Buffalo Wedding Photography » portraits

heather + jim + benjamin

Ayres Photography — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:53:28 +0000

Heather and Jim are one of our fabulous 2012 couples! They are getting married next July, and we are so excited to be a part of their wedding day!! We met up with them and their extremely adorable son, Benjamin, at the park right across the street from our house in the Village of Hamburg. :)

They are both super enthusiastic about photography, so we knew it was going to be a fun session. Working with couples and families who love and appreciate photography as much as we do, makes us LOVE our job. There is nothing in the world we’d rather do than spend a gorgeous day outside, hang out with awesome peeps, and create some photo memories for them that will last a lifetime. It brings us so much joy to do what we do, and our lives are so much richer for all of the amazing people (like this wonderful little family) we’ve been fortunate enough to meet along the way!

So, we definitely had to start our session on the playground…no question about it.

I absolutely LOVE this sequence of Benjamin and his daddy….so cute!Benjamin was pretty shy at first, but before too long, he was the world’s biggest ham.After our many fun adventures in the park, it was time for Benjamin to go hang out with his Grandpa for the evening! Heather and Jim did a quick outfit change, and we headed over to the Hamburg Historical Society for the “engagement” segment of our session. ;) We had passed by this building a million times, and always said that it would make a great shoot location, so we were psyched to finally be able to shoot there!This is definitely one of my favorites. Heather = super cute. After the Historical Society, we headed on over to a section of 18 Mile Creek that we fondly refer to as “North Creek.” I’m not entirely sure what it’s actually called, but we go there a lot in the summer to walk Lily. You can catch some killer sunsets here, which is what we were hoping for, and we definitely got a pretty good one. ;)Our last stop for the evening was the little mini-park (it’s not really a park, I guess), right in the Village of Hamburg. The gazebo always looks super cool lit up at night, so we thought adding our own lighting to that would make a fantastic combination. I love, love, love the way these turned out!!
Heather and Jim – thanks so much for spending some time with us!! It was so great to get to know you guys and Benjamin a little bit! Now that we know how amazing all of you are, we are even MORE psyched to be a part of your wedding day! Thank you a million times over for your trust and your patience – it means the world to us. Much love to all of you!! – J + B :)

shannon

Ayres Photography — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 05:59:08 +0000

“Promise me you’ll always remember: you’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – A.A. Milne

The third of our Boston shoots, was a creative portrait session for my very dear friend, Shannon. She’s a fabulous actress who was in need of some new “head shots” for her acting portfolio, and I was more than happy to take some for her. :)

It was a very different experience for me to photograph someone that I am extremely close to, because I felt challenged to capture the true essence of her. It’s obvious that she’s a beautiful woman on the outside, and I knew that wouldn’t be hard to capture, but I wanted at least one shot that captured her inner beauty. I wanted everyone to be able to look at this one shot and see all of the qualities that make her who she is, and if you know her, then you know what a challenge this is, since there is absolutely no one else like her in the whole wide world. Maybe it’s just because I know her so well, but for me, this next shot captures the true essence of Shannon, and I am so happy to have it in my possession. If you really look at it, you can see her. You can see that she has a kind and giving soul, and goes out of her way for anyone she meets. You can see that she celebrates life and lives it to the fullest. You can see that she has the ability to light up any room she walks into with her smile and charming demeanor. You can see that her heart is overflowing with love. You can see that she questions everything. You can see that she has always been, and will undoubtedly always be, the free-est of free spirits. And, you can see that she is the most loyal friend that you could ever hope to have.
I’m so glad that I was able to see you this summer, my darling friend. I wish you great success with your acting! With your talent, you can go as far as you want to go with it! I hope to see you again soon! All my love – Jenn :)

ayana

Ayres Photography — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:35:35 +0000

We met up with little cutie, Ayana, and her mom at the Japanese Gardens a few weeks ago to shoot some fun portraits! Last year, around the same time, we did portraits of Ayana at the Botanical Gardens, and looking back at those, it’s incredible how much she’s grown!! She’s a little lady now, with sooooo much personality. ;)

These are just a few of our favorite images from the session!

connor + julia

Ayres Photography — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 02:48:02 +0000

We met up with siblings, Connor and Julia, and their parents a couple of weeks ago, on a gorgeous sunny day, for a quick portrait session in honor of their upcoming B’nai Mitzvah! They are both ridiculously photogenic, and standing next to those amazing, regal, platinum blonde Retrievers, they look like they should be in Martha Stewart Living…seriously. I could NOT get over how stunning those dogs were – O.M.G. – I was flipping out. (So, yes, there are a ton of photos featuring the dogs in this post, but so what…c’mon, they’re incredible, aren’t they?!)

Not only do Connor and Julia have adorable little faces, they were just awesome kids to work with in general. :)

This was just about the point during the shoot where I slipped and fell in the mud. I mistakenly wore my Uggs, thinking that would somehow be a good choice of footwear, but if you own a pair of Uggs, then you know as well as I do that they have virtually ZERO traction, and that I am a huge idiot. Usually when I wipe out (yes, usually…I am not the most graceful girl), I have a split second to figure out how I’m going to land, and have trained myself to save the camera at all costs. This time, I was caught completely off guard. One minute I was talking to Connor and Julia, and the next minute, SPLAT!! My zero-traction-Uggs gave way on the muddy hill and I was down for the count. My 24-70 did a minor face plant (lensplant?), too. Ben came running over, grabbed the camera away from me, and ran back to the car for an emergency mud-removal session. I was still on the ground, empty handed. The best part? Connor and Julia. What do you suppose most 12 and 13 year olds would have done? If you guessed “laughed their faces off,” then you would be correct (trust me – I used to be a middle school teacher – that’s another story for another time); but, not these two. They were so gracious…amaaaaazing kids. :)
LOVE these next two!Also a super favorite of mine…
Although it was sunny and beautiful out, it was really cold that day, so toward the end of the session, we headed indoors for a few. I love all of these so much – beautiful smiles, beautiful people, inside and out. :)

Connor and Julia – you guys were so much fun to hang out with! Thanks for making our job super easy with your gorgeous smiles! We know you’re both working very hard to prepare for your big day, so keep up the good work! :)

carter

Ayres Photography — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:46:11 +0000

If you’ve been keeping track of our recent travels, then you’ll know that I made a trip home to my dad’s farm in Sauquoit, NY a few weeks ago to do a session for my stepsister, Nikki, and her dog. (If you didn’t get to read about that yet, you can check it out here.) We don’t usually lug all of our camera gear on our trips home to the farm, but since I was bringing it anyway, I put the word out that I would have time for one other session while I was there, and Kelly was the first person to get back to me! So, I had the pleasure of spending some time with this adorable little family, on a gorgeous sunny day, with my dad’s amazing farm as the backdrop – I couldn’t ask for anything better. :)

I think it’s been about two years since we last photographed Carter, and looking through this set, I can’t believe how big he’s gotten! He’s such a little man! Where does the time go? It’s crazy…
Little boys are hilarious…he was so interested in these rusty old chains hanging outside the barn!Carter is a huge fan of Spiderman…if you can’t tell what’s going on in the following photo…well, he’s shooting us with Spidey-webs! He makes the sounds effects and everything – it’s awesome. :)
LOVE this one!A couple shots of the whole fam – Kelly, Duke, and Carter – on the back of my dad’s grungy old plow truck…I totally love these.A little climbing on the jungle-gym, swing set thing…ironically, this is the same one that I used to play on when I was his age. Kelly and her sister played on it, too! :)
Thanks so much for coming up to the farm to hang out with me, guys!! It was so wonderful to see you, as always! :)

nikki + taylor

Ayres Photography — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 04:55:52 +0000

A couple Saturdays ago, my stepmother called me just to check in, say hello, and update me on family happenings…she does that from time to time because I am so bad about remembering to call. I can’t even remember what day it is most of the time, so I often lose track of how many pass by. It was a conversation similar to those we typically have (not too much changes on the farm, you see)…until the conversation shifted to my stepsister, Nicole. I knew that Nikki’s dog, Taylor, had been having a rough time of it lately, but I had no idea how rough. It was during that conversation that I learned that the time had come for Nikki to say goodbye to Taylor – her best friend. For the past 14 years, they had been inseparable. Now, poor Taylor’s body was filled with tumors, she was unable to walk. She was suffering, the time had come, an appointment was made. I was at a complete loss for words.

“Oh my god, that’s so horrible,” I kept saying over and over, “it’s so sad.” I asked for her new mailing address so I could send her a card – my stepmother said she’d email it to me. As I hung up the phone, my eyes filled up. I looked down at my own baby, my beautiful golden girl, asleep at my feet, and thought about the fact that I, too, will someday have to say goodbye. I started to sob at the mere thought of having to part with her; she is my heart, she is love incarnate. I knew in that moment, that sending a card was nowhere near enough…it was an almost laughable gesture considering the situation at hand. I knew I had to do something to let my sister know that I could feel her broken heart, and that mine was breaking for her. I picked up the phone, and called my stepmother back almost immediately…I didn’t even say hello when she picked up. “I thought of something I can do for Nikki,” I said, “Can you ask her if she has any free time tomorrow or Monday for me to come in and take some portraits of her and Taylor?” I hung up the phone again, and pulled out my travel bag to pack for the unexpected trip home. I knew that there was nothing I or anyone else could do to ease the pain of her loss. There is no substitution on this Earth for the unconditional love we receive from our animals…they come into our lives for the sole purpose of loving us, and teaching us about love; and, when it’s time for them to leave this plane, they leave a massive, gaping hole in our hearts. All I could do was show my support and offer my love in the best way I know how…through pictures.

This is my stepsister, Nikki, and her beloved dog, Taylor, during their last days together. I’m so unbelievably grateful that I had the opportunity to capture the love between them.

Nikki’s puppy, Oliver, came along, too, so we squeezed him in for a few shots. He’s a wonderful boy, but he definitely has some very big Taylor-sized shoes to fill. :)I took a few video clips during the shoot, as well, and put them together with the still photos into this slide show. Most of my family have already seen this show (including Nikki), but I love it, and really wanted to share, so feel free to watch. The soundtrack is “A Beautiful World,” by Tim Myers. :)

Love you, Nik! You’re such a wonderful, amazingly strong, beautiful woman, and I feel lucky to have you in my life. :)

theresa + jay (and ben on the way!!)

Ayres Photography — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:37:01 +0000

One of the things we love most about our job is all of the amazing people we meet along the way. We were with Jay and Theresa on their wedding day back in 2009, and last summer, we had the honor of photographing them on their one-year anniversary! Shortly after that anniversary shoot, they told us that their cute little family would be growing, and we were THRILLED for them!! It’s such an incredible feeling to be able to document all of these milestones in the lives of our couples. We were so psyched to do this maternity session for J and T, and we’re even MORE excited to meet little Benjamin! :)

This is Cowy, who is beyond excited about being a big brother!

The preggo version of you is just gorgeous, T :)Theresa really wanted some shots against a black backdrop, so we brought one along. I love the way they turned out!
Theresa and Jason – thank you SO much for allowing us to be a part of such a special time in your lives! We had so much fun making these awesome images with you! You guys are going to be amazing parents, and we can’t wait to meet little Ben! Much love to you always!! :)

the hanief family

Ayres Photography — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:46:50 +0000

We met up with Brian, Margarita, and little cutey-pie Kaleb on a chilly winter day, at Glen Falls Park to capture some adorable family moments! It was super cold out, but little Kaleb was totally smitten with the snow, and didn’t even seem to notice the cold. Kids are so cool. :)

We love this awesome paint-peely red mill at Glen Falls!
Brian very bravely took his coat off for a few shots…brrrrrrrrr!! I just LOVE Kaleb’s hat…seriously, how cute is he?Kaleb’s daddy tries to keep him warm! ;)Then, he hung out with his mommy for a few shots…such a happy boy!!Margarita is teaching Kaleb words in both English and Spanish, which is super cool. He’ll be bi-lingual before he even gets to kindergarten! ”Beso, Mami!!” So cute!
Look out, guys! It appears that you have a little athlete on your hands!The park did eventually get a little too cold for comfort, so we headed over to Brian and Margarita’s home for a few more shots. They had a gorgeous Christmas tree, so we had some fun with that! Once Kaleb was all comfy in his own house, he was not so into having us take more pictures of him, soooooo…..Spongebob to the rescue! He was totally enthralled in Spongebob in this last shot, but I adore it. A photo of a family just hanging out on their own couch, doing what they do, is the best kind of family photo. :)

Brian, Margarita, and little Kaleb – Thanks so much for hanging out with us for some family photo time! It was so wonderful to meet all of you! HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!! :)

emily

Ayres Photography — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:31:23 +0000

We met up with the fabulous Emily, and her equally fabulous mom, Chris, on a chilly Fall day to shoot Emily’s Pre-Bat Mitzvah portrait session! As you can definitely see, she was a complete natural in front of the camera. We may be slightly biased, but we think she looks absolutely gorgeous in every single shot. ;)

This is definitely one of my favorites from the session. Ben worked some crazy colored gel magic to create this awesome pink/purple background right in Emily’s backyard – LOVE it!!

This is definitely another one of my all-time favorites. Teen Vogue, anyone? She’s such a beauty!!

We definitely took advantage of the readily available piles of leaves…this next one is FUN FUN FUN!!

Emily looks amazing in every single one of these shots in the tall grasses…

…but THIS ONE…this one looks like it should be in an abercrombie kids catalog. Future model, people…I’m calling it from now. Just absolutely beautiful.

This rack ‘o boats was pretty awesome, and adding some color to the scene really made things pop! :)

Emily and Chris – it was wonderful to spend some time getting to know you both! Thanks so much for hanging out with us on such a chilly day! We are so honored that you chose us to document the day that you become a Bat Mitzvah. It’s going to be such a special day, and such a wonderful celebration – can’t wait!! :)

alex

Ayres Photography — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:32:35 +0000

We don’t get to do a lot of senior portraits, (since weddings keep us booked solid pretty much year round), but it’s awesome when things work out, and we’re able to fit them in because they’re super-fun sessions to shoot! :)

The weather was amazingly beautiful that day, and the light even more so…but, the real star of the session? Yup, Alex’s gorgeousness.

LOVE this one! FIERCE.

We’ve had our eye on this train spot for ages, but this was the first time we got to use it. It’s literally three minutes from our house, and about 30 minutes before sunset, it’s pure magic, as you can see. ;)

Alex – thanks so much for spending some photo time with us! We had a great time! We wish you all the best with your upcoming graduation! CONGRATS!!