Eighth Day Photo - Archive Blog

New Blog!!

2008-01-14T09:38:00.000-05:00

This is no longer the blog for Eighth Day Photography in Fort Wayne, IN! We have a brand new blog located at:

http://eighthdayphotography.blogspot.com

Enjoy the new blog and we'll keep this one up for archives!

You may be noticing some changes

2008-01-09T11:01:00.000-05:00

We are in the process of getting the new website up and running, as well as the new blog*.

*This is not the new blog. This is a temporary new blog while we wait for out totally kickin' blog to be done! It's going to rock!

But, you may notice that our Photocart system has a new look, in anticipation of our new website. Please be patient with us as we undergo these changes, as it will take some time to get everything converted (especially individual client pages).

Also, you may notice that we might have some downtime. Don't fret. We are, in addition to getting a new website, also moving the main site to a new web host. To complicate matters just a little, we are keeping the Client pages and the Photocart system on our current host, but under a new domain name: www.eighthdayphotography.net. Our emails will remain the same (info@eighthdayphotography.com; ksenia@eighthdayphotography.com; gregory@eighthdayphotography.com), but they may go down for a short while during the transfer.

So, please please bear with us as we make the move and bring you a whole new Eighth Day Photography!

Continuation of my 101 in 1001 days!

2008-01-07T11:16:00.000-05:00

11. Join the Better Business Bureau - Done! Did this today!!
12. Update my website. I know, I know. I said I would stop coveting other people's websites and I will, just as soon as I update mine! Its in the works! Check back soon to see the new look. I'm totally excited about it!
13. Explore fun and cool places in Fort Wayne to take Trash the Dress (After 8), Engagement and wedding photos. I have a couple of places in mind and will probably take a drive out later today to go look into them.
14. Offer my photography services for free to deserving groups or people who simply cannot afford them at least once a year.
15. Attend and hopefully, photograph, Hillary's wedding! My best friend is getting married!!
16. Attend at least one wedding that I am not photographing and try to simply enjoy it without looking for the best light. :-) This one might be hard!
17. Get the portrait portion of my business up and running.
18. Start exploring the possibility of having studio space.
19. Get out from under some of this debt.
20. Exercise at least 3 times a week.

Big Changes are coming again!!!

2008-01-05T17:23:00.000-05:00

Well, I haven't been keeping up with my 101 in 1001 days, but I promise I will finish the list soon! What I've been working on instead is a new look for the website (yes, again!). I'm so excited because we will be having a whole new look to the blog really soon (so, if you subscribe to read this blog, make sure you visit the actual blog soon to check out the new look, just as soon as its done!).

But, that's not all. In honor of the new look of the new blog, the website is undergoing a new look too! I've been working hard on it, so keep an eye out for that soon too! While we are in the process of changing over the look, some of the client pages and Photocart may look weird too. I apologize for that, but I think you'll like the new look!

And, in addition to all of that, we are also super excited to be unveiling our secret project! I hope to make it public early next week, so keep checking back for updates on that!

Sweeney Todd

2008-01-01T19:01:00.000-05:00

Last night, Dn Gregory and I went to see Sweeney Todd. His parents took Matthias for New Years, so we decided to go see a movie.

It. Was. Awesome!

Unlike my husband, who studied music and knows all the various musicals out there, I have never heard the music to Sweeney Todd before. It was absolutely amazing. First thing tomorrow, I'm heading out to pick up the soundtrack on CD. I have got to have this for my car! The music is beautiful with amazing harmonies and the words are just awesome. I quickly fell in love with the musical.

Now, to be fair and honest, I could have done with a little less blood. Clearly, the Broadway version has less blood, so I may have to see if I can ever see it on stage. But, all in all, Johnny Depp and Tim Burton have come through one more time. I can't wait to see it again!

I do have a new favorite song: Johanna (Reprise). Wow. Johnny Depp singing in harmony with Jamie Campbell Bower was very impressive. The dissonance followed by the note resolution. Wow. Just wow.

Go see it! Soon!

Some New Year resolutions

2008-01-01T15:22:00.000-05:00

Well, shortly, there will be 101 goals to complete in 1001 days. I've seen this from a few people, and it looks great, but I haven't had a chance to sit down and write out 101 goals, so I'll start with just a few for now.

1. Finish writing out 101 goals, but post at least 10 new goals per day until the list is finished.
2. Watch the educational DVD's the Cat lent to me.
3. Blog everyday for a month, for at least 3 months.
4. Upgrade the look of my blog (this one should be done really soon, as its already in the works!)
5. Stop coveting other people's website and learn to appreciate the one I have.
6. Tell my husband every day that I love him.
7. Take at least one hour per day and play with my son for one hour straight.
8. Take fun photos at least once a week.
9. Start (and finish) the project that I want to do of black and white photos.
10. Play more with lighting, but soft and extreme.

In all honesty, I've already started working on #10. Check out this photo of my husband from last night. This was the last photo of 2007.

What do you think?

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T12:46:00.001-05:00

To all of you from Eighth Day Photography, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

I know you want to tell the world about us!

2007-12-14T09:35:00.000-05:00

I know you are all dying to tell the world all about us! :-). Well, here's your chance!

Review Eighth Day Photography at WeddingWire

We have joined with WeddingWire, and would love to receive your raving reviews! So, if you are so inclined, review us! :-)

Happy Holidays from Eighth Day Photography!

2007-12-04T23:47:00.000-05:00

Wishing you all a very happy and wonderful holiday season! We take the holiday season very seriously here at Eighth Day Photography, so we bring you the following greeting from all of us!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1171478850

Big changes are coming!!

2007-12-03T22:27:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm going to keep this nice and short, but I have exciting news!! We are now full time!! How exciting is that? I can now devote all my energy to Eighth Day Photography and the awesome clients that I have!! Yay for you guys!!

So, we're here all the time now! And I can't wait to be that much more available to you all and to have new products and level of service that only time allows me to provide!

Rock on!

Corrie & Matt's Engagement Session

2007-11-17T19:06:00.003-05:00

Aren't they just adorable together??

So excited to get a great ring shot here!!

They are just awesome little snuggle bugs! :-)

Can you believe we still have this kind of color on the trees?? Isn't that nuts??

Love this pic! Look how happy Matt is!

Total favorite!! Love the angle! Love how happy they look!!

They got totally comfortable by the end of the session! :-)

FORT WAYNE, Indiana - I have to tell you all that we have been trying to do an engagement shoot for, literally, months! Weather kept interfering. So, sure enough, the weather called for snow and rain today! Well, I told Corrie that the only way we would cancel today is if it was a downpour! We got some sprinkles, and it was totally cold outside, but we got some photos!

Aren't these guys adorable?? They are soooo much in love and you can totally see it when you look at them! Of course, every time they looked at each other, they just cracked up laughing, but we ended up with some pretty great shots of these guys!!

We are totally going to do two more engagement shoots: one more winter and then a spring shoot, so be on the lookout for more photos before their wedding next May!

Lydia & Dwight's Album Pre-Design

2007-11-12T21:42:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited to have this album pre-design done! This was such a great wedding and I loved putting it all together in one storybook.

Go check it out at: www.eighthdayphotography.com/Clients/LydiaDwight/AlbumSlideshow/

Heidi & Micah's Engagement Session Slideshow

2007-11-11T21:43:00.000-05:00

This was such a fun slideshow to put together! Once again, I didn't have a song to use, so I had to reach into my imagination (or in this case, my husband's imagination) to get a song, and we came up with "Forever" by The Beach Boys. I forgot that this song is out there and I love it, and it totally works for Heidi and Micah! These guys are so much in love and I know they will be together forever!!

So, without any further delay, here is their slideshow:

Heidi & Micah's Engagement Session

2007-11-09T21:34:00.001-05:00

Aren't they the cutest??

I love this angle! Favorite!!

I can't believe we still have this much color on the trees!

Can you see her ring peaking out of the middle of this picture? Love it!

MISHAWAKA, Indiana - I photographed Heidi and Micah's engagement session today, and although it was cold, it was awesome! Heidi and Micah are students at Bethel College and are getting married next summer. Aren't they the cutest?? Anyway, these two braved the 45 degree temperatures (with no coats!!) to get these photos done, and I'm really happy with them! We will be doing another session in the Spring (when it warms up a bit), so be on the lookout next Spring for more photos before their wedding next Summer!

Thanks guys for a blast today! Looking forward to the next time around!

Sarah & Carroll's Wedding Slideshow

2007-11-07T23:56:00.000-05:00

I know these guys are down in Tennessee having a good time, but I sure do hope they check in and see their slideshow! I love it!

Sarah and Carroll chose a song that I have never heard before as their first dance song, and I really like it because its not a standard first dance song. Its got an awesome beat, great little dance piece with some awesome lyrics! Check out this little diddy by Josh Turner in the slideshow:

Lydia & Dwight's Wedding Slideshow

2007-11-06T21:49:00.000-05:00

I love posting slideshows. I love finding just the right piece of music to fit the couple, or I always get excited if I know the song that the couple has chosen as their first dance song. Usually, this song has really great significance to the couple (I know mine did when I married Dn Gregory).

Anyway, Lydia and Dwight chose "So High" by John Legend. This wasn't a song I had ever heard until I purchased it and I love it! What a beautiful song and it really fits Lydia and Dwight so well!!

So, without any further delay, Lydia & Dwight's wedding slideshow!

Sarah & Carroll's Wedding

2007-11-05T18:03:00.001-05:00

Sarah getting ready.

I saw this photo and just cracked up laughing. Knowing Carroll, I'm so not surprised by this picture!

Absolutely no reason the girls can't have fun if the boys are having fun!

Isn't she a classic beauty? Favorite!!

The very moment Carroll saw his bride for the first time.

This kiss came as a total surprise to us, because Carroll turned and dipped Sarah! Good thing we are prepared for anything!

We were just having fun with some lighting here!

Dn Gregory took this photo! I love love love the light in the background! Favorite!!

And can I add...another favorite!!!

This group could party!! So much fun!

LIMA, Ohio - This was our last wedding of the season, and what a way to end the run of 2007! Sarah and Carroll were awesome and this wedding was incredible! Everyone, and I mean everyone, was so kind and generous and just awesome! Sarah was stunning and Carroll was a hoot! I had such a hard time choosing photos for this blog, because there are just so many that I love. I narrowed it down from 42 to 24 just for the blog!

Sarah and Carroll are in Tennessee for the next 2 weeks, so I hope you guys are having a great time, and please check in when you get back and let us know how it was!!

Congrautlations Lydia & Dwight!

2007-11-05T15:42:00.001-05:00

Isn't this a cool looking church?

Praying with the pastor before the marriage ceremony. Favorite!

Lydia had her brother walk her down the aisle. I love how happy she looks here!

umm...totally favorite!!

Here's the happy couple!

I'm so glad we were able to get outside for some photos! Favorite!!

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Lydia and Dwight were married on Saturday, November 3, 2007 in Columbus, OH. This was such a nice wedding. The service was absolutely beautiful and you could just feel the love between them as they shared their vows! And the reception was a hoot at the Confluence Park Restaurant in Columbus! These folks can party!

I was thrilled to once again work with Catherine McKinley of Catherine McKinley Photography from Akron, OH.

Be on the lookout soon for their slideshow and album pre-design!

Guys, enjoy your honeymoon in Las Vegas and let me know how it went when you get back!

Jena & Brandon's Slideshow

2007-11-02T12:08:00.000-04:00

I'm a roll now! Here is the slideshow from yesterday's engagement session. The couple doesn't have a song yet, so I thought I would give my own thoughts on their awesome relationship, and I came up with Michael Bouble's "Everything".

Enjoy!

Yes! The Engagement Photos!

2007-11-02T10:31:00.001-04:00

Love this picture!!

We just decided to have a little fun with the lighting and the look. Looks a little weird, but I really like it!

Oh my goodness!! My favorite!!!

I don't know what it is, but I love Jena's pose in this photo. There's something really strong, yet incredibly feminine about it.

Gosh, aren't they so cute!

It was really hard for to get a photo of just Brandon, but I finally succeeded!

Jena's eyes in this photo just keep drawing me back to the picture! Favorite!!

Indianapolis, IN - Yesterday afternoon, I shot an engagement photo shoot with Jena and Brandon. They are getting married next June in Fort Wayne, IN, but since he proposed at the Circle Center Monument in Indianapolis, we headed over there to get some awesome photos. These two are just amazing to work with, so much so, that we're going to do it again in the winter! Can't wait!

Congratulations guys and we'll do it again soon!

New Engagement Photos are coming...

2007-11-02T00:11:00.001-04:00

I had the most wonderful time this evening with Jena and Brandon and I promised them photos on my blog tonight. Well, here it is, 12:12am, and the photos are done, but my PC is being finicky, so the photos will be posted in the morning!

They look awesome, by the way! I'm totally excited to share them with all of you...but not until tomorrow!

Beth & Jeff's Wedding Album Pre-design

2007-10-29T10:19:00.000-04:00

This might very well be my favorite wedding album that I've designed. I love the lines, the look and, of course, the couple! (Hi guys!!)

Please enjoy the preview and I look forward to hearing what you all think!

Wedding Album Pre-Design

You can still check out their individual page, with links to their wedding photo slideshow and soon, wedding photos, here

Beth & Jeff's Wedding Photo Slideshow

2007-10-25T18:51:00.000-04:00

I am so very excited about the photos from Beth and Jeff's wedding last Saturday, and I'm super excited knowing that they are checking in from their honeymoon in Jamaica (hi guys!!)! So, since I know they are out there and looking, I wanted to put this slideshow up quickly so that there is something new to look at! I hope you enjoy it!

And please guys, leave a quick message in the comments and let me know how you're enjoying your vacation!

Congratulations Beth & Jeff

2007-10-20T22:32:00.000-04:00

The beautiful bride! My favorite! :-)

The groomsmen were so much fun! Thanks Jeff for going along with this idea!

Another favorite!

This little flower girl is such a little cutie!

He was so emotional as he saw his bride coming down the aisle. It was awesom!

I'm so excited that the colors on the trees is finally starting to change! Isn't it beautiful?

Another favorite!

Aren't these glasses so cute?

Gosh, these two are so much in love!

Beth's mom is the dancing queen! I think she could have stayed on the dance floor all day!

Carmel, IN - Wow! What an incredible wedding with such an incredible couple. My great friend Catherine of Catherine McKinley Photography came down from Cleveland to help me shoot this wedding and we had a blast at this great event! Beth and Jeff are from North Carolina, but got married in Carmel surrounded by friends and family. This group was so much fun and Beth and Jeff are so much in love. I think the most touching moment was during the ceremony when Jeff started crying as he watched his bride come down the aisle. It was great.

I was also really excited to see that the leaves were finally changing color, so we were able to get the newly married couple out for some great fall photos! Please enjoy the photos! And Beth and Jeff, please enjoy your honeymoon in Jamaica! We're jealous!

Some new photos of my baby boy

2007-10-18T17:29:00.000-04:00

As I'm prepping for what promises to be an awesome wedding this weekend, I thought I would post some recent photos of my little guy! The ones in the red shirt were taken by me and the ones in his pajamas were taken by his papa.

The slideshows are coming!

2007-10-01T10:58:00.001-04:00

I've had a busy couple of days with Michelle's baby shower and Sarah and Carroll's engagement session! Both slideshows are done, but I'll be posting one at a time.

So, without any further delay, here is the slideshow from Michelle's baby shower!

Sarah & Carroll's Engagement Session

2007-09-30T21:15:00.001-04:00

I had the best time in the world today photographing Sarah and Carroll's engagement session! These two are getting married on November 4, and I'm so excited to shoot the wedding!

We just had a ball today, and I have to admit, it was soooo hard to pick just a few photos for the blog. So, you actually get 17 photos, which I know is a lot, but I just couldn't pick. So many of the photos came out so awesome (because this couple is so awesome) and I just want to share them all! You can view all the photos at Sarah and Carroll's page at EighthDayPhotography.com

Congratulations, guys! I can't wait for November!!

Michelle's Baby Shower

2007-09-30T17:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I had a great time photographing Michelle's baby shower. Michelle and Lee were married earlier this year and are now expecting their first son! I'm so excited for them!

The theme for the shower was "Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails" and I really love the way they incorporated the theme throughout, with great little sayings and the cutest centerpieces made up of little puppies and kittens!

Please enjoy the pictures! You can view all the photos at the Baby's Page at EighthDayPhotography.com

The Slideshow of Hannah & William's Wedding

2007-09-20T22:41:00.000-04:00

I am having so much fun going through all these photos! Hannah and William are such a beautiful couple, devout, love God, and love each other. What more could you ask for? Here is the slideshow from their wedding!

Who wants to shoot with Beckstead? Great opportunity to shoot with one of the best!

2007-09-19T16:51:00.000-04:00

For those interested, I'm co-hosting a David Beckstead Workshop on October 16th-17th. This is a GREAT opportunity for some portfolio building and has great publishing potential!

It's a 1.5 day workshop - the first day will be all shooting with David. We'll have at least two models, different locations, and model releases! You can check out more at http://www.shootwithbeckstead.com.

The first day will start with David showing you how he shoots (about 1 hour), and then its hands on shooting fun for all of us - FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. He'll work with everyone on ideas, concepts, exposure, - just about everything. You get one-on-one help from him personally, all you have to do is ask! We'll have dinner that evening and talk shop, have fun and download images. And who knows, maybe we'll get a night shoot in there too!

The second day we will spend in a Critique Session looking over everyone's best shots with Beckstead.

The workshop will be in the Akron/Cleveland area. The cost for attending is $600 (which will be payable to Beckstead directly). The workshop is limited to 10-15 photographers, and it will fill up pretty fast. If you are interested please send an email cat@catmckinleyphoto.com and she will put you on the list and contact you personally to fill you in on all the details and answer any questions?

In March 2007 American Photo named David Beckstead one of the top 10 wedding photographers in the world!! What an awesome opportunity!!

Congratulations Hannah and William Vazquez!

2007-09-17T19:49:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, September 16th, Dn Gregory and I photographed Hannah Miller and William Vazquez' wedding! It was so beautiful and wonderful and we had such a great time with such a loving couple!

In addition, we were so excited to meet up with Andrey, who was a great friend of ours from seminary and his fiancee Lizzy, as well as with Carroll and Sarah, who's wedding we'll be photographing in just about 7 weeks!

Anyway, here are some of the highlights from the beautiful wedding of Hannah and William! We hope you guys enjoy your honeymoon in Florida! Thanks for letting us be a part of your wonderful and extremely special day!

Why we do what we do.

2007-09-12T16:19:00.001-04:00

From Matt Mendelsohn’s piece in the Washington Post: (Thanks to New School Photo for posting this first).

Getting The Picture
By Matt Mendelsohn
Sunday, September 2, 2007; W20

When he was a photo-journalist, “wedding photographer” sounded like the punch line of a joke. Then he went soft and discovered that taking photographs of the most important moment in people’s lives actually is funny. Also moving, sad, scary and profound.

IT WAS 10:15 P.M., AND THE BAND WAS HALFWAY THROUGH GLORIA GAYNOR’S “I WILL SURVIVE,” a song I’ve heard so many hundreds of times in the past nine years that I think I should start earning some sort of secret ASCAP royalty, when the tiny phone in my pocket began to vibrate.

My cellphone, like any good wedding photographer will tell you, is always on vibrate, even when I’m not at a wedding. Just one of those silly things, really, but I don’t take any chances. I never trust traffic on the Beltway, even on a weekend. I don’t eat strange foods on Friday, lest I become sick on Saturday. And I absolutely cringe at the thought of my phone going off during a wedding.

I cringe because it’s my job as the photographer to document the nuptial events unfolding in front of me — from the hushed nave of St. Matthew’s Cathedral downtown to the Potomac overlook at George Washington’s River Farm — not become part of them. I’m hired, of course, to chronicle, but after nine years and some 400 weddings — think Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day,” but with a lot more salmon — one can’t help just plain observing. And so, here is observation Number One: On average these days, one and a half guests will receive a phone call during a wedding, often smack during the vows, the inevitable tinny strains of Beethoven’s Ninth emanating, just as I’m sure Beethoven himself would have wanted, from the circuit board of a Motorola RAZR.

One and a half guests. Welcome to my world. This is what I’ve become after all these years, a deranged comic book character: mild-mannered wedding photographer by night, captive observer of the human condition by day. Who could pretend not to notice, after all, when a mother’s very first words upon seeing her daughter in a wedding dress are: “Your earring is crooked.” And who could look the other way when a priest tosses the couple he’s married only three minutes earlier out of a warm and dry church and into the pouring rain because he has a confessional schedule to maintain? (Though not Christian myself, I’ve heard Paul’s letter to the Corinthians about charity — the one with the noisy gongs and clanging cymbals — enough to appreciate the rich irony.) Or when an orthopedic surgeon, minutes away from his own marriage, takes time to treat the leg of one of the waitstaff who, while setting up tables, has slipped on a wet floor and happens to speak not a word of English.

I witness acts of incredible tenderness — a bride quietly pinning a photo of her mother who died of breast cancer into her dress; acts of incredible joy — just about any father dancing with his daughter; and acts of questionable sanity — a group of adult groomsmen allowing an 8-year-old to pilot a golf cart into a lake comes to mind. And each Sunday morning around 2 o’clock, as I collapse into bed after another wedding, I’m convinced that I must be part of some kind of clinical trial, with no end date in sight.

And so, on this particular June night, it wasn’t until a few more songs had whizzed by — I can’t be sure if it was “Mustang Sally,” “Shout” and then “Love Shack” or, more likely, “Love Shack,” “Shout” and, finally, “Mustang Sally” — that I had a chance to look at the flashing display on my phone, a strange number with a strange area code. I put down my cameras, walked outside to the patio of Vienna’s Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and dialed in the dark.

“Hi, this is Matt Mendelsohn. Did someone call this number?”

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER.

What is it about those two words together that seems to evoke so much pity? No one thinks twice if you say that you’re an architectural photographer, or a photographer who shoots nudes, or a globe-trotting photojournalist. Friends will feign interest, at least, on the architectural front; be really excited about the nudes; and ask you again and again if you’ve ever been shot at as a news photographer. In fact, for years when I was a photojournalist, I went to parties where I was the only non-attorney out of 30 guests — attorneys making a jillion dollars a year more than I — only to be told that I had the coolest job. You’ve shot Michael Jordan?!?!

What was Nicole Kidman like?

How long were you in the Gulf War? Have you ever been shot at?

Wedding photographers, needless to say, have never inspired such levels of envy. Instead, they reside in a category usually reserved for car salesmen and stamp enthusiasts, a little bit of Willy Loman with a pinch of Charlie Brown. Adam Sandler already made the movie about the wedding singer. Is there any doubt that the movie about the wedding photographer would star anyone but Albert Brooks? It’s the reason that, even today, when the guy sitting next to me on the Delta Shuttle asks what kind of photography I do, I have a tendency to say, “Well, I worked for USA Today for 10 years, and now I have my own business.” Move along; nothing to see here.

Then again, maybe I’m just missing something. In the past few years, a whole new breed of wedding photographers has emerged, particularly on the West Coast, determined to give the musty reputation a makeover. They share ideas on message boards (”Show us your cake pictures!!”), pat one another on the back (”You’re a rock star of photography!!”) and spend much of their time hawking seminars as if they’re selling Herbalife products. They also conveniently sidestep the fact that shooting a wedding is a bit like taking an SAT in which you’ve been given all the answers in advance. I feel certain James Nachtwey, the legendary war photographer, would find life much easier if he knew where the bad guys were going to start shooting week in and week out.

This is why none of this was supposed to happen. Like all good young photojournalists, I was raised to mock wedding photography and all that it represented. I wanted to be a photojournalist, not some dork schmoozing up Aunt Alice. “I don’t shoot weddings,” the standard response of any self-respecting White House news photographer, was always more mantra than simple statement of fact. And in the late 1980s, when I was establishing myself here in Washington as a photographer, first at United Press International, with its constant going-out-of-business sales (”No, Pat Robertson was last week’s buyer; this week it’s the Saudis”), and then at USA Today, it was a badge of honor not to shoot weddings, and, by golly, I wasn’t about to let the side down.

All of this was understood those many years ago. My photographic dreams lay in the desert, as in Kuwait, not in dessert, as in chocolate-covered strawberries. And I was well on my way to fulfilling them. I was five feet from Rodney King when he stammered, “Can’t we all get along?”; 150 feet from President Bill Clinton as Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin shook hands; and 27,000 feet above Earth, lying on my belly in a flying gas tank, photographing one stealth fighter after another as they refueled en route to the Persian Gulf. I was shooting cool things and loving every minute of it.

By the mid-’90s, I had crawled around newly discovered tombs in Egypt, photographed huge celebrities in tiny hotel rooms and been splattered with blood — curiously, something that is a badge of honor in photojournalistic circles — while covering boxing title fights in Las Vegas. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, though as the years went by, little by little, I began to feel pangs of ambivalence.

Where you once asked a band for permission to photograph a concert, now you navigated a phalanx of lawyers. A one-on-one shoot with Jennifer Aniston in a hotel room had become a one-on-eight shoot, if I were to include all the publicists, with their little black dresses and walkie-talkies, breathing down my neck (and repeating the words “Three minutes, three minutes!” within the first 33 seconds). And, lastly, and perhaps most important, I began to grow tired of chasing people.

Chasing people is a staple of a news photographer’s diet — you can’t claim conscientious objector status and elect to shoot the pet of the week instead. I spent a lot time chasing people (though “chase” is a misnomer because the actual act involves mostly walking backward, throwing elbows and focusing at the same time) at courthouses around the country: U.S. District Court (Marion Barry, Ollie North); the U.S. Supreme Court (pick an abortion case); Simi Valley (the LAPD/Rodney King trial); Los Angeles (O.J. Simpson); and, though she had no court to call her own, the chase of all chases, Monica Lewinsky.

For weeks and weeks in 1998, as that scandal broke, I chased Lewinsky for USA Today, with limited success, if one can even use that word. Though tame by Hollywood paparazzi standards, my Lewinsky chases became increasingly fraught with doubt and regret. Then, one Sunday morning, while walking with my wife and my dog in Georgetown, I found myself, sans camera, holding the door for Lewinsky at Starbucks on M Street — like a hunter accidentally bumping into the stag he’s been stalking for days. As she brushed by me, balancing a couple of lattes, she smiled and said, “Thanks so much!” and I said, “Soy-tinly!” — for some odd reason playfully playing up my New York accent. And I thought to myself, What am I doing chasing this poor woman?

Perhaps it was coincidence, or maybe kismet, but the more the journalism ennui began to set in, the more it seemed people were asking me to shoot their weddings. Like a parent who is asked by his 9-year-old “Are we there yet?” 900 times, I couldn’t seem to shake this damn question. And none of these people were looking for a dork in a tux: They wanted me to cover their weddings no differently than if I were covering a White House event or a rally on the Mall. With each wedding I photographed, I realized that there actually existed events in which people wanted you to take their pictures, where there was no yellow police tape and where the only lawyers present were the ones getting married.

And that’s when I did it. There came a day several years back when, with reckless abandon, I decided to leave the noble pursuit of journalism, with its Page One budget meetings filled with smart people discussing Saddam Hussein or the latest North Korean standoff, not to mention the not-so-noble pursuit of, well, pursuits. I was ready to throw myself down a most unusual rabbit hole, reemerging into the bizarro world of Weddings, where family relationships can often be broken into the in-laws and the outlaws, where self-absorption can be raised to an art form, where a Jewish guy can recite the entire Catholic Mass by heart, as well as reel off, like an idiot savant, the date of every Saturday for the next year and a half.

“MATT, IT’S MISSY LANGERT, YOUR NEIGHBOR JOEL’S DAUGHTER, CALLING FROM DALLAS. Mom’s had a massive heart attack while attending a wedding here, and Dad is home all alone. He didn’t come out for the wedding. Is there any way you can go over and sit with him? He’s all by himself.”

Taken by surprise, I tried to process all of this information in a room filled with happy people having a wonderful time. She was at a wedding in Texas. I was at a wedding in Virginia. And Joel was all by himself.

My 85-year-old neighbor Joel Langert is one of my favorite people, a curmudgeon’s curmudgeon with a soft spot he guards fiercely. One minute he’s grumbling about how movies used to be two for a nickel, and the next he’s leaving a beautiful orchid — a phalaenopsis or perhaps a paphiopedilum, a lady-slipper, grown lovingly in his backyard greenhouse — on my kitchen counter. He just walks in, puts down the flower and berates me later for leaving the front door of my house unlocked. Without asking, he once planted a fig tree on my front lawn, a tree that now yields succulent fruit by the hundreds and a tree that I adore. And he’ll often ask me to buy him packs — he doesn’t drive anymore — of his favorite Dutch cigarillos, Schimmelpenninck, even though he knows he shouldn’t be smoking them. When I took him to his first Nationals game, Joel didn’t stop complaining about the noise — the constant stream of musical snippets aimed at inciting the crowd — for the first eight innings (we didn’t make it to the ninth). I asked him when was the last time he was at a baseball game, and he replied, “Lou Gehrig was playing at Yankee Stadium.”

Joel and his wife, Eileen, had been married for 55 years, 11 longer than I’ve been alive, and enjoyed a beautiful relationship. “It was love at first sight,” he remembered of their meeting at the Gertz department store on Long Island where they both worked. “I wrote up a petition that she should marry me, and I took it to everyone in the store to sign.” After their wedding in New York, on January 29, 1950 — “I remember the church was candlelit” — the newlyweds drove with another couple down to Fort Lauderdale. Joel laughed as he recalled the two songs that played on the car radio nonstop that trip: “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” a cowboy’s lament, and “Sixteen Tons,” a depressing number about the perils of coal mining. Not exactly the most romantic driving music. (I laughed, of course, because Gloria Gaynor was only 4 months old at the time, and it could have been much worse.)

But it was a fitting start, as driving and travel would play a huge part in their lives, on trips over the years from Finland to Singapore, and in cars such as their 1956 pink T-Bird, the 1957 Jaguar Mark VII Saloon (”It looked like a Bentley,” Joel says), the 1972 E-Type Jaguar (”Eileen was never into the shifting thing”) and, finally, the S-Type he bought Eileen for Christmas in 2002, parked in the driveway with a big red bow tied to the front.

After decades in advertising with the Hecht Co., Joel now spends much of his retirement tending to his beloved plants. Eileen, on the other hand, was always abuzz with activity, always off, it seemed, on one of the many trips for senior citizens she organized and chaperoned for Arlington County. When a mutual neighbor on our block gave birth to triplets, several of us chipped in for a night nurse for a couple of evenings. We felt rather proud of our gift, not realizing that, for months and months, Eileen was baking the family fully prepared dinners with no fanfare.

Despite Joel’s faux crankiness, his most endearing trait, it was easy to see how much he loved Eileen, and how proud he was of her. I asked him recently what made his love for Eileen so special, and without even a second to ponder, he replied, “She was two-thirds of me.” Two-thirds of me. I tried to soak that one up. “We never once said no to each other,” and then, reverting back to prime Joel form, “except the time I wanted to pull up the grass and replace it with those small paving pebbles.”

So now, as I stood in the darkness, the band’s music coming through the windows in that muffled way, where you only hear the bass, I knew I had to act quickly. I collected my cameras, two Canon EOS1 Mark IIs, my bag filled with lenses and my very sweaty suit coat, and headed for the parking lot. I would have left in half an hour anyway, and I had already taken more than 1,500 images that day, starting with the “getting ready,” as it’s referred to in wedding speak — the ceremony, the family pictures, the dancing, the cake-cutting. I tucked my little pouch filled with identical, neatly stacked 2-gigabyte memory cards — memory cards, how apt, I always think — into the bag and headed back to Arlington.

MY OWN BEST MAN DIDN’T SHOW UP FOR MY WEDDING.

Nine years ago, my younger brother, Eric, was directing his best friend and unknown actress, Edie Falco, in a tiny independent film he wrote specifically for her. Filming was scheduled for the day of my wedding, and Eric bowed out. I was devastated, having shared a room with him for 16 years while growing up on Long Island. My older brother Daniel, an esteemed critic and classics scholar, came to the rescue, with a lengthy toast about the differences between ancient Greek — my wife, Maya, is Greek — and ancient Jewish traditions. Given that I had rarely been inside a synagogue, except for weddings, since I was 13 and am decidedly non-religious, the toast struck me as wonderfully intellectual and, not surprisingly, impersonal.

Eric went on to win best director at Sundance the next year, and Edie went on to become the most famous mob wife in television history as Carmela Soprano, and all was long forgotten years ago. Truth be told, we don’t really discuss it very much, and that seems to work pretty well. We all serve some kind of penance, and maybe mine is having to listen to touching best man speeches every week of my life. Ironically, it would be Daniel, with whom I was never close growing up — he, spending much of our childhood reading about pharaohs and Greek gods; me, worrying how the Mets could possibly survive without Tom Seaver — with whom I would, years later, travel all over the world, tracking down Holocaust survivors for a memoir he was writing. The emptiness that I felt during his stand-in toast — I kept hoping for some funny little anecdote about me, until I realized that my own brother didn’t know me well enough to have any funny little anecdotes — would be replaced by the camaraderie of many, many long trips together, from Australia to Ukraine, just me and Daniel on very long plane rides.

This is why we all love weddings so much — decades of family history rushing to the surface, like a submarine after nine months under the ocean. Of course, it’s usually just minutes after that spectacular arrival that you want to run for cover yelling, “Dive! Dive! Dive!” A tug of war between a bride and her mom over something as simple as where to place the headpiece can get to Defcon 1 remarkably quickly, as this exchange I recall hearing at a Georgetown church illustrates:

“Mom, it should go here.”

“Well, I just think it should be back a bit.”

“Mom, please let the hairdresser do her job. She knows best.”

“I know. It’s just that I think it should it go back a little.”

“Mom, please! You’re making me really stressed out. Please don’t say another word, and let the hairdresser do her job!”

(Dead silence in the room. Now, count to 10.)

“Fine. It’s just that I thought it should go back a little.”

These are the things I witness weekly. No catastrophes, no disasters, just little glimpses into family life, 2007. Without a doubt, the question I’m asked most often is, “What’s the worst thing that ever happened at a wedding?” It’s also the one that always makes me laugh, because it precludes the obvious converse, that is, what’s the best thing that’s ever happened at a wedding? In all these years, no one ever has asked me that one, despite the fact that, last I checked, and with the possible exception of a handful of dour church ladies I’ve come across, weddings are tremendously happy events. But let’s face it: We watch NASCAR for the crashes, despite our protestations to the contrary, and we follow celebrity romances so that we can get to the celebrity breakups.

And, of course, it would be overly simplistic to single out mothers and daughters as the source of all wedding drama, my favorite fake Freud quotation notwithstanding: “If it’s not one thing, it’s your mother.” More often than not, the drama that we all expect to see played out at weddings is just a byproduct of the bridal-industrial complex, a perfectly evocative moniker bequeathed to me by a bride many years ago.

Weddings long ago migrated from traditional daytime affairs — where the men looked dashing in their morning coats, the women had dresses with (gasp!) straps, and the nonstop giggling of flower girls could be heard wafting though the air — into lavish evening extravaganzas, where children are not even invited. They’ve gone from the simplicity (and, to be fair, dullness) of the “chicken or the beef?” into menus that boast medallions of veal with a port peppercorn reduction. Today’s weddings have price tags the size of a small mortgage (something for which I clearly share responsibility), time schedules that would make a railroad proud, golf outings, spa retreats and 19-seat minibuses taking bridal parties on magical mystery tours around Washington. Things have gotten so bloated that I was actually taken aback when a bride once said to me, “I’m so excited to be marrying Derek today.”

Between the countless reality shows with names such as “The Real Wedding Crashers” and “Bridezillas,” (Episode 10: When Kristina’s sisters show up late for a nail appointment, the bride is furious!), it’s no wonder people focus on the negative — or bizarre, or just irritating — aspects of weddings. The myriad wedding magazines on the newsstands, and the thousands of wedding blogs, don’t help much. Consider this easy-to-follow advice from aboutWeddings.com: “Transition of color in the wedding is ‘hot.’ The color and theme of a wedding is first seen with the save-the-date card. At the ceremony, the colors are different than what was seen in the save-the-date card/invitation. At the cocktail reception, the colors are different from the ceremony. At the dinner reception, the colors are a combination of all colors previously seen. More than just two colors and no matchy-matchy!”

See? Simple.

Luckily, that kind of silliness isn’t ever enough to trump the genuine moments of love and the celebrations of great happiness I’m often privileged to witness: I cried like a baby when a 5-year-old flower girl, blinded by the brain tumor growing inside her head, was led down the aisle by the little ring bearer at St. Aloysius years ago. But I must admit that the moment is annoyingly linked in my memory with the posting, around that same time, on theknot.com, a wedding message board (”Driving Brides Crazy Since 1996!”), by a bride who sought advice on what to do about one of her bridesmaids who, as a result of a worsening muscular disease, was now in a wheelchair, something that would potentially ruin her wedding photos.

(The Knot can be a great source of amusement. My sister, Jennifer, a “Knottie” herself, once related to me an e-mail exchange she had with a woman who had been told, as a Jew, not to use Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March,” because the composer had famously converted from Judaism. She had instead settled on Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” When Jennifer, with tongue in cheek, suggested that perhaps — just perhaps — that one wasn’t exactly kosher either, the woman responded, “Why? It’s about Jesu, not Jesus!”)

At first I was afraid I was petrified/
Kept thinkin’ I could never live without you by my side.

As I sat across from Joel on that June night, I realized the song I had come to hate so much, the song that, perhaps more than any other, constantly reminds me that I have become a wedding photographer, shooting the same thing week in and week out, was now racing through my groggy brain. This time, though, it was reminding me of why I am a wedding photographer. My years of downplaying what I did for a living seemed silly as I sat on Joel’s sofa. How bad could it be to be around people who are desperately in love, all the while surrounded by friends and family who love them desperately. Yeah, big deal, they all go crazy when “I Will Survive” or “YMCA” starts playing, but they haven’t heard those songs thousands of times; I have. And when I think that I could be tallying billable hours, or working in a cubicle in E Ring, or selling widgets, I think my life is pretty darn okay.

Just the other day, I received an e-mail from a photographer looking for an internship. His short note almost brought me to tears: “I come from Sarajevo, Bosnia, and my life has put me though many challenges. I am saying this because I have had the chance to see the worst in humans and was lucky enough to survive it. Since then, I have made it my goal to help people record their happiest moments, because those moments are rare and precious, and one never has too many of them.”

I kept Joel company for hours, long into the next morning, information coming in very slowly, and me, still in my sweaty wedding clothes, nodding off occasionally. Around 4:30 a.m., the phone rang, and I could hear the voice through the receiver telling my neighbor and friend that the woman he had been married to for 55 years didn’t make it.

I felt so out of place, so not the person who should have been there at that terrible moment. But looking back, two years later, it almost seems as if Eileen was just being her usual giving self, not just allowing me to see how much she was adored, but allowing me to see marriage in its barest and most naked form. For nine hours that day — nine years, really — I had watched a marriage begin, and, now, for nine hours, I would watch one end. I wanted to turn away as Joel shook uncontrollably. I tried so hard to soothe him, but I knew there was nothing I could really say. Though I was in the presence of profound loss, all I could feel was love. This wasn’t about linens and party favors, or caviar stations and big bands. There were no toasts and no blessings, no Bible readings, no clanging gongs or blaring trumpets. At long last, I was seeing the embodiment of marriage itself, the very reason man and woman have been wed from the beginning of time. True love.

Something else floated through my brain, this time decidedly more literary than Gloria Gaynor. In my days as an English major, some 20 years ago, the book that had the most profound effect on me was Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward, Angel, a tattered paperback edition of which is never far from my grasp. Now I could hear my favorite line, the book’s second sentence, coming through: “Each of us is all the sums he has not counted. Subtract us into nakedness and night again, and you shall see begin in Crete four thousand years ago the love that ended yesterday in Texas.”

It was 8 a.m. when the little cellphone in my pocket began to vibrate. My wife was calling, and I told her the news. I gave Joel a hug, grabbed my jacket and my cameras, and walked across the street and into my house, where, unable to sleep, I went downstairs and began to download, with newfound respect, memory cards from the previous night’s wedding.

We're growing the business!

2007-09-04T12:15:00.000-04:00

One of the most important things I learned from last week's seminar* was some of the ideas I gained for growing my business. We've done well this year for being our first year officially in business (although we've been photographing for a long time!), but I really want to take it up a notch.

So, be on the lookout for us in lots of places!

1. We are now advertising with The Knot in Columbus, OH. (Our new major market). The Ad isn't up yet, but it should be really soon and I'm super excited about it!

2. We just signed up to do a bridal show in Fort Wayne next January. I've got some great ideas for the booth and can't wait for it to come together! I'll definitely post pictures after that event so you can all see my awesome ideas for layout!

3. This morning, we sent out informational packets to about 50 different Orthodox Churches in the area with samples of our albums, postcards, photos, etc. These came out beautiful and I really look forward to working with some of the area churches and serving the needs of the parishioners.

4. I'm inquired about doing my first print ad in Fort Wayne Magazine Weddings 2008. I'll have to see about the cost and see if we can swing it.

I think the best thing that the seminar did for me last week was give me confidence that this is something that I can do and I can do very well. So, we decided to do it. We've been saying that, but haven't done too much about it. Now, we're going to do something about it!

It'll be interesting to see what happens. I still don't want to fill up my calendar completely, because I believe in being available for every one of my clients at any given moment in time. But, it will be neat to be out there more! I'll certainly let you know how it goes!

*Total side note - everytime I type the word seminar, I undoubtedly add a "y" to the end and get "seminary" and then have to go back and delete the extra letter. 4 years at a seminary will do that to you!

2 days at the Summer Revival Seminar!

2007-08-30T14:01:00.000-04:00

So, this was the first seminar I've attended and it was great! Jim and Lara of Davis Photography in Columbus were so warm and genuine and generous, opening not only their home and studio to us, but also their hearts. It was a small turnout, but we sure did have a blast!

I learned so much in those 2 days. I went hoping only to learn some specific flash information, and I came out with a degree of confidence that my husband has not seen before. We learned on camera flash, off camera flash, pocket wizards (I never thought *I* would be able to learn how to use pocket wizards). We worked with natural light, studio lights, makeshift lights and at one point during the night shoot, no light!

We laughed (a lot!), we cried (only a little, and it was only the girls), and we shot a lot of photos!

We also learned tons about marketing, advertising, and various other business techniques. I have no doubt in the world that my business will start to explode after being at this seminar (and, no, Jim is not making me write any of this!).

I went into this seminar a die hard Lightroom girl (you can ask anyone there!). I came home and bought the Davis Tools Action Runner and I am thrilled that I did. I took over 1200 photos at the seminar (and I missed one entire maternity shoot) and they were all processed in about 5 hours of my time (and I'm just learning the actions and program!). My husband heard that I took that many photos and he was none too pleased to be losing his wife to the office for the 3-4 days to process them. Much to his surprise, I was done processing in time for dinner (which has *never* happened!). I wish I was making this up - but we actually ate dinner as a family (where I would normally spend it in my office at my desk working on photos).

I'm not usually easily swayed, but I saw Action Runner in, well, action, and I was sold. Jim actually took some of our photos and we saw him run our pictures through and I that was it for me. I'm so glad I did it! And I'm so glad I went to this seminar.

Yes, Jim taught me about flash and Lara taught me about album design and Mike of Lotz Photography shared his success story with us and I learned about marketing and advertising, but what all of them did went beyond that. They all gave me a confidence that I haven't had before and a support to get to where I want to go. And for that alone, this seminar was worth it!

Anyway, here are a few photos from the day. I hope you enjoy and if you have a chance to get to this seminar at some point, jump on it! I know that I'm not the same leaving as I was when I arrived there on Monday morning.

Maria & Daniel's Album Pre-Design

2007-08-24T08:34:00.000-04:00

I just loved Daniel and Maria's wedding in Santa Fe in July! It was such a beautiful day, filled with wonderful friends and I feel really blessed that I was able to be a part of their special day. I think that's what made designing this album so hard: I love this couple and I wanted this example to show how beautiful they are and how wonderful they are. So, I spent lots of extra time putting it all together and here it is:

http://www.eighthdayphotography.com/Clients/MariaDaniel/AlbumSlideshow/index.html

Enjoy!

2 years down...a lifetime to go!

2007-08-21T11:27:00.000-04:00

Today, Charlie and I celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary. Its been an amazing 2 years! Since we've been married, he's graduated from seminary, has been ordained, we've had a son (who turns 1 in 2 days!), we bought a home, moved to Indiana, got a beautiful dog and started Eighth Day Photography.

Here's a couple of pictures of us from 2 years ago!

We're looking pretty weird...

2007-08-11T22:58:00.000-04:00

Well, once again, we are in the midst of a website redesign. I expect that this will be the last one for a loooong time! However, until we are fully up and running, things will look a little strange over at Eighth Day Photography.com!

So, please excuse our look while under construction, but be on the lookout for a great new site! I'm really excited about the new galleries, as well as the overall new look to the site!

Once its up, I look forward to hearing some of your opinions!

Busy week!

2007-07-30T22:54:00.000-04:00

This week has been super busy! But, I'm so excited that I was so productive and got so much done!

This week, I have managed to:

1) Finish editing Meg & Sean's proofs.

2) Finish editing Maria & Daniel's proofs.

3) Finish designing a sample album (with mini copies) that I will soon be sending out to Orthodox parishes and priests.

4) Start designing Maria & Daniel's album (that should be done this week).

5) Visit the children's zoo with my son and husband. (We try to go at least once a week.)

6) Work.

Not bad for a week!

Technical Issues

2007-07-23T18:20:00.000-04:00

Its unfortunate that I have to announce that a bug in Vista has essentially shut us down for a couple of days.

Let me explain:

Nothing is lost. I have all photos, album designs, music choices, slideshows, proofs, etc, etc, etc in my computer. They are still there and are unharmed. However, Vista has a bug in it that isn't allowing me to get to any of those items. We are working feverishly to fix the problem, and by the looks of things, I am hoping to be back up and running tomorrow.

So, for those looking for Meg and Sean's proofs that I took down a couple of days ago, they'll be back up by the end of the week. And for those looking for Maria and Daniel's proofs, they should hopefully be up by the end of the week as well.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

Meg & Sean's Wedding Album Pre-Design Take 2

2007-07-22T23:05:00.001-04:00

Ok. I've calibrated the monitor. I've gone through all of the album photos and made sure the colors were awesome. And now I've redone the album.

So, without any further delay, here is Meg and Sean's album pre-design!

http://eighthdayphotography.com/Clients/MegSean/AlbumSlideshow/AlbumPreDesign/index.html

Ksenia

Meg & Sean's Wedding Album Pre-Design

2007-07-21T14:04:00.000-04:00

Well, I've put the final touches and Meg and Sean's wedding album pre-design and I hope they like it!

This ended up being a really long album, because the wedding was just marvelous and beautiful and it was so hard to choose which photos should go in. But, I really like the end result and I hope they will too!

EDIT: I have taken the slideshow down for now, as I have realized that the colors in the slideshow and album were not correct. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I won't put up a sub-standard piece of work. So...be on the lookout for the new and improved album shortly!

New Slideshow from Daniel and Maria's Wedding

2007-07-17T13:11:00.000-04:00

Daniel and Maria's wedding was so wonderful that I had a really hard time picking so few photos for the slideshow! In fact, I couldn't do it! Dn Gregory actually chose which photos to use, because I think I was emotionally connected to all of these shots, not only because the wedding was so awesome, but because these two are my friends and I am so honored to have been a part of their special day!

Congratulations again, guys! May God grant you both many many years!

Congratulations Maria and Daniel!

2007-07-11T11:25:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, I flew down to Santa Fe, NM to photograph the marvelous wedding of Maria and Daniel! What a great weekend!! Not only was I able to be there while two of my good friends were married, but we also had a bit of a reunion of former and current St Vladimir's Seminary students. It was great.

But, of course, my main reason for being there was to capture all of the wonderful moments on camera.

Maria and Daniel had a wonderful Orthodox wedding, with beautifully handmade crowns.

The wedding service started with the betrothal in the back of the church, and the couple had Daniel's father con-celebrate with Maria's spiritual father and the couple's very good.

They then moved into the center of the church for the Service of Crowning and the Dance of Isaiah.

The reception was fantastic! Good food, good friends and lots of great Greek dancing! It seems that everyone got involved, both Greek and other, Orthodox and non, family and friends and even this photographer! What a great evening!

Congratulations Daniel and Maria! After the reception ended, the couple began their honeymoon. Daniel planned the entire 2 week honeymoon as a surprise for Maria, so even though I know where they are headed, just in case they check in on this blog, I will not make mention of any specifics! But I hope you guys have a wonderful trip!

Vote for Springfield, VERMONT

2007-07-09T11:47:00.000-04:00

This is easily the biggest thing to ever happen in Springfield, Vermont. We are in close second place to host the Simpsons Movie premiere. VOTE SPRINGFIELD at http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/simpsons-contest.htm!!

For those who don't know, Springfield Vermont is my hometown and it is a small, very quiet and dying little town. This is the biggest thing that could happen to Springfield. Vote VERMONT and let something good happen in this small town!

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

2007-07-06T10:02:00.000-04:00

and I'll be back on Tuesday!

I am off to Santa Fe, New Mexico to photograph a wedding I've been looking forward to for a long time: Daniel and Maria! This is going to be a wonderful wedding, with lots of family and friends. In fact, its actually going to be quite a reunion (from what I hear) of past and present (and perhaps future) St Vladimir's Seminary students. I really can't wait to see everyone. When Dn Gregory heard that some of our closest friends will be in New Mexico, he got really bummed that he isn't coming.

But, for anyone who has ever traveled with a 10 month old knows, its close to impossible. Add to that our new puppy, and he isn't coming with me. But the good news is, he will definitely be among the first to see the photos!

Meg and Sean's Wedding

2007-07-05T19:06:00.000-04:00

Meg and Sean's wedding was simply stunning, and now you can all see for yourselves with their Wedding Slideshow! Meg and Sean picked a song that I hadn't heard before called "Fall Into Me" by Emerson Drive. Its a great song and I hope you enjoy the slideshow!

Congratulations Meg and Sean!

2007-07-01T17:40:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, we had the great pleasure and honor of photographing Meg and Sean's wedding at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Carmel, IN. This was such an amazing and beautiful wedding, complete with an amazing and beautiful couple!

Meg was simply stunning in her gorgeous gown, and she was simply one of the most excited and and happiest brides ever! Many friends and family came in from all over the world to be a part of this special wedding. However, some important family members were unable to come, but Meg made sure to remember them on her special day! She wore this beautiful pearl bracelet and carried this lovely purse, both of whom are from her grandmother in England who was unable to travel for the wedding. What a wonderful way to incorporate family members!

Meg and Sean are so beautiful together, and were just beaming on their wedding day! If we could have, we would have stolen them for the whole day to take photographs. We are so pleased to have been there to document their love for each other.

The reception was held at Laurel Hall in Indianapolis, and I must say that this place was amazing! What a beautiful venue! I definitely look forward to the day when I can photograph there again!

Meg and Sean had a simply stunning cake that was made by her mother and godmother! It was gorgeous and quite delicious.

And after a lovely dinner and dessert, the night finished up with lots of dancing!

Finally, it was time for Meg and Sean to leave! Enjoy your honeymoon guys! And congratulations!!

A few more pictures of Sasha!

2007-06-23T09:57:00.000-04:00

Well, Sasha is home with us. We finally learned the reason she was so mellow when we met her at the shelter: she had just been spayed and was still recovering. So, she is acting much more like a puppy now. She's absolutely adorable and has already met "grandma and grandpa".

So, here's a few more pictures of our little girl!

Introducing the newest member of the Bruner family

2007-06-21T13:38:00.000-04:00

I would like to take a minute and introduce you all to the newest member of the Bruner family: Sasha!

Sasha is a 9 month old female German Shephard/Boxer who was given up by her previous owners because they didn't have the time for her. When we first met her, instead of jumping up and down like a lot of puppies, she just came over and sat at my feet while I pet her and rubbed her ears. We decided immediately that we would take her home.

So, tomorrow, we'll bring her to her new home. (The Fort Wayne Animal Control Center requires a 24 hour waiting period). She seemed to loved Matthias and was very patient with him while he grabbed at her and hit her nose. So, if she can deal with that, she can deal with anything.

I can't wait to bring this little girl home. While we were at the shelter, we just wanted to take all of the animals home. The hardest thing is to watch these beautiful animals live in cages while someone decides if they want to take them home or not. But, most of the animals at this particular shelter are very lucky. Out of the 6 puppies there, two were already in the adoption stage and now, there is a third. There are about 10 older dogs, but they all live together. There were tons of kittens and some older cats, and we'll likely return to get a couple of cats. This particular shelter has an "adopt a buddy" program for cats, so if you adopt one, you get a second one for no extra charge. I think its a wonderful idea to give a couple of animals a nice home.

So, there she is! The newest member of the Bruner family. Without a doubt she'll soon have lots of camera time! Be on the lookout for more pictures soon!

A request from my blog readers

2007-06-16T22:56:00.000-04:00

Hello blog readers!

I have a request for you! You've seen my photos and you know which ones you like. I'm in the midst of revamping my website, and I'm pulling down the old photos and putting up only the best of the best. But, I would like to know what the best of the best are! That's where you come in!

Which photos do you like above the others? All photos are fair game, and can be used from the Photocart, slideshows, album pre-designs and any other source you have seen my wedding photography.

So, blog readers, it is time to come out of the woodwork and tell me which pictures you like! And hopefully, I'll take your suggestions and my website will be all the better for it!

Simply leave a comment below with the wedding name and any kind of description that you think matches it. For example, a description of the very first photo on my website would look like this:

"The closeup face of the girl with green eyes from the Indianapolis Bridals shoot". I know exactly which one that is, I totally agree that it is one of my best photos, and it will definitely be on the website!

Please bear with us as we update!

2007-06-14T21:46:00.000-04:00

Well, I've taken the plunge, and we are updating our sites! New colors, new songs, new photos...it'll be a whole new Eighth Day Photography.

So, I apologize for the look of things. Everything is functional, it may just look a little funky!

Weight Watchers Week 2

2007-06-12T20:05:00.000-04:00

Well...this week wasn't nearly as good as last week, but I definitely know that I can attribute that to eating out...a lot! However, it was still a loss that I am proud of...I lost .6 and that brings my total to 4 pounds lost. Its a good start! Let's hope for a bigger loss next week!

Michelle & Lee's Album Pre-design

2007-06-11T21:19:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited about this pre-design! I just loved photographing this wedding so much and now I've had the chance to pre-design the album! Michelle and Lee are just a beautiful couple and it really showed in their photographs. The album is a bit longer than I think I had originally thought, but I just didn't want to leave out any of their story! I hope you enjoy it!

You can view the slideshow here.

Congratulations Courtney & Nick - June 9, 207

2007-06-10T20:21:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, I co-shot a wedding with Becki Roach from Roach Photography in Indianapolis. What a beautiful day, and a beautiful couple. Here are just a few photos from the day!

I loved photographing this beautiful couple on a beautiful Indiana day! Congratulations!

Keeping busy busy!

2007-06-07T20:45:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I feel like I don't blog enough. Its not because I don't have anything to say. Rather, I'm so stinkin' busy, I just don't have time. I can't believe tomorrow is already Friday and I have another wedding shoot on Saturday. Wasn't it just Saturday? Where has the time gone?

I know where it went:

*Shoot a wedding
*Work for ABC
*Edit wedding
*Finish editing previous wedding and get it uploaded for the world to see!
*Work for ABC
*Figure out if I want to update the music on my website and start sorting through music to choose just the right song
*Build furniture in my office
*Work for ABC
*Finalize design of an album and get it sent off for printing
*Spend time with my husband and son
*Did I mention work for ABC?

So, that's where my week went. And tomorrow is Friday, and then Saturday comes and we start again! The good news is, I love it all! I love my work for ABC! I love my wedding photography! I love editing photos and designing albums! And I love my husband and son! Life really is very very good!

The Weight Watchers journey continues...

2007-06-05T13:55:00.000-04:00

Today I went to my second Weight Watchers meeting and weigh in. I think I did really well this whole week and, I have to say, wedding work on the weekends in a major workout! So...how did I do this week? Well...I lost.....

3.4 pounds!!!!!!

Whoo hoo!!!! It feels so good to lose the weight! And I'm eating better. And drinking more water. And just starting to feel really good! Yay!

Congratulations Michelle & Lee Wagner

2007-05-30T21:48:00.001-04:00

Well, I've now looked through all the photos, and here are some of my favorites set to the beautiful song that they had sung as a solo just before the wedding started!

The rest of the photos will be coming very soon! Please enjoy the slideshow for now!

A good photographer is a healthy photographer!

2007-05-29T20:14:00.000-04:00

Here is something that I've learned. Being a wedding photographer is a lot of exercise. And if you are overweight or out of shape, its harder to be a good one. So, I've decided that I am long overdue to get back in shape and lose weight. I used to be in really good shape, back in my rugby playing days. And then I let things slide. So, today, I went to Weight Watchers. I'm excited to see how things go and looking forward to sharing, what I hope to be a great success, with you, my readers!

Congratulations Michelle & Lee Wagner

2007-05-27T21:55:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Dn Gregory and I photographed the wedding of Michelle and Lee Wagner at The Chapel here in Fort Wayne. Since I've only been in Fort Wayne less than a week, I was super excited to learn about new venues and meet new people. And the people of The Chapel did not disappoint. It was so nice to meet Pastor Mark, who works with couples who intend to be married and his wife, Becky, the wedding coordinator for the church. They really made my job there a pleasure. And of course, Kathy, the mother of the groom, who is also an employee of the Chapel. Both families were such a joy to work with! I met both families during the rehearsal on Friday night, but really had a nice chance to spend some time with them while Michelle and Lee were getting ready!

I actually didn't really have a chance to spend much time with the men, but Dn Gregory did, as he spent time photographing them while they got ready.

Michelle and Lee didn't want to see each other before the wedding, so we devised all sorts of methods to make sure they didn't have the chance to spot each other before the big moment! So, while I was photographing the girls in the sanctuary,

Dn Gregory was working with the men outside. I really wanted to take the girls outside, as the grounds at The Chapel are quite extensive and were a luscious green color, but unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate.

But it all worked out just fine, and because of the weather situation, we had some extra time, so Michelle just decided to rest for a short while. Isn't she a beautiful bride?

My favorite part of weddings is the joy of two families coming together. This family felt the same, and the unity candle ceremony was really important to both families. Here, the families are lighting the candles from which the flame will be taken to light the unity candle. If I'm not mistaken, I believe Kathy may have shed a small tear.

Finally, the big moment was here! Michelle looked just stunning as she came down the aisle with her father.

And Lee looked so happy to see his bride for the first time!

The wedding ceremony was extra special as it was officiated by Michelle's grandfather. He shared many words of wisdom during the ceremony, and her certainly had them to share, as he and his wife will be celebrating their 60th anniversary this year!

The ceremony was just beautiful, as Michelle and Lee became a family. With the vows and exchange of rings, they ceased to be two and have become one.

After the ceremony, it was time to celebrate! The cake was not only beautiful, but also incredibly delicious!

Then it was time for the single ladies to come forth and to catch the bouquet.

And then it was time for Michelle and Lee to start their honeymoon!

Congratulations Michelle and Lee Wagner!

We're here because we're here because we're here because we're here...

2007-05-24T18:36:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid at the New England Youth Rally, we used to sing this song on the bus as we were pulling up to our destination for our many excursions. Whether it was to the ocean at Scarborough Beach or to Rocky Point Amusement Park, we also sang this little song to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne". We always sang it on the way back to Cumberland, too. It seems so long ago. I was just a kid then. And yet, I found myself singing that little tune as I pulled up to my house on Monday.

My house. I own a house. We moved from a 600 square foot apartment in NY to a 2000 square foot house in Fort Wayne, IN. We have 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bath, kitchen, living room, family room and dining room (which is now my office). We are slowly unpacking and it is amazing. There is so much to do. Verizon came on Tuesday and hooked up our phone and internet. DirecTV was here at the same time hooking up television. And the final clean up for our flood mishap was taking place in the kitchen. And during all that time, I just had that little tune stuck in my head: "we're here because we're here because we're here because we're here...". Its amazing how life changes.

It was more than 20 years ago that I first sang that tune, as just a little girl going to Rhode Island for the first time. I was only allowed to go because my sister and brothers were there. But I learned so much during my time there. And now look at me. College educated. Graduate degree. Life experience in many many countries. Employed with a career and a passion. Married. Mother. And now home owner. Is it possible that this is my life? That I've grown up this much in just 20 years? But as the song goes, "we're here". And that is where I am: here - in my office, in my own home.

It's a mess!

2007-05-18T14:16:00.000-04:00

Our apartment that is! We are in the midst of moving, and its all a big big mess right now. All the furniture is moved out, and its amazing how many small things we still have to pack! Its all just a little overwhelming, and right now, we are taking a break. I'll post some "during" photos in a bit!

Ksenia

Who knew we had so much stuff?

2007-05-12T16:59:00.000-04:00

Well, we've been in the midst of some serious packing for our move to Indiana next week and wow! I had no idea we had so much stuff! There's baby stuff, office stuff, school stuff, liturgical stuff, winter stuff, summer stuff, stuff we haven't seen since we got married and stuff we've never seen! Wow! Its all a little scary and a little overwhelming. And here we are, 8 days from moving, 6 days from packing up the moving truck and it looks like we haven't even started packing yet, but we are out of room to stack boxes!

I'm glad we got the house we did, because despite the issues we are having with it, we will hopefully not have to move again. That will be a true blessing!

"Not every photo you take has to be a professional shot"

2007-05-09T12:59:00.000-04:00

Well, as some of you have noticed, I haven't been on too much lately. That's because there is so much going on! We are moving from New York to Indiana in under 2 weeks, so we've been busy packing and sorting and cleaning! Dn Gregory is working on finishing up his papers and finals before he graduates on the 19th! And I've been busy playing with Matthias (who now just loves Elmo) and working and getting all the legal forms filed in Indiana getting the business legally established. In addition, I've just upgraded my bookkeeping to Quickbooks, so I've been importing all the fun things that I've done this year so far! Its been great!

But today, we took a break from all of it. This morning, we decided to say, "no packing, no work, no papers, no finals, no cleaning, no sorting...none of it" and we went to the Bronx Zoo! It was fantastic (although a bit hot). I even went out this morning and picked up a point and shoot camera! How freeing it is to be able to take snapshots of my baby boy and not worry about getting out the big cameras, deciding on a lens, choosing the settings and then snapping a photo, and then doing all the post-processing work. As my husband said to me, "not every photo you take has to be a professional shot". How true is that? Sometimes, its nice to just have a snapshot of my son and my husband. Its nice to be able to stick a little camera in the diaper bag and be able to grab it really quickly and snap off a photo. Is it a professional shot of my son? Absolutely not. But, it still holds a memory for me!

New Online Ordering System

2007-05-03T19:25:00.000-04:00

I am soooo happy to roll out the new online ordering system! It'll be up and running in time for June weddings. (I'm going to try to get it up to work for Sarah and Mircea's wedding, but no promises). I just realized that the company I was partnering with was not meeting the expectations that I had set for myself, for Eighth Day Photography, nor for my customers. I expect the best, I expect to produce it, and I expect any business that I partner with to do the same. So, I switched!

Keep checking back with us for the final rollout!

Eighth Day Photography is down (or maybe not)

2007-05-01T19:33:00.000-04:00

Update: Ok, its quite possible that the site is only down here in our house, which is extremely odd. So, if you are reading this blog and you are able to see http://www.eighthdayphotography.com please leave me a comment letting me know that you are able to see it.

I'm not sure why, but the site is down. We should get it back up soon, hopefully! Sorry about the inconvenience!

Ksenia

Updated website!

2007-04-27T23:35:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to have finally had a chance to sit down and update the website. There's lots of new photos in the galleries and on other pages! Check it out!

Sarah & Mircea's Wedding

2007-04-26T23:13:00.000-04:00

Well, after several long nights editing the photos, they are done and are available to view! You can find them at www.eighthdayphotography.com. Simply click on clients, and follow the link for Sarah & Mircea's wedding! I hope you enjoy and please feel free to leave comments!

Eighth Day Photography might be down for a bit...

2007-04-26T21:14:00.001-04:00

We are in the process of changing our server and web host, so if the site goes down temporarily, I apologize. But please know that we are making changes to improve the site!

Moving Pictures from Sarah and Mircea's Wedding

2007-04-24T23:05:00.000-04:00

I'm still in the midst of editing the photos from this beautiful wedding on Sunday, but I did want to share the following slideshow with all the excited family, friends and guests of Sarah's and Mircea's.

As is traditional (at least in the OCA), Sarah entered the chapel on Sunday to the choir singing the hymn to the Theotokos that is prescribed during this time of Pascha, "The Angel Cried". (To translate for the non-Orthodox: Sarah entered the church to a piece that is sung for 40 days after Easter in honor of the Virgin Mary). And here are some of the photos from the ceremony.

More photos and another set of moving pictures, to include reception and fun photos will be up shortly. But, please, enjoy these while I continue to edit and make the rest beautiful!

Mircea and Sarah's Wedding

2007-04-23T00:09:00.000-04:00

Today's wedding was just beautiful. I'll likely go in and edit this post tomorrow to give some of the story of this gorgeous wedding and this beautiful couple, but until then, here are some photos from today!

Time Management

2007-04-21T19:06:00.000-04:00

I realized today that time management is a very important skill to have. I knew that starting a business would be time consuming. (Duh.) And I knew that I have absolutely no intention of quitting my job for ABC Language Exchange, which I love dearly. So, somehow, I have to meld the two, in addition to being a mommy and a wife. So, how does one do it?

Well, as I learned today, very carefully. We are preparing all of our equipment for tomorrow's wedding of Sarah and Mircea. Their wedding will be beautiful. But, because it falls on a Sunday, and unlike for most people, our Sunday is in fact a work day for the both of us, we are learning all about time management today. Because, here is a list of all the things we normally do on Sundays:

1) Dn Gregory is a deacon in NJ
2) We go to church
3) We entertain the little one
4) I do all the things for ABC Language Exchange that I usually do for them on Sundays, which is all sorts of small tasks that I don't need to elaborate on, but it takes me 4-6 hours on a Sunday to get it done.

So, this week, with Sunday being a wedding shoot (which we are sooooo looking forward to!), all the regular things we do on Sunday (minus church) have to get done, in addition to all sorts of other things getting prepared for the wedding:

1) Charge all batteries
2) Replace all batteries
3) Confirm everything starts up and fires
4) Check CF cards
5) Format CF cards
6) Time sync cameras (since we are starting at 2 different times tomorrow, we time sync today)
7) Run to the store and buy gel inserts for both of our shoes
8) Get new white shirt to look nice for tomorrow's wedding (a trip to the mall)
9) Prepare laptop for slideshow at the reception
10) Go to reception location and confirm a place to put the laptop for the aforementioned slideshow
11) Check in with the bride (Sarah) and make sure no questions are left unanswered on both our parts
12) etc, etc, etc, etc.

So, as you can see, its all about time management. Throw into the mix playing with Matthias and spending a little bit of time with my husband, and still having time to blog, I think we're doing ok!

Check back tomorrow night or Monday morning for some photos from tomorrow's wedding!

Moving Pictures from the Bridal Shoot

2007-04-16T13:46:00.000-04:00

I had such a good time with the crew in Indianapolis! They are all really beautiful people and we really had a blast with the photo shoot. Check out the moving pictures below! You can also view the photos at www.eighthdayphotography.com/Clients/IndianapolisBridals/index.html.

Photo Shoot in Indianapolis

2007-04-15T22:29:00.000-04:00

Well, we are back from Indiana. It was a crazy week, but we got so much done. The house is looking great! I finished painting the trim in my office, and over the next few weeks, my in-laws will bring over my new office desk and get that set up, so that as soon as we move out there, I will be totally set up and functional! In addition, we have all the curtains up, the dining room table is in, the chairs are set up around the table, all the appliances are in place, and we really have a home out in Indiana!

While we were in Indiana this week, Dn Gregory and I had a great photo shoot with some wonderful friends! We got together with Shannon, Lydia, Alicia, Vicky, Eric and Zack and had a great time getting some wonderful photos! All of these people are just beautiful and take really great photos, so, don't give me credit...give the credit to these folks!

Shower Curtains are up...its getting so close!

2007-04-11T12:12:00.000-04:00

There is something so nice about putting up shower curtains. It really make a house a home! I put up the shower curtains today in the two full baths today (we have a third half bath) and the house is really starting to look much more like a home! We also arranged some of the furniture in the family room yesterday, so we have places to sit and to work. I put up the curtains in front of the sliding glass doors yesterday, and as soon as we put up a couple of pictures on the mantle and above the couch and perhaps add a bookshelf, the family room will be complete.

It seems to odd that just a few short months ago, we closed on this house. When we bought it, it needed so much work! We stripped wallpaper, lifted old floor tile, painted, layed down floors, and when we left to return to NY at the end of January, it still didn't feel like a home. Not yet. Now we are back again, and this time, with some furniture, some appliances, and now, the shower curtains, we really feel ready to move in! Those shower curtains make all the difference!

Blogging from Indiana

2007-04-10T11:33:00.000-04:00

Well, here I am sitting on my couch in my own house in Indiana. We arrived in Indiana yesterday afternoon and then headed over to St John the Forerunner for Vespers and the annual Bright Monday Bash. It was wonderful! And today, I am sitting in our new house working while watching the installers install my new dishwasher. There is something so wonderful about knowing that these things belong to me: I can do laundry in my own washer, I can do the dishes in my own dishwasher and I can cook on my own stove.

And this is just another step in our move to Indiana. Very soon, this will be a permanent move! I can't wait!

Christ is Risen!

2007-04-07T18:36:00.000-04:00

Dn Gregory, Matthias and I would like to wish everyone a very happy and blessed Pascha (Easter). Dn Gregory will be headed to church tonight for the midnight service, and Matthias and I will stay home (its all just too much...the church is too small, Matthias would have to sleep in my arms for a very long service, there's no place to put him down, he'll likely wake up, etc, etc, etc.). However, our staying home doesn't discount the great joy of the Feast!

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

This is too funny

2007-04-06T18:32:00.000-04:00

Is this how people see photojournalism? I think its particularly funny, but its not really photojournalism. Yet, there is a trend these days for tilted photos. Its a nice trend that can be taken too far. Like selective coloring. I think both of these styles have a place in photography, and I personally like both. But I also like saturated colors (another trend). What will really hold up in the future? I don't think anyone knows. Although, its interesting...take a look through your grandparents albums and then your parents albums and then perhaps some albums of friends who were recently married. I think one thing stands out in all of these...not photo journalistic pictures...but nice formal portraits. That's why I like a combination of the two. I think there is a place for both of these types of photography, and I like to be able to provide both types.

A cause I'd like to get involved in...Pure Fashion

2007-04-06T13:06:00.000-04:00

I was reading on a forum today about a clothing line called Pure Fashion. I love everything this group stands for, and really look forward to getting involved with helping them out with photography. There will be a fashion show in Fort Wayne on May 5th, but unfortunately, we'll have to miss it this year because of our moving schedule. But certainly next year, I certainly look forward to donating my time to photograph this worthwhile fashion show.

I've always been a big fan of modesty and it is so hard to find modest clothing. In fact, when Dn Gregory and I found out we were expecting our first child, we really worried about having a little girl, because it is so difficult to be modest this day and age. Its simply difficult to find appropriate clothes. Luckily, we had a little boy, so it wasn't that big of a deal. But its not just clothes for teens...even little girl clothes are all about showing the midriff and have low cut jeans. 5 year old girls do not have hips!

So, I'm very excited that I've learned about Pure Fashion. Here are some things they believe about clothing:

That our private parts should remain private.
That undergarments should not become outer-garments.
That our bodies are holy and sacred and our clothing should not reveal what should be concealed.
That virtue is the most important must have for every season.
That being healthy, physically fit, clean and well groomed is always in style.
That we should support retailers, designers and magazines who support virtuous behavior.
That we can be pretty without being provocative.
That our clothing sends a message to those around us and it should reflect our dignity as young women.

How wonderful!

Creating an ad for Orthodox Weddings in Indiana

2007-04-03T17:19:00.000-04:00

In the next few weeks, I'll be working on creating a postcard ad to send to Orthodox priests in Indiana to Orthodox churches in Indiana know that I am available not only for wedding photography, but also for baptisms, ordinations, hierarchical visits and all sorts of other things!

I think it is really important for an Orthodox couple to have an Orthodox photographer who not only understands the cultural side of the wedding, but more importantly, someone who understands liturgics and knows the service inside and out. Both Dn Gregory and I are graduates (well, he'll be a graduate in a couple of weeks) of St Vladimir's Seminary. Because of that education, we both know Orthodox services inside and out. And that, I believe, is a great service that we can offer any Orthodox couple having an Orthodox wedding.

We also just love that we'll be in Indiana because there seem to be Orthodox churches of all kind out there! I think Fort Wayne alone has 5 Orthodox churches of all sorts of jurisdictions: OCA, Antiochian, Greek, Romanian, etc. And with Indianapolis not far away, and also Chicago, I look forward to working with Orthodox churches all over that part of the Midwest!

Finally took some pictures of my baby boy!

2007-03-30T19:20:00.000-04:00

I'm excited to be able to some wonderful portraits of my boys! Dn Gregory and I took Matthias out to a local park today and we were able to photograph our baby boy! It was so wonderful just to be able to get outside for a little while.

Matthias is doing great. He is really learning how to make sounds. He can say "mama" and can also say dada, baba, a-baba, and many other sounds, all ending in -a. He's very cute! Enjoy the photos!

Creating my own wedding album

2007-03-28T22:16:00.000-04:00

One of the things my husband and I never did after our own wedding was to create a wedding album. So, I have decided to take on the task (seeing as this is something that I do for clients). Its been a lot of fun going through all of our own photos and picking out the ones we want in the album. And this is exactly the reason that I include an album credit in every single one of my wedding packages: because it has taken me, a photographer, more than 18 months to look through all my pictures and create my album. I don't want any of my clients to have to go through this. Yes, I give the DVD of high resolution images to every couple, but I know from personal experience what happens to that DVD: it gets put away and the couple has nothing to show of their special day. I want to make sure that every couple has a chance to show off their photos in a beautiful album. So...now I am creating my own.

I always knew that the service of the wedding was the most important part of the day for me. This was clear to us even on our wedding day. The reception was great, but the best part for us was the church service. Maybe its because the Orthodox marriage service is so complete and so beautiful and means so much to us. So, in my wedding album, I have close to 25 pages devoted just to the service of the wedding. This is going to be one long album! Once its done, I'll go ahead and post it. My sister, who runs Portraits by Aleks, was our photographer.

Back from Indiana

2007-03-27T19:05:00.000-04:00

Matthias and I had a lovely trip to Indiana. The little guy handled the flight incredibly well, even though the plane was just tiny tiny! We got all the registration details handled and I am now a legal resident of the state of Indiana! Yay! We go back out in a couple of weeks and Dn Gregory and I will have a shoot in Indianapolis on Thursday afternoon. And in about 7 weeks, we are moving to Indiana permanently! I can't wait!

Off to Indiana

2007-03-21T21:13:00.000-04:00

Well, Matthias and I are headed to Indiana a little earlier than expected. We all planned to go out just after Pascha (Easter) but the state of New York has created a situation where my little boy and I have to fly out early!

See, a couple of months ago, we switched insurance from Geico in NY to State Farm in Indiana. I confirmed with all insurance companies that we wouldn't have a problem with this change, since our car is still registered in NY. Well, turns out, it is a problem. And as of 3/31/07, my car registration will be suspended, and if I don't turn in my state plates or get insurance in NY, my license will be suspended. Its totally stupid to re-insure the car in NY since we are moving in 8 weeks, so Matthias and I are flying to Indiana so that I can register the car in Indiana and get my new drivers license.

The trip is good for a couple of reasons. 1) It really makes our move there that much more official. Yes, its been official since we closed on the house, but it'll be nice to have Indiana license plates and an Indiana driver's license. And 2) it gives Dn Gregory a chance to really sit down and study and read and write papers without distraction for a few days. And 3) Matthias' grandma and grandpa are really looking forward to seeing him!

I'm a photographer who rarely photographs her own child...

2007-03-19T21:12:00.000-04:00

I always wonder if other photographers are like this. I love to take photos. I take photos of animals, trees, cookie monster on my son's bouncy toy, and every once in a great while, I'll take a picture of my son. I don't take photos of him everyday. Even when I do take photos of him, I rarely post them online. I wonder if other photographers are the same way. I don't want to lose my love of photography, simply because I get paid to do it. And I haven't lost my love of photography. I love what I do. But sometimes, I really need to remember to pull out my camera more often, put on the lens, put on the flash, and catch my son doing something cute all at the same time. I'm working on it! :-)

Here's one photo from fairly recent times. You have to wonder why I wouldn't want to photograph this adorable face more often!

First slideshow!

2007-03-17T14:36:00.000-04:00

I'm super excited. Part of the revamping of the Eighth Day Photography website was to pick up some additional software to bring better products to my customers. So, I am very happy to show the very first "moving pictures" slideshow from Eighth Day Photography.

Sarah and Mircea are a couple who's engagement photos I shot in October, were set to be married in January, and after having to reset the date, are now getting married on April 22nd! I am very excited to be photographing their wedding in just a few short weeks! Keep checking the Eighth Day Photography blog for photos from their wedding!

Eighth Day Photography - new and improved!

2007-03-16T21:42:00.000-04:00

Well, just in time for our upcoming move to Fort Wayne in a couple of months, I have upgraded my website! Its new! Its fresh! Its got flash! I'm still working on a few things (like adding galleries) and I need to make sure that the contact form works. But otherwise, its up!

Why I didn't bring my camera to the NY Botanical Gardens

2007-03-15T23:11:00.000-04:00

I received a couple of posts asking why I didn't bring my camera to the Botanical gardens. The reasons were deliberate and two fold.

1) I wanted to just get out of the house with my baby and didn't have to worry about carrying a camera around. The cameras are big, and I love them, but they take a ton of space. I just wanted to be out and about with my friend and my son and have a nice walk. That, and I knew there wouldn't be a lot to photograph yet.

2) The second reason is more of a personal discipline. Usually, if I go somewhere without my camera, I end up kicking myself for not taking my camera, and I always keep an eye out for a good photo. I don't want to do that. I didn't want to spend my whole day kicking myself for not bringing the camera. So, as a personal discipline, I purposely don't bring my camera and just spend the day trying to relax and breathe fresh air and get exercise. And it worked! Not once did I worry about not having my camera with me. My son was bring cute and I didn't *have* to take a picture of it. Sophia and I had a nice walk, we saw some great animals at the Bronx Zoo, and it is a memory that I have in my memory, not my memory card!

New website is a work in progress

2007-03-15T23:07:00.000-04:00

Well, I got a good bit done on the new website. Dn Gregory and I chose new colors. I'm really excited about it, because I really wanted to get from under the typical black webpage. I loved my black website, but I really wanted to "cheer it up" a little, so Dn Gregory and I chose this lovely brown. I really wanted to keep a shade of blue similar to what I had, so these are the new colors. So far, we really love them!

The new splashpage is done for the website. The next thing will be an actual new site, which I am so excited about! I'll be moving to a flash based site, which will be great! I loved my old site, but with the move from Mac to PC, my site was terribly destroyed, and I can't really update it. In fact, this morning I lost my gallery (hence why its not there anymore). I'm hoping to get the new site up and running by the end of the weekend.

And I guess I should sign off, as Dn Gregory just mentioned to me, as he is sitting next to me typing his paper, that I type loudly. And with 2 of us typing at 11pm and the baby trying to sleep in the next room, its probably best to sign off!

New website coming for Eighth Day Photography!

2007-03-15T17:07:00.000-04:00

I'm very happy to announce that Eighth Day Photography will be revamping its website! I'm very excited to be moving to a new format! I think that all my current and future clients, including all brides, those being ordained and families will benefit from the new format! It'll be super easy to navigate, clients will easily be able to find their photos and all in all, will have a sleek and modern look! Look for the site to be here really soon!

Bronx Zoo and Botanical Gardens

2007-03-14T16:13:00.000-04:00

Today, my friend Sophia and I took our kids to the NY Botanical Gardens and to the Bronx Zoo. Not a whole lot was available yet at either place as it is only mid-March, but seeing as it was close to 70 degrees today, we just had to get out and get the kids outside! Not thinking that we would be going to the zoo, as our plan was originally just the Gardens, I didn't bring my camera. Oh well. There weren't that many animals to see anyway. But I think the plan is to go again in a couple of weeks, and trust me, next time, the camera is coming with me!

Updated my website!

2007-03-13T18:25:00.000-04:00

I spent a good portion of this afternoon updating my website. I'm excited about some of the elements that I've added to the site, including individual pages for each client, and an FAQ page (which will be coming soon). I'm looking to purchase a web slideshow program, and soon we will have what I like to call "moving pictures". Basically, it'll be an online slideshow for your photos, set to music. I've been playing with the program, and am now just deciding which version to buy. I'm excited about all the new features! Check out all the updates at http://www.eighthdayphotography.com!

A few bridal photos

2007-03-11T22:30:00.000-04:00

My sister Aleks and I had a fun bridal shoot with her friend, Heather! We had a blast trying out different poses and playing with lighting. Here are a few of my favorite photos from Saturday!

Bridal #1

Bridal #2

Bridal #3

Bridal #4

Bridal #5

Ten Tips for Wedding Photographers

2007-03-08T13:38:00.000-05:00

I saw this linked from http://dailyphototips.blogspot.com/ which is a blog I enjoy reading for daily tips. This list is from a Tamron (the lens manufacturer) sponsored photographer, Michael Ayers and was found on the Tamron website.

Pro Learning Center Michael Ayers

Top Ten Do's & Don'ts for Wedding photography

Do use the power of your zoom lenses! If you are across a room at an event, such as a wedding, a zoom lens can get you in closer to the action without having to run in and possibly miss the shot.

Do use a telephoto lens for portraits! A wide angle lens is often the worst choice for a portrait style photograph of a person or small group of people. It is much better to get a telephoto lens or use a zoom lens with telephoto capabilities. A wide angle lens will enlarge the nose of a subject and often stretch the proportions of a face or body to make the people look unflattering. A telephoto lens compresses the face.

Do use a macro lens for extreme close-up portraits! Sometimes just a photograph of the bride's earring, or grandpa's beard and smile, or a baby's nose, or even a child's eyes can make a memorable and spectacular portrait. Consider that the very best optics to accomplish this with extreme detail and controlled depth of field is a macro lens.

Do use a super wide angle lens to photograph large groups. At a wedding or family reunion, it is often necessary to get a large number of family members into one picture. Just be careful to compress all the attendees into just a few rows of people because those in the back may look smaller than those in the front row.

Do bounce the flash off the ceiling for a natural look. When taking people photographs, strong shadows and red-eye are constant problems. If your flash adjusts and can bounce off the ceiling, try it the next time the ceiling is a shade of white and is 8 to 10 feet.

Do eliminate red-eye by taking a second picture! A great trick for getting rid of red-eye is to quickly make a second exposure right after the first picture was taken! This gives the first flash a chance to make the subject's pupils dilate making the second portrait perfect. And with today's digital cameras, there's no waste in exposing another image!

Don't get caught without "fast" lenses in low light. A lens with a maximum aperture of around 2.8 is great to use in low light situations, like photographing during a wedding in a church where on-camera flash is prohibited. It's important to find a lens for this purpose that has a "fixed" maximum aperture and NOT one that varies (for instance, a zoom lens that is labeled f/1:2.8 would be preferable over a lens that says f/1:3.5-6.3).

Do use compact zoom lenses for vacations. A wide angle to telephoto zoom is ideal for traveling light on trips because it is possible to just bring one lens. My favorites are 18-200mm and 28-300 mm. These lenses both have a maximum aperture that varies as the lens is zoomed from wide to telephoto, but their small size and weight are great advantages.

Don't get caught without batteries! Use NiMH rechargeable batteries for uninterrupted power. Today's NiMH batteries are more powerful than ever in digital cameras which require AA batteries. They are inexpensive, long lasting, and charge quickly. And it is a good idea to carry a backup set of batteries and a small charger in your camera case.

Don't shoot without a lens shade! Many use clear glass UV or haze filters to protect their lenses in case of bumping them into something, but shooting through a clear filter can often be like photographing through a window. Instead, use the supplied hood or shade that was manufactured for the lens; it will eliminate flare in many cases and acts as a barrier against damage.

New computer!

2007-03-04T22:53:00.000-05:00

Well, after yesterday's debate of Mac vs. PC, we did in fact decide to go with PC and Windows! I picked up my new computer today. Its an HP with tons of memory and tons of hard drive space. And because of all the money I saved on the computer itself, I'm really looking forward to picking up all sorts of software that I've been wanting and can now afford!

I'll soon be upgrading from Photoshop CS to CS2! This isn't going to be a huge move, as most of the photoshop work that I do will not change. But it is always fun to have a new tool! I'm also looking forward to getting the newly released full version of Adobe Lightroom. This is a wonderful program and I would say is a must for any serious photographer!

Our next step is to get a new quick laptop that you will be seeing at weddings in your area as we set up slideshows at your receptions! A new laptop is definitely the way to go!

the PC vs. Mac debate

2007-03-04T11:03:00.000-05:00

There is, in the world of photographer, a debate over just about every piece of equipment out there. PC vs. Mac. Canon vs. Nikon. Flash vs. Natural light. You name it and there will be people on both sides of the issue. My internal debate has been Mac vs. PC.

And you know what? I think the PC has won! I never thought I would say it. I absolutely love my Mac. It does everything I would ever want a computer to do! Its super easy to use, looks sleek, works beautifully, etc. So why, then, if I love my Mac so much, did PC win the debate? Well, it all comes down to cost. And efficiency. We need additional computers for the business. We were at the Palisades mall yesterday and stopped by the Apple Store. And I knew how much Macs cost, but I think I was still shocked a little by the sticker. But they are splendid computers. Then we stopped by Best Buy and the Dell kiosk. And for the same speed, same graphics, same memory, same hard drive, I'll spend less than half the price. So, as much as I love my mac, I think I'm headed back to the world of Windows!

Introducing my second shooter!

2007-03-01T12:43:00.000-05:00

I'd like to introduce my new second shooter and the latest addition to Eighth Day Photography (he also happens to be my husband) Dn Gregory (Charles) Bruner! I'm so excited that he'll be shooting with me when possible (he tends to be busy on weekends as he does serve as a deacon in the Orthodox Church, but when available and we can find a babysitter for our young son, he'll be joining me!

So, keep an eye out for him at a wedding coming soon!

More new equipment!

2007-02-28T19:26:00.000-05:00

How much more excited could I be that I have new equipment to showcase at future events! I've upgraded my cameras to a Canon 20D and a Canon 10D (for my second shooting husband) and we have a 400D as a backup camera!

In addition, we've also upgraded all of our lenses to include all f2.8 lenses, with the ability to zoom from 10-200mm. I'm super excited to have a super wide angle lens (10-22mm), as well as a very fast super zoom lens (70-200mm). For all the other middle range stuff, I'm pleased to introduce my new 24-70mm. In addition, I love love love my new 50mm lens, which is so quick and creates just gorgeous photos!

Look for these new pieces of equipment soon at a wedding near you!

Ksenia

Learning and Teaching New Techniques

2007-02-20T13:54:00.000-05:00

As I'm slowly getting Eighth Day Photography off the ground, I've taken quite a bit of time to learn and study new techniques. And as I learn, I like to pass along my knowledge to others.

So, for your edification, some of my favorite technique sites:

http://dailyphototips.blogspot.com/: This site is great for some wonderful tips and techniques for various types of photography. Although my focus is on wedding photography as well as photography for baptisms, ordinations, hierarchical visits as well as all other types, I do really learn a lot by reading other photographers' techniques!

http://www.lightroomkillertips.com/: This is a great site for learning all sorts of tricks and techniques for Adobe's new program: Lightroom! I've been using the trial version of this software and it is absolutely phenomenal, and I'm definately picking up the full version in the next coming weeks! I think it'll definately help with all my photography, but especially great for fast moving work like weddings and baptisms where there might be tricky light! I love that I can continue to shoot in .jpg and don't have to swtich to RAW.

http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/: This has become one of my favorite sites as of late. There are so many good tricks and techniques found here, as well as within the forums.

I love forums, as I learn so much from them, and in the next posting, you'll find my list of "What I'm Reading: A Look at Photography Forums".

Have a great day!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-25T14:57:00.000-05:00

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Wishing everyone a very blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

In 2007, Eighth Day Photography will be moving to Fort Wayne, IN and really starting strong with wedding photography!

Ksenia

New equipment

2006-12-22T13:58:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited, because today I received some new photography equipment that I had ordered. I'm very excited to be introducing the Lightsphere for weddings, as I really think it'll help out with lighting conditions, and I have not been wanting to invest in or set-up other lighting options. So, I'm confident that this will create beautiful lighting for photos (even if it does look a little funny).

In addition, I've picked up a couple of new pieces of software that I'm excited to start using to help get my worklow down! What does all this investment mean? More beautiful photos delivered in a quicker timeframe! All in all, its a win-win situation for all involved!