Yesterday was a big day for the Higgins family. Zak is going into Kindergarten at Martin Elementary School and it was the first day of school and his first bus ride to school! He was a little nervous.  It really helped that he’s in the PM class so there were only three kids to be picked up at our stop and the other two kids are the twins down the street that he’s buddies with. The worst part of the day was that morning.  There was a lot of anticipation and he was a little amped up to get going. We’re now on day two and it was just as much fun for him. I wonder how much fun it will be on day 122 when it’s cold, snowy and dark out when we go to the bus?

To keep up with the body count we now have two in high school, two in middle school and Zak in elementary school. It’s a crazy house with the oldest driving the car and the youngest driving us crazy.
Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

Rock n Roll Bride
Elizabeth Anne Designs Blog
Fearless Photographers
Snippet and Ink
Grace Ormonde Wedding Style

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

I really love this photograph. It’s s simple little shot made at the end of my nephew JJ’s party. The cousins (Zak my son is the short one). It’s these type of photographs that get my mind going a million miles an hour. It’s like the little snow ball at the top of the mountain that once it gets rolling turns into an avalanche (of thoughts). I have a thought in my head of them in this same “guy” pose at their graduations from high school, college and when they get married. What will the look like? What will their lives be like? What moments in their lives will have lead them to the moment where I capture them with arms around each other? Will they be as close as they are now?

I have some photographs like this with my cousin Donnie and we are still that close after 42 years and I remember many pictures in old albums with us with fish in one hand and arms over each other shoulders. My most memorable thought associated with a picture is when my mom and aunt went and got us monster t-shirts and we all posed on the back deck of their house on Crystal Lake in CT. We all went into our monster poses and looked ridiculous, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Just looking at that photograph brings back a million memories.

This is why I shoot weddings. I love being their one day one of a new life. Two individuals starting a family and I’m fortunate enough to have been invites in on that day to document it and to start creating photographs that mean as much to them as the shot of my son and nephew in the above image.

My favorite images from weddings are always the subtle moments or the off hand portraits. I wonder what the toddler brother and sister dancing will look like 20 years down the road. Will the little boy and girl be close siblings? Will one be on the West Coast in college and the other in the military overseas? Will they talk everyday?

It’s these type of crazy thoughts that keep me charged and motivated on a ten hour wedding day. My feet may hurt at 11 PM, but I sure as hell don’t want to miss the shot of the day which could be on frame one or frame three thousand and one.
Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

A Practical Wedding
100 Layer Cake Blog
http://www.utterlyengaged.com/
Rock n Roll Bride
Hi Fi Weddings

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

It was a low contrast monochrome day when I passed this meadow. I have moved away from my hobby of landscape photography, but when I saw this field I knew I had to take a few mintes out of my day to shoot a panoramic.
Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

Junebug Weddings
Ruffled Blog
Once Wed
Kiss The Groom
The Wedding Chicks

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

A Happy 6th to the best photo assistant in North Attleboro.
Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

100 Layer Cake Blog
The Moment Junkie
New York Times Wedding Resources
Ruffled Blog
Wed Luxe

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

I’m not a big fan of taking a “day” to show our love to another person. I think it’s something that needs to be done every day, not just February 14th. I don’t show much of my personal work on my blog, but today is an exception. As a wedding photographer in Boston I like showing uplifting pictures and the pictures above tell the story of lost love, so take some time every day to let the important people in your life know what they mean to you.

These two photographs were made on the day after Valentine’s Day in 2007. Milton “AKA” Memo lived in the 9th Ward his entire life. After the hurricane he really had no where to go so he volunteered with Common Ground in the Lower 9th Ward and was living at a house the volunteers had gotten to habitable conditions. I sat down and talked with Memo that afternoon and he was very open to being interviewed and having a few photographs taken. He talked about how the girl he loved had moved to Missouri and that her father did not like him and did not want her to move back to New Orleans. Memo had just started to date her, but had been in love with her for quite some time. He was heart broken and read the letter he had written to her asking her to go out with him again. If you look near the lower thumb you can read the passage where he compares their love to “Beauty and the Beast.” Memo was a true gentleman and as a photographer we sometimes need to just slow down and listen to people. We talked for 3 hours and I counted the photographs I took. 10.

This was a three plus year project on post Katrina New Orleans. It was a project of love as two of our children still live in New Orleans and I wanted to develop a photo essay over a period of years so they could see as adults how Katrina affected their childhood and community. It was a self funded project with me staying a extra few days each visit. There were days I’d sit down and cry and there was even a point where on one trip I just drove 2 hours over to New Iberia and Lake Martin to shoot wildlife with my friend Brian Champagne because I reached a breaking point. I guess every project at one time kicks us down if it really means something to us. I started this in 2005 and completed the project in early 2009. It was 3 plus years of love, sweat, tears, hate and joy all wrapped up in one.

 
Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

The Wedding Chicks
The Moment Junkie
Snippet and Ink
Hi Fi Weddings
Grace Ormonde Extras

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

These two photographs taken at a wedding at the Boston Harbor Hotel really caused me to stop and think. As a dad to a precocious teenager who’s finding her own way in life I often wonder we’re she’ll be 15 years down the road. When I go to a wedding I can picture myself dancing with her and having all the emotions of letting my little girl move on to start a new family with a wonderful guy. The parent dances are some of my favorite moments of the wedding day. It’s a time where a bride/groom gets a chance to have a private talk with their mom/dad out on the dance floor way from all the commotion of the day. Some people get choked up with emotion, some grin joyously like the dad in the picture above, and some laugh hilariously and joke with one another. I can only imagine what they are saying. It’s a moment when real emotion and truth comes through and these small milliseconds of time make a photograph. These are the pictures I love. I see a big trend in wedding photography with tons of details and “stuff” and I think we have lost track of what’s important as photographers. I understand shooting some small details to set the stage of “where” but it’s gone well beyond that on blogs and in bridal magazines.

I can promise all my couples that I’ll gladly miss photographing a center piece if it means capturing a couple of small moments like what I’ve photographed above. I got into wedding photography because people and their stories interest me and that’s my focus on your day. I want to tell your story simply and honestly. I want you to see things that you would have missed because of my photographs. I want you to sit down and look at an album or a stack of prints and remember your day with your family and friends because these occasions can be counted on our fingers during our lifetime.
Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

WPJA
A Practical Wedding
Offbeat Bride
New York Times Wedding Resources
Once Wed

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

A quick special thanks to Matt and Enna and to all the organizers. I’ll have a long blog post up tomorrow, but just wanted to thank you for having the vision to pull everyone together! As you can see we were working and planning all through the event. Matt and Enna are leading our last organizational session on Monday night.

I’d like to thank everyone that attended my session on Color Management. It was humbling to have such wonderful people in the session. Everyone that put their faith in attending a conference being held for the first time really made it a success. The wedding photographer community in New England truly is special.

Please e-mail me with any questions you might have. I’d be glad to answer them for you!

Here’s the CM INSPIRE Keynote

Here are some resources on purchasing color management hardware

Xrite for EyeOne Display 2 and Colormunki and the  ColorChecker Passport

Spyder for Spyder 3 Pro and Elite

Calibration Direct has best prices on the Spyder 3 Pro and Elite

Expodisc for custom white balance

Whibal for a great gray card
Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

Well Wed Magazine
NY Times – How to Take Great Wedding Photos
Kiss The Groom
NY Times – Unique Save The Date Announcements
Grace Ormonde Wedding Style

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

This is the brood. I made the decision this year to make the blog a little more personal so I thought I’d introduce the kiddos today. Taylor is 14, Molly is 11, Ryan is 11, Mac is 10 and Zak is 3. The grades range from high school to elementary school with the little guy still at home.

Sometimes is all the craziness of their activities it seems endless, but then I look at the bottom two photographs. The one one the left was taken in July of 2005 and the one on the right this past July. Besides the remarkable changes they are multiplying! Zak makes his appearance!

Make sure you appreciate every minute that the kids are home. It’s hard to believe in three years our oldest will be headed out to college. I think his room will make an excellent jacuzzi room. Kidding everyone!
Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

A Practical Wedding
Offbeat Bride
NY Times – How to Take Great Wedding Photos
Fearless Photographers
The Moment Junkie

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

I wanted to do something to force myself out of my comfort zone and research shows that people that have goals written out accomplish significantly more. The one thing I have promised myself is that I will do more personal projects such as my post Katrina work in New Orleans. My B&W portfolio and Katrina Portfolio Website is one of my proudest accomplishments as a photographer. The images above are from another mino-portfolio of 12 portraits. So, why post this work when I’m talking about a 101 list? Well, when I did this project I had written goals and it’s one of the reasons why it was so personally successful for me.

Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

Project Wedding
Green Wedding Shoes
The Wedding Chicks
Wed Luxe
Style Me Pretty

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

I’d just like to thank Anne Ruthmann for putting together a fabulous fundraiser raising funds for Haiti. If you haven’t had a chance to visit Anne and her see her new studio space at Western Ave Studios you should! It’s an awesome venue with tons of cool artists.
Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

Well Wed Magazine
NY Times – Unique Save The Date Announcements
Once Wed
Southern Weddings Magazine
Rock n Roll Bride

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

This past week New Orleans faced down a hurricane. Luckily it hit way to the West and only as a Tropical Storm. My children, MacDonald and Molly had Monday off from school in case they needed to evacuate and the thought of them brought me back to August of 2005 when they evacuated to Houston. In 2005 I flew down and picked them up and brought them home to Massachusetts. Mac and Molly were lucky to have a place that was safe and known to them as their second “home”. After the kids retuned home I would stay extra days on each trip to pick them up so I could document what happened.

I like people to know me for more than a wedding photographer. My personal project page is located at Katrina Hangover

Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

Hi Fi Weddings
Fearless Photographers
Style Me Pretty
A Practical Wedding
Wedding Bee

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

This past Tuesday I had the privilege of presenting to a wonderful group of wedding photographers at the Boston PUG ( Pictage User Group ) on Color Management Workflow at LensProToGo in Concord, MA. I’d like to thank everyone that attended. If you have any questions on setting up Photoshop, preparing prints for a color space, etc just e-mail away. You were a great audience with tons of quality questions! I’m refining the presentation and hoping to have something even more in-depth the next time it’s unveiled.

As a photographer I cannot post to my blog without at least one image. I have been working on a sample B&W matted album as I would like to offer this even though I know it won’t be a big seller. I love Fine Art B&W and hopefully some couples will as well. Maybe even as a second wedding album.

Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

Once Wed
Well Wed Magazine
Kiss The Groom
Hi Fi Weddings
Southern Weddings Magazine

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

I always believe that you need to take time to experiment. Ninety percent of the time these experiments are failures, but it keeps me fresh and the creative juices flowing. I love miniature photography and have fallen in love with the work of Grace Weston and Matthew Carden so I decided to try a couple of experiments using ring shots with their photography as my inspiration. This is my first experiment using my own wedding band on a picnic table as I watched my little son run around.

I’m as guilty as anyone for doing ring shots on flowers when I’m under the gun to get them done on the wedding day. I look at these little miniatures as props that fit into a pocket and make a ring shot infinitely more interesting.
Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

The Wedding Chicks
Project Wedding
Grace Ormonde Extras
Once Wed
Southern Weddings Magazine

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

Krista at Krista Photo was nice enough to have me shoot as her second on June 13th for a wedding in a private home in Marion that was absolutely spectacular. I just sent the DVD to her yesterday and promised no wedding shots, but I thought I’d throw one up showing her hard at work! I was off to the side shooting the bridal party on the pier and the Nikon 200 f2 lens from LensProToGo was a huge advantage over my 70-200VR 2.8.  Be prepared to use a monopod or having your left arm ballon up twice the size of the other form all the weight lifting!
Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

Snippet and Ink
Well Wed Magazine
NY Times – How to Take Great Wedding Photos
Once Wed
New York Times Wedding Resources

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

I have been a photographer since following my dad around during the summers on the 70’s as a small boy. Dad was a high-school teacher and during the summer months he would use his time to get out in rural Maine and do everything from landscapes to portraits. That time has always been special to me and what became my initial draw to photography.

In subsequent years things like high-school, college, military duty, full time employment, and then a family turned me into a family photographer taking nothing more than snaps. I didn’t have the time to not only photograph projects, but a darkroom was a daunting task in time management.

In the summer of 2004 everything changed for me. I was in New York visiting on of our ships on Staten Island and on the way home I stopped by B&H Photo thinking I would by a little P&S. They had two D70’s in stock with the 18-70 kit lens and on a whim a plunked down a thousand bucks and walked out wondering if I was crazy. The entire drive back to Boston I kept thinking I should return it, but when I got home and opened up the box and started shooting I knew I had found something special.

I used it a couple of times and then we went on a family vacation and my passion for photography was reignited. The lag and frustration of a P&S were left behind and I felt like I was shooting with my dad’s old Minolta. I finally had the images I wanted.

The image above is THE PHOTOGRAPH that opened my eyes.

MacDonald is 5 in this picture. He suffered a stroke at birth and has a condition called hemi-paresis which is a mild form of cerebral palsy. Mac is a kid who works harder than anyone around him to physically keep up, but always has a grin on his face. His older brothers and sister were running ahead to catch bugs in their milk jugs and Mac had to give 100% to just keep at a pace 30 yards behind them. My heart sank and then he looked at me and said “don’t be sad” and gave me a grin and ran even faster to catch up. The image of him running away from me up the hill is my favorite photograph that I have made. It may not be the strongest technically or aesthetically, but it is the closest to my heart.

The little boy running up that hill is my son.

I look at this photograph every single day to find inspiration. It’s the one thing I would like tucked into my coat, when God willing, they bury me 50 years from now.

Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

The Wedding Chicks
Elizabeth Anne Designs Blog
NY Times – Unique Save The Date Announcements
Junebug Weddings
Once Wed

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

I read “President Obama’s Father’s Day Article” in Parade Magazine yesterday morning and I have an even greater respect for him. He called on fathers to be accountable and to have the courage to be a part of their children’s life as they are an influence that cannot be replaced and children without fathers struggle with their identity and in many ways question their self worth. The President wants to be “Dad” first and foremost for his children. He came from a background with an absent father and all the challenges it presented and my own father grew up in such the same manner.

My father is someone I look to for guidance and love and he has been the major male figure in my life for as long as I can remember. Dad was at my camp outs, scout meetings, football and hockey games, ceremonies, concerts and everything else. He would say he has two feet so he could stand on one and kick me in the ass with the other. He was right. I was an unmotivated kid and lived in a comfortable middle class family and cared more about girls and sports than “real life”. I remember his long talks and his guidance as I became a young man. If it were not for my Dad I would not be a college graduate.

My Dad grew up with his grand-parents and his mom. The only male figure that I would call a father figure to my Dad would be his Grandfather Stanley. I remember my great-grandfather and even though I was 11 years old when he passed away, I still remember the grief that my father suffered. My great-grandfather was a no-nonsense farmer from rural Maine and you can see his influence on Dad to this day. My father broke the cycle of absent fathers and I am thankful for his life lessons.

Dad took care of his mother in high school and they eked out an existence. He worked to support his family and I cannot imagine the stress and responsibilities that he faced as a teenager. The only time my Dad saw his father was when he drove through town with his new girlfriend on his side. It was a small community and the kids made fun of him as divorced parents were not common in 1950′s Charleston, Maine. I was embarrassed as a teenager because my dad was picking me up from football practice. I was a “man” and I didn’t need my Dad. He was patient and accepted my crazy teenaged behavior and never belittled me because he knew I foolish I was at the time.

I remember the night in 1982 when he was called that his father died. There was grief and a sense of something that could never be recovered and then he found out later that week that he had been left one dollar in the will so that he could not contest it. His father had moved on and re-married and had children after abandoning my Dad and Grams. It’s the one time I can recall him crying. He was asking my mother how his own father could hate him so much. My grandfather was buried in the Higgins cemetery in Charleston, Maine and he did not have a grave stone. My father was the one who purchased the head-stone because he chose to do the “right” thing. I have never talked with my Dad about that time and I don’t even know if he’s aware that I heard him crying and talking with my mother that one night. I just remember that sometimes you have to do the right thing even under the most dire situations.

When I was at Maine Maritime Academy I got into some trouble and called my Dad. He was angry and upset, but what hurt the most was his disappointment in me. What did my Dad do? He came to school and helped me through my most difficult time in my life. He gave me the proverbial kick in the butt, but he was there and helped ensure that I would graduate. If it had not been for my Dad I would not have fought to stay and graduate from college. I would have been your typical kid floating through life.

Dad graduated from the University of Maine. He went to college on a Blaine House Scholarship which required him to teach in an rural part of Maine. His mother and father did not go to college and when my mom and dad went back for their high-school reunion they were the only couple where both their children had graduated from college. I still remember my sister getting a nurse kit as a little girl, Dad returned it and got her a doctor’s kit and told Leigh that she should strive to be anything she wanted to be. Today my sister is an M.D. and practices medicine in Maine. My Dad was a high-school principal for many years and I know from talking with the kids that he pushed everyone to fulfill their potential.

After graduation I moved to Louisiana for almost ten years. During that time my Dad and I were separated my 2000 miles. We talked on the phone several times a week and visits by my folks were frequent as I could only go to Maine once a year. I remember the day I found out that my son Mac has hemi-paresis like it was yesterday. I called Dad and he had a meeting of several people in his office. He heard my voice crack and cleared his office and spent the afternoon talking me off the ledge of craziness and grief for my little boy. Some parents would not take the call during work, but typical of Dad he did. He had learned the hard life lessons as a boy and young man and was still there for his thirty year old son in his time of need.

I have watched my Dad for 40 years now and his lessons have made me a better Dad in my own right. In 2006 we made a family decision for me to leave the corporate world and these past three years have enabled me to become the Dad I have always wanted to become. I am a teacher and photographer. I used to work in the maritime industry where I would travel all the time. Now the only time I travel is for family vacations. I am daddy-daycare in the summer for five children 14 to 3 and I cannot think of a better job.

My oldest son plays on a travel team for soccer and this year it was literally a part-time job. It was easily 25 hours a week with travel back and forth to Boston. When people ask me how I can do these crazy things for my children I think back to 5 AM practices at the Alfond Arena in Orono, Maine. My dad would wake me up at 3 AM and drive me down there because that was the only time we could afford ice time as a team before our season started. I think back to those times and tell people that I am doing no more than my dad did for me. He still has two feet and if I didn’t measure up as a Dad he’d still plant one directly in my butt.

The last photograph is their wedding portrait taken inside the Baptist Church in Charleston, Maine on December 23rd, 1967. Mom and Dad chose to have a B&W album because it was 300.00 instead of color at 500.00. They should be thankful, I can’t imagine what color prints from the late 60′s would like like 42 years later?
Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

Wedding Bee
Fearless Photographers
Elizabeth Anne Designs Blog
NY Times – Unique Save The Date Announcements
Weddings Unveiled

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

I read “President Obama’s Father’s Day Article” in Parade Magazine yesterday morning and I have an even greater respect for him. He called on fathers to be accountable and to have the courage to be a part of their children’s life as they are an influence that cannot be replaced and children without fathers struggle with their identity and in many ways question their self worth. The President wants to be “Dad” first and foremost for his children. He came from a background with an absent father and all the challenges it presented and my own father grew up in such the same manner.

My father is someone I look to for guidance and love and he has been the major male figure in my life for as long as I can remember. Dad was at my camp outs, scout meetings, football and hockey games, ceremonies, concerts and everything else. He would say he has two feet so he could stand on one and kick me in the ass with the other. He was right. I was an unmotivated kid and lived in a comfortable middle class family and cared more about girls and sports than “real life”. I remember his long talks and his guidance as I became a young man. If it were not for my Dad I would not be a college graduate.

My Dad grew up with his grand-parents and his mom. The only male figure that I would call a father figure to my Dad would be his Grandfather Stanley. I remember my great-grandfather and even though I was 11 years old when he passed away, I still remember the grief that my father suffered. My great-grandfather was a no-nonsense farmer from rural Maine and you can see his influence on Dad to this day. My father broke the cycle of absent fathers and I am thankful for his life lessons.

Dad took care of his mother in high school and they eked out an existence. He worked to support his family and I cannot imagine the stress and responsibilities that he faced as a teenager. The only time my Dad saw his father was when he drove through town with his new girlfriend on his side. It was a small community and the kids made fun of him as divorced parents were not common in 1950′s Charleston, Maine. I was embarrassed as a teenager because my dad was picking me up from football practice. I was a “man” and I didn’t need my Dad. He was patient and accepted my crazy teenaged behavior and never belittled me because he knew I foolish I was at the time.

I remember the night in 1982 when he was called that his father died. There was grief and a sense of something that could never be recovered and then he found out later that week that he had been left one dollar in the will so that he could not contest it. His father had moved on and re-married and had children after abandoning my Dad and Grams. It’s the one time I can recall him crying. He was asking my mother how his own father could hate him so much. My grandfather was buried in the Higgins cemetery in Charleston, Maine and he did not have a grave stone. My father was the one who purchased the head-stone because he chose to do the “right” thing. I have never talked with my Dad about that time and I don’t even know if he’s aware that I heard him crying and talking with my mother that one night. I just remember that sometimes you have to do the right thing even under the most dire situations.

When I was at Maine Maritime Academy I got into some trouble and called my Dad. He was angry and upset, but what hurt the most was his disappointment in me. What did my Dad do? He came to school and helped me through my most difficult time in my life. He gave me the proverbial kick in the butt, but he was there and helped ensure that I would graduate. If it had not been for my Dad I would not have fought to stay and graduate from college. I would have been your typical kid floating through life.

Dad graduated from the University of Maine. He went to college on a Blaine House Scholarship which required him to teach in an rural part of Maine. His mother and father did not go to college and when my mom and dad went back for their high-school reunion they were the only couple where both their children had graduated from college. I still remember my sister getting a nurse kit as a little girl, Dad returned it and got her a doctor’s kit and told Leigh that she should strive to be anything she wanted to be. Today my sister is an M.D. and practices medicine in Maine. My Dad was a high-school principal for many years and I know from talking with the kids that he pushed everyone to fulfill their potential.

After graduation I moved to Louisiana for almost ten years. During that time my Dad and I were separated my 2000 miles. We talked on the phone several times a week and visits by my folks were frequent as I could only go to Maine once a year. I remember the day I found out that my son Mac has hemi-paresis like it was yesterday. I called Dad and he had a meeting of several people in his office. He heard my voice crack and cleared his office and spent the afternoon talking me off the ledge of craziness and grief for my little boy. Some parents would not take the call during work, but typical of Dad he did. He had learned the hard life lessons as a boy and young man and was still there for his thirty year old son in his time of need.

I have watched my Dad for 40 years now and his lessons have made me a better Dad in my own right. In 2006 we made a family decision for me to leave the corporate world and these past three years have enabled me to become the Dad I have always wanted to become. I am a teacher and photographer. I used to work in the maritime industry where I would travel all the time. Now the only time I travel is for family vacations. I am daddy-daycare in the summer for five children 14 to 3 and I cannot think of a better job.

My oldest son plays on a travel team for soccer and this year it was literally a part-time job. It was easily 25 hours a week with travel back and forth to Boston. When people ask me how I can do these crazy things for my children I think back to 5 AM practices at the Alfond Arena in Orono, Maine. My dad would wake me up at 3 AM and drive me down there because that was the only time we could afford ice time as a team before our season started. I think back to those times and tell people that I am doing no more than my dad did for me. He still has two feet and if I didn’t measure up as a Dad he’d still plant one directly in my butt.

The last photograph is their wedding portrait taken inside the Baptist Church in Charleston, Maine on December 23rd, 1967. Mom and Dad chose to have a B&W album because it was 300.00 instead of color at 500.00. They should be thankful, I can’t imagine what color prints from the late 60′s would like like 42 years later?
Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

Junebug Weddings
Once Wed
Wedding Bee
Grey Likes Weddings
http://www.utterlyengaged.com/

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer

I’m a Providence and Boston wedding photographer specializing as a wedding photojournalist. This is my first post using my new blog. I started with pixyblog a few months ago, but I wanted something under a unique domain and something i could also fold into my business in a more professional manner. I’ll be porting over some of my older posts over the next few days and I hope you’ll join me as I jump into the world of wedding photography. Check out my profile as I come from an odd duck background and think I bring some unique life experiences and talents to wedding photography

Mark Andrew Photography is a wedding photographer who documents weddings in a clean, modern, documentary style in Boston and Cape Cod Massachusetts and the Newport, Providence Rhode Island areas

This is the blog of Southern New England based photographer Mark Andrew who is a wedding photographer and describes his style as elegant editorial photojournalism.

Please contact me using the e-mail link on the menu or the contact form link or just give me a call at 508.463.8138

Here are some over wedding photography and planning related sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Mark Andrew Photography!

Project Wedding
Weddings Unveiled
Wed Luxe
Snippet and Ink
NY Times – How to Take Great Wedding Photos

Boston Wedding Photographer | Boston Wedding Photographers | RI Wedding Photographer