Lara Kimmerer | photographer

Caitlin & Luis | Brooklyn Engagement

When I first moved to Boston seven years ago Caitlin was one of the first people I met. She had a quiet peace about her that was so wonderful to be around. Whenever we spent time together I hoped that her peace would be passed along to me somehow. Not long after meeting her however, Caitlin left the city for new experiences and more adventures in her life. Last year Caitlin wrote to me to say she was engaged. And now, Luis will be along for all her future adventures.

We met up with them in Brooklyn, a place they recently call home, to catch up, get to know them a bit better and grab some photos too. I'm not sure I have ever laughed as much during a shoot before!

Caitlin & Luis – you two are just wonderful together. We're truly looking forward to celebrating with you next month.

Calen & Josh | married | New England wedding at Wayside Inn

On what is hopefully our last cold and blustery day in Boston until much later this year, I thought I would finally share Calen & Josh's Autumn wedding. They were married at the Martha-Mary Chapel and had their reception at the Wayside Inn on a perfectly beautiful and crisp fall day.

Calen wore the same dress her mother wore on her wedding day, and Calen's parents were also married in the same church. Their ceremony included music performed by Calen's three siblings, and while her sisters stood as bridesmaids, Calen's brother played as she was walked down the aisle by their parents. And for their reception, in addition to the best-man and maid-of-honor toasts, they had three couples speak about marriage. One couple was only a few months into their marriage, another was married for a number of years, and Calen's Grandfather spoke about he and Calen's Grandmother as well. It was so moving to hear what they each had to say. Personally, it reminded me of what I find most important about photographing weddings. While the setting and the details set a tone for the day, it's really about the marriage that the couple has decided to create together. This wedding a perfect way to end my 2012 wedding season.

My incredibly wonderful friend Alex came along with me this time. A few of her gorgeous photos are included below.

 

Sixteen Years and a New Venture – Paper Boat Recording

My presence here has been lacking as of late. I know this is true – however, it's been for an exciting reason! Peter & I have started a new business – Paper Boat Recording. We are an audio recording business. Our focus is on documenting personal oral histories. We want people to realize that your life is worth documenting now – as it's happening. There's no need to wait until you're older to recount your life. Document the moments while they're fresh in your mind.

As we state on our site:

My Papa used to make paper boats for us whenever we were about to go ona trip. He gave them to us as good luck charms. We were to put them in our bags, to carry them with us, for safe travels. 

Our wish is to record the moments that make up your travels through life. We would like to document you and your stories – to keep them safe, so that you may travel forward, knowing you can always look back when you wish to.

The idea for this business began a little over four years ago. At the time, Peter was in school for audio, which is what brought the idea to mind, I'm sure. Over the years the idea has popped up a few times, but as will happen, it was pushed away to think about another day.

I went to a conference at the beginning of February called What If. It's a conference for artist-preneurs. What If was more amazing than I can say with words. It changed my life in so many ways. And I continue to implement the things I learned there on a daily basis. I wasn't quite sure what I would get from going, but I knew that I would at least leave feeling a little jolt to make some changes in my photography business. As I listened to each of the speakers, I found myself thinking about the idea for Paper Boat Recording. At the time, these thoughts seemed to come out of nowhere. Being at What If made me realize that I needed to do it. I needed to start. I would absolutely be upset with myself when I'm 80 years old if we never even attempted this idea. So, I arrived home with a lot of motivation and immediately got to planning.

It took a month of working away in our spare time – and help from friends. Our good friend Eli designed our logo for us. Alexandra helped me layout the website, which is something that would have taken me a week, but with Alex's help we finished in an afternoon. And, here we are!

Please take a listen and a look at our website:  paperboatrecording.com. We'd appreciate any comments or feedback that you may have.

Today is also Peter & my 16th friendship anniversary. Since this day, sixteen years ago, we've been in each other's lives – encouraging and supporting one another. Both of which we've done a lot of in the last few months.

A month to the day before we were married in 2011, our friends Kelsie & Doug came over to ask us questions about our relationship up to that point, and we recorded our conversation. Peter & I asked Kelsie & Doug specifically because, having met them in Boston, they didn't know much of our story from the beginning. With them in front of us, we knew we would naturally tell our story with more detail.

This is just a small section of our conversation. For those of you who don't know already, Peter & I grew up in the same town, but only became friends towards the end of high school.

Peter, here's to 16 years ago today. I love you.

  PaperBoatRecording_LaraPeter

                              photo by Alexandra Roberts

Rainy Day View

Lately I've been missing having a hobby. Or, maybe I've been missing having something to tinker with I guess. Yes, that's more what I mean. I haven't had something that I've wanted to research, or really figure out in quite some time. That is until this weekend.

Last time I was home I mentioned to my dad that I recently bought an old Polaroid SX-70 camera – something just for fun, something to play around with. He told me that he thinks there's an old Polaroid in the office. It took me until this past Sunday to take a look, and sure enough there it was, just sitting on top of the bookshelf. It's probably been there for years.

I grabbed it (a 420 Land Camera), and then bought myself a couple of packs of FP-3000B Fuji film. After much (a few hours) trial and error I got the camera to work! It took nine completely black frames to finally get an exposure. What a sense of accomplishment though. I figured it out!

The problem all stemmed from the battery, which should have been the first place I looked, but…moving on. The very old 3V battery surprisingly didn't explode in the compartment, but it did corrode the contacts a bit. The contacts were the old button/snap contacts. You still see them on 9V batteries today. The 3V is no longer sold at the local Radio Shack, which sent me to the computer to figure out what to do. Many people take out the 3V contacts and fit the camera for three AA batteries, but I saw one other way of doing it while researching online.  I cleaned the contacts with some vinegar and then used the non-button/snap ends of the contacts and taped them to the ends of a CR123A battery, which I happened to have lying around. And – Perfect! The shutter opens and closes – and that's all you really need to make a photograph.

I ordered a bunch of film today, but I still have a few frames left in the pack I have in the camera now. The shot above is the view out my office window. It's a rainy day in Boston, and I do love rainy days.

** A big Thank You to Film Photography Project for all of your helpful videos.

Her Hands

A few days before my mom died it snowed. She made a batch of chocolate chip cookies – mentioning to my dad that that was something she, Graham and I would have done when we were younger. It would have been something we had done, had we all been together. But we weren't together because we were older now, and Graham was away at school, and I had recently moved to Boston. I'm sure she was mourning the loss of her "little" children – the loss of us all under one roof, while she combined the ingredients and waited for the oven to warm.

But, I know that she was proud of us, and wanted us more than she could say, to go on and create our own lives. She loved us so much. This I know more truly and more deeply than most anything else.

 

A few days later I arrived home to a house vacant of her body, but still very full of her presence – in part because of a few cookies left on a blue plate. And so, you'll forgive me if I never think it strange that we still have those cookies. That somehow they have survived for seven years and still look pretty decent, brings a smile to my face.

Her mind and body worked together to make these. This small plate of cookies, among many other things of course, proves she existed. Her hands made these. The hands that I miss terribly, but can still picture in my mind so well.

*****

Seven years ago today my life changed course in a very drastic way. Seven years ago today I could not picture how I would possibly go on. She was my compass. The thing is though, she still is my compass. She has made me a much stronger person in her absence. More than I would have realized before, I know this life I have is a short one. I'm doing my best to live the best life possible – embracing all that comes my way.