Shyla Photography

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.

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 :)