Free to Succeed Tour: Boston

This past Tuesday night I was lucky enough to join many of my photographer friends for the Free To Succeed Tour in downtown Boston. The three headliners on the tour just happened to be the three photographers that I admire most in the wedding industry...David Jay, Jasmine Star, and Becker. And I felt blessed to meet them all on the same night!

David Jay gave us insight as to how an efficient workflow can can help "free" up your life. Jasmine spoke about how determination and properly branding your business can lead to much success. And Becker gave us all a sneak preview of the [b]school...which will be a social and profesional networking website for photographers.

Skip's: an American classic

Summer in New England would not be complete without at least one trip to Skip's Snack Bar in Merrimac, MA. We're lucky enough to live just ten minutes away from this American institution that plays host to "cruise nights" every other Saturday from June through September.

Skip's is an old-fashioned burger joint that transports you back in time. The bacon double-cheeseburger is a neat little bundle tucked into a folded paper napkin... the crispy curly fries, which they're famous for, are overflowing the cardboard basket... and the grilled hot dog is topped with a perfect zig-zag of bright yellow mustard. And everything tastes as good as it looks.

Of course, the other fun part of a Skip's visit are the classic cars. On "cruise nights" people come from far and wide to show-off what a winter of tinkering in the garage has produced. The big grass field behind the restaurant plays host to hundreds of cars...who's owners sit in lawn chairs chatting about the weather and their new vinyl upholstery.

There really is nothing like it on a warm summer night in New England (except for a wedding of course)! ;)

Visit to the Chatham Bars Inn

Linnea is planning a September wedding that will be held at the Chatham Bars Inn. So we took the drive down to the Cape for a meeting with Leslie, the bride, and the Chatham Bar's staff. What a beautiful resort! The weather was perfect and the setting really makes you dream of spending a week there. The highlight of the day was the seals at the fishing pier, near the end of the beach. When the boats come in with their catch of the day, the seals beg for food and are literally feet away from you. Sure beats the aquarium! :)

Song of the summer

I just can't stop listening to this song...it's so addictive. Adele is a 19 year old Brit who's distictive, soulful voice surpasses many singers ten years her senior. "Chasing Pavements" is a wonderfully emotional piece of old-school soul that'll have you singing along after just one listen. Plus they rarely make videos like this anymore...the "choreography" is just beautiful. Go ahead, click the link below.

Click here to watch the video

My new Canon 5D!

My camera bag now includes one of the best cameras a wedding photographer could wish for....the Canon 5D. My goal this year was to work hard enough to purchase this beauty by mid-summer and I'm so proud to have accomplished that goal. What's my next goal you ask? ...to buy a second 5D by the end of September. :)

As you can see from this photo I snapped tonight, cameras have come a long way in the last 40 years. That's one of the Kodaks from my collection of classic cameras. Maybe one day I'll blog about them all.

iT HAS ARRiVED!

My new 24-inch iMac has arrived! 2.8GHz of power, 4GB memory, and a 500gb hard drive, makes for one sweet piece of machinery! I set it up last night, installed my Photoshop & Lightroom software, and I am all set for the wedding season!



More photos to come...

Four Year Anniversary!

Four years ago today, Linnea and I stood before our family & friends and promised our unwavering love and devotion to each other. She was the most beautiful bride I've ever seen and I was the luckiest groom.

So much has changed in those four years, but our love has remained as strong as ever and will only grow stronger. Linnea, thank you for always being there for me and for being my rock. I love you.

The Big Apple Circus!

One of Linnea's birthday gifts from me was two tickets to the Big Apple Circus! So on Sunday we headed down to to the big top set up at City Hall Plaza. Neither of us had been to a circus since we were little kids, so we were very excited. :)

And this cast of characters did not disappoint! Trapeze artists, italian clowns, tight-rope walkers, colorful dancers, white stallions, high-flying teeter-totter-launched acrobats, dancing dogs, and a great live band all made for a totally fun-filled day!

NYC Bridal Show

Linnea and I made a quick trip down and back to New York City on Monday for the Wedding Salon's Bridal Show at Gotham Hall.

Gotham Hall is a seven-story ballroom, with an amazing three hundred-foot wide stained glass skylight, a huge gilded chandelier, Corithian columns, and marble floors. It's really an awe-inspiring space. The show was a who's who of New York's wedding vendors and showcased some of the best ideas and products for high-end brides.

Of course, on the the way out of the city I had to make a quick pit-stop at one of the best (yet decidedly non-high-end) hot dog joints in the city... Gray's Papaya. Although I've always been partial to the original, Papaya King, sometimes you just gotta go with what's convenient. For those of you that have never partaken, these "Papaya" places serve fruit smoothie's and hot dogs... which might seem like an odd combination, but you gotta try it! :)

Spring has Sprung!

The magnolias on Commonwealth Ave. are finally blossoming!
Ahhh spring in Boston....

Happy Birthday Linnea!

Happy birthday to the best wife & friend a husband could ever wish for!
I love you with ALL my heart.....

We took this little photo with my point & shoot after dinner at Ristorante Molise...

Roberto's band

As promised, here's a few detail shots of Roberto Cassan's band from Sunday night's party! Most of the musicians are also in the band Newpoli, who's specialty is the roots of Italian folk music...meaning classical traditional folk songs played by the farmers of Neapolitan suburbs during the Period in which Giacomo Puccini and Giuseppe Verdi were performing their operas." A wonderfully specific musical genre huh? :) And they sounded amazing!