An Engagement Session

My brother Ben and his beautiful fiance Desi asked me to take their engagement photos while we were in Texas for Thanksgiving. They were amazing fun to photograph, letting me snap and snap and snap and snap beyond my heart's content. We explored the fields of trees and grass across the street from my father's house. There we found the most beautiful tree where our photographing began.

Lily

A photo of the flowers Seth got me about a week or so ago.

Snow (a few days late)

New York was so lucky to get some snow this last weekend! It started Saturday afternoon and didn't let up throughout the afternoon and into the night. And Sunday morning, when we awoke, the city was covered in a good amount of snow. Here are some shots from my fire escape. I knew I'd love that tree out back even more as soon as the winter snow came.

Of course, the snow is now turned into a dirty mess of mounds between the sidewalks and streets and mushy puddles at the edge of crosswalks. I do hope we get another snow storm this winter though!

i don't exist

right now. work has been owning me... and sadly, i've been letting it. i have 3 more days of work before 10 days off. and when i return in 2010, i refuse to let it own me any more.

i refuse to get stressed out. i promise to start nodding my head at their obscene requests... and then leaving them and doing as i know i can and should when i walk into my room and close my door. i refuse to let anyone there ruin me. despite how hard they seem to try.

i promise to focus on the job i am there to do. i refuse to waste much time doing the waste-of-time jobs that keep me from doing the real job. keep my from helping the people who are truly important.

i promise to change my focus to the ones that matter. i refuse to let the others take my time.

i also promise to come back here soon and share some fun things. i have no idea what i plan to do on my days off. but hopefully it will be something i can share with all of you :) any suggestions???

Statue Below the Tree

A New York City Proposal

She has so much to be smiling about tonight!

Her sweet guy contacted me about a month ago to see if I'd shoot some photos of him proposing to her while they visited the city. The place he had picked to pop the question was Rockefeller Center, with the Christmas tree in the background.

They flew in Thursday, her coming earlier then him because she had a work commitment. Then he went to the airport and jumped on an earlier flight then he'd originally scheduled so he could swing by Rock Center Thursday evening and meet and pick the spot without her knowing.

I was completely nervous, and I cannot even imagine how nervous he was! I got a few photos. Sadly some of them that I really wanted to get didn't happen because there were so many people and a few walked right in front of me! But they'll have a few to remember the moment by!

I'd love to shoot more proposals in the future!!

He's So Sweet

I dragged him to the lens rental place after work... Then I dragged him up to Rock Center... Then I made him carry all my bags while I snapped photos... I made him stand is certain spots so I could get used to the zoom and the settings... Then I made him stay outside in the cold for over an hour... And finally, when I decided I'd let him head for the subway so we could warm up on our way home, I made him buy me a warm drink!!

And most of this was done with a smile on his face!

Scrooge Finds Some Lights

Surprisingly, this Scrooge (me, yes, I'm quite the anti-holiday person when December comes... but that's another story, another time) anyway... this Scrooge has found herself down in Rockefeller Center a handful of times in the last few weeks. And tonight, I was there for at least an hour and a half!! Surprising, considering it could very well be considered the heart of Christmas in the City AND it's LOADED with people. On top of all of that, the temperature outside has found a resting point in the 30s.

My fingers are still aching from the cold, but I didn't much notice while I was out there (especially holding the 70-200mm/2.8 lens I've rented for the weekend!!) Seth and I were there meeting with someone to get ready for a special event on Saturday evening... More on that next week! And hopefully I'll have some great photos to share :)

Thanksgiving Flashback

I know. It's been a minute since Thanksgiving... but I just finally took a chance to process some of my photos from the feast we had (prepared by my amazing stepmother! Someday, I hope I can make enough to food to feed a small army with such ease...)

Name tags. Aren't these adorable! They were made specially by Miss Emma for the occasion.

The Papa and the Mama

Seth and me

Meghan and my brother, Alan

My future sister-in-law, Desi, and my brother, Ben

A happy plate. Served up twice. A full belly.

And of course the best part... Plus, a divine chocolate cheese cake and a few other delicious desserts!

Welcoming the Night

These shots were taken a couple weeks ago on a weekend evening. I love the feel of them. I can't believe I haven't shared them yet... Here's how I welcomed the evening, the moon, the darkness.

Meet my baby sister

I've been busy processing photos of the family and of my brother's engagement session... Thanksgiving in Texas filled me with happiness, not sure for the family and food, but for the abundance of people to take photos of (there were 11 of us). This is my baby sister. She warmed up to my camera quite well. I have quite a set of great photos of her.

I love the way the wind is blowing her hair, the way her blue eyes are shining, and the slight smile on her beautiful face. This girl is just as amazing as she looks!

Live Music in Austin

Over Thanksgiving break, while we were in Texas, Seth and I spent a night in Austin with a good friend of mine. We joined her and her friends at a show their friends Josh and Jesse were putting on. I love Austin's music scene! And I really loved to hear some "country" type music... It's been a while, considering I'm not often in that scene in the city.


After the show, we headed over to another bar and watched more live music (an amazing guitar player, originally from Canada.) Of course, the night's never over and we headed back to Mel's apartment to continue hanging out.

Mel's sweet puppy!

It was so amazing to see Melissa! She was my maid-of-honor and has been a great friend for years. Life and distance keep us so far apart, yet, every time I see her, our friendship picks up as if there were nothing separating us!

it's been so long

I'm still here.... even though it has been so long since I have posted!

I was away on a Thanksgiving Holiday adventure. It was beyond amazing, and I'm still exhausted, but more than that, I'm still dreaming about how wonderful my time was away with family and friends.

I have so many photos to share... I actually took almost 1200 photos (of course, some are blurry and being deleted as I sort...) but so many are amazing! I loved loved loved taking photos there - across the road from my father's house is the open land of Texas... tall grass, beautiful winding oaks, even some cactus. And Texas has the best late afternoon light... a warm golden light that pulled me outside every single day was there around 3:30 p.m. until it was just past twilight and my camera could shoot no more!

Plus, instead of taking the normal photos I'm used to taking, I had the chance to switch it up a bit... I did an engagement session with my brother and future sister-in-law. Both of my sisters were happy to stand in front of my camera looking beautiful as ever! I dragged my youngest brother out for a session of photo taking... and he even got to turn the camera on me for a minute. I also took photos of my middle brother and his girlfriend. And before we all left, we were able to wrangle everyone together for a large group session (of course, I was stressed out from the pressure and wanting everyone to be happy, despite how much some family didn't want to be doing photos... when there are so many of us, it's just hard to make everyone happy)... by so many, I mean a dad and a mom, 3 girls and 3 boys... and now add my husband, my future sister-in-law and one brother's really sweet girlfriend... 11 total. Yup. A long weekend in a house full of family!

Can't wait to share some of the photos I shot during my sessions. :) Hope everyone else had as much fun on their long holiday weekends too!

O and before I go, you should check out the giveaway I won!!!

Another Guy with a Guitar

Union Square, NYC

Taken on Veteran's Day

Brooklyn Flea, Dumbo

Here are a few photos from the Brooklyn Flea Market that takes place on Sundays in Dumbo. I have always wanted to go and happened to be in Dumbo last Sunday. Unfortunately, I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked wondering through each area, so I definitely need to go back another Sunday.