This was such a fun photoshoot, I’m always happy when the weather cooperates, you can just feel the magic of Fall.
Senior Portraits
We took these portraits on the football field but walked around and explored the campus a little bit - the coolest location were the train tracks that ran along the edge of the school.
Tie Dye Event
It seems like tie dye is everywhere nowadays - this fun event happened in downtown Portland on a beautiful Spring day.
A New Baby
I haven’t posted much lately because we’ve had a busy several months; we welcomed baby Alice into the world and she is already 5 months old!
My favorite type of photography to capture and to have is of the ordinary, every-day life. That’s why I like these, it’s just my son and youngest daughter hanging out in her crib.
Balloon Festival
Back in June we all woke up at dawn to go to the Tigard Balloon Festival. When the alarm clock went off I almost gave up and said 'forget it', but Mike got up and so I did as well and I'm so glad we went! It was beautiful seeing the sun rise and so interesting to see the hot air balloons filling up and taking off.
After we left the festival we went out for breakfast, it was only 8:30am, amazing how much you can accomplish when you wake up before 5!
Biking at Oaks Park
Oaks Park is an old amusement park in Portland, OR and it's only open some months of the year. It just opened on weekends for the season but is still closed on week days. We went there last week to bike by the path but realized we could bike around the park too, even though it was closed. It was fun being there when nobody else was around and a completely different experience.
Swimming on the Willamette
Took the kids to the Sellwood Riverfront Park and they jumped right into the river with the dogs. I remember being this fearless in the water and always getting in, no matter how cold it was.
Foliage at Tryon Creek
Lot's and lot's of dew at Tryon Creek on Friday.
Easter
This is has been a fun week full of Easter activities for the kids and a simultaneous joy for me and Mike to witness. This morning we were visited by the Easter bunny and he left a basket of goodies for both Bella and Charlie.
Fall Foliage
I love photographing people and typically if there is not a person in the frame I am not so interested. But sometimes nature is just too beautiful to not be the focus.
This is from a hike at Silver Falls State Park, OR in November of last year and it was magical.
March For Our Lives
Today we went to downtown Portland to join the March For Our Lives organized by young people around the country who have devoted so much time and effort to fight for something they believe in; safety for all. It was so inspiring to see so many people out and at times very emotional.
Birthday Parties
Part of having young kids is going to a lot of birthday parties, sometimes even two in one day. 😉
Pretty soon they'll be older and you won't need to accompany them anymore but I think I'll miss them. With a new little sister arriving in July those days are not quite behind us yet.
Getting Messy
I went through a lull in sharing photos last year, in part because I was too busy and in part because I just needed a break from it. But I did take some photos that I loved and I'm looking back at them now and remembering how much fun it is to get to spend time outdoors. These are all from July 2017.
Editing in Lightroom
I made a video to show how I work in Lightroom. For those of you who don't know, Lightroom is an Adobe software for photo editing, and it is incredible. It makes photo editing extremely easy and convenient and it is very user-friendly.
I love watching other people work and learning from them and I've had it in my mind to make one of these. I did very little to this particular photo, so this is very basic, but I usually don't do much more than this. But just a few tweaks can make a big impact on the final image.
This one is a little more extensive, but it's sped up and has no sound.
Looking Forward to Warmer Days
These past two months or so I've been taking a lot less photos than usual and I've really been wanting to draw and paint more. I'm so used to taking my camera everywhere that sometimes I don't even stop to think about whether I really want it there or if it's more of an obligation to capture every moment. It's been nice leaving it at home more often and not worrying about whether I'm missing something. I think that sometimes you just need a little break, even from the things you love most.
The photos below are (obviously) not recent and from last summer. Spring is starting to pop up all around us here in Portland and it's getting all of us excited for longer, sunnier days. Every season has something special to offer, but there is nothing like spending several months in the cold to make us look forward to warmer weather with anticipation.
Picnic in the front yard and running through the sprinkler.
Messy rooms and playtime indoors.
🍓 Strawberry picking and brewery eating.
Hanging out on the empty lot in front of our house one day after work, throwing around some balls and enjoying a beer.
Mostly Outdoor
Portland green! One nice thing about moving to Portland and living in a house is that we get to have a yard and grow things in it.
Bike Riding
Staying Cool
We had record-breaking heat a couple of weekends ago when our friends came to visit. We went to the gorge for some river swimming and waterfall seeing and it really helped us stay cool.
Manzanita - A Trip to the Coast
A weekend trip to the Oregon coast.
A day of Gardening
This weekend we cut down a small tree in our yard and planted some new plants in it's place. Mike and Bella built a planter so hopefully we will have some fruits and vegetables soon.