Jennifer Sharon Photography

Sneak Peek for Emma | Shoreline Senior Photographer

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

For my first session of 2012, I met with Emma at one of her personal favorite parks, in Shoreline. It was a beautiful crisp morning, no rain to worry about, and even the wind stayed out of our way, until we dared walk around the bluff to try for some photos with a view of the water and mountains.

But it was a really fun start to the year, and I'm so happy with how the session turned out! Here are some early favorites:

S Family Sneak Peek! | Edmonds Family Photographer

2012-01-05T11:54:00.000-08:00

I was so glad to be able to do this session for this family over the holidays. It was one of those "seize the moment" kind of things, with family visiting for the holidays - including from England!

I'm sharing just a few for now, but there will be more to come!

My favorite thing about this photo is remembering the dad saying "well that felt good!"

Happy New Year!

First Post of 2012! | Seattle Portrait Photographer

2012-01-03T12:02:00.000-08:00

So, I may not be ready to post my resolutions for the new year, but I didn't want that to keep me from posting a few holiday highlights to start the year off. I promise, the resolutions are percolating, and I will shout them out soon. I need the accountabiltity, I'm sure everyone can relate!

I had a number of mini sessions for the holidays that were so fun - family sessions, and some studio mini sessions with some of my mom's daycare babes!

After a whole month of no blog posts (shameful gasp!), I have several lined up in the days to come, but for now, here is a smattering of my favorites from the holiday season.

Happy New Year to you all!

PS - just a reminder that my 2012 print prices will take effect next week, so this is your last chance to order prints at my current prices!

Martyn Sneak Peek! | Seattle Maternity Photographer

2011-11-29T10:00:00.001-08:00

I had such fun with this maternity session on the University of Washington campus. Jen and Mike were so great to work with, and we had a great time on campus in the late fall sun - despite the 35 degree temp!

Here are just a few from our session for now:

Denali's Sneak Peek | Snohomish Senior Photographer

2011-11-17T12:09:00.000-08:00

Denali and I snuck in her senior session on what was potentially one of the last dry and sunny days of fall. It was great, actually, as I looked at theweatherchannel.com and gave her and her mom 2 potential dates, they grabbed the first one and rescheduled other plans so we could have this chance.

So here are just a few so far, Denali, of our late afternoon session in Snohomish. Thanks for an enjoyable session!

A Sneak Peek for Lynn | Snohomish Senior Photographer

2011-11-09T09:44:00.000-08:00

This senior session is one of those where I'm having a hard time narrowing down to my favorites, which is always a nice dilemma to have. Lynn, I really enjoyed meeting you, thanks so much for a fun session! Here are several favorites that had to be shared...

Holiday Mini Sessions are here! | Snohomish Family Photographer

2011-11-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

Announcing my second annual holiday mini-session package! Like last year, I decided not to confine these mini sessions to one day or weekend. I will offer these sessions with limited availability through December 11th. (Keep in mind, the later your session date, the trickier it will be to order those holiday photo cards with your images in time to mail them before Christmas.)

Get your spot reserved soon! Just say no to the self-timer on your camera this year!

Marina - Glacier Peak HS class of 2012 | Snohomish Senior Photographer

2011-10-21T15:31:00.000-07:00

Marina is the first rep for Jennifer Sharon Photography at Glacier Peak High School, and she has been great to work with! I love so many of the photos from her sessions, and have put a ton of them on my Facebook page for her, but realized that my little star hadn't gotten her own blog post. Gasp! These photos absolutely need to be immortalized here on the blog for all to see, so here we go - the lovely Marina....

Whew, longest blog post ever, so I'll stop there. Maybe I'll have to do a part two.... :) Thanks Marina, for being a great representative for me!

H Family Sneak Peek - A Northwest Vacation | Edmonds Family Photographer

2011-10-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of photographing this lovely family when they travelled to Seattle from the midwest, for a family vacation earlier this month. The trip was in honor of the grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary.

We tried our hardest to get those mountains to cooperate (ie, go away clouds), but hopefully when they look at these photos it will remind them of our beautiful temperate Northwest weather, and they will smile and remember what a great time was had by all.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Happy anniversary, you two! And safe travels to the whole family.

Taylor's Sneak Peek | Snohomish Senior Photographer

2011-10-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed this session with Glacier Peak HS senior Taylor. We found several new spots to shoot, on a street I've been to for many sessions, and in general had a great time bouncing around Snohomish. Taylor, I hope you enjoy your sneak peek, there are many more to come!

Grace's Sneak Peek | Shoreline Senior Photographer

2011-10-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

Speaking of wind, there's nothing like a Puget Sound beach for the windspeed factor, but luckily this beautiful beach park Grace chose for her senior photos had plenty of options for us, on this blustery new fall day.

Here are a few of my favs - don't you think her eyes are gorgeous?

Sneak Peek for Chantelle | Snohomish Senior Photographer

2011-10-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

For Chantelle's senior photo session, I headed to Astoria, OR and brought my family along for a very short trip to the beach. (Truth be told, we were at the beach for 45 minutes because of the ridiculous wind). But there are many other amusements to enjoy along the coast, even without beach worthy weather, and we had a worthy adventure.

The wind was a wee challenge during our session, but we were just so happy to have timed things for a break in the rain, that we had good humor about it. These are the circumstances that build a Northwest natural light photographer.

Here are a few favorites from our session for this lovely, talented senior. By the way, I covet her glasses....

BOO! Halloween Mini Sessions | Seattle Area Children's Photographer

2011-09-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

Announcing BOO Sessions! I am offering 15-20 minute sessions for your costumed cuties the weekend before Halloween, to make sure everyone has had a chance to pick the perfect costume. There will only be 5 sessions at each location, so lock yours in fast!

We've chosen an Eastside location in Kirkland, and for our Seattlites, Greenlake will give us a great fall backdrop.

After the sessions, you will have a gallery of 8-10 edited images to choose from. An 8x10 is included with your session fee of $45.

I'm looking forward to seeing your princesses, pirates, witches and ninjas!

Sneak Peek for Alex | Jackson High School class of 2012 | Snohomish Senior Photographer

2011-08-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

I got to spend a sunny afternoon in Snohomish with Alex for his senior session this weekend, and love how they turned out! Here are a few of my early favs. More to come after Labor Day weekend!

Pixies & Princes! | Snohomish Children's Photographer

2011-08-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

My mini-session event last week was an amazing success, I can't wait to share these images with you all! We did 10 sessions, some of them mingling with each other to get photos with friends and cousins together. It was so much fun, like I knew it would be! A shout out to my amazing friend Jen Berg for assisting me all morning, if you were there, she was the one helping with costume choices and getting forms signed, and handing out the goodie bags, etc. Couldn't have done it without you, Jen!!

And of course, the tireless Danielle of Crafty Chicks provided all the costumes that delighted all who attended. Ok, so only the girls rocked the tutu dresses, but the crowns and capes were coveted by ALL...

So, these are the sneak peeks I shared on my facebook page, for now, but after I get some other sessions edited, I'll have part 2 to share on the blog before putting this event to rest.

Should it be an annual event? Take a look at these, and let me know what you think! Thank you!!

H Family Sneak Peek! | Kirkland Family Photographer

2011-07-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

I have to start off by saying this was one of my favorite sessions ever. Not surprising, since this is the family of one of my dearest friends, but large family groups can be challenging. This family was in the zone, that's all I can say. Lots of love, willingness to smile, and in general just being happy they were all together. Thank you so much, all of you, for a lovely afternoon. I hope you continued that celebration of family for the rest of the day!

Sharing a few favorites:

Announcing "Pixies & Princes" Mini-session Event! | Snohomish Children's Photographer

2011-07-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to announce this event, I've been dreaming it up for quite awhile, and I hope you and your kids are going to love it! Here are some additional details:

We will be giving our corner of this cool wooded park a touch of pixie magic to make it the perfect backdrop for some whimsical and charming photos of your little ones.
Costumes will be available! Danielle of Crafty Chicks will be on hand with darling new designs made exclusively for this event! Tutu dresses, wings, flower crowns for the girls, and cloaks, crowns and scepters for the boys.
With your paid session fee, you are automatically entered in our drawing to win one of several prizes, including free prints, free costume items, and more!
The mini sessions are 15 minutes each, and are very limited, so grab yours early!
This would be a great opportunity for sibling and cousin photos, or groups of friends, I can't wait to see you all there!

I will post more ideas and details in the weeks ahead, but please do contact me with any questions at all, or to book your spot.

jensharon1013@gmail.com

206-399-8475

F Family Sneak Peek! | Mill Creek Family Photographer

2011-06-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

I had the great pleasure to meet up with this family while they were in town visiting relatives. Renn and I had gotten to know each other before they moved to Montana when our babies were babies, so it was wonderful to get our now 6 year old boys together for a day!

We started at a beautiful local park with a boardwalk through the wetlands - just right for this outdoors loving family. Afterwards - a trip to Starbucks to recreate our long ago photos with our babies.... Awww!

Just a sneak peek for now, guys, more to come soon!

Sunshine at Seward Park | Seattle Children's Photographer

2011-06-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

After weeks of rain, I was finally able to schedule an afternoon session with the H family, on the ONE sunny day of practically the whole month. I picked a nice little grassy spot under a tree and we had some great toddler-wrangling fun for an hour! I'm now thinking perhaps the issue has more to do with the number of children being wrangled at once, vs the age, truly. Haha! (I sense a new kind of casting call in the future...)

But you can't go wrong laying on a quilt in the grass in the park, on a sunny Seattle afternoon, and a fun time was had by all.

Some favorites!:

Family portrait season is heating up, folks! How long has it been since YOUR family was photographed together? I'm scheduling through the summer right now, and weeknight evenings are a great time to fit in a session! Contact me for availability/prices.

Studio Lighting workshop | Seattle Portrait Photographer

2011-06-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

I recently had a chance to take a couple of classes on studio lighting, at a fun studio in Seattle, downtown in Pioneer Square. Local photogs, if you have a chance to check out REDred Photo School & Studio, I recommend them - affordable and effective hands on education!

During the hands-on lighting lab, we had 3 models to work with, and chose magazine photos to try to recreate - figuring out the types of lights that were used, how many, positioning, etc. If I was thinking, I would have also snapped a photo of the magazine page, but alas, you'll have to trust me. These are some of my favorite shots from my class:

May Day Baby Shower! | Snohomish Family Photographer

2011-06-02T16:18:00.000-07:00

Well, this is a bit of a sneak peek for hostess Lauren and beautiful mommy-to-be Selina. I wanted to try out my new collage template, what do you think? Haha.... More to come soon, ladies! It was a beautiful afternoon, filled with love from family and friends. I loved being part of it!

Erin & David's Mount Vernon Wedding! | Mt. Vernon Wedding Photographer

2011-05-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to second shoot a wedding with Jamie Neilsen, wedding and portrait photographer extraordinaire, this past winter. It was a really good experience, and gave me a lot of insight into shooting weddings. I hope to do a lot more second shooting as this summer's wedding season heats up!

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the day, hope you enjoy. Jamie - thank you so much for letting me assist you, and for taking time to mentor me!

Meet Dickens!

2011-05-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

I had to share a few shots of my mom's new yorkie puppy, Dickens. So named for 3 reasons: 1) he was a Christmas puppy, 2) Yorkies are English, as was his namesake, and 3) he's "cute as the dickens" wherever that phrase came from.

Anyway - I did not put "Snohomish Pet Photographer" in the title of this blog post, because I'm not entirely sure I want people finding me via such a search. If you think toddlers are squirrelly, try getting a 3 lb fireball of puppy to sit still for 1/125th of a second. Hahaha....

Still - he is awfully cute, so enjoy!

Kendall - One Year Old! | Everett Children's Photographer

2011-05-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a few more from my session with Kendall, she was really so fun to work with! Kendall is one of my toddler casting call models, and as I hoped, I learned a few more "things I'll do differently next time", which is great!

Enjoy...

Sneak Peek for Kendall! | Everett Children's Photographer

2011-04-30T10:41:00.000-07:00

My "rain, rain, stay away" chant on Facebook must have worked, because we lucked out for this cute one-year-old's session at the Evergreen Arboretum yesterday! Little Miss Kendall was a total trooper, and modeled several of her cute outfits and hair accessories for me, not to mention her new walking skills.

More of this session to come, but for now, here's a quick peek for mom. Thanks again for exploring this lovely location with me!

Casting Call - Toddler Wrangling!! | Snohomish Children's Photography

2011-03-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Parents of toddlers aged 1 - 3 years, this is for you!!

I would like to hone my skillz while providing you with some updated portraits of your little one! Think Easter outfits, or just some fun outdoor shots for spring. Here are the details:

Complimentary 60-minute session in the Snohomish/Mill Creek/Bothell area, at an outdoor venue of your choice. (I can help with ideas for locations)
Complimentary disc of edited images sized for web-sharing (ie Facebook)
10% off my regular print prices

Please contact me if you are interested, there will be a very limited number of these sessions available.

Lessons Learned from Toddlers | Snohomish Children's Photographer

2011-03-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

I say lessons learned, but trust me, I remain in ongoing "toddler training" mode, when it comes to knowing enough tricks to have consistant success at photographing this adorable-but-challenging age group.

I wanted to share one such lesson from a recent session at a client's home. Of their 3 sweet daughters, their youngest was not feeling the moment, and I struggled to engage her. We took our time, and took photos in a few different areas, including the girls' fun playroom. But it wasn't until I let said youngest daughter have some quiet time to herself that I learned the toddler wrangling lesson of the day.... If You Let Them Go, Portraits Will Happen...

The result? Ending up with this beautiful image:

Instead of:

(Thanks to C's mommy for letting me share! )

Now, to put this lesson into practice, and to gain new lessons learned - I will be announcing my Toddler Wrangling Casting Call! Stay tuned for more details on that tomorrow.

Fellow photographers, I welcome you to comment with your most valuable "lesson learned" regarding photographing these fast moving little ones, too!

P.S. Only 75 fans to go until my mini-session and prop giveaway takes place! Have you told your friends to become a fan of my Facebook Page? Do that, then go comment on this blog post to enter to win my giveaway!!

Inspired and Renewed | WPPI Convention 2011

2011-03-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

I feel like I am very tardy getting back to my blog, and recapping my fabulous first experience at the WPPI convention. It's not easy getting back into the swing of things at home after being away from my family for 4 days - an exhausting 4 days at that!

But I came away from this amazing convention with so much - new goals and resources, new friends and mentors, new knowledge to put into practice! Not to mention lessons learned for next year (I will definitely be staying at the MGM Signature next time. Not that I didn't love the weight loss potential that the walk to and from the NYNY gave me, but my poor feet would have been happier.....)

I went to many of the platform classes offered, mostly in the area of business & marketing, and motivation. The first of which was the talk given by the amazing Bobbi & Mike. They were SO inspirational, and passionate about what they do, and offered a lot of really solid advice. I am a huge fan.

I also went to Jasmine Star's talk, and came away with a TON of useable advice - made my most concrete goals in this class, I must say. Jasmine is a rockstar in the world of wedding photography, 'nuff said.

Kevin Kubota, Beth Forrester and Jules & Joy Bianchi all gave really good talks as well, and I have a wealth of ideas for marketing as a result. Jared Bauman was probably the dryest of the presentations I attended, but talking about pricing isn't super fun, so he rocked it out as much as he could, haha...

I also ended up being lucky enough to sit down with Justin & Mary Marantz, another husband and wife team, and the folks behind the Spread The Love workshops, which I attended last year. I wasn't able to attend their platform class, as it was the day after I left Vegas, but I ran into them at lunch one day, and they were SO nice, and invited me to sit down with them! We probably chatted for 15 minutes or so, and it was great - they are so good at making people feel worthy of going for what they want. Thanks guys!

My last day in Vegas was without a doubt the most worthwhile. If you've followed my blog since the beginning, you've heard me talk about Me Ra Koh. She gave me the push I needed to actually START, and not just dream about being a photographer eventually. When she launched her SOAR scholarship, I was an applicant that first year, in December 2009. Although I didn't win the actual scholarship, I won by launching this blog, the day after the SOAR winners were announced.

Suffice to say, I've heard MeRa speak several times, so I know she is inspirational, and a great motivator. But even having said that - her platform talk at WPPI was OUT OF THIS WORLD! That afternoon, she also hosted a private Garden Party for former SOAR applicants, workshop attendees, and readers of her blog. More amazingness! We not only had a lovely luncheon, but received more inspiration, and some wonderful gifts to help us on our journey of being pro photographers. We ended the afternoon with some photo coaching with models, so we were all able to get some hands on learning as well.

Here are a few photos from the day!

The inspirational MeRa

Mike Larson and his beautiful family came by to be models for us! Mike was a platform speaker as well, the first day we arrived at WPPI.

So done!

Some of the other luncheon ladies, working with bride and groom models.

MeRa - thanks again for the fantastic day!

Whew! Now that's a marathon blog post, if you're still here - thanks for making it through!

The Red Chair | Snohomish Children's Photographer

2011-02-19T12:28:00.000-08:00

I'm alive! After a sudden fierce case of strep throat diagnosed on Valentine's Day (nice), I'm so happy to be back to normal functioning... I had posted an iPhone pic on my Facebook page, of my awesome craigslist red chair find, and meant to post some nicer ones immediately after that. Well... A couple of weeks later - here they are!

I love my son for being ultra willing to pose for me, as long as I can do it in 10 minutes.

My wee doggie, Bella, decided to sit still for 2 seconds for once, as well...

I'm so glad to get these up, at last! I'm willing to cart this lovely vintage chair around town if we want to use it in an outdoor shoot somewhere. Or my teeniest of studios here gets fantastic afternoon light, if you'd like to bring your little one to me.

Another reason I'm grateful to be back in the land of the living? I'm headed to Las Vegas tomorrow, woohoo! I feel incredibly lucky to be going to WPPI, the biggest portrait photographer's convention of the year. I'll be posting the occasional update to my facebook page, but this is my sole post of the week here on the blog.

Wishing you all a great week! Think spring!

P. S. So, it would be a huge thrill for me to come home and find some more entries for my giveaway, as well as more fans on the facebook page to get us closer to actually DOING said giveaway! Pretty please? You're the best!

The K Girls! | Snohomish Children's Photography

2011-02-12T11:34:00.000-08:00

I recently got to spend a fun morning with the K family at their home, to capture some photos of their 3 sweet daughters. Can I just say, I do love when a family is cool with moving furniture around in order to use the best window light AND the prettiest chair?

More importantly, it shows off their pretty girls:

Stay tuned for part 2 of this session, I'm going to share some lessons learned about photographing toddlers on the move!

P. S. Don't forget to let your Facebook friends know about the mini-session giveaway I have going, once I reach 300 fans on my Facebook page!

Celebrating One Year with a Giveaway!! | Jennifer Sharon Photography Celebrates 1st Anniversary

2011-01-27T16:14:00.000-08:00

Time for my first ever giveaway, are you ready?!

In honor of my first anniversary, I am going to give away a FREE mini-session, which will include a free 8x10 print from the session. The session needs to take place in the local, greater Seattle area. (Unless you feel like flying me to Virginia Beach or Texas or Canada. That part just isn't free, sorry.)

How do you enter to win?

One entry for being a fan of my Facebook page
One entry for being a subscriber of this blog
One entry for every 10 friends you refer to my Facebook fan page.

For each entry you qualify for, leave a separate comment here on the blog. You may end up with more than 3 entries if you refer more than one set of 10 friends, the more the better! The drawing will take place when I hit 300 fans on Facebook, so refer away!!

As an added bonus, my friend Danielle over at Crafty Chicks will be giving away one of her handmade items to the giveaway winner, to enhance their mini session. (Granted, this may be most appealing if there will be kids in your session, but I can make an argument for the artistic humor of a tutu on the groom-to-be for an engagement session, too. Just saying....)
So, there it is! Have fun with it! Tell your friends to enter too!

Looking forward to the year ahead....
Jen

I'm One Year Old!! | Jennifer Sharon Photography Celebrates 1st Anniversary

2011-01-12T14:20:00.000-08:00

This week brings my first year of business to a close, and what a year it was! In my very first post, I pledged that 2010 would be huge, and I do feel like I took some big leaps forward - with my skills, my portfolio, my "brand", and especially with the many new friends I met this year. Seattle's photography community can be overwhelming, but once you start looking, that community can also be incredibly supportive, and I would not have come as far as I have this year without the fantastic connections I made there.

I also have my awesome family to thank, because they have been amazingly supportive since before I even went after that SOAR scholarship in December 2009 (which I didn't get, but which started it all anyway, I feel).

Last, but not least, of course I must thank all my lovely clients, for trusting me with helping you make lasting memories of your families and children, as you were this year. Thank you for helping me grow!

Looking ahead, I have big plans for 2011, of course! That's the best part of having started a business in early January, it's the perfect time of year for setting new goals. While I feel 2010 was a success in many ways, it also fell short of the big dreams in my head. That's ok - we need to dream big in order to stretch ourselves, so I don't feel badly. But my dreams for 2011 need to be just as grand. And I need to GET TO WORK!

Since this is year two, several of my goals just involve "more". More education, creating more opportunities, (more clients, hehe...). I invite you to check back here in the days to come for the first burst of more blog content. I'm putting together my first giveaway, in honor of my anniversary. I'll be putting out my first casting call of the year (toddlers, get ready!!). And I'm planning my first ever Valentine mini-shoot.

That's it for now! Since I ended my very first post with a photo of my son, let me make it a tradition:

2011 - I'm on my way....

Holiday Mini Sessions | The A family!

2010-12-13T20:47:00.000-08:00

I've so enjoyed my first season of holiday mini sessions! I'm sharing a few today from my session with the A family, which was great fun. I learned that "threatening" a 10 year old boy with a pink shiny cindy-lou-who hat can work wonders for cooperation. Haha, kidding aside, these 3 did fantastic! The only one who had to wear the shiny pink hat was, alas, me.....

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season!

Darling Fiona - 6 Months Old! | Seattle Children's Photographer

2010-11-29T10:45:00.000-08:00

I first photographed this sweetest of baby girls shortly after she was born last spring. She's just a bundle of smiles now, I could take her portraits weekly, honestly....

I'm so excited to share these with you, I love how so many of them turned out! You may notice these are not outdoor portraits - these were done at my tiny home studio, and it was so much fun to play with a few props and backgrounds! They are still natural light, I'm lucky to have a room that gets fantastic light AND has no furniture in it.... I don't have the capacity to do family photos here, but if you want to bring your kids to play, I am ready to capture some smiles!

Here they are, I hope you enjoy them!

I also want to mention that all of the hats and tutu's featured in these portraits were made by the talented Danielle at Crafty Chicks. She's local, too, so if we schedule a session and you want me to have a particular color or style of any hat/headband/tutu on hand, I can usually have them pretty quickly. Moms and photogs, check out her facebook page, too, as she often posts specials there!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember there is still time to get those holiday mini-sessions in!

Holiday Mini Sessions - Now is the time!!

2010-10-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

I know, we're not even past Halloween yet, but now is the time to think about your holiday cards, especially if you like to include photos of your family, or even just the kids.

I thought about choosing one day to hold holiday mini-sessions, but ultimately decided to be a bit more flexible and offer a limited number of afternoon sessions over the next month. Once daylight savings time ends on November 6th, sunset comes a lot earlier, and those weekend afternoons will fill up fast.

This is my special Holiday Mini-Session package for 2010:

30 minute session at a location of your choice (I have some great ones in mind, if you don't)
Online gallery of 10-15 images
3 digital images and 2 desktop prints (5x7 or 8x10)
Package fee is $135 (package is valued at $270)

Please email me or give me a call if you would like more information or want to book one of these sessions! Just say no to the self-timer on your camera this year!

And since no post without photos is a good post, here are a few pumpkin patch photos:

Logan's Senior Photos | Seattle Senior Photographer

2010-10-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

Logan chose Meridian Park for his senior photo session, which also houses the Good Shepard Center. It was a great location, with the old brick building at the center, you would be able to find great light during most hours of the day, I'm guessing. Must go back to find out. :)

Logan, I have no doubt you are having a great start to your senior year! Here are some of my favorite moments from our session...

I will be posting my holiday mini-sessions plan this week, so check back soon!

Jack & Jill Special - Extended!

2010-10-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

The Jack & Jill Consignment Sale took place this past weekend, and it was so much fun! It was my first time being a vendor, so I learned a lot, met so many great people, and networked with the other vendors. What a great experience!

I wanted to do something to welcome new visitors and clients to my blog, so I have decided to extend the promotion that I was offering at the sale, for an additional 2 weeks, to my blog readers and Facebook fans. This means you! Even if you did not attend the sale, you can take advantage of this offer. Here it is:

Book your portrait session by Friday, October 15th, and receive a complimentary 10x20 storyboard. (A $50 value!)
Payment of the session fee books your session.
Must follow up to schedule a date for your session within 10 days of booking, and the session itself must take place within 120 days.

Here is an example of a storyboard - picture it with YOUR photos! These look fantastic framed on your wall, no additional matting necessary.

Contact me if you are interested! I look forward to hearing from you.

Coming soon, I will be posting more about the other vendors I met this weekend. Talking with them resulted in some great ideas for themed sessions that I will be offering this fall. Keep checking back!

Lance's Senior Photos | Seattle Senior Photographer

2010-09-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

Lance's senior session has turned out to be one of my favorite to date. We battled harsh sun and security guards at the Olympic Sculpture Park, but we prevailed, and here is the result! Lots of photos in this post, I just couldn't choose...

I'm interested in hearing what you all think - which one of these do you think best captured Lance's intense gaze?

Happy Monday!

Upcoming Event - The Jack & Jill Sale!

2010-09-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

As both a photographer and a mom, I'm excited to be a part of the upcoming Jack & Jill Sale, being held on October 1st and 2nd, in Woodinville, WA.

Be sure to go and check out their website, whether you've got items to sell or are interested in coming to check out the sale. The way this sale is organized is so great, I've never seen anything like it!

Plus, I will be there, featuring a special available to sale attendees only!

First Day of Kindergarten!

2010-09-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

My darling little boy Carter started Kindergarten today. With no hesitation, he stepped on the school bus and off he went. We followed the bus to school and saw him to his classroom, but as of tomorrow, he'll do it all on his own. Here are some pictures of his big morning. As for me, I'm hoping it gets easier as the days go by...

Sneak Peek for Logan! | Seattle High School Senior Photography

2010-08-31T10:04:00.000-07:00

Here's one more sneak peek for you, before I go back to editing the full sessions, packing to go camping, and gearing up for my son's first day of Kindergarten. *whew*

Logan is the son of one of my dearest friends, and I've known him since HE was in Kindergarten! I truly enjoyed our afternoon together, as it's been quite awhile since I've had a chance to talk with Logan. Much more about our session to come, but for now, here's a small peek:

Sneak Peek for Lance | Seattle High School Senior Photography

2010-08-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

Just popping on to show off a sneak peek photo from my senior session earlier this week. Lance, it was great to meet you and explore the extremely sunny Olympic Sculpture Park, despite our scolding from security. (Don't TOUCH the outdoor public art, obviously....) Ah well, we came away with tons of photos anyway, and you will get to see more shortly!

For now, though, how's this for an intense gaze?

A Hawaiian Reception in Bellingham - Part 2 | Northwest Wedding Photography

2010-08-02T22:31:00.000-07:00

Melisa and Chris' reception had such a relaxed feel to it - which is exactly what they were going for. Makes me long for Hawaii..... Here are some more of my favorites that I wanted to share:

A Hawaiian Reception in Bellingham - Part 1 | Northwest Wedding Photography

2010-08-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

I had such a fun time photographing this wedding reception for a photographer friend of mine. She and her husband had flown to Hawaii for their wedding, and came back to host a big reception for family and friends. They lucked out with a gorgeous sunny day, and the party was enjoyed by all.

Thanks again, Melisa and Chris, for letting me share the day with you! Here are several of my favorites of the two of you. Next I will post my favorite family and detail shots.

More to follow!

New Look for the Blog!

2010-08-01T23:57:00.000-07:00

I promise I have wedding reception photos to post next, but instead of doing that tonight, I redesigned the blog with the new template designer blogger introduced. I mainly wanted to do it so I could post larger photos. You'll have to let me know what you think! I'll get those nice large photos posted very soon, so check back!

M's Senior Photos, Part 2 | Seattle Senior Photographer

2010-07-23T23:44:00.000-07:00

At last, I can post the rest of M's senior photo session, as we were able to meet for the rest of our session that had been interrupted by rain. Naturally, it rained at this session too, since this is, after all, Seattle. But not enough to chase we natives away.

We began the session with some shots of M with his brother in their scout uniforms. M is an Eagle scout, and since this was possibly the last time he would wear this uniform, it was the perfect time to capture these memories for him and his family.

Some favorites!:

Next up, a Hawaiian-themed wedding reception. I promise it won't be a month between posts this time.... :)

Urban Style | Seattle Headshot Photographer

2010-06-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

During a break in the RAIN that has relentlessly hounded us into early summer, I had a very fun session downtown with the lovely LE. Being the fantastic jazz vocalist that she is, we set out to capture some fun, urban images of her for headshots and publicity photos.

LE, thank you for letting me lead you around the city for the morning! Here are a few favorites from our session.

Confidence Workshop | Day 2

2010-06-04T13:52:00.000-07:00

The second day of the Confidence workshop resulted in a lot of "a-ha" moments for me. The moment when new knowledge finally clicks into place for real, and you know you're going to be able to call on that information right when you need it, forevermore - that's what I wanted from this weekend.

I also came away feeling, well, confident, that I'm on the right track here, and I'm not wasting my time. After so many years of doing a job that was just a job, and brought zero joy to my life, I am truly excited to be on this new path, building a career that I love!

Anyway, thanks for listening! Now to the fun part - here are some of the images I got from our families and seniors shoot. We went over to the UW Tacoma campus for the shoot. Amazing place! It was like getting a dozen different locations in one, that you would never suspect were all within view of each other.

Wishing you all an enjoyable weekend!

Confidence Workshop | Day 1

2010-06-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

As I recently mentioned, I was lucky enough to get to attend Me Ra Koh's Confidence Workshop last month, and it was a fantastic experience! Two days of intense learning and hands on training - heaven! Me Ra and her husband Brian provided a wonderful environment in which to listen, learn, ask questions, try new things, and discover things about myself as a photographer. And I want to thank them both SO much!

Day one included a moms & babies photo shoot, right in the lobby of the Hotel Murano where the conference was held. Here are some of the shots that I was able to get:

That's it for now, but stay tuned for a summary of day two of the workshop!

M's Senior Photos, Part 1 | Seattle Senior Photographer

2010-05-22T23:05:00.000-07:00

Something that will most likely never get easier about being a photographer in the Northwest? Predicting the weather. We had great plans for M's senior photo session last week - a week of beautiful weather, I might add, even up to the hour before our scheduled afternoon together. But alas, for once, the forecasters got it right, and the sunny, blue sky completely clouded over, and the rain and wind arrived, literally as I was driving into town to meet M.

Nevertheless, we were able to dodge a few raindrops to have a mini-session that day - hence the "Part 1" in the title of this post. More to follow, I'm sure we'll see the sun again soon, right? Right?

Coming soon, I'll be posting photos from my awesome workshop last weekend!

Darling Baby F | Seattle Newborn Photographer

2010-05-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

Oh, I so enjoyed meeting Miss F for the first time, she was sooo tiny and smelled sooo good! She was 11 days old when I photographed her, and was such a happy baby, as long as you weren't changing her diaper... We didn't have a lot of time together, but that just means we'll do it again soon, I hope! Here are several of my favorites...

I've really been enjoying these newborn sessions, so if you know any expectant mommies, please send them a link to my blog or suggest my Facebook page to them!

And now for a few days of blog silence as I head off to MeRa Koh's CONFIDENCE Workshop. I'm so excited to be attending this workshop, and hope to be back after the weekend with tons of new ideas and skills!

Baby S | Woodinville Newborn Photographer

2010-05-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to be part of a newborn photography mentoring session, thanks again to my Soaring in Seattle group! I was able to photograph this 2 week old little lady along with a couple other photog friends, while benefiting from some mentoring by Jamie Neilsen, another local photographer. Baby S's mommy is also a member of Soaring in Seattle - what a great environment of growth and sharing this group has become! And here are some of my favorites...

Soaring in Seattle | Discovery Park, pt 2

2010-05-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

Also along for the windy outing at Discovery Park last month were some of the Soar children! Here are some fun shots of the younger crowd...

Next up - more baby girls!

Soaring in Seattle | Discovery Park, pt 1

2010-05-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

In April I had a chance to meet with fellow Soaring in Seattle photographers for a photo shoot at Discovery Park. What a great location! With so many different backdrops, it was a great place for portraits. We had some great models to work with, too, from pre-schoolers to high-schoolers. The day was SUPER windy, but we all just went for it. It was great to have a chance to learn from my peers, and have a blast doing it! I ended up with quite a few favorites, so this will be a two-part post. For today, check out some of my favorite shots of the two high school ladies who joined us.

Five Years Old

2010-05-04T01:12:00.000-07:00

I truly can't believe five years have passed.... Happy Birthday to my darling little boy, Carter James!!

Sweet Baby C | Seattle Newborn Photographer

2010-05-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

I have had the chance to photograph a few newborns this spring - all girls! And, I'm really enjoying learning more about how to get these sweet new baby shots. I hope to have more of these sessions come my way, because one never gets tired of that sweet new baby smell....

Here are a few from Baby C's day. She mostly wanted to stay awake and play, so I learned all about being flexible and going with the flow at a newborn session - thanks Baby C, and thanks to your mommy as well!

S family - Sneak Peek! | Walla Walla Family Photographer

2010-04-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

Here are a few from sunny Walla Walla, as a sneak peek for the family... More to follow very soon. I enjoyed our time together!

For anyone wanting portraits - for family, kids, high school seniors or any other occasion, please email me for available dates. May weekends are getting scarce, June is still pretty open. Also, I'm happy to do week day sessions as needed.

More S family on the blog soon, followed by a sweet baby girl and a day at the park!

Buggy | All in the details

2010-04-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

One more post about the cutest shop ever for moms, babies and kids. As you know, I spent the day at Buggy during their Uteropia event in March, you can see the belly shots I captured here. In case you've never visited, I also wanted to post some of the fun detail photos I came away with, because this is one of those fun places where every nook and cranny displays some childish delight, and you don't want to leave one corner unexplored...

See what I mean?

Next up on the blog, some sunny family portraits from a recent session in Walla Walla, WA.

The Bellies of Buggy | Seattle Maternity Photography

2010-04-02T09:36:00.000-07:00

I'm back, again! After a few busy weeks filled with portrait sessions, a maternity event, and an anniversary weekend away, I've got lots of new blog material, yay! First, I've been dying to share all the lovely baby bumps I got to capture at Uteropia, the maternity event held at Buggy in March.

Thank you to all the beautiful mommies-to-be who gave me a few minutes of their time, I hope you enjoy your photos! Here are some of my favorite shots of the day:

And yes, you may very well recognize that last lovely mama as Heather, one of the owners of Buggy. Glowing, right?

Next up, stay tuned for some detail shots that I took that day at the shop, in between bellies. :) If you haven't had the chance to head to Madrona, I highly recommend it. Fill a few hours exploring Buggy and other neighborhood shops, and check out the Hi Spot Cafe while you're there, yum...

New logo, new look!

2010-03-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to launch my new look, just in time for Spring! It's sooooo nice to have a superstar designer as a husband, didn't he do a fantastic job on my new logo? He knows what I like... Let me know what you think when you have a moment!

March is shaping up to be a busy and fun month for me! Stay tuned, I'll be sharing it all here along the way...

Happy Spring!

Upcoming Maternity Event at Buggy!

2010-02-24T00:12:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to announce that I will be part of an upcoming maternity event at Buggy, a very hip local maternity and baby consignment shop in the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle. The 3 day event, Uteropia, will be held March 12-14, and I will be there all day on Saturday, March 13th, offering FREE belly shots to expectant moms! The event is still shaping up, but I know they plan to feature several great products for new moms, and other vendors will be present throughout the event.

Please spread the word to all your pregnant friends and family! And feel free to contact me with any questions, as always I would love to hear from you!

Spring Portrait Special | Snohomish Portrait Photographer

2010-02-22T14:42:00.000-08:00

I know, I'm pushing the Spring envelope, but a few sunny days in a row, and I can't help it! Are you feeling it too? Here's an idea for a way you could kick off your Spring - let's get out in the sun (non-rain?) and capture photos of your family as they are now...

As I continue to build my portfolio, I would love to offer a spring special to you, or to anyone else you know who might be interested:

Spring Portrait Special

* 60 - 90 minute session at the outdoor venue of your choice, in King or Snohomish county
* $75 session fee will be waived
* 1 complimentary 8x10 portrait of your choice
* all other prints and digital images discounted 10% off regular prices
* I will ask you to sign a model release form so I may use the images in my galleries

If you are interested in booking a session, please contact me at jensharon1013@gmail.com, or via my Facebook fan page. I would also really appreciate it if you would pass this blog post on to any of your local friends who may be interested! The offer isn't limited to family portraits, either. I'd love to do sessions with couples, high school seniors, and newborns as well!

Important note: I am offering FIVE of these free sessions, so act fast!

Around Town | Ravenna Gardens - University Village

2010-02-15T09:41:00.000-08:00

I met up with my cousin and fellow photog Beth Ann this week, and we ended up walking around Ravenna Gardens at University Village in Seattle. Such a fun shop to wander and enjoy the inviting displays, getting ideas for your home and garden, and taking photos of objects that catch your fancy instead of impulsively buying and taking them home. Luckily the shop owner is open to such wandering, and we felt welcome... If you know of any other little gems like this around town, please share! It's always fun just to explore our great city with a camera in hand...

A few shots from the day:

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T11:52:00.000-08:00

From the heart of a 4 and a 1/2 year old...

This one deserves a caption - clockwise from top you will see, Mommy (me) with long hair attached to head as an afterthought; Carter; a lobster; and finally Daddy, with a chin and beard, and shaved beard hair all around him (the dots). Don't you love it?

My card has a drawing of a library bookshelf with Valentine books on the shelves. Daddy's card is a mystery because I already forget what he was going for here, but I think it's some sort of Daddy robot with Carter on his shoulders, can you see it?

Self Portraits | SOAR! Photo Exercise #1

2010-02-09T10:03:00.000-08:00

The first SOAR! photo assignment was a doozy. Take two self portraits to document where I am in my journey of life, right now. One portrait of myself, and one of an object that symbolizes me. This exercise was meant to have us dig within and do the work to discover what we really feel about this journey we are all on.

I knew I wanted my portrait to involve a big, wide staircase, because I know this journey is an UPHILL climb. So, here I am at the bottom, for now (although, you'll notice, not on the VERY bottom!) I may be just getting started, but I am fired up, and that is honestly how I felt when my husband was taking this picture. With a determined stance, and looking the camera in the eye, I begin this climb...

The object portrait is of a bud on a tree, and I must have shot 20 buds on 5 different trees before finding THE ONE, and then took 20 shots of that bud to get it right. And that's what it takes, right? This is me right now - fuzzy and green (no, just kidding) - starting to open up and show the world what I'm about.

Here's to 2010...

My SOAR! Story

2010-02-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

December 2009 was a crazy month in the Sharon household. Not only because of the excitement of the holidays, but because I was scrambling to put together a 2 minute video to apply for the SOAR! photography scholarshop, offered by Me Ra Koh. I wasn't one of the 3 selected winners, but I feel like I actually did win, in another way. Let me back up...

The scholarship was announced on December 1st, and the video submissions would be due by December 21st. Crazy, crazy timing. I cried reading about the opportunity that would be given to the 3 women who would win - a year of self discovery in the form of workshops, business coaching, software tutoring, not to mention the gear and other tools they would receive. I initially shrugged it off, thinking I'd never have a chance of competing. But that night, I woke up at 4am out of a sound sleep, a fully formed idea for my video complete in my mind. Not something to ignore... My amazingly supportive husband encouraged me to go for it, and I ultimately did, making changes to my idea along the way. Both Jim and Carter appeared in the video with me, at times, and I could not have completed the video at all without the editing skills that Jim determinedly acquired all for me.

I may not have won a scholarship, but making that video broke me out of the state of paralysis I'd been in, and helped me to get MOVING again, towards my dreams. The day after the 3 winners were announced, I started this blog. And the momentum is building - I hope my readers see evidence of that here this year.

Another amazing effect of the SOAR scholarship race was the effect it had on all the applicants. There were 263 videos submitted, and during the month leading up to the announcement of the winners, we became a community. We chose to lift each other up and support one another, rather than be competitive. We have formed regional groups, and we have a forum where we will share where this year takes us. Most of us plan to follow along with the 3 winners, completing the same photo assignments and business coaching exercises.

And that is my SOAR! story. Now you'll know what I'm talking about when I post photo assignments, etc. And at some point I hope to show a blogroll on the sidebar here, that will include many of my Soar Sisters' blogs.

Whew! Ok, I'm posting this longest-to-date blog post, and next up will be my January photo assignment.

Thanks for being part of this journey with me!

C & C | Walla Walla portrait photography

2010-02-03T13:22:00.000-08:00

I know, I shouldn't necessarily categorize myself as a Walla Walla photographer, being based in Snohomish and all, but since we do have family in that area, we travel there on a semi regular basis. I'd be happy to set aside one block of time on our next weekend visit for anyone interested in some portraits! Please feel free to contact me with questions, or to schedule a session. :)

These cool friends of ours wanted some portraits to share with friends and family for Christmas, so we grabbed some time on the coldest possible day in early December and got these fun shots. Guys, let's do it again, somewhere much warmer next time. Mexico, perhaps?

Meet K | Snohomish Senior Photographer

2010-01-26T12:47:00.000-08:00

Now that my computer woes are hopefully behind me, I can start sharing photos again, which, after all, is the whole idea here... I had the best time with K this last fall, shooting her high school senior photos. She was my first senior, of hopefully many to come. We ran around downtown Snohomish exploring all the fun locations to be found, and I was really happy with how they all turned out. This is what I want to do!! Bring it on, seniors, I need to find more of you....

K, I hope you're enjoying the adventure of your Freshman college year, I wish you the best. Here are a few of my favorites from the day.

Tiny Road Block

2010-01-16T22:58:00.000-08:00

Just so you don't think I've abandoned my newborn blog already - I'm still here! I just hit a tiny, perfectly timed road block, and am now typing this directly from my brand new laptop. :)

I'll be back posting photos before you know it, just need a couple of days to transfer data and get familiar with my new territory! Oh yeah, and re-edit all my bleepin' photos that were on my external hard drive that crashed. You know, details....

Technology Challenge

2010-01-10T21:39:00.000-08:00

Today I spent some time with my new friend Lightroom 3 (Beta). I do not have a previous version of Lightroom. (Oh, if you don't know, it's a fantastic photo editing software by Adobe). I'd heard it's a lot easier to learn and use than that scary beast that is PHOTOSHOP. So when I learned of the free trial Adobe is offering during the beta mode of the new version, I jumped at the chance to give it a try, before plunking down the $$ for it.

So far, I love it! I've already been able to "tweak" my photos to get the more polished look I've been wanting. I know I won't be able to avoid Photoshop forever, but for now, it's definitely lower on the totem pole of things-to-do-for-my-business. My goal this week, is to spend some time going through some Lightroom tutorials, to get the most out of the free trial. By spring, I will hopefully have enough amazingly edited photos to prove I deserve the real deal!

Here's one that I played with today. Before:

And after:

Just some very simple stuff, but I'm a lot happier with the second one...

More on my technology journey later!

2010 is going to be HUGE!

2010-01-09T16:28:00.000-08:00

That's right, I'm wasting NO more time, 2010 is the year to build my business! I need a blog - check! I need a website (nudge, nudge, web-designer husband of mine...) and I need some portrait ~~victims~~ volunteers to help me build my portfolio! Spread the word, friends, because now is the time to take advantage of my extremely affordable services...

Upcoming posts are going to feature some of my previous photo shoots, as a way to showcase my work while my website is under construction.

And since we can't have a post on a photography blog without a photo, here's one of my darling son, Carter...

Thanks for joining me on this journey!