The couple met each other in 2014 and ran into each other often through mutual social interactions. During covid, they reconnected on social media, and the rest is history. Their ceremony took place at St. Pauls Cathedral, followed by a reception at the brides gorgeous family property. A mariachi band, some tearful speeches by the maids' of honor, a conga line and so many tequila shots are just some of the memorable moments from the day. The couple will be traveling to Honduras for their honeymoon and to attend a friends wedding. While there, they plan to swim with dolphins, a first for both.

Jamie and Jesse, it was truly such a privilege to be part of your special day. I pray for a life full of firsts and so many blessings.

Brides Dress: Fashion Corner (Sunnyside)

Bridesmaids: Various dress shops

Grooms tux: Fashion Corner (Sunnyside)

Rings: Engagement-Morgan Jewelers/Wedding bands-Perry Jewelers

Bouquets: Lori Kass 

Catering: Divinos Tacos 

Cake: Mirna Polina (family member)

DJ: ATM productions

Hair: Brandi Hyatt, Tiffany Bradley & Lori kass

Makeup: Alexis (IG is Sixela) and Stefanie Alaniz

2nd Photographer: Brittany Anne Photography

Fall Family Shoots

35 minutes

Online Gallery

15 edited, full resolution digital images

Print release for images

$190 ($50 deposit required upon booking)

October 8th; 11BOOKED, 11:45BOOKED, 12:30BOOKED, 1:15BOOKED

October 15th; 11BOOKED, 11:45, 12:30BOOKED, 1:15BOOKED, 2BOOKED

November 5th; 11BOOKED, 11:45, 12:30BOOKED, 1:15BOOKED, 2BOOKED

Spots book very quickly for Fall shoots! Please plan ahead and reserve a spot. Location will be announced later this year.

Their wedding was at the always gorgeous venue, Le Jardin in Zillah. Their wedding party was a mix of family and friends, and they were such a fun group to work with. The drinks flowed, the food was incredible and the dessert table was seriously amazing.

Ky and Reagan, you two are amazing humans and I wish you many years of happiness together.

Bride's Dress: David’s Bridal 

Bridesmaid Dresses: jjhouse.com 

Grooms Outfit: Men’s Warehouse 

Rings: James Allen/ Sister to Sister 

Bouquet/Flowers: Jenna Crowe 

Catering: Triple C’s 

Cake: Ashley McPherson/ M’lisss Bierlink 

Dj: Platium Entertainment 

Hair/Makeup: Gracie Murphey, Courtney Wolfram, Melissa Castro 

Kendric and Abbi were married at the stunning venue 'The Cattle Barn'. I think we experienced every weather pattern that day, with the exception of snow. That didn't stop this wedding from being absolutely beautiful. I do believe I heard more speeches at this wedding than any other wedding I've had the privilege to capture. I think that only speaks to the absolute joy and blessings that so many family and friends wanted to bestow upon the couple. The night ended with almost everyone in attendance, getting down on the dance floor.

Kendric and Abbi, I so enjoyed being part of your day and I wish you many, many years of happiness together.

Brides Dress: Astraea Bridal 

Bridesmaid Dresses: Baltic Born 

Bridesmaid Jewelry: ggclayco

Grooms Outfit: Mens Wearhouse  

Rings: Etsy   

Bouquet/Flowers: Ellensburg Floral  

Catering: Cascade Mountain Grilling  

Cake: 509 Bake House  

Dj: Kickin Karaoke & DJ Services  

Makeup- Hannah Pacetti 

Hair: Monica Stenson 

October 2nd was a beautiful fall day and these two were surrounded by loved ones, as they said 'I do'. Their wedding was at Three Springs Villa, a gorgeous venue in Gleed, Washington. Happy tears were shed, delicious bbq food was had and there may have been a sighting of storm troopers. 

'The best thing is communication and being each others best friend!' 

Dress: Fashion Corner (Sunnyside)

Bridesmaid Dresses: Fashion Corner (Sunnyside)

Rings: Fred Meyer

Bouquet/Flowers: Shirley Seghers, Michele Ellenberger, Kristina Sofia

Catering: Miz Dees (Yakima)

Cake: Shirley Seghers

Hair/Makeup: Haley Keightley

Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Michele Ellenberger, Kristina Sofia

As so many of us know, the past year has been about change and adapting to a different way of life. Weddings around the world were no different. Chaz and Camille had originally planned on a ceremony in the Philippines, but plans changed once Covid took the world by storm. But one thing Covid can't stop is love and two people determined to become husband and wife.

Chaz and Camille had an intimate wedding at Holy Family Cathedral, with only their family present. The day may not have been what they originally had in mind, but that didn't stop the event from being full of love, laughter and happy tears. Traditionally for weddings, I have most of the day with my bride and groom. As this was such a intimate event, I only spent a few short hours with the couple. I may not have had an abundance of time with them, but this did not stop me from witnessing the great love they share. From the first look, to fist/elbow bumps from the family, this was a day of celebrating the love between these two and their families.

The couple still hope to have a ceremony in the Philippines later this year, but for now are happy to be newlyweds and back at work in the hospital.

Bridal Dress- David's Bridal

Grooms Suit- Calvin Klein

Bouquet/Boutonniere- Gasperetti's

Makeup- Olivia Luna

Hair- Hannah Pacetti

Brides Veil- Made by her Mama, Grace

I met Michele a little over a year ago. I fell in love with her and her story from the very moment I started talking to her. She's honestly one of the most genuinely kind person I've ever met and just the sweetest soul. Her story of overcoming and looking at the brighter side, and just her attitude in general, just made me fall in love with her. But her story is not mine to tell, it's hers. So instead, I'll tell you about when she contacted me for this session.

Her message went a little something like this... 'I am turning 50 GASP! in July and am pondering doing something fun to celebrate....have you done an adult cake smash?' To which my response was, 'I haven't, and I would absolutely love to!!!'

I'd seen these sessions all over Pinterest and I've always thought they looked so fun! But most of them that I saw were to celebrate 30 or even 40, I don't know that I've ever seen one for 50, which only made me want to do it more. Age is a daunting thing for most and it's not always a desire to celebrate getting older. I love that Michele has the attitude that it should be celebrated because life is a celebration and the older you get, the longer you've been able to celebrate and experience it.

Michele picked Elk Ridge campground for the session location, and I don't think we could have had a better location to use. With the help of some really fun and meaningful props and some helpful friends of Michele's, this session couldn't have been more fun or hilarious to witness and capture!

I think all of us could take a little something from Michele and her session. Michele chose this quote for one of her props, 'Life should not only be lived, it should be celebrated.' Too true Michele.

We had so much fun doing the friends boudoir sessions last year, that we decided to do it again! Here's what's different though... these sessions will take place outside! Every boudoir session I've shot outside has been absolutely gorgeous and SO fun! There's just something about the outdoors and a beautiful girl :) So snatch up that gutsy gal pal and let's get you booked! We are only opening 1 day for these sessions, so book your spot before they're gone!

Here's the details for the special:

Friends Boudoir (2 Girls)

Pre-session consultation

Mimosas & strawberries

Hair and makeup

20 edited, full resolution images (10 for each girl) 

Viewing consult/Locked album to make photo selection

Images placed on a cd w/print release

$500

This will take place 1 day only, on June 24th! Here's the times available:

10:00-

12:00-

2:00-

4:00-BOOKED

A $50 deposit is required to reserve a spot. The remainder of the package price can be made in payments, as long as it's paid in full 1 week prior to the session date. So let's get you and your favorite gal-pal in here and have some fun and then plan a night out after being all dolled up ;) Location is TBD.

Mama & Me Minis will take place April 28th and April 29th this year. Here's the information on the minis:

30 minutes

8 edited full resolutions images

Images placed on a cd

Print release

$100

I'm opening up 8 spots for these minis. Times are as follows

April 28th:

1:00-BOOKED

1:45-BOOKED

2:30-BOOKED

3:15-BOOKED

April 29th:

1:00-BOOKED

1:45-BOOKED

2:30-BOOKED

3:15-BOOKED

Location TBA. These are for Mamas and their babes only, sorry Daddies. A $50 non-refundable deposit, must be paid upon booking, to reserve your spot. Spots are limited, contact me to reserve your spot!

White sheet boudoir sessions. Just you and a sheet and all your natural beauty. Here's the details:

45 minutes hair & makeup

45 minutes shooting

5 edited, full resolution images placed on a cd

Print release for images

$250

There's a million reasons why you're going to love these sessions. But let me tell you the top 3 reasons:

1. They are less expensive than my other packages. It is a mini version of our regular packages, that will always be available.

2. Most of the shots for these sessions will be very modest and you are mostly covered. This allows those women that are feeling a little insecure, some security. It also saves you from having to buy outfits.

3. We have dreamed up the perfect look for this session, one that only takes the natural beauty you already possess.

I will never not love my regular boudoir packages. I love seeing the outfits and different looks either the client or my team come up with. I still believe that every woman should experience one, at some point in their life. But maybe right now, you can't afford it or you're just not confident enough to put that teddy on, or maybe you don't want the stress of finding outfits and creating a look. Or maybe you just want to be like the girls in the movies for a day. After you look through these images, try and say you don't want a picture of yourself just like these ;)

If you would have asked me a few years ago, if I'd post photos of myself in lingerie or underwear, I would have said no. Like every woman I've ever met, I have issues with what I believe to be imperfections with my body. But also, if I'm being completely honest, I wouldn't have posted photos like these because of the assumptions people still make about boudoir. Until a few years ago, I would have been slightly uncomfortable with telling someone that I shot boudoir photography.

Before I lose you with thoughts of 'why are you telling me that you're uncomfortable with what you do?!' I'm not. Initially, I was though. So many people have the wrong idea about boudoir or the reasons why people choose to shoot boudoir or have boudoir photos done. I can only speak for why I chose to get into boudoir and why the women I've shot have decided to book a session. I've always loved the idea of boudoir and followed boudoir photographers for a long time. I truly think it's one of the most beautiful and artistic forms of photography, not to mention how much trust a client places in a photographer to have such intimate photos taken. So, I knew it was important work, having that much trust placed in your hands. But I never truly knew how much until I started shooting boudoir, just how important it is.

I think there's people that still consider boudoir vulgar, exploiting, sexual in nature, and maybe even a little tasteless. Unfortunately, there's also people that will follow photographers and choose to leave inappropriate comments that also perpetuates the idea that it's only sexual in nature. With no regard or respect to the woman they are talking about. Without diving too much into this issue, let me just say that if you are following me, have some respect and consideration for these women that I post about. I am not here for your pleasure, neither are these women. Try and respect how much courage it took for these women to do the session, and how much more it takes to allow me to post their photos.

What some can't understand is there's a lot of woman who struggle to see why they should love themselves and their body. They don't know that there's a Mom struggling with her weight and just trying to come to terms with her new body. The new Grandma who's trying to remember what it was like to love her body and feel young and carefree again. They don't know about the woman who puts in hours at the gym but still can't to see how amazing she looks. They don't know about the newly engaged girl that's placing her vulnerability aside to give her soon to be a gift he'll love forever. They don't see, but I do. The more I get into boudoir and the longer I shoot, the more I've come to understand how important it is. 

I've always been a little uncomfortable with my own body. I developed so much earlier than my friends and most girls, at a fairly young age. I constantly had comments being made about my chest from kids my own age, to older men that should have known better. It gave me quite a complex about my developing body as a young girl. Once I was old enough to embrace my body and accept it, it wasn't long after that I had my first child and then I had a new body with marks that left me embarrassed and ashamed. I started kickboxing a year after my daughter was born, and I started loving and appreciating what my body was capable of doing. But I still wasn't happy with the marks my body had. Getting pregnant 3 more times and having kids within a 5 year span didn't help improve my outlook on my body.

When I decided to start shooting boudoir, I knew that I would have to be as vulnerable as I was asking other women to be. So I did a kickboxing boudoir session. I wouldn't say I was fully comfortable for all of those photos, but definitely more so than if I was doing a regular boudoir session. I love those photos, they are more true to who I am and my idea of boudoir for myself. My husband loved those photos too, but I knew that he'd like to have some 'normal' boudoir photos, so I made a plans to have some done. I don't think I understood at the time, how important it would be for me to do those photos.

I was able to experience, fully, what I ask other women to do. The months leading up to the session, I was buying outfits and stressing how the session would go. Looking at my body and picking it apart and telling myself why I shouldn't go through with it. The day of the session, I sat in the chair, drinking my mimosa while my hair and makeup were getting done, and I could still feel those last lingering nerves. Seeing myself in the mirror, fully ready for my session, that's when I could finally feel a little more confident about what I was about to do. After seeing my photos and myself, in this new and different light, I was proud of how my body looked. Marks and all.

What I've realized is that it's like that for most of the women that come into the studio. Seeing and feeling the nerves from the consultation and the weeks leading up to their session, the lingering uncertainty the day of while they're getting ready, to seeing their reaction or hearing those first words of happiness when they see their photos. I know what it is to not really see yourself.. to finally have your eyes opened to how amazing you are. 

I want to end saying this. It is my greatest accomplishment to have women trust me and give them the gift of seeing themselves. I ran across this and nothing speaks more to what I'm trying to do and how I want to be perceived through my work:

I aspire to be an empowered woman with vision & grace.

Soft hearted but strong, self-aware & sure.

Respected for my mind, admired for my heart and above all, always honest, open & raw.

I think since I first started shooting, I've always had it in my head that I needed to be like other photographers. I told myself that they're successful, at least from the outside in, so I needed to do what they were doing to be successful as well. Not only in shooting styles, but how they were running their business, how they interacted with clients, the services they offered, etc. I constantly found myself dissatisfied with my work and stressed that I still wasn't finding that elusive 'success' that other photographers found. I had it in my head that I was in a race and I was losing. 

The crazy thing about that situation is, for those that know me, that's the furthest thing from my personality. Outside of maybe my youth, I do not make it a habit of comparing myself to others or even worry about what others possess that I do not. I am and have always been my worst critic, but I've never allowed what others say and do dictate who I am. Even so, the idea of needing to beat other photographers or be as successful as them was consuming.

It was some time after the beginning of last year that I decided it was enough. I wasn't finding any success in trying to be like other photographers or do things like them either. So I decided to do it my way, the worst that could happen is failing. I started noticing that I was less stressed going into sessions and because I was less stressed, my work seemed to improve as well. Not just improve, but I started being proud of the work that I was doing. Again, this was a big deal for me because I am so hard on myself when it comes to my work.

I also started noticing that I wasn't jealous anymore of other photographers. I found myself appreciating the work that they do. I no longer looked at them as competitors, but artists that I admired. After all, we all started just like I did, hustling and busting our butts. And we all found our own way of shooting. Photography is subjective, like all forms of art. It's in the eye of the beholder. While I may not shoot like another photographer, I can appreciate their work and appreciate that they could be a good fit for someone that I don't appeal to. After all, I certainly couldn't shoot for every person looking for a photographer. I want to be a good fit for my clients and vice-versa. There's comfort in knowing that I can't please everyone.

I guess what I ultimately realized is that running a successful business isn't a race, with a finish line, it's more like a marathon. The only person I should ever be competing with is myself, trying to be better than myself from last year. And I am. I hope to continue to be every year.

Growth takes a lot of work, but it's also pretty amazing.

Among the many things I love about shooting this family each year is how amazing they always look. Yes, they're gorgeous and make my job incredibly easy, but that's not what I mean. They always KILL in the outfit department and the way they coordinate with one another. Every single year, I always try to imagine what they'll wear, and they never disappoint. Sound like I have too much time on my hands, dreaming up what clients will wear?! It matters folks, not to mention, it's an aspect of my job that I love!

Probably my favorite reason that I get to take photos for this family, the two little handsome studs. They are arguably the cutest little guys ever, and they are hilarious. Not to mention, they love helping me take pictures throughout the session. Watching them interact with each other and with Mom and Dad, it's pretty obvious how crazy this family is for one another. And the heat that Mom and Dad have between them.. dang.

As you can see, I really love shooting this family each year. But enough of my declarations of love for them, just check out their photos!

Last year for a Christmas gift, I decided to do a boudoir session for my husband, without his knowledge, and put them in a book for him. He was completely surprised and so happy I took the pictures AND put them in a book for him. I'll catch him getting the book out and just looking through it, which never ceases to put a smile on my face. He still, to this day, tells me he can't believe I did that for him.

The books in my packages 'Tempting' and 'Sexy' are such great books. You can customize them as you'd like or leave the design up to yours truly. You can put a message or note in the book or write one as well. The pages are good and thick, and the photos printed directly on the pages, so you don't have to worry about them coming apart. The printing and binding on these books are superb! Check out the photos of these amazing books and contact me for information on these packages and booking a session!

1. Where are you the pictures taking place?

You're probably wondering why the place you're taking your picture matters, let me explain. If you're taking pictures in the snow, the last thing you'll want to wear is white. Are you taking pictures in the woods, where you can only see green and brown for miles? You probably don't want to wear green or brown. Understanding your location and finding colors that will stand out from the backdrop is really important. The last thing you'd want to see when you get your pictures back is that you blended in with your surroundings.

2. Does the color compliment you and/or compliment your personal style?

This is a tricky one to answer. I love color in pictures! Bright, fun, bold, vibrant color. I don't necessarily mean neon pink or yellow. I just mean I like color, maroons, reds, yellows, blues.. The key is to know what looks good on you and be honest with yourself if it does not. I love the color coral, I think it's such a beautiful color in pictures. It absolutely drowns me out and makes me look severely pale (or more pale). In turn, magenta is a very complimenting color for me, but it's not a color I would choose for myself. Which leads me to my next question. Does it compliment your personal style? I've read several articles on this very subject and many tell you to simply look around your house to know what your style is. I thought it was odd the first time I read it. But I did just that and discovered that I do indeed have colors in my house that I tend to gravitate towards. If all else fails and you can not figure out what colors you'd like to go with, simply look around your home to see what colors compliment your style :)

3. Is it comfortable?

I am constantly telling my clients this. Make sure you are comfortable in what you're wearing. If you don't wear heels on a regular basis and decide to throw some on for your pictures, I will be able to tell that you are uncomfortable, and it will show in your pictures. If your husband and boys don't wear jackets and ties on some sort of regular basis, you should probably skip having them wear it for photos. They will be grumpy and irritable for having to wear something they're not comfortable in. If you are self-conscious in any way with what you're wearing, it will show in pictures and you will have an overall bad experience with your family pictures. Now following up with that, that does not mean show up in your sweats and t-shirt. Dressing up your everyday style is key.

Let's talk about some do-nots now.

4. The Do-not list

-Don't match your colors, coordinate them. Don't have everyone in your family wearing white shirt with blue jeans. Coordinate yours colors instead. Find a color, or a piece of an outfit, that you want and start from there. My general rule is you should have at least 3 colors in your clothes that coordinate with one another.  If it's a navy blue dress and you also like yellow and gray, run with that theme. Have your daughter wear a yellow top, with gray pants and your son wear a gray shirt with blue jeans. You then can throw in that great yellow necklace with your navy blue dress and your husband can wear a blue shirt with gray slacks. Don't match, coordinate. Now let me throw you for a loop after all that. Sometimes all matching colors will work if you have a specific idea in mind. For example, I had a couple that wanted a picture with their family in front of a muscle car. They were all wearing black with sunglasses and the picture totally worked.

-Do not wear distracting clothing. Patterns are great, unless they're too distracting. Is it just a crazy distracting pattern on your wardrobe, will it distract from the rest of the picture and everyone else in it?

-Characters are a big no and can immediately take your photos from being classy to just awful. I know I said to be comfortable, but your kids can spend 1 hour not wearing their favorite Frozen and Iron Man shirt.

-Sneakers...this is a tricky one. I've shot photos before with senior boys that have worn sneakers and it works. Family photos though, it just doesn't usually work. You be the judge, does the general look of your family get brought down by those sneakers?

-White...this is a tricky color. White can look very clean and nice for pictures. The trick with white is you have to add a little something with it or it just looks plain. Throw a jacket over it, a bright necklace, something.

-Last, but not least, plaid. I almost always put my boys in plaid for our pictures. It can work as long as there's not too much plaid. Combine it with solid colors on some family members that tie it in with the plaid shirts.

Hopefully this was helpful to answer that all too stressful question of what to wear/what not to wear!

September 16th @ Downtown Yakima- CLOSED

September 17th @ Randal Park- CLOSED

September 29th @ Eschbach- CLOSED

September 30th @ Open to Client-CLOSED

October 13th @ Open to Client- 3(booked)

October 14th @ Fulbright Park- 10:30, 11:45

October 15th @ Tieton- 2:15(booked), 3:30(booked)

October 20th @ Open to Client-3, 4:15(booked)

October 21st @ Your home- 11(booked), 1(booked)

October 28th @ Eschbach- 2:45(booked), 4(booked)

November 4th @ Ahtanum Mission- 9(booked), 10:45, 12:15

Here's the package details for these sessions:

1 hr/location

15 edited, full resolution images

Images placed on cd w/ print release

$165

These sessions are for immediate family only. A $50 deposit is required to reserve a date and time, which goes towards the session total. Sessions taking place on the 15th & 5th will be new locations and announced at least 2 weeks prior to the date. For session locations open to client, sessions must be within 20 miles of the 98908 zip code. The special price only applies to the above dates, time and locations. Contact me for any questions and to get your spot reserved!

September 17th- CLOSED

October 1st- 9(closed), 12:30(booked), 4(booked)

Here's the details for the special:

Pre-session consultation

Mimosas & strawberries

Hair and makeup

20 edited, full resolution images (10 for each girl) 

Viewing consult/Locked album to make photo selection

Images placed on a cd w/print release

$450 (Only $100 more than our regular package and you get twice the amount of fun!)

A $50 deposit is required to reserve a spot. The remainder of the package price can be made in payments, as long as it's paid in full 1 week prior to the session date. So let's get you and your favorite gal-pal in here and have some fun and then plan a night out after being all dolled up ;)

We decided to do the photos at Eschbach Park, which is hands down my favorite place to shoot. There's so much this park offers and it was the perfect setting for the type of session we were thinking of doing. We also decided to wait until sunset because it also just fit with what we were trying to do, but also because nothing beats sunset light. It has an almost magical feel about it.

Getting the girls ready was so fun and it immediately made me both excited and terrified of the coming days of getting ready for dances. The final product was pretty darn breathtaking. The girls looked so beautiful and so grown up, my heart immediately squeezed when they came out in their dresses and flower crowns. 

I hope these 3 never lose this bond they have with one another.

Enjoy!

The day of the wedding arrived and there were people everywhere getting things ready, which speaks to how loved these two are. But if I wasn't sure just how loved they are, I only needed to wait and observe and listen to their family and friends talk about them. Tyler and Rachel are not only loved, but they are also respected by those that love them most.

There's many things that I'll remember about their wedding, but to name a few; There was a branding, my first at a wedding, there might have been a little damage done to Rachel's dress from a deep fryer (you handled that like a champ), There was a failed dip (not going to live that down for awhile Tyler), Rachel's Grandma was the officiate with Tyler's Grandpa coming up for the branding, just to name a few.

Tyler and Rachel, I just wanted to say thank you for letting me be part of your day. I wish you two many, many years of love and happiness! 

Wedding Venue: Fontaine Estates

Brides Dress: David's Bridal

Catering: Dedra Ruckert

Cake: Duran Aman with 'ABC Cakes' based out of New York

Flowers: Nancy Kirkley, Amy Rainville and Sandy Scott

Brides Hair & Make-up: Raina Rowberry with 'Moxie Hair and Body' based out of Bozeman, Montana

1. Boudoir is NOT Pornography

Boudoir Photography is an artistic form of photography that is meant to celebrate and embrace a woman's body. It is not meant to exploit or sexualize women. Women are stunning and incredible creations that should be celebrated. Unlike pornography, which is made to satisfy the urges of others, boudoir is meant to gain that confidence and self-love for yourself. Are there some photographers that cross that line, certainly. I am not one of them and there are many other photographers that only wish to capture beautiful works of art.

2. Why do women need to do a Boudoir session to feel empowered?

I would never presume to think that every woman needs to do a boudoir session to feel empowered or embrace themselves. Maybe there are women that are confident enough in themselves, and God love those women! Most women are so consumed with our own imperfections and flaws, we can't see what everyone else sees. Boudoir sessions are shot in a private studio/location, with only the photographer present, in judgement-free environments. This allows women to not only embrace their bodies and feel empowered, but also do something that may be a little out of their comfort zone and express ourselves in way that we don't always get to and have fun in the process.

3. If Women are naturally beautiful, why do they need to have their hair and makeup done for these sessions?

Women ARE naturally beautiful. It's not our physical beauty that make us beautiful, it's our strong spirits and beautiful souls that do. Yes, makeup and hair are part of the sessions. Not only does it give clients a little time to get pampered by an amazing team of women, but it also allows time for my team and myself to help any remaining nerves that are lingering. There's so many laughs and smiles shared while clients are getting ready.

4. Why do I have to wear lingerie?

You do NOT have to wear lingerie. I have had women wear jeans, t-shirts, tank tops and flannels and they are just as beautiful as women in lingerie.

5. I am not in shape enough, young enough....

Oh man, this one is always so tough for me to hear. No one is perfect. There's no such thing as perfection. Sure, there's women that certainly look physically perfect.. I guarantee those women will tell you something they don't like about themselves.  I always have women tell me 'someday' I will do one of those sessions. Life is so short. Embrace the body you have NOW instead of waiting for that illusive day to love yourself. LOVE YOURSELF TODAY.

6. I don't have anyone to give these images to.

Many of my sessions are booked as a gift for a significant other, and it's a great gift. That does not mean you need to have someone to give these pictures to. Allow yourself to be the person you book a session for, give yourself a gift that you will love. I promise, you won't regret it.

7. There's no point in taking photos that I will not allow the photographer to share or that I won't be able to share.

As to the first part of this statement. I would love to share every single session I shoot, but above that, I also respect my clients privacy. If you tell me you don't want anyone to see these photos, then no one will. About half the sessions I've shot have chose to not allow me to use their images, and I respect that decision. As to the second part. I do think most women assume they won't want anyone to see their photos before doing a session, but I'd put money on how many have shown not only friends, but also family once they see how beautiful their images are.

8. The packages are too expensive, I can't afford it/I can't spend that much money on photos.

I had reservations on talking about this one, only because talking about money is always an awkward conversation, at least it is for me. Boudoir sessions are more money than most sessions, but there's a lot that goes into them. The hair and makeup, a book (depending on your package) and the hours both behind a camera and computer all add up. I've tried to make my packages as affordable as possible, while still being able to also provide for my family, because it is how I make my living at the end of the day. Outside of the deposit, I don't ask for the total package price up front. You can make whatever is comfortable for you in payments, up to 1 week prior to your session date. As too it being too much money to spend on yourself, I couldn't disagree more. You deserve to give yourself this gift and it's one that you'll have forever.

When it comes down to it, there's many people that will have an opinion on boudoir photography regardless of what I say. You have to make your own decision about these sessions and whether you want to do one. I encourage any woman to talk with me or even schedule a consult to talk to me about these sessions, with no pressure to book a session. My hope and desire is only to help empower women and make them see what the world sees. 

June 3rd (10, 11:15, 12:30 booked) Location TBA

1 hour

15 edited, full-resolution images

CD with print release

11x20 Professional Print of your choice

$165

Sessions are for your immediate family only. A $50 deposit is required upon booking to hold date and time. I only run specials on family sessions twice a year, in the spring and again in the fall, so don't miss out!

Yesterday, I had a session with a gorgeous woman. This woman has actually been a client of mine for a couple years now. Not for boudoir, but I've shot her family pictures for that last couple years. She is one of those women that are naturally beautiful and have no idea how beautiful they are. There was a point during the session when she said 'I don't know how to be sexy.' I can not explain how wrong she was. Her photos are stunning! Not to mention, incredibly sexy.

As I was going through her photos, I could literally see the uncertainty slowly fade and her embracing herself. It's like that for every session I've shot. Every woman that walks in my studio has that same look of uncertainty, and she transforms into this confident woman by the end of the session. I will not take the credit for the entire transformation, but I hope that a small part of it was because I helped her get there.

I don't want people misinterpreting what it is that I'm saying. It's not about the physical appearance of these woman. Yes, I believe and hope they believe, they are beautiful, but it's beyond the physical representation of these women. I am, down to my soul, a girl power woman. I think that women are the most incredible creations. We are mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, teachers, counselors, nurses... We create and carry life, build companies, run households, and carry the entire weight of our world on our shoulders. Do not get me wrong, men have an important role in this world. Strong women need a strong man to stand by them. My husband is my biggest advocate and cheerleader for all that I am and do, and the person I lean on for support. Lord knows he puts up with such a strong-willed and stubborn woman. But I also couldn't get by without the strong support of the amazing women that I know.

I know some truly amazing women. Women that have gone through the loss of their spouse, loss of their children, pushed through years of school while working full-time and raising kids, built successful companies on their own, built up other woman for no other motive than to build them up, women that pray for everyone in their life besides themselves... The list could go on with the many hats women wear and all the strengths women possess. Through all their accomplishments and perseverance, women still hold so much self doubt and lack of self confidence. This is why I will never want to give up on these sessions, there lies my mission statement.

Boudoir is so much more than the physical beauty of women, it's about the inner strengths and pure awesomeness that is woman. Sometimes I lose this idea of why I wanted to start shooting boudoir. I forget my own accomplishments and lose my perseverance. I forget that I have accomplished to make every woman that's been in front of my camera realize how incredible she is and how beautiful she always has been. I momentarily forget my confidence and perseverance to keep pushing. I know that it will get there eventually and that's it not about the money or how many sessions I book, but about how I make the women feel that leave my studio, with the confidence that they are incredible. This is my mission statement, this is why I will never quit.

Here are some things that I loved and worked out this year:

1. I started using my 50mm lens and I will never go back...mostly. I still have love for my other lens', but I am so in love with the images I captured with my 50mm. It took me forever to put that lens on my camera and just get comfortable with it and I'm so glad I finally did!

2. I met and worked with some new, incredible clients this year and also worked with clients that have been with me since I started this crazy ride. I don't know how I get so lucky to work with such incredible people, but I really do believe I have the best clients!

3. I finally got on Instagram. I've never claimed to be up on new and current forms of social networking and I'm usually dragging my feet getting there. I will admit to how much I love Instagram though because of how much it's allowed me to connect and follow other photographers around the world!

4. I offered/included prints in some packages for sessions this year and I loved being able to give those clients not only an amazing session and images, but prints to go with it. I have so much love for the photo lab I use and they never disappoint with their products. I do have some things to figure out first, but I'm going to work this into my package details at some point this year.

5. I revamped my website and updated the work on here. I love the cleaner look and definitely needed to get more current work on there. Again, social networking is obviously not my forte and I need to work on it.

Here's a few things that I realized with last year that I need to work on/change:

1. I'm awful at blogging (this is not a new revelation). I need to work on it.

2. As much as I love giving my clients a cd with their pictures on it, nothing is more bothersome than to find out they printed at a local store and they can't figure out why the prints don't look the same as they did on the computer. I talk with most (if not all) of my clients about printing and every year, I still have clients that message me about their prints. I've said this a thousand times and I'll probably say it a thousand more. Unless you are printing at a professional printing lab, the chances of your photos turning into amazing prints is pretty slim. I give my clients a cd as part of their package purchase because I believe they paid for their photos and should be able to do with them as they choose. Having said that, please don't do me the disservice of printing at a local store and then asking me why the prints don't look like the images on your cd. I haven't figured out yet what I want to do about this dilemma, but I'm working on it.

3. I have been pretty flexible with deposits for sessions and as a result have unfortunately had more cancellations than I care to think about. Because of this, I will be more strict on deposits this year and going forward. To all of my clients that have booked and kept their session dates and times, I truly appreciate it and hate to clump you into this. However, as with anything in business, once you've set a term or condition for yourself or business and you mean to stick to it, it has to be a blanket term or condition. Please understand, I don't think my clients are untrustworthy or going to cancel, but the few have ruined it for the many :(

While there were so many other things that I loved, didn't love, worked out or were a disaster.. These are the things that stick out the most for me. I am always open to comments or questions, whether it be an opinion or just things clients would like to start seeing or have the option to choose. So let me know your thoughts!

January 14th only

3 spots are available- 10, 11:15, 12:30

Partial makeup included in price (eyes and lashes only)

1 outfit

30 minutes of shooting

Professionally printed proofs of images selected and an 8x10 enlargement

Mimosa and strawberries available

5 edited images-$150/10 edited images-$200

Bookings will take place on a first come, first served basis. A $50 non-refundable deposit, that will go towards your total, is required to hold your spot and must be payed by the 9th of January. Hair is not included in mini's. You must arrive on time with hair done and makeup finished, other than your eyes that will be done by our make-up artist. There's a room available to change into the outfit you will where for your session. A pre-session consultation is also available to talk about the session and/or help with choosing an outfit, jewelry and shoes to wear for your session. A private viewing consultation will take place after your session is edited, to select photos and your enlargement, to order and get back to you in time for Valentine's Day. You must be 21 years of age or older to book a session.

Message me for any further details and to book your session!

From the very first email I received from Brandi, I immediately liked her. She's seriously such a sweetheart and incredibly polite. This runs in her family, as her parents and siblings are also very sweet. I talked to and met Andy for the first time at their engagement session. I also immediately liked him as well, and it was obvious how over the moon he was for Brandi. He demonstrated this again and again at their wedding. Their was that phone call that I'm positive will forever be talked about among his groomsmen (you know the one Andy), and anyone that was there to witness their first look could never doubt how in love Andy is.

Andy and Brandi were married on October 1st, on a private property owned by close friends. The property was so gorgeous, with beautiful views in every direction you looked. There were also many personal touches at the wedding, not only from the couple, but from so many other people as well. Handmade signs, homemade earrings, the traditional items for the bride to have from her twin sister and many more. It's always such an amazing thing to see people come together to make the day happen for a bride and groom which also speaks to their love for the bride and groom. Andy and Brandi are most certainly loved by many people.

The wedding colors were lavender and gray. The bridesmaids wore lavender dresses with a chiffon overlay, while the groomsmen wore full gray tuxes with lavender vests. The bride and groom wrote vows which they read, both added laughter and tears to the ceremony. During the reception, the couple had a catered street taco bar, a sweets table full of all sorts of goodies, hilarious speeches and a lot of dancing and laughing. At the very end of night, they left in a vintage chevy.

Andy and Brandi, it's been such a privilege getting to know you guys and thank you for letting me capture your wedding day! Wishing you both many years of love and happiness!

But let me rewind a bit. Alina and Jose are literally two of these most polite people I've ever met and they just come off as two old souls that found each other. That's at least how I felt and continued to feel every time we met. And they had a very clear vision of their wedding and paid attention to so many details. It paid off, their wedding was gorgeous.

There were so many great and different things about their wedding, that I've never seen at another wedding. They had a mariachi band that was amazing. They bought rosaries for all of their guests, rented a bouncer for the kids and had a photo booth. The groom was flung into the air by his fraternity brothers and males guests, which was both crazy and hilarious to watch. The list could go on.

I think one of my favorite things about Alina and Jose's wedding was how much you wanted to smile or laugh or even cry with them. There was so much love for these two, not only as individuals, but as a couple. 

Jose and Alina, I just wanted to say that it was truly an honor working with you guys and I wish you both many, many years of happiness!

Family Session

1 hour/location

15 edited, full resolution images on a cd

print release for images

$165

These are the dates and locations I'll be holding the session:

October 7th @ The Arboretum- 5:00, 6:15(booked)

October 8th @ Downtown Yakima/Train Museum- 10:15, 11:20, 12:45(booked)

October 16th @ Fulbright Park- 2:30(booked), 3:45(booked)

October 21st @ Open to client- 4:30, 6:00

October 22nd @ Ahtanum Mission Park- 9 (booked), 10:15(booked), 11:30(booked)

October 23rd @ Eschbach- 3, 4:15, 5:30

October 29th @ Open to client- 9:30(booked), 11(booked)

The special only applies to immediate family only. Session dates and times will be booked on a first come, first served basis. A $50 deposit will be required to hold your date, and will go towards the session total. I will still be open to booking other sessions during September and October, but they will not be on special outside of these dates. Contact me for questions or additional information!

There were several kinks throughout the day, all weddings have kinks, they happen. But some of these kinks could have seriously put a damper in the day. Renee just kept on smiling and didn't let a single thing bother her. It was truly amazing. And Aric just jumped right in and got busy making sure everything was ready to go. 

Aric and Renee were married on June 25th at Naches Heights Vineyard. The wedding was intimate, with just family and close friends as guests. The ceremony took place on the front lawn overlooking the vineyard, while the ceremony was on the backside of the house next to the orchard. Their wedding colors were lavender and lemon yellow, which also happened to be what their wedding decor was made of, lavender flowers and the fruit lemon. 

Renee wore a beautiful gown with a lace overlay and intricate bead & jewel work and a gorgeous open back. She wore pearl earrings and multiple strand pearl necklace. Her maid of honor, Jamie, wore a single-shouldler, long lavender gown. Aric was in a charcoal grey suit and purple tie, along with his best man Gabe.  

Cider and wine were among the spirits served during the reception. There were smiles, laughs and happy tears throughout the wedding. I don't know that I've ever had such a hard time keeping my cool, as I did watching Renee and her Dad dance.

Thank you so much Aric and Renee for allowing me to be part of your special day. I wish you both many years of smiles, laughs and happy tears. 

Our original session date was cancelled do to some extreme rain we had going on at the time. I was so bummed. We had to wait for another month before we were able to do their session.

It's not really a secret how much I love Eschbach Park for sessions. There's so much to that park that I never get tired of shooting there. So when Alisha asked me where we should do their session, of course that was the first place I named.

Their little man Drake has a lot of energy, but posed for pictures like he does this everyday. Their family dog Blue also sat for a couple pictures and waited until the very end of the session to jump in the water, very considerate of her :)

Here's some pictures from their session!

Gloria's daughter, Aolani, is such a beautiful little girl. She has such an infectious laugh. She kept giving me this very skeptical look, which eventually turned into a laugh. She does have that skeptical look down though :)

I had such a great time shooting Gloria and Aolani and their tulle skirts! Here's a few pictures from their session.

$125- 30 minutes, 5 images, 1 outfit and 4x6 prints of images chosen

$200- 1 hour, 10 images, 2 outfits and 5x7 prints of images chosen

Beverage & strawberries

Private viewing

Images placed on cd w/ print release

I will only be opening 2 spots for each day and spots will be booked on first come, first served basis. Because there's limited spots, I will be asking for a deposit to hold day and time. All sessions will take place before 12 and time will be determined by the sessions scheduled.

We shot their pictures on their property and the surrounding area. Talk about a photographers dream location. Entering their property, you have to cross this amazing wooden bridge. They have this field right next to their house, with overgrown grass and is surrounded by orchard. Across the street is a small canyon with an abandoned structure. Like I said, this is stuff this photographer gets very excited about. Their whole property though was really just gorgeous.

I haven't seen Avalene in a year, and it's just crazy how big she got. And just the sweetest little girl. She grabbed my hand several times whenever we walked to a new spot, just melted my heart. And then she started doing yoga with Kari, it was seriously the cutest thing ever!

Here's some pictures from this gorgeous family session!

Here's the thing about me. I don't consider myself a sexy person by any means. I'm a Mom, and let's face it, there's not much glamour behind motherhood. Most days I'm lucky to take a 5 second shower without one of my kids walking in on me. Forget actually doing my hair and make-up everyday, that just doesn't happen. There's a solid chance any outfit I wear will end up with snot, food or dog hair on it at some point in the day. That's just how my life is, it's pretty hard to feel sexy at the end of my day. So how was I going to muster up enough 'sexiness' to do my own session? Queue kickboxing themed session.

Any one that knows me, knows I'm kind of obsessed with kickboxing. I've kickboxed for a little over 10 years now and I love it. It is the one thing that I truly do for me and no one else. And, I guess to put it in a word, it makes me feel sexy. It's such a powerful workout and there's so many things I've gained since I started kickboxing and confidence is one of those things. It only made sense to me, to do a boudoir session that was kickboxing themed. 

So, there I was in my dirty garage, doing a kickboxing themed boudoir session. When my session first started, it was easy, because I was just kickboxing. I wanted the session to be hard and tough to start, to really capture what I do when I kickbox. It wasn't until the second half of my session that I started feeling awkward and nervous. I ask women to do this for their sessions, so what was my problem? It was right there at the back of my mind the whole time, my insecurities with my own body. I'm a Mom. I have 4 beautiful kids. And I have stretch marks from bearing those 4 beautiful kids.

I have come to accept the marks on my body from carrying my kids. Most Moms carry these same marks. There's some very lucky Moms that don't, and I fully admit to how much I envy them. Don't misunderstand me, I would never take away carrying my kids and receiving those marks. I would do it a million times again to have my children. It's why I've accepted it. It's physical proof of this miraculous and amazing thing a woman's body can do. It really is a beautiful thing what our bodies are capable of ladies. Still, knowing and telling myself all of this, the insecurities are there.

I could have edited my stretch marks out. But this was my opportunity to speak to every woman out there, and have it come from a real place. I understand how insecurities can stop you from doing a session. I understand that you think you aren't pretty enough, or skinny enough, or in shape enough to do a session. Let me say this, as nervous as I was about doing my own session and posting them for the world to see, I'm glad that I did. These photos may not make sense to someone else, but they made me feel beautiful and powerful. We are all beautiful in our own way. We are imperfectly perfect.

If you take anything from this post, my hope is it's this. These sessions can be anything you want them to be. Make this session about you, about what makes you feel beautiful. And don't let your own insecurities stop you from doing a session, or anything for that matter. You have one life. You ARE beautiful. Your age, size, imperfections do not change that.

I also wanted to say a big thank you to Cassandra Watterson for not only taking the pictures, but also being so patient with me :)

Along with the contract my clients receive, they also receive a model release form. This form has everything to do with the privacy of your photos and how far you'd like that privacy to extend. The very first option on that form is "Please keep my images private, do not share with anyone." If my client checks that first option, I will not use a single one of their images for promotion, publication, advertising, etc. I completely understand how private and intimate these images are and I completely respect if you choose for me not to use them.

Other options on the form extend to being able to choose which images I use, using them for social network promotion or using only printed copies in my portfolios. As excited as I am about doing this work, I would never abuse my clients trust in me to keep them private. These are their photos, they get to choose if/how I use them.

The photos I've used for social media sites and my portfolio are from clients that have given me permission to use them. I am very grateful, as it allows me to show everyone the work that myself and my team do. But I completely respect those clients that choose to keep them private as well. If you ever have any questions about this, please feel free to ask me!

Any photographer that you hire is going to have a thorough contract that comes with hiring them. Just as a side note, I'd actually be concerned if you don't receive a contract of some sort from a photographer. Contracts not only protect the photographer, but they also protect what you're investing in. Verbal agreements mean very little at the end of the day. 

I try to always make it a habit to give clients an opportunity to go over their contracts or at least make sure they read through it. You never want to get into that conversation with a client where you state something is in the contract and they have no idea what you're talking about. More than that, I want them to ask me questions about the contract.

I'll admit to being guilty of 'skimming' through contracts without actually having a clue to what is in it. There can be a lot of confusing talk in contracts, or terms that you don't even think apply to you. There's quite a few lines in my own contract that clients question, "The photographer(s) shall not be held liable for any and all injury to the client(s) during the course of the session and the immediate surrounding events." Seems like an odd term to have in a photography contract, or at least I get asked about it often.

Do yourself and your photographer a favor, read through your contract, ask lots of questions. Know exactly what you are getting with your session, ask specific questions about that as well. How many pictures are you getting? What are the costs for additional images? Do you get your images on a cd/zip drive? Are there restrictions on printing? What are the costs for enlargements through the photographer? Do you get a print release? These are just some of the many questions you should be asking your photographer.

Most photographers are going to be upfront in their contracts about what you are getting. Most are going to assume that you read through your contract as well.

I started noticing over the last several months, many local photographers are no longer offering cds as part of their session packages. At first, I didn't agree with it. I think it's part of the benefit to a client, offering their pictures on a cd so they can print however many prints they want, where they want. But there lies the problem. It's where clients decide to do their prints.

It's mostly a convenience thing, I'll admit, I'm guilty of it too. You need prints to hand out to family members or you just want to get some up on the wall before your friends come over for dinner. So you go to your local Walgreens and get them printed. But when you get them back, you realize they don't look as good as the ones you saw the photographer post as a sneak peek or the ones you previewed on your cd before taking them in?!

This is what gets me about this scenario. Why would you spend hundreds of dollars on a session, to then turn around and spend pennies on your prints? Now, if and when photographers give you a cd with your session, it is your decision to print the photos wherever you'd like. That's really the benefit of getting a cd. But, I still ask, why spend so much money on getting the pictures done if you don't want to at least get them printed at a quality printing company as well?!

This is exactly why so many photographers are not offering cds anymore or why you have to print directly through the photographer. There's nothing more frustrating as a photographer, to spend so much time and effort into a session for a client, to then hear or see they printed at some local store. Pro print labs color match and check for the quality of the print, that's their job. Local stores, your neighborhood Walgreens, they don't do that.

I haven't completely jumped on the bandwagon yet, and decided to get rid of cds, but I can definitely understood others reasoning for doing so. Do yourself, and your photographer a favor. Ask them where they'd recommend printing or do some research on your own. There's tons of labs out there that do a great job printing and you'll get back the beautiful photos you spend good money on.

Matt and Julie were married October 3rd at Fontaine Estates Winery in Naches. The weather really couldn't have been more perfect, not too hot and not too cold. The wedding colors were coral, navy blue and silver. The theme of the wedding felt very vintage with some little corky twists. The guys wore gray suits, Matt wore navy, with Converse sneakers. The girls wore different designs of long navy blue dress and necklaces that Julie made herself. Julie's dress was so stunning. She wore flat ballet slippers, pearl earrings and a single pearl necklace.

The ceremony took place just as the sun was starting to set. Matt and Julie also exchanged vows they wrote. It was sealed with a kiss and a fist pump in the air by Matt, who then gestured to his gorgeous bride like he was saying 'look at MY gorgeous bride'.

The ceremony then transitioned into the reception where there were many speeches, cake-cutting, the shoe-game and a lot of dancing. The wedding party, family and guests were happy and ready to celebrate the newlyweds. And they did just that.

Matt and Julie, I just want to say what a pleasure it was working with you and we wish you two the very best for the future!

From now until December 31st, I'll be running an introductory price on our 'Lovely little package'. The date of your session does not have to take place before December 31st, it only needs to be booked before December 31st. As much as I think this is a wonderful gift for yourself, it's also an amazing gift for that special someone! Lock in that introductory price while it's here, contact me to book! Here's the session details:

Lovely little package

1.5 hours of hair & make-up

1.5 hours of shooting

3 outfit changes

Private viewing consultation

10 edited images on cd-rom with print release

$350

About a year ago, my best friend and I were talking about my work. I was telling her how much fun I thought Boudoir Photography would be to shoot. My friend was newly engaged and getting ready to be married in a few months. She asked if I would shoot a boudoir session for her as a gift for her fiancee. I was hesitant at first because I'd never shot a boudoir session, but I thought 'why not'. I discovered two things that day, I had more fun than I thought possible shooting her but also that I was very good at it. That's a big statement for me. I am and always will be that person and photographer that wants to do better than the last time I shot a session and strives to find the things I can get better at. But I walked out from shooting her boudoir session feeling like I  could not have done anything better and that I nailed it. Editing her pictures only confirmed that feeling.

So that got my wheels turning, could this be a session I offered? I started researching Boudoir Photography and it's a growing field for photographers. It was a very popular form of photography years ago, but dwindled after time and is now coming back with a vengeance. The hardest part about selling this type of photography is that it's a very intimate and private session that many woman aren't comfortable doing because of insecurities with themselves. But also, there's this aura about boudoir that it's a dirty or tasteless type of photography. I'd like to touch on both of these.

While there are some photographers that take boudoir to a tasteless level, it's not somewhere I'd take my work. There's so much work out there that is just simply breathtaking and beautiful. The boudoir sessions I'm speaking of look like art and not just a pretty picture. That's what I want my work to be considered as, art. The kind of photos you can show anyone, that you'll want to show everyone.

Now I needed to figure out how I was going to convince woman to want to do these sessions. How do you help a woman look past her insecurities? Here's the thing, every woman I've ever met is insecure about something on her body. Which is the very reason why you should do a boudoir session. Our imperfections are what make us unique and perfect in our own way. Celebrating who you are right now, that's what these sessions are about. I want every woman to walk away from my sessions and feel empowered by her own beauty. To feel as beautiful on the outside as you are on the inside.

So now I had this idea, but that's all it was, an idea. Boudoir Photography isn't a service you can find in Yakima, at least not the way I wanted to shoot boudoir. You can go to Seattle or Tri-Cities and find it there, but it's pretty unheard of here. So how do you sell something that's not widely known, or possibly  unaccepted, in your town. Well, first you find a great team. 

I started with my make-up artist, Erika Boutillier. I had seen and heard about her work as an esthetician. She was my first and most obvious choice. I can't tell you how nervous I was trying to sell an idea to someone I only barely knew at the time, and persuade her into putting faith and time into me and my idea. I can tell you with complete honesty, that even after she said yes, it was just as nerve racking when I met with my two hair-stylists Mandy Thornton and Daisy Carrillo. These ladies are amazing at what they do and have an ability to make woman feel comfortable and beautiful. I have no doubt in my mind that I picked the right women to work with me on these sessions.

Next was shooting test sessions. Boudoir photography is a very private, intimate session. Most people do these sessions with the comfort of knowing that only the photographer, significant other and themselves will be the only people to see their photos. Finding people that were comfortable with me using their photos for advertising would be tricky. I've been very fortunate to find people that let me do just that.

There's the history on this idea I had a year ago. There are no words for me to explain how very excited I am to see this idea come to life. I have always loved photography for as long as I can remember and have been shooting portrait photography for years now. Being able to offer a session that will be so empowering and personally beautiful to the woman that choose to do it, that is something I am very passionate about.

With this being a very new session I offer, I'm still working on getting the information up on my website. I promise to have information up very soon, but in the meantime I welcome and ask you to send me any inquiries you have about these sessions.

Family Session Details:

1 hour/1 location

10 edited proofs

Digital proofs on a cd w/ print release

$150

The special will run until September 30th. In order to book and hold your session date, a $50 deposit must be paid. The special is for regular family sessions only.

1. Where are you the pictures taking place?

You're probably wondering why the place you're taking your picture matters, let me explain. If you're taking pictures in the snow, the last thing you'll want to wear is white. Are you taking pictures in the woods, where you can only see green and brown for miles? You probably don't want to wear green or brown. Understanding your location and finding colors that will stand out from the backdrop is really important. The last thing you'd want to see when you get your pictures back is that you blended in with your surroundings.

2. Does the color compliment you and/or compliment your personal style?

This is a tricky one to answer. I love color in pictures! Bright, fun, bold, vibrant color. I don't necessarily mean neon pink or yellow. I just mean I like color, maroons, reds, yellows, blues.. The key is to know what looks good on you and be honest with yourself if it does not. I love the color coral, I think it's such a beautiful color in pictures. It absolutely drowns me out and makes me look severely pale (or more pale). In turn, magenta is a very complimenting color for me, but it's not a color I would choose for myself. Which leads me to my next question. Does it compliment your personal style? I've read several articles on this very subject and many tell you to simply look around your house to know what your style is. I thought it was odd the first time I read it. But I did just that and discovered that I do indeed have colors in my house that I tend to gravitate towards. If all else fails and you can not figure out what colors you'd like to go with, simply look around your home to see what colors compliment your style :)

3. Is it comfortable?

I am constantly telling my clients this. Make sure you are comfortable in what you're wearing. If you don't wear heels on a regular basis and decide to throw some on for your pictures, I will be able to tell that you are uncomfortable, and it will show in your pictures. If your husband and boys don't wear jackets and ties on some sort of regular basis, you should probably skip having them wear it for photos. They will be grumpy and irritable for having to wear something they're not comfortable in. If you are self-conscious in any way with what you're wearing, it will show in pictures and you will have an overall bad experience with your family pictures. Now following up with that, that does not mean show up in your sweats and t-shirt. Dressing up your everyday style is key.

Let's talk about some do-nots now.

4. The Do-not list

-Don't match your colors, coordinate them. Don't have everyone in your family wearing white shirt with blue jeans. Coordinate yours colors instead. Find a color, or a piece of an outfit, that you want and start from there. My general rule is you should have at least 3 colors in your clothes that coordinate with one another.  If it's a navy blue dress and you also like yellow and gray, run with that theme. Have your daughter wear a yellow top, with gray pants and your son wear a gray shirt with blue jeans. You then can throw in that great yellow necklace with your navy blue dress and your husband can wear a blue shirt with gray slacks. Don't match, coordinate. Now let me throw you for a loop after all that. Sometimes all matching colors will work if you have a specific idea in mind. For example, I had a couple that wanted a picture with their family in front of a muscle car. They were all wearing black with sunglasses and the picture totally worked.

-Do not wear distracting clothing. Patterns are great, unless they're too distracting. Is it just a crazy distracting pattern on your wardrobe, will it distract from the rest of the picture and everyone else in it?

-Characters are a big no and can immediately take your photos from being classy to just awful. I know I said to be comfortable, but your kids can spend 1 hour not wearing their favorite Frozen and Iron Man shirt.

-Sneakers...this is a tricky one. I've shot photos before with senior boys that have worn sneakers and it works. Family photos though, it just doesn't usually work. You be the judge, does the general look of your family get brought down by those sneakers?

-White...this is a tricky color. White can look very clean and nice for pictures. The trick with white is you have to add a little something with it or it just looks plain. Throw a jack over it, a bright necklace, something.

-Last, but not least, plaid. I almost always put my boys in plaid for our pictures. It can work as long as there's not too much plaid. Combine it with solid colors on some family members that tie it in with the plaid shirts.

Hopefully this was helpful to answer that all too stressful question of what to wear/what not to wear!

The first meeting we had with Jonathan and Amber, I remember asking if there are any photos in particular that they either want or don't want to take place. Jonathan immediately said, "I don't like sun shots," I believe his words were, they're corny or lame. This is where we queue the portfolio and what should be on the very first page but a sun shot! It really was pretty funny and continued to be a joke every time we saw each other.

The day of their wedding, it was a beautiful, sunny, but quite hot. The venue was Spring Creek Homestead. I've shot many weddings over the years at this venue, but theirs was the first one I got to shoot down by the water. By the time the ceremony started, that area was completely covered in shade, which was nice for the guests on such a hot day.

Amber and Jonathan did most of the setting up themselves, with the help from family and friends. Amber did her own makeup and hair, which I thought was perfect. Amber is just one of those naturally beautiful people and needs nothing done to look good. Her dress was just as I would have expected, just very simple, but absolutely stunning at the same time. Don't even get me started on her shoes, they were amazing!

Jonathan and his groomsmen were very laid back and chummy with each other. Jonathan had said early on he's awful at fake posing, it has to be natural. So I asked the boys to just act as they would if they weren't taking pictures and they all threw their arms around each other, it was perfect.

Jonathans' Dad was the officiant for the ceremony, he did such a wonderful job explaining Jonathan and Ambers journey to that day. There was laughter and happy tears alike.

The ceremony transitioned easily into the reception. There was a dance off between Jonathan and a guest which was extremely entertaining! They also played the shoe game, which is always fun to watch. Eventually, a group made their way to the back patio to light up some cigars. Everything was very easy going and fun, which I think describes Amber and Jonathan very well.

Amber and Jonathan, I just want to say what a pleasure it was working with you two. You guys are ridiculously photogenic and so easy to work with. I wish you the very best for the future and hope I get to work with you again!

The day of the wedding was a record breaking hot day, 108 degrees as a matter of fact. The ceremony and reception took place at Fontaine Estates Winery in Naches. The owners of the venue brought in these huge swamp coolers to try and beat the heat, but nothing was really helping that day. As a wedding photographer, you work with a lot of people on a wedding day, and unfortunately the people are not always cooperative. This day could very easily have turned into that because of the heat. Every single person involved in this wedding were absolutely amazing to work with! I think it speaks volumes for the love and respect that everyone had for Jason and Amy to have not complained about the amount of time it took to do pictures, everyone was happy and smiling and laughing.

The wedding had a very fun, country theme to it. There were games for kids to play, and candy galore. The girls wore varying colors of coral and cowgirl boots, and carried sunflowers. The boys wore wrangler jeans with button up shirts and vests, and later during the the reception, came the cowboy hats. Amy looked like a country queen, right down to her cowgirl boots. 

Jason and Amy have 4 boys together. Amy is severely outnumbered at home, but something tells me that she holds her own with the boys. Jason and Amy's families were very much at ease with each other and with the bride and groom. Almost like they were already family before the wedding even took place.

By the time the ceremony came around, it started to feel comfortable outside, or maybe we just got used to the heat at that point. They were many happy tears shed during the ceremony. As Jason went to kiss his bride, the bridesmaids cracked a beer in celebration of the new Mr & Mrs!

The reception begin without a hitch. The wedding party and guests danced, despite the heat outside. I think it was pretty clear that everyone was ready to celebrate Jason & Amy.

Jason and Amy, I would just like to tell you how much I enjoyed working with you guys and thank you for letting me be part of your day!

The day of their wedding was very warm, very bright sunny day. The ceremony and reception took place at Fontaine Estates Winery in Naches. The venue looked amazing with all the little details that Mikal and Shorty added, it had a very vintage vibe about it. The beads and lace work on Mikals dress told that story as well. She looked absolutely gorgeous! Shorty looked very dapper as well.

The entire day had a sense of 'finally' about it. The bridal party and guests alike, were so happy to see these two married. We heard just that during the speeches made by much of the bridal party and some family members of the couple. There was a lot of love from both sides of their family for the bride and groom, so many happy tears were spilt throughout the day.

Shorty and Mikal, it was such a privilege being part of your day and watching you start the next chapter in your lives!

Now that I've painted this awful picture for you about weddings and a photographers job, let me tell you all the wonderful things about capturing weddings. We are the people that get to be there and see both the bride and groom soak in the love and excitement, the tears and laughter, with family and friends as they prepare for the day. We get to capture the moment the bride puts on her wedding dress and feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. We get to be there as the groom sits with his groomsmen talking and laughing about old and new adventures. When father of the bride sees his daughter for the woman she now is. The look on the grooms face when he sees his bride for the first time. The kiss that seals their vows. The father/daughter dance. The mother/son dance. I could go on and on about the privilages we're allowed to capture on our clients wedding day, but it would take far too long.

Weddings are no doubt long, exhausting days and the weeks that follow are full of editing and second-guessing. But, then you'll get to that one picture that you could not be more proud of and you can't wait for your clients to see. To know that your images will be something for your clients to look back on for years to come, to smile and cry about, to hang on their wall. That is truly an unbelievable feeling. So, my answer to the guest that asked if it's hard to shoot weddings, no sir. It's both my job and my privilege.

Here's a pic from each wedding I shot over the last 3 weeks!