Creative Image Collections » My Life

Meet my lovely ‘perfect’ assistant Kelley!

Meg — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 01:06:27 +0000

I know some of you have already had the opportunity to meet my assistant, Kelley, but some of you haven’t, and those that may have already probably don’t realize just how hard she works and how much she is needed and appreciated! Kelley came into my life after I set out on a quest to find the ‘perfect’ assistant, on Craigslist. I actually would have settled for ‘pretty darn good’ but I have to say, she quickly graduated to ‘perfect’ with lightening speed. I had met with many other candidates but knew the second Kelley walked in my front door that I wanted her to be with me at my weddings. Not only was she put together but she really has got IT together. I am pretty good at my job, I think, but Kell just swoops in when I need her the most and was the missing link that I FINALLY found. It was meant to be. That was two years ago already!

Kell and I, when we first met, lived 2 miles from each other. We rode to every event and wedding together, and still do, and I never get tired of being with her. She probably has a bit of a different perspective of me on those rides, as I am not the best of drivers, my four rotating songs on my i-pod have been known to get under her skin, and quite often I vent about my personal life as if she is my therapist, but I am pretty sure I return the favor. We have become best friends and I am so thankful to have had her join me on my journey through life and business. I truly have been blessed with a wonderful friend that I hope to have for a lifetime. We walk together, cook together, hang out together, get pedicures together, have beach days together, and shop together. There isn’t much we don’t do together. We are quite the pair!

Kelley is the glue that holds me together at my weddings when I am in my zone and thinking more about ‘my’ light than I am thinking about stopping at the ‘red’ light ahead. {she is such a good backseat driver-thank the heavens} I honestly couldn’t photograph my couple’s weddings the way I do if she wasn’t there by my side taking care of all the little things that help the day run smoothly.

This is a shot I grabbed of Kelley, quickly, at a church ceremony over the weekend, as I was doing a little ISO/light test and I figured since I rarely mention her on the blog, that I am way past-due to get her in the spotlight. PLUS!!! She’s newly Engaged!!!!! Yay! I am so happy for her and her fiance’ Frank! I won’t be photographing her wedding because I am going to be in the wedding party !! Yipppeeeeee!!!! I can’t wait!

So here’s to Kelley, my beautiful friend and ‘perfect’ assistant, and to Frank for their happily ever after that is yet to come!

Love ya Kell!

3 votes

Fairfield County Children’s Photographer: Meet Little Shea!

Meg — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:54:10 +0000

Yesterday I watched Shea for one of my best friends, Melissa Wilson, and since today is Shea’s 2nd birthday Melissa asked if I could take the time to photograph her if I had time when watching her…with specific instructions NOT to buy her a new outfit for her birthday! Ha! Melissa knows me all too well! I can’t do anything half way if I tried and there was no way I could take Shea to the mall to go shopping for my own kids and myself, and not get her anything, when her 2nd birthday is today! That would be so mean of me!

So of course I HAD to go to my favorite kids store, Janie and Jack, and when I found this little tu-tu and fairy wings I HAD to get it. It was too darn cute and Shea was all about trying it out…so we went with it! Such a fun shopping partner! I am keeping the wings for Nina but the tu-tu, shirt and little beret are all Shea’s as a little happy birthday gift…sent with magical fairy wishes and love for a happy and healthy year to come! May all your little dreams come true Shea! You’re a cutie patootie and a munchkie pipi-squeak! Seriously, I know that is a lot of nicknames in one sentence, but if you ever meet Shea, you’d be saying the same thing!

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My favorite…She is such a little sprite!

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This was the “I am DONE with this picture stuff and I want my binky back” face. So darn cute!

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Happy Birthday little Shea and I love ya Melis! She’s a doll!

Happy Thursday!

Meg

CT Children’s Photographer: Overdue Kiddie Pics!

Meg — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 23:14:49 +0000

Gosh it’s been a while since I have blogged. A lot going on over here in my neck of the woods! I haven’t taken my camera out in a while to photograph my two little ones, Nina and Peyton. I love them so much, but often I feel so terrible about being a professional photographer and not having all that many photos of them. It’ s one of my goals, from this day forward, to capture more moments with them on film. The simple gestures, the crazy faces they make when I ask them to try not to pay attention to me when I am pointing my lens at them, and them just being together. They have such a strong relationship and are the best of friends and individually, they are the most spirited people I know! I love them with all my heart…

Nina…

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Peyton, waiting for daddy to pick up his phone…

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Nina, Nina, Nina…I just never know what little world she is in. It’s often not this one! ;o)

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Love these two little munchkins!

Happy Tuesday!

Meg

Heart Shaped Leaves: I hope you find yours

Meg — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:41:35 +0000

This is by far a more personal post and one that I contemplated even writing about for a few days. However, I figured, even if I put myself out there and perhaps showed you my more vulnerable side, that I could maybe help someone else who is faced with those seemingly evil uncertainties that life can throw at us at times, as I am. Maybe I can help them remember they aren’t alone.

My dearest friends, and they know who they are, know I have been through some rocky roads recently and that I have been struggling with many hardships in life that just seem downright unfair and way too much for me to handle. I know I am not alone, because I have decided to be quite open about my hardships and share with others the worries, fears and struggles I have endured, and have yet to endure. Mostly it is the uncertainties that life has presented to me at this moment. I believe, through talking with so many others out there, that there has been somewhat of a univeral test that we are all undergoing in one way or another at this moment in life. In my life, I know it has felt most recently that my fears have somewhat overwhelmed me, and frankly, taken over who I am. I think I came to that breaking point, in which I have found which direction I need to go, call it a crossroad if you may. I have been faced with some pretty big obstacles in life lately, which of course, is scary since the road ahead isn’t visible to me at all. I am left with the feeling of little control and have needed to rely on that word called Faith. The fact is, I am a single self employed artist who chose to follow her heart in all aspects of my life, which comes with the price tag of many uncertainties tied to it, however, leaves me knowing that I have lived life to the fullest. I couldn’t do it any other way.

Sometimes in life, in your darkest days, you have to find that one thing that keeps you going, that gets you through your toughest day. Whether that be the hand of a loved one, the laughter in your children’s voices, a rainbow, or something as small as a heart shaped leaf.

So here is to my heart shaped leaf I found, the tiny treasure that, oddly enough, helped me feel the tiniest bit of faith on one of my darkest days.

1 vote

Fresh Flowers and keeping it simple!

Meg — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 16:47:11 +0000

Just a little in between post while I take care of the mounds of editing I still have yet to tackle and then some! Off to shoot a wedding today and still think I am able to squeeze in my walk! It’s all about balance, and although weddings are truly a workout in themselves, (without fail I always awake the next morning with that “I over did it at the gym” feeling), I still love the fresh air on my cheeks and that centered feeling I get afterwords. It’s heaven on earth for me. Also, I have been striving for more balance in my life lately, since really there wasn’t any, which has resulted in me trying to remember to stop and smell the roses, or in this case hydrangeas! I think it has always been the comfort in the small things in life that I have always loved and treasured most. Today, it’s my beautiful children and the memories they create for me, the simple yet beautiful white hydrangeas that I picked up from the supermarket to put in my studio, date night with Matt last night (yummy sushi and a movie : The Town) , and the beautiful sun that will fill our souls with endless possibilities today. It’s all there around me…and today I chose to acknowledge it and find comfort in it!

Enjoy the beautiful weekend!

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Next up on the blog is a NYC engagement session and the gorgeous wedding of Vanessa and Armando!

MEG

Kennebunkport, Maine & Balance…

Meg — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 16:12:23 +0000

Last weekend, one of my one and only weekends off, I decided to take a trip with Matt to Maine. First stop was Portland, where we spent most of our time in the heart of the city’s cobble stone streets where we shopped till we dropped. Literally. You know that Matt was LOVING that but I have to say, he handled it with great ease and patience. He is good like that. Well, it was quite exhausting, even for me. However, we always have fun together and it was indeed an experience that I will always remember. This vacation was to be so many things to me. Time with Matt, a way to achieve an inner peace in myself, exploration and adventure, and time away from work and the everyday life stresses that are tied to it all. That’s a whole lot of expectations I had in Portland, Maine. Poor Portland. Little did it know what was coming it’s way! Well, although we had a lovely time on vacation, ate to our hearts content (the sushi was yummy!!!), and walked miles on end to make sure we hit up all of the city streets, clothing boutiques, pubs, bakeries, and chocolate bars, (yes…there was a chocolate bar!!) I left Portland, Maine with disappointment in the gut of my stomach. I was almost happy to be leaving and heading home. Not your usual ‘leaving vacation feeling’.

So as we were leaving Portland, the wonderful and art-drenched city that it is, we came upon my dream spot for a vacation, and it wasn’t until we drove into Kennebunkport, Maine that I realized what I had needed all along. I fell in love with it. We both did. I think it was safe to say that we both want to head back to this haven sometime very soon! Kennebunkport, Maine is where I envisioned riding a rusty old bicycle down the tree lined streets stacked with colonial homes and Inns, one after the next. I found myself dreaming about going for the run of my life, the kind that gives you that instant relief from stress leaving you ever so tranquil and at peace. I’d have the perfect fall sweater on and my hair and makeup would be natural and care-free of course. Matt would fill my brain with all sorts of nature talk and vocabulary I have never even heard of and I would sit and listen and realize just how brilliant he is, knowing all the little bits and pieces of scientific information about species that I never even knew shared the earth with us. It is in Kennebunkport, Maine that I thought I would achieve the balance that I so greatly yearned for. Right? That is THE place where I would have to go to find my balance. So I thought.

This WAS my initial thought. This was also my initial thought when Matt and I took off in the car to head up to Portland at the start of our vacation. However, it wasn’t until I reached home again when I realized I needed a vacation from the vacation. Does that make senses to you? Forgive me if I have lost you, but to me it makes perfect sense. I had wanted to take this vacation with Matt for quite some time. It was on our to-do-list and finally we achieved it. Then afterwards, when all was said and done, and all the cupcakes and crab cakes were eaten, I was still left with that same uneasy feeling that I headed up to Maine with. Why was that? Didn’t I JUST take a vacation? Yes. But what kind of vacation did I take? This boggled me. Did I take a vacation from my crazy life? Yes, I did indeed. However, I also just replaced it with a vacation life filled with the exact same craziness that I could have gotten at home. Running around trying to squeeeeeeeze it all in four little days.

Returning home was when I realized what I needed the whole time. That being…drum roll please…BALANCE. Yup…I needed BALANCE. Unfortunately, Maine isn’t known for offering one balance in their vacation packages. That is something that I needed to create on my own. I put all the responsibility on Maine for that one. BALANCE. I lacked it BIG time. I was on the go…no lie…24-7. Stopping only to sleep most days. To make it worse, I also failed to, at times, compartmentalize (my new favorite word) my life. Leaving little time for enjoying things like the laughter of my own children, the smell of the fall air, the sound of the birds chirping, exercising, and reading something non-work related, etc. I had gotten wrapped up in this whirlwind and just spun like crazy. It’s easy to do really. You just pick yourself up and do it all over the next day…and the day after that…and so on and so forth. Maine may not have cured my woes and unbalanced lifestyle, but it was where I came to the realization that I needed to do the work myself in order to achieve balance. It is up to me.

My favorite part of the whole vacation, was when Matt and I sat down together on the rocks along the shore. Waves faintly crashed against the sand and there we sat alone and silent, without interruption. To be honest, it was almost painful at first to have to sit and be still. Gosh, how does one just stop and be still without having some type of gadget to occupy their thoughts? Blackberries and Facebook ringing in to let us know what another has going on in their life. I found it to be frustrating not having something in my hands to tinker with. I found it hard to really just sit and be still and quiet the chatter in my mind. Just the sound of the waves, boats in the distance, the chatter of distant beach walkers, and Matt’s shoulder to lean on and hand to hold. How was that painful? Sitting with myself and the one person that puts up with me when I am in my spinning whirlwind on the verge of becoming a human tornado. I realized I need to do a different kind of work that was non-business related.

I just got back from Maine on Monday. Since then, I have changed my exercise routine, I have made a more rigid work schedule , and I have decided to cook more meals at home, because that time with the family is what the kids will remember years from now. Most importantly, however, I have begun to see I am responsible for my crazy life’s patterns and I am also responsible to change it if I don’t like it and if it’s not working. So here’s to balance and me being the creator of it in my own life. A little Kennebunkport, Maine image below… where I may not have found balance, but I did find where I need it to begin from.

9 votes

Connecticut Children’s Photographer: Westchester Children’s Photographer:Summer Fun with Watermelon and Swings!

Meg — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:47:13 +0000

As some of you may know, I am a mom to two little monkeys (or munchkies, depending on the day) that I almost never take pictures of…until of course I pinch myself to see if they really are as big as they are, only to find out that indeed…they are.

Peyton’s going to be in First Grade this year and although Nina has yet to graduate from Pre-school (that always cracks me up) she too has grown quite a bit in size and personality! They are two peas-in-a-pod and I adore every second I share with them. This week I made myself take a break from my editing and sit outside with them, photograph them and give em’ an old push on the swings!

They also LOVE watermelon more than you could imagine!

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Who wants another piece of watermelon? Meeeeeeeee!

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I am testing out my lens while Peyt’s testing his speed!

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Swings. Simply fun.

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Love this shot of Nina inside. Now if I could only get Peyt to sit for this shot I’d be all set!

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Enjoy the beautiful weekend. I have another full weekend ahead! Next up on the blog is Jordana and Nick’s beautiful backyard wedding! Woohoo! ;o)

Happy Friday!

Meg

Memorial Day Fun with the kiddies!

Meg — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:02:41 +0000

Just a quick personal post before I head out for the weekend to shoot Becky and Brendan’s wedding up in Glastonbury, CT. I have limited time to spend with my kids that doesn’t involve taxi-ing them around from school to home and back again. So Monday on Memorial Day I fully enjoyed being able to have fun with them! I watched them both march in the parade in downtown Danbury and Matt and I BBQ’d with them, roasted marshmallows over the fire-pit to make smores, planted tomatoes in the garden, and lit off a few fireworks! It was the best day we have had in a loooooooong time!

I know it is REALLY cheesy but I have to say that Nina’s future is SO bright…she has to wear two shades! ;o) (see…I told you it was cheesy!)

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I am so happy they have each other as best pals through life! What memories they will share together!

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After the parade they had some parachuters! It’s not the best pic…but I failed to bring my 70-200 so I did the best I could with what lenses I had! One of my pet peeves is never wanting to lug my gear around while not working and then seeing a shot and not having what I need in order to capture it! Note to self: bring all gear.

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So I hope you all enjoyed your Memorial Day to the fullest with fine family and friends!

Enjoy the weekend and Happy Friday!

MEG

Breakfast at home!

Meg — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:58:11 +0000

One of my favorite meals of the day…Breakfast! Here is why:

1.There is nothing like the first sip of coffee to rev up my otherwise sluggish brain. I just love the first sip for some reason. It is like heaven on earth. It satisfies me in every way and it centers me. I have to put much thought into not spilling it on my journey from the counter to the table. I have to slowly bring it to my mouth so as not to sip too fast and burn my tongue (one of my pet peeves…a burnt tongue).

2.There is nothing like 15 minutes (really seconds for me on most days) to myself to read the newspaper and see what’s new in the world. It’s honestly the only time through out the day that I actually get to read anything besides my email.

3.There is nothing like a wholesome helping of yogurt with granola, eggs (made by my boyfriend), and freshly squeezed orange juice. I am pushing it with the “freshly squeezed” bit.

4.There is nothing like beautiful morning sunshine pouring through the windows at the breakfast table.

5.Hearing my daughter call her cereal “Snap , Papple, and Pop” is the best thing in the world.

6.Hearing my son’s excitement in the fact that he “winned” the race to get dressed this morning.

Those are the things I want to remember in life when they are older and no longer acknowledge me! ;o)

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I will cherish these years FOREVER and always remember what breakfast was like when they were “my babies”.

Happy Friday!

MEG

My Nature Walk: Pound Ridge New York Portrait Photographer

Meg — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:26:43 +0000

It isn’t often that I break out my camera to take any personal type of photographs, and although I enjoy my work and have fun shooting my clients, I don’t take my camera out just for “fun” either. My boyfriend, Matt, and I enjoy hiking and frequent Pound Ridge in New York. It is a beautiful natural reservation, and him being the wildlife biologist that he is, it is usually an educational hike for me as well. You name it…if he hears it hooting, howling, or chirping in that park, he knows what it is.It is amazing to me to know that all of this surrounded me since I was young, and I didn’t take much notice to the faintest sound. Now being with Matt, who points that out to me from time to time, has opened my eyes to a whole new way of perceiving nature. Especially snakes…don’t ask, but they have gained a bit of my respect for their place in nature.

I had my camera in my car with me, so I took advantage of some of the sights…just for fun!

Enjoy!

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Matt hates it when I point the camera in his direction. I love to do just that, just to annoy him! Mwahahahahaha!

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There were little kids playing around while their parents sat nearby…so I snapped a couple.

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Happy Thursday!

MEG