Templin Photography

Templin Photography We craft unforgettable experiences then capture the wonder in a child's eyes and transform those moments into heirloom-quality artwork for your home.

I grew up following my mom through fabric stores and hated every minute of it. Now I go willingly (and drag Nicholas wit...
08/28/2026

I grew up following my mom through fabric stores and hated every minute of it.

Now I go willingly (and drag Nicholas with us sometimes).

This summer my mom was visiting and we joined the Western Washington Quilt Shop Hop together. I was joy expecting Christmas. I was not looking for it. And then there it was, tucked between bolts of blue and white nautical fabric and hanging on many walls.

A jolly Santa face in fabric form. Wool dolls in old-world, handmade style standing on shelves looking like they had been loved for years. Quilted place mats. A wall hanging that grabbed my attention.

And then a tree skirt. Cream, red and green. Quilted and embroidered in a style almost identical to the ones my mom made for me and my sister two years ago.

I stood there and felt it immediately. The difference between something beautiful and something that is yours. My mom’s version is a treasure not because of the pattern but because of her hands in every stitch and the leftover fabric from my sister’s wedding dress.

She is making another one this year to be auctioned at the National Council of Department 56 Clubs gathering in 2027. Someone is going to be very lucky.

This year’s shop hop fabrics are blue and white and nautical themed. Right as I decided I need a new duvet cover. I see Christmas everywhere I go but apparently the universe also sees my home decor needs.

I See Christmas Everywhere

Simplicity is not the absence of meaning. It is the removal of everything that gets in the way of it. I have noticed mov...
08/25/2026

Simplicity is not the absence of meaning.

It is the removal of everything that gets in the way of it.

I have noticed movement happening this summer and I find myself deeply connected to it. A return to analog. Not because technology is bad but because our attention is precious and we have quietly handed it over without intention.

The best memories are not made on a screen. They are found in the moments we were fully present.

A colorfully handwritten note, roasting hot dogs over a campfire, fishing on the lake, or decorating a scene with stickers.

Analog is not about being anti-tech. It is about being intentional with your time and energy. Our phones and our screens are tools. They’re places for inspiration. I’m saying “no” to endless scrolling. (Or trying to do so.)

Next month we are going deeper on this. I think you will find it connects to more than you expected.

Seven years ago Nicholas arrived and changed everything about how I see moments worth capturing. This summer he celebrat...
08/24/2026

Seven years ago Nicholas arrived and changed everything about how I see moments worth capturing.

This summer he celebrated at the Great Northern & Cascade Railway in Skykomish. He was surrounded by trains, wide eyes, and the kind of birthday joy that you want to hold onto forever.

Our new logo is inspired by trains. It is a symbol of adventure, memories and belief.

Nicholas has loved trains since the first time he heard a train horn.

Some things choose you. He loved showing all of his favorite people one of his favorite places.

Special thank you to Heidi Sugar Bytes Market | Human treats and Dog treats for the amazing train cake, coloring pages and custom crayon box. Nicholas is a most particular client and she exceeded his expectations with this train shaped cake and Big Boy coloring page.

September 20th is closer than it feels. A few sessions remain in September and October 3rd and 4th this year. If your fa...
08/23/2026

September 20th is closer than it feels.

A few sessions remain in September and October 3rd and 4th this year. If your family has been thinking about reserving your place in the workshop now is a good time to make it official.

Private, unhurried and full of the kind of wonder that stays with a child long after the season ends.

Santa has a Steiff teddy bear for all children who visit on September 20th. Artwork will be delivered for you to enjoy in your home all season long.

Link to reserve is in bio.

My mom and I have been walking through the doors of Kris Kringl Kris Kringl in Leavenworth for 39 years. Even when we di...
08/22/2026

My mom and I have been walking through the doors of Kris Kringl Kris Kringl in Leavenworth for 39 years. Even when we didn’t live in Seattle we found a way to visit almost every year. We watched the remodels, the expansion, the additional store front and we’ve always been met with smiles and friendly conversations.

The store is celebrating 40 years of business this year. Jessica, who o watched grow up alongside her brother, is now the face that recognizes is when we walk in and greets us with the kind of warmth that comes from a relationship built over decades. Her parents started something extraordinary here and it has only grown more beautiful.

For years Mom and I made a tradition of arriving on the first Friday in November for Department 56 Retirement Day. We would drive through the fall colors, arrive as the store opened with our retirement list published in the USA Today in hand, help label the retiring pieces in the display, and then spend the afternoon wandering the Bavarian streets without the weekend crowds. Lunch somewhere quiet. No rushing. A tradition that felt exactly right every single year.

We visited this summer and admired a large peacock wreath. Mom’s current Christmas theme is peacocks and she has a three foot tall limited edition Mark Roberts peacock she bought here a few years ago. The wreath was magnificent and very her.

I spotted a Mark Roberts Santa with the most wonderful green hat. Unique and quiet and exactly the kind of thing that stops you mid-stride in a space full of glittery and shiny things.

Kris Kringl has been in this space for 40 years. My mom and I have been part of its story for 39.

I see Christmas everywhere I go. But nowhere quite like at Kris Kringl.

A family had been coming to us for four years. The oldest brother had aged out of belief and chose not to visit Santa la...
08/20/2026

A family had been coming to us for four years. The oldest brother had aged out of belief and chose not to visit Santa last year. The youngest was there, present and wide open in a way children only are when they are fully inside a story they trust.

Santa leaned forward in his chair and the reindeer calls bells rang softly. Accidentally even.

That little boy’s head whipped around to the window so fast full of excitement. Without thought. Pure reaction from an emotional memory. He was looking for the reindeer. He remembered, from a year ago, from some place deep inside him where the experience had taken root and stayed.

I teared up. I gasped “he remembers the bells”. Then I cheered. I looked over and his mother was tearing up too.

That moment was not a photograph. It was proof. Proof that what we were building was reaching somewhere real. That the artwork we create is not decoration. It is evidence that belief existed, that wonder was real, that a child was here, in this moment, fully alive inside the magic of it.

I wrote more about this moment and what it taught me on Substack this week. Link in bio if you want the fuller story.

Photography is about more than the camera for me. It’s preserving memories and stories. On my own time, I scrapbook. I t...
08/19/2026

Photography is about more than the camera for me. It’s preserving memories and stories.

On my own time, I scrapbook. I try to get away for a long weekend a couple times a year and join others for a weekend of crafting. It’s a weekend of paper, photos, laughs, sharing stories and the slow work of documenting the memories.

A phone gallery cannot replicate the physical act of selecting the image, placing it, documenting the date and putting your thoughts of the memory in your handwriting. It’s not documentation, it’s preservation.

Recording an event and preserving a feeling are two different things. One takes intention and sometimes a long weekend with good coffee and camaraderie and no phone in sight.

Next month I’ll go deeper on this, but since today is National Photography Day, consider this your invitation to print out some of your memories.

Consider this your first invitation to Back to Analog.

Happy National Photography Day!

Thanks to Michele Rowley for coordinating scrapbooking retreats throughout the year.

I saw the shot. Pete worked his magic and lit the shot. That’s the short version of our partnership as photographers tha...
08/19/2026

I saw the shot. Pete worked his magic and lit the shot.

That’s the short version of our partnership as photographers that began in 2007 and we continue to learn and grow together.

You can read the full story on my Substack, “Calked to Wonder”.

Nearly two decades of vacations, non-profit events, families, headshots, and every Santa season in between. Swipe through for a small glimpse of the variety in twenty years.

Happy National Photography Day.

07/24/2026

It is officially open.

Our 2026 Magical Memories with Santa reservations are now open to everyone. Our newsletter subscribers had a head start this week, and September 20th is already filling.

If you are new to our studio, here is what makes this experience different. Your family gets 45 minutes completely alone with Santa in his North Pole workshop. No lines, no rushing, no waiting your turn behind a dozen other families. Just your children, milk and cookies, and a Santa who gives every child a gift during the session.

This September we are adding something extra. Every child who attends a September session goes home with a Steiff teddy bear too, a sweet way to mark the start of a new tradition.

And today only, our friends at Sugar Bytes Cupcakes and More are offering something delicious. Reserve your session today and your family will be entered to win a dozen of her beautifully decorated Christmas cookies. One winner will be announced Monday.

Pete Templin and I have been photographing families together since 2007. Every image is hand finished by me, and the artwork families take home ends up on walls, in storybooks, and in the hands of grandparents who cannot stop looking at it.

September 20th, October 3rd, and October 4th are open now. Sessions are limited to seven families per day, and every one is completely private.

The link to reserve is in the comments.

Address

15715 Main Street NE #202
Duvall, WA
98019

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14252732365

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Templin Photography posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Templin Photography:

Shortcuts

Share

Category