Things We Share

New England Charm

• Saturday, August 14, 2010
• Intimate Weddings, Romantic Engagements

Becky and Scott wanted a casual but elegant wedding celebration to match their New England lifestyle.  We started with engagement portraits in their neighborhood in Boston (Beacon Hill) and on the Charles.

On to Rhode Island for their wedding ceremony. Look at the grand view inside the old Watch Hill Chapel!

There’s really nothing special about this next image… except that the Maid of Honor is Becky’s younger sister.

Their friends and family greeted the newlyweds by tossing dried lavender buds.  Fresh like an Irish morning!

Becky’s Dad made the sign.

How’s this for a regal reception site – the newly renovated Ocean House, overlooking Block Island Sound.

I generally don’t share group portraits and detail shots because they’re not what my couples want to see.  But today I’m in the mood.  Becky’s dress by Melissa Sweet.

We got caught with a bit of rain so signature portrait time got cut down to… perfect.

Lobster rolls.

A Story Involving Two Men

• Monday, August 2, 2010
• Sweet Stories

Good To Be Loved

• Wednesday, July 28, 2010
• Intimate Weddings, Ken's Take

Lillian and Jerry brought relatives all the way from Taiwan for their charming wedding at The Arrowhead Inn in Durham, North Carolina.

They provided the party with swing instructors!

They took their guestbook to another level – each guest left a fingerprint on what started as a bare tree. What a creative finished product. It suits them perfectly.

The following card arrived in my mailbox after the wedding. It’s good to be loved.

Melissa and Michael

• Thursday, July 1, 2010
• Intimate Weddings

Michael and Melissa married at St. Leonard’s Parish (the first Roman Catholic church founded in New England), were photographed outside John Kerry’s residence in Louisburg Square, walked the 190-year old cobblestones on Acorn Street, and celebrated downtown high above Boston in The State Room.

Many thanks to Michelle at Trends and Traditions Events for planning and managing such a spectacular wedding!

Local Lifestyle

• Wednesday, June 2, 2010
• Ken's Take

Some lifestyle portraits for my friend Janice. She’s an All-American mother in North Carolina with endless ideas for raising a family and supporting local businesses. Find her on Twitter.

Tenderness

• Friday, May 21, 2010
• Intimate Weddings

My friend Kim Seidl allowed me to burn some film while helping her out at the sprawling Berry Hill plantation estate in South Boston, Virginia.

   

This next image was made immediately after the couple recessed up the aisle after their ceremony and hid out in the mansion. That first semi-private moment between a new husband and wife is probably the most emotional few seconds of the weddings I’m blessed to witness.

   

Many thanks to Kim for inviting me on her elegant adventure.

Lavender and Stone

• Friday, May 21, 2010
• Intimate Weddings

Janice and Anthony married in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.  Whenever I shoot in other countries I try to get my couple away from the more commercial areas and into the countryside.  The closest taste of Old Mexico here is the remote mining town of San Sebastian in the Sierra Madre mountains… so that’s where we went.

Janice and Anthony chose Dreams Villamagna to host all their guests, a terrific all-inclusive choice with gorgeous views of Banderas Bay.  The staff was very attentive and very sympathetic to us English speakers.

It’s common in Chinese weddings for the bridesmaids to have fun at the expense of the groom and his groomsmen in a ‘red envelope’ ceremony.  Suffice it to say that they succeeded in making the men earn the privilege of calling on the bride.

Janice dressed with an airy summer style that included a birdcage veil, beautiful diamond jewelry, and ornamental flowers.  Anthony’s stone and charcoal shades fit in perfectly with the afternoon’s lavender accents.

       

Puerto Vallarta’s stylish wedding planning duo Kristin and Michelle, collectively known as The Dazzling Details, absolutely lived up to their name by designing the color scheme and billowing outdoor ambience that added just enough formality to a casual, intimate celebration.

       

Quick change for their first dance – a seductive tango.

In perhaps one of the finest wedding traditions I’ve seen yet Janice and Anthony led their guests in lighting Thai sky lanterns, sending their private wishes soaring into the night sky.  Making your own constellation and celebrating this life with the people you love is about as romantic as it gets.

       

Your Lover’s Laugh

• Wednesday, May 12, 2010
• Ken's Take, Sweet Stories

Long before I ever photographed a wedding I knew what kind of photographs I wanted to make, or at least how I wanted them to feel. Most budding photographers turn to unpaid muses for practice, generally the person closest to them, and thankfully Stacy was mine. Below are two of the first pictures I ever made. We were on the National Mall during our first visit to the Washington Monument as a couple. I remember that day being perfectly cool and breezy with very few people out so we had quite a bit of space to ourselves. Now you can see what I’ve seen a thousand times. This is how all of our good days feel.

I don’t remember what she was laughing about, almost certainly something inappropriate I said. There’s no question I like the fact that she laughs at my jokes. I imagine she mostly likes the fact that I try, at least enough that she doesn’t let my efforts fall flat. Many men are wired to use entertainment as a way of winning a woman’s affection. A woman’s laugh is often as enjoyable to her as it is to her man. That bond is something I seek out in my couples, the middle ground where their senses of humor connect. It’s a special place with a completely personal language, the easiest way to have a private moment in public. I can’t understand what my couples share but I can recognize it.

That first picture of Stacy is hanging on my wall. I think everyone should have a picture of their lover laughing.

Brian & Amanda

• Monday, March 15, 2010
• Intimate Weddings, Ken's Take

As I’ve begun to shoot more film I’ve become much more sensitive to color composition and my color palettes. Digital technology has the ability to create vibrant hues in otherwise uninspired compositions, lending those images far more impact value than they deserve. Normally processed film offers no such sweeteners. This fact is slowly making me a better photographer.

Special Invitations

• Saturday, March 13, 2010
• Sweet Stories

This week my little sister (as in a year younger) told me that she felt somewhat voyeuristic seeing the close connections and private expressions in my images. That thought had never before crossed my mind! To me it just feels beautiful. I understand it though. I’d say that instead of feeling shy or invasive I usually feel like I’ve been invited into their emotional homes. I try to take my shoes off and walk quietly, touch everything very gently, and leave only positive signs of my visit when we part ways. It’s really a special thing to be invited into someone’s house.