NEW BLOG LAUNCH!!!!

 

CLICK HERE 

 FOR THE NEW BLOG

 

to see the new blog

 

CLICK HERE

 

 

red hot

i’ve had all too much in the consumption of liquids this morning, but my bags are packed and food loaded and im hitting the road for spokane. a few shoots. a bridal meeting. and some family time. sounds like a plan. i love early mornings like this. i love early mornings. it reminds me of winter season growing up and having everything all ready to go the night before, crawling into the car when it was still dark out, and driving a few hours to the mountain for a day of skiing. or that one day when we left for disneyland at like 4 am (maybe) when i was little. it makes it more exciting when your creaking around your house getting ready for a trip. plus then you don’t have the anxiety of waiting all day for the trip to come. anyway.

 i hate doing more than one ‘sneak peek’ in one week but its this or nothing and i figured this was better. comes from the same shoot i posted a few days ago. different girl. different look. i love love love her banging red lips. that shine is awesome. these posts will FULLY be up next week and I’m crossing my fingers that they will be accompanied by a new blog. that way i can upload them ALL at once, rather than one by one by one…which takes forrrrever. in any case, enjoy this little lady and one of my favorite quotes. my dad gave me a bracelet with this quote on it and i loved it dearly. then i lost it. but i still remember the quote by ralph waldo emerson.

what lies before us and what lies behind us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

its not a verse, yet still one of my favorite sayings and concepts. have any worth sharing? what’s your life quote that you’d say if someone asked what your favorite quote was? it may help entertain me to get notices while i drive cross state. ok, time to hit the road!

 

off the wall

i’m dealing with all this FTP and new-blog-design-hooplah today – which takes time but i love whats being created, so i’m showing a sneak peek.  no words. no clues. all i can say is IM SO EXCITED to show what the heck is going on with these images. its a fun story. there are cool girls. and an awesome location. enjoy this hot little lady and a taste of what’s to come. i’m done editing this entire shoot and will be showing more soon!  isn’t she beautiful?

 

have a fantastic wednesday. happy hump day.

FEATURE: Marita & Andrew

Remember the lovely Marita and her fiance Andrew? Well, I’m excited to share today that our little engagement session got featured on the East Coast wedding blog Postcards and Pretties today. Cheers! So, please head on over and check it out! Thanks Chris for the feature and congrats to the beautiful couple who wanted to design a meaningful and creative engagement session with me. Happy Tuesday! 

You can see the feature on Postcards and

Pretties HERE.

if you’re interested in having a styled engagement shoot – hair, makeup, theming – you can email me at Andria@AndriaLindquist.com.

 

the gift

some days the story is more important than the photos. today is one of those days.

a few months back, my phone rang and it was a little gal that i had recently shot with. ashliegh. her pure voice sang praises and words that i do not deserve, but that was not the reason behind her call. see, she told me how she had shared her photos with a good friend of hers. her manager and a woman she had a liking to. she reported that when she had shown this woman her and her brothers’ session with me, that the woman had cried. when she had told her of the blessing and expereince they had together and now the memories they had behind these photos, that the woman said she wished her and her family could do the same. now, i was not there and it may have been said in passing, but this kind-hearted girl ashleigh decided that she wanted to run with this woman’s words. this is where the call came in.

ashleigh told me she wanted to buy this woman a session with me. as a surprise. and as a gift. that if she could bless someone in allowing them to have an experience like she had, and if she had the means, than she should. she was able, so there we were. we talked logistics and how this would work and within a few minutes, it was all planned out and she said a check would be in the mail. we hung up and soon i had tears in my eyes. this is exactly why i have joy leaping out of every part of me. this is why i feel so undeservedly blessed. i am a tool and the fact that i can be a part of a gift like this, blows me away. ashleigh, thank you for your heart and your gift. i have a feeling that this story will bless far more than just me or this family.

so today i get to bring to you a family. one that is full of life and energy. one that seems to function more of friends than of family. we spent a few hours together last week and had a lot of fun. i let these kids run wild and let loose. got them all riled up, you could say. we could hear their parents instructing from a distance, “hey knock that off, come on guys!” when really i wanted them to have fun and be themselves. this is – after all – what a family is. it’s being able to rough house, tell each other’s secrets and still care and protect each other. we are nothing without our family. i know ya’ll have seen family photos….so I’m just including the fun ones. the ones that show just how much fun and laughter was there on the shoot. enjoy.

  

 

 

 

so last thing. because of how blessed i was through this story and someone’s pure kindness, i really wanted to offer up a little challenge. an open mic if you will. if you’ve ever been blessed with something like this, been surprised with total kindness of another, would you take a minute to share it? it can be big, it can be small. it an be a gift or just a kind word. you don’t have to give names or all the details, but please do tell.  i know people are all too nervous to comment on here, but a joy is to be shared not kept. i think it would be a nice way to start the week and blot out the yucky monday blues. so that’s the challenge. you may bless another by sharing.

___________________

* i’ll start: the other day, because of worry and care of a mother. mine took my car in to good ol’ Les Schwab. found out it needed a good amount of work done (due to an accident while on my way to a shoot, a while back) and without batting her little eye, she set up an appt. for me and gave them her card. now, i’m a big girl and i support myself, but she did what she did because she could and wanted to. so because of that, i got to use that $$$ to invest in the new blog i have up my sleeve. so when you see that baby roll out here soon, you can know why and send a little thanks to my mama. and know that i’m safely driving down the street. *

twist. turn. torn.

i came to post what i already wrote. then i erased it. rewrote it and then it didnt save. really, get more annoying. so basically, im skippping it all now and just giving some news. and a clif notes version of what i wrote and some random thoughts for your friday reading.

_________

we moved this week. annoying but good to step away from my normal routine. my closet lost a few pounds and i found some things i thought were lost.

i’ve been feeling my whole 24 hour response rule for email, msg’s, etc. is this really possible and is this a good rule? is it normal to spend hours and hours in your inbox? how can i be better at this?

brought back to my core with a simple message from a friend. “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires” -Psalm 37:4

my friends are leaving town. so many of them. Colorado. Chicago. New York. please, everyone stop leaving Seattle…I know you have med school and new jobs but it’s just getting fantastic here and i’m tired of going to “going away parties.’

 i battled with 74 snails this morning. literally. so gross. beat that.

someone sitting around me has the most intoxicating cologne on. im in a trance. guys: if you have nothing going for you….get bomb cologne. the girls will flock.

 should i ask him what he’s wearing? 🙂 and yes, i’m eavesdroppping on their meeting.

a little something from a shoot that starts with L. 

There are, a few things I’m excited about that kind of count as news:

Be on the look out because an ALL NEW BLOG is in order. it’s crazy to think that just over a year ago i started all this just as an outlet. then it turned into something completely different, but i’ve reached the max on Emerald City Sightings. i will always blog. always. it’s helped me and connected me to people/things i never would have thought possible. plus i just have this need to say/show stuff.  i recently bought my template for a real photographer’s blog and will be working on that to be be up hopefully very very soon. i need high res. i need full screen. i need something that lets you know you are in deed looking at a photographers blog, not some random seattle coffee blog. i need it to be quicker and load faster. i need it to match my website. you did me well. I’m moving on to bigger and better.

I’m REALLY hoping I will be able to share my Lululemon images here real soon. sorry, that part is not up to me….but they’re really ready to be shown.

With this new house, I have my very own office space.  with built-in shelving and drawer space and a futon in the corner and all. i’m totally siked on this. thank the lord i can have an actual work space. and i know my roommates are thanking the lord too. 🙂

I’ll be in Spokane next weekend for three shoots and just to see if i can get in one more ….I’m opening it up for ONE more spot, just in case someone has an idea or need! Shoot me and email and lets get to it.

_____

a lot of good things have happened this week. let us focus on the good rather than any tornado of life you may feel yourself in. that’s all. over and out. happy friday.

 

cal pal dos

day two of this little lady. how the heck is it already thursday? my life is flashing before my eyes and next week i’m gonna turn around and be 37 it feels like. soak it all it in. “cherish the present” (yes, i think this may be happening next week, if you know what i mean. if you dont, then nevermind.) anywho, we have a 2nd set and my personal favorite up today. what i liked about shooting with callan was that she trusted me. like when i said, hey lets bring this random chair from my basement, she was down and offered to carry it. then, turns out some of my FAVORITE photos were with that chair we picked up off the street a few yrs back. see, one man’s trash is anothers treasure and may just be a great prop. i’m learning to be more vocal with my thoughts, to try something that sounds stupid when it leaves my mouth, to not be afraid of what they’ll think when i say it. dont be a pansy with your ideas, and I guarantee you’ll be stretched. im saying that to myself, not you. there are those moments when all things connect and come together to make something fantastic: the girl, the streaming sun, random props, beats going and then whammo it creates a visual dynasty. haha, but really – i love when people just trust me and are willing to follow my lead or even throw out a fun idea themselves. all i’m saying is, lets not be boring. we’ll all be happier in the end.

2nd point. this shoot reminds me – once again – how crazy lucky and in love i am with the relational aspect that comes gripped hand in hand with photography. photography is SO relational. dont think you just go out and shoot mute. its the in between and the hours we get to spend together where i get to learn your story and what makes you tick. i will always have this unique bond with the people i shoot with – and im so thankful for it. i get these random blessings by mail, email and just in bulding new relationships..it’s incredible. case in point: the other day when it was 104* in my room and I was working and sweating to death yet having a bomb day, I got a package in the mail from AZ and lone behold it was from Callan. She sent me a book called “She” with all these insirational things about women who rock it and inside wrote me the nicest note ever and said she “just couldn’t leave it on the shelf, it seemed like it had been written for me.” totally absolutely made my day. as i read through the book several times, I was like YES these are the thoughts going through my head, this is the stuff that motivates me to be doing all this! thank you callan for that unecessary but absolutely appreciated. i will have it on my new bookshelf in my new office. 🙂 and it will remind me of the “She” i want to be.

ok, so God painted the sky that night. holy moly.

love love love this image. and thats a wrap.

oh but wait….the retarded dog we met MUST be shown.

this wraps up Callan’s shoot and I’m mighty pleased to have worked with her. next time i see her, maybe it will be on the hot Arizona soil. just a note, If you want to be able to click through each individual photo you see up here…make sure to head on over to my new and growing photography Facebook Page here...because the world runs a little smoother with FB. right? either that or it totally messes up your productivity level for the day. you decide. Toodles!

Hair:  me.

Makeup:  yours truly

Lighting:  God.

Styling:  A collaboration.

cal pal

so i decided to keep it in the family this week. you saw quinn earlier this week and now I have the pleasure of introducing of her little sister callan. callan came on up on wednesday to join the festivities and her and i set out for a shoot i dreamt up a month or so ago. it was one of those fantastic afternoons and i knew we’d get some awesome sun to accompany us on our day out. callan’s at that stage, you know, when you’re little sister goes from being a little sister and the one you catch listening on the other end of the phone and transforms into this beautiful soul and more of a best friend than sister. my sister went through that with me a year or so back and it’s been fun to watch Quinn and her sister become such great friends and to be able to develop a relationship with her too. thanks for sharing. callan is really fun and kinda crazy (in the best way possible.) she says what she thinks and has the best come backs around. she has some spunk and flavor but has a whole lot of love for her family.

so i pulled up. set up shop and got to work. music pumpin. catching up on all the boys stuff we could and revin up for our time together. i told callan a few days back that i thought she should pack with “flower child” in mind and she said no worries, half my closet is flower child. i dolled up her face and curled and combed her hair and styled her little outfit. it all came together beautifully and im really excited to show you what we got. the sun was perfectly set and i was jammin lady gaga. i was SO surprised at how comfortable she was in front of the camera. so comfortable and was so ready to get down and have fun with me. as i was checking the lighting in the grass i heard my phone go off, so i checked it and found out OMG i am a finalist for the Crossroads Fashion Contest!!!! its a national contest and now in the hands of a fashion board who will be voting on the winner who then will be used for a national ad campaign and sent a 1k check in the mail. ahhhh. so i was pretty much screaming in the grass and jumping up and down and callan certainly joined in with me. the energy was pumping and we were ready to roll. ahhhh i love getting news like that. sometimes opening up my inbox is SO exciting. (the winner has yet to be chosen…i’ll keep you in the loop…cross your fingers!!!)

so here’s callan. these may or may not be used for her senior photos and i’m honored to be able to give her something not senior-photo-ish at all. who wants to lean again a brick wall with your lettermans jacket on. come on. she was way better taste and it was a pleassssure to shoot with you cal pal. enjoy.

{i love this. it was a “ok, just stand there so i can test the ight. turns out to be one of my favs.}

[ this is what lady gaga does to us on a shoot ]

++++++ FAVORITE FAVORITE FAVORITE ++++++

 

if you want to see more, come back tomorrow. there will be a 2nd set. which i think are even better. the sky turned unbelievable.  

Leave callan some love and if anyone out there wants some not-senior-photos….you can send your thoughts my way at Andria@AndriaLindquist.com.

Hair:  me. 🙂

Makeup:  me 🙂

Styling:  same. and some collaboration with Cal.

blushing bride

GET READY. This is one of the best things I’ve ever gotten to do and talk about.

There are some moments in your life you will remember forever. Like really remember, until your 94 and grey. I recently experienced one of those moments, and it wasn’t even my moment. As you may know (or soon will) a best friend of mine, a sister really, got married to her soul mate on June 26^th. my first best friend at college. the reason why we have Q&A time. the source of so much wisdom & guidance in my life. There are few words to adequately explain the emotion felt on this day. there are few ways to share just how special this girl is and how much the people surrounding her on this day wanted nothing less than perfect for her. What started out in a chance and a risk in relationship and giving her heart away ended up in an eternal union and love and devotion that I have yet to see elsewhere. Needless to say, the 3 days of events and moments leading up to this were soaked in as carefully as we could. I knew it would fly by and I just kept saying, soak it all in – soak it all in.

 

This day was truly truly perfect. Waited for and prayed for and when it came, it came and nothing seemed to be out of place from what girls dream of. We stayed out in Bellevue at the Hyatt and when the wedding morning came, there were 7 girls, mothers, grandmas and ONE bride prepped for the day. Quinn had her planners from True Colors Events with us all day and I cannot say how wonderful they are. They made her day effortless and run so smooth. Its no wonder they have pretty much won every Seattle award possible. I cannot say how blessed and what an honor it was when Quinn asked me if I’d take some photos of her and the whole prep period leading up to her wedding. I had no idea what I would feel shooting this. you’ll see her, us, beauty tools and plenty of fluff. But when the moment came to put her dress on and the door shut with just me, her mom and the maid of honor, Erica, I lost it. This is the moment. I was completely taken over by the sentimental joy, love and excitement for one of my best friends on the biggest day of her life. Something was in that room and I just couldn’t stop crying. Everything was perfect and I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a breath-taking dress (it’s a Monique Lhuillier for all those asking)-  let alone bride. The images speak for themselves. I take no credit. I was just there with a camera in my hand – and just absolutely blessed that I was able to be the one to capture this for her. Thank canon. and thank you Quinn for asking me to do so. I cried when I loaded them on my computer, the whole time I was editing and every time I look at them. She’s just so fantastic. But really, when did I turn so weepy?

From here, an even more perfect day took place. The tears didn’t stop, we danced like it was 1999 and the fun lasted until 3 am. We’ve been talking about this day since and I will always have the most special moments from 6.26 they are leaving for Colorado this week and will no longer be called seattlites. so all of this now becomes even more important and such a fantastic memory we’ll look back on often.

 

a text from the boy

best wedding shoes ever. like whipped cream.

 

 

 

now this is quinny

 

 

 { “andi, you cant cry….you’ll make me cry” ]

favorite 

 love how the light off the mirror hits her ring

[ again. a moment you’ll always remember ]

showing her off to all the moms and girls

ready to go! time to see jeff

so in love with this image.

 

Last thing I must say: This experience really really really made me realize that when shooting a wedding, I am going to be so adament that I get to be there for EVERY moment of the day. honestly, quinn’s photographer missed out. Just look at her. When I shoot a wedding, I want it to be about me naturally being there to capture the little moments. Not about cramming your wedding into a specific amount of hours. i don’t want to make you rearrange your schedule so you can have pictures of your cake being cut. I don’t want to be worried about leaving at the top of the hour rather than telling your story with a set of images im proud to put my name on. So yes, this means I’m toying with the idea of only offering all-day coverage. Not saying im gonna jack up my prices or something, im just saying that every detail of a wedding should be captured and im not afraid of staying an extra hour or editing 300 more images. This is what I love and moments like this make me feel the so lucky to do what I do.

 

I’d love your feedback on the whole all-day coverage idea. if you are a bride or not. girl or boy. Wedding’s are being booked and 2011 is looking good. I’d love to offer something just a little different than every other photographer out there, because last time I checked….the moments like this, the ones you’ll always remember are not planned out and cannot be reenacted.

NEED MORE PINA? STAY TUNED FOR QUINN’S LITTLE SIS. SHE’S UP NEXT. AND ITS A FABULOUS NON-SENIOR PHOTO SHOOT

Quinn’s Talents:

Event Planners: True Colors Events – Travis & Jesse

Venue: Snoqualmie Ridge Gold Course

Florist: Fiore Blossoms

Dress: Monique Lhuillier – oh yes, the same designer Carrie Underwood just wore!

Cake: Creme de la creme

Hair: Sayward Spalding

Makeup: Kathy Evans

DJ: Seattle Parties

  

 

H&T Wedding: Part 2

Ahhh day 2. This is where the fun begins. It’s funny to think about the vast scope of emotions felt throughout the entire wedding day: joy, excitement, nerves, anticipation, deep love, eagerness, laughter, tears, some to feel sadness, relaxation, completion, devotion….and lots and lots of others –  and it’s even more interesting to watch those feelings take place right in front of my camera. The day has a natural journey and I love the fact that I can tell that story to others that weren’t even there and to the bride who said the day went by in a blur and she looks forward to seeing every moment captured. I’m so emotionally tied to my work – I just don’t see how I couldn’t be, I get to have the “in” on so many private moments. There were several times that brought tears to my eyes during their day. one being, holy cow, when she first saw her dad. There went my tears. I wonder to myself, ok are people sitting there wondering like why is this photographer crying? Haha. Being able to put yourself in others’ shoes is what does it. I just know hoe incredible special those moments are and how you want to soak them in and remember them down to the little details. Another reason why I feel blessed to be able to have a way to give a lasting reminder of those memories. Alright…I’ll quit gushing.

So this post marks Heather and Trevor’s couple’s session and the beautiful reception hosted at Freed Farm in Bothel. I always want to tell people what was going on behind the scenes in photos. All you can see if the final piece. For example, with these, because H & T waited to see each other during the actual ceremony…that meant that after family and bridal party photos, we had about 17 minutes until the reception started. With a 12 minute drive to get us there. I’m sorry but you cant be a photographer and crack under pressure or fold when the time is short. Thanks to H&T who opted to be a few minutes late and let me get a few minutes of them together. These are – after all – the photos you’ll want to put on your wall. The ones where you’re relaxed and get to soak up the fact that a Mr./Mrs is now in front of your name. I spotted this little grassy outlet during H and I’s bridal mtg and thank the lord it was so close – I love those colors. Served as a beautiful backdrop.

Party time. 🙂  I love tented receptions. You’re in your own world. One with a 25 ft ceiling and I just love how it holds you and your guests in like a warm little envelope. This is where they spoke. Ate. Toasted. Kissed. Cut. Fed. Danced. Tossed. With a young and hip crowd…there was plenty of dancing feet on the floor and a candy bar I may have dipped my little hands into. this is where you celebrate and get to feel like a guest at your own wedding. This is the end of your wedding. Enjoy theirs.

[ RECEPTION TIME ]

a doe. a deer. a wedding day visitor.

 

 

 

[ and off they go. ]

So that wraps up it up for Heather and Trevor. Again, very very excited and blessed to have been part of their day. Thanks to Afton – their wedding planner – who was so helpful and set this whole day up with her prepared hands. i cannot imagine a wedding without a planner, no one should be working or lighting candles at their own wedding. Thanks to the mystery man who went back and found my camera charger. Thanks to Mother Nature who held kept the rain from falling. And thank you for looking through their photos.

 

Feel free to leave them some love if you attended….or even if you didn’t. Keep your eye out for the upcoming weddings I’ll be doing/posting. If you would like information about having me along for your wedding – email me at Andria@AndriaLindquist.com 

monday. monday. we’ve got a new bride and a pre-wedding session going up that is one of the best things i’ve ever gotten to shoot. she’s fabulous. can’t wait to tell her story to you with a flood of images.