boston instameet

Things are crazy. By things, I mean life is crazy. By crazy, I mean a beautiful whirlwind that is somehow both exhausting and invigorating at the same time.

I haven't posted in a month, but for good reasons. I am almost done with my last semester of school in Boston (I have one more this fall in LA but it's mostly an internship). I am working on some awesome projects including my journalism capstone, all while trying to chip away at wedding videos. One huge thing that has happened this month was being featured as a suggested user on Instagram. What an unexpected honor! So greetings to you if my Instagram brought you here.

Speaking of Instagram, I'm working on a project that explores how the app brings people together and I'm really excited about it. Below are a few photos from a recent Boston Instameet I attended and a quick little video from said Instameet (with music by Cabell Tice).

valentine's day: an excuse to doodle

A Valentine's Day post. Ew I'm so cliché

Hey, but I'm posting anyway because I'm a sappy sucker and I've been slacking on the blog lately (school's obviously being a needy significant other these days).

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I like Valentine's Day because it reminds me of making 30 valentines for my whole class and being excited to get one from my crush, although his mom also made him sign 30 cards to give to the whole class.  Also, I doodle, a ton, especially in my statistics class, but that's irrelevant. What is relevant is love and so I decided to doodle on some cards for some the special folks in my life. 

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 Happy Valentines Day and remember, you are loved.

1956blooms site launch and a celebratory brunch

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1956blooms (also known here as the floral and design genius who is Kaylyn) has officially launched! 

Yes, it's January. And yes, I am still head over heels for pine boughs, berries and all the foraged things that exist. Here's some shots from a brunch photo shoot I did with these lovely ladies. 

Genius menu courtesy of Anna's design and cooking skills. That kale and baked egg dish has been one of my new go-to's.

Stumptown's Nano Challa contributed by yours truly, because in all reality, what is life without coffee?

For more work by 1956blooms (and another appearance by Anna! We can't help it, we just all GET each other) check out this dreamy Walden Pond shoot we did this summer.

we'll eat you up--we love you so!

We all think babies of our own kin are the cutest of them all. But really, my nephew is adorable. Plus he loves me (even though he doesn't know the difference between me and my sister). Here's some photos I took of my brother's family.

in a magical land known as the arnold arboretum

I had the opportunity to do some portraits of some of my favorite people AND they came to me in Boston (at least most of the way) from New Hampshire.  It was frigid and the wind was whipping, but these two were serious troopers and in my opinion, they nailed it.

one apple orchard + a lost iPhone

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I had the pleasure of making portraits of my beautiful cousin and her beautiful family. So, one late autumn apple orchard and a lost iPhone later, we had these. 

(The iPhone was lost and found, thanks to Kenny's tracking skills)

And of course, this munchkin. I did a newborn shoot with him when he first graced this earth with his presence and he was hardcore making up for being a goofball during that first shoot. 

now we're here | boston

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I'll preface this with letting you know that I'm no sports writer. I'm your average Boston Red Sox fan. Made it to one game, and left when it started to downpour (insert fair-weather-fan puns here). But the thing about being a Sox fan is that all you have to do is live here (and being born and raised here helps). 

Boston fans are some loyal beasts. We flipped a Mercedes for goodness sakes. We're also patient. We did wait 86 years that one time, waiting a few hours for a parade--ain't no thang. 

There's was celebrating of course, but for some reason my photos captured something somber. Perhaps it was the remnant feelings of what happened the last time we lined these streets as spectators. 

“the Boston Red Sox win was ‘therapeutic medicine for the whole city.’”
— OBAMA

new england traditions | hunting

New England is steeped in traditions, I mean heck, Thanksgiving originated here right?   

Every fall, almost all the guys (and few gals) heads out into the woods. Camo-clad, armed with their weapon of choice and of course cloaked in deer attractants or lures (and I can only imagine what those are made up of). I wanted to know what I was missing out on so I decided to join one of these hunts.

 

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When we first walk out into the woods, the sun is still below the horizon. Most hunters will be in their places when it is still pitch black, as legal (at least in NH) hunting time begins 30 minutes before sunrise.

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It's eerily quiet this morning. We freeze at every noise.  Sounds are amplified in the early morning cold and what sounds like thrashing around keeps us stone still for a good 30 minutes. Finally, we realize it's only a squirrel scurrying around, probably hiding the acorns he's manage to save up for the winter.

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A few hours later, we've heard turkeys, crows, rodents and the wind but have seen nothing. That's okay though because I wasn't sure I wanted to see anything anyway (for the animals' sake).

I can see why this is addicting. Hours of silence, nothing but nature and peace. It reminds me of Muir.

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”
— John Muir

floral crowns + sunrise light

 

1956blooms, ladyandlike.com and I woke up early one Saturday morn before the sun rose. We juggled my piping hot pourovers and arrived at Walden pond just as the sun was rising and a heavy fog was lit up like giant frosted light bulb. Anna (the model) never wore shoes and the ground was frigid and wet but she's a trooper. Some luck, Anna's beautiful modeling and Kaylyn's gorgeous floral design skills made for this amazing shoot. http://emaritraffie.tumblr.com/tagged/ladyandlike

(P.S. there's a bunch more on my flickr account, linked if you click on one the photos on tumblr)

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/emarisue/sets...