Dianna & Chris' Engagement Session

I shot Dianna and Chris recently for their engagement session - we actually photographed Chris' cousin wedding last year and they liked us so much they booked us without even formally meeting with us! :-) The day of the E-session was incredibly cold and extremely windy which is never great, but brutal if you plan on shooting at the beach. As luck would have it, the Vanderbilt mansion was a stone's throw from the beach where we met and somewhat secluded from the elements so we decided to head there to do the shoot. It just so happens that Dianna and Chris are actually getting married at the Vanderbilt mansion anyway so it was a good call all around.

Heading into the mansion grounds on a cobblestone road, you are met with a grand gate and archway - it feels like you are entering a medieval castle!


This was a originally a silhouette shot which I backed out a little to show more detail in the faces. Dianna could not keep a straight face for this one and laughed every time their lips met!




We did this shoot on October 28th so Halloween was just around the corner. As we finished up in the courtyard, one of the staffers appeared dressed like Cat in the Hat to ask what we were up to!

Dianna and Chris - thank you for sharing some time with me to take these photos - I know your wedding will be spectacular at this gorgeous location!!

Kate & Jared's Engagement Session

Kate and Jared are such a great couple - completely and contagiously in love with one another! I fell in love with them during our initial meeting and am really excited to be shooting their wedding next year. I met them at Cold Spring Harbor park on Saturday to shoot their engagement session, the weather was a bit chilly but the cloud cover made for excellent light and we were able to get some great shots together.

I process all my images in Adobe's Lightroom and have managed to concoct a kind of washed out, 1970s, faded, pinkish, bluish tone that I like to apply to some of the images...

And a cool sepia tone as well..


It's a great time to shoot on Long Island right now. The lingering summer we had means that the leaves are only recently turning, creating beautiful, warm toned backgrounds..




Thank you Jared and Kate for indulging me with my off beat creativity! There is a beautiful willow tree at the park with flowing leaves and wispy branches and I wanted to shoot a few shots peaking through the leaves..


This is one of my favorite shots - a little abstract perhaps but quite nice as a ring shot.


Quite often, the best images from a session are the spontaneous candids we do, usually toward the end of the shoot when everyone is loosened up and comfortable being in front of the camera. Although Kate and Jared were pretty comfortable from the get go, I really like this 'piggy back' image we did at the end of the shoot..

Thanks Jared and Kate - I had a great time shooting you guys and can't wait for the wedding!

Baby James, Kathe & Erica

Kim wanted to give her favorite Yoga teacher, Kathe, a special gift recently so what better than to arrange a portrait session with her daughter and grandson. Kathe's mom also came along, the weather was perfect and Kim was able to get some beautiful images. I had never met Kathe before but looking at the photographs, it's obvious Yoga has benefits as she certainly doesn't look old enough to be a Grandma!



Kathe's daughter Erica with James..



Baby James with Mom, Grandma and Great Grandma!!!

Halley & Avery

One of our favorite phone calls to receive each year is from Halley and Avery's mom Tina. We have been shooting portraits of Halley and Avery for over 4 years now and I think they look forward to it and enjoy the sessions as much as we do. When we first started shooting the girls, they were young teenagers and now they are grown women, Avery is off to college and Halley will be following soon. As much as I love photographing these girls, I think they prefer Kim's eye :-(, but that's OK - here are a few of my favorites from their shoot on October 20..

When Kim showed up at their house, Tina was waiting on the front step with dog leash in hand.


Halley (in white) and Avery walking down to their beach..

...and stopping for a quick hug!

Halley showing off her muscles...

Tina watches the photo shoot unfold - the Long Island Sound is behind her..

Katie & Jason's Engagement Session

Referrals are by far our favorite way to get business and Katie and Jason found us through a workmate of Katie's mother (who's daughter's wedding we shot this summer). Katie's mom told me that she was a sixth generation Cold Spring Harbor-ite and so we decided to shoot the e-session in Cold Spring Harbor where Katie grew up.

That's the new Cold Spring Harbor library in the background (between their heads). Also, Katie's mom lives over Jason's left shoulder and to the right a bit!

Getting snuggly in the sea grass!

Strolling down the beach...

a nice portrait of Katie by the water's edge.