Ashley & Kaden

Ashley and Kaden wanted some photos to celebrate their relationship after one year of marriage. It made me happy to witness and capture their happiness!

A & K, I wish you a lifetime of love, joy, and friendship.

Taylor & Dan

Taylor and Dan have an easy, organic way of being together which embodies mutual respect, strength, and tenderness. They are naming their daughter Athena, goddess of wisdom and war.

Taylor and Dan, I have every confidence that your daughter will grow to be a woman of courage, valor, and wisdom...just like you.

Amy & Austin

Amy and Austin are two dear people who make the world brighter and better together. We trekked through snowy woods to take some pictures that celebrate their once-in-a-lifetime love. 

Amy and Austin, may you be blessed and live boldly and beautifully for all of your days!

This song by Dustin Kensrue--"Of Crows and Crowns"--is for you.

You are a sight for aching eyes
A river for my thirst
When all the world is harsh and dry
Wasted by the curse
All words seem beggarly and poor
Then set to sing your grace
What could I've know of love before
My eyes had seen your face

My love, how beautiful you are
My love is ever where you are

I know you feel the wounds of time
The wondering feet of crows
But I am yours and you are mine
And none but me could know
How all of you enraptures me
Till I can't look away
I pray that I will live to see
You wear a crown of gray

My love, how beautiful you are
My love is ever where you are

And when you kiss me I am lost
Or is it that I'm found
My feet send roots beneath the rocks
To fix me to the ground
Never to float away again
A captive to the tide
No more to wander in the wind
Without you by my side

My love, how beautiful you are
My love is ever where you are

Taylor & Tim

Taylor and Tim have that certain sort of love that is spacious enough to welcome others in. They're the kind of couple who couldn't 'third wheel' someone if they tried. I believe this speaks to the strength and intimacy of their marriage, evidenced in their strong commitment to God and each other. And this faithful, big-hearted love has created a new little life, a life to be celebrated. The tender joy which accompanies the anticipation of this deeply longed for baby girl is written all over their faces; so, with these photos, may you feel invited into their happiness.

Meaghan & Myles

Meaghan and Myles are magical. Their love is pure and effortless. They make each other laugh. They made me laugh. From behind my lens, I felt I was witnessing that rare brand of wonderful, that once-in-a-lifetime love. 

Meaghan and Myles, may your love spill forth and multiply upon the arrival of baby Rhett! Thank you for letting me into your world for a day. What you have is something special.

Amanda & Jacob

The love these two high school sweethearts share is delightful and restful, bold and tender. It was a gift to watch them play together throughout our shoot with the kind of intimate familiarity only time can bring.

A John Denver lullaby comes to mind as I think of them and the warmth with which they will soon welcome their first child:

No One Like You

I like your eyes.
I like your nose.
I like your mouth.
Your ears, your hands, your toes.

I like your face.
It's really you.
I like the things you say and do.
There's not a single soul
Who sees the skies
The way you see them.
Through your eyes.

And aren't you glad
You should be glad
There's no one, no one
Exactly like you.

Amanda and Jacob, your little boy is so lucky to have exactly you for his parents.

Crystal, Jake, & Maddox

What a delight it was to meet baby Maddox!

As I post these pictures, I am thinking about the goodness of anticipation and fulfillment. Both are necessary to make joy complete. Crystal and Jake, thank you for the honor of choosing me to document both the awaiting and the rejoicing of Maddox's arrival! 

Fava Family

Cori, Michael, & Ruth

I drove to beautiful Port Orchard one summer evening to photograph the recent arrival of baby Ruth. Eight days before, Cori and her husband Michael--a military couple--had moved from Death Valley, CA. Amidst the moving boxes, the newness of place, and a new little face added to the family, they chose to stop and celebrate by marking the importance of these changes through photographs. I love that celebrating their baby's arrival came before unpacking, before settling in, before comfort and familiarity. It was an honor to join in the beauty, friendly chaos, and hopefulness which marks this season of their lives. Many thanks to this wonderful family!

Amanda & Jacob

Taking both maternity and newborn photos with this lovely couple was truly awe-inspiring. Watching a couple transition from pregnancy to parenthood is rather incredible, and I remain grateful for the opportunity. Amanda and Jacob, thank you for welcoming me into your world and the newness you are experiencing as a family of three.

Jennifer, Jacob, George, & Wyatt

I spent a rainy morning with this beautiful family, capturing their sweet joy as they welcomed 9 day old Wyatt into the world. It was truly such a gift to be in their home, sharing in the quiet wonder that accompanies the miracle of new life.

Naomi, Dimitri, & Kennedy

Naomi hired me to take family photos featuring her adorable four month old, Kennedy. We had a lovely morning wandering around a wooded lake, taking photos while Kennedy posed for the camera like a natural. I so enjoyed my time with this sweet family!

Tristan, Aaron, & Nessa

Tristan & Aaron graciously welcomed me into their home to bear witness to this new little life, Nessa. Amidst blankets, diapers, and hair bows, Nessa shone like a tiny light. It was a sweet honor and joy to photograph this family!

Lyndee & Marybella

Lyndee & Marybella are some of the fiercest, funniest, loveliest ladies I know. Their mother-daughter connection is truly something to behold, and their bond brings joy to many--including me. 

L & M, thank you for your strength, love, and kindness. You make my heart smile!

Paige

Paige is a woman of boldness, courage, and an insistent, wise beauty which persists even through the darkest of circumstances.

An avid lover of nature and pursuer of peace, Paige is following her call to become a therapist. As one who has experienced the advocacy and support of Paige firsthand, I can truly say that any client who receives her services will leave her office with head held a bit higher, burdens lifted, and buoyant expectation for goodness to come.

Paige, may you continue to follow your call to the wild and beautiful places of the human heart. May your steps, words, and actions be blessed. 

Victoria

Victoria hired me to take some "just because" photos to commemorate her recent move from Boston to Seattle. A native of Russia, Victoria came to America several years ago to begin her education and pursue a career, leaving family and home behind. As I got to know her, I learned that she had (oh-so-bravely) begun to make a new life for herself here among people she has adopted as her own. "They are my family," she explained.  I asked if she wanted to stay in America or go back to Russia, and without hesitation she said:

"I want to pursue higher education and do what it takes to have a good career so I can afford to stay. When my children ask me how I came to be here, I don't want to tell them, 'Because I married your father.' I want to do it on my own."

Victoria, people like you give me hope for our country. You are strong, tender, courageous, and brilliant. I'm so glad you came.

May these photos reflect the strength of a woman who is blazing her own trail.