Test: NYC Model

From a test with NYC model, Annie Montgomery.
Makeup and hair: Kelly Peach

Test: Q6 Model Sabrina

Just died when I realized Sabrina is only 12. Love the haunted look of her features and her simple, but emotive expressions.

Portland Fashion Photographer: 2013 Junghwa Lookbook and Campaign

New photos we shot are finally up on their brand new site. I'm a HUGE fan of this feminine chic jewelry line. Have a dozen pieces in my jewelry case. Check them out here.

Models: Emma Olson and Kiley Koehler of Option Model Management

Styling: Amy Stewart and Myra Callan
Muah: Raechel Packard
Assist: Anne Schuyler-Moon

Portland Fashion Photographer: Tied up and Tousled

Here are a couple shots that didn't make it into the final look book.
I wanted to pull them for my book though :) Some of these images will be featured in Portland Monthly next issue and I'm always excited to promote one of my favorite Portland designers, Tied up and Tousled.

Portland Fashion Photographer: Rocky Horror

Something about this screams old, cinema films to me. I fell in LOVE with my model today and yes, I think I found my new, favorite lady crush.

Outtakes from a recent look book shoot for EG PAGE. Model, Sarah Schroeder Muah, Jessica Belknap, Assistant Anne Schulyer-Moon

Portland Fashion Photographer: Permanent Vacation with FortyEight

Portland Fashion Photographer: Hello Eliza

A little sneak peek from our recent shoot for Hello Eliza. Eliza came up with this fabulous concept and let me do some set decorating with lots of helpless carebears.

Portland Fashion Photographer: Brady Lange X Solestruck Editorial

Shot this fabulous editorial a new-to-the-scene, Brady Lange for collaborative shoot with Solestruck. We also shot his very first catalog and lookbook, so I'll have a website of his to share by the even this weekend. Check out this fun spread designed by Maya Dalgreen.

Portland Fashion Photographer: Magazine Test

I was swamped when I was contacted by the creative director from FIRST TIME magazine about submitting a shoot for their second issue. Once I heard the theme was "The Childhood" I moved around my schedule right away and started casting for two, very-specific models...
A few weeks later and OMG am I excited to share this preview... I did an entire mock-up because I feel like these images are print- ready and I wanted my team to feel as proud of all their talent as I do!

How to Shoot Models

Wow. I had a blast today. I ended up spending 12 hours at the studio shooting 3 models and then wrapping up, tearing down and cleaning up on my own. It's crazy without an assistant! Aparna Brielle came to give me a hand in the morning -thank goodness- or else I would have been at least 30 minutes late with set-up and missed lunch for sure!
The reason for my wacky brain today, is that I actually did all of the wardrobe pulls for this shoot myself. I have styled for shoots in the past, but it's usually been very casual. I have a few connections with local designers and boutiques, but I never had to pull 16 entire looks for 4 different concepts!
Our shoot schedule went down without a hiccop however and every model left with some AMAZING shots for their portfolio's. So excited to send their agencies these proofs...

Just to give you an idea of how it works: I like to be in touch with the agencies from the get go. This way  I can get a heads up on how each model is marketed... For Jacki (below, first set) we were going for "flirty and sexy, but still fun" versus, Kaila, (below, second set) who needed "something more high fashion and editorial" to prep her book for NYC.


Model: Jacki of Option Model and Media Makeup&Hair: Madeline Roosevelt Styling: Lavenda Memory



Model: Kaila of Seattle Models Guild  Makeup&Hair: Madeline Roosevelt Styling: Lavenda Memory

I didn't have a chance to edit shots of our first model, because my cards are yet to be fully uploaded, but her session was trickled with some commercial and some edgier urban shots... Even more shoots to come tomorrow!

Portland Fashion Photographer: New Face

Currently Unrepresented: Aja Wald
Hair and Makeup: Kelly Peach Hair 

Portland Fashion Photographer: Fashion Cover

So excited to post this sneak peek of the Fall issue for About Face magazine. I shot my first cover for them summer, 2011 and was delighted to get a call from them about their fashion issue for 2012. I was honored to work with the fabulous team from About Face as well as pull in some familiar team members including Terri Lodge, of Blush Premiere.



In addition to this cover, we shot a 10-page fashion editorial feature that I will be able to post later this month. Yay for Fall fashion!!

Portland Fashion Photographer: Another Solestruck Blog Post!

An Eskimo showed me a movie
he'd recently taken of you
the poor man could hardly stop shivering
his lips and his fingers were blue. 

Portland Fashion Photographer: Other side of the Lens

This is a shot from a Vintage Solestruck shoot I modeled for this winter. I LOVED everything about this outfit and was sad to return it to the stylists.



Photo by Nicholas Wilson

Portland Fashion Photographer: Touch Puppet Feature

This is an editorial shot exclusively for Touch Puppet, your source for the best fashion photography from around the world. 
"The goal of this site is to both inspire and bring attention to some of the talented working men and women of the fashion photography world."
Check out more from this series here.

Portland Fashion Photographer: Beached

Model: Cassie Meder
Stylist: Melissa LaChance
Wardrobe: Isaac Hers
Muah: Christine Marie
Portland Commercial Photographer Lavenda Memory

Portland Fashion Photographer: Inside Stuff

The cool thing about photography as an art form is that the final image captured is 100% your point of view. I love hearing clients say, "I've never seen myself that way" (yes, even models) after viewing their proofs or a final series. I always think to myself- Cool, well that's definitely how I see you...

Anyhow, a huge influence on my work and vision comes from my upbringing in the deep, deep south. My childhood holds this ethereal reality that though I've probably romanticized, I draw on for visual and emotional inspirations. 
When I'm feeling inspired to capture, other little side effects occur too- like writing, or painting or strumming pitifully at my acoustic guitar. Luckily I don't know how to post my strummings, so instead here's a poem and a photo.

These photos below are from a test I did with model, Kara Jean and the following poem is an inside scoop on my inspirations. It's a bit nostalgic, a bit dark, and whatever else you can say about a poem.


MUAH: Terri Reece
Styling: Me

the shadows sat with me
cooling my dark shoulders
as the screen pressed against my arm.

she was speaking low and the hum of her voice
reminded me of fireflies
caught in my jar
their lights dimming
me not knowing why.

and then the buzz became louder
and the screen hit my elbow
as my eyes flickered and hungered for fireflies
but then I remembered-
there was no jar
only her
buzzing

only not buzzing
screaming, really

and the screen pushed a delicate grid of diamonds
onto my brow as my pupils swelled and
swallowed the moonlight.

and then there was cold steel.


inside, only me
outside, cruel steel-
a blade,
then blood
and then more buzzing
only not buzzing

screaming-

a man this time
a retreat this time

then blue and
red
and blue
and red
fireflies

flitting across the mesquite tree
lapping across the dark porch
searching out
with red hands
then blue.

I remembered the ocean as I cupped my ears
against the siren screams

against the cold snap of steel across
her wrists

I listened to the sea until the
red
and the blue
disappeared
with her somewhere inside

then touched my ocean fingers
to the diamond grid imprinted on my face.

Portland Fashion Photographer: Katie O'Grady

I first met Katie O'Grady in an acting class where she was teaching. I remember being very surprised by how tiny she is in real life. On film and in print this woman has a lot of presence so I was shocked to see her teeny frame striding through the room.
Star of the movie Rid of Me (now out in theaters), Katie is a strong, determined woman who actually produced and put tons of footwork into her current film. You know all the unglamorous work that runs on and on past the filming? Yep- Katie was there for that!
The first time I shot Katie was for the Cover of About Face Magazine and while I enjoyed shooting her in her home for that feature, I was dying to do an extended session with her. When she contacted me a couple months back about this shoot I was ecstatic! She wanted to capture a timeless quality in the images for a "character" series and I was all IN!













Location courtesy of Holly Stalder
Makeup and Hair: Terri Reece
Portland Celebrity Photographer: Lavenda Memory