That post that I put together for some of my favorite wedding moments got me thinking about portraits. We’ve been photographing Portland family portraits for four years now and there have been so many moments. But like children that we tend to favor at various times for various reasons (c’mon, you know I’m right), there are images that have stuck with me. They each tell a story– in fact, it’s hard to post just one image, from one family or session. Our portrait sessions regularly range from between an hour and a half to two hours. Time is an important component of our sessions, because it takes a little bit to ease into the mode of playing while a camera is following you around. By the end of the session we feel such an affinity for these families. When it comes time to do our ordering sessions it is really hard to narrow the session down to the 25 to 30 images that we present. And so narrowing these favorites down to one was… well, I think you get the point. But it had to be done.
All of this thinking has come in handy, too, because NW Kids Magazine asked me to put together a few of my favorite child and family portraits for our photography spotlight on their site. Here’s just a sampling of what came to mind:
We’re in the process of merging www.rlportraits.com with our newer, more inclusive Blog Betwixt. Pages are getting introduced as they’re created but I wanted all of the pretty stuff up first. Yes, that’s one of my quirks– I set the table really early on Thanksgiving, too, long before all of the substantive cooking is done. If you have any questions of course please email us directly at hello@rlportraits.com or visit the contact page.
Oh, and I almost forgot: Happy Valentine’s Day!
The February issue of NW Kids Magazine is now out! You can find it on newsstands around the city. This month the magazine featured several articles on kids and photography. I love writing columns for the magazine and this month’s subject material was, of course, pretty close to heart. It was fun to reminisce on being a child, camera in hand, and being able to start forming my own ideas of what art really was. I hope that a few more little photographers get some inspiration!
Discovering The World Through A Lens
I remember having a camera in my hands from the time I was very little. I look back now and am somewhat shocked that my mom let me play with our family camera. And let’s not mention that I probably went through rolls and rolls of film which, at the time, was not a cheap commodity. As I’ve thought of my early photography as I’ve prepared this article, I have thought of both pros and cons that might foster the love of photography in child:
• I explored the world on my own terms and documented what I saw. Children are naturally inquisitive. Everything is new to them. And when they have a camera in their hands, they aren’t trying to find the best angle or the most composed shot. They shoot with instinct. If you let them trust their inner artist, you may be amazed at the compelling images they will take.
• As free as that exposure was, I was limited at the time by the finite qualities of film. But in this digital age, you don’t have to hand your child a camera for them to capture the world. Just giving them your iPhone on camera mode can open a whole realm of imagination. They can take a hundred shots before the memory will ever run out.
• Let’s face it– childhood was different then. I wasn’t bombarded by a million things diverting my attention. Sometimes kids need a bit of a push to find the fun. Spark their imagination by creating opportunities to find inspiration. That might be a simple as creating a scavenger hunt of images to capture around your home or neighborhood. Hone in on their interests. Encourage them to take photos at their sports game, or sit in a city park or and take people photos. Take your little scientist into the woods. Whatever they love, they’ll document.
• I had to wait for film to be developed before I could show off my talents. But there are so many ways now to process and share photos instantly. Create an album online so that they can send their photos to family. Or create an Instagram or Hipstamatic account with your phone. These apps are simple to use– take a picture, apply a filter, and send them to a feed. But it quickly gives them a direct reward system and a way to receive praise from others.
• I played around with settings and learned the fundamentals of photography through trial and error. Your child will, too, in their own time. Somewhere around third or fourth grade, they’ll start wanting to know more about how it all works. If you have the knowledge you can begin showing them how to take that early exploration and apply it. Or utilize community classes and online tutorials. Let them direct it so that the process stays fun. And who knows? Maybe you, too, will end up with a photographer in your own family.
February will be the Photographer issue for NWKids magazine and so once again, we cooked up a really fun concept for photography for the magazine– this time to match the article “Discovering the World Through a Lens”. (I’ll post that soon!) I wanted to share my own journey of becoming a photographer and to give parents some tips on how to help their own child develop that love. It seemed perfect to do a session with some children actually being the photographers! Brian McLernon, another local photographer, was kind enough to lend me his studio for the day. I absolutely loved letting the kids just get their hands onto the cameras and seeing the fun that would come of it. Here are just a few of the images:
Tags: cute kids, editorial, editorial photography, help your child become a photographer, kids with cameras, nw kids magazine, nwkids.com, nwkidsmagazine.com, portland editorial photographer, vintage, vintage cameras
I still remember the day that we photographed our first wedding. Looking back, there was so much to learn. Being a wedding photographer means being in five different places and moments, all at the same time, and it’s daunting when you first step into those shoes. But there are moments that seem as though I was in them yesterday– seeing the bride coming down the stairs, dress trailing behind her; the groom’s tears as he spoke his vows; their joyful waves as they sped away on a boat down the Willamette River. Each wedding has been like that for me. It’s the moments that stay, each of them as individual as the couple that we’re photographing. Each event has it’s own personal stamp. It’s finding those qualities that really thrill me as a photographer. I love seeing them through a different lens than the last and telling each story as a new chapter to our own story of documentation. It’s an incredible privilege to be trusted to tell the story of one of the most important days in one’s life. And it’s not something that I– we, because Will and I still photograph as a team, so that those moments have complementary perspectives– take lightly. I love that this is what I do with my life.
Thinking and reflecting on the past year has brought all of that back. This has been a year of significant change in our life. We welcomed a new child and life took some twists and turns. But through all of that, my love of life’s seminal moments remains. We’ve continued to tell those stories in the lives of some beautiful couples. My mind has traveled over the last several days back in time and so I thought that I’d share a few of my favorite moments with you.
OK, so this isn’t exactly a moment, but I love the story. Rachel planned her entire color palette on the shoes
–aka The Manolo Blahnik shoes worn in the Sex and the City movie by Sarah Jessica Parker. Her mom surprised her
with them and I just had to take a stunning shot of them to do them full justice.
This was the niece of the bride and she was so excited to see her “brand new uncle!” through the hole that she
kept peeking until she got to giddily to walk down the aisle.
The first look is often the most romantic and emotional– and can be the setting for the very best pictures.
I loved seeing Levant get more and more emotional as he waited for his bride and when they finally
embraced all of the gravity of that moment overcame him. This is still one of my favorites, ever.
Sometimes it’s the special tokens that hold the greatest weight. This handkerchief had been embroidered
by the bride’s grandmother, whose property the wedding was held on. She also made the most adorable
little cake for them to cut, topped with the same statuette that had been on her own wedding cake.
We’ve photographed several weddings now where one of the parents can’t be present. Cherie’s
mother had done a tremendous job through the years raising she and her siblings and that quiet
moment incredibly poignant. The photo below features the brooch of the bride’s mother.
I LOVE seeing the reactions of all of the friends and family. Amanda’s mom and dad were brimming
with pride, and Josh’s mom was so thrilled that she wiped tears away the entire ceremony.
Weddings can be intense and having lots of friends around can bring some much needed levity.
This wedding was on one of the hottest on record and the bridesmaids were there, as if on
cue, to cool her down just before her big moment.
One of the fun things about photographing a couple immediately after the ceremony is that NOTHING
can stop traffic like a bride and groom, even a MAX train! Passersby are always so excited for them.
Ally was so playful and did that little kick of her heels with no prompting at all!
Maggie’s face says it all, doesn’t it?
This wedding, at the Abernethy Center, is still one of my favorites. The bride and groom nearly missed
the wedding, due to his Army assignment in Germany, when the Icelandic volcanic ash clouded European flights.
Their reception, full of family and military buddies, is still one of the best parties we’ve ever attended.
Crazy crowd dancing shots are one of Will’s specialties. I love seeing what people will do to get in his lens.
The best friends make the best receptions and are crazy fun for us to photograph. Dane and Kathryn had
met in college and the tent at the Oregon Golf Club was PACKED with their college friends.
I love the symbolism of hands in weddings. Allan and Emily’s portraits were done in the industrial district
of the lower east side so it adds some texture but this is a shot that I seek out over and over again.
We have two little girls and so I always recognize the little people. And I love it when I can catch
them during a moment. This little one’s aunt had just put on her dress and I could just see the wheels
turning in her head as she began to envision her own day, her own turn in the mirror.
The ceremony was done and Scott and Michelle came out of the church, in the frigid winter weather, to a
cascade of bubbles blown by everyone there. The crazy anticipation was over and now they were ready to party.
Though we photograph primarily in the Northwest, we’ve traveled thousands of miles and abroad. This
wedding in Colorado was one of our favorites. But really? I don’t know that I can choose a favorite
wedding. All of our couples, and their celebrations, have been wonderful to be a part of.
Tags: 2012 weddings, abernethy center, bridal photography, Catholic Wedding Mass, hotel deluxe, lifestyle photographers, lifestyle photography, oregon golf club, oregon wedding venues, Oregon Wine Country Weddings, photojournalistic photographers, portland hotel wedding venues, portland oregon events, portland wedding photographers, portland wedding venues, Reversed Lens Photography, RLP Studios, summer weddings, winter weddings
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