A Role Model

Thirty-three years ago, today, my mom unlocked the door of the corner storefront she had just started leasing in Erie, Pennsylvania, and officially opened her photography business for the first day.  She had no idea that her humble idea would go on to serve thousands of couples on their wedding day, become a joint venture when she met my dad a couple years later, provide for our family for over three decades, and become the stepping stone into my own photography career.

How did her business thrive in a store front where no other business had succeeded for more than a few years? It wasn't just hard work, though she's never been afraid of sweat and extra hours, and invested plenty of both. It was the relationships she built with her clients, the way she could calm nervous couples before they walked down the aisle, her smile that made babies laugh. It was the way she and my dad became a strong team through raising kids and running a business together. The reaction she had when she knew she had taken a special photo, and shared that excitement with her subjects. 

Jeff and I are so lucky to continue to have my parents as business role models and we attribute a large part of our success to working alongside them for many years to learn how to work hard, be a friend to our clients, and share the excitement we feel to be able to make our living this way. 

Lauren and Dan's Engagement Session at the Greenhouses at Wellesley College

A few weeks ago I put out a call on my Instagram for a couple in a committed relationship in the Boston area that couple be models and test subjects for an hour or two. I was taking a super fun online natural portrait class alongside my good friend and fellow wedding photographer Kelly, and we wanted to solidify our new knowledge with a fun couple. I was thrilled when Jill, whose wedding we photographed back in 2015, recommended her newly-engaged sister Lauren, and her fiancé, Dan. They met us at the balmy Wellesley Greenhouses and we spent the next hour and a half laughing and traipsing around the tropical wonderland. We knew things were a success when Lauren wrote the both of us later in the day to express how much fun they had. 

As much as candid photos are the bulk of what Jeff and I do, we spend a good amount of time photographing portraits of our couples, whether it be during engagement sessions or during the wedding day. In our consultations before sessions, many couples confess that they're awkward or nervous for portrait sessions. We totally get that. 99.9 percent of people in the world (including the both of us) are not born models, nor do they go to modeling school to learn how to be. 

So how do we bring out the best in our couples, making them feel and look natural? 

Over the years Jeff and I have created practices that make portrait sessions fun and not awkward, focusing on how you love rather than how you look. This session helped add more practices to that list, making things even more fun not only for our couples, but for us as well. 

Sara and Jeff's Warm Winter Wedding at Sleepy Hollow Ski Center in Huntington, Vermont

Sara and Jeff not only share our names, but also our sense of humor and the same county up here in Vermont, so it was no surprise that we felt like we'd been long-time friends after just one night of getting to know each other earlier this year. When we showed up to their wedding tucked in the forest in Huntington, Vermont, we were surrounded by their kind, funny friends and family and felt right at home. 

We loved watching everything come together perfectly for their wedding- from the 50 degree heatwave that descended over Vermont for their outdoor ceremony to the beams of light in all the perfect places for getting ready/ceremony/portraits. Sara and Jeff's rugby teams showed up and kept us laughing with their dance moves.

 As we were getting ready to leave at the end of the night, Sara and Jeff pulled us aside and asked us to spend a few minutes hanging out with them and dancing as friends- it was the sweetest gesture and the best way to end our first wedding of the year. 

Getting The Most Out Of Engagement Sessions

Happy 2017 y'all! 

It's January, the time of year where couples would rather be inside planning their weddings than braving the cold (it gets down to -30 sometimes up on our mountain), so until our first wedding next month we're also inside this time of year in front of the woodstove, answering booking inquiries, getting our gear into shape for the season, and working on archiving and workflow. 

I also find this time of year perfect for sharing advice for slam dunking your wedding (and engagement photos). Our couples have taught us so much about being yourself and enjoying the moment, so I'll divulge some of the most helpful things I've learned and shared to my couples. 

Sydney and Ben's session in Strafford, Vermont

Engagement sessions not only help you get to know your photographer, but your significant other: Think of it as a dress rehearsal to your wedding photos/hang out session with your best friend + some new friends (your photographers). You learn what makes you both the most comfortable in the session, and there's generally a lot of laughing involved. 

Sarah and Yamil (with August the dog) in the Boston Public Gardens

They're a great time to bring your pet(s): I think my favorite email to get from a couple is: "oh! can we bring our dog to the session too?" Engagement sessions are a low-stress way to involve your dog without introducing him to the craziness of the wedding day, and it gives you one more fun thing to interact with in the session. 

Kara and Pete's Session on the backroads of Strafford, Vermont

Wear what makes you feel at your best: Another question we're often asked- "what should I wear?" My first response is always: what makes you feel at your best, whether that's a dress or jeans. I'll elaborate a bit and say solid colors show best in photographs, and adding a statement piece (such as a necklace, scarf, or coat), makes it that much more about your style.

Cara and Ivan's Engagement Session at the Tunbridge Fair

The sky's the limit: Never feel like your session should be restrained to poses in pretty places. Make it about you. Whether it's us following you around for a night at the local fair, baking cookies in your kitchen together, or going on a hike to a favorite mountain, do things you enjoy doing together in real life. You'll get photos you love, while still having a real experience. 

So in summary: make it as fun, comfortable, and full of pets as possible! 

-Sarah

Merry Christmas!

We wanted to wish you the Merriest of Christmases and hope you spend whatever holiday you celebrate with the people that love and appreciate you for who you are. 

We're so thankful for the couples we celebrated with this year: David and Celeste, Stacey and Todd, Dina and Patrick, Nicola and James, Caitlin and Devin, Alison and James, Jackie and Adam, Caroline and David, Stephen and Sam, Hannah and Andy, Meredith and Jesse, Jen and Dave, Carly and Kevin, and Gabriella and Michael. We have many happy memories from the days we spent with you! 

To our 2017 couples, we're so excited to adventure with you in the new year! 

Sarah and Yamil's Boston Engagment Session

This past weekend I drove down to Boston from Vermont to meet up with Sarah and Yamil, who drove up from New York City. We're photographing their wedding in Rhode Island in May, so hanging out with them is an excuse to get around New England. Sarah and Yamil surprised me by bringing their pocket-sized rescue dog, August, and I'm so glad they did. We spend Sunday afternoon getting to know each other, drinking coffee and chai, and traipsing around Boston (oh! and also seeing a death-metal Santa Claus during our walk around town). Can't wait to photograph them on the beach in May!

Our Albums

When Jeff and I met in photo school, one of the things we immediately bonded over was our love of photo books. The idea of having a hundred perfect prints by a master photographer in a  neatly bound book was and still is a delight for us. We have books on our shelves from 1950 to this year, and each one holds up over time. 

Because of this, we searched for a while before we found a craftsman-made album that holds the quality and timelessness our favorite photo books have. 

Why we love these albums:

-100 pages mean no cramming of handfuls of images on each page

-Dozens of linen choices (we especially love the natural textures in this color)

-Printing that holds up to our deeply-ingrained print geek standards

-Subtly striking and easy to store

Our albums are available as an option in two of our three 2017 collections and as an a la carte option anytime. 

2016 Favorites

As I looked through each wedding and engagement session from the past year to choose our favorite photos, I was reminded by all the happy memories and funny stories from the past twelve months. Every couple we worked with this year was down-to-earth, low-key, and so in love with each other that the little details weren't a stressor. We loved how everyone made their wedding absolutely their own, from the blanket toss at Celeste and David's wedding to Caitlin and Devin's Irish Fiesta. 

2016 was also special for me, as I was able to leave my job as a newspaper photographer to run this wonderful little business full-time. I'm so happy to be able to give each wedding even more time and attention and have added flexibility for engagement sessions (and editing in my PJs is a huge perk, too). 

During the quieter season this winter, when I'm not editing sessions or working on improving our website, I'm helping Jeff finish building our timber-frame modern farmhouse (also right here in Tunbridge), that I'm excited to share with y'all. As always, you can take a peek at my Instagram for what our Vermont Winter looks like, or head over to Jeff's for a look at the house progress. 

We're getting excited for all that 2017 has in store!

-Sarah (and Jeff)

A Few Favorites From Stephen and Sam's Wedding in Baltimore, Maryland

When I was in college, juggling assignments from several different photography classes, I made it a habit to practice my craft for myself, self-assigning events and portraits to photograph. I chose things I was interested in, and learned a multitude just by working for myself every now and again. 

This year, I had the privilege by being a bridesmaid in two weddings. I brought my camera along to both, enjoying the opportunity to see things from a different point of view. The first wedding was my sister Caroline's wedding in Pennsylvania this Spring, and the second was my brother-in-law Stephen's wedding in Baltimore last night. 

Since I met him in 2009, Stephen has been the brother I never had, treating me like family right away, keeping me laughing with his infectious sense of humor, and always being an encouraging presence in Jeff's and my life. When he started dating Sam, she fit right into the Porter clan, and we've grown close with late-night talks, trips to the beach, and our love for Target. 

It was such a delight to be apart of Stephen and Sam's wedding and taking some fun photographs while celebrating with family. 

Gabriella and Michael's Foggy Autumn Wedding in Lake Placid, New York

Gabriella and Michael and their families are some of the kindest people we've met, and photographing their wedding was the perfect way to finish out a season full of more sweet and low-key couples than we've ever seen. 

The leaves were at peak color, and fog was rolling in over the lake as they said their vows on the porch of the boathouse at the Whiteface Club and Resort. Gabriella and Michael kept their wedding small, which allowed them to pull off a low-stress wedding that was still elegant, and were able to talk to each person from their wedding.