Oh! Hi!: Self-Portrait Shoot.

So, I am back in my last quarter of nursing school, which means I am no longer doing my weekly photo shoots. I didn't realize I would miss it as much as I do, but I know time flies while I'm in school and plan to be back doing photo shoots regularly once the quarter is over.

My idea of how to still do photography while in school is to do self portraits. This is easier than a photo shoot with a model in the sense that I can do it when I have a free moment on my own time, and I don't have to feel like I need to do the post work right away. I can do it when ever I have time. The doing it when I have time thing actually makes me laugh a little, as free time is rare during nursing school.

This last Saturday at around 9 PM I decided I was going to do a self portrait shoot. I was pretty excited, as I haven't done a self portrait since photography school (circa 2003!). I set up my studio lights and came up with a plan. I had a few ideas of what I wanted to do, which always helps. I used my light meter to figure out exposure, but because my light meter was in the garage for so many years, it isn't exact. The light meter more or less gives me a ball park idea of where I need to be with my exposure, and then after a few shots I had the exposure to where I wanted it to be. Finding the exposure was fun, and actually my first shot below was when I was figuring out exposure. It is quite over exposed, but I actually think it works in this shot.

With my camera on a tripod and the timer on, I would get in front of the camera and do the pose I was thinking. Like I said, I had ideas for what I wanted the composition to look like. It is pretty tricky having those ideas and then being the model and trying to figure out where to be in front of the lens in order for the actual image to look like what I have in my head. It was definitely trial and error! But I did get an image with half of my face cropped out like I wanted, and the others ones turned out close to what I was going for as well. The one with my dog Willis wasn't planned. He was simply being a poky puppy and I took that as an invitation to have him 'model'. He sure is cute, isn't he?

Anyway! I hope you enjoy these pictures! I actually have post work to do on the last A Breakthrough in Field Studies video shoot that I took pictures at, as well as a photo shoot I completed of a kitchen my husband built for side work. Hopefully I'll get to those soon so you can have a look!

Oh, Baby!: Pregnancy Shoot.

A few weeks ago I traveled down to the Portland area for a old friend's wedding, and also had the chance to fit in a visit with another old friend of mine. I was super excited to see this friend, as I actually think of her more as an older sister than anything... we've been friends since I was in third grade! We decided to do a shoot while catching up. This definitely is a time in her life she wants to remember, as she is seven months pregnant with her second child.

This shoot was actually more challenging than I thought it would be. Sara is also interested in photography, and therefore over thought every pose and smile. My style of doing portraits is to converse with the model, and take pictures during. This allows the model to stop focusing on posing and I am then able to capture special moments and glimpses that show their personality. This technique didn't work this time. She was thinking of what every frame I shot looked like, and would stop in mid sentence to give me a big smile if she thought I would be taking a picture at that moment. Some of these pictures with the big smile turned out well, but by the end of the shoot it started to look forced and really unnatural. I finally realized that I needed to say something. I told her not to smile and to just relax! After I told her this it was night and day. I showed her the first shot after telling her this (which is my favorite, the one below of her laying on the couch), and was able to capture some portraits of her that are honest and true to who she really is.

I enjoyed capturing such an intimate, special moment in Sara's life. I really look forward to future opportunities that will allow me to capture this important (and relatively short!) moment in a woman's life.

And Baby Makes Three: Newborn and Family Shoot.

It has been a busy week! And what a wonderful way to round it out by spending time with our friends and their three week old baby, Hallam. My husband and I had the pleasure of visiting them for the first time at their Vashon home, and got to catch up over dinner and pictures.
I loved the beautiful land that their house is on, and it gave for several outdoor options for their shoot. After some shots outside we set up in the house and took a few more. Some of my favorites came at the end of the shoot. I noticed how Hallam's dad Anton would bring him to the piano and play a little to soothe him when he cried. I pulled my light over, and took a few shots while he was sleeping (or fighting off sleep!) in his daddy's arms. I think this is one of the many things that I really LOVE about shooting people. You can plan all you want, but some of the best shots just happen naturally as the people you are taking pictures of interact with each other or interact with the camera.

It was an honor to be able to capture the huge amount of love these two parents have for each other and their new little one. I'm starting to think newborns and their families might be my favorite thing to take pictures of. Here are several of my favorite pictures from this shoot. I usually try to keep it to four pictures, but honestly there were so many cute ones that I wanted to share with you! Hope you don't mind!

I La La Love You: Couples Shoot.

You know what is even better than just seeing someone from your past? Seeing how happy they are. That was certainly the case with this week's photo shoot with my old boss Jessica and her husband Emmett. It's so great to see how good time has been to her. Since I saw her last (eight years ago!), she has married and has a two year old. You can tell in these pictures that she is in a really good place right now, and that love has done this woman good!! :)

Catch Me if You Can: Toddler Shoot.

Last week I met up with a friend from nursing school who offered up her adorable two year old for our weekly photo shoot session. I was looking forward to this shoot because I love kids and haven't had much opportunity to take pictures of them. This little boy, Bennett, was a lot of fun! I chased him all over the playground, shooting away. Little Benny didn't stop much for the camera, he was all business about his running and playing. I fell in love with the pictures that I took that truly captured this little boy's adventurous and playful spirit.

I can't wait to have another opportunity to shoot kids! What a fun challenge!

Hello and welcome!

So here I am! First post in the blog world. I am currently on summer vacation from nursing school. With the free time I have off from school, I have dived back into a longtime passion of mine: photography.
I graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle for commercial photography back in 2003. Since then I pick up my camera every now and again, but haven't been very consistent with taking pictures. I started taking pictures more regularly this summer, starting with the photos I took for my husband's band A Breakthrough in Field Studies. I came up with the concept for the art with this EP, with the idea of each band member having their portrait featured on the cover. Here are the five portraits that were chosen for the EP covers.

After the EP photo shoots happened, my friend Julie (www.julievoss.net ) and I (and sometimes a few other friends would come as well) started meeting every Monday to practice, explore, and learn new techniques. Here are a few of my favorite images from the last several Monday night portrait sessions.

My photography group has two more sessions scheduled before I return to my last quarter of nursing school. I hope to use this blog to keep you posted on my growth as a photographer and to share with you one of my favorite things: capturing the world and those who live in it!
Stay tuned....