Ben + Brooke at Cathedral Park

You may remember Ben + Brooke from their gorgeous engagement session on Mt. Hood this summer. Brooke, a girl after my own heart, wanted to make sure she had enough quality time for pictures of her and her hubby and opted for a portrait session a few days before her wedding. We met at Portland's Cathedral Park and from the moment I drove across the St. John's Bridge I knew the day would be absolutely perfect. The leaves seemed to explode with color and in a rare moment of sunshine the air was surprisingly warm. Getting to watch as Ben + Brooke saw one another for the first time was a touching moment I won't soon forget, and selfishly I was thrilled to get to have these two all to myself for a few hours of capturing their gorgeous smiles and infectious laughs. Stay tuned for their equally-as-stunning wedding at Abernethy in Lake Oswego coming soon!

I'd be remiss if I didn't thank Nicole Wagner of Powder Inc. for her incredible talent. She's a genius with hair + make-up and worked her magic to make Brooke's most naturally gorgeous self shine through.

James + Kimmie

A few weeks ago, on their trip home to visit Oregon, James and Kimmie invited me to take portraits of their little family and baby-to-be. Kimmie is the essence of a glowing momma who radiates happiness, and it’s clear that James is already an incredible father. I love maternity sessions because they’re so full of excitement and anticipation and wonder over what the new bundle of love will look like. It was such a joy spending the evening with these two as we talked about life with their future baby boy. It’s a truly exciting season and with parents like this, I cannot wait to see just how handsomely beautiful their little guy is! James and Kimmie, thank you for letting me be the first to take baby Liam's pictures. You are already absolutely amazing parents and I'm so excited to watch as you continue on this wonderful adventure of raising your son. Thank you for letting me spend the evening with you and for being so kind as to laugh at all my cheesy jokes. I'm now bound and determined to find a way to make it to Virginia for Baby's arrival just so that I can take his first (real) photos! I'll consider this fair warning that I may show up on your doorstep the day Liam is born?!

xoxo, M.