Last night I (Jane) had the pleasure of photographing the New York Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center from the outside at night for our client, Swarovski.  It was a beautiful night and with the help of my great friend Lisa who assisted and Philippe, the lovely security guard, we kept it clear enough to provide shots from twilight to full darkness.

This completes the photos we’ve been shooting for Swarovski, documenting their fully refurbished Sputnik crystal chandeliers in honor of Lincoln Center’s 50th Anniversary.  For anyone who is interested, this was shot at f/14 on a tripod for about 1″, ISO 100 with a Canon 5D Mark II and a Canon 24mm L-series prime…love that lens!

To see more of our commercial work go to www.photojane.com.

Summer finally made its arrival in mid-August with temperatures in the 90s for a beautiful wedding on the ocean for Sara and Mark at the Branford House at Avery Point in Groton, Connecticut.

The blue and white theme fit perfectly with the nautical scene on Long Island Sound.  We love weddings at the Branford House, even more so with a tent to bring the party outdoors. During the cocktail party, folks noshed on mussels and cherrystones while ferries and fishing boats sailed by.  I (Mike) noticed Kanonkop South African wine being served…a different and great choice…and I thought someone here must be into wine.  In fact, Sara is the wine biz, working for a distributor of South African wines.

During the ceremony, Mark’s Dad sang a special Irish song, then Sara’s father, Mark’s brother and the Maid of Honor spread the peace and love in their speeches, noting that the wedding was taking place on the 40th anniversary of Woodstock.  Later that night we chatted with Sara and Mark’s friend Jim who played some awesome bagpipes for the wedding…and it turns out he was one of the 400,000 folks up on Yasgur’s farm back in ’69.

On the music topic, we loved the song selection and found out that Sara and Mark chose all the songs to be played at their wedding…really personalizes the sound and vibe of a wedding. On the food front, Emily’s Catering Group had a huge production in place for this large wedding–nice working with them again.

Sara and Mark, thanks very much for having us photograph your wedding!

To see more IRIS wedding photography please go to www.photoiris.com and click on weddings.

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Keri and Michael were married last week at the stately Glen Manor House in Portsmouth RI just north of Newport in a great “green” wedding…the first we’ve photographed.

To reduce their carbon footprint they used a trolley instead of lots of cars to transport guests from Warwick to Portsmouth, their rings were recycled platinum (could have been from a bunch of catalytic converters?) and Keri’s dress was made of banana leaves.

OK, that last part’s not true  : } …she actually wore a very beautiful empire waist dress–one of our favorites. Their green wedding was featured in an extensive article in the Providence Journal…and will be featured in the Green Bride Guide as well…check it out and spread the word.

We also had the chance to work with Christine at Planned to Perfection, wedding planners from Newport.  And the food by Blackstone Caterers was delicious (especially the miso crusted mahi mahi), as was the flower power cake by Sin Desserts.

Keri and Michael chose the most un-wedding band we’ve seen–Scott Damgaard and his band Stained Glass Eye (who play at Hennessey’s in Fanueil Hall in Boston).  It was more like a concert –they played Zeppelin, Bob Marley, Dropkick Murphys (featuring Keri and girlfriends doing some great Irish jigging), The Killers, Boston, Tom Petty, Springsteen, Aerosmith.  And later in the night Keri’s good friend belted out a killer version of “All Along the Watchtower.”  Scott even ended the night with his take on “Chopping Broccoli” by Dana Carvey.  Excellent band.

Keri and Michael, we had a great time…thanks so much for having us photograph your wedding day!

To see more IRIS wedding photography please go to www.photoiris.com and click on weddings.

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Lauren and David were married two weeks ago, with a beautiful ceremony at St. Joseph’s Church in Danbury and a reception at the gorgeous Wainwright House in Rye NY.  The Wainwright House is right on Long Island Sound, just down from Greenwich CT, and you can just see the lights of the Manhattan skyline in the distance.  Lauren (like Nicole, our client who was married in July) is a die-hard Yankees fan and sported a pinstripe garter…and invited a certain Yankees shortstop (see the pics) to her wedding.

This was our first wedding at the Wainwright House—great venue, and it was a pleasure to meet Gary and Elizabeth, the owners of Corner Stone Caterers which caters the weddings at the Wainwright House.   We also had a nice time talking with Louis from Well Spun Weddings, a company that specializes in Super 8 mm film looking videos…well worth a look for a different take on wedding videography.  And the beautiful blue and white flowers were from Floral Designs by Nancy.

Lauren and David, thanks very much for having us photograph your wedding!

To see more IRIS wedding photography please go to www.photoiris.com and click on enter weddings.

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I recently had the pleasure of photographing Hamilton and Kasia’s engagement session on a romantic, foggy evening at Hamilton’s family’s home in Litchfield County.  Great getting to know you guys better and I look forward to shooting your wedding there in October!

To see more IRIS wedding photography please go to www.photoiris.com and click on enter weddings.

“It was a dark and stormy night…” in Newport last Sunday for Robyn and Brian’s elegant wedding at The Astors’ Beechwood mansion…and actually the fog rolling in off the Atlantic added a lot of intimacy and atmosphere to the event.

Robyn and Brian had smiles on their faces throughout the entire day–so nice to see. While Robyn got ready at The Harborside Inn (where the classic restaurant Christie’s used to be), Brian got ready at the Pearls of Newport, just off Thames Street. Then we were off for a bridal party photo shoot around Newport—including stops at Castle Hill Inn, Ocean Avenue (for on-the-rocks pics), and the Elms mansion—before heading to Astors’ Beechwood for the ceremony and reception.

Russell Morin Fine Catering catered their wedding in great style. The ballroom tables were named for famous beaches with special significance to Robyn and Brian–including some of our favorites such as Elbow Beach in Bermuda and Menemsha Beach on Martha’s Vineyard.

Robyn and Brian, thank you very much for having us photograph your wedding!

To see more IRIS wedding photography please go to www.photoiris.com and click on enter weddings.

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We met Keri and Michael at the Newport Bridal Fair at the Rosecliff mansion back in February…and it was great to spend some time with them last week on their engagement shoot in Jamestown, Rhode Island. 

Defying the fog and rain we drove to Beavertail Point and…lo and behold…the skies parted a bit for some great shots along the rocky RI shore. 

Michael played a cool Okkervil River song on guitar while Keri accompanied on tambourine–adding a little Newport Folk Festival feel to the shoot.

In a few weeks Keri and Michael are getting married at the Glen Manor House in Portsmouth RI, which is set in the farmland north of Newport, leading down to the Sakonnet River.  Awesome place for a wedding….great couple..stay tuned for the wedding photos.

Thanks Keri and Michael for the great shoot..see you soon!

To see more IRIS wedding photography please go to www.photoiris.com and click on enter weddings.