I guess when you know, you know. I don’t think it’s always love at first sight when it comes to the client / photographer relationship… but it can be. It takes a while to build trust with a photographer, but when you have a previous connection – for example and the recommendation of a friend – it can happen more quickly.

That’s exactly how Lynda and Keegan found me – through their friends Shannon and Devin’s who I photographed last winter. We sat and talked over coffee before getting started and I got to hear more about their engagement party this past weekend, how they met working at a Christian camp, their long distance relationship between Canada and Australia, and what it was like to be in a place with snow. Even though we had emailed back and forth to plan the session, sitting to talk allowed us to ease in to the session and build more trust before we started. We continued the conversation as I photographed them, and directed them so I could take the best pictures possible and allow them to be themselves in the process. When we ended, I wanted to ask if we could do it again tomorrow… or if they had any friends getting married.

Having a network of people that believe in your business is probably the best asset of any small business owner. That network often starts with family and friends but grows as you reach out and gain experience. However, that network is not really about you, your business or even how great your product is… it’s about everyone else. You grow more by being interested in other people than just hoping for them to be interested in you.

Thanks for a fun afternoon yesterday Lynda and Keegan… and for the delicious macarons and sweets you baked, Lynda – you have serious talent! To all of my other clients I can’t wait to continue to work with you, build a relationship, and see how that network of people changes and grows. If you haven’t started, I’d love for you to join the daily conversation here, twitter, facebook, or through email (hello at marydougherty dot net). Lastly, to all of the family, friends, soon to be clients, acquaintances, casual blog readers, friends of friends of friends, and blog stalkers… thanks for reading and being a part of what I do.

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!

letterpress signs made by Nightingale Handmade

The first time I photograph anyone, there is a certain amount of trust that must to be built. While it may seem like the majority of work has to do with the actual act of photographing, it really has more to do with working with people than taking a picture. Most people’s natural reaction when they are in front of the camera is to turn off their personality, emotion, and reaction and start as a blank canvas. Well, that can be good and bad. I don’t want people to forget who they are and turn into someone else, and I also don’t want to make them act differently than they normally would. It’s a fine balance to create an environment that allows people to be comfortable with the camera, but these are some of the ways that I do so:

1. talk. I give people a run through of what the session will be like, and then talk them through the first steps once we jump in and get started. I often ask questions and get people talking in order to help them loosen up and think about something else besides the fact that they are being photographed. It also allows them to have more natural expressions and reactions, which is one of the things I look to capture.

2. direct. I love a relaxed and candid portrait, but sometimes it can take direction to get there. Especially when starting out the person being photographed doesn’t know how to act, where to look, what to do, and some of those questions need to be answered. I start by giving more direction, either to be unscripted, stand closer, think of their wedding day, etc… to help elicit a reaction.

3. change. I find it helps to have a change of scenery, either by walking over to another location or planning a few different steps to the shoot so that it doesn’t get stale. Starting in a new location gives people something different to work with and a new place to start especially if things weren’t working out where you were. Of course I love to photograph the walking between places – and those other moments that are unscripted and natural.

4. improvise. Once I place people in the right setting, good light, etc… I love when they improvise, or act natural. Some couples catch on sooner than others, but what I’m going after is the interactions and expressions that come when they have fun, act like themselves, laugh at how awkward they were when they first started, think about the time the first met, and dream about what their future together.

5. be myself. Last but not least, I try to be myself so that my subjects can follow suit. I’m honest and open during the session since I ask people to be the same.

I’m pretty candid on this blog so any reader can get a sense of my personality and make their own judgement on if I’m a person they would like to be photographed by. It took me a while to accept this, but I can now say I know I am not the right photographer for everyone. What I bring to the table is going to be different from anyone else, in both my photographic style and experience, and my life and interactions with people. I love that everyone can pick up the same camera and see things differently, and I work best when people want my perspective not just the camera that I use.

A few days without blogging and it’s left me feeling like I have a good friend I need to catch up with. Knowing that some of my close friends read this that is actually true, and whenever someone tells me they like to stop by and read it gives me another person to think of when I’m writing. So friends, I’m sorry I’ve been gone and let me give you a little recap of the past three days that have felt equal to a whole week.

This year I assumed a role so prestigious I knew I had “made it.” I was promoted to the party planning committee. Being an assistant coach I had daily involvement with the team and athletic department, which made me a perfect choice to be a part of the select group of three that put on the end of the year banquet. This involved regular meetings leading up to the day, detailed execution of any creative ideas and the good ol’ fashioned hard work of set up + tear down. Both Thursday and Friday were so packed with prep work for Friday evening’s event I pretty much devoted myself to the banquet and nothing else. Couple that with the need to get up early and watch the royal wedding and yesterday was a long day.

So yes to answer your question I did buy the Will + Kate boxed dvd extended edition wedding day extravaganza set. Okay no that’s not true but starting at 6 I watched two hours of royal wedding while eating breakfast and drinking coffee. Here are my thoughts on the day in an easy bulleted format:

• Westminster Abbey is amazing, loved the trees inside, and I would probably tune in to any wedding that happened there to see the architecture
• tradition is tradition and when it’s done right it can be beautiful
• favorite part of Kate’s dress: the ruffled where the train attached in the back / gorgeous lace
• how does Kate’s hair look so good all of the time?
• now that I think about it, I would like to wear a fancy hat

I think that about sums it up.

To tell you that Liz and Matt met over donuts at work simplifies the story of two interesting and complex people to a casual everyday encounter. It leads you to believe that their relationship is ordinary when it is so much more than that. For these engineers, meeting over donuts was just the beginning. They soon hit it off and began their adventure together sharing their love for food, fun, and dressing up in the most creative Halloween costume.

I know Liz from way back; we went to high school together back in Michigan. Matt on the other hand is from the Syracuse area, which is not that far from where I currently live in western New York. Rather than try and meet up in either of those two places, Liz and Matt decided to have their engagement session out in D.C. where it all began. They wanted to capture their time living in the city so incorporating landmarks was a priority. I came out there last week just in time for the cherry blossoms and had a great time photographing them around the city and getting to know them as a couple. They shared their love for food with me and took me to some fabulous spots – including a trip to Georgetown Cupcake for a post birthday treat. Honestly they couldn’t have been more welcoming and I can’t wait for their wedding this summer at the Grosse Pointe Academy. I hope you enjoy all of the variety and Liz + Matt I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Can you believe we got a picture here without any other people? Right after a big bus group walked up the stairs, so it was perfect timing.

Gorgeous day and of course gorgeous couple. Liz and Matt decided to go with a color palette of navy and pink, which will also be present at their wedding. The blossoms were a perfect fit and added a delicate touch to the scene.

Love this view of the city from the bridge. I was actually here just over a year ago, you might remember this photo I shot here from Dawn + David’s wedding. The second part of the session took place on the roof and clubhouse of the building Liz and Matt live in. The views were amazing and we thankfully avoided the rain we were dodging to shoot at both of these locations.

I’ll end it with this photo to leave these two alone. Looking forward to August!

Coming from a photographer’s standpoint there are ways to make sure your wedding is “picture friendly” by maximizing the opportunity for photos and making sure photography becomes a seamless part of the day. My top three recommendations to include:

• Multiple times for photos. Rather than fitting every photo into one large block of time, I find it most convenient to break up the time into smaller pieces. Not only does this eliminate large gaps in the wedding time line where you are away from your guests, it allows a change of scenery, light, and emotion.

• A First Look. This fits with the above statement although it is a more polarizing topic. In my experience, first look couples generally are more relaxed and enjoy the ceremony / walk down the aisle just as much as everyone else. It’s personal preference although I honestly think it can add to the wedding day.

• Time to photograph details. When you put so much time into planning each aspect of the day, in order for it to be documented there needs to be time to photograph the pieces of your wedding ensemble (shoes, earrings, dress, etc…) as well as the details and decoration of the ceremony + reception. For the reception, this involves time for the photographer to document everything untouched before guests come in and enjoy.

Mike and Nikki’s wedding (above) was very picture friendly, and since wedding and reception were at the same location (Nikki’s family’s farm) it made it easier to photograph the reception venue (the barn) as well as other wedding day details. Once guests arrived for the ceremony, there was little time that they were away from Mike + Nikki and the reception was relaxed and so that everyone could enjoy the wedding at their own pace. They could enjoy the dessert bar (there was no “cake cutting”), stay inside and dance, or head out of the tent to the bonfire.

Marc and Ginny had an elegant wedding at TPC Sawgrass and took advantage of the beautiful buildings and golf course and had plenty of time for pictures in a variety of locations.

Chris and Kate had a classic wedding day with plenty of time for photos while guests enjoyed hor d’ oeuvres. The ceremony and reception took place at the same location so there was no additional travel time to consider.

Matthew and Caitlin had an evening wedding so all of the photos too place before the ceremony and reception (with the exception of family photos). Without a first look we wouldn’t have had the daylight for pictures outside and I always recommend going outside for pictures (even if it’s raining or snowing – I’ll be right there with you).

Tommy and Megan had an afternoon wedding with a high tea reception. It was a casual affair that allowed them to not only enjoy the day and their time with guests but be able to leave early for their honeymoon!

I hope this helps, and honestly I can’t say there is a right way to plan your wedding – but there is a wrong way :) haha. I had to say it.

Yesterday was Matt’s birthday, and I did what any wife would do and went ice climbing with him. It’s totally what I signed up for when we got married and as I mentioned several times in the movie I was excited + had fun. If you’re like my family you’re thinking “climbing? on ice? did you have those special shoes?” Yes, we had those special shoes (crampons) and lots of other gear that Matt already had since he’s pro at it. This is actually the kind of thing you don’t want to try on your own if you don’t know what you are doing.

So yesterday we hiked about a mile in to pitch (apparently that’s what they say – I’m still learning) that Matt had spotted a week or two ago. I brought along one of my cameras and our flip to document the process and made a little home movie to share. You won’t be impressed with our shooting skills – I know it’s a little shaky at times but it’s still fun to see what it’s all about. Also, since there was just the two of us you couldn’t really get footage of actually climbing since you were either the climber or belaying. So, there’s not a ton of action, if action if what you were hoping for but hope you enjoy coming along on my first ice climbing trip!

ps. sorry it ends so badly! haha I was trying combine footage to end things well but I think I forgot to finish and left it as is :)

Proposals seem to take one of two forms. They are either expertly planned and romantic endeavors that leave others imagining being in those shoes… or they are a chain of events gone wrong, an unexpected surprise that takes happens early out of nerves or later due to foiled plans. While Katie and Chris might have had the latter, they are certainly not alone (I fall in to the second category as well) and they have perhaps a more entertaining tale of proposal.

Letchworth is a favorite location of mine to photograph at, and when Katie and Chris contacted me to shoot a winter engagement session we quickly settled on the location. It was snowy but thankfully not freezing and we ventured out into the winter landscape and this is what I captured:

If Chris and Katie are anything, they are fun. It’s only right that their engagement pictures show that, don’t you think?

From then on they began planning and crafting their wedding day (literally and figuratively). They envisioned a rustic yet charming mid-November event that would take place in a barn and be decorated with all kinds of delicate and antique details. While Caitlin started making everything from the programs  to the ties the guys would wear – and learned how to knit to do so, Matthew along with some of her family worked out the doily chandelier and dessert stands (to name a few). The amount of work and detail they put in to their day is evident in all of the photos and of course weddings like this are a dream to photograph. There is always something to document and I love being able to capture details that make the day unique.

In early November, the wedding day arrived and in my estimation, it turned out to be everything Matthew + Caitlin wanted… and more. November can be a tricky time to plan a wedding in New York, but the day was a perfect mix of late fall weather with a gorgeous blue sky. I arrived as people bustled around to get last minute details ready and headed over to Freedom Run Winery for the first look and photos. The winery was already set up for the reception so I had plenty of time to document some of the details, which is always helpful. When looking for a spot for the first look, I was immediately drawn to the outside of the barn which was elegantly covered in the shadow of a nearby tree. It seemed the perfect spot to document the start of a wedding day and the important moment of seeing each other for the first time.

Caitlin’s wedding dress was custom made from a seller on Etsy and completed her one of a kind wedding. It’s layers flowed and twirled and made me fall in love with short wedding dresses. The delicate oyster colored sweater from Anthropologie completed Caitlin’s outfit and of course played a crucial role as the sun set and the day cooled. 

Inside the barn were chandeliers, fabric leaf garland and hay bale seating for the reception and dance. I love what a few decorations can do. The stone inside of the barn was gorgeous and I’m kind of hoping I get to photograph a summer wedding at this location!

the paper chandeliers m+c made for their wedding were impressive to say the least. They gave life to the rustic barn and were complimented with fabric leaves hanging on either side. Fabric can really transform any space and adding curtains – let alone chandeliers and garland – can made a big difference.

Carrying over the letter writing theme of their relationship, M+C used airmail envelopes to create a one of a kind guestbook and also encourage guests to write them at their new home.

I was thrilled to work once again with Sassafras Flowers of Rochester, New York. Caitlin’s bouquet was not only beautiful but it added a touch of color and elegance that topped off the wedding day. The boutineers were thoughtfully made to include unique elements such as fiddlehead and twine to fit in perfectly with the wedding theme… and while we’re looking at Matthew nice job on that tie, Caitlin!

Since it was an evening wedding, there was a big dessert and drink reception following. No details were forgotten here as each cup was tied with a thank you tag and even the tea bags and hot cocoa packages were made to fit with the decor. I love it.

Drinks were kept warm in old fashioned carafes and treats and canned goods were packaged as favors.

the bridal party joined us for photos in and around the winery and there was no lack of locations. I love this image below and we were able to shoot these as the sun set so the light was gorgeous. I love when either planning or luck gives me amazing light to shoot with.

these two can not only plan a good wedding, they can have fun at it! seriously, thanks for having a good time taking pictures and good job bringing your boots along Caitlin!

I hope you guys never forget what you felt like on your wedding day, I love how in love you are. Soon it was time to head to the church which was a beautiful little chapel not far from the winery.

They said their vows, exchanged rings and it didn’t take long to become officially husband and wife! The doors of the barn were opened for a grand entrance to the reception where their guests awaited. The party started, dessert was served and the hot drinks kept people warm until the dancing began!

congratulations again Matthew + Caitlin! I hope you’ve settled in to life in Atlanta and enjoy looking through all of the images from your wedding. Leave a comment to help m+c earn a free print and say hello or let us know what you think about their wedding.

Yesterday Matthew + Caitlin were married, and it was a perfect November day in New York. I love shooting in different seasons – summer is clearly not the only time to get married. Of course, it helps when you live in the country and there are amazing open spaces such as this.