New Classes

I'm excited to announce a three part class to be held at the Artist & Craftsman Supply studio in the University District! They offer some pretty awesome art classes of all types for adults and kids, and I'm looking forward to taking part in them.

My three classes will set you up with a new perspective on taking photos, and the concepts you learn can be applied to any camera. With a 2 hour class you can come after work and not be overloaded with too much info at once. And if you sign up for the whole series, you get a discount. Sweet!

Check out the details below and contact me at
sweetriverphotography @ gmail . com
to sign up today!

Oh, and if you want to get the latest information on classes at A&C, be sure to let me know and we'll sign you up!

Better Photos
with any camera

Tuesday Evenings
November 16th-30th
5:30-7:30pm

$50 for all three or $20 drop-in.

Please bring your digital camera.

Class 1: Finding the story.
Class 2: Creative composition.
Class 3: Using perspective.

Artist & Craftsman Supply

4350 8th Avenue NE
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 545-0091

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Pumpkin Fun

What do you get when you mix a two year old and a field of pumpkins? Perma-grins.

We finally went to a pumpkin patch this year. I spent the whole time trying to remember why I could only think of Bella as a six month old. Then I remembered that we did go pumpkin picking last year, but I was full into the sickening pregnancy haze that I am amazed I even took photos.

This year I tried for a family outing. How cute would it be to compare Lillia and Bella at the same age in a pumpkin field! And, gasp, a potential family photo for once? But instead we did it as a Mommy Date. Bella was much in need.

Bella was in heaven - Pumpkin friends all around and a lengthy ride on a Wheeeee! (Bella's vocabulary for anything that can be dragged for her enjoyment, including -but not limited to- chairs and laundry baskets.)

The golden hour was around and beautiful families were everywhere. I had to resist the urge to stop every other family to offer portraits. This is why everyone needs a family photographer, seriously! So next year, when you start shuffling through your old photos, you won't come across unrecognizable faces squinting into the sun next to giant cardboard pumpkin cut outs. You'll have memories of the way your baby (I'll milk that word as long as I can) saw a field of pumpkins, put out her arms and said, "Want hoo? Pleeaaaz?" because she wanted to hold each and every one.

And how tiny she looked in the field when I finally convinced her to get off the Whhheeeeeeee! for two seconds. And the way she filled her arms up with gourds. And the way she stared at the various families, soaking them up, studying them in detail as she always does when we go out. And of course the way she played with her new friends all night as Lia looked on in amazement. Those are the memories I can't let go.

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Fabulous Fall Foliage (part 2)

Ah, so here we continue our little tour of autumn in the great Pacific Northwest. I decided to depart a bit from the foliage, and these turned out to be my favorites!

It's amazing the little details that come to life when you're on the look out. Whenever I need a new perspective on life, I just head out with my camera and come home with a new sense of awe for our world.

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Announcing Mini Sessions!

What's that you hear? Mini Sessions? Whoopieeeeeee!

So here's the scoop:

To make sure everyone has the chance to get that family shot they've been craving (or maybe that headshot you've been procrastinating) and feel what it's like to actually enjoy having your photos done, I'll be holding a string of 20 minute sessions here in Kent at Earthworks Park.

All the awesomeness of a casual, candid, fun filled family session, but in a matter of minutes!

Holiday Mini Sessions:

$75

Saturday, Nov 6th, 10am-3pm
(yes, it's soon so you can have it done with!)


Earthworks Park, Kent
20 minutes of celebrity status
5-10 digital files of your amazing family (or just you!)


Booking is confirmed with a $25 non-refundable deposit. The remainder is due on the session day. Call or email to reserve your half hour time slot today - they won't last long!


PS. I offer custom holiday card design for an additional $20. I use your session photos and you can have the cards printed anywhere!

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Peas in a pod

I've known Lindsay since she was born. We lived on opposite sides of the country our entire lives so we didn't get to grow up together, but our families spent many a fun summer goofing off. This August she met an amazing guy, and let me tell you they are an adorable couple!

Not to mention insanely photogenic. They came up from Portland and stopped by to meet my girls, so of course we popped outside for a mini shoot before the rain set in.

Success! Thanks Lindsay and Brian, I can't wait to see you guys again. Don't be such strangers to Washington!

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Fabulous Fall Foliage (part 1)

Sometimes as a mom it can be really hard to get out of the house alone. When you are already away from your babies because of work, it seems almost harder to justify leaving just because. Sure, I could tack some me-time onto the end of my workday, but with a baby who won't take a bottle, I try to dawdle as little as possible lest she go half a day without nursing.

So I promised myself that the next sunny evening that my husband was home, he'd watch the girls and I'd run out and take photos to my heart's content. One of my friends and former photography class attendee, Onica, came with and we drove all over town looking for fall inspiration.

We had just one hour of light. Apparently the sun is now setting around six, who knew! And it kept darting in and out of the clouds, which made for some moody scenes.

It was a typical gorgeous fall evening here in the Pacific Northwest.

Stay tuned for part two of this photo excursion, and an awesome couple that came to visit me last week! They're absolutely gorgeous!

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Savoring the summer

Meet Mirabellah -this little darling has been on the other end of my lens right from the start. It has been amazing watching her grow into a little girl!

This was a special setting since her parents used to hang out at this park together as kids. The sun graced us with some amazing autumn light, as well.

Marian is an amazing dad, and it is always fun to watch him interact with his little girl. He'll be heading out for quite some time, so I tried to capture as much of them together as I could. No doubt Ialiuxh and Mirabellah will miss him very much.

Thanks so much, guys! I had a blast at this session and even survived the fresh mowed grass! Hopefully these photos will be something the whole family can treasure while Marian is away.

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Big news!

All this week I have been in correspondence with Me Ra Koh, an amazing photographer, mother, businesswoman, and mentor. She is the queen of inspiration!

It has been a hard year (or two) for a number of people, and certainly not an easy climate to run your own new business. There are so many people who have helped me stay afloat in hard times while my husband is among those still searching for a full time job, helped this business rises to the front of our dreams. My parents and my friends and family, near and far, and Me Ra as well. She asks the hard questions of people and gets them to put all they have into life. Best of all, she leads by example and is not afraid of bearing her dreams with all their ups and downs.

So today, I am over on her blog, sharing one of my hardest moments this year, in hopes that everyone else struggling in this climate will feel just a little less alone.

Stay tuned for a Q&A segment tomorrow!

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My Inspiration

To her, there is magic in everything.

And why shouldn't there be?

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Autumnal strolling

Meet Katie and Arnoud. This lucky couple happens to live near a park that is absolutely beautiful in the fall. I'd say Katie's puppy is the one who is most excited about it!

In true Seattle fall form, it poured all day. I had a pile of umbrellas in my car just in case, but we didn't end up needing them. The rain stopped just in time for our walk.

Thanks for a fun afternoon, guys! It was great getting to know you (and I hope you enjoyed your vacation this weekend). Stay tuned for your album layout!

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just a quick hello!

Popping in to let you know that i'm over here at a new community knitting blog today.


Seven Steps to Take Better Photos of Your Projects — Shawna

Check it out and get a few tips for taking better pictures of your projects!

P.S. Stay tuned for a sneak peek with some gorgeous fall scenery!

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Photography class recap!

September's Camera on the Go point and shoot class was a great success! Honestly, it's one of my favorite classes to teach because little cameras are so versatile. Once you get familiar with the buttons and learn a bit of composition, your photography skills improve dramatically during the few hours of the class!

I am finding, however, that the classes bring about the most interesting weather. For August's DSLR class we had an unbelievable heat wave and had every fan in the house going. Somehow we managed to survive while the thermostat crept up towards 94 in the house.

During the point and shoot class we had a quick little thunderstorm. We opened up all the windows because that is the one thing I miss while living out here: thunderstorms. We had a few close hits, some hail, some flash flooding, and then the power went out! Lucky for us, cameras are battery powered. We chugged right on through and were rewarded with gorgeous evening light when the storms passed.

In fact, this little man was kind enough to model for us:

If you ever find yourself disappointed in your photos or dumbfounded at all the options on your camera, definitely consider one of these super affordable photography classes!

We'll be having another round in early November to get you set for taking holiday photos. Email me at sweetriverphotography @ gmail .com (spaces removed, of course!) for more information.

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