Amy & Brandon’s E-Session

On Saturday I headed out to the Bellevue Botanical Gardens with Amy and Brandon for their engagement session.  We had a great time in spite of the plague of mosquitoes that tormented us.  One got me on the forehead.  Joy!

Amy and Brandon are getting hitched on August 23rd.  I’m looking forward to it even more now that I’ve had a chance to hang out with them.  They are so funny.  It’s always fun to work with funny people.

Enjoy the photos!

Sheena + Greg + Garrett = <3

Yesterday was the wedding of Sheena and Greg, held at the good old Monte Villa Farmhouse.  Sheena and Greg were technically already married, but this was their big celebration with vows and family and an awesome party.  It was some party, too!

Equally in the spotlight was their cute little boy, Garrett.  Garrett has an obsession with cell phones, which came in handy for bribing him to hold still and be a good boy for pictures.  Everybody had a cell phone to wave at him when he started to get fussy!  He especially liked mine (it’s pink, and therefore awesome.)

Garrett’s friend Lamby was also in attendance and shows up in several photos in THE SLIDESHOW!

Sheena is stunning and looked amazing.  I’m not sure which designer did this dress, but it’s one of my favorites out of all the many lovely wedding gowns I’ve seen over the last couple of years.  Look at that back!  The bouquet was stunning, too:  All red and champagne roses with bright gerbera daisies, hypericum berries, and dangling eucalyptus leaves.  The bouquet was created by Lawrence the Florist in Bellevue.

Sheena was escorted down the aisle by her dad (who’s one of the funniest guys I’ve ever met) and Garrett.

Check out this awesome cake.  It’s a photo cake from Mike’s Amazing Cakes.  What a cool idea!  It looked beautiful with black-and-white scenes from Sheena and Greg’s life together.  Sheena said she didn’t want to cut into it.  I don’t blame her!  Apparently Sheena is into scrapbooking.  Is this not the perfect cake for a scrapbooking bride?!

Another dress (from White House Black Market) was waiting in the wings for the dancing, which went on all night long and was way too much fun.  Great play lists and a super DJ.  Even Greg got down to the funky beat, as evidenced by this photo.

My favorite shot of all is this one of Sheena dancing with Garrett.  They had a father/daughter and a mother/son dance with parents of the bride and groom, but of course the little guy couldn’t be left out!  The song was “I Hope You Dance,” which is always a tear-inducer.  Sheena picked Garrett up and spun him around and around to the music.  I hope that’s a memory he always has:  His beautiful mommy in her pretty white dress, dancing with him on such a special day.

Sheena and Greg, much thank for choosing me as your photographer.  I had a great time and we made some awesome photos together!  Wishing you every happiness in the future. 

-Libbie

Suzanne’s Senior Pictures

Back on May 29th, I met with Suzanne to do her (college) senior pictures.  Her mom is hankering for a nice portrait of her little girl, so we made it happen.

I know Suzanne from the zoo, where I volunteer.  (She actually works there, because she’s not crazy enough to do it for free!)  We got together at the rose garden outside the zoo, which, strangely, Suzanne had never visited before!  You know how it is when you actually work in a place.  You never really get to know it.  How many Louvre employees have seen all the artwork there?

The rose garden is a lovely place, even when the roses aren’t yet in bloom, as was the case this May.  Come to think of it, I’m not really sure when roses do bloom.  I guess I’m not much of a greenthumb.  But I do love how Suzanne’s senior pictures came out!

Stephanie & Chris’s Engagement Shoot

Ssshh, don’t tell. This is a back-dated post! You see, right after I got together with Stephanie and Chris for their engagement photos, my life got crazy - and not the good kind of crazy, either! So here it is, June 3rd, and I’m just now getting caught up with all my work. Having crazy times really makes you appreciate all the nice, calm, sane times, so I suppose this is, in the end, a good thing.

Anyway! On to the real story here.

On May 14, I met up with Stephanie and Chris at the Arboretum to shoot their engagement session. I’d never been to the Arboretum before - at least, not since I was about ten years old - and I was instantly in love with the place. I got so many cool ideas for future photo shoots there!

Stephanie, Chris, and I walked around the park for a couple of hours, exploring and stopping to grab a photo wherever a scenic opportunity presented itself.

It was a bright, sunny day, which is fun for walking around but sometimes a challenge for a photographer, especially in the dappled light of the Arboretum. Still, I think I managed to get a lot of great photos that really show off this couple’s personality.

These two are very funny, and were always laughing. We had an awesome time. I can’t wait for their wedding, which is in July. If the engagement shoot was any indication, the wedding will be a blast for everybody!

We decided to be Arboretum rebels and sneaked off the path and into a hilly little thicket for a fun shot or two. I love the bright colors in this one!

And I couldn’t resist a cheesy set-up shot:

Stephanie and Chris, thanks again for spending the afternoon with me at the Arboretum! I’m looking forward to your wedding. I know you are, too!

-Libbie

Anja & John on the East Side

Saturday was the only rainy, cloudy day, sandwiched among several blue-skied, sunny days. However, not even the clouds and the intermittent drizzle diminished the fun or the beauty of Anja and John’s wedding.

Before I bombard you with photos, you can check out the slideshow here! For those new to my slideshows, if you’re viewing in Firefox it might stall. If it does, click pause and then play, and it should resume just fine.
…and now, let the bombardment begin!

The day began with a visit to the Mirage Salon in Redmond. After Anja was coaxed out of her usual baseball cap and her hair was done up in ringlets, I followed her and the ladies of her family (mom Gladys, sis Donna, and soon-to-be stepdaughter Alyssa) back to Anja and John’s home, where I got some fun shots of the family unwinding and preparing for the wedding, as well as playing with their pets, ferocious feather-boa hunting kitty Caramel and Pebbles, the cutest dog ever.

Then it was time to head for the church. Anja and John were married at their own church, Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Kirkland. Wow - this place is a wedding photographer’s dream venue. Not only is the sanctuary hexagonal with the ceremony taking place virtually in the center of the room - allowing me and my assistant to sneak around and get all kinds of awesome, creative shots - but a good portion of the ceiling is dominated by a huge sky-light, which lets in the most gorgeous and flattering natural light. Photographers just love working in natural light. The rule at the church was that only a few shots could use flash, but to make sure we didn’t goof up, Jim (my assistant/second-shooter) and I just decided to shoot the whole wedding flash-free. The photos turned out beautifully, thanks to the genius architect who designed the church!

I’m getting a little bit ahead of myself, though. Before the ceremony, of course, Anja, John, and the rest of the family got ready. Anja put on her absolutely stunning gown, a gold mermaid-cut dress with ivory lace overly by Maggie Sottero. This dress took my breath away, and it fit Anja like an especially lovely glove (and needed no alterations!). I couldn’t resist a few creative dress shots, and took advantage of the spectacular lighting in the sanctuary for some neat chiaroscuro-style portraits.

And then…the ceremony! What a lovely ceremony it was. Reverend Michael J. Anderson performed the rites with feeling and sincerity. Anja and John delivered their vows - and a few special words to one another - with such emotion. I got a little teary-eyed at some parts. It’s always so uplifting to see two happy people in love. Standing up at the altar with them were Chris and Alyssa, John’s kids, who were both so sweet, helpful, and fun. I loved these two shots in particular from the ceremony; one of the whole family together, and one of John and Anja, bathed in spectacular, silver light. There were dozens of awesome shots from the ceremony, but I won’t show them all here. The slideshow is chock-full of them!

Another cool thing about the ceremony: Anja and John included other family members in special ways. Just about everybody in this family (or so it seemed to me) was a talented musician. (Alyssa even surprised me by playing the Harry Potter theme song on her cool electric piano at home!) Anja’s nephew Patrick accompanied on the grand piano her friend Deb, who sang Amazing Grace, and sang it beautifully. During the lighting of the unity candle, Anja’s sister Candace played on the guitar and sang “Morning Has Broken,” one of my favorite songs. I used that song for the slideshow. I think its peace, positivity, and hopeful feeling really captured the overall spirit of the day.

I loved this shot through the open piano case, captured by Jim Ulness, who has done several weddings with me. Jim has a great eye and always catches unusual, creative angles like this that I often overlook. Jim, you totally rock!

After the ceremony, it was time to celebrate at a marvelous reception held at the Monte Villa Farmhouse. I’ve shot several weddings and receptions there, and it’s always so different each time. The farmhouse suits just about every event; it is both elegant and rustic, and just a few decorative touches can turn it into the perfect venue for any wedding, no matter what the theme! Speaking of decorative touches, check out the bouquets by Madeline’s Dahlia.

Can you say YUM? I am a shameless flower nut, and I consistently love the work that Jessica of Madeline’s Dahlia does. She has such a great eye for bright, popping colors and simple yet memorable floral compositions. I think Anja could not have picked a better florist for her wedding. The super-vibrant yet elegantly simple design really seemed to match Anja’s own style. Anja struck me as a little bit of a tomboy who still has a girly streak. I think the super-bright roses with no other flowers to distract from their essential rosey-ness were right on.

More shots from the reception, including the cake (THREE different flavors, including cheesecake for the top tier…I am still working on finding out who the genius is behind this cake, and I will link here when I do!), the heartfelt toasting, and some dancing shots. Music for the reception was provided by the talented swing/jazz combo Steven King Music. (No, not the horror author.)

…and when the amazing day came to a close, Mr. and Mrs. Helmon took off for their honeymoon in a car from British Motor Coach. I can only describe this car as “rad.” The driver of the white Daimler Limousine informed me that the gigantic, armored (yet classy!) vehicle had carried the Queen of England around Canada on one of her visits. I was charmed by the fact that the steering wheel was on the right side. Rad indeed!

Anja and John, thank you again for choosing me to document your wedding. It was a true honor to share this day with you!

-Libbie

My little buddy

I went to visit my sister and her new baby yesterday, with camera in tow! We took many cute shots of six-week-old H. but these two are my favorites. We had to shoot in very low light, since Auntie here forgot her flash, so please excuse the somewhat grainy appearance.

He’s such a good little boy! Very smiley and loves to “talk” to people. My sister says that in a couple of weeks he’ll be deliberately making noises to get people’s attention and doing other things to attract attention as well. What fun!

I got to see and photograph his birth, which was at home and drug-free. Little H. was 10 pounds, 10 ounces at birth! Quite a big boy. It’s been so much fun to watch him grow and develop. He has such a pleasant personality. I can tell we’re going to get along very well, once he’s able to tell who the heck I am. I can’t wait to take him to the Zoo and the Aquarium, and the Science Center! Yay! Being an auntie is great. I can tell already that spoiling children will be my forte.

Robin & Grant at Golden Gardens

Yesterday I had the privilege of shooting the wedding of Robin and Grant, held at Golden Gardens Park in Seattle. It snowed on Friday, so we were all worried that the weather wouldn’t cooperate. However, we had some lovely sunbreaks and only a tiny sprinkling of rain. It was pretty cold outside, though, as you can see by the rosy cheeks and noses of Grant and his groomsmen.

I’ve been looking forward to this wedding ever since I first met Robin, last fall. She and Grant are both very fun and were fantastic to work with! Robin has a similar sense of style to my own. She went for a “50’s prom queen” feel with her hair, which she pulled off perfectly. Not your typical bride, Robin encouraged her hair stylist to take wire cutters to her tiara in order to get the right look. What fun! Here’s Robin checking herself out before we headed out to the little sand bluffs to take pictures of Grant’s first glimpse of his lovely lady in her wedding gown.

A shot from the “reveal:”

And the consequences of walking around in the sand in high heels:

Robin gets glamorous in the wind:

And here’s one of my favorite shots ever, taken by my awesome second shooter Jim Ulness , of the engraving on the inside of Grant’s wedding band. Robin and Grant met online, and this was the first thing Grant ever said to Robin…over email, of course!

As always, I’ve made a slideshow of my favorite shots from the day! Click here to see it. The music is The Vitamin Quartet - all the music at the reception was done by this amazing string quartet, which adapts rock songs to something a little more tame and wedding-friendly.

Robin and Grant, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your wedding day!

-Libbie

Plagiarized!

Wowza - a new one on me!  I was alerted today by a pair of sharp eyes that somebody on Facebook is posting other photographers’ works in an album and claiming them as their own.  One of my photos was among the many plagiarized.

I filed a copyright dispute with Facebook.  Hopefully that will take care of it and the guilty party will cease and desist.  If not, I’ll have to involve my attorney.  :(  I’d hate to do that, but protecting copyright is a very important part of being a professional.   I just hope I’m able to help identify the other photographers who have been victimized by this person’s shady activities.  Most of the shots are nature pictures, especially of birds.  Happily I’m a member of several nature photography forums and we should be able to identify most or all of the photographers with a concerted effort.

This is one of the crummy things about operating a business like this in the electronic age, I suppose.  It’s so easy for questionable characters to snatch your work.  I hope this gets resolved quickly and easily!

Family portraits with the Christiansens

The day before Thanksgiving I got together with the Christiansen family to do some portraits of the grandkids. Everybody was in town for the holidays and all the kids were looking sharp in their nice clothes. We had a lot of fun doing our portraits for Grandma and Grandpa.

Here are some of my favorites:

If you’re a family member, email me at photos @ libbiemistretta.com and I will send you the password for the gallery, so you can see them all!

Portraits with Jhon & Natalia

This past Sunday I took a trip to Green Lake with Jhon and Natalia. They were born in Peru and Natalia is going back to visit their mother this week. They wanted to bring along some portraits so she can see how they’ve grown.

They were so fun to work with. You can tell they really care about each other. It’s nice to see a brother and sister so devoted to each other’s happiness, in a world where people seem to really love getting in ridiculous fights with their siblings over incredibly stupid things, and then holding grudges for eternity (I’m guilty of this myself - otherwise I wouldn’t have said it!). Jhon and Natalia seem like they’re genuinely good friends, which made it easy to photograph them. We had a good time.

Plus, they’re gorgeous people. That never hurts, from my perspective!

And I just love shooting at Green Lake. There are so many cool views, and so many great hidden nooks where you can take the coolest photos. We had to hop over a little fence to get that shot of Natalia among the ferns, but it was worth it. Green Lake is great no matter what time of year, too. It’s such a fantastic little park.

Check out these awesome mushrooms I found while we were shooting! They’re so cute, I just had to get down on the ground and take a portrait of them, too. I love this time of year. So beautiful!