on the horizon | seattle wedding photographers

Get out your pom-poms and strike up the band, because even more changes are here. Time for our next big announcement!

Over the past year, both Drew and I have found ourselves getting busier and busier. For me it has been weddings (and seniors! and boudoir!), for him, it has been commercial and editorial photography. For many years, Drew has been gracious enough to attend meetings, second shoot weddings, assist when needed, and provide plenty of creative feedback (and inspiration) for the wedding business. There were times that working as a team was intensely frustrating, but all in all, it was incredibly rewarding. Not only did we get to to spend more time together than the average couple, it gave us many opportunities to strengthen our marriage, learn from each other, and grow together. We have loved working together, and will continue to do so every day of our lives. We always knew the time would come that we would be ready to set off down our own photographic paths, and I'm so excited to announce that now is that time.

I have gained a measure of confidence I would have never thought possible over the last several years, and most of that is thanks to Drew. He did not convince me of my strengths, he did not force me to stand on my own, he simply allowed me to discover what I knew all along: I have what it takes to be a businesswoman. I have the creativity, the drive, and the resources to make this a successful venture. In his quiet, reassuring way, he allowed me to develop from someone who was completely unsure if I could handle running a wedding business, into someone who knew that this is exactly what I am meant to do.

Never fear. Drew is still very much a presence here at Vanasse Studios (in fact, he's sitting about four feet away from me right now), but its finally time for me to step up and take charge. He is still my inspiration, my motivation. He will still come to meetings, if he is available.  He may even shoot weddings with me once in a while. But he's off on his own adventure, and I couldn't be more proud. Check out his incredible work.

On the wedding front, I've begun assembling a team of second photographers whom I feel will beautifully represent our style and our philosophy, and I can't wait to work a full season of weddings with new friends by my side!

So, welcome to the new website. New photos, new style, even a new "about" section.
Same old thrill to be celebrating love for a living.

One more big announcement coming on Wednesday: we're through the roof about this one.

Cheers, friends.

rustic elegance :: dairyland styled photo shoot | seattle wedding photographers

We have been plugging along at this photo business thing for a few years now, and I'll be honest: there have been some slow times. They say that which is worthwhile always takes time, and let me tell you, I’m learning and relearning that lesson every day. I am naturally of a quiet disposition: not overly fond of crowds or making a big show of myself or my business. Anyone of a similar disposition knows that it’s a challenge running your own company. Every day, I push past my own boundaries to grow more, learn more, and embrace others more.

That’s what this shoot was about. Seattle has such an incredible wedding community, and I really wanted to tap into that. So, I decided to plan a styled photo session. I wanted it to not just be about the details (oh, there are details!), but about the people involved, about the love that ultimately brings us all together. This city has some serious talent to offer, and I can honestly say every single person involved not only met, but exceeded my expectations.

In this vein, we asked a real couple to model for us. Of course, it just so happens that they’re fabulously attractive, newly married, and so in love. For me, Rachel and Jimmy brought such life and energy to this photo shoot, it would not have been the same without them. 

I worked closely with Katie Slayton from Sprinkled in Seattle on creating this event. She took my idea of “meeting some awesome vendors and putting something incredible together. On a farm. With amazing models.” and flew it to the moon. The intricacy of her detail work, from found items to pieces she made in the weeks leading up to our shoot, Katie worked so hard to make this a possibility, and I’m so thankful for that!

Thank you so much to all the vendors who made this a success!

Planning + Design : Sprinkled in Seattle

Photography :: Vanasse Studios

Venue :: Dairyland

Flowers :: Laurel’s Floral Decor

Cake :: The Sweet Side

Tables :: Seattle Farm Tables  

Rentals :: Pedersen’s

Models :: Rachel + Jimmy Brown

Hair + Makeup :: Yessie Libby

Paper Goods :: Swash Letterpress + Design

Chalkboard :: Wedding Chalk Art

Catering :: Eat Drink with Eric Baur

Dresses :: Cicada Bridal

the bridge | love story IV

Greetings, internet traveler. Have you been here before? Welcome back. If you’re new, may I gently suggest you head over here and check out parts 1-3 of the story? This will make a lot more sense, if you do.

…

I have a basic outline for our story. Drew and I sat down one night, took a walk down memory lane, and wrote down all the moments that stood out in our past. This next part is labeled “Drew falls off bridge. Tasha bakes brownies.”

That’s really all you need to know, but perhaps I should expound, because it’s sort of funny. You know, funny in a “Holy crap, my new boyfriend almost died” sort of way.

It was nearing the end of the school year, and we were all pretty fried. Wiped. Crazy, delusional, stressed-out-of-our-minds exhausted. Final portfolio was almost due, and while we could just taste that final victory, we weren’t quite there yet.

One sunny afternoon, a few of us thought it would be a great idea to go jump off a 40+ foot bridge. You know, for fun.

Off we went, arriving somewhere in the back woods of Greenfield. We wandered out onto the bridge (upon which was a sign that clearly stated “bridge jumping is illegal”), some of us slightly more enthusiastic than others. I’ll let you guess who the most enthusiastic member of our party was.

One by one, we all jumped. It was amazing, terrifying, exhilarating, and somehow seemed to melt the stress away.

At some point after we had all gone, I thought out loud “Hey, I should grab my camera, and film one of us jumping off.” But the car was parked at least 100 feet away, and when you’re crazy, delusional, stressed-out-of-your-mind and have just jumped off a bridge (read, exhaustion + adrenaline), that seems like much too far to walk to capture a classic moment. Like your new boyfriend almost dying.

Okay, we’re getting there.

Drew climbed up onto the ledge for a second jump and paused to consider the drop (the trick is not to consider it for too long, because at some point, your logic-brain kicks in, sees the risk, and seizes up your motor skills in an effort to prevent bodily harm).

He paused just long enough, and off he went, front flip and all. I remember looking down after him as he fell, and thinking how strange his body looked... tense and flat, like he wasn’t in control. 

Slap.  We all winced. He hit the water much harder than we had expected. Face down. Motionless.

It didn’t take long for us to figure out that something was seriously wrong. Our friend Porter moved quickly to the edge, preparing to jump in after Drew. After what seemed like a slow motion eternity, Drew moved. Jerked, like he had been roughly woken up, and began swimming to shore.

Moral of this story? Exhaustion and front flips don’t mix. Drew had passed out in midair just after the jump, hit the water unconscious, and woken up just in time to keep any water from going into his lungs.

Just like that. He was completely fine, like he always is after ridiculous, scary things happen to him. This man is unflappable.

So, I baked him consolation brownies and we all had a barbeque.

[...] 

Now, for your multi-media viewing pleasure, a video excerpt from the next  time Drew jumped off the same bridge. Yes, we went back and did it again. What can I say? It was fun.