sneak peak : R+R l washington wedding photographer

i shot an amazing wedding last week…  i’ve been looking forward to it all summer!  i’m going to do a full on huge post when i get everything processed… but just for now…  here’s a peak: randy + renee = R2

gil + attica l manhattan wedding photographer

i love gil + attica.  they were one of the first weddings i booked upon moving to new york.  + they’re wedding day  was a perfect example of less is more.  it was simple… but so elegant + so classy.  + it was the first of two weddings… the second of which they are probably celebrating right about now on a beach in Bali.  they got married in the rooftop garden terrace of the gramercy park hotel.  surrounded by close friends + family, + followed by a family styled luncheon.  when two people are really perfect for each other, you can feel it + it never fails to amaze me that this is the reason that people should have weddings.  the props + parties + planning + details are all part of it too… but sometimes it’s nice to get back to the simple fact that two people are committing to each other, because they deeply love the other, + want to say so publicly.  + gil + attica’s day was all about just that.


they incorporated a ancient african ritual into their ceremony known as “jumping the broom”. the “jumping the broom” is a ceremony in which the bride and groom, either at the ceremony or at the reception, signify their entrance into a new life and their creation of a new family by symbolically “sweeping away” their former single lives, former problems and concerns, + jumping over the broom to enter upon a new adventure as wife + husband.

by brooke

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don’t you just love these lemony yellow accents???

by brooke

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i’ve learned…

I’ve learned – that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them. I’ve learned – that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back. I’ve learned – that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it. I’ve learned – that it’s not what you have in your life I’ve learned – that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you’d better know something. I’ve learned – that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the best others can do but to the best you can do. I’ve learned – that it’s not what happens to people that’s important. It’s what they do about it. I’ve learned – that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides. I’ve learned – that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be I’ve learned – that it’s a lot easier to react than it is to think. I’ve learned – that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them. I’ve learned – that you can keep going long after you think you can’t. I’ve learned – that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. I’ve learned – that either you control your attitude or it controls you. I’ve learned – that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. I’ve learned – that learning to forgive takes practice. I’ve learned – that there are people who love you dearly, but just don’t know how to show it. I’ve learned – that money is a lousy way of keeping score. I’ve learned – that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time. I’ve learned – that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up. I’ve learned – that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love. I’ve learned – that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have. I’ve learned – that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated. I’ve learned – that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it. I’ve learned – that your family won’t always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren’t related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren’t biological. I’ve learned – that no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that. I’ve learned – that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself. I’ve learned – that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief. I’ve learned – that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. I’ve learned – that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do. I’ve learned – that sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions. I’ve learned – that we don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change. I’ve learned – that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. I’ve learned – that there are many ways of falling and staying in love. I’ve learned – that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves get farther in life. I’ve learned – that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don’t even know you. I’ve learned – that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help. I’ve learned – that writing, as well as talking, can ease emotional pains. I’ve learned – that the paradigm we live in is not all that is offered to us. I’ve learned – that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being. I’ve learned – that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon. I’ve learned – that although the word “love” can have many different meanings, it loses value when overly used. I’ve learned – that it’s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people’s feelings and standing up for what you believe.

- anonymous-

keepin’ it all in the family… new york family photographer

when i was in seattle last week, i had the chance to do some family photos for one of my favorite families!  i’ve known these people for years + years.  before there were adoptions, births, additional marriages + transatlantic moves.  people never particularly like having family photos done.  i hated them growing up.  but i think when you can capture a snapshot of a moment in time it’s priceless.  the kids grow so fast + change so quickly…  + trust me, even they’ll be glad for these photos one day.  it was 90 degrees on the day we took these…. but somehow 90 in washington is oh, so much cooler that 90 in ny.

enjoy!

brooke

by brooke

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new york wedding photographer l miguel + amy

miguel + amy are from california, + wanted to do a small intimate destination new york wedding. so they invited 13 family members + had a beautiful central park ceremony followed by dinner at the very prestigious per se. i really loved all the sweet details that went into this day. miguel took photographs of his + amy’s silhouettes, + amy had them silkscreened onto vintage handkerchiefs which served as their invitations. they got ready at the library hotel in midtown, + so appropriately we took some book themed photographs in their library. their favors were little jars on honey that said “meant to bee”. amy thoughtfully had vintage parasols + custom made fans ready for their guests, as it really was one of the hottest + most humid days of the summer. classic new york shots were important to them, so we made sure to stop by grand central station, took a very hot subway ride, hailed a cab + even shared a hot dog in the park. i think they pulled off a pretty gorgeous little celebration. congratulations miguel + amy!!!
xo,
brooke

by brooke

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Giveaway!

Well me + the lovely ladies over at you + me styling, put our heads together to offer one lucky reader a styled photo shoot for free! To enter, head over to their post about the giveaway + leave a comment highlighting your favorite brookelyn photography photo + why.  the winner will be picked next friday, so do some browsing + comment away for a chance to enter!  best of luck!

xo,

brooke

Babajide + Temitope l new york wedding photographer

when weddings get cultural, it’s an affair to remember.  i guess all weddings are cultural to an extent, but when it’s a culture unfamiliar to my own, i love getting the glimpse into the traditions + celebrations of others.  Jide + temi’s wedding was my first nigerian wedding.  i absolutely loved all the dancing, amazing singing + the outfits that everyone was decked out in that day.  there was an energy + vibrancy to their day that was palpable.  not to mention that after wearing “our” traditional wedding clothes, they had a whole other set of nigerian wedding clothes that they + their entire wedding party changed into.  i’m so happy for them + was really honored to be apart of their gorgeous day.  Congratulations you two!

xo,

brooke

by brooke

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here + there, this + that…

little did i know that my 30th year would be so full of… well, just full really. i’m been in the throes of this uber full time photography gig. 60 hour weeks it feels like… i’ve got weddings every weekend… family shoots, editorial shoots, engagement shoots, + even a little shooting for myself. i’m always the first to admit that my great weakness in this entrepreneurial gig is good old fashioned time management + i’ve been struggling not the sink away under all the “to do’s”… yet somehow in the midst of it all, i’m feeling so energized. like when you exercise you have more energy than ever??? yeah, like that. shooting like mad but so inspired + invigorated for more. i just got back from my second trip to hawaii this summer, for another wedding related working vacay… tomorrow i’m boarding a plane to seattle…. the first of two trips in one month. i’m super excited for a little personal trip to iceland in september + for a two week working trip to turkey in october.  here’s a few things i’m learning along the way…

  • it’s hard to have a lil’ dog, + travel a lot.
  • flying isn’t what it used to be, but avoid american airlines at all costs. $8 blankets + their website blows to boot.
  • stay on top of the bookkeeping
  • flying time is great for editing time…  i work better without the internet
  • back it all up… (i recently got a drobo raid system to double, triple, quadruple back up my computer, applications, + images)
  • apart from india, nyc is the hottest place i’ve ever spent time in the summer
  • sending gear in to canon makes it come back feeling better than new
  • get business insurance
  • accumulate miles
  • stay on top of editing…  no more than three jobs behind at a time
  • push yourself further… (i recently took on an editorial job that was way out of my comfort zone, + i was a lil’ scared!  but the job went great + the shots turned out amazing + i feel better for pushing myself out there….
  • drink more water… + coconut water too
  • don’t run the AC all month long in NYC, unless you want a $192 monthly bill
  • use album design templates… they save you time, + time = money in this biz
  • there’s not enough yoga in bushwick
  • the master cleanse rocks!
  • i started using my lens hoods a lot more… + i like it!
  • i haven’t eaten nearly enough ice cream this  summer, or had enough margaritas…  somebody help me fix this problem!
  • i have every intention of making it to ross lake this summer, + to cape cod this fall…
  • fresh mangoes continue to be my favorite fruit
  • next summer i’m buying a bike
  • there’s beauty anywhere you look, if you know how to look for it…

here’s two faves from last weekend’s wedding…  xo,

brooke

by brooke

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a brooklyn engagement l ian + beth

by brooke

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