welcome to

The                             Journal

Welcome to an expression of creativity: where each frame tells a story, each click captures an inspired moment, and every picture paints a treasured memory. Embark on a journey through visual wedding narratives, intricate photo compositions, heartfelt personal projects, and delightful glimpses into the tapestry of this creative life.

Whether you're a fellow artist seeking inspiration, a couple in search of the perfect storyteller for your special celebration, or simply a soul drawn to the beauty of film photography--please feel welcome to explore, engage, and be inspired by a simply splendid perspective.

Musings of a photographic artist

I’m Marla
Sprinkled throughout this journey are the little joys, moments of inspiration, and snippets of life that add color to our human experience. Join me as we embrace the beauty of imperfect perfection, the magic of a beautiful moment, and the endless possibilities of creativity.
Portland Elopement Photographer, Modern Wedding, Simply Splendid, Kylie Sallee, Elopement Inspiration

“Now that I have your heart by heart, I see.” -Elise Bogan   In the Pacific Northwest, a winter wedding–even an elopement is typically indoors. With this wedding inspiration shoot, I wanted to work with other Portland wedding vendors to create a visual explosion of romance, vibrant color, and sweet, endearing love indoors. The theme […]

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Newborn, Portrait, Film, Fine Art, Lifestyle, PNW, Pacific Northwest

“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never.  A mother is something absolutely new.”  -Osho Life often turns out a little differently than we imagine it to, doesn’t it? I think when we’re young and in our late teens through our […]

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Oregon wedding photographer, Pacific Northwest, Luxe Event Productions, Maggie Sottero, Emily Riggs

When a photographer is asked to photograph another photographers anything really, it comes with a bit of nerves and a whole lot of gratitude. When another photographer asks you to photograph their wedding, it comes with another dimension of nerves and even more gratitude.  Kara, the bride, was wonderful to work with! She was organized, knew […]

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Hood River, Parkdale, Mt. Hood, orchard wedding, Columbia River Gorge, Simply Splendid

I’ve been wanting to post this beautiful Mt. View Orchards wedding for a long time now and since it happened at the end of the 2015 season, let’s just say I’m a smidge behind.  This event was truly life-giving to me and I loved everything about it, it helped incredibly that I photographed it entirely […]

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Japense Friendship Garden Oregon film wedding photography jumpsuit bride

Even though I’m a wedding photographer based in Portland, Oregon, I photograph around the world and it’s really common to make a great connection with a couple who are planning their wedding in a different state or country.  When Stephanie reached out she said “I would love for you to photograph my wedding and I want […]

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Instagram

My relationship with social media is definitely a work in progress, but recent work can be found at:

@SIMPLY.SPLENDID