Boston Engagement Session :: Walking Along the Harbor and Visiting Their Favorite Restaurant Bars :: Jeita and Donald

This engagement session is a perfect example of what engagement sessions can be outside of a time to take beautiful portraits. It's a glimpse their relationship. There is a bit of staging, of course, since how often do we have the paparazzi hanging out with us on a date? But there's even more reality in it. It's an actual slice of their lives, near their home and at some of their favorite places. 

Jeita and Donald took me on a mini tour of their piece of Boston. Over the course of this session we got to walk around, talk and laugh, have drinks, and be a bit corny, all in the name of celebrating these two and their connection. We started at the bar where they first met, Stephi's in Southie, a little before the dinner rush, so we wouldn't actually be in the way. Then we stopped at their place for a quick outfit change and walked along a channel connected to the Boston Harbor. This walk is littered with landmarks in their relationship so I got to hear some sweet and silly stories as we went along, stopping occasionally for a photo op and starting again. 

Another restaurant, Tavern Road, also gave us permission to photograph inside. It's another spot Jeita and Donald love to grab a drink together. You should see the reception these two get at each stop! It has to be noted.. They're pretty much best friends with each owner and bartender. Based on the warm welcome they get and the time everyone wants to spend catching up with them. We took some photos at Tavern Road while enjoying another set of drinks. And, to round it all off, we caught the last piece of sunset before twilight right by the water outside of the Boston Children's Museum for a few more photos.

I feel so privileged to be a part of this story. These two are truly teammates, in fact they will use that term before dropping the 'f-word' (finance), and the love here is contagious. The smiles. The way they so naturally connect. All of the energy. It was a lot of fun and I can not wait for July to be a part of Jeita and Donald's wedding celebration!

My Little Sister :: Portraits at the Santa Monica Pier :: Sunset on the California Beach

This past Winter while I was traveling for work I got to visit the West Coast for the first time ever. And even more exciting than seeing Las Vegas and California, I got to visit my little sister who lives out there. I don't want to gush too much here and make you all jealous, but, now that we're well past those pesky high school years, my sister is not only my family, she is my friend. And a great friend to have. Even though she lives so far away and neither of us picks up the phone as often as we should, I feel so privileged to have her in my life. She is energetic, thoughtful, supportive, sincere, intelligent, kind-hearted, silly, fun.. just an all around great person.

While Jeff and I were visiting we all made it out to the Santa Monica Pier, and Jill agreed to be my model for a little while. These photos, months later, still make me smile. Though it seems obvious, me being a photographer and all, I'm sometimes still surprised by the emotion that photos can bring back. I get to remember playing on the beach with her and the whirlwind visit we had. Her big laugh. The prancing into the water on my request despite how cold it was. I can't wait until there's another visit on the books! Until then at least I have some fun photos that will remind me to dial this girl's number more often!

Editorial Beauty Photography :: Editorial Styled Shoot with Big GAP Sweater :: Anaise

Here are a couple more images from my shoot with Anaise and Liz Washer (a continuation of my last blog post). We used a large navy GAP sweater, simple styling, a thunder grey background seamless, and a high contrast light in creating the images below. Anaise has such a beautiful, powerful gaze that, while looking through these photos for the twentieth time, I still find myself caught and and drawn in!

 

Hair and Makeup by Liz Washer Makeup

Model :: Anaise Prince

Editorial Beauty Photography :: A Natural, Comfortable Styled Shoot with Big Cozy Sweaters :: Anaise

There are so many things I love to photograph, the very top of that list may be the iPhone photos of my Goldendoodle Bailey, and, also topping the list with weddings, is photographing editorial and beauty imagery. The photos below are from a recent shoot I did with my friend Liz (Liz Washer Makeup Artist) and Anaise (a fellow photographer who agreed to get in front of the camera for me). The focus here was on simplicity and on a comfortable kind of beauty... we had oversized sweaters and solid seamless backgrounds to match that idea.

Anaise doesn't identify as a model, though she is gorgeous. Being in front of the camera isn't something she is even used to, like most of us! So photographing her is this dramatic, editorial style is that much more interesting. Her features, especially her eyes, are so striking.. it's hard to avoid her gaze while scrolling down! Here are a couple of the photos from that shoot and I'll have a couple more for you on Tuesday!

 
 

Hair and Makeup by Liz Washer Makeup

Model :: Anaise Prince