Staci Devlin Designs {Seattle Photographer}

I met Staci, a sweet lady who frequents Revel, today for a photoshoot of her amazing jewelry, from Staci Devlin Designs.  I will admit it was hard to stay focused when all I could do was dream about how awesome her jewelry would pair with my dress, shoes, and everything else in between.  It was so fun to be creative with her creations.  I cant wait to do it again!

Outdoor Adventure.....

I know some time has passed since my last blog.  In short, I have been to Arizona and back, over a million bridges, through 3 airports, and spent 5 weeks teaching summer school.  I am back to being a mom (and a photographer) and have over 500 photos to edit.  I have been hiding from my memory cards but they finally grabbed hold of me.  Without delay, here are some photos of our most recent adventure to Olympic National Park. 

Let me say, first, that the pictures don't do it justice.  It was insanely beautiful and given the smokey conditions (from a nearby wildfire) and my dirty lens, I wasn't able to capture the full glory but I think I made a good attempt.  The kids had a blast getting dirty and very much enjoyed the whole eating outside thing.  We rented a minivan for the occasion and I just about cried when I had to return it.  I LOVED that van!!!  We stayed in a cabin at Dosewallips State Park and are so excited to return some day.  We were nestled between a river and a beach and woke up to an elk herd nearby.  Emma (the dog) certainly had her fun chasing sticks and balls and the boys just about died of laughter when she discovered the river. 

It was our first family vacation in far too long and it will not be forgotten.  After a few bridges, an hour drive, and ferry ride later, we arrived home just in time to dive back in to chaos.

Cherish.

I am up late.  I can't sleep.  I have too much on mind.  The stress of bills, homework, studying, raising children, and a husband who works 60 hours a week is finally ravaging what little piece of strength I have left.

A friend shared this link with me and my stresses now seem dull and meaningless.  I hope you take the time to see the photos and read the stories that this photographer in Joplin, MO shared.  My heart goes out to the families recovering and rebuilding---to the family celebrating a birth but mourning the loss of their home; the newlyweds dealing with loss so soon; the dance studio that once housed tiny little feet.  My thoughts are with all of you.

We are easily distracted and often forget how fragile life is.  This year, we have been offered many reminders as we witness mother nature rip innocent lives a part.  Take the time to think of others; to exchange hellos, goodbyes, and good mornings. Hug your children, your partner, your mother or father.  Be grateful for the world at your fingertips.  Rejoice in your struggles.  Take delight in life.  Life is both delicate and tenacious.


For more of the story: http://whitneyscottphotographyblog.com/2011/05/26/joplin-missouri/

Mr. K :: 18 months Tulip Town {Seattle Childrens Photographer}

I am so blessed to be the mother of this kid. Kannon is my joy, my frustration, my happiness and sadness all in one. He makes us laugh, cry, and almost pee our pants.

Kannon is growing up day by day and learning like a sponge. He jumps, bounces, and runs off beds (yes, now you understand the wet pants). His voice is becoming apparent as he squeals out an occasional "hello" or "buh bye".

To our surprise, he said "hello, brother" and "I love you". Of course, they are mumbled half-syllable sentences but we love hearing those sweet words nonetheless.

We had a spree of visitors and headed to Mount Vernon to look at the tulip fields. We had a wonderful time as we rode tractors and swept away to another time and place.

Kannon is growing up and we are savoring every day until I start work full-time and send Kannon to preschool----yes, preschool.

(This is my favorite pic of all!!!)

I am hoping to squeeze one more photo session in before I head to Phoenix for my Teach For America institute training but I am not promising anything.  So this may be the last of photo sessions for a while.  In the meantime, wander over to Domestic Adventures, our family blog featuring a 365-Ipod Photo Project.

Happy Easter {Seattle Photographer}

From the words of my kid's touch and feel Easter book:

"Easter is a joyful time, of love, and life, and Spring. 

Wish your friends and neighbors, Happy Easter everyone!!!"

And so we celebrate: love, life, and Spring.

We decorated eggs using natural dyes, like spinach, blueberry, and turmeric.

We used rubber bands and crayons to make them stripy and wonderful.

We had little helpers carefully drop eggs into our lucious dyes. 

We waited and waited and were surprised with how beautiful our little eggs turned out.

And finally, Easter arrived.  We shared our baskets, excited and grateful for friends and family. 

And we stared at our pretty little eggs.

Before & After::

I love photographing people. I love using my camera, discovering new angles, new settings, and getting up close and personal.  I use editing programs lightly--hoping to keep images natural and raw.  However, I am amazed by the simplest adjustments that make a good photo to a WOW photo.

I took these photos of Clark when he was a little over a week old. Notice the before shot is very red, lacks contrast, and shows a piece of our wall.  After I cropped the image, bumped the exposure and blacks, I reduced the saturation of red and yellow.  These three little steps completely changed the quality of the photo.  I also did a few other things, but I wont bore you with boring photo lingo.  Big difference, right?

Spring!

We celebrated the first day of Spring with a trip downtown for Daffodil Day.  Unfortunately, it didn't feel very "springy" in the cold Seattle weather.  Both boys were tired, stuffed up, and ended up falling asleep in Starbucks before they passed out daffodils.  We did get a few quick pics in before the day ended.