Snapshots

What a difference a week and a half makes! While Shana & Cory had the ultra calm, romantic session with barely a ripple in the entire lake, the four couples who joined us for the Saturday session were treated with some strong waves and loads of questionable weather.

Our prospects were looking a bit iffy with the weathermen predicting rain showers and a 70% chance of thunderstorms, but skies looked blue when we started our road trip. When we arrived at the Peninsula a few clouds had rolled in but the sun still managed to peek out every once in a while. Then the most amazing thing happened: black clouds rolled in over Erie, just a mile or so to the south of our position, and the sun continued to shine on our brave little group. Paul said that he thinks he is literally the luckiest photographer in Pittsburgh!

So, here we go! Some samples from our second session:

Kathy and Ryan. Just a bit of background. Kathy and Ryan were on their 5th photo shoot with us! Bridal, boudoir, engagement, and wedding were all done in 2006. They were even one of our Knot couples published in the Knot Magazine under the Just Married Session. It was nice to see them again and hear what they’ve been up to.

Carissa and Ty. Just married this summer, they are another repeat couple with engagement and wedding photos under their belt. They were also one of our test couples for Wedding University and it was nice to see our advice in use throughout their wedding day.

Beth and Dave. Back when I was on the Knot message boards I made three great friends. Beth is one of those Knottie Girls. She and Dave were married in 2005 just a week after Paul and I tied the knot. They had already booked a photographer by the time we became friends and Paul was under contract for another wedding. But I was able to attend Beth and Dave’s wedding with camera in hand. Some of the shots from Beth’s wedding are still in my list of favorites because it was essentially the first shoot that I did on my own. Since then, we’ve had a great time hanging out and Dave is literally one of the funniest guys I know.

Ashley and Chad. Welcome to the family! While the other couples were used to the Paul Meyer experience, Ashley and Chad were thrown into the fun with little warning! I heard from both of them that their wedding day photographers were a bit more “conventional” than the wild Meyer’s. Paul’s like a water bug and just scoots all over with seemingly boundless energy. It’s kind of surprising when he’s perched on a garbage can or scales a brick wall with camera in hand to get that great angle. So seeing this wild guy run around and give directions for posing is something new for this couple. But they warmed right up and Ashley charged into the water in her actual, real-life wedding gown!

Lastly, I always love having the opportunity to catch my hubby doing what he loves. Here are two of my favorites.

For more tidbits from the day, go to our gallery homepage and click on the Splash the Dress gallery.  We’re looking forward to our next crazy couple and Splash the Dress session!

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It couldn’t have been better!  Blue skies, warm water, light winds, and one of the most romantic couples imaginable.  Shana & Cory were great! 

Shana wore a silk dress from J.Crew and Cory was dressed perfectly in a white dress shirt and black pants.  Shana even had rhinestone flipflops to match.  They both got into the swing of things when it came to getting wet.   

I’ve added a new gallery to our website to show off a few of the hundreds of images we shot that day.   And we’re completely jazzed up for our second session of this summer with Kathy and Ryan, Ashley and Chad, Beth and Dave, and Carissa and Ty.  Get ready, couples!  We’re going to have a blast!

   

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Here’s the first round of photos from our Bar Harbor trip.  Our room was so close to the gardens, each morning I felt as if I rolled out of bed and right into nature.  Gary and Heidi had the place surrounded by giant ferns and huge hostas.  Tucked away in all the greenery were some colorful daylilies and other blooms.

Listen closely and you can practially hear Paul chomping on the bit in the background since he was not allowed to touch a digital camera while on our family vacation…. 

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That’s how the locals pronounce the location of this year’s family vacation.  For those of you not sporting the New England accent, the three of us took off for a relaxing vacation in Bar Harbor, Maine.

It was good to get away for a mid-wedding season break.  Prior to the vacation we experienced our busiest week of 2007:  4 weddings in 9 days, two of which were in the State of Iowa (or as I call it, the Land o’ Corn).  Paul still has a loyal customer base that calls him back to Southeast Iowa for a week every year.  It turns out that all those high school senior clients are now growing up and asking him to return to photograph their weddings.

It’s interesting to see the differences in weddings from one area to the next.  For example, in the mid-west, weddings tend to start much later in the day.  Where the typical ‘Burg wedding starts between 2-4pm, the Iowa weddings start after 6pm and go late into the evening.

Anyhoo, to return to the topic of our vacation!

We spent a relaxing and quiet week at the Atlantean Inn, right in the town of Bar Harbor.  Gary and Heidi, our fantastic hosts, tried their best to fatten us up with their delicious breakfast dishes and even Alex, who’s normally a very picky eater, enjoyed trying Gary’s concoctions each morning.

One of the main attractions of this area is the Acadia National Park.  The Park Loop Road winds its way through breath-taking scenery of all types:  steep cliffs ending in pounding surf, quiet pine forests filled with songbirds and ferns, hidden blueberry patches waiting for the lucky hiker who stumbles into a hidden valley, and rugged granite mountain tops with amazing views.

As part of his “relaxation therapy” Paul was not allowed to bring along a digital camera!  But I wasn’t totally cruel.  He was allowed to pack his medium format film camera for the stunning landscapes.  It was funny to see him stubbornly lugging along a tripod and camera case while scaling boulders in order to get into just the right position to photograph a lighthouse.

Alex’s favorite part of the trip was a visit to the local movie theater, Reel Pizza.  After entering the seating area you have your choice:  regular cinema seats with counters in front of each row OR three rows of couches with coffee tables in front of them.  The neat thing about this cinema was the fact that you could order your pizza and eat it while watching your movie.  Almost like being at home.

Another highlight of the trip was the Lobster Beer and Blueberry Beer that Paul enjoyed.  Except for two hot days, the weather was extremely pleasant and we all enjoyed sitting out on the patios at various restaurants while having our dinner.  One restaurant of note was Thurston’s, which was built on a pier and served some of the best lobster we’ve ever had.

But it’s true that all good things must come to an end and we returned home to a pile of work and emails.  Luckily I captured plenty of photos with my camera and will post them soon.

And if you’d like to take a relaxing vacation or to have a secluded honeymoon, we highly recommend Bar Harbor!  You just can’t beat the natural beauty of it all…

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