Shortly after starting to chat with Sabrina to plan her couples session with her boyfriend Mike, I knew this was going to be one of my favorite sessions! Not only did she want to glam it up, but he was wearing his Coast Guard blues and....they wanted to bring their tiny Frenchie puppy, Eloise! If you ever want to bring your furry friends to your session the answer is always yes! Since our first location was a no dogs allowed kind of place, they had some friends come hang out with Eloise while we took some sunlit field photos, then headed to the nearby beach for the last of golden hour. Then one of Sabrina's dresses hadn't come in time for the shoot and we decided (since we're neighbors and all) to do a quick couple shots down by the beach just minutes from our houses. Well, I can't stop photographing these cuties, so it turned into a little more than that! Not only are these two extremely photogenic and adorable, but they were up for an adventure and I feel like I left the session with some new friends. Speaking of friends, it turns out we're practically neighbors too, so I see lots of doggy walks in our future!
Winter Engagement Session | Lincoln Woods Rhode Island | Ashley and Yi-Shan
Winter is the time of year when we New Englanders still drink our ice coffee, but hunker down when the snow hits unless we really have somewhere to go (for the most part anyway). We had a few days of absolute frigid cold a few weeks ago, but these Texas ladies wanted a snow filled engagement session since their wedding is taking place in warm, sunny Texas, so we had to go out and play! They chose Lincoln Woods State Park for its scenic woodland views, and the fact that it looks lovely snow covered. They glammed it up and rocked the cold, congratulations ladies!
Rhode Island and Connecticut Maternity Photographer | Snowy Maternity Session | Erika and Jason
There's nothing better than a spur of the moment session when the first snowfall of winter arrives in New England! We had been planning Erika and Jason's maternity session at the tree farm for the weekend after, but since an early season snow was predicted, Erika had the awesome idea to move up a week and shoot in the snow since it would probably be gone soon. We both had the morning free, and met at Geer Tree Farm in Griswold. I love the smell of Christmas trees, the hustle and bustle of families coming together to decorate, and the happy vibe of the holidays. Especially with the new fallen snow! A magical maternity session! Congratulations Erika and Jason, on the new addition to your family!
Rhode Island Ballet Photographer | Providence RI | Hannah
If there's anything I love photographing as much as my lovely couples, it's ballerinas and dancers! Some dancers just have that magical quality. Every movement and line is musical and effortless, every emotion though out but impromptu. It was truly an honor to photograph Hannah doing what she loves!
Moore State Park Engagement | Boston Wedding Photographer | Jenna and Ethan
I absolutely love how adventurous Jenna and Ethan are! Not only did they choose a gorgeous location for their Fall engagement session, and dress to a T, but they love hiking and doing things outdoors and had not problem galavanting through the woods with me. I even got a little lost at first because I haven't been to this park in a few years and totally got thrown off! However walking through the woods in a gown and a suite did not phase these two and we had a great time. I can't wait for their wedding in 2018 and to capture more of their moments! Congratulations Jenna and Ethan!
Rhode Island Ballet Photographer | Providence RI | Katy
Ballet and dance has had my heart since I was a little girl who refused to take off her first performance tutu twirling to "Animal Crackers in my Soup", which my mom still has on VHS. I never pass up a chance to take ballet class even as an adult (that's a whole seperate blog!), or photograph!
We began at one of my favorite spots in Providence, The Temple of Music at Roger Williams Park. Not only does the temple have a beautiful backdrop, but the marble floor gives a nice and slip-free texture to dance on. Unfortunately the main part of the structure is undergoing some restorative construction so we had to utilize a tiny area in the back corner of the temple.
Thank you so much Katy for letting me combine two of the things I love at this wonderful shoot, and congratulations on your upcoming roles in the Nutcracker with Spindle City Ballet!
Connecticut Boho Bridal | Sam and Pat | Coogan Farm Mystic
As summer comes to an end and the gorgeous Fall wedding season begins, there is nothing more exciting than a bohemian inspired bridal shoot with amazing vendor collaborations! Our shoot took place at Coogan Farm in Mystic, Connecticut on a balmy summer evening. The farm will soon be hosting weddings and events, and has miles of walking trails and fields perfect for photography in any season. Getting to shoot one of my favorite couples again, collaborating with awesome creative minds, and exploring new places is the ideal way to end the summer. Time to get cozy in sweaters and boots and all things pumpkin spice and kick off the Fall season!
Vendors:
Furniture/ Flatware: Uniquely Chic Vintage Rentals
Flowers: Michelle Jeanne Floral Design
Venue: Coogan Farm
HMUA/Bridesmaid Model: Jenn Pierce
Dress: Lulus
Suit: Express
Cupcakes: A Piece of Cake
Photography: Alicia Ann Photographie
Monday Musings | A Labor of Love
Love.
When most people think of love, they think of relationships between a couple. Love doesn't have to just be for a person, it can be for a place, an object, an activity, a hobby, a lifestyle and is so much more than a lustful whim. The saying "the labor of love" is one that I feel directly connected to with photography. I didn't just wake up one morning and thing "I think I'll be a photographer today!" (anyone get the Legally Blonde reference)! It took me years of hard work, blood, sweat and tears (sometimes literally) and thoughtful, conscious decisions to launch my passion and career.
My first love was for dance and movement. As a dancer and gymnast since childhood, I came back to dance as an adult while in art school. We had to do a project that was a series and I wanted to figure out how to incorporate dance into it somehow. So armed with my point and shoot camera I headed down to the beach with some old pointe shoes and a rickety tripod and took some photos I dubbed "Urban Dance". They weren't well received by the other students who thought I was just vain. I went to Starbucks and cried to the barrista, second guessing my entire final project. However, I remembered that art is subjective. I loved my project, and just other didn't like it didn't mean it wasn't successful.
Here are some of the photos from the project circa 2012 (because I'm not afraid to show progress!):
Now these images are completely not a representation of my current photographic style, but I still love them because this moment was when I started to create with a camera and that is special.
I didn't give up. Fast forward about a year, when my boyfriend got me my first DSLR, a Pentax K10D. Again, I was drawn to photographing dance in outdoor places, and mostly self portraits because I couldn't afford models and didn't know how to reach out to people. Some of those images:
I mean, check out my rockin Zapfino watermark!
I kept going. Just last year I did one more shoot:
The reason I'm sharing this is passion and love. Years of practice that shows progress, both technically and artistically. Love is something that can be cultivated with time and nurturing. Sure, anyone can pick up a camera and say "I love photography!", but until you work, fail, work harder, fail, work harder, fail, work harder, fail...repeat! Does it drive you past those roadblocks that seperate lust from love, and profession from passion. If it's handed to you and you never have to experience the hardships that drive the passion so deep into you, the labor of love and learning won't be the same.
Keep pushing, keep driving, keep reaching for those goals. Pursue them with learning, experience, failure and persistence. Work hard and dream big!
Happy Monday!
Alicia
Engaged! Now what?! 5 Tips for Starting to Plan Your Wedding | Rhode Island Wedding Photographer
The love of your life proposed, you said yes! Congratulations! This is one of the biggest moments in your lives, and a reason to celebrate. You will feel excited and maybe a little anxious as you think about planning your wedding. There are so many resources out there to help with your planning, but where do you begin? As a wedding photographer I often talk to brides about much more than just photography. It’s almost like we become such good friends that photographing their wedding seems more like just being an honored guest that gets to capture it all, and I’m always down to bring you a coffee to your bridal suite!
1.) Get Organized
I love buying all kinds of fun notebooks and folders, especially the ones with pretty designs and typography on them. It helps to have a folder with receipts, print outs, and things you rip out of magazines for inspiration all in one place. Notebooks are handy as well to write down ideas of anything that you want to remember to do.
2.) Plan a budget and stick to it
Next, you want to do is sit down together and plan how much you want to spend on your wedding in total. Keep everything in mind from venue, to dresses and suits, to décor. Also keep in mind if you want to include the cost of your rings (including the engagement ring) in this budget. Try your best to stick to this because the last thing you want to do it start your marriage with an enormous amount of debt over your head as newlyweds and being stressed about it.
3.) Venue Search
Before you book anything else you need to nail down your venue and date. This in itself can take a lot of time, but the best research can start online. Many sites like The Knot (www.theknot.com) and Wedding Wire (www.weddingwire.com) have reviews by real brides on their venue and vendor sites, as well as cost (stick to that budget!), and loads of pictures so you can think of décor and what you want your theme to be. Don’t worry if you don’t have or want a theme, your theme could always just be pretty wedding! Make sure you see your venues in person, speak to the coordinators, read the contracts and find out all the details. Now would also be a good time to hire your wedding planner if you are using one and they will take care of all the fine print for you. Think of how you want your photographs from your day to look while choosing your venue. If you love bright and airy images, don’t choose a place with no windows and dark wooden walls, floors and ceilings. Time of day matters as well, here in New England it’s not the best idea to have a 4:00 wedding in December with no first look if you want bright and well lit portraits after the wedding since it will be dark.
4.) Choose Your Bridal PartyOne of the greatest things about planning your special day is planning to share it with your closest friends. Both of your should choose your bridal party and think of a color theme that will be present in the décor and bridal party outfits. You can even ask friends to be a part of your bridal party with hand lettered cards and homemade gifts to add a special touch to it. Do some searches online to get some great ideas for some crafty fun, and start to imagine what your wedding day will look like!
5.) Dresses and InvitationsNow that your date and bridal party are set, you can shop for your dress and the dresses for the ladies! This is such an exciting and special day to share with your closest family and friends. Start looking for invitation designs at this time or hire a designer. Etsy (www.etsy.com) and Minted (www.minted.com) are really great resources for finding some beautiful invitations.
Now get ready to plan your big day! Get organized, set your budget, research and book your dream venue, gather your friends, say yes to the dress, and send those save the dates. Planning a wedding should be exciting and fun but is no doubt going to get a little stressful at times. The best advice I can give you is to enjoy the process. If things don’t go as planned, step back, take a breather and remember to enjoy planning your day together. It will all come together, and any issues can be overcome. Ready?! Go!
Alicia
www.aliciaannphoto.com
Rhode Island and Massachusetts Wedding Photographer | Narragansett Engagement Session | Kristin and John
Wedding Photography in RI, MA and CT
Engagement Session
I've always wanted to do a shoot in this gorgeous patch of open space in Narragansett right next to Narrow River. So when Kristin and John decided to do an engagement session I knew it would be the perfect place. One, because it's beautiful and near the beach, and two, because there is river access where these two paddle board all the time and they wanted to incorporate their favorite pastime (and how he proposed!) into their session. Perfection! The light was gorgeous just as I expected and it was so difficult narrowing it down to my favorites. Next up will be their wedding!
Check them out at http://paddleboardri.com/ !
