harmony + javier: hitched!

Congratulations to Harmony + Javier! You may recognize these two from this shoot. They married and celebrated at Portland's own Urban Studio, a cool, contemporary venue in the Pearl. This wedding was bright, lively, handmade (Harmony made all of those endearing paper flowers and other sweet decorations) and full of sunshine, even if it was a rainy Saturday in June. Their invitation promised food, drinks, dancing and ridiculous amounts of joy, and man, did it deliver. I laughed to the point of tears and these two know how to party. Harmony + Javier, it was an absolute joy to document your celebration. Thank you so much for letting me be part of it. Here's to many happy years ahead - I know there will be infectious laughter. 

A very special thank you to superstar Leah Verwey for shooting with me; some of the above photos are hers.  To see more of her lovely work, please visit leahverwey.com or spacepdx.com.

Also, a huge thank you to Morgan Peterson of A Time 4 Memories for all of her help that day. 

(Click on the photos to view larger. I think they look nicer that way). 

hayley barker.

Allow me to introduce my friend and Portland artist, Hayley Barker. Her latest body of work, titled Cathedrals, is now on view at Charles A. Hartman Fine Art. The work is inspired by the diary of Opal Whiteley, which in Hayley’s words, “focuses on her uniquely religious relationship with nature.” In her diary, Opal speaks of "cathedrals" that Hayley describes as “locations in nature that Opal routinely revisits in the text, places where she plays, prays, and performs makeshift rituals.”

Hayley was generous enough to share with me her own “cathedrals” - the sites in her neighborhood of some of her recent paintings. It was so exciting to be in the physical space of her inspiration, breathing more life into the already vital work. This beautiful show comes down June 30th, so please treat yourself and go see this work in the flesh.

Of note, I didn’t realize it until I was editing the film, but I do believe that Hayley’s paintings seeped into my subconscious during the making of some of these photographs. Hayley, thank you for your inspiration, generosity, and for sharing your brilliant work.

To learn more, please visit the gallery's website, Hayley’s website or her blog devoted to this project.

Side note: There is a little project of mine in the works, PDX studio visits, featuring Portland artists on this blog or perhaps a blog all on its own - so please stay tuned.

Please click on the photos to view larger. I think they look nicer that way.

Hayley Barker owns the copyright to all images of the paintings. Painting images courtesy of the artist and Charles A. Hartman Fine Art.

hello summer.

Hello summer! Today is the first official day of the season and to celebrate, I'd like to share a few of my favorite things about it. What do you like about this beloved time of year?

• sunshine
• sun-kissed
• sun-flare
• you catch my drift
• lightning bugs
• sand on my feet
• mama's lemon meringue pie
• lanky, long shadows
• lemonade
• adult lemonade (with vodka and herbs)
• and mojitos too
• sand in my hair
• grilled corn with rosemary
• fresh tomatoes
• gazpacho
• red & white checked tablecloths
• fried chicken
• porch swings
• being barefoot
• taking photos (of course)
• swimming until my hands look like prunes
• the ocean
• the horizon line
• cloud gazing
• the smell of honeysuckle
• freckles
• heat
• ice cream cones
• a flower behind my ear
• more freckles
• smiles (hopefully with corn in the teeth)
• floating in the waves
• bbq
• picnics
• berry pies
• the sound of locusts in the trees 
• flower hair wreaths
• long summer days
• golden evenings
• salt & sea
• fireworks
• family & friends

Can you tell I love food? And love being outside?
(Photo of yours truly from the archives)

john + angie

Meet John + Angie. There’s a story here – one typical of Portland’s funny ways. A few months ago, my other half, Carl, had been telling a story over dinner about his friend John that he grew up with in Maryland. Following our meal, we headed into Music Millennium and Carl went to ask the guy behind the counter what song was playing. It took him a second, but he stopped and said, “Are you John Gavin?” (I’m omitting a few expletives as it had been 10 years since they had seen each other). With arms outstretched, he replied with a smile and said “Fondelheit” (my husband’s last name). Neither of them knew the other lived in Stumptown, but they picked up right where they left off. I love how people weave in and out of your life at significant times. We soon found out that John was to be married to his adorable little pixie, Angie. We are so happy to have old friends and new friends here in Portland. They gave me the honor of documenting their wedding this coming fall, so we headed out for a few photos together before their big day.

Now, John enjoys getting his picture taken about as much as he enjoys a root canal, but he adores his girl, and you do crazy things for love. We headed out for an adventure in Oregon, got derailed, and found this lovely little patch of yellow to enjoy. John, thanks for coming along for the ride and for being such a handsome, good sport. Secretly, despite the grumbling, I think you may have had a teeny bit of fun? Angie, you were a sun-kissed beauty and so cute that I want to put you in my pocket. To both of you, thank you for your trust in me, and I can’t wait for you to be married by September.

Please click on the photos to view larger. I think they look nicer that way.

Side note: Married by September is the name of one of my dear friends’ songs and it’s one of my favorites. Check it out here.