I had a great time taking engagement pictures for Michelle & Jeff. They’re a rarity because they’re one of the couples who’s wedding I’m not actually shooting. Too bad I wasn’t available, because they were so easy to work with & I know their wedding is going to be gorgeous.

We lucked out & got one of the rare beautiful days we’ve had during our especially horrid spring. I like looking for good light—much more than I like looking for shelter from rain.

Sunshine. Hiking. Mountain. Pond. Love. Laughing. Plants. Ducks. Rain. Fast hiking. Soaking. Kiss. Awesome.

I had a blast hanging out with Katie & Dan around downtown Spokane & taking some engagement photos while we dodged raindrops & sought out the good light. It was obvious from the beginning of shooting that these two just like hanging out with each other which makes my job way too easy. Can’t wait to shoot their wedding at the Glover Mansion which is coming up soon!

One of the things that is universally true about weddings is the fact that they’re a ‘live animal.’ You can do all the planning you want, but there’s no guarantee that once it’s set in motion that everything will happen just as planned. In fact, it’s pretty much guaranteed that the day’s events won’t turn out exactly as expected. The reality is that no matter how much planning you do, there will be things that just…happen.

And I love it.

Nothing during this wedding went ‘wrong.’ Other than the rain making a brief  appearance during the portraits, this wedding happened pretty much how it should have. Yet, even with that, this wedding is full of little moments that only happened once, often only for a brief second. It’s my job to catch as many of those as I can with my lens, and do so in a way that there’s a story that unfolds with photos that are interesting to look at. That’s why my nerves get going before every single wedding. I worry that I’ll miss too many of those little moments that really tell the story. Then there’s weddings like this. It seemed like everywhere I turn there’s some little thing happening—a laugh, a tear, a look that makes a brief appearance that helps me show what this day means to everyone involved.

I hope you see what I did as you look through these photos—a couple who shared the joy of the beginning of their lives together with their friends & family (& me!).