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www.felixrust.com

Check it out and tell me what you think (over there). I won't be posting or checking this blog anymore.

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Diana and Anthony Engagement

This was one of my favorite engagement sessions of all time. Diana and Anthony are a magical combination of beauty, humor, passion, and fearlessness. So they had no problem climbing fire escapes, getting kicked out of ballrooms, playing in fountains, etc.
After they were soaking wet from the fountain and we were walking home I thought the day was done. But we just kept passing cool little pockets of light and I ended up with some of my favorite shots of the day at the very end of the day. It was so hard to make a short engagement album. I love so many of these images. And it was a blast reliving this little adventure.

HERE'S the engagement album I made for them.

Christina & Ryan Trash the Dress

I learned a few lessons from this Trash the Dress session with the amazing Christina and Ryan. Evidently, those fire escape ladders are sometimes wired to a fire alarm. One of the above images is of Christina and Ryan looking over as about five guys with walkie talkies are explaining to me that it is not OK to pull down a fire escape ladder and have your clients climb up three stories for a cool picture. But it was going to be such a cool picture.

I also learned to my amazement that a beautiful woman in a wedding dress does not automatically get everything she wants. We tried to go aboard a ship named "The Christina". I wanted an image of Christina standing under her name on this yacht that was probably seventy feet long. The captain told a guy with a walkie talkie to tell Christina "No, with a capital 'N'". I wanted to know if the "o" was lower case but the guy didn't ask the captain. We were not getting lucky with walkie talkies today. To be fair, the captain didn't actually set eyes on Christina. Otherwise, he would have let her aboard, right?

Erin and Brian Wedding

It rained and rained and rained all over the perfectly set up chairs on the lawn at the Butternut Farm Golf Club in Stow, MA. So instead of watching them get married on the lawn, Erin and Brian's friends and family crowded under the porch eves and it turned into one of the most beautiful and intimate wedding's I've ever seen. The rain made everyone really be a close part of their moment.

Once the rain stopped we walked out to the perfectly set up chairs and took some pictures so as not to waste all the labor that went into setting up the chairs...

HERE'S Erin and Brian's album that I made for them.

Melisa and Michael Engagement, Wedding, and Trash the Dress!

This wonderful couple represents a lot of firsts for us. It's the first Trash the Dress session we've ever done. For those unfamiliar, a Trash the Dress (TTD) is where, after the wedding, the bride and groom get dressed up in their wedding finery and meet us in a place that would be unlikely for a newlywed couple to be to get some cool images. Sometimes it's rolling around in the ocean. Sometimes it's playing in the mud in a swamp. In this case, it was the carnival! We followed Melisa and Michael as they went on the rides, got cotton candy, threw balls at bottles, rang bells with hammers, made out in the ticket booth, etc. all the while being stared at by the people at the fair. Strangers kept asking us if they were really married, and if they could take a picture with their cell phones! It was such a blast.

It was also the first wedding album I've made where I incorporated text into the design. Melisa and Michael wanted their vows and some cool quotes interspersed. I usually include a photograph of the vows but have never actually used text in the design. I'm very happy with it and plan to do more of this in the future.

This is also the first time we've done multiple sessions in one album. Melisa and Michael wanted the engagement session, wedding, and TTD to be one story.

We had so much fun with Melisa and Michael... we're trying to invent new ways to photograph them. I want to go the carnival every couple of weeks or so :)

HERE'S a link to the album I made them.

Daniela & Gino Engagement

So we did a little trespassing. We were asked politely not to try jumping off a broken TV to try to pull down a fire escape ladder so we could get some cool pictures against a neato building in the North End.

But we had a great time anyway and caught that golden evening sun.

I hope these images show just how cool and in love Daniela and Gino are. Because they are.

HERE'S an album I put together for them.

Sue and Eben Engagement

We walked around the North Eastern campus, where Sue and Eben met and then wondered through Boston a little. We had a great time photographing this beautiful couple. Super relaxed, casual, cool... in love. :)

HERE'S the album I made for them.

Chelsea & Jeff Engagement

We went to Cogshall Park in Fitchburg for Chelsea and Jeff's engagement shoot. It is a beautiful pond surrounded by dense woods with cool rocks to climb and snapping turtles to snap...

They brought their gorgeous dog who is a Lab-Weimaraner mix- so cool! Now I know why Wegman photographs these dogs. They are stunning to behold.

As are this lovely dog's owners. I'm so happy with these images!

HERE'S the engagement album I made for them.

Sandrine and Matt Engagement

We had a lovely time walking around Boston with Sandrine and Matt. They were serious, they were silly. They were cool... they were hot. :)
And we ended the night with creme brule! And that's the best way to end the night.

Vanessa and Billy Engagement

They're rock stars. Sheryl was admiring a tattoo on Vanessa's ankle while Billy was on the phone. Vanessa said it was Billy's name. Billy notices Sheryl shooting images of Vanessa's foot and just walks right over, while he's on the phone, lifts up her foot and licks it.

HERE'S their engagement album I made.

Anahita & Mehdi Engagement

Harvard Square is a meaningful place to Anahita and Mehdi and a fabulous place to take pictures. We had a great time walking around the university and down by the river. We walked passed the "cloud" fountain in the beginning and I joked about them walking into it. Anahita said, "Could we do it at the end?" So I thought, "This couple is going to be fun..."

After a great shoot we ended up at the fountain and I held Mehdi's wallet and in they went. A small croud of onlookers were pointing and laughing. The kids playing in the fountain saw nothing at all unusual about a couple of fully clothed adults dancing in the fountain.

The wedding ceremony will be a mixture of traditional Iranian and American culture. It's going to be great :)

HERE'S an album I made from their engagement shoot.

Melissa and Lou Engagement

Man, here are a couple of fearless rock stars.  Melissa and Lou are totally comfortable with themselves and each other.  This was such an easy, fun shoot.  We walked around Beacon Hill and downtown stopping to kiss a lot along the way... Melissa and Lou, I mean... me, not so much.  :)

HERE'S an album I made for them.

Tina & Marty Wedding

This wedding was a rustic paradise.  Tina had much of her family fly in from Denmark to witness this beautiful event.  These are such gentle, happy, wonderful people.  And this wedding just illustrated this.  It was a joy to attend and to photograph.

HERE is a preliminary album I made for Tina and Marty.

PS: Hire this fantastic bluegrass band to play at your wedding!  They were so great and a huge hit.  The BIRCH BENDERS.

Christina & Ryan Wedding

Beautiful, hip, beautiful, cool, beautiful, elegant... and the wedding was nice, too :)

I love these people.  We had such a good time documenting this day.  Not only are Christina and Ryan wonderful and charming but all their friends are great, too.  Everyone made us feel right at home and there was much laughing and goofing off.  A perfect day.

Here's their ALBUM I put together.

Victoria & Paul Wedding

Victoria is a body builder who "always comes in third" at strong women contests.  She's just amazing in every way.  Paul is the friendliest, most openly cool guy.  I just don't feel like I could know these wonderful people enough.  I want to hang out with them more.  Spending the day with them and their lovely family was way too short.  

I doubt I'll ever shoot another wedding quite like this.  There were goats and chickens and dogs in tuxedos.  There was a clown painting faces.  And a couple just in love and having the time of their lives.  

And they jumped in the pool in their gown and tux at the end of the night.

Here's their preliminary ALBUM.

Sarah and Derek Engagement

Sarah and Derek are super cool and super fearless.  Can you walk into this doorway on private property (and get kicked out)?  Sure.  Can you guys lie down and make out on a busy staircase at Faneuil Hall?  Sure.  Gonna be an awesome wedding.

Here's the ALBUM I made for them.

Tricia & Dan Engagement

We had a great time walking around Newport, RI in the blazing sun with Tricia and Dan. Mansions, cafes, cliff walks, and little kid cool-aid! Just about a perfect day.

Here's the ALBUM I put together for them.

Renee & Tim Engagement

We went to NYC to shoot an engagement session with Renee and Tim. Man, what a day! We started out at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge. We got kicked off a tiny park for national security reasons. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and ran into a Chinese demonstration. We went into Times Square and noticed a large group of people being filmed doing yoga. I then looked up to one of the jumbo trons and saw that the images on the screen were happening right there in front of us. So I asked Renee and Tim if they would jump in front of the TV cameras and make out so I could shoot them on the jumbo tron. They were totally into it but a security guy stopped them. So Sheryl talked to the producer of the thing, explained what we wanted to do, and arranged for them to sign a release. The TV people said OK and Renee offered to wear a product placement T-Shirt. Then in a few seconds they were kissing in Times Square on the jumbo tron!

It was a super fun day I'll never forget. How are we going to top this for the wedding? Mmmm...

HERE'S the engagement album I made for them.

Rita & Steve Engagement

We walked around Boston with Rita and Steve a few weeks ago. Beautiful (and hilarious) people. I'm very happy with the images considering I was laughing the whole time. It was great fun.

Beth & Matt Wedding

We had a great time at Castle Hill in Newport, RI. with Beth and Matt. The wedding was absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous sunset on the ocean, tent with chandeliers, lots of kids. It was a blast.

Here's a LINK to the album I put together for them.