Spring Blog Cleaning.

Alrighty... hang tight there my friends. I am switching everything up. (hence the silence and lack of blog posts)
Doing a little spring cleaning on the blog. We will be back up and running with a shiny clean blog soon.

Holy of Holies.

I often sit and wonder how I get so lucky... lucky to be apart of such an intimate and joyous occasion in peoples lives, lucky to get to capture that all on camera and preserve it for them for generations to come. I sometimes do not know how to say THANK YOU enough. Thank you for inviting me (a stranger to most) into those sacred moments... into your 'holy of holies'.

With this wedding (Amy + Al), I just picked out a few moments to illustrate what I mean. Instead of the traditional spread with the shoes, flowers, details, etc etc. I wanted to share what really matters. Why I am REALLY there...

To capture these moments.

like how after several attempts the frustrated bride was ready to have a meltdown, they FINALLY got the hair juuuuuust right and Miss Amy was Thrilled.

... or when the bride and groom see each other for the first time

How about when the bride shed tears during her vows and her new husband gently wipes them away... I guarantee all in the audience were doing the same to their own eyes.

Their intimate communion time hidden behind a tree, where the shared a laugh that was unseen by the guests. And the following prayer only each other could hear...

when the groom steals a glance at his bride

Or when you capture the bride's grandpa joyfully making his own memories. Moments during the ceremony that the bride never saw.

Yes, Al, you definitely scored with this one.

Amy attacking her new husband with gail force winds...

These are just a few sacred moments you encounter during a wedding celebration but it's moments like these that keep me coming back for more.

Sarah + David | together again.

November 5, 2009 : Sarah and David were married.

November 7, 2009 : David was shipped off to Afghanistan.

Their first year of marriage was spent thousands of miles apart with only Facebook and late night skype calls to keep in touch.

December 2010, David comes home and we spent a little time together documenting THEM. TOGETHER. AGAIN.

:)

(ps) Sarah just happens to be the little sister of the Texican ;)

Birds of a feather.

My hair stylist has been trying to convince me to sport blue or pink or even purple streaks in my hair for some time now. Just a few underneath... barely noticeable... but still, something along the lines of commitment phobia spring up and just can't do it.
BUT when I was traveling a few weeks back, I saw a friend with a tiny feather extension that I adored. So, naturally, I went in search of a salon here in Boston and a happy dance ensued when I found out MY salon actually just started doing them. So, today... I went under the clamp and got two feather extensions. You know, just to spice things up a bit.
They last 3-4 months so should I decide the relationship just isnt working out, I will definitely drop the "it's not you, it's me" line.

Until then, I am in love.

...and feel a strange aversion to today's CHICKEN salad.

Storytime with Luka.

I just realized I've posted kids a LOT lately. I promise I am still a wedding photographer, too. Posting weddings are a longer process so when I am in a time crunch, these are easier to share. :)

As we all know, young kids do not exactly sit still for photos. I think this is great! Because honestly, they're real personality shines through when they are being themselves. Moving, dancing, jumping, playing. This makes our jobs "harder" or more "challenging" but its all a part of the process of entering into their world and documenting who they are.
A fun trick I have used lately is to have the child dress up and tell me a story. Most of the time they get totally into it and not only are you entertained, but you get some fun shots of who they truly are versus "sit and smile and look happy" shots.

Here are some photos from StoryTime with Luka, I'll try to remember pieces of her story.

"This is the story of a fairy princess... and her kingdom"

"...She was SUCH a beautiful princess..."

"...And she would have balls at the castle and dance with her prince allllll night long..."

"...some of the people in her kingdom looked funny, like giants"

"...there was even an evil witch name Ellie..."

"...she was mean, but the unicorns were nice..."

THE END (total shoot time: approx. 8 minutes)

Bottom line... don't go into a kids' shoot with an agenda. Be flexible, enter into THEIR world, and allow them to unfold who they are. Those are the photos parents will truly want as a keepsake.

and baby makes three.

I have been apart of Abi & Ryan's photo lives since the year they were married when we shot her bridal fashion.

Then I shot their one year,

Then I shot Ryan's brother's wedding in Mexico.

Then it was their two year,

...missed their three year because of distance. :[

But now they have added a little man to their lives and we were at it again!

Abi & Ryan adopted little man Finley from Uganda this past November. I FINALLY got to meet him while out in California a few weeks ago and I remembered back...

I remember getting the phone call they decided to adopt their first child.
I remember the loooong agonizing process of waiting and waiting to be matched with a toddler
I remember getting the call they got a BABY! not a Toddler, a baby!
I remember getting my first text from Abi with his photo that his foster parents sent from Uganda.
I remember following the whole process via her adoption blog flooded with letters to baby... then letters to Finn.
I remember how much he was loved long before he was even born.

And now, I can say this... Finn, you are quite possibly the most loved child in existence. And the life you have been given will far exceed your expectations. The mommy and daddy God gave you are truly quite special. Some day when you are grown, whether you are the next football star, soccer star, or R&B singer (we have all made our wagers by the way), you will probably argue with your parents over who has made the most impact in each others life. You are all a gift to one another and the three of you combined are a marked gift in my life as well.


So cheers to family Q and cheers to fun new photos.

I chose to shoot the entire session in B&W so for all you color-blind blog readers, this post is for you ;)

you must know that neither of the below photos were posed. Finn did that all on his own. [my $ is on the R&B singer by the way - and the shot on the right will be his first album cover]

I Leica you.

I am a fully admitted cheeseball. Or as I like to spanglish-ize it... "Ballo de Queso"

yes, I am.

But honestly... how could I resist. My recent Etsy purchase scored me the darling little card that I fully plan on framing for my little office.

I "leica" you.

a lot.

[insert smile here]

Saarloos & Sons Winery

Some call me uncultured because I have had a hard time truly appreciating a glass of wine. Chalk it up to my dislike for alcohol or my love for overtly sweet beverages like grape juice. Who knows? Needless to say, wine and I have a rocky relationship. Maybe because one of the first wines I ever tried tasted like said rocks, more like I fell down and got a mouth full of dirt... Some call that 'earthy', I call it just plain nasty.

Every once in a while though... one comes along that make me happy.

While in CA last week, some friends and I went wine tasting in Santa Ynez/Los Olivos. After visiting Sunstone Winery, and the one featured here, I can feel the winds of palate change a' blowin'. We may have a new Shyla on our hands pretty soon. I am sure, though, that a lot of my new found happiness with wine is related to the fact that Saarloos and Sons Winery share a tasting room with Enjoy Cupcakes. Oh MY Dear God Almighty.... talk about mouth watering goodness. Weekly cupcake flavors are paired with the wines for your tasting and sugar-loving pleasure.

And pleasure it was.

If you've known me for any amount of time, you know I have an affinity for sweets -- Something my waistline does not agree with, and an affinity for aesthetics and design -- something my wallet does not agree with, so you can imagine my double pleasure (yes, even double rainbow pleasure good) when I saw this tasting room. I couldn't help but take many photos and swoon over its uniqueness....
When the owner saw I was taking photos, he asked if I would blog them -- so here I am holding true to my word. Thanks, too, for the phone call of wonderful words, Keith. You truly brought a smile to my face that day.

So, take a gander, and if you are ever in Los Olivos, California , stop by to experience what one - quite drunken- lady at the tasting counter proclaimed as "panty-dropping good"!

yum.

Keith the owner :)

I want this in my home!

Enjoy Cupcakes is so popular, they sell out quite quickly. Lucky for us though, They saved us some flights of cupcakes since Danielle called ahead. She also mentioned it was her hubby's birthday and that Baklava Cupcakes were his favorite, so they put it on the menu for the week in honor of Erik. They even have a vintage airstream trailer you can bring to serve cupcakes from at your wedding in the area.

This added touch truly made me smile.... Honest fact : The true reason this photo was taken is for research and replication. ;)

Make a Wish | Tea Party

Another opportunity to shoot for Make-A-Wish! You may get sick of me saying this but I ADORE this organization... I ADORE everything they do... and I ADORE the fact that I have had the privilege of being apart of it.
This time my darling friend and fabulous photographer Kelly joined me and together we attended the Cinderella Tea Party hosted at The Taj Boston sponsored by Disney on Ice. We got some super fun images! Most of these young ladies have had their wish granted but were invited by Cinderella to attend her tea party. About 20 young ladies all under the age of 6 and their families sipped tea and juice and dined on cookies and PB&J sandwiches while The young ladies were entertained and visited by Miss Massachusetts and Princess Cinderella

As the little girls entered they were given a Cinderella princess dress

The girls are crowned by Miss Massachusetts

There was even a prince in attendance

Awaiting the arrival of Princess Cinderella by horse drawn carriage. The original plan was to have the young girls meet her curbside, but the bitter cold proved to be too much for them to stand outside.

Natural Reflector

I love this photo and am so thankful for the harsh light shining directly on the white dress, otherwise I would have missed out on the gentleman crying in the corner during the communion blessing! That gentleman (who happens to be the president of my old college) was not only the officiant, but the father of the groom.... so it truly was a special moment. To expose for his face would have thrown off the "feel" I was attempting in this photo, thankfully the natural reflector of the dress added more emotion to the image. :)

Bo + Blaik's wedding in Greensboro, NC

The Santa Anas

The Santa Anas... those oddly warm winds that blow through southern California and are often attributed to fanning wildfires. Familiar with them?
Well, during last week's stint in SoCal and Vegas, those winds were a blowin'. Not in the physical sense, but in a LIFE sense. Does that even make 'SENSE'? Much happened, I was challenged, I was questioned, I was forced to reevaluate different areas of my life and I must admit the winds of change feel nice. Tiny little fires in my soul, simple little sparks, were fanned into flames and spread across the desert lands of my life. Contrary to the damage caused by real life Santa Ana's, the ones *I* experienced brought new life... exciting life.
I'll share them as they unfold but first let me begin with a challenge. While visiting Vegas and the WPPI convention, my darling Jasmine looked me in the eye, prefaced the following comment with "Im about to call you out on something" and then proceeded to ask why I don't blog anymore. I stumbled over my answers and dont think I really gave her an official one, but needless to say I am on a mission to remedy that. Because I took it as a challenge. ;)
I'll start with the rest of the month of March. I'll begin by trying to blog every WEEKday. Even if it's something simple. It will be good practice to get back in the habit.
So here is step one. day 1.

And I will leave you with one of my favorite favorite images. So simple, nothing spectacular photographically speaking, but it truly makes my heart smile....

Until Tomorrow...