Seattle Couple's Photography: Mel + Gus

© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

The Art of The Perfect Date

     Four and half years ago, Mel and Gus embarked on a spectacular love voyage, witnessed in this photo taken on their wedding day.  Gus mans the oars, maneuvering through the lily pads, as Mel looks back and waves.  It's a photo that tells a hundred beautiful stories.  Everyone who sees the photograph wants to learn more, and invariably asks, "Where are they going?"  That is a very good question.

       For these inquisitive fans, we are pleased to give a news update!  After spending a day taking photos with them last Sunday in Seattle, we are happy to announce that, among other accomplishments, they have, in our opinion, mastered the Art of the Perfect Date.  They packed so much fun and romance in our hop-around-town photo session that we just have to share some sneak peek images from the lovely outing.

       First, the day started at their favorite weekend breakfast spot, the Volunteer Park Cafe, which was festively festooned with boughs of fir for the holiday. It seems that every Seattleite either took their turn as a barista in their youth, skipped that step and bought an espresso machine for their home kitchen, or both. This hometown couple also knows a well-roasted bean like a bee knows its blossoms. They are more than mere connoisseurs; they understand the romantic alchemy contained in the Northwest's antidote for rainy days.  The beverage bends time itself.  Hours are not counted in minutes, but are slowly decanted with periodic sips from steaming cups of hot brew.  Shared moments last twice as long.  After whiling away the time with warm mug in hand, their paws are perfectly primed for a long period of romantic hand-holding.  And so, we follow these java-fueled lovers onto the next stage of their date. 

       We trekked over to the Mt. Baker neighborhood to visit… their new home!  That's more great news to report, and an incredible way to usher in the new year.  When we asked what their extra bedroom was for, they simultaneously smiled and said, "nursery!"  We took a few photos around the home.  One of our faves was a portrait of them gazing in the window after Mel traced a heart on the steamed glass with her finger.  What a perfect family nest :)

       Okay, it's about that time.  Cue the romantic movie montage!  #1 - The Cute-Walk: Mel + Gus take a lover's stroll along the water's edge at Lake Washington. #2 - Shared Interests: they read travel books together to remember their romantic trip to Italy at the legendary Elliott Bay Bookstore. #3 - The Soundtrack: they browse through some LPs and joke about album covers as the music soars.  #4 - The Ice Cream Parlor:  the couple shares two scoops on a waffle cone at Mollie Moon's, and Gus manages to get a little on his nose.  Ice cream dates are the cutest!

Sunday morning coffee at the Volunteer Park Cafe. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

Love over coffee and tea. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

Edible delights at the cafe.© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

Peeking in the window of their new beautiful home! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

A tender moment by Lake Washington. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

Love birds! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

It's getting steamy in the stacks! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

A stop at the Elliot Bay Books. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

Music shop fun. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

It's never too cold out for ice cream! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Couple's Photography in Seattle.

       Oh, and you might ask, "where is this wonderful couple off to now?"  One perfect date after another.

       Best wishes to Mel and Gus on their new home, and to many more wonderful adventures together!

xoxo,

Sam + Ariel

Albany Newborn Photography: Baby Cate

     A few months ago, we took maternity photos with Lex + Grant at the beach. And then around Thanksgiving, the most adorable baby girl was born, Catherine Leigh. We went to go visit the new family of three in their beautiful home in Albany and of course, took photos of their most precious baby girl! We held her in our arms, and could feel our hearts melting as our eyes connected. Welcome to the world, sweet baby Cate!

What a doll! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Newborn Photography in Albany.

Mama love! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Newborn Photography in Albany.

Big yawn! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Newborn Photography in Albany.

Cate has such big beautiful eyes! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Newborn Photography in Albany.

Tiny baby hands! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Newborn Photography in Albany.

Pro hand munching! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Newborn Photography in Albany.

Such a happy family! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Newborn Photography in Albany.

       So -- when can we babysit!?

xoxo,

Ariel + Sam

San Francisco Family Photography Session: Holiday Photos at the Beach

        In high school, Giuliana would always bring the best lunch. Her mom, Diane, stuffed her lunch satchel with fresh baked goods, like homemade Italian biscotti and cookies topped with M&M's. Giuliana, being the generous and sweet person that she is, would always share these tasty treats with me and our high school posse. Eventually her mom found out that someone was helping her eat her lunch and started packing double or triple helpings of desserts -- helping to feed the hungry masses (including her now-husband, then high-school sweetheart, Rick).

       That sharing and caring instinct runs through all of Giuliana's family. They are some of the most generous and loving people you'll ever meet. As an example, Giuliana's grandparents grew and nurtured countless orchids at their home, and their flowers decorated our wedding.  Diane supplemented the bounty with baskets of blossoms from her yard too. You couldn't buy fresher and better tended flowers. This family added so much color and beauty to our wedding, and we remain forever grateful to them.

       You can imagine how wonderful it must be to be part of this family, and especially how delicious their Thanksgiving spread must have been. Just before dessert was served, Gina's boyfriend, Michael, with the importance of family and love on his mind, asked for everyone's attention, and then surprised the table by asking for Gina's hand in marriage!  What a gift for this tight-knit family to be able to witness their engagement, and celebrate it over dessert too! Talk about great timing. We had already planned to take family photos, but now there was even more to celebrate with a ring on Gina's finger. We are so happy for Gina + Michael! Congratulations!

       We hope you enjoy this sneak peek from our family photo session, including a few photos from our pop engagement session of the beautiful couple.

The Grands. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Ocean Beach, San Francisco.

All together now! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Ocean Beach, San Francisco.

Boys being boys! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Ocean Beach, San Francisco.

Beautiful mama Diane and Giuliana. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Ocean Beach, San Francisco.

Gina -- you are stunning! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Ocean Beach, San Francisco.

A kiss in the grass. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Ocean Beach, San Francisco.

Still so in love. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Ocean Beach, San Francisco.

High school sweethearts. The real deal! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Ocean Beach, San Francisco.

The grands, looking sharp. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Ocean Beach, San Francisco.

Loving hands. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Ocean Beach, San Francisco.

And a new ring on Gina's hand! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Ocean Beach, San Francisco.

Pure romance. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Ocean Beach, San Francisco.

       There's so much to be thankful for, and we are pleased to be able to share these images of a family that has so many reasons to celebrate and are so happy to spend time together.

xoxo,

Ariel (and Sam)

San Francisco Family Photography Session: Melissa + Hai

       The holidays are a wonderful time, and for us, it means being able to spend time with our families. Not only that, as photographers, we get to see our client's families again who we haven't seen for a whole year. Last Sunday, we got to hang out with Melissa + Hai, for a "Hai is growing up so fast" photo session :) Hai's spunky side has definitely bloomed since our previous meeting. Melissa says it probably has something to do with being in kindergarten.

       The last session we did with this adorable duo got featured on Off Beat Mama - check it out for one of our fav photos of Hai practicing his lion's roar. What a coincidence it was that we were able to find a lion statute for him to sit on in Golden Gate Park and reprise his role, from The Lion King, as Simba. Hai loves the story and, by the way, gives Julie Taymor's Broadway production rave reviews.

Big smooch! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.
 

Purrrr....purrr  © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

By the big palm trees. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

Soooo adorable. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

Hai and the magnolia flower. Magnolias are one of the oldest flowering trees in existence. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

Pure happiness!! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

       It's photo sessions like these that make us appreciate being photographers, and thankful for the chance to meet all the beautiful families - like this one - that enrich our lives.

       We hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving, and are able to spend some good time with the ones you love.

xoxo,

Ariel + Sam

San Francisco Family Photography Session: Crissy Field

       The weather report said there was a 50% chance of rain, but the coin must have landed in our favor, for when we arrived at Crissy Field in the afternoon the sun was out and shining on the Golden Gate Bridge, which otherwise has a tendency to hide itself in a blanket of fog.  Olivia and her beautiful family were just finishing up their picnic with friends, and after a few moments of packing up, tucking in shirts and changing the baby's outfit, we made our way down to the beach for a wonderful family photo session.  

       What child doesn't love the beach?  Those tiny shoes came off in a jiffy, and the cousins took off running or crawling on the sand down to the edge of the water, dipping their feet into the Bay. (It's funny how the ocean never feels cold to children.)  We took some beautiful posed photos of the whole family in front of the Golden Gate bridge, and also caught candid moments as they played together. It was so much fun! Julia, her adorable daughter, and Grandpa had flown out from Swaziland, Africa to visit their family in the Bay Area, and it was a great opportunity to commemorate their trip. With all the smiling, laughing, and goofing around going on - it was a simple matter to document this family's playful, warmhearted spirit.

​Cute cousins! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Crissy Field, San Francisco.

​Baby feet! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Crissy Field, San Francisco.

Giving hugs in the sand. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Crissy Field, San Francisco.

​This family shared so many great laughs. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Crissy Field, San Francisco.

​Aunties are the best when you want to play airplane! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Crissy Field, San Francisco.

​True love. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Crissy Field, San Francisco.

​What a gorgeous family! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Crissy Field, San Francisco.

​Relaxing in the grass. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Crissy Field, San Francisco.

​A pro in action at rolling down the hill :) © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Crissy Field, San Francisco.

​Such beautiful eyes! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Crissy Field, San Francisco.

​Big grandpa hug! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Crissy Field, San Francisco.

So happy and so classic with the Golden Gate Bridge. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Crissy Field, San Francisco.

And after a long day at the beach, it was time for a nap. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Family Photography at Crissy Field, San Francisco.

       Family reunions are so important and we are honored to be able to photograph this wonderful family, living on two different continents, but reconnecting on this perfect day for a family photo session on the beach in San Francisco! ​

xoxo,

Ariel + Sam