ice sailing

It's so cold. So cold that the lake finally froze over, and the die-hard winter enthusiasts are out fishing (in those little tiny huts) and ice sailing.  I was driving by the lake last weekend, and saw about thirty of these sails, on a cold, clear, blue-sky day. It was beautiful.

goodbye 2012

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. In Connecticut we had a dusting of snow on Christmas Eve--Christmas eve magic! Then boxing day we had a little snowstorm, which layered the landscape with fresh white powder. My large family spent Christmas Day at my parents farm in CT, dogs and all. Now there is frost on the branches , and the ground is a frozen tundra. It seems winter has officially settled in for good here. Im going to take a little vacation till after the New Year, but will return with some posts of a wonderful family shoot I did the day before Christmas Eve. I want to thank everyone for reading my blog and supporting me. I love what I do, and feel so lucky to call what I do"work". A year of wonderful couples, sweet DIY weddings, and so much more, and yes, we made it despite what the Mayans had to say.  Cheers to all for a joyous 2013-Have a wonderful weekend + a happy New Year! I hope you enjoy this short slide show of some memorable moments this year!

You can also view the video on my Vimeo  it looks a lot prettier. xo-Kate

a moment of silence

I can't escape the reality of what happened just twenty-five minutes from where I live. It is everywhere. While I can turn off the TV, I can't escape the flag at half staff on the Bethlehem green, now surrounded by flowers and teddy bears and cards... now soaked with the cold rain of today.  All I can offer is my deepest sympathies  for those families who lost loved ones, and to all the children in this country who's innocence was stolen from them. No words can express what I feel at this time.

The Bethlehem green, after the vigil held on Saturday evening.



Our country is grieving. Each child who has been slaughtered belongs to each of us and each slain adult is a member of our family. It is impossible to explain the horror to ourselves and to our survivors. We need to hold each other’s hands and look into each other’s eyes and say, “I am sorry.”-
Maya Angelou 

peaceful

I drive past this particular farm almost daily. I love when he puts the sheep out in this pasture (along the roadside) so I can see them. They are so beautiful and look so peaceful grazing in the meadow. This is the same farm where we cut our Christmas tree down last year. They use the wool to make yarn. How amazing is that?

I have two more family photo sessions this weekend. Other than that I will try to start thinking about gift giving. Still debating what I will be giving, but striving to do something homemade. I just need to find the time in the next few weeks!
Have a peaceful weekend, xo-Kate

waxing nostalgic

I am missing those languid summer days already. I am also missing the puppy phase (though I love my big boy) There is nothing sweeter than a golden retriever puppy, am I right? I've been enjoying these shorter November days, by lighting a fire in the fireplace, and reading way more than I do in the midst of wedding season! The snow is falling here today in Connecticut. Bode ran outside and was actually trying to catch snowflakes in his mouth...so cute. What fills your days/evenings in the colder-shorter days? I am thinking about taking up knitting again just so I can make this blanket I found on Pinterest. It would make a great baby or wedding gift.

On a more personal note, sometimes it is hard to strike a balance between professional and personal (the sweet in-between) on my blog.  There is still so much devastation due to Sandy which ways heavily on so many of us here in the Northeast. As this new storm approaches us, I worry about the many people who are still without heat, water, and the basics. There are ways we can help, here is a good place to start.  Also Connecticut food bank is a great foundation if you want to see your donations stay local.

Happy first day of snow! I hope to post some snow images soon, but right now I am working on making wedding albums.

Rebecca + Rob

Here is a long overdue post from Rebecca and Rob's wedding, who were married in the sweet little town of Collinsville, CT just at the peak of the leaves changing color. It had all the ingredients for a quintessential new england wedding, white church with red doors included. They even got to ring the church bells after the ceremony. So fun. I am always more interested in what goes on between the "posed" shots. The family, being family. I am all for the traditional family shots, but sometimes the rawest, best images grow out of those moments. I loved that everyone kept mistaking me for a member of Rebecca's family. They were so much fun, and so lovely, I would be honored.

goodbye autumn

So the beginning of November is upon us, which means suddenly we are scrambling around preparing for all the holidays, right? After hurricane Sandy, I lost power for 48 hours (which is nothing compared to what other friends and family are enduring at the moment). It was really frightening listening to the wind howling in the pitch dark (it sometimes sounded like a truck driving right into my house).  Lot's of limbs falling on the roof, which caused minor damage. I am considering myself very lucky!  I really appreciate the most basic things right now (like water). I read actual books by flashlight and with out all the noise of the internet and iphone and TV, spent time just thinking about all the things I am grateful for. I hope those of you in the tri-state area can get back to some sense of normalcy soon! Finally being able to watch all the news is heartbreaking. Some of the stories that have come out of this hurricane are truly heroic. This was a real tear-jerker. Also all the wonderful birth stories! And to make things better after watching all these sad stories on the news, I saw this picture of a rainbow over the city. Growing up in NYC I will always consider myself a New Yorker. Strong people there. Sending all my best to my city!

Don't forget if you still need your holiday card pictures, I can help with that! Just send me a message . And most importantly don't forget to appreciate the tiny things! Have a lovely weekend all  -Kate

PS-these pictures were taken pre Sandy. Right now the roads and yards are still littered with trees! If you want to help you can donate to the RED CROSS RELIEF FUND. So many families have lost everything!

Mason, Drew + Madelyn

Ok guys, I know I always say this, but this family is the best! The story (in short) goes like this: about eight years ago I shot a wedding in New Orleans, and that wonderful couple lives in CT now. They introduced me to their brother and sister in-law, and the result was a friendship, first rooted in our golden retrievers and now based on eight years of friendship.  I  have had the joy of documenting so many momentous occasions! From pregnancy, to birthday parties, to a baptism.  I love that Madelyn's big brothers sandwiched her with kisses.

lake house

Last Weekend I got to photograph the Brown family, at both their lake house and their land and barn in Washington. This is the second half of the images from our fun photo session. If you want to see the first half, you can check it out here.

in a nutshell.

        I will sign off this week with some images taken over the last few weeks with Instagram. 

        I have been enjoying too many muffins lately. Carrot-raisin, and morning glory are my favorite. 

        I'm looking forward to a wedding at the Mayflower Inn this weekend!

              Have a lovely weekend.