Portland, OR | Lifestyle and Portrait Photographer

Witnessing our stories, and telling them back as beautifully as I can.

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about 8 months ago

about a year ago

about 8 months ago

“ Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

— Mary Oliver

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Every day we have the opportunity to teach her about courage and persistence and working through fear, frustration and the hard. They are little moments but they are building blocks of her character and self-esteem. It’s a gift and it brings me so much stinkin’ joy to hear to her say “I did it!” ⠀
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Holding her as she climbs a rock wall. ⠀
Coaxing her as she sits at the top of the slide.⠀
Encouraging her as she learns to put on her own shoes. ⠀
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And isn’t that how we grow our self esteem and persistence as grownups? Working through fear, frustration and the hard? Little building blocks.⠀
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Leaning into a difficult conversation with tenderness and curiosity rather than shutting down.⠀
Pressing play on that online workout or getting to the gym. ⠀
Putting ourselves and our work out in the world for others to see or criticize. They might seem like little things but they are big things, really. And worthy of saying “I did it!”

It’s nap time. The time of day where my brain runs in a zillion directions trying to do alllllll the things. Do I answer that email inquiry? Fold the ever-present laundry that seems to live in the dryer? Water the plants because it’s supposed to be a bazillion degrees this week? Watch that Fleabag show everyone is talking about? Press play on that online barre3 workout? Start prepping dinner? Make some editing progress on the Seattle wedding? Nap? Creative free-writing? Lay in the sun reading Where the Crawdads Sing? Eat a real lunch? Order that thing for Ellie on Amazon? Clean the bathrooms? Lay on the couch and re-watch videos of Ellie as a baby and cry tears of joy? ⠀
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Definitely made real progress on that last one. 😭🥰

I’m dying to know what her enneagram number is/will be? Can you know this early? Her personality is just starting to explode. I’m having a blast just getting to know who she is a little more each day.⠀
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Anyone already have an idea what their kiddo’s enneagram is? ⠀
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I’d love to hear🙋🏻‍♀️

I used to get so nervous before shooting a wedding, preoccupied with thoughts about perfect lighting and perfect posing and perfect everything really. I would be thinking about myself and my ability to deliver perfection (high expectations much?) which surprise, Does. Not. Exist. Why it took me decades to get there... I’m a slow learner 🤦🏻‍♀️⠀
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When I stopped thinking about weddings as about me and my ability and focused on the story unfolding in front of me rather than creating something, I saw more beauty and more moments that I was actually present to capture. And the weight of perfection I was buried under was lifted. ⠀
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Weddings are filled with energy and emotion and joy and love and relationship. There is always a story to tell and I consider it one of the highest privileges of my life to document and tell these stories in images that get to be on peoples walls and albums and hearts. Now, I go into weddings with excitement and anticipation just like the bride and groom🤗

Whitney and Christopher, Maternity Photos, Portland Oregon

May 29, 2018

These dear friends of mine are getting so close to meeting their sweet Hazel girl any day now, but very possibly today! I LOVED how this session turned out. So dreamy and beautiful. I mean, Christopher was serenading his ladies with some Lumineers tunes, does it get any better?