Ami + Drew Engagement

Well, even though it kinda looks like winter in these pics, it just happened to be on one of the few cold mornings we've had lately (did I ever think I'd be saying that?). Ami and Drew were so much fun to shoot - game for it all, and so easy in front of the camera. I'm feeling so very lucky - have had just the best clients finding me!

Truckee Tribe

Every year a group of my girlfriends meets at a beautiful "cabin" in Truckee, CA for some relaxation, good food, good wine, and most of all good company. These women are each amazingly talented in their own right, and each one lives their life in a true and beautiful way. I love them to my bones, and every day I am so thankful they are in my life.
We cook together, walk together, skinny-dip in the lake, and talk and laugh (a lot). It's just about the moment, and being in it for whatever that looks like during the course of the day.
These images are in no particular order, but are randomly picked to give the flavor of one of our weekends - my advice? Go get your girls and GO somewhere!!

Cereal and Champagne for breakfast, of course.

No, we did not let Deni get the dress.

My find at the garage sale....my dream bike and a pair of wings to fly with.

Deni's magnificent risotto.

I'm in love with this gas station. Makes me wanna pump gas for a living and just see who all comes through...

Deni painting a temp tatt on my back for a whimsical suprise for a friend.

LOVED these boots. Couldn't have 'em.

Won't somebody pleeease pleease help me? (or at least help Tara focus).

Nellie being X-Rated (again).

The end of the day, but not of the memories....

Sherri + Daniel

For some reason I never got around to posting these, along with so many others from last season, but this was a very sweet wedding of a very special friend of mine, and incredible wedding photographer, Sherri Ditemen. She was the one who encouraged me to start shooting weddings, and I'm forever grateful to her for that.
I have to say, shooting another photographer's wedding is an interesting experience...especially since she is so much like me in that she does not like the camera pointing at her. It is now a painful joke that we never really got pics of her and Daniel.....she simply wouldn't get dressed. We hung out in the super-cool "Tin Cantina" sipping Campari on the rocks as the sun sank low, until it was well passed ceremony start time. This is what happens when you agree to a very loose "just snap a few shots" sort of thing. I still cringe over this. But it was so beautiful - and so perfectly her. I am honored to have been a part of it, because she is one of the most beautiful, true people I have ever known, and Daniel is such a wonderful talented guy, and perfect match.

Owen & Eric

Here's a shoot I forgot to post a while back, but had a lot of fun on. We were at Kelsey Creek Park in Bellevue, which is such a great place to take kids what with all the animals and space to play and explore!

Forrest Jump!!

Well, after what seemed like an eternity of a gestation period (ugh, and I thought 9 months was long!), my friend's foal was finally born the other night. Because the mama and papa had both illegally jumped fences on different properties to be together, she named him "Forrest Jump" which I think is pretty funny...
I had stood vigil with her for 2 nights waiting, and then when the time was getting close I had to leave for all of 20 minutes and missed it!! I arrived just after he hit the dirt, running up the lane at 10pm in my pajamas and slippers with my camera. I did actually help baby stand for the first time and try to guide him to the teat (unsuccessfully - just a lot of licking of milk that was getting on my hand), so I feel totally bonded with the little guy. The first shots are just after birth, and the rest are of the next morning and evening. I think I'm in love.....

Lane Fernando

Making use of the beautiful stretch of weather, I got some fun shots of the very talented Lane Fernando down at Bowman's Bay. Amazingly, we had the whole place to ourselves (well, except for the ducks, chipmunks, and whatnot). We couldn't help but wonder why more people weren't cutting outa work given the rarity of this kind of weather the last couple years. Life is short people - play a little hooky!!

Marianne & Jason

Sometimes you meet people that just immediately strike you on a deeper level - and you walk away feeling so grateful for doing what you love and having it be the the avenue by which those chance meetings occur. Marianne and Jason were were just that. And for reasons too complicated to go into on this post, I am especially happy that I got to be the one to capture their pregnancy on film.
Marianne is an incredibly talented designer and photographer, and I loved how she had decorated Finley's room in orange and blue.
Even though we didn't end up having the lovely golden evening light we were hoping for, we had fun getting ice-cream and meandering along Greenlake - and they were very patient with all my ladder climbing and furniture moving....!!
Baby Finley has since been born, and his birth was captured so beautifully by photographer Kristi Lloyd.

Mieghan + Noel Engagement

After a bit of a hiatus from blogging due to my computer crashing (wow, even when you have everything double-backed up, it's a real pain) I am back in the game, but waaaay behind on my blog. Thought I'd start with a recent shoot - one out at Bowman Bay.
I have to admit I fell in mad love with Mieghan's red hair and crazy blue eyes......against the evening sun on a gorgeous day, it was unbeatable. I'll be photographing their wedding this summer at this same great spot, and can't wait, because they are such a happy, go-with-it couple. I just love days like this in the Northwest, don't you??!!

Lee Oskar

Remember "Cisco Kid"?? Well this guy was one of the original band members of War - and still plays (and makes) some killer harmonica. These are a few images shot for publicity that took place in his small mixing room.

Lisa + Michael

There were soooo many pictures from this wedding that I loved, there is no way to post them all. Lisa's mom had their Bellingham lake house - and the two neighboring ones - all decked out with every detail you could imagine...endless food, flowers, lanterns, flip-flops, and towels to name just a few. I couldn't stop taking pictures.
One of the things I loved about their gathering was how each and every person who had contributed to the day was personally thanked during the toasts. Over the years, this family has been very generous with sharing this lovely home on the water, and it seems that people just came out of the woodwork to give back on this special day. I just love seeing that principle at work, so naturally. I truly enjoyed every minute of this wedding, and the people who were part of it.