Traveled: April 2014 with Alex and May 2003 Solo

This was such an amazing trip, and we are already plotting how we can retire here some day. Needless to say if you want a gorgeous elopement location, I would be here with you in a heartbeat!

Alex had his first spring break in a long time due to his new work schedule and we decided to take full advantage with a little adventure to Italy. I had been to Lake Como many years before, but Alex had never been so we decided this was a perfect opportunity. We spent 4 days and 3 nights in Como and it was fantastic. We rented a car and drove all around the lake, stopping at little towns along the way and making sure to have long breaks for pasta, wine and gelato, as one does in Italy. We stayed at a little B&B in Laglio which I can’t recommend highly enough. If you go, stay here. And tell Alessandro hello!

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Traveled: May 2014, With Alex

I just returned from Montreal this past weekend, but haven’t quite gotten a chance to go through my photos yet. So I figured the next best thing for this week’s travel adventure would be to head to Quebec City! Alex and I had been to Montreal a couple times previously, but Quebec City had always alluded us. So for our anniversary last year, we made the long drive north. It was a bit longer of a trip then we anticipated, but in the end well worth it. I’ve always felt Montreal has a very European vibe, but Quebec City even more so. Not only with the French, but in the old walled town, quaint little streets, not to mention the famous hotel looks basically like a huge castle!

We had a wonderful time wandering around, stopping in little cafes, and perusing the art galleries. A fantastic spot for a weekend getaway!

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Traveled: July 2015, Solo

London was my next stop on my mini UK tour after Edinburgh this past July. As I mentioned on my Scotland post, I made the trip to visit my dear friend Emily and her husband Matt who are currently living in Birmingham. I figured while I was there I might as well do some sightseeing.

London was my very first passport stamp back when I was in grade school. My grandparents took me to visit family (my grandmother was originally from England and I still have family in Manchester) and then I also visited a couple times in college as well. It had been way too long since I made the trip so I was quite excited to see the city, especially after living in NYC. I only had a couple days there and the weather was being decidedly uncooperative, which was par for the course on this trip. However, I still managed to roam a good amount and of course made sure to catch a sighting of Big Ben and walk along the Thames.

In addition to a couple days in London, I hopped on the train to Birmingham to see Matt and Em (and made sure to take some lovely maternity photos with Emily as well!). Birmingham was much quieter then London, but still a great middle sized city. It’s always fun to see a place with locals and visit with old friends.

This will not be the last trip to England as I’m already getting excited to plan my next trip to meet the new little one next spring!

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Traveled: August 2015, with Alex

Today’s Travel Tuesday is a bit more domestic. This past weekend Alex and I took a little long weekend getaway up to New Hampshire with an afternoon excursion into Maine. It was getting close to the end of summer and I was dead set on us taking a little trip before Alex started his fall semester. I had it in my head that I wanted a cabin on a lake. Somewhere quiet and peaceful where we could enjoy the view and perhaps get it in a swim and be unplugged for a bit. We had been looking for spots all over New England but everything was super expensive… until we stumbled upon this little place on AirBnB in the middle of New Hampshire. Neither Alex nor I had ever been to the state before, but decided this cottage on Duncan Lake sounded beautiful, so off we went!

While the weekend ended up being a tad rainy, particularly on Sunday, we still made the best of it and had a wonderful time. Relaxing, beautiful scenery, and I even got to take a stab at astrophotography, something I’ve never really played with before. Funny story… while we were out on the dock at night and I was taking these starry photos, it was completely quiet. Until we heard very loud noises from what sounded like a huge mammal in the woods next to the dock. We THINK it was a moose, but needless to say were freaked out and pretty much ran back in the house. (Yes, we are city kids and were not expecting THAT close of an encounter with nature. )

After a couple nights at the lake, we drove to Portland, Maine to spend the afternoon before heading back. It was my first time in Maine as well and all I can say is I will most definitely be back!

Enjoy the photos!

Destination Elopement Photographer

Are you looking to elope to Maine? Want to get married in the mountains in New Hampshire? I’d love to hear about your plans! I’m currently offering special packages for destination elopements and weddings in New England! Check out my travel page or email me for more information!

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Traveled: July 2015, Solo

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve managed to get travel photos up, apologies. It’s been a busy wedding season, and then I was actually on the road a bit! Last week I just got home from a whirlwind trip around the UK with stops in Edinburgh, London, and Birmingham. One of my best travel friends and college roommates, Emily, has moved across the Atlantic with her husband. They’re expecting a new baby in the fall, and I promised them a visit before the little one arrived. Since I was heading over to England anyhow, I figured I might as well make good use of my time and explore some other areas as well.

I’d never been to Scotland but had heard wonderful things, so I thought I’d make this trip my maiden voyage. The weather was decidedly fall like and rainy, I was in a jacket in July, but I still had a wonderful time. (It honestly felt good to cool off a bit after leaving the 95 and humid temps in NYC.) I roamed the streets taking loads of photos, hung out in some pubs, took a ferry ride out to Incholm Island, climbed to the top of Arthur’s Peak, and even got to share lunch and finally meet up in real life with my photographer friend Lauren.

I will certainly be back someday and I’d love to explore more that Scotland has to offer.

Enjoy the highlights below. The full set can be viewed and prints can be ordered from the online gallery.

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Travel Tuesday for 6.30.15: Havana, Cuba

Traveled: April 2015 with Alex

Cuba is one of the most fascinating places I’ve had the chance to visit and I loved every minute of this trip. Alex and I had been toying with the idea of going for awhile, but as Obama relaxed the regulations this December we knew it was now or never and jumped at the chance. I blogged about our time in Trinidad on the south coast previously, but we started our trip in Havana. The capital is a complete time warp into the 1950’s and I was in heaven as a photographer. I totally fell for the colors, the streets of old Havana, the often live salsa music, the waves crashing on the malecón. It was a place unlike any I’ve been before and I’m already scheming how I can go back.

If you’d like to see the full Havana collection or purchase prints, the full gallery is available here.

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Traveled: April 2015 for Canada Photo Convention

This past April I headed over to the Pacific Northwest for the Canada Photo Convention. I hadn’t been to Vancouver since I was about 5, so I figured it was high time I headed back. I made sure to arrive a few days before the conference started so that I could enjoy all the beautiful views Vancouver has to offer. The weather was amazing almost the whole time I was there, so I got incredibly lucky on the blue sky front. I rented a bike to ride around Stanley Park, wandered the water front, and took an adorable little rainbow ferry over to Granville Island. I even ran a 10K while I was there (apparently the largest road race in Canada!) and got an even better feel of the neighborhoods.

All in all I was completely smitten with this beautiful city. You can’t go ever go wrong with water and a mountain backdrop in my book. Vancouver, I will be back someday soon!

A note on these photos… I often find myself struggling to figure out what equipment to bring when I travel. As a primarily prime lens shooter, it means my bag can get mighty heavy with a whole slew of different lenses. However, for this trip, I decided on something different and went out and about with just my camera and my 50mm. It was incredibly freeing and I’m so happy with what I captured. Three cheers for minimalist packing!

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Traveled: April 2015 with Alex

Finally! I know many of you have been waiting for the photos from our Cuban adventure, so here is the first edition. I’m starting these in reverse since I’m still working through Havana, so don’t fret, there’s still more to come. Before planning this trip I had no idea there even WAS a Trinidad in Cuba, but after doing our research and knowing we wanted to explore further afield then just Havana, we opted for this colonial Spanish town on the south coast and I’m so glad we did.

Trinidad is incredibly colorful, reminding me quite a bit of Cartagena, Colombia and especially of Antigua in Guatemala. The streets are cobble stoned and you still hear vendors walking through town selling vegetables and riding horse drawn carts. While we were here we enjoyed amazing food, wonderful salsa dancing (while out one night an 80 something grandfatherly man politely asked if I’d like to dance and was one of the better salsa partners I’ve had in some time :-)), and beautiful tranquil beaches. The beaches on the south coast, while not as famous as their northerly relatives I found to be outstanding. We rented bikes in town and rode through rolling farmland to get there. Once we arrived, we had our pick of beautiful blue coves, each with a smattering of thatch umbrellas you could rent for the day for $2. There are no towering hotels or big resorts, just farmland and umbrellas with a cafe or two along the road. It’s peace and quiet perfection. (Please note: all beach photos were taken with my i-phone5s. The rest were taken with my regular Nikon.)

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