Photography Blog

Boston wedding photographer passionate about documenting exquisite celebrations rooted in family and one of a kind experiences. Based on Boston's North Shore.

Goodbye 2012

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Bring On The New Year!!

I almost can't believe it... the last day in 2012?! It seems like YESTERDAY that I was reflecting on the year that was 2011 and thinking ahead to what 2012 might bring! And well, it brought a lot! I photographed 20 weddings, traveled to numerous states and one territory, formed some beautiful friendships, and oh yeah, found out we were pregnant! 2013 will definitely be the year of change for our little family but I'm overwhelmingly excited at all the possibilities the New Year will bring!

Several years ago, one of my favorite photographer duos, Justin and Mary, posted a very simple but very powerful blog post reflecting on the year that was. They split the post up into three and titled them What Worked, What Didn't and What's Next. Little ole me was still in the beginning stages of my business and was blown away by the thoughtfulness and power in these posts! How could you NOT succeed when taking some dedicated time out to evaluate your life, business and past year.

Two years later this practice as become an annual part of my business life. There truly is nothing better than taking some time out (at Starbucks of course...Skinny Decaf Peppermint Mocha for this mom to be please!) and taking a long hard look at what needs to change, what needs to stay the same and what will be new for your business in the New Year!

I started my reflection at the beginning of December but have recently been encouraged to take a longer look at all these questions thanks to a new blog series by Lara Casey. Everything this lady touches turns to gold (and she has red hair AND the most adorable little baby girl) and I just simply love everything that she does! Especially when she gets those motivational blog posts going! Recently she challenged her readers to MAKE IT HAPPEN in 2013!!

Ok I will! What Worked, What Didn't and What Fires You Up? are the questions that Lara has asked her readers to think about, and I would echo her challenge to you! This is the time of year that we are most reflective, so naturally this is the best time of year to take inventory on your life, your business, your family, whatever circle your life is and see what you are being challenged to think about, pray about and most importantly DO!

This past Sunday at church Dave and I along with many others publicly thanked God for the ways in which He has changed us, challenged us and grown us this past year. We started the year asking God for something specific, something we didn't tell ANYONE about. And in August, that prayer and step of faith was answered in the positive pregnancy test I held in my hand. This year has been one of joy, sadness and difficulty, but we have been carried through, guided and nudged along. And I'm thankful for the period of reflection I am afforded to not only challenge myself in the New Year but to also be reminded of how much I have to be thankful for!

So my challenge to you (inspired by so many others!) is this : take a few hours out for yourself, or with your hubby or with your kids, and truly reflect on this past year. Get rid of what didn't work, continue to refine what did and think about what will FIRE you up in the New Year! And most importantly, make a fourth list. A list of all of the things you have to be thankful for this past year. It might only be list of one but I know we ALL have something to be thankful for!!

Here's to the year that was 2012....and bring it on 2013!!!

Deborah Zoe Photography, Boston Wedding Photographer, New England Wedding Photographer, Destination

Best of 2012

Behind The Scenes

Today is the final installment of the Best of 2012 blog post series and it's pretty much my favorite and most hated post of all year! Today we go behind the scenes with ME as I photographed weddings over this past year! The good, the bad, and the not so put together! But hey that's the life of a wedding photographer! A sweaty, swollen feet, runny makeup, doing what I love best, kind of life! So I might not look the best, heck some of my clothing choices were pretty questionable as well, but these pictures are are a reminder to me that I simply love what I do and love the people I get to work with! So sit back and enjoy the hilarity that is me doing what I love. Sweaty, runny makeup and all!

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Working on my karate moves.Outta my way, there's a Bride coming!Trying to block an unruly photo booth assistant with my bum during the ceremony..."See Ryna, this is why this veil is so amazingly awesome..." "Ooohh."Some more karate moves.I'm always walking through Coco's shot...Hiding in bushes was a common theme this year!Not only am I a professional wedding photographer, I'm a professional help you get in your dress photographer too!David of Epic Filmmakers and I ruining our backs for the shot!I have no idea about that photo on the left! A little too excited for the reception to start?What pregnant photographers shouldn't do : STAND ON THINGS!"Just one more shot!" I'm such a liar.When your dress doesn't have pockets you must get creative!By far the WORST picture taken of my all year! But I still love it! Bwahahaha!Are you ready for it?!Standing in Coco's shot again!Coco, why you stand behind the cake?Practicing my jazz hands while giving directions during a First Look.Oh don't pay any attention to me!By FAR the craziest hair picture of 2012!! Y'all know that I have crazy hair, but this picture, well it's epic hair worthy.Got to stay hydrated!Coco, why won't my pocket wizards work?!If I move REALLY slowly and quietly, maybe they won't notice me..."Hey guys! Can I join your super private moment during the First Look?!"Gotcha!More bushes and some confusion over light stands...Coco has to stay hydrated too!I like to photographer ghosts?Chatting it up with the grandma's is my favorite part of the day!Competing with the paparazzi.And I'll end on this picture, the last picture of my last wedding of 2012. What an unbelievable year, thank you to everyone who made it all possible!!

Merry Christmas!!

This is going to be a very short post to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!! Currently I'm sitting at my parents house waiting for the bacon wrapped scallops to finished listening to my husband talk history with my Dad in the kitchen as Christmas music softly plays in the background. Ahhhhh. We already started the Christmas celebrations in New Hampshire with Dave's family yesterday. I've enjoyed every minute spending time with family so far and I'm pretty excited to continue the fun tomorrow!

Maya wanted to jump on real quick too, to wish you all a Merry Christmas! Plus she's hoping that if she looks cute enough that maybe she'll get a few extra Christmas treats out of the whole things!

Have a great few days everyone and I'll see you later this week!

Winner Winner

The Best of 2012 Canvas Conest

We have a winner!! After what was a fierce competition for votes, Liz and Pat managed to pull away and win the whole thing with a total of 184 votes!! A HUGE thank you to all the friends and family who voted for their loved ones. I got emotional watching as you voted, singing the praises of those you love!

Congrats to Pat and Liz! I can't wait for a beautiful canvas from your wedding day to grace the walls of your home!!

And to those who didn't win, don't despair! My Holiday Print Sale is STILL going on through the New Year! Just used code MERRY at checkout to receive a 30% discount on your print order! Find your gallery at http://www.deborahzoephoto.smugmug.com.

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Happy Holidays everyone!!

Best of 2012 Weddings

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Intimate, Iconic and Timeless

Here it is, the big one! The Best of 2012 Weddings!! I look forward to writing this post every year! And not just because it's full of delicious wedding eye candy:)!

The end of the year is such a great time for reflection. A time to look back at all that has happened in the span of 12 months. And as someone who owns their own business, a LOT can happen! This post in particular is about an evolution of style for me. I began this year not entirely sure HOW I wanted my style of photography to feel and look like. But as the year progressed and as I settled into my groove so to speak, I was finding myself being drawn to the same things in my photography : intimate, iconic, and timeless images.

Much of my inspiration comes from my couples. From their fashion sense to their unique relationships, what formed my style this year was very much inspired by what I saw in front of my camera! And while a great photographer can pose, direct and execute a great photograph, what REALLY make an image is the honest and intimate relationship that a couple expresses through a gesture, a look, or a kiss.

And yea, I probably sound all cheesy and cliche right now, but I don't care. I'm incredibly thankful for each couple that invited me (and my amazing second shooters) into their lives this year! For giving us a glimpse into the amazing relationships that they share with each other, their family and their friends. For allowing us to do what we love and to capture amazing images of some simply amazing people!

Here's to a wonderful year!! Enjoy!

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Best of 2012 The Rings

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Blingy Bling!

Yesterday was the kick off of the Best of 2012 series and we started with some lovely engagements. Today, it's all about the bling. And 2012 was the year of some major bling! Man, my Brides have some BEAUTIFUL rings!! And I had some serious fun getting the chance to photograph them all.

Shooting rings during a wedding day is quite the scene. Often my second shooter is holding a light and I'm crouched in some sort of unnatural position giving her directions and balancing precariously to focus correctly! All while trying to hold a conversation with the many guests asking what we're doing. I swear shooting wedding rings should be a new ab work out!

The rings are one of my favorite parts of the wedding day. I love the symbolism of wedding rings and all that they represent. A ring shot is one of those staple images that I just HAVE to capture at every wedding! Plus I love ooh and ahhing over the jewelry choices of my couples!

So sit back and drool over the beautiful eye candy! Good job fellas, you sure made your ladies hands sparkle!! Enjoy!

Best of 2012 Engagements

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Big Cities, Open Fields and Stylish Couples

Is it REALLY time for the Best Of posts?! Is 2012 really almost over?! This year has FLOWN by and brought so many new changes not only to the business but to my personal life as well! I will certainly look back on 2012 with a smile!

I've had the joy of being able to photograph some amazing couples this past year, many who I know call dear friends. This job that I do affords me an opportunity to have an intimate glimpse in to the relationships in my couples' lives. I'm so grateful for those who have invited me in this past year and allowed me to photograph their love. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

As I was going through, reflecting on all that 2012 was, I noticed a few trends. My couples LOVE the city and boy do they have STYLE! A photographer's dream come true! I absolutely adore shooting in urban environments and mhmm, do I love a put together couple! Your attention to detail and fashion sense was pretty fun to document! I've even got to give a special shout out to the guys (or the ladies who dressed them) for being equally as stylish as their ladies. Props to you all!

Here are my favorite engagement images from this past year, and I hope you enjoy them! For me they're not just photographs but images of people that I love! I can't but help smile as I look through them all. This is going to be a LONG post to grab something warm to drink and start to browse! Enjoy!

Nick & Jen's Vermont Wedding at Sugarbush Resort

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Associate Wedding for Erica Ferrone

This past October I took quite the harrowing road trip North to Vermont to associate shoot for the wonderful Erica of Erica Ferrone Photography. (We took the long and scenic route by mistake, which left this preggo lady praying for a bathroom about every 20 minutes;)). Erica was a bridesmaid in her best friend's wedding and asked if I would join along to shoot while Erica participated in her bridesmaid duties. I jumped at the chance to work together (I love this girl!) and wanted to return the favor as she did the same thing for me when I photographed/was a maid of honor for one of my best friend's wedding last year!

I know it was hard for Erica to put down the camera and just enjoy the day at times! As wedding photographers is so, so, so, hard to put that camera down! But I'm thankful to her for inviting me along and trusting me to capture those moments she couldn't while she was busying being a bridesmaid! It was such a FUN day with amazing weather, an amazing sunset and an amazing couple! Definitely read Erica's blog post here, a sweet dedication to her best friend's wedding day!

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And here are some of my favorites from the day at Sugarbush Resort! Enjoy the Vermont goodness...you can just taste the maple syrup, no?;)

Wedding Love

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Dealing With Street

I've always been a person to "stress out". Little details can often times send me over the edge, a symptom of my OCD tendencies. I have to say when it came time for my wedding, I wasn't too stressed, until the day of. I remember, for the first time ever, being handed a paper bag by my bridesmaid and sternly told, to "breath." Most of my anxiety was due to this HUGE LIFE CHANGING event taking place. But I'm also mature enough to admit that part of the planning had finally gotten the best of me.

I remember crying as it rained, I remember being snippy with family during family formals, I remember being annoyed with Dave when he stepped on my dress and ripped it, I remember being REALLY annoyed when our exit song was played BEFORE we exited!! I remember seeing our centerpieces of florals without water.... and did it get to me!

As I look back on it all, I just want to tell myself don't sweat the small stuff! When Dave and I look back on our wedding day, we remember what I said in the limo that night, "That was the best day EVER." And it really was. Nothing that could go "wrong" could have made that day any less perfect than it was. I'll remember that feeling forever.

And that, that is what is MOST important on your wedding day. How you'll remember that day forever. How you'll remember how you felt on that day, what your spouse whispered in your ear, the people you got to hug. Not all the little things that went "wrong." So Brides, my plea to you is to just enjoy your day. I know, things can go wrong. Things can be cause for stress. But at the end of the day, those things truly don't matter. Your marriage does. And I'd rather see you with a BIG smile on your face when I'm taking your picture than one with a crinkled nose and a frown.

Does that make sense? I know it can be hard to picture how you'll actually feel on your wedding day, but having now photographed lots of weddings and LOTS of Brides, I can say that the most successful weddings with the happiest couples, come from when the Bride and Groom decide to just let go and enjoy whatever the day throws at them.

I enlisted the help of two of my Brides to share their experience on how they handled stress on their wedding day and how it made their day that much better and memorable!

"From the first day we started to plan our wedding, Jon was the main reason that I kept (relatively) calm! I am usually the one that is all business and stressed out, but we promised from day one that the wedding was going to be about just that... us getting married. Everything else wasn't going to phase us. Once in a while, when little worries and details came up, we kept each other in check about not getting too worked up. On the big day, I spent an hour by myself in the morning to take a LONG shower and re-group. If I hadn't done that, it would have been very easy to get caught up in the excitement of the day, and of the rehearsal dinner the night before. I had hair and make up come to my bridal suite, along with my Mom, Mother-in-Law, and bridesmaids. I think it made a huge difference to not have to leave the room and *potentially* run in to my hubby-to-be the day of before we had intended to! We also had the restaurant deliver food... which I totally ate... and it totally helped :) Lastly, but most importantly, I smiled! ALL DAY! If you are stressed out, but smile your way through it, the negativity just can't help but melt away! Everything went perfectly on our big day according to Jon and I because we achieved our ultimate goal: getting married :) -- Diana

For me, there were two major things that I did in the very beginning of the planning process that relieved a ton of stress. The first was to set a reasonable wedding budget - this was key for all decisions that we made about the wedding day & reducing stress between my husband and I. But the biggest stress relief was hiring a professional wedding planner. I know some people think this might be a "waste of money" as my husband called it when I first suggested. However, it seriously saved my sanity and even he ended up agreeing closer to the end of the planning process. Working a full time busy job meant that I didn't really have the time I wanted to devote to all the little details. But my wedding planner did & she was fantastic! Plus she recommended the BEST vendors - we loved everyone that we worked with! This was also huge in relieving stress, especially on the day itself. I knew that I could trust my vendors to do their job and not have to worry about it because I chose wisely. Even my hairstylist told me I was one of the calmest brides he had ever worked with! On the day itself I got really nervous when it was time to get into my dress - reality set in! My husband and I had decided on a First Look and boy am I glad! As soon as I saw him, the stress melted away & I was elated! -- Amanda

Some tips to help with wedding day stress:

1. Hire someone to think about all the little details for you!! And if you can't afford a planner in your budget, enlist the help of a family member or close friend who can "oversee" the flow and details of the day! Dave and I were the latter of the two, having a good friend help us throughout the day, and it was HUGE! She even carried my train!

2. Schedule a spa appointment the week of the wedding. Undoubtedly the most stressful part of the entire planning process has to be the week before the wedding, when everything seems to come together all at once. If possible schedule a day for you and some of your ladies at the spa. Treat yourself to a massage, a pedicure, a facial, whatever it is that relaxes you. And if you're not one for the spa, just schedule a day out for you! One where you can get away from all the planning and just BREATH. I really wish I had done this!

3. Remind yourself why your getting married in the first place! And no, it's not to have the perfect wedding! With planning, we can often get so caught up in the details, we forget what's most important in the first place : the marriage! Take some time to spend with your fiance, to mediate, to pray. Whatever it is that will help center you and bring you peace.

For those who have been through this whole process before, what was it that allowed for a "stress free" (or relatively so) time on your wedding day or leading up to the wedding?!

Christmas Is Here!

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The Parker House Decorated

Christmas is a BIG deal here at the Parker House! Every year, the day after Thanksgiving we set aside the day to decorate. Then the first weekend in December we make the annual trek north to cut down our tree. I simply adore the traditions our family has created around the holidays and I get excited for them every year!!

This year we scaled back the decor just a bit, I mean a preggo lady only has so much energy and needs to reserve it!! Once again our mantle and dining room table had a mini holiday makeover and we managed to squeeze in our giant Christmas tree into our tiny little livingroom. It's so cozy and wonderful, I love it!

So here's a little sneak peek into our decorated home. It's not perfect (yes I know those are empty frames! Shameful, Debbie), but it's ours. And I love everything that it represents.

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What's your favorite Holiday tradition?!This is our crocheted Nativity Scene.... aren't you jealous!!And our prized Christmas tree with my favorite ornament. <3Every engineer has a Star Wars ornament for their tree, right?!And of course a Christmas Tree in New England would NOT be complete without a Patriots and beer ornament;)!Bwahahhaha. Oh these crack me up. On Sunday night we took our Christmas Card photo...here are a few outtakes...And the real thing!Don't forget about the Holiday Print Sale!! For all galleries at http://www.deborahzoephoto.smugmug.com/ save 30% on your order when using discount code MERRY at checkout!!

Holiday Print Sale!

Time To Stock Up And Save!

It's very rare that I do a "sale" but I thought that to celebrate this festive time of year, why not!! Do you have empty frames just waiting to be filled? Have your images lived on a computer instead of the walls of your home? Now is the time to stock up and save and start ENJOYING your images!!

All galleries are eligible so whether your portrait session or wedding was this year or two years ago, you can participate in this month long sale! And make sure to let your family and friends know how they can save too!

Simply find your gallery (or galleries if we have worked together more than once), at http://www.deborahzoephoto.smugmug.com. Then fill up your cart with all sorts of print goodies! When your ready to checkout use code MERRY to save 30% on your order, it's that simple!

As always I'm here to answer questions or help you find your gallery, so please don't hesitate to email me directly at deborahzparker@mac.com for any additional information you might need! Happy Ordering and Happy Holidays!!

Best of 2012

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Vote For Your Favorite!

It's that time of year again!! Time to rally up your friends and family to help you win a beautiful canvas for your home!! This is one of my favorite things to do each year and it's certainly one of the most popular!

Here's the 411:

1. Go to my Facebook Page and make sure you're a fan!

2. Find the Best of 2012 Contest album.

3. To vote, find your favorite image and click Like or leave a comment.

4. Share your image and encourage, bribe, flatter, cajole, your friends and family into voting for YOUR image!!

5. Eagerly await for December 20, 2012 when the winner will be announced!

*The contest will officially close on December 19, 2012 at 11:00pm. No entries past that time will be considered.

So now that you know the rules, get out there and VOTE!!! Will you YOU be the winner?! Find out December 20th!!

December Self Portrait

It's December??? HOW DID THAT EVEN HAPPEN?! It feels like this year has FLOWN by! We have so much to look forward to next year but I do find myself wishing that time would slow down, just a little. Can December stretch itself out just a bit? In other news, this is our 20th week of pregnancy! We are HALFWAY! I can't believe that in just another 20 short weeks (could be even less!) we'll be meeting our little baby boy. What an experience this has been so far, I'm sure the next half of our adventure will be equally amazing!

So that brings me to my goals and dreams for the end of the year and the beginning of the next. At times I feel like there are a million and half things that I want to accomplish in the next 4-5 weeks. Thank goodness there's a roll over plan for your goals;)!

Personal:

-- Finish some of the nursery projects: painting, cleaning, organizing, updating the heating vents! (so glamorous I know!)

-- Organize all my personal photos from 2012 and ORDER PRINTS. C'mon Debbie get this done!!

-- Shoot our Christmas Card picture and get those cards OUT THE DOOR!

-- Spend LOTS of time with family and friends! So excited to celebrate the season with my favorite people!

-- Update my 101 in 1001 list with all the fun things accomplished this year!!

Business:

-- Finalize my amazing surprise for 2011 and 2012 clients!! Be ready to mark your calendars!!

-- Order and finalize several album orders.

-- Begin small redesign of website to incorporate promo video.

-- Order some new promotional materials with branding.

-- Begin working on a Bridal Welcome packet/booklet/gift for new clients. (Psh this will probably be on the list for a while!)

-- Work on a What Worked/What Didn't list for 2012....soooooooo helpful! Love this idea from Justin and Mary!

Looking ahead:

-- I can't wait for our next ultrasound... it's pretty amazing to see that little guy in there!

-- I can't wait to spend the holiday's with family! It's my favorite time of year:)

-- Getting SUPER organized over this down season... especially with a new baby on the way this will be SUPER important!

-- The Ugly Sweater competition at church... apparently the two preggo ladies are competing;)

What are you looking forward to as the end of 2012 comes to a close?

Brian and Lisa Expecting

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A Boston Inspired Maternity Session

Remember these two?! I had the pleasure of first working with Brian and Lisa last year to photograph their engagement and wedding last summer. And I can tell you that everyone who worked with this amazing couple walked away from their wedding HONORED to have been a part of their day! I'm so happy to call these two clients and friends.

Flash forward to this fall and I suddenly found myself being asked by Lisa to photograph their maternity session!! I was THRILLED to learn that Brian and Lisa are expecting, they will certainly make the best parents and one adorable little baby. They are waiting to find out the baby's gender until the baby arrives so I spent much of the day guessing at what they might have!!

I love being a part of the life journey that my client's experience. I love developing relationships and friendships with my clients. It's amazing how a camera can open up doors you never thought possible!

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Brian and Lisa, thank you so much for asking me to be a part of such a joyous time in your life!! I simply cannot wait to meet Little Baby Brisa!! I hope you enjoy your images!!Brian and Lisa are endurance athletes and love to run and compete. These medals around Lisa neck? They are just a FEW of the races she has run while pregnant. Meanwhile I'm just gonna sit here and eat bon bons...We started the together staying warm at Brian and Lisa's apartment for a cute and casual vibe.Brian has been reading his favorite childhood stories to the baby, making the baby kick like crazy.... HOW ADORABLE?!Beautiful mama to be...No self respecting Boston baby can go without a New England Patriots teddy bear.... ;);)

Traditions

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Annual Christmas Tree Outing

Every single year since I was born (and BEFORE) my family has made the annual trek to the Nutter Tree Farm to cut down our Christmas Tree. I'm happy to say that as a married lady, my husband and I have carried on the tradition with my parents, cutting down our own tree with them. And next year we'll pass along the fun to our little baby boy.

It is probably one of my FAVORITE family activities that we do during the year! It's a very serious process. We wake up EARLY, try to get to the farm first making sure to pick a properly shaped tree with no holes or a lopsided trunk. We also try to aim to find a tree that will fit in our tiny house and every year we over estimate and get a tree that takes up our entire living room. I wouldn't have it any other way!

This year the air was brisk and snow lightly fell as we searched for our trees. It was nearing Christmas perfection! I kinda hoped that Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye would pop out at any second. They did not, but once again, we made great memories and have beautiful trees to remember the morning by!

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Do you have a favorite holiday tradition? We always manage to be the first people at the farm yet this year a ton of people beat us to it!My poor mom, Maya dragged her all around the farm. She couldn't help but search for all the deer she was smelling! While the pickings here slim this year, thanks to deer and drought, we managed to find some beautiful trees!Mom and Dad's tree!Our tree!My mom loves this picture... I think I take it every year. One year Dave carried a tree on his head. I was really proud...?Another year come and gone, can't wait to bring baby boy next year!!

Michael & Samantha Engaged

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A Cozy Home Engagement

I knew right away that I'd hit it off wonderfully with this sweet couple! I mean Mike's a fellow ginger, what's not to love?! AND they happen to live in one of my favorite cities, Chicgao AND they still root for the Red Sox! Yup, love these two!

I met Samantha and Michael at Michael's family home near Boston. Samantha just loves the charm of this VERY old but tastefuly re-done farm house. And since it was a chilly afternoon we spent much of our time together indoors, bravely venturing outside for a few images later in the day. Every nook and cranny of this house was filled with something interesting to look at, it was hard to stay focused!! But honestly, Mike and Sam are just too adorable for words, who wouldn't want to take their picture?!

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Samantha and Michael, I can't wait for your wedding later next year! I had so much fun getting to know you both better this past weekend! Enjoy your images!

Little Baby Parker Is A....

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Baby Parker's Gender Reveal!!

It's TIIMMEEE!!! I can't believe we're at the stage in our pregnancy where we can actually find out the gender of our little baby!! How did that happen?! Officially I am 19 weeks preggo, one week shy of HALF WAY DONE!!! For anyone that says pregnancy can drag on, well, my experience has been the exact opposite!! I just want it to slow down!

The day before Thanksgiving we anxiously drove into Boston for our fetal development ultrasound. We saw the baby's brain, heart, legs, stomach, bladder, arms, feet, hands, face, and kidneys! From just a wow that's cool perspective, it was just simply amazing! The anatomy of a little one growing inside of me! From a parent to be perspective it was a sigh of relief to know that the baby is developing perfectly!

You might have guessed that at this appointment while looking at the entire anatomy of the baby the doctor can determine if it's a boy or a girl. Since Dave and I wanted to be surprised along with our family we had the doctor right down the gender on a slip of paper. I also called our favorite bakery, Cakes For Occasions, (we had this all set up!) and handed the phone to the doctor. Dave and I then proceeded to look like complete fools as we put our hands to our ears and hummed quite loudly so as not to hear!

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Flash forward to the next day, Thanksgiving. Surrounded by our immediate family we cut into the cake. And, yes, I was blown away. Surprised. And yes, I realize that the cake could be only one of two things. But no matter what, it still is a shockingly sweet surprise!! Ok are you ready to find out?!!Of course we had to take a few obligatory pictures first for my mom... such as the belly shot!This is Dave telling my mom, "Debbie is about to go all crazy, are you getting this?!"I was soooo nervous I was shaking!! I kept my eyes closed the entire time...My eyes are still closed... but Dave's are WIDE OPEN.OMG -- BLUE IS FOR BOY!!!!!!!Wait, really a BOOYY??!!!Looking up at my parents... still in complete shock!!The look that says "Holy explicative....is this cake for real? Are we really having a boy?"Hugs to comfort his freaked out wifey.And then the tears started...Hormonal tears that would not stop for two days...So remember how we told the doctor to write the gender down on a piece of paper too? Well just to be REALLY sure I asked Dave to double check the slip...just in case the bakery was wrong and it really was supposed to be a GIRL!Nope, bakery was right.

So in complete honesty... I reeealllyy REAAALLLY wanted a little girl. I had always dreamed of a little pigtailed redheaded girl. I only know girls, I'm an only child, I know nothing, NOTHING about boys, expect that they like to fart and are smelly. Those tears you see? Well they were of shock and a little sadness that our cake was a teal shade of blue instead of a rosy shade of pink.

But despite my best laid out plans for a perfect little family, CLEARLY God had other things in store. And after a few days of crying and moping, God worked in my heart. I mean how could I not be excited about this little person growing inside of me? A little baby that will grow into a man. These are the times I am most thankful to have married such a WONDERFUL man who will be an amazing example to our son.

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So for all those Mom's of sons out there I could use a little advice! Some these are the reasons why boys are the best encouragement! I have SO MUCH TO LEARN!A little added bonus: My Dad took some video while we cut the cake... please don't judge my loud and crazy family! We were all a little shocked and excited!!

Little Baby Parker Is A..... from Deborah Parker on Vimeo.

Ask Anything

File Organization

If you're an organizational freak like me then you're going to LOVE this post.... For other this might seem a bit boring. However, when you're a small business owner responsible for thousands upon thousands of client files, File Handling and Organization is HUGELY important!

When I worked as a news photographer I would typically have three to four assignments a day, often shooting hundreds of images at each assignment. Having a system to keep track of all the photographer's images that came through in any given day was obviously needed. We had a system of how things were to be organized and archived making it easy for editors and designers to find the images they needed when they needed them. As photographers we never deviated from this system, repeating it every time we edited and archived an assignment.

I've taken parts of that system and applied them to my business today. It's helped to keep me sane, organized and productive throughout the year. I HIGHLY suggested that you develop your own system of image/file organization to keep you from unwanted headaches and trouble down the road. Here is my step by step approach to File Organization, File Backup and File Storage. While this system might work for me, it may not work for you. My hope it to encourage you to find a system of your own that you can repeat often and that keeps your files safe and organized! If you have any suggestions or systems that have worked for you, I'd love to hear from you in the comment section below!

Ok let's get started!

1. First I start with the actual files. After EVERY shoot the first thing I do is immediately download the images to my computer. If I'm traveling out of state or cannot get to my home computer right away I'll copy the images to my Hyper Drive, that way I have an immediate secondary copy of the images.

2. On my desktop I create a folder where the Master copy of the images will live. Inside of that folder I create subfolders to hold the RAW images (copied directly from the card), my SELECTS (favorites from the original RAW files), JPGS (images edited from Lightroom), EDITS (copy of JPG folder that I edit further in Photoshop for the blog), and BLOG (the images that I have used on the blog that have been run through my blogging program Blog Stomp).

3. Each of these folders are named in a specific way. YEARMONTHDAY_LASTNAMEOFCLIENT_TYPEOFSHOOT_FOLDERNAME. For example, the RAW folder from a wedding shot today with the last name of Parker would look like this: 121126_PARKER_WEDDING_CR2. All of the the folders follow this specific naming system and all of the images in each folder are also renamed in this way. This keeps me from mixing up any folders or files as they are individually named to reflect the shoot and are chronologically ordered.

4. Typically after the RAW images have been downloaded to the computer I will back them up to my Drobo system. That way if my computer crashes or I have to format a card I know that the images are backed up on my Drobo before I've even edited them.

5. After the cards have been downloaded they sit in a little container on my desk marked IN PROGRESS. That means that these images are not to the client yet and have not been edited. These cards will not be erased until I have edited the images and they are backed up. I would HIGHLY suggest that you try to purchase as many cards as it takes so that you do not have to format cards after a wedding or a shoot, especially when working several shoots/weddings in a weekend or week. If you do need to format your cards, make sure that your images are backed up in at least two different places to avoid any loss of files.

6. From my RAW folder I pull the images in to Photo Mechanic where I tag and select the images I want to edit and deliver to the client. From Photo Mechanic I move those selected images to the SELECTS folder in the master folder. The RAW files in the SELECTS folder are what I edit in Lightroom. Once those images are edited in Lightroom they are exported to the JPG folder. If I want to edit those images further they are copied to the EDITS folder and I edit directly from this folder in Photoshop. I do it this way, so that I still have the original JPGS in case I want to change any edits later down the road.

7. Once the RAW images have been processed and edited I take that master folder on my computer and copy it completely to my Drobo system. I then upload the JPGS and EDITS folder to my online print gallery. This way I have several backup systems in place. My Pass Galleries and client Thumb Drives also act as backup systems for the images.

8. Once the images have been backed up at least twice, I feel comfortable to reformat my cards and start the process all over again!

That's it! That's how I organize and handle the THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of images that I deal with on a near weekly basis!! If you have any questions about this process or have any suggestions for other photographers on how to better organize their files I'd love to hear from you!! Happy Organization!

**EDITED TO ADD** That folder I copy to my Drobo? I never delete it...that means that I still have RAW files from the beginning of my business. And while it costs a LOT of money to keep these files in terms of storage, it is GREAT to be able to go back to images for clients without fear that I might no longer have an image they may want. Call me crazy I know!!:)

WE FOUND OUT!!!

Take A Guess

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Today while many of you are out and about fighting the crowds, I'm relaxing on the couch with some yummy pie leftovers! And maybe I'll get the energy up to decorate the house for Christmas, a day-after-Thanksgiving tradition!

It was a big day for the Parker Family yesterday. Not only was it Thanksgiving (we host our family every year), but we also found out the gender of our baby. And let me tell you it was ONE BIG SURPRISE! And no we're not having an alien;).

I'll be sure to post ALL about it next week but for now I'll leave you guessing...what do you think we're having?! Have a great weekend everyone!

A Babymoon to Walt Disney Wold

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We had planned this trip before we even knew we were expecting...a trip to mark the end of the year and another wedding season completed. I, being the BIG KID that I am, reaaalllly wanted to head south to Florida and the Mouse. Dave being the ever gracious and make-his-wife-happy type of guy, agreed. And so we planned our vacation! Little did we know that this trip would soon turn into a babymoon...little baby bump and all!

I fully planned to blog all last week too, thinking I'd have ample access to the internet. Well vacation had another plan in mind and I actually only had VERY limited and spotty access. A blessing in disguise? While I felt SUPER guilty for not keeping up here, I'll admit I enjoyed a technology free week with my hubby and bouncy (in utero) baby!

And even more contrary to plans, I didn't pull out the big fancy professional camera, not even once! While I packed it away with us, I only brought the point and shoot and iPhone with us each day. I'm not sure why, I guess I needed the break and this "pressure" free vacation. It truly was a HUGE blessing to just enjoy the week alone with Dave and our baby. We imagined our future family, dreamed together, wondered what life will look like next year. Man I could cry just thinking about it! Okok, that's probably the hormones talking as everything makes me want to cry lately! This last week is exactly what we needed.

So while I don't have any "fancy" pictures to share of our trip to Walt Disney World, I couldn't help but share some of my favorite from the trusty point and shoot camera. Yes even professional photographers need to take a break once in a while and just let go. Please don't judge my skill of photography with these images! Pretty please! They were taken by a relaxed and preggo brained pregnant lady!