Inspired Photo Blog

Donna and Andrew were married on April 22nd at the Oaks Pioneer Church in Sellwood, Oregon. This was my first time photographing a wedding at this church. This church is the oldest church in Portland, dating back to 1851. It’s been moved three times and has quite a history.

My first impression when I walked up to this church was it’s classic, simplistic beauty. A piece of history nestled in a residential Portland neighborhood. It was Earth Day and there were bikers and joggers stopping to drink from the bubbler in front of the church. It was a beautiful, sunny day and love was in the air. Alright, maybe that last bit was too much.

Andrew has an energy about him that’s hard to describe. His energy reminds me of Tom Arnold and he looks like Mel Gibson. He’s loving and very enthusiastic. It’s hard to get a candid shot of him as he’s constantly moving and interacting with everyone around him. He has quite a life story and suffice it to say, I walked away that day inspired to live my life.

The brides nephew Katin was a quintessential surfer dude. This kid will be breaking hearts when he’s a teenager.

Donna and Andrew making a run for it after the ceremony. One of the hardest shots to get and one of my favorites. Pure emotion.

Donna was absolutely beautiful on her wedding day. Lots of intricate details on her dress and white gloves. What’s not to love?

I love this image. It’s one of my favorites in recent history. The pureness of her face and the very cool artistic blob of a person as a background element.

Andrew, being the prankster and full of life person that he is, smeared cake on Donna’s face during the cake cutting. Suffice it to say, she was not happy at all! Andrew, lovingly turned to his wife and told her to go for it. That speaks volumes about the quality of their relationship.

Congratulations to Donna and Andrew. I hope you are enjoying your honeymoon in Italy. I wish I was there documenting the whole trip. A lifetime of happiness to both of you and your families!

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After my trip to Las Vegas, it’s been a slow week getting back into the daily routine. Jim and Dara were married the day before I left for my convention. You may remember them from their engagement session along the Willamette River. It’s been a week since their wedding and I wanted to share a few moments from that day.

The ceremony was held at the Milwaukie Faith Evangelical church and the reception was at the historic Broetje House. The forecast called for rain, so I didn’t have much faith that we’d have the opportunity for outdoor, natural light photos. Fortunately, the rain held off long enough for us to take advantage of the beautiful surroundings of the Broetje House. Shortly after photographing the bridal party, the clouds opened up and it started pouring down rain. Jim and Dara were beautiful on their wedding day, calm and very much in love.

Dara and her bridesmaids sharing a laugh. It was quite a funny story. What was it about, you ask? Let’s just say the bridesmaid that isn’t laughing would be your first clue.

If ever a photograph was worth a thousand words…

Dara’s grandfather was the officiant at their wedding ceremony. I truly enjoy the well worn, beloved bibles and cheat sheets that ministers carry with them. My father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all ministers. There’s something about this particular shot that has special meaning for me.

One of the longest veils I’ve seen in a long while.

Truly a celebration of family and friends. I bet Jim’s face still hurts from smiling so much. Congratulations to both of you and your families. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness!

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Once a year, thousands of wedding photographers descend upon Las Vegas for the annual Wedding and Portrait Photographers International convention. Coinciding with this event was a convention for the Digital Wedding Forum, of which I am a member. Back to back seminars, up close and personal one on one time with arguably the best photographers in the world. During the 5 day event, I think I slept about 6 hours total. The rest of the time was running from one seminar to the next and hanging out and sharing the love with new friends from all over the world.

My favorite part of the convention were the after hours socials. We stayed up until the wee hours of the morning talking about our passion…photography. There were cameras everywhere. It was amazing to shoot images with complete abandon. Sharing ideas, playful creativity in the world’s largest adult playground. A freedom I have not experienced since I was in school. A place where time does not exist. I brought my point and shoot camera along and decided to share a few images with you.

I didn’t make it to the famous sign on the Las Vegas strip, but found this instead.

What was unique about this conference was the actual wedding that took place on the first day. The president of one of the largest wedding album companies shared his wedding ceremony with all of us at a private ceremony on a ranch outside Las Vegas. Some of the best wedding photographers in the world were invited to photograph different aspects of the wedding. As part of the conference, the images and a live discussion were shared the following evening. Unbelievably humbling and inspiring images from the masters of wedding photography.

Yours truly at the Red Rocks Ranch outside Las Vegas.

Post wedding portraits of the bride and groom were photographed by John Michael Cooper of Alt F. Be sure to read his personal blog and you will understand why he is one of a kind. The flaming bride should catch your attention.

Everyone was encouraged to bring a camera with the strict provision that no one raised a camera during the ceremony. 600 photographers with cameras. Once you see this photo, you’ll understand why!

The aspect I enjoyed the most were the personal friendships that were forged. Mark Kegans is a dear friend of mine that I’ve known for two years and have never met in person. We ended up sharing a room together at the conference and hanging out all week. Mark is truly a great photographer and a wonderful person. Meeting him only made it better.

There were quite a few photographers from Portland that made it to the conference. Mark called us the Portland Mafia. The only state that had more photographers representing was California. Here is Nicole Wickens and Mark enjoying Las Vegas.

Mark sharing a moment in front of the Paris Hotel.

The hardest part of the trip was the journey home. My mind was filled with ideas and inspiration. I started to miss the voices and laughter of my new friends, but knew we would find each other again. I was filled with pride to be a part of this wonderful group of artists pushing the boundaries of wedding photography. Photographers who shared a passion that few understand. Until next year…Viva Las Vegas!

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It’s spring and love is in the air. Last Saturday I photographed an engagement session with Megan and Alex who are getting married this summer. We’ve been trying to schedule this session for months now, but the weather just hasn’t cooperated. We enjoyed a small break in the weather, but were caught in a pretty heavy downpour by the end of our shoot. Congratulations Megan and Alex!

Couples always ask me why they should schedule an engagement session. There are a number of reasons, but the most important one is having the opportunity to with your photographer before the stress of the wedding day. It’s a chance for us to get to know each other. A chance to experience the process up close and personal. Find out what works and what doesn’t. I can give you tips based on what I observe, helping you look and feel your very best. It’s fun and hopefully you’ll look forward to being photographed on your wedding. When your wedding day arrives, you’ll feel like a professional model. You’ll be able to relax and enjoy the day without worrying.

Aside from that, many couples choose to use their engagement photos for Save the Date cards. You can also enlarge an image and put it on display at your wedding at the guest table. Some couples will select 3 or more images and create a Triptych which they frame and display at the wedding. If you choose to have an engagement session, I will create gift cards from an engagement photo. This is a wallet sized wedding favor which includes the web address of your online wedding gallery. Guests appreciate a photo of the wedding couple and gives them information on how to view your wedding photos. The possibilities are endless, limited only by your imagination. I think anyone who’s had an engagement session will tell you it’s well worth the time.

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Annette and Aaron were married on March 25th at thePortland LDS Temple. The LDS temple is a very popluar wedding destination for members of this faith and on this particular Saturday, there were at least 20 weddings going on at once. Since photographers are not allowed inside the temple, there’s always a group of us waiting for our couples to emerge from the temple doors. Every time the door opens, cameras go up and reflexes are tested.

My college photography professor once handed out the largest assignment of the semseter during the rainy winter semester. Week after week of rain with no end in sight brought a wave of groans as we were handed our next project. He laughed and said, “if you can’t shoot in the rain…move!” As silly as that sounds, it’s true. Every photographer in the Northwest has to contend with rainy days and true to form, it started to rain when Annette and Aaron walked out of the temple.

A little known secret that Northwesterners share. Love blossoms under an umbrella. We never let a little thing like rain stop us from living and loving.

Did I mention that it was raining? I know it’s hard to see in this low resolution photo, but it’s pouring down rain. This is the classic temple shot…in the rain.

Aaron and Annette make a run for it.

The reception was held at Portland’s Studio 1050. I’ve never been to this location and was looking forward to seeing what it was like inside. I have another wedding reception here later this year. If it weren’t so cold and rainy, this location would have been a great place for downtown, urban photos. Lots of brick and a real Portland vibe.

Father making a heartfelt toast to the newly married couple.

Annette practicing her bridal diva pose.

Since the rain left us little time to do anything creative at the temple, I decided to mix things up a bit. Finding inspiration with blank, empty walls is a challenge but Annette and Aaron inspired me to try.

Did I mention the bird seed? Not a handful, but a cup full! I’ve never seen so much bird seed in the air. Seconds later, Annette, who despite the rain was successful in keeping her dress spotless, dragged it through a puddle. No doubt from all the bird seed obscuring her vision. A perfect ending to a perfect day.

Best wishes Annette and Aaron! A lifetime of happiness to you both!

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