Anne’s wedding was at the beautiful Mt. Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, N.H. If you haven’t been, it’s definitely a place to put on your bucket list. From breath taking views in every direction, grand architecture, plethora of shops, a restaurant, and fun activities such as, horse drawn carriage rides and golfing. This makes this venue the ideal spot for any event or session.
You can pick either the balcony on the first floor or the rooftop for ceremonies. Anne’s ceremony and cocktail hour was on the balcony, since it was a smaller wedding, with about 20 people in attendance. After the ceremony, we were able to utilize the rooftop for group and couple images, which came out beautifully. Even though it was windy we were able to capture stunning images with the beautiful mountains in the background.
As I’m looking over the gallery, one thing that I noticed and loved most about her wedding, was that everyone was genuinely happy to be there which is evident in all our images. It was a relaxed and joyful celebration that everyone rejoiced in. Since it was a small wedding there was a lot of time to enjoy the scenery and take images at their own pace. Truly a classic and elegant wedding.
Whether its your wedding day, portrait session, or milestone event, we strive to capture emotive images that tells the story. To accomplish this we have to make sure our clients are happy and comfortable to be able to capture their pure and natural emotions. Over the years we’ve gathered a lot of experienced and came up with a few ways we achieve this goal.
We get to know our clients– We aren’t just a shoot and burn business. We are a professional full time photography company, so it’s important to us that we get to know who we are working with and that they get to know us. It’s a partnership. Some of the ways we accomplish this is through phone calls, meeting, in person sessions, questionairres, just to name a few. The more we interact with each other, the easier it is to relax and capture emotive images.
Sometimes it’s good to be a wall flower– If someone doesn’t feel comfortabe you can’t capture their true and raw emotions. We approach our clients and their guests in a very gentle way. We act like wall flowers. We move around each event in a delicate way, never forcing someone to take a picture or make them feel uncomfortable. This way everyone can enjoy the event and we can capture their genuine smiles and laughs.
We encourage you to enjoy yourselves and have fun– We use our humor to make our clients laugh and feel relaxed. This may seem like a given, though this extends much farther than you may think. Being able to make small talk with each other can relax the clients and help them feel comfortable during the session, which is very helpful with the comfortability of our clients.
Directing the couple in a gentle way– This helps us pose our clients in a way that feels natural and comfortable for them. Posing makes or breaks an image. So while it is important for our clients to pose in a natural way, sometimes we may need to push them slightly out of their comfort zones, but in an inviting and comforting way. We try to ease our clients into posing by complimenting them or saying something comforting.
We are prepared to capture spontaneous moments– Anything can happen during a session so we are ready to capture everything, which is the biggest reason why we usually have two photographers at our jobs. We encourage spontaneous moments by having the couple or the group look at each other and talk amongst themselves, which generally makes everyone laugh and smile.
Use natural light to enhance the warmth and seritonin– It is said to be true that daylight and natural light releases more seritonin into our brain. So we try to incorporate as much natural lighting into our sessions as we can to help our clients feel happy and more secure. Fresh air and warmth is always fulfilling and makes our clients feel content.
We were hired for this event by Colleen, for her sister, Cait’s, baby shower and we are very glad that she reached out to us. Everyone was very pleasant to work with and very responsive with posing. They listened to what we said very nicely and respected the timeframe we were there for. At the shower there was a skit done by a few didn’t people. It consisted of showing an outfit, themed for every month for 1 year starting when Cait’s baby is born, they did this while reciting a poem for each outfit. Which was adorable to say the least and we had never seen that done so it was interesting to watch it unfold.
The Boathouse at Saugatuck
The baby shower was held at the Boathouse at Saugatuck, and the venue was absolutely beautiful. The decor matched accordingly to the event and was very elegant. The resturant located in Westport CT, is right on the water which makes for a great view while dining. The service was great with the staff on hand, acting fast and generally paying close attention to the needs of the guest at the event. As a vendor who was working the event they even offered us some of the extra food they had prepared which was appreciated greatly. Here is a link to their website https://www.boathouseatsaugatuck.com/
This is just a disclaimer that information may not pertain to some events like wedding, this is more meant for events like baby showers, birthdays, family reuinions and similar events.
Planning events can sometimes be daunting due to just how much there is to think about. These tips are meant to help ease the process or give you some things to keep in mind while planning.
1)Plan on what you would want to do: This is most likely a given but plan the event with things the person of honor would like to do. If it’s a family reunion or something similar, then gear your activities more to the general audience of people attending.
2) Keeping things simple: Keep in mind that every game and decoration you add an event, you would need to supervize which can be overwhelming when you could be enjoying your event. Keeping things on the simplier side can both elevate your event and reduce the amount of stress on the person planning the event. The same thing goes for decorations. If the venue is cluttered with a lot of decorations, it can get in the way and look messy in photos. Sometimes simple is better.
3) Choosing vendors and venues: When choosing a place to host events or picking vendors to provide a service, there is a few things to think about. The first thing that comes to mind is if they have experience doing events, checking online reviews can help give an insight. The second thing is how well you and your vendor’s personalities mesh because if you don’t go well together the planning process and the event won’t go as smoothly. A way for this to happen is to meet all your venders before hand via in person or on Zoom so you get to know their personalities more. It’s especially important to meet your key venders (ex. event planner, photography, DJ, etc.) before hand so they can be involved in the planning process and you know everything will flow smoothly.
For picking venues it would be best while to find some time to personally visit the location before the event takes place, this way you can have a visual understanding of the space you have to work with. Apart from that, when speaking to either vendors or the person who runs the venues, watch how they speak to you, their tones and choice of words could be a big hint in how they will treat you day of and throughout the whole process.
4) Time: When you plan to have multiple activities you may want to space them out from each other to give some downtime in between. This can help make the event flow smoother and can even help the vendors with how they work. Making a timeline is a fantastic idea to help keep track of things and can be shared with vendors.
Extra Tips
1) Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and Quinceaneras:
For the child of honor it’s important to take individaul images & family images before the party. This leaves more time to capture other images and it will be less stressful on everyone.
It’s important to know that some temples don’t allow photography during the ceremony, but you can take family & individual images after. Before the party, take a few more image of the child of honor, so they can enjoy their party the rest of the night.
For quinceraneras, going to a local park before the event gives time for immediate family images as well as images of the child of honor. It’s easier to do this away from the party and crowd so everyone feels more relaxed, as it’s hard to pose in front of a crowd.
2) Reunions and Vow Renewals:
With reunions there is often a lot of people, so having a timeline will help you stay organized so there isn’t a lot of stress on you and your guests. Work with your venders to complete this so on the day of, you can have time catching up with everyone attending. Vow renewals are similar to weddings. If you want a more elegant event, make a dress guide for your guests to follow. Rememember the day of is all about the couple, so plan it to their liking!
3) Surprise Parties and Anniversaries:
Arriving early for surprise parties is important to make sure your ready to go whenever the person of honor arrives. This can also apply to anniversaries if your looking to do it as a surprise. Arriving at least 30 minutes early gives you the opportunity for the element of suprise because suprise parties almost never start on time due to the person you’re suprising coming early or late.
4) Showers/parties (Bridal, baby, engagement):
It’s important to know what the person you’re showering would want for their dream shower. This includes the types of decorations, gifts, games and activities. Finding out what kind of games they would like, or if they want any, is very important since they’re a big part of the party and keep everyone engaged. Before inviting the guests, collaborate with the person you’re throwing the shower for and write a gift restristry so they only get gifts that you will use in the future. This way you won’t get anything they won’t use or need. Keeping this in mind makes for a joyful and eventful party. Here is a link to a blog post about a baby shower that we had recently done https://everchangingphotography.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=5728&action=edit
When picking a location for a proposal it can be difficult to choose where it should be, while keeping in mind what is important to you and your partner. You can view the post prior to help you plan your session. https://everchangingphotography.com/proven-tips-for-stunning-proposals/
On the 19th we had the pleasure of doing a session on Killington Mountain in Killington VT for Joshua and Suzy. Killington Mountain is unique since it’s central to 7 other mountains, which creates a breathtaking moutain range. Since the trees were covered in snow, it truly felt like a winter wonderland on the mountain top. After we had decended from the mountain, the next location was just outside the Killington Lodge where we took a few images with the snow-capped mountains as the background.
Josh and Suzy were a treat to work with. They were very enthusiastic and open-minded about different posings and locations when capturing their images. This allowed us to be very creative and adventurous during the session. Overall, they made the session flow smooth and it was very enjoyable for all of us. This session made for a fantastic end to the week and was the type of session we love to book. We can’t wait for the oppritunity to capture their wedding.
We all know planning a romantic and meaningful proposal can be a daunting task, however with a little creativity and planning, it can be a truly special moment. Here are some of our best tips to get you started:
Think about your partner’s interests: What are your partner’s passions, hobbies, and favorite things? Incorporating them into your proposal will make it extra meaningful.
Be mindful of the time of day: If you choose mid day the lighting is harsh and not flattering compared to an hr after sunrise or an hr before sunset. Mid day sun causes harsh shadows espcailly around the eyes.
Get creative with the location: Choose a spot that has special meaning to your relationship, the place you two first met or your favorite spot in town are great choices.
Posing: side shots are best as you want to see the ring and both of you. You’ll be able to get a reaction shot as well as long as you follow #6.
Don’t forget the ring: Make sure to have the ring on hand before planning the proposal. You don’t want to ruin the surprise by forgetting it!
Plan 1-2 mins for the actual proposal so we have time to capture a wide shot, up close, and their reaction….No two second proposals please.
Personalize it: Keep your partner in mind when you’re planning. Consider adding a personal touch to your proposal, like incorporating a favorite song or poem.
Limit the props: simple is better and way less stressful for you. No need to add extra stress worrying about props, you have enough on your plate.
Flower petals are pretty but they BLOW AWAY. If you want to use them, use them in shots after the proposal.
Dont mention getting nails done: this is the BIGGEST giveaway that something is coming and their reaction may not be as emotional as it could be. If you know they would want their nails done in the images, purchase some presh-on nails (with nail glue or nail stickers) for your soon to be fiance to put on after being proposed to. Don’t know what to buy, remember your family and friends are here to help!
Giving us a photo of you and your partner is HIGHLY recommended: We need to know who to be on the lookout for especially if it’s in public.
When in public, there may be people in your shot: A few ways around this is picking a less traveled spot, weekday verses weekend, or cold weather verses warm.
Do NOT have your proposal in bad weather: Freezing rain is the WORST! It’s hard to focus, it could affect our cameras or our hands, and it’s hard to get sharp images. If the weather doesn’t look good and you can’t be indoors, please pick another day, a backup day for your proposal. It’s such an important moment to waste on bad weather and subpar images when you could get stunning images on a better day.
I hope these tips help you create a truly special proposal for your partner! Need more help or would like us to capture your proposal, feel free to reach out to us. We love capturing this wonderful time for couples and would love to capture yours.
This past weekend I trekked up Sunday River Mountain via the gondola for a Mountain top proposal. This spot was beautiful and the weather couldn’t have been better. The first proposal of spring and we still have snow! I love it! Here’s a few from their session.
Melanie & Steve got married in February winter wedding, the day after a big storms. It made for a great backdrop at their beautiful venue. I’m halfway through their gallery but couldn’t wait to share some images.
Here’s a sneak Peek of their day with another post soon to follow.
If you have ever wondered what spurs on a photographer’s passion, you are about to find out. Below are just some of the many reasons photographers wouldn’t change their job for anything in the world.
Photography changes how you see things. You notice colors, textures, flowers, trees, people, shapes and light in a way most people never see them.
You pay more attention to the beauty around you. Even the most mundane object can become beautiful when you photograph it in a creative way. Many photographers love their job because they develop a fascination with the world around them by viewing it through new eyes
It’s an amazing creative outlet. You get the chance to put a little bit of who you are into each photo that you take. Anyone can click a camera’s buttons but not everyone can truly make a photo come to life
It’s a challenge. Creating amazing photos that capture the magic of everyday life doesn’t come without hard work, dedication and imagination. There is always something new to explore and a new way to take the same photos. It’s a job that never gets boring
You get to meet new people all the time. A photographer works with people from all walks of life. Getting to know someone new is a part of the process of bringing someone’s personality through in a photo. It also makes the job a lot more fun!
The flexibility is great. Being a full time photographer means you get to work your own hours. This doesn’t mean it’s a laid back profession though. A photographer is always aiming to perfect their craft, taking on new challenges and helping their clients achieve the perfect pictures.
When you decide to pay for a professional photo session, know that you are hiring an individual who is passionate about what they do and is willing to go the extra mile to help you create beautiful photos that you can treasure forever.
There are plenty of photos you have probably considered taking on your wedding day. From getting ready, the ceremony to pictures with your family and of course with the groom but what about the ladies that are helping you and have helped throughout the entire wedding planning process? While you know you’ll have some time to take group shots of the entire bridal party you’ll want to make sure you have these photos with your bridesmaids as you get ready on your big day.
1. Showcase The Back of Your Wedding Dress
The back of a wedding dress is hidden with beautiful details you’ll want to capture. You can pose with all of the bridesmaids to show off their dresses as well or have some great close ups of the bridesmaids helping button, zipper or lace up the back of your dress.
2. First Look With Your Bridesmaids
You have heard about the first look for the bride and groom but what about when the bridal party sees the bride for the first time? The bride’s first reveal to her bridal party can result in some emotional and memorable photo opportunities.
3. Having Fun
As you are getting ready everyone’s nerves are a little on edge because everyone wants to look their best. There will be moments when you just need to let loose to relax a little and having a little dance party, jumping on the bed or just being silly are moments that can make for great photo opportunities.
4. Matching Robes or Shirts
Most brides will have getting ready attire for their bridesmaids and you’ll want to capture everyone in their cute and thoughtful pre-wedding wear.
5. Bouquets and Bridesmaids Dresses
Bouquets won’t last a lifetime but the pictures you have of them will. The bridesmaids and bride bouquet photos are ones that you will definitely want to have. There are many ways you can showcase the bouquets as well as the bridesmaid’s dresses. From lining everyone up and holding their bouquets out to the camera or hiding their faces to forming a circle around the bride; this is another shot that you can get creative with
6. The Shoe Shot
You can’t forget about the shoes and what about those pedicures? You’ll want to get a group shot that showcases everyone’s shoes.
7. Celebrating Shot
You’re getting married! There is bound to be a bottle or two of champagne being opened in the bride’s honor. Take a minute to pause as you toast away your single life with your bridesmaids for a picture-perfect shot.
