Essential Stuff

No, spring hasn’t sprung in Spokane.  Still snow on the ground.  I’m just going trough all my old files from the summer and came across Amanda and Dayln’s engagement portrait session, and I thought I’d post a few here.  It was a great session, mostly because of Amanda and Dayln.  They wanted something outdoorsy, not too formal, casual, warm, comfortable.  Much like they are themselves.  So we chose Plante’s Ferry Park in Spokane Valley.

They were absolutely delightful.  There was no awkwardness in front of the camera, no nervousness, nothing uncomfortable about their expression of delight in each other.  They laughed, joked, hugged, kissed, carried each other around on their backs, and laughed some more.  I really didn’t have to give any instructions at all.  I just stayed back and shot away.

Eventually, around sunset, we headed out for some train tracks.  We don’t think we broke any laws getting there (we jumped no fences and it wasn’t a BNSF rail  road).  And we lucked into a spectacular sunset.  Delightful redheads, these two are.  And their engagement session was one of the highlights of last summer.  There are a few more photographs for the engagement session in this gallery.

It’s always fun to stay in touch with “my” brides and grooms, which is one reason I love facebook (go and become a friend!). I can see the people, whose most important day I was lucky enough to be a part of, as they go through schools, start careers, and begin families.

I got back in touch with Mirna and Christopher Katke via facebook, and have seen pictures of their marvelous daughter Isabella.  I was super-glad when they asked me to do some family portraits for them, which we did over the course of a couple days at Manito Park.  I think, in an ideal world, Mirna and Christopher maybe would have preferred that Isabella be a little more cooperative, but if I were not yet two, I’d be more interested in the ducks than pictures, too.

This is Aaliyah.  She was born on February 16, and these pictures were taken ten days later.  At the beginning of the shoot, she was tired, but wide-eyed, and she clearly didn’t want to sleep.  There was too much world around her, too many sounds and sights, and that strange man with the big camera was something new and peculiar, too.  I rubbed her back a little bit (which  took me back about 6 years and 8 months) and she eventually fell into dreaming.

Here is a short slide show of photographs of beautiful baby Aaliyah.

This is Matt.  I did senior pictures with him and just had a great time.  His mom had described him as “very thoughtful, introspective, intelligent, philosophical, a musician and an artist.”  I didn’t spend enough time with him to verify all those things, but from what I DID learn about him, it all seems to be true.  Though I might add that with that killer smile, he might also be a bit of a heartbreaker.

Here is a little gallery of some of my favorite pictures from the senior portrait session.

I had photographed Brenda and Brian’s wedding several years ago in the absolutely beautiful Ft. Sherman Chapel in Coeur d’Alene. So when they called wondering if I would do some family portraits with them, I glad happy to do it; it is always fun to talk with couples again whose weddings I have photographed. They also scouted out a great location, on a remote little beach on Coeur d’Alene Lake. Good stuff.

Oh, and their daughter is adorable.

When doing engagement pictures, I tell couples to choose a location that has significance for them–something that is personal and unique. When I made this suggestion to Alyssa, little did I know that she is engaged to a basketball player at Washington State University. But indeed, she is. And she and Caleb thought it would be a great idea to do their engagement pictures at center court at Beasley Coliseum. I couldn’t have agreed more!

So, one day after Caleb and the Cougs beat Stanford in Pullman, I drove down and did their pictures. It was a blast. The gym was beautiful, and Alyssa and Caleb couldn’t be nicer. I’m really looking forward to shooting their wedding this summer, and in the meantime, I’ll be watching Cougar games with quite a bit more interest.

So after Kelsey and Doug’s wedding–after the ceremony had ended and the portraits were done–the newlyweds and their families stood around outside the church, talking, joking, celebrating. While I was taking pictures, I found myself smiling. I enjoyed watching Kelsey and Doug interact. They had an easy, playful manner along with a clear affection. It occurred to me that they would be perfect for an idea I had been thinking about for a while: a “trash the dress” shoot.

So on a whim, I asked Kelsey if she had any plans for the dress. She said she didn’t. They were about to run off to their reception, then honeymoon, but I said I’d email them a proposal.

When they arrived back from their Hawaiian honeymoon, jetlagged, she wrote back (at 1:40 AM!), eager to give it a try. They were as excited about the idea as I was and were game for whatever I suggested.

So a week later we headed out for Bear Lake, north of Spokane, at around 6:30 in the morning. We shared the lake with a fisherman or two and many singing red-winged blackbirds. Kelsy, Doug and I all went into the lake–not as cold as we feared–and we had a great time (photographic proof here). I know that sounds like a standard line, but it was an experience that I’ll carry with me for a long time, and every one of my memories will be happy ones.