Archive for the ‘Second Nature’ Category

Second Nature | Kat Hanafin | Seaside Wedding

March 2nd, 2012

I’m so excited to share my final Second Nature post from the 2011 season! On a blazingly hot day in October (that’s right, October), I had the opportunity to meet and shoot with Kat Hanafin.  Second shooting for Kat was a whole new experience, and one that I have taken a lot away from… including [...]


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I’m so excited to share my final Second Nature post from the 2011 season! On a blazingly hot day in October (that’s right, October), I had the opportunity to meet and shoot with Kat Hanafin.  Second shooting for Kat was a whole new experience, and one that I have taken a lot away from… including a friend. :)

What I admire the most about Kat is that what you see is what you get. In addition to being talented and knowledgeable, Kat is authentic. Be it with clients or peers, she is true to herself and her vision. Kat is not vague about who she is or what she provides, which I find refreshing in an industry so focused on sales. Her style, like mine, may not be for everyone… not everyone is a good match.  That genuine approach is what can give both brides and photographers confidence in their choice to work together, which is what leads to a greater experience.  Who doesn’t want that?

Below is my favorite image of Kat doin’ her thing… ;)

 

 

 

The wedding itself was a unique day for me! In addition to the high 80* temps in the fall (not even 2 weeks before the freak snowstorm), I got my own taste of what it feel like to be the paparazzi. Having a second boat to stalk follow the bridal party boat is something I doubt I will ever do again, and was the highlight of my day. :) For a full recap of the day, see Kat’s extensive post here.

Without further ado, here is a peek at my time with Kat:

 

 

Kat, I’m so thankful to have you as both a peer and a friend! Wishing you the best in business and in life. :)

 

Cheers,

Briana

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Second Nature | Shang Chen | Four Season Hotel Boston

February 22nd, 2012

  Here is a brief look at my first Indian wedding experience. The colors and the traditions are truly breathtaking. I dedicated a music monday to this wedding simply because I couldn’t stop swooning. Many thanks to Shang Chen for asking me to work as an assistant for the day. I have worked with (and [...]
 

 

Here is a brief look at my first Indian wedding experience. The colors and the traditions are truly breathtaking. I dedicated a music monday to this wedding simply because I couldn’t stop swooning. Many thanks to Shang Chen for asking me to work as an assistant for the day.

I have worked with (and raved about) Shang Chen before.  This experience was definitely keeping with the last.  Shang is fun, focused, and kind. Her open communication and generous advice is a rare and appreciated trait!  Also, it’s nice to work with someone who appreciates the fine art of a perfectly cooked parmesean french fry. ;)

 

Here is a quick peek of our day. For Shang’s full coverage, see her blog post here.

Cheers,

Briana

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Second Nature | Kathleen Connerton | Pearls of Newport

February 16th, 2012

  One of the perks of slower winters filled with office time is that I’m free to share the remaining Second Nature posts from the 2011 season.  Today features a wedding that battled it out with mother nature… remember that freak snow storm in October? It rained & poured, plans were altered, worries arose, but [...]
 

 

One of the perks of slower winters filled with office time is that I’m free to share the remaining Second Nature posts from the 2011 season.  Today features a wedding that battled it out with mother nature… remember that freak snow storm in October? It rained & poured, plans were altered, worries arose, but at the end of the day there was a very happy couple.

Lead photographer for the day was Kathleen Connerton of Connerton Photography. Kathleen is sweet, thoughtful, and has a subtle manner in which she can calm and engage her bride.  Sadly, the only image of her I could squeeze in was when we synced cameras… but this is a pretty accurate depiction of our day together. :)

 

Here are a few snippets from the day…

Kathleen, thanks for bearing the storm with a smile, and for making those long blustery drives so fun!

Cheers,

Briana

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Second Nature | Joe Wallace | Cape Cod

September 14th, 2011

I am SO excited to finally post about my experience second shooting for Joe Wallace.  What can I say about Joe… he is just plain FUN. Since our initial chat over coffee months ago, I have looked forward to working with Joe… and I was not disappointed! Personally, I appreciated how much he likes to [...]
 

I am SO excited to finally post about my experience second shooting for Joe Wallace.  What can I say about Joe… he is just plain FUN. Since our initial chat over coffee months ago, I have looked forward to working with Joe… and I was not disappointed! Personally, I appreciated how much he likes to work as a team (even while making fun of my boots). ;)   In addition to the opportunity to photograph & polish up my skills, I deeply respect the time he took to talk to me about both business, and life as a whole. He even bought James & I pastries after the wedding & hung out for a bit. What can I say, there is definitely a short cut to my heart through my tummy!  He is friendly, exuberant, honest, and exceptionally easy to talk to.  Joe doesn’t try to be anybody but himself, and because of that he attracts clients that are a perfect fit for his style. He is all-around fantastic, and I can see why Joe’s clients love to work with him. Joe does not blog, but he was happy to let me share my images from the day with everyone. Thank goodness… the day was much to fun not to blog.

 

 

A joyous Cape Cod affair, the wedding itself was an exceptionally good time. Josh & Brindey managed to find this perfect blend of classy & casual… very beach chic.  I discovered after the ceremony that Brindey is originally from SoCal, and lived the next town over from me for many years. Insta-bond right there.  ;)   Josh is from New England, and their mutual backgrounds & styles shined through perfectly. The style of the wedding was a lovely testament to how their lives were joining together.  The ceremony took place at Marconi Beach during sunrise. Normally I would consider that hour to be painful, but I would get up that early every weekend if all weddings were as fun as this! After a short break (naps for all!), the reception was held at the Pamet Club in Truro. I tried not to go overboard on the number of images posted here, but the details make me swoon. Here is a taste smorgasbord:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I LOVED Brindey’s dress. She incorporated parts of her grandmothers wedding dress into her own, a personal touch that I always find to be meaningful.

 

Josh & Brindey had the cutest pair of dogs (who attended the ceremony of course), and they kept looking back to check on them. :) Cute family!

Man & Wife!

Friends, family, wedding party, & the happy couple all had the same expressions: sheer joy.

 

Successfully surfboard snagging…

 

The charming Pamet Club:

 

 

 

 

 

I’m a sucker for seersucker! I also was quite nostalgic upon seeing the entire wedding party in Rainbow flip flops, a great suggestion by the Cali bride!

 

 

 

 

How gorgeous is this brunch setting?

 

 

 

A good toast is an art. The best man was an artist. ;)

 

 

Josh & Brindey’s dessert was quite a hit, thanks to Cape Cow! Prepare yourself for a sugar rush…

 

 

 

 

And just when you thought life couldn’t get sweeter

 

Everyone worked off the calories with a little dancing.

 

 

 

This was the last image I took… Brindey changed into a more groove friendly outfit, & took the chance to jump into her husbands arms.  Aint love grand? :)

 

 

Josh & Brindey, it was a perfect day. Joe, thank you SO MUCH for working with me. You rock. :)

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Second Nature | Bob Perachio | Warwick Country Club

August 27th, 2011

Welcome to another installment of Second Nature!  I was originally supposed to be up in New Hampshire second shooting with the uber talented Spring Smith today, but sadly Hurricane Irene put a damper on those plans. Instead I’m taking the opportunity to share a wedding with you. I thoroughly enjoyed my recent work with Bob [...]
 

Welcome to another installment of Second Nature!  I was originally supposed to be up in New Hampshire second shooting with the uber talented Spring Smith today, but sadly Hurricane Irene put a damper on those plans. :( Instead I’m taking the opportunity to share a wedding with you.

I thoroughly enjoyed my recent work with Bob Perachio of Elegant Bliss. Bob is A MACHINE. :) He has a background in advertising & editorial photography, as well as wedding photography. As a lead photographer, Bob is very trusting of his second shooters… which is needed, as he goes into a complete zone on the job. He (unnecessarily) apologized for this multiple times during the day, which made me smile, because I love seeing a photographer with this much focus.  The couple has his complete attention, and the out going manner in which he engages his clients had me laughing out loud. You can’t help but love Bob & his friendly personality & boundless energy.  It was actually hard to catch a photo of him during the day… he never stopped moving. :)

 

 

This stylish wedding took place at the gorgeous Warwick Country Club. In addition to weddings, I used to coordinate events, so I swoon especially hard over details. Needless to say, this wedding had me drooling just a bit. Look at these florals!  The bow on the cake! The fabulous dress colors/shoes/hair! Plus, the sheer happiness on the faces of everyone involved… pitter -patter goes my little heart. Here is a selection of my favorite moments of the day.



 

Bob, I had a blast! :) Keep on rockin’ it out.

Cheers,

Briana

 

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Second Nature | Robin Lin | The Granite Rose

August 10th, 2011

I’m excited to share another installment of Second Nature today. At the beginning of the summer, I had the chance to work with Robin Lin . Robin is not chatty, but whenever she spoke, she was full of encouragement. I loved how she interacted with Jamie, the bride. The day was overcast, but while the [...]
 

I’m excited to share another installment of Second Nature today. At the beginning of the summer, I had the chance to work with Robin Lin . Robin is not chatty, but whenever she spoke, she was full of encouragement. I loved how she interacted with Jamie, the bride. The day was overcast, but while the damp air threatened to put a damper on the day, Robin kept spirits high with a great blend of positivity & truth. Robin was such a natural, a joy to observe.

 

My time at the wedding was short, and I mostly focused on details.  This was definitely a newer experience of being almost entirely behind the scenes! To see Robin’s full perspective on the day, visit her blog. Here is collection of a few of my favorites from the preparations and the ceremony. 

 

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Second Nature | Shang Chen | Ocean View Inn

July 27th, 2011

Welcome to the first of my Second Nature series. I primarily work as a lead photographer, but I highly value taking the time to work as a second shooter or an assistant when possible. Transitioning my business from California to New England has thankfully given me the opportunity to work with many talented local photographers [...]
 

Welcome to the first of my Second Nature series. I primarily work as a lead photographer, but I highly value taking the time to work as a second shooter or an assistant when possible. Transitioning my business from California to New England has thankfully given me the opportunity to work with many talented local photographers this season, and I look forward to sharing that.  I chose to title this series Second Nature because it explains exactly why I value these experiences:

1. The art itself is second nature to me. I have a deep innate desire to photograph the world around me, both professionally and personally. Second shooting and assisting allows me more opportunity to do what I love, and (especially in a time of transition), to stay sharp. I am continually striving to better my craft, and there is no better way to do that then get out there and push yourself! Also, I LOVE seeing other artists in their element. I believe we can learn so much from our peers and love to take advantage of the learning opportunities presented through assisting. Some photographers take the time to teach or share, while others you can simply learn from through observation. Both are excellent ways to learn. I always leave these weddings completely inspired.

2. The expectations of a second shooter or assistant are fitting with my nature. I am a huge supporter of inclusiveness and team work.  I view other photographers as part of a community to support, rather than competition. I am very proactive, independent (when needed), and have a desire to be as helpful as possible.  I love building community, and I believe to be able to do that simultaneously with creating art is a huge blessing.

3. I love the reality check that comes with the experience. Taking my needs out of the picture and spending many hours focusing on how to best support someone else is not only educational, but humbling in the best of ways.  Perhaps it’s my background in event planning, or working with children, but I do not think twice about schlepping bags, grabbing water, carrying trains, etc. I do it with a smile on my face…because I love what I do.

I recently had the chance to assist the absolutely fabulous Shang Chen. I adore her, from her funky flowers right down to her black Chuck Taylors. ;) . Shang is currently in a transitional year herself, and I’m so sad she won’t be a local much longer. Shang is not only a brilliant photographer, but she is  also kind, thoughtful, laid-back, and completely personable.  Watching her interact with her clients is so fun and natural. While I was not there to photograph, Shang was amazingly generous and gave me the freedom to bring out my camera whenever my assistance was not needed, and even took the time to talk shop with me. It was greatly appreciated!

I had a wonderful time at the wedding of MengMeng & Shawn, which was held at the beautiful Ocean View Inn in Gloucester.  The lovely ladies at From Hair to Eternity  not only did a gorgeous job with hair & make-up, but had everybody laughing during preparations.  I loved the sweet nature of both MengMeng & Shawn. Their attitudes were simply a dream. Shang puts a lot of time into her beautiful blog posts, so please head over to her blog!  You can see her images and thoughts on the day here.  I’ll close with a collection of my favorite images of the day.


Shang, thank you so much for the chance to work with you!  It was an honor. :)

 

Cheers,

Briana

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