Ned Jackson Photography Blog

The Proposal!

nedjackson — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:31:02 +0000

I thought I’d share something really fun for the weekend. Last month I was invited to do something I’d never done before… photograph an actual proposal! The only catch is that I would have to hide, so as not to ruin the surprise. Brian and I started coordinating a few weeks ahead of time (really Brian was the one with all the master plans). He’d reserved a table at Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier and I had to figure out a way to look like a tourist (or at least clueless enough) while carrying a huge camera and lens – so as not to raise any suspicion. At 6′ 4″ I had my work cut out for me – but the folks at Chauncey Creek were more than accommodating (they offered to let me hide in a dumpster). I opted to look like the average joe munching on some fries and a Coke. When Brian, Martha and her daughter arrived – I got positive id using the text messages I’d received from Brian. While I think I probably scared some of the other guests who probably thought I was a private detective or something – I manged to stay concealed to capture their proposal. Here’s a few of my favorites:

For the full effect – check out the slideshow:

Brian and Martha – Best wishes to you both! Thanks so much for allowing me to capture this moment!

Sophie and Declan – A Tyrone Farm Wedding

nedjackson — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:23:58 +0000

Sophie and Declan got married last month at one of my favorite places – Tyrone Farm in Pomfret, CT. There’s just something about Tyrone that makes a wedding day seem a little bit more relaxed. Although I think Sophie and Declan had a lot to do with that as well! Their ceremony took place on the farm’s property, while dinner took place in the tent behind the main house and finally the guests made their way to the barn for a party! This allowed the day to flow seamlessly and made for a great relaxed party. I tried to pick some of my favorites below, but make sure you check out the slide show!

One of my favorite moments of a wedding day is when the bride gets to see herself in her dress for the first time. Here’s a few of Sophie below:

Declan’s stylin’ suit. I just loved the juxtaposition of his suit against the red of the barn.

Just before the ceremony I was able to grab a few portraits of Sophie in her dress and veil. This was just a quick catch as she grabbed her breath before heading outside.

Sophie waiting for her ride!

Friends of Sophie and Declan provided this fantastic getaway ride.

Sophie being escorted down the isle with her parents.

A few favorites from the ceremony.

So – evidently Declan’s friend has a knack for ruining all of their shots together. So we thought – why not embrace it!

Just love this one of the barn.

Every time I’m at Tyrone Farm I can’t believe how amazing the light is…. well- here’s what I mean! This is the tent behind the main house.

I couldn’t resist a quick shot out in that beautiful sunset.

Sophie during her father’s toast.

After dinner, the guests moved over to the barn where Declan said a few words to welcome and thank their guests. Eric caught this shot of Sophie on the right.

The first dance:

Sophie’s dance with her father.

A few from the party:

Some of my favorite little colors, details and textures of the day.

Make sure to check out the slideshow! Click here if you have problems playing it below.

Sophie and Declan – thank you so much for inviting me to photograph your wedding! Also- a special thanks to Eric McCallister and Ian from Tyrone Farm!

Jess and Rich – A Tyrone Farm Wedding

nedjackson — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 01:01:35 +0000

This blog is about to get busy! I’ve been scrambling all August to catch up from my vacation (which was lovely – thank you) and I’m getting ready to start putting up some absolutely great weddings. I’m really happy to share Jess and Rich’s wedding with you. From our very first meeting, I knew their wedding would be a blast. They both placed a high value on photography and wanted to make sure that it was a priority on their wedding day (totally honored that they invited me)! Not to mention I got to photograph in one of my favorite venues, Tyrone Farm, which is an absolutely fantastic place to get married. Stunning scenery and great spaces make it a perfect place for any type of wedding. You also get to work with Ian, who runs things to perfection.

Without further adieu – some of my favorite images from the day.

Jess getting her hair done:

The dress! Love the way this dress flows:

Getting the dress on:

I was so happy to be joined by Lara from Studio Nouveau who grabbed this great shot of Rich getting ready:

A quiet moment before he had to leave for the ceremony:

Jess and her father took a horse drawn carriage to the ceremony!

The ceremony took place in the Chapel at Pomfret Academy. I must say it’s one of the most stunning little chapels in New England! Lara grabbed this great moment before the ceremony.

The doors open as Jess enters the chapel.

What a great space!

A GREAT catch by Lara just outside the chapel doors.

See what I mean about the chapel?

I couldn’t resist using the ivy of the church with the pop of the umbrella. This was a real moment as the two headed over to the spot where the next pic took place.

My favorite of the day:

Having a little fun with the bridal party. Thanks to Lara for the funny faces!

Jess and Rich took the carriage back to Tyrone Farm.

I think I’m hooked on making these! A few colors and details from the day.

For some reason – the light at Tyrone Farm is like none other.

As dinner was served, this sunset fell behind the barn:

Back outside for one more quick shot!

The first dance:

If you’re a fan of the Office – you know Jim and Pam had a dance at their wedding. Let’s just say I think Rich and Jess put them to shame!

Make sure you check out the slideshow below. Click here if you have trouble viewing it.

Thanks so much to Jess and Rich for inviting me to capture such a great day. Also thanks to Lara from Studio Nouveau and Ian from Tyrone Farm!

Featured – Livebooks Success Story

nedjackson — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:14:01 +0000

So the other day I got a bit of a bump in my website traffic – so, with my curiosity peaked I did a little digging and discovered that I had been featured on liveBooks‘ Success Stories section! Livebooks created my website back in Sept. of 2008 and I couldn’t be any happier. Evidently they’re happy with the site too!

Erin and Dan – A Popponesset Inn Wedding

nedjackson — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:12:25 +0000

I am so excited to share Erin and Dan’s fantastic Cape wedding with you! The reception took place at the Popponesset Inn in New Seabury, MA. If you’ve been there – you’ll now that the term ON the beach is very literal. The tent is just feet away from the water so the feel of the wedding is undeniably beachy.

I thought this was the best way to start. How can you not love these shoes!?

Playing with the window light in the room. On the right, Erin’s Vera Wang gown was just stunning… both on the hanger and on her!

One of my favorites while Erin was getting ready:

A few quick window – lit portraits before we hustled off to the church.

How cute is this look?

The flower girl carried this beautiful hand-made Nantucket basket:

There are so many things I love about this picture…

A little fun with the rings at the reception:

As the sun fell the light got nicer and nicer:

Probably two of my favorite images from the day. I just loved the pops of pink!

Dan stylin’ for the camera:

Gotta love the shoes!

Ok… maybe these two are my favorite!

Tiptoeing for a kiss!

How good do they look?!

Playing with the sun!

In to the reception for the first dance. Not sure even these pictures do justice to how emotional and cute these two were during the dance.

Like I said – the Popponesset is LITERALLY right on the water! Love the paper flowers:

The fun cake toppers. Doug Levy joined me for the day and caught this really fun set up with the rings on the right.

The scene from outside:

The moon rose up over the water as the guests ate dinner. It glowed in a golden light and reflected against the ocean.

So I’ve always wanted to pull together an inspiration board like this – I just loved all the little details that help tell the story of their day.

Cliche…. yes. And I love it.

Last, but certainly not least – you need to check out this slideshow! Click here if you can’t get the link below to work.

A very big thank you to Erin and Dan! I can’t wait to start working on the album! Also – special thanks to Doug as well… even if I couldn’t get you to eat shrimp or lobster tacos!

Christy and Casey – A Mechanics Hall Wedding

nedjackson — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:34:26 +0000

I’m so excited to share this wedding! I know you’re all going to love this amazing combination of light, laughter, love and an absolutely AMAZING space! I first met Casey back in 2006 at a wedding I photographed in Topsfield for a good friend. After seeing him at two more weddings since (for two other sets of his friends) – I felt like I knew him pretty well – so I was massively excited when he informed me in 2008 that I was going to photograph his wedding as well! He mentioned that his fiance was a fantastic girl who was in vet school in Canada (he and Christy were doing the long distance thing). This wedding was like a visit with old friends. Christy and Casey’s families were both so warm and welcoming and their friends were a blast. You’ve got to make sure you check out the slideshow to see their rockin’ party. Their reception was held in an absolutely spectacular place called Mechanics Hall in Worcester. Take a minute to check out some of my favorite photos from the day!

This was my absolute favorite, so of course I had to put it first.

Christy getting her makeup done. How about that light?! Of course it didn’t hurt that she looked stunning

Doug Levy grabbed this great one of Christy’s sister and father getting prepped.

The dress is on!

The church had this beautiful stained glass window in the back that I knew I wanted to incorporate into the shot:

Exiting the church – Casey see’s the party bus for the first time!

A little fun with the veil:

Doug grabbed this great angle.

This was how playful these two were the whole day!

Downtown Worcester in front of Mechanics Hall:

I climbed up the hill across the street to get this cool vantage of the facade of Mechanics Hall:

Doug grabbed this great angle of the tables:

The second floor in Mechanics Hall had these rooms filled with this gorgeous window light:

What a stunning first dance!

I love the triptych!

Doug grabbed this great one of Mechanics Hall:

Christy’s dad giving the first toast (shot by Doug):

The reaction:

Love this look!

At the end of the night Christy and Casey fell into this adorable romantic dance:

One of my favorite moments of the day:

Be sure to check out the slideshow by clicking here. (Or double click on the window below)

Casey and Christy – thanks so much for welcoming me for the day and for being so much fun! Thanks to Doug as well for all your help!

Diana & Chris: A Four Seasons Wedding

nedjackson — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:32:39 +0000

Back in 2009 I received a call from my good friend Stef – who, at the time was at Priscilla’s of Boston (Stef and her husband Bobby are on the cover of my website). Stef mentioned that I should expect a call soon from Diana, who she described as “the most amazing person who’d just bought the most beautiful gown.” Sure enough Diana called me and booked me soon after. Then I had to wait a whole year before I even got to see the gown!!

From the moment I first met Diana and Chris I knew the wedding was going to be a blast and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. I’m so excited to share the images from their stunning wedding. The reception was held at the Four Seasons in Boston. I had a hard time picking my favorites – but I hope you enjoy the images!

The radiant bride:

People often think that the best light comes on days with blue skies and strong sun… but the truth is when it’s raining or overcast, the light is incredibly soft and dreamy. Cue beautiful bride!

Diana got ready in her parents’ house – and upstairs they had these beautiful stained glass windows.

Again – the light was just stunning.

I love these images. Diana selected these great emerald bridesmaids dresses which created an excellent backdrop for the pink peonies. I particularly love the one of her going up the stairs.

What goes up…. must come down! Love this image:

A quick portrait of Chris on the left. I was also joined by James Federico for the day who took this great shot on the right in the limo.

Diana’s ride arrives:

Before the ceremony, James and I laid out a game plan for the entrance of Diana and her father. As soon as I saw the interior of this church, I immediately had this image in mind – but I also wanted to grab Diana and her father coming down the isle from the front of the church. So after a little hand signaling and winks and blinks… James absolutely NAILED this shot. Awesome!

James grabbed the one on the left as well. The priest actually FORCED him to go up to the front of the church to get this shot. Fortunately he was hidden completely behind a giant column and no one even knew he was there…. I hardly could even find him!

One stolen moment between the newlyweds!

Di and Chris as they walked towards the main ballroom. Despite a little rain, we managed to make the most of the day!

This shot is probably one of my favorite detail shots I’ve taken in quite some time. Just so elegant.

LOVE this one.

I honestly didn’t even tell Chris and Diana to do this in the right shot…. they just fell into this sweet pose.

How wonderful is the light?

This one’s a crowd favorite. Again, they fell into this pose. How cute are they?

This picture just makes me so happy. To me it says everything about their feelings.

An amazing first dance. Of course the cake carried the same details as Diana’s gown.

It’s hard to pick a favorite from the day, but this ranks up there.

The toast:

The flower girl eventually got into her cozies then BOOGIED on the dance floor! Check out that sass!

Love the dip!

You absolutely have to watch this slideshow! Click here if you can’t get it to play below:

Diana and Chris – thank you so much for inviting me to your wedding and allowing me to capture all these wonderful moments! And a big thanks to James Federico who was a huge help!

Meghan and Adam

nedjackson — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:05:49 +0000

Back in 2008 I had the privilege of shooting a wedding for a good friend Sarah, who I used to work with back in my days at Fleet Bank (Bank of America) [Note - it's her flowers at the top of the blog!]. That’s where I first met Meghan and Adam. Adam is Sarah’s brother and I was so excited when he and Meghan called me last year to invite me to photograph their wedding. The ceremony took place in Springfield, MA and eventually wound up at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, MA. I grabbed a few of my favorites from the day!

Without a dobut -the time where the bride is getting ready is one of the most fun times to shoot. So much visual variety! I couldn’t get enough of the way the light framed Meghan’s face:

Meghan’s dress:

How cute is this smile?!

I just love this one.

Check out Meghan’s expression!

The flower girl had to join in for a peek!

Some beautiful bridal portraits in the glow of the sunset:

Such anticipation and happiness in one shot:

Meghan getting into the Rolls:

Just as we got to the log cabin, the sun was pouring in a beautiful orange glow:

One of my favorite dance shots from the night:

Be sure to check out the slideshow:

Thanks so much Meghan and Adam for inviting me to share in your day! Also a special thanks to Eric for helping out again!

Best of Wedding Photography

nedjackson — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:10:45 +0000

I have some more exciting studio news to share! I was recently invited to join the Best of Wedding Photography site, an invitation-only site for the world’s top wedding photographers, created by some amazingly talented photographers like Ben Chrisman, Anna Kuperberg, and David Beckstead. I’m pretty flattered and honored to have been included, especially when you read their criteria:

“Every invitation we issue represents a consensus among peers that a given photographer ranks among the best in the world.”

You can see the site here. Hoping everyone is having a wonderful summer so far! Check back next week for more wedding posts!

Emerge Contest

nedjackson — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:32:51 +0000

Winner, winner, chicken dinner! So, earlier this year I learned of a national contest sponsored by Livebooks, the company who so excellently created my main website. Unlike a lot of contests which focus on individual images, the Emerge Contest was designed to allow photographers to show their skills over the course of an entire wedding. I’m pleased to announce I won third place in the Favorite wedding category!

Also a special thanks to Monica and Dave for looking so fabulous on their wedding day!