VANILLA URBAN THREADS OWNER PORTRAITS ••• CENTRAL OREGON COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER

Hello again!! Summer is quickly drawing to a close and my schedule is slowing down, which is nice because I can catch up a bit in the promotional world and share more of my recent work! Time to highlight this portrait session as part of an ongoing look into a recent editorial assignment for Central Oregon Magazine.  April is the owner of Vanilla Urban Threads, an amazing clothing store here in Bend, Oregon.  The summer 2014 issue featured a Reader's Choice of Central Oregon--Vanilla was selected as one of the top spots for clothing shopping here in Bend.  Located in the Old Mill District, this store is a major destination for the stylish and the hip.  April was wonderful to work with, and, having history as a pro mountain bike racer, she was super comfortable in front of the camera! I really enjoyed the images that we came up with. 

I had been here previously for a photography-related reason, selecting wardrobe elements for the Bend OneModel competition winner's shoot.  I had noticed the amazing wild-print chairs that were near the popular shoe selections.  I knew I had to come back at some point, and likely ask to borrow one of those chairs because they were so awesome--I knew I needed to put a fantastic model on one! This assignment worked out perfectly!

Consistent with my shooting style, I utilized some artificial lighting setups as well as some basic natural lighting efforts to create several distinct portraits for the magazine staff to choose from.  April was a great sport as I clattered around, setting up stands and lights and muttering to myself about details, lighting ideas, and poses to remember...all of which needed to be accomplished prior to the store opening--the entire shoot was about 90 minutes from set-up to tear-down, so I had to move fast.

I try to round out an assignment like this with some additional images from a portrait subject's work environment. Using both my primary DSLR camera and my "mirrorless" Fujifilm x100s, I grabbed some detail shots of the amazing stylized decor in April's store.  These kinds of images can really complete an editorial photo shoot by telling some of the environmental story that occurs around and in conjunction with the main subject of the session.  Finally, a shot of how the magazine used one of the images is at the end of the post!  Thanks for checking it out!!  --Brian

{MOLLY + JOE} PORTLAND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY ••• BEND, OREGON WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Happy Summer!  Here are some images from a fun engagement photography session I did in Portland last week!  Molly and Joe are a fun couple having a summer wedding over here in Bend in the heart of gorgeous Central Oregon at a fantastic time of year.  We ran all over Portland one warm and sunny afternoon, starting in Laurelhurst park among the amazing trees and greenery and that amazing set of stairs.  Then we jumped in the car and battled across the rush hour traffic and had some more urban adventures, ending with a search for a fun and colorful garage door--which for some reason I am often drawn to as a great backdrop.  Stumbling across some appropriate graffiti was a great surprise too and we had to pull over and grab a shot!  All in all, a super-cool Portland engagement photography session with great clients!!  Thanks to Molly and Joe for being rockstars, laughing alot, and putting up with my driving!  Looking forward to spending your wedding day with you!

{JEN + CHRIS} ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION ••• BEND, OREGON WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Hi there!  Brian here...Well, the wedding photography season has definitely been hitting full speed here in Central Oregon!  Some amazing outdoor weddings and engagement portraits happening!  I had a great afternoon with Jen and Chris on a recent Sunday, walking around various parts of Bend and getting in some laughs, stories, and creating some awesome photographs.  These two are getting married in July...a really great time for an outdoor wedding ceremony.  When we met up before starting our shoot, they informed me that they are very happy to have a little one on the way as well--congrats you two!!  Here are some of the images from our fun, creative engagement photography session in downtown Bend at Pioneer Park along the Deschutes River.  We then moved onto some cool urban spots and then back out into nature, again along the Deschutes.  A productive day with a lot of different styles!  Thanks Jen and Chris... you were fantastic and did a great job!  Looking forward to the wedding next month!!