James and Kim’s Wedding at Yellow Gold Farms in Albany, OR

Awww it’s winter now and I’m able to catch up on some summer sessions and weddings. Kim & James, what can I say about these two. They were absolutely stunning, both of them (but I mean mostly Kim, I mean come on)! Their day was filled with personal touches, loved ones they held dear and a beautiful day at a beautiful venue, Yellow Gold Farms in Albany, OR. Kim and James were so relaxed and genuinely enjoyed their special day with their most special people.

Venue: Yellow Gold Farms

Catering: Capricorn Catering

Ring: Blue Nile Diamonds

Dress: Bridal Exclusives

Jen & Sam

Jen and Sam’s engagement session was a dream! The location, the connection, the wardrobe and the clients all came together and we made magic! We started at Beazell Memorial Forest and then moved on to a nearby covered bridge. Jen and Sam were so comfortable in front of the camera…man did they bring the heat! Whew! Had such a good time running around with these two, I hope our paths cross again and again!

Michele & Luke's Wedding

Back in July I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph a wedding for two lovely people, Michele & Luke. Their small intimate wedding was perfect for 2020. The setting couldn’t have been more beautiful, tucked in the woods of the Oregon Gardens in Silverton, OR. Michele did a wonderful job putting the beautiful floral arrangements together herself. All the flowers were sourced from Shady Maple Farm CSA. I was so honored to photograph their wedding!

Lisa & Judah

A mother and her son…one of the sweetest connections you’ll find in family photography. I love that Lisa and Juda will have these images of when it was just them two together. This day in Salem, OR was pretty hot and humid, shot around mid day, I love the colors and connections throughout their gallery!

The Connors

Warning this post could trigger baby fever! I had the best time with the Connor family, Kelli, Andrey and little baby Luca. We started the family photography session in Albany, OR at Talking Waters park. Kelli came to me with the idea of capturing Luca in a milk bath…I was super excited at the vision! So we started with a lemon and orange milk bath which Luca absolutely loved…so did the bees unfortunately but luckily Andrey had cat like reflexes and swatted the bees away any time they got close to Luca :) The rest of the family session, I worked to capture the connection and love between family of 3. I loved all the snugly baby images, I’m so glad this little family invested in capturing this sweet time in their lives…they’ll never get it back but they’ll always have these images.

Michele & Luke's Engagement Session

Michele and Luke’s engagement session was like no other. We got to shoot at The Oregon Gardens and had the whole place practically to ourselves. It was amazing all the different set-ups and scenes we got to create there. Luke and Michele were so fun and laid back. The excitement knowing they’d be back to these same places in a couple months for their wedding was very evident.

Studio Session at The Gray Lab

I did a super fun session at Salem, OR very own indoor studio space, The Gray Lab www.graylabsalem.com The Gray Lab was so pretty with all its natural light, big picture windows and assortment of props, couches and stoles…a photographer’s dream. My models were super cute during their styled session, their outfits are now available in my client closet for clients to borrow. Check out the delicious images below!

Fanciest 5k Ever

I had the amazing opportunity last week to photograph a 5k race that benefited victims of sex trafficking. All the proceeds raised went to a non-profit organization called Safety Compass. Safety Compass provides support services to survivors of sex trafficking. The race was called The Fanciest 5k Ever, participants were encouraged to wear formal dresses and tuxes to race in, prizes were even handed out to the fanciest runners. It was such a blast! For me, running is not fun…but it is when you get to dress up for a good cause. I hope to come back year after year for this event. Check out the race’s Facebook page for more information!

Second Shooter - yes please!

Second shooters, for weddings, can be a super beneficial add on to your wedding packages. I offer it in all my packages, it’s a must to me on the most important day of my bride and groom’s life…I don’t want to miss ANYTHING and my second shooter is my insurance against that. There are a lot of ways to use a second shooter below are mine.

Angles

Ever try and be two place at once? Yeah me too and failed, but I can with a second shooter. During special moments, especially the wedding ceremony it is key to get all angels at those special times. My second shooter at my last wedding, got the sweetest shot of the groom looking back at his bride as she walked up the aisle. I of course was shooting the bride walking up the aisle with her father. First looks, bouquet toss, garter toss, crowd shots during speeches, etc the list goes on where it really helps having that second angle.

Have you ever seen a more genuine adoring look??? I totally missed this look while shooting the bride coming down the aisle but my second shooter got it!

Family Shots Organizer

My FAVORITE thing about having a second shooter is to use them to organize ALL the family shots, that have a million different combinations, with a million different people (okay a million is an over estimate but GEEZ sometimes it feels as if it’s a million). Part of my bride’s questionnaire is to fill out all the different combos she and her groom would like of different family and friends. I give this part of the questionnaire to my second shooter, she organizes the flow of the family shots, the people, and the checklist of my bride and groom’s combos. SO GREAT!

Moments Saved

Weddings are long!!! Whew, I get tired just thinking of them! As photographers, it’s imperative to give our bodies frequent breaks throughout our marathon shooting sessions at weddings. BUT what if we miss something, a moment, a memory, a time when all the guests get out their cell phones to snap the picture (like when all the groom’s childhood playmates hoist him up in celebration) but the professional photographer is nowhere to be found because they were taking their break! Having a second shooter, will ensure the professional photographer is there to snap the picture (either they do it themselves or can alert the head photographer to grab the moment).

ALMOST missed this moment because I was on a break.

Comic Relief

Sometimes you need a good laugh to break the tension or to relieve the stress. Your second shooter can provide just the amount of stress relief and sense of security you need to keep going…remember weddings are LOOOOONNNNG! I always give my second shooter a walkie talkie with an earpiece. We can coordinate important details like the first look between the bride and her groom or my personal fav whispering dirty words to get a good laugh.

But you have to pay the second shooter!

I know, I know what you’re thinking. Hiring a second shooter is money out of your pocket. But hopefully with the points mentioned above you can justify paying someone a second shooter to ensure your bride and groom get all and more out of hiring you. Best tip, build your second shooter into you pricing.

Look for second shooters in your local community by utilizing local photography facebook groups.

Ayla the Amazing

I had my first senior session a few weeks ago and it blew me away. I was a bit nervous going to the shoot, just one person in my camera…how to create connection, different looks, etc, ya know all those little anxieties that pop in your head. So frigg’n happy with how it turned out, Ayla was so amazing! The first thing I was struck by was her confidence and how relaxed she was in front of my camera…so poised for a Senior. Second thing, was her dress! Her dress had so much life from the color to the movement to the way Ayla rocked it. My favorite image is her walking toward the sun, symbolizing her next adventure in this life…away from all that is structured and on her own…I think she’ll do just fine!

The Masog Family

It was great catching up with Masogs especially since they added a new member to the family. Maximus was THE happiesr baby I have ever met, hewas so quick to smile, he literally smiled the whole time, it was seriously a photographer’s dream. Maximus’s big brother Lucas was also a dream, those blonde locks, paired with those big blue eyes, oh my!!!

The Davis Family

The Davis Family came to play! It was a warm July afternoon when we met up. Their family session was so easy. They posed effortlessly by simply doing what they always do, play! It was so fun catching up with this family. The girls reminded me of my sister and I, everything is funny when you’re with your sister :)