But She Blinded Me With Science

"Gravity cannot be held responsible for people falling in love." - Albert Einstein

This poster hung next to our desk in 9th grade biology. We all sat near each other - me, Eileen, Erica, Karen, and Yash. If there's anything that can make biology class bearable, it's the people in it, and I lucked out. Oddly enough, thanks to the magic of life and facebook, we're all still in touch. And when Eileen came into town this fall, I had the privilege of photographing her family. These are some photos of her and her husband (whom I was meeting for the first time). They never had proper engagement photos taken, so a year later, this was sort of a mini engagement session for them. See? It's never too late!







One of the best parts of this job is that I get to reconnect with people from my past. I guess I also have facebook to (reluctantly) thank for that as well. It was so great to see Eileen again. And let me tell you, neither of us looks a day over 21! I think we'll stay the same ages forever.

On the movie front, I just saw "The Road" and "Up in the Air." I thought "The Road" was really dark and depressing and creepy, but Viggo Mortensen did a great job. His body was a physical representation of the landscape around them. It was pretty frightening. I felt unsure about the ending - it definitely prompted some discussion between me and Doug, which is always a good thing for a movie. "Up in the Air" was good, but of course you all know I love George Clooney. He's a lot like Cary Grant in the way that nobody plays George Clooney better than George Clooney. He's charming and fun and playful, and yet there's a lot more to him. In this movie, you get to see some nuanced acting from him because it's not a straight-up comedy and it's not entirely a drama. I enjoyed it. Fourteen movies left on my list!

Maybe I'll Sleep Real Late

Clearly I failed miserably at keeping this blog up-to-date. For that I apologize. The good news is that there is now plenty of "new" work for me to post. Although it's almost too overwhelming. Where do I begin? Weddings? Family shoots? I suppose I'll figure it out after Christmas. It's hard to believe that a year ago, Doug and I were preparing for our trip to Argentina to photograph Emily and Nico's wedding. I can't believe it's been a year. Man, time flies! I never even posted a proper blog for that wedding, beyond the super-long slideshow I put up. Needless to say, we have no big international trips on the horizon, although you never know what could happen. I can plan all sorts of things now that my 2009 editing is finished!

If you've been following this blog for a while, you know that when December begins, Awards Season kicks in and I rush to see as many movies nominated as possible. The Golden Globe nominations came out recently and off that list, I have 19 movies to see. By January 17th. That's a lot. I don't know if it will happen, but I've already crossed three off my list - "Inglourious Basterds," "Me & Orson Welles," and "The Blind Side." There are a couple I'll have to rush to see before they leave theaters, but I'm on it! I'll keep you posted on the race.

In case I don't check in before then, Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a happy and healthy holiday that carries you straight into 2010!

Everyone's Tryin' To Get It Right

I'm lucky I still remember how to blog at this point! Let's see, I got the flu in October and took a mini-vacation in November and in between all that, I've been taking pictures and editing pictures. It's been amazing, but I've definitely neglected the blog, which is pathetic of me, I know. Fortunately, in my editing, I came across this photo. How could you resist that face? Adorable! She's also sporting a hat made for me (not for me to wear, but to use in shoots) by Cozy Noggin, my friend Anne's hand-knit "store." How great is it to have creative friends?

So, basically, I am editing. I work on my desktop computer while I have my laptop hooked up and I watch Hulu all day. Or Netflix. And to think that it's just about awards season. I haven't been to the movies as much as I normally go, but I did see a great one recently. I highly recommend "An Education." I give it two thumbs up. I'm looking forward to seeing "Precious" (it seems weird to say I'm "looking forward" to seeing such an emotionally intense movie - I guess we could say it is high on my list). We also got the MG up and running, if you happen to remember my slightly-older post about the car Doug and I were working on. It was so awesome to go for a little spin around the neighborhood. Our goal was to have it on the road before Thanksgiving and we did! Success! And, of course, it's now Christmas season. I'm not going to lie; I've definitely been listening to Christmas music since November 12th, which is when two of the Boston "oldies" stations starting playing it. There's something about a good Christmas song that puts me in a good mood.

To my wonderful and patient clients - I am working hard on all your photos! I swear I'm not slacking off. Not even Beatles Rock Band has been able to distract me from the task at hand. Just a little bit longer!

I hope you all had a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

When You Propose, Anything Goes

Today I am thankful to live in Massachusetts.

These are just a couple of photos taken from a recent wedding. You'll be seeing a lot more of them once I'm done editing, of course. I just loved the sky in both of these.


This is taken through the window during the reception. Beautiful sunset, right?

It Had To Be You, Wonderful You

Yet another couple whose engagement photos weren't posted until well after their actual wedding! Just goes to show you how busy things have been over here. When I first started talking with Isobel about her wedding photography, I knew I really wanted to be her photographer. She loves movies (nearly/almost/maybe) as much as I do! Over the course of us emailing back and forth about business, she actually went and sat in the bleachers at the Golden Globes! Hello?! How jealous was I?! So, I considered myself very lucky when she and her fiance Jimmy chose me as their wedding photographer.

We went back to the site of one of their first dates for their engagement session. We had a gorgeous afternoon. Thank goodness there have been more of those this fall than there were this summer. These two are so adorable together and they have the most beautiful blue eyes!






Isobel & Jimmy's wedding photos are being processed as I write! I am hard at work editing, I swear! I've barely even made it to the movies! I will admit to having seen Amelia this weekend. It was okay. I don't know if it's Academy Award-worthy or anything. Doug came with me and I liked it better than he did. I enjoyed, and appreciated, the narrative structure of the film, and the way the filmmakers (Mira Nair directed) dealt with the "ending" of her story. There's something about Ameila Earhart (or at least how she was portrayed) that reminded me of my grandmother. Maybe it's her inherent midwesternness. Maybe it's that tomboy strength. Maybe it's her short hair and freckles. Anyway, I'm a sucker for an emotional connection. For me, that identification brings an added dimension to the film and my feelings towards it. At some point, I'll have to post a photo of my grandmother so you can sort of see what I'm talking about. But I'm also a little crazy. I feel the same way about Julia Child (although my grandmother was very tall and they dressed similarly). Back to movies... I'm super-excited to see The Men Who Stare At Goats. That's on the menu for next week. And I can already tell that Invictus is going to end up on my list (whether I like it or not).

Hope everyone had a happy Halloween weekend!

Might As Well Jump

I'm a little behind in my blogging. Milena & Kevin have already been married a month and I'm just getting to their engagement session! I can't post their wedding photos without sharing these first.

I met Milena and Kevin over a year ago so it was so exciting to finally photograph them! We did this session the same week as their wedding. I was thrilled they were willing to take some time out of their busy week to hang out with me for a little bit. We grabbed a little late afternoon light and made the best of it!










Back to the grind! I've got engagement shoots, family shoots, and weddings piling up. On top of that, I managed to get sick this week. Awesome. So I immediately passed it on to Doug so we could be sick together. Hooray!

Amid The Morning His Small Heart Beats

I love it when I get to be there for this...


...and this...


Hooray for brand new babies! Before I even got a chance to blog the maternity photos, this little guy arrived in the world! I got to visit the family in the hospital for his very first photo shoot. Being only 3 days old, he slept through the whole thing, but I'm hoping we get some eyes-open photos in a couple of weeks!

Now I See A Family Where There Once Was None

I will most likely not look like a supermodel when I'm eight months pregnant. The same can not be said for Dara, who is clearly stunning! We had such a fun time at her session. Costume changes, location changes, the works! Maternity photos are wonderful because they capture who you are as a woman at that time. And just think how much fun it will be to share those photos with your child(ren) one day!

These guys are going to make awesome parents! I can just tell. First of all, they are totally in love. With each other and with the fact that they're going to be parents soon! Lucky baby.








We had this session last month, so this baby should be here any day now, if it's not here already!

For You I Share The Cup of Love That Overflows

It just goes to show you that a hurricane doesn't always dampen your spirits! Marietta and Pete celebrated their wedding the same day that the remnants of Hurricane Danny hit the coast of New England. It didn't faze them one bit! Their wedding was so beautiful and heartfelt. I am so happy to finally share these photos!

Marietta's dress was so beautiful!


This is one of the flower girls. She hadn't quite woken up yet. I can't help but love this photo of her!


The bridal bouquet.


The ceremony was wonderful. They incorporated some Filipino traditions into the service, all of which were new to me. You can see in this photo a veil is draped around Marietta & Pete. This veil symbolizes two people becoming one. There is also a cord around them in the shape of an infinity sign and it symbolizes the bond of marriage.


The rings! One of the couples' friends folded up a dollar bill into a heart which made it the perfect ring prop.


Since the wedding started early and ended early, we were able to take advantage of the fact that there was no rain at the end of the day! And since it had rained all day, there were also no golfers outside. That meant we could walk around the The Quidnessett Country Club a bit for photos. You can see that even though the rain had stopped, we were still dealing with wind!


This is one of my favorites from the day.


I couldn't have asked for a nicer wedding. I had an awesome second shooter (go, Rich), an awesome couple, and adventurous weather! If you want to see more from the wedding, click here for the slideshow!

Where Troubles Melt Like Lemon Drops

Tonight I had the privilege of seeing The Wizard of Oz on the big screen. To celebrate the film's 70th anniversary, theaters all over the country showed the movie today for one screening. I am a huge proponent of seeing classic movies on the big screen - that's the way they were meant to be seen. It's a pretty cool experience, even if you know the ending. I tend to go to the movies when no one else is there, but to see a movie like this in a crowd is fun. People of all ages were there to disappear into the land of Oz. It's a pretty great way to travel somewhere over the rainbow.

And since I don't want to post without photos, I am finally getting around to posting this family shoot. I can't even tell you how awesome this shoot went. You never know what to expect with toddlers and newborns and this family was amazing! We had such a wonderful afternoon, even though the little guy slept through a lot of it. There were a lot of wonderful photos to choose from and I had trouble narrowing it down, so bear with me!











How much do I love this print?




Just taking a little peek...


I am trying so hard to get through all my editing, so if you're waiting for photos, bear with me! I am going to be off the grid this weekend for an awesome wedding celebration and I am so excited to be a part of it. I don't think I'll have any cell reception or internet access while I'm gone, which will be a little different for me. We'll see. Heck, I'll barely have any electricity! It could be tough since I need the TV to fall asleep. That might all have to change. I'll try to post more soon! In the meantime, happy fall!

Pin Her Down On A Photograph Album

Here are a few photos from a recent boudoir session. These were given as a gift to a groom from his bride and I wanted to wait to post them until after the wedding. The more risque ones will remain for his eyes only. Boudoir sessions are so much fun! Women do them for their significant others, as well as for themselves. It's another way to pamper yourself. Who doesn't love having a make-up artist do their make-up? I think we pretty much all wish there was someone hanging around all day, just to apply make-up correctly. I know we had fun on this shoot - good music, good people, and we ended with ice cream!







Isn't she beautiful? Congratulations on the wedding, you two!

Someone Like You Makes It All Worth While

Weekend after weekend I am honored to be a part of a couple's wedding day. The question people seem to ask most often is, "Don't you get tired of all these weddings?" The answer is a resounding NO! I love them! I love the couples, the happiness, the details, and the music. I swear, if there was a club that played all wedding-type music, I would be out clubbing every night. Each wedding is made up of these wonderful little moments and unique little details that keep me excited. Kate and Nathan's August wedding had all of these things. The bride is from England so the men in the wedding wore Mini Cooper cufflinks, plus there were British-American dictionaries on the tables for everyone to flip through during the reception. The bride's uncle presided over the ceremony which made it that much more personal and intimate. And, I had my first wedding crashers! It was such a wonderful wedding! Even Mother Nature blessed the day - no rain!

The dress and the bride getting ready.


The rings, chilling on the ring pillow.


On our way out of the bridal suite.


The bride and groom saw each other before the ceremony and we were able to take all their portraits then. These are a few of my favorites!




How could we resist using this sculpture? Sure, it's a little weird, but perfect for photos!


Congratulations Kate & Nathan! Thank you for letting me be part of your day! Watch the slideshow to see more from their wedding!

I Scream, You Scream

These photos are from a family session I had recently. The kids were in a playground car, screaming as loud as they possibly could. I'm pretty sure you can tell they were putting a lot of energy into it. I love them (the kids and the photos).

Oh The Secrets That Old Car Would Know

This is a photo of my new project. It's a 1970 MG just waiting for a little tender loving care. When I was little, my dad would fix this car up every spring and we would drive it around spring, summer, and fall, until it got too cold. Now this was before the strict seatbelt laws, so my brother and I would literally sit squished behind the seats. It was awesome. I think our experience in that car truly embodied what it meant to be a child - hair whipping around, feeling like you were on a carnival ride, all that joyful freedom. Sometimes, it would be just you and dad and that was special, too. Sitting up front, helping shift gears. My brother and I would have to take turns - one of us could ride to the softball game with dad and the other could ride home. Well, you can see what a few years inside the garage have done to the car. It's a little worse for wear, although we're hoping with a little elbow grease we can get it back on the road for the fall. We'll see. We've spent a couple of days trying to clean up the interior a little. Next we need to get it started. We got the accessories to turn on, but we couldn't get the car to turn over. That might mean a trip to the battery store for me. The next step would be to wash the exterior and make it shine like the top of the Chrysler Building. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. It would be so wonderful to feel the wind whipping through my hair again, maybe even from the driver's seat!

If I Could Take You Up In Paradise Up Above

Liz and Teddy were so excited to get married! Really. I don't think I've ever seen two people smile so much in one day. It was totally infectious. They had a beautiful and unique wedding at The Essex Yacht Club in Essex, CT. The ceremony was held right on the shores of the Connecticut River, in front of Teddy's family's gorgeous sailboat. Could it get any better than that?

We started off at Liz's mom's house, where the women got their hair done.


Liz & Teddy saw each other before the ceremony so we were able to enjoy some photo time together. We even got to go on the boat! Here's the fun fact I learned about sailboats that day - all those colorful flags stand for letters of the alphabet!






Look at how excited she is to be walking down the aisle! Eeks!


The first dance kiss!


Ring shots! There was an ice cream sundae bar (yum), so what sort of photographer would I be if I didn't make use of some of the toppings? And, one of the "themes" of the wedding was lemon & limes, so I made use of those, too!




The last dance!


Emily and I had such a wonderful time photographing this wedding! I've known Liz for like 11 years now (yikes!) and it was such an honor to be there to celebrate this couple. I got to see some familiar faces that I haven't seen in forever, which is always fun. Liz & Teddy (& Liz's mom) have been very patient waiting for these photos, so thank you for that. Congratulations!

If you want to see more of Liz & Teddy's wedding, check out their slideshow here.