Crab Meadow Beach Elopement in Northport, NY

Tracy & Matt's Fourth of July Beach Elopement at Crab Meadow in Northport | Long Island Weddings | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographer

My Fourth of July began at 4:15AM (the same time that many of yours might have been ending)! I woke up to a black night with no sign of sunrise, went downstairs, drank a cup of tea, and forced my reluctant dogs to go to the bathroom outside. Even they weren’t ready to be up, but I had been stirring every fifteen minutes for the past few hours, squinting at my clock to see if it was time to go to work yet.

Go to work. A sentence that I’ve been looking forward to for MONTHS during this pandemic. While many people might have eased into this stay-at-home lifestyle, I clung to the promise that I would be able to go back to shooting on location. Working with couples, documenting their important milestones, traveling to new locations, celebrating their love— all of this is my muse and very much what keeps the gas in my tank.

None of this quarantine felt like a vacation to me, and it did not “recharge my batteries” like it has for some. I love what I do, and that is why I was especially excited for Tracy and Matt’s elopement on the Fourth. At around 4:30, I grabbed my cameras, hopped in the car, and drove to the beach.

I was the first one there and loved the idea that this location would inevitably blow up with families later that afternoon, but for that moment, it felt like mine. The air was still cool and a breeze rippled across the sand. The first light of dawn was breaking, and before long, Tracy and Matt were exchanging their vows against the still ocean, with only the company of their officiant and myself (while I doubled as their witness).

I don’t take these moments lightly. To be included in these sacred experiences is a privilege and it brings me so much purpose to capture even—or perhaps especially—the most intimate of elopements.

There is no “right” or “wrong” way to navigate reschedules as a 2020 couple-- you just have to do what is best for you guys.  But let’s be serious, that’s what weddings SHOULD be all about in the first place!  If there has been one silver lining that the coronavirus has had on the wedding industry, I believe it is that couples are having to step back and reevaluate their priorities more than they might have had to in the past.  A lot of the more frivolous parts of planning simply aren’t important anymore, and maybe they never were. 

At the end of the day, a wedding is about two people committing their love and lives to one another.  It is no secret that my favorite weddings have always been a bit non-traditional, incorporating personalized details and reimagined rituals.  This new wedding landscape is naturally conducive to these kinds of weddings, and it has been so refreshing to see couples adapting with grace and mindfulness. 

Photography: Apollo Fields
Location: Crab Meadow Beach, Northport NY

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Katy Copeland | Your Body Should Be Your Greatest Lover | Passion Projects | Portraits of Women | Dancers | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography | Long Island, NY

Guest blog by Katy Copeland
Photography by Apollo Fields

My body and I used to have a tumultuous relationship. I would judge her and put her down and bully her for not being “correct” and pump her with drugs and alcohol to numb the insecurities and pain. Dancers develop some pretty severe psychoses. You bend and twist and starve and gorge and try to fit molds that are impossible and distorted and therefore wind up living in constant battles of not feeling worthy. At least, this was my experience. My body and I went to war. I disrespected her, treated her like shit, beat her down and was completely shocked that she wasn’t responding with my backwards and materialistic idea of beauty. 

I met Heather during this time. About 5 years ago at a very delicate time when I self-proclaimed myself a feminist and was still wildly threatened by strong, powerful women . Cool… Having recently shaved my head for a performance gig, small parts of me felt liberated, larger parts unsuccessfully were hiding an immense amount of fear and self loathing. I became jealous of her instantly. Heather is confident without boasting. She is beautiful with zero effort. She is smart but not a know-it-all. She exudes grace with no judgement and she is vulgar yet still tasteful. How is that possible? My inner dialogue: “Fuck. I hate her. I want to be her.” It was madening. 

Never did I imagine she would lift me up in times I needed most. Very quickly Heather became my family, my kindred spirit, a precious gem who wiped my tears, held me when I started to crumble, and taught me the true meaning of female friendship. She profoundly changed the way I viewed other women, but more importantly how I viewed myself for the better. Secretly, for better or worse (mostly for worse) I would always compare us. “Us” being all women. Over time, I stopped competing and started cultivating true love with all the women I am lucky enough to know. Heather is a pioneer and champion in my story and I am forever grateful.

So when I read recently that Heather was suffering from an ectopic pregnancy with severe complications my heart shattered. My body ached for her. It was rare that I ever saw her in pain and I felt it in my bones. The female body is magical with incredible vulnerability. Therefore, when our bodies take on trauma we instantly become stronger and grow three sizes compassion, depth and complexity. Our bodies are smarter and more resilient than ever and I am just starting to figure that out.

We set a fresh pasta dinner date (for she is the queen of homemade pasta) after she was post-op and comfortably back home in Long Island. A few days before, we agreed to snap some body shots of me while I was in town. Heather asked for my vision and without hesitation I told her that I was craving photos that are raw, bare, stripped down, unabashed and unapologetic. Like most, admittedly or not, I am constantly struggling to find my authentic self. Battling my bullshit ego and trying to halt myself when I start catering to what others want to see versus what I want to be. After the experience she just had I knew if anyone could help me find authenticity and mind-body connection it would be her.   We would find it in each other.

This galley is what we created. By no means am I healed, or rehabilitated. But I am growing. I am learning. I am connecting deeper every day. My body and I are beginning a new journey. And the little voices inside my head are slowly becoming less of a bully and much more of a best friend. When my inner saboteur starts poking or prodding, I kindly and respectfully ask her to shut the fuck up. I am judging less and loving more and I trust my body will always know what to do. I just have to listen.

“Your body should be your greatest lover
for she is all you have. 
It wasn’t until I started loving her unconditionally 
that she began to respond.” —I wrote that.

They are my favorite two sentences I have ever written. That is the idea I wanted to capture with these photos, and girl… Heather did it in spades.

Family Photographer in Northport, NY

Sweet & Sassy | Leila’s Portraits at Crab Meadow Beach | Northport, NY | Long Island Photographer | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography

I just never get sick of photographing this cutie! I have been doing her pics since before she was born, and ever since then. I’ve done Nikki and Leila'’s maternity, fresh 48, 6mo, 1yr, and so on every chance I get! Even though we specialize in weddings, I love taking on the occasional family and kiddo. Leila is such a bright light, a sassy and sweet little girl who I just adore.

It was cold and windy at Crab Meadow Beach, but the light cloud coverage was great for photos. Leila only had about five minutes threshold for the chilliness (I couldn’t blame her, I wouldn’t have wanted to pull my jacket off either) so it was up to us to get as much of her personality out in just a few minutes). Leave it to this little girl though, because she gave us the whole spectrum — her curiosity, playfulness, quick witted little personality just beamed.

My favorite was when I was trying to keep her attention and get her engaged, and I said, “Leila can you give us a smile” and she just goes, “RAWR! I’m a monster!” Hahahaa she gave us the biggest smile right after doing a playful monster and then threw her hand on her hip and posed her pants off. What a ham!

Leila’s mom, Nicole, is a dietician and works at Memorial Sloan Kettering as well as managing her own brand, Worksite Wellness. She just published her own cookbook, The Truly Healthy Pescatarian and we were lucky enough to snag our own copy when she came out for the session! We love chatting about all healthy eating and nutrition and of course, doing anything with Leila!

Photography: Apollo Fields
Location: Crab Meadow Beach, Northport NY