Snapshot: Goodbye, 2009 – portrait and artistic photography in Portland, OR

After an awesome, surprise-filled, and at times exhausting year, it was high time we took a break! So, Ben and I each spent the holidays with a bit of travel, a lot of family and friends, some amazing edibles, and very little internet.

We’ve already welcomed 2010, and it’s looking like a big year already! But, 2009 deserves a little farewell, so this seemed appropriate: a photo from the last bit of shooting I did in 2009. I was rushing northward, trying to get through the mountains before the big snows came in, but I passed near Shasta Lake and couldn’t resist the opportunity I was seeing through my car window. I got off at the next exit, and took 5 minutes to shoot a few frames, before continuing my journey up I-5 towards Portland.

I honestly couldn’t have timed it better. The forecast was stormy and snowy, and it had rained quite a bit further south, but when I got up into the mountain passes, it was gorgeous. WORTH IT. Happy new year!

Enko Photography – event, portrait, and artistic photographers in Portland, Oregon

Snapshot: An Artist as Art – portrait and artistic photography in Portland, OR

I’ll confess: as beautiful and interesting as China was, I found myself more interested in the people than in the landscapes and buildings. The art and architecture of Asia has always been interesting to me, but the character of the people is something you don’t find as easily in books or libraries.

One of the really cool things about Beijing is how active the parks are. You’ll see people grouping together for dancing, activities, or just exercising, at almost any hour of the day. Even at sightseeing locations like the Summer Palace, there were people throughout the space enjoying the environment and the scenery.

I caught a shot of a calligraphy artist doing his thing, and he was just one of several capturing the mellow waters and cooling breezes of the artificial lake near the Summer Palace.

 

Enko Photography – event, portrait, and artistic photographers in Portland, Oregon

Snapshot: A Ray of Sunshine – portrait and artistic photography in Portland, OR

We’ve been missing the sun. It’s getting dark outside earlier and earlier, and when the weather is rainy and thick with clouds, it barely feels like daylight at all. And it’s getting colder.

It makes us crave a thick book to read, and a warm fireplace to read it by. It has us jonesing for hot cups of coffee, long after the morning has passed. It’s tea, and hot chocolate, and baking in the kitchen. Pumpkins and squashes, cushy knit scarves and hats, a pile of blankets warm from the dryer.

It seems like summer was just yesterday–and yeah, it hasn’t really been that long–but looking back at sunny days like this one is pretty nice, even if they do feel far away. It’s okay, time seems to just blow right past us, so the sun will be back before we know it.

Enko Photography – event, portrait, and artistic photographers in Portland, Oregon

Monday Snapshot: Dreaming of open ocean – artistic photography in Portland, OR

We’ve been crazy-busy for the past week or so, with senior portrait sessions, runway shows, press conferences, headshots, and shooting for publications… and on top of all that, there’s our big secret that’s not exactly a secret anymore: moving to a new studio space!

Yeah, we’ve had our hands full, so we’re posting something a little more tranquil for this week’s Snapshot. Ben had the opportunity to sail on the open ocean during the summer months, and right now, the thought of bright sun and a calm, open ocean is sounding pretty good right now. Even if the weather’s starting to turn gloomy in Portland, we hope y’all are taking a moment to relax and take a deep breath.

Enko Photography – event, portrait, and artistic photographers in Portland, Oregon

Summery Model Portfolio Session

Here are a few images from our session with Crystal, an experienced model who recently signed with a new agency here in Portland, Merrick Talent. We only had time for a short session, but Crystal and her supportive mom were up for the short hike to a great sandy beach location in North Portland.

We captured a lot of great images in a short time, and tried a few subtle variations on light and processing… these are just a few of them! Crystal loved the proofs so much that she added extra shots to her package after the shoot, and she’ll be featuring her favorite photo from our shoot on her new comp cards. We hope she books some great new work in the future!

Enko Photography – fashion, editorial, and commercial photography based in Portland, Oregon

bridal portrait session: the playful side

The second half of Aimee’s session was originally going to be a Trash The Dress session, where she’d be playing in the river water! But, despite the sunny conditions, the winds were blowing hard and freezing cold that afternoon, so we had to skip out on her diving into the water. But, she did dip her toes in and play around, so we still managed to trash the dress a little!

Enko Weddings – wedding, portrait, and artistic photographers in Portland, Oregon

Evening Portrait

If you’ve noticed a lot of night photos in our portfolio, well, it’s because we like playing with the look of an on-location as it moves into the evening hour. Doing a portrait around the twilight hour, in particular, can make for a challenging and fast-paced shoot, because there’s a small window of time to get the shot. If you shoot too early, and there will still be sun in the sky, and if you do it too late, it’ll be pitch-dark.

We’re gotten quite comfortable with twilight shooting, though, and we like to bring that into our sessions, when the client is open to it. It brings a unique and dramatic look to you, and your environment, especially with the right location!

Enko Photography – creative family and senior portrait photography serving Portland, Oregon