Happy 18th Birthday, Karson!

Holy crap, we are the parents of not one, but TWO adults. Well, kind of. I mean, he can’t legally drink, smoke, or go to casinos. Actually, he can’t even get a tattoo or a piercing right now because the shops are closed, due to COVID-19. He couldn’t have a party, couldn’t go anywhere, or really do much in the way of celebrating, but he was a good sport about it.

I keep hearing comments about the class of 2020, being born during the 9/11 era. Aside from a few kids who were born literally days before 9/11, this is the first class to be born After that historic event. Ironically (or not), I had my first prenatal appointment on 9/11. The newspaper called me in that day to take photos. As I made my way around town with a reporter, I remember wondering if this baby would ever even be born. And yet, here we are.

Karson O’Neal Ward was born at 8:48am on April 3, 2002 at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon. He weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces and was 21 inches long. Born via c-section, he sounded like a screeching cat when he was born. We called him our “runt” because he was much smaller than the other two, when he was younger. Where his brothers were usually in the 90th-100th percentile for height and weight, Karson was usually around the 5th percentile, and even dropped off the charts for a bit. He was 33 pounds when he started kindergarten and he had to be in a carseat FAR longer than what he considered to be acceptable. He is now creeping up on 6’2” (I need to measure him tomorrow) and the kid has a stupid six pack.

He was a total mama’s boy until he reached elementary school. In fact, he really wanted nothing to do with anyone, even his father, for about the first year of his life. It is no coincidence that I got my first gray hair, a few months after he was born. He was a difficult kid until he was probably about 8 and after that he was just a shy kid, other than at home. He never stopped talking at home. I called him the “look at me kid” for a while. He’s always been quirky and has always owned it. From the time he was 3 and was adamant that he wanted pink rain boots, he marched to the beat of his own drum. He got teased by older kids, but he still wore the shit out of those boots. I should add that we lived in New Mexico at the time, where it was usually 80 degrees, so those boots did NOT smell good, but I couldn’t take them away. Nope. He grew his hair long in 3rd-4th grade, despite being teased, in order to donate it.

He finished high school early (January), which was kind of a surprise because this kid hated school for the longest time. What a relief that we don’t have to worry about him finishing during this pandemic (and yay for me because that means I only have one kid to get through school from home)! Who knows if they’ll have graduation, but no matter what, we are proud of this kid.

Anyway, here are some more of his senior pictures.

Central Oregon Wedding Photographer - Simple Sunriver Celebration

This is an older blog post that got lost when my website crashed last year. I’m wishing I was basking in this warm Sunriver sunshine, which is my sole reason for resurrecting this post. I was the second shooter on this wedding, for the amazing and talented Marla Cyree of Simply Splendid. The bride and groom were sweet as could be and their friends were a hoot! As you can see, getting ready took place in a big home, with the guys upstairs and bridal party downstairs. The ceremony was held outdoors, with the golf course as the backdrop. The reception took place immediately after the ceremony, in one of the beautiful lodges that are so representative of Sunriver Resort. I left right as the reception was starting, but I did manage to make a short little super8 movie, which is at the end of this post.

Salem Oregon Senior Portrait Photographer - Garrett, class of 2020

Can I just take a second and give a shout out to all of the high school seniors, who have no idea what the next few months looks like for them? With this pandemic, it’s entirely possible they’ll have bizarre graduation ceremonies, with no audiences and the graduates spaced awkwardly far apart. It’s even possible that they won’t get to have graduation ceremonies with their peers. They may finish the school year (their entire K-12 school career, actually), without seeing their friends or teachers. Whatever the future holds…I think these soon-to-be graduates can handle it.

Anyway! This is Garrett. He’s a senior at Blanchett High School, here in Salem. I’ve known his parents for over 25 years (wow, just did the math on that and am kind of shocked), as we went to college together. His mom and I were even pregnant together (her with this kiddo and me with my middle kiddo, who is also a senior)! We did Garrett’s senior portraits at his family’s home, which is situated on some beautiful property, out in the country. Hang in there, kid, you’re almost done!

Salem Oregon Boudoir Photographer - white lace + white studio

Alex, a Portland-based photographer, was kind enough to drive down to Salem and model for me a few months ago. I wanted to test out The Gray Lab, which is a public studio located near my own studio, and Alex was game. No, I am not moving out of my studio. I just wanted to test out this space, as it will work better for certain types of indoor shoots (like large groups) than my studio. If you are a client and you prefer the look of this studio, over my regular space, we can absolutely chat about doing your session at The Gray Lab.

Hair and makeup was done by Shelby Renee, who is also located in Portland.

A few things, regarding my business, during the Covid-19 outbreak...

I’ve had a few clients ask me about cancellations, people wondering if I’m still shooting, etc. So, I thought it would be a good idea for me to go over all of my current business practices, as they relate to the COVID-19/Coronavirus outbreak. I will continue to update this post, as needed. Please scroll down, below the photo, for more information!

UPDATE (3/28/20): In lieu of the most recent orders to stay home, that’s exactly what I’ll be doing, until further notice. I will not be doing any indoor our outdoor portrait sessions at this time.

UPDATE (3/20/20): I still feel great! I don’t know why I had a short-lived, mild sore throat, but I don’t think it was anything to worry about. The only change I am making at this time is to not do any indoor sessions for the remainder of March. I will re-evaluate at that time, whether or not I’ll do indoor shoots.

UPDATE (3/18/20): I feel completely fine this morning! No sore throat and no other symptoms. Furthermore, the individual I came into contact with on Monday has tested negative for the Coronavirus. At this time, I’m going to give it a few more days, just to make sure my sore throat doesn’t return (and to make sure no other symptoms show up).

UPDATE (3/17/20): I have a mild sore throat, but no other symptoms at this point. I am waiting to hear back from my doctor, but at this time I am self-quarantining myself until further notice and will NOT be working with clients at all, until I have answers. In other news…I found out today that the person my son and I were exposed to yesterday (unrelated to the sore throat, due to timing) has been taken to the hospital for testing, but I do not know what the results are/were. Nobody else in our household has any symptoms.

2238war150731-R1-E010.jpg

As of today, I am social-distancing myself as much as possible. Not because I’m worried about getting the virus, but because I feel the responsible thing to do is try to not spread it. At the very least, I want things to stop shutting down, so the sooner we all stay home and stop spreading it, the sooner things can go back to normal!

I’m fortunate in that I can still do portions of my job, without being around people, but it does make other aspects challenging. In addition to my photography business, I teach in a classroom setting (computer lab with 24 stations, less than 3ft apart) and am in close proximity with students on a regular basis. Although the past few months have been healthier than average (in my very limited experience), there have been some students with sick family members in the last couple of weeks, so I think it’s safe to say that my exposure has been average in that regard. Today, however, I was within close proximity (about 3ft) with someone who had all of the symptoms of Covid-19, but hadn’t been confirmed. My son, who was with me, had closer contact with him (he handed my son an envelope). Aside from that, none of of us have had any other direct contact with anyone who has symptoms or a confirmed case.

My husband is a first responder and although they are taking precautions, he still has to go to work and be around the general public. I’ve had far more chance of exposure up until this point than he has, but he’s not able to stay home, like I am, so who knows what he’ll be exposed to over the next few weeks or months. He is occasionally around the elderly, so that’s also concerning to us. Two of my children are students: one where I teach (college) and one in middle school (um, hello, germs!). My other kid works at a busy retail store, although they’ve been cutting back on work hours due to the outbreak, so he’s been there less than usual lately. I think that they will be completely closed soon anyway. Why am I saying all of this? Because I want to be completely transparent with my clients. I want them to know what their risk is, if they are going to be around me, so that they can make an educated decision.

So, here’s the scoop…

WEDDINGS…
Places are shutting down and plans are having to be postponed. This leaves couples wondering what to do about their wedding photography. First and foremost, I will do everything I can to work with you on rescheduling. If I am available on your new date, we will just transfer your current contract to that new date. If you’re changing locations or anything else, we may need to sign an addendum, but that’s it. Now…if you choose a date for which I am not available, you will unfortunately lose the retainer fee that you have on file with me. I am, however, willing to transfer your retainer fee to a regular portrait session. That way, you can book an engagement or anniversary session with me (you can even wear your wedding attire if you’d like)!

PORTRAITS…
I am not doing any portrait sessions at this time. This will be the case until further notice.

HOSPITALS…
At this time, I am NOT entering any hospitals for photo sessions. This includes births, fresh-48 sessions, weddings, and even headshots. I do not currently have any birth clients scheduled, so thankfully this is a non-issue, but it will affect those who are either in the process of booking or those who are planning on booking their birth photography with me. Because we don’t know how long this will go on (many hospitals aren’t allowing any extra people, like photographers, in the rooms during births), my plan is to have a waiting list. Basically everyone wanting to book a birth with me will get their on-call time “penciled” in, until the last possible minute, when we either book it or call it off.

Oregon Wedding Photographer - Columbia River Gorge Elopement Inspiration

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

So, when photographers plan styled shoots, they usually have some kind of “theme” to run with. While I occasionally operate that way, it’s not the norm for me. For example, this is how this shoot came together…

I planned a weekend getaway to Hood River, for my birthday, which meant I’d be close to Government Cove. I’d only been there once before, during an elopement a few years ago, but it was gorgeous and I knew I had to shoot there again, while I had the chance. So, I put out a model call for an LGBTQIA+ couple and went from there. Brenda has amazing red (and naturally curly) hair and she already owned a dark green dress…do you see where I’m going with this? If you know me and my love for all things Celtic, you probably have a good ideal. The location already had a Scotland/Ireland vibe to it and I think the universe gave me the most perfect models. You see, I’d also been wanting to shoot a ballgown style wedding dress, with a flannel shirt over it. Why? Because I saw it on Pinterest, okay?! Seriously, though, I’ve been wanting to do this for years because I think it’s so cute and so PNW. Vallerie just happened to be the right size and height for the lace ballgown I had on hand (plus, she is adorable) and I scored the flannel shirt, which was the exact plaid pattern I’d been looking for, at Kohl’s for $7! At this point, my theme of “Pacific-Northwest-Meets-Celtic-Kinda-Sorta” was coming together, so adding a bagpiper only seemed right.

All day, leading up to this shoot, was gorgeous and sunny and literally half an hour before the shoot, it started pouring. Super. It was really cold…and windy…and rainy…but, the models were SUCH troopers! I have to give a big thank you to Brenda and Vallerie, as well as their friend, Ace, who stood in as our “officiant” for this shoot! I would also like to thank my husband, Ben, who was kind enough to not only get dressed up, but to play some music for us, while we were shooting. As usual, Amanda Dant, of Morning Glories Floral, is responsible for the gorgeous bouquets on this shoot!

Salem Oregon Wedding Photographer - Willamette Heritage Center Nuptials

Anna & Ken were technically married a year prior to this, at an intimate elopement (which I was also fortunate enough to photograph) at Deepwood Estate. See, their original plan was to get married at the Willamette Heritage Center (aka Mission Mill), but a breast cancer diagnosis for Anna changed their plans. Rather than have their big wedding, right in the middle of chemo, they opted for a small elopement and then celebrated at Mission Mill a year later! (update: Anna is doing great!)

This was my first time shooting at this venue and I have to say… I loved it! I’d be more than happy to shoot at this venue again! They had the whole third floor reserved, which was nice and spacious for both their ceremony and their reception. The natural light indoors is fantastic and the grounds have lots little spots for portraits.

The bride and groom opted for a first look, for both their elopement and for this wedding. I’m a big fan of first looks because it makes timelines a little easier and it means less time away from the reception. The spot they chose was perfect!

Due to illness, Anna’s father wasn’t able to attend this celebration, although he was able to watch it on a live video feed. Because of this, and because they were already married, it just made sense for the couple to walk down the aisle together. Side note: I love the shot, where Anna is crying (but, also laughing at the same time), while her mom and husband both laugh at her.

After the ceremony, we did some quick portraits outside. Have I mentioned how great this venue is for portraits? Anyway, after some photos, they joined their family and friends back inside, for their reception.

Salem Wedding Photographer - artsy bride

I don’t know what it is about this woman, but she always inspires me to get creative when Im photographing her. I really wanted to test out the rental space at The Gray Lab, which is just around the corner from my own studio, so I asked Becca to model and I kept things very simple. I had a vintage wedding dress and that was about it, as far as preparation. I knew we’d figure that rest out, in the moment…and we did. The funky-artsy shots were created, using a plexiglass prism. Although I have no plans of moving out of my current studio, it’s nice to know that The Gray Lab is a good option for sessions that my studio can’t accommodate (like large groups or fashion shoots, for example).

Salem Boudoir Photographer - b&w double exposures (film)

I love doing double exposures with my 35mm film camera because it allows me to shoot two completely different things, on completely different days. I photographed Ashley in my studio one day and then drove out in the country to get nature and cemetery shots on another day. Getting the film back with double exposures is always so exciting because every frame is a total surprise. In this case, the frames didn’t line up, so that made it extra interesting!

Salem Oregon Wedding Photographer - vintage bridal inspiration

This was such a fun shoot, with Nicole, who happens to be a former student of mine. I’ve wanted to photographer her since I met her because, hello, look at her! I waited, though, until she was no longer in my class to ask if she’d like to model for me. I found this quirky little wedding gown in an antique store in the tiny little town of Canyonville, Oregon.

Although I’d taken a photography class (not Nicole’s class, by the way) to The Gray Lab on a field trip, I’d never personally shot in the space. As soon as I got home from said field trip, I booked myself a couple of hours as this really neat natural light studio in downtown Salem, Oregon. It is only a block from my own studio, which made transporting things easy. Although it is a natural light studio, like mine, the lighting is very different.

I knew that I had to place Nicole on that leather seat because it matched her hair. The Kombucha bottle was intentional as well, for the same reason.

Salem Boudoir Photographer - sunshine & analog

I don’t think I ever blogged these photos (and even if I did, those posts are long gone now, so the seems like a good time to share them). This was a simple session, done in my studio with some harsh sunlight and a chair as our only prop/furniture piece. I shot it on 35mm color film, which I later converted to b&w.

Lab: The FIND Lab
Model: Ashley Wolf