Krista Photography Blog » connection.PORTRAITS

Engagement Session FAQs: What to Wear?

Krista Guenin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:54:08 +0000

Well, I am officially in the middle of Engagement Session season! Spring and early summer are always full of engagement sessions, and rescheduling engagement sessions due to rain, while I tend to have more weddings in late summer and the Fall. I get a ton of questions every year around this time, so I figured I should continue with my Engagement Session FAQ series!

Up next: What do I wear for my Engagement Session?!

Tip #1: BE COMFORTABLE!

Wear something you can breathe in, walk around, sit down, or jump around in. No matter what we end up doing for your engagement session, I can promise you we’ll be walking around. I wouldn’t put it past me to sit or lay you on the ground or on some random steps. If you want to do something active, dressing comfortably is doubly important. So, comfortable clothes and comfortable (or at least bearable) shoes are key! Nothing too tight, or itchy, or anything that will make you any more uncomfortable than having a camera in your face already does ;)

Tip #2: YOU’VE GOT TO LOVE IT

Wear something you love – something you know makes you look good! Every girl has that outfit that they totally love, they wear it all the time because it just makes them look and feel fabulous. That’s the one you want to wear! The outfit that makes you feel totally confident. No buttons are going to be popping open, you’re not going to tell me after the pictures come out that those jeans make you look fat, none of that! Look at yourself in the mirror and look for things that might drive you nuts in a photo later… if it drives you nuts, pick something else! If you’re super fair, avoid white. If you’ve got red hair, maybe skip red. If you need some tips watch a few episodes of What Not To Wear – or better yet, ask your fiance what he thinks makes you looks awesome! I’ve had too many brides pick out an outfit in a hurry and tell me later that they hate what they were wearing, which makes the photos way less fun, believe me. So, choose something that makes you feel GOOD!!

Tip #3: DRESS FOR THE OCCASION

No matter where we go, or what we end up doing, you should dress for the occasion! If you’re going downtown for some fun, urban shots – maybe dress up a bit. If you’re going for a hike in the woods… maybe skip the silk dress and the heels, and opt for jeans. If it’s November and snowing, you should plan on wearing your coat, so pick one you like. If it’s going to be 100 degrees and sunny, keep that in mind. If we’re going to be doing something messy, don’t wear anything toooo nice… You get the idea.

Tip #4: REMEMBER, THERE’S SOMEONE ELSE WITH YOU

You want to make sure you look good, but you also want to be sure you look good together, right? You should try to neither clash, nor be too matchy matchy. Patterns and colors are GREAT! Just make sure they look good side by side. And, you should aim to be at about the same level of dressyness or casualness. If he’s in jeans and a wifebeater and you’re in a hot dress and heels… you may have bigger issues than your photos ;) – either way, the photos will definitely look weird. Now, if you two are polar opposites on a lot of levels, including fashion, it could be fun to do some photos that mark the contrast. But most of them should be somewhere in the middle, finding your common ground and focusing on that.

Tip #5: GENTLEMEN

Gentlemen, let me encourage you with a few tips just for the guys…

I know most of you aren’t really into the whole engagement session thing in the first place. I promise, it’s going to be fun though!!! Even if you’re not super excited, put a little effort into it anyway. It’ll make your bride happy, and it will pay off in the end when you’ve got some awesome photos of the two of you. A little effort goes a long way and when I’ve tagged all these pics of you on facebook, you’ll be glad you made the effort to look your best :)
Ask your fiance what she thinks looks great on you – and wear it!
Wear clothes that fit! I’m begging you guys… enough with the saggy pants! Wear your least saggy pants, and a shirt is neither skin tight nor 4 sizes too big. I mean, if your girl is wearing the saggy pants too, then go for it. But if she’s dressing it up a bit, non-saggy pants will really kick your outfit up a notch ;)
Your shoes matter. There’s a pretty good chance I’m going to get your shoes in the photos… there may even be photos OF your shoes. So, keep the shoes in mind and don’t try pairing up Air Jordans with slacks, ok?
Get a haircut. And maybe even shave? You want to look like YOU, so don’t do anything crazy like grow a mustache that week ;)
Follow Tips 1-4 as well
HAVE FUN!!!!

You know I love you guys! Just trying to help you out :)

Tip #6: LADIES

Ladies, here are a few tips just for you too…

Hair… wear it however you like it best! You want to look like YOU, so I don’t recommend going too fancy. Your engagement session day is not the best day for a test run for your wedding hair. We’ll get pictures of that hair-do, plenty! We want the engagement photos to look a little more natural than that. Consider getting a blow-out at your salon if you want it to look extra nice. Just keep in mind what we’ll be doing together, and what the weather’s going to be like. I’ve got super curly hair, and if you’re like me, you do not want to try straightening your hair before a shoot on a super humid day!
Make-up… again, go fairly natural. That is, natural for you. If you like a lot of make-up, then go for it! Go all out! If you’re the girl who never wears make-up… maybe consider having it done or at least putting a little on yourself. A little cover-up, lipstick & mascara can go a really long way to make your features pop in photos!
You might want to do your nails – at least file them and make sure there’s no chipped paint on them (toes and fingers). Cleaning your ring might be a good touch as well. I focus a lot on hands…
Don’t bring your purse with you! You won’t need your purse, or your cell phone, or anything like that while we’re shooting – and if you do, we can always go back to the car for them. I shoot a lot while we’re walking, so if you’ve got a ton of stuff, it’s going to be in the pictures (or I’m going to end up carrying it along with all my gear ;)

Tip #7: WHAT TO BRING (and leave in the car)

A change of clothes, if you want to go for another look later in the shoot
A blanket if you don’t want to get your butt dirty if we need to sit in the grass or something
Bug spray & sunscreen or a scarf & gloves, depending on the time of year
A ponytail holder… you never know when you’ll want to pull your hair back. Right, guys? ;)
Props… if you want. A lot of folks are doing themed engagement sessions these days. I’m totally up for that, if you are. We can think up some stuff ahead of time.
Your sense of humor! Engagement Sessions are totally strange for most people, so be prepared to laugh and enjoy a little awkward quality time with your fiance ;)

Ok, those are my tips! I hope this helps!!! No matter what you wear, we’re going to get some great photos of you! These are just my suggestions for getting the best photos we can :)

Lauren & Andy’s Engagement Session – Boston Public Gardens

Krista Guenin — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:30:21 +0000

My friend Lauren and I go way back. Well, not WAY back, but we’ve gone through a lot together in the last couple of years so it feels like I’ve known her a lot longer than I have. I met her at my sister’s house at Easter Dinner in 2008 – she was new to Boston and new to our church. We were really just acquaintances until about a year later when I happened to be there for a pretty big and difficult moment in her life. That’s when she and I really became friends. She joined my lifegroup, and we bonded over years of working as servers at Chili’s, and walks around Horn Pond. And wouldn’t you know it, about a year later (and a year ago), she met her best friend & the love of her life – Andy. I went out of town on vacation and came home to discover that she was in love! I guess you could say they knew right away!

I was totally thrilled to shoot their wedding – and I’ll tell you all about that soon enough. But first, we have to start with their engagement session! We met up downtown in the Public Gardens and spent the evening wandering around, hanging out, and laughing… a lot :)

Meet Lauren & Andy…

they’re cute

Haha, I love the cute little tourist off to the side!

I wasn’t kidding about the laughing… Andy seriously cracks Lauren up! I love it :)

Tulips!!

To wrap up the shoot, we had to go get some ice cream! Andy’s kind of addicted to ice cream, so it seemed fitting to go to Ben & Jerry’s! I didn’t get too many shots of that though because I was stuffing my face with Health Bar Crunch!!!

Lauren & Andy – I love you guys! Almost finished with the wedding pics & can’t wait to share those with you too! xoxo

To view more of my favorites from this shoot, check out the album on Facebook!

Nikki & Evan Go To Prom – Burlington, MA

Krista Guenin — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:32:12 +0000

My friends Nikki & Evan went to prom a few weeks ago, and Evan had arranged to have come over to her house early to take some photos as a surprise. It was awesome seeing her face as I pulled up to the house (no pics of that, it’s not safe to shoot & drive, you know). They’re such good friends, and I thought it was just so sweet of him to do this for her!

Nikki & Evan

The official “Prom Pose”

They had lots of friends around to get in on the fun!

I had a bit of competition…

We all went over to the Town Common where all the kids come before prom for photos… it was a zoo!

A few of my favorite details from the night

A few final portraits before they headed off for the night

love these two!

And I had to jump in there for a shot :)

On their way!

Nikki & Evan – I hope you guys had a blast! Love you guys! :)

To view more of my favorites from this shoot, please check out the album on Facebook!

Zoe’s Bat Mitzvah Portraits – Larz Anderson Park, Brookline

Krista Guenin — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:14:12 +0000

Last Fall, I had the opportunity to photograph Zoe’s Bat Mitzvah. The event was so fun, and we even shot some portraits the day before – but the weather that weekend was gross and we just didn’t get the bright sunny portraits we were hoping for. So, we picked a nice Spring day and tried again! This time we got sunshine…. cold winds, but sunshine! It’s hard to get the weather quite right in New England in the Spring ;) But I love how these turned out!

The adorable Zoe

Sisters… Annika, Zoe & Sivan

The whole fam

Jody, Paul, Zoe, Annika & Sivan – thanks for braving the cold and making the session for fun! I hope you all love the photos!

To view more of my favorites from this session, please check out the album on Facebook!

Lulabelle Cupcakes

Krista Guenin — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:30:49 +0000

One of my lovely brides, Lori, recently decided to start her own cupcake business – Lulabelle’s Cupcakes. I was super psyched when she asked me to take some photos for her – in large part because I knew that meant I’d get to EAT some CUPCAKES!! Yes!

I love that her cupcake papers fit my branding :)

Yum!

Lori’s specialty… red velvet…mmmmmmmmmmm

you know I took that bite!

Lori – you’re amazing! Thank you for the deliciousness!

If you’d like to see more of my favorite cupcake photos, check out the album on Facebook. While you’re at it, check out Lulabelle’s Cupcakes too!

Baby Jude at 4 Months – Year In The Life

Krista Guenin — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:11:05 +0000

If you thought Baby Jude was a cute little newborn, you’re going to love his 4 month portraits! He’s grown into such a sweet and happy baby!!!

Jude & Daddy

Jude & Mommy

haha! Love that face!

uh oh… well, he can’t be happy allllll the time!

Mommy knew just what he needed. Moms are good like that :)

all better!

“mmmmmm, foot!”

what a big boy!

Ah!!! SO happy!

Getting sleepy…

What a lovely family!!

David & Lindsey – I love you guys and I love your sweet baby boy!! Thank you for letting me document this fun time in your lives! xoxo

To view more of my favorites of Baby Jude – check out the album on Facebook!

Baby Delia at One Year – Reading MA

Krista Guenin — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:11:02 +0000

A couple of years ago, I started offering Year-in-the-Life portrait packages to my clients. I think it’s so neat to capture all of the little changes that take place over the course of a year, especially all of the big changes that happen in a baby’s first year! It’s really fun to watch these little ones grow and develop their own little personalities. Though it’s always a bit sad when the time comes for the last session and I know I won’t be seeing them every few months!

Baby Delia’s Year-in-the-Life began in the Fall of 2009 with maternity photos for mommy-to-be, Eileen.

And then there were newborn photos!

Our 6 month portraits were a little tricky due to a cold…

So we tried again at 8 months

And now we come to the end of the “year”… she was actually about 13 months when we finally were able to shoot this time, but you get the idea ;)

It was so nice to see her laughing and smiling so much!

Reading some books with Daddy!

don’t forget the family pets! Gotta love the cat in the crib ;)

snack time!

Haha, kids never want to get dressed to go outside!

LOVE that face!!

so sweet!

Eileen, Delia & Fabio

Eileen, Fabio & Delia – thank you so much for sharing this year with me! It’s been so fun to get to know you all over the last many months and to see your family, and Delia, grow!

To view more of my favorites from this portrait session, check out the album on Facebook!

Family Portraits – Concord MA

Krista Guenin — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:30:06 +0000

Last Fall, I donated a portrait session to an auction to benefit Social Capital, Inc. here in Woburn. It was fun tracking the online bidding, and to see a couple of friends fighting over me ;) My dear friend Jennifer ended up winning, and I was super excited to get to meet her family and take some portraits for them!

We met up at the Old North Bridge in Concord on a cold wintery day…

They were so brave to take their coats off for a few! It’s funny how being freezing cold can make you smile bigger ;)

Jennifer :)

haha!

We had to get one of us too! Apparently we didn’t have any photos together! Most of my friends can probably say that actually… I should get in front of the camera more ;)

Jennifer – I love you, my friend! So glad we could get these photos before you moved away! I miss you & can’t wait to hear the latest updates from overseas… ;)

Engagement Session FAQs – Do we really need an engagement session?

Krista Guenin — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:58:08 +0000

I get a ton of questions from brides and grooms every day, so I thought it might be helpful to start answering some of them in a series of blog posts. First up, Engagement Sessions…

Do we really need an engagement session?

Um, YES! Wedding coverage with Krista Photography always includes an engagement session. It is SO helpful on the wedding day for us to have worked together before, that I practically make them mandatory :) It’s such a great opportunity for us to get to know each other better – for you to see how I work and for me to see what you guys are like in front of the camera. It’s really awkward for most people to be photographed, I know that. So, it’s great to get all of the awkwardness out of the way before the wedding. The first 15 minutes, it’s weird and you don’t quite know what to do. And then we keep going, we laugh through the strangeness, and we find that you become much more able to be yourselves and enjoy it. And then on the wedding day, you’re like a couple of pros who don’t have to worry about it at all!

One bride wrote me after their engagement shoot to say:

“We had *so* much fun shooting with you … and on our drive back today we were talking about how it actually kind of felt like a (v. non-traditional) date! We’ve been kind of bogged down with work and wedding planning stuff … so it was a really refreshing and much-welcomed break. I can’t wait for the wedding!!”

Another great benefit to the engagement sessions is that you get to see what YOU will look like in my photos. So many people come in after seeing all these gorgeous people on my blog and say things like “oh, well we’re not that photogenic” or “hopefully you’ll be able to get some nice photos of us” and all sorts of crazy things like that! What they don’t realize, what you don’t realize, is that every couple on my blog is a real couple. I don’t do a lot of work with models, I work with real people. Real people have flaws. Real people feel weird with someone photographing their every move, sticking a camera in their face, and following them all over the place – in public no less! It’s not about having someone gorgeous to photograph, it’s about finding out what makes each couple beautiful and bringing that out! So, the engagement session really seems to encourage most brides. When the photos come out, they see how great they look in them, and they can finally really picture what their wedding photos will look like. And I think that makes brides even that much more excited for the wedding!

It also is a great opportunity for feedback. Most women are insecure or uncomfortable with something about themselves – be it their nose, chin, neck, arms, that one freckle, whatever! I only keep the photos of you that I think are awesome, and that I think you look beautiful in – but not every bride agrees with me on when they look beautiful. (In the same way I don’t think my friends are always right about what photos on facebook are “great’ of me ;) It’s helpful for me to know what you like and what you don’t like so I can make adjustments at the wedding!

I had a bride call me once after the engagement session, very upset because while she thought the photos were beautiful, she didn’t like how she looked in them. I happened to catch her in profile quite a bit (this happens when you’re looking at your fiance a lot, I must warn you), and she was self-conscious about her chin. The LAST thing I want is a bride calling me crying about her wedding photos! So, it was great to get the feedback after the engagement session. At the wedding I was able to focus on catching her from different angles, and helped her to pose in ways that were more flattering and accentuated what she liked over what she didn’t like. And she was way happier with the wedding photos than she would have been if we’d never done an engagement session!

Plus, I think it’s great for you to have some really awesome photos of the two of you in your natural environment. You’ll get some fabulous natural photos on your wedding day, of course, but that’s a fancy version of the two of you. This is the “real” thing! It’s nice to be able to show your engagement photos to your kids one day and say – this is what we were like before we were married, this is what our life was like. I love that!

So, all that to say, YES, you really do need an engagement session! They’re super fun, and helpful, so what have you got to lose?!

Baby Soren’s First Family Portraits – Lansing MI

Krista Guenin — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:31:25 +0000

Elizabeth & Ryan’s was one of my favorite weddings I’ve ever shot (you’ll notice it’s still a Featured Post), and I was so excited for them when I heard they’d had a baby! Baby Soren came this past fall, and just before the holidays I traveled to Michigan to photograph him with his parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Four generations! It was such a special weekend for their family, and I am so glad I was able to document this moment in their lives!

This is what I really love about my job – having the opportunity to photograph people’s lives, and being a part of all sorts of special moments over the years – it’s such a blessing! And getting to play with adorable babies is definitely a bonus ;)

Sleepy Soren

He looks so happy here – but the truth is, he’s crying ;)

Just as happy as on their wedding day!

Now he’s waking up!

Soren and his Great Grandmother

We took some snowy family photos between visits to the grandparents

Soren & his Great Grandfather

Soren & his Grandparents

I love this one!

Getting sleepy again… it comes full circle

Elizabeth’s Grandfather was fairly ill when we visited (not that you could tell from looking at this handsome, cheerful man!). It was incredibly moving to be part of this family portrait session knowing that they might not have another chance to all be together again. Tears were definitely shed. But it was an absolute honor to be there for them. This is the one shot I wanted the entire day, and it’s the last one I took. I just love it.

[edit] I literally just found out that this lovely man passed away yesterday. I am SO thankful that we were able to do this portrait session when we did. What a blessing that he was able to meet his great-grandchild, and how awesome that their family has these photos. This is the most beautiful thing about my job.

Elizabeth & Ryan (and Barbara) – thank you again for allowing me to be there to photograph your wonderful family! It means so much to me to be trusted and appreciated so much by all of you! It’s truly a blessing :)

Danielle & Jon Engagement Session – Borderland State Park

Krista Guenin — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:03:45 +0000

Since I’ve been so slack on blogging lately, I’m going to try posting a few shoots with fewer words… Words take me much longer to write ;) On that note, here are a few favorites from my engagement session with Danielle & Jon down at Borderland State Park!

We actually started at Jon’s family home nearby before going to the park…

Oh wow, look how pretty Autumn was…

I love how they make each other laugh :)

trees!

Danielle & Jon – thanks again for a fun afternoon, long ago though it may be! I’m super glad I had the chance to hang out and get to know you both a bit!!

Faith & Ryan’s Rockport Engagement Session

Krista Guenin — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 15:09:45 +0000

I’ve known Faith since she joined my small group at our church in Chicago, back in 2004! We became good friends, and I was sad to see her go when she moved to Boston a year or so later. As it turned out, God had plans for me in Boston as well, and I moved her just a year after Faith. And wouldn’t you know it? My first roommate here hosted a small group at our house on Friday nights and who was in it, but Faith?! It’s funny how things work out that way :)

Flash forward a few years, and here I am in Rockport, photographing Faith and her fiance Ryan for their engagement session! I’m so happy that Faith has found the love of her life, and I cannot wait to shoot their wedding in a couple of weeks!!! Until then though, here are a few of my favorites from their engagement session…

It was a chilly day, but they were brave and climbed out on the rocks for me!

Rockport is such a cute town!

Faith & Ryan are pretty cute too ;)

And just as we were leaving, a storm came along… talk about great timing!

Faith & Ryan – I’m so excited for you two! I can’t wait to celebrate with you in just a couple weeks!!! :D

Amy & Lawrence Boston Engagement Session

Krista Guenin — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:27:38 +0000

With Amy in Boston, and Lawrence in San Francisco, and them planning a wedding in just a matter of a couple months – we didn’t get a chance to do an engagement session very far before the wedding! In fact, we did it just 2 days before! In the midst of all of the final week of preparation, they took a little time out of their hectic schedule to spend some time letting me photograph them. It is so helpful on the day of the wedding for us to have all worked together before, that is really is important for us to do an engagement session. I’m so glad they agreed!

We met up in Boston and spent some time walking from the Public Gardens to the Harbor and back. It was a surprisingly warm Fall day and we ended up having a great time!

They’re so sweet together!

This tree is amazing!

Looking out across the harbor to where their wedding would be held just a couple days later!

Amy & Lawrence – thank you again for making time for this! It was great to spend the time with you and just get to know you both a bit, and I think it made the wedding day way more fun to feel like we’d gotten to be friends beforehand! :)

To view more of my favorites from this session, please check out the album on Facebook!

Katelyn & Evan’s Engagement Session – New York City

Krista Guenin — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:04:07 +0000

Until I moved here, I never realized just how close Boston is to New York City! It’s about as close as Indianapolis is to Chicago – and I used to make that trip a dozen times a year. I don’t seem to get to New York quite as often, but when I do get the chance, it’s always kind of exciting! I love road trips and visiting new places – so I try to check out a new part of the City each time I go. So, when Katelyn & Evan suggested we meet up in NYC for their engagement session, I was totally excited! And I was not disappointed – we had a great time, and I absolutely LOVE how the photos turned out!!

We started out in Central Park…

Love these next two!

As the sun was setting, we decided to walk towards Lincoln Center and get some images with more of the City feel. Love this one in front of Brooks Brothers!

Lincoln Center turned out to be the perfect spot for some night shots! They even had a little opera going on outside to keep us entertained!

Taking some inspiration from the boys at Avenna Studios – I decided to take a few big steps back… Love how they turned out!

After Lincoln Center, we walked over to the Apple Store. Dueling iPhones!

After that we just walked around town for a while

*love* this one!

Katelyn & Evan – thank you again for a fun afternoon in the City! It was so great getting to know you both a bit better, and seeing some new parts of town. And double thank you for the delicious dinner!! Next time I’m in NYC, or in Paris, I’ll be sure to go back :)

If you’d like to view more of my favorites from this shoot, please check out the album on Facebook!

Baby Jude – Newborn Portraits

Krista Guenin — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:48:51 +0000

My dear friends Lindsey & David recently had their first child – two days before my birthday in fact! I was super sad that I was out of town when little Jude was born, but I stopped by the hospital as soon as I got back into town and celebrated my birthday by holding this little cutie and capturing some newborn portraits of him. Here are a few of my favorites…

I LOVE this shot of David with Jude!!! SO sweet! David’s going to be such a great Daddy :)

Lindsey’s such a loving Mommy already!

And now they are three…

little precious

It worked out so perfectly that Lindsey’s mom was in town from Oklahoma to be there! I love these shots of Lindsey and Jude, and Mimi :)

Lindsey & David – you know I love you! And baby Jude… I can’t wait to hold you and kiss you again SOOOON!!!!

xoxo

If you’d like to see more of my favorites from this shoot – check out the album on Facebook!

Lindsey’s Maternity Portraits

Krista Guenin — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:36:43 +0000

My dear friend Lindsey just had a baby the other day – her first child, a son named Jude! He’s so precious and I’ll definitely be sharing many photos of him in the coming weeks, and months, and years, I’m sure :) But before we get there, we have to go back a few weeks to when there were still leaves on the tress and pumpkins laying around – and little Jude was still a mysterious baby growing inside Lindsey’s belly! I spent a morning with David & Lindsey capturing the last portraits of the two of them before their family officially became three!

This is one beautiful pregnant lady :)

I love how David always knows how to make Lindsey laugh!

I **LOVE** this one!!!! That’s one happy Daddy!

Another favorite!

There’s nothing quite as amazing to me as a pregnant belly! There was a tiny little human growing in there – that’s pretty incredible!

David & Lindsey – I love you guys!!! Thanks for letting me share in this wonderful part of your life! I’m very very excited to be baby Jude’s one and only Kiki! :)

To view more of my favorites from this session, please check out the album on Facebook!

Jane & Jason’s Engagement Session – Boston

Krista Guenin — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:21:10 +0000

Before it got cold and gloomy, I met Jane & Jason downtown for their engagement shoot. We walked through Beacon Hill, over to the Charles and back to the Boston Public Gardens. It was a lovely evening and so fun to just get to know them and enjoy hanging out with them a bit!

They’re so cute!

Hahaha!

One of the best parts was wandering through the alleys and finding some great doorsteps…

The Charles just before sunset… love it!

hot!

On the way back, we had to stop for some Starbucks!

Then it was back to the Public Gardens for the last bit of sunlight

Jane & Jason – thanks for such a fun evening – and for my chai! :) I totally can’t wait for the wedding in March…. just a few months away! Wahoo!!

Ashley & Scott Anniversary Portraits – Lewiston, Maine

Krista Guenin — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 21:37:41 +0000

This blog you are visiting was designed by my very creative friend, Ashley! She worked so hard on this project and, in my opinion, did a fabulous job! A few weeks ago, I got to return the favor and take some photographs of her and her husband Scott. Like too many people I know, Ashley & Scott didn’t have a professional photographer shoot their wedding, and they have no photos from the day to remember it all. That just kills me :( But it made me doubly excited to take some great photos of them to share with their grand kids one day!!

Fields of tall grass make me happy :)

And I love me some broken down factories…

We had to get some pics with their baby, Molly!

These two can make each other laugh like no one else!

Ashley & Scott – you rock :) I’m so glad I got to come up and see your new home in Maine, meet Molly, and spend some time with you both! Thank you again, Ashley for making this blog so fun and lovely!

To view more of my favorites from this session, please check out the album on facebook!

Nikki’s Senior Photos – Beverly MA

Krista Guenin — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 15:42:03 +0000

Up until this summer, I’d never shot Senior Photos. It just never seemed to come up, and I wasn’t really putting any energy into trying to get those gigs. So, when one of the girls from my church asked if I could shoot her Senior Portraits, I was totally excited to try something new! Nikki’s a sweet girl, and I knew it would be a fun time hanging out with her – plus she’s totally photogenic and made it easy for me ;) So we headed up to Lynch Park in Beverly to shoot for the afternoon and had a great time!

Check out those green eyes of hers! Woah!

She’s so cute :)

This building with it’s chipping paint is my favorite thing about Lynch Park. I was kinda sad to see that they were starting to repaint it!!

This is what would happen when I’d tell her to give me a “serious face” … hahaha!

This one’s been a crowd favorite on Facebook…

Nikki, you’re awesome! I’m glad you were my very first Senior Photo shoot!! I hope you love the photos! :)

To view more of my favorites from this shoot, please visit the album on Facebook!

Baby Delia’s Year-in-the-Life: 8 Months

Krista Guenin — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 14:03:47 +0000

A couple months ago I set out to photograph baby Delia for her 6-month session in her Year-in-the-Life portraits, but she wasn’t feeling well and cried most of the time :( So, we waited a few weeks and tried again. This time she was feeling much better and enjoyed the shoot a little more, thank goodness!

Even though she was feeling better, she still wasn’t interested in smiling for the camera. She was MUCH more interested in this leaf!

There’s her smile!

Delia & Daddy

Looking at the flowers with Mommy

She mostly wanted to eat them :)

Can we talk about these eyes for a minute?! Woah!

By this point she was pretty much done, so we walked back to the house

Now, back at home was a whole different story! She was having way more fun – blowing raspberries and babbling up a storm :)

The whole family – cats included :)

Can’t believe the next time I see Delia she’ll be one year old!! It’ll be here before you know it!!

To view more of my favorites from this shoot, please visit the album on Facebook!

Family Reunion Portraits – New Hampshire

Krista Guenin — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:00:24 +0000

I hardly ever get to see my oldest & dearest friend Marietta, who lives in Ohio, but this year I’ve gotten to see her a ton!! I went home a couple of times and got to see her and her new baby. Then a few weeks ago she & her family came to New England for a family reunion! They don’t get the whole clan together very often, so they asked me to come up and take some photographs. A fun portrait shoot, plus I get to see my Marietta and baby Austin?! Fabulous :)

I love these people :]

Mar with her brother & sister – I’ve known them all since I was about 6 years old!

Austin with his Lola!

Some of little families…

All the cousins!

The grandparents with all the grandchildren! Can anyone spot the extra adult in the photo???

Everybody!!

In between the formal shots I was able to capture all the cuteness a bit more candidly

And after all the portraits were over, we ate the most delicious ribs EVER, and then had a little 1st birthday celebration!

Marietta – I love you! I am so thankful that you’ve been part of my life for over 25 years! (wow, we’re getting old…) And thanks for bringing me up and letting me crash the reunion. Your family is, of course, awesome! Hopefully we can keep finding more and more excuses to see each other this year :) Hug & kiss that baby for me!!!

Twins!

Krista Guenin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:26:46 +0000

When I was in Chicago this summer, I had the chance to see an old friend of mine that I haven’t seen in YEARS! I literally don’t think I’ve seen her since I left my job at the hedge fund and became a photographer over 8 years ago (that’s a story for another day). It was SO great to see her and catch up – but it was especially exciting because I got to photograph her TWINS! A boy and a girl, just a few weeks old and as precious as they get!

They’d like to remain anonymous, so I’m only going to share a couple of my favorites to give you a taste of how cute they are!

Ah! So precious!! xoxo

Tami & Ryan’s Family Portraits – Chicago, IL

Krista Guenin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:56:01 +0000

I photographed Tami & Ryan’s wedding back in 2005 when I worked for a studio in Chicago called Real Life Weddings. Tami actually interned at the studio for a while, and assisted me at a few weddings – and we became friends in the process. I hadn’t seen her in ages, so I was super excited when she decided to schedule a session for my Portrait Day in Lincoln Park in Chicago this summer! Almost exactly five years after their wedding, I had the chance to see Tami & Ryan again, to meet Ava & Ryder, and to photograph their adorable family! I love photographing friends, and I absolutely love getting to work with my brides again – so this was really quite a treat!

Meet Ava…

haha!

Little Ryder

It was fun catching up with them as we walked through the Park. I discovered that Ryan is pastor of a new church in Palatine, IL that was planted through the Acts 29 Network last fall. It just so happens that my church was also planted last fall through Acts 29! It was so cool to hear all about their experience and all the great stuff that God’s doing in their community!

I love this family shot!

We even managed to get a few portraits just of the two of them (since you can’t see that she’s still holding the baby ;)! Ryan assured me that they probably hadn’t had one taken since their wedding, so at least I can say that I’m the one who gets to do it ;)

These two are great parents! I just love these last couple of shots!

And just for fun, here are a few of my favorites from their WEDDING, circa 2005!! (The following photos were shot on FILM for Real Life Weddings)

The first time I ever got to shoot a “First Look”!

Tami & Ryan – it was SO great to see you!! And to meet your babies! They’re so cute, and have such sweet & fun little personalities already. Thanks for coming into the city for our photo session, and for braving the heat and even exploding diapers! Hopefully it will be less than 5 years before I see you again :)

To view more of my favorites from this shoot, please check out the album on Facebook!

A Year-in-the-Life: Chloe’s 1st Birthday Party!

Krista Guenin — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:07:40 +0000

Wow, time really does just fly by, doesn’t it?! It seems like it wasn’t that long ago Justin & Gretchen were getting married! Since then they’ve gotten pregnant, had a baby girl, had lots of photo shoots of little Chloe growing up, and now she’s officially a year old!!! To celebrate, they threw her a party complete with cake smashed in the face and lots of laughs – and once again I got to be there to document the fun!

So big!

First of all, the 3 pigtails she’s got going on are adorable. Secondly, look at how sweet that face is! And third, I think it’s hilarious how much she loved that card (more than the present even)!

Blowing kisses!

not quite walking… I love Gretchen’s hand in the lower left of this shot. Giving her a chance to stay up by herself, but definitely ready to catch her at the first sign of falling.

1st Birthday Princess :)

What’s this deliciousness?!

Once you have cake all over you, your best bet is to just wash off in the pool!

Dads always know how to make their girls laugh!

And every little girl needs a fabulous & adoring AUNT!!

trying to walk some more…. I love the toes, the little thighs, the shadows (especially the hand reaching out to grab)!

You’re too cute, Chloe!

Gretchen & Justin (and Chloe) – thank you! You guys are the best! It’s been SO fun to document this crazy & wonderful year for you!!!! It’s hard to believe it’s over already, and I won’t be coming by your house in a couple months for another shoot ;) But, I’m excited to stay connected with you and see how your family continues to grow and change over the years!

To view more of my favorites from this shoot check out the album on Facebook!

Rahel & Yitzi’s Engagement Session – Boston, MA

Krista Guenin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:46:10 +0000

Last year I photographed the wedding of Shoshana & Andy and had such a fun time working with them and their family! Imagine my excitement when Shoshana’s mom called to tell me that Shoshana’s sister Rahel had just gotten engaged!! I am thrilled to be able to continue documenting this family, and to celebrate another marriage with them!

A few weeks ago I met up with Rahel and Yitzi to photograph their engagement session. These two met at MIT, so what better place to begin our shoot than on campus?

Being photographed can be totally awkward – but if you can just keep each other laughing, it helps a LOT!

After walking around campus a little bit, we decided to head over to the Charles River. The sunlight was just lovely!

I’m totally fascinated by the way people stand, and what they do with their hands & their feet. In case you were wondering why I always have random shots of people’s lower halves… :)

I love the sunlight this time of day!

Gosh, Rahel’s eyes are so beautiful!

At this point in the evening, we walked down to J.P. Lick’s for some delicious ice cream! (which is funny, since Shoshana & Andy took me there during their eSession as well) I don’t have photos to show you of this portion because I was a little busy stuffing my face ;) But after that we walked along the Esplanade for the sunset, and played in the park a bit.

I know the next 2 are a lot alike, but I couldn’t decide which processing I liked better!

See, laughter always helps!!

Our final view as we walked back across the bridge

Rahel & Yitzi – it was great to see you again – and great to meet you Yitzi! Thanks for a fun evening, and especially the awesome ice cream! ;) It was great getting to hang out with you both and get to know you a little better. I’m really looking forward to seeing you again in a few weeks for the wedding!! Hard to believe it’s coming up already, but it’s going to be a blast!!

To view more of my favorites from this shoot, check out the album on Facebook