There is nothing like Fall in the NW – 

It happens to me each year about this time. I start thinking about pumpkins, sweaters and Fall colors. Yes, its true friends, ready of not, Fall is just a few weeks away. Those of you who aren’t ready to say goodbye to Summer have nothing to worry about. It looks like this weekend will be a sizzler! But in the mean time I want to share with you some of my Fall Family Favorites from last year.

Some of these pictures were taken in downtown PDX, others at peoples homes and in parks right here in the Battle Ground area.  NW Fall Family Sessions are so much fun! Do I know when the colors will be at their peak? Nope – But I do know that Fall in the NW is undeniably beautiful whatever stage it’s in. 

Some of these sessions were done on warm, sunny days, others on rainy cloudy days. Can I guarantee the weather will be perfect? Nope – But I can say that as I complete my 8th year as a full time professional photographer in the NW we always get beautiful pictures! It will work out, it always does!

Why are Fall Family Sessions so popular? Here are my ideas – we all look rested and sun kissed after our Summer. We love Fall clothes and Fall colors. We live in the gorgeous NW and we have a amazing back drops to choose from. 

If I can help you make some beautiful memories during this challenging year – yes 2020 I’m talking about you! I would love to be part of some of the good in your life. Here is a helpful blog post I wrote about what to expect during a Family Session https://shellyfryphotography.com/my-everyday/family-sessions-at-sf_p-shelly-fry-photography

What I’m Doing – Besides looking forward to Fall

 

 

 

Riding my bike – I am beyond sick and tired of not being physically active. The trill of walking around the house in a boot has quickly worn off (I am still very grateful to be walking however).  So I hopped on my bike this past week and just did  a few slow tours of the neighborhood. While I only rode for about 4 miles each time it just felt really good to be doing something!

Killing mice – Oh my word! It’s a long story, but the short version is that in the course of 3 days we discovered we had mice thanks to our cat Ella leaving dead offerings for us.  Ella successf_ully killed 5 and Jeff and I managed to take care of #6. The exterminator was called and I pray that is the end of that! Sorry for you mouse lovers out there. I am a cold hearted woman when it comes to mice in my house. 

Finding baby bunnies – While I was still hyped up about the mouse situation and not sure if we had eradicated them all I  was weeding in the garden.  As I was by the carrots, which have long green tops which have folded over, I pulled them aside to look for any weeds hiding there and discovered a bunch of fluff. I grabbed it wondering what it was and then I screamed. Side note – I was wearing my airpods and immediately heard Seri ask me if I needed assistance (a nice feature I think). I calmed down and really looked at what was curled up in the nest next to my carrots and realized I was looking at baby bunnies, not mice. Quickly, I covered them up again and was impressed with momma bunny, tucking the kids in right next to the carrots. 

Fruit Loop – Perhaps this is why I’m feeling Fallish. Jeff and I spent last Saturday enjoying the Gorge and visiting several orchards and fruit stands on the Fruit Loop in Hood River, OR. We bought a flat of peaches and have been gorging on them all week! I even made a peach cobbler! So yummy! Here is a link to info and a map if your interested. https://hoodriverfruitloop.com/

Yes – Still counting the days -Counting today I have 13 more days before I hope my Dr. will clear me to begin wearing a SHOE!!! My life is so exciting! 

Studio Time – I also spent sometime in my neglected studio. Just before Covid struck I had rearranged the studio and hung my Spring decorations in the window – Clearly it was time for a change. 

 

 

 

 

 

What I’m Reading

The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna – by Juliet Grames

So, this was a book that I didn’t think I liked, then began to really like it, and then right towards the end I didn’t like it so much. I guess what that means is that there were parts of the story I really enjoyed and parts I didn’t. Just like real life. There are parts of our lives that we really enjoy and then there are parts we wish weren’t there.

So it’s only fare that a book about Stella’s life would have it’s ups and downs. This is a story of Stella and her many brushes with death and the life she lived in between those times.  Stella is born in a small village in Italy during WWI. Later she will immigrate to the US just as WWII breaks out in Europe. This is the story of life in Italy when you are abandoned by your father and then life as a new immigrant to the US. Ultimately it’s a sad story of a woman who desperately wanted to make her own decisions in life and was never able to. Which makes me very, very thankful for the life I have. 

3 stars

We are all completely beside ourselves – by Karen Joy Fowler

This was this month’s book club pick.

I had already purchased this book and had it on my “to-read” shelf. I had found the book through someone I follow on IG who has a dizzying amount of books she reads and reviews. She is fun to follow if you are looking for book recommendations you can find her on IG at emptynestreader. She reads a wide variety of genre. When I came across the review for this book she recommended reading it without reading the back cover first. So while it was challenging, I did that. The result was I was very confused for the first few chapters trying to figure out what was going on which lead to a huge “WHAT?!?!?!” moment. If I had read the cover first I wouldn’t have been surprised by the wild twist to the story.

Overall, I did not enjoy this book. I found the vocabulary obnoxious. Seriously, so many words I didn’t know the meaning of – refulgent, catachresis, ithyphallic, phantasmagorical – to name just a few. While the obnoxious vocabulary words were in sync with the main character and narrator of the story I found them stumbling blocks. I love to learn and I have no problem being challenged but it was just too much.  It was like the author was just going crazy with her thesaurus.  As well as the story being choppy, weird and sad. It is a sad book with few redeeming values. 

2 stars

What I’m Photographing – Baby Bump

Katey and Damian are expecting Sweet Daphney to arrive in just a few weeks. They also just celebrated their 9th year of marriage! Life is full of blessings! It has been so fun to watch these two grow throughout the years. They are both former students of mine and I am so excited for their future as I know they will be amazing parents! 

I absolutely love the dress Katey wore for this shoot! 

 

But before our most recent session I had the opportunity to photograph their reveal party. They had a fun cake that held the secret and then popped pink canisters to celebrate baby girl. I couldn’t believe our luck that the reveal showed a baby girl was on the way and directly across the street where amazing cherry trees in full bloom! So naturally we took advantage to that!

Yes, It’s time to book – Fall Family and Senior Sessions

Fall is wildly busy and I love every single moment of it! Last season was amazing and I look forward to this Fall season being every bit as amazing. Regardless if you are looking for a Fall Family Session or a Fall Senior Session now is the time to book. You will never regret having gorgeous portraits of the people you love. 

 

Stay cool this weekend friends. Fall is coming! 

Shelly