Hibernating

I'm hibernating all this week to get weddings done. Jim is answering all emails and phone calls.

MY CURRENT PROJECT: Nowosielski Wedding
SONG STUCK IN MY HEAD: Adele songs
CRAVING: a really good salad with cranberries like at Mohawk River CC (I still crave the Hanna wedding salad, eh, what was that cheese topping?)
NEEDED A MOMENT: RAIN RAIN RAIN
BEST MOMENT: being with my love most of the day & us being able to see some really cool sculptures by Mike Willig

FAQ: Do you have a foot fetish?

No! Personally I think foot fetishes are a little on the creepy side. I just love shoes and they always photograph artistically well.

Digital Polaroid

So we went to Best Buy today for a special cable of sorts and while Jim searched for that I snooped around in the camera department as usual. I came across a NEW digital Polaroid camera and it all makes complete sense now why it seems suddenly all other Polaroids have somehow vanished from the earth. Everyone keeps asking me why and now I know!

It's called the Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer and it looks pretty high class for a Polaroid. I may get one next summer and take it on vacation with us. They range around $50 each and the refills range around $15 or less for 30 prints at 2x3in. Just too cool.

It's also another great idea for those that are thinking of doing the guest book as Polaroids. Just buy a couple of them to put on a table with your book and stock up on the refills, then your set. It's always good to have the option of a friend volunteer to man the station and help out for numerous reasons. It also may be cheaper than the large rental machines as another option or at least something to price out the difference. Although you cannot replace the awesome magnet man, this is definitely a cool, hopefully lasting, trend. Visit their website for more info: www.polaroid.com/pogo


Also, thanks out to ALL of the wonderful Birthday wishes that came my way this past week. You are all so sweet and I can't help but be flattered!

MY CURRENT PROJECT: Finishing Belarmino photos, then album choices and slideshow
SONG STUCK IN MY HEAD: Irreplaceable by Beyoncé
CRAVING: a strong alcoholic drink
NEEDED A MOMENT: our third hard drive malfunction, that's why we have extra!
BEST MOMENT: Jim making me crack up in Best Buy over "aliens landing" noise.

Turning 31

Turning 31 on my birthday this past Tuesday was so much different than 30. It means I'm in my thirties, not just 30. And it means I'm in a new age bracket. Who ever decided on making age brackets anyway? Maybe doctors but then everyone else went on board from everything to buying a cell phone to online surveys, what's next shopping for clothes and rides at the fair?

I also entered the latest world of texting this week with a new cell phone and I gotta say I love it but it's one of those things that actually makes me feel old and out-of-date. I had it about 4 years ago but it's already changed so much and I have to be careful because it's amazing how much technology can consume every orbit of time in your surroundings. You add a few new numbers in, change your ringer and write a text message and the next thing ya know it's 2 hours later, wow, so not fair but so much fun.

Jim took me to dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant El Mexicano in Hudson Falls where they sang me Happy Birthday in Spanish twice, put a real fancy sombrero hat on me and gave me a really neat dessert with a single candle. Jim wanted to take a photo so bad and... I know - a photographer without her camera - can you believe it? Don't worry, I've heard it enough. Anyway, their dinners are to die for and luckily for Saratoga Springs they just opened up another one on Broadway right outside of town. They are still waiting on their liquor license at that location but I still highly recommend them. Not only is their food, drinks and murals fantastic but their customer service is the best around which is really important to me lately.

Here is a photo of me on my birthday at home after dinner with our traditional Mexican hats we use on every occasion.

MY CURRENT PROJECT: Belarmino Wedding
SONG STUCK IN MY HEAD: I need a miracle by Fragma
CRAVING: to warm up, not used to the cold
NEEDED A MOMENT: JD's inconclusively broken thumb and technology beeps
BEST MOMENT: being able 2 txt Jim at all Xs bc I simply cnt live 1 sec w/out him lol...

A tango twist and jump joke

What a weekend! A tango twist at the Brown wedding and a planned surprise jump at the Passarell wedding were just some of the highlights from the past two days.

The best tango wedding dance I have ever seen to date. I myself have taken ballroom dancing including the tango and was extremely impressed from all my days of seeing so many couples do the tango. Especially given that they were all dressed up and still pulled it off so smoothly (as a surprise for the guests). I see so many weddings that had a great dance down but it's hard to plan for the poof of the dress and rented dress shoes. Take my word, the best first dance wedding tango. Below are a couple photos from their dance.

Then Sunday was so much fun when the groomsmen all planned a prank on a fellow groomsman. They all pretended they were going to jump for the photo, counted to 3, and stayed in place while the very excited groomsman happily jumped alone. It was so comical and well planned. Thanks for the laugh and great pic guys!

Photo Enhancement of the Month - September

Running a little behind in posting still... October's coming soon!
Photo Enhancement of the Month - September 09
www.outoftheordinary.biz/enhancements.html

Why I hate taking staircase photos

OK, so they aren't all bad but who ever first started this trend of photography, well, good riddens. In my opinion, it is not flattering, it gives instant double chins and the line up slowly kills me inside. The exception to this are elongated stone staircases, large spiral ones and wide open fancy ones where you can fit a large group. Also, when you only have a small group of just the bride and groom only or 1-4 people then it works fine, especially at different angles, above or straight-on rather than below. If it is a family tradition I understand and like to match those but it is by no means a new idea and quite overused. And although I can compensate most lighting, depending on how the staircases are, you get too much light in the front and not enough light towards the back and it makes zero sense to me in the flattery category.
The fascination of the staircase has always amazed me so I decided to do some research on it which I found very little on. I'm assuming it comes from back in the day when they had more intricate designs and they put so much more work into the spindles and the carvings. Historically staircases are a beautiful site and I love the huge ones like at the capital buildings in downtown Albany. Overall I give a thumbs down but will still do them upon request as I get with my other pet peeve: the 1970s "put the bouquets on the train" look ... makes me cringe but I will do it no questions asked because I understand that everyone likes different things.

MY CURRENT PROJECT: Belarmino Wedding and spray painting our new gas stove pipe
SONG STUCK IN MY HEAD: SexyBack by Justin Timberlake
CRAVING: some R&R
NEEDED A MOMENT: AA rechargeable batteries
BEST MOMENT: crawling in bed

Full Circle

You may recall the story I have on my "ordinary us" website page about how my wedding business started and how I link much of it to the Banowetz wedding. Well I had the privilage to capture them once more... plus two. They have too little boys and it was such an amazing experience for me to photograph this new phase of their life. After all this time and all these weddings it was just so neat to see this before and after reality. So much of weddings are fantasy and dreamy; we never really think of it more than that. It made me realize that my business has really come full circle and I am thankful to have such wonderful couples that last thoughout the years. Below is just one photo, more to come...

MY CURRENT PROJECT: Belarmino Wedding
SONG STUCK IN MY HEAD: Fidelity by Regina Spektor
CRAVING: sleep
NEEDED A MOMENT: pushing myself
BEST MOMENT: sweet words from Jim :)

amazingly wonderful scary schedule

If for some reason you talk to or see me outside of doing a wedding and I seem like I've completely lost my mind, it just may be the case. I have at least one thing going on EVERY day of the first two and a half weeks of October, literally. Weddings, engagement and bridal shoots, meetings for bookings for next year and a few family things going on. All in the midst I will be turning 31! Ah, how's that for aging, lol... :)

Anyway, this is not as much as an update as a warning that I simply cannot fit in anymore foliage photoshoots, until possibly November. Remember I also have previous weddings and photoshoots to process during this time too. I really want to do my best for holiday turn-around this year, I'm hoping for better than last year. October, November and December weddings will most likely not be finished until after the new year, this seems to flow the same every year no matter how much I try.

Jim has been awesome at replying to most of my emails and this will probably continue for the rest of the year, as well as setting up meetings, etc.

And to think I planned to send out holiday cards to all my customers - hm... probably not this year.

MY CURRENT PROJECT: 3 weekend weddings & finishing Hans wedding
SONG STUCK IN MY HEAD: Dr. Worm by They Might Be Giants
CRAVING: warmth
NEEDED A MOMENT: feeling overwelmed
BEST MOMENT: Jim & JD making me laugh until my stomach hurt