Kim & Chad - NYC Engagement Session & Love Story

I had the pleasure of driving down to NYC this past weekend to do an engagement session with two simply fabulous people - Kim & Chad. It was instant chemistry when I met these two - their passion for not only each other, but life, is contagious. Their passion - coupled with their laid-back, fun loving personalities - make these two a great match and so much fun to work with.


Kim and Chad's road to engagement was not a simple one - it could be strait out of a romance novel. Over the years their lives both had many twists and turns - but ultimately they ended up right where they needed to be. With each other.

Kim and Chad first met at Hofstra University in 1991 where they became friends, but didn't date. After college their lives went in separate directions. It was a little over a decade later that Chad and Kim's paths crossed again at a holiday party. Kim tells me, "Chad made a toast to friends... he looked at me in a way I hadn't noticed before and I think that is the first time I think I really saw this amazing, loving, giving guy." They started dating for a few months, but then as Kim puts it, "Chad told me he wanted to take it slow." What Kim heard was he wasn't so sure about her. This miscommunication cost them years apart. Both heartbroken, Chad moved to California to move on and Kim stayed in NY.

Despite the geographical distance that separated them they stayed in touch over the years and eventually realized, against all odds, that they were meant to be together. In February 2008 Chad proposed in Flushing Meadow Park in what Kim calls "A total surprise!" Such a great story for two truly great people.

Our engagement session started out in Queens and ended up, appropriately, at Flushing Meadows Park. Here are a few of my favorites followed by a slide show.






Click on the play button to start the slide show. This slide show is a little larger than my others - but it is worth the wait! Hope you enjoy! :)

Erin's First Year - 3 Month Session

Erin recently turned three months - here are a few of my favorites from their house in New Hampshire. Ethan - now just a few months shy of 3 years old, was very eager to participate. We have done so many sessions together - the second I show up he starts hamming it up for the camera. I think he is still a little shocked that the sessions aren't ALL about him anymore - ah, learning how to be a big brother! :) I couldn't ask for better kids to work with - these two just make me look good every time I work with them!

Ethan, helping me check the light... and showing off some of his moves. Future yogi, perhaps?



Erin's baby blues, up close and personal...



Even worked in a few shots for a holiday card...


Here is a slideshow with a bunch of my other favorite shots - click the play button for the slideshow with music, or simply scroll through the images...

Kelly's Maternity Session

I met Kelly and Brendon at their house in Simsbury, CT a few weeks ago for their prenatal photo session. We had a great time - it was relaxed, casual, and fun. Brendon was busy painting the baby's nursery when I arrived - he was such a great sport cleaning up to hop in a few of the photos with Kelly! Here are a few of my favorites...


Kelly and Brendon expect the arrival of their first child just before Christmas. Congratulations, guys! I can't wait to meet the little one! :)

All Holiday Card Proceeds Donated to Charity!

It is hard to believe, but the holidays are right around the corner. As the temperatures start to drop and I start getting ready for the holiday season I can't help but be grateful for all I have in my life. A loving husband and family, a job I am crazy about, a baby on the way... These thoughts of gratitude make me want to give back to those who really need a helping hand.

Last year I ran my first annual fundraiser for the Portrait House to benefit Habitat for Humanity during the holiday season. This year I am still donating 50% of the portrait session fee to Habitat during the holidays, but I want to do more. Donating 100% of holiday card proceeds seemed like the next logical step.

So, this year 100% of holiday card proceeds (yep, that's all of it!) will be donated to the Portrait House to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Not bad - you get fantastic holiday cards, professionally printed on fine art paper to send to friends and family - and Habitat gets a much needed donation during the holidays. It is a win-win for everyone!

Below you will find the holiday card templates available this season through Pictage. Click on the image for a larger view...



Cards are available in three sizes: 4.25 x 5.5, 5.5 x 5.5, and 5 x 7

Choose one of the pre-written greetings for the inside or create your own custom greeting with up to 14 lines of text.

You may order the cards directly through Pictage or contact me and I'll be happy to walk you through the holiday card ordering process. :) You can check out the details and pricing by clicking here.

Portrait House Fundraiser 2008

Interested in participating in a discounted portrait session where 50% of the session fee goes directly to families in need? Join me in my efforts to raise money for Habitat for Humanity through the Portrait House, a nationwide organization of photographers offering their services in exchange for a direct donation to Habitat. Click on the graphic below or scroll down for more details!


Last year I raised over $1000 for Habitat for Humanity - let's try to blow that number away! The fundraiser only takes place once a year and is perfect for holiday cards and gifts.

The Details:
When: Now until Thanksgiving 2008.
Cost: $200 (A $300 value) $100 goes directly to Habitat.
Includes: One hour portrait session at location of your choice, a password protected, online gallery to share with friends and family, and a medium resolution CD containing all final images.
All proceeds from holiday cards will also be donated to Habitat for Humanity. Could it get any better?

Ready to sign up? Spaces are limited - contact me at pics@christymurray.com to reserve your time today!

Liz & Baris' Wedding - Tappan Hill

Liz and Baris were married recently at Tappan Hill in Tarrytown, NY. I am still not quite done with the final edits, but here are a few of my favorites so far...

Baby's First Year - Cade is 3 Months!

Here is the second installment of Baby Cade - now three months and growing!

Here are a few of my favorites in a photo montage...

Arman's Turns One!

Here is the final (...wipe back the tear) session of Arman's first year. What better place to do the session than at the beach where Arman can play in the sand, get his toes in the water. We all had a great time - especially Arman, who was bribed into smiling with gold fishes. :)

Here is a slideshow with some of my favorites...

Sabrina & Jason - The Waterview

No, I haven't forgotten about this blog... but honestly, where did the months of August and September go? I'll do my best to catch up in the next month or two - here is my latest (sorry, not in chronological order).

Sabrina and Jason were recently married at The Waterview in Monroe, CT. I felt an instant connection when I first met them over a year ago. We had an absolute blast doing their engagement session in New Haven, so I knew shooting their wedding was going to be tons of fun!

This wedding was also special in that my husband came along as a second shooter - such a treat! We are both weekend warriors, so our schedules don't usually permit us to work together. He did a fantastic job - thanks, Dan!

Karina & Pete - The Wedding

I can't say enough wonderful things about this couple - they truly get it.

When I woke up the morning of Karina and Pete's wedding I looked out the window - it was not raining - it was pouring. There was literally a sheet of water coming off the roof. I took a deep breath and began wondering how Karina was doing - her wedding was in just a few hours, outside, in her parents back yard.

I was admittedly a bit shocked when I arrived at her house and found a smile on her face. She proudly announced that she decided early that morning to take a run to the store - if it was going to rain on her wedding day she was going to have some fun umbrellas and a killer pair of rain boots. The day, after all, was about celebrating her love and commitment to Pete - she was not going to let a little rain get in the way.

As it turned out, the weather cleared up and the rain gear was not needed - although we did decide to use the boots and umbrella in a few of the pictures. Here are some favorites, followed by a slideshow...

Kelly & Chris - The Wedding

Kelly and Chris were (finally) married on August 2nd in Portland, Maine. If you don't know the story about these two check out the "Love Stories" section of the blog.

Here are a few of my random favorites, followed by a slideshow...





Please note the water foul that graced our presence as we were trying to run through some of the formals. I just had to laugh - that was certainly a first!

Maya, Lexi and Emma - Fun in the Park

Here is the latest installment of Maya, Lexi and Emma - some of my favorite girls in the world!

We all (including Dad) headed to the park for some summertime fun. We lucked out - a thunderstorm just passed through, so we had the place to ourselves. Mom and Dad were smart - they just relaxed and let their girls be themselves. I am sure on the outside this session looked like pure chaos with girls running in all directions . I positioned myself in the spot I wanted to shoot and just waited for them to run by. After a few minutes they forgot I was even there... and that's when I got the good stuff. Hope you enjoy!







After running, and running and more running they were ready to sit still - we had about 45 seconds to pull this off!


Maya, who is five, was very eager to help. Here she is carrying my reflector for me - which apparently also doubles as a sun hat. I'll have to keep that in mind... :)


With all that running we only had one casualty - Maya was a trooper.


Guys, thanks for a great afternoon! Can't wait to spend some time together soon!

I love tears...

New to blogging, I usually just post photos from recent sessions. With great testimonials starting to roll in for this season, I've decided to add a few to the site.

Just got an email from Kelly - a client of mine that is getting married in just under a month. We are in the process of setting aside some time to talk about all the final details, timeline, etc. of her wedding.

In her email she writes this...
Chris and I are so excited to have you there!! Have I told you how many
people have told me that they actually cried looking at our engagement
pictures!!?? About half a dozen!

I love tears! Thanks for the great email, Kelly. Can't wait to work with you guys again! The engagement session was a blast! :)

Michaela & Ryan's Engagement - Portsmouth, NH

I spent some time with Michaela and Ryan a little over a week ago - giving us a chance to talk about their upcoming wedding and do an engagement session. I feel like the last few weeks I've been trying to squeeze photo sessions in between rain storms - this one is no exception. We were originally going to shoot later in the afternoon, but with a gloomy, wet forecast we decided to do the session a bit early. We finished up without a drop of rain. :)

I love shooting in Portsmouth - it reminds me of my native Portland, Maine. Here are a few...

Arman is 9 months old!

Arman is now 9 months (well, 9 months and a few weeks... but who is counting?) Our first attempt to capture Arman at 9 months was not as successful as we had all hoped. It was a dark rainy day, all adults involved - including myself - were exausted, and Arman - the star of the show - was teething. After an hour and a half we decided to can the session and reschedule.

Our patince payed off! The next time around we got a beautiful sunny day and a happy baby! Yippee! Keeping it simple we put a blanket down and let Arman play - here are a few of my favorites of the day...

Stuart & Lauren - Boston Commons

I drove up to Boston last week to meet with Stuart and Lauren for their engagement photo session. I think I can safely speak for both of them when I say the weather report was making us a bit nervous - but with their wedding date rapidly approaching and their busy schedules we knew we had to give it a shot (with a large umbrella in tow, just in case). As it turned out the weather cooperated just long enough - I didn't run into any hail until I was snug in my car and headed back out of town. Whew!

There are images that scream at me to be black and white - sometimes it ends up being just a few a session, and then there are sessions like this one where black and white images seem to dominate. :)






I am a big believer that less is often more. My absolute favorite images from the session were taken when I had Stuart & Lauren simply sit in the lawn and enjoy each other. Giving them their space, I worked around them to get some of these fun shots...












Just as images scream to be black and white - this one HAD to be in color. :)