Pennace Photography » Engagement

Hsiaolei + Alisha ● Park Slope Engagement Photography

Laura Pennace — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:45:29 +0000

I’m pretty biased when I say I think Hsiaolei (pronounced “shuh-lay”) and Alisha are some of the coolest people alive. I’m biased mostly because Hsiaolei is one of my BFFs. We went to college together and met when she joined the sorority I was in (yes folks, we were both in a sorority!), and off and on through our post-college years we’ve been roommates. What’s even better is that Alisha is from Massachusetts (what I lovingly call “the motherland”) and knows what I’m talking about when I ask where the “bubbler” is. Basically they are the coolest couple around.

Hsiaolei and Alisha live in Park Slope, so it seemed like the perfect place for their shoot. It’s an area I’m shamefully not too familiar with, and I admittedly had never stepped foot in Prospect Park before. But we had a lot of fun wandering around during dusk, and I personally had a lot of fun trying some new concepts out.

Thank you guys for putting up with all my direction and stopping every two feet to take “just one more picture” on a chilly January evening.

Before we finished, we ended up doing some fun silhouette shots in Prospect Park. This involved a lot of dancing, a piggyback ride, some do-si-dos, cartwheels and failed handstands. I love my friends

Technorati Tags: black and white, brooklyn, brooklyn engagement photographer, brooklyn engagement photography, couple, Engagement, engagement photographer, engagement photography, engagement photos, engagement shoot, gay friendly wedding photographer, laura pennace, laura pennance, lgbt engagement photography, park slope, park slope engagement photographer, photographer, photos, prospect park engagement session, thoughts, winter

Danielle + Melson ● DUMBO Engagement Photography

Laura Pennace — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:13:05 +0000

Part of the reason why I love what I do so much is that I’m able to meet and befriend so many cool and fun people whom I never would’ve known otherwise. This is especially true for Danielle and Melson, a couple whom I met and immediately hit it off with. The engagement session was so much fun, and lots of jokes.

In fact, at one point my (admittedly vague and odd) direction to them was “go stand over there and tell each other jokes.” Hahaha. I wanted to just make them laugh as I snapped away, only to actually hear them telling each other knock-knock jokes. You guys are the “bomb dot com”!!!

We did their engagement shoot in DUMBO and I can’t wait for their wedding in April!! Thanks for being so awesome you crazy kids!

Technorati Tags: blue wall, couple, dumbo, Engagement, engagement photos, engagement shoot, laura pennace, laura pennance, manhattan bridge, new york, new york city, people, photography, reflection, thoughts

Concept Shoot ● “What Once was Lost, Now is Found”

Laura Pennace — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:18:39 +0000

Love never dies.

Not even after you do.

As you may or may not know, in addition to being a photographer, I am also a paranormal investigator (aka “ghost hunter”) with the New York Paranormal Society. I’ve been doing this as part of a group since 2006, and have had some crazy experiences as a result!

With that in mind, and in the spirit of Halloween, I wanted to see if I could merge the two interests in a concept shoot. Months ago I had thought of doing a “sass the dress” in a cemetery, and it gradually evolved into something like an engagement shoot, but with the couple as wandering ghosts. Separated by death, they need to find each other before they can move on. I based the couple in the general time period of 1900-1920 and chose a cemetery on Staten Island that I knew was the perfect setting – overgrown and seemingly forgotten to time. I wanted to evoke darkness, sadness, eventually ending with not even joy so much as simple contentment, all while maintaining a sense of creepiness.

My models were the AMAZING Brian Solomon and Cruella Moxham. Brian is the creator of the popular horror blog The Vault of Horror, and Cruella runs Cruella’s Crypt. This is a couple devoted to each other and to the ghoulish side of life – they were the perfect choice for this shoot and it was so much fun to work with them!

Technorati Tags: brian solomon, burial ground, captain cruella, cemetery shoot, concept shoot, cruella moxham, cruella's crypt, engagement shoot, ghost, ghost hunter, ghost hunters, ghosts, graves, halloween, headstones, laura pennace, laura pennance, new york, new york city, paranormal, people, photography, potter's field, rose, staten island, stylized shoot, thoughts, vault of horror

Erin + Patrick ● Worcester, MA Engagement Photography

Laura Pennace — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:59:58 +0000

Yesss. This engagement shoot had an extra “oomph” of awesomeness because Erin and I have been friends since freshman year in high school. I grew up in central Massachusetts and was so excited to be able to shoot an engagement session around Worcester. And, of course, it was made all the better since I was photographing my friend and her fiancé!! We even arranged our meet up spot to be at our old high school (Notre Dame Academy). Ahh, memories!

We started our shoot at Bancroft Tower. As we drove up the hill, two foxes darted across the road in front of us. After spending some time there, we hit up Elm Park and enjoyed the gorgeous weather and some of the (er, interesting) art installations there.

And of course, what engagement session would be complete without the “gunbrella”?

Technorati Tags: bancroft tower, bridge, elm park, Engagement, engagement photos, engagement shoot, giant pencil, gunbrella, laura pennace, laura pennance, notre dame academy, people, playground, thoughts, umbrella, worcester, worcester ma, worcester mass

Laureen + Tom ● New York City Engagement Photography

Laura Pennace — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:09:08 +0000

Laureen and Tom are an absolutely adorable couple whose engagement photos I did earlier this year. The day was dreary but we were not deterred! These shots were taken at Bryant Park. First up, we made use of the Bryant Park “reading room.”

Technorati Tags: ann radcliffe, bryant park, couple, Engagement, engagement photos, laura pennace, laura pennance, manhattan, new york, new york city, nyc, people, photography, the romance of the forest, thoughts

Katie + Jeff ● Staten Island, NY Engagement Photography

Laura Pennace — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:53:41 +0000

This engagement shoot was all about fun, and I love that!!! Katie and Jeff are simply a fun, happy couple. It was so much fun to watch them interact with each other during the shoot. Because they were so much fun, I didn’t feel too bad about making them stand in a fountain (Nobody was harmed in the making of this engagement shoot). The shoot took place at Wolfe’s Pond Park on Staten Island.

PLUS I get to photograph their wedding in October, which I cannot wait for!!

Katie and Jeff also brought their daughter Olivia and we got some nice family shots. Umm, isn’t she the cutest???

Technorati Tags: couple, engagement photos, engagement shoot, Family, laura pennace laura penannce, new york, new york city, people, photography, staten island, thoughts, wolfe's pond park

Amy + Douglas ● NYC Engagement Photography

Laura Pennace — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:28:02 +0000

Amy contacted me wanting her engagement photos done, and the topic quickly veered into New England-y type things (she is originally from Maine, I’m from Massachusetts) and then Amy mentioned that she and Douglas actually won their wedding – from Green Wedding Giveaway! Now, winning this contest isn’t easy (one requirement for the finalists is that they make a video every week) – and Amy and Douglas were thrilled to be the winning couple. And I was so happy to be able to do their engagement pictures!!

Amy, who used to be a water resource engineer, had the amazing idea to have some shots taken with a water tower – and there’s about a bazillion to choose from in the city! So in addition to the Brooklyn Bridge and the High Line, we also spent a lot of time on a rooftop just enjoying the view and taking photos. An amazing summer evening

Two of Amy’s dresses (the white one and the white/pink one) are from Brooklyn Industries. Check them out!

Technorati Tags: bridge, brooklyn, brooklyn bridge, brooklyn industries, couple, Engagement, engagement photos, Green Wedding Giveaway, high line, laura pennace, laura pennance, manhattan, new york, new york city, people, photography, photos, rooftop, skyline, thoughts, water tower

Words of Wisdom Wednesday ● What to Wear for your Engagement Photos

Laura Pennace — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:39:21 +0000

In an effort to blog more consistently I’ve decided to do a weekly post on advice/how to for couples/people getting photographed. I’m starting off with tips on dressing for an engagement session, since that is one of the most common questions I’m asked. So here goes!

First off, dress for the scenery and the mood you want to evoke. What appeals to you more, shots in Central Park or shots in the Meatpacking District? Central Park is more traditional and romantic, while Meatpacking is more edgy and modern. What you’d wear to an engagement shoot in Central Park would not necessarily be what you’d wear to an engagement shoot in the Meatpacking District.

Secondly, it’s important to make sure that your outfits don’t clash with each other. And I’m not saying they have to be matchy-matchy (too much matching isn’t good either!)

This next point is a very important one: comfortable shoes! Wear ‘em or bring ‘em and change for the shots themselves, but you’re going to find yourself walking a LOT. Comfortable shoes are a must! Liz wore flip flops as we walked to each location, but for the shots themselves she was wearing some super sassy heels.

To change up an outfit quickly and easily I suggest dressing in layers, and bringing accessories that can be removed/added (such as a belt and scarf). If you’re talented enough, you can also bring a change of clothes with you and with some clever conniving, change once you hit a new location.

Finally, dress for yourself. With all these tips in mind, the most important one is to feel comfortable in whatever you’re wearing. Maybe you have a favorite outfit that makes you feel amazing. And honestly, it can be a dress or jeans and a shirt. The point I’m trying to make is that if you’re wearing clothes that you aren’t comfortable in, it’ll show. Don’t wear a dress if you never wear them day to day. The more comfortable you are, both mentally and physically, the better the photos will come out.

Technorati Tags: brooklyn, central park, couple, Engagement, engagement photos, engagement shoot, high line, laura pennace, laura pennance, manhattan, manhattan skyline, meatpacking, new york, new york city, people, photography, photos, photoshoot, skyline, thoughts

Ashley + Craig ● Manhattan Engagement Photography

Laura Pennace — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 05:44:11 +0000

A friend of mine introduced me to Ashley, who was looking to have engagement photos done. Ashley and Craig, who are getting married in Michigan later this year, wanted to have some classic NYC photos done for their engagement pictures. I’ve been wanting to do some shots on the High Line for a long time, so I was happy that we hit that up!! I loved their adventurous spirit and they both handled the heat wonderfully (and trust me, it was hot!!). Thanks Ashley and Craig for the opportunity to do your e-pics!!

Technorati Tags: black and white, black and white photography, couple, Engagement, engagement photos, graffiti, high line, high line park, laura penance, laura pennace, laura pennance, manhattan, new york, new york city, people, photography, photos, photoshoot, portraits, the standard hotel, thoughts, west village

Liz + Rich ● Manhattan Engagement Photography

Laura Pennace — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:18:11 +0000

Liz and Rich are an awesome couple who are from very close to where I grew up in central Massachusetts. They came down to the city to do their engagement shoot and we had such a blast wandering around the West Village taking photos. It was super hot that day but I think we pulled it off flawlessly I am SO excited to be shooting their wedding in September back home!!

Clearly, these two know how to work it for the camera!

Technorati Tags: black and white, black and white photography, couple, Engagement, engagement photos, graffiti, laura penance, laura pennace, laura pennance, manhattan, meatpacking, new york, new york city, people, photography, photos, thoughts, west village