Courtney Kammers Photography

Courtney Kammers Photography It is not your job to make sure you look good in your photos. It’s my job. And I work damn hard at my job 📸

I thought that this would be a post about wine. After all, when I am wine tasting in other places, I love to tell people...
05/20/2026

I thought that this would be a post about wine.



After all, when I am wine tasting in other places, I love to tell people that the best wine I’ve ever had – ever – is made by people who live in Lewiston from grapes grown in Prosser. It’s thrilling to me that my favorite winery and my favorite wine are just a few miles from my house. I’ve sent bottles across the country to friends, packed bottles into luggage to bring to Europe, and bottles of Carmenère are my favorite gift both to receive and to give. It’s the height of luxury to live near experiences you love. For me, those experiences include access to the river, access to ski hills, and access to Clearwater Canyon Winery.

I thought, when I planned to share photos of Stella, Coco, and Karl, I would write about wine. But, obviously, I am not going to do that. (Or…I’ll barely do it).

Because Stella is the most precocious and joyful kid, I want to write about her. She held my hand in the middle of our session to walk with me up their rolling hills, and I want to write about that instead. When I focused on photos of just her parents, she started gardening, and I want to write about that instead. Coco and Karl love each other fully (and beautifully), and I want to write about that instead. They catch each other’s eyes to smile and build on each other’s stories, and I want to write about that instead.

I can’t remember how long we walked around their property, but I know I loved every minute of it. We started when the sun was out and bright and ended when it was tucked away behind the horizon. Coco walked me back to my car and I thought, “Wow. This was so much fun.”

Okay, I said I would and I am:Here’s part two of the photos I took with this gorgeous family earlier this year. We got i...
05/16/2026

Okay, I said I would and I am:
Here’s part two of the photos I took with this gorgeous family earlier this year. We got ice cream together and that has been well-documented, but I wanted to show you these other photos we took. I launched into a game that I thought the girls would enjoy where I started a story and needed their help with some of the words. I started with “Once upon a time there was a…” and Hazel gave me “frog!” I said, “The frog had a problem. He couldn’t find his…” and Flora gave me “hat!” Together, back and forth, we told a silly story about a frog, a spider, a missing hat, and a castle. Hazel gave it the ending that all good stories deserve: and they all lived happily ever after.

It’s clear that these girls are told lots of stories in their house. Sophia confirmed that when they get to the last page they will beg for another.

I love stories. I am pretty loud about that. When I was a kid, I thought writing them would be my job when I grew up. I wrote a novel as a senior project and published a terrible one when I was twenty one. I had so much fun telling stories with these girls and a better story has never been written.

This isn’t the job I thought I’d have when I was a kid - but it’s only because I didn’t know that writing Instagram captions and telling stories with young authors would end up being my dream job.

Sophia and Karson, you are raising the coolest girls. Thanks for inviting me to get ice cream with you this year!

There’s a line in an old Coldplay song that goes “You’ll say ‘sing one we know.’” I feel this. More and more, I think we...
05/14/2026

There’s a line in an old Coldplay song that goes “You’ll say ‘sing one we know.’” I feel this. More and more, I think we’ve all gained too much access to the world. More and more I think we are gravitating toward what’s familiar and what’s comfortable. I really like the way it feels when I hear a song that I know all the words to. I like the way it feels when I go on the same looped run that I’ve ran a hundred times. I like when the coffee shop closest to my house knows exactly what I am going to order when I walk in. I like knowing what my dog is going to do when I walk through the front door. And - here’s where the romance comes in - I like knowing what it feels like to be hugged by the same person I’ve hugged a hundred times this year. I like how it feels to wake up next to the same person for three thousand nights in a row. I like being able to guess how he’ll react to a story I tell him. And we’re so very comfortable together that when something out of the ordinary pops up, I still feel relaxed and comfortable dealing with the extraordinary.

We are three months away from their wedding date and here’s what I keep thinking about: when we were talking about their engagement photos, Taylor suggested we go to their favorite winery. She wanted to be in a space that feels like them. She wanted photos in a space that holds comfortable, cozy memories for the two of them.

I know that Gavin and Taylor have a lot of extraordinary days in their lives - but I really respect the way they’ve found comfortable routines together, too. She told me about how they re-lived their first date and showed me the photos from it. I know what love looks like. I’ve seen them together and love looks exactly like this.

(Taylor and Gavin, I am so, so excited to be with you on one of your extraordinary days. Three months and counting!)

Everyone in the world is a mother or her children - and that’s true, but there are also a lot of people who wish they we...
05/10/2026

Everyone in the world is a mother or her children - and that’s true, but there are also a lot of people who wish they were a mother today or don’t feel like the child of a mother. There’s a lot of people who thought this would finally be the mother’s day where they had a reason to celebrate. There are a lot of people in the world who hoped that they’d mend things with their mothers by now but haven’t been able to. There’s a lot of mothers who will feel under-cared for today. There’s a lot of children who wish they had a mother to call.

The world feels really messy when you zoom in and see individual stories - but I hope you get a chance to look around and see the good in today. Today might be the first mother’s day someone you love is celebrating. It might be a day where one of your friends gets flowers from her husband. It might be the day when a video of your toddler nephew trying to answer questions about his mom makes you laugh.

Today is Sydney’s first Mother’s Day with her baby to hold. Look at them. They are so unbelievably beautiful - I literally do not have words for it; they were all washed away in tears as I went back through their gallery to pick out favorites. Syd, I am thrilled for you. Sincerely, I am so delighted for you and your family.

Happy Mother’s Day to the great moms you know, to the great moms you are, and to the great moms you hope to be.

Join us at Country Hollow Flower Farm for a golden hour experience celebrating them all! Wander the fields and hand-pic...
04/27/2026

Join us at Country Hollow Flower Farm for a golden hour experience celebrating them all! Wander the fields and hand-pick your own bouquet to take home, then roam through the Rae’s Reads bookshelves to find your next book (choose a pre-loved title or enjoy $10 toward a new one). While you flip pages, indulge in the dessert bar. As the summer sun dips low, mark your page with the bookmark you just selected from Rae’s Reads so that you can stroll to the drink area to get a lemonade or something a little more celebratory from the mimosa bar. Let the golden light of the evening make your time a little more magical, whether you’re reading on the lawn with your book club, sharing mimosas with your mom, or enjoying a cinematic date night surrounded by flowers.

Courtney Kammers will be capturing the magic throughout the evening with her camera, and every guest will receive access to a full gallery afterward. Don’t be shy - grab her for those golden hour photos of your book club, your partner, your best friends, or you and your bouquet!

G I V E A W A Y
To celebrate, we’re gifting a spot to one lucky guest. To enter to be our first ticket-holder:
• Share this post to your stories
• Make sure you’re following all three of us - and )
• Tag three people who should join us at golden hour for pages, petals, and photos.

The winner will be announced Wednesday at 3 PM.
If you’re too excited to wait for the giveaway, purchase your tickets now! Here is the link to join us:

https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLN9X7P7RYACM/checkout/QSIFA6IFAGYT2W3IPTQMPW3I

We can’t wait to spend golden hour with you! 🤍🤍

I know that it’s just ice cream but you didn’t see the way it held the afternoon together. Ice cream doesn’t last long; ...
03/20/2026

I know that it’s just ice cream but you didn’t see the way it held the afternoon together. Ice cream doesn’t last long; it melts or disappears into grinning mouths. But the memories of ice cream stick around. They last.

There’s something venerable about ice cream parlors. They’re cold spaces, as the treat demands, but there’s somehow so much warmth in an ice cream parlor. There’s cozy pining, somehow, that you notice somewhere between the front door and the cashbox. I worked in one when I was a teenager and I loved when friends would visit after soccer matches or on first dates. I loved when kids would drag their parents by the hand towards sprinkles, spoons, and sticky giggles.

When Sophia asked about getting ice cream together I was so thrilled. We took over 150 photos during this session. There’s a set from when we first started, outside and near a brick wall. There’s a set at the end, sitting on the sidewalk. And there’s this set in the middle where we got ice cream together. I love them all and might end up posting them all, which probably breaks some sort of media rule I learned and forgot about - but I wanted to share these ones first.

It’s probably nonsense to love a family I see once or twice a year, but I love this one. These girls are adorable and audacious. They’re inquisitive and energetic. They’re smart and they’re so beautiful and it’s a sincere privilege that I keep getting to evince ttheir growth.

Ps - in an AI world, I want you to know that I wrote every word myself. I’m sorry for any mistakes but pleased to have the privilege of making them myself.

Hey - I wanted to make sure you know that it’s okay to love the style of photos you love.You might love the ones that ar...
03/17/2026

Hey - I wanted to make sure you know that it’s okay to love the style of photos you love.

You might love the ones that are more formal, more prepared.
You might love the ones that are a bit hectic, more wild.
You might love the shots of everyone smiling into the camera.
You might love the shots of everyone laughing at mom’s joke.
You might love the ones where you’re getting ice cream together or jumping into the book.
You might love the ones where you’re hanging out in your living room or your kitchen.
You might love the ones outside in fields or on sandy shores.

When you hire a photographer, you’re hiring an artist whose work you plan to hang in your house. It’s okay - great even - if you know the exact style of art that you love. It’s okay to find the photographer that matches that vibe and it’s okay to ask your favorite photographer if they’ll match the artistry you’re hoping for.

I love hiring photographers to take photos for me. I love when someone else sees me through their lens.
But I also know what I like to see on my walls. This isn’t a brag - it’s a reality; in the last ten years, I haven’t hung a photo that someone else took on my walls. I don’t gravitate toward one appearance of photos but I do gravitate toward one emotion - authenticity. The photos that I’ve hung in my house are ones that scream “this is us!” with all their colors, clothes, expressions, and locations.

I think it’s okay if you want that for your photos, too. It’s an awesome luxury if you find the photographer who helps you make the art you want for your walls.

This is the Holcomb family; Stefany + Jesse, Hallie and Presley. Stefany knew what she wanted for these photos and I love that she planned for photos she’d be happy to hang up at her house. They were lovely together and also very fun to talk to.

If I haven’t said so lately, I really like my work. This is such a fun job I get to do! :)

I have stopped trying to take the best photo I can. I’ve stopped aiming for perfect. I’ve stopped spraying down baby hai...
03/06/2026

I have stopped trying to take the best photo I can. I’ve stopped aiming for perfect. I’ve stopped spraying down baby hair and suggesting concealer. I’ve stopped worrying about nailing down perfection in a photo.

I’m aiming for memories. I’m hoping for wistfulness and sentiment. I’m longing for longing, yearning for yearning, reflecting on reflections. I’m taking photos that ache, warm, or tickle. These are not the most perfect photos I’ve ever taken - but that doesn’t mean they’re not the best photos I’ve ever taken.

When I look at these I feel the whole night over again. I’m not thinking about the perfect shots - moving phones out of sight or making sure we’re all smiling on cue. I’m thinking about tacos dipped in Bitchin’ Sauce. I’m thinking about gin we made from steeping juniper and dried citrus. I’m thinking about cocktails and conversations and laughing so hard that I actively choked.

It’s a weird spot to be in my line of work. I get hired for the perfect photos and the great news is that I am skilled at taking them. It’s never an issue to take the time to make sure a family looks both authentic and flawless. It’s never an issue to make sure that a smile is both genuine and glamorous. But when it comes to the documentation of my life? Lately, I want the flaws. I want the dirt under fingernails and hair out of place.

I’m not sure I want to ask this question because the answer may sting - but what do you think about this? How do you feel when you see these flawed, messy shots that show proof of a good time? Is there room on the walls for these types of photos or do we need to stick to the ones that seek to be lovelier?

Ps - in a AI world, I want you to know that I wrote every word here. I apologize for my lack of editing.

Let me tell you about Murphy. She's not shy - she's slow to get to know new people. I walked up to her with giant camera...
03/05/2026

Let me tell you about Murphy.

She's not shy - she's slow to get to know new people. I walked up to her with giant cameras strapped to me and I crashed her tea party. For a few minutes, she wasn't positive that she wanted me to intrude but then girlfriend got a donut in her hand and decided that we were in for a lot of fun.

And we were! I had the best time celebrating her second birthday with donuts, tea, and stuffed animal pals. Wild Rose Picnic Co. decorated the scene (obviously. That's why it's so beautiful!) so I had the easy job - to take lovely photos of a lovely kid. She's a gem and I am a fan for life!

I'm learning more and more each day that photography is not a need. I'm a business owner and I can see why people choose...
03/04/2026

I'm learning more and more each day that photography is not a need. I'm a business owner and I can see why people choose a different industry - one that people will always need - because photography isn't necessary.
It's not your mortgage payment, your grocery bill, your school supplies. It's not the gas for your car or your health insurance premium. It's not your phone bill, your childcare invoice, or your retirement fund.

Those things are true needs. You pay for them and you move on. You don't think about it, but the businesses where you spend that money appreciate it.

I bought groceries on Sunday at Winco. There's somethings on my grocery list that are consistent: I eat an apple and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch every day. I drink coffee with cream every morning. I buy these things without thinking about it. I might grumble at the cost but I'm still going to pay for my groceries each week because that is how needs work. We fund them and forget about them. I don't have any great memories tied to a grocery store bill or mortgage payment - they're just the stuff that takes up most of my income.

Photography is in its own category with things like date night, a new dress, or a trip. It's not a need that we pay for and move on from. It's a want.

We save up for the things we want to buy because they're meaningful to us. We talk about them over coffee with friends:
"My boyfriend and I went to that new restaurant last week!"
"We bought tickets to a concert this summer!"
"I booked the hotel!"
"I ordered those shoes I was telling you about!"
"I picked out the ring I'm going to ask her with."
"We got our photos back from our session! Let me show you my favorites."

That's the category that photography belongs in because it's a luxury - a true, meaningful luxury - to save up for a photoshoot and hang the results on the walls. Your photoshoot isn't necessary; it's extra. It's extraordinary! I'm so grateful when you book it with me.

What a cool line of work I get to be in! I recently took these sweet photos of Taylor, Branden, Wren, and Walker and I'm confident that their experience wasn't a bill they paid and forgot about but a luxurious experience that they told other people about and showed evidence from.

Address

Lewiston, ID
99403

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5:15pm
Tuesday 8am - 5:15pm
Thursday 10am - 7pm
Friday 8am - 6:15pm
Saturday 10am - 5:15pm
Sunday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+15095521662

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