only 174 days...

...until summer solstice!

Can you feel it?

Susie and Sherman engaged!

I got to hang out with Susie and Sherman in Bethel (west Alaska) last month while passing through en route to visit friends in a nearby village. Since they had booked me for their wedding next summer without having been able to meet me, the shoot/visit served as a great opportunity to get to know them a bit while getting their engagement shoot taken care of. Incidentally, weather kept me from ever getting further afield to my friends and so I ended up spending a little extra time getting to know Bethel. I'm grateful for Susie and Sherman's kindness!

Can't wait for their Talkeetna wedding next summer!

celebrating life

Last summer I was asked to photograph the memorial service of a young gal that had apparently followed my blog. She had passed away the previous week and so a service was held to pay tribute to her joy-filled life and to say goodbye to her one last time. I usually wouldn't photograph something like this, but in this special circumstance, I was honored to be asked to document the celebration.

Originally, I didn't feel that a blog post about this occasion was necessary. But after sifting through these photographs, I figured that it would only be proper to give Brittni her own post here. If she could see this, I hope that she would admire the expressions displayed here of those that loved her just as she appreciated the expressions of love in the photographs of people that I make at weddings.

The beauty of the memorial service that late summer day was in the tangible expressions of love and joy (mixed, of course, with sorrow) present on everyones' faces. Brittni seemed to live a life filled with joy and, judging by the hundreds of mourners/celebrants that packed the church, the influence of that joy knew few boundaries. I have to admit that, despite not knowing her personally, I was moved by the great love she had for living and the inspiration it provided others. Here are a few of my favorites from that day. Note: a few of these were taken the previous evening at a family-only memorial that I was asked to photograph.

Lt. General Atkins for Portland Magazine

A few of my favorites from a portrait shoot with the quite genial Lieutenant General Atkins for the University of Portland Magazine, the Lt. General's alma mater.

Colleen & Aaron engagement!

This may have been the coldest engagement shoot I've done yet. Not for sure, but that wind was sure blowing down on the open beach across the water from Fire Island. I love this stretch of beach, with its open views across to the Aleutian Range, to Mt. Susitna, and up north towards Denali and Foraker in the Alaska Range. The sun provided its rich, mid-winter light for Colleen, Aaron and I. Glad we diverted from the cloudy Turnagain Arm area we'd been thinking of and headed down past the end of the huge cloud bank that was hovering over the Anchorage bowl. I had some fishing conversation with Aaron and Colleen--both huge fans of salmon fishing, having worked as guides on the Kenai. My kind of people!