Here is another shot from the Halloween session I did with Rachel in our guest room a few years ago. Somehow a few of these shots never got shared, so here we are!
We were all getting pretty restless by the fall of 2020, due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. Since we were allowed to be around people, as long as we were wearing masks and trying to social distance, the witches and I decided it was “go time” for a Halloween shoot! I had 10 women show up for this shoot. They came from near and far (one drove over 4 hours), wer e all amazing to work with, and we had SO much fun!
I found this incredible dress at an estate sale a few years ago. It was a prom dress in 1910 and while it definitely needs some repair work, it is in surprisingly good condition for how incredibly delicate it is.
This is an oldie, but goodie. It was a collaboration between myself, Davena (model), and Taghelor (makeup artist) that we shot in my old studio. I currently have my new studio set up for my first Halloween themed shoot and I am so excited!
This was such a fun shoot that I did with Rachel. More coming soon!
Happy Anniversary to my son and daughter-in-law! Karson and India got married at Silver Falls on October 10th, 2025. Because they eloped and wanted to keep their ceremony as small as possible, they asked if I would do their wedding photos. Of course, I said yes, and was honored to do so. I did their prom photos and their proposal photos, so it felt right. After their intimate ceremony, we went over to Upper North Falls (where they got engaged a few years earlier) for some portraits.
Once we finished up at Silver Falls State Park, we parted ways and then met up later for a little celebration with friends and family. They had their reception in “The Space,” which is located in the 45th Parallel building in Salem. Coincidentally, India recently opened a shop (Witchy Little Crystal Shop) in that same complex! Their reception included a dessert bar (Karson’s only request), a craft station, dancing, and cake!
It’s almost time for FALL MINI SESSIONS! Please see available dates at the bottom of this post.
I have been doing fall minis with this couple/family for years, but they wanted to include Asha’s grandma this time. So sweet!!
*****2026 FALL MINI SESSION DATES*****
Saturday, October 17th - Salem, OR (outdoor location TBA)
Sunday, October 18th - Salem, OR (outdoor location TBA)
Saturday, November 7th - Vancouver, WA (outdoor location TBA)
Sunday, November 8th -Salem, OR (studio)
One of the things I love about shooting at Deepwood Museum & Gardens is the diversity. It changes quite a bit throughout the seasons and there is a good variety of both manicured and wild landscaping. They also have a few buildings on the property that make nice backdrops. We did most of this session in the professionally landscaped area, as the ground was a bit wet and most were wearing shoes without traction.
Ryu did one last little photo shoot with his Mama, before his baby brother arrived. This little guy stole my heart immediately. He makes the CUTEST faces, has such a sweet personality, and even gave me a hug (with no prompting) when we were finished! I think he’s going to make an excellent big brother.
I don’t know how long ago I did this session, but I am guessing about a decade? It was one that got lost when my website crashed years ago, so I thought I would post it again since I love these images so much. Sarah was so much fun to work with and we laughed a lot. We shot this in a studio I used to rent in the Reed Opera House and it had the BEST windows!
Just a couple of cuties in love.
As you may or may not know, I only offer mini sessions for families on specific dates in the fall. Mini sessions throughout the year are reserved for newborns, maternity, individuals, and couples AND are only offered on weekdays. Fall Minis are on weekends and are open to everyone, but families get first dibs.
Anywho, my mini sessions dates will be as follows for 2026 (subject to change):
Saturday, October 17th & 18th (outdoor location TBA)
Sunday, November 1st (outdoor location TBA)
Sunday, November 8th (Studio location in downtown Salem)
If you would like to book a mini session, just send me an email at kelwardphotography@gmail.com!
I love when we can incorporate a senior’s passion and/or hobbies into their session. Teddy is obviously a violinist, as well as a scout! We did his session at Minto-Brown Island Park and the fall colors, combined with the warmth of the sunset light was just dreamy.
This was a first and I thought it was just the SWEETEST thing ever! Mollia really wanted to include her immediate family (including her little sisters, for whom she is a role model), as well as the matriarchs of her family (grandmas and aunt). We shot these in the studio I use in downtown Salem, which was really because it had plenty of room and air conditioning (it was a HOT day)! Don’t worry, we got other shots too (both in the studio and at a park)!
I met Leslie (seen in the 2nd row of photos with the kick-ass velvet pantsuit) when I was a teenager, as I went to high school with her kids. One of her sons married one of my dearest friends and although they are now divorced, they’re still family. Everyone (my friend, her ex-husband, their children, their friends, and relatives) came together to celebrate Leslie’s 70 years around the sun. You may recognize some of these faces, as I’ve photographed many of them in the past (senior portraits, family pics, weddings, etc.)
Unfortunately, Leslie lost her husband a few years ago, so her future doesn’t look like she thought it would. Although she will always grieve, she is entering this new chapter of her life with optimism. She has always wanted to travel the world, so that is what she is planning on doing!
As you can see, this party was “travel” themed. Her daughter-in-law (the woman married to her OTHER son) is an event planner (https://www.gingercatparties.com/), so she planned the whole thing and held the party in her own backyard! In addition to the travel theme, Leslie wanted lots of flowers, which was beautiful!. Not only that, but guests were invited to take a bouquet home with them!
Each center piece and table was dedicated to a different country (Scotland was OBVIOUSLY my favorite) and tables were set up under a big tent, complete with chandeliers. Leslie wanted something elegant, but casual and comfortable, and I think Kristi (the next photo of a person, after Leslie…blue spaghetti strap dress) nailed it!
Max attended high school up in the Portland area, but we did some portraits at his dad’s house in Silverton the night before his graduation. I love doing backyard sessions because they’re so laid back and the client has everything they need in terms of outfit changes, etc. (no forgetting something at home!).
One nice thing about doing senior portraits at the end of the school year is that the senior usually knows what they will be doing after graduation (college, work, travel, military, etc.) . This allows us to incorporate that next step into the photos. In Max’s case, he knew he was going to Oregon State University in the fall, hence the Beavers t-shirt!
