Sarah + Willy

I was an assistant coach for the Whitworth University volleyball team for a couple years (which I really miss, by the way!) During those two years, I got to coach and become friends with so many great girls. Well, I should say great women, because they're all growing up. :)

Sarah played volleyball at Whitworth and is a STUD athlete! And not to mention a sweet, fun, beautiful person. I have remained friends with her, and she recently got engaged to Willy. Well, one thing led to another and they asked me to do an engagement photo session with them and I was so excited! We had a blast -- Sarah and Willy were willing to go anywhere and do anything for the pictures, and they just have so much FUN together. :) I know they are going to have a great marriage.

Here are a few Flat 4 favorites of Sarah + Willy! Remember, you can click on any of the pictures to make them bigger if you want.

Thank you Sarah and Willy for being so great and so fun to shoot! I had a blast with you two!! I wish you guys the best in the rest of your engagement and upcoming wedding this summer.

Anybody have any faves?!

Then and Now

I don't have kids (or much of a life, for that matter), so I do blog posts on my dogs. Dog blogs, if you will. Sorry, I couldn't resist. :)

I realize these posts are more for myself and that most people probably care about what's going on in the lives of Maggie and Max as much as they care about water buffalo in Africa. No, I am not clever enough to come up with "water buffalo in Africa" -- I got it from my new favorite website which honestly makes me laugh so hard that snot comes out of my nose. If you want snot to come out of your nose while laughing like a complete idiot, check out www.theoatmeal.com.

Anyway...

Most of you know we have two dogs, Maggie and Max. Let me start by saying that I love both of these dogs. Equally... most of the time. ;) Maggie is our sweet, social dog who we honestly didn't train but she does what we tell her to do about 99% of the time. I swear she has human characteristics and intuition (Jordan hates it when I say that), but I think it's true! For instance, yesterday I was having a crappy day and I got home and laid down on my bed to give myself a minute to regroup; well, Maggie jumped up on the bed and just laid her head on my stomach very calmly and started licking my hand.

And then there's Max...

Max is 100% puppy and 100% BOY! While Maggie was laying on the bed with me, Max was trying to bite her. And me. He is so feisty and even though we've had a rougher time training him, he does keep life interesting! He is too smart for his own good and KNOWS what he's supposed to do, but he has a mind of his own and doesn't always DECIDE to do the right thing. :)

The best part of having two dogs so far has been the fact that they play together all the time, and it's absolutely hilarious to watch! I saved the video from the first night we brought Max home (the first video below.) You'll notice first of all how tiny and timid Max is and how sweet Maggie was with him the first time we introduced them to each other...

So sweet, right?! Well, the title of this post is Then and Now for a reason. :) Like I said, Max is now a feisty, spastic, independent puppy who thinks he owns everything and everyone around him (including the video camera.) And Maggie pummels him most of the time. And we laugh because it's hilarious...

Notice the difference between the two videos?! Yeah, that is my life.

And as much as I laugh at it, I love it. :)

My Valentine

It's Valentine's Day (although the date of this post might not reflect that, it really is.) I started writing this post on Thursday, which tells you how my weekend has gone.

It's really February 14th, which means a lot of different things to people. To me, it just serves as a reminder to be thankful for the love I have from my husband and so many other people.

I really am. Thankful, that is. Even if I have to constantly remind myself of that when I find everything to complain about. Which has been way too much lately. I'm a pessimist by nature and as much as I hate it sometimes and try to change it, I just am. It has been so much easier lately for me to find things to be upset about, or worry about, or complain about... it's ugly. And it never ceases to bring tears to my eyes when I am forced to stop and think about how lucky I really am in this life. Sometimes the reminder comes in the form of a song on the radio, sometimes it's hearing a story from a friend whose life contains much more worry and stress than mine ever thought of having. Or other times it's just plain silence, which I am convinced is God's way of making me think of how unappreciative I have been. And just so you know, I always picture God as a parent figure, putting me in a corner and saying, "Now you sit here by yourself in silence and think about what you've done!" Only, in this case he's saying, "Think about all I've given you."

I saw this on one of the blogs I follow, and without fail, my cynicism initially got the best of me. But then I read it again, and it is so refreshing and so true. So in a way, this is what I am focusing on today:

"I am thankful...

For the wife who says 'It's hot dogs tonight'

Because she is home with me

and not out with someone else

For the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato

Because he is home with me

and not out at the bars

For the taxes I pay

Because it means I am employed

For the mess to clean after a party

Because it means I have been surrounded by friends

For the clothes that fit a little too snug

Because it means I have enough to eat

For my shadow that watches me work

Because it means I am out in the sunshine

For a lawn that needs mowing,

windows that need cleaning,

and gutters that need fixing

Because it means I have a home

For all the complaining I hear about the government

Because it means we have freedom of speech

For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot

Because it means I am capable of walking

and I have been blessed with transportation

For my huge heating bill

Because it means I am warm

For the lady behind me in church who sings off-key

Because it means I can hear

For the pile of laundry and ironing

Because it means I have clothes to wear

For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day

Because it means I have been capable of working hard

For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours

Because it means I am alive

I am thankful."

With that said, I am thankful for my amazing husband, my forever Valentine. The one and only Jordan Tampien. :) I wanted to try out a few new picture spots and camera techniques, and he willingly came with me as my model. Don't feel too sorry for him because I think he secretly liked it. :) So in the spirit of Valentine's Day, here is my fun, sexy, smart, thoughtful husband...

Just as a side note for you photogs out there, I am an idiot! My ISO was jacked way up and I didn't even realize it until I got home. I almost tried to play it off and say I wanted a cool grainy film effect, but I figured I'd better admit my mistake instead. :)

I've really been wanting to try out some funky reflection pics and it had just rained, so there are a few that I think turned out pretty cool...

Smokin' hot, huh?! :)

If you've made it this far, thanks for baring with my random post. Sometimes it's nice to get my thoughts out in the blog world, even if my Mom is the only one reading them. ;)

Happy LOVE Day!

Ben + Nina

I had a great opportunity at the beginning of January to be a second shooter for Keri Doolittle Photography for a wedding in Spokane. Being a second shooter is definitely an easier role than being the main photographer, but the trade-off is that you don't get all the shots you'd get if you were the main photographer. I was able to get quite a few detail shots as the girls were getting ready at The Davenport Hotel and then I got to spend some QT with the boys. :) In fact, I was put in charge of all the groom and groomsman shots while Keri photographed the bride and bridesmaids. So I have a lot of groomsmen shots, but not very many of the bride!

Ironically, I ended up knowing the bride, Nina. Just when you think Spokane is getting bigger, you get a friendly reminder that it's a small world. :) Nina and I took driver's ed together and then she worked for my Chiropractor a few years later. Nina and Ben are such a fun, laid-back couple and they were so easy to photograph. This isn't the first wedding I've photographed and it has yet to fail that I tear up during the ceremony. Not sure if you're supposed to do that as the photographer...?

Anyway, here are a few Flat 4 favorites from Ben and Nina's wedding day! Remember you can click on any of the photos to see them larger if you want.

First look for the bride and groom on the terrace of The Davenport Hotel overlooking Spokane...

The ceremony was actually at a beautiful little church in Deer Park.

Congratulations, Ben and Nina! Your wedding day was beautiful and I feel so fortunate to have been a part of it!!

Anybody have any favorites?! :)