Melanie & Justin at Discovery Park | Seattle Maternity Photographer

I am so excited that not only did I get to photograph Melanie and Justin's maternity session, but I will also be doing their newborn session in their home sometime next month! I can't wait to meet their sweet little boy :) Melanie reminded me a lot of myself when I was pregnant, in fact, I even owned a very similar blue dress! I love how she rocks her perfect baby belly. She and Justin have a wonderful connection which was easy to see in the way they laughed and giggled together. I am so thankful that they trusted me to put them in weird positions, like laying on the ground or having a 9 month pregnant lady straddle her husband's lap in a semi-tight dress. haha. Discovery Park is one of my favorite places to shoot. Not only is it less than a mile from my house (bonus!) but it is so large that all of the sessions that you do there can look completely different. It was warm on the day of their maternity session, but there were hazy clouds giving us a unique look, different than days where I've shot when the sun was shining bright or there were heavy clouds overhead.

A Photo Walk around Downtown Seattle | On Film

A few weeks ago I got to hang out with a few dozen other photographers for something called Clickin Walk. All across the country, groups of people met to spend time with their fellow local photographers, explore Downtown Seattle, and take photographs. I rarely if ever shoot street photography, so it was great to be pushed out of my comfort zone. I decided to push myself even further by shooting primary on film. I decided to try my very first black and white roll, Ilford HP5, which I rated to 800 ISO for some extra grain (maybe a bit too much in hindsight). Shooting deliberately is something different for me, since with digital you can take as many shots as your large memory cards will hold. Having just 36 frames is definitely a challenge. I will say that the thing that is most difficult for me is to find beauty in images that don't contain people or actual subjects. Try as I might, I just don't have the eye for it. So, as we were walking around Pioneer Square, while many of the other photographers were focusing on architecture or objects, I was searching for people while still trying to not jump into my safe "portrait artist" zone. I am surprised that I do like some of the architecture shots. I should do this more often I guess :)

The H Family | Seattle Maternity Photographer

If this family looks a bit familiar it's because this is my 4th time photographing them. First, for their maternity session with their now 2 year old son, then a family session when he was 6 months old, and again for his first birthday party at their home in Gig Harbor. They are now expecting a baby girl! I cannot wait to meet their little lady who is due in just 4 weeks! Aura enlisted the talents of Finch and Thistle for her stunning ranunculous flower crown. We opted to do the maternity session at their home, in their backyard. I had been to their house before but on a rainy day, so when I saw the golden rays shining between the trees I was so, so excited. We are spoiled by western exposure in Seattle, but in Gig Harbor it's a bit trickier to find. Their home is gorgeous and their backyard made for a special and beautiful setting. When they look back on these pregnancy photos they will have just a bit of extra connection since I'm sure their yard is already filled with a lot of special memories.

Can we just take a moment to acknowledge how dang cute little B is? He just celebrated his 2nd birthday and is a bundle is sweetness, love, and energy. He reminds me a lot of my own 2 year old daughter, although much better behaved for photos ;) After I would take a couple of shots he would come running up to me and say, "Camera!! Picture!!" wanting to see photos of himself. haha. Such a sweet little 2 year old boy!