personal | winter reflection

If you haven't guessed by my endless stream of snowy photos on Instagram already, I love winter. Honestly this comes as a bit of surprise to me. Born and raised in the Arizona sunshine, I don't think anyone could have predicted that I would have an undying love for playing in the snow in my adult years. But alas, it's true. It's not that I don't enjoy summer, it's just that I'm really really busy in the summer. When winter comes around, it's like this cold breath of fresh air and freedom. My weekends are free, my evenings are relaxing, and I have time to give back to myself. This past Saturday, I spent my 25th day on the slopes this season. Not bad for a city dweller right? Some may call us crazy and complain about the commute, but to me, every minute is worth it. Snowboarding is where I feel the most free. Floating down the side of a mountain in fresh powder on my board is a feeling I get nowhere else and it completely balances out all of the other madness that I find in life. The peaceful pockets between the trees where everything is quiet and snow falls all around keep me calm. The steep faces I somehow get down when I was standing at the top feeling nervous give me an immense sense of accomplishment. And it's all followed by the high fives with friends at the end of the day with smiles pinned on our faces from ear to ear. Snowboarding makes me want to be better, to challenge myself, and improve. I fully believe that those values are transferred over into the business side of my life. As the temperatures rise and the summer approaches, I know that I can go into the busy season with a refreshed mind and strong body. Without snowboarding, I just wouldn't be me.

mt baker engagement session | scott & tiffany

I am always amazed at how I end up booking weddings sometimes. While you could spend thousands on lots of advertising, the best way to meet people is just by getting yourself out there and just simply being you. Example A: Scott and Tiffany. Last winter I was blown away by one very particular snowboarding trip to Mt. Rainier where we rode some of the deepest and most beautiful powder I've ever experienced in the Northwest. We had painted our lines down a pristine slope and were regrouping when we saw that another group had started their descent on the slope just opposite ours. I didn't think much of it until I got a comment on the Instagram post I had done from the day from another lady splitboarder. Not only are female splitboarders pretty rare here, but this particular backcountry enthusiast just so happened to be engaged to her outdoorsy partner in crime as well, AND I had shot one of their friend's weddings the previous fall. So, the stars aligned and I was introduced to Scott and Tiffany. A quick meeting over coffee and we realized that not only would we be a good fit to photograph their wedding, but we could all have just made friends with some new adventure partners. Anyway, they picked probably one of the most beautiful locations ever for their engagement session up at Mt. Baker and I'm just going to let the photos speak for themselves :)

san juan island engagement session | dominic and ellen

One word comes to mind when I think of Dominic and Ellen's engagement session on San Juan Island - gracious. Dominic and Ellen proposed the idea of doing their engagement photos on San Juan Island and I couldn't help but jump at the idea. Not only did we get the opportunity to travel to a place we'd never been, but these two were simply the most welcoming hosts to us. We stayed on beachfront property in a beautiful home that Dom's family had built on the island. If you've never been to San Juan Island - go!! It's so lovely. With Dom and Ellen as our tour guides, we got to experience a perfect sampling of everything San Juan Island has to offer. They showed us lighthouses, views of Mt. Baker and Canada, cider-tasting, the quaint little town of Roche Harbor, and the most incredible sunset view. I can't thank them enough for what wonderful hosts they were throughout the whole weekend. While I could go on and on about everything we saw, I think it's best to let the photos speak for themselves on this one.