Symphony Photography's Blog

Exciting new fine art print options!

Symphony Photography — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:16:28 +0000

Hi everyone. Well, I think it’s official. I am the worst blogger in the world. I’ve been hoping to update the blog for so long now but I’ve just been SWAMPED with album designs… and digging out from under all this snow! This will be a quick post but I just wanted to tell everyone about some exciting news. We now have a shiny new large format inkjet printer in house which means we’re going to be offering some exciting new products in terms of fine art prints. Well, if you were paying attention you probably saw the word “inkjet” and thought “ewww, yuck”! Well, this is not your father’s inkjet. Our new printer features 12 archival quality, water resistant pigment based inks and is capable of producing archival prints that last anywhere from 95 years to 300 years based upon the type of paper used. Being a professional large format printer it cannot only handle regular lustre and glossy papers but it can also handle thick stock cotton and fiber based papers, matte board, and even canvas (and the canvas prints are nothing short of stunning)!!! The colors are absolutely amazing and the image quality goes far beyond ANYTHING you’ve ever seen from your typical photographic print. If you’re a big fan of black and white prints you’ll be blown away by what you see!!! If you’re interested in ordering a fine art print from your wedding give me a shout. OK, that’s it for now.

Support Lauren in her walk for the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation

Symphony Photography — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:22:59 +0000

Hi Everyone,

Sorry it’s been a while since the last update. The past few months have been super busy for me and I just haven’t had the time to update the blog BUT… I have a ton of weddings to post and I’m hoping to get to that later this month. In the mean time the daughter of one of my fellow wedding photography friends is going to be participating in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s walk for a cure. I’d like to encourage everyone to help Lauren out in raising money for such a worthwhile cause. I’ve posted the information below. The walk is this Sunday (October 14th) so hurry up and donate now!!! Thanks everyone!

Cheers, Joe

_________________________________________________

Support Lauren Frischling in the 2007 Walk to Cure Diabetes

Greetings!

I’m writing to you to ask for your support in a very special cause.

This year, I’ll be taking part in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’sWalk to Cure Diabetes along with a half-million other walkers across the country. Our goal: To raise $100 million to help fund research for a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications.

Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes, is a devastating, often deadly disease that affects millions of people–a large and growing percentage of them children.

Many people think type 1 diabetes can be controlled by insulin. While insulin does keep people with type 1 diabetes alive, it is NOT a cure. Aside from the daily challenges of living with type 1 diabetes, there are many severe, often fatal, complications caused by the disease.

That’s the bad news… and yes, it’s pretty bad.

The good news, though, is that a cure for type 1 diabetes is within reach. In fact, JDRF funding and leadership is associated with most major scientific breakthroughs in type 1 diabetes research to date. And JDRF funds a major portion of all type 1 diabetes research worldwide, more than any other charity.

I’m writing to ask for your support because now more than ever, EACH of us can be a part of bringing about a cure. Each of us can make a real difference

Won’t you please give to JDRF as generously as you’re able?

Together, we can make the cure a reality.

Thank you,

Lauren Frischling

Please visit my Walk Web page if you would like to donate online or see how close I am to reaching my personal goal:
http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=86869652

Follow this link to make a donation:
http://walk.jdrf.org/support.cfm?id=86869652

The Harvard Club, Boston MA

Symphony Photography — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 06:57:32 +0000

Congratulations to Meg and Raul!!! I did an engagement session earlier in the year with them on Plum Island and they were a lot of fun so I was looking forward to shooting their wedding. I think I’ve finally made the rounds of the “Harvards”. I’ve shot at Harvard Memorial Church several times (and yes I’ve driven through and pahked my cah in Havahd yahd), I’ve shot at the Harvard Faculty Club, and now the Harvard Club! I must say the Harvard Club ROCKS! Give Carla a shout over there… she’s great! OK… on to the details…

Shoes from “Shoes to Dye For” in Natick, MA (not sure who the designer is… I’m sure Meg will chime in though )

The dress was a Paloma Blanca from Vows in Newton.

A little pre-ceremony martial arts. The Ninja bouquets (and the rest of the flowers) are by Donna Fucaloro of Pepperberry’s Flowers in Byfield, MA

Again… the work of Pepperberry’s Flowers. Wait till you see ‘em lined up around the cake!!!

Giggly. This pretty much sums up Meg and Raul!

That’s quite the grin!

The Harvard Club! This is a great venue and everyone is so great over there.

Love the colors here. A gorgeous cake and the candles and the flowers just look great. Although I see it every now and then, I don’t often see different bouquets for every bridesmaid and this particular arrangement I thought worked really well!

Yet another FANTASTIC band, the Boston Players.

Dancin’ with Dad

Meg, Raul and the Boston Players gettin’ down!

Rock star post #61!!!

Mmm Mmm Mmm Myyyyyyy Sha ro na (doo Doo doo DOO doo Doot DOOT Doot DOOT Doot DOOT). Definitely a foot tappin’ tune and now I have it stuck in my head (oh yeah, that’s what the band was playing when these shots were taken). On the bright side, if you’re going to have a song stuck in your head that’s a GREAT tune to have stuck in your head. I once had the main theme from Peter and the Wolf stuck in my head for a month and it drove me nuts!

Well that’s just about it for now but one more mention. Meg’s makeup was done by Lisa Mellican who I’ve seen a few times this year and she’s great as well. You can find her at Davis Hairdressing in Newton, MA

A great summer musically speaking.

Symphony Photography — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 06:57:07 +0000

So… I’m a Police fan. I LOVE The Police. They are musician’s musicians (just please… don’t request “Every Breath You Take at a wedding… unless you have a pretty good sense of humor). The definitive collection for any Police lover is the “Message in a Box” boxed set which has most of the stuff that they’ve recorded. Unfortunately I got into the Police after they disbanded. I have seen Sting before doing his own thing in San Jose (actually… he kind of went back to his roots, just him, drums, and two guitars, nothing else and they mostly played Police tunes). Sting ALWAYS has top notch musicians but none of them compare to the sound that comes out of The Police with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. Well, you better believe that I was there when they came through Boston and played at Fenway Park last month. It was a fantastic show. Stewart Copeland is a total monster (he also looks like a total goofball when he plays but so what… I look like a goofball…. period). Ironically… my Police experience wasn’t over after the concert. After going back to my car I found one of those bright orange presents under my wiper blade. No parking on Monday’s 12:00 AM… street cleaning. D’OH!!! Had I only left a 1/2 hour earlier. LOL Oh well. I’m an idiot!

Now, musically speaking the police was enough to make my year BUT… last week Lisa Loeb came through my hometown and performed at Tupelo Music Hall. The nice thing about Tupleo is that the venue is small and intimate. 240 people by my estimate. How cool is that? I thought that the Fillmore in San Francisco was an intimate room but nothing beats Tupelo. Lisa was of course awesome and she has a great sense of humor as well. I also discovered a new name that night… Amber Rubarth (I want to say “Amber Rubarb”) who was also fantastic. Her lyrics are really fun and she just has this really nice lush falsetto. If you’re into folk, check her out. Had enough? Wait, there’s more! Jonatha Brooke is coming back to Tupelo again (I saw her there last year) and I’m definitely going to be there. If you like Lisa Loeb you’d probably like Jonatha Brooke. I’d recommend 10 cent wings and Steady Pull to start with. One of the things I like about Jonatha’s sound is that she uses A LOT of alternate guitar tunings. That might not mean anything to you if you’re not a music geek but check her out anyway. I think you’ll notice that something is a bit different (and refreshing).

Finally… it was almost a mind blowing year for reunions with the announcement of David Lee Roth getting back together with Van Halen but… no, it’s not Van Halen. I want to see Michael Anthony as well. It’s not VH without David, Eddie, Alex, and Michael. Hrrrumph! I saw them in the nineties with Sammy and a then 4 year old Wolfgang ran out on stage quickly followed by Valerie Bertinelli who swooped in and scooped him up. I’m just not sure I could take ‘em seriously with Wolfgang on bass. Alright, enough random blabbering. Back to weddings!
Cheers, Joe

The Round Barn - Waitsfield, VT

Symphony Photography — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 06:09:45 +0000

Congratulations to Katie and Bob who got married a few weeks ago at The Round Barn in Waitsfield Vermont. Located smack dab in the middle of ski country The Round Barn is located in the lush green mountains of Vermont. The opening shot here isn’t actually located at The Round Barn but it really sets the tone for everything. As I was driving up before the wedding I had to stop the car to grab some shots of this waterfall:

The rehearsal dinner as well as the getting ready took place at The Pitcher Inn in Warren, VT

Check it out folks… that’s the real deal!!!

The ceremony and reception was held at The Round Barn in Waitsfield, VT

The bridesmaids dresses were designed by Ashley Allan of Ashley Allan Designs.

Love the colors here! The catering was by “Cooking From The Heart“.

Bouquet and flowers by Nancy Murray of A Schoolhouse Garden

With all of the exposed wood featured in the construction of the barn, the candles really add to the warmth and cozy vibe of the venue.

Cake by Perrin Williams of Vermont Cake Studio

Katie’s dress was designed by Jenny Lee.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm

Ya need good tunes to have a good party! Downtown Fever is a Boston based band and they can play pretty much everything and they LOVE to play. I had fun chatting with them during the break, it turns out we all have Berklee College of Music in common. Small world!

One final note… if you’re ever in the area during a new moon and you have a clear sky MAKE SURE you take the time to stop and look up. There’s very little light pollution in the area and the view of the stars is just stunning. You can see the condensed band of the milky. I stopped on the way back to the Inn after the wedding and spotted 3 satellites and 4 meteorites. Also, make sure you stop by Easy Street Cafe and Market for breakfast. You MUST get the homefries. They’re absolutely amazing!!! That’s all folks.

The State Room - Boston, MA

Symphony Photography — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 06:17:59 +0000

Congratulations to Cara and Kiryl!

The dress was designed by Liv Harris and is from VOWS in Newton. They have a really cool web address too… www.bridepower.com

Shoes by Liz Claiborne

They got married at small church in Newton, MA… Our Lady Help of Christians Parish

OK, maybe the church isn’t so small.

Bubbles… soooo tempting to stop taking pictures and join in the bubble blowing. LOL

Finally off to the reception. The State Room sits atop the 33rd floor of Sixty State Street and offers spectacular views of Boston.

One of the nice things about The State Room is that they handle so much of your event. The venue, the catering, and the cake are all under one roof.

As you can see, lobster was on the menu and this one was big enough to give Gozilla the shakes.

Center pieces and bouquet by Brattle Square Florist

Here’s the cake taking in the view of street performers down below in front of Faneuil Hall.

Ahhhhh…. HUGE WINDOWS!!! I LOVE huge windows. They’re a wedding photographer’s dream and provide for some very dramatic silhouettes as well as let lots of natural light inside.

The entertainment for the night was provided by DJ Raffi who had people on the dance floor all night (or in this case, off of the dance floor).

Chappaquiddick Beach Club - Martha’s Vineyard, MA

Symphony Photography — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 23:41:26 +0000

Here’s a few of my favorites from Macy and Bridger’s wedding. They got married on June 23rd, at St. Andrews in Edgartown, MA on Martha’s Vineyard followed by a short ferry ride across the channel to the Chappaquiddick Beach Club.

Dress by Rivini

Shoes by Stuart Weitzman. Interesting shoe trivia, Stuart Weitzmann got his start in his father’s Haverill, MA shoe factory. I thought that was kind of a cool local tie in. More info here.

Flowers by Joan Merry

Check out those seating card holders. Aren’t they cool!!!!!!!!!!

Catering by Michael Brisson of l’etoile

Having a business named Symphony Photography well, you can guess that I like music so Macy and Bridger’s wedding was a double treat for me. It started with Vineyard Sound, a Martha’s Vineyard based a cappella group (and they were awesome).

What a great place to have a wedding, what a view!!! Wait until you see what mother nature had in store for the sunset.

Again it was a great night for music. Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish rocked the house. Bridger’s sister Kaitlin McGaw joined the band for a few tunes as well.

Of course every wedding needs a light saber duel (you might say Bridger is a bit of a Star Wars fan (I was in good company )!

I’m always a sucker for a great sunset and Martha’s Vineyard is the perfect spot to see some of the best sunsets on the east coast.

It’s amazing how something so simple such as a white paper bag with a light in it can really make a dramatic impact.

Well, that’s all for now! Cheers, Joe

Macy and Bridger’s Engagement Session

Symphony Photography — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 07:24:54 +0000

Congrats to Macy and Bridge who’s wedding I’m working on right now (there will be a sneak peak of that in a little while). In the mean time here’s a few shots from their engagement session:

It’s all in the details

Symphony Photography — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 05:30:51 +0000

Details. I love detail shots. My other photographer friends make fun of me for taking so many detail shots of the cake. Sometimes I wonder if I should specialize in cake photography. I figure if I can’t eat it I may as well live vicariously through many photographs. With that said, if it’s chocolate cake I usually can’t resist. Chocolate cake is the absolute best and it’s good for you too (cue the Bill Cosby skit). Aside from cake though, I also like to photograph other details as well. Here’s a few of my favorites from a wedding I shot in May:

It’s been a while…

Symphony Photography — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 07:25:30 +0000

Well, it’s been a while since my last post so I figured an update was due. Busy busy busy busy!!! Yesterday was a productive day as I managed to design an entire album in one sitting (a record for me). I’m exhausted but I love the feeling of accomplishment after I have finished an album. Today and tomorrow will also be marathon album design days and then Wednesday, Thursday and Friday it’s off to the Photoshop World convention at the Hynes Convention Center. I’m looking forward to it and hope to pick up some new tricks to improve my workflow as well as learn about the new features in Photoshop CS3 which was just recently released.

Hopefully I’ll be a bit more frequent with my updates once I get all these albums completed. I’ll be meeting up with some other wedding photographers after Photoshop World and I’m hoping we can roam Boston just shooting for fun so perhaps I’ll have some images to post from those adventures in a few days.

Cheers, Joe