Kyle and Cheylin | Engagement Photos

 

Engagement photos are always such a special treat to shoot. I love being able to mark this special occasion with a couple. Excitement is high between the newly engaged, love is in the air and there is so much anticipation for the big day.

As a wedding photographer, I am always surprised by how many couples decide to forgo the engagement session. It is such an important part of the equation. What couples don’t realize is that a pre-wedding session is more than just a few nice engagement photos. It is also about learning to work with your photographer, gaining confidence in front of the camera, and most importantly, writing a love story!

Thankfully Kyle and Cheylin opted for an engagement session, not once, but twice! We did a mini engagement session the first time we met. It was POURING rain that day and they were such a good sports as we watched the street in front of my studio flood. We still went outside, attempted to stay dry and created some amazing images.

Once the weather was more stable, the couple came back to the studio for a late spring session for their engagement photos. We created some beautiful memories on the second day, and also established a comfortable rapport. By the end of our second session, Kyle and Cheylin were completely comfortable in front of the camera and willing to try new poses and ideas. (By the way, you should see their wedding photos! They are coming soon to the blog!)

Kyle and Cheylin are such an amazing couple. Their love story goes back a few years now and their love for one another translates so beautifully in their engagement photos. Take a look! There is a good mix of photos from both sessions in this post.

If you are on the fence about the value of an engagement session, definitely give it a second thought. It is such a wonderful bonding time for you as a couple and a great way to really establish a rapport with your photographer…

 

Stay up to date on new work. Like us on Facebook!

Tiffani | Pin-up Photography Bombshell

There are a lot of talented photographers out there and I feel very honored when a client selects me to document their memories or help them fulfill their creative vision. When a client is willing to get up before dawn to drive 3+ hours to shoot with me, well, my heart and cup runneth over. Make that request a pin-up photography shoot and there are no words!

Tiffani (and her mom/super-fan, Jennifer) is one of those beautiful clients that is always willing to make the drive. As a model, Tiffani has worked with photographers up and down the I-5 corridor. So when she continues to come back to me I am elated. Tiffani is a photographer’s dream. She never has a diva-tude. She is always game for what my hair/make-up artist has planned. And, of course, the camera loves her.

Jennifer (Tiffani’s mom) first contacted me about doing a pin-up photography shoot in January. She explained how she was putting together an ad and calendar for her husband’s automotive business. She wanted a shoot that was modern, yet payed homage to the the pin-up photography of yesteryear. I knew it was a tall order, but I was excited by the challenge. And when Jennifer tossed out the idea of using an iconic American muscle car like the Challenger, my head started swimming! Woo hoo!

As luck would have it, the day we planned for our shoot turned out beautiful. We had hoped for some cherry blossoms, but they left early with the early Spring. That didn’t stop us though. We still made pin-up photography art…and it screams, “SUMMER!”

I’ve worked with Tiffani a couple times now on shoots. And this one is my favorite by far…

 

Model: Tiffani Chaney
Styling: Jennifer Chaney
Hair/Makeup: Ashley Rose Hardy
Photographer: Kacey Baxter / Acorn Studios

Scott and Tanya’s Wedding at the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse

Portland is full of so many great wedding venues that I rarely repeat one. And when I do repeat, 9 times out of 10 it is a McMenamins. Last wedding season proved me right with three weddings at the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse–and each of them was VERY different!

So what makes the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse so special? I think first and foremost it is the rustic charm that the property offers. While the old farm house is great. The real gem is the old octagonal barn. It has an old world feel to it and it is inviting, warm and cozy–especially in the colder seasons when the pot-belly wood stove is roaring.

Scott and Tanya chose the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse for their December wedding and it was the perfect backdrop for their rustic elegance theme. I was first introduced to the couple by another client. Tanya was a close friend and the wedding coordinator for James and Katie’s wedding. So having worked with Tanya before, I knew that her day would be awesomely over-the-top–and boy did she deliver.

The ceremony was held at the couple’s small church in Forest Grove. It was a sweet little rustic country church. However, when you entered the sanctuary, Tanya (with some help from Scott, of course!) turned it into something spectacular. The entire church was dimly lit by candles and Christmas lights. I knew this was in the plans, but I was blown away. The light was so warm and soft. The photos are stunning.

After the ceremony concluded, we were all off to the Octagonal Barn at the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse. There, rustic met bling and it really worked beautifully. The couple filled the barn with rhinestones and lights, but then added a splash of their personalities through miniature statues and discrete nods to their favorite TV shows–Big Bang Theory and Game of Thrones. The overall vibe was so much fun!

As much as I enjoyed working with Scott and Tanya, I was also fortunate to have an amazing team for this wedding. I was able to bring in two of my associate photographers to the event, which meant we never missed a moment or detail. It even made for some fun new perspectives on the bouquet toss!

I wish Scott and Tanya all the happiness life has to offer. And I hope I get to work again with the fabulous Tanya on the next wedding she coordinates… 🙂

 

Miguel and Patricia’s Leach Botanical Garden Wedding

Last week PICR–an online resource for booking a photographer–reached out to me to find out some of my favorite photography locations in Portland. They were doing a blog post about great Portland backdrops and I mentioned that one of my favorites is Leach Botanical Garden in SE Portland. As I was going through photos of the garden to make my case to PICR, I realized that I never released photos from Miguel and Patricia’s amazing wedding at Leach Botanical Garden! That is being corrected today. 😉

I first met Miguel and Patricia at a wedding I photographed in 2014. They were a fun couple and Patricia particularly enjoyed a silly photo I took of Miguel at the event. She told me how it made her laugh and she knew I was the photographer for their nuptials the following year. LOVE that!

The day finally came for Miguel and Patricia’s day, and it was a stunning one. (I’m not talking about the weather!) First I have to start with lovely bride. Patricia has GORGEOUS red hair. Enviable red hair. Combine that with her bow hairstyle (check out the picture), fresh flowers and column wedding dress, and she looked like a goddess! So beautiful.

As you probably gathered from how we met, both Miguel and Patricia are a lot of fun and enjoy laughing. Patricia’s giggle is over the top awesome, and it was my goal to always catch her off guard smiling and laughing. It is so genuine. Thankfully Miguel was a good sport and most of those laughs were at his expense. 🙂

From little gold animals to beautiful wooden signs made by the bride’s father, every little detail made the day special and memorable. The rain left as quickly as it came, and guests enjoyed the amazing selection of food by Voila Catering and cakes by Pearl Bakery.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the photos take throughout the garden. Make sure you take a look. And yes…I do occasionally ask my couples to shimmy out into the middle of a creek. 🙂

Amalia and Lauren | Pacific Maritime Heritage Center

If you’ve ever been to Old Town Newport on the Oregon Coast, you may have noticed a rather massive building sitting on the North bluff, overlooking Yaquina Bay. For years I wondered what it was as it sat empty–adding to it’s mystery–and in disrepair. Once the Historical Society took it over, it became the beautifully restored home of the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center and the perfect venue for Amalia and Lauren’s wedding celebration.

Like so many of the LGBT weddings I have attended, Amalia and Lauren’s wedding (reception) day was living proof that love is love. Their guests were there because they believe in the power of good love story. And the celebration was about love always winning–especially for Amalia and Lauren.

Amalia and Lauren’s day at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center was really a celebration of the vows they made to each other weeks earlier in Europe. This sweet, adventurous couple decided to elope in Europe, but that is where the “tradition” ended. The couple extended their vows over multiple scenic and heritage sites.

While they chose to keep their actual ceremony private, the couple did a wonderful job sharing the day with guests through photos. A slide show ran continuously during the reception sharing their European adventures and telling their wedding story through photographs.

Apart from the ceremony, Amalia and Lauren’s celebration in Newport was truly a wonderful wedding day. Guests enjoyed the couple’s personal touches–from a guest book quilt to a prop-filled photo booth. There was dancing and plenty of wonderful food and drinks to nosh on. Signature cocktail recipe cards were available and guests enjoyed a selection of local microbrews made just across the bay from the venue. The couple even decided to forego the traditional wedding cake in exchange for macarons and artisan chocolates.

As if Amalia and Lauren’s day wasn’t perfect enough, the couple and their guests were treated to a gorgeous sunset over the bay with the Yaquina Bay Bridge in silhouette. There was also a full moon to light the way as everyone celebrated into the night.

 

« backward forward »
Menu