Josh is currently deployed in the Armed Forces, so finding a weekend he was available was challenging. Stephanie is a full time student, so this beloved session was all the more special. Josh has the most amazing blue eyes and Stephanie has an infectious smile and easy-going personality. To say we never felt the chill in the air is not a stretch of the truth.

Rumor has it that Josh recently returned just long enough for the two of them to be married this past week. Congratulations to the newly married couple! I wish you both a lifetime of happiness. And a special thanks to Josh for your service to our country. It was an honor to meet both of you and share in this moment of your life. Congratulations!

Amy and JP, aka, the Prutches are a husband and wife team of photographers. They literally reside 4 blocks from me. We met 10 years ago, after being introduced by our FedEx driver. Our kids go to the same schools and we celebrate most of our holidays together. The most famous of which is our annual 4th of July block party. JP is one of the few people I know with as as much technical knowledge as I have and we talk nearly every day. I call him the other half of my brain. Amy calls me his boyfriend. Needless to say, they’re family.

Lately, I’ve been wanting to explore a new direction in my work. My current style is cinematic, accomplished with the compression and environmental isolation of my beloved 70-200 telephoto lens. I like the storytelling aspect of wide angle lenses, but they have an inherent depth of field, meaning everything is in focus even wide open. Canon has a couple of wide angle lenses which have a very wide aperture. This would give me a shallow depth of field. In short, this means I could control my plane of focus and make things in the background dreamy and soft as I do with my longer lenses. I contacted Canon and had them send me two lenses for evaluation. The Canon 24mm f1.4 and the 35mm f1.4.

It just happened that the Prutches invited our family to Long Beach, Washington for a weekend getaway. We have endeared this coming together of our families as “KepPrutch” time. I asked if they were willing to let me photograph their family and they graciously agreed. Our mutual friend, David Williams from Australia, has made it his mission to encourage photographers to document each other’s families. Pay it forward. I know it’s hard for Amy and JP to get family portraits done since they are BOTH photographers. The hard part for me is that if there’s one thing I know by now about the Prutches, it’s that they are anything but normal. That was the challenge.

I mean, come on. Anyone who names their blog “The Shutter Monkey” has got to be somewhat irreverent. Posing on the beach is not something that authentically captures who they are as a family. Not to lessen their affection for each other, but they are not the type to hold hands and gaze into each other’s eyes. They’d be laughing before I could release the shutter. They were the perfect family to challenge myself with a new style of shooting portraits that are different than what you’d expect to see from a family portrait session at the beach.

My Facebook friends challenged me to illustrate how a wide angle lens could be used effectively in environmental portraiture. I also brought along my beloved Lensbaby for something even more distinctly different. At the end of the day, we had great fun with the Prutches. I was nervous shooting for two other professionals, but pushed myself to do it regardless of the outcome. Long Beach is one of the few beaches in Washington where you can actually drive on the beach. We threw the kids in the back of the Dodge Ram pickup and took off for a day of adventure. The kids never stopped smiling and we all left with more KepPrutch memories.

So tell me. What do you think of this new direction? What do you like or dislike about these images? Do they tell a story? Is this something you’d want for your own family? Does this capture a moment that will be remembered when our kids are parents themselves?

Meet Allie. Graduating high school senior, valedictorian of her class—a rare combination of brains and beauty. The perfect student to represent the mission statement of her teachers. You can be sure you’ll be seeing more of this talented woman as she makes her mark in the world. And the world will be a better place for it!

Allie wanted the backdrop of Vancouver for her high school senior portrait session. We had a great time getting to know each other and I even brought along another talented high school senior, Ian.

He shadowed me during December for his high school culminating project. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of shooting going on at that time, so he spent his week watching me work in front of my computer. As much a real world experience as that is, it’s just not the rock star photographer image everyone has of what I do for a living. Perception versus reality. Two worlds colliding. Look for a behind-the-scenes image of Ian in this set. So, without further ado… let me introduce Allie.

My name is: Allie
I’m a Senior at: Heritage High School
Childhood Ambition: Changed a lot. Finally decided on businesswoman.
Fondest Memory: Spending a week in Hawaii with the family.
Soundtrack: Everything is Beautiful – Starfield.
Retreat: Going on a run through the park.
Wildest Dream: To be in a movie—my lifelong secret desire!
Proudest Moment: Giving a speech at 8th grade graduation as valedictorian.
Biggest Challenge: Not catching senioritis.
Alarm Clock: My cell phone… and if that doesn’t work, my mother.
Perfect Day: SUNNY, warm, and no rain.
First Job: Tutor for a family friend.
Indulgence: Shopping.
Last Purchase: Sixteen-ounce Peach Pleasure from Jamba Juice.
Favorite Movie: The Count of Monte Cristo.
Inspiration: Jesus, all the way.
My Life: Will make an exciting change as I attend George Fox University this fall.
My Future: Is directed by God. It will be grand!

They have one of the coolest wedding related sites going these days. If you’re a bride looking for inspiration, ideas, do-it-yourself freebies, then you need to visit their site and follow them on Twitter. They’re always featuring new products, running contests and just kicking it hard for you brides.

So Randy, why all the love for the Wedding Chicks, you ask? Because they featured a very cool freebie on their site that was put together by a hard working behind the scenes chick, who’s getting married in October. The theme for their wedding is inspired by the Mad Men series on AMC.

If you haven’t seen this show yet, you really owe it to yourself to rent the entire series. Right now. Seriously. It’s that good. One of the best written, engaging shows you’ll ever watch. From the authenticity of the props to the issues featured as the backdrop for the show. If you lived in the 60′s or are intrigued by all things retro, you’ll enjoy this show.

What is the freebie that inspired me to write? This Save the Date card generator. You choose the colors, add a couple lines of text and have a 4×6 version emailed to you immediately, ready to print.

And yes… my wedding anniversary is May 23rd. These are two versions that I created and really liked. Makes me wish I was getting married again, just so I could send out these cool cards. What do you think? Isn’t this the coolest thing ever?

Thanks Wedding Chicks!

When I traveled there for Kristen’s wedding, I extended my trip a few days to visit my father. He is the third owner of a jewelry store that’s been in Richmond, Missouri since 1850. Since my trip, he’s sold the store and retired to continue his personal work in South Africa. My father was a minister and that’s how I fell in love with the Northwest, as we traveled across the country to a congregation in Seattle. He’s remained active in the ministry, even while running his jewelry store for decades. He’s now free to focus on his passion of helping South Africans set up small businesses and churches.

The first thing I did when I arrived in town was eat lunch at the original Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque in Kansas City, Missouri. There are four regions in our country famous for different styles of barbeque and trust me, the Northwest is not one of them! My friend, blues musician Mark DuFresne and I literally grew up just down the road from each other. Kansas City barbeque is always a topic of conversation for us. Arthur Bryant’s may not be the best in town, but it’s the most well known. Presidents, celebrities and regular folk all have sat down together at this world famous joint. It’s a Kansas City institution.

Sitting at Arthur Bryant’s, I thought the neighborhood felt familiar. I called my dad who reminded me that I grew up just down the street, so I drove past the old house and the church where he was a minister. I learned to ride a bike in that church parking lot. Remembered the stone wall like it was yesterday, where I scrapped the skin off my knuckles because I was afraid to turn the bike handles in fear of falling over. And Askew Elementary, which three generations of our family attended school. Lots of history there for me.

While taking pictures with my Lensbaby for my dad, the minister pulled up. I thought I was in trouble for taking photos of the church, but that was not the story this time. It was sheer coincidence. The nicest man— I shared with him my memories of growing up in that church. He was very interested in the history and opened up the church and let me step inside the memories of my childhood. As I left, he warmly embraced me and told me to thank my father for keeping the ground. I had to ask my dad what he meant. Ended up being preacher speak. An inner code.

My father wore me out keeping up with his busy schedule. We drove to Carrollton, Missouri and recorded a couple of father and son radio ads for the retirement sale, ate more barbeque and drove back for a city council meeting. My beloved aunt works for my dad, so I spent time with her as well. It was strange being home. Felt comfortable, as if I’d never left.

Just outside where my dad lives is another famous barbeque joint in the old Wabash train station called Wabash BBQ in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. I had to stop and compare their short ribs to Arthur Bryant’s. Purely for scientific reasons, of course. If I’d had more time, I would have sampled a lot more barbeque.

I also spent a weekend with my friend Mark Kegans in Des Moines, Iowa. Everyone who knows Mark loves him and his witty, sarcastic, dry sense of humor. A unique and talented photographer who’s roots go back to the Dallas Morning Tribune in Texas. I got to meet the Des Moines crew (who tried to hurt me with alcoholic drinks) and photograph a 12 hour wedding alongside this wedding legend who may actually be better then me.

Thanks for sharing in this personal journey of my humble beginnings. I feel that knowing the personal history of any artist is valuable insight into what motivates them. I promise to get back to business with my next post. There is a long list of things to share with you. So tell me gentle reader… what’s the best BBQ you’ve ever had?

Kristen walked into my life one afternoon when she interviewed to be my assistant. She became a vital part of my business and a beloved part of our family. We worked together for two wedding seasons. She gained my respect for putting in her time, as an apprentice and learning the craft of wedding photography. Many before her have burned out after a few weddings. It’s a lot more work than people realize.

Kristen and I share a similar language. We communicate through our images. Her artistic sensibility and point of view closely mirror my own. Her laughter is infectious and there is no way you can keep a straight face. I knew the day would eventually come when our paths would take us in different directions. When it did, I had mixed feelings. On one hand, I was proud of who she had become— happy she was stretching her wings, but sad she was leaving. She definitely set a standard that no on has come close to matching.

Years passed and the day came when she announced that she was engaged to be married! You can imagine the great honor and twinge of fear when she asked me to photograph her wedding. Honor, that I was asked to photograph the wedding of my greatest protege. Fear? Yes, the fear of failure. It’s true that the teacher becomes the student, but please don’t let that happen at the student’s wedding. Our entire family was excited for Kristen’s new season of life.

One of the things we often spoke of was our memories of growing up in the Midwest. When she told me her wedding was in her hometown of Fort Scott, Kansas, I was excited for the opportunity to travel back to the Midwest. It had been too long. I met her fiance Drew for the first time at the rehearsal dinner and it was exciting to see the two of them together. I had never seen Kristen so happy. She was literally glowing and radiating joy and love.

I’d heard a lot about her family and it was wonderful to finally meet her sister, parents and the entire family. I’m not sure they quite knew what to make of me, but embraced me with warmth and kindness. The Lyons Twin Mansions is an amazing Victorian style bed and breakfast and you’d be hard pressed to find a more charming host than Miss Pat.

Without question, my favorite wedding to photograph is a destination wedding. Your entire focus is on the wedding and being in the moment as a part of the family. It was wonderful to put a face to all the players in Kristen’s life that I had heard about over the years. I feel that everything really came together that day. Obviously, Kristen knew what I needed to make the magic happen and ensured the day was relaxed and care free. We literally shot till the cows came home.

It was a pleasure to meet both families and Miss Pat. Everyone was gracious, charming and smiling from ear to ear. I honestly don’t know what could have been done to make it a better event. Best wishes to Kristen and Drew, my beloved friends. May you enjoy a lifetime of happiness!

Walkabout sounds Australian. The Native Americans believed that you could find spiritual guidance in the everyday. An art walkabout is a personal spirit quest— a letting go of all expectations. Being present and immersed in the moment. Exploring whatever moves you as you walk. It’s about moving away from a technical approach to image making and shifting towards using your intuition and passion.

Rules are designed to give you repeatable results. Like a recipe. If you follow the rules, you get a desired result. It’s great in the beginning when you are first learning the art of image making. Finding an authentic voice or point of view requires departing from that and trusting your intuition in bending the rules. Finding out where the edges are and stepping outside the boundaries of rules.

My background in commercial advertising photography involved a lot of rules. The quest for perfection in lighting and image clarity and sharpness. My recent acquisition of a Lensbaby Composer has pushed me to break the rules and trust my intuition.

A Lensbaby is a wonderful, funky lens created by Portland native Craig Strong, that is beloved for it’s imperfections. You manually focus the lens with a sweet spot of focus that can be shifted around by literally moving the lens on a ball socket. The edges smear light and focus and create these wonderful shapes and patterns. It breaks all the rules. Think of running with scissors next to a pool during a thunderstorm with a kite in tow. Yeah, that’s a Lensbaby. It’s creative freedom.

Not getting caught up in the pursuit of perfection, but rather a world inside the viewfinder that is more about space relationships, form and light. A still moment that has no distraction, no sound, music or noise. Just you and the moment. The art walkabout is a solitary experience, soulful and present.

Letting go of the outcome, the rules of engagement changed. These are a few favorites from my art walkabout in Fort Scott, Kansas. Why Kansas? More on that in a future post. The images are darker than I normally prefer, but they feel right to me. It’s how it felt to stand there on that winter day in Kansas.

How do these feel to you? What do you like about them? I hope this inspires you to grab your camera and take a walkabout for yourself. Turn your world upside down and backwards. Change the rules of engagement.

Change is one thing in life you can count on. It’s inevitable. You can’t stop it or slow it down. As a professional photographer for the past 20 years, I’ve seen a lifetime of change happen overnight. New and aspiring photographers are always asking for words of wisdom from those of us who have seen so much change and thrived where others have struggled.

I may be an infrequent blogger, but I’m always thinking and writing lists of things to share. This is something I’ve given a lot of thought to, especially recently when I had a wonderfully talented high school senior shadow me for a week as part of a graduation project. Never before in the history of our planet have there been so many people documenting and creating images daily. How do you find your voice? How do you stand out in the every increasing number of voices struggling to be heard?

Then I read an article written by Colorado portrait photographer Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai and found it perfectly articulated what I wanted to say. With permission, I’m sharing her thoughts on what every aspiring photographer should know.

• Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don’t look outward for your style; look inward.

• Know your stuff. Luck is a nice thing, but a terrifying thing to rely on. It’s like money; you only have it when you don’t need it.

• Never apologize for your own sense of beauty. Nobody can tell you what you should love. Do what you do brazenly and unapologetically. You cannot build your sense of aesthetics on a consensus.

• Say no. Say it often. It may be difficult, but you owe it to yourself and your clients. Turn down jobs that don’t fit you, say no to overbooking yourself. You are no good to anyone when you’re stressed and anxious.

• Learn to say “I’m a photographer” out loud with a straight face. If you can’t say it and believe it, you can’t expect anyone else to, either.

• You cannot specialize in everything.

• You don’t have to go into business just because people tell you you should! And you don’t have to be full time and making an executive income to be successful. If you decide you want to be in business, set your limits before you begin.

• Know your style before you hang out your shingle. If you don’t, your clients will dictate your style to you. That makes you nothing more than a picture taker. Changing your style later will force you to start all over again, and that’s tough.

• Accept critique, but don’t apply it blindly. Just because someone said it does not make it so. Critiques are opinions, nothing more. Consider the advice, consider the perspective of the advice giver, consider your style and what you want to convey in your work. Implement only what makes sense to implement. That doesn’t not make you ungrateful, it makes you independent.

• Leave room for yourself to grow and evolve. It may seem like a good idea to call your business “Precious Chubby Tootsies”… but what happens when you decide you love to photograph seniors? Or boudoir?

• Remember that if your work looks like everyone else’s, there’s no reason for a client to book you instead of someone else. Unless you’re cheaper. And nobody wants to be known as “the cheaper photographer”.

• Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated.

• It’s easier to focus on buying that next piece of equipment than it is to accept that you should be able to create great work with what you’ve got. Buying stuff is a convenient and expensive distraction. You need a decent camera, a decent lens, and a light meter. Until you can use those tools consistently and masterfully, don’t spend another dime. Spend money on equipment ONLY when you’ve outgrown your current equipment and you’re being limited by it. There are no magic bullets.

• Learn that people photography is about people, not about photography. Great portraits are a side effect of a strong human connection.

• Never forget why you started taking pictures in the first place. Excellent technique is a great tool, but a terrible end product. The best thing your technique can do is not call attention to itself. Never let your technique upstage your subject.

• Never compare your journey with someone else’s. It’s a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never “arrive”. No one ever does.

• Embrace frustration. It pushes you to learn and grow, broadens your horizons, and lights a fire under you when your work has gone cold. Nothing is more dangerous to an artist than complacency.

Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai

A pioneer in the world of children’s portraiture, Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai is among the most admired and emulated portrait photographers working today. With a style described by Black and White Photography Magazine (UK) as “the anti-cute approach”, her work has helped usher in a more honest, respectful era of child photography. And she only shoots film!

As I reflect on the past year, I realize that much has happened for which I’m thankful. It’s true that my blog has been painfully silent, but that doesn’t mean life was quiet. Yes, the recession finally made an appearance and business was frighteningly slow. On the other hand, it presented opportunities.

As a visual artist in the business of photography, I simply don’t work conventional hours. 7 day work weeks are the norm and personal growth takes a back seat to business. It’s a fact of life for the self-employed. My work this year was scattered enough that there were lots of gaps, so I took the opportunity to travel.

I journeyed to Phoenix, Arizona for an annual photography convention, Cancun, Mexico— San Antonio, Texas— San Clemente, California for our annual family vacation and finally the Midwest in November for a wedding. It’s been wonderful seeing new places and experience different cultures. My focus was on growing as an artist and stepping back from my fear of not working. I was blessed in attending a workshop with Jesh de Rox which gave me new perspective on many things in my life.

Earlier this year, I started a new photography project called My Portland Photographer. Showcasing the tremendous talents of 20 of Portland’s finest wedding photographers and educating the public as to why hiring a professional photographer is so important. With the help of my colleagues, we’ve put together quite a body of work that continues to grow and evolve. I’m proud to be associated with this group of artists who’s passion is crafting unique and compelling images of weddings. We are even taking out an ad in the 2010 Oregon Bride Resource Guide.

For those of you who read my blog, I want to thank you for your continued support. I have a whole list of things to share with you once the new year settles in and takes off. Lots of images and stories from my travels and the wonderful people who were married this past year. I sincerely appreciate you stopping by my corner of the world and letting me share my passion for life, visual artistry and storytelling with you.

No matter where you are, my wish is that you find yourself surrounded by the warmth of family and friends this holiday season. May the blessings of life find you in the New Year!

My name is: Ellora
I’m a Senior at: Hockinson High School
Childhood Ambition: To be a pediatrician or surgeon.
Fondest Memory: Celebrating two years with my boyfriend
Soundtrack: “Boxer” by The National.
Retreat: A nap in a warm, cozy sweater.
Wildest Dream: To move across the country for college! Hopefully, it will come true.
Proudest Moment: Being cast in a new play by Louis Sachar.
Biggest Challenge: De-stressing
Alarm Clock: Is a godsend.
Perfect Day: Any day I see a rainbow.
First Job: Solo vocalist with the Oregon Symphony.
Indulgence: Anything chocolate.
Last Purchase: A month of Bikram yoga.
Favorite Movie: I could never choose just one!
Inspiration: Debussy
My Life: Is bursting with opportunities!
My Future: Will make the best of them.