Rosario Bay has got to be one of my favorite places for a family session on and around Whidbey Island. The steep bluff does a fantastic job block the light when the sun is a little too bright, there’s a fun calm beach with tide pools, and oh year - GORGEOUS views that really remind you that you’re near the San Juan Islands.
Read MoreThis incredible session was my second time working with mama Kirstin, and her two adorable boys. She invited me into her gorgeous home earlier last year to shoot an indoor motherhood session while hubby was deployed, but as soon as dad was back, she knew she wanted updated pictures with all of her favorite people in the frame.
Read MoreOkay universe, what is going on?! Seriously though - looking back at images from the beginning of March makes me feel like I've time-traveled to an alternate universe. We're really living in the upside down now, right? Okay, maybe I'm being dramatic, but WOW. Just WOW.
Read MoreI’m not sure if “discovering your why” is just photographer-speak, if it’s something all creatives seek out, or if we are all looking for the meaning behind what we do and WHY we do it. Regardless, from the time I started my photography journey nearly seven years ago to today – I finally know why what I do is important – and I’m making it the center of what I do going forward.
Read MoreI’d love to say that I’m a super-adventurous, ready-to-climb-a-mountain kind of gal. But I’d be lying. The truth is I try to leave Whidbey Island as little as possible. (I even cancelled my Costco membership when we moved here!). I’m a homebody, and I’m not ashamed to say it friends!
Read MoreI remember when I first moved to Whidbey Island and was slightly (okay really) overwhelmed by the number of gorgeous locations for family pictures. There were so many beautiful spots - but which had the features I was looking for and access to the type of views I needed?
Read MoreThis family has been one of my faves ever since they moved across the street from us two years ago. Okay, we already had an awesome neighborhood, but the DuBois fam definitely added to the fun. And now that we know them and love them, of course the military would move them!!
Read MoreSummer is here (finally!), and the weather is PERFECT for family pictures in the PNW. Don’t know what to wear? I got you boo! Welcome to my new seasonal styling tips! I’ll be sharing palettes and pieces I love and recommend to my clients throughout the year. I want to help you visualize a stunning wardrobe that will take your family photo session to the next level.
Read MoreLove is at the heart of what I do. Love and mamas. Mamas give. And give. We don't ask for much, and often put the needs of our family above our own. We see the light in our friends WAY before we acknowledge it in ourselves. We doubt our beauty. We doubt our talent. We doubt our strengths.
Read MoreMilitary homecomings have my heart. They are always special, unique, and emotional. It’s even more special when I get to document a homecoming for a friend, especially someone I admire and look up to as a mother and military spouse.
Read MoreWould you like to join my team? Or know someone who is looking for part-time, creative work in the Oak Harbor area? Kara Chappell Photography is growing, and I’m looking for someone to help me grow and manage my social media and back-end business tasks. Apply here!
Read MoreFor most people, January is the start of a new year. I like to think of February as my own personal starting line. Maybe it’s the holiday hangover that creeps into January, or the optimism of resolutions that keep me dreaming all month, but for me personally, reality sets in on February 1st, and the short month FLIES by before I know it.
Read MoreI just completed my first month of my 365 Project, and I don’t feel like throwing my camera out the window. #winning! A “365 Project” is photographer-speak for taking a picture a day for a year. And if that sounds easy, it’s actually not. Because you definitely don’t take just one picture a day (at least I don’t). You take 50, or 400 pictures a day, and then you cull, edit, organize, and repeat.
Read MoreI'm still in denial that I'm not going to be grabbing margaritas with this beautiful mama anytime soon. The VR-61 family was so blessed to know, work, and play with the McColloughs. As the outgoing CO (Skipper) of the squadron, Gabe was my hubby Ryan’s boss, and his awesome wife Lindsey was the chief-party-planner of our spouse’s club. She made a huge effort to be here and support the spouses in our squadron, even though her home (and often kiddos) were in the Midwest.
Read MoreThis session was such a game changer for me. First of all, I love this woman. Whitney took our family pictures on Whidbey Island last year, and they are so beautiful that they cover most of wall space that was left in my home (I may have a “hanging pictures on my wall problem” - or else I need a bigger house!). Ever since then we stayed in touch and developed both a personal and professional friendship - as we are both photographers, military spouses, and mamas to two wild and awesome kiddos.
Read MoreShelly and her boys found their happy place during a summer trip to the San Juan Islands. They traveled all the way from Texas, and now come back every year to enjoy some quality time together while taking in the beauty of the area.
Read MoreI am finally getting back with the program and starting to blog all the gorgeous sessions I was lucky enough to shoot this fall. With the weather getting rainy, I can’t think of anything better than grabbing a comfy blanket, lighting a pumpkin candle, and sharing Savannah and Nick’s amazing couples session with you.
Read MoreI met Carly and Bobby last fall, when we squeezed in the last possible photo session of the season. And it was COLD. Like, had to wear coats, seeking shelter indoors cold. They were amazing troopers, but we knew that this year we wanted warmth, sun, and clear skies.
Read MoreSinging songs, climbing trees, running in and out of the surf. These are the things we do during family sessions. We play, we have fun, we make memories. Or rather - YOU make memories, and I capture them for you to hold on to for years to come.
Read MoreThis session was so much fun! Not only did this amazing family fly all the way from Minnesota to shoot with me (okay they were staying in Seattle for a family wedding), but mama is also a photographer (no pressure, right)?!
Read More
