When your best friend is the bride....

 

 

I recently had the honor of being the photographer for my best friends wedding. I have to admit it was one of the hardest jobs I have ever taken on. It's not easy to focus and make sure lighting is perfect when you are overcome with pure emotion by the event that is taking place. I always tear up at weddings no matter what, but this wedding was different, I had to put my camera down a couple of times.

Rheanna and I have been friends since we were in grade school, we have shared a million memories. The independent girl that she is, she wanted to make sure everything was perfect before she walked down the isle.....8 years and 3 beautiful babies later she tied the knot with an amazing man and her high school sweetheart. He has always passed the best friend test in my book, and there is no one I would rather see take my best friends hand in marriage.  It was the best wedding I have ever been too....just to name a few of the amazing events of the day; the mechanical bull (yes you read that correctly), the bouncy house (no it wasn't just for the kids), free beer and margarita's all night, amazing food, and delicious cake!! All while catching up with old friends and new!

 

Rheanna wasn't the only one with surprises up her sleeve, her uncle from Arizona surprised everyone by flying in for Rheanna's big day. Love ya Rheanna and Will!!

Mountainside Wellness Hollistic Health Center - Littleton NH {full service counseling and well being center}

I have to admit I have some incredibly talented friends, and I thought it would be great to do a little bit of bragging about a few of these amazing woman.

I have decided to start posting about some of my favorite business's in the area starting with my dear friend Cyndee Baker, LMT owner of Mountainside Wellness Center - Littleton, NH.

We all know how passionate I am about following our dreams and not just spending our whole lives wishing our lives were different. Cyndee is amazing at following her heart and moving mountains to make her dreams a reality. Mountainside Wellness Center is the physical proof of Cyndee's blood sweat and tears, it is what she has worked so hard to create for years.

Mountainside Wellness is one of my favorite places to sit and just "be", just walking through the front door into the center I feel all my worries just lighten for a little bit. The aesthetics of the center are only the beginning. Cyndee always greets you with her smile and a cup of hot tea. The lighting that comes in to the front room, nicknamed the Yoga room as that is what its main use is, is heavenly. I may be biased as a photographer, but it truly is rare to find an indoor space with light this beautiful.

Cyndee has been pursuing one degree or another for as long as I can remember. She is a very multi talented (and certified) individual. The Mountainside Wellness center provides a wealth of services to nurture the whole-person. The current services offered include full service counseling, yoga classes for most levels and techniques, and a variety of specialized massage techniques.

"Working as a Licensed Massage Therapist since 2004, Cyndee has developed a unique style of combining a variety of therapeutic techniques into each client's confidential, tailor-designed session for their body's specific needs.  As a Reiki III practitioner, Cyndee also incorporates the healing benefits of Reiki into every massage session for ultimate healing and stress reduction."


"We take great pride in the treatment we provide which is professional, confidential, and informed by best practices.  The services our counselors provide are caring and respectful of the minds and hearts of our clients."
 
 
I was honored to take marketing images for Cyndee inside of the center this winter. Mountainside truly has something for everyone and I encourage you to take a moment to visit or make an appointment for a little personal wellness.

 

Landscapes and Buildings oh my

I am obsessive about snapping photo's of beautiful surroundings! It is very rare that I do not get a shot of the location that I am shooting at. On a typical photo shoot I will just snap a quick shot and it never see's the light of day, but recently I thought it might be nice to share these images for others to see. The two photo's of the mountain are actual images of Cannon Mountain in Franconia NH. It's easy to drive by these beautiful surroundings everyday and forget how fortunate we are to be surrounded by such spectacular scenery. The white building is the Mt. Washington Hotel and resort in Bretton Woods, NH.

Spring Mini-Photo Sessions

I'm really excited to get back to work, it's been a long winter of catching up and tying up loose ends. I'm starting the spring off with a new promotion that I haven't offered before, and I'm super excited about it.

I have recently partnered with a new source for canvas prints. The canvas is 10 times better quality AND  best of all, more affordable than the source I used in the past. I will now be able to offer canvas to my clients at an affordable price. To bring attention to this new offering I am promoting the canvas prints and including them in my Spring mini-sessions. This is a HUGE deal and an incredible offer that I won't be able to continue forever, it will only last from April 15th - May 30th.

Here are the details

Sessions must be held between April 15th-May 30th
Price includes a 30 minute photo session for up to 4 family members 5-10 images to be viewed in an online gallery and (this is the best part), a 16x20 canvas print of your choice. as well as a 20% discount off of any other print purchases from this session

(print galleries are guaranteed to be available with in two weeks of session or the session is on me!)

My goal this year is to improve my customer service and turn around times. Many of my clients in the last year have had to wait extended periods of time to receive galleries and orders. Unfortunately, I'm only human and everything has a learning curve. I believe that the only way to improve is to be aware of my weakness and work to improve it to the best of my ability.  I am not perfect nor do I ever claim to be. What I do claim is to be a kind hearted honest person that tries to be everything to everyone usually to a fault. 

I can only try to be better than I was yesterday!

"There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving,
and that's your own self."
--Aldous Huxley
 

A $50 non-refundable deposit is required to book and hold your date and time. The balance is due at the photo session. A contract and model release must be signed prior to the session.

Nelia turns ONE

My adorable niece Nelia (knee-lia) turned one last week. She is the happiest little girl I have ever seen. My sister would tell you otherwise, but I'm auntie and I can call her perfect if I want! I cannot even begin to express the joy I have in being an auntie. Don't get me wrong being a mother is amazing on whole different level. Being an auntie means I get too be all fun and cool and I can break all the rules, like no candy for breakfast!! I can give gifts for no reason!
Nelia was born on March 12th, 2012 which happens to not only be my fathers birthday, but his grandmothers birthday also!

My parents were on vacation in Florida and unable to make it to Nelia's big day, but never fear Apple is here!! We all complain a lot about all the technology we have today and how it takes so much away from us, but we were all super thankful for it on Saturday. My parents were able to join the party via facetime. My mother called my iPhone from her iPad via facetime and were able to watch everything from gifts being unwrapped to clean up! They were able to talk to everyone and even get their picture taken as proof they were there. I guess the only thing they really missed was the food and cake!

Happy, happy first birthday Nelia Tishara, you are a beautiful girl and I look forward to many years of spoiling you rotten!!

Do you know who your biggest supporters are?

Who supports you the most....is it your friends, your family, acquaintances, strangers on the street. Are the people that support you and your choices the people you expected? Who keeps you motivated by giving you positive encouragement and who supports you by sucking the life out of your dreams, therefore giving you every reason to succeed and prove them wrong?

Happy Valentines Day!

I'm not a huge fan of Valentines day, mostly because I think it causes unnecessary stress. I do in fact love the idea of the day, but I feel like it needs rules or maybe guidelines. The pressure to give a gift that symbolizes your love to another is just too much. My favorite valentines are the small personal gifts or thoughtful notes. I am giving all of you (readers, clients, friends, family) a personal Valentines message.

You are the heart and soul of my business. It is because of you that I am able to do what I do. Not a single day passes that I do not think about this simple truth. You give me grace and guidance to create memories for your family. I take your trust in me very seriously, sometimes to a fault. I hope you all have a wonderful day and know that you have at least one person that appreciates you even when you might feel alone.

A few of 2012 favorites

Winter Wonderland

Well, things are changing! It's time to freshen up and spend a little more time here! I've fallen out of love with Facebook and decided I'd rather share my work and life in my own space. Not to say I won't remain on Facebook, I just won't be contributing much. It's important to me to stay in touch with those that appreciate my work and what I have to provide as a service, so I will do that here and I will commit to being present here as well! I recently added blogger to my iPhone which will make this resolution to stay current much easier. I am sharing a few iPhone photos from today's sliding adventure.