Rethinking Perspective

Hi Everybody!

I'm gazing at blue skies out my office window today and it can't feel much better. I have a two-part wedding boudoir session today; it started with the initial shoot several months ago, the "blonde" client. TODAY, months later, she is brunette and ready for shoot two! I've got a few tricks up my sleeve in terms of concept and I can't wait to surprise her groom with what we create today.

This entire summer has been one I will never forget. You know when you have those years that blend in and those other years that lift up, stand out as the benchmarks you gauge all other years from? Well 2010 lifts up for me big time. This is the year I began speaking and coaching on the psychology and photography business & "Passion & Purpose", as well as did a pretty sweet amount of traveling (Dallas, Kansas City, Canada, Mexico, Austria, Germany...San Fransisco and New Orleans left to go!) I photographed and met new family, new clients, new friends, and connected with old family and old friends. Traveling absolutely effects the way I think, and ultimately, the way I shoot. When I am lifted out of my computer chair and plopped down in a new environment, my wondering mind has new material to chew on......new questions are raised.....new delights emerge...

Everything that comes out of my mouth originates as a thought, and profound thoughts for me are born visually.

As we carve like a snowboarder into autumn in the next several weeks, begin thinking about family, friends, and who is important to you in your life. Is it time for me to create a family portrait for you to have hanging in your home for the holidays? Especially if you are one of my wedding clients from previous years, I'd love to create the next portrait you can't stop looking at.

BABIES!!!

Hi Everybody!

Okay so there is quite the baby boom occurring here at Julie Watts Photo! No, not me, silly, it's you, my clients (though I introduce my new niece at the end of this post)!!

Through weddings and seniors I meet most of you, and from those photographic roots, you ask me to photograph your bellies, your babies. And I get so excited for your pregnancies...I didn't know I'd actually get to photograph my clients create families for themselves, year after year. It's a very dynamic part of photography...the ever-growing body of my work that is not just one chapter of my client's life, it's chapter after chapter...each one as fun as the next because I get to KNOW you all so well...and it's not just "any" photographer coming over to photograph your newborn, it's YOUR photographer, Julie Watts.

So in celebration of all of the buns in the oven I'll be photographing over the coming months, here are a few memorable images I've created for you in the past!

This little darling totally knocked us out with this wildly classical looking pose and expression!

The soft...slow...snuggly...this is the life of a Newborn...(above)

Tasty toes and scrumptious baby chub

Overflowing with personality

Anticipation...your a big FOUR year old now...

Portrait of a Snowbaby

Lilly's Curiosity

Emily in a Dress, all Grown Up (above)

Just Plan Mischevious and Adorable!!

Addison...too busy Dreaming to be mischevious....yet! Adorable since the beginning...

And introducing Nuala...a new friend of the Julie Watts Photo! She's a bright little thing and appears to have couch lounging DOWN at only three weeks. What an absolute DOLL, don'tcha think?!

What a peaceful, beautiful way to remember childhood...outside with your mom and dad and nothing else...for most people, pictures are a major part of remembering your childhood...and these experiences are authentic moments that are sparked into existence because of a need for current family pictures...so the experience turns out to be just as much as memorable as the images themselves...which leads me to give you a little insider info about a special promotion I am lining up. In coordination with celebrating my NEW, STYLISH website being launched, I'll be offering a LIMITED number of past clients a family portrait session September through November, in plenty of time for the holidays...

And above are my own little darlings...and there's ONE more addition...our family welcomed a new NEICE on July 21...baby Alaina Marie!

Aunt Julie Rocks!!! lol

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?

Personalized Wine-Making @ Castlebridge!

Hi Everyone! Long-time no blog! I've so much to catch you guys up on! For one thing, I am looking forward to blog about Aliya & Billy's April 3rd wedding at The Canal in Ballard...first though, I wanted to share these great shots that my bride Jill from February 3rd sent me of their wine-making adventure at Castlebridge Winery, conveniently located in Kent! The wine was used above as wedding favors for their guests, which was such a cool idea I just had to share it!


I have yet to make my first batch of Castlebridge wine, but I've sampled all four flavors Jill and her VERY good friends labored over and they were DELICIOUS....from white to blush to red. Yum!






Too cute!

The final product below, featuring customized labels featuring images from Jill & Barry's Engagement session!

Thanks for sharing Jill!! I will for sure take you up on your offer to help me make my first Julie Watts Photo batch of wine at Castlebridge Winery!

In other news, here's just a little sneak peek of Aliya & Billy's wedding! That's Aliya's mother, Raina, in the background (and Billy's hidin' back there too) watching her youngest daughter on her wedding day. Doesn't this image have an unREAL amount of vintage essence?!

Vienna--4 Month Portraits!

Here are a few shots from Vienna's 4 Month old portraits. Big during the forth month are things like playing with your toes and sucking on your fingers, wearing tutus and generally loving life and learning something new every minute. . . .

Vienna-3 month portraits!

Ahhh, three months old...we will all have the pleasure of watching Vienna grow up during her first year on this blog! Each month, Vienna is coming in so I can capture her grow and change during this fast paced-sometimes chaotic-always surprising-time of her life!

Smiling is now a common occurance, but the delicate, sweet, infant features are still in full bloom...




There's that smile!

Mom was about to change her clothes, but the light shining in through the open door and Vienna's precious adorable baby-ness made me burst out with "Wait! Don't move!" Stay tuned for more images of little Vienna!

Megan & DJ...Gor-juhsssss

Some of my favorite shots from July 12 at The Pioneer Park Pavillion in Puyallup....

"This is really IT!"

One of DJs ushers had just said "You guys look like a boy band!"

The breeze in her hair, the clinging arms and sweet gaze of DJs neice was such a gift to capture. One of the sweetest fleeting moments ever...

Oh! The candids of mothers and daughters...sigh...all I see here is beauty, poise (and amazing cheekbones) passed down from one generation to the next...

Just minutes before Megan became DJ's wife.....

Haven't we all been there?! Brooklyn really did take the hairstyling like a champ!

July 12 was a beautiful day for a wedding...Megan & DJ sealed the deal at Pioneer Park Pavillion in Puyallup.. DJ, look what you had coming!!!

This shot of Megan's flowergirls is a super fav of mine...it's also an excellent example of how stunning the use of color can be!

The lighting in the Pavillion was awesome that day...we had light coming from both sides when Megan stood here (and caterers worked behind the tall black drape)!

To direct guests to the correct entrance, this sheer drape was hung. Once the sun lowed and began to pour in, I couldn't have been happier! I get glowing bride shots any time possible, but this was just too easy!

I love it when the bride and groom truly love to dance...this groom could really move :)

The groom's sweet moves were brought to you in part by Mark of The Musical Outlet! He has a lifelong passion for music and DJing...it was truly evident that night. There really is an art to leading a reception, and a great DJ can maintain the flow of events to keep guests stimulated, then create a fantastic, spirited environment for your guests to let loose, which in turn creates some awesome moments for your photographer to capture! One of the best DJs I've ever worked with! Mark's website is under revision, but you can take the first step to getting YOUR party started at 253.273.6299. Just check these dance shots out!!

It was a WONDERFUL wedding and I have no doubt that Megan and DJ will have an amazing life together as husband and wife!!! Their entire wedding slideshow is right here! Next up, will be my post on the Leavenworth wedding of Tonya and Roy!