I’m so glad that my mom was willing to go out and make these portraits with me. I teared up as I was editing the last of them because photos of my family mean so much to me, especially now. A few years ago, my mother-in-law suddenly lost her battle with cancer. It makes me so sad that she didn’t like having photos of herself taken; she always thought there was something about her appearance that she didn’t like in photos. She was beautiful, though. And her heart even more so. I wish I had talked her into going out and doing a photo session with me so I could have those memories instead of just the ones I try to hold onto in my mind. There is something so important about portraits, and now we have such easy access to them. Please bless your family by getting in front of the camera so they may have memories of you to hold onto so they won’t fear they’ll forget what you look like.
Goodness gracious! It’s been a YEAR since we set out on the road full-time in our little 24ft Winnebago View. WHAT?! It’s been a wild ride and a big crash course on everything. I honestly don’t know how to sum up this past year or pick out what constitutes a “highlight,” but here’s my attempt.
Michigan’s UP is so pretty. I definitely recommend taking a trip there to explore. Its landscape seemed like a pretty rare one for the Midwest. That may just mean that if you live in the Midwest then it’s perfect for when you want to travel to see something like the PNW, but that’s not in the money and/or time budget. It’s still a bit of a hike up there, but definitely a beautiful must-see in my book.
We all want your wedding day to be the best it can possibly be so that you can relax and simply celebrate. Here are a few ways to make your wedding day bit more relaxing for your photographer, too
“Hiking is one of my FAVORITE activities. Specifically day hikes with a bit of a scrambling climb in there somewhere. Oh, and waterfalls! I don’t claim to be an expert, but I’d like to share how I find which trails to take.”
Sedona is one of those places that I’m sure you’ve heard of before. If not, let me enlighten you—it’s beautiful. It’s probably one of the most beautiful places you’ll see. As you enter the area you see wonderful smelling mesquite trees along the beautiful red, dirt hills. The hills turn into cliffs with spires and arches all around you. If you aren’t able to hike, no worries, there are plenty of places to view these sights from the comfort of your own car (or a jeep tour). You could even just stroll through town and be greeted at every turn by the imposing, red wonders.
While camping on BLM land near Spokane, Washington recently I would take our dog on hikes around the area, one of which led me to the edge of a cliff overlooking a cute little lake. I had the itch that I really needed to photograph someone there as soon as possible, but I only knew one couple in the area, Rebecca and Curtis. I reached out to Rebecca in the afternoon with the slightest hope that she and her handsome man would be available that evening at the last minute to model for me in my newfound photography location. I loved her response; "SHUT UP! Heck yes!!!!!!" We had the last half hour of light and made it count!
You probably already know that Oregon is beautiful, but add a beautiful bride, a handsome groom, a vineyard, and a fun dance party and it’s brought to the next level. That was Sam and Logan’s wedding day. They were married at the beautiful Youngberg Hill Winery that lies up on a hill in the middle of the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The venue was placed perfectly because it overlooked the backdrop of the layers of hills going off into the distance. I know that I said the word “hill” a lot there, but they’re really pretty hills, haha.
“As we hike and explore, I keep doing more location scouting for future sessions in these amazing locations that we now get to call our backyard. We have a beautiful country full of so much variety, and I’ve been loving seeing it so far. I already have so many locations for epic engagement, elopement, and portrait sessions that I can’t wait to photograph people in.”
“Our visit to Joshua Tree was an exciting one for several reasons. It included a few firsts for us: it was the first National Park visit of our full-time traveling adventures, and for each of us it was our first time to this specific park. Our favorite hike we did there wound along washes, through cacti and joshua trees. The fog and mist from the rains made us completely soaked even while it brought beautiful fog down over the hills.”
“While in New Mexico, my husband and I had the opportunity to visit with some sweet, kind friends from college. They spoiled us with multiple meals, invited us into their lives, and even gave me the honor of photographing them! So on Saturday morning, we ventured out to their favorite trail for a little adventure.”
“It's actually been a month—a crazy month—since we set out on the road. We traveled from the Portland, Oregon area down through the entire state of California and over to Arizona where we have landed for now. We've been boondocking (basically not hooking up to electricity and water or staying at paid campsites) the entire adventure so far, and that doesn't look like it will change any time soon now that we've figured out our solar power.”
Just the other day, I had the pleasure of finally meeting Sam and Logan in person for their engagement session! Let me tell you, they really are the sweet, kind couple I thought they were. No, they’re even sweeter. :) They are so cute together, too. Everything about them being together just seems so natural—so meant to be.
I have learned a lot over these past 5 years, and I'm absolutely certain that there will be an astounding amount more to learn. I thought I'd share some of what has made these past several years feel as though we never came home from our honeymoon.
