I fell in love with photography shortly after my daughter was born. I was given a camera to use and I just started taking photos. At that time, we were stationed in England with the U.S. Air Force, and I had my two oldest children there, so it was important for me to send photos of them back home. Friends and family started commenting on my photos and it grew from there. I fell in love with wedding photography and really have not looked back since. I truly enjoy all forms of photography, but the joy that wedding photography brings me is the best. This includes engagement photos. This particular shoot was such an adventure! This bride and her groom won a free engagement photo session with me from one of my promotions. It took several months of scheduling and rescheduling. Weather in Oregon, USA is very unpredictable! We scheduled another date and she said rain or shine, we were doing this! I arrived on a very cloudy, rainy, windy spring day at the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens in Portland, OR. The clouds had just let up and I was waiting on the couple to show up and thought I'd take some photos first.
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens Portland, ORThe wind blew some of the blossoms off the trees and created such a beautiful path.
The wonderful Bride and Groom showed up with their beautiful kids. It was just starting to sprinkle and I was thinking that we might just get away with this. Unfortunately, the only photo I got of them, was right when the clouds opened up and my lens received a huge rain drop on it, making the photo blurry, right on the family.
I thought for sure that the shoot was ruined. Then, the Bride came up to me and said, I told my family that this was going to be an adventure! We all shared laughs and came up with some ideas of where else to go. We drove around a college, which did not provide parking that would be close enough to not soak everyone for a second time. A golf course was the second place and they couldn't help us. So I grabbed my phone and called my wonderful husband who grew up in this area and is my behind-the-scenes partner for my photography business. He found a beautiful studio that would allow us to finish our shoot there, and the best part, it was free! I couldn't believe this. What an adventure and my husband was amazing! So we drove across Portland to Opal28 Studio and Events in Portland, OR!
These wonderful kids were happy to be out of the rain and wind, in a new place they could run around and sit on a comfortable couch.
The whole family was just so excited to be able to get their photos finally done and in such a perfect location.
They were relaxed, laughing, and having such a great time.
I moved around the room while the kids played on their game and watched as their parents cuddled on the couch, and saw a perfect opportunity to catch them in their element.
Such a wonderful couple, always laughing, joking around, and every now and then, you catch them gazing into each others eyes. You just know how much they love each other.
It was not hard getting the Groom to agree to poses, in fact, half of the poses were his idea!
Light and airy was the perfect way to do this shoot. Such a perfect happy family. It was such an honor to take their photos, to be a part of this adventure they will never forget. It completely makes it worth it when you meet as strangers and at the end of the shoot, you leave as friends. This had become one of my most favorite shoots, because an imperfect situation lead to such a perfect day. I made new friends, and even found a perfect studio that I am sure I will be using in the future!
http://barcstonephotography.com/