Shantel | Senior Class of 2014 | Graham Senior Portraits



 

I am so excited to finally share Shantel's senior pictures publicly!  Shantel requested senior portraits way back in August and was all set to do them a few weeks later in September.  But the threat of rain had us pretty nervous.  I can normally shoot portraits in light drizzle, but this was monsoon, rain an inch in an hour type of rain.  I'm so glad we were able to reschedule for the next sunbreak, because this was perfect weather for Shantel!

 This lovely Graham-Kapowsin senior just oozes sunshine anyway.  There was no way to have her portraits done in the rain.  Her dad accompanied and even assisted during our two hour session among my secret locations.

 If you know Shantel, she'll give you the story of one of our great locations and how we even got good lighting advice from a stranger!

 And if you know her, you know that this picture below is NOT her normal persona.  This girl can laugh like no other!  I don't think I've ever laughed this much or this hard with a client.

 

Graham is full of great locations for country girls, right Shantel?

Some new stores have moved into our area, which gives me the opportunity to find brick walls without leaving town, ha ha.  And do you love her shoes here??

 

 

 Thanks so much for visiting with Shantel's senior session and leaving her some encouraging words.  I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her and her family over the last six weeks!

For more information on senior and family portraits in the Graham area, please contact me over email or leave a comment.

Fresh Faces, time to vote! |Graham Puyallup Women's Portraits

The time has arrived! 

I received so many wonderful questions and submissions for the Fresh Faces Contest. 
Let me clarify one point before we begin voting.

YES, we are voting for women. The winner must be in the portrait session.  HOWEVER, we may have time to include the family, children, spouse, siblings or girlfriend in the session, particularly if it makes the winner more comfortable.  But this is about a FRESH face, a new face for publicity, and maybe a new and fresh start for someone not completely comfortable with being in front of the camera.

These ladies have decided to put themselves out there and let the public decide.  I hope that the blog post right below this one (Real Moms, Real Women) helped put some at ease.  I'm not looking for a model.  I truly want real women in real life situations.  And now it is up to you, their friends and family, to help them out.

TO VOTE:

1) leave a comment here on the blog with your name and which picture number you are voting for.  You may vote here once a day until May 19th.

2) LIKE the ND Robbs Facebook page, LIKE this picture and leave a comment about which picture you are voting for.  You may vote there once a day until May 19th. 

VOTING IS OPEN UNTIL 9 PM ON MAY 19TH.  I will total the votes and notify the winner. 
There are some pretty great second places prizes if the ladies choose to be included!

So share this with your friends, family, anyone who will help bring in some FRESHNESS!

Here we go....

And again, here are the terms and conditions

Now go!  To the polls!  :)

The B Family | Graham Family Portraits

I love to donate sessions to local charity auctions.  Last year Mrs. B won this session at the elementary school's fundraiser!  It's such a great situation for both the school, the family that wins the session and a fun way for me to meet new friends and clients. 

Now that the trees have begun to turn colors out here in Graham, WA, we set a date for their family session.  It turns out all the color we needed was all within walking distance of their home!

The girls of Graham think he looks like Justin Bieber, his mom just thinks he's awesome.

The awesome guy in the middle.



And this little lady loved hamming it up for the camera!

Even the family dog got in on the fun.

Just a little further into Graham, there is a beautiful field with a rustic fence.  This complements the entire family's skin tone so nicely!

Happy Fall, B Family!  It was a pleasure working with you!



The Green Package | Wedding and Family Portraits

In honor of Earth Week I've been thinking about how I could help my clients who are conscious of which businesses they patronize and what they purchase and how those decisions affect our environment.  I haven't publicized this option much, but having an entirely "green" package is available!

If you prefer to have completely digital files and have no prints or reproductions made of any kind, I can help you out.



Mrs. L, expecting a precious #5!

 This package is good for someone who owns a couple digital frames.  Perhaps you run a "screen saver" type slideshow on your TV frequently.  Do you share your images with your family & friends through Facebook, blogs or email only?

In addition to your regular session fee, mentioning that you would like this special "Green Package", I will sell you an archive quality CD or DVD of images for only $50.  This is a limited time offer, so if this of an interest to you on an already scheduled session please contact me soon so I may adjust your invoice.

And while you're here, take a look at some of my recent favorites. :)

After Hours, a date night session





A Family Session for a growing family.

Engagment Session for Nic & Jared

A little writing help needed! |Graham Wedding Photographer

Creativity can be a driving force. A frustrating driving force sometimes. To give life to something that burns away inside me just waiting to get out can be frustrating. Making sure that it comes out the way I envisioned it, imagined it, planned it, executed it. So manys steps of preparation! And many times it also means talking to others who know more than I do about my vision. In this case I am going to ask for help. I have a bunch of pictures that need good captions or descriptions. Would anyone like to help me out?

I think this photo is hilarious! What would you say???
1)

2)


Then there's the sweet, "awwww" photos....
3)


And....
4)


So what do you think?

Offer a few suggestions!  I'll give a 10% discount to somebody! 

Getting to know you | Graham Family Portraits

< Thanks to some friendly fan feedback this post is going to be more about who I am and how I approach you, my friends and clients. >

How do you pick a photographer?  How do you pick someone who is going to have the responsibility of capturing a milestone in your life or your family?  It's not complicated and it's not as heavy as that may sound.  Most people don't even truly do much research or any "picking" of the person behind the camera.  Most of people just choose a certain look and then choose which local studio delivers that or fits their budget. 

I love kids and families but I adore weddings.  My photography is true and honest.  I prefer to capture kids doing what they do best.  I love to find those moments in the wedding where the best man is crying, the bride is laughing and emotion is raw and rampant.  Sure, the kids often need a little bribery now & then.  The bride might need to borrow some of my enthusiasm when her feet hurt in her shoes.  But overall I strive for each session to be as unique as the people that came to me.  They took the time to find me, call me, fit their sechedule to allow me to do their pictures.

  Making people feel good is a big part of this job.  The bride should walk away from her wedding content & elated.  I plan for her to feel the same way when we go over the proofs from that day.  A mother sees a certain side of her child and I plan and hope to capture that in a photo forever. 

I love this photo because of what the client said afterwards, "this proves I love her more than she loves me - look I'm leaning in way more!" :)  And now I laugh every time I see it.

I haven't set up a studio yet, but perhaps that's in my future.  Right now I continue to work with natural light and a little off camera light, mostly outdoors but frequently in clients' homes.  I enjoy this flexibility right now. 

My style continues to grow and mature, but I think these things will stay true to what you see and who I am.

Great colors
Emotions
Quality time
A touch of drama, a touch of fun

I'll be back in a few weeks to break down how I approach the different types of sessions.  Thanks for reading!