Smiling Eyes Photography

finally!

2010-01-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally have my website up in a decent form. Change your bookmarks and I hope you enjoy!

the worst clients ever {Portland Family Photographer}

2009-12-08T23:13:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember my complaints after a little photo shoot with *the* worst clients ever a few weeks back. Photographing your own children stinks. Yep. So we throw the clothes on everyone and head out to explore Hagg Lake, only to find out that Hagg Lake is closed for the winter. So we do what any photographer would do. We stopped at the first cool trashy building (across from the dump) and pull out some smarties. My only goal for this particular afternoon was to get a cute picture of the girls all together and some good shots of Lilly and Elise, solo. Mission accomplished. I guess I should have warned you, but this post is totally a Christmas Card Spoiler. Sorry.

Elise, so sad. Not because I am taking her picture, but because I asked her what her favorite train is. Apparently, Lady is her favorite, but Lady is MIA. (thus the pout.)

Seniorlicious {Portland Senior Photographer}

2009-12-03T09:33:00.000-08:00

Another senior session, another amazing senior. You can't help but leave a senior session feeling so positive about the potential these girls have. (It's the mom of 6 girls in me.) Maybe I chit chat too much, but it is refreshing to hear their perspective and to see into their soul a bit through the lens. Oh...and I love the curls. I wish I could carry them off!

the marvelous J {Portland Senior Photographer}

2009-11-21T09:49:00.000-08:00

I think I should have been doing Senior Photography all along. Whenever I do a newborn shoot, I leave wanting a baby to cuddle. Leaving a senior shoot with a young woman who really has her head on straight and was just pretty dang cool....makes me feel a whole heck of a lot better about raising 6 such girls. As you probably could guess, I feel quite a bit of anxiety about the idea of 6 teenage girls that could, theoretically, be just as stinky as I was. Turns out, senior pictures make me feel so much better about my future in parenting! J, you are going to do big things.

thank you {Portland Family Photographer}

2009-11-11T16:22:00.000-08:00

On this Veteran's Day, and the many days in between, I find myself so grateful for the many men and women that have sacrificed so much to secure our nations' freedoms. Every time I see a veteran or a soldier, I find myself wanting to run up and give them a hug. Each one of you are so incredible and our country would be a very different place if it weren't for all of you! Here is my little way of saying "thank you" to you.

{free session for one fabulously lucky veteran}

If you are a veteran or know a veteran in the Portland area, put your name in the comments and I will draw a name for a free family session.

{$50 off sessions for every one of you selfless,

courageous and awesome veterans out there}

Second of all, all veterans that schedule a session over the next 3 days will receive $50 off of their session and get a custom album of the portraits from your session. (the session just needs to be scheduled for a date before March 2010)

Sarah {Portland Senior Photographer}

2009-11-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

Maybe it is the mother of 6 daughters in me that is talking, but can I just say that I love girls? I can't imagine being a mother of 6 boys and being a photographer. Boys just don't get excited about gathering different outfits for a shoot. This shoot was, to me, like a trip to the park is for the kids. We tried out a few new locations that I have been driving past with drool on my chin and had some wonderful lighting, to boot.

amazing. {Portland Senior Photographer}

2009-10-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Amazing person. Amazing shoot. Girl, you are going places. What more can be said? Oh...I know. Mister Sun? Yeah, you. Could you stay out just a wee bit longer next time? A half an hour would be perfect. Thanks.

little miss {portland child photographer}

2009-10-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Remember this? I offer more proof that I am spot on when it comes to this little theory of mine. The other night, this little miss and I snuck around the corner for a little photo action. This is my daintiest of misses. The one who ate her first birthday cake without getting messy. The one who loves picking blueberries and hates picking strawberries, because of the dirt factor. Ok. So skip ahead to the end of our little photo shoot. She informs me that she has an idea and proceeds to lay down on her stomach on a dirty sidewalk, risking all cleanliness and the well being of her favorite top. For what? A pretty picture. Why? Because she is a girl. Girls of all types will do just about anything for a good picture. And this is why I love having six of them. (among other numerous reasons.)

ha. caught ya. {portland child photographer}

2009-10-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

Since this one was about 4, I have had the hardest time getting a good picture of her. The poser, the one who tries so hard and more recently, the one who likes to stick her tongue out or make weird expressions with her eyes in every stinking picture. With her big sister, I fought the rolled eyes. With her, I fought the serious giggles (I mean serious! 75% of her mini-during-soccer-practice-session was spent laughing uncontrollably!) and the "I want to show everyone my teeth post-braces" smile. Even with all of that, I think I captured her real self in a few shots. She just couldn't help it. The top 4 are the ones that, when I look at them, I think "Now that is my Autumn!" And that is why, as a photographer, I have a hard time narrowing down shots. Those 4 might not look like anything special to you, but they are the expressions that I have been seeing for the last nine years from her. I guess that is something that is just a mom thing.

eleventeen {portland child photographer}

2009-10-07T00:50:00.001-07:00

I finally got out to play with my 7d. And, like expected, it is a big step up. I love it!

Now, this is a look that I see a lot at my house.

hubba hubbs {portland family photographer}

2009-09-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Once again, I am trying to catch up on a few photo shoots that I never (gasp!) got around to blogging. Dang that beautiful Oregon weather and the call of the beach (and dirty diapers) that kept getting in the way. Meet Allicia, her husband who bravely serves our country in the Navy, and her two little chillins, who are very experienced photography subjects. My favorite part of this shoot? Watching a daughter that loves her daddy more than anything else within a 500 mile radius.

{mini session loveliness}

2009-09-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the beginning of fall and the countdown to Christmas,

I am offering a quick photo session that is on the cheap.

To help all of you get those Christmas cards ready....ahead of time....I thought I would offer a little special of sorts. I guess we can call it a mini session, but most people do a 15 minute mini session. The thought of a 15 minute session makes me cringe, thinking of many horrible Kiddie Kandid nightmares that we endured. I think the words "Family session" and "quick" don't always go together since children are, naturally, quite unpredictable. And that brings me to the mini session, a la Smiling Eyes.

{Mini Session}
30- 60 minutes of my time, capturing your family. This will not include all of the individual and smaller group shots that my family sessions normally include. It will be group family, group family and....more group family shots, since that is what you normally need for those beloved Christmas cards.

{pricing}
A reasonable and lovely $100, even

{what you walk away with}
a cd with your high res. images, ready to be mass produced for all of your Christmas dreams. May I suggest framing one nice and big for a go to present for the grandparents?

{options}
$20: a simple design for your Christmas card that is 30x's cooler than any Costco card you have laid eyes on.

{fine print}
Mini Sessions will only be available through November 28th, as you don't want to be procrastinating your beloved Christmas cards until then anyhow.

{an extra super duper special}
If you can get 3 or more friends together to do your sessions back to back, I will knock off $15 for each of you, saving you at least $45, allowing plenty of cash to cover the bribery you offer the kids for behaving. Now friends who click together stick together!

slightly overdue {portland family photographer}

2009-09-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

Yeah. So these are *only* from a month ago. These pictures were done for some friends that we like to refer to as our surrogate grandparents. Before we moved, these were the people that we sat with during church. You know, the people that Hannah climbed all over for a good hour and half each Sunday. The people that always had spare tic tacs for each of the girls, as they recently reminded me, and who came to stay with the girls in the middle of the night while I had Lilly in the hospital. Yeah. They are pretty cool. Turns out, they have real kids and grandkids, too. Go figure! ;) When getting the whole crew together for a 40th anniversary, I was called in to catch everyone in their loveliness. I must say, it is fun seeing growing up siblings, hanging out with their playful banter. It reminds me of my own sisters and brother. Good times with good people.

in honor of back to school (or in our house: non back to school day) {portland child photographer}

2009-09-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

This is what school pictures are like at the Kang house. Actually, this is from a promised photo shoot that we did to make Hannah feel a little more excited about her hair cut. (she was slightly bothered that her hair was short enough to require clippers in the back) We picked up a new outfit, during which my daughter was quoted saying, "We can buy a lot of outfits and I will change in the car in between them!" (can you imagine her at sixteen?)

minus the toddlers {portland family photographer}

2009-08-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that it is such a change to take pictures for a family with no toddlers? They want to work with the photographer, instead of doing everything in their power to work against you. Weird, eh?

the hooligans: unplugged {portland family photographer}

2009-08-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

I can call them hooligans for two reasons. 1. My sister calls them that and they are hers.

2. I've seen them in action. They are creative spirits and we embrace it.

This shoot was a long time coming because Lia's husband is not only in the navy, but when he isn't on a sub, he is working insane hours that make it impossible to take pictures with. The stars aligned and her husband was able to make an appearance while I was visiting. Can I just say that I think this was the first shoot that I have laughed hysterically at while editing? Let me emphasize hysterically. There are pictures without silliness, but I sure did enjoy the crazy factor.

The lollipops were brought out at the end for a little fun and it sure did loosen things up a bit. (As if they weren't already loose?) This shoot is a sort of "thank you for letting my children overtake your house for the week and supplying me with endless diet coke with a squirt of vanilla from McDonalds and just generally being a wonderful sister and friend." Thanks, Lia.

Sister Sandy Jo {portland family photographer}

2009-08-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

The night before Chris' stroke, I went on a walk with the girls. We didn't make it too far, as we met up with 3 people from our ward. One of those was the infamous "Matiaco" and his gigantic dog. And one of the other's was the one that is now referred to as Sister Sandy Jo. We had a lovely introduction where all of the girls were soon considering her a friend. (because thats the way Sandy Jo is. Little did I know that a few hours later, we would be in the ER with Chris and that Sandy Jo would be one of the "first responders" who made my kids a dinner of who knows what as I rushed back to the hospital after a shower and a quick nap. Amazing doesn't begin to describe her.

Now, almost a year later (agh!), her son is leaving on a mission and her kids are all back home, which is the perfect time for a family photo. Thank you, Sandy Jo.

sometimes, bigger is better {portland family photographer}

2009-08-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

(keep your glasses close or a certain son might steal them for a shot.)

There is a universal truth of family photography. Although men are normally a tougher bunch than women, they are more likely to complain about getting dirty during a photo session. Why, you ask? Who cares more about the resulting portraits? Yep. You guessed it. The women. We'll trudge through the mud for a good shot, but the men are normally quite hesitant. Maybe the key is that I am doing families. I bet that engagement shots are different. Unmarried men probably prove to be more cooperative. Interesting.

Now, the above comment isn't just about my favorite family, shot below. It is about every guy I have photographed, except ONE. This was my biggest family to shoot as of yet. Big in numbers. (7 kids + 2 adults) Big in size. Compared to little ole 5'4" me, they are giants. You know, size 16 shoes sort of big. It was a fun evening that ended in all of the kids dressing up according to hobby and occupation for a shot. The distraction in the photo below? Shilo, my kids surrogate dog. Why couldn't he play peek-a-boo over my shoulder or something to entertain all? Location? In their fabulous backyard. Green with envy. (you know, the righteous kind of envy!)

{The elusive sister} {portland family photographer}

2009-07-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

Over the years, I have managed to take pictures of all of my siblings with their family....except Rachel's family. I don't know what she has against letting me play with her family (wink), but this little get together was long over due. She recently moved to my dream house that is on 5 acres and has places all over that are perfect for picture taking crazies like myself. You heard me right. She didn't have to leave her house for these shots! If I lived closer to her, I would be taking everyone's pictures at her place.

{Pricing}

2009-06-01T22:58:00.000-07:00

All sessions include a full set of 4 x 6 proofs and your complete session on cd in high resolution, ready for printing at my recommended print labs.

{Family Session}: $200

{Infant Session}: $175

{Engagement Session}: $175

I am regularly traveling up to the Seattle area and love fitting in a session here and there while visiting family. Contact me to find out when my next trip will be.

Lilly and her stand in

2009-05-27T07:34:00.000-07:00

Once Lilly stormed off the set in a labor dispute, Elise quickly volunteered to wear a pretty petticoat and eat a lollipop because....who wouldn't? She was actually pretty cooperative for Elise, which I think all goes back to the lollipop. Will work for candy.

{Family love}

2009-05-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

I realize that sometimes family pictures are stressful for us moms, but I have to say that I love to watch the love that emanates between parents and siblings. It reminds me of my Hannah telling me how we were happy when she was born. She quickly added, "But not as happy was when Lilly was born!" I explained to her that we have been that happy with each baby, but I think it is great that she remembered Lilly's birth that way. Back to this last shoot. To see this sweet girl be absolutely adored by her big brothers like she is the coolest thing since sliced bread made my day. Aren't babies great that way? We also took some family pictures, but those will have to come after I slap photoshop around a bit for not behaving properly and renaming all of my files when saving them. (It has a mind of its own, I tell you!)

Continued

2009-05-23T17:44:00.001-07:00

Alas. The pictures from last week that I promised. Can I tell you how much I enjoy seeing families interact as I take their pictures? It is truly just down right fun, which is why some of my favorite shots are when they are looking at each other instead of at me.

preview time

2009-05-16T00:33:00.000-07:00

And boy is this really a preview. I have most of the pictures ready, but I am running off to Outdoor School with the girls before I get to finish. So a little nibble for now and then I will post more next week after we unpack.

baby love: part deux

2009-04-24T23:06:00.001-07:00

Yeah. Everything I said last week about babies....ditto that. When they are just so newly arrived....they leave me speechless with their sweetness. And this little missy? A total angel. She slept for almost the whole shoot and does so every single day. Just don't ask her mom about the night.

Cozette

2009-04-17T00:02:00.000-07:00

Welcome, little Cozette. I must say that the baby lover in me just loves doing newborn portraits. It does take a little bit more time to get baby in just the right mood, but that just means more time with said baby, oohing and aahing my brains out.

My favorite one year old

2009-04-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

fall days

2009-04-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

Guess who wears the pants in this family? Ah, how 3 year olds can wrap everyone around their little fingers. These pictures were done last fall, but I thought I would try to get some of my older pictures on here. It was a rather rainy day, but we barely got a drop on us. When we left for the shoot, it was raining. When we got home from the shoot, it was raining. During the shoot? Ah, the heavens were shining upon us. Lucky for us. Not so lucky for Miss M here. I think she would have been happier if this whole picture thing was put on hold.

Small town fun

2009-03-25T00:25:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I got to explore the town of Snohomish with this great family and my camera at sunset. One of my favorite things to capture is the relationship between parent and child. In this case, a fussy little 1 year old made for many priceless interactions between father and daughter. Yeah for fussy 1 year olds!

Half way across the world and back

2009-03-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

Fresh from Ethiopia, we decided to stay inside for this photo shoot. Ethiopia to Portland can be quite the shock on such a tiny one, right? This great family just brought home the newest addition to their family and we just had to capture the excitement and the love that their house is overflowing with.

The lovely, uncooperative 2 year old

2009-03-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

I can say this because she is mine, right? This is my elusive 2, almost 3 year old that I can never get good pictures of. Not so much because she won't stay still (although that might have a little to do with it) but because she normally doesn't want to be bothered with things like....cameras. Well, she does like to be bothered with cream cones (a la McDonalds) which is how I got her to cooperate for a little canon fun.

Into the sunset they rode...

2009-03-05T21:48:00.000-08:00

What can we do in ten minutes as the sun sets? A lot, it turns out. These pictures were taken for my baby brother as the sun was setting, with a soon to be three year old who was behaving very much like a soon to be three old. We got a lot done in a very short period of time. Every man's dream when it comes to the length of a photo session. Short and sweet.