mandy + sami

Charlevoix, MI
August 28, 2010

I was so happy (and flattered) to take pictures for my long time friend, Mandy and her now husband, Sami.  Amongst family and friends, who came from all over the country to surround Amanda and Sami with support, love and a lot of laughter. A shout out to Melvin who rocked Mandy's hair, (and her chair).  Many thanks to all who made this a great weekend, that I am sure will not be forgotten. Congratulations Mandy and Sami! Mandy looked so beautiful in her J.Crew off the rack wedding dress, and Sami did a fabulous job of picking out all the floral arrangements. The flower girls (Mandy's nieces) stole the show! And for what I couldn't say aloud during my toast, (because I was afraid I would break down in tears) A poem that I had suggested to Mandy  to read aloud on their infamous "proposal" date:

EE Cummings-i carry your heart
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart) i am never without it(anywhere i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling)
                    i fear
no fate(for you are my fate, my sweet) i want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant 
and whatever a sun will always sing is you


here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than a soul can hope or a mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart


i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

a tree grows in brooklyn

A tree does indeed grow in Brooklyn. Taking a break from working a wedding, I actually got to attend one as a guest (congrats to my cousin Joe and his beautiful bride Janet). They got married at the botanic garden in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday. Since I was not working I left the heavy equipment at home and enjoyed myself, and snapped a few shots with my iphone (shake it app). The gardens are so beautiful, I want to go back! I can't believe what a sheltered life I lived growing up in Manhattan, rarely leaving the upper west side. Visit the website !

one image, three ways.

Often when editing I have a hard time deciding how I want the final image to look. I played with this one image that I took this past weekend on a boat outing out of Essex, Ma.  to the back side of Crane's beach. I am always amazed how the different editing techniques can change the feel of a picture. It reminds me that it is not just the way you see things at the moment, but how you can play with and manipulate an image. Each one, evokes a different feeling. So I decided to post all three to compare. I can't choose a favorite, though I am leaning towards the first one, I like the nostalgic feel of it.