Veteran's Day

Wishing a peaceful and safe Veteran's Day to all my fellow Vets out there. Special shout-out to my brothers and sisters of the 4th ID. The 1st Brigade of the 4th ID captured Saddam Hussein, former President of Iraq, on 13 December 2003. To date we have lost 310 brave soldiers from the 4th in Iraq who were sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, uncles and aunts.

Andrea & Chris: Wedding

Andrea & Chris are friends of one of my wonderful 2008 wedding couples, Alisha & Mike. When Andrea first contacted me back in January she told me I was "highly recommended" by Alisha and that she had seen all of their wedding pictures. This of course gave me the warm fuzzies and we were off to a great start! :) Referrals work both ways to me. I adore all of my incredible wedding clients, so when one of their friends contact me to document their wedding event I know right away that 1) They must also be a wonderful couple and 2) That I will connect with them and their wedding event will be a pleasure to be a part of! With this theory I am batting 1.000.

Andrea & Chris live in New Hampshire but planned to get married in the Brunswick area, her home town. We met in Augusta this spring on one of their trips up to work on their arrangements and I was instantly 'at home' with them. Now the hard part...waiting until October to see them again and shoot their wedding. Once I meet with my couples I am ready to shoot their wedding the next weekend, I get so excited!

October finally arrived!

Andrea and the ladies got ready at Andrea's parents house and here are a few of the Bride's details...




I didn't shoot the guys getting ready so it was nice that the rings were with the bridal party


A little mimosa toast to get the day started is always in order :)


I was pleasantly surprised when Alisha arrived to do Andrea's makeup! I assumed I would see her at the wedding but this gave us a chance to talk and catch up a little. Always great to see my past brides :)


The dress


Moments after putting her dress on. Gorgeous!


All of Andrea's bridal party signed the bottom of her shoes :)


The very touching and beautiful ceremony, which was filled with laughter and tears, was held at the South Freeport Church


I REALLY like this moment


You know I love a close-up of the hands during the ceremony


Roses for the moms




The Kiss




Mr. & Mrs.


As you know, I LOVE when my couples make sure to schedule time for us to get away and shoot some 'Alone Time' images! Either before or after the ceremony, or both. It is THE BEST thing you can do when planning your time-line for the day. Andrea and Chris did just that so right after the ceremony we headed to the water and got some great portraits. It was COLD at this point in the day and the wind was picking up but they hung in there and did an AMAZING job!


I told them as we were shooting that their pictures were looking like shots for Bridal/Wedding Magazines. I'm not sure if they believed me at the moment, they should now :)




Yeah, Chris was diggin' it ;)


The whole gang


Then it was into the warm vehicles and off to the Brunswick Golf Club for a rocking night of celebrating (yes Chris, top 5 ;-) )

First Dance




Mmmmmmm, cake! (love the Autumn colors)


This makes me laugh. Looks like Andrea is expecting cake in her face but hoping not! Chris was a gentleman :)


Yet another GREAT wedding weekend! Thank you Andrea & Chris for the pleasure to be a part of it all! The day was wonderful. The weather cooperated and was spectacular, your ceremony was beautiful, you rocked your 'Alone Time" portraits, your celebration was a blast, very fun families and friends!! Couldn't have a more perfect wedding. Congratulations and all the best to you!

Brent Deming - Award Winning Maine Wedding Photography

Brent Deming - Award Winning Maine Wedding Photography

One of my pictures from Sara & Gary's wedding recently took 16th place in the Wedding Photojournalist Association's International Wedding Photojournalist Contest for Q2. I love this picture and was really excited that it placed in the top 20 amongst this very talented international field of wedding photojournalists. This is my second award through the WPJA.



Here is the picture not as a 'screen shot'

Aria & Rich: Wedding

Family and friends from all over the country gathered at the beautiful Kingsley Pines along the shores of Panther Lake in Raymond, Maine this past September 19th for Aria & Rich's wedding weekend. Aria, Rich, and I met up in August to shoot their E-Session (see post below) and I had been anxious for their wedding weekend ever since. Although the nights are a bit on the chilly side at night in late September, the days are usually beautiful and this weekend was spectacular!
Some couples just seem to be destined to be together, and Aria and Rich are definitely one of those couples! The perfect fit.


All of the flowers were from Heather Caron


Here comes the bride...


As Rich waits for his bride to come ashore






Rich slipping the ring onto Aria's Finger


The Kiss


Aria's dad not only brought her ashore via canoe, but he also performed the ceremony. How special is that, to have your dad perform your wedding ceremony?? :)




Married!




I've never had one of my couples leave by canoe before...LOVED IT!




The getaway


After shooting the Group Portraits we grabbed a few relaxed pictures before heading to the beach for some 'Alone Time' Portraits




Really like this one


The guests enjoying the cocktail hour at the lodge as we made our way to the beach. Notice the smoke coming out of the chimney...once the sun started setting the temp dropped quickly.


In only her wedding dress, Aria hung in there despite the plunging temps and we got some great images along the shoreline. I LOVE when time is allotted for 'Alone Time' pictures! :)


















I really liked having the boathouse in the background of this one as the last of the sun's rays touched Aria & Rich's faces just before setting


What a wonderful weekend! Possibly the most laid-back, easy going wedding weekend I have ever been involved with :) It is always so nice to be around a very close and loving group of siblings and parents. Aria and Rich are blessed to have such amazing families and friends. I truly enjoyed watching the interactions between them all. I thank you, Aria & Rich, for allowing me the pleasure of being a part of your most special event. I wish you all the best!

What a difference a day makes

Yesterday...


Today...


Crazy huh? Yesterday I mowed (which is crazy in itself for mid-October), kids and I stacked a couple cords of wood and then played soccer, and I even got a sunburn on my face. Today it's 30F and snowing.

Aria & Rich: Sunday Morning E-Session In The Park

The alarm startled me at 4:00 a.m. this past Sunday morning. I'm usually not excited to get up that early, but I was this time because I was going to Freeport to meet with Aria & Rich to shoot their E-Session! The plan was to meet at Wolf's Neck State Park at 7:30 so we could beat the heat (90F & humid was the forecast) and use the yummy early morning light.

Natural light doesn't get any better than this!


I thought this was really cute...their hands were interlocked and Aria simply brought Rich's hand up to shield the glare as she looked across the bay




Great little footbridge along the trail


The morning was sooooo peaceful






My only concern with having them go out onto the rock in the previous pictures was getting back, but with a helping hand the adventurous Aria had no problem :)




Then we left the park, which still wasn't officially 'OPEN', and headed up the road a short distance to this beautiful old stone house which offered a lot of great spots for shooting.

We started on the lawn




Then to the house


Love all the different textures in the next two






And of course we had to use the great stonewalls on the property. Loved all the natural interactions between Aria & Rich, they were SO easy & fun to shoot with!








This last one is one of my favorites from the morning


The wedding is just about a month away and I am very much looking forward to it. It's going to be a lot of fun! Big THANK YOU to Aria & Rich for such a fun session and thanks for being so laid back and trusting in my directions and willing to try anything. I enjoyed our time and getting to know you and I'm excited to see you again in September!

Kerri & Brandon: Wedding

I recently had the pleasure of shooting Kerri & Brandon's wedding in Bangor. As you may know, 'The Summer Of Rain' continues here in Maine so I was soooo happy for Kerri and Brandon that their wedding weekend was blessed with great weather! They drove 30 hours from North Dakota to be in Maine so they definitely deserved beautiful weather for their special event :)

Kerri's plan was to get dressed at the church since we were doing the group pictures at the church prior to the ceremony to ensure everyone had plenty of time to enjoy the cocktail hour and we would have time to do some 'Alone Time' portraits post-ceremony. Always looking for a new and unique place to hang and shoot the dress, I knew we had to take the dress outside and shoot it against one of the church's side doors. This created one of my all-time favorite dress shots!

The Dress...


Wider view...


The beautiful Bride...




Kerri & Brandon chose to do a 'First Look' before the ceremony which I LOVE when my couples decide to do! :)

Brandon waiting to see his Bride...


When he heard the door opening he got a huge smile on his face...


The tap on the shoulder...


The moment of seeing each other for the first time is priceless...


Brandon checking out the back of the dress...


Enjoying the moment...




Walking down the aisle with her Dad...




I love this moment as Kerri is looking at Brandon :)


A couple wider shots of the beautiful St. John's Catholic Church...




Again, I love how Kerri is looking at Brandon, and how he is looking at the Priest...


At rehearsal the Priest told me he prefers to have his back to the guests so that the couple is up on the alter so they can be seen better as they have to turn towards him and the guests. Great idea...except when it came to the ring exchange the priest was right between me and their hands so I had to quickly work my way into the pews and find a 'somewhat' open line of sight before the moment was gone. I'm on the tall side but I still had to squeak out a couple more inches by standing on my tippy-toes to get this shot...


Mr. & Mrs.




Then Kerri, Brandon, and myself sped away to reach The Lucerne Inn before the guests. Once there they jumped in with me and we drove up a steep, rough, winding, mountain road to reach Sunset Rock to do some 'Alone Time' portraits as their guests enjoyed the cocktail hour below.
As we were testing the light I told them to, "just do whatever for a minute" and the next thing I knew Brandon had Kerri swept off her feet :)






What a great location for us to shoot the 'Alone Time'




Then it was time to descend back to the Reception Venue where guests were anxiously awaiting the Bride & Groom.

The newlyweds being toasted by Kerri's father...




I love this shot! :)


First dance in the gentle evening breeze...




The touching Father/Daughter dance...


The adorable flower girl enjoying a dance with the bride...


And I have to include a picture of this little guy. He rocked the dance floor all night long!


Evening stroll along the grounds of The Lucerne Inn as the celebration continues...


A big thank you to Kerri and Brandon for letting me be a part of your most special day! Kerri and Brandon are so laid-back and easy going...it was a lot of fun spending time with them and getting to know them. A great couple who are sooo in-love. I wish you both all the best as you journey through life together. Cheers!

Christina & Adam: Wedding

Maine has been very wet this summer...too wet actually with rain almost every day since early June. We have had a couple days here and there when the rain has taken a break and fortunately Christina & Adam's wedding at the Spruce Point Inn in beautiful Boothbay Harbor fell on a couple of those days. Christina, Adam, and myself met a couple of times in Boothbay Harbor last summer to shoot their E-Session and I have been anxiously awaiting their wedding weekend ever since. Christina and Adam are two of the sweetest people I have had the pleasure of knowing and it was wonderful spending time with them once again, as well as meeting their great families and friends.

The Dress






The guys were getting ready right next door which made it soooo easy to bounce back and forth between rooms

Adam had plenty of help getting ready :)


With Olive




On Friday Christina, Adam, and I scouted out some locations to do some 'Alone Time' Portraits before the ceremony but due to some unforeseen challenges we were not able to risk the time it would have taken us to drive to the spot, shoot, and return in time. This change in plans did allow us ample time to do a 'First Look' however. :)


I love the way Christina is looking at Adam


Adam was all smiles seeing his beautiful bride-to-be


Christina and her Dad on the way to the ceremony


Great moment as Christina's father announced, "her mother and I do"


It was a very joyous ceremony filled with a lot of emotions and laughter


Christina placing the ring on Adam's finger


The Kiss


Married!


A relaxed Portrait before shooting groups with the wedding party


After we shot with the wedding party we had some alone time and captured some beautiful images. The fog was slowly creeping back into the bay during the ceremony and by the time we started shooting our 'Alone Time' images the fog was quite thick and set a beautiful mood and tone for the photographs


Maybe my favorite




Then it was up the hill to the Pemaquid for a night of celebration

First dance


Mmmmmmm cake


Nothing like the Hora and Chair Dance to get the party really going!


What a great, great weekend! A big thank you to Christina and Adam for allowing me the absolute pleasure of being a part of such a wonderful event. I had so much fun with you last summer and this past weekend :) Couples like you make my 'job' sooooo enjoyable!! I wish you both the absolute best in all that life has to offer you. Cheers!

Ahhhhhhhh...Boothbay Harbor

This weekend found me back in Boothbay Harbor, one of my favorite destination wedding locations. I was in BBH for Christina and Adam's wedding weekend and will post some pictures in the next few days. This picture was taken while driving around on Friday as I was scouting out some locations for our 'Alone Time Portraits' which we planned to shoot before the ceremony on Saturday. There was a lot of fog over the weekend and I caught this image just as it was lifting and this little island began to emerge from the thick, eerie, gray blanket.

Sara & Gary: Wedding

They had originally planned on marrying in the Fall, but life is ever changing and full of surprises and they had to move the wedding up several months to mid-May. I began communicating with Sara at the end of February, first via e-mail and then over the phone. Due to the fact that they live in Los Angeles we were not able to meet in person until about a week before the wedding, once Sara arrived back in her home state of Maine. I met with both Sara and her mom at a cafe in Portland's Oldport and instantly felt 'at-home' with them and knew this was going to be a great wedding to be a part of. Planning a wedding is a huge undertaking, to completely change all of the logistics in a short amount of time and move a wedding up 4 or 5 months and have it go off without a hitch is simply amazing...and a testament to the great families and friends that fill Sara and Gary's lives.

So let's start with a few of the beautiful bride in preparation:




where would we be without friends...


something blue...




The gorgeous bouquet from Studio Flora ...


meanwhile across town...


Best Man John with the helping hand...


while shooting the guys getting ready I have seen every type of sport being watched on tv as they prepare for the big moment. Gary and John were watching poker which, as an avid poker player myself, I thought was pretty cool and a first for me :) Gary keeping an eye on the game as he buttons-up...


looking sharp and ready to wed...


Sara and Gary chose to Marry at the 'Cousin's Island Chapel' in Yarmouth, the most charming & quaint little chapel that I have ever covered a wedding at. I LOVED it! I was allowed to position myself anywhere I wanted which was such a luxury to me as many churches have restrictions and rules for this sort of thing ;) We decided to have me up front on the alter as Sara walked down the aisle which allowed for such a unique perspective.


99 out of 100 weddings will not see this moment from this angle as it is usually shot from the back. Isn't the Chapel great?!?! And what a moment, dad giving his daughter away and one last kiss before she is married...


The kiss...


And I do mean THE KISS! As I was shooting 'The Kiss' from the back of the chapel, the limo driver was watching from the door and said to me, "I've seen a lot of kisses at weddings...now THAT was a kiss!". I couldn't agree more :) It was long, easily the longest kiss I have ever witnessed at a wedding which I think is GREAT!! Wonderful moment shared.


Married!


Immediately following the ceremony we jumped in the limo and drove to a little secluded beach area for some alone time so they could soak in the moment, one another, and get some great images.


*(Gary is a horror movie screenwriter which encouraged me to be a little more 'free' and 'artistic' with my post-processing so I played with some darker tones and different shadings than I usually get to, which was a lot of fun)






A portrait of the beautiful Bride...


and the dashing Groom...


And this one just because it is so cute. After all, he came all the way from Los Angeles to be in the wedding too :)


Then it was off to The Royal River to celebrate.

First dance...


Sara's new left hand...


Gary's new left hand...


Being toasted dockside...


and the cake was finger licking good...


It was a VERY nice event. Sara and Gary were great, such a wonderful couple who are very deeply in love. Great families, great friends. It was a privilege to be a part of such a special occasion. Sara and Gary, thank you so much. I wish you all the best in your new life as husband and wife and with all of the new adventures that the future holds for you.

I don't usually end a wedding post with a picture of the brides mom, but I am going to today. This beautiful lady is Sara's mom. She was so sweet to me and took such good care of me that I just wanted to say a special thank you to her. She even had a flower for me (from the florist) to pin on my shirt for the wedding. I felt so special :). Thank you Rosie, you made me feel like one of the family and I truly appreciated it.

Shooting Moose...can be a challenge

7:15 a.m. this morning: Jack and Emi head out the door to go catch the school bus and one of the dogs starts barking like mad part-way down the drive, so I step out to see what he sees and it was this big bull moose. Back into the house I run, grab the 5D with 70/200 and go after him. Of course by now all the commotion in the front yard has driven him into the woods, so I give chase. Unfortunately he knew I was behind him and he just kept going deeper into the woods, stopping for a moment to look back at me was just what I needed to get this shot. The dense brush and bushes between us made it extremely tough for my camera to lock focus on him so I was only able to get one halfway decent shot of him. Hard to tell in this picture but his antlers have started to "bud" and it won't be long before he has a huge set. I think he is the one we see now and then and that I posted pictures of on here a couple years ago (just click the 'September 2006' link over on the right side list of archives if you want to see).

Nancy

I recently had the absolute pleasure of shooting with Nancy on a FHEO (For His Eyes Only) Session and wanted to post one image from our shoot. I know, only one is a tease...but that is the idea behind the FHEO ;) Beautiful!



I offer FHEO Sessions for my brides who want to make a very special album as a gift for their brand new hubbies, but anyone can do this for their 'Someone Special' so by all means contact me if you would like to create some beautiful images too.