Thanks for all the love in 2015! Here's to another year filled with happiness, love and of course lots of dogs!
Portugal!
We took a trip to Portugal earlier this fall, visiting the beautiful cities of Lisbon, Cascais and Sintra. Portugal is such a delightful country, filled with friendly people, stunning architecture, and charming old, winding streets. It's very walkable and worth exploring on foot to get a feel for the city and discover all the cool street art, beautiful buildings and stunning calcada underfoot. For any place a little further away, you can always hop on one of the trams, which wind through the steep and curvy roads with a precision you wouldn't expect from these old, rattling cars.
The food in Portugal was fantastic too! Our favorite spots were Cantinho Do Avillez and Meson Andaluz in Lisbon, and Restaurante BEIRA MAR in Cascais. And of course you can't mention Portugal without talking about the fantastic Port -- which certainly did not disappoint! I also enjoyed the Ginja -- although my husband was a less enthusiastic fan.
We definitely plan to return to this charming country in the future. For now, we'll look back on the photos and wish we could be transported to this gritty, colorful and delightful country by the sea...
Off to Cascais! This beautiful beach town is a quick 30 minute train ride from Lisbon and yet it feels worlds away. We loved biking up to Guincho to see its spectacular beach and cliff side views. The town itself is beautiful with lots of sights to see, but we mostly relaxed at our gorgeous hotel, Farol Hotel, built right into the rock coastline -- it was heavenly!
A short drive from Cascais (and Lisbon), you find the spectacular town of Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is dotted with castles and estates everywhere you look! It's a fantastic town to explore, but be ready for some walking! Even if you take the bus up the steep and windy hills, you'll still need to walk quite a bit once you get to each spot. We enjoyed the exercise -- especially after all the food we'd had in Lisbon -- and the views from the castles are definitely worth it!
The first place we explored was the Moorish Castle.
After that, we wandered up to the Pena Palace -- a place so colorful and wild, it looks like no castle you've ever seen. (Or at least no real castle, as some parts did remind us of Medieval Times... Sorry!)
Our very friendly welcome...
It was very hard to leave this beautiful county, but I'm happy to say Portugal sent us off with a beautiful sunrise as we awoke to head to the airport. We will definitely be back!
Adam & Clara | New York Engagement Photographer
in Engagement
You know two people are great together when they spend their entire engagement shoot making each other laugh. That was the case when I photographed Adam and Clara at the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park and Grand Central. These two lovebirds were introduced by Clara's brother, who volunteered with Adam at an amazing organization called Minds Matter. (Full disclosure: My husband and I volunteered there too. Check out more here if you're curious.). We had a beautiful fall day for some outdoor shots and even squeezed in a few pictures at Grand Central amidst hundreds of Halloween revelers -- a few of which I'm sure you will spot in the crowd!
Adam and Clara are set to get married on Valentines Day weekend in Philly and we can't wait to celebrate with them!
One of our last shots at the Cloisters (above), is captured after Adam tricked Clara into thinking he was just helping fix her hair -- when really he was posing for a shot. As you can tell, he knows how to make his fiance laugh!
Thanks for the fun day guys! And for the new portfolio shot below -- you seriously can't get more gorgeous than this!
Leaf Peeping | New York Pet Photographer
Fall in the Hudson River Valley and New York City!
We took a weekend trip up to Rhinebeck, NY a few weeks back because my husband was running the Fall Foliage Half Marathon. And the foliage did not disappoint! We had a beautiful, unseasonably warm weekend -- perfect for the race and some swimming for Dakota. Of course, no trip to this area of New York is complete without a stopover at the beautiful Bear Mountain. Which, as you can tell, Dakota thoroughly enjoyed!
A few weeks later the leaves started to change in the city, so I brought my camera along for one of our regular Central Park walks. Dakota may love getting out to places where she can run wild and swim, but she is also a very happy city lab!
Cory & Mark
in Wedding
Cory & Mark got married at the Park Avenue Synagogue in one of the most stunning weddings I've ever been to! The couple's love story started back when they were kids at camp together and the sparks flew again when they reconnected a few years ago. You can tell how much they adore each other in the beaming smiles they both showed off throughout the night.
Guests were blown away by the gorgeous bride's couture Reem Acra, two-piece gown and veil. The groom wore a striking Yves Saint Laurent tux in a deep blue and coordinated with a YSL bow tie and custom Jordan Nikes -- a must for a groom who is very into his kicks. All together, they made a brilliant New York City couple!
Congrats to you both and thanks for letting me be a part of your special day!
All dolled up, off we went to the wedding!
Baby Juliet | New York Family Photographer
I had the pleasure of photographing this beautiful girl, Juliet Michelle, just days after she was born. Her parents claimed that she had been pretty fussy that morning, but she must have been getting her fussiness out of the way so that she could be an absolute angel for her first photo shoot. We had a fun morning together, including a trip to Washington Square Park. New parents Cristi and Dan were so relaxed and at ease, it amazed me. They clearly are natural parents and just dote on this sweet little girl. Thank you both for letting me share in these early days with Juliet!
Chance & Joseph | New York Family Photographer
in Family
A few photos of my beautiful nephews, Chance and Joseph from our recent trip out to Chicago.
And of course we can't forget Chubs!
Danielle & Justin | New York Engagement Photographer
in Engagement
I had the privilege of photographing this adorable couple a few weeks ago, just about five months before their wedding! Danielle and Justin are true (converted) New Yorkers, having gone to Fordham together and now living on the Upper West Side with their rescue pup Jack. They were so much fun to work with and awesome sports on a pretty hot, humid day. Unfortunately, we didn't run into Amy Schumer on our photo shoot, but I think we had a pretty great time anyway!
I hope you guys have a wonderful wedding and can't wait to hear all about it!
Dallas Cuties
in Family
I had so much fun visiting with these little cuties in Dallas last weekend! Can't wait to see them again.
Silly Puppy Face
in Pet
Dakota Year 1 | New York Pet Photographer
in Pet
~ 3 months ~ 6 months ~ 9 months ~ 1 year ~
Logan & Jeff | New York Engagament Photographer
in Engagement
Logan is one of my dearest friends and I was beyond thrilled when she asked me to take her engagement photos! Logan and Jeff went to college together and both moved to New York City after graduation. They dated for a while early on in NY, but Jeff soon left the city to attend grad school. Even from a distance, the spark remained and they each found little ways of staying on top of what the other was doing... Shortly after his move back to NY, Jeff and Logan reconnected -- and they both realized that this relationship was not something to be left to chance! Jeff proposed in Brooklyn Bridge Park and the two plan to get married next year in TriBeCa.
I can't wait to celebrate with the two of you!
The Eastmans! | New York Family Photographer
in Family
I had so much fun traveling to Maplewood to hang out with the adorable Eastman family for this photo shoot. We had a gorgeous night and some spectacular golden hour light, but it was really these two little cuties who made the shoot so great. Enjoy!
Shannan & Greg | New York Engagement Photographer
in Engagement
One of my favorite couples and fellow Upper West Siders, Shannan & Greg were so much fun to work with on their engagement shoot! Shannan & Greg went to college together at Ole Miss and have been dating for over 10 years. We started the day in New York's Central Park and eventually moved over to one of their favorite UWS restaurants and local watering hole, Isabella's, where pretty much everyone (or at least all the bartenders!) know this wonderful and highly entertaining couple.
Shanna & Greg also brought along their sweet pup, Francis, who stole the show with those gorgeous brown puppydog eyes! How can you resist those looks? The answer is you can't -- evidenced by how Francis gets all the treats and toys she wants!
I can't wait to celebrate with you two this fall!