Should we do engagement photos?

Yes! There are so many reasons why we think every couple should do engagement photos!  First of all, you just got engaged and are smitten with each other and so genuinely happy and excited.. as you should be!  This is the perfect time to have nice photographs taken of the two of you.  When you decorate your home, it will be nice to have other photos hung up, rather than just from your wedding day - the variety looks really great!

You can use these photos for quite a few things as decorations or invitations for your wedding day, too.  Save the dates, invitations, photobook as a guest book, a large matted frame where your guests can sign as a guest book, or a statement piece as a decoration over a mantel at your wedding reception.

Also!  What a great thing to have your wedding photographer take photos of you and your fiancé BEFORE your wedding.  It gives you a chance to really get to know each other.  You'll get to see your photographer in action, and it gives your photographer the chance to experiment.  What are your best angles?  Which poses work best with the two of you?  How will your photographer feed off of your personalities to get the most genuine laughs or smiles out of you?  On that note...they will also understand if there is anything you did NOT love about your engagement photos so they will be extra prepared on your wedding day.

Family Session at Brenton Point State Park : Newport, RI

Last week you saw Julie & Jason's engagement shoot.  This week, you can dive into their adorable family photos and photos of their sweet kids.  While during their pre-consultation, Julie was a bit worried that Omar would love the camera too much and be a ham, that JJ would try to give everyone bunny ears, and that it might be tough to get Maya to smile for the camera.  We assured her that we will just capture moments as they happen.  We also encouraged them to bring kites so the kids would have something to do and keep their mind off of us being there.  These are the moments their going to want to remember... laughing, dancing,flying kites, and inhaling the salty ocean with their family on a beautiful summer evening in Newport, RI <3

queue the porsche ;)

trying on JJ's glasses!

Julie & Maya having a twirl off ;)

putting their kites together :)

Julie & Jason's Brenton Point State Park Engagement Session

We had a beautiful evening for Julie & Jason's engagement session at Brenton Point State Park in Newport, RI.  They will be getting married in May '17 in The Berkshires - I've never been, but by the sounds of it, it's absolutely STUNNING with sweeping mountain views!  We doubled this session as an engagement and family session - photos of their three adorable kiddos coming up next week :)

What do you do with engagement photos?  Boy do we have a few ideas!!  Save the dates, photobooks for your guests to sign at your reception, a matted framed photo for your guests to sign at your rehearsal dinner.. the possibilities are endless!  We love understanding our client's needs and creating custom products for them.  Our new favorite are these trifold Save the Dates that you'll see below!  

So sweet :)

That ring!!

We loveee to create custom Save the Dates for your wedding!!

I just love this one of them! <3  A real, genuine moment of the two of them and the trees are wrapping around them so perfectly. 

We will never get tired of sessions by the ocean

Can't wait to show you more photos from this session... next week we'll show you their adorable kids and their family photos!

xoxo,

Alicia & Nina

Peggotty Beach, Scituate Engagement Session

Sara and Frank are such a sweet and loving couple.  They have been together for 10+ years already!  During their pre-consultation, they said they wanted their photographs to be romantic & chill... we think they nailed it!

Frank was channeling his inner GQ!

loving these real, genuine moments!

Gosh, sooooo pretty!!  

Nina and I are so excited for Sara and Frank's wedding in November '17.  They plan to use these photographs as decor at their wedding.  Should be stunning! ;)

We had the nicest weather that evening at Peggotty beach.. look at that sun flare!!  <3

Perfect ending to the evening...

How to get the best wedding prep photos

All the anticipation to the big reveal... we love all those little details. The finishing touches, make up (and false eyelashes!) that make you look more and more like a glowing bride are where the love and your character shine through.

Taking photographs of your shoes, perfume, your jewelry and other thoughtful details are the photographs that fill your wedding album with the nuances of your wedding day. They are the smells, textures and sounds that will flood your mind with precious memories each time you revisit them.

Share your creative vision with your photographer!  We ALWAYS have a pre-consultation with any photo shoot we do.  We really want to hear about your specific vision and hear if there are any certain shots you are looking for.  One of our brides was running late to the ceremony, but in the pre-consultation she mentioned how she absolutely wanted a photograph of her with her dogs.. we made it happen!

Make sure you savor the moments... the getting ready show are just as much about the details as they are the candid moments.  We like to tell brides & their wedding parties to relax and enjoy yourself.  Let us do our thing, and try to pretend that we're not even there.

Don't forget about the guys!  The essential groom accessories aren't too far off from whiskey and a bow tie ;)  

How To put your unique spin on your maternity shoot?

When meeting with Bency prior to her photoshoot at her pre-consultion appointment, we got to hear about her vision and knew exactly what she wanted in order to put her unique stamp on her maternity photographs.

Bency loves color!!  Her home is filled with beautiful bright colors and she knew she wanted her maternity photographs to portray that as well.  After contemplating on locations, Bency decided on Stanley Park in Westfield, MA.  That was definitely the perfect location for Bency and her family.  Beautiful, brightly colored flowers.. everywhere!!  So many different settings in that one spot that we totally took advantage of!

We can't wait to do her newborn photographs soon & add the same beautiful color and nature-look look to them :)

Elegant Poses for a beach destination wedding

Gorgeous landscapes are generally a dime a dozen when you've opted to go "destination" - that's part of why you're there! Casually walk & admire the setting while your photographer records.

Are you flirting with the idea of tying the knot abroad? 

Check out this GORGEOUS destination wedding that Nina had the pleasure of shooting in Haiti!!  White sandy beaches and the most unreal sunsets - what more could you ask for?!  Kevin and Emma had actually never been to Haiti before...but they knew they wanted to make the trip with friends and family - so here was their perfect opportunity!

Documenting the details and mood of your wedding day works best when embracing all that makes it specific and true to the experience. Emma's bare feet with nature all around not only show off her Carribean pedicure and mermaid-dress layers, but will remind them forever that their day was as comfortable and beachy as it was well-planned and beautiful. What's unique about your destination? Use those as cornerstones for your wedding photography..

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When your photographer asks you to walk together in the foreground of a beautiful or unique setting, reversing or switching directions unexpectedly will give you a looser, more candid body-language.

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Rather than only looking eye-to-eye or strictly at the camera, go North, South, East, West here and there. At a destination wedding, you'll surely have plenty to admire and look at.

The awesome thing is, you can really say "I DO" anywhere!  The destination is up to you.  It makes for a great vacation, memorable for all the guests that are able to attend the intimate celebration.

When having a destination wedding, you're able to enjoy an unparalleled amount of quality time with loved ones. Days before the event - and often after - you and your guests can wine & dine in one another's company... compare that to the standard 5 hour wedding, where both bride and groom spend the better part of the reception running table-to-table to give their paced hello-thank-yous.

Now, don't those white sandy beaches sound nice?!

Get the photos you want for a maternity or wedding gift!

While creating a registry, you often check off the standard "go-to" registry items. Think outside the box.  As you start your new family, register for the best and longest lasting investment on your registry list...photography!

When creating a registry with Bluefly Lens, first go here: http://www.blueflylens.com/registry/ and click "Create A Registry with Us!"  You'll be able to let us know what you are most interested in : Photography sessions, Photographs, Frames, Photobooks/albums, Notecards, or gift certificates!

You will take that same link : http://www.blueflylens.com/registry/ and add it to your registry, just as you would for Pottery barn, Babies R Us, or Crate & Barrel.

Unique Newborn Photographs

Man, we had fun with this one!!  Theme inspiration was in high supply. Baby named Clementine, adorable (but even sweeter!) Boston Terrier "big sister", beautiful cape-cod interior design, and a long standing love for all things New Orleans... we had so many options for different looks!

We LOVE coming to your home and incorporating YOU, your family, and your lifestyle into these photographs.  We love to use things in your own home, things you picked out and love, and invite them to be apart of the photographs.  It's important for us to meet with you during a design appointment and determine what your style will look like and how you decorate your home. All the consulting means we can best suit your needs and create photography that you will love and cherish throughout the years to come.

The importance of framing

Why is framing so important to Bluefly Lens?  We want your photographs to last for years and years and years!!  Our framing is done by a master framer (there are less than 70 master framers in the world!!) and our framing is of such a high quality that your kids will be able to pass them down to their kids.  Your photographs will not only look beautiful by the presentation, but they will also be preserved and protected for decades to come.

We create everything custom to our client's wants and needs.  The master framer we work with, guides us on which mat colors look best, and which frame colors/styles really accentuate the photograph, all while keeping in mind the aesthetic our client has in their own homes.  

Helpful Tips:

1. Consider the surroundings : While you should certainly consider the room’s decor, you shouldn’t match the frame to the room at the expense of what looks good with the picture. Keep in mind that the room decor may change in the future.

2. What and why to custom frame : Whether you are framing a poster, your child’s handprints, or a fine work of art, custom framing will reflect your personal taste and protect your piece for years to come.  In most cases you will keep a well framed piece of art longer than much of your furniture.

3. Cheap frames may be a quick fix, but not a great long-term solution!  They break, and do not hold up to the quality of a custom frame.  Proper framing materials are not only high quality but are also beautiful looking. There are endless choices in frames and matting to create a design tailored perfectly to each piece.

Broken, cheap frame! :(

We take pride in our products. When it comes to picking out a frame, we believe in the three principals of framing: protection, preservation, and presentation.  We can't wait to create custom artwork for you and your family to cherish for years to come!

Until next time,

The Bluefly Lens Family

xoxo