Jennifer & Keith; Married! (Kara Baker; Massachusetts Wedding Photographer)

Jen came to me about 6 months before her wedding to see if I had availability.  The funniest thing about being a wedding photographer is that I notice just how different each bride is.  I have booked weddings 2 years in advance and I have booked weddings 2 weeks in advance (and no, I am not joking).  Of course, the further out you book, the more likely your photographer (DJ, Venue, etc) will have your date available, but even great vendors still have weekends with free dates a month before.  I actually have an entire July weekend with nothing on the books which baffles me, but it happens.  Anyway, I digress...

Jen and I went to the same highschool.  She was a cheerleader and I was in the marching band.  Needless to say, our paths didn't cross very often, but she was always very congenial.  I was thrilled when she asked me to photograph her special day. When I first met Keith, I instantly saw their connection and could tell that Keith was 100% charismatic. 

The best thing about their day is that they scheduled it just.right.  The timing with the lighting couldn't have been anymore perfect.  A lot of people think that having their vows at sunset is perfect-- and maybe it is for them-- but it probably isn't for their photos.  Jen & Keith got to have their "formal" photos taken outside in the "golden hour" that is, that beautiful hour of yummy lighting right before sunset, when everything is warm with golden rays of sun just about to set.  These photos will make beautiful keepsakes on their walls forever-- and they'll never have to say "I wish those shadows weren't there!" or "I wish that sun wasn't in my eyes."  It was just perfect for them, which is all I ever want for my couples.

Enough, enough.  Just LOOK and see what I am talking about!

And here are a few more from before the ceremony:

And a few more of the ceremony and reception:

Largest Family Session to Date!

With 7 children and 7 adults, this was my largest ever family session.  When the family asked my input for location, I chose Lynch Park because of it's number of different scenic backgrounds that would be at our disposal.  I was quite impressed at how well all of the children behaved. They sat for photos (although some made not qualms about how they would rather be gathering shells from the beach) and we didn't really have any breakdowns! I was seriously impressed. (Did I mention that this was SEVEN kids?). 

Everyone was really lovely and pleasant.  These types of people make my job a joy-- I honestly didn't even mind photographing every single combination of people-- honest!

Here are a few favorites from our time at Lynch:

Thanks for stopping by!

KBP Gives Back (Again)- Mother & Daughter Session

 I met N & T at my favorite northshore beach in Gloucester.  T was wearing a white dress that she went shopping for with her grandpa just for this occasion.  Mom was worried that the metallic sequins at the bottom might reflect in the camera's sensor and interfere with the photographs.  I told her not to worry.

As soon as we got on the beach, T was off collecting shells.  It was a great day for shell collecting! I could tell right away how close this mother/daughter duo were.  N was always attentive to T, anticipating her next move, and making sure everything she did, she did it safely.

I wasn't sure how T would react to me, so I put on my long lens and I stayed back at first, just capturing them from afar as they scoured the beach for shells.. and crabs in the tide pools, occasionally asking if they'd found something good.

I was expecting a shy little girl who wasn't going to be easy to approach or talk with after all she's been through in her short little life, but I was very pleasantly surprised to see how opposite of that she really was.  She was sweet, and warm, and silly, and engaging.

N is no ordinary Mom.  She is a single Mom who has never bore any of her own children.  She is 29 years old and has been a mom now for 4 years to the sweetest 9 year old girl you'd ever meet.

T is 9 years old.  She's the luckiest girl in the world because she has the best Mom in the world.  Her Mom was friends with just the right people, at just the right time, to be in just the right place at just the right time so that one day she would become her adoptive Mom and love her the way no one else had loved her before.

T wasn't always so lucky though.  Her story didn't have a happy beginning.  Unfortunately, she has known uncertainty, heartache, fear, and loss.  Finally, after the first 4-5 years of her life, social services decided they needed to take T away from her birth mom because she wasn't up to the challenge of caring for the little girl.  Instead of letting social services place her in foster care, N, her Godmother, stepped in (at only 25 years old) and said she would take T.  They told her it would only be for 3 months.  Three months turned into 6, which turned into more, and more, until T's birth mom's rights were terminated in 2009.

N officially adopted T as her own on National Adoption Day in November of 2010.  N has had to make some major changes and sacrifices in her own life in order to accommodate her daughter, as any mother would, but just spending a little while with them and I could tell that N was certainly suited for the job.

It took T a while to adjust to her new life with N.  Things didn't come so easily at first.  T missed her birth mom and had a hard time accepting that she wasn't coming back at first.  DCF (Department of Children & Families) & MARE (Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange) gave both N & T the resources they needed to move forward, and come together during that time.  

N asks that if you are touched by her story at all, or if you know of any child who has been a victim of abuse or neglect, or if you just want to do something to help someone who really, really needs it, please consider making a donation to The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.  Please follow this link to do so.  Every little bit counts!  I'm pleased and proud to say that KBP will also be making a donation in T's honor to MSPCC. 

Enjoy some of the photos from our very special session below:

Better Late Than Never-- Newborn Twins!

I have never been quite so behind on my work! I actually have never had quite so much work. I guess that's a blessing, isn't it?  Well, thank you, Lord for blessing me so!

A few weeks ago, my career had yet another first; I photographed my very first set of newborn twins! One baby girl, and one baby boy! They were almost full term too! I was nervous going in-- I know how hard ONE baby is, I couldn't imagine TWO!? But, I was pleasantly surprised, I've had many singletons that were harder than these two babes combined. 

Here are a quick few from our session: