Portland Fashion Photographer: Touch Puppet Feature

This is an editorial shot exclusively for Touch Puppet, your source for the best fashion photography from around the world. 
"The goal of this site is to both inspire and bring attention to some of the talented working men and women of the fashion photography world."
Check out more from this series here.

Portland Fashion Photographer: Dark Whisperer

Editorial shot for new line by Ellen Marie. Styled by Melissa Lachance, Muah: Terri Reece, and photography by fashion photographer, Lavenda Memory. 

Portland Fashion Photographer: Beached

Model: Cassie Meder
Stylist: Melissa LaChance
Wardrobe: Isaac Hers
Muah: Christine Marie
Portland Commercial Photographer Lavenda Memory

Portland Fashion Photographer: Solestruck BTS

Set up my "photo booth" during the shoot for Solestruck last night and here is the recap:









What? You didn't know that photo shoots were a party on set? Well, now you do ( :

Portland Fashion Photographer: Fair Weather

I snapped a photo of this gorgeous cloud cover back in August. These days I am super lucky to get a day where it's not pouring on me. (Sad face). Truly a sunny-weather girl, this time of year- without fail- I find myself itching to get out of town, or at least find a cozy fire somewhere and throw off my shoes.
Needless to say, Portland's winters pose a challenge for photographers like myself who enjoy shooting mostly on-location. Instead of complaining about it every year, however, I've come to terms with Portlands wet winters and have figured out some good compromises.
The first thing I do is let the client know that overcast skies are actually a GOOD thing! Most of my clients don't know that clouds act like a giant diffuser of the sun and actually soften the light so that it's even and more flattering. Obviously, everyone is pretty excited about flattering light so we get off to a good start!
Secondly, I try and find a location with cover. Just yesterday I had a session that required some good, natural light despite the on again off again downpour. I chose a location beneath a bridge so that when the rain lifted a couple minutes we could step out and shoot, or take advantage of the cover while it poured.
Lastly, I've become a pro at spying those gorgeous suns on the weather forecast and of course try and schedule accordingly!

Portland Fashion Photographer: Power House

A quick peak at this gorgeous editorial I shot with the following team:

Muse Model: Maria Shank

Makeup and Hair: Terri Reece

Stylist: Savannah Smith

Portland Commercial Photographer: Lavenda Memory

Portland Fashion Photographer: Inside Stuff

The cool thing about photography as an art form is that the final image captured is 100% your point of view. I love hearing clients say, "I've never seen myself that way" (yes, even models) after viewing their proofs or a final series. I always think to myself- Cool, well that's definitely how I see you...

Anyhow, a huge influence on my work and vision comes from my upbringing in the deep, deep south. My childhood holds this ethereal reality that though I've probably romanticized, I draw on for visual and emotional inspirations. 
When I'm feeling inspired to capture, other little side effects occur too- like writing, or painting or strumming pitifully at my acoustic guitar. Luckily I don't know how to post my strummings, so instead here's a poem and a photo.

These photos below are from a test I did with model, Kara Jean and the following poem is an inside scoop on my inspirations. It's a bit nostalgic, a bit dark, and whatever else you can say about a poem.


MUAH: Terri Reece
Styling: Me

the shadows sat with me
cooling my dark shoulders
as the screen pressed against my arm.

she was speaking low and the hum of her voice
reminded me of fireflies
caught in my jar
their lights dimming
me not knowing why.

and then the buzz became louder
and the screen hit my elbow
as my eyes flickered and hungered for fireflies
but then I remembered-
there was no jar
only her
buzzing

only not buzzing
screaming, really

and the screen pushed a delicate grid of diamonds
onto my brow as my pupils swelled and
swallowed the moonlight.

and then there was cold steel.


inside, only me
outside, cruel steel-
a blade,
then blood
and then more buzzing
only not buzzing

screaming-

a man this time
a retreat this time

then blue and
red
and blue
and red
fireflies

flitting across the mesquite tree
lapping across the dark porch
searching out
with red hands
then blue.

I remembered the ocean as I cupped my ears
against the siren screams

against the cold snap of steel across
her wrists

I listened to the sea until the
red
and the blue
disappeared
with her somewhere inside

then touched my ocean fingers
to the diamond grid imprinted on my face.