It was a blast to shoot in sunny California at Brenda’s fathers backyard in Corona, CA, which also is a home his own vineyard and winery, Dos Bastardos (catchy, right)? I was a beautiful warm day… perfect for an outdoor celebration!
Since we planned to shoot the couple’s photos before their ceremony, they had a nice private moment to see each other for the first time that day.
We shot some nice images in the backyard vineyard… What great light that afternoon!
Ceremony time…
Sean’s son was soooooo happy to be party of their wedding….
The cocktail reception following the ceremony… What a perfect day!
Brenda and Sean’s first dance. You can tell that they are so into each other!
As you know, I always love a good excuse to travel… and a wedding is the best reason! Back in June, I had an opportunity to shoot with my friends Amy and JP near their hometown of Portland, Oregon. Shawn and Vivian were married at the Persimmon Country Club in the beautiful mountains of Oregon. Their outdoor ceremony site overlooked the golf course and featured a spectacular view of Mt. Hood.
The View of Mt. Hood!
Shawn and Vivian’s first look at each other before their ceremony. They are so into each other!
The ceremony was very moving… for both of them.
Even though it was a rather warm day… even a bit hot, the light was perfect that day for their wedding photos! We had such a great time traversing the grounds of the club in a golf cart for some great images.
The flowergirl…. taking a break from running around the greens!
I’ve known Ruth Ann and Artie for a number of years - their families are very good friends of Breanne and Rick (stay tuned for their tropical destination wedding next month)! Ruth Ann and Artie planned a beautiful wedding ceremony and reception at The Mansion at Timber Point. What a great day they had! The weather was perfect, and they had an awesome time hanging out with me taking some fab photos!
Last week I met up with Bonnie and Andrew on the grounds of CW Post University to take some engagement photos. The are getting married in Novemeber and they just were so excited to “test out” their looks for their wedding day. They had so much fun that day… I love fun, happy couples! On their wedding day, I’ll be shooting for my good friend George, so it meant even more to them that I was there since I will be their wedding photographer.
A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to shoot some casual portraits (aka headshots) the the lovely Tyra, an up coming NYC actress. She already had her actor’s portfolio headshots, but needed some images that showed herself being herself. She has a great personality!
I am so excited… A few weeks ago, a designer/editor came accross my website while searching for a photographer for a national publication, Home Business Connection. This magazine is targeted to working from home, and has a circulation of over 200,000 subscribers! They needed a photographer for their cover story, and choose me! Considering that the sky was about to open up and rain for hours, we managed to get some great shots for the cover and inside the magazine.
Tracy and Matthew got married last month at the newly remodeled Inn at New Hyde Park. It turned out to be a gorgeous day, especially for their sunset ceremony. You first saw this couple back in March at their engagement photo session at the beach down the road from where they live. They had an incredible day of fun, laughter, and tears. The best part is that they had planned to take their formals and couple photos before their ceremony, which allowed them to enjoy themselves the entire night.
Seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day!
Tracy and Matt wanted a beautiful location for their photos. They choose Planting Fields Arboretum, a fantastic place to shoot!
This is one of my favorite images from their bridal shoot at the arboretum…. the greenhouse!
This kid was all over the dance floor… he even joined in the conga line!
I have been super-swamped in the last few weeks… wedding are in full swing… kids and babies are in their prime time for their portraits, and we all are thinking about upcoming vacations and needed time off. So, if you’re waiting to see some recent work on the blog…. please keep on checking in on the blog - I’m getting there!
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The reason I’m so proud is that only elite wedding and portrait photographers are listed on the site. Membership is exclusive and granted only to those photographers who demonstrate excellence in the fields of wedding and portrait photography.
The second, and probably most important news I want to tell you about is my affliation with the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation (NILMDTS). I first heard about this non-profit organization at the WPPI Convention in Las Vegas last year. After much careful consideration, I figured that one of the best ways for me as a photographer to give back, is to give the gift of lasting images to parents who deserve it the most.
The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation is an incredible organization of volunteer photographers dedicated to providing beautiful and meaningful images for families faced with the loss of an infant. The soft, gentle heirloom photographs of these beautiful babies are an important part of the healing process. They allow families to honor and cherish their babies, and share the spirits of their lives.
At a family’s request, a NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer will come to your hospital or hospice location and conduct a sensitive and private portrait session. The portraits are then professionally retouched and presented to the families on an archival DVD or CD that can be used to print portraits of their cherished baby. The entire service is provided at no cost to the family.
My long-time friend Jill Nicolini from CW11 Morning News invited me to take photographs and have fun at the first annual Opie and Anthony Animation Festival at the famous Roseland Ballroom in New York City. Opie and Anthony have an extremely popular national radio show on XM Radio, and Jill happens to be dating Anthony of the duo. Most of the images are from the VIP area and backstage areas…. where… uhmmmm…. many things happen!
View all the images here!
Last week, I went out east to Long Island’s north fork, otherwise known as Wine Country to spend a day with good friends of ours wine tasting and enjoying a beautiful day out in the vineyards. Of course, Lindsay and Gary always have a second purpose for us joining them… to take some great casual photographs to them! Actually, I would always have my camera with me when I’m with them, since their 3 year old, Emma, is such a ham! She really knows how to amuse herself… and I love to capture that!
Gary, Lindsay, Emma, and their new addition, Reagan!
Isn’t she a cutie???
Emma just loves being herself - and really loves when Uncle Joe is there with his camera!
It turned out to be a great day for Yasuyo and Akash…. after torrential rains the day before, the sun was out in full force for their wedding day. Yasuyo was dressed in a beautifully embellished saree and Akash in a traditional Indian suit that was designed especially for him. They put this wedding together with such style and elegance, while paying attention to so many details; from the decor to the flowers and the cake. It was a long day for both of them, from Yasuyo’s hair and make-up early in the morning, to her dress preparations, the ceremony itself, and the reception that followed. After all that, they both still had the energy for a photo shoot at a nearby park near Akash’s parent’s house.
I had a great day of shooting for my good friend Brian at Park Ave Studio. His couple had a two-day Indian wedding ceremony at the magnificent Oheka Castle on Long Island’s north shore. They are just a great couple who have both been waiting for this day a long time. Nimisha had not one, but FOUR different dresses to wear that day, both traditional Indian sarees and a white wedding gown.
A few weeks ago I attended a seminar here in NY with two of the best wedding photographers around, Joe Buissink and Yervant, for the Two Views Seminar. They are both genuine people… and awesome photographers. I am proud to say that both have been influential teachers that have helped me grow to new levels in photography.
And they are just super fun to hang out with too!!!
As wedding season is now fully underway, I really am going to try to keep up blogging as often as I can. So, here we go!
Christina and Rob had a beautiful outdoor ceremony overlooking the Great South Bay on Long Island. The sun was out in full force as they performed their vows to each other under the blue sky in front of at least 100 guests. They couldn’t have asked for a better day to share with their friends and family.
The flowers were perfect!
I love it when my couples can just be themselves an have a great time while we shoot… They were having a blast!
Ok… so it was hard for me to put my camera down… my kid sister was getting married to Bruce, a great guy, and it couldn’t have been more beautiful! I wanted to give her beautiful images of her day, so, since I was in the bridal party, I had to relinquish the camera to some great photographer friends of mine. Scott (and his wife Erika) and Aga both did a wonderful job caputuring those images for them, though, as you can see below, I still had to shoot a few myself!
Congratulations Catherine and Bruce!!!!!
Can you tell she’s glowing?????
My new Brother-In-Law Bruce!
The advantages of being in the bridal party, riding in the limo, and being a photographer… those tender moments!
I traveled to Washington, D.C. last weekend to photograph Gen and Dan’s wedding at our nation’s capital for my friend Heather Z. I was so blessed to share this day with them… they are such a beautiful, loving couple. We lucked out though, it was supposed to rain… but the sun came out - and we enjoyed walking around by the water, and having a good time. Look carefully… those cherry blossoms were at their peak!
Danielle is a model and aspiring actress here in NYC. Last week we walked around town and grabbed a few fun headshots for her portfolio. I love taking these shots, since we have no pressure or time constraints - we just have fun and nice, casual photos!
Ok…. being in a car accident, traveling to senimars and workshops, attending a trade show in Las Vegas…. THEN getting sick…. I’ve been a bit behind posting to the blog. Ok, I’ll try to be better.
Here is Tracy and Matthew - such fun people, I can’t wait to shoot their wedding in a few months. I shot their engagement session near their home on Long Beach (NY). It was a nice February day… an overcast sky went to a beautiful sunlit day, though it still was February (temperatures in the high 30’s, low 40’s). But they braved the cold wind for the place that is near and dear to them, the ocean.
If you remember earlier this month, I traveled to San Francisco, CA to attend the “Master Your Craft” workshop tour with two talented photographers Mike Colón and Bob Davis. Since it was the last workshop of their national tour, it was being videotaped for production of a training DVD that will hit the shelves soon. Well, I was selected to be interviewed by their camera crew to talk about the workshop… and I made the cut on the DVD trailer video!
Note: I’m on camera just for a few seconds, but still I think it’s pretty cool!!!
Just to let everyone know, I’m back in the office this week. Any clients with orders from prior to last week should be receiving them soon. Vegas was a tiring experience, but very inspiring and invigorating….
