Amanda and Daniel Engagement Shoot

  

Amanda and I met in 2008 when we started working for the same photography company.  Even though we didn't work together very long, we stayed in contact over the years.  She recently moved to Israel with her boyfriend at the time(now fiance) so I was not sure when I would see her again.

When I found out she was engaged, I was so happy for her!  To my surprise, I received a message from her that she would be back in NY for a visit and wanted Elegant Edge Photography to shoot her engagement and wedding photos!  Of course, both Anne and I were excited about this!

We setup a meeting with Amanda, Daniel and Amanda's family to meet them and show them our work.    Sitting with all of them was a lot of fun, and we felt welcome right away.  They told us the story of how Amanda and Daniel met,  and how they spent the first portion of their relationship talking through Skype because Daniel was in Israel, and of course they told us about the proposal.  After finishing our discussion with the family, we were scheduled to head out and shoot engagement photos for Amanda and Daniel.

We went to the Westbury Gardens on Long Island for their shoot.  The gardens were filled with so many different textures and environments for us to work with.  There were all different pockets of flowers, trees, and ponds.  There were also many manmade elements to work with from a mansion to bridges to gazebos.  It also helped that Amanda and Daniel were a fun couple to work with!

In October, we will be shooting their wedding and we could not be more excited!

-Stefanie



“A true photograph need not be explained, nor can it be contained in words.” – Ansel Adams

Costa Rica

 Recently I traveled to Costa Rica and I have to say it was amazing!  I spent 3 days in the mountains of Monte Verde, 3 days in Arenal near the volcano and 3 days by the beaches in Guanacaste.  When you are there you will notice Costa Rica is known for its coffee, which I have to say was very very strong! I was way more interested in the animals, plants and views I would be able to photograph.      " The country is home to over 9000 species of flowering plants, over 600 species of butterflies, more than 200 different mammals as well as prehistoric looking reptiles and boldly colored amphibians." (Bartley, Glenn.photo Itinerary- Making the most of Costa Rica: Nature Photographers Online Magazine, 2010 http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0706/gb0706-1.html)

Fig tree in rainforest

If you are interested in photographing birds, monkeys and beautiful rainforests, Costa Rica is perfect for you!  While vacationing in Costa Rica I felt a main focus on most tours was the birds!!

They have over 875 different species!

Birds

 My advice for shooting here is to definitely bring a long lens! Either if your shooting with a point and shoot or a DSLR, make sure you have a large enough zoom to catch those small animals that hide in the trees.  I would also recommend bringing along a macro lens, which is my favorite, to get those small details. 

Hummingbird nest with eggs (macro lens)

 Remember Costa Rica has a lot of rainforests, so I would recommend bringing a rain cover for your backpack, since you will most likely encounter rain at some point.

Arenal Volcano

Costa Rica has so many different photo opportunities such as mountains, beaches, volcanoes, tropical rainforests, waterfalls and much more.  Plus the sunsets are amazing!! 

Sunset in Monte Verde

I spent 10 days traveling around this beautiful place and just wanted to share some of my photography as well as some tips with all of you. Enjoy!

Stefanie

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”  ~Albert Einstein

Wilson-Bishel Engagement Shoot

Jackie and John will be getting married in December at Woodwinds in Branford CT.  So what better way to celebrate their engagement then to take a few engagement pictures.  I left my little island this past weekend and after a short plane ride, and a two and a half hour drive I finally arrived.  The chosen location for the engagement shoot was at Gillette's Castle in East Haddam, Connecticut.  It was here that I met up with my good friend Jackie and her fiance John.  It was great to see Jackie, because it has been awhile since we have been able to get together.  We went to UCONN together, and I have missed her.  When I arrived at Gillette's Castle, I was quickly enchanted by my surroundings.  There was just something about the feel of the park and the old castle that felt familiar to me.   I have always loved old buildings and abandoned places, so this location was definitely a treat for me.

The park was beautiful, it had lots of stone walls, wooden bridges, and a beautiful patio that overlooks the Connecticut River.  Just getting to spend time with this couple for their engagement session showed me how comfortable and in love they are with each other.  From the way that they look at each other, to the way that they make each other laugh.  It was just beautiful.

We walked all over the outside of the castle and down by the woods, discovering new places along the way. It's a fantastic place to shoot with so many beautiful textures.

Jackie and John, your engagement session was so much fun and I just know your wedding day is going to be even better! We cannot wait to share that special day with you!! 

Stef

"In my view you cannot claim to have seen something until you have photographed it." - Emile Zola

Tilting the Horizon

First of all, I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season... Happy Holidays from Elegant Edge Photography to each and every one of you!  During my holiday weekend, I played around with my camera a bit, and I was thinking about my style of shooting.  I shoot many different types of images for many different types of situations, but one thing is prevalent in the images that I shoot: I LOVE to tilt the horizon.  (Do not get this confused with tilt-shifting, another love of mine, which I will discuss at some point for sure!) This can be seen in many of my wedding photos:

LI Wedding

To me, the tilt adds an element of interest because it breaks away from the typical rectangular space that straight horizontal lines create.  Not to say, that images shot straight on lack anything, just that adding the tilt to some images adds variety for our couples to choose from.  I view landscapes in much the same way.  I do appreciate a beautiful landscape that is setup horizontally, and I have shot many successful images that way.  But I have also shot many tilted, and it creates an entirely different feel to the image.  It can add interest to an image that you would otherwise find mundane.  As an example, this weekend I was shooting cattails in Old Saybrook, CT with my friend, who is not a photographer but appreciates a nice photograph.  I shot a bunch as straight images and then I threw in a few tilted options.  As we were looking through them later, her eye was drawn more to the tilted ones than the straight on shots.  Here is my favorite image from the bunch:

Cattails, Old Saybrook CT

So come on, break from traditional landscapes and tilt the horizon.  You never know how it can affect the reception of your image.  Play around with the degree that you tilt the camera, and as always send us what you come back with and we will tell you what we think!

Anne

"Composition is the strongest way of seeing."- Edward Weston