it's been awhile...

...since my last post where i said i was going to get some r and r.

well, i got some (it was much needed), and then i promptly started working my butt off.

i feel fortunate that i get to do what i love, although sometimes this career field has me accepting a lot of jobs and putting things like a blog and twitter on the back burner, which is why there hasn't been much of my presence on either.

anyway, wanna see some pics? here's a hodge podge of stuff i've been up to the past month and a half...

#8 on my list

danielle and ryan's stateside wedding reception

Trent's senior photo session



the sinclair family's beach photo session

sophie's garden photo session

wedding table design for my aunt's company, creations by design

one year old puppy named cash

the northwest chocolate festival

new headshots for charity

i also started photographing for jaxx, an awesome seattle boutique located on eastlake. they've partnered up with wrazz and are offering a killer 1/2 off deal for the next 2 days. click here to find out more about it. and if you need a suggestion on something to buy, i'm totally loving these jeans by gstar!

new PaddyWag website :: Seattle Pet Photographer

As most of you know, my wonderful friend/fellow photographer Charity and I photograph pets under the name PaddyWag, and we're super excited to announce that PaddyWag finally has a website all it's own! Head over to PaddyWag.com and take a peek! We've been working diligently for the past 2 months solidifying our mission statement, perfecting our workflow, creating new products and revamping our portfolio. We're proud of what we've done and cannot wait to show it off to current and future PaddyWag clients.

Since blog posts are WAY more fun when there are pictures, here are a few of our long time client Maddison during her latest photo session.

Happy Birthday to me

Today I am 27.

I have mixed feelings about this age.

Part of me is kinda freaked out,

part of me is feeling goofier than ever,

part of me is feeling reflective,

and part of me is finally feeling comfortable in my own skin.

27, please treat me well...and if you can make it last extra long and delay my 28th birthday by even a little bit, please do so. :)

Many thanks to my wonderfully talented friend Charity who always makes me feel comfortable in front of the device that I'm always behind.

3 years ago today...

...Charity took some pictures of me, just for fun.

It's kinda nice that not much has changed in 3 years, other than my hair style. :)

Fashion Friday - The Trapeze Dress

OK, I know it's not Friday, but Fashion Saturday just doesn't have the same ring to it. :)

Anyway, a couple months ago I was inspired to push myself and get out of my camera setting comfort zone. I ususally shoot portraits at ISO 100, f8, 1/125 with some sort of flash unit---either a Canon 580EX II on a light stand with a softbox or a White Lightning 1800 with an umbrella (sorry for all those who I've lost. I promise I'll show some pretty pics if you get through this tech-y part). I wanted to shoot in completely natural light and vary up my f-stops to see what I'd get. 

I knew I wanted to shoot one of my absolute favorite trapeze dresses from Forever 21 and luckily Charity agreed to be my model for the afternoon. I wanted the photos to feel light and airy, much like the way I feel when I'm wearing the dress. Below are some of my most favorite pictures I've shot to date. It definitely paid off to break out of my comfort zone!

PaddyWag, #1 for pet photography in Western WA

Charity and I are so excited and honored to be voted #1 for Pet Photography in King 5's Best of Western Washington contest! A HUGE thank you goes out to all of you who voted for us! We couldn't have done it without all your support. :)

Charity and I feel so lucky to have such amazing clients. I wanted to share a few of the reviews written about us:

"PaddyWag is great at capturing your pet's personality. They are professional, thoughtful and just downright creative photographers." --laurajmack

"Because they take the time to get THE shot! And they are not afraid to get down and dirty for the perfect picture!" --michellec

"The importance of rapport between subject and photographer cannot be overstated. No other photographer in Western Washington has an easier time developing an immediate connection with our four-legged family members than Amanda and Charity. Take a look for yourself ... you'll see what I mean." --Huyman

"Both Amanda and Charity have great personalities, and get along great with animals and people. It is rare to find people who interact so well with both. I would definitely recommend them to any one looking to capture the best of their pets." --rwallace31915

"Wow I receive comments all the time about our dogs pictures. Amanda is amazing--so much patience with your animals. I would recommend Amanda to family and friends. Thank you so much." --Tyler, Cora, Baker and Lola

"Charity is amazingly sweet and the photos that she has produced are absolutely adorable. She is one of the easiest people in the world to get along with!" --Clayton Ryan

Thank you again everyone!

We love you all! :)

a little sunshine

The rain is pouring here. I'm letting my mind escape by thinking about the summer sun...

The Beautiful Charity Lynne

I was thrilled when Charity, one of my bestest friends ever (not to mention photography partner for PaddyWag) asked me to take her portrait. I was even more excited when she wanted to do it over coffee and food because I knew that would be totally appropriate since she's an amazing food and product photographer (check out her website at www.charitylynne.com).

Charity is such a great person to photograph, not only because she looks amazing in front of the camera, but also because she's fun and goofy and the kind of person you want to be around and spend time with.

She wrote about the shoot on her blog, so click here to view more pics and to hear her side of the experience!

Thanks again Charity for letting me play paparazzi for a morning! :)

Cast your vote for PaddyWag!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

Charity and I are SO excited to have been nominated again for Best Pet Photography in Western Washington!

We made it in the Top 5 last year and we’re hoping to do even better this year. In order to do that, we need a vote from all our fans…yep, we’re talking about you!

We’d love if you clicked the link above and took a minute to enter your info and cast a vote for PaddyWag Photography. There’s also a section where you can write a review for us and we welcome you to do so! Charity and I love reading all your comments!

More PaddyWag pics from Go Dog, Go!

Charity brought her camera to our PaddyWag booth at Go Dog, Go! on Saturday and took pictures of these adorable dogs...

When I saw this little guy, I fell in love! Charity let me borrow her camera to snap these pics of him:

Not only was it great meeting all of you and your dogs, we also loved meeting the other vendors. Check out these awesome dog services:

Droolz Organics (ready-to-bake dog cookies)
At Home Vet (at-home veterinary care)
Heart Strings Petsitting
Wet Noses (natural dog treats)
Fido's Flushables (100% bio-flushable bags)
Pet Gazette (a local pet newspaper)