Rose and Brian

There is such a thing as a country mile, eating PB&J on your wedding day and love at first site. I was quietly reminded of all of these things and more while spending the weekend in Clear Spring, MD as a second shooter for Rose and Brian's beautifully vintage wedding celebration. I was reminded of simpler times. I grew up in the small town of Sonoma, CA when chicken coops decorated the landscape. Those have since been replaced by endless rows of vineyards and Sonoma doesn't feel as small anymore. Still, Clear Spring is the quintessential small town with a population of 450! Rose and Brian took us back in time, the wedding felt like stepping into a chapter of The Great Gatsby with the ceremony and reception at the historic Plumb Grove. Vintage sounds filled the air, gin was sipped, lawn games were played and fedoras and fascinators worn by guests added the scene. One of the highlights had to be the DIY photo booth constructed by the Father of the Bride and complete with vintage hats, masks, parasols, bunny ears and boas for guests to get dramatic with in front of the lens. It was no surprise when Rose asked if I could take a few photos with their Holga camera. The dreamy result is the last image pictured here. Congratulations Rose and Brian!! Thank you for having me take part in the weekend and a special thanks to first photographer Jessica Scranton for being so much fun to shoot with and event planner Heather Prochorchik for keeping life grand for us all weekend long! Here's to something old, something new and all that transpires in between.

Rachel and Denis

When one of our own (a photographer) gets married, lets just say, the heat is on! It feels like a rite of passage and an honor to be behind the lens. Rachel and Denis celebrated one of the best weddings I've witnessed (besides my own.) I'm longing to be back on the beach, swept up by romance and rocking the night away. Dresses of every color popping up around me, vodka to boot, and bride and groom so fun, it's impossible not to get lost in all of it. Thankfully, they have a few photos to remember it all. Here are a few highlights...

db3

db3's highly anticipated arrival is getting close and all agree that this child has "won the lottery" with parents Darin and Donita (db2) by his side. db2 have just relocated back to NY from a three year adventure in London (and beyond.) We are lucky that they landed in Brooklyn and so spending time catching up has been shall we say, a piece of cake (maybe waffle in their case.) db2 are no strangers to my lens, capturing Donita on a pleasantly uneventful Tuesday afternoon is just what the doctor ordered. db3, we can't wait to meet you.

Fashion Statement

Opportunity is a beautiful thing. Taking it shouldn't involve too much thought although somedays, what lies before you in the path not yet taken is not so clear when it's Sunday and all you want to do is cuddle up with your love on the couch. So I grabbed my gear and headed to the Waldorf Astoria to experience my first NY Fashion show featuring the designers ALICAT and ROMERO BRYAN. Although it was my first, it happened to be the final show wrapping out a long week of fast and furious fashionistas overtaking the city looking nothing short of fabulous. I found a single seat in the front row, I was among veterans and amatures alike. Literally, the man to my left had all eyes clued to his ipad images taken just hours before his arrival while the man to my right had purchased his camera gear just one week ago and was asking me the difference between the ETTL and Manual settings of his 580EXII flash unit. Biz cards were being past, inside jokes exchanged and details of how any of us could get press passes to photograph the first lady scheduled to speak at the Waldorf tomorrow could easily be confirmed. I actually thought for a moment that I might make it, how easy it might be to keep up with the press pack. I remembered that this was not my usual scene, that tomorrow I would wake up and secure portrait and event dates, that there was no publication waiting for my images with baited breath. The lights dimmed, music filled the air, the models took to the catwalk and I began snapping with the best of them.

Thank you JaRed for this fun and memorable opportunity...loving NY more than ever.