Yarmouth Maine Wedding

The last wedding of the season was Tim and Stephanie's wedding down at Hammond Camp in Yarmouth, Maine. These guys were so fun and they picked the location because it was gorgeous on it's own and needed very little additional decorating to make it a beautiful venue.

Stephanie got ready in one of the room upstairs in the camp and when the time came for her to walk into the ceremony, she circled down the stairs, which was lined with her guests to her awaiting groom, by the fireplace.

It was such an intimate setting and perfect for a small wedding. These two were so wonderful and full of joy.

Saddleback gets a new lift!

I went up to Saddleback Ski Resort last Tuesday in Rangeley, Maine to shoot the new towers being put together for their new chair lift. I shot the story for the Lewiston Sun-Journal, and it ran on the front page of the Sunday Paper (above the fold!) I love it when happy news, especially about skiing, makes the front page. This is my favorite shot from the shoot.

Fabulous Portland, Maine Wedding

Gretchen and Jody got married in Portland's Old Port. Crazy Fun!

We did some formals out of the Eastern Promenade, it is a gorgeous view and the perfect location for people who want to have a little fun during their formals. We ran around in the streets of the Old Port shooting a few casual photos before the reception in the Mariner's Church, which is not actually a church, but a reception hall located above the Old Port Tavern in the historic Old Port region of Portland Maine..

Gretchen and Jody have such magnetic personalities and their friends were wild. When a couple of the guys saw us setting up the photo-booth, they laughed and said "We are going to ABUSE that thing!" They certainly got wacky in it. I have been remiss about posting photo booth photos. The first shot here is of the actual photo booth, and the shot following is what the photo booth saw. This wedding party was a real treat. :)

Glen House, Newry Maine

This wedding started out at the Glen House, on the edge of the Sunday River Golf Course, and then traveled to the Covered Bridge also in Newry and then back up to Sliders in Sunday River's Grand Jordan Hotel. None of these locations are actually in Bethel, Maine, but I think of the entire area as Bethel.

Laura and Seth are an amazing couple. It was pouring rain on the morning of their wedding day. They had originally wanted to have the wedding on the lawn at the Glen House. But because of the rain, had decided to get married inside the Glen House. At the last minute, since they had already reserved the covered bridge for photos, they moved the entire operation down to the Artist's Covered Bridge. It is reportedly the most painted and photographed bridge in Maine. With all the weddings that happen on the bridge, it would have to be!

They had their ceremony on the bridge with the rain pounding down outside and the wind howling. It was the most romantic thing I have ever seen. The couple and their friends were completely unfazed by the rain.

As were Laura's two elderly golden retrievers. I have seen a lot of couple try to involve their dogs in ceremonies, but, like two year old flower girls, when the the time comes, they usually have plans of their own. Not these two dogs. They posed as pretty as could be.

Sunday River Wedding

Kim and Brian got married a couple of weeks ago at the Sunday River Golf Course in Bethel, Maine. They ended up having the ceremony inside the Golf Course Lodge, as the weather was a little sprinkly.

They had the best time. They did all of their formals before the ceremony, so they just spent a few minutes with me doing some last minute photos and playing with each other. Brain was skipping with the bouquet. It was pretty funny. Both of them are really fun laid back people and their day was so perfect. The weather didn't seem to get in the way at all.

They had a lot of nieces ind nephews at their wedding and they completely took over the dance floor at the beginning of the night. It was so awesome seeing so many kids getting along together.

Woodstock Inn Vermont

I had the great pleasure to photograph Christy and Matt's wedding at the Woodstock Inn in Vermont. They had the ceremony right on the front lawn and the reception inside the Inn.

Christy Matt and I ran across the road right after the wedding to get some awesome photos at the covered bridge. I am so glad that we did, because we got this fantastic image which says New England wedding better than just about anything. We love our covered bridges here in Northern New England.

Woodstock Vermont is the cutest quaintest little village.

I loved shooting this wedding.

Road Trip!!!

The crew and I hit the road over Labor Day weekend to a wonderful Jewish wedding in New Haven Connecticut. Ian and Rachel kept us laughing all day, their family and friends were so welcoming, we felt like family members by the end of the day.

These two did a meeting before the ceremony, so they could relax and enjoy each other for few minutes before the ceremony.

After the ceremony they had Yichud, which means a little private alone time together. They decided it would be okay if I took photos from a distance. They are so relaxed and into each other. They wandered around the park and well wishers wished them well!

Then on to an amazing party at the New Haven Lawn Club.

Moosehead Lake Wedding, or should I say Red Sox???

Holy Cow! These guys know how to party!

I shot Lori and Dave's wedding up in Greenville Maine on Moosehead Lake. We actually shot the wedding on the lake on the Katahdin Steamboat. We went out into the lake about twenty minutes and then the captain cut the engines and had the ceremony.

Lori and Dave were such a couple of personalities. They were having a blast all day long on their wedding day. They had such an amazing rowdy group of friends who really tore up the dance floor.

And the theme of the wedding? The Red Sox!!! These guys were Red Sox everything! Cake, centerpieces, garter, you think of it, and it was Red and Blue.

I got the biggest kick out of the reaction the crowd gave up to the playing of "Sweet Caroline" Everyone was swaying and singing, just like at a real game!

I am going to have to post some of their photobooth shots later in the week, their guests got a lot of mileage out of it!

Ooops, I did it again!

I won another Wedding Photojournalist Association Contest! Third place to be exact, but the top three winners actually get a trophy! I am really so honored to be in the company of such talented international photographers.

The complete WPJA contest winners can be viewed here.

Gorgeous Outdoor Lawnmere Inn Wedding

Heidi and CJ got married at the amazing Lawnmere Inn out in Southport. For those not familiar with this small town it is right next to Boothbay Harbor. Ocean is everywhere out there. They got married right on the lawn of the Inn with the ocean as a backdrop.

Heidi got ready in one of the rooms overlooking the lawn and her ceremony site, so she was ablle to peek out and see everyone arriving. Some of these getting ready photos are a little quirky, but I think they are pretty cool.

Heidi and CJ are two of the most generous intense individuals I have ever met. Listening to what people were saying about them through out the day I found myself amazed that two people so young could have accomplished so much. They are sure to be powerhouses in their lives, I can't wait to hear of their future accomplishments!

Me behind the wheel.

I have a moment between weddings and wanted to show you a photo my good friend Jamison Wexler, a Worcester Massachusetts wedding photographer, shot of me last month when I second shot with him. I love it!

Hamilton House Wedding

Brooke and Giles got married right on the banks of the Salmon Falls River in South Berwick, Maine right on the front lawn of the Hamilton House and were really lucky to find a break in the weather; the ceremony was rain-free!

Later at the reception we broke out the photo-booth and as usual, the guests got really silly with the photos. I am always amazed to see how incredibly goofy people get! Their guest were so wacky and spirited, I was really touched by how many people really made a connection and reached out to me and my crew.

I love August weddings! Brooke and Giles were so fortunate to have all the flowers in absolute full bloom in the gardens. And Brooke is such a naturally beautiful woman, she was an exquisite bride!

Perfect Vinalhaven backyard wedding

Wow, what an amazing weekend!

Thank you Claire and Kevin for welcoming us into your lives for the weekend!

Getting out to the island was an adventure in itself, the wedding coordinator ended up lending us her personal car while we were on the island, which was perfect, as there ended up being some, a-hem, transportation challenges. Thank you so much Sarah!

The getting ready scene in the little cabin on Claire's mother's property was like being in the middle of a movie set or a model prep room: hands flying everywhere, last minute changes, mayhem.

The ceremony was a picture postcard blue sky oceanside dream.

Claire's parents and parents and Kevin's parents were so sweet and wonderful, with great humor. The dance floor was manic!

But what made this wedding the best was the absolute joy that Claire and Kevin had for each other and the love that their friends were pouring out all over the place.

We even did a day-after shoot on the ferry ride back to the mainland. By the time we got back to Rockland, I felt like we'd been to a tropical island, not an island off the coast of Maine. :)

Sam And Kyle, the full show!

I am so excited about this shoot I did with Sam(antha) and her husband Kyle.

I often have just a few minutes between the formals and the reception to get portraits of the bride and groom in and environmental setting. (You know, that's journalism-speak for photos of you in the amazing location you chose to get married in!)

These two let me chase them around their neighborhood for a couple of hours. As a result, we ended up with so many amazing shots, that I just had to make a slideshow for them.

I hope you enjoy it!

Please let me know if you want to schedule in a day-after shoot, either in your wedding duds or in comfortable clothes. At the very least, you might consider leaving a little extra time in your day for photos of just the two of you!

Farmington Engagement shoot

Okay, this wasn't really an engagement shoot, it was more like a family portrait, These two guys wanted to get a nice portrait of them with their two lovable pets. The pets are up there in the window of the barn behind them. (ha.ha.)

That's Samantha and Kyle Warren. Samantha is a friend and fellow Maine Wedding Photographer who recently moved from Farmington down to Portland. She asked me if I could get some family photos of her crew at their cute little house in Farmington. I shot a ton of images, but I am tempted to give them only this one. I love it so much. It totally captures the personality of all four of them (Don't worry Samantha, I'm going to let you have more than one photo!)

Check out her website!

Grand Gardiner Maine wedding

Last week I second shot for an amazing New Hampshire Wedding Photographer, Thea Dodds, She is also a personal friend of mine. I had such a fun time taking a break from being the lead photographer, just chilling out taking little detail shots and checking out what was going on around me. These are a couple of the shots that particularly caught my eye.

Beautiful Backyard Wedding

Meg and Pete got married and had their ceremony and reception in two different backyards in Cape Elizabeth/Scarborough Maine this past weekend. I love backyard weddings, everything is so personal and imbued with meaning and history.

These are just a few of my favorite shots from their wedding; I have just barely had a chance to peek at them. I may have to add a few more from this stellar wedding!

Photobooth Silliness!

I wanted to post a few photos form Anne and Andrew's photobooth this weekend in Belfast, Maine

I would never have imagined how much fun people would have with this set up! Please call me if you would like to add this to your wedding coverage. It is a way to make sure you get photos of all of your guests who are willing, and it's also a way to find out a little more about the secret lives some of your guests are living!!!!

Belfast Boathouse Wedding

Anne and Andrew decided to rent the Belfast Boat House for their oceanside wedding. They decorated the boathouse themselves and went with a Maine wedding theme, with Lobsters and blueberries everywhere. Even on the menu.

We had a fantastic time at their wedding, and the view was really unbeatable.

The two of them were really into the photography and so a couple of times through the day I snuck over and grabbed them for a few shots right outside of the reception. It made for some really amazing romantic shots of them, don't you think?

Anne was so relaxed about her dress. At one point there was seaweed handing off the edge of it and she was completely un-phased. I love it when the bride cares less about her dress than anyone else does!

Driftwood Inn

I went to Bailey Island yesterday to shoot Alexa and Scott's wedding. It's a small island off of Brunswick, Maine, one of the many islands on our coast that you can drive to over the roads.

The weather was perfect Maine coastal weather. A little drizzly, and a bit unpredictable. Alexa and Scott were totally happy about it. It made for beautiful photos during the ceremony, no harsh shadows, and we got some rugged coastline photos.

The Driftwood Inn, a small group of Cabins and Inns out on a gorgeous cove in Harpswell, is classic Maine in it's rustic glory. Real wood everywhere, and real antiques. It was perfect for this wedding with thirty guests! :) The intimate numbers made for a real community of people, everyone got a chance to chat with everyone else and get some dancing in too!

I have to give a shout out for the best blueberry pie and strawberry shortcake I have ever tasted! Yummmm.

Pinch Hitting in Worcester

This last Saturday I had the day off when I got word from my friend Jamie Wexler, an amazing Worcester Massachusetts wedding photographer, that he needed a hand. His wife was due to have their second baby and the due date was on Saturday. Jamie had a wedding to shoot and wanted to make sure he was covered in case he had to make a trip to the hospital to be with his wife while she delivered their son.

I was more than happy to lend a hand. I love shooting weddings with other photographers anyway, as it really gives me some new insights and I always walk away with a new trick or a pose to try.

Caroline and Justin were a great couple and were really fun to photograph! They also were big dessert hounds, so I am including the chocolate covered strawberries especially for them!

Whitefield, New Hampshire

April and RJ sitting in a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G.!

Yay, thank you so much! We had so much fun at your wedding!

The wedding was held entirely at the Mountain View Grand Resort, in Whitefield new Hampshire.The getting ready was done in the Spa and the rooms, the ceremony was held in the gardens, the formals were taken right on the grounds around the hotel and the reception was in the Crystal Ballroom. It was a romantic fantasy wedding!

We also set up a photo booth right in the corner of the reception and as usual, people got really silly with it! This has been a great way to get photos of all of your guests showing their true colors!

And Here is the phootbooth silliness!

Trek Across Maine

Last Friday I photographed the start of the three day Trek Across Maine. The event started at Sunday River and wound through Maine to Belfast. It is a massive fund raiser for the American Lung Association of Maine and they expected that they will have raised over 1.5 million dollars for the organization. Congratulations to the over 2000 riders and 500 volunteers!

The Bethel Inn - wedding

Karen and Vic were the greatest! The had planned for an outdoor wedding, but they got shut out with a crazy rainstorm. They moved the ceremony inside and then after their formals they snuck outside with me. We spent a few minutes taking photos on the golf course, and got some really fun shots, despite the rain.Vic had spent some time on the golf course earlier in the day, so I figured a few more minutes would be par for the course (I can't resist the bad puns)

These two were so inspiring, not letting a little rain get their spirits damp. Here's Karen pretending to be looking for Vic on the golf course!

I had a great time with you both! Thank you so much for including me on your wedding day!

Migi's Lodge Wedding

Last weekend kicked off the first New England wedding for me, here in Maine. I shot Megan and Nathaniel's wedding at Migi's Lodge in Casco, Maine. What a cool location! Very rustic and beautiful.

Megan and Nathaniel chose to see each other before the wedding. They did the "big reveal" in a quiet intimate setting and had a chance to gush over how beautiful each other looked the moment they first saw one another. Immediately before the ceremony, the two of them took a ride in a boat and cruised by the ceremony location, much to the surprise of their guests. It made for a very grand entrance.

They also got their formals out of the way beforehand; they went directly from the ceremony to the cocktail hour. Of course, we took the opportunity to do some posed photos with high school buddies and college friends. And a few shots of brothers and sisters of parents and a few more of the couple. It made for a relaxed and casual cocktail hour where the bride and groom got a change to do some mingling of their own.

And then dancing, dancing and more dancing. These guys danced me into the ground! Loads of fun. I was dancing right along with them and had a fantastic time.

Thank you again Megan and Nathaniel!!!!

Dominican Republic Wedding Album

I am very eager to get to a summer of shooting New England weddings: very eager.

But I had a great time shooting in the Caribbean at the end of last month. I wanted to share a sample album I am having made. I couldn't resist the blues in the water and the crazy scenery.

I have one last wedding from that week to post. And will then return to photos of Maine and New England and life in Bethel.

This wedding was on the beach, the only one we shot where the ceremony was actually on the sand. It was really beautiful, but it was a huge challenge to shoot the ceremony and not get a goofy tourist in a Speedo in the background of every shot.

The reception was on a boat, and we cruised up and down the coastline. The groom took over the music on his iPod, and dancing, drinking and fun ensued.

If you are thinking of getting married in a hot spot, the Dominican Republic is totally worth a look. If you twisted my arm, I might even go with you. :)

Shoot With Beckstead

I am getting really backed up with blogging, so things are going to go a little out of order in the next week or so. I still have great images and an album from the Dominican Republic, but first I have some cool very recent images to show off.

I had the great great opportunity to go to a workshop with David Beckstead down in Boston, Massachusetts this week. My friend Alicia Williams of Cordele Photography in Chelmsford Mass was hosting the workshop out of her home. We totally invaded her place for two solid days.

One of my favorite things to do, besides taking workshops, is to model for them. I get an entirely different perspective of how to pose people and how it feels to have your space invaded and how all the little nuances feel on the other end of the camera.

We spent the first part of the day shooting a wonderful model, Heather, who was kind enough to meet us at Union Station in Worcester. The last part of the day we went outside and everyone shot photos of me. You are going to see those another day!

The first image is David Beckstead in teaching mode. He often shoots without looking though his camera. I love this technique, you get a lot of surprises and images you wouldn't ordinarily get if you weren't so fluid. This image makes me laugh because he's not even looking anywhere near where he's shooting! I don't think he shoots quite this loose at weddings, but you never know.

The rest of the images are my favorite images I shot of our lovely model, Heather.

All you photographers out there, if you ever get a chance to Shoot With Beckstead, take advantage!

Dominican Republic Weddings!

Hi everyone; I'm home!

I just got home from a fantastic week in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. It was so much fun. I was sad to leave one of the last weeks of skiing here in Maine, but not that sad. Snorkeling in the ocean was a fantastic remedy. :)

My friend Robyn Louise Mumford invited me along with her to help shoot three weddings and a bridal shoot. We were very busy in the six days we were down there.

I'm going through the photos now, and plan on blogging each wedding one at a time. Some of the weddings will have certain similarities, as they are all down on the beach, so I hope you don't get sick of looking at the sand. (I know I didn't)

Here's the first wedding (actually not the first wedding we shot, but the first wedding I finished editing)

Celebration Barn Performer - South Paris Maine

I photographed Amanda Huotari recently of the Celebration Barn Theater in South Paris (Maine). She plays the part of a woman who has a group of friends over for the evening. As the evening progresses things get a little out of control and then WAYYYYY out of control. I can't wait to see the entire performance!

The Celebration Barn is one of my best memories of growing up in Oxford Hills, Maine. Tony Monatanaro, world famous mime, founded the Barn in 1972. He and his wife, Pam had a pack of kids and I became very close friends with the family and snuggled right in with the crowd.

Check out the Barn schedule. There are performers coming up to our own little corner of Maine that play on Broadway and around the world. We are so lucky to have them here!

PhotoShop Workshop on Cape Cod

I just got home from a week-long intensive Photoshop class on Cap Cod at the New England Institute for Professional Photography. The class I took was with the amazing Kevin Kubota. I learned some new workflow software and got some great new Photoshop touch-up tricks and techniques.

The first day we photographed a local couple who are engaged to be married this summer. They dolled up in wedding clothing and pranced around with us, letting a mob of photographers direct over hill and dale. The resort where the institute was held is the Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster. Our "bride" was swimming around in her dress, which was miles too big for her, but it fit her slightly zany personality. Our dapper groom was clearly in love with his bride and they seemed to be having a great time.

A big thank you to Kevin Kubota and his tireless assistant Amber for being patient and knowledgeable with our class. I've linked to his Secret Italy Tour in case anyone wants to get me an early Christmas present. (just kidding!) If you are an avid photographer/traveler, this trip looks like an absolutely lifetime opportunity.

Here's some of the photos I shot and processed from my workshop this week. I usually pump up the saturation in my photos more than this, but for some reason, the cold afternoon we were shooting on the Cape seemed more appropriate desaturated and black and white. I hope you enjoy them!

Rings Rings Rings!

I wanted to pull out some ring shots from last year. I think these are all shots I haven't blogged yet!

I love to get shots of the rings during a wedding. I often will get the rings as the bride and groom are just sitting down to eat dinner and I go off in a corner and set up a little scene. I'm not fond of people chewing food photos, so this gives me a chance to get some good shots of the rings.

Sometimes I do the flowers and the rings, sometimes I get a little nuttier!

Olympia Snowe Meets the Snow woman

Senator Olympia Snowe came to Bethel, Maine yesterday to check out the Worlds largest snow-woman named in her honor. She said she was getting lots of teasing from her colleges on Capital Hill and bemoaned (jokingly) that the first monument named after her was going to be gone by summer.

You can read a little more about her visit in the Lewiston Sun-Journal.

Lewiston Sun Journal

Guess what, Ma! I'm in the newspaper! The Lewiston Sun Journal published news of my contest win, and ran a goofy photo of me. :) Yes I gave it to them, but it's goofy all same.

Go check it out!

Photojournalism Award!

I am so pleased to once again be honored by the Wedding Photojournalism Association (WPJA) in their International Photography competition.

The contest this time was very competitive; photographs taken throughout 2007 all around the world were eligible. Several of my Maine Wedding Photographer friends also placed in the contest. David Murray from Kennebunkport was named one of the top ten wedding photojournalists in the world!

Here's my entry and the judges comments.

Check out the site to see all of the other winning photographs!

The Worlds Largest Snow woman

Bethel Maine has built the worlds largest snowman, or snow woman in this case. Here are some photos of her in her completed glory! I had so much fun shooting these photos and really loved how involved all the volunteers were in making this project happen.

Bethel has more than weddings to offer! Maybe the world's largest snowman and snowwoman will get married!

Olympia Snow-woman