But, as karma would have it, it only rained once the entire 2 weeks I was down there. Though I had looked forward my annual foggy workcation in Arcata, the unusual abundance of sunshine allowed Rowan and Dustin to brave HWY 299 and drive over for an engagement shoot. We took advantage of the amazing weather and hit up all the classic Humboldt scenes: the forest, the marsh, the grassy dunes of Mad River Beach and the quintessential Luffenholtz beach.

Our day together was so incredible that we wandered into the Community Forest and when we emerged on the other side, two hours had passed with the blink of an eye. After another hour walking the marsh (and being utterly terrified by harmless garter snakes) we knew it was time for an ice cream break at the Arcata Scoop before hitting the beaches.

It isn’t uncommon for days like this to feel like anything but work. Though I’m likely to come home with tired feet, wet socks and sand in my teeth, I’m always beaming by the end of it just the same.

*** Rowan & Dustin // Humboldt Portrait Photographer is a post from KMILLERPHOTO

And lo, good times were had! Good times that perfectly illustrate exactly why I prefer Day In The Life sessions over standard portrait shoots. Because if there’s anything I am not, it’s a Wham Bam Thank Ya Ma’am! photographer. I’ll say it a million times if I have to: I love it when a client becomes a friend. So naturally, spending the better part of a day together and getting to know each other in between all the adventuring and camera clicking is my idea of a perfect session.

The end result of my time with Karen & Josh was something insanely personal — a day I couldn’t possibly recreate with any other couple.

Because it was all about them. Not me. Period.

*** Karen & Josh // A Mt. Hood Honeymoon Adventure is a post from KMILLERPHOTO

But when I got together with Erik Emanuelson to talk about press photos for his band, Grand Lake Islands, he was especially drawn to these mysterious qualities of Polaroid photography, and the timeless feeling they often evoke.

So, we set out for Hood River, OR and wandered the surrounding area with a car full of cameras and film. We played, basically. It was some of the most fun I’ve had since winter hit the PNW. And when I peeled apart the photos for the big reveal, never once was there an utterance of disappointment when a blob of light made its way into the frame, or when a patch of chemicals didn’t develop; just excitement over what chance had dealt us.

*** Grand Lake Islands is a post from KMILLERPHOTO

But when Chris brought up the wild idea to take off this summer on a self-guided residency in Iceland, the Old Me kicked in immediately. I thought, “I can’t do that. That’s wedding season. That’s my livelihood.” Old Me would’ve left it at that… The safe route. New Me understands the risks, but in a different light. With my head-shaking and fingers wagging, I now think, “Kim, Kim, Kim! You didn’t quit your day job to pass up opportunities like this.”

So here we are.

Come this August I will be flying to Ísland with Chris and Mark, where there will be fjords, fossar and more seafood than you can shake a stafur at. Chris and Mark will have their instruments in tow, and I will be traveling with my Rolleiflex and Polaroid SX70 to produce a new body of personal work while escaping the static of daily life. Hopefully I’ll get to meet a horse or two, and maybe touch a glacier. I will definitely put my feet in the Greenland Sea.

It will be so, so sweet.

To celebrate my dive back into personal work, I’ve opened up a print shop.

I’m excited to introduce K Miller Prints, where a selection of photographs both old and new are now available — including gloriously huge Polaroid reproductions at 16×20 and 20×20″ sizes, as well as more modestly sized prints.

Below are some samples of what’s available, what you can do to get involved with our quest for inspired artmaking in Iceland, and a special offer for Iceland-bound weddings.

Currently all profits are going directly toward recovering the costs of our creative sojourn in Iceland.

This is a journey we whole-heartedly believe in and are willing to spend every penny we have to make it all happen. As it’s long been a goal of mine to get my photographs off the internet and into your hands, I couldn’t think of a better way to help both dreams come true than with a print sale that will simultaneously support the advancement of my next body of work as well as the work I’ve made in the past. Click here for more information on that front.

And for those who like a little bit of spice in their life, I’ve included a listing for a Random Iceland Print that will be fulfilled upon our return in September.

While I am beyond ecstatic to sit back and shoot whatever Iceland throws at us, I’m also utterly giddy at the thought of finding a way to photograph a wedding during my visit. I’ve been told that the Universe can’t read my mind, so I’ll just put it all on the table and see what happens:

I’ll be in Iceland from August through September 5th, and would love to be your wedding photographer.

My dates are locked in, and plane tickets have been purchased — this wedding offer comes with a heavily discounted travel fee. Currently we have loose plans of being in Reykjavik, Ísafjörður, Skagaströnd, Akureyri and the Highlands before looping back to Reykjavik, but I’m more than willing to take a detour from those plans for the chance to document a wedding in a country so full of wonder. Please email me for more information and a detailed price list.

(Psst… Thanks in advance, Universe!)

*** A Print Sale + Special Wedding Offer is a post from KMILLERPHOTO

Now, when I talk about concert photography being out of my element it’s obvious that I’m exaggerating a bit — I’m married to a musician, afterall. But fashion photography? That’s definitely a new one for the girl who wears the same grey sweater and blue jeans every day. The girl who swears by her Dansko clogs (haters … you know the drill). The fact that top knots are in style while a sock bun is my ‘do of choice is purely coincidental — truth is, I’m just too lazy to deal with my locks.

But all of that just means living vicariously through all of this is that much sweeter.

*** Lillian Is A Punk Rocker is a post from KMILLERPHOTO

I’ve never really gone to a concert with the purpose of shooting an entire set, but I love Sallie’s tunes and was asked to take a few photos. I didn’t have a lot of gear on me, and I didn’t have a lot of angles to work with, but I did have a total blast. Seeing Sallie headbang at the end of their set pretty much made my year in the middle of February.

With some more practice, I could totally see myself falling down this rock ‘n’ roll rabbit hole.

If you aren’t familiar with Sallie and her talented bandmates, I won’t even try to explain it. Just listen for yourself. Check them out on Spotify if you have to, then go buy their records. They’ll have you dancing in the living room while drinking white wine in no time.

*** Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside is a post from KMILLERPHOTO

Fortunately, the long waits on weekends are a bit more bearable with a Polaroid camera in one hand, an Aquavit cocktail in the other, and a couple of sweet ladies by your side.

I should mention that this post (and the last one too, actually!) has a rare guest appearance by yours truly. I’m trying to be better about allowing photographic documentation of my existence, since I’m so hellbent on making sure the spirit of everyone else lives on. Or, at the very least, I’d like to stop making faces at the camera that I immediately regret. On this particular day my neighbor and I looked like we walked straight out of a Doublemint commercial. That’s the power of bangs and buns, y’all.

*** Brunch In An Instant is a post from KMILLERPHOTO

That’s not to say I don’t have a great time. In fact, my best summer memories from 2012 involved planting myself down on a rock and having quiet chats while watching the waves flutter by.

And though I may never go in much deeper than my waist, I will always appreciate the inherent poetry of rivers and oceans, and the catharsis they bring us. I will always love photographing bodies in the water.

*** Body of Water is a post from KMILLERPHOTO

On this particular day a group of friends had planned a picnic next to a swimming hole in Washington. The rain took us by surprise not long after we arrived. Granted, it was September but if we lose June to Spring, then that’s still Summer to me. Once the storm passed we were rewarded with the most amazing light to bask in.

And that’s what happens when it rains: You make the best of it, seeing it as an adventure rather than a speed bump. That kind of spirit is exactly why I love living in the PNW — we don’t really let anything stop us from having our vegan cupcakes and eating them, too.

*** When It Rains is a post from KMILLERPHOTO

I won’t lie: I was mostly enticed by the idea of shooting Polaroids for 75¢ a pop. I love my Spectra, but the price of film was burning a hole in my wallet.

So, I put the Spectra aside and jumped on the peel-apart bandwagon. I made mistakes (lots of them) and managed to cover my camera bag in emulsion goo. I was frazzled by the amount of waste involved and longed for the “one click boom” of my other cameras.

But all it took was one black-and-white shot at Crater Lake for me to really understand: there is an ancient charm in this camera. I still remember something stirring inside of me when I peeled back that film. I knew I had just taken this photo with my own two hands, but at the same time it felt old, like something I pilfered from someone’s attic.

It had something my digital photos of the same exact scene lacked.

It had soul.

And in that moment I almost cried.

So I continued to shoot with the Land Camera for all of Summer and Fall 2012, and continued to make mistakes in between getting lucky here and there. These are a few of the photos I took, which I can only hope carry over some of that charm that stirred inside of me when I first made them.

Big huge thanks to Vanessa Morrow for loaning me her Land Camera, guiding me in purchasing one of my own and kicking me a little bit further down that rabbit hole.

*** Adventures in Film is a post from KMILLERPHOTO