Parker | Class of 2017 Yearbook Portrait

When it hits mid-summer, I start thinking about senior portraits! I love working with teens on their yearbook portrait. It is a chance for me to work one-on-one with a client to build a portfolio of images that reflects a who they are at that moment of time.

It has been more years than I care to acknowledge, but I remember the excitement of senior year. I enjoy change, so the idea of ending one chapter and starting a new one was so thrilling. It was a chance to build memories with old friends and the opportunity to meet new friends.

When I look at my senior portraits and my yearbook portrait, I am instantly taken back to this fun–and brief–moment in my life. I think about the fun we had at football games, early morning zero-hour classes, goofing around between classes, and pulling pranks on favorite teachers.

My hope is that when Parker looks back on his senior portraits and his yearbook portrait, he too will remember all of the joy of this special time.

When I met Parker, he was finishing his senior year at La Salle High School. Parker was a varsity athlete and spent his hours after school training and getting ready for playing football next year at Cal. While the Duck in me felt a bit of rivalry, it was quickly trumped by the contagious joy this young man exudes. To say his future is bright is an understatement.

During our session, I enjoyed learning more about Parker’s future goals and what he wants to do over the next 1-4 years. In such a short time, I could tell he is ambitious, has a strong head on his shoulders and knows what he wants from life. He is also a laid-back teen that easily makes friends with those he meets.

One of the things that really made Parker’s session special was his desire to include his Dad’s spirit in to the portraits. While his father is no longer with us, Parker honored him by including his truck and his letterman’s jacket as a special tribute. I get goosebumps when I look at those images.

I am confident Parker will go far in life. And even though I’m a Duck, I look forward to cheering Parker on when a Cal game is on TV…

  • senior portraits | yearbook portrait | Acorn Studios

Christian & Miranda | University of Oregon Graduation Portraits

It is always such an honor when clients return to the studio for additional photos. I enjoy catching up with my clients and finding out what has happened in their lives since we last worked together. When Christian contacted me about some photos, I was so excited. About five years ago, I had the honor of working with Christian on his high school senior photos. We had a lot of fun shooting on location and got some great photos to document the milestone in his life. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago when Christian reached out to me again with a new milestone to document: University of Oregon Graduation.

Christian wanted to set up a photo shoot to remember this important time in his life. He brought his gorgeous girlfriend, Miranda, with him. Both are graduating from the University of Oregon this month and they are so excited to start their careers.

For Christian, graduating from the University of Oregon was particularly exciting. Not only did he earn his Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy, but he is also the first member of his family to graduate from a four-year university! He is very proud of his achievement and was excited to share it with his family and friends.

Lovely Miranda is graduating with her Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish. Wow! This bi-lingual beauty is dedicated student and dancer. So it was fun to try to work her pointe shoes into a couple of her photos.

These two are amazing human beings. I enjoyed spending the afternoon with them, catching up / getting acquainted and finding out what the future has in store now that their University of Oregon days are over. I am so proud to know them both and it is very clear they will go far in life. They have accomplished so much already.

And from one University of Oregon Duck to another, GO DUCKS!

  • University of Oregon Graduation Photos | Acorn Studios

Ian & Erin’s Anderson Lodge Wedding

September in the Pacific Northwest is typically glorious. It is warm, sunny and still predictable, and a lot of couples choose it as a wedding month for a reason. On the rare occasion the Indian Summer doesn’t show up, a couple still can have an incredible day to remember. Just ask Ian and Erin. Their Anderson Lodge wedding had to go to Plan B due to rain, but the day was still amazing and just as it should be.

When I met Ian and Erin for the first time, I was blown away by how much fun this couple is. Ian is crazy funny and light hearted and Erin is his perfect match. She rolls her eyes at his jokes and laughs them off. They could not be better suited for each other. As soon as Ian told me his phone number–which is a vanity number that includes the digits “DIAL IAN”–I knew I had to be a part of this couple’s day.

A bit of rain didn’t dampen this couple’s wedding day at all. Sure, they had to go to Plan B and move the festivities indoors at Anderson Lodge. But it was still romantic, heartfelt and sweet. The couple decided to forego a “first look” and instead opted for a more traditional approach–seeing each other for the first time during the ceremony. Ian was so expressive and emotional that it was hard not to have your heart skip a beat.

The ceremony was performed by the groom’s father, which meant the service was incredibly personal. He gave snippets on the couple, their personalities and their future. Guests traveled from across the country to be with the couple. Since Ian and Erin had fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest, they wanted to share that love with their closest loved ones. Seeing this level of support–so many that had made the journey–was incredible.

After the ceremony, the party moved next door to the main building of Anderson Lodge where the guests were treated to an amazing buffet dinner and cakes by Portland’s Baker and Spice. Ian and Erin also had a little surprise in store for the groom’s unsuspecting parents who were celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary that same day. When it was time for the newlywed’s to cut their cake, they invited Ian’s parents to join them to cut a special anniversary cake made just for them.

After dinner, toasts and cake, the party really got swinging–literally! What Ian and Erin failed to tell me when we first met is that they (and their friends!) are swing dancers! Like competition level dancers! Wow! A live band belted out swing classics and the dance floor was quickly packed with young and old. Ladies and dresses were flying and men were gliding across the dance floor. It was probably the most exciting dance party I’ve ever been to. It was so much fun!

Ian and Erin have since relocated out of the Pacific Northwest after their Anderson Lodge wedding, but they’ve made a lasting impression with me! I wish them all the best on their next adventure!

 

  • Oregon Wedding Photographer Acorn Studios

Bobby & Amanda’s Melrose Vineyards Wedding

I have been Portland-based for 18 years now. As much as I love city-life, there is still a bit of farm girl in me. So when I get to travel home to Southern Oregon for a wedding, I get so incredibly excited. It is a twofer! I get to go to an amazing wedding in a gorgeous part of the country and I get in a long-overdue visit home. So when Amanda contacted me almost three years ago about booking me (sight/meeting unseen) for her Melrose Vineyards wedding, I was ecstatic!

Melrose Vineyards is an Umpqua Valley vineyard just outside of Roseburg, Oregon. This working vineyard produces great wine in a gorgeous environment. If you haven’t been to this part of the world, GO NOW. It truly is God’s country (and that is not even speaking from my bias!).

When Amanda and I first starting talking about her wedding, over two years before the big day, I was excited to see what was planned. Amanda was incredibly organized and was very detailed about what she likes and wants–a fantastic bride in my opinion!

She and Bobby are both in the medical field and have very intense jobs. This day was meant to be a fun celebration where their friends and family could laugh, eat, drink and be merry. The couple did an outstanding job making sure people were having a great time and that the party reflected their fun-loving personalities.

The ceremony started with the bride walking part of the “aisle” with each of the groomsmen. It was probably one of the most beautiful walks I have ever seen. Down a rolling green hill and with each gentleman blessing the union along the way.

The couple were married in the shade of a large oak tree. They skipped the traditional candle lighting or sand ceremony and instead did an emotional wine ceremony that was fitting for the location. Friends and family celebrated the couple’s “I do’s” under the August sun.

Guests were treated to a beautiful buffet dinner and cake. A photo booth kept guests entertained. Then Mike’s Mobile DJ really got the party started with dancing, games and a whole lot of fun.

Bobby and Amanda’s Melrose Vineyards wedding was such an incredible celebration of love and friendship. I was so blessed to be a part of their day.

  • Bobby & Amanda | Melrose Vineyards Wedding | Acorn Studios Wedding Photography

John & Naomi’s Laurelhurst Club Wedding

It is always such a honor to photograph another industry professional’s wedding. Those of us that work within the wedding industry not only go to a lot of events, but we meet a lot of talented people. So to have someone ask you to be a part of their day, is the highest compliment. That was the case for John & Naomi’s Laurelhurst Club wedding.

Naomi is an incredibly talented musician and recording artist. As a professional musician, she often plays weddings and that is how we first met. She was the pianist for another wedding I photographed. When she called me up a year later and asked me to photograph her wedding, I was blown away. How could I say, “No?!”

John and Naomi’s day was so incredibly beautiful. It is cliche to say it, but it really was picture perfect. They chose to have a Laurelhurst Club wedding and it was such a great match for this amazing couple. The Laurelhurst Club was built in 1912 as a dance hall. Their garden ceremony had the scenic Laurelhurst Park as a backdrop. After dinner, Naomi’s band hit the Club’s stage for a dance floor-filling set.

The bride walked down an aisle flanked with signs featuring verses from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. (Love is patient. Love is kind.) She was treated by the groom, their children and their siblings. A friend performed the emotional ceremony, and a blessing was later offered by the couple’s priest. Their inclusion of the children in the ceremony was particularly emotional for everyone witnessing this beautiful day. And a gorgeous song, performed by friends, rounded out the beautiful Laurelhurst Club wedding.

At the reception, guests dined on an amazing taco bar, complete with individual layer layer dips! And the couple shared their first dance to live music by Naomi’s bandmates. Even the couple’s daughters got in on the festivities by doing a special dance routine with the bride.

It was a stunning day and a wonderful way to celebrate John and Naomi’s love for their family and each other.

 

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