Exciting Win Sets Wallflower Apart

Exciting news for the last day of 2007: Laura just received another award from the Wedding Photojournalist Association! While the award itself is pretty cool, what's really great is that the win earned her entry into the prestigious Artistic Guild of the WPJA, becoming Washington State's sixth photographer to receive this honor.

The AG's purpose is to promote and celebrate creativity and skill in photo processing and manipulation, so her win (and mine last spring) really speaks to our strengths in Photoshop. For this shot from Jessica and Derek's wedding this summer, we applied several color effects to give it the winning look. Post-processing is an essential step to creating knock-out images and we've long considered it a vital part of our workflow.

Given how many hundreds (or is it thousands?) of photographers shoot weddings in Washington, I'm proud that we've both been recognized by both the internationally respected WPJA and its even more exclusive Artistic Guild. Amazingly, we're the only studio in the Western U.S. to have received this dual honor! Congrats again to Laura on this exciting win.

— Scott

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!

A fond Merry Christmas to all the friends of Wallflower Photography! We had a great year and really enjoyed having the opportunity to meet and work with so many great clients. As always, thank you for putting your confidence in us and inviting us into your lives! We have excitng new plans already in the works for 2008 and look forward to sharing them with you soon.

All our best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2008! Of course, this also includes best wishes and a few slobbery licks from our golden retriever, Bailey, who reluctantly modeled for our 2007 holiday card (seen here). Happy New Year!

— Laura & Scott

Shannon and Jeremy at Mt. Rainier

We recently joined Shannon and Jeremy for their wedding at Copper Creek Inn in Ashford, right at the base of Mt. Rainier. It was quite a chilly day, and unfortunately also more than a bit wet! Teresé of Truly Eventful coordinated the event while Michelle of Muse Dezign assisted. Both are complete professionals and a total joy to work with. They pulled off the outdoor wedding without a hitch, despite the last-minute switch to a tented ceremony due to the rain!

Luckily, the skies held clear long enough for our portrait session, so we were able to take the couple through the forest to get some great shots, like this one above. Tromping through the deep forest with a bride in full wedding dress and veil is not something we get to do every day. I was thrilled to see that Shannon was a great sport and having as much fun as we were!

Shannon and Jeremy, the love you have for each other is so obvious and so touching. We enjoyed every minute around you and were glad to be able to add to your day. Thank you for being a fantastic client every step of the way!

Lesá and Jason at Kiana Lodge

Kiana Lodge, located in Poulsbo along the Hood Canal, is among the most beautiful wedding venues in the Puget Sound region. We had the pleasure of joining Lesá and Jason at Kiana Lodge for their wedding and had such a blast taking advantage of all the beautiful backdrops. This photo is one of my top picks from the wedding, a shot of Lesá and her daughter dancing. Of course, I love the tender moment between mother and daughter, but I think it's also great that, by choosing to shoot their reflection in a nearby window, Scott also captured the lush gardens that are so characteristic of the location. Our congrats to Lesá, Jason, and Nicole!

Emma and Tom in Seattle

One last post before we close shop for the Thanksgiving holiday! I promised more photos from our summer favorites, and so here are a couple more. These are from Emma and Tom's wedding in Seattle. Rather than go with the usual bride and groom shot, I wanted to pass along some images from one of the less noticed times of the day: the getting ready.

Above, you can see Emma's flowergirl showing off her brand new shoes. I love the framing here, catching a very fleeting moment while also showing off all the colors from their bouquets. And down below is a great "faces" shot of Emma, laughing up at her mother as they wait in the prep room for the ceremony to start. While they certainly aren't central moments of the day, I think getting-ready shots like these still tell a very important part of the story.

A season packed with pet portraits

This fall, we've been fortunate to have several family portrait sessions that focused heavily on furry friends. We absolutely love taking pet portraits, and it's fun to see other families like us who think of dogs as their children (just better behaved!).

Pet portraits are an exercise in patience, and we've found the best approach is simply to take a ton of photos. Ironically, one of the greater challenges in pet portraits is not getting a good shot of the animal, it's getting a good shot of the human (who often is too worried about what their pet is doing to pay attention to the camera!).

I love this shot, taken in Point Defiance Park, not only for its great color but also the artsy feel it takes on by viewing the family through the water ripples. It keeps the emphasis on the dogs but includes their "family life" too.

A few favorites from our summer

I'll be the first to admit that our blog has been a little boring lately! We've been caught in a whirlwind of photo processing and album designing, and have fallen short on sharing photos with you.

As a quick catch-up on a summer packed full of wonderful weddings, we're including a random collection of a few of our favorites, and hopefully I'll be able to post more soon.

Pilar and Matt, Court in the Square in Seattle. A fun covered courtyard tucked away near Qwest Stadium. Look through our June archives to see our post from their engagement session.

Cynthia and Aaron, Lakewold Gardens in Lakewood. One of our favorite spots, and we appreciated how freely the bride and groom smiled and laughed! It obviously was a fun day for everyone.

Anna and Dave, Scenic Beach State Park in Seabeck. An especially fun wedding for us because this is where we got married, too! It was the first time we'd been back in the five years since our wedding. Anna and Dave were such a sweet, easygoing couple and made for a perfect return to the park.

Jessica and Derek in Gig Harbor

One of these days I'll figure out how to juggle blogging with all of the rest of the work we do during our busy summer months! In the meantime, thank you for being patient in waiting for our latest post.

I wanted to share one of our favorite photos from Jessica and Derek's wedding, which was held at her aunt and uncle's home in Gig Harbor, on an absolutely beautiful property overlooking Puget Sound. They had some really gorgeous metalwork surrounding the home: garden gates, yard ornaments, and a large arch, part of which you see here.

Jessica and Derek, thank you for recognizing the value of a great photo and for making photography such a priority for your wedding! Knowing how important it is to you, we were very flattered and honored to be asked to take part in your day. And Jess, I just have to add that you looked stunning in that dress. We wish you both all the best.

Becky and David at Lakewold Gardens

7/7/07 — perhaps the most popular date of this decade. We got to spend it at Lakewold Gardens, one of our favorites: beautiful and big, with a thousand different photographic opportunities. We get amazing shots here, and every wedding is different because we always find something new! Becky and David's reception featured two pianists from Chopstix, who took turns playing their red pianos and singing popular songs from the last several decades.

Tanya and Jordan at Newcastle

We experienced one of the most beautiful sunset portrait sessions we've had during Tanya and Jordan's wedding at Newcastle Golf Club. This photo caught my eye as a dramatic and fun take on the Seattle skyline. Those who know our style well know that we're not afraid to use a special effect from time to time, but this one is straight-up as-it-came without any heavy processing. I love capitalizing on the funky things that happen when you shoot straight into the sun! Tanya and Jordan, congratulations, and we are totally looking forward to sharing the rest of the photos with you soon.

Narrows Bridge Run

On Sunday we participated in the Narrows Bridge Run, which kicked off the grand opening of the new suspension bridge here in Tacoma. New bridges don't come along too often, so we wanted to take part just for the sake of being right smack dab in the middle of all the action. Over 10,000 participated in the 5K run/walk along with us, and by the end of the day 50,000 people had toured the new bridge. Since we were taking part in the event, we didn't take too many photos but Scott got some great shots nonetheless. Here you can see the sea of white shirts from all the 5K racers.

Jenny and Jeff in Seattle

Congratulations to Jenny and Jeff!

We're way behind on our blog updates but wanted to take a quick minute to post one of our favorites from their wedding and pass along our well wishes to the happy couple. We had a blast at the wedding and ended up with so many great photos to pick from. Scott took this photo from the back of the church, looking through the diamond-shaped window in the sanctuary doors. I love how it brings your eye straight to Jenny and Jeff, and the color of the stained glass is a nice touch, too. Their wedding was beautiful!

Pilar and Matt: Engagement Portraits

It's that time of year again when we get really caught up in weddings, so it was refreshing to take a couple of hours to relax with our clients Pilar and Matt while taking their engagement portraits. We met up in Point Defiance, and really enjoyed introducing them to the park for the first time. We got lucky with an absolutely gorgeous day, and despite a minor delay in finding each other (we were detoured into the park because the main entrance was closed in preparation for the garden show), it all turned out wonderfully. Here is one of my favorites from our time on the beach with Mt. Rainier peeking out from the background.

Hannah and Mike in Tacoma

It's done! Our good friends Mike and Hannah have finally tied the knot. We had a great time at their wedding, balancing photography and partying with old friends, many of whom we hadn't seen for years.

In a nod towards Hannah's Japanese-American heritage and with the added benefit of introducing all of their out-of-state friends to the beauty of the Northwest, Mike and Hannah decided to have their wedding at the Japanese Pagoda in Point Defiance Park. The weather turned out to be absolutely perfect, the decorations were gorgeous, and much fun was had by all.

As part of their reception entertainment, I prepared a slideshow with their childhood and dating photos. It turned out great (am I allowed to say that myself?) and I got an almost embarrassing number of compliments on it during the wedding. I think it's safe to say that we'll soon be offering reception slideshows as a service to our clients!

With Hannah and Mike being such good friends and all, we couldn't pick just one photo to share. So here are a few that caught our eye, with many more to come later.

Congratulations Hannah and Mike!

Dustin and Kandice Take a Close Second

For those of you not following The Amazing Race, we have the final update for you. A few minutes were all that separated our 2006 bride Dustin and her teammate/bridesmaid Kandice from a million dollar prize for winning the Amazing Race All Stars reality show. But even though they didn't win, it seemed like, more than any other team, they had a great time racing around the world. We had fun watching them these last few months.

These photos are of Dustin and Kandice in wedding and globetrotting attire, taken probably six months apart.

Kyle's First Flight

My nephew Kyle had his first airplane trip when my family came to visit us in Tacoma in March. He did great during the flight and staying at our house, even though we were without kitchen and well into the remodel demolition!

Fiona, my sister, has told me more than once that she feels lucky to have professional photographers in the family. She's probably right on that one, but the downside of having photos taken for free is that you then have to wait far longer than a paying client before you get to see them! So yes, even though they came to visit in March, I only just finished processing the photos. Here are some of my favorites ... enjoy!

Joanna and Garrett in Seattle

I'll admit that, because a lot of our clients book us a year in advance of their wedding, we sometimes have a hard time remembering the nuances of each couple. This is one of those times — I'd forgotten how much fun Joanna and Garrett are! Judging by the look on Garrett's face all day, it's obvious that Joanna's the absolute light of his life, and we know she feels likewise. They made a beautiful couple on their wedding day and we wish them many more years of joy. Here's one of our favorites (one of the more unusual photos) from their wedding; we'll share more soon.

Orion in the Park

I've had the opportunity to photograph Orion on five separate occasions now, and he just keeps getting cuter! I met up with Orion and his parents at Point Defiance Park for his 1-year portraits. Usually a charmer who smiles at first sight of you, Orion was definitely having an off day and wanted little more than to constantly be held by his dad. Even so, he had a few smiles to share, including the shy grin you see here.

Little Dane Discovers the Piano

It's been a busy month for Wallflower with portraits! One of the most fun for me was Dane, one of my Watch Me Grow clients. We first took photos when he was six weeks old and we'll have another session when he turns one. It's been so fun to see how much he has changed. Of course, he's much more interactive at six months than six weeks, and he loves to play. With the enthusiasm he threw into the piano keys, we think he's got a great career ahead of him!

Hillary and D.B. in Seattle

The morning of Hillary and D.B.'s wedding was one of the wettest we've seen in a while, and we thought there was no chance of fulfilling our bride's dream of great Seattle scenery as the backdrop to their portraits! Luckily the fickle springtime weather improved by the time the wedding rolled around and we were able to get some great Seattle scenery from Alki Beach before heading over to their reception at Salty's. This photo, taken through the window of Salty's is one of my absolute favorites. Congratulations Hillary and D.B.! We can't wait to show you the photos soon.

One-Year Celebration

Virginia and Keith, one of our 2006 couples, recently celebrated their one year anniversary and wanted to mark the occasion with portraits. I visited their new house (congratulations, Virginia and Keith) and took great shots of them together with their puppy, Jesse. It was great to have the chance to reconnect with them and to continue their story!

Wallflower Accepted Into Exclusive Guild

We recently received more good news when we learned that this offbeat image that Scott took at a client's wedding this summer earned him entry into the Wedding Photojournalist Association's exclusive Artistic Guild!

The guild, which celebrates exceptional skill in enchancing photographs with the use of Photoshop, is open only to those who have won awards in the guild's international contest. Scott placed seventh with this image of Christy and Mike at Alderbrook Resort in Union, Washington, and is now one of only two photographers in the entire state to be invited into the Artistic Guild. Congratulations, Scott!

Maui

We've been sucked back into the fast lane since our return from Maui and are long overdue on posting our pictures! You can see the highlights on our website (Fine Art: Gallery: Maui) but I'll share some of our favorites here, too. Above is a banyan tree along one of the hiking trails we trekked. They look amazing, and so different from any of the trees we have around here.

Always a sucker for texture and reflections, this is also one of my favorites:

And I can't help but love this wacky spider, which is unlike any other I've seen before.

There are a lot more great shots on our website, including many from Haleakala (by far our favorite spot to go, photographically speaking). Take a peek!

New Awards for Wallflower

We were pleased to learn this morning that Wallflower Photography placed twice in the Wedding Photojournalist Association's end-of-year 2006 contest!



The photo above, taken at Jeff and Amy's wedding at Discovery Park in Seattle in July, placed fifth in the Ceremony category. The photo below, taken at Dustin and Luke's wedding (our Amazing Race All-Star), placed eighteenth in the Scene Setter category.


This international association is jam-packed with talent and hundreds of photos are received for each contest, so this really is quite an honor! Congratulations to all the winners; there were so many excellent photos submitted.

Aloha!

We're back from Hawaii! Thanks to all of our clients and prospective clients who have been patiently awaiting our return. We had such a great time and feel much more refreshed and ready to tackle the next wedding season! Stay tuned for more photos from our trip, including pics from northwest Maui, the Road to Hana, Haleakala, and whale watching. The photo above was taken at a lu'au we attended on our second night.

Our Amazing Race All-Star

We just found out that Dustin-Leigh, one of our brides from 2006, will soon be appearing on her second season of The Amazing Race, airing Sundays at 8:00 p.m on CBS. Dustin first participated in the show for Season 10 — which aired in August 2006, just a couple of weeks after their wedding — and teamed up with Kandice, one of her bridesmaids. Dubbed "The Beauty Queens" because Dustin was Miss California 2005 and Kandice was Miss New York 2005, the girls competed well, coming in fourth place and just barely missing the final stage.

This season they'll be competing in The Amazing Race All-Stars, racing against ten other teams who are also veterans of the show. We are so proud of Dustin and wish them both all the best of luck! She was one of the sweetest brides we've worked with and it's been so much fun to watch her journey. You can read about the girls and check their progress at www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race11.

We're about to head off to a much-needed vacation in Hawaii, but don't forget to tune in to CBS this Sunday!

Hannah and Mike's Engagement Pics

Over the weekend we spent a couple of hours taking engagement photos for two of our very dearest friends. Hannah and Mike will be getting married in April and we're can't wait to take part in the wedding!

Hannah and Mike recently moved back to the Pacific Northwest from L.A., so we decided a tour through downtown Tacoma would be a fitting celebration of their return. Mike and Hannah are a very fun-loving, energetic couple, as you can see here. We got so many great photos, it was hard to pick our favorite for the blog (so we went with Mike's favorite) ... you can check out the full set at www.wallflowerphoto.com/aoyagi

Kimmy & Foad in Tacoma

It's always fun for us when a couple does something a little off the beaten path. Before their wedding at The Vault, Kimmy and Foad brought their dog to downtown Tacoma so that we could get a few shots of them all together in their formal clothes.

They were running about ninety minutes late so it was much darker outside than we were expecting and we only had a few minutes before moving on to the family portraits. Even so, we both love how these photos turned out, especially since we captured some great dusk coloring by adjusting our cameras to a high ISO.

These are two of my favorite pics from the wedding. Thanks to Kimmy and Foad for the great idea, and to their pup for making such a cute subject!

www.wallflowerphoto.com/samsami

Tacoma Wedding Expo

We will have a booth at this weekend's Bridal Expo at the Tacoma Dome. Please stop by and say hello! We'll have our albums on display and will be waiting for folks to give us an excuse to chat about anything and everything you can think of when it comes to weddings. You can get a coupon for a dollar off admission by going to:
http://www.bridesclub.com/wedding/seattle-weddings/

We hope to see you there!

Half a Birthday

Over the holidays, we visited my family in the Bay Area. We took this photo of my sister, brother-in-law and nephew during a walk along the lagoon that borders my parents' property.

Kyle turned six months old on Christmas Eve. Not surprisingly, we celebrated the occasion with portraits. This is one of my favorites because I can appreciate my sister's genuine smile and how everyone is interacting in their own way — Fiona: with an open smile, Kyle: with a more timid grin, and Dave: more serious, protective and gentle. It was fun to see how much Kyle had changed (already!) and we really enjoyed spending time with everyone. Happy New Year!

www.wallflowerphoto.com/walker6mo

~ Laura