Salem Oregon Family Photographer - indoor fall mini session

The Gray Lab was one of two locations available for this year’s fall mini sessions. Although I have a dedicated studio space nearby, I find that this public studio is better suited for family sessions and/or larger groups. The background is neutral, the light is lovely, and they have a variety of couches and furniture pieces to choose from.

This tween & teen sibling duo belongs to my best friend, Molly, who is also an awesome real estate agent (https://mollyedwards.salemoregonpropertysearch.com/)! If you know me, you can probably see why Molly and I are best friends (hint: It’s her shenanigans).

Salem Oregon Boudoir Photographer - sexy outdoor session in a red, velvet cape

This is still one of my favorite sessions and since it got lost with my website crash, I am sharing it again. This time of year feels perfect for this foggy, outdoor session. This cape, which was custom made by Katherine Traeger (formerly Kate Miles) is available for clients to wear during sessions. Just make sure you let me know ahead of time, as some wardrobe pieces are kept at the studio and some at my house.

Salem Oregon Boudoir Photographer - stylish boho session

Maisie wore a simple black bra & underwear set for her boudoir session, which she layered with pieces from my boudoir closet (faux fur, green lace top, green velvet pants). This was not her first boudoir session and as I expected, she rocked it! We had some lovely afternoon sun, which was diffused most of the time by some passing clouds, and it just made for the most beautiful light in my studio.

Salem Couples Photographer - sexy sneak peek (not boudoir)!

I always try to get at least one photo of “just the parents” (or parent, in some cases) , when doing family sessions. I usually take individual shots of just the kids, or at the very least group shots of just the kids, and while parents may not change as quickly as the kids do, they DO change over the years. I think it’s just important to document how the adults looked over the years. I mean, think of how few photos we see of our parents and grandparents, especially in adulthood.

Salem Maternity Photographer - Indoor Maternity Session (Anna & Ken)

I have had the honor of photographing Anna & Ken for several years now and they are truly amazing people. This year their annual fall portraits looked a little different, with Anna’s baby bump making an appearance. Baby Asha is expected to make her grand entrance in early 2022 and I cannot wait to meet her!

Salem Oregon Family Photographer - I've been photographing this family for over a decade!

I know I always say this about my clients, but I am often blown away at how much the kids have grown! Some families, like this one, have been in front of my camera for over a decade! When I met this group, the youngest was not even a year old, the middle kid was in pre-school, and the oldest was a first grader. They’re now in middle school, high school, and college! Yes, I have kids the same ages , but for some reason it always surprises me more to see how fast OTHER kids grow. They’ve been doing this for so long that we are usually done with photos in less than 10 minutes!

Salem Portrait Photographer - testing, testing, 1, 2, 3

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…

Salem Oregon Maternity Photographer - studio maternity session (sneak peek)!

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!

Salem Oregon Boudoir Photographer - b&w boho session with vintage inspired lingerie

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.

Salem Wedding Photographer - Intimate Nuptials at Deepwood Museum & Gardens

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.

Salem Oregon Headshot Photographer - casual portraits for a local teen singer!

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.

Salem Boudoir Photographer - plus sized pieces in my studio closet!

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!

Salem Oregon Family Photographer - fall maternity session with a cute pup!

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!).

Portland Wedding Photographer - Hao & Rachel's East Fork Country Estate Nuptials!

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)!

Salem Family Photographer - fall maternity sneak peek

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!

Eugene Oregon Boudoir Photographer - cozy cabin session with two beautiful women

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.

Salem Fine Art Photographer - triple goddess series for Halloween!

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.