I recently rented a camera to try out for a few days, before possibly purchasing the same model. Although I didn’t end up buying one, I was REALLY happy with how the photos turned out with the Canon R6. Molly, was kind enough to model for some test shots on a COLD November morning and I can’t wait to share the rest! In the meantime, here are a few black & white stunners…
This fall I offered indoor mini sessions at The Gray Lab, a natural light studio in downtown Salem. Yes, I have my own studio a block away, but The Gray Lab is more suited for groups than my space is. I am excited to share more from this session very soon!
In case you haven’t seen it, check out my new headboard for the studio! It’s an adorable, boho inspired rattan piece that is easy to set up and take down. I also purchased some linen sheets in a natural cream color. Ashley joined me in the studio one afternoon, to make some art. She wore an adorable floral lingeriet set, which complimented her curves beautifully. We were fortunate enough to have some of that strong afternoon sun that I love so much for boudoir sessions! As much as I’d love to plan for this light, it’s just too hit or miss, here in Oregon. So, you might get this kind of light for your session (or even just for a few minutes, as the clouds roll by) or you might not. May the odds be ever in your favor.
Jon & Valorie tied the knot at Deepwood Museum & Gardens (formerly known as Historic Deepwood Estates) this past spring. Their hired wedding photographer had a family emergency, so they were in need of a quick replacement. Because they were getting married on a weekday, I happened to be available with only a few days notice. We met up for a quick “meet and greet” at the venue a mere two days before their wedding. One of the things I love about Deepwood is that it’s less than 15 minutes from my house, so meeting up there was actually easier than my studio (and parking was way better).
This was a custom wedding package, with only 2 hour of coverage. What do you get with 2 hours of coverage, you ask? Basically, it’s the ceremony and portraits. The bride and groom did not plan to do a “first look” as seeing each other before the wedding was not a big deal for them. As it turned out, they had an unplanned first look, as the bride and I waited for the groom to join us for pre-ceremony portraits.
This adorable teenager needed a professional headshot, as she was advancing to the national level of a singing competition. This was taken in my studio (343 Court Street NE) with a simple black backdrop.
I have a small collection of items in my studio closet that are available to boudoir clients. I do not provide any intimate items, such as bras or panties, but I have some cool layering pieces that you can wear over your own lingerie during your session. This post is specifically for my plus sized clients, although most of these will work on smaller sizes too.
Up first is this gorgeous (real) velvet cape in a deep red color. I commissioned a local fashion designer to make this for me, as I wore it for my own photo shoot in Scotland. It is heavy and drapes beautifully, with a slight train on those who are about 5’7” and shorter.
These two pieces look great over a simple black bra & panty set. The gown (size 3x) has an elastic waist, loose sleeves, and slits on the sides. The shorter piece (size 1x) is sheer, with little flutter sleeves, and an empire waist. Both of these work really well for for those with larger chests.
Next up is a simple, tie front lace robe (2X), which layers nicely over any solid color bra and underwear set. Also available, upon request, is a vape pen, which gives a cool “smoking” look to photos. The cartridge contains no THC, CBC, or tobacco/nicotine. It is just a flavored vapor. Please make sure you request this ahead of time, though, so that I can make sure it’s sanitized, charged, and ready.
This cream lace number is actually a dress from Torrid (size 3), with the liner removed. It looks beautiful over nude or pastel colored lingerie, or with nothing underneath, as seen here.
Last, but not least, is this silky green robe. I purchased this, as something for my clients to wear, while in between outfits or while getting their hair and makeup done, but it photographs so beautifully that I decided to just add it to the boudoir closet instead.
Thank you to Teresa Renee, my beautiful model for this shoot.
I add items to my boudoir closet periodically and may not post photos right away. So, if you want to see what’s in my closet, just ask when you’re there!
How cute are these photos?! I could not believe that Dolly, their 5 month old puppy, was so cooperative and well behaved during their session! And yes, I made sure to get lots of puppy kisses! Anyway, we did this session in the nick of time, as their little bundle was born just a few days later (a little earlier and smaller than expected, but they are all home and doing well!).
This was such a fun shoot with one of my favorite boudoir clients! This smokin’ hot mama brought along the perfect lingerie for her holiday themed boudoir session at my studio.
What does four hours of wedding coverage look like? Well, here you go! If you are doing everything (getting ready, first look, ceremony, reception) at the same location and you schedule your order of events (toasts, dinner, etc.) in a particular way, you can get quite a bit out of just four hours of photography.
Hao and Rachel tied the knot at East Fork Country Estate in Damascus, Oregon. They had planned on getting married in 2020, but like many couples, they had to delay their wedding, due to COVID-19 restrictions. I’m sure the wait was really hard, but I have to imagine that it was worth it, for such a beautiful celebration. For an outdoor wedding in April, we definitely lucked out with the weather!
Hao and his groomsmen wore handsome Navy suits, while the bridesmaids wore pink dresses, and Rachel rocked a fitted silk and lace dress, with an adorable white jacket when it got cold. There were rustic-chic little touches throughout, including baby’s breath, lanterns, vintage china, and wooden signs. In fact, the ones at the end of the aisle, on easels? Yeah, I knocked those over right before the wedding. That kind of entertainment is one of the perks of hiring me.
Their day was filled with SO much laughter, some first dances, funny toasts, adorable moments, and even a rainbow at the end of the night (kudos to the DJ for being quick on his feet and playing Somewhere Over the Rainbow as soon as we saw it)!
I met these two a few years ago, when I photographed their wedding. They’re very sweet and laid back, so working with them is always a breeze. Their recent maternity session was no exception and I can’t wait to share the rest of their photos!
I had the privilege of photographing this gorgeous couple at an amazing airbnb last year. It is located in Scio, Oregon, and is just an extremely cool house on an incredible piece of land. Anyway, I’ve been working with these two for a few years now (engagement, wedding, maternity, newborn, family), but this was our first boudoir session…and it was awesome! We all had a good time, as usual, and I think we all love the photos.
I created this series for the 2021 faculty art show at Chemeketa Community College. The show ran in September, but I decided to wait until Halloween-time to share the photos here. This was a challenging, but fun project for me. This is my spin on the triple goddess concept: The Maiden, The Mother, and The Crone.
In a gallery, these images would be framed individually, as seen in the first three photos below, but hung side by side, as seen at the bottom of this post.
This year I did Halloween portraits in a cemetery, as a fundraiser, with all proceeds going to the Marion Polk Food Share! Due to the weather, we had some cancellations, but it was still a fun time for those who participated AND we raised $200!
Why, yes, I do decorate our camping trailer for holidays! I put up Christmas decorations last December and will do so again this year, but this was the first time I decorated for Fall. I’ll be honest…one of the reasons I chose such a neutral color palette, when making over the trailer, was so that I could decorate for holidays and not have to worry about anything clashing. As luck would have it, we will be camping on Halloween this year (and handing out candy to trick-or-treaters), so it was extra necessary that I decorate.
I recently started planning a styled shoot with makeup artist Michelle Quady and my favorite florist, Amanda Dant of Morning Glories Floral. We thought it would be cool if we could get a real couple to model for a fall bridal look. Then, I kind of jokingly said, “It would be even better if we could get someone to elope for real!” After a bit of thought, I decided to reach out to someone I thought just might be adventurous enough to do it….and I was right!
So, a mere two weeks before our scheduled shoot, I asked Cori if her and Noah would like to get married on September 30th. I honestly didn’t expect them to say yes, especially on a weekday and with such short notice. Not only did they say yes, but that date happened to be their 10 year anniversary (to the day)! I think it goes without saying that it was meant to be! Cori is also a huge fan of Autumn and was really excited to be getting married this time of year. So, that was it…they were on board and totally willing to let us plan the whole thing! We took care of both outfits, hair, makeup, locations, vows, etc. All they had to do was get their marriage certificate and show up!
I have known Cori and Noah for nearly a decade, as their oldest son is close friends with my middle son. They are genuinely good people, who do so much for their family and their community. They have also been second parents to my son for years, so this was the least I could do for them as a thank you.
Noah dropped Cori off at my studio, where we got her all dolled up. I took some photos of the flowers, while Michelle did Cori’s makeup and Amanda, who is also a wedding officiant, talked to Cori about her and Noah’s love story…which she then incorporated into their elopement ceremony.
When we were done at the studio, we met up with Noah and their children for the ceremony at Deepwood Museum & Gardens. Cori lost her mom to cancer a few years ago, but she wanted her “there” with them at the wedding, since she was so close to their family. Amanda managed to attach a beautiful locket (a gift from one of the kids), with photos of Cori’s mom, to the bouquet. It was perfect.
Of course it started raining the moment we got to the ceremony location and it didn’t stop the entire time we were outdoors. Typical Oregon. The ceremony was short and sweet, but full of both laughter and tears. Afterwards, they signed their documents, at some celebratory cupcakes, and did a quick family photo with the kids. After the kids left, we walked around the beautiful grounds of the venue for some portraits and then we headed over to Fordyce Farms for some photos at the pumpkin patch!
I had so much fun decorating Ginger (my 1973 bus) for Fall. I mean, she’s the perfect color, so I had to. I also had a blast photographing Jessica and Lindsay with her! No, I will not be decorating my bus for Christmas, but I might offer fall minis with her next year (fall minis are all booked up for this year)!
I did this fun little session about four years ago. We shot it in an alleyway right by my studio, so it was very convenient. Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m obsessed with vampires, so I thoroughly enjoyed planning this.
This is what I’m currently editing and I can’t wait to share the rest of this adorable elopement!
It’s that time of year!
