stina's post

I'm a little behind posting my favorites from last weekend's wedding in St. Johnsbury with Evan and Melissa, but I was also busy this week shooting the very talented soloists for 2008 for the Vermont Youth Orchestra. But hopefully you've already checked out the slideshow for this rockin' couple!

Typically I don't get to spend much time with the guys before the wedding, but due to hair appointments and such I got to hang a little with the boys which was fun. Beers and cigars…my kind of guys!


But Melissa looked beautiful in her dress and the grounds around the Alerin Barn proved to be picture-perfect.


The guys also looked great in their tuxes…tuxes that arrived just in time!


And this is one reason why getting married in Vermont is the best…and tractor-drawn wagon!


I love those little snags that turn into a hilarious moment.


Lush greenery and great ponds…





And the revelry when on long into the night in the fabulous barn.


Congrats to Evan and Melissa!

Here's the slideshow preview from Melissa and Evan's day at the Alerin Barn in St. Johnsbury this past Saturday. More photos to come!

More pics from last weekend's wedding with Steve and Aimee. Not bad for a broken nose (healing well by the way). Enjoy!

Wow, I've been holding onto that post title since this couple signed me for their June 7 wedding last fall (their last name is Guy)! Actually, before Saturday I hadn't met Aimee and Steve who live in Connecticut. It was Aimee's mom Marianne who found me through a friend who lives in this corner of Vermont. I was very pleased to meet a cute, happy and fun couple who were both out to really soak up their wedding day. The whole day took place at the Basin Harbor Club in Vergennes, VT which is a beautiful spot. Think, waterfront, colorful adirondack chairs, and a classic inn. Below are a few highlights from the day.

I arrived early and relaxed with Aimee and her bridesmaids. She had such a cute dress…


I had to steal the ring-bearer's shades to get this one…


No signs of stress…




One of my favorites…


The forecast threatened thunderstorms, but we couldn't have asked for a better day!


Congratulations Aimee and Steve!

So, I've been gearing up for the official start of wedding season which kicked off this past Saturday. I had all my ducks in row and even a had a good night's sleep. The weather was perfect too. And then a few hours before I was slated to leave a very unfortunate thing occurred. I was going to mow the lawn for an hour before getting ready and decided to let the dogs out of their "area." As I unlatched the fence, I bent over to pick something up and the next thing I knew my head was ready to explode. My wonderful dog Tobi, who is a mix between a lab and a rottweiler and has a tank for a head, ran through the gate and straight through my face. I managed to not pass out, but when I checked myself out in the mirror, …well, let's say my nose wasn't where it was supposed to be. Yes, I…ahem…"shifted" things back to where they were supposed to be and then could do nothing but get ready to go! Try as I could, I don't think the incident was very well masked by the make-up I applied and my eye continued to swell as I shot happy couple portraits during my wedding shoot.

This is what it looked like when I got back to the studio Saturday night.

And this is what it looks like today. Yup, no filters. So, now I hope all of my present and future clients understand my level of dedication!

Anyone know what kind of doctor you're supposed to see about this?

Jason had just stopped by and was on his way out of town when he called to alert me to an interesting scene that would be passing the gallery momentarily. I grabbed the camera and I have to say, this was one of the stranger things I've ever seen. Yes, that's a golden retriever on the back! And another dog running alongside! I don't know where she was going. Or coming from…

If you ever have the chance to see the "Rolling Thunder" you should definitely check it out. Hundreds and hundreds of bikes ride on Memorial Day to honor veterans. I'm not sure what their official site is, but if you google them you can get more info. They came through town today while I was at the gallery so I got a few good shots as they were passing through.


There's so many bikes!

And I'm jealous of some of the really sweet rides that I spotted in the group.


Yup, I'm a biker too (for adventure and gas savings…and the occasional head turn) so here's the view of the passing group with my ride in the foreground. I'm thinking of starting a local biker chic gang…any takers?

Engagement shoots are such a great way to get to know a couple. If this shoot was an indicator of how well the wedding day will go, then I'm in luck! I met up with Vickie and Neil this week at the UVM green which it turned out was appropriate since Neil just finished getting his BA in computer science. Congrats Neil! Vickie also was a UVM grad. Both are multi-talented, but we had fun bringing out their Ultimate skills with some action frisbee shots.

Jason's parents Dick and Barbara are up for a visit this weekend which is great since I haven't gotten to do much visiting lately. We had a great lunch from Park Cafe and then were treated to a little parade that made its way down Main Street. The "Moving Wall," which is the Vietnam War Memorial replica, is in town so the parade was part of that ceremony. But since it went right in front of the gallery we brought out a couple of sweet armchairs for some great viewing seats. Needless to say, the marching veterans got a kick out of it!

My new friend Katrina visited yesterday because she was in need of some mentoring for a photography project she's doing for school. She's really enthusiastic about her plans to take some nice flower photographs and then donate her cheery artwork to a public space. Even though it was drizzly, we headed up to Taylor Park to find some cool shots and I got a couple of her in action. Hopefully the few tips I had will be useful in her project! Next she's visiting a teacher to learn photoshop techniques and then has a big presentation to prepare for.

Here's a couple of her at work and a few shots I took.