Shanna Chess Photography

I am super excited to introduce all of you to Xander! This sweetie came to my studio last month and let me get some great photos of him. I think you’re going to enjoy them! I have been so excited to meet this little guy ever since his dad, Chris, told me that he and Xander’s mom, Kristen, were expecting. Chris has been my personal trainer off and on for the last eight years with his boot camp classes. Currently he’s working at Core Fusion. It’s inside the International Fitness building on Commerce Street here in Eugene, so if you’re needing a good workout, Chris is your man! You can check out Core Fusion’s FaceBook page here .

I had a great time last month doing a family photography session with Christina, Jesse, and their two adorable children, Lily and Theo.  Christina wanted to do a special Father’s Day session as a gift to Jesse—which I think was such a fantastic idea! What better way to celebrate fatherhood than to give the gift of time with family, the creation of precious new memories, and a way to look back on those memories for years to come!

We have a new little one to welcome to the blog. Everyone, meet Casey! This little guy was brought into my photography studio in Eugene, Oregon around the middle of last month by his mom, Kristina. She wanted to do a full newborn photography session, which usually includes some pictures of baby with mom and dad, but Kristina decided to bypass the family photos and do exclusively baby pictures, so I focused completely on Casey—which I didn’t mind a bit! 

I hope all of you will join me in giving a big welcome to Kyle! This sweet little boy is a long-awaited blessing for his parents, Adam and Amanda, who have been hoping and praying so much for his arrival. Kyle was brought into this world by the wonderful gift of surrogacy, and I know Adam and Amanda are so grateful for this amazing gift that has allowed them to have a family of their own. 

I am so excited to introduce all of you to Ona! I met this sweet little girl at the beginning of June, when her mom and dad, Celeste and Kenny, brought her into my photography studio in Eugene, Oregon . Ona and her parents are from Newport, a lovely town along our scenic Oregon coast, so I was so pleased when they chose me to be their newborn photographer and were willing to drive all the way over to Eugene (about 2 hours away) for Ona’s pictures.  

In keeping with the spring/summer theme that seems to be going on—I have another maternity photography session to share with all of you! Summer and Ben had their little girl a couple of weeks ago, but we did manage to squeeze in a maternity photography session before her arrival. We chose Zumwalt Park as our location—a spot I don’t often use as it’s a little distance from my photography studio in Eugene, Oregon . Zumwalt Park is located in Veneta on the edge of the Fern Ridge Reservoir, and it’s a wonderfully quiet place as it’s closed to traffic and even parking is limited. I feel like any place near water is bound to be pretty, and Zumwalt Park didn’t disappoint. The volunteers who maintain the park keep it very natural, and there is an abundance of wildflowers dotted throughout the grassy areas, creating both a comfortable carpet and a perfect backdrop for photography. 

I guess springtime in Oregon is the season of maternity photography ! I have been doing several of these types of sessions lately—and I love it! There is such excitement in the anticipation of a new life, and it’s so fun to capture that mood on film. Courtney and Poul actually just had their second baby—a little boy—and I can't wait to have him in the studio! Back in late May they wanted to do a maternity photography session in anticipation of the big event. Here are the photos, and I hope you enjoy! This is such a cute little family! Courtney and Poul are such sweet people, and their daughter, Emma, is absolutely adorable. I’m sure she’s a wonderful big sister.

Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Amber, Grant, and Goldie, and in wishing Goldie a happy first birthday! We did this session to celebrate Goldie turning one. Her mom and dad decided against doing a cake smash (which is what I traditionally do for a kiddo’s first birthday), and instead wanted to try more of a family photography session, which I was delighted to do. What a wonderful way to commemorate a child’s birth! This is a beautiful little family, and the photos turned out great. I hope you enjoy them!