Modified Style Portland: Clothing Swap

Sometimes things happy with such serendipity. Like the opportunity to do some photography for this wonderful fundraiser in Portland called Modified Style.  Modified Style raises money for three different organizations in Portland: Sisters of the Road, The Pixie Project, and Bark. They hold a fashion show where designers create new designs out of found and donated scrap fabric. Cool right?

I would never have known about this awesome benefit in Portland except that a girl that I went to elementary school with forwarded me an e-mail she received from another person we went to elementary school with who now is Vice President of Modified Style. This women was reaching out to find people to donate to the cause.

Well years ago my father played in benefit concerts for Sisters of the Road (his band played in this benefit show many different years). I figured that this would be a great project for me to find a way to include myself in. I e-mailed Amy (the Vice President of Modified Style) and told her that I would love to volunteer possibly doing photography or anything else they needed.

They eventually did need a photographer for the clothing swap they were having. I attended this fun party and took pictures. I have to say this event was a ton of fun and I am so glad I got to go. The darkness made shooting difficult and the clothing swappers were so serious!

Here are a few of the photos from the event. If you live in the Portland area I encourage you to check out Modified Style.

First Day of School Photos

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Kids starting up school for the year always calls for first day of school photos. These two were excited (if not a little nervous) about their first day.

I went on pintrest to gather first day of school photo ideas and found a couple that I liked. One was having your child write their name out and have them hold it in the photo. Another was asking them what they want to be when they grow up, writing in on a prop, and put into the photo. Another was taking a photo on the first day and another on the last day of school holding the first day of school photo. Of course that will have to wait until the last day of school.
I decided to combine a few of these ideas and have my son write is name and then I wrote the grade and what he wants to be when he grows up. (I hope you don’t mind i covered that all up, I know it makes the photo look a bit funny).

Maybe now that school has started I will get back into actually posting to this blog! Sorry I haven’t been very good about it.

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Fleeting Moment

This moment reminds me of the wonderful Oregon coast and the fleeting moments of sunshine that occur there throughout the year. I am also reminded that this age of my children’s lives are going to come and go so quickly that the moments will all feel quite fleeting.

Such A Cutie

This little guy is a little past a year old. He is the son of a life long friend of mine. These photos were taken during a wedding reception we were all attending for another friend. He was sitting there so nicely I just could NOT resist taking his picture even though it was in the opposite direction of the wedding festivities!

See other photos of people on the People Page.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship

Two little friends at a local kids event at the park.

I am currently learning about Photoshop and so even though there is a lot left to be desired about this photo I am quite amazed at my achievement in getting the two kids in focus but the background out of focus and the two kids in color while the background is in black and white. Learning can be fun (and frustrating at times)!

Hope you enjoy this one. View past photo challenge posts at the Weekly Photo Challenge page or see more photos of people at the People and details page.

Don’t miss next weeks challenge by clicking the follow button.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Hands

I love this weeks photo challenge. Hands are such a wonderful focus for a photograph. Here are a few of my favorite photographs with hands as the main subject or secondary subject of the photograph.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Two Subjects

After our yearly trip (see photographs from last year here) to the tulip fields I have more than a few photographs to share. This weeks challenge was two subjects in the photo and since all of these photos contain both the primary subject (the kids) and the secondary subject (the tulips) I thought they were a great fit. Stay tuned for more photographs from this day coming up later in the week.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Through

I decided to start the Weekly Photo Challenge but I will warn that I may not be very good at keeping up to date with them. I will try to stay current and we will see how it goes. I have high hopes but I am also realistic and know that many times it is very difficult for me to get out and take new photographs during a week unless I take my children, which means my children are also usually the focus of the photographs.

We will see…

This last weeks challenge was through. This first photo was taken through a giant bubble at the Salem Gilbert House a children’s museum. The second was taken through the trees while the kids were on their way over a bridge at Steigerwald Lake.

Great Grandma

My Grandma has a birthday coming up in the next few days so I was going back through photographs of her 90th birthday party to create a photo book for her. I live on the opposite side of the country from her and don’t get to see her as much as I would like but I am so glad that we have been able to visit and have my children meet her.

My Grandma Roe will be turning 92 this year and is still finding ways to get down and work in her garden making it amazingly beautiful (I hope someday I am as good at this as her and my Mom are).

I am also reminded about how great it is to see the older and younger generation interact and influence each other. I am glad that our family lives closer enough to my children’s grandparents that they can get to know each other well.

Although she will probably not see this post because she does not use the computer I wanted to share my favorite (recent) photograph of her.

We love you Grandma (and Great-Grandma)! Happy birthday!

Do you have a favorite photograph multiple generations together?

Oh yeah and you can visit here for more pictures of people

Singing in the Rain: Salem Dancing in the Street

This last weekend we went down to visit my Mom and wish my Dad a happy birthday. My Mom was excited to go to an event in downtown Salem that was designed to get people to show their love for the capital city of Oregon.

Ahead of time people were to go online and learn a few simple dance moves and then descend upon downtown Salem and dance to the song Singing in the Rain on Saturday to show their love for Salem. There was also a small stage at the front of the dancing crowd that had a variety of dancers with different styles each for very short segments of the song.

My kids enjoy this kind of thing and so does my Mom (I enjoy the opportunity to take out my camera). My Mom, husband, and two small children set off to participate, watch, and photograph this fun little event.

It was a bit difficult to keep a good eye on my 2 year old and take photographs but I did my best. My mom helped out some and so did my husband although he was up on top of the parking garage watching with my 5 year old most of the time.

Look at all the umbrellas!

According the people holding the event this is the most famous man in Salem…Gerry Frank.

Check back tomorrow for part two (my favorite part of the day and photographically).

Part 2