Riley Photographic

Amber and Jon’s wedding reminded me of a long standing goal I’ve had. As a sailor and a photographer I always thought that it would be cool to do only weddings on the coast and be able to sail from wedding to wedding each weekend. It’s not all that realistic, but the idea has always intrigued me. Arriving at The Bar Harbor Inn by car just didn’t do it the justice it deserves. It is such a stunning seaside location and on their wedding day the coastline was awash in deeply saturated blues and greens. The sky cleared of any hint of haze and the fresh breeze from the west brought in the perfect temperature for their outside wedding. The backdrop of the ceremony was the famous Bar Harbor, complete with schooners sailing by, lobsterboats working their traps, and tourists on their way to see whales off-shore. I met Amber and John through a mutual friend and was so pleased to be their to capture their wedding day. They are a gracious and fun-loving couple and that is exactly the kind of people they surrounded themselves with at the wedding. It was a mid-day wedding, but you’d never know it by the way in which this group partied. The dance floor was packed, the bar tenders were hopping and people were having a blast. I stayed until the last song as I was tipped off by the best man that staying the little bit extra would be well worth my time. Jon, a thought for you, when you choose a NAVY SEAL as your best man there is a really good chance that at some point during the day you are going to end up in the drink. Jon was an incredibly good sport about his forced dunking and initiation into the married world. At the end of the night he was hoisted on the shoulders of a half dozen of his friends and marched down to the pier for a ceremonial dunking. Not to be left out of the fun and soaking the best man joined him and the crowd gathered cheered them on as they braved the rather chill waters. Thanks for having me there to capture the day. It was fantastic on all levels.

I have known Dana for almost 15 years. We have run rivers, sailed boats, camped out, and had lots of crazy adventures over the years. Our lives have taken us in different directions and often times on opposite sides of the country, or at the very least hundreds of miles apart. He is one of the few people in my life that regardless of the situation or where life has placed him, he has always made the effort to pick up the phone on occasion and make sure that we connect. As life would have it and as relationships go, we probably should have drifted off each others radar a long time ago. That’s just not the way it is with this guy; he’s genuine, the real deal, and as loyal as a golden retriever. So, when he called me to announce his engagement to Kari (who was still a mystery to me at the time) you can imagine my elation and surprise. “He’s finally found the perfect girl”, I thought. I couldn’t wait to meet her. When I stepped out of my truck to meet Kari for the first time I was sure this woman was more than up to the task of keeping pace with my friend. They are perfect for each other and it was evident in the first 5 minutes of knowing her.

When Dana first called me to tell me his big news, it was in hopes that I would be able to make it to the wedding. I was pleased as can be that I had the date free. I immediately put it in my calendar and went to tell my wife that we were going to have a mini-vacation in Vermont this summer because, “DANA HENRY is GETTIN’ HITCHED!!!”. Two weeks later the phone rang again and it was my old friend saying,….. “So,,, what would you say if I told you I wanted you to shoot the wedding?” I was honored to be asked and happy to oblige. Working for friends comes with its own set of pressures, you are expected to capture great images and the entirety of the day, but also to enjoy yourself and be a guest. It’s a challenging balance. I don’t usually accept the requests, but in this case I couldn’t say no. Needless to say it was a beautiful weekend full of fun events, outings, beer by the pool, and a wedding overlooking the Waitsfield Valley and the Green Mountains of Vermont. I don’t think Dana or Kari could have imagined it any more perfect. I was so pleased to be there as their friend and guest, and honored to have the task of capturing it for them.

IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE A COMMENT ABOUT THEIR WEDDING, THE PHOTOS OR ANTYHING ELSE PLEASE DO. IF DANA AND KARI GENERATE 25 COMMENTS IN THE NEXT 2 DAYS, I’LL SEND THEM AN 11X14 OF MY FAVORITE IMAGE FROM THE WEDDING.

There is just so much I could say about this couple; they are just really solid individuals! When I got the call from one of my best friends sister’s that she was getting married I was shocked and honored all at the same time. Georgie has got to be one of the sweetest, happiest, and most positive people that I know. I’ve known her family for the better part of 14 years and I was so bummed that I personally couldn’t shoot her wedding. I knew that it would be a genuine affair with some fantastic people. I introduced her to Chris Linscott who has been working with us for the past 4 or 5 years. They hit it off and Chris was able to capture the essence of their day from so many angles. We are lucky to have Chris on our team, and even more lucky to have amazing people like Georgie and Kevin as friends and customers(in that order!).

Spread this around to all their friends and family! If they get 25 comments on the blog in the next 24 hours we’ll give them a free 11×14 print on fine art paper as a gift.

For a quick slideshow of some of their images set to the tune from their first dance click here

Chad and Ramsey were married on a gorgeous August afternoon at the Samoset Resort overlooking Penobscot Bay. As boats sailed back and forth on the bay, seagulls swooped, lobster boats tended their traps, and tourists walked the famous jetty in the afternoon light as they exchanged vows and started their new life while a gathering of friends and family watched. The summer of 2011 will go down as one of the best summers I can remember and their wedding day was inline with the fantastic weather pattern we’ve been experiencing. The day was warm but not hot, the seabreeze was just enough to cool people off, but not so much that we couldn’t hear their vows, and the sunset,,,, well the sunset cast a fabulous orange glow across Penobsoct Bay, the islands and all the boats on the harbor. The day was one marked by a lot of great friends gathered to celebrate with them, and a family that was excited to see this day arrive. Chad and Ramsey were the most gracious hosts to their guests. They made a point to spend time with everyone and enjoy all the little moments that arose. They danced, celebrated and enjoyed what anyone would consider the perfect wedding day. I was honored to be there to capture it and be a small part of a wonderful day.

Molly and Tae were married a couple weeks ago at the Eastland Park. Other than the fact that it was a gorgeous day and the people at the wedding were a lot of fun there was a piece of this ceremony that stand out. Tae is Korean and he and Molly wished to have a traditional Korean wedding ceremony as part of their celebration. In honor of Tae’s heritage, but also to honor his parents and family he arranged for them to have a traditional ceremony on the Friday before the actual wedding. It was a real treat to be there to witness and capture it. The costumes and decorations were both ornate and beautiful. The ceremony was elegant and yet simple.
A big thanks to Molly and Tae for having me be there to capture both days events and for being so welcoming. You have wonderful families and I had a lot of fun with you both. Here are just a few images, the remainder are in your online gallery.

Earlier this spring I did a session with a past wedding client and their adorable daughter!!! Audrey has stolen the hearts of all those around her and its easy to see why! Here are just a couple photos from our session together.

A couple weeks ago I had the fortune of capturing Dana and John’s wedding at the Tupper Manor. Their wedding was not only elegant, beautiful, and a great celebration but also a coming together of two wonderful families. There was a great deal of emotion, a few tears, and a whole lot of love flowing around the place. It was great fun to be there amidst all their friends and family and to witness the connections the two of them have created. My personal high-light of the day was their choice of wedding favors and the way they presented them. Dana and John gave all of their guest a real Hawaiaan Lei that had been flown in the day before for the wedding. They personally presented them to each and every person along with a big hug. It was really heartwarming to watch. There is a lot more to tell about this wonderful couple, but for now I will leave you with a few images from their day.

Riley Photographic sponsors ambassadors for High School Senior portraits. Each year we have 2 males and 2 females from each school act as ambassadors for us. Basically what this means is that they get a free 1 hour senior photo shoot in May or early June, they can have a couple quick outfit changes, they can bring a friend if we aren’t full on ambassador spots for that school, and then we give them our cards etc to hand out.

For each person that comes to us for senior portraits from your son/daughter, we pay our ambassadors $20. This comes in a check at the end of the season, usually end of October once we have accounted for everyone’s contribution. In addition, you get a viewing of your photos at our studio, and if you like the pictures and want to buy a print package, that’s great, and if not, no harm done. Print packages start at $125. We’ve never had people not buy them, but we never want you to feel obligated.

We are on the hunt for the perfect Maine family for a beach photo shoot.
Perfect or not we want your family in the Portland area the week of June 20th.
Limited to 4 families. Call today to be one of the first. 232-5838

Chris and I want to encourage all brides to push their photographer to do a trash the dress shoot with them.
As part of this month’s email blast we are pushing brides to ask their photographer to offer the service.
Its just so much fun and usually the images are amazing!

Here are two YouTube videos from recent TTD Shoots.

v