Hap-Hap-Happy

Happy Holidays everyone!

I've been working on albums & I'm looking forward to working with my buddy Joe Craig next week at his New Years Eve wedding. Expecting greatness.

News: I built a Facebook page if anyone is interested in hooking up with me there.

Peace!
Douglas

Dream Flight

I'm going to interrupt the wedding blog to include a bit from my other photography life.

One of my favorite corporate clients is the Lehigh Valley International Airport. It's a cool place to make pictures.

Every year the airport staff volunteer to host the Dream Come True "North Pole Express Flight," an opportunity for sick kids to ride in a plane to the North Pole, visit Santa, get gifts and forget about their troubles for a little while.

This is the second time I've photographed the event. It's always thrilling and inspiring. Little kids from all walks of life, kids that have already suffered more hardship than the rest of us ever will, all lost in the bliss of Christmas.

I was working on the pictures this morning and thought I would share a few here.

Best,
Douglas

Sarah + Dennis

I wrote last about how I loved shooting in the fall.

And I do. But I learned last week - after working with Sarah and Dennis in Central Park - how much I love those fall images in black & white.

The trees were at their peak, the color was stunning, but every image I toned in black and white was thrilling.

Maybe it has more to do with the park. It's a classic setting for so many great old films. Maybe that's what I'm responding to.

So, Sarah and Dennis, you have two engagement sessions: one in blazing color and the other in black and white.

Very Wizard of Oz.

I have to share one thing about this couple: they did great work at 8:00 a.m.

For reasons I've forgotten, we scheduled our session for first thing in the morning. I think it was so the park wouldn't be so crowded. Regardless, I was driving into the City long before dawn and worried about a couple being able to strike a romantic mood at such an early hour.

I shouldn't have worried at all. Turns out this couple is in love 24/7.

Thanks and I'll see you in June!

Douglas

Mary + Brian

Shooting in the fall is great and I try to get in as many engagement sessions as I can when the color is nice.

Last weekend I hooked up with Brian & Mary in a park near Mary's parents' home in Bucks County. We worked in the late afternoon when the light was soft and warm. It was beautiful.

They are a gorgeous couple and they did just great. Can't wait to shoot their wedding in March next year. Maybe we'll be doing it all over again in the snow!

Douglas

10.18.08 Will + Jen

I love this moment.

I'm getting my first look at Jen & Will's wedding last weekend in Hershey. There are lots of good images but this is my favorite so far.

This is the moment they were pronounced man & wife and their reaction says more than I ever could.

Thanks for giving me this one!

Best,
Douglas

09.06.08 Randy + Michelle

I'm going back again to pull pictures from a wedding that should have been on here weeks ago: Randy & Michelle's excellent wedding in Lancaster.

They could not have been a more fun and loving couple. They looked pretty damn good, too.

All this against the backdrop of Hurricane Hanna ripping up the East Coast that day. It could not have rained harder. It was the kind of day that would send most brides into a tailspin.

Not Michelle. Being with her all day you would think everything was perfect.

And it was.

Best,
Douglas

10.11.08 Brett + Eliza

This image really made my day.

Brett and Eliza were married Saturday at Settler's Inn up in the Poconos. It was a beautiful fall day & the leaves were starting to turn.

They are just an awesome, awesome couple & I really wanted to do a good job for them. I bet Eliza will think this one is just fine.

Douglas

9.20.08 David + Erin

I am getting all out of order here but there's no way I'm skipping David and Erin.

They were married a few weeks ago at Skytop Lodge in the Poconos, one of the prettiest venues in Pennsylvania. Erin put a lot of thought into her day and it came off beautifully. Erin looked just stunning as you'll see in the pictures below.

I didn't meet David until rehearsal the night before the wedding and I liked him right away. I knew that night I had a great couple and we were going to have a great wedding day.

We did.

Best,
Douglas

10.04.08 Andrea + David

I'm getting my first look today at David & Andrea's wedding pictures from Saturday. This is Andrea waiting to walk down the aisle at Stroudsmoor's Terraview.

I think it's lovely.

Douglas

Jillyan + Jared's Engagement

This morning I'm finishing up the images from Jillyan and Jared's engagement session last week at Little Buffalo State Park. They are a great couple and we had a good time. I love this image.

Best,
Douglas

p.s. Just finished these pictures & I just have to add a few more. Yes, there are too many silhouettes. Sometimes a guy can't help himself.

08.23.08 Jennifer + Sebastian

This one really blew me away.

Jennifer & Sebastian married two weeks ago at the Lake House Inn, a beautiful venue on Lake Nockamixon in Upper Bucks County.

I've known Jennifer for three years & she has been a bridesmaid in two of my weddings. She is a stunningly gorgeous girl and super sweet. I met Sebastian at their engagement shoot in Avalon a few weeks ago. Great guy.

I had my buddy Joe Craig with me to shoot the groom prep and he, as always, did an amazing job.

Enough talk! Pictures!

Douglas

07.06.08 Adam + Lisa

The blog has been a little heavy on engagement shoots lately & I wanted to slip a wedding in here.

It was pretty fantastic.

Adam and Lisa were married at the Tribeca Rooftop in Manhattan. I love working in the City, especially in venues that are new to me.

Adam and Lisa are just a great couple & I completely enjoyed sharing their day with them.

At the end of the day we went out to shoot on the subway which, it turns out, isn't really allowed. Not sure why it's illegal to take photos on the subway but it is. We dodged a transit cop for a while but it ended up getting what we wanted.

Douglas

first look

This morning I got my first look at Erin and David's wedding from Saturday & found this early on.

Can't wait to see the rest.

Douglas

Matthew + Erika's Engagement

I know there are a bunch of recent engagement sessions already on the blog here but there is no way I'm going to skip Matthew and Erika's.

Last night we walked around Central Park for a couple of hours. It was a beautiful night in the City.

It was the first time I had met them and taking pictures is a great way to get to know a couple. Erika looked great and you would have never known that Matthew had been in a triathlon that morning. Quite a day for Matthew: swim, bike, run, photo. He finished well.

Thanks, both of you.
Douglas

Joel + Amy's Engagement

Tuesday night last week I met up in Philadelphia with Joel and Amy for their engagement shoot.

I encourage couples to choose a place that means something to them & sometimes we end up in spots you wouldn't expect for an engagement shoot. Joel and Amy are big time sports fans, they love the Eagles and the Phillies, so the sports complex was the perfect place.

We worked that spot for a while and then went downtown near the Water Works and Boathouse Row.

I'll see you two in May!

Best,
Douglas

Jen + Sebastian's engagement session

I just got home from Jennifer & Sebastian's engagement shoot in Avalon, a shore town down at the bottom of New Jersey. I should be getting to bed before tomorrow's wedding (early start!) but I was too anxious to see the images.

They made my job way too easy. Jennifer has the most amazing smile and Sebastian knows how to keep one on her face nearly all the time.

So here are a few quick grabs - thanks you two. It was awesome.

Douglas

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

I don't write much about my non-wedding photography on this blog but want to make an exception here.

I have spent the past six days documenting the Dalai Lama's visit to Lehigh University in Bethlehem to deliver a series of teachings about a centuries-old Buddhist text.

Thousands came to hear him speak. I saw a woman burst into tears when he greeted and hugged her. After six days and 4,652 images I felt like I had a pretty good sense of the man. I was moved by him. He was humble and wise. He didn't take himself seriously although everyone around him did. He joked and laughed a lot.

Yesterday was the highlight for me when I was able to meet him. I bowed and he reached out and shook my hand and grinned really big. This from the man who is the spiritual leader to the world's 350 million Buddhists.

It was a total thrill.
Douglas

NYC

Joe snapped this picture of me shooting Adam & Lisa from the top of the truck before their wedding yesterday in the City. I had Joe and Kate with me all day - the "A Team" if ever there was one.

I think it's a funny picture. I always end up doing ridiculous things just to get into the right spot. There was a killer cobblestone street in front of their venue, the Tribeca Rooftop at Hudson & Desbrosses, and getting on top of the truck was the only way to get it.

So today has been a lot of fun going through all the images. Lisa looked amazing and Adam is just about the coolest guy ever.

Douglas

Happy 4th!!!!!

Elizabeth & David had an awesome 4th of July wedding yesterday in the backyard of her family home near Allentown. Elizabeth's dad hooked us up with a great show.

Happy 4th!
Douglas

05.25.08 Ross + Alexandra

Last summer I photographed Alex & Ross' engagement session at the Lehigh County Game Preserve. We made an engagement album with the idea that guests could sign it at their wedding. The album turned out great. It was so nice, actually, that Alex almost didn't let her guests write on it.

I felt really close to them from the very beginning of their day. They are really nice people. They were married along the Delaware River at Glen Foerd Mansion in Lower Bucks. It was a really beautiful place and I'm super happy with the images.

Alex said she is, too.

Keep in touch, you two.

Best,
Douglas

Melissa

Right on schedule, smack dab in the middle of the summer, I am behind on the blog posts. It's that time of year. I'm swimming in weddings and couldn't be happier.

There are several weddings I want to share here but, right now, I wanted to post this image I'm working on right now. It's from Melissa and Louis' wedding last weekend. Melissa looked amazing.

I think it's lovely.

Best,
Douglas

05.17.08 Katherine + Shashi

This one was awesome.

I wrote about Katherine & Shashi's wedding a couple of weeks ago.

I didn't mention they actually had two weddings that weekend in Baltimore: a Christian ceremony on Saturday and a Hindu ceremony Sunday.

It was really cool to watch Katherine and Shashi share these two really beautiful traditions, each completely different but both sharing the same meaning. It was a wonderful way to start a life together.

Best,
Douglas

It was her idea, I swear

Really, it was.

I love this photo from Matt & Kristi's wedding yesterday. We were playing around in the front lawn of the spectacular Cairnwood in Philadelphia.

Here's to hoping they get a quick peek at the picture before taking off on their honeymoon tomorrow morning.

Thanks, you two, it was a blast.

Douglas

this moment

I didn't even shoot this image.

My buddy Joe Craig did.

Joe made this picture at a wedding we shot last weekend in Baltimore; it was Katherine & Shashi's wedding. The day was amazing and I'll have more images on the blog here real soon.

I'm posting Joe's picture here because I've been thinking about it all day. I keep coming back to it. I love its honesty and warmth. I feel a connection.

The story: I had asked Shashi's grandmother to let me photograph her with her grandson and his new bride. I made the picture. He smiled and she didn't. It was okay. I stepped away and the moment I did she hugged Shashi and gave Joe this image.

I truley love it.

Good shootin', Joe

Best,
Douglas