Shyla Photography

We've Moved to a new home!

2011-04-06T08:02:00.005-04:00

This blog has served it's time... We send it off with a 15 gun salute (because only our service-men deserve a 21 gun) and proudly redirect you over to Wordpress. Update your RSS's and click **here** to join the fun. Adios blogger, you've served me well

www.shylasblog.com

Spring Blog Cleaning.

2011-03-28T21:37:00.002-04:00

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.

2011-03-22T22:55:00.003-04:00

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.

2011-03-21T15:03:00.001-04:00

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.

2011-03-14T14:34:00.002-04:00

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.

2011-03-11T11:41:00.007-05:00

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.

2011-03-09T19:43:00.006-05:00

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.

2011-03-08T17:56:00.003-05:00

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

2011-03-07T21:29:00.003-05:00

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

2011-03-04T17:00:00.004-05:00

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

2011-03-03T10:09:00.004-05:00

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

2011-03-02T14:23:00.006-05:00

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...

Make A Wish | A visit with the Celtics

2011-02-16T21:59:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I was invited on another Make-A-Wish adventure.
A trip to visit with the Boston Celtics.
My fifth grade teacher, Mr.Meyer, had a man crush on Larry Bird. Even though he was from NY and taught in Oregon, his loyalties to the Celtics ran deep. If only he could see me now, I may have been able to receive extra credit!
Anyway,
I do not even know why I wear mascara to these events... As soon as the limo pulls up, I am a goner. I don't even make it far enough to see the kids walk out before I blubbering like a baby. It is terribly pathetic.
Regardless of my mental or emotional state, I still managed to have a wonderful time watching the eyes of these children sparkle. I do not know how you can experience something like this and not be moved.

The day began with breakfast overlooking the practice court... This group of kids were the first ever to be allowed on the court during a practice. When practice starts, the windows have automatic shades that roll down, so even staff is not allowed to watch practices.

Before heading down to the courts, The kids were surprised with the jersey of their favorite player. And also a pair of game shoes from their individual idols. *cue the tears again*

Front row seats to the practice

Paul Pierce spending time with the kiddos.

This young man just met his idol Ray Allen.

His mom lost it. Look at the emotion of all the women in the background

More tears. Ray Allen then proceeded to take him away from everyone for some one on one time in the team locker room. There wasn't a dry eye.

Mr. Sunshine Himself, Kevin Garnett. He is like 12' 4" and all smiles. Its hard NOT to have a crush on him ;) . The young man in the wheelchair just informed KG that Shaq should play defense and this was his response...

Shaq greets the crew and then the kids take turns wearing the 2008 world championship ring

It's is truly an honor to be invited to document these events. Thank you to Make-A-Wish for unknowingly granting my life wish as well. Working with your organization truly was/is a dream.

Jostina | Engagement + Wedding

2011-02-09T22:36:00.004-05:00

Like Brangelina or Tomkat, Josh and Christina referred to themselves as Jostina... and it totally fits. Yet in THIS couple, Josh is the one who loves the camera, and loves his fashion. His custom made suit with carbon fiber buttons prove this. Christina is the sweet bride who has a truly contagious smile... and together they created an event we referred to as the "Haitian Asian Awesome Invasion". Truly a fabulous party... one that kept me hopping until the very end. And one that left me leaving the OPPOSITE of exhausted. I was ready to party all night with that crowd...

Shortly before their wedding, we headed down to CapeCod for a few engagement shots. I've included a few of them with this post since they never had their blog debut!

Now for the main event...

The Heritage Museum hosted the ceremony AND reception.

Special thanks to my "believe-it-or-not-hetrosexual" assistants for the day! Daniel + Mark :)

Make a Wish | fashion shoot

2011-02-07T21:23:00.003-05:00

A few months ago I got an email that made me squeal in public. Literally danced a little jig in the airport lobby. I seem to have a habit of making a fool of myself in these situations but what can I say... ???
The Make a Wish foundation was granting a wish of a young girl who wanted to be a super model. "J" was being set up with make-up artist Lauren Genatassio (owner of Sarra salon), a stylist, and a photographer, for her very own photo shoot. Working with the make-a-wish foundation was on my list of goals for 2010... so you can imagine how incredibly honored and excited I was. (remember the aforementioned airport dance?) The team I worked with was AMAZING! Here are a few of the photos from our day spent together...I still get emotional looking at the photos and remembering the day.

Sitting in the chair for the first time, and getting a re-assuring hug from her big sister.

The first glance of her finished face. She looked as if she was holding back tears. Notice her family all around her, marveling?

So many clothes to chose from...

Getting fit for her beautiful wig. A gift from Sarra Salon!

A few finished photos!!

In the words of Bruno Mars... "You are beautiful, just the way you are"

***CLICK HERE*** (psswrd: wishgranter) to see the AMAZING video by Kate Duval. It makes me cry every.single.time.

Amelie

2011-01-29T11:35:00.003-05:00

Meet Amelie.

Daniel (the barn boy in the post below) is her uncle and I think the model-ness must run in the family. We had a little play date a few weeks ago and her little (or shall I say BIG) personality was easy to capture, I couldn't help by smile the ENTIRE time.
Looking at her frames STILL brings a smile to my face.

Enjoy!

Testing 1 2 3

2011-01-27T19:47:00.007-05:00

My camera focusing has been acting up and I wanted to test out a few things so I dragged the Texican up to the barn this morning for a quick test session.... that turned into a mini photo shoot. ;)
Thank goodness for cute boys who let you boss...er, uh, direct them ;)

This one is my FAV

The End. :)

Doug + Jess | engaged

2011-01-26T21:01:00.004-05:00

Yes, Yes I am way behind on blogging. I still have a bunch of weddings from the fall to share.... one.step.at.a.time, right?
*phew*

Can I be a little honest with you? Engagement sessions make me hecka nervous. I have no fear on a wedding day, but for some reason I shake in my boots over impending engagement sessions. I seem to have it so BACKWARDS, 'eh?

speaking of backwards, I know I have a bunch of weddings to shoot but let me first share a wintry engagement session from this past weekend. Doug (a local Boston Photographer) and his darling fiancee, Jess, trekked on up to Marblehead for a little fun. Despite the frigid temps... and perhaps a little frostbite?, we got some pretty hot photos.

Deborah Zoe | Photographer

2010-11-30T23:11:00.003-05:00

A Boston area photographer, I had the pleasure of meeting Deborah Zoe through an email. Yup, just like that. She sent me an email asking to go to coffee and I happened to have a few free days, so we met. And have continued to meet on occasion when my schedule allows. Nestled into the tiny little Atomic Cafe booth overrun with college and master's students....we found out a common ground outside photography that is foundational to our lives. A few elements of my beings we thought were rather isolated in our little corner of the world. But we each found a friend in a fellow photographer that extends beyond the lens.

So, internet, meet Deborah. Some of you may already know her, but meet the Deborah I saw. The little spitfire who really can work the camera if you get silly enough ;)

(ps) proof that Deborah is my kind of lady, she hired me to do her shoot and then sent me an Anthro gift card as an extra thank you. Girl after my own heart right there. Thanks, lady friend ;)

Happy Christmas.

2010-11-28T23:33:00.003-05:00

I seem to find it easy to procrastinate on anything BUT decorating for Christmas. Once Thanksgiving was officially over and everyone else got up at 3 am to go shopping.... I got up at 3am to get my tree on. Ok -- maybe not 3 a.m. but 4 a.m. - I am sure of it.
I decided to throw a little twist into my traditional Christmas decor and do a full on installment above the fireplace.
Wooden spools, jute twine, clear ornaments and feathers, OH MY!

I wanted something different, and different is what I got :)

The annual Penguin Tree and my recent ornament addition. It's one of my now favorites

And a few details... including, of course, the hand carved goodness Dad Galligan has gifted me over the years. Again with the speak of favorites. I LOVE these guys and display them every chance I get.

Happy Christmas Decorating!

Italy [part 2] :: The Rome I saw.

2010-11-04T11:59:00.003-04:00

St Peter's Basilica at Night

Underground Subway

St Peter's Basilica inside

And the Colosseum (Both before and after the drama debacle)

The band. I think I shall name them 'The Victim and the Calvary'

Italy :: the drama, the prayers, & the power of social network.

2010-11-04T10:45:00.008-04:00

Roaming around Rome last week began as any other day. You know, a visit to the Colosseum -- The Palentine -- The Sistine Chapel -- Vatican -- St. Peter's Basilica -- The Pantheon -- Trevi Fountain. I'm talking whirlwind tour here. We crammed it all into a day so we could leave Rome early and hopefully have a chance to visit Verona after the trekk to Venice. That was the PLAN anyway.
After heading back to the Hotel, brother Mark had one thing on his mind... a night shot of the Colosseum. He is way more dedicated then I am because all I wanted to do was sleep. Now if we stuck a bride in there, I would have whistled a different tune, but instead, he set out to shoot and I crashed out. And come morning -- no Mark.
Long story short, he was gone for 36 hours. The only phone between us was on him so I had only email to communicate. Early on, I was more frustrated then anything. Emailing a few people but nothing serious. Then, after 18 hours missing, my boyfriend made the call to parents and eventually through connections and hours passing, I was being contacted at the hotel, by the police, the embassy, and receiving emails from FBI international affairs. Then I was informed The Calvary (Dad Jim and Boyfriend Daniel) we both on a last minute plane to Rome. holy crow, this was intense.

I made a comment on Facebook and within a few hours there were re-tweets, re-posts, and hundreds of Facebook messages and comments letting me know people were praying. All in all I received nearly 400 emails/messages and the support was overwhelming. The words 'thank' and 'you' seem much too common place for the gratitude I felt and continue to feel. Not once did I 'freak out' or stress out... it was more of a calm concern. The times I got emotional was when I realized the love and power of community. So, again, to everyone who offered up a thought, prayer, kind word, email or phone call.... thank you. You truly show me the power of together-ness. A statistic tracker from the news informed us that news of Mark missing generated 12,000+ views and responses

Thankfully the story has a happy ending... Mark is found, and the hours missing all made sense once we found out the reason. He had been drugged and then mugged. Apparently this is happening a lot to American Travelers surrounding the Colosseum over the past few months. Young Men start up conversation, and eventually befriend you... They essentially slip you a 'date rape' style drug and proceed to relieve you of anything of value in your possession. Mark, being a professional photographer as well, had all his gear/monies stolen but thankfully they left is passport and IDs.

The media caught wind of the situation and within hours it was on the evening news, and in the Oregonian.

I also managed to snap a few photos of the drama going down in the hotel room...

waiting

searching

I wish you could hear the frustration as Daniel tried to convince the airlines to let us change our flights without astronomical fees

SO, ALL IS WELL :) Despite astronomically expensive last minute flights to Italy by the Calvary, and the airports refusing to allow us to change our flights without fees (even though we had necessary paperwork), we are all back in the states safe and sound. Now, armed with police reports, embassy reports, and the purchased travel insurance documentation, I am off to write some forceful letters to the airlines that refused to aid...

Italy [part 1]

2010-10-24T18:09:00.006-04:00

*note* My apologies for the small photos. Since I do not have my laptop, we will have to settle for smaller photos than normal but I will replace them when I return to the states. In the meantime....

It's nearly 1am and I am exhausted. There will be more stories to come but we are hitting Florence hard tomorrow *early* morning so I need to try to catch up on some sleep. I just had to blog before too much time went by!
There truly are some beautiful sights to see... For now, though, the first two cities we saw... Lake Como and Cinque Terre.

The Lake Como Towns ::

Varenna

Menaggio (where we stayed)

Belaggio

Villa Balbianello on Lake Como. For all you Star Wars or Bond lovers, you may recognize a few of the scenes ;)

Star Wars :: Anakin and Princess Amadala's balcony

The end of James Bond : Casino Royale was filmed here.

The best Gnocchi I have ever had. Come on, I'm in Italy... I HAVE to take pictures of my food. ;)

The brother Mark and I

A quick shot I grabbed before leaving Cinque Terre this morning

It has been non stop since we landed in Milan on Tuesday.... More to come but for now, Buono Sera.
:]

Sweet & Spicy | bridal shower

2010-09-09T19:55:00.001-04:00

Up in the historic little town of Portsmouth, NH sits the cutest lil' letterpress & invitation boutique. Gus & Ruby opened up shop last year and have been taking the letterpress world by storm... I love paper, cards, and girly-fabulousness so trips to their little storefront are most definitely a treat.
Samantha, (co-owner) just happens to be maid of honor in a wedding this coming weekend, so when she threw her bestie, Lauren, a bridal shower last month, it was sure to be plethora of themed letterpress awesomeness........and indeed it was!

The theme was Sweet & Spicy. Guests were requested to wear pink or red and the event itself was held in downtown Boston at the Eastern Standard.

Well done Sam.... you are a wonderful MOH. ;)

The invites were lined with dried chili peppers.

favors were containers of cinnamon and sugar!

Guests had a choice of name tags declaring "I'm a little sweet" or "I'm a little spicy"

A quick little sequence of the bride's surprise after the blindfold came off...

Fun little mini portrait sessions with props!

and perhaps my FAVORITE of the day. The bride's Grandma was quite the little firecracker.

(ps) This saucy shower was just featured on 100 Layer Cake Blog :)

Sarah + Cedric | DIY Wedding

2010-09-08T16:13:00.003-04:00

I am DIY. I thrive on the opportunity to create something exciting out of nothing. Or turn something antique into a modern treasure. Give me glue, paper, glitter, a hand saw, a gum wrapper, and a candlestick and I'll make you a wedding dress or even a bomb. :) Needless to say my hero is part Martha Stewart, part MacGuyver. If you could peek into my RSS reader, you will see 1/2 photography or business related blogs, and the rest are blogs like....

Design Sponge
Talk Crafty to me
The Crafty Bride
My Hands Made It
Honestly...WTF?

It's definitely a disease. :)

All that to say, I was super excited to shoot Sarah & Cedric's wedding. Sarah is the crafty-woman extraordinaire.... Everything was created by her. The garland made of antique handkerchiefs that she collected since she was a kid, the hair accessories and necklaces worn by her bridesmaids, the boutonnieres, her customized shoes, her veil... EVERYTHING. She is a one woman show. :) And to top it all off, She is downright adorable... a beacon of southern charm and darling-ness.

See?....

I shot the shoes on the bar where Sarah and Cedric met. It happened to be right down from the salon so the bartender kindly let me take a few photos.

A classic game of Croquet

And the corn-bag toss game created with silhouettes of the B&G as a wedding gift from groomsman and bridesmaid, Jeremy and Angelika. You may remember these two from their wedding I shot a few years ago. Remember the helicopter? :)

The cake was made by one of Sarah's bridesmaids... Sarah.

Sarah's young adult sisters were the ring bearer and flower "girl" ;) Both of the items below were made by the bride.

Cedric always calls Sarah his little "sassafras" so the wedding favors were, of course, bottles of sarsaparilla!

And, like I said before, everything you see below...The flowers, the boutonnieres, the hair clips...all made by the lovely bride.

Sarah runs the most adorable little boutique in Winchester, VA called The Purple Fern. I spent quite a bit of time there the day after the ceremony. She also has an Etsy store for all you out-of-staters ;)

Elyse + John | Chebeague Island Wedding

2010-08-03T11:48:00.003-04:00

Allow me to begin by saying I don't cry at weddings... I just dont.
But this one, this one got me.

John and Elyse's engagement was the first proposal I ever shot and their epic "she said yes" moment has remained one of my favorite photos to date. Their engagement session remains a favorite as well... Only one of two on my website.

And now, the day finally came.

And I cried.

The celebration took place on Chebeague Island at the Emery family property. The same island John's parents met on. John even wore the same suit his father was married in. It truly was the perfect setting to see these two marry.

E & J, Thanks for the honor of allowing me to be a part of your lives, your relationship, and now your marriage. You two truly make me smile and touch so many with the message of your love.

xo.

The groomsmen took a quick trip to the dock to jump in :)

And lastly.... my favorite :)

OH! and there is a slideshow too.... **click HERE**

Annemarie + Brett | Firestone Winery Wedding

2010-07-14T00:18:00.003-04:00

The honor of shooting peers within the wedding photography industry is such a sweet gift. Being trusted with the memories of those who have a sea of people to choose from is like being pinned with one of those lapel pins that flashes it's blinky red lights.
You know the ones, right?
They are usually adorned with ribbons and draw the attention of anyone within the vicinity while silently screaming HAPPY BIRTHDAY or I'M OVER THE HILL or CLASS OF 2010!.
Sure, you may think them obnoxious and perhaps even tacky but I LOVED them as a child. Don't worry internet- I am WAY more mature now.
I mean totally.
Anyway... I proudly wore my imaginary pin and smiled every time I caught a blink out of the corner of my eye at my sweet gift from the future Bollmans.... But then it hit me. This couple is friends with several other wedding photography, which means those friends will be at the wedding. *gulp* It was then that I understood that that flashing pin puts me on display in front of many of my peers. I quickly threw my lapel decoration in the drawer and prayed to God that I wouldn't make some big wedding photographer fopaux.
Well, the wedding is over and aside from DJ calling me out for not making a slideshow at the reception or having something posted the next day, It went off pretty well. ;) But now I have to actually SHOWit - the images that is. (and a cheesy plug at Brett's job - be nice, its 1:30 am and I'm on a red eye.)

Anyway, thankfully Brett and Annemarie know how to rock the camera and made my job super easy.

So now I humbly present you a gazillion pictures of the fabulous Brett and Annemarie Bollman!

Slideshow:
www.shylaphotography.com/slideshows/annemariebrett

SO much emotion. Annemarie kept trying to hide her tears behind her bouquet.

A beautiful rainbow to usher in the ceremony.

I simply adore the look on Brett's face! He reminds me of a giddy lil' school boy.

Fourth o' July

2010-07-06T14:56:00.004-04:00

I live in quite possibly the most perfect town :) Every season makes me feel like I've walked into a Norman Rockwell painting and The fourth of July was no exception. It's the weekend that this town comes truly alive.
This year our community of friends walked in the Horribles parade and I had the pleasure of making the costumes. 10 little lobsters! And since the parade has political references, we had a little fun marching to some kid...err, LOBSTER friendly protests. ;) (special thanks to e-man for his witty slogans!)

And now for some iphone-alicious shots!

no offense to all my canadian friends.... I love you all.

and thanks to the texican for building our boat-float!

I was in charge of making desserts for our BBQ and I thought they deserved to have their picture taken! "sparklers" for the kids and Panna Cotta with rasperry sauce for the adults. Yum Yum.

Tiny Dancer.

2010-06-13T02:02:00.003-04:00

As a young girl, I would pour over library books about ballerinas and even wrote a report on how I would be a choreographer someday. Not a lick of dance training... not a lick of grace... but plenty of research. ;)
It was my dream to take ballet lessons and prance around on pointe, but finances did not offer me such indulgences. I still marvel at the beauty of the tiny dancers and have an insatiable obsession with dancing feet, and dancing images. ;)

If you know me, I still pirouette around any open floor space... perhaps some dreams never die!

Anywho, a few weekends back, I had the opportunity to shoot a pretty lil' ballerina down at the Navy Yard. Allow me to share....

:)

kate + andy | wedding

2010-05-29T15:09:00.004-04:00

Meet Kate... the amazing cellist and music extraordinaire. And Andy... the love of her life who happens to be the world greatest adventurer and also takes some pretty fancy pictures. ;) I had the pleasure of being a part of their celebration and it was a sweet affair indeed. Here are a few of my fav shots of the day...

Kate had lace pieces of her grandmothers wedding dress made into clips to wear in her hair.

Her viel was handmade by one of her dear friends...

This is one of my favorites. I turned around right as they laies were ascending up the stairs and didnt even rally have time to think. ... I just shot and ended up loving this little prize when I saw it while editing.

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the start of this three day weekend! :)

Danielle + Erik | part 1

2010-05-11T23:40:00.003-04:00

My Danielle. My beautiful Danielle. I knew she would make a beautiful bride but I must admit I was literally blown away with how AMAZING she looked. Seeing her all put together literally took my breath away. I know these are a little out of order but bear with me.... I had to post these first. :)

The Crafty MOH

2010-05-07T19:11:00.004-04:00

So, If you know me, you know that I have this crazy obsession with crafts and making things. It fuels a fire in me that turns me into some crazy woman. yes, CRAZY. I get this idea in my head that if it doesn't involve heavy machinery or quantum physics, then I can make it. Or at least I TRY. haha.... that doesn't always work out though.
My best friend's wedding was no different. I bit off a little more than I can chew but it all came together in the end. I'm still editing all the images from the actual wedding but here's a quick glimpse into the fun projects I got to go crazy on....

FLOWER ARCHES

These were my pride and joy.
We started with 6 sticks, bushels of flowers, and two buckets of cement and hours later, these resulted....

This arch was the one they were married under

NAME & PLACE CARDS

Now for the name/place cards. This first image was my vision for name cards.

and the next image was the end result.... :)

Instead of table "numbers", each table was represented by a silhouette so the guests found their names and sat at the corresponding image.

Each name card was comprised of 4 layers.
1. Chipboard frames spray-painted black and gold.
2. The names were printed on transparencies
to act as "glass"
3. The silhouettes were printed on cardstock and then they were handcut and assembled with a backing.

The boys built me the wooden wall to display the "family photos" on... and then the Texican hammered in all 150 nails

WAY TOO MANY HOURS was put into this project, but I was pretty pleased with the results. I'm so thankful for all the extra hands to cut and glue and hammer and smack my upside the head too!... :)

RECEPTION VEIL
Lastly, I made Danielle's reception veil. She changed halfway through the reception into a short dress and birdcage veil.

Images from the actual wedding coming soon! I just wanted to share some of the fun I had along the way.

Parissa | senior portraits

2010-03-31T14:20:00.003-04:00

Meet Paris. My baby sister. Another Dalirifar girl.

I'd rather not talk about the fact that I remember when she was born, or that I am 11 years older than her which means I graduated HS 11 years ago, or that she got the perfectly tan persian skin while I glow in the dark, or that her hair is NATURALLY that curly, thick, and perfect. No, let's not talk about that.

Let's talk about how wonderful she is and how tender and precious her heart is. Or maybe how amazing her voice is. or how she just got accepted to the top party school in the country and I want to lock her in a cage so she can't go.

You know what?
Actually, how about if I just stop talking about her because I could keep you here all day but I am sure you have better things to do :)

So let's just get to it, The beautiful soul that is my little sister Paris....

Kate + Chris | boston, ma

2010-03-05T13:14:00.003-05:00

Back in 2006 when I decided I wanted to "get into photography" I had the opportunity to intern for the fabulous Mike Colon out in Newport Beach, CA. I didnt even own a camera yet and it was my very first wedding as an assistant ( I think I was the 3rd or 4th shooter actually) was for Katie and John at which KATE was the Maid of honor. Its amazing how 4 years later, and a coastal move, brought Kate back across my path. THIS time she was the bride, Katie was the Maid of Honor and I was the photographer! It truly was a surreal experience trying to wrap my head around it all. Yet another little thing with which I am forever grateful to Mike for.

Throughout her planning, I've had the opportunity to shoot their engagement session but also shoot her boudoir... *click here*. SHe has become WAY more than a client and I can truly call her a friend. We've spilled life stories over nachos, she's been buck naked while I photographed her in the woods, and I had the honor of documenting her big day. Now it's time for babies Kate... you aren't getting rid of me that easy ;)

Anyway, here are few of my favorite moments... accompanied by a slideshow of their day

An extra special thanks to e-man for being my sidekick for the day. Its always a pleasure!

spreading the love

2010-02-14T17:43:00.003-05:00

"when he reached over to grab my hand, I knew I was a goner" -Mary Marantz

Yes, I am a sucker for love stories. Perhaps because I am a girl... perhaps because I love stories in general.... or perhaps it's like my iPhone screen saver reads "the only magic I still believe in is love"

Whatever the cause, I often know the love stories of every couple I meet. And not because it is my career but because it is my passion. You may call it nosey, I call it a quest to understand and partake in the stories that make us who we are.

I recently jumped off the Spread The Love tour with Justin and Mary Marantz and found that they aren't just spreading the love with a powerful emotional workshop geared toward balancing business with life, but they are spreading their own love for each other and sharing it with the world. Giving something for the world to gaze upon and realize that a love like this truly can exist.
We traveled around in an SUV and from my backseat view, I often saw the following occurrence. Unbeknownst to them, I would quickly grab my iphone and shakily snap away in hopes that the bouncy roads wouldn't make my images TOO blurry. ;)

J&M met online... both just came out of long term relationships and Mary was quick to inform Justin she wasn't looking for anything serious. Then, as she recounts, "he reached over to grab my hand, I knew I was a goner".
The rest is history, but I have a feeling judging from my humble backseat view, that every time he reaches over to grab her hand she is STILL a goner.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

San Miguel de Allende :: in Color

2010-02-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

... and here are a few more images from the trip in COLOR! :)

The streets of Guanajuato MX

The driving streets of Guanajuato are all under the city. They are old aqueducts!

The view from my room in GTO :)

Universidad de Guanajuato

Piles and Piles of chicken feet...... yum?

Callejon de besos. The kissing alley. One of the opportunities I experienced was touring the city with the Estudiantinas... a musical walking tour that ends at the kissing alley. Little do you know, you cannot pass without kissing someone. If you have no one to kiss, they gladly offer their lip-service! ;) ;) .

I freakin' LOVE this shot. We were driving to the lake outside San Miguel and I squealed to pull over. The sun was setting, the dust was settling and the horse just made for a fun shot.

there were donkeys too!

The lake we found.... taking in the mexican countryside!

The main church in San Miguel. This place was breathtaking on so many levels. The architect who designed it had no formal training... he simply looked at pictures of churches in Europe and Spain to model his vision after. Quite impressive 'eh?

*sigh* I want to go back and do it all again....
I want to sit at the outdoor restaurants for breakfast and eat Eggs, with fresh avocado, beans and tortillas.
I want to stand in line at the churros restaurants for chocolate and carmel stuffed churros.
I want to stroll the street squealing at every opportunity to eat coco paletas.
[funny how a lot of my favorite memories revolve around food]
I want to sit in the streets and marvel at all the street artisans. Musicians, painters, life lovers.
I want to continue to find and trip over every exposed pot hole in San Miguel.
I want to always dance in the streets as the mariachi plays in front of the church
I want to visit the Escondido hot springs every day to unwind.
I want to walk into a restaurant in the states and not be looked at funny when I want to order Agua Frescas (Naranja)
I want to wear a fresh flower in my hair every day like I got to in Mexico.
I may not want to get pulled over by Federales with m-16s again... but I sure did enjoy the fact that latino men have a way with words. SO to my favorite Casanova de Palabras.... (and you know who you are).... thanks for making me smile, thanks for making me fall in love with the REAL Mexico, and thanks for making me want to go back.

San Miguel de Allende :: in Black & White

2010-02-01T20:03:00.003-05:00

I spent last week in sunny beautiful Mexico. Throughout my wedding career I have had the pleasure of traveling to Mexico for several weddings but nothing was like this trip. I was proffered to see the REAL Mexico instead of the "resort-style" Mexico I was so used to.
We ended up DRIVING down to San Miguel de Allende instead of flying and I saw the country through a new set of eyes. Approximately 9 hours south of the border lies a beautiful cluster of towns. San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato were truly breathtaking and I had a personal translator so the trip was experienced to it's fullest. ;)

Daniel | the texican

2010-01-30T00:13:00.002-05:00

Meet Daniel.

a.k.a Horchata

a.k.a the Texican

a.k.a the next up and coming country artist.

um.

well TECHNICALLY the boy doesn't sing country but after out little portrait session, he now has plenty of images to use just in case he ever WANTED to put out a country album. [wink]

see what I mean?

Colleen + Srdjan | Turner Hill

2010-01-15T16:52:00.002-05:00

Meet the fabulous Colleen and Srdjan.

Colleen's last name before she was married was Cullen. On the coattails of finishing reading the Twilight series I was a little excited to receive her inquiry. (I know, I know, I just admitted to being 12 years old and reading Juvie- fiction but at least Im honest, right? ) ;] If you've read the books, you know that the Cullen family are all incredibly beautiful and Colleen would fit their family perfectly.

The two were married at the Turner Hill Mansion in Ipswich, MA surrounded by family and friends that traveled across the sea to celebrate.

Instead of chatting more, take a peek for yourself :)

I love Love LOVE the emotion in the following two shots... Srdjan with his mom, and Colleen's parents :)

Wallpusher Handmade Wooden Bass Guitars

2010-01-13T18:10:00.004-05:00

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of shooting behind the scenes workings of Matt Rogers and Margot Garroty's guitar making operation Wallpusher. Matt is hands down THE most creative person I have ever ever met. That is saying a lot because i have been in the company of some pretty impressive creatives throughout my life. It takes a lot to impress me and this man left me speechless on many occasions.
Just to give you an idea, Matt built each wooden bass guitar by hand.... and he even handcrafted the tools (the metal and the handles) that cut down the trees then felled and plane the wood that eventually become what you see below.

check out these beauties....

some of matt's handmade tools

the guitar bases

Matt and Margo are engaged to be married and check out her awesome engagement ring! Matt made it out of wood! :)

This last shot sums up how Matt looked at Margo pretty much the entire time. complete adoration!

Here is a quick slideshow of a few more images behind the scenes :)
***CLICK HERE***

Thin Ice.

2009-12-18T18:35:00.004-05:00

I have never this man.

Driving home from a shoot this afternoon I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It was this gentleman jumping up and down... on the lake! I immediately slammed on my brakes and whipped a U-ey to go out on the lake myself. I mean, HE wasn't falling in, so sure it would hold me too, right?

I have never ever ever been on a frozen lake before and there is something so magical about it to me. It's something on my list for this winter so I figured it didn't matter that I was only wearing cowboy boots. ha.

Anyway, as I pulled in, the gentleman was headed back to his car to grab his skates... I asked him if I could grab a few pictures and we sat and chit chatted for a bit. I found out he was on his way to an a capella concert that he was singing in, and we all know how much I love aCapella! His presence just made me smile. Someone so alive that they would indulge in simple pleasures of the moment... simple pleasures like throwing on a pair of skates and taking advantage of a frozen pond.
Watching him out there was exactly what I want to be like when I grow up. I never want to lose the joy in being carefree and raptured by nature.
Since the sun was gone and I was without a flash, I had to bump the ISO up to like 48,000,000,000. But here are a few images I thought I'd share. Afterall, experiences are better when shared with others :)

this one is my FAV.

Im on a high right now because I just walked on a frozen lake.... I am way too easily amused.

The Penguin Tree '09

2009-12-06T22:32:00.000-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas over here. ;)
I put the tree up this past week and we finally had Christmas-like temperatures that brought our first snowfall of the season last night. (see below)
Friday Night our friends gathered for a yummy turkey dinner [with spiked hot chocolate, I might add] and then we walked across town to watch the tree lighting ceremony. It was barely chilly enough to don a coat (yet we had 3.5 inches of snow 24 hours later). The live band serenaded us with Xmas carols, kids danced, I learned the Cha Cha, and life was grand.
Saturday morning, our friends gathered again for coffee and Donuts and then headed down to the landing to watch Santa arrive via lobster boat.... take in the town Christmas parade and then back to the house for, warm fires, Beer (juice boxes for the kiddos ;] ) and hot dogs.
I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to be a part of a "Norman Rockwell" community & lifestyle here in Marblehead. The town traditions make me fall more and more in love with this place every day and my community of friends here make it truly perfect. I mean seriously.... how often do you hear of a group of 30 friends who gather to celebrate every stinkin' holiday together. Sometimes I feel like I live in 'the truman show' with how perfectly orchestrated everything is.

Anyway.... Here are a few glimpses of Christmas 'round my home. And the annual Penguin tree with the myriad of penguin ornaments I have collected for years and years.

Happy Christmas season everyone. :)

DT + Liza | cape cod

2009-12-05T18:32:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite weddings of the year. DT & Liza live in NYC and are both actors so, as you can imagine, they are quite animated and joyful.
I have rarely seen a couple quite as alive to each other, as in-tune with each other, or as hopelessly and irrevocably head over heels for each other.
Their celebration was filled with so much emotion, here are just a few from their day...

I am in love with this dress shot.

A few of the traditional Jewish pieces of the ceremony. The emotional signing of the Ketubah and the bridal party tying the Chuppah

The Chuppah was made from DT's late mother's scarf evoking an incredible amount of emotion.

In Jewish ceremony's there is a tradition of 7 wedding blessings given. They chose to assign one blessing to 7 different couples and allowed them to interpret it in any way they chose. This was my favorite... interpretive dance.

r.o.c.k in the USA.

2009-11-26T13:40:00.003-05:00

So, this post was titled according to the song I was singing at the time of posting. Honestly, I have no idea why. I am random like that I guess.

If I start to think about it, though, mayyyyybe it has to do with the fact that they are about to embark on a tour of the country speaking in 21 different cities. Spread the Love tour kicks off January 2010 in Boston and will extend across the country for 2 months. I'll be on board for part of the tour so make sure to come out and say HI!

Anyway, J&M (and asst Julia!) needed some band-esque promo shots for some tour publications so we ran to downtown New Haven and shot it up... check 'em out.

annnnddd.... The last time I shot J&M...here

revisiting the archives I

2009-11-24T09:14:00.005-05:00

I was rummaging through old archives and found a few images I thought I would share. They are totally random with no real rhyme or reason, mostly just forgotten images that deserved their moment in one way or another.

and so it begins....

This is in the infamous Salton Sea taken in '06 on a trip with some of my people favorites [see below]. (I found the following picture in the same folder!)

[nick onken, moi, kyle barnes, michael norwood, sara france, fred egan]

Madison

2009-11-16T23:14:00.005-05:00

While out in California a few weeks ago, I did some commercial shots for Little Miss Madison. When we scheduled the shoot, I didn't take into consideration Daylight Savings so we had all of 30 minutes of daylight. Regardless, she rocked it.

Her mom says she is only 10 but I'm convinced she is going on 25. I mean, she has read all the Twilight books and her binder is plastered with half naked men (technically they are warewolves.) She even schooled me on boys which I obviously need help with ;)
When I was 10, I did archery, climbed trees, made up songs and accompanying dances (a few of which I still remember but good luck getting me to demonstrate), and I even recall running away from a boy that tried to kiss me once. Haha... it was a different time and I wasn't nearly as cool.

Madison has already graced a few shows on Disney as well as rocks an amazing set of vocal chords. Its amazing how young they start nowadays 'eh?

Good luck lady... it was a pleasure shooting your face and I have no doubt you will go far ;)

This last two are my favorite

(ps) Can you believe this little rockstar is also a blackbelt?!

barn concert | Hanneke Cassel

2009-11-14T12:49:00.004-05:00

Last month we held a concert up in the barn and I totally forgot I had even taken pictures!
You may remember the barn from THIS SHOOT but it's since been renovated to accommodate guests for such events.
Last month, Hanneke Cassel (fiddler extraordinaire) volunteered her time to come play for us as a charity fundraiser event benefitting a Kenyan Orphanage called One Hope Many Homes which helps educate and care for young girls. [The place was packed and fit WAY more people than I imagined!]
This was a blending of some of my favorite things (Marblehead, folk music, music in general, people, and children's charities) so you can imagine how excited I was!

The plan is to hold concerts like this on a regular basis so if you're ever in the area and want to take in some good music and meet new people, come on out. Next up is a Christmas concert :: date TBA.

I love the little guy who thought the music was too loud!

Seeing Red.

2009-11-13T23:55:00.004-05:00

Tonight was my last wedding of the season! [wow....it's been a crazy one indeed]
So, in honor of going out with a bang, I thought I would share a quick image showing the alluring color nature decided to wear today :)

...the beauty of fall entrances me.

Karin + Matt | Little Compton, RI

2009-11-07T15:15:00.005-05:00

I met Matt and Karin at Matt's sister's fabulous Indian wedding last year after they had just got engaged. Shortly after I had the honor of being invited to be apart of their fabulous celebration on Karin's family's estate in Rhode Island. I love shooting weddings all within the family because you already have relationships with the family members.... (So great to see you again Melissa + Dev!)

So allow me to share a little sneak peek into their day....
If you prefer the whole story, **click here**. :)

you knew tying a sash could be so stinkin' confusing?!

Karin's veil has been passed down through generations! It was first worn in 1894. I am such a sucker for traditional/sentimental stuff like this

so much emotion between Karin and her daddy

Matt is such a goof.... I mean seriously, this photo shows his personality very much how I remember it.

Operation Sniper Proposal #2 | amy + alvaro

2009-11-01T17:18:00.004-05:00

Two sniper proposals in one week!
It's such an honor to be a part of such an occasion. I always express how honored I feel to be a part of a couple's wedding celebration but to take that a step further and invite me to the actual proposal makes the entire experience that much more wonderful.

This event took a team of people so someone grabbed a few photos of the crazy outfit I created. I hid in the most awesome fort of dried palm leaves, but to further camouflage I channeled Adam & Eve with the palm dress and crown. Luckily Amy didnt see a thing and was totally surprised when she returned to her parents home and was greeted by a slideshow of the proposal.

Danielle + Erik | engaged

2009-10-28T01:47:00.005-04:00

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!

2009-10-27T13:12:00.005-04:00

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

2009-10-22T22:42:00.004-04:00

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

2009-10-13T19:03:00.003-04:00

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.

2009-10-10T21:28:00.006-04:00

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

2009-10-10T21:08:00.003-04:00

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

Shayda + Ben | tillamook, oregon

2009-09-11T01:00:00.004-04:00

Finallllly... sheesh. ;]

I have never had so many emails from a sneak peek like I received from Shayda + Ben's! Everything from "who designed the dress?" to "where is this venue?!" to.... "HURRY UP AND BLOG!"
A bride who JUST booked me tonight emailed me saying she was dying to see this wedding. ha.
So, my friends... I over did it with the images on this one just to satiate everyone's appetite. (be forewarned!)
But first to answer a few questions:

Wedding Location: Zweifel Farms in Tillamook, OR
Dress Designer: Elizabeth Dye with the English Dept

The country hitching happened on a Hydrangea Farm of the Oregon Coast... Shayda designed everything herself and I was simply blown away by all the details! To top it all off, she had a farm to table reception and all the dinnerware was made from bio-degradable materials like fallen palm leaves.

If you want to see more than just details... click here for a highlight slideshow.

Adventures in Babysitting.

2009-08-22T18:37:00.005-04:00

I'm finally home in the great NorthEast after 3.5 weeks of travel... boy oh boy am I exhausted.
Its been a while since I posted some fun everyday stuff so I thought I would share the day's little baby sitting adventure :)
I spent the day with Soryn and Luka and we took a little trip to the fabric store.
$16.03 later we left with a bag of fabrics and I got to sewing when they went down for naps.
Soryn got her Batman cape (complete with thumb holes and a belt) and Luka a little tutu skirt.
It's amazing what a little fabric, sewing machine, and imagination can cook up, 'eh?

OK, time to go play dress up....

Shayda + Ben | sneak peek

2009-08-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

Here's a sneak peek from my Oregon wedding last weekend! :)

Melissa + John | Liberty Hotel Boston

2009-08-20T19:12:00.006-04:00

You may remember this couple from their engagement session last fall. These two rockin' musicians finally tied the knot at the Liberty Hotel in Boston. Its an old jail converted into a hotel and quite the scene when the sun goes down!
I loved the old hollywood feel Melissa had for this wedding...she was truly stunning.

Melissa's Mom sent me this picture that she captured of me shooting during our portrait session!

Annnnd... their slideshow. :) **Click Here**

I use APC.

2009-08-11T08:35:00.005-04:00

My dear friends over at Artistic Photo Canvas have launched a new campaign highlighting a few of their professional users and they were kind enough to feature me! You may just be seeing your funny-faced friend over the next few months when you peruse through a few industry magazines like Photoshop User or Digital Photo Pro

I may just hold a contest to see who can do the funniest thing with that ad and reward one lucky person with a free APC Canvas to try for yourself.... so stay tuned for details once the magazine hits the stands.

I can't praise Lew and his crew enough for all the amazing work they have produced and the fabulous customer service to boot. You can read my testimonial and see the online version of the ad here....

Special thanks to the following souls who seriously came thru in a pinch to help me get last minute photos for the ad...
Doug the Umpastic, E-man, and the fabulous crew at LensProToGo who let us use their awesome new studio space!

Nene + Omar | Cabo San Lucas Mexico

2009-07-27T22:53:00.007-04:00

"If you love something enough you set it free... if it is meant to be, it will come back to you"

I love Love LOVE Omar and Nene's story!

Here's a quick narration...

Omar was Nene's first kiss when she was 15.
Omar broke up with Nene when he went to college because he wanted to be young... and you know... a college boy ;)
Nene was heartbroken but quite mature. She wrote him a 10 page letter (that Omar kept all these years) and in it mentioned the above quote.
Both lost touch for many years. Omar married and had a beautiful daughter, Nene dated other men and took of the world with her awesomeness.
8 years later a newly single Omar saw Nene's mom's name on a realtor roster (they are both brokers) and decided to send along a little hello.
Nene's mom forgot all about the email until 3 months later.... she passed along the information to her daughter and the two High School sweethearts were reunited.
Only problem was... Omar was still going through his young single stage and wasn't ready to commit even though Nene was head over heels....again ;) A year or two pass in this "friendship only" limbo and it was only when faced with the possibility of losing Nene did Omar wake up and realize what he wanted all along was right in front of him. And oh boy did she make him work his little @$$ off to get her back. Its quite the fabulous story and quite more involved than what I just narrated... but this story has a happy ending. :)

RIght before leaving for Mexico to shoot the wedding I spoke with Nene about how excited I was for her... I told her how awesome it was after all these years that she would be marrying her first kiss. She said loved that he was not only her first but her LAST kiss as well. :) (insert sappy girly 'awww' here)

without further adieu.... may I present the wonderful wedding of Nene + Omar...

Omar sent his best man over with a wedding gift for Nene.

I loved this image. Nene was sobbing after receiving all her gifts.. she kept saying she couldn't understand why she deserved someone so amazing. :)

Recognize the Officiant? That's Jason. I shot Jason and Karla's wedding in Cancun two summers ago... Karla is Omar's sister. :)

Another surprise for Nene.... Omar ordered fireworks!

And the Slideshow.... ***CLICK HERE***

UP & DOWN

2009-07-22T18:57:00.004-04:00

DOWN: Hey Folks.... The Blog is DOWN momentarily until we can get the server change figured out! Please sit tight.

UP: BUT the good news is the new website is UP, UP, UP. ShylaPhotography is all grown up now.... taking it back to the basics.... clean simple and a little more mature. [I dont know if SHYLA and MATURE should be used in the same sentence sometimes but hey... ]

hop on ovah and let me know what you think! :)

www.shylaphotography.com

(ps)THANK YOU Andrew Barlow (with Showit) and Evan Worth for all your help... not all heros wear capes ;) xoxo

[EP]

2009-07-21T12:17:00.004-04:00

I've always loved extended plays [EPs]... Not enough tracks to musically qualify as a full album but in my opinion I like them even more. More intimate and often more raw... almost like being forced to tell an entire story in 5 pictures (or songs, whatever) or less. My friendship with Erica is a lot like this. no fluff. just raw, simple, awesome....

You can imagine the friendship she offers when you hear she has been in 17 weddings. Not just attended, I mean she was IN 17 weddings...as in she has 17 dresses that I am sure range in style, color, era, and embarrassment. Then there is me who has barely even been a guest at a wedding.
Our friendship is hilarious because, for example, we often plan movie/editing nights regardless of the fact that we never like the same movies.... EVER. For instance we watched The Proposal... she loved it and thought it was the best chick flick she's ever seen... I hated it. Well hate is a strong word. I just didn't appreciate it on the same level she did.
She loves (and love ISN'T a strong enough word here) garlic and sauteed veggies, offering them to me at every meal. I like my veggies raw and prefer to ward bloodsuckers off with fierce stake fighting instead of garlic-y breath.
Then there are the road trips... she is content listening to the radio on 'seek/scan' catching 5 second clips of songs for the entire 2 hours. And then there is me who always has some sort of melodic theme music accompanying my step... with to which I am belting out and doing a silly dance. It seems I ALWAYS have music on.

Overall I like to think the glue that holds us together is our affinity and obsession with Arrested Development. That bond acts like gorilla glue.... the kind that takes your skin off with aggressive adhesion.

She is an EP- short sweet and to the point.... I am an LP-trying to cram everything I can in 14 different tracks and offer nothing short of sensory overload.

I often wish I was more EP-ish :)

So blog-friends.... meet my friend EP [Erica Pelaccia]. She recently left her job to pursue photography full time and I'm loving having her around everyday (we live 1/8 mile apart)! Here are a few tracks from yesterday's shoot for her new upcoming website.

This one is my fav from the day... but looking at all these shots, Im staring to think there was a hot naked guy running off the left side of the frame because she can't stop looking there ;)

Beth | amazon woman

2009-07-09T22:50:00.002-04:00

Beth is one of those woman you can easily be jealous of. I'm sure there was a green tint to my skin during our whole shoot.
6ft tall... legs that go to heaven every time... and that hair. OH that hair!
She doesn't need to wear heels and even though she once dated a 5'4'' man, she landed herself a 6'4'' hubby. She is a real live amazon woman.
Oh and it gets better.... she doesnt need to stand on a chair to take pictures. Did I mention she is a photographer? Not a model like you would assume. She actually hired me to take headshots for her new website. The headshots took a turn towards fun when she busted out her wedding dress..... OH yeah.

see.. we started with headshots

Then out came the dress

and BAM... I LOVE this one.

Mexico Sneak Peek

2009-06-22T15:03:00.002-04:00

A quick sneak peek from this this weekend's wedding in Mexico. I got home around 3am this morning and I have a few ladies harassing me on Facebook to get some images posted... haha. So my friends, heres a little snack to whet the appetite :)

Lindsay | artist

2009-06-15T19:33:00.002-04:00

I flew out to Chicago last week for a few shoots... one with Miss Lindsay Sullivan.
An artist looking to update her website with some shots of her doing her thang.
What was supposed to be an editorial/headshot shoot turned into a bit of a fashion shoot as well. I guess thats what you get when you go in with an open mind.... but if you know me, you know that that turned out to be my favorite part! ;)

Lindsay's high rise downtown Chicago apartment bldg was the setting for our time together... The view was incredible and I loved being surrounded by canvas upon canvas of color! She studied for years in Italy and brought back a bilingual badge of awesomeness as well as an affinity for the bright colors of the Italian countryside.

so, my friends, meet Lindsay....

Kelly + Dave | south casco, maine

2009-06-09T21:40:00.005-04:00

Ah, New England weddings.... The beauty of the natural environment lends its majesty as a backdrop to some fabulous weddings. A few weeks back I had the pleasure of being a part of Kelly and Dave's day at Migis Lodge on Sebago Lake.
The day started off really awesome because I got to see the newlyweded photogs Emilie and J for breakfast before driving up to the camp. Em and J not only provided a hearty breakfast to start the day, but also bug spray which ended up being VERY necessary. Thanks you two crazy lovebirds! ;)
Next it was up to the lake where we ended up being super early so I learned to play shuffleboard for the first time. It's quite the workout - let. me. tell. you............. ok, so maybe not really but it IS actually fun. I'm sure I won, btw, and I am officially prepared to retire someday with my training.

fun times.

Anyway, I almost forgot to tell you that Kelly broke her foot a few weeks before the ceremony but that didn't stop her from walking down the aisle and dancing the night away in her plastic boot. Truly a trooper.... truly the most 'roll with the punches bride.... I loved it.

check it out.

[Click here for their fabulous slideshow]

broken foot = flat shoes ;)

Kelly and her attendants rode to the ceremony spot on a boat

the ceremony site from the boat.

And lastly, a great big thanks to :e: for rockstarring this wedding with me...

Matt of the Cusson

2009-06-07T23:29:00.003-04:00

Hi hi hi! [just imagine I said that with a really toothy grin, big hug and kiss on the cheek, ok?]
So I am in a ridiculously good mood today and it's really quite awesome, although I cannot tell you why yet because then I'd have to kill you and wouldn't have any blog readers left...not a good idea on my part.
BUT, I do have a lot of blog posts up my sleeve so that's some good news! Let's start with Matt of the Cusson. Otherwise known as THE Matt Cusson (you know, the guy who currently plays keys for Brian McKnight?) ;)
A little while back I joined Eric Laurits and Christina Elfar (stylist to the stars.... well, she will be soon anyway) to go all triple-threat on Mr. Matt for his own upcoming CD.

We shot in the Laurits Cottage up in Maine and magically transformed the garage into a studio of awesomeness. That place was a treasure trove of fun 'vintage-y' props the Laurits fam had collected over 30 years of marriage... SCORE for us! Although there were a few props I suggested using to which Eric replied... "uh, thats only 5 years old".
Oh. oops. [insert halo here]

Anyway... I was really only there to help out and rock the cool sidekick car but I did jump into the driver seat a few times and got some fun images.

Thanks Matt for sharing your talent and bringing a belly full of laughs... even if you DO drink wine out of a straw, I still think you're fantabulous.

OBA...FWA...WTF?!

2009-05-29T01:55:00.003-04:00

A short while back I attended the Photoshop Show here in Boston and worked the booth for my dear friend Paul from Lens Pro to Go, during our vendor cocktail hour I had the pleasure of meeting Lew and Bob from Artistic Photo Canvas. We had a great conversation that ended up with me loving not only the boutique owners but also what the company stands for. I believe in singing the praises of vendors who take care of their clients and build their business on integrity versus popularity or cutting corners so I thought I would share :)
Here are a few of the things I learned and why I've chosen to make them a part of the family of products I offer.
1. Most Canvas companies use these crazy things called OBA's and FWA's....
yeah WTF?!
haha... they are whitening agents added to most canvas material making them cheaper to purchase wholesale as well as brighter/whiter whites upon printing. But what is not often told to the consumer, is that the agents (like bleach on clothing) yellow your whites over time. Think of it as using pesticides on your veggies... it makes things cheaper for mass consumption but not the same health or quality as organically grown veggies. I feel this is important to consider when choosing products that are designed to archive memories (or put in your bodies for that matter) ;)
2. The sealant "chemicals" used by APC are non-toxic water based which means their employees do not have to wear masks at risk of breathing toxic fumes. It also means it is better on the environment, folks!
3. They have excellent customer service and are just plain awesome.

And what good is telling you about all this fabulous stuff without showing you a picture?!

I ftp'd the file to them and had my canvas in hand within a week. This sucker is huge too... (4 ft wide) It was the inspiration for the entire room and printed so beautifully.

Thanks Lew, Bob, & APC Crew :)

Chebeague Island | The way life should be

2009-05-26T10:40:00.007-04:00

Today is the first day in nearly three weeks where I haven't had guests. First my bro came out... then my parents... then the day my bro left, my BFF and her BF came from Santa Barbara. Its been a whirlwind of playing tour guide to a myriad of west coasters. (all of which I am trying to convince to move out here because it's just... well.... awesome)

Anyway, now onto the funness of the weekend... I trekked on up to Chebeague Island to play with some fabulous friends. There is something truly magical about that island... (something like the LOST plot). 5 miles long and 2 miles wide... all time stops, no one wears seat belts or owns a car newer than 1985, and you wake up to crows cawing or wild turkeys gobbling in your front yard... a 15 minute boat ride from the Maine land yet you feel miles away. The Maine state motto is: " The way life should be". There is so much in that statement that they got right. Life should be slower, savored, and filled with country music (if you've driven through Maine for any length of time you know that there are 5 times as many country stations as anything else).

Between BBQing, polish horseshoes, bonfires, the boys going scalloping and complaining that the water was so cold they lost "inches", checking each other for ticks, acoustic serenades on the porch and late night star gazing on the dock, life was truly perfect. There is something so romantic about nature and savoring creation.

LIfe truly is good.

Now for pictures!

You have to park at a remote lot off the 295 in Maine and shuttle to Cousins Island to catch a ferry to Chebeague Island.

I actually have a wedding here on Chebeague Island next year... I am stoked!

The crew got there before me because I was shooting a wedding on Saturday but the first thing I noticed about the cabin was its collection of beer cozy's. I was highly entertained and I didn't even get them ALL.

B scarfing down the most amazing Macaroni n Cheese I've ever tasted.... don't worry, I got the recipe!

trying to figure out why this shot loads so small... but whatever.. That's Kara :)

There seems to be a recurring "beer theme" in these photos. haha! I guess that's the Maine way of life?

We went down to the docks to jump... but the water was FREEZING so I pulled the "photographer card" and peer pressured the boys to jump in instead. ;) B and Folds

My fav shot of the weekend...

Sunset from the porch. I thought the colors looked better through my sunglasses so I gave the camera a little "rose colored filter"

I only wish I had shots of the amazing star-show to share... I also got to experience a part of the island that had phosphorescence bioluminescence. (Microscopic organisms that emit sparkling luminescence in short flashes when you run your hand through the water) Its like something out of a Harry Potter story or something... waving your wand and sparks of light flash forward. Photographing that proved to be practically impossible...

A HUGE thank you to the Emery Family for allowing a crew of twenty-something y/o crazies to inhabit your place for the weekend!!

My Morning Caffeine.

2009-05-13T23:29:00.004-04:00

I am hands down a sunrise girl...

Of course sunsets radiate their own beauty, but a sunRISE truly captures my heart. There is something inside me that jumps at the opportunity to greet the majesty of the day. Nothing energizes me more...it's my morning caffeine and my daily crescendo.

I shot these a while back up in New Hampshire......
Have I mentioned lately how much I love New England? ;)

Boudoir | KT

2009-05-02T20:32:00.003-04:00

One of the fun things I get to do with my brides are boudoir sessions. I have shot quite a few lately but due to the 'surprise' factor, I've had to keep them off the blog but this session I can share a few of the PG ones :)

It's sessions like these that make me fall more and more in love with people. When a woman sheds everything and exposes her vulnerability to be captured...documented...encapsulated... it's such a beautiful thing. When I was 18 and a freshman in college, I thought I was going to be a graphic designer and took a figure drawing class as a part of my art requirement. Leading a fairly sheltered life growing up, I remember being embarrassed feeling like a public display of nudity (translate: vulnerability) was unacceptable but through that semester I learned to embrace, celebrate, and find the beauty in the vulnerability and what an amazing creation the human form is. Ever since then I have been fascinated by the beauty of the human body. I believe every woman should experience a session like this at least once in their life.

Anyway, Miss KT came up to beautiful Marblehead and we shot a few at the apartment before heading to the woods... That's right, we hiked a few trails into the woods for some "fun fun"... At one point I saw a dog walker coming down the trail and grabbed a sheet frantically tossing it across the marsh. The passer-by was quite confused and threw a few wry glances at a naked woman standing in the woods wrapped in a sheet. haha.

Bronte | senior photos

2009-04-27T22:48:00.002-04:00

Meet Bronte... The lacrosse extraordinaire.

Bronte will forever be known as my most dedicated client. She came straight from the hospital to our session complete with hospital bracelet and concussion (I told you she was a lacrosse extraordinaire). Some chick smacked her in the head which not only scored her a hospital visit but a swollen lobe and 10 days rest, but a nice shot in the paper right as she was smacked.

She was a trooper indeed :)

So we found this sweet field of reeds off the freeway and pulled off to go shoot. Next thing you know, we got in trouble with the police. Oh what an adventure...

Sage + Young | married [pt.2]

2009-04-17T12:23:00.003-04:00

Finally.... Part Deux of the wonderful wedding of Sage and Young.

Enjoy. :)

Design on a dime....

2009-04-16T14:23:00.009-04:00

If you are anything like me, you're SICK of hearing "we are in a recession"... I don't know why but I feel like saying

"ok, we are in a tough state... get over it and figure out what are we gonna do other than simply talk about it, PLEASE?!
(maybe I'm listening to a bit too much NPR lately?)

Anyway, recession or not, everyone is always looking for ways to save money, right?

I've spent the last week trying to get set-up in my new place and I'm exhausted!
I literally started from scratch and I've done my best to buy as little NEW things as possible. I was determined to prove that you don't have to A. spend a lot of money and B. buy NEW things to have a fully functioning home. It's not only easy on the wallet but on the environment... plus I look for any excuse to get creative :)

Here are a few of the fun projects I've been working on...

First of all, stuff like this has been found all around my place. I take measurements, write them on wood and then misplace the piece. There are already so many scraps of wood around this place it's CRAZY.

My new favorite vase. I found this jar at an antique store for $2!

My favorite store (Anthropologie) has been my inspiration for a lot of the stuff happening around here. I was in the other day and saw this awesome blue flamenco-like shower curtain. The only problem was it cost $118 ! I couldn't fathom spending that on a shower curtain number one and number two it wouldn't match my bathroom.....so I just decided to make it myself. My brother said it looked like he was looking up someone's skirt... haha

This would be the BIGGEST project thus far... I scored this couch for free off Craigslist with the intent to reupholster and started ripping the fabric off...

I didn't quite know the enormity of the project but alas I did it. I'm pretty proud of this sucka. I wanted a crazy purple suede couch and thats what I got. I already have a client wanting to use it in a photoshoot but I need to finish the piping at the bottom. I ran out so that's why it looks a little unfinished on the bottom :)

This hanging wardrobe was also listed for FREE on Craigslist. I decided to convert it into a dresser so I took out the clothes bar and built in a few shelves. Then I added some fun knobs and have a great piece to hold my clothes :)

So I was shopping for curtain rods since I have five 5ftx6ft windows to cover and was again inspired.... why spend $50.00 a pop when I can make them myself?! SOOOO... I went to Home Depot bought some plain dowels and unfinished fence post toppers. I drilled holes in the dowels and screwed in the "finials" Now all I need to do is stain them and VOILA!

This last project isn't finished yet either but basically I found this little treasure in a friend's cousin's junk pile that he has collected over the years. It was just collecting dust so he let me have it for FREE! I went to Home Depot (again) and bought some wood and then cut it down to size. The next step is screw it on and stain the top for a great little side table.

For everything you've seen here....
Couch............................$FREE
Fabric for Couch............$70.00 (found for 40% off)
Paint for Couch wood....$FREE from the contractors next door

Wardrobe Closet............$FREE
Wood for shelves...........$12.00
Knobs............................$3.95/ea (2)

Shower Curtain Fabric...$25.00

Vase..............................$2.00

Curtain Rod Dowels.......$3.95/ea (5)
Fence Post toppers........$3.00/ea (10)

table base.....................$FREE
Wood top......................$6.00
________________________________________
GRAND TOTAL: $172.65

Now it's back to work...

The rugged artsy type.

2009-04-06T20:26:00.011-04:00

Monday:
10:30am: I show up at the :e:-loft with the ingredients to make breakfast and start our day off right. You know, a hearty warm breakfast so we could attack the day with strength and vigor. [see 12:30 pm]

11am: Sorted through Eric's closet picking out his wardrobe. He was my life-sized barbie doll. "Here put this on... take that off...um... and you can just leave that off if you like. ;) We concocted some great entertaining outfits but I was banned from capturing them on camera. Something about not trusting me? blah blah blah... I dont know WHY he couldn't trust innocent ol' me.

12:30pm: Gave up on breakfast and ate granola bars instead. haha. I made quiche but for some reason something went wrong and I ended up using it as a frisbee into the garbage can :) If anyone can tell me WHY the quiche wouldn't solidify in the center you will be my hero. Egg soup wasn't on the menu so Nature Valley came to the rescue.

2pm -6pm: drive out to Marblehead and start the shoot. The weather was forecasted to be nice but alas it rained...and rained...and rained... so what was supposed to be an outdoorsey rugged man shoot had to be moved inside. Luckily, my new place has an old barn so we morphed it into a rugged...uh... artsy-man shoot. Eric played the part (or just played himself) quite well.

Check out the fun from the day....

You probably can't tell because of the smile but I think this is where Eric started not liking me. Something about being barefoot with no jacket in a drafty barn.

And then I think this is where Eric started HATING me. "Let's remove the hat too please, Eric."

The end. :)

Sneak Peek

2009-04-03T00:46:00.004-04:00

Just thought I'd share a little about what's going on in the life of Shyla...

So after 1 year of being in Boston and trying to find the PERFECT town where I could settle a bit, I fiinally found just the right fit about 10 miles north of Boston proper in the little oceanside town of Marblehead, MA.
[click here to see pics of the town]

Construction on the new place wrapped up and I'll get to move in next week! Here's a sneak peek from behond the scenes with the trusty ol' iPhone. I'll post real pictures once the place is up and running but for now you get this...

:e: came out to help me clean the place up a bit and I couldn't help but laugh at the shots. It's a gender role reversal. haha. He swept and I manned the power-tools. ;] (but to his credit, they are HIS tools and I did wear frilly girly gloves to clean)
Anyway, I found this great piece of furniture and decided to revamp it by adding/making shelves. What was once a hanging wardrobe will soon be an upright dresser with pull out shelving. The couch and chair you see are the sweet finds that are about to be re-upholstered.

I cannot wait until it's all put together but since you're being patient, I'll leave you with another sneak peek of a session I did earlier this week...

Sage + Young | married [pt.1]

2009-03-26T01:16:00.004-04:00

What a beautiful way to kick off wedding season! My first wedding of the year offered up a fluke 60 degree day amidst a few snow storms so everyone was in good spirits. I think even the drivers on the road were feeling kind on that day! (I took special notice because it's a rarity here in MA)

Anyway, I was looking forward to this day from the moment I met Sage and Young. The two of them together simply made me smile... and Sage's fashion forward plans for her big day made me smile even bigger. Paisley shoes, peacock feathers, birdcage veil... YAY for me.

There is no way I could condense my favorite imagery from this wedding into one post so I have decided to break it up a bit. First you get to see the fashiony side...
Sage and Young did the unheard of... they gave me like 3 hours to shoot portraits before the ceremony! What do you do with 3 hours?! well... take a peek.

A special thank you and I LOVE YOU to my amazing team! Carla Ten Eyck and Mike. These two went above and beyond., I dont know if I can sing their praises enough. I think the best part was that Carla has bright pink streaks in her hair that matched my branding so with all three of us dressed in black, her pink streaks and my pink flower in my hair, we looked quite professionals! wait... err.... I mean we looked good ;) xoxo

Roots 2009

2009-03-19T21:53:00.006-04:00

If you've been following this blog for sometime you know I attended the ROOTS 2008 workshop in Cape Cod last summer and you have probably heard me talk quite a bit about it throughout a few posts since then. I have also received a few emails about this workshop and inquiries as to if it's worth the investment....

Allow me to publicly announce my answer is yes...yes...and YES.

If you are a wedding photographer who is jaded to workshops and can honestly admit you are "over it"... First of all let me say I am there with you. Secondly, I invite you to simply take a look and consider what it would be like to attend a gathering of industry professionals and focus on craft versus technicalities. I would recommend everyone attend something of this caliber... [but only if you want to be taken out of your comfort zone and placed in a whole new world with you aspiring to bigger and better things.... and more beautiful stories ;) ] You will have the opportunity to work with brilliant minds in the newspaper/photojournalism world. I suggest hopping on over to the site and at least reading the bios ;)

Emilie launched a new video from our week on the cape... makes me want to sign up and attend all over again!

***Check it out!***

They still have a few spots open for this year's workshop! If you come out, stay an extra day and come up to play in Boston... I'll give you a tour!

Nene + Omar | engaged

2009-02-23T13:34:00.003-05:00

After a few days in vegas I jetted up to San Fran to shoot a few more sessions... one being Nene and Omar's engagement session.
All I have to say is that every woman deserved to be loved this way and every man as well. Over dinner the other night we were all in tears at different points of the conversation. Omar over the amazing gift he found in Nene, and Nene over the beautiful story and hand that God played in the formation of their relationship. Then there was me who just got emotional watching their love. It all sounds cheesy I know but at least it's true.
Nene and her family are from Afghanistan so I was in heaven hearing the familiar spoken Farsi. It reminded me of my house as a small child. And even better was the yummy food her family cooked for me the night before our shoot..... (key to my heart: middle eastern food).

I'm about to board the plane home to Boston so I have to hustle but here are a few to entertain until I can get to the real editing.

Nene and Omar: I adore you two... thank you for everything! I can't wait to shoot your wedding in Cabo this June!
xoxo

Abigail... revisited.

2009-02-20T04:03:00.003-05:00

I headed out to Vegas to attend WPPI this week and it was a whirlwind of awesomeness... I got my love tank filled with all the amazing hugs I received, worked with the Marantz's on video for Portrait House (filmed by the super-stud Ron Dawson), and even squeezed in a quick photoshoot with Abby (the fabulous red-head from my favorite shoot last summer).
I couldnt help but edit a few for the blog simply because they made me smile. We shot a few photos inside the MGM grand casino and rest were outside the elevators on the 28th floor. Quick, short, and sweet... but oh-so-fabulous was Lil' Miss Abigail.

This first one was one of my favs...

and these last two totally won my heart as well...

somebody convince this girl to go into modeling.... please?

Love Disasters

2009-02-14T23:30:00.005-05:00

I never drank the kool-aid with Valentine's Day.....I'm talkin' cards, candy, flowers etc.... [God knows that I would have DEFINITELY drank actual Kool-Aid if my mom allowed us to drink those little packets of colored powder mixed with 2 whole cups of refined white sugar (oh and a little water for healthy-sake), but alas we drank stuff like Chlorophyll with our water...yeah, you think I'm kidding?]
So anyway, back to Valentines day. Amidst the insane amount of activities I packed into yesterday, I thought back to what I used to do for Valentines as a kid... I remember My mom picking me up from school and giving me books as valentines. I have all these wonderful children's books that I still have... like "Love You Forever" (seriously beautiful children's story) or "the Kissing Hand" and then I was thinking about what I did for my mom on Valentine's days past. It was at this point that I realized that, more often than not, what I thought were symbols of love ended up being disasters...

Exhibit A:

Our family owned a classic car at one point. Red Dodge Dart. One VDay I was going to "surprise" my mom by waxing the car. I'd seen Karate Kid enough to know what I was doing... Wax on, Wax off, right?
**chuckle**
Well it was a warm day and apparently if you WAX ON and don't WAX OFF before the sun bakes it onto your car, then it isn't coming off. Sooo... the hood of the car was a constant- albeit cloudy- reminder of my love notes to my mom. (note: don't ever try to wax someone's classic car unless you know what you are doing... If you are a parent, just do yourself a favor and hide the car wax)

Exhibit B:

One Vday I decided to again 'surprise' my mom by shampooing the carpets. I was too young to drive so renting a machine was out of the question. I simply filled up pitchers of water, dumped them on the floor, squeezed out dish soap and started scrubbing... and scrubbing...and scrubbing. Um, lots of bubbles everywhere and very wet carpet. All was fine and dandy until our carpet was stiff from not getting all the soap out and the entire house smelled like mildew because I never knew you had to EXRACT the water from the carpet to keep it from mildewing the padding. Lets just say we had to get new carpet.
haha... oops.

So happy Valentine's day... thanks to everyone for all the sweet letters and valentines, you all make me smile. I hope no-one had any 'love disasters' but I'd love to hear awesome stories from yesterday so share away!

xoxo

(ps) And keeping with tradition, I got a new children's book. Life is wonderful 'eh? :)

Chronicles of a New England winter

2009-02-11T19:18:00.010-05:00

Dear Diary,

Saturday marked the one year anniversary of living in New England. I can't believe how fast this year flew... but I have officially survived (or am surviving) a New England winter. Today I spent a few hours chiseling the driveway out from under 5 inches of ice. A few storms blew through and with consistent sub freezing temps, the ice has became too thick to melt (even in today's 50 degree weather). Stepping out of the car called for strapping on your ice skates to ensure a safe transfer to the house. So, armed with an edger and shovel I attacked that ice like Carrie Underwood on her cheating boyfriend's truck. I felt like Superwoman and wanted to chant "I am woman hear me roar"... but that died quickly as I got a splinter and blister from not wearing gloves. Then I just felt weak and pathetic.

Most would think it was moments like this that make me miss Southern California and the perpetual 70 degree weather.
On the contrary... days like this make me feel proud to live in a world I cannot control... a world that I exist in, am blessed to be apart of, and love... cheerfully adapting to rather than running from circumstances and realizing that days like this offer a free workout. I threw on my snow boots, plugged in my headphones and blasted my Boston playlist (just for fun's sake). Then piece by piece the driveway was cleared. Thank God no one has to know about the time I got the car stuck in the driveway last week... no one except the 5 men who dug my car out.
Luckily my secret is safe with you Diary.

xo,
Shy

(ps) apparently new englanders don't just mow their lawn... they mow their snow too. Below is a what I thought was an anemic lawnmower but apparently is a snow blower. ok. cool. whatever.

A little taste of TX.

2009-01-25T01:06:00.010-05:00

A quick peek at the fun times in Austin this week...

First off, a fun photoshoot with Renae and her hubby Jeff

Yesterday we were in flip-flops and sundresses basking in 75 degree weather. Today, Annemarie and I woke up to 40 degree weather so we bundled up to climb Mt, Bonnell for some panoramic views of Austin

Apparently peacocks hang out at the national parks in Texas. I'm trying to convince him to open his plumage...but no such luck. I think I need to work on my "coaxing men to do things" skills.

We've seen 4 bands since I've been in town. Including Brett Dennen (who sings my life theme song Blessed) and Wideawake (Livestrong.). You see, I have this thing for live music and apparently Austin is the live music capitol of the world.... [But please, Next time remind me not to wear heels to standing only events ;)]

That's SERIOUS!

2009-01-22T23:00:00.005-05:00

Last weekend, I was hired to shoot a local rap artist for his upcoming album and I mentally approached the project with the same "fashiony" style that I usually generate.
But then I got to thinking...
This is a rap artist, not a fashion model.
TOTALLY different, right?
So I decided to try something a little different and see what I get.

Lots o' lights and some photoshopage...

This is 'D.I.' a.k.a Mark Auguste. He entertained me by seeing images on the back of the camera and exclaiming...Dude, Thats SERIOUS! I *think* serious means awesome, right Mark? ;)

D.I brought along a few friends who are on his record label, so we grabbed a few shots of them as well....just for fun. Meet Mingo.

and E.Pinero

DI, Mingo and EP, you gentlemen were super fun. Thanks for not laughing at my crazy white girl dancing and good luck with your new projects.

Special thanks to Doug for coming along and helping me out too!

MLK day.

2009-01-21T03:22:00.003-05:00

First of all... special thanks to all who came out on Monday, and to everyone else who took their day off to serve others. You all are my heros. :)

So, we all met at Arlington Street church in downtown to make lunches and then take them out to the streets of Boston.
Here's a glimpse into the story...

That is Richey on the right. That man was so full of life, you couldn't help but smile. He was so excited because he was signing up to volunteer an event himself. He was able to see past his own need and desire to help others. We need more hearts like Richey's in the world .

After trekking around downtown Boston and passing out lunches all morning, we gassed up at Flatbread, and then went snowshoeing! Evan and I drove up to Wachusett Mountain and blazed a few trails that would make BigFoot proud. Have I mentioned lately how much I love snow? ;)

Anyway, meet Evan...this man has THE biggest heart. EVERY Saturday morning you will find him hanging out in Boston Common meeting and conversating with the homeless. Whether it's taking them out to lunch, offering them warm conversation, or letting them draw smiley faces on his shoes (true story...I've seen scribbles!) he has forged relationships and been a part of special journeys that few people dare to embark on. I am richer for knowing him.
Thanks for the adventure Evan!

A day on...not a day off.

2009-01-18T15:48:00.006-05:00

"Everybody can be great because everbody can serve" -Martin Luther King Jr.

Millions of Americans are expected to honor Dr. King and answer President-elect Obama’s call to service by volunteering on the January 19 King Holiday. Thousands of service projects will be available for you.
Fueled by President-elect Obama’s call to service, this will be the largest King Day of Service ever. In 1994, Congress charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with transforming the King Holiday into a national day of service. This year, President-elect Obama is asking all Americans to serve on King Day and make an impact in your community.

"A strong and prosperous nation must also be a compassionate nation." - President George W. Bush

Help kick off an exciting week for our country by laying a foundation of what the human race should be all about. This is not a political plea but rather one of compassion and coming together as a unified nation to help one another out. To lay down partisan lines, social boxes, and religious stigmas to embrace human race as equal.

Here are a few links to help you find volunteer opportunities in your area...
www.USAservice.org
www.volunteermatch.org

__________________________________________________________________________

MASSACHUSETTS PHOTOGRAPHERS: I have been working with the volunteer coordinator at Volunteers of America Massachusetts and we have a service opportunity available involving a mass feeding of 300 area homeless persons. We will need multiple hands to help prepare and deliver these meals but we also need the story to be told through your lenses. Photographers will be paired up with street teams so not only will you be giving back to others with your time but your talents. Email me ASAP for more information. [shyla@shylaphotography.com]

NEW ENGLAND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: If you offer your day off tomorrow in service to others, I am offering a free one-hour session to YOU. Send me an email with proof of your volunteer opportunity and we will set up a mini session as my thank you for being selfless. [shyla@shylaphotography.com]

__________________________________________________________________________

And to leave you with my favorite quote...

"love is not a feeling in the chest, it is bending down to wash another's feet" -Andrew Peterson

CHEERS to a new day, a new year and a life filled with true love!
xoxo

Brittany + Zach | engaged

2009-01-12T21:11:00.008-05:00

I came back into town last wednesday but this is my first day back at my house. so crazy, I tell ya. Catching my breath in conjunction with catching up.

First up is my play date with Brit and Zach.
I met Brit whilst interning with Mike Colon, she was a model at the first fashion shoot I attended, and has lent her beauty to many a photographer. I think anyone who has worked with or attended Mike’s workshop has a pic of her in their portfolio.
From day one we became fast friends and decided we were so much alike (even down to owning the same red motorcycle jacket that I borrowed in Vegas for this shoot when I forgot mine) that we must’ve been separated at birth...and born a few years apart as well. Medical miracle I tell ya...medical miracle. ;)

Brit was recently engaged and I was so excited to be asked to shoot her and Zach.

Zach is the most lively, over the top young man who is so full of passion and energy. (but only on days that end in ‘y’, right Zach? ;))

Here are a few fun shots from our play date.

The Knot.

2009-01-11T00:26:00.004-05:00

I got together with the girls tonight.

we made pizza from scratch. [6 girls in the kitchen is a very good thing, BTW]

we drank wine.

we played rockband. [why do I love that game so much?!]

we looked at wedding magazines. [three of the ladies are engaged and one is a wedding photographer ;)]

as I was flipping through one of the magazines, I turned the page and didn't exactly know what to think. I took a double take and was a little confused because there in the corner of a story I saw one of my pictures....."huh?"

I totally forgot the magazine asked my permission to use a photo a while back, so I was NOT expecting to see it. I think when I heard "spring '09" I assumed it would be released in spring.

anyway... I must admit it was a fun surprise.

Within the issue, there is a section on creative getaways. I have yet to do a wedding who's getaway was as epic as Jeremy and Angelika's helicopter ride from the ceremony to the reception site. so fun.

Another Boudoir Event.

2009-01-10T00:44:00.008-05:00

Well Ladies...

Due to overwhelming response to the Boston Boudoir Event from all you Californians, I have decided to make an event available for all you SoCal girls.
If you are interested in having "femme fatale" photos taken for your man in time for V-day (or your wedding day) reserve your spot now.

Dates: January 30. - February 1. 2009
Where: SoCal

Send me an email to reserve your spot soon! [shyla@shylaphotography.com]

ORY-GUN.

2009-01-06T15:29:00.003-05:00

Living in New England, I am in constant awe of my surroundings. the beauty. the grandeur. the history. the culture. I simply cannot get enough. A few Boston friends often exclaim that they've grown up there so its 'old news' and don't quite understand the wide-eyed excitement I experience every time I walk outside or drive down the tree lined highways. Since Ive only been there a year, they call it the Honeymoon phase and are sure it will pass. Secretly, I was scared they may be right.

until...

I went home for the holidays to the part of the country I grew up in. The Northwest. Everyday I sat in awe of this beautiful region just as I have done since I was little. Then it dawned on me.... If I am still in awe of the NW after 20 years, then I have no fear of ever falling out of love with the beauty of creation. Whether Northeast, or Northwest, I cant get enough of the beautiful surrounding within which I reside.

:)

While home, my family took a little hike through the Columbia Gorge...

My Mountain (Mt. Hood) through the window as we were driving over the 205 bridge

The vista House at Crown Point over looking Columbia River Gorge. Right behind me is the Camp where I spent many a summer counseling. Can you imagine waking up to this view every day?!

Multnomah Falls

honestly, who would buy fish from a school bus?

Boudoir Event

2009-01-04T03:05:00.000-05:00

Hey ladies!
Wanna be pampered?
Wanna surprise your man on Valentine's day or your wedding day?
Want beautiful pictures of you in your skivvies?
Join Shyla (me!) and Kate on January 11, 2009 as we take over the Onyx Hotel and spend the day shooting boudoirs. We will even have hair/makeup artists on hand to make you feel pampered and gorgeous.

If you are interested, we have a few spots left so shoot me an email asap!

Retrospect. 2008

2009-01-04T03:00:00.005-05:00

Sitting at lunch with my parents yesterday I was re-caping what has proven to be one of the most adventure filled years of my life. I mean seriously....I've been in 33 states in the last year alone.
Sometimes I wonder why I got to be so blessed with such an adventurous & fulfilling life. I have this insatiable zest for life that I am free to water, and sometimes I can't wrap my head around the freedom and opportunities I have been given. I don't deserve it but I promise to embrace it and squeeze the heck out of it.

So, here is a fun lil' recap of some of the year's highlights and many of the blessings life has offered.

7 CHICKS
Denver/Vail Colorado.
End of January, I headed out to Colorado for a week with the most amazing women.

7 female photographers ( Jasmine Star, Liana, Amy Nave, Sarah Barlow, Crystal Goss, Jenna Walker and I) teamed up to shoot some charity work and then spend time gleaning from eachother. We actually just found out that the VOA used our slideshow for a fundraising event in October, and ended up raising $57,000. (an all time high they told us!)

VOA Slideshow (I still cry when I watch it)

THE GREAT EASTERN MIGRATION
California to Massachusettes.
Everyone always asks... "Why the heck would you move from Cali to Boston?!" you know why? because I could... because I found a piece of my heart on the East Coast and because its quite possibly the most beautiful region of the US :)
It began with a crazy debacle however...
but that didnt deter me :)

I pulled these off my iPhone... a few of my favorite things about Boston.

ROCKSTAR WORKSHOP
The Rockstar Workshop in Asheville NC.
A super fun week of learning and pretending to be a bride in 25 degree weather. I love my Amber and Corey!

Oh, and a long road trip with Eric from MA to NC gave me my very first speeding ticket....oops. (insert halo here)

THE COVER OF RANGEFINDER MAGAZINE
I think I am still in shock over this.

SPREAD THE LOVE WORKSHOP
Chicago Illinois.
with Justin and Mary Marantz
Learning from great friends, pretending to model and shooting a few fun senior sessions

Abby and Nattie

USVI
St John, USVI
The BEAUTIFUL wedding of Angela and Rob with my dear soul friend Katie Thurmes
and my favorite camping experience... in a treehouse!

ROOTS WORKSHOP
Cape Cod, Massachusettes.
THE Emilie Sommer arranged a fabulous workshop that honestly changed me. Those 5 days completely revolutionized the way I shoot... the way I see things... the way I see life.
I was about to say here is the finished product... but I do not feel like what I learned there is finished. So instead, here is my slideshow and everything else you see me shoot from now on is the finished product :)

Oh and I had my very first Lobstah feast! yum.

FREE TO SUCCEED TOUR
21 cities around the US.
for two months during the summer I toured the country on this beauty

RELATIONSHIPS
The restoration of a broken relationship.... with flash. LOL.

ABI + RYAN
Los Angeles, California
One of my favorite Couple sessions.... Abi and Ryan

MARTHAS VINEYARD
Massachusettes.
Chris and Eileen's beautiful wedding in Martha's Vineyard. Annemarie and Suzanne came along and we made a weekend adventure of it :)

NEW ENGLAND IN THE FALL
Vermont.
Nothing beats fall in New England.
I'd say the best thing this year was moving to the East Coast. I can't tell you how much I love it here.

To all my '08 couples and friends... Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your story. You each allow me to experience a deeper and richer part of life. For that I am so grateful....

Cheers to a FABULOUS 2008 and an even FABULOUS-ER 2009.

Happy-ness

2008-12-27T18:09:00.006-05:00

I could sit here and apologize for my poor neglected blog, but I wont. Because neglecting my blog and other "work" related ventures was necessary to focus on my lovely family. :) During this amazing holiday season I felt the need to focus. To offer my undivided attention and truly milk the holidays for all they offer... being with family, reliving traditions, and savoring life.

Aside from twitter, I essentially cut myself off and loved it.

But now it's back in the saddle.

As we embark on a new adventure in '09, I've been reflecting and forecasting... I thought back to a sweet little gift given to me by a dear dear friend of mine before I left to go home for the holidays. She said it reminded her of me and I was so honored.
Looking at it (especially while in life-thinking-mode), It is a perfect pictoral representation of how I want to live life now, in '09, and always!
The tag line on the box read...

"Happiness... FREE to sing, laugh, dance,...create!"

It made me smile and I couldn't help but share.

So my friends.....CHEERS to a New Year... cheers to being free to sing ( at the top of your lungs, sound of music style), being free to laugh (with good friends till your sides ache), free to dance ( in the empty aisles at walmart at 3am...not that I've done that recently or anything ;] ) and being free to create (creating your life and your impact on the life surrounding you).

Most of all CHEERS to Life, Happy-ness and the Great Adventure of which we are all apart.

(ps) can you tell I'm smiling? :)

Fashion Victim

2008-12-19T04:23:00.006-05:00

Being home these last few days have been full of attic digging. Unearthing old pictures and memorabilia has left me in states of nostalgia, laughter, and embarassment. I've rather enjoyed digging up the last 7 years of journals and thumbing through them. Or even discovering lovely lil' gems among the last 20 something years of pictures.
Amidst the "big dig" I stumbled across SEVERAL pictures that make me curl my toes in sheer horror at the sense of fashion I portrayed. Heaven forbid I just wear touches of tie-die, polka-dots, or stripes.... Oh no, I was apparently an all or nothing kinda gal.
Where was "what not to wear" when I was 10?!

Dear Ma,
despite the awful outfits you allowed me to don as a kid, I promise not to let you wear pastel nylon track suits when you are 90.
Devotedly,
me

(ps) Im Persian... that dress is from Iran. I also found that dress in the attic...sadly, it doesn't still fit...darn? ;)

snow.

2008-12-17T19:01:00.004-05:00

So I am officially home for the holidays. (yay.)

annnnnd, its snowing! I know it doesn't look like a lot, but I got a little excited so I ran out to the patio in my PJs this morning to make my snow angel. I shoulda let the snow pile up a little more, but like I said.. I was excited. Plus, Portland/Vancouver never gets snow so this is a huge deal.

ha. who says you have to "grow up"?

:)

Hint Hint

2008-12-13T23:24:00.005-05:00

Dear Mom & Dad,

We go over this every year... and every year I leave you exasperated and utterly frustrated that I COMPLETELY REFUSE to give you a Christmas List. I understand you want to play it 'safe' and ensure I get gifts I actually like, but I'm a hopelessly stubborn mule and continue to take make your life difficult. For that, I apologize.

When it comes to gifts, though, part of the specialness to me is that whoever chooses to give me a gift, gives it out of the fact that they know me and THEY think I will like it. I constantly remark that it takes the magic out of it all when I know what I am getting. Come on, you know I was never the kid who wrote letters to Santa, or even TRIED to peek at my presents before Christmas morning.... I am one who revels in the magic of surprise. Always have been, always will be :)

But this year... I thought I'd meet you half way and give you a little hint. OK, maybe a BIG pictoral hint. :) [see attached]
From here, I go back to my regularly scheduled stubborness.

Love Always,
Shy

(ps) I know it's not practical because I can't take it back home on the plane with me but I thought I would at least try. (insert batting of eyelashes here) If anything, I had a wonderful time riding up and down the escalators several times to get this shot on my phone. :)

Ohana means family!

2008-12-13T01:22:00.004-05:00

While in LA for Thanksgiving I had the privilege of spending time with the wonderful SD Ohana Family!
Now if you are anything like me, you have seen and memorized every cartoon Disney movie (and if they are musical the songs as well) so it came as no shock that the whole time I spent with them I kept randomly blurting out... (in a high pitched voice) "Ohana means Family!"

yup, Im a dork... I know this. ;)

Anyway, Most of you already know them but if you don't.... meet my friends the Baxters...

This would be Rain... David and Kimi's little model. She made my life easy! haha

And this would be the photo rockstar April. Look out world because this gal is the photo dark horse that will put us all out of jobs some day! ;) This whole time I thought she was like 14 or 15 but NO... I made a fool of myself. She's 20! oops.... sorry April love. Anyway, she is quite the little shooter, check her out!

Mr. Ohana himself.

And Mrs. Ohana.

and a totally random moment that I just loved. I think its because this is what I saw several times when the camera wasn't pointed at them and it sums up the two of them to me :)

THE END :)

(ps) they shot OUR family photos too! but you will have to wait for those until mom gets to see them ;)

Show and Tell... (Elyse + John)

2008-12-05T02:57:00.009-05:00

I was the kid in kindergarten who took show and tell VERY seriously.... whether that meant bringing my kid sister doll ( along with her ENTIRE wardrobe) into class, gathering every sea shell I had ever collected and dumping them on my desk, or simply lugging my whole toy box into our share circle, I always loved to share more than required, necessary, or even desired... but much like today, I couldn't help it.
I sit here at my editing perch for hours trying to pick images to share on the blog but each time I do, I feel like I am enduring a form of chinese water torture.
No, I am not being dramatic.... just honest.
With each rejection, saying goodbye to an image is one drip...then another drip and another and another.. for hundreds of images. drip. drip. drip. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I think all my images are blog worthy or even that good for that matter... I just want to share my whole experience with each and every one of you EVERY time. I want you to experience everything I experienced and see everything I saw!
I've been told I post too many images, I've been told I need to play a little hard to get and not be so willing to share everything all at once (I think that particular comment was directed at more than my just blog though...hmm?) and I was even told tonight that a good photographer should be able to tell a story in 5 images or less. And yes, I agree with all of them.... but for yesterday, today, and probably for many many posts here-forth, I will continue to post too many images and continue to share more than I need to because I just can't help it.... I don't want to help it. I love life, I love taking pictures of life, and I love sharing life. So cheers to many more hours of chinese water torture and blog posts that are way too long... thank you for being apart of the "share circle" and enduring the full wardrobe display! ;)

[and thank you to all my lovely friends who receive countless emails that say..."which image do you like better, I cant decide?" ;) ]

Now onto John and Elyse...
You all saw the surprise engagement, .... now here is what took place during the day leading up to the moment :)

With Elyse assuming she was just modeling for my portfolio, here are some of the fun images we got.

xoxo!

(ps) special thanks to the Zickell family for granting us access to your lovely cape house to shoot!