Today we get to kick off your week, with a little sneak peek of a super exciting project we worked on recently with the oh-so-amazing Liz and Ryan. These guys have been good friends of ours since they first came to our sunrise shoot out in Vegas and then modeled for our San Francisco Walk Through a Wedding Workshop last year. And, as you might remember, we also recently got to spend time with them when they came up to stay with us for a few days of dreaming big (and making plans to do even bigger). One of the things we got to talk about a lot over those couple of days, was the plan that Liz and Ryan had for their new brand. It was already in the works when they came up, so we got to see some of the behind the scenes thought that was going into it. We spent time flipping through things like the food & wine app on the iPad and our own Bride & Groom cook book from Williams Sonoma. It was so awesome to see how clear their vision was and how they were putting together that is so THEM!
So you can imagine how excited we were when these guys asked us to stop off in Baltimore on our way home from Virginia & DC and do an entire concept shoot based all around their new brand. The brand is still under wraps while the website is being finished, but they gave me permission to share just a few of my faves here and give you guys a taste of what's in store!
L&R we ADORE you guys! And there aren't enough exclamation points in the world to tell you how proud we are of you!
She sat in the bridal suite and reminded herself to breathe. To breathe in the day and to soak it all in. The minutes were passing faster now, and she knew that soon it would be time to go. So she adjusted the curls as they fell across her face, and watched the flowers being tied on. And when she felt like she was being placed too much at the center of attention, she thanked every single other person in the room. Twice. Just to make sure that we all felt welcome. That we all felt loved. Because that's the kind of girl Marie is.
He stood at the end of a long pier and squinted against the midday sun. And maybe, just maybe, just for a second he closed his eyes altogether. Just to be able to soak it all in. The minutes dragged on for what seemed like forever. So he adjusted his tie and the cufflinks she bought him. And when he felt like he couldn't wait another single second, he asked if she was behind him yet. Twice. Just to make sure he was the first one to tell her no one had ever been so beautiful. No one had ever been so loved. And that he was going to love her for the rest of his life. Because that's the kind of girl Marie is.
The kind that you love forever.
Married: Dennis & Marie
Dennis & Marie were married on an absolutely perfect day in the Mystic Seaport. Where the only thing more perfect than the light, was the way these two absolutely lit up when they saw each other. These guys first met at NYU when Dennis was just a film student, and now he's a big time director working on projects with just a few people you might have heard of (oh y'know, MJ, Mariah, Matchbox ....no biggie :) So they made sure to pay honor to that and plan the perfect day, complete with tables named after their favorite movies and directors clapboards on top of the cupcakes. D&M we cannot thank you enough for bringing us in as your photographers, but treating us like family. Between your friends, your family, your parents, the amazing team you put together and you guys, we have never been treated better. We are so honored to call you clients, and now so incredibly lucky to call you friends. Call me if you need someone to hold a fan on Rob Thomas! :)
There are moments in life when I am afraid of sticking out. A lot of them actually, if I’m really being honest. They bleed into one another, blur into the horizon. Like one long-stretching, long-suffering act of cowardice. Cowardice. Noun. Old English origin. A lack of courage to face danger, difficulty, opposition. The act of giving in to one’s fear.
And I am a person who is afraid of sticking out.
Because to stick out is to open yourself up to the criticism of people who don’t even know you. Who don’t care to know you. But who have an opinion nonetheless. They weigh in on your dreams. Determine which ones you are worthy of chasing. Are the first to cast the vote against you.
And why would we ever leave the safety of the shadows, if we know that is all that will be waiting on us?
The answer is simple: if you are never willing to step out of the shadows, you will never really know what it feels like to have the light on your face. Never know what it is to really shine. And you will live your whole life, governed by the whim of what other people think of you. Waiting on them to give you permission to chase your dreams. A permission that will never come.
When I was growing up, my Dad was very clear with me. He said, “Kid, you better never let me catch you looking down on somebody, pretending that you’re somehow better than them. But you better never EVER let me catch you giving a damn because someone else is looking down on you.”
Today it is my hope that wherever you are, whatever you dream of doing...you will shine. You will stand. You will stick out. You will cheer for others as they do the same.
And you won’t let anybody tell you that it’s not your turn.
** I originally wrote this post just for our newsletter that went out yesterday, but I had several people email to say that it had helped-that it was something they had needed to hear- so I decided to post it again here too. Just in case it might help someone else out there. If you aren't already on the list for our newsletter and want to sign up, you can do so by clicking on the link below!
Today is already off to a fantastic start, because today is the day I get to introduce you to the absolutely beautiful Kelly Ewell. We first met Kelly when she came up from DC for our Buckles & Burberry Walk Through in February. And as it turns out, she is also the sister of the amazing event planner Lindsey Maurath who we've gotten to work with a few times....so it kind of felt like we already knew her. :) The night before the Walk Through, Kelly organized a meet & greet for everyone to get to know each other and that's when we first got to hang out with her and her awesome husband Steve. We fell in love with both of them right away, so we were super excited when Kelly hired us to stop in on our way back from VA to do headshots for her, as well as an anniversary shoot with her & Steve. We got a gorgeous (albeit a little windy!) Spring day when everything was in full bloom....and, as you'll see, Steve & Kelly worked it like the rock stars that they are! :) Enjoy!
The pancakes came a little early this week because we have some fun things coming your way later this week, and we decided to shake things up!!
So as you can see, I took my own advice on handling setbacks and decided to give this whole video blog thing another try. Let me tell you, it went MUCH better this time....this time, it only took me 37 tries until I got a take that we could keep! :)
In this uhhhhh...(I guess we're calling them epidsodes??).....episode, I talk about our approach to the girls getting ready part of the day. For those of you who are reading this at work :) and won't be able to watch until later, here's an overview of what we're going to cover:
* The way that Justin, Julia & I come into the day
* The key first thing I do that comes in handy throughout the rest of the day
* Who shoots what as far as the details go
* What lens I'm using 99.9% of the day
* Our detail lens * What I'm saying to my brides to keep them near that great window light.
* The correct plural usage of "shoe"
** with HUGE thanks to The Music Bed for providing the music, Disarm
Well, we hope that this was at least somewhat helpful and if not helpful at least entertaining! And hey, at least now you know that you need to shoot both the left and the right shoe. Soooo.....that had to be worth it right there! :)
In honor of this being our first real grown up video blog, we thought we'd run a little contest to celebrate! You can enter in one of two ways: just leave us a note below in the comment box with either a question/suggestion for a future Pancake Session topic OR if you don't have one, just tell us where in the country/world you are. And we're going to pick one lucky winner to receive $50 to Starbucks! Because let's be honest, what good are pancakes without coffee? :) And....GO!!
Portraits
