Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Full Post
One of the perks of my profession is being part of one of the most important days in a couple’s life. And because a wedding day is so important often people take the opportunity to let that day not only showcase their commitment and love for one another, but to also define them as a couple. Each wedding is unique, but I truly love the ones that take it to the next level and weave in elements of their history, style and interests. And for Chelsea and Stathi, they did just that.
When they first contacted me and told me that they were having a Disney wedding I thought, “That is pretty COOL! I haven’t done a Disney wedding yet.” (And I for one am a huge lover of Disney movies… when my husband is away at hunting camp guess what I get to watch!) And then after getting to know Chelsea and Stathi, I realized that the Disney theme was more than just a common interest, it was a true driving force in their love story.
Chelsea and Efstathios met at the Disney College Program where they both worked. When they first saw each other it was at an event that Chelsea was running. Being the gentleman that Izzy is, he offered to help her with some heavy lifting while picking up at the end to the event. It was hot! Over 100 degrees and they were sweaty and exhausted. (But Stathi noted that he thought Chelsea was beautiful, even though she describes herself as terribly sweaty with no make-up on that day.) When Izzy gathered up the courage to ask for Chelsea’s number, she obliged, but accidently gave him the wrong number! Given the 100 degree day it was definitely an accident. Luckily they met up again and began talking up a storm.
From there the relationship bloomed. I can only image how truly magical a budding new relationship could be in Disney. Their first date at EPCOT ended in watching the Fireworks from the bridge in the Italy pavilion… how amazing. And 2 years later Efstathios proposed at the firework show in Disneyland saying, "These past two years have been a dream. Let's make this dream permanent. Will you marry me?" How beautiful!
And now their fairytale continues with a beautiful Disney themed wedding at the castle that Chelsea dreamed of getting married at since she was a child. A Boldt Castle wedding for a true princess wedding! Chelsea chose beautiful soft yellow dresses for her bridesmaids, a color reminiscent of Belle from Beauty and the Beast. And they decorated the tables with fantastic custom centerpieces that had glass red roses atop stacks of old books. All of the place cards were different locations from Disney movies. And their card box was even the mailbox from Up. The details were amazing!
And let’s not forget one of the most fantastic cakes I have seen! Lorraine Ward from Sweets Lorraine created an amazing replica of Cinderella’s castle. She even put a hidden goofy character on it since he is their favorite. I highly recommend her. Her cakes are truly works of art!
I hope you all enjoy all of the wedding photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
To view the full a selection of the wedding images go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/sanchez_weddingpeek and for the full wedding go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/sanchez_wedding
Wedding Images
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony |Boldt Castle http://www.boldtcastle.com/visitorinfo/weddings
Judge | Melba Ellingsworth
Reception Venue & Food| Riveredge Resort and Hotel, https://riveredge.com/ Sue 315-482-5245
Hair | Linda Pierson Linda's Cuts 315-639-3701
Dress | Silk Bridal- Essence of Australia for the Gown and Bridesmaids dresses from Alfred Angelo
Flowers | Darlene Spain of Gallo Florist- The amazing mom of the bride!
Special Details| Unity in Glass https://www.unityinglass.com/
Cake| Sweets Lorraine http://sweetslorraine.com/ Lorraine Ward 315-482-2655
DJ | Kommand Performance 315-785-6843
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding
This wedding day filled my heart with so much warmth and joy. Lauren and Jared are such wonderful people. They are quiet and don’t love the spotlight, so they opted for an intimate wedding at their family camp in the Adirondacks. It was absolutely lovely. They brought in their style with deep fall colors, raven accents, feathers, and an ebony black wedding dress.
I loved Lauren’s black wedding dress! An eyelash lace and nude body suit paired with a full black tulle skirt was the perfect look for Lauren. And she topped it off with her white combat boots for added comfort and easy walking in the woods. Jared donned his iconic wide brimmed felt hat with a feather and a handsome tweed suit. And he added a pop of color with some fantastic crimson shoes.
The wedding day was easy-going and filled with sentimental moments. The couple said their vows as family and friends watched on the dock overlooking the beautiful Lake Ozonia. Aunt Kathy officiated while Uncle Haze played guitar. It was a bit windy, but otherwise the weather cooperated. Lauren and Jared provided cozy blankets for guests to cover up with at the ceremony.
Following the wedding ceremony, they had a smorgasbord of delicious foods curated by Audrey Rae’s Homemade by Audrey and Austin Heatherly. Guests mingled and enjoyed so many delicious options, such as special cheeses, flatbreads, egg rolls, slider sandwiches, olives and dips, an incredible squash soup and much more. Family and friends ate, talked, and laughed as they enjoyed the afternoon.
Lauren and Jared supported local artists by purchasing handmade mugs and goblets. Each guest chose their favorite for the night and then took home their souvenir. I love my blue goblet and think that was such a nice idea.
Lauren made her own wedding cakes…. Let me say that again…. Lauren made HER OWN wedding cakes! And they looked AMAZING! And tasted just as fabulous. Look at those works of art. And she loves doughnuts so naturally they were on the dessert menu also. Another great moment was when they couldn’t find a knife to cut the cake. Amidst the randomly acquired utensils of the camp kitchen they found a very ominous looking knife. It was perfect for the job.
They kept the evening easy going and relaxed. Lauren’s family gave her special heirloom glasses her grandmother had packed away before she passed. She wrote a note on the top of the box to give to the nieces and nephews on their wedding day. It was so sentimental.
Lauren’s sister wrote a heartfelt speech that she read privately to Lauren and Jared. She joked, “In a family full of writers I couldn’t find a single page of paper in this camp!” So, she wrote it on a piece of a paper bag. I love those moments. Then Aunt Kathy read it to the group so they could hear. The night ended with beautiful happy tears and a well wish speech from Lauren's dad.
The love and warmth from this wedding day and family was palpable and left me feeling so happy for this wonderful couple and so grateful to have been part of their day. Please join me in wishing congratulations to Lauren and Jared! Leave a comment below. Wish them well, let us know your favorite moment or photo from the day. (50 comments and they win a free framed 8x10.)
To view the full wedding gallery and download images follow this link!
https://www.nataliewstudio.com/lauren_jared_all
All photography copyright Natalie's Studio
Catering by Audrey Rae Homemade https://m.facebook.com/people/Audrey-Raes-Homemade/100071049631329/
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Full Wedding
Wow, what a beautiful wedding day for Laurie and Jeremy! I have been so blessed to be a part of many big moments in the King family. In fact, I got to photograph Laurie when she was a high school senior and now as a beautiful bride. My very first senior to bride client! It has truly been my pleasure to take part in this wonderful family’s special events.
And through this event, I got to meet Jeremy. He is such a nice guy; smart, polite, and easy going. My favorite part of Jeremy is his smile while he is with Laurie. I found myself just smiling as I edited their wedding photos. It was contagious. My cheeks started to hurt, and I realized I was just smiling so much as I relived their wedding day through there photos. I hope the same will be true for you.
They had a beautiful wedding at Laurie’s parents house in Madrid NY. It was a perfect sunny September day for them. Laurie got ready at the house and Jeremy and his men got ready at the Brandy Brook Lodge nearby. They decided on a First Look at the Lodge as well. The ceremony was at the Scotch Presbyterian Church. Matt Bull, who is Laurie’s brother-in-law, was the officiate. I personally love when family or friends officiate weddings, I think it gives another meaningful element to the ceremony. And Matt did a great job.
Laurie’s bridesmaids wore pink dresses in various styles for each lady. And they had sunflowers, white roses and red carnations in their bouquets done by Waddington Blooms. Laurie’s bouquet was white hydrangeas with pink lilies. There was a piece of her grandmother’s dress tying with a lace rose tying her flowers together.
The tent reception behind the house was full of adorable details. One of my favorites was they used the previous generations wedding photographs as the display for the seating arrangements. I loved seeing those. Also, Laurie’s family has a lot of connections with dairy farming. To honor that, they had an ice cream machine and ice cream bar for dessert and King’s Milk available to drink (I must have had at least 3 chocolate ones, they are my favorite.) Also, they chose cheesecakes in leu of traditional sponge cake. I loved that idea. I agree with Laurie and Jeremy, cheesecake is better than traditional cake. The cheesecakes were done by Main Street Perc.
It was a wonderful day full of love and fun. The reception was a blast, and The Party Squad did a great job with the music. They have been to many of the familes weddings, and we got a photo with them and all of the couples who have had them play at there weddings.
I am just so happy for Laurie and Jeremy. They are a perfect fit. It is so clear that they love each other and support each other. Sara’s is Laurie’s oldest sister and Matron of Honor. She noted during her speech that Jeremy loves Laurie exactly the way she is. That is one of the things that is so wonderful to find in a companion. And I am so happy for the two of them. Please join me in congratulating Laurie and Jeremy. I wish you the very best and many long years of love and happiness in this live. Feel free to leave a comment below and wish the couple the best. (50 comments and they win a free framed 8x10.)
(Also scroll to the bottom to get the link to the full gallery)
View the full wedding at https://www.nataliewstudio.com/flint_king
Here is a link to the wedding album if you would like to see that as well. Wedding Album
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| High School Senior Photography
We had an awesome photo shoot for Juliana’s high school senior photos. She is graduating from Canton High School. We took advantage of some local outdoor spots that are great for photos. Good luck in all your endeavors Juliana.
Leave a comment below and let me know what you think, 50 comments and they win a free framed 8x10.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Newborn Photography
How adorable are these twins and big sister! Oh, my heart… I had the pleasure of photographing big sister Faith a few years ago for her newborn photo shoot. At that time, I had a lot of flowers in my garden, so I made a flower “wreath” for her photo shoot. Here is that photo.
So, when I talked to Mom and Dad about how to style the twins session, we all decided on a pink and green floral wreath to mimic what big sister Faith had. I loved the idea. And I think pink and green look great for both boys and girls. And as a bonus, I had a beautiful new background with pink flowers that I could use for big sister Faith. And it looked perfect with a dress I had in the studio that fit Faith perfectly!
Whenever I have a family with both a toddler and newborns I love when I get to focus on the toddler for a while. I know that there is a lot going on at home with new babies in the house. So, while mom and dad are getting the babies settled and ready, I always like to pull the big sibling aside for some special individual portraits. Faith rocked it! She was so cute. She danced, twirled, played, posed, and gave me all the sweet smiles a photographer could ask for.
And Ozzie and Phoebe were just wonderful. We got gorgeous newborn photos in the pink and green floral arrangement. And I got some lovely neutral cream ones as well.
Congratulations to Melissa and Josh, proud new parents of these beautiful twin babies.
Leave a comment below and let me know what you think, 50 comments and they win a free framed 8x10.
A little bit of character from Faith!
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Family
I love these classic black background and black shirt family photos. I think they are timeless. And they look great in both color and black and white. Sometimes I can never decide which I like better.
So… I have a fun story with this one. This wonderful family has been a client of mine for years now. They first came into the studio to have me photography their newborn Ryder back in 2013. While feeding Ryder I got to hang out with older brother Robbie. We were having so much fun. I just kept asking him “Show me happy” “Sad”, “In Love”… and tons of different emotions. We laughed and I got an amazing array of facial expressions from him. After ward I created an “Expressions Collage” for them. And I have been making them ever since. (Thanks, Robbie, for starting it!)
Now, 8 years later we made an updated “Expressions Collage” for Robbie and his brothers Ryder and Kullen. I just love these. As parents we see so much of our kids. They aren’t always smiling (haha…isn’t that the truth.) And it is fun to capture all of those different looks and see how the change and stay the same. Take a close look at some of Robbie’s past and present expressions. You can really see some similarities and differences.
Feel free to reach out if you would like an “Expressions Collage” of you own.
Robbie Then...
Robbie Now!
Also here is Ryder then (1 year old) and now! (8 years old)
Kullen's 1st Expression Collage
The Brothers!
PS Here is the original family photo back from 2013. So cool to see the change.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Family {Tessier}
I have this amazing family that I have had the pleasure of photographing for many years now. And I just love seeing them and watching their family grow. Mindy and Ben wanted to celebrate their 10 year anniversary with a family photo shoot and a few photos of them. What a great idea! Spread the word! And a big congratulations to Mindy and Ben for 10 years of marriage.
They traveled up to my new studio and farm property. We had so much fun catching up and taking pictures around the farm. Here is a look at some of the beautiful photos we got.
I love how Mindy paired a warm mustard yellow for herself with blacks and greys for the boys. It looks great together. And the black looks classic and neutral with the grey barn wood. It all works beautifully.
Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. 50 comments and they win a free framed 8x10.
Download their app! This app will give you easy to find access to a few of the photos to view and share, plus a link to all their online galleries.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Sneak Peek Wedding Laurie & Jeremy
What a wonderful wedding yesterday! My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. I just love how happy and in love Jeremy and Laurie are. They are Adorable!
They had a beautiful country wedding in Madrid NY and were married at the Presbyterian Church. The day was filled with love, laughter, family, friends…. And some awesome dairy products, like milk, ice cream and cheesecake. This is a family after my own heart.
I have so much to say about how excited I am for this wonderful couple. But I will save all that for the full wedding post. For right now here is a quick sneak peek of their beautiful photos.
Please comment below (50 comments and they win a free framed 8x10.) And email me at [email protected] if you would like to be notified when the full wedding gallery is ready. I expect it to be available in 2-3 months’ time.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Full Wedding
What a great day for Brooke and Mike at Casablanca on Cherry Island in the Thousand Islands. Perfect weather, amazing couple, fun crowd, and gorgeous location. I have really enjoyed getting to know Brooke and Mike. We have a lot of things in common, construction, hunting, butchering, bird dogs and more. Brooke and Mike have an amazing work ethic. You can tell they are driven and keep busy but also make the time for their family and friends. It has been so great being part of their wedding day.
Brooke chose a nautical theme with red, white and blue colors for the wedding. So naturally getting married by the water was a must. And is there anything better than an island? I think not! There is something about being surrounded by water that really does put you at ease and in a relaxed mindset. And Brooke really deserved that, she works two jobs and was ready for a break. I am so glad she was able to get some island time for her wedding.
Besides the water, Brooke and Mike are passionate about hunting and rural activities like ATV rides and loving their dogs. Stella, Brookes beloved black lab was a member of the wedding party. You could tell Stella loves her mama. She affectionately stayed by her side through most of the morning.
Mike chose a really unique wedding band. It is made from a deer antler and a whiskey barrel. It is not only beautiful but unique and a perfect fit for Mike. Brooke surprised mike by wearing white cowboy boots under her gorgeous wedding dress.
Brooke looked beautiful in her dress from Silk Bridal in Easton PA. I love the lace elements of it. And her flowers were wooden flowers. I always like wooded bouquets. They were from Charmadillo Wedding on Etsy. I think they are great because they are sturdy, can be purchased in advance and you can keep them for years and years! I think that is a big bonus. Her veil ripped the morning of the wedding. But luckily her mother had her veil from her wedding there. So, Brooke wore that one instead. It made it even more special.
I am so glad I was able to be part of their amazing wedding day. Please join me in congratulating Mr. and Mrs. Moreni!
I hope you love the wedding photos. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think or give your best wishes to the bride and groom. 50 comments and they win a free framed 8x10.
Wedding Slideshow
First look with Dad.
The Father Daughter dance really gets me. I find myself crying behind my camera. I loved this shot I was able to create for them. You can tell they have a special bond.
Brooke and Mike’s cake was made by her friend and bridesmaid Abby Fontana. Isn’t it lovely. And I love the little comedic element of Stella taking a bite.
Mike made a custom corn hole game for the wedding.
Wedding Full Gallery to Download
To view the full wedding gallery and download go to:
https://www.nataliewstudio.com/brooke_mike
Wedding Album:
Click the link below to view the wedding album
https://issuu.com/nataliewstudio/docs/brooke_and_mike_album
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony & Reception | Casablanca on Cherrry Island https://casablanca-cherryisland.com/
Hair and Make-up | Chelsea McGinley
Dress | Silk Bridal in Easton PA https://www.silkbridaleaston.com/
Flowers | CharmadilloWedding on Etsy (They are wooden flowers)
Catering| The Clipper Inn http://www.clipperinn.com/clipper/
DJ | DJ Justino Ent. https://www.djjustino.com/
Assistant Photographer | Mario https://www.picturethisbymario.com/
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Macabre Portrait Halloween Style
I love my job. I really do. And I love portraits, it is definitely my passion. Often when I see a beautiful or interesting landscape I imagine putting a person there. I never want to simply photograph the landscape; I always create in my mind a fitting portrait for the situation.
This happened to me recently and then actually it got to become a reality. Which is really cool for me because a lot of my ideas just stay living in my head. (Mostly because I am busy with my 3 kids and farm.) Anyhow… I was walking on my dad’s dirt road behind my house and there was a field of dead sticks. (I am not really sure what was planted there.) That particular night had grey clouds and looked ominous, and there were no leaves on the trees. It looked particularly creepy. I said to my husband Matt, “Wow, look at that, I want to put a model right there. In something crazy, fantastic and creepy.” I let the idea play out in my mind and then let it go.
Shortly after, Erica called me and told me Mike wanted to do a portrait session. We brainstormed a bunch of ideas surrounding all of his interests. He was passionate about doing a macabre style portrait session with a Raven mask he had. I was so excited! Here was my model! We brainstormed photo ideas and got it all worked out.
Erica worked her creative magic and made him a giant set of Raven wings! They turned out amazing! I give her a lot of credit. Look at how the feathers on the giant raven wings have a green tint to them. I think that really adds a lot of dimension.
Most of the trees were still leafless when we did the photo shoot and it looked awesome. And all the sticks in the field were still there and dead. We got a smoke bomb and played around with that for some of the images also. And when we first got to the spot the sun was just setting behind the tree line. It made a great accent light.
I was so happy to create these for Mike and we had so much fun doing it. I love when I can really let the creative energy out. If you have a creative idea share it below. What crazy or interesting photo shoot would you like to do? We can make it happen.
Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. 50 comments and he will win a free framed 8x10.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Portrait
Mike wanted a portrait session to showcase his interests, one of which is playing guitar. We were inspired by some of the artists that he follows who make their music videos in tranquil spaces like the forest. I scoped out my land behind my house and studio and found this great forest spot with a stream.
We all trekked down the steep hill and even climbed across a few fallen trees to get to just the perfect spot. I love how the sun was coming in from behind him and lit up the woods. Mike’s beautiful natural wood electric guitar stands out in the bright green background. And his maroon bomber jacket complements the whole scene.
Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. 50 comments and he will win a free framed 8x10.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Portrait
Isn’t this great! How often do we get our adult children to get together for a photo shoot…. almost never. But just because kids grown up, doesn’t mean that we want any less photos of them. My kids are only 5, 3, and 1 right now, and let me tell you … they are highly photographed. I fear the day they shy away from the camera. So, as a mom, I loved this idea.
While we were planning Mike’s photo shoot, Meggan asked if she could hop in and get some sibling photos with him. YES! PLEASE! Erica (Mike and Meggan’s mom) loved the idea, and so did I. I just think it is so special to have these portraits for all three of them.
During our brainstorm session we decided on a retro vintage look for this set. Meggan styled the clothes for her and Mike. Mike had brown waistcoat vest and a vintage pocket watch. His vest even has a hint of blue in it to complement Meggan’s dress and the retro blue truck we used. And Meggan’s necktie and blue dress had the perfect fit and flare reminiscent of days gone by.
We were able to borrow a truck from Kevin Bosjolie of Sea Way Dent Tec. He graciously let us borrow this beauty. He has restored the truck completely. When he found it there was a tree growing out of the bed of it!
We had a beautiful sunny day and used the fields by my house and studio. It provided a beautiful backdrop for this awesome sibling photo shoot.
Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. 50 comments and they win a free framed 8x10.
Thousand Islands Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Sneak Peek
Wow, what a great day for Brooke and Mike yesterday. Perfect weather, a perfect spot and a perfect couple. I love these two! They are so down to earth, fun, and funny. They had a wonderful wedding at the gorgeous Casa Blanca on Cherry Island in Alexandria Bay NY. Here are just a few photos as a sneak peek.
The full wedding will be available in 6-8 weeks or less. Feel free to email me ([email protected] ) and I can message you the link when it is ready. Otherwise, keep an eye out on the blog for more to come.
Congratulations to Brooke and Mike!!! Enjoy your honeymoon. (Catch a BIG fish!)
Please leave a comment below. Say a message for Brooke and Mike or let me know what you think of the photos. 50 comments and the couple wins a framed 8x10
A dynamic dip shot near sunset from my assistant Mario https://www.picturethisbymario.com/
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Outdoor Engagement Session
What a fun photography session for Meggan and Jake. I love them. I had the pleasure of photographing Meggan as a high school senior (ahhh… I can’t believe I am saying that… I must be getting older.) And now she is engaged to this sweet, smart fun guy! It was wonderful getting to know Jake too. Take a look at their photos and feel free to leave the couple a comment at the bottom.
This Norwegian Maple tree with its deep red leave was the perfect background for their first outfit. And the sun was coming through perfectly.
A little bit of fun! I like to mix in casual action shots with the more posed ones to give my couples great variety.
Meggan’s engagement ring is a black diamond. I couldn’t think of anything more perfect for her. Good job Jake!
Jake had a special affinity for my dog, Copper, and Copper felt the same, so we even got a photo with Copper.
Don't forget to leave a comment below. 50 comments and they win a framed 8x10.
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Children/First Birthday
What a cutie! Look at sweet little Nora. She is ADORABLE!!! I can’t believe she is already a year old. This little cutie came in and we did some fun sparkle photos in her sweet ivory dress. And we did some on the pink flower background to match her newborn photos. (You can check them out here. https://www.nataliewstudio.com/blog/2020/6/peachy-pink-and-blue-newborn-baby-girl-nora )
And we did a rainbow cake smash to celebrate her turning one!
Please comment below and let me know what you think. 50 comments and the family will receive a free 8x10.
Also check out her custom app so you can share the photos with friends and family. CUSTOM APP LINK
And the web files can also be found at www.nataliewstudio.com/nora
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Newborn Photography
One of my dreams as a photographer has always been to be a family photographer. I dreamed of clients I could build relationships with over time, to get to know them and their children. Of moments when the kids came to the studio and said “Hi, Miss Natalie!” with hugs and smiles for the photo shoot. I love watching families and kids grow. And I take great pride in being part of people’s special moments in life; weddings, births, yearly family photos and senior portraits.
I vividly recall when I was first starting my business in 2010, looking up to my mentors who said things like, “I photographed her as a baby and now she is getting married.” I hoped that I would be able to create a business and connections that withstood the test of time and I could say the same thing someday. And it is starting to happen. It is hard to believe I have been in business over 10 years now.
Maybe I am just getting older… my grey hair patch certainly tells me so. But I now have a handful of return clients and it is the most rewarding experience. They come back for each of their baby’s births, or every year for an updated family photo. I even have some who I have seen from engagement photos, wedding and now baby number three. It truly means so much to me.
As our world around us changes, and COVID brings us all inside, closer to family but farther away from friends and others, the value of connection seems even greater. I am not at the point of photographing brides who I knew as babies… but I am starting to see families grow and I really love that aspect of my business.
I have been doing this business since I was married 10 years ago. It has ebbed and flowed with my life, other responsibilities, and even multiple moves. But I am so grateful that it grows with me, my family and client’s families. And I just wanted to pause a moment to reflect on that.
I had the pleasure of photographing baby number three for a return client of mine and I wanted to share. It was such a joy. Both older brothers gave me big hugs and smiles! I wanted to share all three of these babies’ newborn sessions so that you can watch them grow as well. Enjoy - Natalie
Please enjoy the photos. Remember to comment on the blog post below, 50 comments and the family will win a framed 8x10, 100 comments win a framed 11x14!
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Newborn and Family Photo Shoot
Oh, sweet baby Isla! She is such a doll. This photo shoot brought me so much joy and happiness. Especially since the studio has been incredibly quiet lately (due to the state of the world.)
And I am especially in love with everything Toni picked out for her family’s photo shoot because it is my favorite color combination. She chose dark plum purples, magenta pinks, navy, cream and ivory. I love that look! It is my absolute favorite. (If I could have another wedding, that would be my color palette.) Both light cream and dark rustic wood backgrounds look fantastic with those colors.
Big sister and brother Peyton and Liam were amazing to work with. They are seriously cute! And they were fantastic listeners. We all had a great laugh when I said, “Liam, give her a kiss” and he planted a big kiss on Payton’s head instead of Isla’s. I clearly did not specify. Payton and Liam certainly love each other, there were a few poses that they just snuggled in and held hands with each other without any direction. I am sure they will be amazing big siblings to sweet baby Isla.
Isla was born January 6th, 2021 at 2:48 am. She was 8 bs 11 ounces and 20 inches long. I am so excited to welcome her into the world and can’t wait to watch her and her siblings grow.
Please enjoy the photos. Remember to comment on the blog post below, 50 comments and the family will win a framed 8x10, 100 comments win a framed 11x14!
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Children and Kids Photography
Such a cute photo shoot for Avianna and Aliyah! These sweet little girls are now one years old. Can you believe it? We captured great variety at their photoshoot to celebrate the girl’s 1st birthday. We started with a gorgeous and timeless cream and pink set. I thought it looked exquisite! And the coral pink colors of their dresses really looked great together. I just love those ones; I think they are my favorite. We also did some rainbow and sparkle background sets. Mom added a jean jacket for those. That is a great way to get variety in your little one’s outfits without having to change them completely. “Mom Win!”
We ended with a cake smash of course. Mom said she wanted a rainbow themed cake. I made a 6 tier cake, each tier was a different color. Be sure to check it out in the last photos. And decorated it in gold and fondant rainbows.
Help me wish an incredibly Happy Birthday to Avianna and Aliyah. Be sure to comment below and let me know what you think. Which set is your favorite, Soft pink, Rainbow, Sparkle or cake? Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Download their custom app at Avianne and Aliyah App (must be opened on a mobile device)
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Family and Children
This was such a wonderful photo shoot; it really could not have gone any better. The colors, the outfits, the beautiful children, and adorable family… and can we talk about those smiles. Those little ones gave me the cutest grins!
Little baby Hunter was not able to come into his newborn session due to the COVID virus. Instead, we waited until it was safer, and he was old enough to do an outdoor session. And it turned out perfect. He is a at that adorable stage where his smile is contagious and easy to elicit.
And Katie did a wonderful job with the family outfits! She coordinated the clothing for these fall photos perfectly. The blue complements the orange leaves. And the camel and orange colors tie it all together. There is a balance of patterns and solids and everyone simply looks great. We were lucky to have beautiful fall colors for the day we planned the photos. Look and let me know what you think. Comment below! (50 comments and they win a free framed 8x10.)
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| High School Senior Photography
What a great photo shoot for Matt! I love the challenge and excitement of creating custom photo shoots for my high school seniors. I ask each senior to define themselves and their interests. Most seniors have extracurricular activities that they love, just like Matt’s love for football and hockey. Matt noted he loves his academics and has a particular interest in the Navy. This got my mind thinking… I wanted a prestigious looking library or desk we could use to evoke the sense of academia. This proved hard to find and secure especially because the pandemic made the nearby universities off limits. Luckily his mom had a connection, and we were able to use a personal residence that had just the right look! What a success.
We also added in some awesome patriotic headshots to his collection. His “lucky” tie was red, white and blue… in fact all of the clothes that he brought were red, white or blue and he even had a USA shirt. So, the American Flag background was only fitting.
Then I found out that Matt takes an automotive course and loves his beautiful Lincoln car. We had to get a few portraits with that as well. We rounded out the session with classy black on black images and business headshots.
It was an awesome photo session for an awesome young man. Congratulations to Matt Smith on his senior year. I hope (even amid the pandemic) that it is amazing. I am sure Matt will go far!
Let me know what you think of his photos, leave a comment below and be sure to check out his Senior album and video too!
Senior Video
Senior Album Link
https://issuu.com/nataliewstudio/docs/matt_smith_album_proof
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Newborn Photography
Look at sweet baby Elaina! She is so cute. And she could not be luckier to enter this wonderful family. I've had the privilege of working with Sara and Matt for years now. Capturing their engagement, wedding, and first two babies. It brings me so much joy to watch their beautiful family grow.
I was excited to hear they were having a baby girl. And I wanted to coordinate Elaina’s photo shoot to go along with the other portraits I had done for them over the years. So, we decided upon lavender and navy to bring in a feminine touch but coordinate with a lot of the browns and blues we had done for the boys. And their wedding colors were lavender with blue accents, so it worked out perfect.
Elaina is lucky to have two big brothers to look up to and... I hesitate to even say ... protect her. Because knowing her families, I am sure she will be a wonderfully strong women and simply fine on her own. 😉 I loved getting to see Simon and Isaac in the studio. They are so cute and great for the camera. Plus, Dad brought their John Deere hats so we got to do some great photos with those too.
Little Elaina Lyn Bull arrived on July 17th, 2020. She was born at 10 pm. She weighed 9 pound and 5 ounces and was 21 inches long at birth. Please join me in congratulating Sara, Matt, Simon and Isaac on there new sweet baby girl. I am so glad to have gotten to meet her and look forward to watching her grow.
(Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a framed 8x10 and 100 comments earns a framed 11x14! So let me know what you think and share the love!)
Look at her sweet big brothers!
Just look at Isaac in this next one. He is so cute it almost hurts my heart. He looks like a tiny little farmer to me.
I could photograph Simon all day! He loves to play for the camera!
Here are a few of their wedding images so you can see how they will coordinate with Elaina’s photos too.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Family
There are so many great things to say about this photo shoot. And it turned out so wonderful you would not guess it had some challenges to it.
But before I tell you the story, first I want to say how much it means to me to have families like this to work for. I have several families that come back to my studio year after year and it is truly one of the greatest joys of my job. I love getting to know people. I love that I get to be a part of people’s happiest moments; weddings, babies, 1st birthdays, more babies, new homes, graduations and more. It really means so much to me that people value my business and the relationships we build to make me part of their special moments. And I have great pride knowing that my artwork is bringing them joy every day when they see it in their home. I just wanted to say that because it really means a lot to me. <3
Ok, so back to the photo shoot. Liz and Justin got a new home! Yay!!! I am so excited for them. And it such an adorable house and property. When Liz and I were chatting about doing some family photos to keep watching their sweet little girls grow, she brought up the idea of doing it at their new house. She was thinking she could use it as “We’ve Moved” announcements too. I LOVED the idea! So, we set it up and decided on doing Red, White and Blue. And I also offered to bring over my radio flyer red wagon to keep with the “All American” theme.
The day of the actual photo shoot it was SUPER windy, like blow you away wind. So, we moved it to the next day and hoped for slightly less wind. Which it was… slightly. Luckily, we were able to keep everyone facing into the wind and angle the shots so that it all worked out. But it was a bit of a challenge. (And a big thanks to my husband Matt who came along to help. He held lights so that they did not blow away in the wind. Plus, I was very pregnant, so he did all the heavy lifting for me. I am so lucky. I could not have done it without him.)
Our second challenge was working with toddlers. I have toddlers at home myself, so I am well versed in toddlers. Plus, I love kids. However, no amount of experience will help persuade a 3-year-old to warm up to you in 5 minutes. But after the first set of photos little Ellie warmed up a little and then by the end she was all smiles and stealing the show. Plus, we had help from some tricks we had with coins to stand on and smarties to earn and hold between their back teeth. Also, another advantage of working with families over time is the kids get to know you and the parents learn how to jump up and down behind the camera to get kids to smile and look. (Great job Liz and Justin.) I will tell you; photoshoots are more of a workout than you would think!
And everything turned out beautiful. We dodged the wind and won over the little ones and got the cutest summer photos I have seen. Don’t you agree? Look at how adorable Avery and Ellie look in these. Avery is such a good little model and Ellie’s eyes are the most beautiful blue. Once we got her smiling it was melting my heart. I loved the red white and blue outfits and the cute little jean and lace overalls. And I was so pleased to create two different portraits that celebrated this beautiful family and the purchase of their new home. It could not have turned out better.
Join me in congratulating the Tyler family on their new home and their adorable little girls. And remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| High School Senior Photography
What a lovely photo session for Norwood Norfolk high school senior Paige Walker. We got a lot of variety and Paige was a fantastic model. She has such a great smile and is so easy to work with. We started in the studio with a black background, black shirt portrait I love to do. I just think it is so classy and timeless.
We also did some with a cute red shirt on a grey background. This set always makes me feel like it is a photo session for an actress. Paige has a great camera smile, but I wanted to get a natural laugh and smile. So, I made her pretend she was being interviewed as a movie star on a talk show. I love the fashion and studio look the image. She looks like she could be a movie star!
We ended the session at my farm to capture the beautiful wispy field look, which is one of my favorites and most requested looks. And as a side note to that, to make some of those shots happen I have to get up at a high angle. So, we ended up driving my car over so I could stand in the door to get the shot. And I happen to be 36 weeks pregnant! It looks pretty crazy but if there is a pose or photo I want to get I can help but be a perfectionist about it.
Yes... there I am hanging onto my car at 36 weeks pregnant to get the shot that I want...
We also grabbed some cut flowers from my garden for some of the barn wood photos, which I thought added a nice touch to it.
Please join me in congratulating Paige on her senior year. I hope it is an amazing one despite all of the challenges we face at this time. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Family
Take a look at this sweet family photo shoot for the Kofron family. They recently welcomed twin baby girls to the family and mom wanted to get a nice family photo with everyone. The girls are 7 months old and so cute! Needless to say, it was an active photo shoot with 2 baby girls crawling around. And getting both to smile or look at the same time took some great Mickey Mouse impressions from Dad. (And let me tell you, he does an awesome Mickey voice.)
We got a lot of great combinations for the family including some sweet sister photos. And look at their adorable hats. I thought they were so cute with the white dresses. Let me know which ones are your favorites.
Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
(Scroll all the way to the bottom for extra links)
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Children & Kids
Oh, my goodness, Hera was soooo cute at her 1st birthday photo session. She was all smiles and giggles. Mama did a great job helping me bring out Hera’s great grin! You could certainly tell; little Hera loves her Mom.
We choose a cute red and blue flower dress for her first outfit and kept the set clean and simple with a light grey background. Very classy and cute, but still colorful. For the second set Hera’s mom had a light pink tutu for her. I created a light and airy style set with our white brick corner. I added some light pink peonies and other flowers to tie in the light pinks. I loved this look! And Hera looked like such a sweet little princess. She is so petite! Her tutu is a 6-month size even though she is already a year old!
For her cake smash, mom requested a colorful “almost carnival like” theme for the photos. So, I got some helium, lots of balloons and went to town! I choose a bright blue background because it made me think of the sky, sending my balloons to higher heights. And I made the cake to match with little balloon groups all around the sides and lots of sprinkles. Hera dove right in and really liked getting her hands in the cake. She didn’t eat much of it, but big brother Demian, (who was on set but not photographed) was pretty excited for his piece of cake.
Join me in saying Happy Birthday to sweet little Hera. I cannot wait to watch her grow!
Also remember, 50 comments on the blog post and they win a framed 8x10.
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Newborn & Family Photos
Welcome Nora! Little baby Nora arrived April 20th, 2020 at 10:45 am at the Canton Potsdam Hospital in Potsdam NY. (That’s a cool birthday isn’t it!) Proud parents Nargish and Kibria were excited to welcome her to the family. And big brother Rayan is a great helper. She was 6 lbs. 2 oz at birth and 18 inches long.
Nora was a doll for her newborn photo shoot. And I was so excited and happy to hold her. (I had not been able to do a session in a few months due to the pandemic.) So, it was a real joy to get to photograph her. Nora’s mom chose a peachy pink color and subtle blues for her colors for the session. It all looked great together. The family photos on light grey coordinated beautifully. And big brother Rayan wore a soft pink shirt to celebrate his little sisters’ arrival. It all looked great on my pink flokati rug. Take a look at this beautiful session and join me in congratulation Nargish and Kibria on their beautiful baby girl!
For the mobile app click on the following link NORA'S APP
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Maternity Photography
We were lucky, we were able to do Katie’s Maternity session days before all businesses were closed due to COVID-19. And we were very careful to all stay far away. Which is pretty easy to do at an outdoor photo session. I am really hoping we will be through the worst of this pandemic before her little one arrives. I really want to be able to give her beautiful newborn images. We will all have to pray and wait and see. Lots of prayers right now for the whole world,
But besides all the fear and worry out there right now, lets talk about how cute this family is! They are adorable and did a great job at their woodsy photo session in Canton NY. Katie is originally from the Upstate NY area and just moved back here from Virginia. I was very excited to meet her and get to know their story. Both she and her husband Marshal love the Adirondacks and hiking. They are planning a mountain themed nursery for the little guy when he arrives. I wanted to play off that idea for the maternity session. But how….short of driving all the way to Lake Placid and climbing a mountain together….which would be tough with two pregnant ladies ( I am prego too right now.) But, we had a good idea. The trail at Heritage park in Canton has some great rock features, is close to work and home for them and would be convenient and give us a woodsy, mountain look to the images. I always love that with photography you can play with the angle and create a different mood or scene. I think we were very successful in making the photo shoot look mountainous and Adirondack. (Even though there are building, parking lots and more just beyond our view….shhhhhhhh…. you don’t know that.) So never underestimate the value of a good angle, and the eye to find it.
Also, to continue with our mountain theme I lent Katie a green dress from my maternity collection. She found a perfect shirt for Marshal to go with it. And sweet little Claire rocked her navy dress and jean jacket. What a cutie.
They all did a great job at the photo session and we got a lot of beautiful maternity images. Here are their top 5. Let me know what you think below! 50 comments and they win a free 8x10.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| High School Senior Photography
What a great photo shoot for Hayden! We could not have had a better day for it. The weather was perfect and the colors were beautiful!! And Hayden rocked her photo shoot. Her make-up was perfect and she did a great job! Here is just a preview of her awesome senior photos while we wait for her order session. Enjoy :-)
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Photography
What a beautiful day for Sarah and Nick! Nothing could stop this day from being a wonderful happy day. Even when it rained, we ended up with a rainbow!
I am so honored that I was able to be part of their wedding day. I photographed Sarah’s brothers wedding several years ago and I was elated to be asked back to another special family event.
Sarah and Nick are certainly a fantastic couple. When I first met them, I thought, “Wow, they are wonderfully driven and professional.” (Which I really admire in people. If you know my husband and I the word “driven” might come to mind. I feel like we never stop! In fact, I have been switching back and forth from construction work to wedding editing to bring you this one. 😊 ) So, I really love that quality in people.) I could tell they both had big plans and dreams and were working as a team to achieve their goals. But what makes Sarah and Nick really tip the scales, is they are also incredibly fun and funny. They love to laugh and be “real” with each other. Nothing too fancy or pretentious, they just like to smile, be in love and have some mac-n-cheese. I imagine that when they finally get a night with nothing on the schedule and no studying to do, they kick back on the couch, watch Star Wars and eat tacos with ice cream for dessert. Then, the next day they are comparing schedules and achieving their goals as a team. I say all of this with the upmost admiration. Teamwork in marriage is key. And Sarah and Nick have the key to a successful marriage.
Their wedding day was nothing short of a perfect representation of their personalities, classy yet fun! Sarah wore a timeless dress from Modern Trousseau in Washington DC. It was simply beautiful and absolutely classic. The girls wore Azazie bridesmaids’ dresses in a soft green which complemented the navy suits for the groomsmen. (I LOVE navy suits; they are currently my favorite for weddings.) The flowers from Lisk’s Florists in Lowville followed the classy theme and were white roses with silver dollar eucalyptus leaves. I loved how the cool blue green of the eucalyptus helped tie together the light green the girls wore and the navy blue of the guys.
Cathy Bush and Alyssa Laribee from Hair Designz styled everyone’s hair. And Ellie Becker provided airbrushed make-up.
Sarah and Nick exchanged their marriage vows at St. Peters Catholic Church in Lowville NY; Sarah’s hometown. They had a beautiful ceremony officiated by Father Jay Seymour. And Dan Shambo provided lovely music for the service. It was a beautiful full mass.
Following the ceremony, we went to Tug Hill Vineyards where the reception was held. As we drove up the hill the sky darkened and it began to rain. But a little rain couldn’t slow us down. We quickly switched gears and took some portraits under the awning at the winery. And pretty soon the rain stopped, and we were able to use the beautiful vineyards for portraits. We even got a rainbow!
Sarah and Nick’s reception tent from Party Rentals, was beautifully decorated with classy white, gold and green décor. They added a personal touch with the table centerpieces. Each table had a lantern and was named for a building at St. Bonaventure University. Their alma mater is where they met and fell in love. So, each table location had a special meaning to Sarah and Nick. I loved this idea!
And like I said earlier…it was classy but also showed off the fun side of Sarah and Nick’s personality. The menu for the wedding dinner stations included; burger sliders, chicken fingers, french fry bar, taco bar and a pizza and salad bar. Appetizers hosted mac and cheese shooters, mini grilled cheese in tomato soup cups and more. I have never seen such a fun menu! Rj’s catering did an excellent job with the food; as always. And to top it all off there was an ice cream truck!!! Yes, my friends… a fully loaded ice cream truck rolled up to the wedding reception. And let me tell you… by that time in the night everyone (and I mean everyone) was really excited for ice cream. Myself, my assistant and the videographer for the event all took a break for the big day and enjoyed some of the best ice cream I have ever had!
Another fantastic part of their day was the live band. Nik Lite was AMAZING!!!! They really killed it. They were fun, kept the dance floor full and all incredible musicians. What a performance. I would highly recommend them! (Check out the full gallery of photos to see some great shots of them. And at the end of the night Sarah and Nick got on the stage.)
Then after our bellies were full of delicious ice cream, we ended the night with some sparkler fun to send Sarah and Nick out in style.
So, let me just say one more time, how honored and excited I am to have been part of this very special event. Sarah and Nick are such wonderful people and are heading into a wonderful marriage. I am so glad I was able to be part of another chapter in their love story.
Wedding Slideshow
Wedding Images
Oh... SO...SWEET!
It's not often I have both sets of parents together at weddings so I love to do this shot when it happens. How cute.
One tired little Leo!
I hope you all enjoy all of the wedding photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Wedding App & Full Gallery
To view the full wedding gallery go to https://www.nataliewstudio.com/hillman
Download their custom app at this link: Custom App (must be opened on a mobile device)
Wedding Album
To view the wedding album click on the following link Wedding Album
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony |St. Peters Catholic Church, music by Dan Shambo https://spsmshcatholic.org/st-peters-
Reception Venue |Tug Hill Vineyards https://www.tughillvineyards.com
Tent| Party Rentals http://www.partyrentalsplus.com
Hair | Hair Designz (Cathy Bush and Alyssa Laribee)
Make-up | Ellie Becker
Dress | Modern Trousseau (Washington DC) https://www.moderntrousseau.com
Tuxes | Mens Warehouse
Flowers | Lisk’s Florists https://www.lisksfloral.com
Food| RJ’s Catering https://www.rjcaterers.com
Cake| Theresa Hoage
Band | Nik Lite http://www.nikentertainment.com/bands/NikLite
Assistant Photographer | Dani Thorn https://www.danitphotography.com
Videography | James Erb https://www.erbvp.com
James did a fantastic job on Nick and Sarah's wedding video. (I don't often get to work with videographers and it was such a joy to see the final product. The video shows the day in such a heartfelt way. I cried watching it. James really captured what it was like to be part of Sarah and Nick's big day.) Follow this link to see James Erb's video of Sarah and Nick's Wedding https://youtu.be/9teh7b5oT9Y
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Maternity and Newborn Photography
Oh my goodness… aren’t they just soooo cute! This family makes my heart melt. They are the sweetest people, so laid back and easy going, let me tell you a little photo story…
Nikita called and wanted to get maternity photos soon before her due date. Luckily, I had an opening and was able to get her in. Usually I meet all my clients ahead of time to prep and plan photo sessions. I like doing this so we can customize things and so that everyone is prepared. Because we were on a bit of a time crunch, we didn’t have the opportunity to do so. But when Nikita arrived at the studio for her session, I knew it was going to go great… or so I thought. She looked lovely, her hair and make-up perfect and sweet little Cordelia looked adorable also. Outfits were coordinated, everyone looked great! Nikita and Cordelia even had matching flower head dresses, which is one of my favorite things. I could tell Nikita put a lot of effort into preparing for the photos. We started taking photos in the studio. But a storm was coming and without warning we lost power. Hmmm… I have never had that happen. But I thought, “I can fix this.” I plugged in some battery packs for my lights and we kept on shooting.
We decided to get outside before we lost all battery power and available light. But only a few shots in, the rain came pouring down. Next thing you know, the family and I are hanging out under a shed chatting about vintage furniture. It was raining so bad we stood there awhile chatting until we could safely get all the camera gear inside. (It was a great conversation by the way. I learned all about Joey’s love of auctions and some great tips on finding vintage furniture.) But I was so disappointed that the session did go as planned. In my 9 years of doing this I have never had both a power outage and a rain out.
Luckily, we were all about to meet the very next day and try again. And, with rainstorms you get rainbows. Our rainy conversation led to the idea to bring a vintage settee to the photo shoot. Which, in my opinion, adds another level to their images. I love when clients can add elements of their home into the photo shoot. Not only does it make your photographs more custom, they are also sure to match your decor. If you have a cool chair, couch or stool, bring it in! I have many to choose from in the studio but if you bring you own it will match your house perfectly. We loved the look so much for Nikita and Joey we even brought it back for Baby Joey’s newborn session.
And what a cutie he is. Welcome Joseph Aiden Goliber, born on July 27th, 2019 at 4:08pm. He weighed in at 6 pounds and 11 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. His newborn portraits followed the color palette of the maternity photos. We chose light blue, cream and white. We returned the settee to the field and were able to do a beautiful family portrait with the golden light of the evening. And one of Dad’s favorite past times is fly fishing. To honor that, a friend had made Nikita an adorable little fishing outfit.
And let me just take a minute to talk about how cute Cordelia is. Look at her! She is so sweet. I could take photos of her every day. <3 That beautiful blonde hair and sweet smile. And she does a great job in front of the camera.
But, without any more of my jabbering on… let’s all congratulate Nikita and Joey on their sweet baby boy! Please leave a comment below on the blog, 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Custom App
To download the custom app open this link on your phone. Custom App
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Sneak Peek Family and Senior Photos
I got to photograph one of my favorite families the other day! Meet the Hayden Family. We have been friends with the Hayden's since Matt first started working at Farm Credit in Burrville NY more than 10 year ago. And I can't believe how the girls have grown! I remember snowmobiling and making snowmen with them when they were 8 and 10. And now Laura is going into her senior year. (Ahhh I am getting older.)
The Hayden’s are the kind of family that it is easy to look up to. They work as a team and are there for each other. They know how to pitch in and work hard and how to have fun too. I was really honored and excited when Paula called and said that Laura wanted me to do her senior photos (they live several hours away from where we live now.) We also chatted how it would be nice to get an updated family photo too. Life gets busy and I think their last one was several years ago.
So, they came up to Potsdam and we got to spend the day with them. It was a family affair. We did some awesome family photos in the morning. Then Kelly watch my two little ones, Gary helped Matt work on our house build and Paula, and I worked on Laura's senior portraits. See, what a team. Later in the day we set off smoke bombs for one of Laura’s ideas and the whole family had a job.
We got to do a lot of cool ideas for Laura’s senior photos. But…. this is just the sneak peek until she picks her favorites. So, stay tuned and I will tell you all about that later.
In the meantime, please comment on this blog post and share some love with the Haydens. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Family Photography
I had the opportunity to photograph this lovely family and it really makes me thing about how important it is to slow down and take time with those you love. Life is busy, we are always running. There is always stuff to do and work to be done. But the people in our lives are the most important and also one of the things that changes so fast. Kids grow…FAST. You hold them in your arms one day and then you blink, and they are off to college. We age, parents age, time goes fast. So, without going into too much detail and too much of a “soap box”, if you are reading this right now, I hope you take some time for someone you love today. Give you mom a call, hug your baby girl and play a game with her or kiss your husband and really listen about his day. The rest of the world can wait. Family is love.
Enjoy these lovely portraits of the Richardson family.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Newborn
Little Elle is so sweet. Look at her smile! Elle arrived on July 7th, 2019 at 8:26 pm at Canton-Potsdam Hospital. She was 6 pounds and 7 ounces at birth and 19.5 inches long. Her proud parents are Andrea and Dustin.
I had the pleasure of creating some beautiful newborn portraits for her. We used cream, lavender, plum and blush pink in her photo session. Purple is my favorite color so I really love the family photo for them. Don’t they look great! Grandma took some cute behind the scene photos so check those out in the video.
Welcome little baby Elle! I can't wait to watch you grow!
Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10. So, let me know what you think of the portraits!
Enjoy! - Natalie
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Sneak Peek
A big thank you to the Hanno and Hillman family for making me part of their amazing wedding day last weekend. What a wonderful day full of love, family and fun. Sarah and Nick are so sweet. They are an awesome balance of smart professionals, mixed with good time fun. I mean… Nick just took his Bar exam to become a lawyer and we had tacos, cheeseburgers and an ice cream truck at the wedding. How do you get any cooler than that? I have so much to say about this wedding and I can’t wait to get everything edited and ready for you to view. There are so many amazing images to share from this wonderful day. But I will save that all for now and just give you a sneak peek. 😊
Here are a few great shots from the day. Stay tuned for more. I will have the full wedding ready to view in 2-3 months or less. I will announce it here on my blog but if you would like a personal e-mail to know when it is ready feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]
Also feel free to leave comments on the blog below. 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Stay tuned!
Enjoy,
Natalie
(A big thanks to Dani Thorn from Dani T Photographer for assisting me on the wedding. Great ice cream shot Dani!! https://www.danitphotography.com/)
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Newborn and Family
What a gorgeous baby! She is just so pretty and has such lovely features. For baby Hera we chose a beautiful lavender color, neutral creams and tans as well as a rustic wood background. I am especially excited about the lavender photos because I just got those new backdrops and fabrics and I made a matching wrap and headband myself. Which I am proud of how it came out.
Big brother Demian, did a great job at the session. He was so wonderful about holding Hera and giving his new baby sister some sweet hugs and kiss for some beautiful captures!
Hera was born June 2nd, 2019 at 11:38 am. She was 6 pounds 14 ounces and 19 inches long. We are so excited to welcome sweet baby Hera into the world. Please enjoy her photos.
Leave comment on the blog post! 50 comments and they win a free 8x10 print.
For the web sized downloadable files and video visit https://www.nataliewstudio.com/hera
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Maternity & Newborn
Oh, my heart! How sweet are Henry and Emerson. I have a confession… this is my first ever photo shoot of twins! I have to say I was a bit nervous but… wow, I loved it. I thought newborns were fun, twins are even better. (“Twice the fun if you will.” 😊) What I loved about it (besides all the cuteness of newborn babies) is that you can capture the connection and interaction between the two babies and the bond they share. It is so amazing. Ask their father Greg how long I patiently waited to get the shot of them holding hands… it was a little while, but oh so worth it. So, bring on the twins! I love photographing them.
Proud parents Jessica and Gregory did a wonderful job curating their photo shoot. We chose to go with a color palette of burgundy, grey and blacks. (And a few creamy neutrals too.) So, we did two styles for Jessica’s maternity session, a classy traditional black background in-studio set and an outdoor winter scene in a red dress. Both turned out great and gave us a variety of looks and moods.
I loved that the black background studio images gave the feeling of a classic movie star. It reminds me of the era of Frank Sinatra, in fact we listened to Frank Sinatra as we photographed that session. Greg and I agree that Jessica has some great classic movie features. And this next image is one that I am very proud of. In my continuing research to become a skilled newborn and maternity photographer, I noticed I am drawn to old master painters, think of Vermeer, Rembrandt and Caravaggio's work. The paintings with dark backgrounds and very dramatic light. I also love the Renaissance attention to fabric. As I study those images, I have been working on creating that style in my maternity studio work. I think it gives maternity images a timeless class and I think I achieved it in this following image. What do you think?
For the winter outdoor photos, I wanted to find something that complemented Jessica’s beautiful red hair. I found some red colored brush that made for a great background for the photos. And it happened to be a cold crisp winter day, so we had a big blue sky and bright sun to give us some amazing contrast and color in the outdoor images.
We finished the maternity session by inviting the whole family back to the studio in the evening to get a family photo with all the kids. Jessica’s beautiful children joined in and we got this awesome image of her big loving family! And I got the chance to photograph each child and show off their personality. A bonus for me because I love photographing kids of all ages. Look at her sons giving her lots of love, how sweet. And those beautiful twin daughters! This is Jessica’s second set of twins, you go mama!
And now beautiful babies Henry and Emerson have arrived! How incredible, babies will always amaze me. I was please to create several matching images of both boys to be able to design a beautiful album for the Healey boys. I just love using soft cream backgrounds with babies, it looks so good on their skin. And we brought in the burgundy reds too in order to coordinate with the maternity images.
We did the family photos in a soft grey to balance out the color palette and give variety. Some of my favorites are these images where they are looking at the boys. That connection is all about LOVE.
And here is a fun one to note, this is Jessica’s belly cast. Her other kids helped her make a belly cast and we photographed the twins in it. Greg had a wonderful idea of using blue and red fabric inside to mimic what would be in the womb (good to have a doctor’s perspective, I would not have thought of that.) Isn’t this such a neat and meaningful idea! Let me know what you think. I would love to see more belly casts. It seems like such a wonderful personalized prop.
Thank you for reading my blog and taking the time to look at this lovely family’s portraits. Join me in welcoming Henry and Emerson into this big wonderful world and into a family full of love.
To view the album click here https://issuu.com/nataliewstudio/docs/henry_and_emerson_album
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What a wonderful event for the NYSTA Annual Banquet at the Harbor Hotel in Clayton NY. I am glad to be returning for the 3rd time to photograph this wonderful group of people! And, as always, the Harbor Hotel did a wonderful job with all the accommodations. Enjoy the photos and follow the link below to access the download gallery.
https://www.nataliewstudio.com/nysta_2019
And we always have a good time at NYSTA!
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Maternity
I am so excited for my friend Brittani who is expecting her baby girl any day now! I am thinking and waiting every day for her sweet baby girl to arrive. So, while we wait please enjoy some of the maternity portraits, I did for her and husband Nate.
Brittani let me just be creative with her photo shoot. I wanted to try 2 different things. First a very classy in studio image with a plum colored dress and lots of moody dark tones to it. I LOVE the way it turned out. I am trying a new editing technique where I use a mixer brush to “paint” on the dress to give it a flowy “old masters” painter look. What do you think? Do you like it or not?
And the second thing I wanted to try was challenging myself to use my extender on my 70-200 lens. (And shoot only natural light outside.) I wanted to get a really soft and creamy background. So I used that combination and moved really far away for the shots. And then I did some with my 50mm at a wide aperture too.
I styled Brittani in a baby pink lace maternity dress and a big peony head dress. There is something I love about big floral head dresses for special occasion photo sessions, especially maternity. They make me feel like I can bring the image to a new level of femininity and beauty. I made her head crown with cotton balls, peony’s and eucalyptus leaves. I like how the eucalyptus is a muted green and not too bright. I think it looks nice against the birch trees we shot by.
I also love that Nate wore his navy suit. He looks great in a suit and I especially love the nave one. It is from his wedding too, so I think that is extra special.
Well… I just can’t wait to see their little one. Stay tuned to meet sweet baby Caster. Hopefully she arrives any day now!
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding
Wow! What a gorgeous wedding! And even better than the wedding is this amazing couple! I can’t get enough of Al and Heather. They are just so fun to be around. And might I say… amazing to photograph too! Seriously, they are both a wonder in front of the camera; natural in their own right and then put them together… and it’s just magic.
I really enjoy their company. They are both so kind, considerate and just laid back. And they are so in love. I am sure they are a blessing to all their family and friends. I, for one, am glad to know them and get the opportunity to work with them.
Al and Heather chose the stunning Victorian mansion Casablanca on Cherry Island in the heart of the 1000 Islands. This beautiful location is owned by Phil and Nancy Amsterdam (see info below). It’s an exquisite backdrop to relax and celebrate the beautiful start of a marriage. And on this June 1st of 2019 we had a wonderful day for it. Beautiful weather and a fantastic environment. Al and Heather got ready in the eclectic rooms of Casablanca while family and friends enjoyed snacks and brunch in the kitchen. Guest arrived by boat before the ceremony which was held on the sloping lawn by the gazebo. Following the ceremony, we were able to catch one of the freight ships passing by before it was time for cocktail hour and then the dances. Family, friends and guests enjoyed dinner catered by the Clipper Inn and then mingled around the island enjoying the views or dancing the night away. And we sent Al and Heather off with a big sparkler exit before the boats arrived to depart.
Heather chose a stunning vintage inspired dress from BHLDN. I love the tiered tulle a-line skirt and sweetheart lace neckline. It was also warm white which looked great on Heather. She really rocked it and absolutely felt like a princess in it! Al had a sharp navy suit from Brooks Brothers that had a subtle pattern to it making it unique. I love blue on grooms! I think it is a perfect balance of not too light and not too dark.
Heather’s flowers came from Jayflora outside of Albany NY. The farm uses sustainable and organic practices for their 10 acres of flowers. Check out what the offer (see below) it is an amazing variety. Jamie from Jayflora put together a beautiful bouquet of various flowers including orange ranunculus, white and black anemones, bleeding hearts, little orange geum, peony tulips, and lots of eucalyptus. The pop of orange brought out the creamy peach color of the bridesmaids dressed which were from Birdy Grey.
Al and Heather’s cake and cupcakes came from Cakes by Lorraine. I have worked many weddings with Cakes by Lorraine and her work is always fantastic. And this was the same. These cupcakes were DELICIOUS! I may have eaten more than one…
It has been such a pleasure getting to know Al and Heather and be a part of the beginning of their marriage. Now we have climbed mountains and explored islands together. I had the pleasure of being the witness to their marriage, which really meant a lot to me. Al and Heather are truly an amazing couple. What I love most, is they are genuinely caring people. You can tell they truly care for all people and things and are so very kind. They are deeply in love and it shows when you are around them. I know they will have a wonderful marriage filled with lots of love and adventure. From the bottom of my heart, congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Al Ghormoz
And a big thank you to Danielle Thorn of Dani T Photography for being my assistant and Mary Catherine Collins my intern for all the hard work and help at this wedding!
I hope you all enjoy all of the wedding photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Wedding Slideshow
Wedding Images
Wedding App & Full Gallery
To view the full wedding gallery go to https://www.nataliewstudio.com/ghormoz
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony |Casablanca on Cherry Island Phil Amsterdam https://casablanca-cherryisland.com 315-439-1236
Tent | Party Rental, Lorie MacFarland, http://www.partyrentalsplus.com, 315-788-5097
Hair and Make-up | Creative Edge Salon https://www.facebook.com/pg/Creative-Edge-Salon (315) 686-4874
Dress |Bride: BHLDN https://www.bhldn.com/ Bridesmaids https://www.birdygrey.com/
Tuxes | Brooks Brothers
Flowers | Jayflora https://www.jayfloradesigns.com [email protected]
Food| Clipper Inn http://www.clipperinn.com/clipper/ (315) 686-3842
Cake| Cakes by Lorraine [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/LorraineGibson204
Photography Assistant |Dani T Photography https://www.danitphotography.com/
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Maternity
What a wonderful photography session for Jessica and her beautiful family. Jessica is expecting her second set of twins! What an amazing mama! While we chatted about her vision for her photo session I could tell she had an easy going nature and a lot of class. I have been wanting to do a maternity image with a warm tone and old world painterly feel, and Jessica was the perfect fit. With her beautiful red curly hair and model features I could see the image come to life. I was so excited to create this artwork for this amazing mom.
I wanted to incorporate Jessica’s other 4 children into her session as well. So we invited all the kids back to the studio to get a great family photo of everyone. Jessica did a great job with the red, grey and white outfits for the session. And we had some extra time so we captured a great shot of each child showing off their personality.
Jessica and I also did an outdoor winter portion of her maternity photos. But more on that later. For now, Enjoy!
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Babies
What a sweet little girl! This gorgeous little lady is 9 moths old and so much fun. We did a beautiful studio photo shoot for her with a grey and blue palette. I just love how the neutral colors make her eyes really pop. She is so sweet and I can’t wait to see her for her 1st birthday!
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Newborn and Baby Photography
Oh how I love watching little ones grow. If you know me well, you know I LOVE little kids. I have spent most of my life working with children of all ages; first as a babysitter and nanny, then a teacher and now I get to be their photographer. I never thought about how my love of little ones would help me as a photographer but lately it seems so apparent.
Meet baby Carey. She is such a sweetie and full of personality. As a newborn I absolutely loved her full head of hair. Just look at that beautiful dark hair! And now she is one and loves to make “fishy” faces and be playful.
We celebrated her 1st birthday with some festive colorful pinwheels and flowers. And we also did a classy gold background with ornaments because Carey was born in December. Mom loves purples and blues (so do I) and we were able to bring them into both photo shoots and add a little bit of gold and cream too. (Those are all my favorite colors too.)
Please join me and saying Happy Birthday to Carey!
Let me know what you think. Feel free to leave a comment on the blog. If they get 25 comments, they will win a free 8x10 framed print.
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Family and Baby Photography
What an adorable family! Dalan and Rachelle have 3 beautiful daughters. And they have stunning blue and green eyes! When Dalan and Rachelle came to me in December we wanted to do a family session full of style but timeless and classy. Rachelle chose grey and navy as the base of her color palette and added a pop of yellow to keep it fun and fresh. She did a fantastic job mixing and matching the outfits for her sweet little ladies. Notice how she paired solids and stripes to give the image variety but not make it too busy. I know she worked hard on finding great outfits for her family photos and it certainly shows. I love how classy but fun her family photo turned out.
Also, with 3 young girls in the house, it can get really wild sometimes. We wanted to do something a little different than the traditional holiday card. We decided to photograph the “Morning Chaos” of Christmas. So, I saved lots of wrapping paper and Mom and Dad got to act tired with coffee in hand as the 3 girls energetically unwrapped presents. (Complete with the all-important amazon boxes! Such a sign of the times.) So take a look at their rendition of a holiday photo shoot too.
Let me know what you think. Feel free to leave a comment on the blog. If they get 25 comments, they will win a free 8x10 framed print.
Potsdam NY Based Photographers: Natalie’s Studio| Newborn & Family
Oh, how I love this family. You couldn’t find more down to earth people. I have had the pleasure of photographing Sarah and Matt from their engagement, wedding, first child and now their second child; sweet baby Isaac. It brings me so much joy to be part of a family and watch them grow and experience all of the wonders of life as they welcome a new baby to the family. This is one of the huge perks of my job. I just cherish bring beautiful images to people for the most important moments of their lives.
For his newborn photography session, we chose navy blue, earth tones and neutral colors. I love Simon's favorite plaid hat! He looks so adorable in it, he just makes your heart melt! And Isaac did such a wonderful job for his photos. He was sweet and happy right to the end of the session. We even got some eye open newborn photos which doesn’t always happen.
So please join me in welcoming sweet baby Isaac David to the world! He arrived on November 14th of 2018. He was 9lbs 13oz and 21 inches long. And his big brother Simon loves giving him kisses!
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Family
What a beautiful family! Meet the Hetu family, they have two adorable children who I could just photograph all day. The little guy is soooo cute! What a heartbreaker. Blonde hair and blue eyes; who could ask for more. And sweet baby girl is so precious and gentle.
I am especially excited about the portrait I made for mom and baby girl laying on the ground. This capture is one I have been wanting to create for several years now after seeing a similar one in the Professional Photographers of America magazine. They were the perfect models for it. Mom LOVED it and I am so happy I got to make such a beautiful image for such a lovely lady!
They chose a neutral color palette of grey, black and white and we used cream backgrounds for their studio session. I love the neutral look, it is timeless and goes with everything. I am so happy I had the opportunity to create stunning family portraits for such a lovely family. I know they will cherish these for years and years. My heart melts over these sweet little kids and how time goes so fast, it is so important to capture these precious memories now.
I hope you all enjoy the photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Potsdam NY Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Family Photography
I can’t tell you how adorable this family is! And you must give mom Marie tons of credit; she has 8 beautiful children and she homeschools them all. And each one is so helpful and polite, it was my pleasure to work with them. Marie, Bill and their wonderful family of 10 love to homestead. Which is a big passion for my family also, so we had a lot of fun chatting about that. For their family photos we wanted to have a glimpse of their amazing new property and barn in the background.
Marie chose red, black, grey and white as a color palette for the photos and did a fantastic job organizing the outfits. It is important to mix solid colors with patterns to allow each person in the portrait to stand out against the next. And this family photo is a great example of that.
Please enjoy, share and let me know what you think of this wonderful family photo shoot! (Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.)
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Engagement Photos
I was so glad to make this engagement session special for Sarah and Nick. This wonderful couple will be getting married next summer in Lowville NY. But they met in the southerntier of NY at St. Bonaventure University and they currently live in Washington D.C. So, when we were planning their engagement session we chatted about what location would be the best and we all decided a trip to St. Bonnie was the ticket! I was very excited about the idea. I absolutely love making photo shoots meaningful in any way that I can; to be able to do the engagement session where they met and got engaged was really special.
It was an early November photo shoot so it was a bit cold and windy in NY, but Sarah and Nick did a great job. And we still had great color on all the leaves outside of Devereux Hall. It made for some stunning shots! And we had a lot of fun in front to De La Roche Hall which is where Nick proposed. They have the cutest story!
Sarah and Nick first met at a basketball game. (Nick had noticed her prior, but Sarah had no idea who he was.) At the game, Sarah was sitting in front of Nick and he accidently stepped on her jacket and then apologized. This started a little banter back and forth about whether or not Nick is a “likable guy”. This led to more conversation and eventually Nick to ask her if she would attend a Christmas party with him after the game. To Nick’s surprise and delight she accepted. Sarah admits, it was not common for her to go to a party with someone she just met and she was a bit nervous, but she could sense Nick was someone special. And he is indeed, “a likeable guy.”
Because of their adorable first meeting story we reenacted their “first date” with some photos at the basketball court. Complete with some fun expression ones. (I love Sarah’s sense of humor!)
Sarah and Nick are so down to earth, polite and professional. They are a pleasure to work with and fun to get to know! I am really looking forward to their wedding next year!
I hope you all enjoy their engagement photos. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Wedding App & Full Gallery
Feel free to download their custom app to keep all the photos on your phone: https://my.stickyfolios.com/2hbydmsfzzyv (must be opened on a mobile device)
For the full resolution downloads go to: https://www.nataliewstudio.com/sarah_nick_engagement
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Photographer Collaboration
I am really excited to share this photo shoot with you! This is a personal portrait session that I did as a collaboration with my good friend and fellow photographer Danielle Thorn. Dani and I have been working together for a few years now. Many of you may know her as my assistant at weddings. I just love working with Dani; she has such a great attitude and is so fun to work with. She brings out the fun in a photo shoot.
Dani was kind enough to come up to Potsdam and do a joint photo shoot for my maternity session. We did a maternity session for me and a couples shoot for her and her man, Tim. (I will be posting what I took of her and Tim at a later time.)
Purple is by far my favorite color, so the colors I chose were purples, navy’s and cream. We were able to use a lilac patch for the first set of photos to get a more formal romantic look. Originally, I was trying to get apple blossoms, but we missed those. So luckily, I found a patch of lilacs that still had blooms. Then we went to the property that Matt and I bought last year for the second half of the shoot. This was really important to me because even though it is a little run down right now; this is where we are going to build out house. And our children will be raised on this land so I is sentimental to have our baby girl’s maternity session there. Besides, I love the look of all the grey barnwood and textures that are there.
We got creative and had fun with my tossing train before a downpour of a thunderstorm rolled in. Poor Dani, she ran to get one last shot and twisted her ankle. So, the boys grabbed all the gear and ran to get it out of the rain. Dani and I were both pretty sore after the session, but it was well worth it. And our men are so sweet, they waited on us and brought us dinner on the couch, so we didn’t have to move. We are lucky ladies! (P.S. Matt and Tim have soooo much in common. We had such a fun weekend. I wish they could have stayed all week long!)
Take a look at the beautiful images she got. For more of Dani’s work or to contact her visit her site at https://www.danitphotography.com/ She specialized in weddings and on-site portraits. She is fun and creative and truly cares about her clients. She is awesome with natural light and golden hour. Give her a call to find out more.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Business
What a great event for the New York State Telecommunication Association! I had the pleasure of photographing this great group of people 3 years ago in Clayton. But due to having my first child, I haven’t been able to be back until now. So even though I am 37 weeks pregnant with my second child I didn’t want to miss this event! They are such a fun group of people and I love creating a dynamic board member photo for them.
And they make it so easy and fun when they look this classy in all their tuxes and dresses and give me a background of mountains!!!! We even had a female mallard duck photo bomb their board portrait, (repeatedly… this duck really wanted her photo taken.) She was so cute!
They held the event at the Crowne Plaza in Lake Placid NY. It is a beautiful venue and I would highly recommend it. With amazing Adirondack mountain views and all. We even had perfect weather.
Congratulations to the incoming chair of the NYSTA. I hope you all had a wonderful conference and I hope to see you again next year!
To view (and download) the photos from the event follow the links below. If you love my work and would like to share any on social media please use the watermarked versions or give me a shout out by tagging Natalie’s Studio or #nataliewstudio. Thanks so much!
http://www.nataliewstudio.com/nysta_2018
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| 1st Birthday
Happy Birthday Ellie! My… how you and your sweet sister have grown! We had a beautiful photo shoot to celebrate Ellie’s 1st birthday. Mom and I chose to use pinks and blues for the photo session, which turned out so nice. And we decided to incorporate bows, pearls and balloons for a fun little girl session. It turned out so sweet and the girls are just adorable! I love Ellie’s striking blue eyes, they looked extra beautiful with the color scheme Mom chose. I had a blue and pink flower background that went perfect with the theme.
For Ellie’s cake smash I got a helium tank and blew up balloons, anchoring them with pink flowers. I used a white and pink garland to dress it up a little more. And Ellie got to wear a tutu and pearls for her cake smash. Her cake had pink ombre rosette flowers with little pearls in the center, to dress up the sides of the cake. And to bring in the bow theme, I added a gold fondant bow for the top. Ellie did a great job at her cake smash and dug right in. She loved it. I love doing cake smash session!! They are so much fun.
And here is a little throwback to Ellie’s newborn session. Look how she has grown!
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Personal
What a fantastic weekend for William’s Birthday. I wanted to share this personal blog post of my son’s second birthday photo shoot and party. If you know me well, you know I LOVE party planning. (Maybe a little too much… but hey, everyone has there thing.) So, while planning William’s second birthday I was thinking of his favorite things. And he loves dogs! What a fun theme.
I did a mini photo shoot with William and our English Setter Copper for his 2nd birthday photos. It was a lot of fun. Both boys have been in the studio a lot. I really think they are trained to look at the camera! No photoshop, they both just looked at the camera with great expressions! I call that a big win because I do these shoots all by myself (and 32 weeks pregnant right now.) So, there is a lot of luck involved to get a great shot. After our mini studio session, we went outside for some candid’s of the two of them playing and of course sat on the tractor, William’s other favorite thing!
For his party I drew the dogs of our family, Copper, Jack and Kona. I wanted them to be on the walls at William’s height so that he could see them and have fun with it. I got some dog themed fabric and made a #2 for his “photo wall” and a pennant banner. I like to have a place at parties to take photos with family and friends. I (and my friend Casey) made several dog ear accessories to wear in the photos just for fun.
My mom made a wonderful cake with a fondant sculpture of William laying on Copper. (Can you tell where I got my love of art from?) I was so grateful for the help and the cake was adorable and special.
I did some hand print and paw print artwork to display. Trust me the paw print was much harder to get then a two-year-old hand print. But I really love hand and feet prints at young ages. I just think they are so sweet.
We had a “hot dog” bar to go with our party theme with fun toppings. Also, on the menu was “Paw-sta Salad” and “Ruff-age” (vegetable tray). Thanks pintrest.
It was a beautiful day outside and a wonderful party with family to celebrate William’s 2nd birthday. I can’t believe how quickly it is going by. He is such a light in my life and I love him with every piece of my heart. I am just so grateful that I get to spend so much time with him because I know he is growing fast.
Enjoy!
Natalie
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Event Photography
What a fun event for the Delta Zeta girls. Both current and past Delta Zeta members came together for a casual brunch as part of their Alumni weekend. They got to re-connect with sisters and meet the current DZ class. Mr. & Mrs. Collins stopped in and we had a lot of fun getting some group photos for the DZ girls. Thanks ladies for making me part of your event. Enjoy the photos!
You can go to the link at the bottom of this post to download your photos.
Thank you ladies for having me to your event. Feel free to download the photos for your personal use. You may print them up to 8x10 but no larger. (They will lose quality.)
If you like my work feel free to post the watermarked version or give me a shout out at #natalieWstudio. Also find me on Facebook at Natalie's Studio.
To download your photos.
Click SELECT PHOTOS.
Click the little circle that appears as you hover over each photos OR click the word All at the top of the screen.
Click DOWNLOAD at the top of the screen.
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Newborn Photography
Wow what an adorable baby girl! I just love all her hair!!! She is so sweet. And I really love the color palette that the family chose of purples, blues and golds. (Those are my personal favorite colors!) Also, her mom incorporated the headpiece that she wore on her wedding day. I love personal touches like that. And her older sister did such a great job holding her and getting some sweet sisterly images.
Don’t forget to check out the custom collage at the end of blog post. I think it came out great.
Enjoy!
Natalie
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Newborn Photography
What a sweet little guy! This little boy was just 11 days new when he came into the studio and he did a fantastic job. He slept well and we got some fantastic images. The family chose a blue and brown color pallette. I just love that combination! And his photos will match wonderfully with his new nursery.
Enjoy!
Natalie
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio | Beauty
What a creative session for Jeni! I was so excited when Jeni came to me with her vision for the photo session. During the consultation Jeni, her mom and I chatted about what persona she wanted to portray. Jeni is a local college student and had just gotten this gorgeous red dress. She wanted to show of the dress and just do a photo shoot for fun. (Which I think is always a good idea! So often we stop photos after senior portraits and don’t get anything until our weddings. But what about that time in between? I digress…) Anyhow, Jeni really loves classic Hollywood so we decided on that kind of a style to show of the dress and give Jeni a timeless set of images for this wonderful time in life.
We also knew the session would be during “snow season” in the north country. So we planned…if the weather cooperated… to do a red coat look for snowy winter photos. We couldn’t have ordered better snow!!!! I was so excited. The best kind of snow to photograph is “wet snow”. When the temperature is hovering just below freezing the snow is really wet and results in giant fluffy flakes (as opposed to the tiny icy ones). These big snowflakes show up perfectly in photographs. The only downside is your model will be soaking wet in about 30 minutes…including their hair. My advice, do it last and have a hood on a jacket to save the hair for a bit. Or have the hair in an up-do or get an umbrella if that works with your look. But definitely do it! It is so much fun and the results are stunning.
The Hollywood portion of the session was done in my local Potsdam photography studio. I had never done this style of lighting and shooting before, but after a bit of research on technique I was super excited. The idea is to use harsh butterfly lighting to mimic stage lights. Traditionally a Fresnel lens is used, but if you don’t have one of those you can use a 20-degree or 30-degree grid on your light. I did a combination of the 20 degree grid or a 12x12 soft box on a boom arm with or without fill reflectors depending on the amount of shadow I wanted in the shot. It was so much fun!!! We put Etta James on a Pandora station and just had a blast creating these Hollywood images. Jeni was a fantastic model and really created mood in the images. We discovered the angle of the lights made it really hard for her to see me behind the camera so she had to act out the poses without seeing my instruction. (Which is just me waving my hands and acting like a puppet a lot behind the camera anyhow. Lol)
It was absolutely a fantastic photography session and I am so happy to share it with you all. Please be sure to go all the way to the bottom to see her album and feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think.
Vendor Love:
Hair and Make-up | Today’s Hair in Potsdam NY http://www.todayshairanddayspa.com/
Dress | David’s Bridal in Syracuse Red Coat from North Country Neighbors in Potsdam NY https://www.facebook.com/North-Country-Neighbors-109316925766200
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| High School Seniors
What an amazing high school senior photography session for Keeley. I was so excited to meet Keeley and be her photographer. I had previously photographed her older sister and two older cousins. Each of those session had been amazing, and I knew Keeley’s would be just as much fun.
We met for her consultation and during our conversation we chatted about how much she loved hockey and winter sports. She is a student at Northwood School in Lake Placid, which specializes winter sports. So, although it was spring when we were chatting, I said we should really have two photo shoots and do both a winter and summer one for her! She loved the idea. We went ahead and started planning.
For Keeley’s summer session we started in the studio to capture beautiful headshots and some classy hockey images too. I got to use my new white brick corner set, that went prefect with outfit. And I am always a fan of the black on black images. They are so timeless, and I love they way the turned out.
After the studio we made a short trip down the road and used a field of timothy that I had found. WOW! Her outfit, her eyes, the soft natural light of the end of the day… EVERYTHING looked perfect in the image. These are some of my favorites! I was so excited that we got such a wonderful look for Keeley’s summer field photos.
Then, months later we did the winter portion of her photo shoot at the White Face Lodge in Lake Placid NY. It was a grey day but that worked well for our photo shoot. We got some woodsy photos and even some with falling snow. But, my favorite were the images we created by the large wooden columns of the lodge. The light fell perfect on her face and her green sweater brought out her eyes and the evergreens in the background. They are simply stunning.
Keeley is such a lovely and confident young lady! It has been such a pleasure to be her senior photographer. I know she will go far and I can’t wait to see what she does! Good luck in all that you do Keeley!
Love,
Natalie’s Studio!
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Family Photos
I am so in love with these portraits for the Hostetter family. I simply adore generational family sessions. They are such an heirloom to cherish for years and a wonderful thing to pass on to each generation. If you haven’t considered doing something like this, I highly recommend you do. Luckily, all of the Hostetter family came to visit for the holidays so we were able to get everyone together and create these beautiful portraits. Three generations of family!
But in the event that not everyone can physically be here we can create a composited family portrait. Notice the white photos from this session, these are created by photographing each person separately and then compositing them together afterward. The advantage is, we can photograph members of the family at different times. Also, everyone looks their best, even all the young children can be smiling in the family portrait.
I am so happy we took the time to create these timeless family portraits for the Hostetter’s. They are such a down to earth family and such a pleasure to be around. I know Bob and Marcia will cherish theses images of their beautiful family for years and year.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Events & Photo Booth
What a fun time for the Frazer 2018 Kick Off party! This year they chose a 1920’s Gatsby style theme for their celebration to start 2018. And it couldn’t have looked better with all the fantastic decorations and the stunning outfits of all the guests. (Even the bartenders dressed up!) The party was held at Club 21 in Potsdam which looked perfect for the party. And we supplied a photo booth for even more fun and some great photos. A big thanks to Amanda Gilbert for her hard work in planning the party, everyone had a blast. Here’s to a fantastic 2018 at Frazer!
To view ALL of the photos and photo booth image and to download them go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/frazer_2018
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Beauty
This is just a sneak peek of Jeni’s awesome photo shoot we did recently. I just loved these photos so much I wanted her and her family to get a chance to see a few before Christmas. We did a wonderful old Hollywood movie inspired photo session in the studio and ended with some gorgeous snowy portraits. It was an amazing session. Stay tuned for more and Merry Christmas!
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Seniors
I am very excited to share this photo shoot with all of you. It is definitely one of the most unique sessions I’ve had and I am very proud of the way it turned out. I am also very proud of Meggan and what a wonderful job she did; not only at the session but with all the curation and wardrobe planning she did.
Meggan’s photo shoot is a really good example of how important a consultation is. When Meggan and her mom came for the consult she and I hit it off right away. We chatted about lots of ideas of things that she liked and how she likes to push the boundaries, but not go over them. I felt like every idea Meggan and I talked about we could both see the same vision in our minds. It was so much fun! We wanted to illustrate the concept of how photography can personify you in ways you only dream of.
Do you ever find when you are reading a good and you daydream of being another versions of yourself? Maybe you’re an elf, a warrior, a spy or maybe you can tame dragons… I for one would love to ride a dragon. You get to dream of these things but you never really get to feel part of them. (Except maybe on Halloween) But with Meggan’s photo shoot we brought those ideas to life. And there is something truly amazing about seeing yourself on film in that persona. The right wardrobe, the right set and perfect lighting can all bring it to life. And then capture it on film and you will always have an amazing image of yourself; or your “other self”.
For Meggan’s session we curated 3 distinct sets. First was stea punk. Meggan did a fantastic job of creating a spot on steampunk outfit for the session. All the details from the gears on her shoes, the feather in her hat and even her goggles really created a perfect steampunk look. We used a sculpture at Clarkson University as our backdrop since it would give us the industrial look we were going for. The I-beams, bolts and bricks lended perfectly to the set for our steampunk inspired part of our session. I was particularly proud of the lighting because it was a bright sunny day and I needed to darken the background to give the right mood. But a powerful Einstein light equipped with a beauty dish on a boom arm allowed me to overpower the sun and get the look I wanted right in camera. It is her favorite part of the photo shoot and I can certainly see why.
We also wanted to highlight Meggan’s love of physics. So we planned a old school room look for her to give a studious vibe. I was able to find an old style school desk from a friend that we used for the session. That coupled with a chalkboard background, old wood floor and some old books and we had ourselves an old room school look. Meggan’s outfit gave the look of a classic school teacher of days gone by.
Our last set was pretty exciting! And certainly something I have never shot before. Meggan wanted to have a Tim Burton inspired set. And while we were looking for inspiration we came across a movie poster for Snow White (illustrated in Tim Burton Style) It provided the inspiration we needed and we started planning from there. It evolved into a dark night set with rock walls and even a black curly tree Meggan made herself. Meggan coupled her prom dress with some capes she had for the perfect look. Then of course we had to add a fog machine to give it the final touch. A blue gel to show off the fog and we were in business. We had a blast on this set! Although we did have to break several times to clear all the fog out of the studio.
I know this is a lengthy post but I was so excited about it. I hope you enjoy the portraits. And if you are ever looking for a unique photography experience just give us a call.
Senior Album
Senior Grad Card
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Full Wedding
What a lovely wedding for Sarah and Tom. I feel so honored to have been part of this wedding day. I have known the Elliott family a long time. Sarah’s mother was my 2nd grade teacher and I used to babysit Sarah’s daughter Ashlin when I was a nanny at their church. It was wonderful to be asked to be part of such a special event.
Sarah and Tom were married in St. John’s Episcopal Church in Massena NY. It was a beautiful full service, with lovely music and scripture. Sarah chose deep blue and grey for a color palette for the wedding with accents of red and white. It gave the wedding a perfect winter holiday feeling. I loved the girls grey dresses with their soft blue capes to keep them warm in the cold. Sarah even had snowflake accents in her jewelry and headpiece. It all came together beautifully.
After family photos at the church Sarah and Tom went to The Lobster House for a dinner reception with all their family and friends. It was a beautiful event. Congratulations to Sarah and Tom!
I hope you all enjoy all of the wedding photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print. To view the full wedding gallery go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/elliott_shirley
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Megan and Erik had a beautiful wedding at the Ridgeview Inn in Lowville NY. It is such a nice place to get married because they can help you with every part of the wedding. You can stay at the Inn and get ready there. They have a beautiful pond and grounds for the ceremony and the reception hall is stunning. The food is great too! All you need are decorations (just call Helen for that) and you’re all set.
And what a perfect time of year; it was beautiful out. It was a perfect temperature and a perfect day for Megan and Erik. Megan chose an amazing color palette to go with the fall for her wedding. She mixed deep reds, plum purples and navy blues to create a deep jewel tone autumn inspired wedding look that was to die for! I LOVED it. And the flowers by Florals by Vinnie were exceptional! The colors looked perfect against the tan or plum dresses of the bridesmaids.
Megan and Erik are so sweet and such a pleasure to be around. You can tell they genuinely just want to spend time with each other. If no one else was there they would be perfectly content. I love Erik’s sense of humor. He is easy to get to know and fun. He wears his heart on his sleeve and when the two are together it is magic because you can just feel how committed they are to each other. Megan is a beautiful person, full of style and sweetness! She is strong and fun and I love her attitude and her love of life.
I am so glad I was able to be part of their wedding day. I wish you two the very best in all that you do and a long and happy marriage.
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony, Reception & Food| Ridgeview Inn (Heather Houppert) Ridgeview Inn theridgeviewinn.com 315-377-4057
Make-up | Jessica Stone JS Traveling Makeup Services https://www.facebook.com/jsmakeupserv/
Hair| Erin Renaud from The Fringe, Cathage, NY 315-493-2887 https://www.nnyfringe.com/
Dress | Alfred Angelo, Disney Bride
Tuxes | Men's Warehouse
Flowers | Vinnie Barbarito Florals by Vinnie 315-767-2239 www.floralsbyvinnie.com [email protected]
DJ | Marcus Charles
Décor & Lighted Wall | R & H Creations 315-376-2951 (Helen) RandHCreations.com
Chair Rental | Chair Rentals Steele's Ace Home Center, Lowville, NY 315-376-6022
Photo Booth Bus | Heather Leigh Gill of Snapshots Photo Booth and Bus http://snapshotsnny.com/ 315-286-6645
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The staff at North Country Savings Bank (the Canton office) hosted a wonderful party celebrate their partner relationships with realtors in the area. The party was at The Club https://www.theclubrestaurantandtavernny.com/ in Canton. Everyone had a great time and of course the photo booth was a big hit.
If you attended the event and would like a copy of the photos, feel free to download your photos from your full gallery website at http://www.nataliewstudio.com/ncsb_canton. To download the photos click "select photos" (top right) then you can hover over each image and click the circle in the bottom left of the image to select it to download OR click "all" (top left) then download (top right).
Enjoy
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| High School Seniors
What a beautiful photo session for Grace! We had such a great time and got a great variety of looks at her photo shoot. We started in the studio with some blue, pink and yellow backdrops that really highlighted Grace’s gorgeous blonde hair and bright blue eyes. I love the soft pinks and how they complement Graces’ complexion and how the blue background brings out her eyes.
Then we went to the park in Potsdam to get a natural outdoor look for her portraits. She had such cute dresses and jewelry to wear. I really loved her style. We captured lovely soft outdoor portraits that showed of the water, the soft pink sky and even the radiant golden yellow leaves of the trees. I think we all had a great time and Grace’s senior photos came out beautiful!
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| High School Seniors
What a great photo shoot for Makenzie from Potsdam High School. Makenzie loves sports and is active in soccer, hockey and softball. So we did a special senior session to really let her athletic talents shine. Being from Potsdam High School, we used orange and blue lights to go with the school colors. And we did several of the dynamic sports portraits to give us some intensity. (I like to call them Gatorade shots because with the fake sweat and special lighting they look like a Gatorade commercial!) We even hit a bag of baby powder in the studio to create an epic softball portrait for her. And then I made several custom collages to bring it all together. Take a look and tell me what you think.
For a bit more of a softer side we did several studio portraits for Makenzie. My favorites are the green background series because of how they show off her beautiful eyes. Makenzie’s natural look created beautiful portraits for her and her family to enjoy. We ended her senior session by the water at Cole’s Creek State Park to get some outdoor portraits and even a sunset. Makenzie chose one of our VIP collections that included a family session at the end of her senior photos. I always love that idea because it is a great time to get a beautiful family portrait.
I hope you all enjoy all the photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and she will win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and she will win a free 11x14 framed print.
Such a cool collage. And it can be printed on Metal!
Our Black on Black Portraits.... Aren't they classy!
To access your web pics and digital files go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/makenzie_2018
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The staff at North Country Savings Bank (the Malone office) hosted a wonderful party celebrate their partner relationships with realtors in the area. The party was at The Butcher Block in Plattsburg http://www.butcherblockrestaurant.com/. It was beautifully decorated in gold and black. There was plenty of great music provided by Sound Obsession DJ service (http://soundobsession.us.com/). And of course everyone had fun in the photo booth by Natalie’s Studio.
If you attended the event and would like a copy of the photos, feel free to download your photos from your full gallery website at http://www.nataliewstudio.com/ncsb_platts. To download the photos click "select photos" (top right) then you can hover over each image and click the circle in the bottom left of the image to select it to download OR click "all" (top left) then download (top right).
Enjoy
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We had an AMAZING high school senior photo session tonight with Grace! She started at the studio and we got 4 different looks that complemented her golden blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. Then we went the the park and did some beautiful outdoor images too. The colors of the leaves made for a beautiful background for her senior photos. We got a sunset and some awesome reflections in the water. We all had a blast! This is just a preview to share because I am so excited about the images. Stay tuned for more!
(P.S. 50 comments on the blog post and she wins a free 8x10!)
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Sneak Peek
What a beautiful wedding for Megan and Erik! This one was a little bitter sweet for me because it is one of the last weddings I will be photographing for a while. Those who know me and follow me, know that Matt and I had our first child May of 2016. And as I watch him grow… and sooooo quickly …I know that I need to take a little extra time to be with him (and hopefully more little ones) over the next few years. But don’t worry, I won’t be completely gone. I will still be creating portraits for families, newborns and high schools seniors but will just be taking a wedding break for the next two years.
But want a wonderful couple to “end” with. Megan and Erik are just so sweet and a pleasure to be around. I love how fun and funny Erik can be. He wears his heart on his sleeve and when the two are together it is magic. Megan is a beautiful person. Full of style and sweetness! I love her attitude and her love of life.
Megan chose an amazing color palette for the wedding. She mixed deep reds, plum purples and navy blues to create a deep jewel tone autumn inspired wedding look that was to die for! I LOVED it. And the flowers by Florals by Vinnie were exceptional!
Heather and the staff at Ridgeview Inn were… as always… a pleasure to work with. It is one of my favorite venues in the Lowville area. And Helen from R&H Creations did a fantastic job with the décor. She is simply the best in the area!
Well without further ado, here is the sneak peek of the wedding. Stay tuned for the full wedding coming soon.
And don’t forget 50 comments on this blog post and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Isn't she beautiful!
He wrote is vows as a poem! Wow.
Homemade Moonshine!
The First Look
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony, Reception & Food| Ridgeview Inn (Heather Houppert) Ridgeview Inn http://www.theridgeviewinn.com/ 315-377-4057
Make-up | Jessica Stone JS Traveling Makeup Services https://www.facebook.com/jsmakeupserv/
Hair| Erin Renaud from The Fringe, Cathage, NY 315-493-2887 https://www.nnyfringe.com/
Dress | Alfred Angelo, Disney Bride
Tuxes | Men's Warehouse
Flowers | Vinnie Barbarito Florals by Vinnie 315-767-2239 www.floralsbyvinnie.com [email protected]
DJ | Marcus Charles
Décor & Lighted Wall | R & H Creations 315-376-2951 (Helen) http://randhcreations.com/
Chair Rental | Chair Rentals Steele's Ace Home Center, Lowville, NY 315-376-6022 http://www.steelesace.com/
Photo Booth Bus | Heather Leigh Gill of Snapshots Photo Booth and Bus http://snapshotsnny.com/ 315-286-6645
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Full Wedding
What a beautiful and intimate wedding for Shana and Mike! Their wedding was at Shana’s father’s home on the water in Chaumont NY. Shana and Mike exchanged their vows on the deck overlooking the water. Their peaceful home provided a casual environment for family and friends to witness their union. And everyone took part in a fun celebration after their ceremony.
Shana chose rose gold, pinks and greys as a color pallet for the wedding and it looked beautiful! The girl’s rosy pink lace dresses went perfectly with the boy’s grey tuxes. And Shana’s dress was a beautiful champagne lace. Shana’s flowers were wooden! I love that idea because then you get to keep them after the wedding. And Mike’s bountineer had leaves that were pages from a book to give it a vintage flare.
There were several highlights to their wedding celebration; one was the addition of the VW bus “Penny” from Snapshots photo booth. While in the planning process Shana and Mike expressed that they wanted a laid back atmosphere for everyone to have a good time. And that is exactly how it all turned out. They served craft beers, had a live band and a photo booth. But not just any photo booth; “Penny” (that’s her name) is a retro VW bus that has been outfitted by Snapshots photo booth company to be a vintage photo booth! She comes complete with props in the trunk and is beautifully decorated to match the event. Not only did “Penny” provide tons of entertainment, she also gave us a great background for portraits that matched Shana and Mikes retro fun style perfectly. The craft beers also became a prop for our bridal party photos since Shana and Mike had gifted their friends customized mugs. So we had a lot of cheers and fun while taking the bridal party photos.
Shana’s dad, being very musically inclined serenaded her with a special song at the reception. And later that night Mike surprised her with a drum solo too. It was such a FUN day. Everyone was just having a fantastic time and enjoying the live music, good beer and great company. Congratulations to Shana and Mike!
We wanted to make sure Mike has something personal he could add to the portraits as well. So we had a special session with his Harley Davidson at the end of the night. We got some beautiful night motorcycle photos that I hope Mike really loves.
Feel free to check out the Wedding Album at the end of the blog post. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. And don’t forget 50 comments on this blog post and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Wedding Slideshow
Wedding Images
Wedding Album
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony & Reception Venue | Private Home
Hair and Make-up | The Traveling Stylists, Tara Reaves & Moriah Percy from The Beauty Bar
Dress | New York Bride and Co. & David’s Bridal
Tuxes | Men’s Warehous
Flowers |Wooden Flowers from Ecoflowers.com
Food| Limp Lizard… and it was AMAZING http://www.limplizardbbq.com/
Cake| Stephanie's Cakes
Decor | Briana from Pretty Little Vintage Company. http://www.prettylittlevintageco.com/
Photo Booth Bus | Heather Leigh Gill of Snapshots Photo Booth and Bus http://snapshotsnny.com/ 315-286-6645
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Full Wedding
This a continuation post for Freddy and Alex’s wedding on Cherry Island. If you didn’t see Part 1 you can view it at http://www.nataliewstudio.com/blog/2017/9/eclectic-vintage-wedding-at-casa-blanca-alex-bay.
Freddy and Alex had a fantastic wedding at the Victorian house Casa Blanca on Cherry Island. Freddy and Alex married their two styles (Freddy very eclectic and Alex simple and clean), with their wedding décor choices. The burgundy’s, soft greens, whites and purples looked fantastic. Kathleen Murphy of Primrose Hill created Freddy and Mariana’s bouquets of locally grown wildflowers. And the addition of the vintage details at Casa Blanca added to Freddy’s unique and quirky style. It all came together beautifully!
Freddy and Alex are a team. They fit like and hand and a glove and truly bring out the very best in each other. And their family and friends mirrored these sentiments with all the love, support and speeches on their wedding day. Freddy’s sister, Mariana and Alex’s twin brother Greg made up their bridal party. They had a sentimental and heartfelt ceremony that merged the diverse backgrounds of each family. Alex, being a poet, had exquisite vows that were funny, honest and loving. Freddy… well she made me cry… as she professed the true respect, love and commitment between them.
The reception was wonderfully casual with a focus on honoring the couple, spending time with family and friends and enjoying the island. Guest mingled around the island and house enjoying the view or partaking in the fun of the photo booth (provided by DJ Lennox). It was a perfect atmosphere. Alex sung a special song for Freddy that was a true highlight of the reception. And Freddy and Alex included their siblings in the special dances. There aren’t enough words to describe how wonderful this couple is. Every time I look at the photos and think of their wedding day my heart is filled with love and gratitude that I get to be part of such a special day in their lives. I am so glad I was able to be part of it. Please enjoy these reception photos and feel free to leave a comment. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony |Officiants: Shai Davidai and Yardenne Greenspan (friends)
Reception Venue | Casa Blanca on Cherry Island http://www.casablanca-cherryisland.com/ Owner Phil Amsterdam
Hair and Make-up | Emile Merwin [email protected]
Dress | Dominique Levesque http://dominiquebridal.ca/wedding-dresses
Flowers | Bouquets by Primrose Hill Flower Co. Kathleen Murphy www.primrosehillflowercompany.com [email protected] Other flowers done by Freddy Loew and Katrina Wahl
Food| Savory Downtown http://www.savorydowntown.com/
Cake| Cathy Gallagher [email protected] 315-408-7318
DJ | Ryan Lennox [email protected] http://djlennox.com/
Ceremony Music | Ryan Vanderhoof [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/Ryan-Vanderhoof-Music-306551122783816/
Tent | Amazing Occasions Address: 744 James St, Clayton, NY 13624 Phone: (315) 285-5237
Assistant Photographer | Allison Merkur Accent Studio https://www.facebook.com/myaccentstudio
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Full Wedding
Wow! What a wonderful wedding! If you didn’t read the sneak peek post for Freddy and Alex’s wedding you should check that one out at http://www.nataliewstudio.com/blog/2017/8/vintage-victorian-wedding-at-casa-blanca-on-cherry-island-in-alexandria-bay , there is a great narrative about this fantastic couple and their wonderful wedding day thats worth a read.
There are so many fantastic wedding photos from this wonderful day that I actually can’t fit them all in one blog post. So here you will find the getting ready photos and most of the portraits. And don’t forget to check out the slideshow and wedding album.
Freddy looked stunning in her beautiful lace dress (from Dominique Levesque) and she was absolutely glowing. Her good friend Emile did her makeup, which was exceptional. Freddy wore an antique ivory rose necklace and matching earrings. And her ring is a custom design with an heirloom diamond from Alex’s family. The Casa Blanca on Cherry Island provided Victorian material that made a perfect backdrop for their special day. And Freddy used vintage vases and bowls to hold arrangements of mums, succulents, dusty miller, baby’s breath, mini roses and more.
Freddy and Alex both love literature. Freddy is a librarian and archeologist and Alex is a poet and teaches English. So when I saw the library at the Casa Blanca I knew we had to use that spot for portraits. I love finding personal details I can weave into wedding day portraits and this one was perfect. Another detail was the “unique” gargoyles on the islands. These semi-ghoulish statues were one of the things that Freddy just loved about Cherry Island. She is drawn to unique and different things that tell a story. So we made a special point to include them in the portraits.
So take a look at all of the wonderful and unique wedding photos for Freddy and Alex and be sure to leave me a comment. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print. And don’t forget to check out Part 2 for the fun and the reception at http://www.nataliewstudio.com/blog/2017/9/eclectic-vintage-wedding-at-casa-blanca-alex-bay-part-2
Wedding Slideshow
Wedding Images
Wedding Album
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony |Officiants: Shai Davidai and Yardenne Greenspan (friends)
Reception Venue | Casa Blanca on Cherry Island http://www.casablanca-cherryisland.com/ Owner Phil Amsterdam
Hair and Make-up | Emile Merwin [email protected]
Dress | Dominique Levesque http://dominiquebridal.ca/wedding-dresses
Flowers | Bouquets by Primrose Hill Flower Co. Kathleen Murphy www.primrosehillflowercompany.com [email protected] Other flowers done by Freddy Loew and Katrina Wahl
Food| Savory Downtown http://www.savorydowntown.com/
Cake| Cathy Gallagher [email protected] 315-408-7318
DJ | Ryan Lennox [email protected] http://djlennox.com/
Ceremony Music | Ryan Vanderhoof [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/Ryan-Vanderhoof-Music-306551122783816/
Tent | Amazing Occasions Address: 744 James St, Clayton, NY 13624 Phone: (315) 285-5237
Assistant Photographer | Allison Merkur Accent Studio https://www.facebook.com/myaccentstudio
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Proposal Portraits
Less than a year ago I had the pleasure of helping to organize a surprise proposal for a good friend of mine. But before I get to that story… a few thoughts.
It always amazes me how my profession as a photographer is so much more than taking a photo. My job leads me to amazing relationships and bonds that are the real foundation of what I do. When I create artwork for others it is…and always has been …about love. And it never fails that some sessions lead to the greatest relationships with my clients. I photographed Chelsea for her high school senior graduation back when I had just opened my studio in Copenhagen NY. We had a great time and I knew right away she was a salt of the earth kind of person. Then we ended up going to church together. When Chelsea started attending Clarkson University she knew we had apartments up in Potsdam and rented the apartment directly across from the one Matt and I live in. It was fantastic. She had her dog Daisy and we had just gotten our puppy Copper. They became amazing friends, and Chelsea and I did too. When she needed breaks from studying or school work and I needed breaks from editing photos we would text each other and take the two dogs out to play. We had tons of great conversation about all sorts of topics and just life in general. But of course we also talked about boys.
So when she told me about Zane I was pretty excited for her. He seemed so genuine and a true gentleman from all the stories Chelsea told me. It made me reminisce about when Matt and I were first dating in college and what a special and unique time that is. I was so happy for Chelsea, she really deserved an amazing man and they just seemed to fit together perfectly.
I actually remember the first time I got to meet Zane. I had heard so much and I was honestly pretty excited to get to chat with him in person. He was just perfect for Chelsea! I loved how easy going and confident he was. They really are the perfect match and it is easy to see. They went together seamlessly. Soon Zane was around whenever he could be and it was always a pleasure to hang out with him. I was over the moon happy for them both.
So the secret proposal…Zane contacted me and told me he wanted to propose but he wanted to make it a surprise and photograph it. I love surprises like this so I was all in and pretty excited. We decided I would nonchalantly get Chelsea to agree to model for me for a practice photo session. I told her I needed to photograph another couple using the land around our apartments but wanted to practice to find good spots. I tried to suggest that it would be really nice if I had another couple that I could practice with. Well... Zane “happened” to be coming up that weekend and she said she would ask him if he wouldn’t mind. Meanwhile Zane and I had been working together in the background planning all of this. I love surprises but they are a bit tricky to pull off sometimes. There were several things that we had to convince Chelsea without letting her know something was up. For example; it was going to rain but we HAD to do the practice session that day because I didn’t have any other time.
We went around and did some little shoots in different areas of the property. Zane and I were so excited it was hard to keep a straight face. But we got some beautiful portraits of the two of them. It makes my heart race just thinking about it. At the end of the session I asked if they would step apart and then walk up to each other and kiss. Zane dropped to one knee and pulled the ring out of his sock. (He had to hide it there because it would have shown in his pocket.) It was so sweet. I am not going to lie.. I cried a little behind my camera. I feel so unbelievably blessed to have been part of this amazing moment.
I have watched Chelsea grow from a teenager into a wonderful and amazing young woman with a huge heart and amazing work ethic. Chelsea and Zane are so perfect together and I am so happy for them. They are both smart, hard working and loving people that I am so glad to know. I wish I could be there on their wedding day this weekend. Even though I can’t attend I will be thinking of them and be there in spirit. I am proud to know them both and am so very excited for the next chapter in their love story. As they build their house and enter into their new jobs and grow their family I know so many amazing things are in their future. Chelsea and Zane, I am so very happy for you both and I don’t have to wish you and luck or love because I know you two are rock solid and will be there for each other through it all. Truly remember to take time for each other, listen more than you speak and always put the other first. I am SO happy for you two. I hope you have an amazing wedding day celebration. But remember the wedding is just a day and the marriage is forever.
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Full Wedding
What and absolutely beautiful wedding!!! Congratulations Michelle and Chris! They are such a gorgeous couple and had a stunning background right in the middle of the Adirondacks at the White Face Lodge in Lake Placid. You couldn’t have asked for a better day; sunny and beautiful.
Michelle chose a beautiful soft light blue wedding color that complemented the natural outdoor scenery of the ADK’s with blue mountains, the beautiful Lake Placid and all of the great views that White Face has to offer. I absolutely loved her floral head piece as well! She looked absolutely stunning! And of course Chris looked very handsome as well. He and his band of groomsmen were in grey which complemented the light blue perfectly. Michelle’s bridesmaids wore gowns by BHLDN called Dove Dress in Light Blue. They were so whimsical and looked fantastic on each girl! Lake Placid Flower and Gift made stunning bouquets that include hydrangea’s , roses and that amazing soft blue accent of the dusty miller leaves. And the Panache Hair Studio did a great job on hair and make-up.
Michelle and Chris’s wedding day was in one word…FUN. They had a large bridal party full of family and friends that were just so excited to celebrate their day. We got to ride a bus around town and catch a few photos in down town Lake Placid… even stopped a little traffic!
It was a beautiful day. I hope you all enjoy the wedding photos. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. (Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print. )
Wedding Slideshow
Wedding Images
Wedding Album
Wedding Full Gallery
To view the full wedding gallery go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/kulak
Oh… and don’t forget to check out all the photo booth photos there too.
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony, Reception, Food & Cake |White Face Lodge http://www.thewhitefacelodge.com/
Hair and Make-up | Kelsey Gabriele Panache Hair Studio Clifton Park, NY https://www.facebook.com/Panache-Hair-and-Nail-Studio
Dress | Bridal Gallery By Yvonne http://bridalgallerybyyvonne.com & BHLDN http://www.bhldn.com/bridal-party-view-all-dresses/dove-dress-light-blue/productoptionids/0ded5c2c-d13c-440c-a5b9-bcbc15fc89d9
Tuxes | Choppa & Son http://choppatux.com/index.htm
Flowers | Lake Placid Flower & Gift 5970 Sentinel Rd Lake Placid, NY 12946 https://lakeplacidflowerandgift.com/tag/lake-placid-flower-and-gift-company/
DJ | Shaun Dulen FLE Event Group: Finger Lakes Entertainment 119 E Elm St Penn Yan, NY 14527 http://www.fingerlakesentertainment.com/
Ceremony Music | Trio String Players: Golden Scroll Soloists contact: Marianne [email protected] (860) 333-5461
Assistant Photographer| Jeff St. Onge http://www.jeffstongephotography.com/
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding
Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Mosier! What a beautiful wedding day for Cindy and Morgan at the Thousand Islands Winery in Alexandria Bay NY. Cindy and Morgan chose the winery because they both love wine, Morgan even proposed after they did their own 1000 Islands wine tour.
One of my favorite things about Cindy and Morgan is how you can tell they are each other’s safe space. When Cindy and Morgan told me about how they first met and how they felt at that moment you can tell that this love was meant to be. Cindy was actually interviewing Morgan for a job and she recalls, “The moment he walked into my office for the interview I felt a strange "air" around us. Just a different feeling. Every time we were near each other I stumbled over my words, stuttering. When he first held my hand I felt numb, tingly, and excited. It was like nothing I had ever experienced.” And Morgan said, “After the interview I immediately decided to leave my other, better paying job, to come work with her.” They just knew they needed to be together.
And on their first date Cindy said she was so nervous she didn’t even want to go inside the restaurant, so instead they sat in the car and talked, holding hands. The safety and security they provide each other is apparent and so beautiful. Morgan knew at that first date that she was the one he wanted to spend all of his time with.
I couldn’t be happier to have had the chance to get to know Cindy and Morgan and be part of the beginning of another chapter in their love story. Cindy LOVES photography and we were able to capture so many beautiful moments and portraits from there special day. I truly hope all of these images remind them of all the love and partnership they share. Thank you two for making me part of your day.
Cindy chose a stunning look with teal dresses and deep red roses! I just love the vibrancy and contrast especially with Cindy’s stunning blue eyes. They decorated with a rustic flare including burlap and lace along with the beautiful teal. And there was even some glitter…my favorite!
Cindy and Morgan surrounded themselves with a wonderful bridal party full of family and friends. You could tell how happy everyone was to be there supporting them on their special day. Their ceremony was filled with meaningful moments including a solo by Cindy of “Mary Me” for Morgan. It was beautiful. And even though we had a little rain before, it cleared up so they could have a gorgeous outdoor ceremony on the grounds of the TI Winery.
Wedding Images
Wedding Album
Wedding Full Gallery & Photo Booth Images
To view the full gallery go to: http://www.nataliewstudio.com/mosier
And don’t forget the photo booth!!! Feel free to download any copies you would like for your family and friends.
Also take a look at the Wedding Album and Slideshow in this blog post.
Enjoy!
Natalie
“Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print. “
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Assistant Photographer | Dani T http://danitphotography.com/
Ceremony & Reception | Thousand Islands Winery https://www.thousandislandswinery.com/
Hair and Make-up | Dailyn from the Look Salon, Potsdam NY
Dress | David’s Bridal
Tuxes |Men’s Warehouse
Flowers | Verville Flowers, Massena http://vervillesflowers.com/
Food| PCP Catering, Ogdensburg https://www.facebook.com/PCP-BBQ-Catering
Cake| April’s Cake Shop http://www.aprilscakeshop.com/
DJ & Band | Shawn Stoddard
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Sneak Peek
Wow! Congratulations to Shana and Mike! What a wonderful wedding celebration yesterday. The day was filled with loving family, amazing friends, awesome music, excellent food and tons of fun. I truly had a wonderful time. Shana and Mike are kind hearted and so much fun. They had a beautiful wedding at Shana’s parents’ home on the water in Chaumont NY. Shana chose beautiful rose gold and champagne colors that perfectly matched her vintage retro style. It was a beautiful bright sunny September day and we were able to capture amazing images for this fantastic couple. We even got to highlight Mike’s Harley! So without further adu… here is a sneak peak of the wedding photos.
The full wedding will be ready to view in 2-3 months. It will be announced with another blog post for you all to enjoy. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. In the meantime… 50 comments on this blog post and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony & Reception Venue | Private Home
Hair and Make-up | The Traveling Stylists, Tara Reaves & Moriah Percy from The Beauty Bar
Dress | New York Bride and Co. & David’s Bridal
Tuxes | Men’s Warehous
Flowers |Wooden Flowers from Ecoflowers.com
Food| Limp Lizard… and it was AMAZING http://www.limplizardbbq.com/
Cake| Stephanie's Cakes
Decor | Briana from Pretty Little Vintage Company. http://www.prettylittlevintageco.com/
Photo Booth Bus | Heather Leigh Gill of Snapshots Photo Booth and Bus http://snapshotsnny.com/ 315-286-6645
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Generational Portraits
Generational art portraits are one of the most meaningful portrait sessions. Although it can be challenging to get all of your family together, when you do, it is a wonderful idea to create a family art portrait. It’s priceless to have generational piece of artwork, like a visual family tree that can be enjoyed now and passed on to future generations.
I had the pleasure of working with a family that I have known since I was about 6 years old! Now that I am back in my hometown, it has been very fulfilling to be able to use my talents as an artist to bring joy to people who have been part of my life. Ms. Elliott was my 2nd grade teacher and member of the church I was a nanny at for several years during high school years. In fact, I was the church nanny to Ashlin (her Granddaughter) who is now a beautiful young lady entering her senior year of high school. It brings me so much joy to be able to share what I do with others. And I really enjoyed meeting the rest of the Elliott, Hansen & Baker Families.
We chose to do their portraits using Ms. Elliott’s beautiful front porch. I love things like this because they make the artwork more custom and personal to the family. Also, we did the portrait session just before a big family barbeque. That is a great way to ensure all family members will be able to partake in the family portraits. And all you really need to do is coordinate clothing. So the next time you are thinking of getting the family together consider organizing an hour ahead of your event to take time to create a lasting piece of artwork for generations to enjoy now and forever.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Engagement
What a fun photo shoot for Amanda, Chris and Axel! We started at the studio and god some casual outdoor family and engagement style portraits using the greenery around the studio. Amanda did a great job coordinating clothing. The family had a cute jean outfit theme with a pop of red and Amanda and Axel even had matching hunter boots.
Then Amanda, Chris and I did a lifestyle shoot getting coffee at Park Brothers in Potsdam. (If you haven’t gone there you need too… it is fantastic.) They had a little coffee date and we got some incredibly fun and sophisticated portraits for them.
Amanda and Chris’ wedding is right around the corner. Wish them congratulation and a good time! Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding “Sneak Peek”
Wow! What a wonderful wedding! I usually post 10 or so photos for a quick sneak peek after each wedding to make sure you get to see the amazing photographs right after. But I couldn’t help but show you more! So, sorry this is a little delayed but here is a full preview of the Freddy and Alex’s amazing wedding at the Casa Blanca on Cherry Island.
There aren’t enough words to describe how wonderful this couple and wedding day was. Every time I look at the photos and think of their wedding day my heart is filled with love and gratitude that I get to be part of such a special day in people’s lives. Freddy and Alex are a perfect match. I love their quirkiness… and I don’t think they would mind me saying that they are quirky; I think they fully admit it. But that is what is so wonderful. They are so secure and comfortable with each other they allow their full, confident and amazing personality to shine. Freddy loves eclectic things and uniqueness… like the gargoyles on Cherry Island. And Alex is so funny! He is quick with a joke and not afraid to admit his strengths and weaknesses. Alex recalled a story in his vows of how he tried to help Freddy with some home improvements and needless to say he might have created the need for more improvements… but amidst the water leaking and broken pipes (and probably a little frustration) Freddy calmly said, “Well, how are we going to fix this.” That’s how they are… a team. They fit like and hand in a glove and truly bring out the very best in each other. As long as they are by each other’s side everything will be perfect. And their family and friends mirrored these sentiments with all the love, support and speeches on their wedding day. This was one of those profound weddings that really spoke to the meaning of marriage.
Freddy and Alex married their two styles (Freddy very eclectic and Alex simple and clean), with their wedding décor choices. The Casa Blanca on Cherry Island provided a great deal of Victorian eclectic material as a backdrop for their special day. And Freddy used vintage vases and bowls to hold arrangements of mums, succulents, dusty miller, baby’s breath, mini roses and more. The burgundy’s, soft greens, whites and purples looked fantastic. My favorite was the purple succulents. Kathleen Murphy of Primrose Hill created Freddy and Mariana’s bouquets of locally grown wildflowers. And they kept things classy and simple with a beautiful lace dress for Freddy (from Dominique Levesque) and a sharp new suit and plum colored tie for Alex. Freddy wore an antique ivory rose necklace and matching earrings. And her ring is a custom design with an heirloom diamond from Alex’s family.
Freddy’s sister, Mariana and Alex’s twin brother Greg made up their bridal party. They had a sentimental and heartfelt ceremony that merged the diverse backgrounds of each family. Alex, being a poet, had exquisite vows that were funny, honest and loving. Freddy… well she made me cry… as she professed the true respect, love and commitment between them.
Well I guess that is enough gushing about this wedding… I am sure you want to see the photos! Please enjoy this sneak peek of some of my favorites so far. I will be published (in a few months) the full wedding and some more goodies once everything is edited. In the meantime if you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. And remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony |Officiants: Shai Davidai and Yardenne Greenspan (friends)
Reception Venue | Casa Blanca on Cherry Island http://www.casablanca-cherryisland.com/ Owner Phil Amsterdam
Hair and Make-up | Emile Merwin [email protected]
Dress | Dominique Levesque http://dominiquebridal.ca/wedding-dresses
Flowers | Bouquets by Primrose Hill Flower Co. Kathleen Murphy www.primrosehillflowercompany.com [email protected] Other flowers done by Freddy Loew and Katrina Wahl
Food| Savory Downtown http://www.savorydowntown.com/
Cake| Cathy Gallagher [email protected] 315-408-7318
DJ | Ryan Lennox [email protected] http://djlennox.com/
Ceremony Music | Ryan Vanderhoof [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/Ryan-Vanderhoof-Music-306551122783816/
Tent | Amazing Occasions Address: 744 James St, Clayton, NY 13624 Phone: (315) 285-5237
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Newborns
What a sweet little baby boy! This little guy had a wonderful photo shoot with his parents at Natalie’s Studio in Potsdam NY. They chose neutral whites and creams for one look and blues for another look. And because they are hockey fans we even got some newborn hockey fan photos!
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Newborn & Family Photos
Such a sweet little boy! Kullen John Tessier joined us on June 22nd at 3:17pm. He weighed in at 9 pounds and 9 ounces and was 21 ½ inches long. His proud parents Mindy and Ben are so happy he is here. Now their household has three wonderful little boys. Robbie and Ryder are pretty excited to be big brothers. I am so happy to have the opportunity to watch this wonderful family grow. I just love being part of their celebrations.
We created Kullen’s portraits using neutral greys with accents of oranges, corals and blues. He even had a sweet handmade fox print hat. He was such a sweetheart and slept through a beautiful variety of outfit changes and sets. Take a look at his newborn portraits and leave a comment below to let me know what you think.
Potsdam NY based professional photographer Natalie’s Studio photo shoot of a newborn baby boy in neutral grey, orange, coral and blue.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Families
I love generational family photos! They create such an important heirloom for your whole family. I know they are hard to organize, but they are worth it. Take a look at this beautiful three generation family session I was able to do in Clayton NY. The three sisters get together with their parents each year in the 1000 Islands. They came as far away as Texas and Ohio!
And they did a fantastic job coordinating clothing! I always recommend choosing a limited color pallet for heirloom photos like these. It helps the large group stay cohesive without looking too “matchy”. I love how the little girls had flower printed dress in the same colors as the moms. The blues, tans and pinks all really looked great together. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.
And for the family: Follow the link below to access your full resolution images and your web photo versions. (Password in your e-mail)
http://www.nataliewstudio.com/kraus
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Full Wedding
What a wonderful wedding for Kaleb and Sloane. When I think of Kaleb and Sloane the first thing that comes to mind is “down to earth”. I have had the pleasure of knowing Kaleb’s family for several years now, starting with his brother Evan’s wedding. And they are all just the nicest people; true Lewis County salt of the earth kind of people! And Sloane is the same way. They are fun, easy going and would give a friend the shirt off their back. It has been my pleasure getting to spend time with this great newly married couple and their whole family.
Sloane chose a beautiful soft color pallet of pink, grey, tan and rose gold for her wedding. And it looked lovely! I love neutrals with a pop of color, they just seem to go with everything. It is classy and yet modern with the rose gold accents. Her flowers by Lisk’s florist from Glenfield were ivory, white, soft pink and peachy pink roses with accent flowers. The girls pink flowers looked great against their grey dresses.
Kaleb and Sloane chose the Thousand Islands Harbor Hotel as their wedding location. What a great spot! It is one of my favorites. It has a little bit of everything; great grounds, the water, large dance floor and provides a beautiful background for the wedding ceremony. My favorite part of this particular wedding was that Kaleb got to ride to the Harbor Hotel on a boat making a grand entrance. And.. even better… we got to use the boat for photos! I love the portraits of Kaleb and Sloane on the dock and in the boat they are so sweet and the soft blue water looks great with their wedding colors.
Another fun detail was that the whole bridal party wore grey converse sneakers. See, I told you they were fun! I can image that Sloane was far more comfortable in those than in high heels. Plus it really allowed her to tear up the dance floor in style too!
We even caught a fantastic summer sunset at the end of the night. I love it when that happens! And when you’re at the river it is even better as the sun reflects off the water. I was so happy with all the portraits we got with the sunset in the background. I think Kaleb and Sloane will have lots of great photos to remember their wonderful wedding by.
So without further adu… here are Kaleb and Sloane’s Amazing wedding photos!
Don’t forget to comment on the blog post. 50 comments and they win a framed 8x10 and 100 and it is a framed 11x14. And scroll down to the bottom of the post to see the full gallery and the album.
Wedding Slideshow
Wedding Images
Wedding Full Gallery
To view the full wedding gallery go to https://www.nataliewstudio.com/schweitzer_k
(I suggest starting with the Photographers Picks gallery since the full wedding has 1000+ images in it. :-) )
Wedding Album
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony, Reception, Food & Wedding Coordinator |The Harbor Hotel, Heather Countryman 315-686-1100 http://www.1000islandsharborhotel.com/
Officiant | Steven Vance
Cake Artist | Aunt Renee Bush (315) 286-7174
Makeup Artist | Ellie Pate (315) 783-2490
Hair Artist | Cathy bush (315) 376-8060
Florist | Lisks (315) 376-8092 http://www.lisksfloral.com/
DJ | Jesse Lennex (315) 778-9995 http://djlennox.com/
Dress | David’s Bridal
Tuxes | Kohls
Wedding Assistant | Kim Fillingham http://4getmenotphotos.com/
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Sneak Peek
What and absolutely beautiful wedding!!! Congratulations Michelle and Chris! You two are such a wonderful couple and had a stunning background right in the middle of the Adirondacks at the White Face Lodge in Lake Placid. You couldn’t have asked for a better day; sunny and beautiful.
Michelle chose a beautiful soft light blue wedding color that complemented the natural outdoor scenery of the ADK’s with blue mountains, the beautiful Lake Placid and all of the great views that White Face has to offer. I absolutely loved her floral head piece as well! She looked absolutely stunning! And of course Chris looked very handsome as well. He and his band of groomsmen were in grey which complemented the light blue perfectly. Michelle’s bridesmaids wore gowns by BHLDN called Dove Dress in Light Blue. They were so whimsical and looked fantastic on each girl! Lake Placid Flower and Gift made stunning bouquets that include hydrangea’s, roses and that amazing soft blue accent of the dusty miller leaves. And the Panache Hair Studio did a great job on hair and make-up.
Michelle and Chris’s wedding day was in one word…FUN. They had a large bridal party full of family and friends that were just so excited to celebrate their day. We got to ride a bus around town and catch a few photos in down town Lake Placid… even stopped a little traffic!
It was a beautiful day. I hope you all enjoy this sneak peek of the wedding photography. Be sure to stay tuned for the full wedding blog post that will come out in a few months. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. (Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print. )
Oh… and don’t forget to check out all the photo booth photos. The link is at the bottom of this blog (They are all available for free download. )
Oh… and don’t forget to check out all the photo booth photos. If you don’t you might get hit by a snowball! (They are all available for free download. ) http://www.nataliewstudio.com/kulak
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony, Reception, Food & Cake |White Face Lodge http://www.thewhitefacelodge.com/
Hair and Make-up | Kelsey Gabriele Panache Hair Studio Clifton Park, NY https://www.facebook.com/Panache-Hair-and-Nail-Studio
Dress | Bridal Gallery By Yvonne http://bridalgallerybyyvonne.com & BHLDN http://www.bhldn.com/bridal-party-view-all-dresses/dove-dress-light-blue/productoptionids/0ded5c2c-d13c-440c-a5b9-bcbc15fc89d9
Tuxes | Choppa & Son http://choppatux.com/index.htm
Flowers | Lake Placid Flower & Gift 5970 Sentinel Rd Lake Placid, NY 12946 https://lakeplacidflowerandgift.com/tag/lake-placid-flower-and-gift-company/
DJ | Shaun Dulen FLE Event Group: Finger Lakes Entertainment 119 E Elm St Penn Yan, NY 14527 http://www.fingerlakesentertainment.com/
Ceremony Music | Trio String Players: Golden Scroll Soloists contact: Marianne [email protected] (860) 333-5461
Assistant Photographer| Jeff St. Onge http://www.jeffstongephotography.com/
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Newborn & Family Photography
What a GORGOUS newborn baby girl photo session! Mom, Liz came to me early to plan newborn photos for her second baby girl, Elliana Faith. She chose purple and green as a color pallet with a subtle butterfly theme. And would you believe I didn’t have any purple props! Seriously, that is my favorite color…looked like and excuse to go shopping ;-). With the help of my dear friend Richelle, we put together 3 brand new newborn sets to perfectly match Ellie’s colors and theme. It couldn’t have turned out any better. We cut out paper butterflies to create a custom background that was both classy and whimsical. And we used a variety of flowers in plum, lavender, purple, periwinkle and blue to create a forest inspired bed for baby Ellie. If you have unique ideas it pays off to plan ahead of time. I love making custom sets, they just take a little planning and sometimes some shopping.
We also had the great opportunity to photograph big sister Avery who just turned 2! She was such a sweetheart and even entertained us with a little kiss for Ellie providing one of my newest favorite images. Plus we were able to do some special family photos with Avery; a great bonus for her birthday.
A big thank you to Amanda, Andrew, Richelle and Gregg who all teamed up and helped with the session. Whether they were “baby wrangling” older children, making sure mom and dad looked great or wrapping Ellie in a sweet little bundle, everyone was a great help. That’s another great tip… bring helpers to your newborn session, extra hands are often helpful and ensure safety for a newborn photo shoot.
I am so honored to be able to create such wonderful pieces of custom art for this fantastic family. Please enjoy the photos and video birth announcement. (Be sure to scroll all the way down to see the video.)
Also, 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding
Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Mosier! What a beautiful wedding day for Cindy and Morgan at the Thousand Islands Winery in Alexandria Bay NY. Cindy and Morgan chose the winery because they both love wine, Morgan even proposed after they did their own 1000 Islands wine tour.
Cindy chose a stunning look with teal dresses and deep red roses! I just love the vibrancy and contrast, especially with Cindy’s stunning blue eyes. They decorated with a rustic flare including burlap and lace, along with the beautiful teal. And there was even some glitter…my favorite!
Cindy and Morgan surrounded themselves with a wonderful bridal party full of family and friends. You could tell how happy everyone was to be there supporting them on their special day. Their ceremony was filled with meaningful moments including a solo by Cindy of “Mary Me” for Morgan. It was wonderful. And even though we had a little rain before, it cleared up so they could have a gorgeous outdoor ceremony on the grounds of the TI Winery. I am so honored to have been part of their special day!
Here is the sneak peek of the wedding photos. Stay tuned for the full gallery coming soon. And don’t forget the photo booth!!! Click on the link below to view the photo booth photos and feel free to download any copies you would like for your family and friends.
Click this link to get the photo booth photos http://www.nataliewstudio.com/mosier
Enjoy!
Natalie
“Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print. “
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Assistant Photographer | Dani T http://danitphotography.com/
Ceremony & Reception | Thousand Islands Winery https://www.thousandislandswinery.com/
Hair and Make-up | Dailyn from the Look Salon, Potsdam NY
Dress | David’s Bridal
Tuxes |Men’s Warehouse
Flowers | Verville Flowers, Massena http://vervillesflowers.com/
Food| PCP Catering, Ogdensburg https://www.facebook.com/PCP-BBQ-Catering
Cake| April’s Cake Shop http://www.aprilscakeshop.com/
DJ & Band | Shawn Stoddard https://www.facebook.com/shawn.d.stoddard
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Full Post
Wow, what an amazing wedding for Andy and Carol. I honestly cried on my drive home the next day from this wedding because I was so filled with emotion thinking about life, love and family. (And I was likely a bit over tired too…) But truly, Andy and Carol’s love was palpable on this beautiful day. And all of their family and friends were completely filled with joy for them. They are such a genuine couple and everyone involved in the wedding day was really honored to be part of the next chapter in their love story.
Andy and Carol had a very classic movie theme to their wedding décor. They chose a royal navy blue as an accent color to their classic lace and bow tie look. They added sparkles of gold and gems to glam it up just a bit. Linda, Carol’s sister made amazing ribbon flower bouquets that looked incredible. I love this trend! Then you get to keep your bouquet after the wedding. And I loved the accents of gems and jewels that added a little sparkle to the bouquet.
Andy and Carol’s ceremony was at Auskerada Place in Dolgeville NY and their reception was held at the Beardslee Castle in Little Falls NY. I am so honored I was able to be part of their special day. I hope you all enjoy all of the wedding photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Wedding Slideshow
Wedding Images
Wedding Album
To view the full wedding gallery go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/vogel
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Assistant Photographer| Dani T Photography http://danitphotography.com/
Ceremony | Auskerada Place https://www.facebook.com/auskeradaplace/
Reception Venue |Beardslee Castle http://beardsleecastle.com/
Hair| Lucinda Martyniuk https://www.facebook.com/lucinda.martyniuk
Tuxes | Vitullo http://vitullos.com/
Flowers | Linda Lamb (sister of the bride)
Cake| The Cakery Cafe LLC https://www.facebook.com/CakeryCafellc/
Band |Cleen Street https://www.facebook.com/Cleenstreet.Band
Classic Cars| Ed and Bill Fake are providing the classic cars for transportation. They own a local garage and collect classic cars. https://www.facebook.com/Fakesauto/
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Fun Photo Shoots
Recently a few photographer friends and I got together to practice night photography. Jennifer McClusky of McCluskey Photography and Maria Weston of Weston-Garvey Photography and I got together to do a fun photo shoot. We wanted to test some new gear and lighting techniques for night portraits. All of us are members of the Professional Photographers Society of Northern New York.
We started in a field in Canton near dusk and tested some different ways to use off camera lighting. I found that my beauty dish works a lot better than my soft box in this scenario. (Also always remember to bring bug spray in this scenario!) I was practicing with a long lens (with an extender) at that point so the field photos almost look like they are done in the studio.
Then we traveled over to the main street in Canton NY to attempt to get some shinning street light photos. We had to dodge a few quick rain down pours but they quickly passed. In fact the rain made the street glimmer with lights since it was wet after. I tested my new wescott rapid box soft boxes on the street and they worked great. I think they will be a great addition to my on location gear.
Our wonderful models were Laura and Megan. Both are physical therapy students at Clarkson University. These lovely ladies agreed to model for us so that we had great subjects to photograph and practice on. They did a great job and I think we all had a lot of fun. Laura and Megan happen to be room mates so we even did a few photos of them together.
To check out the other photographers who were there follow these links. (*All images in this blog are Natalie’s Studio images.)
http://www.mccluskeyphotography.net/
http://www.weston-garveyphotography.com/
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Sneak Peek
WOW! What an amazing wedding to start the season with. I feel overwhelmed with so much love for family and friends after spending such an amazing weekend with the new Mr. and Mrs. Andy Vogel and all of their family. I am TRULY honored to have been part of this fantastic day.
“Brother Mark” said that the love Carol and Andy share radiates out of them and truly touches the people around them; and this couldn’t be more accurate! It was contagious. I feel like my cheeks hurt from smiling so much at this wedding. Everyone was simply amazing and it truly touched me to see all of their family and friends celebrating their special day. (I am not going to lie, I cried on my drive home with tears of joy just thinking of family, love and life.)
And it was so classy! I loved how Andy and Carol gave their wedding day a classic movie vibe. I can’t wait to share all of the details and stories of this wedding. But for now here is a sneak peek. Stay tuned to the blog for the full wedding.
If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
P.S. A great big thank you to my talented assistant Danielle Thorn from Dani T Photography.
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Who am I kidding I learned from so many more than just 6 photographers...
One of the first things that I did when I started my business seven years ago was to interview experienced photographers. The one thing that I heard again and again was to join the PPA; Professional Photographers of America. Having a background in education, I knew that continuing education was important but had no idea how to go about finding it for my photography business…enter the PPA. I joined the closest chapter to where I lived at the time ( which happened to be an hour and a half away) and it was one of the best decisions that I made for my business and myself. Through that experience I have made countless friends and continued to learn and grow as a person and as a photographer.
Recently I attended the Focus NY Convention hosted by the PPSNYS (Professional Photographers of New York) in Buffalo New York. What a great convention! I had the opportunity to learn from experienced photographers, network with friends and have a great time. It was a fantastic weekend and here are a few of the highlights.
I started the convention off with a newborn posing workshop with Stephanie Jane Portraits. We were fortunate enough to have a baby model to work with. I got some great tips on how to calm new parents and how to wrap babies in cute little bundles for their photos.
Saturday I had a chance to work with the incredible New York City wedding photographer Will Cadena. We went out to Silo city to photograph models. Some of my biggest takeaways were to look for the negative space in a scene and put your model there, to use my lighting more dramatically and to get the shot and keep moving. I also loved how he showed us some tips and tricks when doing walking poses to add move movement and reality to the image. Will’s style has inspired me to give my clients something even more edgy and unique.
And sometimes you learn something incredible when you least expect it. I decided to take a few classes from Don Komarechka even though macro photography is not really my specialty. WOW. His work is mind blowing! I absolutely loved learning from Don. Not only was he very organized and a great speaker he was really fun to listen to. I strongly recommend his workshops. I learned all sorts of new techniques like focus stacking, star trails and tips on macro. I can’t wait to try his techniques someday.
On Sunday we got a trifecta of three amazing photographers teaching on location! Tony Corbell, Dana Norlund and Rick Freedman did a joint model session at Silo City. Each photographer showed different lighting techniques and how to pose models. I loved Tony’s tip about not shooting the light into the models chest but instead turning their chest away and bring their face back toward the light. (I am excited to use that now.) And Dana gave us some great tips on how to use constant lights in the studio the day prior. Then Rick showed us how to use colored gels and speed lights to create a colorful and interesting background in an otherwise blank space.
These inspirational photographers had so much knowledge to share I can't even begin to write it all down. But I am grateful for the experience and all of the little tips and tricks that I learned from the workshop.
A special thank you to our PPSNY president Pat Luke and all of the others who helped organize Focus NY. And congratulations to Monroe Payne as he takes on the roll of the next president. And a special thanks to all of my photography family (PPSCNY, PPSNNY, and Greater Rochester) for the good times and learning together. I can't wait until the next one. Miss you all!
Join PPA today!
Shout Outs to our great educators!
Stephanie Jane Portraits http://www.stephaniejaneportraits.com/
Will Cadena http://www.willcadena.com/
Tony Corbell https://www.tonycorbell.com/
Dana Nordlund http://dananordlund.com/
Rick Freedman http://www.rickfriedman.com/
Don Komarechka http://www.donkom.ca/
Monreo Payne http://www.monroepaynephotography.com/
Pat Luke https://www.lukephotography.com/
Thank you Melissa and Dani for some cell phone photo of the fun times.
http://www.sarissamelissaphotography.com/
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Photography
Sometimes Mother Nature seems to have a sense of humor. When planning Michelle and Chris’s engagement session we simply wanted some snow and ice. And you would think, living in Northern NY, that wouldn’t be too much to ask. Our original date of the session was in January after all. Well… it was approaching the date of the session and there was absolutely no snow and the ice was not safe to skate on. So we picked a new date… still no snow. And as the weeks went by I was starting to get worried. So Michelle told me that they were attending the ECAC Hockey game in Lake Placid. And that sparked an idea. What if we could get fun hockey photos of Michelle and Chris enjoying the game. So that is what we decided on. But… when I called to be sure I could bring in professional gear to the ECAC game I found that was not allowed. Oh no….
Enter a Winter Nor’easter Storm… YAY!!! Only a few days before their session the whole north east got lots of snow; I was pretty excited about the storm. And we couldn’t have asked for better weather. Thirty five degrees, sunny with fresh white snow! So we went to the White Face Lodge in Lake Placid and had a beautiful engagement photo session. The rustic lodge and Adirondack background looked great with the fresh snow. And the ice rink was open so we got to play a little hockey! (So to all of those out there hoping for Mother Nature to cooperate with your photo session… just have faith.)
Michelle and Chris are such a sweet couple. They both enjoy winter sports making White Face Lodge the perfect location for their wedding this July. In fact Chris even proposed while at the top of Whiteface Mountain when they were snowboarding. And they both love Hockey. Christopher is in a men’s league. And the team pretty much makes up all of his groomsmen. Chris and Michelle love to play hockey together, snowboard, hike… just about anything outdoors. Michelle also rides horses competitively, including dressage. Michelle and Chris actually met at his grandmother’s farm when he was helping move horse jumps. I can just see them someday owning lots of land (which will look amazing since Chris does landscape architecture) and really enjoying all that Mother Nature has to offer. (Even if she does have an odd sense of humor.)
So without further ado here are Michelle and Christopher’s beautiful Winter Adirondack Engagement Photos.
To view the full wedding gallery go to: http://www.nataliewstudio.com/kulak_engagement
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Norwood Norfolk Class of 2017 {Sarah}
Has this snow got you thinking of fun winter entertainment? You’re in luck! Enjoy a show stopping performance this St. Patrick’s day from the Potsdam Figure Skating Club at Clarkson’s Cheel Arena. The Figure Skating club will be presenting “A Night at the Movies” starting at 7pm. Skaters will be preforming numbers to songs from movies including; Austin Powers, Singing in the Rain, Star Wars, Trolls and so many more! The ice may be cold but these skaters are going to bring on the summer vibe with their energetic performance.
Be sure to cheer her on senior skater Sarah Lavigne while she solos to song “Summer of 69’”. I have had the pleasure of knowing this fantastic young lady since she was just a baby! (Wow that makes me feel old…) In fact I used to baby sit her and now she baby sits my baby!
I had the pleasure of photographing this inspiring young lady for her senior photos this last summer. This beautiful young women is a hard working girl, full of drive and tons of smarts.
We had a fantastic photo session showing off her love and skills as a skater, her bright personality and also her American pride. We created great skating portraits in the studio and at the area. We also got the chance to get some laid back outdoor field portraits and even caught a sunset. (Thanks for the flag mom! That one is awesome!) Check out her fantastic images and be sure to wish her Congratulations as she nears the end of her senior year and the beginning of a whole new adventure.
Sarah will be graduating from Norwood Norfolk Central School with the Class of 2017. Congratulations Sarah! I am so proud to know you and wish you the very VERY best!!
(Don’t forget to go to the show. Friday March 17th, Cheel Area 7PM Adults $6, Children $3, Children under 5 free.)
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Full Wedding Post
Happy February Everyone! I have great news… Carrie and Lisa’s full wedding is now ready and published. (So sorry for the delay, we have been under construction at the studio. Stay tuned to the blog to see all of the awesome renovations we have been doing!)
What a wonderful day for Carrie and Lisa! Although it was a cold January day, we were all surrounded by the warmth of love and family for Carrie and Lisa’s winter wedding at Pat’s Barn in the Rensselaer Technology Park. It was such a unique location. Pat’s Barn is a reconstructed rustic barn with all of the modern amenities you could ask for. And it provided a beautiful backdrop for Carrie and Lisa’s special day.
They chose grey and burgundy as their color palette which looked great! And although we didn’t have any snow for their beautiful wedding photos, we got to use the great historical buildings at Pat’s Barn and even caught a fantastic sunset.
I have had so much fun working with Carrie and Lisa. I just love how they care for each other with such a pure love. These two are so perfect for one another and balance each other beautifully. They are smart, unique, caring and fun. I am so glad I was able to be part of this important moment. And it was such a joy getting to know all of their family and friends.
I hope you all enjoy all of the wedding photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Wedding App & Full Gallery
To view the full wedding gallery go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/mcginnis
Wedding Slideshow
Wedding Images
Wedding Album
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Wedding Coordinator| Gerri Thompson [email protected]
Ceremony & Reception Venue |Pat’s Barn 110 Defreest Dr Troy, NY 12180 www.patsbarn.com
Décor| Family and Friends and Farm Tables and Wine Barrels were rentals from Total Events
Hair and Make-up | Upstate Beauty, https://upstatebeautyny.com/ Makeup: Amy Renaud [email protected] Hair: Jessica Young
Dress |Bride’s Gown designed by Lillian West, Bridesmaids by Ferri Formals and Bridal, Schenectady, NY
Flowers | Central Market Florist
Food| Longfellows, Gerri Thompson www.longfellows.com (518) 587-0108 [email protected]
Cake| Ed Sturgess Sturgess Family Catering
DJ | Music Man Entertainment, DJ Mike Garrasi, www.musicmanentertainment.com (518) 842-4065, [email protected]
Assistant Photography | Traci McLaughlin [email protected] 315-289-3546 L2LU Photography 115 Pumpkin Ln Syracuse NY 13219
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| High School Senior Photography
Hello There!
It’s not too early to start thinking about your High School Senior Portraits! Although we see snow outside spring and summer are just around the corner, and before you know it, it will be time to get your senior portraits created. And why settle for the “same ol’ same ol’ stuff”… get something unique at Natalie’s Studio!
Take a look at this awesome photo session for Heuvelton High School Senior Allison! Allison is an avid horse rider and loves her horses at Sunny Brook Horse Farm. Also, Allison loves the outdoors and wanted her photo session to show off her easy going nature. We were lucky to have beautiful fall colors (this session was last fall) and even got a beautiful blue sky. Would you believe that the portraits with the blue background is actually the reflection of the sky in the water! I was so excited for those. I just think they added such variety to her portraits and looked great with her hair and eyes!
And we had so much fun with all 4 horses! They were so well behaved for their photo shoot. I especially loved that Able let me use my lighting techniques to get that amazing blue cloud sky portrait. Don’t they just look stunning in that one!
We had a great time and really got to show of Allison’s hobbies. Give us a call to plan your senior session before they are all gone!
Natalie's Studio Photography and Photo Booth
Everyone had such a great time at the Davidson Auto Group Holiday Party at the Hilton Garden Inn in Watertown NY. I am always thankful to be part of this fun event where the Davidson family honors their employees and puts on a great dinner, with entertainment by John Westcott of Vinyl Trix, a photo booth by Natalie's Studio and lots of fun prizes too. This year they had a dueling basketball game as a give away that provided for some awesome action shots! I can't wait to see what it will be next year.
Thank you all for a wonderful time and your exceptional service for the Davidson Auto group. All of the photo booth photos and candid photos are available for free download for you to enjoy. Follow this link to view the gallery and access your photos:
http://www.nataliewstudio.com/davidson2017
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Check it out! Enjoy the Frazer kick off party photo booth photos! All the photos are available for download at www.nataliewstudio.com/frazer2017
To download:
- Click SELECT PHOTOS.
- Click the little circle that appears as you hover over each photos OR click the word All at the top of the screen.
- Click DOWNLOAD at the top of the screen.
Do not forget to like us and review us on facebook and google! Your reviews are the best complement you can pay us!
https://plus.google.com/+Nataliewstudio/?hl=en&review=1
https://www.facebook.com/natalieWstudio?sk=reviews
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Photography by Natalie's Studio
What a wonderful wedding day. You could not ask for a better group of family and friends. Carrie and Lisa and their families are soooo nice and welcoming. We just loved being part of their wedding day. Congratulations to Carrie and Lisa!
Please enjoy this sneak peek blog post of some of the wedding photos until the full wedding is edited. (Typically in 2-3 months)
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Couple, Family and Dogs
What a beautiful winter photo session for Shana, Andrew and Evey! Although winter photo shoots can be cold… they can also be a lot of fun. And if you are lucky enough to get a “warmer” winter day that snows, you'll get the bonus of big beautiful snowflakes in the images also!! Just like we got here for Shana and Andrew.
When Shana called me to chat about her photo shoot I was so excited. She and Andrew opt to send New Years cards each year instead of Christmas cards, and since they are from California they really wanted to show off the snowy landscape of Potsdam NY to their family and friends. And of course we wanted to highlight they beautiful dog Evey. She was such a good girl and so photogenic. Defiantly a good poser for the camera!
We all had a great time and ended the photo shoot with a snowball fight for some added fun! Enjoy the images!
For the webpix download go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/brewer
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding {Cory & Sarah}
Cory and Sarah had a beautiful wedding in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. They chose Suzanne's Fine Dining and Regional Cuisine in Lodi for their venue. It was absolutely perfect! Suzanne’s had the perfect combination of a casual and comfortable environment mixed with lots of class. And I must say …the food was incredible. You could cut the beef tenderloin with your fork, all of the flavors were delicious and the presentation was gorgeous. But enough about food… let's talk about Cory and Sarah.
When Cory first contacted me to chat about becoming their wedding photographer I knew I was going to enjoy working with them right away. Cory is an artist and Sarah is a literature professor at St. Lawrence University. Their creative nature was sure to be something we could connect upon. One of the things Cory mentioned when we first spoke was that Sara doesn't care to have her photo taken. So originally I was worried it would be difficult to make Sara smile but that wasn't the case at all. Simply put Cory and Sarah together and all they can do is laugh, smile and be in love. Their genuine expression makes photographing Cory and Sarah such a joy.
Cory and Sarah chose a classy rustic theme for their wedding day. The beautiful barn at Suzanne's Fine Dining and Regional Cuisine and the quaint country kitchen garden made for a beautiful rustic backdrop. Sarah's gorgeous lace wedding gown and vintage ring and hairpiece helped create a romantic rustic event. Sarah's bridesmaids chose their own black dresses and the groomsmen each just wore their best. Her flowers were a beautiful fall combination of reds, oranges, burgandy and plum colors. Ivonne Campbell from IC Weddings did a fantastic job decorating the rustic barn. She brought in some custom screen printed place cards and decorated the tables with an eclectic display of sunflowers, lanterns, fall leaves, beautiful flowers and little boxes filled with homemade caramels (That Sarah had made herself).
Sarah and Cory were married on the hill overlooking the beautiful landscape of the Finger Lakes region of New York. Their closest family and friends were there to enjoy the beautiful union of this happy couple. I am so glad to have gotten to know Cory and Sarah and be part of their wonderful wedding day. It was truly a five star event and I'm so happy for this beautiful couple.
I hope you all enjoy all of the wedding photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Wedding Full Gallery
To view the full wedding gallery go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/vinyard
Wedding Slideshow
Wedding Images
Wedding Album
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony, Reception and Food | Suzanne’s Fine Dining and Regional Cuisine http://www.suzannefrc.com/ 607-582-7545 [email protected]
Decorations, Event Planner|Ivonne Campbell [email protected] 607-795-4208
Hair |Kerri Everhart-Mount, All Revived Hair Studio http://allrevivedhairstudio.blogspot.com 607-532-5580
Flowers |information coming soon
DJ & Pianist | Andrew Westphal, Westphal Music, [email protected] 607-252-6717
Assistant Photographer| Allison Merkur Accent Studio [email protected] 607-218-2009
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Full Wedding Post
I had such a fantastic time at Matt and Gina’s Wedding! It was a beautiful personal event with just close family and friends. The intimate setting of the White Face Lodge Canoe Club was a perfect for Gina and Matt’s sentimental event. It overlooked the beautiful Adirondack mountains and was truly tranquil.
Gina chose vibrant colors reminiscent of Day of the Dead decorations. With bright pinks, oranges and deep cobalt blues her flowers and décor really popped! I just loved how vibrant it was. And the guys had a surprise super hero secret under their suits.
My absolute favorite thing about this wedding is the way Matt comforts Gina. It makes me tear up a bit just because I love LOVE so much. And it is so wonderful when you get to see such love between two people. The look in Matt’s eyes when he saw her walking down the aisle was amazing. And the little wink he gave her to say everything is okay at the ceremony just touched my heart.
They had a beautiful wedding at White Face but they have an even more beautiful love. And I wish them many many happy years together!
Love,
Natalie
I hope you all enjoy all of the wedding photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
To view the full wedding gallery go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/bendar
Wedding Album
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony & Reception & Food |White Face Lodge http://www.thewhitefacelodge.com/
Flowers | Coming soon
Cake| Coming soon
Officiant |[email protected]
Music | Lake Placid Music www.lakeplacidmusic.com
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Holiday Cards
Christmas is just around the corner! Why not get a custom photo holiday card? You need to order holiday cards anyway so why not make them special with beautiful photography. Take a look at some of the following examples.
Card sale includes two sided 5x7 flat cards with envelops or a single sided 5x7 magnet with envelope. (Magnets ship with regular stamps.) Everything is shipped directly to your door in time to be sent for Christmas.
For 25 cards or magnets : $60
For 50 cards or magnets : $110
Call or e-mail to order by December 7th! 315-212-3679 or [email protected].
And if you order by December 5th you will get a free holiday themed slideshow of your photos to share on social media.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Maternity & Babies
One of my favorite things about my profession is that I get to be with families for their most important life moments. And I especially love when I get to watch a family grow over time. This is the case with Heidi and Matt Dewitt. We first met when I photographed their wedding and now I've gotten to see their family grow with the addition of RaeLynn. I absolutely love being able to photograph the full first year from maternity to the 1st birthday cake smash! Since I just had my first child this year I know just how fast it goes and how much they change. Have beautiful photographs to document this special time is so important. They are true keepsakes.
Heidi coordinated her photo session by putting pink in each session. From the pink bow in her maternity photos, the pink wraps in her newborn portraits to the pink flowers in RaeLynn’s first birthday dress. There is a little pink in each session. This is an important element to remember when planning a photo session like this; it can help make your baby’s first year album more cohesive. Speaking of album… don’t forget to take a look at her beautiful album to commemorate her 1st year. I just love how it turned out. It will be a timeless piece for Heidi and Matt.
I am so happy for Heidi and Matt that they have a little blessing like RaeLynn in their lives. Enjoy your portraits and album!
Love, Natalie
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Family Photography
What a great photo shoot for the Tupper family. We had a chance to do some formal in studio photos and some casual outdoor shots in the woods nearby. Amy did a great job coordinating the clothing. For the in studio on a cream colored background she chose a neutral pallet that is timeless. And for the outdoor she arranged more patterns and prints in blue and white. I always think that navy looks good against the green backdrop of a summer photo shoot. And we were even lucky enough to catch an amazing sunset!
I hope you all enjoy the family photos! See you all next year!
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Megan and Erik
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Engagement Photos
Wow, these two are so much fun! I know their wedding is almost a year away, but it will be here before we know it. And I am super excited for it. I can’t wait to see all of Megan and Erik’s family and friends and have a great time with them at the wedding. This couple is just so sweet. I love how genuine their laughs and smiles are when they are with each other.
Megan and Erik chose to have their engagement session at Thompson Park in Watetown NY. Their first date was a the 4th of July fireworks at the park; so it was the perfect backdrop for their engagement photos. When they met they ”immediately clicked and couldn’t get enough of on another”, as Megan puts it. And it shows! They are so fun and happy together. We certainly had a great time at the photo shoot. And I even got to meet their sweet dog. (And mom of course! She was a great big help!)
One of my favorite aspects to this photo shoot was the COLORS! They were amazing. We hit the fall colors just right. And Megan did a fantastic job coordinating outfits! I especially love the fall outfit she put together. It is perfect and truly helped make the photos fantastic. I love how she and Erik coordinate, but don’t perfectly match.
And somehow we ended up with an amazing cotton candy colored sky that you just couldn’t beat! You should have seen how excited we were about it as the sun set.
I hope you all enjoy the photos as much as I do. And as a special bonus if they get 50 comments on the blog by Monday at 10am and they win a free framed 8x10!
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| High School Senior Photography
What a wonderful photo session for Michaela! Her portraits truly show off her personality as such a sweet down to earth person. As a member of Future Farmers of America (FFA) and a horse lover the natural outdoor photo shoot was perfect for Michaela. We did a few in studio set ups that kept with the theme and then went to a nearby field for a more casual look.
Congratulations to Michaela, class of 2017
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Newborn
What a beautiful little boy! Welcome Simon Karleton Bull, he is such a sweetheart. And congratulations to proud parents Matthew and Sarah.
I was so excited to meet little Simon and get to hold him. I feel so blessed to get the opportunity to be part of people’s great life moments. As Sarah and Matt’s wedding photographer and now their family photographer, it is such a joy to watch their family grow.
Simon did a wonderful job at his first photo shoot. He was perfectly sleepy. We chose a neutral color pallet with a little bit of blue as an accent. It created timeless photos that can go anywhere in Sarah and Matt’s new home.
It was so great to meet Simon, I can’t wait to watch him grow.
Cory and Sarah Vineyard
Natalie's Studio Photography | Wedding Sneak Peek
What a wonderful and laid back wedding for Sarah and Cory. And Suzanne's Fine Dining and Regional Cuisine was AMAZING; a beautiful setting and exquisite food. It has been my pleasure working with this easy going couple and being part of their wedding day. Please enjoy a sneak peek of their lovely wedding photos while you wait for the full wedding photography gallery.
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding {Full Post}
Meghan and Matt had a beautiful woodsy wedding at their home in Saranac Lake NY. I just love weddings that take place in a sentimental location. I imagine that years down the road they will walk their property and remember moments from their wedding.
Meghan and Matt bought a property that once was a Christmas tree farm. Therefore there are LOTS of big beautiful evergreen trees throughout their property. This gave their wedding photos that perfect evergreen Adirondack background for all of their images. And although it was a bit overcast that made for perfect photos too. Besides… they are such a handsome couple it was easy to make them look great!
Meghan chose a beautiful teal color for her bridesmaids. And She decorated with classic rustic elements and clean neutral colors. The wedding was beautifully done with an easy going woodsy feel.
Meghan and Matt are so kind and genuine it was my pleasure to be part of their wedding day. All of their family and friends were filled with joy to see this wonderful couple married and be part of their celebration.
I hope you enjoy all of the wedding photography. This blog post includes a slideshow, a preview of the wedding album and a link to view the full wedding gallery. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me.
Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
To view the full wedding gallery go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/wolter_wedding
Wedding Slideshow
Wedding Album
Wedding Images
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony |Church of the Accention https://churchoftheascension.wordpress.com/
Reception Venue |Private home in the Adirondacks
Tent| Taylor Rental http://www.taylorrentalny.com/
Hair and Make-up |Heather Carr – The Painted Pair www.facebook.com/heatheranderin/
Flowers | All Seasons Floral - Regan Lavair https://www.facebook.com/reganallseasonsfloral/
Food| Chris & Missy Blanchard
Cupcakes| Cindy Dominie
Band | The Glass Onion
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Photography
What a beautiful wedding day for Gina and Matt at the White Face Lodge and Canoe Club. I am so glad that I was able to be part of their special day. It turned out beautiful and the Adirondack setting was a perfect tranquil place for this couples nuptials. This is just a sneak peek of the wedding photos; more will be coming in a few months once the full wedding is edited.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Engagement Photography
What a fantastic photo session for Sarah and Cory. These two are the definition of chill and easy going. This engagement photo shoot was so relaxing and fun. I can’t wait for their wedding. We had a great time just milling around Cory’s parents rustic farm, Have a Go Farm. It was so much fun to find little hidden gem’s like the arch of trees that led out to the fields.
And then Cory brought me up into the loft of the barn and we came across his artist workshop…gold mine! I just loved all of the character in there and how it showed off Cory’s personality and hobby. So …naturally we did an impromptu portrait session for him. J
The other highlight from the photo session was we walked out to the place where they hope to build their home. I absolutely love sentimental elements like that in my business. Wouldn’t it make such a great art piece to have a portrait in their home of them at that very location before it was built. We even got a chance to get some dancing in. I just loved how fun and natural those images are.
Sarah’s ring is even a unique heirloom piece. It was a family member’s setting that she then had made into her wedding ring.
I am so glad to be part of this couples special day and can’t wait for their wedding.
I hope you all enjoy all of the photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
To view the full wedding gallery go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/vineyard_engagement
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Engagement
What a great time at the White Face Lodge in Lake Placid New York. Gina, Matt and I met to plan their wedding photography and afterward we did their engagement session. It was a beautiful evening and we got many gorgeous photos. It was fun to walk around the White Face Lodge property and find some interesting backgrounds for photography. My favorites were the light coming through the pine trees and the tall trees with the pond. That spot just looked so unique and dynamic.
Although Gina and Matt did a wonderful job with their photos, their pup Emerson stole the show. What a sweet heart. He just loves everyone. And he is so photogenic too!
Gina and Matt’s wonderful wedding is this Friday! I can’t wait. See you then!
I hope you all enjoy all of the photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
To view the full wedding gallery go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/bednar_engagement
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Engagement Photography
What a fun and unique photo shoot for Sloane and Kaleb! Kaleb’s family owns and operated Good Ol’ Wishy’s Ice Cream & Soda Bar in Croghan NY. If you want to take a step back in time or have a sweet romantic date, this is the place. And because it is where Kaleb grew up it is even more sentimental. We got lots of adorable photos there. Chocolate milkshakes, ice cream cones, root beer floats… Sloane and Kaleb had a pretty sweet breakfast!
Then we traveled to some back woods land for the next part of our photography adventure. We went to the waterfall where Kaleb asked Sloane to be his wife. What a wonderful place. There was tons of beautiful natural scenery to capture casual outdoor photos for this easy going couple. We even got to take a little bike ride for some unique action photos.
We finished off the photo shoot at a special place for Sloane. We went to her neighbor’s property that had a beautiful stream and bridge on his land. She has wanted her engagement photos here since she was a kid…even before she met Kaleb. The trees, stream, bridge, flowers… and even the wood pile made a perfect backdrop for more beautiful engagement photos for Sloane and Kaleb.
What a wonderful photo shoot. Stay tuned for their wedding next June!
I hope you all enjoy all of the photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
To view the full gallery go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/sloane_kaleb_engaement
Michelle and Jake Warren
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Photography
Michelle and Jake are a fantastic couple! What I love about them the most is how happy they are when they are together. You can just see it in their eyes. And no matter what happens, as long as they're together, they're calm, happy and just ready to have a good time.
Now… every wedding has at least one ‘glitch’. Little things like forgetting to wear the veil or a unity candle not staying lit. That is just part of a wedding day. But for Michelle and Jake they just kept coming. But at this particular wedding they just seem to happen all day long, and nothing could bring Michelle and Jake down. So no matter what the ups and downs were of the day; whether they were power outages, people getting lost or broken floorboards, it was a beautiful sunny wedding (even with a rainbow) for Michelle and Jake.
Michelle and Jake decorated with light teal, grey and pink for their wedding décor. They had an elegant rustic theme, with a variety of flowers and ivory, pinks and fuchsias. It was a beautiful color combination for a sunny summer wedding at the Thousand Islands Winery in Alexandria Bay, New York. Everyone had a fantastic time, including some great moments in the photo booth.
So…without further ado here are Michelle and Jake wonderful wedding images. Enjoy
If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Wedding Full Gallery: To view the full wedding gallery go to www.nataliewstudio.com/warren
Wedding Slideshow
Wedding Images
Wedding Album
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony & Reception |Thousand Islands Winery http://www.thousandislandswinery.com/ Jenny Knutsson |[email protected] |(315) 482-9306
Officiant | Pastor Emily Huyge
Hair and Make-up | Brianna Horton| 315-598-5467 Danielle Osborne| 315-598-5467
Dress | White Swan Bridal | Mila Abramora Dress | Bill Levkoff Bridesmaids Dresses
Tuxes | Macy's| Perry Ellis
Flowers | Halletts florist |http://m.hallettsflorist.com | 315-232-2000
Food| RJs Catering | [email protected] |(315)- 583-5111
Cake| April’s Cakes | http://www.aprilscakeshop.com |[email protected]
DJ | Ormond entertainment; Cindy Ormond | http://www.ormondentertainment.com/ | (315) 884-8341 | [email protected] |
Assistant Photographer| Danielle Thorn | Dani T Photography | http://danitphotography.com/
]]>The Simon Family- Riley's Newborn Session
Natalie's Studio Photography | Baby and Family Photography
What a sweet little baby and family. Riley could not have been a better baby for his beautiful newborn and family photos. He slept nearly the whole time! And Landon was a sweet heart too. So with out further ado welcome Riley Edward!
Chelsea and Efstathios Sanchez
Natalie's Studio Photography | Wedding Photography
What a magical wedding for Chelsea and Izzy. There are so many details about this wonderful wedding that were extraordinary. But for now here is the sneak peek and I will tell you all about it when the full wedding post comes out.
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The Wszalek Family- Sophie's 6 Month
Natalie's Studio Photography | Baby and Family Photography
What a great photo session to celebrate Sophie being almost 7 months old! Now she can sit up...look out Jess and Chris! As part of our theme to document Sophie's first year we started in Ives Park in Potsdam. It was a beautiful sunny day with just enough breeze to make it enjoyable. We started with family photos with the beautiful natural background. Jess and Chris have chosen pink and grey as their colors and have been doing a great job creating new outfits for each photo shoot that go with their color palette.
After we did some sweet lifestyle photos of the family reading in the park. I love these especially because we did reading photos of Jessica and Chris for their maternity photos. (Jess's idea...Great one Jess!) I love unique and personal ideas like that.
We finished Sophie's session in the studio with lots of fun sitting up poses. Check out the chair! She is a champ.
The Simon Family
Natalie's Studio Photography | Maternity and Family Photography
What a fun photo session for the Simon family. I photographed Kelly and Andrew's wedding a few years ago and I was delighted when they called to tell me they were expecting their son Riley! I can't wait to meet him!!! To help document and celebrate this wonderful pregnancy we did a beautiful summer woods photo shoot to show off the family and Kelli's belly. What a fun time. We took some sweet family photos and some goofy ones too. Son Landon had a great time and lots of fun photography pose ideas too! Stay tuned for the newborn photos coming soon.
Check out the full photo shoot at http://www.nataliewstudio.com/simon_family
Meghan and Matt Wolter
Natalie's Studio Photography | Wedding Sneak Peek
What a beautiful wedding celebration for Meghan and Matt Wolter. It had been my pleasure working with this sweet couple and being part of their wedding day. Please enjoy a sneak peek of their Adirondack wedding photos while you wait for the full wedding photography gallery.
Also don't forget to enjoy the photo booth images at http://www.nataliewstudio.com/wolter_photo_booth
Michelle and Jake Warren
Natalie's Studio Photography | Wedding Sneak Peek
Without further ado here is a quick sneak peek of the beautiful Thousand Islands Winery Wedding for Michelle and Jake Warren. Stay tuned for the full post!
Assistant Photographer Danni T Photography
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie's Studio | Children's Photography
Sweet little Avery!! This photo shoot reminded me of how lucky I am to have the job that I do. It was my first photo shoot back since having my first child and it just melts my heart. I just love being part of the best times in people’s lives and watching these amazing kids grow. It is amazing how fast time goes and it is so important to capture these precious moments and memories. I can’t believe Avery’s first year has gone by already. I remember holding her in my lap waiting until she slept…then she peed all over me but we still got the shot. J Now she is one and babbling away and full of great big smiles. We had so much fun at her first birthday cake smash photo session.
We had the chance to do some beautiful unique set ups for her birthday photos. We made a flower swing, a flower tent and then matched her birthday cake to the rest of the looks. I made a few sweet flower head bands to match also. It turned out beautiful and I couldn’t be more happy for Liz and Justin. And a special thank you to Aunt Amanda and Uncle Andrew for coming to help.
And for a little bit of the past year... here is Avery's Newborn Slideshow. Look how much she has grown!
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| High School Senior Photography
What a fantastic young lady! I can tell you right now… this girl is going places. She has been such a pleasure to work with and is so very professional.
Noelle contacted me las fall for her High School Senior photos and since the very beginning she has handled all of the planning and meetings on her own. She is an independent and professional young woman.
Noelle is a ballet dancer and helped organize a beautiful photo shoot at the Clayton Opera House. We were able to do photos with the stage lights and use the outdoor areas for a fun urban feel. We also had a great opportunity to do a creative composite photo. She twirled across the stage in 3 different outfits (representing the last 3 years) and I composited them together for her so that her outfit changed as she went across the stage. It was unique and fun.
Noelle also loves the river. So naturally we went to the St. Lawrence and did some awesome sunset photos there. Also, to give her something a little different than the typical sports photos, we did a night photo shoot for her soccer photos. Using gels on the flashes we colored some of the image blue for an added creative effect. And blue is her school color.
We also did several in studio sets to give her senior photos a lot of variety. They all turned out beautiful and we had a lot of fun at the photo shoot.
Best of luck to Noelle and all her future endeavors!!! (I know she doesn’t really even need it. J She will go far.) Enjoy the rest of your senior year!
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Engagement Photos, Same Sex Marriage
What a great couple! Lisa and Carrie are so much fun to be around. They are so laid back and super smart, so it is very easy to talk about anything with them. Lisa is a pharmacist and Carrie is a forensic scientist. Both jobs sound awesome but I can’t help but think of CSI when I think of Carrie going to work.
Lisa is amazing at Christmas light displays. Once, she even won a town contest simply with her “normal” light display that was set up. So for a personalized proposal Lisa made a beautiful Christmas Light display with a special message and surprised Carrie with it on New Year’s Eve; which happens to be the date that Carrie always wanted to get married. I love special proposals like this one. So much thought goes into them.
Lisa and Carrie both love winter. In fact they are planning a winter wedding for January of 2017. So we were lucky enough to have some beautiful snow for their engagement photos. We did some photos in the studio and then used some beautiful white birch trees right by the studio. The other outdoor photos were created at St. Lawrence University. The pine trees and elm trees gave us a lot of variety in beautiful winter scenery. And even though it was very cold, they all turned out beautiful and we were able to warm up at the bookstore with a hot cup of coffee after.
I hope you all enjoy all of the photos. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
To view the full wedding gallery go to www.nataliewstudio.com/lisa_carrie
Slideshow
Wedding Images
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Photography
What a fantastic wedding day for Amanda and Andrew. This wedding is near and dear to my heart. Since Amanda is my best friends’ younger sister, she is like a little sister to me. And being that she married her high school sweetheart, Andrew, I grew up with nearly everyone in the wedding party. And those who I didn’t grow up with, I have had the pleasure of getting to know through Amanda and Richelle over the last several years.
It is always a fun challenge photographing people you are close to. In some ways it is harder because you are even more nervous. But in other ways I feel like you can connect with them on a deeper level and bring out a depth of emotion in them that is harder to do with clients you do not have history with. (Another great reason to get to know your photographer.)
Amanda and Andrew did a great job planning a classy pirate themed wedding. The pirate elements were brought out in all the little details. They had beautiful elements like skull and cross bone ties for the guys and pirate ship broaches for the girls hair. The red roses and black calla lilies were a perfect choice for Amanda’s pirate inspired bouquet. They also had a custom pirate flag created for some of the photos.
The reception at Birch Hill Catering in Castleton on Hudson was a perfect location. The white fabric draped ceiling was reminiscent of the sails of a pirate ship. And with an authentic ship wheel to accent the head table and red up-lighting, you were transported on a pirate adventure. The tables were decorated with jewels and gold from a pirates treasure and beautiful black candelabras.
There is so much I could say about this wedding!! But I am sure you want to get to the amazing photos. Which there are so many wonderful ones it is even overwhelming to me! All in all, it was a fantastic day and everyone had a wonderful time.
I hope you all enjoy all of the wedding photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Wedding Images
Wedding Slideshow
Wedding App & Full Gallery
Full Wedding GalleryClick here to see all of the wedding photos and photo booth photos.
Wedding Phone AppClick (on mobile device) to download the phone app.
To view the full wedding gallery go to www.nataliewstudio.com/gushlaw
Download their custom app at http://moblalbum.com/zv2dcd3e5m1b (must be opened on a mobile device)
Wedding Album
Vendor Love!
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Venue | Birch Hill Catering: Valerie Feldman [email protected]http://birchhillcatering.com
Hair and Make-up | Lexie Hair and Makeup Artist: Lexie Voelker [email protected] https://lexiethehairstylist.wordpress.com
Cake| Zachary's Pastry Shoppe: Nancy [email protected]www.zacharyspastryshoppe.com
Dress | Bridals by Lori in Atlanta, Dress Designer: Alyne by Rita Vinieris
Tuxes | Attire from JC Penny, Ties from Vittorio J
Flowers | Fletchers Flowers: Sharon Fletcher [email protected] www.fletchersflowers.com
DJ | Ken Drew DJ Services: Ken Drew [email protected] www.djkendrew.com
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Photography
What a wonderful couple! Since I first met Amanda and Josh I’ve had so much fun working with them. Every time we get together we have a fantastic time and often go off on tangents talking about life; which is so much fun! I love that I am nearly the same age as most of my wedding couples! It makes it so much fun to work together.
Amanda and Josh had a beautiful traditional wedding in Massena NY. Amanda did a wonderful job coordinating the colors using mints, turquoise, corals and a little orange. I love her bridesmaids had different shades for their dresses. I think it looks great and helps show off each girl. And I loved the way the white, coral and orange flowers “popped” against the dresses. The boutonnieres were really creative too. Amanda and Josh like a rustic style so they chose shotgun shells with twine wrapping as their boutonniere. I just love unique details!
The lovely couple was married in Sacred Heart Church in Massena NY and had their reception at the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino in Hogensburg NY. It was a beautiful day and wonderful celebration. Amanda and Josh are so sweet together. I am so very glad to have had the opportunity to get to know them and be there for the beginning of their journey as husband and wife.
I hope you all enjoy all of the wedding photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Wedding Images
Wedding Slideshow
Wedding App & Full Gallery
Full Wedding GalleryClick here to view the full wedding gallery.
Wedding AppClick here to download the wedding app. (on a mobile device)
To view the full wedding gallery go to www.nataliewstudio.com/boule
Download their custom app at http://moblalbum.com/tefygthtl3ih (must be opened on a mobile device)
Wedding Album
Also I tried something new with this album and organized it more like an editorial magazine rather than a chronological scrapbook. Let me know what you think!
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Ceremony |Sacred Heart Church Massena NY
Reception Venue |Akwesasne Mohawk Casino http://mohawkcasino.com/ Vicki Boyer [email protected]
Hair | Rosemary Chilton from Appearances Plus Day Spa
Dresses | Wedding gown from Lily Saratoga and it is made by Allure Bridals and Bridesmaids dresses are from Trace of Lace, and Sposa bella www.facebook.com/Sposa-Bella
Tuxes | Trace of Lace
Flowers | Cook's Greenery and Floral Impressions www.facebook.com/pages/Cooks-Greenery
Chair Covers | Chair Affair http://www.chairaffairny.com/
Cake| Toni Helmer from Mimi's Italian Cookies
DJ & Uplighting | Party Effects DJ Service http://www.partyeffectsdjservice.com/index.html [email protected]
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Maternity and Newborn Photography
What a fantastic couple. It happens that Jessica and I graduated the same year from Alfred University and although we didn’t get to spend a lot of time together during our collage years, we are having a blast getting to know each other now. Her wonderful husband Chris is also and Alfred grad, and so is my husband Matt. Needless to say we all have a lot in common and have been having a great time chatting.
I got a call from Jessica early on in her pregnancy to plan out her maternity and newborn photo shoot. And I am so glad she did. If you are thinking of doing any maternity or newborn photography, make sure to plan in advance. It is really helpful! J Newborns should be photographed within the first 10 days for those cute “squishy” images. And it is best to do your maternity photos at 30 weeks or so. So give us a call at least by 26 weeks pregnant so we can plan the best photo shoot for you.
Jessica and Chris chose pink and grey for their colors for sweet baby Sophie. We got lucky on the maternity outdoor photos and had beautiful sunlight, even though it was cold. We also did some great studio photos with some props her mom had made for her shower.
Sophie arrived and although she wasn’t really into photography her first time in the studio, we had her back in the next day and she was all smiles and a happy sleepy baby. What a good girl! Take a look at the beautiful maternity and newborn photos below. Let me know what you think.
50 comments and Jessica and Chris win a free framed 8x10. 100 and it is an 11x14.
Photo App
Download their custom app at http://moblalbum.com/use93piasj91 (must be opened on a mobile device)
Mobile Photo AppClick to download the photo app.
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Full Post
Ancy and Trevor’s wedding was by far one of the most unique weddings I have had the pleasure of witnessing this season. They did a wonderful job of bringing two cultures together with a Catholic and Syrian Orthodox ceremony.
Ancy chose a very colorful palette for her wedding décor. Her theme was peacock and jewel colors. I just loved it! The bright beautiful colors went perfectly with the traditional sari that Ancy’s sister (her Maid of Honor) wore. And the bridesmaids wore different colored dresses. This is becoming a popular trend and I love it. I think it make the photos more interesting and lets each girl stand out in the image better instead of one shape of the same color.
Another wonderful detail I must commend the couple (and decorating team) on is the reception décor. Trevor’s parents own and operate the Hotel Grande Mexican Restaurant in Norfolk NY. It was a natural reception location for the couple. And I was very impressed that they took the Mexican style interior and transformed it into a beautiful and colorful peacock and jewel reception. It all worked perfectly together. (Decorations by On the Edge Designs https://www.facebook.com/jfoster)
I loved Trevor and Ancy’s laid back whimsical style and attitude. My favorite part of their wedding photos it the genuine smile they both have. You can tell they are completely happy and in love.
I hope you all enjoy all of the wedding photography. If you need anything at all don’t hesitate to contact me. Remember 50 comments on the blog and they win a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and they win a free 11x14 framed print.
Wedding App & Full Gallery
Alford Wedding AppClick here (on mobile device) to get the wedding app.
Alford Full WeddingClick here to view all the wedding photos.
To view the full wedding gallery go to www.nataliewstudio.com/alford
Download their custom app at http://moblalbum.com/rf7s00twbe91 (must be opened on a mobile device)
Wedding Album
Wedding Slideshow
Wedding Images
Vendor Love
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Venue: Hotel Grande- Craig and Sandra Alford http://www.hotel-grande.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Hotel-Grande
Decorations: On the Edge Designs https://www.facebook.com/jfoster
Videographer: Wendy O'Brien- The Video Lab (315) 764-1576 [email protected]
Florist: Shelly LaBarge at Downtown Florist, Massenahttp://www.downtownfloristofmassena.com
Cake Artist: Cindy's Cakes (315) 379-1561 https://www.facebook.com/Cindys-Cake-Shop
DJ Magic Marc- [email protected]
Makeup Artist: Nicole Szerbiak [email protected]
Hair Artist: Krissy (315) 353-2008
Dress: Frederick, MD- Casablanca Bridals
Bridesmaid Dresses: RK Bridals NYC
Tuxes: The Black Tux- https://theblacktux.com
The Church of the Visitation http://covraymond.rcdony.org/ Monsignor Murphy
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Wedding Phone AppClick here to download the mobile phone app.
Full Wedding GalleryClick here to view all the wedding images.
Kiana and Drew's Wedding GalleryClick here to see the full wedding gallery
Kiana and Drew's Wedding Photo AppClick here to download Kiana and Drew's Wedding photo app.
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Venue | Birch Hill Catering: Valerie Feldman [email protected] http://birchhillcatering.com
Hair and Make-up | Lexie Hair and Makeup Artist: Lexie Voelker [email protected] https://lexiethehairstylist.wordpress.com
Cake| Zachary's Pastry Shoppe: Nancy [email protected] www.zacharyspastryshoppe.com
Dress | Bridals by Lori in Atlanta, Dress Designer: Alyne by Rita Vinieris
Tuxes | Attire from JC Penny, Ties from Vittorio J
Flowers | Fletchers Flowers: Sharon Fletcher [email protected] www.fletchersflowers.com
DJ | Ken Drew DJ Services: Ken Drew [email protected] www.djkendrew.com
Full Wedding GalleryClick to view the full wedding of 800 + photos.
Brianne and Logan's Custom App Click to download a photo app of the best wedding photos.
Ceremony |St. Peters Catholic Church Watertown NY
Reception Venue | The Commons on Fort Drum
Make-up | Renee Shockley Hair and Makeup by Renee www.facebook.com/Hair-Makeup-By-Renee
Hair | Shannon Macaulay at JCPenny (Brianne’s Cousin!)
Dress |Bride from David’s Bridal, Bridesmaids Alfred Angelo
Tuxes | Nelson's Formalwear http://www.nelsonsformals.com/
Flowers | Halletts' Florist and Greenhouse www.hallettsflorist.com
Cake | Sarah Dusharm
DJ | DJ Lennox, Ryan Lennox www.DJlennox.com
Decoration | Chair covers and lighted wall by R&H Creations Helen Johnson [email protected] http://www.randhcreations.com/
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Hey Carrie and Steve... Lets throw some leaves
Florist | Feathers & Boughs : Contact Jimmy 140 Forge St, Thendara, NY 13472 (315) 369-2323 (They also own a pet business but also do flower arrangements)
Cake | Andrea Graves www.classycakesbyandrea.com (315) 790-0743
Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| High School Senior Photography
What a crazy year for Natalie’s Studio. This year I moved my family, my business and built a new building. I told myself that I wasn’t going to take any senior photo shoots because my studio was going to be torn down for most of the summer. But when Sydney called me, I had to say yes! I met her family last year when I photographed her older sister Haley, and they are just the nicest people.
Sydney is a Thousand Islands School Senior and loves the water. So we made sure to get photos that would show off her families’ love of the river; while also doing traditional in studio portrait images and some awesome hockey senior photos too. We ended the shoot with and awesome edgy set against a metal wall to show off Syd’s athleticism without being too sporty looking.
Enjoy Sydney’s senior photos! And take a look at the end to see her awesome senior album
(50 comments on this post and Sydney gets a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and she gets a free framed 11x14) Share the love!
Download Sydney's Senior app at http://moblalbum.com/7p0zz8p48pqt
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Sneak Peek
By far the most unique wedding I have photographed this year! And it was an absolute blast. I love things that are unique and different, so this wedding day was a special treat. Ancy and Trevor did a beautiful job combining a traditional Catholic wedding with Syrian Orthodox elements to bring both of their families together. And what better way to end the night than a reception at the Mexican restaurant Hotel Grande in Norwood NY. (Trevor’s parents own the Hotel Grande). Although they combined many different cultures into their day it all blended together flawlessly. And I must say, very colorfully too.
Take a look at the vibrate colors from this wedding! Between the beautiful traditional sari’s, the jewel tone peacock colors Ancy choose and the bright beautiful Hotel Grande, it set the stage for some wonderful colorful photos. You would never know it was a rainy day!
Thank you again to the wonderful families who made this day possible. I am so glad I was able to be there for Ancy and Trevor’s special day. Getting to know this couple has been my pleasure.
Enjoy these sneak peek photos for now until the full wedding is available (approximately by 12/16)
Take a look at their online gallery to see the full sized photos and all of the fun photo booth photos.
If you have any questions or need anything at all feel free to contact me.
Enjoy!
Natalie
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make this wedding day amazing!
Venue: Hotel Grande- Craig and Sandra Alford http://www.hotel-grande.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Hotel-Grande
Decorations: On the Edge Designs https://www.facebook.com/jfoster
Videographer: Wendy O'Brien- The Video Lab (315) 764-1576 [email protected]
Florist: Shelly LaBarge at Downtown Florist, Massena http://www.downtownfloristofmassena.com
Cake Artist: Cindy's Cakes (315) 379-1561 https://www.facebook.com/Cindys-Cake-Shop
DJ Magic Marc- [email protected]
Makeup Artist: Nicole Szerbiak [email protected]
Hair Artist: Krissy (315) 353-2008
Dress: Frederick, MD- Casablanca Bridals
Bridesmaid Dresses: RK Bridals NYC
Tuxes: The Black Tux- online
The Church of the Visitation http://covraymond.rcdony.org/ Monsignor Murphy
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Sneak Peek
When I think of Bridget and Lawrence I think of class. Everything about this lovely couple is the definition of classy. From the way they treat others, to how they love each other, to their hospitality, faith and so much more. It has truly been my pleasure getting to know them and their families. I am honored I was able to be part of their wedding day and give them beautiful photographs.
Although Bridget and Lawrence live in Connecticut they chose to get married in Watertown and Clayton NY because Bridget’s family has always owned and loved their 1000’s Islands Cottage at Vance Shores. The Harbor Hotel was a beautiful backdrop for the reception and very comfortable for the ladies to get ready at. The boys prepared at the family cottage which is also where the first look and other portraits took place.
I was so happy with the way the cottage photos turned out! We wanted to show off the water but keep everyone in shade so they weren’t squinting in the bright sun. By framing the couple under a tree and using a few lighting techniques, we were able to get the beautiful blue water and a gorgeous composed image that I am sure Bridget and Lawrence will cherish for years and years and pass on to their future family.
Back at the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel I was able to steal Bridget and Lawrence away for a few more beautiful images. I was giddy with excitement when we had red Adirondack chairs to work with that just happened to match the wedding colors. And what was even better… I saw a potted plant of purple and red flowers that I could shoot through giving a soft colorful foreground to some gorgeous casual images. And the colors even matched the wedding! I can’t even decide which portrait is my favorite!
Thank you to Bridget and Lawrence and both of their wonderful families for making me part of their special day!
To View the full sized images and the photo booth pictures at www.nataliewstudio.com/hughes
And finally... don't forget to help Bridget and Lawrence win. 100 comments on the blog post and they get a free framed 11x14, 50 comments and they get a free framed 8x10.
The full wedding will be available by November 30th at the latest.
Vendor Love:
Thanks to all those who helped make Bridget and Lawrence’s day amazing!
Photography and Photo Booth by Natalie’s Studio | Natalie Wendig | 315-212-3679 | http://www.natalieWstudio.com
Photography Assistant: Kim Fillingham | http://www.4getmenotphoto.com/
Venue: 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel | http://www.1000islandsharborhotel.com/
Florist: Sherwood Florist | Kevin Kitto | http://www.sherwoodflorist.net/
Cake Artist: Julie’s Custom Cakes | Julie Kelly | https://www.facebook.com/jpkelly12?fref=photo
DJ | Visa Versa Entertainment | Brian Simons | http://www.vvep.com/
Hair Artist | Chantel Taylor | https://www.facebook.com/HairByChantelTaylor
Wedding Dress | Sukran's Bridal in Norwalk, CT - Designer Maggie Sottero | Special alterations by Mom
Bridesmaids Dresses | Bella Bridal in Watertown, NY - Designer Bill Levkoff | http://bellabridalny.com/
Tuxes | Tuxedo Junction in Watertown, NY |
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer Natalie's Studio | Noelle Howard's Outdoor Senior Photo Shoot
What an AWESOME photo shoot. I was so excited when Noelle told me she was a ballet dancer and wanted her senior photos in Clayton. My fist thought... lets go to the Opera house. Noellle did a great job organizing the shoot and called a friend who knew how to do stage lighting at the Opera House. I just love the ballet photos. Because her favorite color is blue we used the blue lights and I just love the dramatic look to the images! I love how different they are compared to many of the other things I have done.
Next up, the river! We planned the photos shoot so that we would be at the river at sunset. Noelle's light blue dress really "pops" against the pink and orange sky at the docks at the Thousand Island Yatch Club. Such bright and pretty river photos!
Noelle's family also enjoys a lot of time on the river on their house boat appropriately named "River House". So we were sure to include a set of photos showing that off also.
We finished off the photo shoot on the soccer field with a new idea I have been dying to do! Night, colored light, sports photos. This is a twist on your traditional sports photos where you take them at night to give them a unique and dynamic look. Plus because of the use of flashes to light the soccer player you can get creative and use colored lights to add cool effect. Take a look and let me know what you think.
And a big thank you to Noelle's friends who helped out with the photo shoot!
(Help Noelle win free products: 50 comments on the blog and she gets a free framed 8x10, 100 comments and she gets a free framed 11x14 print.)
*** To view all of the proofs visit www.nataliewstudio.com/noelle ***
Please respect copyright. Feel free to share the blog post but don't copy and share individual photos.
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Lauren and Matt's Wedding Sneak Peek
Congratulations to Lauren and Matt. This couple LOVES to have fun. No sappy stuff here, just a good time. They just make each other laugh so much and that is my favorite part about them.
(P.S. Thank you all for your patience while I got this sneak peek ready, I am in the middle of moving and my personal life has been quite hectic.)
The sneak peek lets you enjoy some of the wedding photos while you wait for the full wedding to be edited. Due to the fall being the height of wedding season and my move/build of a new studio, I expect the full wedding to be available by the end of December. So without further adu... Here is Lauren and Matt's sneak peak.
Also to view the full size sneak peek or all the photo booth photos go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/ray
A Little Vendor Love!
Thanks again for another great meal from RJ's Catering
And awesome music by Big Daddy's Dj Troy Ashcraft
]]>Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Wedding Sneak Peek
The Great Gatsby meets the country in this fantastic wedding in Lowville NY. Kiana and Drew had such a lovely wedding day. My favorite part was the overwhelming sense of faith, family and love!
Kiana started her day at Hair Designs in Lowville. Then the couple’s first look took place at the beautiful Tug Hill Vineyards. It was spectacular and heartfelt. Kiana held balloons in front of her for the reveal. I just love how she wears her emotions on her sleeve. She is a stunning young lady and even looks beautiful when she cries.
Kiana and Drew made their vows before their family, friends and God at A New Day Church in Lowville NY. It was a lovely ceremony and you can tell how important Faith is to this couple.
Kiana has a passion for photography so we made sure to fit in a lot of amazing photos throughout the day, including a stop at Ager Falls. And speaking of amazing photography, without further ado, here is a sneak peek at Kiana and Drew’s Wedding Day.
(And a thank you to Hayloft Moonshine Farms and NNY DJ Guy Joe for a fantastic reception!)
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Brianne and Logan's Sneak Peek
Life has been SUPER BUSY!!!! Right after Brianne and Logan's wedding my modular house was set on our property in Potsdam, so needless to say we went right to work and have been crazy since. But here are some of my favorites from this FANTASTIC wedding day. More will be coming in a few weeks.
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Engagement
Bridget and Lawrence are such a relaxed nice couple! They are so much fun to be around. Lawrence, who is from England and Bridget from Houston, meet in February of 2012. Both were new to the area and in the hustle and bustle of getting their feet under themselves in a new area, they found comfort and stability in each other. Their paths crossed at the work place and the rest is history. ..
The Proposal:
A focal point in their life is Bridget’s family cottage in Sackets Harbor NY. The couple loves to spend time there with Bridget’s family. And it is always a happin’ place! Bridget’s mom is one of 7 siblings and her Dad is one of 8; so family is always at the cottage. Lawrence knew this was the place to propose, getting everyone out of the cottage was the only challenge. With a little help from Bridget’s mom it went off without a hitch. The only thing Lawrence had to do was convince Bridget why he was cooking for 2 instead of 20.
To see all of the engagement photos go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/hughes_engagement
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Family
Such a cute photo shoot for Alaya, Akheem and Akheem Jr. Alaya did a 4th of July inspired photo shoot to send photos to family and friends of little baby Akheem Jr. Alaya did a great job picking out adorable red, white and blue outfits for the pictures. To see all of the proofs visit http://www.nataliewstudio.com/alaya_akheem (for a limited time)
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Blue and Burlap | Tent Wedding | Kim and John Tengel
What an awesome wedding celebration for Kim and John! I had a blast at this wedding. Last December I had the pleasure of meeting Kim’s family when I photographed her cousin Kristin. I just love their families! They are such nice hard working people.
Kim and John chose to have their wedding celebration at Kim’s parents’ house in Constableville NY, which is the third wedding that has occurred on the property. Tim and Susan (and many helpers) do such a wonderful job making their back yard look like a 5 star venue. I simply have to give them props for all of the time, effort and consideration that went into this beautifully detailed wedding.
Kim, John and I met a few weeks prior to the wedding and planned some amazing photo adventures, including a Tug Hill landscape view, a waterfall, Grandma’s grand staircase, a rustic barn and more.
Here is just a sneak peek of the many amazing photos for their wedding. More photos will be coming soon. But for now log into their client gallery at http://www.nataliewstudio.com/tengel so you can be notified when all of the photos are ready. Plus all of the photo booth photos are there and available for download.
Vendor Love:
Florist: Lisks Florist: http://www.lisksfloral.com/
Cake: Felicia Birgenheier: Let them eat cupcakes: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Let-Them-Eat-Cupcakes
Musicians:
Moonshiner: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Moonshiner/
Hat Trick: https://www.facebook.com/hattrickmusic
Rack and Pinion: https://www.facebook.com/kristopher.pignone
Tent: Party Rentals: http://partyrentalsplus.com/
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Family
Amanda called me several weeks ago with one of the best ideas I have heard in a while. You see, Amanda is getting married in September but she wasn’t calling for wedding photography. Amanda has 2 beautiful and charismatic daughters and instead of hiring a professional photographer for the wedding day, she wanted a beautiful family photo shoot instead. We talked about the fact that with 2 young girls and all of the things happening on a wedding day there really wouldn’t be time for amazing family photos. I just loved the idea, it allows Amanda and her family to have a relaxing wedding day and they still have amazing images.
Amanda has super fun sense of style and loves bright colors. Chloe and Paige are wearing Matilda Jane clothes in the first set of photos. You can see more about Matilda Jane here at https://www.matildajaneclothing.com/
We had a great photo shoot right at their house in Lowville NY. Amanda even made pinwheels for Chloe and Paige to play with, which added to the fun of the photo shoot.
To view all of the proofs go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/zehr_lawton
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Photo Edu.
Continuing education is so important. That is why I am so excited to be part of the Professional Photographers Association of Central NY. Not only does being part of the group provide great education but also amazing comradery. Working as a full time photographer I don’t really have any co-workers. The members of PPSCNY are my colleges and it is so great to get to spend time with them.
This last Wednesday the PPSCNY group organized a Photo Safari at Wolf Oak Acres as an opportunity to learn and practice our skills. Thank you to John Aitken, Dana Murker, Pat Luke and Dana Norlund for taking time to teach us your lighting techniques. And thank you to all the models who donated their time and talents, you girls did a great job.
Wolf Oak Acres graciously let us use the property for the event and I can’t say enough great things about it. It is truly where county meets elegant and it is a beautiful venue for a wedding or any other event. To find out more visit http://www.wolfoakacres.com/
And if you are interested in becoming a member of the PPSCNY visit www.pps-cny.com or contact me and I would be glad to help.
Here are a few of my favorite shots from the day.
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Engagement Session
What a fantastic photo shoot for Carrie and Steve’s Engagement photos! I really love the way this one turned out. Not only does it have the look and feel that Carrie and Steve wanted, it is personal to them because we did the photo session in Eagle Bay at their families Adirondack Cabin. I always think that the more personal you can make a photo shoot the better. Eagle Bay is located near Old Forge NY in the ADK mountains.
I myself love to hike and kayak with my husband. So this photo shoot was especially fun for me. I just love getting outdoors and I think woodsy photographs are so beautiful. (But one tip, bring bug spray!)
To see the full gallery of their engagement photos visit http://www.nataliewstudio.com/walasavage_engagement
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Full Wedding Reveal
What a perfect wedding celebration for Skyler and Nicole. It was a beautiful day and the rain held off to the end of the reception. Skyler and Nicole both come from farm families, so the Country Bell Farm in Adams NY was the perfect backdrop for their celebration. The rustic and laid back atmosphere was perfect for this couple to share their love with family and friends. What I love about Skyler and Nicole is it is so clear how much they love each other.
When they had their First Look at the Sackets Harbor Battlefield, Nicole was just so relieved to finally see Skyler on their wedding day. And Skyler is such a sweet caring guy, he just held her and comforted her. You could just tell she felt better (less nervous) once she was in his arms. This couple has been together since high school and their bond is strong.
Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Skyler Barney. To view the full wedding visit http://www.nataliewstudio.com/barney_wedding Or for a sample of my favorites go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/barney_photography.
Enjoy!
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Potsdam Based Photographer: Natalie’s Studio| Newborns
I am soooooo excited about this photo shoot. As an artist you can never stop visualizing images you want to create. For me, whenever my brain is “not working” I start to visualize painting or photos that I want to create. (Especially when I am driving… I probably shouldn’t admit that)
At one point I remember seeing a newborn tree branch image and ever since I wanted to create my own. I wanted the color palette to be soft and warm and the image to have a natural but artistic feel. It took about 2 years before the right situation came along to create this image. Now… creating this image takes a lot of work, lots of hands and lots of safety. And that, my friends, is why it took me just the right situation to create it.
When I met with Liz to plan Avery’s newborn photos she mentioned that her nursery was owl and tree themed. My first thought, “A perfect opportunity for the tree limb photo.” So we planned it out, arranged for some family to be there to help and made it happen. And I am so please with the result.
We also had the opportunity to photograph Avery in some other sets as well. She was so well behaved and a great little model. I can’t wait to watch her grow.
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Katie and Ryan's Wedding Part 2| The Full Wedding Issue
St. Peter's Church Lowville NY, Maple Ridge and Ridgeview Inn
Hurray!!! The Vanderlan Wedding is now edited and ready. To view all of the wedding photos go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/vanderlan_wedding. Or if you just want a smaller sample of the wedding day go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/vanderlan_photographers_picks.
It has been so great to get to know Katie and Ryan. They are both such hard workers! And even though they are both sooooo busy, with Katie working two jobs and Ryan working for his family construction business (often out of town), they are always upbeat and a joy to be around.
I love their confidence with each other. They are not afraid to kiss, be goofy and be themselves in front of the camera; and I just love the real expression that brings to their images. It was such a pleasure to be part of their wedding day.
I hope these images not only show the beauty of the day, but also just the pure joy and fun Katie and Ryan bring to all those around them. Enjoy!
A Little Vendor Love:
Venue: Ridgeview {Lowville}
Florist: Sheri Strock
Cake: Gal's Place
DJ: Johnny Keegan
Makeup: Janeigh Grady
Hair: Tara Reaves {Beauty Bar Watertown}
Dress: Allure
Bridesmaids Dresses: NY Bride- Bill Levkof {Syracuse}
Tuxes: Tuxedo Junction {Watertown}
Decor: R&H Creations {Lowville}
]]>Holy Family Church in Watertown NY
What a great day! And the rain held off for us! Carol and Chip are a wonderful couple. They are just stand up people, if you know what I mean. And I just love it when they get to laughing. And once you get the two of them together it doesn't take much. You can just tell how much they are in love. I am so very happy for them and their families.
Here are their sneak peek photos. More will come so stay tuned!
Vendor Love!
Venue: Ridgeview Inn
Decorator: R&H Creations
Tuxes: Tuxedo Junction
Dress: Peggy's Bridal- made by private label
Florist: Sherwood Florist
Make-up: Jen Barocco- Urban Nature Salon
Hair: Richard Baker
DJ: Marc Miller
Photography: Natalie's Studio
Cake: Bonnies's Cakes
Video: Video Worx Jason Maurer
]]>RaeLynn Marie DeWitt
Welcome RaeLynn Marie DeWitt! What a sweet little girl. RaeLynn is the first child of proud parents Matt and Heidi DeWitt. She arrived in our beautiful world June 10th at 7:02 in the morning. At birth she was 7 pounds and 3 ounces and 20 inches long. She has long little fingers and toes!
And I must say it is so wonderful to get to watch all of the greatest moments in my client’s lives. I had the honor of photographing Heidi and Matt’s wedding and their maternity photos. I feel blessed that I get to be part of people’s greatest memories!
RaeLynn’s newborn photography shoot was done here in the studio. We styled the photo session to include pink, grey, black and white to match her nursery and Heidi and Matt’s Maternity Photos. The vintage newborn headbands are from CaliandMeBoutique on Esty, they were the perfect touch to these sweet little newborn pictures.
I even got to use my new cheesecloth wraps I made (a blog post about that is on its way).
Congratulations Heidi & Matt, and Welcome RaeLynn!
This cute grey hat is by Owl Snuggled Up on Etsy
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Congratulation Matt & Sara Bull
I have to say this wedding was near and dear to my heart. I was so honored and happy to be able to be part of it and give this fantastic couple and wonderful family, beautiful wedding images. I have known Sara since high school when we met through the St. Lawrence Co Dairy Princess Program. She is a smart and driven young lady and I always enjoy her company. Matt happened to be my brother's best friend and college roommate in AGR at Cornell University. He is just such a fun loving person and so much fun to be around, I think he can make anyone laugh. The fact that the two of them got together made me so happy. You couldn't ask for a better match.
Please take a look a all the photos and read the little blurbs between! There is even a slideshow at the end. Enjoy!
Matt and Sara's wedding was perfect to me... especially since they chose my favorite as the wedding color. :) Sara chose lavender and dark purple dresses with ivory and purple flowers for the girls. Willow Tree Florist in Potsdam NY did a great job with the flowers. And the tent (from Hurlbut’s) was beautifully decorated with purple flowers, milk crates, burlap, chalk boards, mason jars and more. It was a team effort from family and friends! They even made a custom bar with photos from their Sara and Matt’s childhood. And Laura Sharpe was there to help make the day of the wedding go smooth with her decorating services. It just turned out beautiful!
My husband who happened to also be there told me that it was the perfect wedding and he wants our future children to have one just like it. Oh … and to top it off, they had a soft serve ice cream machine. I don’t think you can get any better than that for a dairy farm wedding!
Another highlight of the wedding day was the Vintage Dairy Truck. The King’s had a replica truck that matched their family dairy truck from Colebrook Dairy. It was one of the many highlights of the day and was used in a lot of the photos. Matt even got to drive it up to Sara for their First Look. I just love custom touches on a wedding day that make it even more meaningful.
And I must say both Matt and Sara come from wonderful farm families. The Bull and King families are hardworking, honest, hospitable and just down right wonderful people. They put family first, and I admire that. It is so rewarding to photograph a wedding where you know some of the history and relationships; it just gives it an even deeper meaning.
The ceremony was very sweet and there were many tears. I loved how they also had Matt’s pastor from his home church bless the couple. It was meaningful and beautiful.
The reception was held at the King family farm in Madrid NY. It was a perfect setting for a relaxed and fun celebration. The party went long into the night. And the everyone also enjoyed the Photo Booth from Natalie's Studio.
Congratulations Sara and Matt. I wish you the very best in all things in life!
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Maple Ridge Farms Lowville NY
By: Natalie's Studio
What a great photo shoot! When Kristin and I were planning her engagement photo session she expressed that she really wanted the "golden light" look. Golden Light photo shoots are not only fun but beautiful.
What's golden light you ask? Golden Light is simply an hour or two before sunset (or if there are hill involved, a little earlier). The angle of the sun is very flattering in portraits because instead of coming from overhead (giving us "raccoon eyes") the sun is coming from the side creating more appealing lighting (loop or side lighting) Also you can use the sun to backlight the couple to give them beautiful rim lighting. (the light that come around the edges of the subject- see the field and road ones) For any photographers reading this, I did use flash on everything except the walking photos and ones by the fence.
Kristin chose a perfect color for the photo shoot. The aqua lace dress with cowboy boots looks great in the natural country setting of Maple Ridge in Lowville NY. And a cute summer dress is always fun for an engagement session. Her teal shirt and white short also go well with the summer green field and bright yellows that come with a golden hour summer shoot. Joe looked good too
Photographers Tip: Although you feel really comfy in loose tops don’t be afraid to show your figure. If you do wear a loose top have your man grab you around the waist when he kisses you to show off your little waist.
Backyard Barn in Watertown
What a lovely engagement session! I have to say my favorite thing about engagement sessions is that they are such a good excuse for the couple to slow down and spend some time together. Last week I did two back to back engagement sessions and both couples said, "Wow, this is the most I have seen of you in weeks." I know how stressful and busy planning a wedding can be, but remember the reason you are celebrating to begin with....because you want to spend the rest of your life with that person. So enjoy the time you get to spend together on your engagement session.
Carol and Chip chose to go to Carol's mothers beautiful backyard in Watertown for their photos. She happened to have a nice big tree that allowed us to get some great nature photos. And she had this great rustic red barn. Carol did a nice job coordinating her outfits with the location. With her in a trendy mint green jacket and Chip in tan, they look great against the bright green leaves.
For the barn she had some great boots and used tans and reds to tie the image together. Great job Carol!
We wanted to go to their cottage up in Alexandria Bay, which is where Chip proposed. But be got completely rained out. So we will have to save that for another time.
Enjoy the photos
Testing the new Einstein Strobe Light and some Yongnuo 600's
This year I invested in a Paul Buff Einstein strobe light and several Yongnuo 600's. So Alex and Maria came over to help my assistant Kim and I test out the flashes.
First we worked with the Yongnuo 600's and taught ourselves how the wireless transmission works and tested the ettl features. I was pretty pleased with the ease of use but am still not used to ettl. I seem to like to control my flashes manually. (At least when I have the time) Here are some of those photos.
Here are a few that we did in full sun for the girls. Not the greatest lighting but fun shots.
Second we put the Einstein on the mini vagabond and a Paul Buff Silver Beauty dish (with the sock) to attempt to "overpower the sun" I think we were successful. We ran out of time but I think I will continue to practice this technique.
If you have specific photography questions, feel free to reach out to me about this subject.
]]>Top 5 Tips When Choosing Your Photographer
1. Personality!
Frankly, your photographer is one of the only wedding professionals you hire who will be in close quarters with you on your wedding day; which is arguably one of the most emotional days of your life. Don’t just get along with them; trust them and know they care about you as a person, not just another date on the calendar.
The quality of your photographer’s work and service is important but making a connection with them is even more important. When you choose a photographer who truly cares about you and your family, it will come through in the images.
So come on over to the studio and have beer, glass of wine or cup of coffee… whatever your style and lets just chat.
2. Style
Photography is an Art! And art is and always will be subjective; it has a unique style and a personality. Take a good look at your photographers work and evaluate if the style matches what you are looking for. Don’t just look for cute trendy poses, also look for emotional and creative images that will evoke the memories you made that day. Remember, a photograph should spark a memory, not replace it.
Tip: Ask to see a full wedding not just their portfolio work.
3. Service!
Beware of the Burn and Churn. Photography is a saturated, we all know that. But my philosophy is that’s just more choices! Personally I believe each business meets the needs of the clients they serve.
I myself believe in stem to stern service. I want to know YOU, what you care about and give you lasting images that reflect that. And one of my favorite things is when I meet with the bride the week before the wedding to do the wedding walk through. It just helps us clarify all the details and it is fun to be part of the excitement of the upcoming event. Ask me about the wedding walk through.
So my advice, decide what you want for service and make sure to ask your photographer what they provide. A good question is, “Do you meet with us before the wedding to help plan. And after the wedding to help design our album, or choose what display would work best in our home?”
4. Background
Ask what their education and background is. Make sure they are a skilled professional.
My Stats: Alfred University Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography and Painting
Bachelor of Art Education
Masters of Educational Technology
5. Logistics
Once you know you have found “the one” start asking about packages , policies and procedures. There is a lot to ask about that, so I will save that for another day and another blog.
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What a pretty wedding today, and so laid back. You can just tell Skyler and Nicole love each other so much! They had a lovely ceremony in Sackets Harbor with photographs taken at the Sackets Harbor Battle Field. The reception was a county barn reception at County Bell Farms in Adams NY. RJ's catered the event and DJ Bill provided music. Here are a few photos from the day. More will follow in about a month. Check out their gallery at www.nataliewstudio.com/barney.
A Few Tips to Prepare for your Engagement Photo Session
1. Be Practical: Dress for Style, Comfort, Location and Weather
Your engagement shoot should be a reflection of who you are. You must be comfortable in your clothes and they should be appropriate for the location and weather; so that you can focus on each other and not your outfit. Make sure you are comfortable in what you choose, if you’re not comfortable it will be noticeable in the pictures. Also, wear appropriate shoes for the location. And always dress for the weather, you don't want to be shivering in the photos if you have a winter engagement photo shoot.
2. Dress to Coordinate With Your Surroundings (In Style & Color)
If you're thinking about an active shoot, think casual and good foot ware. You don't want to be wearing high heels and an evening gown while we romp through a field. If jeans and boots are more your thing, don't be afraid to stick to what works. Or if we are going to a downtown, feel free to dress it up a bit and wear your favorite heels or a little black dress.
Tip: Choose neutrals or match the colors in your outfit to the background. It will make the image look cohesive. (ie. If we are going to a red barn or it is autumn, have a little bit of red in your outfit. Or if it is spring and green, wear something with greens, blues or with a floral pattern on it. )
3. Solid Muted or Subdued Tones Work Well. Neutrals Are Always Timeless!
The focus of the photos is on your face, not your outfit. You want the outfit to look good but it should complement you, not steal the show. Similar tones for your top and bottom will make you look taller and thinner (ie. a navy top with dark jeans will make you look taller than with light jeans.) I love muted tones that coordinate such as tans, whites, peaches and pinks. Or you can go darker and do greys & blacks or jeans, navy’s and olive greens.
TIP: Muted colors will always tend to match the décor in your home. Making your photos look great on your walls.
TIP: If you don't like neutrals go with colors you decorate with.
4. Thinking of Color Instead?
Color can help show off your personality. But keep the location in mind when choosing brighter colors. Try to complement the surrounds. See how the brides brown belt goes well with the brown background. Her color is bright, but not florescent. (Very flashy colors will make you look bigger)
Tip: If you both decide to wear colorful outfits, consider taking a look at the color wheel. You can’t go wrong with complementary colors.
5. Coordinate-But you don’t need to be “matchy-matchy”
These outfits aren't at all matchy-matchy, but there's a subtle color coordination that feels balanced and easy. While you don't want to look like twins, you do want the photo to feel even. The same goes for how dressy you’re planning to be; if you’re going for a formal look, then both of you need to be formal.
Tip if choosing a print or pattern always balance it with your partner in a solid color.
6. Ladies, do your nails.
We might take a photo with your hands.
7. Be You
Most important, be you! This is about you and your relationship. Don't be afraid to Incorporate elements of your favorite hobbies or things that are special to you...like maybe where you met.
P.S. Thanks for reading. As a reward contact me and I will make you a personal outfit mood board! Just for your upcoming shoot; just like the ones you see below.
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Lowvillle NY| St Peter's Church | Maple Ridge Center | Ridgview
May 23rd 2015
What a beautiful day for a spring wedding! Katie and Ryan are SUPER SWEET! That is just the best way to describe them. They are so kind and ready to help everyone. And they just love to have fun and goof around. It was a great celebration of their marriage with all their family and friends. I am so glad I got to be part of it. The bridal party surly had fun and I have tons of crazy photos of them. Here is just a sneak peek of a few photos for now but stay tuned because, more will be coming later.
To view the sneak peek or all the Photo Booth Photos go to http://www.nataliewstudio.com/vanderlan
A Little Vendor Love:
Venue: Ridgeview {Lowville}
Florist: Sheri Strock
Cake: Gal's Place
DJ: Johnny Keegan
Makeup: Janeigh Grady
Hair: Tara Reaves {Beauty Bar Watertown}
Dress: Allure
Bridesmaids Dresses: NY Bride- Bill Levkof {Syracuse}
Tuxes: Tuxedo Junction {Watertown}
Decor: R&H Creations {Lowville}
{More photos of this event will be coming soon.... so stay tuned!}
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This photo shoot was so wonderful and made me remember just how much I love what I do! Heidi and Matt are such a great couple. I had the pleasure of photographing their wedding a few years ago and now they are expecting their first child. So when Heidi gave me a call I was elated to be part of their next great celebration. Being part of peoples most important moments is such an honor. Sometimes I wonder if my job is "important enough", photo shoots like this make me realize that YES it is! I am tasked with making beautiful mementos for people to cherish all their lives and pass on to the next generation. Time travels so fast and it is so important to take the time to capture that. Think of looking back at your parents and grandparents images and how wonderful it is to see them through the years. It is important to do that for your family too.
I am very excited to meet the new addition to the Dewitt family coming in June.
We also went to Talcott Falls in Adams. It is just the greatest waterfall to photograph. It is easy to get to, shallow and so much fun to work with. For this shoot I choose a fast shutter to freeze the water. Mostly because it was not going to be easy to use the tripod for the situation we were in. I like the how Heidi chose a maxi dress that shows her baby bump but has some style to it. I like the flower detail, it goes well with the natural feel of the waterfall.
Heidi choose white and black for this part of the photography session and I think it gives great contrast to the sunny field photos. It helps the couple stand out against the texture of the brush but keeps in nice and neutral. Plus it coordinates with her other outfits making it work well as a Wall Collage or in an Album. And the simple pink bow helps draw attention to he baby bump and the focus of the photo session.
Heidi wanted a golden light photo shoot so we choose an evening session and found some great sunlight at the Murry Trail over in Rodman NY. The sunny (yellow) photos were photographed right out of camera like that. No computer filters here! To get that look you simply need to wait until "Golden Hour" Which happens about 1 hour before sunset. I recommend and app call The Photographer's Ephemeris. It is an I phone app that not only tells you when sunrise and sunset is, it also tells you the angle. It costs a little bit but is worth it.
Looking for something cool for your maternity photos? Give Natalie's Studio a call at 315-212-3679. And check out this great photo shoot of a sweet country couple at Talcott Falls in Adams NY.
If you are planning a maternity shoot like this one here are a few things to put on your shopping list:
- Nude Colored Underware and Nude Colored Bra
- White Fabric (practice wrapping yourself in it to make sure it is long enough) I suggest something that stretches a bit.
- A cute outfit for you and dad (make sure you can roll up your jeans/pants to stand in the water.
- A second cute outfit for the field/outdoor (something long, or tall boots, so your legs don't get beat up, think of the tall grass and sticks)
- Whatever you want to wear in the studio.
Remember to coordinate but not be too "matchy". And don't forget to bring any props you want like little shoes, signs with the date, ultrasounds, ribbons, or things that match the nursery.
Doesn't Amber look amazing in these maternity photos. I love the country feel. Outdoor images were perfect for this couple and the waterfall and field couldn't have been better. The coral and tan shirts look really good against the barn wood in the photos. And the black and white outfits look great in the waterfall photos. Contact me if you would like something similar to this one.
]]>What a fantastic young lady. I had the pleasure of meeting Cedar when I was a teacher at the Watertown High School. Since then she has modeled for me for a few different photography shoots. It has been amazing to watch her grow and mature. I was so pleased when she won the title of Miss Watertown Outstanding Teen 2015. The following photos are the head shot I created once she earned her title. Don't forget to check out her awesome album too. I also had the chance to go to the Elementary School to photograph Cedar when she read to the children. She had a beautiful message about liking yourself and how each and every person is special! Congratulations Cedar! Your are a special and wonderful young lady too.
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What a great shoot. I wanted to test out my new creative lens. It's a Lenbaby composer. LensBabies are are selective focus SLR lenses that you give you a really unique creative look to the image. None of these have been edited (besides slight color and contrast)! Fiona and Cedar met me at the library so we could test it out.
Most are taken with just the Lensbaby composer and double glass optic. A few have the wide angle lens on it. My advice is to use a tripod! Get the image composed and as focused as possible through the lens, then use live view, zoom in and find tune the focus. I am not going to lie, it is pretty hard to get it as perfect as you want. Especially with a moving object.
My settings had pretty high ISO because of the light in the room and anywhere between 1/60 and 1/200 for shutter. I didn't use any aperture rings in the optic. Let me know if this helps you out, I would love to hear from you.
Check out more lens baby stuff at http://lensbaby.com/
The first 3 and last 3 have the wide angle 0.6 on it, as well as the one with the doors.
]]>Looking for a great service and beautiful bridesmaid dresses? No need to drive all the way to Syracuse. A Touch of Grace offers the latest fashions and a large variety of sizes right here in Watertown. They truly care about making you feel like a princess on your wedding day. Check out these beautiful bridesmaid dresses from A Touch of Grace.
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Also, Nelson's Tux service is your one stop shop for all your tux needs. They can outfit your groomsmen and turn them into gentleman. With TONS of vest colors they are able to match any of the bridesmaids dresses from A Touch of Grace. Nelson's Tux shop is friendly and accommodating. As a veteran business in Watertown you can trust Nelson's with all your wedding tux needs. Plus, when your all done, they can clean your wedding dress for you too!
Check out Nelson's Website: http://www.nelsonsformals.com/ourtuxedos.html
Take a look at some of these great photos at the Thousand Islands Winery.
Start your wedding day off with a beautiful ceremony location. Gorgeous shade trees, a beautiful arch and a background of the grapevines create a pretty setting to tie the knot.
Don't forget the grapevines at the Thousand Island Winery as a great photo spot.
Lots of beautiful outdoor grounds.
A rustic barn is beautiful both inside and out. And the Thousand Islands Winery's tasting room is located on the fist floor.
1000 Islands Winery even has their own tent! No need to provide that on your own. How convenient!
And of course, a view of the iconic 1000 islands bridge to Canada.
Engagement Photos at the Harbor Hotel in Clayton NY
What a sweet couple! We had so much fun checking out all the new areas of the recently opened Harbor Hotel in Clayton NY. The 1000 islands are just such a beautiful place for photos this time of year. Congratulations to Corrine and Andrew!
We had such a fun engagement shoot and got a great variety of shots. We started at the Parishville Center Apple Orchard where they will tie the knot next June. There was gorgeous evening light. Photographing my brother was actually easier and more fun than expected. It was great to just let Nick and Patty have some alone time and see their love. They just couldn’t stop smiling. (Plus Nick was being a goof.)
Nick is a 4th generation farmer of Adon Farms located in Parishville NY. Patty’s farming roots also go back into her childhood. As two Cornell University Agriculture grads, the farm is very important to them. So naturally the next stop on our photo adventure was the barn. Although it is a little hard to make a modern dairy look romantic, I think we pulled it off.
A few shots in front of the milk truck to get the farm name and then it was off to catch the sunset…now here is where it really got fun. Patty and I, “Oh my gosh we have to get the sunset! But we want corn stalks too! And it is setting fast. Nick, can you get us there?” Nick, “Get in the truck!” Then we proceeded to “bah-hog” across the field to the corn stalks, set up the lights quick and started shooting. By this time Nick and Patty have become experts at posing. These might be my favorite shots from the session. And we even got in some moon shots!
It was a great shoot. I love you both and am so happy for you. I hope you enjoy your photos and all the memories made.
Holiday Family photos with the Wilcox Family
Potsdam NY
We had a great time getting some indoor and outdoor photos for the Holiday season. We even got to have a snowball fight!
Had an amazing photo shoot with Alex Gillette and have so many great shots! I would like to highlight a lesson I learned from the shoot. For all the photo enthusiasts out there: MINI PHOTO LESSON
The more you shoot the more you notice! Because of scheduling we had to do the outdoor portion of this shoot in the middle of the day. Noon = high sun = challenging light. Step one find good light and some shade. The black wall was a great background and almost all of it was in shade. (Yay no squinting) However the green grass in front of the wall was in full sun and was casting a green shadow on it. (Photo 1) In post processing you could desaturate the wall around him to “fix” the problem. BUT you can still see a green cast on his face. And we don’t want him to look like a hulk. Plus that extra post process editing is time consuming. (Photo 2) You can turn it to black and white. I think this image works great. (Photo 3) THE FIX: Cover the grass. The Photo 4 pose is out of camera results. No cast on skin or wall and no time consuming post processing. All I did was get a large canvas painters drop cloth that I happened to have in my basement and cover all the sunlit grass in front of him
THE LESSON: Try to notice all the little details. Slow down, breathe while you are shooting and remember to be inventive. This tiny little fix allowed me to get great results and save time on post processing. And just look at the results. I just love the quality of #4 far over #1.
(These images were shot using off camera lighting also.)
Taylor Sinclair loves the stage. She was so great to work with and we had so much fun at our photo shoot. We did a few model inspired poses and some of them even remind me of Audrey Hepburn. Everything turned out so classy and timeless!
What a beautiful photo session! We had so much fun at Thompson park doing Fall Senior photos. We were both so happy we had to reschedule because of rain, I don’t think we could have picked a better day. I just love all the fall colors in Brittany’s senior photos. Thank you Devin and Nick for coming along to help with lighting.
The many faces and fun times we have at Natalie's Studio...
Emily, her mom, sister and I had so much fun on her photo shoot. We started out with a traditional yearbook shoot in the studio and got great images. We even got to dance a little. Then we went to a new location I had found recently and got a little more edgy. Emily was one of my students when I was a teacher at Watertown High. And I know she had great style. She loves to dressing in cute trendy outfits and she always has great shoes. I just love going on location and doing some non-traditional shots. I find they are always my favorites after. Check out Emily’s awesome photos and let me know what you think.
Soccer and Lacrosse Player Alex Gillette
What a great photo shoot with Carthage senior Alex Gillette! Alex is one talented young man. He is a skilled soccer and lacrosse player. Alex really wanted to highlight his sports skills in his photo shoot and that is just what we did, along with getting some great portrait shots.
Take a look at the results and let me know what you think.
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Watertown Class of 2014
What an awesome photo shoot. Taylor started her photo with hair and makeup done by Heidi’s Barber and Beauty in Copenhagen. Then we did studio shots which included some tennis balls flying around my studio. Then we went to one of the greatest locations I have found in some time.
Taylor had expressed interest in having a “Montana” looking location for her photo shoot. I feel like a miracle worker to find “Montana” in Copenhagen, but I did it. It took me at least 3 try’s which included; a 5 mile hike, knocking on some doors, a wild car ride down a gorge and meeting some new friends… but I got it! Thank you to the Jones family for graciously allowing me to photograph in there beautiful gorge. I sincerely appreciate it. And I am glad to have made a few new friends along the way.
Taylors photos turned out amazing!
This image is titled Smoke on the Racket (think Smoke on the Water by CCR when you say it) It is another one of my artistic edits that I made for Taylor.
Lowville Class of 2014
When I met with Kelsey one of her requests was to capture how important swimming was to her. We arranged to go to the Lowville pool for a photo shoot before practice. Thanks coach for letting us in. I was a little nervous because I had never photographed at a pool before. I wasn’t sure about photography white balance settings with all the mixed lighting in the pool. I was able to use off camera flash and it worked out really well.
The next day Kelsey came back for her in studio photo shoot. We listened to her cd’s and had a lot of fun. We also went down to Tug Hill Vineyards http://www.tughillvineyards.com/index.php to do some outdoor images. I especially love these shots. And although when I knelt down for a shot, I got bit by a bunch of fire ants, it was worth it.
Book worm and Singing Senior
What a great photo shoot! Kaitlyn was so much fun and did a great job. She got a lot of variety and really showcased her interest. Kailtyn LOVES to read. She brought so many books that we were able to make a stack for her to lean on. How cool is that. I just loved it. Kaitlyn is also a singer. We did a little impromptu singing and dancing in the studio for authenticity.
Kaitlyn loves green. And it just happened to work out that we went to a beautiful country road for her location photography. It was the perfect time of day and we even caught some great sun shots.
Sunset and Windmill photo shoot.
What a great shoot with Derek! I love it when I can find something a senior really wants and we make it happen. One of the things Heather (Derek’s mom) said to me when she called was, “Derek doesn’t care about his photos being taken.” This is always a fun challenge for me. During our consultation we decided a sunset photo shoot with his truck and the windmills would really show off Derek’s laid back country personality. Although it took us weeks to get a sunset to work in our schedules we made it happen. And I was so glad we did! The sunset photos are by far my favorite from the photo shoot.
I think your senior photos should be unique and showcase who you are. These are likely the last professional photos you will take until you get married. They should show what you love, what you are interested in and really show you. This is one great example of how important the consultation is and how Natalie’s Studio wants you to have something that is totally you.
Watertown Class of 2014
Tiffany Hatch did a great job on her photo shoot. She cut her hair the night before the shoot which was a bold move but it turned out great and I love the new style. Tiffany came to the studio with her friend April and we did a double photo shoot. It was a great way to have a little extra fun at the photo shoot.
Fort Drum and Watertown Wedding for a lovely young couple.
What a beautiful wedding day for Rhea and Chris! We had great weather and everyone had such a wonderful time. Everyone was so nice to work with!
Since Rhea and Chris’s wedding was an evening ceremony at the Commons on Fort Drum we did wedding photos early in the park. I highly recommend doing this, especially if you have an evening wedding. Doing the photos first allows you to have lots of time for amazing photography, gives you a little alone time (which you really don’t get on your wedding day) and takes away all the stress of leaving your guests while you do our photos. I think I get my best shots when we do the wedding photos before the ceremony.
Rhea and Chris did a beautiful first peek at Thompson Park in Watertown NY. They were so cute. Chris’s smile was ear to ear. Then we got some great shots and the special forces groomsmen did a little bit of acrobatics.
Rhea and Chris’s wedding was beautiful and intimate at the Commons on Fort Drum. We also did a unique first kiss shot. I acutally hid behind the fabric backdrop and the peeked through right before the first kiss to get the shot. It was great because you can see the expressions on the audiences faces, and the look on Rhea and Chris’s face was priceless!
Everyone danced the night away after and had a great time. Thank you to Johnny Keegan for great music and R&H Creations for beautiful decorations. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Keegan-and-Company-Dj-Service/261432765747 http://www.randhcreations.com/
Alicia and Josh’s Wedding Day August 10th, 2013
A true Tug Hill wedding! We even made it to the hill for photos! The day started at the beautiful North Country Manor Bed and Breakfast. http://www.northcountrymanor.com/ I must give a shout out to them. That place is fantastic! You should defiantly go if you have never been there, and what a gorgeous place to get ready at for your wedding. I would highly recommend it.
Then we were off to the beautiful Constableville Hall for the wedding. The gardens here are so pretty! And all the buildings are so stately. Plus the road looks like something from a movie. I had a lot of fun with this location.
I have to say my photo session with this bridal party was one of my most intense. We had a lot to do, just enough time to do it and a large bridal party. And firecrackers and beer got involved along the way… I may have been a little bossy, but it made it all happen. And everyone said the appreciated my assertiveness. (That was a nice way to say, your bossiness worked)
Then we hit the road and went up the hill. I have never seen a limo do that kind of off-roading. It was awesome. We got some great shots at the reservoir on Tug Hill. Which I thought was especially cool since I snowmobile there.
Then it was off to the reception in Lowville at the Fire Hall. It was a great night of fun and dancing. I had a fantastic time at Alicia and Josh’s wedding.
Matt and Heidi’s Wedding Day July 27th, 2013
Even though it rained it was still a gorgeous wedding day. And Matt and Heidi are so down to earth they still even got married outside, rain and all.
We started our photography in the Mexico Point Park. It may just be one of my new favorite photography locations! What an interesting place. There is so much variety! And I love variety. There are old foundation ruins, a Gothic style cabin, water, beaches and forest scenes. I will defiantly be back to this spot for more photos. I was so glad I arrived about an hour early to scope it all out.
After a little bit of photography it started to rain. I happened to have a clear umbrella (the best $16 target purchase I have ever made) in my trunk. It came in very handy. And I must thank the cabin keeper at the park for letting us in. We were able to get some photos dodging raindrops and then go into the cabin for some more.
Heidi and Matt did a “First Peek”, meaning they had their photo shoot before the wedding ceremony. I strongly recommend these. It is far less stressful and makes the flow of the wedding day much more enjoyable for the bride and groom. After the ceremony you are free to enjoy yourself instead of being pulled away from your guest for photos.
Matt and Heidi are simply wonderful. I am honored to have been their photographer.
Madrid Waddington Central School
Jake is such an outgoing young man. Sometimes I get nervous when guys come for their portraits because they don’t like to be in front of the camera. But not Jake! He is such an easy going and fun loving guy he didn’t mind the camera at all. He even let mom take some video while we were shooting. We got our feet a little wet and had a great time.
Jake is a talented basketball player, he is in a band and loves his family. What a great young man!
Watertown High School Class of 2014
What a unique senior photo shoot. Kayla was so much fun. Kayla is a hard working girl who goes to Watertown High School. She is a dedicated girlfriend, likes 50’s style clothes and a bit of a tough girl. She isn’t afraid to get a little dirty. We decided a mud fight with Alex would be a fun thing to do at the end of her photo shoot. Congratulations Kayla, Watertown High School Class of 2014!
Watertown High School Senior
Miranda had such an amazing photo shoot. Miranda was one of my talented art students at Watertown. Miranda loves fashion and excels in her sewing class. She is also a talented athlete who plays soccer and lacrosse. Miranda wanted to use her photo shoot to show offer her interests and skills. We had such a great time. We got a little edgy, a little athletic and had a whole lot of fun!
I had a great time at your wedding and you are both so kind and down to earth, you made my job easy. Congratulation, I wish you many happy years of marriage.
Elise and Zac' Engagement Photo Shoot
Congratulations to such a lovely couple. Elise and Zac are so sweet together. I had so much fun at our photo shoot. I love how laid back the two of you are. I mean…it was great I could stand on a ladder and hang my camera over you to get the shot that I wanted and you two were all about it. :) I am so glad you two had fun too. I am truly looking forward to your wedding.
My favorite shot of the photo shoot has to be the candle heart. Compositionally and creatively I think some of the other shots are a bit stronger, however the candle heart shot has such a sweet story. You see… Zac’s wedding proposal was a bit of a scavenger hunt for Elise. The journey ended with a heart of candles, her family and friends and the man of her dreams down on one knee. How sweet and creative! I just loved their story and have now made it my mission to incorporate it into their wedding images. Wait until September to see where the candle heart will turn up at the wedding.
Jeremy and Sara Snell
A Winter Wedding at St. Thomas Church and Beardslee Castle
This was my first winter wedding and although it was cold, it was a blast. I have to commend the entire bridal party for their cooperation! We did many outdoor photos in the snow and they were all great sports! You could not have a better group of people and Sara and Jeremy are so much fun!
Jeremy is a high school friend of mine. I am so happy for Jeremy, he has found himself one amazing women to be his wife. Sara is just great. She is smart, confident and so easy going. Both Jeremy and Sara (and their families) have been a pleasure to work with. Their wedding day was full of happiness and fun.
Their reception at Beardslee castle was just beautiful. Beardslee is simply enchanting. It was such a wonderful setting for all of Sara and Jeremy’s family and friends to gather in celebration. Beardslee also offered many amazing photography opportunities which we took advantage of.
Thank you all for such a wonderful wedding weekend. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Snell!
Ben's Senior Photo Shoot
What a great shoot with Ben. I loved the different locations we went to. Each made for a really unique backdrop. I learned the best way to get Ben to smile is to talk about his new truck that he was going to get the very next day. Ben is a talented football player and hunter. He is a hard worker and a great young man.
A Family Photo Shoot at Natalie's Studio
One 2 year old + One 4 year old = patience needed. But they were great! A little bit of coaxing with lollipops did the trick. Thanks for such a fun photo shoot. And I was really excited I finally got to use my red frame. I have been waiting to try that out.
Haley, Watertown Senior High School Student
What a fun shoot. Haley is such a great girl. She is smart talented and ambitious. She plans on graduating in January. We all had a lot of fun on the shoot. We got in just in time for the fall colors! Thanks Haley and Ann for such a nice time. (And thank you Matt for being a great help)
Blake and Andrew's Winery Wedding
Blake and Andrew had a beautiful wedding at the lovely Tug Hill Vineyards. They are such a sweet and relaxed couple. Their ceremony had a wonderful soloist and pianist perform. And although it did rain that day, it held off until everyone was inside.
It’s a small world… I discovered Blake’s great aunt (I believe) went on a trip with my grandparents back in the 60’s. I love the agricultural community! There were lots of AGR alumni from Cornell who also knew my dad and brother. Thank you everyone for making me feel part of the family.
Congratulations to Blake and Andrew!
Kelli and Ben’s Vintage Barn Wedding in Lowville NY
Wow, what an amazing wedding! First I just love Kelli and Ben. Here is a little background info... My husband and I bought our first house in November 2011 in Copenhagen NY. We bought the triplex apartment house on the corner of Number 3 and 12. Low and behold it came with some really great tenets. Josh and Leah lived there and we all quickly became friends. Leah had told Kelli about my photography and that is initially how Kelli decided I would photograph her wedding. But as time went on we all became friends, sharing interests like hunting and hoping our men don’t do anything too stupid with all their crazy adventures. It has been a ton of fun meeting all these great young couples that have so much in common with my husband and I. We really cherish these relationships.
That being said I was absolutely psyched to photograph Ben and Kelli’s wedding. The morning rain was making me a little nervous but it ended up just fine. I think we got some fantastic shots and everyone was such a good sport even though it was cold. The vintage country theme was GORGOUS! I wish my wedding would have looked like that. Thank you all for such a wonderful time and amazing images! Congratulations to Ben and Kelli!
