In Style Baby at 4 months

Here is sweet little angel "E" again. He has such a calm and loving nature, you can see it in his eyes. I'm not sure many babies grow up with as much love as this little one gets, but his mommy and daddy are completely head over hills! The incredible expressions he shows in these photos are the result of looking into his parents' faces. If he even considered getting a little fussy, all he had to do was look at Daddy and he would break into a giggle!

These people have become dear friends of mine. We went out to dinner last week, and I got to hold baby "E" all evening. I was in heaven!

When I photograph little faces, I feel so honored to be able to capture their personalities and their magnificent souls in their eyes. Baby "E" was a supreme honor for me.

International Beauty

I have had the pleasure of working with two of this beautiful woman's daughters. If you follow my senior blog, you will see their photo shoots. They are all from Germany. One of them has been living with a friend of mine this year to attend high school and her mother surprised her with an unexpected visit. They had a very full time going to all of the Oregon places to play, the beaches, the underground, the shopping, the nature hikes... We were able to squeeze in a little time one evening to bring her into my studio.

She is absolutely stunning! She wasn't sure about having her photos taken, so I hope she loves these. She is a gracious kind-natured woman and I loved spending time with her. We grabbed a few shots of her with her daughter and the resemblance between these two beauties is very apparent.

Here you go "D". I loved meeting you and working with you! Someday I hope to take you up on your offer to visit you in Germany! Oh what a wonderful dream!

LaSalle Prom 2009

When this mother hired me to photograph her son's prom, I was so excited! How can you NOT have fun hanging out with well-dressed teenagers! They all looked so incredibly gorgeous (guys too!) and yet, they were so funny and down to earth! I started at the son's home to capture him with his stunning date before we headed to meet up with the rest of the group. There were twenty of them in all! We went to a home in Portland which had the most beautiful back yard with a stream, bridge and lots of green! I took couple shots of each of them in that setting.

Then a very large bus pulled up and we headed into downtown Portland. It was definitely a Party Bus! Whoa! I tried to be inconspicuous so they wouldn't feel too awkward having me there. After awhile, they forgot about me and I was able to grab some great shots of them up in the aisle dancing and goofing off.

We got to PF Chang's and they had a little bit of a wait before they could be seated, so I was able to grab some more shots of the group. They were all incredibly delightful! My husband was able to capture some shots of them inside the restaurant. Then Mom (who happens to be a dear friend of mine) treated us to dinner! I haven't had this much fun in a very long time!

Snow White & Hannah Montana!

This lucky little girl has a grandma who sews and she made her an incredible Snow White dress and a pink tutu while she was visiting her from California . We started out with Snow White. Wow! The photos of this stunning little one take my breath away! She was full of mischief and energy and completely delightful! I especially love the photo of "Snow White fallen with one bite of the poisoned apple." As you can see, she didn't quite know how to look asleep without bursting into giggles.

After we played with Snow White, she became a ballerina. Grandma put her hair up in a bun and she tried out the new skills she was learning from a recent dance class. Her denim Hannah Montana jacket and teddy bear came out to play next. I just love her messy hair and adorable personality. I could have taken photos of her all day!

So here is little "M". She is one loved and loving little sweetheart!

Never Enough Dirt!

I have had the pleasure of playing with this little guy since he was tiny! As you can see, he looks like an angel, so when I put my "Never Enough Dirt" sweatshirt on him and tussled his hair I just had to giggle! I don't think I've ever seen him with messy hair and dirt! We played together at the Academy Building. I had such a fun time talking with him and making him laugh. He is a huge Star Wars and Superman fan, so we had to include aspects of those in his photos. I love the shot of him running away with his Superman cape flowing in the wind behind him.

His mom is a dear friend and I absolutely adore working with this little body of sweetness and energy!

Here is "C"! A little messier, but definitely just as sweet!

All Together for the New Arrival

This couple had their family in town all together to visit their precious little newborn "S". I had a bit of car trouble getting to their place, and we'll just say, I had my car hooked up to a U-Haul when we got to their house! But, I am so glad I was able to make it. The love in this home was so apparent. This firstborn grandchild on both sides was treasured.

They live in Portland in a home which has the most incredible yard (forest?) you can imagine. It had been raining a little that day, but when I got there, it had stopped, so we went outside first. There was a tiny spot of daffodils in the middle of a wet muddy spot, so, of course, I made them all sit down there! Grandma had knitted little "S" a new teal hat and multi-colored jacket which were beautiful. I had a basket with some yarn my very own designer, SugarFairy Handknits, had made for me. It's a luscious splash of various shades and textures! I love the shot of him laying in the middle of the field of green vines and brambles!

We went inside and I got to be alone with Mom and Dad as we were able to capture some exquisite memories of the intimacy between the three of them. I brought my black backdrop, so we could take the incredible dramatic shots. I get teary when I look at some of these photos. (I know, I am such a wimp!) They did something surprising with me which I haven't had happen before. I looked up and noticed that they were photographing me photographing them!

Here is dear little "S". These photos are very tender and sweet.

Be a Light for Good in your Neighborhood

I was able to sit back and enjoy myself while photographing a delightful play by a local LDS Church's youth group. They were completely hilarious, the set was incredible, the costuming was bright a eye catching. I had a wonderful time!

An Easter Angel

I have been able to visit with this little angel since she was a newborn! I adore her parents! Her mommy is my daughter's vocal coach and is the director for Consonare Chorale in Portland. I have loved her since the day I met her! This sweet little darling is the apple of her parents' eyes! They fight over who gets to hold her! This was the first time her tender little feet felt grass! I usually have most babies uncomfortable with it, but as you can see she loved it! She has the sweetest, most cheerful little soul, just like her mother. And that gorgeous hair. (I have a little prejudice when it come to redheads)

I love the shots of little "C" with both mom and dad and then with each of them separately. When Mommy pulled out the Parisienne lavender dress I knew it would be beautiful on her. We found some purple tiles on the Pittock Mansion terrace which looked perfect! And then when Mom pulled out the bunny ears... I couldn't stop giggling! She is such a perfect little Easter bunny!

I have a pair of premium angel wings I purchased and we tried them out for the first time on little "C". There was one little patch of daffodils at the entrance to the Mansion and I begged them to let me put her in them. It was a little muddy, but I adore those photos with the bright yellow flowers.

Here is little "C" and her adoring parents. I had a completely delightful time with all three of them, as always!

You've Gotta Love Portland!

I have to admit that when I first moved to the Northwest, I thought Portland was weird. The Peace protests, the environmental terrorism, they even protested George W. Bush the day AFTER he was elected. Things move a little more slowly here than most places. People actually follow the speed limit if they are not going under it, they let you in when you turn on your blinker or when you are trying to exit a parking lot onto the street.

After living here for 10 years, I have completely and fully fallen in love with Portland! I can't imagine a better place to live! Today, I was photographing an adorable little three-year-old boy and his parents. We had decided earlier to meet at the Portland Art Museum and take photos around there. When I drove up, the streets were blocked, there were policemen on bicycles and horses everywhere, and a huge group of people was assembled in front of the Schnitz Concert Hall. We had no idea what was going on, so we went on with the photo shoot amid the helicopter circling overhead and the flashing lights and sirens. While we were in the middle of the shoot, the mom came up to me and showed me a group of people standing around one of the large stone statues. They were having a hippie wedding! Way too cool! Then at the end of our shoot, I saw this delightful guy on a bicycle riding by. I grabbed a quick snapshot of him and he caught me! He rode his bike over to me and I asked him if I could take a photo. He graciously offered to be my chauffeur to the May Day rally on his flower-laden chariot. He was quite insistent and I would have loved to have accepted his offer, but sadly, I had to get home.

All in all, I had a fabulous day with Portland. KEEP PORTLAND WEIRD!