photography: Rachel Hadiashar for Meg Belanger megbelanger.com
music: QWILL www.facebook.com/Qwillmusicpage
venue: Top of the Hub, Prudential Center, Boston, MA www.topofthehub.net

Posted in MA, colleagues, ethnic wedding, wedding 1 Comment »

I am having SO MUCH FUN going through my personal photo archives. Right now I am nearing the end of 2007, which was a huge year for me — the photography business was booming and I was able to leave my part-time admin job at MIT, Ali and I were dating seriously (he proposed in July on a massive roadtrip using the sign above), and I was still whimsical enough to have fun most of the time. 2007 is also the year my photography started to have a technical consistency that holds true to the way I see the world.

2007 was also the first year I went to Hawaii. Hawaii is a magical place – I loved being in the sunshine and aloha spirit for a few weeks in December when the rest of my friends in Boston and family in Michigan were fending off piles of snow every morning. While I was in Oahu I got to spend some time with my friend Marina Miller, whose wedding photography business was starting to take off as well. Looking back over these bridal images she did of me in my very simple wedding dress I am seriously impressed with her sense of color and line. And I had fun with her on the shoot, which I’m sure you can tell from the photos. images ©2007 MARINA MILLER at REDHEARTPHOTO.COM hair and makeup by Elizabeth Uehara/ beautigoddess

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“I love the honesty and internal beauty that comes through in your work.”

-Heather, fellow commercial photographer

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Every time I look at the photos from our bridal session following their wedding and reception, I keep thinking OMYGOSHTHEY’RESOBEAUTIFUL and it’s because Eileen and Wouter are blissfully happy to be together. Their joy really overflows. It was an absolute privilege to photograph for them and I am so glad they decided to invest in the photography aspect of their day, and also happy that they gave me lots of delicious time to do bridal portraits.

The “blue” images are from our stop at the WGBH building in Watertown. Ashley almost-Pizzuti and I scouted the area the day before the wedding on our way to the fancy Boston Magazine Weddings Issue launch party (I felt awkward at the party if you really want to know) and decided that would be a good place for photos. Oh boy, it sure was. Thanks to the accommodating communications director at ‘GBH who saw us shooting and rather than kicking us out like so many other establishments are wont to do, instead invited us to share photos for their membership to enjoy. How cool are you WGBH? You earned my lifelong support with that smooth move.

We went to one final location to get some fun photos at the end of our time together. These are from the “colosseum” that is the Harvard Stadium in Cambridge. I have driven past that place several times before, and even marked it into my GPS as a prime place for a bridal shoot… and here it is.

[ more photos! ]

Posted in colleagues, fearless bridals, wedding No Comments »

I’m a total sucker for kind words, and love to share the beautiful and inspiring things people write to me. The world can be unkind so much of the time, it’s nice to look back and focus on the positive.

“I love your work and never thought wedding photography could communicate such breadth of feelings and softness, simply and sweetly, while giving all the information about the event. I love how you make the weddings you do mainly about the bride and groom and the event, rather than posing people the traditional way. It is nice to see for once the main focus be about the wedding and two people coming together.”
-Amy (fellow fine art photographer)

I’m especially sweetened by the fact that this encouragement came from a fellow fine art photographer. Thanks, Amy!

“I took a quick peek at your blog and love the mix of professional insight into the industry with great photography. I congratulate you on taking your weekends back ”

- photographer Melissa Worthington

And now a message from the gorgeous and talented Stephanie! Stephanie and Brian had a delightful vineyard wedding in Rhode Island…

“Thanks for the link. We’ve been obsessively checking your site since 5 am Friday so we’re well aware that the GORGEOUS photos are up. Wow. They are impressive. We’ve received so many compliments on them I can hardly stand it. You did such a nice job. I’m almost sad you’re not going to take wedding pics anymore since you’re so good.

But then I remember that you’re finding your bliss and I’m happy.
[...]

The wedding was the best day of my life / our lives and we owe so much of that to you.”

-Stephanie, May 2009 bride

Um, wow. I have a pretty decent self-esteem and I don’t think I deserve THAT much credit! I have really enjoyed my 2009 wedding clients, and thank God that I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many incredible people in this job.

Finally, I just received feedback from Kristin and Thomas, who just viewed their engagement session gallery.

“Wow…I don’t know what to say other than: we love these! The way you captured real moments between the two of us is priceless. We’re overjoyed with how the session turned out and we can’t wait to see what you will do with our wedding pictures. =)”

-Kristin and Thomas, October 2009 wedding clients

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[ HIGHLIGHTS from KOOZELMAE SOULSTEIN wedding here!! ]

A few times every year, people come into my life who challenge me to rethink the way I live. Maggie and Seth are dedicated to sustainability and teeny tiny ecological footprints, but they don’t make these choices because it’s trendy or to assuage the guilt of living in such a consumptive culture – they live with the conviction that they have what they need in life, and are surrounded by a tribe of talented and like-minded individuals. Their wedding was a celebration that said “life is good! we have enough!” and as many wedding elements as possible were post-consumer, recycled, and local.

Here are a few quirky moments from the wedding day. Lots more to come, soon.

The jumping shot was a special request by those wacky groomsmen; the photo in the middle was another special request and features a few of Maggie’s ex-boyfriends. Ha. Who stays friends with exes? Maggie does. That’s hilarious to me that they were wedding guests.

At the risk of appearing overly vain*, I like to have a photo with my extraordinary brides and grooms; these photos always make me laugh – and are usually in the form of an unflattering self-portrait. (Also, below is Gwyneth, a fantastic photographer who was my second shooter one last time.) Maggie and Seth conveniently brought moustaches for all of their guests, who were supposed to wear them for the group portrait. More about that in a later post.

(Q: Is it considered vain if you put unflattering photos of yourself online? The hair in my face above is probably accurate – the reception was outdoors next to the rocky Maine coastline and we were blown about all evening!! The other hair on my face was… well, let’s just say I was being incarnational and blending in with the crowd.)

[ HIGHLIGHTS from KOOZELMAE SOULSTEIN wedding here!! ]

Posted in clients, colleagues, destination, wedding 5 Comments »

My favorite stylist, Tricia, just moved to Portland with her husband who is a very important doctor who got a very important job. I’ll miss her sweet personality and talented boudoir styling skills. She always brings light into the room. The first image above is from our boudoir session with an editor of Boston Magazine earlier this year.

Above (August 2008) chilling between styling boudoir sessions on a multi-session hotel day. (Any photographers recognize the red chair with yellow piping? Only used that hotel once!)

I met Tricia back in February 2007 when she commissioned me to do some headshots. The photos above were my first foray into a world of stylized posing.

Thanks, Tricia! Knowing you has literally changed my life.

Posted in boudoir, colleagues, personal, portraits No Comments »

“My work is very intimate and artistic. I think it has a timeless quality and yet is also very contemporary. I try to be very thoughtful and aware while I am shooting, so that I can capture the nuances of every wedding I have the honor of being a part of.”

-Elizabeth Messina

Posted in colleagues, for photographers, inspiration, wedding, wisdom 1 Comment »

This is a postscript for wedding photographers who might have a Persian wedding on the books.

If you think “Uncle Bobs” at most weddings are difficult to work around, try working with a bunch of “Uncle Jamshids”! These dudes are merciless, dedicated to their job with a handheld videocamera, and determined that by the end of the night family back in Iran will certainly be able to stream video from the day.

I’m not kidding, although I do think it’s funny. They don’t really care that you’ve been paid thousands of dollars to document the event. An auntie with a point and shoot considers it fair game to mercilessly shoulder in front of you during the ceremony to get a good shot.

When you photograph a Persian wedding, be sure to bring along your sense of humor! I’m amazed at the amount of time and energy these guys spend getting photos and video back immediately to their family in the old country. It’s inspiring, really.

Posted in colleagues, ethnic wedding, for photographers 2 Comments »

On hiring a photographer
excerpts from a post by Mel Worthington

#1: Shop for an artist, not an appliance.
Understanding the price points of dishwashers is relatively easy because all dishwashers wash dishes the same way. Differences in pricing are a matter of special features, brand names, warranties and the like. It’s easy to compare, assess, and choose based on your needs and budget.

It’s tempting to shop for a photographer the same way and compare package pricing. The problem is that no two photographers take pictures the same way or have the same point of view. Complicating matters further, no two studios offer the same kind of albums or extras and there are no baseline standards on pricing. So how do you know what you are really paying for?

It helps to think of photography as a creative service rather than a product. You’re not hiring a photographer but commissioning an artist. People buy art because its something they love and want to live with everyday. They pay no attention to the cost of the canvas, paints, or other materials that went into its physical making. Art pieces have intrinsic value based on the owner’s relationship to the piece and your wedding photography should be the same way. For example, an album that comes in a package is useless unless you love the photos that will go in it.

Look at your budget for photography and eliminate options outside of it (for now). Interview the contenders whose style and work you love. Let go of the “stuff.” Albums, etc. can always come later. In short, start with the art and come back to the price tag.

So what constitutes style? Look carefully at the work you are shown on a photographer’s website or in your first meeting. Do you like one picture, a handful of pictures, or all of what you see? If you love all of what you see (or pretty close to it), it’s likely that you really like that photographer’s style. Do you see yourself in their photos? Would you love to have photos like these of yourself adorning the walls of your home like art? If a particular photo stands out for you, ask the photographer to talk about it…why did he/she take it? You can learn a lot about a photographer’s point of view through conversations like this.

OK, by now you have interviewed a few select photographers whose style you love. While you may never be able to compare apples to apples, the value of each contender’s pricing should become more apparent after interviewing. Remember that a photographer is only worth the extra cost if you can identify what it is that sets them apart from their competition.

#2 You don’t have to be BFFs but you should like the guy/gal
Another relevant thought is that a dishwasher isn’t going to interact with you whereas a photographer will. Ask yourself, are you comfortable around this person? Would you enjoy having him/her/them around on such an important day? Do you know anyone who has worked with this photographer and were they happy with the job he/she/they did? Do you have any concerns that this person will do or say something inappropriate on your wedding day? Are you confident you would have a good experience working with this photographer?

Sometimes I hear a couple say that their friends got better pictures of them than their professional photographer did. When I ask whether or not they liked their photographer as a person, they shrug or say no. This just makes me sad because that photographer didn’t stand a chance: I know from experience how hard it is to get a good picture of someone who isn’t comfortable around you or doesn’t trust you completely. Of course their friends got better pictures!

#3: Don’t ask for the pictures you want, find the guy/gal who already takes them
Here’s a pitfall we have fallen into before. As photographers, we want to please our clients and fulfill special requests. But when asked to work outside of our regular style (i.e. take more close ups or fish eye shots, use a particular effect, recreate another photographer’s picture) our attempt to please may do more harm than good.

For example, a couple described a particular perspective of their ceremony that they saw another in another photographer’s studio and emphasized how important this shot was to them. I spent so much time during the ceremony making it happen despite lighting and physical limitations that I missed the shots I normally get… the ones I am really good at getting. I was trying to wear another photographer’s shoes and, in the process, stepped out of my own.

Love your photographer’s vision and trust it. If you don’t see what you want in the portfolio you are shown, keep looking until you find it.

- Mel Worthington
[ source 1 ]
[ source 2 ]

There is more in the original post, but I really liked these first points.

Posted in clients, colleagues, inspiration, wedding, wisdom 3 Comments »