Laura had contacted me last July and inquired about the date she had in mind for her wedding. I recall opening her email and thinking, “Is this some kind of joke?” Laura lived in New Jersey. We had never met. We had never spoken and we had no mutual acquaintances. Laura explained she had Googled Western New York wedding photographers and “really liked my photos.” I sent Laura a contract and the process began. Laura came into town within a few months to meet with her vendors and solidify the plans which had been made to date. I fell in love with Laura’s sense of humor right from the start. Laura fell in love with Tim Horton’s coffee. I mean who wouldn’t.

Laura and Tim were to be married in Lockport and their reception would be at the home of Laura’s grandmother in Burt, NY. Laura and I spoke the week before her wedding and we decided I would pick up her and Tim and we would travel to a few different locations in Niagara County to complete their engagement session. I arrived at her grandmother’s home and needed help picking my lower jaw up from the ground. The grounds and her home were beautiful. I met Laura and Tim and said, “I think we can complete the entire session right her on your grandmother’s property.” That we did.

Laura was a natural in front of the camera. It took Tim  few frames to warm up to the idea of having his photograph taken so many times, but once he did…Tim commented once he thought there “was a lot of kissing” during the engagement shoot.

The view from the deck in the backyard was breathtaking. Lake Ontario is a beautiful lake. The sky cleared as the shoot progressed and soon we could see across the lake to Toronto, Ontario.

What a beautiful couple.

Laura has the most incredible smile. I pointed the camera in her direction and her face simply lit up.

We briefly ventured away from Burt, NY and took a little side trip to Olcott, NY. Before hitting the little shops next to the park we stopped by Byes Popcorn for a bag of some of the best popcorn around. Unfortunately the stand was not yet open. I love doing engagement shoots and rarely want them to end. This couple made their shoot sooo much fun.

To see more of the couple’s engagement shoot, click here.

Thanks for reading and keep coming back.

Chris

This year has been good to me and if the Gods of wedding photography are pleased with my efforts to build my business, 2011 will be even more productive.

I love my clients and work hard on their behalf capturing the moments which will bring smiles to their faces for years to come. It almost doesn’t matter how bad my week was. When I meet with the couple and we begin their wedding day together all of the week’s stresses have melted away.

Last Sunday I met with Audrey and Michael to review their wedding album. I love the compliments I receive when couple’s view their photos. The validation I receive is helpful reminder I’m doing a good job.

Saturday I photographed Michelle and Bryan’s wedding. What a party! What a venue! Michelle looked beautiful and everyone had an awesome time. The night before the wedding it rained cats and dogs. Saturday I awoke to a beautiful sunrise and we hoped the rain forcast later in the day would hold off. It did. We experienced a light rain approximately 10:00 PM. I’m writing a sneak preview for Michelle and Bryan, so stay tuned later this week for that post.

Sunday was a whirlwind as I woke Sunday morning and took the three hour trip to Syracuse where Kujo played in the first ever “Upstate vs. Downstate” Senior All-star game. We received a call from him and it appears as though he’s going to continue the excellent season he recently completed in high school as he makes the transition to college football. Kujo intercepted the quarterback and returned the pic for a touchdown. I know I said this in a post about this time last year but it bears repeating, I love summer but I can’t wait until football season starts again.

Stephen is #45 in the photo below. His team was beaten 36-7 but it was actually the team which beat themselves. There were a total of two players who were ejected from the game for serious unsportsmanlike conduct. C’mon guys…it’s an All-Star game, yes, but it’s also supposed to be fun. Individually, Stephen played a solid game and he looks forward to arriving on the Alfred University campus in two-months to begin training camp.

Thanks for reading.

Chris

All morning, no rain. As we drove to the church raindrops began to strike the windshield as if to thumb their nose at us. We arrived at the church and the drops began to fall with increasing ferocity. Plan “B” was now a very real option. As the bride exited the limo the rain began to fall harder. Audrey entered the church under the protective covering of a large umbrella. Plan “B” loomed large. As the ceremony progressed I noticed the rain had ceased. I poked my head outside and again was greeted by the sun. We were saved. The remainder of the day was rain free and we were able to stick with Plan “A.”

Audrey looked absolutely beautiful. She was nervous but corageously smiled as her bride’s maids assisted her getting dressed. I spoke with Kayla, the flower girl while Audrey was getting dressed and she asked, “Why are you in the room? There’s no boys allowed.” I explained my role as the photographer and she said to me, “We’re going to a party later. It’s only for the girls but you can come.”

What is there to say about this photo? I should submit it to Hallmark!

Audrey could not have looked more beautiful. Congratulations to both of you!

The bubbles. It’s all about the bubbles.

What can you say about Michael…He’s as cool as he looks.

The couple had gotten engaged on the Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls. It took some serious fanangling to get everyone on the boat in the midst of a busy tourist season but Michael and his best man were quite persuasive. Thank God for a second deck and a wide angle lens.

That’s the Rainbow Bridge in the background. True story; the original bridge called the “Honeymoon Bridge” was accidentally destroyed in 1938 when the Niagara River froze and the weight of the ice flow crushed the bridge supports and brought the bridge down.

The rock bridge on Goat Island. This bridge connects Goat Island to the smaller Three Sister’s Island.

Congratulations Audrey and Michael. I enjoyed spending the day with both of you, your family and your friends. Thanks so much fo allowing me to be a part of your very special day.

Stay tuned for a full post.

Christopher

If anyone (within 50-miles of the 14120 zipcode) can identify the type of blossoms these are, you’ll win a free portrait session sitting fee. *Prints are an additional fee.

Nancy and Jack.

A quick glimpse of Audrey and Michael’s wedding on 5/1/2010.

I hope you enjoyed reading.

Chris

We met with our accountant who is awesome. Refund? yes. Large refund? No. Anything is better than having to pay the State and Federal governments more money than I already pay them.

Earlier in the week I had an interesting conversation or should I say lively debate with some professional peers regarding the importance of the provision of the highest level of customer service. No exceptions. I’m not saying one needs to give away the farm but it’s important to listen to your clients and understand their needs. It amazes me what we allow to pass for “good customer service.” Once you have listened and believe you have a good understanding of your client’s needs, ask more questions to clarify and make sure both parties are on the same page. Too often we take such things for granted in the hopes of gaining a new client. When we don’t allow excellent customer service to shine through that leaves an unhappy customer to share his or her unhappiness with the world. As fast as communication travels with Twitter and Facebook we can develop a wounded reputation in a matter of seconds.

On another note, Winter seems to be on it’s way out. Mother Nature played a dirty trick on us and gave us all that false hope when she gave us warm temperatures for a few days and then threatened us with a storm eventually dropping a couple inches of heavy, wet snow on us. Damn you! Temperatures are beginning to slowly inch their way up to what most people would describe as civilized and livable. Ice has gone from the center of the Erie Canal and it continues it’s daily slow retreat toward shore. Another week and I can get my kayak into the water. Soon the ice boom will be removed and Lake Erie will allow the hundreds of square miles of ice to retreat the confines of the lake and make its long journey down the upper Niagara River before falling to its death over Niagara Falls. The sun has made an appearance or two leaving me wondering out loud if there really is hope for a sun filled Spring without snow and providing beautiful weather for the many brides and grooms who will be entering into matrimonial bliss.

I spent Saturday with my dad. We drove to Rochester and stopped at Hahn Photographic where I picked up a few things. I like Rochester. The city always appears to have more going on than does Buffalo. I love Hahn Photographic. Beautiful store, lots of stock and not at all cramped with great store personnel. Before we drove home we stopped at the Summerville Grill in the Town of Summerville, NY. We enjoyed a couple of Rubens and a couple of Guinness’. The weather Saturday was awesome as well. Nothing but sunshine. Not a cloud in the sky.

This past week gave us some bad news. Nancy’s dad took a turn for the worse. He’s been in a nursing home for the past year after his dementia grew worse and diabetes forced the partial amputation of his right leg. He developed a fever and his temperature spiked at 104. He responded to the treatments and for now he seems to have stabilized. Meanwhile we have increased the time spent with him. As I sat with Nancy and her mom I thought of my grandmother who had passed away just two years ago in the same nursing home. I remind myself daily of the importance of enjoying and living life to its fullest. Paul worked hard his entire life and enjoyed several years of retirement before Alzheimer’s and physical disabilities began to take their toll.

Thanks everyone for stopping by and for reading. Enjoy your week.

Namaste.

Christopher

As the night came to an end the couple made plans to see each other the following night. They got together and immediately fell in love. As Sunday arrived, Jason needed to return to Binghamton and Kristina realized she was sad to see him go. She was pleasantly surprised when she received a call from Jason inviting her to visit him the following weekend. That weekend spent together was the first of many.

As their relationship grew the couple realized their love for each other also grew. They returned to their respective homes, she in Buffalo and he in Binghamton. Many miles were added to car odometers as the couple spent each weekend driving across the state to see each other. Weekends were brief but they enjoyed every minute of their time together. Kristina said she wasn’t sure when it was they knew their relationship had grown to another level but it had become obvious to both they could not imagine their lives without each other.

Jason moved to Buffalo in May 2008. This move allowed the couple to spend more time together. Kristina said, “We made new friends together, explored new places together and most importantly we realized we wanted to experience a lot more together.”

On Monday November 9, 2009, Jason called Kristina and suggested she stop at a local store to pick up eggs and breadcrumbs. Kristina thought this to be a little strange as she required neither of these ingredients for the dinner they planned that evening. Being a good sport, Kristina went along with the request. Jason needed a few additional minutes to sprint to the florist thirty seconds before they closed so he could purchase a bouquet of beautiful red roses. When Kristina walked into the house she found Jason smiling at her. Her eyes locked on the roses and after some heartfelt words he asked her to marry him. A shocked Kristina said “Yes.”

As I said in the preview post of this couple, “I love this bridge.” When people in the twin cities say “I’ll meet you at the bridge” we always referred to this bridge.

Diana, Joyce and Yaritza. Three great people to hang out with in the back of a pickup truck throwing out beads, toothbrushes, dental floss and condoms in below freezing temperatures. Woo Hoo!

Melinda, a nurse practitioner at the clinic drove her truck and laughed at us as she had the heater blasting inside the cab of the truck.

Joyce has her beads ready to throw.

I spent Friday afternoon meeting with a representative of the Ramada Inn in Amherst. Alison is one of those representatives who really gets it. I enjoyed our conversation very much. Alison requested I put together a 20×30 collage print of Megan and Rob’s January 9, 2010 wedding as there were many photos which showcased much of this fine venue. Alison fell in love with the print and was excited to show my photography to couple’s looking for a wedding photographer. Alison really enjoyed my work as well as the conversations we have had and the conversation turned to her daughter who will be a senior next year. The meeting with Alison was the highlight of my week as the rest of the weekend was difficult to navigate and one I would love to forget.

The rest of this post was difficult for me to write. In writing it I’m taking a nod from a photographer who I respect very much; Jasmine Star. Jasmine who posted an entry to her blog on 1/10/2010 which really touched me. In the post she discussed her battle with depression. While I’m not battling depression I have a family member who is battling Bipolar Disorder. This battle, while difficult for the individual is in some ways equally if not more difficult for the remainder of the family. We see what the person’s illness does not allow them to see. Talk about frustrating. At times it’s like banging my head against the wall just to see if it still hurts. many times I have walked away from these encounters wondering if, in some strange way it really is my fault. That belief coupled with the intense roller coaster of emotions leaves you not only breathless but physically and emotionally exhausted. That feeling of exhaustion coupled with the lack of visible sunlight left me exhausted. On one hand it forced me to not do much of anything this weekend but on the other hand it forced me to not do much of anything this weekend. I had no energy and no desire. Things in que waiting to get accomplished were forgotten about until I shut off the computer. Then like a V-8 moment I remembered the importance and went back to get it done. What makes this illness additionally difficult for me is I remain working as a social worker. as a social worker. I work with patients all week long who attempt to manage this same illness. This is not to say that the task of managing those symptoms is an easy one. I know it is not. Just when I would love to “turn off my brain”, I am forced to keep it on. Overload is difficult to avoid. As I’ve said in previous posts, a few of the things which help me maintain a positive balance are photography, listening to music and reading. Unfortunately when there is little energy left, all three of those things become difficult.

Like Jasmine, I smile all the time on the outside. 95% of the time those smiles are real and the other 5% of the time they’re hard work. I tell myself smiling is better than not smiling. While this is true it still hurts to see a loved one suffer like this. I am legitimately happy the majority of the time but feel sad. Sad this person continues to struggle when there does not need to be a struggle

Valentine’s Day was a wash as Nancy and I continue to struggle with our daughter’s behaviors. There, I’ve said it. It is my daughter who suffers from this illness. Valentine’s Day was a wash. Neither Nancy nor myself felt like celebrating, anything. As we sat down for the evening to watch TV, it was only a brief period of time before we had both dozed off.

I’m looking forward to Monday. I’m looking forward to escaping the uncomfortable feelings associated with this mental illness and working with my patients. More so I’m looking forward to spending some time with some cool couples and some cool events.

The photograph below has dual meaning for me. I love lighthouses and their significance as a historical treasure as well as the beacon of hope for which they stand. There are times when I feel alone and my lighthouse is my photography. For that I am thankful. There are lighthouses all around us. We need to look for them and some of them don’t come in the typical “light house” representation. We need to be open minded to the options and the opportunities around us. It is these things which will lead us out of the dark. My hope is one day my daughter will see the light from her own lighthouse.

As always, thanks so much for reading and keep coming back.

Christopher

Saturday I had lunch with a friend who I’ve not seen since 1998. Sean and I went separate ways when we both left the same employer several years ago. Sean’s trip took him to Houston, TX and my family and employment kept me here. We went for coffee and lunch and had a great time discussing the interesting paths our lives have taken over the last decade. Sean also developed a name for a self-help group consisting of people who talk too much. He named the group “Yuck, Yuck.” I guess this was in response the fact we occupied a table at a Tim Horton’s for a little over 4-hours. Is that a long time?

Last week also saw me book a couple of a additional weddings. One of those was another 2010 and one a 2011 wedding. The week also saw me get back together with Sara and her fiance EJ to complete the couple’s engagement session which had been rained out a couple of Sunday’s earlier. I’m still editing those photos and we’ll have a preview posted later this week with a full post the next week.

Oh, and how can I forget the Superbowl with one of my favorite bands, The Who playing the half-time show. There was no worry of a “wardrobe malfunction” during this halftime show. The guys looked old, but then again they should; they’re in their sixties. I don’t care what anyone said, they still rocked. Pete Townshend was sporting the “windmill” as he jammed through the band’s set. It would have been great to see Roger whipping the microphone around as he did back in the day, and Pete smashing his guitar on stage, I think that was something the “older” fans would have loved to see.

The New Orleans Saints won the 44th Superbowl. I’m OK with that decision as I had not strong desire to root for either of the teams. I’m happy for the Saints, their fans and especially for the city of New Orleans, a city that continues to struggle five-years post Katrina. Congratulations to the Saints. It ought to be one helluva Mardi Gras celebration this year. Unfortunately the commercials were all yawns. There were, in my humble opinion two winners. They were the Snickers commercial and the casual Friday commercial.

I spent the early afternoon with Sara and EJ. We completed “Part II” of the couple’s engagement session as we were rained out of the first. We were blessed yet again with nice weather. Temperatures warmed slightly and almost broke the thirty-degree mark. I was happy to see the sun show its face. I’ve said before seeing the sun does something special for me. It recharges my batteries and just generally puts a smile on my face. This smile is immediate. I mean as soon as I see the sun…I’m smiling. A preview post will be coming later in the week.

I’m sure there were some other things which took place during the week but as I’ve said before I really don’t have much recollection of the middle of the week other than to look at it and guess where it went. I discussed this during a post last week. Today begins the second week of February, the second week! Lent will be upon us. Easter, Spring, longer days and warmer temperatures will not be far behind.

Thanks again everyone for reading.

Christopher

The days are noticeably growing longer. This is good as we or should I say I need the daylight to ensure a better mood. As I drove to my office today I was greeted by blue sky and the sun. Sometimes I feel like a pagen worshiping the sun when I see it during the winter because the appearances which it makes are all too infrequent and all too brief. This past week was difficult with respect to the weather. There was little sunlight and additional snow graced the area. I found myself behind the snowblower on several occasions. Friday’s frigid weather saw temperatures with wind-chills dipping below zero. My windshield cracked on Friday as I drove to work through those sub-zero temperatures. 

There were highlights to my week and included Saturday night with my son for the North Tonawanda High School Senior Boys Night. We first stopped at the Pearl Street Grille for dinner and refreshments. I love the atmosphere of the Pearl Street Grille and look forward to shooting my first wedding reception there this October. After we finished our meal we moved on to the HSBC Arena for the Buffalo Bandits game. I had never been to a Bandits game and when I heard they had lost the first four games of the season, I wasn’t too excited to see this game. I have a habit of looking for the positives in everything I do. I didn’t say I always found those positives, I said I always look for them. I knew I was spending the evening with my son and I looked forward to that. He’s such a surprising young man who has adopted a set of values that would make most parents proud. He is intelligent, introspective, respectful and helpful. He has a level of understanding for others that completely blows me away and when we talk I feel as though I am speaking to someone much older. The fact the Bandits won 11-7 was the icing on the cake. I still cannot believe Stephen is a senior and the trips we have taken to look at colleges all seem surreal. I look forward to him moving on to the next phase of his life and know whatever he touches will be better for it.

The other highlight of my week was spending a few hours with Kristina and Jason completing their engagement shoot. The couple left the location of the shoot up to me and I was excited to try some new locations. The locations were new in that i had never shot there before but they brought back a lot of great memories from my childhood. I knew it was going to be cold and we didn’t want to spend the entire time outside. Instead we drove to several different locations and spent approximately 30-minutes at each. We came away with some pretty amazing photos of a pretty amazing couple. A preview of the couple’s shoot is coming later in the week. I will share this photo from the Hamlet of Olcott, NY. I love this area and especially these shops pictured below.

I finished the week editing photos from the engagement session and watching the Grammy’s. Here’s to another week gone by and another week upcomimg. The days will continue to grow longer in duration, the temperatures will grow warmer and the sun will begin to make more frequent appearances.

Keep coming back and thanks for reading.

Christopher