Destination engagement photo shoots are becoming more and more popular. They are a lot of fun for me because I get to explore different locations, foods, and cultures, and they are also convenient for my couples with crazy schedules that don’t have the time to get away. So of course I was excited when Anita and Chirag asked me if I would be interested in coming to St. Louis for their e-shoot. They will be having a spectacular multi-day wedding on Long Island in a couple of weeks, and this was the first opportunity we had to shoot together.
We took a few photos before Anita and Chirag treated me to an awesome Indian meal at Rasoi- the many flavors of India. Then we went back out into the rain to do some more before calling it a night. A few hours later we were shooting at sunrise to take advantage of the incredible morning light. Chirag had to work at the hospital for a coupe of hours, and then we were back to shooting again. We discovered the BBC: Banh Mi Boba Tea & Creperie in the beautiful Central West End. Alexis Kim (the owner) made a delicious Japanese and Western inspired desert crepe for us to share after she found out we were doing an engagement shoot. Wow, all I can say is I highly recommend this delightful crepe made right before your eyes, and stuffed full of Nutella and fresh fruits. I had to include the image of them feeding each other because Anita missed Chirag’s mouth and slammed him in the cheek with it on purpose. I think the image is a classic because I love how he has just the right amount for her, and how you can see the surprise on his face when he realizes it isn’t going in his mouth. He is trying to make it work right up to the last second, but she has other plans. We also tried Boba Tea for the first time. Boba are small tapioca balls used to add texture to drinks, they are also a lot of fun to chew.
Next we went to the Missouri Botanical Garden, and then to Laclede’s Landing- the historic riverfront in old St. Louis. Here I was introduced to baked ravioli, a hometown St. Louis favorite. Yes, we shot a lot, and we ate a lot, and it is always fun to work with someone that enjoys food as much as I do. We finished up at the one and only Gateway Arch. What a magnificent testament to technology this thing is. It can be difficult to photograph at the wrong time of day, so we waited for the right time and came away with some wonderful images. Four wedding parties were there at the same time as us, and I was surprised that none of the photographers took advantage of the most spectacular bounce light I have ever seen. The arch itself is a huge metallic reflector that baths different areas with incredibly warm beautiful light. Of course I couldn’t pass it up, can you guess which image was created in this unreal light?
I also managed to put in a guest photographer appearance at my good friend Dan Watkins wedding. It was great to see you Dan, hope your couple enjoys the little bit of New York love I created for them.
Thank you so much Anita and Chirag for everything, it was truly a pleasure getting to know you and doing this together. I so look forward to being together again for the wedding and the many fabulous images I know we will create together.
Congratulations Jen and Hernando!
It was a pleasure to share this special time with you and your families. It was exciting to be shooting a full blown wedding again too. Most people don’t realize how much physical energy it takes to photograph a wedding. There are always a few that come up to me at the end of the night and say that they have never in their life seen a photographer work like I do. I’m usually soaked with sweat, running on my last ounces of energy, and happy to have made it through the day. I really do appreciate it when someone takes a second to let me know that they saw the effort and dedication I put in for their friend or family member. I always say, “Wait until you see the photos” but they usually say, “After watching you work, I don’t need to see the photos to know you did a great job!” I have been working out for months in preparation for this and all of my weddings. Nothing compares to squatting in unreal positions for extended amounts of time, or holding a monster camera, lens, and flash for over twelve hours. Photographer muscles scream for days afterwards. It is a good thing that we can work the larger, main muscle groups, and the heart beforehand, or these little, less known muscles would never tolerate the beating they take.
The ceremony was at Sage Chapel on Cornell University, and the Ithaca Country Club provided the perfect location for the reception. Thank you to Laurie Chadwick for being such an attentive host (as always). I tip my hat to you and the entire staff at the Country Club for doing such a great job.
Pastry Chef and cake artist extraordinaire Marion Cardwell-Ferrer from Sincredible Pastries created another masterpiece for everyone to enjoy.
Thank you to Erich Camping for dropping in to shoot with me.
I wish you much love and happiness, now and forever Jen and Hernando.
Wow, sorry for the hiatus everyone. This is the longest I have ever gone between posts. Niiiiiiiicce, I get a new blog and then disappear. Actually, things have been busier than ever, and I have a lot of things to catch up on so look for a bunch of posts to be coming soon.
Photo District News (the professional photographers bible) asked future brides to review five wedding photographers web sites.
Brides Speak Their Minds About Photographers’ Web Sites
What three brides had to say–good, bad, and unedited–about the web sites of five wedding photographers
I didn’t know anything about it until the editor wrote me asking if they could use a few screen grabs from my web site for the magazine article. I was a little apprehensive at first because who knows who would be doing the reviews, plus if they slammed me for something it would be on prime time in front of the whole world. It turned out to be very educational for me, and I plan to implement some of their suggestions as soon as possible. I was a little disappointed because the blog actually received the most criticism. The redesign was already happening and about to be launched, but it was after the reviews so it wasn’t considered.
Recently, I did a couple fabulous engagement shoots in Buffalo and St Louis, and a wonderful wedding in Ithaca. My schedule is off the wall crazy already, but I hope to have these posts up as soon as possible. My friend Erich Camping gave a wedding workshop in Rochester and I dropped by to lend a hand. The images with this post are from some of the shoots we were doing to teach people how to find beautiful light and pose your couples in a variety of different positions. Thanks Erich and everyone for allowing me to share with you. I hope you were able to walk away with some valuable information. Thank you to Lynn, Dave, Haley, and Ryan for doing such a great job posing for us. Especially when it started to rain pretty good, you all did an awesome job, and I look forward to photographing with you again.
I am so excited to share the new blog with everyone! I have wanted large images for what seems like forever. Unfortunately, the images were maxed out at my old host, and the only way to go larger was to move everything. Please be sure to change your bookmarks, and links to point at this new address.
I have been working non-stop since the season ended (did it end?) trying to catch up on things before the new season gets into full gear. Then I met Jared Henderson from NetRivet Web Development and he told me that he had the solution to my problem. I put my faith (and credit card) in his hands and gave him the green light. Wow! Jared, all I can say is Bravo! I am so happy with the new look and really appreciate the work you did (at a fair price too). Thank you again, and rest assured that I will be talking you up for a long time to come.
As a photographer, I feel that my first post on the new blog must have images. Actually, this is a great chance to share some photos I shot at the incredible Revolution Workshop in NYC a few months ago. I was busy doing a couple of engagement shoots, so I was only able to shoot one of the sessions. However, the couple I worked with did a fabulous job, and we produced some awesome shots. Thanks again to everyone involved for allowing me to share a little time with you. The first image is doing well in a couple of competitions. It is a finalist in the Best of Weddings Contest and will be on display at the WPPI Convention in Las Vegas in a couple of weeks. I am very disappointed that I can’t attend again this year because of my schedule. This is the second year in a row that my work has been there but I haven’t. I will miss all of my friends and hope to see you next year, if not sooner.
This is a bunch of us (inside and outside) shooting the third shot down from the top. Can you find me?
The magnificently talented, and super niiiiiiiicce couple (I love these two) Chris+Lynn from Vancouver, British Columbia. I think that per capita Vancouver has more of my favorite photographers than anywhere. These two would certainly be at the very top of any list of great photographers though. 
I was looking forward to Heidi and Scott’s wedding, but even more so when Scott told me I had free reign to do what ever I needed in the church. “We have total confidence in you” are words I love to hear, and always put a smile on my face. This was also going to be my first wedding with a groom in his Marine Blues, so there was a lot to be excited about. To make things even more exciting, my friend Erich Camping saw their engagement shoot on my blog and offered to come along since it was in his hometown. It was a lot of fun doing this together, and we captured many wonderful images for the families to treasure.
Thank you to Peter Rogers at Locust Hill Country Club for looking out for us, and to everyone else for allowing us to share this wonderful day. I wish you many blessings Heidi and Scott as you begin your journey together. Please click on an image to see it larger, and click here for their slideshow. Please visit Erich’s blog too and leave him some luv.
