Also a big hand goes out to my wife Maria / photo-assistant extraordinaire for this wedding as she is 9 months pregnant and still insisted on helping out! I have taken a lot of heat for this, but really, it was all her.  But Michele did save the day with a golf cart on call for her disposal, or so I am told lol.  And to my second lead shooter Roxanna Perdue, who I am so excited just recently moved back to Boston.  Roxanna’s wonderful imagery (many scattered throughout below), really lent a hand to rounding out this event with exacting coverage by the Brian Phillips Photography Team!!!  Shameless plug, but of course!  ENJOY!!!

Venue: InterContinental Boston
Event Planner + Designer: Michele Mottola Special Events
Gown: Anne Barge
Makeup: Claudia Moriel
Hair: Jennifer Tawa
Linens: Be Our Guest Inc.
All Tables + Covered Chairs: Be Our Guest Inc.
Leather Chairs + Flooring: Rentals Unlimited
Florist: Marc Hall: Marc Hall Design
Bar + Ottomans + Flower Wall: Luxe Event Rentals
Lighting: Suzanne B. Lowell Lighting Design
Carpet: AJ Rose
Photo: Brian Phillips Photography
Cake: I Dream of Jeanne Cakes
Entertainment: Nightshift
Video: Whit Wales

Our ideal candidates will be able to work out of our Waltham Studio at least 2 half days a week (hours and times are flexible), and of course, be able to provide their own Swingline :-). Photography Intern will also need to have some weekend and evening flexibilty to allow for wedding and event schedules.

For more DETAILS, please click HERE or click our INTERNSHIP menu link above.

So I started with two photos, a wooden Surfer hood ornament on an old Ford station wagon I recently shot in Manhattan Beach, CA. And another shot of the sand I took at a beach in San Diego, CA. The finished product was blended together but I will get to that shortly.

The first step was to remove most of the color from the Sand shot by Desaturing by about 70%. This helped to even out the color. I then pumped up the contast enough where I still had detail in the lighter parts of the sand. Next I used a Kubota Image Tool action to easily add a yellow antique tone to the shot.

The next step was to tone the Surfer photo. I spent a lot of time messing around with contrast adjustment and color tones until I found what suited my liking. You will see a slightly cross-processed look (see blue in the shadow area) and a nice warm yellow tone to remind me of the bright California sun.

I then cropped the Surfer photo into a more rectangular size and I did not hesitate to squash the photo top down a bit. I preferred a more rectangular shape, and this was the only way to still keep part of the grill, the glass windscreen, and part of the blurry palm tree on the upper left in view.

Once I had my Surfer photo toned, cropped and colored to my liking, I simply duplicated the layer. I then resized this new layer so it would be smaller than the first. I then repeated this step, making the third photo even smaller than the first two. Next, a 2 pt. white border was added around the smallest layer.

Next I came back to the Sand photo. I thought that if I layered this shot over the Surfer and then adjusted the opacity of the sand so that it would only show about 20%, that the effect would be as if the Surfer was riding the waves, DUDE.

And here is the Finished Product. I think either shot would stand alone nicely on their own. But when you have a little free time, playing around with Photoshop can be a nice stress reliever and you can be as creative as you want.

Interested in learning more about using Photoshop? I am here to help. From the basics to more complex needs. I have used Photoshop since it nearly debuted back in early 90′s. I have helped numerous photographers especially learn and use photoshop for their wedding work and album design. While it can take years of learning the ins and outs of PS, the knowledge of shortcuts and the understanding you can push the limits of each image are key. So reach out and connect with me if you would like an hour tutorial, or something more intense. Just simply contact me at Brian@BrianPhillipsPhoto.com.

Here is a quote from the publisher Panache Partners, “A fantastic celebration is never forgotten—and with a little guidance, anyone can be the host of one. What is it that makes celebrity parties so desirable? While insiders tell their stories, stunning photographs fill the pages, inviting everyone to step inside. Art of Celebration New England gives you a detailed look at the event world’s most prominent movers and shakers.”

Venue: Four Seasons Boston
Planner: Carolyn Perlow
Gown: Oscar de la Renta
Hair/Makeup: Ashley Brecken & Jennifer Hathaway
Linens: Table Toppers
Cake: Cakes to Remember
Florist: Winston Flowers
Lighting: Suzanne B. Lowell
Video: Boston Wedding Films
Entertainment: Catch 22 by Dezyne

Sen. Scott Brown was honored at the Boston event for his courage earlier this year in sharing his own experience regarding abuse as a child. Brown’s special assistant Jennifer Franks was on hand to receive the award from Hedge Funds Cares founder Rob Davis.

I also wanted to share a link to our friend and fellow florist’s website who also donated their services to the event. Tangerine Creations!!!

Here is a sampling of the super fun kids that made it. And yes, that is our son Mateo in the cow costume. Of course my child was the only one to cry. But nothing a pumpkin munchkin couldn’t fix.

Also many thanks to the help and coordination from our good friend and past client Steffanie Merloni, and donations made by Russo’s market in Waltham for the pumpkin donation, and Riverside Management Group / Dunkin Donuts, who generously donated the munchkins and coffee. THANK YOU ALL!!!