Afterward I went home and made myself a quite delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich (not pictured).

Since I still wanted to again photograph in Cooper’s own surroundings but also wanted a clean “studio” look to some of the shots, we set up a backdrop in the living room to start. Later we moved the backdrop behind his parents bed and got shots of him playing with his books. We also went outside into the bright sun and I used an off-camera flash to fill in the shadows.

Cooper had some angry and also sad moments during our adventure but I learned from photographing my son (now 17 months old) to capture those moments too because the are all part of the different stages of being a baby!

Check back in a few months when Cooper will be ONE!

I graduated in 1996 which was way back in the previous millennium. Back then cameras had film in them and 1989 Ford Escort hatchbacks had me in them. But that’s neither here nor there.

Just the other week I met Hailey at Manito Park to take her Senior Portraits. While Manito is a pretty common location for Seniors to get their photos it’s for good reason. There’s just a lot of beautiful spots and some nice light there in the evenings.

Hailey did a great job while fielding and deflecting advice from not only me but also her mom, her younger brother and her younger sister.

I had such a good time that I’m hoping to get another call for some Senior Portraits very soon!

Thanks Hailey!

Technically it was just a backdrop, a camera on a tripod, with a strobe flash connected. And maybe a bit of alcohol.

Orcas Island was a beautiful setting for this amazing wedding. The drive from Spokane to Seattle and ferry ride to the island was totally worth being able to witness this event. This was honestly one of the best weddings I have ever been to. Other than my own of course!

Instead of telling a huge story about everything there I’ll just run through some of the details.

It was at Pebble Cove Farm…a huge outdoor summer wedding on the lawn overlooking the Massacre Bay on Orcas Island…white chairs set up for the ceremony and a large white tent for the dinner/reception.

Heather and Carol didn’t miss any of the details. As guests arrived they found thier name and assigned table on small pieces of wooden keepsakes. Mason jars of small colorful flags were waiting at the ceremony as everyone took their seat .

The table settings were very impressive – small jars of homemade pear butter for each guest, beautiful floral centerpieces, colorful bird shaped salt & pepper shakers inside tiny birdnests… fancy colored pencils and paper for the kids. 

After the ceremony, Carol’s father played the bagpipes while the newlyweds walked down to the shore and into a small rowboat where they popped a bottle of champaign and displayed their “Just Married” sign to their guests who were all up out of their seats cheering!

Carol and Heather have so many beautiful friends and family members which made the reception such a fun event to photograph. Hugs, kisses, and smiling faces of congratulations were all around!

Fresh oysters, wine, champaign, mojitos…everything was above and beyond. Even the ice water was flavored with mint. :)

There was wonderful and heartfelt congratulation-toast after toast. Carol and Heather have given their friends and family many reasons to raise a glass in their honor. 

The reception also included the cake cutting, loads of dancing and the photobooth which I will explain in my next blog post. :)

Congrats Carol and Heather!

Designed by famous Spokane architect, Kirtland Cutter in 1888 the Glover Mansion was home to James Nettle Glover, aka,  “The Father of Spokane”.

These are photos I recently took for the Mansion…not of the wedding necessarily but to show off the great outdoor wedding/event venue for the Mansion which is nestled in on Spokane’s south hill.

I’m again looking forward to capturing the event this year. It’s currently forecast to be in the 80s over the weekend which can feel hotter downtown among all the concrete sidewalks and pavement.

The photo pictured here is in the current (June, 2009) issue of Spokane Metro Magazine. I took it last year from about five stories up of a game being played along Wall Street.

The photo was taken with a tilt shift lens which I talked about earlier on my blog. Also last year I posted other photos from Hoopfest 2008 too.

If you’re playing in Hoopfest, “good luck!” Maybe I’ll see you down there. Oh, and maybe I’ll catch a glimpse of Kareem!

Below is another of my favorite shots from last year.

The vantage point of the clocktower gives a unique perspective of downtown Spokane. In this shot you can see the Liberty Building, home to Auntie’s Bookstore and Santé Restaurant & Charcuterie, you can see the Paulsen Building, the US Bank Building, the Parkade and also hidden in the trees is the Big Red Wagon.