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Beyond The Lens Photography bio picture

Visual Artist Unleashed

I am a mother, a wife, a friend, and a photographer.  Photography is the part of my life that has brought me here:

Welcome to my blog.  Here you can find my most recent work along with other tidbits from life's adventures.  I have had a camera in my hand since my first son was born 12 years ago.  Since then, what was a hobby, has flourished into an obsession and a career.  I find my passion for photography grows everyday.  Whether it is something new to learn, a new friend to make, or a new place to explore.  Photography challenges me, and allows me a creative outlet all at the same time.  So I welcome you to look around and get to know me a bit, feedback and conversation are always appreciated.  And check back often for new posts and stories!!!

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Raw Photo Design 

Tag Archives: Engagement Session

Sam and Joe; Engagement Session Kent, CT

I can’t even begin to explain how awesome my brides and grooms are for 2010!  This weekend I began building those bonds and cultivating those relationships that I know are going to last far beyond the 2010 wedding season.

Meet Sam and Joe.  They are getting married in April.  We got together over the weekend to shoot their engagement session in Kent, CT.  Normally I try to steer away from going outside in below 0 weather, but we scheduled this session months ago, and decided to give it a go.  So I kept shooting until my fingers would work no more!!!  We then followed up by grabbing a bite to eat in Kent and chatting it up for a bit.  Sam and Joe are one of the most laid back couples I have ever met.  There is an effortless balance between them that I just adore,  and I can already tell there will be so many amazing moments for me to document on their wedding day.

Sam and Joe I am so excited and honored to be a part of something so special in your lives, and I can’t wait!!!

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February 25, 2010 - 8:22 pm Ericha - These are gorgeous! I love the lighting. They have a wonderful feel to them. Great job!

February 15, 2010 - 5:55 pm Kathleen - Love the covered bridge & the balloons - so fun! The lighting in these is awesome!

February 4, 2010 - 11:22 am auntie - photo #1 is my favorite. I love it that the colors are really vivid against the background and the plant life is very cool as well!!!

February 4, 2010 - 2:49 am Val McCormick - Oh My you can see their breath! These are awesome. Way to rock it doesn't matter the weather right? KICK BUTT JOB!

February 2, 2010 - 11:04 pm Eric Foley - Sweet winter shoot D! Love the pp too.

February 2, 2010 - 6:13 pm Kerry B - LOVE the first one of you two walking in the bridge looking at each other - great smile, Joe! You two couldn't get any cuter!!

February 2, 2010 - 11:54 am Robert J. Trenske - I really love the warm feel to these images even though it is clearly very cold outside. Really awesome job Danielle, you totally rocked this session!!

February 2, 2010 - 11:48 am MaryBeth - Aww these are great!! Such a lovely couple, can't wait for April :)

February 2, 2010 - 11:03 am Joe - These pictures look great! I think my favorites are the one with the breath between us and the one sitting on the bridge, but it's a tough call. Can't wait for the wedding!

February 2, 2010 - 9:58 am Rick O - Rockin set - really love the creative post on these images as Eric said

February 2, 2010 - 9:15 am Jena - Great job on these, Danielle! You managed to make it look romantic even in 0 degree weather - and yay for more Bethel clients! :) congratulations, Sam and Joe!

February 2, 2010 - 8:47 am Joe Fuller - These turned out really great babe! I had a great time shooting with you, even as cold as it was. My favorite I think is number 8 because you can see Sam and Joe's breathe between them. I really like the ones with the balloons and the bridge. Great work. Sam and Joe I had a blast hanging out with you guys, can't wait to do it again!

February 2, 2010 - 12:12 am Sam - WE LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM!!! Damn, Joe is really good-looking!! The covered bridge pics are my favorite, oh and the balloons too, and... oh they are all good :)

February 1, 2010 - 11:13 pm eric langlois - So cool!!! Absolutely love the post work on these as well!!

Val & Sidney; Engagement Session – Astoria Park, Queens, New York

Last Sunday Joe and I had the pleasure of hanging out with Val & Sidney in Queens, which is Sidney’s old stompin’ grounds.  Being honest I was completely freaked out about doing this shoot.  I am pretty confident in my skills.  Throw me into a park or on a beach and I’m in all my glory, but it was really important to Val and Sidney to do their shoot in Queens.  Believe me, I tried throwing a sunflower field at dusk at them, but it as not happening.  So what is a photographer to do when her clients want something different than her vision?…….Um-mm bring it!

So here are Val & Sidney in all of their glory.  Joe and I had so much fun getting to know you two and your relationship.  Thanks so much for the tour and great times.  We are certainly going to do it again :)

 

We started our shoot at a favorite cafe of Sidney’s called Cafe Bar.  This place was awesome.  It had really great moody light and all kinds of decor.

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 This is what Joe and I ate.  It was Val’s recommendation, and it as bangin’!!!!

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 Joe saw this mirror inlaid into the bar and took this shot!

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 This is also Joe’s shot!

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 These two were naturals……I barely had to ask them to do anything.  Sidney especially is GQ to the hilt :)

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 The shot on the left is Joe’s (my favorite from him for the day) and mine is on the right

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 Then we jumped in the car and headed over to Astoria Park for some more cool shots.  You can see Manhattan in the back ground of some of the shots.

Joe’s shot is on the left, mine is on the right :)

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 The one on the left is Joe’s shot.  Mine is the one on the right.

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 This is the view of the Triborough bridge from Astoria Park.

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Thank you again Val & Sidney for such a great time, and thanks to Joe for coming along with me!

October 13, 2009 - 10:58 am Erik Maziarz - An epic e-shoot Danielle! The Cafe, the car; so many great shots! great job!

October 2, 2009 - 11:13 am Kathleen Trenske - Love this session - it has such a sexy feel to it! Some really fabulous light too! :) I really like seeing Joe's shots as well!

September 24, 2009 - 1:58 pm JoAnn - Love the angled shot leanng against the rail w/ skyline...damn, now I have a craving for a Sabrett dog! Another excellent job...you're fast becoming the "It Girl" for engagement pics!

September 24, 2009 - 8:05 am Tab - I agree with Pammy! That one is my favorite too!

September 23, 2009 - 12:41 pm Vicki Souza - Wow!! These are all incredible - and you went all over with this couple. I love SOOO many it's hard to narrow down ;)

September 23, 2009 - 1:50 am Eric Foley - Damn girl, you really rocked the shizzle out of this one! You really stepped up your game BIG TIME! Love all of these.

September 23, 2009 - 1:31 am Amber - Love how your vision and the editing are all coming together. Keep up the good work, never stop raising your game.

September 22, 2009 - 9:09 pm Brianna Phelan - I think this is my favourite post of yours ever. IT's truly awesome!

September 22, 2009 - 5:28 pm Beth - AMAZING!!! These really are the best engagement pics I have ever seen. I'm Val's sister and you really captured them in a perfect way--this really is their personality and style!

September 22, 2009 - 4:04 pm Megan - Wow, girl! You are really great at what you do!

September 22, 2009 - 11:41 am Nicole T. - AWESOME JOB Danielle! These ROCK! <3

September 22, 2009 - 11:17 am Sidney Nazario - Hi Danielle, The pictures are fantastic. Thank you for making me look cooler than I really am. It meant a lot that you would make the trip ti NY. It made the shoot a lot more meaningful for me. looking forward to the wedding.... Sid

September 21, 2009 - 9:20 pm pammy - Absolutely LOVE the forehead to forehead shot w/ eyes closed. Very warm and you can sense the connection the two of them have. Awesome job Danielle!

September 21, 2009 - 4:28 pm Lucy - Danielle, I am speechless !!! I LOOOOOVE NY !!!!! I think this is one of my favorite posts so far.....the skyline, the kissing, cafe bar....all of it ! It makes me want to go back to NY and same time it's like I just came from there by looking at your shots...

September 21, 2009 - 12:10 pm auntie - ok ok so I love the skyline pics very very nice, the hand in the pocket yeah baby and the one of them showdowed infront of the stain glass window!! xo you rock have I told you that lately. Wait let me call you and tell you in person lol!!

Caley and Mike; Engagement Session, Waveny Park, New Cannan Connecticut

Meet Caley and Mike!  Rain or shine, these two completely BROUGHT it!!!!!!!  I barely had to ask them to do anything.  I was just there, shooting away because the chemistry between these two is very apparent.  Thanks for making my job sooooooo easy guys.  I’ve posted a few of my favorite shots .  I hope you all enjoy them.

P.S. Please give a warm welcome to Joe making his debut on the blog! #7 and #9 are all him!!!

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June 17, 2009 - 3:57 pm Val McCormick - Danielle, I really love Joe's shots! They are all great. What a great team you two make! :-)

June 16, 2009 - 10:42 pm eric langlois - awesome - love all of Joe's - congrats!!!!

June 16, 2009 - 3:16 pm jason - i like her toes in the grass, and the lilly pad reflections. good work as usual.

June 16, 2009 - 12:39 pm Lucy - The last one is SO cool !!!

June 16, 2009 - 12:10 pm Cynthia - I like the 7th and the 9th one. Great Angle.

June 16, 2009 - 11:21 am Dawn - love the one with the lilly pads and the reflection its gorgeous.

June 16, 2009 - 10:36 am Tab - NICE guys! You work well together!

June 16, 2009 - 10:21 am Caley - Danielle & Joe, Thank you so much for an awesome day, we had a blast! You made everything so comfortable and fun, we can't wait for you to shoot our wedding! Next time we'll bring the wine!!

Jen and A.J Engagement Session, Harkness Memorial Park, Waterford, Connecticut

Why are Jen and A.J the coolest people on the planet?  Let me count the ways :)

1) Jen made me brownies….that’s right.  I pulled up to meet her and A.J for their session and she handed me a plate of brownies…YUM! My favorite!

2) A.J. let me keep them.  Apparently he had thought up until that very moment, that she had made them for him as a snack on the way home……nope, they’re all mine :)

3) Jen and A.J. are those kind of people that you meet and you just know they are meant for each other.  To use the words from Jerry McGuire “she completes him” lame as it may sound, it’s the truth.

So without further adu, here are some of my favorite shots that I took of them while we were at Harkness Memorial Park in Watertown, CT.

 

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June 5, 2009 - 9:06 am Val McCormick - Love the new logo and blog! My favorite is the first shot! The light is amazing!

June 4, 2009 - 2:34 pm Robert J. Trenske - I love Harkness and I agree with Eric, you totally rocked it. Nice job on the ring shot and that last one, the composition is great.

June 4, 2009 - 6:54 am Eric Foley - Awesome set here Danielle! You rocked Harkness fo sho!

June 3, 2009 - 1:20 pm Brianna Phelan - How sweet are they! Beautiful :)

June 3, 2009 - 6:44 am Rick O - I must have seen about 10 posts this year of e-sessions at Harkness and I've never been there, it looks like an awesome place to shoot..