My first one is on my inner, right ankle. I got it while in the Ozarks of Missouri with my little sister for her graduation from basic training. It’s a kanji symbol that stands for femininity…in the way that the sun is masculine and the moon is feminine…or so that’s what we’re told. An ironic choice considering that, my little sister, after having her inner ankle freshly inked with a sharp needle, rolled her tall socks up over her wound, laced up her tall, shiny, black boots and marched back to base in an anything but feminine cadence. I took a print of the tattoo back home with me so our youngest sister could have the same one done here in Seattle. I love that wherever we go, we each have that reminder of each other.

The second tattoo was a birthday gift to myself…my sign. The Archer or Sagittarius. A bent arrow on my back. It’s on my spine between the shoulder blades. I remember just before the artist got started he asked, “straight arrow or bent?” And without hesitation, I confirmed, bent. I guess you could say, I’m the kind of person who likes detours.

The third tattoo is on my right side from my hip to…a little lower than my armpit. It hurt. A lot. Every.Single.Rib. I could feel the vibration of the needle in the pit of my stomach for all three hours I sat on that work bench. But, the pain is temporary, tattoos are forever, and the end result are some fairly impressive gray branches and pink blossoms on a blooming cherry tree inked into my side. I absolutely love that time of year here, when all of a sudden there are pink trees blooming everywhere. And just as Spring gets really rolling, it begins snowing pink and white blossoms. You have to take it all in quickly because before you know it, they’re gone.

And…drum roll please…that’s how we get to these gorgeous red, yellow and orange trees of Autumn. My left side is begging for them. I want to take the canvas of the Bellevue Botanical Gardens on a Fall morning, like this one with the Mitchell Family, and condense them into one fiery tree inked into my skin. Wow, right? I know. I had an appointment set at my favorite shop in October…but October turned into a really busy month for me. What with running off to Portland on a train with a few friends to marry my soul mate…for starters. It too, was a beautiful Fall day with the leaves changing and a fantastic blue sky. The next weekend we flew to California to meet my in-laws for the very first time. That adventure was a pretty big deal too. Somehow, life got so full  I didn’t have room for that tattoo appointment. So full of love, adventures, and a general wave of life changing experiences. This has pretty much been a remarkably wild year. And I couldn’t be happier.

Speaking of wild and happy, I had a wildly good time with the Mitchell Family last month. I loved having the opportunity to photograph them again this year and see how much the boys have grown. Liting, after last years rain out, I’m so glad you finally got the outdoor shoot you always wanted…blue skies and all.

How to Survive a Family Photo Shoot

• Take a shower and wash your hair. Wear something that makes you feel beautiful. Appreciate your soft, round middle and tired yet smiling eyes. Do not be shy about the fact that you have cleavage and really great shoes.
• Ask for help when you need it and remember patience is a virtue.
• Breathe. You’ll need to be comforted and reassured over and over again–how could you not? You were meant to be loved, so let it in. Inhale. Exhale. Breathe.
• Play whatever game your kids are playing. Stop apologizing. Stop explaining. I’ve seen it all before.
• Don’t hold back. Allow yourself to be ridiculous and feel joy. Put all your energy into the place where your heart is leading.
• Play your favorite song on your iPhone, set it for repeat, and dance to it like no one is watching…or everyone is watching.
• Submit to the chaos. This can be terrifying and uncomfortable but there’s nothing to do but ride it out. It is critical for you to understand that there is no wrong move here and the powerful energy around you is going to happen with or without your blessing.
• Let go of all your assumptions. You don’t know how this adventure will play out and you are not in control. Face the moment with eyes wide open, unafraid, knowing that love is all that matters and everyone is working towards a happy ending.
• Smile. Let your eyes say everything. Shine.

There was a time when I hated my sisters borrowing my clothes. I didn’t want them in my room and I didn’t want them touching my stuff. Unless of course, they were cleaning my room, which I paid them to do on more than one occasion. Sadly, my underpaid wages are no longer enticing to them anymore.

Nowadays, we all have a collection of each other’s clothes in our own homes and closets. I love it when someone compliments my outfit and asks where I got it. “Oh these shoes are my sister’s and this shirt…belongs to my other sister”. And I love it when they’re in my room. My living room. My bathroom. My dining room. My kitchen. I love it when they’re in my space and I love that we can share all kinds of stuff. Gone are the days of tossing the youngest down the laundry chute. These are the days when we giggle about laundry rooms gone up in flames and the miracle of magic erasers (Seriously. What is in them!?).

So it was an absolute delight to photograph my friend Jon with his girls. These girls who have so many things in common and yet are all so very different. His girls are confident and sassy; hysterical and oh, so pretty. Poor Jon is clearly outnumbered by this troupe of girls and such a good sport. They all make a pretty good team. After a trip to Uwajimaya for homemade sushi fixin’s, we strolled through Carillon Point just a couple of hours before sunset. Each girl flaunted her own unique personality and I felt like one of The Girls amongst their dimpled smiles and bouncy hair.

After an hour plus of skipping and giggling we returned to their casa for comfy clothes and a smorgasbord of sushi. A truly impressive display of teamwork and artwork went into the assembly of enough rice, fish and veggies to feed a small army. We finally called it quits when the last of the rice was used up. What happened next still gives me heart squeeze.

The Girls setup pillows and blankets across the living room floor and they huddled together around their buffet for family movie night. Delicate fingers stuffed giant balls of delicately wrapped sushi into their hungry mouths. And for the first time in hours, it was silent. With heavy eyes and a full belly I left them before the end of the movie. But not before we hugged it out and made promises to hang out again soon. Those girls.

Thank you for a spectacular sunny afternoon. Thanks for letting me be one of The Girls. I loved it more than you can imagine.

And this is pretty much how I live my life. On the go, in the moment, and fully flexible. It makes me feel good to indulge in not having it all figured out. Following instincts and obeying intuition is an act that helps me get through most situations with confidence and creativity. It helps that I have partners and clients in my life that allow me to live and work this way. When I act boldly, without fear, I earn trust. And there’s a special magic that happens when my value’s match up with someone else’s. We reach a sweet spot where we all come alive and create something special. A bond. A connection. A smile. A beautiful memory. A series of photographs that tell an entire story about who we are right now. And it makes me really happy.

Kelsey, it was so lovely to see you and your growing family again. Thank you for wandering through the Bellevue Botanical Gardens with me despite the heat and swarms of mosquitoes. I hope you enjoyed every moment of togetherness as much as I did.

Internet, It’s been ages since I’ve shared anything personal here and I miss that very much. I find myself in the heart of a busy portrait season with the rest of my year booked out (thank you). And while this is exactly what I’ve been working towards, I have to be honest about all the other noise going on in the background. It sounds a lot like change, new beginnings, big moves, fresh love…and I can’t quite put it all into words just yet. Only feelings. And they’re spilling out all over my photographs. Tender and raw; restless with many layers. There’s so much of myself that is fully present in the right ways and completely checked out in others. I’m harnessing the energy of new and powerful relationships and feeling it beat deeply in my heart. To be on the receiving end of joy makes me feel like celebrating…every.single.precious.moment. I am so very lucky to be present for this life. These opportunities. This love.

And while I’m being cryptic and gushy I might as well say that a line was drawn in the sand this past Spring and I stepped over it. On this side of the line I feel my essence pulsating through my body. I gush. I laugh. I hardly sleep. To bring it full circle, I see my identity wrapped up in so many things outside myself, like in these photographs, and I get so excited to tear the wrapper off and discover what’s inside. This kind of bliss does not happen often and I do not take it lightly. While honoring my core, I may make a fool out of myself from time to time, but I believe it’s part of the adventure and I’m becoming the finest version of myself to date. These next few months are going to be big for me. HUGE! And while parts of me are paralyzed by how fast things are moving, I know that my life has been leading up to this chapter for a long time. This is exactly where I’m supposed to be.

“Hey, I bought us a photo session with this really cool local photographer. She’s going to meet us at a park and photograph us for a couple of hours. Isn’t that awesome!?”

And before she could even get to the part about planning outfits and the setting sun, they were like, “Are you kidding me!? I’m not photogenic. This isn’t a special occasion. I don’t want to get dressed up and have some stranger making me feel self conscious for 1-2 hours.”

Which is totally normal, by the way. Even Tina Fey gets nervous about photo shoots. She told me. Okay, I read it in her book. My point is, there’s a lot of pressure when you feel like you have to perform and no one wants to see a bad picture of themselves. It’s like hearing your voice on an answering machine – I do not sound like that.

So I assured them that this was not your typical go-to-the-mall-sit-stiffly-say-cheese experience. No, this would be more like hanging out with your girlfriends; no heavy posing or cajoling. Simply relaxed, stress free and fun for everyone. I asked questions. What do they like doing together? What would make them feel safe? This is the pre-close-up. The time when I start to learn who my subjects really are and what’s holding them back.

“We like to cook and eat together,” Ariana told me. So we decided on a session at home with the idea of sharing a meal in the backyard. Whatever happens, happens. At home, they were safe and cozy in a nest where they were free to love each other and be loved. At home, following a relaxing day at the spa, sitting at an adorably decorated table with mouth watering smells and flavors at each place setting, they found peace. They were connected to each other by things that really matter and shared conversations only they could follow. Synergy.

They slowly opened up and allowed me to see the truth of who they are from deep within. And now they’re exposed. Internet, this is a gift to be allowed to lean in and see. Really see. There is energy, passion, push and pull here. There is vulnerability and power here. There is love and beauty here. See…

Clearly the newest member of their family was the star of the show. No one could keep their eyes off of him and his cuteness. It certainly helped to create some great smiles and belly laughs. And what a workout we got! Hiking up and down hills, spinning in circles, picking flowers, digging in the dirt, playing chase, and every kids favorite game of 1-2-3 swing! It was madness…and blissful…and absolutely perfect.

When we finally made it back to their weekend home, a bottle of wine was cracked and I was invited to stay and relax. How wonderful it is to spend an intimate afternoon with people who start out as strangers and quickly become friends you want to know forever. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for opening up to me the way you did and allowing my images to become a part of your family’s history. It’s truly an honor.

The Sullivan family and I hiked around the woodland trails and grassy fields near the Daybreak Star Cultural Center at Discovery Park. Have you been there? It’s breathtaking! There are 534 acres to discover and although I’ve been to the park many times, I had never been to this section. I love shooting in new places. It makes me feel like a contestant on Iron Chef America…minus the cooking. I arrive with a mission to create something beautiful but have no idea what ingredients I’ll have to work with. “Welcome to Discovery Park!” announces the host. “Today’s secret ingredient is the Sullivan family. You have one hour to create as many portraits as you can. So now, with an open heart and an empty memory card, I say unto you in the words of my photography instructor, ‘Let’s make some memories!’.” And then we literally start running around in every direction until they’re dizzy and I’m on my own. My crew has done an amazing job of following my every request. Stand here. Jump there. Laugh. Run. Play. Smile! And now it’s up to me to assemble dozens of images onto a page and present them as artistically as I can to the judges. Someone ooohs and another awwwws. Grandma giggles and Mom tears up. My work is done. Until next week.

Brooke, thank you for choosing me to photograph your family. It’s truly an honor….and was a whole lot of fun. J

It was supposed to be a rainy day (surprise, surprise) which is why the library was such a perfect location. But we did get a dry stretch so I dragged them out into the cold for a few urban shots too. I just love, love, LOVE how they all turned out. The lines! The colors! The wardrobe! The smiles!

No matter who I’m photographing, I try to work in as many different poses as I can. You shouldn’t have the same pose in front of different backdrops. Each location and setup ought to be unique and tell a story. This is often more challenging when little ones are involved, but since I had grown-ups to work with this time, I really pushed myself to try as many things as possible. How did we do!?