Mandy Chiappini Photography | Blog

Dan & Bonnie got married!

2012-01-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

Once again, I'm way behind on my posts! The Holiday's were awesome! Christmas came and went so fast but we had a wonderful time celebrating with family! New Years, well... my little family all came down with the flu, so that was no fun. The good news is that it's over now and I'm super excited about the sessions/wedding I have coming up!

In the meantime- I'm here to share a few formals from Dan & Bonnie's wedding!!! I had the best time photographing these two at the Seattle Temple, and again later at their reception. They are just darling together and I wish them a long and happy life together!

Favorites from 2011!

2011-12-28T13:36:00.000-08:00

Oh it has been a fabulous year!! I have had the privilege to take pictures for some pretty awesome people. Seriously, I think I might have the best clients in the world.

I thought I might take the opportunity to reflect back on some of my very favorite images from 2011! This is not to say that I don't have a million more favorites, but I can't share them all! Just know that I love each and every single one of my clients!

Favorites from 2011 {in no particular order}

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T12:35:00.000-08:00

Christmas is almost here!! I absolutely love spending the Holiday's with my family, and enjoying the spirit that Christmas brings into my home. This has been a wonderful year, both personally and professionally! I have post coming up with some of my favorite images from 2011, I'm excited to share them with you!

In the meantime, I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and eat lots of food! :-)

Merry Christmas from me & the elf. ;-)

Merry Christmas Mini-session Giveaway!

2011-12-19T14:25:00.000-08:00

It's been forever since I've done a giveaway, and what better time than Christmas?? This giveaway is hosted through my Facebook Fanpage so be sure to hop over there to enter the giveaway!

Good luck! :-)

{you'll find this flyer over here, be sure to follow the directions or you will be disqualified}

Cassie & Brandon Holiday Session - Seattle Area Photographer

2011-11-29T10:58:00.000-08:00

Talk about being behind on posting on the blog! Sheesh. Well here's the good news, I have another post, and this one is a goody. I know you recognize these two. Right? I took their Holiday portraits in 2011. And they modeled for me before at one of my previous mentoring sessions! I feel so blessed and honored to have taken their Holiday photos this year as well. These two just melt my heart, they are so kind and loving. I always enjoy being around them. And of course, it doesn't hurt that they are so insanely gorgeous and easy to photograph. :-)

Alright, well enough of my babbling! Enjoy the preview!

P.S. The blog will be a little quiet for the next month or so, as I take the month of December off for the Holidays!

Kinley turns 4 - Seattle Area Photographer

2011-11-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

Oh I'm so late in getting this post up! But better late than never, right?? A few weeks ago, I got to take Miss Kinley's 4 year photos. Oh this little girl is gorgeous. I just adore her awesome curls and her big beautiful eyes! Young children are challenging to photograph, but I am always happy with the way the pictures turn out because the majority of them are candids (which I love!), and the rest are silly and real.

Kyle & Alexis Formals - Seattle area photographer

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE shooting in Seattle? I live in such a beautiful place! Yes, the rain can get annoying, but nothing can beat the awesome architecture of the city, the lush parks on every other block, the beaches, the water.. everything! So many great photo opportunities.

Alexis contacted me to take some portraits of her and her Husband in their wedding attire. They just recently got married this Summer, but needed some more formals. I'm so happy I could do this for them!

We went downtown Seattle and had a blast walking around Pike Place. They might as well have been celebrities because locals and tourists alike were in crowds behind me to take their own photos of this beautiful couple! They pretty much had paparazzi the entire shoot. These two are totally natural and flirtatious together, I'm very excited to show you this preview!

Brad & Tracie Maternity Session - Seattle Area Portrait Photographer

2011-11-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

I have been very bad at blog posts lately, but I wanted to make sure to get this adorable couple up here!! Since we took their maternity photos, their beautiful little girl made her debut! So so happy for them!! :-)

Congratulations Brad & Tracie!!

Our Halloween | 2011

2011-11-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

I think it's time for my little guy to make an appearance on the blog! Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween!! We had so much fun taking Bennett trick-or-treating! This was the first year he got to go and I'd say it was a success! Although, pretty sure his Daddy and I will be the ones enjoying the candy ;-)

Love my little pirate!

Fall mini sessions - booking now!

2011-10-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

After lots of e-mails and requests, Fall mini sessions are back! I apologize they are so last minute, but they're here none the less! :) Mini sessions are fun and perfect for those holiday cards! Please read on for details!

DETAILS:

ALL mini sessions will be at Juanita Bay Park in Kirkland. I will be there from 11am - 3pm to photograph your family. Sessions will last 20 minutes and clients will receive between 5-7 low resolution digital images. These images are intended for web sharing, blogging & 5x7 Christmas card templates. *Please do not attempt to print images larger than 5x7 size. High resolution images are available, please contact for details.

Scheduling is on a first come, first serve basis. Only 6 slots available so act fast!

Schedule will be as follows:

11:00 - 11:20

11:40 - 12:00

12:20 - 12:40

1:00 - 1:20
1:40 - 2:00
2:20 - 2:40

FINE PRINT:

Due to the nature of the mini sessions, a non-refundable retainer fee of $50 is due at time of booking (via paypal) to reserve your slot. The remainder of your session fee is due at the beginning of your session. You can pay by check or cash. If you'd prefer paypal, the balance of $100 must be paid 24 hours prior to November 5th.

Mini sessions allow up to 4 people. There is a fee of $25 per additional person, limit of 8 people.

Because these sessions are fast paced and only 20 minutes long, it is absolutely imperative that you are on time on your session. Mandy Chiappini Photography is not responsible for rescheduling your mini session should you miss your scheduled time slot, and can not guarantee that you will receive all 6-8 images if you are late.

A little drizzle is no biggy, but if our wonderful Seattle weather doesn't cooperate and decides to pour on November 5th, mini sessions will be rescheduled.

Please allow 2-3 weeks for post-processing of your images.

Please contact me at info@mandychiappini.com for more information or to reserve your slot!

*total session fee covers all email correspondance, travel to and from location, actual shoot time, post-processing, hosting of your images online, cost of supplies & shipping.

Bonnie | Shorewood High School Senior

2011-10-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

I have some of the most beautiful Senior's this year!! I don't know about you, but when I was a senior, I was definitely not this cute! And my sense of style was so 'blah'. Senior girls these days have got it goin' on. Seriously.

This is Bonnie! She's just about the sweetest girl ever! I had to call her on the way to the session and let her know that I didn't do my homework and was caught in ridiculous traffic due to the I-405N closure. She was so gracious and willing to meet me in Bellevue. So we had a quick change of location and decided on the Botanical Gardens. It worked out perfect! The afternoon gave us a little drizzle but nothing we couldn't handle!

I love how this session is turning out! Bonnie is a natural beauty. Enjoy the sneak peak!

Almen Senior Portraits | Issaquah High School

2011-09-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

I'd like for you to meet Almen! He's a Senior this year at Issaquah High School. What a pleasure it was to take his senior photos. A lot of guys would be nervous in front of the camera, but not Almen. He's one of those that can just sit there and look good. Such a lucky guy.

Enjoy the preview!

Kayla's Senior Portraits | Shorewood High School

2011-09-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

Tim & Melissa got married!

2011-09-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

I have been so swamped lately, but have been dying to get this wedding preview up for Melissa & Tim! They got married a few weeks ago, and had the most adorable 'do it yourself' vintage-y wedding. I tried to really capture the little details, because oh my gosh, they were awesome!! Everything was so well thought out, and executed perfectly!

They got married out in Arlington, and I just loved the 'country' feel to everything. It was really serene, but also vibrant and full of love!! The ceremony was gorgeous. I may or may not have teared up once or twice :-) Also an ENORMOUS thank you yo my gal pal Amy that came along to assit me! She was such a huge help!

I'm so happy for Tim & Melissa and wish them and their beautiful family only the best!!

Now... get ready for a massive photo dump!

Senior Shootout | 2012 Senior: Rylee

2011-09-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

Here is the 3rd installment of the Senior Shootout in Sedro-Woolley! What an amazing day this was!! These seniors are beautiful and so photogenic! If you missed the first couple of posts, here are the links to part 1 and part 2!

The 'W' Family - Seattle Area Family Phogographer

2011-08-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

I have been so blessed this Summer to meet some really wonderful families!! I'm trying so hard to get caught up with editing... I'm getting there... sorta :)

These 3 were adorable together at our shoot. They are totally natural, and their candid moments were my favorite. Their little guy is so adorable right? He made the cutest little expressions, too. These photos really capture his sweet personality!

Shawn & Erin got married!

2011-08-29T12:28:00.000-07:00

Do you remember Shawn & Erin?? If you don't, go take a gander at this post and to see their engagement photos and read all about how they met and fell in love.

Well they got hitched!!! They had a simple, beautiful backyard wedding at Erin's parents house. The decorations were fabulous, the food was scrumptious, and I could just feel the love in the air the entire day. I am so honored to have been able to capture these special moments for them! I wish them nothing but happiness and blessings! They truly deserve it! Special shout out to my second shooter, Chelsi Greenwood! She was such a tremendous help!

Enjoy a peek into their wedding day, and be on the lookout for a super fun follow up bride/groom shoot sometime in the near future :)

Senior Shootout | 2012 Senior: Felicia

2011-08-25T08:22:00.000-07:00

Another installment of the Senior Shootout at Northern State Hospital in Sedro Woolley! :)

Senior Shootout | 2012 Senior: Grace

2011-08-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to attend an awesome Senior Shootout! I got to meet some other wonderful photographers from WA state, and had the chance to photograph some amazing 2012 seniors. The event took place in Sedro Woolley at the Northern State Hospital. And this location was WOW, seriously every photographer's dream. Old abandoned buildings and barns, grassy fields, old fences! Perfection. I wish it was a little closer to me because I'd be taking my clients there frequently! A huge thanks to Brianna Widen & Merrilee Dilley for coordinating the event! And to the incredible make-up artist, Kaylie Reep!

I have so many pictures I'd like to share but way too many for one blog post so I'll split them up :) Here is the first Senior to hit the blog. Enjoy! :)

I'm still here!

2011-08-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

Oh goodness, I'm so behind on my blog posts!! I just wanted to drop in and say hello! I have so many amazing sessions & weddings to post.... I just need to find the time!

I will leave you with an image of the beautiful bride who's wedding I shot last week! Stay tuned!

Discovery Park shoot - Small group mentoring sessions, Seattle WA

2011-08-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

Over the last few months, I've hosted a few group mentoring session. They are designed to help the beginner with a DSLR learn to use their camera. We go over things like how to shoot in manual mode, understanding lighting and getting the proper exposure, framing a picture, working with models... etc. I keep my classes small (between 3-4 people). And this has worked out really well for me. I love how intimate my workshops are. It gives me a chance to really get to know each of my students and make sure there is plenty of time for everyone's questions.

This past week, I hosted a mentoring session in Seattle. The evening was perfect!! The weather was gorgeous, the location was beautiful, my models were fabulous, and I was extremely blessed to be able to work with some awesome ladies! There was lots of learning, shooting & laughing going on. We really did have a wonderful time!!

Here are the ladies and the adorable couple they practicing there skills on! :)

Okay, so now onto the fun part! Here's a preview of some of the pictures I took throughout the mentoring session.

Travis & Stephane have been married for a year now, and they never got any engagement photos done, so hopefully these will make up for it!! Better late than never, right?? And how CUTE are they together??? I can't thank them enough for their patience throughout, and their willingness to indulge my random & sporadic ideas! They were seriously amazing!!

The 'B' Family - Seattle Area Family Photographer

2011-07-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

I think I've said it 100 times, but I totally love this family! They are the sweetest!! For Shaye's 12 month photos, we went all out! We decided to do family photos, some of just Mom & Dad, and it was important to the family to include Nona (Grandma in Italian) in the pictures. And I'm so glad they did. It was truly a blessing to see this wonderful family interact.

I especially love the sweet, candid moments - you can truly feel the love just bursting out of these images!

Randy & Courtney - Seattle Area Photographer

2011-07-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

Randy & Courtney are the parents of a gorgeous little girl that I've had the pleasure of photographing since she was just 3 months old. She's now 1 y/o, so I met up with them at Juanita Bay Park for family photos...and some of just Mom & Dad. It's not very often that couples get pictures together after they're married, so I thought I would dedicate a completely separate blog post to celebrate these two beautiful people.

They are so loving together and so much fun to shoot. They are very comfortable in front of the camera, and with each other, so enjoy this preview!

Stay tuned for their family session preview in the next few days!

Group mentoring sessions- registration now open!

2011-07-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

The mentoring sessions are back! I really meant to get one set up last month, but things got a bit busy. This one is planned for 3 weeks from now.. short notice, I know... but hopefully we'll get it together before then :)

I specialize in natural light portraiture, so in this introductory course, we will go over:

How to use your DSLR camera settings properly
Work with natural light
Exposure
Focus & creating a crisp, clean image
Composition & perspective
Posing & working with models

...and much, much more!

By the end of this workshop, you will have the tools you need to take professional quality portraits straight out of camera!

This will be a group mentoring session. It'll be fun, laid back & informative. I am offering a limited number of spaces because I still want to be able to have that "one-on-one" feeling. I want to be able to get to everyone's questions, and have time to really get to know you all! (if i don't already!)

Spots are on a first come first serve basis. Payment must be sent through paypal to reserve your spot.

If you are more interested in doing a one-on-one, please email me and we can make arrangements.

IMPORTANT:

Please e-mail me prior to sending your payment, and wait for my response. (this is just in case there are no more spots available, so we won't have to deal with refunds)

info@mandychiappini.com

The 'R' Family Preview - Bellevue Area Photographer

2011-06-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned how much I just love my job?? I have the opportunity to help people capture memories through my work. It's such a blessing for me.

I just adore this family. They are so sweet and have the most gorgeous little girl. And I must say, she is the most well behaved One year old I've ever shot. That is not an exaggeration! It was such a pleasure photographing this family!

I hope you enjoy their preview! :)

I heart faces | Let's hear it for the boys!

2011-06-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

I love the theme at I Heart Faces this week -"Boys". And who better to post a picture of, than my own little boy? He's growing up so fast!! I took this picture while we were on our recent trip to the Oregon Coast.

Stylized Bridal Shoot | Seattle Area Photographer

2011-06-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wow. That's all I have to say about this session. I had such a great time with Mika! It wasn't hard capturing her beauty! Hope you enjoy peeking through these images. Isn't she stunning?? Don't you think she should be a professional bridal model? :)

Discovery Park shoot | Dustin & Rachel

2011-06-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Please meet Dustin & Rachel! They've been married for almost 2 years and have never had professional photos done. So I am very happy they contacted me. Every couple deserves to have some pictures of themselves in the early years of their marriage! It's such a special time!

I feel very honored to have shot this couple over Memorial Day weekend, as they met each other while serving our country, both are still currently in the Navy. I can't thank them enough for their service.

This was such a fun shoot, this couple was so laid back. They have a blast together, always laughing and flirting. You can't help but to feel happy when you're around them. They kept telling me they are awkward on camera, but seriously - they are complete naturals. Wouldn't you agree? My clients are always so modest :)

The 'R' Family - Seattle Area Photographer

2011-05-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

I just love this family! I've shot them a couple of times and am so thankful that they continue to come back to me. It's so fun to watch their little boy grow up, and be able to capture these memories for them!

We met up a few mornings ago for a laid back and fun shoot downtown Issaquah. Their little boy is only a few months older than my son, and they have a lot in common: they love to run away from me. Ha ha. But I'm super happy with the shots we ended up with.

The 'S' Family - Seattle Area Family Photographer

2011-05-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

The beautiful Mama you see in these photos, was one of my dance teachers growing up! It's been so much fun keeping in touch and watching her family grow!! Do they have some CUTE kids or what?

We had to reschedule this photo shoot several times, due to rain. But we really lucked out on Friday evening with some wonderful weather! Hope you enjoy their preview!

Fun stuff coming up!

2011-05-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

I have some really fun posts coming up, and a few other exciting things! So stay tuned!

And in the meantime, enjoy this photo of my sweet little boy. He's such a joy!

Happy Birthday Dawson - Seattle Area Photographer

2011-05-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

I have come to grow quite fond of this little boy!! I have done several shoots for this family, and I have just loved watching this cutie grow up. And an added bonus is that he lives so close, him and Bennett have become little buddies :)

Well this last week was extra special because I got to help celebrate his 1st birthday. I had a blast capturing these moments for his birthday!

My own.

2011-05-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

I have some really awesome photo shoots coming up and I'm super excited! But in the meantime it's time for my little boy to make an appearance on the blog, it doesn't happen nearly enough! :) We've had some really awesome weather here in Seattle the last couple of days and of course we took advantage!

Love my little cutie pie!

Fix it Friday #99

2011-05-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't participated in a Fix-it Friday for a while! In case you don't know what it is, I Heart Faces hosts a link-up where someone submits an unedited photo, and I get to download it and fix it up!

And once we've edited the photo, we then submit it to their website. It's fun to browse all of the other entires to see how our peers have fixed up the same photo.

So.... here is the photo of the week, and on the right is my edit! :)

Katelin - Puyallup High School Senior

2011-05-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'd love you to meet Katelin! She's a senior at Puyallup High School, and I had the pleasure of taking her senior portraits! I mean really, look at this girl! If I could fit in her size, I would totally be raiding her closet. And that long hair? Gorgeous, right? Can you tell I'm totally jealous. I need to take some fashion tips from this girl.

Oh and can you believe that she was a bit camera shy when we started? She told me she didn't like what she looked like in photos when she wasn't smiling. I think she is one of those girls that can just sit there and look stunning.

So as usual - I had a ridiculously hard time trying to decide which photos to show her for her preview, so she gets to see a ton! And so do you! :)

The 'T' Family

2011-05-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

You may not know this but I'm heading off to Florida for a week so I'm trying to catch up before I go!!

Here's a little sneak peak of a family session I shot last week! Aren't they the cutest??

Photography mentoring session photos - Seattle Area Photography

2011-04-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, I hosted a photography mentoring session in Seattle. To say I had fun would be an understatement!! I had a BLAST! The girls and I ended up with a perfectly sunny day. We went over all of the basics of shooting in manual, with natural light. So far, I've gotten great feedback and am excited to host another one sometime this summer!

Here are the gals practicing all of the techniques we went over at the beginning of the workshop!

You might remember that adorable couple you see modeling. Perhaps from this shoot I did last winter?

Well I was so impressed with their warm and inviting personalities the last time I met them, I invited Brandon and Cassie to come and model for us. Talk about a couple of beautifully photogenic people, right?? They were everything I needed them to be in a model couple. Thanks so much to Brandon & Cassie for your assistance, and to my mentorees for your attendance!

The 'K' Family - Issaquah Area Photographer

2011-04-26T06:50:00.000-07:00

My weekends have been jam packed with sessions, and I totally lucked out this last weekend with beautiful 60 degree weather. So this adorable family and I met up for their family photos. Doesn't get any cuter than this, does it?

This is such a fun-loving family, I had wonderful time hanging out with them, just capturing some adorable candid moments. Not to mention, these kids were a crack up, as well, seriously some of the friendliest, most outgoing kids I've ever met! Oh and these children have to die for blue eyes! I promise, no photoshop manipulation of any kind. :)

Hope you have fun previewing this family session!

9 month old Shaye - Bellevue Area Photographer

2011-04-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm SO behind on my editing, and my blog posts. I'm trying to get preview up for everyone but I'm running low on time these days! I'm working on it :)

I'm sure you remember seeing this little beauty a few months ago when I shot her 6 month photos. Well she's 9 months now, and cuter than ever! It was definitely a bit more challenging, since she's crawling, no more just plopping her down and making her giggle! Ha ha. We tried every trick in the book to get a smile out of her - but it wasn't happenin' my friends.

Ah well, she looks just perfect either way and I always have a wonderful time during our sessions! I even got a shot of the very first time she stood unassisted! Yay!

The 'S' Family - Seattle Area Family Photographer

2011-04-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

Say hello to the 'S' family! Cutest kids, ever! Right? So photogenic and they were so well behaved throughout the session! They are so incredibly sweet with each other. Big brother had no problem putting his arm around his little sister. And she gave it right back! It's such a pleasure to be witness to such loving siblings!

And their parents, are such great examples! Heather, has overcome so much in the last couple of years. She's such an inspiration. Here is a little bit of her story:

"On Thursday October 1, 2009 Heather Sweet was admitted into the hospital with a severe headache that had spread into her neck and ears. A CT scan and MRI discovered the growth of two tumors. On October 5th, we discovered that the tumors were Glioblastoma Multiforme. This is a very aggressive and serious brain cancer that will be a hard fight. We know that with the support of family and friends, and the awesome love of God, we will put up the good fight."

Currently, Heather is still fighting in her battle with cancer. I can not even begin to imagine what Heather is going through but I am impressed with the faith, and hope that she has shown. Please send prayers and well wishes to Heather and her family while you are enjoying her preview! I'm grateful to have been able to spend the morning with this incredible family. They all just radiate light and happiness.

Shawn & Erin - Seattle Area Photography

2011-04-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

I love to find out how my clients meet. These two have a really fun story. They met on eHarmony and hit it off immediately. Well.. I will let Erin tell a little bit of their story:

"Once in a lifetime….
I fell for Shawn’s profile. His words were sincere and his smile in his pictures was kind. We didn’t spend much time emailing, which was fine. I wanted to meet him in person and only hoped that in person I would like him (and he would like me) as much as I had read. Luckily, our first date was fun and we felt comfortable together. Shawn is a man of his word and called a few days later to ask me out again. He gave me some options for our second date. One of the options was to be a bit crazy and venture off to Vancouver for the Olympics! It’s a once in a lifetime experience to be only a few hours away from an amazing event, so I selected the 2010 Olympic events for our second date! Here we were, two strangers off for a road trip. We had an awesome second date and continue to have an amazing time together. We enjoy taking the time to learn more about the other and plan our dates around what each other like to do. We’ve even created “the list,” which is all of the things we want to do…. together. As our relationship grows, so will “the list,” and even though we may never make it to the end, it doesn’t really matter. It’s only once in a lifetime that you meet that special someone and fall so quickly for each other like we have." - Erin

So Friday night, I met up with Erin & Shawn on Capitol Hill. We were totally expecting rain, so Erin rented a super cute umbrella to use just in case. But to our surprise, we ended up with a perfect evening! Doesn't mean we didn't still get that adorable umbrella in a few shots, though! :-)

These two love birds have been one of the easiest shoots I've ever had. I really could have just followed them around with my camera, never giving them any direction at all. They had the sweetest candid moments, and I feel so lucky to have been able to capture some of those. So many moments, in fact, that I seriously could not decide which photos to show you... so you get to look at a whole bunch!

You can just feel the love oozing out of these photos, can't you??

Mommy & Me Photoshoot - Bellevue Area Photographer

2011-03-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

I met Melissa and her daughter in Bellevue this last weekend for their Spring mini session. We totally lucked out and caught a break from the rain, thank goodness! This isn't the first time I photographed Melissa, I had the privilege of shooting her baby shower and so I was really excited to meet her little girl, Raven.

They are absolutely adorable together! I'm sure you can see for yourself in these photos!!

Spring is here!

2011-03-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

Spring has arrived and I am very much looking forward to all of my sessions coming up!

{just a little something pretty for ya'll to look at today}

Tanya - Seattle Area Portrait Photographer

2011-03-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

When I was contacted by Tanya a few weeks back, I was completely inspired by her story. She has lost 180lbs and isn't done yet! Her family hasn't seen her since her huge transformation, so she wanted to get some photos done to show off her new and improved self!

Here is a little bit of her story, in her own words:

"My journey with my weight loss started 8 years ago when I was in the 9th grade. My

health was very poor and I was forced to make a very major, life-changing decision

at just 14. On September 19th, 2003 I had Gastric Bypass Surgery. At the time of

surgery I weighed in at 450 pounds and was on the verge of having diabetes and

was barely able to walk. With in the first year of having the Gastric Bypass surgery

I lost almost 200 pounds. I was able to maintain that weight loss for about 2 years.

Then in my junior year of high school I started to gain the weight back. By my first

year in college I had gained back almost all of my weight. It wasn’t till about a year

and a half ago that I got super serious about loosing the weight. I am a member

of Gold’s Gym Redmond and started doing the group fitness classes, these classes

are based on the Les Mills International program and they rock. I started with one

class and have been doing them for a year now and am totally addicted. I now do

Bodyattack which is a sports inspired cardio workout, Bodypump which is a barbell

class, Bodystep which is a step cardio class, Bodyvive which is an overall body tone

and strengthening class, Bodyflow which is a yoga, tai chi and balance class, RPM

which is a 1 hour cycle class and Bodycombat which is a martial arts, kickboxing

workout. Basically the only classes I don’t do are the dancing ones. After starting

to work out I soon focused on my nutrition and started to see success. To this day

I have lost 180 pounds, and am just 20 pounds away from my goal weight at which

time I will have a tummy tuck to remove the excess skin and fat. I now live at the

gym averaging about 17 hours a week and participate in a number of walks and

benefit events. In November I did the 3-day 60-mile breast cancer walk and on

Sunday with do the Big Climb in Seattle, 1,079 steps, 69 flights of stairs. As you can

see I am always looking for new challenges and am honored to be able to help other

people with their weight loss journeys."

I am so grateful to have had the privilege to meet this gorgeous girl. She is so incredibly sweet and fun to work with! I'm excited to keep in touch with her and follow her along this amazing journey!

I hope you enjoy the preview of her session!

My pride & joy

2011-03-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

I have some fun posts coming up... but in the mean time....

It's been far too long since I've posted a photo of my son on this blog, so here he is! I love this little guy. White onsie, messy hair. He's perfect :)

I heart faces: Sun Flare

2011-03-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

Fix it Friday #89

2011-03-04T08:46:00.000-08:00

It's time for another Fix-it Friday at I Heart Faces! I really love these!

{original image - not taken by me}

My edit: Number One.

My Edit: Number 2.

I've really been into black & white recently. So... here ya go! :)

Engaged: Tim & Melissa - Seattle Area Wedding Photographer

2011-02-13T13:05:00.000-08:00

A huge congratulations to Tim & Melissa! They will be getting married in August of this year! I'm very much looking forward to the wedding!

They are absolutely adorable, right?? I love how natural they are. It is so obvious how much they love each other and how comfortable they are around each other.

We had a lot of fun wandering around downtown Seattle! Melissa and Tim were totally creative, and up for anything. We incorporated a few fun ideas that she had, as well as that I had! And hello!!!... check out their cute style! And Melissa isn't really wearing any make-up at all, how gorgeous is this girl naturally? I'm jealous.

Enjoy a preview of their engagement session!

Michaela Fashion Shoot - Part 3 - Seattle Area Photographer

2011-02-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

Alrighty, I'm wrapping up the post(s) on this session! Here is Part 3 of Michaela's Fashion Shoot!

{if you missed part 1, go HERE! And for part 2 go HERE}

By this time, the sun was going down and it was gorgeous! We made some stops for some flowers and cinnamon rolls. We pretty much had an awesome night. I think I could make a habit out of this kind of evening. I really did have the best time getting to know Michaela, and editing all of these photos! To be honest, i'm kind of sad it's all over! Ha ha. Well... enjoy the rest of the session!

I really liked these in B&W, too!!! What do you think?

Michaela Fashion Shoot - Part 2 - Seattle Area Photographer

2011-02-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

Here is Part 2 of Michaela's Fashion Shoot! {if you missed part 1, go HERE}

During this portion of the shoot, we ran into lots of interesting people. I am pretty sure we witnessed a drug deal! And one random guy begged to be a part of the shoot, but sadly, we turned him down. Ha ha.

We also had an audience of people in this ally way while we were working. And I think some of them were taking their own photos of the beautiful Michaela! Ha ha.

She didn't care, though. She totally worked it.

I'm excited to show you Part 3! Coming soon.....

Michaela Fashion Shoot - Part 1 - Seattle Area Photographer

2011-02-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

I don't know if it's obvious, but I LOVE photography *wink*

I had been following Michaela's blog for quite some time, and I absolutely love her style. And lucky me!... she is a student at SPU so lives right here in Seattle! So just for the heck of it, we went downtown for a super fun "vintage/urban" photo shoot. It was actually the first time I "met" Michaela in person, but I felt like we've been friends for years!

Michaela is so much fun and outgoing, and totally up for anything! The day couldn't have been more beautiful, it was sunny and the air was crisp...... and cold. She had to have been freezing, but she didn't complain once. And oh. my. gosh. Is she not the most photogenic girl you've ever seen? A complete natural, pretty much born to be in front of the camera.

I am breaking up this post into 3 parts because, honestly, there are a ton of good photos and I just must show you all! (and Michaela!). So... enjoy part 1 of our shoot! :)

Stay tuned for Part 2! :)

Baby Chelsea - Seattle Area Photographer

2011-01-31T08:28:00.000-08:00

My best friend Lindsay gave birth to her precious baby girl on January 20th. I am so excited for her and her Husband! It's going to be so much fun watching this little girl grow up!

She is the most beautiful little newborn in the world, right???

And she did REALLY well during our session. Slept most of the time, and was just a joy to be around. I am really loving how these turned out.

Welcome to the world Chelsea ~ 10 days old

So this dress is really special. This is was Lindsay's dress when she was a newborn, so we just had to get some photos of Chelsea wearing it. And that little pot you see there to the left, that was also in Lindsay's newborn photos. The sweetest thing ever, to recreate this!

My Baby Boy turns ONE!

2011-01-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

My little ONE year old!!! I love you baby boy!

Before & After

2011-01-24T14:47:00.000-08:00

I was going back through some of my old sessions, and decided to do some before & after shots!

This one was taken in the shade, and the tones are pretty green/grayish. And that equals icky.

Thank goodness for Photoshop! :)

I heart faces: innocent wonder

2011-01-23T21:39:00.000-08:00

I love this photo!! It's from a recent session I did, and isn't she just a beauty? I think this photo fits the theme of "innocent wonder" quite perfectly. :)

Fix it Friday #83

2011-01-21T10:53:00.000-08:00

Time for another Fix It Friday! Love these!

Original Photo {not taken by me}

Edit #1

Edit #2

Baby Shaye - Bothell Area Children's Photographer

2011-01-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

Do you recognize this pretty face?? The last time you saw her, she was 3 months old. {see: this session} :)

She's 6 months old now, and more beautiful than ever! What a blessing it was to be able to capture this little girl on digital film. I have had such a great time editing this session! So hard to choose which photos to show off, but here are some of my favorites.

See you in 3 more months little Shaye!

Fix it Friday #82

2011-01-13T21:10:00.000-08:00

Original Image {not taken by me}

Edit #1

Edit #2

Edit #3

Little Miss Emma - Issaquah Area Children's Photographer

2011-01-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

I'd like to introduce you to Emma. She's almost 4 and such a fun, outgoing, beautiful little girl! She says the funniest things! I had SO much fun with her. It was freezing outside, her eyes were watering and I think I even heard her little teeth chattering. But she hung in there with a smile on her face (most of the time) :-). Okay, maybe we had to bribe her with some Pez a few times, but seriously, I was so impressed with her!

My favorite thing about this photo, is her two little teeth!! SO CUTE!

Look at this face! Melts my heart.

For this shot.... she came running up to the camera as I was shooting. So this was kind of an accident, but I just love it. It's completely candid.

I heart faces: favorite face of 2010!

2011-01-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

The theme at I Heart Faces this week is "Absolute Best Face Photo of 2010"

I decided to exclude my little boy from this challenge... cause of course... I think he's the cutest! :)

But I've also had the opportunity to capture some beautiful people this last year so it was SO hard to choose a favorite. But I came across this photo and knew it was the one!

This is my best friends little girl. GORGEOUS. Right?!

{see more of this session}

Ryan & Chelsea - Seattle Area Portrait Photography

2010-12-13T09:04:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine had contacted me to ask if I would mentor her a little with portrait photography. Of course!

So I rounded up a very pretty, not to mention photogenic couple (to be our models) and off we went! I chose Seattle, UW campus. Thinking that we could use the Library in case it rained. And we did go in there, but I guess I'm not very good at my "library voice" cause we kept getting weird looks from people, so we stayed outside.

A big thank you to this beautiful couple, Chelsea & Ryan! They were such good sports, it was raining the whole time! But they really didn't care, just happily went along with everything! So laid back and fun-loving!

Anyway, here are some of the photos from the day! Enjoy :)

Brandon & Cassie - Seattle Area Portrait Photography

2010-12-05T22:08:00.000-08:00

I feel so honored to have met this couple!! Please, meet Brandon and Cassie.

We met at Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle on a perfect Saturday afternoon. Seriously, how lucky were we?....it was beautiful outside. The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and there was lots of awesome Christmas decorations up around the market.

Just look at this couple! Gorgeous, right? They are so totally in love, you can just feel their beautiful spirit radiating so bright as soon as you meet them. They are so warm and kind-hearted! And so easy to photography!! Throughout the shoot, one of them would just start laughing, then the other would join in... it was contagious. I found myself smiling the entire time.

I have pretty much posted their entire session because these two just didn't take a bad photo and I could not decide which ones to show you all!

And those two pups of theirs.... how adorable are they? So happy they wanted to include them in the shoot! Thank you Brandon & Cassie, I had a blast!

I heart faces: fix it friday

2010-12-03T18:03:00.000-08:00

{ so sorry i haven't updated this blog in so long! i swear, i will have new posts up soon! }

In the mean time, it's time for Fix-it Friday at I Heart Faces

This is the before shot:: {not taken by me }

And here is my edit::

The 'F' Family - Seattle Area Family Photographer

2010-11-06T17:46:00.000-07:00

I love this family! You might remember them from this session, and this one! They've got the most beautiful little boy. Little Dawson is 6 months old and seriously impressed me throughout this shoot, he was so good. Hardly fussed at all.

I have so many shots I wanted to put up, it's been really hard to narrow down. I decided to post an extra couple of just Mom & Dad. They are engaged to be married next year and I'm SO happy for them. They are pretty cute together, dont' you think??

Lindsay's Maternity Photos - Seattle Area Photographer

2010-11-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

This is my bestie, Lindsay! We've been friends since 8th grade and I am so happy to have the privilege to take her Maternity photos for her! She is such a gorgeous girl, and she certainly has that 'glow' about her, doesn't she??

Can't wait to meet her little boy or girl in January!

The 'B' Family - Seattle Area Family Photographer

2010-10-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

My blog is on cuteness overload these days! I feel so lucky to have met this family! They are so sweet and have such a clear adoration for each other. You should have seen them with their little girl - so absolutely in love with her!

How beautiful is this couple?? And their baby girl.... GORGEOUS! She is only 3 months old and did SO well at this shoot. We definitely had a hard time getting her to show us her cute little smile, but at the end of the day, I couldn't have asked for more!

Hope you enjoy your preview!

'L' Family - Kirkland Area Family Photographer

2010-10-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

This family is extra special to me! Kaitlin (the mommy) and I have been friends for almost 10 years! I absolutely love that we have gone through similar stages of our lives together. She has a beautiful baby girl (6 months old) and a wonderful Fiance! I couldn't be happier for her. I'm super excited to show her this preview! I got them up as quickly as I could!

Isn't her little darling gorgeous?? I think she and Bennett (my 8 month old boy) would make a cute couple! :-)

'R' Family Preview - Seattle Area Family Photographer

2010-10-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

Kinley - Seattle Area Children's Photographer

2010-10-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

Last Friday morning I met up {almost} 3 year old Kinley and her Mom. The weather was seriously gorgeous, I'm not sure how we lucked out with such a pretty day in October. So thankful for that.

I was only going to post a few photos, but I just couldn't help myself... I mean seriously, what a doll!! Would you look at her adorable curly hair! We had a hard time getting her to smile. But I have to say, after editing these photos I'm so pleased with the way they turned out. What a privilege it was to take photo's of this beauty!

Hope you enjoy this sneak peak!

Love that Shot!

2010-10-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

This week at Love That Shot, we're asked to share with them one of our favorite faces. And this little cutie pie happens to be one of them this month!

Took this photo with a Canon 7D and processed it in Photoshop CS4.

My Camera Settings:
Focal Length: 50mm f/1.4
Exposure Time: 1/500
ISO: 400

I adjusted the curves a bit to my liking, and then used Florabella's "Sharpen/De-fog" and "London" actions.

For more amazing shots go here::

before & after tulip

2010-09-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

before & after at Pixel Perfect

and

Used Florabella's 'Allure (warm}' Texture.

Edited in Photoshop CS4

Holiday Mini Sessions - Now Available

2010-09-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

:: back by popular demand ::

Dawson's Baptism - Issaquah Area Family Photographer

2010-09-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

You may remember Dawson from this post. And this one.

Well he's almost 4 months old now, and is getting baptized. So happy for this little guy and his family!!

Doesn't Dawson look handsome in his baptismal gown??

The 'Z' Family - Seattle Area Family Photographer

2010-09-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

This is the 'Z' Family. This little guy happens to be one of Bennett's best buddies. Had a great time at the lake with this family!

Brienne has just undergone knee surgery so I thought for this preview I'd post a few more photos of her and her sweet little boy. I'm hoping these mommy/son pictures will brighten her day!

this one is my absolute favorite. his little expression is adorable, gnawing on his hand. and the way she's looking at him- love!

Selina - Issaquah Area Senior Photogapher

2010-09-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

Selina is a senior this year at Issaquah High School. She was an absolute pleasure to be around, and to photograph. I mean really, look at her! How gorgeous is she? We had an awesome time with her session, she was so fun and spunky!

So happy to have met her and had the privilege to have shot her senior portraits!

Baby Aleksandra - Issaquah Area Photographer

2010-08-31T09:41:00.000-07:00

This little bundle of joy is Aga's baby girl. You might remember her baby shower post.

Aleks is such a teeny tiny little beauty! Not more than 6 pounds. I think she will be my little guy's new favorite girlfriend. But really, how could he resist? Is she not the most beautiful baby girl in the world??

Nikki - Seattle Area Photographer

2010-08-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this by saying that this was one of the MOST fun I've ever had on a session. Nikki and I were good friends way back in middle school, and I'm so excited she won the giveaway! (my very 1st one back in may) It was so great to re-connect again.

So Friday night, we went down to Seattle to have our shoot. When she came to me with this idea I was SO excited! Seriously. A bride in red boots, in Seattle. Yes please. She's working on something really super fun and so this was the perfect theme to go right along with her fun project. More on that later! Stay tuned!

I knew that she would be an amazing subject to shoot, but seriously??? This girl is was a complete natural. I didn't have to give her really any direction at all. I took at the camera and she just came alive. Total model material, right?

As your scrolling down, yes that is a gross fish that she's about to smooch. But that's what made Nikki so much fun, she was so daring and willing to try anything. As we were wandering the Market downtown, she had a paparazzi following behind her. She was so photogenic, that the locals & tourists alike were just stopping to stare at her and even taking pictures of their own. Ha ha. Wish I had taken a photo of the groups of people gawking at how beautiful she looked.

After we left Pike Place, we headed down to Alki Beach... it was a perfect night for photo takin!

I took a couple hundred photos, and I could probably post them all because she really doesn't take a bad photo. But I will leave you with that! I already posted way more then I intended to!

Justin & Stephanie - Seattle Area Photographer

2010-08-19T08:33:00.001-07:00

Stephanie & Justin have been married for 3 years and haven't had their photo's taken since their wedding! So happy that she WON the mini-session giveaway!

When I woke up in the morning I was actually kind of worried it might rain. But by the afternoon, it had completely cleared up and the sun was shining for us! So happy she suggested Alki Beach in Seattle for their photos because I haven't been there in years!! It's beautiful.

And aren't these two gorgeous???

I'm pretty sure Stephanie was born to be in front of the camera. I couldn't find one bad picture of this girl!