bio

Oona Copperhill is an award-winning photojournalist and wedding photographer who has also turned her talents to documenting babies and families in recent years. Her love of children brought her to a degree in education from Cornell University in 1996, but she continued to refine her photography skills while teaching and working in refugee resettlement. In 2000, she entered the University of Montana’s esteemed School of Journalism for a master’s degree in photojournalism, where she also taught photography.

Oona has been shooting weddings professionally for the last 10 years. She’s also worked for newspapers, winning a multitude of awards spanning all categories from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. In 2004, Oona was awarded Color Photographer of the Year and the Peninsula Gateway published a coffee table book featuring her photos the same year. Her work has been published in the New York Times, People, the Missoulian and The News Tribune and her photos have been purchased by NBC, ABC and other national and international news outlets.

While she enjoys the excitement and variety of newspaper work, Oona found it was always the features she enjoyed most. Having the privilege to connect with individuals and families and to tell their stories visually gave her the greatest joy.

So when Oona had her daughter, Willa, in early 2005, she decided to devote her working life to documenting people, their loved ones and the most meaningful milestones of this beautiful life. Oona married Tacoma attorney and adventure fanatic Jamey McCormick in 2008. They live with Willa and their pug, Tucker, in Dash Point, where they dabble in aquaculture and marvel at the beauty of this corner of the world.

Oona continues to delight in photographing weddings and families and considers it an honor to be invited into the lives of her clients to witness and preserve what is special to each. She believes it’s the presence of love that makes for the greatest and most touching photos – and an understanding of light that makes them possible.