Sweets

Our house is still dripping with candy and I don't see it going away until summer. Once Halloween comes the holidays, which keep the kids fully stocked, hit at a regular clip until Easter. 

My oldest is the type who will finish his last piece of Halloween candy the day before trick-or-treating again. I think most parents throw it out, steal from it themselves or let the kids eat it all quickly so it doesn't draw out for months but those options haven' t felt right to me. yet.

He digs through the bag and has the self-control to keep the best pieces of candy the longest. Where he got his restraint, I don't know. 

All the candy at my house got me thinking about a shoot I did this summer of a few of our nephews. We are lucky to have such great family. For the last few years we have been able to spend some time together at Cannon Beach each summer. The cousins play, the adults eat way too many maple bars and carry all the pails, shovels and children back and forth to the beach several times a day.

One of the highlights of the trip for the kids is a trip to Bruce's Candy Kitchen to hunt for a special treat. Each of them choose unique flavors, shapes and sizes and everyone come out with giant smiles. I bought a few extra lollipops while we were there as reward for my cooperative subjects. I love that my boys will have such great summer memories to hold on to when they grow up.

"invisible to the eye" -Vancouver, WA Family Photographer

"Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." -- "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I am pretty sure my heart grows three sizes, just like the Grinch, each time I spend time with adorable families taking pictures. I get excited and bubbly and I talk way too fast and too much. A tremendous rush of creative adrenaline comes over me which needs to come out somehow.

I get a chance to hang out with the best people in the world and get to make photos and create art. For this I am thankful. But when all is said in done, it is not about the photographs. It is about life and living it and sharing it with others. 

I like to read my horoscope, just to see what it has to say. Sometimes it doesn't come close to describing life as I know it. Today I think it held some truth. It read, "Somehow you manage to put other people's interests before your own without selling yourself short or making yourself small." I don't know about the first line, but it is the second line that got me. "You just love people, and serving others is as natural to you as breathing air." Wow. That's me.

Now for the sneak peek of the little Prince I got to hang out with. Thanks for putting up with my fast talking so my heart could learn a little more about you.

Goodbye Franklin Street- Vancouver, Washington Family Photographer

The connections people have to their first home are strong. The pride of home ownership. The feathering of one's nest with collections and home goods which bring a sense of comfort. The memories of special events and people who you have opened your home to.

Really a home is about the people, without them it is just a box.

Franklin Street has been home to this family for years. They started a marriage and a family there. What a great experience it was to document the "Robinwood" family in and around their first home before they move to their next one. I am thrilled they will have photos of this chapter in their lives and look forward to seeing what the next one brings.

Three is company, not a crowd- Portland,Oregon Family Photographer

I loved hanging with this family and especially loved soaking in these siblings who have a fabulous connection. I was so amazed to see how they interact and truly enjoy spending time together. They were silly, friendly, supportive, inquisitive... the list could go on and on. Thank you for welcoming me and sharing a little of your world.

Independence - Portland, Oregon Family Photographer

This shoot felt like a scavenger hunt. We drove around searching the urban landscape for places to take photographs. A broken window and old peeling posters, an olive wall, a loading dock.  It was fun to see where the afternoon would take us. Katie was a trooper through the heat until a brief nap in the truck with grandma, when I got to steal mom and dad for a few minutes. A cute couple, sweet girl and a gorgeous mama.

Little Katie is an independent soul. As a parent, one of the things I want my boys to develop is a sense of independence. I want them to feel confident and comfortable in their own skin. For most of the mom's I have talked to recently, it seems our little ones really start to show their independent spirits when they turn three. Three is a time of testing boundaries and testing patience. Three is also a time of heart warming smiles, proudly proclaiming "I can do it" and a glimpse of character. Katie is a beautiful, energetic and determined three-year-old. She knows what she wants. I admire that in a girl.

The Good Knights- Wilsonville, Oregon Family Photographer

Photography comes to me through my heart. When I am able to spend time with people and start to see into their hearts is when magic can happen. I love this first image of Evelyne.  It speaks to a part of me which longs to be carefree and childlike in my adult world. When I saw this image I saw myself as a child running through a field with a flower in my hand. I could feel and hear the wind. I remembered the sweet smell of summer grass in the air. That is what a photograph can do. It can pull you back to a treasured place in your heart and remind you about living. It is a gift Evelyne gave me that day.

Thank you Knight family for letting me spend time photographing you. A beautiful family inside and out. I am so glad I got some great mama moments. I am in awe at how gorgeous Dianne looks in the last photo and adore how Evelyne is loving on her. 

Summer babes-Vancouver, WA children's photographer

Babies are so fun to photograph outside.  They seem to appreciate the change of scenery and the fresh air. I love to see their chubby toes buried in the grass. The summers pass a million times quicker as an adult. I need to slow down soon and soak in a little more of what summer has to offer before she is gone.

Feeney Family Fun - Vancouver,WA family photographer

I told you it was too hard to choose. What a lovely family with beautiful girls. A few in color a few in b/w for fun.