Rob's Impromptu Portrait Session

I heard from my friend Rhea yesterday, asking if I had time in my schedule to accomodate a quick portrait session for her son, Rob, who is going to have his Bar-Mitzvah next week. What are friends for, if they can't come through in a pinch? Since my jury duty obligation was unexpectedly cancelled for the day, I happened to be available - so with Gabriel off on vacation, the four of us went off to spend the morning with Rob. I love this first picture, with Rob looking quite handsome and relaxed...it helped a lot to have Rhea jumping up and down behind me to elicit a great smile, just like when Rob was a little boy!
This final picture cracks me up...it was so bright and sunny, that Gabriel took off his shades to give them to Rob, giving his eyes a break. I was more intrigued with seeing my reflection in his glasses than trying to get a good expression from Rob - it was too fun!

Alicia at the UW

A few months ago, I had the privilege of photographing the wedding of Alicia's sister, Jessica... so it was a special honor to be asked to take Alicia's senior pictures. Alicia truly has the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever photographed. We started out by having fun at the UW Village Mall - a place Alicia tells me she knows quite well! - before we continued onto the UW campus. I made sure to hit my favorite spots, and found a few new favorites along the way. Hey Alicia, thanks for being so much fun - I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Kelley Family Portrait Session

Jim and Sue met while in high school, and their relationship has been going strong ever since! Gabriel and I had the opportunity to spend some time with them over the weekend, taking pictures of their beautiful family before their oldest daughter, Alyssa, heads off to culinary school. In addition to some family portraits, they allowed me the fun of trying out a few different ideas to add to their family memories. Thanks, Kelley family!

Garrett's Senior Session

On Monday, my girls and I spent the afternoon with Garrett at Pike's Place Market, to take pictures for his senior session. It's no secret by now that Pike's Place is one of my favorite places to go for photos, but what surprised me this time was that even though I've been there so many times in the past, I was still able to see something "new " in a very familiar surrounding. I was inspired by a very creative & talented photographer to use my video light to "paint with light" in my photos. Garrett was a good sport about letting me experiment with this new technique, and the end result was kinda cool! I'm definitely going to want to try this again!I learned that one of Garrett's interests was in drama, so we decided to position him under the Market Theatre sign for a few shots.
Garrett's mom really liked this edgy wall filled with peeling posters and advertisements, so the final image in this series is my take on making this dramatic pose a little more artistic. I love the variety that is possible in digital imaging - really, the possibilities are endless, and only limited by one's imagination.
Thanks, Garrett, for going along with my suggestions and allowing me to mix it up. You did great!

Ryan and Annie's Engagement Session

Today our family had the pleasure of hanging out with Annie and Ryan, a sweet couple who are going to be married in just a few days! Ryan recently returned to the U.S. after a tour in Iraq, so his schedule didn't allow us to get together any sooner. We took Ryan and Annie on our own tour of the Bellevue Botanical Gardens, because they wanted a natural environment for their engagement photos. It's always nice to find a place like this in the middle of the city that provides such a great variety of scenic and wooded areas for photo oppportunities. It was great to re-visit a place that has provided many wonderful memories for our own family. Congratulations, Ryan and Annie - we look forward to being with you on your wedding day!

Whitney's Senior Session

My first memory of Whitney was as a tiny newborn baby, when we met her on a walk around our neighborhood...and I still have video of that meeting! So it was especially fun to re-connect with her for her senior pictures, and see what a beautiful young woman she has grown up to be. I loved that Whitney was up for all my suggestions - those that worked, and even those that didn't! We ended her session at the International Fountain at Seattle Center. I thought it would be a blast to have her running through the water - which she did for me, time and time again. We finally called it quits when she was soaked to the bone and the chill was setting in, but not before I got some great shots of her. Thanks, Whitney - I can't wait to see your book!

Anna's Senior Pics

It was so much fun to spend the afternoon with Anna for her senior session. Anna really hopes to attend the UW after high school, so what better place to go for her senior pictures? We got a great walking tour of the campus as we searched for unique spots. Anna was such a good sport about doing whatever I requested of her - from dancing to climbing walls! We ended our day at my favorite spot in Seattle - Post Alley at Pike's Place.

Ashley and Dean's Engagment Session

One of the first questions Dean had for me at our initial meeting was if I liked hiking. Hiking? What did that have to do with wedding photography? Everything...for the true outdoorsman at heart! Dean had proposed to Ashley on a bridge at Twin Falls State Park, so going back for their engagement session was a must. The 3-mile round trip hike was definitely a challenge for me!
Dean made sure to bring his dog, Ennuk, whom he had rescued from an animal shelter. Ennuk has to be one of the most laid-back dogs I have ever met! I think his favorite part of the day was laying down in the cold river.
I couldn't resist getting a picture of Ashley's beautiful engagment ring.
Who knew that Washington State was really so beautiful? This image looks like it could have been taken in Hawaii...but we are the fortunate ones to have this kind of beauty in our own backyard.
This picture reminded me of a trip we took to Italy, with the architecture and climbing vines on the railing. Wow - Washington State, Hawaii and Italy all in one e-session!
We asked Ashley and Dean to give us some romance for our next set of pictures - they didn't need much more direction than that.
We made it back to the Newcastle Golf Club for our final shots of the day before the sun went down. There really isn't anything that compares to the scenic beauty of the views of Seattle at sunset from this location.
It was true what we had heard! There really is a bagpiper who plays at sunset. It was so cool to watch him slowly climb the hill that we were on, listening to his music and see him finally make it to the crest of the hill. He was so gracious to stay and play for us as long as we wanted to listen and take pictures. Gabriel got this awesome shot of Dean and Ashley, having made sure that the bagpiper was in just the perfect position. It was a beautiful ending to a beautiful day.