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There’s Something Interesting About a World View | Rochester NY Wedding and Portrait Photographer

January 26, 2010

I realized…when I thought about doing a “year in review” post (that would be 2009 peeps.  I might be a wee bit behind.  lol) that when brides meet with me I show them wedding images…and when families meet with me I show them family images…and when seniors meet with me…I show them senior images…

very rarely do I mix and cross over these groups with each other.  So…since I thought it might be interesting to push everyone into one slideshow (read:  laaazzzyy ::laughing::) — so that there’s a record of 2009 visually all together in one place.  It’s pretty cool.

Some images you’ve seen…some you haven’t.  And no, this isn’t EVERYONE who I worked with this year — that slideshow would be about 4000 hours long (not really — but I wanted to fit it into one song – -so this is my best shot)…so I pulled images that appealed to me TODAY.  If I worked on a slideshow tomorrow — it would be completely different.  So…gather what you want about my mood today — here is 2009 in 4 minutes.  Put your seatbelt on please.


Click on the image.  Ra ra ah ah ah….

193-seniorrepcover1 copy 3


3 Comments

Kerry Cannan
1.26.2010

Amazing.. I am truly in awe of your work! Wow! What life would be like if I could see the world the way you do thru your lens! You rock! –Kerry–

debbie
2.04.2010

Since this was the year I “found” you. It was a great collection of images, most that just made me smile. Fun music too!

hey congrats saw you mentioned in an article a few times in amerian photo

 
 

 

Color Me. | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

September 29, 2009

I 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:

week10 Color Me.  | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

week10.2 Color Me.  | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

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!!

2 Comments

Tammy+Busy Season = Fun and Crazy. OMG | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

September 10, 2009

This is the blog post that (almost) never was.  (Did you KNOW I have a degree in English?  It shows right? hee hee)

Busy Week Recap #4,524,216 section 671:

Wedding with Leslie and Victor — was soooo beautiful.  every single thing was beautiful. Victor’s mom was traveling from Latvia for the wedding — so they planned this whole thing in like…a blink.  And did I mention the food?  OMG.  It was amazing.  I also got to work with two of my favorite vendors:  Stacy K Floral and Events by Jen.  Amazing job as usual girls!

Seniors.  This week — let’s see — I climbed a MILLION stairs at a house on a lake, convinced a senior that a piece of cloth wrapped around her head was going to be amazing (her=dubious)…and got to hang out with some of the coolest kids ever.  My seniors are so INTERESTING AND THOUGHTFUL AND DYNAMIC.  I love that they friend me on facebook — because then — I see them getting through their senior year and then going off to college…it’s really really incredible to see.  The weird thing for me is that this year — MY SON is a senior — so it’s much more personal.  Gheesh.  How did that happen??

Headshots.  I LOVE when I get asked to do headshots.  This week my good photographer friend Lou (who tells me he hasn’t actually been photographed since he was 13.  huh?) asked me to “take a couple of pics of him”.  Um…no.  I made him do a whooooolllleeee session with clothing changes and all.  It’s good for photographers to be photographed — it helps us remember that it ain’t so easy being in front of the lens instead of behind it.  It was SO MUCH FUN — and I was honored to be asked.  Thanks Lou!!

Kerry Cannan.  I tell you — when this CD hits the market — this girl is going places.  I MADE her (I’m bossy.  Sorry.) sing in my studio and her voice.  or I should type it like this:  HER VOICE.  ZOMG.  GORGEOUS.  As was she!  We had a huge session creating images for her CD and promo materials for the release.  LOVE!

Other things to note:  A family that is getting married in October — we did a combined engagement and family session with James and Robyn’s daughters that was simply too much fun for me to even TALK about.  Charlie’s Angels?  Super Force 5?  Star Wars?  Yeah.  We went there.  And had a BLAST.

Also — the award for “Most I’ve EVER Laughed During an Engagement Session” goes to Beth and Brian.  I cannot even BEGIN to tell you how funny they are.  Who agrees to cartwheel in the dark?  And one of us ALMOST ended up in the water because we were being so dorky and laughing too hard.  Yeah.  I LOVE my clients.  LOVE.

This weekend I will be in Manhattan and Brooklyn all weekend shooting engagement sessions — so — I’m expecting AMAZING IMAGES to share next week.  ROCK ON!!

I have more to share but frankly, if I don’t start editing the 1.5 million images I have to get done — clients are coming to lynch me.  And then who would write these addicting blog posts?  You would miss me, right?

::silence::

:crickets::

::tammy laughs::

Oh.  And if you were patient enough to actually READ all the blah blah blah above — let me say this — I’m shocked.  ::grin::

PS — I also went to Pirate Weekend with my mother.  Shiver me timbers!

weekrev8 Tammy+Busy Season = Fun and Crazy. OMG | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

week82 Tammy+Busy Season = Fun and Crazy. OMG | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer


3 Comments

Kristi
9.10.2009

the top hat shot is the week’s winner for me!!! LOVE it!!

Jason Dufair
9.10.2009

Edit away then! I would miss the posts!

Living large, T. Glad you’re doing it. You continue to inspire me.

I read all the way to the end. Glad to be your shocker :-)

Lou
9.24.2009

Awwwwwww….. you blogged about meeee! :D

 
 

 

Tam Week | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

September 2, 2009

Um.

So.  If I talked to the powers that be — or I guess that would the The Powers That Be — and said…”hey.  so.  I have some cool ideas for senior sessions…what do you think about sending me some amazing senior girls.  yeah.  oh.  and…some sun…and oh…i dunno…a corvette…and a blue dress…some music…and… also the girls should all be sweet and funny and cool”

That would completely cover my sessions with Kate, Holly and Brittany.  Seriously.

week7 Tam Week | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

And while I’m at it — how about a couple of IN-CREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL brides who absolutely ROCKED out their weddings?  Yeah.  That would be Jessica and Suzanne.  I’m so lucky.

A Tam Week To Remember.

Love You All.

week72 Tam Week | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

Also — a note to seniors.  I am almost 100% booked.  And by that I mean like…99.99% — so if you’re thinking of working with me?

You know what to do, right?

Yeah.


2 Comments

Cait K.
9.02.2009

I’ve finally broken down…
because these are simply fab-u-lous.

Can I have Abby scheduled in now??

elizabeth
9.09.2009

These are wonderful Tammy

 
 

 

Week Peek: A Recap | Rochester NY Photographer

August 19, 2009


Here we are.  The absolute HEART of busy season.  I don’t know if you know this about me — but I follow over 500 blogs daily.  (I know, right?  Srsly.)  I don’t read them every day — but I do know this — that right now is when you find your favorite bloggers — photographers especially — sort of trail off into silence…or a post begging you to understand how busy they are.  ::grin::

So I am blogging to tell you:  I am busy.  I am blogging.  And I am here.  Crazed.  But here.

This week (okay.  last week.  I am a wee bit behind in most things in my life.  ::grin::).

Here’s all the fun stuff I got to do:

Jess and I re-wrote the FAQ section on the blog.  That sounds boring, doesn’t it?  But truly, it was fun to work with Jess on it and fun to see it all come together so awesomely (is that a word?)!

I put together some FUN AND CRAZY WEDDING SLIDESHOWS for Kelly and DanBrooke and Dave, and Bethany and Patrick.  But only check them out if you’re serious.  My slideshows are long and elaborate and I am in love with every single one of them.  Also – let me know what you think — cuz I’m still working on a format…

A 70th birthday party with a PUPPY and BOYS and LAKE and SAND.  Could the day have been more perfect?  I think not.  It was so much fun!

Seniors.  If you are looking at my photographs and thinking – wow.  I love those  – I need Tammy to take MINE ( or my son/daughter or my neighbor who’s a senior or the girl in Ontario) — my answer:  get.on.the.calendar.  My sessions are booking so fast my head is spinning.  But there’s still some.  Grab one.  that’s all I’m saying.

And for the record:  when did seniors get so sophisticated and beautiful?  I know.  a definite fact.  That I NEVER looked so good.  And my senior pictures?  Big ol’ zit right in the middle of my nose.  The Rudolph Series.  Nice.  ::laughing::

An AMAZING WEDDING with two families that were beyond wonderful.  And a couple of silly fun incidents (hello — the priest almost fell on me!) that made taking photographs EXTRA fun!

A guitarist with dreams of making it big and writing his own music.  Rock on!

A family of girls so beautiful that I could NOT take ONE bad picture.  Not one.

Did I mention the PUPPY yet?  OMG.

I love this time of year.  One of my photo buddies said — you know Tam, you use sun flare A LOT — but somehow…I never get tired of it!  Right?!  I NEVER get tired of it!  So stay OUT SUNSHINE!

Here’s my recap in the VIZZUUUAAALLLL:


tamweek52 Week Peek: A Recap | Rochester NY Photographertammyweek5 Week Peek: A Recap | Rochester NY Photographer


4 Comments

Rachel H
8.19.2009

Tammy, I spent the morning organizing business receipts, and you spent the morning doing this??? you’re always amusing and wonderful. your life inspires mine.

Jason Dufair
8.19.2009

Tasty, tasty. The dog is too much! And the dude rocking on the water. You have the coolest job ever, T.

tara leigh
8.19.2009

i was sooooo excited to watch p&b’s slideshow… and it made me smile and giggle just as much as i knew it would. you are such a wonderful friend, photographer, and inspiration. seriously… love you to bits. and bits.

and bits. :)

debbie McGeorge
9.28.2009

I continue to scroll down your blog… I am blown away. I continue to think I have a favorite and then I see more!

 
 

 

Rock and Roll Tam. | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

July 31, 2009

Recap.

Busy.

Twins.

Nutritionist.

Dogs.

Weddings.

Seniors.

Maternity.

Engagement. Wait. no. no engagement shoot this week. ::laughing:: I must be delirious!

These are seriously fun to put together. You should see me in front of the computer peering at all of my images from the week. It occurred to me that it might be good for you to understand my workflow (right? cuz you’ve been laying awake at night thinking…I wonder…what Tammy’s workflow is…yeah. I know.)

When I photograph a person…or a wedding…or a dog…I have to immediately go home and look at the images. Sometimes I get so excited about images that I want to leave the shoot and go home and immediately start working on them! Just kidding (sort of). ::laughing:: I always give my clients a sneak peek. Digital has made us all immediate gratification junkies. I see everyone (me too) peering at the images on the back of your cameras — I so get that. So I edit up one or two images and post them. Usually on my facebook first…or email (if it’s boudoir, obviously) if the client prefers that instead…or doesn’t…have…a…facebook…account. Did I just say that outloud?That doesn’t really happen, right?

So. Sneak peek done — my lovely and efficient assistant Jess contacts the client and puts them on the calendar for their proofing appointment. Yep. I do it all in person. Because I like to SEE you react to your images. It means a lot to me — so I make this a priority. So my point being — that I work on images twice — first time is the sneak peek — second time is in preparation for the client seeing the images — so sometimes you’ll recognize a person (or dog or wedding) you saw two weeks ago. Sometimes I pull out old images and work on them just for the fun of it. Those might show up too. I just can’t promise that all my stuff is chronological. It’s more “tammylogical” which makes way less sense but is much more fun. (at least…in MY opinion. ::grin::)


But first…lest you think ALL my work is perfect (because it’s so easy to show only the GOOD stuff) here’s a moment that I LOVE actually, from my session with one year old twins — (happy birthday AJ and Sophie!)…this makes me laugh every time I see it: twinsneak Rock and Roll Tam.  | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer


haha  — funny right?  I love everyone’s mouths in this image.  I should add speech bubbles!

Here’s the pretty stuff:

uptoweek3 Rock and Roll Tam.  | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

uptoweek3.1 Rock and Roll Tam.  | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

2 Comments

Beth
7.31.2009

YES add speech bubbles! haha! You are so amusing Tammy! :)

monique
8.07.2009

oh my heck! so funny! Love this post Tammy!

 
 

 

You Know…I Kind of Like These Snippets… | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

July 20, 2009

It’s actually super fun to put together little snippets of what I am working on during the week…although I expect that in the winter when things are less busy — my updates will be more boring.  Well…

As boring as I get.  ::grin::

Here’s a little window into what I am shooting/editing/thinking about this week!  An amazing wedding in Skaneateles NY at the incredible Frog Pond Bed and Breakfast…some crazy cool seniors, Jess Best an Opera Singer from Tampa…some amazing flowers by the ever talented Stacy at Stacy K Floral…the coolest group of teenagers ever…phew!  Busy week!  But how much fun is this?!  Way way way fun!

week2inreview You Know...I Kind of Like These Snippets...| Rochester NY Wedding Photographersneakpeekweek2.1 You Know...I Kind of Like These Snippets...| Rochester NY Wedding Photographer


2 Comments

Jason Dufair
7.21.2009

Love all of these. Especially the flowers. You are the portrait master, no question. But the flowers are just very tasty.

elizabeth
7.22.2009

These are great Tammy

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Sneak Peek For the Week | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

July 9, 2009

There is a problem.

When I neglect the blog — there is a log-jam of sessions that I want to show you…talk about…tell you how amazing and fun they were….and I realize that I would have to post like…a bajillion entries to catch up.  And then I get overwhelmed.  And then I don’t post.  It’s such a VICIOUS cycle!  ::laughing::

So — here’s today’s brainstorm:  the “here’s what Tammy is currently working on” Sneak Peek.

Some of these sessions haven’t been blogged or facebooked (oh.  facebook.  there’s A LOT more work on my facebook profile!).  Some of them have.  Some of them are weddings where I got to shoot cool places with other cool photographers like Gwyneth Colleen in the Cayman Islands and James Bass in the Thousand Islands ::waving::.  I love them both and had sooooo much fun – I mean, seriously?  Is it possible to have a cooler job?  (Although I do not mean to suggest that Gwyneth is in the Cayman Islands — she’s a wedding photographer in New Hampshire and James is a wedding photographer in Syracuse!)

But mostly — it’s just me working.  If you can call what I do work.  I love my clients so….freaking….much!  ::waving::

Rochester NY Wedding Photographer Tammy Swales

Wedding Photographer Tammy Swales Rochester NY


2 Comments

Jason Dufair
7.10.2009

I love how you can be classic and then turn around and break all the rules with joy and Tammyness.

carla Ten Eyck
7.10.2009

Seriously? COME ON SWALES!!
Love this little / big / crazy pretty snippet of your work- you are so crazy talented girl!

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Miss Hudson Valley | Rochester NY Headshot Photographer

March 21, 2009

Katie.  On her way to a New York State Pagent — and stopped to have me take her photographs.  OMG I am so glad I did.  More to follow — but just take a peek…how GORGEOUS IS SHE?!

1f2p3821 copy 706x523 custom Miss Hudson Valley | Rochester NY Headshot Photographer

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A New Venture | Rochester NY Headshot Photographer

March 16, 2009

Candice is making a big move across the country.  I’m envious — she’s moving to SAN DIEGO — how AMAZING is that?  It’s something she’s always wanted to do — so I am especially stoked for her because she is following her dream!  Go girl!

In order to prepare — she’s a kick BUTT hairstylist — she’s working on a new website, a new portfolio, and some great “Candice at Work” shots.  I cant wait to see it all come together.  Here’s a sneak from today…

1f2p3431 copy 565x831 custom A New Venture | Rochester NY Headshot Photographer

img 5876 copy 568x835 custom A New Venture | Rochester NY Headshot Photographer

img 5779 copy 553x815 custom A New Venture | Rochester NY Headshot Photographer

1f2p3494 copy 552x869 custom A New Venture | Rochester NY Headshot Photographerimg 5637 copy 548x433 custom A New Venture | Rochester NY Headshot Photographer

img 5572 copy 551x812 custom A New Venture | Rochester NY Headshot Photographer


3 Comments

stacy k
3.17.2009

these look so pretty. Nice job as usual tammy

carla Ten Eyck
3.20.2009

DANG girl!!!!!!! No one rocks this like you do, Swales!!

Rachel
6.30.2009

heyyY! I know those ladies. hotness.

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