Sean and Quin and The Fire Truck

This past weekend I had the pleasure of photographing Sean and Quin's wedding, out in Laurel, at the base of Bald Peak, south of Hillsboro, Oregon. My wife grew up on top of Bald Peak, overlooking Gaston, so I know and love the area. The wedding was held at the Denfeld's orchards, and it was a beautiful (if hot) day.







Here's something I've never seen before: Sean is a volunteer firefighter. So his dad had this wild idea: While Sean's out fighting fires, Quin should have something to do as well. So I'll buy Quin...her own fire engine! And that's exactly what he did. He gave it to them that night, and it was something else. These guys looked like kids in a candy store:



We love photographing weddings in the Portland, Oregon area, in the city and in the country. Especially outdoors! We especially love being Hillsboro wedding photographers!

Kate and Keith in the Melon Patch

Yesterday, which was a Thursday, I managed to photograph a wedding ceremony, all the family and wedding party photos, and a sweet suite of bride and groom portraits in a single hour. Not only that, but I took my first portraits in a melon patch at the garden of McMenamin's Edgefield.

As some of the most experienced Portland wedding photographers, we would love to photograph your wedding!

The Ryder Family

We spent the past weekend on the coast near Ilwaco/Long Beach. It was cold. But we made up for that with great company, reconnecting with extended family, breathing voluminous amounts of camp fire smoke, and rock climbing. A couple favorites:

At the crest with two sisters:


And my second cousin thrice removed Duncan, with his parents:

Andrew Hoover and Tina Gonzaga's Portland Wedding

This past weekend we had the privilege of photographing Tina and Andrew's Portland wedding. They were married in what I discovered is the most photogenic Catholic cathedral in Portland: St. Mary's Cathedral. 

We took some portraits at the Rose Gardens, and finished the day with an elegant reception at the Governor Hotel's Grand Ballroom. Andy and Tina were gracious hosts for this lovely day.

See more of the best Portland wedding photographers at www.fritzphoto.com!

Sequoia

We've spent the summer taking the mud pit we inherited with our hundred-year-old house, and transforming it into an oasis. Now we have grass to lie in, and we spend the summer evenings staring up into the Giant Sequoia towering above us. When the sun is about to set, saturated and golden, we feel as if we are gazing up into a giant Georgia O'Keefe painting.

Upcoming Studio Lighting Workshop

Several times a year I teach a Studio Lighting workshop at Pacific NW College of Art. This 7-week class introduces the photography student to the world of artificial lighting. It's great for anyone interested in pushing their photography skills. Here's the class description:

When existing light is not sufficient for proper exposure or desired effect, we turn to artificiallighting. Using the PNCA lighting studio and equipment, we will cover artificial lighting for portraiture, lifestyle, still life, 2D and 3D copy work, fill flash, and on-location lighting. This seven week course utilizes professional lighting equipment, professional models, in-class instruction and oversight, and outside of class access to the studio, to help the student become more confident in creating powerful images using studio lighting. The techniques learned in class provide students with the confidence to use an artificial light source in low light or to add emotion and interest to images in order to further express their vision with both digital and traditional equipment.

This class often fills up, so if you're interested, I'd encourage you to sign up soon. Do so here: PNCA Continuing Education Studio Lighting Class

See more of my Portland photography studio portraits at www.fritzphoto.com.

Drew Carney and Mia Stevens' Portland Wedding Photography

This past weekend I had the privilege of photographing the wedding of Drew Carney and Mia Stevens. You may know Drew as the roving reporter on KPTV's Good Day Oregon, and now with KGW's Out and About. He and his beautiful bride Mia were married in downtown Portland, Oregon, where we photographed them at the Old Church, and the Benson Hotel's ballroom. A fun couple! Here are a few favorites.

This first candid shot I find hilarious. I didn't even remember shooting a frame with the older gentleman peering at them:









Want to see more photographs from our award-winning Portland wedding photographers?  Visit our website at www.fritzphoto.com!

Sisters: Black Crater Fire

Last week we were camping/hiking/photographing in Central Oregon. Everywhere we went we were breathing smoke from the Black Crater fire. We had plans to visit with friends in Sisters, Oregon. (I love Sisters. I had an artist residency there a couple years ago, and made a lot of friends while shooting my Shadows series, which can be seen on my fine art site, www.fritzphoto.com/art.) But our friend had to cancel our dinner plans, as she was on evacuation alert. Burning embers were cascading down from the sky onto her house and property. So instead we went to Tumalo, camping among the rocks and chipmunks. That evening, I took this photo of the Black Crater Fire at sunset:

Sisters

A couple of weeks ago I photographed a wedding at one of my favorite sites, Youngberg Hill Vineyard, outside of McMinnville. I used to live in Yamhill County, and driving out to Youngberg feels like coming home.

During that event, I captured this image of two sisters, just before they went home. It's a favorite.

Thin Green Line

Here's an example of a lovely little image, shot on the fly, that would never see the light of day outside of my office. It certainly meets the criteria for a Beloved Left Over Graphic. Beautiful.

Podlesnik-Albrecht Wedding Photography at Riverplace Hotel

This past weekend we photographed Jack and Allison's wedding at the Riverplace Hotel in Portland, on the waterfront. Lovely day, and the bride and groom were great. Jack's easygoing and sweet, Allison is fun and super expressive.

Some favorite wedding photographs:

A little trouble opening the champagne....



Some portraits on the Willamette River beach, in spite of 3-inch heels:



Some ceremony fun:
The reception...


I didn't know this at the time, but one of Allison's cousins is Katee Sackhoff, who plays Starbuck on Battlestar Galactica. She was a bridesmaid, in fact. A couple photos of her having fun:

And some of the nicer detail shots ever:




Wedding photography can be a lot of fun, especially when the destination is as beautiful as this, the people are fun to work with, and the light is beautiful. Portland and the surrounding area is a great place for weddings, and photography. I'm blessed.

View more of the work of some of the best Portland Wedding Photographers on our website!