Hiking with the Halls

Only in Seattle does hiking in 50 degree weather seem apealing. However, a rain free day in January found Derek and I on our first hike of 2010 with the Hall family. We headed up to Cougar Mountain with the dog, some water and a camera. The hike itself was fairly easy ( we didn’t want to start out too difficult!), but hiking while taking pictures is a bit more of a challenge! I had to either run ahead or lag behind and then run to catch up with everyone. It was worth it, though, I got some great shots. Maybe next time we’ll get to see some wildlife (besides Rod!).

Sibling Portraits

For Christmas, I love nothing better than to share my love of photography with my family. What better way to do that then to arrange sibling portraits for Derek and my parents?! On a chilly (we’re talking blue lips kind of chilly) day in December, Derek and I met our siblings at a Centennial Park in Snoqualmie, WA.

Here are some of the photos from that shoot! Keep in mind that this site seems to mute the colors of my pictures. If anyone has any tips for fixing that, please let me know!

Thanks to Lyndsey Watson for taking a few pictures of Derek and I together!

Washington’s 4A State Champions

Saturday, December 5, 2009 is a day that will remain with most of the Skyline Spartans. For the seniors, it is not only the day they won the state championship, but the last football game of their high school career. I could feel the excitement, tension, and passion in the air at the Tacoma Dome. Photographing such an event made me feel like I was back in high school (and not only because the staff wouldn’t let me near the field and told me to go sit with my friends in the stands). Watching the game from behind the lens, I truly felt a part of this Skyline team. It was a great experience to capture such a momentous time in this players’ lives.

To view all of the photos from this even tplease visit Pictage!

The “Camping” Cupcake

There is something amazing about photographing food. It doesn’t move, or smile, or light up, but it is enticing nonetheless. I love that you can set the scene and tell a story about food. I love that it can be beautiful not just something to nourish our bodies. So for this endeavour in the kitchen I made the S’more Cupcake, from my favorite cupcake book, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.

When I made these cupcakes, I knew that I had to share them with the McGarvey Family (see previous post). They all gave this cupcake two thumbs up (but don’t tell the kids its “vegan”!)

The McGarvey Family

Last week Derek and I were able to work with the McGarvey children. It was amazing watching (from behind the lens) Jake, Alec, Luke, and Brynn interact with one another. As they played, I could see the love and spirit of this family.

Thank you, Jim and Linda, for letting me work with your beautiful children!

McGarvey Family – Sneak Peek

This past weekend I had the opportunity to work with four of my favorite kids – Jake, Alec, Luke, and Brynn! Despite the rain we found a few great spots that really showcased each child’s beautiful smile and personality.

Here are a couple shots from the shoot. The rest should be up next week, so be sure to check back!

 

Elle at One Month

Here are the pictures, as promised, of Elle at one month old! It is amazing to see how much she has already grown and changed since this photo shoot took place. I can’t wait to take more pictures to document this little one’s growth!

Even though Elle slept much of the shoot, she did wake up for mommy and daddy!

 

But the yawns still took over once in a while…

Elle – Sneak Peek

Elle holds a place near and dear to my heart. As the daughter of one of my closest friends, I feel as if she’s a part of my family. So when her parents allowed me in their home with a camera, I was not only thrilled, but honored.

Photographing Elle was an event!  At one month old, she wasn’t too excited about the strange contraption I kept putting in her face. She also thought napping was more fun than keeping her beautiful eyes open. I was able to get some great shots of this cutie before she decided that enough was enough.

Here is a preview from the shoot!

Weddings with Gerald Pope Photography – Part I

I was given the amazing opportunity to assist Airika and Gerald Pope, of Gerald Pope Photography. I spent three full Saturdays working with Gerald and Airka while they shot three beautiful weddings. Each wedding was unique and fitting to the bride that had planned it. I was lucky enough to not only help the photgraphers, but I was able to shoot at various times during each wedding!

Gerald and Airika served as wonderful mentors. It was eye opening being on the other side of things – Gerald and Airika not only photographed my wedding in 2007, but they recently shot my best friend’s wedding last August. Thank you, Gerald and Airika, for the wonderful experience.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the third wedding. (These pictures are shot by Neyssa Lee for Gerald Pope Photography.)

Vegan Double Chocolate Cupcakes

Who doesn’t love chocolate? For Derek and I, cupcakes are the perfect dessert. They are single serving, yet don’t leave you feeling unsatisfied. This past weekend we made some Double Chocolate Cupcakes, and I decided to take a few pictures to show you that Vegan cupcakes look just as good, if not better, than regular ones! This recipe features bourbon, cocoa powder and melted chocolate in the batter, and a rich chocolate frosting to top off  this perfect little treat! Shooting the cupcakes was fun, except hard to not eat them right away! Brianna, a friend, ended up taking a bite, saying that it was better to show off the cupcake! I also made Derek slowly eat one while I photographed him. I tried to drag out the process as long as possible, just to give him a hard time!

Try not to drool over these amazing cupcakes!