First came love, then came marriage…

… and here comes Casey and Chuck with a baby carriage.

Well, the baby carriage will start getting some serious use in about 2 months. Their daughter is due to make her debut early July.

I think it’s safe to say that Photo & Video by Joe Goldsberry is the official photographer for the Dobbins family. We first met them waaaaaaaaaaay back in early 2009. Having been chosen to photograph their wedding, it was off to Rexhame Beach for some engagement shots, one of which also became their seating chart.

Casey and Chuck's engagement photo shoot at Rexhame Beach, Marshfield.

Casey and Chuck were married at The Church of the Holy Ghost in Whitman, and then celebrated their new life together with family and friends at the Halifax Country Club.

Wedding ceremony at The Church of the Holy Ghost in Whitman followed by a reception to remember at The Halifax County Club.

Over the years, we’ve always stayed in touch with Casey & Chuck. We’ve shot other weddings they have attended. Casey has been math tutor to our daughter. And Chuck’s dad happens to sling the best pastrami anywhere at Chucky D’s Hot Dogs and More. So it’s only natural that they would ask us to do their maternity photo shoot. We went down the Cape to Sandwich, where Casey grew up. Back to basics with a beach shoot for some truly amazing shots of two truly happy people.

On the boardwalk at Town Neck Beach in Sandwich.

We took some of their ideas, and some of our ideas, and ended up with a great combination of photos that have generated more “likes” and comments than any other album of photos we have put on FaceBook.

The sand, the beach, the boardwalk... and the baby!

We can’t wait to photography Baby Dobbins, as she has come to be known. We’re almost as excited as mommy and daddy are for her to make her way into the world. It’s such a cool feeling when a couple who came into your life as clients become friends.

Silhouette against the sunset, and a happy heart on the belly.

Stay tuned, because I have a feeling Baby Dobbins will be an entire blog post when she gets here…

How important is a professional wedding video?

Survey says: less than 30% of couples hire a professional wedding videographer. The reasons are endless as to why people are against having a professional wedding video. Before the wedding:
We can’t afford it. (That’s usually an automatic assumption in most cases.)
We’ll just have a friend tape the important parts. (Isn’t the whole day important?)
We’ll never watch it. (Are you sure? Wouldn’t your children would love to watch it someday? Your grandchildren…)
Ugh! Those bright lights!! (Not when you hire Photo & Video by Joe Goldsberry.)
Videographers? They are so obtrusive! (see above…)

And after the wedding:
I wish I could remember your brother’s speech! It brought everyone to tears!
My dad was CRYING during our dance? I didn’t notice!
I can’t believe gramma got out of her wheelchair and danced! I wish I could see that again!
I missed WHAT during the cocktail hour? No way! I wish I could have seen THAT!
Wow, who knows when everyone will be together like that again!

The one and only thing Marge Simpson went back into a burning house for? Yup. Her wedding video.

Ask someone who had a professional videographer film their wedding why they had it done, and what it means to them now.
Take 2 minutes to watch this video we put together that brings it all together, and truly showcases why a professional wedding video will become such an important part of your family history. We made this video a few years ago, yet the message is still as strong as ever. Share this post with your engaged friends, and let them know why those who are on the fence about having their wedding filmed should give us a call to find out more.

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The Hard Rock Cafe Boston + a Bon Jovi tribute band + raising $$ for a very important cause = this blog post

We have a friend who fronts a local Bon Jovi tribute band. Joe and I have been meaning to catch their show for quite some time now. The last time we almost made it, I had tickets the same night for Weird Al at the Zeiterion Theater. Having finally caught Living on a Bad Name‘s show last Friday night, I now believe Weird Al would have been ok with me missing his show.

Part of the reason we made this particular show was that it was a fundraiser for juvenile diabetes. Juvenile diabetes (also known as Type 1 Diabetes) is a real nasty malady. While it can strike at any age, the onset is more common to occur in childhood. When Type 1 Diabetes strikes, your pancreas no longer produces insulin. Ever. You are now dependant on daily insulin injections, monitoring your blood sugar 4-6 times per day, and regulating your carbohydrate intake and any energy you exert.

Day Tripper Entertainment hosted the show at the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston with a showcase of entertainers that included Dennis Stephen of The Lennon Show, Mike Slater as Elvis, Sharon DiFronzo‘s Pat Benatar tribute, and Living on a Bad Name. Every act was on their game, ready, willing able to give their all to help raise some money for JDRF.

We were thrilled to join in the fun and capture Living on a Bad Name in action.

View of Living on a Bad Name from the back of the stage at Hard Rock Cafe, Boston.

I think those who were seeing Living on a Bad Name for the first time were blown away by their amazingly accurate and flattering tribute to Bon Jovi. Once you get past Ken Pittman being about a half-foot taller than Jon Bon Jovi, and you ignore that Ken is left-handed, you are in total Bon Jovi dreamland. I bet Ken even takes Advil for his aches and pains.

Check out our montage of the action, and mark your calendars for Living on a Bad Name’s next show.

A montage of the many faces of Living on a Bad Name, the ultimate Bon Jovi tribute band.

The band is made up of Ken Pittman on lead vocals, his son, Keith Pittman on drums, Ethan Brosh on guitar, John Miker on bass and Scott Poole on the all important (for a true Bon Jovi sound) keyboards. Check them out on FaceBook, become a fan, and catch their show.

O Canada! Waterfalls, tall buildings, the Red Sox… and a streaker??

We took a quick trip to Canada last week, mainly to see the Red Sox play in Toronto. It’s a stadium we have always wanted to see in person. But to get to Toronto, we had to go through Niagara Falls (slowly as I turn…) and see some sights along the way.

First up, the beautiful and awe-inspiring falls. One side American, one side Canadian. Both sides amazing.

Top left: American side of Niagara Fall with the Canadian falls in the background.
Top right: Close up of the American falls.
Bottom: The Canadian side, "horse shoe falls".

It’s known that the American side is more “state park” like, and the Canadian side caters to tourists. Yes, we can confirm this with photographic proof…

"I eat tourists." Canadian side for Dinos, mini golf, a ferris wheel and so much more.

Before we took in the Red Sox game, there was a tall building to leap in a single bound. Well, at 147 stories, we decided to take the elevator instead. The CN Tower certainly is a sight to behold.

Afraid of heights? Then skip this part of Toronto! The CN Tower is 147 stories tall. Check out the view of the city from the 114th floor.

And how about those Red Sox? Rogers Stadium is a great ball park. We went to the Tuesday game… and our team lost. We had a couple of wonderful locals sitting next to us. They lived up to the Canadian stereotype of extreme politeness. They apologized to us for booing the Red Sox. The said they were booing the Red Sox with the utmost respect.

Then, all of a sudden, onto the field sprints what they never show on TV. The streaker! He actually kept his sneakers and black speedo on, so he wasn’t a “true” streaker. He had YOLO painted on his chest, although I am pretty sure it doesn’t count as YOLO if you need to get bailed out. Ok, enough idle chit chat- you want photos, right?

Even having bought cheap seats, we still had a fairly good view of the so-called streaker. You'll never see this televised as it happens because the TV stations always agree to not show these kinds of shenanigans, as it would just encourage others. The look Youk is giving the situation is priceless.

It was a whirlwind 3 day trip, chock full of fun. Let us know your favorite major league park, as we like to visit a new park each year.

Ericka & Mark: A Quincy Wedding {March 31, 2012}

They say the first wedding of the season sets the tone for the year. Let’s hope that’s true, because Ericka & Mark’s wedding last Saturday was one to aspire to for the rest of the season. Imagine, the day started off with the threat of snow, but before anyone could even think of worrying, Mr. Golden Sun made his presence known, seen and felt.

The bride got ready at the Quincy Marriott, and as you can see by some of the getting ready photos, the day was getting off to a smashing start.

Ericka at The Quincy Marriott, looking absolutely lovely, in both color and in black and white.

Natural light is the professional photographer’s best friend. Here, mixed with the white of Ericka’s dress, and the red tones of the carpet, it all comes together perfectly.

The bride looking out a window, as the natural light billows in.

A few more pre-ceremony shots, some with the girls, and a moment with mom. Then, a toast! Down at Kilroy’s Irish Pub, there’s nothing better than an Irish toast to love, life and happiness!

A shot with the girls, a moment with mom... and then another "shot" with the girls!

Onward, time to get to the ceremony, which was held at The Neighborhood Club in Quincy. One last shot of the beautiful bride, and the first shot of the nervous groom, side by side.

The bride, just before leaving to go to the ceremony, and the groom, waiting patiently. Because... the waiting is the hardest part.

Her chariot arrives...

The ceremony, simple and sweet, was held at The Neighborhood Club.

The couple said "I do" as family and friends watched on at The Neighborhood Club.

A toast to the new Mr. & Mrs. Luggelle.

A toast to the happy couple.

The weather did cooperate for some outdoor photos, and those flowers are simply eye-popping!

A few of the outdoor photos.

Details and dancing are what’s up next. Entertainment and lighting were superbly provided by Entertainment Specialists. The uplighting certainly added an air of elegance to the reception. And as for dancing, there is no better photo than one of the couple’s first dance where their guests are watching and smiling in the background with such obvious love for the couple on their faces.

Elegant uplighting, beautiful flowers, and a most perfect wedding cake help set the mood.

We could have danced all night...

And one last shot from the end of the night…

A moment alone before a lifetime together.

It was a pleasure and an honor to photograph Ericka and Mark’s wedding. Thanks to both of them, and to their families and friends for helping to make my job fun, easy, and enjoyable.

Back to Maine (to try out the new camera)

Having just bought a new camera (Nikon D700), we had to give it a work out before our first wedding of the season. We’ll be at The Quincy Marriott and The Neighborhood Club in Quincy this coming weekend photographing Ericka and Mark’s wedding, and you can be sure there will be a blog post dedicated to their wedding.

In the meantime, we returned to some of our favorite spots, and we found some new ones, as well. You’ve certainly heard us rave about The Union Bluff in York, Maine (which is where we stayed on this jaunt). Check out this 30 second exposure, taken from our balcony at The Meeting House section of Union Bluff. It overlooks the motel section and the main building.

Image taken from the balcony of the Meeting House at Union Bluff, York, Maine.

You can imagine and you can assume (and you’d be correct)… we visited some lighthouses on this short trip. This one (these two) are new to us. It’s called Twin Lights of Thatcher Island. Here is a shot of one of the twins standing on its own:

One of the "Twin Lights" on Thatcher Island in Rockport, Mass.

And of course, you need to see the twins side by side:

The Twin Lights at Thatcher Island, Cape Ann (Rockport, Mass)

No drive to Maine would not be complete without a new shot of Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth…

Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth, Maine, in all it's glory.

What’s that, you say? You’d love to see Nubble Light at dawn? Joe heard you. He got up real early. He drove over to Nubble Light at 6:00am. And here is the shot he got… just for you.

Nubble Light at dawn.

We all know with dawn comes the sunrise…

The sun rises by Nubble Light.

Of all the pictures we took the past few days, we’ll end with yet another “new to us” lighthouse. It’s called Boon Island Lighthouse, off of York, Maine. It’s about 6 miles out in the ocean, but catching the image at just the right moment in time makes it clear to anyone who views it that they are looking at a lighthouse.

Boon Island Lighthouse, off York, Maine.

Please take a moment, and let us know which image you like best, and why. We take pride in all our photos, but we love the feedback from our fans!

Small business can be BIG!

Being a small business can be tough these days. We’ve all seen local shops in business one day, and then see the dreaded “for rent” sign in their window the next. It’s tough out there for the little guy! (or girl…)

One of the things Photo & Video by Joe Goldsberry prides itself on is the work we do for other small businesses. We’ve done really cool videos for companies that sell unique products, like a nail polish remover that keeps the acetone off of your skin, and a company that markets underwater dog physical therapy (aquatherapy for pups!).

We’ve also done some great still photography for companies like Mitetees. Mitetees is a small local business that makes and sells custom onsies and shirts for babies, children and even the pregnant mom.

Aiden doesn't know the orange isn't real. He knows his onesie is cool, though!

We do some of the modeling photography for Mitetees, but some of the photos are just babies who happen to be lucky enough to have received a Mitetees shirt as a gift!

Oh Sophia! You wear it well!

It’s not all t-shirts and babies. We’ve done photo shoots for among other things, a local golf supply company, and a local marinade/sauce company (Georja’s Gourmet Sauces). Not every small business is local, either. The company that makes the personalized lip balms we photographed, Kustom Kissers, is located in Arizona.

On the left, a photo we shoot of Georja's delicious marinade (We can attest to its deliciousness, because she let us keep the bottle...)
On the right, some of Kustom Kisser's personalized lip balms.

Professional photos and videos really can be the difference between making or breaking your small business. Give Photo & Video by Joe Goldsberry a call today and find out how we can help your business. It’s probably more affordable than you think, and when it helps your business thrive, it becomes priceless.

Please, have a seat!

One of the later aspects of wedding planning is a seating plan for the guests at the reception. People can sometimes get quite creative when it comes to showing their guest where to sit. We’ve all seen the pretty little place cards, directing people to their table number, such as these little bow tied cards.

Pretty little table cards with a small formal flair.

At Photo & Video by Joe Goldsberry, we’ve taken the “where to sit” to a whole new level by offering our custom seating charts. They are custom-made for each client, and limited only by your imagination. We don’t use templates, and that makes them like snowflakes. (No two are alike!)

Donna and Tony chose one of the photos from their beach engagement photos as the background for their seating chart.

The photo we use can be one we took if we did your engagement session, or it can be a photo that you provide. (Photos from other professional photographers must have a print release from the photographer to be used). We’ve done both horizontal and vertical, and our size choices are 16X20, 20X30 and 24X36. You can have your seating chart made as a print that you can frame, or we can have it mounted onto a foam core backing for you.

Check out the guest list from our “prototype” seating chart. We only attended this wedding in our head.

Our prototype seating chart with a fabulous guest list.

We have a few of these charts at our studio in downtown Whitman, so if you are in the area and want to see what they look like in person, stop by. Check out a few examples and pricing of our custom seating charts, and let us know what you think of them.

Hop on over!!

Those who read this blog and live nearby are quite aware that this winter has pretty much been the winter that wasn’t. I don’t hear too many complaints about that!

As I write this post, spring is officially 15 days away! The spring equinox is right around the corner!

What does this mean for Photo & Video by Joe Goldsberry? It means the wedding season will be in full swing before we know it. It also means lots of outdoor portrait sessions, and lots of happy clients!

On those happy notes, we leave you with a photo we took during a family portrait session this past weekend. This one captures the spirit of spring, and will put a smile on the face of all who see it.

Kaylee and Emily hamming it up with the bunny ears in our studio this past weekend.

Thanks for the memories, Capt’n

Sounds like it’s official – our favorite Red Sox catcher, #33 Jason Varitek, will announce his retirement on Thursday.

It’s bittersweet, because we’ll miss him at the games we make it to this season. However, if Varitek knows it’s time to retire, we have to totally respect that.

We just wanted to share a few shots of Varitek we have taken over the years. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

We’ve been to Camden Yards a few times (Fenway South), and we’ve taken many photos there. We highly suggest the ballpark tour, if you ever get down there.

At a Baltimore game in the dugout. Varitek didn't play in this game, but it was still cool to see him right there with the other players.

Another game at Camden Yards, Cash caught most of this game but Varitek came in near the end.

Varitek coming in for Cash near the end of a Baltimore game.

Tropicana Field in St.Pete is said to have the closest seats to home plate of any MLB field (50 feet). Yeah, we were about that close for this photo.

Varitek at Tropicana Field in St. Pete.

Thanks for all the great memories, Capt’n. Enjoy a well deserved retirement.