Happy Halloween!

With the help of my favorite pirate, Matthew, I wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe Halloween! Now get off the computer and go get some candy!!!

Just some news...

Hello blog-readers! Just wanted to update with the latest!

First, I am currently working on TWO boudoir marathons! One will be just me, and for the other, I will be teaming up with another awesome photographer! More details to follow about both, but email me if you're interested in more information for either. I'm expecting slots for both to fill up pretty quickly!

Second, I am now accepting bookings for all 2009 weddings and events. I am also booking engagement, trash the dress, day after, etc...sessions through the end of April. Reserve now for those first shoots of spring! Anyone reserving a spot now through November 15th will receive the 2008 rates.

That's about it for now! Tomorrow I'll be spending the day at the PDN expo checking out some new vendors, and attending a Wedding Photographer seminar that I'm really excited about. Then it's off to this weekend's shoots!

Hope everyone has a great day! And again--a HUGE thank you to my clients who have been spreading the word :)

This week's tip....

Okay, so I took a little time off from the tips, but last week was my first anniversary, so I took some time off in general!

For this week, it's a simple one: Check your spelling and grammar! You'll have to pick out lots of things like programs, invitations, etc... where you'll need to specify wording and spelling. Make sure you're wide awake when you do this, and that you double check everything!

How do I know this? Well, we decided on "Just Married" Hershey Kisses, and personalized M&Ms for our wedding favors. Simple enough, right? But when one grammar nut decided to order the M&Ms at 3am...she received several bags full of M&Ms labeled "The Picone's". No, not "The Picones", as it should have been. She decided to throw in a stray apostrophe, thus making the M&Ms possessive. Possessive of what, exactly, we're still not sure.

Luckily, I don't think too many people noticed what was a tragic grammatical error to me...er....said grammar nut. However, the grammar nut's equally as nutty coworker decided it would be fun to tape the M&Ms to signs and decorate the grammar nut's office with them. When the grammar nut came back from her honeymoon, she found the signs which read "The Picone's Office", "The Picone's Computer", etc...

Fortunately, the grammar nut has a good sense of humor. But don't get yourself into the same mess...just make sure to proof read :)

Barbara and Michael

You may remember Barbara and Michael from their amazing engagement party a few months ago (and if not, check out my August blogs!). We had originally planned to shoot in September, but the weather just wasn't cooperating. We finally got to shoot yesterday, and we could not have asked for a better day! The weather was amazing, and the sunset was spectacular! We had a great time taking photos and hanging out (for almost 3 hours!) at Jones Beach. I'm probably the only New Yorker who had never been there before! These two are a blast, and were up for anything! I'm not exaggerating when I say that by the end of the day, we were all soaked and covered in sand (not only did they get into the water, but I followed! Hey, you do what you have to for awesome shots!). I think our hard work was well worth it, don't you? (click the photos to enlarge!)

Julie & Matt

Julie and Matt picked an awesome location for their engagement shoot! I had never been to Rutgers Gardens before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Turns out, there is a really cool mix of locations, from a fish pond to a bamboo forest! I had a lot of fun with these two checking out all of the cool spots...and of course, got some great photos in the mean time! Here are some that really stood out to me. Enjoy! (and as always, click the photos to see them larger!)




I usually don't do photos with selective coloring, but I really liked it here!





This is the fish pond...loved the reflection!


This one was taken in the bamboo forest! With Halloween coming up, I'm seriously loving all of these shadows! It almost looks like Julie is wearing lace.



Julie and Matt, hope you like your preview! The rest will be on the way soon :)