Seattle Interior Photographer | Whidbey Airbnb

If you’ve ever been to Whidbey Island, you’ll know how magical it is to experience a summer week just across the water from busy Seattle in a whole world of its own. With pastoral views, quaint little towns like Langley and Coupeville, and views of the Puget Sound all around, it’s an idyllic place to get some rest and relaxation.

This Airbnb, sweetly named The Kingfisher, is about 20 minutes from the ferry terminal and down a long private road where you end up in this serene setting right on the waterfront. The tide comes in and out dramatically offering a walkable beach at times, and a refreshing plunge from the seawall at others. It’s a great place to launch a kayak or paddleboard for a quiet moment out on the water.

The interiors of this home were so wonderful to capture! Between the open beamwork and the nearly floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows offering insane water views, there was quite literally no bad angle. The homeowners prepared for this shoot so well by supplying fresh cut (but not too precious!) flowers and plenty of charcuterie supplies and pastries. Orange juice is kind of a magical secret for vibrant photos — the color! Leaning into the styling of these shoots really helps to set the images apart from more traditional looking real estate photos. The goals couldn’t be more different. A lifestyle shoot like this takes time — like a full day! And it’s so worth it to capture the changing light and many beautiful styled scenes in addition to listing photos that show full spaces in full natural light.

I approach most every single shoot with all natural light. We were lucky to have a sunny day for this shoot, but I do the majority of my shoots in the midst of some kind of weather (we are in Seattle after all!). Whether its a hazy marine layer morning or full-on January gloom, bright light is not necessary for stunning interior images because of the technical approach that I use. It’s been tested over many years of photographing throughout the Pacific Northwest (and as far over as the East Coast!) in less than ideal weather conditions. Anything goes!

You can book the Kingfisher right here!

Laurelhurst Renovation | Seattle Interior Photographer

I’m so excited to share this renovation with you today! In one of the historic neighborhoods of Seattle, this home got a full lower level refresh with a new kitchen, living room and dining room. It’s beautifully designed for its resident, a baker (who graced us with scones on the shoot day — they were props and then became our snacks!). I worked with the Seattle interior design team Corr & Steele on this shoot day. A wonderful pair, we collaborated on making each shot just perfect.

My approach to photography is all about collaboration and creativity. I focus on maintaining consistency in my work through careful composition, natural lighting, and elevated styling. The best shoots happen when both my client and I enjoy the process of capturing beautiful spaces. I'm passionate about what I do, and shoot days are always enjoyable. By shooting tethered to a screen, we can make small adjustments to styling and composition, resulting in inviting, editorial-quality images. When it comes to editing, I prefer a clean and natural style, with minimal use of Photoshop tricks. I achieve a bright and natural light look without the use of flash, which I feel makes for a flattened image.

I’m based in Seattle but take projects all over! I was recently in Orange County and Atlanta, and often take photography projects in my hometown of Chicago. The best thing about traveling for interior photography work is seeing how architecture and design styles vary depending on the location.

Design: Corr & Steele

Construction: Darren Patt Construction

Phinney Modern Tudor | Seattle Interior Photographer

This modern Tudor in Seattle’s Phinney Ridge neighborhood is a spectacular example of what happens when a good design and build team put their minds together to create an entirely new space. I couldn’t believe the way they changed the layout of this residence in every single way, still preserving the historical Tudor aesthetic of the home, but making it a way better place to live for the modern era. I don’t think I could pick a favorite spot, but how gorgeous is that entry?! The wallpaper and painted paneling make it such a great way to enter the home every day, and especially when greeted by sweet Nelson (spot her?).

The design was created by Kallan Nelson of Kallan Interiors. Kallan is highly experienced in residential design and it was fun to pick her brain about her process on this project:

"When our clients came to us needing help remodeling their charming 1929 Tudor home, it was clear it needed quite the overhaul but we wanted to make sure it didn't lose its character. We did this by adding archways in the entry and kitchen, selecting timeless finishes like the entry wallpaper and white oak hardwood floors, and keeping with an overall neutral color palette with the occasional pop of color. The guest bathroom being the exception as we saw this as being a fun area to go a little crazy and add mauve tile wainscoting as this was one the clients favorite colors."

The build was done by RW Anderson Homes, and left no detail untended to. The craftsmanship in this home is top notch.

I was really inspired by the arched doorways when photographing this space. Architectural details like this help delineate spaces and create natural opportunities for photo vignettes. These details create visual frames, making glimpses from room to room an actual picture. In my natural light approach to interior photography, one of the challenges is representing the light of a space accurately as it appears to the eye. This involves some technical footwork in capturing many exposures of the same composition and blending them together in my editing software. This creates a true-to-life impression of the space and honors the way the design intended for light to enter the home.

Hope you enjoy this beautiful project!

Design: Kallan Interiors

Build: RW Anderson Homes

Westin Bellevue | Seattle Travel + Hospitality Photographer

Often when I travel for hospitality and destination photoshoots, not only am I photographing the space itself but also crafting lifestyle images that help to tell the story of the space. In this project with Westin Bellevue, I was able to debut the brand new suite design, and also to photograph the experience of the property. We highlighted in-room amenities like top-notch room service (always fun to flex my food photography muscle!). Westin also has a partnership with Peloton where they will bring one into your room, which we also had to capture. Making commercial photography feel candid and warm is always my goal. I love when brands drift from traditional stock photography goals and incorporate an elevated lifestyle and storytelling perspective into their marketing. This shoot also incorporated some UGC-style images for social media usage.

And yes, it’s me in the shots! I’ve devised a self-portrait system so that I can quickly hop into the frame to bring some human interaction into spaces. It’s a little song and dance but it works! For projects that don’t have extensive budgets for models, I’m happy to stand in.

Thanks for having me, Westin team!