Love Without Borders

I first met Paulina and Cristhian at my windy wedding last November, where he was teaching the bar tender to make caipirinhas. (Incidentally, this detail has stuck with me because caipirinhas are one of my dad's favorite drinks.)

We reconnected this past summer at Elizabeth Park in West Hartford for their engagement photos.

They're an amazing couple. He's from Ecuador, and she's from Poland. 

As part of their portraits, they wanted to recreate the proposal...

...which got cheers of applause from the crowds around us! It was a lot of fun.

Congratulations, Paulina and Cristhian!

Doubleheader Pt. II - At The Mansion

For the second time this weekend, rain on a wedding day. But no worries, because the Tarrywile Mansion may have the best "back-up room" I've ever seen.

Actually, the entire place is stunning. Marylou and Kevin put together an amazing day too, starting with the bridal party getting ready in the suites upstairs.

They opted for a first look, but wanted it to be something more than the standard "bride walking up behind the groom". We found a spot where they could talk before seeing each other - Marylou's reaction when she caught just a glimpse of his tie around the corner was amazing.  It only got better when they turned the corner.

The ceremony was beautiful, and the reception was intimate and fun.

Marylou and Kevin braved the cold (as did a few of her devoted bridesmaids) for some posed photos.

And, of course, there was time for lots of dancing. Exciting, energetic dancing.

It was an amazing night. Congratulations Marylou and Kevin!

(I had a busy weekend - this is part 2. You can see the other part here. Or, you can check out Marylou and Kevin's engagement shoot... in Boston!)

Doubleheader Pt. I - In The Lodge

When I met Jillian for her prep photos Friday morning, one thing was on everyone's mind: the weather. Thickly overcast, it had been threatening rain all morning and looked likely to get worse.

You'd have been hard pressed to tell, though - the girls were having a ball.

We made it to the Lodge at Maneeley's in time to mostly beat the rain, but there was no doubt about it - we'd have to be inside. It was the backup plan but it worked out beautifully.

Right after the ceremony, we got a well-timed little break in the rain so we could sneak out for quick posed photos...

...assisted by a golf cart ride.

The reception was amazing: loads of music, dancing, and great food.

And we rounded off the night with a stunning photo in the rain. Sometimes things just work out.

Congratulations, Jillian and Kevin!

(I had a busy weekend - this is part 1 of 2. You can see the other part here. Or, you can check out their engagement, which also required some last minute improvisation.)

A Quick Note on Smugmug

Recently, a major online photo hosting site, Picturelife, went through some troubles and ultimately collapsed. 200 million photos, everything from trip snapshots to baby photos uploaded by their users and often not existing anywhere else, were at risk of disappearing forever. 

Smugmug, the company that hosts the online galleries I give out to all my clients, stepped up and, free of charge, rescued the entire catalog and made it available for Picturelife's customers to download.

Smugmug will probably get some new customers, but ultimately this is a losing proposition. They're just doing it because it's the right thing to do.

In a way, my Smugmug galleries are the same thing - I always lose money on them, because I don't force people to purchase prints there. But it's fine - it's a tiny cost, and I feel like in today's age having a private gallery is essential. So it makes me really happy to see that Smugmug is running their business the same way I try to run mine.

So happy, in fact, I want to do something nice for them. Good deeds should be rewarded, right? So I've made a coupon, good on all my client's galleries through October 15th, 2016, where you can get any print you want at cost. I wont make a cent, but Smugmug will. I think they deserve it.

Use coupon code "SMHero" to get the discount.

They also just added photo cases for iPhone and Samsung S7, which are pretty awesome. Hint hint.

A Weekend Worth Waiting For

I've been... busy. Weddings, yearbook photos, meetings, calls. I was out of town, living from my suitcase for the entire week before Trish and Ryan's wedding. I even got myself a hotel room the night before the wedding, to save a couple hours driving. 

So I hope you'll understand if I say I went in with a workmanlike, nose-to-the-grindstone attitude. Show up, do my job, go home. Sometimes that's how it goes.

That attitude lasted about ten minutes with the girls. Grooving to Beyoncé, cracking jokes - Trish had to be told, repeatedly, by her make-up artist to quit smiling so much.

Ten minutes in and this wedding wasn't work, it was a vacation.

"Quit smiling so much" was the refrain of the day. Trish and Ryan are one of those electric couples who can't seem to be in the same room without smiling. All through their ceremony I couldn't escape the feeling that they were alone up there in a world of their own.

Following the ceremony, we headed to the New Haven Lawn Club for posed photos and the reception.

As you'd expect, posed photos were a lot of fun, especially when it got down to just the couple, the videographer, and myself. Trish and Ryan didn't need a lot of encouragement to try fun stuff, and the Lawn Club made for a beautiful backdrop.

The reception was a blast - a cocktail hour full of good drinks and good food (those scallops!), and a reception that was low on formal events but full of amazing music from the live funk band, energetic dancing, and donuts and late-night sliders.

It was an amazing day, where everything seemed to come together just perfectly. 

Congratulations, Trish and Ryan! It was such a pleasure getting to work with you two.

Lifelong Friends in Love

On a beautiful autumn day (Tammy picked her date from the Farmer's Almanac), two friends committed to love each other forever.

The day began with prep for the girls at a local salon, followed by a ceremony at the beautiful Sacred Heart church in Torrington.

Before the reception, we stopped at Topsmead State Park for posed photos. It's a beautiful park that I will definitely return to for more photos, and probably just to explore myself. The other people enjoying the park were very considerate and seemed to enjoy the show.

The reception was held at the Litchfield Inn, and was as relaxed and fun as you'd expect with two families that have known each other for decades.

It was a really fun night, kept simple and relaxed.

Congratulations Tammy and Shane!

Fun on the Farm

Jesse and Colin were very clear when we met to discuss their wedding; they wanted to have fun.

The setting was Dudley Farm, a scenic, intimate little spot in Guilford. After a brief ceremony, we toured around the grounds for some beautiful posed photos.

The reception was casual and fun. Dinner came in the form of the New Haven Pizza Truck; possibly some of the best wedding food (and pizza) I've ever had! 

The night was full of dancing, fun conversation, drinks, and rounded out with a visit from an ice cream truck!

Incidentally, this was my 80th wedding! And I'll photograph my 90th before the year is out. I hope they're all just as fun!

600

Another 100 days of Photo-A-Day. Here are some highlights.

520 - Hit a big milestone with my Fiesta.

529 - Weird and wonderful hidden spot in central Connecticut.

#531 - My fiance Heather nearly got us in a traffic accident to stop and pick up this tortoise. I guess I don't blame her. He's pretty cute.

597 - First day of this yearbook photo season. Time to get to work!

Here's to another 600!