I'm still here!


Hello internets!Just a quick note to ask you all to be patient - new blog & website coming up, and I am putting all my time into that right now. I will be back to posting almost daily once I launch the new brand + sites...check back soon/often! Wish I had a better timeline, but I'll update as soon as I do.

Thanks for your patience!


<3 Kristen

Branding Sneak Peak

As some of you may know, I have been going through a branding process for the past 2 months. I was on the waiting list for this company for nearly a year. It's nearing the end of the process, but here is a peak of my new branding colors:

That's all you get for now - I am hoping to reveal the new brand by the new year :D

12 Day Old Maggie | Kristen Schueler Photography | Newborns

Photographing newborns is no easy feat. You must be patient, gentle, and use your intuition. Ideally, you get them in the first 10 days of life, which often makes for an easier session. This morning I had a shoot with Baby Maggie - 12 days old. She was, by far, the most cooperative baby I have worked with. She slept well, and when she was awake, was barely cross-eyed (generally a definite for newborns under 2 weeks), and had gorgeous skin. I think I might make rule that I won't shoot babes over 2 weeks... it only took about 2 hours, while I have taken up to 5 hours with older (i.e. fussier) babies. I am thrilled with the images from this shoot, and here's a few for you to ooo and ahhhh at!

Love this little Christmas pixie hat I knitted for the Holidays!

Look at those eyes! So alert - and she's even smeyes-ing (smiling with her eyes)!

Maggie was such a joy! Parents waited to find out if Maggie was a boy or a girl, and I was so excited when I heard it was a girl. Boys are great too, but girls you get to accessorize! I could have photographed this little one all day. Such a sweet family, can't wait to share the rest of their images with them!

Hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving and is enjoying leftovers!

Silhouettes

This weeks I heart Faces challenge is silhouettes. As it turns out, I was finishing up an edit on my cousin Steph's wedding, when I came across the perfect image.

I just love the contrast in this first dance picture. They are almost completely in shadow, but you can still see the emotion in their faces. To see more images from Steph & Ian's 10-10-10 wedding, head over to my website and check out the "featured" section, which is currently showcasing their wedding.

www.kristenschueler.com

Danger is my MIDDLE name...no, really, it is...

...Is what Jackson Danger will be saying to all the ladies (in a few years...). Saturday I had the pleasure of photographing a sleepy but smiley Jackson. It took me a while to get him to smile for me, but I was finally able to figure out that he digs the fake sneeze. Apparently my fake sneeze is HYSTERICAL!

Pictured to the left is Jackson rocking a seasonally appropriate orange thermal shirt, complete with a Moose emblem. He tried to give me blue steel, but I wouldn't have any of his shenanigans!

Jackson's father is Canadian, and I believe this little furry hooded number is a gift from one of his Canadian kin. It was super adorable on him, and this might be my favorite shot from the day!

After Jackson's shoot, his BFF's Kieran & Cece joined him for some chillaxin' (his words, not mine) at the beach.

These little models may look familiar, as they have been featured on previous posts of mine. Jackson, Cece, & Kieran...aka The Doozers. They're doozing.

Currently I am working on doggie pricing, and packages for both weddings and kiddos. My branding is also being worked on, and I am supposed to be receiving revisions tomorrow. So excited! Super busy with Christmas editing and organizing...expecting the business to really grow in 2011.

Hope everyone has a great week!

K

"Due to Inclement weather..."

...are usually exciting words to hear...as a kid. It translates to: NO SCHOOL! But as an "adult" (I giggle when I call myself an adult), bad weather just gets in the way more than anything else.

Today I made an executive decision that was not easy; canceling a shoot! It's probably best that I ended up canceling todays shoot, an engagement session at Fenway. The day started out with snow and hail, then changed over to rain with gale force winds. While I am disappointed, I am still planning on doing it in the future; possibly not until the spring though. I did manage to get a lot of organization done in the office today, which is something I have been struggling with.

I also decided to enter this weeks I Heart Faces contest. This weeks theme: orange!

I encourage you all to check out their weekly contests. It's mainly just for fun but it is exciting to be a part of! www.iheartfaces.com

From the Side Lines

Ever since college, my sister has been working football teams. First for UCONN football, followed my Arena football, and now Columbia. She is thoughtful enough to get permission for me to shoot games on the field :) This weekend, Columbia was at Harvard for another Ivy League battle. This was one of those times I was lucky to have an awesome sister get me a press pass to shoot from the side lines.

The main thing about shooting sports is there is lot's of rapid fire shooting. It's very difficult to catch "the moment", because often the ball travels way too fast for anyone's brain to have the chance to think "he caught it! I should take a picture!" and then our brain has to send the signal to our finger to release the shutter, and by then you've missed two plays. So there were A LOT of pictures to go through. I'll try and post more this week. BUT I have an engagement session tomorrow at Fenway park, so I'll also be posting some of those.

Wish me luck!!!

A Penny for your Thoughts?

I need your help. Three words, for each picture. Just post as a comment with the corresponding image #. Whatever comes to mind, don't sensor yourself, or think too much about it. This is just a personal exercise for myself, so if you could take just a couple minutes that would be awesome! Thanks :)

Ready...go!

Image #1

Image #2

Image #3

Image #4

Image #5

Amanda & Derek | October 9, 2010

Last Saturday, October 9th, I had the pleasure of photographing Amanda & Derek's wedding with my friend Kathy from photo school. I had been looking forward to it for months! Not only was I shooting a wedding, which I love, I got to see Kathy. As a photographer, I am used to going to weddings only knowing the bride & groom. However, as a second photographer, I didn't even meet them before the wedding! But Amanda & Derek were nicer than you could hope for.They were very lucky, as the day was gorgeous! A bit windy, but that just made for better pictures :)

Everything about the wedding was beautiful - the weather, the church, the dresses, the food, the people! Kathy did all the formals, which was fun for me, because I had nearly an hour to myself to shoot the things at a wedding that I feel are underrated - the details.

And of course, the lovely bride & groom:

Thanks to Kathy, Amanda, & Derek for letting me document their day with them!

Just got in a CD case for a client (and one as a sample for myself!). Wanted to share, they are adorable! It matches their birth announcements, and the matte finish is so soft.

Two weddings this weekend...one as a guest one as a shooter! Will post tons after the weekend.

Happy Columbus Day!

Our Big E Adventure

If you've never been to the Big E, you are missing out. There is literally nothing more from a fair that you could possibly ask for. Where do I start? I suppose I'll start with the state houses. Each of the New England states gets it's own building. In each building, different businesses set up shop and sell their local goods. Mostly: food. This year we waited in line for one of the most sought-after foods at the fair: the Maine baked potato. Even without the sour cream, cheese, chives, and butter, the potato itself tasted better than any baked potato I've ever had. Last year Adam & I spent more time exploring the houses than we did this year, as we were a little short on time. Last year,we had some maple cotton candy and sampled some maple butter in Vermont. For some reason, every year I end up getting pizza in the CT house. Some of the other foods floating around in the multiple houses are lobster rolls, chowder, pies, fudge, and anything else that is rooted in New England and delicious.

Aside from the state houses, you also have your typical fair, complete with rides, overpriced games, and anything fried you could want. I've seen deep fried oreos, twinkies, snickers, beer, etc. This year I stumbled across what I consider to be, by far, the grossest thing you could deep fry: a bologna sandwich. Did I mention all these things are battered before they're friend? A small part of me wanted to order it just to see it.

Some of the other spectacles to check out while you are there: horse shows, concerts, exhibit halls, farm animals, agriculture...and so on and so forth. Oh, and of course, worlds smallest and largest horses.

So this past weekend, with Adam and two of my best friends (Ashleigh & Alicia), we headed to the Big E. Here's a few pictures for your enjoyment!

^ a man and his horse share a moment ^

Baby Etienne | Kristen Schueler Photography

I know everyone has been holding their breath in anticipation for my next blog post! It's been two weeks, which is atrocious. I was trying to post everyday, but life got in the way.

Anywho, this past Friday I had the pleasure of photographing baby Etienne. At 21 days, it was a bit of a challenge. I had some trouble getting my usual shots. At first I felt a little frustrated with myself, but in the end this just pushed me to try new things in the session; I am more than happy with how the images turned out. Proud parents Lynda & Renaud were so welcoming and patient with me as I worked. I am excited to share these images with everyone, and can't wait to have the rest ready or the family to see.

I will try to post more this week - stay tuned for some pictures from my trip to the Big E this past weekend.

Happy Fall!

be my guest, part II

sometimes bringing my camera with me takes away from really enjoying what i'm doing, but most of the time it actually makes it more enjoyable. i become much more excited about the present moment when i know i've really captured something special.

this weekend adam & i went to a wedding in maine for two of his college friends. it was one of the more unique weddings i have been to! we drove up to portland, and everyone hopped on a 2 o'clock ferry, headed for an island. the ceremony took place on the ferry, and the reception was on the little island (the name has slipped my mind).

it was pretty much the best weather you could ask for at an outdoor wedding. at a lions club overlooking the water, we played yard games (cornhole, horseshoes, etc), ate lobster & blueberry cake - good times were had by all. the light was gorgeous all day - even on the ferry. because it was so bright outside and we were in a white room, the natural light created an ethereal atmosphere.

being a guest at the wedding provides a much different photographic experience than being the hired photographer. i felt i captured some more intimate moments between friends that would generally be missed as the hired photographer. on the other hand, it is a much more distinct point of view shooting as a guest - the same 12 people or so appear throughout my images.

either way, the wedding was super fun, and i am glad to have been invited. thanks to everyone there for good times :)

be my guest

had an amazing weekend in maine celebrating the wedding of hannah & john - two of adams friends from northeastern. as a guest!!! i have more to say about it, but need to get to bed asap. write more in the morning. for now, enjoy these shots :D

a freebie for my new fans :D

so today was my first guest blog post over at MCP actions, and i was thrilled with the positive response i got from everyone. working with photoshop on a daily basis for at least 8 hours a day, it comes second nature to me. i forget that i had to learn it step by step, and it's nice to know i can help others during photoshop frustration - because it can be VERY frustrating.

as a result of my post, i got a lot of new facebook fans, who i promised a photoshop freebie to. i designed this album cover for a sample album for myself. it's simple and elegant, and it printed beautifully!

just click on the download file link to download. enjoy!

DOWNLOAD FILE

posted!

my guest blog post for mcp actions has been posted today! AND i'm having a great hair day!

http://www.mcpactions.com/blog/2010/09/16/how-to-eliminate-background-distractions-in-photoshop/

thinking of ideas for another guest post...i am throwing around the idea of white balance and skin tone, but we'll see!!!

sad pie.

there's something about the movie "waitress" that really hits a note with me. maybe because it's about a passionate woman finding her way, but i think it's a darker reason. adrienne shelly, the writer, director, and co-star, was murdered after the movie was made. it's all i can think about when i watch the movie. the little girl in the movie is played by her daughter, and there is an unscripted line at the end where the daughter whispers "bye, mommy" that is eerie & heartbreaking. the movie was written by her when she was 8 months pregnant, and is inspired by her fear of being a mother. my heart breaks for her poor daughter. i love this movie, especially the styling, but it just makes me so sad. such is life.

on a lighter note...

my first guest blog post for MCP Actions gets posted tomorrow morning at 9 am! i will post a link as soon as it's up!

the airborne toxic event: up close

just returned home from the somerville theatre in davis square, after seeing one of my more recent favorite bands. adam and i have seen then about 3 or 4 times, but always at larger venues. the somerville theatre is a small, intimate setting, and for this tour added a string quartet to their ensemble. this is in addition to their violinist/pianist, 2 guitarists, 1 bassist, and a drummer. they all kind of juggle around the instruments - i feel they are all that kid in band who can magically play any instrument he picks up. so jealous!

while we had great seats, i was disappointed my good camera is getting repaired. i did bring my older one and get some ok shots, but i feel i would have gotten fantastic ones with my D700. either way, the concert was incredible, and i did manage to get a few shots i like.

this is anna. she is the violinist/pianist/singer. she is awesome, and bops around the stage, all while she is playing the violin.

this is by far my favorite picture from the evening. i hate to ruin it with my copyright!

i am trying something new with my work. well, new for me anyway! i am trying to not crop the images once i have taken the picture, and really trying to alter the image as little as i can. this is often hard for me since i am obsessed with photoshop! i am hoping this will push me to be more mindful when i frame my shots, and really find the light i want.

and this last one is my favorite interaction i got between 2 of them. it's also just happy!

Inspiration Board

Adam sits across from me, deeply concentrating on a puzzle, occasionally looking up at R2D2 beeping across the screen. I love Sundays - especially when Adam doesn't have to go to work on Monday. While I spent a good portion of the day not feeling very well, I did manage to get some work done. The company I am going through to do my branding asked me to put together an "inspiration board". Basically, a collage of things that inspire me. While it doesn't look like much, I think it is a pretty good representation of my design aesthetic. It pretty much took me all day. I really feel this element will help the designers understand my style, in a way that I could not convey to them through words. So, here it is:

I love it! It makes me feel warm, and gives me the feeling I hope people get when they look at my pictures. Does it look like me??

*none of this is my work - it is all images from off the web, a lot of it from Anthropologie.

so next thursday the branding begins! before my hour phone consultation, they asked me to put together an "inspiration board" for them to have a better idea of my style. i am very excited to put this together this weekend - maybe i will post it when i put it together.

as promised, here's some more pictures from crosby stills & nash on wednesday.

i am feeling very distracted and unable to articulate well - a bit like a goldfish, i imagine. hopefully will have more to say later this weekend.

have a good one!