Maternity Portrait in Studio | Kelly & Ryan | Portland OR Maternity Photographer

As I was working on these maternity photos for Kelly & Ryan, my husband informed me that Kelly, a mere four weeks away from her due date, looks about as big as I looked at 5 months pregnant.  I might have been mad except it’s totally true!

We did these photos in my SE Portland studio, some with a 6-foot single softbox and some with natural window light.  I used my 50 mm 1.4 lens for almost the entire shoot as usual… LOVE it.

Congrats Kelly & Ryan, can’t wait to do your newborn baby girl pics in December!

Family Portrait in the Studio | Portland Family Photographer

I am so excited to share these portraits from my new studio in SE Portland!

The photo on the left is outdoors; we couldn’t resist capturing the spectacular fall colors between rain showers.  The rest of the portraits were done in my studio using 95% natural light with the occasional soft fill from my 580 EX speed light on a stand with an umbrella.  I’m really enjoying my Mini TT1/Flex TT5 Pocket Wizards, so glad I sprung for them (vs. the Plus II’s, which cannot be controlled in-camera).

This little sweetie pie looked dashing in his red baby thermal & denim overalls, so very Portland!  He was accompanied by his doggie, who did “play dead” and a number of other impressive tricks, including capturing the attention of a 4-month-old, which is of course very helpful to me!

I got so many great portraits from this session that it was very hard to select my favorites for editing & presentation–such is the advantage of relaxing in a studio when it is cold & rainy outside rather than struggling to get the shot when everyone is shivering & wet.  Love it!

I have an extra busy weekend coming up with several new shoots as well as a review going up on PDX Kids Calendar from this shoot back in October.  I’m dying to read it!

My big announcement…

I have been promising BIG news and here it is: I have a new studio space in SE Portland, and I moved in a few weeks ago!  It is a gorgeous 600 sf studio in industrial SE Portland, in the Towne Storage Studios building, next door to the Burnside Skate Park.  Who knew that the Towne Storage building hosts several full floors of artist’s studios, including photographers, painters, violin makers (seriously!), graphic designers, and the like?

Some pics of the studio and my handsome helper:

The studio is a lovely private space on the fourth floor full of gorgeous natural light from two 10-foot windows.  Inside I have full-sized backdrops for maternity, kids, and families as well as a smaller, softer setup for newborns & slow-moving infants.  There is a small lounging area for resting in between photos, a changing and primping area, and plenty of baby wipes for everyone 🙂

There are incredible details like the 100-year-old exposed brick and original wood floors.   I have supplemental lighting for dimmer days, but I will always prefer the pristine look of natural light and will imitate it any time I use strobes or speed lights.  Check out this view of the Portland waterfront & Burnside Bridge from my window:

And lastly, a photo of my close friends and first models in the new space, Michael & Mari:

Please keep your eyes peeled on the blog for several sessions in the new space, including babies, families, maternity sessions, and a portrait of my favorite retired ceramics teacher!