Shanna Chess Photography

I had so much fun with Erin and Eric and can't wait to meet baby Caleb!  Eric is a big Batman fan so of course we tied that into our session and plan on doing the same with their newborn session as well :)  This was a fun maternity mini session--so quick but it also produced a lot of great images!  I love both of their tattoos as well.  Enjoy!

Sarah and Drew are just absolutely adorable.  Sarah told me before our session that her and her husband tend to never look right in photos....that they are always posed weird and just don't know what to do.  So they decided they wanted a professional to help them document her pregnancy.  I don't know what they were talking about!  They were super cute one second and then smoking hot another!  I love their tattoos as well :)  And I can't wait to meet their baby boy when I do their Fresh 48 session next month!  Enjoy!

This is part 1 of my sister's maternity session.  That's part of being a photographer's relative that lives close--you are a forced model ;)  And I LOVE it since they are such a gorgeous couple :)  I can't wait to meet the baby!  I get to be there to photograph the birth and will be one of the first to find out if that little smoosh is a boy or girl!  Ahhh!  It's getting so close :) Lindsey loved the idea of a covered bridge, and so did I!  I've always wanted to do a session at one but it just never came to be until now.  We also loved the idea since it was supposed to rain, but thankfully we got lucky with very nice weather.  We drove to Cottage Grove which is the Covered Bridge Capital of Oregon--they have 6 covered bridges!  Based off of online photos, Stewart Bridge looked like it would fit our needs the best and it didn't disappoint. Make sure to stay tuned for their studio maternity session coming up in the next week!  Thi...

I had such a great time at Cindi and Blake's wedding.  They are such a fun and laid back couple.  Their wedding party was full of loving and hilarious people as well.  And their families are amazing.  We started off the day with the Bride and Bridesmaids arriving at the venue with just Cindi needing to get into her dress.  The boys arrived and we went right into the First Look.  I just loved Blake's facial expressions :)  The venue, Oak Knoll Acres, was just perfect for their personalities--a beautiful remodeled barn in Creswell.  The wedding party photos were so much fun!  We loved the spot with the tall trees lining the outside of a field so took most of the formal portraits there.  The ceremony was beautiful and quick and even their dog, Wyatt came out to congratulate them after exchanging their vows.  And of course the reception was a blast!  People dancing and even taking the microphone for some rapping and singing :) ...

It was such a perfect day for photos at Hendricks Park.  Cindi wanted a floral outdoor setting for their engagement pictures, and I just knew Hendricks Park would be perfect with all the rhododendron flowers blooming.  They brought their adorable 2 year old chocolate lab, Wyatt, and Cindi's sister, Megan.  Wyatt was so excited to check out a new outdoor play area but did a great job for their pictures. I can't wait to be the photographer for their big day!!  Coming this October :)  Enjoy!

Please bare with me.  I am trying to figure out Google+ and I noticed there were pictures that I uploaded to this blog on there.  I only saw really old images and things like my logo or the background design that I uploaded when I first opened my business.  So I deleted them from Google+.  Apparently, that deletes them, and ALL OF MY PHOTOS EVER UPLOADED from this blog as well :(  Yes, I am yelling. This will take a very long time and some images are off my computers and on my external hard drive by now. I need to decide how far back I am wanting to fix the posts. So I am slowly re-uploading and editing blog posts from the past almost 2 years.  Ugh.  It may take a while.  All the pictures can be seen in my portfolio here .  Sorry and thanks for your understanding!

This couple was absolutely adorable :)  They braved the snowy roads to get to our session and at the end of our shoot, they were troopers and went out for a snow shot!  They were not wearing any type of snow gear in that picture--please do not attempt at home, folks :p Can't wait to meet their little boy in a couple months!  They took advantage of my New Year special and received this maternity mini session for free with the booking of their newborn session.  All these different set-ups in 20 minutes and they are receiving over 35 images :) Enjoy!

I loved photographing Angelique, Scott and adorable Tucker out at Thistledown Farms this past weekend.  Little brother Tatum will be arriving in January and this little family is so excited to meet him.  And of course Angelique is just stunning with her beautiful pregnancy glow :)  Enjoy!

I had a quick little mini session with this adorable family.  The original plan was to do an outdoor session, but it was a very cold 25ish degree day out, so we decided to keep the kiddos indoors.  We made the best of our location and I think they came out very festive :)  Enjoy!

Yes, it is a little early to be wishing you a Merry Christmas, but honestly, we HAD to do these pictures this past week.  This young, married couple is sooo busy!  Nainoa works a ton of hours and is going to school and also working on logging hours towards his commercial pilot's licence.  And Lindsey has two jobs.  So when we had a dry day in the forecast, daylight and they both weren't working--we had to jump at the opportunity! I love photographing this couple!  Of course, I'm a little biased since she is my "baby" sister and Nainoa is my brother-in-law and the Godfather of our youngest daughter.  But I absolutely think they are just stunning.  They take such gorgeous photographs and their immense love for each other is just oozing out of their pores.  It's a little disgusting actually!  :p  I'm pretty excited that no matter what happens with my photography business, I will at least always have this session every year.  Lindsey ...

Emily was wanting a Western feel for her maternity photos.  She's expecting a little girl in September and her father really was hoping for a granddaughter.  Sadly, he passed away last year before he could have a chance to meet her.  So Emily brought some pieces to bring her dad into their pictures--her belt, buckle, boots and her cowboy hat that he had given to her. The barn was a beautiful backdrop to help out with our theme, and we ended the evening in a gorgeous field with a beautiful sunset and even the moon shining brightly.  It was a gorgeous session, especially with Emily and Chris' son, Tyler smiling his adorable smile.  I can't wait to meet the little girl next month!  Enjoy!

I love this couple.  I had so much fun photographing their beautiful wedding.  They are so much fun!  Andrea was I'm sure, the most laid back bride ever.  She was a delight to work with and looked absolutely gorgeous.  Curt was very GQ-esque in his tux :)  The event was in Springfield, Oregon at Along Came Trudy .  A gorgeous and rustic wedding venue surrounded by orchards and next to the McKenzie River.  The ceremony took place right by the river and the bride and groom exited via boat :)  The reception was in an open barn with lovely white lights strung throughout.  Guests enjoyed the wood fired pizza, huge sweets and dessert tables, and a s'mores bar. Congrats to Mr. & Mrs. Edwards!  Enjoy the pictures here and check out their PASS Gallery :) http://shannachessphotography.pass.us/edwardswedding/

So excited to photograph my first wedding as the primary photographer today.  Congratulations to Curt and Andrea!  I had the pleasure of photographing their engagement photos and their maternity photos.  Can't wait to share images from today.  It's going to be an amazingly beautiful day!

I had the pleasure of working alongside my  wedding photographer the last weekend of June.  Bryan and I have stayed in touch over the last 4 years since my wedding and he has been a great mentor to me when it comes to photography.  I was so happy when he moved back to Oregon so that I had a family photographer that I could trust for my personal family photos, and someone that would be a nearby resource when I needed photography help.  When I was hired to do my first wedding (coming later this summer!), I decided to ask Bryan if he had any weddings that I could 2nd shoot for so I would be more prepared.  And sure enough, he had one on June 30th!  We weren't sure if I would make it or not, because it was a mere 5 days before my due date (and 2 days before I actually delivered!) but I made it!  And I was able to be his 2nd shooter for about 5 hours that day. Tyler and Bethany had a gorgeous ceremony and reception in Creswell, Oregon at River's Edge. ...

So excited to photograph Heather and Robert's newborn next month!  But is it a boy or girl??  Stay tuned to find out :)

I love taking pictures of this couple.  Their love for each other is so obvious--it's adorable!  Boy or girl?  No one knows and we won't until January :) Enjoy :)

It was a brisk morning but this family was great!  Kacie and Stan have a beautiful family and it shows so well through these pictures I captured at Armitage Park. Enjoy!

I believe this is one of the most gorgeous couples out there.  And just because she is my baby sister and he is my brother-in-law does not make me biased at all :p Seriously though, it was so much fun photographing them in their first year of marriage. Enjoy!

I absolutely love this couple!  They are adorable and so in love.  They love to laugh, play and just have a great time!  We had a great shoot at Lonepine Farms out on the pumpkin patch. Enjoy!

This adorable couple was a joy to photograph!  And they even brought their "baby" Krypto  :) Enjoy!