I met this adorable senior, when she was just a baby (literally)! I hadn’t seen in her, though, in years, so was surprised at how grown up she is now! Congrats on graduating high school and good luck on all your new adventures!
I’m not big on props…unless they’re hats. HA!
I actually took these photos last year, but today seemed like a good day to share, since they’re wearing red, white, and blue!
This is my friend, Loui’s, family - Her, her husband, their four kids, her adult siblings and their families, and her parents. Loui was one of my roommates in college, as well as a fellow cheerleader and eventually cheer coach. So, I’ve known her and her husband for a long time. She was pregnant with her oldest, when I was pregnant with my middle son. They were born about a week apart.
Anyway, we did this session at Loui’s home near Salem. We lucked out with perfect weather and a beautiful sunset. This was at the height of the pandemic, so I shoot everything from quite a distance, but it was still a good time with lots of laughter. Everyone was very cooperative…even the dogs!
Happy Father’s Day to my amazing husband, Ben!
Oh, and yes, I did pose my ginger husband with my orange VW bus…named Ginger.
I’ve done a few boudoir sessions with this sexy mama, so it was really fun to include her husband this time! These two are both very easy going and um, hello…hot as all get out! The mister only had two requests: the pose on the left and drinking some whiskey. Um, done and done!
I met up with Joslyn and her mom, in Astoria, for half of her senior portraits. I’ve known this beautiful human since she was born (I met her Mama when she was pregnant with her). I used to babysit her when she was little, and have photographed her several times before, so this was easy and natural for both of us. The weather was great and allowed us to walk around on the riverfront and in the downtown area, before getting too hot. We even stopped at the food trucks to get some breakfast!
This is Wanda, a 1960 Aloha camping trailer. I purchased her in the summer of 2019, with plans to convert her into a mobile photo studio/ photo booth. It took a little over a year to complete, but it turned out every bit as cute as I had imagined!
Before she looked like the above photo, though, she looked like the photos below. Wanda was in BAD shape! Two of the windows were broken, the inside was disgusting, the outside needed a paint job, the door was full of rot, and the whole back end was flapping in the breeze, as we dove it home. We also learned later that the axl, hubs, and wheels all needed to be replaced (cha-ching!). Good thing I only paid $1100 for it!
I should probably make a BIG clarification, before I go any further…. Although my blog post title says to look at what --I-- did, the majority of the work was done by my husband. I helped wit the tear out, the painting, and then the finish work at the end (i.e. making it pretty). Ben, however, did all of the re-building of the walls and ceiling (which were torn down to the studs), as well as the sub-floor. He completely re-wired the entire trailer, installed new lights (inside and out), as well as installed a new power hookup (to plug it in to a generator or an outlet). He even laid the luxury plank vinyl I picked out.
We didn’t waste any time tearing everything out, as we had it done by the next day! As you can see from the photos below, it also got worse, before it got better!
I forgot to take photos during the re-build process, but here she is, all prettied up!
Last fall, I rented an airbnb out in Scio, Oregon. The owners were kind enough to let me park the trailer on their property (and hook it up to power), in order to do some photo shoots with Wanda (the photos right above this were taken at that location). I did a a few boudoir sessions, as well as some family sessions, and an engagement shoot. When all was said and done, I decided to set up my tripod and take some self-portraits.
I’m really glad I took the time to take some photos with the finished trailer, as I ended up selling it a couple of months ago. It was a difficult decision, but I just knew she was destined to do more than sit in my driveway most of the year. Plus, I had just purchased an old VW bus that we are now fixing up (Click HERE to see it!), and we needed the room in our driveway! Wanda is now living her best life with Lexi of Wild NW Goods, which is a mobile boutique based out of Eugene, OR!
This was my one and only couple whose wedding actually went as planned in 2020! Everyone else had to make some kind of major change, like re-locating or downsizing, but most just pushed their wedding to 2021. Jonny & Rubi insisted on keeping their original wedding date, even if it meant getting married in someone’s backyard. They kept their reservation with the venue and just hoped for the best. As luck would have it, they got married in a county where, at the time, they were allowed to have a full guest list for their outdoor celebration.
This was my first time at O & L Gardens, which is located in Albany, Oregon. The outdoor venue is quite large and absolutely beautiful! It is out in the country and has a great rustic vibe, with a variety of locations to use for a wedding ceremony and/or reception.
We started the day with a First Look, which took place under a huge tree with the summer sun shining through. Ruby was stunning in a strapless ballgown, a simple veil, and some fabulous sparkly heels. Jonny looked quite dapper in his simple suit and pink tie. After their first look, we did a few portraits before the ceremony, where Jonny was escorted by his parents and Rubi was walked down the aisle by her brother and her mom.
After their nuptials, we did a few more portraits and then the newlyweds enjoyed their reception festivities. Their first dance, which was really sweet, was followed by a lot of fun fast-dancing by guests. The sun went down, as the reception came to a close, and the couple ran through a tunnel of bubbles on their way out!
I’ve known Kassie’s parents since before she was born. In fact, I knew each of her parents, before they knew each other! Ha! Although she is homeschooled in the Portland area, she is a beach girl at heart. Suffice it to say, I was more than happy to do this senior session at the Oregon coast. For the first portion of her session, we met up at Short Sands, which is one of Kassie’s favorite beaches, on a gorgeous August evening. In addition to photos in the sand, we also took photos on the trail to and from the beach because it was just so pretty!
Stay tuned for part 2, which took place in the adorable town of Manzanita, Oregon!
This stunning woman was SO fun to work with! She brought a few vintage pieces from her personal collection, including a fur jacket, some jewelry, a scarf, and a gorgeous two-piece number that was perfect some impromptu belly dancing in the studio (she’s actually a belly dancer, so it’s not as unexpected as it sounds). Oh, and her super-cute haircut? Her boyfriend (who is NOT a hair stylist) cuts it for her!
I have now photographed these two in just about every capacity…engagement photos, wedding, hospital newborn session, end of life celebration (for Ashley’s mother), baby photos, family photos, and now boudoir! I’m sure we’ll think of new ideas…like political candidate headshots, maybe?
Anyway, it’s always an absolute pleasure working with these two. They’re smart, funny, adorable, and hello…they’re also smokin’ hot! Ashley and Alina drove all the way out to Scio, Oregon (from the Portland area) to do a couples boudoir session in this little vintage trailer (which I used to own, but have since sold).
This senior’s adorable style made my 90s teen heart so happy! I’ve known her mom for nearly twenty years and while I have watched Madeline grow up online, this was my first time actually meeting her in person. She’s as sweet as can be and like I said, I love her style! From her hair, to her outfit, to her shoes…so cute!
My friend had been wanting to do a “trash the dress” session for years and we finally made it happen this past summer, when she was in town for a few days! We knew we would only be doing this once, so we went all out…cutting, ripping, and painting the dress, and then “decorating” the bottom of her wedding shoes. Boudoir sessions often offer some form of healing or closure for clients and although she had already moved on with her life since her divorce, I think this session was like putting the final nail in the coffin, so to speak.
This client knew she wanted all b&w photos from her boudoir session and was particularly drawn to the moodier images on my website. Because of this, I kept our “scene” as simple as possible: just something to sit on and a window for light. That’s it.
I’ve been photographing this kid since he was FIVE! I can’t believe he’s done with high school (graduated in January) and living his adult life now. His mom is my dear friend and I’ve watched her help him overcome some major challenges throughout his life. It wasn’t easy, but they did it! Congrats, Royice (and Michiko)!
I always have the best time with Mike and Cory. We all laugh SO much! I did their engagement session, at their previous home, a few years back (shortly before photographing their wedding). I met their dogs, they played an 80s board game, made cocktails, took a walk, and listened to music. It was adorable. Since their wedding, they purchased a new home, which is every bit as quirky and awesome as their old house. Oh, and Cory went from being a Mr. to a beautiful Mrs.
Anyway, we thought it only fitting that we do their anniversary session at their new home (well, these were taken pre-Covid, so it’s not so new anymore!). We, of course, included their pets (Martha, Lucky, and Panther) in the session too.
As you may or may not know, I purchased a 1969 Aloha camping trailer in the summer of 2019. My husband and I spent a little over a year tearing it apart (down to the studs) and then rebuilding it. Instead of a camping trailer (which we already had), we decided to turn it into a functional business space. Initially, my goal was to turn it into a photo booth and/or mobile photo studio, which it worked well for, but in the end I decided to sell it. I had just purchased my VW bus and needed the room, plus I already have a studio and don’t really have time to run a photo booth.
Wanda recently went off to her new home with Wild NW Goods, where she is living her best life as a mobile clothing boutique! My husband and I had so much fun with the project that we plan on doing it again in the near future (I’m hoping for an even smaller trailer!).
Anyway, before I sold the old girl, I manged to set up a few photo shoots with her, including this one with Cylee & Drew. We shot this on the beautiful property of an airbnb that I rented in Scio, OR, as the sun was setting on the most beautiful October day.
I’m finally making a long overdue trip to Vegas! I will be staying in downtown Las Vegas and offering both mini and full boudoir sessions on June 22nd and 23rd. If you are interested in booking a session, please email me at kelwardphotography@gmail.com
Please note: I am not doing any model calls for this trip (paid sessions only).
So, I totally dropped the ball this month. I had planned on doing some cool double exposures on film, but clearly that didn’t happen. I simply lost track of time and before I knew it, the end of May was here. The only self-portrait I took during the month of May was this one, which was taken with my cell phone. I took my class to The Gray Lab for a field trip and since they were done early, I decided to snap a quick photo of myself in the space after they left. I was NOT photo ready (obvi), but this is probably a much more accurate representation of me than my previous self-portraits. This is me, after running late because I spent two hours, drinking coffee in bed, instead of doing my hair and makeup. I threw on a hat and ran out the door.
