Whidbey Island Fall Family Portrait Session at Rosario Bay

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 More
Fall Round-Up (a.k.a. All the Sessions I Haven't Shared Yet) | Kara Chappell Photography

If I've learned anything from COVID, it's that I can't do it all. (And that it's okay!). So while I finish editing the last ten sessions on my plate, here's a look at all the fall goodness I've captured so far. Eventually I'll get around to sharing each session and the story behind it, but for now - here's your daily dose of eye candy.

Read More
My First Post-COVID Newborn Session | Whidbey Island Family Photographer

Where do we go from here? In the midst of COVID shutting down the world, all of my sessions were put on hold for several months, but living in the middle of nowhere comes in handy every once in a while. We've now been in Phase 3 for some time, so I've had a super-busy-crazy-summer trying to fit six months of sessions into three. But listen - I'm not complaining AT ALL. I'm so grateful to be working, and I've literally had my best season ever. I've worked with the most amazing families, and have so many plans in the works for next year.

Read More
Generations of Love | Extended Family Session at Fort Casey

Summertime on Whidbey Island inevitably brings tons of visitors and tourists, many of whom bring extended family members along to celebrate birthdays or anniversaries, and they often make a whole vacation out of it. That's right, I live in a vacation spot people!

Read More
Golden Hour Boho Styled Lifestyle Family Session | Whidbey Island, WA

This 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 More
March 366 Project + The Upside Down | Kara Chappell Photography

Okay 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 More
Golden Hour Family Session on Whidbey Island | Kara Chappell Photography

In times like these I want to acknowledge how grateful I am to all of my clients. I'm so thankful that you trust e to work with your families, that you invite me into your lives and your homes, and especially that you return year after year.

Read More
In-home Lifestyle Motherhood Session | Coupeville Family Photographer

I don't know about you, but I sure need some pretty big distractions from everything going on with the news and the virus going through the country right now. So here you go, friends! Some eye-candy that I've been meaning to blog for the past year, and here it finally is!

Read More
Golden Hour Family Session at Deception Pass | Washington Family Photographer

I’m finally blogging some of my favorite sessions from the past year(ish), and this one has been on the top of my list for months! I’ve been meaning to post the Campbell family’s gorgeous Deception Pass State Park family session for soooooooo long - no better time than the present, right?

Read More
February 366 Project + Making Time | Kara Chappell Photography

This month went by so, so fast. Yes, it’s the shortest month of the year, but I also felt like our family was running both on auto-pilot and overdrive. Ryan is working so hard right now, holding down two jobs that keep him away from us quite a bit.

Read More
Deception Pass Magic Hour Family Session | Kara Chappell Photography

This has to be one of my all-time favorite sessions from the past year (or ever)! I was lucky enough to work with Shannon and her beautiful family the year before, and mama had dressed her people to the nines without any prompts from me, which is always a photographer’s dream! That was before I offered styling services, and literally one of the reasons why I knew I had to move in this direction.

Read More
January 366 Project + the Compound Effect | Kara Chappell Photography

I don’t know about you, but January has seemed loooooooooooong this year. Maybe it’s because it’s rained almost every day here in Washington, or maybe it’s because those pesky resolutions we all make demand action day after day (after day). And sometimes you just want to give up and throw in the towel - am I right?!

Read More
2019 - A Year in Review | Kara Chappell Photography | Whidbey Island Photographer

If you’re reading this, thanks. Just thanks. Thank you for being a friend or a cheerleader. And to my clients - thank you from the bottom of my heart for trusting me to hold space with your family and peer into the beauty of your life together. I’m the luckiest gal in the world.

Read More
Fort Ebey State Park Fall Sunset Session

The first time I met this beautiful family, baby girl was in mama’s belly! Now she’s a vibrant, bubbling little babe and the light of mama’s eye. I met Katelyn and her gorgeous fam at Fort Ebey State Park for a lovely (and windy!) fall sunset session earlier this season.

Read More
Legacy Family Session at Rosario Bay | Mayfield Family | Kara Chappell Photography

What can I say about this beautiful woman and her amazing family? It was such a treat to hang with them and document their incredible connection. When Aisha and I talked about her vision for her family session, she mentioned over and over how important it was to her to document their family together - and NOW.

Read More
Washington Park Family Sunset Session | Anacortes Photographer

This session reminded me how much I love working in Anacortes. While there aren’t a ton of locations to choose from, I can never go wrong with Washington Park. On this warm night, the sun was so lovely, the winds were calm, and the kiddos were so stinking sweet! And aren’t they all ridiculously good-looking?! It was kind of hard to stay focused - ha!

Read More
Mt. Baker Adventure Sunset Family Session

To say that this was a dream session is the understatement of the year. First of all, let’s talk about how gorgeous Mount Baker is people. Standing at 10,781 feet in the heart of the North Cascades, Baker is known as an awesome ski spot in the winter months and a gorgeous hiking and camping spot for a few glorious months each summer.

Read More
Finding My Why (Part 1): My Journey to Photography | Whidbey Island Family Photographer

I’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 More
Rosario Bay Family Session | Anacortes Family Photographer | Kara Chappell Photography

You know when you meet someone for the first time, and you just know that they are the coolest? That’s how I feel about this gem of a lady right here. My sweet friend (and amazeballs photographer) Kerry Lee introduced me to Lauren as she and her family were making the move to Anacortes. We hit it off right away, and I seriously wish she was my next-door neighbor!

Read More
What to Wear for Fall Family Pictures | Kara Chappell Photography | Fall Styling Tips

Fall on Whidbey Island may be a bit gray, but there is so much beauty to be found in the Pacific Northwest this time of year. First of all, gray is a lovely neutral background, so the families I document this time of year seem to pop a bit more out of the frame. You can also take advantage of one of the PNW’s most recognizable weather conditions - fog! If you’re up for a morning adventure session, the fog will add dimension, context, and a bit of mystery to your gallery.

Read More