Natural Expressions Wedding Photography, LLC

2010-05-29T16:39:00.006-04:00

Spent a beautiful, cool morning with Karla and Ben in Boston as they celebrate their engagement and get busy planning their February 2011 wedding-- we can't wait! Thanks Karla and Ben; can't think of a better way to spend a spring morning!

NYC engagement session wins award

2010-05-16T18:00:00.004-04:00

Recently I (Laura) entered some prints and folios in the Professional Photographers Association of New England Competition where I earned a couple of blue ribbons and and some reds as well. All my entries can be viewed here.

Of the entrants, the most notable was the folio entered in the group category which won for the best group folio of the competition. Ted and Matt live in NYC and are getting married this July in Manchester, VT. It just so happened that I was going to be down visiting my family in Brooklyn on a weekend that they were home so we coordinated their engagement session to be done at Central Park.

Thanks to Ted and Matt for being such great clients and we look forward to the big event in July!!

New Hampshire Professional Wedding Photographer's Annual 2010 Print Competition

2010-05-04T22:30:00.002-04:00

We recently attended the annual New Hampshire Professional Photographers Association Convention. Like last year we entered the annual print competition. It's such an exciting opportunity as all of the entrants are being judged by some of most accomplished professional photographers around.

Marilyn earned two blue ribbons and three red ribbons! Fuji agrees that her image, entitled "First Light" was outstanding as it won the Fuji Film award for the best illustrative image of the competition! This image was taken on her well-deserved vacation and even when she's on vacation her creative mind and eyes are always at work. Congratulations to Marilyn for such an achievement. Marilyn also entered several client images from her thriving new business, Marilyn Dillon Photography in the center of Hampstead, NH, which earned her three red and one blue ribbon.

For Laura, "Let's party," a fun image of a joyous couple dancing to their party after the portraits earned her a red ribbon. Her love of antiques prompted her to take her door off the hinges and photograph this beautiful old brass door knob. They just don't make doors like they used to! This image, called "Turn to the Past" earned her a blue ribbon. Also entered was an illustrative photograph from her vacation called "Mountain Crossing" which also earned her a red ribbon.

In print competition a white ribbon represents an average professional photograph and a red ribbon represents an above average professional photograph. The blue ribbon is representative of "deserving of a merit" which at the national level are accumulated and and put toward a Professional Photographers of America photographer degree.
Most of the images are now off to Professional Photographers of America for their international competition. Stay tuned!
We hope you enjoy looking at our work!

Natural Expressions Wedding Photography, LLC Teaches Day Long Seminar

2010-04-20T10:51:00.014-04:00

This year, we were honored to be asked by the New Hampshire Professional Wedding Photographers Association (NHPPA) if we'd like to teach a day long seminar on wedding photography to other professional photographers. We accepted and were among seven other courses offered to the NHPPA by the NHPPA in a series.

We taught our class at Marilyn's studio in Hampstead, NH and had a field trip to her house where Laura, one of our beautiful brides from this season and three of her friends so graciously staged a pre-wedding scene. The attendees of our class were able to see what it's like arrive the day of the wedding when the girls are all getting ready and photograph the moments and create portraits of the bride.

Other highlights of the program included the importance of “branding” your business and explain how using graphic design to create your wedding business identity has benefited them. We discussed the importance of planning ahead and shared our team coverage approach. We concluded the day by sharing the efficiencies of our editing process, showed the benefits of adding Adobe Lightroom into the editing process, as well as some time-saving automation tips in Photoshop. The day was wrapped up with a review of our creative design process for our award-winning albums.

Special thanks to Dennis from Avalon Editions for sponsoring our morning break, Maria at Freshwater Flowers for creating the beautiful bouquet and of course Laura and her friends for volunteering their time to be our models.

To see more photos from the day you can view our album titled Photofestival "Wedding Days and Beyond" March, 2010 at our facebook page.

Bridal Tips for a Picture-Perfect Face

2010-03-13T14:13:00.010-05:00

Photographed above is Kris and her makeup artist who is among one of many talented artists at the M.A.C. counter at Macy's in Salem.

Whether you are hiring a professional makeup artist or thinking about applying your own makeup, below are some tips that should be considered for your wedding day makeup. We read this wonderful article in this month's issue of Professional Photographer Magazine and wanted to pass along these important tips that will have your skin look it's very best in your wedding photographs.

1. Blend, Blend, Blend. You can use your everyday makeup, but use more than you normally use every day. Many makeup professionals use airbrush makeup, the method of choice for high-definition TV, because it’s lightweight, waterproof and gives flawless coverage.
2. Sometimes Less Is More. Use less makeup for a day wedding and more for evenings. You can get dramatic with eye makeup.
3. Don’t Skimp On Concealer. Use a moisturized concealer on the thin sensitive skin under the eyes. If your concealer isn’t moisturizing, blend it with a natural or over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, then cover with concealer.
4. Do A Makeup Trial Run. It’s the only sure-fire, stress-free way to make certain your makeup will look beautiful.
5. Not All Mineral Makeup Is Created Equal. Titanium dioxide, a chemical used as sun block, can reflect flash, giving the bride a ghostly appearance. In 2009 makeup artist Annie May launched a line of mineral makeup especially formulated for photography called Advanced Mineral Makeup. May promises it won’t white-out the bride under a flash.
6. Use Waterproof Makeup With Staying Power. You don’t want to spend your reception in the bathroom reapplying your makeup. Foundation, eyeliner and mascara all should be waterproof. And in case you cry (and you probably will), have a tissue or handkerchief handy to gently blot your tears right at the eye.
7. Keep Your Lips Moisturized And Colored. Dry lips look dreadful in photos. Have someone carry your lipstick for you to touch up often. Matte and gloss lipstick both photograph well, and be sure to use blended lip liner for enhanced definition.
8. Don’t Forget The Groom. If the groom is red faced due to too much sun (or drinking), a little powder can help. That goes for shiny heads, too. And it’s a good idea to slip a tube of Chapstick in the groom’s pocket for his dry lips, as well as a handkerchief to dab well-wishers’ makeup smudges off his suit.
9. Don’t Sprinkle On Glitter. In photographs, it tends to look like little white spots, as if there’s something wrong with the camera.
10. Remember to apply foundation and powder to your neck, shoulders and décolletage – you want your head to look like it belongs to your body!

Published with permission (article written by Lorna Gentry in Professional Photographer Magazine, March 2010 edition).

Open House: This weekend!

2010-02-26T09:30:00.004-05:00

We are hosting an open house this Sunday, February 28th from 1-4 pm. If you are planning your wedding and still need a photographer, we'd love to meet you and learn more about your wedding! Details can be seen here.

We hope to see you there!

New Hampshire Wedding Magazine 2010 Expo

2010-02-24T15:49:00.002-05:00

We had such blast taking part in the New Hampshire Wedding Magazine's 2010 Expo at C.R. Sparks in Manchester, NH. We met some wonderful people who and had fun designing and setting up our unique booth! Here is a photo from the event:)

Marilyn Dillon Photography Opens in Hampstead, NH!

2009-10-13T19:20:00.003-04:00

I am thrilled to announce that Marilyn has opened a fabulous new studio in the center of Hampstead, NH. This is new venture and after a lot of hard work, she is now open for business. She photographs babies, families, seniors and more. More than just a studio, it is a great boutique with unique gifts an classes offered to amateur photographers looking to learn more about their hobby.
As for Natural Expressions? Nothing will change! Marilyn and I will still both be photographing all weddings together to ensure the most complete coverage. As with my freelance design and photography business, this is just the next step in her flourishing photography career.
Come help Marilyn celebrate and see her beautiful new studio and boutique at the open house, which will be this Saturday, October 17, 2009 from 2-6p.m. at 10 Main Street, Hamstead, NH. I'm looking forward to it and hope to see some familiar faces and meeting some new people as well.

Juan, Alexis and Savanna too

2009-08-28T10:15:00.004-04:00

We're gearing up for the wedding of Juan and Alexis! This sweet couple, and their dog, have been great to work with and we are looking forward to photographing their big day tomorrow! In just a few weeks, you can see their wedding slideshow by going to our clients page and hitting on the slideshow button under their name. You can also sign up now for an alert from Pictage, which will give you a $5 credit as well as an email when the images are all posted and ready to view. Best wishes Lexi and Juan!

"Destiny"

2009-07-27T10:31:00.007-04:00

Not only do we have wonderful couples, but we have talented ones as well! This certainly rings true for Alana and Stefan, who were married in Mid-July up in the White Mountains.

During the reception, Stefan made an announcement that he was going to perform a song that he wrote for Alana. What an amazing gift! The song was so special and when it was time to create their slideshow we thought, what a nice surprise it'd be for Alana if we got in touch with Stefan to get the song's digital version.

Thanks to Stefan for letting us to use his song, "Destiny" that allowed us to further personalize their slideshow!

Kris and Chuck are a perfect fit

2009-07-26T21:03:00.014-04:00

Chuck is the Director of Product Development at Sofft Shoes, which just so happen to be the most comfortable shoes of all time! Unique to the wedding, the bridal party wore the greatest shimmery gold shoes which were "limited edition" shoe for Sofft Shoe's spring 2009 line. Kris and Chuck were married at the beautiful Searles Castle in Windham, NH in early July. We had a great time being part of their day and wish them the very best!Congrats to Chuck and Kris!

Sunny summer wedding

2009-07-24T11:06:00.003-04:00

What a beautiful day Brian and Emily had for their wedding -- and that is saying a lot this summer! We had such fun with the portraits, doing some along the ocean, some in the golf course and Emily even climbed a tree for us! Congratulations to Emily and Brian on pulling off such a beautiful wedding.

Country photographers meet city wedding

2009-06-20T13:07:00.007-04:00

Hubert and Emily's beautiful early summer wedding in Cambridge, MA was such a pleasure to photograph. The ceremony was beautiful; the couple, so in love; and the reception, a blast to photograph. There was no doubt that the guests were having such fun dancing the night away.

Congratulations to Emily and Hubert!

New Offering: The Award-Winning Fine Art Wedding Album

2009-05-22T14:58:00.010-04:00

Last month we attended the annual NHPPA convention. There were wonderful speakers, who we learned so much from, and we participated in the yearly NHPPA print competition.

We both did very well, but Marilyn, especially, has much to be proud of. So let me take a minute to point out her accomplishments. She was recognized with high honors on both a portrait from her personal business, as well as for a Natural Expressions Wedding Photography album.

First, was her photograph titled "Bonaparte" which not only earned a blue ribbon but was also the recipient of the exclusive FujiFilm Masterpiece Award in the portrait category. This is an achievement to be proud of as out of all the incredible portraits that were submitted, Fuji can only choose one to receive the award. So a big congratulations to Marilyn on her amazing portrait!

Then there was the album. Several months ago she mentioned to me how we should consider a new album offering -- a fine art wedding album. I thought it was a great idea and her vision was carried out as an 8x8 Queensberry album that was custom-designed and featured all black and white or sepia images that were printed on museum-quality paper.

Clearly the judges were impressed, as this album was not only rewarded with a blue ribbon, but also received the 2009 New Hampshire Professional Photographer’s Association Album of the Year 2009, the Kodak Gallery Award for Photographic Excellence 2009, and the New Hampshire Professional Photographer’s Association “Court of Honor” in the Social Candid category!!

We want to extend our thanks to Sara and Jason who were featured in the album. They were such a pleasant couple to work with and their love for each other overpowered the unfortunate weather circumstances. As their attitudes were just as positive throughout the day as if they would have been blessed with a warm fall day. We, too, made the best of the day by documenting the rain as it was a part of the day and therefore part of the memories to come.

Once again we want to thank Queensberry Albums, Inc., our album vendor, for their superior handmade albums as it is the true craftsmanship of these albums, that I am sure helped to impress the judges.

And last, but certainly not least, we want to thank Dennis from Avalon Editions, who printed the photographs for the album. His attention to detail and talent with black and white printing is astounding. It is apparent that he printed each and every print as if it were his own and it was this devotion to his clients that undoubtedly added to just how well our album did in the competition.

We are now offering the fine art album as a product. If interested, please inquire and we'll be happy to send you a flyer or you can visit our web site to learn more.

The veil from 1864

2008-10-18T15:46:00.008-04:00

The veil at this beautiful wedding of two artists, came from Hannah's great, great, great Grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Adams (1842-1918.) She wore it at her wedding to John Crosby Brown in 1864 in New York City. Hannah was honored to wear it and it was also worn by her sister Sarah in 1998 and her mother in 1965.
Mary Elizabeth Adams collected musical instruments and gave many of them to the Metropolitan Museum. The 4,000 instruments in the museum's collection makes it the largest such collection outside of Europe. Mary Elizabeth Adams counts two Adams presidents in her family tree.
Hannah is a painter and illustrator and used her talent to create the amazing details found throughout the wedding and reception. Her now-husband Jeff is a sculptor and film maker and, as Hannah, used his artistic eye to help plan this most unique and relaxed wedding.
From the gorgeous letterpress invitations to the family style BBQ dinner to the marionette show to the fun-natured couple themselves – we enjoyed capturing every minute of this top-notch autumn wedding!

PPA of New England Awards

2008-09-21T14:35:00.005-04:00

Laura and Marilyn recently attended the annual Professional Photographers Association of New England Convention. There were awesome speakers that addressed trends in photographing weddings, great lighting techniques and inspiration for creativity. One of the best parts is always watching the print and album competitions where we learn SO much every time. Marilyn earned a blue ribbon for her image "Beloved" of Lindsay. We also earned two red ribbons for two albums entitled "Rehearsal Dinner Retreat" and "Live, Love, Laugh". As always we are excited to bring our newfound knowledge and inspiration to YOUR weddings! (the rose in the corner is from my garden - might be one of the last for the year -- smells so good!)

The Latest in Thank You Cards

2008-08-25T09:59:00.003-04:00

Natural Expressions is now featuring new "press printed" cards that you can use as thank you cards or holiday greetings. These cards are of exquisite quality printed on linen art paper. Let us know if you are interested and we can create a custom design for you.

Floral-Event Designs that Impress!

2008-08-11T18:59:00.014-04:00

This summer when we were in Manchester, VT at the Equinox photographing a top notch wedding, we discovered Tara Pollio -- an amazing talent in the wedding industry. The vision behind her floral-event designs are unsurpassed. The rehearsal dinner was at a pavilion on a pond with a mountainous backdrop and the floral-event designs fit right in. From the rustic table arrangements to the Adirondack chairs set up along the pond side, it was a photographer's dream come true.
The wedding was very much the opposite of the outdoorsy decor that the pond pavilion offered, as were the florals. To say we are impressed with Tara's work may be an understatement.
If you have yet to contract your floralist/event designer, may we personally recommend an artist who will surely meet your every expectation. Tara's work can be seen at www.flowersevents.com.
We'd also love for you to share our slideshows from both the rehearsal dinner and wedding day .

Album recognized by FujiFilm!

2008-08-08T11:41:00.011-04:00

We are so proud of the recognition we received by FujiFilm who chose our album, titled "a bright future," as the recipient of the exclusive FujiFilm Masterpiece Award. We won this award back in April at the Professional Photographer's Association's state level competition. Recently we received the press release in the mail and are truly honored.

We owe our thanks to Winnie and Sean who were featured in the album. They were a true joy to work with. With Winnie's impeccable taste in the decisions she made for her wedding flowers, the location, the programs, etc. along with the love that Sean and Winnie have for one another, created us with such wonderful photographic opportunities. Additionally, we have to mention Queensberry Albums, Inc., our album vendor, for their superior handmade albums and their commitment to continue to provide photographer's with a modern matted album options -- in a time when digital album design has become so popular.

To read more about our accomplishment you can click on the press release below. Thanks Fuji, Sean and Winnie, NHPPA and Queensberry!

Do You Have a Make Up Artist?

2008-04-29T21:15:00.002-04:00

We met a WONDERFUL make up artist this weekend who will travel to you for your wedding day makeup. She will meet with you in advance to create your look in advance and she custom blends all colors to be perfect for you. One of her specialties is air brushed makeup -- which, I understand, will last all day long and has a wonderfully flawless appearance. We have seen the finished look and it is amazing!! She books out in advance so if you are interested do not hesitate to call her.
Joanne McDonough of Joya Beauty
http://www.joyabeauty.com/

We really enjoyed meeting her so tell her we sent you -- no perks -- we just want to help you feel your best on your wedding day! Call us or email if you have any questions.

Online Wedding Worksheet

2008-04-29T21:09:00.003-04:00

For our upcoming couples -- one of the things we ask you to do is to complete a "wedding information worksheet" for us so that we can know the "who's who"; "what's what" and "when's everything" -- for your wedding. In the past, it was a three page form that may have felt a little tedious during this very time pressed period in your planning. We are happy to let you know that the worksheet is now available for you to complete online.

Natural Expressions Wins Awards

2008-04-29T21:02:00.002-04:00

The New Hampshire Professional Photographer's Annual Conference was great.
Saw some inpspiring speakers, learned lots of new stuff, AND won some awards! Laura earned a Blue Ribbon "Merit" for a great portrait of a gorgeous little guy. Marilyn earned a Blue Ribbon "Merit" for a landscape photogaph...and the best news yet is that two of our wedding albums earned Blue Ribbon Merits -- and one won the "Fuji Masterpiece Award"! Right now we are ready to crash and recover from a very busy weekend. We will post images in the days to follow!

2008-03-12T20:52:00.001-04:00

A cat who poses

2008-02-14T19:43:00.005-05:00

I had a friend come over the other night so I could practice with my new studio lights that I bought a few months ago. Before she arrived, however, my cat Molly decided she liked the way the backdrop felt when she sat on it. I brushed her and that's about all it took to get her to pose for me. You've gotta love a cat who poses for a professional portrait.

Fall 2007 Garden Portraits

2008-02-14T14:55:00.007-05:00

Together with Linda Jennings of Photography by Linda, this past fall we combined our talents to aid a local family affected by cancer through the creation of professional outdoor family portraits. During this two day photographic event, between both studios, we were able to raise $930 for the Dumont family. We were blessed with two very beautiful days and more importantly 36 wonderful families who took part in the event. We had families, siblings, mother's and sons, families with their dogs -- and even a bunny come share in the fun! Here are the highlights from the 2007 Garden Portraits.

New Slideshow

2008-02-10T12:31:00.000-05:00

Sean and Winnie's wedding fell on a beautiful day in spite of a rainy forecast. Their happiness was contagious -- the colors in the wedding were almost as bright as their smiles!
Scroll down to view - Enjoy!

Jess and Dan - A Beautiful Beach Wedding

2008-02-08T09:47:00.007-05:00

See a slideshow from a wondrous wedding on Craigville Beach on Cape Cod -- it was a stunning day full of emotion......and fun!

Slideshows

2008-02-07T10:04:00.000-05:00

Scroll down to the bottom to view a slideshow -- we are creating a wedding one and will upload it soon, so check back often.

First Post

2008-02-05T19:43:00.000-05:00

Yay! We finally have a blog. Thank goodness for winter or we would never get this stuff accomplished. We look forward to hearing from you all. This is Cinder and CoCo enjoying the snow.