(i firmly expect to have some sort of moment in a year or two where i decide sufjian stevens is the greatest thing since sliced bread.) (and maybe in 5 years i’ll decide to be a grown-up and like wine.) (i started reading the harry potter books i think after book 5 had been published. read them all in, oh i dunno, 2 weeks or so?) (there was a girl in my hs class who had a sign language interpreter. everyone else started learning the alphabet and other signs almost immediately, and i just…didn’t…for months. maybe a year. then one day i decided to learn, and there was no stopping me.)

i’m thoroughly enjoying adding apps i’ve heard about for years…playing games while sitting around waiting for things…staying far more connected than i probably should. and, of course, keeping the internet apprised of all the minutia of my life. my current favorite way to do this is instagram. it’s a free photo app that gives you some different post-processing options. they’re all a little intense, but still a good time!

unfortunately, instagram hasn’t yet implemented a web-based complement to their app, but if you’re an instagram user, leave your username in the comments so i can obsessively enjoy your minute-by-minute life updates in pictures.

here are a few of my instagram favs from the last couple days.

tuesday at gunstock. (conditions were amazing! yay spring riding!) breakfast wednesday morning. sugar-free, low-carb creamsicle cupcakes (amazing!) and BACON!

i have a friend visiting this week, and yesterday the weather didn’t seem very friendly for skiing, so we just did a quick tiki tour of the surrounding new england goodness. (anyone who’s visited me will recognize these sights. i call it the quick and dirty encapsulating tour. )

there is a naval shipyard here (trivia fact! my dad was stationed there when i was about 4…so, i lived here before i moved here as an adult. i didn’t really remember it, so it was interesting when my parents came to visit and pointed out places we’d gone. i’d just rattled “maine” off in my list of “places-i’ve-lived” but i didn’t realize i’d returned to my roots.), and there are also copious little lobster-fishing shacks full of lobster crates, boats, and signs that hawk their sea-bugs proclaiming “retail-wholesale”…yet when you knock on their door…appear deserted. ah well! our next stop was fort mcclary state park. i love that place! so much history, and the drive through kittery point is so magical, especially in summer. (new england in march is…not..at its finest.) (in the distance in the middle and third pictures are tiny little dots on the horizon which are actually lighthouses.)

first…not my dinner…a lobster tank at fiddlehead farms. (i love the red with the turquoise blue.) my friend’s PILE of feast. i think it looks pretty hot sitting in my apartment (yeah, i have exposed brick! thanks, new england mill industry for dying down and leaving brick buildings to be repurposed!)

what are your favorite iphone apps?

in the beginning, i loved everything that pushed the boundary on “traditional”. anything that created extra interest in the end-product photos. now…now i’m happy to photograph anything that happens. i know that couples make the choices they make thoughtfully…and as such, it’s a priority for them. which means it’s a priority to me.

a few years ago, if anyone had asked me what i thought of receiving lines, i probably would have said that they took time and didn’t provide great photo ops. NOW…i will amend that to say that they take time, but can provide an amazing opportunity to get candids of most of the wedding guests looking happy fairly quickly. they may not look as delighted the whole rest of the day as they will when they are congratulating the newly married couple. if the receiving line takes place in pleasing conditions (good light, colorful backdrop), in the span of 15 minutes, not only will the bride and groom get to thank each and every person who went out of his or her way to attend the celebration…the photographer can capture all those beloved faces with consistent exposures…which is GREAT for wedding albums!

i’ve been thinking about this a lot the last few days while designing an album layout for a wedding i photographed in october. the receiving line took place outdoors in a garden, so the light was gorgeous and there were still flowers blooming all around. having these images as part of the record of the day enabled me to design this…which is one of my favorite album layouts ever! i love the colors, and i love being able to include so many of the couple’s favorite people in their album…the book they’re going to treasure and look at every time they want to relive the day they promised each other forever!

tips if you’re considering having a receiving line:

*if possible–do it outside! pick a location that has lots of pretty colors and good light. (i also loved the images from a receiving line that took place inside in a greenhouse. that soft filtered light was GORGEOUS.)
*make sure your photographer knows you’d love to have lots of images of your guests as you greet them. to create layouts like this, your photographer(s) will also need to take a few moments to capture the scene-setting details.
*have a plan: ensure that everyone in the receiving line knows he/she is supposed to be in the line, where it will be happening, the order to line up in, and how soon after the ceremony it will be (will everyone exit and immediately line up, or will the bride and groom take a breather prior to greeting their guests?)

some photographers believe that if your coverage doesn’t include the disc of images with printing rights…you’re being gypped!

some photographers think you should have 2 or 3 perspectives or moments are being missed!…others are sure they do a better job blending in and capturing all the action shooting solo.

some photographers are passionate about telling you you deserve/need/require FULL coverage…from waking up in the morning until your last guest leaves and the venue starts breaking down tables.

some photographers firmly hold the stance that if you don’t do an engagement session…the photos on your wedding day will suffer!

i can see all of these perspectives…and i agree with all of them to a certain extent. let me elaborate.

your images: i definitely believe that you should have the option to have the images from your wedding and the license to use them for personal use. this is why you can either include the images in your package or if you choose to go a la carte, you can purchase them for a reasonable fee after the wedding. those images have value…we both know that. that is why they are not automatically included. i want you to think about whether you’d like to be responsible for archiving them yourself while creating your own prints/books or whether you’d like to collaborate with me on prints and albums. there is no wrong answer. i want you to get exactly what you want!

number of shooters: i like working alone…and i like working with other photographers. so this isn’t one of my hot-button topics. i see the value in both approaches, and i usually make a recommendation based on how many hours of coverage you want and how large your event will be. i can’t be in two places at once…but one person blends in and moves around more freely than two. again…no wrong answer!

full coverage: there is something about the pace of the day that slows down when your photographer is there for extended hours. it’s a little more relaxed, the timeline is still important, but there’s less concern about fitting things in like a tetris game. that said, i normally do offer shorter coverage, and it is has never been an issue in my experience. well-planned timelines make it possible for everything to happen when it should…and to capture the entire story of the day, from getting ready to guests tearing up the dance floor without breaking the bank.

engagement session: while i think it’s hyperbolic to say that wedding day photos will SUFFER without doing an engagement session…i do include them in all of my packages because i think it’s a great way to get to know each other…the trust and rapport built in more relaxed settings does translate to comfort on the wedding day that is often invaluable for couples who aren’t used to being photographed. plus…it’s super fun! i really like getting to hang out with clients without being worried about getting back in time for the prime rib to be served.

so…basically the point of this post is…you’re going to read a lot of different things in your search for a photographer. everyone’s got their THING that they feel really strongly about. you’ll hear persuasive arguments…and sometimes directly contradicting arguments from person to person. it might be confusing or overwhelming, but if you can take a minute and think about what you really need and what you really want…you’ll start to see the light at the end of the tunnel! and if you have a question…you should NEVER hesitate to ask it. (if you don’t feel comfortable asking someone a question…it might be a good sign that you should continue your search!) that’s what we’re here for; we do this…a LOT…and we’re happy to share our experiences and perspectives…and to make sure that things work out for you the way you want them to.

1. the 2011 bataleon violenza…those of you who know me even a little will probably be scratching your head going…what? WHY does she like it? (pretend that was in sarcasm font.) i. love. polka-dots. i found it, and then i obsessively searched the internet for every word written about it…and then when i went to colorado last week (oh yeah, i went to colorado last week!) i got a chance to ride it. and while, let’s face it, i still kind of suck and therefore trying out particular boards is kind of pointless, i didn’t hate it! and i found it on sale! so i ordered it! and it should be here soon! and then i can zoom down snow-covered mountains on it! (i also got a crackin’ good deal on boots/bindings/helmet/goggles)

2. the KRAKEN black spiced rum…ok, a) THERE’S A GIANT CELPHALOPOD EATING A SHIP ON THE BOTTLE! b) after you pour a drink, you can yell, “UNLEASH THE KRAKEN!” it’s pretty tasty, the bottle is cute, and it’s just full of whimsy. being a grown-up is better with whimsy.

3. UGG kensington boots…SO. CUTE. and so cozy. and thanks to my short hobbit feet…i can wear the kid’s size! triple WIN! these uggs are extra awesome because unlike normal uggs, they are not made out of suede leather…suede leather + winter in new england = FAIL. i’ve been pretty much living in these since i got them a couple weeks before christmas. (they’re my christmas present from my parents, but…being a grown-up means sometimes you order your own present, and they pay you back later. if it means i get to enjoy it a couple extra weeks…i’m all good with that!)

4. velo orange leather saddle-honey. see…snowboarding is EXPENSIVE. you’ve gotta have a lot of STUFF for it. as a result, the BEEYOOTIFUL bicycle i bought a few months ago…it’s gotta go. i’ve got a perfectly good bicycle…that i just didn’t enjoy riding so much bc of the crap seat and old handlebar grips. this saddle is going to change all that. most people think BROOKS when they think leather bicycle saddles…and with good reason. but brooks saddles are a little tougher on the wallet…so i get the same quality, beauty, and timeless style for a friendlier price. thanks velo orange! i can’t wait to put you on my bicycle and ride you all over once the snow is off the ground. a little bit of consolation for having to put that polka-dotted beauty in storage!

things i am NOT loving…and which will not be pictured here…

1. how the winter is affecting my hands. they look like a cabbage patch doll whose hands got caught in an office paper shredder. UNCOOL, WINTER. UNCOOL.

2. having to pay street parking fees to get my car out of the undersized lot so they do snow removal…drawback of living downtown with all its conveniences, i suppose!

3. living downtown with all its conveniences! namely EASY, waaaay too easy access to half a dozen delicious cuisines…when i am on OPERATION CHRISTMAS DAMAGE CONTROL DIET. (homemade chex mix SHOULD make it on this list, bc it is responsible for most of the christmas damage, but…it’s too good. i can’t not love it.)

hope you’re all staying warm and finding a way to enjoy whatever weather you’re experiencing!

i was in TX…

NYC…

boston (chinatown!)…

connecticut…and then again…

maine’s central coast…twice!

pennsylvania…

new hampshire…

key west…

northern mass…

southern maine…

and i ended up my season in nh…close to home. (no seriously portsmouth, dover, kittery brides…call me! i’m totally ok with the 20 minute drive!)

it was a great year…with lots of miles racked up…in the air and in the car. i’m so grateful to do what i do and to get to see so much of the world doing it. lucky lucky girl am i!

PLEASE PARDON MY MESS DURING THE CONSTRUCTION!

i’m still here; i’ve still got email/phone/twitter/coconut phone…well, no, no coconut phone, but wouldn’t that be cool?  your photos are still available, and if anyone has any questions, please just send me an email.  i got the contact form set up first thing!

We got our album yesterday!!!! YEAH!!!! We love it so much and we’re keeping it for the rest of our lives…and beyond! The pages are so nice Gwyn, and of course the pictures are amazing. It’s perfect. We’re afraid to touch it, so we’re leaving it in the box for now. We don’t want to hurt it. Thanks Gwyn, I appreciate you and all the hard work you put into all our photos They’re exquisite! Love, Christy

annnnddd…here’s one of my favorite ring shots ever, from seth & jessica’s wedding.

yesterday’s wedding was uh-mazing. no…that’s not extreme enough. it was AMAZING.

here’s one of my favorite shots from the day…but there are LOTS of other incredible photos.

today i met up with jess & matt who’re getting married in a couple months in maryland. we wandered around and enjoyed spring in NYC.

i’ve gotta give props to both these fantastic couples…jen hiked over some rather sizable boulders…in her wedding dress! (she agrees the photos are SO worth it, though) and jess & matt didn’t blink when i suggested we ignore fences…and hop up on a vintage truck that was waiting around to be on a movie set. YOU ALL ROCK.

and now. i think i will go to sleep.

but that switch has been flipped, and after this trip, europe seems like the most wonderful and intoxicating place on the planet. (well, maybe not MOST…but it’s my current geographical craving.) i fully intend to return to europe for longer than 5 days and let the history and cobblestones seep through my shoes and into my soul.

day 5 started off on top of the alp with that crystal clear view i’d been hoping for.

from inside the room.

then had to grab one last pain au chocolat for breakfast before descending the alp.

i won’t tell you how many shots i took or how long i stood there waiting for the flag to unfurl JUST RIGHT.

i went to 3 h&m’s looking for a particular jacket…which, i could have gotten for less in the US, but i bought in switzerland on principle. i needed to have SOMETHING from my whirlwind trip to europe. i did find it, though! (mine’s red.)

after my shopping was completed…i set about exploring geneva. i only had about 4 hours until i needed to catch the train back to the airport for my flight out, but i managed to cover quite a bit of ground.

(this one MIGHT be my favorite from the day…and the water really is crazy blue.)

i love this one and the next one a whole lot as well.

these two totally don’t go together. the first one is all, “yay, pretty europe,” and the second…well, it is wrong on about 100 different levels.

JP suggested swinging by strassbourg on my way back to switzerland…in theory, this was good advice…which i intended to take. however, google maps decided that i should go through strassbourg on the way to germany…and enjoy their rush hour traffic…but it sent me back south through germany. so, on a whim, i got off at an exit. and followed signs i couldn’t read, hoping i’d find something delightful to see. i was most definitely successful…and not having ANY IDEA where i was or the name of the town added a bit of spice to my adventure.

the church on the left is in the town i came to first on my detour…it had a map just next to it…there was a castle icon, so i decided to see if i could meander my way there…i’m still not sure if i wound up there or somewhere else. ? the one on the right is in neuleiningen, the town where i finally wound up. (i figured this out by taking a picture of every sign i saw and googling when i got home.)

picture perfect german town.

wouldn’t you eat germany countryside flavored ice cream if ben and jerry’s invented that variety?

i was very happy to be standing in front of a german castle.

if these two images don’t make you want to explore, i don’t know if we could be friends.

godzilla’s practice run before he took on tokyo.

i like to think this was a prison pit. i mean, any self-respecting german castle would need one, right? on the right is the view through the bars looking up.

i am a giant dork of a wedding photographer, and i can’t help looking at this and thinking that it would be a super cool spot for a ceremony.

postcard! (seriously, fall colors…tile roofs…there is even a freaking river wending its way through the valley.)

i think this is the first hint of blue sky i saw the entire trip!

got a LITTLE too into driving european style and failed to notice that i was very nearly out of gas. don’t worry…this was taken at the gas station when i turned the car back on to show the dangerously empty tank.

every day i was there, i prayed that i’d get to see a clear view from the balcony. the night before i was due to leave…God said, “ok.” and it was still clear in the morning when i woke up! stay tuned for those images. they’re pretty freaking spectacular.

(and i bought an underwater point and shoot to play with while i’m there…i’m sure i’ll have a few vacation snapshots to share!)

(and what’s even MORE perfect is…while this sort of happened b/c of weather and time and this is the setting we had to work with, it could NOT be any better; ashlee’s reception theme/decor centered around b&w pictures of old hollywood stars.)

Also, I highly recommend Zach as expedition-master. He does things most people wouldn’t…but it makes it a way, way good time. (For instance, during low tide in NS, the morning after the wedding, we were walking on the tidal flats…getting attacked by crabs, digging up oysters…the usual. He found a shrimp…and because he was “in character” as the crocodile hunter, he ate it. I believe his exact quote was, “The regret I feel from that decision is intense and ongoing.” or something like that. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Do not eat raw, unpeeled, living shrimp.

Some of these pictures are theirs nicked from facebook, so please forgive the aesthetically inferior formatting.

My foot being attacked by a crab. He was really going after me…unfortunately for him, those boots of Sarah’s were, like…kevlar or something. A wimpy little crab wasn’t going to make much of a dent.

Then we hopped a ferry to PEI. AWESOMETASTIC fact about PEI…you only have to pay to leave there. We took a car ferry…4 people + vehicle…for FREEEE! (It costs about $45 to drive back across the bridge to New Brunswick…but I liked our ferry + bridge circuit.)

(I was having a crazy good hair day. so flat. so not frizzy. Amazing.)

Stella was totally into the ferry.

There’s a winery on PEI that shares Sarah’s last name…so that was our first top. They had a friendly winery dog that was…seriously…the cutest dog I have ever seen in my life. Also, he won points because he TACKLED zach. SRSLY. Was a takedown. It was wicked awesome. (Unfortunately, I do not have photographic evidence.)

Stella totally agreed that he was super awesome.

Zach & Sarah convinced me to take a 24 hour hiatus from my no-sugar-October-plan because when in PEI…you MUST eat Cows.

in the corner…that’s gooey mooey. There’s some crazy high ratio of caramel to ice cream.

I’m going to need to go back sometime…I was racing to beat the clock so I could still eat my ice cream within my 24 hour time limit…so, I was eating that ice cream at about 10:30 in the morning…TOO EARLY. (I KNOW! I wouldn’t have thought that was possible either.) I…I can’t believe this is even true, but…I didn’t even finish my ice cream! I threw more than half of it away!

Then it was time to head to Green Gables!

Anne’s room. It’s not at all how I pictured it!

After that we had to indulge Zach’s manly expeditionary heart…headed over to the coast for some adventuring.

Zach running down the sand dunes near Cavendish.

me preparing to run down the dunes near Cavendish.

me being awesome-but out of focus-after running the dunes.

me running out on a cliff near Cavendish. All the roads/dirt on PEI are this red color. It’s kind of awesome. Especially when it turns the ocean that color. Surreal to wake up to! O NOES! It’s a plague! Oh. Wait. JUST KIDDING.

and then we stopped in the middle of the road because a fox wanted to come say hello. (That shadow is the shadow of our car.)

This post is already out of control, so I’ll stop here, but stay tuned for the portraits of the super cute Zach+Sarah+Stella family!

last weekend i went up to the maritimes to photograph the amazing and wonderful sean & sarah.  perhaps you remember amanda & matt?  well, amanda’s maid of honor was sarah.  i stayed in touch with her and her boyfriend zach through facebook (wooo, facebook!)  zach works with sean…who happened to be engaged to a different sarah.  zach sent me a message asking if i was available 10/10…and the rest is history.

i’ve got a LOT of favorites from this wedding.  so, please bear with me. 

i started the day off with sean, and his brother/best man sandy.

i know. sandy SHOULD be a male model. i already told him so.

sean really wanted a picture of the two of them…in wellies, of course…down in this boggy marsh area. of course i said, “sure! let’s go for it!”

when you’re in the middle of rural nova scotia…you can walk up the middle of the road, and it’s no big deal.

then we headed back to the family farm (where the wedding was taking place) for one of my favorite parts of the day: the first time the groom sees his bride. when i was going through the images, i had to keep every single one from the series. i don’t know if i’ve ever seen a more emotional first look.

the moms and sarah’s sister and friends looked on. i don’t think any of them had dry eyes!

next up was bride & groom portrait time. my other favorite part of the day! (shut up. i have a lot of favorites.)

(yes, this does look beautiful and romantic…but it was also sort of practical. it POURED the day before the wedding and drizzled off and on the day of, so sean was protecting poor sarah’s dress. very gallant, no?)

we headed over to sarah’s family’s cottage…they lived in halifax, but the essence of their family resides at this cottage. her dad was there, so i made him turn around before he could look at her.

then sarah got carried around the yard for some more photo ops. in keeping with his forebears, sean scrapped the romantic threshhold carry and went for the village raiding method.

sarah doesn’t look like she minds much, does she?

sean works for the canadian version of REI…most of his friends are of the intrepid, wilderness-junkie types. there was a whole village of TENT-CAMPERS. in the muddy, wet, wet, wet fields. and yet, they look so happy! amazing.

k-ris and megan–you guys are my heroes.

the fam has a vintage, mint jag that was slotted for the getaway vehicle. and sarah looks totally fierce, right?

continuing in the transportation theme…i actually flagged sean down as he was whizzing around the property on this old scooter…photo op time!

sean’s dad showed up in military bagpiper regalia…which, of course, was AWESOME.

i thought this image of sean’s mom, carol, perfectly encapsulated the feel of the day. no one let the elements win. everything was still graceful and beautiful and elegant…but the boots were never far from reach.

i could, of course, keep going, but since i think there are already 30 something photos in this post, i’ll stop. it was an amazing day, and everyone made me feel so welcome and included. their families were simply amazing…no one let the rain or changed plans get them down.  ugh.  i’m leaving so much out…basically, i love canada & sean & sarah (& zach & sarah for the introduction!)

next up:  my adventures with zach & sarah & baby stella around the maritimes.  (yeah, i went to green gables.)

*guilt, guilt, guilt*

a lot has happened this month.  i had tomme hilton and january newbanks fly in to shoot weddings with me…and oh, monday was my birthday.  my best friend came up (with her baby and almost-3-year-old-who-likes-to-sleep-in-boxes-when-she-visits)

she gave me the most beautiful fascinator for my birthday.  (please excuse the mobile upload picture.)

(brides looking for something special for your wedding day hair-do…check out that link.  lo boheme’s etsy store has some GORGEOUS bridal fascinators.  i covet…most of them.)

today i had a shoot on a garlic farm!  the wonderful allison and jon gave me some of their (very own, handmade) garlic powder and some of the largest non-elephant garlic you’ll ever see.  (pictured behind the garlic are some of the apples i picked for my day-after-my-birthday traditional apple-picking outing.  if you live in the northeast and have never tried macouns…hurry up and rectify that!  best apples EVAR.)

and, for allison, my loyal blog-reader and guilt-inducer…here are a couple teasers from today!

if not, you should probably watch it. 100 times. and laugh every single one of them.

anyway, the last few weeks were a whirlwind in gwynland. (funny story: i used to know a girl named gwen land. ok, not that funny, but…mildly interesting.) my sister came up to visit from mississippi (does anyone else go m-i-ss-i-ss-i-pp-i in their head when they type that word?) with my nephew. we hung out in nh, and i took her to all the delightful restaurants we’ve got. (the culinary offerings in columbus, ms…well…SUCK.) then we headed to upstate ny to see the parental units. my mom’s cat just had kittens, and while i am a sucky aunt and took no pictures of neffypoo (in my defense…he’s got separation anxiety, contracted a cold on the plane, and was away from home and routine. he was delightful once you take all those factors into consideration), i am a good…um…kitten aunt? (if it’s my mom’s cat, that would make it my feline sister, yes? so her babies would be my kitten nieces and nephews? right? i mean, assuming i want to have some sort of slightly creepy familial relationship with them. which i don’t. because that’s weird. totally.)

enough parenthetical expressions. KITTENS!

i think the one on the far right is the cutest.

i won’t tell you what my parents named this one. it’s funny, and not offensive, but TOTALLY not politically correct.

this one’s the runt…and it’s also the most fearless and friendly. it will explore anything…in a bumbling 5-week-old-kitten sort of way. dad named it inspector clouseau, natch.

i kind of can’t stand looking at this picture. it’s unbearable. as my friend becky would say, “sugar headache of cuteness.” i suggest pairing it with an insulin shot.

the poor mama cat lost her ruff, and now she looks RIDICULOUS. all pin-headed and, um, voluptuous? curvy? everywhere else.

i also tag-teamed an engagement session with tammy last week. i’m going to try to get a few of those up here, soon, because it was fun times!

anyway, i shot some beautiful and wonderful weddings this month,  so here’s one from each.  i hope that will tide you over.  it’s late, and my sister and nephew are sleeping in the other room, and 11 month olds?  they don’t care HOW late you stayed up…they wake up at about 7am no matter what.  we’re headed to upstate ny tomorrow to see the (grand)parental units.

august 1 was steph & ryan in hampden, maine:

august 8 was erin & tom in sugar hill, new hampshire:

and august 15 was barrett & jason in west roxbury, massachussetts: