Nikol & George Engagement Shoot

I think Nikol and George's engagement shoot is a testimate to what I do for my clients. They both live in London England, George's parents live here and the wedding will be at the Franklin Institute this spring. They were in town for a quick two days back in December, we scheduled our shoot on the one day which happened to be the biggest snow storm of the season. It was the only day we could do it and since they won't be back in town together for a while we were not going to post pone. So I drove down to Longwood gardens to meet them. The drive there wasn't too bad, roads were not great but not that bad either. The way home was a different story. I think it took me four hours to get home. George's parents don't live too far from Longwood and it took them a while to get home too. It was quite the experience, but no regrets.

We did our shoot, had a great time in the gardens and it was such a juxtaposition to the weather outside. Longwood Gardens during the holidays is a must see.

We had a lot of fun in the children's garden of all places.

I particularly like this one.

A little fun with reflections.

another favorite.

They are too cute.

Of course we had to do some shots outside. I actually brought boots for Nikol, such a short trip she had not expected a snow storm of all things. Luckily we were the same shoe size! ha!

The snow was coming down pretty hard at this point! Love this.

Aww, love this too.

I love the this tree still has the brown leaves. Look at all that snow! Crazy. This area got something like 18 inches of snow and we were out in the height of the accumulation.

I had a lot of fun with you guys! Totally worth it, I would totally do it again. Can't wait to see you this spring.

Sara & Justin, Brooklyn Engagement Shoot

Sara and Justin are making the first appearance for my 2010 couples! They are getting married in May next year. A few weeks ago I drove up to Brooklyn to shoot their engagement session, we had a great time. I love these guys. When I first met them I also met Tillie. Tillie is their adorable pooch and I was instantly head over heals. I also had a dog, a welsh corgi, named Tillie when I was growing up. How could I not love their Tillie too?!

Tillie did like to take center stage at the beginning.

She also needed an individual shot, obeying the sign.

Seriously.

One more homage to Tillie and Brooklyn.

The steps where it all happened! Long conversations when they first started dating and their fist kiss.

One of my favorites. Sara is a hottie!

They are the cutest.

Another favorite.

So, I have a lot of favorites.

I love the next little series of images.
Sara and Justin are such a great match.
I'm so excited for you guys.

LOVE!

We had the best afternoon.

I can't wait to see you guys again soon.

Despina & Chris Engagement Shoot

So Despina and Chris are actually getting married tomorrow! I've been terrible with the blog I know, that will change in the coming weeks.

We had a lovely time on their engagement shoot, it was actually take 2 on the shoot. Amidst my busy schedule and finally finding a day that worked; on the way to our first shoot I got a flat tire. We were meeting at Valley Green but they were on the other side and didn't know how to get to me. I had them wait and have a drink while I changed my flat tire, yep I changed that baby by myself its actually no big deal. One hiccup once I got my spare on, it was flat... wawhwahwah. Long story short a lovely couple took it to put air in it and I was on my way. By this time it was dark and Don was on his way out of the city so we just decided to all have dinner instead of continuing with the shoot. See the three degrees of separation come into play as Despina went to school with Don, which was a surprise when they first came to meet with me. It was a happy little reunion actually. There are many more little things but that would make this a book, we rescheduled the shoot had dinner and all was well with the world. Thanks for all the patience and understanding guys! Its been a fun ride.
For this shoot I actually picked them up in my new car, added irony I bought a new car two days after the flat indecent. Go figure. (I didn't buy a new car because of the flat though, just coincidence.)

They are quite the lovely couple, very natural together and Chris keeps Despina grinning ear to ear.

Their favorite spot.

Having a little fun with signage.

We had such a great time and have had two lovely meals together now. Tomorrow is going to be a blast, my first big fat greek wedding. haha! We aren't afraid of the rain, Despina's smile will be our sunshine.
See you guys tomorrow.

A lot coming soon!!

I apologize for my lack of blog presence lately! I assure it is not because I have nothing to do, quite the opposite actually. Its been a super busy summer and I am busier than I have ever been before. The past two months have been such a blast, I have been shooting at least four days a week and school has started at Drexel where I am teaching two classes. The Philadelphia Wedding Project has been keeping us busy as well, check it out we have so many awesome sponsors and there is still time to submit your story! I am diligently working to get sessions online and the blog has been very quiet because of that. I thought a good substantial teaser of all the things to come would be just what the blog ordered. The images are pretty much the order of which you can expect to see everything.

Baby Hutch

Emily & Josh

Baby Evie

Soyoung & Stephen

Baby Gus

Jane & Dave

Baby Ryder

Melanie & Joe

Baby Alex

Despina & Chris

Steph & Dan

Kate & Ben

I also just shot an awesome double belly session with Dave Williams on video. We will have video and images cut together in a few months. Such a cool project!

Kate & Ben Engagement Shoot

Kate and Ben's wedding is quickly approaching, the end of this month! We went out for their engagement shoot last month at Radnor Hunt, which is where the wedding will be. They brought along their pups, who enjoy long walks at the Hunt. It was a gorgeous evening and we got some great shots. We also headed down the road to Sugartown for the last part, I love that place. Lots of photos in this post, I couldn't choose so you get a lot of images.

Ben and Hannah leading the way.
(Ben the dog, which by the way was not named after Ben the groom.)

So cute!

One of my favorites.

Such a good looking group!

These are from Sugartown. Love this one. Ben has a great smile.

Kate is such a natural beauty.

Love this one of Ben, what a ham.

Kate strutting her stuff.

Another favorite.

At this point I could have taken them on a whole other shoot! We were all warmed up and relaxed, so it was time for a little fun. I loved seeing this side of them.

You guys were great! Can't wait to see ya again in a few weeks!

Hilary & Paul engagement shoot

Hilary and Paul were so adorable. Paul was nervous, which added to some of the adorableness, for the photos. He did great and even better after a little hair of the dog if you will. In all seriousness we had a fun time on this shoot and it was great to get to know each other better. These two love birds will be getting married this fall and I can't wait to see them again.

This was one of the very first shots, love it.

Playing with some off camera light

See, adorable.

Philadelphia is full of awesome fountains.

One of my favorites of the day.

Love this fun little series.

You guys are awesome, so great spending time with you. I can't wait to do it all again come November!

Stephanie & Dan Engagement Shoot

I had a blast with Stephanie and Dan. You will see, Stephanie has a very contagious smile. She couldn't help but smile the whole time. We traveled around to a couple of locations in Fairmount park, just missed the Japanese Gardens but we made the most of it. Its been over a year since I have seen these two, so it was great to catch up and get to know each other better.

We started at the whispering benches.

crossed the police limits.

Asian Gothic.

A little reflection.

Light hearted nature.

One of my favorites

They are adorable aren't they!

Steph solo in the tree.

Another favorite. I love the emotion in this one.

A little relaxation. I love the blue spruce in the background, makes for some awesome color.

Another great moment.

This one is for Steph! She kept making fun of me when I would tell them to go into the tree. So she acted like she was being hunted. hahaha, I love the sense of humor with these two.

Awesome expressions here

We ended with walking Thore, their bull dog. He was very sweet.

Such a great afternoon with you guys! I had fun on our little adventure through Fairmount. See you guys in September!

Emily & Josh Engagement Session

A few weekends ago Emily, Josh and I met up at a top secret location for their engagement shoot. Really its top secret I can't tell you where it is, well maybe if you ask. Anyway it was a gorgeous day and we had a great time laughing it up and taking some pictures. They live in NYC and I would have loved to do the shoot there but our schedules just couldn't make it work. Luckily they come down here a lot and our secret location is one that Emily and her family frequents and I can see why. These guys are getting married in August at the Audubon Society, which I am so excited for. That place is awesome.

Meet Emily and Josh, cute aren't they?

Emily has a secret passion for photography and specifically requested that I shoot some film for the engagement shoot and on the wedding day. The square images you see here are all shot on film with my hasselblad on black and white film.

I really like this pairing.

Emily coveting my hasselblad.

I love the movement here. (film)

There were so many cool spots! This place is amazing.

Emily and Josh were seriously made for each other. They have such a great connection.

Which do you like best, the digital color version.....

or the film b&w version.....

Emily becoming one with nature. It is fitting because she is a natural beauty.

So many awesome moments with these two.

Relaxation time on the rock couch.

LOVE IT.

Its quite amazing all the detail film picks up, look in the trees and this is resized for web. A large print of this would be awesome.

Some lovin in the ferns.

We had to head back and include Duke their new puppy in some photos.

Too cute!

We will end with little Duke. So adorable and cuddly.

It was awesome getting to know you guys better and spending some time with you. Love little Duke! I can't wait to see you guys on the wedding day.

Marybeth & Adam Engagement Shoot

Where to begin!! Marybeth and I met in College, we both went to Towson State in Baltimore for one year during our sophomore year. We were roommates for half the year and we to this day have said our sole purpose for going to Towson was to meet each other. Seems a little silly but hey, Marybeth is one of my best friends and I am so thankful for that year at Towson. We don't see each other all that much these days but we do keep in touch and make a trip at least once a year. I remember when Marybeth was first talking about Adam. She had a crush from afar and was just coming out of a long relationship so was a bit timid. We soon found out that Adam had the same feelings and they naturally made a fantastic couple. They both work at Seacrets in Ocean City Maryland, they met there, work there and basically live there, really they live 500 feet from Seacrets.. It was the obvious choice of location to do their engagement shoot. It was also my first time meeting Adam in person! Yeah sounds crazy I know, he is a fantastic guy and totally adores Marybeth. Thumbs up from me MB!

This is the very spot that they met. Marybeth has worked at Seacrets for many years and Adam was just starting when she noticed him. Now Adam is her boss, haha go figure!

Some American Gothic Jamaica USA style.

Marybeth gets a thumbs up from Adam.

You will notice that Marybeth is all smiles and just glowing when she is near Adam.

The sand bar, a favorite spot.

Ring the bell for good tips!

They both bar tend, so uh yeah we had to have a drink.

No mistaking, they made a ticket and paid for it!

This just makes me laugh every time. All of Adams favorite things.

Marybeth is one of the most beautiful people I know, inside and out.

They are all favorites, but love the color in this.

Marybeth doing her Miss Seacrets pose.

Jammin in the Vdub.

We had to take the cruisers out for a little spin.

Major props to Adam! He will do anything for his love even if it means holding hands while riding bikes and running around posing for pictures while being subjected to much ridicule from Seacrets employees!

Another favorite. Special request by Marybeth for this one.

And ya know, have to end with some bling.

These two love birds are getting married this coming October in Rehoboth Beach. I can't wait, I am so excited for you guys!

Coming soon to a blog near you!

Okay, so yes I have been a tad absent with the blog posts as of late. I do have a good reason, I have been traveling and shooting and traveling and shooting, well you get the idea! I have a ton on deck, so I thought I would give you the line up in order of whats next here at the Joy Moody blog!

First up will be Blair and Mark married June 6th! Such a fun evening full of surprises. This image is one they talked about when I first met with them a year and a half ago! Meadowcroft is their new last name so it only seemed appropriate to do a little shoot with this sign which was conveniently located down the street from the reception.

Then we have Marybeth and Adam. Marybeth happens to be one of my best friends, we were roommates for a semester in College. I traveled down to Ocean City Maryland to have a little visit and engagement session with these two beautiful people. They both work at Seacrets and they also met there so it was the obvious choice to do the engagement session there.

These are all of Adams favorite things.

Some moodybabies will grace the blog as well! This is baby A.J. Talk about a small world but I first met A.J's dad during Erika and Ryan's engagement session, he let us take some pictures up on their roof deck, we then figured out that AJ was in a play group with baby Abbie! We had such a fun time, cant' wait to share these!

Then baby Ryder! Oh my how this little boy has grown since our first session. He is so adorable I can't even express his cuteness.

Then up is Mandy and Ryan's wedding. They were married in Nebraska this past weekend, June 20th. Don and I had a most enjoyable time with their family and friends and the wedding was so much fun!

I am playing a lot of catchup this week and gearing up for Erika and Ryans wedding on Saturday! So keep an eye out on all the eye candy that will soon grace the blog.

Kristina & Dave Engagement Shoot

I met up with Kristina & Dave a few weekends ago at Longwood gardens for their engagement session. They are a super fun and funky couple. The camera obviously loved them and we had a great time wandering the gardens. Its not hard to find great spots at Longwood. They are getting married this July so be sure to check back for the wedding images.

This is one of my favorites of the day.

Here comes the fun funky attitude I told you about.

These two are definitely hot!

Kristina had me cracking up the whole time, she can work the camera!

Even with all the fun we had playing around there were still some really great little moments.

They make an awesome couple!

Great one to end on! Happy I found a wall, a really cool one too.

It was a pleasure you guys! I had a blast.

Soyoung & Steve Engagement Shoot

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of hanging out with Soyoung and Steve. They live in Old City and were excited to wander their neighborhood and take photos. These two are so sweet. Taking pictures of them seemed effortless, they are naturals in front of the camera. They just exude a calm and carefree nature. I found myself stopping our conversations mid-sentence when I would see the perfect spot or the perfect light. We were regular chatter boxes. They will be married in August and I am really looking forward to seeing them again.

One of the first few images of the session.
I find it helps to embarrass them a little (not in a bad way) and make them laugh, it really helps to bring through their true personality. I love this one!!

Here they are all adorable!

We strolled down Delancy, one of the most beautiful streets in Philadelphia.

You can just see the love these two have for each other.

Oh the sweet buttery light! Head House Square is an awesome place to shoot.

We found a special garden I had never been to.

Love this location.

We took a little stroll through Independence Park and stopped a few places along the way.

Some of the coolest spots are in your back yard, this was the alley way behind their building.

It was so great hanging out with you guys. The weather couldn't have been better and you guys were just a pleasure. I am looking forward to August!

Mandy & Ryan Engagement Session

I am so excited for Many and Ryan's wedding in many ways. First they are good friends of mine and Don's, we are all connected through our vintage scooter club so I am a bit partial to these two. Second the wedding is in Lincoln Nebraska! Which I am sure everyone in Lincoln might not think its a big deal, but I can't wait. I am looking forward to the new scenery and doing some fun shoots in some corn fields and stuff like that. The reception is also in an old theater, which I have heard is really cool. Mandy and Ryan are originally from Lincoln and their families are still there. They came out here on a trial basis for Mandy's job and they liked it so much they ended up staying. We had a great time on their shoot, we had some lunch and drinks to let the heat subside and the sun fall a little more in the sky, it was perfect timing. We wandered their neighborhood in Society Hill and ended on a high note at the Franklin Fountain for some yummy ice cream goodness.

They are a good looking couple don't you think?

Style and comfort

I have a lot of favorites from this session.

hehe, I love Mandy's expression here.

Contender for favorite of the day

mmm, afternoon light

This was just a test shot for my exposure, but I liked it so much it made it to the blog!

Having fun getting the petals to fall off the tree.

We had to of course include Poppy in the photos!

Their neighborhood is fantastic, love this area of Philly.

Hanging on their front stoop, poppy happy.

Quick wardrobe change and a few more portraits.

Beautiful Mandy

Have to include some flare.

Ending at the Franklin Fountain should be a requirement for all photo shoots, especially on a hot day.

So much fun you guys!! I can't wait to see your home town and meet your family!

Molly & Brian Engagement Session

I am so excited for Molly and Brian's wedding. They are getting married May 30 at the Constitution Center, its going to be awesome. We got together on Sunday for their engagement session, its been a while since I last saw them so it was great to reconnect. Sunday was pretty crazy, Philadelphian's go wild once the weather gets warm. I think everybody and their mother was outside. We met up at the Art Museum for a few shots in the Azalea garden and then off to the rock garden and Kelly drive. I love the rock garden, its a little gem I never knew was there!

They said they were a bit camera shy but I think they worked the camera quite well!

A nice little candid moment

They are hot stuff!

I thought these paired together nicely

I love this image. I love Molly's look and the way Brian is guiding her up the trail. Beautiful.

Molly is such a natural beauty.

There they go again, being all adorable!

Something about this one I really like.
Brian just stared wearing glasses and I think they really suit him.

So you think they were camera shy? Nah! You guys did great. I can't wait to see you again on the wedding day.

Irene & Jim Engagement Session

Last weekend I spent some time getting to know Irene and Jim. Their wedding is fast approaching, May 23! We had a great time wandering their neighborhood and taking photos along the way. They are a super sweet couple. We are going to have a great time on their wedding day, I can't wait!

I got them to warm up pretty easily.

A little play on their height. Irene is very petite and Jim is super tall. It was a fun dynamic.

I like getting some more candid moments during engagement sessions.

The streets in Society Hill are awesome.

Another favorite street. I told you they were adorable.

I thought it might be fun to play around with the driveway mirror.

Irene lives off of Washington Square and I loved some of the structures at her apartment building.

This might be my favorite from the day.

Thank you guys so much, I had a great time with you. Can't wait to see you in a few weeks!

Blaire & Mark Engagement Session

I had a fantastic day with Blaire and Mark last week. The day started out rainy and there was some talk about rescheduling but we figured can't control the weather on the wedding day might as well just go with it for the engagement shoot. They were great and the day didn't end up half bad!
It had been over a year since I last saw these guys, they were on the ball in booking their popular June 6 date! I was so excited to see them and reconnect. They trusted me to find some cool spots in the city to shoot. Blaire mentioned architectural detail and I knew where I wanted to take them.

Isn't this a cool location?
I can't take all the credit, I found out about it through one of my students last term when they took some images for their project here. Any idea where this is? We almost didn't even find it!

Going a tad out of order here.
We started the day off at their home with their adorable bulldog Winston.
Winston took us for a walk.

I love when I can get my couples to crack up! Love love this one.

Winston had to have a few solo portraits of course.

He is one solid pooch. Only a year old! Crazy. He can just steal your heart.
Mark is an awesome guy too, don't get me wrong!

More infectious laughing

Super simple portrait but might be one of my favorites.

Another awesome moment

I love finding these quaint Philadelphia streets.

We had such an awesome afternoon! I can't wait to see you guys in a few months.

Enjoy your slideshow!

Stephanie & Tim Engagement Shoot

With all this spring weather you would never believe that last week we got over five inches of snow! Stephanie and Tim got engaged during the first snow in November and when we first met we had already decided that we would do the engagement shoot in the snow. With all the snow we have had the timing just hadn't been our side so when this storm started Stephanie and I were in instant contact and the shoot was ON! It was a gorgeous day last week, tad cold but they were tough and took it in stride.

Tim pulled a fast one and this image started our shoot, love it.

One of my favorites.

A typical Tim look.

When thinking of location Stephanie requested somewhere with a barn. BINGO.

I took a few textures while we were at the barn, texture has been incorporated into this image.

Another favorite.

I punched up the colors a tad but not much, the sky was an awesome blue.

When Tim proposed he took Stephanie to a golf course and told her he wanted to go make snow angels. Due to what she was wearing at the time she wasn't too keen on the idea, poor Tim just trying to get her out of the car with out being obvious. He did get her out of the car and proposed in the snow, minus the snow angels. She obviously said yes.
The end goal of our shoot? You got it snow angels!

Steph and Tim tie the knot in October. Its going to be a grand time, can't wait!
Was great hanging out with you guys.

Check out the Slideshow

Melanie & Joe Engagement Shoot

Melanie and Joe are on the ball with their wedding planning! She has everything except a few minor details taken care of and they can cross their engagement session off their list as well. They are getting married next September and I can hardly wait to see them again. We set out on the last weekend of full rich Autumn color in the area. Melanie's mom joined us for the beginning so she could wisk away little Shelby Lynn after her appearance in the shoot. Shelby is their dog in case you wondering. She is very much a part of their family and in fact they got her the day that Joe proposed so she had to be part of the shoot.

Aren't they adorable?

I love getting shots like these! I have so many favorites from this shoot.

It was a brisk day in New Hope, but it was gorgeous! The colors were amazing all day and Melanie and Joe were mighty photogenic themselves.

Just a little fun with framing and the bridge

There they go again, being all adorable.

We found a lot of cool little spots just by wandering around a bit.

This one is pretty high on the list for favorite of the day.

Love this one too.

It was so much fun hanging out with you guys! I can't wait to see you guys again and to see how much little Shelby grows. Say hi to your mom and thanks for tagging along to dogsit.
Enjoy your slideshow!

Erika & Ryan Engagement Session

A few weeks ago I met up with Erika and Ryan for a much anticipated engagement session. So many things about the day were symbolic. It was the day of the first part of the last world series game, as we all know it ended up in a rain delay and luckily the rain held out for our shoot. It was also their anniversary and exactly six months to their wedding day. Lots of cool coincidences! We did our shoot in the Rittenhouse area since this was where Ryan proposed.

Check these two out!

I love this one.

We took a few shots in front of the Rittenhouse which was where there families were waiting for them after Ryan proposed. The proposal was a total surprise for Erika but Ryan had the whole family in on it and everyone was waiting for them here to celebrate.

HOT!

They are such a dynamic couple. They really got the hang of working the camera! Erika's eyes are awesome.

And what I totally love most about them! So hilarious.

We found a random chair and decided to use it to our benefit.

Again, holy hotness!

So sweet

This is the spot where Ryan proposed and a frequent lounging spot for them when Ryan lived in the city.

Towards the end of our shoot when we were headed back to the park this guy drove by and asked us if we had been shooting on Delancy, we said yes and then he offered us his roof deck for a few shots! It was awesome because the whole time we were walking by these houses just wishing we could go in and see what they were like and then our wish was granted! Thank you Mark for inviting us into your home an on to your roof! You can see some of those images in the slideshow, it was soo hard to choose which images to feature on the blog.

Erika and Ryan get married next June, I can't wait its going to be a blast.
Thanks guys, it was a blast hanging out.

Slideshow

Matt & Marcella Engagement Session

I was so excited for the chance to hang out with Matt and Marcella a few weeks ago. Matt and I worked together at Drexel, he started out as a workstudy and then joined our team of Facility Managers in the Design & Imaging Studios. I remember when he first came into the office and told us he had a girl friend, he was ear to ear smiles and even blushed a little as he told us about her. Of course we had to tease him a little but just in a good fun kind of way. I had only met Marcella once or twice since shortly after they started dating I left Drexel. Then this summer, I get a very very excited email from Matt announcing his engagement! He wanted me to shoot the wedding and honestly I wouldn't have it any other way! I am very excited for these two. They will tie the knot in January. Without further ado, I know you really want to see the images and slideshow!

Aren't they adorable?

I loved this sea of leaves.

My favorite kissing shot.

We were in Fairmount Park at the Wissahickon River.
Love the reflections

Matt and Marcella frequently come to this spot to hang out, talk and take it all in.

You can just see the love between them. So happy for you guys!

It was so much fun hanging out with you guys and it was a beautiful day for a stroll through the park! I am excited to see you again in January.

Slideshow

Janene and Congrad Engagement

Last weekend I headed out with Janene and Conrad for their engagement shoot. They are getting married this coming weekend, 11-8-08. We had been trying to schedule and e-shoot for months and time finally got away from us! Luckily they live in my current neighborhood so we met up and took a stroll down Kelly drive. I think we spent most of our time chatting. Then hunger set in, Conrad played a soccer game earlier that day and did not eat before we went out. You can imagine how hungry he was!
We did get some great shots, their chemistry together is wonderful and they needed very little direction from me. I look forward to this coming weekend for their wedding.

This one and the image following are a toss up for my favorites.

The colors in the past week or so have really exploded around here!

Looking forward to this weekend!

Yeah Philadelphia Phillies!

I fully admit I am not a big sports buff, but you gotta feel the love if you are in Philadelphia right now. In celebration of a World Series win I give you Erika and Ryan, we did their engagement shoot on Monday before they headed down to watch the game. We had a fantastic time and Ryan is a huge Phillies fan so we had to spread the love. I will certainly have more on their shoot later, I have other shoots ahead of them in line at the moment. I am sure you all will understand the bump up to the front for this one.

Go Phillies, and go Erika and Ryan!

Beth & John E-Session

I met up with Beth and John out in West Chester last weekend for their e-session and some sushi. The weather has been so amazing so we just strolled around the neighborhood finding neat little spots for photo opps. They are an adorable couple and we had a lot of laughs as we walked around. They spend a lot of time in West Chester so it was important to document them in the town they love so much. There are a lot of cool little spots, its always fun to shoot somewhere I am unfamiliar with.

Something I liked about this empty parking lot

It was a great time of day for light, and Beth's ring is gorgeous.

Just a simple portrait, but I love it.

This one just takes me back in time a little.

I couldn't decide which one of these to post so I just put them together.
I just love the action and reaction.

Beth is gorgeous and the camera loves her, I love the calmness in this image.

I am really looking forward to the wedding this October and getting to spend some more time with you guys.

Enjoy the slideshow!

Alicia & Dave E-Session

Last Sunday amidst all the thunderstorms rolling through the area I met up with Alicia and Dave for their engagement session at Chadds Ford Winery. This was my first time meeting them in person (they live in D.C.) and I couldn't be more excited to put a name to the face and even more excited that they are totally adorable. We readied ourselves for the shoot by starting off with a wine tasting. It was perfect to get to know each other and calm some nerves. I highly recommend going to Chadds Ford, not only do they have some really good wine but their tasting was extremely generous. We could have hung out a lot longer but since we actually needed to take some pictures we steadied ourselves, sorta, I think we tried 13 wines? It was the perfect getting to know you time.

Now on to picture time!
I have a lot of favorites from the session but this one is at the top of the list.

Awesome stainless holding tanks.

Dave brought along a little surprise for Alicia, their football jerseys! She is an Eagles fan, he is a Patriots fan so he thought it would be fun to stir things up a bit. I would love to be a fly on the wall when their teams play each other. There are more fun shots in the slideshow.

Another top contender for favorite of the day.

The management at Chadds Ford was very gracious to take us down to the cellar for some photos. I even gained an assistant to hold some lights for me.

Love this one by the barrels.
Continuing some moody lighting.

I have been lovin these engagement sessions. I come away from each one with a big smile on my face, so happy to have so many awesome couples to work with.

Alicia and Dave you guys are adorable, make sure to let me know when you are in town again.

Slideshow

Ashley & Matt E-Session

Last Saturday after a fun session with Crystal and Chris we headed over to the east side to meet up with Ashley & Matt. We met them at Frank restaurant which is where they first met. Matt used to work there and Ashely lived right around the corner. We had some drinks and hung out a little at their table. Ashley even wore the shirt she had on when they first met. It is a cute place and the food that was coming out of the kitchen smelled divine!

I wanted to put a little something together to get the all around feel of Frank's

They did a quick wardrobe change and we headed to the park around the corner from their apartment.

I just love this one, Ashley has beautiful brown eyes.

Matt is a total goof ball but he is super handsome and has a great smile

mmm buttery flare

Matt is in the process of opening a new restaurant in Brooklyn so we thought it would be perfect to incorporate that into the shoot. Its going to be so cool for them to look back at these when everything is finished. As of last Saturday they still didn't have a name nailed down but once I find out the name I will be sure to update this post. I had a lot of fun playing with some different lighting techniques and mixing things up a bit. Its one of my goals this year to be a little more experimental with artificial light, get some moody into it ya know.

**up date! The restaurants name is No. 7**

We could not forget the smittens! Ashley's mom got the smittens for them and when Matt proposed during a hike he put the ring in the shared smitten hand for Ashley to find.

Too freaking cute.

Again, such a fun day. We also had amazing meals with both couples from Saturday, it was a tasty day. I am so glad we were able to travel to NYC and capture important things for each couple. Matt cracks me up, you will see some of his character come out in the slideshow. They are getting married in October at the Appleford estate in Philadelphia. Can't wait to see you guys again, hopefully I will see you before the wedding if we can get up for the restaurant opening.
Thanks again to Don for second shooting and assisting me throughout the day. Some of the shots in the slideshow are from him. Isn't he a great well rounded boyfriend?

Slideshow

Crystal & Chris E-Session

Last Saturday Don and I headed up to NYC for two awesome engagement sessions. We met Crystal and Chris first in Times Square. They really wanted to incorporate the city into the shoot and we had a fantastic time. At the very start of the shoot we had a bit of a shoe malfunction as they were running across the street Crystals shoe strap broke! But luckily Don had a safety pin on him and Chris ran to the drug store for some tape. Go figure, these things happen but we made the best of it.

Crystal and Chris will be getting married in Philadelphia at the Academy of Fine Arts in September. I am really looking forward to seeing them again, we had a great time on Saturday.

Now on to some photos!

I love the motion in this image, one of my favorites from the day.

Nothing could be more New York than hailing a cab.
OK, so maybe the Naked Cowboy is becoming part of the NYC culture. He was a little upset when we didn't actually want to pose with him, we just wanted him in the background. But we did take some of the traditional tourist shots with him, you will see in the slideshow.
$2.00 well spent.
From Times Square we headed over to the Brooklyn Pominade. Crystal went to Law School in Brooklyn and so this was familiar territory. Everything about Saturday was perfect, beautiful people, perfect temperature and white puffy clouds.
Love all the elements in this image, the sky, the couple and the shadows.
SexyJazz hands!
Ha ha, Chris has this thing with jazz hands. I really enjoy their playfulness in this image.

We had so much fun, and I can't wait to see them again. Don did a little second shooting and some assisting for me, the only reason I was able to get some awesome shots of them with the sky behind them. A few of his images made it into the slideshow as well! I am so happy he was able to go up with me. He had a great time and really enjoyed meeting everyone.

Enjoy the Slideshow

Sura & John E-Session

Thursday evening I spent some time with Sura and John. Their wedding is in September and after hanging out with them again on Thursday I am even more excited for it now. They are such a fun and cute couple, lots of personality. Not to mention they followed directions well and took some chances for the sake of the image. Love that.

We started off at CHOP, they both work in emergency there and its also where they met. So it was a no brainer to take some photos there. We then went to Elfreth's Alley for some essential old city Philly photos and they were excited to go to Logan fountain at the end. The fountain was very fun, check in the slideshow for more images. We all got a tad wet but it was worth it.

I think I made them run across the street five times to get this particular shot. One of those things when you get it in your head you must have it. I have always loved that National sign and I pictured them just like this in mid air. cool.

I love this little series.
Shows a lot of their personalities.

I think one of my favorites from the day.Fun with feet.
Cool alley way, somehow the fire escapes reminded me of Italy.

Slideshow
(Sorry if it stalls a bit in the middle, not sure why its doing that.)

Melissa & Mike

A few weeks ago Melissa, Mike and I headed out to do another engagement session with just them this time. Last time we did a family style shoot but we wanted to concentrate on just the two of them a little more this time around. Not to mention it was awesome to hang out with them for a few hours and get caught up with just the grown ups.

Of course we picked a hot and humid day, but what can ya do? They braved the weather wonderfully and a quick stop at Starbucks helped revitalize us.

Here are some of my favorites.

We were out in Yardley and I just love these old houses.

I wanted to get a head shot for each of them. Man love Melissa's eyes. I have some ideas brewing for her wedding day and those eyes!

A little behind the scenes action here courtesy of Mike while he was holding my camera.

Not only am I a photographer but I can also fix broken necklaces, bustle dresses, fix make-up, tie bows, design invitations, menus and much much more!

Melissa and Mike will be tying the knot this September and I can hardly wait. I will be doing double duty at the wedding, wedding photographer for the first part of the day and guest at the reception. Melissa has been a very good friend for years and really wanted me to be a part of her big day in both ways. It will be fun and I am so excited for her.

Love you guys! Enjoy your slideshow

Come up with a caption for this one.

I know you can come up with some fun captions, lets hear em!

The above couple are the lovely Melissa and Mike who are getting married in September. We went out last weekend for another engagement shoot, our first one included their adorable daughter Ellena. We thought it would be fun to get some of just the two of them and it was good hanging out time for all of us. I am still a tad backed up from being away last week and that will continue since I will be away again most of this week!

You guys should have some fun with this one until I return on Thursday. I just crack up every time I look at that image.

Have a great week!

Lydia & Pat's engagement Session

Lydia and Pat are such a fun couple. We met up last Friday to roam around Rittenhouse. We found a bunch of cool little spots and they even got in the fountain for me. I got in too, it was actually refreshing. They both went to school in Philadelphia but didn't meet until they were working in Baltimore. They just moved back here so its an exciting time for them to get to know the city together again.

Lydia can totally work the camera! She kept cracking me up she was soo good, which then made her crack up. I loved it because she has such an expressive laugh.

I LOVED this mural. Oh I can't resist those colors.

The owner to this house happened to be arriving home when we were on his stoop. At first we just thought he was watching us but he was flattered and patiently waited while we took a few more shots. I really enjoyed this stoop.

I think this is one of my favorites from the evening. Just something about it.

They are getting married coming up in August at the Pearl S. Buckhouse and will begin my marathon of weddings into the fall.
Totally excited, I have had a nice break and will be ready to jump right in.

Check out their slideshow

Julie Pete & Logan Family Engagement

Friday evening I spent some time with Pete, Julie and Logan. Pete and Julie are getting married in August and instead of doing a more traditional engagement session we decided to make it a family affair. Logan pretty much called the shots on this shoot, we followed him and did what he wanted to do. He moves quick too! We went on a walk through the neighborhood and then down to love park. The light Friday night was a dream.

This is one good looking family don't ya think?

Mr. Logan all grown up in his little car just chillin.

I always enjoy letting the kids loose and seeing what they do, you had to keep a close eye on this guy though. I like that you can see Pete making sure the little man was ok.

Amazing light like I said. I think this is my favorite color family photo of the day.

I had to include this one because I can't tell you how excited I am to see these guys on their wedding day. Julie is amazingly gorgeous. I love this image, she didn't even know I took it.

It was great spending time with you guys.
We are going to have a great time on the wedding day.

Slideshow

Elizabeth & Kevin Engagement Shoot

Sunday morning I met up with Elizabeth and Kevin for their engagement shoot. They live out in Ohio but Elizabeth's family lives here in Philly. They were in town for her bridal shower so we took advantage of that and headed out before they had to be at the airport. It was equally as hot as the day before and we took a few breathers to cool off in between locations. Man the heat just drains you, I give these guys credit for looking so adorable through it all!

There are so many cute little hideaways in Old City, I just love that neighborhood.

Their reception will be at the Seaport Museum so we thought it would be cool to head over there for some photos. The sun was hot and high so I decided to use it to a bit of my advantage.

The Ben Franklin Bridge always photographs so well, as does Elizabeth!

I hope you guys were able to cool off and relax before heading to the airport. I am glad we got to meet up and I can't wait to see you in October.

Enjoy the Slideshow

Jessica & Karol Engagement

Saturday after hanging out with baby Zoe I headed down to Old City to meet up with Jessica and Karol. They are getting married in October and I was very excited to meet up with them again. We hung out for a while got a bite to eat and decided to take some casual photos near Head House Square, on of my favorite places to go.

Meet Jessica and Karol
This is one of my favorites from the day.

I think this one ties for my favorite.
I really enjoyed the little moments they had together during the shoot.

Spring isn't over yet, there are still a ton of plants flowering all over the place.
I loved this patch of purple.

They are so comfortable together.

Its been so exciting getting together with all my couples this year. I am so excited for all the weddings I have coming up. Its going to be a great summer!

Jessica and Karol, I look forward to hanging out with you guys again. You are going to be such an adorable bride and groom!

Enjoy your slideshow

Jessica & Chris Engagement Shoot

I have been so excited for this shoot. Don and I went up to New Haven CT this weekend to hang out with these two awesome people. We first met Jess and Chris at one of the many scooter rallies that we go to every year. They brought a big group down from Connecticut one year to our July rally and the rest is history. Chris is also a photographer and we have always had tons to chat about. Last year when he told me that him and Jess had got engaged and they couldn't think of anyone else to photograph their wedding I was so excited and not to mention honored. Their wedding is going to be beautiful. We head up to Bennington Vermont for it at the end of June.

Enough chit chat and on to photos.

It was supposed to rain all day Saturday, but we got beautiful weather instead.
Aren't they adorable?

I just love this one.

We have a ton of shots with the scoots.

I love Jess's laughter in this image.Weeeeeee!!

Really what could be sexier?

Ok maybe this.

You can't just pose with the scooters you have to ride them.

And of course Jess has her own scoot!Again thank you guys so much for all the hospitality and friendship.
I can not wait for your wedding weekend and to see you guys again.

slideshow

Alison & Kevin Engagement Shoot

First off I hope everyone went out and voted today! I will be very curious to see who Pennsylvania favors.
So thats it with the politics, which I am really not big on. On to more exciting things like Alison and Kevin! We had a blast on Sunday and it was such a gorgeous day. Alison and Kevin are true outdoors people and after chatting a bit seems that Kevin is quite the history buff, he would do a good job guiding tours at the Fonthills Museum where we did our shoot! He was full of all sorts of information about the property,which by the way I love this place. So many fun spots to choose from and I love the spring, such vibrant colors.

Alison and Kevin are my 6-7-08 couple and I could not be more excited to shoot their wedding!

Aren't they adorable?

I think they are both naturally photogenic.

Totally hot.

I enjoy being surprised by unintentional shots, as I was getting set up for this shot I fired off a few frames just to make sure my settings were just so as Kevin and Alison were patiently waiting for my instruction and this was the test shot, it turned out to be my favorite of the bunch.

I could not wait to get them in the field of dandelions. We did these at the end, and good thing since we were all covered in yellow pollen afterwards!

I love this sea of green and yellow.

Such a fun afternoon! Be sure to check out the slideshow, a ton of awesome stuff in there even one of them running from the law! :) Not to mention Kevin is a man of many faces and provided me much entertainment going through all these images. Enjoy.

Alison & Kevin Teaser

Whew what a weekend! I am going through a ton of images at the moment. I had the pleasure of going out on another wedding with Ryan Estes this weekend, what a blast! Stay tuned for those images. And this afternoon I got to meet up with Alison and Kevin for their engagement shoot. We had a great time, not a dull moment. I realized going through all these images it may be a day or so before I get them up so I wanted to just leave you with a little taste.

Yes the hills may be alive with the sound of music, or something like that.

Man it was a gorgeous day! Stay tuned for more!

Allison & Barry E-Shoot

I had the pleasure of hanging out with Allison & Barry yesterday afternoon for their engagement shoot. They are getting married June 1 at the Overbrook Golf Club, I am really looking forward to it, it will be just gorgeous.
The days I get to hang out with the B&G for these shoots are really important. This was my first time meeting Barry and man he is a total ham. Love it. He did the crazy stuff I asked him to and it totally broke the ice for everyone.

This one is my favorite of the day.

The total ham I was talking about.

More play time, Barry is going to be a great dad.

I think this says a lot about the two of them.

Oh man, too much fun. I had a great time with you guys. I can't wait to see you again on the wedding day.

Your slideshow

Rich and Yun-Jin's Engagement Shoot

Last night I met up with Rich and Yun-Jin for our night engagement shoot. Their wedding is next weekend so we wanted to make sure to get our e-shoot done before hand. We had a fantastic dinner at the Korean restaurant Paladium and got to know each other. Then we jumped right in to the photo shoot.

I was so excited to do some night shooting!

They were naturals.

They often duck into little alleyways for a quick kiss, so our starting point was perfect.

I love these two images of them.

You can't go wrong with a night shot and City Hall in the background.They were smiles all night.We stopped off at their future apartment at the end of the shoot.
Great high ceilings, and original marble floors.

They were such a pleasure to photograph! I can not wait until the wedding next Saturday.

Be sure to check out the slideshow, there are so many awesome shots.

Melissa and Mike's slideshow

Did you think I forgot? No, me, never! Going to NYC and getting sick kind of set me back a bit. All is good now and without further ado check out their slideshow.

We had an interesting day to say the least. Figuring out ways to entertain Ellena while getting shots of Melissa and Mike, being in the wrong place at the wrong time on Main Street in Manayunk (upset Eagles fans only puts it lightly) and then ending on a high note at the Art Museum with beautiful light. We had a great time one that surely won't be forgotten.
I am looking forward to their wedding next year, its going to be a blast.

Melissa and Mike

Sunday I got to hang out with Melissa and Mike. Melissa has been a good friend of mine for years and it is such a pleasure to see her so happy. This was a bit of an unconventional engagement shoot because they had their daughter Ellena with them. You might remember previous photo shoots of Ellena. Anyway, Mike is always working and has seemed to miss out on all the photos shoots so we figured this was the perfect way to get the whole family together and I don't think Mike and Melissa have any real good photos of the two of them or as a family.

I love Melissa's eyes, aren't they amazing, one is brown one is green.

Mike had a great time playing with Ellena on the swings.

Ellena was very content sifting through the fallen leaves. She was very upset when we picked her up to move on to another location.

A very nice family portait.

Mike is a total goof ball.

I just love the subtlety of this photo.
I couldn't resist.Melissa and Mike are getting hitched September 21 at the Glen Ford Mansion. It is a beautiful venue right along the Delaware River. I am so excited. I have not had a chance to get their slideshow together so hopefully these teaser photos will hold you over. I am headed to NYC tonight and will be there through Friday for Photo Plus Expo. Until then, enjoy the rest of your week.

October Specials and Celebration

October is going to be a month of specials and celebration!

First is the Celebration.
I am venturing out into the world of being a full time professional photographer! Yep that's right, bye bye day job. This means I will have the much needed time to devote to my business and my clients. Very exciting! I have worked long and hard for this day to come and you, my fantastic clients, have allowed me to get where I am today.

The Specials!
I am a member of the Professional Photographers of America and every October they host Family Portrait Month. Studios that participate in Family Portrait month commit to donating a percentage from each sitting to Operation Smile, which treats children around the world who suffer with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities. I can not think of a better chance to raise money for such a worthy cause. I plan on donating 10% of my total portrait sessions and weddings booked in October to Operation Smile.

Portrait Sittings
In addition to me donating a percentage from each portrait session to Operation Smile you will have your choice of one of the following products that I will include in your package at no charge to you.

1 set of 24 5x7 Holiday Cards, perfect timing for the upcoming holiday season! 85.00 value
or
1 12x18 print matted to 16x20, ready to be framed. 85.00 value
or
1 soft bound book filled with all the images from your session. 85.00 value

October is a great time to get the family together, the holiday season is right around the corner, so there’s no better time for a family portrait, which is always appreciated as gifts for family and friends and to send along with holiday greeting cards.

Weddings
In the month of October ONLY I am offering 10% off all 2008 wedding photography packages! I will also be donating a percentage from your wedding package to operation smile. The fine print? You must book your wedding, have the signed contract and retainer to me by October 31st. This is an amazing deal and could yield up to 700.00 off your wedding package.

Please feel free to contact me and set up your appointment

Kristin and Phil's Guest Book

We just finished Kristin and Phil's guest book and it is off to the printer/binder! I think it looks fantastic and am really excited to see it in person. Click here to see the book.
Don is responsible for the design and illustrations, he did an amazing job as usual. I offer guest books as an add on item, if you want to add one to your wedding package let me know.

Show me some love, comments back on.

No wonder I was feeling so unloved! Somehow all my comments were turned off, actually I have to check a box every time I have a new post that says if I want comments or not...didn't used to be that way. I am wise to it now, comments are enabled so feel free to share your love.

Jane and Brian's Engagement Shoot

Jane and Brian were a lot of fun today. I knew they were going to be an easy couple when this was the first shot I got! They were really excited for the shoot.
They are getting married in September at the Valley Green Inn. So we figured we would do some pictures in the City for their engagement shoot.

Old City has so many cute little side streets, great spots for photographs.

OOh don't they look so sexy here!

They both have amazing eyes.

Jane used to go running down to the south street bridge when she lived in the city and she never noticed the big people sculptures, now I am sure she won't forget them.
It was great hanging out with you guys today. I am excited to see you in September.

Here is your slide show.

Deb & Malk's Engagement Shoot

Sunday I met up with Deb and Malk for their long awaited engagement shoot. They live in upstate New York but they are having their wedding at the Morris Arboretum since most of their family is from the surrounding area. They booked their date way back in July and this was the first chance we have had to meet each other. They are such a calm and laid back couple. We had a great time walking the grounds of the Arboretum taking pictures. I am glad we did the engagement pictures there. The Arboretum grounds are huge and it will be so pretty in May when they get married.
When we went into the Fernery it was such a drastic change in temperature that my lens really fogged up. We had to wait a good while for things to normalize. We took advantage of it though and got some cool shots that look very dreamy, you will see more in the slideshow.



It was great to meet you guys and I hope you had a safe trip home.

Here is your slideshow

Katie and Declan Engagement Shoot

I met Katie and Declan at the art museum today for their engagement shoot. We have been having wonderful weather the past couple of days, and the temperature today was perfect. Katie and Declan are such a cute couple. So young and in love, we had a fun afternoon taking photographs. They are getting married August 4th at The Brandywine Manor House. Until then here are some images from today and the slideshow.

Slideshow

Lauren and Keith Engagement

Monday night I went out with Lauren and Keith for their engagement shoot. We had a fantastic time walking all over Philly. They had great attitudes and were up for anything. I love when I make such a great connection with a couple.
They are getting married on June 9th at the Morris House in Old City Philadelphia, it is going to be beautiful.

View the Slideshow

Dede & Roosevelt Engagement Shoot

Thursday evening I went out with Dede and Roosevelt to take some engagement shots. Their wedding is on November 18th and I am really excited to go up to the NY Hudson Valley for it.
Dede and Roosevelt met in Haiti a couple of years ago and after much hard work he has moved here and is very excited to begin his new life in the US. We had a lot of fun at the Art Museum! You can view the slideshow here:

View Slideshow