kml photography - Kate Murphy Lowenstein

Sunday evening with cloudy skies and rain threatening, I met this family at Chappy beach in West Falmouth. The mom had written to me a few days beforehand to ask if we could reschedule if it was cloudy and not the sunny day she was hoping for. I explained that I don't cancel unless it is raining and that cloudy skies are actually best for portraits! On a cloudy day we don't have to worry about the sun in anyone's eyes, squinting, and harsh shadows and the diffused light is at times more attractive.

The wind was fierce, but we were able to hide behind the dunes and capture some great shots before the rain.

Happy family...


Brothers having fun.


Check out the baby blues on Z.!


Both boys have amazing blue eyes, but little brother N. pictured here has the most amazing lashes - I'm envious!


I couldn't leave out Champ...


And this was one of my favorites from the bunch. I love that N. is sucking his thumb (I have two thumb-suckers of my own), and I know that someday (likely when N. is a teenager) he'll want nothing to do with his Mom, and she can look back to this time when he said, "pick me up" and cuddled with her. A precious moment that won't last for long! (Oh I have to hire a photographer to take some shots of me and my kids before they're too old - and I am too!)


And lastly, Z. finally got his feet wet and Dad caught a crab!

Saturday I had the honor of witnessing Rachel and Josh marry. It was a hot, sticky day but so beautiful and both bride and groom kept their cool - literally... This was the most calm and happy couple I've seen yet on their wedding day. Very chill!

Here's the groom with his groomsmen doing a pre-wedding song and dance in the parking lot.


The bride and groom requested their family formals pre-ceremony so they could enjoy their cocktail hour with their guests (a great idea in my opinion!). Here they are seeing each other for the first time with his groomsmen onlooking and serenading.

It really couldn't have been a better atmosphere at the Coonamessett Inn in Falmouth and there wasn't a cicada in sight (the bride had worried about that)!


After some down time, greeting guests and raw oysters I took Rachel and Josh outside for their formals. These were a few of my favorites...




After some fantastically funny speeches by Rachel's sister and Josh's brother, the bride and groom (and guests) danced...


I love the look on Rachel's face in this one!


It wasn't long before The Marsels got the whole place rockin'!


Thanks to Rachel and Josh for a great time! Bien viaje a Mexico!

Here are some shots from the beach on Saturday. I feel so fortunate we live close to the beach and my parents live on the beach. It's so great to watch my kids enjoy it with their friends as I did when I was little.

I'm not sure what possessed me at 7am to shoot some pics of Lainey after a late night with Dave Matthews (at Great Woods ie: Tweeter Center, Comcast Center), but I couldn't resist posting these great shots I took of her in her new hat. I can't believe my little baby girl will soon be 2 years old!



Lainey makes this face all the time, especially when she's excited about something. It cracks me up!






Happy girl.


Incidentally, the Dave Matthews show was great! A fun time was had even though we were the oldest people in the place and the beer was $8 bucks a pop! To top it off the beer police would not let you order more than one at a time, or hold more than one beer at a time. Somehow Andrew did manage to order 2 beers and make it back to our seats with both, but when he held one for himself and one for our friend Mike, the he nearly lost one $8 beer to the can.

Well, I am finally getting around to posting some pics from Andrew's 40th birthday bash (almost a month ago now). Thanks to all who made it on a kind of dreary, gray day. But that didn't stop the fun! Amazingly, Andrew was surprised after a barrage of little white lies all morning about what I was doing for the day.

I was so busy catching up with old friends and meeting new ones that I didn't take many pictures myself, but my sister and good friend grabbed my camera and shot some...

Here's Lainey in awe listening to the band. Thanks to Jimmy D., Bobo, and Jonathan for some great tunes and a great time!




Here are all the kids on stage singing Happy Birthday to Andrew. No one loved singing on the mic more than Kiernan (brown striped shirt in front)!




The birthday boy.

Labels: personal

Saturday was such a great day. The weather was spectacular and I spent the day at the beach with my kids, and lots of friends. It was a reunion of sorts and great to see everyone I grew up with and all their children! (pics of that later, hopefully).

After some sun and swimming (OK, I didn't swim, but my kids did), I met up with Alison and Rick at Chappy Beach. This athletic couple met while training for a triathlon. They had both joined a club in order to train and one day it was only the two of them showed up (hmmm...fate?). It was a while before Rick got the hint that maybe Alison was interested, but the rest is history! They will tie the knot in August at Highfield Hall in Falmouth - one of my favorite wedding locations.

Rick is currently training for an Iron Man, so after 6 hours of bike riding (I wasn't even on the beach THAT long) on Saturday they met me in Falmouth at Chappy beach. It was really windy once again, but the great thing about Chappy is the area across the street overlooking West Falmouth Harbor where you can hide from the wind.

Normally, I select about 4 images from a session to post, but I really had a hard time choosing today. This couple is just gorgeous! I'm not sure if Alison has modeled in the past or not, but she knew just how to work the camera - tilting her head this way and that, chin down, and I didn't have to help a bit! I couldn't help but think she looks a little Sarah-Jessica-Parkeresque (but even prettier!) while I was editing these images. What do you think?



Having fun.


I love the colors they chose to wear! Look how great that blue looks against the green grass, the blue water and Alison's stunning eyes! Rick was a little worried about the stripes on his shirt since I told them solids were best, but in some cases, it works! This is one of those cases...


As I was focusing on their feet amongst the snails in the water, I caught Rick give Alison a little kiss on the nose. I love it!


I love how Rick rested his chin on Alison's head in this one. They just look so comfortable with each other and in love!


Typically I love black and white images, but the colors, their eyes, and the light was so fantastic that I couldn't get myself to alter any but the above shot. They should be in a magazine in this one...


...and this one too.


Thanks Alison and Rick for a fantastic shoot! Looking forward to your wedding in August!

On Friday, I got to meet 9 month old B. Like Andrew and I, his parents met while working at the Chart Room restaurant in Cataumet. There must have been something in the water there at the Chart Room during those summers we all worked there (or maybe it was the potent mudslides), but there is a whole group of us that met our spouses there, married and now have children. I can think of 8 couples off the top of my head (and I have really bad momnesia). It's quite a phenomenon. One day perhaps all of our children will work their way through college like we did by bussing tables, washing dishes and serving customers at the Chart Room!

B.'s dad is a pilot. This one's for you, Dad!


Cutie-patootie!


Happy boy!


Sorry for the short post. It was a great weekend off from shooting! Saturday I met with a lovely bride-to-be and her fiance, tended to my garden(s), and had a fantastic time at the 13th annual Bluffstock. I even had the surprise of seeing Cara and Sam there - a couple whose wedding I photographed in '06. Andrew got the chance to play a set solo and got some stage time with the Neal McCarthy Problem. It was lots of fun with a great view - many thanks to the Patridge family for hosting a great event! I wish I had pictures to post, but I only shot a few shots of Andrew on stage and they are not off my CF card yet!

I've been realizing lately that it's a rare to find someone that actually likes getting his/her picture taken (self included). Therefor I have concluded that being a photographer is probably much like being a dentist. Is there anyone that looks forward to a dentist appointment? Well, come to find out, there are very few who really look forward to their photo shoot as well.

This past weekend I shot two engagement sessions. I had a great time shooting these two lovely couples, both very photogenic and obviously in love. It made my job easy. After the first shoot on Saturday evening, Janet commented, "that wasn't so bad!" I took that as a compliment knowing that brides (and mostly) grooms dread the engagement session. It was clear she hadn't been looking forward to it, but that it wasn't as painful as she thought (ie: the dentist). On Sunday I shot Rachel and Josh who are getting married less than three weeks away. After their shoot they both said, "that was fun!". Well, it looks like I am making progress! And I am happy that both of my couples had a pain-free and actually enjoyable experience. So, brides and grooms, don't be scared! Think of your engagement session as pain-free dentistry. I can't drug you like the dentist may do, but I promise it won't be as painful as a root canal!

And on to the happy couples...

On Saturday night I met Janet and Nick at Town Neck Beach. It wasn't quite as windy as my last session there, but pretty windy nonetheless. I find that the wind can be brutal in June, but when the wind dies down in July, the bugs are worse! Anyway, Janet and Nick were just so cute together, obviously really comfortable with each other and in front of the camera. Usually it takes some time to warm up to the camera, but these two were relaxed from the start. This was the 4th shot I took (the first two were to make sure my lighting was OK). I knew from the start that this was going to be easy!


Just look at those smiles! And those eyes! I loved their eyes against the gray/blue of the water.


Thanks Janet and Nick for a FUN session! Looking forward to your wedding in August!



On Sunday evening I met Rachel and Josh at West Falmouth Harbor. As many times as I've been through West Falmouth, I've never been to West Falmouth Harbor. Rachel had picked the spot because she likes the scenery and the boats in the background. I love exploring new places and it was nice to do something a little different than the beach for a change.

Before Rachel and Josh's shoot I had sent them an email asking that they wear solid colors, to be comfortable, to be themselves, and suggested Rachel stick to wearing pants, capris or shorts rather than a skirt or dress as many of the poses would be seated. Rachel of course showed up in an adorable white dress. I'm not mocking her, I actually think it was great! When they arrived she said to me, "I did read your email regarding the pants, but really I am most comfortable in a dress and that's what I wear most of the time. I don't care if I sit, or get dirty, or whatever." I loved that! The most important thing to me is that you are comfortable and you are yourself for your photo shoot.

Here she is looking so pretty in her white dress.


Before Rachel explained her white dress she introduced me to Josh who I had been in contact with on the phone and via email on a number of occasions, but we had yet to meet in person. Josh said that although he hadn't met me, he felt like he knew me because of the previous correspondence and because he'd been reading my blog. I was not only happy to hear that someone had been reading, but that it's working! (see note from me at top of page).

It was Josh's idea to get his picture taken on the ladder. I wasn't opposed, but I was a little nervous that if they both got on I'd be jumping in the harbor to rescue someone (and I don't swim until July!)


We borrowed someone's dinghy for some shots.


Having fun!




Thanks to both Janet and Nick and Rachel and Josh for making my job effortless, and for having fun!

Josh was scheduled for a studio shoot in the afternoon on Tuesday for some senior photos before he heads to Penn State in the fall. But since it was so nice (and HOT!) outside, and the landscapers were working on my studio steps, I decided to take Josh around the grounds instead.

Josh is a weight lifter - I don't think you'd want to mess with him!


Clearly Josh has a soft side. It doesn't look like he has a bad bone in his body in this one - just look at that smile!


I actually had a hard time getting Josh NOT to smile during his session. (I think it may have been because his mother told him he better!). Thanks Josh, and good luck at Penn next year!

On Monday I photographed 20 month old G. at Bourne Farm. G. was a little skeptical at first when he showed up with his John Deere.


But some peek-a-boo over Mom's shoulder was just the trick to wake him up!


Look at those eyes!


Cutie patootie!


Bourne Farm is one of my favorite spots to shoot portraits and weddings. The scenery is just fantastic! Bye, G.!

On Wednesday I met Teresa and Derek at Old Silver Beach in Falmouth for their engagement shoot. I had reservations about the wind since my photo shoot on Monday with Katie and Kevin (see below), but although it was windy, it wasn't hurricane force winds like a couple nights before and it was actually a gorgeous evening for a beach portrait.

And speaking of gorgeous... Teresa is going to make a beautiful bride and look at those dimples on Derek!





Having fun.



Teresa has got to be the most organized bride ever! Although they aren't getting married until June 2009, she has everything in order. Can't wait for your wedding in 2009 and I'm sure I'll run into you again before then!

Last Tuesday I had the pleasure of photographing another former bride/groom's child. This is J. He is a very energetic little boy who looks like his Mom. I can't wait to see what his baby brother will look like when he arrives!

We started out in the studio...




But J. had a lot of energy, so we took him outside where he loved to run, play on the swings and monkey bars, run after my dog, play with a skateboard, and just be a kid! Sometimes dressing up and sitting in the studio for posed shots just doesn't fit the personality of the children I am photographing. So true in this case. Here in these outside shots, J.'s true personality shined through!





How cute is he!? I love that blond hair, beautiful skin and those teeth! Just makes you smile, doesn't he?

Last week being the kick off to summer and all was an insanely busy week between photo shoots, client meetings, editing, album creating, school programs, and party planning. But phew, it's a little calmer this week and I hope to get to post some of my last week's sessions and images and some personal items for the week as well.

Here is an engagement shoot from last Monday. Katie and Kevin met going to school at Holy Cross (my alma mater), but it wasn't a love connection until years later when they met on a booze cruise in Boston. They were very cute, and very shy, but I think they loosened up a bit by the end of the shoot and I look forward to their wedding on July 5th close to my home at the Brookside Club in Bourne.


It was Monday of Memorial Day weekend and I asked what they'd been up to for the holiday weekend. Kevin had been working all weekend (he's a lawyer in Waltham) and Katie had been spending the weekend at her parent's house in Mattapoisset enjoying the good weather, running, walking, correcting papers and relaxing. I thought their shoes told their story well...


The wind on Monday evening at Town Neck Beach in Sandwich was unreal. I thought I might blow over a few times, but both Katie and Kevin were really good sports to stick it out. In spite of the wind, it was a lovely evening with beautiful light. Check out the beautiful warm glow...



Thanks Katie and Kevin! See you again on July 5th!