Portland Wedding Photography & Candid Portraits

The peak of nice weather we had last week has me thinking about summer. This wedding is just so Oregon summer to me, though it actually took place in Longview Washington. I thought I’d do a photo recap of it just for fun.

I just got my photos back from Deanna Russell Photography and they are great! Deanna and I had a fun laid back photo session and I think the relaxing atmosphere really shows in both of our portraits. Check out my About page where I just posted my favorite. Thanks Deanna!!!

I had coffee (actually a chamomile tea with honey) with Gina Emerson, of Gina Emerson Photography, this morning. I think it is just amazing to be part of a community of photographers in Portland, that are truly supportive of each other. When I was first starting out I had several established wedding photographers offer me advice, and point me to networking groups. Over the years, I’ve become part of a group of Oregon Flickr photographers that are always willing to share ideas, and another group of women photographers in the Portland area.

Brides are often surprised when I tell them that a lot of photographers here are friends, or at least friendly enough to help each other out. Yes we are each others competition but we’re also coworkers in a way. When dates are booked we need to know other photographers to refer brides to for their wedding. When a portrait client contacts me, and they are too far away, it’s great to be able to send them to someone closer. It helps all our clients, and each other. It’s also an absolutely essential resource for a wedding photographer to have in event of an emergency on a wedding day!

I am lucky enough to have my mom visiting from back east for almost a month. Yesterday I took a day off and we headed out to the coast. My two year old loves cheese. Yellow cheese, white cheese, cheese quesadilla, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, grated cheese, cheese and crackers… Pretty much everything she eats has to involve cheese. We thought she’d be thrilled to visit the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

If you have a baby, you know that leaving the house is no longer a quick thing. At the crack of 9:15 we finally made it out of the house. We were hoping for much earlier. We stopped for breakfast, and then took highway 6 out to Tillamook. About 30 miles from Beaverton the crying started, and we began to wonder why we tore a happy toddler from the house.

The weather was beautiful as we parked and headed inside. I thought Mackenzie would be so thrilled to see plates of different types of cheese to try and an abundance of flavors of ice cream. I guess I don’t think like a toddler! The blue ropes on the line for the cheese samples were way more exciting! The photo op cow with a farmer cut outs was quite a hit too. We had fun, and it was a good excuse to eat ice cream for lunch!

Here’s a quick cell phone photo.

I have only once before driven up highway 101 from Tillamook to Seaside. In my head, it was about 15 miles. Perhaps I should have checked the gps. After driving 20 miles we saw a sign “Seaside 26″. Luckily at the same time the little one’s eyes were closing in the car seat, so my mom and I enjoyed a scenic trip up the coast.

We pulled into the parking garage at Seaside, and Mackenzie woke up as we were putting her shoes back on. She must have smelled the ocean air because we had instant smiles. After layering up, we walked to the beach to find the swings were gone for the winter. I think I was more disappointed than Mackenzie. She just toddled about in the sand holding our hands.

Eventually we heard “I’m cold”, which is not something she ever admits to. We made our way back to the boardwalk, and to find some food. Some dancing in the Beebop burger place, and a couple rides on the carousel wrapped up our day. As we walked to the car, she said “stay beach stay”.

I did a post a couple weeks back about engagement sessions. I realized I didn’t touch upon what to wear, which is something I get asked a lot. There is no right answer but here are some suggestions.

Dress in something that represents you. Think about where we are photographing when you choose your outfit. High heels and a dress may not work well if you want photos in a field, unless you are a kick off your shoes and run barefoot type.

Talk to each other before dressing. You don’t need to match your fiance but you shouldn’t clash. You’ll want to be about the same formality. One of you in a suit, and one in your favorite ripped jeans might look silly. Being a little aware of how your colors go together is good too.

Avoid clothing that will over power the photograph. I had business portraits done last year and wore a top that was patterned with bold flowers all through my mid-section. If you are a size 2 this might be okay and give the illusion that you have more curves. On me, it draws attention to my mid-section and the pattern is just too bold, drawing attention away from my face. I still really like this shirt but not for photos. Logos, even small ones, and writing are even worse.

Think about color. Most people look best in certain colors. Black is a difficult one for photos. For some it works okay, but it can wash out pale skin. It also tends to fade and show every little piece of lint.

Break the rules. Always feel free to bend, twist, or break the rules. Maybe your fiance always wears bright blue polka dots suits, and you love all black. Then this is who you are and by all means express it!

When in doubt, bring a couple of outfits or at least shirts. Email me, or comment on this post, if you have specific questions.