Ryan J. Moore Photography Blog: July 2010

First Look: Class of 2011 | A Beautiful Ballerina | Mikele

>> Saturday, July 31, 2010 – first look, senior portraits

What a BEAUTIFUL day for a photo shoot - and what a beautiful young lady we had to photograph today!

The lighting was perfect

The temperature was perfect

The locations were perfect (of course!)

And honestly - I think this picture is perfect!

(Have you ever taken a shot, and said - yup, this is tonight's first look? Well that's what I did with this shot!)

Thank you Mikele for letting us photograph you tonight!!

Can't wait to share the rest of the photos with everyone!!

Weddings Aren't Just for Brides Anymore | Websites We Love

>> Thursday, July 29, 2010 – weddings

This post is primarily for the groom to be in your lives ladies.

WAIT

Don't go away.

Sit back down.

Holler to your Groom and tell him to come to the computer.

Good.

Are you both here?

Awesome!

Brandi and I have stumbled upon a wedding planning website that is geared towards the Groom.

That's right - the groom.

Believe it or not YOU are a big part of the wedding.

Speak up - say your peace - if you don't want to wear pink at your wedding just say so!

{Ignore the dirty look she is giving your right now. }

If you (groom) need some help, ideas or just a good laugh navigate over to The Plunge

A wedding planning website meant for the Groom.

And it is AWESOME.

So far I have not spent a TON of time on the site - but I am looking forward to digging in and seeing all the things that are out there.

Just check out all the things on the homepage!!

And, my friends, they have awesome links where you can download stuff. Helpful spreadsheets even.

Looking to plan your guest list. Check this out! Yes - it's a wedding planning guest list spreadsheet, complete with cool formulas and linkey thing. Yah - totally geek out about it PLEASE - Brandi and I both did.

Not sure what to do grooms? Check out the Groom's Duties section!

Seriously. Check it out.

Go now.

You can stop reading this blog - but go read the blog on The Plunge.

Stuff That Makes Us Happy | A Place to Sit

>> Wednesday, July 28, 2010 – Stuff that Makes us Happy

Being photographers is awesome!

Totally Awesome.

We love to capture everything there is about a wedding - it's a very special day in some one's life - and we are honored to be invited to capture it. You can't beat that.

But being a wedding photographer is hard work.

Long days.

Long Summer Days - in hot churches

On your feet - all day

Crouching, kneeling, sitting on the floor.

It's hard work.

Usually at weddings we try to find a corner and place our stuff there as sort of a home base. A base of operations. An HQ if you will.

It never has to be anything fancy - just a corner really. Sometimes we find a chair - sometimes we just sit on the floor - but its a place to gravitate to. A place to be out of the way where there are things that do not need to be captured (like your aunt stuffing her face with Chicken Marsala).

We love it even more when the couple makes OUR space just as special as their guest's space.

And this one was over the top!!!

Complete with name tags and whoopie pies.

Awesome x10!!!

Thanks guys for an awesome wedding - you know who you are - and your pics will be ready very very VERY soon!!!

An Engagement Adventure | Jon & Denise | Dedham, Maine

>> Tuesday, July 27, 2010 – engagement

So I thought it was about time that we blogged an ACTUAL post. We have been doing a lot of Stuff That Makes Us Happy and First Looks -- but no actual posts in a while.

Well its time for a doozy!

Jon & Denise's Engagement Session --- with an adventure as promised.

We started out at the FABULOUS Lucerne Inn, where their wedding will be in a few short weeks.

Loving the lighting!

Love this tree. You may see a beautiful wedding dress under this tree in a few weeks time!

I know they are awesome. Its ok to stare.

From the Lucerne, we went on our adventure.

When we met with Jon and Denise, they mentioned that someone told them about a couple Awesome spots right around the Luceren, so of course Brandi & I were up for it.

The first one was Sunset Rock.

Should be easy to find right? A big rock on a hill?

We went to the front desk and asked them where we could find such a rock. She gave us directions - easy squeezy right?

WRONG!

Yes, I asked for directions, but did not follow them.

The directions included "go to the brown building and then its just a short HIKE from there."

So we parked (I backed into the spot even)

And I spot a steep, promising hill. Perfect spot for this sunset rock.

WRONG.

We climbed - and I mean CLIMBED.

In fancy Las Vegas shoes and flip flops up this hill, and keep following the path thinking that it was going to lead us to this amazing view.

We have been hiking for maybe 15 minutes now. Dripping with sweat, swatting bugs, still in fancy Las Vegas shoes and Flip Flops.

Finally we give up. We head back to the car. And if you think that hill was easier to climb down then it was to climb up ----- you are sadly mistaken. We get to the cars, and look left....through the trees....

and see Sunset Rock - in all it's glory - 10 yards from my perfectly parked truck.

OY!

But what a view!

Did I mention the view?

View anyone?

Needless to say - as beautiful as this view is, I don't think we will be getting a wedding dress up here!

The next spot we went to was another spot that Denise & Jon told us about, and I was in LOVE before we even got there.

Train Tracks.

YES!

I am sooooooooooo in love with this spot.

I think this one is one of my favorites. Love love love the track, and the spike.

Jon was giving us a bit of a history lesson about the tracks, and also about what the nails in the boards mean. Apparently when the inspectors would travel the tracks, the would drive a nail in every once in a while to show they had been there, and that nail or spike had a date imprinted on the top of it. I guess that with the abandoned tracks, you walk them and collect the nails now.

He mentioned that he has one from back in the 20's

....I'm hoping I didn't just incriminate anyone...

I am so happy to be blogging a post!

I am also so happy to have two great new spots to bring clients for their sessions.

Keep checking back for more updates....and to see the wedding in just a few short weeks!!

Stuff That Makes Us Happy | Fish Eye Lenses

>> Monday, July 26, 2010 – Stuff that Makes us Happy

Hot off the presses - another installment of Stuff That Makes Us Happy.

What doesn't make us happy these days?

Great friends, great clients, great jobs, great weekend job

Who could ask for more?

Well maybe great Lenses!!!

We are HUGE fan's of Lens Pro to Go. They are an awesome company that rents.... what else... LENSES!!

How awesome is that? Need a lens for a wedding (yes) just rent one - next wedding rent another one!

If you are a photographer or looking to buy that next lens, just rent it first!! If you don't like it then you just saved yourself a TON!

We rented the fisheye recently!

YUM!

And brought it on a shoot or two.

Our awesome couple Denise and Jon - captured by two lenses!!

Have no fear - Denise and Jon's photo shoot is coming up REAL soon!!!

Stuff That Makes Us Happy | Boomerang Thank Yous

>> Sunday, July 25, 2010 – Stuff that Makes us Happy

It seems like it has been a while since we started this new series of posts that get a little personal for us.

The one thing that really does make us happy is great clients.

Great clients that become good friends.

People you may have only met with three or four times in the span of a year jam packed with wedding stuff, but in the end these people, clients, friends really make an impact on you.

We really love our clients - capturing their emotions make it worth it for us, what really gets me though is when a client reaches back out to us ------ to thank us for a great job.

Not just a verbal thank you at the end of the evening, but a hand written, heart felt thank you note.

When was the last time you wrote your plumber a thank you note for a job well done?

This one came back to us like a boomerang.

Literally.

We had just sent them the cards that we created about a week before.

Whoosh!

Right back in the mail box.

Because we are a little sappy - we might of cried.

One single tear of joy.

We do keep all the cards we receive from our awesome clients - sometimes if we are having a bad day, we'll sit on the floor, open the book of client e-mails and cards and just read until we feel better.

In the end - this is what it's all about.

This is why we do what we do.

This is the other part of wedding photography that keeps us going - knowing that our work is appreciated, and that memories were created and captured and presented to AWESOME clients who deserve all the happiness in the world.

THANK YOU - ALL YOU AWESOME CLIENTS OUT THERE!!!

NEW PRODUCT | With That New Leather Smell | Albums

>> Saturday, July 24, 2010 – albums, products

I have been talking about a new album for a long time.

a loooooooooooooooooooong time.

In fact, if you have met with us, I have said "we may have a new album available after your wedding."

Well Guess What?

It's after your wedding!!

The UPS man usually arrives around 4:30 in this neck of the woods.

Well yesterday he took his early pill. He was speedy Gonzales yesterday, cause this package arrived at 2:30!

WOOO HOO!!!!!!!

And I am in love. Check out the details!

The cover. Vintage Leather... in SADDLE!

Swoon!

Brandi made the choice, and it is awesome.

Even smells of LEATHER.

I LOVE THE SMELL OF LEATHER!!

(Yes, I have been smelling the album)

On a side note - you don't have to get just vintage leather in Saddle... I have 32 colors and textures for you to choose from!

Check out those pages. Love!

Yes, that page and corner is perfection!

AND

We are talking a 12x12 FULL page spread.

You are looking at 12x24 inch spread of quality!

YES PLEASE!

This is my favorite page in the ENTIRE album.

Love it.

I know the bride of this album has seen this post...

No worries - I am working on YOUR album too - but yes, your BEAUTIFUL wedding made our sample album collection!

Secondly - I also created this album using software that came recommended from a couple of photographers that I absolutely love. Couldn't of been a better recommendation!

Love love love it!

Brides and Grooms - If you still have an album to choose, e-mail me and we can set an appointment to start planning it!

This one is beautiful.

Not to be missed!!

Second First Look | Hannah & Rob's Details | Old Town Maine

>> Thursday, July 22, 2010 – second first look, weddings

So it's late.

I was not planning on posting a blog today.

BUT

I was going thru images today and came across this one.

You know I can't resist the details.

LOVE this.

Love ring shots.

Love Pianos

Love Love LOVE this.

Hope you do too!!

First Look: Class of 2011 | Phil

>> Wednesday, July 21, 2010 – first look, senior portraits

If you remember... (from yesterday) the totally awesome blog that we posted about Eryn.

Well we had the pleasure of photographing another member of the Class of 2011 - Phil.

WOOO HOOO

There may be fan clubs started about him - let me tell you.

Can't wait to show you more from this session!

First Look: Class of 2011 | Senior Model's ACTUAL Senior Shoot | Eryn

>> Tuesday, July 20, 2010 – first look, Senior Ambassador Program, senior portraits

Brandi and I had the pleasure of photographing one of our Class of 2011 Senior Models.... AGAIN! :)

As part of our program, our models get TWO shoots.

One is early in the season, and we kinda geared them more to us...

We offer them a second shoot because we want it to be about THEM - it's their REAL senior session!

Eryn choose the Shore Path in Bar Harbor.

What

Awesome

Place.

Check out the first look ---- WAYYYYYY more to come!

Any seniors out there still waiting - we are still booking for this year but days are filling up.

See Eryn for a card - get a deal.

Come on.

We know you want to.

We are fun!

Ask Eryn!

First Look: Wedding | Marbin & Whitney | Orrington Maine

>> Monday, July 19, 2010 – first look, weddings

After some technical difficulties and a general mis-understanding we are back online.

I feel like we have a TON of blogging to catch up on!

A TON!!

It was a busy weekend that's for sure, and we started it off with an AH-MAZING couple

This ceremony was just filled with family and emotion --- and you know those are two of my favorite things...

as well as raindrops on roses and all that jazz.

Anyway - here is the first of many first looks from this weekend!!

And believe you me, it was hard to pick a good first look for this wedding. I had big plans for a sneeky first look ---- but you will have to tune back into the actual blog to see whats going on there!!!

A Wedding from Back Where I Come From | Chris & Cori | Millinocket, Maine | Part II

>> Thursday, July 15, 2010 – weddings

And we are back for Part II of Chris & Cori's Millinocket wedding!

I love the mom's and the expression after lighting the unity candles.

The part we love most about weddings is the emotions.

The laughter

The tears

The smiles

And it begins.

Being walked down the isle by her two men.

And the hand off.

Rocking the black and white - love these shots Brandi.

A little more Gerber goodness.

In the hair.

It really was such a beautiful church.

Another thing I love about weddings - the religion, the symbols and the rituals.

Usually while photographing I always listen to the ceremony, I follow along with the prayers - it's really great to make a connection with the church and the couples.

For this ceremony Father Cyr gave us something to think about... "What would life be like without marriage?"

For someone who is getting married in just a few (11) months, it gave me something to think about.

Sealed with a kiss.

And a laugh.

After the ceremony, I needed to get a couple quick shots in the church. The stained glass is so beautiful, and I really liked the blue from these windows and how it completely filled this small space with such wonderful blue light.