We are paid the highest compliment when we get to photograph a family more than once. It starts at the beginning when couples get engaged and want us to capture that part of their lives. Then the wedding comes and we get to toast to the newlyweds and swoon over new married love as the new couple dashes off to their cloud nine. Some time later, we'll get a call that they are expecting and want us to document their new addition to the family. This is such a joy for us. Since the bulk of our work lies in weddings, we hear A LOT of promises and toasts to the happiness (and inevitable struggles) that lie ahead. When we actually get a front row seat to document these next milestones? Beyond. I spent some time with Kristen and Jay and their little babe in the belly (nicknamed Poppyseed since they were keeping the sex of the baby a surprise for birth) about a month ago on Plum Island off of Newburyport, Massachusetts. It was so great to catch up with these two and hear about their excitement for what's to come. It was a good thing we did the shoot when we did, because little poppyseed decided to make HIS appearance about a month early! So now Kristen, Jay and their little sweet baby boy are getting used to life as a family of three. Chuck will photograph the three of them this weekend, so keep your eyes peeled for more from this sweet family soon!
2014 - IN REVIEW
For those of you still hanging around at the end, let's start with a high-five for being able to process all those images. We are well aware that this little annual tradition of our images in a yearly review format is entirely too big. Believe it or not, this is a highly edited version of some of our favorite images for the year. I suppose that's what happens when we shoot more than 50 weddings in a year, not to mention even more portrait sessions. There is just so much LIFE and LOVE that we get to witness! It's such an honor, guys.
Now you get to read our little acceptance speech of gratitude. First of all, none of these photos would be possible without the beautiful clients we get to have in our Summer Street family. Their lives and love are our constant inspiration, and without that we'd just be taking photos of pretty things with no substance. Next up, our team of dedicated photographers. Of course Matt and I started this whole crazy business, but we've picked up Chuck and Abby along the way as our sensationally talented Associate Photographers, and much of what you see above is their talented work as well. Next up we have the privilege of working with some of the finest in the industry as our second shooters and assistants for some weddings; Ashley, Katie, Deb, Bella, Dan, Olivia, Ellie, Jean and Vina - your talent behind the lens is clearly phenomenal and we're honored to call you peers. We are hybrid shooters (film and digital) so we have to thank our talented film lab, Richard Photo Lab, for their expert work in the dark room. This year we hand-trained a new talented digital editor as well. With the influx of a new market in the Midwest, Matt and I needed back-end support to help us deliver beautiful, consistent images to our clients in a timely manner, and we knew bringing an in-house editor to help us would be just the thing. Laura is now part of our team and has been an integral part of our back-end this year and helps all our images become what you see on our site. Talk about a talented group!
We have captured love in many places this year. From sandy beaches to historic estates. Ornate houses of worship and cathedrals in the woods. Childhood homes and mountain tops. All across New England and the prairies of the Midwest, we've gotten to step back and capture lives full of love. We've been able to tell their stories through photos that they will cherish for years to come. We are completely honored to call this work, and we toast to you all for supporting us along the way. Here's to 2015!
*In the mood for more photos? Previous years in review: 2011, 2012 (part I, II, III), 2013*
Erin + Koji = Expecting
There is no greater honor than repeat clients. Since we do weddings, this can be a tough one since (hopefully) our clients are just having one wedding in their lives. That's where family portraiture comes into play. Watching a couple grow in their life together is so much fun to photograph. It seems like just yesterday that we were shooting Erin and Koji's heartfelt wedding in Quincy, when in fact it was over two years ago! Now, they are at another exciting crossroads as they prepare to welcome their first child into their lives. They are both in the medical industry, and Erin is actually a midwife, so in many ways they are no strangers to pregnancy and babies. Chatting with them during their session at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston was another reassuring vote for the fact that these two are going to make stellar parents. I mean, really, amazing parents. That is one lucky baby, and we're excited to get him or her in front of the camera very soon and share more from this beautiful family. In the meanwhile, let's all cheer these two on in their journey to parenthood!
Ashley + Adam = Baby
Ok. If you aren't feeling overloaded by the cuteness, there is something wrong with you. I mean come on. Would you look at these two (and a half?) We've had such a great time working with Ashley and Adam, and really, the fun has just begun. We are always excited to work with couples after they get married and have a beautiful wedding and are on to new chapters of their lives. These two are about to welcome a sweet little one into their lives in just a matter of days, and we are so happy for them. We'll be along for the journey as we'll be doing newborn and baby sessions with them in the coming year. Saint Paul's historic Lowertown provided a stunning backdrop to their urban, playful maternity session and we think Ashley is sporting the cutest bump ever. You'll see them on the blog again in just a few weeks...but next time as a family of three! (p.s. Doesn't Ashley's makeup by Brett Dorian look amazing?)
Natalie + Shaun = Baby
We first had the pleasure of working with Natalie over two years ago as her floral and event business, Whim Events was taking off. Since then, we've not only worked with her in numerous professional settings but also have become great friends with her and her husband, Shaun. When they shared the exciting news that they were expecting, we were thrilled for them and couldn't wait to get them in front of the camera to document this special time in their lives. Natalie most certainly has a pregnancy glow and we love how sweetly Shaun gazes at her when she's not looking. We couldn't be happier for these three and can't wait to meet this little one soon!
Favorite Photos from 2012 - Lifestyle
Gathering photos for our end of the year recap is not an easy task. It involves searching through each and every shoot, wedding and personal folder to gather some of our favorite images. When I first started, I had gathered over 700 images. Narrowing down from there was not an easy task, so rather than relentlessly selecting *just the right photos* I decided to adopt the mantra "done is better than perfect." So, you'll be getting not one, not two but THREE separate blog posts today categorized into three types: Lifestyle (see above), Engagement and Wedding. We'll post all three today - so get ready for a lot of photos! It's been an incredible year filled with photography, so we hope you enjoy a small recap of the hundreds of thousands of times we clicked our shutter this year. The above photos include many personal projects (from Paris to Guatemala to the Badlands of South Dakota) and also a few snippets from the senior, family, baby and head shot clients we get the honor of photographing each year. The majority of these photos were taken on film, which is our preferred method of taking personal photos since it forces you to slow down and think carefully before you take the photo - something you don't always get the luxury of on a wedding day. We hope these photos make you as happy as they make us!
Regina + Arnaud = Expecting
We've got a busy day full of editing today, but we couldn't resist sharing the last photo session from our time in Paris a few weeks back with Regina, Arnaud, their adorable pup Oliver and the sweetest baby bump south of the Eiffel Tower. Their baby girl is due to come into the world any day now, and we couldn't be more excited for them. We enjoyed hearing about their lives in France and missing our own dogs as their adorable fur-baby Oliver ran around chasing squirrels. They've got a lot of big changes in the horizon of course with the baby, but they also showed us a new apartment they would be moving into, as pictured above. Special thanks to Erica from Haven in Paris for introducing us to Regina and her family. If you're looking for a special place to stay in Paris, Haven in Paris has some amazing vacation rentals that we've got bookmarked for our next trip. Félicitations Regina et Arnaud!
2011 - In Review
2011 has been a truly amazing year. I think we will always remember this year with great fondness, as we ate, breathed and slept all things wedding. With the early part of the year leading me (Kendra) into the transition of being a full time wedding photographer, to the middle of the year when we got married ourselves (which has given us SO much more to truly relate to our clients and know exactly how they feel) to the end of the year when we shot 26 weddings, 42 engagement sessions (amongst other non-wedding related work) and got to meet the exciting bunch of 2012 Summer Street couples. With all of the wedding talk, gorgeous rings, adorable proposal stories and sweet moments, the funny thing is that we still can't get enough. There is something deeper than just a 'wedding' that keeps us artistically motivated. It's you. Getting to know our clients and having the honor of telling their stories makes us tick. We've never felt so at home. We say it a lot, but we truly feel blessed to have this job. Here's to each and every one of you who 'liked' something on our facebook page, commented on a blog post, encouraged us in our buisness, and trusted us to document your event. We are nothing without your support, and we can't wait to share 2012 with you!
The J Family
Since our new site launched, we've been experimenting with not including text into our blog posts. Our thought behind this was mostly to create a viewing experience where you guys could learn about the couple through images only. Since we are photographers, and we tell stories through photos, we wanted to try this out for a bit to see if it might be a good fit with our business. We did a little facebook poll and asked a few of our clients for their thoughts on this, and it was an overwhelming consensus that you guys like our text! So we're back....in written word. Like I told the previous few clients whose sessions were bloggged without text, it wasn't that we couldn't have gushed about them, it was simply an experiment.
We couldn't think of a better session to start writing than this one. The J family is expecting a fourth addition this winter, and we decided to take advantage of the final warm sun of the fall and capture their life before their new baby girl comes into the world. We met Mendy and KJ at Sarabina and Andrew's Wedding and enjoyed chatting with them during a few free moments at the reception. We were immediately drawn to their warmth and love they shared for each other, their little girl Jordyn and their excitement for little girl number two to enter their lives. During the family session I snapped a few photos of Mendy with her ultrasound photos (couldn't resist the black and whites for this series!) and then we jotted down the street to the elementary school that Mendy attended as a child where Jordyn played hard to get photograph until the last few moments where her true personality came jumping out (literally!).
The J family was an absolute pleasure to work with, and we can only hope that you'll be meeting their newest addition here on the blog after she's born (wink, wink..Mendy).