When Alexis and Derek said they wanted to shoot their engagement photos at Pike Place, I’ll admit I was a bit unsure. I always lean toward mountains and trees, a beautiful natural backdrop to celebrate love. I worried there would be too many masked people in the background, too much construction, not enough natural beauty. But my worries were completely unfounded because it happens to be the most beautiful place for photos.

We’ve been staying out of the city since the start of the pandemic, so I haven’t visited Pike Place for a while. But when I first moved to Seattle, I could take a long walk from my apartment and reach the florists and vegetable stands on foot. It’s a classic landmark for tourists, but a living, breathing market for locals. The neon lights provided a romantic glow for intimate portraits, and the sunlight flooded into every nook and cranny, giving me all the inspiration I needed.

Enjoy this Pike Place engagement shoot in Seattle, and keep an eye out for Alexis + Derek’s Union Wedding next summer!

The post Pike Place Engagement : Alexis + Derek appeared first on Elise Giordano Photography.

It’s crazy to think that I’ve known Kristi for almost 8 years. (Can that be right?!) We met at the University of Florida while working at our local college paper, The Independent Florida Alligator. Kristi is an amazing photographer (and a badass pet portrait illustrator), and I was so incredibly honored that she asked me to photograph her wedding in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Ben and I first visited Alabama Hills last summer, after receiving a glowing recommendation from Kristi. We were immediately hooked. Once used for movie sets and John Wayne films, it’s a crazy piece of country. (If you’re not a western fan but this vista still looks familiar, you might recognize it from Iron Man or Django Unchained.) Only four hours from LA, it’s a perfect spot for making movies. It now serves as BLM lands, frequently used for camping, hiking and climbing. If you ever visit, I highly recommend visiting the museum in Lone Pine to learn all about its history. And then you should pop in to the Alabama Hills Cafe + Bakery for an incredible breakfast burrito and a cinnamon roll the size of your head.

But enough about ol’ westerns. We’re here to talk about love! P+K were planning to wed in Joshua Tree National Park, but because of COVID, plans for a big wedding had to change. I immediately suggested Alabama Hills, but she beat me to it. Great minds think alike.

Kristi is immunocompromised, so it was extremely important that we were all tested and careful on our way to Alabama Hills. Ben and I road-tripped 1000 miles, camping in Idaho and Nevada along the way. Sadly, Paul’s mom tested positive and was unable to make the trip. Tears were shed over FaceTime, and virtual hugs were shared. Thankfully, she is doing well and recovering day by day.

It’s hard not to have your family and friends with you to celebrate such a big day. But if I’m being really honest, elopements are my favorite. They are so personal and sweet. Nature serves up some serious views as you vow to share your lives together. It’s a magical way to say, “I Do,” and I’m so happy to have been there for this one.

After a night of camping together in the great outdoors, friends and family helped set the scene. They met back in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to say their vows and celebrate with a reception beneath the stars.

Congratulations, Paul and Kristi! Yours is a wedding I will remember for years to come. Thank you for being true to yourselves and celebrating your love in such a beautiful place. Most importantly, Go Gators!

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Even in the midst of a global pandemic, love finds a way.

Kirsten reached out to me about photographing her summer wedding in March, way back when it seemed possible that this whole thing might just “blow over.” (Remember those days? Sigh.) As the months wore on, protocols kept changing and whether a wedding was even possible was completely up in the air. But we pressed on in the hopes that it would all come together. And hallelujah, it did.

Theirs was a spectacular summer day, the kind you dream of having when you come to an island in the PNW. The sun-soaked fields and bee-filled lavender made for the perfect backdrop to capture the love of these two wonderful people.

As we are in the midst of a pandemic, adjustments were made, masks were worn, bands had to cancel, family watched via zoom and chairs were six feet apart. But Jay + Kirsten said, “I do” in one of the most beautiful places on earth, and I felt so lucky to capture it all.

Guests were given envelopes filled with rose petals that they pressed against their chests, filling them with love and energy. Those petals were formed into a heart and folded into a sacred package that will be buried in Jay and Kirsten’s yard for blessings and well wishes. In lieu of hugs, Kirsten and Jay asked that guests make eye contact with one another, hold their hands over their hearts and know that the love was flowing. Like I said, love finds a way.

So grateful to have captured love during these strange times. We’ll make it through, folks. One day at a time.

The post A Socially Distant Wedding | Jay + Kirsten appeared first on Elise Giordano Photography.

When I moved to Vashon in 2017, I didn’t know a soul. In truth, it took a few years to find friends, particularly ones our age, but I’m so grateful that we now have such dear ones. The first of those were Mallory and Mike, and I feel so incredibly fortunate to be their family photographer, before and after Baby Shull.

Last Thanksgiving, we photographed these two on KVI Beach, and unbeknownst to us, they found out they were pregnant that morning! We’ve now come full circle and are ready to welcome their sweet baby into the world. To capture these last few months before their family becomes four, we headed out to Judd Creek to capture beautiful maternity moments. But first, we threw Mallory a surprise socially-distant baby shower.

We’ve all had some difficulty quarantining, but I can’t imagine going through such a difficult time while pregnant. The beautiful shower Mallory had planned had to be cancelled, but I couldn’t bear the thought of not having some sort of celebration. So, I threw together some delicious treats and surprised her with a sweet little tea party in a beautiful field of wildflowers. From six feet apart, we enjoyed mini quiches, scones and yummy peach tea. It was wonderful to celebrate this beautiful mama and her baby on the way.

Our maternity photoshoot followed and we captured lots of love, doggy kisses and beautiful yellow flowers in one of my favorite spots on Island. We cannot wait to meet you baby Shull!

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I was pretty shocked at the amount of pieces I had that fit into the seventies motif. Layer one thing over another and Bam! You’ve got yourself a look. But we couldn’t have pulled it off without Kjerstine’s friend Jill Landback who styled the whole thing and made a beautiful, cohesive set.

There’s a lot going on in this post, but that’s only because when you’ve got three creative gals, you’re bound to have a lot of ideas. Some featured a pink wig and a chicken, others were down by the river, and a few were moody housewife-esque on a couch in the dark. Like I said, LOTS going on. But it was all a great time and resulted in some really beautiful seventies visuals.

Let this be inspiration for those who want to do a family photoshoot in a different way. Maybe you’re inspired by an era like the seventies. Or maybe you love Harry Potter or some other magical land. The beauty of a photoshoot is that you control the aesthetic. And if your aesthetic is just jeans and a white tee, that’s fine too! Let your imagination be your guide, and I’ll gladly hop on for the ride!

Enjoy looking through these magical photos of a beautiful little family in the country.

The post Seventies Inspired Family Photoshoot | Monroe, WA appeared first on Elise Giordano Photography.

Birthdays in the time of quarantine are kind of a bummer. You can’t have the party you want, you can’t invite all the friends you love and you can’t get kisses from your Grammy and Grampy. But you CAN still eat delicious cake, get cuddles from your Mom and Dad, and have some socially-distant photos taken to remember the whole thing.

Russell celebrated his first ever birthday during the COVID quarantine, and I felt so very lucky to capture it all. While he wasn’t able to see his family in person, they were able to FaceTime with him as he took his first ever bite of cake. Halee is a dear friend of mine, so when she asked me if I was comfortable taking some photos of Russell to celebrate his big day, I couldn’t say no. Russy is an introspective, smiling little boy, and everyone who meets him instantly falls in love with him. (Myself included.)

We managed to capture some beautiful sun, some of his favorite trees, a few tears as we sang Happy Birthday (don’t we all feel like crying when we hear that song?) and the cutest little bonnet you ever did see.

Happy Birthday, sweet boy! I’m so glad we were able to celebrate your first year in style.

The post Vashon Island | Russell’s First Birthday appeared first on Elise Giordano Photography.

I really love capturing the spirit of a place. It’s exciting to find magical nooks and crannies, docks and porches, lighthouses and beaches that characterize a town. Naturally, magical places make for picturesque backgrounds, and lucky for me, Vashon Island has them all.

Vashon brought me home in 2017. After one short year in Seattle, I decided the ambulances and drunken hotel-goers of First Hill were just too much for my small-town heart. So, I set my sights on something that felt like Skagway. If you’re new here, Skagway is a tiny town in Southeast Alaska I called home for four years. I moved to Seattle to further my photography career in the outdoor industry, and found myself looking for something more. Vashon called my name.

As often happens when one moves to a new place, it’s taken time to find my bearings. It’s a process for a community to know you and welcome your skill. After three years, it is happening, and I’m making friends and growing closer to many an islander. But ironically, my favorite Vashon shoot to date is with one of my favorite Skagway families : the Myers.

I’ve shot the Myers’ family photos for years, and up until now, they’ve all been taken in Skagway : once along the Skagway River, and again in the municipality’s historical downtown. When they asked me if I had any ideas for photos in Washington, I immediately thought of Vashon. I moved to this seaside town because of its similarities to Skagway. It’s small, the community is extremely tight-knit, its roots run deep and most importantly, its beauty is vast and wandering.

I thought I’d have to do some convincing to get this family of six onto a ferry for a day of shooting, but the promise of sight-seeing and fresh air had them hooked. And they sure got the grand tour.

We visited the Vashon Coffee Roasterie and the Vashon Country Store. We scoured shorelines along Jensen Point in the charming town of Burton. We cruised along the water in my neighborhood Dockton Park, and then journeyed through the park’s wooded trails. We even managed a trip to the Point Robinson Lighthouse for one final hurrah before they rushed off for their ferry and on to SeaTac.

It was a Vashon whirlwind.

This day of adventure opened my eyes – I saw the island through those of a visitor. I remembered the details that captured my heart when I first arrived, wide-eyed and full of possibility. The red light on the front porch of the roasterie and the screen door slamming with the arrival of new patrons; the creaky floorboards of the Country Store, combined with that musty, woodsy smell that transports you to a different time; the windswept beaches, decorated with tufts of seaweed and dried-up jellyfish; and the smell of salt water that drifts through the towering evergreens who’ve been observing for centuries.

A breath of fresh air on this beautiful island that I call home.

There’s something special about sharing your home with friends; taking them to your favorite haunts is like opening the front door with a warm cup of coffee and plate of cookies. It’s comforting, an opening of your heart with people you hold dear.

I’m thrilled that they’re able to take the beauty of this Pacific Northwest day back to Skagway and remember it for years to come. I’m so grateful I was able to capture their love in a place that I love, doing the thing that I love most.

So, when are you coming to Vashon?

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Our bellies were full of delicious turkey and stuffing, and our evening full of excellent conversation and camaraderie. The next day we headed out to the beach to take some family photos for Christmas cards. Unbeknownst to us, the family of three we photographed, was soon to be a family of four. That morning, Mallory and Mike discovered they were pregnant, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.

It is such an honor to have captured this special day without even knowing it, and we cannot wait to meet their little bundle of joy.

Until then, enjoy these photos of their beautiful family and our delicious Thanksgiving spread.

The post A Vashon Thanksgiving | The Shull Family appeared first on Elise Giordano Photography.

Lower Reid Falls was one of my favorite hiking spots when I lived in Skagway. It’s preceded by a small gold rush cemetery, which is more of a tourist spot than a place of remembrance. But it’s a sweet little way to get out of town and see a beautiful waterfall.

Kristin and Phil have the sweetest little girl, who really had the best time on our trip. Her favorite color is purple, and she happened upon a purple bracelet along the trail. Go figure!

Like most little girls in Skagway, she is eager for adventure and not afraid to get dirty. With a walking stick and her two stuffy pals, she blazed a few trails on her own and dipped her fingers into the cold water of the falls. She’s a girl after my own heart!

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There’s a bounty of beautiful places in Skagway, but one of my favorites is the Dyea Flats. When Kelly suggested we head over on a sunny afternoon, I was thrilled.

During the Gold Rush, Dyea was a boom town full of merchants, prostitutes and fellas looking to get rich quick. Its harbor welcomed boatfuls of stampeders and adventure seekers heading deep into the Last Frontier searching for gold. However, their search was short-lived, and a town once blossoming with opportunity, became nothing but a grassy field sandwiched between two mountains.

Today, the Dyea Flats are a beloved spot for campers, hikers and all the dogs of Skagway. Eagles flock to its driftwood, Grizzlies can be seen in the fall, and in the summer salmon swim up its shallow streams. On this sunny spring afternoon, we flocked to its natural beauty.

Though little of the Gold Rush town remains, reminders of what once was still peak out from beneath the waters and between the trees. The skeleton of a dock greets you when the tide is low, and broken boards mark spots where buildings once stood. It’s a ghost town if you use your imagination and a beautiful park if you don’t. However you enjoy the landscape, it’s a piece of Alaskan beauty that you’ll keep close to your heart.

Enjoy looking through our time spent in the glorious Alaskan sun.

The post The Calver Family | The Dyea Flats appeared first on Elise Giordano Photography.