I was incredibly honored when Nikki asked me to do her family portraits, a gift for her mother’s 60th birthday.  I met Nikki when she was my student teacher, & for a year, we shared three beginning & two advanced high school photography classes.  Nikki’s presence brought sanity & humor to my day–always beginning with the Mountain Dew she would be drinking before 9 AM.  She & her husband Dave officially spell their last name with an “!”.  They are two of the wittiest, most exuberant, most prolifically creative people I will ever know–and they are a perfect match.  When I asked her about her family, so I could plan the shoot, she described them as “Pacific Northwest people” who were lovers of board games & the Mariners.  She also wrote, “We tend to be a bit goofy. Shocking, I know.” I couldn’t wait to meet them & do their portraits!

So, I scoured nearby places for a Washington State kind of feel, & we ended up with an easy-going, down-to-earth, just a little bit goofy, super fun, outdoors session.  Her parents were so warm & friendly, & so clearly, affectionately, romantically still in love after decades of marriage–such a inspiration.  And Nikki’s brother Jesse and his fiancée Pari are in the midst of wedding planning–so exciting!  I had a great time–and I think they all did too…