Rained.
It is certainly time for spring. The problem is that I got my hopes up when we had a week of sunshine a few weeks ago and naively thought that spring had arrived. Today I found the rain beautiful though. It poured down on our roof as I wrote my papers which are due tomorrow and I found it kind of comforting. Seeking a break I grabbed my camera and stepped outside in an attempt to capture the water splashing down. Here's my favorite one.

A Hike in Dundee.

This week has given me a lot to think about, as a friend was killed in a car accident this last weekend. I have thought of many memories with him, and despite my deep sadness especially for those closest to him, I am inspired by his life. It's too bad that it takes something so drastic to give me a little perspective, and I hope I can cling to it for a long time. Thanks for the inspiration Ben. Thanks for living a beautiful life.

Hail yea!

While typing my previous post, a loud crash of lightning, and the steady pounding of hail caused me to run out of the apartment camera in hand and head for Mountain Top Road. The hail didn't last for long, but it was intense enough to leave a white dusting over the streets of Newberg. I had hoped there would be a lot on Mountain Top Road, but there was little more than in town, but I managed to find this cool log and I had a spectacular view over the valley as the storm gave way to blue sky and sunshine.

Hood River. anniversarydos!

Although our 2nd anniversary was nearly 4 months ago, Leah and I finally took our overnight vacation to Hood River this weekend. Hood River is such a beautiful little town located on the edge of the Columbia River. We had somewhat of a rare view from our hotel window where we could see snow lining the hills of the Colombia Gorge, due to some late March snow that Western Oregon has had.

We spent a lovely Friday night and Saturday roaming around Hood River looking for windsurfers, picture opportunities, and reading together in a local coffee shop. On our way back we drove along the Historic Columbia Highway and were caught up in a serious storm, which put an end to any plans of hiking or taking pictures. This explains the 2nd picture which is of Multnomah falls, taken through our car window because the storm was too fierce. The 1st picture is a tree in the gorge which shows the effects of constant wind.
Our night away reminded me to take time to get away with Leah more often. I had so much fun with my lovely wife and it was so refreshing to step away from all the homework and the work, and just spend time building a deeper friendship and adventuring. These times remind me of how easy it is for me to take Leah for granted, and how wonderful she is. I am such a lucky man to get to spend the rest of my life with such a beautiful and dear friend. Thanks for everything Leah, I love you.

Stephanie Hescock. Senior Portraits.



2 Weeks ago, I had the joy of photographing Stephanie Hescock. Despite the cold Western Oregon winter day, Stephanie stayed strong, even while wearing flip flops. We managed to get these finished up between rain showers.

Jake and Michelle ~ Engagement Session
Lincoln City, OR




Lincoln City is a special place for Jake and Michelle. They were brave enough to risk getting their engagement pictures taken at the beach on a day when the forecast said there would be rain every hour. As you can see, we got a beautiful day instead.

Michelle and Jake, Thanks for being up for anything! Your pictures show what an adventure life is for the two of you. Your dedication to each other is evident and your story is beautiful.

Michelle: "Today I prayed for God to make a fool out of the weather man"

(blog post by Leah Rupp)