Simply Design Studios: Blog https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog en-us (C) Simply Design Studios [email protected] (Simply Design Studios) Fri, 02 Sep 2022 23:04:00 GMT Fri, 02 Sep 2022 23:04:00 GMT https://simplydesignstudios.com/img/s/v-12/u198146620-o636187688-50.jpg Simply Design Studios: Blog https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog 120 80 Jeff & Julia and Wish Grantors https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog/2022/9/jeff-julia-and-wish-grantors A few months ago, we were contacted by Wish Granters, a non-profit organization based out of Boise, ID. This organization grants wishes for adults facing non-age related terminal illness. After hearing the story of Jeff and Julia Conradi, our team was ready to jump right in and capture this once in a lifetime portrait series for this special couple. 

Jeff_Julia-1 copyJeff_Julia-1 copy Jeff_Julia-4 copyJeff_Julia-4 copy Jeff_Julia-5 copyJeff_Julia-5 copy I connected with Julia right away and felt her warm heart and love through our conversations. She shared about Jeff and some of his story and his battle with cancer. We worked out the details of our time photographing and made our plans to capture their getaway to the coast. Due to some medical complications, plans were put on hold temporarily. After some recovery time and a little extra rest, Jeff & Julia made their way over to the Oregon Coast and we had a wonderful time together. 

Jeff_Julia-10 copyJeff_Julia-10 copy Agate Beach presented a cool and foggy sunset here in Newport the evening of their session. It was perfect for the snuggles in front of the camera along our scenic coast. You couldn't help but witness that Julia so lovingly watched out for Jeff as he made sure every step Julia made, he was holding on to her. They both comforted and took care of each other. There were a few tears and lots of smiles, shared stories and emotions, and we were honored to capture that during their time here. 

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For more information about Jeff and his battle, or for ways to help, you can visit his GoFundMe here: https://gofund.me/b8a6b760

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[email protected] (Simply Design Studios) beach beautiful cancer Lincoln County love Newport Oregon Oregon Coast photographer PNW professional sunset wish granters https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog/2022/9/jeff-julia-and-wish-grantors Fri, 02 Sep 2022 23:03:31 GMT
Owen Kicks Cancer https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog/2022/6/owen-kicks-cancer We were recently contacted by Make A Wish Foundation for a family portrait session with 4 year old Owen and his family. Owen's wish was a peaceful week at the ocean. With the help of our friends from Cliffside Coffee & Sweets along with our famous Mo's Restaurant, we were able to load this kiddo up on treats and gifts so he will always remember our little coastal town. 

Our first session date was too rainy so we defaulted to our backup date. Owen didn't seem to notice or mind at all...
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Owen brought all his energy, running and jumping on the rocks. As a typical 5 year old, he barely sat still for more than a second or two which was a challenge I totally accepted! The rest of the session, we mostly let him run and play while we strategically placed our lights where he might stand in front of them, even if it was a for just a moment!

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Halfway through the session, the sky did something I've never before been able to capture... how perfect is this?!?

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It was hard to top this type of phenomenon. However, we came prepared with something we heard makes Owen's heart happy. 

A bubble machine. 

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As the sun began to set, we scooped this family up for one last series to incorporate our beautiful coastline views.

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It was a beautiful opportunity and we were privileged to photograph this family during their Oregon Coast visit. As of their trip here, Owen's scans came back clear and we're all celebrating with them! To learn more about Owen's story, you can follow his journey HERE.

To donate, visit his GOFUNDME

We did post some behind the scenes from this session on our TikTok page at Simply Design Studios! 

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[email protected] (Simply Design Studios) a beach beautiful cancer coast Lincoln County Make Newport Oregon Coast photographer pnw professional sunset wish https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog/2022/6/owen-kicks-cancer Fri, 01 Jul 2022 01:39:55 GMT
Natasha & Family https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog/2022/6/natasha-family It's no secret that we absolutely LOVE our beaches here. 80% of our portrait work is along the coast. However, every now and then, we get this rare opportunity to photograph on property that creates an environment all its own. This session, was that kind of opportunity! 

Enjoy some of our favorites from Natasha's Family session.

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See what I mean about all the beauty away from the beach...
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We connected with Natasha shortly after we photographed her sister's maternity session (another amazing session). During our consultation, we learned about her unique property with a sunroom surrounded by foliage outlined in moss covered stones and knew that's what we were going to do! We gathered up all the family dynamics and went straight to work.

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We played with the kiddos, poked fun at the adults, and laughed the entire session through!  Natasha_Crea-32 copyNatasha_Crea-32 copywww.simplydesignstudios.com PNW, Lincoln County, Oregon Coast photographer Visit our tiktok page at: Simply Design Studios for our behind the scenes shanenigans! 

https://www.tiktok.com/@simplydesignstudios

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[email protected] (Simply Design Studios) beautiful coast county family lincoln newport oregon photographer pnw professional https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog/2022/6/natasha-family Tue, 14 Jun 2022 17:19:50 GMT
Sam's Senior Year https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog/2022/3/sams-senior-year Sam_Morford-4 copySam_Morford-4 copy It's almost graduation season and as we wind up our 2022 senior portrait sessions, Sam's family reached out to us. And we are so glad they did!

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After a wardrobe consult and a haircut was agreed upon, Sam's family threw out a few ideas of what his session was going to look like. Fortunately, we have some pretty incredible scenic places along the Oregon Coast and in this case, inland just a little bit...

Sam_Morford-10 copySam_Morford-10 copy One of the things we love to do with our seniors is find that one thing they love... and as soon as "the car" got brought up, we knew we had to find a way to make it work! Our location was just a bit out of the way but paved well enough to make the trek. Thanks to Sam's aunt, we were able to incorporate this classic black beauty! What senior guy wouldn't love this during their session?!? Sam_Morford-19 copySam_Morford-19 copy

The park provided a beautiful backdrop for this edgy senior session and were pretty excited for the results! With his family and girlfriend standing by, we shared quite a few laughs, including when the keys got locked in... but that's for another blog story! We loved working with Sam and his family and although we've tried to tell Sam he should consider modeling in his future, we're content that he was able to be on the other side of our camera. 

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To see the BTS video from this session, head over to our TT: SimplyDesignStudios

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[email protected] (Simply Design Studios) 2022 class coast county landscape lincoln newport of oregon photographer pics pnw portrait portraits professional senior seniors session https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog/2022/3/sams-senior-year Fri, 25 Mar 2022 22:44:51 GMT
Capturing the Plains Cree Spirit https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog/2022/3/capturing-the-plain-cree-spirit Capturing the Canadian Plains Cree Spirit
 

This is Jaylene. 

After photographing her senior portraits several years ago, I was beyond excited when her mom requested our services once more when gifting Jaylene a very special type of portrait session. This time, we were asked to photograph her beautiful daughter in capturing her Canadian Plain Cree spirit. This was something we talked about during Jaylene's senior portrait session many years ago but decided to hold off on the idea... until recently. 

We brought Jaylene and her mom to one of our most versatile and favorite spots along the Central Oregon Coast. Immediately upon arrival, the sky opened up just enough for the sun to peek out with warming rays that danced along the creek, leaving a golden glow that seem to wrap around her. 

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The sun quickly disappeared under the PNW fog which provided the perfect covering for our next scenic area. As we set up our gear in the mossy greenery that covered a small forest, Jaylene's mom shared the story of her daughter's regalia, how and where it was made, detailing the intricate beadwork and the beautiful jewelry that accompanied the pieces with the feathers and fur that completed it all. 
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We completely fell in love with the regal feel of this particular session when featuring Jaylene in her exquisite regalia. 

As the temperature dropped during the sunset, we were able to capture a few more portraits in a more traditional regalia. 

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Thank you for sharing in our most recent portrait adventures!
 

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[email protected] (Simply Design Studios) beach beautiful Lincoln County Lincoln County Oregon Newport Oregon Coast photographer Plains Cree professional Professional photographer Simply Design Studios sunset https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog/2022/3/capturing-the-plain-cree-spirit Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:35:14 GMT
From Ashes to Portraits https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog/2016/9/from-ashes-to-portraits It's not hard to fall in love with my clients over and over again... and this time is no exception, but this particular senior has won my heart.

I was contacted by Jasmyn several weeks prior to her senior portraits where she continued to arrange her session in Newport all the way from Nebraska. The weather was windy for her weekend arrival but nothing we couldn't take on. And then something very unexpected happened. One motel went up in flames and the one next to it caught fire as well. Four souls were lost that day and over 50 victims displaced... 

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My youngest son and I spent the day in the temporary shelter with the Red Cross and the fire victims. We met their families and got to know several of those who came to Newport to visit and were left to find their way home as vehicles were destroyed and personal belongings went up in flames. We helped where we could but at the end of the day, you couldn't help but feel overwhelmed at all the loss and yet thankful for those who made it. I found myself needing a moment to mentally prepare for for Jasmyn's senior session so we pushed it off for just a few extra minutes. 

We both arrived at the studio at the same time and in my apology for pushing our session back a little, I blurted out... what a day! 

Without hesitation, she replied that she doubts it could be worse than her's and her mom's day.

My heart sank when she responded to my question about where she was staying. Yes, this beautiful senior and her mom were at the motel where the fire was. And after a day of being with the fire victims, our paths didn't cross once.

When we arrived at the beach, she expressed her disappointment about not being able to wear a pair of shoes she wanted as the bottom of her feet were burned from running on the ash as she went back for her clothes for her senior portraits. And she expressed just how much her portraits meant to her.

Needless to say, my heart was heavy in so many ways and we worked hard to give Jasmyn the best senior portrait experience ever. 

Jasmyn, you're a rockstar and we are honored to have captured this very important moment in your life!

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To view Jasmyn's full senior senior session, visit: http://simplydesignstudios.com/jasmynsenior2016

© Simply Design Studios

www.simplydesignstudios.com

 

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[email protected] (Simply Design Studios) Lincoln County Newport Oregon Coast Sharon Biddinger Simply Design Studios beach beautiful professional senior sunset https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog/2016/9/from-ashes-to-portraits Fri, 02 Sep 2016 03:06:20 GMT
Picture Perfect Proposal https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog/2016/8/picture-perfect-proposal "Sharon, a man named Cole is going to contact you. He has an awesome idea for a proposal... you're gonna want to take that call!"

-Danielle, Coast Event Rentals

(http://www.oregoncoasteventrentals.com)

 

In hindsight, awesome is an understatement. 

From our very first conversation, this man was scheming and planning the perfect proposal for his lovely girlfriend. Over the next few days, I was sent design ideas, music lists, and everything needed to wow his soon-to-be fiancé. From the secret access onto the decorated beach to the little cozy champagne nook, There was no detail forgotten and the perfect proposal went flawlessly.

I've been doing portraits now for a while and though I genuinely enjoy each of my sessions, few of them have taken my breath away quite like this one.

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[email protected] (Simply Design Studios) Lincoln County Newport Oregon Coast Sharon Biddinger beach beautiful couple engagement love photographer professional proposal sunset https://simplydesignstudios.com/blog/2016/8/picture-perfect-proposal Tue, 16 Aug 2016 03:33:44 GMT