va va va VOOM

Sooooo...... this is kind of a catch 22 of a post in a way... I am now offering boudoir shoots for current and new clients!! Now, it's not what you may think it is, but honestly how much of what I do is ever what is typical or expected? Not so much!

I have had the pleasure of doing a few of these shoots but can't show anyone the work, obviously, as part of what you want is confidentiality and discretion from your photographer, right? So if you sign on to do a shoot with me your images will never be shown to anyone unless you approve it first.

But they are SO much fun! I shot one this morning with a woman who is so fun we laughed our butts off for most of the shoot! I have to say I am loving shooting in my new studio, the light is killer and there are so many nooks and crannies to shoot in- especially my ginormous 72" soaking tub!

Give me a call at the studio at 860-906-1993 if you are interested in booking a session or in learning more about what all is involved!

geoff boka + the future mrs. geoff boka New York City Engagement shoot

Matt Wagner on the subway!


















Let me just start by saying how much I love my Boka's. I just wanted to get that settled right off the bat. Kate & Geoff are both really good friends of mine and me along with my good friend Matt Wagner we are so incredibly lucky to be able to shoot their awesome wedding in June! I couldn't be more excited if I tried to be. See, I met Geoff a few years back as a fellow wedding industry vendor- he is a very talented wedding documentary videographer- and we have had the pleasure of shooting a few weddings together and have such a blast doing it. I love recommending him to my bride's that are interested in video, because he is awesome!
I met Kate while we were both shooting a wedding back in June of last year. (She shot with Geoff) It was like we have known each other forever, there was this instant comfort and mutual great energy when we were hanging out, I can't even explain it! But it's awesome and I love when we get to spend time together!
So yesterday Matt and Teresa Wagner and I drove into the city where Kate & Geoff live for their shoot. Beautiful weather despite being a tad too windy- the light was nice and rich and warm and let us forget how bitter that wind got...

We started off at the Met and discovered a few fun facts along the way!

Did you know that you could NOT bring luggage in? Sucks for us because we did not know that and had lugged around a few bags for some outfit changes so poor Teresa had to sit outside with them while Matt and I shot. Thanks Teresa!!

Did you also know that you cannot in fact LIE DOWN on the floor while shooting in the Met? As some of you know I like to do what I can to get the shot, as most of us do and if I need to lie down then that is just what I do. Well. Not at the Met, apparently. I got scolded like a school girl! It was awesome! Security wasn't too impressed when I told them that I wasn't sleeping, I was shooting. So make a mental note.

Other than those annoyances it was a great time and worth the suggested donation to go shoot- the light in the Egyptian room was awesome, nice and soft and flattering.

Oh and did I forget to mention that it was 'Test Geoff Boka's Nerves Day' in the city of New York? Well, all day, and I mean ALL day things kept cropping up that were just threatening to break this poor guys' spirit! But I didn't let this shyte get the better of him and kept making him laugh at how stupid everything was- we had to hug it out a few times but it was all good!! Walk it off Boka, walk it off!

The best part was when we got to Starbucks to warm up and drop off bags so we could run to the meat packing district to shoot on those awesome cobblestone streets, right? And then Geoff realizes his IPHONE IS IN THE CAB WE JUST GOT OUT OF!!! Right? My stomach dropped, cuz I am a fellow iphone owner and the mere thought of that made me want to throw up. So Matt immediately calls Geoff's phone and someone answers! Freaky! But he was such a nice guy we had him give it to the cab driver who we had bonded with on our ride and so he agreed to come all the way back to us with the phone! How sweet is THAT?? Yes, in NEW YORK CITY! It was great! That guy has some good karma coming his way, for sure.

We topped our night off at this amazing restaurant, Barolo on West Broadway, it rocked our world. We are all foodies and Teresa and Matt speak Italian which is always entertaining to listen to. We had some of the most incredible food we have ever had- can you say ravioli stuffed with marscapone cheese and granny smith apples topped with a lamb ragu? Can you? OY!So super delicious.

Well I had a blast and can't wait for your wedding guys! Thanks for being up for anything and having boundless energy to boot!

April 7th work shop is FULL!

I am happy yet sad to say our work shop is full! Sad only because I hate turning people away, so if you are interested please email me at carlateneyck@comcast.net and I will see about possibly doing another work shop in the future!

This is going to be a lot of fun, I am so excited to see and meet everyone who is coming, there are a LOT of new people coming!

CLARIFICATION!!! If you had already emailed me about attending, you are counted as in!!

wedding at the hartford club

I am so behind on this blog post it is embarrassing. I second shot with the amazing Amanda Harris in early February at the Hartford Club in Hartford, and I had such a blast being the second shooter! I love not being in charge, as hard as that is to imagine, it is true. It was so nice to see Amanda running the show, for one because she is so good at it and for two because I could just sit back and help, if she needed me to or just shoot my heart out.
Don't get me wrong, when you are a second shooter you have to be so adept at multitasking and being aware of what your main shooter is doing, where they are and if you are in their shot- it is a science to master, but so much fun.
Amanda is not only a terrific shooter she is one of my closest friends so it felt like we were just hanging out and having a good time, when in strolls Robert Norman to test drive his new D3- and was I jealous! See, this was my last pre-D3 Wedding. Once Robert let me shoot with his D3 I was all hot and bothered to have mine and less than a week later I miraculously had one in hand.
We had a blast shooting, laughing and having fun and I can't wait to shoot with these guys again!

lisa + jonathan's e shoot at chamard vineyards

Mike shot all of these images below this- I love his post on them it really creates a kind of deeper, darker mood.





First off, I have to say that this upcoming workshop on April 7th is going to be nuts! The response to it has been amazing, I am so pumped for it! Remember to guarantee your spot you MUST pre-register, as we have to limit the size of the class to make sure everyone gets enough shooting time and post production attention. Please email me with any questions at carlateneyck@comcast.net

Mike and I had quite the week with back to back engagement shoots- after Lynne & Scott's we met up with Lisa & Jonathan at Chamard Vineyards in Clinton (my second time shooting there, they are SO nice to work with!) It was a nice contrast shooting there in the winter when the vineyard was all barren and kind of windswept to when I had shot there last fall. I really enjoyed the landscape, it had a really moody feel to it. After our wine tasting we headed to their beach in Madison with their dogs right as the sun broke through the clouds, it was really beautiful and totally worth the trip!

As they were running the dogs back to the car I saw this really cool whitewashed wall that I had to shoot Lisa on- she is such a natural in front of the camera!

Mike and I had a great time and loved the challenge of two shoots in a row in two very different locations and weather conditions. I think Mike knocked this shoot out of the park!

Rediscover your love of shooting at carla ten eyck's all day intensive on monday april 7th!

Have you forgotten why are you a photographer lately?

It can be so easy to forget these days as there are so many aspects to not only being a photographer but being a GOOD one, and not only running a business but running one efficiently, and marketing and securing clients... and then staying motivated and inspired on top of it all!

Kind of a tall order at times... So I thought what better way to kick off all of our seasons than by jump starting our inspiration and gettting back in touch with why we do what we do. Or, why you want to get involved in it in the first place if you are new to the industry...

On Monday April 7th I will host an all day intensive workshop at my studio in Hartford! Here is what we will cover:

So, why ARE YOU a photographer? Get back in touch with why you are even shooting in the first place- and really find what visually inspires and motivates you.

Learn how to get the most from your subjects by knowing what you like! How can you direct them if YOU don't even know what you want to get out of them?

After our motivational meeting we will have a model shoot in some challenging locations- learn how to make it work and get the best images possible.

Bring your computers to download and work on your favorite images.

Steve DePino, (the founder of PRO Actions and super talented photographer!) and I will cover some post production tips and tricks that have worked for us.

Afternoon critique- find out how everyone saw the same situation, what works about your images and how to make them even better!

Seminar Cost is only $50!

Please email me asap to reserve your spot at carlateneyck@comcast.net

Lunch & Dinner will be provided

THIS IS OPEN TO ALL LEVELS!!!

lynne + scott's e shoot workshop

A little post on this really made it pop- Steve DePino's PRO actions 'Blue Steel' and lo sharpen + a Kubota Fashion Passion and Digital Fill Flash, in case you were wondering
Mike Romano set this headlight umbrella shot up and I took full advantage of his creative idea!! Thanks Mike!

Both of these images (top & bottom) were a mixture of peeps- Kubota digital fill + PRO Actions Holgaize + textures (three) by Jesh de Rox


When Scott put on his hat I had envisioned a very different shot than what I was getting- the light wasn't working for me and the back ground was very distracting so I switched it up and looked for an evenly lit space with even the smallest patch of blank wall- We were a little close to another Starbucks patron but I worked quickly! :)

Amanda Harris & Mike Romano working it



All of the images below are shot by the super talented Mike Romano...








All of these below were shot by the amazing Amanda Harris- she has some great in action shots and some incredible shots of Lynne & Scott- way to rock it sister! Thanks for letting me poach these from your b-log! :)







Lynne and Scott are such sweethearts, for so many reasons. One of which is them not minding me turning their engagement shoot into a learning shoot with my girl Amanda Harris and Mike. Lynne and Scott were open to anything we wanted to do so I came up with some parameters for Mike and myself- no strobes allowed, only found light. I wanted to really see how far we could push our cameras. Now I admit I was a little wary, but only a little. Even thought I love natural light there comes a point when you just have to slap that flash on your camera and make it work. But I was determined to make it work- and I knew that Lynne and Scott were a patient and trusting couple where this could actually work. So we started at 4:00 on the most dreary rainy day EVER. And then we go to one of the most gorgeous places, Avon Old Farms School- it is like Harry Potter meets the Hobbit there, and I was in heaven! But kind of not at the same time because it was pouring out... so I had to think on the fly.

A lot of people ask me if I reschedule engagement shoots because of rain. My answer is a resounding no. What if it rains on your wedding day? I need to be able to shoot in all conditions, not just ideal ones- I think that is one of the hallmarks of a solid shooter, to be able to roll with whatever is thrown their way and still produce great images. I'll bet we've all booked a wedding at a fabulous place only to have it rain and not be able to utilize the grounds etc. as you had planned.... so then what did you do? I shot one of my favorite weddings that way! And because I had shot in so many different conditions I was confident and not freaked out.

Throughout the shoot I would stop and ask Mike & Amanda to take charge to see what they were seeing. Favorite thing number 12- being in the same place and all seeing something completely different!! That never ceases to get me all fired up! What a way to keep learning and growing as a photographer, take people out with you- talk while shooting, show each other your shots, work with the couple. Another thing we worked on was directing Lynne & Scott. Even though they were a dream couple and seemed really comfortable in front of the camera (or cameras, I should say) they still needed some gentle guidance- and sometimes even just reassurance that what they were doing was what we wanted. I remember Lynne laughing at me and how excited I get when I shoot!

On our way out, it was yucky and rainy- so we're running to our cars. Mike reminds me about wanting to shoot only using head lights to light them. (We had been brain storming some new things we wanted to try prior to the shoot) I had totally forgot! So he set up the shot. It was nice but we needed some light on their faces- so Amanda held the mag light from behind the car to light up their faces a touch- Mike then had them swing the umbrella the other way so their silhouette was on it- I think it was brilliant and really made the shot!!

After Avon Old Farms we hit up Starbucks to warm up and plot out our next location. The staff didn't mind us shooting which was awesome. It was not an ideal location, in fact the place we all saw and wanted to shoot in was taken already. Which was perfect! So OK, now what's our plan B? I threw it to Mike and Amanda and it was awesome watching them work that Starbucks. I had Scott rock his most favorite hat that he always has with him- I think it is my favorite shot of the day that I set up. I had him sitting on the back of one of the big chairs but the lighting was kind of harsh and there were some distractions so I just put them in front of a solid yellow wall that had even lighting and had Lynne join him- she instantly relaxed him.

I can't wait to rock that hat with him in his tux! Now THAT is going to be cool!!!