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Aug 20 2017 
Alaska Life // Anchorage to Whittier // Photograph Summer Family Memories
This one is all about that Alaska life. I was born in Anchorage. Raised my whole life here, and before this summer I could count on one hand the number of times I had been to Whittier. On prior occasions, my draw to the town had been to explore and photograph the iconic Buckner building (which – spoiler alert – it totally gated off and inaccessible now)
The phrase “it’s always shittier in Whittier” is a common saying around these parts, but my husband has a deep love for Whittier in winter. It’s the closest place to Anchorage to go snow machining – and the snow fall there is usually epic. There have been so many years when they are still riding the mountains there at Memorial Day.
So when our good friends invited us to come camp (and help work on their boat – which sustained some major water damage over the winter) we thought – sure! And thus began a truly epic summer. We have been back almost every weekend since, and have just kept our camper there all summer.
For those of you who don’t know me well, “outdoorsy” is not a word people use to describe me. Alaska life? Just doesn’t seem like my style. Don’t get me wrong – i LOVE the scenery, and I enjoy hiking, fishing, etc – i just am not rugged. I do yoga and drink fancy cocktails, and make art people!
And yet – here I am falling in love with this tiny little town that has zero amenities (Although there is a bomb coffee shop – so that’s definitely helped!)
But the best part has truly been hanging out with the kids. And let’s be real here friends. It still rains in Whittier. Often. But kids just don’t care! Cover ’em up in rain gear and they’ll play for hours – riding their bikes, beach combing, making mud-pies… As long as they can pop in and warm up every now and again – they are happy as clams.
And yes- we do pop them in front of some screens every so often for a rest. Our camper has a rockin’ combo tv/vcr and we have exactly 3 VHS movies they will watch. I can seriously quote Winne the Pooh for you we’ve seen it so many times at this point… So if you guys have any good VHS tapes laying around your kids have outgrown – seriously – send them my way!!
But it’s been a magical summer – and when we have had sun? Oh man… it’s definitely one of the most beautiful places on earth.
So who’s in Whittier? Hit me up – let’s capture some of your family memories in the most beautiful place on earth.
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Jun 21 2017 
Preserving our memories // Anchorage lifestyle photography
I’m going to get a little personal in this post. I don’t know if it’s just me – somethings I think it must be – but my memory is terrible. I have snippets of memory from my childhood – vignettes and moments – but to be honest, I often feel like my memories are pretty sparse.
And I don’t think it’s just having children that sent my memory and mind into the crapper – I am pretty sure it’s always been that way. I remember after college chatting often with my roommate, who had gone to high school with me. She would talk about friends and things that had happened just a few years prior (in high school) and I almost always had the same response – I don’t remember that at all! She would shake her head at me and we would joke that high school was just a traumatic/terrible time for most of us, and I must have blocked the memories.
Fast forward to 2017 -as I’m approaching 40 and even those college years and post-college years are so dim! I love looking back at pictures – because yes, even when I was in college we still hadn’t gone digital. No smart phones – so all of my memories are captured in 4×6 print – in little albums and scrap books, that are absolutely treasured by me now.
Having a baby is definitely a memorable event. No way to forget that experience (at least, not yet…) I KNOW that there were moments that were hard and beautiful – and I remember having this thought: there is no way I will ever forget this moment. But I have. I am already seeing the memories become hazy and dim. I don’t really remember how tiny their little hands were compared to mine – or what their first words were (but don’t worry – I did write most of that down!)
What I do remember – are the moments that I photographed. Because there is something about cementing that visual image into my brain that allows me to keep the rest. I can almost remember that new baby smell, or how soft their skin was. When I look at these images what I see is the preservation of my mind.
It’s kind of like the images are my Rosetta Stone – to unlock the rest of the memory in my brain. When I look at the images of my husband holding our little girl I am immediately transported back to that hospital room. I remember the sunlight – I remember the time of day – the people who were there. But without this little key, unlocking all of that becomes a herculean task for my poor brain.
I think this must be why I have been so drawn to lifestyle photography for most of my life. My favorite quote by Dorothea Lange is “Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.”
Photography is so much more to me than a passion and an art form. It is my lifeline. I see in myself the ability to loose memories. To loose the ‘where I came from’ – and I desperately want to hold onto the beauty of this life. Even in it’s messiest of days – to look back, laugh and love. At the memories of my daughters covered in finger paint, the way my girls love and hate each each other, at the way they let me snuggle them when they are little (because God knows that doesn’t last forever!)
So this is my little ‘why I do what I do’ back story. I am in love with the photographic story of life because without it I would be lost. It’s so important to live in the present moment – but we also need to be able to look back at the journey. To appreciate all of the struggles, the highs and lows, and everything in between, along the way.
Life.
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Jun 11 2017 
Baby Willow // Anchorage Portrait Studio
Cake smash sessions for 1 year olds are always so much fun. I absolutely love being in the downtown Anchorage studio for these, as we have so much more room! It’s super fun to get a few shots with mom (or dad – or both!) as well – I love having those over the years – to show the progression of growth. Kids grow SO fast!! The first year especially…
This adorable family came all the way from Valdez to have her portraits made – and being from a coastal city, Little miss Willow has a mermaid theme going on in her room- so of course we needed to incorporate all those delicious colors. The teal/purple combo might be my new favorite. SO pretty!!
BUT – my favorite part of this session was incorporating a milk bath after the cake smash. I don’t know why I haven’t thought of doing this before – but it was SO adorable! And the perfect way to clean up after smashing frosting all over your face…
I’ll be including this little after cake option with all my 1 year smashes point forward. And really for all milestones sessions, as long as babies can sit up of course.
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May 26 2017 
Baby Whisperer // pro tips from a newborn photographer
So many moms ask me about the magic I use to get their little ones to sleep. And I get it. When I was a new mom I would have killed for some of the tips and tricks that I have learned over the years. I was definitely NOT a baby whisperer when I started out! It has taken lots of practice, and lots of tears (both babies and my own) to find a few time-tested ways to soothe, calm, and get babies to sleep.
So here’s my gift to you moms. A few of my secrets to (hopefully) help you on your journey. Every baby is different, so just remember, don’t give up! You will find the things that your babe likes the best.
- Breathe. This seems obvious – but have you ever noticed how when you are tense you hold your breath? You do. Notice it. This I’ve learned from my yoga teachings, but it’s fundamental. Your body can’t relax when you’re holding your breath – so let it out. And then let in a big gulp of fresh oxygen. Flood your blood with that and feel your whole body loosen up. Your baby knows when you’re tense – and it makes them tense. I know the crying can make you crazy – but sometimes you just need to take a big deep breath. PS – physiologically there is some crazy amazing stuff that happens to your body and your brain when you take full slow breaths. Just give it a try!
- Babies need to eat. I know nursing can be brutal. BELIEVE me, I know. I used to want to cry every time I needed to feed my first born because it was so freaking hard and painful. I promise it gets easier – but you know what – there is no shame in feeding your baby however you need to feed them. But 9 times out of 10 – when they cry, it’s because they want to eat. Or suck. Which leads us into point #3
- Paci! Babies calm themselves by sucking. Even if they’re not eating – they will use you as a human pacifier. So… if you would like to take a shower/nap/eat a sandwich without a baby attached to your boob – maybe give those little paci’s a try. I promise – they will not destroy your babies ability to eat. I PROMISE. Baby has the hiccups? Paci will help those go away too!
- Speaking of eating sandwiches… momma – you gotta eat. Your body will stop producing milk if you aren’t intaking enough calories and staying hydrated. (This is why I always have snacks for moms at the studio!!) And yes – this happened to me with my first, and again with my second during a hot summer when I wasn’t staying hydrated! Voice of experience here…
- Keep it Hot. When you walk into my studio for a newborn shoot it’s like a sauna. Crank up that heat guys! Babies wanna be warm! although do be careful that if you are cranking your heat your not bundling them too. Warm temps are great when they are just in their diaper or a onesie, but they can get overheated if you have them bundled AND your heat cranked. I always pre-heat by space with a heating pad, so that I’m not popping baby onto a cold space with bare skin! Just remember – do NOT leave them on a heating pad or touching it – as it can burn their delicate skin!
- Vibration. Moms figure out pretty quickly that babies love to be jiggled. We bounce our feet when we hold them – or we rock in a rocker. But it gets exhausting! There are some amazing products that do the jiggle for you. Be it an actual bouncy chair or swing – you can also find battery operated gadgets from Amazon (my go to shopping site as a new mom) like my lulla-vibe that can be used anywhere. They’re fantastic!
- Sound. My babes never sleep in silence. We either have a white noise app of some type or an actual fan/heater blowing for noise
- Swaddle! Whenever I have a fussy or uncomfortable baby that doesn’t want to sleep I find that a nice snug wrap tends to do the trick. The tighter the better! Remember – they were all cramped and stuffed in your uterus for 9 months. They aren’t used to having space around them!
- The limp limb test. Your baby is asleep, right? And you try to move (because your entire body has fallen asleep from holding them in some crazy awkward position) and immediately they wake. Crap! Back to square one… Use the limp limb test to see if they are truly deep enough in their sleep to move. Simply lift and arm or leg slightly and let it go. If it falls without resistance, they are ready to be moved!
And if you just need a break – bring your baby to me! Moms always get to relax while I shoot – so you can count on a few hours off, with a break here and there to feed baby, of course. I’ll even change your babies diapers. I know you need a break ladies.
And remember to schedule your newborn sessions early though, because the studio fills up! I always recommend coming in for a consult a few months before your due date – to chat about colors, props and ideas!
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May 22 2017 
Baby Emica // Anchorage Newborn Photographer
Newborn photography is a tough gig for shop-a-holics. We need ALL the colors! And all the props… My current obsession is wool curls. I’m a sucker for textures with babies, and these are so soft and lovely! I love the way the light hits them, and how the dyeing process creates such beautiful variations of color. I’ve been hand dyeing lots of them, but so far the purple is definitely my favorite.
Thankfully I’m not too shabby at fiber art. And I found a super sweet farmer in Lebanon, Oregon that I’ve been loading up on wool from. LOTS more colors to come!
Side Note: bonus to having the downtown anchorage studio space – LOTS more room for props! Although I think Shalem is going to have a panic attack if I bring in too much more… we are working on building out some storage space, but at the moment it kind of looks like a second hand store in here. Sorry guys!
Baby Emica had the most lovely skin tone – and all that dark hair! Purple was the perfect compliment to her dark features. Baby girl was a big fan of those wool curls and snuggled right in. I was able to get lovely macro images of all her precious little features – eyelashes, tiny fingers and toes and those sweet little baby lips!
She was a sweet, tiny little thing and she was a dream to photograph! So beautiful!
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May 02 2017 
Anchorage Maternity Photographer // Beluga Point Alaska
I think maternity photography is my new “thing”. I’m so accustomed to using jedi mind tricks and bribes to get little ones to cooperate… photographing people who actually WANT their pictures taken is just so… well… easy! I do a few maternity sessions each year, but this one blew my mind. The scenery at Beluga Point (off the Seward Highway on the way to Girdwood), is always beautiful – and was perfect for an evening sunset maternity photo session.
Alaska has some pros and cons for photographers for sure. The light can be a real challenge here. These gorgeous parents to be really wanted a scenic location – but in April (when we shot) its hard to find accessible areas that aren’t muddy because of break up season. So Beluga was the perfect spot! And on the plus side, we have some epic sunsets in April, at a decent hour. It’s definitely a great time to shoot for that reason. So even though it’s still rather frigid in April, we have that golden light hour… As you can see, SOOOO amazing!
It also helps when a couple is totally in love and super excited to meet their little one. I’m so looking forward to meeting their babe this summer. We will be creating some equally epic (although probably less scenic) newborn images!
Check out the last shot – our epic sunset finale image!! And go follow me on Instagram! You can check out a quick video clip of the editing process to get that gorgeous flowing fabric in post. These guys were so trusting – just following my instructions to create the image I had in my head – even though it was hard to describe exactly what I was planning. As soon as they saw the final image it clicked!
Worth freezing for!
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Mar 15 2017 
baby milestones // Anchorage photographer
I try my best to schedule baby milestone first year sessions at the previous shoot. Because we’re busy moms – we forget about this stuff… So when we scheduled Logan’s 6 month shoot, after his newborn session, I had no idea it would end up falling on Iditarod start day.
For those of you familiar with the Alaska Iditarod, it’s a super fun event! We love taking our kids when it’s not super cold – and the race starts just behind the studio. Which is great, if you’re at the studio early, and have your parking situated.I however, completely forgot that it was Iditarod start day, until I was headed to the studio and the traffic was a nightmare. I realized my mistake when I was informed that the parking garage where our studio is located was completely full. Yikes! So I’m driving around trying to find parking, along with all of Anchorage, for another half an hour. Making me wretchedly late!
So of course, I’m frazzled and flustered and feeling just a little out of my element. And somehow Logan’s family was fully aware that it was the Iditarod start so they were well prepared and on time!
But fear not – this family is the coolest bunch of cucumbers. They are super laid back – chill and go with the flow. I quickly recovered my chill, just by being in the same room with them for 5 minutes – and we had a super fun little session.
Logan was probably the smiliest 6 month old I have ever encountered. So many babes have the stranger danger factor going by 6 months old – and are super interested in the camera, so they want to study it, and not smile. And certainly Logan was curious about the camera, but he was also SUCH a happy guy. I got some adorable grins.
He is also sitting up like a champ! The mid-year milestone shoot is really more about baby’s development – and sitting is definitely what we want to capture.
It’s not always fun and games – but honestly – no one cries cuter than babies!
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Feb 10 2017 
Happy birthday Gabe // Cake Smash // Anchorage studio photography
Having your birthday during the winter months in Alaska is tough. It’s dark, it’s cold – the weather is unpredictable… Good thing we’ve got a warm and cheerful studio – amiright?!
One of the things I love about doing a grow up plan with babies is to incorporate things from the newborn session into the milestone and 1 year sessions. In this case, dad had some beautiful furs that I asked them to bring back. You can check out the deliciousness from Gabe’s newborn session here
1 Year sessions also capture so much personality in kids. Gabe is already walking with assistance, so he was checking out everything in our studio – and this was by far his favorite thing – just a yellow chair! Kids are easy to please… He found this rolling chair and pushed it right over to where we were shooting – basically, giving us this look – ‘hey guys – I’m ready for my close up!’ – and it matched his plaid shirt perfectly!
For those who don’t follow me on FB, a close second to my obsession with baby toes is my love of cake. I mean – who DOESN’T love cake?
Even though I don’t usually get to EAT any of the cake in a cake smash, I thoroughly enjoy watching babes get their mess on with some frosting. I guess I could snatch a bite off the floor after the babes are done, but thus far I haven’t been QUITE that desperate for a bit. I wouldn’t put it past me to do at some point in the future though.
Don’t judge me.Also – little known fact – most kids actually don’t like cake. Or at least – they don’t like eating it. 4 out of 5 – 1 year olds really just want to play with it. Which is cool – they make a fabulous and fun mess and in general, have a fab time. But really – not much cake gets consumed.
And Gabe was no exception. I think he took one taste of his frosting – and that was about it. But boy did he LOVE making a mess! Like, LOVED it.
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Feb 04 2017 
A midsummer’s night// family photos in anchorage alaska
I love the families I photograph. Truly.
Most people don’t realize I kind of struggle with relationships. I mean, I’m great in a crowd, don’t get me wrong! I can chit-chat with the best of them – but I often struggle with deeper long term friendships. I’m truly an introvert, but have learned to function as an extrovert in my day-to-day life.
For those of you who don’t know – my background is actually in software engineering/computer science – I’m a BIG nerd at heart. Are the pieces falling into place here?
I was originally drawn to photography because of the darkroom. No joke – i would spend hours in there in the quiet darkness, working on film. This is an art form that speaks to my heart. But I’m really not into landscape photographs. I love to photograph people. And really, children and families are my love. So I had to put aside my introvert/hermit ways and embrace people.
When this family started coming to me for their family pictures – I knew we had some common ground. Then I found out mom’s background is environmental science. So yes. We speak the same non-verbal language. And instantly I felt at home with her.
And this lovely family has continued to come to me for their annual family portraits for years. In fact – I’ve had the pleasure of not only photographing their immediate family, but also, her brother and sister in law, and grandma over the years, when they would visit Ak during our sessions. I kind of feel like part of the extended family at this point. They are all pretty much amazing.
But really – it’s all for the kids. I love that they will have these beautiful memories of family for their whole lives – to remember and cherish how amazing their family is.
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Feb 03 2017 
Eagle River Family Photography // Alaska style
Alaska has some amazing scenery. It’s just a fact. And the Eagle River valley and Nature Center is definitely a favorite spot for all the local photographers. This amazing family actually gets to live basically in the middle of this splendor. It’s super fun when I get the opportunity to meet people on their own turf. Not only are the pets better behaved (because they already know all the scents) – but everyone’s comfort level just goes up a touch.
You know, how when you get home from a long day of being away – you breath in that breath of familiar air and you can just feel tension melt away? Well, imagine bringing that level of relaxation to your family photos. You really can’t beat it.
Of course, not everyone lives in Narnia, so we make it work.
But this time I didn’t have to think too much about finding great angles and backgrounds because everything was basically perfect. Exactly the way it was created.
And this session was super special, not only for the family to be at home, but also because their oldest was just getting ready to head out of state to play hockey at juniors for the next year. And this family is TIGHT. They truly love being with each other, and it shows.
So of course, we had to create some super fun images for Connor to look at when he’s missing his fam. And they gave me some great moments. Lots of laughter – lots of just being themselves – and even thought it was a TEENY bit rainy, we had the best time.
Enjoy this peek at where people live in Alaska. Because yes, some of us do live in the woods!
