Whidbey Photographer: Witch-themed sessions set for Saturday

Amber Braxton will conduct mini witch-themed photo shoots on Saturday, Oct. 31, on a trail near Coupeville. The Greenbank-based photographer is offering the sessions as an alternative to traditional holiday photography.

Each 15-minute session produces five digital images. Clients can also create a custom spell jar during the shoot, a service made available through a partnership with Oaklawn Enchantments, a shop in Oak Harbor.

Braxton, who is self-taught and originally from Colorado, stated that the format makes photography more accessible. She noted that formal portraits are often a luxury service and not everyone can afford an hour-long session.

Braxton started taking photos as a hobby in the spring of 2016 after receiving a camera as a gift from her then-boyfriend, now her husband. She registered her photography business in July of that year. After three years, she left a job in community mental health to work in photography full time.

The photographer credits the craft with changing how she observes her environment. She said the practice has become an obsession that she does every single day, noting that it has changed her brain chemistry.

Braxton prefers to capture people as their authentic selves rather than in posed portraits. Her portfolio includes fine art, portraiture, and landscapes, often characterized by moody lighting. She moved to Whidbey Island seven months ago, finding that the local forests, farmland, and gray days suit her style better than the bright and sunny climate of Colorado.

Braxton has previously held seasonal shoots featuring bedsheet ghosts and wearable carved pumpkins. She said she enjoys being festive and likes doing shoots that celebrate the holidays.