Meeting Jasmine

I first came across Jasmine's article on ProPhotoResource about a year ago. It was a story of how she met her wedding photographer David Jay and eventually became a wedding photographer herself, shooting some 36 weddings her first year! I had communicated with her several times in the past year, and she's always taken the time to respond and comment on my pics. Needless to say, it was a real honor to meet her in person this past weekend. Let me tell you, she's one dynamic speaker! Dynamic yet approachable. Her hubby JD is also very down to earth. It felt like I've known them for a long time. Super stoked!

Amy and Joe: A Blessed Wedding

The weather was beautiful, as was the setting. Joe arrived early with his parents. Bruce the best man was already waiting. As Joe was getting ready for the big day, he'd look out the window at the lawn as the tables and chairs were being set up. He looked through another window as he explained to me how the four mango mousse cakes were to be assembled. Shortly after that Amy showed up in her favorite red shirt, with matching red dahlias in her hair. It didn't take long for the ladies to get ready. Joe had to stay in his dressing room so that he would not see Amy until she walked down the aisle. When Dad walked Amy down the aisle, I turned around and saw tears of joy in Joe's eyes. One of most moving parts was when the dads, a pastor and an elder, prayed for the bride and groom.




The wedding ceremony was, in a word, blessed.

At the recessional the two literally dashed down the aisle. We had about 30 minutes for bridal portraits so we took a stroll around the grounds. Robinswood House was located adjacent a large park with plenty of greenery. For the first dance the newly-wed couple danced to none other than Michael Jackson. Family and friends joined in the dancing before seeing the couple off.



Congratulations, Amy and Joe! We were honored to document your wedding!!

Snow

Here in the Pacific Northwest, it hardly ever snows in winter. Not at this elevation anyway. Even when it does snow it's usually no more than a dusting. Mostly just rain. And more rain. Many locals don't even use umbrellas that much as they're so used to the constant drizzle.

Not so this winter.

It snowed a bit the week before Christmas. Then it snowed some more. It snowed so much that we were snowed in for a good week. In fact they called it the Arctic Blast of 2008. The area was simply not equipped to deal with so much snow. Chains for tires? We didn't have any. And we needed chains to get to the store to buy chains, which was kinda hard.

It started to feel like Groundhog Day. We'd get up, look out the window to a world covered in a blanket of white stuff. Feed the kids, feed the gold fish, play Monopoly, Disney/Pixar edition, eat lunch, edit photos, get on facebook, ...

Finally I had had it. I had to get out and get some photographing out of my system. A single oak leaf on perfectly fallen snow. Cool. My shoe print. Yeah. Chimney of the house across the street protruding a good layer of fluffy white on the roof. Click. I was happy.

Sure brings back memories. We used live in upstate New York where we'd get about 100 inches of snow every winter. There'd be piles of snow in parking lots taller than people. Snow blowers were necessities. And it was fun the first few times I used it. Then it got to be getting up half an hour earlier in the cold morning to clean the driveway so we could get out, it wasn't so much fun any more.

Now I miss my Snow King!

Engaged: Amy and Joe

Amy and Joe met each other by devine arrangement, through Joe's mom. Mom introduced them but it didn't click at first, so it took a bit more nudging on her part to get them to go on a first date. Mother knows best. The rest, as they say, well, you know the story.

Amy was a missionary to China for 6 years, so she speaks perfect Chinese. In fact, better than Joe's Chinese.

They walked through the South Park blocks, chasing the imaginary squirrel.


Did I mention they're a very adventurous couple?


Stay tuned for the wedding pics...

Farewell, Summer

Wherefore, Summer, hath thou gone? Days are getting shorter, and the rain has returned. There's a frost advisory issued for the area over night, and we're but in the second week of October. We had a busy summer. Both kids started soccer, but the 3- and 4-year-old teams were by far the cutest. On the first practice, Coach Jason divided the 8 kids into two teams, told one to go this way, and the other to go that way, but short attention span got in the way. Finally he just threw the ball and said, "Go get the ball!" And they did. "Keep going!" And they did.

This Is Now

The studio can be anywhere. Outdoors or in. Here in the Pacific northwest where we spend half of the year in the rain, indoors it tends to be less wet. It can be as simple as a plain wall and a small light, and voila!























Little girl, 4 years later. (Nikon SB-800 speed light with shoot through umbrella. Pocket Wizard. If you must know.)

Brother fell off the monkey bars and injured his wrist. Guess he's not a real monkey after all. (Similar setup) Doesn't seem to bother him very much. Still very active.















Other times we'd set up the backdrop and bring out the big studio strobes. Good for Kung Fu Girl shot. Who says having your picture taken isn't fun? Haaaaaaaaaiiiiiiya!






















My approach to photographing children is very much let kids be themselves. There's one rule in the studio. We never say "cheese." A contrived smile does not a good portrait make. We'll play a game, tell a story, say "1, 2, 3, jump!" or play peek-a-boo. Much more genuine expressions this way.

Jump, KFG, jump!

That Was Then

Fast forward a couple of decades, we were expecting our second child. Showed up in the hospital with two cameras and a camcorder. The nurse saw me and asked, "Are you doing a documentary or something?"

"Heh, heh!" I chuckled.

The delivery of our second child went much more smoothly than the first, but not without a few scary moments. Minutes after J was born, I snapped this shot.