Life through the lens

Make Believe - Children's Portrait Contest

2012-01-29T20:25:00.001-08:00

Do your children love to dress up and play pretend? Do I have a photo contest for you!

Wander on over and check out my current photo contest and submit an entry! Winner recieves a FREE full themed portrait session and a few other goodies!

Click here to ENTER

Wedding Season!

2012-01-20T20:21:00.000-08:00

Crystal & Jake • 7.16.2011

Did you know that Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of the most popular days for getting engaged? That makes the first few months of 2012 – one of the craziest parts of the year for a whole lot of people! For the couples that are jumping into finding vendors and venues and dresses and flowers – and for the vendors who meet with them and attempt to win the hearts of the couples so we can have the chance to be a part of their beautiful wedding day!

Last summer was super busy and I photographed over 20 weddings! I can’t possibly make a post about all of them – but wanted to share a few of my favorite photos from the past year or two and link you to some of the albums.

If you click on the dates below each of the couple's photos I am featuring – you can see the blog posts about their weddings! Some of my favorites…Enjoy!

Jo & Mike • 7.9.2011

Kristina & Scott • 8.5.2011

Barb & Dominique • 9.24.2011

Nicole & Bryce • 4.6.2011

Kyla & Patrick • 7.2.2010

Elyse & Randy • 8.7.2009

Rachel & Ryan • 8.9.2010

Marisa & Tim – 7.25.2009

Stacy & Kristian • 8.14.2010

Meghan & Alex • 7.10.2010

Mikael & Nick • Trash the Dress Session

Annie & Jacob • 6.28.2010

Pauli & Karl • 5.29.2010

Andre & Kalin 9.3.2011

Tasha & Justin • 10.5.2009

Alicia & Melissa • 7.3.2010

I love all of my weddings and the couples I have photographed! But if I posted them all – you would never reach the end of my post! I’ve been doing about 20 weddings a year for about 5 years now…its so hard to pick favorites! I am looking forward to meeting more couples and watching their lives change right before my camera!

Congratulations to all of you that are recently engaged! I hope to get to work with some of you this summer!

Valentines Day! - Bellingham Boudoir Photographer

2012-01-19T21:41:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day Portrait Special!

One day only!

Only 6 spots available!

February 5th, 2012

*2-3 Free sessions will be donated to those ladies that have a deployed soldier who could use a great big smile from home!

Join me at beautiful Selene Homestead in Ferndale, WA in their amazing little Bridal Suite full of breathtaking natural light and lets get some photos that will not only make YOU feel beautiful, but will give your Sweetie something that will keep a smile a lot longer than a new power tool or spa certificate!

This year - I would like to donate 2-3 sessions to Military Spouses/significant others who have someone they love on the other side of the World, risking their lives for us here at home. If you happen to be someone that has shipped her heart off to war or know someone that has - please send me an email!

I have two packages to offer this year

"Sweetheart Package" - $300

• 1 Hour Session

• Unlimited Outfit Changes

• Online password protected gallery

• Image Disc with fully edited images

• 4x8 Accordion Book with 10 images

"Cuddle Me Package" - $200

• 30 minute session

• 1 outfit

• Online password protected gallery

• Digital download of your favorite 5 images

*Photos taken on 2.5.12 will be edited and ready for viewing by 2.6.12 and those of you that purchase the Sweetheart Package will have your accordion books by 2.12.12!

For more information or to book a session - please contact me at jenmartinstudios@comcast.net or give me a call at 360.223.0070

Wedding Expo 2012 - Bellingham Wedding Photographer

2012-01-14T22:17:00.001-08:00

If you are a bride to be (or you just like to go wander around and see a whole lot of talented vendors that live right here in your own town - all in one place) and have never been to the Bridal Expo here in Bellingham that is put on by the amazing folks over at Alicia's Bridal - you are missing out! Not only are there florists and videographers and photographers...but there is CAKE! Lots and lots of CAKE! You have no idea how much cake there is or how much cake you can sample in 5 hours...but we do!

Enough about free cake...and on to photos!

My best friend Jessica of Bakan Photography and I have decided that not only do we love doing weddings on our own....but we LOVE doing weddings together! So we have decided to take on a few weddings together this summer as "Sweetheart Photography" as well as doing some solo as our own selves. We are both still taking on weddings that only want one photographer or have smaller budgets but I highly encourage you to consider two photographers to capture your day!

When we were deciding on a booth concept we devised a plan (and got idea's off of that addictive pintrest website from one of my clients) for a Photo booth wall...you know...like a WALL wall and then I got this crazy idea to gut an old retro TV and use it to hold a digital picture frame for a slide show to fit more with our decor of our expo booth and you know...I have to say, it turned out pretty darn RAD if I do say so myself and was a big hit with those that visited our booth! (And the gorgeous last minute shag purple rug I found on craigslist was the perfect touch!)

Our little booth ended up being quite personal actually. In the photo up top, you can see my parent's wedding photo on the left in a frame. I have lost them both and it is one of the only photos I have of them. On the tv itself is a photo of Jessica's Mom (Still very much alive and very much full of awesome!) and on the trunk is an old camera that belonged to my Grandfather who is no longer with us and some of the books next to the television are treasured trinkets from Jessica's childhood.

We plan to use our photo wall for future photo booths at weddings and events! (If you are interested in renting us as a photo booth - we do that too!)

ANYWAY!

Here are a few photos from our photo booth at the expo. (Our little girls came to see it before the expo started and sat to watch the photo slide show on the TV. My lil one is on the left and Jessica's little miss is on the right)

You can see more photo booth pictures here on our Facebook page!

NOW for the super fun fashion show photos! Oh my goodness was that fun to watch! They always put on such a fantastic show every year and this year was no different! Choreographed dance numbers and a visit from some of the talented folk from the Upfront Theater were there to get the party started! Here are a few of my favorite shots from the fashion show! Enjoy!

We are SO looking forward to 2012 Wedding Season!

Barb & Dominique • 9.24.2011

2011-11-20T19:52:00.000-08:00

Barb and Dominique were married at one of the most beautiful Church buildings I have ever stepped foot in and I think I could have spent an hour by myself, alone with my camera, just taking pictures of all of the amazing color and artwork inside that place - but as it turned out - these two and their wedding party were far too much fun to do anything but take pictures of them anyway!

They were married at St. Mary's Parish in Anacortes and then we headed back to Bellingham to the reception at Boundary Bay Brewery. While the guests munched on some delicious appetizers, we snuck off and wandered around downtown Bellingham for a few minutes to get some photos of these two before heading back for dinner and dancing!

Here are some of my favorite photo from their wedding day:

Congratulations you two and thank you for inviting me to be part of your beautiful day!

Gift Certificates • Changes!

2011-11-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

Gift Certificates - Making Changes!

SALE!

Over the past 9 years - I have been selling gift certificates for specific packages and session types and though this worked fairly well in the past - I have realized it isn't the best way to go about selling gift certificates and will now be offering something a little different in hopes that I can get around some of the problems that arise from selling certificates for specific package types to my clients.

So from this day forward - I will no longer be selling gift certificates for specific package types!

Instead - I will sell gift certificates for amounts "Good Toward" photography sessions. Think of it as a "Credit" to be used toward sessions like "Mini shoots" when I offer them vs having to purchase a full session gift certificate and then finding that your 2 year old will only sit still for 20 minutes and you paid for 90!

I will only be offering $100 gift certificates from now on. You may purchase as many as you wish and then when you decide that you want to do a photo session with me you redeem however many you have + the remaining cost of the session (if any)

Current Sale:

$100 Gift Certificates on sale now for $80.

Please let me know if you are interested in purchasing a gift certificate or if you have any questions!

*If you have already purchased a gift certificate for a specific package deal - please do not worry! Your gift certificate still stands and does not expire!

*Gift Certificates purchased between now and December 25th will be redeemable on or after January 1st, 2012.

Sale is from November 15th - December 10th.

Please email me at jenmartinstudios@comcast.net for more information!

We Are Bellingham

2011-10-24T23:35:00.001-07:00

I had an idea.

I am running with it.

Check it out.

Little Miss E - Down on the Boardwalk

2011-10-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

This little cutie was one of my favorite newborn shoots this past summer. Sometimes trying to convince clients to let me get their little ones outside into a more natural setting for newborn portraits can be tricky...but her Mamma was excited to let me use my creative vision for this shoot and I had been eyeing that Boardwalk out at Hovander Park in Ferndale for years with a shot like this in mind. I just could never get anyone to do it! I LOVE taking pictures of new life...out amongst nature...it just feels "Right"...

We got my "Dream shot" and then headed to Hovander Park and snapped a few more. Here are my favorites from this quick little outdoor newborn session.

I am also starting to incorporate some cute little beaded trinkets into my newborn and infant shoots made by Jennifer Gibson, a local artist here in Bellingham, who has a beautiful jewelry shop called "Ear Candy" and you can find her link to her Etsy store here and you can find her facebook page here.

Thank you Jennifer for the lovely little trinket to use in this shoot!

Elyse & Randy – Going Mental!

2011-10-13T00:24:00.000-07:00

Two years ago, I had the pleasure of photographing Elyse and Randy for their engagement photos and then we had a blast on their wedding day and took some of my all time favorite wedding photos and ended up using one of them as my main advertisement for weddings over the past few years!

Elyse was just getting started with her photography business back when I met her and not only have I gotten to photograph these two on their wedding day and had them come back for anniversary photos – but I have been watching her take off with her photography and it has been really cool to witness her evolving into a wonderful artist and getting to know her as a friend vs client!

Last year for their 1 year anniversary – we wandered around Pike’s Place Market and down at the waterfront in Seattle …but this year??? THIS YEAR….they let me take them to what is now my favorite location for portraits…although its not the most “inviting” sounding location…The Northern State Mental Hospital Dairy abandoned buildings!

Oh my goodness…the textures and colors there are over the top amazing enough..but put these two zany and fun people in the mix and you get pure AWESOME.

Here are some of my favorite photos from their session – complete with a “photo bomber dog” who decided to run away from its owner and sit itself right down in between my camera and them, turn its head over its shoulder and pose for me! Enjoy!

Elyse and Randy – thank you SO MUCH for letting me talk you into running around the farm with me! I hope you love these photos as much as I do! Next year…super hero capes? *Bats eyelashes*

Kristina & Scott 8.5.2011

2011-10-13T00:17:00.001-07:00

This summer I got to shoot a few weddings with my best friend and new partner in our joint wedding photography adventure (Sweetheart Photography) – and one of our favorite couples to work with this year, was Kristina and Scott!

Not only did we spend the day laughing with these two – but they were totally “Up” for anything we suggested…even when Jessica pulled out an entire car full of balloons!

Here are some of my favorite shots and you can see the rest of mine here. We will be working on our joint website in the next few weeks and will have full albums posted in our portfolios! You can find us on facebook for now!

Congratulations you two! Thank you for having us!

My Amazing Family!

2011-10-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

SO...some of you may have seen my (awesome) family and our Zombie Apocalypse photos all over the internet the past few days and now we are featured in our local newspaper this morning which makes it even that much cooler....although finding our photos with captions and on blogs in Polish, Russian and Spanish were pretty darn rad if I do say so myself! We even made it to the online version of the Wall Street Journal! (What?)

The photo above was taken by my best friend and fellow photographer Jessica Jackson of Bakan Photography and the concept was mine (it was my wish to have a zombie apocalypse family photo session for my birthday) - but none of this would have been made possible without the incredibly talented man I am married to who took a budget of $75 and a wild and creative imagination and created apocalypse armor for a family of five in less than a month and a half.

This was a family project and we spent time this past summer together, going on field trips to the Re-store and Goodwill and the junk yard to find various pieces of things we could recycle and that Ivan could fashion together for us to use for our photos later. The kids all participated and helped design their own costumes and it was a really fun project.

He is taking on custom costume and armor projects from folks that contact him through his etsy store where he normally sells Chainmaile jewelry - but started selling custom bits of armor when he got a few emails from folks that asked him if he could design various items for functions they were attending and once he started creating costumes, it really took off!

Just this past week, he finished a custom order for a woman that emailed and asked him to put together a "Mad Max" costume for her. We took a few photos of it before we sent it off and you can see it and some of his other projects on his blog here.

You can find his work under the name Chaincrafts on facebook as well and if you have a need for something offbeat and a little crazy - give him a call....this man can take soda tabs, hubcaps, jump rings, heater grates, old sports equipment, street signs, and duct tape and make zombie slaying armor!

Though I was not able to photograph much during our family session - I did grab my own camera and snap a few photos of my kids while Jessica was taking photos of the others in various scenarios and here are a few of my favorites:

Below is my little girl, snuggling with her armor clad bear while waiting for our turn to get our pictures taken. Its my favorite shot from the entire day because she wasn't posing for me (this is hard to accomplish for a photographer mom....every time I grab the camera - my kids stop and pose!)

Jessica snapping some pictures of Torrae in her awesome boots and "bear protecting cage" that is strapped to her chest so she doesn't lose him in battle!

My older son Kris who wasn't quite as in to the whole shoot as the rest of us but when he got home and announced on facebook that he just got home from slaying a zombie with his family and all of his friends thought it was super cool...he kind of decided it was pretty awesome too.

My middle guy Eli and his Chevrolet sword of doom! He has always loved Knights and armor and so when we went to the junk yard and found the piece of Chevrolet that was shaped like a sword - we knew we needed a hubcap shield for him too! He helped make his shoulder and knee armor.

My amazing kids smiling for me :)

Oh and this is our zombie - Mr. Langley West - who let us "Slay" him in a few photos before we all went out for pizza. He is a talented visual effects guy and is currently making a short film called "Never A Good One" that will be out sometime in 2012. You can find his information here.

So there you have it. Your local Bellingham family, portrait, newborn, maternity and wedding photographer is also part of a creative and fun zombie slaying family....and superheroes too! (You can see our Super Hero adventure from the birthday before last - here!)

Im pretty sure that all of our meaty bits that are not covered by armor, make us total zombie bait in the real zombie apocalypse - but when its for fun and for the purpose of having family portraits...being able to actually see parts of my children in photos vs full suits of armor to look more authentic - is a higher priority for me!

If you are interested in getting some crazy, fun, unique family portraits of your own...drop me an email or give me a call! I would love to create fun memories like this for your family too!

Kate & Rose – Woodenville Beauties

2011-10-12T23:24:00.001-07:00

This summer I had the opportunity to head down to Woodenville to photograph two gorgeous gals! Kate is a senior this year and needed some senior portraits and Rosie had just arrived the day before - after a very, very long trek across the country to make her way to live with Kate - who is quite the accomplished barrel racer!

Kate and I spent some time wandering around her yard and the area behind her house and then we grabbed Rosie and got some great shots of the two of them as the sun was setting. The rain clouds that had threatened to ruin our outdoor shoot earlier – had moved across the valley for some wonderful dramatic skies toward the end of our session.

Here are some of my favorite shots:

Even Rosie smiled for a few!

Thank you Kate and Rosie for inviting me down to take your photos. I would love to come watch you ladies race sometime!

Crystal & Jake 7.16.2011

2011-10-12T22:26:00.001-07:00

Living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest has its ups and downs…we have a whole lot of rainy, gloomy months during the year…but that is what makes it so beautiful around here! Unfortunately for summertime weddings, that glorious sunshine we have been waiting 9 months for…just doesn’t feel like cooperating and we end up with a whole lot of very soggy brides, even in the middle of July!

One thing that a lot of folks out there believe – is that it has to be sunny to be “Perfect” photography weather….but let me tell you a little secret…photographers LOVE overcast and cloud filled days and we actually sometimes audibly squeal with delight when a storm rolls in on a wedding day (though we try to hide our excitement so as not to appear to be happy that the wedding guests are about to get soaked) – because photos like the one above with dramatic and beautiful skies and amazing lighting….only happen when the weather conditions are less than favorable for an outdoor wedding that is about to take place!

Crystal and Jake were married on a very rainy and stormy afternoon in July down at Laconner Flats. I was eyeing that wheat field and kept sneaking away for a moment during the reception to peek around the corner and see what the sky was doing and when I saw those amazing clouds rolling past at just the right moment – I convinced them to run across the street with me, wander out into the field and get that photo and spend a few minutes cuddling while I took some of the best shots of the entire day.

It’s not every day that I can convince my clients to trespass a little – but I am pretty sure they are happy they did! This is one of my all time favorite shots now and here are some of my other favorites from their day!

Congratulations to you both and thank you so much for trusting my artistic eye and being willing to trespass with me! You guys ROCK!

Sweetheart Photography

2011-10-12T22:09:00.001-07:00

This summer’s wedding season was amazing. Not just because I had fabulous couples to work with…but because this summer, I teamed up with my best friend and fellow photographer Jessica of Bakan Photography – to form a new joint wedding photography adventure as a team of fun, thinking outside of the box, awesomeness! (Yes – I do think we are awesome together…and so do our clients!)

We worked together on just a handful of weddings this summer due to our realizing how much we loved working together already halfway through the wedding season - because both of us had already been booked up for most of our summer already. We both offered our clients the option to add another photographer to their day and a few of them accepted and were very glad they did!

Not only do they get more photos and important moments from various angles that one photographer simply can not get by themselves – but they got to have TWO creative minds running and coming up with all sorts of fun and interesting ideas to work with!

One of our first full weddings we shot together was for for Joanna and Mike who were not only really fun to work with – but they were so laid back and easy going that it made our entire day feel more like we were guests who just happened to be taking photos vs. working for them!

Here are some of my favorite shots from my point of view:

And to see the album from this wedding from both Jess and I as Sweetheart Photography – please visit our facebook page here.

(We are in process of building our website right now! But you can find us on facebook!)

Good Ol’ Fashioned FUN – Haines Family

2011-10-12T21:46:00.001-07:00

Over the past year – my family has come to know the Haines family quite well and at one point during kindergarten last year, their younger son Connor and my little girl Torrae had decided they were getting married and having 100 babies and were going to live with their parents forever so that we could take care of the babies while they made more…and as doting mothers of adorable children, Momma Mona and I bribed them with ice cream and we went out and did a Valentines Day shoot with them. Cuteness overload!

You can see their adorableness here.

Anyway – this summer, I finally got to get the whole Haines family in front of my camera for a little quick shoot out at Hovander park and then a fun filled afternoon at the Lynden Fair where Grandma and Grandpa joined in for some outrageously funny portraits.

I love this family! They really know how to have fun! Here are some of my favorite pictures from their Hovander shoot and then some of their Lynden Fair adventures!

Thank you all for being so fun. I can’t tell you how much my face hurts after every visit with you because I'm laughing and smiling so much! Your family is amazing!

Senior Portrait Time! - Bellingham, WA Photographer

2011-10-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again! Senior portrait time...and one of my favorite seasons...FALL! I can't believe the leaves are already changing colors and the temperatures are what we would have normally called Summer...but you know what that means? You can still wear short sleeves and sun dresses for your Senior photos without teeth chattering and your fingers turning blue!

Book now to take advantage of this amazing weather we are having and get your portraits taken with enough time to have them edited and ready before the deadline arrives to turn them in. Each school has a different timeline - so please make sure that you schedule your photo session at least a month prior to the deadline for turning them into your yearbook staff!

Senior portrait sessions include:

A 90 minute photo session.

Up to 2 locations.

Multiple outfit changes (if so desired)

All images on a disc (50+ high res files - fully edited)

A print release

A small album with 25 4x6 print proofs

And lots and lots of FUN!

Each Session is $250.

*Book a "Buddy Session" and get some photos with your best friend while we do your shoot and theirs and you both get $50 off of your session!

Please email me at jenmartinstudios@comcast.net to book your session or give me a call at 360.223.0070 to make an appointment!

Play Group Fun!

2011-10-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

Last year, my daughter started kindergarten...and thankfully I have a job that allows me to spend time in her classroom once in a while and participate in all of the fun field trips as well as sneak in during work time and watch all of those little wheels turning in those expanding minds!

When it came time to wrap up for the year...I got the idea to do a fun photo booth photo shoot for the class so they could all have silly pictures of themselves and get some group shots of them with some of their best friends together before they had to part ways for the summer and possibly not have those favorite friends in first grade classes with them in the fall!

It was a hit.

Not only did they giggle and laugh and goof off and have fun...but the teachers joined in too! These photos are always a total riot to take - and I love working with children...so I thought why not offer this to playgroups and other teachers out there?

What happens?

I have a huge trunk full of all sorts of props, hats, feather boas, giant sunglasses and more "Stuff" than you can probably imagine...and I bring it to your classroom, your play group meeting spot, your church or where ever you are needing me to go. I have a background stand and I bring my camera and my goofy giggles and we have a blast making fun memories and spending time with friends!

Mom's groups - you can use this time to actually chat together and enjoy your coffee while I keep the kids entertained for you for an hour! Bible study groups - you can listen to your children giggling in the other room while you focus on your lesson and let them get their sillies out in front of my camera!

Playgroups:

• The rates vary depending on the number of children in the group - (the more children that participate - the less each parent has to put toward the total cost)

• Each participant will get an image disc with about 25 images in full resolution sizes and a print release so you can make copies and enlargements if you choose to.

• One hour of photo booth time is included.

• I provide a trunk full of props and dress up clothes.

• Minimum of 5 children participating.

Rates for Playgroups:

• 5-8 Children ...$100

• 8-10 Children ...$150

• 10-15 Children ...$ 200

• 15+ Children - please email for pricing

If you are interested in booking a photo booth for your play group - or even just a fun photo session outside in the fall leaves - please email me or call me!

The Person that arranges the play group photo shoot will get their session for free!

*The person responsible for setting up the photo shoot is responsible for collecting the total from all of the participants and the total shall be paid in a single check, money order or paypal invoice.

* * Teachers - I can come to your classroom and set up the booth and let them play dress up and be rock stars during play time! (Please email me for classroom prices - the prices below are for playgroups only)

Kalin & Andre • 9.3.2011

2011-09-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

Kalin and Andre were married out at Bow Lodge this fall and not only was it a beautiful day for a wedding but it was full of laughter and a whole lot of goofiness! (My favorite!)

This wedding was so much fun to photograph and had a wonderful added bonus...my own little girl was asked to be a flower girl too! So not only did I get to spend the day with some hilarious people who were determined to enjoy every moment of their day together - but I got to take "Husband and Daughter" Snuggle breaks through out the afternoon!

Here are some of my favorite shots from their day - complete with a handful of "Photo Bomb" shots...as you will see - like Father, like Daughter!

And now for some PhotoBomber Magic!

Congratulations to the both of you and thank you for inviting me and my entire family to come celebrate your wedding day with you! I hope you continue to laugh this much together for years to come and pass those photo bomber skills onto some grandkids someday!

Congratulations Andre and Kalin!

Babies!! I LOVE Babies!

2011-08-06T21:53:00.001-07:00

These past few months have been so busy that I haven't been able to keep up with my blog - so I decided it would just be easier to share a few of my favorite shots from some of the Newborn sessions I have been doing lately and give you a link to my facebook page - which I tend to update on a regular basis and where you can find more from each of these sessions.

I LOVE summer time...I love taking babies out into nature and getting photos of new life - surrounded by...new life! If you happen to have a beautiful baby and would be interested in getting some summer portraits of your little cuties outdoors - I am offering a discount of $75 off of your portrait session if you choose an outdoor shoot vs an indoor session. If you would like to book a session for your infant or newborn out in the beautiful summer sunshine - please email me at jenmartinstudios@comcast.net and mention the "New Life - Summer Sun" special to receive your discounted portrait session price!

Now for some more cuteness!

Here are some of the many little faces you will find in my facebook albums. Please come take a peek at the rest of their sessions!

In order of appearance starting up above at the top of this blog post - Little Zephaniah in a beautiful grassy field at Hovander Park in Ferndale. Below is Baby Thorin who snuggled up in a puddle of sunshine for me, Little K who loved feeling the soft furs against her skin, Little Dax who couldn't stop smiling in his sleep, Little A who was very happy to pee all over my blanket and smile nice and pretty for the camera while she did her business, Little E who was blowing spit bubbles and wearing his daddy's favorite tie, and Little J who just posed all sweet-like and let me do my thing!

I LOVE BABIES!!!

Bellingham Heritage Flight Museum - B25

2011-07-16T21:33:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I get to take a break from Wedding and Portrait photography and go on crazy adventures! Friday...I was asked by the Bellingham Visitor's Center to go to the Bellingham Heritage Flight Museum and take photos of the Commemorative Air Force's B-25 "Made in the Shade" that is visiting this weekend! Little did I know...they would not only have me there taking photos for them...but they had an extra seat on the Media flight and guess who got to go up in the air!!?? ME!

I was excited enough, being able to crawl around in the inside and take photos of everything - but once we were up in the air and I found myself summoning my inner "warrior" and facing my severe claustrophobia in order to make my way through a very SMALL tunnel to get to the tail section of the plane where the tail gunner would have been seated in battle...

I made it through the tunnel and I didn't die! In fact - I was so excited that I stood up and smacked my head on the glass bubble while I let out a "YES!! I did it!" (to myself of course because it was so loud in there that we had to wear ear plugs!) It was an amazing view. Seriously - amazing.

The excitement of this awesome adventure was suddenly cut short as I saw the P-15 Mustang "The Val-Halla" approaching us from the rear. Don't get me wrong..it was COOL and I loved getting photos of it as it flew by our side - but I found myself overcome with images in my head that my camera could never capture...as I realized that while I was sitting there, giddy about being up in that plane and taking photos from the tail gunners viewpoint...that once upon a time, there used to be a very young man sitting in that same spot...

Only he was filled with sheer terror - watching enemy planes surround them...wondering if he would live to see another day.

I can't begin to tell you how much of an emotional ride you will take if you find yourself up in this plane...but just know that once I packed up my camera gear, wandered back to my car and tried to drive off to get home to my family...I made it about a block before I had to pull over and cry. There is just no describing what it is like to be up in the air in a flying piece of history ...that "talks to you" in ways you were never expecting.

Touching the machine gun to steady myself so I could get "The Shot" - and a gut wrenching reality hit...that someone used it to do things I can't wrap my head around...sitting in the tail gunners seat and watching the P-15 Mustang shoot across the sky toward me...and filling my imagination with 200 more like it...only this time it wasn't a friendly face waving to me from the cockpit as they passed...

If you have a chance to go see these planes this weekend - please do. Even if you can't afford a seat to fly in one...go see it.

Touch it.

Remember those that fought in it.

Say a little thank you..and whisper it into the wind.

For more information - Please visit the Heritage Flight Museum's website

For more information on booking a flight in the B-25 - please click here.

To see my full gallery of images from Friday's flight - please visit my Zenfolio gallery.

The Piper Family!

2011-06-28T22:43:00.001-07:00

This gorgeous family came all the way over from Spokane to visit some friends in Seattle and made the two hour trip up here to Bellingham to get some photos with me before turning around and getting back on the road for the trip back home!

Needless to say – I was not only honored to be photographing this wonderful family – but I finally got to meet the talented artist behind Tiny Belles Boutique and the creator of many fun and frilly things that I would love to get my hands on for photo shoots!

I love working with other artists and getting to photograph their families is even more fun! Here are some of my favorite shots from their session! I wish we lived closer! Those little girls are a riot!

Thank you for coming all the way here to visit and let me take your pictures! I had so much fun! I will have to hop over the mountains one of these days and visit your neck of the woods!

Summertime Cuties!

2011-06-28T22:26:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago – I headed out to Berthusen Park in Lynden – to meet up with these two cuties! They were both full of smiles and so much fun to chase around the park! Here are some of my favorite shots of these two from our session!

This last picture just kills me! I love my job!!

I had SO much fun with these two. If you managed to get through looking at their pictures without feeling the overwhelming urge to shout “OH MY GOSH THEY ARE SO CUTE!” – I will be very surprised!

* You can see more of their photos here.

The Blog That Got Away!

2011-06-28T21:54:00.001-07:00

Wow. It’s been ages since I have updated my blog! Busy. Busy. Busy!

I love Spring and Summer and I love having a full calendar of amazing weddings to shoot, awesome families that like to run around and have fun together while I take photos of them and new babies being born that I get to snuggle and hold and capture those first few days of life!

I dont get around to updating my blog as often as I would like – but I do tend to update my facebook page on a regular basis and if you would like to see what I have been up to lately – feel free to pop on over and say hello and wander around through my growing collection of smiling summer faces!

You can find me on facebook here.

Have a wonderful summer!
- Jen

Molly & Marcus • 6.18.2011

2011-06-20T18:36:00.000-07:00

Molly and Marcus were married out at Semiahmoo this summer and it couldn't have been a more perfect day! The sky was threatening to drown us in rain but the clouds parted just in time for the ceremony and the sun started shining and the day went off with out a hitch!

After a beautiful ceremony and some group shots, we headed over to the reception tent and they showed off their mad dancing skills for everyone! Molly and Marcus run Blue Moon Dance in Bellingham and just for the record...when I find out a groom can swing dance or Lindy hop...the minute my time behind the camera runs out...I will steal your new husband and have him dance with me!

I LOVE swing dancing and I am going to have to take my husband to see these two sometime soon so I can stop stealing everyone else's dance partner when my feet start tapping!

This is another wonderful blended family and this ceremony was so emotional that the officiant and I were both crying! Brooke at the Marriage Mate, and I have worked a few weddings together and every time its a blended family and kids are involved...we are both sniveling messes! This wedding was no exception!

Here are some of my favorite photos from this wedding!

Molly and Marcus - thank you so much for inviting me to be part of your wedding day! I am seriously going to drag my husband in to your studio and have you teach him some swing steps before next wedding season so when I come home from a swing dancing wedding - I can kick up my heels in my living room with my sweet man! :)

Congratulations!

Nicole & Bryce • Viking Love • 4.6.2011

2011-06-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

Nicole and Bryce have to be two of the coolest people I have ever met...not only was their Viking Themed wedding a total blast to photograph but they managed to get every version of Northwest Washington Weather that the gods could throw at them on their wedding day!

We had rain. We had sunshine. We had hail and sleet and then we had snow! All in less than 3 hours! Not only were they laughing about it - but they were prepared and when the snow started falling, we all put on our mucker puddle jumpin boots and went out to take pictures and play in it all!

These are probably some of my all time favorite pictures - not because they are my absolute "Best shots of my career" but because every time I look at their pictures, I smile and laugh out loud and remember how much fun we all had that day...and isn't that what your wedding day is supposed to be about?

Here are a handful of my favorite photos from their day:

Why yes ladies...instead of a traditional bouquet - Nicole had her flowers made into a PURSE! Is that not just the coolest idea ever??

Congratulations you two. Thank you SO much for entrusting these moments to my care and thank you for running around in the slush and snow with me! Please let me know when you make your goat pulled chariot...I have so many ideas for that thing.

;)

Summer

2011-05-03T00:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I take photos of my own children. This is one of my new favorites of my little girl. Spinning in the sun, in a field of dandi's with her pal Bear. :)

Young Love

2011-03-28T10:48:00.001-07:00

My daughter Torrae started Kindergarten this year and by about the second day of class…she had already found herself a future husband and not only did she pick him out all by herself but she TOLD him he was going to be her boyfriend and well…that was that! Connor agreed (thankfully!) and though they are not allowed to “Do love stuff” at school – they can still make googly eyes at each other and give kisses on cheeks during play dates and draw pictures for each other at school.

For Valentines Day this year – Connor’s Mom and I devised a plan to sneak them out of class early one fine, very cold, overcast day and take them down to Marine Park and Fairhaven for some cute “Young Love” photos and both of the kids were super excited to get to skip class and go model and get suckers and ice cream together!

Here are some of my favorite shots of Connor and Torrae. If they do actually end up getting married someday – these are definitely going out as their “Engagement” photos!

Ahhhhhhh its Spring time…Love is in the air!

Miss Mia!

2011-03-15T15:31:00.001-07:00

This little beauty recently found herself in front of my camera when I booked a cute little Bed and Breakfast ( The Canfield House) here in Bellingham for some Valentines day Boudoir sessions and I realized that I had such a gorgeous room with stunning lighting – and I would most likely not have any photos to share from the weekend -because lets face it…most of us ladies do not want our half naked selves displayed on the internet!

SOOOOOOOOOOOO I asked pretty little Mia’s Mommy if we could do her photo shoot on location and take advantage of the “Princess bed” and the amazing claw foot bath tub – and she of course said “YES!!” and so here we are..me bursting at the seems with excitement of having had the chance to get this gorgeous little girl in front of my camera and finally being able to share some of the photos from this wonderful on location shoot! Here are some of my favorite photos of Mia from her 1 year old shoot and sporting her new Tutu Dress from BeLove Tutu’s!

Miss Mia – Please tell your Mommy that I am counting the days until I can get you back in front of my camera! I hope your birthday was downright pure awesome! Thank you for your smiles!

Miss Jessica & Her Beauties!

2011-03-15T14:51:00.001-07:00

This beautiful little family just happens to be very close to my heart and literally 4 houses down from me! Not only is Jessica one of my favorite photographers…but she is also my best friend and our daughters are in the same kindergarten class together!

This past few months of ugly weather have been trying as far as getting clients to get out and brave the cold – but when you are working with another photographer who knows what perfect lighting conditions are and that overcast skies + snowfall + practically empty parks because all of the sane people are inside staying warm = PERFECT PHOTO OPPORTUNITY…it’s even more awesome than usual.

Oh and add to the fact that not only is Jessica an amazing photographer herself ( check out her work at www.bakanphotography.com ) – but she is one of the coolest moms EVAR! We were there about 4 minutes and her kiddos were making a b-line for mud puddles and scooping up snow and eating it – dirt and all …and all she did was laugh and encourage them to “Have fun!”

This photo below is probably my favorite of the entire shoot. It is also featured on the front cover of the Bellingham Visitor Center’s flyer for February! I entered it into their photo contest (you can check out their photo contest page here ) and won a free dinner for two to Panasia – so guess who I took to dinner last weekend? Of course I took my best friend Jessica!

Her kids are so stinkin cute and they all have great personalities – Miss Liala is the oldest and she is the Rockstar Queen of awesome faces, Diva poses and goofy voices! Dude (AKA Kjelson) is totally up for eating mud and diving head first into full on FUN and tends to be quite elusive when the camera is pointed at him (probably due to having a photographer mom who cant resist snapping photos of those amazing blue eyes of his) but every once in a while stops and gives me a serious look and a wry smile. Miss Elsa is the baby of the family and she not only gives fantastic hugs but she is just …well… adorable – you cant keep from smiling every time she looks up at you and grins and giggles and scrunches up her nose!

Here are some of my favorite photos of our mini frozen winter shoot at Hovander Park in Ferndale. Jessica is finally getting in front of the camera instead of behind it – so I take full advantage of any time she lets me snap a photo or two of her. :)

*Dude after eating a handful of snow…off the top of a cow pie…I didn't get to him in time to explain that it wasn't a mole hill…

Jessica, Liala, Dude and Elsa – I am so very blessed to have you all in my life and I cant wait until this summer when its warmer out and we can have more adventures with you! Love you all!

Little D - Newborn

2011-03-03T19:48:00.001-08:00

Back in December – I got a chance to meet little D and take some photos of some of the cutest “Sleepy Newborn Smiles” I’ve yet to photograph! This lil guy slept through most of his session – but that just makes my job easier…and besides – sleeping babies are downright precious! I love those little dreamy, sleepy giggles!

Here are a few of my favorite shots of Little D!

Im so far behind on blogging that it is almost time for his 3 month shots already! I can’t wait to see how much he has changed!

Baby S

2011-03-03T19:27:00.001-08:00

I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to Spring! Not only will it be warmer out and flowers will start blooming…but it is BABY season!! Nothing makes me happier than photographing new life!

Last fall – just as the flowers were starting to fade – I took some photos of this gorgeous little girl – Baby S! I have been saving her photos to share on my blog - to start my Spring time cute baby frenzy posts! I can’t wait to get started on another great season with some new baby faces and some familiar little critters that I have been watching grow up over the past few years!

Here are a few of my favorite shots of Baby S – I am hoping to get her back in front of my camera some time soon and I can’t wait to see how much she has changed over the past few months!

If you are interested in booking a Spring Session – please email or call me and reserve your spot on the calendar!

Secret Romantic Stuff!

2011-03-02T21:58:00.000-08:00

Last year, I got the kind of phone call I absolutely adore!

Griffin called me from Atlanta, Georgia a month or so before the tulips were about to sprout up at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Mt. Vernon and was hoping we could work out a secret plan to have me meet him in the middle of the tulip festival - where he would surprise his soon to be fiancé with a proposal - surrounded by her favorite flowers at the tulip fields!

Unfortunately - the weather didn't cooperate on the day he wanted to propose to her and so he ended up taking her to Roozengarde Fields and proposing to her before I could get to them to snap photos.
(She had no idea why he kept telling her they should wait to go see the tulips but they were on a romantic getaway and she flew all this way to get to see the tulips and darn it...she was going with or without rain!) - but as soon as the weather cleared up enough for photos, we went and got some "Just got engaged a few hours ago and we are still glowing and giddy!" pictures back at the same field he had originally proposed at!

First we started photos at Tulip Town but the sun was too bright and the bugs were out full force and they aren't too keen on professional photographers taking photos at their fields anyway - so we decided we might as well do most of their photos at Roozengarde, where they actually got engaged anyway! We were able to find some nice shaded areas for great lighting and apparently all of the flying little photo ruining creatures prefer living at other fields so we had much better luck getting the kind of photos they were hoping for!

Here are some of my favorite shots of these two from last years Tulip Festival. They are planning to get married on April 9th – about one year after he proposed in the pretty red tulip patch!

Congratulations you two! So glad you came all this way and let me be part of your surprise! I hope your wedding day is gorgeous!

Thank you Roozengarde for creating such a gorgeous place for Griffin and Beth to start their lives together!

Congratulations Griffin and Beth! Thank you for including me in such an amazing day for you two! I am bummed that I live too far away to take photos at your wedding! Many blessings to you both!

*If you are interested in getting photos done at Roozengarde this season – please let me know! You can also follow the “what is blooming now?” updates on their Facebook page here!

My Family!

2010-12-30T15:03:00.001-08:00

So about once a year…I try to get my own family out for some portraits so I have some kind of proof that I existed and get photos with my kids so they have pictures WITH me instead of having a bajillion photos of themselves with me behind the camera…

This is always an adventure… and I finally got myself a remote control so I don't have to set up a shot and then run like crazy to get in place in 10 seconds or less and make it look like I wasn't…running to get into place in 10 seconds or less!

This year, we went to Hovander Park and I was even brave enough to hand my camera off to my children and my husband so I could focus on having fun instead of running the remote control!

Here are some of my favorite shots from our family photo adventure!

Torrae is our youngest – she is 5 and knows she is adorable. Ask her. She will tell you just how cute she is and then she will tell you all sorts of things you never thought a 5 year old could talk about. She is about 13 years old – stuck in a 5 year olds body. She says the funniest things, makes the most crazy faces (you will see in a moment…I'm not kidding) and she fills our hearts with more joy than we ever thought possible. She even manages to get her brothers to get along…now that is talent!

My middle guy Eli just turned 11. He has big brown eyes and amazingly deep dimples that make him blush when you mention them. He’s a Lego maniac and an artist and a budding photographer himself. He still gives me snuggles in public. He promised he would let me snuggle him even when he is 15 like his brother. I might just have to get that in writing…

This is Kris – my 15 year old with the awesome Mohawk. He is taller than me now…and has been for over a year. He not only has a tendency to get more attention from little old ladies who love his hair – but he also has become quite the talented musician and I'm sure in no time – the younger ladies will be following him around as groupies when he makes it big as the lead guitarist in some crazy punk rock/metal band someday.

The best part of this picture above…is that I didn’t even ask him to kiss his little sister…he just did it on his own. I think my heart melted into a few thousand pieces right then!

I just happen to be madly in love with my beautiful blue eyed husband Ivan….and he just happens to take any chance he can get to find a way to get his hand on my bum in every photo that we have taken together. I'm going to start a collection.

I kissed him in public. What did you expect? Certainly not a smile!

Oh yes…and here we have the Ivan and Torrae Show. They make the same exact faces as each other and I cant tell you how hilarious it is when they both respond with the exact same face when they aren't even looking at each other!

So there you have it. My silly family. :) And proof that I exist without a camera stuck in my face all the time!

(PS – I make cute kids don’t I?)

Little Garret

2010-12-30T14:14:00.001-08:00

Some of our closest friends had their baby boy back on October 15th and I got the chance to get some newborn photos for them before the holiday family photo rush began!

He is already almost 3 months old and I cant wait to see how much he has changed! Every time I think about getting over to visit with his parents Eric and Cheri – I find that my own kids have shared some kind of new sick bug and I end up having to postpone my visit so I don't get the little man and his family sick! No way could I handle going over and being around an adorable baby and not getting to hold him…that would be torture!!!

So here are a few of my favorite shots from Garret’s newborn session and soon I will be updating with his 3 month photos! Time sure does pass quickly doesn’t it?

Cheri and Eric – he is just gorgeous. Thank you for letting me be part of his first few hours after birth and thank you for being such wonderful friends. We all love you and look forward to watching your family grow together!

Holiday Photos & No Time To Share!

2010-12-30T14:05:00.001-08:00

The past month and a half has just been crazy with various family and holiday portrait shoots on top of the hectic chaos that generally comes along with this time of year…so I have failed to update my blog with any sort of …well anything…for far too long!

I don’t have time to blog every shoot I did this winter – so I will just leave you with a link to my Facebook page – where you can browse through my winter quick shoots and some of the fall family shoots I never got around to posting either!

I hope your holidays were wonderful and I look forward to seeing you all again in 2011!

Please visit my Facebook Fan Page!

The Tenney Girls!

2010-11-21T11:11:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite parts about my job is that I can decide to make “Trades” with people when ever I want to and in doing so – not only do I get to trade professional family portraits for amazing massages, auto repair, weekend getaways, food, clothing, sewing talents or gifts for family and friends – but I get to meet new people and their families and network with other amazing local business folk that I would never have met before!

I made a massage trade with the beautiful Lisa Tenney of La Luna Massage and Doula services (you can also find her on facebook here.) and not only is she working on getting my never ending painful shoulder to heal for me – but she introduced me to her gorgeous little girls that filled my afternoon with giant smiles and laughter! Here are some of my favorite photos from their session out in Fairhaven on another gorgeous fall day!

Thank you so much Lisa for entering into a trade with me! I hope these photos make you as happy as I feel when I leave your massage table and can actually put my coat on with out as much pain as I had before laying down for a massage! :)

More Fall Fun!

2010-11-21T10:50:00.001-08:00

Back earlier this year, I made a donation for a gift certificate to be raffled off for LivLife – to help raise some money for a local little girl named Olivia Cook who needed a kidney transplant (and they still need donations and volunteers to help fund the medical care she will need for the rest of her life…if you are interested in helping!) The wonderful Rehberger family donated to the cause and purchased some raffle tickets and won the certificate for a “Quick Shoot” family portrait session and though we tried to connect over the summer to get some portraits done – schedules just didn’t work out…and Im GLAD!! Because Fall is my favorite time of year for pictures!

Instead of summer photos – we got some gorgeous fall colors to work with and a beautiful sunny Autumn day out at Hovander Park! Here are some of my favorite shots from their session!

Thank you so much for supporting a local charity and helping raise money for little Olivia! I am so glad we finally got a chance to get photos for you and I hope to get your beautiful family back in front of my camera again sometime!

Now…On to another amazing family that I adore! “Teacher Jacquie” was my daughters preschool teacher last year at Bellingham Bay Gymnastics and Preschool – and we loved her so much that there was no way we were going to just say goodbye at Preschool graduation and not keep in touch!

Thankfully – she loves to have photos taken of her family as much as I love taking them – so not only did I get to get her kiddos and husband back in front of my camera again – but this time she brought her Parents and Sister and her family too!

We met up at Hovander Park (the favorite spot this year!) and spent about an hour horsing around, giggling and flinging leaves all over!

Here are my favorite shots!

Thank you all for making my job so much fun to do!! Jacquie – thank you for introducing me to the rest of your family! They are just as awesome as you are! Torrae and I will be by again soon to say hello and do a “Drive by Hugging” at the school!

Fall Family Portraits – The Ham Family!

2010-11-15T21:08:00.001-08:00

I love meeting new families – and I espcially love it when I get to meet more of their family once they have gotten their photos back and the rest of the family decides they want to get some photos done too! I got to meet the gorgeous Lee family back in late summer and when I got an email from her sister asking if we could find a time slot while they were up this way visiting – I was stoked!

The Ham family met me down at Fairhaven and we wandered around through the Village green and then made our way over to the Alley by Skylarks – only to find ourselves being bombarded with falling chestnuts! No one was injured – but it sure was funny! (Though I did get bonked on the noggin when I went back to try to get some fun fall shots later on my own…those things are painful!)

Here are some of my favorite photos from their session. I just cant get over the scrunchy faced giggly smile of big sister and the wide eyed clapping grin of the lil miss! So much fun and so much amazing fall color! I LOVE that orange tree!

I just had to share this one below – They were all trying to help get a shoe back in place. Talk about a supportive family! :)

Thank you so much for coming all this way to see me and let me take your photos! I hope you had a fun day visiting our little town and that you come back and visit soon! Maybe we can get all of the cousins together in the spring!

Perfect Gifts

2010-11-10T22:29:00.000-08:00

Oh...yes...its coming upon that time of year again...that gift giving craze we all like to call "The Holidays." For those of you that have an awful time finding the perfect gift for the folks on your list that seem to always already have everything - just let me say...PICTURES!

People love picture gifts...they are priceless and...besides 15 years from now, that new high tech waffle iron you gave to Uncle Joe is going to set his kitchen on fire after one of his grandkids uses it to melt crayons and make rainbow waffles, the Kenny G CD is going to warp in the sun and and instead of soothing mood music - Grandma is going to think voices are telling her to beat up lawn gnomes with shiny pretty saxophones...and the Cheese Fondue set you gave to the neighbors will no doubt still have your fingerprints on it when CSI shows up to find out how one of the "gently curved - 3 sharp tined" forks got stuck in the back of the neighbors pool boy...(ok, so no one around here actually has a pool - but let me have my CSI moment will you?)

Trust me. Photos are much safer... ;)

I will be offering a special on gift certificates this year (for $75 off the regular price.) Give me a call or email me to find out more...and just so you know - A full portrait package always includes a 60-90 minute session, on location or in studio. I also give you a small album with about 25 4x6 prints as well as all of your photos on disc (between 50-150+) at high resolution sizes in a mix of color and black and white - along with a print release, so you can make as many copies and sizes that you want to.

Get your parents a beautiful canvas wrap to put on their wall or make Grandma a tote bag with her grand kids on it...make a calendar, coffee mug, mouse pad, t shirt, coasters, pillows or maybe some really funky sock puppets!! ...It is up to you! Get creative!

Don't buy Dad another paisley tie and please don't get Mom another set of oven mitts with weird dancing cows on them...give them pictures that they can put up on their wall to cover up those old high school photos of you and remove any evidence that you ever had a mullet or "that 80's hair." You could make your brother a puzzle...hes been threatening for years to "rearrange your face" - now you can give him that chance!

Seriously though...give me a call...you know I'm right...don't you?

*I am also selling gift certificates for "Quickshoots" for $10 off the usual $75 price. A quickshoot is a 30 minute session with 15 edited final photos on a disc in full resolution sizes and a print release.

Fall Quickshoots • Family Fun!!

2010-11-08T15:14:00.001-08:00

October and November have been full of fun family quick shoots out at Hovander Park in Ferndale and not only have I been meeting some new families this season – but I got to photograph some of my own!

My Sister-in-law’s met me out at the park back in early October to get some secret family photos for my Mother-in-law for her Birthday present and it couldn’t have been a more beautiful day full of amazing Autumn colors and beautiful sunshine! We started with Pauli and her husband Karl and the two boys Austin and Owen.

Here are my favorite shots of their family!

After I spent a while hanging out with them – my other Sis-in-law Jessi met us there with her husband David and the kids, Samantha, Liam and Nolan. They live down in Seattle, so I don’t get to see them as much as I do Pauli’s family but its always a wonderful time when we can all get together for a day at the park! It doesn’t happen very often! Here are some of my favorite photos of Jessi’s family!

And of course…we had all 4 of the Boys together at a park…with leaves…so there was no question as to whether or not they would pose for another shot or two if we offered to let them chuck some leaves in the air and get dirty after staying somewhat un-muddy for photos earlier! YAY for AUTUMN and fun family times!

Fall Quickshoots • The Gapp Family!

2010-11-08T14:45:00.000-08:00

The Gapp family…is SO MUCH FUN!! Oh my heaven’s I haven’t laughed that much in a 30 minute time span in ages! The entire crew had me in stitches while we wandered around Hovander Park and they proved that even with 8 people – you can get a lot accomplished for a photo session in just 30 minutes!

Here are my favorite photos from their Quick Shoot! Enjoy!

What a fun bunch! I sure hope they have me do more photos for them sometime in the summer..I’d love to get them to the beach and watch the boys chase the girls around with dead crabs or something…not that Im giving them any ideas..or anything…

Thank you Gapp Family! I hope you had as much fun as I did!

Fall Quickshoots • Hovander Park!

2010-11-08T14:10:00.000-08:00

Hovander Park is the favorite this time of year because of the wonderful colorful leafy goodness that abounds and also because its just more of a “Fall” feel when you wander the farm and spy the apple orchards and little pumpkin patch area!

I met with a few families out there one weekend back in October and we all enjoyed the beautiful sunshine and giant leaf piles as well as poking fun at how ugly the turkeys are and oogling over the little bunnies all digging winter burrows in their pens! Hovander Park is such a wonderful place to visit with your children! I love it there!

Here are some of my favorite photos of the Lilcoln Family! Momma Kim, Dad Brad and lil men Ben and Ethan!

After spending a half hour with the Lincolns – I got to visit with another of my favorite families…the Maulers! I have been taking pictures of this family since Jackie and Kris got married a few years ago and I have been photographing lil man Cristian since he was a newborn! It is such a blessing to be able to watch a family grow over the years and document various stages for them! This family swells my heart all big and puffy. I just love them!

HAHAH I just love that last picture of Little C – he’s totally got the “Billy Idol” sneer going on. I called his attention away from the fluffy bunnies and this was the look I got when he realized it was me that was interrupting his explorations!

And on to the Noste Family! I was lucky enough to get to book a full year package with Adalyn and for her 9 month session, her parents decided to get some fall photos at Hovander as well!

She was all furrowed browed at me most the time but we got a few smiles out of her here and there! Next time I think I will bring my daughter along – because Adalyn seemed to brighten right up when some kids walked by! Nothing like other small humans to get a good smile out of you! Here are my favorite shots of Melissa and Karl with Little Miss Adalyn!

What a wonderful Fall season so far! I am loving seeing all of my favorite families enjoying the changing colors and last rays of sunshine before Winter brings its chilly days and frosty nose weather!

Brianna & Matt • 8.28.2010

2010-11-08T13:46:00.000-08:00

Brianna and Matt were married back in August and I am just now getting around to catching up on summer and fall photo blogging! Whew! What a busy season it has been!

These two gorgeous people were married out at the Bellingham Ferry Terminal – but we spent a good hour or so running around downtown Fairhaven with the wedding party to get some fun photos with all of the great backdrops available just a block up the road from their venue! I LOVE Fairhaven for photos – especially when it involves a group of individuals that are all about enjoying the day and getting silly before heading into serious wedding business!

Here are some of my favorite shots from their day!

Congratulations to you both and thank you so much for having me as your photographer! Your wedding day was so much fun!

Little Miss Sunshine…turns 1!

2010-10-13T22:16:00.001-07:00

Oh my heavens – this little girl makes my heart melt every time I see her and I have really enjoyed watching her grow up in front of my lens over the past year! She is growing to be even more beautiful than when I first held her as a newborn and couldn’t get over how “Perfectly gorgeous” she was at only a few days old!

Callie came back to see me when she was 8 months old and we went to Whatcom Falls Park where she spent the majority of her time sticking her tongue out at me! Some of my favorite photos from this summer – and I call her my “Little Miss Sunshine” because every time I see her – she just makes everything gloomy – disappear!

I got to meet up with her and her Momma and Daddy down in Fairhaven a few weeks ago and I saw the balloons and the smiles clear across the Village Green! She wasn’t too happy to see me this time however…because she had recently gotten her shots and anyone that looked like they might be a “Nurse” made her nervous and she cried at me! I thought my heart was going to break! We finally got some smiles out of her when Mommy and Daddy started making goofy faces and noises at I just snapped away!

Here are some of my favorites from Callie’s 1st Birthday shoot!

(We took her to Katie’s Cupcakes and got her some sugar…after that – she didn’t cry at me anymore and decided I was going to give her treats instead of shots! Whew!!)

Her Mommy Monica made this adorable Tutu for her and her Daddy Ty decided to wear a Callie-Tutu-Hat for a walk around town!

Happy Happy Birthday My Little Sunshine! :) You make me smile every time I see you and every time I look at your photos! I hope you come back to see me again sometime soon and bring your Mom and Dad too :) I cant wait to see you again!

Little Cassidy’s First Birthday!

2010-10-13T21:56:00.001-07:00

I have been doing a lot of “Quick Shoots” lately – for those folks that just want a handful of photos of their family or children or pets and aren’t up for spending more than a half hour or so – to get some nice pictures to send to family and friends or use for Holiday cards later on in the season…and I was SO excited when Cassidy’s Momma Tea’ emailed and asked me if we could get the Little Miss some 1st Birthday photos in a little mini quick shoot before the ugly weather took hold of our wonderful Washington skies and it got too nasty to get outside for some fun fall portraits!

We met up at Hovander Park in Ferndale and I had found this old antique child’s chair as well as scored a fantastic find at Goodwill with this antique stroller and when Tea’ told me she was thinking of doing a more “Vintage” type shoot with Cassidy – I think I squealed so loud I scared my own self! I have been waiting and waiting for a chance to use either of my new finds and I was going to get to use both of them in the same shoot!

We mucked our way through the soggy boggy areas over by Tennant Lake with the stroller and then headed to the wonderful apple orchard near the old house at Hovander Park and I am pretty sure these might just be some of my favorite photos of the summer/fall so far! I just love the colors and the feel of these. Here are some of my favorite shots from her little mini shoot!

Happy Birthday Cassidy! You are such a doll! I can’t wait until I get to chase you around the park next time! So you practice walking and get up your running speed…I like a challenge! :)

For those of you that might be interested in doing a “Quick Shoot” with your own family or children (or even your pets!) – please email me to set up an appointment!

Each “Quick Shoot” or “Mini Session” includes:

A 30 minute on location or in studio portrait session.
15 edited and formatted photos in hi-res sizes on a disc.
A print release so you can make as many copies and enlargements (up to 8x12’s) as you would like.

Each “Quick Shoot/Mini Session” is $75.

Sarah Beth – Trash the Dress

2010-10-13T21:39:00.001-07:00

This summer – I got a chance to photograph Sarah Beth and Sean’s wedding out at Hovander Park in Ferndale…but she emailed me a few months later and asked if we could go jump in a creek and get some fun Trash the Dress photos before Summer faded away into the coldness of Fall! So we did!

She met with me at Whatcom Falls Park – dressed in a beautiful gown she had found on Ebay and tailored to fit herself (She didn’t want to trash her own dress!) and brought along some fun props to use – and was totally willing to jump right into the freezing cold waters of our lovely Whatcom Creek. I don't know how she managed to get in that water without even a single peep or goosebump – I was freezing just thinking about it – but she waded right in and we got some great photos out of the adventure!

Here are some of my favorites!

Sarah Beth – you are gorgeous and I am so glad we got to go do this shoot together! You made a beautiful bride and a stunning model!

Thank you!

Stacy & Kristian • 8.14.2010

2010-10-07T12:38:00.001-07:00

Seems it was a perfect summer for San Juan Island weddings! This time I got to visit one of the smaller islands out there in our gorgeous Pacific NW Waters – that was only accessible by boat or in our case – a barge! Henry Island is breathtaking and so were my bride and groom! I loved that the landscape really enveloped Stacy and Kristian and that the ring bearer Pup matched the surroundings perfectly! It was just perfect!

Here are some of my favorite photos from Stacy and Kristian’s Henry Island wedding! I just love the colors!

Congratulations to the both of you and thank you so much for entrusting this day to me. It was a pleasure to photograph your wedding day and I hope to get you back in front of my camera again sometime! You are both naturals in front of the lens!

Rachel & Ryan • 8.9.2010

2010-10-07T12:15:00.001-07:00

Can I just say – I LOVE Rainbow weddings?? Seriously? Look at all of that color! Can I also say that I adore this couple for not only having a Rainbow Themed wedding – but also because they are just super awesome and fun to work with? I heart Rachel & Ryan!!

Rachel and Ryan were married out in Roche Harbor this summer on what started out as a horribly nasty rainy day that just happened to get its act together just in time for pictures! I think the Skittle God was smiling down on them!

Here are some of my favorite shots of their day! Enjoy!

*The boat’s name is “Blown Savings” – so I just had to get this picture with him looking in his wallet. You’ll have to excuse me when I stop you while walking somewhere and get all giggly and stupid on you because I cant tell you what just sparked my creative eye – but I am pretty sure you’ll like it when you see it later! This was one of those moments where I said “Go stand over there and do THIS!” and they did – and it turned out perfectly! YAY!

Im pretty sure this is my all time favorite “Father/Daughter” photo in my massive collection. Her Dad is just too cool for words.

*Oops…dropped the ring! But made for a great reaction photo!

I invited my good friend Jessica from Epic Life Photography along to be my second shooter and man our first “Photo Booth” set up (which can now be added to your wedding packages!) and I absolutely LOVED having her there with me and seeing her come up with even more ideas for photos. This photo below was her creation – Kind of a “Hollywood Squares” or “Brady Bunch” photo. I love it!

We set up for a photo booth and she spent some time taking silly photos of the guests while I went around getting detail shots of the flowers and rings and cake. You can see her photos here!

Rachel and Ryan – thank you SO much for inviting us out to photograph your beautiful wedding day! I had so much fun with you and your Rainbow Wedding is going to go up on the list of all time favorites! Congratulations and please remember…we want babies to photograph dressed in rainbow outfits!! :D (And I’ll bring skittles next time I promise!)

Cynthia – Class of 2011

2010-10-07T11:42:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago – I got to spend an afternoon with Cynthia, wandering around town in search of fun places to get her senior photos taken. Thankfully – we live in the awesome city of Bellingham, where we have numerous colorful walls, interesting alleys and an atmosphere that just screams FUN!

I loved working with this gorgeous gal – she was a natural in front of the camera and I hope I can get her back in front of my camera someday for some modeling headshots! Here are some of my favorite shots from Cynthia’s senior session!

Cynthia – I hope your senior year is as much fun as you are!

A Comic Book Adventure!

2010-09-30T08:30:00.001-07:00

Every once in a long while – I take an entire day off from photographing other people’s families or sitting in front of my computer for endless hours of editing…to go out and spend the afternoon with my own amazing family…and sometimes, we get a little crazy and come up with goofy ideas of how to spend the day together that don’t cost any money and will no doubt produce some awesome memories for them as they grow up.

Back in August – We decided it would be kind of fun to dress up as super heroes and villans and run around town taking pictures so we could make our very own family comic book!!

If you would like to see our complete adventure – click here!

Torrae & Olivia – Best Friends Turn 5!

2010-09-14T14:07:00.001-07:00

My daughter Torrae met her Best Friend Olivia when they both attended the same preschool 2 years ago and though they are starting to look more like their individual selves…they still look so much alike that every time Olvia and Torrae are out in public together – people assume they are twins!

They are also only 2 weeks apart in age – so when I decided it was time to do Torrae’s 5 year old photo shoot, we invited Olivia along so that the girls could spend the afternoon together and also get some really fun pictures that they will treasure when they are grown (Though – if it is up to my daughter – these two are going to marry each other and have 100 babies when they grow up! I better start learning how to knit baby booties!)

Here are some of my favorite shots of our “Rockin Adventure” downtown Bellingham, our wandering around Fairhaven and our last stop for some Birthday Cupcakes at Katie’s Cupcakes! Enjoy!

I hope these two stay best friends for life – at this point – my little miss has no memories of life with out Olivia – and I hope it stays that way always. :)

Love you both!

Meghan & Alex – 7.10.2010

2010-08-31T23:23:00.001-07:00

Meghan and Alex got married at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on a VERY hot and sunny day – but we tried to pretend we weren't melting – and found some shaded spots downtown Fairhaven for some fun pre ceremony photos with the wedding party and managed to make it to the church on time too!

These two are so much fun to work with and their entire wedding party was just pure awesome. We found some great spots for photos and they were all willing to get silly and break out the “goof” for a few pictures – which always make my job that much more fun!

Here are some of my favorite shots from their wedding day!

*Best Father/Daughter dance…ever! So much fun to watch!

See these beautiful cupcakes? I didn't get a chance to grab one before I had to head home – but I'm sure they tasted delicious…they sure smelled good…but if anyone knows just how great they smelled…it was Meghan…because she not only got a face full of cupcake – but I'm pretty sure she was cleaning frosting out of her nostrils for the rest of the evening…and it all started so sweetly too…

*You can see the deviousness in his eyes….cant you? I sure can!

But oh…doesn’t he just need a nice big ol cupcake in the face – slobbery, frosting filled smooch for that? Yes…yes he does!

She was such a good sport! But I bet she was secretly plotting her revenge…I hope she gets someone to take pictures of it too!

Congratulations you two! Thank you for such a fun day of shooting and for inviting me to be there to photograph your beautiful day!

Now…babies? :D

The Twins – 8 Months!

2010-08-31T22:16:00.001-07:00

Back a few months ago – I got to try my hand photographing twins…it was a lot harder than I thought it would be! Rylee and Jordyn have grown quite a bit since my first session with them – and there were many more smiles than tears this time around – and my goodness, how pretty have they gotten!??

We were originally going to try to get them outside for a shoot – but the weather was not cooperating so we stuck it out inside and decided to use my old 80’s phone and some fun pink tutus and my hand painted 80s splatter (attempt) artwork – and I think we got some really cute shots of the girls and captured their personalities pretty well this time around! Sure glad the “Stink eye” was replaced by a giant smile! These two are just gorgeous! Here are some of my favorite shots from their session this time around!

That last one has me in stitches every time I look at it! You have one sister that is literally falling over – laughing…while the other is looking around…wondering.. “What is going on…has my Daddy gone crazy?” – oh and of course I have to share the reason this photo came out this way…Nothing quite like a Daddy – willing to do anything for his baby girls to get them to laugh for a photo!

Thank you for letting me play with them again! I can’t wait to see them when they turn 1! Maybe Ill just have to come down your way and visit on their birthday and try my hand at “Twins eating birthday cake” photography! :)

Kyla & Patrick • 7.2.2010

2010-08-18T20:54:00.001-07:00

Back in April – I got to meet Patrick and Kyla, down in Seattle for their engagement photos. I had a great feeling about them when we had our first initial meeting to discuss wedding contracts, pricing and plans for their day – but had NO idea just how much fun these two were going to be to photograph! I met them down at Pikes Place Market on a cold and rainy afternoon to do their engagement photos and fell in love with their energy and the two personalities, which by themselves are both awesome – but put them together and you have non stop laughing and loads of fun!

I was so excited for their wedding day to arrive – and had suggested to them that we go run around downtown Belilngham in some of the alleys I love to wander through – and maybe a trip to Mallard’s Ice Cream shop – and they were totally up for anything and everything I threw at them for suggestions! They didn’t even hesitate to jump on an old motorcycle sitting in one of the alleys and we got some really fun shots of them being their goofy and fun selves!

I wish I could post all of the photos from their wedding – but I can’t – though I did manage to pick a handful of favorites to share and hope that when you look through them – you laugh and smile as much as I do when I scroll through their wedding photos! Here are some fav’s.

Kyla and Patrick – thank you SO much for choosing me as your photographer! I love your energy and your love of life and all things silly! Please keep in touch and let me know when I can get you two back in front of my camera! Oh the possibilities I have floating around in my head for you! ;)

Congratulations!

Belly Laughs!

2010-08-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

I got to meet little Cohen and his parents Karisse and Matthew – back a few weeks ago when they called and asked if I could squeeze them into my crazy summer schedule – so we could get some 1st Birthday photos for the lil man. I had no idea I would end up spending an hour with a belly laughing, full body giggling, bundle of awesomeness! The whole family is amazing – but this lil man – just makes me laugh every time I look at the photos of his giant grin and I can still hear that intensely adorable giggle of his. Just can’t let myself feel anything but joy when I see his little face.

I even made a folder on my desktop for a few of his pictures - “LAUGHTODAY” – because I find it impossible to feel blue and down about anything, when I look at a child that is so loved, so full of life and finding happiness in the smallest things…from a duck making silly noises at the park, a crow jumping and flapping its wings on the roof of a barn or climbing up on a fence while his parents cheer him on! Cohen not only has gorgeous eyes and an amazing smile – but his laughter is contagious and I'm so glad I found myself exposed!

Here are some of my favorite shots from his session. We went to Hovander Park and wandered around the barns and then headed over to get some photos in the old Radio Flyer wagon in some tall grass. We also got a few fun pictures of his Daddy helping him “FLY” up to touch the clouds – though there weren't any that day – he sure did a great job of trying to get him up there just in case!

Karisse, Matthew, Cohen (And Cohen’s Papa too!) – Thank you so much for sharing that gorgeous laugh with me! Your photo shoot was just what I needed that day to pull me out of my “blah’s” and I really hope that I get to see those smiles in front of my camera again someday soon! You have an amazingly beautiful family – and it was a joy to work with you all! Happy Birthday Cohen!

Little A – 6 Months Old

2010-08-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

I got to meet Little A – when she was 3 months old and I never got around to blogging those photos of her so I will put some of those in this blog post so you can see how much she has changed already!

She is another “First year” baby – so I will get to document her 3/6/9 and 12 month old stages. It is always such an awesome feeling to know that I get to see a child grow and watch their personalities develop in their first year of life. I love each stage of this adventure in their lives and I am always looking forward to meeting up with them again to see how much they have changed in such a short time.

The first time I met Little A – she was not very excited about being photographed and we had to work really hard to get some photos of her smiling – but after another 3 months – she was all smiles and even gave me a few giggles to boot! I cant wait to see how she changes between now and October when I get to see her again for her 9 month photos! Fall colors and fun leaves and babies…cant get much better than that!!

Here are a few of Little A when she was 3 months and then some from her most recent shoot. What a gorgeous little girl!

And here she is at 6 months – outside in the beautiful sunshine and full of smiles!

Little A – I cant wait to see you again in October! Bring those smiles again and we will go find a huge pile of leaves to play in! I promise!

Alicia & Melissa • July 3, 2010

2010-08-12T22:06:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I get to shoot a wedding that means more than any piece of paper signed by someone “Important” could ever mean – and this summer – I got to photograph Alicia and Melissa’s wedding out at the Grand Willows Inn on a beautiful sunny afternoon, with an amazing bunch of people that filled that building with so much love – it was overflowing out into the streets!

These two gorgeous ladies have been together for years – are raising three beautiful children together and Melissa has served our country in the US Navy…and had been waiting for the day when she could marry her best friend and make her, her wife.

I loved shooting this wedding…and I wish I could share a lot more photos of it than I have time to blog! But here are some of my favorite shots from their day – I hope you enjoy them :)

I always love doing a “First Look” ceremony – but Melissa had me near tears when she turned around to see Alicia for the first time and I watched her reaction to seeing her beautiful bride standing before her in her gorgeous dress and amazing smile!

Alicia and Melissa – I can’t tell you how honored I am that you chose me to photograph this amazing day for you two and your family. I hope you drag your photo album out at least once a year on your anniversary and look through your photos together – and remember how long you waited – and realize just how worth it – it was. :)

Congratulations and many blessings to you all.

Annie & Jacob • 6.28.2010

2010-08-06T17:13:00.001-07:00

Back in June – I had the pleasure and privilege of photographing this amazing couple’s wedding at the Lairmont. I knew as soon as I met Annie and Jacob, that this wedding was going to be gorgeous and full of more love and romance than most – because both of them are not just incredibly beautiful themselves – but they are both bursting at the seems with artistic talents, genuine friendship, and an intense love for each other that has them both glowing and nearly bursting at the seems with emotion, every time they see each other walk into a room!

This wedding was perfect. Perfect couple. Perfect Weather. Perfect decor. Perfect Ceremony. Amazing Coordinator that deserves her own blog post (coming next!) and perfect …well…Everything!

Here are some of my favorite photos from their wedding day:

I ended up getting to stay clear through til the end for this amazing wedding – which quite often doesn’t happen due to the fact that I tend to work with couples that have smaller budgets and only tend to hire me for the pre wedding and ceremony photos – and I always get bummed when I am not hired to stay into the reception…because I miss amazing moments like this!

This was one of the most fun bouquet tosses I have shot so far – and was SO glad I had the chance to see it and photograph it!

Victory!!!

I also love staying until the send off – some are braver than others – and opt to give their guests massive quantities of bird seed to chuck at them as they pass – and some decide to go the “I wont have to pick seeds out of my hair and ears for 3 months” route – and do bubbles instead. I love it when they pick bubbles! What a fun way to end the evening!!

Congratulations Annie and Jacob! Thanks for inviting me to be part of your perfectly beautiful day!