overdue to share a little somethin' somethin'.

in mid-december i was fortunate enough to shoot a wedding with this gentleman, bryan rupp.

he just posted a blog from that wedding, and i (as always!) was blown away by his talent. shoot. check out the post here.

let me quickly tell you about something fun and exciting i got to be a part of last week. this past spring, i had the privilege of shooting the wedding of nick and nicole, and the day was fabulous.

guess what- these two are expecting their first baby! here are a few of the "sneak peek" shots i sent nicole's way- isn't she a stunning pregnant woman? just gorgeous! it really is a blast when i can not only be involved in people's lives once, but when they continue asking me to capture their lives and families. such an amazing thing to build relationships with clients and to see their families change and grow!

i am super excited to meet the little one this spring- nick and nicole, congratulations!

(it's personal) vol. 6

2011-01-01T16:45:00.000-08:00

hello, hello-

i hope the start of 2011 finds you filled to the brim with anticipation. i am so glad to be here. :) it's gonna be a good 52 weeks, i can feel it deep down in my soul.

what to know how i celebrated 1/1/11? let me tell you- i was with the fam. my immediate family contains:
- mom
- dad
- cair (sister)
- jordan (bro-in-law)
- leah (cair's best friend of 15+ years and my pseudo-sister)
- joe (bro-in-law, via leah)

there are two things that are usually present when we all get together. 1) food and 2) laughter. there were times over baked french toast, orange juice, and two pounds of bacon that i was laughing so hard tears were streaming down my face. my family can drive me up the wall, but i love them with my whole heart. my siblings bring me so much joy and i can't begin to imagine life without them.

so, leah and joe. they are expecting their first baby this spring, and i am SO excited to meet this tiny little man! we shot a few photos after breakfast, and i definitely think pregnancy suits my lucy goose! check out this beautiful lady.

(from leah's last ultrasound)

new people, new starts, new possibilities. i can not wait- there is so much to be thankful for. happy new year!

there are certain moments...

2010-12-21T15:04:00.001-08:00

... moments where i stop and remember. this is why i do what i do. this makes me feel, think, be inspired. and this was one of those times. i'd forgotten all about this shot from a late october wedding until i was just now sorting through the images and as i noticed the photo, it put a big ol' smile on my face. (again). i love life. the beginning, end, and i'm learning to love the middle. life is rich and full of amazing lessons and blessings.

merry christmas, happy new year, and thanks for sharing in my business and my life. i appreciate you!

(safe families)

2010-12-15T11:28:00.000-08:00

today i wanted to highlight an amazing organization i'll be working with over the next several months. some of the photos appearing on their blog will be stuff i've shot, and i'm honored to have a small part in showing you pieces of the work that they're doing every single day. check out the website below- if what they offer to families in need resonates with you, i'd encourage you to find a way to get involved. whether it's time, finances, or spreading awareness- support this team that helps parents and kids make it through seasons that aren't so easy.

Safe Families (WA) blog | Stories from the Safe Families movement in Washington State

holiday cheer

2010-12-08T17:25:00.001-08:00

so, it's christmastime.

(haha, nothing like a thursday morning post to be captain obvious. :))

christmas is a season for lots of things, including actual MAIL in your mailbox (as opposed to bills or catalogs or ads) filled with wishes of a great new year and sometimes the latest photos of families that you hold close to your heart. i love those. there's just something about a piece of real mail that brings joy to the heart.

speaking of great families. i have to show you chad and heather's brood. they are just darling.

i spent part of an afternoon with this crowd last month, and just had a blast capturing them as they interacted and played together. it makes me happy when families know how to love. these guys do. check 'em out.

jessie + mark (the ceremony)

2010-11-23T17:34:00.000-08:00

jessie and mark.

what to say about these two? you've just gotta know them. the picture below is worth a thousand words:

yeah... that pretty much sums it up. :)
they've got personality. and it's fantastically wonderful.

these two are easy to love, and everyone at their wedding was literally rejoicing alongside them. such a wonderful enthusiasm and excitement surrounded these two on their wedding day.

check out these few shots from their ceremony, beginning with mark's first glimpse of his bride.

congratulations, you two. i had a wonderful time witnessing the start of your lives together. all the best!

heather + michael (engagement)

2010-11-15T12:47:00.000-08:00

a little while back, i had the pleasure of wandering around troy, ny with heather and michael.

they are fabulous. they wanted an engagement shoot that was a little retro, a little full of somethin' sassy.
we did our dangdest. :) and i'm pretty happy with what we got.

check out how cute and in love these two are:

m + h, i'm so very excited to shoot your wedding in 2011! see you soon! :)

a cute baby for your weekending happiness

2010-11-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

not kidding. she is just beautiful and full of darling personality. just try to look at those lovely eyes and squishable cheeks and be miserable. try it. i dare you. she'll turn that frown upside down in a heartbeat. :) here are a few quick shots of ava and her family, who all love her to bits and pieces.

this is what it looks like

2010-11-03T22:45:00.000-07:00

lately when i travel i find that i'm becoming less and less adaptable to different time zones. it's almost two am in new york and i'm not tired, not even a wink.
guess that means i'm getting old and set in my ways? :)

before this gets ridiculous and i end up napping tomorrow away because i didn't even TRY to make myself fall asleep, i wanted to post some shots i took almost a month ago of an absolutely beautiful couple that i spent a little time trying to capture- honestly, this is one of my favorite shoots of the year. first of all, these two are so kind and fun to be around. they're just great. secondly- they've known each other since they were kids- then they married young- and 30 years later their love is obviously still there. they so enjoy being together and it's awesome to watch. i'm sure life hasn't been perfect or easy all the time, but i can't imagine a better fate than being married to your best friend and living life side-by-side like they do.

instead of continuing to ramble, fully revealing the sap that i am :) how 'bout i show you some of the photos, yeah?

so much laughter and life. here's to another 30 years. :)

new project!

2010-10-31T09:48:00.000-07:00

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

winter shades of gray

today = a good day.

2010-10-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

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.

2010-10-22T20:41:00.000-07:00

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. :) :)

2010-10-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-17T18:59:00.001-07:00

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)

2010-10-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

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.

2010-10-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

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. :)

nobody does it better.

2010-09-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

this post is for the moms.

i spend a lot of this season of my life watching other people live theirs. haha, sounds weird when i phrase it like that, doesn't it? not that i don't have my own life... i do. filled with so many wonderful people and adventures and things to be thankful for. but at this exact moment, i do not have a spouse or kids or a lot of commitments and responsibilities outside of myself and my job. and most of my job is to chronicle other people's lives. it's a great learning opportunity, and i am soaking it all up.

i've been thinking lately about being a mom and what that might be like. personally, i can't wait. but i see that it is a HARD job. you grow these small people who are completely dependent for every need, and then in a flash... they are off and running (literally). your job, almost overnight, becomes less of a sedentary one and instead fills a role resembling jack-of-all-trades circus master. you comfort, you instruct and guide. you corral, you set free. you fix everything and other times teach them how to do it themselves. you find solutions to hunger when all that can be found are a few crackers at the bottom of a purse and help with pesky older siblings that won't stop with their incessant teasing. you kiss and make life better when needed.

dads are very important. VERY, very. i do not mean to minimize their role in a child's life... it's huge. but there's something lately i've been realizing about moms and i can't quite verbalize what i'm going for here, except to say there's nothing quite like a good mom who sincerely loves her kids. and when i say "love" i don't ONLY mean the feel-good, mushy kind of love- i also mean the "i'm doing this because it's best for you" kind of love. i feel like that kind of full-circle love and guidance helps kids get the confidence they need to start figuring out who they were made to be. these little people who are bits and pieces of their parents but also extremely unique in and of themselves and resembling small blank pages with futures and potential largely untapped and unknown.

all this to say, as someone who may very well be a mom at some point in the future: watching you inspires me. so, thanks. keep doing what you do. and lest you feel as though it's a tough and somewhat crazy job at times- know that you're doing good work. it matters a whole lot... so keep it up. :)

hello from the coast!

2010-09-23T23:26:00.000-07:00

i just love the ocean.

any body of water, really. lake pond river ocean stream. doesn't matter. but ocean is my favorite (shh, don't tell the others).

something about the smell, the sights, the sounds- it's absolutely mesmerizing. i get to the beach and feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. i can breathe better, think better. everything IS better. i could live here and die here and be amazingly content. or... i could just come visit as often as i can and be great with that, too. :)

here are a few snaps from the camera, of what my friend colette and i saw on a perfect fall night. all photos by me except the shot OF me, which is by colette. uh- i now tend to make crazy faces in front of the camera. unintentionally. this one's tame, relatively speaking... oh dear. :) :)

(photo by colette port)

headed to sleep now, listening to the sounds of the surf right outside. perfection. :) g'nite.

(part of) joelle + stephen (wedding)

2010-09-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

good evening!

tonight is a comfort food sort of night. i must confess, i came home after a semi-long day about an hour ago and ate a random/odd assortment of pita chips (had to finish up the bag), tater tots (any form of potato=the BEST!), and a package of cherry pop tarts. now... would this be my top pick for comfort food? no. however, i've been out of town for nearly two weeks. the pickings are slim. :) i predict a trip to the grocery store is most definitely in my future.

i am exhausted. and when i'm overtired, i tend to feel hungrier than normal. hah. :) yesterday was a long day of travel after a fabulous week and a half in new york which included several weddings, time with family and friends, and a few family photoshoots with kids that could strongly compete for the title of the cutest small human beings ever to live and breathe. :) while i was sitting here eating nonsense, i thought to myself- HEY! why not share a few images on the ol' blog? so, without further ado, here are a few photos from the getting ready process for the beautiful wedding of stephen and joelle.

have a happy beginning to your week! i'll be back with more to share, soon.

they have my heart.

2010-09-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

people are fun to photograph.

around this time of year, i don't have a lot of time to really appreciate what i do. right now as i type i'm (again) in another airport, waiting for another cross-country flight to take me to another three weddings and a handful of families. i barely have time to fit in a little bit of a life, nevermind taking a minute to reflect on what i love about this job. but people are great. people are my favorite- to spend time with, to work alongside, to try and understand.

even though ALL of my clients are amazing, there's just something about the kids- they are incredible treasures. here are a few random shots from just a sampling of the families i saw and worked with during my last trip to the east coast, which is where i'm headed again right now. enjoy, because these are some wonderfully beautiful and handsome little people. :) the whole world is before them to learn and explore and the possibilities are endless. so much yet to be discovered. i love every minute i spend with these guys and am thankful to have the privilege of capturing some of their grand adventure.

georgia + eric (wedding)

2010-09-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

here's a semi-wordless, picture-heavy post about a july wedding that was just stunning. thanks georgia and eric for allowing me to be a part of your big day! as for me, i'm getting ready to go enjoy my holiday weekend, i hope you do the same! :)

breather.

2010-08-30T15:12:00.000-07:00

so life has been rather intense lately.

work! personal stuff! work! work work work!

that's pretty much how it's been going. :) i haven't even had time to sit down, take a breather, and process life. 'cause sometimes life is crazy and needs a bit of processing. but i'm not complaining. i've had some amaaaaazing weddings and families to shoot lately. and i plan on sharing, asap.

for now, here's a peaceful sort of picture from genna + daniel's wedding which took place this past saturday. pretty, no? i got more! i'll show ya' soon! :) promise.

a quick glimpse

2010-08-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

these four are a wonderful family that i'm glad to know as clients, but even moreso as friends. here's a look into a night at their house:

i love to watch them love. :) they do it well.

news about the east (from the west)

2010-08-23T09:36:00.001-07:00

good morning!

i just got back from a fun-filled/work-filled trip to new york, and although i THOUGHT about blogging, it didn't really happen. haha. isn't it the thought that counts? :D not to worry though... i have so many photos to show you!

i can't even believe we're nearing the end of august- where did this summer go? last night as i was enjoying an absolutely beautiful portland evening during my favorite time of night, right as the sun is beginning to dip and the light is soooo beautiful, i swore i could smell fall in the air. it just smelled like the promise of changing leaves and pretty scarves and thick warm socks. :) this morning, a hoodie and a warm cup of tea are my bff as i sit in my "office" (living room :)) and work work work. time is flying.

these past few weeks were a blast filled with amazing people and such fun times. i have such wonderful people in my life and am so thankful. i didn't get a whole lot of photos on a personal note which happens sometimes when i'm so busy taking pictures for work, but here's one i wanted to show you. my parents are in the middle of updating the 2nd floor of their house, and as they ripped up the carpet in what was originally my room, this is what they found:

that, my friends, is over twenty years old. thankfully my penmanship has improved abit over the years. ;) this year nostalgia has been hitting me full force and i just can't believe how quickly life changes. part of me still feels like the little kid that scribbled my name with a green marker on my new bedroom floor. :) thankfully i wasn't around when mom spotted this- i don't know for a fact, but i'm betting that she probably teared up when she saw, and if i'd been around i would've joined her. ha. :)

changing gears! you all know i do a lot of wedding and family photos. a lot. it's always a fun challenge to try something new and when i was asked to take photos of matt's (brand new!) condo, i was excited. how do i document this without being ::cough cough:: boring?! ha! i mean... no furniture, no wall decorations, nothing. just blank space. however- as you can see below- the house itself is hardly boring. :)

congratulations again on this huge step for your life! i'm so excited for you... all the blank space is full of amazing possibility. :)

at first sight.

2010-08-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

stella and justin are just one of those couples who are absolutely, positively, insanely crazy about each other. :) this makes my job RIDICULOUS easy, as they are just so natural together and their love just kind of comes to life in front of whomever they're with.

exhibit a:

yeah, they kind of like each other. i guess. ;)

during their engagement shoot, i asked the two of them about the story of their relationship... they exchanged a look as stella told me it was pretty much love at first sight. i might secretly doubt that in some cases. but with them- it seems like something that definitely actually happened.

they got married in front of their closest family and friends on a perfect summer evening. check out some shots from their day:

congratulations, honeymooners! your love for each other and great sense of humor made my work a lot of fun. thanks for letting me be a part of your big day!

surprised by how much i'm liking to be surprised.

2010-08-09T22:37:00.000-07:00

behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (isaiah 43:19)

pink sunset outside my living room window//july 2010

tomorrow! i'm off to new york again. and i am really excited to go.

:)

pictures to take, people to see. i am so thankful. but for now... i pack. :)

surprises are my new favorite thing because i have found myself surprised in so many amazing ways lately. not kidding- it would take all day to tell the tale. but for now let me just tell you, i am just loving this season of new things.

my cousin amy is amazing.

2010-08-08T23:40:00.000-07:00

seriously.

can you do that?
... yeah, me neither. :D
what a rockstar.

some thing(s) old.

2010-07-31T21:43:00.000-07:00

at the crack of dawn today, three lovely girls and i piled into a green toyota and headed north to a few antique flea markets of sorts out in the country. i was pretty determined to not spend a lot of money but instead brought my camera and tried to capture lovely things. it was so much fun. don't believe me? see below. :) :)

summertime adventures are just the best.

elke + philip (wedding)

2010-07-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

while i was back in new york almost a month ago, i shot a wedding.

a VERY beautiful wedding.

this couple has some serious style. see for yourself:

the bride's nieces (flowergirls) wore fairy wings...

and the ringbearers carried these darling little nests:

the venue? not too shabby, either...

(grandma gets a special lift down to the ceremony site :))

and the party? let's just say it was rockin'.

elke, phil, it was so much fun to shoot your terrific summer wedding! you two are wonderful and thanks so much for allowing me to be there and share in your joy. best wishes in your life ahead!

what i saw on my summer vacation.

2010-07-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

(part two :))

what i saw on my summer vacation.

2010-07-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

(part one)

by the way... it was great. :)

be back soon.

2010-07-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

(newark airport facing NYC//june 2010)

so.

change is good, right?
change is good.
i have a lot of change to face when i come back from my vacation. a lot of decisions. just... a lot.
thank goodness my mom was the type to recognize that as a small child, i was resistant to unpredictable change and she helped me learn to grow, adjust, and flex with the way life can be. because life is often like that. my grandfather used to say that the only things that are certain in life are be death & taxes. i'd tack the concept of change onto that list. change happens. oftentimes it's hard, but it happens. might as well embrace the unknown and choose to grow in the refining process.

in the meantime, before i have to dig into all of that... i'm on vacation. :) in less than a few days, here's what awaits me:
- palm trees
- warm sandy beaches
- THE OCEAN
- good food
- books to read
- swimming pools
- a complete "unplug" from my work life
- a dear friend joining me for the entire adventure

hooray. i can't wait.
sometime late next week, i'll come back with a few posts. i have shot several lovely weddings that i'd love to show you. plus, of course, visuals from my trip. i'm bringing my camera just for fun. do you know how rarely i do that anymore? :) i don't expect to have hundreds of shots, but my personal goal is ten. ten good photos showing where i've been and what i've seen. other than that, i expect to be too busy swimming and reading and sleeping and eating to worry about taking pictures. :)

talk with you soon.

stella + justin (engagement)

2010-07-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

hey there!

so... mid-next week, i go on vacation. VACATION. ahhhhh. i will not be bringing my computer and thus not be connected to the outside world in just about any way! this is legit, more of a break than i've had in a few years. hooray! i can't wait. :) however, to prep for that trip, i've been super super busy trying to wrap everything up that needs wrapping. this is why i've been a little light on the posts this past week.

however, i had to (had to!) show you a few quick snaps from stella and justin's engagement shoot just a few nights ago. their love is so great to see and i just thought i should share. enjoy.

guys, i'm so excited for your wedding next month!

showstopper.

2010-07-03T02:50:00.000-07:00

this photo needed a blog post of its very own. taken during yesterday's amazing (amazing!) wedding- the bride looked like a million bucks. gor-ge-ous.

more soon! sleep, packing, and travel for me, in that order. :) g'nite.

potpourri

2010-07-01T21:45:00.001-07:00

every time i see the word "potpourri", i think of two things:

a) that mishmash catagory from the game show jeopardy

or

b) the smelly stuff my grandmother used to keep in little dishes on the living room coffee table.

:) let's redeem that particular word, shall we?! heh.

lately i've been in new york. been REALLY busy. one more wedding to go before i head back to my home state... but here's a quick sampling of the faces i've seen.

have a wonderful holiday weekend! :)

i think they like each other.

2010-06-23T00:54:00.000-07:00

can i tell you how much i adore these photos?

a-dore.

(from the fun-filled wedding of these kind folk)

i might be a little MIA from the blogging world until after july 4th. the next few weeks are filled with travel, weddings, families, an engagement shoot, and then a camping trip with some dear friends over the holiday weekend. new blogs may be sprinkled throughout very sparingly. :) but, as always, more photos are just around the corner! check back with me in early july and i'll do my best to share with you visuals of where i've been and what i've seen.

thanks for following along! i appreciate you.

nice weather (if you're a duck :))

2010-06-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

i must confess, i don't think i'm a true oregonian yet.

i hang my head in shame.

see- i very nearly postponed genna and daniel's engagement shoot. if you're not living in the portland area, let me explain that summer so far has been almost nonexsistent. no lie. you know how it rains a teeny tiny bit here in the pacific northwest? well, that's SUPPOSED to let up right about now.... nope, no dice. portland residents have nicknamed this particular month "juneuary" as we all are layering up and grabbing our galoshes before we head out to brave the elements.

back when daniel and genna scheduled their engagement photos with me, i wasn't all that concerned about the weather.

even when i looked at the forecast late last week and they said there was going to be a "chance of rain", i didn't let it get to me. oh, no big deal, chance schmance.

but then... i looked outside at noon. and again at one pm. and then at two. rain rain rain rain. i can deal with a light mist, but i'm just gonna throw it out there as a reality... my electronic equipment doesn't really do big fat droplets. however, with a little coaxing from the bride-and-groom-to-be, we met up at 3:30 on a dreary sunday afternoon and had a great time. i'm so glad they were "oregon hardcore" and had no hesitation about meeting up, come rain or come shine.

before we get to the photographic evidence, here are a few quick facts about daniel and genna:

- they are absolutely great together. OBVIOUSLY. just wait 'til you check out the pics below.
- they've spent most of their relationship so far in separate states or even different countries.
- they are both great dancers.
- they're very comfortable being themselves in front of the camera. winners!
- they're both engaging, fun, and interested in others.
- they have a passion for places across the globe and nonprofit organizations.
- one of them told me that his or her favorite movie happens to be the classic romcom "my best friend's wedding"- i'll leave it up to your imagination as to which one that might be. ;) hehe.

and now! pictures. i can just tell that their upcoming august wedding is going to be so great.

you two are a delight! can't wait for august 28th.

holly + aj (wedding), part two.

2010-06-20T23:48:00.000-07:00

oh hey, hello, how was your weekend? great, i hope. maybe you did fun stuff like play lawn games:

or... maybe not. :) whatever. regardless i hope you're ready to take on the week and are eagerly anticipating what good things could be just around the corner. i know i am.

speaking of good things, what do you think of these carefully crafted centerpieces? there's just something so wonderful and cheery about lemons, no matter which way you slice (or sugar) them. i just love citrus fruit and so these were right up my alley. delish.

in getting to see a couple through the course of their wedding day, i think one of my favorite things is to witness the first few moments when they see each other for the first time. guys- your expressions are always priceless. here are a few shots from when aj and holly first saw each other...

i think they were okay with what they saw. :)
the ceremony and reception took place here, and i just love the way the different trees frame the ceremony site. gorgeous.

aren't these amazingly fun shoes? this season i've noticed quite a few brides wearing things a little more colorful and funky on their feet... i love it. nothing like a splash of color here and there!

lemons, again. here's another shot, just because i liked them.

another great idea: cotton candy. not gonna lie, it was a big hit with lots of people including their photographer. :) here's a shot of the bride's sister in law working hard to serve up some of that pink goodness... and a crowd of lovely people thoroughly enjoying the fruits of her labor:

rings!

aj and holly: i really did love every minute with you guys. thanks so much for asking me to be a part of your day! best wishes on your new life together as husband and wife.

holly + aj (wedding), part one

2010-06-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

can i tell you... i love my job? I LOVE MY JOB.

there are some days that remind me of this very simple fact. holly and aj's wedding happened to be one of those days. throughout the day, i felt kind of like this:

whee!

if i had to pick one word to fit their big day, it would be details. this bride has style, let me tell you. almost everything was DIY- the flowers, the decorations, the little touches that were pulled together in such a classic yet current and cutting edge way. vintage, summer, shabby chic. i loved every beautiful minute.

there are so many great shots that i want to share, this is only part one of two. i'm saving the sugared lemon centerpieces for next time... stay tuned, your mouth will water. :)

this was in lieu of a traditional guestbook. guests placed their thumb in either light green or yellow ink, then literally left their print on this picture. what a great keepsake for aj and holly to have in their home!

the bride's bouquet had charms pinned to the base... a personalized present from each and every one of her bridesmaids. these charms represented something that each girl wanted holly to "carry" with her into her marriage. here are the oh-so-cute flower girl and her handsome ringbearer brother checking out the little gifts. :)

the bride's best friend was a huge hit with her stories during the toast... she was a natural and had absolutely everyone's attention!

that's all i have time to share today. part two- including even more details and shots from the ceremony, coming soon!

girls will be girls

2010-06-11T12:14:00.001-07:00

yesterday, after working all day, i went here:

to celebrate THIS GIRL and her 29th birthday!

and today, my nails look like this: :)

i don't usually paint my fingernails or get manicures... i just don't sit still long enough to let them dry. :) but now my fingers have cheerful coral-y orange tips and today, that makes me smile. happy birthday jenni! thanks for a wonderful time.

His eye is on the sparrow

2010-06-07T17:36:00.001-07:00

this morning i had a little visitor:

today was supposed to be pretty productive. go to my favorite camera store to return a lens i'd rented, go for a run, clean my house, edit edit edit. (this time of year there's ALWAYS enough editing to go around.)

i got up, laced my running shoes, and headed out the front door- only to see this little guy right in the middle of my front porch. i don't know how he got there; i'm assuming he fell from his nest. but i knew right away something wasn't normal. his eyes were sealed shut and he still had tufts of baby chick fluff poking out of the top of his head. hmm... what in the world. i had to get to the store, so i decided that if he was still on my porch when i returned, i'd try to do something. the whole drive over there i was worried out of my mind about the bird. what if the neighbor's cat wandered up and saw the helpless baby just sitting there? i couldn't wait to get back and when i did, there he was, chirping in the same place i'd left him.

thanks to my local chapter of the audubon society i was able to have him looked at by a vet, who said that he had some sort of infection in both his eyes that they would treat... my small friend definitely has a fighting chance. i was so relieved i almost cried.

you see, this year hasn't been an easy one for me so far. just being honest, 2010 has been great with my business growing and i love meeting and spending time with all my amazing clients, but in other ways it has been pretty rough. and even last night, i was discouraged, feeling the weight of.... life. just life.

when i saw this tiny bird on my porch, that old gospel song popped into my head as well as these few verses which i looked up later:

(matthew 10:29-31) are not two sparrows sold for a penny? and not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. but even the hairs of your head are all numbered. fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

(matthew 6:25-26) therefore i tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. are you not of more value than they?
funny how i needed encouragement and it was delivered right outside my front door. His eye is on the sparrow... and i know He watches me.

joel + marie (wedding)

2010-05-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

sometimes life doesn't go the way you plan.
this is an important lesson to learn.

sometimes when you're a bride planning a wedding, you need emergency gallbladder removal 3 days before the actual event.
that's what happened to marie.
no, i'm not kidding.

marie and joel kind of became my wedding heroes for this season. they showed such grace, strength, flexibility, and love for each other in the midst of things that were less than perfect. they totally practiced the commitment and ability to deal with life's curveballs before they'd even said "i do."

i admire that.
and as you can see below, even though all didn't go quite as planned, it was an amazing day.

marie & joel, congratulations. all the best in your new life together!

what happens when i'm trying to get a good shot and instead get pulled into a dance line at a wedding reception :)

2010-05-28T17:57:00.001-07:00

(photo by WEH)

hahahaha. yes, that's exactly what happens.
sometimes you just gotta dance? :)
happy weekend.

jeff + jenna (wedding)

2010-05-25T22:50:00.001-07:00

this past weekend, we were in pennsylvania.

ooooooooooooooooooo-ooooooooo.

PA has hosted many things. for example:

yay. :)

there's a somewhat personal side of this wedding to me, as i got to know the bride and groom as both friends and clients over the past several months and in the short time i've known them, have come to respect these two very much. they're just so quality!

the wedding was a legit mix of meaningful, deep, serious... and seriously goofy. what a great sense of humor they have! they know how to have fun and how to fully be themselves. don't take my word for it, see for yourself:

jeff + jenna, congratulations. you're fantastic people, and the love you share is amazing and inspiring.