Most people will say that they don’t know how to pose in photographs. However, Nicole and Jonathan picked up on my tips very quickly and grew very comfortable. Truth be told, they make my job very easy  =)

The staff at Casa Mono was also very kind to let us take a quick photo there – this was where they had their first date

A quick cab ride took us down to South Street Seaport. When Jonathan first arrived in the U.S. (he’s British!) he lived here – before it was all nice and renovated. He woke up to the smell of the fish market every day

Nicole – you are gorgeous and I LOVED your hair and makeup! Jonathan laughed right after his shot was taken when I said he was very GQ

I kept the look of this engagement session on the classy side to reflect their personal style. In actuality, some of these walls don’t look as nice at first glance =) It’s all in how you choose to compose it!

Nicole grew up right in Brookline, MA, and they will be returning to Boston this fall to have their wedding at the State Room. I will see you guys then! Also, I had a great sushi dinner with them at Suteishi - check it out if you have a chance

Thank you Fong again for being a wonderful companion and assistant. This was Fong’s action shot of me!

July 9 – 10 – New Haven
July 29 – August 4 – San Francisco / Bay Area
August 19 – 22 – Jamaica
August 23 – 25 – NYC
August 31/Sept 1 – Return to Chicago

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We began our session in some of the more quiet areas of Central Park. I had previsualized getting something like this shot prior to this session and am so happy we made it happen

Apurva and Adam, like three of my other clients, live and work in New York City. They paired a very classy outfit for most of this shoot

Apurva had her hair and makeup professionally done that day and it was just gorgeous and so easy to work with. Ladies – invest in good makeup for your engagement shoot and wedding day so you don’t have to worry about it!

Like most of my couples, we spent a lot of the session getting comfortable and for them to get accustomed to how I worked as a photographer. Everything felt so relaxed and comfortable – even if the ground was wet.

We then went to the Lincoln Center for some more architectural backdrops

A quick outfit change later and out came these super cute heels!

We had planned to walk around the neighborhood a bit, but our shoot was cut a little short with a downpour that did not stop. Nevertheless, we got many moments such as these

Thank you Apurva and Adam for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet and get photographed! Their wedding will be later this fall in Boston – Apurva is wearing a sari for part of it, I’m so excited and cannot wait!

Big big thanks to Fong for being an amazing assistant and sticking it out with me together, without an umbrella, in the rain

July 9 – 10 – New Haven
July 29 – August 4 – San Francisco / Bay Area
August 19 – 22 – Jamaica
August 23 – 25 – NYC
August 31/Sept 1 – Return to Chicago

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First off, the ladies! Wear your favorite colors, but I like brighter colors – especially if we are shooting in cities such as Boston, New York, or Chicago, we are working with a lot of concrete and mono-tone backgrounds, so you want to POP from the scene. Pending the weather, either wear a casual dress with a knit cardigan or layer jeans, a nice shirt or top that has details. Avoid all white and all black ensembles, it won’t show up with enough contrast on film. Patterns? Keep them in moderation as they may look dated after a couple of decades. If you are doing solid colors – think about the texture – thick and classic textures such as knits, sweaters, linen, cotton photograph quite well. Accessorize for more fun – think about your jewelry, belts, and any relevant hair pieces.

These are some great looks I’ve seen on my clients in the past

Kimberly, one of my brides last year, her engagement shoot was very popular for her yellow dress and super-fab heels as we walked around Beacon Hill – click on the picture to see more from that session

Kimberly writes: “For my engagement photo session, I wanted to make sure that I stuck to a simple, classic look that was also firmly my style. I knew for sure that I didn’t want to look back on my photos and cringe at the pattern of my dress, hairstyle or makeup choices, so sticking to an understated style was very important to me. Shang had recommended bright, complimentary colors for my (now) husband and me, so I chose yellow– a color that people often said was ‘my’ color. My dress had a classic silhouette which I hoped would stand the test of time, and, likewise, I chose simple pearl earrings and a silver drop necklace. I felt confident that my wardrobe choices reflected who I was at that time in my life and that I wouldn’t look back and wonder why I tried to wear something that fit into that moment’s fad.

The most important thing to remember is to be yourself. I’m never one to be on the forefront of clothing trends (I’m usually the last one to try everything!), so it wouldn’t have made sense for me to go outside of my comfort zone for my engagement photos. I like looking back at my photos and seeing the real me shine through in clothes that I truly loved!”

This is Kimberly’s inspiration board

Cardigan – Nordstrom. Earrings – David Yurman. Dress – Nanette Lepore. Sandals – Nordstrom. Necklace – Tiffany & Co

How about the guys? Depending on how formal the girl is, match that. If the girl wears jeans then the guy can wear jeans but otherwise, khaki, formal pants, and dark slacks work just as well. Please avoid sneakers if you can but dark shoes are okay. Contrast the pants with a shirt of a different color. The shirt should not be the same color as the girl’s so that you guys don’t look too matchy-matchy. Avoid all white and all black ensembles. Think color tones – if the girl is wearing primary colors, you wear primary. If girl is pastel, you wear pastel.

Dan was one of the other really popular engagement sessions from last year. He and Moah dressed in classic fall ensemble to go with their foliage-filled engagement session on the University of Chicago campus – click on the picture to see more

Dan writes: “In selecting an outfit for my engagement photo shoot, I really wanted to wear what would be considered a classic look.  If I wore something too trendy or that wound up being a fad, five years down the road I’d look at my photos and wonder what I was thinking (think bell bottoms [1970's] or neon [1980s]).  There seemed to be little risk wearing a button down shirt, sweater and blazer with jeans.  My photo shoot was in the fall and beyond consideration of recent fads, I wanted to pick colors that were consistent with the colors of the season.  In terms of the outfit selected for the inspiration board, I realize the tie might be on the trendy side, but under a sweater only a small portion will be seen and could be the perfect amount of ‘flair.’”

This is the inspiration board that Dan created for this post

A makeup artist and good hair makes ALL the difference in photos – so I recommend having your trials timed for your engagement session if possible. I’d love to spend most of the shoot having fun and photographing you, and not worrying about your hair or makeup. If you choose to do makeup yourself, that is fine. If you normally don’t wear makeup, I still recommend foundation and eyeliner. If you need makeup artist recommendations, I have a few that I love working with.

And now, a topic near and near to my heart – SHOES! For those who missed my post on shoes last year, check it out. However, my friend Sarah, co-founder of Snapette, is even greater an expert than I am. She writes: “As for shoes, you should go all out for your engagement shoot. A photo shoot is THE perfect opportunity to show off your great shoes. Everyday photos are usually from the waist up, and awesome shoes often go unnoticed at crowded events and dark bars. Plus given there’s pretty limited walking during the shoot, this is also a nice opportunity to wear your highest heels, which are also super flattering for your legs and proportions. If you’re wearing neutral or dark colors, I’d recommend wearing brightly colored shoes that pop, complemented with a brightly colored belt, necklace or hairpiece. Brightly colored shoes also go great with colorful outfits – don’t be shy! If you want to go with more neutral colored shoes, however, then consider ones that have rhinestones, bold patterns or distinctive shapes.”

Today’s inspiration board uses all images taken with Snapette, which is a cool new mobile app that will be available soon

First row: Bakers, Giuseppe Zanotti, Kurt Gieger
Second row: Enzo Angiolini, Gucci, Miu Miu
Third row: Giuseppe Zanotti, H by Halston, Wild Pair

I have a number of South Asian brides, and for you guys, I have invited my friend Ridaa of RMCCouture to write her thoughts

“To stand the test of time, stay true to your personal style, and wear minimal pattern and accessories to help reduce any outside “noise,” that you may incur and that will take away from you as a couple. To ensure that you and your significant other are the focal point of the shoot, wear one or two pieces of jewelry or a feathered headband at most, but stick with the cliche, that less is truly more, and classic and timeless will always be the better choice, and not necessarily just safer. What I recommend for someone with olive tones and rich heritage is to wear one piece of jewelry or an accessory that distinguishes you and reflect’s your culture. For example, choosing a traditional naurattan necklace, or South Asian jewel piece (even a bangle) may really be all you need to differentiate your look.  Wear a a bold colored top or dress with an intricately crafted necklace or pair of earrings and bangle, and let your chemistry with your significant other be the other accent pieces you need. Selecting a simple and classic outfit for your future spouse will allow him to not blend in with you, but compliment what may be a bolder look on you. Ever thought of wearing a modern outfit and having henna done? That would offset a truly “western,” engagement shoot look with a hint of tradition that is unexpected. Another great idea: what about pairing a flowy, chiffon shalwar kameez with peep toe shoes and the perfect pedicured feet? Details will add-value and thought into your shoot, and keeping your make up natural and yet cohesive will help the photographer in making statement images for life.”

A big thank you to all my friends for providing such great advice, but more importantly, thank you to all my clients for being super fabulous as always!

June 14 – 16 – NYC
July 9 – 10 – New Haven
July 29 – August 4 – San Francisco / Bay Area
August 19 – 22 – Jamaica
August 23 – 25 – NYC
August 31/Sept 1 – Return to Chicago

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Julia and Peter are another one of my 2011 couples for whom I got to have the advantage of amazing weather this summer to get their engagement photos done. Julia and Peter currently live and work in New York City so I took a sweet weekday trip down there to see them, I loooove any opportunity to travel for photography and exploring new places. * hint hint hint to prospective clients! *. The day was hot, but they worked their vintage glam / shabby chic look for this engagement session. You know how there are couples whom I could photograph forever and never get tired of it? Yeah, they’re one of them.

I have a weakness for incredibly fabulous heels and Converse sneakers. They know the way to my heart

Big smiles, to me, are always, ALWAYS attractive.

Tadaaaa, the ring!

Julia and Peter showed me around their neighborhood, which had spectacular views of the city as well

Take it wide… then bring it in!

And this was a park I’d visited earlier that day with my friend TJ (see my post about it here!)

Seriously, who knew you could find cool-looking grass like this in NYC?

Okay, I lied when I said my clients aren’t models. Julia does model a little bit on the side, who could blame her, look at her wooorking that awesome hair and make-up! Hair and make-up was done by the talented Nycki Rivera of Primp and Tease Salon, her work has been seen on TruTV, MTV, and VH1.

Their wedding, which will be at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, MA next year, is going to rock so much

Big bear hugs from this little one to you two, and I’ll see you next year!

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We started out at this cuuute playground near New York University / Stuyvesant Town

One of the things I like photographing most are strong geometric shapes, which abound in an urban setting. This photo is a favorite!

“Let’s get climb on that train!” “What do we do?” “Be CUTE!” and cute they were

I would love to photograph in New York more often. There are so many fun finds and funky angles to try out

She’s got a ring! Haha, this cracks me up

We snuck around a book store since both Christina and Matt are in grad school (study study study)

We stayed under construction scaffolding to keep dry

And ended up with some intimate shots at Matt’s computer science lab. Yes that’s right, I took photos in a lab!

Tried a little more funky editing in this one

Congrats you two, and I know you’ll have an awesome wedding!

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