So.  What does that mean?

Cue the foghorns.

GIVEAWAY TIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!  (pew pew pew!  <—– that would be the sound of lasers).

I’m giving away a complementary portrait session to any person, couple, baby, pet (snakes, scorpions, and gators excluded), business owner, musician, acrobat, or family in the Seattle/greater Western Washington area (other locations eligible, but see the rules below).

This means that we will plan a shoot together, from date to outfits to location.  Wanna shoot in a field of flowers?  Okay!  Want to shoot at the beach?  Okay!  Want to shoot in the city?  Okay!  Want to get in a hot air balloon?!  …we’re going to have to talk about that.

I encourage you to get as creative as possible.  Do you want to ride llamas into the sunset?  If you provide the llamas, I’m game.  Do you love to hike with your significant other and would love memories from that?  I’ll pack my bag.  Do you want to rock out on a mountain top and have photos to prove it?  I’m your girl.

Doesn’t that sound totally awesome?  That’s because it is!

So, here’s how to enter:

1. Like the ami martin photography page on facebook (click here).

2. Attach a photo of yourself (and person, pet, whomever you’d want to have the shoot with) to the ami martin photography page wall, and tell me what your idea of an awesome shoot would be.  It can be crazy and epic, but it can be something more low-key and just special to you, too.  You have until this Friday, 03/15/2013 to do so!

3. Next Monday, 3/18/2013, I will announce on this blog and on facebook who the contestants and their shoot ideas are.  I’ll ask readers to vote for their favorite, and the highest vote will decide the winner!

Now for the rules:

1. The shoot must take place in Western Washington State.  If you enter, and want to shoot somewhere else, you will be responsible to fly me to and from wherever you are and lodging costs.  You are also responsible for activity costs (ie renting a llama or hot air balloon or spaceship or whatever).

2. This shoot is not redeemable for cash.

3. The shoot must happen by 06/01/2013.

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If you have any questions, as always, email me at ami [at] ami-martin.com or just click over to the contact page of this site.

Good luck, and I can’t wait to shoot with the winner!

My brother Ken, on the other hand, got all of the athleticism that I didn’t.  In particular, he loves to hike and do all sorts of camping related things.  I finally decided to join him and Justin, who Ken’s known since high school, on a day trip (Justin also has a great blog called Pacific Northwest Hikes and Adventures which you should definitely check out).  After being briefed on comfort and safety (which I blogged about at my lifestyle blog mon ami and where you’ll see the lone photo of me from this hike) we were on our way.

The dudes at the beginning of our hike.

Views like this were all around.  It was just breathtaking.

We trekked through the dense forest– I was mostly concerned about bears (because they are around).  Luckily we didn’t see any.

I honestly felt like we were in a Hobbit shire.

Epecially in the morning, the light is RIDICK.  Those BEAMS.

Hiking out to the overlook.  I thought the wooden sign was really cute.

More dense forest.  I was just fascinated by it.

Justin with the dense green carpeting in the forest.

We made our way out to the water, where there was more beauty to behold.

Loved the glow.

Heading back to the trail I noticed the thick moss on a tree which is EVERYWHERE.

Justin checking out a ginormous tree (look a how wide that trunk is!).

More awesome light (I couldn’t get enough).

One of my favorite photos from the trip.  Love how vast everything looks around Justin, and those awesome logs he’s sitting on.

Making our way through.  Our trip in total was six-hours that day.

Homies by the river.  Can you see the snow-capped mountains in the background?

Another favorite.  We came upon this cabin called Michael’s Cabin, which was empty but really neat to poke around in.

Looking out from inside the cabin.

Talking about coming back.

A wider shot of the cabin before we moved out.
It was about time for lunch, so Ken and Justin set about to making a fire.  Ken had recently gotten that triangular saw, which is super lightweight, and the guys started cutting up some wood.

Look how nicely they were able to chop it!

Justin took a crack at the sawing.

Ken building the fire.

Fire!

How awesome is this?!  I’m going to learn how to make one myself next time.

The crack-a-lackin’.

Justin brought along a really neat mini stove, which he boiled water that he went out and collected, baller-style.

I just liked this shot.  More warmth.

The view from where we were resting– under a giant tree.  Told you it’s dense!  Side note– there are totally no bathrooms out in the wilderness.  So yeah, the denseness comes in handy… like an invisibility cloak.  TMI?  Whatevs, we’re all friends here!

View of the other side of the cabin heading back.

 Deciding which way to go.

Toward the end the distance between us all got a little wider.  The guys are well adapted to hiking, but I was really starting to feel the effects and had to slow down.

One final look before making our way back to the car.

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I have to say, the trip was super fun!  Considering that I’d never really been one for the outdoors, I was surprised by how much I actually liked it.  If anything, I just really have to build up my stamina so I can keep up better, but I know that the more I hike the more my body will adapt too.

Can’t wait to go again!  And don’t forget to check out Justin’s blog here for more hiking fun.

I headed out on an overcast day, excited by the thick fog that I saw outside my window.  There’s something about fog that makes everything feel more magical.

The mist made me feel like I was in the cover of a Nicholas Sparks novel.

It’s captivating to watch birds leap toward the water, with their wings spread wide.

I really liked this little guy.  …until he and his buddies started shooting poop toward me like a bazooka.

In my mind it was fun to pretend that I was following the same bird around.

Don’t they look so free?

I was out on the dock alone, and the stillness was on the contrary, very moving.

Let’s call him Dexter.  He just looks like one.

By the time I got back into my car, my fingers were numb from the cold.  But I can’t tell you how good it felt to just roam and photograph things the way I wanted, without any pressures or feeling like I had to do things a certain way.  It’s different from what I usually post, but I hope you enjoyed the change of pace.  I’m hoping to do this a lot more in the future.

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P.S. I know that I’ve been a bit MIA here, but I’ve also been posting at my lifestyle blog mon ami.  It gets updated every weekday, and I would love it if you joined me there too!  xo

When you have to jump off a giant boat into the middle of the ocean in Los Cabos, Mexico (you know, every day stuff), Kris is the guy who will jump off first, and who will be patient with you as you struggle against the current like a wild animal, holding onto you and assuring you that you’re not going to drown.  Nancy will look on from the boat, staying behind so she can make sure that you all have good pictures from your day at sea.  She’ll smile and wave, and won’t care a lick about getting in the water herself as long as you’re out there having fun.

You know how sometimes you have a great friend and you really like her but her husband’s kind of a jerk?  Yeah, you know that friend.  These two?  Nothing like that.  You can talk about your girl stuff with Nancy when Kris is around and he won’t get annoyed.  He’ll actually offer constructive feedback and just order you all another long island iced tea (or two).  Then Nancy will laugh as you and Kris start making really bad, corny jokes that are usually reserved for 10-year olds.  You’ll all dance long into the night, having more fun than you can remember having in a very long while.

When Nancy asked if I wanted to help her shoot a wedding in Los Cabos, I knew that she could use the assistance.  But more than that, I knew that more than I was helping her, she was actually helping me.  She knew how much of a rough year it had been, and she knew that I needed to get away.  That’s the kind of heart she has.  It’s the kind of heart that they both have.  I can’t be more grateful than I am to these two.

I hope that these photos, taken during our time in Mexico, show even a fraction of the spirit of these two and the love that they share together.  It’s a forever kind of love they have, and I feel very lucky to witness it.  Even more so, I feel lucky to be able to be called their friend.

Hands down my favorite photo.  They’re just beautiful, inside and out.

The light was magical, and these two were radiant.

Kris is basically hilarious, and has a great goofy sene of humor (Nancy thinks so too).

Oh, just stop it.  Seriously, what is cuter than a freaking kiss on the nose?!

This is cuter, that’s what.  Look at the way they look at each other.  That’s love right there.

So serene on the left, and I can’t even handle the photo on the right– makes you want to know what he just said to her — love me a knowing smile.

These remind me of the fun nights we had dancing, so much debauchery (that one’s for you, Kris).

Happiness.

Seriously love these two.

And off into the Mexican sunset.

Hahaha, mission accomplished.

Two months ago I moved to Seattle.  Some of you might already know that, and others probably don’t, and even others probably really don’t give a crap.  But to me, it was a big move and a big change in my life, and it feels strange not sharing that, or even sharing it in a way that’s not cheerful or sunny.

I tend to post the bright and the beautiful here.  Because that’s how I like to view the world.  Cheerful, happy.

But life sometimes isn’t sunny (as Washington weather knows quite well).  Sometimes it’s tumultuous and scary and full of change.

I lived in LA for five years.  I’m back in Seattle now, where I grew up for many years, where I went to college– and with that comes the challenges of relocating my business here and my life here.  It’s all been quite crazy.

Even crazier?  I moved in with my parents.

I know, audible gasp.  I feel like it’s such a taboo thing to say, that I moved in with my parents.  But there you go.  Sometimes when you’re rebuilding, that’s how it ends up.  I’m not one to shy away from sharing things about my life with people, and I know I risk being judged.  I mean, shit yeah, I’m still scared to say it.  People might think its sad, unprofessional, or even weak.  But that’s life, my friends.  Or at least my life.  It’s also what comes as a risk when you decide to forge ahead with a creative life.  Life gets bumpy.  You do the best you can, and you make decisions the best you can too.  What other choice do you have?

I have no intention of abandoning this ship that I’ve built over the past few years.  In fact, this ship is in some ways one of the few things that keeps me afloat in the stormy weather I’ve been experiencing.

I’ll find new clients and new contacts in the area and be on with it.  That’s also scary, starting over.  But it’s what I have to do, there’s no other choice.

There’s a lot going on in the world (including superstorms and tsunami warnings– I am thinking of all of you out there) and in all honesty, I am lucky.  It can always be much worse, and I am a very lucky person to be able to do what I do every day, and that my biggest concern in life is simply starting over.  I never forget that.

They’re not perfect words or the perfect situation, but I just wanted to share that.  I wanted to be honest.  So thank you for allowing me to be honest here.

“There he iiiisssss,” Maria cooed, as I walked over to the couch.  ”There he iiiiisssssssssss”.

In a little bundle, on a mountain of blankets.

There he was.

I couldn’t believe it at first.  He was sleeping, his eyes closed and breathing softly.  I peered at him from above.  He didn’t even look real.

You’ve gotta understand.  I’ve seen my share of babies.  But, this was different.  THIS.  Was the little alien that had come straight out of my best friend’s belly.

Maria has been my best friend for as long as the age we were when we met each other.  Now she has a baby.  A little tiny baby with ten little fingers and ten little toes.

And I’m his auntie.  I’ve never been an auntie before.

I touched his soft hair and squeezed his little fingers.  Yup, totally real.

Maria got up off the couch and walked away to get something, casually asking me to watch the baby.

Uh.  WHAT?!

So I sat there, and I watched him.  His cheeks squished when I poked them.  He made small movements– sighs, eyelash flutters, the occasional flailing arms.  But otherwise he was fairly unresponsive to most things– he just laid there, you know, like a baby.  Except…  when Maria came back and started talking again, he stirred and he looked for her.  He couldn’t see her, but he knew his mother’s voice.  That baby knew who his mama was.

We spent the afternoon together, him mostly eating, pooping and sleeping.  Maria and I talked and talked and ate ice cream and pizza in between, just like when we were fourteen.  She let me hold him, and he didn’t cry.  When he did cry, I put a blanket on him, and he stopped.  I felt pretty proud.

When I went to leave, I told him I’d be back.  He didn’t say anything or even look my way, but I didn’t take it personally.  You know, since he can’t talk yet.  So until he can, I’ll keep visiting, and maybe someday, he’ll recognize my voice too.

Tara also has a great story of how she met her husband Raphael while in New York.  She had just left a bad date and was making her way home.  She waited on the platform of the subway when she and Raphael caught each other’s eye .  Of all of the places of all of the world, they found each other on a nearly empty platform while waiting to catch the E train.  Crazy, right?

When I found out that Tara was pregnant, I was so excited for her!  Even though I had been a long time reader, I almost never commented (yes, I was a lurker), but left her a comment to congratulate her.  I was even more surprised and excited when Tara subsequently made her way to my blog and inquired about a session!

Who knew, years ago when I first started reading that it would someday turn into a photo session?  Like I said, the universe is a funny place.

We started off by the entrance of the platform of 53rd and Lexington, back to where they first met.  Just look at the way they look at each other.  True love, my friends.

Also love this shot by a classic yellow NYC cab.

Not only is Tara pregnant, but she’s having twins!!  Two little boys.

The train rushed toward us, and I was ecstatic to get the shot above.

So friggin cute, these two.

For the above shot, Raphael and I conspired about how I would jump off the train, take shots, and jump back on before the doors closed.  We even made a plan about what would happen if the train left me behind.  Luckily it didn’t, and I love the result.

My favorite shot from the session.  Their love is so apparent.

We hadn’t originally planned on it, but we made our way to Times Square…

and they had themselves an epic kiss.

We both remained friends and went to the same schools all the way through high school, and went off on our own paths after graduation.  Through the magic of Facebook, though, I always felt like I was peeking into her journey through her photos and status updates.  Ten years later, when she found out I was coming to New York, she had also been following me through social media and my blog, and wanted to have some photos taken in the city.  More specifically, at The High Line, where she works!  Even though we hadn’t seen each other or even had a full conversation in ten years, it was like time had never passed, and prior to the shoot we talked for hours.  Needless to say, shooting together was a great time.

The amazing thing about AV is that she is such an adaptable, energetic person.  She’s not afraid to do things on her own, from simple things like walking around and exploring the city to bigger things like taking vacations on her own.  She moved across the country to the East in a bold move, and is even traveling in South America as we speak!  How cool is that?  I really admire those qualities about her.

When she took me up to The High Line, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I had seen their website and some general photos, but it’s really something when you actually get up there.  The High Line is a historic freight rail line that was been saved from demolition, and turned into a public park.  It goes on for about a mile and a half and has insane views like the one above.

The whole park is full of beautiful greenery, and it’s hard to believe you are on a rail line.  You can see the tracks behind where AV is sitting in the above photo, though.  So insanely cool, right?

I just loved the buildings all around.  The photo on the right is the walking path of the High Line.  Hard to believe it’s so far above ground!

I love the scale of this photo, and still I’m not sure it does the view justice.  There are great spots all around to sit and relax, which we took full advantage of.

We also took photos around the Meatpacking district, which I had never visited, and was cool to see.

I DIE for the photo of AV above.  DIE.

Back to The High Line, where you get an idea of where we were in relation to the ground.

AV has such a great sense of humor, and an infectious laugh.  I know I always say this, but I love shooting happy people.

This wall was insane.  AV was workin’ it.

We ended our day together (that started at 5:00am!) with coffee and breakfast at Amy’s Bread in Chelsea Market.  If you have a chance to visit, go go go right now.

I loved shooting in NYC with AV, and I loved even more how knowledgable and passionate she was about the city.  I learned so much in just one day.  It makes me want to shoot in a different city every week!

I’m also back in Seattle for the month of October shooting portraits!  If you’ve missed me in the Northwest in the past, now’s the time to book a session, especially for the upcoming holidays!  I’ve actually always wanted to have adult photos (really? adult photos?) done of me, my sister, and my brother to give as a gift to my parents, since the last time we took a sibling photo I was wearing a Minnie Mouse headband and I’m pretty sure No Doubt hadn’t even released Tragic Kingdom.  I also think that those wrist-slappy bands were still cool.  But alas my siblings and I live on opposite coasts now, and getting together is a very rare occasion.  My point is, don’t be like us.  Take photos while you still have everyone together, because things can change so fast.  Cross-country moves, additions to the family, engagements turn to weddings.  No Doubt releases their sixth album.  You know, stuff happens.

But you already know that, so I’ll stop plugging it.  You know I can’t help myself, it’s what I do.

This summer I also shot a lot of glamour, and now that it’s officially fall, I am feeling wistful.  There aren’t any current plans for glamour in Seattle, but if there’s interest, I’d actually love to shoot some here.  Something to think about!  So, for now as I draft my mega New York post, and get to editing my New York shoots, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite glamour images from the summer:

Gaw-juss (aka gorgeous)