HAPPY FRI-DIZZLE PEEPS!

As I type this my finger tips are still tingling! Talk about a killer arm workout, rock climbing is something that I’ve recently discovered and am loving it. I have a huge spot in my heart for adventure sports and am admittedly a tad of an adrenaline junkie! So this sport is the perfect fit for me.

One of my life long goals is quite the opposite of wedding photography. I’ve always dreamt of shooting for outdoor magazines and outdoor apparel companies like Patagonia, The North Face, Marmot, etc. Though the Rock Spot gym in Boston is a far cry from the Rocky Mtn’s, a girl can dream! Red Bull adventure photographer, Christian Pondella, has been an idol of mine for years now. I wonder who will take over when he retires, haha.

This little guy has a magical talent for climbing. His dad takes him to the rock gym every day for the past 3 months and he can climb up and down every wall in the gym with no harness or support. Incredible, he’s about 7 years old.

He makes it to the top AND his phalanges are still in tact! Bonus round


Have you ever been slacklining? It’s sooooo tricky (I can only make it a few steps before I fall)

I challenge you to go try something new that you’ve always wanted to try, do it this weekend!

Have fun, be young & go wild!

April K

Well hello there! I know I’ve been mute lately but don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about you. I’ve been working around the clock finishing up 2011 orders, booking lots of amazing couples for 2012 AND not to mention planning my own wedding. Woo, I’ve been a busy bride, but alas, I am here to share with you some of the details we’ve been working on to make our wedding unique. I thought I’d share after one of my 2012 brides (Stephanie D) asked me this very question:

“WHAT DETAILS ARE YOU PUTTING INTO YOUR WEDDING?”

I don’t really have a wedding style…but If i did it would be a mix of being raised on a farm and on antiques, my love for the Adirondacks and all thing rustic, white sparkly and glimmering…

1. HANGER – Your dress is the main component of your wedding style, right? right. Obviously after shooting over 100 weddings I know the drill… hang the gown while I’m finishing up getting ready and let the photographer have at it. Perfect. I wasn’t about to have my gown photographed on a plastic hanger I hang my everyday clothes on.

2. SLIPPERS – Since we’re having our wedding in the winter (BTW, this was the best/smartest decision I’ve ever made) I received a pair of fuzzy white slippers from my girl Gaby… so I wouldn’t get “cold feet” on my big day, haha. I thought it was a great idea and perfect for keeping my tootsies warm while I was getting glam’d up.

3. PERSONALIZED RING PILLOW – My BFF Jenny gave me this as a shower present and I loved the idea! It’s tiny enough for little hands and can transform into a Christmas Ornament for your tree!

4. CAKE…SPOONS? Yes, we don’t have cake forks, but we have cake spoons! What’s the difference really when it comes to dessert? Let me tell you the story… When Justin and I first started dating we were down on the Cape walking around and he said to me “why do people use the word ‘pumpkin’ as a term of endearment?” my answer was “well people used to really like pumpkins, I guess” he said “well, you’re my ice cream because ice cream is my favorite thing in the whole world” So when I saw these wedding spoons I had to have them for our day!

5. SIGN MY SKIIS, PLEASE – Instead of a conventional guestbook we went for something that had meaning to us. I know, I know… as a wedding photographer I should conventionally be pushing the photograph guest book filled with engagement photos, which I absolutely LOVE… But 1. we didn’t have time to get our engagement pictures done (fortunately for us we have lots of experience in front of the camera + lot’s of high quality professional pictures of the both of us together) 2. I’m not conventional… I love antiques and I’ve always wanted antique skis to hang in my living room…this was my chance, man!

6. WEDDING BOOTS – I can rattle off 10 good reasons to get married in the winter and this is def. a top 3….Winter = boots… and that’s just what I wore! So comfy and warm, these $hit kickers helped me float through my day comfortably. Also, since all of my girls wore them too, we had a few country song stomp sessions in the barn! (for you city kids we were banging our heels on the floor of the barn to the beat of the song)

7. Since the girls and I wore all different Cowgirl Boots, the guys needed a little something to snazzy up their outfits too. Initially Justin and I agreed upon the plain jane “claret” colored ties for the guys because we couldn’t find 7 of the same ties we liked. Well, 4 days before the wedding I decided plain ties were too boring and I wasn’t very excited about them. I made a trip to the mall and between 2 different stores I found 7 similar ties in the same “claret” color family. I was so much more excited about them, they set off the girls boots and went with the “eclectic” theme!

8. BEER CRATE CARD BOX – Growing up on a farm and around antiques my whole life this was only fitting. This old beer crate has been in my family for generations and my mom suggested we use it to put the cards in. She, being the farm girl that she is, fashioned a lid made of chicken wire.

9. SOMETHING BLUE – Well, I was searching high and low for something blue and I came up with this idea. Originally these boots had leather laces in the back so I replaced them with this sharp blue ribbon!

Not pictured:

10. LIFE SIZE SEATING TREE’S – I put my in-laws in charge of the seating “branches” and I’m so glad I did. Tradition would have it that seating cards are to be placed on a table. Well tradition doesn’t really bode well with Justin & I and it seems the creative bone in Justin’s parents really broke out. They did a phenomenal job coming up with 3 waist size hand blown red glass vases, each equipped with a tree branch (picked from outside and spray painted white) to hang the nifty place card on.

11. SOMETHING OLD & BORROWED – I wore my sisters and my mom’s wedding bands on my right ring finger for something old & borrowed. It was very special to me since they all have very successful and loving marriages!

I hope this post can give you inspiration to take the things that make you happy and incorporate them into your wedding day!

Amongst the chaos in my life I always try and find a little bit of peace & quiet to stop and realize what’s actually happening right before my very eyes! This is my blog letting you know what will go through your head right before the big day comes… (or maybe they won’t, maybe I’m weird, IDK).

Holy shit, I’m about to get married to the person I respect and adore so much…

wait a second… I’m getting married?

Am I old enough for this?

Woah, it costs how much?!

Is that an extra zero?

Do I really value drapery that much?

I hope the DJ doesn’t suck

I hope nothing catches on fire, eek that would suck!

Man I can’t believe it!

**Starts blowing nose** Life goes so fast!

I love you babe, ugh you’re so magical (lol)

These feelings may or may not be normal, but that’s pretty much been my roller coaster of emotions lately. Today we both started writing thank you cards to the bridal party and I found myself laughing in one sentence and crying in the next. I feel like having a wedding is more than the pony show some people make it out to be.

Weddings are about realizing your achievements, relishing in the moment of being in love with such an amazing soul and energetic about the journey you’re about to take on together! They’re also about making time for what’s most important in your life; family and friends.

Lately, for me, life get’s moving way too fast, I can hardly keep up! That’s why it’s great to have a celebration this vast to show your gratitude and appreciation for the people who mean the most to you.

Art. Love. Life.

…all go hand in hand. “the real work of art is the result of a magnificent struggle.”  What makes life so magnificent? Love.

April K

I’m going to be honest with you… For me, looking at bridal blogs does not creatively inspire me as a photographer.

Sure, as a bride, I look at them all day long deciding what table numbers are the coolest or what brides maids dresses are the trendiest.

As a photographer, looking at the same type of setting and similar composition day after day is hardly a source of inspiration.

So what is an artist to do when she is not feeling inspired?

In the winter months I go snowboarding… Yes, creatively and spiritually it is the one place I can clear my mind.  I almost feel peaceful while the wind is freezing my face; plummeting down the mountain, snow swishing back and forth under my board.

What is it about this sport that makes me feel this way?

I believe it’s the freedom of having no rules (and the fact that no one can stop me but a tree that god planted, ouch).  Most people love rules, but me, I hate them. haha. Maybe that’s why I’m so excited to see my life of photography un-fold…

With no rules there are no limits.

Some of the best photographers in the world followed all the rules of photography… but some of the most memorable and awe-inspiring photographers threw the rules right out the window and went with what was in their heart.

Here is to a winter filled with lots of Snowboarding, inspiration and forgetting our limits in 2012!

Let the games begin!

Gypsy Soul: A free spirit not confined to one place or stifled by one idea, a free thinker by nature…

…That’s Me!

I have a gypsy soul running through these bones, I love to travel and I crave innovation. I love the adventure in photography and sharing the world as I see it with all of you beautiful people.

Breakdown: Over the course of 3 weeks I was lucky enough to travel to Park City down to Vail & Denver and even further down to Austin, TX. I shredded Solitude, Snowbird, Brighton and Vail in the matter of a week. THEN… drove through 4 states for 16 hours straight and luckily my camera was on me the entire time! (phew)

Here are some of the visual treasures and explanations of my time captured on this exploration!

After an early start and many hours of traveling it was nice to take a day and chill out in the Atticus coffee shop on Main St. in Park City. It was a really neat-o spot that sold books, unique knick knacks and gifts. The best part about Atticus was it’s personality, yes this coffee shop had a personality all of its own. Every detail was well thought out right down to the tile mosaic floor in the bathroom.

Spending time with my Love

If I could pick anyplace in the world to live a ski village would be my choice.  Why you ask? Because of the cool vibe, relaxed atmosphere, it’s acceptable and actually “normal” to wear ski attire all day every day. Rarely do you find someone in a bad mood on the slopes, I believe all that fresh air and sunshine makes you laugh off any sort of worry you may have.

Of course we didn’t ski everyday, but I sure wanted to! One day we walked around Park City (in our snow gear) checking out all of the shops, restaurants and bars. We took a tour of a whiskey distillery which was really awesome. I always forget how much science goes into these tasty little drinks we indulge in every so often! It was a cross between being in the mad scientists chem lab and being in an old wild wild west story.







After all that skiing and walking we conked out hard almost every night… as you can see below!

One day we took a treterous walk along a very very icy path for about 2 miles. This path was probably the most dangerous place I’ve ever walked. There were cliffs down to a freezing river so one false move and you were toast! It was well worth the danger to get to a real wonder of Utah, the hot springs! This was such an amazing natural phenomenon and totally enjoyable for my muscles! I’m glad we made it out alive.

After a week and half in Park City we packed up the car and headed 6 hours East to Vail, Colorado…the most magical place in my world.

The sun was shining on this red rock just right that it illuminated the sky, brilliant! Since we were on a mission to make good time I had to take some pictures out of the back seat (which is fine by me).

My Heaven Defined: The Vail Resort slogan is “Like Nothing on Earth” and although I haven’t traveled the earth as extensively as I’d like, I am going to agree with them that there isn’t anything like it! From the astounding lush landscapes of the resort, the knee deep powder that’s expected, Vail Village and the people who live there, superior customer service to the extravagant amenities… this mountain is in a class all of it’s own.

This “scene” below cracked me up every time I rode the gondola up. I literally felt as though I had stepped back into a 1994 Baywatch goes to the Mountain episode. Red suits, laser guns, sunglasses and Eddie Money cranking on the village speakers… how could you not be happy here?

Views from the Gondola… everywhere you look is like a natural wonder. If you REALLY want to soak up your day on the slope you will never make it down one run without stopping, sitting and taking it all in!

Of course Apres Ski is one of the best parts of the day. You have a brew, take your boots off and trade war stories about your day on the mountain.

And after all of that, we got to enjoy a decadent sunset (love)!

Brace Yourself: Next Up? A nice 16 hour drive (which we did in one shot) down to Killeen, Texas. On our way down I really grew a new appreciation for wide open spaces! I mean, coming from Western, NY a wide open field doesn’t phase me… until I’m driving through 16 hours of them, haha.

Of course we needed to get out and stretch after all that time in the car… so why not sign the sign!?

(*Note – since my Uggs took a beating on the way to the hot springs, I finished my travels in high heeled boots…just like a cowgirl would)

Back on the road again…

Once we arrived in Texas we stopped in Lubbock at the Llano Estacado Winery. What a great little detour.

We finally made it to Killeen, TX on our 16th hour. HIP HIP HOORAY!!! The very next day we took our tired selves out and toured the small town of Salado. Our tour guide insisted that we go to this really neat-o glass blowing shop, so happy we did.

As a long time art student, it was very inspiring for me to see so many skilled artisans making a living off their craft. Salado boasts about how many great gift shops, art galleries and boutiques they have (as they should).

After our short stint in Killeen we headed up to Austin where we would depart in a few days. It was so nice after all of that physical activity, traveling and exhaustion to just bum around the city. Afterwards we would spend evenings in the hotel hot tub just maxin’ and relaxin!

It’s true what they say, Austin is WEIRD, but filled with many talented (and not so talented) musicians.

We stumbled up on this quirky little coffee shop (of course)! **Sidenote: I don’t know how I am always in coffee shops on this trip but I don’t even drink coffee!

And here ends the longest blog post ever! haha. This was written on the side of a building and thought it would be perfect for my closing!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more adventures with AprilK.

Peace, Love & Photography

{Background}

My mother always tells me the story of how the first parent teacher conference she went to for me she was told, “Well…April certainly marches to the beat of her own drummer”. That statement has followed me through my years, ringing true the more and more I grow.

I was never a very good student, this may or may not have been a good thing, but it’s my reality. I never liked cookie cutter classes that I couldn’t relate to, I didn’t like my teachers a lot of the times because they would treat me weird for being “unique” or “too creative”. To me, school was totally boring; my notebooks were filled with pictures and doodles because I was trying to keep myself awake. In 8th grade History, I taught myself to say my alphabet backwards. In 10th grade History I taught myself to write with my left hand, while I took all my notes that way. I was always the girl who was getting into trouble and it was because I was so bored. Art class was my escape, it’s what I’m best at and was the only way I stayed interested in high school and college.

{Fast forward through high school and college}

It was May 2005, I was fresh out of college and FINALLY on my own. Finally, I was no longer a prisoner to $500 textbooks I never read, late night cram sessions, trying to understand math and being a poor college student. This was it, my time to shine, and my time to change the world with an amazing career as a television journalist {that’s what I wanted to be at that point in my life}.

That colorful feeling lasted about a month until I soon realized getting a job was a lot harder than it sounded. My heart just wasn’t into television anymore and I was simply lost. Hundreds of miles from home with no family around me, completely on my own financially with no job, wonderful… I panicked and took the first job I could find, Account Executive at Clear Channel Radio in Syracuse, NY. Whoopie. Now my bright and cheery outlook on life was grimly entertained by sitting behind a desk surrounded by grey tweed walls, a computer screen, excel spreadsheets and a sales quota trying to figure out how I was going to pay my rent, car payment and student loans while making peanuts. That was the brutal reality of graduating college and setting out into the ‘real world’.

I’m often times not very good at hiding my emotions when I’m unhappy so I don’t know if it was the look on my face or the tone in my voice that sent a clear signal to a co-worker at the time that I was just NOT having it anymore. I was fed up, this isn’t what I wanted and I wasn’t going to just “deal” with it. What was my new plan?
As she walked passed my desk she handed me this article and told me to stop spending my life doing something that didn’t make me happy.

{Enter, Steve Jobs}

I read this article approx. 75 times across the next week and really thought long and hard about what I was going to do. One morning I didn’t think about it anymore, I was done, I knew what I needed to do. When I arrived at work I walked into my managers office and put in my 2 weeks notice. “I’m sorry Ron but this just isn’t my bag” Ron of course tried to convince me to stay with promises of better training and one on one attention. With this article ringing in my head I declined, packed up my belongings and never returned.

While I was a lost and struggling graduate I held onto this article and read it many times when the going got tough.

Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.

Still searching and still looking, I knew my passion would be something that exercised my creativity and I knew it would be working with my hands. After I thought long and hard about what was stirring inside of me a light bulb went off. Aha!

{Enter, Photography}

Trust the dots will connect down the road, this will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well worn path, and that will make all the difference.

I had no money for a camera, shit; I could hardly pay my rent! So what did I do to start on the path towards this wonderful journey of photography? What any normal 22 year old would do, I googled. I soon became an assistant for Tom Wall, who was kind enough to lend me his extra camera to learn on and teach me the basics of the biz.

{Fast forward through 2 more corporate jobs, which led me to Boston}

Now with a website and a few years of wedding photography under my belt my most recent corporate job brought me to Boston where I currently reside. In a fresh new city with a great promotion I was living the high life and photography took a mini hiatus. Though, it wasn’t long before I started getting the ‘caged songbird fever’. I pulled out this article and read it a few times while deciding whether I was going to take the ultimate plunge… going full time with my photography business.

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

I finally smartened up and with the support of my family and friends I decided, what did I have to lose? Yes I wouldn’t be getting that steady fat paycheck and bonuses anymore and I wouldn’t have healthcare… Those 2 things alone did not weigh enough to put my mind at ease. I had struggled before and could certainly live frugal until I got back on my feet again. But how was I going to tell James? James was my manager at the time, the guy who believed in me and gave me so much opportunity in the corporate world. James knew me and knew that photography was my passion, he understood and with no hesitation said that I needed to do what made me happy.

June 1st I finally took this business full time and because of all of your love and support {you, the one reading this} my business has been growing at an alarmingly rapid pace!

Just like Steve Jobs said in his speech I can say now with a giant smile from ear to ear. “Deciding to ‘start over’ was the best decision I’ve ever made. I am now in the most creative period of my life” and I am the happiest I’ve ever been. I may work significantly more hours and make significantly less money for the time being. But I would not trade today for anything in the world.

Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

To all of my bloggies far and wide… Please know that if you have passion stirring inside of you DON’T IGNORE IT. Act now; find a way to make your dreams come true, you have nothing to lose. Don’t listen to the critics or the negative nancies that will tell you you’re crazy and give you a hundred reasons why it will never work.

Know that your dreams will come true if you let them!

“We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time”

Rest In Peace, Steve.

I often get asked the question “what are you like at a wedding?” Besides the fact that you can’t wipe the smile off my face and that I LOVE my job, I’m vivacious, jubilant and love to capture your energy and spirit.

My theory is, you can never look bad when you’re having fun and I can pretty much always make you look good!

Here is a little home video Justin took while I was shooting Aaron & Alycia’s wedding.

Whenever we get hit with an ice storm, snow storm or even a tropical storm I feel like it’s god’s way of saying “slow down”. When we lose power, we lose internet and the world as we currently know it… facebook, google, skype, TMZ.com… are no longer at our fingertips.

No more computer in front of your face, no more watching TV… it’s just you, your friends/family and your imagination.

I believe It’s good for the soul.

Maybe storms aren’t such a curse (if you get out safe) but more of a blessing in disguise. Sometimes I feel we all just need to stop and smell the roses, take a look around and enjoy the little moments we rarely stop to notice.

During the hurricane Justin and I finally got a day together alone. Rarely does that happen these days so when it does, we REALLY soak it up.

So what did we do you ask?

Well, we did what any sugar-licious people would do and baked chocolate chip cookies!

We weathered the storm and drove to Whole Foods in our rain jackets and swim shorts. We grazed the aisles as we were the only 2 in the store!

After we got home, we put on music and had a cookie party

Well, really Justin baked the cookies while I practiced shooting in low light! Something I am determined to nail.

Finally, we got to chat about nonsense, have a staring contest and eat amazing food until our belly’s hurt!

I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes “THE TIME YOU ENJOY WASTING IS NOT WASTED TIME”.

Sometimes we feel rushed, stressed and overwhelmed just trying to pack in work, social life and staying healthy and active. How do you balance it all and still sneak in a day of “wasting”?

I suppose if you are productive in the time you’re “wasting” it’s ok… especially if it’s a yummy treat you’re cookin’ up!!!

After the storm was all said and done, we lost power only sporadically, luckily not during the baking portion of our day. No one in our neighborhood was harmed and we escaped with a few branches in the front lawn, thank you god!

The day after the storm was as calm and beautiful as can be… as if the storm washed away all the stress.

This personal post, if  you chose to read it, is a visual reminder to enjoy a moment of love, a dream, a laugh, a kiss and cookies

Soak up the last days of bikini, beach and BBQ weather SLOWLY and with intention…

Sun, sand, beach, beers,  a pool that turned my hair green, many happy children and at times crying babies, gourmet food, fireworks on the shore, laughing so hard I cried, eating freezing cold ice cream to cool us down and dancing in the warm summer rain. Here are a few {of the many} photos I took of my favorite models while on vacation! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.