Karen Pike Photography Rotating Header Image

June, 2012:

VEHI Health Quest 2012

Jun 29th, 2012
by kpikephoto.
No comments yet

Wow. I just got back yesterday from shooting a 3-day Health and Wellness conference at the Stowehof Inn and I am completely energized!

The Vermont Education Health Innitiative (VEHI) brought 80 attendees from 11 different school districts together for the purpose of learning health and safety practices to bring back to their schools. Now, this MAY sound boring but it was anything BUT boring!

This conference included activities like kickboxing, zumba, orienteering, tai chi, drumming, hula hooping, flyfishing, 6 am bootcamp, tennis, raw food demonstrations and a collection of amazing presenters on subjects like communication, peer coaching, willpower and nutrition. If I wasn’t hired to photograph it, I would have begged to attend it!

There was so much to photograph at this event, that it was hard to edit the number of pictures down to make a slideshow! This one that follows is a whopping 8 minutes to a mashup of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” and Journey’s “Anything Is Possible”, and it may take a few minutes to load for you if you want to watch it!

Congratulations to all who participated–staff, presenters and attendees. What a fabulous week for all!!

–
If you’re curious to see hundreds of more images, please follow this link http://www.kpikephotoevents.com/pickpic/gallery/splash.php?gallery_id=264 to the full gallery on my website.

Thanks to all the great class leaders: Michelle Kmiec, ZUMBA, Elsa Cordero, Kickboxing; Kiernan Killigrew, Cardio Tennis; Chris Pickel, morning Boot Camp; John Conrad, Fly Fishing; Wendy Halley, Drumming; Scott Graner, Tai Chi; Linda Wooliever, Raw Cooking; Cara Joy, Hula Hoop; Lizzy Pope, Nutrition and Willpower; Judd Allen, Cultural Support for Wellness; Gail Johnston, Peer Coaching; Constance Gavin, Mindfulness and Relaxation, Tracy Gallo, Exercise and eating Right; Ron Rubin, the power of words; Gillian Pieper, Health Headlines.

Jill and Mattison’s E session

Jun 19th, 2012
by kpikephoto.
3 comments

Mattison and Jill were engaged on Valentine’s Day 2011 and are getting married in July at the gorgeous Grand Isle Lake House. I asked Jill to tell me the story of Mattison’s proposal and she answered, “which one?!” Apparently, there have been several over the 12 years since their love story began and she finally said “yes“. It’s not that Jill doesn’t ADORE Mattison, or that she doesn’t love sharing their beautiful South Hero home, their three dogs and their and committed life together; she just wasn’t sure about the word “marriage”. Then Mattison showed her some ring designs by an amazing jeweler–and I guess that did the trick. Diamonds are a girls best friend, ya’ know!

I got to know this beautiful and engaging couple through our mutual love of watching women’s roller derby and about the time I became “Chick Clicker” for the Green Mountain Derby Dames“, they started doing their website design. Three years later, I have hung up my Chick Clicker persona but am happy to say that I still have Jill and Mattison in my life and I am thrilled to be photographing their wedding next month.

If you know me, then you know I am an avid dog lover so some of my attention at this couple’s E session was centered on their three adorable pooches, Toluca, Sherman and Quincy. I mean, how could I resist these faces???

Congratulations, Mattison and Jill, on your engagement (finally) and your long awaited wedding. It will be an amazing celebration.
-

–
If you’d like to see all of the photos from Jill and Mattison’s engagement session, please click HERE (yup, it’s password protected, so you’ll need to get the password from the couple!)

Chris and Molly’s Wedding

Jun 12th, 2012
by kpikephoto.
No comments yet

Chris and Molly were married on May 26 at the Basin Harbor Club in Vergennes. It was a glorious Saturday afternoon and the bride looked stunning in her white sweetheart neckline gown and fuchsia Kate Spade pumps. Bright pink was the color of the day, from flowers to ties to table napkins (which ended up being made into party hats later in the reception!).

It was one of those weddings where everything just seemed to go flawlessly–the weather, the ceremony, the food, the band– everything was perfect. But then, Chris and Molly are so laid back and so happy, that it wouldn’t have mattered what happened as long as they had each other and the Justice of the Peace to make it legal.

Chris is a bit of a joker, with a mischievous sense of humor and a grin to match. So, getting those sweet romantic portraits without him making Molly laugh was a bit of a challenge. In the end, the portraits are fun and funny and uniquely Chris and Molly-just as it should be.

It was definitely a Partying crowd and there was no lack of energy either on and off the dance floor. Three generations of dancing, singing, laughing guests boogied together to a mix of pop and jazz covers, while pairing chocolate covered strawberries and wedding cake with desert Coronas and Basin Harbor Ale! A good time was had by all!

I hope you enjoy this slideshow of some of the day’s best moments, to Roger Ridley‘s awesome rendition of “Stand By Me” from Playing for Change. Thanks, as always, to my uber talented second photographer, Jennifer Kiewit, who has an amazing eye and helps make us such a winning team!

–

–

If you’d like to see all 800 plus photos from Chris and Molly’s wedding day, please click HERE. (You will need to get the password from the Bride and Groom!)

Girls on the Run 2012

Jun 11th, 2012
by kpikephoto.
No comments yet

Saturday was the annual end of the season 5K for Girls on The Run Vermont and the event at Champlain Valley Fairgrounds drew over 2000 participants. The 5k is a non-competitive, family-friendly event where everyone wears the Number “1″, everyone gets a medal, and everyone is a winner! How can you not love that???

Girls on the Run Vermont started 12 years ago with 15 girls. Today it’s grown to 2,500 girls and 125 schools statewide. It is part of nationwide organization with national sponsors, but my favorite corporate client, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont is one of the main Vermont supporters and it is a joy for me to cover the event each year for them.

It seemed like half the marketing staff of BCBSVT came out to help with face painting and Kevin Goddard, Vice President of External Affairs, welcomed the crowd from the stage and actually took a group shot with his I phone of all 2000 plus attendees! Very cool!

So, since I’m a photographer, not a writer, and I know people are anxious to see these pictures, I will let my images do the story telling. Enjoy the slideshow!

–

–

If you’d like to see all of the photos from Saturday’s event (or order enlargements) , please click HERE

David and Maddie’s B’nai Mitzvah

Jun 4th, 2012
by kpikephoto.
No comments yet

So, what’s double the fun of shooting a Bar or Bat Mitzvah? Naturally, it is photographing both a brother and sister becoming B’nai Mitzvah together!

David and Maddie, both hovering around their 13th birthdays, chose to celebrate together their coming into Jewish adulthood. The family did so on a recent Saturday evening at The Essex Resort and Spa, holding a joint B’nai Mitzvah service followed by a fun-filled reception. It was a heart-felt service, relaxed and unorthodox. Both David and Maddie recited their Torah and half Torah portions, along with additional prayers and song.

Afterwards, it was time to party and all the guests- kids and adults- enjoyed cocktails and dinner in the atrium, and one of the most enthusiastic Horas I’ve seen to date!

The kids ate quickly and then left the adults for their own DJ and disco lit dance party in the Ballroom. The grownups, meanwhile, stayed in the Atrium for some contra dancing along with caller Lausanne Allen and a great country band, including banjo player Rick Ceballos, and guitarist Matthew Witten.

Everyone had a ball and it was a festive night for all the guests. Here’s a fun recap of the day’s events, shot with the help of my mega talented 2nd photographer Jennifer Kiewit:

__
If you’d like to see all the photos from David and Maddie’s celebration, click HERE (but you’ll need to ask the family for the password).