Jamie Neilsen Photography: The Blog » Engagement

Jennica & James | Elliot Bay Marina | Seattle Engagement Photographer

Jamie — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:23:39 +0000

Jennica and James are getting married this New Year’s Eve at the Mayflower Park Hotel! We had such a fun time during their engagement session at the Elliot Bay Marina. A picnic was set, champagne was uncorked and the sound of seagulls, gently splashing waves and a light breeze made a romantic soundtrack. The perfect ingredients, in my opinion, for a delightful summer evening of love in the Pacific Northwest.

Things I loved from this session:

Her sassy red heels.

The way he swept her bangs out of her eyes.

The symmetry of lines. (i.e. boats in a row, tall masts, her dress, the skyline…)

Those crazy, overcast, Seattle skies against my (second) favorite skyline.

Two bottles worth of champagne explosions (on purpose).

Snuggling in a blanket on the shore of Puget Sound.

Josh, Jeanine & Liam | Family Engagement Pictures | Seattle Modern Family Photographer

Jamie — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:52:48 +0000

Love is in the air, Friends. Can you feel it?? It’s springtime and I feel change, growth and twitterpation around every corner. New brides are booking engagement sessions and I’m having a ball capturing that lovey, dovey, gushy, goodness of couples on their way to wedded bliss.

Josh and Jeanine are one of my special families that have been around since the beginning of my adventures in photography. I remember the day they told me they were pregnant and I remember watching her grow and glow as they became baby married. I remember visiting little Liam in the hospital when he was born and taking some of the very first pictures of their new family. And now, they’re doing the next big thing with wedding plans a brewin for this coming November. It’s gonna be one hell of a party, let me tell ya. I’m beyond excited and honored to be trusted with telling their story in photographs that will become a part of their family history. It’s truly amazing.

The day of our session was a wet one so we jumped to plan C and ended up at the Conservatory at Volunteer Park. Greenhouses make a great, dry background! So does the water tower we hiked up and the covered benches with all those great lines I love. And we did get lucky with some sun breaks. Puddle jumping, sun soaking, cuddling, whispering, laughing and loving. It was an afternoon made for lovers, adventures, breathing in fresh life and celebrating family.

Josh and Jeanine, it’s been an absolute delight to watch you fall more in love with time. The addition of Liam has made you an even more beautiful couple and I can’t wait to watch you become husband and wife this November. Enjoy your love story…

Erica & Robert | Seattle Engagement Pictures

Jamie — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:22:07 +0000

“If I love you with all my heart, she said, what will you give me? & then she stopped & said I didn’t have to answer that because she was going to do it anyway.” –Story People

It was hard for me to write this blog post. Not because I don’t have anything to say about this fantastic couple, but because I have too much too say. You see, Erica and I have history. A kind of history that breaks a lot of rules and quite frankly, it’s a wonder we’re still friends at all. But that’s Erica for you. She’s easy to like and you’re guaranteed to laugh and see the world from a sarcastic point of view whenever she’s around.

Erica was one of the first photographers I ever hired and trained back in my studio days. We were roommates a couple different times in the last ten years and she was the one who helped me keep it together at my first wedding. Yeah, that’s right. I got married when I was 19 and…it didn’t work out. Shocker. It was at that wedding that I discovered just how much Erica wanted her turn to shine as a bride. The morning of that wedding I practiced tossing the bouquet and she practiced catching (come on; we were 19). I knew then, that when it was her turn, she was gonna make a fabulous bride. So when she posted on my Facebook page asking if I was free on July 31st, I knew immediately that was gonna be the big day. I can’t wait to watch her walk down the aisle later this month, meet her man at the end and witness their commitment to love each other forever and ever.

Their engagement session took place at the Washington Park Arboretum where we wandered through acres and acres of beautiful gardens and trails giggling, dancing and preserving the memory of this exciting time in their lives. I know this wasn’t easy for Erica. She hates having her picture taken but she trusted me to put her at ease and make her look fabulous. It wasn’t hard work (but the wine in the Gatorade bottle probably helped ). These two are adorable together and their love was easy to capture. With a typical overcast day in Seattle and just a peak of sunset light poking through the clouds, the Emerald City popped with rich colors you can’t find just anywhere. This session is totally them. Enjoy the show….

Jenny & Cameron | In Love | Seattle Lifestyle Photographer

Jamie — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:25:55 +0000

Nooooo, they’re not engaged….yet {wink wink}. These two love birds were simply kind enough to let me take their picture…after almost a year of asking…and after almost a year of Jenny trying to convince me that she’s not photogenic. Ha! I think I’ve proved you wrong, Jenny. I wanted to try out a new location – a parking garage in North Seattle with just the right amount of light and hardly any cars to bother us. Despite the cold and wind and clouds I think they might have even had fun! Especially the part where seven Seattle police officers tackled one running trouble maker across the street at the bus depot. That was kind of exciting! All kidding aside, it was fun to hang out with this chill couple. I usually find that the first 15-20mins of a session is the most awkward. As a lifestyle portrait photographer, it’s my job to figure out what makes you tick. I need to put you at ease and let your honest expressions show. I try to capture my clients mid-laugh and relaxed. Most of all, I don’t want them to feel like they’re getting their picture taken. I wish my camera were invisible! Eventually, though, we settle into a rhythm and start having fun. That’s when I know it’s okay to start posing you like an origami swan and instruct you stand in the middle of parking ramp and “do whatever you want”. That’s when the magic happens. Friends, I’d like you to meet the absolutely photogenic Jenny and her charming man, Cameron. Enjoy….

Click to view the slideshow!

Melissa & Tony | Engaged

Jamie — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:06:54 +0000

They have one of those great “how we met” stories that involves meeting in a bar, dating each other’s best friends, and finally discovering their true love for one another. Well done, guys. “We met in a bar” stories are my some of my favorites! We spent a beautiful afternoon at the Country Village in Bothell giggling, taking pictures, and admiring some roosters with really funky hair. Melissa wanted a country feel to her engagement pictures. As her mom says, “she’s a country girl at heart”. We didn’t find any big open fields or run down barns, but with a little extra backcombing, some great buildings and precious little nooks we faked a pretty awesome country location. Melissa and her cowboy are gettin’ hitched this Summer in Mexico!

I asked Tony to hold onto Melissa tightly and perhaps tell her a little secret. He did. I have no idea what was said but I’m certain it was juicy. Melissa’s reaction was picture perfect.

Like me, Melissa loves black and white pictures. I love the classic look. But my favorite part? They go with EVERYTHING!! Any room. Any decor. Any frame. Done.

These two lovebirds were so much fun to hang out with. At one point I was changing lenses and Melissa says, “okay, I’m gonna tell you a joke”. She started into this story about cussing and kids and damn and hell and just as I got my camera ready and up to my face she hit the punch line and I could only snap a few straight pictures before I gave in to the laughter and started taking random blurry pictures. It’s okay. I’m a professional If you want to see those pictures, you’ll have to check out the slideshow!

Melissa & Tony, I think we’re going to have to grab a beer sometime (and discuss those boudoir pictures?). Hahaha….enjoy your slideshow!

Click to view the slideshow!

Linnzi & Mikey | Engaged

Jamie — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:14:21 +0000

“She turned to me & whispered, don’t you just love it when you get so excited you forget to breathe? & the thought of her smiling eyes still makes me laugh.” –Story People

It poured on Saturday. She asked me what I thought of the rain. I told her I’d do my best to keep them dry. Everything dripped around us until we began to shoot. Somehow, without noticing, the buckets turned to sprinkles. The sprinkles turned to mist. And for a good hour, we had a beautiful cloudy day complete with windblown hair. Their love and my camera made some beautiful pictures. Congratulations on your engagement Linnzi & Mikey!

I don’t blame you for wanting to see more…