We're with the band...

True Story worked with a local band named Volt recently. It was kind of chilly that Saturday but fortunately it warmed up as the day went on. We met with the guys in the band in the early afternoon and headed into the woods and onto the grounds of a local landmark. Of course, Dany and I are psyched when we see thing like old cemeteries, crumbling old walls, ivy and old buildings. Perfect for our brand of creativity and especially perfect for what we had in our heads for this band's shoot. Our locations ended up being perfect for the vibe we wanted to capture for this metal band. This is a sneak peek for Volt as we continue with post-processing of their images. Hey Volt: we hope you like your sneak peek and we'll let you know when we have the rest completed and ready for viewing. 

The Calm Before the Storm...Sneak Peek for the W Family

Before Hurricane Sandy hit here in New Jersey, we had a fun shoot with the W family. This was a very mellow group which is not that common when you consider the fact that there are three sisters in this family. They seemed to all get along really well and they were really fun to work with. Add in the great location and you have the perfect recipe for a successful shoot. We love the fall colors and the calm, serene setting. Isn't it amazing that all that serenity changed drastically within 24 hours? 
Enjoy your sneak peek, W family! We hope you weathered the storm well!

A Day at the Farm...

 The other day, Dany and I got to spend some time with the lovely subject of the portraits shown here. She is funny, confident, and has an inner glow about her that we really wanted to shine through in her pictures. Plus she has these amazingly glowing eyes that really stand out. And her daughter is way cool and a terrific makeup artist. And the list goes on...

The goal of the day was a boudoir shoot. She wanted to feel sexy and have a fun photo session with us. She figured she would surprise her husband with photos too. Oh and I forgot the best part: she wanted her Corvette included in her session. Could we possibly ask for a more fun set up? So Dany and I put our heads together and started designing the shoot....

First we set up what we needed in order to work at an amazing local farm. It is a private location that we worked at for the first time ever during this shoot and it was an amazing spot for what we were doing. Actually it was an amazing spot for just about anything. You will definitely be seeing more of THIS location in the future in our work! 

Next we brain stormed and came up with the ideas behind our shoot. We don't always hit on every idea and we definitely allow things to naturally evolve as we are working through our shoots but we pretty much got everything we envisioned. 

And then, once we had everything in order, we met up with Nadine on the morning of her shoot and set out for the location to begin. 

We had to work around some minor obstacles in the beginning  but we managed to get everything under control quickly thanks to Dany, who ran down to "chat" with the workers (and get them out of our backgrounds!) Yes, utility workers, we DO want you to get away from our shooting area and we don't care if you have a work order! Dany is always the person to send in for situations like these. What male wouldn't want to do whatever a cute little hippy chick asks him to?

After we resolved "Utility Worker Nightmare" we got down to business and started to get into the flow of the shoot. I have to say that this was easily in my top ten favorite shoots-Nadine rocked it, for sure. We can only sneak peek a few of these for obvious privacy reasons. Plus we don't want to ruin any surprises. But we definitely wanted her to see how fabulous she looks--thanks for a great shoot, Nadine!

Mr. Mellow...

We had the privilege of photographing a very mellow high school senior recently. Both Dany and I agreed that not only was he very laid back, but he was really flexible too. He was game to try out quite a few locations with us and never seemed annoyed or complained in any way. Even when we were acting goofy about some of the posing we tried out, he just laughed it off (and laughed at us too, which honestly we deserved!) 
I have met few teenagers who didn't cop an attitude about something. Kudos! Great job and hope you like the sneak peek from your session.

Freezing Time and Looking Back

Today, a friend of mine posted something on her blog that I felt I had to share. She isn't only my friend; she is also a good client of True Story Photography. We have been hired by Sandi for assorted portrait work in the past but the most important shooting we have done for her was early this year when she hired True Story to photograph her daughter's wedding. She has been so busy that she just got around to viewing the proofs today and she took the time to write up a blog post on her own blog that I thought was worth sharing on ours. 
The next time you have an important occasion, or just want to freeze a moment in time in your life, the lives of your children or your loved ones, think about this post. 

Thank you, Sandi, for understanding and describing perfectly WHY we do what we do as photographers. 
I couldn't have said it better myself...



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Taken from An Average Woman in a Superwoman World
http://www.averagewomansj.com/mom-moments-in-pictures/

Mom Moments in Pictures

Sometimes I do things that remind me how cool it is to be Mom!


Today, I actually sat down and went through the proofs of my daughter’s wedding.. Things have been so crazy, so scattered, that I really didn’t have a chance to do so before now. And I am SO glad I did!
For a little over an hour, I was transported back to that magical day. The happy faces. The beautiful room and wonderful food and music. All our friends and loved ones together. Everyone looks so incredible – like a movie! The pictures of the ceremony brought back all the love and pride and joy I felt at that moment. Seeing my husband again in his tuxedo was so, well, Exciting… He is such a dish! My daughter looked so unbelievably goregous – like a Limoges piece in her beautiful dress. Seeing the tears on her husband’s face as she walked down the aisle made me tear up all over again.

Times like this, when you can look back and see everything so clearly, make you believe in the continuity of family and friends, of the simple joys of loving and being loved. It sounds kind of corny, but I don’t care. I watched these kids grow up, and now they are married and starting a life of their own. It was, for me, the perfect antidote to the gloom and sadness of the past month. Something I didn’t even realize I needed until this very moment.

I can’t imagine how I am going to be able to limit my selections to fit my contract… I keep seeing pictures that would be incredible on my “Black and White Photo” wall in the house. I keep seeing pictures I want to order as Christmas gifts for other people. I can’t post them here, because I didn’t select them yet, and I always play fair… One day, I will, and everyone will see how magical it really was!

 I don’t think I will skimp on this. This was one of the most wonderful days of my life…

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Oh Baby!

We got to photograph the adorable new addition to the B family recently. 

When I spoke to her on the phone, I knew this new mother would be lots of fun to work with. She is a relaxed person who has a lot of positive and creative energy. And her newborn son reflects the same. He was seriously mellow and barely fussed the entire time we were shooting.  He actually seemed to like the camera and frequently looked over at it. This, of course, made our efforts to engage him a lot easier. In fact, it did not take much effort to get him to look at the camera at all, which certainly doesn't happen often when we are photographing newborns. 

The new mom and dad were great. They seemed really comfortable and relaxed which always makes things a lot more fun. We even got to meet some grandmothers during the shoot.  Pictures showcasing multiple generations are always special and are a great thing for families to have for years to come. 

The B household was the perfect place to photograph Baby M. The decor was warm and colorful with creative touches throughout the space. It is so much more exciting for us to photograph a new family member in his actual environment. He was happy which kept everyone calm and allowed them to enjoy the True Story experience. 

Thank you, B family and congratulations!

 

Vintage Charm...

It was a photographer's dream, or at least it was a dream for the two True Story photographers that showed up to a shoot at the P house (those photographers would be me and Dany, by the way!). Our job was to capture the beauty of two charming little girls. What we didn't know was that the house in which we would be shooting would turn out to be the perfect setting for those little princesses. In fact, our client had given us a heads up that she had some props for us. But we had no idea what to expect and were more than pleasantly surprised--we were thrilled!

Let me explain. The girls' mom is a lover of vintage and charming accessories and decor. She is really talented and creates everything from bed coverings, pillows and curtains to hair accessories and clothing for the girls (and everything in between). What makes her rooms special is that she is able to put vintage and antique accessories together along with artistic ones in a way that creates a truly unique look. It really was a special setting and this was really her home. The results of her efforts were completely charming and added lots of pizzazz to our shoot. Once the girls were interacting in their natural environment, the colors and accessories just worked to accentuate them. 

As most adults know, toddlers can sometimes be a little "antsy". Though the toddler in this shoot was no exception, we got to see her fun personality and capture it without too much difficulty. When it comes to little munchkins, we are prepared for any and all eventualities including standing in a 5 foot by 5 foot playhouse to shoot. Yes, sometimes that is necessary. She actually did fine was great overall during the shoot. 

Her big sister was a pleasure to work with and was a complete trooper with her baby sister. In fact, she is a natural and could easily be a professional model. She showed confidence, poise and an inner calm in front of the camera which is not something you see every day in a girl her age. 

Overall, the girls did a great job...and got to have a little tea party in the process!

Sneak Peek: Leslie and Frank

“You are, and always have been, my dream.”
― Nicholas Sparks

 

We were really honored to be chosen to document Leslie and Frank's special day. 

 

It was a beautiful event that took place right here in our home base of Medford, NJ on a rainy Friday afternoon in late July. But no amount of bad weather could dampen the spirits of this special couple and their closest loved ones.  Though it was a small gathering, it was beautiful in its simplicity and in the heartfelt touches that brilliantly showcased how much this bride and groom not only love one another but are truly committed to one another. From classy, world-class musicians providing the music to the vows that were written and not only included the bride and groom but also the groom's children, who were an important part of the ceremony, this was one special event. 

We had some great ideas that included some dramatic photos shot outdoors on the street near the ceremony and reception venue but unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans. Instead we worked within the confines of a 200+ year old inn and used our creative brains to come up with new and fresh ideas, True Story-style.  The bride specifically mentioned that she wanted some traditional pictures but also that she loved unusual creative shots as well so we were happy to put our heads together and deliver.  This is just a tiny little peek...

Congratulations, Leslie and Frank--we wish you a long and happy life together!

There is only one happiness in life,
to love and be loved. - George Sand

Ceremony and Reception Venue: 
Braddock's

Medford, NJ 

Flowers: 

Medford Florist and Gift Shop
Medford, NJ

Dress:

David's Bridal

Maple Shade, NJ

Hair: 

Tara Reilly/Suede Salon and Spa

Marlton, NJ

Makeup: Patty Day/Suede Salon and Spa

Marlton, NJ

Officiant: Jim Moore

Musicians:

Catherine Boyd

Susan Salmon