Training & Experience

       I began working as a photographer’s assistant at the age of 16 and fell in love with weddings. What young girl wouldn’t?

      For a few years I assisted weddings and absorbed everything my employer taught me from lighting & posing techniques, to handling situations from A-to-Z.  I furthered my education by enrolling in photography courses & attending wedding and portrait seminars taught by the best in the industry. I began shooting with film and have since moved into the world of digital. With the new and expanding era of technology, I am constantly learning to not only keep up with the times, but to also be one step ahead.

      A few years later I shot my first wedding on my own and never looked back. Seeing the pictures from that first wedding gave me a joy I had never felt before. I knew my bride was going to be thrilled when she saw her wedding portraits, and I knew that the images I had captured would be treasured for years to come. There is a special trust between a photographer and their bride and groom. Each wedding is a "one shot" deal, and I feel privileged to be the one responsible for capturing those precious memories.

My Family

      Today I shoot with fellow photographer and husband, Eugene. We bring everything to the table when we work. I feel like the love we have for each other grows in our work together. Every job is an expression of love. I don’t think there could be a healthier career path for a marriage! It’s not only what is in front of the lens, but also how the photographer chooses to express what is seen that results in the best possible portraits. It’s always exciting when Gene and I compare our wedding pictures and see how our perspectives from the same day differ.

      Last year Gene and I celebrated the birth of our first child, Saverio, who is the apple of our eye and the most precious thing in our life. Becoming a parent is the most wonderful experience in the world, and I am so proud of our son. I am blessed that I have a business that allows me to work from home so that I do not have to miss out on him growing up. I am also very thankful for Baby Einstein videos, which Saverio finds very entertaining when I am crunched on a deadline!

      My husband Gene and I also run another business, which is his baby, Eugenio’s Café Gelato on Broadway in Saratoga Springs. He makes all of his gelato (Italian style ice cream) from scratch using ingredients he imports directly from Italy. I always joke that I married him for his ice cream. It’s a low fat, more flavorful, all natural ice cream and it is out of this world!

Our Wedding Day

     Gene and I married in July of 2009 and had a beautiful wedding with about one hundred of our closest friends and family.

     We exchanged vows at our church in Guilderland and had our reception at The State Room … Albany’s best-kept secret! The owner and staff there are A+++ (And I happen to have a bit of experience in the wedding reception department!). They went above and beyond … and then beyond again!

     For the ceremony, my little sister & flower girl pulled our son down the aisle in a Radio Flyer wagon that we spray painted white and platinum. He was the star of the day!

     We had some of our formal pictures taken in front of Albany's capital building, which is one of my favorite places to take formals, so that made the day extra special.

     We rode in a 1930’s classic car, compliments of Tom Nicchi of the State Room, who has a collection of around 50 (give or take a few). We also rented a trolley for our bridal party and family to ride in, which added a real nice touch to the day. Our bridal party had a blast parading down Albany sipping champagne and smoking their cigars. We thought we lost them for a while, but it turns out they made the driver pull over for a beer run. It wouldn’t be a party without the bridal party, right!

     For our first dance, Gene and I had actually taken lessons to do the Fox Trot from Tom & Tamara of T&T dancing, but instead decided to slow dance to our song and saved the one we learned for the last dance of the evening.

     The day seemed to have blown by in an instant! There were a few things that didn’t go exactly as I planned, but I didn’t let that phase me. I learned that you can plan all you want, but there are some things that are out of your control, and the only thing you can do on your wedding day is decide how you choose to handle those things. I married the man of my dreams while looking and feeling like a fairytale princess; that was all I needed. As my friend Larry (who runs some of the nicest weddings in the area) always tells his brides, “You’re here to do one thing and one thing only: get married. Everything else is fluff.”

     Well, Larry was right. Everything else was fluff. But extremely beautiful fluff!