A hint of color from Friday night's Aurora

Just a hint of color from Friday night's Aurora.  It was a gorgeous day, but the clouds crept in front blocking the beautiful color.  Aurora chasing is a hit and miss, but I still enjoy trying.  The train runs along the waterfront and a tall unavoidable street light camera right, but I made the most of this image despite the inconveniences.

Backyard wildlife | Bellevue Portrait Photographer

I had a little visitor about 30 minutes ago.  It made my day!  

Seeing and photographing the wildlife on the property brings me such joy.  It's very different from photographing client portraits, it's so much more challenging if I'm shooting through glass and even outdoors as these beautiful creatures do not remain idle for long after they've smelled, seen me or heard the click of my shutter.  Of course, mama is never far behind, which is something to be mindful of at all times.  I'm just as passionate about photographing wildlife as I am my portrait clients. Wildlife is like a spark and a wonderful compliment to my day job as a portrait photographer.

BUT THIS made my weekend!  Enjoy!

Northern Lights | Redmond, WA Portrait Photographer

The aurora showed up this morning, later than expected and a bit weak, but that's how it goes sometimes...  sit and wait... and if you're lucky you see the colors on the horizon and maybe some pillars of light.

This was taken from Duvall, WA

This one was taken from the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal 

Northern Lights | Mother's Day 2016

About 1:10 am Sunday morning I was just about asleep after a few long days when I decided very spur of the moment to head out to see if I could catch the Aurora closer to home. I was too tired to drive up north, so I ended up on a country road in Duvall and was able to see the Northern Lights in front of me and overhead. Certainly not like my previous captures, but worth leaving my warm bed. These were taken around 1:45 am on Mother's Day

Scheduling 2017 senior portraits now | Eastside Portrait Photographer

Jackson | Sammamish High School Senior

I recently had the pleasure of taking Jackson's senior portraits.  I could go on and on about him!  He is such a gentleman, fun to talk to and a genuinely nice person (and helpful.)  He was very open to trying any pose I suggested.  He has beautiful eyes and a smile that lights up the room.

He is taking a course to become a fire fighter and I told him how interesting this is to me, as he is the second senior I've photographed this year wanting to be a fire fighter.  He shared how rigorous the training is and how few are actually chosen in the end.  I really enjoyed Jackson and the good conversation we had during his session.

Bellevue High School Senior Photographer | Paying it Forward

Bellevue Photographer | Paying it Forward

There has been a time or two where someone really helped me out when I needed it, so I want to do the same for a deserving high-school senior in the Bellevue, WA area.  I am offering one complimentary senior portrait session. 

Please follow the steps below to nominate a deserving 2013 high school senior:

• Head over to Julia Brown Photography Facebook Page and "like" my page.
• Share the "Paying it Forward" post on your timeline.
• Click on the "Contact Me" on my Facebook page or click here and nominate a high-school senior and why you believe they would be deserving of a complimentary custom photo session.  Please only share their first name and none of their personal information in your message, if they are chosen, I will e-mail you directly for their contact information.  

The person that nominates the senior chosen will receive a $100.00 gift certificate toward a photo session with me. I'm looking forward to reading your nominations!  

Stay tuned for details on my Facebook page in August.

Bellevue Senior Photographer | Bellevue, WA

June is right around the corner and if you schedule your senior portrait session before June 30th, you can save $50.00 and you will have until August 30th to complete your session.  High School Senior Portrait Collections may be viewed here.  Contact me via email, or through my Facebook page to schedule.

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Bellevue Photographer | Paragliding

I recently stumbled upon a group of paragliding enthusiasts just off Hobart Road in Issaquah, WA.  It was the end of a beautiful day and I was able to photograph the last paragliders of the day.

The people I met in the few minutes I was there were so friendly, so welcoming and informative!  I was asking several questions about paragliding, one being, "How long can you stay up there?"   They said,  "on a good day you can stay up in the air all day!"  I found that fact fascinating!

Here's a few images from the last jump of the day.

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Elk herd in North Bend, WA

Paul and I went to North Bend this past weekend in search of Elk. Paul has seen the herd over the past few weeks and with the rut coming, we were hoping to see some of the big bulls with their stately and spectacular antlers and we were not disappointed. They didn't stay within the reach of my longest prime lens for very long, but they were a spectacular sight.

Discovery Park - Seattle, WA

We were out early on Wednesday morning May 30th. We left the house about 4 a.m. to head out and shoot the sunrise reflecting back on the Olympic mountain range, however we found a more interesting subject to photograph that morning; the lighthouse next to the (believe it or not) the sewage treatment plant, just off the military section of Discovery Park.