words of the week

Photo Credit: Rachel Abramowitz

“Call me when you get there” Robert, my boyfriend of exactly 58 days, said as he closed the trunk of my 2010 KIA SOUL. We walked hand in hand to the front of the car.

I nodded. I couldn’t get myself to say anything. This past summer has been a whirlwind. Between leaving my cushy job, moving away from the state I had called home for 22 years and meeting the best human a girl could ask for; I was overwhelmed by the thirty different emotions I was feeling all at once.

I was taking a leap of faith into the unknown, which, if you knew me, wasn’t something I often did. I like to be in control. I like to understand, process and execute. But this time, there was no processing. This time there was definitely no real understanding. And this time, there was only executing. I went with my gut and my gut was now completely terrified.

“We are going to be ok. I know it” Robert said as he pulled me into a big hug. He brushed the hair away from my face. All I could do was nod again. I was on my way to Western Massachusetts for ten months and as I stood there in Philadelphia, staring into Robert’s deep, gorgeous blue eyes, for the life of me, I couldn’t remember why I was going. Robert let go and turned to open the car door.  I should stay I thought.

He gave me a big smile, nudged me to the front seat “let’s go, you need to hit the road and start your adventure already” he said with his award winning smile.

He was right. Robert is always right (don’t tell him I said that).

I had to go. I had this incredible opportunity and I wouldn’t let it go to waste. Hallmark Institute of Photography was waiting for me and I wouldn’t let my fears and insecurities get in the way. I promised myself I would get everything I could out of this experience. I promised myself I would give this a real shot. I promised  myself I was going to live photography, breath photography and do nothing but think about photography…and maybe the gorgeous, blue-eyed, law student who was waiting for me back in Philadelphia.

I was giving myself ten months. Ten months to go outside my comfort zone, move to New England and see if I got what it takes. Ten months to fall even more deeply in love with the art of Photography. Ten months to figure out how the heck to start a business and if I could make this entrepreneurial thing work. In the grand scheme of things, ten months was nothing and I owed it to myself and to my soul to go up there, to freezing cold Massachusetts and give this photography thing one hundred and fifty percent.

So with tears falling down my face and with my Google Maps calmly telling me to make a left onto Girard in 200 feet. I gave Robert one last hug and slowly, climbed in to the car.

“Ok. I am ready”  I said turning on the car and starting the ignition.

“It’s only ten months. We got this!” Robert said.

“We got this” I repeated.  He closed the door and stood back. I put the car in drive.  Looked out my window at Robert. He waved. I pulled out of his drive way. Robert was still standing there. I looked back one last time before turning onto Girard. He was still standing there…and with that I was on my way.

To be continued…

Missed Part 1 & 2? Don’t Worry! You can catch up here!

How YPP Began Part II

How YPP Began Part I

Want to keep reading?

How YPP Began Part IV

I was sitting at a table at La Colombe, one of my favorite cafe’s in Philadelphia, sipping my tea, flipping through one of my latest wedding album proofs, when a cute elder woman next to me, looked over my shoulder and huffed “OH! I don’t know how you deal with weddings, too much chaos. Just way too much Chaos.” I smiled at her and laughed to myself. I swear, if I had a quarter for every time someone asked me why I liked photographing weddings, I’d be a very rich woman.

So here’s the deal. Your wedding is much more than just your ‘big day.’ It’s much more than the beautiful flowers, decadent cake and your stunning dress. It’s much more than timelines, song cues and coordinated dances. It’s much more than champagne flutes, wedding favors and an open bar. Don’t get me wrong, I love a gorgeous dress and a kickass dance just as much as the next girl. I admire and appreciate all the details you have spent months, maybe even years planning; but they way I see it is your wedding day is just one page in your ever-growing love story and I am here to capture your entire story.

I want to highlight the essence of who you are as a couple. I want your wedding day photos to showcase the beauty, the love and the intimacy you feel for one another, not just today, but every day. I want your wedding photos to capture every moment you have spent falling in love with each other, every struggle you have overcome together, every compromise you have made for one another, every goofy dance, funny face and loving look. Your love story doesn’t begin, neither does it end the day you say I do. Your story deserves to be told.

When I meet a couple looking for a wedding photographer, the first thing I want to know is who you are. I want all the details. I want to hang up the phone or walk out of our meeting feeling like I just had a lunch date with a long lost friend. Once I know who you are as individuals, who you are as a couple and what makes you work so well as a duo, I can capture your wedding day in a a whole new way. We now can create photos that are much deeper, much more meaningful and much more cherished. That’s what it is all about it isn’t? Celebrating the love and the life you have together. Adding even one more beautiful layer on top of the incredible commitment you have to one another.

So, you may see the chaos of a wedding, but I see a special moment in a life time of love. I see two people coming together to make their bond even stronger. When I watch the bride walk down the aisle, I see much more than a bride on her wedding day; I see the day they met. The days they spent binge watch Netflix. The day they said “I love you” for the first time. The days they were there for each other during times of struggle. The day they found their favorite brunch place. The day they realized they will do anything to make this work. The day he/she proposed. The day after the wedding. The day they find out their pregnant with their first kid… I see it all, I see the entire story coming together. I see all the promises and potential a wedding day makes and I love being able to photograph it all and document it for years to come.

Your wedding photos is a glimpse into your forever story and that my friend, is why I love photographing weddings.