About Carrie Draghi…
“If it is moving, if it is breathing, if it laughs, if it crys, if it displays emotion (or refuses to), we want to shoot it!”I grew up a Daddy’s girl in southern Colorado. My dad was a teacher, a farmer and an artist – with a camera he kept on the floor of his bedroom closet. I remember being fascinated by it. I played with it, thinking that making the little [exposure metering] gauge move from left to right to center was a fun little game! Years later, he took me to the desk along the back wall of Service Merchandise (do they still exist?) to buy my first camera. I would sit in the back seat of my parents car, “framing” imaginary photographs with my fingers and declaring, “That would be a pretty picture!” It is funny (now that I am a parent myself) to think how that must have driven my parents crazy on our cross country road trips!
Making that gauge in the viewfinder move to the center is still a game for me. Taking photographs remains as much fun as it was when I got my first camera. Every wedding I photograph brings me as much joy as the first, every family portrait is more precious than the last. I know that I am blessed and fortunate to be able to LOVE what I do. And, I believe that very love and joy is reflected in how I photograph and what I ultimately capture as an image.
About Carrie Draghi Photography…
After years working as a freelancer, Carrie now owns and operates (with the help of the amazing and irreplaceable CDP team), a full service photography studio located right on Route 17, in the heart of South Glastonbury. Since our official LLC was established in 2005, we have specialized in “shooting people.”
Now, we also do our fair share of product shots, corporate work, stock photography, etc. In fact, we have done work with some impressive names like L’Oreal and W Magazine. But what REALLY moves us is capturing the energy and emotion of real people. We love creating images that are timeless and lyrical, interesting and affecting; images that will be cherished as family heirlooms for generations.
About our Team…
Carrie jokes and says that she works for Colleen, our Studio Manager (who also holds her own with a camera in her hand!). BUT, it is not really a joke. Carrie is the right brain; she is the left. Together, they have super powers! Not for real, but they work really well together and her addition to the team allows our right brain some breathing space. And, oh man, do we need that!!! Colleen manages Carrie’s, Dan’s and Dorian’s weddings as well as overseeing our portrait and senior business. Yes, she is busy!
Dan has held a camera professionally since the late 80′s and the age of Van Halen! He and his shooting partner ,Mark, joined the CDP team after 15 years of being the lead photographer with the esteemed Stephen Charles Photography. He is ridiculously accomplished with titles like: Photographer of the Year (for multiple years and for multiple categories) through the Professional Photography Association, Master and Certified Photographer, Kodak Gallery Award Winner, and Fui Masterpiece Award Winner. Yes, he is darn good at what he does! Not only does he rock with a camera, he rocks as a person… father of two boys and actively involved in their boy scout troops. We are blessed to have Dan’s experience and perspective on our team. There is not a shooting scenario that can knock him or Mark off their game.
Then there is Dorian, who hails from western New York. He has been working as a photographer for about 10 years and began as an Assistant Photographer with us in 2011. He is now a primary Associate Photographer with our studio AND (this has to be mentioned as it is the first thing you notice when you meet Dorian), he also one of my favorite “tall dudes,” measuring in at 6’5″. And, this guy can shoot from way up there! His gift is not only shooting weddings, but he has years of experience doing Senior Portraits and is the new head of our Senior Portrait brand.
Then there is Helen, our NYC-based designer and Associate Photographer. With her background in magazine publication, she is an tremendous asset to our team. We met Helen through a shooting engagement back in 2010 and we can not let her go. Despite the miles between her space and ours, she is a part of our operations on a daily basis. Thank goodness for technology!
And of course, Mr. Mat. When I introduce Mat to folks, of course I am supposed to rave about his (rave-worthy) photography skills. But, I find myself saying, “Meet Mat, father of FIVE!!!!” Mat has a huge heart and a beautiful way of working with people – and I think that the passion and love that he has for his wife and family translates to beautiful imagery on a wedding day. Mat has been shooting with us since early 2011 – we met him through his wife who designs and creates most of the knitted products that we use in our newborn shoots. Rebecca mentioned her husband was a photographer. In my brain, I respond, “Oh sure….” But, as it so turns out, he is an AMAZING photographer. We are glad to have him on our team as an Assistant Photographer and glad we listened to his wife!!!!
