The Reversed Lens » Uncategorized

Introducing Zachary • 2011 Beaverton High School Senior Rep

Emma Easley Darden — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:31:53 +0000

I can’t believe that it’s already senior picture time! Zachary is the first of our reps that we’ll be featuring this year. He’s a really dynamic guy; he plays waterpolo and swims on the varsity level and even though he’s a bit soft spoken, he’s one of those kids who you know is just cool. He and Will took off into downtown Beaverton (no, it’s not really an oxymoron) to capture a few of the different sides of his personality. Like all of our senior reps, we’ll do a full session later in the summer. But getting a sense of who he was, and some pictures to show off to friends, was the goal for this session, and I love what we captured.

Our little Pea • Portland Oregon Child Portraits

Emma Easley Darden — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 07:23:30 +0000

You know that old adage about cobblers and their shoes? We take a lot of photos of our daughter. A lot. Maybe too many. But most of them are taken on the fly whilst living our life. They end up on our hard drives and never see the light of day. The other day we were out running errands and we stopped at one of our favorite pubs for lunch. She was being particularly adorable, and looking particularly adorable, and so I decided to give a photo shoot with my own child a go. She’s been raised around the camera; she is often impervious to it and any direction by me. But that day she was a doll. And so here she is, at last, for all the world to see– or at least the little corner that follows our life and love.

One Fine Day™ with the Fishers • Portland Oregon Family Portraits

Emma Easley Darden — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:32:16 +0000

I’ve been a fan of Stacey Lynn for, well, at least as long as she’s been on the 105.1 Morning Buzz with Nelson and Terry. She always seemed like a doll and when I met her last year, I was thrilled to discover that she really IS that sweet. She’s the genuine article. And a week ago, I got the chance to see that up close and personal as we followed her family around during one of our One Fine Day™ sessions. She and her husband, Tim, have three insanely wonderful and crazy boys, and we got to be with them at their most real moments, which is our specialty. The RLP style is all about capturing emotion and connection and our One Fine Day™ sessions are the perfect medium for showing life and love through the perfect lens of that realness. The moments are simple: lunch around the table together; reading a favorite story; playing Rock Band; the boys doing their favorite things, all displaying their little quirks and personalities. But we know that all of those moments, in their entirety, are what make up the fabric of their family story.

Stacey in the studio, where her days begin earlier than I can imagine.

And then she’s back at home, where her day really begins.

With three boys the movement is constant– that day they headed to an indoor play park.
And just like any family, just getting out the door is half of the fun.

Grif gets a little bit of solo time while the twins take a nap.

Little Miss Olive • Portland Oregon Child Photography

Emma Easley Darden — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:17:13 +0000

I think that names say a lot about a person. If you have a super cute name, full of personality, how can one not be fun? Well, Olive certainly proves my point. She was fun all around within about thirty seconds of walking in the door! This time of year the weather doesn’t always cooperate with our schemes to go out into the neighborhoods of Portland. But that’s ok because our industrial chic studio is always at the ready! Our studio portrait sessions are still fun and whimsical and focused on the moments. We played around with lots of different backdrops and had Olive dancing, twirling, and generally being her adorable little self. We can’t wait to see you again, Olive!

Sandhya • Oregon Episcopal School Class of 2010

Emma Easley Darden — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:31:16 +0000

I know that you’re not supposed to play favorites among your clients, anymore than you’re supposed to play favorites among your kids. The latter is easy for me because we only have one tot. But this session with Sandhya was, by far, one of my favorite sessions we have ever done with a senior. She’s a senior at Oregon Episcopal School this year (Go Aardvaarks!; Will is an alum) and is amazingly athletic. At one point we asked her if she wanted to jump, which she was totally game for, and she got this crazy amount of air. I was really impressed and she said, “Well, I have to jump like that to score in volleyball.” For her, going for it– the ball, and life in general– is just part of this game. We played and tried lots of different and fun things and I absolutely love the way that things came out. We also did some shots in the studio to round out her session which is a new option that we’re offering seniors. They’re a different take on our work but can really add a fabulous complement to a session. And given her response at her viewing last night, I think she thinks to too. Sandhya, I hope you love the ones that I chose!

Little Urbanites Halloween • Portland Oregon Photo Booth

Emma Easley Darden — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:50:14 +0000

We love taking the Mini Studio™, the RLPortraits version of an old-style photobooth, to events. So when Little Urbanites, one of our favorite Pearl District kid boutiques, asked us to bring it as part of their celebration for the Pearl’s Halloween Hunt, we were more than game. I have never been able to figure out quite what it is about a photobooth that turns people into an alter ego of themselves. Whether it’s at a wedding or even just a smaller-scale shindig like a birthday party, people will do things in the Mini Studio™ that they just won’t do in front of one of our “normal” photographers. (For instance, at weddings, there’s always someone standing on their head!) The kids at Little Urbanites were just adorable, and I’m so glad that we could provide some memories of a fabulous Halloween extravaganza.

(To view the rest of the images available for download, please visit our photo viewing area.)

The Little Urbanites crew mugging for the camera.

Alexa & Erynn • Lincoln High Class of 2010

Emma Easley Darden — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:02:01 +0000

When I was younger I had this dream of having twins. I thought it would be the coolest thing. Now that I’m the mother of a crazy, exhuberant little girl I’m kind of glad that we have them one at a time (at least so far…) But that little part of me that loves the closeness of having someone who shares a part of you still loves the idea of twins. So every chance that I get to work with twins I absolutely relish. And Alexa and Erynn were so perfectly fun and lovely that I love the idea even more. They’re both so different from each other– Alexa plays basketball and is a fun cross between a jock and a girly girl; Erynn is a dancer but eschews the typical dancer stereotypes– and yet really similar in ways too, particularly their hilariously funny senses of humor. Oh, and being stunningly gorgeous of course. I am so excited to unveil their images!

Meet a Lucy Pro! • Portland Oregon Photographers

Emma Easley Darden — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:39:42 +0000

I know that this will sound corny but I love Marni Renison of tv’s It Moms. She is one of the most vivacious, creative, charismatic people I have ever known. She’s also, as she and Holly are fond of saying, “Really real.” She’s a real mom, a real friend– and a really amazing runner (not that she’d admit it herself!). Lucy Activewear recently asked her to write an article for their Lucy Pros section of the Living Lucy site. And of course, she needed an image of her actually BEING a runner, and we were more than happy to step in and make her look fabulous! We crafted an urban theme for her, utilizing some of the great areas around the Northwest area, and had such a fun time with her that by the end of the session my sides hurt from laughing. I think the images turned out pretty well too.

This is the image that Lucy ended up choosing for Marni’s profile on the site.

Katz family • Portland Oregon Family Photographers

Emma Easley Darden — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:18:57 +0000

Michelle is a friend of a friend who I have seen in passing oh, about a million times. And one day this summer she said, “You know, we really should do family pictures with you guys.” I was game, of course.

And then we got to their house last week and I saw her boys… and I fell in love. They are two of the sweetest, most adorable children I’ve ever worked with. We played in their yard for a bit and then chased each other down to the park that is near their house. The little one, Levi, never stops moving. Really. Well, unless he’s examining something, and even that only lasts a moment. I’m also pretty sure that I could go swimming in his eyes. His older brother is more thoughtful, and a surprisingly good listener for being such a young one. We had an amazing time with them on what may have been the last truly gorgeous fall days that we’ll have this year (in fact, it started raining later that afternoon). We played in the leaves, ran over and over and over a bridge, rolled in the grass, and then played with their dog, Annie. To get the first shot that’s in this set, I even jumped down on the other side of the bridge, and I’m pretty sure that Jeff thought I’d lost my marbles. But I will do just about anything to get an image that I know will be perfect. And this one definitely was.

It’s that time again… • Portland Oregon Lifestyle Family Photographers

Emma Easley Darden — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:17:47 +0000

I love the build-up to the holiday season mostly because I am a self-declared holiday junkie. I love Halloween and dressing up and little children meandering the neighborhood streets trick or treating. I love Thanksgiving and cooking for three days. And no, I’m not being ironic. But most of all, I love the winter holidays. I love traditions and families being together, the tree cutting and the menorah lighting and the music that attends all of it. And so, each year, I go on a search for the perfect holiday cards. I like our card collections to be different, to reflect our clients’ styles. This year, we’re introducing two amazing lines. One is modern and playful and bright; one is a little more classic, with deep gem tones and amazing textures and words like “jolly” defined with wonderfully whimsical definitions. They’re a wonderful way to share the warmth of live and love and good will with your corner of the world.