Vendor Spot Light: Artists for Humanity in the South End, Boston

Calling all urban brides!! Last July I had the pleasure of photographing Sena and Jovan's colorful, spirited, BEAUTIFUL wedding at the amazing Artists for Humanity in the South End.  This venue was a dream: white walls creating lots of beautiful soft light, but covered in art! So much art!  No need to worry about bringing in outside decorations because your wedding is decorated with the original art work of all these talented young Boston teenagers. So so so cool. It was great because the day of Sena's wedding it was oh, say, 95 degrees outside and WAY sunny, so photographing outside would have been problematic, to say the least--but this place has seemingly endless space and places for us to shoot--we found this huge open gallery space on the 4th or 5th floor (where they were already setting up the cocktail hour!), that was huge and open, and covered in art.  Perfect.  We did all the group photos up there, and then I shooed everyone away to do some pictures with just Sena and Jovan.  I had so much to work with inside it didn't even occur to me to do more outside.  I can't wait to work here again!

Here are some of my favorite shots that I feel highlight the venue:

Oh and I forgot to mention one of the most fun parts: that huge glass industrial door that you saw in the first few pictures opened up for the ceremony: so after a hot hot July day, the air cooled off, they opened up the door, and the party spilled out onto the terrace outside the building.  SO FUN.  I wasn't there for this part, but Sena told me that later in the night after we had left, it started raining, and everyone was dancing in the rain...I can't imagine a more spectacular celebration! 

To all photographers reading this: this place is a photographers DREAM to shoot in.  As I mentioned the place is mostly white with HUGE windows everywhere, creating this incredible soft ambient light for every picture.  I think I shot at about 400 or 800 ISO for most of the day and only used flash during the reception when it got dark--and even then, with all the white walls bouncing was a cinch. I love venues in which I can really take advantage of the natural light because then I just get to focus on the subject matter and the actual photographing, and not worrying about if my flashes are set up right, if they will see each other etc...I just can't be bothered.

Anyone out there getting married here? Call me. Hire me. Please.

Banned in Boston 2009

For the second year in a row, I was asked by my good friend Jamie Ullrich, Program Coordinator for Urban Improv, to photograph their annual benefit, Banned in Boston. Urban Improv is a fantastic non-profit organization located in Jamaica Plain, that works with at-risk inner-city youth to teach them conflict resolution and non-violence. It really is an amazing organization, and once a year, Jamie disappears of the radar as she prepares for this huge event, which brings in a couple dozen four-star Boston restaurants to serve hor's deurves and local celebrities to perform a number of hilarious comedy sketches before the UI Donors. It is a truly fantastic and FUN event!

This year the show was at the House of Blues in Fenway. I was a bit apprehensive as the House of Blues is very dark, with very high ceilings, and I am NOT a fan of using direct flash. But I think I worked it out! Here are a few samples from the cocktail hour and from the show:

Of course my favorite part of the whole affair is the fooood....

Click or Clack? or Klick or Klack??
Tom Hamilton rehearsing the finale song with Carol Fulp.


Delicious Salmon with Horseradish cream...







Mayor Menino as the spirit of Abraham Lincoln.
My favorite act of the Night: Tom Hamilton dressed up as Queen Elizabeth and singing "I touched Michelle" to the tune of "I Kissed a Girl." I do believe this was the highlight of the night!


The big finale song at the end of the show

You can learn more about Urban Improv, Banned in Boston, and see my pictures on their website here!