Tana and Patrick.. Married.

OK, so waaaaay back in April, Kim and I went to Long Island to shoot this awesome wedding. I really enjoyed myself because I got to know Patrick over the phone most of the year and it was nice to finally get to photograph his wedding. This is a message to all you future grooms out there, it is possible to help plan parts of the wedding... Choose a good photographer! ha! No really, Patrick was a cut above. And seriously people, could Tana be any more beautiful or well poised? She was so elegant!

These two were so in love! When that happens Kim and I have an easy job. Getting good photos of them was so fun and we hardly had to offer any direction at all. What you see in these photos is just their love shining through. They were so comfortable around each other that photography was a breeze. The entire day was packed with beautiful things and happy people. The lighting was fun and different as well. I hope we get to shoot at this location again.. We love NY Vineyard country.

Preparations.



I just love the light from that window.





Portraits...





This has such a cool, James bond old time feel.. if there is such a thing.


Such a cool venue.. this place was off the charts.


Photographers dream eyes. Like gemstones.


Speaking of Gems.


Ha! this is their dog.. he just hung out with us.. So cool.



Ceremony...



That is a happy man... He was just oozing with joy all day.


I actually did not see those tears it was so dark.. the camera saw them.. Booo Yaa!


If any of you are wondering what love looks like..


Cool angle.. we normally don't get this close during a ceremony, but if there is nowhere else to go and the Officiant lets us... well there you go.










this is why I was so close.. no room up front. Yes thats 20 people.

Details...




Reception...





I love the bouquet catch pose!

Fatherhood... It's ultimate.

A long time ago it was hard to imagine being a father, now I can't imagine it any other way. I feel ridiculously blessed by my children and particularly challenged to be the best father I can to them. 1st off, let me point out that I have no idea how to do this, but as I stumble through these years in what feels to me a reckless attempt at providing with a selfish plan to stay at home with them, I can't help but feel an overpowering sense of joy and accomplishment as we pass each milestone.

"Fatherhood" it's a mystical and curious thing to me, I feel convicted by the term, and not only just to be one to my children. I believe that as a man I am responsible to be a father figure to all the children I come across.. especially boys. Boys need their dads, every decision I make as a dad gets sent through the "what would my dad have done filter" in my mind. Its amazing to me what he was able to accomplish with my sisters and I, my mind is filled with moments when my dad helped define us, I think about them everyday. Its crazy to finally walk in his shoe...God was I oblivious to his love and sacrifices. I did notice some things though, I always noticed his strength, his work, his humor and his intelligence. I hope that even though I may spend my days photographing girls in white dresses, that my sons will somehow experience the same thing... especially the pride.

Boys need this... not all boys have fathers though. This is painfully sad to me and has helped me realize that as a man, we have a responsibility to all boys to be a "father figure". Men, if you have children.. or not. Think about the children in your life, odds are there are quite a few. Take notice of them, because they take notice of you. Give them a good filter by which to guide them through what looks like a challenging future for our kiddos. Sounds hard... but it's ultimate.

Photo studio one day, rescue shelter the next.

if you have at all been following us on "twitter" you would know that we stumbled upon a few kittens in our back yard garden shed. Its been fun and they are so cute. They go to the Real shelter at noon, so if you want one send us an email before 1pm.

Married Wedding Photographers Ski Retreat.

Live from New Hampshire it's Saturday Night!

Kimberly and I embarked on a brave adventure this week. Skiing, eating, vacationing, and talking shop with some of the best married wedding photographers in New England. These are great folks that we have come to enjoy and we are happy to introduce you to them.


Enna and Matt Grazier - Grazier Photography of Boston. These two are pictage forum friends that we got to know by sharing experiences with. As the creators of the "Grazier Ski Trip" we have them to thank for all the fun and learning we have had this week. Don't be fooled by Matt and His Gangsta style.. he's soft and fluffy on the inside. Kim and I are extremely fond of Matt and Enna and really look to them for guidance and knowledge in all aspects of life and business. In many ways we are cut from the same cloth.


Justin and Mary - Justin Marantz Photography of Connecticut. These two are taking a break from their PUG tour and are all the buzz in the wedding photography industry, we loved meeting them. Their ideas are revolutionary to the industry, if your a photographer you MUST go see them talk at your local PUG. Justin learned to ski this week but totally ripped it up out there.. he was skiing the BLUE runs!!... kind of against his will. eek. I hope he forgives the rest of us for that one. I have a feeling we will be getting to know them even more in the future.



Andy and Christine - Bello Photography of Boston. We met these two a day late and kicked things off by pushing their car up 200 yards of steep icy snow to get to the house. We have kinship now. We enjoyed getting to know them and hear some of their experiences.



Larry and Tabitha - Sherrell Portrait Design of Cape Cod. Kim and I seemed to have some striking similarities to these guys. We enjoyed their presence and spent lots of time laughing and even crying a little together. We hope to see them again soon.



And of course us... John and Kimberly


Over the past week we have really enjoyed these new friends and the openness they have about their lives and their businesses. We have truly inspired each other for this summer and had a lot of fun skiing, playing games and eating good food. We only wished we lived closer to them all and we really look forward to doing it all again next year. This was a vacation to remember! It was the first vacation we have had without the kids in 4 years! Woooo Hoooo! Oddly enough though, we miss them.

Trip to Florida Plus Congrats to Keri and Sam.

Great Egrit

So we took a trip this Fall to Florida for Keri and Sams Wedding. A Small intimate wedding in Miami. We took the whole family down for a little R&R after the wedding and decided to spend most of our time on the Beach. We learned quickly that the kids love the beach, instead of going to Disney World and other Florida attractions.. sand and water as all we needed for a really fun Vacation.

For many of you this is the first post you have ever read that focus a bit on our family. I'll call these "life Posts", consider them a bit of insight into our family. We want you to get to know us and witness exactly what makes us tick. Keep yourself coming back for more and feel free to comment.



When Big Brothers attack!


Lillianna


Noah


Gabriel


It is important to mention that the images captured above were taken using the Fuji Finepix F30 Digital point and shoot camera. This is the best Point and shoot camera ever, click on the camera to see a review.

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Keri and Sam really had a nice wedding. Small, with a lot of close family and friends. I really enjoyed traveling all the way from Virginia to capture their special day.


The first picture of the wedding day.

Holiday Card Packages Are Here.

Introducing our Holiday Card Special. Great for family portraits, engagement sessions, child portraits, and more. Now is a great time of year to get everyone together for some great fall colors portraits and have them placed in a custom designed holiday card. No more choosing lab templates and using old snapshots.. We will design one just for you with any message you desire, plus you get great new Images to share with loved ones. The session is one hour long and gets portraits of the whole family plus individuals portraits and combos at the location of your choice. Book a Holiday Card Package for October or November and we will throw in 15 extra Holiday cards to your order, free. it will quickly become a family tradition.