Alt text here

Posts Tagged ‘engagement portraits rochester ny’

It’s Winter. So What? | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

January 22, 2012

Yup. It was cold. So cold that that my fingers were sticking to my equipment. (That’s cold.)

But who cares?

Neil and Jess braved 12 degree temps and a snow storm for their session. I wore jeans (WHAT was I thinking) and got completely soaked.

Dana and Mike were fearless on their wedding day and we did ALL their photographs outside! I was so into it I forgot to put on my coat! Yeah. The whole day outside in a shirt. Go Tam. ::laughing shaking head.::

0 Comments

Add Your Comment!

Add Comment Link To Post Email Post

Show More: Max at High Falls Wedding • Rochester NY Wedding Photographer • rochester NY wedding photographer • rochester ny engagement photographer • sneak peeks • tammy swales photography • wedding photographer rochester ny • engagement portraits rochester ny • engagement session • Max at High Falls • rochester ny engagement photographer • rochester ny headshot photographer • rochester NY wedding photographer • Rochester NY Wedding Photography • stacy k floral • tammy swales • tammy swales photography

Rockin’ the Hotness | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

September 1, 2011

So. First let me show you:

Then let me TELL you:

Jillian and Kevin are getting married in October. In Hilton Head, SC. Think that’s going to be amazing?! yeah. me too. ::grin::

Kevin recently opened this super cool performance and repair shop called The Little Speed Shop — and it was the COOLEST location to shoot in…let’s see…I had a BMW…a Maserati…a workshop…yeah. I was TOTALLY feelin’ it! So we played. And played. And then the sun set in this amazing burst of color…

I felt like I was in a movie. Right?

And it lends itself to the conversation about sessions. Jillian and Kevin had a strong point of view from which they wanted the session to go — and that was unbelievably fun! The more thought you put into a session (with me, fo course, never alone!) — the more personal it becomes. It really is about you. About what’s important to you. And if the MOST important thing is that you are TOGETHER — then we’ll just wander around and find cool spots to shoot in. That’s equally as fun too. Just bring cool clothes. And a Maserati.

I’m kidding about the Maserati. I just like typing Maserati. It’s even more fun to say… (you know you just said it in your mind. bonus if you said it outloud!)

Yeah. It’s alllll good!

xo T

Comments Off

Link To Post Email Post

It’s Our City | Rochester NY Engagement Photographer

August 28, 2011

Jill and Andy. Yeah. Look at them. You wouldn’t imagine that Andy wasn’t really “feelin” the photograph session, would you? I’m so proud of that! I tell everyone that the first few minutes of every session will (if you will excuse the expression) suck. It’s awkward. It’s scary. there’s a big black camera in your face. Talk about intimidating! But eventually, it all fades away and it becomes fun. And I live for that.

Jill and Andy are getting married next year. Unfortunately for ME — I was already booked for their wedding date. ::sniff:: But a really great photographer is photographing their wedding — so I still got to play by doing their engagement session. I should also mention that Jill and Andy are BEST FRIENDS with one of my brides who will be on the blog later — so we already had a chance to interact at Beth and Marc’s wedding. And they are as terrific and nice as they look. Our session was plagued with drama — security guards! yelling! wind! holes in the road! drama! ::laughing:: But we all brought our A game and didn’t let anything bother us — and the images are STUNNING. Well. Here. You decide…

Right?!

1 Comment

Add Comment Link To Post Email Post

Dallas Wedding Photographer
12.31.2011

Your work is just amazing!!!

Show More: Rochester NY Wedding Photographer • engagements • rochester ny engagement photographer • tammy swales photography • engagement portraits rochester ny • engagement session • rochester ny engagement photographer • Rochester NY Photographer • Rochester NY Wedding Photography • tammy swales • tammy swales photography

I DARE You to Watch This and NOT CRY… | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

August 18, 2011

First. An overview.

Jason and Stephen are my friends. You may have seen them in photographs I’ve done before for the Rock Paper Scissors website…you may know and love them yourself…or you may be here completely for the first time and stumbling onto this post — but I promise that watching it will bring you into the moment…into the beauty of the relationship that they share…and give you a peek into what LOVE looks like. LOOKS like. I know we all have seen many many images where the couple is in love, they get married, they are happy — right? (And don’t you love them? They fire me up!). But Jason and Stephen are in a moment we rarely get to glimpse…pure reaction and spontaneous feeling..and love.

Second: Behind the Scenes.

Stephen texted me and said…do you think you could photograph the proposal…without being seen? (paraphrasing here for the sake of brevity. Really, what is below is where you want to be) So we brainstormed and ultimately decided that at home…outside on the porch (their favorite spot) with Jason’s beloved sister and brother in law there was the right fit. I coached Stephen on where Jason should sit…what light had to be on (and it was still really dark — hence the darkness in the images — it wasn’t like I could use any flash!) and how I would let him know once I was in position…

Third: The Challenge.

All the lights were supposed to be off so I could sneak in the house through the back door (yes, I dressed in black and snuck through neighbors yards. Whatever it takes, right? ::grin::), but when Stephen texted me he was ready…I discovered that the KITCHEN LIGHT WAS STILL ON. There was no way I could walk in without being seen!! What to do? What to do? I did what any panicking must get the shot photographer would do…I took off my shoes, laid my camera in front of me on the floor and crawled in on my belly…like a snake. I was SO SCARED I would be discovered!! ::laughing:: When I got to the couch Stephen came in and turned off the light and I was in pitch darkness. The only light was coming from the porch.

Fourth: This is What Happened Next. (watch all the way to the end)

Click the photo!

Jason and Stephen…I love you both so much. I was so honored to be part of your moment (vicariously!) and I cried all the way through taking these photographs! Congratulations!!

Leave them some comment love, people!

xo Tam

5 Comments

Add Comment Link To Post Email Post

Kerry Cannan
8.18.2011

Amazing and beautiful all the way around! Congrats to Jason and Stephen! ~Kerry~

Kailey (Sawyer) Jackson
8.19.2011

This was beautiful. You two really deserve it, way to make it magical Tammy

Kailey (Sawyer) Jackson
8.19.2011

PS i <3 you all

Katie Dieter
8.19.2011

Absolutley amazing..Leaves me speechless. Congratulations Jason and Stephen! xoxo

Chris Urbanski
8.19.2011

Beautiful! I love you guys!

Show More: Jason Ripple • Rochester NY Wedding Photographer • Rochester Portrait Photographer • Rock Paper Scissors Salon • rochester NY wedding photographer • rochester ny engagement photographer • tammy swales photography • wedding photographer rochester ny • Add new tag • engagement portraits rochester ny • engagement session • rochester ny engagement photographer • Rochester NY Photographer • Rock Paper Scissors Salon • tammy swales • tammy swales photography

Just Look. Don’t Think. | Rochester NY Photographer

June 9, 2011

Without going into any detail at all about anything — I’m all visual today.

I want to run around in circles and yell: “The sun is here. The SUN is FINALLY HERE!!”

(disclaimer: no couples were harmed in the taking of these images.)

0 Comments

Add Your Comment!

Add Comment Link To Post Email Post

Show More: Rochester NY Wedding Photographer • engagements • rochester NY wedding photographer • rochester ny engagement photographer • tammy swales photography • wedding photographer rochester ny • engagement portraits rochester ny • rochester ny engagement photographer • Rochester NY Photographer • rochester NY wedding photographer • tammy swales photography

Tammy Swales Photography Creates Cool Video | Rochester NY Photographer

June 2, 2011

My team has learned, much like Pavlov’s dogs, to cringe when they see me come in like a whirlwind, all wound up, and say: “Okay. So I had this idea in the middle of the night…” Typically that means: A. A lot of work. B. Switching directions from what they are doing to focus on something new C. Tammy is obsessed with thinking about this idea. D. Taking a lot of time E. A lot of work. ::laughing::

A lot of times those ideas kind of fade away because they are impractical for whatever reason, or I notice that someone else has done something kind of along the same lines, or…I get bored with it…or it’s too hard to REALLY do. Since I generate a LOT of ideas all the time (who knew this was unusual?) this happens quite often.

Once in a while though, I have a “BIG” one. And this time, not only was it big — but it turned out to exceed my wildest imagination and expectations — and I could NOT have achieved it without the diligent work and dedication of my team, my friends, my clients and my colleagues.

It started with Vanity Fair.

You know how they have that issue with the actors on it? I remember thinking…I’d love to do something like that. How can I do something like that?

And then…in the middle of the night…I woke up with this idea perfectly formed in my head: my clients.

I wonder if my clients would do something like that? And so…an idea was born. The most humbling thing for me, by FAR, is that every single one of my clients we talked to said yes. No hesitation…no maybe’s — just…yep. Tam. That sounds sooo fun! Let’s do it! Tell me when and we’ll be there!

I think I might have cried I was so overwhelmed by that.

As an afterthought i said — hey. let’s videotape it and see if we can’t put a little behind the scenes thingy (yes, I said thingy, it’s the technical term! ::grin::) together. Which turned into: let’s interview each person and ASK (innovative concept, right? ASK our clients to tell us about their experience) — and we maybe might have forgot to mention this to our clients — so when they came in to be photographed, they were surprised and a little nervous to sit in front of a camera. I’m telling you this so you can see what follows was completely unscripted — even when I talk (and it’s SO HARD to hear yourself…ugh. do I REALLY sound like that? OMG) I had things I wanted to say, but I just talked unscripted. I sounded a little strange and disconnected and sometimes I’d have to say it a couple of times — but I wanted it to be more gritty and real — then a perfect beautiful video. Because we want to have fun and play and take photographs — we don’t want to be perfect. It’s too much pressure, right?

Here’s the Vanity Fair cover that inspired me:

Cool ,right? So…what I love about what our final image is that it’s a TOTAL Swales interpretation. I wanted several things — I wanted to show how DIVERSE my clientele is…I wanted to show how COOL they are…and I wanted to be PLAYFUL.

Here’s mine (and clicking it will take you to an online version — that if you click it will make it REALLY BIG. Try it — it’s totally cool!)

Can you BELIEVE this?! I LOVE it sooo much!!!

Finally — we worked on the COOL VIDEO.

I don’t know what to say about it other than it’s the coolest thing I think we’ve done up until this point. I love everything and everyone in it. Thank you Thank you Thank you to everyone involved — my amazing clients, Rock Paper Scissors Salon who styled, Bruce Hahn for advising me on lighting, My amazing team, and my family for supporting me through all the madness. I love you all.

So…watch it will ya? And tell me if you like it. really. Cuz it was a LOT of work. And I really wanted you to know how important it is to me that my clients take center stage…because, ultimately, that’s WHY I do what I do. For you. xoxo

5 Comments

Add Comment Link To Post Email Post

Aseel
6.02.2011

It’s incredible, Tammy! You are amazing.

Gina Meola
6.02.2011

I LOOOOOOOOVE IT! The video is PHENOM!!! Yay, Tammy!!!!

Laura
6.02.2011

WOW Tam!!! Awesome. I didn’t expect anything less. All that hard work paid off. Thanks for let me be a part of this.

debbie
6.09.2011

I need to come up to New York and just hang out with you! I love every minute of the video!

carla ten eyck
6.14.2011

are you serious??? what EVER sister. holy crap this is pure genius and I wanna hug you something fierce Swales!!!!!

Show More: Promotional Video • Rochester Portrait Photographer • Uncategorized • blogging • fun for you! • tammy swales photography • engagement portraits rochester ny • Rochester NY Bridal Photographer • Rochester NY Dog Photographer • Rochester NY Family Photographer • Rochester NY Photographer • Rochester NY Portrait Photographer • Rochester NY Wedding Photography • tammy swales • tammy swales photography

Swirling and Twirling in Chicago | Rochester NY Photographer

May 20, 2011

Me = Rochester

Two of my couples = Chicago

Solution? Go to Chicago of course!

I day tripped (sort of) up to Chicago for the day to spend with two of the coolest couples I know! Of course we were ALL hoping for that iconic shot of the Chicago skyline — and instead got such thick fog that you couldn’t actually tell Chicago existed from a distance…so…my favorite thing to do — we made it up as we went along…

First up Evelyn and Mclean – check out that cool skyline covered in fog! I LOVE gray days — it makes colors sooooo soft and vibrant at the same time! Take THAT bad weather! ::laughing::

This is the EXACT bench that he proposed to her. Tammy FAV!! (We won’t mention that she dropped the ring…and then they almost couldn’t find it. Nope. It was a PERFECT proposal!)

Here’s the beach they love — and the obvious LACK of skyline…but LOOK at how beautiful they look. I love happy. I LIVE for happy. And these two emote happiness. It was like walking next to two balls of sunshine…seriously!

I think engagement sessions are incredibly important. Plus you get cool pics of yourselves NOT in wedding clothes. It’s a win, right?! I love making them PERSONAL to the couple I’m photographing — places they love to go…things they like to do — and to these couples —- ironically BOTH of them are transitioning to new places in the Country — so documenting the places they love and the things they do together in Chicago was an AMAZING experience!

Next up Elyse and Josh…the sun peeked out for about 5.6 seconds — and JUST as we got ready to go to the beach? You guessed it…in the fog rolled. So WHATEVER. We ROCKED IT ANYWAY.

How can you NOT photograph in Millenium Park?! The Bean is the MOST AMAZING thing EVER. I could have stayed all day just photographing people photographing themselves!

And…oh hi fog! We missed you!

In the most classic way…Elyse and Josh and Evelyn and Mclean worked REALLY HARD to bring me to iconic Chicagoian (I know. I just made that up) places to photograph…but in “typical” Tammy Swales style…I had to choose some…erm…LESS classic Chicago-like places…

I can’t NOT play. I just can’t. Because if it isn’t fun…then WHY are we doing it?

Yeah. I thought so.

Rock on! (I don’t know why I said that. I needed a good closing…and the typical “thank you” just lacked something!)

5 Comments

Add Comment Link To Post Email Post

Justyna
5.20.2011

Dude I missed you in Chicago! It’s only 2 hours away from me, I would love to see you again sometime. Next time you’re in the Windy City, give me a jingle, will ya?

Caitlyn Bom
5.20.2011

Tammy, these are amazing! I <3 the fog So obviously in love!

April
5.20.2011

Love them Tammy! You did such a great job Especially with all the fog!

kristi
5.22.2011

y’all made an amazingly fabulous decision in booking Tam for your weddings…..she will blow your mind with her ridiculous ability to capture those incredible moments that totally bring tears to your eyes over the years. Beautiful images…..bravo, my dear friend

Jason Dufair
5.23.2011

Looks like a heck of a fun time. Love how you *use* challenges (fog, etc.) instead of fighting them.

Show More: Chicago Illinois Wedding Photographer • The Bean Chicago • rochester NY wedding photographer • rochester ny engagement photographer • tammy swales photography • wedding photographer rochester ny • Chicago Illinois Photographer • engagement portraits rochester ny • rochester ny engagement photographer • Rochester NY Photographer • Rochester NY Wedding Photography • tammy swales • tammy swales photography

Save the Date Stop Motion Photography | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

April 28, 2011

I have ALWAYS wanted to make one of these videos: have you ever seen the Amazon ad for Kindle? Yeah. So inspiring.

These little clips are not new — there are some AMAZING artists who are creating some absolutely INSANE stop motion clips.

Check this out.

And this.

Cool, eh?

How could I NOT want to make one?

All I needed was some victims…erm…willing and wonderful clients who wanted to try something completely different.

Enter: Melanie and Mark.

Lesson: Stop Motion takes A LOT LONGER than you will ever expect it too. Plus, since we hadn’t tried this before — we faced a lot of “unexpected” challenges…nothing a good roll of duct tape couldn’t fix — but still — we were problem solving ON THE SPOT all day long. ::laughing and shaking head::

Here’s our final product. To put it into context — Melanie and Mark watched fireworks on their first date…and our challenge was to incorporate that experience with the theme of their wedding “Van Gogh’s Starry Night”. Yeah, right? FUN!!

Hope you LOVE this. It was AMAZING to put together and thank goodness I have an amazing team working with me!!

I did my best to embed the link here — but being less proficient that I thought and VERY IMPATIENT — you have to click the picture. But then it will be awesome. I promise.

mmweb Save the Date Stop Motion Photography | Rochester NY Wedding Photographer

Stop Motion Save the Date

2 Comments

Add Comment Link To Post Email Post

Alice G Patterson
4.28.2011

Kuddos Tammy… you aimed big and landed in the world of amazing! I’m sure you’re clients are thrilled! xoxo

Gary Venturs
5.06.2011

awesome girl…..loving every thing youve been posting….im so proud of everything ive seen lately…..”U Da Wo-Man”, ha ha ha!!

e-mail me, lets catch up!!!!

Happy Monday! | Rochester NY Photographer

November 1, 2010

This image from yesterday’s session with Katie and Aaron just makes me happy…

katieaaronsneak1 Happy Monday! | Rochester NY Photographer

Dog Love

0 Comments

Add Your Comment!

Add Comment Link To Post Email Post

Show More: Rochester NY Dog Photographer • Rochester NY Family Photographer • pet portraits • photo sessions • rochester ny engagement photographer • sneak peeks • dog photographer rochester ny • engagement portraits rochester ny • engagement session • Rochester NY Dog Photographer • rochester ny engagement photographer • Rochester NY Photographer • tammy swales • tammy swales photography

A Story. A Review. And Dessert. FTW! | Rochester NY Engagement Photographer

August 31, 2010

Soooo I might be a little cavalier about parking rules. And…maybe….I don’t pay as close attention to where I should park during a photo session because I get so excited about the light…that all I’m thinking about is getting to it! So when I finished at a location with Colleen and Mark — there was a little present under my windshield wipers. Yuck. Sorry parking lot people. I didn’t notice it wasn’t an “everyone can park here” lot…I promise I won’t do it again. ::sigh:: I couldn’t resist snapping this image though! Funny, right?!

cc4 A Story. A Review. And Dessert. FTW! | Rochester NY Engagement Photographer

But that’s not the important part of the story. The most important part was the ENTHUSIASM Colleen and Mark displayed for Sugar Mountain Bake Shoppe (on Alexandar St). They insisted it was amazing and could not believe I hadn’t been there. Colleen even went so far to post today’s special cupcake on my facebook!

So I had to go.

I brought my mother.

And guess who was sitting on the porch eating cupcakes?! Yup. Sugar Mountain’s BIGGEST FANS IN THE WORLD! ::laughing:: Here’s what they look like without cupcakes:

colleenmarkweb1 A Story. A Review. And Dessert. FTW! | Rochester NY Engagement Photographer

So. Then I had to try them myself. One of the owners approached us with a sample of their vanilla cupcake…

Oh. Em. Geee.

So…SIX cupcakes were purchased. And they are so beautiful I had to drive straight home and document them for all time…

cc3 A Story. A Review. And Dessert. FTW! | Rochester NY Engagement Photographer

cc2 A Story. A Review. And Dessert. FTW! | Rochester NY Engagement Photographer

Say hello to today’s dessert: Rootbeer Float. Very Vanilla. Caramel Apple. Lemon Raspberry. Pink Lemonade.

They are sweet. yummy and Colleen and Mark were absolutely right. They are DELISH.

Here is my unbiased foody review: They. Are. Yummy.

(My mother likes them too. Her opinion is worth more than mine. She cooks. I don’t.)

Also — I didn’t tell anyone I was writing this. I wasn’t paid to promote Sugar Mountain. I just liked them.

Now I have to go walk around the block 158 times. Cuz. That’s. a lot. of. sugar.

7 Comments

Add Comment Link To Post Email Post

Tam
8.31.2010

Also…how many of you noticed there were only FIVE cupcakes in the photo? One…had an accident. Yeah. Thats it. The dog ate it. Or…something. ::grin::

Ashley Scobey
8.31.2010

Those are some SERIOUSLY gorgeous mounds of sugar (and beautiful pictures, too)!

Sue
9.01.2010

Ummmmm…..yeah, I noticed there were only FIVE. I figured it didn’t survive…..kinda hard for those yummy cupcakes to survive ever. And I’m not telling you how I know that lol.

Beth
9.01.2010

Who could blame a dog or anyone for eating the sixth? Besides, I don’t think it would fit on the chair. When I go to Rochester this weekend I might have to pick some up for my family. Of course there’s no guarantee that they can survive the trip home.

gwyneth colleen
9.02.2010

i hate you a little right now; i’m in major diet-land…and these…they are tempting. deeply, deeply tempting.

Stacy A. Elwell
10.09.2010

WOW, those look so fantastic! The names are so so entising too! Next I visit relatives in Rochester I will so have to check that place out!

Denver Photographer
12.16.2010

You gotta love the cupcakes… and that chair is super cool too.

Older Post »