Model on a Winter Beach - Andréa of Plus Sized Pioneer

This is Andréa.

Isn't she stunning?

I know!  I felt so lucky to spend the day with her and take her portrait.

I felt expecially LUCKY because I'm not a person who spends all my time photographing gorgeous models.  I photograph anything and everything and models are ONE OF THE SUBJECTS I ADORE but certainly not the only subject.  When I first started advertising my photography, back in the day,  I tried to list all the different kinds of photography I was interested in working on.  It started out reasonable:

• Family Photojournalism
• Couples / Newlyweds / Engagement
• Wedding Photojournalism
• Headshots 
• Small Business and Non Profits Storytelling images

That's not bad I thought.  That's a plan, I thought.  I looked at that list and I felt ok.  It felt manageable and reasonable and just the right size. But you know me.  Soon I started to get itchy.  I wanted to try new stuff.  So I added a couple:

• Unit Stills Photography (where the photographer captures the process on a movie or documentary set)
• Model Portraits - Everyone Portraits
• Commercial Photography for NonProfits and Small Businesses
• Product Photography and Process Photography for local Makers and Artists
• Event Photography
• Kids Birthday Party Photography inc Quinceañeras, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs
• Family Reunion / Multi generational Family Photography
• Senior Portraits
• Nature / Landscape Photography
• First Baptism Photography and End of Life Photography

Well I don't know about you but I'm starting to be overwhelmed.  

I moaned and groaned.  What was a lady  to do?

The problem is how people think about photography.  Most people - when they look for a photographer to hire - don't hire one based on potential.  They hire based on proof.  They look to see if you have exactly the picture in your portfolio today that they would like you to take of them in the future and then they hire you to take it.  And I'm not here to say that this is a good or bad way to do it, far be it from me to judge.  But I am saying that it makes me a little scatter brained because I don't have any idea how to speak this many different languages and tell this many stories about my work simultaneously.  And I can start to believe that I have to be all things to all people in order to get to photograph ANYONE EVER.

Maybe I should just relax.  Trust that when it is meant to be it will happen - and trust that people see potential in me.  That's what happened this winter after all.  This gorgeous, magnificient model, Andréa Campbell, in my city took a chance on me - understanding that my eye, my ability to capture emotional moments with authenticity and beauty and tenderness transcends genre.  Together we created this gorgeous warm portraits that I am so very very proud of. 

In the heart of winter, Andréa, a Plus Sized Pioneer headed down to Richmond Salt Beach and Richmond CoffeeShop to capture her magnatism and grace in its natural beautiful form.  This is the magic we created.  

Hair Stylist Manager Portrait in Seattle

Stella Martin is Stylist Manager at Ten Pachi Salon in the Seattle U District.  I hesitate mightily about writing about her here because I have no interest in sharing her talents with anyone and she's hard enough to book as it is.  But!  She's seriously THE BEST and what kind of friend would I be if I kept her all to myself?

A bad friend.  That is the answer.  So here you go.  I'm sharing her incredible talent and her smart wit - her amazing pixie cut and the fact that she cuts my hair in under 20 minutes every single time.  Do you think I'm done bragging about her?  I am not.  She also doesn't make me talk to her (which is AMAZING) and she doesn't yell at me even if I only go once a year to get my hair cut because I am busy and also lazy.   

Dear stylists and manicurists, dear car mechanics and house painters and eyelash extenders and carpenters and cobblers and tattoo artists and makers and do-ers extraordinary!  

Please call me.  

I would love to work out a trade.  I would love to have you perm my hair in your kitchen and then come to your work and capture you looking like your badass self.  I am very interested in what you do and I believe it is beautiful and not menial and worthy of attention and LOVE.