capturing moments.

when I was first starting out in wedding photography, a great friend and fellow photographer took me under her wing and gave me my start. she taught me sooo much, and I'll always be grateful to her. one of the things she told me that I've never forgotten was that the moments right after the ceremony are beautiful and priceless...

I love this series of Halida and Jeff right after they'd walked down the aisle. (stay tuned for my favourites from their entire day, but this series was too good not to share in its entirety...)







then they kind of change gears...but there are only about 6 seconds between the one just up /\ and this next one:













I just love that they had this special high-five, pinky-swear handshake thing...like, "whoo-hoo! we're married!"

holly and marc

on June 9th I traveled down to Gloucester, MA (location of "the Perfect Storm"...which, if you ask me, was a perfectly depressing movie. and a perfect waste of two nearly-perfect specimens like Mark Wahlberg and George Clooney...that's why I don't like "true story" movies...happy endings, Hollywood! Happy endings! That's what I'm paying you $9 per ticket for.) to second-shoot for the fabulous Rachel of Decent Urban Weddings.

Holly and Marc chose one of the coolest venues ever...the Ocean View Inn and Resort. I think Holly willed the rain to hold off so they could be married on the lawn just steps away from the dramatic rocky coast. and to that I say...way to go, Holly! The setting was truly spectacular and fostered good-will in everyone. (Right down to motivating a groomsman to give me my first marriage proposal at a wedding!! Um...I don't think it's going to work out. Ha!)







I've received emails from a few people who have stumbled upon this site and remarked on my sense of humor...that's one of the greatest compliments I could receive, so...thanks guys! I see funny stuff every single day, and at weddings/on the job is no exception. I go so far as to include a small set of "funny" images from every wedding. Photos that make me just crack up while I'm processing them. This one may be my favourite funny image to date:



I loved these guests...I called them "rockstars"...because they were so COOL.





See Rachel's favourites here, and the rest of mine here.

And then go get married on the coast and hire me to come photograph it! :-D

Sarah and David

I first met Sarah and David last December. We walked around Boston Common and the Gardens for some engagement photos...and boy were we lucky! It was warm enough to do a few shots without their coats. I think this is my favorite from that session.



Sarah is just sooo beautiful, and David loves her sooo much...Her response after our session was that they were able to have a few 'moments' they weren't expecting. These two could have 'moments' no matter where they are!

They were married on May 19th (I told you I was behind!) at the Hyatt Harborside. On a clear day, there would have been gorgeous views of the skyline, but I kind of liked the misty, moody cityscape we had instead.



but I'm getting ahead of myself...No kissing until AFTER the wedding! These two were somewhat traditional and chose not to see each other beforehand. (Incidentally...that one is my favorite from the day!)

Getting ready photos are some of my favorites. Always.



(I know she's crying...but I just think she looks so beautiful! She couldn't even THINK about David without tearing up.)


(sister of the bride learning how to bustle the skirt so she could boogie at the reception. I couldn't resist...it was too funny. How often do you have people having conversations under your skirt?)


I loved her hair and pretty tattoo.




the "I now pronounce you man and wife" kiss


the "whoo-hoo! we're MARRIED!" kiss






The best man's wife had these rockin' awesome shoes. I complimented her on them, and she proudly informed me that they are vegan.

Sarah and David...Thanks so much for letting us be a part of your day. Your friends and family were warm and loving...and man could they DANCE!* I hope someday I'm as happy as you two are.

*Clearly this was a priority for them, because they hired a COOL dj. Scott did a great job keeping that place hoppin'.

(See my other favorites here. See photos from second photographer...the fantastic Daniel Nagaj, here.)

accountability

so, I need some help! My to-do list is so unbelievably long...and that includes SIX weddings I need to post here. My goal is to post one wedding per day for the rest of the week...if I don't do it, harass me! gwynethcolleenphotography [at] yahoo [dot] com.

I had an amazing time in Indiana, and the 7.7.07 photos are...well, they're a treat. Definitely worth the wait. I've done a LOT of traveling; I love to travel. I started when I was still in high school, and my first few overseas trips I packed in my dad's seabag that he used to take on submarine trips. They're like giant green canvas tubes that are sewn up at one end...not really strategic for compartmentalizing things for easy access. After a couple years of that, I switched to a regular duffel bag. The year I lived in New Zealand, I figured I was technically "backpacking", so I bought a nice internal frame pack. At least it had pockets. I never once used a rolling suitcase...figured since I was doing the travel-on-a-budget, explore the unseen corners of the world type of travel, I should sort of "rough it" a bit.

I'm over that.

If rolling suitcases=air conditioned rooms with fluffy pillows and fruity mixed drinks out on the terrace...I'm soooo ready to be that kind of traveler. With an occasional side trip to the open air markets for street food. Being a photographer means that I cannot go anywhere without at least 5 bags hanging off of my two shoulders. People regularly ask me, "can I help you with that?" I always laugh, wave them off and say, "I do this every weekend!" And I do, but my shoulders/neck/back are starting to gently suggest, "you know, it wouldn't kill you to let them take the laptop."

All that to say--I may be looking for my first rolling suitcase this week. Once I can stand up straight again. And stay tuned for updates. I've got a lot of them up my sleeve.

wedding cake inventiveness

weddings are this huge industry...I cannot even fathom it, and I am part of the machine. My sister got married a few years ago, so I remember concern over costs...from the big stuff like meals and venues all the way to smaller stuff like favors.

I have been obsessed with this penny-pinching idea ever since I read about it on offbeatbride.com. One particular vendor appeals to budget conscious brides by allowing them to RENT a wedding cake. The cakes look beautiful and artistic; they're decorated to match whatever extravagant idea the bride has in her mind's eye... The secret element that allows them to go for the low, low* price of $150 is...they're not really real. They're styrofoam. The manufacturers even build in a special compartment where they'll hide an actual piece of cake so that traditional brides can still feed their grooms some butter-creamy confection. (I find this part extremely amusing/resourceful/ridiculous.)

*But...$150 to RENT some fondant covered styrofoam? Seriously? I mean, sure...you can get just-as-delicious sheet cakes from the bakery, and you're still saving money while maintaining appearances, but...$150 to RENT a "cake"? I suppose if you don't have a sister who went to culinary school and worked in a bakery frosting wedding cakes for a while, that might be your best option. Thankfully, someday when my prandsome hince** comes along, I will be calling said sister and letting her know it's time to go to Michael's and buy some pre-cut styrofoam rounds and the cheapest, nastiest frosting they make. :-D

**What? you haven't heard the age old tale of Rindercella and the Prandsome Hince?

Also, a real quick notification: I'm out of town/state until July 10/11-ish. I will be checking email as I get internet access, but as I'm sleeping on a different couch almost every night catching up with all my old college chums, I cannot guarantee that I'll be able to get back to you as quickly as I'd like. Please bear with me...and if you have my phone number, go ahead and give me a buzz!

geography related bitterness and affection

(and a lot of parenthetical expressions)

first, the bitterness:

I think "Live Free or Die Hard" should have something to do with New Hampshire.

affection:

The reason I have any bitterness about that is because I *HEART* New Hampshire. I have since before I moved here. I was thrilled that the winding stream that is life deposited me here. And I've lived in my current apartment longer than I've lived anywhere since I graduated from college. (Coming up on a year without moving at all, baby! Maybe someday I'll tell you about living overseas and going to grad school and then going overseas again and then job hunting and then picking up and moving w/o really having a job yet, because...you just gotta GO for it!, and the year I moved 3 times.)

I've mentioned this before, but I think Portsmouth, NH is pretty much the best city/town in the United States. I'm from upstate NY, as much as a Navy brat can be from anywhere (Ballston Spa...a very random, historic, and dichotomically charming and uninspiring small town north of Albany), but I love Portsmouth. It has the delicious historic district with the federal style houses painted marvelous colors that make my heart go pitter patter...old churches with amazing doors, stone and brick walkways; it exudes the very essence of New England. If I ever become a famous rockstar wedding photographer and can afford to live whereever I want, I will buy a brick home in Portsmouth.

So, Portsmouth and other NH brides...make my dream come true! I'll take good care of you, I promise!

nose to the grindstone

i've been hiding this from you for months now: but i can't hide it any longer. just for today, i'm going to let the real me peek through.

i hate capital letters. i appreciate punctuation and grammar and spelling...but i hate capital letters. it probably has more to do with my love of symmetry than with any particular affinity for e. e. cummings. in fact, it definitely does, because i don't love e. e. cummings.

i've been using capital letters for professionalism's sake...and, after today, i shall continue to do so (unless there is an overwhelming outpouring of support for my bold and vulnerable stand.)

all of that is neither here nor there, though.

my sister's gone. she's on her way back to new jersey. yesterday we went to boston, and on our way down we were listening to alanis morrissette and talking about "ironic"...and how it's ironic that she wrote an un-ironic song about irony. it IS, however, ironic that new jersey is named "the garden state." because...have you BEEN there? (to be fair, the part of jersey from which she hails is kind of green and full of flowers and trees and deer, etc...and it's much closer to philly than nyc.)

this morning i've been plowing through halida and jeff's wedding photos. family formals are usually a quick "line 'em up and shoot 'em...and move 'em out." that doesn't leave a whole lot of room for creativity, but i still make an effort. i just LOVE the following image of jeff's family. his parents are on the left, jeff and halida in the center (y'know, in case the white dress didn't tip you off...), and jeff's brother jonathan and his fiance caroline (seen in the below post--yeah, i LOVE this family!) are on the right.

'Tis the Season

I'm so behind on posting! I've got 3 weddings to write about...scratch that...4! I still haven't shown you all my May 19th wedding *hangs head in shame* and there are some beautiful images that I've been looking forward to sharing.

But...I've been bogged down with image processing and album designing. As I told one client this week, "'tis the season"...Wedding season is in full swing, and I'm having a blast.

However, I don't expect to be making any great strides on my to-do list this week; my sister is in town (up from NJ...she brought her dog with her, and my poor little cat didn't come out from under the bed all day.) Then next Monday I'm leaving for Indiana for just over a week. I went to college there, so I'm looking forward to catching up with LOTS of friends before I shoot Nick and Katie's wedding in South Bend on the uber popular 07.07.07.

I wouldn't leave you without any photos, though...Jonathan is Jeff's (see below brother. He officiated at their wedding (for better or worse the 24 hour internet-ordination era has come upon us. If nothing else, I do like that it allows couples to choose a loved one to preside over the most important promise they'll ever make), and he brought his charming new fiance Caroline along with him. We got to steal a few minutes at the most gorgeous time of day to do a mini-engagement session on an island in Maine...on the beach...at sunset...with a PIER! (and bonus--they were already decked out in their finest duds.) I was like a kid in a candy shop. Without further ado...


I was lovin' that sunflare...








aren't they cute?

I'll try to put more photos up this week...but I make no promises.

warm fuzzies

today I got this email from Jeff (see post directly below this 'un):

Gwyn-

these are a HUGE hit with us and our families and we absolutely love them! great job and we're looking forward to this weekend, thanks again,
Jeff


warm fuzzies. like...mint hot chocolate and sweat pants on a winter day, Gloria Jean's iced mochas, kittens, and polka-dots. THAT'S how I feel when I get emails like this. y'know, for the record.

halida & jeff--engagement

The story of how Halida and Jeff found me is my favorite to date...my friend Amy works in an awesome shoe store in downtown Portsmouth (bestplaceonearth). Halida was in there..and I guess they got to chatting, and Amy mentioned that she knew a wedding photographer. They exchanged information, and I think Amy sent Halida the link to my website.

I was actually in dialogue with another couple in Ohio for that particular date, and I've never been so happy when plans fell through. Halida and Jeff are GREAT. They're getting married this coming Saturday, so I was amazed (and honored) that they found time to meet me in Portsmouth to do engagement photos less than a week before their wedding. We had a great time though; the day was unbelievably beautiful and the light was stunning. I had a hard time picking my favorites!








this is her grandmother's ring...as is! so, because they had an heirloom ring to use, Jeff gave her an engagement bike...today they're actually biking from Portsmouth to Newburyport, or Hampton Beach...or some other ridiculously long distance to go on a bicycle. They're hardcore.
















the rest of the photos from this amazing session are here.
Check 'em out, because I had a dickens of a time narrowing down my choices to just 8!

H&J--I'll see you guys on Saturday. I can't WAIT!