Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

I think I can say with confidence that anyone that lives near Olympia, WA and enjoys taking photos with any type of camera has been to the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. The miles of boardwalk through the marshy portion of the reserve adds a fantastic element to the greenery that surrounds you on your relaxed stroll.

I love bringing clients here for portrait shoots. The atmosphere is perfect for helping people feel at ease and have that beautiful, natural smile for my camera lens!

On this particular day, It was only me, my camera, and my 70-200 2.8 Canon lens. The sun came out after a long, dreary stretch of western Washington weather, and I had the itch to get out and shoot something…

I love the old barns on the refuge…

This little guy seemed to think I had a treat for him!

A sweet couple on the boardwalk saw my “big fancy camera” and pointed out this lovely bird to me. They figured I would love to get a picture of her… They figured right!

And then just as I was getting close to the end of my stroll, there was a huge flock of Canadian Geese right in my path!

Needless to say, as always, The Nisqually Wildlife Refuge once again proved to be as beautiful and relaxing as always…

 

Downtown Olympia

I had the pleasure a few months ago to go shooting with a photog friend in downtown Olympia. I’ve lived in the area for over 6 years now, and have never actually walked around downtown before. How sad is that?

I think the best part of going out shooting with friends is seeing each other’s work after the event. I love how two people can stand in the same spot, with the same camera body in hand, and the same lens fixed to the body, and capture two entirely different images. I love how two people shooting together will inspire each other, and how you can feed off of the other’s ideas and views. I love looking over my shoulder and seeing a friend pointing their lens in a direction I may never have looked if I were on my own. These are the days that inspire me the most!

It was a perfect day for shooting in downtown Olympia, complete with graffiti alleys, fun restaurants, a port filled with moored sailboats, and even a parade!

The Port of Olympia is beautiful no matter how you look at it…

The #1 way to travel in Olympia… it’s a very green city!

My friend lovin’ the graffiti! (and so was I!)

Italian is good no matter what way you look at it!

I love this statue….

Looking forward to spring time and taking another walk around downtown Olympia! I’m so lucky to live in such a photograph-able area! 🙂

Olympia Wedding

I received a phone call from a very sweet gentleman asking if I was available for a wedding last-minute. It just so happened that my weekend had opened up unexpectedly. He was calling for his niece’s wedding: he actually is a photographer himself but decided he wold prefer to enjoy the wedding instead of having the stress of photographing the event. After a phone conversation and some email correspondence. I was given all of the needed information and sent off my good faith agreement as a promise that I would arrive.

The church was directly across from the Capitol Buildings in Olympia, and we were hoping to get some formal portraits with the beautiful background. The night before the wedding, it was raining quite hard, and all hopes of getting the outdoor shots was going out the window. I didn’t think the bride wanted to have her trash the dress session prior to the wedding! But lo and behold, the morning of the wedding the clouds parted just long enough to get some beautiful shots before the ceremony began.

 

The ceremony was beautiful, followed by a fun, laid back reception, complete with pizza and sparkling cider!

Stroll Through Tumwater Falls

Families like this make my job easy. A stroll through Tumwater Falls on a lazy afternoon. A beautiful family with cute dogs and lots of big smiles. Photographer’s paradise.

Downtown Olympia

I am so lucky to live in an area where I have so many great scenic photo opportunities. Mix that with having such a lovely soon-to-be grad and I’m one happy photographer! We had rain forecasted for the day before and the day after our planned shoot: anyone who knows Western Washington is aware that planning with the weather forecast is a gamble. Lucky for us the clouds parted just long enough for us to capture some great memories!

Prom Time!

I had the most wonderful photo shoot with this sweet, energetic couple! We spent a few hours in the late afternoon walking around the boardwalk at the Port of Olympia, and then went up to the Capital Buildings for some final shots they were wanting. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day! 102 shots later…. I think they will be bragging a bit to their friends that only got two poses at the Prom. 🙂

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