surprise!

a few months ago, i got an email from a lovely young man named fred. he wanted to surprise his fiance for her birthday with a photo session.

they're both archaeologists, and in addition to organizing everything with me, he also did his homework. he went scouting and had lots of ideas for locations. (usually, during these types of sessions, we agree to meet in a particular area, and then we kind of wander around with me randomly going, "here! here's good! stop. ok, um...where do i want you to stand." i always wonder if it's strange for me to be mid-conversation and then suddenly start flapping about and issuing directions...before pausing to figure out what i REALLY want them to do.

anyway...fred kept his secret right up until i met them at the copley square t-stop. he introduced me and then explained that i was a photographer, and we were going to do a photo session...he was so thorough, and he'd thought of everything! he even had her dress extra nice.

he wanted to bring in lots of structural and architectural elements, so i kept an eye out for those details while shooting.






i even noticed the spikes on the lamps outside the public library, and made him stand still so that i could make it look like he had the same headdress as the witch king of angmar-lord of the nazgul. (ok, for the record: i knew it looked nazgulian, but i have a LOTR geek friend whom i consulted to remember that he lived at the top of caradhras, and what is name was.)



i'd never been inside the boston public library before, but...it's amazing! i thought it was a museum at first.








i think this one is inside trinity church.


i love this outtake...it's not perfect, but it's a real and sweet moment.



fred even managed to WILL himself not to shiver so that they would look relaxed instead of just cold...i think he did a great job!

thanks fred and jessica for the great boston outing. i had lots of fun with you, and jessica--you're a lucky girl!