Into the Woods, Into the Water | Kodie + Josh | Beverly Beach Couple's Session
I first met Kodie and Josh in Boise, Idaho, where I photographed their wedding. Some of my absolute favorite frames from that day came from Freak Alley, Boise's beloved outdoor mural district, where the color and energy of the art matched the color and energy of them perfectly. I knew from that day that these two were keepers.
When I moved back to my hometown of Portland, they reached out. They wanted to do a couple's session on the Oregon Coast, and honestly, I could not think of a better reason to head to the beach.
We spent the afternoon at Beverly Beach State Park, and it delivered everything I love about the Oregon Coast in one session. We started in the forest, moving through towering old-growth firs draped in moss, light cutting through the canopy in long golden shafts. Kodie, in her amber sweater, was leaning into Josh against a massive cedar trunk. The two of them were small and laughing under a tree so big it made everything feel ancient and a little magical. The forest portion of this session is some of my favorite Pacific Northwest work, full stop.
Then we hit the beach, and Kodie changed into an emerald green dress that I am still thinking about. I am obsessed with it. The deep jewel tone against the grey-pink sky and the dark wet sand was something else entirely. We walked, we laughed, and then the waves started coming in and nobody cared anymore about staying dry. The frames of Kodie and Josh kissing in the surf, water rushing around their feet, are my favorites from the entire session. There is something about that image, two people completely in it together, that says everything about who they are.
After we wrapped, we headed to The Sea Hag for dinner, a legendary Oregon Coast seafood restaurant with possibly the best name in the Pacific Northwest. It was the perfect ending to a really good day.
And then something wonderful happened. The photos from this session caught the attention of Mabel & Main, a jewelry brand creating beautiful, inclusive wedding bands for all humans. They used the images to showcase their rings, and seeing Kodie and Josh's love story reach that kind of audience felt like exactly the right thing.
Kodie and Josh, thank you for following me to the coast. Let's do it again.
