Gas Works Park Engagement Session

This was my first opportunity to meet with Sarah & Ben at Gas Works Park in Seattle for their engagement session.  The wedding was only a few days away when we finally met.    Ben was in Afghanistan and Sarah was in Germany prior to their wedding at Alderbrook Resort and Lodge in Union, WA.  This was my first time to do a session at Gas Works Park and I must admit, I'm looking forward to another opportunity! 

                          
                         


                       

                      
                     
                    


                   
   Stay tuned to our blog for photos from their wedding which will be posted soon.

Reflections

It always seems during the holiday months I start reflecting back and missing those I loved who are no longer with me.   The only family I have now is my husband, my children (2 who are on the East Coast and only one here) and my granddaughters (also on the East Coast).  I miss the large dinner table filled with relatives all sharing a Thanksgiving Day dinner that my dad lovingly prepared.  Yes, my dad as he owned a restaurant and did all the family dinners. =)

Anyway, this photo fits my reflective mood today.  I'm not sad, simply remembering those I love.

BTW, the photo above is a beautiful wedding venue in Port Orchard.,  Cedar Springs.

An Officer and a Gentleman

Diana and Ted wanted their bridal portraits done at the Rose Garden in Point Defiance Park.  Unfortunately Diana's shoes were hurting and she ended up taking them off.  To get from one area to another meant walking across the gravel paths.  Ted quickly picked up his beautiful bride and carried her to the next location.  It provided us with a candid tender photo that simply couldn't have been posed!  He showed he wasn't just an officer he was also a true gentleman.
                  
                        

Shake it Off

I know I should post a wedding photo for our ’Image of the Day’.   However, I feel compelled to share this photograph of our dog, Toby.  Sonny kept throwing a stick into the water, Toby would fetch it, drop the stick and shake off all the water before going to retrieve the stick once again from the water.  Silly dog! 

Lake Wilderness Lodge Wedding

On a beautiful day you can see Mt Rainier from the end of the lake.  For this particular wedding it was overcast and had been raining off and on during the day.  For that reason the wedding was moved indoors.

Got Hitched!

Now that we've had a chance to get back into the groove of things at home, it's time to once again return to our "Image of the Day" feature.  We love barn weddings and personally I can't get enough of them!  Brett & Dawn were married out in the open pasture followed by a lively reception in a beautiful and lovingly restored old barn.

Our Family Portrait

We have just returned from Maryland and while there I insisted on some family portraits which I'll share in a moment.   I'm glad to be home in Washington State and getting back to business as usual.  However, I must admit, I would love to get some weddings in the "other' Washington (DC) so I could visit my boys and their families more often. =) 
Most of the time I was behind the camera for this quick (10 minutes) family portrait session.  For the entire group we had to set the camera on it's timer so we could all be in together.  We got lucky with our first attempt.  As you can see everyone is smiling and actually looking at the unmanned camera. - the one chance was all we needed.  =)  Which was good because it was a wee bit chilly outside!
Anyway, let me introduce you to my family!

L-R: Sonny (one of our photographers), that's me (Monica, another photographer) with the long pink scarf, Kimberly (behind me who is a part time photographer/assistant), Robert (sitting next to me), Ryan (in the back), Cecelia (my youngest granddaughter), Heather and Amelia (hiding behind mom - oldest granddaughter)

My three generally aren't very co-operative and only tolerate having their photographs taken.  They started calling me "Mamarazzi" when they were very young - grade school age.

Our oldest son, Robert with his daughters Amelia and Cecelia

Our daughter-in-law with Amelia (in black & white) and Cecelia.

Our granddaughters, Amelia and Cecelia.
                 
I love this quick candid as I was setting up.  Doesn't Heather (DIL) have a beautiful smile? They think I didn't notice but, I noticed that my son had pinched her butt and that's what got the natural smile.  Sometimes you just need to be quick with the camera!
I hope you enjoyed our quick mini portrait session.  I wish we had more time at the park but everyone was getting cold and hungry which doesn't make for an ideal portrait session.
Our 'Image of the Day' series will return on Monday the 8th of November.

Something Old

                       

This cake topper adorned the brides grandmother's cake many years earlier.   The bride wanted this topper as her grandma had recently passed away and wanted to honor her and the long marriage her grandma had.

Cherylee, Shawn & Family

We met with Cherylee, Shawn and their family at Priest Point Park in Olympia for a fall family portrait session.  Having fall colors was an important requirement for the session and the park provided an abundance of color.   We had a lot of fun and I must admit, I'm looking forward to more sessions at this park.



                     




               
Remember now is a great time to get your family portraits completed!  They can be given as gifts, look great on Christmas cards and even better on the walls!

Gas Works Park

Last week I photographed an engagement session at Gas Works Park in Seattle.   As I was walking to my car, I turned for one last look at this totally intriguing park.  I could not resist the view with the pink sunset reflecting off the buildings in the distance.  Now I can't wait to return for another session.  So, who's next for a portrait session at Gas Works Park in Seattle?                                                                                                                                                          

Puerto Vallarta Sunset

                                               

This 'Image of the Day' was from a vacation of ours to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  Just as a friendly reminder, our photographers have passports and are always willing to travel to your destination wedding.!  How about a beach wedding in Puerto Vallarta?

Lady Washington

Lady Washington during a visit to Commencement Bay Tacoma.  I can't help but admire her while fantasizing of travel on this beautiful tall ship.  And yes,  I'm positive my thoughts are a glorified version of what it was really like to travel across the seas in the original ship back in the 18th century.