Parker is ONE Happy Camper | Vancouver, WA Baby Photographer

I haven't published a blog post in a while....like a real long while. Adjusting to life with a baby is hard and carving out time for work can be difficult. We managed to kept our little man alive for a whole year and we have finally settled into a routine and I have time to blog again! With my little man's first birthday having just passed, I thought that posting about his party would be perfect!

Parker is ONE happy camper! We held a camping themed birthday party for Parker at Lewisville Park in Battle Ground, WA. You're child only turns one once and I definitely went all out. I dedicated a lot of time to creating my vision and it turned out so well. I am still in awe that he is a year old already, nothing will ever prepare you for how fast time goes by when you have children but it was so magical to be surrounded by all of our friends and family to celebrate such an amazing milestone in our son's life.

My fantastic mother and father in law built this adorable tent for Parker's party

The center pieces took forever but they were so worth it, they turned out great

The smores sticks were a hit! 

My mother in law has a cricket which I took full advantage of to make these awesome cupcake toppers

We gave headlamps and flash lights as favors, because adventure awaits!

The cricket was so useful!!

Brody's Second Birthday | Vancouver, WA Child Photographer

This little man just turned 2 this past fall. That is a seriously awesome milestone but he has even bigger things coming his way, he is going to be a big brother! I spent a good chunk of time chatting with this little guys mom during his session about my pregnancy, their future plans for another one and all of the fun photos that would entail. Little did she know, she was just beginning to grow another little life in her. This is seriously one of the best parts of my job, I love getting to be there for moments like this. It is such an incredibly thing to get to be a small part of other people's journeys. When I found out this sweet couple was expecting their second, I was thrilled! The fact that we had just been chatting about it made it so much more special to find out, I was truly ecstatic for these two. I can't wait to meet their new little man and watch him and his big brother grow throughout the years to come.

Enjoy some of the highlights from Brody's second birthday session! <3

 When you're a little man and your favorite thing is throwing rocks into the creek.

 He was dying to run through some mud puddles so by the end of his session none of us could say no to him. I think it was totally worth it!

How To Get The Most From Your Engagement Session | Portland, OR Engagement Photographer

Did you know that the holiday's are the most popular time of the year for people to pop the question to their special someone? Really, could you ask for a better holiday surprise then getting asked by the one you love if you'd spend the rest of your life with them. 

Were you one of the lucky ones who got engaged this past holiday season? Let me say, congratulations! You are about to embark on a very exciting journey! Although exciting, wedding planning can be a lot of work and even a little overwhelming at times. Put your mind at ease and keep these simple tips in mind before your engagement session and make one step of the process a lot easier on yourself!

1. Pick a location that has meaning to you:

Pick a location that you love or holds some sentimental value to you both. If you are somewhere that makes you happy that will absolutely shine through in your photos. Consider picking the place you guys had your first date, your favorite place to hangout, your favorite hiking spot or even the place your sweetheart popped the question. 

2. Consider the season:

Plan ahead and book your session accordingly. Do you want beautiful, warm, summery photos? Or are you wanting to have an adventure in the rain? Or do you really love the beautiful colors of fall? The location you choose may be very different given the time of year so make sure that you are keeping that in mind. Are you planning on using your photos for your save the dates or invitations? Make sure that you book your session with enough time to get the photos you need before the wedding date.

3. What to wear:

There is a lot of things to consider when choosing your outfits for your session but the number one priority is, is it comfortable and practical for the location? If you are not comfortable in what you are wearing, it will show in your photos so no matter what you choose, you should feel good in it.

Coordinate, don't match. Matching is outdated. Pick complementary colors and only one person should be wearing a pattern.

Layers and accessories add dimension to your outfit and make it more interesting. Scarves, sweaters, jewelry are all great ways to spice up an outfit.

Shoes matter! Avoid wearing tennis shoes unless that are trendy (think converse or vans) and that go with the look and feel of your session. Try to avoid stilettos if you are in a grassy field. If you choose a location that is a bit of hike, wear a comfy pair of shoes to hike up in and change into the shoes you want to wear just before pictures.

Think about your location when picking choosing your outfits. An evening gown or tux may feel a little off in the middle of the woods.

Consider the weather, you probably won't be comfortable in a sundress is it's 40 degrees out. Dress to match the weather because comfort is key.

Bring outfit changes. Most engagement session last about 2 hours and having more than one outfit will help to bring some variety to your session. Don't be afraid to bring more changes of clothes than you may need, you never know when inspiration might hit. It is always better to have more options.

4. The ring and your nails:

We want to show off that beautiful ring of yours, get your ring polished and get a manicure before your session for a more finished look in close up shots of your ring.

5: Props and pups:

If you have something you are envisioning for your session, don't hesitate to bring it along. Props can really make your images stand out and add a fun and unique element to your session. Bringing your fur-baby to your session can be a fun little treat. Now that being said, I have noticed that when some dogs are included, owners tend to stress more and that will show in your photos. Think about your dog's obedience skills and whether or not you feel adding him or her will be stressful. Bring treats, a squeaky toy and poop bags if you do decide to include them.
Sometimes the best photographs are the simplest, where a beautiful backdrop and subjects really shine, so don't worry if you just want to keep it simple.

6: RELAX AND HAVE FUN!

You engagement session is all about you and your love story, it should be a fun and memorable experience. Come to your session relaxed and ready to have fun. Take a little time to breath and relax before your session, sit down and have a quiet moment with a nice hot cup of coffee to wind down.

Are you feeling excited about your engagement photos? Are you thinking about booking your engagement session? Let's chat! I would love to create some beautiful memories together. Contact me at Brianna@BmwPhotography.net or (360)721-5536 to set up your free engagement session consultation!

A Sweet September Maternity Session | Vancouver, WA Maternity Photographer

Round Lake is one of my hands down favorite session locations and this session is just proves why I love it so much. It is such an easy location to access, just a few minutes outside of downtown Camas and it is so versatile. This location has so much to offer, it's a photographer's dream and so was this couple! Sweet, funny and affection. You really couldn't ask for more. I had so much fun walking around the lake and spending the afternoon with these two. We had awesome conversations and shared some really great laughs. These two had my crying from laughter more than once. I ask Haris to whisper some sweet nothings into Cambria's ear and she responded by saying to him "Talk to me about food!" He happily obliged and started sweetly whispering to her about steak. I just about lost it then, these two were so funny. These two were so excited to meet their sweet little Aryanna and you can feel it in every single picture.

Enjoy the highlights from their session!

The Best Day of 2017 | Vancouver, WA Wedding Photographer

With the start of 2018 now upon us I can't help but look back and reflect on the past year and boy, WHAT A YEAR! 2017 brought me so many amazing changes both in my personal and professional life.

I moved my studio into a new suite in the Academy building, which I couldn't be more in love with. I finally got to say goodbye to my part time job and now officially run my photography business full time which absolutely paid off because I had my busiest year ever!

My personal life brought me even more amazingness. Took an amazing 5 state road trip, went camping and had spontaneous beach trips with my best friend and love, Kainoa. Oh yeah, and we got MARRIED! After 13 years of knowing one another, a very twisted path and a whole lot of love, we finally got to tell each other, I Do!

We had a wonderful small wedding that was so totally us. We eloped at Yale Lake in Ariel, Washington. We originally had plans to get married in The Columbia River Gorge but thanks to the wildfires we had to change our plans just 3 weeks before our wedding date. That didn't detour us at all, our spontaneous nature and love of all things outdoors made it easy to find a new place to tie the knot. Our very good friend Ben, better known as Link, married us while we wore matching Vans high tops.

One of the best highlights of the day was that my amazing new parents-in-law surprised us by flying Kainoa's sister Kea in from Hawaii for our special day. Neither of us had any idea and this was the first time Kainoa had the chance to see his sister in years so it was the best gift we could have ever asked for. I was still on my way up to the lake when Kainoa found out his sister was there but I am so very happy I had such an amazing photographer to capture the moment for me.

I couldn't be happier with the way everything turned out. It was an absolutely perfect day and just the right way for us to start the rest of our lives together. Kainoa, I love you so very, very much and I couldn't be happier or more proud to call myself your wife. Here is to a lifetime of crazy adventures together! <3

Special thanks to Irina of Irina Negrean Photography for the amazing photography, Cynthia of Flower Friends for the stunning flowers, Brides For A Cause for the beautiful dress and to all of our amazing friends and family that made this day possible.

 Me being little miss independent and doing everything for myself. It wouldn't be me if it were any other way. 

 Because I was 7 weeks pregnant at this point and had to constantly snack to keep from getting sick.

 The moment Kainoa saw his sister. I love the expression and the water bottle drop. Such a perfect moment captured.

 We are super non-traditional and didn't have an aisle for my father to walk me down so I opted to do a Father Daughter first look. It was perfect.

 He was a bit nervous to see me and I had to tell him it was ok to hug and kiss me.

 Once he knew he could touch me he immediately relaxed and we turned into our goofy selves. 

 We totally had to get hyped to get married because that's just the kind of people we are.

 We make a lot of pinky promises to each other but this was the ultimate one

 Kainoa got the idea to leave a little piece of ourselves in the lake so he wrote our initials on a rock and I threw it in.

 Our amazing family

 My amazing flowers and our kickass shoes!

 These photos sums us both up so perfectly!

Because I am a photographer, I had to bring one of my working polaroid cameras with us and of course had to of course incorporate into our photos. I can't wait to show the polaroids to our kids!