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New York City Engagement Session! – Chris & Nadia

Jeff — Tue, 25 May 2010 07:59:36 +0000

Hey everyone!

I just got back in from a great engagement session with Chris & Nadia! The two of them actually made the trip from London and while in town we took the opportunity to see some of the most beautiful spots of New York. We visited Time Square, Central Park, and Grand Central Station. I can’t wait to go back as we only got to the tip of the iceburg.

Enjoy a few photos from the Engagement Session!

Jeff

www.jeffdietzphotography.com

the evolution of me – Nicole Polk

Nicole — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:17:33 +0000

So, today (January 25th) is my 30th birthday and it has me reflecting on the life I’ve lived so far and the life I want to live from here on out. This self reflection is not spurred solely on the idea of entering my thirties, it’s been an ongoing project of mine for some time, but this feels like an appropriate time to post a little bit about it. I’m finding as I turn 30 that I’m more interested in learning than ever before – about myself, life, love, art, and all sorts of other stuff. This has become so important to me both in terms of my personal and business life. I’d like to share one project that I have done in conjunction with a continuing class of sorts stemming from Jesh de Rox’s Life (as an Artform) workshops. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to continue learning and growing in this community of people who have beautiful hearts. They have provided a safe haven for us all to learn from each other and grow more with each passing week. This assignment in particular has struck a chord with me because it challenged me to really look at how I’d like my life to be on the whole and how I’d like others to see me. In short, we had to write the blurb on the back of a book that would be our biography. Here is what I came up with:

It’s impossible to sum up a life in a few hundreds pages. Aptly named, “An Intimate Portrait” is just a glimpse at the life of Nicole. An explorer of light and love, perfectly imperfect, a collector of moments – these are just a few phrases to describe Nicole. She brought passion to a great many interests in her life – art, music, snowboarding, friends and family. Photography was a great vehicle to express the beauty she saw in the world. Beauty in people, relationships, new life, nature, and simple pleasures in life have been captured both with her camera lens and pastels. She was fascinated by light and color, not only in the world, but also in her subjects. Most interested in capturing emotion and innate beauty, she lives on in the artwork created for her clients that has been passed down generation to generation. Though she achieved success with her artwork, it is her journey of self discovery and exploration of life through her artwork that was most important to her. She learned to “unlearn” to experiment and imagine, pushing herself outside her comfort zone and overcome fears to truly embrace all experiences in life. She failed at things in her life with grace and humility and learned from those experiences to grow further. She learned that life is hard and complicated, but sublime in both its pain and joy. A favorite quote of Nicole’s by Anais Nin wonderfully describes this turning point in her journey. “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” She believed the infinite and the invisible held the most important lessons in life. She believed life’s magic was in genuine experiences, physical and emotional experiences in life. It was her life’s greatest success not in touching the lives of many in some small way, but greatly impacting the lives of those she loved.

So, there is just a little tiny taste of my journey so far. My birthday wish is to throw myself fully into all I experience this year, play more, not to let fear guide my actions, and continue to learn all I can so that I may someday be able to pass on that knowledge in some form or other. And since no post is fun without pictures, I’d like to share my self portrait that I took at the last life (as an artform) workshop I hosted this past fall. I did another self portrait during last years workshop as well.

Melanie and Tom – Wedding – Erik Matey

Erik — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:51:09 +0000

This past weekend, I photographed Melanie and Tom’s wedding. A few weeks back, we shot their engagement session along the Delaware River.

We started the day out at Melanie’s parents house with all the girls getting ready. I could tell immediately that this was gonna be a fun packed day. The girls were all rehearsing their entrance dance to the reception – to the song of “Thriller” !

We moved onto Penn Ryn Mansion for some final prep, and then the ceremony.

Melanie and Tom decided to see each other before the ceremony, and as usual, it was a great choice. (being able to see each other before the ceremony allows for some private time between them, and also allows much more relaxed and fun portraits!)

The entire group was a blast to work with… laughing, joking and even some dancing! Somewhere in the middle of the reception, there was even fireworks… literally!

Here’s just a few from the day

The extremely gorgeous custom made dress by Darcy Law

Jen + Payton {Wedding} *Cindy Guessford

Cindy — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:28:34 +0000

I watch from the distance just outside the tented reception as Jen and Payton interact with their guests, my gaze wanders & I am lured into looking towards the darkened grounds surrounding us. Right on cue as if turning the pages of a fairy tale book, hundreds of fireflies could be seen twinkling in the distance. Doing their little dance of love. I’ve always been filled with random factoids and for those that don’t know why fireflies light up well you are in for a treat today =) They do it all for the nookie, the nookie I say. Ha! How bout that. It’s a chemical process that happens when fireflies or lightning bugs try to attract a mate. So when you see hundreds of little lights pinging across the night sky like little beacons of love you’ll know why. Tonight, neither Jen nor Payton need to look too far for they have certainly found their mate, their love, their best friend and it was truly my pleasure getting to spend time capturing the fun they had with family and friends. I wish you both so much happiness for your new lives together and many more perfect days and sparkling nights!

Joyce + Chris {Engagement} *Cindy Guessford

Cindy — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:16:01 +0000

The late afternoon sun is warm and welcoming as Joyce, Chris and I wander around the location that they scouted for their E-Session. I love when clients peep out great spots full of color, texture and little nooks and crannies to explore. Joyce told me how nervous they were about the session and I know how hard it can be on the other side of the lens. Trust me as we walk and talk and forget that there is a camera. Just focus on each other and this incredible connection that you share and just let me be there….. She did, he did, we shot….. Here are a few of my faves =)

Welcome to the world Boyd! {a baby session} *Cindy Guessford

Cindy — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:56:25 +0000

Making the drive to see Kelly and Joe I get a little deja vu! You see, 3 years ago I made the very same drive to snap the very first images of their first born son Luke. Now fast forward three years and we are welcoming Boyd to their family. I love witnessing the dynamincs of family and the interaction within. Luke is what every mom wants a big brother to be. He is so gentle with Boyd and protective and loving towards him. My heart swells just watching how cute and lovely this scene plays out. I know that behavior is formulated early on and so much of our persomalities are all ready established at an early age. Having said this I am confident that Boyd will grow up knowing that he is very much loved and that his big Bro will always have his back! Thank you so muchfor letting me share in these moments!

Rose + Mike {Wedding} *Cindy Guessford

Cindy — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:36:23 +0000

Staring out the window pane I try to assess whether or not the rain has subsided, I can hear the faint rustling sounds of the girls in the next room as they are putting the finishing touches on themselves so that they can help Rose get dressed. I look towards the sky and can see the the sun just barely shedding it’s light down through the smoky colored clouds. Squinting towards the ground I realize that yes, it is in fact still raining as I see the puddles in the parking lot and the raindrops doing their rhythmic dance into them. As I turn away from the window and head towards the room where in just minutes Rose will emerge from dressed and ready to get married I think to myself that there are no worries today. Rose and Mike are just so easy going and adaptable to any situation. I know that no matter what the conditions of the day they are going to embrace the opportunities. This is just one of the many qualities that I love about them! They are cool and chill and just plain easy to be around. You can see the comfort that they share in each other & the support from friends and family. Later in the day Mike approached me and informed me that I had a flat tire. Without blinking and standing there in his tux he offered to change it for me. That’s just the kind of guy he is. There’s no way I was gonna let him do that but I was so taken back by his sincerity and genuine good nature. I am reminded that there are still wonderful, altruistic and beautiful people in this world and that makes me smile. So as I edit these images for blog posting I am feeling a little vintage. Nostalgic for the days when life was simpler and people were nicer and you just did the right thing even when no one was looking. Thank you Rose and Mike for taking me back to those days and for helping me to realize that we can all make “those” days Today. =) Much love to you both!

Welcome Baby Julia {Portraits} *Cindy Guessford

Cindy — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 06:53:14 +0000

The smell of the salt air beckons me as I approach their beach house. You see, today I am very excited to meet Amy and Vinny’s new little bundle. It is also a day of firsts for little Julia…. Today will be her first photo session and her first trip to the beach! We couldn’t have asked for a nicer evening. A gentle breeze blowing as the amber rays of the still warm late summer sun descends. We make our way to the nearly deserted beach and spend some time hanging out until the sun is only a memory. I often feel myself compelled to analyze this evolution of a relationship as I engage in my sessions. I notice a consistency that has endured since the day I shot Amy and Vinny’s wedding, although I am sure there are many! They still look at each other and behave in a way that is so very much in love and I see this look that they share with each other when they look at Julia. She is most certainly the apple of their eye! Congrats to you both, it is so obvious that Julia is beautiful and healthy and very well loved!

Wilkes Barre, PA Model Shoot

Jeff — Fri, 22 May 2009 23:16:23 +0000

Hey everyone

I thought I would just post a quick picture from the other days shoot of Angela. You might say… a modeling photo? How does that fit? Well it could very easily be an after wedding shoot of you in your wedding gown! This was shot in the woods off of the side of the road in Dallas, PA. Enjoy!

Kristin + TJ at the Dolce Valley Forge

david — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:03:48 +0000

This past weekend was the official kickoff of my 2009 season, and I can’t think of a better couple to help mark the occasion than Kristin + TJ.

I first met with Kristin + TJ after Jenn + Ed (who you may remember from such places as my portfolio section) recommended me. As soon as I met them – after a location snafu – I knew immediately that they would be an amazing couple to work with. I was right!

They had their ceremony at St. John Neumann in Bryn Mawr and their reception at the beautiful Dolce Valley Forge. Katie and the crew at the Dolce did an amazing job with both the reception and the beautiful poolside cocktail hour (the amazing weather helped too).

I also can’t say enough good things about the Rich Posmontier Band. This was my first time working with them and to say I was impressed would be an understatement. They are amazingly talented, versatile, and kept the dance floor packed.

Overall, it was a beautiful day with amazing people. You can check out some of my favorites below, and click here for the slideshow…