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And I have to rave about this book I just started – “It Chooses You” by Miranda July. I’m only a few pages in, but I’ve fallen in love all over again with Ms. July. It’s a book of interviews with people she met selling things (a leather jacket, tadpoles, photo albums) through “The PennySaver” as she was trying to write the screenplay for “The Future.” It’s quirky, odd, and I always

With my head in the clouds and my nose in a book, my feet are wishing they were back in New York City right now. These are a few shots from this summer when I was in NYC to shoot a wedding with the amazing team at Memories in Motion. And here’s a link to some photos from a previous trip to NYC. Eating food from street vendors, getting lost in SoHo, and loving New York for all it’s worth.

Now it’s 6 days into the New Year and I have to admit I’ve never really done New Years resolutions. I never feel any different on January 1st so it always felt like a false starting point for me. However, I’m in a new city now. I’m reconnecting with people I knew from college, making new friends, exploring new places to photograph, I’ll be photographing weddings in completely new cities and places all year, and I’m wearing sweaters regularly for the first time in years. It feels like a fresh start and so I thought I’d share some personal goals I’d like to accomplish this year.

· Eat more fruits. And vegetables, if I have to.
· Don’t stop exploring the city I live in.
· Grow mermaid hair.
· Take at least three trips just to take personal photos. Photograph everything.
· If I think of a compliment, I’ll say it out loud.
· Stop hanging clothing on the elliptical because it looks messy.
· Use said elliptical occasionally.
· Wear sunscreen.

I really love the Instagram app and these photos from last summer felt relevant this week. I’m currently listening to Animal Collective on Pandora,  designing albums, and drinking Vanilla Chai tea. I hope you have an amazing New Year.

So tell me — what are YOUR New Years resolutions? 

To take a page out of our Style Book: An Engagement Session Guide, pre-wedding sessions are… amazing. It’s a photo session where you put on your white dress and tux and go out as bride and groom for a photo session before the wedding. While it’s a little non-traditional, if you’re someone who likes to stray from tradition, this may be perfect for you and it can help take some of the stress off the photos on your wedding day.

As it becomes increasingly more common for couples to put on the wedding dress and suit and shoot a session as “bride and groom” before or even after the wedding, I jump for joy a little higher each time we have one of these amazing shoots. It’s not a substitution for wedding day portraits, but it’s a way for you to get in all of the locations or props you want to represent the both of you that might not be feasible on your wedding day. It’s the best way to ensure you have amazing weather, the perfect locations, and plenty of time for portraits.

In our Style Book, we talk about how important it is for client and photographer to get to know each other before the wedding day. The engagement session or pre-wedding session is a perfect way for us to get acquainted. Aside from having photos of the two of you, a session before the wedding is when we really get to know each other. Both you, me, and the camera.

Just as a note, if you go this route, please remember to bring your wedding rings and as a cautionary note – of course, while measures are taken during the bridal or pre-wedding session to keep all clothing clean and tidy, it’s still advised to plan to have the dress and tux cleaned after the session.