Castle Point Photography

Coming Soon... Baby O

Happy Monday! 

It went something like this...

 

Hello, Mr. Fisherman.

A couple of weeks ago, I was driving to my parents house to pick up Bodhi after a session and I had a moment.  You know, one of those moments where life sort of grabs you by the sleeve and says.. "Hey, wait a minute, look right here.  Pay attention."

Driving in my car, I passed this little spot I've passed a zillion times, but something made me turn my car around and go back.  I climbed out of my car to listen to life, to pay attention, to look around a minute. 

This is where I live.  Not at this exact spot, you understand, but I mean I live here.  Amongst this absolute beauty.  Hello amazing fall colors, hello beautiful still water.  Hello peace and quiet, if only for a moment.  Hello, Mr. Fisherman.  Nice to see you.

Jenn, John and Baby H : Family Portraits in Hudson Valley, NY

I'd have to say that one my favorite things about being a photographer is watching my littlest clients grow up in front of my camera.  I was so happy to meet with Baby H and his parents last weekend for their third family session.  The first time I photographed them was exactly a year ago, Baby H was a smiley six month old with electric blue eyes and a downy tuft of hair. 

It's always amazing to me how quickly time passes and the babies grow up into these little bundles of energy, ever exploring and interested, keeping their parents in constant motion and wonder.  I suppose Baby H really isn't a baby anymore, but a little boy with a headful of curls and two fast feet that keep Mom and Dad on their toes!

We met at beautiful Fishkill Farms in upstate New York, definitely take a trip up and explore their orchards!  Thank you Jenn and John and H for a lovely visit and for allowing me the honor to freeze time for your family one more time.

I love this image, it looks like he's tap dancing, he's so joyful!

And he's off! 

Jenn and John, I LOVE this shot of you!!! 

And I LOVE this one of Baby H... I get all the heartbreakers!

This moment is so special, so quiet and thoughtful... One of my favorites.

I hope you enjoy them!

Katie & Ben : Engagement : Hudson Valley, NY

Christmas Eve as a child has got to be one of my favorite memories.  The anticipation of Christmas morning and Santa and presents under the tree, the family tradition of opening one gift each on that wonderful evening.  But truly, the best part was The Archer's Holiday party.  Why am I talking about Christmas Eve in September?  Well, that is how I know Katie after all.  Her parents were our graceful hosts on those cold holiday evenings.  While the adults were upstairs catching up on a year's worth of going-on's and chatting and laughing, us kids were downstairs playing hide-and-go-seek, trying our best to be pool players, and probably occasionally running around and being too loud.  Years and years of these parties became our family tradition, our neighborhood tradition. 

When Katie and I reconnected after so many years via Facebook(gotta love Facebook!) I was absolutely honored when she asked me to photograph her wedding.  And after meeting Ben, I am so very happy for them both, that they found one another to share their lives with.  I had such a blast with them at their engagement session.  Can I tell you, dear blog readers, how absolutely EXCITING it was to see them dressed in pure vintage loveliness when I met them for their engagement session?  SO EXCITED.  These two are classic and stunning and absolutely glowing in love. 

I can't wait for their wedding next month at Camp Kiwiin Carmel, NY- another childhood memory all in itself.  Now for the pure vintage loveliness...

Had to include one of the famous Ms. Billy Jean ;)

Amy & Richard Wedding

It was in graduate school that their mutual friend, Jason, introduced Amy and Richard.  It turned out to be quite an important introduction, so they thought it fitting to invite Jason to their wedding.  And when I say invite, I mean perform the ceremony!  I think it speaks volumes to how loved Amy and Richard are that Jason agreed and was ordained in order to wed his dear friends. 

I met many of Amy and Richard’s friends on Sunday, and each was so proud to declare their friendship.  Family flew in from Italy and from Brazil to share in this beautiful day.  The laughter and pure joy that filled their reception at The Water’s Edge was reflected in everyone’s faces as they watched Amy and Richard celebrate their wedding day. 

Amy and Richard, I am honored and ever grateful that you chose me to capture this most magical and special of days.  You two have truly made me feel like a friend, and I’ve had an absolute blast along the way!  May the love that surrounded you on your wedding day follow you into your new life together.  Meredith

Isn't Amy the most stunning beauty ever?

The day was overcast, but it didn't matter in the least... Richard and Amy were just perfectly beautiful in the light...

The decor was so beautiful, small little touches all throughout the restaurant kept catching my eye.  Water's Edge did a wonderful job...

       

 

 

Amy & Richard Engagement

"Meredith meet Amy and Richard, Amy and Richard, meet Meredith..." so went the email from our mutual friend and all around awesome guy, Josh.  We planned to meet for an engagement session in Long Island City, and I have to admit, I had no idea what sort of location it was going to be.  As we drove up to the piers, my heart jumped all around in my chest.  OH MY GOODNESS, perfeeeeeeectioon.

Amy and Richard made my job so easy, first by choosing an amazing location, and then secondly, by being wildly in love with each other.  You hear about love feeling like you're the only people on the planet... Watching Amy and Richard, I totally understand that.  The way Richard makes Amy laugh one second and then melt into her stunning smile the second, and the way Amy's eyes lock into Richard's and hold his undivided attention is absolutely mesmerizing.  Of course, that is until Mr. Softie drives by... at that point, all bets are off. ;)

The wedding is happening in less than two weeks(!) at the Water's Edge and I am so honored that Amy and Richard chose me to be their photographer.  I know it's going to be such a beautiful day and I'm so looking forward to capturing their love again. 

Here are the favorites...

If you want more... click here for the slideshow.. be warned... Richard was being goofy!

        

The N Family

Being a big brother is a tough job.  Having to share your toys, learning to share Mom and Dad, and dealing with little creatures crawling on you and tugging at you all day long.  When I first met J, he was shy and bashful, unsure of me and my camera.  His little siblings, one year old Baby J and Baby K, on the other hand were crawling around, happy and oblivious to me, searching for blocks and testing out new wobbly legs and first steps.  I asked J if he could help me during the session, because certainly he knew the babies much better than I did.  With that, the shy, bashful boy left and the Big Brother emerged, confident and willing to help.  I knew immediately how lucky these two little twins were to have such a great big brother. 

Here are the favorites...

  

  

     

Storyboard Design Tricks

Often, the hardest part of creating a piece of art is beginning.  Writers get writer's block and painters may stand in front of a canvas for hours before laying the first stroke.  As a photographer, I often feel lucky, because I can jump into the beginning right away.  I normally don't stand in front of a newborn and have to decide where to begin.  The inspiration is so strong and fluid during a session, that the beginning happens quickly.  Where I sometimes reach a wall is when I get home and sit in front of my computer.  I get caught up in the designing of albums, storyboards, cards, etc.  It's easy to get overwhelmed with which images to choose, how to process them, text or no text, simply because I have too much time to think about it.  There are a few tricks that I keep in mind while designing, that help me to jump back into that fluidity in which I thrive.

First, remember that you are telling a story.  Wikipedia defines Storyboards as "graphic organizers such as a series of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion graphic or interactive media sequence, including website interactivity."  Simply, it tells a story.  When choosing images for a Storyboard, it's important to select shots that are sequential or at least from a similar moment in time.  Check out the first example...

I love these three images.  The first is a quiet moment, with Baby looking right at us.  The second she's looking down, but it shows off her beautiful eyelashes.  The third she's back to looking at us and Mom is laughing.  All great moments individually, but together do they tell a story?  Not really.  The viewer is left wondering why Mom is laughing.  Mom knows, the photographer knows, but we the viewers feel left out of the moment.  As you design, remember that your viewers were not with you at the session.  They don't have the same context that you do and will be left confused.  Will Mom have to explain to her family and friends what made her laugh every time she has guests to her home?  Probably.  At that point, Mom is the storyteller, not you, the photographer.  On to the next example...

Ahhhh, NOW we know why Mom is laughing.  Mom kissed baby, one of those squishy kinds of kisses on mushy cheeks, and THAT made Mom laugh. Much better.  Do you see the difference?  After going back to the session photos, we decided that this was the story that we wanted to tell.  It is tender and sweet and funny at the same time.  Did you notice what else happened when we focused on a tighter story?  All of the backgrounds became similar.  This makes the Storyboard more appealing to the viewers eye.  It unifies the images and creates order and simplicity.  After I put this Storyboard together, however, I noticed something that I didn't like.

Ahhh... yeah, the height of Mom's head is different in the first shot as compared to the second and third.  The composition of this image is slightly different.  It's a small thing, but it bothers me.  And it may bother Mom, too.  I went back to the images and replaced it with a different shot that had Mom at the same height.

Do you see how it changes the "flow" of the Storyboard?  Both images are great, but this revised Storyboard has more consistancy, and I like that better. 

Ask yourself...

Do the images tell a story, or will the viewer need more information to figure it out?

Are the backgrounds similar?

Is the composition consistent?

Stay tuned for more design tricks...

Rainy Playground

It was an adventure for him, walking down a city sidewalk early in the morning, in search of a NEW playground.  The anticipation of it, the wonder, the promise of fun and play just a few blocks away, you could see it in his smile.  "where is it?" | "almost there" | "is that it?" | "no..." | "where is it?" | "almost there" | and so on, until finally... "OH BOY!!!!" 

These were shot on a recent trip Bodhi and I took to NYC to see his Uncle Jim.  He tired himself out so much that Jim carried him all the way home :)

Here are my favorites...