Jack and Josh

Meet our nephews, Jackson and Joshua. While Airika and I were in NC this past Thanksgiving, my brother John asked us to do a photo session for these two and it was definitely one of the highlights of our visit! These two little heart-breakers-in-the-making are the best nephews anyone could ever ask for, and we love them to death! I mean, how could you not?!? :)

Bald Head Island Portraits

I love North Carolina. I suppose I'm a little partial having grown up there, but there's no denying that it is a beautiful place. On our last trip back, the Deterding family invited my parents, Airika, and I to stay out at Bald Head Island. It's a small community off the coast of NC which can only be accessed by boat... and the only vehicles on the island are bicycles and golf carts! They have an amazing house right on the water, and we had a great time just relaxing, fishing, exploring this beautiful community, and of course, photographing Liz, Jim & Kenneth's portrait session! We are already planning our next trip back, but until then, enjoy these photos of a beautiful family in one of our new favorite east coast destinations!

Lanie's Infant Session

Some of you may remember the very first baby portraits we ever did, for a sweet little girl named Alexis. Well, Alexis is now two years old, and big sister to 3 month old Lanie. Coming back to her home for a few portraits of little Lanie was a special treat for us--when we arrived, we were so excited and honored to see our photographs gracing her family's walls and coffee tables. It really made our day!

It's amazing how different two sisters can be--they looked so different at this age, and we could already see the differences in their personalities. Alexis still loves the camera as much as ever, while Lanie prefers more of a photojournalistic approach. :) We really had a great time with their beautiful family, and we can't wait to return in a few months for more!

Julie & Jeff's Vow Renewals: A Preview

This past Saturday, I had the incredible pleasure of meeting Julie and Jeff for the very first time. It was their first anniversary, and as they renewed their vows, I quickly realized that these are two of the most warm-hearted, loving, thoughtful, and romantic people I have ever met. After our short time together, I am deeply convinced that hanging out with these two is good for your marriage. Here's a small preview of the evening we shared together--more to come soon...

Beauty Revolution

A few months ago, Gerald and I were approached by the editors of a start-up online magazine, called Beauty Revolution. When asked if we would be interested in photographing for their spring issue, our response was a resounding "yes!" It ended up being such a fun experience, that we are already talking with them about their next issue. :)

Below is one of our favorite images from the shoot. The model, Rashi Stephens (2008 Miss India North America), is a beautiful woman both inside and out, and it was an absolute pleasure working with her and the rest of the BR team that day. Her gown, created by couture designer Monir Zandghoreishi was absolutely stunning and the perfect pick for this shoot.


Usage Rights

OSP West--Model Shoot

Last weekend, Airika and I were invited to lead one of the photo shoots for OSP West. For those of you who may not know, OSP is an online forum for photographers, and this year, they gathered right here on our doorstep in beautiful Seattle for a weekend of seminars, training and of course, shooting. It was incredible to get to hang and shoot with such an talented group of photographers!

Here are a few photos from the shoot Airika and I led around Pike Place Market...thanks to the fabulous Brittany from Dolce Design for being such an incredible model (by the way, if you need a wedding invitation designer, you seriously need to check out her work)! If you were on the shoot, we'd love to see your photos too, so leave a link in the comments so we can check them out!

Gretchen and Josh

Life is a funny thing. It's an unexpected journey, full of twists and turns, potholes and bridges, back alleys and breathtaking views. For Gretchen and Josh, their story started back in their college days. They were living on separate floors in their college dorm at Whitworth. They had a few mutual friends, but really never got to know one another. They were at different places in life, and the roadsigns on their journeys were pointing them in different directions.

However, about 5 years out of college their lives intersected again, although this time it was from 286.2 miles apart. (but who's counting?) Gretchen was working in Seattle, and Josh in Spokane, and from this distance, they couldn't really see where they were headed. They simply enjoyed the ride as they rekindled their friendship. It wasn't long though, before they realized that their lanes were merging.

As their relationship progressed, one significant and recurring theme they noticed was that many of the important milestones and moments they shared have been around bridges. Their first kiss, their first discussion about marriage, and their engagement--all happened at bridges. They have become a reminder for Gretchen and Josh that no matter what is behind or what is ahead, they are on this road together.







This next image is one of my personal favorites from this session. My initial plan was to shoot towards the sun and get some lens flare. However, as this cloud moved in, it made the sun barely visible, so I quickly metered for the sun to get a silhouette. Very little was done to this image in post-processing, other than add a little tone. Because I was metering for the sun, the clouds actually came out looking that dark!

Here are the specs for those of you who might be interested.
Camera: Canon EOS 5d Mark II
Lens: EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS @ 200mm
Shutter Speed: 1/2000 second
F-Stop: f/18
ISO: 250








Congratulations Gretchen and Josh!

Gerald

Sara & Michael

Sara and Michael. They met through a mutual friend, who after significant badgering, convinced them to go on a blind date. Even then, it wasn't one of those "Oh my gosh, he/she is the ONE!" kind of dates. It was more of a "well that was fun, I'll call you(maybe)" kind of dates. You see, these two are VERY different. Sara likes to snowboard, skydive, and bust out an occasional invert on a wakeboard. Michael is just a really, really, nice guy with a computer science degree, a guitar, and a bit of a romantic side. Not really Sara's type... or so she thought.

It turns out that they only lived 3 blocks apart, so they saw each other here and there. A few dates, and a DTR later, they found something they hadn't really expected... each other.

For their engagement session, they took us around Kirkland and let us in on some of the places and moments that have meant so much to them on their journey. Their first date was at the Purple Cafe, who graciously invited us to come in and shoot photos an hour before opening! We had the entire restaurant to ourselves, and to really top it off, the staff served Michael and Sara the Pinot Noir that they had on their first date as well. I love it when businesses go above and beyond!

Did I mention that Michael has a bit of a romantic side? He proposed at sunset down in San Diego. They hiked out to a ridge overlooking the ocean, where a blanket covered in roses was set up next to his guitar. He played "I want to grow old with you,"(I still cry every time I ever time I see 'The Wedding Singer") and the rest is history...

Congratulations Sara and Michael!