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Ryan and Jackie entrusted me with capturing their wedding in Centralia, WA last month. This was the first time I have photographed a wedding, so they were really going out on a limb with me. 
The wedding and reception were a blast, and I’m so happy for the two of them! I feel like gushing, but I think I’ll just share a few favorites from the big day.

This is one of my favorites. All dressed up with 20 minutes to spare.

Last week my husband was in L.A. for his big industry event, E3. Rather than sit at home, just me and the boys, we headed south as well to my mom’s house in northern California. It was nice to just hang out and visit with her, with no real plans or agenda! Having other people around to occupy the kids didn’t hurt either. I was able to go to San Francisco for the day, by myself, and meet a friend who was in town from North Carolina- the wonderful photographer,  Julia Wade! I’ll have another blog post later this week with some pictures from my trip.

While I was down there I had the opportunity to photograph a gorgeous family. Not being from the area, they had to do their own location scouting. Kristi gave me a few places she thought would work, one being an old cemetery. Who does family photos in a cemetery?! Well, we do. It was too cool! Old, beautiful, with just a touch of creepiness. I was there a bit early walking around the old tombstones, nobody there but me and a few hundred dead people. I  started hearing a knocking sound and imagined the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, only scary. Sure it was a woodpecker, but that, along with the giant crows cawing at me, had me speed right through the old part of the cemetery and onto the way less creepy new area. And there I saw wild turkeys. Odd.

I don’t get to work with just adults very often, so having subjects who would actually sit still and take direction?! This was a real treat! The evening light was just amazing and I caught myself gasping several times as I looked through the lens and pressed my shutter button – it was just too beautiful.

Bailey & Ryan are friends of ours who recently got married. They opted to not have the big wedding and kept it teeny tiny and super private, just like they wanted. I totally admire that. The focus can really be on the love and not the show. Though I expect a party to come!

Congratulations, guys!

Family gets the brunt of a busy schedule.

Way back in November when mine came to visit, I did a little photo session for them. And I’m just now getting it all edited. You don’t even want to know how backlogged I am with my own pictures of my kids! It’s on the to-do list, it just always gets pushed to the bottom.

Anyway, here is a few of my family!

My little one is 4 months old now, and really getting into the cute baby stage. He just discovered his toes, and they are tasty! (He thinks so anyway).

I have a bit of an obsession going on right now with photographs taken in cafes, diners, coffee shops, etc.

The window light, dark interior, food and drink, strangers… all of it just makes such interesting pictures. I’m itching to do a session in a cafe and now is such a great time to do it. During the winter when the weather is so unpredictable with the rain, gloom, and overall lack of light, it makes a great alternative, a little different than your typical outdoor in the springtime photo session. Not that those aren’t beautiful and fun! Washington is gorgeous in the spring! But there are options for this time of year as well.

If anyone cares to indulge my obsession, give me a call! And in the meantime, enjoy this little ditty by Suzanne Vega. It’s now going to be stuck in my head for 2.2 days. And yours as well, if you listen to it.

After about 2 months off for maternity leave (Knox is 7 weeks old already!), I got back to doing what I love – photography!

We had an in-home session with this family, which is always a challenge but yields great results. It leaves me nervous for days before the session, wondering what kind of shooting environment I’ll be walking into. Will the lighting be good? Will there be enough room to maneuver? As stressed as I get beforehand, I always leave satisfied. I think the challenge makes the end results more rewarding for me, and I love capturing these moments for my families. Years down the road, when the children are grown, these images will bring back the memories of the time in the home. Because it truly captures the family’s life.

And now, bring on the pictures!

Aniela did some twirling in her party dress

Poor mom – Amadeo got a handful of her hair.I mean really got it! She kept a smile on her face, but ouch! I had to capture it, though. That’s life as a mom.  Most photographers don’t allow other cameras at the session I’m supposed to stay behid the camera, not in front of it!After the family photos, Rasa and I headed out into the cold to get a few shots of her. We hopped a fence into this great field near her house. Everything was covered in frost this morning and this field was just melting as the sun shone, leaving a gorgeous, glittery sea.This was a great session with a fun family. The perfect way to get back into my work. Thanks, guys!