Recherché Photography: November 2008

Recherche Rewind: Wedding at Harkness Park in Mystic, Connecticut: a Coastal Spring Wedding

Blogs are wonderful. While my website gives my viewers a strong flavor of my art (what I consider to be the essence of Recherche), my blog is like Facebook's "what are you doing right now" feature.

While we've been in Portrait Heaven at Recherche's studio in anticipation of the holidays, we have also been booking many weddings for next season.

I am anticipating the age-old thrill that goes along with the slipping on of the wedding gown, the hush before the bride comes down the aisle, the thrill of new locations and backdrops, and all the romance and beauty that can imbue a single perfect day.

We are living in an age where things are happening at a dizzying pace. Honestly, it is just too fast for me. I am old fashioned. I like things slower, quieter, more methodical, more personal. But my industry does not stop. It is highly competitive and hyper-dynamic. As an artist and an entrepreneur, I have about a zillion things going through my head all the time. Always a to-do list, always booking ahead, always planning for the future.

I've decided that after almost 10 years of photographing weddings full time, it is time to start looking back and remembering some of my favorite weddings from all over the world. Doing so reminds me of what I love most about my career and deepens my resolve to establish my niche as a destination wedding photographer, specifically for small, intimate weddings.

So to start off our series, I want to rewind to April of 2006. Suzanne and Andrew planned a small and very personal wedding in the bride's beloved hometown of Mystic, Connecticut. For their rehearsal dinner they chose a quaint old pub where her father had been docking his boat and having dinner with his friends since he was a young man. They married in small Catholic church and had their reception at the historic, charming and private Harkness Park Manor. The weather was a perfect blustery east coast day. My ideal. I gave a inspirational pep talk to bride and groom and said if they would just pretend that they were warm and absolutely madly in love that I would create the most perfect wedding images for them. And this is why I'm starting my series with this wedding. I think these images are quintessentially romantic.

Know of anyone planning a quaint East Coast wedding? Please point them in my direction!

Owen Hodges is on the move!

I've been photographing this little guy since he was just a couple months old. A few things have changed in the last 9 months. First, his hair is now blonde is instead of red. And he is mobile. No real plan for where he is headed, just as long as he can keep moving- fast. It was such a gorgeous November day so we attempted a little walk...

Here is what happens when you try to slow Owen down...

So the session got moved back inside. And that was fortuitous because we created some of the most beautiful images as Owen was recovering from his traumatic outside experience.

And Wilson just made it all better. For all of us!

So we thought he needed his own portraits!

Lila Travis- portraits in Louisville/Boulder Colorado

Lila is 4 and three quarters. A little lady. Right away I knew we could play with a few of the backdrops I have hanging around because she would actually sit still for more than half a second at a time. The trick with this one was to get some genuine smiles and expressions since she already has her camera-ready smile down pat. I chattered away the whole time and am delighted with the final shots!

Lila picked out this orange backdrop and I'm so happy she did! It is SO vibrant and the ideal complimentary color for her dress which she informed me is "turquoise."

So glad I thought of this one! Look in the mirror and then spin your head around toward the camera! She thought it was funny and I LOVE this shot!

OK, I just created the slideshow for Lila's mom, Nancy Travis (co-owner of Boulder's lovely Envelope Please paper & invitation store) who is coming in tomorrow to Recherche for her Viewing Session to see these images for the first time. And I can't stand it. I have to post the whole thing online. Really, I should just do this for everyone. This makes me so happy...

Labels: children portraits, portraits

Chicago Landing & Baby Portrait thanks to Real Baby!

Shondi, Jacob & little Arli just moved recently from Chicago to Boulder. What a happy coincidence that they received a gift certificate for my services from Boulder's newest baby boutique: Real Baby. Arli is about the most rad 13 month old I've met, thanks to her mom's excellent punk style and her father's t-shirt company: http://www.threadless.com/.

We started off pretty shy. But that's what mommies are for.

So out comes a favorite book.

And here is why I love my very fast camera and my trigger finger. This series was captured in less than 10 seconds. Arli was a bit stingy with her smiles. But that's OK with me!