Inspired Photo Blog

There is a Latin phrase in vino veritas, which literally means ‘truth in wine.’ This is the truth that Kristen and Thomas share. A passion for each other and for wine. This shared passion brought us to a vineyard, the perfect backdrop for their engagement session. Their wedding is on December 30th and as much as they wanted to host their wedding at a vineyard, the weather would be a factor. So, we decided that photographing their engagement session at a vineyard would be the perfect beginning to their story.

The vineyard that we selected was the Bethany Vineyard in Ridgefield, Washington. The Housers, owners and wine makers, were very accommodating. They gave us full access to their vineyard and even opened up the gift shop for a little impromptu wine tasting. Walt Houser, pictured here, is enjoying a story with Kristen and Thomas.

Congratulations to Kristen and Thomas on your engagement and upcoming wedding. Thanks for sharing the story of your passion with me; a story that will continue in December!

1 Comment

Nothing surpasses the joy of being a father. I feel blessed having three girls call me father and quite frightened to think that someday they may all get married. On this day, set aside to honor father’s and the contributions they make in the lives of their children, I wish every father a very Happy Father’s Day. And to my own father, a special blessing…nothing can express the love, joy and pride I feel from having you in my life.

My youngest daughter Kaylee (7 years old) presented me with this artistic rendering of her dad for Father’s Day. I’m so proud of her; the color choices and the way she painted the background. Yes, my eyes are green and at one point in my life my hair was brown. These days, it’s more salt and pepper. Attributed, no doubt, in some small way to being a father.

Since my father is halfway across the United States, I thought I’d share a few personal vintage photos. I used to spend time with my grandparents on their farm in Missouri. Here, I’m pictured with my dog Prince at the farm. I remember being afraid that he would eat me.

My father was a minister for the Church of Christ. We attended weddings and chuch on a regular basis. This is a rare photo of my dad from that time. Given that he is wearing a boutonniere and I’m wearing a bow tie, one could assume we were on our way to a wedding. I’m not sure what my dad is thinking, but he sure has a goofy look on his face. I love the way that Prince is looking at him.

My passion for flying and airplanes can be directly attributed to my dad. He was in the Air Force and throughout my childhood, shared with me a passion for flying. One year, for his birthday, my father was given a gift for an Air Combat mission in Fullerton, California. Fighter pilot for a day with complete control of a highly maneuverable acrobatic airplane. You get to perform combat maneuvers and dogfights against an opponent.

My brother and I met my dad in California to support him and watch him fly his mission. We sat in during the briefing and at the end, we were told that we were both going up on a combat mission. My dad surprised my brother and I with an Air Combat mission! It was one of the greatest joys of my life and a day that none of us will ever forget.

My father is a great man and his influence in my life is profound. We are very close and it’s hard to be so far away from him. If you are getting married in Missouri and need a photographer, let me know. I’d love any opportunity to visit my father, share some barbecue and give him a big hug.

To my father-in-law…there isn’t much more that I can say that my wife hasn’t already written. In a rare lapse of reason, I encourage you to visit my wife’s blog. There you will find a wonderful entry about her dad and more about me and my family than you’d ever want to know or should read!

From my daughter’s card, I’d like to share this thought…“The wish is very simple and the words are very few, But the thoughts are extra loving for a special dad like you.”

Happy Father’s Day!

No Comments

Sunday morning dawns with glorious sunshine. Something that seems to be in short supply in the Northwest. My wife walks in as I’m shaving to announce that one of my brides is on the phone. I ask her to take a message (is this really something I have to verbalize?) as I have shaving cream all over my face! She takes the message and comes back in to tell me it’s my bride for this morning’s engagement session wanting to know if the shoot was still “on” because it’s sunny! In that moment, I smile, grateful for the best couples ever.

I pride myself on the quality of light in my images. Sometimes it’s elusive and other times it’s everywhere. Educating my couples about photography and what they are paying for is something I do every day. I’ve been blessed with couples that understand the difference and are willing to place their trust in me. Andrea and Brett are such a couple. They commissioned my services over the Internet without ever meeting me in person. So, this morning, as I walked over to introduce myself for the first time, I was struck with the serendipity of showing the work you want to do and having the world respond.

Brett is a great guy. He’s an adamant mountain biker and a musician who plays guitar. Andrea commented about how jealous she was of his beautiful eyelashes. Listening to him talk, you would swear you were talking to Nicolas Cage. I like drawing those similarities simple because I’m so obsessed with movies.

I love this photo of Andrea. Look at the highlights in her hair. This entire shoot was natual light. No artificial light was ever introduced. Thank your stylist the next time you see them. There is an art to highlighting hair. Even in the most subtle light, her hair picked up highlights.

Our engagement session at the Rose Garden was surreal because of all the judges running around in gold capes. Did I mention that it was the weekend of the Portland Rose Festival? There were tourists photographing the roses and the judges in gold capes doing their thing. Congratulations to Andrea and Brett who are getting married on September 24th at the McMenamins Grand Lodge. Thank you for choosing me as your wedding photographer!

No Comments

Amy and Karl were married on the 26th of May. A day that threatened hail, rain and thunderstorms. An hour before we were supposed to start, there was a 20 minute hail storm. All of us were praying for a window of calm before the formals. Amy and Karl must have some connections upstairs because we were given a 45 minute window of opportunity to photograph their families and friends.

No pressure on me! Amy is the daughter of Vancouver photographers Gary and Karin Canazzi. Photographing the wedding of another photographer is always a pressure cooker. The expectations are very high and you want to do your very best. How does a photographer pick another photographer to photograph his daughter’s wedding? It’s an honor and a huge responsibility to have been chosen.

Having three daughters of my own, I can only imagine the range of emotions that Gary must have felt to walk his only daughter down the aisle. On the flip side, how surreal is it for the daughter of a photographer to be photographed at her own wedding? My daughters are the biggest hams in front of the camera. Are they natural? Yes and no. Trying to capture an honest emotion is very difficult, as they are always aware of being photographed. On the other hand, I didn’t have the opportunity to meet Karl until the wedding day. Within minutes of meeting him, I was impressed with his affable grace and charm. Neither one of them take a bad picture. Both are very natural and comfortable in front of the camera.

Amy striking a pose!

One of my favorite images of the day. Gary and his daughter sharing a moment just before they walked down the aisle. Gary later confided in me that walking his daughter down the aisle was one of the proudest moments in his life. He said it was like walking a celebrity down the red carpet. Being on the other side of the camera was so surreal. Everyone was looking at his daughter and his heart swelled with pride and love. He wished he could have hung onto that moment for just a moment longer. I hope this image helps capture that moment and keep it alive.

Congratulations Amy and Karl! It was a pleasure to meet both of your families and all your friends. It’s obvious to anyone that meets you that the two of you have a love that is deep and true. Best wishes for a lifetime of happiness!

8 Comments