A Moment

I was walking to dinner tonight and heard the faint sound of music as I turned down 91st street. There was no one on the street and I couldn't figure out where the soft melody was coming from.

And then I saw them.

A couple was sitting side by side on folding chair, holding hands and swaying slowly to the music coming from their portable cd player. They weren't speaking. They weren't even looking at each other. But you knew they were happy in their moment. Together. Sitting on the side of 91st street in one of the busiest cities in the world.

And I couldn't help but smile.

Travel . Maine

Last weekend I took my yearly summer trip up to Portland, Maine to visit my grandparents. Ryan was there and my brother came up from Boston so we had a full house -- blue door and all.
I love my brother. He's become such an amazing guy and I'm so lucky to have him as one of my closest friends.
We typically eat our way through Maine with lobster rolls, chowdah at Becky's, "two-fuhs" (ie 2 lobsters for dinner), fried clams, and anything else that the Ocean has to offer. This year we also visited Freeport to see the mecca that is LLBean, Thos. Moser's furniture showroom, and the Portland Museum of Art.

The weather was warmer than usual so we took a trip to the beach and to explore the rocky cliffs along the ocean.
When the tide goes out after high tide it leaves beautiful tidal pools in the rocky cliffs. I brought my camera during our hike and found some amazing colors that I had to capture. Nature is such a great artist...

My Grandma really doesn't like getting her picture taken...
...but if anyone can convince her, it would probably be her grandchildren :)
And my Grandpa is a total ham...
After the sun came down, we headed downtown for an amazing night of music with the talented Christine Lavin. My grandparents love music and have a wonderful way of becoming friends with the musicians they admire. So, Christine is a friend of theirs who welcomed them both with a huge hug and a big smile. Not only is she a great musician, but she's also really really funny. I laughed for 2 straight hours!
At the end of the night she invited all of the men from the audience up on stage to sing one of her songs. And Grandpa was the center of attention.
If you haven't been, I urge you to go to Maine. It's wonderful.

*Smile*

I picked up a new book the other day -- well, I probably shouldn't say "new" since it has been around for many decades -- and started to read Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. I've found some great pieces of advice throughout the book and have already started using some of his tips around coworkers and friends.
I was feeling particularly tired this morning and to be honest, didn't really start the day with a skip in my step. And then I opened my book on the subway, began to read, and immediately felt better after reading a particular passage in the book. And on that note, I thought I would share the words with you:


It costs nothing, but creates much.
It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give.
It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
None are so rich they can get along without it, and none so poor but are richer for its benefits.
It creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in a business, and is the countersign of friends.
It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and Nature's best antidote for trouble.
Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is no earthly good to anybody till it is given away!
And if in the last minute rush [of life] someone should be too tired to give you a smile, may we ask you to leave one of yours?
For nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none left to give.


For some reason these words helped me out of my morning funk and I found myself making the conscious effort to smile more and say good morning on the streets of NYC. And you know what? I felt much better.

*smile*

Anytime . Time Life Photo Shoot

I had the wonderful pleasure of photographing a film shoot for Time Life. We had a really great day in upstate New York and I've included some candid photos caught in between takes.
The theme of the shoot was "The Power of Love" and the hosts were Jim & Kassie DePaiva from One Life to Live.
With people this photogenic, my job was really easy...
Everyone was really relaxed and was having a great time.
Jim and Kassie brought their son to the shoot and he was very interested in seeing how everything worked. I was able to take a few pictures of him and then a family portrait at the end.

Engagement . Alefiya and Vladimir

This past weekend I spent some time walking through Central Park with my friend Alefiya. She showed me her ceremony site which made me even more excited to be photographing her wedding to her amazing fiance, Vladimir, this October. In a trip down memory lane, I thought it would be fun to post some of my favorites from their engagement session last fall in Central Park. We had such a wonderful time and I know their wedding is going to be filled with a ton of laughter and a lot of love. Because that's the kind of people they are and the kind of relationship they have.
Vladimir has a wonderful way of making Alefiya laugh. Out loud. And with a lot of joy. It makes me smile when I think of all the fun they must have together.
He promised not to throw her in...
I love Central Park, but I especially love it when the leaves have changed colors and the yellows and oranges come out. They met salsa dancing so of course I had to ask them to show me their moves *smile*
Alefiya and Vladimir -- Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your special day and for bringing me into your life. I'm so excited for your wedding in October!

We are family.

This past weekend I took the bus to PA to visit my parents and for a family reunion. What a wonderful time! We completely lucked out on the weather and had beautiful blue skies all day.

A number of my cousins have children of their own now so we had a lot of fun swimming in the pool and exploring the creek. It reminded me of my childhood and all the fun my brother and I had growing up with such a wonderful backyard to explore.

I brought my camera and was able to catch a few pictures of the family.

The bond between a grandpa and a granddaughter is very special indeed.

But not as funny as the relationship between brothers.
The Siblings. My Dad is the one on the bottom left.

My Dad's oldest brother, Ted, had all of his grandchildren at the reunion so we took the opportunity to grab a few fun shots.

It was a great start to August and I can't wait to see everyone again soon.