Back in the day, it was the norm for a bride and groom to come into a photographer's studio and pose for formal portraits.  The practice of "wedding photojournalism" (that we see all the time now) is really a pretty new idea.  And while I love the story telling element of photojournalism, I feel like there is a romance and beauty of old school wedding portraits that has been lost.  It has been my dream for a long time now to photograph a bride and groom in this old-timey way (but with a modern twist).  Away from the stress and craziness of a wedding day... just simple, classic, beautiful portraits.  The kind that will hang on your walls and be passed down to your grandchildren. These were shot in the awesome Pioneer Square studio of my good friend and fellow photographer Christina Mallet.  This entire session was shot on film using my beloved 1953 Rolleiflex and my Mamiya 645.  I love them all!  And I would like to say a big "thank you" to Katy and Derek (the lovely bride and groom) for putting up with Christina and I and all of our shenanigans!  I had a blast!!

October 1st!  I can hardly believe it!  Soon it will be Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and then Christmas!!!  Whew.  This is without a doubt my favorite time of the year!  I love all the celebrations that are on the horizon! And, let me remind you, that October is the PERFECT month to come in for holiday photos! I still have a few spots open!  So send me an email today, and get on the books!

Also, I'm excited to announce, that I'm now booking for  Mini Sessions and Santa Photos!

Mini Sessions will be held on November 10^th and 11^th.   Each session is 15 minutes long and comes with 20 finished images in an online gallery.  These sessions are only $150!!  A steal, I know!  You can add a CD of printable jpegs for an additional $100.  And because I love giving back to my community, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Greenwood Elementary School!

Santa Photos will be held on November 24^th from 9:00 to 4:00. This one-day-only event is easily the highlight of my year!  These are by-appointment Santa photos!  No standing in line.  No tired, stressed out kids.  Just fun, goodie-bags, and a chance for a little one-on-one time with Jolly Old St. Nick.  Each year we donate a portion of the proceeds to charity.  This year we will be donating to  Rite Care of Washington, an amazing non-profit that provides speech services to children with profound speech and language delays (like my son Harvey) .  These children get quality, state-of-the-art treatment at no cost to their families.  They are amazing!

There are still spots open for both events, so email me today to sign up!

I'm in a giving sort of mood.  So, my dear reader, I've decided to give away a portrait session to one lucky person!  Woohoo! What does a portrait session include?  An hour with me and my camera in my studio or at a Seattle location of your choice, an online gallery to share with family and friends, and a coffee table book of 20 of your favorite images! (a $350 value)

How do you get in on this sweet deal?  It's simple!  Just sign up! The winner will be chosen randomly from among the peeps on my newsletter list.  So if you want a chance to win, just get your name on the list.  If you already get my newsletter, then you are already eligible to win!  How great is that?  And as an added bonus, by signing up for my newsletter  you'll be privy to all of the special deals, sales and events that I offer throughout the year!

I'll be announcing the winner in my October 1st newsletter (pssst... that's tomorrow, so sign up today!).

So sign up now!  And remember, sharing is caring, so spread the word!  Tweet!  Like! Pin!  Tell all of your friends!  This is going to be great!

~Sandra

I LOVE this time of year!  And the Ballard Locks is probably my favorite location.  The trees are to die for!  As is this little 18 month old baby!!  Such a cutie!!

We have the best parks here in Seattle!  A new favorite of  mine is the Olympic Sculpture Park!

 It's so cool!

I love this family!  I love this light!  What more can I say? It was kind of a perfect morning!

If there is anything better than a newborn baby, I don't know what it is.

I'm so excited and honored to be featured on Let the Kids Dress Themselves!  Check it out by clicking here!!

I had the loveliest morning working with these adorable children!  Just had to share.

These images are from a recent road trip I took with my family.  It was our last adventure before the start of school, and what an adventure it was!  We went to Mt. St. Helen's, the amazing McMenamin's Edgefeild and then on to Portland's Kennedy School (our favorite vacation destination). It was all incredible, but I have to say, Mt. St. Helens blew my mind!

I was a little girl living in Spokane, WA when the mountain exploded, and remember very vividly how the sky turned black  (in the middle of the day) and how it "snowed" ash for hours.  I remember listening to the Emergency Broadcast System telling us to stay inside.  And I remember being so scared!  It's a day I will never forget and it was so cool to visit the mountain and to be able to share all of my stories with my kids!

The other exciting thing about this trip was that I left my Canon 5D Mark II at home!  Instead I shot our entire trip with film!  I brought a Mamiya 645, a Canon Elan 7E and a vintage 1953 Rolleiflex.  I also used my trusty iPhone (of course)

So here's a little peek at our trip!

Hope you enjoy!

~Sandra