I don’t know about you, friends, but I am so ready for Spring to finally arrive here in Massachusetts!  While the blog has been in a bit of hibernation mode, I’ve been gearing up for getting outside again for what I know is going to be the best year for Caroline Talbot Photography yet!  It’s going to be an exciting season, guys!

While the snow sloooooowly melts around our home, Josh and I decided to take a trip up to Lincoln, NH to visit the highly talked about Ice Castle before they wrapped up for the season.  Let me tell you, it was worth the trip!  We had a very chilly and fun afternoon exploring.  It was amazing to see in person!

I felt so tiny walking around the space.  It’s hard to believe that its all entirely man made each year, from the archways, to the main tower of the castle, to the ice slide (which apparently had quite the rough landing after a season of melting and re-freezing!).

As sunset approached, the sun peeked over the horizon, it sparkled through the beautiful patterns in the ice sculptures as the castles slowly illuminated for their evening light shows.

While it grew darker by the minute, the castles were filled with music as the ice glowed and danced with color.

I was so glad we were able to make this trip.  It definitely fueled my sense of adventure, and I am so ready for spring to be here to kick off the adventure of the 2015 season!

Happy Friday, friends!  I am so excited to be writing this from my completely renovated office!  When Josh and I first moved into our home (I can’t believe it’s been 7 years!), I knew that I wanted the office space to be mine.  Tucked away downstairs, it was quiet, and I could shut off the world in there.  The room had much to be desired, but in it’s own crooked and quirky way, it had potential.

Here’s what it looked like before I got my hands on it (I apologize for the horrid photos, I had taken then while we were being shuffled through our home inspection), and when I first cleared it out, planning on using it as a shooting space.

After realizing I almost never shoot in my own home, it’s now my office and meeting space for my couples.  It’s now my favorite room in the house, and I can’t wait to start having all of my wonderful couples over!  What a better way to see your wedding album or family portrait proofs for the first time than by cozying up on the couch and having some time just about you!

I’m so ready for 2014 (I mean, it is April, so I guess I should be!), and spending time in a space where I can 100% focus, with the help of the occasional daily latte.  I’d love to have you visit and join me!  Now get down to business before it’s the weekend!

As you can probably imagine, during these frigid winter months, I spend a little bit less time shooting weddings (although still meeting and planning with all of my wonderful 2014 clients!), and a little more time on back end and less glamorous work.  During the past few weeks, I was able to step away from the computer, and into a new type of office… Welcome to the Charles Playhouse!  I was so thrilled when Jamia over at Blue Man emailed me to see if I had some time to work with them during February school vacation week to cover some of the super fun events and shows they had planned for families looking for something fun to do while the kiddos were home.  After working with Blue Man on a multimedia project a little while back (check that out here!), I knew that I was in for a great time.  I can’t count how many times I said “you guys, this is a WORK day!”

Before a few of the shows, any kids (or kids at heart) who had a ticket to see the show could have their face painted to look like any member of the band (or really any pattern they wanted on their face).  It was so exciting to see everyone all lined up in the newly renovated Charles Playhouse Lounge!  If you haven’t seen the new space, definitely get over there.  It’s so awesome!  I challenge you not to play with the new Lounge-U-Lum, an interactive musical wall that only Blue Man would dream up.

Naturally, the Blue Men were attracted to the Lounge-U-Lum and couldn’t help but sneak in to play around, and I think I spotted a future Blue Man getting his groove on!

Even some dads couldn’t help but get in on the face painting action.

With everyone good and painted, you can tell that this theater is prepping for some great times ahead!

You just can’t help but to be pulled into the show.  

Ask any Blue Man (not that they will answer!) , the most important part of the entire show is the audience.  This is not a show where there are performers and onlooking audience members.  It’s a 100% interactive experience, and the normal 4th wall in theater just doesn’t exist here.

I’ve been spotted!

I’ll leave some surprise for you as to what happens as the Blue Men enter the audience, but here’s a taste of how you can expect to react…

What was that I was saying about a dance party? 

After every show, the audience has a chance to get up close and personal with the Blue Men, and of course, the occasional selfie…

This is what happens when you trust a Blue Man with your phone.  You end up with 500 photos of yourself and everyone around you…

Thanks everyone for another few wonderful days!  I think I’ve got the Blue Man Face nailed, what do you think?

It has been a wonderful year, filled with some new faces, lots of old friends and clients, and big plans for 2014!  While I still have plenty to catch up on and share with you, before 2013 draws to a close, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.  Each and every one of you who has crossed my path in 2013 has made my world just a little bit (ok, way more than a little bit – as in a whole ton of bits) sunnier, brighter, happier, and all the other warm and fuzzies there are!

Thank you to all of you for being a part of this crazy journey at Caroline Talbot Photography.  You’re all sorts of awesome.  

I am such a firm believer in the notion that you should always be learning. Always. So this past month, I decided to attend one of Justin & Mary‘s Walk Through a Wedding workshop, where I spent two very intensive days with about 10 other amazing photographers from all over the country (and beyond!) learning so much from one of the most giving couples. I left Justin & Mary’s home late on the evening of the second day (so late that it was actually early morning) feeling excited, overwhelmed, and most importantly, ready to really take what I had learned and use it to take even better care of my couples.

I learned a lot in those two days. I knew I was going to. I expected to learn a lot about what to look for, how to make better images, when to expect things to happen, and what to do when something goes wrong. What I didn’t realize was that some of the most important things I would learn would have very little to do with creating images.

Amidst all the whats, hows, whens and what ifs spent time on over the course of those two days, what really stuck with me was the why. Why do I spend almost every weekend with couples on what can be a super stressful day amidst all the moving pieces of what goes into a wedding day? Why do I keep on pressing that button to click the shutter? We also learned that saying things out loud, so it’s out in the open (no takesies-backsies!), so here’s my why.

I do this because I love witnessing happiness and love. I love being there for the smiles, the “Oh, wow, she looks so…just wow” whispered under his breath, the hugs, and the celebrations. I love that all these moments fly by too quickly. It makes them that much more special. Those moments? They’re uniquely yours. It’s your story. It makes my heart full. It makes me laugh. And sometimes (ok, a lot of the time), it makes me cry.

Because someday, after the dust has settled, the flowers passed, and the dress cleaned, the memories fade. We forget about those deep breaths we took that helped the whole day sink in, and the moments that took our breath away. I do this because I love bringing those moments back. I love being able to share the chance to look at back at your wedding, and take those deep breaths again. I do this because you are in love, and that love matters.

And while this may have been a bit after their actual wedding, Alica and Adam are most definitely in love, and they most definitely have a love that matters and is uniquely theirs, and here’s my version of their story.

Justin and Mary, thank you for pushing us so hard, for opening up your home (and quite honestly, your life) to us. For sharing your why, your how, your what ifs, and your whens, and for sharing you. Trust me, from the bottom of my heart, it matters.