The Carousel

I've been to Paris only once, and it was completely addicting. The architecture, the people, the mix of ancient and modern, the food, the museums... to me it felt like the real-life version of disneyland. Just as glittery, but a little more real. It's definitely a place I'll revisit one day with someone special.

Montmartre Steps

Back in 2012 I spent a couple weeks in Paris and absolutely loved the city. To be honest, I enjoy experiencing cities much more than photographing them and spent a majority of my time wandering without my photo gear, enjoying museums and landmarks and cafes and even the subway, but I made sure to take my camera with me to a few special places, including the stairs in front of the Sacré-Cœur cathedral one lovely rainy afternoon...

Into the Sunset

Driving into the sunset through Nevada recently, a perfect way to end the day... 

Silence

I spent one morning of my recent trip through Wyoming just sitting and enjoying the silence and isolation over these hills.

No Lifeguard

Just a lovely little piece of Lake Tahoe waterfront...

"The Gateway" (Previously "Name that Photo, episode 1")

Update: aaaaaaaaand, we have a winner. Thanks to my Facebook friend and fellow fab photographer Ryan, we have a title! "The Gateway"

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I have sooo many photos that I've finished and never published over the years because the worst part after all the time and effort of creating a picture is trying to come up with something to call it. And I just don't see myself as an "Untitled 1", "Untitled 2", "Untitled 3" sorta gal.

Back in October, I took a two-week drive from Washington through Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and a final-day 15-hour drive from Lake Tahoe back to Seattle. It was so fun and absolutely gorgeous! For the last few years I've been rather captivated with Iceland, but I'll be honest, it's only because I hadn't seen enough of my own country yet to know better. I saw landscapes, geological formations, canyons, colors, and flora that I never expected could be so stunning. I hope to be sharing more photos of my trips this year as soon as I can figure out what to title them.

Help from Facebook friends will be requested... :)

This picture comes from a lovely little lakeside in Yosemite National Forest, California.

2015... Aaaaaaand we're off!

Back when I first got into photography maybe seven years ago or so, the only thing I had was a tiny little point and shoot digital camera and I loved that sucker. It went everywhere with me. If it wasn't in my hand it was in my purse ready to be whipped out at a moment's notice. I had so much fun shooting and sharing everything I came across -  animals, leaves, sunsets, puddles on the sidewalk... to this day, a photo I took years ago of my Christmas Starbucks cup is one of my most-purchased photos on RedBubble.com (apparently it makes a popular holiday card)! I was constantly looking for new subjects and trying out new things and having a blast doing it.

Then, somewhere along the way things changed. As I got more and more into photography and eventually bought my first DSLR, all of a sudden instead of just composing a picture and showing it off, I was worried about my camera body, switching back and forth between a bunch of different lenses, lugging around a ginormous camera bag, did I have the right accessories, learning post-processing, and on and on.  

And don't get me wrong, I have had a lot of fun with it. I still love my big camera, and post-processing is one of my very very favorite activities. But this past year I really started noticing every photo that I missed because I never had my camera with me unless I was specifically out on a photo excursion of some sort. Every time I'd see a gorgeous sunrise on my morning walk from the office to the coffee shop, I'd get horribly nostalgic for the days when I could just pull my camera out of my back pocket and capture the moment.

So, I decided to do something about it! I've been needing a new phone anyway, so late last year I specifically purchased one with a great camera, with the intention of actually using it for photos on a regular basis. For a long time I was hung up on taking photos with my camera, lest someone mistake the horrible grainy out of focus snapshots for real attempts at good art. 

But no more! My new phone has a lot of customizable camera options and the photo quality is actually good enough to make me happy. 

Last night, I got my first chance to really use it and I was so happy with the experience. I was scheduled to meet up with my friend Ryan and some other folks to take photos at Pike Place Market. Since this was meant to be a real photo shoot I loaded up my camera bag my tripod and all of my gear into my car and headed out. And once I got there, I promptly realized the only item I had left at home was the battery I needed to make my camera work. 

A hearty forehead slap ensued.

But then Brilliant Ryan, as he is now known in my head, reminded me that I had a brand new phone for this purpose and turned my epic fail into a perfect opportunity to try out my new gear.

I had an absolute blast taking photos with my phone, and loved not lugging around a tripod. I fully intend to make this a new habit! 

2015, here I come!

{Alex+Tralayne}

Back in October I had the privilege of shooting Alex and Tralayne's wedding day. The whole affair had such a peaceful and happy vibe from early morning till the end of day. The way the two talk about each other is so genuine and thoughtful, and the whole day really felt like a reflection of their happiness. 

Below are just some of the highlights from the day, click here to see even more!

 

When the bouquet toss came around there was plenty of grabbing by the girls...

The guys, on the other hand, didn't go for the garter quite as enthusiastically...