I don’t think there is a single couple on this planet that comes close to the grace and style of Andrea and Kyle.

Here’s why:

1. They had one of the largest, most unexpected snow storms on their Fall wedding day. It was so early in the season that not one department of transportation in the entire Northeast was even close to being prepared to manage the roads, snow removal, or the number of trees down.

2. They had no power (aka electricity) at their reception.

Did that hold them down?

No.

Did that hold us back?

Oh, Heck No.

This might actually have been the most challenging, yet most beautifully captured weddings that I have ever seen. Major props to Eric and Dorian who faced this storm head on, rocked candlelight like I have never seen before, and brought a seriously stunning wedding portfolio to these two amazing people.

A bride that isn’t afraid to go big with a glamorous, statement necklace (like Andrea’s below) is my hero. I have to say her complete look is one that I will remember for years to come, and that only happens to me once or twice after shooting an entire wedding season.

Andrea & Kyle’s wedding details.

Happy times always with a first look.

Our storm trooper, Dorian testing light with Eric.

Before Eric was able to get the generator going with the DJ, the lack of power meant lack of music. Andrea & Kyle’s very romantic, candlelit first dance via Macbook held up by the DJ. And they are still laughing…

Cheers guys! We absolutely loved being a part of your day and braving the storm with you.

Thanks to Dorian Patrick for second shooting!

And we jump into getting ready with professional makeup by Stacey Palancia of Blush Couture.

Jolene & Eric’s wedding details.

Thanks to Jake Bergmeier for second shooting!

We love shooting at The Society Room in Hartford, it is one of the most challenging venues for us to photograph a wedding, based on how dark it becomes inside the reception once the window light becomes unavailable.

But guess what?
We love a challenge and we love to Light.
Here are a few favorites from Lindsay & Rocco’s wedding day.

Not only is Lindsay a super stunning bride, with a gorgeous side swept hairstyle, and a body hugging, totally feminine Vera Wang gown….
but Rocco happens to be my hero.

You will see why.

More on Rocco, as I am sure the images above portray how picture perfect Lindsay and Rocco are together – but Rocco is the ultimate party. He was so fun, I have never seen another groom even come close. His serenade to Lindsay, complete with choreography was perfectly on point, extremely sweet and full of Rocco character – what girl wouldn’t die?

Let’s start with our getting ready coverage.

The details.

And this is how 2 people kill it in the vault at The Society Room.

Love me some groomsmen on Pratt Street.

I love to take a time out during portraits to get the kids comfortable with the camera…
you know…
by getting behind it.

And here it is, Rocco needed to lose the jacket for this one.

Enjoy guys, xo!

Right.

Without him by my side to reassure my insecurities, I can get all worked up unnecessarily. And you know what? The last 4 days in Sturbridge, Mass. at The Inspire Photo Conference was exactly that…really freaking FUN.

We met lots of RAD new people, and reinforced relationships with some friends that are already so special to us. And the best part, connecting with so many attending photographers, all various experience levels seeking the same thing, Inspiration. We take the responsibility of teaching very seriously, there is so much gratification and fulfillment in our job of taking pictures and it is amazing to me how comprable the feeling is of sharing and teaching photographers in our community. We are so grateful for the experience, owe a huge thanks to the Inspire Dream Team for this opportunity and cannot wait to follow up and strengthen the new friendships we have made.

so true.

“IF YOU WANT TO LEARN SOMETHING. TEACH IT.”

I know that I could shoot boudoir in my sleep, I just know it. But really stepping outside the shooting mentality and constructing a presentation that hits all the big and little pieces of boudoir was a challenge that I learned a lot from preparing and presenting. Some candids shot by our assistant & editor, Brenden Farinha.

I am always amazed by how much we can learn by being open, sharing real stories and the mistakes we’ve survived. As a speaker, I go into the experience of Inspire with an open mind but carry the weight of our responsibility as leaders, mentors, and educators. My favorite part of Inspire Photo Conference is connecting in those smaller groups, at lunch, at the bar, or unexpectedly. Those are the times that we are not speakers and conference attendees, we are all just photographers. Every person that opened up and shared with me, taught me something valuable that I plan to absorb and evaluate as we get into this new season.

Leeann of Leeann Marie Photography taught us all of the ShootQ branding & customization possibilities that we can integrate | Jim, CEO of Pictage (not PICTIGE) rocked our world with his opening address and forced me to think about the following exercise, which I plan to modify and revisit often this year (it was really fun to do, and thank you Jim for giving me a reason to think about this).

Describe 10 characteristics of your favorite client:
1. Has an iPhone and an iPad, but uses a PC at work
2. Not crafty, DIY or wedding detail obsessed
3. Her wedding doesn’t have a theme that consists of more than color(s)
4. She has $1000 designer shoes for her wedding day, but dances barefoot at her reception
5. They make extra time for wedding day pictures and collaborate with us on the ideal timeline for their wedding day
6. She carries a handbag that costs close to as much we charge to photograph her wedding
7. Drives an Acura
8. She has long, healthy hair and great skin
9. They workout at the gym, but not obsessively
10.Watching the Jersey Shore is her guilty pleasure and she subscribes to at least 3 fashion magazines

(Jim is laughing during our talk below at bottom right, sitting with C10).

Huge shout out to Joel Meisels of Adorama for the eye opening (money saving) discussion of features on the new Canon 5D Mark3 vs. the new Canon 1DX | Jared Bauman of ShootDotEdit shared some tips to verify that we get what we pay for from our ISP, especially in terms of upload speed | Carla Ten Eyck shared solid tips for motivating our team, happy hours and baked potatoes are definitely on the Raw Photo Design team calendar agenda

And…with all that inspiration going on, a little letting go and letting loose is required.

Now before I get into our amazing Inspire Lighting Shoot, I want to thank our talented peeps.

You gotta watch the amazing video produced by our dear friends, The Boka’s of The Light Mill and Photographer RE. Truly Inspiring. xo!