Last night Matt and I had a conversation that went something like this:

me: “so… are we going to do anything for valentine’s day?”

matt: “wait when’s valentine’s day?”

me: “next week – I think Tuesday…. yep… Tuesday.”

matt: “wait so is that the 11th or the 14th?”

me: “it’s the 14th obviously! are you joking?”

matt: “no I get it confused I thought it was the 11th maybe…”

Valentines Day is not high on Matt’s priority list. It never has been. When we first started dating, I was excited to have a reason to do something fun and started to broach the subject when Matt let me know that Valentines was his least favorite holiday. My hopes sank a little more when he said he didn’t understand why people bought flowers since they die. I tried to explain why they were really nice to get as I tried to recover from the shock that I might never receive flowers from him.

That first Valentines day he gave me a large manila envelope with cut out light pink hearts glued all over it. Inside was a handmade, dare I say, don’t-spill-the-glitter-can-you-pass-the-gluestick-brought-me-back-to-elementary-school-days type card made from doilies and red paper. I loved it.

The first time he brought me flowers (I think it was a few months after my defense of them) I was embarrassed. He dropped them off at my office (no, back when I had a “real job” and didn’t work from home) after lunch. While anyone who saw us would probably think he was a really nice boyfriend, I acted like he gave me a pet lizard and awkwardly hide them on my desk. I guess I couldn’t get over the fact that he didn’t see any reason to give them… and I became strangely self conscious. I know, I don’t make any sense. Thankfully he tried again and I received flowers the next time much more gracefully. Once we were married he even took to picking up a bouquet at the store and arranging them in a vase on the table, because he knew I liked fresh flowers.

Matt might not be a romantic – especially when it is forced upon him – so I like to approach Valentines day from a different angle. I totally understand then unnecessary pressure for guys to do something. While Matt may or may not surprise me with something sweet, I plan a few things for us to do or enjoy together so that I can celebrate no matter what. I really don’t mind baking sweets and writing cards which – if I’m organized – I like to send to friends as well. The handmade aspect of Valentines Day is part of the reason the day can be so much fun. When you boil it down, I am the one who would spend hours bending a wire into the shape of a heart and placing it like the filament in a lightbulb, so I don’t mind if Matt wants to sit out for those projects. Of course, when you boil it down you also find out that I would never turn down flowers, especially a gorgeous arrangement from Sassafras like the one you see above. Most of all, remember that Valentine’s Day is sometime next week.

Summer Camp. Those two words conjure up memories for so many people. Going on adventures, learning new skills, and sitting around a fire while sharing stories and singing songs to name a few. It’s a place that you meet people and quickly become friends, possibly staying in touch for years to come. Keegan and Lynda became such friends, but can now look back at their first summer working as staff together as the place they first met.

It wasn’t hard to get to know each other, as everyone quickly does at a camp, but deciding to give their relationship a go was. She was Australian, he Canadian. Many others had started dating but found it too difficult to maintain after everyone packed up, went home, and tried to deal with the time difference. What it meant for Keegan and Lynda was a lot of commitment and perseverance, and they knew they would quickly see if what they had would withstand the challenges of distance and time.

It did.

Not only did they make the effort to stay up late and talk until the wee hours of the morning, they invested in seeing each other. When the next summer came Lynda felt called to go back to Canada and they worked at the same camp, and then Keegan was accepted to study abroad for a year is Australia, giving them even more time together. Gradually the distance didn’t seem like an obstacle, and a day came when Keegan asked Lynda to marry him. She ecstatically said yes and they began to map out their lives together, no matter what continent they were on.

When Lynda came to Canada this January they both made the trip down to Rochester for some engagements photos. It was a chilly winter day with just enough flurries to prove there really was snow, and satisfy any Australian. For having only emailed before our shoot I felt like fast friends and didn’t want the shoot to end. Keegan + Lynda I’m so happy I was able to document one part of your story and hope you enjoy the images! Enjoy

It was their senior year. As they were individually making plans for after graduation, lining up jobs and considering school and where they would move to, Dave asked Cally on a date. It was a small but life changing move. They began to build a relationship and found how much they complimented each other… and needed each other. In perhaps one of the most romantic moments of both of their lives, Cally went on a business trip to Paris and Dave followed. He even traveled on the same plane unbeknownst to her and surprised her at the hotel when she checked in. Later that weekend at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, he proposed.

Cally stepped in to the foyer at the Fox Chapel Golf Club and her heart skipped a beat. Her wedding day had finally arrived, confirmed by the fact that the club was decorated as beautifully as she imagined. Her bridesmaids drew in as everyone agreed it would be the most elegant wedding they had seen. Cally grew up dreaming of having her wedding at the club, and although she and Dave were settled in the D.C. area they made the decision to travel to her hometown of Pittsburgh for the wedding.

The night before family and close friends had gathered to celebrate and affirm the relationship she and Dave built. They laughed, told stories, and sang songs (as family tradition) to the soon to be newlyweds. That night started a weekend that marked one of the most memorable occasions in both of their lives, and a wedding that looked like this…

The diamond in Cally’s engagement ring was worn by her great grandmother and placed in a new setting, such a gorgeous family stone. She had two dresses for her wedding day, one Oscar de la Renta and the other Badgley Mischka. The first was a silk taffeta ballgown and the second a sequined dress for their exit. To accompany the dresses were a veil borrowed from Cally’s matron of honor’s mother (Blythe! remember her wedding that I shot?) and a fur coat owned by Cally’s grandmother. She brought two pairs of shoes to choose from on the day of, and decided to go with the jeweled Badgley Mischka pair in a light blush tone. It was a gorgeous ensemble.

At the salon, it was hard to resist the charm of their french bulldog. So hilarious and adorable! All of the bridesmaids were there getting their hair done and putting on makeup, and it was the best time to get some candid shots as they prepared. While some people are unsure of how many “getting ready photos” they want… in this case I can tell you it should not have been missed. It is a more relaxed time of preparation than the actual dressing right before things get started.

I love this image of bridesmaids watching Cally prepare for her wedding and put on the finishing touches. Phoebe – I hope you don’t mind but you were so cute trying to blot your eyes and figure out how to keep your makeup nice… you mastered it though!

With the preparations complete Cally was ready for the ceremony and looking stunning. I really mean it. We took just a few minutes to capture these portraits and I highly recommend adding time to your schedule and being in a great location so that you can do so as well.

Meanwhile Dave was looking dapper and having fun with they guys as they made their final preparations. Everyone met at the church for a dramatic walk down the aisle where they saw each other for the first time.

It was the snowy winter day they had dreamed of, and Fox Chapel Golf Club was lit up with sparkling lights to welcome everyone in.

The club has several rooms which flow in to each other, anchored around a large atrium with trees and a glass ceiling for tons of natural light. Flowers centered each table arrangement and candles each stair step so that greenery and soft light was present throughout.

After a welcoming round of cocktails and hor ‘dourves the introductions were made and the dancing began. There was not shortage of moves on the dance floor and a great time was had by all. At the end of the night, with sparklers lit and cheers of joy Cally and Dave made their getaway.

Cally + Dave, thank you so much for inviting me to document your day, and thank you to everyone else who allowed me in to their lives in the process. I can’t end this post without saying how fun it has been to be welcomed in to this group of friends… I think three weddings now makes it feel like friends right? Two years ago I photographed both Christie + Kyle’s and Steve and Blythe’s, and it was so fun to see everyone again. I hope it won’t be the last time!

Wedding Dress Oscar de la Renta  Getaway Dress Badgley Mischka  Veil & Jewelry borrowed Shoes Badgley Mischka  Bridesmaid’s Dresses After Six  Hair & Makeup MCN Salon  Groom + Groomsmen  Joseph A Banks  Flowers Allison McGeary Florist  Cake + Cupcakes Vanilla Pastry Studio  Ceremony Fox Chapel Episcopal Church  Reception Fox Chapel Golf Club

If Jasper and Lexi could pick one favorite thing, it would be snuggling up in a blanket, burrowing down to the perfect spot and sleeping cocooned in warmness. They love it. Jasper also loves to eat – so much that he eats so fast I think one day he could choke and I’ll have to give him the Heimlich, which I really don’t know how that works on a dog. I should look it up.

When I see this little face peek out from under a blanket I can’t help but love it. That’s a good thing, because they certainly need cuteness to make up for their misbehavior. They are not without fault, but they make up for it in loyalty and love, and can you ask for more from a dog?

During those years I didn’t think too much of it, because I wasn’t sure how I felt about the table to begin with. The angles and windows I added to the piece were a calculated although experimental adventure in furniture design back in college. It recently made the journey to our house and I reluctantly tried it out in the living room. It started to grow on my and now I feel at home with it’s modern and imperfect design. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I made it, but I like that it is finally being used.

I loved the chance to work in other mediums during college and have a more well rounded experience with art. Taking a break from the computer and using my hands in a more practical way was a welcome reprieve. It still is – while I don’t have a workshop to make more tables these days I gravitate to the kitchen and start cooking!

aww. it’s matt + jasper!

For two months (end of Nov-end of Jan) almost everyone in my immediate family has a birthday. I don’t want to be a person that tries to roll Christmas + birthday in to one, but of course that means double the planning. If possible I like to give something meaningful and thoughtful – who doesn’t – but again, it seems as though every 4 years I’m able to pull that off.

This time, I think I really got it right. I started to give bathing suits – or birthday suits, as they are more fun to call – for a few reasons. #1 – most people (I should say girls) enjoy getting one even if they don’t have many opportunities to wear them. #2 – I am really good at buying J.Crew bathing suits on sale. Really. I got the one you see above for $20. Combine my bathing suit buying abilities with my need to buy thoughtful and useful gifts – and voila!

I picked out this lavender suit before Christmas and have been waiting to give it away. Back in November I caved in and bought this card from Rifle Design which I fell in love with as soon as I laid eyes on it’s metallic foil overlay. They go so well together I couldn’t have planned it better.

The plate that remained after eating our crepes was visually stunning. Those blueberries were blue. Blue enough to stain our mouths and teeth a hilarious hue and avoid going out in public  for a few hours. This dish is best eaten at home. I was flipping through the cookbook Tyler’s Ultimate last week – which proves I have turned into my mom, since I now read cookbooks – and couldn’t stop thinking about these crepes. I decided to make them after church on Sunday, preparing the batter before we left (it has to sit for an hour in the fridge – perfect!) and putting the rest of the recipe together when we got home. I followed tyler’s recipe pretty closely, although I would probably make some changes next time around – I’ll go in to that at the end of the post. To see some images from my afternoon making crepes go here, and take a look at the recipe Tyler wrote:

Lemon Ricotta Crepes with Blueberries + Bananas

Crepes

• 1 1/3c flour
• 1 pinch salk
• 1 3/4c milk
• 2 lg eggs
• 9 T butter, melted

Filling

• 15oz ricotta cheese
• finely grated zest of one lemon
• 1/4c confectioners’ sugar
• 1 egg

Blueberry Sauce

• 1T butter
• appx 3c blueberries
• 1/2c sugar
• 1t cornstarch
• juice of 1 lemon

2 ripe bananas

1. in a blender combine the flour, salt, milk and eggs and blend until smooth. pour in butter and blend to incorporate, making sure there are no lumps in the batter then put in the fridge for 1 hr.

2. put an 8″ crepe pan or non stick skillet over medium heat and brush with melted butter. Pour 1/4c batter and swirl to coat bottom of pan (ideally with crepes the thinner the better). Cook for 30-45 seconds until batter just sets + flip to other side for 30 more seconds. Slide crepe on to plate and cover with clean towel to keep from drying out. start cranking out the crepes!

3. make the filling by combining all filling ingredients in a bowl + stirring, then get your assembly station ready to put everything together

4. Preheat oven to 400. Put a crepe on a cutting board, spoon 1/2c cheese filling on lower third of crepe. Fold the bottom up, the two sides in, and then roll to make a package. When your crepes are all made, brown them a minute each side in a skillet to help seal the edges and add a little crisp. (you could probably skip that part if you wanted). Put all crepes in a baking dish, pop in the over and bake 10min to allow the filling to firm.

5. Make the blueberry sauce while crepes are cooking. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over med-high heat 3-5 min. To serve, put 2 crepes on each plate, cover with blueberry sauce and add a slice of fresh banana to each. enjoy! then look in the mirror and laugh at your blue mouth.

Now, a few notes. This recipe has multiple steps but one thing I like most is that you can easily do some – or all – of the prep ahead of time. I found that I preferred less ricotta than what was recommended, and would probably have added a little lemon curd to the mixture to add a bit more flavor… or spoon some jam or nutella in to the crepes when assembling. We’re really going all out with these, so might as well. Crepes take a while to master if you have never made them, but don’t get discouraged the first 2-3 crepes are usually pretty rough until you figure out a method of pouring + swirling that works. If you’re feeling adventurous and indulgent I hope you get the chance to try these + enjoy!

I guess when you know, you know. I don’t think it’s always love at first sight when it comes to the client / photographer relationship… but it can be. It takes a while to build trust with a photographer, but when you have a previous connection – for example and the recommendation of a friend – it can happen more quickly.

That’s exactly how Lynda and Keegan found me – through their friends Shannon and Devin’s who I photographed last winter. We sat and talked over coffee before getting started and I got to hear more about their engagement party this past weekend, how they met working at a Christian camp, their long distance relationship between Canada and Australia, and what it was like to be in a place with snow. Even though we had emailed back and forth to plan the session, sitting to talk allowed us to ease in to the session and build more trust before we started. We continued the conversation as I photographed them, and directed them so I could take the best pictures possible and allow them to be themselves in the process. When we ended, I wanted to ask if we could do it again tomorrow… or if they had any friends getting married.

Having a network of people that believe in your business is probably the best asset of any small business owner. That network often starts with family and friends but grows as you reach out and gain experience. However, that network is not really about you, your business or even how great your product is… it’s about everyone else. You grow more by being interested in other people than just hoping for them to be interested in you.

Thanks for a fun afternoon yesterday Lynda and Keegan… and for the delicious macarons and sweets you baked, Lynda – you have serious talent! To all of my other clients I can’t wait to continue to work with you, build a relationship, and see how that network of people changes and grows. If you haven’t started, I’d love for you to join the daily conversation here, twitter, facebook, or through email (hello at marydougherty dot net). Lastly, to all of the family, friends, soon to be clients, acquaintances, casual blog readers, friends of friends of friends, and blog stalkers… thanks for reading and being a part of what I do.

On this blog I try to keep things centered around my life and the weddings that I photograph, which means I have yet to share these images. It’s time to catch you up on just a fraction of the work that I’ve done for my alma mater, Houghton College over the past few years. While I’ve done a variety of photography documenting events, people, and things… it’s documenting the place that stands out the most to me. It’s a unique location tucked in the rolling hills of western New York just south of Letchworth State Park. It’s secluded, it’s small, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. I’ve amassed quite a library of location imagery for them and it is always a pleasure to go out and document the surroundings, take in their beauty and enjoy life. I think the country does that for everyone. Here’s just a small selection of images and I hope you to enjoy!

I didn’t expect it so early in the year. In a season of new beginnings, planning and resolutions I suddenly stopped. Something shifted in a way that didn’t just rearrange the furniture in the room I was in, but placed me in a completely new house. (am I getting too complex with my metaphors?) I was faced with more than just a question, but an opportunity to evaluate where I was headed. A chance to examine the faith I claimed to have and an opportunity to make it even more my own. It was hard to see my own weaknesses and shortcomings, and I was reminded of the need to seek God to discern His will and join the community of believers to learn from their experience.

This is more of a spiritual issue and hasn’t found a place earlier on this blog, which is precisely why I’m sharing with you now. I relied on “actions speak louder than words” when it comes to faith but in the verbal and written arena of this blog it doesn’t translate very well. However, posting a ubiquitous statement about feeling blessed and using the gift God gave me felt disingenuous, no matter how sincere the feelings behind it. Each path felt like an easy way out to avoid really saying anything at all.

I don’t pretend to believe that the online world is the best place for spiritual discussions. Often intentions are misunderstood. Words are picked up like toys too heavy for a child and cause more damage in the process of being brought out than intended.

It might not be the best place, but it is a place I can no longer ignore. So I’ve cracked the door open and wanted to let you know where I am at. I’m trying to make my faith more real, to continue to act on it and answer some of the hard questions that come along with it. I’d invite you to have some of these conversations with me, if you wish, although hopefully in a more personal setting. Until then things have started to look up, and as usual I can’t help but enjoy the country life and open fields around me, where there’s plenty of room to sit and ponder.