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.

Early in my career I decided that someday I wanted the opportunity to photograph a birth. I didn’t know how, when, or whom, but it was on the bucket list. In the spring of last year, the opportunity presented itself: one of the loveliest humans I’ve ever met contacted me and asked if I would […]

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    Many thanks to The Wedding Chicks for featuring this elopement on their online publication recently. That feature can be found here. Super 8 Wedding Film by Kel Ward Photography   Alice in Wonderland inspired elopement from Kel Ward on Vimeo. Vendors: Gowns: Holly Stalder of The Diamond Sea Bridal Floral Design: Wildflower Portland Hair and […]

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Jay and Ashlie live in Houston, Texas and were coming to Oregon for a friend’s wedding in Bend over Labor Day Weekend. Wanting to take advantage of the change in scenery and beauty Oregon has to offer, we coordinated a session for them while they were on their way back to Portland. How can a […]

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Nestled amongst hazelnut groves and small farms in wine country, this remarkable one room schoolhouse turned venue offered so much charm and character to M+C’s wedding day. The bride’s family were the most wonderfully helpful group of people I’ve had the pleasure to work with in quite a while and were all busy as bees […]

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I met Mike and Erin in the summer of 2014 while they were in Portland planning their Cannon Beach destination wedding and we had such fun with their engagement session (see it here). What I learned about them during their session was that they were clearly in love; so excited to be getting married; and […]

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

@SIMPLY.SPLENDID