Eli – South Albany High School | Class of 2019

Oh my goodness you guys! At some stage, way too early in the year, I got behind on blogging and never caught up. And by “didn’t get caught up” I mean I got overwhelmed by the sheer number of sessions to catch up on and gave up. Ha/Oops!

Before that I was only like two years behind on blogging, and now I’m only about three years behind, so I’m expecting to be caught up shortly before my 75th birthday. *insert nervous laugh*

Really though, I’m excited to start catching up and sharing some of these sessions because I had some real awesome clients last year and I can’t wait to show of their photos!

So lets start with Eli!
I photographed Eli’s older brother’s senior photos a few years and it was such an honor to have his family contact me again for his! Eli is a 3-sport athlete (or more? I lost count…) and all around amazing guy – we seriously had such a fun, relaxed time taking his photos around Albany. We started off at South Albany Highschool to get some photos of Eli in his natural element – the sports fields! and then after a quick outfit change we headed downtown for a more urban feel to finish up his session.

Here’s a few of my favorites from his session, I’d love to hear your favorite in the comments!

Are you graduating high school in 2019 or 2020? Hit me up! I love creating senior photo sessions that are fun, stress-free, and show off your personality!

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Julie & Rob’s Yellow Gold Farm Wedding | Willamette Valley Wedding Photographer

Julie and Rob’s wedding day was everything you could hope for: a warm, sunny day surrounded by friends and family from near and far. Rob’s kids and grandkids were part of the wedding party, making the day especially connected to family.

Julie and Rob married at Yellow Gold Farm, just minutes off of I-5 and tucked in the farmland
between Albany and Lebanon. Yellow Gold Farm is a fabulous wedding venue in the heart of the Willamette Valley and I’ve been fortunate enough to photograph many weddings here over the years. The possibilities for photos on this property are just endless!

Pulling into the venue I was greeted by Rob’s giant green tractor on the front lawn. He’s a farmer so of course we included the tractor in his wedding photos. When I say this thing was giant, that’s no exaggeration – see for yourself below! The tractor even got a bath and shine in preparation for the big day. Since Julie and Rob chose not to do a first look before the ceremony we also used the front of the tractor to give them a few minutes to hold hands and talk without seeing each other. It was a beautiful scene to witness from afar as they shared an intimate moment together and still maintained the surprise of Rob seeing Julie in her wedding dress for the first time as she walked down the aisle.

Julie looked nothing less than stunning as she walked down the aisle and Rob’s expression in that moment was one of joy, amazement and even a few tears. The aisle was lined with flowers to match the bridal and bridesmaids bouquets, containing bright yellow sunflowers and white daisies designed by Morning Glories Floral and Yellow Gold Farm’s iconic massive old walnut tree shaded guests as they witnessed Julie & Rob exchange their vows.

 

As the sun was going down and colors painted the sky, I snuck Julie and Rob away again for a few sunset portraits. Even though we discuss it in advance, I always feel bad pulling my couples away from their party, so I try to make things as quick as possible while capturing colorful sunset photos. This time I clocked it: we stepped away from the reception, captured an iconic wedding portrait, and had them back to their party all within four minutes – including unbustling and rebustling the dress!

As dusk settled in, Rob’s son opened up the dance floor by playing several songs on his acoustic guitar. Under twinkling string lights, Julie and Rob shared their first dance. It was full of smiles and laughter. Afterwards the party started with some high-energy country jams! The dance floor came alive with two-stepping and swinging partners round-and-round. This group sure knew how to boogie and it was a blast! 

Julie and Rob’s wedding day was really about family and fun, something that is very important to this couple. It was amazing to see the love these two have for each other and also the love they both received from their family and friends. The weather was perfect and the party was so much fun, but at the end of the day that love for each other and those that surround them is what really matters.

 

Julie & Rob’s Wedding Vendors:
Venue: Yellow Gold Farm, Albany, Oregon
Dress: David’s Bridal
Flowers: Morning Glories Floral
Catering: Bob & Teresa Thomas
Officiant: Maria Lopez – Friend

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Julie and Rob | Oregon Engagement Photography

Ever since moving from Albany to Oregon City I’ve been doing a ton of driving back and forth.
I actually enjoy driving, so it’s not a big deal, but I am getting a little sick of seeing the same
50 miles of I-5 over and over again. So when I mapped out directions to Rob & Julie’s
engagement session location, I was thrilled to see that I could take backroads the whole way
and it would be roughly the travel time! I really do feel lucky to live in Oregon – we have some
some of the very best scenery in the USA to drive through. And I can make that bold claim since
I drove all the way across this country last year 😉

Right as I arrived the clouds broke way to golden evening sun that sparkled across the river – you
could have almost convinced me it was a summer evening! We wandered around the river bank
taking photos and chatting about their upcoming wedding. Rob pointed out swimming holes that
he grew up swimming in – which made an already perfect location that much more special.

I’m looking forward to their Yellow Gold Farm wedding later this year!

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