Janet Klinger’s Photography Blog

Naturally I’m enamored with the fact that Nick Collison is a Seattle Super Sonic. Still, at least 50% of my adoration for this couple belongs to Robbie Harriford Collison. Not only is she beautiful, she’s REAL.
From the moment I met Robbie 2.5 years ago, she lit up the room. Robbie, Nick and I originally met for a pregnancy session and have since collaborated on several more sessions: new baby (Emma), with family, engagement photos and of course, the wedding day.
So you want wedding day details… I swear Robbie and Nick hired an All Star Team!
First and foremost, I take my lens cap off to Janel Schlitt, owner of Occasions, LLC. Janel made this day over-the-top spectacular. Shhhh. Don’t tell, but a glitch did happen, and Janel handled it as if it was part of the plan. She’s smooooth.

With the help of Rented Elegance and Athena Flora, a more luscious wedding there could not be.

Here are a few of the photos showing this wonderful day, staring Robbie and Nick Collison!

Tiara’s on Location is responsible for the sexy make-up for Bride, Mom and Maids. She also did most of the hairstyles. Robbie had two different hairstyles, both created by Robbie’s friend John.
Lisa Dupar Caterer created scrumptious food. Red, and White umbrellas from Bella Umbrella. The talented DJ, Austin Beaver of Nitelite Entertainment, provided outstanding skills and sound system. British Motorcoach added flavor with the classic Bentley.

This entry is inspired by Mother Talkers, an informative, get-involved site for mothers (and some fathers may enjoy it too). Specifically, I’m responding to a post about the now notorious “Trash the Dress” phenomenon.

Trashing the dress is anything but new. Photographing weddings since 1989 I have always most enjoyed sharing in the sheer joy of the day with those clients less concerned with wear and tear of the dress, and more with their overall excitement about their evolving relationship.

Wanting to keep a dress clean before the ceremony is understandable (though it’s helpful to get more spontaneous, fun, dramatic shots with those LESS concerned with a bit of dirt.)
Yet we all have dreams. Perhaps a bride owns a white horse. It makes sense to wait until after the wedding day to capture those classic bride-on-horse dreamy moments. I’m helping to fulfill dreams and visions, capturing a playful side of my clients. Why not have some fun, hurt no one, be gorgeous, be you, imagined or real, while dirty, wet, or wind blown?!

I prefer to involve both partners in the “trash” sessions. Marriage is not a solo journey.

Some of my recent trash, well, more RECYCLE concepts for couples include:
Riding on motor scooters, veil secured but wildly blown, dress hiked, shoes as jewels, even if a bit of mud hangs from the heel.
Mist sprayed bodies on a boat and then dock. Dog in tow. Who cares if the pup jumps on you. The wedding is over!
Sandy feet and dress fringe. No need to get the whole dress wet, unless you want to!
A romantic bathroom scene, complete with shaving cream, bubbles, and less.
Both of you romping in the hay, grass, mud. Then, of course, there’s clean-up time.
Simply going to your favorite location and not pampering the dress. Think Pike Place Market. Even if you don’t roll on the ground, your dress will be dirty.

Trash the dress if you want, or simply allow it to get soiled while you create life-lasting moments. Why wait for a wedding? Trash your pajamas today!

Granted, my first impression was tainted. I rushed full boar to get to Ummelina International Day Spa. Hurry up and relax. My life’s motto.
Still, I had been savoring the thought of this day. Knowing I have a message as often as schedule allows, the talented Heather Quintans gave me this incredibly generous gift after photographing her family. (No bonuses please! Just tell your friends.)

Chik and Heather Quintans’ adorable family. Thank you, from every muscle and tendon in my body!

Feeling good to arrive on-time after a hectic day, I was confused upon entering the building. Where do I enter? Then I had to wait 20 minutes to simply access a dressing room.
From then on, Ummm. Soft light, calming music, lightly scented candles dancing from nooks and crannies. The best part was the divine Molly McMartin, Massage Guide extraordinaire. In a co-ed parlor (bring you sweetheart!) she starts with a lightly scented foot soak and hydrating rub. Then off to the private room. Heat pad under torso, heated towl on my back, she begins applying just the right pressure to the carefully chosen spots. She asked good questions and listened intently. After leaving in a state above reality, I was led next door to the private Monsoon Shower, stocked with many of Ummelina’s bath products. Finally, we end the session back in the parlor, heated neck pillow seeping into my much used shoulders. (Think “heavy camera bag”.)

Congratulations to Ummelina’s on their new business location: Yakima WA wine country, nestled inside the same building as the Hilton Garden Inn! This means you can use the pool and exercise equipment too.  Take a dip, sip some wine, message divine! Hope to see you there!

Ellie has asthma: diagnosed by desparate attempts to barely inhale air into lungs. Horrified parents “help” while petrifying a previously trusting girl.

In the ER at Children’s Hospital we initially had no idea what was going on. The nurse gave us the face mask to put over Ellie’s nose and mouth and left us alone in the room. Elle struggled with all her might to free herself, pleading with us to help, yet confused that we were the ones forcefully holding her down pushing a scary mask over her mouth and nose. Sweat dripped off all of us. Especially off Tim who was relegated to straight jacket duty. I was in tears sympathizing with Ellie’s fear, confusion and her use of the signs we had been teaching her: STOP! I imagined we were forcing her to inhale something that was painful, or worse, harmful. Without thinking, I donned the mask for a few minutes to relieve my nervousness, and hopefully calm hers. With so many friends and family in the medical field, I’ve heard more than my fair share of “medical mistake” stories.

A fabulous book exists called It’s My Body. It teaches kids to trust their feelings. If uncomfortable, a child is given several ways to express herself. One of them is to put up her hand and, if using words yet, say firmly “Stop!” Together, all of us had been reading this helpful book for 3 or 4 days previous when this first asthma attack put us in the emergency room. That awful day my girl was not practicing her new skill, she was DEMANDING it in only the way I would hope she would, to no avail. Her face reflected devastation that her parents were the non-complying adults. Anguish ridden and feeling distraught, we vowed never again to let the nurse leave before telling us how to administer treatment, then to cope with this breech of trust. Unfortunately, after too many attacks, we’ve honed our skills. Fortunately, we now know more about preventing the attacks in the first place. I’m inhaling now, with great relief. While she has eczema (often the two go together), we haven’t seen asthma for about a year. Our bodies have relaxed, but thankfully not from sheer exhaustion.

I brought my camera because I imagined the worst. Having already had a sister and mother die prematurely, I didn’t want to be without precious images. Still, I didn’t even think of the camera until after the storm subsided.