Van Valen Photography

It has been a very long time since I posted anything. Life has been a roller coaster, and I owe this page some new photos. But I want to start with this:

Remember to Play — Van Valen Photography Aldo was, without hyperbole, the single greatest man you could have met.

Yesterday, out in the Gorge, the sky was a muted magenta color with a hot pink sun that hung in the diffused air all day. But the warm breeze kept us all comfortable, and the view was no less spectacular.

Amberly and Jason's wedding featured family, dancing, not one but TWO Rick Rolls, dogs in flower collars, bbq, ice cream, and even some dinosaurs! What an afternoon.

XOXO

An absolute whirlwind in Walla Walla, and a wedding so beautiful down to every last detail that it felt like a stylized shoot for a high-end business. The sunset was magical, the couple was beautiful, their friends all equally lovely and fun-loving...now I have to go through about 2800 photos. O.o (I couldn't help myself!) These are some previews I couldn't resist.

Congratulations, Rachel & Reeve!

A short blog from a long flight to the other coast.

My kid brother married a gem. ❤️

A Family Affair — Van Valen Photography Recently, we made the trek to New England for a few days…for my brother’s wedding.

I blinked, and it is June! I am wrapping up images from a wedding in New Hampshire, then have to finish a local wedding at the Kennedy School here in Portland. But last night I took some "me time" and finally published a blog about our vacation to Hawaii. It's mostly a photo essay of the things we did and saw - what a week!

Maui Wowie — Van Valen Photography The winter of 2021, sitting on the lanai of our rental in Kailua-Kona, I said to my husband, “I want to do this every winter,” and he said, “Duh.” And I said, “And I want to bring The Kids,” and he said, “Okay by me!”

One of the coolest parts about working outside is how dramatically the same scene changes from moment to moment.

At first it was stark blues and crashing white waves, then it warmed as the sun sank, and then the skies turned to cotton candy and a magenta mist hung in the skies and over the blue water - what a night. Same beach, same couple, same camera, and so many moods.

Just a sneak peek - going to be a bit before this engagement shoot is wrapped up.

In February of 2007, I held a day old pug in my hands, and he yawned, and had a flip-top head, and I named him Wallace, a companion to my other doggie, Gromit. He came home on April Fool's Day that year, and promptly pooped in his dog carrier on the way home. As a bookend, yesterday before we went to the vet for the last time, he pooped in a brand new work shoe belonging to my husband. (sigh/giggle)

Over the years he cost well into 5 figures in surgery bills for bladder stones, bad eyes, bad teeth, cancerous tumors, and general Pug-ness. He lived for Kitty Roca fresh from the box, and would spend hours frantically tearing apart tennis balls. In his earlier days, he knew which toy to fetch on command - you could tell him to get his bunny or his rat or his ball, and he would go get the toy you mentioned. But when told to sit, he would panic and sit, offer you his paw, then lay down and bark. He never really got the hang of tricks.

He loved babies and kids and despite being terrible at sitting still, when my husband's grandfather was older Wallace would sit on his lap and just take pets for hours. He was so, so good with people, just sweet natured and not an enemy in the world. As he got older and blind and deaf, our senior rescue Piglet became his caregiver and it was so, so sweet to watch.

He was gross and senile and useless and so clueless and happy and loving. I knew his time was coming - but while we were in Hawaii his condition worsened. When I came home to him I knew it was his time. He, true to his personality that had kept me smiling for 15 years, smiled and wagged his tail all the way to the vet and even wagged his tail FOR the vet. He loved everyone, right till his last breath.

Wallace, Wallaby Jones, Walligator, Mister Gator, Wallapeeps, Mister Peeps-a-million, Wallieguy. He wasn't a great dog per say, but he was very much a goodest boy and I miss him terribly already. 2.2.2007-2.7.2022

He will live on forever on the internet, the famous Pug in the Tulips. Shared by George Takei, front page of the Chive, used in countless memes, even on display at the Oregon Humane Society. It's sort of lovely that this little disaster I loved so much brought so many smiles to so many people around the world. He never even knew it, he was just happy to be here.

On the blog...

Rachel & Reeve: Engaged (but make it fashion) — Van Valen Photography It’s been a very long time since I took out my studio lights and used that side of my photography brain…

12 years ago today before flying to NH, I went and enjoyed a rare freeze in the Columbia River Gorge. Hours later, I was stranded in Chicago for the night and built a fort out of cots and blankets with another traveler from Oregon so we could try to get some sleep, and we shared my box of Voodoo Doughnuts that had been destined for friends in NH. (We're still friends a decade-plus later!) After finally arriving in NH more than 24 hours later than intended, my luggage wouldn't arrive for another 16 hours.

But hey. I got to see Multnomah Falls looking like this!

I've been so busy with photos I haven't blogged in forever! I still have a gorgeous little beach elopement to share, and some maternity photos that are now so outdated the kid is already here. I have a really special engagement shoot that will be wrapped shortly I can't wait to share with you all.

2022 brings me to a large wedding in NH, a super fun wedding at the Kennedy School in Portland, a stylish weekend wedding in Walla Walla, and a taco-truck party of a wedding in the Gorge.

In early February I get to do a special portrait session in Hawaii for friends whose wedding I shot nearly 12 years ago in San Juan Capistrano, CA - it will be so fun to work with them again!

And perhaps most special of all, I will get to do engagement photos for my step daughter and her new fiance while we are on Maui, too!

It certainly feels like people are trying to be together again after so many months of isolation. With that in mind, stay safe over the holidays. If you feel sick, don't risk it!

Amberly & Jason, Engaged! — Van Valen Photography I was pretty giddy late this summer when Amberly messaged me on Instagram and said she wanted to talk about wedding photography…

Man! I have been slacking - I owe you all a couple of blogs, featuring a beach elopement and a recent maternity shoot.

The past 18+ months have been strange (obvs) but I'm looking at 2022, and it's shaping up to be a busy and exciting year! Very special portraits in Hawaii in February, a formal wedding in NH in May, a fashion-forward fun-fest wedding celebration in Walla Walla in August, and last night I booked a very intimate and fun (hello, tacos) event in the Gorge in September. It's nice to feel a touch more "normal," - but I hope you're all still staying safe and healthy out there.