Weddings, Elopements and Portraits for the Adventurous at Heart

North Tacoma Spring Portrait Session – Kaela

Monday, April 24, 2017

It’s spring and the trees are in full bloom in the Northwest. The most abundant being the many varities of Cherry Blossom.

There’s no shortage of interesting people to take portraits of in Tacoma, or whatever corner of the world you live in. These are the people I love shooting portraits of. Some are outwardly interesting, they draw you in with their features, their attire, the vibe that they exude. Others may be more introverted and may require a little coaxing to get them to relax and allow their true selves to be seen. I’m a fan of both camps, I can crack a joke and get a smile out of just about anyone but I didn’t have to tell many Dad jokes to get a radiant smile from Kaela. Her bright hair is a truthful insight into her disposition and her smile is infectious.

We drove around North Tacoma looking for some blooming cherry blossoms that we could shoot with and it didn’t take too long until we found a luscious tree on the corner of a street in the residential area in the North Slope district of Tacoma. The light that day was less than inspiring to say the least, but we still walked away with a handful of shots that I dig. Goes to show that you can make magic with your camera in less than 20 minutes.

north-tacoma-portrait-session-kaela-1-of-24(pp_w480_h320) North Tacoma Spring Portrait Session - Kaela Portraits

north-tacoma-portrait-session-kaela-9-of-24(pp_w480_h719) North Tacoma Spring Portrait Session - Kaela Portraits

north-tacoma-portrait-session-kaela-6-of-24(pp_w480_h320) North Tacoma Spring Portrait Session - Kaela Portraits

north-tacoma-portrait-session-kaela-2-of-24(pp_w480_h719) North Tacoma Spring Portrait Session - Kaela Portraits

Taylor Jones is a Tacoma based wedding and portrait photographer. You can learn more about Taylor’s work by visiting his full site at www.taylorjonesphoto.com or viewing his Instagram page at www.instagram.com/taylorjonesphoto

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Goth Inspired Engagement Session – Allie + Rick

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Trying to capture the essence of a couple or a specific vibe can be challenging. Not everyone can fit into the cookie cutter world of modern engagement sessions; running towards the camera, piggy back rides and awkward poses. I wanted to make this session with Rick and Allie stand out because I feel these two stand out, they are complimentary souls. We went with a goth engagement inspired by Rick’s love of metal and all things grim and dark. I knew I could convince him to do the session if it was up his alley.

The woods of the Pacific Northwest are dense and filled with deep greens and scraggly branches. With enough branches you could almost have enough tangents of shapes to recreate any black metal band logo you dream of. The light this time of year is also fleeting and bipolar, the clouds change quickly and light fades fast so you embrace the overcast and use it help shape the mood any way you can. I love warm kisses of light defining the shapes but when that isn’t in the cards and you have a shoot booked you make the most of it.

I did some more playing around with freelensing during this session as well, see if you can easily notice which shots feature that effect. They will have odd blurs and very soft focus. I also experimented with double exposures some more and came away with a really solid shot that I am in love with.

Enjoy!

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Capitol Hill In Home Engagement Session – Kelsey + Brad

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Our living spaces say a lot about each of us. I enjoy eclectic rooms tied together by the cohesion of individual style as opposed to being clinical in their perfection. What better way to feel at home and comfortable in your engagement photos than by having the session done in your own space? Kelsey and Brad opted for this route after our initial plans fell through due to the manic depressive weather we have most of the year here in Western Washington. Their lovely vintage apartment is at the foot of Capitol Hill and we took full advantage of the close proximity to pizza and beers after our session was done. No joke Kelsey even wore her flower crown while double fisting slices of pizza, these are my kind of folks.

Brad does pottery in his spare time and many of the pieces you see in these shots are items he handmade in this very apartment. Kelsey may not have the same steady hands as Brad but she assists his pottery habit by helping him glaze items and inspire design choices. The collective creativity these two share is truly special, we all need a creative outlet in our life.

And speaking of creativity; I’ve been pursuing some more out of the box techniques in my photography lately. In this session I achieved two different multiple exposure shots that I did in-camera (meaning no Photoshop trickery involved) and also shooting with some motion blur in mind to change how an image feels. It’s hard to bust out of a routine when shooting but ultimately that’s how we grow as artists, breaking a few rules here and there while never abandoning the overall aesthetic.

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Woodsy PNW Engagement Session – Liz + Justin

Monday, March 13, 2017

First and foremost let me set the record straight, I’m a dog person. Don’t get me wrong cats have their moments but nothing beats the companionship and faithful love of a pup. When Liz and Justin approached me with the idea of incorporating their Golden Retriever Riley into some of their engagement photos I was stoked at the challenge. I must say he was a pretty good boy and didn’t give me much grief!

We shot this session at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, we did a few shots by the beach and also utilized some of the woods as well as a tree clinging to life on the edge of one of the bluffs facing the Narrows Bridge. We had some excellent light that day and came away with some really nice shots, I also prefer a moodier look and the dying light and woodsy vibes really helped me acheive that. It’s always great to work with folks who don’t mind showing some love in front of the camera, I try my hardest to make my sessions comfortable and relaxing so people can be themselves while we’re together.

This was one of my first shoots with a new piece of equipment and it was really nice to have the chance to test it out on a real shoot. The Nikon 35mm 1.4 is a totally different monster in comparison with the also lovely Sigma 35mm 1.4 ART lens. The tones are smoother on the Nikon and it isn’t as contrasty and sterile looking, this lens has a lot more character to it.