Gavin’s Gummy Grins!

Ok – I am fully ready to admit to myself and the World that …I’ve got a  Baby Gavin addiction and I am not going to hide it anymore!! I can’t get enough of this kid – his little smile is like “the new drug” – I want more!! More…MORE I tell you!

Two summers ago, I photographed his parents wedding.  I was so excited when Angelika and Sean emailed a year and a half ago – to tell me they were expecting and they  wanted me to do her maternity photos  and document the lil one’s first year …I had no idea how many warm fuzzies this little guy would bring into my life and how much I would look forward to seeing him at each stage as he changes and grows!

Gavin was born in December and we had planned to do his newborn photos in the first week or so of January but as it turned out – I had to fly over to Alabama at the last minute for my father’s funeral – so by the time I got home again, Gavin was already over a month old. At first we were bummed out that we didn’t get the chance to get those new baby toes and tiny little bundles of love photos we had all been dreaming of – but he surprised us with some gorgeous newborn smiles and he’s not stopped smiling at me since! I don’t know if he loves the reflection of himself in my lens or if its because I’m funny looking – but whatever it is – it works!

A few weeks back, I met with Gavin and his parents at Whatcom Falls Park for his 6 month old photos – OH MY GOODNESS how he’s grown since his 3 month shoot! I not only got gummy smiles – but I got full on belly laughs and I smile and get all silly and giggly every time I look at his pictures. What a doll! Here are some of my favorite shots of him and his “totally in love with this kid” parents!

As I was editing his photos – I started noticing that not only was he giving me sweet sweet gummy smiles – but he found more than one occasion to flip me the finger! I laugh every time I look at these pictures – and  I think I’m going to have to print one out and make a card for him for his High School Graduation!

Angelika and Sean – thank you so much for inviting me into Gavin’s first year of life – It is an honor to be the one chosen to document these moments for you. I love watching your family grow and I am eagerly awaiting his 9 month shoot…can he get any cuter?

Harry & Charlee

A couple of weeks ago, I walked into my favorite children’s consignment shop, Little Bugs, and started scouring through the racks in search of something summery for my daughter to wear – when from behind the counter…a voice called out “Are you the photographer?” – and I’m not really sure just how ridiculously dorky I looked standing there while my mind went “is she talking to me?” – but eventually I said something like … “I think so?”

Apparently – the neat little car magnet thingy on the side of my “ride” caught her eye in the parking lot and she just happened to be getting an adorable outfit for her daughter in the mail at any moment and wanted to get some photos of her kids done!

I am always excited to meet new people and get new clients – but when she told me that she wanted something a little different… and a bit more edgy than the usual child portraits you find around here – my little heart light started glowing like crazy and I had to keep myself from letting out an actual *Squee* in public.

Not only are Harry and Charlee absolutely adorable – but their Mamma Janice… has got to be the coolest, hippest, most fun mom I have photographed thus far! Not only does she know how to dress those kiddos to impress - but she’s willing to throw on a petti-skirt of her own, don a princess crown and dance around amongst old boxcars on the side of the road with them! I was in serious heaven when she pulled out an old antique chair and some toys for the kids to use for their photo shoot! I’ll shoosh now…and let you get to looking through these pictures. I had a terrible time picking just a few to share…hope you have a couple of minutes to scroll!

The last photo is one of my all-time favorite family portraits – because it’s not the typical posed shot that a lot of clients tend to prefer. I love how Charlee is just kickin back and waiting for Mom and Dad to stop kissing on each other and I love how little Harry is like “OH MAN! They are KISSING!!!” It’s just too funny. :)

Janice – thank you so much for sharing the same kind of vision that I have and for being such a cool mom! I love that you got in there and played dress-up with Charlee – just wait…someday soon she’s going to be 16…and I hope you both still run around in petti-skirts and princess crowns and tear up the town!

Thank you for such a fantastic shoot! I can’t wait to see what you have come up for next time!

Laura & Timo ~ 5•30•09

 
Laura and Timo were married at the end of May on a beautiful sunny afternoon at Broadway Hall in Bellingham. Originally, they were going to be married at the Bellingham Yacht Club but with the sudden closing of Emerald Bay Events - (her wedding planners) – they scrambled last minute to find another location to have their ceremony and reception (and if that wasn’t bad enough…they did this while living in GERMANY!) Quite honestly though, I was secretly glad that they had changed locations because not only is Broadway Hall beautiful inside and out – but Elizabeth Park is just a block away so we were able to get more of a variety  of backgrounds and better lighting than the original venue had offered us.

One of my favorite parts of this whole wedding was being surrounded by a giant group of German speaking folk that were not only fun to listen to – but they were seriously…just plain FUN!

Laura and Timo had a beautiful ceremony and immediately after the last hug in the receiving line, I got to experience a tradition that I had never witnessed before…Log Sawing. Yep…the first thing these two did after saying “I DO” was to walk across the street, each take the end of a long saw (one of those old kind…like…really old kind…where you actually have to saw it yourself!) and figure out how to work together to cut it in half! This is the first task they are to accomplish together as husband and wife  and an indicator as to how the couple will handle joint chores and decisions throughout married life together. Needless to say – it was hilarious to watch!

I will stop babbling now and let you get to what you came her for! Their photos! Here are some of my favorites from their day!

 

I don't post many of the Traditional shots that I take at weddings on my blog because I prefer to showcase the more real moments with my various candid shots from throughout the day – but every once in a while there comes along a “traditional shot” that just cant get more REAL than this….

Congratulations Laura and Timo! I hope your new life back in Germany as a newly married couple has gotten off to a fantastic start! You worked hard on that log – I have no doubt you’ll make it through any road block you might face – together :)

Keep in touch!

Noah & Jesse • 5.3.09

I do my fair share of wedding photography – and there are some jobs that just seem to take a lot out of me…but sometimes, on rare occasions, I come away from a long night of running around in “ninja mode” ( because I'm trying to capture every moment for them that I possibly can) – completely exhausted but feeling like I got more than I imagined I could possibly ever get from what most people would just call “My job.” This was one of those rare times.

Noah is a Lance Corporal in the US Marine corps…so his wonderful Mamma and his beautiful bride met with me a few months back, trying to plan a wedding around the Military’s schedule…or rather…a lack of one – not really knowing if the wedding date they chose would actually work out, due to never knowing until last minute if Noah will be deployed somewhere or if he would be allowed to leave to get here on the date they hoped to tie the knot.

Luckily for all of us – it worked out perfectly and I found myself surrounded by a bunch of people that made me feel like I was part of the family – not just “Hired Help” for the day. I was hugged by perfect strangers, got to share a dance with a groomsman, and when Mamma Patricia asked “Can I send a box of food home with you?” … I didn’t realize she’d be sending enough food to feed my family of 5 for an entire week! She had to enlist her son to pack it all out to my car for me because it was so heavy!

This whole family is just incredibly beautiful and I have been emailing Patricia a few times a week since we met at that first meeting – and I really do feel like I’ve known her for years. I love it when I can connect to my clients like this – and I treasure every correspondence I receive. It’s not often I find myself embraced by so many people I had never met before, only to feel like their hugs were made “Just my size.” But I did. And it was wonderful.

Anyway – enough babbling about all of that!! I could go on forever…but lets get to these two beautiful people and share some of their wedding photos! If I could post all 600 (Yikes!) I would!

Here are some of my favorites from their day:

( I love this one. It was too good of a shot to pass up!)

I love how the flower girl is trying to peek around the bride and groom to see her cousin on the other side. Too cute.!

Ok – seriously. Can Grandparents get any cuter than this? I believe “Grandpa” told me they’ve been together for over 60 years – its so awesome to have such a wonderful example for the newly weds at their wedding…and a great model for the rest of us!

Now for the Dancing…Grandma ROCKED the house with a bit of swing dancing, kicked major tooshie with the Chicken Dance and nearly killed us all with laughter doing the YMCA. I sure do hope I’m that cool (and that spunky!) when I’m her age! (Geeez… I wish I was that cool and that spunky NOW!)

Noah and Jesse – thank you for inviting me into your lives (and your wonderful hugging arms!) and entrusting me to capture these moments for you on your wedding day. I laughed with you, I smiled with you and I cried at you (Ok…so I totally lost it when you danced with your Mom, Noah …but that’s what auto-focus is for! *wink*) and I felt like I was surrounded by “my kind of people” – the kind that truely knows what love is – and how to give it and share it freely.

Thank you.

You are all forever in my hearts – and I hope you keep in touch. :)

The Amazing Miss Kat Bula!

A month or so ago – I had the pleasure of meeting up with a good friend of mine at my studio space – the very talented, amazing, beautiful  and fun – Miss Kat Bula…

She was needing some promo photos for her newly released solo album that we have all been eagerly awaiting over the past few years. I’m super excited to get my hands on a copy. (SOON??)

Kat has been in numerous bands around this town and her masterful skill on the fiddle seriously blows my mind every time I see her or hear her play. I'm completely mesmerized by her…as is most of her audience – every time she steps up to the mic.

She played with the good ol blue-grass boys of Feed and Seed before they decided to go separate ways and start their lives in different parts of the country, brought some much needed
“Wenchi-ness” to Pirates-R-Us before they ran a-ground, and has performed with many other local musicians in numerous bands or trio’s over the past  few years. She never ceases to amaze me.

Now – Miss Kat – has put out her own album, added an accordion to the mix and has titled it all “Thimble Vs. Needle.” You can find her music page here for now and if you feel so inclined as to purchase one of her cd’s  (you really should. Really.) please contact her directly. She’s also a fantastic fiddle teacher – for those of you that are wanting to get your “fiddle on” but haven’t a clue where to start!

Enough babbling. Here are some of my favorite photos of Kat being…Kat. :) The above photo was part of her shoot meant for the “What's Up” magazine that will be showcasing her in an upcoming issue. The rest are for promoting her album and her fantastic personality. :)

 

(We couldn’t resist. She wanted to do a “J.C. Penny” pose and the sign on the dumpster that said “Do not play on or around” just sort of asked for it to happen… ;)

This last one makes me laugh every time. I love the whole “French film” thing going on. I love it!

Thanks for such a fun photo shoot Kat :) I can’t wait to get my hands on your cd and I promise…I’ll find a way to get to a show one of these days, even if I have to drag all 3 kids along with me!

See you soon!

Baby Cristian – Newborn Smiles

 

Last year around this time, I photographed Jackie & Kris’s wedding and when she emailed me a few months into the summer, to tell me that they were already expecting a beautiful little bundle around the same time as their one year anniversary – I was so excited for them!

I finally got to meet the lil Mr. when he was all but a week and a day or so old. He curled right up and went to sleep for the entire session and smiled throughout his first photo shoot! He even let out a cute little full belly laugh at one point. A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!

Here are some of my favorite shots of this little cutie – and he was kind enough to model the fun little hat my Mother-in-Law made for me to bring some color into the photos. Enjoy!

 

 

See how many beautiful smiles we got out of the lil heartbreaker? He even gave me a sweet sweet baby yawn…I love those! 
 

Thank you both so much for letting me play with your little guy. I cant wait until he gets bigger and I get to see if he ended up with his Mamma’s amazing big beautiful eyes! I look forward to chasing him around through the dirt and watching his sisters oogle over him!

Congratulations to all of you – he’s gorgeous!

Margo & John • 4.18.2009

Margo and John were married out at Squalicum Boathouse in Bellingham last month and I cant tell you how excited I was when she emailed and asked if we could do some of their photos amongst the fishing nets and old rusty doors and awesome textures that are around the marina. I was in total heaven!

They decided that they wanted to do their pictures before the ceremony – and I think their photographs really show how much more fun and more at ease the bride and groom are when they aren't surrounded by friends and family oogling over every kiss and sweet embrace. I love it when we have plenty of time to get the kind of shots that they dream of – that you just cant really accomplish immediately after the ceremony. Being free to move around the grounds with out a rushed feeling to get back to the guests who are waiting for them – really makes for more relaxed and beautiful shots.

Margo and John were AWESOME to work with – and totally willing to go with whatever I suggested – even though they sort of wondered what potential I was seeing that they weren’t – and when I met with them to drop off their album – they told me how much they loved their photos and how cool it was to see the photo from my perspective because it sounded kind of odd when I suggested it ;)

We found some storage doors in the marina with their wedding date (4.18) on it and of course there was also a 420 – which led to way too much fun (ok you cant ever have TOO much fun when taking photos of fantastic people!) and a whole lot of laughter. Here are some of my favorite shots from their wedding day!

 

I think Margo wins the prize for the cutest “OH MY GOSH…IM REALLY REALLY MARRIED NOW” squee’s I’ve ever photographed!

Thank you both for such a fantastic time. I wish you the best and I hope you keep in touch and …thank you again for letting me use your photo as my new business card! How could I not? Awesome/Fun wedding couple and Rusty/textured things – My dream wedding!

The whole Gang!

A few months ago, I got this crazy idea for a Mother’s day gift for my Mother-in-law – AKA the amazing and wonderful, magical MEMA! (as she was lovingly named by the first of her grandchildren –Austin)

So I got the secret plan in motion and we all met one sunny but reaaaaaaaaaaaaaally cold day in April in downtown Fairhaven, to get all of her grandbabies assembled for a fun and personalized photo just for her. I decided that instead of using Photoshop to add text to the picture  – that we would attempt to get it all spelled out the hard way…Electrical tape on the bottom of their shoes and wooden letters above their heads…without the kids knowing what we were saying – as not to spoil the surprise for their beloved Mema!

We managed to get them all to smile with a few silly adults jumping around behind me and showing the kids their bellybuttons (don't worry, they weren't random strangers – they were their parents!) and a bribe for some swirly rainbow suckers if they managed to let us get all of the photos we needed…and it seemed to work!

Once we managed to get all of the little ones in a photo together – we added my two older boys to the mix and got a bit of a “The Gang’s All Here” type of shot for her – and after a quick raid of the crazy colorful Tie Department at the local thrift store – we managed to get a really fun shot of all of the boys “Dressed up” and my daughter sandwiched  between them all in a dress – though she would much rather have been wearing jeans and a tie too!

From left to right: Liam (5), Nolan (3), Austin (7), Torrae (3.5), Eli (9), Christian (13) and Owen (2.5) – We all (well their parents anyway) decided that we might just have to redo this photo every 2-3 years until they decide we are being absolutely ridiculous…Id like to see this when they are all teenagers! HAH :)

Happy Mother’s Day Mema! We love you!

Leah & Reed • April 4, 2009

I got to kick off  my 2009 Wedding season with a fantastic and fun couple who were more interested in having a blast during their wedding, than worrying about all of the “usual stuff” – and in doing so, everything went smoothly and the day was perfect!

A few months back, I met up with Leah and Reed down in Fairhaven for their engagement session and right from the very beginning, I knew their wedding day was going to be a blast to shoot. Not only are they completely in love, but they also have spontaneous, easy going personalities that totally click with each other. Their sense of humor and their outlook on life is simply a blessing.

They were married at the Baptist Church in Anacortes and we had originally hoped to make it off site to one of the beaches for photos but time wasn't on our side – so we had to make due with the small  yard area of the church and decided that the big old tree in the front would make the best background to block out the houses and cars on the street behind them. I love that in the black and white versions of these photos – it looks like it could have been a winter wedding – the white of the bark appears to be snow!

They are also very proud owners of an awesome Orange Biodiesel vehicle that they wanted to make sure to get photos with! So here are some of my favorite shots from their wedding day – Enjoy!

I absolutely love this shot of Reed with his Grandmother. Look at the laughter and love bursting out of this beautiful woman!

Leah and Reed – Congratulations…and thank you so much for being such a fun and amazing couple to work with! I had a lot of fun  photographing your wedding and engagement session and I hope your photos bring you years of laughter as you thumb through them together from time to time! Best wishes to you both!

Kai & Mischa - The Princess & The Pea!

Just a little over a week ago - I finally got to use the little "pea pod" that my wonderful Mom-in-Law made for me to use for newborn babes and I found this great little bamboo bowl that went perfectly with it! Little Kai was just about 2 weeks old and was more than happy to shed his clothing and curl up inside the warm little nest for some photos!

Here are some of my favorite shots of Kai from his newborn session:

And now...introducing Mischa - Kai's older sister - who literally looks like a porcelain doll! My goodness she was SO adorable and when we put them together in the same picture - I swear my camera let out an "Awwwwwwwwwwwwe!" ...or maybe that was me... ;) Here are a few pictures of big sis and a couple of the siblings together before they both had meltdowns and were done with me!

This last picture of Kai makes me full out laugh every time I look at it! I cant stop myself from imagining him at a middle school talent show - doing some "Stayin Alive" Disco moves while the crowd cheers him on! ..."Stayin alive, staying alive..ah ah ah ah stayin aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive...."

Next time we are down that way visiting - we will have to get the girls together! Torrae would love to have another girl to play with! Thanks for inviting me into your home!

Bubble Boy!

Back in January, I got to meet little Gavin for the first time when I did his newborn photos and I was super excited to get to see the lil smiley guy again for his 3 month milestone. Not only did Gavin give me s'more of those gorgeous smiles - but he blew me lots of spit bubbles too!

He is definately well loved and very happy! When I did his mommy's maternity shoot last November and snapped some photos of Angelika and Sean together - I knew without a doubt that this kiddo was going to be bathed in love!

Its been so wonderful to watch my clients enter new stages of life together and welcome new little ones into the world and expand their families :) Its my favorite part of being a photographer! Here are some of my favorite shots of Gavin at his 3 month shoot:

It was great to see you all again - I am looking forward to when I have to get some knee pads and chase this lil guy through the dirt and muck! Thank you again for letting me photograph your handsome little boy! What a sweetheart!

Losses and Love

Sometimes - my blog gets a little more personal than usual...this is one of those times.

Two summers ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Andrea and Jeff who had me photograph their wedding out at Evergreen Gardens - on one of the most rain filled summer weddings I have ever photographed to date! One of the things that really drew me to Andrea was a sort of "sisterhood" that those of us that have lost our Mothers to Breast Cancer, share with one another. It didnt matter that we'd never met before - there just seems to be a certain kind of connection you have with someone when you know they completely understand the kind of loss and pain that you feel every single day.

Andrea lost her mother in August of 1998 - and photographing her wedding that rainy afternoon was really hard on me. I watched the tears rolling down her face and how much she was holding back during the ceremony - wishing with everything in her...that her mom could have been there to see her on her wedding day. I had been in her shoes not long before - and my heart was breaking for her.

When I heard that Andrea and Jeff were expecting their first child and they announced it was a little girl - my heart sprang up into my throat and I had to fight tears again. My own mother had passed away in July of 2002 - and never had the chance to see me with the love of my life - and in 2005 when we had our little girl, Torrae, together - the happiness and sorrow were so intermingled - that the day she was born is still mostly a blur to me. I was so excited to have a little girl and ached to share her with my mother (and stil do)...I knew what Andrea was going to experience and I have been watching her find her way through the maze of happy and sad days on her blog.

They named their little girl after Andrea's Mother - and Ive been watching little Katie grow over the past few months on their family page (Check out Team Garner!) - and had been waiting to get a chance to photograph the lil princess - but it wasnt until I went to the grocery store a few weeks back and saw the "Mother's Day" cards and "Gift Ideas" sitting out already that it really hit me again - so after the pang in my own heart passed, I immediately thought of Andrea facing her first Mother's day as a new mom without her own there to celebrate with her.

I contacted her and asked her if she would let me take some photos of her little bundle as a Mother's Day gift from me. I wanted to help make the day a little easier for her - try to capture some of her Mother in her daughter - so she can put their photos side by side and find her mom's smile in her little girl - especially on days when she misses her Mom the most.

Its one of the things that I treasure about my own mother's photos - I look at her pictures from when she was my daughter's age and I see so many of her features in our little Torrae - that sometimes when I start crying while singing a bedtime song to her - and she brushes my tears from my cheeks and crinkles up her forehead, widens her big brown eyes and kisses my nose before saying "Don't cry ...Im here..." - its almost like having my mom and my daughter comforting me in the same moment. Those of you who've been in our shoes...will know what Im talking about...

Andrea and Jeff brought Katie to my studio a couple of weeks ago and though she wasnt too sure about the bright lights and the lady with the big black box in front of her face - we did manage to get a few sweet shots of her for her mommy and maybe when shes a bit older, we can reconnect and I can go chase her around the park for a while! Here are some of my favorite shots of Katie:

Andrea and Jeff - she's beautiful. Thank you for letting me take these photos for you - I know it's my gift to you, but it's also your gift to me. Doing something to help someone cope with the kind of loss we've suffered in our lives, helps me to deal with mine a little easier. I look forward to seeing how she changes and how much she looks like her Grandma as she grows up - and I know you do too.

I hope you have a wonderful and happy Mother's Day this year. :)

Eric the Great!

Last friday I took a little break from "work" to go spend an hour and a half with a couple of my good friends - Eric and Kris - aka "The Lunholm Brothers!" - and I spent some time catching up and visiting...in between taking some photos for Eric, who needed some headshots for his modeling portfolio.

I had a blast with them (as usual!) and the lighting was perfect for his shoot and the alley behind my studio was void of the usual bajillion cars (ok, so that might be a slight exageration...but there are usually alot!) that are always blocking the awesome textured backgrounds along the way - so we managed to get some great shots of him and I got lots of Lundholm hugs in exchange! Here are some of my favorite shots of Eric - (he has some of the most intense eyes Ive ever photographed - Yep...he's Yummy!)

Before we wrapped up - I got a few shots of him with his new "baby" - I think this is my favorite.
Thanks for letting me "shoot you" in the alley! Next time we hang out, Ill have to leave my camera at home so you can see me without a giant black thing in front of my face! I really do have two eyes!!! ;) It was so good to see you! Lets not wait so long between visits...m'kay?!

Lovely Little Landon

Last weekend I got to spend a few hours with one of my favorite wedding couples from 2007 - Daniella and Kevin - who introduced me to their new little bundle of joy - Landon. They came up to my studio in Bellingham for his newborn shoot and I got to try out a few of my new throws and soft blankets. It was interesting to see how he reacted to the different textures of the materials. One of my blankets is sooooooo soft and silky fur-like that he just sank right in and found a "peaceful spot" - closed his eyes and zonked right out! Too precious!

When he did open his eyes, they were intense and near black - and I love doing newborn shoots in black and white because the contrast between his skin and his piercing eyes is just gorgeous. Here are a few of my favorite photos from his newborn session:

Daniella and Kevin -Thank you for letting me photograph your beautiful little boy - and letting me be a part of documenting your lives... as you have gone from happy married couple to proud parents - its always a wonderful feeling to see my clients move through their lives and find even more happiness together. Please keep in touch and let me know when I can steal him away for more photos :) You are truely blessed - and thank you for blessing my life with the opportunity to share yours with you. :)

Spring is HERE - Giveaway!

I love springtime - all of the flowers blooming, more blue sky than grey...and babies! I just did a newborn shoot last saturday (photos coming soon!) and found myself going all giddy and giggly every time I looked through the photos that I decided I would do myself a favor and get myself out photographing more newborns and get myself past these last few weeks of "blah" before we actually start feeling like its springtime in the great Pacific Northwest!

I am offering up 2 complete newborn sessions for FREE - though I would love to provide them for two families that might be having some kind of financial hardship (beyond what is normal for the rest of us right now!) - so if you are expecting a little bundle any day now and would like to have some newborn photos taken, or you know of anyone that might be interested - please leave a comment below or email me at jenmartinstudios@comcast.net .

Im also offering up mini sessions for my clients who want milestone photos (3/6/9/12 months or 4/8/12 months) at a considerably lower cost than my usual prices - if you are interested, please let me know! I love photographing babies and I want to do more of it! (hint hint...to all of my past wedding couples...ahem...*wink*)

BABIES!!