Amusement Park Dreams

Andy and Caryn got engaged on April Fool's Day. For Christmas, her gift was a scavenger hunt he created for her. She received a long list of tasks and activities, each one worth a certain number of points.  As the time started to run out, Caryn wondered if she was going to be able to collect enough points to cash them in for the "Mystery Box", one of the prizes from which she could choose. I'm sure the two of them would have enjoyed taking a cruise together, but I bet Caryn is glad she was able to earn enough to solve the mystery! As you may have guessed, the surprise inside was the engagement ring.

For their engagement session, we headed to a local amusement park to enjoy the end of the season. I was happy to get some great shots of the two of them enjoying the rides, eating cotton candy, surrounded by neon lights. It was great to work with such fun people and good friends. I have known the two of them since they started dating, and I hope they enjoy planning their wedding and starting their married life together. Congratulations, Andy and Caryn!

Steve Buscemi and Martinis

My fiance and I have an addiction to expensive cable.

We don't go out to dinner, rarely go out on the town, and I don't remember the last time we went to a movie; we spend almost all of our entertainment funds on HBO and Showtime. Once a week, a few of our friends come over and we catch up on episodes of our favorite shows. Weeds, Dexter, True Blood, Big Love, Californication, Hung, The United States of Tara...whatever the season, there is always something to watch.

For weeks, we've been seeing clips advertising a new show on HBO, Boardwalk Empire. Directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Steve Buscemi, set in the 1920s, it is sure to be a hit. I love movies set in the 1920s. Racial slurs and domestic violence aside, there is a certain mystique that exudes from the era, in a didn't-live-through-it-myself sort of way. I love the images of smoky jazz clubs, women dressed in heels, long strands of pearls on their necks, fancy hats or feathers in their hair. I love the art of the '20s, the first surrealists paintings, the art deco architecture...it's just glamourous.

Needless to say, I was really excited about watching this show last night with Nick. I decided we needed to have martinis while we watched, so I used my bar-tending skills to whip us up a pair. I always feel like a martini when conjuring the spirit of the roaring twenties. Probably something to do with the idea of bathtub gin.

Martinis, Nick, HBO, and Steve Buscemi-- all things I love. It was a good night.

2 Dads, 15 Years

On the 4th of July, I had my first experience playing dual roles as bridesmaid and wedding photographer. My dads, who have been together for nearly 15 years, were finally able to be legally married in Vermont, so we used the patriotic holiday to host a family wedding. My older sister did most of the planning, including baking over 100 cupcakes the day before.  My fiance planned the menu and manned the grill, and guests brought side dishes to add variety. The neighbors loaned party tents to set up in the yard, my aunt and uncle brought folding chairs, my mom baked a cake, and a family friend arranged flowers. We all pitched in to help with the set-up, positioning tables and chairs, stocking coolers with local beer, putting flowers on cupcakes. And I did the photography, with the help of my very patient friend Aimee, who waited for me to arrange the shots, set the camera settings, then run to join my family while she worked the camera.

It was a perfect day, and our family created a wonderful set of memories. I am happy to have been able to capture them, with Aimee's help. I very much look forward to having everyone pitch in their efforts to bring my own wedding together in a couple of weeks. I hope it will be as successful, beautiful, and fun as my dads' was. I love my family!

(And yes, I did consider shooting my own wedding using this by proxy technique. Nick vetoed the idea.)

A Rocky Mountain Wedding

Back in June, I had the opportunity to photograph Courtney and Paul's beautiful wedding in Rocky Mountain National Park. The bride and groom traveled all the way from their home in Minnesota to be wed surrounded by the stunning outline of the Rockies. The couple had an intimate group of friends and family members who joined them to celebrate their day, and I feel lucky to have been asked to be a part of it! Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs.!