I am so excited for the Guntle family as they welcome the newest addition to their family to the world. Baby Poppy was a doll to photograph. Once she finally relaxed and went to sleep, the fun began. Big brother Finn loved giving his sister kisses. I can’t wait to see the Guntle family again in a few months for Poppy’s four month session!

I usually bring a container of bubbles with me to most children’s sessions.  It’s a great way to brighten a child’s mood and instantly get some smiles.  Zoey wasn’t any different.  She wasn’t really into doing the portraits at first, bu as soon as we brought out the bubbles I knew we wouldn’t have any problems.  I am so glad we did because she just lit up and had the cutest little expressions!  I especially love the shots of her interacting with mom and the bubbles, there is so much excitement in her face!  And even though it wasn’t planned, the pops of pink really make the shots fun!

I first met this family 2 years old when their little girl Tahlia was just 4 months old. We had a great session, in April among the cherry blossoms. Ironically enough, I just did their portraits again at the exact same time of year! Since it had been awhile since Tahlia has seen me, she was pretty shy when I first arrived. However, after some coercing with cupcakes, by the end of the session she was chatting me up and sitting on my lap. She is such a sweet little girl, and I can’t wait to see her again! Her mom Rachael is one of the BEST massage therapists I know. Seriously, amazing! If you ever need a massage (especially if you are pregnant, she specializes in pregnancy massage) look her up, www.sagebodymassage.com. She has the greatest studio over on NE 45th

I think the first birthday is one of the best milestones to capture in portraiture.  This is definitely one of my favorite ages.  The babies are still very curious, but they can walk, which makes things very fun!  This session with baby Isla was no exception.  I had a great pre-session meeting with her mom, where we planned to do some shots with Isla’s favorite foods, tomatoes and strawberries!  Knowing they would be bright red, I wanted to really take advantage of the late summer weather and play up the colors green and red.  We ended the session with these yummy treats, and she loved it!  Definitely a memorable session

Little L was a fun baby to photograph at 8 weeks old.  I don’t do a lot of babies at this age (I normally do a few days old or at the 6 month mark), so it was nice to change it up a bit.  She was awake for the whole session, but gave us some awesome smiles (see the black and white below, my favorite!).

You’ve probably heard about our beach sessions we do every summer.  If you have ever debated doing one, this should be the year to do it!  The pictures from this beach session last year were by far one of my favorites over all the years.  We had gorgeous late afternoon sunlight, and this girl was up for anything!  I had her climbing on rocks, out in the freezing water, you name it and she was game.  The result?  Some awesome portraits of Iris!  She is such a beautiful girl, and really knew how to work the camera.  I won’t be surprised one bit if you see her come up in modeling or acting when she gets older.  Soooo pretty!

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who came by our open house on Saturday.  It was so great to see our friends, family, and clients there to support me and the fellow Kelly House artists.  I had a great time chatting with everyone, and I hope you enjoyed it as well.  At the open house we gave a $50 discount on sessions for May and June in our swag bags, but we had a lot of people forget to take them so I am extending this offer to everyone for the rest of the week!  Call or email the studio to schedule your spring session this week and you will receive the same $50 discount.

I am so excited to announce that we will be traveling soon (both personally and professionally).  My husband and I leave on Thursday for some much needed R&R.  After a few days with my in-laws in Oklahoma, we will be heading off to the great city of Paris for 2 weeks!  I can’t hardly wait to get their and experience France’s beauty, culture and food!

While I am gone, my two lovely assistants Jocelyn and Jennee will be available to help you if anything comes up.  You can reach either of them by phone at 503.807.0137 or email at office@studiochristy.com.  I will not be available via phone or email from April 19-May 2nd.

The second trip is equally exciting, because Studio Christy will be traveling to New York for portrait sessions!  This has been in the works for a few months now, and I can’t wait.  Working with Lucky Lil Darlings (check them out at www.luckylildarlings.com), we will be offering portrait sessions in NY from May 10-16th.  Check out the flyer below, and if you are interested in booking a session let us know.  The deadline for session signups is April 20th.  It would be great to meet you on the east coast!

If you have ever been to our studio, looked at the website, or looked on this blog, you will probably recognize this next family.  They are the Igarta’s, and are one of the Studio Christy original clients.  I have known them for about 8, maybe 9 years now.  I love this family.  They were first my youth pastors when I was a senior in high school, and I have loved seeing their family grow first with daughter Taylor and then with son Reece.  Taylor was the most adorable flower girl in my wedding, and they have graciously allowed me to take countless photos of their family as I have grown as a photographer.  These pictures are the most recent session we did in downtown Portland’s industrial district.  Mom brought some great old suitcases for the photos as well.  I can’t wait to do their portraits again in the future

There is only one word to accurately describe this session with Hudson: energy.  He had so much of it I could barely keep up!  Thank goodness we kept the ice cream til the end of the session  We walked all over the Pearl, and as you can see he loved walking, sitting, climbing, and exploring the Pearl district.  Hudson had the best shoes I have seen on a little boy, check out those Nike’s!  I love the loud colors, they fit Hudson’s vibrant personality perfectly.  Oh and did you see his beautiful blue eyes and blond hair???

A few months ago I was approached by fellow photographer and good friend Sara Gray of Sara Gray Photography about her new project called Marry This.  She asked if Kirk and I would be willing to model for the April Guide, featuring a morning time reception with VooDoo donuts!  I was flattered and very nervous to be on the other side of the camera.  Once we got to the shoot I had my hair and makeup done by the amazingly talented Austie Eckley, and she made me feel so pretty  We had so much fun playing “bride and groom” again and taking advantage of the yummy donuts.

Marry This is a very cool concept and I am so excited for and proud of my friend Sara Gray.  She is not only one of the most driven people I know, but she is so creative and I love her new business venture.  These guides are a complete how-to guide to creating the wedding of your dreams.  Seriously, step-by-step on how to create the look you want and where to go for vendors, supplies, etc.  There is even pricing information so you can budget for everything.

And the greatest part?  Sara has so graciously allowed me to give away one her guides!  If you are engaged or know someone who is, enter to win your own Marry This guide!  All you have to do is leave a comment on our blog OR on our Facebook page.  Tell us where you are going on your honeymoon, where you already went on your honeymoon, or where you would like to go on a second honeymoon Hurry, because we are only taking entries until the end of the day Sunday.  Click HERE to be taken to our Facebook page.

Here are a couple pictures from the shoot.  Make sure you check out the guides at www.marrythis.com and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MarryThis