This.. was a fun wedding. Devon and Kevin are an awesome couple. Maybe it's because their names rhyme that they know how to do it right. The ceremony was sincere, heartfelt and filled with emotion and the reception was a dance party the likes of which I've never seen. It's not often that nearly everybody at a wedding gets out on the dance floor, but at this one, there were no shortage of people who knew how to cut a rug! I've never danced so much at a wedding while holding a camera! This is a wedding that we would happily shoot over and over again. Even though wedding photography can be a lot of work, it's weddings like this that make it feel like effortless fun and keeps us looking forward to the next one.
Ben and Hilary: Wedding day
When asked by Ben and his fiancé if Beth and I would be their wedding photographers, I felt that usual moment of excitement run through me. It's always an honor to be asked to participate in somebody's wedding, no matter how many times you hear the words. There's something about knowing that they trust you to be there to capture every important moment, just the way they would envision it, that makes you feel really special. Of course, without hesitation I said, "sure, we'd love to!" When the day finally came, every photographer's worst fear seemed like it was about to play out. It was pouring rain, near hurricane wind conditions and looking at the hourly forecast provided absolutely no hope. Somehow, miraculously, mere moments after the ceremony had ended, which thankfully was scheduled to be inside, the rain clouds lifted, the sun came out and the day took a complete 180 degree turn. By the time we arrived at the location they had selected for photos, it was as if the morning had never happened. From that point on, the day went perfectly, and the photos are the proof.
A Morning in the Maine woods
My Brother, Jeffrey Williams is a young forester, living and working in southern Maine. I spent a Sunday morning in November tagging along with him, photographing him and learning about the process of practicing responsible and sustainable forestry.
A sapling, displaying healthy growth.
After graduating from the University of Maine's forestry program in 2009, Jeff spent three years working along side one of Maine's most well known and respected foresters, Everett Towle. Everett is best known for his time spent in Washington D.C. as the director of forest policy and planning for America's National forests. At 79, he is a wealth of experience and knowledge for an aspiring forest management professional like Jeff.
Measuring a large white pine for it's available lumber.
A "bumper" tree, sacrificed to protect a future crop tree from damage.
Now, in 2013, Jeff has become a licensed forester himself and has begun to practice forestry on his own.
One of the most important things Jeff wanted to show me, was what a proper working jobsite looked like. He expressed that maintaining a clean and organized landing is something he strives for when working with various logging outfits. As we walked further into the woods, he explained the importance of selective harvesting of trees to maintain proper growth in the forest, as well as leaving remaining trees undisturbed and unblemished. Any "scar" on a tree that is intended to remain, could be an open invitation for unwanted bacteria or insects and could be detrimental to the life of the tree. One of the ways to prevent this, is to leave "bumper" trees along the main skidder trail, to protect unharvested trees from damage.
A clean and organized landing site.
Another interesting practice that Jeff explained to me, was the marking of boundary trees as a land marker. A boundary mark that strikes the center of the tree, means the line goes straight through, whereas a marker placed on the right or left side of the tree, means the line is off that tree in the direction of the marker.
skiddah' tracks.
The Forester's Kit.
Trees marked with the blue are to be harvested.
Spilled paint on the bumper.
The MASSIVE blade of the feller buncher.
Despite not having the quintessential cold November sunrise we'd hoped for, we still had a great time. I learned alot about what my brother does and enjoyed photographing the process.
