Courage / Personal / Salem OR Photographer

Today I had the pleasure of visiting with Jim & Lisa Bair, along with sons Ryan & Chris. I'm so thankful I was able to do family portraits for them as part of my Giving Is Awesome give-away (previews here), I've thoroughly enjoyed our time together. They've taught me so much about courage, and I left today feeling inspired. Jim has been battling cancer now for about 3 years, and to be as happy, thankful, and hopeful as he is takes more courage than you and I may understand.

As a business owner I often forfeit the comfortable easy route for one that will push me forward and make me succeed. It's tiring, intimidating, and often scary. There's a hundred reasons why I'm not cut out for this, why I won't ever make this succeed, and I would be lying if I said I didn't question my ambitions at times. There's an easy job waiting for me to clock in and out and leave all these headaches behind. But then I think of people like Jim who keep fighting because he's had a good taste of life and all it has to offer, and refuses to take the easy route. I think of the athletes in the Olympics, how they dedicate their whole life to train for that coveted gold medal. Can you imagine the kind of passion that must take? I'm no Olympian, but I do have a drive that I attribute to God and my Grandma. God for creating me with the giftings I have, and my grandma for her intense drive and go-getter mindset. Call me obsessive, you might be right, but I've got this fire to pursue my dreams and not back down. Every good photograph, every smile, every person I meet keeps the flame burning and solidifies why I am pursuing my dream for portrait photography.

Today I feel courageous, perhaps an ounce of what keeps Jim going wore off on me. : ) I found a few quotes that put wind to my sails, I hope you feel as encouraged and empowered as I did after reading them!

"Courage is the power to let go of the familiar."
~ Raymond Lindquist

"A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for."
~William Shedd

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow'."
~Mary Anne Radmacher

"Many of the great achievements of the world were accomplished by tired and discouraged man who kept working."
~Unknown

Barchus Family / Portrait Photographer Salem, OR

Raise a hand if you're loving the Christmas color and coordination happening in these photos!

Back when Red Pearl Designs, Bumbles Boutique and I hosted the Christmas Open House Misty gave in to the idea of family portraits and we scheduled for a Christmassy-themed shoot out at Olson Farms.

Talk about a sharp looking group, these guys rocked this shoot with plenty of style, amazing attitudes, and killer smiles! They all have these incredible aqua-blue/green colored eyes that I'm majorly jealous of!

Mariela / Senior Portraits / Salem, OR Photography

I can't say enough how much I enjoyed Mariela's shoot! We wanted to avoid the cold windy outdoors so most of out time was spent in downtown shops, something I haven't done a lot. I couldn't be more happy with the result however, the locations we choose really give her pictures a fun colorful personality!

Her clothes were A-MA-Zing, (I'm a sucker for well dressed subjects), and she brought such charisma to each photo making them truly hers. These first two were taken in Ranch Records.

LOVE the colors in these two!

Casey's is a downtown gem, just thinking of them makes me want a good hotdog!

The Book Bin. I love the smell of used books!

Briggs Brill Wedding / Salem OR Wedding Photographer

What better time to share Racquel & Casey's August wedding than the end of December? The past 6 months have gone by so fast, and although I'm incredibly grateful for all the business and busy-ness I've had, it's nice to have a little pause. The flurries of preparations for family gatherings and holiday events lead to one grand pause...a moment to sit back and savor all your hard work has accomplished. With my family the 'savoring' definitely involves food, not to mention meaningful fellowship shared over coffee.

I see weddings being very similar; lists of to-do's and carefully detailed preparations that make up one monumental event shared by all the people closest to you. Hopefully at one's wedding they have time to sit back and savor the fruits of their labor; friendships they've invested in, family they've loved and supported, and one big bash to bring them all together.

Racquel & Casey's wedding was just such an occasion. I love my family and the closeness we share, and that's something I noticed about these two families right away. The best part was they pulled this wedding off with little planning time and a budget, and look how amazing everything turned out!









Their color scheme was a vibrant orange and teal with coral accents. The eclectic table settings surrounded by lush gardens supplied the wedding with a fresh, cheery atmosphere that complimented the bride and groom well.




First look.










Casey's mom.



Crazy guy on the left is Nolan, Racquel's son. Definitely NOT lacking in spunk!







Racquel's grandparents and great aunts and uncles = adorable!