Posted on by Krista Guenin · 4 Comments

Exciting news!

A month or two ago, I applied to the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA). The WPJA is a great organization of photographers, and I’d heard it was incredibly difficult to get in because they’ve got some pretty strict regulations. Even as I looked them over, I was wondering if I really qualified. I mean, as far as photojournalism goes – photoshopping images isn’t really cool – and I do like my Photoshop… So, after a few weeks without hearing back, I assumed that I’d been rejected. But, then a couple of weeks ago I got this in my Inbox…

“It is our pleasure to inform you that after having reviewed your web site and image portfolio, we agree your beautiful work meets the Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association membership requirements! We hope you accept this invitation as we look forward to having you as a new member.“

I am SO EXCITED! “The Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association [AG]WPJA is a group of international wedding photojournalists, who capture unscripted wedding moments as they happen, and excel in the art of post-production image processing. The [AG]WPJA is a division within the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA); one which specifically promotes Fine Art Wedding Photojournalism.” That’s exactly how I like to describe my work, and it’s honestly a much better fit for me than the straight-up WPJA. Massachusetts currently has only 12 photographers in the [AG]WPJA, so it’s an incredible honor to be included amongst some of my favorite local photographers (i.e. the Graziers and Anne Ruthmann)!! Pretty cool, huh?!


And to top it off, yesterday I applied for and was accepted as a founding member of Modern Photographers, which is going to be a new site for brides created by the folks behind Trash The Dress and Don’t Box Us In. This is the twitter I got from Mark Eric… “Hey Krista, you’re work is stellar. You would be a welcome member. :) Pre-approved.” YAY!!!!!!!!! Go over there and check it out, I’m listed in the header of the site – along with a few other amazing photographers from around the country!!!


Ok, that’s enough tooting my own horn! It’s just pretty exciting to get some encouragement from your peers!

Now, if any of you brides want to toot my horn for me… I’m listed on a few bride sites and would love to get your reviews!!! Click any of the links below. As much as I love feedback from my peers, it’s the opinion of my brides that really matters to me!!

bridalhood.com, local wedding vendor reviews and information

toot toot! ok, really, now I’m done! ;-)

Posted on by Krista Guenin

Off to New York City!

Well, I’m off on another little adventure! Or, a business trip, depending on your perspective :) I’m heading down to New York City tonight for the PDN PhotoPlus Expo for the next few days. I’ll be wandering around a giant trade show, listening to amazing speakers, hanging out with old friends, connecting with new friends, meeting with a potential client, and possibly doing a family portrait session. All this, and then down to Newport, RI for a wedding on Sunday! Shwew! It should be a great trip!


I have a TON of stuff to edit and blog about when I get home. A wedding, a bat-mitzvah, another wedding, another bat-mitzvah, an awesome family portrait session, another wedding, and then some! I won’t able to do much editing while I’m away, but I should be able to respond to emails at least once a day. If you need to get in touch with me, please call! And if you’re a photographer who wants to meet up at PhotoPlus, let me know!!

peace out ;)

Posted on by Krista Guenin · 1 Comment

A New Pin In The Map – VERMONT!

This past weekend, I actually had a free Saturday, and so my friend Danielle & I decided to go on a little adventure! I love Fall, it’s always been my favorite season (though Summer is a very close second). So, since I’m in New England, home of the most beautiful Fall around, we thought we’d head up to Vermont to take in the gorgeousness!

We decided to drive up to Woodstock and just wander around and see where the wind would take us. After a lovely drive, and a yummy lunch, we walked around the cute little town.


One of the first things we saw was this… a little more disturbing than cute, but definitely interesting! And yes their shirts say “poop” – that apparently stands for Protest Outrageous Oil Profits, but it just looks like poop…


Covered bridges remind me of Indiana :)



After we looked in all the shops and got some tea & cider, we headed back up the road to a great little farm stand we saw along the way. It’s called Fool on a Hill and it was very fun! I mean, check out these bears – what’s not to love?





This is my beautiful friend Danielle, I couldn’t resist shooting her in the gorgeous sunlight


Fool on the Hill also had some random stuffed cows all over the hill. We just had to play…



I’m not sure why Danielle is kissing this cow’s eyeball, but whatever ;)


After playing with the bears and the cows, we kept on down the road to Quechee Gorge. It was beautiful! I kinda wish we’d gone there earlier and walked down the trails a bit, but oh well. You can only fit so much in a day!



The light just kept getting better and better




leaves


Random wall o’ graffiti under the bridge by the gorge


Ugh, I really hate photos of myself. It took everything in me to let you see this, but I’m trying to lighten up, so here you go :) (though, I must admit that Photoshop made the decision a little easier ;)


This is a picture of Danielle taking a picture of me taking a picture of her through a hollow log


I mean, that just looks fake! but, it’s not, I promise :)


I forgot how much I love road trips!!


The biggest disappointment of the day was discovering that we had MISSED the peak of the Fall colors in Vermont by a week or two. As we drove up we kept asking, ‘why are all the trees dead?’ But we pressed on anyway and I’m glad we did. But, it would have been a little more fun (or at least a little more pretty) if the trees were a little less bare…


This sign pretty much sums that up…


I snapped this on the way home, somewhere in New Hampshire. THIS is what we were looking for. Oh well! It was still an awesome trip!



Thanks for a fun adventure Danielle! You’re an awesome adventure-buddy!!

Posted on by Krista Guenin · 9 Comments

On my way home from church…

I know I don’t share a ton of personal stuff on my blog. I wish I did, but frankly, I feel like I hardly have enough time to get the posts of all my shoots up :) And I definitely don’t go in to much detail about my faith or my beliefs – in part because I don’t want to offend anyone, or make anyone uncomfortable. But, I really just have to share this with all of you…

A few weeks ago, I was on my way home from church and I saw a woman walking down the street. I drove past her and felt very clearly that God was asking me to go pick her up and give her a ride. I kept trying to shake the feeling because, heck, Mom always told you not to talk to strangers and to never pick up hitch-hikers, right? But, the Lord kept prompting, and I finally gave in and turned around. It turned out she wasn’t going too far, and I gave her a ride. She was clearly having a hard day and needed a little kindness from someone. After I dropped her off, I prayed for her, and didn’t think of it much again until tonight.

Tonight I was driving home from GENESIS and I saw her again, in about the same place, walking in the opposite direction. So, once again, I drove past her but felt like God was asking me to turn around. And so, once again, I turned around and picked her up. She recognized me and thanked me. But when I asked her where she was going, she told me that she didn’t have anywhere to go. She’s homeless and was just planning to walk around all night to stay warm.

So, I pulled into a parking lot, kept the car running and the heat on, and just listened to her story for a couple hours. I tried to offer to pay for her to stay in a hotel for the night, but she refused. She told me she’d tried some shelters but they were all really scary and that she felt more comfortable risking it with the drunks out on the streets at night. And it broke my heart that I couldn’t help her more. I didn’t think my roommates would be too pleased with me if I invited to her stay with us, and I don’t know of any shelters in my area at all, much less one that I could recommend that would be safe. So, in the end, I had to let her out of the car and watch her walk away. She thanked me for my kindness, but I just felt sad that I couldn’t do more.

What good is it to be nice to someone, or to love them, if you don’t take care of their needs? This is a question I’ve asked myself a lot having seen all I’ve seen in the mission field. It’s a question I have asked of the church quite a bit. James 2:14-18 says “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” What is the church, what is my church, doing to help this woman and others like her? What can I do? I can pray for her. I can give her a ride and a couple hours of warmth. I can give her food. I can give her compassion, mercy, love, and respect. I can listen. I just wish I could do more. And I wish I could point her to others who would do more.

In Chicago, I worked with an amazing homeless ministry called Breakthrough Urban Ministries. I absolutely love that place. In Boston, I’ve heard great things about Rosie’s Place – in fact it’s one of the organizations that benefits from my Give program (check out my website for more details). But, I don’t know of anything in Woburn, or nearby. Do any of you? Seriously, I am looking for suggestions. The next time I see my new friend, I want to be able to truly help her. Give me some great ideas, people! :)


And one final thought, or encouragement. The next time you walk by a homeless person, or drive by someone struggling down the street, what will you do? Think about it. Pray about it. And ACT on it. Don’t just say you want to help people, or say you love or care for people. Do it. Imagine the difference it would make in people’s lives if every one who claims to love Jesus (or anyone at all), actually went out of their way to show that love to others. Just imagine what that would do…

And M, if you found my site and my blog from the card I gave you, and if you’re reading this – please know that I’m praying for you. I pray that God would keep you safe tonight, and warm. And I pray that you would find Jesus out there, and that He would pull you up out of this hard situation so that you would know how much He loves you. And I pray that we would meet again someday, soon.

Posted on by Krista Guenin · 1 Comment

The Flip Flop Regatta

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of photographing a big fundraiser for The ALLY Foundation. The ALLY Foundation was established in memory of Alexandra Nicole Zapp, who was murdered by a repeat sex offender on July 18, 2002. The Foundation, founded and run by Ally’s mother and stepfather, has a mission to prevent opportunities for violent sex offenses, to educate the public and advocate for necessary changes in culture, attitude and policy. For the past six years, her friends and family have celebrated Ally’s life and raised money for her cause by combining some of the things she loved – sailing, celebrations, and flip flops. The result has been the Flip Flop Regatta.

I wasn’t able to actually photograph the race that weekend, but I did get to shoot the Mount Gay Rum Tent Parties on both Friday and Saturday nights. Both events were so fun, and I’m so blessed to have been a part of it!

Friday night’s party got off to a very, very wet start…


But the The Cocabanana Band was great and helped keep everyone’s spirits up, and feet moving!


The event chairs, John Ricci and Koryn Okey (formerly of Boston Weddings Magazine)


Ally’s mother Andrea, step-father Steven, and sister with a friend at the party on Friday night. Andrea and Steven were two of the nicest people I’ve ever met. It’s really amazing what they’ve done with this tragedy in their lives, and the hope they’ve been able to see through it all.


Me and Koryn at the end of the night :)


Saturday turned out to be a PERFECT day for sailing!! Not a drop of rain, and plenty of wind and sunshine.



After the race, everyone came back to the Tent Party for some more fun, as well as a silent auction. There were some amazing items up for bidding!


There was also some delicious food & drinks provided by PapaRazzi, Hot Tomatoes, and SoulFire.


Saturday night’s festivities included a brief address from ALLY Foundation founder, Andrea Cassanova. There was a lot of excitement about the event…


…and a lot of emotion. The regatta is a fun time and an exciting opportunity to raise money for a great organization. But for those who knew and loved Ally, it’s also a reminder of why they’re doing this in the first place.


One of the winning teams from Saturday’s race


And on to some fun from the dance floor!






I ran into my friend Tiffany, of Alternate Angles, that afternoon. She was having a blast!


The dance floor was rockin’ all night long – thanks to the awesome band that night, Infractions!


A final shot of Steven & Andrea


And the view from the pier on Saturday night… amazing!!


Thank you, Koryn and Andrea and Steven, for inviting me to be a part of this event! Thank you for making me feel so welcome and so appreciated. And a special thanks to the sponsors of the Flip Flop Regatta: Mount Gay Rum, Vineyard Vines, Sperry, Atlantis, US Sailing, CleanHarbors, Island Issue, SmartWater, Long’s, Fairmont Copley Plaza, and Papa Razzi. This was a great event, and they couldn’t have done it without your help!

It was a fabulous weekend, and I’m so glad I could contribute to such a great cause! If you’d like to learn more about The ALLY Foundation, or make a contribution, please click here!

If you’d like to see more of the photos, click here.

Posted on by Krista Guenin · 2 Comments

Portraits for Mimi


That’s my Mom – or Mimi as her grandkids call her. She’s pretty great. She owns her own business and has worked her butt off for as long as I can remember (except those 2 years when I was a kid and we lived in the Bahamas – when she played Bridge and sat by the pool with me all day, but whatever ;). The older I get, the more I realize that I am so much like her – or is it that I’m just becoming more like her? Either way, it’s both a little scary and comforting at the same time :)

My Mom needed some new photos of herself and her employees for work – and hopefully for a website someday… Mom works in the glamorous world of nursing home consulting, and that market hasn’t really gotten too techy just yet ;) Since she’s the most wonderful Mom, she hired her daughter to take the photos. And since she’s the most wonderful boss, she offered all of her employees the opportunity to get some family portraits done as well! So, when I was in Indianapolis earlier this summer, we headed down to Greenwood (the town I was born in) to spend some time with the women of Herrin Associates, and their families…

First up, my Mom, Shelia. She doesn’t really like having her picture taken (kinda like me), but has started getting used to it over the past 6 or 7 years. Do you think I look like her?



Next up was Beth :)


and Beth’s husband and 4 grandchildren


The kids weren’t too excited about the whole thing, but they put up with me, and we managed to get some great shots of them!



I love these…





And then there’s Kathy! Kathy’s family wasn’t able to come for photos, so we just stuck to business…

…at least mostly. I got her laughing quite a bit when I was asking her about whether or not my Mom’s a good boss :)

And last but not least was Nancy. Nancy has worked for my Mom for like 20 years, and is such a great lady!


She brought a bunch of her family with her and we got a ton of portraits of them – starting with her son and his adorable daughter…




Then we shot Nancy and her husband with their grandson, Garrett.


Then it was just Nancy & Ernie. They’re pretty cute!


While we waited for Nancy’s daughter to get off work, my Mom & I took Garrett across the street for some ice cream from this little walk-up place, called Mrs. Curl. It’s so small-town Indiana, I love it! (I loved the ice cream too!)



Last up was Brittany and Garrett.


He’s a cutie!


I swear I’m good with kids! Really! I think Garrett was just squinting, not snarling!


Brittany arrived just as the sun dropped down to the perfect spot, so we got some beautiful, warm light to play with…


And I’m fairly certain that this was Garrett’s favorite part (next to the ice cream, of course).


It was such a fun afternoon! Thanks Mom for letting me take your picture :) And for being such a great role model for this business-owning daughter of yours. I’m amazed by all that you’ve done, and all that you’re doing – and I’m super proud of you! I love you so much!!! S.W.A.K. ;)

Posted on by Krista Guenin · 2 Comments

Officially On Vacation!

That’s right! As of this minute, I am officially ON VACATION!! I’ll be traveling to Wisconsin & Indiana until Tuesday, July 22nd. I will have some access to emails, voicemails, & photoshop – but I’m going to try to avoid them unless something urgent comes up. If you don’t hear back from me right away – you can picture me here –


I’ll get back to you when I return! Have a great week!!

Posted on by Krista Guenin · 3 Comments

Coming to Indianapolis!

I’m so excited! In a few weeks, I’m heading back to the Midwest for a week of family fun. First, I’ll be up in Wisconsin for a long weekend with the whole Guenin clan – aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, cousins kids, niece, nephews, everybody! It’s bound to be a blast! We’ve done this every year since 2001, and it’s always a good time. My immediate family didn’t get to go last year because my brother-in-law was in the hospital with pneumonia. So, we’re all excited to be there this time :)

Here’s a shot from our very first Guenin Family Vacation, back in 2001 – this time in Michigan. My how our little clan has grown! (Don’t you just love the rainbow of matching custom t-shirts?!)


After a long weekend in Wisconsin, we’ll be driving back down to Indianapolis for a few days back home. I’m hoping to see some old friends, enjoy some more time with the fam, and hang out on my parents’ boat & SeaDoo! Plus, I’m planning on shooting at least one portrait session while I’m in town. I figure, as long as I’m shooting one, I might as well see if anyone else is interested….




If you’d like to schedule a portrait session, let me know!! Engagement, post-wedding, pregnancy, baby, kids, or family sessions are available starting at $300. Drop me a line if you’d like to set up a time for the week of July 14th…

More of my portrait work can be viewed here