September, 2009
Color Me. | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer
September 29, 2009I admit it.
You are hearing it here first.
I am utterly and completely addicted to color. Vibrant, muted, pastel, jewel…it doesn’t really matter. Colors just SING to me. Every day.
A lot of my clients worry when the weather is bad…and you know what my response it? It’s perfect. Cloudy = soft beautiful light and VIBRANT colors. Fall weather? Bring it on baby. LOVE the light and color at this time of year.
I think if you spend enough time looking at what I do (like me… because…yeah. duh.) you’ll start to see some common things emerging:
First: I LOVE people. I love interacting, talking, playing, laughing, goofing around. I think that shows up in the images. Typically my clients are very comfortable with me and if they are NOT — they’ll tell you it doesn’t take long for that to go away. I’m a button pusher. If you’re shy I push you to be in front…if you’re loud — I might make you do some quiet beautiful shots…it’s just…fun to play. That’s the only way I can express it.
Second: The color thing. I can’t help but put people in colorful settings and SURROUND them with it. And the funny thing is? I can’t tell you how I do it. I am not consciously looking for it — it’s just so much a part of how I see things that it just happens. I love that part. It’s why taking photographs is so magical to me.
Third: Not soooo traditional. ::laughing:: I can do traditional. I have done traditional…but always just a leeetttllle bit of tammyitis sneaks in and they have some strange little twist. Again. Can’t explain it better than that. I want my images to say something. I want you to look at them and laugh or cry or FEEL something. Traditional photography — wedding photography — is a little flat for me. I want emotion darn it! EMO-SSSHHIIOON. ::laughing::
So. There is my soap box for the day. It’s fun, blogging. I love thinking about what I want to say and how I am going to say it. I love choosing images to help me show you how amazing my clients are. And I LOVE when you COMMENT! ::wide cheesy grin::
Here’s What’s Happened in Tammy’s World This Week:
A wedding in which the entire wedding party CONVINCED ME ( it’s ALWAYS the other way around) that they could climb into a dry creek bed for photographs. I was worried. High heels + Little Stones = Tammy Worry But it turned out incredibly. LOVE the light and the viewpoint. This wedding rocked the house. Wait until you see the slideshow — details were off the HOOK by Stacy K. (duh).
A portrait session with the coolest girl who wanted to document her love for her horse and her dog. They’ve hung together for years and she decided (I think she told me it took her two years? OMG) that it was time to get photographs — she loves taking pics too — but as with all of us — there are no pics of HER in the ones she takes. So this was her opportunity to be on the other side of the camera. And the farm. And the fields. And the barn. I was in HEAVEN.
An impromtu — hey can you photograph a civil ceremony on a Tuesday? wedding. This couple cracked me up. We’d never met. It was POURING and somehow we rocked out the images. Nevada was GORGEOUS. And they were totally into letting me be creative. So even something so simple — turned out amazing. I’m so glad they hired me. I took one of my all time favorite images at their wedding. Can you tell which one it is? Seriously — did you KNOW City Hall looked like that on the inside?! I thought we were in an Italian Villa!
An Engagement session in which I did absolutely nothing but laugh and watch two people have fun with their dog and their boat. And yep. I ended up in the water (just mid calf, nbd). But it was a moment when I was thinking…WHY DID I WEAR A SKIRT?! WHY TAMMY WHY? (Answer: no clean laundry. oh wells. ) Also…one of the shots (I’ll let you guess which one) made me laugh so hard…omg.
A wedding with a couple who just lit up the day with their happiness. I LOVED photographing them. And her father’s backyard? Seriously? Crazy. They were super good sports about all my crazy ideas — and I LOVE what we did that day. The images rock.
Also – I’m finishing up senior season and maybe, just maybe I’ll do a load of laundry this week. It could happen! (stop laughing. it COULD! ::grin::)
Here’s this week’s crazy in the VIZ:


Oh PS: If you’ve gotten this far then you’ll notice that I also went to a football game. it was cold. and my big fancy lense was USELESS from far away. So I amused myself by photographing the entire game from the tops of the player’s heads. Cuz you know. It was fun. The image above is one of my favs. Touchdown!!
I love when people say “are you going to blog about me?” | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer
September 17, 2009Um.
Busy week.
I was lucky enough to be able to travel to NYC to photograph three of my couples who are getting married either next month…or next year. I had soooo soooo soooo much fun.
I also got to spend some time with my OWN son who is a senior this year {sniff} and take his senior photographs. How amazing is that? Amazing I tell you. Amazing. I love him soooo much and it was bittersweet taking those pictures. I’m so proud of him.
I love watching the transformation women especially go through during a photo session. Every.single.girl who walks in my door is uncomfortable and uneasy. When they leave — they are relaxed and happy. Always. Trust me on this. One of my girls today said as she was walking out the door — “I feel like I just had a spa treatment”. ::grin:: I thought that was the coolest testimonial ever. Maybe that should be my new tagline. Tammy Swales: Just like a trip to the spa. ::laughing::
I am constantly amazed and awed by my clients. It’s not easy, is it, to stand in front of a camera. All of our insecurities come bubbling up to the surface — every mean thing that anyone said to you in high school and beyond is right on the tip of your tongue. I watch…and watch…those insecurities get tucked away one by one during my photo sessions. I watch people become THEMSELVES. And that, my faithful and incredible blog readers (hi mom) is why I do this. Keeping it real. Keeping YOU real. I love that.
So. Watch with me. All these beautiful talented silly friendly solemn thoughtful people I get to photograph.
Wow.

And yes. I know a pic appears twice. It’s late. I haven’t had caffeine. Plus I like the pic! ::laughing::

And also. I love this one….

So yeah. A good week. A good one.
The shot in the subway, j’adore!
Tammy this is the session that I totally fell in love with you on….well actually it’s the first one I saw from you but hey it’s still awesome and rockin…you can FEEL the love from this couple. In some it’s like your not there and that’s what it’s all about. Congrats hun!
Matt looks super. Glad you had fun in NYC. Guess we’ll have to see about engagement shots when you’re here
These are fantastic!!! How fun!
9.20.2009
You are a true Artist
Ohhh My Gosh girl.. these are all amazing
The last one with the boats, the sky, the water…ridiculous!
5.26.2010
[...] I love – just LOVE – shooting engagement sessions in Manhattan. The color. The texture. The action. It’s always an adventure. [...]




9.29.2009
I see God in your images, T. Every pixel. Love these.
10.02.2009
These are all wonderful each and everyone