Christina and Dave love the outdoors and the four seasons. Originally, we had an idea to do four engagement shoots – one in each season – but once I moved away from Boston, it was pretty much impossible what with our three schedules being too hard to match up. With my move to the Bay Area, there are many things in Boston that I could not commit to, one of them including attending Christina’s wedding. However, we were so, so fortunate to all be free this past weekend. Christina and Dave took extraordinary measures to drive down at 6AM with a snack-filled car from Boston to meet me in Philadelphia while I was attending a friend’s wedding. Christina has always been a super creative girl with a love for beautiful, cute things, and flowers. In fact, she has even assisted me in the past on some shoots, so she knows how I work! However, it’s always a little different to be in front of my camera. [grins]

Their engagement story is amazing and there is absolutely no way for me to recount it here. However, I will let you know that it involves snow, post-its, two teddy bears, fresh flowers, and their first “I love you”. The first things Christina actually replied with was “I WIN” because they had a running bet that she would cry, but she did not. Haha! Anyway, I burned midnight oil to get this post up given that they are marrying soon and I’m flying out to San Francisco today.

We started with a picnic at Morris Arboretum because, if there’s one thing you should know about both Christina is that she is hungry. All the time. And macarons and cupcakes are awesome

In fact, when I asked them what their most memorable date was from recent memory, both mentioned dates involving food! For Christina’s birthday, they went to O Ya in Boston. Last October, Christina and Dave took a road trip down the east coast that basically involved eating and visiting friends. I totally want to do that

Yummy yummy. And thank you for getting me a red velvet! What a beautiful, beautiful ring

They were so comfortable and laid back with me

We had incredible luck with flowers. With the recent cold snap and rain and wind, Chicago pretty much has no more flowers, but spring flowers abounded in Philly. This was probably my number one goal (and Dave’s too) – to make sure Christina was 100% happy with these photos, we did a lot of digging and researching to come up with a location that wasn’t too far from the city and would have the greatest chance for all these colors. By the way, I tied that green sash :D

Their faiths are very important to them. We actually took a little time in the middle of the session for a little prayer. And a couple more cute kisses

Christina knows my love for shoes all too well. These J. Crew pumps have such lovely detail, I want a pair now..

This was a cool plant that looked autumn-like. I have no idea what it is. Anyone, anyone?

One of my favorite things: awesome trees

One thing I really like about Dave is how genuinely nice he is and how he is always looking for other people’s happiness

This sums up the engagement proposal: post-it notes, teddy bears, and “I love you”

Thank you Christina and Dave so much for being incredible to work with and Christina, for your years of friendship, for seeing me through all these different changes the last several years. A true friend indeed!

For photographers: I continue to receive a lot of questions about whether I use special actions or tricks to achieve my photographic style. Honestly, if you have to rely on editing tricks to get great photos, I think you’re making things too hard on yourself. Sure, I do edit the photos a little in Lightroom because not everything turns out perfect, but it’s all about finding good light and getting it as correct as possible in the camera. Every day, I’m looking for better light

April 24 – 27 – San Francisco, CA
May 1 – 4 – San Francisco, CA
May 22 – 24 – San Francisco, CA
May 25 – 28 – Boston, MA
June 1 – 3 – Boston, MA
June 9 – Graduation, Chicago, IL
June 11 – 30 – Boston, MA
June 19 – 21 – San Francisco, CA
June 22 – 24 – Kiawah Island, SC
July 1 and on – Living full-time in San Francisco, CA
July 14 – 15 – Seattle, WA
July 21 – 22 – Los Angeles, CA
August 10 – 19 – Boston, MA
September 1 – 9 – Boston, MA
October 5 – 10 – Boston, MA
October 11 – 14 – Chicago, IL

Shang is a jetsetting wedding photographer for dynamic couples. She captures imagery that pops with color, personality, and energy.
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Teresa is one of those friends with whom I hit it off from the start, even though we weren’t in any environment that would make it easy. We did not go to school together, only briefly and tangentially had an organization in common (ASPIRE), we shared (at the time) very few mutual friends though we both grew up in Boston, and we were both busy working. And yet after having a great conversation at a friend’s gathering or dinner sometime in fall of 2007, Teresa and I began meeting regularly for lunches. Maybe it’s our mutual love for comfort food, or the fact that she lets me blab on and on and on about my life and never judges me for my craziness, or that not only is she drop-dread gorgeous, she is one of the most down-to-earth and caring souls I know. Then she broke my heart by moving out with Chris to Palo Alto as Chris completed his post-doc at Stanford, though she came back to Boston and we’d always manage to meet up. And just after I got one visit out there in Norcal, they get engaged and up and again move to Pittsburgh where Chris is now a professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

So of course I had to visit them during the only real break I conceivably have for the next 12 months – they were the first stop on my whirlwind 20-day trip. I’m apparently their first Pittsburgh visitor. I hold that title with extreme pride.

We really really lucked out with the warm (40 degrees) weather and sun. We went all over town to hit up some pretty cool spots as this was also a chance for me to see and explore Pittsburgh

First stop: Phipps Conservatory

Teresa works for shoebuy So of course she’s gotta have some killah sparkly heels!

When we were thinking of what props to bring this is what they came up with: A giant pencil. Wooden clogs from the Netherlands. And a basket of socks. Chris’s socks to be exact.
I’d say this is all quite so Chris because even I don’t really get it

LOVED how much color Teresa’s bright red jacket brought to the shoot

Chris makes one romantic professor =) They should grow more of them (MIT – you heard me)

I LOVE this – a random alleyway, bright colors, and quirkiness. My fav!

We ended the shoot with a tour of this super-modern art museum called The Mattress Factory. We went through it pretty quickly but there were definitely some pieces that creeped me out more than others (like this one really large and dark room where I couldn’t see anything and of course couldn’t photograph)

I like it when they get cute

We’re blue and have very white teeth!!!

I’m so psyched to see the two of them engaged, and can’t wait until they tie the knot!

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