Here is a sneak peek of today’s session with J. She is a mother to an adorable little boy, but this time is expecting a girl! [J - I know I said two, but really I thought this one was just so WOW that I wanted to make it the only one for now, I promise your others will be up soon!] This was such an easygoing session…her calming personality just made everything seem so effortless.
I had a great opportunity to be one of the photographer’s at the shooting mixer organized by Emma Jane at the amazing venue in downtown Seattle, Hotel 1000. It was so much fun and I have a very photo heavy blog post to prove it! From venue, to details, to portraits and candids…
We were indoors all day for this one (although the reception area is an enclosed terrace – which is perfect for the rainy weather here) and found the natural light and modern decor beautiful to shoot in. There is an amazing light sculpture right inside the entrance that exemplifies the simple elegance and sophistication that the hotel offers. It was great to see some familiar faces, and new photographer’s I hadn’t met but hope to keep in touch with…such a creative and fun group!
I couldn’t say enough good things about the vendors that put so much hard work into making every detail amazing so I just want to extend my sincere gratitude for all of your hard work. Many, many, thanks to Emma (who also did the candy bar) and the amazing WWPAMX models Natalie, Kayla, Kiran, Tyease and Warren, Christy and Kristian. Also thank you to Josh for all of your coordination, When with SPA Studio, Sheila Birashk for make up and Absolut Hair Salon’s BB and Brittany for the hair. The designer dresses were from La Belle Elaine’s Bridal and they were certainly stunning, as was the jewelry from Bridal Boutique! The cake from Sugar Rush was not only a work of art, but sooo yummy! Petal and the Stem provided all of the flowers, include a wide variety of bouquets, all of which were so vivid and breathtakingly beautiful.
I did try out some different techniques, while shooting and with processing afterwards, and I’m really happy with how it worked out. With so many photographer’s, it does become a little challenging to get the shot you want, and I did miss a few, however I did steal Kristian away and shot exactly what I wanted in the chairs by the window and lamp…GQ Magazine – call me – hehe 
Ok, get ready to rock-n-scroll! 
An unused can of Kodak film on the left, and a Compact Flash card on the right…the reality of the changing times.
I can only imagine where that can of 20-exposure film has been…for years it was hidden in my Grandfather’s garage storage until he passed away and it ended up in my hands. I have been its keeper for almost 10 years now and I will always keep it for all that it symbolizes. History. Art. Innovation. The compact flash card on the right is one of many that I use for my photography and it holds 400+ images in RAW format.
There is still art in digital.
I do remember processing my own film and developing my own photos in my High School’s darkroom…it really felt like you were making “ART”. I refused to buy a digital camera until I saw just how amazing the technology and the quality had progressed. I soon discovered that professional images are still edited…still skillfully retouched…still hand-processed. It just happens its done to a digital file instead of a negative.
Pursue your passion and embrace change.
I have five or so of my Grandfather’s film cameras (from a Falcon Miniature to a Kodak Tourist II), which I hope to display one day in a studio of my own. He loved photography, architecture, printing, and was so proud to finally own a digital camera and a computer when he was in his late 70′s. He built his own garage workshop and would tinker, build, repair and organize in there. When he passed, we discovered file cabinets full of old magazine clippings that were categorized…things he had saved and things that he had always planned “to get to” or that he thought were important. He was a very quiet man. I worked with him in a print shop for a couple years and really had an opportunity like no other in our family to get to know him. He was an average man with an amazing life story. From being captured by Nazi’s in WWII to owning his own newspaper business…I just wish I would have asked more questions. We had computers in school when I was a kid and I remember having one kind of computer or another since I was 5. Even games have changed, from Frogger to World of Warcraft…and what would my Grandfather think of my 2 year old playing puzzles on my iPhone? I think he would be amazed and would have been one of the first to own his own iPhone. He truly embraced technology…and embraced change. I just feel like he wasn’t able to pursue his passion and realize his full potential…but he seemed content. I know he wanted more from me, for me to take whatever I had to wherever it could go.
This is my first entry into an I Heart Faces Photo Challenge…when I saw it was a Dramatic B&W challenge this week, I really wanted to enter this image. This is the original vertical version I shot during Brandon’s mock-wedding workshop at the Hotel Monaco in Portland.
I ♥ silhouettes and when I saw that the light from the window was also hitting the lampshade, I thought it would make for an interesting B&W conversion.
Direct link to image for judges
Today I attended a class along with some other local photographers in Port Angeles, Washington held by Ernst. While I had a lot of fun, I learned some great tips about lighting, posing seniors, marketing and photography that made me think of “my” photography in a different way. We had an indoor lighting/posing session and then took it outdoors (YAY natural light – my favorite!). I saw this one interesting brick wall and asked Ernst about how to pose someone if they were on it, he was happy to indulge my curiosity and try it out…of course that was my favorite shot I was able to get. Another was after he had posed her sitting at a nearby coffee shop and I just loved the softness of her hands, her subtle smile and her eyes were just amazing. Thank you so much Ernst!
To celebrate the first day of Spring, I’d like to offer a special “Spring Break” so to speak. Any standard session that takes place between March 20th (first day of Spring) and June 20th (first day of Summer) will receive $50.00 off the session fee. Your customized lifestyle portrait session will take place at a location of your choice as there are some really beautiful spots around the Kitsap Peninsula, especially with so much already in bloom.
(This special offer expires June 20, 2010. To book your session please email me for available dates and mention this offer. Not valid with any other offer or towards prints, albums, keepsakes or previously booked sessions.)
My very good friend and fellow photographer, Crystal of Crystal-Pixel Photography, asked me to do a portrait session of her. Between the frequent laughs and silly faces, I think we got some beautiful shots. I know its awkward being in front of the camera when you are so used to being behind it…so I think we were on extra-silly behavior to break the awkwardness. I am very grateful that she asked me to photograph her and even though the pressure is on when you photograph another photographer, she really made it easy on me! Thanks C – you totally rock dude!
I’ll admit it, I am an Etsy addict. I love things that are handmade and especially so when they are made just for me…after all who doesn’t like something thats one-of-a-kind? After I found a charm necklace that had a camera on it, I wondered if maybe she would make a custom one. I just sent a request to the Etsy seller describing what I was looking for and she quickly replied that was more than happy to make it for me. I received my necklace and its exactly what I wanted – I really love it! It turned out that her name is Laura too and she was so nice to work with. I encourage you to check out her shop by clicking here.
Don’t know what Etsy is? It’s a great place to buy and sell things that are handmade. Just search for something or browse one of their categories and you will find so many wonderful things. They also have supplies for making your own crafts and even vintage items for sale. Its really easy to use and you pay securely through PayPal. I have bought all kinds of handmade things, from hand dyed & spun yarn to a beautiful lace bolero. I love supporting such amazing creativity and entrepreneurship.
Recently my Dad wrote something for me and much of it was about my photography…from what he remembered about how it started and what he hopes for it in the future. This is very personal post for me, but I think completely relevant to share here.
Looking Back
My family moved from Nebraska to Arizona when I was little, so I don’t always remember that much from then. But I do remember when my Dad bought a used Nikkormat to capture all the beauty he saw in the desert. Times got pretty tough and he gave up on this interest to work as much as possible just to make ends meet, leaving the camera to collect dust. One day, he gave it to me as a present, I think when I was about 12. I didn’t know how to use it and certainly not mature enough to understand the technical aspects of how the shutter speed related to the aperture – but I am a born self-starter and very stubborn. I practiced and failed many times, but never really gave up. I took a photography class in high school and the first time I watched a photo of mine actually develop in front of my eyes, I was amazed. I spent countless hours in the darkroom and went through much more than my allotment of film and paper. I loved processing my film, setting up the enlarger, developing my photos, and absorbing every bit of information I could. I was drawn to anything creative, jewelry class, drawing class, sewing, etc. but one day I opened a program a friend shared with me – Photoshop – and begun to teach myself how to use it…and eventually pursued a career in Graphic Design. Some of my designs have even been published in books (proud parent moment here), but occasionally I would come across those photographs I took when I was a kid (see photos at end of post) and think about how much I missed photography. The past few years of my life have been filled with challenges and changes. With that, photography found its way back into my life.
Looking Forward
Those who know me, know exactly how stubborn I am when it comes to proving I can do what I set my mind to and just how passionate I am about photography. I’ve found that the photography industry is similar to the design industry in many ways, which makes me believe that I can find success in this business. Its not only about being creative but also connecting with clients to capture who they are. Both of which I love and I hope that is what is reflected in the photos I take. Even though that old Nikon Nikkormat (shown above right) has once again found itself collecting dust, its only because its been replaced with a serious upgrade and a very serious commitment to taking this as far as I can. Many sacrifices have been made to pursue this dream but I love what I do.
To wrap up this post, I wanted to pay tribute to that Nikkormat by sharing a few of those photographs that I had taken when I was a kid. (Please pardon the dust & scratches, the original prints have seen better days.)
Left: My parents hands + Right: My sister posing for me
Left: Experimenting with light, marbles on top and a dollhouse on bottom + Right: Playing with contrast, a flower on top and cat on bottom
Both images were in Tombstone, AZ during a reenactment at the OK Corral
I attended my very first workshop yesterday by Amanda K Photography. We had a full day of information, discussion, and a live shoot with 3 seniors and 2 couples (you couldn’t tell they weren’t professional models, because they were just awesome!) These are some of my favorite images I took during the live shoot. The workshop leaders – Katie & Brandon – are true mentors and I had an AMAZING time!
If you want to check out the full gallery of my shots – click here
