2009 Roots Workshop

Imagine my surprise last week when I opened a mass email from my online studio management system ShootQ only to find my own face staring back at me (see above). ShootQ is partnering with the Roots Workshop to give one lucky student a $500 discount on this summer's tution, and six free months of ShootQ. As you may remember, the Roots Workshop is the "see-changing" week-long photojournalism workshop I attended last summer on Cape Cod.

A tidbit of my testimonial was featured in ShootQ's email about their current contest. My full testimonial is this: "My Roots experience was so pivotal in my life and powerful in my profession that I've yet to find the words to write about it. Suffice to say, I have yet to recover and I think that is a wonderful thing! My days covering a student actress at the theater and my nights spent alongside some of the nation's finest wedding photographers peering at a projection screen and into our hearts and creative souls was see-changing and not an image I take goes by when I do not reflect on my time and tutoring there. To be able to take an entire week doing what you love most to truly focus on developing your eye, your artistry and yourself (not just as a photographer but as a person) is a true treat! To do it alongside others who are on a similar exhausting yet exhilarating path of self-discovery, all while being supported by those in the industry you most respect, makes it all the sweeter."

So there!

As I understand it, there are still several spots remaining for the second annual Roots Workshop which is just five weeks away. Based on the feedback from those of us who had the pleasure of attending last year, some very cool improvements to the week's schedule have been made for this year's attendees, and I encourage anyone who wants to strengthen their visual storytelling skills to strongly consider going (and of course entering the ShootQ/Roots contest). It is an experience that will change you as a photographer, and as a person.

I've actually yet to blog thoroughly about my Root's experience. I went to the workshop just one week before our massive move to Portland and in the chaos that followed of shooting, skiing, dodgeballing and eating out far too often, I've neglected to post about my powerful experience at the workshop, where I followed a truly talented student-actress from Ohio University starring on the stage at the summer Monomoy Theater in Chatham. I saw many similarities between myself and Casiha, as both of us found ourselves on the Cape that summer out of pure devotion to our craft and our honest commitment to be not the best in the world at our art, but our best.

You can see the culmination of my coverage below, or by clicking here. And do contact me at sam@samanthawarrenweddings.com if you're considering Roots and would like a final push of encouragement. I am so happy that my review of my time there has helped contribute to several of my Maine photographer friends deciding to go next month! You are going to love it!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Actually, this is way better than chicken. Even the fried kind!

Earlier this spring, I giddily blogged about our successful completion of the Ski Maine Peak to Peak challenge (and I also posted in mid-winter about our 750-mile, five mountain, three-day ski marathon to northern Maine). Turns out I had every right to fête our feat of successfully skiing at all of Maine's 17 ski hills/mountains this season. Besides Kyle and me, only six other (I am assuming completely crazy) people met the Peak to Peak challenge! All eight of us were entered to win a Ski Maine VIP pass for 2009-2010 season, and you would have guessed I'd just been booked to shoot Brangelina's wedding if you'd heard my deranged hooting and hollering when Kyle told me that HE'D WON!!!

The pass entitles him to unlimited skiing at any and all Maine mountains next season (Sugarloaf every day, or Camden Snow Bowl, or all 17 again which you know we've already been discussing), and he also gets one day lift ticket at each so he can bring a friend (I so hope it's me). As likely the most photographed Maine skier of 2008-2009 (stop there, ok, you can go, nice big turns, right by me, slow down, come closer, wait, stop), I cannot think of anyone more deserving and I am so proud of him and so, so happy for us! As he wrote on his Facebook wall in response to his win, "There is only one thing better than powder days. Free chairlift rides on powder days!"

The news became official with an announcement in the latest Ski Maine newsletter (see above), which also included a link to our superlatives of Maine's ski scene. Of course, now we're left struggling to select which mountain we should be buying me a pass to, and whether we'll be able to fit a little red carpet in with all our gear in the Volvo to roll out upon Kyle's arrival at each Maine mountain.

Yeah Kyle! And yeah Maine skiing!

Alison & Steven Engaged: Greystone Manor, Cape Neddick, Maine

Chicagoans Alison and Steven had never set foot in Maine when they decided to set their September 2010 wedding here. Both had fallen in love with the state's craggy coast the moment they saw the images I took of Emily and Liam's wedding at the Greystone Manor in Cape Neddick (just north of York) featured on WeddingBee.com. And, it just so happened that Steven was scheduled to hike the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail, starting in Georgia in March of next year and ending atop Mount Katahdin in Maine ifive or so months later. What a better way to end such a walk (Steven has dubbed it "the hike of love") than with a wedding? Sight unseen, they hired me, rented out the stately Greystone Manor (a favorite wedding spot) and went to work planning their classic Maine coast wedding, complete with a lobster bake dinner.

Last weekend, they flew in for a few days to see the place for themselves for the first time, have a volley of vendor meetings, and enjoy an engagement session with me. What a better place to pose than the Greystone, the owner of which graciously allowed us to shoot there. Such fun we had exploring the grounds and though Alison and Steven admitted to me prior to the session that they dreaded being before the camera, I think these images speak to how relaxed they quickly became. I cannot wait for this wedding!

And Emily & Liam, I am relieved to report we saw not one flash of lighting, nor did we get hit by any hail!

We started down by the water. I think one of Greystone Manor's most awesome attributes is these private piece of rocky beach. Though Steven hails from Oklahoma and Alison from central Pennsylvania, they both looked at home here, with each other. This first image is perhaps a favorite from the shoot, because it captures the nerves that naturally come with the start of a session such as this, but at the same time, that excitement of being in such a beautiful place, with someone you so love, making your engagement official!















We then moved out of the sun and whipping wind up to Greystone's porch.


Alison had asked me about what to wear for the shoot, and I suggested she select clothing that was reflective of her personality, and that would fit into the setting. She couldn't have picked more perfectly, and I especially loved these playful green heels.


Who doesn't adore that moment, just before a kiss...


I love finding creative ways to get different looks in the same place. From the rocks by the water, to the stone of the estate. What a nice backdrop those walls made.


And, we ended the shoot in this little window nook. I love how intimate these images feel, even though the manor is so magnificent in size and stature, especially with only three of us on the entire property.

The STD you actually want to get...

Their acronym is certainly unfortunate, but save the date cards (STDs) are anything but.

These announcements, sent up to a year in advance alerting guests to your impending nuptials, are a thoughtful yet simple way to get the word out that you are getting married, and soon! If many of your guests will be traveling for the wedding and needing to make airline and accommodation arrangements in advance, save the dates are especially helpful (especially if your wedding is in a popular destination, like on the Maine coast in the summertime, when rooms may book early). Seeing these are likely the first official correspondence your guests will receive regarding the wedding, the save the date can be invaluable in making that first impression and setting the tone for the style of the wedding to come. Lately, my mailbox has been at the receiving end of a flurry of save the dates from my 2009 couples, and I feel like I have such a better understanding about them and their vision for the day from just this little piece of paper. (I especially appreciate the magnets filling the front of the fridge, as they remind me every day about the upcoming wedding, and they are very useful.)

They are also an ideal way to put your engagement imagery to work, as Samantha Warren Weddings' couple Susan and Jeff did here. You might recall I shot their top of Sugarloaf mini engagement session in April, and they asked me to create a save the date using the photographs from that. The card I created (you can see the front below and the backside has all the details and the address of their wedding website where guests can go for more information) is reflective of their color scheme -black and white- and their wedding style -elegant yet simple and fun. Because their wedding will be in the winter, I had the cards printed on pearl paper, which gives them a nice sparkle, much like freshly fallen snow, and we purposely did the engagement session on the mountain in the winter. The cards, which are 5 x 7, will be delivered in white envelopes (though this could easily have been designed as a postcard).

You can read what Martha Stewart says about Save the Dates here and The Knot's insight here, but I encourage couples planning late 2009 (fall and beyond) and 2010 weddings to consider sending out save the dates if they have guests coming from afar. There are so many creative options out there for save the dates, but if you'd like to include images, do contact me soon to schedule your engagement session.



As a wedding guest, do you appreciate receiving save the dates? How far in advance do you like to get them? And what's the most unique save the date you've seen or heard of?

Shooting the shop: The Makeup Shop Inc. South Portland

Brides often ask me whether one line of makeup has more merits than another (for the record, I only occasionally wear makeup, and use Bare Minerals when I do as a result of seeing it used so beautifully on brides by many makeup artists over the years). Because I am not photographing glamour shots and instead capturing how people how people feel (and happy, in-love people are simply stunning), I encourage my clients to choose clothing, accessories and products that make them feel comfortable and confident in their own skin, as that will come through most in the images.

All that said, -and based on my own wedding makeup experience (I still remember running in the bathroom and breathlessly blotting my entire face with a bath towel after Kyle's aunt got a wee bit carried away with the blush)- I always urge my clients to consider hiring a makeup artist, especially those like me who insist they "never wear makeup." In addition to giving you some well-deserved pre-wedding pampering, a good makeup artist will apply products in a way that compliment rather than confuse your best features. The key here is makeup, not makeover, and the great thing about a great makeup artist is you'll still look like yourself, only better and more polished.

Last summer, I met several such talented transformers when I photographed Bethany and Brian's wedding. Bethany got her makeup applied at The Makeup Shop, which at the time was located on Congress Street but has since moved to South Portland. Beautiful Bethany didn't really need any makeup, but I was impressed with how a few little touches went a long way in enhancing not just her look, but how she felt about how she looked. I was also pleased to see how fun and mellow the makeup artist kept things, as like any wedding vendor, knowing how connect with clients and keep them collected is as important as your craft. So I was honored when Andrea, a co-owner of The Makeup Shop, emailed asking if I'd be willing to come over this spring and do a mini-shoot with several of her staff to get new images for the shop's walls and website.

In the interest of full disclosure, this was a totally out-of-the-box experience for me. Unlike a wedding where I am very hands-off (except when someone needs help) and take a documentarian's approach, this shoot required me to be much more directorial, something that I took a while to warm to. Luckily, the "models" (two makeup artists at the store) were so gorgeous you couldn't get a bad shot of them and they were fun to boot!

Here are a few of my favorite shots. You'd never guess that all of these were taken in the little lot behind The Makeup Shop's new store on Western Ave in South Portland, between the Mexican restaurant's dumpster and the row of parked cars!

Look one, 1920s-esque:






Look two: Hippie (amazing that the sun came out right when we started this section of the shoot, casting an appropriate golden glow that so works with these images). Bri was the makeup artist who'd done Bethany's makeup.









Look three: A bit vamp (Hilarious when the utility guy came to read the meters and said "You should be on our company calendar" to Amber. We were dying. She is so sweet that it was a challenge to pull off this fierce look. I kept saying, "Act like I just stole your boyfriend, bitch!" Fe-rosh!)









And look four, 1970s rollergirl style:

My ideals

"Am I a loser?" I queried Kyle as we headed home late Sunday night at the end of the most wonderful of weekends. It had just occurred to me that every. single. person we had spent celebrating my birthday weekend with were people I'd met through my wedding photography business.

From Friday night cocktails, tapas and dancing with the girls (all who happen to be uber talented wedding photographers including Amy -who made me the !yummiest! Funfetti cake-, Emilie and Beth), to Saturday's Portland Sea Dogs game with 2007 Samantha Warren Weddings' couple Ashley and Greg, to Sunday spent having lunch and laughs in York with 2006 Samantha Warren Weddings couple Cady and Jimmy followed by beer and the Bruins with 2009 Samantha Warren Weddings' couple Susan and Jeff at a new Irish pub in Wells called Feile, each person had initially been in contact with me because I am a photographer, and now connect with me because I am a dear friend.

After my realization, Kyle lovingly reassured me that no, having 359 degrees of my social circle shaped by my business does not make me a loser. Instead, he says it's quite the opposite, a testament to the connections I have with my couples and the authentic passion I pour into my photographs and my photography business. (It's a good thing I married that guy- he always knows just what to say to take my doubts and turn them into a sources of strength.)

But I've been thinking there is more to it than just that. Last month, I read this insightful post on PhotoLovecat (a blog for those in the photo industry) about finding your ideal client, and thus finding freedom in your business. The author of that post, wrote "I realized something. If I am giving up my Saturdays for people, it needs to be for people that like ME. Truly ME."

It's a sentiment that struck me. And it's stuck with me since as I've given considerable thought as to how I'd define my ideal client. Whenever someone learns that I am a wedding photographer, the first question they inevitably ask is "So, you must work with some real bridezillas! What's the craziest story..."

But honestly, I don't have any. Seriously. I started my business my senior year in college, and in the four years since, I've gained a better sense of self. Concurrently, I've built my business brand so that it better reflects me, my vision and my values (all of which I share plentifully here). As a result, I've found more and more that the couples I work with are not just people I could see myself becoming friends with, but actually are people I have become friends with.

And so it goes without saying that what I look for in my ideal client is what I'd hope to find in a friend: someone who is ridiculously passionate about at least one thing; who is not ashamed to act 8 at least once a day; who is not ashamed to act 80 at least once a day; who is grounded; who would never-ever say "it's just a dog"; who loves the outdoors and enjoys throwing themselves into it; who cannot resist the temptation of at least one thing (usually sometime that is horribly unhealthy for them or will give them blisters); who likely appreciates the finer things in life, but isn't afraid to work their @$$ of for them; who will be honest even if it doesn't make them look good; who respects tradition; who will willingly admit to their weaknesses; who values the experts; who admires their grandparents, but despises those who walk slowly taking up the entire sidewalk; who is loyal; who can make others laugh and who can laugh at themselves; and who is a hard-worker who will put the most muscle into their marriage because their stomach still shimmies when their spouse pulls into the driveway.

Bonus points of course go to those who adore Woody Allen movies; who will say yes to the offer of "whipped cream on that" as least 51 percent of the time, and who have lots of soon-to-be engaged friends!

I once left a newspaper job I loved but that was monopolizing my life because Kyle implored me to consider why I was devoting so much time to it at the expense of myself, and my relationships, including the one with him. "What do they do to deserve more of your time than I get?" he asked. It was a point well taken and though I was crazy about that job and miss it to this day, I left it because I had to admit I was giving so much more to it than it was giving to me. I've never once said or felt that about Samantha Warren Weddings. Nor has Kyle. It's the most fulfilling thing I've ever been a part of and both Kyle and I are grateful beyond words to those of you who have made that so. Every couple has been worthy of my Saturdays (and Sunday mornings and Friday afternoons and Thursday evenings, and all the times in between). Lucky me!

Given this, there is nothing I'd rather do on my birthday weekend then spend time photographing a new Samantha Warren Weddings' couple. So in between our lunch in York and our dinner in Wells on Sunday, I met up with Steven and Alison for their engagement shoot at Greystone Manor in Cape Neddick (where I photographed Emily and Liam's wedding last summer). I'll do a full post featuring them and the fun we had soon, but in the meantime, because Alder broke into the kitchen and ate what was left of my Funfetti cake, I'll give a taste for our session, because really, I know you're here for the pretty pictures.



As my 2009 wedding season begins tomorrow, I am so anxiously looking forward to all the stories I'll get to help tell and the new friends I'll meet and make. And I wonder who I'll be celebrating my birthday with next year?