Marisa+Chris // Engagement

Love is like a really good slow cooked soup.  It takes time to simmer and time for the flavors to take shape and round out into a really robust and flavorful experience.  This is one of those love stories that took it's sweet time.  Marisa and Chris fell in love in their twenties, after a year of being friends, he finally got up the gumption to ask her out.  They spent the next 3 years of their lives together, and shared some really good times.  After three awesome years, they decided to part ways.  They both had a little growing up to do, and needed to spread their wings on their own.  After 6 years of being apart, love brought them back together, and Chris proposed to her in Santa Barbara, my homeland of all places!  Circle back to NY, and now I am documenting their story. As camera shy as they are, I am very happy they trusted me to be a part of telling this story.  There are so many classic elements to this, I couldn't be happier with the way our shoot turned out.  I love that we shot on the rooftop of their Hell's Kitchen apartment, with the city skyline and industrial elements that are so NY!  From their  roof, we went back to the inside of their apartment, and then made our way to the handball court right outside of their apartment.  Who knew that the handball court would basically be an outdoor photo cyc??   Engagement photo sessions like this, are my favorite!  It's a chance to get to know the couple, feel them out in front of the camera, and bring a little story telling to the day.  I can't wait for their big day, and I'll be sharing those images with you later this year! 

xo
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Clam Bake in the City Featured on // Style Me Pretty

This little photo shoot is near and dear to me, as I love food, gatherings, lovely ladies, and a nice photo shoot to boot!  Some of my favorite creative women in the wedding industry and I got together to share an awesome evening with the best clam chowder I have ever had!!  We had three amazing dishes all prepared by Chandara, of Chandara Creative with a lovely mango salad, a beautiful clam chowder, and some giant lobster with corn on the cob!  We finished it all off with a crazy yummy dessert by Lael Cakes.  She made the yummiest little gluten-free lemon drop cakes with lemon curd, and accented them with fresh mint sprigs and topped them with cherries and blueberries.  Our host Patricia of Fourteen Fourty Stationary, brought this all together in her lovely West Village home, as well as art directed and made all the gorgeous stationary accents in the shoot.  My dear friend Thea of Hushed commotion, used this as an opportunity to bring something different to the table, as she usually makes accessories for brides, she thought, why not incorporate her awesome beading techniques into something for the home, so she made the awesome beaded burlap napkin rings, which I love!! You can get some for yourself on her website here! Not only do we have the photos, but Courtney from Love+Brain Films, made an awesome video of our day as well!!  Thanks so much for following friends!! I'm really happy to share this with you, and I will be making more food and lifestyle based work soon! 

xo
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Food Prep and Styling: Chandara Creative
Art Direction and Paper Goods: Fourteen-Forty
Accessories/Napkin Rings/Drink Stirs: Hushed Commotion
Desserts: Lael Cakes
Cinematography: Love+Brain Films
Full Clam Chowder Recipe: Style Me Pretty
Full Feature: Style Me Pretty

Ladies who lunch with Marcey Brownstein

Garden Party in upstate NY

Birds Eye

Beautiful food prepared by Marcey Brownstein in her amazing home!

A gorgeous tablescape with wild flowers from Marcey's garden

The painting on the left by one of the lovely women in attendance Beth Riesman

Where the magic happens in Marcey's garden

Everyone know's I love Rosé

If you you aren't hungry by now, I don't know what to say!

The jewelry designer Chorthip Lagnese made a picture perfect plate!

Susan Caruso and Karen Galland

Happy Bellies

Yummy dessert by Rebecca Ffrench herself accompanied by a gorgeous peach sorbé by one of the guests!

Dana Eudy of Field Apothecary!

Marcey and her ladies!

Grand finale, a fox who posed for me on the way out!!

 As I mentioned in one of my last posts, I'm working on my online persona, and how I would like to better blend it with my actual living identity, which is part of why I am posting about more aspects than just weddings, or photography for that matter.   Part of why I chose photography as my path, is because it gives me access.  It gives me access to many worlds, many lives, and  many stories.  I love life, I love people, I love telling stories.  I want to share stories about the places I've been, the people I meet, and the magic that ensues.  I am very blessed to know people from all walks, and to  be invited into an array of different worlds.  Some of the things I love are gatherings, cooking, and good conversation with amazing women who are doing amazing things.  This lunch really encompassed so much of that, and I feel so blessed to have been a part of such a lovely day with some truly lovely and talented people.  The roster ranged from jewelry designer, chef, acupuncturist, event planner, to amazing self made entrepreneur.  I want to thank our lovely hostess Marcey of Marcey Brownstein Catering for bringing us all together, and opening her lovely home to us in upstate NY!  Please check out the links below to see the roster of lovely ladies who attended, and are doing amazing things for a little inspiration!

xo
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Marcey Brownstein-Hostess and owner of Marcey Brownstein Catering & Events

http://marceybrownstein.com/ Susan Caissey Caruso Owner of SCC Events-Event Planner in NYC, Tristate Area and Boston http://www.sccevents.com / Robin Chess Director of Cooking in the School, Phoenicia, NY / Kate Edmonds, Event Planner, NYC http://www.kateedmondsevents.com/  / Dana Eudy, Owner of Field Apothecary and Herb Farm http://fieldapothecary.com/ / Rebecca Ffrench

Writer of Food, Entertainment, Travel and Kids interest stories and Cookbook Author of Sweet Home http://www.rebeccamillerffrench.com / Karen Galland Fashion Industry Executive and amazing home cook / Ashley Jurgenson Owner of Top of the Garden Event Spacehttp://www.totg.biz/ / Chorthip Lagnese, Jewelry Designer and Thai Cook http://www.chorthip.com/ / Beth Riesman, Painter, Brooklyn and Margaretville, NY http://www.bethreisman.com/ / Julia Rose, Acupuncture and Healing Arts, Phoenicia, NY http://www.phoeniciahealingarts.com/ /  Rebecca Shim Chef, Formerly of Menla Mountain Resort in Phoenicia, NY/ Henrietta Weekes, Owner of Henrietta Flower and Manager of The Barn on the Pond in Saugerties, NY http://henriettaflower.com/

Photo Flash Drive

My awesome customized USB flash drive!

Playing with light

Thank you Katie for these gorgeous cards!

A little sample of Katie Fischer Cohen's work I shot for her!

Hurray!

 We live in a truly amazing time. Being a photographer is challenging and rewarding, and in this magical age of digital technology, the world wide web, and endless resources, we get to have things like customized flash drives.  I love mine, and wanted to share with you how I deliver images to my clients, who I order them from and how awesome they are.  I'm getting ready to send one out today, with a beautiful thank you card from my dear friend Katie Fischer Cohen.  Check out her gorgeous watercolor works, and customizable stationary here! To find out more about these awesome flash drives check out Photo Flash Drive.com  Hope you're all enjoying this hot hot summer!

xo
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