Jamie Zanotti Photography: Eugene Oregon Wedding Photography, HS Senior Photos Springfield OR

NEW BLOG! NEW VIDEO!

2011-07-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

I'm SO excited to share my new blog and video with you!!! Please CLICK HERE to see them!

Wedding: Jihan & Luke

2011-07-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

Jihan and Luke's Garden Chic Wedding on Couer d'Alene Lake was simply GORGEOUS!!!!! I was privileged to shoot alongside Amber again, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute (of both my weekend with Amber and her sweet family, plus the wedding)!!

There are no words for how much I love that top photo of Jihan, with the breeze catching her dress as she walked the path with her parasol in hand... and her sassy green shoe peeking out the bottom like a Cinderella slipper... and the beauty didn't stop there:

Luke is into photography, so we had fun "talking shop" while Amber was capturing Jihan getting ready, and I was snapping portraits of him:

It's an oldie but a goodie of a trick... As Jihan was on her way for their first look, I told Luke to just relax while I "tested out my settings". ;0) I love this relaxed portrait:

There are so many reasons I love it when a bride and groom opt for a first look. One very practical reason is that everyone's hair, make-up, and attire is in the best shape it will be in all day, so we have the advantage of capturing photos while everyone and everything looks absolutely flawless:

Another favorite:

Jihan proved to be an expert in ring bearer negotiations:

Amber and I were both swooning over this bridesmaid's necklace:

The ceremony site was INCREDIBLE!! It was backed by a quiet street of beautiful homes, and fronted by the beach of Couer d'Alene Lake. It doesn't get much better than that! Garden chic, indeed:

Two sides of the same ~~coin~~ chairs... ;0) One of the many fun things about shooting this ceremony is that it was truly fabulous from every angle! More often, the fabulousness all falls to the front, but not so on this fun day:

Guests arriving...

Groomsmen arriving...

...and of course, the bride arriving:

The entire wedding party, including guests, paraded down the street to the Marina for the reception:

Yet another fav:

Luke HANDMADE a photo booth out of mahogany, and it was quite a hit. With everyone:

I hope I didn't cause their print to be over-exposed, but I just couldn't resist the curtain being pulled back on the ring bearer and flower girl:

Jihan and her dad surprised everyone with this incredible choreographed dance:

We stepped out with Jihan and Luke to grab a few more portraits on the docks at sunset. I'm soooo glad we did! I've already posted way too many, so I'll leave you with these:

Amber, thank you so much again for this honor! I can't wait for September!!

To book a wedding or high school senior girl session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

A few more from the Independence Lake Hike

2011-07-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

(For the record, we didn't carve the Z... but of course, I had to have a picture of it!)

To book a wedding or high school senior girl session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

A few more from the Sagebrush

2011-07-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about photography is how it helps me to see the beauty everywhere. Every. Where. Photography has helped me to slow down, and truly see with a different set of eyes. The dusty sage brush roads don't look too promising as you drive by, but I just knew if we gave 'em a good walk, it would prove to be photo worthy! I was not disappointed:

I'm still having an absolute blast playing with my new 100mm macro:

And check out this tighter crop! You can see the teensiest webbing:

(Fellow photo geeks: The image stabilizer on this lens ROCKS!! We had quite a breeze throughout this walk, and I had no focus problems, despite my subjects waving in the wind--and a pack of kids swarming me as I hand held the camera, to boot! ;0) )

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

A few more from Shoshone Falls

2011-07-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

To book a wedding or high school senior girl session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Coming Up...

2011-07-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

Whew! I've had a whirlwind of a couple weeks! There's lots to share, from hiking with the fam in the mountains of Southern Idaho (near Independence Lake, above), to walking down sun-drenched, dusty sagebrush roads...

...to viewing Shoshone Falls on the Snake River...

...to viewing Corey's hometown 4th of July Parade...

...to capturing an entirely different kind of parade... I was THRILLED to shoot the most artsy, creative, STUNNING wedding alongside Amber! The wedding (and wedding parade) was on a quiet street with beautiful homes on one side, and elegant lawns edging the beach of Coeur d'Alene Lake on the other...

Amber and I had soooo much fun, as always do! We even walked away from this one with a photobooth strip (which I'm stealing from her blog):

This one was extra special for me, because Corey proposed to me on Couer d'Alene Lake back in our college days. ;0) I CAN'T WAIT to share it with you!!

Lots more where this came from. Soon!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Life in the Treehouse

2011-07-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

There's a reason we refer to our little log cabin on the hill as the "Z Treehouse"... I love the summer sunsets off our front deck, framed by all the trees:

To book a wedding or high school senior girl session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Four Generations

2011-06-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of joining the M Family in their beautiful backyard to document four generations of Norines. Of course, the newest addition (who is actually the fifth Norine) was the star of the show. I can't remember when I've had such PERFECT back lighting to work with!! Just look at the glow behind baby Norine and her Momma:

I LOVE this one with just a glimpse of Daddy's big smile, showing off his girl:

Norine x 4:

Don't you just LOVE this flower print?! These guys were in town from the East Coast, and I'm ready to fly to that boutique to buy one of these dresses for myself:

Great Grandma Norine reminded me of my Grandma Mamie. She's hilarious! She told me she was seeing double with her glasses off, and that she was thoroughly enjoying "both" of me. Ha ha ha!!! In fact, she made me so nostalgic for my Grandma Mamie that I promptly purchased and planted some nasturtiums in her memory, and am enjoying them alongside the poppies and freesias on my deck.

I was thrilled when they agreed to haul their fun blue leather chairs out to the patio for a few shots! Isn't this fun?

I have to say it again... Just look at that back lighting:

(Thank you, Katie, for assisting with the reflector to bounce some of that gorgeous light back into their faces!)

Laughing pics are my favorite. You just can't beat moments like this:

Baby Norine, you are one BEAUTIFUL girl, and I loved this response you had to all the antics going on behind me:

I'll end with this sweet series from the blue chairs:

M Fam, thank you so much for this privilege!

To book a wedding or high school senior girl session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Poppies

2011-06-25T06:29:00.000-07:00

Still having fun playing with my new macro lens... These poppies are making our deck that much happier of a place right now:

We've got some freesia in the mix, too:

In case any of you would like to download a copy to "happy up" your desktop or whatnot, here's the first one (my fav) sans watermark for you:

Enjoy the weekend!

To book a wedding or senior girl session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Album: Chris & Gillian

2011-06-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

A few of my favorite spreads from Chris and Gillian's album...

To book a wedding or senior girl session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

New to my bag...

2011-06-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

No, not the lizard. ;0) The lens I captured it with:

Woot woot! I just added Canon's 100mm L series macro to my bag, and I'm one happy camper!! What better way to test it out than with my Micah's lizard find... ;0)

I also had to try it on my wedding ring. (Ignore the dirt. Yikes! I need to have that thing cleaned!!) My friend Jamie brought me a pretty container full of hen-n-chicks when they came for dinner a few weeks ago, so I slipped off my ring and nestled it in the middle of them:

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Diamond Lake 2011

2011-06-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

Just a few snaps from a recent trip to Diamond Lake with family… I love Diamond Lake. We often went camping and fishing there in the summer when I was a kid. And even before my time, my Dad worked there– I forget exactly what he was doing; probably police cadet work. The last couple years, my Dad and brother have coordinated a family fishing trip to Diamond Lake in the spring. This year we had snow. LOTS of snow! And it was beautiful.

Above: Mount Thielsen as seen from the top of the tubing run. ;0) Below: Mount Thielsen as seen from my warm, dry perch on the shore while my Dad and brother braved the icy water in the canoe… LOVE the vibrancy of the colors, and the reflections, here…

My Dad and brother are hard core fishermen. They huffed and puffed and cut their way over and through the ice with the canoe to get to those trout:

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Wedding: Gillian & Chris

2011-05-29T23:52:00.000-07:00

Just look at this pair... SO. MUCH. FUN!!! I had the honor of capturing Gillian & Chris' ceremony this weekend, and it was a great blend of elegance and fun. We started out at the home of friends, whom Gillian used to babysit for:

The boys were kept out of sight while we snapped a few portraits of the GORGEOUS Gillian:

A gift for Dad...

Gillian and Chris opted for a first look, and I sure love it when clients choose this route! It provides plenty of time for capturing portraits without the pressure of waiting guests. Plus, everyone's hair and make-up is at its best!

Gillian waiting for Chris to emerge around the side of the house:

(Isn't her Sophie Chang dress divine?)

Despite the forecast of thunderstorms and hail, we were blessed with some beautiful sunny/overcast skies... the light was particularly beautiful as we shot the family formals:

(I just have to say here that Gillian's Mom is a wedding planner extraordinaire. I so enjoyed working with you, Kirsten!)

My second shooter, Amber, did some portraits with the guys while I stole away for a few more with Gillian:

I loved this bridal party. They were so gracious... super patient when we had to run inside/outside/inside/outside as the sun came and went, and just being game for everything I suggested, and even going above and beyond to let me know when they saw something that would be special for Gillian and Chris to have captured. Can I take you all to every wedding with me?! ;0)

This might be my new favorite capture of all time! I LOVE it. I really, reeeeallly LOOOOOOVE it!!! Their expressions, the setting, the light... everything:

I also love this glimpse of Gillian and Chris through the wine cellar door:

(Thank you again, Peggy, for pointing me to your beautiful wine cellar!)

After portraits, we headed to Tualatin Country Club for the ceremony:

I typically only have one other photographer along with me, but I was able to have two this time, and it was wonderful! While Amber was capturing the reception hall details, I was snapping candids of guests, and Heather was grabbing some gorgeous shots of the grounds (like the one above).

Chris' Mom and Uncle came all the way from England! (Gillian and Chris met while she was studying abroad.) Jenny was stunning in her hat and tangerine skirt:

This deck was off of the reception hall, and I could have shot out there all night! The light just got better and better as the evening wore on, with the sunset glow bouncing off of the reception hall windows:

My hair stylist, Monica, was the one who referred this wedding to me. (Thank you again, Monica!) I grabbed a quick snap of her and her sweet hubby in the gorgeous sunset light:

There were some HILARIOUS toasts:

And there was fabulous dancing, too:

(Gillian's Grandpa Bruce was a wedding photographer for 25 years! I thoroughly enjoyed the few minutes I had to "talk shop" with him!)

Gillian and Chris, thank you so much for the honor of capturing your day! It was a privilege to celebrate alongside you and your lovely, lovely friends and family.

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Family: The D's ... Eugene Oregon Portraits

2011-05-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about photographing the D Family is that there are so many sweet moments in-between the "official" shots... Their fun-loving, gracious dynamic is amazing, and it's a pure privilege to be in their presence.

I love this one of Ellie running for her Aunt and Uncle, with Grandma trailing behind:

And this one of Cole might be my favorite from the session! I love the framing of the train, and his sparkly blue eyes set off by the orange of his shirt:

Shawna married into the family last fall:

I was loving the newlywed cuteness:

At this point in the session, we had just moved to our 2nd location, and I was THRILLED to have a few minutes alone with the newlyweds, since I LOOOOOVE shooting couples so much! Tim took his first opportunity to get on the phone and tell the rest of the family to hurry up, because, "She keeps thinking of more and more pictures to take of Shawna and me..." LOL!

I showed Tim a wee bit of mercy, and let him drift into the blurred out background:

If I was Grandma, this next image is the one I'd get a ginormous print of! The joyful mayhem is palpable, isn't it?

A couple more of the whole crew:

(Thanks yet again to Heather for assisting; she was doing who knows what behind me, to get all of these great expressions!)

There was newlywed cuteness, and new baby cuteness, too:

The two who started all the cuteness in the first place:

...and I just can't resist closing out this post with a bit more newlywed cuteness:

THANK YOU for the honor, D Fam! Love you guys!!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Kate

2011-05-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

Oh, Kate! How much I love you!! (And this pic of you and Nick!)

I was privileged to spend a beautiful afternoon with my beautiful friend Kate, and her extended family. Kate is the real deal. Kind. Humble. Loyal. Gracious. Lovely.

Her hubby Nick is o.k., too.

KIDDING! Nick is truly great. I just love their whole family to pieces! Can't wait to share more soon...

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Baker Pond Log Works: Glimpses

2011-05-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about living in a log home is the strong connection to nature. Even when you're inside, you can often glimpse the outside. And when you're outside, you're just walking from one set of trees into another...

Here are some glimpses, both looking out and looking in:

A special thank you goes out to these horses for walking into the frame for me at just the right time. ;0)

I so enjoyed this little venture outside my portraiture box! But stay tuned for regular programming... lots of pics of people coming to this lil' 'ol blog real soon! ;0)

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Baker Pond Log Works: Interiors

2011-05-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

Here we go! This is one of those "grab a mug of tea and get comfy" sorta posts (read: loooooong)! ;0)

I love the warm combination of logs and red accents here and there, which was on display in many of the homes I shot:

I was in detail heaven throughout the project:

This is one of my very favorite images... I don't know what it is, but I love capturing multiple rooms in a single frame:

Even a highly functional mud room and pantry look extra fabulous when trimmed out with logs:

I practically drooled over this counter top:

This is another top favorite. Chris (of Baker Pond) asked me to approach this whole project creatively, to give them some unique views of the homes they have built... I thought this angle was super fun:

(I was lying upside down on the stairs to get this shot, if you're wondering. ;0) )

I love the great variety of decor you can have in a log home... I used to have a notion that log homes = fishing and hunting decor, but you really can go any which way with it. (Of course, our own log home is now decorated in a Pottery Barn vein.) These homes I shot ranged from cabin, to sleek, to country, to lodge, to western...

Check out the counter base at the bottom right (if you can peel your eyes off the range for a moment):

Another drool-worthy counter:

And yet another:

If I haven't worn you out with gorgeous log home pics yet (Is that possible?), come back soon for the third and final installment of posts from this project: Glimpses.

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Baker Pond Log Works: Exteriors

2011-05-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

Where to begin? This was such a fulfilling, creatively challenging, get-me-outside-my-box-and-somehow-refresh-me-in-the-process assignment! I loved it. And it was BIG! We shot as many homes as we could over the course of two days, so I have a TON to share. In fact, I'll be breaking this into three posts! First up is this post featuring some of my favorite exterior shots:

I had a great time playing with reflections in the windows of the many gorgeous chalet-style homes:

This is where we stayed:

Amazing, huh? It was such a wonderful two day retreat! Cliff and Chris, the owners of Baker Pond Log Works, actually live on Baker Pond. They hosted our entire family, and my hubby and kids had a great time lounging around, playing on the pond in the paddle boat, visiting the High Desert Museum, and... visiting Sonic. I'm not gonna' lie; the kids said that was their favorite part of the trip. Whatever! I'm certain we could tour the seven wonders and they'd be all about some McDonald's in an airport. Oh my.

Cliff and Chris are not only business people of integrity (we worked with them when we built our log home), but they are truly salt of the earth. They have become dear friends, and their hospitality and generosity overwhelms us. Cliff is quite the chef. I have almost cried for joy two different times now, when tasting one of his creations. Literally, I have teared up! The first time was with his stuffed mushrooms, and this trip it was with his ribs:

I love this picture of the pair of them in their entryway:

It's hard to say which was better; visiting all of these incredible homes, or the conversation with Chris as we drove along the picturesque roads from one to another. We chatted marketing, and technology, and kids, and everything in-between. Thank you for blessing me with so much of your Godly wisdom, Chris. I cherish it.

I had to really suck it in to capture this jaw-dropping reflection of the mountains without myself in it... I was standing in line with the trim above the outlet. ;0)

The blue skies in Central Oregon are surreal! They make me want to leave Eugene for bluer pastures...

So there's a taste of what I've been working on! Sooo much gorgeousness to sift through!! Next up: Interiors. And Part III will be "Glimpses". If it doesn't make sense now, stay tuned. It will. ;0)

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

I love my job.

2011-05-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

A little self portrait I snapped while photographing log homes in Central Oregon the past couple days... Soooooo fun!!!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Great Room Update

2011-04-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

My Mom was over yesterday, and brought a "make a rag doll" kit for Kendra, which we had a wonderful day doing together... three generations bonding over the sewing machine. And the seam ripper. ;0)

All that sewing reminded me that I never posted the final pics from our great room makeover! So here you have 'em:

Aunt Lynnae gave me some matelasse, which I used to make this loooong pillow for our entry bench, and some table runners. And Corey earned BIG points with me, making this sweet dining table! I got the top second-hand, and he built the shelving base to fit these fabulous Cost Plus World Market baskets I found:

Don't look too closely at my sorry stitching efforts... I'm SO going to keep my (photography) day job:

I can't believe it has been 10 years already since we built our little log cabin!? I'm surprised at how light the logs have remained:

Now we're working on transforming our basement! Woot woot!! ;0)

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Maternity: Diana (Part II).... Eugene Oregon Photographer

2011-04-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

This was my first ever truly, truly soggy shoot... as in it rained the whole time and never let up for an instant! But... I LOVED it!! We had so much fun, thanks to Diana and Ed's fabulous "we're native Oregonians and a a little rain isn't going to melt us" attitudes! ;0) They were up visiting from California, and were actually happy to see the rain. Pure awesomeness! With their great, laid-back presence, and the presence of my sweet friend Heather wielding my GIANT white umbrella to protect my gear from the rain, we had a capital time!! Oh-- And the other ingredient that made this work? Diana's amazing hair-stylist friend, Julie Heegard (who works at Diane's Hair Shop in Cottage Grove: 541-942-0251), who must have used some really special product to get Diana's hair to stay PERFECTLY in place the whole time!?

When I was scouting for locations, I met Vaughn Ziniker of Ziniker Orchards, and he was so kind! He graciously let us come and tromp through their orchards, and the kids were super happy to see me coming home with some Ziniker honey!! (That was one good thing about the rain; the bees were all snuggled up in their boxes, and didn't pay us any mind.)

I loved witnessing Ed and Diana's sweet connection:

This series is one of my favs:

Another fav:

Diana and Ed: Thank you so much for the privilege of capturing this amazing time of anticipation! One thing I know for sure; your child can count on some very fun puddle-jumping walks in the rain!! ;0)

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Maternity: Diana.... Eugene Oregon Photographer

2011-04-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

I knew Diana was my kind of girl when... faced with a forecast predicting 100% chance of precipitation, I got an e-mail from her. Not in regard to re-scheduling, mind you. To tell me about the cute umbrella and rain boots she was bringing along!!! LOVE it!!!!! ;0)

More to come soon!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Engagement: Cassie & Tyler (Part II) ... Eugene Oregon Wedding Photographer

2011-04-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

STOP RIGHT THERE: If you haven't seen Part I, you've got to click here and check it out first!! Trust me, you're not going to want to miss any little bit of this sweet story!

(A quick aside before we really get going: As I was snapping the above image, a police officer pulled up behind me, rolled down his window, and said, "Is this an engagement shoot?! That will be such a cute picture!" And I'm thinking, "Since when do police officers use the word 'cute'?" I think my brother--a police officer--must have put one of his buddies up to it. LOL!)

...So where were we when we left off Cassie & Tyler's engagement story? Ah, yes. Clam chowder at my folks' place. From there, we headed to the beach, where Tyler serenaded Cassie with some Johnny Cash:

Tyler and I had agreed that the "signal" for the proposal would be Cassie's final outfit change, into her gorgeous blue dress. Originally, we were just going to go with the flow and let it happen whenever the moment felt right, but Tyler later asked me to carry the ring in my camera bag so Cassie wouldn't see it in his pocket. (Talk about stressful! I was packing that baby in the tightest, deepest pocket I could find... and I swear I watched it with the eye in the back of my head all the way as we hiked out to the beach, even though my sweet hubby was packing my bag for me-- he was fairly nervous at the prospect of toting Cassie's engagement ring through the dunes, too! Ha!)

Anyway, when Cassie changed into her dress it was all I could do to hold the camera steady and take a few pictures as we made our way through the dunes to the ocean, I was so excited:

We finally made it to the beach, successfully snuck the ring to Tyler, and stepped back to capture Cassie's beautiful surprise proposal.

I love these images of her progressive revelation... "Oh my goodness! Are you... ???!!?????"

Then she turned to us... "Did you know?"

And then the huge reality of the moment starts to set in...

WELL DONE, Tyler!!! I'll be quiet now, and let the images tell the rest of Cassie and Tyler's beautiful proposal story:

Cassie and Tyler, thank you thank you thank you for the immense privilege of capturing your storybook engagement!! I'll never forget it!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Engagement: Cassie & Tyler ... Eugene Oregon Wedding Photographer

2011-04-11T14:31:00.000-07:00

Holy mackerel, have I got a whopper of a story and a session to share with you! It all started when I ran into Cassie at the grocery store (after not having seen each other for quite a while), and told her I'd been dreaming up a project that involved her... ;0)

I've been wanting to put together a video for a while now, to post online, that will give potential clients a sense of what it's like at a session. Cassie said she was game to be my guinea pig, and we started making plans. It just got better and better along the way! "You have a boyfriend? Great! Bring him along; we'll make it a mock engagement session!"

And then I got the best! secret! call! ever! from Tyler about a week before the session... "So you know how this is supposed to be a mock engagement session? Well, I bought a ring..." Eeeeeeeeeeeekkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUN!!!!!!!!!! ...but I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's rewind a bit.

We met up for their session in Old Town Florence (on the Oregon Coast), and had some fun on the boardwalk and docks:

I was in heaven all afternoon... Cassie and Tyler are lovely people, for starters. And they're so great together; relaxed, and affectionate, and just plain fun! Plus, her hat! And her shoes! And her hair pieces! And their outfits!! And, of course, they're just a teensy bit photogenic... Truly, everything was perfect:

After wrapping up in Old Town, we stopped in at my Mom and Dad's for amazingly good clam chowder (thanks again, Mom!), and then headed out to catch the last hour or so of sun at the beach. So stay tuned... because you don't want to miss some Johnny Cash, a police officer, a little box full of something life-changing... I told you it was a whopper of a story! Part II coming soon!!

* Edited to add: To see Part II, click here! *

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Grateful .... Eugene Oregon Photographers

2011-04-10T13:03:00.000-07:00

We were in Middle School, and my best friend's parents made a rule: She was not allowed to play any games I made up.

You see, I'm a dreamer. A constantly scheming, coming-up-with-projects, "Oh! We could SO do that!!" kind of girl... Come on, balancing a surfboard on top of a skateboard so several kids can ride down the extremely steeply pitched asphalt road all at the same time is just pure genius, don't you think? What's a little gravel in the lip, and a wee trip to town for stitches? It adds character, right? ;0)

I've long since left the "surfboard on the skateboard" days behind, but the dreaming part is still in tact. And as I'm sitting here re-living the fun of yesterday in my mind, reflecting on another little dream come true, I'm feeling deeply, deeply grateful.

I am richly blessed with a generous, encouraging, come-alongside-me bunch of family and friends, who embrace me and my crazy ideas, and help bring so many of them to fruition! I have soooo much to share from yesterday, and I'll get there... but for now, I just had to let some of this gratefulness that's oozing out of me find a place here on my blog...

Ashley & Corey: Thanks for all the planning help, and lending me your mad videography skillz:

Heather: Thanks for loaning me your earrings.

Kate: Thanks for loaning me your sweet gear.

Mom & Dad: Thanks for watching the kids.

Dan: Thanks for brainstorming with me, and setting me on the right track. (And thanks in advance for the help I know you'll be in finessing the final product!)

And last but DEFINITELY not least...

Cassie & Tyler: Thanks for being my supercalifragilisticexpialidocious models:

LOTS more to come from this amazing day!!!!!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Occasion: Micah is 4! ... Oregon Portraits

2011-04-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

My Micah is a delight beyond words.

Buddy, you make my heart feel so fuzzy it's ridiculous. I love your laugh. I love how you wrap your arm around me for a hug before you even open your eyes in the morning. I love your fascination with everything beautiful and mechanical. You are my little snuggle bug, my little artist, my little lover-of-wipe-off-books. ;0)

God, thank you for ever and ever for blessing me with this amazing boy.

Here's a glimpse of my precious son at the sweet age of 4:

He is into "praising" right now. (Last year, it was dancing. This year it's praising. I love it!) Whenever he hears a favorite song on the radio, his eyes flip shut, and his hand --just the one-- shoots up:

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

New Albums .... Eugene Oregon Wedding Photographers

2011-04-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Check 'em out!! I'm SO excited to share my new albums with you. They are 12" x 12", so the spreads are 24" x 12" when the album is open. In a word: GINORMOUS. ;0) The one pictured in this post is my (10 spread) sample album, which you'll see at your consultation or session, so it's not as thick yours will likely be, but you can definitely get the idea!

The first comment everyone makes when I hand it to them is, "Wow! It's heavy!!" It is. The pages are thick, unbending, and sturdy:

The albums feature gutterless, lay-flat pages (so you don't lose any of the image/s in the "gutter" where the inside of the pages meet the binding):

There's a fat stack of cover options to choose from:

There are so many choices, you might have your first argument right there during our consultation as you and your fiance' are trying to decide... Just kidding. Kind of.... ;0) I may or may not have witnessed just such a thing recently... Just look at all of these! So much fun! You might find the decision tough, too... Vintage saddle leather? Vintage aviator leather? How about an alligator leather? Or suede? Or a fabric to match the wedding colors???!?

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Family: The G's ... Eugene Oregon Orchard Portraits

2011-04-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

I love how the blossoming branches made for such a unique framing of the G Family girls in this pic!!

Aurelia is the middle daughter, and I just melt in her presence. She is the epitome of a gentle spirit:

Evidently, she's pretty funny, too. I have no idea what she told her sisters, but I instructed her to give them some advice, and this is what followed:

Amber is the oldest. She is becoming a remarkable young woman, and I love her heart for service:

Anabel is the youngest, and she wins the prize for best-nose-crinkle-when-giggling:

As we were driving out to the orchard, I asked the girls where they would go, if they could go anywhere in the world. They all said Mexico, without hesitation. To see family, and share a meal with all the relatives that converge from hours away, and listen to their uncle teach from the Bible. That made me smile. Big. Does that tell you a lot about the heart of these girls, or what?

I love you G Fam! Donna and Nohe, thanks for trusting me with your girls for the afternoon!! The joyfulness they have caught from the two of you is inspiring on a very, very deep level. I thoroughly enjoy every moment I have with them!

(And a special THANK YOU again to Heather for coming along, and making it that much more fun!!)

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Family: The B's .... Eugene Oregon Photographers

2011-04-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs a Charity in their life. Charity is a sweet friend of mine from church, and she's the kind of person that always leaves me with the feeling that everything's going to be juuuust fine. She has weathered a number of family tragedies in the last few years, with jaw-dropping grace. She's that mom... The one who always has time to make gingerbread houses from scratch. The one who shows up to every shower and birthday with hand-made gorgeousness. The one whose home is open to all, all the time.

Just look at her smile; it's infectious:

Charity has a beautiful collection of heirloom photos in her home, which I thought of when I saw this image of Ellie. So I decided to have some fun in Photoshop, and process it with those old black and white photos in mind:

Charity and Lynn: Thanks so much for your friendship, and for the privilege of capturing your precious family!

(And THANK YOU, Heather, for coming along and helping out so much!!)

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

For Brides: Exactly WHO will be photographing you? .... Oregon Wedding Photographer

2011-03-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

Jamie Zanotti Photography consists of... me. Jamie Zanotti. Yours truly. ;0) So when you hire me to capture your wedding, I will be your photographer! But I always bring a second photographer, and I wanted to share a bit about them with you today!

First off, let me just say that every wedding collection I offer includes the services of a second photographer, so you get twice the coverage! Between the two of us, we can literally be in two places at once to capture that many more details and once-in-a-lifetime moments! For example, take Sara and Jordan's memorable first look...

Sarah was standing on the bridge, awaiting Jordan's approach. But instead, a huge group of kids on campus for a day camp or something appeared out of nowhere! And they crossed the bridge, while Jordan waited. An inexperienced photographer might have simply jumped out of the way to wait for the first look, but Amber knew that this unexpected passage of kids was the real story. And even though I was clear across the bridge and unable to communicate with her, I knew she knew. And I knew she was fast enough to switch up her settings and capture the charging crowd... Together, we were able to fully tell the story as it happened.

My view:

Amber's view:

Another example of the benefit of having two photographers is when it comes to the groom and groomsmen... Since I would trust any of my second photographers to capture my own wedding, I am completely confident in their ability to capture the groom and groomsmen getting ready, plus get portraits of the guys. This leaves me free to devote my attention entirely to the bride and her bridesmaids! Here's an example of what Ashley was capturing of Doug and the guys:

...while I was back at the house with Julie and the girls:

I have to brag a bit on my second photographers. In fact, I need to come up with a new word to describe them. They're not secondary in any way. They're dear friends, and talented photographers whom I would trust to capture my own wedding. "Assistant photographer" doesn't come close to describing what these ladies bring to the table! "Co-photographer" doesn't roll off the tongue super well, but that's really what they are. I love being part of a team, and creatively collaborating! I think the images we produce together are that much better for the joint effort.

Now, Ashley and Amber are just two examples. To this point, one of them has been available to shoot every wedding I've done with me. Of course, I'd be thrilled if that was always the case! But I'm blessed to have several more peers I look forward to collaborating with, when that time comes. When you hire me, you can trust that I'll be bringing someone that I partner well with-- someone that has the skill and presence of a photographer I'd trust to capture my own day.

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Woodsy bridal bouquet inspiration .... Eugene Oregon Wedding Photographers

2011-03-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

If I wasn't a photographer, you might find me in a flower shop. I love gardening! We had a great cutting garden at our first home, and I miss it. Living up here on our little hill in the woods is not so conducive to growing flowers... Somehow, between the deer, and the shade, and the clay, and the rocks, and the wild turkeys, I think the flowers just don't see it as being worth their effort. ;0) I remember when we were building our little log cabin, and telling a neighbor how I'd been reading up on which plants were deer resistant. She replied, "That's nice, honey. The deer up here don't read those books." Ha! And she was riiiight. ;0)

So anyway, I'm always seeing all of these gorgeous wedding flowers, and had the idea to take some inspiration from the more woodsy, organic bouquets I've seen here and there, and create a new flower bucket for our front door. I'm not a fan of silk greens, but it had to be done. (See paragraph #1.) At least the pinecones are legit. I've collected them, waaaaay too many of them, on hikes over the years... Here you have it:

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

My sweeties... Oregon Photographer

2011-03-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Just had to share a few more recent snaps of my sweeties...

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

For Seniors: How many outfits and locations? .... Oregon Senior Photographer

2011-03-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hi seniors! I'm starting a new category, just for you. (If you're a bride, check out the "for brides" category!) In these posts, I'll be sharing thoughts/tips/tricks/answers to frequently asked questions... Your senior pictures are a once in a lifetime event, and my goal is to help you get the pictures you want, and have a GREAT time in the process! I hope these posts prove helpful to you!

So, I thought I'd get this started with one of the most common questions (well, two, really) I receive from seniors: "How many outfits should I bring?" And, "How many locations can we go to?"

First, a bit on my session philosophy: You might have noticed that my sessions are looong. Up to 3 hours! My thought is, "You get to do this once. You've put a lot of time and effort into choosing your clothes, and getting ready, and we'd better make the most of it!" I want you to walk away with an image collection of great variety, and the more time we have, the more variety we can get!

Ultimately, you can wear as many outfits as you'd like, and we can go to as many locations as possible, within those 3 hours. It usually works out to about 3 - 5 locations, and about 3 - 5 outfits. There are lots of things that factor into how many outfits and locations are possible, like how far apart the locations are, etc. Rachelle made a lot of good choices that resulted in a great, varied collection of images, and I will use her as my example.

In the storyboard at the top of this post, Rachelle accomplished three very different looks simply by making good use of layers! She started out with her white jacket, then simply removed the jacket and let her blue scarf stand out, and then removed the scarf to achieve a 3rd look. All of these pictures were taken at the same location, which is the second smart decision she made: The main location she chose had a lot of different backgrounds to offer. There were grassy fields, concrete steps, manicured lawns, a gazebo... even an old metal barn adjacent to it! So we were able to achieve a great variety of images without using up time driving around. Awesome!!

Let me show you a few more examples from Rachelle's session. Here again is the great use of layers:

Notice how she put her hair up in a few of these, to further change things up:

(A hat can be a great way to add variety, too!)

And here are two more looks Rachelle achieved, just by switching out her cardigan:

One last thing that helped us achieve a great variety for Rachelle's image collection was that she had kind of converted the backseat of her car to a closet, so we were able to quickly look at colors/textures/patterns, and coordinate them with our surroundings as we went.

So, to recap:

1) Make good use of layers!
2) Choose locations with a lot of variety.
3) Bring accessories (hair clips, hats, etc.) to further change your look.
4) Bring lots of clothing and accessories, hung "closet style" in your car if you can!

If you have a question/topic/whatever you'd like to see addressed in a future "For Seniors" post, please e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com!

To book a session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Occasion: Jenna is 6 months! (Part II) ... Eugene Oregon Portraits

2011-03-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

I love this pic of Adam and Becky. They're just so fun-loving and joyful! But I'd be remiss if I didn't let you in on the back-story behind this pic... Or should I say, the "under" story... As in, there was a little someone under them who couldn't resist being in the pic:

Oh, how I love little Nora! She totally has the same energy as my Kendra:

Baby sis Jenna is already holding her own... Check out this expression! Love it:

(MAJOR kudos to Adam for seeing this little spot with the tufts of grass and soft back-lighting. I walked right past it!)

Becky does SUCH an amazing job coordinating their outfits!!! I'm always soooo excited to show up to a session with the M's and see what she has put together! The purple-lime-grey palette worked PERFECTLY with the location:

And because Becky pays attention to patterns and texture as well, their images translate beautifully to black and white, too. Notice Adam's stripes, and Nora's checks, plus the softness of Becky's sweater with the shimmer on Jenna's shoes...

The reflection in the glass reminds me of the intro to some movies... Is it Dreamworks? Or?? Does anyone know what I'm talking about? There's this wavy footage of a row of townhouses, that look much like this:

I'll leave you with one last funny moment... This one was supposed to be just Adam and Becky, but Nora informed me she had cute boots and inserted herself into the scene! Seriously, I LOVE her!! I like her version of things even better than what I had intended:

Thanks as always for a GREAT session, M's! I'm already looking forward to Jenna's 1 year!!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

For Brides: What ONE image is your MUST HAVE? .... Oregon Wedding Photographer

2011-03-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hi brides! I'm starting a new category, just for you. In these posts, I'll be sharing thoughts/tips/tricks/answers to frequently asked questions... There are soooo many different thoughts and opinions on everything wedding photography-related; these are simply mine. I hope they prove helpful!

In this first "For Brides" post, I thought I'd share this question I'll ask you during your consultation: "What ONE image is your MUST HAVE? When you think of your wedding day, and visualize a picture of it, what is the immediate image that comes to mind?" For Julie (pictured above), the image came to her immediately: It was one of her and Doug. Full body, in front of the chapel. Framed vertically.

Of course, when you've made the decision to hire me as your wedding photographer, I'm assuming you've already looked through my site and blog enough to know that our (your and my) photography style and personalities are a good fit. You can rely on me to to carry a zillion or so creative ideas in my brain, even with nothing to go on, but I always love to know the ONE image you MUST HAVE, so I can put that at the forefront of my mind.

It's amazing how much the answer to that one question can help you pinpoint, and me understand, the priorities you have for your day and how it's captured... For Julie (above), it was all about telling the story. Capturing all the details, big and small. From the chapel, to the guy's hats, to the pink peonies and her vintage ring... Here's an album spread featuring many of those elements:

Another example is Heather. The one image she cared about most was her father's face during the father/daughter dance, so both my 2nd photographer and I made sure to snap a nice, tight shot of his expression:

For Heather, it was all about family, as her answer to the "ONE image" question revealed. It told me so much about her priorities for the day! I was able to use that knowledge, even in the creation of her album... making sure to feature lots of family images, and knowing she would delight in a spread like this one, with her flower girl daughter being the focal point:

So, if we haven't already had your consultation, start thinking about your answer to this question! I love asking it, and hearing all of the varied answers that truly are so revealing about your heart for your wedding day, and how you want to remember it! I really think it will help you consider and communicate the priorities of your day. I look forward to hearing about your ONE!!

If you have a question/topic/whatever you'd like to see addressed in a future "For Brides" post, please e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com!

To book a wedding, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Occasion: Jenna is 6 Months! ... Eugene Oregon Photographers

2011-03-07T00:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay... so she's actually 7 months... But this was her official 6 month session! ;0) I've had the privilege of capturing this beautiful girl since she was a bump in her Mama's tummy. SO fun!! I should have stopped snapping stills, and shot some video so you could hear her laugh. Seriously, it's like nothing I've ever heard. I gasped when I heard it. Jenna, your laugh is like lightning bugs and cotton candy and everything bright, whimsical, and sweet all rolled into one. It's dreamy!

...and guess who draws out that dreamy laugh like no one else can? Yup, big sis Nora:

Just wait until you see the rest! Becky nailed it with the outfit coordination (per usual), and the light was very, very pretty this afternoon. Stay tuned...

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Wedding: Chipper & Laura .... Eugene Oregon Wedding Photographers

2011-03-04T07:01:00.000-08:00

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, Chipper & Larua's reception was held in the historic Coos Art Museum. Just look at these stairs leading down from the 2nd floor galleries! GORGEOUSNESS!!! The whole day was a beautiful celebration, and I'm so thankful my sis-in-law invited me to join her in capturing it!! We had way too much fun, per usual. ;0) You MUST hop over to Ashley's photography site to see the best ring shot ever. Seriously, she is a GENIUS with the ring shots!

We started out the day at the Beauty Bar, where the girls were getting ready. I loved how they all seemed to be wearing something flannel/plaid/checked... It reminded me of my own wedding day! Maybe it's a coastal girl thing...?

I was giving Ash a hard time for sending me out in the cold to capture details, etc. But I'm SO glad she did! She asked me to try to capture a few getting ready shots through the window, from the outside looking in, and I LOVE the soft, artistic, almost impressionistic results:

Then I was off to meet up with the (most hilarious and FUN!) groom and groomsmen, as they got ready at the church. Chipper was in fine form:

I really, really enjoy 2nd shooting weddings! For one thing, the main photog usually sends me on an assignment or two that stretches me creatively, like I was talking about with the "looking in from the outside" shots. Plus, there's just not the pressure of being the lead! Once I've snagged all the "safe" shots I've been asked to get, I'm freed up to challenge myself creatively, and just try to get a great variety of images to supplement the lead's shots. I'm sure some of the guests were curious as to what I was doing, because I spent quite a bit of time hanging out near this art-bedecked pillar, waiting and waiting for just the right moment... and it came! This snap of Laura and Chipper waiting for the single guys to gather for the garter toss was just what I needed to complete the composition I'd been holding in my mind:

Ashley let me use her 35mm for this get-away shot. I might have to add it my wish list now! I love that it has so much of the width, but not so much of the warpiness. And it's sooo crisp:

Thanks again for having me along, Ash!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

New Month, New Music: "Many Roads" by Andrew Peterson

2011-03-01T08:58:00.000-08:00

I've just licensed the song "Many Roads" by Andrew Peterson for use on my site, and I'm so excited!! Not only do I love his sound in and of itself (his song "Dancing in the Mine Fields" is another favorite of mine), but I think it's a great fit with my brand! On his website, Andrew writes, "I want to use my gifts to tell the truth, and to tell it as beautifully as I can." He's a writer of both songs and books, so of course his eloquence eludes me, but I feel precisely the same, and would love to have penned those very words to describe my heart in regard to my photography. Especially my wedding photography. I want to use my (gift of photography) to tell the truth, and to tell it as beautifully as I can!

I've had some music-related trouble in the past... It's hard enough to find THE song, but tracking down a license can be flat out impossible! Centricity made the process accessible and smooth, and I'm so thankful! Their kindness and responsiveness was a real breath of fresh air.

Please hop over to my site and have a listen:

jamiezanotti.com

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

I love Oregon .... Eugene Oregon Wedding Photographer

2011-02-27T19:44:00.000-08:00

I was over at the coast to help shoot a wedding this weekend, and snapped this tunnel shot on my way through Friday night.

(I may or may not have gotten out of my car, and stood in the middle of the road in the pitch black of night... and I may or may not have been yelled at by some passer-by, whom I couldn't quite hear, but who seemed to be shouting something about "getting myself killed"...)

Oh, how I love Oregon! The winding, hilly roads constantly transport me back to childhood road trips. And all kinds of nostalgia... For instance, my Driver's Ed teacher required us to honk as we went through this very tunnel, in order to get a passing grade. No joke!

I look forward to sharing some of the wedding pics with you! The reception was held in the historic art deco style Coos Art Museum, which is an AMAZING building!! I just finished a historical fiction novel that was much about the founding of Coos Bay, so it was extra fun to be there with all of that history fresh on my mind.

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

In my bag...

2011-02-21T15:03:00.000-08:00

This post is for my fellow photography enthusiasts! I know I'm always curious about what gear others use, and I get asked about my gear frequently... so here we go! I thought it would be appropriate to start with the bag itself, which I loooove!! It's a Jill-e bag. Size medium, in chocolate brown suede, if memory serves me.

A lot of other portrait photographers seem to have a heavy-duty gear bag that holds everything, plus a lighter sling-style bag (like a Shootsac) that holds just a few lenses. Their heavy duty bag stays in their car during a session, while they use the lighter one for shooting. I love that idea, but I'm just too nervous that I'll inadvertently leave some crucial piece of gear in the heavy bag (like memory cards), and the car will be too far away when I need it...

I always wanted to be one of those girls with several cute bags/clutches/purses, to mix and match with different outfits, but I'm just not up for all the content switcheroos. Same goes for hauling my photography gear. So, I opted for a bag that I thought was stylish, but big and sturdy enough to keep everything in one place. All the time! (The exception to this is my back-up gear, which is all stored in a separate bag.)

Of course, my 6-year-old daughter, who is the biggest baby lover ever, thought it was a diaper bag the first time she saw it. LOL! It has been pledged to her to use as such when she becomes a Mama. ;0)

Now, about the stuff inside the bag: I shoot with a Canon 5d Mark ii, and my back-up is a Canon 5d. I've got oodles and oodles of memory cards, and batteries, and protective filters, and all those essentials. I also carry my cleaning kit with me. All. The. Time. (You never know when that sweet 2 year old is going to pop his thumb out of his mouth and plop that juiciness on your lens! ;0) ) I'm always thinking worst-case-scenario, and never want to be caught in a lurch! I've also got reflectors, and a speedlight, and some other toys, but the main event is the lenses...

I shoot exclusively with prime lenses. Three of them, to be precise:

If I had to live with one lens, this would be it. The 85mm 1.2. I probably shoot with it about 90% of the time. Maybe more! Some of the things I love about it are the distance it affords me for client interaction (getting nice, tight shots without being so close I have to breathe on them!), the rich creamy bokeh it creates in both the foreground and background, and the crispness it lends to my subjects!

The 50mm 1.4 and 24mm 1.4 round out my bag. I mostly use the 50mm when I don't have a lot of room to work, but still want flattering, non-warpy portraits. And I usually use the 24mm for landscape work, for venue shots, and sometimes for creative detail shots.

Of course, the wish list is always growing... At the top of my list are the 100mm 2.8 macro, 50mm 1.2, and another flash. ;0)

I hope this was fun reading for some of you fellow gear geeks! ;0) Feel free to send me an e-mail if you've got more specific questions about what I have, and/or how I use it. I love getting geeky!!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

Talk about LOVE... My two lovies are a match made in heaven. Quite literally! ;0)

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Happy Valentine's Week!

2011-02-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Week from me and my sweeties to you and yours! ;0)

Jamie Zanotti Wedding Photography Site!!!

2011-02-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

Drrrrummmmmmmm roll, please! My new weddings site has been launched!! I love the look and user-friendliness of the new site, and it makes me tempted to re-work my main/senior girls site... But then, the goal is to cross things off the list, not be adding to it just now! ;0)

The featured gallery links are displayed like this-- I love how image-driven it is:

And there's a lot more of me on this new site, so brides have the opportunity to get to know me more and see whether we might be a good fit:

Please hop over and check it out:

jamiezanotti.com/weddings
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would love for you to let me know (jamie.zanotti@gmail.com) if you see anything that needs tweaking! You know how it is; you can look at something for so long that you begin to not fully see what's right in front of you...

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

HS Senior: Rachelle (Part II) .... Eugene Oregon High School Senior Pictures

2011-02-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

Rachelle, Rachelle, Rachelle... I am SO happy with how your senior pictures turned out!! Wahooievooie!!! There. I'm so excited, I just went and created a new word to express my gushing giddiness. ;0)

Ladies and gentlemen, it was a coooold February morning. 20 something degrees. But Rachelle and her sweet spirit smiled right through it:

Rachelle has plans for her collection of senior images to do double-duty as a modeling portfolio. I vote for this one to be featured front and center:

Rachelle is such a classic, gracious beauty. I really love some of her images in black & white:

I have to shout out a big thank you to Terri, Rachelle's mom, for spotting this fun train:

Can't you just feel the gentle kindness radiating out of her smile? In the midst of her busy senior year--student government, sports, and on and on... Rachelle's making time to be involved with raising money for Children's Miracle Network. I love that about her.

Despite the cold, frosty morning, the sun was not deterred. I loooove how it's filtering through the trees here, and providing gorgeous back-lighting on Rachelle's hair. It almost looks like a sunbeam is reaching out to her.

Maybe it was. ;0)

Rachelle and Terri, thank you again and again for such a fun session! Rachelle, don't let the Senioritis get to you too badly... But if it does, just take a break and let your mom practice her photography on you some more. After all, you both know my secret reflector tips now. ;0)

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

HS Senior: Rachelle .... Creswell Oregon High School Senior Pictures

2011-02-02T15:33:00.000-08:00

I am soooo glad I have decided to focus on HS Senior Girl and Wedding Photography! I'd just be really, really hard pressed to think of a better way I could have spent this morning. Rachelle, her mom, and I had so much fun chatting/shooting/laughing together! And the fun doesn't end there! Now I've got about 12 gigs of pure gorgeousness to play with... I'm fully looking forward to processing the rest of this session! Here are a couple more early favs:

Rachelle and Terri: Thank you for such a FABULOUS morning! You were so gracious, and helpful, and just game for anything!! I truly enjoyed my time with you. ;0)

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

A few updates checked off the list!

2011-02-01T16:08:00.000-08:00

Wahooie!! I can check a few of my "New! New! New!" updates off my list!! I made a few changes to my splash page, main/senior girls' site, and this here bloggity-blog... namely, a new name, logo, and color palette!

So, JAZ Photography is now officially... Jamie Zanotti Photography. The old url (jazphotography.org) will re-direct you for a while, but eventually you'll need the new one:

jamiezanotti.com (So please make note!)

I'm really happy about the new colors... I've anchored everything in brown, which is still strong and crisp like black, but is warmer, and somehow just feels a little more approachable and relaxed. Which is totally me!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com.

New New New!

2011-01-26T13:58:00.000-08:00

As we began building our log home a decade ago, it was hard for me to get comfortable with people traipsing through when It! Wasn't! Finished! Yet!!! ;0) I learned two things through that process...

1) There are a lot of things in this life that will Never! Be! Finished!! ;0)

2) I'm not the only one who enjoys the journey and the process... Lots of people have fun seeing the "before", the "after", and even the in-between.

I've been working to revamp my photography business... the name, the logo, the branding, the websites, the blog, the brochures, the packaging... and on and on it goes! I keep wanting to wait until it's all done to present it to the world, but I think I'm going to go ahead and just start sharing things as they come to pass, and you are welcome to enjoy/endure the ride! ;0)

First up, I thought I'd share a few snaps my sis-in-law took of me, to use on the "about me" page of my new weddings website and such. I also thought it would be fun to share a couple "behind the scenes" shots that would normally be left on the "cutting room floor"...

Here's one I'll probably use:

...and here's where I almost took an unplanned dip into the Coos Bay soup:

Here's another one I might use:

...and the one I won't, because my eyebrow took a trip to Saturn:

...or maybe I will use that last one. It's totally me, after all. ;0)

(Thanks so much again for snapping some new headshots for me, Ash!!!)

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Family: The O's (Part II) .... Eugene Oregon Photographer

2011-01-23T21:01:00.000-08:00

Here are more of my favs from the O Family's Session! Don't you just love the energy radiating out of those girls??!?

This is one of my favorite couple pics to date. It's so simple. So comfortable. So Phil and Heather:

Heather is one of those people whom I think looks extra fabulous in black and white... Of course, she's beautiful in full color, too! I was just really drawn to a lot of the black and white versions of her images, for some reason:

Speaking of color... I can't get over the red curls, the pink and purple jackets, and the warmth of the terra cotta and brick we had for much of this session. It was an especially welcome break to the blue of winter...

Look at the kindness in this smile... I am RICHLY blessed to have Heather as one of my closest friends. I just hang out with her as much as I can, hoping and praying that more and more of her will rub off on me...

Did I mention it was COLD??? We had to stop for an extended hot cocoa break...

Phil is on staff at our church, and is a gifted teacher. I love attending his Bible Studies! I kept joking with him that their annual family photo shoot is my chance to tell him what to do... I really did give him quite a hard time, and he was such a good sport, per usual:

Thanks, as always, for a super fun outing, O Fam! Love you bunches!!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Family: The O's .... Eugene Oregon Photographer

2011-01-19T16:53:00.000-08:00

WARNING: Cuteness overload ahead!! I had as much fun as you can possibly have in frigid weather, snapping pics of the most smiley family on earth, who also happen to be some of our dearest friends...

Enjoy your sneak peek, guys! More to come soon!!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

You're Invited!

2011-01-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

So this isn't exactly photography-related, but I wanted to invite all of my blog readers just the same! In addition to being a photographer, I am also a Pastor's Wife. And mushroom picker. And Pottery Barn lover. And no-running-water-tent-only kind of camper. And former tuba player. And hot cocoa snob. And devourer of historical fiction. ...but I digress! ;0)

I'll be teaching at our church's 2nd annual THRIVE Event in a couple weeks, and everyone (of the female variety) is welcome! The cost is $10, and if you'd be so kind as to e-mail your RSVP to me (jamie.zanotti@gmail.com), that would be great. (It's a laid-back affair, with fun eats and drinks... and some games and whatnot, too!)

CLICK HERE for a little taste of last year's event!

This year, we will be focusing on stewardship--of our time, our relationships, our physical health... Our verse of inspiration is I Corinthians 10:31: "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

I'd love to see you there.

There's always one (Thoughts on Bridal Party Portraits) .... Eugene Oregon Wedding Photographer

2011-01-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been waaaay too long since I did a "how to" kind of post, so here we go! I've posted previously on some general ideas for getting your subjects comfortable and smiling, but I wanted to add this thought specifically for capturing bridal parties. It may not work for everyone and every style, but if you're after that fun, relaxed shot, here's an idea for you:

Identify the one.

There's always one. You know, the one who likes to laugh, and make everyone else laugh. The one who is in party mode all day long. The one who is game for anything.

I try to make fast friends with the one (which is easy, because they're laid back and fun-loving... if not, sorry to say so, but you've got the wrong one ;0) ), and they usually end up being the cornerstone of my approach to the bridal party portraits.

See if you can tell who the one is among these three bridesmaids:

As we were walking along here (above), I simply asked the bride's sis to share some marriage advice with the two single girls on either side of her...

It's easy to identify the one. When I walked into the salon, this is what I saw:

It was at this point that I went to her like a heat-seeking missile. ;0) And throughout the day, she didn't disappoint:

Here's another case in point...

(Thanks to Ashley for capturing all this hilarity!)

He was still going strong at the reception:

And of course he caught the garter, too... and promptly wore it:

Sometimes all it takes is simply telling everyone to look at the one:

In Alaska, apparently, the one looks like this:

Of course, identifying the one works for family groups and all kinds of groups, too... I hope this little thought is helpful!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

2010 Favorites: Weddings .... Eugene Oregon Wedding Photographer

2011-01-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

I was THRILLED to shoot a few more weddings this year, and hope to do MANY more in the future!! I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE photographing weddings...

A huge THANK YOU to you brides and grooms who trusted me to capture your wedding day. I can't tell you how deeply honored I am, and truly grateful. I thoroughly enjoyed the privilege of celebrating with each and every one of you!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

2010 Favorites: Portraits .... Eugene Oregon Portrait Photographer

2011-01-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

That last one is a perfect way to round out some of my favorite 2010 portraits... I had WAY too much fun this year, with so many beautiful, kind, hilarious people in front of my camera!

Last but not least: Coming up tomorrow... Some of my favorite 2010 wedding images!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

2010 Favorites: Personal Work .... Eugene Oregon Photographer

2011-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I thought I'd kick things off by posting some of my favorite images from 2010, starting with personal work/landscape/details...

Wow. Looking through these is quite a reminder of just how much beauty and fun I was privileged to see in 2010! I can't wait to see what 2011 has in store.

Tomorrow, I'll feature some of my favorite 2010 portraits!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Wedding: Caleb & Julie .... Eugene Oregon Wedding Photographer

2010-12-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

It seems fitting to start off my last post of 2010 with my new favorite picture! So ethereal, don't you think? Julie was STUNNING, and I LOVED LOVED LOVED the Southern Illinois field and barn Amber chose for shooting the bride and groom portraits. We only had a few minutes, largely due to a tornado warning! (Maybe the impending weather had a hand in creating that phenomenal shade of blue sky?!) But I'll get back to the portraits... Let's begin at the beginning of their day, with some bridal party shots and such:

Amber was on a ROLL with her location choices! Check out this beautiful nook she chose for Julie and Caleb's first look, complete with the gooooorgeous bell:

This groomsman told me he had done some modeling work. I thought he was kidding, because the groomsmen were pulling my leg all day, but then I looked at these pics and it seems he may have been telling the truth:

The flower girls were divine:

Okay, back to the bride and groom portraits!

My favorite shot of Caleb:

All of the girls' hair was elaborate, and elegant, and perfect:

The reception took place at this warm, comfortable farm... I felt like I was getting a hug as we drove up to it:

As the night was coming to a close, one of the moms/bridesmaids tipped me off, that the kids were playing with their shadows at one of the barns. I'm so glad she did:

This last shot feels to me like it belongs on a barn calendar. I just adore the quintessential red with white trim, completed by the weather vane, and the worn fence and rambling flowers in the foreground:

Amber, thank you again and again for the honor of capturing Caleb and Julie's wedding with you! Southern Illinois, and the heart-of-the-country people we met there, will long be strong in my memory.

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T14:09:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I thought I'd post a couple snaps of some favorite ornaments to commemorate the day... from my thumbprint collection, above, and one from our Margaret Furlong collection:

Engagement: Julie & Caleb .... Eugene Oregon Engagement Pictures

2010-12-22T15:37:00.000-08:00

I hope you're all having a warm, cozy Christmas week! I thought I'd take a break from trying to re-attach gingerbread people's heads that just! won't! stay! on! and share a few more images from my trip to Illinois with Amber this fall. I tagged along for Julie & Caleb's Engagement Session, and snapped a bit... The family farm where we shot was straight out of a mid west storybook:

If you know me, you know I can't resist the combination of blue and orange:

Wait until you see their wedding! I'll post it soon, but here's a sneak peek:

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Family: The P's .... Eugene Oregon Photographers

2010-12-14T14:08:00.000-08:00

When Melody greeted me at the door in these glorious boots, I knew it was going to be a great session! She and her sisters conspired to surprise their mom with family photos for her birthday.

Actually, the conspiracy goes beyond that... Dad coordinated getting all the girls home from around the country, for a surprise birthday weekend visit!!

Here's Kelsey:

And here's Destiny (with her hubby):

We started out at their beautiful family home at the coast:

The girls each wore something of Becky's... What a FUN idea!!

Speaking of FUN, the birthday girl was delightfully so! Dan holds his own, too:

This family was just waaay too much fun altogether. They had lots of crazy awesome poses of their own:

I'll end with this hilarious series of the girls swinging, because it just makes me smile and gives a real sense of the beautiful playfulness this family enjoys:

P Fam: Thank you SO much for the honor of joining your celebration by capturing your beautiful, beautiful family. I walked away blessed.

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Maternity: Elizabeth .... Eugene Oregon Maternity Photographer

2010-12-06T16:35:00.000-08:00

A friend once told me, "It's not my story; it's God's." I had been praising her up one side and down the other for repeatedly and publicly laying bare some pain from her past to inspire teens toward choosing well in their lives, as she told her story in middle schools and high schools throughout our state. I was more than a bit in awe of how she could pour herself out over and over, day after day, year after year. I said something to the effect of, "Your story is just so powerful! And I admire you for being so brave and willing to share it like you do." She replied, "It's not my story; it's God's. I gave it to Him a long time ago, and it's His to use as He chooses." That was years upon years ago, but I've never forgotten it.

I now find myself alongside another brave friend, and she has urged me to share some of her images, and her story, in the hope and faith that it might minister to someone reading.

Meet Elizabeth... Teacher. Decorator. Camper. (Well, as long as it's only a night or two. ;0) ) Avid reader. Cook.

Birthmother.

Elizabeth has made the courageous decision to make an adoption plan for her unborn daughter, and this session was for her baby girl. As an Adoptive Mama myself, I know how much my two kids treasure the maternity pictures we have of their Birthmothers, and I was filled to overflowing with gratitude to have a role in the making of such a gift.

I was thrilled with how these orchard pics came out! So ethereal, and storybook feeling. Which is perfect symbolism in my mind, for several reasons. One is Elizabeth's afore-said love of books, particularly classics. Doesn't she just look like she's walking in a storybook here? She also told me that one of the confirmations she had that she has chosen the right adoptive family came when she and the Adoptive Mom bonded over their mutual love of Wuthering Heights. Baby girl, you're going to be a reader. You might as well resign yourself to that fact right now. You're surrounded! ;0)

I have learned (largely through miscarriage) to celebrate life fully. No matter how fleeting, no matter the timing... no matter what! As you can see from the pure joy radiating out of her face, Elizabeth knows how to celebrate life in any and all circumstances, too. She loves this baby girl!

Elizabeth, I love you very much, and thank you for the high honor of capturing these. I pray rich blessings for you, your baby girl, and her adoptive family as our Lord reveals the coming chapters in each of your stories.

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Hello December!

2010-12-01T01:54:00.000-08:00

We actually got a dusting of snow this Thanksgiving week! Our driveway can indeed be treacherous, but the wide angle lens makes it look even more so...

I love, love, love fall and winter in our tree house! Hot cocoa, warm quilts, good books, editing photos in the loft and taking day-dream breaks to gaze out the window onto the hills and city below... I hope your December is off to a cozy start, too!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Family: The H's ... Eugene Oregon Photographers

2010-11-22T16:35:00.000-08:00

It's so fun to capture family! This is my brother, with his. ;0) With my family, there's no pressure, and lots of laughs. Plus, with my sis-in-law being an amazing photog friend, it's a great collaboration as we're both looking for the good light and all that good stuff! Here are a few from our time together:

I'm SO looking forward to spending our Thanksgiving with these guys! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, too!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Genuine Farm Country .... Eugene Oregon Wedding Photographers

2010-11-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend Amber whisked me away for yet another amazing adventure last month! I had the incredibly fun job of helping her shoot a genuine farm country wedding in Southern Illinois. It was just as I imagined it might be, and I was in raptures the whole weekend. There are few things I love more than shooting details. Here are a few I grabbed along the way:

All of the families we met were so gracious and generous. Even the animals were friendly... ;0)

As I was telling Amber, "First Alaska, now Illinois... I'm just waiting for that 'Want to shoot a wedding in Italy with me?' call!" ;0)

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Happy November! .... Eugene Oregon Photographers

2010-11-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple snaps from a family outing to Detering's Orchard. Oh, how I love November... the crock pot dinners, the colors and textures of the leaves and berries and spent flowers, the mulled cider, curling up with a good book (I just finished Dickens' David Copperfield--I'd never read it before, and thoroughly enjoyed it!) while it blusters outside, baking my heart out to incessant chants of "Can we lick the beaters? Can we lick the beaters?" ;0) Oh! And did I mention my love affair with caramel apples? Oh yes, I mustn't forget to mention the caramel apples... I think we'd better head back to Detering's already:

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

HS Senior Album: Breanna .... Eugene Oregon High School Senior Photographer

2010-10-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

A few more of my favorite spreads from Breanna's book:

To book a wedding or high school senior girl session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Farm Girl Chic Maternity: Bethany (Part II) .... Eugene Oregon Photographers

2010-10-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

Here it is! More from Bethany's Maternity Session. As I said in the first post, Bethany is a very talented photographer, whom I have admired for years. It was pure dreaminess to photograph her!! Not only is she a raving beauty with grace oozing out of her, but she kept lining me out so my job was easy-peasy; it was awesome... We shot at her mom's place in the country, and Bethany expertly guided me to great light and great settings. Fun, FUN, FUN!!!

I love the literal "nest" feeling of this one:

As I was telling a friend about my great evening with Bethany, my friend asked, "What was her style?" After thinking it over, I landed on "farm girl chic". ;0) It was truly such a perfect combination... Bethany and Josh both grew up in the country, so they are completely at home there, but Bethany brought the sparkle of the city, too, with her fabulous styling:

Now, I know I recently blogged about my move toward specializing in weddings and high school senior girls, but I'm sorely tempted to add "maternity" to that list! I loooove doing maternity sessions. Actually, I also love doing commercial portraits--such as head shots for websites. But somehow, saying, "I specialize in weddings, high school senior girls, maternity, and commercial portraiture" just starts to make my tongue feel fat! ;0)

Yup, the kids are just as cute and sweet as their parents:

...and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! Two-year-old Selah picked out her own dress! With the addition of the polka dot tights and boots, Bethany appropriately dubbed her baby girl's look "farm girl cute". ;0)

Did I mention we laughed a lot? We laughed. A LOT! You see, Miss B is hilarious:

This was the very last shot I snapped that night, and I think it's a fitting image to end with:

Bethany (and Josh, Jude, & Selah, too!) - Thank you SO much for the privilege of capturing you during this sweet season of life. I can't wait to meet #3!!

To book a wedding or high school senior girl session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Maternity: Bethany .... Eugene Oregon Maternity Photographer

2010-10-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

Oh! My! Goodness! Gracious!!! I had the honor of capturing Bethany (and a bit of her sweet family, too) in all her jaw-dropping maternal gorgeousness this weekend. Bethany is a Portland-area photographer who I've long admired, and gleaned inspiration from. Obviously, she's incredibly beautiful. But more than that, she has no pretense. Just pure, unadulterated joy radiating out to everyone within a five mile radius. We laughed so hard, and had restful heart-to-heart conversation in the crisp October sunset. It was dreamy:

Look for lots more from Bethany's session later this week!

To book a wedding or high school senior session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Family: Us! (Part II).... Oregon Photography

2010-10-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some of the pics my very talented sis-in-law, Ashley, recently snapped of my family! She is SO good!! The heavy mist didn't even phase her, although it did phase my hair... but I'm not complaining! I'm super thankful to have this sweet season of life captured. THANK YOU, Ash!!!

Speaking of my hair... I color-correct photos using the eyedropper tools in Curves, and was despairing that I couldn't find any grey in our orange/blue/brown pallet. Then, I saw my hair. Like, really saw my hair. And ALL! THE! GREY!!! So yes, for the first time ever, I used the abundant grey in my hair to adjust the color of an image... LOL! As handy as it was, I think this might just be the last photos featuring my salt-and-pepper self. The box of hair dye is just waiting to be opened...

I particularly love these of my dear hubby with the kids:

It's such a blessing to have a sis-in-law who values the same kind of images I do... Not bent on always having everyone looking right at the camera with plastic-y smiles, but capturing the "natural vibe" of the family:

To book a wedding or high school senior girl session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Occasion: Kendra is 6! (Part II) ... Oregon Photographer

2010-10-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Lord, for the unbelievable gift you have given me in my daughter! My heart is so full, looking at these images as we celebrate the first 6 years of her precious life.

One of the things my photographer-mom friends and I often talk about is balance... namely, how to achieve it, of course! I certainly don't have it all figured out, but one tradition I'm super thankful for is these sessions I do with my kids. Kim inspired the idea years ago, when she posted about going on a "photo date" with her son. I've been doing the same for the last few years-- making a special event of going out, snapping some photos at a favorite spot or two, and finishing off our time together at a fun cafe, or ice cream parlor, or whatnot. And I "count" it as one of my client sessions when I'm scheduling... In fact, Kendra's and Micah's are the first two sessions that go in my planner each year! It might sound silly, I realize. But my kids are the reason I started seriously snapping pics in the first place, and this little tradition helps me keep my priorities and balance!

On to the pics:

I love Kendra's birthday dress, and used it as inspiration for her birthday party decor:

Ever since Micah's 3rd Birthday Session, Kendra has been planning and pining for her chance to bust a move during her session:

Little bro was not about to sit on the sidelines...

...and then it was a free for all:

To book a wedding or high school senior girl session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

The Sweetest Flower Girl EVER... Eugene Oregon Wedding Photographer

2010-10-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

Yup... Mine! ;0) I had the pleasure of attending a wedding as a guest this past weekend, but Kendra and Corey were both on duty! Of course I couldn't resist snapping a few of the kids running around pre-ceremony. I was so nervous for Kendra it was ridiculous! Who knows what I'm going to do when she's not just the flower girl, but the bride!? But that's a loooong way off, so I'm just not going to go there right now! I know I'm biased, but truly, she was so excited about being a flower girl, and just soooo sweet. It was a night we'll remember for a long time:

To book a wedding or high school senior girl session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

A Preview of Coming Posts... Eugene Oregon Photographers

2010-09-29T00:09:00.000-07:00

I've been hunkered down, devoting oodles of hours to getting into a new routine, since we're tackling our first year of home schooling with a full curriculum. Thankfully, we're LOVING it!!! I'll be sharing lots more from each of these sessions as the newness of our routine eases up, but thought I'd share a little preview of coming events in the meantime.

There will be more of Kendra's 6-years-old pics, as promised/warned. ;0)

There will also be some pics of my family, thanks to my incredibly talented sis-in-law, who is the genius behind Fourthlight Photography in Coos Bay:

I've also been working on helping my hubby with some updated images for our church's website. Corey is naturally gifted in graphic design, and just launched a new version of the ESBC site. Some of the links and images are still old, though, so we're systematically going through and spiffing it all up. Here are just two of my favorite images from a recent mini-session with the staff... My handsome hubby:

(He's using this one as his new blog header. I really, really love it!)

And I just love this one of Phil, our Discipleship Director. This comfortable, laughing smile is so him:

Here's one of the whole crew:

I also had the opportunity to squeeze in a few minutes with Dan (our Youth/Creative Arts Director) and Liz. She's working on a scrapbook page of sorts for the preschool where she teaches, and needed a couple snaps. I can never get enough of shooting couples, even if only for a few minutes!

To book a wedding or high school senior girl session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Occasion: Kendra is 6! ... Eugene Oregon Photographers

2010-09-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

I can NOT believe my baby girl is turning 6 this month!? Aaaiiieee!!!!! But what a blessed season of life it is... She is a compassionate, joyful, delightful little soul. I feel awash in thankfulness that I get to be her Momma!

We weren't entirely planning on doing photos yesterday, but we dressed a littler nicer than usual just in case we had a few minutes after shopping to hop out somewhere and grab a few... and it worked out! I was worried we wouldn't have enough sunlight, because the sun was falling fast, but we eeked out about 20 minutes... We brought along Micah's great new hand-me-down orange and blue (my favorite color combo!) tie, and he got into a few pics with his big sis:

I'm sure this 'ol bloggity blog will be over-run with birthday pics before the month is through, so hang on to yer horses... ;0)

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

HS Senior: Breanna (Part II) .... Eugene Oregon High School Senior Photographer

2010-09-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some more from Breanna's session! Her mom is an amazing location scout (thanks again, Michelle!)... From fields to water to urban to the high school, we smooshed a lot into this shoot! I'll definitely be revisiting some of these Creswell spots.

I loved this outfit Breanna put together! The neutrals really let the textures (of the boots, the sweater, the storefront in the background) shine through:

This trail wasn't on the list of scheduled stops, but I'm sooo thankful we took a few minutes here! The light filtering through the trees was AMAZING:

Growing up on a farm, one of my favorite things to do was lie on my back and just dream, dream, dream while looking at the clouds. This picture makes me want to go find a hay field and do just that:

We rounded out the night at Creswell High School, grabbing some fun sports shots:

Breanna, thank you so much for rolling with all of my zany ideas. I hope you love your pictures as much as I do! And I hope you have a fabulous senior year.

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

HS Senior: Breanna .... Eugene Oregon High School Senior Pictures

2010-09-12T02:20:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I LOVE shooting high school senior girls!!!!! In fact, if you follow my blog, you've probably noticed a shift in my subject matter over the last while... I'm officially specializing in weddings and high school senior girls now, and loving it!!! SO much! ;0) I'll still do other things now and then, but I'm going to put the bulk of my energy into weddings and senior girls. Accordingly, I've made a few changes to my website, if you want to check it out!

This gorgeous Creswell High School Senior is Breanna... volleyball, basketball, softball, and track athlete. PLUS, she fishes! My kind of girl. ;0) Lots more to come from her session soon!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Newborn: Jenna .... Eugene Oregon Photographers

2010-09-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

Meet Baby Jenna! Great hair, great faces... I love her already. ;0) Adam, Becky, and big sis Nora are doing a beautiful job of doting on her... see for yourself:

At one point during the session, Adam was soothing Jenna in the bedroom while I got to chase Becky and Nora as they were playing... These bring a big smile to my face:

Their dining room window light is phenomenal. (For the photography-minded: This entire session was shot indoors, with no flash, on the Canon 5D Mark II. I used an 85mm 1.2 and a 24mm 1.4.) I will be back, dining room window! I will be back:

This is one of my favs... of Adam soothing Jenna:

I guess he ended up soothing himself, too, because he actually fell asleep at one point during the session. LOL!

CONGRATULATIONS, M Fam!! The world is a better place for having one more of you!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Oregon State Fair .... Eugene Oregon Photographer

2010-09-08T15:43:00.000-07:00

I had a super fun Birthday/Labor Day Weekend. I hope you did, too! We had family in town from Idaho, and we played at the coast and the Oregon State Fair. Here are a few more snaps from the fair...

Did you notice a theme there? Yeah, I LOVE quilts. I'm determined to make one some day...

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Wedding Album: Heather & Mike .... Eugene Oregon Wedding Photographer

2010-09-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share a few of Heather & Mike's Wedding Album spreads... I had so many fun images to work with, and was really pleased with the end results:

Note to photographers: I use Melissa Jill templates (and tweak them to make them my own, of course!), and highly recommend them! Her blog also has amazing tutorials!!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Family: The H's (Part II) .... Oregon Portrait Photographer

2010-08-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I've got to be honest. I was quite nervous going into this shoot! Kim introduced me to the world of SLRs (she literally fielded probably 5 e-mails from me per day on average when I was getting started, and did so with endless patience), and I felt this adrenaline-fueled combination of honor and nerves at the thought of capturing her family. Of course, they made my job easy! Their family not only oozes comfy love, but they are super stylin', too!!

Byron and Kim: I love you all to pieces and hope I did you proud...

Sunshine and curls. A beautiful combination... And some polka dots and some giggles don't hurt, either:

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Wedding: Mike & Heather (Part II) ... Portland Oregon Wedding Photographer

2010-08-26T01:36:00.000-07:00

Mike and Heather's day was full of fun, and FULL! OF! GORGEOUSNESS!!! They were up for every idea we threw at them, and I'm just giddy as a schoolgirl with the images Amber and I were able to capture! (Thank you SO much as always, Amber, for being my faithful and crazy-talented side-kick for the day!)

Here's a glimpse of their day, which started at the salon...

I wanted to take these two home with me. I kid you not! SUCH sweet cousins:

The light in the salon was phenomenal, what with the ginormous street windows, the stainless counters, and the wall of mirrors... It was photography heaven:

We had some time to kill before the limo came, so I talked the girls into strolling through Portland's Pearl District for a bit to have some fun. I told them it was a warm-up. ;0) These ended up being a few of my favs from the day:

The bridesmaids were hilarious. Normally, the groomsmen are the jokesters, but these girls could give them a run for their money! I think it had something to do with Heather's sis/Matron of Honor... ;0)

After our stroll through the Pearl District, we were off to Abigail's Garden at the Abernethy Center in Oregon City...

A few pre-ceremony shots:

I had a Monet watercolor poster on the wall in my college dorm room back in the day, and this reminds me a bit of it with the gorgeous, almost liquid-quality light flickering behind the gazebo:

Heather was radiant:

This is one I just keep coming back to... The soft back light of the sunset is absolutely dreamy:

Ceremony time:

Like I said in the first post, I looooved how the wedding party danced out! It was pure awesomeness. In my humble opinion, the Best Man and Matron of Honor were particularly awesome:

Everybody dance-walked their way right into the reception:

We grabbed a few more portraits before the sun went to bed:

And then the dancing began...

And then they were off to honeymoon:

Mike and Heather, thank you again for the great honor of capturing your wedding. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with you!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Family: The H's .... Oregon Coast Photographer

2010-08-22T04:38:00.000-07:00

I had waaay too much fun yesterday... I got to meet up with my cousin Byron and his ridiculously sweet and fab (not to mention GORGEOUS and photogenic in the EXTREME!) family in Lincoln City to grab some family portraits. I'll share more later, but I had to throw a few up on the blog in the meantime!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Wedding: Mike & Heather .... Portland Oregon Wedding Photographer

2010-08-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of capturing Mike and Heather's GORGEOUS Portland, Oregon wedding yesterday. There will be lots more to come, of course, but as I'm beginning to sift through their images, I had to stop and share one early favorite! The wedding party danced their way out of the storybook-worthy gazebo ceremony, and I loved it. ;0)

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

ESBC VBS 2010 ... Eugene Oregon Photographer

2010-08-05T15:11:00.003-07:00

My girl looooves hats, so she was elated to learn this year's Vacation Bible School theme was "Saddle Ridge Ranch", complete with cowboy hats for all the kids to wear... ;0) I love roaming throughout our church, catching all the kids in their element:

We have so many talented and hard-working kids' ministry volunteers at East Side! It's pure fun to "see" the results of their effort and compassion through my lens.

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Wedding: Dan & Kayla .... Oregon Wedding Photographers

2010-08-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to second for Ashley at Dan & Kayla's wedding day extravaganza... Seriously, it was like several acts playing out throughout the day. There was so much gorgeousness and creativity every which way I looked! I started out my day at the groom's family's country home, with the guys...

Then it was back to town for the ceremony at their beautiful church:

Then it was back out to the country home again for the reception...

...but I'm getting ahead of myself! Let's back up to the morning, and I'll give you some snippets from the day in order... Meet the groom:

The first look (back in town):

One of the flower girls watching people squeeeeeze into the plumb-full church:

I thoroughly enjoyed tip-toeing around in the balcony with my 24mm:

Okay, now back to the country house:

Yeah, being the former 4H barrel-racing girl that I am, I couldn't get enough of the boots!

Kayla is uber-creative. I love how she worked these jewels into her bouquet for her "something blue":

I was on "snap lots of details" duty, and it was heavenly! I loooove shooting details, especially when there are so many fun, colorful things to capture:

Everyone grabbed some dinner prior to indulging in the candy bar you just saw...

The most incredible, soft sunset lit up dinner, and I pretty much just stalked everyone who was back lit by it, and snapped away like a crazy person... Just look at this light:

The mother of the groom:

And mother of the bride:

After dinner, there was all kinds of fun... Not the least of which included dancing and bull riding. Here's a glimpse:

Thanks so much for the privilege of being your side-kick for the day, Ash! Can't wait for the next one!!

Dan & Kayla: Congrats! Welcome to the best chapter of life!! ;0)

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

The Reality Version... Oregon Photographer

2010-07-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

What with all the skin smoothing and teeth whitening and whatnot, I sometimes worry that clients won't recognize me when we meet for the first time... LOL! So here's a reality version of me, and my sweet hubby, sans the standard processing. ;0)

He just got home Thursday night, from a week and a half of school (he's working on his Doctorate of Ministry), so the kids and I are relishing his presence. The poor guy had to hit the ground running, because yesterday was our annual crabbing trip with the adoptive families group Corey and I facilitate. (It's called one27, which was inspired by James 1:27, and you're more than welcome to e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com if you're interested in info.!)

Anyway, just thought I'd share this snap of me (thanks, Mom-- and thanks to you and Dad for hosting our group again!!) in my more regular attire... greying hair, wrinkles, and all. ;0)

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

A Visit to My Stomping Grounds ... Oregon Photographer

2010-07-27T22:06:00.000-07:00

Just back from a few days on the Southern Oregon Coast, where I grew up... where yards are adorned with such as this, where people still wave when they drive past and honk their horns when they go through the tunnel, and where my Dad strolls around the grocery store purely for the society of it. ;0)

I snapped these images while I was en route to shoot a wedding with my sis-in-law, Ashley. I look forward to sharing those pics with you! They've got lots of character, too... Think candy bars (as in a bar filled with candy!), cowgirl boots, and mechanical bulls. Yup. A mechanical bull! It was awesome.

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Wedding: Jordan & Sara (Part II) .... Eugene Oregon Wedding Photographers

2010-07-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm pretty sure this will set the record for the greatest # of images I've ever thrown into a post... but I just can't help it! There were soooo many great moments to be caught. From the family members, to the wedding party, to Jordan and Sara themselves, genuine joy and love just permeated the day. We met up at Willamette University for their first look, on my favorite bridge from their engagement session... Only thing was, several hundred kids were there this time, too! Some sort of camp or something!? A gaggle of them ran across the bridge as Sara awaited Jordan, shouting out congratulations and such... One little guy piped up and called, "Will you marry me?"

Oh, how I love this blue glass wall!!! Let me prove it to you:

Amber's view:

One of the highlights of the day was the Flower Squad. Not "flower girls", mind you... a full on Flower Squad:

As the ceremony was getting started, Amber caught this fabulous shot of the groom with both sets of parents, peeking in on the slide show that was playing:

I love how the skylight was beaming down precisely onto Sara and her Dad as he gave her away:

You know the Pastor (Ben Bryson of Court Street Christian Church) is good when the parents are looking this relaxed during the ceremony:

I just love the emotion here, as Sara signs with her maiden name for the last time:

The reception was at Copper Hill. I loved the classy, warm, antique... yet fresh and clean feel of it:

There were some seriously great toasts:

Prepare yourself for the best garter catch reaction ever...

(I do believe his girlfriend had just caught the bouquet... ;0) )

Amber (who is a MOST wonderful friend and fellow shooter and whom I was SO SO SOOO thankful to have alongside me-- THANK YOU again and again, A) ran back in for something at the very end, spyed the dress being packed up, and was able to grab a couple shots of it in the gorgeous Bride's Room. These are my favorite dress pics I've ever seen:

Jordan and Sara, thank you so very much for honoring me with the privilege of capturing your wedding day. I pray God will richly bless your union!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Wedding: Jordan & Sara .... Salem Oregon Wedding Photographer

2010-07-18T19:09:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of capturing Jordan and Sara's gracious, fun, Christ-centered wedding yesterday, alongside my dear and ridiculously talented friend, Amber. What a blessing to spend a day surrounded far and wide by such lovely people!

More pics of their amazing day to come!!

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Portrait: Sierra (Part II) .... Eugene Oregon Portraits

2010-07-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

I think that 1st image is my fav from my little outing with Sierra... It reminds me of a vintage Gap ad. Here are a few more of my sweet, sweet sis-in-law:

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com

Portraits: Sierra .... Oregon Portrait Photographers

2010-07-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

We just got back from our annual trek to visit the hubby's side of the fam in Southern Idaho. This year, my little sis-in-law Sierra (10) pretty much met me at the door with multiple outfits in hand, and all kinds of accessories at the ready--including her cowgirl hat, and informed me that she was bent on a photo shoot... LOL! We did venture out together one night for some girl time, and I had fun capturing her cowgirl-hat-clad silhouette just before the sun made its exit.

To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com