Amy and Dave's Engagement

Amy and Dave met us at a park that we'd never been to before. Although we don't have much greenery yet in our area of NY, we were ecstatic that we had clear blue skies and warm temperatures. But it's not as if Amy and Dave needed the more cooperative weather to put them in a loving mood. They were simply happy to be there together as we enjoyed a warm and cozy photo shoot together. They shared a natural ease with one another that translated beautifully through the camera. We can't wait for their spring wedding day to arrive.

Their online gallery is now available in the "Client Proofs" area of our main website. We've also provided this preview slideshow (PC only). Thanks in advance for any comments you'd like to leave on the blog; just click the Comment button below this entry. :-)

Artist's Choice... What's That???

Jenni and I love taking pictures. Whenever we meet with clients, we always talk about how the shooting is only one part of the creative process. Images captured in camera, whether film or digital, still need to be "finished". This is the case with our own photos, as well. While our focus is upon the couple's deep feelings for one another, their expression of affection for one another, and producing the best moment frozen in that image, we also enjoy working on these photos to bring out their best for color, mood, and emotive impact. A proof alone will not completely convey the vision that Jenni and I have for that particular image in its finalized state. So what do we do? How can we convey our ideas to you, while also helping you enjoy your photos?

When we have the time available between shooting sessions, we create a little preview slideshow (for PC users only... no Mac version available at this time), which includes select images to demonstrate the way we "see" your photos. This slideshow gives you a chance to slow down, stop and drink in the beauty of your images in a way that the proofs may not. If it is a wedding slideshow, we also might be hinting at images that would look superb in your wedding album or as larger artistic wall prints. ;-)

A preview slideshow here at Ulysses Photography lasts only about a minute. But we also offer an Artist's Choice Slideshow on DVD for engagement sessions as well as for your wedding images. This is what you might consider as a "director's cut" of images (about 25 from an engagement session, and about 100 from a wedding), chosen by myself and Jenni, and then given a large dose of TLC during post-processing to produce a one-of-a-kind commemoration of your day together. Our emphasis is upon the pictures and the way these make you feel, rather than upon the show itself. But instead of using more words to describe it, why not take a look at a few recent examples of preview shows. The DVD versions of these shows are somewhat longer, with more images, but very similar in feel:

Jaime and Brett's Engagement Preview

Jamee and Jeff's Wedding Preview

Vivian and John's Wedding Preview

We hope you enjoy shows like these. They are our way of providing another way to enjoy your photos. If you'd like to find out more about these, feel free to write and ask about them. Or request your very own Artist Choice Slideshow on DVD when going through your proof gallery. We think you'll enjoy it immensely.

Jaime and Brett's Engagement

We love the Boston area. We have family there and always enjoy visiting. This time, we were there to spend some time with two beautiful people, Jaime and Brett, whose wedding we'll be shooting in a few months. They are a wonderful couple. Jaime was simply radiant, her bright blue eyes flashing and her smile beaming on this rather brisk day. Her fiancé, Brett, kept his eyes on her and his arms wrapped around her to keep her warm. All of his camera shyness just melted away during those moments — just as we'd planned — and we were able to capture some lovely images for them. Their day promises to be a day full of emotion and meaning for so many, including the two of us. We just love them and can't wait for their wedding.

We're working on getting their gallery online soon. Stay tuned to the "Client Proofs" area of our main website. In the meantime, click the image above to see a larger version.

UPDATE: Online gallery now available! Enjoy!

Jamee and Jeff's Wedding

No doubt you've heard the following story: Girl meets boy... boy makes girl laugh... they fall in love... they marry for love. And they live...? Well, if you know the story, then you also know the ending. The amazing truth is this is precisely Jamee and Jeff's story. She loves the way he makes her feel, and that she can always depend upon him to help her laugh in both the best and worst of times. They're simply made for one another, and it shows when they're together.

When we first met Jamee, she was clearly "our" bride. She'd found us through the sister of a groom whose wedding we'd photographed in 2005 (see Jen & Ed's wedding). We spent lots of time together talking about how she and Jeff met, their lives together, and how much she loved our photography. We were truly impressed by how in charge they were of their wedding plans. The primary thread that came out of our conversations was how important it was that their pictures remind them of the *people* that surrounded them on their wedding day. So we worked with her to design a timeline that would help Jamee and Jeff relax and have fun during a natural portrait session, and we also kept on the lookout for the great variety of faces of their family, friends and guests. One beautiful segment of the day involved the signing of the ketubah while surrounded by their closest family and friends, followed by Jeff's veiling of his bride before their public marriage ceremony (click the picture above for a larger version).

Anthony's was a very accommodating venue, and the staff was very cooperative. Jamee and Jeff made sure we were very well cared for and fed with an excellent multi-course meal (thanks so much! we really appreciate it!). And we loved the music provided by Ed Michaels Orchestra, complete with horn section and the incredible vocals of Debbie Major.

We're hard at work preparing their online gallery, which will be available soon in the "Client Proofs" area of our main website. But until then, enjoy this slideshow preview of Jamee and Jeff's wedding (PC only... sorry, no Mac). It will give you a good idea of the beautifully touching and heartfelt moments that Jamee and Jeff shared. Feel free to leave your comments on this blog, as we'd love to hear your feedback. Enjoy!

Mary Ann and Benjeil's Engagement

Mary Ann and Benjeil share an abiding love for one another and for people. I think that's the quality that drew us to them, and which also set the tone for our engagement session with them. Mary Ann's bright and infectious smile and Benjeil's quiet intensity provided us with ample opportunity to create some beautiful images for them. They were so easy-going, having made the effort to travel quite a distance to spend valuable time with us for this session. We really appreciated this, and their efforts paid off well. They patiently endured the cold and wind with us. When we needed to find shelter in an iron-gated foyer, we took advantage of the interesting light for an emotive fashion session. It was not at all a problem for them to get closer to one another! Their upcoming wedding is going to include some culturally unique and joyous elements that we can't wait to see.

Their online gallery will soon be available in the "Client Proofs" area of our main website. Until then, enjoy the picture above (click for a larger version).

The Beam Kids

The three Beam Kids are a wonderful set of siblings who love life and who enjoy spending time with people. In fact, we felt as if they were family. Today they were the subjects for our cameras and lenses. They put up with a lot, too, with the breezy and cool weather. But since there was such good sunlight out, they braved the chilly air and had a really good time with us. It was so worth it! We tried to keep things fast-moving as well as kept them close together so that they would stay warm. Love you guys! Thanks for being the highlight of our day!! :-)

Click the picture above to see a larger version. Their full gallery will be made available within the next day or so. Go to our main website, click on the Menu to find "Client Proofs" for the Beam Kids. We hope you enjoy them!

Sonyalis' Maternity Session

A referral from a previous bride brought us together with Sonyalis and Jim, who are expecting their second baby to arrive any day now! We had a wonderful time at their home. The living room was warm and comfortable, and the large windows allowed a lot of sunlight to poor in. They and their 3-1/2 year old son were adorable. We enjoyed a few traditionial family portraits, and they also allowed us to try a few untraditional and totally joyous things for a memorable maternity session. Sonyalis didn't want to regret not taking the opportunity to capture herself and her unborn baby in pictures at this most precious time. We were so happy that they found us. Congratulations, guys!

Their full gallery of photos will be made available today. Go to our main website, open the menu, and click on "Client Proofs" for Sonyalis' Maternity Session. Feel free to leave your own comments here on the blog, as we love hearing from you! Enjoy!

Marianne and Brian's Engagement

What happens when the photographers and the clients meet for the first time... on the day of their engagement session? Something INCREDIBLE, that's what!!! :-)

Though we had lots of correspondence with Brian and even had a small snapshot sent to us so we'd recognize them, we were intensely curious to find out what they'd be like in person. We were so happy to finally meet them. We clicked with them instantly, and we sat to discuss some of the details of their wedding. I won't spoil it by telling you about those details, but it's going to be an amazing experience for everyone, while at the same time being very personal and intimate. Keep this blog bookmarked to read more.

We knew how much they appreciated photography since they'd traveled quite a distance, even borrowing a car so they could meet us at the designated location. The time flew by, and though we wanted to continue shooting, we had to break for the evening so we wouldn't wear out our welcome. They gave us plenty of time to play and experiment a bit (THANKS for trusting us, guys... just wait until the BIG DAY!!).

Their full gallery of photos will be posted soon on our main website. But click on the image here to see a larger photo of this loving couple.

Roseanne and Jeff's Engagement

"I love you..." We could tell that those three little words mean so much to Roseanne and Jeff. They were heard using them often during our photo shoot with them. And what better way to feel when you're holding on so tightly to the one you love!

When we'd taken a half-dozen shots, Roseanne thought we were all DONE! But she was in for a surprise as we asked them to switch positions, move here or there, to GET CLOSER! We're pretty sure they could tell we enjoyed ourselves just as much as they did. We were on the grounds of the Old Stone Church in Cragsmoor, where their wedding will be held in just a couple of months. We made use of the fantastic view and rustic scenery there, which juxtaposed beautifully with their smiling faces and loving embraces. We can't wait for the wedding day of these two very special people. (click the picture to the left to see a slightly larger and even clearer version)

Their online gallery will be made available soon. Go to our main website, and click on "Client Proofs" to enjoy their photos.