Welcome to my world! I’m glad to share it with you. My love of stories, simplicity, and light has driven me to photography; my love of people has made it a career. I am a wife, mother, caffeine addict and reluctant exerciser; scattered artist, dormant writer, closet comfort food junkie. And my life’s work is to tell your story.

First question: WHAT does “Anda” mean?

“Anda” is the Swedish word for “spirit.” When I was deciding on a name, in addition to honoring my Swedish heritage, I wanted something that captured the deeper intent that I aim for in my photography: finding, capturing, focusing on that inner spirit and letting it fly before my lens. Not only do I love to discover that spirit in my clients, but when I get behind the camera I feel alive like no other time; photography inspires me, elevates me, excites me. It truly does open up my spirit! This uncommon approach to photographing people gives me the creative ability to reveal your individual personality, and to uniquely capture that in my images.

BACKGROUND

I was trained at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography in Montana and graduated the program in 2004. Since then I’ve been experimenting, learning and expanding my skills, and in 2011 I finally left the world of “two jobs” to take care of my clients and do photography full time.

When Kevin & I began dating in 2006, Kevin came along for a few weddings to help me carry my stuff. THAT got really boring really fast, so he asked if I would teach him how to shoot; turns out, he has an incredible eye! Combined with his natural creativity, people skills and ridiculous tech-learning ability, he was the perfect match to create our wedding photography team.

And, well, once that happened – we had to get married. So we did, in 2007. Now we make our home in Ferndale, WA (about two seconds outside of Bellingham) with our son Garrett and aging pup Jack. I am the main photographer for Anda and, outside of working with me with our wedding clients, Kevin also runs his medical massage therapy practice (Massage Works).

THE EQUIPMENT

If you’re one of those who are interested in what we shoot with: we’re a Nikon family, and use all Nikon professional-grade gear (which, fortunately, stands up to abuse by photographers who tend to throw their cameras around… not to mention any names…#coughkarlyncough#). We have several camera bodies, a wide array of high-end lenses, an overabundance of professional memory cards, several flashes & external lighting systems, professional editing software, about a billion external hard drives, and a partridge in a pear tree. The partridge is especially important.

THE INSIDE SCOOP

Kevin is the witty one, I’m the quiet one; he remembers everything I forget, I organize everything he remembers; he likes to plan things out, I figure it out as I go; he reads the news, I read novels; he talks, I write; he keeps reality firmly in hand while I dream as high as the clouds. We met when I was 11 and he was 13, because our families would camp together in the summertime at Lake McMurray. Secretly, we both only looked forward to camping because we’d get to see the other person! 🙂

Twelve things Karlyn loves….
– Fruit
– Chocolate
– Babies
– Kevin’s curly hair
– Singing in the car
– Snowboarding
– Cooking
– Stupid funny movies
– Seinfeld
– Hoodies
– Running at sunrise
(…as if I ever actually manage that, because…)
– Sleep

Twelve things Kevin loves…
– Vegetables
– Brewing beer
– Playing basketball
– Shooting zombie armies
– Laughing at fart jokes
– Little kids
– Karlyn’s giggle
– Brownies
– Poker with friends
– Aqua Teen Hunger Force
– Pick-up hockey games
– Snowboarding