Better late then never.  Lara called us a few weeks ago to set-up an engagement session before their wedding this New Years Eve at Ocean Place in Long Branch, NJ .  Due to the cold, I recommended we shoot somewhere indoors.  Upon hearing they just scheduled their wedding tasting I said perfect, lets shoot inside your reception site right after your tasting. 

We got real lucky the day of the shoot - 45 degrees and clear skies.  We where able to grab some shots outdoors around the Christmas decorations at Pier Village and hit the beach.  I was able to convince Lara and Matt to sneak inside their reception room for a quick 1st dance practice and goofing around posing on top of a guest table.  We cannot wait to shoot their wedding in two weeks.

Enjoy,
Chris

Middletown, NJ engagement session
Michelle and Don wanted to be photographed in a park setting in the fall.  After a few emails going back and forth to pick a date for the session we got really lucky with perfect weather for our shoot.  Michelle and Don will be tying the knot Oct. 3rd 2009 (my birthday) at Sea Oaks Country Club in Little Egg Harbor, NJ.

Enjoy,
Chris

Hoboken, NJ engagement session
For their session, they asked for casual photos in Hoboken.  We found interesting areas to photograph wandering the streets, parks and the campus of Stevens University. Samantha and Tyler are tying the knot Sept. 18th 2009 in our favorite church in Monmouth County, the historic chapel in Allaire Village and their reception will be held at the Crystal Point Yacht Club. 
- Enjoy, Chris

I can’t thank Ashley and Anthony enough for taking me seriously on my location recommendation for their engagement session.  As crazy as it may seem, I knew Costco would be the perfect place for a photo shoot and I wanted to challenge my creativity.  When discussing the session with them, I questioned their lifestyle, interests - where they would they go on the weekends if they were not planning their wedding? Once they stopped laughing, in unison they answered “Costco.  We are there all the time, that’s where we met.”

The session was an experience to say the least - even with the looks and commentary from customers, we had a blast!  A few people even wanted to get in on the photos.  Despite several department managers that were not too happy with what we were doing, I got in a few crazy shots and I think the pictures we created rock. 

The session was all about fun.  Suzanne and I can not wait until their wedding.  I’m looking forward to the next “out of the box ” idea for a session, so if you ‘re interested, get in touch with us.  Please don’t be shy!

Thanks and Enjoy,
Chris

When asked where to photograph an engagement session, 9 times out of 10 I’m going to reply ”Let’s go to the beach”.  For Kristen and Jim’s session, I thought the best place would be Spring Lake.  We chose a spot on the beach that is a short drive from The Mill, where their reception will be next August.

Engagement sessions can be tough - couples don’t know what to expect: what to wear, how to stand, look, kiss, etc. etc.  For us, every session is a learning experience about our clients.  Once nerves fade, great picture taking begins and a relationship between all of us is created.

Kristen & Jim,
I had blast photographing you guys and love the way the shots turned out.

- Chris 

The Save the Date post card we designed together