More photos of baby Alexis. :)

Christmas is upon us! Airika and I are really looking forward to spending time with our friends and family over the coming week, and tomorrow in fact we are going to do just that. We have been doing baby/family portraits over the course of the last year for some friends of ours, and tomorrow we are getting together for their daughter's 12 month session. If you have seen any of the photos from our first two sessions with Alexis, you already know she's the cutest little girl ever! Here are a few from her 9 month session...








That's Alexis with her parents, uncle and grandparents. She loved the jumping shot!

Gerald

Our Cruise!

So....we had an awesome time on our cruise...it all went by so fast! The photo below was taken at Magen's Bay beach in St. Thomas...it was named one of the top 10 beaches in the world by National Geographic magazine, and it certainly lived up to its reputation. The water was crystal clear, the view from the beach was amazing (as you can see), and we even got to swim with a sea turtle who was hanging around!

Here I am posing for the camera--what else is a girl to do when her husband refuses to put down his camera?!? I'm also showing off my amber necklace that Gerald and my parents gave me for my birthday last year. AFTER we left the Dominican Republic, I found out that there is a beautiful green amber that is native to the area. I can't believe I missed it--I guess we'll have to go back!

The Norwegian Dawn--it was definitely the most colorful ship around! It was weird that to get to shore, we usually had to take tender boats. I guess I never really considered the fact that the ship probably would not be able to pull up to all the ports. Tendering is a little time consuming, especially when you don't have a ton of time at each port, but you have no choice when cruising.

Thanks to Gerald's little brother Dale (a wakeboarding champion) for taking this photo of us. He has an eye for photography too!

Probably my favorite image from the entire trip. We're getting it framed!

Our new friend Kendra took this photo of us...seriously we were surrounded by budding photographers! This one will also be getting framed!

Me returning to the ship in Tortola, British V.I. There was some fun shopping here and all the little girls were so cute in their school uniforms. Some of them even told me they liked my dress--they were so cute!

So...all in all, we had a great time on our cruise. However, we have decided that the next time we visit the Carribbean, we will be spending the entire week on St. Thomas instead of a floating hotel! St. Thomas (though expensive) was beautiful and there was so much that we didn't get to see and experience, that we simply must go back!

Thanks to everyone for your patience while we were on vacation. I think we're all caught up on email now, so if you're still awaiting a response from us, please drop us another note b/c it's possible that your email is lost in cyberspace! :)

Airika

Pictage PUG Party!

Last night we went to the annual PUG Party down in Tacoma--we really had a blast! As usual it was hosted by the lovely Me Ra Koh, at a cool little pizza place called the Upper Crust Bistro. They had great food, and we packed that place with amazing photographers! Here are a few photos that we grabbed...

Here is a very typical shot of Brian... it's impossible to get bored while he's around--even when he can barely talk due to laryngitis!

Airika & Sarah RHOADS...she and her husband Chris are some of our newest photographer buds!

We actually did a little Christmas shopping last night and bought Me Ra's newest DVD from her series on photographing your children. Seriously, if you have kids, you need to check this out! Not only is Me Ra an excellent teacher, but she will encourage your socks off! Check our her blog and you'll see what we mean. :)

Bill Cawley, bigger than life...

Yuriy Manchik. It saddens me to see a Nikon in his talented hands, but I suppose I can forgive him this time since it's the new D3. This is Jason... very funny guy--undoubtedly he is explaining something very important.
Ron Storer. There was a gift exchange towards the end of the party, and after perfectly executing an ingenious white elephant gift exchange strategy, Airika ended up with the gift that Ron Storer brought--a lens baby (and a ronstorer.com coffee mug)! This photo of Ron was my first attempt with the Lens Baby... These feet belong to the one of the cooks at the Upper Crust--he stood on this chair to get a group photo for us and I couldn't resist snapping a shot of his pants! You can see the group photo and a lot more really cool shots on Erwin's blog).

Gerald and Airika

MIA in the Carribean

So if you've been wondering where in the world we are....we are in the Carribean and having a great time! We just thought we'd let you know in case you've been wondering. Photographs will follow when we are back on land--the satellite signal on the cruise ship is a little slow. :)

Have a great weekend!

Well, the holiday season is upon us! Is it just me or does December arrive unexpectedly every year? Normally, I would avoid saying things like "time flies" because they get repeated over and over and it bugs me to no end. However, the truth in that statement surprises me every year...

Nevertheless, Airika and I did manage to find the time last weekend to get out and shoot a few photos of ourselves for our Christmas card. If you have never gotten a card from us, send us an email at gerald@geraldpope.com and we'll put you on the list!

If you have a favorite, please be sure to let us know in the comments below. We still haven't picked the one we're going to use for our card! ~Gerald

Sea Bass, getting into trouble...

Meet our kitty, Sebastian. We took these pics a week ago, after our bridal show. He thought that the flower vase was a good place to play. Isn't he cute! :)





Airika

More workshop photos

It's always interesting to me to see how different Airika and I are when it comes to our style of photography. We always shoot the same events together, yet our images always look remarkably different. Some of you may remember that we went to a workshop for wedding photographers in Couer d'Alene this past September. The following images were all taken during one of the model shoots at that workshop. I have paired up some of the images that Airika and I shot at about the same time--the only difference is the lens, the person behind the camera, and where they chose to stand. These are great examples of our very different takes on the exact same subject... enjoy!

Exhibit A:

Airika's takeGerald's take Exhibit B:

Airika's take

Gerald's Exhibit C:

Airika's Gerald's Exhibit D:

Airika's
Gerald's

Now you can see why it's nice to have two photographers at your wedding!!! :)

Gerald & Airika

Seattle Fall Bridal Spectacular!

Yesterday, Gerald and I attended the Fall Bridal Spectacular in Seattle. We had such a fun day talking to brides about their wedding plans! Here's a shot that Gerald caught of one of the models during the fashion show. I absolutely love, love, love these veils and cannot wait until one of our brides wear one. Any takers?

All the soon-to-be-brides were beaming with joy, flaunting their recently polished rings and eager to share they love stories with anyone who would listen. However, the brides who shared our vision for a fresh and unique approach to wedding photography really got our hearts pumping!

When asked about our style I realized that our tagline really says it all--

LIFE:LOVE:ART

LIFE: Our photos are all about life--we tell stories through our imagery and the best way to do that is to let people be themselves! Whether we're shooting a wedding or an engagement session, we are all about capturing the subtle (and not so subtle) interactions between people. Some people call it "photojournalism," some call it "candid," but we just call it as it is--"life" in its truest form.

LOVE: Hm. Isn't this one obvious? We are WEDDING photographers, after all!

ART: We've been told that our ability to create art is the primary reason that most of our couples hire us. We are constantly evaluating light, texture, space, color, lines, backgrounds and angles. We incorporate all of these into the way we shoot so every wedding we photograph is a truly unique reflection of that couple's story and personality. Art is subjective, right? Therefore, we go to great lengths to get to know each couple before their wedding (all of our packages include engagement sessions) so that by the time we photograph their wedding, we KNOW the kind of imagery that speaks to them and we are able to effecivley incorporate their artistic tastes into the way we cover their event. Of course, we always end up getting some signature artistic shots "just for us," and couples end up loving those as well! It is, after all, the reason they hired us.

Thanks again to every bride who stopped by our booth. We enjoyed meeting you and look forward to reconnecting with you to tell your wedding story!

Airika

New Website!

Guess what,everybody?!?!? We have a brand new website! We've been working on it for quite some time and are happy to finally be able to share it with you. We hope you'll check it out (you never know--your beautiful face might be on there) and let us know what you think!

CLICK HERE TO SEE IT!

The Popes whereabouts...and a new wedding!

The blog silence is over! We have been extremely busy editing images and text for our new website (which should be up in a few days!!!), designing albums for the weddings we photographed this summer, and getting ready for the B & E Fall Bridal Expo this Saturday. We're also trying to raise money for our friend Koti (about $600 has come in so far!) and for all those reasons and many more, our blog has been eerily silent. No more!


We have some new photographs to share with you. :) Back in September, we photographed Molly and Justin DuQue's wedding and put our creativity to work (all four of us b/c Molly and Justin are amazing artists too) while wandering around the Arboretum (in the rain) and then getting some classic shots inside the lobby of the Sorrento Hotel.

Here's a shot of Justin's band, the Classic Crime. One of the guys liked this shot so much that he thought Gerald should do their promo photos next time around. Anytime guys, anytime...


Let us know what you think and be sure to visit the band's website. They've got some great music!

Airika

Koti Hu Benefit Dinner Tonight!

Well, the benefit dinner for Koti is tonight and we have already raised $350, plus someone purchased our dinner tickets in exchange for a photography session. That is such a praise! HOWEVER, we would love to be able to take an even bigger check to the dinner tonight, so if any of you out there are still considering the purchase of some of our artwork, please email us at gerald@geraldpope.com ASAP and let us know what size image you will be ordering (we don't need to know the specific image yet) so that we can add your donation amount to our check. Thanks for all of you who have already supported Koti--we'll post again to let you know how the dinner goes. It should be a great evening of fellowship!

Airika

Koti Hu Trust fundraiser

As we mentioned in a previous blog entry, our friend Koti Hu was recently paralyzed in a car accident. As a result, there are a lot of ongoing expenses. To help meet his needs, the Koti Hu Trust was established so that friends, family and other supporters would have a way to help provide for him as a community. As you know, we have decided to offer some of our photographs for sale and give all of the proceeds to the Koti Hu Trust. We are so excited to be able to help out our friend Koti, and we are eager to extend this oportunity to you as well!


All you have to do is go to www.geraldpope.com/KotiHuTrust and browse through the photos. To place an order, just email me with the title and size of the photo you want, along with your contact information. Please make all of your checks payable to "Gerald Pope" and after all of your orders have been received, we will write one check for the total proceeds. The suggested donations below include shipping, but if you are able to connect with us locally for pickup, then more of your funds will be directed toward the trust for Koti! (You are also welcome to give more than the suggested donation.)

Art Prints:
4x6, 4x4, etc. - $20
5x7, 5x5, etc. - $35
8x10, 8x12, 8x8, etc. - $55
10x13, 11x14, etc. - $80

We will gladly custom mat and/or frame your images. If you are interested in matting or framing, or in alternative products such as Canvas prints, Greeting cards, or our 2008 Calendar, please contact us for pricing information.


All proceeds from the sale of these photographs will go directly to the Koti Hu Trust. Please contact us if you have any questions. Thank you for helping us meet our $1000 fundraising goal (we have already raised $300) for Koti. He is so appreciative for all of you who are supporting him in various ways!

Gerald & Airika

The images are coming...

Yes, the artwork to benefit Koti Hu is coming soon! We apologize for the delay, but we are working day and night (literally) to finish processing images from several weddings, finish customizing our brand new website (which will be unveiled in a few weeks!), and to finish preparing some images for you to purchase to help Koti! Thanks for your patience...we will update again very soon with a link to the artwork.

H & M's Slideshow

We just finished putting together a slideshow from a wedding we shot a few weeks ago. You may recognize a few of the shots since we posted a couple of them previously, but we were just so pleased with the whole package we just had to share the slideshow too! To see their slideshow click here. Enjoy!

If you have been anxiously waiting for your chance to order some of these photos, or just see the rest of them, click here (or on the shopping cart icon) and register to be notified when the photos are ready. When you are asked for an "event key" just enter the groom's last name.

A Benefit for our friend Koti Hu

As some of you are already aware, a dear friend of ours, Koti Hu, was in a serious car accident on July 28th. The accident left him paralyzed from the waist down and at this time, he has only regained limited mobility in his arms and hands. Many of you have joined us in praying for him, but now it is time for a different kind of action.

As you can imagine, the resource challenges associated with Koti Hu's accident are daunting. There are a number of people who have committed themselves to breaking the challenge into manageable pieces. One group is working on raising money to establish a trust fund that will pay for some of Koti's ongoing expenses. They are "kicking off" this effort with a benefit dinner for him and we are trying to raise money for Koti as a part of this event. We are asking you, our friends, family, current and future clients, to consider giving. No gift is too small and every single one will be greatly appreciated. If you feel called to give, please make a check out to Koti Hu Trust and mail it to us at:

Gerald Pope Photography
7058 155th Pl. NE
Redmond, WA 98052

We are brainstorming some additional ways to raise money for Koti. One idea we've had is putting some of our photographic artwork for sale in the next few weeks. Many of you just know us as wedding photographers, but we do dabble in photography of other subjects from time to time! :) Please check back soon for more details.

More about the Benefit--A Night for Koti

Extraordinary Measures for Extraordinary Needs

Saturday, October 20, 2007--6:00 PM
Westminster Chapel Gym
13646 NE 24th Street
Bellevue, WA 98005

Our evening will include:
Dinner prepared by Executive Chef Steve Cain
of the Waterfront Seafood Grill

Music performed by Koti’s friends

A special appearance by comedian Nick Thune
(recently seen on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno)

Suggested donation is $500 per plate

Our goal is to raise over $100,000 to help meet Koti’s anticipated annual financial need. We realize this is a large sum and hope that you will share our vision that Koti’s “extraordinary needs call for extraordinary measures.” Put your creativity to work and raise money for Koti, and collect that money to underwrite your ticket or a ticket for a friend. Proceeds from this event go to the Koti Hu Trust. Checks should be made payable to Koti Hu Trust. Contributions are not tax deductible.

For more information: Please visit the fundraising website kotihu.com. For information on others ways to help Koti, or information on how you can be involved in this event, please email helpkoti@kotihu.com.

We know that many of you do not personally know Koti, but he has played an important role in our lives and in thousands of lives all across the globe. We know that God has an even more amazing future planned for him, but Koti needs our help! If you're considering a gift, but would like to know more about Koti's story, please contact us at gerald@geraldpope.com or airika@geraldpope.com. We'd be happy to share more with you.

Viewing wedding photos on Pictage

We use Pictage for all of our client proofing and ordering. To view photos from a wedding you recently attended, please click on this link and follow the instructions. Note that the "event ket" is the groom's last name. Once the images are ready for viewing, you will receive an email telling you how to access them. Please email us if you have any questions and enjoy the images!

Heather & Michael's Wedding

Hi everybody! Here are a few images from the first of the two weddings we photographed this weekend. This was definitely one of our most anticipated weddings of the summer because over the past year we've gotten to spend some time hanging out with these guys and they have become valued friends of ours. They are so much fun to be around and they challenge us in so many (good) ways! It was awesome being there for their special day and getting to witness how much all of their friends and family have been blessed by them as well. We are so happy for you two!

We rented an 8mm fisheye lens for the weekend. This was our first time renting this lens, and it is a LOT of fun to play with! The lens gives a nearly 180 degree view that ends up as a circular image. It is actually tricky to use because if you are not careful, your own feet will end up in all the pictures. I got this shot by putting the camera in the timer mode, and placing the camera on the floor pointing straight up in the middle of the B & G and some of their guests doing the Hokey Pokey.

One unique aspect of this wedding was the underlying mathmatic theme. They had their wedding rings designed for them as a mobius strip--which is a one-sided object. If I try to explain it any further than that, I will only confuse myself, so I'm not going to try. They also designed their own cake as a 3-d version of the golden ratio. Sweet!

To view all of Heather & Michael's photos and order prints, click here and register with Pictage. By registering you will recieve a $10 credit toward prints, and you will be notified via email the minute the images become available. When you log in to view the images, you will be asked for an "event key"--simply enter the groom's last name. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Congratulations Heather and Michael!

Gerald & Airika