Tacoma Wedding Photographers | Hilary Mercer Photography | Tacoma Newborn Photographer

The Color Run | Summer bucket list

hildog — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:45:05 +0000

On mothers day this year I got to celebrate being a mother by running a 5k. It was my first legit 5k and it was a blast! I was one of the luck 10,000 to run in The Color Run- Seattle. There were SO many people there. I loved that we got to be in Seattle. I seriously love Seattle and I wish we lived closer and that I got to go up more often. I was a tad bit sad we didnt run through Pike Place Market but I get why we didn’t. Who wants color all over their produce and beautiful flowers?! It is on my bucket list that I run a few 5k’s (or something like it) this summer and this is the first on the list. The next one is a mud run and its in June! I cant wait!I do have a few tips for you especially if you’ll be strolling along a baby.

1. Cover your stroller. There will be WAY less clean up AND the kid will get more color thrown on them. Now.. if you think your kid might not like it.. dont cover it. During the run Jack got a LOT of color on him and Chloe didnt get as much and I think it had to do with the sheet. I got mine at a thrift store years ago and we used it as a beach sheet. It was perfect.

2. Bring wet wipes. The color still doesn’t come off all the way but it helps.

3. If your kiddo just wants to walk/run it. Do it still! There were plenty of kids on shoulders and walking the path. I was so excited to see them all. Our friend Mike even had fun High 5ing them with color in his palm. They seemed to get a kick out of it.

4. Dont forget to get your free photo at the end of the run. You get one free digital photo to download. :)It was so good.. I had to show that one again. Look at all that beautiful color.. especially with the EMP in the backThe only photo I got of the two of them not being held.and my favorite from the day. :) I think he had a lot of fun, I know I did.

Thanks for taking photos of us Amanda and Mike, I really appreciate it!

Oh and these werent taken with my dslr but my Canon G11 with waterproof shell instead.

Hilary Mercer is a Wedding Photographer in Tacoma, Washington. Her work is quickly becoming recognized as some of the most creative wedding and portrait photography in the Northwest. You can read the original blog post here The Color Run | Summer bucket list.

Daddy & Me Mini Sessions! | Tacoma Portrait Photographer

hildog — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:13:28 +0000

The mothers day mini sessions were such a big hit that everyone was asking if I was going to be doing a daddy & me one. Well, why not?! Dads deserve awesome photos with their kids too.

These sessions are perfect if you’re husband has just returned from overseas and missed being in ALL of the photos over the last year. They also make great presents for Fathers Day. It is coming up and if you’re like me I always have the hardest time figuring out what to get my father in law.

You’ll have the option to buy more than the initial 5 you get. 20 minutes. Downtown Tacoma (exact location tbd).

Just daddies and the kiddos (and grandfathers!) this time, no mommies.

In order to secure your time, pay with paypal below.

Something to touch | Blurb Book Review

hildog — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:52:33 +0000

I have been meaning to write this blog for a while. I was just waiting for me to be done with our families 2012 album. I knew it was going to be our largest album yet and I knew this post needed it. All the time I get asked who I print my books through. If I like them and if they can hold a lot of images. I print my annual albums through blurb.com. I heard about them a while ago but only last year had my first album printed. My first was Jack’s first 365 album and I loved it. It was exactly what I wanted and I know when he is older he will love (and hate) it. I hear this all the time, “I haven’t even printed a single photo from our wedding off the disc I got.” As a photographer and more importantly as a mom I feel so sad! How are your kids ever going to see their mommy and daddy getting married?!? Or pregnant, or when they were dating? Hard drives and discs don’t last forever. When your kids are older do you really want them not able to see their baby photos because we don’t have that technology anymore? I know a ton of my moms baby films aren’t even able to be viewed because we don’t have the type of film projectors to show them. But she DOES have prints so I can see what she looked like growing up and what my aunts looked like and how silly and adorable they ALL looked. You don’t have to print through blurb, all I’m getting at it how important it is for you to be printing these precious images for your future family to see. Right now there is a post about a missing cell phone with a fallen soldiers images on it. How I wish she had printed those off her phone! I can only imagine how she is feeling. With blurb, they actually have a way for you to connect to Instagram and make a book. Uhm hello! You don’t even need to download anything or even get on your computer. EASY peasy.

There photos look the same as they do on my monitor. Nothing is overly red and the quality is awesome, especially when you pair it with a sale. It is SO much easier then printing out a bunch of 4x6s and shoving them in an album. Blurb can hold a LOT of images. My 2012 album has the maximum amount of pages (something like 430) and it looks awesome. Its got an entire years worth of images. Can you imagine just HOW MANY PHOTOS OF JACK are in it?!? Hah. Seriously, he’ll love AND hate me I promise. I love that he will get to see everything about his life. I only wish I could have had the same as I was a kid. It was one of my favorite things to do, looking through my moms old photographs. I loved being able to see who she was before I came along. So really, why is the disc SO important if you never even print anything off!? Get on it before your hard drive crashes or your phone is stolen!They make it so easy too. You download a program called Booksmart and they have layouts and different designs to choose from. I do wish they would get a few more aesthetically pleasing ones but that’s probably only because I am used to wedding design. Oh, and you can TOTALLY do your own design in InDesign or Photoshop, I’m just too lazy for that for our family albums. I do have a template I use for my 365 albums though. (Vol. 25 Digital Eye Candy)I am not being paid by them to write this blog. (I Wish!) I just like to spread the word about a good product.

Also, they are incredibly fast at turnaround and ALWAYS ship before they say they are going to!

Oh and if you sign up through me, you’ll get $20 for free! Heyoo! Ill also get $20. Its really a win win.

Are you ready to make a family heirloom? Blurb.com

oh, you want to know where my 2010 album is? its still in the works. waiting on 2 shots from a photographer that seemingly lost the photos. :( But they are probably my favorite photos from the year so I want to hold off. the “pre the mercer’s” are also in the works.

Sun, Family and Earthworms! | University Place Family Photographer

hildog — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:28:22 +0000

I met up with the most adorable family last week. I had come across this spot late last year and I knew it was somewhere I wanted to have a session. Jennifer and her family were more than happy to come along and let me do my thing. It was such a gorgeous day here in Washington and this was one of the hottest ones too! Jennifer’s husband is leaving soon so I was glad to be there and get some shots of him and the family.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival | Summer Bucket list

hildog — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:19:03 +0000

Apparently the Dutch moved here to WA back in the day and they like tulips. So, up in the Skagit Valley every April tons of people flock up North to see the daffodils, tulips and iris’. The tulips definitely steal the show though. There are rows and rows of tulips in all sorts of colors. These were all taken at RoozenGaarde. We hit traffic on the way down and hit Tulip Town first but they were closed before we got there, luckily RoozenGaarde was still open. Yay for them staying open a little later on a beautiful spring day!

Neil grabbed a shot of me :) That never happens. Well, at least this good.

Next years Halloween costume. Tulip!

Brayden William | Fort Lewis Newborn Photographer

hildog — Wed, 08 May 2013 07:35:38 +0000

Brayden couldn’t wait to be born! He was a whole 5 weeks early, I wasn’t expecting him for quite a bit and luckily enough for his mom she booked me a few weeks before and I was able to make room for him. There’s one good thing for booking your newborn photographer as soon as you can. He was just as sweet as can be for me in the studio and a stud sleeper. Mom & Dad wanted to do a few patriotic photographs and I really love they way they turned out!

Over the last week Washington has been blessed with amazingly warm weather. Luckily we were able to go down to the park for a few shots of the three of them.

Little Picasso | Summer bucketlist | DuPont Childrens Photographer

hildog — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:03:15 +0000

A while back I saw this idea on pinterest. For some reason I never thought to photograph his painting in the studio so when it came time to have some fun and paint a few canvas’ we brought him into the studio. On pinterest, the pin said, “something to do with a 2 year old instead of a cake smash” and I thought it was a fabulous idea. I love it when kids get messy. That way you know they’re having fun.. that is if they enjoy being dirty. This one also happens to be on our bucket list. BOOM. Check this off!

I cant get enough of this adorable little boy.I love that he stepped on all of them at the end. <3

Casey and the kids | Puyallup Family Photographer

hildog — Sat, 04 May 2013 07:02:58 +0000

About a week ago I met up with Casey and her cute kiddos. They’re not fond of having their photograph taken. Especially her boy! He is one tough cookie when it comes to not looking at the camera and definitely not smiling. Dont believe me? Check out the family session I had with them last summer.

What is this eye contact?!?!

and a smile!? WHAT!

and to finish out the blog. My favorite shot of the night of her daughter