Family Photos at Cascade Park - Sept. 2009

A couple months ago, my husband and I needed to have a wedding cake made for our reception. Angie (the mother of the children below) was kind enough to trade her cake making services in exchange for pictures of her children and her entire family.

The cake she made was stunning!!

Below are a couple versions of some of the pictures I've edited for her.

Mike & Laura - Married Sept. 2009

Mike and Laura decided to get hitched two weeks ago. The two flew in from Bolivia to get married on Bailey Island in Maine. Both are in the foreign service and wanted to be posted together the next time they were given an assignment. The couple seemed extremely happy, and after the ceremony Laura went around telling everyone "I'm Married!!"

It was touching to listen to the "best man" and "maid of honor" speeches as we learned a little more about the couple. Mike was one to torment his youngest brother, once by rolling him up in a carpet and hanging him out the 2nd story window. Laura found her mother's words inspirational as a child and went on to win an award for an essay, work in a women's shelter in college, and then join the foreign service. Not to forget her compulsive organization and overflowing compassion.

The wedding was probably the most unique I have yet to photograph. The guests (including myself) were pushed out by a small fishing boat on a dock to a lobster car. Yes, that's right, a LOBSTER CAR! The couple then were boated in on a lobster boat.

Interestingly, the bride (Laura) wore her sister's wedding dress that she was married in only last month. And, in turn, her sister (Cate) wore Laura's bride's maids dress from the same wedding. I could tell she was having fun telling people that story. To add to the uniqueness of the wedding, Laura wore bright blue shoes she purchased at TJMaxx. What a great way to add a little flare to an already unique wedding! They truly showed the whimsical and spunky personality of the bride.

Here is a "sneak peak" from their wedding!

Mike and Laura arrived by lobster boat.

Mike and Laura walk onto the docks/lobster car just a few minutes before the ceremony begins.

Smiling Away! The bouquet (and maybe the flower in her hair?) were arranged by her mother.

Exchanging Vows.

Cate, Laura's sister, takes pictures of the newly weds on our way back to the pier.

Such a gorgeous background for the couple.

Blue Shoes!

Randy & Janel - Married Sept. 2009

I was hired last week by Randy and Janel to photograph their Elopement through MiNeeds.com
Since I had never heard of that web site, I was a little skeptical, but it turns out it's like Ebay for services. Someone posts a need, and you bid on it. Interesting.

Anyway, Randy and Janel were college sweethearts, and had been together 8 years before tying the knot. Luckily, their families were perfectly OK with them eloping. (Turns out Janel's mother eloped twice!) Both Randy and Janel were originally from Ohio, and met while attending college in Toledo.

Personally, I love photographing elopements! I think it's a great way to get to know the client, and their stories come out much easier.

They drove all the way from Connecticut to get married on Sand Beach in Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, ME.

It was such a beautiful evening for a wedding. Hardly a cloud in the sky, and the beach was relatively uncrowded. It was the perfect location for an intimate wedding. I can't help but laugh when I remember some of the conversation we shared on the way out of the park. Somehow Seinfeld was brought up, specifically the episode where Kramer fed beans to the horse and then took (I think) Susan's parents for a very STINKY ride.

Here is a "sneak peak" of some photographs from their wedding, yesterday.

Janel showed up with beautiful shoes, too bad she didn't get to wear them until after we left the park.

Exchanging of the rings!

Beautiful time of day. The wedding was held at 5:00 p.m. The lighting was stunning!

The wedding/engagement rings!

I'm so excited they chose to have their wedding on the beach. Randy struggled a little since he decided to keep his shoes on, but the waves crashing in the background made this photograph one of the most romantic I've had the pleasure of taking.

Eric & Sarah - Married Aug. 2009

I absolutely loved working with Sarah and Tim. They were pretty easy going, and it was so touching to see them during their vows practically in tears. (He was close, she was crying!) I almost started crying!

There was a slight mishap, as I wrote down the wrong date for the wedding straight from the get-go, but I arrived before the ceremony started, was able to photograph Sarah getting ready, and the wedding/ceremony seemed to go off without a further hitch. (I drove like a NASCAR racer all the way there.) Let me just tell you, receiving a call at the time you're supposed to be at the wedding makes for a MAJOR panic attack!

Eric and Sarah had their wedding ceremony at a gorgeous little hall in Madison, ME. As I was driving out there I saw porter potties in people's yards, and a church that was offering gun lessons, so I was a little skeptical about the beauty of this place. When I arrived I was pleasantly surprised! Just over the fence where they were married was a gorgeous little lake, and the hall seemed to have a very antique feel to it.

Currently I'm still in the process of editing their wedding photographs, however, here is a "sneak peak" from their wedding day. Again, I was experimenting with some different editing techniques.

The Rings!

The Matron of Honor - sooo happy to see her sister getting married. She later sang for the Father/Daughter dance.

Sarah and her father.

The Bridesmaids and Matron of Honor.

Since everyone seems to know each other out near the lake in Madison, we decided to "sneak" over into someone's yard and down onto their dog for some prime photographs near the water.

There was a little gazebo on the property. It was funny listening to Sarah say she wanted to get some pictures in it, and Eric was a little more hesitant. I think he was ready to go in and join friends and family for food and festivities.

My goal with this photograph was to highlight them specifically as it was their first dance. They danced to "Sail away with me". It was touching watching them stare into each other's eyes and sing along to the song.

Bouquet Toss!!

Tim & Sara - Married June 2009

Tim and Sara hired me more than a year ago to photograph their wedding held at Poland Springs Resort in Poland Springs, Maine.

The day was absolutely gorgeous - although extremely HOT. At about 5 months pregnant, I was just learning what it meant to be on my feet all day with the extra weight, but it was a beautiful and fun wedding none-the-less.

At the suggestion of Tim and Sara, I contacted the owner of Poland Springs Resort, and will be sending off a few prints from their wedding as well as a business card to be added to their vendor list. What a great opportunity for other people to hear about Ambervine Photography!

I decided to look at a few Photoshop Tutorials online before editing their wedding photographs. I've always seen some absolutely gorgeous pictures come from other various photographers, but I had no idea how they created those final results. After a little experimenting, I came up with a few shots that I thought were worth sharing.

As a side note - I had a great photography professor while attending UMaine, who thought that a good photograph shouldn't need to be cropped. I completely agree! So, I strive in every photograph to see what is around it to eliminate the need for cropping. This was one of the better weddings I photographed in that regard. Only one of the images below has been cropped.

Tim and Sara made such a beautiful couple. Here they are AFTER the ceremony walking back down the isle as Newlyweds.

Tim has told me several times that this photo is one of his favorites. I'm SO glad he liked the B&W processing I did!

Absolutely elegant! Here I tried a "lomo" editing technique. It makes the colors quite a bit darker, but helps to give it more of a vintage feel.

This is probably one of my favorite images and editing jobs from the Tim and Sara wedding. I messed around with selective sepia/coloring techniques.

This photograph reminds me of the song "Grow old along with me..." It was a nice touch having the couple sit in the rocking chairs located on the porch of the resort.

This is another lomo try. A little dark I think, but very drastic and for those who have the taste, still a pretty image.

The reception was a little tricky to photograph! Again, as I strive to stay away from using a flash, I had to work with the very RED lights that were shone onto the dance floor. It made for some interesting color combinations and effects.

Blast from the Past - 5th Wedding

This is the wedding I mentioned in the "Blast from the Past 1st Wedding" Blog!
Sadly it was so long ago, I'm blanking on the names. However, it was a winter wedding, and boy was it COLD that day.

The wedding was held on Husson's campus. This was the first time I photographed a wedding and a reception that was held in the same room.

Again, it wasn't one of my favorite weddings based off of the photos I walked away with. However, it was another learning experience!

I absolutely LOVE the colors in this photograph. I think it was just an extra bouquet on the Bride/Groom table. However the blue paired with the peach is eye catching!


I thought the car cake topper was a clever and whimsical idea. Everyone in the room was having a good time (without booze), I couldn't help but try and capture every "fun" moment.

Can't forget about tossing the bouquet. Not really sure where it disappeared to though!

Blast from the Past - 4th Wedding

Last fall I was hired by two women to photograph their Holy Union ceremony in Orono, ME. It was a first for me in many ways. Yes, obviously the first for a Holy Union ceremony, but also the first time I had to photograph a ceremony indoors.

Perhaps you may have noticed (or not), but I strive to use as much natural light as possible. I absolutely HATE using a flash. This is the reason why some of my photographs have a grainier feel to them, but usually I try to work that in as part of the artistic flare.

Again, this blog is not only to promote myself but it is here to allow others the ability to follow along with my progression. To be honest, this was not one of my favorite ceremonies I've photographed. I didn't walk away with as many stunning pictures as I would have liked, however, I think it was a great learning experience, and provided me with at least a little more experience for the next time I had to photograph ceremonies/receptions in dimly lit rooms.

The purple benches were so unexpected, but such an awesome color!

I absolutely loved how the light shone in through the large windows on the side. I think it if wasn't for them, the photos would have fallen really flat.

Such a cute idea; serving cupcakes instead of an actual wedding cake!

Blast from the Past - 3rd Wedding

This truly was probably one of my most favorite weddings I've photographed to date.
The couple drove all the way up from the Boston area to ELOPE at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Bristol, ME.

Everything was a little last minute and she struggled to do her own hair (after the hair dresser canceled on her), and after finding her bouquet along the side of a road where someone was selling veggies.

Turns out, I had to be one of their witnesses. They must have forgotten about that part!

Anyway - this couple was an absolute joy to get to know! Katie helped me gather some information about the Cape Cod area for my own wedding this year, and has provided me with one of the most stunning testimonials I have received!

This is one of my favorite portraits of the couple. I think her facial expression is just stunning! They wanted to go up into the lighthouse, so the background is of the ocean from the top.

Another gorgeous bouquet! I don't know how she was lucky enough to find one so randomly in such a small town.

We had just gotten done taking the "posed" pictures down on the rocks, and I captured this moment of the couple walking back to the light house. I think we were actually heading back to their Inn.

My mother and I differ about the content of this photograph. I absolutely love that her entire body is not in the shot, but her bouquet and the seagulls seem to make up for it.

Blast from the Past - 1st Wedding

As one might imagine, photographing my first wedding was a little nerve wracking. I had never been PAID several hundreds to capture a very important day! What if I miss something? What if they don't like their pictures? What if I get the WRONG day and time?!

The couple held their wedding and ceremony at a lodge (I think?) somewhere in Brewer, Maine. The backdrop was pretty forest and a river running behind it.

Groom: Zachary VanDyne
Bride: Heather Connary

Zachary and Heather had a relatively traditional looking wedding. The flowers I think were my absolute favorite. The colors just popped!

As you can see, the bright red and magenta roses were absolutely stunning!


Not sure who the little flower girl was, but she was absolutely adorable.
I really just liked the tone of this image. I don't really remember how I edited it though.

The couple referred me to another friend of theirs who got married in Feb. '09 - Look for their photos in the coming posts!