Stacy & Mark's Wedding

Hi Everybody! Memorial Day Weekend was gorgeous (seems like so long ago already, doesn't it?) and I had the pleasure of capturing Stacy & Mark's wedding day for them through my eye...here's a few of my favs

Tonya, Stacy's bridesmaid to the left, is one of my '07 brides!! Stacy loved a particular high-contrast shot from Tonya's "before" shots, so it was fun to get some shots of Stacy and her girls arriving to the Grand Holiday Ballroom...braced and ready to support Stacy on the day her life changes...

I just love this shot of the bridesmaids & Stacy. They just look all tied up in knots :)
And unless you are on primetime TV or a professional model, how often do you get the chance to relax whilst getting beautifed??

Mark is not only a veteran, he's deploying for a tour in Afghanistan this month with the US Army. THANK YOU Mark for everything you do to protect us all and our freedom.
I love this super glowy image of Stacy & Mark. Stacy looks amazing and for some reason it's extra lighthearted because Mark is gazing off, looking like he's whistling a happy tune!


Stacy's bouquet was really unique and stunning...but great florists like hers arrive early, make sure everything is taken care of, then dissappear off into the night to let their floral artistry speak for itself...if the business responsible for this gorgeous bouquet is reading this, I'd love for you to drop me a line so I can give you credit! Your work was beautiful!



I love how the colors of the grass and distressed whitewash walls pop around Stacy & Mark.
Congratulations you two....I hope the next year in which Mark is in Afghanistan flies by...you've got an anniversary shoot coming your way when Mark returns...I can't wait to capture you two snuggling and nuggling again after such a long time apart! It will be so juicy!

Thank You

Hi Everybody!

I've been spending a good part of 2009 working on a whole new, better-than-ever website with updated images and design with my web designer and friend, Ron Ford of Webvisuals. I can't WAIT for the new site to go live and give birth to the next era of Julie Watts Photo. My evolution has been in large part to my business coach, Karen Buckley of the Wisdom Connection. I have been doing some intense work and I feel like I've learned years worth of information in a very short time... and I want to take this opportunity to say "Thank You" to everyone on the team, Sonny at Asabooks, Hannah my assistant (and one of my closest friends ever), my family for believing in me, Wendy & Seth for their friendship, my photographer friends (gosh--too many to list), Me Ra Koh especially...your vision and bravery leave me speechless, and especially my beloved clients and brides. Yes you are all still "my brides" to me and always will be. I feel like an honorary member of so many of your families! I am honored and stoked beyond belief to be a part of your lives!


...so as I wait in limbo between the old website and the new, I'm going to be moving the thank yous I've received to the blog. No matter WHAT you do for a living, take the time to reread the positive responses you've received. Without further ado:

"Thank you so much for the amazing pictures. Everyone has said how beautiful they are. A few have said that they even cried all over again. Your sooo amazing and we look forward to seeing you soon."-- The Taylors


(OMG did you read that last part?! How funny is that!? Don't worry, the groomsmen and I got along famously...lol)

"Julie, Thank you so much for coming to our wedding and being our rockstar photographer! Not only did you take the most amazing beautiful pictures (everyone loves them!) but you also helped me keep my head on my shoulders. I would have been a mess without you! You are so talented and an amazing artist! If you and your family ever want a Montana vacation, you are always welcome to our home! We love you, Celeste & Ryan Johnston"

If you are loving the love-fest, go ahead and click here to check out 29 more reviews submitted to King 5's Best of Western Washington Contest!

Thank You All!!!!

Stacy & Mark Engagement!

Not a typical engagement picture?

Well if an engagement shoot is defined as a casual photoshoot of a couple in love, relaxed and playful, and totally comfortable being themselves, then what's not to love about some playful sparring?

Especially when Mark, one of our honored servicemen, falls in love with Stacy, a captivating Emergency Responder-type. Sparks and sparring flew...........

We had a great time trekking Snoqualmie Falls and stopping occasionally to take some pictures!

I had the pleasure of shooting Stacy & Mark's Olympia wedding just two weeks later. They planned the wedding in just a couple of short months...Mark is going to serve in Afghanistan and well, he popped the question over the phone when he realized he just didn't want to wait until he got back. Awwww.....

Cold hand on the back! Cold hand on the back!

"You coming up here with me?"

Next up will be my FAVORITE shots from Stacy & Mark's Memorial Day weekend wedding in Olympia! Stay tuned! I've got another great senior to tell you about and an update on baby Vienna's first year...

Senior-Lauren O!

Hi There Julie Watts Photo Blogillicious Readers!

Meet Lauren O. This fiery senior was a blast to shoot (Her career interest is Culinary Arts). This was one of the rare times I decided to shoot a senior in my studio...



. . .because for me, the variety/spontaneousness of location shooting will always tickle that place in my heart that remembers being a young stay-at-home mom 10 years ago. . .I was a person that felt the burning desire for photography so intensely that nothing derailed my drive. I am so thankful I had that start; shooting with a consumer camera on auto, lamps in the house laid on the side, and big skirts thumbtacked to the wall as a backdrop for my rolly polly 10 month old. That was spring of 2000, and there's something so peaceful and settling about looking back and remembering that for the past 10 years, I never gave up on my dream. I didn't give in to the worry that raced through my mind many, many times. There were SO many aspects to consider, so much experience to be gained before I could truly speak with authority and confidence about anything photography-related.

Happiness in life really is about honoring Each Day of the life's journey...not criticizing how steep the road is, how long it's taking you, how you're not outfitted with the proper metaphorical "gear."

The journey REVEALS what's most important to you in life. Clearing out everything else actually brings you closer being the best you can possibly be. I love seniors because they are at a monumental time of transition...a beginning of a new journey that THEY design themselves, that will have twists and turns and ups and downs. But as long as they follow their passion and listen to their gut, they'll see exactly what I'm talking about...

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to Lauren on graduating! Follow you passion, enjoy the climb!

Sweet Pleasures, Mother & Daughter

Hi Everybody! Hey guess what? I'm almost all the way caught up on blogging...I've got some '09 seniors to show you, two more weddings from the past TWO WEEKS I'm finishing up, but for now, I'd love to show you the lovely, the talented, mother and daughter duo, Shannon & Taylee.


Taylee struck me with her poise. I love her soft smile in this one...

Ohhh...the stuff of life. We've brushed hair/been brushed a thousand times as girls and women...we've said "Ouch!" and we've said "Sorry, I'll try to be gentle but you've got a knot." We've whined hoping it'd get over with, and we've left the braid not QUITE even 'cause we know we've got to pick our battles...okay so maybe when I say "we" I really mean "me", but chances are 50% percent of the population has been on one end or another of this process. That's why it's so fun to get shots of these "ordinary" moments...because so many memories are brought back when you see them...because you've never really seen yourselves from this perspective...kudos to all you mom's out there! You too, Shannon. You are one heck of a mom.

So, after I grabbed that, I looked down. It was just too perfect:

Here's some more favorites:

Next, we ran over to my studio in Edgewood to get a few more formal, black on black portraits...

I just love how their mother-daughter bond shows through...

I always have a great time on my shoots, but mother/daughter shoots are close to my heart!! My daughter is 6...about time for ME to get a shoot done like this with MY daughter, don't you think?

Live in the Question

Hey There People!

In the spirit of catching up on blogging, I bring you these studio shots of professional bellydancer/instructor, Malia, one of my favorite clients ever 'cause we always have so much fun and try to go somewhere different creatively with each shoot we do together. She performs regularly around the Sound and her website is here. Yes of course those are my images on the website, even the sillouette one with the sword!!

The studio itself is a completely different environment than shooting on location. You have control and responsibility for choosing lighting, the setting, etc. It uses a totally different part of my brain than when I'm doing say, a senior shoot outdoors and the responsibility is on identifying where the great little spots are and making creative decisions quickly based on the light Mother Nature set up for me. In the studio, it's quiet.... time stops....I have to plan. I need inspiration and one person that always inspires me is Malia.

What I like most about repeat clients is that we really get into a GROOVE! Now we totally know each other and it's a perfect environment to experiment and goof off. Sometimes in life, I feel like there's too much pressure to KNOW everything. My business coaches, Karen Buckley & Fay Freed, have introduced me to so many awesome ideas, but the one I love right now is the idea of "living in the question." Instead of going on auto-pilot and worrying about a decision to make, I can choose to relax and be comfortable "living in the question" and letting the answer rise to the surface of my thoughts instead of trying to force it.

So even though I didn't know it at the time, that's what I was doing with Malia last fall. Living in the Question. "Why don't we try this?"

"Okay, now, what would happen if we did that?"

"What if we changed this?"

"What if we did that?"

I really get a lot out of collaborating with existing clients on photo projects, especially when it's a concept shoot like with Nicole & Dan's studio Engagement session, all crazy and whatnot. It really gives my brain somewhere foreign and new to explore and discover. And I LOVE that.