New England Photographer
Poland Spring Museums
Part 3: Poland Springs Museum, Poland, ME
For Part 3 of my “I Do Fun Things In New England So You Don’t Have To”, I went to the Poland Spring Museum in Poland, ME and this is my new favorite museum! The architecture is stunning! Just look at the pics below! And the history of it was so cool! I’ll share some info as you scroll the photos.
“Where is Part 2?!” I didn’t take pictures that day which is very unike me so you can watch the reel about Fort Popham and just pretend you saw pics of it! Now, on to Part 3!
Not aware of this new IG Reels series I made? Heres a quick guide to it: The series is a quick 1 minute video; educational yet satirical at times. And I try to focus on one fun, weird, salacious fact from the place I visited (usually a historic home, museum, or historic site). So check out the Reels Series on my IG: @whitemuckphoto but for now Enjoy some photos from:
Part 3: Poland Spring Museum, Poland, ME
This building was built for the 1893 World Fair which took place in Chicago. 36 states submitted houses/buildings for the fair. This is the Maine State Building. All the materials from this home came from Maine, were shipped to Chicago, constructed there, and remained there for the duration of the fair. At the endo f the fair it was set to be demolished however….
Hiram Rickers bought the building and had it moved to his private property where he used it as a tourist attraction and boutique hotel. Rickers had a massive property where Poland Springs ran through. He realized the water was so pure, he proposed to doctors and scientists that this water be promoted as a cute/healthy choice for how clean it is. He vowed it was so pure, it cured his chronic heartburn! The property also features a golf course, a chapel, and the original bottling plant for Poland Springs! The wildest thing I learned at this museum was…
About the history of America’s first serial killer! He used the 1893 World’s Fair as his means for finding and killing single women. To learn more about him and his story, check out PART 3 of my IG Reels Series!
Want to check out videos from this series? Click the IG button below to see my “I Do Fun Things In New England So You Don’t Have To” Series!
Crane Estate at Castle Hill
Here begins our journey of me sharing my many day trips in New England with you.
Lets set the scene: A Los Angeles native, born and raised, moves to New England in 2015. Not for work, or a job or school or family. But just because she wants a change. This same person loves to travel and is habitually bored and curious and spends the last 11 years wandering around New England. Now, she genuinely knows New England better than most natives! (sorry natives, don’t take it personally but y’all don’t really explore that much. Which boggles my mind because everything is so close!) So I have alwasy taken pictures and videos of where I go and then do literally nothing with them. So I decided to finally share it all with you! I even turned it into an IG Reels Series I am calling “I Do Fun Things In New England So You Don’t Have To”. The series is a quick 1 minute video; educational yet satirical at times. And I try to focus on one fun, weird, salacious fact from the place I visited (usually a historic home, museum, or historic site). So check out the Reels Series on my IG: @whitemuckphoto but for now Enjoy some photos from:
Part 1: Crane Estate at Castle Hill in Ipswich, MA
Fun Fact: This 60,000sqf home has 59 rooms!
The property initially included 2,100 acres of land!
Want to see Part 1 of the Series? Click the IG link below!
A Holiday Proposal...
Is this a Hallmark movie? A proposal at the Christmas Tree Farm?
No, it’s better because it was Katie & TJ’s Proposal! Keep scrolling to see the magic from their wintery proposal!
Why do I love the story of Tj’s proposal to Katie so much? Well for starters, Katie is one of my best friends! But the plot thickens! I asked Katie and TJ if I could take their picture at the Tree Farm so that I had samples to use for this year’s Tree Farm Sessions. They said yes, and TJ being the sly dog he is, reached out to me a few weeks before the photoshoot to ask if I would be ok with him using that opportunity to propose to Katie. My literal response? (keep reading!)
“TJJJJJJJJ I’ve been WAITING for this day!!!” Because even though I never said anything to either of them, my secret hope was that when the big day did come, TJ would ask me to be the one to capture the moment! I was so excited for both of them and it was shockingly easy to keep this secret from Katie despite the fact that she… (keep reading!)
Had messaged me the week before and we were discussing outfits for the “photoshoot day” and even said something like “this would be a great opportunity for TJ to use this time to propose. But I bet her won’t be clever enough to do that”. I, of course, had to act like I had no clue that he DID in fact already ask and had it planned out and I responded with “maybe he’ll propose on Christmas!”. So TJ and I made a loose plan to talk about “the lighting” and I would get Katie to turn around for a pose. I had mistletoe with me and told her I had this idea for a pose where he will be behind her and holding up the mistletoe. She was very confused by my vision of this but thankfully stayed turned around so that TJ could get down on one knee. And when he was ready, I said “scrap it, this pose isn’t going to work” so that she turned around and said… well, she said the last thing you’d expect someone to say who is getting proposed to. Katie said….(keep reading!)
“Jesus fucking Christ!” Yep. Katie turned around to see the love of her life proposing to her and her initial reaction was to say “Jesus fucking Christ!” ahhh yes, classic Katie. The good news is she said this because she was genuinely surprised, or maybe shocked, that TJ was proposing! TJ responded with “would you like to marry me” and the best news of all is, despite her initial exclamation, Katie said YES! Once she had the ring on her finger she turned to me and said “did you know about this?” and my response was “duh, how do you think I got you to turn around?”. She then said to TJ “ wait, is this the team?”. I, not knowing what what means, asked “team?” and Katie said she had just asked TJ that week if he was working on a proposal for her (they are a modern couple, of course they talked about getting married, a proposal, the ring, etc in advance) and TJ said yep. But really, what more of a team did you need to put on a great surprise proposal with beautiful pics besides TJ and I? And yes, TJ picked a ring that was perfect for Katie, a very unique ring. A gold band with little stars across it! So, the moral of the story? (keep reading!)
Well, the moral of the story is TJ proposed to Katie, she said yes, I got to photograph it which was my hope, and they are getting married next year! I am so excited for them and obviously its not secret I am so stoked, and grateful, that I got to be the one to capture the moment! Congrats to Katie & TJ!
A photoshoot of a different breed
When Ally reached out asking if I could do a photoshoot with her and her cat out in the fall foliage nature, I was so excited! As a photographer, I love photographing out in nature (especially in the fall) and as a vegan I love working with animals! So I happily said yes. And here are the results!
Have you considered taking photos of you with your animals but worried “what if they don’t sit still?” Don’t worry! They are animals, I don’t expect them to sit perfectly still. For this photoshoot, we let her cat explore and wander most of the time and I photographed him as he enjoyed his surroundings. While we were able to get some posed shots, I set my expectations low when it comes to animal cooperation. Yet, I am happy to say, we got SO many great shots of her + her cat. They both did a great job. So don’t worry, we will work around making your animal comfortable, and great photos will follow!
And I know you’re probably wondering “well that is a cat. Would you photograph me and my dog? My lizard? my bird?” and the simple answer is “yes!”. As long as you feel comfortable with them being out in nature and not scurrying or flying off!
She was nervous her little guy would be too nervous, something she did to get his prepped was she took him to the location prior to the photoshoot to get a feel for the area. She also gave him a little CBD to put him at ease. And she also brought him some of his wet food to feel comforted. There are plenty of ways to make your fur babe feel comfortable during a photoshoot!
If you’re now itching to have photos of you and your pets taken, send me an inquiry bon my Contact Me page! Let’s talk about the details of your dream photoshoot with your fur babies!
A Grave Affair
Hey lovers of all things spooky! Want to see some fun cemetery photos from this year? If you are also a big fan of Halloween and/or cemeteries, these are the pictures for you! Take a peek!
Living in New England, and being a cemetery lover, and a photographer, this specialty photoshoot is one of my favorites to do each year! New England has no shortage of beautiful, old, historic cemeteries just waiting for you! As someone who enjoys visiting cemeteries and wandering around, I have a vast knowledge of fantastic graveyards in New England. Anyone else go hangout at cemeteries for peaceful walks?
Something that modern cemeteries and modern graves lack is the architectural style of the style from gravestones past. When moving here to New England 10+ years ago, I was instantly captivated by the styles of gravestones. (You probably won’t be shocked to know that my hometown of Los Angeles does not have historic graveyards like out here in New England). So much detail, thought, and care was given to gravestones “back-in-the-day”. And I think it is beautiful to give your final resting place a substantial and ornate place marker.
One of my favorite cemeteries actually isn’t in New England but rather its in Richmond, VA. Ever been to the Hollywood cemetery right on the James River in Richmond, VA? Talk about an expansive and beautiful cemetery dripping in history (minus the confederate soldiers burial section, you can skip that part)! I also recently got to visit Sleepy Hallow Cemetery so check that off the bucket list! I’d love to know some of your favorite cemeteries to visit, walk around, appreciate the history, soak up spooky vibes, etc.
Having photo FOMO yet? Don’t worry, I’d love to do a cemetery photoshoot with you too! Just send me an email!
Follow me for more photo adventures on IG: @whitemuckphoto
Jen Lee's Bakery
Have you heard of Jen Lee’s Bakery? Have you visited one of her bakeries? She has a location in Worcester and Boston. If you’re vegan, gluten free, or any of the Top 10 Allergen Free, then you have to try Jen Lee’s! And honestly if you’re not vegan or GF you have to try it so you can finally stop saying things like “vegan food/gf food is so gross!” because she literally makes some of the best baked goods I’ve ever had! Her bakeries are Top 10 Allergy Free and totally safe for those of you who have allergies. Jen’s baked goods are some of my favorites out there but even more so, Jen is one of my favorite people! She is a Small Biz Bad Bitch and works harder than most people on this planet!
Those of you who have been with me for years, know I am vegan. Those of you just joining, probably just learned this! People STILL think being vegan means eating steamed tofu and grass. Which is a hilarious misconception. We have all the wonderful foods life has to offer, sans the animal abuse. If you’ve ever had crappy vegan food, try something else, that person was probably just a bad cook/baker haha. Jen’s baked goods are definitely worth giving a try whether or not you’re vegan!
Next time you’re in Boston, stop by Boston Public Market and grab some baked goods! Or if you’re closer to Worcester, check out her bakery there!
You can follow Jen Lee’s Bakery on Instagram at @msjenniferlee
And if you’re looking for someone to do your professional headshots or product photography that can actually capture who you + your business are, I’m your gal! Send me an email and lets get planning your next photoshoot!
Secret Garden - Bridal Shoot
New England Based Photographer Sabrina Moore of White Muck Photography with 17 years experience as a photographer offers stunning Bridal, Wedding, Engagement, Couples, Family, and Elopement Photography.
Read MoreControversial? Maybe. But this is why I won't Photoshop.
The one thing I won't do for my clients?
is Photoshop their body. I absolutely don't want to be responsible for making people feel a certain way about their body by the way of altering it to make it fit a specific idea.
As a millennial, our media was flooded by unhealthy body standards and I don't want someone to feel better temporarily but worse in the long run by altering their body in photos to look a certain way. I take the approach of celebrating the client and their body exact as they are in this stage of their life. Making them feel good about exactly how they currently look.
I've had clients be upset that I won't Photoshop out their “fat” or make their faces look like it has sharper angles. I don't know that I can explain it better than I have tried to here already but I am not comfortable altering a clients body. For photographers who do feel comfortable with it, then those clients would be a better fit for those type of photographers. For me, I'm here to highlight all the greatness that exists within my clients. In fact I feel so strongly about this, that there is a section in my contract that explicitly states I will not Photoshop a client’s body. This allows the client to know ahead of time this is not a service I offer. It also helps protect me if a client is upset that during the editing process I don't Photoshop their body to look a certain way.
So what are your thoughts on this? Agree? Disagree?
Here's how I randomly rediscovered these decade old photos...
Ok picture this, a few weeks ago, I'm sitting on the couch, editing photos when I check my email and I have the strangest email that tells me I got a comment on one my original photography website’s blog posts. I was so confused because I thought “blog post?!”. So I clicked on it and it took me to…
A blog post with photos I did with a friend I made when I first moved out to New England (when I was living in Salem, MA). I totally forgot about these photos. Which is crazy because I really did love them. Now don't get me wrong, if I took these photos today (ten years later)….
I feel like they would definitely be better but for being photos I took ten years ago when my style was a bit different, I still love them. I am so glad some random person found my old website and commented on my blog so that I could rediscover these photos! And yes, those photos absolutely…
are what inspired me to create a blog here on White Muck. So that maybe ten years from now I'll be reminded of these posts and take another happy walk down memory lane!
Let's talk about photography in Boston
New England Based Photographer Sabrina Moore of White Muck Photography with 17 years experience as a photographer offers stunning Bridal, Wedding, Engagement, Couples, Family, and Elopement Photography.
Read More