Philadelphia Engagement Photography — Sudha & Andrew — Originally posted September 18, 2009

Yesterday after we all got home from work, and it seemed that the predicted rain was not to be, I got a chance to take my housemate Sudha and her fiance Andrew out for a brief engagement shoot. Part of the reason that Ben and I get along so well with Sudha and Andrew that our personalities all seem to be foils of each other. Andrew and I have similar personalities and Sudha and Ben are more like each other. So while Andrew and I have had many in depth discussions about planning our respective weddings, Sudha (and sometimes Ben) like to pretend there is nothing to plan.

Sudha's first request for the engagement shoot was that she would like to not have to touch Andrew. We gently reminded her that despite her distaste for PDA, since it is an engagement shoot, some physical contact with Andrew may be necessary. In the end she came around and we got a few nice shots...including one of her (gasp!) kissing Andrew!

We started in a park that Sudha and Andrew had help rebuild. Here is Sudha's idea of the perfect engagement portrait: her in the front in focus, Andrew blurry in the background.

It took some coaxing to get Sudha to this point, but she finally admitted that she does like Andrew, and she gave in to relaxing a little and having some fun. Thank you Sudha!

Beth & Patrick — Originally posted September 7, 2009

Beth & Patrick tied the knot last Saturday at the Japanese Tea House in Fairmount Park. Their whole day was simple and elegant, and it fit them perfectly. With just 10 wedding guests and a Quaker ceremony, it was definitely our most unique wedding of the year. Matt and I really enjoyed this opportunity.

One of our favorite things about Beth and Patrick is that they are our first Fairmount couple, so not only were we actually able to walk to this wedding, but they also share our love for this neighborhood with it's neat rowhomes, treelined streets and friendly atmosphere. Matt snagged this shot outside their house.

Matt had to scramble around the perimeter of the garden and through some trees for the next two shots, but I think it was totally worth it.

The grounds were so beautiful and we could not have asked for better weather. I'm pretty sure we could have spent the whole day taking photos.

Here's another shot by Matt. The Koi Pond is one of their favorite parts of the Tea House.

All 10 of their guests were transported to and from the wedding in a trolley. After the wedding, Beth and Patrick took their family on a quick tour of some of their favorite places in the city.

Philadelphia Engagement Photography — Beth & Patrick — Originally posted August 27, 2009

Yesterday my Fairmount Photography cohort Matt and I had the chance to spend some time getting to know Beth & Patrick, whose wedding we are shooting next weekend. We explored the area behind the Art Museum, where the photo opportunities are pretty much endless. This is one of my favorite spots in Philadelphia, because you can get a mix of naturey photos and urban photos. (Ben and I even had our own engagement portraits taken here by the wonderful CT photographer Sarah McCoy just a few weeks ago!) Beth and Patrick are very laid back and we are really looking forward to their wedding at the Japanese Tea House in Fairmount Park. Stay tuned for those photos in a few weeks.

The photo below is a great example of why I love doing weddings and engagement photos with two photographers. I had an idea that resulted in a nice shot, which then inspired Matt to make this even better photo.

The best way to do portraits... — Originally posted August 19, 2009

Kevin and Jackie didn't want to worry about having enough time for formal portraits the day of their wedding, so the day before they rented a limo and we hit a bunch of their favorite spots in Philadelphia for their portraits. The weather was perfect, and they were such a fun couple to work with. I wish we were able to spend three hours doing portraits with all our clients!

John & Rachael — Originally posted June 9, 2009

John and Rachael's wedding quickly won over my photographer heart for a number of reasons. Everything was tastefully green, my favorite color. (I even went out and bought the same shoes as one of her bridesmaids for my own wedding.) They held their ceremony and reception at the F.U.E.L. House in Old City, which had a great set-up (beautifully decorated by Innove Events). It was a really fun venue to work at with the open second floor and the juxtaposition of old and modern. John and Rachael also followed the golden rule for perfect weddings: They really personalized their day and then they just enjoyed every minute of it.