I’m a few days late on this, but happy first anniversary to Andrea and Mike, who were married Saratoga National on February 19th, 2011.

Boxing champion Sarah “The Knockout” Kuhn recently stopped by the JFP studio. And my friend (and super talented artist) Erin Marzilli did Sarah’s makeup and hair.

Jeff Foley Photography: What does winning a world title mean to you?

Sarah Kuhn: Having the opportunity to fight for a World Title is the ultimate goal for any professional boxer. WINNING a World Title is a dream come true. In one of the first articles written about me, the writer asked my trainer Rick Sweeney what he thought of me as a boxer. He said, “She could win a World Title someday.” That gave me all of the confidence I needed to go out, work hard and believe in the idea.

JFP: Is there a message you want to share with other women/girls?

SK: I want women to know that no matter what you choose to do in life, you can be feminine, you can be beautiful and even a sport like boxing can be done with grace. I also want woman to look at me and what I’m doing and know that. even in a male-dominated sport, you can be confident and hold your head high. I want young girls to know that you can grow up to be anything you want to be and to look at themselves and find beauty in every inch of their being.

JFP: How about with boys/men?

SK: I like showing the guys my “tough” side. Every woman is a fighter … it’s sexy. My message to the guys out there would be, respect women. See the passion and work ethic in everything they do and appreciate it. If there’s a woman in your life that struggles with lack of confidence or self-esteem issues, take the extra time to compliment her. Women are the beauty of the world, sometimes they just need a little reminder.

JFP: What does the general public not know about the world of professional boxing?

SK: The thing about boxing that I don’t think the general public realizes is the mental and physical work that goes into each match. Six weeks out from a fight means intense training, long hours in the gym, diet perfection, lack of friends and family time and complete focus. And, unless your Floyd Mayweather, you have to maintain not only a full-time job, but for most women a family as well. Not easy. The real sport really happens behind the scenes in the gym.

JFP: Where do you go with your career from here?

SK: Aside from winning a World Title in my last fight, the win took us from 13th in the country to sixth. We have already recieved numerous requests for match ups as well as another World Title offer. The possibilites are growing, and having a 10-round fight under our belt is extremely noticable in the boxing world. I will be back to training March 1st, and hoping to be back in the ring as early as April.

JFP: Is it tough being a female boxer?

SK: It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Not only do you have to be in tip-top shape, you have to be mentally prepared to deal with everything in your daily life sometimes just “running on fumes.” It’s physically harder for women to lose weight as opposed to men, so when it comes to cutting weight for fights …we dont really want to hear them complain. Women also deal with many emotional issues, some that can’t be explained. Boxing takes you to the highest high, but it can also drag you down and test you. It asks everything of you and then some. It makes you question your commitment, and it tries to make you quit. The real battle is won before you even step through the ropes.

JFP: Do you feel like you can be a fighter and still be feminine when you want to be?

SK: ABSOLUTELY! When I first started boxing I made a commitment to myself. No matter what happens I will remain true to who I am. If that means being picked on for being polite, or wearing pink, I would be ready. I’m not a trash talker and I will never be. I will remain humble as I am in my every day life, and give back every chance I can. Being a professional boxer does not define who I am … Being Sarah Janette Kuhn, the pink loving, COACH carrying, sequined dress wearing, born again believing, homeschooler from Schoharie, N.Y., is who I am. I am a fighter in everything that I do. I may lose a few battles, but the war which is life is the ultimate goal to conquer. I will do it with Beauty and Grace

JFP: What’s the recipe for winning a title? How did you get to that place?

SK: Hard work. Dedication. Patience. Being able to take a loss and overcome. Be brave! Dare to put yourself out there. Accept criticism. Smile a lot, even when it seems impossible.

I couldn’t get to where I am without the support of my incredible friends and family. My fiance Brian is my biggest fan and without him pushing me, encouraging me, and just being there when I need to crash … its all necessary for success. My fans are amazing, and I’m overwhelmed each time I enter the ring by the support, cheers and pink that swallows up the arena. My mom and dad have been to all of my matches from amateur to professional and, when I see them in the crowd, I know that this is why I succeed.

JFP: What’s up next for you?

SK: Feb. 25th Im getting married to the love of my life. This will be my greatest accomplishment yet. March 1st I will get back into the gym and get ready for whatever is thrown my way. My goal for the end of the year is to fight for the NYS Welterweight Title in front of my hometown. I have a lot to learn about the sport, but I am confident in saying that I get better each time. I will continue to work hard in a sport that I kind of fell into. I believe that most things in life you fall into, the important ones you fall for.

You can find out more about Heather here. She is fantastic. Makeup by Erin Marzilli. She is also fantastic.

More to come …

Jeff Foley Photography recently photographed singer/songwriter Danielle Gaudin for promo materials for her forthcoming album. We did the shoot on the streets of Mechanicville, N.Y. We also conducted a short Q & A. Enjoy these photos and the Q & A.

Jeff Foley Photography: When did you first know you wanted to be a songwriter and singer?

Danielle Gaudin: I’ve always made music “My Own.” In fact, my classical piano instructor never cared for my personal takes on Bach, but honestly … I always liked my versions better.

JFP: What is about music that moves you?

DG: EVERYTHING. What’s not moving about music? It just takes me to another place where every note and every word has the power to make me laugh, cry, dance, or just think. Music truly shapes my life.

JFP: When did you first know you had an opportunity to succeed with music?

DG: When I decided music was what I wanted to do, I created the opportunities. I truly believe if you want something bad enough you will succeed.

JFP: How would you describe your style?

DG: That’ s the million dollar question, lol. I can’t really describe my style, it’s kind of like asking a painter to describe their artwork in words. Most people in the industry want you labeled as something or they think you won’t sell but when I’m asked that question I usually just say, “My style. Soultry and passionate.”

JFP: What has been the highlight of your music career so far?

DG: Recording with Nightlife Productions in NYC. It’s an incredible opportunity that I’m thankful for everyday. Definitely the experience of a lifetime that I will always treasure.

JFP: What are you working on right now?

DG: My first professionally produced album. Technically this is my fourth album, but to have it engineered in a studio I didn’t have to run means much more to me. (Having a producer that’s won four Grammys is helpful, also.)

JFP: Where can people catch you in the next couple months?

DG: I’m rocking it out at the newly renovated Lark Tavern in Albany every other Saturday night right now. I also have some other exciting shows and venues coming soon. I keep my website updated with my show schedule so people can always check it out there, too.

JFP: In an ideal world, where will your career take you?

DG: It would take me to Adele’s front door where she’ll say to me, “Will you write music for me forever and enjoy these front row seats to all my concerts…” Ideally, I’d love to write the music and sit back to hear it performed as the crowd belts out all my lyrics that I put my heart and soul into. That would be an amazing feeling.

JFP: What was the first album you ever purchased?

DG: Ummmm … I’m pretty sure that would be New Kids on the Block. I know, what can I say, they were Totally Rad.

I just wanted to share a quick teaser from today’s shoot with singer/songwriter Danielle Gaudin. We took advantage of the warm-ish weather and shot outside. (Yay!)

Lots more to come from this shoot, which rocked. And check out Danielle here … You’ll be hearing a lot from her in the future.

What a voice … I fell in love with it the first time I heard it, and I’m honored to have had the opportunity to work with her today.

Tricia and Mike were married one year ago today, and JFP was there to document the love between them! Happy anniversary, guys!

I cannot believe that in Ireland you’re allowed to rent a car, hop in it and simply drive away. Seriously, it’s like trying to fly a spaceship.

You’re on the wrong side of the road, and on the wrong side of the car. It is disorienting.

Whatever. Car crash aside (who knew that large potted plants could be so sneaky?), shooting a wedding in Galway, Ireland, in 2009 has been one of the highlights of my photographic career.

Working in a different country is invigorating. You’re out of your element. Everything is new. I hope the feeling of waking up and being excited to work in a foreign place never gets old.

The picture above, of Matt and his groomsmen, was made in the center of Galway, the day before Matt married Fiona. We spent several hours wondering the city, making portraits of the guys in their kilts, which provided an opportunity for many Irish people to let us know that kilts are a Scottish thing, not an Irish thing. Several women also tried to pull up the kilts. That was a riot, especially when the guys got mad about it!

Anyhow, see the pub behind the guys? (Hint: It’s the building with Guinness embossed on its wall.) Well, guess where we ended up after this picture was made? Ha! I know it’s a bit of a cliche, but the Guinness is seriously better in Ireland. It’s a little easier to drink. (Which means you — meaning me — drink more of them.)

Here’s Fiona, Matt’s Irish bride, moments before she walked down the aisle and became Mrs. McDaniel:

I made portraits outside of Cloghan Castle, where Matt and Fiona were married. We had to work around a little bit of rain and boatload of midges (think mosquitoes, but smaller and more Irish).

There was an upside to the rain, though. It gave us a rainbow (upper left corner) for the bridal party portrait:

Thanks for a great experience, Matt and Fiona! I can’t wait to see where my job takes me next!

Alysha and I recently spent about three hours working with an 11-foot Burmese python named Rocco. It took the snake a solid 90 minutes to settle down and just hang out with Alysha (instead of trying to slither everywhere except where we wanted him).

Alysha was a trooper, overcoming a little bit of fear and allowing Rocco to wrap around her. We had two handlers on location the entire time and Rocco had eaten two days earlier, so we knew he wasn’t hungry. I was not quite as brave as Alysha. I refused to hold Rocco (I am petrified of snakes) and I freaked out the couple of times we accidentally touched.

Please check out www.JeffFoley.com to see more of work with models.

This is Sarah “The Knockout” Kuhn, a world champion boxer based in upstate New York. Sarah stopped by the Jeff Foley Photography studio for some promo shots recently.

Would you believe that this gorgeous woman gets paid to fight? I love how fit Sarah is, and she is funny as hell. Lots of fun to make pictures with! Makeup and hair by the super-talented Erin Marzilli, who is also a blast to work with.

More pics to come …

If you’re planning a wedding and you’re meeting with photographers, you already know that there’s no blueprint we work by. We all interact with the world in unique ways.

I think it’s important for potential clients to understand a little bit about my process, and the passion I have for it, so this blog post is about how my images go from my camera to your hands.

On a typical wedding day, I shoot thousands of images. Yup, thousands.

This is a product of my training as a photojournalist – I cut my teeth shooting for publications like Newsday and the Albany Times Union – and I am always looking for a storytelling moment.

When I get home from a wedding, often in the middle of the night, after a 12-hour day, I have hours of work left to do before I can think about sleeping. While my assistant unloads gear and gets batteries charging, etc., I grab my memory cards and sit down at the computer.

Often, I’m so excited to see the pictures that I don’t even take my jacket off before I start downloading the first memory card. There are always a handful of images that I’m dying to review, photos that made me feel good as I pressed the shutter button.

Once I’ve checked out those images, I buckle in for about four hours of downloading. My images are my livelihood, and I want them off of memory cards immediately. This way, I have them in two places right away – on the cards and on one of my many external hard drives. So, after a wedding, I don’t get to bed until 2 or 3 a.m.

Let’s fast forward, though, to Monday or Tuesday.

First, to start the week, I’ll flip through my most recent wedding images, looking for the ones that made my heart beat a little faster. These are typically the most ascetically pleasing pictures of the day. So I edit these five to 10 images immediately and put them on Facebook and on my blog as teasers, so that my clients have something to share with friends and family.

Next, at some point in the next four weeks or so (it depends on the time of year and how many wedding I have to edit), I crank up some music (lately I’ve been into Pandora’s “80s Pop Radio’ station) and dig in.

I use Adobe Lightroom 3 for the majority of my work (I occasionally visit Adobe PhotoShop for some fine tuning on pictures).

I whittle the thousands of images from each wedding down to the 500-ish I present to each client (trust me, nobody needs to see 3,000 pictures!) by setting aside repetitive and unflattering pictures. This process demands all of my attention, and it takes an entire workday. There’s lot of going back and forth to compare images, to make sure you get the best pictures.

Once the best images have been identified, they are placed into one of six folders: 1. Getting Ready; 2. The Ceremony; 3. Group Portraits; 4. Bride & Groom Portraits; 5. The Reception; and 6. JFP Favorites.

Now the real work begins.

I shoot in a format called RAW. Long story short, this keeps my cameras from deciding exactly what pictures should look like (i.e., how saturated they should be with color, how sharp they should appear, etc.) and allows me to create photos that look the way I envisioned them.

This is time-consuming, as I have to make decisions for all of the pictures I present to clients, but I am committed to my craft, and to providing newlyweds with the best possible images. So I spend several full workdays editing each wedding, whipping each image into shape.

Next, I burn two backup discs of the edited photos.

One of the discs goes into a fireproof and waterproof safe. I don’t ever want to tell my clients I no longer have their pictures.

Finally, about a month after a wedding, my clients are invited back to the Jeff Foley Photography home studio, and they get to re-live their wedding day on my 80-inch projector screen.

I get to sit back and enjoy my clients enjoying the experience. It is always worth the work.