Brown Photographic Blog

Jess and Rich - competition winners.... Married!

2011-05-23T18:14:00.000-04:00

Last Valentines I launched a Facebook contest that was probably the slowest starting competition ever. The idea was quite simple: enter a photo of yourselves (an unmarried couple about to wed), taken by yourselves and get all your friends to vote for you. The grand prize was a free wedding shoot with all the trimmings.

Well, with a couple of months after launching and only few couples entered (and an already signed couple way out in the lead) I was thinking that the marketing plan hadn't quite worked as planned....

... Then came Jess and Rich. As late entrants to the race they were neck and neck with their opponents in the last two weeks and stormed ahead to win the contest by 563 unique votes! One year later and after a highly successful engagement shoot in Boston last summer I was eagerly looking forward to their big day. Their engagement photos never made the blog, so here they are for good measure...

Jess and Rich had settled into the cozy Highrock Church in Arlington with their friends for their preparations as I took photos of Jess' beautiful dresses. I was touched by their extremely welcoming friends and family who were all so grateful for the competition running - I think everyone who was looking on during their lovely ceremony had probably voted. The day could have not been more perfect for them, save for maybe a 30 degree increase in temperature outdoors! After getting most of our photos completed in the church following the ceremony to save everyone from the bitter winds, we headed straight over the road to Arlington Town Hall for their reception where their excellent band, the Night Shift rocked their party into the night.

Congrats to Jess and Rich for becoming man and wife - I wish you all the best and hope we stay in touch. You couldn't have been more deserving, kind and gracious to win this.

Their slideshow is below. To view all of their images and for online print ordering, head to the following link: http://photo.brownphotographic.com/jessrichwedding

If you have permission to watch this video, please type in your password.

Private video

Jenn and Scott ... married

2010-10-13T17:32:00.000-04:00

It seems like an eon since Scott got down on one knee and proposed to Jenn in Beacon Hill (directly in front of me). I think they hold the record as my most photographed couple, with that engagement shoot, followed by another this summer and then their wedding.

Fortunately for me, they both have strong Medford roots so a short drive down the road took me to Jenn's family home while Doug hung out with Scott for his preparations on the other side of town. We headed over to St Raphael's in West Medford, where a bagpiper was welcoming friends and family into the colourfully lit church for their ceremony. We then sped off to the Boston Public Gardens for photos before a fun filled reception at the Hyatt in the theatre district.

All the best to you both and I'm sure I'll be seeing you both soon for another shoot!

To view all of the images, go here: http://photo.brownphotographic.com/jennscottwedding

To view the slideshow, enter Jenn's maiden name for the password:

If you have permission to watch this video, please type in your password.

Private video

Kim and Kevin: St Anselm College Wedding

2010-09-02T13:41:00.000-04:00

Kim and Kevin's wedding in Manchester NH was a sight to behold. Not only was their ceremony in one of my favourite chapels (at St Anselm College), but with 11 groomsmen and 12 bridesmaids there was enough of a wedding party for a full scale footie (soccer) match on the grounds. I'm pretty sure they would have been up for it too; they weren't exactly the shy and retiring bunch.

Anyhow, in all seriousness, I was really looking forward to this one. I was introduced to Kim through her big brother Rob, a close school friend of my wife. After attending Rob and Erika's wedding a couple of years ago and witnessing the family traditions shenanigans I was quite sure we were in for a treat.

Ned graced me with his talented presence on the way up to Manchester and we met with the girls in one of the lovely bridal suites at the Radisson in Manchester. With some pretty incredible light coming in through the giant softbox windows we covered the prep, with the babble of the many bridesmaids in the background and a few quiet moments with Kim's parents.

Following a lovely ceremony at St Anselm, we took the group photos in front of the University buildings before heading back over to the hotel. With some great speeches, including some post it notes messages to Kim's mum and dad from yesteryear, the party got swinging. Half way through the dancing, Kim was stolen away (a family tradition) by her family and brought down the street to a bar for a couple of shots! It looks like she enjoyed the experience and came through smiling. The evening rounded out with a surprise for Kim - perhaps one of Kevin's traditions?

Thanks to Rob and Erika for the recommendation!

All of the photos can be viewed HERE.

If you have permission to watch this video, please type in your password.

Private video

Mary and Eric Wedding: Goat Island Marina, Newport RI

2010-08-24T17:02:00.000-04:00

Mary and Eric were married on a gorgeous July day in Mary's home town of Newport RI. I met with Mary's family and covered the preparations, while Mark covered Eric getting ready with his family just down the road.

With a charming family home buzzing with the chatter of Mary's sisters (x4!), there was never a dull moment! A little surprise in the form of a beautiful Packard drew up outside, luckily going unnoticed until Mary opened the front door.

After the ceremony in the Salve Regina chapel, we headed over to Goat Island Marina for a tented reception, with some great speeches (I always approve of a good grilling) as the sun set over the island.

All the best to the newlyweds and thank you for letting me be part of your special day.

View all of the images here: http://photo.brownphotographic.com/maryericwedding

Slideshow (with sound) - ask Mary for password

If you have permission to watch this video, please type in your password.

Private video

Steph and James, Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire

2010-08-02T00:30:00.000-04:00

Well, everyone says that you should never shoot a family member's wedding. In late June I went back home to Gloucestershire with my wife and baby boy for my big brother's wedding... and I shot it and still had fun!

When I mentioned to fellow photographers here about this, the reaction was of course "oh no - your shooting your own brother's wedding?"... but when I told them where it was being held - a 12th century castle in the Cotswolds, the response was always "do you need a second photographer?".

Given that nothing ever, ever happens in Gloucestershire, I was quite surprised by the long and eventful history of the place:
- Origins dating back to Norman times (1000's).
- Stone structure first built in 1154 to help defend / attack the Welsh and later finished by the Berkeley family in 1189.
- King John seized it in 1216 after the owners opposed him.
- Edward II, an unpopular King, was held prisoner here and was rumoured to have been murdered by his captors.
- In the 1640s it survived a seige during the Civil War.
- The very first American Thanksgiving was held by a Berkeley man.
- Adding to that fine list, James Brown was married to Stephanie in 2010 (my parents continue to deny they knew anything about THE James Brown back in 1976).

Traditional English weddings are a little different to the American events:
- There are the colourful hats, fascinators and penguin suits.
- It is rare to have any more than two to three bridesmaids and they follow the bride down the aisle.
- The speeches are usually extremely long and embarrassment humiliation is the number one objective.
- Lastly, the best part is they can last all day; this one was from 12 until 12. I never hear anyone complaining that they go too fast!

I won't say too much else about the day, other than it was an absolute pleasure being able to photograph the event for someone so close. It was wonderful to meet Steph's family who are now a most welcome part of ours and a delight being able to catch up with my extended family, who I rarely see. Most of all I'm overjoyed for them both, and so happy that Steph thought the Browns were a good clan to be part of!

GUESTS: you can view all of the photos and order prints here: http://photo.brownphotographic.com/stephjameswedding

To view the slideshow below, enter Steph's maiden name as the password:

Courtney and Bryan Wedding: State Room Boston

2010-07-19T19:16:00.000-04:00

On a typically humid June afternoon, I travelled down to Needham for the wedding of Courtney and Bryan. A rather excited little dog greeted me at Courtney's mum's (mom) as I set to work and continued following me to ensure I didn't come anywhere near Courtney. The dress buttoning commenced.... and continued for quite some time! A little champagne was enjoyed for the bridesmaids (or at least it was a little by the time I left) as I headed over to the spacious St Joseph's church just around the corner.

I met with Byan who seemed a little nervous, but was put at ease by his Best Man little bro. With the ceremony running a little late, I sprinted to the car to get over to Post Office Square for the formals as the skies got darker and darker. Photos of the couple were moved inside, which actually isn't too bad inside the State Room! Some creative use of a long lens, a softbox and an ever capable Doug (everyone should have a Doug; sadly he's mostly shooting his own these days) holding the light made for some cool portraits in front of the Custom House Tower. The partying then commenced with the guests enjoying the incredible views as the pair received a classic grilling in their speeches before packing in the dancing.

Congrats to the happy couple!

View all of the photos and purchase prints HERE

To view the slideshow below, click play, then the full screen button in the bottom right (contains music)

Hannah and Tom Wedding, Harvard Faculty Club

2010-07-14T05:41:00.000-04:00

A week before their wedding, I received a call from Honolulu asking about my availability. Now, such a last minute call honestly set my alarm bells ringing - arranging a photographer a week out from their wedding? After some back and forth with the lovely Lori (thank you Lori!) and eventually getting in touch with Hannah my concerns were immediately quashed.

With a small, intimiate ceremony planned for a park in Cambridge, followed by dinner at the Harvard Faculty Club, I travelled alone on an extremely humid Saturday into Harvard Square. Walking past the USA v England footie match (how embarrassing), the sky didn't look at all forgiving as I approached the Charles Hotel. After meeting with the bride and groom it was clear the day was to be relaxed and a close affair and their totally welcoming nature, along with the rest of their family made my day thoroughly enjoyable. As an aside, while downstairs snapping a few photos of Hannah's little Hawaiian niece and her mother, my always giveaway accent led us to find out that they had a vacation home just a few miles from my family home in the Cotswolds - we even go to the same pub - small world!

So the park ceremony had to be called off, so the beautiful venue of the Harvard Faculty Club was on stand-by as the heavens opened. Their closest friends and family looked on as the two declared their personally written vows to each other. We managed to sneak a few photos under some of the porches surrounding the club, then two proceeded on to enjoy a wonderful evening of fine food and great toasts.

It was an absolute pleasure meeting and photographing you and your family Hannah and Tom! I wish you all the best on your journey and with such fine company on your wedding day you've got the best companions to make it with.

View all of the photos HERE.

To view the slideshow below (contains music), enter Hannah's maiden name as the password (lowercase)

Kim and Kevin

2010-05-07T17:55:00.000-04:00

Engagement session season is in full swing now that the weather is finally a little more predictable. I met Kim and Kevin at their Brighton apartment, then headed over to the Charles River for a few warm-up photos before driving to Boston Common. Although I've shot around Beacon Hill quite a few times, the area is full of little gems, with great backdrops, beautiful long cobbled streets, gas lamps and shuttered windows.

You can view all of their photos here (password is Kim's surname).

(the last image is a bee buzzing around their heads, though it is more humorous to leave it up to one's mind)

Holly and Jeff Oliver, Nashawtuc Country Club Wedding

2010-04-12T05:00:00.000-04:00

Reception and Ceremony: Nashawtuc Country Club, Concord MA
Event Coordinator: Tricia Keating
Dress: Yolanda's
Florist: Twigs and Sprigs, Concord MA
Hair: Jessica @ DiRe hair ltd
Makeup: Jai'me Perez
Music: Saigel Productions

When you book a wedding in early March in New England you pretty much expect snow, sleet, rain and a biting chill, or just all of the above. March 6 2010 was a little different! We were greeted with absolutely gorgeous weather, with 60 degree temps, gorgeous sun and a little flutter of wind.

Someone was definitely looking down on them!

I met with Holly at their beautiful home in Arlington for her preparations with close friends, family and of course loyal dog. Her late father's handkerchief was carefully tucked into her bouquet and Tyson walked over to lie beneath Holly's feet for a shot as the late winter light came through their dining room window.

I then sped around the corner to meet with (a little nervous) Jeff for a few photos as friends and family gathered in St Paul Lutheran Church for their ceremony. Both Holly's parents and Jeff's father had passed and emotions were high both sides of the aisle. A strong Holly walked done the aisle with a huge, excited smile, followed by a tearful embrace with Jeff. As the ceremony proceeded, directed by Jeff's and his brother John's uncle, there wasn't a dry eye in the church as the two exchanged vows, swapped rings (there was an oops - see if you can see what it is in the slideshow!) and then bounded up the aisle through their celebrating friends. We then head over to Concord to the Nashawtuc Country Club, and drove through the truly gorgeous grounds to their reception. I met with Rich who helped to provide some skillful off camera lighting and we started with photos of them on the edge of the grounds, just for a few minutes so they could head off to be with their guests for cocktail hour. The light outside was simply gorgeous and the warm weather made a March outdoor shoot extremely pleasant.

With the guests well primed, the evening reception started just as the sun set over the golf course. Speeches, a wonderful dinner and dancing ensued as we covered the thick of the action on the dance floor.

Congrats again to the very happy couple! They are in good hands with great friends and family and I wish them the best for their adventures in life.

All of the images are available to view and purchase as prints here: http://photo.brownphotographic.com/hollyjeffoliverwedding/

Slideshow:
Put your headphones on and click the full screen button, bottom right for the best experience...

Home... is a little different

2010-03-26T05:30:00.000-04:00

Here in Boston, summer is a little different to where I'm from originally. As the weather starts to warm up I thought it would be interesting for you to see what the environment around my home is like.

Being a lot further north, the days are longer, with a full hour more before sunset in the evenings. A full hour to play more football (that's soccer this side of the pond), ride through the fields and gather the harvest in. I returned to my Cotswold home last August just before the wheat was harvested and took a few photos on an evening walk:

This is just a little piece of what defines me as English: the Cotswold Countryside - nothing like it anywhere else in the world. The fields, defined by dry limestone walls; mile upon mile of country lanes; long, straight Roman roads; and of course that sky... I miss those clouds .

Is there something special about where you grew up? There are so many people around here in Boston and many, like me aren't originally from here.

Lindsey and Adam Speidel Wedding, Granite Links Golf Club

2010-03-01T03:05:00.000-05:00

Hair & Makeup: Salon Saveria - Walpole, MA

Dress: Allure Boutique - Westwood, MA
Reception and Ceremony: Granite Links Golf Club, Quincy, MA
Event Coordinator: Linda Blackmore

Music: Boston Music Works

Florist: Judy's Village Florist - Foxboro, MA

I learned about Lindsey and Adam through Suzanne and Todd who's wedding I shot back in '08. Back in late Autumn, Lindsey, Adam and I headed out to the Minuteman National Park and then into Beacon Hill for their engagement session. There wasn't one serious moment and that definitely set the tone for their wedding!

It was a cold, grey January day as I drove up the hills south of Boston to the Granite Links, with the clubhouse perched atop a northward facing slope towards Boston. I met with my assistant Doug (second photographer and man-with-the-light for the day) and we scoped the place out before meeting with Lindsey, who was relaxed as ever!

As the getting ready, ceremony and reception were all being held at the club, the preparations proceeded at a calm pace with no stresses about time or worries about traffic. Adam arrived downstairs at the bar, so Doug headed down there while I took some photos of Lindsey with her very attentive bridesmaids, before Adam popped out of the lift. Breaking with tradition, they decided to make use of the day and get some of their formals and couple photos out of the way before the ceremony, so after a non-teary, and funny first-meet, we dragged everyone outside into the cold for some shots on the hillside.

Alas (and for some reason often the case with winter weddings) the pathways to the best views weren't clear, but we found a good clear view of Boston with the bridal party on the grass and us shooting and lighting from a deep snow bank. I'm not really sure if snow in my shoes is the best way to start a wedding, but sometimes to get that angle you've just got to make sacrifices! With bad weather on the way and a rather damp chill to the air, we knew we wouldn't be outside for long and the party braved it for just enough time before we all headed back in as guests arrived.

A lighting-fast paced ceremony ensued with tears and a lot of laughing (do they ever stop?) from Lindsey and Adam as the sun went down. With plenty of time to spare after group photos, everyone headed off to enjoy their cocktail hour before making a very different entrance to a packed reception room that surprised their guests and ourselves.

After some cracking speeches the party and food ensued. I experimented a little with the 5DMKII's HD video capabilities and put a little surprise in the slideshow for Lindsey! During the course of the night, we headed out with the newlyweds onto a windswept balcony as the wintry elements rained down around us, before rounding out the evening.

Congrats to Lindsey and Adam and we wish you all the best on your journey together! To see all of their photos and purchase prints, click here.

To view the slideshow below, enter Lindsey's maiden name for the password. You can also see all of the photos in their online gallery by clicking here.

Slideshow (warning, contains music, so plug in the headphones! Click the button in the bottom right to go full screen).

Engaged: Lindsey and Adam

2009-12-03T18:05:00.000-05:00

So I've been a blogging slacker recently; been a little preoccupied with our new addition to the family... so here goes - I will be posting a few shoots that I've accumulated over the last four or five months....

Around a month ago I had the pleasure of meeting up with Lindsey and Adam for their engagement shoot. We headed up to the Minuteman national park to make use of the leaves (alas there wasn't much!), but we had some great light and made use of the cool historic buildings.

Now these two are definitely my jokers for 2010! They just couldn't stop making fun of each other, so we rolled with that and came out with some fun images of the two that hopefully seal their personalities. We headed into Boston to the common, walked around the streets, I lay in oncoming traffic while they laughed at me and then we walked back to the common to watch the sun set.

Lovely sunset it was too!

Leah and Angus Lindsay ... Married

2009-11-08T15:25:00.000-05:00

Back in June I had shot Leah and Angus in the North End and I was very much looking forward to shooting their wedding at the Harvard Club. This was a couple very much at ease with each other and with Angus' deep Scottish roots I was looking forward to some different culture and of course the grilling speeches!

It was one of those days where the forecasters were predicting the very worst as a rather wintery nor'easter was headed our way (not so typical for October). However, as luck would have it we got through the day without a drop, but it wasn't exactly warm! The Harvard Club certainly made it all feel cosy with its roaring fireplaces.

I covered Leah's preparations with her friends and close family upstairs, while Doug headed over to Angus. Leah was drinking mimosas and Angus looked like he was tucking into the Scotch and ensuring there was a good supply in the hip flasks! We all proceeded through the maze of the old corridors to their brief ceremony before the guests peeled away and we sneaked them out for some photos on Commonwealth Avenue among the beautiful statues. Back at the club, their extended reception went down a storm. Some perfect speeches were aimed at the newlyweds - suitable amounts of embarrassment were unleashed, along with some very touching tributes to Angus' parents. They then surprised Angus with traditional Highland dancing that really set the tone for the evening and then his friends took to the stage to rock them through the night.

Congrats to both of them and I wish them both the very best on their own journey! I remarked to one of their friends (who's boat we had borrowed for their engagement shoot) during the evening about how incredibly genuine and approachable their entire family and friends were. We both agreed they were in very safe company that night and definitely had a good foundation for their future together.

Don't forget to leave your comments on the bottom of this blog post and watch the slideshow!

Here's their slideshow (with music so turn up the volume!). Make sure that
you hit the full screen button in the bottom right to view it in HD!
Password = Leah's maiden name. AFTER YOU'VE VIEWED THE SLIDESHOW
BELOW, YOU CAN VIEW ALL OF THE PHOTOS OF THEIR WEDDING BY CLICKING HERE

Don't forget to leave your comments below!

Wedding! Angela and Ken Belliveau

2009-10-29T04:05:00.000-04:00

I first met Angela and Ken back in at the start of the year at the Deluxe Town Diner for lunch. We quickly hit it off as we went through my work and their wedding day quickly swung around in mid September.

After getting stuck behind a semi taking out a truck 20 yards from the Harvard club, I raced up to meet Angela in her room upstairs. I was fearing the worst in the old building for a dark cavern for her prep, but she was actually blessed with some great natural light as her room(s) straddled both sides of the building.

Now let me preface the rest of this post with saying that I was genuinely surprised how many details and goings on one could have at a wedding and still get to savour every last drop and not totally freak out! Mission successful Angela! I say this because as I walked in the door I was a little taken aback that plans and details were still in flux and Angela was a little stressed. However, her bridesmaids rallied and helped Angela splendidly as the whirlwind ensued.

... Meanwhile on Tremont St, Doug was covering Ken and his friends getting ready just opposite the Mission Church where they were to be married. A couple of texts confirmed that a) they were having a good time b) there were some interesting paintings c) some rules were being broken :) ...

Back at the Harvard Club, Angela had been hooked into her gorgeous dress and we headed out for some photos in front of the club before heading over to the church the other side of town. Let's just say that the Mission church is on the big side. Cathedral would be a better way of describing its size. Plus pretty dark. VERY dark; except at the front where it was VERY bright. So quite challenging with light, but made for some cool silhouettes.

After the ceremony we headed onto the trolley, made an impromptu stop at an awesome pub where all their friends were waiting for a quick shot of the alcoholic kind (I have been sworn to secrecy about its name), before speeding off to the public gardens for their group photos and then back to the Harvard Club. Yes it really did happen as quickly as your read it!

Back at the club the festivities began and some classic speeches were unleashed upon the newlyweds. We quickly sneaked them both out for some photos around the streets of Back Bay and managed to find a street that looked down towards the Citgo sign (that's a classic Boston landmark to all my international readers; not an eyesore!) as the sun was setting. Back at the club Angela and Ken incredibly managed to speak with everyone of their guests, had a few drinks, danced, danced, danced and lapped up every last drop of their evening. They were ecstatic by the end of the night and wanted to take us out drinking with them, but alas for Doug he had yet another wedding (3 in a row!) the following day and after shooting two in a row myself I was actually a little glad to be driving him back, but sadly we missed out.

Here's their slideshow (with music so turn up the volume!). Make sure that
you hit the full screen button in the bottom right to view it in HD!
Password = Angela's maiden name. AFTER YOU'VE VIEWED THE SLIDESHOW
BELOW, YOU CAN VIEW ALL OF THE PHOTOS OF THEIR WEDDING BY CLICKING HERE

Don't forget to leave your comments below!

Married: Mandee and Justin

2009-10-25T15:36:00.000-04:00

In 2007 I had the great pleasure of meeting Mandee and Justin at Sue and Colin's wedding on the Cape (pic of them outside the church below).

Justin is Colin's brother and Mandee was getting ready with Sue in Chatham; while she was getting her makeup put on we were winding each other up big time and in the back of my head I was thinking that I wish I could shoot this girl's wedding some day! Over the last couple of years Sue and I have kept in close touch and I was extremely excited to hear about their engagement and the following phone call from the very excitable couple. I was actually a little surprised given that I had thrust and extra beer bottle in Mandee's hand (after she told me earlier that she was always the girl with the beer bottle in her hand at the end of a wedding), but I guess she fell right into that one!

Of course I was also relishing the thought of setting up the same shot for their wedding (little did she know)...

Enough goofing around - on with the good stuff :)

So it was yet another gorgeous day as Doug and I again made the trip down to Chatham to meet with the Blairs and the future Mrs B. I was really, genuinely excited to see Sue and Colin again and meeting their cute new addition to their family, Hannah. Plus I was also looking forward to hanging with Mandee and Justin, because if you are one of the very fortunate people to know these two jesters you know you are always in for a good time!

We knocked on the door of their gorgeous beach front room at the Chatham Bars Inn and it was like a family reunion - Mandee, Sue and Sheila (Justin's mum) were there along with Mandee's mum Diane and all her bridesmaids. I briefly caught up with Sue and Colin, chatted with Justin over the fence, then set to work to cover Mandee's prep. Doug headed next door to hang out with the boys as I chuckled my way through Mandee getting ready. Then it was all aboard the trolley for the Holy Redeemer in Chatham (same chapel that Sue and Colin were married in in 2007) for a fun service, before heading back to the Chatham Bars Inn for photos on the beach. I dragged the new Mr and Mrs Blair away for their couple photos on the beach and surprised them a little with my commando rolls into the sand as we briskly moved up the beach. We caught the setting sun for some front and back lit portraits of them before heading inside for dancing, speeches and big time partying. There was a brief interlude when I took them both outside for a couple of shots in the dunes with the inn behind them, before they headed back inside to do their reception some serious justice!

Definitely the most fun all year! I wish them both the very best for their future together and hope I get to spend another wedding someday with the Blairs.

Here's a slideshow (with music to turn up the volume!). Make sure that you hit the full screen button in the bottom right to view it in HD! Password = Mandee's maiden name. AFTER YOU'VE VIEWED THE SLIDESHOW BELOW, YOU CAN VIEW ALL OF THE PHOTOS OF THEIR WEDDING BY CLICKING HERE

Married: Michelle and Tom Law

2009-09-17T05:00:00.000-04:00

Last month I flew back to the UK for a week of festivities before the marriage of my best friends Tom and Michelle. I honoured to be the man documenting their special day...

I've known Tom since 1997 when we were a couple of doors away from each other in our student accommodation at the University of Wales in Swansea. We were and still are part of an extremely tight group of friends that forged our friendship on that legendary floor in Clyne Halls. Following a few years of tremendous fun at uni, we parted ways for a year before reuniting, porting the members of our Swansea household to the streets of North London. Not really knowing where I lives were heading, our very different careers mattered little as we enjoyed the delights of Shoreditch, Brick Lane and later Balham, south of the river.

Now Tom's a pretty special guy. Not only is he downright humourous, with masses of energy (think Tigger from Winnie-the-Pooh), but he was always the go-to guy for a chat about anything. We helped each other through ups and downs and were wingmen when we were single (as it turned out a pretty pitiful combo on that front!).

One afternoon later on in our London years I was chatting over text with a friend
from work, Holly, (who lived a few doors from us in Swansea) about a party that we were headed to in Shoreditch of a friend of ours. A few of us were going; Holly and her roommate were (I guess) at a loose end for something to do and they 'might' come along. I guess they were searching for better offers, but luckily that was not forthcoming. We headed along to the bar and then Holly turned up later with Michelle, an attractive girl and fellow Midlander. I don't really remember too much else about the details of the evening, but we all ended up roaming the streets of Brick Lane where Tom and Michelle were glued into conversation.

Well I don't really need to describe much else about how they led up to their marriage; that's their story. I was fortunate enough to capture the story behind their wedding and when I learned of their engagement at Christmas I was itching for them to ask me.

After a week of celebrating Tom's last week as a bachelor in Wales, we all headed up to Melton Mowbray (home of legendary Stilton cheese and pork pies) and I stayed with Tom and his family in the pub where the two were to be married the next day. After a full English the following morning everyone swung into action (or back to bed) and I headed over to document Michelle getting ready at her parents' in the early afternoon. A surprise antique car was arranged (it worked - 'you gits' was the phrase uttered when she found out she'd been had) and I headed back to the pub to get some shots of the groom and best man and fellow best friend Toni Deluca. After a quick, intimate ceremony on the lawn with their closest friends and family looking on, the pub put on a fabulous reception. I dragged them outside into the fields as the sun was skimming through the trees for some great couple photos, then Toni D took to the stage for an epic speech/grilling. One of the finest speeches I've witnessed - he lived up to his title - nice work Toni! Following cutting of their Stilton cake, dancing, presentation of a photo book of their lives and more drinking and dancing the night was over. I packed my bags for my flight the following day, knowing it would be a long time before we were all together again but happy for the newlyweds that their day had gone perfectly.

The happy couple are now back in Sydney settling back into life. While they are so very far away, it is comforting to know that my best friend is being looked after by such a wonderful lady - someone who I've felt like I've known far longer than four years and someone who can put the Law into line when he's bouncing around too much :)

All the best Mr and Mrs Law!

To view the slideshow below enter Michelle's maiden name as the password. Hit the full screen button in the bottom right and turn up the volume!

All of the photos are available to purchase as prints here: http://photo.brownphotographic.com/p856913176

Full English

2009-08-24T08:27:00.000-04:00

English sky, long evening sunset, an English rose and a gent, a country pub and a quality breakfast to start the day... a full English

I just got back from the UK after a great week visiting my family, then spending a stag week (that's bachelor party to all ye Amerian peeps) in Wales, followed by the wedding of my best friends Tom and Michelle in the countryside of the English Midlands at Melton Mowbray. More photos to come, but here's the shot of the day...

(thanks to Mr Frost for holding the light :)

Molly and Ken

2009-04-25T15:55:00.000-04:00

Earlier today I met with Molly and Ken and their mothers, Alice and Susan and Molly's sister Beth. For those of you in Boston today I think you'll agree it is a beautiful day! Lovely 80 degree weather and the blossom is out around Beacon Hill. We had a walk through the area to discuss where we would be taking photos on the day and talked about the timings. On our way through to Post Office Square I stopped them for a couple of photos; it wasn't an engagement session, but I had brought my camera along just in case, so I reeled off a few. And as Bruce Forsythe would say, "didn't they do well?". Great meeting with them and spending lunch chatting! Looking forward to shooting their wedding in late June...

Here are their pics... click below....

Angel and Chris

2009-04-23T00:03:00.001-04:00

Angel and Chris, originally uploaded by Brown Photographic.

I love reworking images. This one has the effect of a Holga, with vignetting on one side, a bright centre and Kodak T-MAX effect to finish it off.

I miss black and white film and wet prints, but Nik Silver Effex Pro gives everything but the hole in your wallet back.

"Looks like a Corona ad..."

2009-04-19T22:12:00.003-04:00

chillin' on the beach with a book, originally uploaded by Brown Photographic.

...said Doug.

In fact that was probably the only nice thing missing at that point.

We got back a couple of weeks ago from the lovely St John. We spent our 2 year anniversary out there; the 1 year got pushed to the side when we were looking after a young puppy.

You know, the strangest thing about St John is that it is probably the closet point in the US to the UK. In fact, if you look to the right of the book, that's one of the outlying UK islands. Weird! That and the virgin island beer is made by Shipyard in Maine.

Speaking of weddings, Emilie Sommer is getting married there this week... I don't actually know her yet, but I'm attending the (apparently amazing according to Shyla) Roots workshop on the Cape this summer: http://www.rootsworkshop.com/ . Now that will be a lot of fun! So anyway, all the best to Emile and her husband-to-be.

Now where's the Corona?

Michelle and Tom (and the land of the pork pie)

2009-03-26T13:35:00.008-04:00

On my return to England at Christmas I was blessed to have my old friends from various parts of the world come to my home in Shipton Oliffe, in the Cotswold Hills. To those of my American followers, the Cotswolds are a beautiful, must-see area two hours west of London. To give you an idea of where I grew up, here's a satellite image. That's the village, just in between the sheep, the cows and the combine harvester:

View Larger Map

Anyway, I digress. So my good friend Tom and his lovely lady Michelle came along (with among 10 others) for my 30th birthday a couple of days before Christmas and announced they are now engaged! Cool news! Tom and I met in 1997 when we first went to University in Swansea, Wales. We (and most of the other people at said party) were all in 'halls' (that's student accommodation) on the same floor. Years later we still lived together and as our friends drifted off to get married or settle in with their ladies, the bachelors Tom and I were left in our house in Balham, often twiddling our thumbs, or more often than not eating fried breakfasts. One afternoon we were headed into Shoreditch (trendy part of East London) for a few beers for a birthday and to cut a long story short, the (at that time unknown) Michelle turned up with our friend from uni, Holly. The rest is history and they now live in Sydney, Australia.

They are getting married near to where Michelle grew up in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire (that's a few hours north of London - everything is always in reference to London, its just easier). So I'm going to be shooting their day in August and very much looking forward to getting back into a UK wedding with all the hats, fascinators, wild partying and hopefully the odd pork pie, which Melton is so famed for. If you've never had one, the next time you're in a good deli, go looking for one - they are very, very tasty.

Anyway, here's a few photos of Tom and Michelle taken on Christmas eve during / after a nice fry up and a cup of tea, oh and a few of Tom from yester-year...

Jenn and Scott Engagement

2009-03-11T22:09:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks a go an excited Scott called me to shoot an engagement shoot. Well it turned out that they weren't actually engaged - yet! Scott was obviously very exicted (and somewhat nervous) and we conversed a few times over the week about shooting him proposing to her while I was there to record it - naturally I leapt at the chance! We came up with a plan: I'd pick them up, we'd drive into Beacon Hill, we'd take some photos, then at an undetermined point Scott or I would suggest a good place for the proposal, I'd get Jenn looking the other way and he'd be down on bended knee...

Well back to the start of the day. It was a lovely, sunny and unusually warm Sunday morning as I drove to Scott's in Medford to pick them both up. I met with Jenn (who knew they were off to shoot a portrait of them in town, but had no idea what was REALLY going to happen) and Scott, and we piled into the car. After squeezing my car into a tight spot by the State House, we set about warming them up to the camera around Boston Common before heading back into the streets of Beacon Hill after the sun had come up a little. Seeking out the best spot we went back to a beautiful cobbled street that I had been to with Carly and Sam last year. I suggested it to Scott, looking at him suggestively, he nodded (I think the nerves were setting in here) and we proceeded off to the street. We proceeded to fool Jenn into looking the other way, and Scott got down on one knee. The photos tell the rest!

Congratulations!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL OF THE PHOTOS AND PURCHASE PRINTS ONLINE (password is Jenn's maiden name)

Who's that smug man up there?

Steve and Lori

2008-10-24T08:36:00.000-04:00

Just the three, no, four of us - Lori, Steve, Zoe and the Harly. We made great use of some early fall colour in the Minuteman National Park (between Lexington and Concord) and found a nice quiet road to get shots of them with the bike. It's great to be able to mix in places, pastimes or possessions that define people and I personally love this first shot where Zoe's standing proud in front of the bike.

CLICK ANY IMAGE BELOW TO VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AND PURCHASE PRINTS ONLINE - the password is Lori's last name.

Brooke and Mike Wedding

2008-10-17T22:56:00.001-04:00

Brooke and Mike were married at the exceptional venue of Turner Hill in Ipswich, MA; a beautiful old mansion set at the top of an up-market golf course. The setting and weather were perfect as we met with Mike and his band of very merry men and got them warmed up with a bit of jumping. We headed up to a very relaxed Brooke who was getting ready with her friends and parents and got some great natural shots as light streamed in through the windows (3 sides of the room; a photographer's dream!). Their ceremony was outside in the lovely gardens overlooking the course in the afternoon and finished perfectly as the light softened for our group photos and photos of the newly married Linehans. We managed to get some great shots with a very large almost full moon in the twilight as their guests ate and then moved inside for a party that rocked the roof off. These guys partied HARD and were helped along by the Boston Players. My assistant Doug and I both keep talking about the great atmosphere that evening - it stands out as a night to remember.

All the best to Brooke and Mike!

CLICK ANY IMAGE BELOW TO VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AND PURCHASE PRINTS ONLINE - the password is Brooke's maiden name.

Here's the slideshow -Don't forget to hit the full screen button (bottom right) to watch it in full screen High Def!

Suzanne and Todd Wedding

2008-10-08T01:30:00.003-04:00

Suzanne and Todd were married in Brighton and had their reception at the Royal Sonesta in Cambridge. We met up with Suzanne and her family at the family home in Randolph at noon on an incredibly humid day and began taking our photos of the beautiful bride, with frequent trips inside to recover from the heat. Then we headed to St Columbkille, a beautiful and very large church in Brighton for their ceremony, then along the Charles to the Sonesta. Just as we arrived and headed outside for their photos, we felt a few drop of rain, which started to increase in intensity - tropical storm Hanna was starting its march through! We quickly took a few photos of the newly-weds under umbrellas with their dog Rusty, then headed inside for the group photos. I felt so bad for them both - if we had just had another hour we could have made some great photos outside, but we made the best of the unfortunate weather later in the evening with some night shots around the venue as the storm raged outside and also came away with a lot of images of a cracking (is that just an English phrase?) party!

I wish them all the best! Take a look at the photos below and watch their slideshow... - the password is Suzanne's maiden name.

CLICK ANY IMAGE BELOW TO VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AND PURCHASE PRINTS ONLINE

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