I organized this shoot for some of my favorite local businesses.  It was great to get to know the folks behind these businesses and give them some lovely photos for free.  :)

Check them out and show our local businesses some love!

Thanks to:

Citizens Coop (fresh produce and location)

Gift Horse (clothing and shoes)

The Jones (desserts and quiche)

Lemon Aid (the lemonade van)

Rusting Farms Carving (wooden platters and bowls)

Salon La Di Da (hair and makeup)

Sandy's Flower Petals (floral arrangements)

Courtney Lane (model)

Heather Jones (model)

Jason Sanders (model)

Jennifer Dompe (model)

Kirill Korytov (model)

Last month I had the pleasure of having a Beloved session with two friends I don't see often enough - they live in Rochester, NY and I'm only there two or three times a year to see my family.

Beloved is a fairly new genre of photography.  It has caused a pretty big rift in the wedding/engagement photography industry, but I feel that it is right in line with what my goals are as a photographer and I'm wholeheartedly for it.  In a Beloved session, the photographer sets the stage for the couple by giving them verbal cues.  I may ask the couple to play a game or imagine themselves in a particular situation.  Once I give them the cues, they begin to interact with each other and I take on the role of a photojournalist, snapping away in the background.

The thing is that the cues allow the couple to create magic.  What I ask the couple to do is to take time out of their lives to play together, to laugh together, to share memories and future plans, and just remember why they they are together in the first place.  The result is that I document love, laughter, and sometimes tears... but always true, honest emotion.  THAT is beautiful.  Nothing posed, nothing artificial.  Watching a couple interact and seeing the love just pour out of them is absolutely gorgeous.  I love it.  I just love it.  A big thank you to Adam and Michele for being open and holding nothing back - you guys are amazing. :)

P.S. - There is a pretty fantastic ring that Adam is wearing.  It's featured in one shot, complimenting his strong hands.  Michele MADE it for him!  She is a talented jeweler.  If you are interested in having a piece custom-made for you, let me know and I can put you in touch with her.

Yeah, it makes me happy.  

I participate in the DGrin photography challenges from time to time and the current theme is 'chocolate', so it goes without saying that I have to participate in this one!  I also have to make a cake with my shiny new kitchen aid in order to do so.  Life is rough, I know.

50mm 1.4, f/2.8, 1/40sec, ISO 400, no flash

So I got home from work tonight a little after 7 tonight.  I'm tired, I've got stuff on my mind, the guinea pigs are in full freak-out-for-no-reason mode, and I have been blowing my nose and hacking up a lung every day since 2010.  You should feel lucky that I haven't given you a picture of a pile of used tissues to look at. :)  

Anyway, I was not looking forward to cooking tonight and so I said "Screw it. I'm having pancakes. Take that, world!"  Fortunately for me, pancakes are incredibly easy to make, I had one egg in the fridge (thank goodness!), and they are one of my all-time most favorite ever foods.  I have a t-shirt to prove it.  It's purple.  So here they are.  You have no idea how hard it was waiting to eat them until AFTER they'd had their picture taken!  I am enjoying them now with some real maple syrup and I have to say that they are pretty stellar.  I used some coconut water, a ton of vanilla, and some kefir in the recipe... mmmm...

28-135mm 3.5-5.6 @53mm, f/4.5, 1/250sec, ISO 200, on camera flash w/diffuser

Some seriously tasty food from our little get together: