Jeff & Renee

In June of 2007, Jeff and Renee went on vacation. As Renee packed for her trip to Europe, she had no idea she would come back with an extra piece of jewelry on her hand. Together, they toured Austria with Jeff's parents. Then the group separated, and the couple made their way to Italy where they explored Rome, and eventually came to the the Amalfi Coast. As Renee was getting ready for dinner, Jeff waited for her on the balcony of their room. As she emerged, and the Italian sun disappeared into the ocean, Jeff got down on one knee. There he proposed. And just over a year later, Renee walked down the aisle to her groom.

This time the clothes were fancier. And there were a few more people in attendance. But the same sun shone in Sunriver that set that night in Italy. And she had the glowing smile to match.

Jeff and Renee, words cannot describe how I enjoyed spending your day with you. From the candy buffet table to Jeff's dad's amazing tap dance, all your dreaming and planning culminated perfectly. It was tough to narrow down my favorites, so please enjoy an extra long post of your photos!

An Oregon Summer

I'll let you in on a little bit of an unamerican secret.

I don't particularly enjoy camping.

I mean I enjoy it in certain locations. I don't enjoy it at the coast. And that happened to be where we camped this summer. Twice. Our most recent trip was just a few weeks ago, and although it wasn't all bad all the time, it did start raining the moment we arrived at 10:00 that night. Thankfully, our friends went ahead of us, and our tent was already set up and waiting, complete with a blown-up air mattress. We just needed to wrap it in tarps. Had we needed to put up a tent in the rain, I might have very well left and gotten a hotel room at that moment. But because they so graciously helped us out, we were in and out of the rain in no time.

The next morning, I woke up and was surprisingly comfortable. I was in a protected little cocoon, listening to the sound of the rain dropping on the tent. Josh was on his way out to get another EZ-up canopy, and promised to bring me a hot latte and breakfast sandwich from Starbucks. He definitely knows the express-lane straight to my heart. This is a quick photo I took of us inside the shelter the boys had just built for us. He's so cute when he's sopping wet!


The rest of the weekend was full of crabbing, lunching, shopping, and surfing. And the occasional magazine or crossword puzzle to fill in the gaps. ... Ok.. it wasn't occasional. My whole Saturday pretty much consisted of Brick by Brick puzzles which I am now officially obsessed with. On the beach, at the campsite, in the car. All day. By Saturday morning, I was ready to go home. Those darn puzzles kept me sane until we left!

The trip was salvageable. And I have the photos to prove it. Maybe not liking to camp is unmerican. Maybe people can't relate. That's ok. I still have a husband that loves me, and does his very best to make camping for me as comfortable as possible. For that I am thankful. I might be looking back at this trip through rose colored glasses... but I suppose it's better than rain-soaked ones.

The next time I enjoy the beauty of the Oregon coast, it will be through the picture windows of a dry beach house with a hot tub in the backyard, a hot coffee on the table beside me, dinner cooking on the stove, and a rousing game of cards going. Now that's my idea of a vacation! Anyone want to join me? And if you'd rather camp. More power to ya. I won't hate you for it. But know that when it's raining, there's a dry house, and a good friend waiting to welcome you with open arms. Hey.. that's what friends are for.

The Class of 2009: Carly

As I got out of my car in Ontario, a beautiful girl with a funky polka dot sweater, gorgeous curly hair, and fun red glasses met me in the driveway. From that moment, I knew it was going to be a great shoot!

Carly and her family moved to Eastern Oregon a year ago from Lake Havasu, Arizona, and their house is adorable. We began our shoot there, then piled up Mom's SUV with the "road crew" and a couch, and made our way out to discover what Ontario had to offer. I have to say, this was one of the most fun shoots I've done. As we climbed on trains, walked through aspens, found abandoned roadways, and maybe borrowed a corn field (...shh don't tell), Carly told me of her passion for marine biology, and specifically her desire to help with the conservation of sea turtles. She busted a pose like no other, and had fun with every thing I threw at her. She certainly was a very fun and easy model!

Carly, enjoy your senior year. I would throw out a rousing "Go Tigers!" but I think my husband, and my father-in-law (Baker Bulldogs through and through) might disown me.

Celebrating Adoption with Boone

My favorite thing about the Celebrating Adoption sessions I have the honor of doing is spending time with the couples involved and hearing their stories. How they got to the place of adoption. How they came to be parents to this chosen child. And how their lives have changed since. Every time the story amazing to me. And Boone's story is no exception.

From the day Boone's parents first started talking about adoption, to the day they held him in their arms was almost exactly nine months. Yet instead of a growing belly, their hearts grew daily for the boy they were about to meet. They went to the hospital the moment he was ready to come out. And three hours after Boone was born, Carolyn and her husband found themselves brand new parents, making their way home as a new family. And when the topic of conversation is on Boone... their eyes glow.

Congratulations little Boone and your family! And p.s... I just love his name!

If you are a family who has added to your family through adoption within the last year, and are interested in the Celebrating Adoption program, please email me at jane@ethniphotography.com for more information.

Frankie = Mr. Independent

I had a session with Frankie two weeks ago, and I must have said "he's so CUTE!" at least 25 times during our hour together. He certainly is Mr. Independent, and our time was spent with me following him around. He only did something if he thought it was a good idea, and was entirely uninterested in the few poses or suggestions I threw at him. As much as I begged and pleaded, he had no interest in climbing into the prop-ready boat twenty feet away from us.

Such is life.

Instead, he appeased me for as long as he could stand. Letting Frankie be Frankie, I discovered two things that make him smile: bugs and his marbles. I discovered that he calls cigarette butts "cancer" (clever Mom!) and must point them out whenever he spots one. I also discovered that he loves climbing to the top of the slide... then turning around and walking back down without actually going down it.

We played the discovery game for a good amount of time.

Then, when he couldn't take it anymore, I got the magic shot. Frankie held his face in his hands in utter despair, probably pleading with God for the crazy lady with the camera to just go away.

And it is quite possibly my favorite shot of the day.

Frank's mom owns the cutest Etsy shop, aptly named Frank and Me, where she sells handmade, boutique-quality items for baby, including the infamous (and adorable) Burp Monster!

Frank, thank you for just being you. You're adorable.