Oregon Elopement Photographer

I’m excited to share that I’m a winner of the Rangefinder 30 Rising Stars award ⭐️ • This has been a goal from day one of becoming a full time photographer but I didn’t expect to win it, even in my wildest dreams. • This award focuses on photographers with less than 5 years of full time experience that are up and coming in the industry. They select 30 photographers, worldwide, they find to be people to watch as we grow in the industry. This extremely competitive award is selected through a 30 photo portfolio that fully encapsulates your work. • In my application, I emphasized my love of capturing nature as a co-subject and my choice to specialize exclusively in the Pacific Northwest. The recommended photos to submit included a detail photo or two…it made me smile to submit an epic scenery photo from an elopement instead of an elaborate flat lay. It was the perfect reminder of my amazing job and the amazing clients who WANT a scenery photo from their day over traditional detail photos. • I’m endlessly grateful to everyone who has supported me and my amazing clients for inviting me to be part of their special day. Forever grateful that this is my career. ❤️ • • • #30risingstars #oregonelopementphotographer #rf30risingstars #oregoncoastphotographer #pnwphotographer #elopementphotographer #weddingphotographer #oregoncoastwedding #washingtonelopementphotographer #pnwelopementphotographer #risingstars24

This photo wasn't lucky. • Often when shots like this happen, the topic of luck comes up. While we feel very lucky everything worked out, it was also very much planned. • I've watched the sun go through this arch many times. We picked it together in hopes that a sunny day would give us this moment. The tide is only low like this during sunset 1-2 days per month. The couple are also photographers and went straight for the light during their private ceremony. • It took months of planning and years of photography growth for this photo to happen. And I'm so very grateful I get to use that growth to capture images like this of the best day of my couple's lives. 💛 • Photo: @venturingvows Video: @lilliproductions Couple: @megatronmaloney @northern_nights_photography • • • #oregonelopementphotographer #oregonphotographer #oregoncoastphotographer #washingtonelopementphotographer #washingtonphotographer #elopementphotographer #pnwelopementphotographer #idahoelopementphotographer #rfpotd #rfpotw

Posing is a big deal. And it's so much more than giving you a direction that results in a certain image.⁠ •⁠ I spent years as a photographer trying to memorize every creative pose and be able to summon them mid-session. It took me all that time to realize that that's not what gives clients a good "posing" experience.⁠ ⁠ 1️⃣ There is no one size fits all for posing. I enter each session with a fresh perspective. Some couples are very natural together in front of the camera and I want to capture that most natural form of their interaction. Some need some guidance (ahem, definitely me when I'm in front of the camera). The amount of guidance is different throughout their elopement/session. Sometimes they will need some support and sometimes not. Some poses will feel like a normal day together while others are forced. Truly knowing to pose is being able to adapt to your client's comfort.⁠ ⁠ 2️⃣ If you want natural looking photos, you need space to be natural. I like simple poses with space for the couple to fill in their personal chemistry.⁠ ⁠ 3️⃣ Posing during an elopement starts with the creation of the timeline. The locations selected, the events planned, the recommendations I provide, and allotted times set the pace for the day. Rushing ruins quiet, private moments. Busy locations make couples tense. No events to interact with their spouse can leave them feeling disconnected. Some simple planning ahead can change the entire vibe of the elopement.⁠ ⁠ 4️⃣ I always get on the phone with a client at least once before working with them. Often, I chat with my couples multiple times before their elopement. I already have a feel for how you want me to approach your photos before I even pick up a camera. I take limited couples each year so I can really invest time into each elopement day I work on.⁠ •⁠ If you get nothing else from this, it's make sure to talk with your potential elopement photographer about how they'll interact with you day of. Ask about their posing philosophy. We all pose a bit differently but you'll know a good fit when you hear it. 💛 • • • #oregonelopementphotographer #washingtonelopementphotographer #oregoncoastphotographer #brookingsoregon

One thing about me? If there’s a whale during your elopement, I will, without a doubt, spot it. 🤓🐋🫍 I cannot tell you how many times I’ve stopped mid pose explanation or conversation to yell, “WHALE!” My entire origin story hinges on seeing whales for the first time at 4 and never, EVER dropping it. • Who is the friend in the photo here? A gray whale! If you see a whale close to shore in Oregon, you’re probably seeing a gray whale. They feed along the bottom of the ocean so they hang out closer to shore than most whales. They don’t have a dorsal fin and instead of little knuckles. There’s not many whales you’ll see with basically no dorsal fin so it’s a great indication. • You’re also unlikely to see much more than their back for your IDing purposes. You’re unlikely to see them jump or spy hop, and they don’t even flip their flukes up every time they dive. So while you’ll have great luck seeing them, they won’t be putting on a show. • If you see one spout multiple times in the same area, good news, you caught a feeding one! They’ll come up, breathe 1-3 times, disappear for 2-5 minutes, and reappear close to where they started. You can easily sit and watch a feeding gray whale for an hour which gives you all sorts of opportunities to catch it in your binoculars. • • • Oregon Coast elopement Elopement photographer

Swipe to see one of my favorite photos I’ve taken ➡️ • We all love a good beach photo with birds flying about but actually capturing that (and not disturbing them to get it) is a totally different story. I only have a handful of epic bird portraits in my portfolio. • On this day, the stand out to me was just how many birds I know were in the background and how few of them really showed up in the image. There were HUNDREDS of birds soaring in circles and to me, it looks way less than that in the image. • Regardless, I’m so glad I was able to capture this incredible feature of Haystack Rock. While I’m usually there knee deep in a tide pool, there’s something about experiencing the birds here. When the eagles land and they swirl like a cyclone. Or the masses who have gathered just to catch a small glimpse of the puffins. • As always, I love my Oregon Coast home and I love when I get to capture all her amazing facets. 🪶 • • • Oregon Coast Oregon photographer Cannon Beach, OR

A little look at my first elopement of 2026. 🌊 • • • Oregon Coast elopement Elopement photographer

So why am I here and why do I do what I do? • Hey friends! I’m Miki and I’m the photographer behind Venturing Vows! I’m here for all your adventure elopement photography needs. Getting people to elope is more than just my business. It’s a passion project for me to create true-to-you wedding experiences. Even if you never hire me, I hope my posts and information will empower you to ditch the traditional wedding for a day you’ll truly love. I’m here because I think people should expect more out of their wedding day than the cookie cutter day thousands of others have had. • I made the choice to elope myself. I’m a private person that feels more at home exploring than anywhere else. Standing in a building with 100+ people didn’t sound like what was supposed to be my best day ever. We ended up eloping on an Oregon Coast beach with our immediate family and best friends. It was the best choice we could’ve made. • When I got to experience my customized day after endless traditional weddings, I realized just how much people were missing out on. Their perfect wedding was in reach but no one had told them there was another way. So here I am now, trying to spread the word that there’s another way. • My goals and purpose are so much more than snapping photos in pretty places. It’s pushing back against decades of wedding culture. Saying no the wedding industry that has turned your love into a way to make thousands off of you. Creating a wedding experience that fills your soul instead of being socially acceptable. Taking back your day to celebrate your love rather than a guest entertainment experience. • You get one day like this, make sure it’s everything you’ve ever wanted. • • • Oregon Elopement Photographer Oregon Coast Pacific Northwest Elopement

Katie here is proof that you can elope in a ball gown. Some of my favorite photos from this day is everyone helping her get the dress from place to place. • Another highlight of this Oregon Coast elopement? Taking the entire family tide pooling. We picked the date around the low tides and it gave them another way to spend time with their guests while still getting alone time later in the day. • Just an amazing day with a bunch of reminders that your elopement day can look however you want. 🤘 • • • Oregon Coast elopement Oregon elopement photographer

In honor of #earthday today, we’re going back to episode 11, with Miki from @venturingvows ! We had so much fun chatting about how she combines her love of science with the art of photography and learned some key tips about practicing #leavenotrace along the Oregon coast. Tune in to this great episode if you haven’t already! 💙🎤🎧

The low tide season is back on the Oregon Coast and I fully lived it up this weekend. 🥾🦀 • How does a local spend time on the coast? Checking the tide charts for negative tides to catch all the hidden critters. Getting something off Pelican Brewing’s new brunch menu (very exciting as an avid morning tide pooler). And hiking the lesser known grassy hill hike in the area. 😉 • One of my favorite things is to help my eloping couples have an amazing trip on the coast, even beyond their elopement day. Most folks are coming from way out of town and trying to find the best sites can be overwhelming. I have a visitor guide for everywhere I work filled with places I know and love. I even frequently invite couples to join me tide pooling if I’m already out and about. • I’ll always get so much joy out of getting to show couples around my amazing home. 🌊 • • • Oregon Coast Oregon Elopement Photographer

Have you ever thought about what energy you want your wedding day to have? How do you want it to feel? • Traditional weddings tend to be exhilarating, busy, and fast paced. For some, this is great. For others, wildly exhausting. • What kind of person are you? • If a traditional wedding sounds exhausting, why would that be the wedding you pick? Your day can be quiet, slow, and peaceful. It can revolve around connecting with your partner and maybe even a few special friends or family members. It can be a day that fills you up instead of one that drains every bit of social capacity you have. • Next time you’re filling your Pinterest board with ideas, remember how important it is for your day to FEEL right. To feel harmonious with your relationship and what this special day means to you. • • • Oregon Coast Elopement Oregon Elopement Photographer

This location is one of the options for my mini elopement package. 👀 • I love places like this that I uncover because I’m a tide nerd. There’s an entirely different Oregon Coast when the tide goes out. Safety is always the first thing I check in the tides charts but a close second is all the ways I can make your photos cooler by lining things up with the tides. • • • Oregon elopement photographer Oregon Coast elopement