If you've only visited my Facebook page recently, you may think all I do is take pictures of beautiful half-naked women (or as my daughter likes to call them - "underwear pictures").  I had such an amazing response to my introduction to boudoir photography that I have definitely been busy with them!  But spring is upon us, which means it is again time for Easter pictures!  This year, however, there is something different about them.

I have been a part of the YMCA of Pierce & Kitsap Counties for over 15 years.  At first, I was only a patron, using their gym to train for fitness competitions and stay in shape during my time on the Sea Gals.  But for the past 6 years, my role with the YMCA changed to being a dance instructor.  It is a wonderful place to work because our mission is to help others, whether it is to get healthy, provide learning and recreational opportunities to families, or create a safe place for people to take care of basic needs like showering and getting exercise.  One of the biggest goals for the YMCA is not turning anyone away and providing a more positive environment for children and teenagers.  This can only be done by generous contributions from our community.  Our biggest fundraising effort is happening right now during our annual campaign!  With money raised, the YMCA can provide financial assistance, offer attendance to Camp Seymore, and also provide a safe place for teenagers to hang out during their weekly Late Nite events.  This year, I pledged to raise $1000 and will donate ALL proceeds from my Easter Mini-Sessions to the 2014 YMCA Annual Campaign!  I really want to raise this money, not only to help the Y, but also because my class - the only hip hop class offered at the Tacoma Center Y - will get a banner that will hang prominently in the gym!  I know that sounds trivial, but I want to show that a small class can make a big difference!  I would be so proud!

Just like last year, the Easter photos will include baby chicks!  I already have 9 grown chickens that lay either white or brown eggs.  But because of my selfish desire to have blue & green eggs as well, I have decided to get a few Ameraucana chicks.  What a perfect opportunity for another cute Easter mini-session!  But not only chicks - I will also have a bunny this year!!  It really doesn't get much cuter - chicks and a bunny to accompany your adorable kiddos!  So, if you want some Easter photos, spring pictures, or just a great deal for family portraits, please join me for my Easter mini-session event - March 29 & 30.  For $50 you will get 5-10 digital photos and 1-8x10 print.  Contact me to book your 30 minute session!

Remember back in the 80's when "Glamour Shots" was really popular?  It was such a great idea.  Women carry so much responsibility on their shoulders and have to constantly be compared to perfectly photoshopped models on magazine covers.  It's no wonder that so many women have low self-esteem and decide to give up on themselves and focus on their kids or job instead.  Glamour Shots was a way for women to feel beautiful again.  They got professional makeup and hair done and really flattering photography taken so they could always look back and feel special or give the photos as gifts to their husbands or significant others.  But of course, big hair and fluffy boas soon went out of style and now those Glamour Shots look like something that should be featured on "Awkward Family Photos".  So, how do we help women feel beautiful in this day and age?

Boudoir photography has become very popular in the last few years.  It's really simple - highlighting all of the beautiful parts of each woman from her face, her back, her legs, down to her feet!  It is not raunchy or pornographic.  It is classy and beautiful.  I really wanted to add this to my portfolio but wasn't sure how to approach it.  Do I ask a friend to volunteer or try taking pictures of myself (that was a quick "NO"!)? Luckily, Kayla contacted me and asked if I would do them for her.  She didn't care that I hadn't done them before and was willing to let me try anything.  It was a strange and wonderful experience all at the same time.  Here is this girl that I have known since she was maybe 6, so that is how I always see her - a 6 year old innocent girl!  But here she is - now 21, about to be married and wearing lingerie!  It was a little awkward at first, but the more time passed, the more I appreciated how great it was to be able to see her grow into such a beautiful woman.  I think her fiancé is a very lucky man to get to have such a stunning bride!

As soon as I posted a picture from her shoot, I got a call from an old friend of mine that wanted to have some done too!  I was so excited to do more and Crystal was so open minded and willing to do pretty much whatever I asked!  One of the best feelings and compliments I get as a photographer is showing someone their picture and hearing them say, "That's me?!  OMG, I look amazing!"  That's when I knew I wanted to do more and more of these kinds of shoots!

As a single mom, I know how busy life gets and how easy it is to put yourself last.  Take the time to allow yourself to feel beautiful, even if it's just for the 1 hour that we shoot!  Everyone has insecurities and in todays world it's so easy for women to feel bad about themselves.  But no matter what size, shape, color, or age you are, you are all beautiful in your own way!

Before & AfterThe new LindaYoshi Studio - Before & After

Wow, I haven't written on my blog in such a long time! But what better reason to get back on the writing ball than to announce the opening of my new and improved studio! As some of my clients may be able to attest, my previous studio was not very good.  It was in an odd room inside my house and was very small.  It always made me a little apprehensive to bring people into my home that I did not know, not to mention that I had to make sure my house was clean before they arrived (which isn't always a very easy task!).  It just was not an ideal location at all.

But I finally got my butt in gear and moved my studio to a better location!  I converted my shop, which was becoming the dumping ground for all of my junk and not utilized for any real purpose, into my new studio!  I spent about a week clearing it out and re-organizing it, and now it is such a great space for my home studio and I am so excited about it!  It is not inside my home anymore (so no one will know how messy my house usually is!) and it is a much bigger space.

Being a photographer in the Pacific Northwest can be a challenge in the winter months with the constant rain and cold weather.  But with my studio, I will be able to provide my photography services throughout the year.  So, I hope you consider LYP not only for outdoor photography, but for your studio photography needs as well.  It is a perfect location for headshots, newborn photos, family portraits, holiday pictures, and more!

New Studio PhotoMy beautiful daughter modeling in the new studio with our holiday themed backdrops.

I have entered my photography in the National Arts Program's annual show for the last few years.  The first year, I was just excited to have enough courage to put my work out there for the public to see.  I didn't win anything, but I was happy I did it.  The second time, I actually won for my division!  It was a $100 prize, which I thought was pretty amazing (the prize AND the money!).  This year, I didn't end up winning a prize, but I ended up selling both of my pieces.  To me, that was more flattering because it meant that people liked them enough to want to put the pieces up in their homes.

I titled one of the pieces "Olympic Mountain".  It was a photo of the Inuksuk from the 2010 Winter Olympics on the top of Whistler Mountain, Canada.  I took this photo on my most recent trip up there.  It was a glorious day and we were way above the clouds, which created a very unique view.  It was the first time I was able to bring my 5 year old daughter to the very top and her first time skiing all the way down.  I was so proud of her!  Not just because she could ski, but because she and I have endured a lot of hardship and loss over the last few years and here we were, just the two of us, still able to stand on top of the world and make our way down together.  It was a really wonderful day and whenever I see this photo, I am reminded of that day.

I had no idea that this photo would mean anything to anyone else.  But after being displayed in the art show, I got a call from someone that wanted to buy it.  Seeing it brought back a lot of memories for him and he wanted to give it to his wife as a gift.  He told me why it meant so much to him - He and his wife have been to Whistler many times, but their last trip was really special.  They had an amazing opportunity to go during the actual Olympic games!  But that's not why that last trip was so significant.  Soon after coming home from their trip, they found out that she had cancer.  It marked the beginning of a very long, painful, and scary road for both of them.  Luckily, she was able to beat the cancer and is much better now.  But he told me that when he saw the photo, it made him remember their last trip to Whistler and how happy they were before her fight with cancer.  He wanted to give it to her not only as an anniversary gift, but also to show her how grateful he is that they can still celebrate it together.

"Hi Linda,

Attached is a picture of my wife and me at the Olympics in front of the statue. The picture you took now hangs prominently in our living room; it brings us back to a very happy time in our lives. Shortly after this vacation we were thrown into a brutal battle with Cancer. When I gave it to her for our anniversary there were many tears of joy.  Just wanted to let you know the pleasure you and your camera provided us.

Thanks again, Tony"

That is probably the best compliment I could ever get as a photographer.  It means so much more than winning a prize.  Thank YOU, Tony, for sharing your story with me and I wish you and your wife all the best!

So, take advantage of my need for more eggs in my kitchen and book your mini-session!  It’s a quick, inexpensive way to get some fun photos with adorable chicks for Spring, Easter, or for any occassionClick to view slideshow.

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It makes me so happy when I get asked to take photos for a special occassion or when a photo is needed for something in particular like a card or website or headshots, etc.  So, I’m even more estatic when it’s for a special occassion and for a card!

Meet baby Kaia as she celebrates her very first birthday!!  These were requested not only to commemorate this milestone but also to use for birthday announcements since part of her family lives far away in New Zealand.  Kaia did such a great job.  Even though she was fighting a little cold, she was still quite the professional giving me lots of poses and big smiles!  She wasn’t sure what to make of the birthday cake and all that pink frosting, but it didn’t take her long to have some fun with it!

I regret not taking more pictures of my daughter when she was a baby (I was a cheapskate and didn’t have my own studio yet!) and wish I had the foresight to document her infancy more.  They are only babies for such a short time, so I was really honored to help Kaia’s parents preserve these precious images of their beautiful baby and be part of their memories.

I had a great time and hope to see one of their shows when I don’t have to work!  Check out their website and become a fan of their band and their facebook page.  You might even see some of my photos on there too!

First, there was Karin.  She is pretty special to me because she was my squad leader during my first year on the team.  She helped me find my confidence and taught me the ropes of being a Sea Gal.  She was a great leader and I couldn’t have asked for a better role model.  10 years later, she looks exactly the same!  How is that possible?!  I don’t think she has aged a bit except having that gorgeous motherly glow beaming from her!  Her husband, son, daughter, and new baby were so nice as we walked around Pioneer Square of Seattle.  It was one of the smoothest photo shoots I have ever had and we were blessed with some great lighting from the overcast sky.

Then there is Jacquetta.  I always remember her as not only a beautiful teammate, but also a really great dancer.  You see, my interest in being a Sea Gal was not about football (please don’t hate me sports fans!), it was about my passion for dance.  So I felt more of a kinship towards my fellow Sea Gals that excelled at dancing and shared that passion with me, like she did.  Plus, we both won really amazing awards on our last year together.  I was “Sea Gal of the Year” and she was nominated to be our Pro Bowl representative!  When I met up with her and her family for this shoot, she was even more beautiful than I remember (if that’s possible)!  She, her husband and 5 kids (yes, 5!) were really fun to hang out with.  Each one had a different personality and brought something unique to the family and the photos.  It was pouring at first and I didn’t think we would be able to do the shoot, but the rain stopped long enough for us to get some great shots in.

I had a great time visiting with my Sea Gal alumni again after so many years and it was really nice to see that they were both happy and successful with a really loving family behind them.  I wish I could say “Go Hawks!” but I’ll just have to wait until next season.

It was a pretty cold day, one of the first days this year to be in the 30′s, but we kept moving and they kept cuddling. They are so cute together! I am excited for their upcoming wedding in the spring (when I hope it’s a bit warmer!) and excited for their long and happy life together!

Click to view slideshow.

I haven’t seen Glen and Paula for probably 10 years, but because of Facebook, we were able to reconnect and catch up with each other.  It was so lovely to see that they were still together and devoted to each other.  And now they have two beautiful children to complete their family.  And lucky for me, they needed some family portraits done and wanted me to do them (thank you!).  We struggled to find a date that wasn’t affected by the turning weather.  We finally took a chance and ended up picking a great day.  The rain held out until after our shoot, so we were able to get some shots showcasing the gorgeous changing leaves and fall colors.

It’s always nice to take photos of friends, especially those I haven’t seen in a long time.  It doesn’t end up feeling like work because I get to spend the whole time catching up and hanging out with people that I have missed over the years.  It was so nice getting to see Glen and Paula again and getting to meet their children for the first time!

Weddings are such a memorable and significant event in a person’s life so it’s understandable that a couple would want to preserve that moment with photography. But because it’s such an important event, most couples are reluctant to hire a photographer that hasn’t done a wedding yet, which has been a problem I have faced. I believe I’m fully capable of taking beautiful photos of a wedding but since I haven’t done one before, I’m sure it is a bit stressful for the bride and groom to trust a new photographer on top of all the other stresses of planning a wedding.
I was very excited to be asked to be a second shooter for my friend Jenn at J.Lelli Photography. Not only would it be my first time photographing a wedding, but it was at the glorious Space Needle! What a venue for my first wedding experience!!
The weather lately has been turning to the typical grey Seattle weather and the forecast predicted rain.  However, it turned out to be an unusually beautiful, sunny, and magnificent day! It provided many gorgeous views of the city, the Puget Sound, and even the Olympic Mountains in the distance! The wedding went off wonderfully and as soon as it was over, the weather immediately went back to “normal” with the start of rain and a minor wind storm.  It’s as if the weather gods blessed the couple just for their special event!
It was a long day and a lot of work but I had a great time and learned a lot. Because this was J.Lelli photography’s client, I did not want to post photos of the actual ceremony but wanted to share a few of the photos I captured of the venue and all the beautiful details of the wedding.  Thank you Jenn for allowing me to be part of your event!

I know there are a lot of Facebook haters out there, but one of the greatest things about it is that it has been a really amazing tool to reunite with old friends.  That is certainly the case with my friend Les.  This makes me feel very old to say, but we were friends almost 20 years ago and lost touch with each other until he found me on Facebook.  And in the course of reconnecting with him, I found out that he became engaged to a very sweet and lovely woman named Amber and he found out that I became a photographer.  Before you know it, I am taking photos of them for their engagement!  They both have kids of their own and brought them along, so their engagement shoot also became a family photo shoot as well!  It was so sweet to see them happy and watch their boys playing together as brothers already.  They will have a beautiful family and a beautiful life ahead of them.

All the best to you, Les and Amber!

Dara wanted me to take photos of her wedding in Mexico this summer, but much to my dismay, certain circumstances prevented that from happening.  But I was very happy that she still wanted me to take photos of her reception back here in town for her friends and family that were also not able to go to the wedding.  Unforuntately, my invitation got lost and I didn’t know about it until the last minute!  But Dara is one of the nicest people I have ever met so I wanted to do whatever I could to make it happen.  I scrambled, cleared my schedule, and got my gear ready.  It turned out great and there was a lot of love and happiness at the reception that night.

Zach is one lucky guy to get to marry such a beautiful woman.  Best wishes to a long and wonderful life together!

One of my favorite movies is “Serendipity” not only because I have always had a crush on John Cusack, but because I love when good fortune happens by accident and changes one’s life – as in the story of Brett & Megan.  She works for Humanscale and made a cold call off of a business card she had gotten.  It turned out to be Brett’s.  Little did they know that the simple business call would turn into a loving romance!  But that is exactly what happened and now they are engaged to be married!  This goes to show that you should always be nice to strangers, whether it’s over the phone or in person, because you never know how important that person might become in your life.

Brett & Megan were such a fun couple!  I really enjoyed not only their company but also the beautiful surroundings of Kubota Garden.  I ended up taking more pictures than I have ever taken in one sitting and actually ran out of room on my memory cards!  But there were so many great shots that I couldn’t pass up!  Usually men are reluctant to get their pictures taken, but Brett came prepared with lots of ideas and an open mind to try anything!  I loved that!  It was really nice to see how playful and affectionate they were with each other and I believe they will have a long and happy future together!

Best wishes to Brett & Megan on your upcoming wedding and life together!