Monday, August 17, 2009, 02:57 PM
As of last night, the Rhoads are proud owners of one of the most iconic chairs of all time... an authentic, 1974 rosewood, Herman Miller Eames Lounge and Ottoman set. We have had our eye on this chair for some time now. So we are beyond elated to finally have it in our home! 

We were immediately inspired by the chair simply because we love the look and feel of it, and we're suckers for mid century modern furniture. But as we dug a little deeper and learned more about the story behind the Eames we fell in love and just knew it had to be a central piece in our home. 

The chair was designed for Herman Miller in 1956 by Charles & Ray Eames, a husband & wife team who did a great deal in the realm of modern furniture design. The Eames philosophy was very much entrenched in process. The process to get to the final product often took years of trial and error. But when they nailed it. They nailed it. What is so fantastical about the Eames Lounge is that it was considered a very modern piece back in 1956, when it first released, (here is a short video of its introduction) and it still remains modern today. It fits in in a variety of settings from extremely modern homes to old world libraries; the Eames is captivating in any interior in which it is placed, even our quiant, quirky little home. It is one of those truly iconic and timeless pieces that makes a bold  statement. There have been many knockoffs and copycats since it's release but there is nothing quite like a true Eames.  The Eames Lounge and the meaning and story behind it has offered a great deal of inspiration for Chris and I in the development of our own brand and art form. We too, are a husband and wife team. Our work is distinctly modern and our hope is that the pieces that we create for people through imagery will be images that will remain as central pieces in their home for years to come. It is very rare that you see something created that is truly modern yet also timeless. Modern seems to have the tendency to lean toward "trendy" and timeless has the tendency to lean toward "traditional", two very opposite ends of the spectrum. But as a team, the Eames executed modern and timeless with an unparalleled amount of success. 
Charles & Ray Eames are a true inspiration to Chris and I and we are so happy to have their Eames Lounge/Otto set in our home :)


Thoughts
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marissa moss says: Monday, August 24, 2009, 10:31 PM

congratulations!! that is a chair you can pass down to your children. love.

meg says: Friday, August 21, 2009, 04:14 AM

i love this story as i sit and read and look at your pics in MY Herman Miller also! lol... ;)

melanie mauer says: Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 04:27 PM

what a sweet parallel to draw - i actually thought charles & ray were brothers so i'm so happy for the lesson, too! love learning on the sarah rhoads blog!! miss you, sweet sarah. xo

Susan says: Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 01:06 PM

Wow....I'm jealous. These chairs are timeless.....even used to be "the chair" in my day. Designed so architecturally perfect! You might have to get two of them so you won't have to fight over it! Is it teak or rosewood trim and what is the leather color?

sarahrhoads says: Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 08:11 AM

Yes Millie!! we should get a little photo of us cuddlin' in it ;) You need to get one for your new place! FYI we didn't take the last photo nor is it our house, although I wish it was ;) copyright: the glorious world wide web

Marissa Rodriguez says: Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 08:08 AM

Love it! Awesome taste! and that third picture is amazing!

millie holloman says: Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 08:04 AM

I love it... it would be a great photo opp for the two of you to snuggle in it too! So cute! Is that a room in your house on the last shot?

italida says: Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 06:23 AM

The third photo is fantastic, awesome!!!! *_*

Julie says: Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 05:47 AM

Flawless...congrats!

Danielle LaFleur-Dutta says: Monday, August 17, 2009, 08:56 PM

Jealous!

Cameraluv says: Monday, August 17, 2009, 08:33 PM

Congrats on your new addition to the family. I've almost bought this on several occasions. I'm sure I'll eventually buy one someday. It would definitely go nicely with my camera collection. Enjoy it. -Jeremy

Patrina says: Monday, August 17, 2009, 07:46 PM

It's beautiful. And you're right, it fits right in with a very modern design scheme or even traditional. I especially love how your particular chair was inspected by a Walters...possibly one of my ancestors? Beautiful piece of art guys!

Judd says: Monday, August 17, 2009, 07:29 PM

Congratulations! That is my dream chair! Eliesa and I have a red Eames plywood lounge chair and love it! A nice upgrade from IKEA furniture...

Gerald says: Monday, August 17, 2009, 05:36 PM

Sweet! I can't wait to meet it face to face!

Airika Pope says: Monday, August 17, 2009, 05:34 PM

I wondered how long it would take you to blog the newest addition to your family. Answer: Less than 24 hours. Congratulations. ;)

Lesley says: Monday, August 17, 2009, 04:27 PM

Ah...my dream piece of furniture! After learning about this piece in my Interior Design courses I've been dreaming about owning such a classic piece of artwork...this too will be in my house one day! :D

Amanda says: Monday, August 17, 2009, 04:26 PM

Oh my god, when I came to look at it, I wasn't expecting much, but now...I THINK I SERIOUSLY NEED THAT IN MY LIFE. It's gorgeous! I am very jealous!

Alexandra Evjen says: Monday, August 17, 2009, 04:22 PM

Isn't it divine?! I love that chair! My family just got one with brown leather. So comfy!

Jessica Hanaumi says: Monday, August 17, 2009, 04:16 PM

Congratulations on your new addition! You two have fabulous taste!

wei says: Monday, August 17, 2009, 04:11 PM

It's a tribute to me. Thank you! LOL =)

Sunday, July 26, 2009, 01:55 PM
Chris and I just arrived home after shooting a fantastic wedding in Cannon Beach, Oregon this weekend. It just so happens that Cannon Beach is one of my favorite places in the world. It is where Chris and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary. We also stopped off there on our most recent road trip down to California. It is a special place for us. It is the birthplace of many of our dreams as we stayed up late whispering about the next big things that await us.  Needless to say, it has captured a lot of beautiful memories for Chris and me.

Those that know me understand that I am not much of a "beach-go'er" due to the fact that no matter how much SPF100 I slather onto my body, somehow, some way, I still manage to turn into a lobster after an hour. When will they come out with an SPF10000?! Maybe that will work for me. But until then, I need to stick to the kind of beaches that wrap you in a magical fog and require multiple layers to stay warm once the sun goes down. Those are my kind of beaches. The kind where you throw on your hoodies, cuddle up with a warm latte and a good book next to your sweetheart and listen to the waves turn over.... that is Cannon Beach :) It is a magical little place. 

While I was there I also finished the book, Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders. I found that the book extremely inspiring! Sanders talks about how far love can take us in the business world. He talks about becoming a "lovecat." Which is someone who's sole purpose is to provide knowledge freely, connect people openly without expecting anything in return, and encourages his readers to have a sincere compassion for others. 

It made me personally think about the "love-cats" in my life. My good friend, Jeff Holt is one of the first people that came to my mind. Jeff is constantly connecting people that he thinks will be a good fit for one another. Jeff does so freely without expecting anything in return. Jeff does it because he sincerely loves people and wants to see them succeed. Jeff is expanding his network in a powerful way while in return, developing a strong bond of trust and strengthening our friendship in the process. I am deeply thankful for the amazing people Jeff has connected Chris and me to. Sanders says, "The value of your network is the square of the people in it. Grow your network and you become valuable."

Another lovecat in my life is Shannon Sewell. Shannon is exceptionally good at the compassion piece that Sanders says is essential to being a good lovecat. Shannon shares compassion through affirmation and showing that she sincerely cares about my heart and my success as a person. There is one moment that sticks out in my mind when Shannon and I were driving to the airport together from Marfa. She asked me about loosing my dad at such a young age.  While I was talking to her about it, I got choked up... in any other situation I might have felt embarrassed or misunderstood, but Shannon literally had tears in her eyes for me. Shannon is one of the most compassionate people I know. Shannon is a love cat through and through and I am sincerly thankful for her friendship. 

I highly encourage anyone who is interested in loving people better and becoming a better business person to pick up the book. It is fantastic! 

We are off to Denver, CO all this week shooting and doing a photographer consult! We will be back Friday so if we are slower to respond to e mails that is why. Thanks for your patience. Here are a few snaps from our time in Cannon Beach.... Wedding Post to come ;)

Thoughts
Add a Comment View Comments (20)
Jonas Peterson says: Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 10:16 PM

Great post, awesome images.

aruna b. says: Wednesday, August 5, 2009, 06:53 AM

i love these shots!...I love coming to your blog cause your photography is so fresh. thanks for sharing these shots...they brought back great memories of cannon beach!

Beth says: Friday, July 31, 2009, 09:20 AM

So awesome Sarah! Love the fog! :)

Curtis Copeland says: Friday, July 31, 2009, 08:16 AM

Fabulous photography. Love the style, composition and post production. Thanks for sharing!

Lyndzee of EP says: Thursday, July 30, 2009, 09:25 PM

I now must go there and breathe in the mist like a smoke machine,,, or dry ice. Very magical and free are these images. Me loves you!!

Jonathan says: Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 02:00 PM

Splendid.

Amy Hinden says: Monday, July 27, 2009, 10:10 PM

Love it!!!

Renee Booe says: Monday, July 27, 2009, 08:55 PM

I have been following your blog for some time and I just wanted to introduce myself. I love your work, your style, and your heart that you so willingly share on this blog. I am inspired by you.

Michelle Sidles says: Monday, July 27, 2009, 04:48 PM

We go to Manzanita (10 miles south of Cannon Beach) every August for our End of Summer Vacation. I can't wait for August. Manzanita/Oregon Coast is my FAVORITE place on earth. :) Thanks for the pics. :)

Laura says: Monday, July 27, 2009, 06:52 AM

Gorgeous images! I love the mist. I will definitely have to check out that book!

Jenn Becker says: Monday, July 27, 2009, 12:26 AM

Yay for Cannon Beach! I Love it too! My husband and I honeymooned there and return often. Not much is better grabbing a latte from Bella, exploring the galleries and then relaxing on the beach (rain or shine).

AGA7 says: Sunday, July 26, 2009, 08:28 PM

WOW! You guys always make we wonder how you take your photos and thus a challenge for me to get better everyday. I am constantly inspired by your work. Thank you and I hope you inspire more people.

sara montour says: Sunday, July 26, 2009, 07:38 PM

What a sweet and passionate post. I love people that are able to open their hearts and share them with the world. :)

Bianca Valentim says: Sunday, July 26, 2009, 07:28 PM

I was just thinking about which book should I read.
Thank you for the tip! I just bought it!
Looking forward to read it.
Great pictures.
For sure you guys had a wonderful time!

Ketti says: Sunday, July 26, 2009, 07:08 PM

Cannon Beach looks amazing!!! I just went to Rialto Beach last week, but not as cool as this one looks. I love your book recs and your business philosophy is really inspiring. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself!

Emma robertson says: Sunday, July 26, 2009, 06:21 PM

Seriously LOVE the black and white ones of chris!

Kim Kalyn says: Sunday, July 26, 2009, 04:55 PM

Hi Sarah, I am a regular blog stalker following your site. I loved the "lovecat" concept and think I just might have to pick up that book now! Have you ever been to Tofino on Vancouver Island (where I live!). I think that would be an area with lots of beaches you would fall in love with :)

Jamie Delaine says: Sunday, July 26, 2009, 04:54 PM

Sarah, I just must drive down to Seattle in September to have coffee with you again. I adore you and your writing and this post. What you said about beaches? 100% me. I'm sooo not a beach person, but I love the ocean and the sand. I'm all about coffee, hoodies and cold beaches. :)

Craig Henry says: Sunday, July 26, 2009, 04:53 PM

Great pictures - That looks like an awesome place! :)

Carl Zoch says: Sunday, July 26, 2009, 04:52 PM

It's good to see images of my old stomping grounds. I selfishly thank you for this post :)

Thursday, July 9, 2009, 09:13 AM
For us, the album makes it all worth it. It is the fruit of our labor, if you will. Holding this beautiful-big-baby in your hands feels amazing. It is all our hard work and artistic intuitions coupled together with each of our couples' amazing story's...all put in one place. It just doesn't get much better than that!  Passing it off to our couples and seeing their reactions is one of the best feelings in the world. We take a lot of pride in creating something that they will have for a lifetime. Something they will show their kids and their grandkids. A story-book of their love story/their special day. I'm a huge advocate for having a wedding album done up right for you. 

When Chris and I shoot a wedding we are thinking about the album while we shoot. Asking ourselves, "how will this series of images fit together on a page?" "How can I tell this story of events in the most powerful way?" All of our album design is IN-House, we don't outsource any of it... this is because it is a crucial part to the experience that each of our couples has with us. For us, it is about creating personalized art for our couples from start to FINISH. It is important to see it through to completion. 

If you care to see how this particular album design turned out you can see the Album Slideshow here

Also, for those photographers who are interested in who we use; Renaissance Albums are our Go-to for these amazing albums. And if any of you have any other questions about our Albums/the process etc. I'll open the floor up in the comments section and would be happy to help as I can. We leave for San Fran tomorrow so I may be slow to respond, but happy to help. I get a lot of questions about this via e mail and I feel horrible bc. I can't always respond due to time. So this way I can tackle some of those questions here.



Thoughts
Add a Comment View Comments (29)
Ricky Tang says: Friday, April 2, 2010, 02:37 PM

Roughly how long does it take for you to design an album?

Also, what type of hardware do you run at your home office? I'm struggling to run CS3 properly on my aged Mac.

johnna brynn says: Monday, March 29, 2010, 10:38 AM

i just wanted to say, nine months later, that this is still a helpful post! LOVED checking out your album sources. THANKS, SRP!

Craig S says: Friday, August 28, 2009, 11:03 AM

Hi Sarah. Sorry I'm a little late in commenting, but I'm intrigued that you use InDesign for your albums. Do you send one PDF to your lab (prodpi) and they then print each individual page from that PDF? I would love to design all of my albums in InDesign if only I could find a printer who will print from the PDF file.

melia says: Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 10:53 AM

Sarah,

Thanks for being so forthcoming on albums! I recently saw a 'sample' album of yours, a Galleria album, and was wondering if you can design that without the Soho styler (if you even designed that one--maybe they just used your images). My second question is whether you use the Soho and Mercer books (no gutter) which means you'd have to get incredibly long seamless prints done yourself? Or do you think the Fine Art is the way to go? Albums can be overwhelming! Sorry--this may be too much for a blog.

PROMISE TANGEMAN says: Monday, July 13, 2009, 11:30 AM

Sarah!! Do you design your own albums? Or do you outsource it? You dont use indesign do you? hahhaahhahaha HAHAHAHHAA JK. IM FUNNY

Jason says: Saturday, July 11, 2009, 08:25 AM

Great looking album guys...hope you have a sample to show me when you get back into town :) Isn't it ALWAYS refreshing to work with other vendors (book-binders, pro labs etc.) who actually CARE about the quality and craftsmanship of their products? ;)

Lesley says: Friday, July 10, 2009, 06:29 PM

Sarah these albums are beautiful, I see why you use them! :)

Beth Armsheimer says: Friday, July 10, 2009, 03:47 PM

Such a gorgeous album!!

SarahRhoads says: Friday, July 10, 2009, 09:42 AM

@daniel as I mentioned to @Liam we do not use Any templates for our album design. Each individual spread is custom created by US for each wedding. No two albums exactly alike. Each of our couples has a truly cutom book that is unique to their story and is created by us, no templates are used.

Daniel says: Friday, July 10, 2009, 09:25 AM

Beautiful work as usual. Do you use templates for your album design or do you create each page seperately? If you do, are they your personal templates or did you purchase them from somewhere?

SarahRhoads says: Friday, July 10, 2009, 09:23 AM

@Liam we don't use the soho styler. All of our designs are custom created and designed by us in Indesign. :)

liam says: Friday, July 10, 2009, 07:41 AM

hey Sarah,
you mentioned you use InDesign for album design. Have you used and what are your opinions on the SoHo styler for the design?
Thanks!!!
liam

bee says: Friday, July 10, 2009, 01:45 AM

Wow! Just... wow!

Promise to never put this offline. Because the day I plan my own wedding I'll show this one to the photographer and tell him: That's how I want it to be!

The best would of course be to ask you to take the photos - but I live in Germany and well... the costs... you know ;)

sarahrhoads says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 04:38 PM

@dennis not a stupid question at all!! It is actually an artist that Chris records with named Ben Rector. Chris laid down a lot of the bass tracks on the record. the song is called "Disarm"
@Ron you know I would love loved to shoot your wedding photos ;) you are too sweet

ron storer says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 02:24 PM

boy wish we could go back in time and have you take our pictures.

wonderful job as always.

Dennis Bullock says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 02:20 PM

This is probably a stupid question but what is the song in the slideshow?

sarahrhoads says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 01:41 PM

@merideth we use InDesign for all of our album designs
@jonathan yes we select the images that will go into the album for the initial design preview. We have had nothing but a fantastic response from our couples. Our couples respect and trust the artistic process and the professional and artistic service we are providing them and they know up front that this is part of the overall experience of working with us.

Jonathan says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 01:22 PM

Hey Sarah,
Great stuff. You said, 'Asking ourselves, "how will this series of images fit together on a page?"' Does that imply y'all choose which pictures are put into the book rather than the couple? If so, what has been the reaction of (potential) clients upon hearing that.
Tanksabunch. -J

meredith says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 01:21 PM

hi sarah! i was just curious....what program do you use to design the album? i just started photography & want to find the cheapest way to do the albums....and i totally respect doing it yourself!

sarahrhoads says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 10:50 AM

@sara we send our pages to our AMAZING professional lab in California, ProDPI for the printing. Once they are printed, our lab sends them back to us so we can make sure everything looks flawless and then we send it to our Album Company in NYC (Renaissance) to put it all together beautifully for us. It is a nice checks and balances system. The total design/crafting/delivery process usually takes about 4-6 months from start to finish. hope that helps!

Maureen says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 10:49 AM

I guess seeing pictures of it is almost as good as having it, right? :P

Briony says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 10:44 AM

How many pages on average are your albums?

Sara Munneke says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 10:43 AM

Hello, I love this album, it's beautiful!! I am wondering where you have your pages printed at? and about how long does it take for the whole process of designing the album to presenting it to the client? thanks so much for sharing, take care:)

marissa moss says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 10:33 AM

that album is amazing!! i am in love with the layouts! and am particularly drawn to those three photos in the tunnel with the shadow play. LOVE those!!

so many outsource their albums and I never see it as an issue, but what a difference your care and attention makes! thanks for sharing : )

Amy Cameron says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 10:25 AM

Beautiful! Where did you get this? I love the cover material!

sarahrhoads says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 10:22 AM

Hi Mellissa! What we mean when I say the design is done IN house, is that some photographers outsource their album design to an external vendor. For us, the design is part of our artistic process, so it is done by us personally and then sent to our album company to Bind and put it all together for us and we use Renaissance Albums, a top of the line album crafter for this part. Hope that helps!

melissa says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 10:18 AM

What do you mean you don't outsource your images. Lol. I'm slow. You make this from scratch!? Who prints, binds, etc?

melissa says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 10:18 AM

What do you mean you don't outsource your images. Lol. I'm slow. You make this from scratch!? Who prints, binds, etc?

Adele Cabanillas says: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 10:02 AM

Beyond gorgeous!! Perfectly Elegant to match your Amazing Photography!

Thursday, May 28, 2009, 08:40 AM
Chris and I have been asked to speak tonight at the Seattle/Tacoma PUG (pictage user group) tonight! We get a lot of questions from our fellow photographers around how we developed our brand/style and what that experience is like for our clients. So...Chris and I will be speaking on developing your Voice as an artist  through a strong brand & Building a Brand Experience. We will be giving away one ITDR Dream Package (i.e. a website/blog/slideshare max!!) to one lucky person in attendance along with a few other little giveaways we have up our sleeve that you wont want to miss out on. Come with plenty of questions that pertain to this sandbox because we are happy to share anything that we can with you.
You don't have to be a Pictage user and anyone is welcome! 

When: Tonight Thursday @ 6:30
Where: Mountlake Terrace, WA (full address on the blog: http://tacomapug.wordpress.com/)
Bring: An appetizer or desert to share and lots of questions for Sarah & Chris!
For more details please go herehttp://tacomapug.wordpress.com/

If you will be coming feel free to comment in the comment section of this post letting me know or DM'ing me through twitter or you can leave a comment on the tacomapug blog

Looking forward to seeing some old and new faces tonight! 


Thoughts
Add a Comment View Comments (8)
Tonhya says: Friday, May 29, 2009, 09:20 AM

Thank you for all the great advice!! I left truly feeling inspired :D

Ketti says: Friday, May 29, 2009, 08:10 AM

Missed it :(

sarahrhoads says: Thursday, May 28, 2009, 02:38 PM

Hey Mark, I'll see what I can do, maybe I can bring my Mark II and one of my photog buddies will be nice enough to take a few clips for us to post :) Great idea.

Mark says: Thursday, May 28, 2009, 12:48 PM

would it be possible for someone to video it? so you can share your talk with all those that can't make it(or live in a different part of the country.)

Ketti says: Thursday, May 28, 2009, 12:42 PM

Wow, if I can get my husband home in time to watch the kid, I will so be there!!!

Jeff says: Thursday, May 28, 2009, 11:22 AM

I willl be attending! Can't wait!

Lesley says: Thursday, May 28, 2009, 10:00 AM

Ugh, if this had only been 2 days ago when I was in Seattle I so would have gone!

Jamie Delaine says: Thursday, May 28, 2009, 09:13 AM

I secretly wish Vancouver and Seattle were just about an hour closer, because I'd definitely drive an hour and a half for this tonight! ;)