Summer Camp. Those two words conjure up memories for so many people. Going on adventures, learning new skills, and sitting around a fire while sharing stories and singing songs to name a few. It’s a place that you meet people and quickly become friends, possibly staying in touch for years to come. Keegan and Lynda became such friends, but can now look back at their first summer working as staff together as the place they first met.

It wasn’t hard to get to know each other, as everyone quickly does at a camp, but deciding to give their relationship a go was. She was Australian, he Canadian. Many others had started dating but found it too difficult to maintain after everyone packed up, went home, and tried to deal with the time difference. What it meant for Keegan and Lynda was a lot of commitment and perseverance, and they knew they would quickly see if what they had would withstand the challenges of distance and time.

It did.

Not only did they make the effort to stay up late and talk until the wee hours of the morning, they invested in seeing each other. When the next summer came Lynda felt called to go back to Canada and they worked at the same camp, and then Keegan was accepted to study abroad for a year is Australia, giving them even more time together. Gradually the distance didn’t seem like an obstacle, and a day came when Keegan asked Lynda to marry him. She ecstatically said yes and they began to map out their lives together, no matter what continent they were on.

When Lynda came to Canada this January they both made the trip down to Rochester for some engagements photos. It was a chilly winter day with just enough flurries to prove there really was snow, and satisfy any Australian. For having only emailed before our shoot I felt like fast friends and didn’t want the shoot to end. Keegan + Lynda I’m so happy I was able to document one part of your story and hope you enjoy the images! Enjoy

The plate that remained after eating our crepes was visually stunning. Those blueberries were blue. Blue enough to stain our mouths and teeth a hilarious hue and avoid going out in public  for a few hours. This dish is best eaten at home. I was flipping through the cookbook Tyler’s Ultimate last week – which proves I have turned into my mom, since I now read cookbooks – and couldn’t stop thinking about these crepes. I decided to make them after church on Sunday, preparing the batter before we left (it has to sit for an hour in the fridge – perfect!) and putting the rest of the recipe together when we got home. I followed tyler’s recipe pretty closely, although I would probably make some changes next time around – I’ll go in to that at the end of the post. To see some images from my afternoon making crepes go here, and take a look at the recipe Tyler wrote:

Lemon Ricotta Crepes with Blueberries + Bananas

Crepes

• 1 1/3c flour
• 1 pinch salk
• 1 3/4c milk
• 2 lg eggs
• 9 T butter, melted

Filling

• 15oz ricotta cheese
• finely grated zest of one lemon
• 1/4c confectioners’ sugar
• 1 egg

Blueberry Sauce

• 1T butter
• appx 3c blueberries
• 1/2c sugar
• 1t cornstarch
• juice of 1 lemon

2 ripe bananas

1. in a blender combine the flour, salt, milk and eggs and blend until smooth. pour in butter and blend to incorporate, making sure there are no lumps in the batter then put in the fridge for 1 hr.

2. put an 8″ crepe pan or non stick skillet over medium heat and brush with melted butter. Pour 1/4c batter and swirl to coat bottom of pan (ideally with crepes the thinner the better). Cook for 30-45 seconds until batter just sets + flip to other side for 30 more seconds. Slide crepe on to plate and cover with clean towel to keep from drying out. start cranking out the crepes!

3. make the filling by combining all filling ingredients in a bowl + stirring, then get your assembly station ready to put everything together

4. Preheat oven to 400. Put a crepe on a cutting board, spoon 1/2c cheese filling on lower third of crepe. Fold the bottom up, the two sides in, and then roll to make a package. When your crepes are all made, brown them a minute each side in a skillet to help seal the edges and add a little crisp. (you could probably skip that part if you wanted). Put all crepes in a baking dish, pop in the over and bake 10min to allow the filling to firm.

5. Make the blueberry sauce while crepes are cooking. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over med-high heat 3-5 min. To serve, put 2 crepes on each plate, cover with blueberry sauce and add a slice of fresh banana to each. enjoy! then look in the mirror and laugh at your blue mouth.

Now, a few notes. This recipe has multiple steps but one thing I like most is that you can easily do some – or all – of the prep ahead of time. I found that I preferred less ricotta than what was recommended, and would probably have added a little lemon curd to the mixture to add a bit more flavor… or spoon some jam or nutella in to the crepes when assembling. We’re really going all out with these, so might as well. Crepes take a while to master if you have never made them, but don’t get discouraged the first 2-3 crepes are usually pretty rough until you figure out a method of pouring + swirling that works. If you’re feeling adventurous and indulgent I hope you get the chance to try these + enjoy!

On this blog I try to keep things centered around my life and the weddings that I photograph, which means I have yet to share these images. It’s time to catch you up on just a fraction of the work that I’ve done for my alma mater, Houghton College over the past few years. While I’ve done a variety of photography documenting events, people, and things… it’s documenting the place that stands out the most to me. It’s a unique location tucked in the rolling hills of western New York just south of Letchworth State Park. It’s secluded, it’s small, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. I’ve amassed quite a library of location imagery for them and it is always a pleasure to go out and document the surroundings, take in their beauty and enjoy life. I think the country does that for everyone. Here’s just a small selection of images and I hope you to enjoy!

I didn’t expect it so early in the year. In a season of new beginnings, planning and resolutions I suddenly stopped. Something shifted in a way that didn’t just rearrange the furniture in the room I was in, but placed me in a completely new house. (am I getting too complex with my metaphors?) I was faced with more than just a question, but an opportunity to evaluate where I was headed. A chance to examine the faith I claimed to have and an opportunity to make it even more my own. It was hard to see my own weaknesses and shortcomings, and I was reminded of the need to seek God to discern His will and join the community of believers to learn from their experience.

This is more of a spiritual issue and hasn’t found a place earlier on this blog, which is precisely why I’m sharing with you now. I relied on “actions speak louder than words” when it comes to faith but in the verbal and written arena of this blog it doesn’t translate very well. However, posting a ubiquitous statement about feeling blessed and using the gift God gave me felt disingenuous, no matter how sincere the feelings behind it. Each path felt like an easy way out to avoid really saying anything at all.

I don’t pretend to believe that the online world is the best place for spiritual discussions. Often intentions are misunderstood. Words are picked up like toys too heavy for a child and cause more damage in the process of being brought out than intended.

It might not be the best place, but it is a place I can no longer ignore. So I’ve cracked the door open and wanted to let you know where I am at. I’m trying to make my faith more real, to continue to act on it and answer some of the hard questions that come along with it. I’d invite you to have some of these conversations with me, if you wish, although hopefully in a more personal setting. Until then things have started to look up, and as usual I can’t help but enjoy the country life and open fields around me, where there’s plenty of room to sit and ponder.

Collaborating with other professionals in the industry is one of the most fun things to do. I’ve had the pleasure of building a relationship with Maura, the owner of Sassafras Flowers in Rochester, New York and joining forces for a few different styled shoots and weddings. Probably the first bouquet I saw of hers was this one, in Margaret + Luke’s engagement shoot and I was immediately blown away. I love that bouquet, and while it was an extension of her usual work she effortlessly proved to be versatile in all areas of floral design. Her flowers have a sophisticated elegance (which honestly when does that ever go out of style?) and they needed to be showcased, which is why she has been working tirelessly on a new website. It went live a month ago and is equipped with online ordering, easy to find information and of course inspiring flowers.

I had the pleasure of photographing a large portion of the work on the site and tried to do justice to the vibrant colors of the flowers. We set everything up in spaces that emulated the look of arrangements in context and gave viewers and idea of size, space, and versatility. Enjoy these images and make sure to visit Sassafras Flowers to see the images in use with graphics and text – I love to see them in context. Also, if you explore around and find the wedding galleries you can flip through and see more of the work I’ve done with her. Enjoy and congrats to Maura and everyone at Sassafras on the huge accomplishment of their new site!

*So to those family members out there still wondering if this is my “real job”… the answer is yes :)

Since I wasn’t opening a physical space, it was a bit harder to judge the date of my beginning, as is with most people who step out on their own after a slow evolution. However, if there was one way to judge if you are legitimate or not, giving the government money seems about as good a place to start. So, I count the first of 2008 as the start of my business since that was the year I started paying taxes. Of course, plans had been in the works before that time as well as many years of studying photography and art – which you may have already read about here.

Taking the plunge into something new is never easy, the water shocks you as you adjust to the temperature and new surroundings. For me it was a self conscious start, because I felt like everywhere I looked there was another person starting a photography business. I didn’t want to be just one of the masses out there flocking to join the club, thankfully that wasn’t a reason to keep me from doing so. I put blinders on and went to work, which both allowed me to improve and stay focused it also kept me from growing with a community of photographers.

It’s taken a while – perhaps the last four years – to feel comfortable not as a photographer individually, but as a part of the larger community of photographers. It’s time to look up to see those around me and share in the common experiences we have. I realized that in working for myself I could potentially never feel like I’ve “arrived,” although in many ways I have when I consider where I started. I haven’t been the most successful in the least amount of time, made the most money, or traveled to the most exotic places. What I have done is grown immensely as a photographer and person, met wonderful people and shared in their wedding days, and built a small business on doing something that I love. I count that as a success. (Oh, I also moved states twice which as you business owners know is a lot of extra work, just needed to add that in). I will always be working to improve, learn from my mistakes and take on challenges that might come, but before it gets any later I thought I would stop to share. I plan to keep sharing, starting with my experiences starting my business and from there we’ll see where it goes. While I’ll be doing most of the talking it’s more fun when I hear from you too so it doesn’t have to be so one sided. Feel free to leave a question as a comment and I’ll respond so everyone can read. happy Monday + thanks for joining me in my fifth year!

It was a year of adventures, traveling and fun. Of the 26 weddings that I photographed, 8 of them were out of state and I found myself in places as far as Oregon, Boston and Vermont. I enjoyed the travel for each of those weddings as well as the opportunity to stay close to home and work in New York. I grew as I challenged myself with a busy summer and fall schedule and balancing teaching a class. There were times this year that I felt I was doing everything right, and times when I doubted where I was at… and through it all I’ve learned so much. I wouldn’t have made it with out the great support of family and friends, my first intern – Hannah, and those that choose to put their trust in me as their photographer. It was a great year, and each couple that I worked with had their own take on the wedding day and I enjoyed being there for all of them: here’s a look back at each day. I can’t wait to see what 2012 looks like, and wish all of you the best as we jump ship from 2011 and dive in to the new year!

They drove through the night and arrived in the wee hours of the morning. My sister in-law and her family – who I rarely get to see because of the distance between us – visited for a few days before they continued north for Christmas. It is hard to believe but it was the first time I was able to meet my niece Elia. All of the trips we planned to go down had fallen through, and it meant I was way overdue to take some photos of her.

I photographed her around the house and got a few snapshots of daily activity, and went outside to capture a more simple portrait. She was fast, not quite walking but on the brink and as expressive as ever. I know it will be a while until I see her next and she will have changed so much, but I’m glad the family will have these photos to remember her at this stage. I think she’s just a doll.

For those of you who have little ones, or like me have the chance to visit them over the holidays, I thought I’d share my approach to documenting family at home. It’s so fun to have a collection of family photos to look back on, but it is not always easy to capture them. Before I tell you my rules of thumb, I should mention there are general rules of composition that influence every image. This includes: balance, color, rhythm, symmetry, flow and all of the other traits that can be applied to any visual work. Of course, I don’t stop and think of each of those items, but after studying art and training myself to think visually I would like to say it has become second nature. To simplify this for you, familiarize yourself with the rule of thirds if you aren’t already, and that will get you off to a good start with image composition.

If I didn’t lose you after that long-winded paragraph, here is my advice in three easy points to get you started on taking some killer family pics in the next few weeks

1. Use Natural Light! Use Natural Light! I’m guessing you don’t have a full lighting studio in your basement… but if you do, congrats you can skip to the next step.

Natural light is a great option because there is no extra equipment and it’s the most flattering (lightbulbs = different colors of light = strange skin tones). The easiest way to find natural light inside is to head to a window. You don’t want direct sunlight pouring through a window, but a soft generous light that fills the space. Don’t have a window low enough? Open a door or use a chair to make sure your subject is in the light. Above are two pictures illustrating the advantage of a subject facing in vs. away from the light source. The biggest different here are the lack of catch lights (the bright sparkle in the eye) in the image on the right. They bring the eyes to life and add depth to an image, so it is obvious when they are missing. While I love Elia with her little tongue sticking out on the right, her eyes are dark (aka. not facing the light source aka window) and the image lacks a vibrancy seen on the left.

2. Patience + Perspective go hand in hand.

Letting the picture come to you rather than forcing it to happen through desperate shouts to smile and say cheese takes patience. Plus, I don’t like the camera monsters formed when children are trained to respond to such behavior. While you are waiting for the right moment or allowing your subject to feel comfortable with the camera I like to try different perspectives. Elia pulled herself up and down while standing at the window seat and was clearly focused on squats and lunges instead of paying attention to what I was doing. No problem – I shot from above to capture her delicate eyelashes, tiny fingers and swirl of hair – details of life at this age that will quickly change as she grows.

3. Be Happy. I’m a big believer in keeping photos fun, so if that means letting the baby hold the rubber duck while they sit so they stay happy, go for it. If you are patient and willing to not push for photos but let them come to you then you will get the right shots. Sometimes this also means using your camera as a prop to play peek-a-boo or shooting from the hip (look mom no hands eyes!) so that you cross the barrier the camera can create between your subject. Also, don’t be afraid to take breaks, walk away and come back later when the time is right.

There you have it. Dust off those camera manuals and read up on shooting in manual, aperture or shutter priority so that you can start to make the camera do what you want. I hope that was pared down enough to give you a good start but with enough content to make it worth while! Happy Photographing

Three years ago Matt and I were amazed at the idea that you could make marshmallows from scratch. So we decided to try it. It turns out they are much more fluffy and melt in your mouth than the store bought kind, and we were hooked. Along the way I got the idea to make them for all of my clients and send them out a Christmas gift. The idea stuck, and this week – for the third year in a row – I spent two days making, packaging and mailing out homemade marshmallows to all of the people I photographed this year.

In the past I tackled this project on my own and often found myself covered in powdered sugar late at night trying to finish up. For the first time, however, I had the help of some great friends and am so thankful to them… I should probably make them marshmallows too! We made approximately 400 marshmallows in both vanilla and peppermint flavors and each box contained a few of each kind. I also put a card in a each box that had a note on one side and a recipe for hot chocolate on the other.

Here’s a little look into the process of this year’s marshmallow making and packaging. I promise it is easier than it seems, but I suggest you don’t look up the recipe and just be impressed. I love to send these out and let all of my 2011 clients know how much I enjoyed working with them, but I want to let my blog readers know as well! That’s why I’m going to send out two more boxes of marshmallows to two lucky people who comment on this post. Comment once a day until Sunday at midnight – and the winners will be announced on this post in a comment on Monday. Merry Christmas!