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An early spring picnic with Cory & Jade
I had the great pleasure of photographing the beautiful personalities behind the Endlessly Enraptured blog last weekend at Mt. Tabor. Jade and Cory, the super talented photographer/writer/blogger/foodie couple are such a blast to be around. I discovered them through Instagram a few months ago and we have been following each other’s work ever since. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I have a soft spot for all of the awesome VW buses that I find all over Portland. When Cory told me that he has been dreaming of owning his own VW bus since he was a kid, I know we had to find a bus for our shoot. As chance would have it, I found a beautiful red 1972 VW bus for sale near my house. I contacted the owner, Janie, who was a total sweetheart, and she enthusiastically offered us her bus for the shoot. (In the time between I when I first talked with Janie about her bus and the time of the shoot, she had sold it. However, she sold it with the contingency that the buyer couldn’t have it until after our shoot! Portland Nice at it’s finest).
When we arrived to at Mt. Tabor Park in Southeast Portland for the shoot, we were met with menacing grey skies and intermittent downpour. Cory, the consistently glass half-full type, assured me that if we were patient, blue skies were in our near future. I’m not sure if it was just his optimism or if he has a 6th sense, but sure enough after a short 15 minute rain delay, we were greeted with bright sun, blue skies and warm air. We had a great time adventuring around the park and watching Cory smile ear to ear while living out his lifelong dream of driving a VW bus.
A big thanks to Black Sweet Raspberry for donating and styling the picnic supplies.
Josh & Ashley at Sauvie Island
Finally a new blog post! I’ve been in a state of hibernation for the past few months so it was a pleasure to spend a sunny morning with my friends Josh and Ashley on Sauvie Island this past weekend. Josh and Ashley are the creative duo behind Take A Look Photography. They shoot exclusively film, which I really appreciate and admire. These two have nerves of steel to shoot weddings 100% in film! I had a blast getting to know these two a little bit better this past weekend. It was an honor to watch them work and to photograph their wonderful spirits.
Sabine
I had the pleasure of spending some time over the holidays with the newest addition to our family, Lydia’s cousin, Sabine. Sabine charmed us all morning as we ooh’d and ahh’d at her tricks. We are really looking forward to her visit up to Portland in a few months.
To see more from this shoot and to purhcase prints, click here.
Eisenhut family
I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting the Eisenhut family a few weeks ago in downtown Portland. Robin & Benjamin drove up to Portland from the Bay Area to spend the holidays with their family who live in Portland. We met at the Ace Hotel where they had spent the night. We had a great time following their 15 month old daughter, Lily, around the hotel and through the North Park Blocks in the Pearl district. I had a blast getting to know you guys. Thanks a bunch for letting me photograph your family!
To see more from this shoot and to buy prints, click here.
Year in review – 2012
It’s been an amazing year. I photographed seven weddings, had multiple trips abroad, and gained a new amazing family. With all of the momentous events this year, I found myself most inspired by the small, almost overlooked moments that happened during my day to day life. With each year that passes, I find myself more fascinated by my immediate surroundings. I used to think I needed to go somewhere new or be somewhere different to feel really alive. As I get older, I find myself walking around my neighborhood with my eyes wider and listening to my friends and family with my heart deeper. I know that a lot of you keep up with my commissioned shoots on my website and blog. I want to end this year by sharing with you all of the little moments that I captured that made 2012 a year to remember. Happy New Year!
This is Youngberg Hill Vineyard, where I would get married later in the year. This was on our first visit. Despite the gloomy skies, we knew immediately that it would be the perfect place for our wedding.
One of my on-going projects this year was “Cars in Places“. I have been documenting cars and places in and around Portland over the past year. I have been inspired and drawn to classic cars in front of simple, geometric backgrounds. My goal was to make symmetrical and timeless photos. The project turned into a small gallery show at Vinnie’s at the Ford.
I shot my first catalog this year! In my tiny apartment, no less. Beckel Canvas was a blast to work with. Check out their products (and some of my photos) on their website. Here are a few behind the scenes photos of my studio shoot.
This year Lydia and I dabbled in video making. We mixed our loves of food, art, music and made a few short food films. This is an outtake from “The Fried Egg Sandwich”. Check out the video here.
I photographed a ton of really interesting people this year, including musician/photographer Kevin Wells. I shot some promo photos for Kevin’s debut album, Myrtle Songs. You should check it out, especially if you have kids!
We spent a lot of time eating meals outside this summer. We had a little garden that we were able to harvest a few times. These are rosemary and kale blossoms. This photo is an outtake from my second food film, “Grilled Pizza”. Check out the video here.
Each year that goes by, I fall more deeply in love with this lady. She inspires me to live simply and love fully. We like to spend our weekend mornings slowly, enjoying coffee in our tiny little apartment in Ladd’s Addition.
In 2012 I spent more time at Sweet Hereafter than any other bar in Portland. Many Sunday afternoons were spent with friends, sitting in front of the huge windows, holding onto the last few hours of the weekend. It is officially my favorite hangout 2012. Try the Eastern Bowl, it’s amazing.
In May, Lydia and I brought my family from Minnesota and a few of our great friends from Portland to hang out with her family in San Francisco for a bachelor/bachelorette weekend. It was pretty amazing!
This year I shot seven weddings, only two of which were actually in Portland. I drove, flew and walked all over the country to meet some amazing couples and their families. This is on a rainy drive to the Oregon Coast to photograph Andrew & Brenda’s Cannon Beach wedding.
Here I am stuck in New York rush hour traffic on my way to Katie & Eric’s Upstate New York wedding.
Best discovery of 2012: Buck Lake. This is the most amazing hidden treasure ever!
Sitting on the docks of the Eastbank Esplanade, along the river, on a warm summer night is one of my favorite things to do in Portland.
In August, Lydia and I tied the knot at Youngberg Hill Vineyard. It was a most amazing day spent with our closest family and friends. I couldn’t have imagined it any better than it was. I am one lucky guy! (Photo credit Dan Mirocha, the best man)
I spent A LOT of time on my bike this year. Biking to work, along the river, to the park, or to nowhere in particular. I feel like a teenager every time I saddle up. Summer is best spent with a breeze on your face.
In September, my grandpa Chet passed away at age 93. He lived an amazing life full of travels to far away places. I’ll never forget the hours spent sitting on his orange shag carpet with my cousins watching slideshows of these magical places. This is an engagement photo of he and my grandma Rita in La Jolla, CA in the 1940s.
Morning sunlight in our apartment is often surreal. On weekend mornings we like to walk to get coffee and then come back and make omelets. Sometimes, things get a little smokey in the kitchen, especially when I’m the chef. Usually because I get distracted by things like this happening.
This year we joined Sauvie Island Organics CSA. We received a box of fresh veggies every Wednesday. It was like getting a surprise present once a week!
Lydia and I celebrated our one-year engagement anniversary at the same random roadside spot near Hood River that I proposed at last October. I think this will become a wonderful tradition for us.
We spent Halloween wandering around Seattle with our great friends Gleb & Amber. After a few drinks, I can’t help but pose my friends in dramatic ways.
In November, I finally shot a styled wedding test. Something that I have been wanting to do forever! My good friends at Beckel Canvas loaned me this awesome tent for the shoot.
The Oregon Coast is a magical place, especially when you get a calm, dry day. This is at Short Sands Beach.
Lydia and I ended the year with a trip down to Playa del Carmen to celebrate the wedding of my best friend from childhood, Drew and his wife Annie. Lydia and I geeked out over the view (and 24 hour room service) all week!
It’s been an amazing year. I feel like I have grown ages professionally and personally. We have so much to look forward to in 2013. Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year!
New promo video!
I’m excited to share a new promo video that my talented friend Ben Egan put together for me. The video was shot by my amazing assistants during the styled wedding shoot.
Click here to see the video in HD.
A styled wedding shoot
I’m so excited to share this shoot with you guys! I have been dreaming up this styled wedding shoot for quite some time now. I wanted to find two beautiful models, dress them up like the most stylish bride & groom in some Portland labels that I drool over, put them in a ridiculously awesome location and photograph them looking amazing. So we did just that!
A big part of this project was an opportunity for me to reach out to some of my Portland fashion icons and see if they had any interest loaning, creating, and in some cases, donating some of their products to the shoot. To my amazement, every single vendor that I contacted, agreed to participating in the shoot. I was absolutely blown away by the generosity that some of these huge names showed to my little shoot.
We spent an afternoon a few weeks ago at Champoeg State Park in St. Paul, Oregon. It was a surprisingly warm fall day, perfect for our models to feel comfortable roaming around the park grounds for a few hours.
Huge thanks to my models, Alison and Mike, and my amazing assistants, Lydia and Kevin. I couldn’t have done it without all of your help.
I hope you guys enjoy the photos as much as I do!
To see more photos from this shoot, click here.
To see the video that we made of this shoot, click here.
Thank you so much to all of the vendors that participated in this shoot!
Groom’s suit – Duchess, Clothier
Groom’s shirt – Bridge & Burn
Groom’s tie – Harding & Wilson
Groom’s glasses – Warby Parker
Groom’s belt/lanyard – Tanner Goods
Groom’s sweater – Pendleton Wollen Mills
Bride’s hair & make-up – Jennifer Weems – Salon au Rogue
Bride’s sweater – Pendleton Wollen Mills
Wreaths – Bloke PDX
Bouquet – Sammy’s Flowers
Boutonniere – Sammy’s Flowers
Garland – Sammy’s Flowers
Canvas Tent and log carrier – Beckel Canvas Products
Blankets – Pendleton Wollen Mills
Marlen
I had the pleasure of meeting five-month old Marlen and his mom Ariel this past weekend at their home in Southeast Portland. Ariel bid on, and won, a 1-hour photo session with me at Montessori Institute Northwest‘s Celebration of Light fundraiser last winter. I had a complete blast hanging out with Marlen and Ariel on a chilly, rainy Sunday morning. Marlen was all smiles and totally won me over during our session. Thank you Ariel, for supporting education through MINW. I wish you and your family all the best!
To see more and purchase prints from this shoot, click here.
Apple picking at Draper Girls Country Farm
Lydia and I went out to Hood River a few weekends ago to celebrate our (engagement) anniversary. We stopped Draper Girls Country Farm to pick some apples along the way.
Mark Mirocha Photography 