Salem Oregon Photographer - Valentine's Glamping!

I honestly had no idea how much fun I would have with our little (19ft) travel trailer. The makeover on Miss Patty, a 1998 Prowler, was a must, as the late 90s color scheme wasn’t our jam. I love how it turned out, but it wasn’t actually a “fun” project…mostly because I was melting in the summer heat. Anyway, camping has been absolutely awesome and our trailer is just perfect for my husband and I. What I didn’t expect, though, was to have so much fun decorating her for various holidays! I’ve now decorated for Halloween, Christmas (twice), Valentine’s Day. We actually camped over Halloween this past fall, so it was a good excuse to decorate. Unfortunately our December trip got snowed out. As luck would have it, we are camping for Valentine’s Day this year, so here we are…with another excuse to decorate again! Speaking of luck…St. Pattrick’s Day is up next!

Salem Oregon Photographer - test shots with the Canon R6!

A few months ago, I rented the Canon R6 (mirrorless) camera, to see if I wanted to buy it. In the end, I went with a different model, but this was a GREAT camera! The color was easy to work with, I loved the live exposure preview, and focus was spot on. I’d say 99% of the images were tack sharp, with the 1% being user error. Anyway, here are a few quick shots I took one day at a nearby park, just for fun.

Salem Portrait Photographer - 80s sitcom inspired family session!

This family is a hoot. They like to have fun with their family portraits and I am totally here for it. in the past they’ve worn giant googly eyes, super hero t-shirts, and latex animal head masks, so when Erin told me they were doing an 80s TV sitcom theme, I couldn’t wait to see what they came up with. After a trip to a local thrift store, they were all set. From the giant glasses, to the Dad slippers, to the blacksheep of the family… I love it all! They even made a cute little video to look like the full house intro, featuring their “cast members.” I also felt the need to create a truly 80s inspired image, using photoshop, which I’ve titled, Mother. Haha!

Salem Oregon Maternity Photographer - emotional b&w portraits

This couple has been though (and continue to go through) more than most can imagine and I’ll just leave it at that. While we definitely did some happy, colorful maternity portraits, these intimate shots speak to me the most.

Salem Oregon Family Photographer - indoor fall mini session at the gray lab!

This past fall I offered indoor mini sessions, in addition to my usual outdoor option. Although my own studio is located nearby, the Gray Lab is better suited for families and groups, due to the size. It’s about 3x the size of my studio and they have quite a few different furniture options to choose from. This is the first time I’ve photographed Michiko’s family indoors, so it was a nice change of pace. Plus, we didn’t have to worry about the unpredictable weather (and it was all over the place this day) or getting cold. The sooner we could get her busy teenagers out the door, the better, so this worked out perfectly.

Salem Oregon Small Business Photographer - branding session with Morning Glories Floral

Branding sessions are an opportunity to get both headshots and “action” shots for your business. They’re similar to mini sessions, but the focus is on creating content for your website, social media, etc. These can take place in my studio (seen here) or on-location. We can shoot in your home, at your place of work, or at an alternate location of your choosing.

These photos of Amanda Dant are a good reminder that Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and Morning Glories Floral (her business) is open for orders! CLICK HERE for more info!

Salem Boudoir Photography - evening session with a plus sized beauty

Lauren is a gorgeous and confident plus sized model, so working with her was an absolute pleasure. We shot this after the sun went down, so it was basically dark in my studio. I had a rental camera in my posession and wanted to test out the low light capabilities, so this was a good way to do that.

Salem Oregon Family Photographer - Ashley, Alina & Everett's Fall Session

I know I do this all the time, but I love mentioning all of the times I’ve photographed someone. I am just so honored when those continuously choose me, as their photographer, to document their family’s milestones. My first time photographing Ashley and Alina was at their engagement session. Since then, I have photographed their wedding, their pregnancy, their hospital newborn portraits, baby and toddler sessions, multiple family sessions, a boudoir session, and even a celebration of life for Ashley’s mom. I adore this little family and truly love watching them grow.

Salem Boudoir Studio - bridal queen

If I am being honest, I don’t necessarily hate that my old website crashed. My new web host and website are both so much easier to deal with now. I also love that it gives me an excuse to re-blog some of my favorite sessions, like this one! This was a really fun shoot with some experimentation that paid off.

Salem Boudoir Photographer - Valentine's Boudoir Event!

Date: Sunday, January 30th

Location: My studio (343 Court Street NE)

Investment: $150

Includes: A 15-minute session (in one outfit) at my studio, 5 digital files, and 5 polaroids (with delivery before 2/14/22, of course).

Booking: Email me at kelwardphotography@gmail.com to book your spot. Space is limited!

Salem Oregon Family Photographer - formal fall portraits

This family are longtime friends and clients and I adore working with them. This year they decided on formal attire and I was SO there for it. I mean, hello…they look amazing! Mama Bear did a great job choosing colors and now everyone has something to wear to a formal event, if needed.

Oregon Elopement Photographer - big news for 2022!

With the exception of elopements, I have decided to take a break from weddings in 2022.

I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time and finally made the decision a few weeks ago to take a break from weddings in 2022…EXCEPT for elopements. My wedding clients over the last 13 years have been AWESOME and I adore them all, but Mama needs a break! Weddings are….a lot. They’re somewhat physically demanding (well, for an aging, out of shape person such as myself, lol), but more than that, they are mentally draining. You have to be “ready” every second of the day, even when nothing appears to be happening. Plus, I have a busier schedule these days. So, as of right now, I’m only planning on taking this year off, but I will reassess in the fall.

Like I said, I will still take on elopements this year. They’re much less stressful for me and, well, I just freaking love elopements! So, with that being said, I want to take a moment and share some of my favorite elopements over the years!

IZZY & REGINA… This was my first elopement ever! Izzy & Regina traveled all the way from Texas, to get married in Oregon, as same-sex marriage was not yet legal in their state. They rented a gorgeous airbnb out in Amity for their stay, which was the perfect location for an intimate elopement. Aside from myself and the officiant, the only other people there were the guitarist, who played for their ceremony, and a chef who prepared them a three course meal afterwards. These two were SO fun to work with. Not only were they madly in love, but they were spunky and adorable.

BRIANA & WINCHESTER… This was not your typical courthouse elopement, as you can see from the photos below. After tying the knot outside of the courthouse (some judges offer that at the Marion County Courthouse, by the way!), the newlyweds walked around downtown Salem and hit some of their favorite spots, like an ice cream shop and the record store! It was ridiculously laid back and hello, look at Briana’s dress that she made herself!

LIZZY & KEITH…This beautiful couple rented a cool house through airbnb for their candlelit elopement. They found it difficult to plan their big summer wedding, while living in two different homes. Since they preferred not to live together before marriage, they decided to elope in the Spring. They still had their big ceremony a few months later, which was much easier to plan once they lived together. I was more than happy to photograph their two separate, and very different, ceremonies. Lizzy and Keith are just cool individuals, who happen to also be very good looking.

ANNA & KEN…While planning their wedding, Anna was diagnosed with breast cancer. They pushed their wedding back a year, so that she could undergo treatment. When they found out that Anna’s grandmother was going to be in town for Christmas, they opted to elope during her stay. Although you would never know by looking at her smiling face, Anna was in the middle of chemo during this time. They chose Deepwood Museum & Gardens for their venue, which is beautiful all year ‘round, but the Christmas decor made it even more charming! The following year, they had their big wedding and celebration, which I also had the honor of photographing.

CASEY & JENYA…This elopement is a little different, in that I was the second shooter for Shelley K Photography. This couple flew in from Washington DC to get married against the gorgeous backdrop of the Columbia River Gorge. Aside from Shelley and I, the only other person in attendance was the officiant, who also happened to be Shelley’s husband. We hiked in to Wahclella Falls for their ceremony, which was very intimate, thanks to the sound of the waterfall (we couldn’t hear them, from where we were taking photos) . Afterwards, we drove out to Government Cove for some beautiful portraits. Shelley and I both shot completely on film and the results were straight up dreamy. So, while I didn’t really get to know this couple, it was a memorable experience because I got to shoot it with my friend and I was introduced to some amazing new shooting locations.

PORSHE & JEREMY…I don’t even know where to start with these two! I adore them SO much. I met Porshe when my business was still pretty new. She modeled for me and we immediately became friends. Since then I’ve photographed two of her births, a couple of boudoir sessions, family sessions, and of course their elopement…at a hospital! Yep, these two got married in the chapel at St. Vincent hospital in Portland. Porshe’s uncle, who is like a second father to her, was in the hospital and was not going to be able to attend their destination wedding, so they opted to get legally married with a little ceremony before leaving town. If you know me, you know I sometimes like a challenge..and making wedding photos in a freaking hospital look good was a challenge, but I think we totally nailed it!

RAVEN & MARCUS…This ridiculously adorable couple was also struck with Cancer, which lead them to the decision to elope at the courthouse in Salem. I booked this wedding THE DAY they got married! I started the day in Nebraska and ended the day at the Marion County Courthouse. Their ceremony was short and sweet, but everyone still cried. Afterwards we did a few quick photos and then they were off to celebrate with family and friends. I was there for less than an hour, but it was still magical.

JENNA & RICHARD…I met Jenna, when she took my photography class at Chemeketa. She was just the sweetest, most soft-spoken girl, with gorgeous red hair, so I was honored when she asked me to photograph her wedding photos (once the term was over, of course, as I don’t take students as clients). Due to the pandemic, they postponed their wedding for a year. Because Jenna’s father was battling cancer (seriously, though, cancer can just fuck right off already), they kept their original wedding date and eloped in Salem. They held a more traditional wedding and reception the following year, near the coast, which I also photographed.

SABRINA & BRIAN…This was a day full of love and gorgeous scenery. I met up with them at their airbnb, just outside of Cannon Beach, where they got ready and also had their first look. From there, we headed over to Ecola State Park, where Sabrina’s brother married them and Brian’s brother was their witness. One of the best things about elopements is that you aren’t rushed and the couple isn’t obligated to do anything else, like mingle with guests or answer 1,957 questions about where things are and where they go. This free time gave us the opportunity to shoot with multiple backdrops, such as the park, the beach, the rocks, etc. After we finished up with portraits, I dropped the two of them off at a restaurant, where they had dinner reservations.

JESSICA & DARIN…I did not meet the groom until the day of their courthouse elopement, but I had known Jessica for years. She is our favorite teacher! My older two boys (now nearly 20 and 22) had her as a teacher in elementary school and they absolutely ADORED her. It’s not surprise that she was honored as teacher of the year in our district! My oldest even had her two years in a row. We all hoped that my youngest would get her too, but she switched schools before it happened (booooo). She will forever be our favorite teacher and I was absolutely honored to document her and Darin’s special day.

TRACY & JORDON…I met Tracy through her sister, who is a good friend of mine. Shortly after they got engaged, Jordon got orders for an overseas deployment, which prompted their elopement. Neskowin, Oregon is a stunning place to get married and this isn’t the only elopement I’ve photographed there! Their ceremony was simple, but oh-so-romantic. Best of all, Jordon made it home safely from his deployment and they now have a new baby!

CHERYL & ROB… I will always remember this wedding because they got married on December 19th, which is the same day my husband and I got married! We will forever share a wedding anniversary. Obviously, the bride’s gown is to die for. When I found out she was wearing a gold velvet dress, I was like, “YESSSS!” Anyway, these lovebirds said, “I do” at a little Christmas tree farm in Corvallis. Of course it rained because that’s what it does in Oregon, especially in December, but how gorgeous is that umbrella shot?! Oh, and fun fact…Cheryl is Tracy’s mom (from the above photos)!

CORI & NOAH…This was my most recent elopement, having just taken place this past fall. It’s a long story, as to how this elopement came together (you can read the story HERE), but they tied the knot on their 10y year anniversary, having their children as their only guests. These two have the biggest hearts and have been a second set of parents to my middle son for years.. The actual ceremony was held at Deepwood Museum & Gardens, but we drove out to the pumpkin patch for some fun portraits afterwards. It rained (because…Oregon) and we got soaked, but it was totally worth it!

So…what do I consider an elopement? I love it when it’s just the couple and their witnesses (or in many cases, just one witness, as I often sign as the second witness), but I don’t really have a limit on the number of people that will be there. It’s more about WHAT will be photographed. For example: no wedding party (bridesmaids/groomsmen), no reception, and no list of specified shots you want. Elopements are meant to be laid back and stress-free. If you aren’t sure whether or not your wedding would be considered an elopement, just ask me!