Fleeting Moments

Never Say Never...Again

 
Once upon a time, I wrote a post entitled "I Don't Do Weddings." I love taking portraits of children and families. I really enjoy taking senior pictures. I love capturing newborns and expectant parents. But at the time, I really didn't want the added responsibility and stress of documenting weddings.

And then, a good friend implored me to take a few snapshots at her wedding. "Pleeease," she said, we were just going to have disposable cameras on the tables, but now we really want a few nicer pictures of the ceremony."

Well...

Since I wasn't stepping on any wedding-photographer toes, I did it. And actually liked it. But I still wasn't doing weddings.

And then another opportunity came up. The Hotel Hershey and Hershey Gardens host a number of very small weddings each year. Would I be interested in doing a few images of those weddings?

And I crumbled. I mean, who could say no to taking portraits of happy couples in those gorgeous venues? It's a photographer's dream!

So I showed up at Rachel and Andy's spring wedding at the Hotel Hershey. The images turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself, and I shared them here.

And then I couldn't really say "I don't do weddings" any longer.

So a few weeks ago, I teamed up with the Stacey Grasa to cover the Hershey Gardens wedding of Stacey (yes, another Stacey!) and Gary on an amazing sunny day. We had the BEST time with this fun couple, and got to shoot in one of the most beautiful locations around. See for yourself!

We're looking forward to another fun Hershey wedding this weekend, and I'll be spending the day mapping out the shooting schedule and planning the last few details.

And guess what? I AM doing weddings now. And loving every minute of it!

Another New Photo Location

Between photo sessions for clients lately, I've been scouring the area around Hershey for new photo session locations. I keep a camera and a notebook in the car with me when I'm making errand runs around town, and I've discovered some promising new places in the past week!

One of them is the Hershey Public Library. There are so many nooks and crannies around the red brick exterior that there's always a place to get great shots, regardless of the weather or the time of year. Plus, it's walking distance from there to Cocoa Castle, the Skate Park or any number of school sports fields -- all great places to shoot.

A Sneak Peek for Stacey

I had the *best* time walking around Hershey Gardens with this fun-loving couple!

The tulips were in full bloom for our session, too -- gorgeous! I can't wait to see what Stacey and Gary's wedding at the Gardens will look like. With a backdrop of roses in bloom, they'll have a different look, and I bet they'll complement this beautiful bride perfectly...

The Hershey Gardens

I was back at the Hershey Gardens today -- I have some photo sessions coming up there and I wanted to see what was new there, and maybe scout some new locations.

Of course, I took my trusty assistant with me; he's just two, but he's learning the ropes fast. And he makes a good model (any of you who are worried about me being able to capture your active toddlers -- no worries, I have plenty of practice!) as I explore all the nooks and crannies of the Gardens in search of perfect lighting.

That's one of the things I love about sessions at Hershey Gardens: there are so many tucked-away places that I can always find wonderful, flattering light! This picture of Kai was taken in the Children's Garden. There's a little semi-circle of stone where the bird feeders are located, and that stone makes a great backdrop in the morning.

A Beautiful Day for a Wedding

Saturday was a wonderful day for a wedding here in Hershey, and I was fortunate to have the chance to capture the moments for Rachael and Andy at the Hotel Hershey.

I'll have some sneak peeks here soon, but in the meantime I'll post a teaser image of the Fountain Lobby -- we had the place pretty much to ourselves! So, we have a sunny day, a gorgeous couple, a beautiful setting and happiness all around -- the images should be spectacular. No pressure, though...

Ladies' Day Out

Over the weekend, Carly and I had a chance to leave the boys behind and play tourist for a while.

We headed to Hershey's Chocolate World and had the best time together! It reminded me of all the times we would visit Chocolate World when Carly was in preschool. She was an only child for a long time, and it was easy to pick her up from her morning at school and do the tour ride at Chocolate World. Free, and highly entertaining for the preschool set. But now Carly has a little brother and a full-time school gig, so it's not always easy to fit in those mother-daughter tourist jaunts.

We followed our tried-and-true schedule and headed right for the tour ride. If she learns nothing else in her life, Carly will always be able to recite the chocolate-making process from bean to bar.

On our way out of the ride, we were pulled over by Hershey marketing to taste test some candy. Their qualifying question to us was: "Do you eat chocolate at least once a week?" Heh. They had no idea. Once they determined we were enthusiastic chocolate tasting amateurs, we were taken aside to taste and fill out a survey. We loved being testers, and Carly enjoyed being treated as an adult -- she  had her own survey to complete.

Then we headed to my favorite little corner of Chocolate World and did some damage to the bank account. At the tender age of seven, Carly already has mom's expensive taste and chose Starbucks Chocolate Tasting Squares as her treat for the day.

And finally, I have to say that even on the greyest of days, the light in the center garden at Chocolate World is phenomenal for portraits -- it's a great rainy-day alternative for a photo session!

Hershey's Cacao Reserve

It's fun to be a chocolate lover living in Hershey. There's always so much to ponder.

By way of example, I haven't mentioned Hershey's Cacao Reserve line here yet, but I can no longer contain my curiosity.

What the heck are these Cacao Reserve Ultra-Thin Squares and which German company is making them for Hershey? I haven't been able to find answers on any of the Hershey sites. Hmmmmmm.

I know about Cacao Reserve, and I really like the idea. The Cacao Reserve Single-Origin Chocolates are fun to taste, and they offer a real alternative to the highly processed milk chocolate for which The Hershey Company is known. I understand the company's move to introduce premium chocolate lines.

And the Orange Dark Chocolate is good -- in fact, it's greatish with an after-dinner coffee, and I bet even better than greatish with an after-dinner Grand Marnier.

But I still don't see where the Ultra-Thin Squares fit in. And Germany -- what the?

So...who will help me solve this conundrum?

UPDATE: That was fast! Thanks to Michele, I was able to get the 411 from a reliable source at The Hershey Company. So...now is as good a time as any to force other curious types to click here and discover my new blog-in-progress. That's where you'll find the answer!

Sweet Fashions by Hershey's

Today is the final day to reserve your place at the Sweet Fashions by Hershey's event at Hershey's Chocolate World -- and if you're near Hershey and free the afternoon of March 30, there's no better place to be!

This annual event benefits the Children's Miracle Network at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, and includes a fashion show (including all 10 Project Runway Hershey-themed designs!), a chocolate dinner, a chocolate tasting and a big bag of goodies.

For more info, contact Connie at The Hershey Company.

Image ©BravoTV.com

Hershey Kissables for Spring

There's nothing like finding new ways to photograph the seasonal Kissables. I love that they come in so many different colors!

Spring is Just Around the Corner

It's the mixed-weather month of March, and the weather is moving into warmer, sunny days in a two-steps-forward  one-step-back kinda way.

Yesterday we had one of those one-step-back days -- cold, windy, rainy and not fit for man nor beast outside.

Those are the days I cheer myself up by photographing happy things (or people!) when I need a break from sitting in front of a computer and editing client images.

Yesterday I turned the lens toward some Hershey Kissables (new! in Spring colors!) and then tried to capture my little guy playing with his fleet of vehicles. It was the perfect antidote to a yucky day!

Today is sunshiny and calm -- a perfect day to go back outside. But before I head out the door, I wanted to share the cloudy day images here.