A Gorge-ous Portrait Session with Tyler and Kelsey.
It was another one of those typical Pacific Northwest days. Gray and rain. We had already postponed one session due to the weather, so Kelsey, Tyler, and I decided to head out and see if the weather would give us a little tiny break.
It did.
For my first time ever at Saint Cloud Park just east of Washougal, it worked out quite well.
While sunny days are great, clouds seem to give for much better images. I think they add a sense of drama and intrigue.
Saint-cloud is a smaller park. The orchard was the site of the St. Cloud Ranch, which was an estate of the Vial family from 1909 to the 1950s. The Forest Service purchased the land here in 1990 and opened it to the public. It is also classified as a wetland.
Walking in, you see a classic orchard with trees in lines and picnic tables spread throughout. BUT, if you follow the path down the center and through from berry bushes, it opens up to a gorgeous, quiet beach on the Columbia River.
Back in the orchard there are lots of tress to climb, paths to wander, and a super cute fence to sit on.
Thank you Kelsey and Tyler for making the rain stay away just enough to go out and play!
Congratulations to the Class of 2020
Congratulations to the class of 2020!
I have had the great honor of working with some amazing seniors this year! I know that they are going to go out there and do some great things.
It’s never too early to schedule your senior’s session. I am currently booking for 2021 seniors! This gives your soon to be graduate plenty of time to help design the senior session of their dreams. Locations, outfits, and heck, even friends they want to come along and be in the images as well.
Ready to book? Let’s chat!
Dani and Travis | A Fairytale Wedding in the Woods.
Deep into the woods, in a land far, far away (Cathlamet), Dani and Travis tied the knot in front of a small group of friends and family. And then BURNED the house down on the dance floor!
After winding down a small road in the hills just north of the Columbia River Hwy, I parked my car in the middle of an unassuming field and walked into the woods.
What did I find? A gorgeously decorated table and Travis setting up his keg from his favorite local brewing, Ashtown. I knew this was going to be a great night.
Being that the weather was bizarre this year, they had put up a canopy just in case we got a stray rain shower. Luckily, all of the areas around us got rain, but the entire event stayed dry.
While Travis was setting up, Dani was getting ready in a nearby house. We met her in a grove of trees separate from where everyone else was.
I even rounded up the kids for some quick portraits before everything. With how much energy the little ones had now, I did not know how long it would last, man was I surprised. Their littlest girl can dance for HOURS. The little wooden deck that was out here was a perfect spot to gather everyone.
The ceremony site had log benches and two different arbors for them to choose from. Any direction had a gorgeous view of the trees. Just simple decorations of baby’s breath were needed as the area just spoke for itself.
With everyone gathered at the ceremony area, Travis and the officiant headed over and waited for the bride.
And wow, Travis’ face when he saw his stunning bride. The ceremony was simple with sweet vows and all of their children coming up with them.
One of the big questions I get asked before the wedding is, “how long are the formals going to take after the ceremony?” And that entirely depends on you and your family. While I do agree formals are essential, I also like to have a little fun while creating. I have yet to hear, “wow, the formal family portraits are always my favorite parts of the wedding.” So my goal is to make them as quick and painless as possible. And throw in some fun while we’re at it.
Luckily, Dani and Travis’ family are just like them, fun and relaxed. So rounding them up right after the ceremony and getting everyone in was a breeze.
If you follow me on social media, you’ll quickly realize that I am at home in the trees. Some have the beach and ocean, I have the mountain and forests. So when your wedding is surrounded by a place where I feel at home, we WILL create some magic. Especially if that elusive bright ball of light is in the sky.
Back at the reception, the party was getting started! Their DJ, Tony, was AMAZING. Not only playing great music, but he also mixed in some of his live acoustic music as well. Tony, I can’t find your information, so if you’re reading this, contact me, I have web pages to link and people to refer you to!
Dinner time means it time for me to grab a quick snack and steal your rings!
After dinner was the first dance. The floor cleared and the two newlyweds danced away. Again, the trees came in with an assist for some shot framing.
And who doesn’t love sweet speeches by best friends and by little boys who just love you so much.
Although there was plenty of threat of a cake smashing, Dani and Travis played nice.
After the sweet moments, everyone got in on the dance floor fun and danced the night away.
So much fun with this couple, I am so happy that they chose me to capture this day for them!
Congratulations to Dani, Travis, and their amazing family. I wish you all the love down in Arizona!
Let’s Go Trash That Dress…But Not Really
The wedding dress is one of the more significant purchases you make for your wedding. Most brides will tuck it away afterward, thinking that maybe they can pass it down one day. Others, like Lindsey, decided to go have some fun in it and alter it for more uses later.
Lindsey had posted in one of the local podcast groups that she was looking for a photographer to go trash her dress. So against this particular podcast’s message, we didn’t stay out of the forest. And instead, headed to Latourell Falls along the Columbia River Hwy on a cold, rainy fall day to go have some fun.
I mentioned it was cold, right? Both of us were shivering as we played along in the mist. Lindsey’s husband even stepped in to warm her up now and then.
We stayed on the “drier” side for a little bit before we both said “screw it” and forded the creek to get to the other side. From here, we were able to get more of the waterfall itself.
And my favorite.
As you can probably tell, we didn’t get the dress too trashed. The reason is that Lindsey is actually planning on cutting it to make it a tea-length dress that she can wear over and over. So the bottom got muddy and wet, but the rest just needs a basic clean. AND we were able to get some stunning shots of her in the dress before it all gets altered.
It doesn’t matter when you do your trash the dress session, right after the wedding OR ten years down the road. Let’s break those dresses out and create something fun that you will love.
SSDGM!
Lizzy and Tallen – A Family Party in the Woods of Yacolt, WA.
I love it when I get brought in to capture weddings in a place that is special to the couple. Sure, I enjoy the professional wedding venues, but being at a private location makes the couple more relaxed and able to enjoy time with their families.
Tallen and Lizzy held their wedding on a gorgeous property in the Yacolt area of Clark County. Surrounded by trees, some tropical plants, and a stage just for their live band!
I had my friend Trung with Trung Phan Photography come along to make sure we got allllll the angles.
The Bride and Groom wanted to keep are traditional and keep the first look for the wedding ceremony. So, I took the ladies to the front of the house, while Trung took the men to the back.
Both had large families and wedding parties, there was lots of moving back and forth to each side. Luckily, we had scheduled plenty of time to get everyone in.
We snuck Lizzy back into the house, and she and her girls had a quick prayer session before everything began.
For the ceremony, we moved over into an opening that was setup facing an arbor and more trees.
The ceremony was gorgeous and full of great moments between the bride and groom.
After the ceremony, we went back to the front yard to get portraits of everyone together.
Lizzy wanted to make a GRAND entrance, so we lined everyone up and had them blow bubbles! I love the look that it gives, AND you’re not throwing anything that needs to get cleaned up later.
After the entrance was dinnertime, this is when Trung and I went around and made sure to get the details.
Then of course, to the dancing!
The couple was then toasted by the best man and maid of honor. A lot of laughter, but I think I caught Tallen give the evil side-eye once our twice for his.
The cake was gorgeous, and they even got in some playful cake smashing as well.
By the time that their money dance came around, the rain was starting to hit. Not very common for early September here in the northwest, but this year has been weird.
Luckily, we had umbrellas!
Garter toss? Yeah, they did that.
Bouquet toss? Yep! That too!
Just as the rain was really starting to come down only when the band was getting going. Luckily the guests didn’t mind and just kept dancing! If you’ve been to any of the local Vancouver bars, you may recognize the band. The Kimberly Hall Band took the stage and was playing classic rock for everyone.
As everyone was busy dancing, I stole the bride and groom away again for some portraits of just them. The property was just stunning and had this great water feature. Toss in the rain, and it gave a beautiful backdrop.
As for the rain, still didn’t bother us.
Congratulations to Lizzy and Tallen!
I’m sure I will see more of this family in the future. I’ve had to pleasure of capturing Tallen’s sister, Bailee getting married to Matt, and their family portraits!
The Walker Family
This family session was a long time coming.
Shannon and I have been friends since middle school and are still friends today, but thanks to life happening, we rarely get to see each other.
So when she contacted me about capturing her family, I was all in!
We both live out in the boonies, so we chose a gorgeous place by us, the Cedar Creek Grist Mill.
The old mill, bridge, and flowing creek are always perfect for a family session.
