Hey!
We’re the McKissacks
We’re rather silly, a little nerdy, and quite mushy.
In early 2015 we met in downtown Portland, Oregon working at REI. What originally started as mere camaraderie between two colleagues, turned into an epic friendship, which rapidly blossomed into a beautiful partnership.
When we met, Alex had already been pursuing the art of professional photography for six years in Nashville, Tennessee and Portland, Oregon. During that same time, Nicole had been photographing as a hobby, working towards making it her career. One of the very first times we hung out, we hiked and photographed the Skyline Trail in Mount Rainer National Park where Alex shared some of his photography tips he learned over the years. That day marked the beginning of our joint passion to help each other develop (pun intended) as photographers, while having fun and living our best lives.
Since then, we’ve worked odd jobs (one of them being housekeepers at a fancy resort; we’ve got stories if you’ve got the stomach for it), got married in October of 2019 (we exchanged vows on a mountain pass with Pinchot as our flower girl/ring bearer), adopted another corgi (Dolly Parton), thru-hiked the John Muir Trail as our honeymoon, and our devotion for photography and the outdoors has only grown and intensified.
These days, you can catch us fishing an alpine lake, hiking around the Olympic Peninsula, riding around town with our pups, (we rarely leave them behind), and nerding out more and more about birds, mushroom foraging, and food.
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Nicole
Avid hiker, photo editor, planner extraordinaire. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. Too stubborn to leave it. (I mean… mountains, towering old-growth conifers, orcas, and birds?! So. Many. Birds.)
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Alex
Fisherman, drummer, idea guy, the kind of guy who makes you feel like you’ve known each other forever. Born and raised in Loretto, Tennessee. You’ll hear the accent come out every so often.
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Pinchot
Named after Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA. Sassy, floofy, seven-year-old corgi. Little legs that can walk for miles, longer than you think. Big booty, bigger heart. Chief and creator of the “Fun Police.”
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Dolly
Named after one of the greats, Dolly Parton. Six years old. Also sassy, but even more raspy. Goes a little heavy on the eyeliner but we love her for it. Assistant to the chief of the “Fun Police.”
Our Approach
Getting your photo taken can feel a little intimidating, awkward, and uncomfortable.
Our biggest goal is to provide a space to make you feel comfortable. A space where you can be completely you.
Our philosophy about photography isn’t about getting “the shot.” It’s all about making sure you, the client, is comfortable. Why? Because not only does it show in photos, but why would you want to look back and remember an experience or a time you felt uncomfortable and not like you?
We want to make sure you’re taken care of and you’re not going out of your way to feel comfortable. That’s our job! And that’s why we’re here.
Have more questions? Want to know what a typical photo session is like? Check out our FAQ page below!
