Hello All!  This month has been fairly crazy, like most of you out there with kids in sports and all the end of year field trips.  I decided amongst all the normal craziness I would add buying a house to the mix!  I’m super, super excited to start this new journey with my girls and I guarantee to paint at least one thing in my house hot pink!  Why do you ask would I label this post turning lemons into lemonade?  Well, somewhere along the line deep in the cyber abyss my entire website and the last 18 months of posts on my blog were deleted.  Vanished.  Of course one host blames the other host and after hours and hours….and hours on the phone, no solutions other than good luck with the rebuild.  I did for a brief moment consider screaming and being a cynical bucket dipper.  But, I decided a nice walk and stepping away from my computer would be best.  I am lucky this didn’t happen in the middle of July when I’m deep in the wedding editing mode.  The silver lining.   I am looking forward to revisiting all my clients images as I work to re-post as many as I can.   So, if you wondered why my blog looked a little bare, now you know.  And my website, well, there are some changes happening there. Big ones.  I am so anxious for the summer and to see all of you and photograph your weddings – this recent sunshine is making me giddy with anticipation.  I’ll be sure to share the progress of all of the above.  Have a wonderful week and I’ll be adding random weddings from the posts that are missing.  I’ll start with Alex & Michelle, their wedding last September was incredible!  You might remember them from their engagement session.

Blessing,

Tressa

Happy Valentines Day to you!!  Surely a day dedicated to love has to be one of a photographer’s favorite days, right? : )  I hope all you love birds in the world enjoyed some snuggle time with your sweet heart today and maybe even indulge in that box of chocolates you kinda sorta wished he hadn’t brought you but are super thankful for.  And since it’s a day for people in love, here is a sneak peek of a super cute couple in love who’s coming to the blog in just a bit!

Happy Valentines Day!

XOXO

I’m not sure there is anything quite as beautiful as an autumn day in New York.   A few months ago I was so blessed to work with some friends and colleagues to create this stunning shoot.  A huge thank you to all who helped and big hugs to my friends and very talented second shooter Dustin & Corynn for being such lovely models!  One of the images was featured in WellWed’s Spring/Summer issue!  Yay!

Last week Michelle & Alex drove in for their engagement session and it was, I honestly think one of the coldest days of the winter!  We had planned on going around town to shoot but with the frigid weather we very wisely decided to stay inside – except for just a few!  That didn’t stop these two from bringing the heat in the studio!  I had such a blast working with this fierce couple and getting to know them.  Alex arrived a little early and while we were waiting we had some time to talk shop about camera gear and share some childhood stories. These two have such incredible family stories and I was so lucky to hear a few!  I cannot wait for the wedding in September, it’s going to be as fabulous as can be!

Can a couple look any cuter in the snow?  It was a perfect cold winter day when we met to take these images but as I look at these I don’t think they were cold at all!  : )  We met up at the Sunken Gardens and wandered around.  The light was just perfect towards the end and I love how they turned out!  When we were almost finished shooting Gregg ran to the car and pulled out his awesome hat for a few to represent his roots and I was so surprised  and thrilled!  I adore this couple and I can’t wait for their wedding this summer, I know it’s going to be aaamazing!

Well,  the New Year is a perfect time to start fresh, right?  This blog is a new format for me and will most likely be making some style transformations over the next several months.  Of course the common denominator will remain the same, so hopefully I won’t throw every consistent marketing concept out of the window.   As we all do this time of year I’ve been looking back over the last year to evaluate the good, the bad and the ugly.  The “e” word.   No regrets because afterall those are just mistakes I refused to learn from, right?  It’s been quite a year.  I’m not much of a resolution kind of a girl – I’m too impatient to wait to the start of the year for that but if you don’t mind, I’d like to share with you a few stand-out moments from this year both personally and professionally.  I’ll start with moving into a new studio bundled with a great collaborative of other area creatives which has been so much fun and a joy to be involved with.  A year full of new, wonderful clients giving me ample opportunity to capture beautiful, authentic images.  I feel so blessed by all of you and am blown away how you’ve graciously invited me into your lives and have embraced me as an artist, photographer and as a person.  You’ve  made me grow so much artistically and personally, thank you.  Some personal struggles were thrown in as well.  I watched my daugter as she was rolled into surgery and held her hand as they administered anesthesia for a planned surgery.  No words for that one.   Her grace and humor through 6 weeks in a cast and a wheelchair, another 6 weeks on crutches and several weeks in physical therapy has left me speechless.  I’ve learned a lot from my 11 year old this year and I feel truly blessed she is once again walking and although I know her journey isn’t over, I’m thrilled we are that much closer to the end.  I’ve developed wonderful friendships I cannot be more thankful for and I hope I am as good as a friend to you (you know who you are) as you are to me.  I’ve taken several adventures this year to some fun locations and had the opportunity to go to a very cool photography workshop in New Orleans.  There is nothing quite like an adventure full of new sights and experiences and  I hope this next year brings more opportunity to travel!  I’ve had the overwhelming opporutnity to give back a tiny bit by photographing for Gilda’s Club, a cancer support group here in Rochester.  They threw an amazing and hoppin’ Gala which is their biggest fundraising event of the year.  I had tons of fun photographing the adds for the look book at our very first Rochester Fashion Week and was even featured on the news as I shot the infamous “balloon dress”. In this first couple of weeks of the new year I’ve already met several new clients and am so excited to get to know each and every one of you better and am over the moon excited to work with you on each of your one-of-a-kind-events.  I can only imagine what this year will bring and I pray the lessons I’ve learned will make each new adventure and life experience that much sweeter and more meaningful.  I wish you a year full of blessings, many ah-ha moments, grace & forgiveness, happiness, love, peace and new friendships.  And of course, a cherry on top!

-Tressa

Just to prove this is a photo blog….here is a sneak peek at a lovely couple keeping warm on a snowy day!!  Enjoy!  : )