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!
I have been photographing Ashley and Alina (aka Ashlina) for years now and we always have a good time. Ashley’s sister joined us this past fall, along with her husband and daughter (yay for cousins!). It was freezing cold and the park we’d planned to use for the session was unexpectedly closed, but we managed to get some great shots in a random little grassy area nearby. I’m loving the fall goodness of these photos, from the orange leaves to the jewel tones, to the little red baby nose!
As usual, I’m about a year behind on blogging, so we have already scheduled their mini session for this year.!
Once upon a time, when I owned a vintage trailer, I did a fun little boudoir session with Trista. It was a cold fall morning, but she was a trooper. We hadn’t seen each other in a few years, so we had a lot of catching up to do, which resulted in a lot of laughing.
Wanda, the 1969 Aloha Trailer, has moved on to new adventures with Wild NW goods, where she serves as a mobile boutique!
I can’t believe that we were in Scotland exactly three years ago. Unfortunately, when my old website crashed, I lost my big blog post, detailing our 20th anniversary trip to Scotland. I typed everything from memory, so there’s no way I’ll ever recall everything like I did back then, but I thought I would at least try (for my own records).
For now I’m just going to post the photos, but I’ll come back when I have time and fill in some details of our adventure. This was a trip of a lifetime for us and I’m still obsessed about it three years later.
I’m offering HALLOWEEN portraits at a CEMETERY!
Date: Sunday, November 24th
Time: Evening time slots only .
Location: Salem Pioneer Cemetery
Cost: $25 per digital file
Details: All proceeds will go to Marion Polk Food Share. You are paying $25 for ONE pose/portrait, which will be delivered in digital file format. Each person or group is limited to 4 digital files. Email me at kelwardphotography@gmail.com to inquire or book your spot! Please note: Space is limited!
These shots were taken last October, as a way for Ashley to honor her mother. Linda, who passed away about six months earlier, was born on Halloween and always dressed up as a witch for the holiday. I don’t know how one manages to be both adorable and sexy at the same time, but Ashley nailed it. I can’t wait for this year’s witch themed shoots!
No, you do not have to wear lingerie for your boudoir session.
Emily was so much fun to work with! I hadn’t seen her since she was in elementary school (her older sister was classmates with my oldest son and they did some extracurriculars together), so I was a bit taken aback at how grown up she was. This adorable senior brought some great outfits (and shoes) to her session, which we did this past June. Although these photos are not yearbook candidates (the deadline was long past), she wanted to do some last minute portraits, to document her upcoming graduation. We met up at my studio and walked around to nearby locations, including Riverfront park, an empty dock, the new pedestrian bridge, Minto Brown Park, and of course, downtown. For the last few shots, we took a short drive over to Deepwood Museum & Gardens, which never disappoints.
This day ended up being unexpectedly cold and we found out, upon arrival, that our chosen venue was closed. They were such troopers, though, that they braved the cold and we just shot in a little spot at the entrance of the park in which we’d planned to shoot. You may recognize Ashley and Alina (the couple with the baby), as I’ve photographed them many times in the past (engagement, wedding, maternity, newborn, family, boudoir, etc.). This time, though, we included Ashley’s sister and her family. I can’t wait for fall photos this year!
Not only is she pregnant, but she’s carrying twins! This couple was so fun to work with and hello, look how cute they are! We shot their maternity boudoir session at my studio when she was about 7 months pregnant and I’m happy to report that the babies made their arrival and are as cute as can be!
I love working with this beauty. It had been a few years since I photographed her and she tried to “warn” me that she’d gained weight, but I wasn’t about to listen to any of that. She’s drop dead gorgeous (and she’s an incredible human being too), end of story. Also, can we talk about how jealous I am of her legs?! (note to self: You have GOT to start doing squats.) Anyway, we shot this in a gorgeous custom home that serves as a vacation rental through airbnb. I can’t decide which is more stunning…the architecture or the light. Okay, just kidding…I’m a photographer, so I choose the light, BUT the house really is amazing.
