Right Now

Apologies to friends who have already seen this image.

I've posted it on Facebook & shown it to anyone I can get to look at it.

But I wanted to share here as well.

I shot this image last week at Lehigh University's bonfire rally for Saturday's football game against Lafayette.

Lehigh is one of my biggest non-wedding clients. I love shooting there because of images like this.

Douglas

Michelle + David 09.25.09

I am not the best blogger.

Current weddings, albums & other photography projects are always on the front burner. And I get hopelessly behind in updating the blog.

Not today. Please meet David & Michelle who married in Ocean City, New Jersey.

They married at a church in town & held their reception at The Flander's Hotel, a vintage & beautiful hotel right on the boardwalk. David and Michelle got ready there, too, and it was fun working on the boardwalk.

Mustafah Abdulaziz helped out as a second & he shot his normal awesomeness. Thanks, man.

We had a great time.

And the pictures were pretty great, too.

Douglas

My new friend Anna

I met Anna at her cousin's wedding last summer in New York.

She contacted me this summer to talk about portraiture and last week we got together. We met in Chelsea because she loves the cobblestone streets & then worked a bit in Central Park.

Anna was wonderful and there are several images I love. Here are a couple of them.

Best,
Douglas

Autumn

Autumn exploded in my part of Pennsylvania. It seemed like an instant.

It's super beautiful & moved me to post this.

These are my new friends Megan & Jason who will be getting married in July next year.

Best,
Douglas

I just finished up & delivered Michelle's wedding pictures this morning. Can't wait for her to see this one.

Douglas

I shot this Friday at David & Michelle's wedding in Ocean City, New Jersey.

I'm posting it here just because I like it.

Pictures of David & Michelle themselves coming soon!

Thanks for indulging me.

Douglas

Love at First Sight

I love these.

It’s the first time Laura saw her reception room at Hotel Bethlehem on Saturday. She snuck a peek before her guests arrived.

Credit where credit is due: The room, which looked amazing, was a result of the combined efforts of Dale Schaffer of Elysian Fields, coordinator extraordinaire Kori Muntean of Wedding Daze Boutique and Steve Mittman of Steve Mittman Entertainment.

Douglas

Scott + Sara's Engagement

Scott and Sara will be married next March in New York City & I am looking forward to being with them.

No matter what the weather will be in March, it was warm and sunny when we shot their engagement session in the Hamptons on Long Island last week.

It was lovely.

They were both really comfortable in front of the camera. I don't know if I have ever given so little direction in a session. It was really just a matter of getting them together and taking pictures of what happened. I would start to ask Scott to kiss her and realize he already was.

It led to a set of images I really love. It's natural and loving.

I'll see you both in March!

Douglas

Chris + Dana 08.08.09

And now for something completely different.

Welcome to Chris and Dana’s awesome adventure, nothing less than the reinvention of the wedding itself.

And it was quite a lot of fun.

There was a re-enactment of a scene from My Fair Lady. Their officiant read vows from a binder with a picture of Chuck Norris holding an Uzi. As they left the ceremony, Chris and Dana threw rice at their guests.

Later that night, at the reception, there was cake and tricycle racing.

Chris and Dana were married on a stage at Musikfest, a music festival held in Bethlehem every August.

I really appreciate their willingness to make their wedding their very own. It might not be for everyone, but it was certainly Chris & Dana.

Douglas

Kimberly + Cody 07.18.09

Kimberly & Cody married at Packer Chapel on the campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem.

I love it.

I have written about Packer here before but it bears repeating: there is no church more beautiful for a wedding than Packer. You sense its history & reverence the moment you walk in the door. It's a very dark chapel - its beautiful detail almost hiding - but it's all there and photographs well.

But this wedding was about Kimberly and Cody. They made me feel like family and gave me everything I need for great pictures: A loving couple having a great time at their wedding.

Thank you,
Douglas

Maya + Tarkan 07.12.09

Maya was a bridesmaid in the very first wedding I ever photographed.

It was the marriage of Abigail & Doug Woodward on September 25, 2004 and Maya, to say the least, made an impression on me.

Nothing could please me more than to photograph Maya’s own marriage to her amazing groom Tarkan beneath the Brooklyn Bridge a few weeks ago.

Tarkan is awesome. I dare anyone to spend five minutes with the man and not like him. Tarkan is as fun and spontaneous as his bride.

All this to say I felt very close to this couple. I was moved – tears literally coming to my eyes – while photographing Maya in her veil and dress just before she walked down the aisle. She was beautiful – absolutely gorgeous – but it had more to do with how strongly I felt about Maya and Tarkan and the bond they share and the commitment they were about to make.

I was thrilled for them.

And there’s more: This wedding for me was so much about life coming full circle. Doug and Abigail were there, of course, and they brought with them their beautiful young son Leo. Five years seemed like a blink of an eye since this couple was on the alter and then suddenly, here in front of me, was Leo. And I took a family photo of the three of them the day of Maya’s wedding.

I love it when it all goes ‘round.

Best,
Douglas

p.s. I was very happy to have my friend Joe Craig shooting with me on this one. He has been so busy with his own wedding work that it doesn't happen as often as I would like. Thanks, Joe.

06.27.09 Ed + Hannah

On her wedding day, Hannah was the embodiment of happiness.

She was bliss.

I have never seen a happier bride. The girl just smiled and laughed and giggled all day.

And for good reason: She was marrying Ed and beginning a new wonderful life with him and his two darling kids, Justine & Eddy.

Hannah and Ed were married at Muhlenberg Chapel in Allentown with a tented reception in the backyard of their home. There were kids everywhere. All the neighbors came. Ed & Hannah & Justine & Eddy were one big happy family.

It was all great fun. See for yourself.

Douglas

06.21.09 Clayton + John

This was a first for me.

And, it turns out, that was okay: It was a first for them, too.

I was thrilled Clayton and John chose me to photograph their wedding. I walked into that meeting without a single picture of a same-sex wedding. But they picked me anyway and I appreciate that.

I have never been to - or photographed - a more moving, beautiful or loving wedding than theirs. Their supportive families and tight-knit friends made for the perfect wedding.

Thanks, Clayton and John. It was an absolute joy.

Best,
Douglas

p.s. Oops! Forgot to thank Cesar Laure who second shot for me. Cesar, as usual, really came through for me.

06.06.09 Sarah + Dennis

I have written before about how I love tented summer wedding receptions.

If you walk away, after dark, and turn around to look they glow in the night sky.

It’s warm and intimate and beautiful, just as a wedding should be.

Sarah & Dennis were married during an outdoor ceremony with a tented reception at the Weyhill Guest House in Saucon Valley, one of the most beautiful places in the Lehigh Valley.

It’s really wonderful when clients create these unbelievably beautiful weddings for me to photograph. Thanks, Sarah & Dennis.

Best,
Douglas

05.30.09 Erika + Matthew

Erika & Matthew were married last month at Packer Chapel on the campus of Lehigh University where they met as students. Packer is old & beautiful and one of my favorite churches in Bethlehem.

Their reception was at Saucon Valley Country Club which was beyond gorgeous thanks to the effort and planning by Erika and her wedding planner Meredith Tomasulo of Elegant Engagements.

I have been working a lot this summer with Mustafah Abdulaziz as my second and his work has been outstanding. Some of the images here are his and I greatly appreciate his efforts.

I'm sure Erika and Matthew do as well.

Best,
Douglas

05.24.09 Nina + Ken

You get to know people pretty quickly as a wedding photographer.

You begin the day and barely know your couple. Up until then you’ve had a couple of phone calls and maybe a meeting or two. It’s all very cordial & professional.

But the emotion of a wedding day changes all that. You get a peek into someone’s life and you feel close to them.

That's how I felt about Ken and Nina. They were wonderful.

Ken was truly moved. His emotion reminded me of me at my own wedding. Nina is warm and beautiful. She was the picture of grace all day long.

And she has great taste in shoes. Love those shoes.

Best,
Douglas

05.23.09 Erica + Bob

Bob and Erica married two weeks ago at Newberry Estates, a beautiful little country spot near Dallas, Pennsylvania.

They have a great story: Bob & Erica have been together since high school but spent the last five years apart. Bob works as a television producer on the West Coast. Erica was going to med school in Hershey.

On their wedding day it was like they had never been apart.

Thanks to my friend Amber Breiner who really rocked the house as my second shooter. She helped me pull together a batch of images I love.

Keep in touch, you two. I am very, very happy you can be together now.

Best,
Douglas

05.09.09 Amy + Joel

I had been waiting for this one a long time.

Wedding & Reception at Hotel Bethlehem: Beautiful.

Amy: Stunning.

Amy & Joel just belong together - they're an amazing couple - and I was excited to work with them. Saturday's wedding was everything I had hoped.

Thank you!
Douglas

Carolyn + Greg

I called Carolyn Monday to try and talk her out of our scheduled engagement session that night.

The forecast was not great - it was supposed to rain - and I thought we should postpone. Carolyn thought otherwise.

She was, of course, right. It was a beautiful evening.

They didn't have a particular place in mind so I got to try out a couple of spots I had found on bike rides. They were pretty, out of the way places in the woods.

It was fun. Thanks!

Best,
Douglas

p.s. Getting this edit down was brutal! I had to get Wendy help me choose from the 30 I had picked.

05.02.09 Daniel + Lauren

I'm not going to write much here except to say Daniel & Lauren are awesome. I love you both. Thanks for having me.

Lauren was a bridesmaid in a previous wedding & being with her was a great reunion. She looked amazing.

And major props to Mustafah Abdulaziz, my second, who just rocked the day.

Douglas