The Dalles Oregon Wedding Photographer - Kylee & Dustin's Tygh Valley Barn Event!

Kylee & Dustin, both Marines, met while stationed in San Diego. Long story short, they fell in love and got married at their local courthouse in 2020. Like most of my wedding clients, they then planned a bigger event about a year later…which is where I come in.

I have known Kylee since she was born. I met her mom, Angie, in first grade and she has been one of my best friends for nearly 40 years now! In fact, Angie was pregnant with Kylee (and her twin sister, Taylar) when she was a bridesmaid in my wedding! Fun fact: Kylee was actually the first baby my husband ever held!

The bride and groom celebrated one year of marriage with their closest family and friends, with a traditional wedding ceremony. The Tygh Valley Barn was a great venue for this group, as there is a house to rent on the property, as well as plenty of space for camping. A lot of the guests brought their camper vans and made a weekend out of it.

The whole day was fun for me, as I had a lot of friends in attendance. It was so nice to see and catch up with everyone, when I wasn’t shooting. I even spent some time chatting about VW busses, with a few other bus owners. The green bus shown in the photos below belongs to Kylee’s uncle and it’s the same year as mine!

After getting ready, the happy couple did a first look, as they had not seen each other in their wedding attire (they wore different outfits for their courthouse nuptials). It was a sweet, private moment with just the two of them…until their two pups joined in! We did most of the portraits before the ceremony, but I did manage to grab the bride and groom for some photos of just to the two of them before I left, which is always my favorite part of the day.

Willamina Oregon Wedding Photographer - Jenna & Richard's Navarra Gardens Wedding

Like most of my clients scheduled to get married in 2020, Jenna and Richard had to change their plans, due to the pandemic. They knew they couldn’t wait a whole year to make their commitment, though, so they eloped locally on their originally planned date (see those photos HERE) and then had their planned “wedding” the following summer.

Navarra Gardens, which is located in Willamina, was a beautiful backdrop for this event. This was hands down the HOTTEST weather I’ve ever shot in (110 degrees!), but being near the water and surrounded by trees did help a little! The property has all kinds of hidden little gems, like the hanging lantern collection, the large patches of daisies and a variety of birdhouses.

Although they had already been married for a year, the couple decided to do a “first look.” Jenna opted to wear her grandmother’s short, off white lace dress for their elopement, so this was the first time Richard got to see her actual wedding dress. I must say…his reaction didn’t disappoint! He even did a walk around to check it all out.

After the ceremony, the couple enjoyed visiting with their guests at the reception…in the air conditioned barn! Then, as I almost always do, I stole the bride and groom for some quick portraits, before heading out.

Salem Oregon Photographer - holiday glamping inspiration

Because I’m a ridiculous person, I decorate our camping trailer for different holidays. This is the second time I’ve decorated for Christmas, but I went a different route. Last year, which you can see HERE, featured a hot chocolate theme. I also set up the banquette last year, whereas I turned it into a bed for this year’s shoot (gotta love camping trailers!). This year I went with more of a more of a Scottish picnic theme, with red tartan bedding, whiskey, and shortbread biscuits.

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!