Meg's Trash the dress session

Here is last week's trash the dress session. Thanks to Meg for lots of fun and bravery to not only trash her dress ... but to do it in the rain! Luckily I can still do TTD sessions in the wet weather. The list of engagement sessions I need to reschedule keeps growing & growing! Rain rain go away!





























And yes... to get these last shots I ended up going for a swim too!

Where have I been?

(Above: photos I've taken for Stonewall Kitchen as their new photographer, linked from their website)

I've been missing from my blog. I know, I know - terrible! The last two weeks I've been adjusting to my fantastic new job at Stonewall kitchen. I am now their staff photographer - and loving it! What do I do there? I shoot food and products for their catalogs, website, recipe cards... whatever they need!

GASP! What does this mean for my wedding business?
I love shooting weddings, but since my husband works 9-5 it will be much nicer to shoot fewer weddings, work a 9-5 myself, and see him more. I do still plan on keeping my wedding & portrait business - don't worry! There are only a few things that will change. One is my weekday availability - I will only be available after 6PM weekdays (like most of my clients). From now on I'll be taking fewer wedding & portrait jobs. The good news is that means I can be sure to work with people who are looking specifically for my style and seek out superior client relationships. I'll also be hiring a company to do my image processing (editing out the best raw files & adjusting them for the best color) and album design. I tested them out recently on a friend's wedding and I think it's going to work out well. In fact, they might even be better editors/designers than I am! It just shows you should stick to what you do well. I want to focus on shooting photos and outsource the rest!

The other change you may notice is that at first glance my prices seem to have increased. This is only partially true. I have raised my prices a little - most photographers go up a bit every year. However, I have also raised my minimum to 5 hours (up from 4) and done away with my inexpensive albums (coffee table books) and will now only be offering high end flush-mount books. Why? In coffee table book the color is not as good and they are not as durable. Both types of albums take me the same amount of time, yet there is less profit in the inexpensive albums. So, with many companies like blurb offering do-it-yourself coffee table books I know my clients can still make their own if they opt to purchase digital negatives. I hope this explanation of my business changes makes sense. If you have any questions just let me know. :)

BYC & New Grads!

Congrats to my friend Brooke Holland (her photo above) on having her photographs not only in the Boston Young contemporaries show - but also int the Boston Globe "G" section & online!

http://calendar.boston.com/boston-ma/events/show/87833120-boston-young-contemporaries-exhibition

Also a BIG congrats to all of my AIB friends and new MFA grads at the Art Institute of Boston! SO sorry I can't be there tonight to see you graduate - break a leg! :)

Beautiful Bump

I told you I've been busy! Here's another recent shoot with Jackie & her husband Joe. Isn't she the cutest pregnant lady?









Baby Bump shoot tips: Button down shirts are perfect for showing off the belly. If you're going to bring other clothing too - the more form-fitting the better. After all, you are doing it to show off your belly! If daddy can, you should have him join you. If he does, be sure he brings coordinating colors so that you can match in photos. Also, props are awesome. We used baby socks, ribbons, a red sox hat, teddy bear & flowers... bring along whatever is important to you & baby!

To see the full shoot please visit:
Http://www.Pictage.com/668939

Bret & Anna's Engagement Shoot

Bret and Anna are getting married in February at the Wentworth by the Sea (New Castle, NH). Since it will be cold out on their wedding day - it was great to take advantage of the Wentworth's beautiful grounds for their engagement shoot. We made a lot of great photographs, and I've chosen a few to share. To see the whole shoot visit: Http://www.Pictage.com/667918 (available Monday 6/8)





















For your engagement shoot planning - the first photo was taken at 12:15 and the last at 1:09. It took us almost exactly an hour; which is what I suggest each couple sets aside for portraits. This way we have time to wonder around to a bunch of great locations, and try some fun things! Note to self... put sunblock in my camera bag!

Happy Family

In my busy week of many jobs to edit I want to post a few images as I get through them. Aren't they the cutest happy little family?

Wedding Tip #24 - Cake Cutting 101

I can't tell you how many times, as a wedding photographer, I have been left as the only person to instruct the couple how to cut their cake! Lucky for them, I'm an expert. However, there is a simple way to best cut a cake that could be learned BEFORE your wedding day, so I made a little Illustration to show you how. Don't worry, if you forget I'm happy to be there to remind you. :)

somewhere over the rainbow

I have had the busiest two weeks! I have a baby shoot, bump shoot, wedding shoot, engagement shoot & food shoot to edit! (This is just after finishing & posting another wedding's photos yesterday) Also, Sunday I had a booth at the Hyatt Regency Boston wedding show. It was actually a great show, and I met a lot of wonderful couples! I was lucky to have had two friends, Dee & Inga, come along to help. After the show, Inga came back with me for wine & sushi on the porch. As we drove from Boston to Salem dark clouds descended but that didn't stop us. It might have rained, but after, when a rainbow appeared, the photographer in me couldn't help but run for a camera!