2011 Senior Sara ~ Oregon City Photographer

I'm so lucky. No really I am. I mean, come on. Just look at how beautiful my clients are! It's like I opened some hip young clothing catalogue and pre-ordered all the best models for my photo sessions. This is Sara and she surely did not dissappoint when it came to 'bringing the pretty' ; )
We had a lovely evening session for her senior yearbook portraits here in Oregon City at one of my favorite places. Orchards, lovely ferns, greenery, and diffused light. Add Sara to the mix and you've got some stellar portraits!

New! "Just Desserts" Lightroom Presets for Photographers ~ Oregon City Photographer

I have a long running love affair with Lightroom and if your a photographer I'm sure you understand my addiction ; )
So I couldn't help myself but to dip my hand into some lovely presets. And here they are! Aren't they yummy? And the best part is.....they're free! New, free, and oh so delicious! How can you go wrong? ; )
Just download them through the links below.



Blueberry Cobbler


Cinnamon Bun Glaze


Green Apple Pie


Kiwi Mousse


Orange Cream


Strawberry Cream

Senior 2011 Alyssa ~ Oregon City Photographer

Beautiful light, beautiful girl, and a beautiful family. How much more could I ask for. Alyssa and her family were a pure joy to meet and work with! Getting your senior portraits done really is a milestone for a lot, if not all, seniors. I find it a real honor when a senior chooses me to capture that special time in their life. Alyssa is a darling girl who's whole family got into the act. A few pictures with mom, the siblings, her boyfriend, made for a lively and anything but boring session!

What to Wear Wednesday! ~ Oregon City Portrait Photographer

“I have three kids, a husband, and myself. How are we all supposed to dress?”
“My daughter has no idea what outfit to choose for her senior pictures. Help!”
“My son thinks showing up in his favorite band tee is going to cut it. Can you give him some options?”
“Are we all supposed to match?”
“What do we wear to our photo session!?”

As a photographer I’ve heard all of these questions, and a few others, over and over again.
I hear ya. It’s stressful getting ready for portraits. So lets try and stop that right now. No more stress! Thats the first step. Trust me, I’ve been around the block and I’ve encountered almost every kind of family, kid, teen, baby, even grandpa and grandma, situation possible at a photo shoot, and I’m still standing! Today lets look at a bit of advice I like to give to my senior girls. Since, you know, it's been a trend here at the blog for a few days : )

Let the Fashion Show Begin!
No really. Girls, this is your time to shine. Your the star when it comes to your senior portraits and when you start off with some good old fashioned styling tips, how can you go wrong??
As with all my sittings you are allowed to bring as many clothing changes as you want. We have two full hours together and I want to make sure your true personality comes shining through. And if that means bringing your prom dress, your favorite jeans, your lettermen’s jacket, and a few adorable tops, then so be it! We’ll fit as many clothing changes in as we can.

Lets start off with some of my favorite things when it comes to teen girls. I love dresses! Dresses are just so darn flattering on a girls figure and you just can’t get much more feminine can you? With so many styles and styling options when it comes to dresses, you really can’t go wrong. From a casual prairie style with flat sandals to a rushed lycra mini with converse, dresses are so gorgeous. As with a lot of styles and clothing options, let solid colors take the lead or at least get you started. Sometimes the locations we go to are busy enough (wheat fields, forest paths, train tracks, urban alley ways and sidewalks) we want you to be the ultimate star in the shot and your clothes need be the best supporting actress. For dresses, soft prints can also work well. Watercolor palettes and embellished sections can bring a welcome change to solid colors.

And not that I really need to remind my teens too much how important accessorizing is, I’ll touch on that a bit. Whether it’s just the right jewelry, a cute hat, scarf, or shoes these can really add a pop to your shots. And with the shoes, remember that contrasting colors can really add a super pop of color. As I’ve laid out above, many of those shoes could go with a lot of the cornering dresses. Red shoes with the yellow dress, orange shoes with the blue dress, blue with the purple, and yellow with the green. I love all of those combinations. Don’t be afraid to bring a long a few choices. We’ll find just the right look for you.


I always like my teens to bring a few solid color tops to their session. These kind of looks can be great for head shots, standing out amongst a busy background, and drawing attention to your gorgeous face. I try to recommend one of those solid color tops to take a nod from your eye color. Whether it’s brown, blue, green, or hazel, bringing a top that pulls out that color will look amazing in those close in head shots I try to give to all my seniors.

Ashley, Senior Class of 2011 ~ Oregon City Photographer

Garden settings are a great place for portraits. Benches, trees, flowers, little nooks of beauty all over the place. And making those spots work are easier with such a pretty subject. Miss Ashley was a pleasure to work with! Sometimes people are a natural in front of the camera. It can be a little unnerving but Ashley did great. Senior portraits really run in two camps. In the fall, getting ready to submit your yearbook photo. The summer, getting ready for the graduation ceremony. I get a run on seniors both times of the year and like I've mentioned before seniors are some of my favorite types of sessions to do. Call me today to set up your appointment and hear about all the great deals and I offer my seniors and my returning seniors!

Seniors in the Pearl ~ Oregon City Portrait Photographer

Seniors are one of my favorite subjects to photograph! And this session was no exception : )
Karlee is such a wonderful girl with a great spirit and a shining personality. Capturing that comes pretty easily with that kind of subject to work with. Going into The Pearl District is a great place for a portrait session. Lots of wonderful textures, lights, angles, and colors to work with make for a unique and lively two hours.

Sweetness personified ~ Oregon City Newborn Photographer

Baby 'T' was one of my sweetest subjects to date! I just adore her. So easy, perfect, easy, lovely, and easy to work with! Did I say easy? She really was a gem. Being able to go to a clients home for these types of newborn and baby sessions is the ideal way to get these types of relaxed easy shots. Mom and baby can be in the place they are most comfortable for changings, rocking, feedings, and any other little events during the session. That works out for everyone!

Am I the luckiest Photographer ever? Why, yes. Yes I am : ) ~ Oregon City Portrait Photographer

Why? Well because I was lucky enough to photograph these two beautiful sisters and they just could not be any more adorable inside or out. Just the sweetest little things. I think the dynamic between sisters is something that is so special and it's always a goal of mine to capture a bit of that in a photograph. I think we may have got a few magical shots.

A living doll. ~ Oregon City Portrait Photographer

What a sweet, sweet baby. Little Miss Eve just couldn't be more adorable and I was lucky enough to capture a little bit of her adorableness.

Threes a magic number ~ Oregon City Portrait Photographer

Anytime you can get a lovely family out in a golden wheat field, good things will happen : )

A Brother and a Sister. A very special bond. ~ Oregon City Portrait Photographer

Sometimes it's hard to feel a connection between siblings. Sometimes they fight, the bicker, get on each others nerves, and often times that shows through when trying to pose them together for pictures. But not with these two. Even after Mom let me in on the secret that these haven't been getting along very well lately, I couldn't tell at all! They were gems to work with and I felt like there was a really special bond between these two. Obviously one that a few arguments could never hide.