Photo Blog

Contacting us

2010-03-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

We discovered today that the Contact Us form on our web site has been out of commission for the last several weeks! We apologize for the inconvenience, and everything is back online and working now. Of course, you're always welcome to reach us via email at service@bluecastlephoto.com as an alternative to our web site

Again, we're sorry for the web site problems, and hopefully things will be running a bit more smoothly now!

Emily's Senior Photos in our Corvallis Studio

2010-02-04T22:23:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a great session with Emily in January, creating senior photos in our studio and outdoors in the (brisk, but nice!) winter air. Here are some of our favorites:

Thanks, Emily, for the opportunity to take these photos with you, and enjoy wrapping up the last few months of high school!

Amy & Zeno's Wedding Featured on TheKnot.com

2010-01-18T20:46:00.000-08:00

It was such an honor to be contacted by TheKnot.com requesting permission to feature Amy and Zeno's Wedding as one of their 2009 RealWeddings!

You can see how it turned out here on TheKnot.com - we love the photos they chose to display!

And, as an extra bonus, you can see our photo of one of Amy's table layouts in their Wedding Reception Decor and Flower Trends for 2010 page. Congratulations to her and Zeno for creating such a beautiful and memorable wedding!

Family Photos in Corvallis, Oregon

2010-01-08T22:55:00.000-08:00

It's been cold outside lately, but that hasn't stopped us from using the clear weather for a few photo sessions! Here are a some fun photos from earlier this month. We'll start out with this great cowboy outfit:

Then a few with their whole family!

And, of course, the golden light at sunset can make for a great effect. We'll wrap up with this!

Best wishes to all of you for a wonderful 2010! It's hard to believe it has arrived so quickly. We are looking forward to plenty of excitement and lots of photos this year! Stay tuned for more...

Family Christmas Photos and More!

2009-12-23T20:55:00.000-08:00

We had a great time this week with Ron and Natalie and their adorable kids (it's amazing how much they've grown since our last session with them), shooting holiday photos in our studio and outdoors. Here is one of our favorites...

Now here's the deal... to see the rest of their awesome pics (and we do mean awesome! you have no idea what strength of will it's requiring for me to hold back another 20 or so from this blog post), you'll have to see their gallery on our new facebook page! Yes, we're finally catching up with the rest of the world and getting plugged into social networking. We'll be posting galleries there with lots more photos than you'll see in most of our blog posts, to save your scroll-wheel-finger from getting tired. ;-)

So, click on over and check out Blue Castle Photography on Facebook. Join us as a fan to stay updated with our latest news and photos!

Many thanks to all of our friends and clients who made 2009 an incredibly "photogenic" year for us. Merry Christmas to all of you, and we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic new year!

Wedding at the Bell Tower Chapel

2009-12-07T21:03:00.001-08:00

We'd never been to the Bell Tower Chapel in Boring, OR, before, but Aaron and Harmony picked it as a beautiful location for their evening wedding!

Aaron was beaming with enthusiasm when we arrived, he was SO excited for things to get started. Here he is with a barely-contained smile...

Meanwhile, Harmony was getting ready downstairs with the girls...

Time for the ceremony...

One of us ducked outside in the rain to shoot back inside through the windows...

Shooting through the foggy, rainy glass made for a soft, dreamy texture on the photos... I love how this came out.

Now, celebrating together as husband and wife!

It was a treat to see all their relationships with their friends, that were evident in all the toasts.

Congratulations, Aaron and Harmony, and thanks for allowing us to be a part of your wedding!

Wedding Flowers by Celebration Florals

2009-11-29T08:04:00.000-08:00

We are blessed to have such incredibly talented florists in the area, and capturing photos of the bouquets and floral details of weddings have created some of our favorite images!

We've known Peggy and Carol at Celebration Florals for several years now, and have loved the creations they have made for weddings like Melanie and Wes and Amber and Jordan.

We had the great privilege this last weekend of being able to photograph creations by Celebration Florals in our studio in preparation for launching their new web site, and we had a great time making photos with their bouquets and our lovely models Kylie and Stephanie.

Here's a "sneak preview" of the images... more to come when their new site launches!

2009 Featured Album - Bryan & Brittany at King Estate Winery

2009-11-15T16:34:00.001-08:00

Each year we pick an album from one of our favorite weddings of the summer to feature on our web site... Bryan and Brittany's wedding at King Estate Winery in Eugene definitely took the 2009 prize!

(See the embedded slideshow below... note that you may need to click here to see it if you are using a feed reader)

We have a full 12x12" Premier Album from their wedding displayed in our studio now, as well as a sample 6x6" Family Album, a smaller copy of the primary album, which we include in many of our wedding photography packages.

These albums feature our newly available full leather covers, with silver embossing of the title on the front. This makes for a beautiful, sumptuous appearance that we love! Photos can't do them justice, but I'll include a few anyway just to give you the idea...

If you like these photos, check out our earlier blog post with more images from Bryan & Brittany's wedding! Or, if you are one of our 2010 brides, contact us to set up an appointment to see these albums in person as you make selections for the albums you would like designed for your own wedding.

Just one more...

2009-10-17T22:47:00.000-07:00

Beazell Memorial Forest Wedding Photos

2009-10-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

Brandon and Jennifer had a great fall-themed wedding celebration this last weekend at Beazell Memorial Forest outside Philomath, Oregon. They are both graphic designers and love artistic details, which made us happy photographers!

I'll start with some of the cool details... pumpkins and fall leaves gave everything a crisp autumn appearance:

As part of their table settings, each guest received a "thank you" card and a plant to take home in memory of the wedding.

Here they are, getting ready for a "first look" moment:

Ahh... beautiful afternoon light and the relaxed setting made for great photos!

Oh yeah... love the '56 Chevy!

On to a beautiful ceremony:

Their families were SO happy and supportive, it was great to see them all enjoying the celebration together so much!

Great toasts by the wedding party...

Jen's sister made this awesome cake:

And the day wouldn't be complete without some dancing...

We've been out to Beazell Memorial Forest for several weddings now, and every time we discover new features we can incorporate into the photos! Brandon and Jennifer really created a beautiful event there for their wedding, and it was great fun for us to be a part of. Thanks to both of you, and congratulations again!

Albany, Oregon Wedding Photos

2009-10-05T22:26:00.000-07:00

We've been looking forward to finishing up the photos from Amy and Zeno's wedding and sharing them with you! This was truly one of the most amazing wedding's we've had the privilege to be a part of. They are an incredibly dynamic and creative couple, and every nuance and detail of the day was very unique and special!

A few photos as Amy finished up getting ready...

Zeno works professionally in the wine industry and was an antique wine seller for years; would that be a cool job or what?! So, a toast with the guys was a fitting way to start the day...

The outfit for this little dude left no questions as to his role in the ceremony:

Amy works as a pastry chef for a chocolatier in Portland, and she made sure there were goodies on hand for guests arriving before the ceremony! It was a warm afternoon, and this turned out to be a great idea. It kept people mingling and relaxing for a little while before the ceremony.

The wedding was held on several acres of Amy's family's property in Albany, which made for a great, intimate feeling. She created a trellis for the ceremony and came up with many visual accents to create a great atmosphere for the wedding, including flower arrangements like this hanging from the trees:

Amy's brother officiated at the ceremony and did a great job. It was filled with a lot of laughter and quite a few tears too...

A few minutes for portraits!

Check out the amazing fairy-tale house that had been built in a corner of the property. We had never seen anything like it... very cool!!

At the entrance to the reception, Amy and Zeno created a guest book table under the shade of a tree, and hung antique photos of their parents', grandparents', and even great-grandparents' wedding ceremonies.

It was about this time when we discovered that we were the only vendors hired to participate in the entire wedding - Amy and Zeno had done everything else on their own and with the help of their families, and yet this was one of the most beautifully designed weddings we'd been to!

At the reception area, every detail was immaculate. The table centerpieces and arrangements were similar, but each was unique in a different way...

A huge variety of food was all prepared on-site to create a magnificent feast...

The wine, beer and champagne picked for the affair were a big part of the celebration, and all were top-notch!!

And let's not forget the dessert table...

Oh yes, and the bouquet? Amy made that too.

Amy and Zeno, your wedding was a stunning event, and we are so grateful for being trusted to capture it in photos! Your love for each other and obvious talent shone throughout the entire day, as I'm sure it will continue to for many years to come.

Our wedding couples speak out...

2009-09-27T16:32:00.000-07:00

Thanks to so many of our clients who have taken the time to write us a note of gratitude for their photos! It's always encouraging to hear from you.

We thought we would share some of the feedback from our couples this year, along with a few extra images that probably haven't hit the blog yet.

Krista and Jon:

"THANK YOU.....THANK YOU....THANK YOU!! The pictures are AMAZING!! You guys were wonderful to work with and the finished product is fantastic!! I love all of the random pictures too (those are sometimes the best!!)....I couldn't have asked for anything more!! Thank you again!!

~Krista"

From the mother of the bride:

"Dear Carrie and Jonathan,

Exactly one week after Krista and Jon's wedding, we left for a three trip to China! We returned home last night and the very first thing I did was look at 400 absolutely beautiful wedding photographs.

I love how you captured the happiness we were all experiencing that day, The variety of all the photos, Jon & Krista, wedding party, family pictures, venue, food & alcohol, and all of our guests having a great time, truly captured the spirit of the day. We will be forever grateful. You are both a joy to work with and certainly exceptional in your field. We, of course, will be happy to recommend you to anyone in the need of a photographer.

Heartfelt thanks to you both.

Linda"

Kerry and Joe:

"They're fabulous! Joe and I just finished looking at them....three times. We're thrilled with all of them. Thank you so much for doing such a fabulous job."

Arianne and Francisco:

"Thanks again for the wonderful pictures. The two of you are amazing photographers and I’m so glad that I was referred to you."

Grant and Sandy:

"All of our friends, family and guests have all raved about the quality of the photos you took. We can't thank you enough. We are so very happy with everything."

Brittany and Bryan:

"There are so many beautiful shots and we couldn't be happier with the way they turned out. I've received so many compliments and lots of people wondering who the great photographer was :)"

Chelsea and Jason:

"We got the album last week and LOVE it. It's really perfect. Thank you so much!"

- Chelsea

"We think the photo album looks wonderful, you did an absolutely splendid job. It really is just what we were hoping for."

- Jason

Thanks to you all for the opportunity to photograph the special moments of your lives. Your kind words and feedback always motivate us to grow in our photography and creativity, and that's why we love doing what we do!

Photos from the Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire

2009-09-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

We were able to join in the festivities this weekend at the Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire in Kings Valley, Oregon. The weather was beautiful and it made for a fun family outing!

The feature of the afternoon was a medieval show with knights jousting and fighting, which was completely engrossing for our two-year-old and pretty entertaining for us, too. Of course, we brought along a camera, and although sporting events are not our standard fare, some of the photos turned out pretty well!

Pretty similar to our typical wedding cake-cutting scene:

Anyway, it was a great show, and we were astounded at the quantity and variety of the other performers and vendors at the "faire". If you've never been, check it out when 2010 rolls around!

Wedding at Beckenridge Vineyard, Dallas, OR

2009-09-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

Krista & Jon enjoyed a beautiful wedding day at Beckenridge. We always love shooting at the vineyards there, and all the attention to detail that's created such a beautiful wedding venue!

One of the reasons we bring along a wide selection of camera lenses to events is because they can capture similar settings in entirely different ways! Here's a portrait of the bridal party in exactly the same pose, just using different lenses:

Now, getting ready for the ceremony...

Valley Catering deserves credit for a spectacular job of catering at this event! Yummy appetizers and wine kept everybody busy while the receiving line finished up...

Their buffet featured some beautiful decorations that fit in perfectly with the Beckridge decor:

Truly the best salmon I can remember ever having...

Mmm, it tasted even better than it looks!

We always look for unique ways to capture the wedding rings... this photo is against the background of light reflecting off a glossy piano bench:

On to the reception now...

Krista and Jon had a special gift for her parents on the occasion of their 30th anniversary, which made for a very touching moment...

A family photo including Jon's handsome 6-year-old, Caleb:

And with other, even more... colorful... wedding guests!

We sure enjoyed being a part of your wedding, Krista and Jon. Thanks again!

50th Anniversary Studio Photos in Corvallis

2009-09-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

Ron and Donna are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, and they are an amazing couple. It was very special this summer, amongst our engagement and wedding photos shoots, to spend some time with them and see the wonderful relationship they have after all these years!

They were particularly interested in a more classical look-and-feel for their portraits, which was a nice change for us. We haven't spent much time in the studio this summer since the weather has made for convenient outdoor portraits, so this was a good excuse for us to dust off the lighting and backdrops. Here is the photo they ended up selecting, as a wall portrait for themselves and their children:

Ron and Donna, we wish you God's continued blessings for years to come! Thanks for allowing us to share this unique milestone with you.

Corvallis Senior Photos at the OSU campus

2009-09-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

Beth came down from Salem to meet at the Oregon State University grounds for her senior photos. We had a great time exploring the grounds, and founds lots to work with, indoors and out!

She loves music and drama, and wants to study opera in college (yeah!), so we stopped by the music building on campus...

Wedding at King Estate Winery in Eugene, OR

2009-08-29T22:36:00.001-07:00

Bryan and Brittany's wedding at the King Estate Winery this month was a beautiful affair... it was great to see how calm and happy they were as all the wedding events swirled around them!

King Estate Winery has one of the nicest bridal suites we've seen. Here is Brittany finishing up getting ready:

Then outdoors for some portraits!

Their bridesmaids and groomsmen were a lot of fun to work with too:

Here are a few of our favorite details... Dandelion Flowers created beautiful bouquets and arrangements:

Then it was time for the ceremony!

(I love the little girl in the pink giving them the thumbs-up in that last photo!) Then we got a few quick minutes for some relaxed photos with Bryan and Brittany right before the reception...

BMAC Productions and the winery staff kept the reception moving along smoothly. (The food and catering was spectacular, and very efficiently handled for so many guests!) After the meal, the families of the bride and groom shared some great toasts:

Then it was time for the first dances.

A few last portraits at the end of the day!

It was a beautiful wedding that we were very privileged to be a part of. Thanks, Bryan and Brittany for making it so easy on us!

Bridal Photos at the Corvallis Hanson Country Inn

2009-08-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

We've been on pins and needles looking forward to blogging these photos from Elizabeth's bridal shoot for a while, and now that her wedding was last weekend, we're excited to share them with you!

We started out around our studio, but the weather was so nice we had to go outdoors:

Elizabeth did an amazing job preparing for the wedding... she hand-made her own vintage-style dress, hat / veil, and an incredible bouquet from actual pages of Jane Austen books:

(Not only that, but she made a similar bouquet for each of her bridesmaids as well!)

We shot most of the photos at the awesome Hanson Country Inn in Corvallis, which has a great vintage look-and-feel that fit perfectly with her style!

Thanks to Bohemian Bouquets for the wildflower arrangement here:

One last portrait in the beautiful evening light:

Elizabeth, thanks again for the great bridal session, and congratulations to you and Silas!

Wedding Portrait Session in Salem, OR

2009-08-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

Arianne and Francisco were married earlier this year, but were displeased with the results of their photos (we were not their wedding photographers, fyi!) and so they talked their wonderful family into dressing up again so that we could get some nice portraits of all of them together.

We met up with them at Salem's Riverfront Park and found them to be lots of fun to work with, and we had a great time together!

Next to the park is a footbridge going across the river... we love the architecture featured on this one!

One more stop in some beautiful light...

Oregon Coast engagement session photos

2009-08-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

We're excited to be photographing Karl and Elizabeth's wedding next year at Paradise Springs, and in the meantime had a fun engagement session with them at Yaquina State Park on the Oregon coast. It turned out to be a windy afternoon, but there were still lots of photos to be had!

Two-Year-Old Pictures

2009-08-09T16:09:00.001-07:00

We've been so busy this summer that we haven't had time to do some portraits of our family... so, this weekend in between other photo shoots, we picked some fun outfits and took our 2-year-old around to get some updated pictures of him!

We started out featuring his "knight in shining armor" gear, which he's extremely fond of:

And then it was cowboy time!

The only thing is, when we suggested we do a photo shoot with him, he thought that meant that HE would get to take the photos... (after all, he's seen Mommy and Daddy do it plenty of times, and it doesn't look all that hard!)

His style of shooting at this point is very, shall we say, "photojournalistic". I wonder if Oregon child labor regulations preclude us from hiring him out as a wedding photography assistant? He's got the enthusiasm for it, anyway! (A tip to all the brides & grooms out there: stay away from those Craigslist advertisements from people offering to shoot your wedding for free... it could be him! :-)

Anyway, after that episode he had to dress up a bit. I'm not sure exactly how he ended up in this pose, though... maybe practicing for teenagerhood?

This, on the other hand, seems to be genetically built-in. *sigh*

How many chocolate chip cookies were required as bribery to continue the session?

But it was worth it! We love this one...

Then Daddy got in on the action...

Back inside, one last shot with the afternoon light coming through the windows.

So, to all the rest of you parents, consider this a reminder to go and take some photos of your kids!! It's amazing how quickly they grow up.

Wedding Flowers by Bohemian Bouquets

2009-08-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

We've worked with Bohemian Bouquets at a number of weddings, and were thrilled to be asked to shoot images of their bridal arrangements! Gina and Rhonda designed almost a dozen creations for this photo shoot, featuring wildflowers and other unique elements.

We included these as part of a bridal shoot for Elizabeth, whom you'll have to wait until the end of the month to see, but we can show you some images of the bouquets alone now!

This last one was our favorite... unlike any other bouquet we've worked with, and incredibly classy and elegant!

Many thanks to the Hanson Inn for allowing us to shoot at their location. It made for a great variety of environments for the photos... now, stay tuned for Elizabeth's bridal images coming up soon!

Wedding at Corvallis Central Park

2009-07-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

Wow.

Kris and Hannah's wedding was such a treat for us to be a part of!! They are an amazing couple who are just relaxed and fun to be around, and I can't remember seeing anybody so filled with sheer happiness at getting married than these two. And the 17 people in their bridal party couldn't agree more! Their wedding was bubbling over with excitement and joy. The photographs practically take themselves at that point...

Kris was all smiles:

Here they are seeing each other for the first time:

And then joined by their friends. Central park worked out to be a fantastic wedding location, with lots of nice lighting for portraits even during a sunny afternoon!

They loosened up pretty quickly, and made for some great photos. Kris's brother Tim was the best man, and it's easy to see they are great friends.

Those of you who live in Corvallis may recognize this cool metal truck on the playground. We thought it would make a fun prop for a photo...

... but ended up getting more than we bargained for! (Did we mention how fun these people are?)

On to some details of the day:

Then it was time for the ceremony.

Here is the first kiss. And when I say "first kiss", I mean, ever. They'd saved their first kiss for the wedding, which made it a pretty special part of the ceremony!

Hm. Judging by Kris's reaction, I bet they'll be doing more of that...

... Yep!

And here's the reaction from the peanut gallery:

We had some time for portraits with the two of them at that point. Oftentimes we'll suggest to our couples that they spend a few minutes on photography later in the evening as the sun is setting, because the lighting at that time of day is just so great to work with. We're very glad that these two took our advice!

Then it was back to the wedding for some great storytelling in the toasts:

And a very lovely first dance.

What a great event and celebration. Blessings on you both, and congratulations again!

Wedding at the Oregon Garden Resort

2009-07-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

Grant & Sandy enjoyed amazing weather and a gorgeous location last week, for one of our favorite weddings so far this year! They are such a fun couple with a great sense of humor. (Telling jokes to get their photographers to laugh... isn't it supposed to be the other way around?!)

Their afternoon started out at the Oregon Garden Resort with a "first look", and then a trip around some locations in the gardens to shoot some fun photos of the two of them...

Sandy's vintage dress and matching bouquet and shoes made the colors really sparkle!

One of my favorite wedding portraits ever...

They were joined by some great friends in the wedding party!

The guys, looking very GQ...

Then it was time for the ceremony. Their guests stood in a circle enclosing the bride and groom, which was a unique touch...

They specifically requested a shot with all the wedding guests, which came out great!

Then it was off to the reception at the ballroom in the resort. (If you haven't made it to the Oregon Garden Resort yet, it just opened last year and features some great accommodations. After discovering it at this event, we went back to spend a night there the next week as a mini-vacation ourselves!)

I love this portrait of them dancing!

The jazz band was superb...

And there were many great toasts from their friends and family.

Some of them went into more detail than Grant was expecting... but they all had a great sense of humor!

And, last but not least, this is what happens when beer ends up in your champagne glass!

Thanks, you two, for the privilege of shooting your wedding. Best wishes on many more years together!

O & L Nofziger Gardens in Albany, Oregon

2009-06-29T20:39:00.001-07:00

Joe and Kerry were married four years ago at O & L Nofziger Gardens, and decided to create some updated portraits with us! The gardens made for a beautiful setting on a great summer evening... we had a great time together and love how the photos came out.

I love the silhouettes and sun flare here - this would really look stunning on a large canvas wall hanging!

Then for an impromptu wardrobe change...

By the end of the evening, the sunset was really kicking in some warmth...

Thanks for the fun time with both of you, and best wishes for many more wonderful years together!