We had arranged this engagement session to take place on a Saturday evening, but the weather that day did not want to play. It was pouring with rain in the morning, and the forecast was calling for more of the same. We made the call to change the shoot to Monday evening instead and were rewarded with one of the nicest evenings we could hope for down by the Charles River.
I have shot engagement sessions and lifestyle shoots on the Charles before, but this time we really wanted to explore all that this part of Boston had to offer. Starting with Fernando and Vanessa around an hour before sunset meant that we were going to get the best light of the day for their photographs. The hour before and after sunset or sunrise gives a beautiful light, and while I will rise at 4:00AM to shoot landscapes, expecting couples to get up at that time for an engagement session might be a bit much.
I’m capturing Vanessa and Fernando’s Boston wedding in August this year and this was a great chance to get them both in front if the camera and spend some time with them. The Esplanade is a really great place for engagement photos in Boston, with the landscaped parks and Charles River providing a great backdrop, and there are lots of really interesting places within a short walk.
I knew that I wanted to get them some shots over the bridges that cross the water and also incorporate some with the intricate masonry that lines the side of the still water pools that can be found along Boston’s esplanade. With the evening sunshine coming in and lighting them, we couldn’t have asked for better conditions.
After we shot there, we wanted to get some other images with the Longfellow Bridge in the background, as well as some of the sailboats that are a trademark of that part of town. The little docks that line the back of the Charles River gave us another great location for Fernando and Vanessa.
I had a great time shooting with them both in Boston on a perfect summer evening. I can wait to catch up with you both again very soon for the big day!
If you are interested in having your engagement session at the Esplanade and along the banks of the Charles River or getting your Boston engagement photos in another part of town then don’t hesitate to get in touch, I can’t wait to hear from you. Oh and of course don’t forget to “like” the Facebook page here as well!
I had been looking forward to shooting Sara and Brian’s North End engagement photos ever since she got in touch mid-way through the summer. I had photographed one engagement session in the North End before, but was looking forward to finding some new spots with these guys, and was happy to say we succeeded.
Their North End engagement shoot had been postponed from mid October to mid November due to a bad weather weekend, but we ended up with such a nice weekend in November it all turned out OK in the end! Starting just down the road from Starbucks (always nice to kick start with some caffeine), we didn’t waste any time getting going, shooting in Christopher Columbus Park.
Moving through different parts of the North End in Boston, we were able to capture a variety of different scenes throughout the engagement shoot. I think we got a great overall feel for the North End from the session.
The North End provides countless engagement photo opportunities, as every turn down another road offers something new to incorporate and different light to work with. You also get the chance to use the city of Boston as a backdrop for a few shots. The cobbled section of the North End was definitely worth a stop off for some photos there.
One of my favorite parts of the North End to shoot in is the Paul Revere Mall in between St Stephen’s Church and the Old North Church. The quality of light there on this day was fantastic and Sara and Brian were so fun to work with, I couldn’t have asked for more.
Moving from here we had a change of outfits, which was easily done as they live right in the North End. We then made the most of the great little streets that you find throughout the North End. These streets are packed with character and wonderful architecture and are the ideal backdrops for a North End engagement session.
Nothing says the North End more than a great big Italian flag! Incorporating that into the shots gave us a nice splash of background color and using just the white of the flag gave us some nice high key images as well.
We finished up back on the waterfront to get some photos there and on the way back to their place found another great little spot where we still had some color left in the trees. Thank you Sara and Brian for letting me capture your North End engagement pictures. I hope that you have fun looking back through them and all the best with your West Coast wedding next year.
If you’re interested in having your engagement photos taken in the North End or other parts of Boston or New England then don’t hesitate to get in touch by using the contact form you can find by clicking here. Don’t forget to “Like” us over on Facebook as well.
This may be one of the most varied engagement sessions I have shot, and man was it fun! If you like, old cars, balloons, countryside, old barns, chickens or airplanes then you may like what is coming next! Brittany and Chris’s New England engagement session was photographed in New Hampshire at the beginning of this month, just after hurricane Sandy postponed us a few days.
We started off photographing Brittany and Chris’ New England engagement session at Brittany’s sisters house. Brittany’s brother in law, Dana, is a mechanic and restores old classic cars as well, and so we were able to use some of these in the shoot. The classic old yellow Chevy still ran perfectly and after shooting with it around the house, Dana kindly drove it up to another location so that we could carry on shooting and add a little more variety into the shots. The old car fit perfectly into their New England engagement photos and it was really good fun working it into the session.
After moving the car up into the hills, I wanted to show the New England scenery and place Brittany, Chris and the old Chevy all into it so it would fit nicely together. I also wanted to give them a good mix of black and white and color photos from their engagement session. The old car really lent itself to black and white, but I think with its yellow color, it would have been a shame not to have shown this off as well.
It was an overcast day with the odd burst of sun and more common threat of rain, but it held off for most of the day. The light was actually really nice to work with and it turned out to be a classic New England day of weather, constantly changing every five minutes or so. This was the first time I had ventured up to New Hampshire for an engagement session and after having shot a lot of engagement photos in and around Boston, this was a nice mix to be able to add to the blog. I hope to shoot lots more New England engagement sessions in different parts of the region next year and this shoot definitely got me itching for more.
Having finished up shooting with the yellow Chevy in the hills, we headed back to the house for a change of clothes and a different feel to the shoot. We still wanted to capture that classic New England feel and I think working the red barns into the shoot definitely did that.
Brittany had picked up some balloons from her mum’s shop earlier that day and this gave us the chance to have an injection of color into their engagement session as well. We had had a little drop of rain and that helped punch the colors in the surrounding New England countryside, but the balloons gave it that little something extra and were a fun addition to the engagement pictures.
If you thought we were done, think again. Don’t forget we still have planes to come! Brittany’s family live close to each other in this part of New England. She has an aunt and uncle just down the road, and that was our next port of call. They live in a wonderfully picturesque part of New Hampshire with stone walls surrounding their property, a pond and old barns and with a little bit of color left in the trees, this was all I needed for the next part of their engagement shoot.
We weren’t quite finished with the cars yet either. Dana had another old Chevy sitting in the drive and I wanted to incorporate that into their engagement shots as well. It was parked in a spot where the light was really nice and it created a great foreground for a series of shots for Brittany and Chris. Just at the back of the house was a wood pile that caught our attention as well. The pile of chopped wood made for a really interesting backdrop for a couple of shots and we couldn’t go without at least grabbing a couple.
On our way back to Brittany and Chris’ house, we stopped by the nursery that Brittany’s family own and took the chance to add a few more shots in a place that had been in the family for a few generations. This was a great little spot to add some extra photos to their New England engagement shoot.
I promised you planes, and planes you shall have! Chris works for the Federal Aviation Administration in Nashua, NH and is a qualified pilot, so we were allowed access to the runway for a few photos. This was the plane that Chris has actually flown before so it was great to be able to incorporate it into some of the shots as well. It was a super fun way to finish off the shoot and it was a first for me again. It was really good fun being able to add these plane shots into their engagement session and I think you’ll agree that they both looked the part!
I’m shooting Mike and Denise’s wedding in April next year in Boston, but I had the great pleasure of capturing their engagement photos this year at the Boston Public Library. It is a very unique space in the heart of Boston and offers a myriad of shooting opportunities, from the wonderful courtyard to the fascinating interior. The location couldn’t have been any more fitting as Denise is a Librarian herself, and both her and Mike have always enjoyed the Boston Public Library as a place to visit and spend time together.
We started off shooting outside the main entrance that leads out onto Copley Square. The front of the Boston Public Library has a sense of grandeur that is hard to beat and made for the perfect starting point for their engagement session. We actually finished off here as well at the end of the night, to make use of the lights that came on after dark. Taking the time to grab some shots here was also a relaxing way to start the session and get Mike and Denise comfortable in front of the camera, which took all of two seconds. These guys were super fun to shoot and I’m really looking forward to their big day next April.
After capturing some shots outside we moved into the main courtyard, a spot I had been looking forward to shooting in ever since I had first seen it earlier this year. The white walls surrounding the courtyard produce a wonderful quality of light and the architecture feels like a European city rather than being in the center of Boston. The pillars, archways and fountain as well as the manicured gardens make for a great Boston engagement session location or wedding venue.
We wanted to make use of the space in a number of different ways and also after dark, when the fountain was lit by the lights within. After initially shooting here while the daylight lingered in the sky, we moved inside to capture more of the interior before coming back out for a nighttime session.
The Boston Public Library is as fun to shoot inside as it is outside and the number of spots to work with is fantastic, you just have to make sure you’re quiet :) Shooting in the main section of the library with it’s trademark green lamps and the high intricate ceilings framed Mike and Denise to give us some great shots inside, to compliment the ones we had captured outside. It’s always nice to come away from an engagement shoot and have a nice solid variety in the photos and the Boston Public Library sure does give you that opportunity.
Heading back out to finish the Boston Public Library engagement session we made use of the staircase again as we had on the way in. I like to be fluid when I shoot and capturing photos as we move through spaces, often using them again in a different way if we pass through them again. The light had faded into the night as we moved back outside to the main courtyard again and the fountain was lit beautifully, illuminating the water and the statue. Using a video light and some off camera flashes I was able to illuminate the background as well, to show off the wonderful pillared archways in the background and Mike and Denise have taken tango lessons and so we had to get at least one of their moves into the shoot as well.. The last shot we captured was back outside, where we had started, as I had wanted to get them a shot in front of the library after dark as well. It was great fun shooting with you both and as I said really looking forward to next April.
Thanks for stopping by and if you haven’t already, be sure to “like” the Roberto Farren Photography Facebook page by clicking here. To get in touch about booking engagement photos at the Boston Public Library, or any other part of town get in touch by visiting the contact page here and dropping me and e-mail or calling through by phone.
A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to help out and shoot with a fellow wedding photographer here in Boston. Sam Liang of Ze Liang Photography was shooting Rebecca and Mark’s engagement session at MIT and then down by the Charles River at the MIT boathouse just on Memorial Drive. I came along to help out with reflectors, lighting and to get an extra couple of shots as well.
Boston as a city, I have found to have a fantastic local, and even not so local, community of photographers, willing to share and help each other out at almost a moments notice. The great thing about this is knowing that you are surrounded by a very good network of professionals who are able to help out when needed.
Rebecca and Mark were having their wedding day, the following weekend (again photographed by Sam) and they looked just great together in the grounds of the MIT campus. The wonderful buildings and the early evening light provide a classic setting for a Boston engagement shoot. The large pillars of the main MIT building gave a perfect backdrop and fantastic control over the lighting conditions. MIT is a really great location for engagement photos.
We finished off the MIT engagement shoot down by the water, with the familiar Boston skyline in the background and surrounded by the sailboats at the MIT boathouse. The jetty here gave a low vantage point onto the water and with the light now dipping below the tree line behind us and casting a warm glow over our couple. The evening provides some of the best lighting and these locations really capture it very well.
Sam did a great job capturing their MIT engagement photos and you can check these out and some more of his work at Ze Liang Photography.
If you are interested in discussing coverage options for either your New England wedding day photography or a Boston engagement session, then pop over to the contact page and drop me an e-mail or a call and we can discuss your options. Don’t forget to “like” Roberto Farren Photography over on Facebook.
Ashley and John are getting married in Rockport at Halibut Point State Park in September this year. We met up at the end of last month, to visit a few of the locations and do a Rockport engagement session as well, while they were both up from Long Island to sort out some more of the details for the day.
The town of Rockport is a wonderful place in itself and Halibut Point States Park is a truly beautiful location to have their ceremony. Only a short drive from Rockport town center, this State park is site to an old quarry right next to the ocean and beach. They are going to have a ceremony over looking both, in late fall and I can’t wait to work with them both again for that.
We started of at the entrance to the park, at an old out building. This provided a great backdrop to get going and definitely gave it that New England feel. After shooting here we quickly moved on into the park, as the number of locations on offer were fantastic.
I have shot e-sessions in Rockport before and every time I come back here I like the place more and more. Being a Massachusetts wedding photographer I offer coverage throughout New England, although find that most of the time, I shoot in and around Boston. I always relish the chance to get out of the city and to the coast and this day was a really great one to be by the sea.
We made a looped trip around the quarry and took the chance of popping down to the beach as well; giving us a great variety to the look and feel of their New England engagement photography.
I don’t think that you can come to Rockport for an engagement or your wedding photography and not try to get the famous red lobster house in at least some of the shots. Once we were in town we grabbed a cup of coffee, because although the sun was shining it was a little colder than it looked, and then headed straight there. Ashley and John were a real pleasure to work with and I’m looking forward to getting back to Rockport in the Fall for their wedding day.
If you are interested in discussing options for your Rockport engagement session or wedding day then please don’t hesitate to get in touch by going to the contact page here. Don’t forget to “like” the Facebook page as well for all the updates on this wedding and others.
It has been over a year now that I have been photographing here in the USA and just over a year and a half that I have been living here in Boston with my wonderful wife, Erin. After a settling period of getting my head around the move from the UK, I threw all of my efforts at making my dream of becoming a successful wedding photographer here in Boston a reality.
Last year was a really big year, filled with all the ups and downs that come with a move to a new country, the excitement of new things and the missing of those that are more familiar. Some days I felt I could have packed it all in and headed home, and others the exact opposite. Failing my US driving test the first time round (yes it is actually possible, even having driven for years) was definitely one of those low days, while sitting up in the White Mountains in New Hampshire camping with Erin and cooking the evening meal over a camp fire felt the exact difference.
So now that I have started to establish myself here in Boston and already having worked with some absolutely fabulous couples, I’m even more excited for this year and all those that I am going to get to work with.
Being one of the many Boston wedding photographers, I’m always looking at locations that would make for fantastic photo opportunities. While location is only a small part of what makes a great photo – light being of the utmost importance – I still have a list of places where I would love to photograph engagement sessions or weddings.
I would love to offer the chance for couples that would like to have their Boston engagement photos taken at a location off my hit list an extra 10X15 print on top of the other sizes that are included in the package. Even if you aren’t getting married, but would love some engagement style photos taken with yourself and your partner, then please get in touch.
So where are they then?
Walden Pond – Lincoln MA. A fantastic location with some really great settings and wonderful evening light covering the eastern side of the pond.
The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum – Lincoln MA. A wonderful location that I have only visited the once, and am hoping to get back to soon. Wonderful sculptures placed in a beautifully landscaped setting.
The North End – Boston MA. I loved this part of town from my first visit to watch some of the Italian football (I still can’t bring myself to call it soccer) games from the World Cup in 2010. It has a great charm about the place and would make for some stunning Boston engagement shots.
Bunker Hill – Boston MA. Views over looking the city and water front access. You don’t get much more Boston monumental than this.
The Harbor Islands – Boston MA. After a trip out there last summer, I noted a number of places that would make for some really great Boston engagement session photos.
This is obviously just a small list of places in and around Boston that would make for some great engagement photos and as I am going through and writing these down, 20 others are popping into my head. If you or someone that you know is looking to have their engagement photos taken, then please pass along this post and let them know or get in touch to sort a session out, I would love to work with you to capture your photos.
I hope all of you who are planning your Boston or New England wedding day are having fun and enjoying the whole process. It’s won’t be too long before this summer rolls round and I can’t wait to start shooting with all of the couples that I have booked with.
If you are interested in booking me as your Boston wedding photographer then don’t hesitate to get in touch, I would love to hear from you. Drop me a line from the contact page on the website and we can get going that way.
Recently I had the opportunity to shoot a family celebration at the Coastal House in Wells, Maine. This was the surprise 90th birthday party for a close family friend, and it was a pleasure for me to be able to capture the occasion for everyone.
Being a New England wedding photographer I had been in Wells not long before, shooting Joe and Lynn’s wedding day just down the road. I’m becoming very attached to this part of New England, and I’m looking forward to getting back up there in the winter months to add to my landscape collection from the area as well.
The Raposa family was celebrating “Gramma’s” 90th birthday, and Joan her daughter had surprised her by hiring out the Coastal House, (a fantastic venue for weddings and parties) and getting together family members that she had not seen for a long time. It was a very emotional day, especially when Gramma saw her two sisters who she had not seen for years. It was great to be able to capture that moment for her and the rest of her family to cherish in future.
I was also given the opportunity to create some very unique and special pictures as well. These were recreations of past photos that had been taken over 50 years before, and we had all the same people together again. The one below was taken of Joan, her brothers and her cousin, who made up their neighborhood baseball team, when she was a child. We were able to regroup them in the same positions. Sadly one member was not with us, but his grandson was able to fill his place and would have made his father very proud I’m sure.
The other, larger group photo compares to a photo that was taken at the birthday celebrations of Gramma’s mother. It is so nice to be able to capture these large group portraits of everyone together. This is why, at weddings, it is nice to take the time to get those large family group shots, because it is not often that you have so many people you know and love in one place at the same time.
If you are interested in booking me to cover your wedding or event at the Coastal House or anywhere in the New England area, then please feel free to get in touch by going to the contact page on the website by clicking here. I look forward to hearing from you.
The calendar for 2012 is starting to fill already, with weddings on both sides of the Atlantic. I’m already booking weddings all over New England, from Rockport to Newport, and will also be traveling back to my hometown of London, back in “Old” England for a wedding.
As a Boston wedding photographer who has recently set up in the USA after relocating from England, I do still have availability for last minute wedding photography here in the Boston Massachusetts and New England area for this year. If you are in need of photography coverage for your Boston or New England wedding event, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Typically, a couple will book their wedding photographer around six months in advance, but because I am relatively new to the area, I currently have a limited number of weekends still open this year. Please get in touch to find out if the date you need for last minute Boston wedding photography is available.
While planning ahead is always nice to do, sometimes a last minute booking is unavoidable. Sometimes you simply decided late in the planning that you do, in fact, want photography coverage for your wedding day. Other times, the wedding itself is planned in a short amount of time.
Either way, please get in touch via the contact page and drop me an e-mail regarding booking last minute wedding photographer coverage for your Boston wedding day. Should you have more time on your hands and want to discuss coverage for your New England wedding then drop me a line and we can arrange to meet up and go through your photography coverage options for the big day.
After our couple of attempts at an engagement shoot over in Cambridge with Caleb & Melissa were foiled by some heavy rain, last Monday we finally got a great evening. We started off over by the John Week’s footbridge over the Charles River and it provided a wonderful backdrop on an evening like this.
Caleb and Melissa had been recently engaged, and are currently planning what sounds like a wonderful wedding ceremony up in the far north of Maine where they are both from. This was my first engagement shoot in CambridgeMA and it really did provide some amazing settings to work with. Not only is the John Week’s bridge a fantastic spot, but also just down the road you have some great architecture to work in. It is a great place for having your engagement or family photos. We got a few shots there, as well as having a nice relaxing time by the river in the evening sun. The trip into town away from the river yielded some other great spots, and the light was absolutely wonderful that evening.
With the sun dropping down over the city, we managed to get some great shots of Caleb and Melissa together in the wonderful warm light to give another feel to their engagement photos.
Moving more into the urban setting gave us the chance to work in some of the unique architecture and the variety of it in such a small area gives the Boston wedding photographer plenty to work with. This again gave Caleb and Melissa a different feel to some of their shots, and all done without having to move very far from our original starting spot. This is nice as it gives us more time to work and get some great photographs without getting too tired moving between locations.
This engagement photography session in Cambridge ended with a few final photos around the Harvard Lampoon Building. This well know Cambridge landmark made for a great spot for engagement photos in Boston and the light at that point in the evening was just about perfect.
If you are interested in having your engagement or wedding photography done through Roberto Farren Photography then get in touch via the contact page and like the Facebook page here for more updates.