When I get asked to photograph a portrait, the client usually asks for a posed photo of their family on the dunes in front of the lighthouse. That’s all great and dandy, for tradition’s sake, but what they love and order prints of are the lifestyle images. Those images that show their kids’ personalities, that show them interacting with each other, that catch a natural laugh or expression. The lifestyle images are the ones that are truly treasured. It’s not just about “how we looked in 2010″ but more of “how much fun we had, how much we loved each other, what we were into”.

I love to take my clients to the beach for that posed shot and then ask them to just relax and play with their kids. I love to meet them in their home where the kids are comfortable around their favorite toys. It’s the unplanned giggles, the day to day play that the families engage in, that I believe is what should really be remembered and recorded.

Here is a small collection of my favorite lifestyle portraits over the past season.

~Zofia

Nestled among the rolling green hills in the charming little town of Groton MA, The Barn at Gibbet Hill offers couples a unique setting to make a lifelong commitment and to celebrate it with a heck of a party in a barn that is more than 100 years old!

The Barn is located on an expansive property that borders fields with actual cows in them. It is on this well landscaped property that couples who choose to hold their ceremony at Gibbet Hill pledge their love. Located just below the barn on the lawn, the wedding party make their way down a granite staircase and across the grass to a picturesque spot facing the hills. To the right is a small pond shaded by a large oak tree. And the animals are on hand to celebrate as well. At a recent wedding I photographed, the cows were watching the ceremony from the hill. As the couple enjoyed their first kiss as husband and wife, the cows mooed their approval to the delight of all gathered.

After the ceremony, the guests are ushered up to a large, covered deck off the barn where appetizers and cocktails are elegantly presented. When the weather is nice, the deck is open on three sides and offers beautiful views of the hills. When the weather changes, the deck can be enclosed to keep the revelers warm and dry.

When it’s time for the reception to start, everyone is invited into the barn itself. Inside the barn is the picture of rustic elegance. Chandeliers are hung between the old wood beams of the original barn. Steps lead up to a pair of balconies on either side of the room. A large dance floor ensures that all the guests can shake their money makers, and the expansive main floor provides room for the guest tables. Since everything is all in one room, it feels very cozy without being crowded. And the food is delicious!

One of the most interesting features of the property, however, requires a short hike. Up behind the cow fields is the ruins of an ancient castle. People with a large budget for their event can actually rent out the castle ruins for their reception, but anyone can use them for photos. And what a cool and romantic photo spot it is – with its large stone towers, walls overgrown with ivy, and roofless great hall, with the remains of huge stone fireplaces on either side. If you have ever wanted to be Cinderella on your wedding day, the ruins are the place to make that dream come true!

As a whole, The Barn at Gibbet Hill offers a uniquely New England location for an elegant, rural wedding celebration.

~Jamie Wexler

Many photographers prefer that their brides have a professional make-up artist. Personally, I can barely tell the difference between professional make-up and the do-it-yourself variety. To me, pretty isn’t on the surface. Pretty is your smile with your soul poking through.

It’s not for everyone, but if you are a woman who wants to be surrounded by your friends and family on your wedding day, doing your own hair and/or make-up can be a bonding experience.

When you have an actual relationship with your make-up artist and hairstylist, the atmosphere in the room is noticeably different. There’s an intimate comfort level, with plenty of joking and goofiness. The make-up ritual becomes another opportunity to interact with your buds rather than an interruption of the wedding day. It is plain old more fun.

While I am happy to offer my opinion on your timeline before the big day, I have a strict policy of not running the show on your wedding day. It’s your wedding day; you are in control. As casual as I am, I’m still surprised at how little time some women think they need to get their make-up done and to get into their dresses.

I love walking into the “getting ready” room and seeing make-up bags strewn everywhere. It’s 45 minutes before the ceremony and the gals are still lounging in their robes. Reluctantly a bridesmaid will get the ball rolling. Make-up preparations begin and everyone suddenly realizes how little time they have left and how little they actually know about make-up or how they should wear their hair that day.

It is a little mini-drama at the beginning of your day.  Things run smoothly for the most part, but there can be a little nuttiness too. Best friends are rapidly delegated to and then fired from the task of applying make-up. Bridesmaids rummage in their own make-up bags to find a better shade of lipstick or brown mascara instead of black. Your sister finds herself temporarily banished because she brings one element of crazy too many to the table. Ultimately, your maid of honor, your sister, steps in to keep things calm and under control.

The bride wipes her makeup off and starts from scratch minutes before the ceremony. How people handle stress provides insight into their personalities. This insight helps me shoot the rest of the day. Are you nervous, loopy, or completely unphased? This information helps me convey an accurate picture of who you are and what your wedding day is really all about.

Brides going the do-it-yourself route for hair and make-up are usually fairly low-key and roll with whatever the day throws at them. Worry is quickly released in favor of a good time

I am often asked for my opinion on makeup, how much should be worn for photos, etc., etc. I always answer, “Wear your hair and make up so that you feel like you”. If you love to wear gobs and gobs of mascara, then go for it. Don’t let some make-up artist or photographer tell you something else is more “natural”. Don’t feel naked on your wedding day.

On the other hand, if you never wear much of anything but feel like you need a little something-something, then by all means put a little something on.  But when you look in the mirror, if you don’t recognize the person staring back, then wipe it off and start over.

Whether or not you hire make-up and hair professionals, if you look like yourself, you will act like yourself. Above all, that’s what I need from you to make gorgeous photos on your wedding day.

~Andree

With all of the wedding traditions out there it can sometimes be a difficult task to put your own stamp on your wedding day.  More and more brides are choosing to express themselves through their footwear, eschewing the simple white heel for something more funky.  From the rain boots (if you were in New England this year you would know that these were necessary!) to the colorful heels that add a touch of pizazz to an otherwise white ensemble, funky footwear is fun for photographers and brides alike.  Even if you want to follow tradition at the ceremony, bring along an extra set of footwear for the reception or to play around with at the photo session- your photographer will thank you and it will add a touch of “you” to an otherwise traditional outfit.  Check out some of the cool footwear that Shootstyle members have captured this year!

~Michelle

Sure, there are times when going off the beaten path is necessary, when breaking molds and traditions is required and desired, but not so in a quintessential Nantucket wedding.

My perfect recipe for a Nantucket wedding is as follows:

•1-250 guests- any more and they’ll be camping on the beach until the beach patrol finds them. Elopements are a plenty on Nantucket. It’s a great destination for couples looking to sneak away onto a sandy beach with no one but the officiant, the photographer, and a few seagulls and seals as witnesses.

•The gown. Think beach casual. Think flowy. Think about walking around in a huge ball gown and diamond encrusted heels in the sand and do the opposite.

•The shoes. Manolo, Jimi Choo, Dolce and Gabana, it makes no difference, so long as you bring a spare pair of flip flops or flats. We love our cobblestones, grassy lawns and beaches, but your ankles may not.

•Bridesmaids. A cocktail dress, tea-length in an organza or silk in navy, pink, or green, complimented with simple nautical jewelry and worn with embellished sandals, is classic and so easy to wear.

•Menswear. This part is fun. Nothing too formal. You won’t find many a tux out on the island. We’re talking Nantucket Reds, yellow pants, khakis, seersuckers, blue blazers, Vineyard Vines ties and bowties with crabs, lobsters or whales. Go nuts! Men’s shoes are topsides, boat shoes, dockers or flip flops.

•The flowers. Hydrangeas are a staple. Mix them up with peonies, white roses, throw in some color and you’re well on your way. A simple ribbon of navy, pink or white around the base adds a pretty and perfectly preppy touch. But leave this part to a professional, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what a little inspiration can do.

•Table tops. Nantucket Lightship baskets, seashells, starfish, seersuckers, a nautical color theme is a must.

•The cake. Basketweave, white chocolate seashells, sailors’ knots, cupcakes, complimented with hydrangea are the way to go. Simple, classic and pretty.

• The music. A cellist or a small trio for the ceremony, a small band for cocktail hour. Whatever your flavor is, you’ll want to hire a good band if you wanna see grandma shake her stuff. Get the crowd crazy before they’re sent to tear it up downtown post-reception.

~Zofia

Last weekend Andree (Maine Wedding Photographer) invited me (Earl, Boston Wedding Photographer) to return to the shores of Sebago Lake in Maine. We had a developed a pretty good working rhythm during our last shoot together, and for most of the day, we each did our own thing and came away with two unique views of the same event.  During a quiet moment, we asked the couple to pose in front a classic New England setting–a shack which was covered with old buoys.

Andree moved in close enough to see the weathering of the old buoys and threw the couple out of focus in the background:

I shot the couple through a bush with a plastic lens, framing the them against the wall.

I think that having the same couple, the same setting, the same light, and two shots taken within seconds of each other, really illustrates how two photographers will visualize the same subject differently.

Vive la différence!