amberleephotography

Meet the Bensons~McCormick Park, Duvall

on July 24, 2018July 24, 2018 By amberleephotography

Everything is popping in this post~ the baby bump, the colors, and the bright beaming smiles. The golden hour paired with this adorable family made for a dreamy photo shoot. I love being able to celebrate this time in your lives with you. I get so much joy when someone in my town finds me online and we shoot locally.

Our town just had a really fun event called Sandblast. We had a two-day sand sculpting competition with bands playing and an art fair with amazing local artists. I had a delicious chicken caesar wrap from the Swift and Savory food truck. I could not stop eating it. It’s just one of the local restaurants here in town that is so worth the drive out here.

I hope you all have a wonderful summer. We got a few toys to play with ourselves. So maybe we will see you on the water. But for now here are my favorites below.

Meet Ezekiel~Newborn Photography, Monroe

on July 13, 2018July 13, 2018 By amberleephotography

What do I do with all this love that’s running through my veins?~ John Mayer

That’s what I feel when I look at all the images from a session. It’s overwhelming to narrow things down to what I give away and hope will make the wall or photo album you can look at throughout the years. Self doubt can be debilitating at times. Other times I know instantaniously what’s getting 5 stars and an immediate share.

Well these cuties made the choices pretty easy. The boys were model material for sure. What a blessed mama! I definitely won’t forget that they preferred to call me by my whole name, Amber Martin. That was a first for me. ♥ Since I have a five year old who never stops asking me questions and the infamous “WHY” I had fun answering their questions. I even got some beautiful artwork from them while I was there.

I did really enjoy dental assisting, but it doesn’t compare to what I’m doing now. ⇓

Meet the Garcias~Marymoor Park, Redmond

on June 21, 2018June 21, 2018 By amberleephotography

Bring me all the expecting mamas (maybe not all, but a ton please) …. these sessions are so fun. And when they show up like a princess I’m just giddy with joy. She also had her cowboy and her twinning minis with her. What more could I ask for?! The only unexpected thing we had to deal with was due to our location choice. The park was being set up for the Washington Brewers Festival. There were booths, honeybuckets, and eye sores all over. Thankfully I knew the place well and we were able to still find the magical places. We ended up attending that festival and it was awesome. So check that out too next year.

On my home front school is officially out and we are super excited for all the summer fun to come. We bought a couple of fun toys for the water and have some trips coming that we’ve been planning for years. Up next on my work schedule will be a newbie to the world. I can’t wait to meet this little guy.

~~Here’s some of this beautiful family’s session~

Meet Roman~Duvall Newborn Photography~in studio

on May 10, 2018May 10, 2018 By amberleephotography

This lovely family is back for the newborn photos of baby #2. They drove a long way to my house for the photos to be done in my studio. It was a delight to have them all in the images. Sometimes its just baby or baby and mama. Mama may need a break from other small kids so that has it’s advantages too. But having the whole family in the images is really a gift for the new mama to treasure for years to come. I have a large lego table that kept big sister occupied for all the times she was waiting.

I can come to you in your home as well. Which is great in many ways. The images are unique to your surroundings. You don’t have to go anywhere. You can nurse them right before I come. Sometimes the drive messing up the sleeping part. But I love awake photos so it’s something to consider when you book. Or if you have other kiddos with more energy they are probably easier to occupy at home with all their things. Just know that my preference is your preference. Your comfort is my goal. And I’m sure that’s different for every mama.

Tips for a successful newborn session in your home would be:

*a long feeding before I arrive in a diaper and blanket only if you can swing it.

*white noise to mask the noise of me. I’m not that loud but the camera even with the beep turned off still has a click.

*a very warm room. I’m be sweating and that’s ok. I have a heating pad in my bin ready to go.

*snacks for older siblings

*Book before they turn two weeks so they are as sleepy as possible. I’m pretty flexible and have open times midweek if you’re nervous about not getting in.

*Let me know what blankets, hats, or anything memorable you want to include are. This gives me time to purchase coordinating items. I have a lot of props, but I like to get new things for each shoot. I know it’s a terrible habit.

*Don’t stress. Crying does not bother me. Kids are kids. I worked at a dental office so I’ve worked with kids 10 years before the 8 years I’ve photographed them. Cleaning their teeth was 100% more challenging. Believe me.

Hopefully some of these tips help ease your mind and let you have a zen experience.

Meet the Moodys~Monroe Maternity Photography

on May 3, 2018May 3, 2018 By amberleephotography

In the next few weeks these two will be welcoming their first baby. Remember the first pregnancy and the first baby.? I was a nesting fool who researched every moment of my pregnancy and when the baby would arrive. I was on bed rest so I had loads of time to read and read some more. It was a time full of questions and excitement of what was about to happen. All that knowledge and really not a clue of the changes to come. It’s fun to reminisce those days.

Capturing this time for you is such a joy for me. Our session was on this dreamy property in Monroe. The snow-capped mountains in the background were majestic and the apple orchard was in bloom. Also those barn doors were an awesome surprise to find. I was swooning over the texture against her lace shawl.

If you are pregnant ask me about my nesting package to get a discount on the maternity and newborn packages combined. Thanks for following me here and on social media.

Maurers~Farrel-McWhirter Farm Park, Redmond

on April 29, 2018April 29, 2018 By amberleephotography

You probably recognized this beautiful family from earlier posts last year. They are the best. I love the kid’s energy and Dad’s jokes. He kept me laughing the whole time. This was their first time to this park, which I grew up coming too. There are animals and trails that are all free of charge. If it’s a nice day it’s the best for young kids to explore and have a picnic at. I highly recommend going. They also have a great outdoor focused preschool. More information can be found here . I’d say it’s a hidden gem in Redmond.

I recently bought a new lens to add to my collection. With the costs of brand new equipment out there. I wanted to share how I saved some money. I bought a like new model of the 85mm 1.2 prime lens at B&H Photo video here. There is no shipping or tax like amazon may have on used items. So I was able to save hundreds and their customer support was excellent. I love to shop online and love finding deals. So I wanted to pass on that nugget of information to you guys.

Meet Wylder~Newborn Photography, WA

on April 23, 2018April 24, 2018 By amberleephotography

This gorgeous boy was 9 days new on this day. He is precious and perfect in every way. As you can see he has many looks. All of them a delight. He was almost named Sprinkles which is the cutest story ever. Big brother may still call him that.

Watching these tiny humans grow up is surreal. Just the other day his brother was this tiny and bam he’s all of a sudden telling me all kinds of things. They bring me deep joy that I couldn’t possibly put into words. I hope to have this job for a very long time.

Allergies are hitting me hard this year, but I’m making it through with a cocktail of Zyrtech and essential oils. I’m ready for all the outdoor sessions. If you are interested in booking a Saturday session I have one opening at the end of May free otherwise we are into June now.

Now for the newborn goosebumps…..

Emma ~ McCormick Park, Duvall

on April 17, 2018April 17, 2018 By amberleephotography

It’s been a year since I saw this beauty. She and her mom braved the rain with me. We were even lucky enough that the rain eased up and took a break. Imagine that in the PNW. An empty park surrounded us with wild dandelions, sticks, birds flying over head, and my pretty cool flamingo umbrella.

I got lost editing with the sound track to the movie the Greatest Showman. The words of each song are so touching and magical. I got lost in her moments of inquisitive imagination. Capturing the two-year old toddler is everything you want…real, messy, and always moving. These moments will never be enough. The time goes so quick. Try to bottle it up if you can. My own daughter is now five and I have no idea how that happened so fast. If I could time travel back for a day I would. I guess that’s why I day-dream.

“I’m tryin’ to hold my breath
Let it stay this way
Can’t let this moment end
You set off a dream in me
Gettin’ louder now
Can you hear it echoing?
Take my hand
Will you share this with me?
‘Cause darling without you

All the shine of a thousand spotlights
All the stars we steal from the night sky
Will never be enough
Never be enough
Towers of gold are still too little
These hands could hold the world but it’ll
Never be enough” ~Lauren Allred

Meet Samuel~Duvall Newborn Photographer

on February 28, 2018February 28, 2018 By amberleephotography

There are two things in this world that can make you better when you are feeling blue….puppies and babies. When this joy arrived I was at the lowest of lows in my personal life. We tragically lost a family member at the end of January. Time stood still for a very long time. So seeing this little babe was just what the doctor ordered. He has a perfect face with perfect skin and he had lots of smiles for me. His parents unknowingly gave me a gift. The gift of a much needed distraction. I will forever be grateful for that time I spent with Samuel on his ninth day of life.

I’m ready to come back and play. I have a weakness for the newbies. They turn me to mush and my face hurts from the constant smiling. I get the butterflies and numbness in my arms because I’ve held them too long and my biceps arent toned up. I love everything about these kinds of sessions.

Taya + Elijah Wed~Pioneer Park Pavillion, Puyallup wa

on February 9, 2018February 9, 2018 By amberleephotography

(I had typed this blog up a few weeks ago. Life got in the way. So sorry about the delay.)

Where do I begin with this beautiful love story. Well I have photographed this lovely bride in two other weddings so I really already can rave about her and her kind demeanor. So to say the least I was very ecstatic to get the message to get together for the bridal consult.

I love all the uniques pieces in their wedding from the purple cons to the cake topper. You can see their personality as a couple. My most favorite moments are the groom to be on stage touching his bride to be’s shoulder as she read the vows. I could see her shoulders relax. And the moments after their vows they came outside for the first time reading the bible together as a married pair. The sun was setting and the words were sinking in to really ground them for the journey ahead.

After those moments we headed in for the taco bar, cake cutting, first dances, and an awesome donut bar. I saw lots of new moves on the dance floor and smiles blazing throughout the room. Then after all that we had our “singing in the rain” moment without any rain. It was glorious. And this is only a smidgen of the images to look at. But they are some of my favorites. I am using some new software to create this new look.