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Heather Baker fell in love with the camera in high school and took every photography course she could at Pacific Lutheran University. She turned her passion into a photography business specializing in children and families. She has been even more convinced how important it is to capture life’s moments when her own father was diagnosed with cancer recently. Heather is honored to be working with Lynette and Soulumination.

Kailee Blankenship developed a love for photography while attending Western Washington University (WWU) in Bellingham, WA. Kailee was inspired to volunteer for Soulumination after her aunt gave her the article, “Hope on Film,” which was about Lynette’s work, and was featured in the July 2007 issue of Alaska Airlines Magazine.

Kailee has had many family members affected by terminal illness and understands the importance of photographs to remember those we love. Kailee shoots professionally as a wedding photographer for Christopher Gendron Photography and also enjoys capturing memories of families, pregnant women, babies, and kids with her own photography business, KRB Photography. She lives in Bothell, WA with her husband, Tex, and their dog, Monty.

Kelly Chandler: Over 13 years ago, Lynette photographed my wedding and I have beautiful photos to cherish. We had Lynette scheduled to take photos of our first child but sadly, I had to call and cancel. We lost our beautiful baby boy, Grant, to a cord accident during birth. I was shocked and devastated. You never get over losing a child but you do get through it. I have since been blessed with 2 beautiful children and thank God for their health and beautiful spirits. This year in school my youngest child drew a picture of our family...it included an angel in the sky of his big brother looking over him. I have only one photo of Grant, taken by the nurses at the hospital with a Polaroid camera. I treasure it, but wish I had more.

I have been photographing professionally for over 8 years now and love to see families come full circle. From weddings to pregnancy to family portraits....I love it all. It has now been over 11 years since Grant passed away. Grant has inspired me to volunteer for Soulumination so that I can give the gift of photography to the Soul families. It is my way of honoring Grant and turning my own personal tragedy into something beautiful for others.

Following graduation from photography school in Victoria, BC, Canada, Sharlane Chase moved to Tokyo, Japan where she assisted fashion photographer, Tetsuya Miura. Sharlane was fortunate enough to assist shoots that varied from Elle Japon to European Vogue. After three years in Japan, she moved on to London, England and freelance assisted for various fashion and commercial photographers. Sharlane spent this year in London assisting on everything from corporate shoots for Hewlitt-Packard to ID magazine. Upon her return to the Northwest, she realized her true passion was photographing real people in their own surroundings.

For the past six years, Sharlane has been busy running her own business and, more recently, running around after her daughter, Anna.

Tara Clark: My passion for photography exploded while spending two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho, Southern Africa. The time in Africa gave me an opportunity to take award-winning cultural & wildlife photographs. Since my return home in 1996, I transitioned into portrait & wedding photography. I am now in my 9th year of business & love my job more today than ever. I feel incredibly fortunate that my passion is also my profession. I truly love working with my clients to document the most cherished times of their lives.

Sandra Coan has made a career out of capturing the little moments that make up our memories. Whether it be at birth when a father greets his daughter for the very first time, or years later, when he walks her down the aisle, Sandra sees, in the moment, a timeless piece of art that tells an important part of your life story.

Sandra is a nationally recognized photographer and has been featured in several publications, including ePregnancy, Showing Style, Plum, Bump, Seattle Bride and The Knot. She is also the mother of adorable twin boys (Harvey and Dexter).

Carolyn Coffee: Spending my childhood in a place like Juneau, Alaska was a great gift. The mountains, the channels, the glacier… I thought everyone had these as the back drop of their lives: eagles, salmon, and occasionally bears as my neighbors.

I studied art and education while at the University of Oregon. After graduating I focused on photography working with Linda Bray, an accomplished painter/photographer, in Eugene, OR. After moving to Seattle I began shooting for Yuen Lui Studios as a portrait photographer. I am now living in North Bend, WA just east of Seattle; I’m back in the mountains and that big backyard! I hope to continue adding to my portfolios and adventures.

Shon Crewe: My very first job in high school was working as a photographer's assistant. Then, I just liked the idea of trying to make people smile and enjoying free meals at weddings. I had no idea that several years later, it would become a passion and eventually, a career. Today, I enjoy shooting children and pets and utilizing photography as a way to help give back to the community. Shon lives in Issaquah with her beloved Shiba Inu, Beagley.

Stephanie Cristalli's life as a photographer began after graduating from Eastern Washington University with a degree in fine arts. She spent several years honing her skills as a photographer by assisting with many of the photographic masters of Seattle. Soon she was ready to make it on her own and began by photographing a few weddings here and there. About the same time, she met Lynette Johnson and was so inspired by her zest for life, people, and photography that she decided to follow in her footsteps. With the help of Lynette, her photography career blossomed and has been very successful. She finds that the work she has done with Soulumination the most satisfying work of her career.

Camille Dohrn traces her love of photography to memories of her uncle’s images of the Dominican Republic in the late 1960s. As a 13 year old, her uncle trusted her to ski behind him carrying an enormous pack full of his cameras and lenses while he shot a World Cup skiing event. She was hooked. She’s always used her own camera to track and share the life stories unfolding around her.

After 15 years of being a mom with a camera, she felt compelled to put it into service, telling stories that needed to be heard. In 2007, she traveled to India to work with Tibetan refugee children, mentoring and assisting in telling their stories photographically. She currently works with local organizations documenting change-making projects to help create visibility for their programs. She continues to shoot portraits for events and loves the challenge of telling stories through individual images as well as through photo essays.

Susan Doupe received her MFA from California Institute of the Arts and has studied photography at the Photographic Center Northwest. She has a breadth of experience and proven expertise working with families, actors and businesses in the northwest.

Michael Good: I have been a photographer my entire life. I acquired my first camera at age six and spent much of that summer on my knees exploring my new found world of little creatures. This might help explain my interest in shooting nature photos now, but I was soon to find my true passion in photography was photographing people.

The first part of my career was spent as a photojournalist and as the director-of-photography at the Rocky Mountain News, The Washington Times and the Akron Beacon Journal. What drew me in then and what still draws me in today is capturing the lives and emotions of people. I started my photography business in 1998 and have photographed over 300 weddings since then.

Amy Kiel grew up dreaming of taking pictures. As a child, she ran around with disposable cameras taking pictures of practically nothing; an entire roll would be the same cloud or the same flower, over & over & over. By high school, she decided to take photography a little more seriously & attended Seattle Central Community College & received a degree in Commercial Photography.

Today, she’s living her dream & couldn’t be happier. As a wedding & portrait photographer, she strives to capture her subjects with a unique, artistic & photojournalist technique while focusing on the true matter of a wedding day- ones love for another. Amy also loves the process of product photography & fulfills this passion by frequently freelancing at local product studios. Her role models include Henri Cartier-Bresson, Carlan Tapp & Laurel McConnell. Amy lives with her husband & their 2 kittens in Renton, WA.

Bryan Kopp is an emerging photographer making images that cultivate an intriguing sense of authenticity. A Seattle native fascinated by perspectives, photography provides him a chance to live life like one giant field trip, constantly challenging, full of variety, and deeply rewarding. Lynette first photographed Bryan at age five while coaching his little league t-ball team, curiously bringing today's opportunity to photograph for Soulumination full-circle.

"Documenting my experience of other's experiences is more than just capturing images, it's a constant reminder of how simultaneously connected and distinctly individual we all are. I practice photography like I practice life; consciously."

Leo Lam offers fashion photography services in and around Seattle, WA. His concentrations are fashion and beauty. He was nominated for the 40 under 40 Award at the Puget Sound Business Journal and the Black and White Spider Photography Award in two categories in 2006.

Besides photography, Leo is a trained classical singer and has been singing for 16 years. While he is not shooting, Leo is a lecturer and PhD candidate at the University of Washington's Electrical Engineering Department. He is the co-founder of a high tech startup in Seattle and a marketing consultant for many local businesses.

Jeremy Leffel grew up in Edmonds, WA and started shooting professionally in 1999. I first connected with Lynette in 1998 when she photographed our wedding. I started shooting with Soulumination after my uncle Bill lost his fight with cancer. I spent some time teaching high school photography and I now live in Tacoma, WA, shooting full-time and playing with our kids as much as possible.

Christina Mallet is a Washington native who lives in Judkins Park with her husband, Alex, son, Xander, and two cats. She's a University of Washington graduate and a graduate of Boston University's Center for Digital Imaging Arts.

Liz Thomson Ophoven is an artist, photographer and mom based in Seattle, WA. Much of her life as a young person was spent road tripping with her family and friends and from this grew her love of imagery. After studying journalism and photojournalism at Indiana State University in her hometown, she landed in the Pacific Northwest to finish her Fine Art degree in photography and figure drawing at Cornish College of the Arts. Liz is currently a member of the art-council group United Artists of Georgetown. She lives in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle with her husband and son and splits her time volunteering for the arts and taking care of her family.

Aaron Pultz grew up in Washington and began photography when he purchased his first 35mm camera while serving as an Air Force transport pilot. This allowed him to capture images from many different cultures and landscapes around the world. He now works primarily as an architecture photographer and fine art photographer, although he is still very passionate about documenting the people and world that we live in.

Working with Soulumination has given Aaron yet another creative outlet to embrace, and he is grateful to have the opportunity to touch the lives of the young ones he photographs.

Gabriel Rodriguez: My grandfather introduced me to photography when I was a teenager by giving me my first camera. This was the foundation of my current livelihood which is shooting weddings side by side with my brother. I like that photographs document the events of everyday life. They allow us to remember that which is closest to our hearts. I'm thrilled to be able to provide that for others through my business and Soulumination.

Jodi Rosen has lived in the Seattle area for most of her life. She and her husband share their lives with two beautiful living children Eli and Isaac as well as their dog, Charlie.

In 2005, her family lost their middle child, Alex, at birth due to a massive cyst in his brain causing hydrocephalus and other complications. The few photos their nurse took of Alex she considers an absolute gift and are among the most precious memories they have of their little boy. Because of these photos, she wants to give other families this same amazing gift as they work through the passing of their own children. It is with passion, pride and deep compassion that she works to capture these most important images and hopefully bring a sense of purpose and healing to family, friends and everyone whose soul has been touched by the passing of someone they love.

Amy Scherrer lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband, daughter and two sons. Inspired by her children, Amy developed a passion for photojournalism and capturing the stories of people's lives. She has photographed families, children, professionals and weddings for more than 5 years and loves to document and celebrate each stage in life.

Daniel Sheehan: In 16 years of photographing for newspapers, I covered everything from the NY Yankees to fashion in Milan and Paris. After covering an Ethiopian famine, a devastating earthquake in Armenia, conflicts in Haiti, Afghanistan, Georgia, the Soviet Union, the 1993 bombing of the NY World Trade Center and winning a Pulitzer Prize for local news with a team of colleagues, I moved to Seattle to shoot assignments for magazines.

In 1997, I got a call to photograph a wedding and have made the transition from covering hard news to weddings, documenting them in the same way as my editorial stories. Instead of getting shot at in conflict zones, I now get to photograph celebrations of love, family and friends.

I also serve on the Board of the Photographic Center Northwest, offering guidance from the perspective of a working photojournalist.

Kurt Smith has been making photographs professionally for over 30 years. When he was 19-years-old, Kurt was the youngest photographer ever to be named National Newspaper Photographer of the Year.

During his career he has worked for four newspapers, including the Seattle Post-Intelligencer from 1980-1998. His work has appeared in National Geographic Magazine, and in October 1994, one of his photographs from Mt. Rainier National Park was featured on the cover. He currently makes his living photographing weddings in a photojournalistic style, and is always busy with other, personal image-making projects. Kurt and his wife Leah live on a small farm in Kingston, Washington.

As a photojournalist, Nancy Treder is best known for her determination to "get the shot." That's why King 5 TV's Evening Magazine featured her photography for three years in a row on their "Wedding of Your Dreams" shows for Northwest viewers. Her candid and "no fuss" approach reveals the little details that make every portrait and event unique.

Nancy is a highly decorated veteran military photographer and holds the degree of Certified Professional Photographer from the Professional Photographers of America, a designation held by fewer than 2500 photographers worldwide. She is a member of the Seattle Professional Photographers Association where she volunteers as the VP of Marketing and Communications. Nancy lives in Wallingford with her husband and two boys and volunteers for various non-profits including: Soulumination, Plymouth Housing Group, Northwest Center Child Development Program, Seattle Professional Photographers Association and Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence.

Randell Walton: I specialize in custom photographs, captured with joy and ease. With a passion for detail and an artistic approach, my work embraces the collaborative nature of photography and the possibilities that emerge with every shoot.

I currently sit on the Board of Soulumination as the VP of programs. I am also actively involved with Providence Hospice of Seattle.

A Seattle native, Jon Ward studied science in college and worked as a lab assistant on an experiment that was later awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. Upon graduation, he spent five years traveling the world as a Foreign Service Officer and then transitioned into the movie business, where he spent the better part of a decade directing independent films and writing screenplays for the Hollywood studios. But disenchanted with the L.A. lifestyle, Jon returned to the Seattle area a few years ago, intent on settling down. He now lives in Mountlake Terrace with his wife Laura and young daughter Tessa Marie.

Jon continues to produce one or two short films each year and was fortunate to have discovered Lynette’s foundation while searching for a subject to document in March 2007 – resulting in the award winning short film, “Portraits of Hope”. And now a lifelong passion for photography has brought Jon full circle – from dark room editor/photographer for the high school yearbook almost 30 years ago, he now offers his services as a portrait photographer in the North Seattle and South Snohomish county areas.

Teddi Yaeger: I have been taking photographs for as long as I can remember, but six years ago I was able to turn this passion into a full-time business photographing weddings and families. I love what I do - capturing clients' most important life events, and freezing those moments in compelling still images. I was recently named a Red Tricycle Favorite (www.red-tri.com) and a Favorite Photographer for Family Photos by readers of ParentMap magazine (2005).

I am thrilled to join Soulumination, knowing firsthand the immeasurable importance of these portraits. My parents' first child died at just three months of age from a malformed heart, and the few photographs that they have help them remember him and allowed us to "meet" our eldest brother years later. I live on the Eastside of a great city (Seattle) with my husband William, our son Hayden (born May 17, 2004) and our daughter Sylvia (born November 23, 2006).