Lifestyle Portrait Shoot

This weekend I had a really fun shoot with Jessica Laughlin. She needed professional headshots and lifestyle images of herself for her new website that is geared around healthy living, lifestyle and beauty. She wanted Seattle to be a prominent backdrop and for the images to be creative and fun while still being professional. We decided to go to Pike Place Market and since it was a Saturday it was very crowded! I absolutely loved shooting amidst the hustle and bustle using our beautiful city as my studio. Jessica was very photogenic and easy going and made my job easy. Shooting documentary style action shots is my favorite and we got some really natural, fun images for her site. Check it out- it'll be up and running in a few weeks! www.jessica-laughlin.com 

Hawaii Part II: Waikiki

The second part of my trip to Hawaii was surfing in Waikiki on Oahu. I've tried surfing a few times before, but was finally going to have a few days to learn from my uncle, a former Oahu local. It wasn't easy, but living the surfing life of getting out every day was pretty great...

 Delicious Maladasas at Leonard's Bakery!

Hawaii Part I: Kauai

Man, this summer has been amazing and so busy! I'm late on the blogging front, but wanted to share photos from my trip to Hawaii last month. I spent a week on Kauai hiking, scuba diving and photographing a wedding...

 Hiking through the Waimea Canyon to the cliffs above the Napali Coast

 My glamping tent
near Waimea. Sleeping to the sounds of the jungle birds and bugs was incredible.

 Hiking the Kalalau trail on the Napali coast with my cousin Tyler and uncle John

 The Hanakapi'ai waterfall up the valley from the coastline:

 Maria and Jason's wedding in Princeville was absolutely beautiful and the backdrop made my job easy.

Shenanigans with the fam:

Climbing in Index

I recently did my first climbing in Index, WA. The rock is so tall and beautiful and it was great to do some multi-pitches. It was a hot day in the sun and the best part was eating an apple on a ledge 90 feet up in the shade looking out at the incredible view. Thanks for leading Jean-Pierre! 

Rock Climbing in Vantage

Very excited that I got to squeeze in a day of rock climbing in Vantage, Washington this past weekend. Jean-Pierre and I headed to the Columbia River Gorge to explore the Frenchman Coulee and it's amazing basalt cliffs. I've been coming to this area for years, but this time the beauty of the landscape really struck me. Valleys dug during the ice age, waterfalls cascading over the basalt columns, dry sage brush and bright green lichen make this place feel like the set of Lord of the Rings. Especially since the approach down to Sunshine Wall weaves through a narrow secret passage amongst the columns. I kept wondering who first discovered it and how exciting that must have been.

The view from Moonshine Wall:

Hiking out at sunset looking out over the Columbia River Gorge:

Shot of me courtesy of Jean-Pierre Chery:

View of the wind turbines lining the ridge across the river:

'I travel for...' Project Week 10: The Return Home

Rounding out my series 'I travel for...' is appropriately 'The Return Home' with Nora Venne. Although Nora loves to explore new places and learn about foreign lands, her favorite part of traveling is coming home to her own bed and her loved ones (especially her dog Tonka). 

That's it for the series for now, but I plan on continuing to ask people why they travel, so let me know what you travel for and if you want me to take your portrait! 

'I travel for...' Project Week 9: The Open Road

The 9th portrait in my series 'I travel for...' is Tyler Lucas and his love of traveling in his VW Vanagon on the open road. He loves hoping in the van on the spur of the moment with his dog Babe and traveling in comfort. With the freedom of the open road, pulling over when he's tired or in a beautiful spot, Tyler discovers places he wouldn't normally without the van.

So why do you travel?

'I Travel For...' Project Week 8: The Bizarre

When I asked Claire McDonald what her favorite part of traveling was she told me it was challenging herself to try exotic and bizarre foods and tastes. For her it was part of immersing herself in the local culture and experiencing new flavors. This portrait captures her trying sea urchin for the first time. Now she can check that off the list! 

So why do you travel?

Day trip to Beacon, NY

Last week I wanted to get out of the city and explore a little. So I headed north on the train to Beacon, NY. Beacon is a small town about 60 miles up the Hudson River and is known for it's art scene. It's home to Dia Beacon, a monstrous and beautiful modern art museum that used to be a Nabisco box printing factory. So I rented a Canon 16-35mm lens to check out and caught the Metro North train from Grand Central. 

My favorite: a Richard Serra

After the museum I wondered the town. People were friendly and although it was chilly, it was nice and sunny out. Cute cafés, vintage clothing shops and funky art galleries line Main street. 

As the sun lowered in the sky I caught the train back to the city. I didn't quite get my fill of nature and fresh air, but Beacon did quench the thirst for art and exploration.

This is my favorite shot from the day. Oh and the 16-35mm is a great lens, but since I mostly shot at 24 I think it's too wide for me.