DATE: Saturday, November 21, 2020
LOCATION: Woodmansee Park (seen in photos below) in the morning & Downtown in the afternoon
PRICE: $275
INCLUDES: Quick session with Kel & 10 digital files delivered by 12/15/20.
HOW TO BOOK: Email me at kelwardphotography@gmail.com
COVID-19 INFO: I will be wearing a mask the entire time, as well as social distancing. I will not have an assistant with me and I ask that you please not bring anyone with you that is not participating in the photo session.
I had so much fun last year with my holiday boudoir event that I’m doing it again this year! The only difference, aside from what is included, is that I will not be doing a Christmas setup this time. Space is limited (even more so than usual, due to having to space sessions out for sanitizing), so make sure you email me ASAP to reserve your spot! Please note: Images will be delivered by 12/20/20.
DATE: Saturday, December 5, 2020
LOCATION: My Studio (343 Court Stree NE, Salem, OR)
PRICE: $150
INCLUDES: A quick mini session in my studio, in one outfit, and 5 black & white digital files
COVID-19 INFO: I will be wearing a mask the entire time and will do my best to practice social distancing, but it’s nearly impossible with boudoir. You, however, will not be required to wear a mask. I will also be sanitizing everything in between sessions.
The very first time I photographed Emeliann was when she was in Kindergarten! Em and her mom said it was only fitting to have me do her senior portraits, so they flew me out to Nebraska to do them. It was a fun-filled few days, which included a decent amount of coffee (they introduced me to Scooter’s, which has an insane peanut butter something or other coffee drink that I ordered multiple times, while on my trip), some midwest steak, and a whole lot of laughter.
I met Amy (Em’s mom) 15+ years ago, through an online mom’s group. We eventually ended up living 20 miles away from each other and met in person. We haven’t lived near each other in over a decade, but we still keep in touch and I love watching her kids grow up.
We did this session in two parts, which is typical for my full session, as it allows for multiple locations and the ability to switch up hair and/or makeup. This is part 1 of Em’s senior session, which was held in The Old Market neighborhood of Omaha. I’d heard about it and knew I’d eventually make my way there (we didn’t get a chance the previous time we visited Omaha), so this was perfect! It was overcast and rainy, but still warm, and we had a blast! I love her sense of style and the way she laughs!
Oh, and because I’m posting these a year later, I’m happy to say that this beautiful senior received an academic scholarship to University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is currently enjoying her first semester of college. It’s not what she thought it would look like, but I am sure she’s rocking it anyway!
Nothing says Halloween 2020 like sexy witches, wearing pandemic masks, am I right? These women represent so much more than just Halloween costumes…they are different shapes and sizes, various ages and ethnicities, and many here are mothers. Some rocked no makeup and some went all out. Some wore sexy shoes and some were hippie witches, running around barefoot. Some are practicing and/or learning witches, while others just enjoy dressing up for the holiday. All of them, though, are strong, badass individuals who do not fit society’s traditional definition of how a woman should act. After all, isn’t that what witches represent?
I would like to give a HUGE thank you to Amanda, Becca, Kristal, Heather, Lauren, Kristie, LaTess, Tiffany, Michiko, and Miyako for collaborating on this shoot and to Sophia for being an all around awesome assistant! Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, I did get permission from the fire department to do the smoke grenade. ;)
If you’ve followed my work for any length of time, you know that I love dark themed shots and that I do a Halloween themed shoot every year. Well, this year I did more than one (so check back later for the other one)! My son, Karson, and his girlfriend, were kind enough to model this year. India’s sister, Ember, did their makeup and she is only fifteen! What?! You can find her Instagram page by clicking HERE.
I am finally finished renovating Wanda, my 1969 Aloha trailer! I purchased her in July of 2019 and after 13 months of work, she’s officially photo ready! Wanda will serve as both a mini studio for my photography business AND as a mobile photo booth for new business, Wicked Hitch.
Anyway, it’s time to do a few promo shoots with Wanda and I need some models! If you are interested in modeling with this adorable vintage trailer, please read the information below and then contact me via email at kelwardphotography@gmail.com. Please note: I am looking for NEW faces on this project.
DATE: Sunday, October 25th
LOCATION: Scio, Oregon
TIME: Varies, based on shoot
COMPENSATION: Trade for images
Here is what I’m looking for, in terms of models:
Shoot #1: Couples “Engagement” Shoot (1 hour)
This needs to be a real life couple. All shapes, sizes, and genders encouraged to apply. Wardrobe will be a combination of what I have in my studio closet and what you have in your closet. Hair and makeup will NOT be provided, so you must either be comfortable with and competent in doing your own or you will need to make arrangements for MUAH on your own, prior to the shoot. If you would like to have your MUAH done on site, by your own artist, that can be arranged. Couple will receive copies of all final images (approximately 10).
Shoot #2: Couples Boudoir Shoot (1 hour) - SPOT FILLED!
This needs to be a real life couple and both of you must be comfortable with your bodies. You must also both be under 5’10” tall, due to the height of the ceiling i the trailer. You will provide your own wardrobe and I may add some layering pieces from my studio closet. Couple will be compensated for gas and will also receive copies of all final images (approximately 10).
COVID-19 Info: I will be wearing a mask and/or following social distancing protocols for all shoots. Models, however, will not be wearing masks for the photo shoots. If you have any symptoms within 14 days of the scheduled shoot, please notify me ASAP.
APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS: Please email me with a photo of you and your significant other, along with your names and height. I will be making final selections no later than 10/20/20 and will notify everyone either way.
I shared this shoot a few years ago, but as you may or may not know, my website crashed last year and I lost all of my old blog posts. :( I’ve been trying to repost old ones every once in a while, in the hopes of eventually having most of them blogged someday.
Anyway, this styled elopement shoot was SO much fun. Real couple, Lauren & Mindee Jo, were kind enough to model for me. They were engaged at the time of the session and were married shortly after this. We were jokingly calling it their test run. There was no shortage of love (or chemistry!) between these two and they even brought along their real life friends (also a real couple) as their “witnesses” for the shoot. My friend and long time client, Tiffany, stood in as our faux officiant.
The short lace dress was one that I scored at Ross Dres for Less and it was less than $10. Mindee Jo already had the perfect boots in her closet, so she wore those. Lauren wore an outfit she already had, paired with a cute bowtie that I purchased online for about $10. The flowers were provided by Morning Glories Floral https://www.facebook.com/morninggloriesfloral/) and I used For the Love of Pete Event Rentals for the majority of the props seen in the photos.
The cabin we used was one of the guest houses at Viola Farm at Bear Creek (http://www.violafarm.com), which is a wedding venue in Canby, Oregon. I rented it through airbnb, but I couldn’t find the listing to include with this post (not sure if it’s still available through airbnb). We shot at sunset and the area is just gorgeous and the light came through the trees in the dreamiest way.
Em is an awesome human. She’s incredibly smart and obviously adorable, but she is also sarcastic and funny, with a big heart. I am happy to say that her parents have completely embraced her since coming out to them as bi-sexual. They’re literally the only house in their neighborhood that flies an umbrella flag all year round (actually, I don’t think I saw a single other umbrella flag the whole time I was there). Em told me she wanted to incorporate her bi flag into her senior portraits, as well as her umbrella belt (which I loved so much that I bought a matching one to keep as a client piece) and I was like, “Yes! Game on!” Sometime after that conversation, I decided we also needed to use a rainbow umbrella (and that she needed to own one), so I had one shipped to her house prior to my arrival.
Happy Pride Month!
I got a text on a Monday morning, last summer, while I was in the Omaha airport, waiting to return home. Raven and Marcus had just called the Marion County Courthouse and booked a judge for a last minute elopement later that day. The couple had planned on having an October wedding, but fucking cancer threw a wrench into their plans. Despite being tired and weak from chemo, Marcus was a trooper and the two were just ecstatic to finally be married.
I had just enough time to take a nap when I got home, before heading down to the courthouse to document their nuptials. In attendance were their dog babies and a few close friends and family members. It was small, intimate, and about as sweet as can be. They were married on the courthouse lawn, which is usually an option with Marion County judges, as long as the weather is nice.
I met Jesse years ago, when they booked me to document their wedding. I’ve remained friends with both Jesse, and their wife (Kara), because they’re both seriously awesome individuals, as well as a super cool couple. I did this session forever ago, but just didn’t get around to sharing it. With Pride month here, it seems like the perfect time!
This session was very different than any that I’ve done before. Not only was this the first time doing a session in my studio after dark, but this was also an opportunity for Jesse to document something life changing. As a trans/non-binary person, they wanted to have their breasts photographed, prior to having them removed via top surgery.
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to do a Q&A with Jesse. Please see below.
Q: Why was it important for you to schedule this photo shoot?
A: I felt it was important to do this photo shoot to help me process some of the emotions I have about my upcoming surgery. I also felt it would be a good way for me to end this chapter of my life. I view my surgery as a new beginning for me. I also felt like it would be good to have the photos as a gift for my wife, but also for me to look back on in 10, 20, 50 years. Coming out as trans/non-binary was a long, difficult process and I feel it is important to remember how far I've come.
Q: What is/was your goal in creating these images?
A: My goal was to show that gender is a spectrum and that boudoir isn't just for women. I am hoping to images will show that while I present masculine and identify as non-binary that there are still parts of me that are feminine. I also wanted to show the contrast between me in a bra (I hadn't worn a real bra in over 15 years) and me in a binder etc.
Q:. How did you feel in the days leading up to the session?
A: I felt anxious, but also pretty excited! I had never done anything like this before. I was nervous that I wasn't going to feel comfortable/confident in front of the camera in a bra/topless since I feel very disconnected from my breasts.
Q: Was the photo session itself what you expected? If not, how did it differ from your expectations?
A: Yes and no. I expected to be much more nervous than I was. I also didn't expect to have so much fun! I knew that Kel would have great ideas and I knew what to expect as a "model" since Kel did our wedding photography.
Q: What were you feeling during the photo shoot?
A: I felt alive. It was really empowering to have these photos done. I felt really confident and sexy.
Q: How did you feel right after the shoot?
A: I felt a mixture of happiness, sadness, and excitement. I was happy because it was so fun! I felt sad because it brought up some feelings I have about "taking away" a part of me that my wife loves so much. I felt excited to see the photos as I knew that they'd turn out awesome because Kel is amazing!
Q: How did you feel when you got your sneak peek?
A: I was amazed. The sneak peek photo is absolutely incredible. The lighting is perfect and I felt it really captured my essence.
Q: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
A: I just want to say thank you to Kel for giving me this opportunity! I have so many feelings about my surgery (and my body) and I think the photo shoot was a really good choice and that I'll cherish the photos forever.
I’d like to start off Pride month a little bit differently this year. Instead of a wedding or engagements session, I’m sharing some photos that I did with two awesome LGBTQIA teens! I had the honor of photographing these best friends, when I was in Omaha last year. I have known Emeliann since she was in Kindergarten, but only met Matt for the first time, when I was visiting Nebraska. They had some fun with the rainbow umbrella that I had mailed to Em’s house prior to our shoot because she mentioned wanting to incorporate a pride rainbow into her session. Don’t worry, I’ll be sharing a LOT more photos of these two… from their individual sessions.
WEDDINGS
I’ve already spoken and made arrangements with all of my 2020 wedding clients, so this applies to NEW wedding clients. I will book elopements and weddings that fall within the guidelines for the venue’s guidelines (i.e. number of people allowed, precautions that must be taken, etc.). I will also follow those same guidelines (like, wearing a mask). Due to most of my 2020 wedding being moved to next year, I suddenly have a lot more availability!
BOUDOIR
For those who want an outdoor setting, I am booking both mini and full sessions. Indoor sessions must be held at my studio and I’m only booking mini sessions for those. I am, however, allowing mini sessions to be booked on the weekends, until further notice.
PORTRAITS
Seniors, families, maternity, business head shots, etc. are only being offered outdoors, until further notice.
BIRTHS & FRESH 48
I am not offering childbirth coverage or newborn/fresh 48 sessions, until further notice.
COMMERCIAL WORK
I am not offering commercial photography services, until further notice.
I shared the b&w photos from this session recently, but felt that the color images deserved their own post. This amazing studio apartment, which I rented through airbnb, has been featured in magazines and I’m sure you can see why. It’s dreamy! Anyway, Megan and Kayla were great to work with. They’re clearly in love and generally speaking, chemistry kinda takes over in sessions like this and there isn’t really room to be nervous.
You may recognize some of these faces, as I have photographed Porshe on many occasions (modeling, boudoir, family, birth) and even photographed Porshe & Jeremy’s hospital elopement a couple of years ago! Anyway, we met up with “the whole fam dam,” as Porshe calls them (her family, plus her parents and her brother). We met up at For the Love of Pete, which is a party supply rental place here in Salem. We had rented their holiday set to do indoor photos, but I love the outdoor shots more!
I probably shared these on my old blog, but since I can’t remember anything these days and I can’t go back and look, I’m blogging this session anyway! Anyway, these double exposures were shot on 35mm film, on several different days. The photos of my model were all done on the same day, in my studio. The outdoor shots were taken over the course of a few days (and nights). Once again, my negatives didn’t line up, but that’s the beauty of double exposures on film… it’s always a surprise!
I had such a fun time photographing this adorable couple! Kayla & Megan drove out to Hood River, where I had rented the most amazing Airbnb for my birthday! Don’t worry…I have more photos from this session... that show more of the inside of this cool space! I’ll post those soon.
In case the blog title didn’t clue you in, there is a tiny bit of nudity in this post.
Erin and her husband have four kids. They’re all boys and they range from 2 to 20 in age. Yeah, and she’s still full of energy and looks cute every time I see her! Go, Erin! Anyway, we did this session at Bush Park, here in Salem. It was cold, threatening to rain, and well, we had a toddler and a middle schooler to contend with, but we did it!
