Planning a wedding is a lot of work, picking a photographer is only a small part of the equation. Of course, you want to pick your photographer based on their portfolio, but wouldn’t you like to know a little about them as people before diving in!? After all, you are trusting them with documenting your big day, and you want to make sure you vibe with them. So, we wanted to take the time to introduce who WE are, not only as photographers, but as people.
As a couple, we have been working within the Finger Lakes creatively in an assortment of ways. Tom has done photo and video work for local musicians, breweries, venues and wineries, the list goes on and on! His passion for photography and video work came from the desire to be able to shoot his own promotional material for his band, (incase you didn’t already know, he’s an extremely talented musician who plays acoustic shows across the Finger Lakes with his brother; The Ende Brothers) he is completely self-taught, and a day doesn’t pass where he isn’t teaching himself new techniques, or listening to podcasts of his favorite photographers. Side note: at this point, I’m sure you’re aware that I, Sierra, am writing this blog post…the shameless boasting of my boyfriend’s talents was sure to give it away. What can I say? He’s pretty great.
I graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology, School of Design, in May of 2016. I received my bachelors degree in fine art and graphic design and have since designed for many local businesses, breweries, and wineries. With Tom’s passion for photography, and my passion for design, it only made sense that I myself would pick up the camera shortly afterwards.
We spent a few years working respectfully in our creative fields within the Finger Lakes, but we had always dreamed of opening a businesses together. We LOVE craft beer, so we considered that route. A brewery maybe? No, we don’t know how to brew beer, that would have been bad. We even considered a pizza shop, because pizza = life. At one point a restaurant sounded like a good plan as well. You see where I’m going with this, just a couple of confused creatives wanting to live the entrepreneur life. Eventually we gave up brainstorming, and told ourselves that it would come to us.
Fast-forward a few years, and we were asked to shoot a wedding. That seemed like a pretty solid gig. We did some research on wedding photography, devised a game plan, and went for it. During the reception of that very wedding, we both looked at each other and it clicked. Let’s get into the wedding business! It only made too much sense. With our collective design and photography abilities, we were able to create the one-stop-shop for wedding invites, save-the-dates, engagement photos, and wedding photography. BOOM.
TIME FOR SOME FUN
Now that you have the long winded story about how we got ourselves into the wedding business, let me tell you about US as a couple! Tom and I were high school sweethearts, cue all the “awwwww”-ing. However, there was a small incident in middle school where he pushed me down and stole my basketball. I have since forgiven him.
I decided to create a little question and answer so that you guys can get a better idea of who we are on a personal level, because although the professional resume talk is cool and everything, we want to have a little fun! Some of these questions are important. Most of these questions are pointless, but we answered these questions separately, and added both of our answers! Enjoy!
DO YOU HAVE ANY CHILDREN?
Sierra: Yes, two children in the form of cats. Bamboo the Bengal, and Lemon the domestic short-haired queen.
Tom: No, but there are two very needy cats that depend on me for food, shelter and basic necessities 🤷🏻♂️ They feel like children 💁🏻♂️
ARE YOU MARRIED?
Sierra: No, not yet. Who is going to photograph our wedding?
Tom: Soon 😌
WHAT ARE YOUR 3 FAVORITE HOBBIES BESIDES PHOTOGRAPHY?
Sierra: Painting, working out, and napping.
Tom: These three things feel more like pieces of me. “Hobby” is an understatement!
-Music (I sing and play guitar professionally!😎)
-Skateboarding (I will never be Tony Hawk but I started at 10yrs old and haven’t been able to stop😅)
-Ironically the last choice is a tie between Fitness and Call of Duty 🤦🏻♂️
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Sierra: Piece of Cake, but apparently it’s only available at select ice cream stands and not in the store, so strawberry is a hard second. If you know where to find Piece of Cake ice cream, hook a girl up.
Tom: Vanilla. Im very basic when it comes to food. 😁
IF YOU COULD EAT ONLY 3 FOODS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
Sierra: Boneless chicken wings, spaghetti and Italian bread, and pizza
Tom: Assuming my health isn’t a factor; Pizza, BBQ Boneless Wings and Breadsticks. (I think that’s just your basic take-out pizza combo, but still!!!)
WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE OF YOUR LIFE?
Sierra: I would like to say Jennifer Aniston because I’m addicted to Friends, but she’s much older than me, so the time-line just wouldn’t work. Am I thinking too far into this question?
Tom: TOM CRUISE 😂😂😂
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE WEEKEND ACTIVITY?
Sierra: Exploring the Finger Lakes, drinking craft beverages, and attending The Ende Brother’s acoustic shows. Duh.
Tom: A total lack of planned activities. 😎
HOW MANY SLICES OF PIZZA ARE YOU CAPABLE OF EATING IN ONE SITTING?
Sierra: This depends on how big the slices are, it could range from 2-4 maybe 5 on a good day.
Tom: Too many. Every time, I eat one too many.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN BIGFOOT?
Sierra: I don’t not believe in Bigfoot.
Tom: I’m skeptical.
IF YOU COULD MASTER ONE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Sierra: I feel like my first instinct would be to say guitar because Tom plays guitar, but if I think really hard about it, I would say the piano.
Tom: Piano would be epic!
WHAT SKILLS DO YOU POSSES THAT COULD HELP YOU SURVIVE THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE?
Sierra: I am a very organized, cautious person. I feel like I would have a game plan at all times, and if something goes wrong, I’m a really fast runner.
Tom: Leadership and decisiveness.👊🏼 BAM 👊🏼
WHAT MOVIE CAN YOU WATCH OVER AND OVER WITHOUT EVER GETTING TIRED OF?
Sierra: I’m having a hard time just choosing one. I feel like I could watch Daddy’s Home over and over again, but I know for a fact I’ve watched movies like Overboard, Home and The Vow multiple times.
Tom: ZOOLANDER is a movie I’ll never stop loving.
ARE YOU A WINE OR BEER PERSON?
Sierra: I have more wine in my house than beer, but I’m much more of a craft beer person.
Tom: Craft beer 🍺
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 3 FAVORITE TV SHOWS?
Sierra: FRIENDS, Greys Anatomy, Dexter
Tom: LOST/DEXTER/The Walking Dead has strung me along for 7 years now so I feel like that deserves a mention 😑
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LIKELY TO BECOME FAMOUS FOR?
Sierra: Being the funny guy.
Tom: For my unparalleled commitment to the “Toyota Camry”. It’s sleek, reliable and affordable.
IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE ONE ANIMAL TO HELP YOU WIN A FIGHT, WHICH ANIMAL WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
Sierra: Bamboo, our bengal kitten. He’s aggressive.
Tom: ….
IF YOU COULD ASK YOUR PET 3 QUESTIONS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
Sierra: What’s the most annoying thing I do to you? Are you just manipulating me at all times? What do you do when I’m not home?
Tom: Are you ignoring me? Or do you not know your name? Also; they tuck my guitar picks under the carpets. I’d like an explanation...
IF YOU HAD TO LIVE IN A DIFFERENT STATE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Sierra: My first instinct would be to say Florida.
Tom: Is it too cliche to say “somewhere warm”?!
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TIME OF DAY?
Sierra: If I have the day off, then I LOVE the mornings.
Tom: I love sunrise and how it feels to be outside during it. Too bad I never wake up that early!
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SEASON?
Sierra: Summer of course, but I absolutely hate Spring.
Tom: Spring is always very motivational and exciting!
WHAT IS THE STUPIDEST WAY YOU’VE EVER HURT YOURSELF?
Sierra: I recently tried moving a bookshelf without taking anything off of it and a mason jar fell off the top and hit me in the head.
Tom: When I was 6 or 7 I got my second pocket knife (it was much sharper than my first) I immediately opened it, pressed it into my thumb and sliced myself with ease. 😅 Like I said, it was sharper than my first 🤷🏻♂️
IF SOMEONE MADE A MOVIE OF YOUR LIFE WOULD IT BE A DRAMA, A COMEDY, A ROMANTIC-COMEDY, ACTION FILM, OR SCIENCE FICTION?
Sierra: A comedic drama. Is there a name for that? Was it not an option?
Tom: It would a biographical documentary, wouldn’t it!? 💁🏻♂️
DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS AND WOULD YOU EVER GO GHOST HUNTING?
Sierra: I totally believe in ghosts! I would like to believe that I would go ghost hunting, but let’s be real, I would be too scared.
Tom: No and No. 👻
AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU WISH TO BECOME WHEN YOU GREW UP?
Sierra: I wanted to be a famous actress. It did not happen my friends.
Tom: I think in kindergarten I said I wanted to race dirt bikes. That never even got close to happening 😂 But by 12yrs old my answer was that I wanted to run my own business 😎