Your Ampersand Studio

I see you. I know you. I've been you. 

As you create your art you feel brave and vibrant; so happy that sometimes it feels like a secret. It is my goal and desire to help you see how capable you really are, how deserving you are of this dream, and be your ally in sharing it with the world. 

You & Me 

Your Wild Dreams & My Passion

Photography & Contagious Design 

Coming March 2015. I would like to officially invite you to come make a connection. I have been working so hard for a few months now on creating a way to bring my love of photography, design and branding together. This turned into my new adventure: Your Ampersand Studio. Please come visit my new site and sign up for updates. I would love to have you as part of this journey. 

Katrina Fricke: Little Sister and Musician

My littlest sister Katrina is a very talented musician. She is a singer/songwriter who has been writing her own songs for years now. This past week I spent a few days with my family in Canada and took the opportunity to capture some pictures of Katrina and film her very first video for her brand new YouTube channel. It had started snowing, and I just love the feeling the slowly falling snowflakes gave the images. I also created a logo for her and a cool header image with some of the pictures we took. 

I am really proud of the woman she is becoming, and I can't wait to see where her music takes her. 

Here is her logo and header image. 

And these are my favorite pictures. She doesn't look 16 years old, does she? She is so beautiful, inside and out. I'm proud to be her big sister. 

And I am so excited to share with you her very first YouTube video: a country version cover of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off." Such a unique take on the song. 

Please subscribe to her YouTube channel, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter. We've got a lot of great stuff coming in the near future, including some of her amazing original material. 

Moses Lake Maternity: Tiffanie + Josh

It was the first real cold spell of the season... the temperature well below freezing, and, like usual it was windy. So windy that I couldn't feel my fingers as I pushed the shutter on my camera during this shoot. But their smiles were real; their love warming them as they tried to hear me give them direction through the gusts of wind. 

We only lasted 15 minutes... but we captured some special images to help them remember this time preparing to welcome their little one into the world. I'm glad we braved the cold, even for just a few minutes. I treasure the opportunity I had to take these pictures for them. Here are some of my favorites. 

Alberto + Jazmin: Love in the trees

Alberto and Jazim were married in May of this year, and I had the pleasure of capturing their day. It was a day full of families and laughter and dear friends. A warm spring day with sweet moments and wholehearted interactions. These are my favorite images from our portrait session in the park. The light was perfect.  

I put together an album for them as a gift, and the coolest part of Shutterfly is that I can share on here too. I loved putting the story of their day together in something they can hold and look back on for years to come. 

Click here to view this photo book larger

2014 has been such a thrilling year for me behind the camera. I can't wait to see what else is to come. 

Intimate Leavenworth Wedding: Gerie + Brandon

She is strong and sweet and openhearted. He is kind and giving and a firefighter. I was honored to be their wedding photographer. And I'm grateful to call them friends. 

Their special day was earlier this year in Leavenworth, WA. They booked a huge house for the occasion and their family and closest friends were invited for the weekend. Everyone all got ready together and the house was full of laughter, some country music and at one point, the Macarena. 

I will never forget showing Gerie the picture I took of her shoes...she got tears in her eyes, and in that moment she became a bride. A stunningly beautiful bride. 

We casually walked around the grounds taking some portraits of the bride and groom. They never stopped smiling. And then it was time to make it official. They didn't really have a plan for where they wanted the ceremony, so they just asked me what would be the best for pictures. It had begun to rain a little, so I suggested the back deck. We set up a few chairs and their dear friend officiated the bringing together of their two families. As they said their vows the sun pierced through the clouds and the rain stopped and it was magic. 

And then we ate, and danced and everyone took a turn speaking to Brandon and Gerie's love and friendship and hopes for their future. It was such a special, personal, intimate day, and I was so privileged to be involved. 

The Sweetest Family - JC, Madison and their kids

Mama's little mini-me knew how to work the camera, and the sweetheart of a boy with hearts on his socks had just woken up from a nap and was very confused by this stranger in his house with a camera. But the sun was shining, the day was lovely, and even the dog was cooperative. Here are some of my favorites from this family's session. I can't wait to see these images up on their walls. It was a pleasure to get to know them better. 

Are you in the Central Washington area and looking for some family portraits this fall/winter? I would love to your choice for a photographer. Give me a call or send me a message. Let me capture the story of your family this year. It would be my pleasure. 

Little Baby Austin

I am getting to that age where all my friends are starting families and having babies. And it has been my pleasure to take some special pictures of these little ones. My dear friend Monica, who I've known since we were in grade school, and her husband Josh, who I've known since I moved to Spokane in 2007 welcomed sweet little Austin this summer. Chris came with me and the 4 (and a half) of us spent the day together. I love the images that I was able to capture of this new family. 

Congrats, my friends on a beautiful little boy. It was such a joy to help you celebrate this new life.

Andy & Julie - Maternity Portrait Session

Andy and Julie have been friends of ours for a few years. They helped us move into our house and whenever we always call "Handy Andy" to do things like hang the track lighting in my office and move furniture. He's good to us. We're glad for their friendship. 

They found out they are having a little boy, and he will be coming into the world in early December. I was so honored that they chose me to take some maternity portraits for them to celebrate and remember this special time in their life...the last few weeks before becoming parents. 

It was a brisk 19 degrees out on the Wednesday morning we'd scheduled the shoot. But they braved the cold and it was all made perfect when the sun came out for just the right amount of time. We took some pictures with their dog, Tank in their yard and then we went down to my favorite spot by Soap Lake. 

Their love for this baby and each other was unmistakable. I can't wait to meet their sweet little boy. 

The Pearl Family

I have known Lisa for almost as long as I've lived in Ephrata. She was always my go-to girl at our credit union, and we became friends during loans and transaction.  And then at her recommendation, we became co-workers. I started working at the credit union and we got even closer. We'd talked for a long time about getting together for family pictures for her, and this year we made it happen. 

It was a cold, but beautiful autumn day, and Lisa picked some great coordinating outfits for her family portraits. Her family glowed in the sun and they were a pleasure to work with...great smiles and fun interactions between siblings and parents. I'm so glad we made it happen. 

I love it when acquaintances become friends and then when I get the chance to give them the gift of photography. Capturing Lisa's family exactly as they are this year was a true pleasure. I hope these images help them remember 2014 with a smile. 

Nate & Auti - Love Session

I met Auti just a couple months ago. We're doing the musical at Masquers together this fall and we've forged a friendship. She is a sweetheart and makes me laugh so hard. Her and Nate, her husband, were just married this past June in my favorite park in Ephrata, WA. So we decided to return to "the scene of the crime" for their fall portrait session. 

It was an early Sunday morning, the air was crisp, the light was perfection and their love for each other was so evident, even on their sleepy faces. 

I am thankful for a new friendship, and for the chance to get this sweet couple in front of my camera. Here are some of my favorites from their session. 

Feel free to pop over and view all the images from their session on my Facebook page. We had so much fun together. 

Maddie & Brandon–Ephrata Wedding

I am so excited to share some of my favorite images from Maddie & Brandon’s wedding that I was asked to assist Bre with. It was such a gorgeous day for photos, and I had a chance to be a bit more creative in my angles and poses since I was the second shooter. I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon.

I love photographing people in love.

It renewed my spirit and my dreams

Saturday was one of those days you wish for as a creative. One where you feel like your feet are standing exactly where they're supposed to be, and you smile because you love it.

I can't stop smiling. I feel at home here, behind my camera...helping others feel just as at home in front of it. I'm passionate about capturing real moments and real emotions.

I was invited to second shoot at a wedding super last minute, and I instantly jumped at the opportunity. The main photographer was Bre Millard of Bre Rachelle Photography. She’s a local friend of mine and when she moved to California earlier this year, we stayed in touch following each other on Instagram. And then on Friday I went to get coffee, and there she was, moved back to town. We started talking about getting together to shoot sometime and she stopped and asked “What are you doing tomorrow? Want to come second shoot a wedding with me?” And, unbelievably, I was free and able to go.

And it was like coming home… getting back behind my camera again. And not being the main photographer allowed me to be more creative in my angles and posing ideas. Bre and I worked really well together, and I hope to shoot with her again in the future. I have some gorgeous captures from the wedding day to share soon, but for now, here are some behind-the-scenes pictures Bre took of me during the day.

 

I ended the day on such a high. A creative, inspired, exhilarated high. And I can’t wait to do it again!

Saturday was one of those days. I’m never going to forget it.

Anniversary Photo Shoot

I had the honor of standing next to my dear friend Kaelah as she married her husband, Brandon 5 years ago this month. It was a beautiful summer-in-September day and their ceremony in the park was perfect. One of my favorite memories. And now, 5 years have gone by and these dear friends of mine celebrated their anniversary.

Part of the celebration was a photo shoot with me! Our plans for the day and the shoot location didn’t quite turn out, so we ended up pulling over on the side of the road and spending 7 minutes taking some shots. I think these images capture their relationship perfectly… They laugh hard and love harder.

Here are some of my favorites from our 7 minute photo shoot.

I am so proud of these two and the adventures they’re on right now, serving God in a foreign country. They are such a good example of trusting in Jehovah and relying on each other. I love reading Kaelah’s emails with all their stories and pictures. Glad to know them and call them friends.

Nate and Abi

Nate and Abi celebrated 5 years of marriage on May 9th. Chris and I were both in their wedding party, and we glad to be with them 5 years later to celebrate too. I was able to get some time with them before their party and we went to the park where they got married and shot some pictures of them. Here are some of my favorites.

It makes my heart so happy and full to see my friends so in love. They’ve made a recent move to a different city and its so good to see them thriving. I’m so glad to have them as friends.