Goodbye! [sort of]

This blog is going bye bye......I'm switching to a spanking new and shiny blog that is much more suited to my style and taste. Anyone can comment, anyone can view the posts. So update your links and come on over! I'd love to have ya :-)

[Oh, and you can still view all the old posts over there as I went ahead and had them imported.]

!!! NEW Blog !!!
http://www.visible-images.com/blog

A Day in Chagrin Falls

Mary & Mark are getting married next year and we met to do their engagement session this past weekend in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. I'd never been to this town and I was so delighted they chose to do their session there as it is a really cool town with terrific shops, restaurants and parks. One of the highlights of town is the charming "Popcorn Shop" which literally overlooks the falls and that is where we decided to meet to begin our afternoon. The town has a very East Coast flavor and since I grew up in Vermont any town that has even a hint of New England is truly near and dear to my heart!

I really enjoyed getting to know Mary and Mark, they are an awesome couple who were really willing to go for anything I suggested! On top of that, they are just nice people!! I can't wait to do their wedding next year!

After the session I spent a little time walking through town without my camera and I discovered the greatest little shop and bakery called "Stash Style". The owner happened to be in and I chatted with her for several minutes. Her cupcakes and wedding cakes are so creative and the taste was just as wonderful [yes, she had samples - YUM!] but she also had such an awesome selection of gifts and housewares that I could have shopped till my pocket book was dry. I did buy one small thing for me and a gift for a friend. So I think I did good! But I can't wait to go back and do some Christmas shopping later in the year!

On my way out of town I stopped in the South Chagrin Reservation and got some wonderful fall pictures among the trees - probably one of my favorite things to do every September and October!! The area around Chagrin Falls is just so beautiful, really unspoiled and the trees had a treasure trove of vibrant colors to offer that day! I was in heaven!

Why You Should ShutterBooth

So on Sunday I had the opportunity to check out the Chagrin Falls Bridal Show extravaganza and the best part of it was finally getting to meet the guys behind the Ohio contingent of ShutterBooth [which if you've checked out any of the links I have on the left side of this page is an awesome photo booth rental company] who I discovered through mutual friends back up in Michigan!

Brian and his team of guys were so much fun, even consenting to get into the booth with me and do our own photo shoot...which was really a hilarious experience and I think the 4 pictures we took (see left, photo strip) turned out pretty great! In the words of Brian: "Not bad for 4 people that stay either behind the camera or ouside the booth"! And I completely agree!

I highly recommend couples check out ShutterBooth for their weddings! Not only is having a photo booth at your wedding one of THE BEST ways to get your guests involved and having fun but it also can add to your awesome reception memories in so many ways. For instance, the team at ShutterBooth has cooked up some terrific customizable options to take the photo booth idea one step further with things like an external monitor and web camera that allows you "to display the shenanigans occurring inside the booth as your guests pose for pictures"! They can also personalize your guests photos strips with a name or graphic/logo specific to you and your wedding so that at the bottom of their photo strip it commemorates your wedding! And they can even do albums that include your images. Best of all - your images will be hosted in an online gallery so everyone you know can visit them over and over to relive the excitement of your wedding reception!

If you want an great idea for wedding favors that not everyone is doing (like candy in a box) or if you just need to add a little more fun and excitement to your wedding reception then check out ShutterBooth! If neither...check them out anyway! The promo video is a great little distraction made by my friends at Epic Motion and I promise it's worth the time to sit and watch! The gang at ShutterBooth has a terrific product and the team you'll find behind the magic will be terrific to work with!! So what are you waiting for? I even took all the work out of it for you by giving you every link you'll need [wink, wink]!

Amy, Heath and Tucker

Amy and Heath are getting married next year and I'll be photographing their wedding so we met at the McKinley Memorial to begin their engagement session and get to know each other a little better, ending in downtown Canton on one of my favorite blocks with lots of great architecture as a backdrop.

Also with us for the first part of the day was the couple's dog Tucker and this was technically a first for me but it was such a fun experience! I think we got some great shots with Tucker even though he doesn't listen to direction the same way you or I would - we managed to snap at least one where he sat patiently near his "mom and dad"! ;-) I think he only sat long enough for me to snap the picture but luckily I'm quick on the draw! Not to brag or anything....

It was so awesome to get to know Amy and Heath because they are located in Pennsylvania which means there isn't a lot of opportunity for us to do so between now and their wedding! I had a great time and I am so glad I've started to include engagement sessions in the standard wedding package as I think it's a great chance not just for me to get to know you [the bride and groom] but also for you to get to know me. One of the most amusing parts of the day for me was when we did the "I Said Yes" and "She's With Me" shots and Heath ended up naming the face I asked him to make when it was his turn...a sort of "tough guy" face that cracked me up for really no reason at all. I just couldn't help it!

Anyway, hope you enjoy the images as much as I enjoyed creating them! Can't wait to shoot the wedding next year!

Buried in editing...

and wishing for summer, since it's sunny outside [but not warm]...

Thought I'd dig up an old collage I did to bring some sunshine into my office, and yours [or wherever you are reading this from]!