Category Archives: Uncategorized

Apr 20
New Business Cards!

Thanks to the fine folks at MOO I am eager to show off my swanky new business cards!! I chose 5 images to put on the back of my family and wedding cards, and my wonderful wife designed the front of the card. I am so happy with them!



Apr 12
Ten Good Blogs I Have Found

If you are anything like me, when it gets warmer outside, your thoughts turn to all the stuff you want to do. Fun events to go to, projects to work on, planning a party, etc. So, this week, I thought it would be helpful and/or motivating to post a list of some of my favorite blogs.

A few of them relate to planning a wedding, some are about parenting and fun activities to do as a family, and some I just enjoy keeping up with because of the personality or skill of the blogger.

I hope these inspire some creativity in each of you!

  1. Green Wedding Shoes- This one is a great help when you are planning a wedding. She really goes into how to “brand” a wedding. That is, how to consider each detail as part of the whole, and how to make each of those elements work together to create an awesome experience for your guests and you. Design
  2. Christian Oth Photography- If you have been keeping up with my past blogs, you would recognize the name of Christian Oth. He is a fantastic photographer, and displays his work on his blog, as well as great words of advice to other wedding photographers.
  3. Beantown Bride- Each region has a variety of resources and options available to engaged couples. Beantown Bride provides great resources and advice for any couples, but has also collected a list of all kinds of vendors from the area.
  4. Broke Ass Bride- This is for the budget minded, crafty, and resourceful couples who want their wedding to look awesome, but don’t have a huge budget.
  5. So You’re En-gay-ged- So You’re EnGAYged seeks to match LGBT and allied couples with wedding vendors who actively support LGBT rights and freedoms, including, but not limited to, same-sex marriage. By highlighting voices from within the LGBT community, So You’re EnGAYged further works to build a community that can dispense advice, recommendations, and support to couples in the wedding-planning process. As the wedding industry has grown larger and more ubiquitous, we hope to serve as a reference for those who seek vendors whose business practices align with deeply held values.
  6. Isis Parenting- There are 5 Isis Parenting stores in the Boston area, all providing products from maternity clothing to toys to books to infant clothing. Additionally, they work hard at creating a community, providing regular classes for expecting couples as well as toddler activities. This blog is an extension of that idea. Their posts vary widely, most recently they posted: 6 Ways to Boost Your Energy Naturally, 4 Ways to Get Relief From Morning Sickness, and Three Approaches to Potty Training.
  7. Boston Mamas- I really like how well organized the topics are in this blog. With several contributors, the posts cover a wide array of topics relating to activities in the Boston area, recipes, and raising a family, just to name a few.
  8. Frog and Snail- focused on parents, uncles, aunts, and anyone with a boy in their life. They review products, suggest activities to do together, and discuss other issues surrounding raising boys.
  9. Cloth Diaper Blog- This is all about incorporating the use of cloth diapers with your newborns. Through presenting research, and providing a forum to hear from other parents, it goes a long way to alleviate concerns or break down preconceived ideas of how problematic people think it is.
  10. Maggie Makes- I really enjoy how crafty this blogger is. It’s a great resource for people who enjoy being crafty. She has tutorials (updated regularly), how to’s, suggested reading, and a list of things she would like to make.
Do you know of some good blogs I didn’t mention? Let me know!

Apr 05
Tuesday’s Ten List: Ten Upcoming Photo Shoots I am Excited About

Ten Upcoming Photo Shoots I am Excited About

This week’s Tuesday’s Ten list is all about upcoming shoots that I am excited about. Some are exciting because they are places I have never been to before. Some are exciting because I have been there before, and am eager to further explore all the possibilities that the place offers. And, well, I am excited for some just because I think they are going to be so fun!

It was a little difficult to make this list. Narrowing down all the exciting shoots I have this summer to only ten necessarily excludes some. This does not mean I am less interested in any of them, and I guarantee this list would change completely if I wrote it next week. But, these are the ones I am thinking about most this week. With some of them, it’s because I just received or wrote up the contract for them. I’ve said before how each shoot is an opportunity to learn and to hone my skills, and because of that, I am excited for every one of the shoots I have already booked, as well as those yet to come. I really love photography, and love where it has taken me so far.

  1. Going back to Eastover Hotel and Resort: Back in November, I spent a day and a half photographing the expansive Eastover property, including several buildings. Both the clients and I were really happy with the shots, but we knew that a second shoot of the place would be necessary, either in spring of fall so that we could capture the property surrounded by lush trees and green grass, not the barren trees available in mid-November. Also, they were in the middle of doing a lot of upgrading and renovation to the buildings, so we planned a second shoot there this summer or fall. I am really excited to see all the improvements as well as just being in such a relaxing and gorgeous place!



  2. Maternity Shoot in a Tattoo Shop: This couple was excited for a maternity session, but wasn’t as certain about doing a shoot in their home. The father is a tattoo artist, and suggested doing the shoot in shop where he works on a day off, so there aren’t people around. Well, considering I love tattoos, and most shops I have been in (including this one) have a great look to them, so I eagerly said: “Sure!”

  3. Weddings at Bucksteep: I have a few weddings booked at Bucksteep this summer, and it is always a delight to go back there. Just over 5 months ago, I was the groom there, so it gives me the chance to relive all the fond memories I have of the place, as well as see another couple celebrate their wedding weekend! Bucksteep is a place I just feel like I understand. Most of the couples I met who have chosen to get married there get it, too. It is a place to have fun, relax around a cozy fire, enjoy a little seclusion, invite guests to come a day or two early so they can all spend some time together. Oh, and to get married, too!



  4. Personal Architecture Photography Project: I really want to take some time out to spend on personal projects. I have lived in 6 cities now, and every time I left a city, I have left behind places I wanted to see, and things I wanted to do. I do not want the same thing to happen here. I have started a list of buildings that I really want to photograph (the courthouse in downtown Boston, the Frank Gehry MIT building, and the Rosebud Diner, just to name a few), and dagnabit, I am going to make it a priority this summer to photograph those beautiful structures!


  5. A Wedding at the Historic Barn at the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum: I am going to be shooting a wedding here this summer, and the history of the barn and surrounding buildings really appeals to me. Some of the houses date back to the mid to late 1700s. Just ask my wife, I love to stop at any plaques I see to learn more about the history of the place! I am excited about the amazing shots we will be able to get there!

  6. An “All Dress, No Guests” Session on Mt. Greylock: The Appalachian Trail goes up and over the top of Mt. Greylock in Western Massachusetts, and if you ever have a chance to spend some time there, please do it! This section was in my top 5 places along the trail. Just last week, a bride and groom suggested we do the post wedding “All Dress, No Guests” photo session there, to which I again said: “Sure!” It really is a beautiful location, and I am so happy they suggested it.

  7. An Engagement Session at Lynch Park in Beverly, MA: There is a couple who is not getting married until March 17th, 2012 in Salem, MA, but they suggested we do their engagement session this summer. When I met with them for their consultation, we talked about different places to do an engagement session, and then they suggested Lynch Park. I had never been there, but when they went on to describe it, I got really excited (are you sensing an “excited” theme running through this post? Good.). It is right on the water, has a beautiful rose garden, and I’m really looking forward to all the possible looks we could get from this location!

  8. More Sessions in the Boston Common/Public Garden: When meeting with couples to talk about their wedding and their photographic needs, I always mention the great time I had with Elaine and Gregor during their all day shoot all over Boston (M.I.T., Emerson College, Beacon Hill, Boston Common, Public Garden, The Old State House, etc.). After talking about that, many couple get interested in doing an engagement or an “All Dress, No Guests” session there. It has a lot of great locations, and I am eager to shoot at as many places there as I can!



  9. A Family Photo Session on the Cape: There are four families (12 people spread out over three generations) coming from different places in Canada and in the Western United States for a family reunion on the Cape of Massachusetts, and to celebrate their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. They don’t get to all get together all that often, so this should be a special time in their lives, and I am honored to be able to be there and document this! To be able to capture each of their personalities, to photograph a relaxed family on vacation, and to watch them enjoy a stroll on the beach, I know this will be a fun time!

  10. First Birthday Party at a Pick-Your-Own Blueberry Farm: Kim, my first client who I have photographed from maternity until our latest session when Drexel hit 9 months, will be celebrating his first birthday with a party at a pick-your-own farm. I love photographing first birthday parties, especially this one! I feel like I have gotten to know this family and seeing them around friends (and I must admit, around other adorable little kids) will be such a great time! I am looking forward to it, but not completely, because after the party, I know I won’t be seeing them as regularly as I have over Drexel’s first year. But still, a party outside, surrounded by blueberries and laughter, I mean you just can’t beat that!

Mar 29
Ten Things I am Grateful For

Ten Things I am Grateful For

Sometimes things get rough. Sometimes, events in the world press on me and impinge on my happiness. A never-ending list of things to do for the business, trying to figure out where my marketing efforts (and dollars) are best spent, and breaking through people’s belief that going to a photo studio and having your family photographed against a background is the only “real” way to get a family portrait done; these things can be quite taxing.

When I am in these situations, it really helps to recall the things I am grateful for, and that is what I am devoting this week’s list to.

What are you grateful for? What keeps you going when life feels overwhelming? I’d like to hear what you have to say, so please feel free to post your thoughts!

  1. The Christmas Truce During WWI- In a time of man inflicting evil and harm upon man, there was a brief (and unspoken) truce between the English and the Germans during Christmas of 1914. Through my studies in college, I read a lot about people’s proclivity to harm another. It was difficult reading, to be sure, but when I learned of this, it reinforced the idea that in their hearts, people are generally good.

  2. The Carnegie Heroes– in an interview, Walter F. Rutkowski executive director and secretary of the Carnegie Hero Fund defined a hero as: “A civilian, which means no military, who, voluntarily, leaves a point of safety, to risk his own life or her own life to an extraordinary degree to save or attempt to save the life of another human.” The people described on the site were ordinary people who did what they felt they had to do to help another person, typically a stranger. In disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, etc., there are a multitude of heroes and helpers, but the reason why these folks really struck a chord with me is that they were just going about their daily lives, fishing, on vacation, or even safe and sound in their beds. That they did something this significant for someone that they never bet before gives me hope. Check out their website here: http://www.carnegiehero.org/herofund.php

  3. New Experiences- In my introduction to this list, I mentioned how difficult having your own business can be. While that is true, I am so happy I made this leap. After photographing rare books and manuscripts in darkened studios at The Art Institute of Chicago, Yale, and most recently Harvard, getting to finally photograph people, to learn how to run a successful business, and to really hone my craft has been an amazing experience, and I am excited about what my future holds.

  4. Spring- I have several weddings coming up this summer, and one of the things I really like to do with couples is to have an engagement photo session with them. It is a great way to get used to each other, to photograph them in a place that has a lot of meaning to them, or that they find beautiful. With the colder weather, it hasn’t been so appealing to go out and take these photos. But, Spring is here, summer is coming, and the sun is setting later and later. After this cold and snowy winter, I am sure all of us New Englander’s are excited to get out of the house!

  5. Working With People- Photographing people is immensely rewarding. In-home family sessions give me a peek into the joy that families share, and how happy they are just being together and playing. Weddings allow me to see the love that this couple shares, and to see the support from all their guests is just amazing. Doing what I do just fits my personality, and these emotions resonate with me, and hopefully come across in my work.

  6. The Support of my Wife- The job I had at Harvard was coming to an end, and I was torn between really making a go of the business I started about ten months previous, and accepting another job involving photographing books and other materials, something I was well versed in, but in which I held a diminishing interest. A newlywed, I wanted to take that job to help support us and to keep us financially secure. But, she kept nudging me to pursue my dreams, to jump in with both feet, no matter how scary it is, and here I am! The business is growing, people are finding out about me and are hiring me to photograph their weddings and families, and I am really learning so much more than if I had stayed in the same line of work. Without my wife there to support me, I am quite sure I would not be doing this. I love you, wife lady :)

  7. Hope– I remember my dad used to tell (not read, but tell) me bedtime stories. I loved them and was always eager to hear another. Many years later, I discovered that all the stories he told me from memory were actually the stories of Greek and Roman mythology. The story of Pandora’s box is the one I most vividly remember. Pandora opened the box, releasing all kinds of nastiness on the world. At the bottom of that box, all beat up and spent, was Hope. Despite the worst of circumstances, Hope is alive. Maybe close to death, but still breathing.

  8. Friends and family- Sometimes in the last few months, I have stopped and thought to myself “I have no idea what I’m doing!” Those are the times that I have reached out to friends and family for advice and guidance. I have a wedding photographer friend in Columbus, OH (http://www.mankophoto.com/) who has offered all kinds of advice and support, and I am incredibly grateful for our relationship. As I mentioned earlier, my wife has been invaluable to the growth of the business. Also, I wanted more experience in photographing families in their homes, and when I approached my friends, they were eager to help! They welcomed me into their homes, and let me make my mistakes and learn my lessons so that I was able to really shine when it came to photographing clients. Those opportunities were just great, and I will always be thankful for their help in letting me grow photographically.

  9. The Quiet of the Woods- In my teenage years, I really enjoyed going to some woods near my house (part of Mt. Airy Forest in Cincinnati). There, I felt to be my true self. It was quiet, meditative, and timeless. I rarely saw other folks there, and after a busy day in high school surrounded by throngs of others, it was nice to hear only the stream and the birds, and feel the sun on my face. Luckily, there are similar places around Somerville that I can go, and for that I am grateful. It really helps recharge my batteries.

  10. The Appalachian Trail- Yep, for anyone that has met me in the past few years has quickly found out that I thru-hiked the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. Likely some of you are tired of hearing my stories, but what an experience! I will never forget my time out there. It was an opportunity to really feel myself, like when I was roaming the woods of Mt. Airy in my teenage years, but so much more amplified.

Mar 15
Ten things to do with your photos

What can you do with all the photos you have on your computer or tucked away in a shoebox?

This week’s list is all about what you could do with them to relive those times, or show them off to family and friends.

One option is to talk with your photographer and think of a use for the photos before you take them. For example, for engaged couples, you could plan out a shoot well before your wedding, and incorporate those photos into your invitation or save the dates (see #1 below). Or, if you are expecting a child, plan a photo session starting with a maternity session, and ending with their first birthday party, then collecting those images in one album or photo book to treasure for many years to come.

There are other options that could be treated more as a crafty project to do with your family or your loved ones to relive those moments while you are making this, such as photo cubes, DIY framing, or having your photos made into a puzzle and building them together.

  1. Save the dates: Planning a photo shoot with your photographer to use these photos in a Save The Date would be a easy way to have your personality shine through. The Broke Ass Bride blog just posted some great Save The Date ideas that incorporated photos here
  2. Photo albums: moms and dads, aunts and uncles, grandmas and grandpas are excited to tell their friends about your recent wedding or your new addition to the family. Making a small brag book or a full album to share these times with them and their friends means that they can relive the moment, or cherish your newborn over and over. They can range in the very simple (printing out 25 photos and putting them into a small, off the shelf brag book, or customizing a full photo book through several online services like Blurb, Shutterfly, Photobook, or even hand making one to really personalize it would be a great gift to give.

  3. Framing: The more traditional thing to do is to take your photos to a framer and have them framed and/or matted to give as a gift or hang in your own home. There are all kinds of framers out there to customize the look of these frames and mats to really help your photos shine. If you would rather do this yourself, to save money, or just because you like these kinds of projects, I found a do it yourself framer in Brookline, MA here

  4. Photo puzzle: I visited a friend over the weekend who has a 2 year old, and a 4 year old named Hannah. She loves puzzles, and despite her shyness, shortly after I started working on the puzzle (conveniently located on the coffee table) she started talking to me and working with me to solve it. It was a wonderful way to connect with her, and because of that, we became fast friends. There are a variety of places to get a photo puzzle made, such as Piczzle, PuzzleArt, or check out photo puzzles on Etsy

  5. Digital photo frame: If you’re like me, you find it hard to choose just one photo to display in a frame. There are a variety of digital photo frames out there, and choosing which one can be daunting. PC Magazine created a good list of pointers on how to find one that suits you here

  6. Sharing your photos online: Families are spreading further and further out. Printing photos and sharing an album with friends and family that may live hundreds of miles away can be difficult. Posting your photos to an online album might be a better way to provide access to people who want to see all these significant times in your life. Some of the better known online albums are: flikr, picasaweb, and even your profile on facebook

  7. Including the photos in thank you notes: I had a consultation recently with a bride and groom who were super excited that I provide a photo booth at their wedding. They had all kinds of ideas for props to have, then they had the idea that they should get in there at one point during the reception and get their photo taken while holding a “Thank You!” sign up, then use those for their thank you cards! Also, printing out the shots of your guests who got in the photo booth and including them in your thank you cards might be a great way to personalize the notes, as well as remind them of all the fun they had at your wedding!

  8. Photo cubes: These are a great way to display your photos, and you can change which photo you can see very easily. Also, if these are on a desk at work, not only can you see the photos, but so can any visitor to your desk. There are some pre-made photo cubes around that only require that you trim your photos and put them in the frame. There are also wooden blocks for sale at craft stores that would work, and would allow further customization in any number of ways.

  9. Wedding website: A great way to resurrect old photos of you and your significant other, or to use engagement photos if you took them, is to get them onto your wedding website. These sites are a great way to familiarize your guests with the area or of people in your wedding party.

  10. Invitations, holiday cards, birth announcements, ornaments: Planning a photo session in time to use those photos for holiday cards, a birth announcement, or invitations to a first birthday party really help to show your personality, as well as update the recipients on how big your newborn is getting, or where you are living.


Have you used your photos in a creative way that I have not posted here? I would love to hear your ideas, so feel free to post your suggestions below.


All Photos ©2013 Patrick Rogers Photography