Favorites from 2023
Some of my favorite photos from a busy 2023 as a family and lifestyle photographer in Worcester.
Last year was a real hectic year here at Tom Godfrey Photography and for Tom Godfrey general life. My daughter, Eejin, was born in the last weeks of 2022 so 90 percent of 2024 was climbing the often sheer face of the first-time parents learning curve. I also entered into my last semester of graduate school which was great because they saved the most intense work for the end. In October, by far the busiest time of year for any family / lifestyle photographer in New England, I was also trying to conduct interviews, research, and write a 60 page paper on the connection and value of diaspora as seen by second generation Asian Americans. There was not much sleep involved but it’s done! My degree is currently sitting at the top of a pile of stuff in my office that I have yet to sort. Then my wife SiEun, Eejin, and I went to Seoul after the holidays.
This is all to explain why I am posting my favorite photos from 2023 in almost-March of 2024. Here are some of my favorite non-commercial photos from this past year.
Clare and Julian: A Sunset Engagement at Holy Cross
Check out some photos from this sunset engagement session at Worcester’s College of the Holy Cross.
Wow, what a busy few weeks. I am just getting around to sharing Clare and Julian’s engagement session photos from last month. This was my first engagement session in a while and it was my first time ever setting foot on the campus of the College of the Holy Cross despite driving by it a thousand times a week.
When Clare and Julian first reached out to me about shooting their engagement session at Holy Cross they knew that they wanted to capture the sunset. It made total sense because they had spent a lot of time walking around the campus during dusk during the pandemic. It makes even more sense when you factor in the fact that the Holy Cross campus sits on a massive hill that towers over the city. The views are killer and the campus exists in its own little world.
I liked Clare and Julian from the start. We had a lot in common and a laidback attitude and sense of humor being part of that. It was a lot of fun walking around their haunts on the verge of their graduation from medical school. We even found a little time for a few cap and gown photos.
We had actually postponed their session because there was some possible rain and definite clouds coming in for their original date. I love shooting in cloudy weather - I actually prefer it - but the vibe is totally different and when you want a sunset session a cloudy day just aren’t going to cut it. It was 100 percent worth the wait!
Check out some of my faves from my session with Clare and Julian!
Felicity and Matt: An Engagement Session at Colt State Park
Colt State Park in Bristol, RI is the best of at least two worlds. Withing one hour, we were able to have an engagement session that took advantage of the fall foliage and the sunset over the coast. Throw in an awesome couple and you have a great day in the office.
Felicity and Matt have a special place in my heart. For starters, their engagement session had to be rescheduled multiple times due to crappy weather and other issues that were out of our hands. With a wedding at the start of the wedding season, they were also one of my first couples to be impacted by the pandemic. This is definitely a bummer but it’s one of those things where I know once Felicity and Matt’s wedding day arrives it’s going tot take on this added sense of celebration. People are gonna be ready to party.
Felicity and Matt picked Colt State Park in Bristol, RI for their engagement session. I had not shot at this place before but I was super curious- Felicity and Matt picked it because it delivered both foliage-filled areas as well as great coastal scenery. It totally delivered and I have suggested it a few times since then.
Our session was a great chance to get a feel for what it was like working with each other. This is why I ALWAYS suggest engagement sessions happen. Felicity and Matt had some photos that they liked which gave me guidance but they were totally cool with walking into the bushes or climbing on the rocks for me. They also had really cool Game of Thrones inspired shirts.
A few months ago the thought that wedding season might get so universally screwed up by something like this never crossed my mind. I’m sorry it has but all we can do is grab something and look forward to it. I am looking forward to Felicity and Matt’s wedding and will be investing in extra memory cards in case I go overboard in my photo count.
If your wedding has been impacted by the pandemic, I feel for you. The whole wedding industry feels for you. If you would like to chat about your photography needs then feel free to reach out!
Holly and Josh: A Rustic Engagement
It’s not often that I get to photograph an engagement session with horses on a working farm. I was able to do that for Holly and Josh’ engagement session on a foggy day in Oxford, MA.
As I was driving to meet Holly and Josh for their engagement session at Buffumville State Park in Oxford, MA, it started to get a little foggy. Within a few miles of driving from my house in Worcester it started to look like a horror movie and it looked like it was about to rain. I was getting a bit nervous for our session but I was happy to see that Holly and Josh were both game. I am super happy that they did because the gray weather really jacked up the colors and the vibe of this engagement session.
One of the things I really like about Holly and Josh was that they were really easy to talk to. This was the first time that we had met in person and there’s always that little bit of nervousness when you go straight from “hello,” to “ok, now go lean against that tree and kiss.” Both of them were super gregarious and full of ideas which really helps to keep things light, collaborative, an fun. Holly and Josh spend a lot of time with horses and they wanted to include them in their session. It was AWESOME getting to spend a little bit of time on the working farm where their horses live. This was the first time that I had a session involving horses. This was cool enough but I have a soft spot for rustic Americana and this couple really delivered on that.
Check out some of my favorite photos from Holly and Josh’ engagement session!
If you are looking for engagement photos on a farm (and can provide a farm) then I would love to hear from you!
Rebecca and Sean: A Sunset Engagement in New Hampshire
Most of my engagement sessions are in parks. They are easy to access and beautiful- this is New England, after all. Rebecca and Sean had access to a backyard that rivaled any park that I have been to. Check out some photos from this sunset fall engagement session in New Hampshire.
Rebecca and Sean were a lot of fun to hang out with for their engagement session. They have a laid back personality that is similar to my own so it was real easy to get along with them. Their engagement session was a lot of fun because it took place on at the house of somebody connected to them. I love the parks that I photograph at, like Moore State Park in Paxton, but it is always nice to shoot somewhere new. Full disclosure, this place definitely offered a lot more than your typical backyard but hey, that’s New Hampshire for you. We also got to take advantage of the sunset. Check out some of my favorite photos from Rebecca and Tim’s sunset engagement session in New Hampshire!
If you are looking to have an engagement in spacious backyard, a park, or your front porch then I would love to hear from you!
Catherine and Tim: Sunrise at Moore State Park
Sunrise engagement sessions in Massachusetts are gorgeous and absolutely worth the early call time. On this particular day the clouds might not have parted but the rain stayed away just long enough to get some gorgeous photos.
When it comes to where and when to shoot an engagement session here in Massachusetts I am pretty open. Over the years as a photojournalist for various newspapers I have shot in pretty much every condition: pouring rain, direct sun, snow, anti-government protests, etc.. The one thing I always tell my couples, though, is that sunrise and sunset are the times to aim for if you want that awesome soft-light that makes everything look a little bit like a dream. Very rarely do people take me up on a sunrise session. Catherine and Tim took me up on a sunrise engagement session at Moore State Park.
Here’s the thing about this engagement session: what you see in these photos was the only nice part of the day. The weather was forecasted to be terrible and it pretty much was until we arrived at Moore State Park… in the dark. The three of us all knew that we probably didn’t have too much time so we set out to get as many great photos as we could. We ended up getting a whole session in with the rain coming back as we got back into our cars. Whenever I see these photos I always think about them as extra lucky.
Engagement sessions come with all of my wedding packages. If you want to have a sunrise engagement session, sunset engagement session, or a special blizzard engagement session then I want to hear from you!
Brianna and Zachary: A Sunset Engagement at Hampton Beach
If you’re from New England you probably have more than a few memories at Hampton Beach. From Blink’s to body surfing and then more Blink’s. Not only is Hampton Beach a great place to swim in freezing water in the middle of summer, it is also a beautiful place for an engagement session. Check out this engagement session at Hampton Beach.
I love shooting engagement and family photography at Hampton Beach. Is part of the reason for this because I always end up at eating at Bernie’s and then at Blink’s? Sure. The other reason why I love it is because the beach gets quiet and the sky gets this awesome pastel look right as the sun starts to go down. That’s why I was really pumped when my wedding couple Brianna and Zachary opted to have their engagement session at Hampton Beach.
More and more I am becoming appreciative that the couples who choose to work with me have personalities that I really get along with. Brianna was one of the bridesmaids at a wedding that I shot last year at the Manchester Inn in Vermont. I was super pumped when her and Zachary chose me to be their photographer and I am super happy with how their session turned out. Full disclosure, half of the reason why I am posting this is because I am freezing in my office and am daydreaming about the beach.
Soon, Blink’s, soon.
Engagement sessions are free to all of my wedding couples who book a wedding package. If you are brave enough to let your ankles go numb for the sake of love, I want to hear from you.
Amy and Daniel: An Engagement Session at Scarborough Beach
Engagement sessions, or any sessions, at the beach are fun. Add in an awesome couple who aren’t afraid to sit in the surf wearing all of their close and it’s the recipe for a great time. Check out Amy and Daniel’s engagement session at Scarborough Beach in Narragansett, RI.
Amy and Daniel booked me as their wedding photographer about a year or so ago. Their wedding isn’t for another year but in the time between we have gotten together a couple times now for photos. Our first session was an extended family portrait session at a rustic barn (found by Amy). Then in July I got to spend time with Amy and Daniel during their engagement session at Scarborough Beach in Narragansett, RI.
I love doing sessions on the beach and Scarborough Beach (again, found by Amy and Daniel) was a great place for an engagement session. They had dunes, an old stone building facade, and of course lots of sun, surf, and sand.
One of the things I like about Amy and Daniel is that they were willing to venture out and take some chances for these photos. They really embraced the environment and were definitely willing to just dive in- literally.
Check out some of my favorite photos from Amy and Daniel’s engagement session at Scarborough Beach!
If you like what you was and want to talk about your engagement or wedding photography- in sand or snow- all you have to do is fill out the form below. That rhymed.
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