The Beauty, the Beast & the Blue
A Bridal Editorial at a Stillaguamish River Tide Gate
There’s a striking new tide gate along the stillaguamish River just south of Stanwood, Washington, built on farmland recently returned to the Tulalip Tribe — and it’s been on my radar for a while. I walk my dogs there regularly, and over time I’ve watched the levee, tide gate, and surrounding tidelands shift with the seasons and changing light, each visit revealing something a little different. I was drawn to the beast — those raw, angular concrete forms — and knew they would make a powerful contrast against something soft and feminine. So when the opportunity came together to shoot a bridal editorial here, I jumped at it. Model Daria, our beauty, wore a stunning wedding dress from Stilly Lilly Bridal in Stanwood, and facing off against that bold industrial structure was exactly the tension I was hoping for. I’d originally planned to capture some images on my new 5×7 large format camera, but a late start had us pivot to digital with off-camera flash — which carried us right into blue hour, bathing everything in that soft, ethereal glow that you simply can’t plan for. Three elements, one unforgettable shoot.
Shooting with one and two lights
The first formal portrait of the Jon and Gladys as newlyweds.
The new tide gate just south of Stanwood, Washington.
For this shoot I was working with my new Sony A7V and the Sigma 70-200 Sport lens, paired with two Godox off-camera flashes to sculpt the light exactly where I needed it. My assistant handled the main Godox AD600 mounted in a softbox on a boom pole, which gave us the flexibility to quickly reposition the light between shots — essential when you’re chasing the right pose and expression at the same time. A second, smaller Godox AD200 sat on a low light stand to illuminate the concrete gate behind Daria, adding depth and separating her from the structure. Every shot was really a balancing act of getting the pose, the expression, and the light all working together in the same moment.
In post production, I took the images in two distinct directions — some were treated with a softer, more monochromatic feel, while others leaned into the deep, dark blues of the night sky reflecting off the rocks and concrete, which gave those shots a really dramatic, cinematic quality. The whole team was thrilled with how everything came together, and the images clearly made an impression — a handful of them landed on Stilly Lilly Bridal’s website within a day of wrapping production.
This won’t be our last visit to the tide gate. In the coming weeks, Daria, Stilly Lilly Bridal and I will be returning for a second shoot featuring a different dress. I’m really hoping for some wind this time around — there’s something truly magical about a veil caught in the breeze, and the way those billowing, dynamic shapes would play against the raw concrete forms of the tide gate is something I’m very much looking forward to capturing.
Collaborator Links
Blue Hour and More Gray
Shooting Daria straight on in one of the gates I explored, but didn’t fully realise, a different lighting concept.
