Laura & Stefan got married at the Bucksteep Manor in Washington, MA. They had a sweet & intimate ceremony with their friends and family, some of whom gave heartfelt testimonials about the strength & beauty of their relationship. Laura’s family is from Argentina, and much of the ceremony was spoken or translated into Spanish. There were also Jewish elements, making for a nice multi-cultural experience.
Five Flower Girls
There were lots of kids at the event, creating a fun atmosphere. Laura’s daughter Sophie was especially wonderful, full of wisdom and thoughtfulness that seemed beyond her age. Much of the sentiments shared during the ceremony and reception were spoken with her in mind, which was beautiful to witness.
Stefan and Laura feed each other wedding cake
Stefan and Laura lifted in their chairs during the Hora dance
Thank you Laura and Stefan for choosing me as your photographer, I wish you many years of happiness and love! The entire wedding can be viewed here.
I met Kara and Tom at a friend’s wedding I photographed last year. After deciding to hire me as their photographer we got together for an engagement photography session that yielded splendid results and helped us get to know each other better.
Kara and Tom with their furry companion at the McClean Game Refuge in Connecticut
Kara & Tom decided to get married on Block Island, where they had already spent some special times together. I had not been to the island before, and was blown away by the beauty of the place. I took the Block Island Ferry from Naragansett, RI to get there, and got to see the island change from a speck on the horizon into a giant mass of land rising up from the water, with beaches and cliffs and quaint little tourist attractions. And the wonderful smell of the ocean.
Detail of Kara's dress & bouquet
The ceremony & reception were held at the 1661 Inn. It was a cozy place, perfect for the size of the weddings. It was also close enough to the beach and the ocean to make for some nice backgrounds. Kara & Tom took me to a lighthouse, some cliffs, and a beach for the bride & groom portraits. As the sun descended on the horizon we all got our feet wet in the ocean and on the pier where we captures some of my favorite photographs from the day.
the kiss
At the lighthouse
I photographed Jeremy & Christina's wedding last year, where I met Kara & Tom
I love this family candid
The bride and groom kissing on the pier
Thank you Kara & Tom, for a great wedding and making me feel a part in your special day. I hope you have many years of love and growing together.
Enjoy the slideshow below to see my favorite photos. For the complete wedding click here.
Audrey & Scot had a wonderful wedding ceremony and reception in Montague, MA. The ceremony was held at the Montague Grange, a 175 year old building that has recently been renovated. The couple’s friend let them borrow his vintage 1964 Thunderbird Convertible to use for photographs and to drive themselves to the reception in. Hopefully they got to take it for a joyride since the reception was right down the road at the Montague Night Kitchen, below the famous Montague Bookmill (books you don’t need in a place you can’t find).
We had fun posing for pictures with the Thunderbird in the center of town on the commons, with historic buildings in the background. I was dreaming of a vegan burger joint with waitstaff on roller skates to use as a backdrop, but so far no such enterprise exists in Montague.
Scot & Audrey with their bridal party and the 1964 Thunderbird
The decorations for the wedding were all made by Audrey and “her girls”, and I must say they were very stylish and classy. The ceremony was Pagan, and the Grange was decorated in white that photographed beautifully. The reception hall was decorated in yellows and pinks, which matched the bridesmaids dresses and the Thunderbird. It made for some fun and colorful photographs.
Thanks Audrey & Scot, for the wonderful day and for choosing me to be your photographer. I wish you many years of happiness and inspiration.
Below is a slideshow of my favorite photos. To see all of the photos click the slideshow or this link.
getting some love from Grace at the 2011 Farm Sanctuary Hoe Down
Every year in Watkins Glen, NY there is an event that turns the quiet little town into a bustling mecca of vegandom. The Glen is known to many as a NASCAR hot spot, or perhaps a place to get buzzed while buzzing around between wineries, but for those looking to have a deeper experience the Farm Sanctuary Hoe Down is something truly special.
I arrived on Friday night and set up my tent and then hung out by the camp fire, serenading myself and whoever else wanted to listen with my ukulele. I was so happy to be at the farm after a long absence that I stayed up till almost 4 a.m. I made some new friends and hung out beneath my old friends, the moon and stars.
Saturday at the Hoe Down offered a fine line-up of vegan speakers and workshops, which this year included Crazy Sexy Cancer survivor (or thriver, as she would say) Kriss Carr, vegan bodybuilder Robert Cheeke, Farm Sanctuary co-founder Gene Baur, sanctuary animal caregiver Susie Coston, FS Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives Bruce Friedrich, humane educator Zoe Weil, author Victoria Moran, cooking demos, and more.
At night the farm transformed into one of the best vegan parties around. The transition period included a cocktail hour with live music, a showing of the documentary Forks Over Knives, and a Hilda Club tour to visit the critters on the farm around twilight (a magical time on the farm). Gene Baur gave a presentation on his trip across the country in the VW van that he once sold veggie dogs at Grateful Dead concerts from to finance the farm. Kindfood from Ontario presented Gene with a beautiful cake to commemorate Farm Sanctuary’s 25th anniversary.
cake by Kindfood in Ontario commemorating Farm Sanctuary's 25th anniversary
Once darkness was firmly established the contra dancing began in the People Barn, and the crazy vegans started to let loose. Soon after a live DJ took over and the rowdy dancers shook the rafters of the barn, earning the right to call this party a hoe down. Simultaneously another camp fire began outside for those who didn’t want to dance, or who needed to take a break to roast their vegan marshmallows. That fire went on long after I fell asleep exhausted.
Most of us camped in tents and we all enjoyed big meals served on the deck of the People Barn. Sunday morning featured a yoga class led by Katya Burns, a coffee talk with the Farm Sanctuary staff, and breakfast. I got to spend some time with Gene and Susie out on the farm, and recorded an interview for an upcoming episode of Vegan Radio. By lunch there were torrential downpours, whose melodious pitter-patter struck a soothing symphony on the tin roof of the People Barn. I had to pack my tent up during the deluge, so I got a free shower before my ride home, which my fellow travelers appreciated. I am so blessed to be part of this vegan revolution.
I am happy to announce that the publisher of the book Ninety-Five: Meeting America’s Farmed Animals in Stories and Photographs (featuring some of my farm animal photographs) has won an “Ippy” (Independent Publishers Award). Coincidentally coinciding with this event I have created new galleries of my farm animal photographs where my fans and admirers can view & purchase the photos featured in the book as well as other gorgeously stunning photographs of cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, goats, sheep, ducks and other lovely critters.
Ninety-Five, the latest book by non-profit publisher No Voice Unheard, has won the Gold Medal in the Animals/Pets category of the Independent Publishers Awards (referred to in the publishing industry as an “IPPY Award”). The IPPY’s “bring increased recognition to the deserving but often unsung titles published by independent authors and publishers.” The award ceremony took place on Monday, May 23, 2011 in New York City during Book Expo America.
Brimming with beautiful, full-color photographs, Ninety-Five is a compilation of work by vegan photographers and writers, telling the captivating stories of farmed animals living in sanctuaries and homes across the country. From Justice, the steer who broke out of a truck on the way to the slaughterhouse and who is now the self-appointed greeter at the sanctuary where he lives, to bold and irrepressible Lucas, a pig desperately infatuated with Petunia (the feeling isn’t mutual, but that doesn’t deter him), to Amelia, the turkey anxious to share a hug with her photographer. Their stories are compelling, enlightening, and always moving.
Released last year, thousands of copies of Ninety-Five are already in circulation, causing readers to reevaluate their assumptions about farmed animals. Animal advocates have adopted the book as a personal outreach tool, giving it as a gift to friends and family to “show them why I’m veg.” They are also keeping copies on their desk or coffee table and spreading the animals’ stories via social media. Writes one advocate: “I have been able to get 30 copies in schools and libraries throughout my county. Working on churches next.” (No Voice Unheard offers a special “Giving Package” for such outreach, which includes five copies of the book at a deeply discounted price.)
Farmed animal advocacy organizations are also using the book to educate and fundraise, from the sanctuaries included in the book to organizations as far away as Australia and the UK. According to Diane Leigh, No Voice Unheard co-founder, “For every person who reads Ninety-Five and decides to adopt a vegan diet, we know that approximately 95 animals are spared – hence the title of the book. We publish to honor animals and eliminate suffering; that is our ultimate goal.”
Ninety-Five previously received an Eric Hoffer Book Award, which “honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer by highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers.”
Ninety-Five is available through my website as well as the usual places you might find books. Please check out the galleries of my farm animal photographs on my new SmugMug pages, and show a starving artist some love. I will be adding new images and galleries throughout my foreseeable future.
Ninety-Five: Meeting America's Farmed Animals in Stories and Photographs
This year I had the pleasure of traveling to Tanglewood in the Berkshires to photograph the wedding of Mark & Arend, two musicians from Boston whose relationship has been intertwined with the famous performance space. As with most of this summer, there was a chance of rain, but the skies held out and made for a beautiful day and soft light to photograph with. From the musical performances during the ceremony to the beautiful flower arrangements, everything went smoothly and the families and friends had a great time.
Two weeks after the wedding the state of New York passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. NY is the largest state to legalize gay weddings, and the hope is that it will influence other states across the country to do the same. So far only Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as the District of Columbia, allow such basic equal rights. Kudos to Governor Andrew Cuomo for making the bill one of his top priorities.
It is our duty as human beings to question the culture we are born into, the traditions we hold dear, and the assumptions we are given and make ourselves. Looking back into history we see that as a species we are usually wrong about many things, and cause a lot of pain and suffering to our fellow beings because of it. I do not believe that any scripture inspired by truth and love would seek to punish someone for following their heart. If such scriptures do exist, then they should be removed from the spiritual teachings we carry forward as mystical beings having a human experience. The time has come to evolve our spiritual understandings and our crumbling institutions.
I find that each wedding I photograph is unique and beautiful, just as the people who commit themselves to one another. We are all flawed, we are all crazy, we are all trying the best we can. We were all born to fulfill our destinies, and to question who one person chooses to love is to question love itself. All the lies propagated about gay relationships undermining marriage are ridiculous. It is better to question what it is that religious leaders and politicians are really trying to distract us from. What is the advantage to keeping us all divided?
Thank you to Mark and Arend for following your hearts, for being courageous, and of course for choosing me as your photographer! I feel honored to be a part of this revolution that is happening in the northeast and hopefully across the entire US soon enough. I hope my images convey the love that is shared, and the happiness that is found in such love. May you live long and happily together, and be examples of love and happiness to all those around you.
