Krista Photography Blog » Portraits

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 :)

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!

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!

Jared’s Bar Mitzvah

Krista Guenin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:02:38 +0000

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to take some portraits for Jared and his family in honor his Bar Mitzvah. Here are a few of my favorites!

Jared

I always like photos of kids doing what they love, for Jared that’d be basketball…

And he is learning to play the guitar! He plays a mean Stairway to Heaven :)

Siblings :)

The whole fam!

It’s great when I can photograph a rehearsal since usually I’m not allowed to photograph during the ceremony. Besides, I can get much closer this way!

They had a bunch of family over as well, but this guy was my favorite! I’m such a sucker for a cute little grandpa! And he was so honored that I’d asked to take his portrait, how could I not include him in the post?!

Congratulations Jared!

Portrait Days

Krista Guenin — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:00:10 +0000

To celebrate the launch of my new portraits website, I’m planning to host a few Portrait Days in July. I’ll be traveling back and forth between Boston and Indianapolis with my family next month, so we’ll have Portrait Days in a number of cities along the way!

Portrait Days will include consecutive mini portrait sessions at a set location on a specified day (see schedule below). All sessions will be about 45 minutes long and may include any number of people. Sessions are only $150 (plus tax for MA residents) and will include all images posted online for proofing. There are a limited number of sessions per day, so please call or email to schedule your session today! For cities where a location has not yet been determined, the first person to sign up will get to help decide :)

2010 Portrait Days

Wednesday, July 7th – INDIANAPOLIS, IN – The Indianapolis Art Museum

Tuesday, July 13th – CHICAGO, IL – Location TBD

Thursday, July 15th – COLUMBUS, OH – Location TBD

Friday, July 16th – NEW YORK, NY – Location TBD

Saturday, July 24th – BOSTON, MA – Mystic River Reservation

*full portrait sessions may also be available in your city on or around these dates, so contact me if you’d like to schedule a full shoot!

Krista Photography Portraits site is LIVE!

Krista Guenin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 23:29:48 +0000

Oh boy, I’ve been waiting for this post for MONTHS! I’ve been working hard to collect and edit down my favorite portrait photos to fill the galleries of my BRAND NEW portraits website! And now, I proudly introduce you to www.kristaphotoportraits.com!

It basically looks and works just like my weddings site, but is all about portraits. Geniusy, eh? Take a look! Let me know what you think, I’d love to hear your thoughts!!

Baby Tellen

Krista Guenin — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:00:59 +0000

I hope you people like cute babies! Because there’s no shortage of them over here these days! All my clients, and friends are having babies it seems. Love it! :)

I was hanging out with my friend’s baby, Tellen, the other day. And I could not resist photographing her gorgeous little face. I mean her little nose, and her chubby cheeks were seriously just TOO MUCH!!

She looks a little freaked out, but trust me, we’re totally buds!

See!

Oh. my. goodness!

Apparently this last shot right here, this sleeping child, made me the “Tellen-whisperer” :)

Tellen – you’re too cute for words!

Sara & Steve – Rehearsal Dinner

Krista Guenin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:04:25 +0000

Like many of my couples this year, Sara & Steve don’t live in the Boston area. They live out in California, and we weren’t actually able to meet until the night before their wedding. I “require” all of my couples to have an engagement shoot before the wedding so we can spend some time getting to know each other in front of the camera – it just makes it SO much easier to get great portraits on the wedding day. Since we didn’t get a chance to meet earlier, we captured some portraits before their Rehearsal Dinner. I met up with them at their hotel in Portsmouth and we went for a walk…

Steve does NOT like to have his photo taken. He said that he didn’t think I could get a good photo of him – that I couldn’t get a natural smile from him. Haha! Don’t test me, people! ;)

After our portrait session, we drove up to Sara’s parents’ place on Gerrish Island for the Rehearsal Dinner. Driving down their street, I spotted this little guy out my window.

Steve’s Dad was walking along the shore behind the house, looking for rocks. Totally endearing :)

And some of the boys were throwing rocks. I loved how synchronized they were!

Steve & Sara spent the rest of the evening laughing and enjoying a some time with their friends and family. It was a fun and very relaxed party!

Stay tuned for the photos from their gorgeous (and soaking wet) wedding!

Elena & Dan’s eSession – Walden Pond

Krista Guenin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:36:11 +0000

I remember reading Walden in high school, and really liking it. Ever since I moved out to the Boston area, and realized how close I was to Walden Pond, I’ve been dying to go there. I have this little fantasy that I’ll go one day and walk around the pond and then sit on a blanket and read the book… but that hasn’t happened yet and probably won’t happen anytime soon. I did, however, go to Walden recently for Elena & Dan’s engagement session. I was totally excited to see it finally, and was equally excited to meet Dan and see Elena again! We met up just before sunset and had a chance to walk around the pond a bit, and spend some time letting them get used to me and my Nikon :)

This one is my FAVORITE!

They are totally cute!

Elena & Dan – it was great hanging out with you two and getting to know you both a little better! I’m really looking forward to the wedding next weekend – it’s going to be beautiful! Enjoy the last week of your engagement and I’ll see you soooon! :)

Susan & Ethan’s Family Portraits – Indianapolis, IN

Krista Guenin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:44:36 +0000

Ten years ago, I had just graduated from Butler University and was living in Indianapolis with my friend Susan. I was also working in a psychiatric clinic at a children’s hospital with kids with autism and OCD, but that was in another life… Anyway, it was a bit surreal to meet Susan and her husband and three beautiful children back on campus at Holcomb Gardens this summer for some family photos! We had a blast hanging out though, and I was totally excited to meet baby Lily for the first time!

This is my boy, Jack. We’re totally buds…

Wherever the big brother goes, the little brother will follow…

Ethan and Sam

Susan and Lily

Ugh! Those lips and those eyes!!! And the chubs – I just want to squeeze her!!!!

The whole family. I can’t tell you how many shots it took to get this one where they’re all looking and smiling!!

Sammy and Grandma

haha! What’s wrong Sam?

I LOVE this shot of Jack blowing bubbles!!

Near the end of the session, Sue busted out this gorgeous pink tutu for Lily!!! It was FABULOUS!

This is my FAVORITE!!!

Lily didn’t really want to pose for us…

Momma makes it all better though :)

We even caught a few shots of Sue and Ethan as a couple. Too many people get married, have kids and never seem to get their photo taken as a couple anymore!

And, of course, I have to share a compilation of some of my favorite Jack faces :)

Sue – it was SO great to see you guys!! Thank you for a fun afternoon, and for a delicious dinner. Your family is so delightful, and just insanely cute! I just love that we’re connected again and I get to see your little family grow :)

To view more of my favorites from this sessions, please check my Facebook Fan Page!

A Year in the Life – Gretchen’s Maternity Session

Krista Guenin — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:42:39 +0000

One of my favorite things in this business is when I have the opportunity to document not just the first day in the life of a new family, but also as it begins to grow! Gretchen & Justin pretty much got pregnant the minute they got married ;) and now I get to photograph a Year-in-the-Life of their first child!! I’m so excited to watch this little cutie grow up!

The first session in a Year-in-the-Life Package is usually a maternity session. The maternity session is a chance to document the beauty and craziness that is pregnancy. I think pregnant women are so lovely! I hear so many women talk about how they feel fat and gross when they’re pregnant, but honestly, I think they are amazing and beautiful. I mean, there’s a teeny tiny human being growing and living INSIDE of them! That’s AMAZING! The first time my sister was pregnant, we would just sit around staring at her belly exclaiming in wonder, “there’s a PERSON in there!!” Come on, it’s a wondrous miracle!!! As you can tell, I’m fascinated by the whole thing and I LOVE to take maternity photos, when moms will let me :) I’m so glad Gretchen is such a good sport!

Comparing “Buddha bellies”

Gretchen, thank you so much for stepping out in front of the camera, and Justin thanks for playing along! I love you guys!

Britt & Mike’s Cape Cod Wedding – Chatham, MA

Krista Guenin — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:10:00 +0000

I am so excited to share the rest of Britt & Mike’s wedding with you! I’ve been excited for this one since the first time I met Britt & Mike last summer. I’ve really had a chance to get to know them over the last year or so as we’ve done two engagement sessions. It is fun to get to know a couple during shoots and meetings and phone calls, but then to meet their friends and family and see them through that lens is doubly wonderful. These two people are dearly loved! The whole crowd was warm and genuine, and certainly fun! It was a truly wonderful day…Britt & the girls got ready at the house where the reception would later be held.

I love this emotional shot Elizabeth captured of Britt’s parents watching her get ready!

Britt’s dress was AH-mazing! I literally gasped when she pulled it out of the closet. Not the most professional moment of the day. But it was gorgeous – the color, the material, the cut were all perfect!

Britt’s reaction to seeing herself in her dress brought us all to tears! I think that can be one of the most overwhelming moments for a bride – when it really sinks in that she’s getting married today.

Meanwhile, down the road, James Federico of The Feds Studio was helping me out by photographing Mike and the guys getting ready. I always laugh because there’s really nothing much to guys getting ready. Just tie their tie and hit the road!

Once everyone was ready, we headed down to the beach for the ceremony. After all the rain we’d been having, we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day! :)

James captured this image of Britt’s parents and grandmother laughing – love it.

Don’t worry, he got the ring on her finger!

James’ shots of the kiss were my favorites

Happy tears!

A few minutes alone with Britt & Mike at the beach…

Elizabeth caught this shot of me during the portraits. In case you want to know what you should expect on your wedding day… You should expect me, hiding in the grass, or laying on the ground, and basically doing whatever I can to get a cool shot and to make sure I can’t wear really nice pants… ;)

Then we headed back to the house and grabbed some group shots and a few more portraits of the happy couple. I had to jump off the dock and onto the muddy shore to capture the next two, but it was worth it.

After portraits it was time for the fun to begin! The evening started with some wonderful toasts. First up, Britt’s Dad…

The Best Man

Then Britt’s sister and Maid of Honor, Devon gave a very touching and tearful toast

Cutting the Cake

Their first dance

And then the fun really began! I’m leaving out some crazy dance moves, a keg stand, and more – but you get the idea! This party was rockin’!

The most dedicated and dramatic catching-a-fish dance move I’ve ever witnessed…

and the last dance

Britt & Mike – thank you so much for having me there to document your day!! Your wedding was so much fun, and I felt so welcomed in, like one of your guests. Heck, your cousin Kerry practically inducted me into the family ;) I hope you love the photos!!! I can’t wait to get going on your album….

Elizabeth & Ryan’s Wedding – SNEAK PEAK

Krista Guenin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Here’s another quick sneak peak, this time from Elizabeth & Ryan’s gorgeous wedding down in Marion, MA! I can’t wait to finish the edit when I get back from vacation to show you more of this picture perfect wedding!

Britt & Mike’s Wedding – SNEAK PEAK

Krista Guenin — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:45:00 +0000

I’m not quite finished editing the images from Britt & Mike’s fabulous wedding on Cape Cod, but I thought I’d share a couple from the day as a little appetizer :) They’re such a fabulous couple and I LOVED their wedding so much! Lots and lots more images to follow after vacation…

Could they be any happier??

A few moments alone after the ceremony

Um, this is my FAVORITE!

They had an awesome bridal party, I’m glad they were willing to put up with some of my crazy ideas for portraits :)

Britt & Mike – I can’t wait to show you the rest! As soon as I get back in town… :D

Shoshana & Andy’s Wedding – Newton, MA

Krista Guenin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:23:00 +0000

My first wedding of this year was the wedding of Shoshana & Andy. Not only was it the first, but it was also the biggest wedding of the year, and has been the most arduous to edit! I ended up with THREE second shooters, so there were 4 photographers covering the wedding, and we had over 6,000 images between us when the day was done! My interns and I have gone through the images at least 4 or 5 times, and we’ve finally got it down to a manageable size for sharing with the world. In case you’ve been wondering where I’ve been, that ought to explain it :)

This was my first Orthodox Jewish wedding as the primary photographer, and it was so much fun! The energy and excitement throughout the day was contagious, and the details and traditions were so meaningful and touching. I’m excited to share some of my favorites at last!

Shoshana’s father looking on as her veil is placed. She looked so beautiful :)

Her necklace was gorgeous, and a family heirloom, I believe

The happy bride

I love these next two shots that Ben of Avenna Studios captured while photographing Andy getting ready and during the Tisch.

The Ketubah, hand-made by a member of the family

Shoshana, her mother Teri, and Andy’s mother waiting for the guests to come greet them during the Kabbalat Panim. I love the excitement between Shoshana & Teri!

After the Tisch, the groom is escorted by family and friends, singing and dancing, to where the bride is waiting for him. I love the moment as the bride is blessed by the fathers. In this photo, Shoshana is being blessed by Andy’s father.

And this is the highlight of the Bedeken, the moment when Shoshana & Andy see each other for the first time and Andy lowers the veil over his bride. Vince from Avenna Studios caught this moment beautifully.

It’s such an emotional part of the day!

waiting for the ceremony to begin

Giving her away

As Shoshana reached the chuppah, she circled Andy seven times

Andy placing the ring on her finger. (Another great shot from Ben, who got the prime spot on the bema during the ceremony)

The sanctuary at Congregation Mishkan Tefila is so beautiful!

Shortly after the cermony, we were able to take Shoshana & Andy outside for a few portraits. We were so lucky that the rain held off for us! (in case you’re not from around here, it’s been raining in Boston for like 6 weeks now…)

They’re totally cute together :)

Vince captured this one, which I love

Their rings were totally unique (but the same as each other’s). Andy’s grandfather made them! Such a talented family!!

And this is what it looked like during portraits… I’d normally have more of the other photographers inside capturing the cocktail hour, but Shoshana’s mother really wanted to make sure we got plenty of portraits of the two of them together. Apparently Teri’s photographer forgot to get a single portrait of Shoshana’s parents together on the day of their wedding. Can you imagine?!

We took a few inside the lovely sanctuary as well. The light was just so nice, and the stained glass so interesting and colorful!

Once we were done with portraits, the party really began! One of my favorite things about Orthodox weddings is that they REALLY know how to celebrate! Nobody else dances with so much enthusiasm and energy :) I love this shot Vince caught during the Horah.

Shoshana up in the chair

Gorgeous flowers by Sarah’s Garden

During some parts of the reception, friends and family perform for the Bride & Groom. These ladies were dancing maniacs!

Shoshana’s sisters tap danced for them

Andy singing for his bride

Cynthia captured this embrace after the song was finished. I love the faces of the guests cheering for them :)

Shoshana & Andy, thank you so much for having us as part of your day! We had a fabulous time, as you and your guests clearly did as well. Congratulations to you both! I hope you’re getting settled and enjoying some better weather down there in Atlanta. I look forward to working with you on your album after you’ve had some time to look through all the photos! :)

If you’d like to see more of my favorites, check out the album on my Facebook Page :)

Many thanks to all of the fabulous vendors who worked on this wedding…

Catering & Coordination – Andrew Wiener of Catering by Andrew
Flowers – Sarah Burkstein of Sarah’s Garden
Music – The Nafshenu Orchestra
Venue – Congregation Mishkan Tefilla
2nd Shooting – Cynthia Hauk

And a special thanks to Ben & Vince from Avenna Studios for all your help with the day! It was great working with you guys!

Meaghan & Steve’s Fishing Engagement Session – North Reading, MA

Krista Guenin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:30:00 +0000

When I first moved out to Boston, my sister insisted that I had to be friends with this girl named Meaghan. Kyla told me how hilarious and awesome this Meaghan was, and she wasn’t kidding. She’s got this dry sense of humor, and is just the kind of person that you can’t help but like. Meaghan was part of my LIFEgroup at GENESIS for almost 3 years and has become a very dear friend. When she & Steve started dating, it didn’t take any of us very long to realize that they were perfect for each other. I’m not sure if I’ve ever met two people better suited for one another. And what’s even better is how ridiculously happy they are together!! I was totally pumped when they asked me to shoot their wedding because I couldn’t wait to capture that joy :)

When planning their eSession, I told them (as I tell all of my clients) that we should do something that’s very “them.” I try to make the Engagement Session like a snapshot of the couple in real life. My hope is to capture them doing things they like to do together, and just being themselves. For Meg & Steve, I knew that we had to go fishing! These two go fishing all the time, and I find that so fascinating since I haven’t fished in like 20 years :) Steve thought that was the best idea ever, so a couple weeks ago we grabbed their rods and headed out to the pond…

Meaghan

and Steve :)

He had to show us his “big catch”

Honestly, this next photo says more about their relationship than I can express. The way they’re holding each other and still holding their own poles, the subtle smile on their lips as they kiss, every little detail speaks to who they are and what their life is like. I’m tearing up just looking at it – it’s just so THEM!

After we caught a few fish, they let me take a few portraits in the nice warm light.

They’re so cute :)

Meg & Steve, I love you guys! I’m so happy for you I could burst :D

Shoshana & Andy’s Engagement Session – Boston, MA

Krista Guenin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:02:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, I photographed Shoshana & Andy’s engagement session. It was a dreary day and as I drove down to meet them, it started to rain. I was afraid we’d have to do the session inside, but it turns out Shoshana & Andy were totally up for shooting in the rain! So, I put a plastic bag over my camera and we drove over to the Arnold Arboretum. Lucky for us, right as we pulled up it stopped raining and the sun came through the clouds. It was perfect timing!

Big trees, tiny little people :]

I love a playful couple

These two laugh, a lot

sweet

We found this very cool tree, and I had to put them in it!

They were troopers and went down into the swampy field for me. I was very glad I wore my sneakers this time!

How awesome is it that Shoshana’s yellow shirt matched the flowers perfectly?!

Butterfly kisses

Amidst all the fun laughing shots, I really liked this quiet, subdued photo the best.

After we’d had our fill of trees and flowering fields, we headed over to JP Licks and filled up on some DELICIOUS ice cream! And just in time too, it started raining almost as soon as we got inside.

I realized as I was editing this that I’d shot yet another cow. Not sure what’s up with all the cows lately…

The hardest part is choosing a flavor!

It’s always nice to share :)

A perfect end to a fun afternoon

Shoshana & Andy – we had a great time hanging out with you two! I’m still amazed at our luck with the weather :) Thanks again for the yummy ice cream! Photos from the wedding will be coming soon…

Alli & Glenn’s eSession – Woodstock, CT

Krista Guenin — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:24:00 +0000

Alli & Glenn live in New York City, we met in Boston, their wedding will be in Newport, and we shot their engagement session in Woodstock, CT! Talk about a New England wedding, this one includes almost all of it!

Woodstock is such a cute town and there were so many options for their engagement photos. Unfortunately it was spitting rain through the whole shoot, but Alli & Glenn were good sports and didn’t mind getting a little wet :) We started out at Glenn’s parents’ home where they have some beautiful blossoming trees. (btw, this photo totally reminds me of my friend Amanda‘s logo!)

I love barns! I’m so glad they hadn’t painted this one yet.

After a little while at the house, we hopped in the car to see what we would find. Alli thought of this great little wooded area, and it turned out to be fabulous! Plus, it sheltered us from the rain.

They’re cute :]

I just love Alli’s gorgeous green eyes!

It was right about this point that I almost fell on my face running through the woods in my Birkenstocks so I could lay on the ground and get these shots. Mental note: don’t wear birks on engagement shoots anymore…

This is one of my favorites from the day!

Hey, look, we found another barn!

I saved the best for last… We stumbled across a field full of cows hanging out beside the road, and we just couldn’t resist taking a few photos with them. I mean, what’s an engagement session for a NYC couple without some cows and a farm?! ;)

I love how the cows were posing for the camera!

This one really wanted to be in the picture

It was definitely was one of the most entertaining eSessions I’ve ever shot!

Alli & Glenn, thanks for a great shoot! I don’t have many couples who would be up for having their engagement photos taken with cows, so thanks for being adventurous with me :) I’m totally excited for your Newport wedding in, woah, less than a month!

Elizabeth & Ryan’s eSession – Marion, MA

Krista Guenin — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:35:00 +0000

Elizabeth called me months ago about her wedding to Ryan this June. She lives in Chicago, which means I liked her right away ;), but we never got a chance to meet until a couple weeks ago at their engagement session down in Marion, MA near Buzzards Bay. We met up at the home where the wedding will be, and it’s such a gorgeous location – I am so excited for the wedding day! Elizabeth was just as pleasant to be around as she seemed on the phone, and Ryan is definitely her perfect match. It was very fun to finally meet them and we had a great time together taking photographs all over the property!

These two have such a great dynamic – they’re so fun and playful, they clearly love being around each other!

They’re also gorgeous!

Elizabeth is the kind of woman who greets you with a firm handshake and leaves you with a strong hug. She laughs HARD, with her whole body! You’ve got to love a woman like that!

It was totally worth walking through the mud to get these!

I have really learned to love shooting into the sun!

Coolest thing about this image is something Cynthia pointed out to me while she was editing the shoot… Even with all the light coming through, you can see Elizabeth’s eyelashes. I love little details like that!

Just trying something different with the edit on this one… what do you think?

This is what this scene looked like from the other side

love it!

We walked through this little archway into the neighbors’ yard from some images with a totally different feel.

there’s that laugh again!

Elizabeth & Ryan, it was SO great to finally meet you! I had such a great time getting to know you both. I can’t wait for your wedding – it’s going to be beautiful and so much fun!

If you’d like to see a few more of my favorites, you can check them out on my Facebook Fan Page :)

Britt & Mike’s eSession – Chatham, MA

Krista Guenin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:14:00 +0000

A few months ago, I met Britt & Mike and we tried to have a fun engagement shoot by Fenway Park, but the weather didn’t really cooperate. Since they live in Washington D.C., it wasn’t so easy to reschedule. So we decided to wait until they came up to Boston during the winter and have a fun, snowy engagement session instead. Well… the weather didn’t exactly cooperate with that idea either! When they came up to the Cape for Valentine’s Day, the skies were blue and the snow was GONE! Oh well! We had a fun time wandering around Chatham anyway, and I was totally thrilled by how the photos turned out – so it all worked out all right :)

We spent the afternoon walking around downtown Chatham and kicked off the shoot at a little park with a band stand.

Like so many of my grooms, Mike’s not a big fan of having his photo taken. So, we spend a lot of time just laughing and getting everyone relaxed. I also spend a lot of time pretending like I’m not taking pictures ;)

I looooove Britt’s engagement ring!

After the park, we went to a candy shop, and then kept walking down the road. Britt kept telling us that the beach where they’ll be married this May was “just a little farther” down the road. After walking pretty far along the road in the cold, we decided to just walk down to the beach, and take the beach route the rest of the way. It was gorgeous!

Britt was excited to get down to water and show us how close we were! Too bad there were all those rocks in our way. haha!

I love that Mike spontaneously picked Britt up and started spinning her around! I try to direct my couples as little as possible so the photos are really natural, and reflect the true nature of their relationship. It’s always fun for me when the true nature of their relationship is to be really playful and make each other laugh like crazy!

or to tease them mercilessly ;)

Gotta love those argyle socks :)

I seem to get a photo like this of almost every couple… Groom staring off in the distance, Bride looking dreamily up at Groom. You people in love are all so cute!

On the other side of the beach, there was this super-tall beach grass. I’ve always wanted to do this, so I asked them if they’d be willing to walk in for a few photos. I was so pumped that they were willing to tromp in, and they turned out to be my favorite photos of the day!!

One of my favorites!

And these…

Could Britt be any cuter?!

very serious, Mike!

And would you look at that? A photo of Mike looking at the camera and SMILING – like for real! Amazing! See, I told you it wouldn’t hurt ;)

And by that point, we were pretty much frozen, so we made our way out of the grass and back up to the road.

After all of that excitement, we still had to walk back to town. Britt apologized a hundred times for taking us so far away, but I didn’t mind :] It was totally worth it!

Britt & Mike – thanks for a fun afternoon! It was great to see you again, and I’m so glad we got to go check out the house where the wedding will be – it’s got me all excited for the big day this May! And thanks especially for the cookie offer last week – you guys are so sweet and I’m so blessed to get to work with people like you! It feels a lot less like “work” when you get to hang out with warm, wonderful people on days when they’re super happy :D

Kristopher & Erin’s eSession

Krista Guenin — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:04:00 +0000

While I was in Indianapolis, I had the chance to take some engagement photos for my cousin, Kristopher and his fiance, Erin. Kris & Erin are getting married this summer, and I’m really excited to go home to photograph it! Kris is a filmmaker and they’re having their wedding at a theatre, which is just going to be so cool!

The weather didn’t really cooperate with us while we tried to combine a family gathering and an engagement session into one afternoon. So we stayed close to home and basically shot everything in my parents’ neighborhood. It turned out to be a pretty cool spot, and even though we were all FREEZING, we had a fun time!

Kris is a bit of a joker. Ok, that’s an understatement. He’s frikkin’ hilarious and always making me laugh! It was cool for me to see him with Erin – to see how funny they are together and how much they enjoy each other, and that she always laughs at his jokes ;)

This is totally my favorite! I love it when you can see people smiling even when they’re kissing :)

Per my Mom’s request, we shot a few photos by the berries ;)

I love to photograph people’s hands!

I also kinda like to photograph feet… is that weird?

They’re cute

Ok, so Erin’s pretty funny in her own way ;) You’ve got to love a girl who will pretend to pick her nose for a funny photo!

Maybe this one is my favorite?

I love the way she’s looking up at him!

more laughter…

And I think this is the perfect way to finish :)

Kris & Erin – I love you guys! I’m so looking forward to your wedding this summer!! :D

Jessica & Albert’s Trash The Dress Session – Part 2

Krista Guenin — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:10:00 +0000

And now, for Part 2 of Jessica & Albert’s Trash The Dress Session!! (scroll down or click here to see Part 1)

Once Albert got home from work, we headed outside to take advantage of the remaining sunlight while the rain let up. We had to go back to the graffiti wall…

I would love to know what he said to her here!

Now, you may remember from their eSession photos, that Albert can jump. Like, he can jump really high. So, we had to recreate the magic…

He even busted out some new moves!

Then we headed back down…

…and found a little patch of sunlight breaking through the clouds…

…which happened to be right next to this really cool alley.

This one is my favorite jumping shot of them all!!!

Then we went back to the house to capture Jessica & Albert in their natural environment… eh hem…

Nerf Guns are apparently the best wedding gift, ever :)

Unless, of course, you give them his & her Macs!

Jessica & Albert – I love you guys! It’s been soooo fun hanging out with you, photographing you, and getting to know you both over the last year! I can’t wait to put together an awesome and FUN wedding album for you in the coming weeks :)

Oh, and for the record, after getting it cleaned, Jessica donated her dress to Brides Against Breast Cancer – which I think is pretty freakin’ awesome!!! If you want to learn more about the organization or want to find out how to donate your dress, click here!

Jessica’s Trash The Dress Session – part 1

Krista Guenin — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:25:00 +0000

Last Spring I posted a Trash The Dress session that I shot in Las Vegas while I was there for WPPI. In the same post, I offered a FREE TTD session to the first 2 brides to respond. As I expected, Jessica was the first to take me up on my offer! (no one else took me up on it, so I suppose there’s still one more spot available…) I think it’s high time I shared the photos from our afternoon together. We had such a fun shoot and there are so many hilarious and wonderful images that it’s gonna get 2 posts!!

First up, are the images of we captured of Jessica before her honey, Albert got home…

This is the garage behind their apartment building. The perfect spot for portraits, especially on a rainy day…

The roof of the garage has this awesome deck…

I think this one’s my FAVORITE!!

The weather wasn’t really cooperating with us, so we had to get a little creative… We decided to photograph Jessica preparing dinner for Albert – wifely duties and all ;) But first, we had to go to the grocery store to pick up a few necessitites….

I mean, how awesome is this?! A bride walking around a grocery store in her wedding dress?! It was so fun!

we were getting all sorts of crazy looks from people…

Eventually the manager kicked me out for taking photos. Um, I’m fairly certain that I have a right to take pictures in a grocery store, but whatever! We had the items we needed, so we headed back to the house to cook…

Isn’t this how all wives cook dinner?

mmmmm, yummy cheese puffs!

And while we waited for Albert to come home, life went on as usual…

Haha! Jessica you’re so fun!!!!

Stay tuned for part 2… :)