JP | Senior Photos at Lacamas Lake and the Liberty Theater, Camas, Washington
I met JP when he was a baby. I was a kid myself — barely old enough to babysit — holding him on the soccer sidelines while his dad coached my team. I watched him grow up in the way that you do when families stay in your orbit: in pieces, across years, at holidays and milestones and moments in between. I photographed his mom Niki's wedding day, where a teenage JP stood up and officiated the whole thing — which was one of the most unexpectedly moving things I've ever watched at a wedding. I've photographed their family in the years since. And now here we are: senior portraits. The baby on the sidelines is graduating. I don't know how time does what it does, but I'm really glad I've gotten to be around for so much of it.
Jennifer, Jake & The Boys | Family Photos at Daybreak Regional Park in Battle Ground, Washington
Jennifer and I have been friends since before we could walk — literally. Our parents met in birthing class, and we were born just a few days apart. Getting to photograph her family, with Jake and their three boys and their dog on the rocky banks of the East Fork Lewis River, is the kind of thing that makes this job feel like an enormous gift.
She Said Yes in the Vineyard | A Fall Proposal at Windy Hills Winery, Washington
I was hiding in the vineyard rows at Windy Hills Winery in Ridgefield, Washington when Nick got down on one knee. The fall foliage was going orange and gold, the vines had turned russet red, and Lindsey had absolutely no idea I was there. What followed was one of my favorite things to photograph: a person in the best moment of their life, completely caught off guard by it.
Nick & Lindsey | A Fall Wedding at Lucy's Garden in Ridgefield, Washington
Nick and Lindsey started at Windy Hills Winery in Ridgefield, Washington — that's where he proposed, and where their story as an engaged couple began. Their wedding day came full circle at Lucy's Garden, just down the road: five acres of family-owned grounds, a big red barn, a flower field at golden hour, and every person they love gathered in one place waving their arms in the air.
Lacamas Lake Family Session | A Blended Family and the Best Golden Hour in Washington
Lacamas Lake Regional Park in Washington is one of my favorite locations for family sessions — the lake, the trees, that beautiful wooden footbridge — and Niki and Shaun's blended family of four brought exactly the kind of energy that makes this job feel like a gift. You can see Niki and Shaun's wedding at Rusty Barn Estates here.
Hand-Dyed Silk, Spoken Word, and the Most Spectacular Backyard on the Washington Coast
When Jill and Si told me they were having a backyard wedding, I nodded and packed my bags. What I was not told — what I could not have anticipated — was that the backyard in question sits on the coast of Washington and belongs to a family that approaches everything, including a wedding, with the kind of creativity and intention that makes you feel like you've stumbled into something rare. Jill hand-dyed her own silk skirt. There was a live band, spoken word poetry, and interpretive dance. The cocktail menu featured hand-painted portraits of their cats. The flower girl wore a sunflower crown in blue and yellow.
From Soccer Sidelines to Wedding Day: Photographing Niki & Shaun at Rusty Barn Estates
I've known Niki since I was running around a soccer field as a kid. I babysat her son JP when he was in diapers. And now I stood in a barn in Battleground, Washington, watching that same kid — a full-on teenager — officiate his mom's wedding. Some days this job absolutely wrecks me in the best possible way.
Dogs, Fall Color & Forever | Rachel & Dustin | Abrams Parl - Ridgefield, Washington
Two dogs in plaid bandanas, a ring that photographs like a dream on evergreen branches, and the most golden fall light Abrams Park in Ridgefield had to offer. Rachel and Dustin's engagement session was exactly the kind of afternoon I want to spend every October.
From Kubota Garden to the Metropolist | Chris & Kayla | Seattle Wedding Photographer
Instead of a unity candle or sand ceremony, Chris and Kayla melted chocolate and dipped rice krispy treats — one for every guest in the room. I have photographed a lot of weddings and I have never seen anything like it. That moment alone would have made this day unforgettable. The Kubota Garden portraits and the Metropolist ceremony were just everything else.
A Perfect Summer Day on Hood Canal — Wedding at Alderbrook Resort & Spa
Nichole and Ash got married on a sun-drenched summer day at Alderbrook Resort & Spa on Hood Canal, with the water and the Olympics stretching out behind them and every detail thoughtfully, personally theirs — including custom coloring pages of their cat for guests to fill in during cocktail hour. It was warm, elegant, and completely them.
Skamania Lodge Wedding in the Columbia River Gorge
Jillian and Ryan said "I do" at Skamania Lodge in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge — a day that started with private vows in the forest, moved to a sun-drenched ceremony with the Cascades as their backdrop, and ended with s'mores around the fire pit as the mountains faded into dusk. It was an intimate, joyful celebration filled with lawn games, heartfelt moments, and the kind of easy happiness that makes a wedding feel like the best party you've ever been to.
Vow Exchange in Seattle | Seattle Chinese Garden, Staple & Fancy, and Karaoke
A bridal jumpsuit, a secret vow exchange under a Chinese pavilion, dinner at one of Seattle's best restaurants, and late night karaoke that nobody wanted to end. Rachel and Andrew surprised their closest friends with a wedding weekend before their family ceremony at Salish Lodge — and it was one of the most joyful, perfectly curated evenings I've ever had the privilege of documenting.
A Mount Rainier Sunrise Engagement Session | Noble Knob Trail, Washington
A pre-sunrise hike up Noble Knob, Mount Rainier filling the sky, a shoe swap from hiking boots to heels at the summit, and a dog named Rainey who was completely unbothered by all of it. Nichole and Ash's engagement session was exactly the kind of morning that reminds you why you set the alarm.
An Intimate Wedding at Salish Lodge & Spa | Snoqualmie Falls, Washington
A small circle of loved ones, a lace dress with pockets, and the roar of Snoqualmie Falls as the ceremony soundtrack. Rachel and Andrew's intimate wedding at the Hidden Terrace at Salish Lodge & Spa was quiet, beautiful, and completely everything it needed to be. A small circle of loved ones, a lace dress with pockets, and the roar of Snoqualmie Falls as the ceremony soundtrack. Rachel and Andrew's intimate wedding at the Hidden Terrace at Salish Lodge & Spa was quiet, beautiful, and completely everything it needed to be.
A Wedding at the Fremont Foundry | Seattle, Washington
A rooftop wedding ceremony at the Fremont Foundry in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood — sweeping city views, a sky-lit atrium, late night dancing, and a love story that started in South Korea. Kristen and Brian's wedding was industrial, warm, joyful, and completely unforgettable from the rooftop to the dance floor.
A Rustic Wedding at Machias Meadows | Snohomish, Washington
A red barn, a field of Scotland Highland cattle, thirty acres of Pacific Northwest property, and a bridal party that came ready to celebrate. RheShaun and Sarah's wedding at Machias Meadows in Snohomish was rowdy, warm, beautiful, and exactly the kind of day that reminds you why rustic venues done right are absolutely unbeatable.
A Fantasy, Fairytale Wedding in South Bend, Washington
Capes, crowns, a ring bearer in a full bear costume, and two voice actors who found each other by following their passion for all things fantasy and nerd. Tiana and Kas's wedding at the Willapa Harbor Community Center in South Bend, Washington was the kind of fairy tale you couldn't make up — and I wouldn't have changed a single thing about it.
Baraat, Champagne, and a Dance Floor: A Multicultural Wedding at Briarwood Estate in Mount Vernon Washington
The Baraat set the tone and the dance floor finished it off. Nattaly and Dash had a bright, colorful, and deeply joyful multicultural wedding at Briarwood Estate in Mount Vernon, Washington, blending Guatemalan and Indian traditions into a celebration that was layered and alive from start to finish.
A Rainy January Elopement at Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park in January is not for everyone. Devyin and Val are exactly the kind of people it is for. Rain, snow, a waterfall, and vows so soaked through they were barely legible. One of my favorite days.