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I just got Pat and myself featured on OneWed.com!  Sweet!

Check it out!

Dana + Jeff {Wedding}

Dana + Jeff’s wedding at Stone Harbor Golf Resort was definitely good times!  Second shooting for Pat and had a definite good time!

Here are some shots from their wedding!  The cupcake was delish!

the older brother’s daughter’s expressions are priceless!

Thanks you two for a blast!

Dreams and Adventures

{Cut and pasted from my pal Junshien’s blog, www.junshien.com}

1) What are your deepest dreams? Do you want to start a business, lose 30 pounds, live in Paris, serve the poor, be part of a Broadway play? Do you want to become a millionaire, learn a new language, start a music studio, build an orphanage, backpack through South America? Does the thought of it excite you, inspire you, stir something deep within you? What makes you come alive?

My deepest dreams.  A good question.  I have and had many dream careers, dream plans and goals, and real plans and goals.  When I was younger, I mean high school, I loved history so much that I just wanted to do anything in history.  I guess that would have “set” me up to be a lawyer, which I enjoyed.  Then I dreamt of being a video game programmer.  Then it moved to be a Psychology Professor which I tried extensively for (and if you have followed me since Xanga, you could read my trials and stuff).  Though I put that dream career on hold, I am now pursuing photography (wedding and travel!)  So that is my new dream goal that I am actively pursuing.  Though I will probably reapply for graduate school in psychology.  How hot would it be to be a wedding/travel photographer with a Ph.D? 

As for non – career dreams, I am pretty sure most know that I am an avid traveler.  So while I have gone traveling internationally they have been 2 week journeys.  And, hopefully, my next one will be a big one month back packing journey back into Ireland.  But I would love to backpack for some time through Europe.  The thought of traveling keeps me perked and giddy for a while and actually traveling keeps happy and in bliss for a very long time!

2) Are you willing to do what it takes to live your dreams? Are you willing to sacrifice for it, make deliberate choices to attain it, work hard towards it? For the vast majority of people, their dreams will always remain that–dreams. But to change a dream into reality can require fighting through some of the toughest battles of your life, because in this world, there are no shortages of excuses and distractions and naysayers and competing priorities. It was not easy for me to end up where I am today, but I wanted it bad enough. Do you?

I believe that my choice to pursue graduate school for two to three years was a real sacrifice, though I believe was worth it, where I gave up “life” to try to get accepted into the programs.  But, here I am pursuing photography now, with the goal of graduate school on hiatus.  Now that I am not all about being accepted into graduate school, the other “realities” are so tangible I can smell them- bills, economy, global perils… I have happily invested a lot of time and money into photography, purchasing gear, portfolio building, running here and there to get my name out there, that while, in the short term is costing me, but I see the pluses in the long term for a recoup in investment, positive impact in my career, and passion.

My biggest obstacles are all in the short term.  While I am investing time and money into the photography business, I am also saving up for my future travels.

One of the things career mentors would tell their clients, is to dream big, but to go for those dreams you need to create smaller goals leading towards the big dream.  So for me, I try to make small goals, with the bigger picture in mind.  This way I will be grounded in reality and make realistic goals while still dreaming big.

{Side note: Busy processing Lindsay’s + Frank’s wedding which I 2nd shot for Pat Furey.}

Charlene’s and Steve’s Wedding! 7/17/09

On Thursday afternoon, I got a message from Pat Furey asking if I would be free to 2nd shoot and hang out with him at this wedding.  So I said yes!  He’s a really awesome photographer from Tom’s River with an incredibly awesome work!  Cannot speak enough about him!

So back on task, I left my house about 11 am to drive up to Charlene’s beach house!  And it was here the ladies went to get ready!  This was a seriously GREAT wedding, with an absolutely gorgeous bride and groom, and with a great photographer!  Ceremony, bridal party, and reception photographs will come later as they haven’t been worked on yet! haha!

My wholehearted congratulations go to Charlene and Steve for this great and momentous occasion!

Thanks for looking!  Please go to “Past Sessions” to see the rest of the wedding and slideshow!