Rainy Day = Great light!

Well, I know it isn't everyone's wish on their wedding day. I don't know if the old saying that "rain on your wedding day brings luck to your marriage" is true or not, but it DEFINITELY brings GREAT photo opportunities! This one is for all those brides worried about a rain out... Thanks to Today's Limousine for those killer shots with the vintage Rolls Royce. I'm always a fan of the antique cars, especially when there is a great looking bride and groom to go WITH. We had it all at this wedding - and an outstanding job done by The Century House in Latham with the wedding reception. As we are fairly new in town, I'm happy to say that I wasn't let down by The Century House's great reputation. Congratulations to Andrea and Steve! May your marriage be filled with countless Kodak moments! Or "Nikon" moments, depending on your camera...

"N" & "N"

"N"icole and "N"ick were married on a rainy, sunny, cloudy, clear.... well a pretty average summer day (at least lately!) It sounds like a bad thing, but truth be told, it led to so many different lighting situations, that their wedding produced such a variety of different photos, I had to purchase an extra hard drive just to store them all! Okay, I needed the extra memory ANYWAY, but you get the point. Another great ceremony (inside this time) at the National Museum of Dance, and a beautiful reception at the Hall of Springs. Sit tight, there WILL be another blog post from this wedding. Nicole and Nick are also friends of mine - which meant I took WAY too many photos.

Quiet Water

Well, I've officially joined the ranks of other North Country photographers. We bought a canoe a few weeks ago and I've been dying to take it out for a test run. You know, make sure it floats and enables me to sneak up on wildlife to photograph without it running into the woods from the paparazzi. Well, I had a rare Sunday off last week and took the canoe up to the Green Mountain National Forest. Good news, it floats, bad news, it poured while I was on the lake. Good news, I kept the camera dry and was able to get this nice shot of the lily pad just about to blossom. More bad news, wildlife doesn't like getting caught in the rain any more than I do. Bummer. Rosie and I are planning some forays into the wilderness later this summer during a break in the wedding action. We're hoping to see a half-submerged bull moose with a bald eagle balanced on his antlers. Is that too much to ask?

Austin & Elizabeth

Austin & Elizabeth were married on June 13th in a touching ceremony (conducted by Elizabeth's father!) near Lake Luzerne, NY. We were able to capture so many great moments throughout the ceremony and immediately afterwards, and it was a good thing - because as soon as we finished photographing the bridal party and headed inside for the reception, it POURED down for the next four hours. They say that when it rains on your wedding day it is a sign of good luck, but when it doesn't start raining until AFTER the outdoor portion is complete, it's REALLY good luck! As a side note, thank you so much to the staff at the Peniel Bible Camp on Lake Luzerne. They did an amazing job with the reception. I could be wrong, but I don't think they do many weddings at the facility - and they were just great. Oh, and the new deck outside looked beautiful - go Steve!! If you see Austin & Elizabeth around town, congratulate them - they're newlyweds for goodness sake!

Point O' Pines

Well, we lucked out with the weather AGAIN on our final wedding weekend of May 2009 - our busiest month to date here at the studio. Here are some photos from Julie & Brandon's wedding in Brant Lake, NY. I've known Julie for years now, and it was such a pleasure to witness her wedding (AND photograph it!) She looked beautiful, and I've never her seen her so happy - what a day. The staff at Point O' Pines did a wonderful job with the reception and ceremony, from the dinner to the bonfire that followed. This last photo of the bonfire is actually a 3 shot multiple exposure - no "Photoshopping" necessary! Point O' Pines is a great location for those couples wishing to be married outside, in a beautiful setting, and some place other than a banquet hall or church. Best of luck to both Julie and Brandon in their new life together!

Cantina Kids Fun Run

This year's Cantina Kids Fun Run raised over $20,000!! Thanks to all of the volunteers who made it such a success. We were invited to capture the race for Cantina as well as for the Saratoga Hospital (the race raised money to help build the new emergency department at the hospital). It was a great event, and a great cause. Here are a few photos of the race, the acitivites, AND the staff at Cantina posing with "Sparkles the Bear."

Night at the Museum...

Elaine and Will were married at the National Museum of Dance just two weeks ago and what a great night they had! The weather turned out to be nothing short of spectacular - and just as the cermony was about to begin, the sun streaked right through the courtyard and gave us the perfect soft lighting we're always hoping for! Nicole's Catering delivered a great meal and put together an ideal cocktail hour for their guests. The main room at the Museum looked just perfect, with the sun shining right through the large rear windows. Congratulations Elaine & Will! Best wishes for a happy, healthy future. And thanks again for including me in your special day!!

Matt & Elizabeth

Matt & Elizabeth were married a few weeks back on a beautiful May afternoon. With another great wedding at Bethesda Episcopal, right here in Saratoga, we headed to Congress Park for photos, and off the Arches Room at The Gideon Putnam. The arches room is an absolutely perfect room for a smaller, more intimate wedding. In addition to it's perfect size for such an event, it has a TON of natural light, which we LOVE. Matt & Elizabeth were such a pleasure to spend the day with. I knew they were smart and beautiful - but when Brett Dennen's "The One Who Loves You the Most" started for their first dance, I found out they were cool too! (I downloaded the entire album about one hour after the wedding...)

SD Atelier

If you've never heard of them, look them up! SD Atelier Architecture is right on Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs and has been creating beautiful and functional designs since 1996. Their architectural projects include both residential and commercial ventures. If you're ever in need of an ambulance station, like this one we recently photographed, or even for a cabin in the Adirondacks, Sue and Don Davis of SD Atelier could be the resource you are looking for! As a side note, this particular photo was a 4 exposure shot, the only way to get enough light into the lens AFTER sunset WITHOUT getting all of the traffic on busy Route 9. To minimize the presence of a four lane highway in front of the building, I had to be low to the ground, so I set the tripod up in a ditch across the street and waited for the perfect light. It only happens about an half hour after sunset (or before sunrise), and only lasts about five minutes or less! The waiting game is always worth it for a shot like this though.

Cantina in the blogs, on the web!

A good friend just e-mailed this link over to me for some positive feedback he read online for Cantina, a great Mexican restaurant in Saratoga Springs. Incidentally, the owner gave me my very first commercial photography opportunity upon our arrival to Saratoga in the summer of 2007. Check out the feedback we found online for the Cantina website HERE. Why am I excited? We were the photography studio that handled all of Cantina's advertising photography both in print and for their website!