Acorn Studios

Autumn Music

2011-10-20T22:25:00.001-07:00

A few photos from yesterday's senior portrait shoot. We had so much fun! One great thing about photographing musicians is that you get to enjoy some fantastic music in the process. LOVE the cello. I should have learned a string instrument. Ahh...

View all of the images from Desiree's shoot here.

Halloween Fun!

2011-10-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

Halloween fun is such a fun time of year when you know small children. This shot of the cousins in their costumes is just priceless. It brings a smile to my face each time I look at it!

Youthful Spirit

2011-09-21T15:36:00.001-07:00

I was working on some client photos today and had the chance to revisit a beach portrait shoot from the spring. When I saw the wonderful spirit in these images, I couldn't help but smile. Look at all of that fabulous energy! Ahhh. To be six again...

...and it was just right

2011-09-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

I had an art professor in college that once told me: "...You keep going until it feels right. Then STOP! And walk away." More than 17 years (yikes!) later, his voice still runs through my head.

I absolutely loved this photo from Teresa's shoot a couple weeks ago. The colors were lovely, but it didn't feel right. The mood I wanted as an artist just wasn't there. With the clothes, the expression and the pose I felt it could go farther. So a few (okay, more than a few!) tweaks later, it finally felt good to me. Then I stopped!

"Keys" are in hand!

2011-09-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to have a new studio space to work in. I got the "keys" today and I am dying to start shooting. This nice big space will especially be fantastic this fall/winter when the weather is less predictable.

Summer in September!

2011-09-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

I am loving the late summer we are having in Portland. It is fantastic being able to shoot outdoors this time of year--although I admit it feels strange to worry about having too much heat for a shoot!

Last Sunday's forecast was 95 degrees. Thankfully we started Teresa's on-location shoot early, before we really started baking. Here are just a few samples from Teresa's senior portrait collection. She's a lovely lady, and was a lot of fun to work with. I am LOVING the colors of her outfits in these shots--wow! The camera loves Teresa, so it was really hard to narrow it down to a couple dozen shots!

Michelle's Senior Photos

2011-08-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

A few favorites from a senior portrait shoot with gorgeous Michelle. Michelle is our first Model Rep for the 2011-2012 school year and we are very excited to be working with her. The shoot was a lot of fun and we had a lot of laughs (most at the expense of her boyfriend who tagged along!). We also got some great images for her portfolio.

Heather and Chris

2011-05-31T23:18:00.000-07:00

It was such a joy to spend a Sunday afternoon with Heather and Chris. Their wedding was beautiful, emotional and I captured so many fantastic memories. While I am still making my way through all of the images, here are a few early favorites. Congratulations to the happy couple!

Congratulations Jason and Danielle

2011-05-02T22:43:00.000-07:00

On April 23rd I had the pleasure of spending the day with Jason and Danielle, a fantastic couple from Utah. Their wedding was so loving and genuine that it brought tears to this photographer's eyes. Fortunately, the weather cooperated just long enough to enjoy a ceremony on the beach--a major victory for April on the Central Oregon Coast! The following are a few of my favorite shots from the day. Congratulations, Jason and Danielle. Cheers!

Acorn Studios Makes the Top 10!

2011-03-16T10:19:00.001-07:00

We were very excited to learn that Acorn Studios made the Top 10 Portland Wedding Photographers list on Thumbtack.com. In fact, we're number eight! Not bad at all!

Check out the listing. You can even leave praise if you are a current/former client!

Location:Portland

Preserving Memories

2011-03-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

On the fence about having professional portraits? This article from Professional Photographers of America explains why preserving your family memories is important and also assists in finding a local photographer.

http://www.ppa.com/familyphotographer/

Larry and Valerie

2010-02-10T21:28:00.000-08:00

Two weekends ago, I had the pleasure of shooting Larry and Valerie's wonderful day. Rain and cold, coastal weather didn't stop this beautiful outdoor wedding! Everything was wonderful, and we really had a great shoot after the ceremony. I am still trying to get through the hundreds of photos!! Congratulations, Larry and Valerie!

You never know what you'll find...

2010-01-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

The Internet is such a fascinating thing. From time to time I will do a Google search on my name to see what pops up. It had been ages since I last tried this, but for fun I logged on last night and did a quick search. In addition to learning that I share my name with a lady in Australia, I was VERY pleasantly surprised to learn that the San Francisco Chronicle had published one of my images along side a featured travel article by columnist Rick Steves. My discovery was in the pre-dawn hours of the night and I am still grinning from ear to ear.

Here's a link to archive. The article can be accessed by using the "Back to Article" link above my photo.

Disappearing Paul

2010-01-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

I've known Paul for about 10 years now. However you can't imagine my surprise when he recently contacted me out of the blue to do some portraits for him. It wasn't his request for photos that surprised me, but rather that Paul had gone through this amazing transformation since I last saw him five years ago. His story is truly inspirational and a tribute to what a little hard work and a whole lot of dedication can do! Check out his blog, disappearingpaul.wordpress.com, it is a great story that continues to unfold...

Kayley

2010-01-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

One of the clients I had the chance to work with this fall was Kayley. This beautiful high school senior was a lot of fun to shoot. She had a great personality and we had a lot of laughs during her session.

Bridge Series

2010-01-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

Well, the bad news is that I have been neglecting my blog for far too long. The good news is that I have been doing a lot of shooting lately which keeps me away from the desk. A recent personal project has been a formal study of bridges. I set out to photograph bridges in a less traditional way. My aim was to focus on the art contained within bridge design. My thesis was that even the most plain or utilitarian bridges have something beautiful to offer. I hope you enjoy these selected images from my bridge series.

Paige

2009-10-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to photograph Paige not long ago. This beautiful teen was fun to photograph. Especially with eyes like those! She reminds me of a young Lauren Bacall.

Exploring Art

2009-10-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

So much of my work is portraits and landscapes, that I have been having a lot of fun lately exploring fine art photography. I've stepped outside my comfort zone to challenge myself as an artist and explore new ways of seeing. By experimenting in new areas, I am able to grow in others. I have found working in the abstract to be a lot of fun, and I am enjoying this personal journey.

Candi and Chris

2009-09-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

Candi and Chris are Oregon-transplants that were a lot of fun to work with. They really are the perfect couple, complementing each other in every way. I enjoyed shooting their engagement photos on a beach that was very special to them. Their little dog, Libbey, even got to pose for me! I wish you all the happiness and love--cheers!

Alisha

2009-09-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

Alisha's senior portrait shoot was a lot of fun for me as a photographer. Alisha, like most teens, was very expressive through her body language and her eyes. She is a natural beauty and makes a stunning model. She was a trooper modeling on a 90+ degree evening in front of a gathering crowd. She was willing to try different creative poses during her session, and by the end of our time together she was ready to jump in a COLD fountain for a couple shots.

Getting Caught Up

2009-09-12T12:18:00.001-07:00

The great weather has kept me out shooting a lot lately, which means I've been neglecting my posts. I am getting caught up, and will sharing some awesome photos very shortly!

Rainy Summer Sunset

2009-08-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

During last week's moody weather, I was able to get some great portrait shots between rain showers. I think this photo proves that August rain at sunset really can produce a nice photo.

Eyes

2009-08-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

I was so fascinated by this teen's eyes during a recent portrait shoot, I wanted to do an artsy photograph that focused on them. They were an unbelievable green color and amazing to photograph.

Seeing the Light

2009-08-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about photography is being able to experiment and play with natural light. This portrait, from a recent shoot, was a lot of fun to create. I love the shadows and the highlights.

New Sisters

2009-06-29T23:14:00.001-07:00

Watching a child meet her little sister for the first time is one of the sweetest things you'll ever witness...

Kaden and Cavan

2009-05-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

I love working with small children and today I got to do a photo shoot with Kaden and his little brother Cavan. These delightful boys were a lot of fun to work with and always a joy to be around. Here are a couple cute portraits from earlier today.

Kyla

2009-05-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got the pleasure of shooting photos of Miss Kyla. She is an absolutely delicious twenty-one month old, and I can't get enough of her. She is very expressive, which makes photo shoots so much fun. She moves 90 MPH, which means you have to shoot fast. With literally hundreds of photos to sort, I'll be at it the rest of the week!

Are teens easier to photograph?

2009-05-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm not sure if teens are easier to photograph, but they sure are a lot of fun to work with! Over the weekend I had a great session with Cedar. He is an expressive teenager who is always working to perfect his rock star moves. Needless to say, he had me in stitches during the shoot and we shared a lot of great laughs. I think in the end, we have some fun shots for this aspiring rocker and some great parent pleasers too!

Acorn Studios in the News Today!

2009-05-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

Acorn Studios was recently featured on Tech Blog Today. We were honored to be selected, and of course very excited to learn we're making a name for ourselves (and getting noticed) out there! Here's a link to the feature.

Gorgeous in Red

2009-05-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Today I had a great session photographing the divine Miss Clover for her birthday. I could photograph that girl all day long; and what I wouldn't give for hair like that! A real beauty, inside and out. Happy birthday, Clover!

Acorn Studios is Networking!

2009-05-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

With social media exploding, it is hard to keep up with all the sites you need to be on to stay connected to friends! We are pleased to say that you can connect with Acorn Studios on both Facebook and Twitter. We also have a Yelp page for our Portland and Waldport studio locations. Become a fan, follow us, and keep up to date with what we're doing!

Over the Weekend

2009-04-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the chance to photograph my favorite twins - Luca and Sofia. This dynamic duo are always fun to spend time with, and since they are at the age where everything happens at superhuman speed, I've learned you have to be quick to get some good shots! As always, thank you Sarena for letting me borrow your children...

On Location in South Africa

2009-03-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

The team just returned last week from an amazing trip to South Africa. With a country full of wildlife, beautiful vistas, and a thriving art and music scene, there was plenty to photograph. While we are still going through the hundreds of photos taken, here are a couple early highlights!

Great Shoot in Texas

2009-02-16T21:25:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month I was at a great photo shoot in Texas. We were photographing children for an upcoming advertising campaign. During my time down south I was able to get lots of great shots, but I think my favorites were the unexpected moments when kids were simply being kids...

Photographing Children

2009-02-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

While I enjoy all types of photography, I particularly enjoy photographing children. Children are honest and unpredictable, which makes each session unique and enjoyable. Since kids are often on the move (and quickly!), I have found that even "action" shots make great artistic photos. Here are a couple favorites!