...

mine

2012-03-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

lols and mulls haven't made the blog in months, so here are a few from reed college at sunset last week. i am so looking forward to sunset sessions this summer!

in the hills

2012-03-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

we had a lovely weekend visiting extended family in washington over the weekend. the kids got to play with tons of cousins, spent hours in the hotel pool (if you follow me on instagram, then you already know that) and, best of all, introduced five-week-old baby oliver to all of don's washington family.

the drive through the gorge and up through the washington hills is one of my favorite drives. all the cliffs and waterfalls were cloaked in fog on the way up, which was so pretty, but on the way back it was sixty degrees and beautifully sunny and the hills were so pretty (you know i love wide open space like that and don't get nearly enough of that in portland) that i made don turn around and go back to a quiet cattle-guarded road so we could wander the hills for a while.

it was crazy, we found a sun-bleached horse skeleton. L and muller were fascinated, studying it with their budding little scientific minds. muller kept saying that's amazing!

but besides investigating the bones, the kids were mostly just crabby and tired. it was obvious that naps in the car were what they really wanted. otherwise i could have spent all day out there!

L looks cold and unhappy in all of these and i thought she was just being dramatic, but when we got home she had a temp of 104. poor thing, too bad she looks so sad in this beautiful spot! she is still feverish now, and all day today she just listlessly and half-heartedly watched cartoons.

don took the last one here, and i absolutely love it.

emelia

2012-02-25T22:07:00.001-08:00

this perpetual smiler, emelia, is turning one. so we celebrated with some photos while snowflakes fell outside. i do love me a happy baby!

leilani + duncan

2012-02-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

sweet, spirited, leilani... gave herself a haircut and her mom was cool enough to schedule photos of it! which i was so happy to do for her, because these photos are so leilani. in this moment. right now (because there's no better time than right now).

this january morning we had planned an indoor session but when i got to the house the sun was shining gloriously on the hill down the street. i mean, really, it was forty degrees out and the sun was blasting in sideways over the hill, the reflexion blinding off the frost on the grass. we scrambled to find hats and boots and ran out into the frost. these aren't your normal perfect-little-shady-spot-with-a-reflector portraits and that's why i love them. i also love duncan tromping through the grass like a baby t-rex.

oliver charles

2012-02-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

my new nephew, oliver charles is here! the legend goes that he was born twenty minutes after getting to the hospital in the middle of the night, with this perfect little hair-do already in place. i've only seen him once, because my kids have been endlessly sick this winter, but the morning i met him, his big brother, quincy, was practicing swaddling his favorite lion and bringing ollie handfuls of plastic dinosaurs. oliver greeted me by looking right at me with big wide, alert eyes and then fell asleep in his mama's arms.

new years at the beach

2012-01-02T22:48:00.001-08:00

we spent new years weekend on the coast with my family. my brother and his girlfriend were there. my sister and her boyfriend were, too. it was the most of us together at the same time in years. crab feasts, champagne, deep discussions about the nuances of different I.P.As... it was all had. the weather was amazing. the beach was windless when we got there just before sunset on new years day. we walked south along the beach, the kids looking for treasures and playing in the dunes. it was absolutely perfect, and i'm going to get some big prints of some of these made for our walls to start the new year with. fresh year, fresh start, fresh walls to look at. now if only i had this much white space in portland! it's my heaven...

if anyone wants a beach session this spring, email me and we can set something up. but i will specifically offer two session times in florence for rhody weekend (one sunrise, one sunset, either may 19th or 20th. beach location depending on wind/rain, obviously) if you want these of your own family!

(the photos with me in them were taken by my dad. isn't he great?)

lawson

2012-01-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

happy new year, friends! i hope you're all enjoying bloody marys and relaxing with family like we are. i'm daydreaming about goals and plans and making this year even better than the last.

here is a peek into one of my last sessions of 2011, just a few days before christmas. 10-day-old lawson, with his downy dark hair and deep content sleep. he didn't make a peep the entire time i was there. lawson's loving gram knit him this cozy coccoon and we had such lovely december light for his photos! i could not have asked for more.

i'm so excited to meet all the new babies i have scheduled for 2012! and if you're currently expecting but haven't contacted me, i'd love to photo your newest little as well!

cheers and best wishes for your best year yet!

mine

2011-12-29T20:06:00.000-08:00

thank you all so much for your comments on my 2011 wrap-up post, it makes me happier than you know to put images out there and have them be so loved. of course, i also have a few 2011 personal favorites of L and muller and here they are. not so many of mulls, as he is such a barnacle and prefers to chimp over my shoulder. as you can see, they are my little lensbaby muses. i just love these littles! xoxo

year end

2011-12-29T16:54:00.000-08:00

i find end-of-year posts to be difficult but necessary. i feel a little vulnerable revealing the images that i'm most proud of over the last twelve months. it's hard to choose. i had a giant file of favorites that i managed to narrow down to this after a couple of weeks of thinking about it. going through the archives is emotional. i am attached to every family i've photographed, and sometimes a family has broken apart or, even, lost a beloved father and old favorites break my heart.

but mostly, i am just grateful for the ability to do what i love to do, grateful for my many many lovely clients that entrust me with capturing their family photos. and proud of the busy year i've had.

for those of you featured here, a big thank you. i enjoyed every minute of working with you. and these are the ones i would have blown up big on your walls! and for those of you that read this blog and haven't contacted me yet for your own photos, this is what i want to do for you in 2012! xoxo

oliver

2011-12-28T10:17:00.000-08:00

i am going to be an auntie again! i can't wait to meet this new little guy in january and my kids can't wait to have a new cousin! ps oregon pines look so pretty on a foggy winter morning, don't they?

hygge

2011-12-23T14:07:00.000-08:00

i'm hoping that this weekend, you're gathered with your families and friends around some twinkly lights with delicious food and winter drinks. i'm wishing you and your families hygge and happiness and all things good! next week, i'll wrap up 2011 here on the blog and give you a peek at some recent brand new baby goodness! xoxo

muller

2011-12-07T12:12:00.001-08:00

my muller turned two last wednesday. on his last morning of being one, i took him out to sauvie island to one of our favorite spots for a few photos of him being him. it was so cold that his nose was instantly red the minute we got out of the car so we only stayed out for maybe 5 minutes. and with a nickname like barnacle, i'm so pleased to show you that these are not all of him clinging to my leg. i may or may not have had to trick him into racing me out into the field and then running out faster than him... but here he is. when he was almost two, he loved his green ohbaball hat and his new boots (he's had them for months but the name stuck). i love his swoopy hair, especially on the back of his head and his huge smile. i love this boy!

everett

2011-12-05T19:39:00.001-08:00

i just have to post some more of everett now that i've got the whole set finished. i love how they turned out. the day we took these, it was so dark and rainy and grey outside, i mean really. dark. abysmal. and poor big brother gorman really wanted nothing to do with photos. that is an understatement. he took a break from his tantrum and gave me about 30 seconds of smiles in front of the camera before putting his own self down for a nap. the whole family had recently moved here, leaving a photographer who they loved in LA so i drove home in the rain feeling honestly defeated. but i got home and pulled them up on my computer and the colors and atmosphere and love all came through just how i wanted it to. some things are just blessings in disguise (midnight skies at two pm, i'm looking at you). i love these. and i hope you do, too!

penny + indy

2011-12-04T19:58:00.001-08:00

brand new baby indy and his big sister, penny. and freshly shaved cat, nero. this family practically had to kick me out i love snapping them so much. the first shot was a total "mistake" while i was testing the light, but i love how it turned out all soft and light and speckly. welcome, indy!

kelley + juliet

2011-11-12T21:51:00.001-08:00

kelley and juliet were cute and cooperative for their portraits this morning, just like last year... but then at the last minute, just as i was about to leave they started getting silly on the couch so i stayed and snapped a few more. i love how juliet is looking at kelley with his lollipop!

gorman + everett

2011-11-12T19:48:00.001-08:00

sweet family love on the blog today! brand new everett and his fiesty big brother gorman... all of them beautifully navigating those first few tricky weeks as a family of four. welcome everett!

bennett

2011-11-11T18:57:00.001-08:00

i had so much fun with this family this morning. not only is nine-month old bennett ridiculously easy and smiley, even when we took him to the foggy bird sanctuary in 40 degree weather, but mom and dad were both excited and present for the session. moms are always willing to do-anything-to-get-the-shot but so often i find that dads are preoccupied with work or not exactly excited for the family photos that their wives have scheduled. i get it. our jobs are stressful, our lives are hectic and very few of us just loooove having a camera in our faces.

but dads: someday you're not going to be around - some of us sooner than others, sadly, i'm reminded all too often - and your kids are going to treasure these photos of you. these photos of you loving them. so please, please, relax for the one or two hours that we're together - like bennett's dad here, who took the morning off from his stressful job but still managed to be genuine and there for these. i even caught him saying, "this is so fun!"

brooklyn

2011-11-10T10:29:00.001-08:00

brooklyn, this sweet pixie towhead is always one of my favorite littles to photograph - think it's been four times now? we wanted a city scene this time so we took her for hot cocoa at posies cafe and to read some books (with cute dirty kid knees) at the kenton library next door. i love those mischievous grins miss B!

tana

2011-11-06T14:59:00.000-08:00

we had fully resigned ourselves for rain this morning, but then by some miracle it was sunny and glorious. the light down at the water's edge at george rogers park was so beautiful and i feel so lucky to have been able to capture tana in it. i love what this park does with LIGHT. and we'll get to meet this new sweet babe in a few weeks!

lincoln

2011-11-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

oh, lincoln, i'm so happy i got to spend the morning with you today! we paid for that last gorgeous sunset we had with a rainy morning but we got to be cozy inside. he is such a happy, busy boy. lincoln has the same iphone obsession as my son. don't they all?!

lucy + michael

2011-11-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

my long-time friends drove up from eugene this morning with lucy and michael to run around with me in columbia park (where a leaf collector must have just driven through in the last day, booo) and sit and chat warm up in my playroom. how pretty is lucy, backlit against the window?! and michael at the bottom, making friends with my cat... too cute. thank you for visiting me! i hope you enjoy!

miles

2011-11-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

the minute i saw miles' dinosaur collection this morning, i knew they had to be in his photos with him. at three years old, he knows all their names and talks about paleontology. what a cutie!

jaxon

2011-11-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

this is jaxon, from one of the summer sessions that i am so crazy behind on posting (sorry). this particular shot just always sticks out in my mind, with his careful new-walker steps and the gorgeous st. johns bridge in the background. i just had to share!

taylor + gracyn

2011-10-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

i should probably do a whole other post for this family, we got so many good moments that day! i am having a terrible time narrowing down this family's photos, and that is the best kind of problem to have...

liam

2011-10-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

i met liam's family at foothills park this morning to wander the water's edge, get some fall color and make this kid laugh! isn't his chin in the last shot the best?

ainsley + sloane

2011-10-18T21:59:00.000-07:00

ainsley is a big sister! sloane is a few months old now, but i have been such a bad blogger, haven't i? i loved how the antique quilt and ainsley's vintage dress looked against the bright walls... and you can just tell she is going to be such a good big sis!

keen

2011-10-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

it's taking me a while to pick which photos to post for this family, but i just keep coming back to this one and only this one, because it seems like the only thing that needs to be said. that whole thousand words and everything. keen is seven months old now, and his grandma irene is fighting breast cancer. we met under the st johns bridge at cathedral park to get some late summer family photos and especially... especially, get some of keen with his lovely grandma. i love that she was bold and bald - and that they were bald together!

i honestly don't care where you get them (though i hope you get them from me), but just get some family photos done. it is never too soon. and always priceless. i've been reminded of this all too often lately!

taylor + gracyn + blakely

2011-10-18T19:32:00.000-07:00

bear with me, i'm the kind of person that when i find a shirt that i actually like, i will buy five of them. since this is my absolute favorite spot right now, let's just say there might be a few of these posts! i mean, it looks gorgeous in the sun, it looks gorgeous in the fog and i am hopelessly addicted to those blue-green hills in the background. as soon as the gingkos are yellow, i'll move on. but for now... enjoy taylor + gracyn + blakely on sauvie island and some lovely color!

greyson

2011-10-18T19:09:00.000-07:00

my own's son's middle name is grey, so when preemie greyson was born i already had a soft spot in my heart for him but i had to wait weeks and weeks to photo him. tiny and precious and already having been through so much... don't you just want to see photos of his loving parents holding him tight? instead of oh, say, hanging in a basket with his parents photoshopped out of the shot? or in a bowl of candy or something? that's right, i said it!

i am always so thankful for families that let me take these sweet newborn photos instead, since, hopefully, these are the kinds of moments they really want to remember!

chapman swifts

2011-10-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

have you ever been to see the chapman swifts? the thousands of birds that roost in the chapman school chimney every fall as a reststop during their migration? if not, you really must. it is quintessential early fall fun and it's our tradition to go watch them every september on my birthday. just after dusk, all the birds swirl around the chimney (they dodge hawks and falcons trying to catch them before they swoop into the chimney while the hot-chocolate and wine-drinking crowd of hundreds cheers from the school field). it's always a fun challenge to try to get a decent photo of the birds since it's basically dark out. i like the one here of don sneezing while L absently eats her sandwich and muller plays with his ever-present dinosaurs...

alex

2011-10-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

meet baby alex. he was only seven days old and it was like photographing a two month old! big and chunky, incredibly alert with eyes that just looked right into me. and i just loved that little bandaid mark on his heel. so fresh and new!

franny

2011-10-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

i was told franny was going to be shy and would probably be reluctant around the camera... but i don't think that could have been further from the truth. she was the cutest little ham the entire time we wandered the neighborhood and the st johns farmer's market, stopped at the james john cafe, did some hula hooping (that face is spectacular) and sat on their freshly painted porch with a gorgeous fat pink dahlia. thank you to the talented posy quarterman, neighbor, friend and fellow photographer, for choosing me to photo your family!

owen

2011-10-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

owen is such a cutie. he's quick. he's rough and tumble. his daddy juggles and his mama is gorgeous. i always enjoy spending time with them, and we got a perfect morning to do so today!

the giving tree

2011-10-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

the Giving Tree. i've seen this car parked under this tree at bybee-howell park on sauvie island many times. yesterday, while i was with my clients, i saw an old, old lady get out and hobble over to it with her cane and soulfully put her hand on the tree. she stood there for a minute and then hobbled back to her car. i don't know the story there, but you know it's a good one...

sophia + charlie

2011-10-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

these long-time friends agreed to meet me at my absolute favorite spot this morning. it was brisk and just the right amount of windy and the fog was burning off in the hills. we spotted a hawk, hunted for mushrooms, caught some frogs and picked some apples. sweet polite charlie made me work for it, just like last time! but sophia was willing to let me break out the lensbaby in the field with her handful of sweet clover and those perfect sophia soulful looks. and we continued the tradition of getting a shot of her with her mom's old film camera. she told me "there's a dinosaur in my camera" and i said "but that one doesn't work on charlie, i already tried!" thank you, guys! you make me so happy to do what i do!

lucia + xavier

2011-09-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

i spent this morning with these two gorgeous children, lucia and xavier. when it wasn't raining we stepped outside to throw tomatoes off the front porch and swing on the tree swing. when it was raining, we took advantage of the backlight in their pretty bedroom and made hot cocoa. i had so much fun with you all today and i hope your got your buzz lightyear after i left, lucia!

i am so behind on this blog. i really didn't post all summer and i'm still trying to decide if i should take some time and blog all the summer sessions (i should) or just try to be better about it through fall (also should). it's always better if i just blog it out the day of the session. if i just immediately post after i send out the sneak peek... so i promise i am going to try!

on another note, i really only have a few dates left available for november to get your holiday cards and christmas prints. last year i had to turn away families that contacted me too late and i don't want to have to do that again. please, please email me soon if you're wanting a fall session!

a cat, a ponytail, eyelets, saltwaters + grain...

2011-08-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

a cat, a ponytail, eyelets, saltwaters and grain...

great-grandpa

2011-06-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

i've had a little vision for a while now of taking my children and my lensbaby to iowa and introducing them to their 95 1/2 year-old great-grandfather for the very first time... and getting some photos of them together in an iowa cornfield. today i am very happy to say, mission accomplished. we're having a wonderful trip so far, seeing lots of family that i miss so much. and when i get back to portland i hope to give this blog a little love and catch it up!

cole

2011-06-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

cole just melts my heart. his parents (friends of my husband and i since college) are glowing and lovely holding their new babe and i feel so honored to have been able to snap this tiny bit of their first days. welcome, cole!

nico

2011-06-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

these turned out sooo differently than our original vision of sunset sauvie island photos but i love them. there is just something about the huge skies and blue green hills in the distance and the quiet rural spot on this cloudy evening, along with nico's little soulful nature, that just looks so beautiful to me!

mother's day

2011-05-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

happy mother's day to all the wonderful mothers i know, women who hope to be mothers, mothers missing their mothers and mothers missing their babies. i hope today is a beautiful day for you!

i'm about to spend some of my mother's day taking photos of a brand new babe and besides the special morning i had with my own family, i can't think of a better way to celebrate! xoxo

nathaniel

2011-04-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

remember nathaniel? well, baby nate is now eleven months old and you can just tell he's going to be a heartbreaker with those big brown eyes and wispy blonde curls! and look at how he loves his mama!

connor

2011-04-19T23:03:00.000-07:00

thirteen-month-old connor and his family met me at reed college for an evening under a canopy of white blossoms (some of which may or may not have ended up in his mouth). when the little guy wasn't trying to sprint away as fast as he could or eat the flowers (as little boys his age just love to do), i managed to catch a few shots. the cutest thing was how he walked up and hugged me the first minute he met me. i love those baby hugs!

avery

2011-04-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

here is avery, the pretty little porcelain-skinned baby with the huge smile! avery's mom found me through ohdeedoh and we got together the other day to take advantage of the late afternoon light in their beautiful northwest condo.

ella jane

2011-04-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

here she is! miss ella jane. so, so teeny tiny and sleepy and perfectly sweet. and almost as pretty as ella? cherry blossoms and extra baggy floral bloomers bathed in the bright light of a spring day.

fin

2011-04-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

those curls! those eyes! fin was not in the mood for photos and is a spirited little girl. and yet, somehow, we got something like a million smiles and loving hugs out of her!

halen + nash + jovi

2011-04-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

some kids take a while during a session to come out of their shells... and then there are these kids. halen, nash and jovi all had such big personalities and the whole family is, of course, beautiful so it made for a fun morning and some lovely photos.

hope for two

2011-04-02T12:10:00.000-07:00

so jean isn't just a pretty mama looking forward to meeting her baby girl in two weeks and gabriela isn't just a baby. they are warriors battling breast cancer together since a week after jean found out she was pregnant. this friday will be her fifth and last chemo treatment before gabi is born. it's impressive how positive jean is and amazing to think of gabi as already a cancer survivor. jean says:

"maybe, just maybe my story will help some woman who stumbles across your blog. if anything, it can show that being diagnosed with breast cancer doesn't mean the end, and there is still hope now. so much more is being done and i am proof that they have come a long way with medications. i didn't get sick once! i want people to understand that in case it happens to them or their family members. it is a long road but everyone has their battles. this is mine. as with everything..."this too shall pass" and when it does i will be stronger and more appreciative of life and my loved ones who have supported me through it all."

Hope for Two is the pregnant with cancer network. it is close to jean's heart and there are other moms and babies out there that would be so appreciative if you wanted to donate.

jean's make-up provided by erin at zielartistry.com

edit: for those of you wondering where the original photo went, it turns out jean didn't realize *just* how many people read my blog and got a little shy, understandably.

gabi

2011-03-31T22:47:00.000-07:00

meet baby gabriela and her big brother lucas. she's due in a month and her family drove down from their new home in seattle to meet me at their empty house for photos. i love how these turned out in their empty dining room with what little light there was that dark morning shining in through the porthole outside the window. lucas is going to be a great big brother and this family has been extra blessed in so many ways. we anxiously await you, gabi!

jean's make-up provided by erin at zielartistry.com

ella jane

2011-03-31T22:25:00.001-07:00

today is this family's birthday! i haven't even heard yet what baby girl's name is as i type this. i took these photos a few weeks ago on a beautiful sunny morning. bright light, daffodils, white linens, those fab blue walls and a beautiful mama. you will no doubt see this room again when i go back to photo the new sweet babe!

logan

2011-03-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

little logan is already six months old! time is a remarkable thing, i am constantly amazed. we had wanted pretty springtime cherry blossom photos, but the weather did not cooperate. regardless, he is gorgeous. and smiley. and i loved catching the light in those deep brown eyes!

keen

2011-03-08T21:29:00.000-08:00

eight-day-old keen was a perfect little sleeper for our session. i love his pursed lips and serious sleeping brows. and the love and awe that you can clearly see in every photo of his brand-new parents. his twin cousins think he's pretty fun, too.

carter

2011-01-24T23:05:00.000-08:00

i have to admit i get pretty attached to the families i photo. i consider you my friends. i like to know how you're doing. i like to see your babies grow. and i worry about them when they're sick. just like little carter here. remember him? he had the roughest first few months of any baby i've ever photographed. so i am so pleased to be able to post these photos of him, now at seven months old. perfect and smiley and playful and doing everything that any other baby his age is doing. and loved divinely, as you can see.

ella

2011-01-24T14:01:00.000-08:00

isn't miss ella just so delicate and proper? wearing both a dress that was her mama's and some pretty navy tulle, she is such a little beauty!

happy new year!

2011-01-03T17:10:00.000-08:00

happy new year to all my old and new clients and friends! i want to welcome all of you who found me through ohdeedoh. if you are here in portland, i'd love to be your new family photographer! after taking a few precious weeks off for the holidays, sessions are starting back up this week and i still have a few dates left available in january. if you're the kind of family that likes to bundle up on a cold but beautiful day like today, then i've got some great ideas for winter photos. otherwise, it's mostly newborn and cozy-in-your-own-home season. think, me capturing candid shots of your species in it's natural habitat. my favorite kind! i'm hoping you have a wonderful 2011. see you soon!

ainsley

2010-12-16T20:22:00.001-08:00

it's another family affair! ainsley is oliver's older cousin. the morning of this session was super windy so, of course, a little hot chocolate and snuggles with rowdy dog, bonner, was in order after our outdoor shots. this was an example of how i can get a vision for a photo and you just have to trust me. i walked into this kitchen nook, with its blue wallpaper and retro white table and chairs and ainsley's mom apologized that it was the one room in the house that they hadn't updated yet and i said "it's perfect!"

and it was!

owen

2010-12-16T19:36:00.000-08:00

little owen is growing up! he's seven months old now. on the move and lookin' sharp. his mama is one of my sister's oldest friends. it was so great to see them again. and as someone that loves white space and overexposed photos, it's pretty much a dream when a family has a bedroom with tons of windows, white bed linens, white curtains and light grey walls!

kelley + juliet

2010-12-16T19:20:00.001-08:00

kelley and juliet and their dog, henry (henry thomas when he's bad) were so fun to photo. it was a dark rainy morning, so i just followed them with my camera while they jumped on beds and ate homemade christmas cookies in their cozy home. i think henry (who got to lick some cookies and get on the bed that he's usually not allowed on) had the most fun, though!

hazelle + lucas

2010-12-16T19:02:00.000-08:00

hazelle and lucas are little carter's cousins (remember him? well, he's doing great now by the way!) and a few weeks ago we spent the morning getting photos of both families together for christmas presents. does hazelle have gorgeous, intense eyes true to her name, or what? love them!

cousins

2010-11-27T23:03:00.000-08:00

my sister-in-law and i took the kids out to get some pictures the other day. so this is L, muller, and their cousin, quincy. we started at a nearby park and it was mere minutes before muller was a frozen statue, L was crying because she had frozen her hands on the cold play equipment and quincy was on the run (he seriously needs to join a track team, like, now). so... plan b. we went to posies, one of our favorite neighborhood kid-friendly coffee shops to warm the kids up with some hot chocolates and take advantage of the light coming in through the huge french doors. the kids had so much fun, but our spot quickly filled up with other people so... plan c. back to my house to corral quincy, get them some lunch and stay warm. that was when the three of them decided, on their own, to pose like this for the last shot! it makes me laugh every time i look at it.

sophia + charlie

2010-11-27T22:43:00.000-08:00

sophia and charlie. i went to high school with their mom and remember their dad from college. until our session, it had been over a decade since i'd seen either one. catching up with old friends and meeting their families and seeing a tiny slice of their everyday lives is just one of my favorite parts of doing what i do. and besides, how cute is a four year old that likes to take pictures?! so cute!

connor + sydney

2010-11-27T21:45:00.000-08:00

holiday portraits were in order for connor and sydney and their little visiting cousin, who was exhausted from her trip from new york, poor thing. we got the portrait shots and then snapped some candids. as you can see, connor is way too cool for a kiss on the cheek from his sister!

ella + luddy + oliver

2010-11-27T20:47:00.000-08:00

i left this house one step closer to wanting a third baby. this family had just the most perfectly lovely chaos to it. ella with her wild blond curls, luddy (who reminds me of my own son) and new baby oliver were so fun to photo, i honestly wished i was getting it all on video, too. i hope i captured for them just a little of the wonderful magic that i witnessed.

tanner

2010-11-17T21:31:00.000-08:00

this little guy is going to be a daredevil for sure. his dad races motocross and i've never known his mom to run out of energy... and tanner himself doesn't stop moving for a second! somehow i managed to get some shots of him at reed college that weren't a complete and total blur so that he could show off his big blue eyes!

danika + gabby

2010-11-16T18:20:00.000-08:00

sunday was too misty and dreary for our planned outdoor session, so i visited this beautiful family at home. danika and gabby were so cute in their matilda jane outfits against their fantastic green walls. we got some great shots of their two dogs, chili and elvis (who is really getting up there in age, so it was important to get some shots of him with the girls). and then at the last minute it stopped drizzling so we ran out to the front yard with all it's amazing leaves.

sydney + charli

2010-11-16T15:02:00.000-08:00

just like almost every session this season, the weather report this day threatened rain... and then just like almost every session this season, the morning at george rogers park was beautiful and sunny and we were able to get some lovely golden fall family shots.

sunny

2010-11-16T14:50:00.000-08:00

once again i am way behind on blogging, but i am going to try to catch up soon! sunny's parents are long-time friends of mine from college and sunny was one of my very first photo subjects besides my own children, so she's got a special place in my heart. sunny's grandparents were recently in town so we took the whole family to the rhododendron gardens and let sunny play with the ducks and get some sweet photos of her with her grandma, grandpa and nauntie (her nanny auntie).

carson

2010-11-13T23:39:00.000-08:00

carson is a very alert little man. we tried every trick in the book to get him to sleep this morning and he wasn't having any of it. he just wanted to snuggle his mama instead of posing for me and how could i argue with that? just as we were about to end our session, having captured some beautiful awake shots of him with his parents and dog, lucky, he fell asleep on his mom's shoulder and gave me these lovely natural shots. as much as i usually like a little overexposure and high-key treatment to my photos, i just love the chiaroscuro-style lighting this family's house was treating me to on this grey day. welcome, carson!

leilani + duncan

2010-11-12T19:22:00.000-08:00

this family met me for a chilly-foggy-drizzly early morning session at westmoreland park today. luckily, leilani and duncan are so sweet-natured and smiley. they handled the cold and rain just beautifully!

penny

2010-11-11T22:29:00.000-08:00

penny's mom and i have known each other since we were kids. it's so much fun to see her as a mom and little red haired penny is adorable. not to mention, stylish! how cute is she in this little anthropologie dress?! we went to the rhododendron gardens this morning, got chased by a bossy goose and laughed so hard the whole session. i can't wait to photo them again!

oliver

2010-11-10T22:16:00.000-08:00

this was one of those days where the weather was beautiful, the light was wonderful, the location (reed college) was perfect, the family was a joy and the baby was easy, smiley and adorable. i mean, those eyes, right? i can't ask for much more than that!

wyatt

2010-10-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

welcome, wyatt, we've been waiting for you! and look at all that dark hair! photographing him and his happy new parents in their classic 40s home made me imagine him having a wonderful, picturesque childhood there.

hannah + ava

2010-10-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

these two beauties weren't exactly in the mood to have their portraits taken, so i had to break out the secret magic frog tree. it's my go-to spot to get kids to come out of their shells a little bit. because who wouldn't love chasing tiny little green and brown tree frogs! i just love those dimples on hannah and ava's intense obsidian stare.

hezekiah

2010-10-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

it was a dreary fall morning, but some beautiful light was shining into little hezekiah's lovely blue room so we soothed him to sleep and snuck some shots of his newborn-ness and some candid moments with his loving parents. and his belly button was just too cute not to focus on...

logan

2010-10-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

oh, logan, be still my heart! i think logan was the easiest newborn i've ever photographed. his parents are friends of ours from college and i was so happy to capture all of logan's new baby-ness for them. his fuzzy shoulders. his little pink gums. his wrinkly skin. his wide dark eyes. his tan baby skin. and i have always loved the name logan. he is just precious!

wyatt

2010-10-16T23:48:00.000-07:00

i figured i better spend a little time tonight getting caught up on my blog. i've been behind for a while. considering i took newborn photos of precious brand-new wyatt this morning and i still hadn't posted the maternity shots we took at george rogers park in lake oswego six weeks ago, it seemed appropriate to get blogging. i loved the dramatic dark grey skies the morning of this session, the ducks swimming by us and brandy's confidence and poise. and wyatt is a gorgeous little man, so i am looking forward to posting his newborn photos soon!

connor + sydney

2010-10-16T23:33:00.000-07:00

pittock mansion was a perfect spot for catching the sweet, playful brother and sister antics of connor and sydney before they started school last month.

henry + charlotte

2010-10-16T23:19:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago i got to photo the beautiful family of a long-time friend. i snapped pics of henry and charlotte as they danced around their own living room, showed me their toys, made their own toast and sat out on the porch in the fall sun. i love capturing children when they are relaxed and comfortable in their own homes.

malia + noa

2010-10-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

as i drove out to sauvie island today to photo these two cuties and saw how foggy it was, i knew that it was going to look amazing in the photos. i was right, and i think fog is now my newest favorite backdrop! but then anything would look good behind these classic pretty faces...

claudia

2010-09-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

this family is such a fun family to photo. they are up for anything. i took pictures of claudia about three months ago but it was a dreary, rainy day so this time we wanted to go outside. big skies and wide views. so we chose sauvie island and the weather and lighting when we first got there were the kind of weather and lighting that i hope for every session. overcast with sideways golden sunbreaks. unfortunately, we were chased from my favorite spot in the wildlife refuge by some random duck hunting convention (in the wildlife refuge? really?) and about twenty guys dressed in orange, toting guns. on our way to another favorite spot, we passed a group of cows munching on grass along one of the little island roads and made the spontaneous decision to hop the fence and mingle. the cows were so curious and gathered around us. you can see how close one got to my 50mm. i could have spent all day dodging trouble and having fun with this family!

carter

2010-09-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

this little guy is a warrior and his parents are saints. we had a newborn session scheduled for him before he was born, but precious little carter ended up in the NICU with meningitis within days of birth so we had to reschedule. he was two months old when he was home and had recovered enough to photo him, bearing the scar on his head from surgery. as i type this he is back in the hospital so i am hoping for a quick recovery and future good health.

sean

2010-08-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

i first photographed sean when he was three months old. he is such a calm and happy baby. easy going, and with those beautiful brown eyes and olive skin. i was so pleased to be asked to take some nine month shots in preparation for his baptism later this month. again, even though it is only august and it was hot and he was wearing shorts, there is already a real fall feeling to these that just comes through with the lighting and leaves. it is getting me looking forward to some cozy fall sessions!

harper

2010-08-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

can you believe harper's eyelashes? lucky girl! with the longest baby lashes i've ever seen, gorgeous blue eyes and red hair just like her mama, harper was perfectly fall in an historic apple orchard on sauvie island.