The short answer is, Its OREGON! We deal, and I’m magic.

Ok I am not really magic, but I am an Oregonian so I do not fear rain in the slightest.

While I don’t have any magic up my sleeve, or webbed feet, I do have lots of ideas for dealing with our form of “liquid sunshine”. I am always happy to talk through options, just ask!

Here are a few of my favorite rainy wedding days shots.

This New Years wedding was a hoot, and lucky for me the bridal party was up for anything. We battled some on and off rain that day. Our super smart bride had through ahead and picked up some darling Umbrella’s from Bella Umbrella in Seattle. These cute Umbrellas are good in the rain or shine.

One thing I love about working in the rain is it really pushes my creativity. This fall wedding was also a drizzly day for a portion. We escaped the rain by ducking into a under ground tube along a path. It not only ended up being really cool (and dry!) but it also gave the couple a really different backdrop than the other nature/tree shots we did. They say necessity is the mother of invention, well rain can be the catalyst to creativity for me.

Another option is EMBRACE THE RAIN! This image was taken during a surprise engagement I shot last year. Dustin here wanted to propose to his girlfriend on a specific date so there was no rescheduling due to weather. We dealt with the cold & wet weather and just went for it. I used the damp air to my advantage giving the the images a foggy & moody feel. I did end up drenched, but with this much joy on the couples faces it was totally worth it. Most couples would prefer not to go out into the weather in wedding gear of course, but for an engagment shoot we can make it part of the theme. Just think how many romantic movies have that “standing in the rain kissing” scene. It can be dramatic if we do it properly.

And last, weigh your priorities. Jenna & Chase knew they were risking rainy weather when they booked their wedding in the fall, but the orange & yellow leaves were too important to miss. They also thought ahead and purchased some pretty while golf umbrellas. We strategically scoped out some non-muddy areas of the venue, and made it work. If I know in advance your wishes and goals for the photos most times I can make it happen. And again with smiles like these me having to get my boots muddy is totally worth while.

So in the end rain is not terrible or even a deal breaker. We can make it work, so don’t let it get in the way of your photos!

xo em

Here are a few of the many, many, many images I captured in 2012 that still make me smile…

I had a great time this past weekend at the “I do for us too” show just over the river in Vancouver WA.  Did you come? Did you party in my booth with me & Courtney? (Yes that’s right Courtney my former client worked the booth with me,  she is that awesome. You may remember her wedding here) If so drop me a line, I would love to chat more about all things wedding. It’s been a great week right!

I wanted to say hello again, thank you to all who came, and share a handful of images from the show. You can find even more on my facebook fan page here.

If you were a vendor or model that wants access to the entire set please leave a comment below and I will get you the access info. Again it was wonderful to work with you all!

xo em

In my life time as a wedding photographer I have not done many wedding shows, just a handful. Lucky for me most have been a wonderful experience. I have enjoyed meeting new people, and setting displays covered with happy in love faces. I thought I was done for the year, but then recently I was asked to take part in a brand new show. “Say I Do for Us Too” is an amazing show happening in just a few short week. The show is specifically for LGBTQ couples planning  wedding in the NW, and actually a fund raster for Proposition 74 (the marriage equality act) in Washington State. I am honored to not only be taking part in the show, but be the main photography sponsor.

You can read more about the show on their site here. It is Sunday November 4th at the Vancouver Wa Hilton. It should be a really fun time, with some great vendors involved. I am really looking forward to it! If you want to come let me know and I will see if I can get any discounted tickets.

xo em

Hey Blog Readers!

Are you getting married? Do you know anyone engaged? If so let me know asap, I have some free tickets to one of the areas most fun bridal shows. The Committed Show! It is this Friday in the industrial end of NW Portland. It will have music, drinks and lots of fun vendors to meet. Oh and I will be there, so you know that will make it fun!

If you, or anyone you know wants free tickets let me know!

xo em

The key to family wardrobe for photos is really coordination NOT matching. Just like I said in the last post if you show up in matching polos & pleated khakis my camera will magically stop working. No one wants super dated matchy-matchy family photos. Coordinating means picking a color palette that suits all of you and going with that. It can be as simple as black & white, or all jewel tones, or all primary colors. The options are endless! Just make sure you are not matching, and not outright clashing. I love color & patterns, I think layers are always great. I also love accessories & personality. If your 2 year old lives in his rain boots bring them! Does your 7 year old love her big chunky pink pearls or her rainbow tights, awesome!  Kids should be comfortable and full of character, not stiff & formal in my opinion. If you do want something more formal we can make that work, but it will be extra hard to make jr smile if he has never been in a 3 piece suit before, so just weigh your options carefully.

Here is a fun & sweet family wardrobe idea:

You can see more ideas & inspiration on my “what to wear family” board on pinterest. I plan to keep adding & changing ideas with the seasons.

The options are endless, and can really be more about your setting. If we are doing something more downtown, it may lend it self to brighter colors. But if the setting is an open field, having more outdoorsy, or natural colors can really work.

Here are some great examples:

• The Price Family: bold prints & patterns to go with an urban & colorful setting.
• The Goodale Family: Brown, oranges & pinks for a fall setting.
• The Bouska family: Grey, Brown, and bright blue for pops of color on the trail.
• Daria, Dalles & Xander: Red, Blue, Black & White standard super hero colors.

A few other things to remember:

Did I mention they should be fun? A few things you should NOT do:

• dye your hair or get a drastic cut the night before (Moms, Dads or kids)
• try our new makeup you have never worn before
• wear 5 inch heals if you never, ever wear heels.
• forget to eat prior (the best images are always of happy, well rested kids with full tummies, trust me)
• Feed your kids tons of sugar if they are not used to it.

Things you should do prior:

• get a good night’s sleep the night prior (I know a tall order with little ones, but its so good for your skin!)
• bring items special your family or kids, that would be fun to include ( Like Malcom’s glasses, Scarlett’s car or Welly’s piano.)
• Find some fun winter hats, or colorful boots. Again bringing out kids personality is always so fun.
• choose a location that has special meaning to you guys as a family. Your favorite spot for a hike, or the local icecream shop. I am always up for creative ideas outside the box.

I hope that helps!

And of course, it has to be said. Now is the time to book your pre-holiday sessions! My October & November dates are starting to fill up, so lets get on the calender now! With plenty of time to shop for outfits too!

xo em

I do, it is really an addiction, but I can justify my love for pinterest for this reason. Because dear clients i do it for you!

Do you pinterest? If not it is a great recourse and organizational tool. It is also a HUGE time suck, but so is everything fun right?! I have been using pinterest over the last year or so to communicate with wedding clients about the type of photos the are inspired by. So when the big wedding day comes we can talk about poses, and types of light with some great visual examples. It has been a wonderful tool.

Lately I have also been using pinterest to communicate with other colleagues for group projects. Like the mod shoot I just posted about. The whole team contributed to the pinterest board to bring the shoot together. Great right!

So if you pinterest, and you want to follow me, you can find me here.

Today I want to use pinterest for a very specific reason. It is busy season around here, lots of weddings, babies and a ton of engagement sessions. As you can tell by my blog I have been a busy lady. Oh how I love the sunshine! The one question that always pops up is what to wear… years ago I did a post about what to wear, but I have not updated it it in ages. So with the help of pinterest I wanted to do just that.

See more “what to wear engagement” examples on my pinterest board. Some put together by me, some by other photographers.

Lets start with engagement sessions shall we. Engagement sessions should be above all fun. These are basically fun bonus photos to get myself and the couple comfortable working together prior to the stress and business of a wedding day. I always encourage my clients to wear something fun, flirty and comfortable. Weddings tend to be more formal occasions, so engagement sessions should be more causal and fun. You can also bring a couple outfits if you like. Sessions typically last an hour, so one change can be worked in easily. Though do keep in mind the location may, or may not have a private place to change.

I love bright spots of color in accessorizes & shoes if possible. Also please remember we will most likely be walking around a bit to find different backdrops, so wear something you can walk around in. Couples should coordinate, but not exactly match. That is Way to cheesy.  If  you show up in matching polos and jeans, I will pretend I don’t know you.  Finding a color palette, and going with it is perfect. Like the above example of yellow, red brown & grey is a great. Here are a few  sessions that the couples did a great job picking coordinating but not too matching outfits:

Jenna & Chase: downtown/waterfront

Craig & Megan: Alberta Arts District

Rachelle & Courtney: eastside coffee shop

Amy & Greg: rural farm setting

Did I mention they should be casual and fun? A few things you should NOT do:

• dye your hair or get a drastic cut the night before
• try our new makeup you have never worn before
• wear 5 inche heals if you never, ever wear heels.
• forget to eat prior

Things you should do prior:

• get a good night’s sleep the night prior
• get a drink or two before the shoot if you like (you can invite me if you like.
• bring items special to you, that would be fun to include (Megan’s fish, or Myra’s horse mask for example)
• bring the puppy! (like Sarah & Josh did here)
• choose a location that has special meaning to you two as a couple. (like Tricia & Mark did here)

I hope to continue adding to the link list above & pinterest board. (see the addiction is for you dear clients!).

Let me know if you have any questions at all!

xo em

Last year’s sessions old out fast, let me know if you are interested in either date above asap!

xo em

Here are some fun images from the show:

I am also excited for AniA’s Choice event coming up in April. It’s not your normal bridal show, be sure to check it out!

Were you there? Did I take your photo? If so you can go here to find your images, and get your free download!

www.emilygshopping.com

*you will need to create a brief log-in (I promise I will not spam you!) and find the date you were in the shop.

Once you find your gallery just click the green arrow below the image for your free download.

And of course if you lovely ladies still need a wedding photographer I would be happy to chat with you.

Thanks again AniA staff & clients for letting me capture the show this weekend. It was great fun, and lovely to meet you all.

xo em

It was our pleasure on Friday to be featured on the always lovely & adorable Ruffled Blog!They featured some images from a great shoot we took part in this past November at the stunning World Forestry Center. It was a super fun day, and I had the pleasure of working with some great wedding industry colleagues.

You can find the feature here.

Here are the folks that made up our wonderful team:

Wedding Venue: World Forestry Center / Wedding Photographer: emily g photography / Event Planner: Events by Lisa Marie / Wedding Dress: AniA Collection / Equipment Rentals: Jarfly Vintage Rentals, Barclay Event Rentals / Floral Designer: Floral Designs by Alicia / Wedding Invitations: Puddle Jumpin’ Cards / Wedding Cinematography: Black Label Films / Cake Design: Le Cookie Monkey / Desserts: A Yen for Chocolate / Makeup Artist: Jessica Belknap / Window Calligraphy: Amy Carpenter /
Light Bulb Designs: Star ReDesigns / Officiant: Heather M. Mack

I will show more of the shoot later!

xo em