Last weekend I made the trek back to CT to photograph Jess & Mark’s engagement session at Sleeping Giant State Park and Quinnipiac University, where they met, in Hamden. Jess & Mark are very playful, silly and cute and we had a great time! I love how they play fight, pretending they’re kung fu masters or something! We had fun walking around Quinnipiac while they took me to their favorite spots, including some really sentimental ones from when they first started dating.

We started out at Sleeping Giant - just off the parking lot - they wanted to concentrate more on Quinnipiac but I was dying to get a few here first.

This elderly couple was walking through and I caught them with Jess & Mark in the background at the last second - wish I had gotten a better shot but I thought it was cute nonetheless.

Some shots at “The Bagel” - I had so much fun with this spot!

Does Jess not have the most beautiful eyes?!

We were sure we would get rained out - the forecast did not look good - but instead we got this gorgeous sunset to grace our session!

I love the look on Jess’s face in this one - priceless!

Thanks again guys! I can’t wait for next fall!

I photographed Vanessa & Rob’s wedding May 12th, 2007 and I’ve been anxiously waiting for the day that they would welcome their first child. Well, it finally happened and I couldn’t be more excited for them! They are going to be the absolute best parents! Congratulations you two - I can’t wait to meet her! XOXO

This is one of the toughest things I’ve ever done… I’m quitting.

Smoking.

Again.

I’m doing my best to make sure that this is the last time I say this and this means that I have been and probably will still be a little bit slower to respond to e-mails and phone calls for the next week or so. If I owe you a call or an e-mail please be patient with me - I will get back to you soon! I’ve found that in order to keep myself from breaking down and smoking, I need to keep moving - a lot! Sitting at my desk has not been easy so I’m trying to keep it to a minimum until I have a better grasp on this quitting thing! It is getting better but it hasn’t even been a week yet and is still extremely challenging for me. I truly appreciate everyone’s support - you’ve been great “cheerleaders” so far and a tremendous help! Thanks! =)

I met up with the adorable Michelle & Steve for their engagement session at Vanderbilt Mansion… I swear I have bad luck with that place though because I’ve only been there a couple of times and each time it rains! Luckily, this time it was just a drizzle and we kept going. Of course, the spike (water chestnut) that I stepped on barefoot on the beach felt absolutely fabulous… then came the huge blisters from all that walking in my new shoes… OUCH! It was all so worth it though - these two are just so in love and so playful and fun - how cute are they?! After our session we headed down the road to the Eveready Diner, which Michelle & Steve informed me was featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, for a delicious meal - it’s a MUST TRY!

Thanks again, Michelle & Steve! I can’t wait for your wedding next month! =)

Big, no, I mean BIG things coming soon! Big changes and limited time specials to celebrate so stay tuned!

I had the great pleasure of being a second shooter to my second shooter, Tara on May 16th for her first solo wedding! I cannot tell you how proud I am of her! We photographed Julie and Alfred’s wedding at the insanely gorgeous Raphael Winery down on Long Island. The forecast threatened rain but it stayed pretty clear and even gave us some awesome fog!

Congratulations again to Julie & Alfred and a huge thank you to Tara for inviting me along!

April 25th I had the pleasure of helping out my friend Val McCormick by “co-shooting” a wedding with her. I did not find out until shortly before the wedding that it would be an Indian wedding and oh man was I excited! I am so intrigued by other cultures anyway but Indian weddings are high on my list of awesome things I want to photograph! I love all of the colors and dancing and just soaking in all of the traditions. Many of you know that Tara, who has been second shooting with me since last year, is Indian and I have learned so much about the culture and traditions from her. Anyway, the weekend of the 25th was HOT… like the Dunkin’ Donuts commercial where the construction workers are working with the sun about 6 feet away from them HOT! I arrived at Jeff’s parents’ home and walked in to a few ladies in the kitchen and one was having her mendhi applied! LOVE IT!!! (All images captured by Autumn for Val McCormick Photography)

Jeff emerged from a back bedroom almost ready - just a few finishing touches left. I was amazed by all of the details, vivid colors and textures. Usually the guys don’t have any really unique attire or accessories so this was quite a treat!

I LOVE this image - I love how Jeff’s hands mimick the shape of his turban!

Jeff finished getting ready and was kind enough to brave the sweltering heat for a bit to get some formal photos on the front lawn.

I arrived at The Waterview and met up with Claudia in the bridal suite… she was absolutely stunning and the colors and details… just… WOW. Val came in and while she was taking some formal photos of Claudia I grabbed some alternate angles and details. I think that I can speak for Val when I say that the two of us could have photographed Claudia ALL DAY in that little bridal suite!

Jeff chatting with the awesome “Big Daddy” of James Daniel Entertainment before the ceremony

^ I think this is my favorite image of the day ^

I just loved her lashes!

I was setting up my light and caught this while I was grabbing a test shot - I hate the chairs but I thought it was still pretty cool.

Wedding coordinator Jackie of Lifetime Events by Jacqueline did a fabulous job with everything!

Thanks so much to Val for asking me to shoot with her! Congratulations to Claudia & Jeff!!! I wish you a lifetime of happiness! You guys were awesome! Thanks so much, it was a pleasure meeting you and celebrating your special day with you! A huge thanks to Big Daddy and Jacqueline & Darryl as well!

Last weekend I had the awesome opportunity of shooting 13 lovely ladies (don’t worry, it was painless with the exception of a dislocated knee cap! LOL!) on the AMAZING Yale University campus in New Haven, CT. The ladies of Yale’s a cappella group The New Blue needed some group photos for their upcoming 40th anniversary CD and I was of course, happy to oblige! It was boiling hot and high noon (like 95 degrees in full sun!) so it was quite… um… interesting to say the least! Especially since I had shot a wedding the night before in CT with a fellow photographer and all I had brought with me was jeans for Sunday! That was a mistake I will not make again! Of course, I guess it was only fair seeing as the New Blue ladies had to wear black pants and jackets in the blazing hot sun! So, here the 14 of us are, drenched in sweat and blind from the noon sun, trying to not only get some cool shots, but cool shots with 13 sets of eyes open and not super squinty in the sun! We had a great time though and I really appreciated the tour and the history lesson! =)

Here is a quick blurb from their website - read more HERE!

The New Blue was founded in 1969, the same year that Yale first admitted undergraduate women, making us not only Yale’s oldest female a cappella group, but also its oldest organization of any kind. A symbol of women’s accomplishments at Yale, the New Blue is proud to be celebrating its 40th year.

Thanks so much to Steph and all the ladies of The New Blue! You guys were awesome! Thanks for sticking it out in the horrid heat and sun and a very special thanks to the ladies who sat down in the smelly courtyard for the photos!

Sunday I headed down to Tarrytown to photograph Jessica & Barry’s Engagement Session at the exquisite Castle on the Hudson, AKA The Castle. Jessica & Barry will be getting married at The Castle this July and I can’t wait! I had never been there before and the place is truly gorgeous. Jessica & Barry are super cute together and very playful. They love to be silly and they laugh a lot… my kind of people! When asked what they like to do they told me that they sit on the couch and watch TV (Jeopardy is a favorite!) so we had to get a few with them sitting on a couch too! =)

And on to part three of three of senior sessions with Aurora! Meet Gianna - she’s sweet, down to earth and adorable and she just has the greatest smile! We started out in a field and ended up in an alley and even the middle of the road in downtown New Milford!