Archive for September, 2010

A morning at the DeCordova | Family Portrait Session, Lincoln MA

September 29th, 2010

We had the pleasure of hanging out with the Farber Family recently at the DeCordova Sculpture Park in Lincoln MA.  Leigh had the great idea of going to the sculpture park. then we found out it was Family Sculpture Fest which meant there would be tons of families at the park.  We went back and [...]

 

We had the pleasure of hanging out with the Farber Family recently at the DeCordova Sculpture Park in Lincoln MA.  Leigh had the great idea of going to the sculpture park. then we found out it was Family Sculpture Fest which meant there would be tons of families at the park.  We went back and forth but finally decided the park was large enough & we got there early enough so it wasn’t too busy.  We had a contingency plan to head to a different location if it was too busy.  Lucky for us it wasn’t.  I thought the Jim Dine hearts would make a great location so we headed there first (I want my own family photo in front of the hearts!)  We just let the girls play & explore while sneaking in a few “posed” shots.  I think this is the best approach for families with young children that don’t have the patience to pose for photos.
If I had to make a guess I’d say Jenna & Maya had fun.  Leigh has told me since that Jenna (their older daughter) has been pretending to be me at home.  She has her binoculars (her camera) & a bag on her shoulder (my shootsac) and goes around the house pretending to be me saying “I Amanda! Not gym class Amanda, Amanda from the lake taking pictures” (Her gym teacher is also named Amanda) I laughed so hard when Leigh first told me, little kids are too funny.  Hopefully Jenna & I will be able to hang out again soon :)

Maya practicing her walking with Mom.  I love how happy she is here.  She really is such a happy little girl.

Jenna liked all the big rocks & tried sitting on so many of them, she finally chose this big one to sit on and have a snack with Dad :)

AYKM with those big blue eyes!  They are so blue & so clear!

Dad was using the cat tail (?) to tickle Maya.  We need to have those in our camera bags for future shoots!

The Jim Dine sculpture is made up of 2 giant hearts with all kinds of bits & pieces attached to it.   You could look at it forever and play a game pointing out all the random things.  Tea kettles, hands, shoes, tools.  The girls had fun pointing everything out.

Some of the interactive Sculptures at the park.  Jenna had fun making music & Maya had fun taking the pine cones out of this Sculpture.

Scott is lucky to have 2 little girls who love Daddy so much!  They both wanted to be held by Scott for this photo.  Maya basically jumped ship from Mom to Dad.  Leigh had a good sense of humor about it.

A little peek-a-boo is always fun.

Jenna was posing like this Sculpture which sort of looked like a guy with his arms crossed.  She also had fun pretending to be going home a the artist studios.  She took her lunch bag & her purse and kept saying goodbye to use while walking up these stairs.

This is my favorite image of Leigh & Maya.  We had fun playing peek-a-boo with the round cut outs of this Sculpture.  Then I was able to grab this sweet moment between the two of them.

Thanks for allowing us to spend a fun morning with you all!  We had a great time & look forward to doing it again :)  Jenna & Maya are adorable, sweet little girls & we can’t wait to watch them grow up.  We’ve got to get Jenna her own little camera so she can practice and become our assistant!

Amanda (MrsDrew)

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Connor One Year | Children’s Portrait Session, Dracut MA

September 27th, 2010

Connor is an adorable little nugget who is turning one!  He loves Mickey Mouse & the Peanut Butter Jelly Song.  I had a great time hanging out with Connor & photographing him at his house with all his great toys!  Mom picked up a little cake for him & we had a really great time [...]

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Connor is an adorable little nugget who is turning one!  He loves Mickey Mouse & the Peanut Butter Jelly Song.  I had a great time hanging out with Connor & photographing him at his house with all his great toys!  Mom picked up a little cake for him & we had a really great time doing a cake smash, though Connor was a little hesitant at first he eventually got right into the cake!  Thanks for a great session!

I love that he is just hanging out with giant Mickey & then the 2 littler ones on the side.  Giant Mickey was a gift from his grandma.  We tried to get him to sit in front of Mickey, but Connor is an independent guy & wanted nothing to do with it.

Yummy Cake!  He did not want to get into the cake at first, but with some coaxing from Mom & Dad he finally got a little messy.

All cleaned & changed after a yummy cake smash :)

He was very interested in the camera at this point & was actually climbing up into my lap to get a closer look.

Some snuggles with Mom are always fun & needed.  Can you handle how cute he is!?!

Some fun air time with Dad.  Connor was having so much fun playing outside.  I think Prue has a new potential boyfriend :)

Can you even handle the cuteness of this.  I love the juxtaposition of the giant Mickey Mouse with Connor.  This is my favorite photo from the session.  I’ll have to update the blog later with Drew’s fave from this session, though I am going to go out on a limb and say it’s the one of Connor on the rocking chair (fingers crossed that I am right!)

Amanda (Mrs Drew)
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Kotori Custom Photo Jewelry | Cool new product!

September 23rd, 2010

We are now offering Kotori Custom Photo Jewelry.  I was looking into offering a new product and I came across this great company Kotori that offers a really great quality jewelry that is also stylish.  Here is a sampling of what we now offer courtesy of Kotori.  You’ll recognize some of the images used in [...]

 

We are now offering Kotori Custom Photo Jewelry.  I was looking into offering a new product and I came across this great company Kotori that offers a really great quality jewelry that is also stylish.  Here is a sampling of what we now offer courtesy of Kotori.  You’ll recognize some of the images used in these samples.  Kotori offers editable files for most of the products so you can see a sample of what it will look like.

Small Pendant Necklace

Our sterling silver mini photo pendants measure 3/4 inch. The size of this pendant makes it perfect for showcasing multiple photos or adding a hand stamped sentiment.  Two shapes are available for you to mix and match. Comes with an 18” sterling silver ball chain.

$90 for one charm (can be square or circle)
$60 additional charm (can be square or circle)
$30 additional stamped charm

Large Pendant Necklace

Our large sterling silver square photo pendant measures 1 inch. Perfect for showcasing one child or even your whole family. The textured back adds an extra touch. You have the choice between a snake or ball chain & lengths of 16″ or 18″.  You may also order an additional pendant or a hand stamped charm.

$105 (snake 0r ball chain, 16″ or 18″ length)
$65 Additional pendants
$30 Hand stamped charms

Heirloom Necklace

The popular large sterling silver square photo pendant now comes on a Tiffany style chain. The pendant measures 1 inch.  Perfect for showcasing one child or even your whole family. The textured back adds an extra touch.

$160 (available in 16″ or 18″ length)

Story Necklace

Tell your story. This sterling silver necklace is the perfect way to share your own personal story with one 3/4 inch photo charm plus 4 mini hand stamped charms.  Perfect for sharing all the little details of your life… your wedding day, initials of you and your sweetheart or other important dates.

$135 Includes photo charm & 4 stamped charms (available in 18″ & 30″)

Charm Bracelet

Looking for something to make a statement? Then this solid sterling silver bracelet is for you. Comes with one 3/4 inch photo charm in either a circle or square. With these beautiful bracelets, you can customize your piece in multiple ways… add photos or mix-and-match with stamped charms. Charms can be purchased individually, so it can even grow along with your family. The possibilities are endless.

$110 Bracelet & one charm (circle or square)
$60 additional photo charms
$30 additional stamped charms

Delicate Charm Bracelet

Want a bracelet that grows with your family? Then our sterling silver delicate charm bracelet is for you. Price includes one 3/4 inch photo charm in either a circle of square.  You can customize your piece in multiple ways… add photos or mix-and-match with stamped charms. Additional charms can be purchased as your family expands.

$90 Bracelet & one charm (square or circle)
$60 additional photo charms
$30 additional stamped charms

Individual Charms

Already have a charm bracelet started? It’s easy to add extra charms. You can choose between circle or square charms. Charms measure about 3/4 inch. Add as many as you need.

$60 3/4 inch circle or square

Key Chains

They  have a nice border to showcase your image and are made of fine German silver, so they won’t tarnish easily and will hold up better to the abuse of being tossed around in your purse or pocket with keys.  These keychains are a great way to carry loved ones with you to the gym, pool or any other place where your jewelry isn’t exactly practical.  The square keychain image measures 1 inch and comes attached to a solid high-qu ality split key ring. It’s the perfect gift for anyone who’s always on-the-go.

$45 available in Square, Vertical & Horizontal

Christmas Ornaments

Our holiday ornaments make it easy to personalize your Christmas tree! At a very generous size of 4.2 cm by 6 cm (about 2.3″ x 1.6″) they can easily been seen amongst the tinsel. We even hand engrave the year on the back, so you can collect new ornaments from year to year.  Made of fine German silver, they won’t tarnish as quickly so they’ll be safely stored all year round in their anti-tarnish pouches, ready to hang in December with no polishing! Comes with a cranberry ribbon, so they’re ready to hang.

$53 Vertical or Horizontal

If you are interested in purchasing any Kotori Jewelry you can contact us at info@mrdrewphotography.com.

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Cortez Family | CT Family Session

September 15th, 2010

Meet the Cortez Family! Marie, Hernan, Stephanie, Hernan Jr. & Marco. Marie entered our facebook contest this past Spring to win a free photo session. Her family is soon to be part of our family. My younger brother Chris is engaged to Stephanie. So Drew, Prue & I drove down to visit them in Connecticut [...]

 

Meet the Cortez Family! Marie, Hernan, Stephanie, Hernan Jr. & Marco. Marie entered our facebook contest this past Spring to win a free photo session. Her family is soon to be part of our family. My younger brother Chris is engaged to Stephanie. So Drew, Prue & I drove down to visit them in Connecticut & shot their family session. We shot at Wickham Park which happens to be a very large park near Chris & Steph’s apartment. It is a great location with lots of options & we didn’t even explore a fraction of it. It was late, the boys wanted to play & it was a little rainy. We shot at the Sensory Gardens & then walked around in the giant fields a bit. Apparently there is one hill where you can see the city of Hartford in the background. We didn’t venture to that area but I would love to go back and explore & shoot some more.

That’s Marco on the right, he didn’t really understand the chin down look up with your eyes bit.  It’s okay though, it makes for a photo that really shows him at this age.  Nicely posed photos are great, but I like the ones that have a bit more personality.  The one on the right for sure shows off their personality.  The boys wanted to jump off the wall, they were both suppose to pose, but at the last minute Marco changed his mind.  Hernan jr. was left posing all by his lonesome!

This one makes me smile.  I told the boys to act silly after we did a few shots.  It might not be your traditional portrait, but I think it’s much better.  The boys are constantly making the family laugh & smile.

Marie & Hernan you have such a great family & are such warm and inviting people.  Thanks for having us photograph your family.

Mrs Drew (Amanda)

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The wedding of Melanie & Julius (part 2) | Lynch Park, Beverly & The Salem Waterfront Hotel, Salem

September 9th, 2010

Part 2 of Melanie & Julius’ special day.  It was super hard for me to narrow the images down.  There are so many I love!  Drew always says less is more, but in this situation, I’m not listening to him! I love the lion looking on in this image.  Lynch Park really has some gorgeous [...]

 

Part 2 of Melanie & Julius’ special day.  It was super hard for me to narrow the images down.  There are so many I love!  Drew always says less is more, but in this situation, I’m not listening to him!

I love the lion looking on in this image.  Lynch Park really has some gorgeous details as saw from the last blog post & you will see in some of the other images in this post.  It makes sense that every time I’ve been to Lynch Park I have found other photographers shooting sessions.  It’s a great place for engagement, family & children sessions.  They even have a great playground that Prue had a blast playing on when we went to scope out shooting locations about a month ago. 

The ladies looking lovely as always!

The guys looking handsome. 

This is one of my favorites :)Okay maybe this one is my favorite.  Mel you are gorgeous!!  I told you Lynch Park had amazing details.  This marble bench is to die for gorgeous & fit perfectly with the theme of the day.

Mel & Julius rocking it out with the Rolls Royce! Ludwig Limo, here is your new promotional photo!  Your welcome :) We have other images that are really great too for promo images.

This is why you need your bridesmaids :) Her bustle was a french bustle so there we many ties.  Shayna, the MOH, knew her stuff.  This is a more complicated bustle, but she knew exactly what to do and they had it all tied up in no time at all.  I’ve witnessed other bustles being done and no one has had any idea how to do it.  This was not the case for Mel.

I love Jalen in the lower right helping to pick up the money on the floor.  A tradition that I’ve seen before is showering the Bride & Groom with money during there first dance.  The guests come up while the couple is dancing & toss money onto them.  The kids had a great time helping to collect all the money.

I love this moment.  It’s such a sweet moment between the 3 of them.  It was after the toasts & Jalen had decided he also had something he wanted to share.  It was super cute & didn’t seem like Jalen was going to give up the microphone.   We had to get a ring shot on the peacock feathers.  That was a given!

After enjoying some yummy cake (by D’Amicis Bakery), it was onto the dance party!  It is one of my favorite parts of the day, because we’ve been working so hard and just like the couple & their friends.  It’s fun to dance to some great music &  I love to get out on the dance floor to get some great shots. I just need to pay attention so I don’t get in any of Drew’s shots.

Who doesn’t love a good sing along!

Can you even handle the cuteness of Mel & her Nana dancing.  Nana can definitely get down with the best of them.  She was out on the floor earlier in the night dancing with Mel’s brothers & then she was ready to bust a move later with Mel & everyone else.  I love candid moments like this & being able to capture this memory forever.  It’s part of the reason we do what we do!

At the end of the evening we busted out our mustaches (thanks Kate! they are from Whisker Works ).  We had fun having the bridal party pose for photos with them.  We definitely need to get more so we can do a large group photo with them!
We decided for this photo of us with Mel & Julius that Drew didn’t need the mustache since he has a pretty rocking one all on his own!   Thanks again Mel & Julius for letting us be a part of your day, we had so much fun with you both and wish you nothing but love & happiness in the future!

The great vendors who helped make this special day happen (though it couldn’t have happened without all of Mel’s hard work!)

Dress: Oleg Cassini, David’s Bridal

Hair: Giovanni Cudia (Salon Marc Harris/Sports Club LA)

Makeup: Beauty Couture by Jenelle

Tux: Men’s Warehouse Tux

Bridesmaid Dresses: Bari Jay, from The Bridal Galleria

Ceremony Venue: Lynch Park, Beverly MA

Reception Venue: The Salem Waterfront Hotel, Salem MA

Cake: D’Amicis Bakery

Flowers: Flowers by Darlene

DJ: Holla Productions

Rolls Royce: Ludwig Limousine

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The wedding of Melanie & Julius (part 1) | Lynch Park, Beverly & The Salem Waterfront Hotel, Salem

September 8th, 2010

Melanie & Julius are friends with our good friend Danielle & Jared, as well as our friends too :)  Mel & Julius have been together for over 10 years and finally on Sept 5th they tied the knot.  They met at a Salem State Basketball game (represent SSC now SSU).  They bumped into eachother at [...]

 

Melanie & Julius are friends with our good friend Danielle & Jared, as well as our friends too :)  Mel & Julius have been together for over 10 years and finally on Sept 5th they tied the knot.  They met at a Salem State Basketball game (represent SSC now SSU).  They bumped into eachother at another SSC Basketball game a couple of weeks later. Later that evening, when Melanie arrived home to her apartment, Julius was there waiting. Can you handle the romance of that! Melanie was surprised. They decided to go out with a group of mutual friends and danced all night. Melanie was happy to find someone that could keep up with her on the dance floor!  Mel loves to dance, Julius loves Soccer & they balance each other perfectly!  After dating for several years, they were blessed with their son Jalen. Whois an adorable little boy.

We had the pleasure of capturing their special day at Lynch Park in Beverly & then at the Salem Waterfront Hotel.  It was a beautiful September day, we couldn’t have asked for better weather.  It was a day filled with laughter & celebration with family & friends.  There were so many images I loved that I wanted to post on our blog so this is going to be a 2 part post.

Don’t you love the tininess of Jalen’s tux.  I love the juxtaposition of it next to Mel’s dress.

Loved the makeup artist Jenelle (of Beauty Couture by Jenelle).  She did an amazing job making all the girls look stunning with their “vintage” makeup of smokey eyes & red lips (and as you can see from the photo she was a blast to hang out with).  We were laughing the entire time they were getting ready.

Can you handle the amazingness of this shot!  I was pretty proud when I took it :)  Gorgeous shoes, gorgeous blue sky & some amazing bling.  What’s not to love?

Julius looking handsome getting ready.  He surprised Mel & cut off all of his braids a few days before the wedding.  He showed up at the rehearsal with it shaved off.  It was something Mel has been asking him to do for years.  I almost didn’t recognize him :)

A sweet photo of Vanessa helping Mel’s mom Judy (her future mother in law, she is engaged to Mel’s brother Craig) We’d love to shoot your wedding, *hint, hint :)The bridesmaids didn’t carry bouquets.  They had purses with the peacock flowers attached to it.  It was very different & went with the peacock theme perfectly. (also great for the budget conscience bride who doesn’t want to spend tons on flowers!)

Jenelle & Giovanni tag teaming Mel doing both her hair & makeup.  Giovanni did a fabulous job doing the hair for all the girls.  These weren’t simple up do’s either.  I loved how they all co-ordinated but were different.  Some up-do’s & some down.  I loved Judy’s hair (Mel’s mom) it was gorgeous & framed her face perfectly!  Giovanni & Jenelle also provided some fabulous tunes while everyone was getting ready.  We heard some SWV, Boyz to Men mixed in with Metric.  It was my kind of playlist!

Mel’s nieces Tori & Jenna looking stunning & so grown up!

Look at Jalen looking all kinds of cute.  I especially love that Julius’ older son Brandon is helping Jalen get dressed.  Most older brothers wouldn’t want to have anything to do with their little brother.  I am sure Jalen just adores Brandon!

Mel attending to the little details, helping her niece Jenna with her hair.

Jenelle doing her thing getting the bridesmaids ready.  Giovanni & Jennelle did the hair & makeup of Mel, her Mom & the 4 bridesmaids.  They rocked it out!

The girls were super cute with helping Mel get into her dress & accessorized.  Danielle is putting her shoes on while Vanessa helps with her jewelry!

Some last minute touches & putting the veil & flower in Mel’s hair.

Mel you look absolutely stunning.  Work it out girl!!

Ove the many years that I’ve know Mel this is such a classic pose & expression.

Mel’s dad met us downstairs with a special treat.  He rented a Rolls Royce from Ludwig Limosine for the ride over to Lynch Park.

Love this photo of Mel & her Dad ready to head over to the ceremony.  Mel looks gorgeous & her dad looks so proud & happy for his little girl.

Lynch Park is a beautiful location for a ceremony.  It is a garden overlooking the ocean in Beverly MA.

STUNNING!!

One last kiss on the cheek before heading down the aisle.  Mel’s Dad joked about not letting go of her at the end of the aisle.

The girls rocked some fierce shoes for sure.

Jalen was so cute during the ceremony.  He kept going back & forth between his mom & dad.  They did a great job including him in the ceremony.

Wahooo!  Husband & Wife :)

Stay tuned for part 2 :)

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Jillian & Lauren | Camp Mini Session, Assonet MA

September 3rd, 2010

We had a large family reunion on my husband’s side of the family.  You saw one of the images from the party here!  Jillian & Lauren are Drew’s cousins.  They are both stunning girls & both into photography.  We thought it would be fun to do a mini photo shoot at the family reunion.  We [...]

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We had a large family reunion on my husband’s side of the family.  You saw one of the images from the party here!  Jillian & Lauren are Drew’s cousins.  They are both stunning girls & both into photography.  We thought it would be fun to do a mini photo shoot at the family reunion.  We knew Camp Welch would have some great locations to shoot at.  We just walked around for about 30 minutes and the girls took turn posing.  They both did a stellar job & I love all of the images SOOOOOOOO much!

We didn’t use any on camera or off camera flash, just the trusty old reflector.  The way we have been working lately is I shoot most of the session & Drew assists.  We both determine the locations and the poses.  Drew is really great at tweaking a pose and looking at all the little details.  I can come up with a shot & set it up and start shooting while I am shooting Drew is giving more directions to make the pose even stronger.  It works really well for us.  I’d love to hear how other photographers work together during a shoot.  Other times Drew is also shooting, but when the reflector is needed it is a little tough to be doing both at the same time.

Meet Jillian!  She is a fellow red-head so you know I love that :)  We are going to be doing Senior portraits in a about a month.  I am super excited to shoot more with Jillian.

I love these two images together.  The texture on this building is to die for & the sun coming through the trees OMG

I know this comment might not be cool, but this reminds me of the little mermaid…I know really I think it’s way cooler then that.  I just love her red curls laid out on the green grass.  Can we say complementary colors!!

Meet Lauren: She is another amazing young lady who had smizing down!  We’d love to do a full length session with her as well, hint…hint…

Love that natural hair light & thank you reflector!! Jillian…you are GORGEOUS

I love how they both have such different looks.  Lauren you are STUNNING!

Ladies you are both amazing & so special in your own way.  Don’t let anyone or anything hold you back from doing what you want to do.

-Mrs Drew (Amanda)

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