Impossible not to bring this image into my main grid.
Y'all have seen bits and pieces of this series with beautiful Kate and her sweet family, but I wanted to show y'all that you don't need much to have images you'll love for a life time. This was 30 minutes in a small bed by a window wrapped up in whole lot of love.
That's it. No secrets.
I'll guide you the whole way through but there's no one better at loving your family than you do.
Motherhood sessions available, link in bio to book. š
Hi, I'm Kelli. šš¼
I am an editorial/documentary style photographer based in Portland, Oregon. I work with families, couples, and brands who care about images that actually look and feel like them.
Right now, I'm booking 2026 and 2027 weddings, spring motherhood sessions (a few spots still open), and select brand collaborations year-round.
If something here feels like a fit, my link in bio is the best place to start - or just say hi in the comments or my dms!
I mean it about the book and film recommendations, too. Tell me about your current favorites!
Slides 1 and 6 photographed by the lovely @museo.studio . Thank you, my friend!
Still canāt quite believe this. My work is featured in The Guardian today!
Iāve spent the last decade chasing light, trying things, failing a lot, and coming back again. Moments like this donāt happen in isolation: theyāre built slowly, with great care and with a lot of wonderful people holding me up along the way.
Really grateful. Link in bio. (Also in print today if you get The Guardian, which is still wild to say.)
I keep coming back to these photos. Thereās something in them I havenāt quite named yet.
I think the human mind needs vast places, you know? Places that feel like freedom. Like a long breathe. Places that are a little wild, without rules or expectations.
Ceci got in my car during rush hour and we drove east toward somewhere Iād only ever seen on the internet.
We didnāt know each other then. We had just met.
After we shot we sat in the fading light and ate dolmas, raspberries and chocolate covered almonds and watched the sun go.
Iāve been doing this long enough that I know I should feel less surprised when something true comes out of a shoot. But it still feels like a gift every single time.
When I ask clients to bring something that feels like them, I never know what's going to show up.
I asked Justine if she had any fruit. She came outside with a watermelon.
And that's Justine. She loves her dog Bitsi, she loves that baby in her belly, and apparently she loves watermelons. So that's what we made photos about. No elaborate setup. Just her whole actual life, held in her arms, balanced on her head, kissed on the nose.
This is what I want for you too.
Spring motherhood + maternity sessions are open. $600, includes one archival print, 6 spots, closes May 11th. Portland and beyond. Link in bio. š
Anna didnāt know what to do with her hands at first. Or her face. Thatās how it almost always starts, this beautiful, slightly awkward negotiation with the camera.
But we had 45 minutes and good light and nowhere to be, and by the time Ben came in and couldnāt keep a straight face either, weād found exactly what I was looking for. Which is never serious. Peaceful, maybe? But never serious.
This is what a Portland motherhood session actually looks like. A little fumbling, a lot of laughing, and somewhere in the middle of it all, this perfectly tender magic that mid-morning light just hands you if you let it.
If youāre pregnant and youāre in Portland and youāve been on the fence, this is me telling you the fence is a terrible place to spend your third trimester. š
Motherhood sessions available until May 11th! Link in bio.
Brand photography is about figuring out what you actually value and making that visible.
People can feel images. We forget that sometimes. The right ones create something almost tangible. An energy. A recognition.
Does this person represent me? What I stand for? What I care about?
That's what I'm after. Every time. Not just photographs that look good,
but photographs that feel aligned.
Brand sessions are available this spring and summer. Reach out if you are looking for support.
Have you taught them all the kisses?
Eskimo kisses. Butterfly kisses. Turtle kisses. All the small, wordless ways you say, "I love you. You are my whole world."
I have something for you, mama.
This spring, I'm offering 8 motherhood sessions, while the world is in bloom and your children are still small.
Each session includes a beautiful 11x14 archival print.
Something to have and to hold.
Interested? Link in bio for more info and to book, or DM me with any questions. šø
A neighborhood skatepark behind a church. Overcast light. Peeling paint. Three boys who had no interest in standing still and I had no intention of making them.
And then this happened.
Motherhood and spring sessions opening up this week. Join my newsletter to be the first to hear the details and book your session. š link in bio.
