'Tis the Season...

...For family photos! It's that time of year where everyone eats a little but more, spends money a little bit more and utilizes the post office a little bit more. Everyone knows that the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, is a huge shopping day. But this day also signifies the countdown for Christmas. Most people start thinking about Christmas wishlists, decorating the tree and the ominous Christmas card. You know, that little piece of cardboard/photo paper that makes you feel loved and thought of when you receive it. And if you don't get one, you vow to take that person off of your list for next year as your form of vegence.
Well, now is the time to pay a visit to your favorite photographer and have your pictures done for your card that needs to be mailed. Have a family? Great! Get your pictures done in front of the tree. Are you single and only have a pet to give your love to? Terrific! Get your picture done in a festive setting. Jewish? Light the menorah and put out the dreidel to liven up your background. Whatever your religion, race, or relationship status, I think we all can agree that this is the time of year that reminds us how grateful we should be year 'round of the people we have in our lives. So don't be stingy or vengeful and make an appointment for your photos today!
Amy :D


(The Brown Family, 2009)

Slaughter Family Shoot

One of my favorite parks is the Howard Amon Park in Richland. It's right next to the Columbia River and has some of the best places for a family photo shoot. So when the Slaughter's asked me if I would do their family pictures, it was the first place I thought of. We did pictures on the dock, in the trees, and even on a climbing wall! I had so much fun working with Robert, Carla and their wonderful children. I hope I get to work with them again soon.

Primitive Circus

Every shoot is unique. Not one shot exactly the same as the next. And for me, today's shoot was no exception. I typically do photoshoots of children and families, but today I had the amazing opportunity to do something different - I got to shoot a music group! Primitive Circus is a local band here in the Tri-Cities and they are pretty entertaining. When I heard that they were looking for a photographer, I jumped at the chance. The tricky part was finding the perfect venue for our shoot. After looking around, I came across an old abandoned General Mills next to several sets of train tracks. I thought "perfect"! The band was on board with the location and we scheduled a date.

It's been a while since I have broken out the camera and it felt really good to be behind it. It took a while for the creative juices to start flowing, but I feel the shoot went really well. I hope the band members of Primitive Circus are as pleased as I am with their shoot. I look forward to working with them again in the future.

Worst Photoshoot EVER!

The sole purpose of a photographer, in my opinion, is to capture the moment so that it can be enjoyed for years to come. But what if that moment is so horrific that you'd rather block the experience from your memory rather than relive it through pictures? It's my job to make a photoshoot fun and carefree so that the clients are easier to capture. So what happens when you, the photographer, are the client and the moments you are trying to capture are your rambunctious children who will not sit still or listen and are absolutely NOT in the mood for photos? Today, I seriously considered booking someone else to shoot my kids (with a camera - even though a gun was starting to sound appealing). But what kind of photographer would I be if I was not up to the challenge of my own children? Normally both of my children are very photogenic and eager for their picture to be taken. Cole, my almost 3-year-old, has never been camera shy a day in his life and today bribes of cookies wouldn't even get him to flash me those pearly whites. As for Carlin, my 13-month-old, I knew better than to expect her to cooperate too much. But she wouldn't even sit still and look at me for 3 seconds so I could taker her picture. She was way too preoccupied and destructive with her new enviornment. Luckily I got a few individual shots. Hopefully I can get a group shot in a few days.

The Steele Family

My family and I recently took a trip to Ohio to visit with friends and family and to celebrate our daughter's first birthday. While there, I had the opportunity to shoot the Steele's family pictures. I last did their photos in late September last year before we moved and had a blast. So when they asked me again, I couldn't refuse! Their boys, Cole and Logan, are a treat to be around. The way they interact with each other is how I imagine brothers to be. I hope the Steele's enjoy their pictures as much as I did taking them!

Since we've moved to Washington, I have not been doing much with my photography. And this has made me really sad. So I got a sitter for the kids for a few hours and set out to take some pictures. As soon as I snapped the first photo, I was in total awe. I had forgotten how much I absolutely LOVE doing this. Photography, for me, is a creative outlet and is almost a spiritual/zin-like experience of sorts. I am truly at peace and one with my surroundings when I have a camera in my hands. I know it sounds corny, but, nonetheless, it is true. I owe a huge thank you to Bookwalters Winery for the privilege of opening their grounds to me. So here is a collage of a few of the pictures I took on my outing.