Whimsical Photo Design

New Blog

2009-01-30T10:33:00.000-08:00

If the auto-redirect doesn't automatically take you there... please use the URL below to get to the new blog.

Afterwards, please bookmark the new site and come back soon!
http://blog.whimsicalphotodesign.com/

More from New Orleans

2008-10-10T21:41:00.001-07:00

I'm home now, but still working on the pictures I got while in New Orleans. It was so much fun and I learned a ton! I'm so glad I went and I really cannot wait for next year!

Update from New Orleans

2008-10-07T14:36:00.001-07:00

I've been in New Orleans now for 4 days and having an incredible time. The amount of talent, knowledge and information being passed around this workshop is amazing! Yesterday, I had a workshop with John Michael Cooper of Alt F, Las Vegas. His workshop focus was looking at the different in the world. And boy did I learn! Here is a just a sample of what I got in 45 minutes yesterday! I'll have more next week as we process more.

Off to New Orleans

2008-10-02T23:32:00.001-07:00

I am so excited...
This Saturday I leave and head to New Orleans for the Image X 08 workshops. It's a series of 3-day workshops that focus on business, shooting, and photoshop. I'm lucky enough to take classes from the great Chenin Boutwell, the ground-breaking John Michael Cooper of Alt F, and then an extra evening workshop with the awesome Jerry Ghionis.

Along the way, I'm totally pumped to be meeting some of my favorite New Orleans based photographers and friends, including the amazing husband/wife duo of Studio Tran - Corine and Beebe... and maybe if I'm lucky I'll meet Ethan too...

I totally have an action packed week ahead of me! I hope to be blogging some of the amazing imagery that I get there... so stay tuned over the next week.

On the home front... everyone please wish Jason good luck. He is taking over parenting duties for the next 6-days without a safety net. My mom (who is our usual go-to babysitter) is going with me to New Orleans, so Jason and Maggie are being bachelor's for a week. I guess it's a good thing that Jason can cook so well!!

The Holiday's are Coming!!

2008-09-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, holiday season is coming... and so are stacks and stacks of holiday cards. Below are the designs Whimsical Photo Design is featuring for this upcoming holiday season!

Cards can be printed on your choice of regular UV coated paper, pearl/iridescent paper, watercolor/art paper, or a linen textured paper (extra charges may apply for some speciality papers and coatings).

Packages are sold in 25 card allotments and some color and text variations are available upon request.
5x7 flat cards - $40.00 (plus tax)
5x5 folded cars - $45.00 (plus tax)
5x7 folded cards - $40.00 (plus tax)

We will automatically place pictures from your 2008 session on the card, or you can schedule a special Holiday Mini Session. The mini session is $75.00 and includes 3 digital photos and 25 holiday cards. It's a really great deal! Holiday Mini's must take place before November 15th to ensure holiday delivery on cards.

Please e-mail me directly (susan at whimsical photo design dot com) for more information!

Portrait Studio Disasters

2008-09-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

Does anyone REALLY want to go back to the 'old' days of photography?
I know it was cool in 1982...

Take a look at this blog for a good laugh!

Olympia Senior Pictures - Black Lake High Shool

2008-09-22T23:45:00.001-07:00

So last Friday I went out and met up with PJ to do his senior pictures. PJ is best friends with Ron. Well, they both have a lot of the same interests in dirt bikes and 4x4 trucks, unfortunately PJ's bike was broken, but we had an awesome time shooting around his truck.

PJ and Kirsten - Thank you so much for having me come out to do the shoot. I had a blast with you guys!

My Wonderful Husband!!

2008-09-20T23:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes he's just a sweet, sensitive, and caring individual. I shouldn't say sometimes... almost all the time! He came home the other day from work, bringing me 4 fresh red roses. I guess after 5 and a half years of marriage he still loves me.

Here is me being sappy... I love him too. He makes my entire world a better place! So cheers to my hubby! He's a good guy!

Olympic Peninsula Adventure

2008-09-19T22:58:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Jason, Maggie and I had quite an unplanned adventure. We woke up that morning without a single idea of what to do. We had breakfast and we were sitting in the living room trying to figure out how to spend the day... when at 9:15 am our phone rang and planned out the entire day for us!

Every summer, Jason's fire department participates in a firefighter exchange with a firefighter academy (university) in Poland. In fact, last June, Jason went to Poland for 17 days to participate in the exchange there! Over the last 4 years, we personally have played host to exchange student, taking them on some sort of adventure, hiking at Mt. St. Helen's, a Husky football game, etc. Well, when we got the phone call on Saturday, we ended up with 2 Polish exchange students who were desperate to see the Pacific Ocean. We loaded up Curvy (for those of you who don't already know... I name EVERYTHING. The car - Honda CRV - is called Curvy), with a cooler of picnic items and headed off to take the guys, Michael and Maceak (pronounced Ma-jick), to Copalis Beach.

The day was glorious... one of those late-summer days that is 85 without a cloud in the sky. That is, until you come within a quarter mile of the Pacific Ocean. Then the temperature drops by 20 degrees and it's socked in by fog. This is what we were looking at as soon as we arrived...

Of course, this didn't stop Mabster from enjoying herself...

and our new friends seems to enjoy the beach a bit too! (Oh... and there IS an ocean behind them, but good luck locating it!)

Did I mention that we were freezing?!? It was a nice day when we got dressed... but we quickly ate and packed up our picnic to get out of there. We quickly made another decision in our adventure! Since Jason and I have never really made the loop around the Olympic Peninsula, and the guys were up for a scenic drive, we decided to go for it.

Our next stop was Lake Quinalt Resort located just south the of the Hoh Rain Forrest. I should mention that this is a true rain forrest and one of the rainest, cloudest places in all of world. They really only get a handful of days that are actually sunny... well, a quarter mile from the beach, and it was again 85 and sunny. This is what we found when we got to the resort!!

See... the sun really was shining that day! You can see the moss that just hangs from all the thick trees in this rainy area.

The resort is absolutely STUNNING - these are the grounds from the hotel down to the beach...

Our new Polish friends enjoying the sun, the beauty and the warmth!

And I would like to take a moment to comment on my daughter's behavior. She's a curious handful, but a really a sweet natured child. She did throw a pretty good tantrum though when we pulled her away from the beach. So we stopped in at a little quaint mercantile across the street from the resort and she was once again happy when presented with a lollipop.

So onward we continued our journey. At this point, we had been in the car for about 4 hours, and there was no turning back. We only could plug along!! But it was my turn to drive, and soon out of Lake Quinalt, I found myself alone with Dave (Dave Matthews kept me company on the CD player!) while I had a sleeping husband and child and two sleeping friends. It was ok, because the drive was stunning. I was so glad I am the only one who enjoyed it!

But some of you may remember my silly addiction to the Twilight books I wrote about back in July. Yeah, well, we went to Forks - where the books take place - and i was extremely excited, not to mention extremely embarrassed, to find the car they are using for the movie! Whoo hoo! I know all my Twilight lovin' gals out there will get a kick out of this. But I did see the Thriftway, Olympic Outfitters and the Dew Drop Inn... if you've read the books... you know what I'm talking about. I didn't really have much more of an opportunity to take pictures in Forks, but I have to say... Nice town! I was really impressed!

Onward we plowed through Port Angeles and into Port Townsend. Jason and I decided to take the guys to a nice little pub there is town we discovered on our last stop-over in Port Townsend. Well, after spending 8 hours in the car, Maggie had no intention in sitting to eat her dinner. So I took her out to run around on the boardwalk and we were treated to a lovely sunset. Oh... these are straight out of the camera shots with no editing! The moonlight shot was a 3 second exposure!!

So now it's dark, it's 8 pm and we are quite away from home... So we got in the car, headed to Bainbridge Island and caught the 10:30 pm ferry from Bainbridge to Seattle. Now our Polish friends hadn't yet had the opportunity to see downtown Seattle. They had only been in town for about 5 days of their 4 week journey, and when they flew into Sea-Tac airport, they were shuttled off, not getting a chance to see the town. So the ferry ride, on this oddly windless, warm and balmy evening was the first they saw of the town. This isn't the best picture... but you photographers will appreciate what I did to get it this way! It is shown straight out of the camera, hand-held, on a boat, moving quite quickly! It was shot at ISO 6400, f2.8 with a 1/15 shutter. Not too shabby... a tad noisy... but not too bad!

So that was our adventure! We dropped the guys back at the fire station around 12:30 am, got ourselves home and fell into bed around 1 am just exhausted! It was such a fun drive though... and I cannot wait to go back up and explore a little more in detail.

The Smith Kids - Family Pictures in Mountlake Terrace

2008-09-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I met up with the Smith family! Colby and Mia were about as cute as they come and they both loved the camera. It's fairly unusual in this age group to have two kids who just enjoy having their pictures taken, but they were both were totally into it. In fact, Colby had me cracking up almost the entire time. He is a riot!! I just love 5 year olds and their logic. Karen and Brian were so sweet inviting me into their home to do the entire family and I truly enjoyed spending time with them. One of the biggest perks of my job - meeting totally awesome people. And rolling on the ground playing with kids. How awesome is that?!

Karen & Brian - Thank you so much for the opportunity to come do your family photographs. You both are awesome people and awesome parents. Colby and Mia were absolute delights!

Here is Colby...

And the beautiful Mia...

The Boudoir Session Special

2008-09-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

It's time ladies to get your girlfriends together, book a Boudoir Session with me, and have a little fun!! Don't be shy... you know you want to!!

What is a Boudoir Session?? A Boudoir Session, as scandalous as it might come across, is actually pretty tame, but totally fun. It is a time to get dressed up in cute lingerie, get your hair and make up done, and be a movie star for an afternoon. We share wine, hors d'oerves, music and in between we take some awesome pictures! It doesn't matter your body type or size, this is an empowering time for you to enjoy yourself and do something you may never of thought to do before!

So what is the special? See below for details. But these little items make an awesome gift for your boyfriend, fiance, or husband... especially around Christmas time. Space for these sessions is limited, so please e-mail me (susan at whimsical photo design dot com) now in order to book your session.

Session includes...
90-minute Photo Session with 3 lingerie changes at the ultra-hip Hotel Murano - Tacoma
20-minutes Professional Make Up
Online password protected gallery with 25 proofs
20-page 4x6 modern photo album

Cost is $300 (plus tax) and limited to the dates listed below.

These sessions are sexy, hot and oh, so fun, and the album of magazine style pictures are a great gift for that special person in your life.

This special is only good for these two dates in October. Full sessions can be booked year round though!
Saturday - October 11
Saturday - October 18

Time slots will be filled by a first come, first served basis. Grab all your girlfriends and book out my entire day. If needed, I'll add some more dates!

Baby J - Lacey, WA Newborn Session

2008-09-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

LIttle Baby J was 6 weeks old when I photographed him last Friday. Baby J is the newest family addition to two of my favorite clients; Rachel & Eric. As always, they were up for anything, but we chose to stick with some really classic posing and backdrops so the focus would be 100% on the relationship and feeling of this little guy. Enjoy!

And finally... one with Eric's mom...

The Senior Citizen Project

2008-09-07T23:16:00.000-07:00

About six months go I read an article in a photography magazine about a photographer (and I wish I could remember his name/location... I think I'll have to go back to see if I can find the original article) who started shooting senior citizens in their retirement homes as therapy in dealing with his own parent's passing. The article really hit a cord with me and I found the entire project to be both inspiring and a beautiful tribute.

Enter my own Gammy. Gammy is my 97-year old paternal grandmother with whom I have shared a very special and close relationship. When reading the article mentioned above, I was inspired to give back and start my own senior citizen project for no other reason than to give back. So my Gammy decided to be my first model... isn't she just beautiful?

This one is my absolute favorite:

As a side note... The Mabster was running around in the background wrecking havoc around Gammy's apartment while we were doing this shoot. She went into the kitchen (which I shoo-d her out within 2 seconds), but managed to turn on Gammy's oven and setting a minor fire. Luckily, the fire alarm went off (after Maggie and I left) and the problem was quickly extinguished. However, Gammy will be the lucky recipient of a new oven now...

My mother finds the entire story somewhat amusing and now calls Maggie - The Little Arsonist. Especially ironic when you consider that Jason is a firefighter...

Dave Matthews Band at The Gorge

2008-09-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend it was time for Jason and my annual trip to The Gorge Amphitheater in George, WA to see the Dave Matthews Band. You don't need to know either one of us very long to know we are huge fans of the band. We've made it a point to travel all over the nation seeing concerts, planned our honeymoon around a performance of Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds at Radio City Music Hall (New York City) and have spent more money and time seeing this band than just about anything else! I personally have seen over 80 concerts while Jason has seen over 70. Needless to say... we love this band!

Our concert-going-days have slowed since the introduction of The Mabster in our lives, so less time/money means less travel/concerts, but when we do get out, we have an incredible time. This year, we were only able to make it to one night of the three night stand, but what a night we had! On Sunday (which for those of you who don't know is ALWAYS the best night at the Gorge), we packed up the car with beer and BBQ supplies and headed out to meet up with two of my best friends from college, Cody and Christy. We all decided to drive over together; I made beef kabobs, homemade salsa and lots of chocolate chip cookies, loaded the cooler with (a lot) of beer, and off we went. Cody packed his tailgate BBQ and we set up for an awesome evening.

Before starting out, Jason kept Mabster happy by teaching her a few of his old 'frat-boy' tricks. She thought Daddy was hilarious!

After dropping Mabster off with Grandma and Grandpa, we met up with Cody and Christy and drove the 2.5 hours to the Gorge. Once we all arrived at The Gorge, we just sat back, relaxed and had a few drinks.

Christy is also really interested in photography, so after a while, we grabbed our cameras and headed out around the parking lot to find all the interesting little things you can only find at a DMB concert. I was facinated by all the painted cars.

I found this sign pretty funny. The Gorge makes a big deal about people not bring outside alcohol into the parking lot or the venue. Of course, 95% of the people ignore this rule, and the best way around it is to pour your favorite beverage into a non-descriptive cup. The beverage enforcers came around to our tailgate, didn't find any bottles, and then left us alone. Not more than 3 minutes later, a couple of people (with this sign) came around to collect and recycle our beer bottles. Pretty funny if you ask me!

It was in the news about 2 weeks ago, but the saxaphone player, LeRoi Moore, died from injuries he sustained in a ATV accident back June. I wasn't really sure about going to a concert after one of my favorite band members died, but a lot of people had some really nice tributes to the man.

Lastly, just a one more of our friends - they are just the most awesome couple!

Oh... and I'm of the school of thought that every husband should have a kick-@$$ picture of his wife on his desk/locker/space at work. So I made sure to get one of Christy to send to Cody later!

I'd post some pictures from inside the concert... however, I couldn't take my camera into the venue. So sad... as my 4th row seats really afforded us some great photo opportunities!

It's Time for Football!

2008-08-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

If you know me well then you know me to be a HUGE UW Husky Football fan! After graduating from the UW and then working at the athletic department for 4 years after graduation, I have a special fondness for this time of the year. Last week I was up on campus and I was driving into the stadium when I heard my favorite signal of football season... the marching band drummers practicing! Just hearing the cadences playing and echoing throughout the empty stadium gave me goosebumps and reminded me how much I love football, the Huskies, and my school!

So... UW Football opens this Saturday against Oregon (boo Ducks!!!!). I can't wait to start watching it on TV again! Go Dawgs!

Happy Birthday Maggie!

2008-08-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Maggie's 2nd Birthday! It's hard to believe that she is already 2, time really does move that fast; as any parent will attest. Birthday's of your child take on an entirely different meaning when you sit back and reflect upon all that has changed in your life and how happy you are to make the necessary changes to accomodate such a little life. Jason and I often times find ourselves dancing around the house, or just doing something silly (such as singing the lyrics to Curious George) and realizing that never did we picture those moments 10 years ago!

Truly, this little kid is a blessing. Jason and I just love her with all our hearts and souls!

We had a small little party for her today. Jason has been gone the last week to a fire in Davenport, WA and was unfortunately unable to be at the party, but that didn't stop the festivities. Grandma, Grandpa, Gammy, Steve, Grandpa Goat, Bill and Amber all joined us for BBQ and then some birthday cake.

Here are a few raw snapshots of the festivities!

My mom made a quilt for Maggie right after she was born. This is her 2-year-old quilt and it includes a needlepoint section that has all the pet names we call Maggie. Jason and I call her Mabster and Piggie; My parents call her Cutie, Angel Girl and Little Squirt; My father-in-law calls her Margaret. Isn't my mom just incredibly awesome for memorializing those little things forever?!

And I'm not sure exactly how this happened... but I asked my dad to take a picture of me and Maggie together (since we never seem to get too many) and the time stamp on this was 4:39pm. Which is ironic because she was born at 4:39pm!!

Last, bit not least, meet Moose! Moose is 10 weeks old chocolate lab who just joined Bill & Amber on Friday. He is about as adorable as they come... I think I'm in love!

2009 Senior Pictures - Olympia

2008-08-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

I had the coolest session on Tuesday out on Harstene Island here in Olympia. I met with Ron who loves his dirt bike and his 4x4 truck; which made for some pretty awesome pictures! Unfortunately (or fortunately... I don't know since these turned out so freaking cool!), it rained the entire evening. I was one wet photographer at the end of the session, but it so didn't matter since I had so much fun.

Ron was no exception to the "Do I really have to have Senior Pictures Mom?" rule. For most 18-year old guys, this is the LAST priority on their list! However, he was very sweet and played along. Plus, at the end, I think he didn't mind it so much either!

Here area few to share....

A Lacey, WA Family Portrait Session

2008-08-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

I mentioned about a week ago that my equipment decided to take a swim in Long Lake here in Lacey. Luckily everything turned out just fine and the equipment still works perfectly (thanks to my wonderful husband and his attention to detail in fixing it!!). But what I failed to mention was the wonderful family I got to take pictures of that particular day. The Holbrocks are a beautiful family with the sweetest two little girls and a beautiful mom and dad. Aren't they killer!?

They provided me with some wonderful and oh, so sweet, moments to share here on my blog.

Thank you Dustin and Georgene for inviting me into your home. It was a lovely day and your pictures just scream with the warmth, depth and beauty of your love for one another and your precious girls!

And last by not least... here is the shot where my light stand went into the water. But for the shot.... I kinda think it was worth it! Look how sweet of a moment this was?!?

Rain Drops on Roses

2008-08-17T23:36:00.000-07:00

Last Friday and Saturday I shot the wedding of Heather and Bill. They got married on the luckiest day of the year, 8.8.08, with a small family ceremony. The following day, they had a large ceremony with all their friends and family followed by a beautiful backyard reception. But Heather and Bill got another dose of good luck on Saturday as right before the ceremony the clouds opened up and it started to pour. We all dashed (and pulled all our photography equipment quickly) out of the rain and under cover just hoping that the rain would be done by the time of the ceremony... and it was! But it left everything with this beautiful coating of rain drops sparkling in the sun. Just magical... just like Heather and Bill!!

As the song says... Rain drops on roses... just a few of my favorite things...

We've been hard at work all week on their album... but here are a few of the details of the day (portraits to follow in another post).

The stunning and beautiful bride, Heather:

Getting ready...

The gorgeous details...

The Ceremony...

The First Dance...

Heather & Bill: Thank you for the time I spent with the two of you and your families! It was such a special time for me! Enjoy your Costa Rican honeymoon!

Fruit of Labor

2008-08-14T00:35:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned a long time ago, we planted our first vegetable this past spring. Jason has never been so happy; putting around the garden and making sure everything is growing properly. And boy is it ever taken off. We are drowning in 15 pound zucchini's, snap peas, lettuce and tomatoes. The upcoming weeks ought to have a bounty of corn, sunflower seeds, pumpkins, bell peppers, potatoes!

The other night the light was hitting the sunflowers 'just' right and I had to snap a few shots. These are all straight out of camera with no retouching what so ever!

My flash set up took a swim today!

2008-08-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

Equipment failure sucks. And it REALL sucks watching your entire lighting set up get caught in a gust of wind and slowly fall into a lake!!

But I had the wonderful pleasure of seeing all my money practically drown to the bottom of Long Lake today while out doing a family session. As I was shooting from the dock a gust of wind caught my umbrella and, in slow motion, I watched my light stand take a swim, my flash unit and pocket wizard attached.

I was a lucky woman today though... I brought my soaking wet electronics home and Jason went to work. He carefully took everything apart, blew the water out with compressed air, and then allowed everything to dry. About 4 hours later, he decided to see if everything worked, and low and behold, the flash and pocket wizard started flashing! It looks like I (barely) survived this particular equipment mishap. Let's not have it happen again!

Tina & Brian - Wedding on Cooper Point

2008-08-06T09:49:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of shooting the wedding of Tina and Brian at a private home out on Cooper Point in Olympia. The day was fabulous with beautiful detailing, wonderfully happy families, and a lovely couple! The home and grounds overlooked the beautiful water and we had an amazing sunset to play with that evening. Tina and Brian are just so in love and they had just a wonderful day! Enjoy these little sneak previews!

The Details

The Ceremony

The Bride & Groom

The Reception

I feel like a 14-year old teenage girl right now!

2008-07-31T23:14:00.000-07:00

I've been stuck in bed now for pushing 2 weeks now. Most of the time too sick to care about anything else.... except these stupid books! I am officially hooked on the Twilight Series of books. Written specifically for 14-year old teenage girls, it's pretty much the story of love blooming between an ordinary 17-year old girl and the 90-year old vampire she meets in high school. In later books, the story delves deeper into the love triangle she ensnares herself in when a young werewolf catches her eye and she must make a decision between mythical creatures.

Do you get the sarcasm I have???

I may sound sarcastic... but I started reading Twilight, the first of the series, last Tuesday after a bunch of photographer friends where all talking about it. I saw it on sale at Target and though "What the heck... good light summer reading."

Next morning, at 8 am and after staying up until 1:00 am reading, I ran out to Target to get the second book, New Moon.

That afternoon, I was at my hair appointment, realized I would finish the second book that night, so I stopped next door at Barnes and Noble so I could pick up book #3, Eclipse, before going home. Oh oh oh... but I had to, you guessed it, pre-order book #4, Breaking Dawn which, lucky for me, comes out at midnight tomorrow!!

So three books, three days. Obsessive yes, but not totally unheard of (especially if you know how much I love to read and how quickly I devour books). However, since I had nothing better to do when I got really really sick over the weekend, I started back again with book #1 and just finished reading #3 for the second time. Now I've read the entire series, twice, in one week.

It's sick!!

But the sickness gets worse (and we're not talking Tonsillitis here anymore)....
The movie comes out in December!!
I feel like a 14-year old girl right now, giddy with excitement and butterflies!!

Still Recovering...

2008-07-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

The illness got worse.... to say the least!
Sunday marked the second ER visit over the weekend when my airway started to close due to the infection I had raging throughout my body. However, a quick thinking doctor injected me with some antibiotics that evening, and finally, my recovery started.

Since then, I've seen my regular doctor (again) and a specialist, Ear Nose & Throat doctor, who both informed me that the worst of the illness is over, recovery has begun and I'm not needing surgery! YAY!! However, if I have another flare up, I will most likely have to go in and get my tonsils out. Yuck.... doctor's have told me that while it's not a big surgery for little kids, for adults, it's on the scale of having your appendix out. Neither sound good.... so let's just hope that they stay right where they are currently placed!

Thanks to all my family and friends who have sent their warm get well wishes. And a huge thank you to both my mother and my husband, both who have sacrificed so much over the last 12 days to help nurse me back into health! It has made me truly appreciate my usual good health so much more!

A Trip to the Emergency Room

2008-07-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

I mentioned I was sick.... Yeah... I guess I'm REALLY sick!
Yesterday, Jason had to work his shift, so my mom, dad and brother came down to take Maggie to the zoo and give me some time to rest. By the evening, when they had returned, I realized I wasn't going to be able to take care of Maggie on my own, so my mom decided to stay the night.

At 12:30, while checking on me, her "Mommy Instincts" roared to life and she knew something was really wrong. So she called Jason and work and told him that she was taking me to the emergency room. Luckily, considering it was a Friday night and right after midnight, we happened to be the only patient in the entire ER! They took my temperature and found it to be 104.1, which is right below seizure at 105 degrees. After pumping me full of drugs to make me feel better (well, actually to just feel NO PAIN) and reduce my fever I was sent home with a diagnosis of Tonsillitis. I didn't realize it was such a nasty virus... but it has officially put me on my butt. Other than the time I had my ankle surgery, this is the sickest and most pain I've ever been in!

I've slept the majority of the day away today; completely knocked out with all the pain relievers and fever reducers. The ER doctor said I should be up and going again in about 2-3 days.

To my family and friends... I will survive! Just please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Maggie is pretty upset about her mommy being sick. I'm too weak to pick her up or hold her much right now, but she is getting a lot of extra lovin' from grandma, both grandpa's, her uncle and her daddy.

To my clients.... don't worry, all your orders and and appointments are still good. I have Steve working hard on getting all those orders complete and there should be no delays in your orders. And the doctor assured me I will be good to go for Tina & Brian's wedding next Saturday!

Never a good time.

2008-07-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

There is never a good time to be sick. But I really hate being sick during the summer. So here I am on a beautiful 80 degree summer day, laying in bed, miserable, shaking and weak from fever. My head pounds. My body aches. My throat is on fire.
Never a good time to be sick... but I think it's worse to be sick during the summer. Luckily, grandma and grandpa were free today and took little Mabster to the zoo so her mommy could rest!

To make myself feel better though I thought I'd finally get back online and post some more pictures of the model shoot in Spokane from last week. Enjoy! Maybe looking at these will make me feel better... Here is Haley!

Spokane - Trash the Dress Session Part II

2008-07-23T01:04:00.000-07:00

Here is Trina... she was an awesome sport because that fountain WAS NOT warm!!!

Spokane - Trash the Dress Session Part I

2008-07-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is the first post of my Spokane Trash the Dress session. Here is Alissa!

We started in a warehouse area...

Followed by a beautiful park called Manitob....

Cool Things

2008-07-19T15:40:00.001-07:00

We have returned from out little outing over to Spokane, WA and let me tell you... we had a GREAT TIME!! So onto the story of our little trip...

Maggie and I packed up the car on Wednesday morning and got onto the road at 9:00 am. Luckily, I figured out a way of rigging the little portable DVD player on the back of my driver's seat so Maggie could watch movies. Boy, did she ever like that little development. I think she is officially and forever addicted to watching The Little Mermaid where ever we now go! We got to Cle Elm at 11 in the morning, where we met up with Jason. Boy was that awesome! I was so happy to see him. After quickly stashing all of his firefighting gear into the back of the car (along with all my photography equipment), grabbing some quick sandwiches for the road at Safeway, we were off. Luckily we made awesome time and got to Spokane around 3:00 pm.

We grabbed an early dinner and drink at the Northern Lights Brew Pub and then headed back to our bed and breakfast, The EJ Robert's Mansion. This place was phenomenal! I highly suggest staying at this place in the future to anyone traveling to Spokane. not only was it simply gorgeous, but Mary Moltke, the owner, was a delight! She renovated the entire place herself, along with her family, and it was truly a sight to behold. We loved everything about the place, our room, the decor, the food, and the location. A definite stop on future Spokane outings in my opinion. Oh... and if you are a Spokane bride, you HAVE to check this place out. Then call me to photograph your wedding there. You won't be disappointed!

On Thursday, we slept in a bit, had a wonderful breakfast and headed out to do a little shopping and walking around town. Maggie got tired and we headed back to the B&B to nap. While she napped, Jason ran across the street to another great find, the Elk Public House. Good beer, GREAT food; he was in heaven.

The bulk of what brought us to Spokane was later that afternoon. I met up with two of my most favorite photographer friends, Jaidean Baker and Keri Doolittle for a trash-the-dress model shoot. Jaidean is an amazing children's photographer in the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene areas. If you haven't seen her work, you've gotta check out her website and give her a call. Not only is her photography beautiful, but she is the nicest person in the world! Keri, who is originally from Spokane but now lives in Pheonix, AZ, is the biggest rising star in Phoenix wedding photography. Her work is funky, hip, totally cool and totally hot. She is just a wonderful spirit and I just love spending time with her. All in all, I couldn't ask for a better group to hang out with on a Thursday night in Spokane!

We had a quick dinner together and then we went off; we had 3 different models and went around the streets of Spokane shooting and trashing some old wedding dresses. We just had an amazing time!

I have a lot of photos to share in the upcoming days... so be on the look out. In the meantime, here is just one of hold you over until the rest of them are done!

We returned, safe and sound, last night. Not only was this a wonderful get-a-way for me, but it was also a creatively inspired trip. I've been doing a lot of reading lately on reining your creativity, and one of the tips is to keep constantly in motion. Keep going out, doing things, traveling and see things, interacting with people. These things will keep your mind active and in a creative direction. It is just so true in so many different ways. Sights, smells, textures, and people really gave me a creative boost this week!

Off to Spokane!

2008-07-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

Maggie and I are packing up this morning and heading out for the 5-hour drive to Spokane!

Jason is being released from his fire this morning and, luckily enough, his crew volunteered to drop him in Ellensburg so we can meet up with him there and continue on our journey! We are headed over there for a little family get-a-way and staying at the beautiful EJ Robert's Mansion.

On Thursday evening, I'm doing a model-shoot throughout downtown Spokane. So if you are in that vicinity, and you see a lot of wacky photographers, with a bunch of women in wedding dresses, well, you stumbled upon our project!

Jason, Maggie and I will be back on Friday afternoon! Expect to see some pictures from our adventures next week!

Evelyn & Jason - Olympia Engagement Session

2008-07-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

Sit back and relax people... this is a picture heavy post!

So on Saturday night I went out with Evelyn and Jason for their engagement session. They won a free session with me at the Nordstrom Bridal Show back in February, but we had to wait awhile... since neither of them live around here!! Evelyn is in the Veterinary Medicine program at Washington State University (I almost had to hold that against her... with me being a UW grad and all... but when I met her, I couldn't! She is just too sweet!) and Jason is a Doctoral student of Physics at UC Santa Barbara.

The second I met them I felt like I'd known them forever and we were old chums. They are so open, loving, funny and kind. Not to mention they have so much personality!! I loved it!! Jason was a wonderful muse and loved hamming it up for the camera.

And Evelyn... well, she is a photographers dream! Drop dead gorgeous with a beautiful and warm smile.

These two have been together now for 8 years; met when Evelyn showed up at school one day at 16 years old. Been together ever since. Such a wonderful story they share!

They are getting married next June at Lakewold Gardens in Lakewood, WA.

Evelyn & Jason - Thank you for such a wonderful outing on Saturday. Your openness and love is apparent in everything you do! I hope to work with you guys again soon!

They really do love each other!! I just loved their interactions and playfulness with one another!

Glasses? No glasses? I say either/or. Jason looks great either way!

Jason on a Washington Wildfire

2008-07-11T18:53:00.000-07:00

Please keep Jason in your thoughts over the course of the next few days. Yesterday, he was deployed to the Brown's Canyon fire right outside of Orondo, WA. While he thinks this particular fire will soon be under control, the other fires are far from controlled and chances are great he will be moved to some of the more dangerous areas.

He loves what he does though, and to him, this is the chance to exercise his skills, knowledge and training while doing something he truly loves. Just keep him in your thoughts while he's out there! Maggie and I miss him quite a bit!

On a related note... I've been playing with the built-in-camera feature on the new Mac so I can e-mail Jason videos of Maggie while he is away. Here is a little clip of the Mabster!

Amber & Andy - Practice Session in Lacey

2008-07-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

The lovely Amber and wonderful Andy came out last night... all dressed up and ready for a show... to sit with me during a practice session. I had a few things I wanted to practice and just needed the comfort of an easy going session to bring out some of my more creative stuff. Steve joined me on the shoot and we collaborated; something we don't often have the opportunity to do. It was relaxed and totally fun.

Amber and Andy got into the whole shoot. Though it took some honks from cars, waves, an invitation to a lake-front property, and a few feelings of 'oddness' to start to relax into the session. I don't see the issue... bride on the side of the road in Lacey? Totally normal... nothing going on here!!

Here are a few images we got last night right before sunset.

Just a little something to make you smile!

2008-07-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me this link tonight and I wanted to share.... She said it made her smile, and I do have to agree, because it made both me and Jason both smile while watching it!

Check out the story behind the video. Funny enough, Jason and I could tell immediately he was from Seattle. Something about him (and the project) just screamed SEATTLE to us!

New Blog - You gotta check it out!

2008-07-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

My business partner and graphic designer, Steve Ellison, has got his new blog up (finally) up and running! He was blogging years ago, before I ever heard of it, but has been a little lazy on the coding of his site. Finally, he finished it up and got it up and running. Check it out... he'll have lots of stuff about photography and graphic design tips!

Heather & Bill - Engagement Session in Olympia

2008-07-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night I met up with Bill and Heather for their engagement session. One of the greatest pleasures of my job is my awesome clients. I have so much fun getting to know people and then capturing their special moments. This shoot was no exception! It was really quite a perfect evening to go out for our session. It had been as hot as can be all day long, but all of a sudden a thin layer of clouds came over the sky; enough to diffuse any harsh light and cast a soft sunset glow all over town. Plus it gave us an awesome opportunity at a sunset shot!

Heather and Bill have been together for years and are one of the smartest, wittiest, and interesting couples I've met. They are a little reserved, but once you get them going... totally funny and absolutely fascinating to talk with! We started out at the Capitol Campus (one of my favorite places in Olympia to shoot!) and then headed down to a little Olympia waterfront area.

Heather & Bill - Thank you for the wonderful Sunday evening spent with you guys. I absolutely ADORE you guys and hope you like this little sneak peak!! I cannot wait until your wedding in August!

Hot as Hades

2008-06-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

I know that I complained about the weather around here being so cold late into the spring... well, this isn't a complaint... just an observation (because I actually like the warm weather).... but it is HOT HOT HOT around here!! 90+ everyday for the last 4 days. I've been handling it pretty well, but poor Maggie is starting the melt. We've been eating lots of popsicles, playing in the kiddie pool, and wearing nothing but a bikini, but the poor girl is hot. She woke up from her nap in just a hot sweat... hair matted to her little forehead. Poor little thing!

Hopefully it will get a little more normal and comfortable around here soon.

In other news... I've talked about how we were planning on going to Hawaii... well... we changed our minds and decided that Maggie might have more fun in Walt Disney World!!! I'm really excited. I'm not a Disney freak (my bathroom isn't all Disney or anything), but I really do love going to the parks and enjoying all the entertainment. It's just a happy place and a happy time. Jason never got the magic until after we got married; but now he is just as excited as I am!

We're going to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (where we've stayed previously) for 5 days and then we'll be staying that the Yacht Club for another 5 days. We planned everything so we'll be there for my 30th birthday, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival (which should be a hit with all of us!!) and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. You all should expect a TON of pictures and stories from our adventure.

So that has summed up essentially what has been going on around here. I've been out shooting quite a bit and shot two weddings and an engagement session this weekend. Summer is ramping up... and we're getting busier everyday!

Awesome Shoot with Rachel & Eric

2008-06-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

You may remember Rachel and Eric from their wedding back in April.
Well, on Saturday I had an incredible shoot with the two of them. Rachel is simply put, gorgeous... but we already knew that from the wedding pictures right? But the beautiful mama in her is coming out! And it provided me an incredible opportunity to try out some brand new techniques. And I have to say that the result is AMAZING!

Rachel & Eric - Thank you thank you thank you. That's all I can say! I can't wait for your little baby boy to make his appearance!

The Winners!

2008-06-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you again to everyone who entered the contests over the last two weeks. I wish I could pick each and every name because it was just a surge of creativity!! It was so much fun choosing though.

Winners for the Whimsical Children's Package Contest (prizes are a $20 Gas Card for each entry) are... drumroll...

Package 1 - Little Whimsy (Ashley)
Package 2 - Whirly Moments (Jennifer)
Package 3 - Day Dreaming (Emily)
Package 4 - Whimsical Hearts (Heidi)
Package 5 - Whimsical Milestones (Jennifer)

And as an added bonus... I was only looking for 5 names, but couldn't resist using 2 more for both my High School Seniors Package and my Newborn Baby Plan. Each of these entries will receive a $10 gas card!

High School Seniors - Funky Whim (Kelly)
Newborn Baby Plan - Whimsical Wee Ones (Heidi)

Again, thank you to all who participated!
Winners, please e-mail me directly with your full name and mailing address where I can send your prize!

Thank you for your entries!

2008-06-21T13:34:00.001-07:00

Thank you all who entered the blog contest. Can I just say that you guys gave me some just INCREDIBLE entires?? I'm going to have such a difficult time choosing just 5!!
I will announce winners on Monday morning at 8am, so be prepared.

Other than that, I had just the most awesome maternity session this morning! I cannot wait to share pictures because I couldn't be happier with the outcome. Stay tuned later this week...

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!

Whimsical Children Package Name Contest

2008-06-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

New contest starts today so get on your creative thinking caps.
There are 5 different children's packages to choose from. There is one print package and (4) 100% digital packages to choose from. Same rules as last week, each name you suggest counts as an entry into the contest. The more names, the more entries. I select the winners and they receive a $20.00 gas card for every winning entry they place.

Names should be fun and 'whimsical.'

Contest ends this Friday at 5:00pm PST. So come back everyday to place a new entry. If you are announced as a winner at the end, please e-mail me your full name and address! Good luck!

New Package Names!

2008-06-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Keri, Heather, Jen and Shey who all win $15.00 gift cards to Starbucks for their entries into the blog contest last week. I've selected 4 new package names.... drumroll please....

Package 1 - Capricious Whim
Package 2 - Whimsical Love
Package 3 - True Whimsy
Package 4 - Wonderfully Whimsical

Check back tomorrow! New contest starts in the morning!

Thanks Everyone!!

2008-06-13T15:59:00.001-07:00

Thank you to everyone who entered into the Whimsical Wedding Name Contest!! Winners will be announced Monday... 8:00am PST, so stay tuned.

Get your creative caps on because next Tuesday is the start of the Whimsical Children Package Name Contest!!
There are 5 different children's collections... so more names.... more prizes! Each name chosen will receive a $20.00 GAS CARD.... and seriously, who can't use free gas these days?

New Names - BLOG CONTEST!!!

2008-06-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

Ok... my first blog contest is about to begin.... ready... set... go!!!

I am restructuring all my wedding packages and I'm in need of some creative names for these packages. So far, nothing interesting has come to me, so I thought I'd reach out to my clients, family, friends and other photographers for some interesting and fun names. All in all, I need four different names and they all need to revolve around the word Whimsical. Points go to names that are a play on words, funny, or intensely creative.

There are 4 different wedding packages increasing in price.... so get creative. Each name is considered an entry, so enter often because more than one entry is allowed.

Now for the prizes.... Winners (selected by me of course) will receive a $15.00 Starbucks card... not a bad deal!!

Leave your entry in the comments below. Entries will be accepted until Friday at noon PST!

Stay tuned and get creative... because next week will be my Children/Family packages!!

Tina & Brian

2008-06-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

So I mentioned that I had two engagement sessions on Saturday. After meeting up with Heidi and Matt, I went off to meet up with Tina & Brian. Tina is this totally outgoing, vivacious and beautiful woman and Brian is this laid back, funny, quiet kind of guy. They compliment each other better than I've seen in such a long time! And they are so into one another.... I just LOVE watching love blossom... which could be one of the reasons I love my job so much. These two just match each other so perfectly!!

Here is a just a sneak peak at some of their awesome-ness!

I don't usually give my opinion on photos... but this one is my favorite... I just LOVE it!!

One Little Preview

2008-06-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

I had two engagement sessions yesterday! Here is just a little taste of the first one....
Heidi and Matt - Two absolutely fun people! There was more laughing than pictures yesterday!

Rain, rain, go away! Don't come back another day!

2008-06-06T20:08:00.000-07:00

I am sick sick sick sick of this weather!!
Cold. Windy. Rainy and just plain YUCK!

In the last 2 weeks I've had 5 brides reschedule their engagement sessions because of the nasty weather and I'm just sick of it. And I'm bored of being cooped up in the house not working. Can we please get at least a LITTLE bit of spring?!? And now, we're closing in on summer... and it's still not even breaking 60 degrees around here. Blah.

And the 7-day forecast?
Saturday - Rain
Sunday - Rain
Monday - You guessed it... Rain
Tuesday - Cloudy
Wednesday - Nope, back to Rain
Thursday - Downpour

Yuck.

Just a quick one...

2008-06-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

Maggie loves berries...

And swings...

And that is what life consists of around here right now!
Busy working on a few big projects... but that will be revealed soon!

The Dark Side

2008-06-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

I've officially made the change over to the Dark Side.

No no no no... I didn't move to Canon (fools!!); I love my Nikons way too much for that silly switch. But I did make the switch from PC to a MacBook Pro!!! I'm officially part of the Apple revolution, but don't expect me to give up my precious Windows... oh no no no. I will just be a dual user. It sounds too evil doesn't it?

Funny story as to how I ended up with this super computer...

My dad. Oh my dad is a funny man. And I bet every woman out there can relate to this story.

I hate it when I'm talking to my husband and he's distracted by the computer. It's just a bunch of 'Uh-huh' without him REALLY paying attention. Well, my dad is JUST as guilty! I can always tell when he's distracted, because he cuts me off in mid-conversation and says "That sounds great. Thanks so much for calling. Bye!"

And then he just hangs up.

Well, he got caught last week!

His boss out shopping and buying a new Mac for his daughter. He was impressed with all the pricing and called my dad to ask if he wanted a new Mac. Well, my dad, for those of you who don't know, works in IT and has about 3 computers working at all times; at home, at work, and on vacation... well on vacation he takes it down to only one; so needing a Mac wasn't completely out of the question. Anyway, Dad wasn't exactly paying attention and replied "Uh-huh, sounds great. Thanks for calling. Bye!"

Later than afternoon a brand new MacBook Pro showed up on his desk.

Then he had to tell my mom.

Suffice to say she wasn't too pleased with his new purchase... nor my father who wasn't listening when he agreed to buy a very expensive little machine.

So I ended up with a brand new MacBook Pro.

I guess there are worse things in life... right?

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a week now! Oh my!

We have been super busy around the house while Jason has been gone. We are on Day 12 of his departure, surviving (although the floor needs some vacuum attention) and still having a good time. On Saturday, The Goat (aka - my father in law) took Maggie and me out to Moclips, WA. I never knew this place existed... but it was BEAUTIFUL! Maggie has been to the beach a couple of times now, but it's always been so cold. Luckily, Saturday was about as nice as it gets on the Washington State Coast - which is usually cold and miserable - so she had an opportunity to actually PLAY on the beach.

And play she did... it ended with one really wet, sandy, tired girl. But she had a blast.

On the photography front - I've been practicing with some new flash/full sun techniques. This was my first attempt and I have to say I'm pretty proud of my accomplishment. I'll be posting a lot more of this technique this summer as I really am trying to master some pretty advanced lighting concepts!

This was Maggie's first reaction at seeing a kite in the sky for the first time ever:

Wet and Happy!

It's a big world out there:

Just happy - having a day with Mom and Goat:

Time to go home:

I Meant To Do That!

2008-05-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

One of my photographer friends (who is a wonderful photographer and an incredible person), Kristi Hibbetts, wrote an article on her blog that I just had to link back. It's called I Meant To Do That! When reading it, I found it to be amusing and insightful - especially to clients and families who may be new to custom portraiture and not exactly sure what to expect.

I do what I do for a reason... I really try to shy away from anything you might find at Wal-Mart, JC Penney or Sears. I want my clients to walk away with something unique, beautiful and special and in order to accomplish these goals, I 'break tradition' and do something unique, fun and... well... Whimsical! Most of the time, my crops are because that is what I see when looking at a particular person, subject or landscape in real life. So... to quote Kristi... I Meant To Do That!

Maggie's Favorite Thing

2008-05-19T19:36:00.001-07:00

I don't see how I could ever post too many of my little girl... but here is another.

No amount of swinging is too much for Maggie. It's a commitment to put her on the swing now days... expect AT LEAST 45 minutes of pushing!! So I have to fill my time somehow, sometimes it's talking on the phone, but mostly just taking pictures.

Thankfully Steve is home from New Mexico and you can see pictures as they should be shown now!!

Sunny Days at our house

2008-05-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

We have a lot of play at our house on sunny days. We're finally getting some nice weather around here so we've been trying to take advantage as much as we can. (The Hawaiian dress is courtesy of Bill & Amber. They brought it home for Maggie from their Hawaiian honeymoon!!)

Maggie started yesterday by playing with the lock on the shed. She really didn't want inside, but she knows how to stick the key in the lock to let herself in.

Our day went on with a little bubble play.

Then, since it was getting so hot, it was time to take a break for some water. "Mommy, I can do it myself!!!"

"Uh-oh! I spilled down my dress!"

"Aw... refreshing!!"

My Little Pothead

2008-05-12T21:41:00.000-07:00

Ok... I'm a little misleading with that title... but it was still really funny! Tonight, after dinner, Maggie was playing the backyard and found a flower pot back behind the shed. She decided it made a good hat and started running around the yard with it over her head. Hence... our little PotHead!!

And Daddy got into the action too!

When she got bored with the pot, she moved onto a little playing on the playground!

I'll spare you the photos of us making her come inside after all this play!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T20:37:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all those mom's out there!

And a very special mother's day to my own mom. I love you so much mom... you are more than a mom, you are my friend! I love our special relationship; thank you for always being there for me and supporting me in so many different ways. I love you!!

Precious Miss Jenna

2008-05-08T22:04:00.000-07:00

I met Miss Jenna and her parents today!

Jenna is a whole 1-week old today and one of the prettiest and precious newborns I've had the opportunity to meet. Luckily the cloudy day turned sunny by the time I reached their house this afternoon and beautiful sunlight streamed in through the windows.

I totally fell in love with this beautiful blue/green chair in their entry way. I proceeded to rearrange their entire living room by bringing it into the room and take advantage of the sunlight. Note to all parents: I will rearrange the majority of your home while there. But when the final result is this... you know why I do it!

We only had time to work on one tonight. Enjoy!!

Just waiting for spring to come!

2008-05-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

Not much has been going on in the Berman household as of late. We've been putting a ton of time and effort into our yard. As I mentioned last week, we had the sprinkler system done, the garden planted and then last week Mabster's playground was installed. She is now obsessed with the swing; meaning mom, dad or who ever else is around, must push her for hours. And I mean hours...

Luckily I've had a lot of work and I spend that time on the phone and making calls. Oh, and the laptop does get wireless out in the backyard, so I can sit at the picnic bench and answer e-mails. It's not such a bad life.

So we are planning a Hawaii trip!! This year I celebrate my second-29th birthday, and Jason and I decided to go to Maui for a week and then onto the Big Island (Kona) for another week. All in all, we're looking at about 14 days in Hawaii!! We're really quite excited, however, we've always been city vacationers. In the 5 years we've been married and the countless years of dating/knowing each other, we've never had a beach vacation. I have NO IDEA how we plan on relaxing... I'm so scared we'll get there, lay on the beach for 30 minutes and then look at each other wondering what we do next?

So leave me a message... tell me we are going to love Hawaii!!

Little-Bitty Audrey

2008-04-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

Last week, I met Audrey and her mom Lauri at the University of Washington campus to capture this little one on camera. She was such a trooper... for about 20 minutes. Then she was DONE with photos. But what we got in those 20 minutes was awesome!!

More of Rachel & Eric

2008-04-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

Rachel & Eric had a beautiful wedding on Saturday. It was so wonderful to watch two great people join their lives together in such a touching way. I was so honored to be part of the day.

One of the things that they did, which I love, was not see one another prior to the ceremony. While most photographers will disagree with me, I absolutely LOVE it when a couple waits to see each other for the first time as the bride steps down the aisle. That moment is unforgettable, raw, emotional, and incredible for all parties involved. It also makes for stunning pictures after the ceremony.

Immediately following their ceremony, Eric, Rachel and I stepped away for beautiful romantic portraits. I didn't have to do a thing other than give them their space, let them take in the totality of the moment and snap my camera. Everything else just happened.

First Married Kiss

See... you can't fake that kind of emotional moment!

The Love Birds... Aw...

Beautiful buttercup colored bouquet.

I only had to snap my camera and capture the pure joy of being married.

Sunset held something oh so special for us!

Just the teasers...

2008-04-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Just a few teasers from the wedding of Eric & Rachel yesterday...

The third back up shooter...or something like that.

2008-04-26T23:20:00.000-07:00

I am Jason, the husband who also works on some of the behind the scene stuff and take the occasional photo as needed. I wanted to take a few moments and thank you for coming by and reading and getting to know Susan and her work.
In the past couple of years, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Susan and the family endeavor grow. Make no mistake about she is very much in command, but its been neat that so many in the family take part in projects in some unique fashion or another. Particular ovation goes to her brother Steve, for his unbelievable work and advise on computer image work and lighting advice. I also wanted to thank Susan’s mom for her help including watching the “mabz”.
As part of a team effort, it should be expected that other members of the team will check in and say hello on the blog. But just briefly, I wanted to let you know a little about my history and give you a little of my photography background. The reason for this is that we hear frequently from the “old school” photographers that say that we don’t know how to use a darkroom, that we don’t know how to use film, and that we lack any of that old technique. Whatever…And if “Mabz” didn’t read this and write occasionally, I had another term for it.
I have spent years doing forensic photography in death investigation, fire investigation photography, and photojournalism with the likes of Wes Pope as a teacher (Chicago Tribune). I’ve spent days/nights in darkrooms fussing with film, chemistry, light, argh! And I appreciate it what is, what it offers, and we really know its limitations and capabilities. I am excited to say that we can bring all sorts of technology to a shoot from medium format film to high end, high speed digital imaging that undoubtedly we will continue to invest in and know how to use the finest digital imaging technology available…Its one thing to own the equipment, its entirely another to be able to use it.
The point in this is simply, if you want to do photo work that pushes the envelope and just doesn’t appear on anyone’s mantle then this is us! I cannot give you any photo groups that can merge so many potential disciplines behind a shoot besides Whimsical. The people behind Susan are either qualified, experienced, or certified, in fire fighting, arson photography, crime scene and forensic documentation, aerial/satellite photography (GIS), non-visible light and infrared imaging, metallurgical and stress failure photography, modern reprographics and newspaper layout, and a whole lot more! So if you have a tough shoot, with bad lighting, unique circumstances, or other challenges that just don’t meet the capabilities of a “phonebook photographer”, then there’s a good chance we been there, done that, or can come up with the angle the works.
I hope to see you someday in the field as I am the third back up photographer, or whatever Susan assigns me for the day. Here’s one of my photos from Beluga Point, Alaska, with the Alaska Railroad. Jason

The Sprinkler System

2008-04-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

You should see my yard... I took some pictures with my cell phone camera (but honestly, I have no idea how to upload those to my computer!!), but it is a massive mess! We are having a sprinkler system installed!

The crews have been here since Monday and hopefully they finish everything today. It's been a massive undertaking since we live on almost an acre of land, but pretty soon our yard it going to be looking stellar! When we bought this house a couple of years ago, the yard needed some pretty serious attention. Last year we did a lot of lawn work, re-barked the entire yard, painted the deck and tore out a lot of dead shrubs and trees. So far this year, the lawn is looking good, we're planting some trees and flowers, we've got the flower/vegetable garden now planted and now the sprinkler system is installed.

Maggie just LOVES watching the Sprinkler Dudes (as I call them) working out in the front yard. She likes to walk out there and say "Hi" to each one of them, each morning they are here, and then she walks around taking the little marker flags out of the lawn and handing them to the guys. They think she's hilarious! Especially when she's banging on the windows to get their attention.

I haven't written a lot this week... I've just been busy!! I've had two shoots this week (pictures coming soon!) and I'm preparing for a really special wedding this weekend. I have the honor of shooting the wedding of Eric and Rachel. We did their engagement session a few weeks ago, but the big day is coming up tomorrow! It's quite exciting, but it's taken a ton of time to plan. Expect a few teasers from the wedding next week!!

Maggie the Toddler

2008-04-20T19:59:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I took any real personal pictures of my little darling (or destroyer... you pick the descriptor...) and grabbed this shot while she was on the porch of my parents new house the other day.

In looking at this picture it is plain to see that this child is no longer any type of baby; she is 100% toddler. From the temper tantrums, to the funny words and sayings, she is usually pretty darn cute. Don't let that cute innocent little smile fool you though. She knows how to work the cute angle very well; all the while plotting her next devious little move.

I miss the easy baby days... who knew that having a newborn was the easiest part of being a parent?!

Finn and the Green Wall

2008-04-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

I met Finn and his mother Angela last week. Finn is just barely 6 months old, but a total cutie with a couple of teeth already! Mom loves the color green and painted Finn's nursery this awesome candy apple green color. It provided an awesome backdrop for us to play around.

Here is a beautiful storyboard Steve put together for the occasion!

Redesigned Website

2008-04-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

The new website is up and running!! We still have a few kinks to work out, but it's up. Check it out!

Twins Charlie & Finn and their big brother Andy

2008-04-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the opportunity to photograph my first set of twins! 7 month old Charlie and Finn were dolls the entire time I was there; laughing, playing, and rolling on the floor. Even though they are identical, Finn weighs four pounds more than Charlie. Within minutes of being with the two I could totally tell the two apart and both have such distinctly different personalities. It was so much fun playing with them!

Half way through our shoot, their big brother Andy woke up from a nap. While he was much more interested in watching the cars outside and playing with his cars inside, I still managed to get some great photographs.

Liz, Charlie, Finn & Andy - Thank you so much for inviting me over! I loved every minute!

Liam, Logan & The Cherry Blossoms

2008-04-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to go out with Liam and Logan! They are the two cutest boys and we had a blast running around and playing in the University of Washington Quad and enjoying the spectacular cherry blossoms.

Liam was a total ham for the camera. We hit it off right away!

Logan was slightly less amused, at first, with the camera. However, he warmed up half way through and just like his brother did what he could to prove he could make funny faces!

I managed to get the brothers together... sort of. Logan wouldn't sit by Liam, but we could at least get them looking and smiling at the camera!

Wedding Day Photography Tips

2008-04-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

Brides - Read this. Then print it out and read it again! Scarlett Lillian, a wedding photographer in Jacksonville, Florida, compiled a list of do's and don't photography tips for brides. It's such a great resource!

Blue-Eyed Ben

2008-04-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

I met blue-eyed Ben yesterday. Ben is probably one of the most expressive 15-month olds I've ever met. Every time I took a shot, he had a different look on his face. He was so sweet, playful and happy the entire time! Of course, you can tell he has the most incredible big ice-blue eyes I've ever seen in my life. GORGEOUS!!!

I met Ben and his mom Jill at Lincoln Square in downtown Bellevue. It's the first time I've been there and I have to say it was fun. Chihuly glass displays, an awesome 3-story waterfall, cool shops, and a cozy Tully's Coffee... what more could you ask for?!

Anyway, I love Ben. He is just awesome! Enjoy!

I've been blogged about! Whoo hoo!

2008-04-09T13:16:00.001-07:00

Have you ordered your invitations for your wedding yet? If you haven't, you have to check out Ephemera Custom Letterpress. Tara works here in the greater Seattle area and her work is outstanding. I've never seen prettier invitations.

She featured the wedding invitations of great friends of mine, Amy & David on her blog today. She used the photographs I took at their wedding back in September. Have you seen a prettier bride??? Please check her site out! Let her know you found her link from here!

Wedding Planning Ideas!

2008-04-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a hectic week. Our best friends Bill & Amber got married on Saturday. Jason was the best man and little Mabster was the beautiful flower girl. I'll blog more about the wedding this week. Suffice to say... we are a tired group here!!

So I was sitting back and catching up on one of my favorite/inspirational photographers, Jesssica Strickland, and she posted link to Snippet & Ink, a wedding planning blog. If you are a bride in the planning stages of your wedding, you HAVE to check this blog out. Not only does she post awesome photos from awesome weddings, but she puts together theme/color boards. They are beautiful and inspirational. Please check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Are you watching John Adams?

2008-03-31T20:16:00.000-07:00

So have you been watching the John Adams Mini Series on HBO?

If not... then get on it! Jason and I have become addicted to it over the last 4 weeks and my parents are watching it too. Not to be missed. Paul Giamatti plays John Adams brilliantly and Laura Linney has made Abigail Adams into a strong, beautiful, and independent female figure. SO GOOD! If you don't get HBO, when the series (total 7 parts) comes out on DVD you've got to take a look.

Leave me a comment and let me know if you're watching and what you think!

Eric & Rachel

2008-03-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went out with Eric and Rachel for their engagement session. It's not hard to make two beautiful people... well beautiful... so my job was pretty easy. Keep them laughing and happy and then just snap away. These two have such a great chemistry together; they are just fun. Playful, beautiful and totally in love. What more do you need in a session?

Oh, and I forgot to mention the photography gods were with us yesterday! It's been as nasty as spring can get this past week with snow, hail, tons of rain and not much relief. The small break we had just happened to be the time we were out shooting our session. It started raining again on the way home!

The Beautiful Bride Rachel

The Handsome Groom Eric

Did I mention they like to laugh?

Well they did... and then they laughed some more!

Eric & Rachel: I had so much fun with you guys yesterday. Thank you for being such troopers and soldering on in the cold and wind. I really cannot wait until your wedding on April 26th!

Spring Snow!

2008-03-26T21:12:00.001-07:00

It snowed today. It was so weird!!

Around 3pm we were driving home and it started to snow. Then around 4pm it started to stick. I took this at 5:30 and the snow continued until about 7pm. All told, we have about an inch on the ground!

Yesterday Maggie and I went out to explore a little trail by our house. We took the wagon down to the trailhead and then she walked about a 1/2 mile along the trail. We of course had to stop to explore each and every twig, piece of grass and bird along the way.

(This is a technically terrible photo. But I love the look on her face!)

Afterwards, we came back and did a little coloring.

Which was followed by a temper tantrum when I wouldn't let her get in the refridgerator. Note: Please excuse the odd blue color cast on the fridge!

Victoria, BC Vacation Recap

2008-03-25T17:33:00.001-07:00

I've been putting off working on our Victoria photos since I've been so busy since we got back. I finally got around to working on them this afternoon! Here is our story:

We are back! And a lot more poor than before we left. Did you know that the Canadian dollar is worth more than the US dollar?? I knew it... but man... it all adds up. I liked it way more a few years ago when it was $.50 CDN for $1.00 USD!

Jason, Maggie and I took off early on Friday morning for the Victoria Clipper. It was rainy and cold but we had a great time traveling at 35 mph over the water towards Victoria, B.C.

After we arrived and went through Customs, we then checked into our BEAUTIFUL hotel, The Fairmont Empress.

They were already expecting Maggie when we got to our room.

We got a little lunch/dinner while Maggie was taking a nap, but unfortunately she woke up and wasn't too happy.

Then came a much needed nap (4:00 am was way too early!). After our nap, it was dark, but the new camera got to show off some mad skills by helping me take some night photos. I might add, it was dark... way dark when these were taken! This is why my new camera totally rocks...

Saturday was our anniversary and we spent the majority of the day walking around town, taking in coffee and a great little local shop, and browsing the shops. Jason and Maggie had some quiet nap time that afternoon while I went out and explored the beautiful hotel. That afternoon, we took in an early dinner at Spinnakers after an awesome walk along the waterfront.

Breakfast at the Union Pacific (UP) Coffee House

Jason getting his picture taken (again) during dinner.

Maggie being a terror at dinner (that's her coloring paper/menu she's about to throw!).

We spent the rest of the night hanging out at the hotel, reading, playing and watching TV.

Sunday morning started again with a trip to the local coffee shop, more walking around the town to explore, and a trip to the local drug store to pick up some elusive Canadian chocolate to take home with us. We took another long walk along the waterfront taking in the GORGEOUS views. Lastly, we took in afternoon high tea at the Empress. YUMMY!!!

We rode home on the Clipper and finally fell into bed at 11pm. Luckily, Jason had the next day off so we could sleep in and recover.

Whew... we had a great time celebrating our 5 years together. A very special time for all of us!

Katie & Tyler

2008-03-24T14:23:00.000-07:00

Can I talk about my flare for a moment? I'm obsessed with the sun flare. I love it. I love everything about it. Even more... I love going out with fun, interesting and vivacious couples who let me play with the flare!!

On Saturday morning I got to go out with Katie and Tyler for an engagement session. This young couple met in high school and have remained high school sweethearts since and are getting married in June. They are such a fun couple and so down to earth. We had a great time exploring some of the nooks and crannies of St. Martin's University campus.

Katie & Tyler: Thank you so much for the opportunity to go out with you on Saturday. Please keep me in mind for the future!

Yummy back lighting with some nice flare action going on. Aren't they just adorable?!

Look at how happy these two are together!!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T22:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to my family and to all my friends! Here are a few from our home today (all SOOC).

The egg-dying process!

It's a little small for the web... but this egg says "Daddy loves Mabz" and has a drawing of a bunny on the back. It was quite cute!

Smart girl... she goes for the chocolate first in her Easter basket!

And this is the ONLY way I was able to get her still to take a picture of her in her Easter dress; by putting in 101 Dalmations which kept her in her seat for at least 5 seconds.

Finally a good picture of me!

2008-03-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a good picture of me since before Maggie was born. Finally today I got one. Never mind that Steve took about 45 minutes processing it after it was taken... it's still pretty good!! It's a nice self portrait taken at the front stoop of my parents house.

Chelsi & Brandon

2008-03-19T20:20:00.001-07:00

Today I went out with Chelsi and Brandon for their engagement session! We started at the state capitol (a favorite of mine as of recent) and took a walk around the grounds. It was a GORGEOUS morning with some slightly diffused sunlight streaming through the clouds and bright blue sky. They are the sweetest young couple; high school sweethearts who are getting married on August 16th.

Here are a few teasers.

Chelsi & Brandon: I had a really nice time with the two of you. I hope you had as good of a time as I did!

Ah... the sweet couple with their dog, Jack.

WOW! Look at those gorgeous eyes!!

Victoria, BC Here We Come!

2008-03-13T18:55:00.001-07:00

Jason, Maggie and I are headed out to Victoria British Columbia bright and early tomorrow morning. We are SO EXCITED!!! We are celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary on Saturday and decided to take a little trip to celebrate.

We catch the Victoria Clipper (a hydro-foil that gets us up there in 2 hours!) at 8:00 am in Seattle and then we return late on Sunday night. Ever since seeing the historic Empress Hotel when I was in Victoria on a band trip in high school, I've wanted to stay there. Well, the weekend called for something special and we have reservations. We also are planning on going to the botanical gardens, taking a walking tour and a wine tour!

Keep posted next week for pictures from our adventures!

The Big Clam Dig!

2008-03-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

So today was the day for The Big Clam Dig. My New Mexico blood came out today as I had no clue what this whole clam digging thing was all about. Jason had done this throughout his childhood, so he was ready to go! Apparently, you have to have a license ($6) and can only dig at certain times, during a 1 week period, and only on certain beaches.

That meant that today was the day. Period. So 6 am came up and we roused ourselves out of bed and headed out to Grayland, WA to dig on the beach. There were way more crazy people out there than I anticipated and it kept going through my mind.... IT'S MARCH! AND COLD! But I get ahead of myself.

Daddy - Why must I get up so early?!

Daddy: The Crazy Clam Digger!

Did I mention it was cold?!

Maggie & I got to explore the beach a bit.

Jason's first attempt at finding clams was unsuccessful. He was going to throw in the towel, but we decided to try a second location.

So our second location was a success... sort of.
One clam was claimed on our big dig!!

The fruit of our labors (and $45 in gas, $30 for lunch, a 3-hour drive)

All in all... it was a fun day!! Although I think the New Mexico girl in me will never truly learn the draw of the ocean, I had fun during the Big Clam Dig today!

Breanna & Ellie

2008-03-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I went out with two of the most gorgeous, vivacious, and fun girls I've met in a while. Both Breanna and Ellie are seniors at Olympia High School and we decided to do a double-shoot and head out to downtown Olympia for some fun urban shots.

We started at the State Capitol building, did some cool shots inside the Rotunda and around the grounds and then headed down to Farmer's Market and the warehouse area. They were total troopers going around without jackets. They were also up for just about any adventure I threw at them and so we headed to St. Martin's University and did some ultra-cool cemetery shots.

Here are a few from the session.

Sassy, Spunky and Beautiful Breanna

Sweet, Sophisticated and Elegant Ellie

Welcome to the World Miss Emma

2008-03-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

Our good friends, Chris and Renee, had little baby Emma on February 22nd. A week later, I invited them over to our house so I could shoot her newborn photos.

Little did they know taking pictures was just a sneaky ploy on my part to get to hold and cuddle little Emma!!

Funny enough, the Mabster did NOT like her mama holding another baby. Jealousy was obvious and it took a lot of work on Grandma's part to keep Mabster busy so we could continue with the shoot. Here are a few favorites!

Chris & Renee - Thank you so much for the opportunity to do some newborn shots with Emma. I had a blast and I hope you enjoy the photos!!

Hi Emma!!

New Camera!

2008-03-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

So instead of writing about how cool I am by starting a new blog... I thought I'd write about how I have such a cool new camera!

Two weeks ago my name FINALLY came up on the list to get a new Nikon D3. Wow. What a camera. I also got the new 17-55mm f/2.8 lens to play with. Me likey...

Here are a few cool SOOC (straight out of camera for your non-photography types!) shots I took with Mabster at the beach.

Here it is:

And a few of Mabster at the beach: