Danielle + Erik | engaged

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

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

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

:)

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

Surprise Engagement!

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

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



...and waited.

....and sweated.

and then....

They show up!

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

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

Then he got down on one knee.

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

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

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

the end... (or the beginning.)

julia | senior photos

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

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

enjoy!

oncewed.com

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

I am in love with this blog!

xoxo

The Climb.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

:)

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

annee + jake | cancun mx

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

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

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

Shayda + Ben | tillamook, oregon

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.

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

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

Melissa + John | Liberty Hotel Boston

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.

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!