True Story:

A bride contacts me via my website.  Before I even open the email, I realize that her name is very familiar and I start trying to piece together where we've met.

I read the email, in which she states "I think we maybe went to high school together."

Now, before you think we've lost our minds in the decade plus that has passed since our high school days ended, you should know that I went to a big school.  Big.  Really big.  As in "I may know you, I may not, you may just have a name that sounds like the name of one of the thousands of people I used to know." 

Where was I going with this?  Oh yeah, Kristen asks if we went to high school together and it clicks: we were in the same P.E. class in the 9th grade. Crazy!

We catch up and meet; fast-forward almost a year and boom, here we are at her wedding.

Kristen made the most beautiful programs with different sand dollars and seashells and stones on the front:

First things first- if you are somehow capable of saying those four words without at least cracking a smile, you might be an X-Man.

I am not an X-Man and so all I could think of while we were photographing Greg and Erica's engagement photos on the intercoastal waterways of Ft. Lauderdale was wearing nautical-themed pashmina afghans and flippie floppies.

When Erica said she wanted to go out on a boat for her photos, I did not anticipate the larger-than-most-apartments sized yacht we took to the waters.

Nor did I anticipate that we'd be the fancy-pants-wearing kind of people who get driven around by a super cool captain (shout out to John for excellent keeping-the-boat-pointed-in-one-direction skills!). 

Sometimes you meet a couple that absolutely takes your breath away. 

From the first time I spoke to Tamar on the phone, I knew she was my kind of girl.  She's well-spoken, polite, witty and once I met her in person, I came to learn that she's also incredibly beautiful.  She's pretty much the whole package.

Given our numerous conversations in planning this shoot, by the time she and I met, I felt like we'd know each other much longer than the 3 seconds that had spanned since our actual meeting.  We quickly began traipsing through Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Coconut Grove and putting down on paper the kindness, love and devotion that is so evident in Tamar & Zev's relationship. 

You know how getting you hair cut or styled with someone new is analogous to going on a blind date?  You have no idea what to expect, what the other person will be like, if you'll enjoy the hour or two that you're going to spend with them, or if you're going to walk away feeling like you've been mauled.

We all hope for positive experiences, and that's exactly what Amy Ratisher of Salon Edge of Boca served up in a recent shoot I did for promotional photos for her salon.

Amy styled the models and then did different takes on each hairdo.  As I was setting up, I watched two beautiful ladies transform from gorgeous to surreal as the hair and makeup team made them even more stunning than they were upon walking in.

She reminds me of the combo that would emerge if you mixed one part British Royalty with one part rock star and stirred.

Above, Amy took the same hairstyle and in a span of approximately 30 seconds, completely changed it so that she became this ethereal doll.

And again, quickly adjusted to an elegant up-do for a classic style. 

If you're in need of a great cut or style, here's Amy's info.  I'll testify to the fact that she is extremely talented and you needn't fear looking like you've been mauled.

Here are the stats:

Amy Ratisher
Owner/Stylist
Salon Edge of Boca
561-750-8090

Commons at Town Center
2240 NW 19th St
Suite 912
Boca Raton, FL 33431



Always In A Hair Crisis,

Noelle

Top of the Morning!

I wanted to share a few photos from the engagement session of a beautiful couple, Chris and Shannon a few weeks ago.

Did you notice the color of Shannon's eyes?  They were the first thing I noticed about her and are the color you can bet I'd ask for if the choosing of one's iris palette was possible.

Aren't they adorable?  I just want to squeeze them, they're so cute!

It's not a party until there's a voyeur photographing you under a bridge. 

I love couples who love each other.  It makes my day and makes photographing a pleasure.

A big shout out to Chris and Shannon for sticking it out with me until we were all about to pass out!



Believing That Making Jokes About The Creepster In The Basement is The Single Best Way To Explain Certain Things In Photographing People,

Noelle