Rachel Kate Photography Blog

Well hello there.

I have spent the better part of the last three days looking at and working on the pictures from this wedding and being completely transported back to that day when I had the opportunity to spend it with Amanda and Brian and all of their almost unreal happiness. Amanda is rare. She just is. She is a special kind of soul who has the ability to make a person feel special and respected and warm just by being in the same room as her.  From the very first time I talked with this girl, I felt like I had known her for years and like we had been friends forever.  She can do that in an instant, just by being who she is and I think that is such an amazing quality in a person.  Every correspondence we’ve had and every single time we have been together Amanda has made me feel happy and loved. Her happiness just rubs off and she is so a person that chooses happy. I love people like that. Even though I am a person who too often chooses complaining. Not an attractive quality…

Amanda and Brian are just perfect, so obviously in love and such great people. I am pretty sure that Brian would rather take on open fire by some bad guys he was trying to apprehend being the police officer that he is than get in front of my camera and get his picture taken, but on his wedding day I am pretty sure that he was too busy being so damn happy that he forgot to scowl at me. Kidding. Brian was actually an awesome sport that whole day. Even the fact that we were shooting when it was pretty cold out didn’t even phase either of them. We just had a ball, walking all over one of my favorite places to shoot and then proceeded onto to a beautiful (read: quick) ceremony at my favorite chapel and to their fun party at the International in Bolton.

I’ll tell you, I find plenty to complain about when it comes to my job. Endless hours of editing, constant non-stop work that doesn’t go away because I do it in my home, so many afternoons spent out shooting and missing my kids practices and games, weekends all but gone, household and mothering duties guiltily put on the back burner for 5 months out of the year. I do this because I love it. And I do it because there are times when I know what I do means a lot to the people I do it for. Amanda, bless her heart and the sangria she was drinking on her honeymoon, took time out of her vacation away from it all and all things wedding, to let me know that I mean something to her and that she was grateful for the relationship that we have been lucky enough to form. THIS is why I do it. Because the people I get to meet find a way into my heart and make me a better person. Love.

I just love these pictures. I love how you can see just how happy Amanda and Brian are to be getting married to each other.

Had my by Jeff Kobel with me that day to help keep us all laughing and get some great stuff.

I really just adore her. LOVE that shot of Brian that Kobel got. Look at my gorgeous girl! Sigh. Love this. That is Longfellow in case any of you were wondering. You just can’t go wrong at the Wayside Inn. LOVE these. Amanda has a nose crinkle that happens when she is real happy. And it makes me REAL happy.
Makes me laugh. The weather that day, even though it was cold, was perfect for pictures. Everything just looks like a painting. Nope. Not happy at ALL…. Gah! I love it! Amanda is a credit to her dad. He is just as warm and loving as Amanda is herself. He was so, so kind to me and he loves his little girl more than words can say. Easily the fastest ceremony in the whole wide world, but is was sweet and pretty as it was quick. Nose crinkle. I had never shot at the International before. I wanted to put on a dress like Betty Draper from Mad Men, light a cigerette and drink a scotch and pretend it was the early 60′s. It was so cool and retro in the cocktail space..loved it there. Not even sure if it was supposed to be, but that was just the feeling I got. Jeff and I were digging that vibe. AHHH!! Here is the reason that I was lucky enough to meet Amanda. My Jen and Brian. Talk about a gem. Jen literally sparkles and is just as kind and warm and special as Amanda is.  I shot their wedding last year and this couple warms my heart and makes me VERY happy. We try to figure out on a regular basis how we can get together and do shoots for everything. Going to the grocery store? Sure! We can make a shoot out of that!! LOVE them.

Congratulations from the bottom of my heart. You are amazing people and I am so lucky to have been a part of this day. Love you!

xo, Rachel

 

Morning!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. I definitely did. I DEFINITELY couldn’t have been happier to kiss all the men in my life goodfrigginbye this morning and have the house to myself, my Keurig and my Missygirl all day long. Oh sweet Monday mornings after really long weekends..I do love you…

Today is a complete and total exercise in will power as I attempt to edit wedding pictures ALL DAY LONG but what I really want to do is look online and cyber shop and find the highest thread count sheets for the lowest possible price (bedding..my new obsession). I have decided I am making a new product for my computer. It will be some sort of application that locks down my ability to open a new tab on my browser for periods of time that I can determine.  Like, for instance, today, I would put that sucker on 1 hour. After I diligently work in Photoshop or Lightroom for a period of one hour I will hear a pleasing little chime that alerts me to the fact that I have earned a 20 minute browsing reward. During this time I will look at Facebook and my spammy email inbox that has all of the sales for things I do not need and I will perhaps even glance at Pinterest in hopes of finding the perfect holiday cocktail that I plan on drinking for the next 4 weekends in a row. Then, once my reward time is up the browser will freeze for another hour and so on and so on. I will market this brilliant app that is designed for those of us who are weak of internet will and I will make millions. I know about 30 photographers right off the bat that are in desperate need of my invention. I will go on Shark tank and then I will be able to by 4 million thread count sheets when they are not even on sale.

Before I do this, though, I am going to show you the children of one of my oldest friends, Jackie. She has 5 year old Charlie and just made the world better by adding little Brody to the mix not long ago. They came to my studio and we all had the pleasure of a visit and a shoot.

Jackie is one of the few people in the world I would do a prop-y kind of shot for…and I have to admit..it is really kind of cute:)

Love this little baby! He is too sweet. Love this pic. Thise eyes just melt me. Funny Charlie. Yup. That is just about how we all felt right around this point of the shoot:)

So happy for you, Jax. You are doing an awesome job, mama.

xo, Rachel

Morning!! It is before 8 on this fine Saturday morning and I have promised my favorite girl Stef that I would get her baby boy up as soon as I could. While I am prying open my eyes and sucking back coffee, I am sure Stef is in front of a whole bunch of motivated women teaching a fitness class and making me feel chubby. This turkey eating load is in desperate need of a run and I think looking at pictures of Stefanie today will make me get off of my butt and go.

Can we talk about my JJ for a second?? I first met Stef and Chris when I shot Stefanie’s maternity pics over two years ago. Since then I have been able to see my boy JJ a few times and each time he gets cuter. He is officially turned two which means he has officially turned on me and I will have to wait until he is about 4.5 until he likes me again, but that is OK. I am willing to wait it out because I love that little boy.

He is just this brilliant little guy who is 100% going to be some sort of world altering engineer when he gets older. You know, when he likes me again…

He is so stinking cute. And obsessed with ceiling fans… I also like to call him Capt’ Stinkeye when he isn’t looking.  Could this family be any more beautiful?? Love Stefanie, Chris and their blue eyed boy. Full blown yelling at me. And possibly giving me the finger. How about here?? I am pretty sure he is giving me the third degree in Italian right about now. Spot always makes him happy.

Happy Birthday little man! Always SO good to see you guys!

xo, Rachel

Hi!!!

I have been trying my hardest to get this post up before the office where my girl Nicole works clears out for the long weekend. I think I may have succeeded. If Jameson would just stop his incessant talk about things that, God help me, I SHOULD care about but just DON’T right now, it might actually happen. Love the child. DO NOT CARE ABOUT POKEMON. I am right now trying to use my mind power to transport the boy to his friend’s house so that I don’t have to go out into the rain after I am done posting this. Currently, it is not working.

How much do I love Nicole and Pete?? A wicked lot.  Nicole is just awesome. She works with my husband (poor girl) and has 100% made her way into my heart as my friend. When I am with Nicole and Pete my face hurts because I laugh the whole time.  Their wedding was in October at Pinehills in Plymouth and it was awesome. Nicole is just about as gorgeous as they come (obviously, because my girls are the prettiest in all the land) and she was just BEYOND beautiful on her wedding day. She spent so much time on her details and everything came together just perfectly.

I could write for days about how awesome these two people are, but again, I need to bring the boy to his friend’s house before I say something very unsupportive and not parent like (for instance..”PLEASE BE QUIET FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND ALL THINGS HOLY”). I will instead kiss his little cheek, ask him nicely to go put on his sneakers and show you the pictures from that beautiful Autumn day when Nicole and Pete committed themselves and their lives to each other.

There is Pete and his little guy. Isn’t my Nicole just stunning?? Gorgeous. Off to our First Look. I had my boy Matt Wood with me that day. Always makes me happy. I meannnnnn, really, Nicole. Love her. Love her colors that day. Sigh. These dad pics make me teary. I love this picture. Both Pete and his dad have the same little laugh as they glance at their wives. Congratulations you guys! I am so happy that it was me there to capture that beautiful day. Now we need to go to that Tavern as guests that drink there. K?

xo, Rachel

Hello there!!

Cruising right along here over at my computer…

Today I get to show you sweet little Brett and her awesome mom, Heidi. Heidi is one of Beth Israel labor and delivery nurse loves and one of my sister, Andrea’s dear friends.  5 years ago she was there to help delivery my newphew, Luca and Andrea gave her a gift certificate for a portrait session with me as a thnak you. I can say it was absolutely worth this five year wait because I love what we got. There aren’t many adults that get in front of my camera and can’t wait to have their picture taken. All of you people say the same thing..blah, blah..I hate getting my picture taken…yada, yada.. But I think it is SO important, as a mom, to have a picture with your baby. I know Heidi wasn’t super thrilled to get in the pics but I am so glad she did.And I know 50 years from now, Brett will be even more thankful.

She is so adorable.

Brett just lights up when she looks at her mom. Love this.

Thanks girls! It was so good to see you!!

xo, Rachel