Kim and Mike ~ A Winter Engagement in the NH Mountains ~ Part I

Some couples just compliment each other so well and in the process of getting to know them I am so fortunate to learn why they work so well together.
Meet Kim and Mike!

What I love most about Kim and Mike is as hard as they work they play just as hard.
Kim is a full time Children’s Photographer in addition to running her own Lifestyle Photography Business, Kim Jones Photography.
Mike also runs his own business, Kinetic Motorworks where he works on automotive customizing and manufacturing.

Their busy lifestyle is balanced by their love of family, friends, and these two know how to let loose and have fun.
Whether dancing the night away or heading to the mountains and hitting the slopes,
their time spent together radiates in their smiles the fun they both have just being together.

Since they both enjoy the Mountains, we headed north for their engagement session to Plymouth, NH where we stopped at the Common Man Inn and Spa.
Kim was indeed looking for a good reason to kick back with a glass of wine.
Check out these sweet images of the two of them just enjoying each others company over a cocktail.

I made them separate for just a moment to get some quick head shots.
I loved watching Kim laugh at Mike while he tried to give me his best GQ stare before he bust out laughing as well.

As we were headed off after a cocktail, I couldn’t help but notice the gorgeous warm window light so we had to sneak in a silhouette.

I love how the Common Man has so many rustic, romantic spots. Just a few more as they snuggled a top the stairwell.

As light began to become sparse we headed back outdoors to walk through the snow a bit and decide where to head to next.
Here they got a little playful and I just love their expressions wrapped up in each others arms.

Then we headed North! Our Goal was to chase the sunset into the mountains as far North as we could.
We settled on the Christmas Tree Farm in Bethlehem, NH because I remember a few months back what a spectacular sunset appeared over the hills of trees.
It was a hike with the gear but when I saw this image below, it made it all worth it!

I’m obsessed with the red hat and peacoat, but Mike’s hat just added the NH touch of warmth and fun.
As you can see we just kept going until the sun went down.

Congratulations Mike and Kim! I can’t wait for Part II!

A Beautiful Mom to Be! Lifestyle Maternity Session in Londonderry, NH

Such extraordinary beauty is always present in a radiant mother to be!

Lisa wanted to create images that not only captured this incredible moment in her life but that also reflected the true beauty of motherhood and incorporate her loving husband and father to be with some …just beyond the classical style of maternity portraits!
She chose one of my favorite backdrops at Mac’s Apple Orchard in Londonderry so we could watch the sunset behind the pumpkin patch and so Lisa could relax in the shade of the willow trees. After all, this beautiful mommy has not one but two little blessings coming her way!

After walking by the pond and resting at the tree we began to head over to the pumpkin patch where the warm sunlight was pouring in and illuminating the trees…
so we just had to stop and enjoy it for awhile.

And then came sunset in the pumpkin patch… I love these next three images!!!

 

Lisa, You are truly blessed and are quite the trooper. Congratulations to the both of you!

 

Aubrey and Corey’s Engagement ~ Hard Rockin Boston!

“The glance she gave me as everyone walking by watched, I knew right then this was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and make my wife…”

Aubrey and Corey are one of those couples who appear easy going,  but have this infinite range of electric personality. It was so much fun to walk around Boston with them through Faneuil Hall, the Boston Common, and eventually over to the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston. It was a blast to spend the afternoon wandering around their favorite spots and chatting about everything from wedding details to rock bands. I love that Corey is a 80′s hair band fan…
and because he loves Aubrey so much, he even listens to country music now.

We started our day at the Boston Common and I have to say these two rocked. They are naturals in front of the camera and who am I kidding?
We just played all day, you can completely see how in love these two are even in the freezing cold.

I invited along my amazingly talented and good friend Jeff Newcum  for the shoot and it is so much fun when we work together! Take special note of his wicked awesome wide angle shots throughout this post like  the one below through the trees, I love it! Thank you Jeff.

Ok. These two are hysterical and I love the way Aubrey laughs. (You want us to do what in the puddle???)
So, I had to include these two outtakes I shot, while Jeff was getting the awesome wide shot below.

Of course we’ll do a bridge shot. Maybe a few

As it got extremely cold and really windy, we decided it was definitely time for a glass of wine, but first as the sun was going down we had to get a few shots on the way. I can’t decide which image I like better of the two on the top. The fun one below with Corey’s funny expression, or him whisking her around dancing with her in the street.

So who knew that Corey is a guitar player, how fitting we headed next to the Hard Rock…

So after we got the shots above, the rockin manager let us into the back room that was completely empty while they were setting up for a special event. So even though we only got to play for a few minutes it was completely worth it.

I’m loving the pool table images. Their expressions are fantastic!

I get the feeling that this couple likes to dance! Aubrey and Corey I am so happy for the both of you and can not wait to see you put your dancing shoes on again and celebrate your wedding this September! It is going to be outstanding!

Beth & Dave ~ A Red Hot Engagement in the Rain in Manchester, NH

There are some couples that fit so harmoniously together making up perfect pieces in each others world.
You can see the life and happiness they breathe into each other and nothing else seems to matter.  I have known Dave for over 10 years and until I met Beth a few weeks back, I can’t seem to ever recall him with such a smile wrapped from ear to ear as much as he does when he is in her presence.
It couldn’t have been more than 30 degrees outside in the pouring rain the day we shot,  but the both of them didn’t seem to mind.
They were perfectly content to be just in each other’s arms…

 

 

 

I love the boots and the hats. These two are so much fun!

 

After getting soaked walking through the woods we headed off to the location of their first date.  Mint Bistro in Manchester, NH.
Yet they just kept playing into each others arms…

 

 

How fitting they would choose this place as it a fusion of culinary sophistication, modern charm, and tempting cocktails. So of course, we had to try them!

 

 

 

 

 

After we left the Bistro we took a walk a little further down Elm St. To hit up their favorite Irish Pub, The Shaskeen.
Who are we kidding here, it’s my favorite Irish Pub in Manchester to!

Yes, it most certainly is getting hot in here.

 

 I love watching these two together. They are everything from fun, fresh, and playful to passionate.

 

 

Beth and Dave the two of you are fantastic! It was a pleasure to spend the afternoon and evening with the both of you and I can not wait for your wedding this spring!
Congratulations to the both of you!!!

Shae & Jeff ~ A Salisbury Beach Engagement!

“Being with her, I never laughed so hard or had so much fun as when we are together… I knew by our second date I wanted to share the rest of my life with her.” ~Jeff

When I met Shae and Jeff a few months ago, I could instantly feel the love that they had for each other spread through the room and make any other couple sitting by envious. I throughly enjoyed getting to know the both of them and hearing their stories. Such a sweet and fun couple, they had me laughing all night.  Together they have such a fun and charismatic lifestyle that truly embraces each other and their families.

We planned their engagement shoot for the beach between Seabrook, NH and Salisbury, MA. Just a normal day at the beach doing their favorite things; walking, talking, playing scrabble and the day would not have been complete without their just as enthusiastic labrador Jackson joining us!

 

I do believe Jackson is stealing the show in the images below…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After playing on the beach we walked over to a sandy area and threw out a blanket. Shae popped out their favorite game, and they just sat and played for awhile.
To watch these two interact is pure joy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The two of you are so fun and refreshing to be around! I can not wait for your wedding next November!

 

Peggy and Rick Home for the Holidays!

Last year on Christmas Eve I was so happy to release a very special Christmas post dedicated to SSG Richard Nolan!
It was so wonderful to have photographs that I did of Peggy and her family be the gift for her husband overseas. Especially knowing how important these photographs were, as she would not get to be with the love of her life until the following August. I was so touched by her idea as well as inspired by her work as a writer, author, teacher, and now very good friend of mine. When the post went live last Christmas – I made sure to get the dates and schedule a couples session just for the two of them
when Rick came home from Iraq this fall.

To see the two of them together is a complete joy.
I would try to write something clever and unique about the two of them, but I don’t believe I could put it into words and truly do them justice.
(After all Peggy is an amazing writer…  You can see her blog Serendipity Smiles and the work she does for The Stepmom’s Toolbox.) So better to just show you my favorite moments from spending the afternoon on a walk with them!

The two of you are so perfect together! I’m so happy to now know you both and your family!

Justin & Mary’s Shoot-Out: The Start of an Affair… a Lens Affair!

Two months ago… has it really been that long?… I blogged my entry into an online contest to win a place among an amazing group of photographers vying for a spot in Justin & Mary Marantz’s WPPI Shoot-out Extravaganza.  And I WON!! It appears great things can come out of sharing the chaotic and less than organized aspects of one’s life!

Three cheers to turning chaos into opportunity!

Bright and early one morning in Vegas – I believe it was Tuesday – a comedy of errors unfolded as I made my way to the shoot-out location.  In the haze that is my brain, absent coffee, in the early morning hours, a taxi ride was required to make it from my hotel to the location on time.  By some chance of fate, or perhaps magic, I made it to the shoot-out 5 minutes early even with a highly unmotivated cab driver, traffic and being dropped off at the WRONG location!!

After finally arriving, I was content to call the day a complete success.  Then I started meeting all the wonderful photographers I had been chatting with since the contest winners were announced.  And the day, amazingly, started getting better!  We met Ashley and Jeremy, our adorable models, grabbed our gear and the shutters started clicking.  I fell into the rhythm but found myself slightly distracted.

The day only got better.

As those of you who I have been priviledged to photograph have almost certainly noticed, I am a gadget freak and absolute photo geek!  There is little that I love more than being around fellow photographers who share my love and passion for all things photo gear related.  And so, I found myself engaged in a conversation with Justin that evolved from a technical question into a discussion and comparison of our Think Tank gear bags!  The day just couldn’t get better at that point!

Or could it?

There finally came a moment when my breath caught in my chest, my heart skipped a beat and the sun started to shine just a touch brighter.  It was almost as if I were living in a dream.  Mike Duval of LensPro was standing nearby and graciously introduced me to my newest obsession and love, the Nikon 200 f/2 lens.

It was love at first sight with its big shiny glass and soft, buttery bokeh!  sigh

Oh, I’m so sorry! Sometimes I forget that not everyone understands photo language!

Bokeh refers to the quality of the out-of-focus areas of an image provided by a lens.  In this case, the bokeh rocked my world!

It felt heaven sent.  An answer to a prayer.  Perfect!

Thank you, again, to Justin & Mary for putting this shoot together and to Mike & Kate from LensPro for introducing me to my newest love!

I have been dreaming of that lens since the shoot!

It’s a lens affair and it’s all your fault!