From Dumbo (directly under the Manhattan Bridge overpass, for those not in the know) to Hoboken, Central Park to Battery Park, there’s never a lack of great locale, and never a photo session without the unexpected bringing something extra special to the mix.

And what could be more special than spending the afternoon exploring their Long Island City neighborhood with Julie and Adam. With their wedding plans set for Tappan Hill in October, and the mid-May weather at its finest, we walked and talked, got to know each other a bit better, and took (I think you’ll agree) some beautiful pictures together. More of the wonderful story of Julie and Adam, of course, to follow.

Back “in the day”, when I was an advertising and magazine photographer with a studio in NYC, one of my long-time and most wonderful of clients was a kids’ fashion catalogue called Brights Creek. Allie’s dad and my good buddy Arnie was the Senior Product Manager and at its peak, we spent as many as forty days a year together taking pictures in the studio of the latest (in ’80’s) kids’ clothing. And while most of the kids were actually models, each of us managed to, at times, sneak in our own kids to the mix, including young and adorable Allie.

But enough about the past. A bit about Allie and Justin today, and how they first met. Allie’s best friend Andi went on the Birthright trip to Israel in July 2009. When she returned she told Allie that she met the perfect guy for her, that they had so much in common, both went to and loved Penn State, both were Jewish with close families, and that their personalities were extremely similar. Allie was finishing up her masters from Penn State, and Andi informed Allie that this “perfect guy” was going to be at the Penn State football game the last weekend of September. She gave Allie his number, she called and introduced herself, and asked him if he and his friends wanted to meet at a bar for a few drinks. They ended up doing just that, at a bar called “The G-Man”, and the two instantly clicked. They met a few times that same weekend at various bars and restaurants, and they’ve been together ever since. She would make the long drive from PSU to Jersey City, where Justin was already living, and he would make the same trip in reverse to see Allie. They were engaged on February 6th, 2010 on a skiing weekend at Hunter Mountain in Upstate New York and their wedding will be taking place on Memorial Day weekend 2011.

So while all my relationships with my brides and grooms is special and “personal” for me, once in awhile I have the unique opportunity to work with a couple with whom there’s already a long history, whether it was the fact that my dad had photographed their parents’ wedding, or that I’d had a personal long-standing friendship with the family, as in the case of Allie and hers. So its with great anticipation that I eagerly await the wedding of Allie and Justin next year and with great excitement that I share with you these pictures of our day spent on the streets of Jersey. Enjoy.

“We both grew up in Trumbull but never went to school together because we were five years apart. I was living in Atlanta after college and he moved there for a job. We were each on “JDAte” and saw that we were both from Connecticut, so we got in touch and realized we were actually from the same town and figured we should meet up. I thought he was nice but too shy, so I didn’t pursue it again, and he took the hint, but a few months later we started “IM’ing” and met up for drinks-where I talked AT him for a couple hours and decided he is a great listener, I should date him. So we started dating at the same time that he got a transfer to the NYC office, and about 8 months after he moved I followed him back home.

I had already had my mom get the “dirt” on him before we went on our first date, so I spent the whole dinner pretending to randomly ask if he knew certain people from Trumbull, knowing fully well that he did, and then watching his surprised reaction as he discovered how many people we know in common ”

I mean, how can you not love these guys? I know I do, and I can’t wait until their wedding on the 17th. Stay tuned!

On this Wednesday of blizzard conditions here in Connecticut, it’s hard to imagine that just this past Friday, with barely any snow on the ground and with just a touch of Spring in the air, I met Kristina and Jason in the historic little Bedford Village, New York and spent a couple of ours on their “e” photos. In their case, it was considerably more than a get to know you session, it was a “get to meet you” opportunity. You see, K&J live in Virginia (ok, talk about some “snow”!) and in between storms they managed to make it up this way to visit family and to meet for our shoot. And since Kristina spent much of her youth in Bedford, and since they’re getting married at one of the churches in the Village, it just seemed like a logical place to meet and use as a backdrop for our pictures.

Now I suppose sometimes this could be an awkward thing, meeting a couple for the first time and then immediately jumping into this photo session. But not for Kristina and Jason, and definitely not for me. Not only were they instantly relaxed in front of the camera and willing to try everything I threw at them, it took only minutes before I felt as if I’d known them forever. The sweetest couple, whose wedding in August will be nothing but a day of extraordinary fun for me to capture.

By the way, included in the collection of photographs from our day together are some great moments captured in the Bedford Village Library, truly a relic from the past but as quiet, peaceful, well-used and significant a spot as when Kristina used to hang there as a kid.

I hope you’ll enjoy the results of our efforts and continue to follow the story of Kristina and Jason this summer.

But first, a little bit about the two of them. They grew up in neighboring Connecticut towns and both ended up at separate colleges in Maryland (Jess at University of Maryland and Billy at Loyola), but their paths never crossed until they met at their first jobs out of school. Jess was assigned to the same client as Billy and they quickly became friends. They began dating three years later (what took them so long?) and Billy proposed on a surprise trip to Newport, RI in the Spring of this year. Could their be a more romantic place?

We started our photos on the streets of South Norwalk, CT. Billy owns a condo on Washington Street so they both have a special place in their hearts for Sono. And while we didn’t exactly ask permission to take a table outside of Strada 18, their favorite Sono restaurant (and which also happens to have my all time favorite “heart chairs”) how cool are the people there that, sensing the purpose of our pictures, they brought Jess and Billy complimentary glasses of wine.

From there we headed up to Fairfield and this wonderful little stretch of private beach and the little yellow cottage that Billy’s grandfather, mother, aunts and uncles and their children have all enjoyed for years. Talk about great locations, spots that not only allowed us to capture these very special pictures but locations that have great meaning to both Jessica and Billy as well. Otherwise known as the perfect engagement session.

So to all you followers of my visual diary that we call my blog, I send best wishes for a healthy, happy and peace filled new year. The winter to come may at times seem dark, dreary and endless, but keep in mind that the Spring is only months away, followed soon thereafter by a summer of love, weddings and shoes filled with sand. Love and peace to all. Bruce