Holly + Mike <3

Hooray for the first shoot of 2016! I loved this shoot for many reasons but I'm going to highlight a few specific on why:

1) I've known Holly for 7 years. Although we are not super close friends, we met 7 years ago when I first moved to Boston and have been Facebook buddies since! She was friends with one of my roommates and we really hit it off! Probably because she is such an easy going person and I feel super comfortable talking to her.

2) LIGHTING. I cannot stress how much lighting IS EVERYTHING. When I receive inquiries for shoots I always, always suggest the golden hour (AKA just before sunset) OR early early morning. The reason is because as the light is setting, it puts off a sweet glow that is so soft and beautiful. Conversely, when you shoot midday or as the sun is higher in the sky, harsh shadows are created on the subjects and can be really hard to avoid. You will notice in these photos there are virtually NO shadows, creating and even soft glow on Holly and Mike. And lastly, because there are less shadows, this enables me to really use all the best spots at the location we are using for the shoot. I'm not having to hunt down shade, or make sure the sun is always at the subjects back - it just really opens up the options for the creativity box!

3) Location. Borderland State Park in Easton, MA is amazing. Holly suggested it after seeing that I had done another shoot at that particular spot. There was a perfect mix of greenery and architecture (AKA the massive castle) which adds interest and romance into these photos.

4) Outfits. As I was culling through these images, I have to say Holly and Mike did a great job with their outfits. Typically we like to suggest solid colors that are not too bright (as they can create some severe color cast) and minimal patterns. Which I think they pulled off perfectly! Holly wore a striped shirt, but it was simple enough to not be distracting and complemented Mike's solid colors.

So, with perfect mix of lighting, location, outfits, and of course comfortability in knowing me from the past, I believe we obtained some awesome photos of Holly and Mike. I'm excited for them for their November wedding and wish them all the best :)