winters last hurrah (hopefully)

I think it is safe to say that we (at least on the east coast) are ready for spring. We had sort of a surprise blast of winter on Friday, which the dogs absolutely adored, and I tried to get in the spirt. It was really beautiful, and as you can see from the last picture, by Saturday, most of what had fallen started to melt away with the warm sunshine. I hope you all had a nice weekend xo-kate.

rainy days

      What can I say?  When it rains it pours.

I took this picture yesterday morning feeling overwhelmed by the rain and gray that has been hanging over Connecticut lately. But things are taking a turn for the better today. The sun is starting to try and peak out this afternoon.  I am so looking forward to a family photo session with a couple who's wedding I photographed back in 2011 this weekend. I hope you have a lovely weekend.
xoxokate

the world spins madly on

Cabin fever has set in on day 4 of being "snowed in". Yes, I finally got the car out of the garage, but, there is no where to go. Schools are closed, everyone has been asked to stay home and off the roads.  There is nowhere to put the snow, some towns have run out of room.  The freezing rain falls on top of the two or more feet of snow,  and the world spins madly on. Listen to the song here.

a big storm knocked it over

Nature has a way of creating her own plans that don't always go along with mine. I had several photo sessions scheduled this weekend that we had to cancel because of the blizzard. With that being said, I wanted to continue with some more love stories, but instead  I am posting pictures from the blizzard. I've been reading, drinking hot chocolate, reading a little more, watched 2 Project Runways, and caught up on Girls. Aside from tunneling my way out this morning, and sitting by the fire to warm up, there is not much to do but sit and wait till the roads clear. If you haven't read Laurie Colwin, I suggest you pick up a copy of her book (post title) It's one of my favorites. Another favorite from her is, Happy all the Time. Stay warm and cozy everyone- The governor has banned all road travel (in RI and MA too). so it looks like at least a few more episodes of Enlightened to catch up on. xokate

PS-everyone keeps asking how many inches we got-the truth is, it's hard to tell, because snow drifts are up to five feet in some places. My best guess is about two and half feet.

exposure

unmade bed 

I am definitely drawn to both dark and light styles of photography, but recently I've been interested in bright white light. Since my bedroom has early mid-morning southern exposure, I thought it would be a good place to start. It is so bright and soothing to me in the wintertime.  What type of light do you prefer? Dark and shadowy (ahh the drama), or light and airy? Since it has been absolutely freezing the last several days, I have been looking for inspiration indoors. I like this white filtered light. For more on light, exposure and interesting wedding lighting you can read further here.

ex·po·sure 

n

1. The condition of being exposed, especially to severe weather or other forces of nature: was hospitalized for the effects of exposure.

2. A position in relation to climatic or weather conditions or points of the compass: Our house has a southern exposure.

3.

a. The act of exposing sensitized photographic film or plate.

b. A photographic plate or a piece of film so exposed.

c. The amount of radiant energy needed to expose a photographic film.

below zero

It’s ten degrees today (without the wind chill factor). I guess New England was due for some cold, since last year we had such a mild winter.  Before this major chill set in I went for a walk on the Belamy Ferridy nature trail.  No one else was around and the still and quiet of winter was so striking (first and 3rd image). The freezing temps have even the dogs not wanting to be outside for more than ten minutes at a time-can you blame them? Trying not to let it get the best of me, and dreaming of warmer days and spring to come.  

Stay warm and bundle up-xo, Kate

a winter indoor garden

Bringing nature inside is one of my most favorite things to do when its cold outside. It lifts my spirits and it's really easy to do with some bulbs, because they don't need soil, just water. In the middle of the winter it can get expensive to buy fresh bouquet's each week to put around the house. If you are like me, and absolutely love having flowers in the house year round, I suggest trying to force spring bulbs. Until just recently (aside from forcing paperwhites during the holidays) I realized you can also force hyacinth. For info on the how-to you can check it out here. I just think a row of these would be so lovely and add such a pop of color (and scent) to any dreary winter day. xo-Kate

PS-hope you are enjoying you long weekend. Happy M.L.K. day. Here is a great link with 17 Martin Luther King Jr quotes you never hear.

another snowy day

Another snowy day in New England. If you live in a cold wintery climate, I'm curious how do you spend your days? Are you a snow bunny or do you long for hot summer days? My Sorel's I bought last year have been well worn this winter (not much last winter).

I'm excited to announce I'm running a short special on Valentines mini sessions. Much like the holiday mini sessions I held in November, which were so much fun. If you are newly engaged, or you want some sweet pics of your kiddies, send me an email kate@kateuhryphoto.com for the details. My new partnership with Minted  makes it super simple to make & send a card, and they have some really sweet valentines day cards, if you were too busy to send out a holiday card, this is such a great alternative. They also have the loveliest selection of save the date cards.

xo-Kate

winter + moving forward

To those of you who have followed my blog from the beginning, you have no doubt seen a lot of changes over the last three or four years. When I first started blogging it was with the intention of doing what all the other photographers were (are) doing; creating a blog to provide prospective clients with a variety of my most current images. Focusing mostly on my weddings. Almost all photographers (especially in the wedding industry) have a blog. I tried in some ways to emulate, and found that over the course of the last few years that it started to morph into into something slightly different. Recently I started doubting myself. Should I keep my blog strictly wedding related? I've wrestled with this over the course of the last several months. While my portfolio on my website  has a great sampling of my professional work, I felt a hole when it came to my more personal work.  Which brings me to 2013, when someone mentioned "a sweet in-between"-I thought maybe I can do this, it's just a matter of finding the balance. It's hard when you are your business, to not make it personal. With that in mind,  I think I will continue with what I have been doing over the course of the last six months, rather then changing it up and keeping it strictly bridal. At some point in time, I may have a separate blog just for bridal, but this seems to suite me. I want to thank you for following me through these changes. Though wedding photography will always be my mainstay, it is important to me personally and professionally to be able to share  some of my other work.  I hope this gives you a broader idea of what I do + who I am. 

I thank you for sticking with me through-out and always welcome questions and comments,   I've also made some design changes, hoping to make it easier to navigate the site-- I have added some labels (on the right sidebar), so you can easily navigate and find whatever interests you. Lastly, thank you for sticking with me through these quiet months. xo-Kate

malibu pier

I love the light in southern California, it's so different from the east coast (in our winters especially). I took these shots in Malibu in 2012 just before sunset . This week seems to be escape week for me, dreaming of warmer weather somewhere else. Have  a lovely weekend!

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.

fresh start

13 things:

 1. explore new art
 2. less is more
 3. dont be afraid to try things differently
 4. stop comparing
 5. listen more + better
 6. turn off the computer + pick up a pen
 7. sit quietly
 8. take time
 9. spend it wisely
10. use the past
11. risk your heart
12. be vulnerable
13. allow things to happen

How about you?

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

merry christmas!

Sending loads of love, peace, happiness, + joy in the new year this holiday season. For everyone that has been so wonderfully supportive, this has been an amazing season!

Enjoy this time with family + friends, and have yourself a merry little christmas. I'll return with new posts in the new year!

xo-Kate

merry happy!

Rushing around to get last minute things done before Christmas Eve....sharing tiny moments with friends and neighbors, joining my friend to take her little ones to visit Santa, and finishing off wrapping presents while listening to some holiday music (that's what Ive been up to). What are you doing? I have a family photo session tomorrow afternoon with a BIG group, looking forward to it! I will leave you with my very favorite Christmas song (and movie). Wishing you all a joyous Christmas, may your hearts be light...xo-Kate