Seattle editorial photographer | 2009 Portraits of the Year

I love making portraits. What could be more exciting and challenging than to meet a person for the first time, and in a short while try and make a picture of them that encompasses both who they are and why they are. It’s a constant give and take between photographer and subject, and I love it. Sometimes people step in front of the camera and they just own it — they’ve done it before — and they enjoy doing it. Others require more coaxing, and those are the shoots that push you as a journalist and a portrait photographer. This past year I have shot a lot of portraits outside of the confines of a traditional assignment. I went to events and photographed complete strangers, like at a Seahawks game, and at the Seattle Tattoo Expo. On those kinds of shoots, I have to trust my instincts and highlight what drew me to photograph them in the first place, in lieu of a backstory to illustrate. Those shoots are almost the opposite of most of my magazine and newspaper portrait assignments where I have the luxury of time to research my subjects. This year I have made the greatest number of portraits, and I hope to continue that trend in the new year.

Troy Wolff, Shoreline Community College English Professor & Latin American Travel Writer. Troy Wolff, Shoreline Community College English Professor & Latin American Travel Writer.

Seattle engagement photographer | Seattle Engagement portrait session

I had a wonderful engagement portrait session with Amanda and Patrick this past week, and it was great to get to know this young couple. I can’t wait to photograph their wedding next August! We started off around their favorite Seattle locale (Pike Place Market) and ended up walking around the Seattle waterfront for a few hours. What a great way to enjoy a warm Summer day!

Lake Union Crew Club Wedding | Seattle wedding photographer

I photographed the wedding of Amy and Rich at the Lake Union Crew Club in Seattle a few weeks ago. It was a fun ceremony and being right on Lake Union, it could not have been a more Seattle wedding.

Can you find me in the overhead photo? I set up a remote camera on the patio overlooking the ceremony. It is always a good thing to be in two places at once during a wedding, and the remote camera lets me do that. I used a Nikon D2H, with 18-35, and Pocket Wizards, to do that shot.

Thanks for looking!

Daniel