Old South Meeting House in Boston – Museum and Architectural Details

I recently shared the amazing clock tower of Boston’s Old South Meeting House, but I did much more for this organization than cavorting up and down that fabulous spiral staircase! Old South Meeting House had me also shoot lots of details of their museum and meeting space, as well as capture images of people interacting within it. I’ll get to the people in a later post, but I want to show you the beauty that is Old South!

The meeting house was originally a (very simple) church, so it is lovely and clean and full of light. The space is a photographer’s dream!

The museum exhibits run along the back of the room and cover lots of ground, from the Boston Tea Party (Old South Meeting House is where it all started!) through topics of race and class and segregation of more recent eras. I love the glow of the display cases:

There are endless intriguing artifacts everywhere you look!

Boston is a very cool city to live in; history surrounds us on all sides, if we only look as we walk down the street, and maybe pop into some of the impressive buildings we pass.

I’m a sucker for details of any kind, but I especially loved this brass bird that sits atop the clock, and the chandelier. So gorgeous!

I encourage everyone visiting Boston to add Old South Meeting House to your itinerary! It’s easy to get to and offers a lot to its patrons. I can’t wait to get back to visit again sometime soon (and maybe I’ll do a wedding or two here – I can only hope! It’s an awesome wedding venue!).

Old South Meeting House in Boston – Clock and Bell

Photography school is long over for me, but I realized I never shared my Practicum project with you all! Practicum is the grand finale of the program: each student gets assigned a non-profit organization to complete a photographic project for them. I was lucky to get my first choice: Old South Meeting House in downtown Boston.

This working meeting-house and museum is an amazing place. I was immediately taken by the architecture,  and then by the rich history of the space. So many important parts of America’s revolution took part here! I have lots of photos of the museum, but first I want to share a special part of it that most people don’t get to see: the clock!

First you ascend a beautiful spiral staircase (blocked off to patrons for their safety):

There are many small rooms as you climb up the steeple:

Eventually, you get to the clock room; the clock mechanism is so intricate and gorgeous, a perfect blend of form, function, and beauty.

I took a tripod up the steeple with me to take long exposures in the dimly light rooms. It was just so cool!

The clock was recently renovated for the first time in over 200 years, which is why Old South Meeting House wanted to document it for its museum-goers.

The steeple has a balcony-level halfway up, and I took the opportunity to go out and take a look at the city. It was a foggy day, so I couldn’t see as far as I hoped, but it was still awesome!

The higher up the steeple I climbed, the narrower the chambers got, until I ended up at the very tip at the top of the stairs, a small space with porthole-like windows. And that was as far as I could go!

The steeple was fascinating to explore. The clock mechanism extends through multiple floors, some of which used to be colonial patriots’ libraries and studies.

One of the steeple rooms was empty; it used to house a bell, but there hasn’t been one in Old South for over a hundred years.

Then, weeks after I completed my Practicum, Old South contacted me again with great news: they’d procured the 1801 Paul Revere Bell! I came back to the museum to photograph it before it got installed in the steeple where it belongs.

I had the best time at Old South Meeting House. I can’t wait to share more images from my time with them, so stay tuned!

Cuchi Cuchi: Food & Drink

Now that you’ve met the wonderful people at Cuchi Cuchi, I have to introduce you to the equally as wonderful food! Oh my, it is delicious.

As part of my documentary project (I promise I’ll share the final five-minute movie with you soon!), I wanted to include every aspect of Cuchi Cuchi, from the people to the beautiful decor to the food and drink.

I had the privilege of having some glorious cocktails concocted just for me to photograph. And then I was encouraged to drink them, but whoa! I managed 1.5 and then I was beyond done … not because I didn’t want to imbibe their deliciousness, but you know, because I’m a wimp.

Simply delectable. Fresh fruit cocktails = YUMMERS.

These are the Black Dahlia and the Moulin Rouge, Cuchi Cuchi’s two signature cocktails, one might argue. Aren’t they gorgeous?

So, one night while I was shooting, we arranged for me to sit at a table right next to the kitchen, and every waitress brought me the food she was serving before delivering it to her patrons. I took a quick snap snap of each, and then on they went!

And that is how I got all these shots of the amazing food:

And, we must not forget about dessert! It’s often the very best part …

Now that you’ve joined me for the culinary tour of Cuchi Cuchi, what are you waiting for? Go on over there and eat! Drink! Be merry! (And take me with you, please – I can’t wait to go back and have more fun!)

Cuchi Cuchi: Portraits

Ever since I moved to Boston, my favorite restaurant has been Cuchi Cuchi. It’s tucked away between Central Square and Kendall Square on Main Street in Cambridge, and it’s pretty much everything I want out of life: glamor, fantasy, good food, great cocktails, and vintage outfits.

The Cuchi concept is ’20s and ’30s Hollywood glamor, with waitresses and decor dressed up to match. The menu is international small plates, the drinks, delicious. It truly is like walking into a different world once you enter Cuchi Cuchi’s doors.

I’ve always harbored this dream of being a Cuchi Cuchi waitress, and if this photo thing takes off too slowly, I will definitely apply to be one, and you’ll see why in this post!

When I was given the assignment to do a storytelling documentary project, I chose Cuchi Cuchi as my subject. I got super brave and wrote them, asking if I might come to the restaurant and document all their amazing wonderfulness in my camera, and through audio interviews.

Lucky me, my wish was granted! I spent several fabulous evenings with my Cuchi Cuchi girls, loving every single minute of it. I cannot wait to share my final documentary with you, but first, the portraits.

These are the amazing people you can expect to meet when dining at Cuchi Cuchi:

Now can you see why it would be my dream to work here? To live here? To be here all the time? The dresses! The hats! The makeup! The jewelry! If I could get dressed up like this to go to work everyday (and I just might – look for me next time I’m on a shoot … we’ll see what I can come up with), I’d be the happiest girl alive. There’s just something about dressing up that makes everything better …

And it’s not just Cuchi Cuchi girls, either. There are some very swanky gentlemen in the establishment as well:

Who wouldn’t want to eat here, with all this loveliness around you?

And I have so much more to show you, from the food and cocktails to the decor, get ready for more Cuchi Cuchi to come!

Mock Engagement: Nat and Ashley at the Waltham Commuter Rail Station

It’s been a run of engagement shoot sessions recently, and here’s the final one (for now!): another mock engagement, with our models Nat and Ashley. You may recognize them from the wedding module where they got married time and again so that we could practice. Well, they’re back, and apparently, back in time since we did everything out of order, for their mock engagement!

We photographed around the commuter rail station in Waltham (the same location as my recent Ellen photoshoot, which happened that same morning). There was no shortage of interesting doorways and dilapidated building sides to pose them in front of. I let Ashley take center stage on this one:

I love how Nat is looking at her – it makes you truly believe they are engaged!

We traipsed around the train tracks, never quite daring to go on them (I ride this commuter rail every day, and I’ve seen how quickly a train can plow through the station!). Nat and Ashley have modeled together so many times now, they’ve become quite comfortable with each other. It was so easy to get very natural expressions out of them!

Thanks, you two, for lending us your smiles once again! It was a pleasure, as always.

As for me, classes are almost over! I have but six weeks left, during which I will complete a documentary multimedia project and then an assignment for a local non-profit. And then … I’m a real-life, full-time photographer! Bring it.

Model: Ellen Soderberg

One of the great things about photography school is getting to meet so many amazing people; from my instructors to my classmates, to the models and actors we work with, everyone has something to add to the experience.

You’ve all seen Ellen before, as a bride, and as a future-bride, during our wedding and engagement weeks, but there is even more of her to share!

The morning of our first engagement photo shoot, Ellen didn’t have a fiancé! Her male counterpart had not yet arrived, so I got the opportunity to photograph her alone. I could not have been happier!

Our location was the area around the Waltham commuter rail station, where I get on and off the train every day for school. It is a very cool, urban, grungy place, and we made sure to include the environment in our shots.

We even managed to get a passing commuter rail train in an image! Timing is everything.

It was a brisk spring day, but it was warm and lovely in the sun. We tried to keep Ellen out of the shade, but of course this amazing, empty building was completely in frigid shadows! We tried to make it quick for poor Ellen’s freezing hands, and I think the results were worth it.

Ellen is a model and actress and we have been so, so, so lucky to photograph her multiple times over the course of our school modules. She is just the nicest person to work with, up for anything, always with a smile (or a scowl, if the photo demands it!). She is a natural. Thank you so much, Ellen! You are gorgeous.

Mock Engagement Photoshoot: Ellen & Equiano at the Commander’s Mansion

Let the love fest continue! This last week at school was focused on portfolio development instead of shooting, and while I have projects of my own on the side, I’m going to continue to share the love from our engagement photoshoot week since I still have two couples to show you. You’ve already looked at our two real-life couples, Sadaf & Dan and Micah & Patrick, so now we’re on to the models.

But don’t they still look so in love?

These beautiful people are the amazing actor/models, Ellen and Equiano. They really dressed the part at the Commander’s Mansion, looking every inch the engaged couple. Our class has worked with both of them before, Equiano as a model for portraiture months ago, and Ellen just a few weeks ago during weddings.

They are just the nicest people, and it was a pleasure to work with them again!

Equiano had a quiet moment with some paintings,

and Ellen had a Marilyn moment on the heating vent …

I love the vintage, romantic feeling of this set of images. The Commander’s Mansion is just the perfect place for an engagement shoot, as you’ve seen over the course of my last few posts.

When I wasn’t ooh-ing and ahh-ing over Ellen and Equiano’s gorgeous smiles and impeccable clothing, I got kind of obsessed with the decor of the Commander’s Mansion, specifically, their chairs. I took a few shots I really liked:

Thank you to the very talented Ellen and Equiano; I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of you two around!

Engagement Photoshoot: Micah & Patrick at the Commander’s Mansion in Watertown

Earlier this week you saw Sadaf and Dan in all their cuteness at the Commander’s Mansion engagement photoshoot day. The second real life couple from that day is the fabulous Micah and Patrick!

I shot Micah and Patrick in the lovely peach bridal suite, with one foray over into the  groom’s suite. The Commander’s Mansion has so many rooms and nooks and crannies!

I loved the quality of the window light in the bridal suite; everything looked extra romantic awash in a golden glow against white and pink and peaches and cream!

Wouldn’t you want to get ready for your wedding in such a room? I would! Micah and Patrick lounged on the couch, as relaxed as they could be while multiple photographers clicked away at them! They were very composed, and very natural. It was obvious to all of us that they were in love, which is always a joy to see.

Micah had on the perfect little white dress to match our historic surroundings. She looked so beautiful and ethereal! Patrick fit right in with his handsome blazer. I do so love a couple that can dress up well together.

Micah and Patrick are one of the cutest couples I’ve ever had the pleasure of photographing, and I just loved spending time with them. It was a very quick shoot as I rotated between our real couples and models that day, but these two really stick out in my mind! They were absolutely charming, and I was completely charmed.

Thanks, you two, for being your adorable selves! Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Engagement Photoshoot: Sadaf & Dan at the Commander’s Mansion in Watertown

The first week of weddings at school had us capturing a mock-wedding at St. Jude’s Church in Waltham; the second had us going back in time, doing things completely out of order, and photographing engaged couples! Our favorite models came back to act in love all over again, but we also had two real life engaged couples, as well. One of these lovely duos was Sadaf and Dan!

Sadaf and Dan are both PhD students at Harvard, so there is a lot of intelligence inside those glamorous clothes! They really dressed up to complement our setting, the historic Commander’s Mansion in Watertown, MA. I couldn’t think of a better place to evoke romance; every room was full of period detail and glorious light.

It really made a difference to shoot actual couples rather than models, not that our models were bad – they were amazing! – but with Sadaf and Dan, you could really feel the love. It was so sweet to photograph.

I so appreciated that Dan and Sadaf came out for the shoot; I had posted a call for couples on Facebook, and an old friend from high school connected me with Sadaf. It was not a normal engagement photo shoot! We had twelve student photographers rotating amongst four couples, moving in and out of rooms in the Mansion, all trying to create our individual visions for our lovebirds. Sadaf and Dan hung in there throughout the madness!

We were able to explore the whole site, so I took them into the Mansion’s kitchen, where Sadaf admitted to Dan being the cook in their relationship!

I loved the entire atmosphere of the Commander’s Mansion so much. I actually looked at it as a potential venue for my own wedding a few years ago, but it was just a bit too small for our guest count, otherwise I would have jumped on it! I cannot wait to show you more of it as I showcase our other couples in future posts.

Thank you so very much, Sadaf and Dan, for letting my class photograph you! You were vivacious and funny and so much fun to shoot. Congrats on your engagement!

 

Mock-Wedding: The Rest!

More mock-wedding! We’ve already seen the brides, but now we have the details and the couple shots and the ceremony itself, all equally as important to capture on a wedding day.

I especially love pulling details out of a scene. There’s so much going on at a wedding, and so much thought has been put into every aspect of it, so it’s special to be able to go around and truly document the little things that make it all work.

Our cake was made of styrofoam, but high-quality styrofoam it was! It almost looks real, yes? Almost …

I also enjoyed picking out details at the church. Venues have amazing little things everywhere you look!

I consciously documented the little things throughout the day, but you can’t forget the big things, either! Such as, the couple! And the fact that they’re getting married! (Or, fake married, as in our case!)

More and more couples are seeing each other before their ceremony, which is so excellent in terms of photographic possibilities. I think it’s ideal to have about an hour with your couple to get the chance to capture them together on their wedding day. It’s so fun to explore the environment and spaces at their venue and search out the best places to take memorable portraits.

And then there’s the ceremony itself:

We didn’t get the chance to practice a reception, so that’s a wrap on our mock-wedding! I definitely learned a ton and am getting very excited about being a wedding photographer … we shall see!