Danielle + Erik | engaged

After shooting D and E's actual engagement on Saturday, we went shopping to style their shoot Sunday and drove up to Santa Ynez on Monday in search of the perfect barn I had in my head. It was a little risky setting out for a themed shoot with 'hopes' of finding the right location but it totally worked out. We happened upon this farm and Erik simply went up to the door asking to use their property for the shoot. He did preface it with "I just proposed to my girlfriend..." which would result in almost anyone saying yes - I'm sure. ;)
Apparently Dodge filmed a commercial here recently as well.

Anyway... Danielle is my bestie (that means special treatment!) and I had so much stinkin' fun shooting these that couldn't stop myself from posting a gazillion images. It was way too hard to narrow down. SO you get to see a bunch...AND you get to see a slideshow.

Um, by the way... I have never seen a couple make-out so much during a session (as you will soon see)... but they totally worked it.

:)

.... ***CLICK HERE*** to see the Slideshow.

Surprise Engagement!

I don't do well keeping secrets from my best friend but managed to pull this one off!

Danielle and I have been friends since college and she is the first person I call whenever there is anything exciting to talk about... But when her boyfriend Erik called me to say he was proposing and wanted to fly me out to Napa Valley to sniper shoot the engagement, I squealed a few times and immediately wanted to call her. **sigh**
Her parents picked me up from the airport Friday Night and arranged a car for me to drive to Napa on Saturday. I drove on up, and staked out the perfect spot at their favorite winery.... then I climbed in a bush and waited.



...and waited.

....and sweated.

and then....

They show up!

Then Erik breaks out the guitar and sings THIS SONG to Danielle. (For everyone who knows her knows this is quite possibly the most perfect song he could've chosen

Then they keep kissing. Danielle simply wouldn't let him sing without a 'kiss break' every few chords. He didn't mind - of course - but I was entertained

Then he got down on one knee.

Prior to their arrival I instructed him which direction to face her but I think he just got so caught up in the moment. haha.

I jumped out of the bush and tried to be all stealthy and sneak around through some more bushes.

Welllll, she said YES!....and she didn't see me..... SUCCESS!
I snuck back to the car and headed back to San Fran where Erik arranged a surprise engagement party for her and we had a slideshow of the proposal awaiting her.

the end... (or the beginning.)

julia | senior photos

The darling and lively Julia worked it for the camera this week.
This spunky lady is so full of energy and passion that she just makes you smile.... it was so easy to shoot her.

I was slightly concerned about our "fall themed" shoot when it SNOWED the night before... luckily the fickle Boston weather gave us a yummy golden-light treat. :)

enjoy!

oncewed.com

Ben and Shayda's wedding was featured on Oncewed.com!
Thanks to the sweet Emily for showcasing this fabulous couple and Congrats to The Hodgdons!

I am in love with this blog!

xoxo

The Climb.

I'd been wanting to climb Mt. Katahdin for sometime now, and what better time to go then the peak week of fall in New England? So, I found a willing hiking buddy and set off on an adventure the last few days.
Words cannot express the beauty and majesty we encountered along the way.

We set up camp in the rain and I must hand it to the fire-starter :e:xtraordinaire for managing to get a fire going while it was pouring. Granted there was a HUGE golf umbrella involved and several instances of smoke inhalation but it was an act of greatness none-the-less.

Thankfully, the rains held off on Thursday and we trekked up the mountain. Signing off at the Ranger's station at 7:45am we were a bit bummed that the trails we hoped to embark on were closed. Knife's edge (three feet wide with sheer drops on either side) was closed to ice so we settled for another route. Not 20 minutes in, however, I rolled my ankle... and with subsequent rolls afterward, I was a little gimpy. Couple that with taking my dear sweet time to make sure I saw every weird bug, took in every passing brook and listening to all the little sounds along the way... I was slower than Speedy McMountaineer I was hiking with. And despite the fact I now look like I have a cankle, it was worth it.
So I may be the clumsiest Mt climber you have ever seen but whatever, I attribute my clumsiness to the fact that I simply didn't WANT to watch my feet when I walked, I wanted to see everything around me, not the ground.

It took me a few days to process the experience because I truly don't have words to explain the majesty I encountered. I feel alive in nature and more impassioned there than anywhere else.... I had a lot of time to think... to process... and to dream. Ask me about it sometime and I'd be happy to share. ;) [Thanks to 'K' for the reminder to see everything with 'fresh eyes']

A quick comment I heard from my good 'ol hiking buddy - when I was complaining about my ankle but determined to get to the top- was: "it's not about the destination".
We hear that a lot but being there in the midst of climbing a mountain really made that statement hit home.

It's not about the destination... it's the journey.

It's who you are... and who you are becoming along the way.
Yes, I am clumsy and I'm sure my journey is clumsy...filled with spotters who are convinced I am going to give them a heart attack or people who make fun of me every time I stumble, trip, or fall. But in the end all that matters is who I am becoming along the way... who cares if I trip over a tent stake or fall on a few rocks along the way because my journey means I'm fixated on looking around, not at the ground.

:)

So what happens when photographers embark on an adventure sans their camera? cell-phone pictures!

annee + jake | cancun mx

Mexico Wedding #2 from the summer belonged to Jake + Annee.
Technically they weren't allowed to bring in outside photographers so I was a stealthy sniper shooter. The photographer and videographer provided by the resort camped right up next to the preacher so it was quite tricky to get shots... but I'm a professional! haha. Anyway... It was a wonderful little celebration!

first up... a little happy accident. Technically all the blur in this photo is due to my lens fogging up from the humidity but I just loved it anyway so you get to see it :)

and now for a few more fun images from the rehearsal and celebration