john f karwoski | Blog

John and Suzanne's Engagement

2008-05-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

We first met this awesome couple last year through one of our couples Jamie and Ryan who were married last July.

Suzanne and John are getting married this August at the Hotel Bellweather in Bellingham Wa. John and I have been looking forward to shooting this location for a very long time! You know what could make our first experience at this location even better??? Having an awesome and lively couple like John and Suzanne, that's what!

We just shot their engagement pictures on Sunday... the nicest day of the weekend I might ad, at the University of Washington Campus. They both graduated from UW where John played football and Suzanne played soccer so they both have attachments and fondness for their school. Because John and I had just shot another engagement shoot here the Friday prior, we made sure to keep things fun and fresh for these two. Campus is an amazing place to come if you want to just hang out and it's even better for pictures.

Here are just a few (Oh there are so many more) of our favorites from their engagement session. I just love how these two interact with one another... so natural and so obvious that they so in love.

Thanks John and Suzanne for an awesome afternoon! We can't wait to be part of your special day!

Serve Day | New Life Church

2008-05-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

Got Trash? Of course you do. Everyone has something that they have been wanting or needing to get rid of. Appliances (no refrigeration however), Garbage, Mattress's/Furniture, Salvation Army Donations, you name it, New Life wants it!

Why does this church want our garbage you ask? It's simple. New Life want to serve others with No Strings Attached, just as Christ serves us. New Life Church in Renton will be taking all of your trash, donations and they will even have a paper shredding company on site to shred all of your confidential documents on Saturday May 10th from 10:00am until 2:00pm or until all dumpsters are full. BUT WAIT... it gets even better than that! Come and let us dispose of your garbage and we will also wash your car and feed you lunch! Yup, you heard me right!

Questions?
-Why would a church do this?
-What do they want from me?
-Is there going to be people asking for donations or pressuring me to join their church?

Answers
-To serve our community with no strings attached just as Christ serves us.
-Nothing but your trash. :)
-Nope... no money donations will be excepted and the type of greetings you will receive are smiles and hello's!

For more information and for a list of what NOT to bring, please visit New Life's website

New Life Church's Address
15711 152nd Ave SE
Renton, WA 98058
425.226.0880
http://www.newliferenton.com/

Wedding RSVP's | Postage increase

2008-05-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

The wonderful and talented Event planner, Wendi Hroncich of Ethereal Events just blogged about an important date that even I was unaware of. Taking effect May 12th, postage goes up yet again from $0.41 to $0.42 cents. This is extremely important for those brides who have recently sent out their invitations or for those brides who are getting ready to send them out. If your RSVP date is later than May 12th you will want to be sure to notify your guests of the difference so that they can add extra postage to assure that there's no delay in getting you those much needed RSVP's in a timely matter. If you have not yet sent yours out, be sure to add the extra postage necessary.

Thanks Wendi for the heads up! Your brides are lucky to have you! :)

Steve and Kate | Engagement

2008-05-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

Steve and Kate are getting married this August here in Seattle. Both currently live in Philadelphia but have family here... not to mention they both graduated from The University of Washington. It was only natural for them to want their engagement pictures done right here on campus.

We were seriously playing it by ear up until the very last minute because it was supposed to rain on Friday. We decided to just go for it since it had yet to rain. Once again, John and Jenna Karwoski avoid cancellation due to the typical Seattle weather. YES! :)

We walked all around the UW campus finding some awesome places to shoot. Here are a few of our favorites.

Thanks so much Kate and Steve for hanging out with us Friday! It was so great to finally meet and get to know you both a bit more! John and I are looking forward to not just your wedding but getting to hang with you awesome people again! :)

Turning 1 is so much FUN! :)

2008-05-02T14:50:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY REESE!

Perhaps you remember about 6 months ago I took 6 month pictures of this adorable little princess?? Well, she's back! Reese turned 1 on Friday May 2nd and Mommy Megan asked if I would come and capture the milestone of her daughters first birthday. Of Course I was dying to get some more shots of this beautiful little girl!!!

Reese is just a few crawls away from walking. She is full of energy and those smiles are sure to melt even the coldest of hearts! Take a look for yourself!

All of these pictures were taken at Megan's home... what an awesome backyard I had to work with! Reese is sure to get plenty of use of her nice, big backyard once she gets those footsies a moving!

Shari & Kyle | Wedding

2008-04-18T16:48:00.000-07:00

You may remember Shari and Kyle from their engagement session that we covered back in January in Seattle. John and I had the pleasure of capturing their wedding last week at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Renton. The reception was held at the Meridian Valley Country Club and was just beautiful. Here are some of our favorite images from their special day.

Shari, the modest sweetie she is, I don’t think had a clue of just how beautiful she looked. But as you can see... these pictures speak for themselves!

Congratulations Shari and Kyle! John and I are honored to have shared in your day.

A day with my cousin Silvia!

2008-04-16T10:16:00.001-07:00

My beautiful cousin Silvia lives in Oregon where she's a live-in nanny for a wonderful family! She had a few weeks off and made her way to Seattle to spend some time with her family and friends! I was so excited to get the chance to spend an entire day with my beauty of a cousin and of course, being a photographer just had to get her outside for some pictures!

If these locations looks familiar, it's because it's Gene Coulon Park and it's just across the street from our house... so I use it often! :-) Also, Ive used this opportunity to "play" with some of these pictures a little bit during post processing, so the look of these may be a little less than "traditional". Completely intentional however. Hope you enjoy!

Our Blog is Under Construction!!

2008-04-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

So you may be looking at our blog and thinking to yourself, "hmm... somethings looking different!?!" You are correct! John has been working on updating the look of our blog. In fact, we have spent a lot of time over the past few weeks getting ready to re-do or update all of our stuff including our website! So be on the look out for a new look with our blog as well as our website.

Thank you for being patient while we are undergoing all of our updates. There shouldn't be any disruption with the blog or web page (thank goodness, haha) however thank you for your patience during our transition! We would love any feedback or comments from you! :)

Sara's Senior Portraits | Gene Coulon Beach

2008-04-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you just how excited I was to shoot Sarah's senior pictures! Sarah was one of the 15 members to go on the Mission to Mexico trip we took in March. Sarah told me when we were on our way to Mexico that she had not yet gotten her senior portraits done... that's all I needed to hear! :) I gave her a card and told her that we would have to set something up this Spring!

Well, Spring has sprung (in a Seattle sort-a-way) and it was time for some pictures!!! We had a little bit of a scare the morning of, since it was doing well, what Seattle does best, RAIN! However it cleared up and we were able to get to it! This girl is just beautiful and I am having so much fun going through each of her pictures. There are tons of awesome pic's however I will now share with you some of my favorite from her shoot.

Leaving Las Vegas | Trash the Dress

2008-04-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

On our last day in Las Vegas, John and I took part in a workshop at the Spring Mountain Ranch, located within the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. This place was breathtaking to say the least! While John was there to shoot (there were many photographers and models who took part in this workshop) I had the privilege to put my wedding dress back on and model for my husband as well as some other fabulous photographers.

Here are some fun behind the scene photo's (and a couple John took)

Like I mentioned, there were lots of other photographers shooting this day and here are a few shots that I found on their blogs... of me wink wink

Courtesy of Jen and Chris Stewart, Jen Stewart Photography

Courtesy of David Beckstead

Jessica | Maternity Session

2008-04-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

Jessica was in town to visit family and friends while her husband moved their stuff down to New Mexico where the couple will live for the next few months leading up to the birth of their first child. Merle, Jessica's husband is in the Air Force and was not able to make it up for this visit. However, Jessica brought a few items from Daddy to be, so that we could work them into the session. If he couldn't be there in person, hopefully these items help him to feel a little bit more connected. I just love these images!

I had such a blast with Jessica and cant wait to see this little lady when she arrives!

Seattle Shoot | Gasworks Park

2008-04-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

I know, your probably thinking, it's about time we get some images up from our Seattle shoot. :) John and I have just been swamped with work since returning from our latest trip to Las Vegas. We had been gone for most of the month of March on various trips and now that we are home, our work is not letting us forget just how much there is to do.

A few weeks ago John and I met up with some awesome Seattle photographers to spend the day taking pictures around Gasworks Park in Seattle. It was a beautiful day and we ended up with some just as beautiful models, men, women, children and one of my favorites a beautiful family of 4, my brother, sister in law and adorable niece and nephew.

Here are some of our favorite images from that day

My brother and his fabulous family.

My beautiful niece J'Kad

Nick and Jessica, you may remember as we did their wedding last October. Fabulous as usual!

Baby Tyler was so cute! She handled the camera like a pro. But even pros need a break! I just love the last one!

Shauna you were total rock star

Jeremy and Lisa. This fab couple is getting married this August! What a great way to search for your wedding photographer than to go to a shoot like this and personally get to work with (or interview... depending on how you look at it haha) your potential photographer. John and I were fortunate enough to get to spend some time with these guys at the shoot as well as dinner a few nights later. We are so excited that they have chosen us to shoot their wedding this Summer! Jeremy and Lisa you are both exceptional and we can't wait to be a part of your day!

Welcome Baby Colten Nathaniel Rowe!

2008-04-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

Baby Colten joined his Mommy Tasha, Daddy Nate and Sisters Cameron and Hailey on Wednesday March 19th. He was a bit over due so his arrival was very much so appreciated! Finally Mommy Tasha could hold her first little boy and Hailey can now be the "big" sister to her new little brother. You might remember seeing Tasha's maternity portraits just a month ago. I was so excited for Baby Colten's arrival and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this adorable baby!

Just a week and a few day's old, Colten still fits into the outfit he wore home from the hospital.

Baby Colten is such a great baby! He put up with the camera quite well! In fact he slept a good portion of the time. :)

He did however, wake up to show us his set of lungs once or twice. I just love this picture!

Here is BIG sister Hailey posing for the camera while Baby Colten is resting with mommy.

This is one of my favorites...

I love baby feet!

Family Time | Downtown Renton

2008-03-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

I just love it in downtown Renton. There is just so much history here and the personality and character that these buildings have is just amazing. While walking around we came across some pictures dating back to the early 1920's and some of the buildings in the pictures were still present and occupied! To learn more about the history of Renton and to see some of the earliest pictures Renton has, click here.

What a treat it was to go and enjoy the sun (it stopped snowing yay!) with two of the most beautiful girls we know! Amy who is 16 and Mina just day's from her 11th birthday were kind enough to spend the afternoon with their dad and step-mommy (that's me lol). We parked near the old Spirit of Washington Dinner Train and began walking around finding new places every few seconds to snap some shots of the girls. We walked around for a few hours, stopping for a break at the Common Ground Cupcake and Coffee shop.

Here are some of our favorite shots of the day. Notice the old brick on some of these buildings... just awesome!

Viva Las Vegas

2008-03-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

I know... I know, It's been over a week since we returned home from WPPI in Las Vegas but John and I have been SO busy playing catch up not to mention coming home to a full schedule of portrait sessions, which you'll see on upcoming blogs. Here is some fun stuff from our most recent trip.

We spent 6 days in Las Vegas for the WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers) convention held at the Paris and Bally's hotel. The trade show itself was awesome. We were introduced to so many new products and I found a new product that could possibly turn into my favorite piece of art! Stay tuned for samples! We didn’t come home with as much stuff as we thought we were going to (thank goodness because our bags were at capacity already with all of my shoes hehe) however we have tons of literature to still go through and may possibly be ordering more stuff in the months to come.

There were so many awesome things to see... hello, it's Las Vegas! My favorite part had to be meeting and hanging out with some awesome people! Being that this was our first time to attending WPPI, we had no idea what to expect. The convention and trade show part was kind of a no brainer. Who knew there would be so many parties? Oh My Gosh, do the vendors know how to throw a good party!!! We went to a handful of them, one of which was in the Celebrity Suite at the Palms Hotel and Casino.

The next night was a party at the Parisian Palace. It was amazing.

We weren't as good as we could have been toting along our camera everywhere we went, but here are a few shots that we did get while in Vegas. Okay so all of these were taken from the balcony of our hotel room (The Platinum).

The view from our room

Me, Steve and Larry

The 4 Musketeers!

Jenna Trashes her own Dress @ the Boneyard

2008-03-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

Our latest trip to Vegas was an amazing whirlwind of learning, activities and fun. I'm sure Jenna plans to post much more on the trip, but I wanted to tell this little story.

For the short version, watch the slideshow

We arrived in Vegas on the 15th and previous reserved time to shoot at the Boneyard (The Neon Museum), an amazing place filled with retired signs from the Vegas strip. Our friends Steve and Larry and several models made up our crew ;-)

We had been planning the trip for a while, finding models and working out details... some time during that process Jenna got the idea she'd like to put on her own dress and be one of the models. Honestly I didn't really didn't get it or share her excitement thinking what could I do with pictures of my wife in her dress! Still she was so excited about the idea, so much so that it was contagious and eventually she had me excited as well.

The day of we had some models cancel and I decided to shoot just Jenna. Heck she was my wife, in her wedding dress and she was beautiful... add the amazing signs and backdrops and WOW I was inspired. 2 1/2 hours and 1000 pictures later, I had taken some of my favorite pictures ever. See for yourself!!!

Jenna and I actually learned a ton from this shoot, she now has more of the experience from in-front of the camera... this just makes working with our couples better by understanding the experience. And just in case you're interested is a TTD (trash the dress session) Jenna can tell you all about it and how much fun it can be!

Oh yeah, I loved these photos so much... they are up on my wall in my studio!

Back from Las Vegas

2008-03-25T21:51:00.001-07:00

Yes, we are finally back and we are home to stay... for the time being anyways. :o) We had a fabulous time in Las Vegas and I have so many good times and adventures to share with you all! John and I are both working like hounds trying to play catch up on so much, but I promise that with in the next few days I will post all kinds of goodies for your reading pleasure! hehe :)

Check back in a few day's or better yet, subscribe to our blog and be notified when we post something new and exciting! Ciao for now.

Our amazing trip to Mexico

2008-03-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

I'm note even really sure how to begin this blog. Over the past few days I have been overwhelmed with so many thoughts, so many emotions. I'm not sure if my brain has really had a chance to begin processing all that I've experienced this weekend.

For the short version, watch the slideshow

We arrived in Tijuana late Friday evening. Not to long after we arrived we all settled into our bunks and it was lights out as a long weekend awaited us and we needed our rest. The home we were building was for a mother of two Teresa, and daughters Litzy (2) and Alison (6 months) who were living with Teresa's father in his 15x15 foot home. Teresa's father purchased the land next door to his home for his daughter and that's where her new home was to be built.

When we arrived we unloaded several van's of supplies and got right to work. Several different work stations were set up, some for painting and some for building. It wasn't long before the neighborhood kids were curiously checking out what we were up to with their heart melting and eager smiles. It was amazing getting to interact with these children. Although I don't speak but a few words of Spanish and the kids no English, no one let the language barrier keep us from getting to know one another. Mostly through gestures, smiles and a few misspoken words ;).

The children couldn't wait to get their hands on a paint brush and paint they did! It was a very awesome experience to take a step back and look over the work site and see not only our friends, but the family of the home we were building, and the neighborhood getting involved. We worked until late afternoon, and when it was time to call it a day not only did we have all four walls and roof up, but we had made some great connections with this family and the neighborhood children. We couldn't wait to come back the following morning to finish the home and to spend more time with everyone.

Sunday we arrived to the home site and got right to work. We finished up the roof, touched up the paint and assembled the furniture. While we were finishing up the home and all of the furnishings we asked Teresa to stay inside of her fathers home. Reason being, she had no idea that we were going to furnish the house and we wanted it to be a surprise. :) Once we were all finished with the home and had the inside all set up we asked Teresa and her girls to join us outside. We all had a chance to tell Teresa and her family (with the help of an interpreter) just what meeting her and her family and what the whole experience meant to us. She in turn thanked us. Even if no words were spoken, the look on her face was enough to know just how thankful she was. I truly was an emotional moment. It was now time for Teresa and her family to enter their new home for the first time. She was give her keys and went in to explore her new home. After a few moments we knocked on the door and she invited us in. Probably one of my favorite moments of the whole weekend.

We said our goodbyes and many hugs and tears were shed. Teresa, her family and the children of the neighborhood have definitely changed my life and I think it's safe to say that we've also changed theirs. To be a part of something so wonderfully fulfilling is amazing. To be honest it is a very different feeling when you know that you've done something to help another, but you walk away feeling as though you were the one benefiting from it... that's how this weekend felt. John and I are both so very grateful to have been part of this amazing experience. Anytime you can do something good for someone else and walk away not sure who got more out of it, you or the ones you helped... It must be a good thing! We certainly plan on going again next year, perhaps with one or both of my step-daughters.

If you would like to know more about how to get involved with a mission such as the one John and I just returned from or a hand full of other missions please click here or feel free to email me directly!

"Para cada casa es construido por alguien, pero Dios es el constructor de todo".

Hebrews 3:4

Watch out Mexico...Here come the Super Friends!

2008-03-04T12:23:00.001-08:00

We are SO excited for this weekend! We leave Friday for Mexico with some of our Super Friends (from our small group) as well as 9 other awesome individuals from our Church, New Life.

The purpose of our trip is to build a home for a family of 3 whom as of right now live in a very small house made with cement floors, the walls & roof made from scrap pieces of wood nailed together and a tarp just thrown over the roof. Our mission is to build the Lozada Arispe Family a solid home. New Life Church has teamed up with the organization YWAM which is responsible for building 25,000 homes for families just like the Lozada Arispe family.

It's amazing how little the cost is to build just one home... $6,000! Some Americans pay that in just one month for their mortgage! New Life has committed to building 3 homes for 3 families this year in Mexico alone. Last Sunday our pastor gave us the news that we had raised about 1/3 of that so far. What a blessing! Each one of us going to Mexico are responsible for paying our own way to Mexico however the church and the gifts/donations from our families and friends pays for the cost to build each home.

The trip we are leaving on this Friday is just the first of many to follow this year. Another trip to Mexico is coming up this May as well as many other trips to different parts of the country and world such as New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina relief, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and South Africa. If you would like more information on how to get involved, volunteer for a trip or to donate to one of these trips please click here.

Stay tuned... upon our return home we'll be sure to post some pic's!

"For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything."
Hebrews 3:4

Rowe Family Portraits

2008-03-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

I first met Tasha and her husband Nate back in 2003 through my wonderful sister-in-law, Misty. Now Tasha and Nate are expecting their 3rd child. Little Colten is due to arrive this weekend. Besides Mommy and Daddy, anxiously awaiting his arrival are his two big sisters Hailee (3) and Cameron (9). Before his arrival Tasha wanted to get some family pictures as well as some pictures of her belly which we did in their home last week. Here are some of my favorite images from that day.

Stay tuned... because I plan on capturing Colten's first few weeks here and you know where those pictures will be posted... here! :)

If you would like to view more and order prints from the Rowe family portrait sessions, please click here.

Jenny & Logan | A day in Seattle

2008-02-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

We spent a Saturday afternoon hanging out with Jenny & Logan in beautiful downtown Seattle. With just 3 months to go until their wedding it was great to get toghether for their engagement pictures. What an awesome day it was for pictures... let me tell ya! :) Jenny & Logan wanted to incorporate the city into their pictures, so we headed down to Pike Place Market. It was awesome... there were vendors pouring out onto the sidewalks and the entertainment was, well... entertaining! We had a selection of musicians and even a clown who made a heart with two lovebirds just for our two lovebirds. :) Graced with blue skies over Seattle we headed over to Alki to take in some more of the great weather and awesome views of the city.

A few day's after their engagement session we received a call from Jenny, they had wanted to take some pictures with them both wearing a very special piece of clothing. Logan's mother Darlene, lost her 10 1/2 year battle against breast cancer on February 2nd 2008. Darlene is survived by Husband Philip, Son's Logan, Phillip & Erik, a very soon to be daughter-in-law Jenny, Daughter Mariah, as well as 6 grandchildren. Darlene's determination, courage and strength during such a time is personally just so encouraging and uplifting.

Logan's sister Mariah had some really great looking North Face jackets embroidered for the family to show their support in the fight against breast cancer. Sunday afternoon Jenny & Logan brought the family by for a few more pictures... all of them wearing their awesome jackets! It worked out great because John and I had the opportunity not only to meet some of the family but get some great family shots as well.

If you would like to learn more on how you can support or join in the fight against breast cancer, please visit http://www.the3day.org/. You can also directly contribute to Jenny and Logan's team, Mama Fox by clicking here.

If you would like to view or order prints from their engagement session click here to sign their guest book.

Trip to Napa | OSPW2

2008-02-21T13:26:00.001-08:00

Back and recovering from an amazing (to say the least) weekend in Napa, California John and I are both fighting off nasty colds all the while trying to jump back into the flow of... well, work! :)

Not 100% sure what to expect from our first OSP event, we couldn't have been more delighted with how everything turned out! From the 12 hour car ride down with friends Steve Smith & Larry Legler to the days of shooting in places us Washingtonians don't often get the chance to shoot. It was awesome getting to visit & meet so many in the community of photographers along the west coast and we can't wait to see everyone at WPPI in March!

Our first shoot Saturday morning was at the V. Sattui Winery which was my personal favorite place to shoot! The staff was amazing and the grounds were breathtaking. Here are a few pictures from our shoot there. Also, I just wanted to say thanks to ALL of our models who donated their time and beautiful smiles to all of us. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have these awesome images!

Right Image

Right Image

Right Image

That night we made the short trip to downtown Napa for some night shots, it's such a quaint little city.

Sunday we shot at the Rutherford Train Station which is no longer a running train station but the site itself was quite interesting and made for some pretty sweet backdrops.

Right Image

Finally, Monday before John, Myself, Steve & Larry headed back home we decided to take a little personal tour of wine country and stopped off at Milat Vineyards, Castello di Amorosa then finally Frank Family Vineyards stopping along the way to take advantage of some great photo opportunities for ourselves. Thanks to Steve & Larry we were able to get some great shots of us! Thanks guys!

Right Image

Kyle & Shari's Engagement Session | Alki Beach Seattle

2008-01-14T09:22:00.000-08:00

Kyle Proposed to Shari at Hamilton Park overlooking Seattle and Alki Beach. What an awesome spot to begin their engagement pictures...in the very spot where they first became engaged!

Doing outdoor engagement sessions this time of year can be tricky because you just can't count on the weather to cooperate. However, Sunday was the only day in the forecast not scheduled to rain. Not only was it dry, but it was clear and sunny! The view from Hamilton Park was absolutely beautiful.

After a few shots at this romantic look out, we headed down to Alki Beach for a few more shots. If you live in Seattle you know that one nice day, everyone flocks to be outside. Alki was screaming with people, soaking in as much of the sun as possible... we were no exception.

Shari & Kyle are getting married this April. Here are a few pictures from their engagement session.

Middle Image RightImage

Right Image

Wedding Expo | Not Just For Brides!

2008-01-06T20:02:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. Perhaps you got engaged over the holidays or maybe you started planning sometime last year. Either way, you've probably found yourself at or plan to attend at least one wedding show. The first one of the year was held at the Seattle's Convention Center. John and I attended along with friends Steve Smith and Larry Legler from Steve Smith Photography. We wanted to take some pictures to share with you, however it was asked that NO photography was taken during the Expo (even though not everyone complied). :(

John and I make it a point to stay connected with what is hot and new...what better way to do that then to attend one of the largest wedding conventions in Washington!?! We had an amazing time and even ran into a few of our own brides! We also had a chance to meet and talk with some beautiful new bride-to-be's as well as some awesome vendors! In fact, the entire afternoon we met with so many vendors that it dawned on me...Wedding Shows are not just for upcoming brides. They really are an awesome place to network! We had the pleasure of running into a few people we already knew like Bethany Little, wedding coordinator at Lord Hill Farms in Snohomish, Wa and Jim Fore with Foremost DJ who DJ'd our wedding just over a year ago and whom we very highly recommend to all of our brides. We also made lots of new connections with a few vendors we would like to work with in the future.

It's always awesome to keep up on what's new and what's hot. It's something our brides have come to expect from us and it's something that we just love to provide! In fact...we are heading to Las Vegas in March for 5 days to attend the WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) convention & Trade show where we will have the awesome opportunity of meeting any and all vendors that specialize and deal in the Wedding Photography industry! I mean we are talking about 5 full days of seminars, classes, demonstrations you name it, it's there! This will be our first time attending and we can hardly wait!

John and I are really looking forward to what 2008 brings our way! Congratulations to all of you newly engaged couples out there...and if you haven't booked your photographer yet...you may want to think about getting a jump on that as well as booking your other main vendors. It's very common (especially after these expo's) for your most important (and popular) vendors to book solid right around this time of year! Even we are already 1/2 way booked for this year! So don't wait...because you may not have as much time as you think. ;-)

Happy New Year!!!

2008-01-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

Just like that...2007 has blown by and 2008 is upon us! What an awesome year 2007 turned out to be. We enjoyed a few leisure camping trips, moved into our new house, celebrated our one year anniversary and had a jam packed wedding season! It's a blessing directly from God for everything that we've been allowed to experience.

2008 is already shaping out to be an even busier year. During what we consider to be our "down time", we have been updating our portfolio's, ordering new samples and taking a few moments to catch our breath before 2008 really gets movin' and shakin'. Come March we are heading to Mexico for a long weekend with our church and amazing small group, to build a home for a family who doesn't even have running water! We are truly blessed for this opportunity and are looking forward to working with our good friends to do something for a family who may not have otherwise known what it was like to have a home that they can call their own. Then...just a week after we return from Mexico, we are off to Las Vegas for the WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) convention & Trade show which we are very much looking forward to. Once we return, we will be shooting lots of engagement sessions and before we know it, wedding season will be in full force. With already 1/2 of our calendar booked... John and I are expecting a busy year. However, our hard work will not come with out it's rewards! Just this last year we opened up ourselves to doing a few select destination weddings. With a few already on the books, we still are available for a couple more.
However...any day shooting a wedding on a sandy beach of Mexico or Hawaii...not such a bad day! ;-)

John and I wish each and everyone of you blessings and hope you all have an amazing year! Thank you to all of you who have made us a part of your lives this year! We feel truly privileged knowing and getting to know each of you personally. God Bless.