Baby KK at One Month Old

Before I became a full-time professional photographer, I worked in an office composed of mostly women, aged twenty-two to forty-five; there were lots and lots of engagements, weddings, and babies! Each of the four women I worked under there have kids, and I had the privilege of photographing one of the precious babes last week!

Isn’t she the sweetest? Our photoshoot was pretty much spot on KK’s one-month birthday, and she is the best little baby ever! She was so quiet, so alert for our session, it was a such a pleasure to photograph her.

KK has such active little legs – we had to keep repositioning her during the tummy time shots above because she’d instantaneously shoot out those long legs as soon as we tucked them up beneath her! Who wants to bet she’ll be a runner!?

Mama Kathleen has taken to motherhood like a fish to water; watching her with her new daughter was amazing.

New dad Ryan was doing great, as well. Families are always incredible, always interesting, but never more than when they’re brand new.

We had a fabulous time during a very rainy afternoon! KK obliged us by putting up with her outfit changes, and only peed on Mom once!

Look at those expressive little feet!

KK, thank you for sharing your day with me. I hope I get to visit you and all your cuteness again soon!

June Blooms

After a rainy Boston May (which gave us a lovely, droplet-y garden), we’ve had, well, a rainy Boston June! Though it’s sunny this week, we had decidedly gloomy weather for most of the month. The one upside of copious rainfall is always our glorious garden!

It was a windy day, and I love the effect of the slightly motion-blurred petal edges. I think it makes these pinky flowers look like a watercolor.

I was quite obsessed with this one plant – too gorgeous!

Again, I take absolutely no credit for these beautiful plants and flowers; they all flourish under the loving care of our upstairs neighbor. But I do enjoy them!

We have an unbelievable rose bush in our front yard; the roses are creamy pink and orange. The other day I witnessed someone snap one off and put it on her hat! I didn’t say anything, but I thought it was pretty ballsy, stealing a flower in broad daylight… not that I blame her – they are so lovely.

The summer brings out all these saturated colors in the natural world, at least until late summer when they go all sun-drenched and bleached. I’m reveling in the deep hues while they last.

There is one lone white blossom hanging on in the front yard … so brave!

Do any of you have summer gardens?

Long live summer!

Wedding: Jen & Geoff at the State Room, Boston

This is my summer of weddings! Many of the weddings I’m doing this year are with the fabulous Erica Ferrone of Erica Ferrone Photography. My first time working with this extremely talented lady was a few weeks ago at the nuptials of Jen and Geoff.

The wedding party got ready at the gorgeous Langham Hotel in downtown Boston.

Jen was such a gorgeous bride! We had a great time hanging out with her and her loving family, prepping for the ceremony.

The ceremony took place at the First Baptist Church of Boston, a wonderful historic building on Comm Ave. in Back Bay.

Post-ceremony, Erica and I took some time to do couples portraits and group portraits with the newlyweds and the wedding party. It was a beautiful day to shoot outside in Boston!

After a fabulous photoshoot, we made our way to the State Room for the reception. This venue is breathtaking! It overlooks Boston Harbor through windows stories high; the light and the view are just amazing.

After a delicious cocktail hour …

… the newlyweds were introduced! They made a grand entrance, then went right into their first dance.

To honor their Chinese heritage, Jen changed into traditional garb after dinner, and dancing continued into the night.

Congratulations, Jen and Geoff! I had the best time spending your wedding day with you. Thanks also to Erica Ferrone for having me along! I’m so looking forward to working with you this year.

Maternity Photoshoot: Gwennan at 35 Weeks, Plus, A Baby Party!

In February, Tyler and I visited his brother Conor and our sister-in-law Gwennan in DC. During that visit, Gwenn and I had a fabulously fun maternity shoot; at the time, she was about halfway through her pregnancy. A few weeks ago, Ty and I got to visit Gwenn and Conor again, this time for their pre-baby party (and of course, another maternity shoot!).

Here’s the pregnant beauty, just weeks away from becoming a mom!

She looks amazing! Gwenn is all belly, and it’s a beautiful one, too.

Tyler and I arrived before the party to help set up, though I mostly spent my time photographing the details of the marvelous spread. Gwenn and Conor are excellent hosts!

Conor and Tyler’s mother made the party favors: a variety of delights in hand-sewn bags. Gwenn’s parents were on hand to help with all the cooking. It was all gorgeous!

This wasn’t a traditional baby shower – that’s not Gwenn’s style. Instead, it was a pre-baby celebration with food and drinks and socializing (with the mom-to-be imbibing seltzer!). Gwenn paid tribute to her Welsh roots with the UK favorite, Pimm’s Number One Cup. Yum!

The only game at this shower was the old standard where you guess the baby’s due date, sex, birth weight, and in this case, name. Gwenn and Conor will be choosing Welsh names for their baby, so guests were invited to look through a Welsh name book and try to pick a good one for Baby Williams.

However nontraditional the shower, you can’t stop people giving you presents! Gwenn was appropriately showered with gifts, and my own small contribution was a dinosaur hat I knitted for my new niece or nephew. I think it’ll fit the baby by winter in DC … it certainly doesn’t fit Tyler’s giant noggin!

One of the cutest party attendees was this little fellow, who truly loves his chocolate cake. I couldn’t help but document it!

After the party ended, Gwenn and Conor and I met up at their apartment the next day to do more photos of this special time in their lives.

These two are going to be great parents. They are so excited for their imminent arrival! And so am I!

Maternity shoots are so much fun; every mom-to-be deserves to spend a little time being glamorous before her baby arrives.

Spending time with Gwenn and Conor was wonderful, but this trip was made even better when I got to see one of my best friends, Courtney, as well! Court is new to DC and was able to attend the baby party, too. So many of my favorite people in one place – what a weekend!

Thanks to Tyler for the photo of me and Court!

Tyler was there, too, of course – it was a family affair.

Congrats, Gwenn and Conor! Thanks for throwing such an excellent shindig and bringing us all together to celebrate with you. We cannot wait for news of Baby Williams!

Mother’s Day/Father’s Day: Max & Colby at the Arnold Arboretum

Last fall I photographed our friends’ adorable children, Max and Colby. For Mother’s Day this year, I did so again, in the fantastic spring setting of the Arnold Arboretum. And, just in time for Father’s Day, I’m finally posting them!

Is there anything better than a spring afternoon in the park with smiley faces like these?

Colby is now about seven months old, and such a happy fellow. He’s so strong and mobile and loves his big brother Max! They are the sweetest pair.

Max is three, and he is interested in everything, but especially rugby and maps. Oh, he loves maps! We could barely get him to leave the park when it was time to go because he found a guide to the Arboretum by the side of the path, and all he wanted to do was look at it!

I love this family! They are the nicest people, the nicest kids, and so much fun to spend an afternoon with. Thanks, guys, for letting me share Mother’s Day with you!

Engagement: Isa & Nate

Isa and Nate are an amazing couple and friends of Tyler’s and mine, so I was super, super excited when they approached me to photograph their wedding in Florida next February! Before a beautiful, warm, Miami wedding, an engagement shoot was a must, Boston-style.

Aren’t they a gorgeous couple? I had so much fun with them over a few hours on a sunny, then foggy and drizzly, Boston afternoon.

We didn’t let the weather changes get us down, though, and continued to traipse around searching for exciting locations. From Beacon Hill’s cobblestone streets, alleys, and adorable doorways to the leafy Boston Common to the waterfront ICA to historic Copley Square, we hoofed it all around town.

This is a very stylish duo, so we snuck an outfit change into our shoot. With the colder, foggy front coming in, it was a practical decision, too!

I had such a great time capturing the love. This engagement session made me even more excited than I already am for next February and Isa and Nate’s wedding.

We ended our photo session at a place near and dear to Isa and Nate: a sign close by their West End home that reads “The Greatest Neighborhood This Side of Heaven.” So cute!

It was the perfect place!

Congratulations on your engagement, Isa and Nate – I can’t wait for February!

Rae Sterling Sings at Caffe Vivaldi, New York City

My very talented singer sister, Rae Sterling, recently celebrated her birthday (25!) in New York City. She’s about to move back home to L.A., and with a performance scheduled on her actual birthday, I knew I had to go down and see her! Of course, she rocked it.

Surprisingly, I’d never seen Rachael perform live in a venue outside of our own house, a school concert, or YouTube! Shameful, I know, but Boston is just far enough from NYC that I hadn’t been able to catch her live … until now!

Her voice is so beautiful, so powerful – I was blown away. SO blown away!

Caffe Vivaldi was a fun, intimate venue for a little concert. They have a great vintage atmosphere, and a convenient location in the West Village right near the subway. I love me some public transportation! And old-fashioned framed photographs.

Rae is very excited about both her guitar and her ukulele, as you can see! Plus, she wears awesome, vibrant clothes at all times. My sister is amazing.

Yay, pink! Pink goes well with a fabulous voice and evocative, original songs performed by Rae Sterling. Yes, it does.

Because it was Rachael’s birthday, the lovely staff at Caffe Vivaldi brought out some cake! She shared, because she’s nice like that, and I can attest to its utter deliciousness.

Happy birthday, my dear sister! You were fabulous and I am so so so happy I got to visit and enjoy your performance before you go west, young woman. I love you!

Elegantly Green Wedding Showcase 2011

In May I had the opportunity to shoot with the amazing Elizabeth Wertz and the fabulous Tara Lynn Sen at the 2011 Elegantly Green Wedding Showcase. This wedding expo focuses on eco-friendly vendors of all types and let me tell you, it was a stunning display!

Our task was to photograph the wedding dress fashion show. Liz took charge of the actual runway and all the gorgeous details while Tara and I manned the photobooth we set up. As the models walked off the runway, Tara directed them right into our photobooth for a closeup or two!

The dresses were unreal. So beautiful! Designer Harper Della-Piana of Seams Couture is the creator of many of the looks, but many other designers were also featured.

I have to say, shooting the photobooth with Tara as my model-director was an absolute dream. Tara comes from a theater background and she just knows how to move and pose people. I could NOT have done it without her!

Every detail on these dresses was painstakingly attended to, every accessory handpicked. I was in love with the hairpieces and hats, especially. Such style!

Also strutting the runway were a few adorable children, also impeccably dressed in formal wear, of course. They were too darling for words, so I’ll just show you the photos instead!

All in all, it was a fabulous, fast-paced, fun day at the Elegantly Green Wedding Showcase. I would highly recommend it as a stop on any bride-to-be’s wedding planning itinerary.

If you want to see even more photos of our spectacular day, all of Liz’s unbelievable runway and detail pictures are up in her Facebook album of the event. Also visit the gallery she put created of the entirety of our photobooth pics, too.

Here’s one last photo of Harper with her models. Everybody strike a pose!

Boozer the Yorkie – Pet Photography

I am an animal lover, as evidenced by my two enormous cats, Milton and Agnes, my penchant for zoos, and habit of petting everything on four legs that goes by. Growing up we always had a dog and two cats at a time, sometimes more. Animals and I get along well, so I was happy to hear that our good friends in New York had just gotten a Yorkie puppy before our recent visit.

Meet Boozer:

This little sweetie is currently only two pounds! His full-grown size will max out between four and five pounds, but don’t let his smallness fool you: this dude is energetic! He jumps as high as his teeny legs will allow and loves to explore his new apartment.

The Booze is also a snuggler, nestling into any lap that will have him. I do love a good snuggle myself, so we had a lot of quality couch time together.

Of course, I could not help but put Boozer through his first professional photo shoot during our visit. He was quite cooperative after we got some energy out and he managed to sit still for a few moments here and there!

I really enjoyed putting him on pillows and different couches and blankets (and in a decorative bowl on the coffee table) – it’s too hilarious to isolate him on a surface because he can’t quite figure out how to get off or down or where he wants to go. He’s just too tiny to manage it!

I didn’t torture him for too long, though, and rewarded him with his favorite puppy treats afterward, too.

Isn’t he too cute? Have fun with your new owners, Boozer – they love you to pieces!

See you again soon, darling pup!