Couple

Ingrid + Dan's Manchester State Park Engagement | Olympia Wedding Photographer

May 24, 2018 in Love and Engagement

Ingrid + Dan hired me to be their wedding photographer and I tell you what, I'm pretty darn excited about it! Just look how stinkin' cute they are! They are so in love, fun-loving and sweet - It was cute to see them laugh and joke and interact with each other!! Can't wait to capture these two's Seattle wedding! Countdown 30 days!

There's is another thing I'm really excited about and it's Manchester State park in Port Orchard, WA. A gorgeous rocky beach, evergreen trees, paths to explore and.... some awesome abandoned buildings! Perk alert: all this is near a parking lot so this is a great location for those with mobility issues!

Ingrid + Dan had a free hotel stay and they decided to use it near Port Orchard, when we started looking for location ideas Ingrid sent me a few and instantly Manchester State Park stood out to me. After a few minutes of research I was even more convinced, so glad we decided on it! Manchester State Park is an hour away from where I live in Olympia which means I had to leave my house by 7:00 am to make our 8:00 am session. (For those of you who know me well) that is EARLY for me and I've always been partial to evenings since 'golden hour' has some amazing light but I ended up loving the beautiful, cool morning light - morning photos session maybe totally be my new thing..... maybe.

Awesome couple, an adventurous new location, abandoned buildings, a beach, fun and smiles and pretty morning light - what a perfect combination!

“I could make you happy, make your dreams come true. Nothing that I wouldn’t do.

Go to the ends of the earth for you to make you feel my love.” ~Bob Dylan

You’re my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I’m winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you

-John Legend

XOXO,

Sarah

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Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

McKinley + James' Downtown Tacoma Anniversary Session | Olympia Wedding Photographer

March 15, 2018 in Love and Engagement

Such a fun engagement shoot with McKinley + James!

XOXO,

Sarah

Like what you see? To see more please like Sarah Gonia Photography's Facebook page, follow us on Instagram and check out our Pinterest page!

Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

Trina + Jonathon's Romantic Spring Session....At My Neighbors House | Olympia Engagement Photographer

June 15, 2017 in Love and Engagement

If you've been following me at all you know that I am a sucker for beautiful locations! Rattlesnake Lake, Franklin Falls, beaches, mountains, the ocean......! I have a list 10 pages long of all the locations I want to photograph a couple or elopement at (Some I will be checking off the bucket list this summer so if you are recently engaged message me!!! #shamelessadvertising but it's my blog so I can do that haha)

As a Pacific Northwest Wedding Photographer I consider myself quite lucky because there is no shortages of beautiful locations to shoot at. So, I spend so much time dreaming of and planning shoots in many of these breathtaking locations that sometimes I forget that some of the most beautiful locations can be right in front of you! Sometimes it's the side of the road (been there, done that) and sometimes you can't help but ask your neighbor if you can shoot in there driveway - after years of ogling over it!!!

Meet Trina + Jonathan - they are fellow photographers from PS Photography by Trina + Jonathan. They met me in Lacey along with my good friend Leslie of One Thousand Words to make my vision of shooting in blossoms (at least once a year) happen! Wow, did it ever happen! Trina + Jonathan have years of marriage and four kids under their belts and still are MADLY in love with each other!!! Of course with that type of connection they could make any location look good but my NEIGHBOR'S DRIVEWAY lined with gorgeous pink blossoms was just PERFECT! Overgrown field across from their house was a bonus :)

So, when you are thinking about planning a portrait session, an adventurous location like Franklin Falls or Rattlesnake Ledge would be amazing and would surely yield some amazing images. BUT don't forget that there is beauty all around us and we don't have to travel far to create some epic portraits. For those of you who can't swing an adventure portrait session this year, this may be the perfect option for you! I've got endless ideas so message me if you want your own beautiful little session.

Trina's makeup was ON POINT for this session! Amanda at A Second Look - Makeup by Amanda nailed it!!

Oh, and for those of you drooling over Trina's gorgeous floral dress (like me) find one in your size HERE.

XOXO,

Sarah

Like what you see? To see more please like Sarah Gonia Photography's Facebook page, follow us on Instagram and check out our Pinterest page!

Contact me today and lets document all those little moments that make life beautiful

Fun Prop Ideas for Your Portrait Session

June 08, 2017 in Portrait Resources

Most of the portraits that I shoot focus more on the connection between people rather than props but I do recommend bringing one or two personal items to make your session unique and fun. It doesn't have to be big and elaborate to make amazing photos (but if you have a beautiful armchair briiiing it!!)