It was a beautiful morning in the Boston Public Gardens to photograph such a loving and happy family. John, Allie & baby Eleanor laughed and played their way through the gardens and right onto the duck boats, what fun! Here is this gorgeous little girl at 8 months...
Newborn | Welcome Baby Grayson
When I first laid eyes on Grayson I was in love. His full luscious head of blonde hair was just the tip of the ice burg. He was the perfect little model, (he obviously picked up some tips from mom and dad!) and stayed sleeping for most of our time together... perfect!
Amy and Mark, I wish you all the best and I'm sure little Grayson will remain a complete angel!
jess + paul | wedding at the willowbend country club
Jess and Paul are such a unique and loving couple, I was so honored when I was the very first vendor booked in Jess's wedding planning. Jess is so vivacious and full of life, she's a teacher (who's school kids cherish her), she's a twin, a daughter and the perfect match for Paul! Who is equally kind and gentle.
Their wedding day was full of wonderful surprises and beautiful nieces and nephews (and Julia) to keep everyone on their toes!
I wish Jess and Paul the very best in their journey together through life!
venue: Willowbend CountryClub
hair/make up: Kimberly Richard
dress: Alfred Angelo
bridesmaid dresses: Amsale
shoes: Kate Spade
flowers: Fancy Florist
music: Cape Tunes Scott Rosenthal
cake: Montillios Bakery
Newborn | Welcome Baby Greyson
It was a slow Tuesday morning when I twisted through the streets of Boston to arrive at the very quiet, yet cozy, home of Lara & Jake. Lara was primping with the help of a very talented Kathryn Yee of Bash Studio. As I waited I held baby Greyson in my arm and checked out his room with him. With the help of Jessica, author of OH, I DESIGN blog, Lara created a beautiful, neutral and cozy nook to chill out in while she's with Greyson. A very serene and refreshing vibe is what you feel when you're in his nursery.
I was so excited and honored to document this moment for Lara & Jake.
The Breer Family | Boston Public Garden
It was one of those hot summer days where the rain kinda falls, but not really... it was cloudy, overcast, warm and drizzly... which made for the perfect lighting. The old me would have called a rain day but my muse said, "no just go and shoot up until it's absolutely down pouring, see what happens!" So I did... and boy am I ever glad! The thick cloud cover made for an absolutely stunning light situation. The sky was a giant softbox, baby Stephen was in a great mood, mom and dad were chill & relaxed and magic was made.
Engagement - On my old blog - not yet uploaded to my new blog
Wedding - http://www.aprilkphotography.com/blog/emily-berts-wedding-at-the-boston-public-library
Newborn - http://www.aprilkphotography.com/blog/welcome-stephen-boston-south-end-newborn-photography
A Very Boston Wedding | Arielle + Daniel Fanuef
When I met with Arielle a few years ago, after she was recently engaged, she told me her friend from work told her, "If I ever had the chance to re-do my wedding, April would definitely be my photographer" so we met, had dinner, chatted, laughed our butts off and we left knowing that we would create wedding day magic!
2 years later, Arielle and Dan shared the most epic wedding day Boston has ever experienced. Without letting my words take over, this day was filled with so many tears of happiness, belly laughs and emotion. Let me tell you, as the photographer of such an emotional day (along with being an emotional person) it was really hard to control my camera shake during the laughter and focus the camera as my eyes were welling up during the parent dances!
From the moment dinner was served and the cake was cut, friends and family were entertained all evening. Along with their RSVP, each guest was asked to write down one word that described Arielle and Dan as a couple... well Dan and his Improv Asylum friends had a field day with this! Afterwards, Arielle and her girls, harnessed their inner Brittany Spears and was later joined by all of Arielle and Dan's nieces an nephews to create a flash mob experience on the dance floor. Holy smokes can that entire family dance, they were all in sync and gettin' down with their bad selves.
Arielle and Dan, I had such a wonderful time getting to know you and may your lives together always be filled with as much love and excitement as you had on your wedding day.
xo
View Arielle + Dan's engagement shoot here
Wyatt & Becca's Beach Wedding | Turks & Caicos
Wyatt & Becca's wedding day was absolutely gorgous… seriously, a dream wedding. Becca has talked, for years, about wanting to have a destination wedding so as soon as Wyatt popped the question, the hunt for the perfect beach location was on. They decided to exchange nuptials on the white sand beaches of Turks & Caicos. With the warm tropical sun shining and the soft salty sea breeze blowing, it was the perfect day to have a love celebration.
One of my favorite memories from Wyatt and Becca's wedding was their first dance. They danced to Tyrone Wells - You and Me On Top Of The World… and honestly, the giant smiles never left either one of their faces. The love they have for each other and the excitement that they were finally here, dancing in the tropics with all of their closest friends and relatives standing by, was so clear to see.
I wasn't the "hired photographer" but of course, I had to bring my camera along for such a special weekend!
Wyatt, I've been taking pics of you for along time and this moment was by far the most exciting! I couldn't be any more proud of you. Becca I'm so excited to finally have you as my sister in law!
Hanging Around {my life}
Some of my favorites from Ethan's first month. He finished the month weighing in at 12 lbs and 22 inches... eating like a champion, sleeping like a baby {literally... hit or miss if we get any sleep around here} and blowing out diapers like, woah! Already in size 2 diapers and 6-12 month clothes. This lil whopper is a cuddly one with a sweet personality... he also often resembles an old man, sometimes. hehehe
A special welcome to my baby boy, Ethan
Whew…
I know I know, I have been MIA for the last 3 weeks or as my gal pal told me “you went dark”
… well, honestly, I haven’t had time (or have really cared to make it a priority) to blog because girlfriend... I’ve been covered in blood, sweat, tears and milk… have been knee deep in poopy diapers all day and quite frankly, why would I want to do "work" when I have this perfect little angel in my arms? I call the first 3 months of having a baby, Survival Mode. You do what you can when you can and do whatever works! With this being my second, it puts a whole new meaning to survival mode!
For my favorite mama's out there, this ones for you!
The second time around for me has been so much different in so many ways. Most importantly I know how fast this first year is going to go by, which is awesome on one hand and also really scary! The first year is the hardest, I’d say… but it’s also the time when they grow the fastest and change so much so I’m really trying to take it in this time. In addition, I have Sienna now competing for my attention. And when I do have a few moments when they're sleeping, that's when Justin is home and I’m not one to let my marriage take a back seat… so my time is pretty much spent!
But It’s been wonderful. and scary. and hectic. and emotional (oh the random tears)… I’ve gotten a lot of flack for not announcing Ethan’s birth on social media and my response is… sorry, I’m not sorry! Facebook & Instagram, I’m not your bitch! haha.
So what’s up? Well… let me just start by reassuring all of you mama’s out there that the rumor is true… the second child comes SO MUCH FASTER than the first. Holy cats! Sienna took me from start to finish about 18 hours… so I said to myself… what is fast? 10 hours? 8 hours? no… My contractions this time around started at 9:30pm and Ethan was born at 12:18am… less than 3 hours from start to finish! BOOM "you're now a mother of 2"
... say what?!
After it was all said and done I was laying on the delivery room table (very happy) saying to myself “what in the hell just happened?” hahaha
As I stared down at this BEAUTIFUL little creature I was in love. Ethan Justin Obey was born on Friday the 13th at 12:18 am. He is a big boy, weighing in at 9.8 lbs and 22 inches long! He came just before yet another blizzard hit Boston.
Now, at 3 weeks old, as I write this he is 11lbs 11oz and busting out of clothes for a 3 month old baby! (Onto 6 month clothes already?) So you can just imagine how much he's been eating!
Naturally as a newborn photographer I bought all sorts of really cute hats and other newborn goodies I anticipated using on Ethan… Unfortunately I didn’t know I was giving birth to a giant and he does not fit into anything I bought. In fact, he was almost too long to even fit on my posing beanbag! His pediatrician took one look at him and said (in his adorable South African accent) "woah, this fella is a Moose!"
Like I stated in my goals, I had high hopes of having several newborn shoots but the reality of my life is that I barely had time for 1. It's said you should get newborn photos in the first 14 days but as the mother and the photographer, I did not have the energy to muster up to take photos until the 14th day. So Here are a few of Ethan on his 14th day (though when you hold him it seems like it's his 3rd month) that I did have time to snag during Sienna’s (very quick) nap time!
P.S. to my loyal mama followers, I resurrected my old THE RUNNIN MAMA blog to keep you posted on how it's going... because I know as a mama it's nice to know what others are going through while you are too! xoxo
Juno the snowman
This past week we New Englanders got to enjoy the calm, fresh + relaxing winter treat called "snow days". All cozied up at home together with a fire burning and hot cocoa in hand. I have always been a long time fan of snowstorms... to me they're so romantic.
It's always so much fun to take Sienna out into the snow to build a snowman... since she's a huge fan of Olaf and Frosty... she always talks to the snowman after we put the hat on him, she truly believes he's going to come to life... it's priceless.
baby Ike
The sweetness of a newborn, there is nothing like it. Soft, sweet & sleepy... baby Ike nailed his first photoshoot!
Baby Bliss
Agh, this was such an awesome newborn shoot. Jillian had found me through a friends recommendation and I was so happy she contacted me. Jillian and Andrew are a breath of fresh air, so unique and such loving parents. Bliss is one lucky lil lady! Here is her debut...
My Life Lately...
Lately I've been feeling pretty tired and uncomfortable. This seems to be the hardest time for most in the whole child rearing process. Currently I'm 36 weeks pregnant {and have gained about 50lbs). In addition... I feel like I have a 25 lb attachment on the front of me while trying to wrangle a 50 lb toddler in my arms. When I hold Sienna, she tends to sit on top of the bump... which feels awesome on my back {not}.
I've been feeling very blessed... yet feel myself getting overwhelmed with the thought of managing a newborn and a two year old all day every day. People suggest following the same schedule everyday... but the thought of trying to stick to a rigid schedule freaks me out! People also suggest "getting help" but help cost $$ and it just doesn't make sense for us. Because of this I've been pretty occupied both mentally and physically. When Justin {my husband} asked me what my New Years resolution for 2015 was going to be... my response was "to survive" lol.
In all of this, I've been thinking a lot about the April K Photography brand and where I want to take it. Right now I feel like I've reached a cross roads in my photography and really, I can go any way I want... it's figuring out which way I'll be most interested in and most passionate about. I've been thinking... a lot. I'm the type of person to hibernate and direct my energy inward to try and listen to my own voice and instincts while I figure things out... something that seems like it should be easy, but it's hard for me to hear over all the sounds social media and the thoughts and voices of others.
So I've been pretty quiet.
Listening.
Slowly I'm hearing and learning and gathering information about each possibility I have before me and it's very exciting. The thought of getting back out to shoot, full time, ONLY AFTER I've spent some solid years with my babies, exclusively, free of the stress that running a business can bring, really excites me. For a while I thought I had lost my passion, but it turns out I am just in a different spot in my life that needs more attention right now, and I'm perfectly OK with that.... because I believe that it's not about "having it all" it's about managing what's going on in my life, right now and enjoying the chapter i'm on. In turn, my creative juices will flourish and when I'm ready to devote more energy, great things will happen.
In the meantime, my goal is to put out more personal projects... believing that they will make me learn to not be afraid of making mistakes and to push myself beyond my known limits. As my focus has temporarily shifted to being a mother, I'm in the perfect position to not be so dependent on my income which in turn allows me the creative freedom I need to grow. In addition, I'm looking forward to taking on only a very niche clientele to offer a more 'boutique" and individualized experience in both weddings and newborns.
Stay tuned for more of my adventures!
xo,
April
Welcome Stephen! | Boston, South End Newborn Photography
When I get to see a couple go from being engaged, to married, to having their first child... it's really special and what makes me love what I do. When I get asked again and again to capture all of these wonderfully blissful moments in the lives of such beautifully in love and happy people... it's what makes my {the} world go round.
I couldn't be happier for you, Emily + Bert! xoxoxo
Christal's Bridal Portraits | A Wedding in the Finger Lakes, NY
The air was beautifully crisp and a fresh blanket of sparkly white snow lay on the ground. It was a special feeling day for a very special gal. Christal had a vision for her day and she executed what she envisioned, perfectly in her own way. For Christal, this day was about celebrating the love she shared with danny, with the people she loved most... which happened to be about 400 guests!
As a bridesmaid, I wanted to make sure my attention was on Christal for the day... so I only had my camera with me in the morning.... here's how it went down.
xo,
April
There's me... 32 weeks pregnant, gettin' my shoot on!
Real Wedding | Style Me Pretty Feature
Remember Jake + Amanda's off the hook celebration of love? Well Style Me Pretty thought it was pretty awesome too and they featured this "Vintage Romance" on the front page of SMP Weddings today. It's always fun to get my couples featured because they put so much love into planning their day, others should share in the love + creativity too!
Read more here: http://www.stylemepretty.com/2014/11/05/vintage-romance-at-belle-mer/
jon + meag | a boston engagement shoot
I was really excited about this engagement shoot... mostly because I've known Jon (through skiing with Social Boston Sports) since I moved to Boston almost 5 years ago, and was soooo happy for him when he found his one true love! Meag is a complete doll who is so down to earth and sweet. The two compliment each other so well and best of all, they are clearly + completely in love! I cannot wait to document their 2015 wedding in Boston!!!
Welcome Finley | Boston Newborn Photographer
A beautiful family, through and through, I am looking forward to watching this little girl grow!
Grayson Turns One! | Boston Baby Photographer
This past Sunday I got to spend my morning in one of the most beautiful towns in Boston, The North End. It's bustling brick lined streets are filled with friendly folks out to enjoy the day, see the sights and eat really good food.
I was greeted at the door by a toddling little cutie named Grayson. I've watched him grow since he was only days old and we spent the morning documenting him at the ripe age of ONE! He's already walking and love the stairs, mom and dad are doing great too.
I love watching families grow, it is still mind blowing to me how quickly a baby changes in the first year.
Here are a few composites of Grayson + Grayson & Mom & Dad | Newborn + 8 months + 1 year
The power of a photo
Hi Mama's,
A little personal time here... just me you and, well, this amazingly brilliant advertisement for Pampers - give it a watch and then let us discuss...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu3iM1azTj4
How incredible is this advertisement, not only did we not understand a word they were saying... through the power of visual communication we were able to fully understand what was going on and feel the same emotions that mother was feeling... why? because chances are, if you're a mama {or daddy}, you've been there. Holding your preciously good smelling baby in your arms and suddenly you see a photo of him/her just a few months prior... how has time gone so fast? How is this angel already a year old?
Through the power of photography we are able to transport back in time and remember distinctly what we felt like the day of the birth, that time in the park, quiet times at home... whatever photo you choose to look at is like an emotional time warp. Photography has the power of letting you re-live those emotions or re-live moments in your head... from a time that is no longer tangible, yet still so powerful.
Often times i'm asked about my opinion on the growing number of photographers since entering the digital age of photography. My answer? It's pretty amazing. We are all so capable of capturing the stories of our own lives, not only for ourselves, but also for our children. Because of digital photography more and more parents can let their children into a time they cannot remember for themselves. It is going to help children understand their roots better and understand their own family history in such a fun and clear way.
I urge you mama's, to pick up your camera this fall and snap away... I don't care what camera you use, find one and use it and print the photos {or make a book}.
sienna as a newborn { kathy james photography}