Seattle weather is nothing if not unpredictable. Thankfully, McKinley and her parents were easygoing, and willing to go for it! So despite the chill, the wind and the threatening rain clouds, we headed out onto the beach at Gene Coulon Beach Park in Renton. Hey, it looked great and as an added bonus, we were the only ones there! (The last time I photographed McKinley was one year ago when she was one or two weeks old. Don't let anyone convince you that the first year doesn't fly by - trust me, it does!) Thanks for being such good sports, family - the results were well worth it.

Meet Gabe & Ethan - fraternal twins and cutie-pies! (Just don't ask me to tell you which is which.) Their parents Melissa and Charlie invited me to their home in Sammamish, and the boys were so agreeable! (Melissa found out about me on the E-MOMS website. If you are the parent of multiples and you don't yet know about Eastside Mothers of Multiples, you should definitely check them out.) Anyway, I love this family photo overlooking their house and the neighborhood, where Mom and Dad were urged to reconnect for a moment. (Oh, hey, I remember you!) It was also my idea to move a mirror that they had in another room onto the bed, and let the twins see double for a while! (Sorry, I couldn't resist using at least one bad pun.) Congratulations (twice) Melissa & Charlie!

My father-in-law is visiting from Iowa, and today we went to the strawberry festival at Biringer Farms. Here are a few photos of Hayden picking strawberries with his grandpa, daddy and sister Sylvie. I love the photo of the three generations (gee, which gene pool do my kids swim in?).

For family photos, I usually use one of our digital cameras (we have a Nikon D70 and a D200). I have a strained relationship with digital photography. I understand its appeal when viewed on a computer monitor (it's like looking at a slide on a white table - bright and luminous), and Photoshop actions are fun. But when it comes to printing digital images - yuck! They don't even come close in my book to those shot on film. And I'd rather put framed prints on my wall or look through an album than at a computer monitor. The "switch" to digital may be inevitable, maybe not. I'll keep playing with it, and maybe someday, I'll change my mind. We'll see...what are your thoughts on digital vs. film? Drop me a note and let me know.

I've received a lot of requests for updated photos of my baby girl, Sylvie. So here she is in a few quick digital photos. The girl loves to eat, in case you couldn't tell. My favorite is the one where she's sporting the Elton John glasses!

I have a new best friend (apparently). Five-year-old Ethan was such a gracious host! At the end of our two hours together, Ethan was hugging me and asking me to stay for lunch. His three-year-old sister Alden asked if I wanted to have ice cream with them. Even though I didn't have time that afternoon, I promised them that when it was time to view the proofs from our first photo session together, we would meet over ice cream. The two of them couldn't have looked more perfect that sunny day in their yard, in pale shades of green and pink. The bow in Alden's hair was a perfect touch, though her mom told me that it was there to cover a big bald patch where Ethan had cut Alden's hair off just days before our photo session! Now that's ingenuity! I'm looking forward to our ice cream, and reviewing these sweet photographs together.

I had a wedding on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in Leavenworth (photos to follow soon), so we decided to make a weekend out of it with some friends and their little ones. Here are a few photos. The first one is of Jackson, Ethan and my son Hayden (in the blue) - three close buddies. Then there is Melissa and her new baby Anna, and then Melissa, her husband Brad, Jackson & Anna. We stayed at the Riverside Cabin - just a great place with plenty of space and a hot tub, plus it was close to town where we could get our daily bratwursts!

Every week Collages.net (the website I use to host an online gallery of every portrait session I do) chooses one wedding and one portrait session from thousands of uploads to showcase for the week. Guess who captured this week's portrait Website of the Week?! You can view the entire gallery of Jake's images at www.collages.net. Under "View an Event", enter "Jake" for the username and "5156" for the password. Enjoy!

Here's the summary from Collages.net:

"Just before their family moved, Jake's mother wanted memories of her little one in their first house. Ten month old Jake drew Teddi Yaeger of Teddi Yaeger Photographer in with his big brown eyes and long dark lashes. She especially loved his combat crawl as he playfully chased the cats. This certain magnetism which existed between Teddi and Jake is certainly present in this beautiful collection of images."

April 28, 2007 - Ceremony at Our Lady of the Lake, Wedgwood; Reception at The Lakeside, on Lake Union Paula's bridal gown belonged to her late Aunt, and Paula had it refashioned a bit to wear on her wedding day. It was a very touching tribute. After the ceremony, Paula, David, and their Maid of Honor and Best Man hiked up the hill at Gas Works Park for these incredible photos in front of the Seattle skyline. At The Lakeside, guests were treated to cocktails, a seated dinner, and live music to dance the night away to.

March 31, 2007 Photos in Post Alley at Pike Place Market Reception at The Lake Union Cafe I had the great pleasure of photographing Lyla & John's intimate ceremony on March 3rd at Rosario Resort on Orcas Island, and then their more public reception at The Lake Union Cafe on March 31st. Two opportunities to capture this extraordinary couple! I knew that I wanted to work with Lyla and John as soon as I met them - they were so excited about their wedding, and every detail was designed to fit their love of Art Deco. I am so glad that they chose me to play such an important role in both celebrations, and they truly feel like friends now.

Okay, I pride myself on my ability to win over babies and children within minutes of meeting them. I didn't win Piper over...ever. But then, accordingly to her mom Leah and dad Chad, nothing was going to win Piper over that afternoon. We tried going outside (rain, rain, PLEASE go away!), we tried books, toys, a bath, and Piper's new favorite video (the musical "Annie"). Blame it on toddlerhood, blame it on the rain, blame it on the "picture day" curse, but nothing was pleasing Miss Piper. But despite all of that, we still ended up with some very cute, very sweet photographs of her at home with her Mom, Dad and doggies. And I drove off with the familiar tune of "It's a Hard-Knock Life" in my head.

"Babies are such a wonderful way to start people." Here is a classic example. Keegan's mother Anne Marie, and his dad Chris graciously invited me into their beautiful Leschi home for a couple of hours. I instantly fell in love with their shady, green backyard, their light, bright living room, but mostly, their darling little man with his dark blue eyes.

On Friday, May 25th, I had the honor of photographing Dylan's wish come true, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Since four or five years old, Dylan has been fascinated with hot air balloons, and has dreamed of taking a ride in one. Thanks to the generosity of a lot of people, this dream finally came true. It was a wonderful event!