DRINKING ON THE JOB

As you can see, this guy needed a tripod to hold the camera steady.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!

Tracy and Calvin's Day After Shoot

No, it's not a new idea, just something new I want to offer my clients. So feel free to give me some feed back.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the concept here you go. Sometimes you might not be able to devote as much time as you'd like to your portraits on your wedding day, or maybe you just love being in front of the camera with that new special someone in your life. Well go put that dress back on and let's have some fun. Fellas, you may want to try your favorite suite.

Tracy and Calvin were married late September at Alba Vineyards in Milford, NJ. Almost a month to the day we went down to the old meatpacking district "Chelsea" and had a lot of fun taking some really cool shots. The only requirement is, you have to be married already! I'll have full package details soon, until then enjoy some of their images.

Oh Yeah, About that Fantastic Day

A few months ago I posted a hint about a shoot that I did. The shoot was for recently launched World Bride Magazine. The reason I referred to it as a Fantastic Day is because everything seemed to flow so well. The models, the stylist, the makeup artist, the hair stylist, the locations, event the weather. You couldn't ask for anything more. The shoot was done in DUMBO which is an amazing location with endless possibilities. Here are a few of the images from the day.

Upstate Weekend Part Two

Ok, this post is a little side story to the rest of the weekend upstate, before and after Kristine and Warren's wedding day. James Ravenell, who acted as my guest photographer at the wedding, had a wedding of his own to shoot the day before, where I acted as his quest photographer.

Everyday you should try to learn something new. That weekend I learned a few important lessons that I want to share with you. The following I picked up at the wedding I shot with James that Friday.

1. While going down the stairs of the Groom's townhouse, look out for uneven
steps. You just might sprain your right ankle in the process if you're not careful.

2. While taking photos in front of the church after the ceremony, during
the Fall season, keep an watchful eye out for a honeycomb on the ground
that have fallen from the nearby trees. You just might sprain your
right ankle for the second time in the same day if you're not careful.

3. While limping along, holding an off camera flash for the main photographer,
on a well kept, sloped lawn, in front of the Bride's parents home, keep an
watchful eye out for dips under the grass. You just might sprain your already
swollen , pain laced, right ankle for the third time in the same day if you're
not careful.

4. After spraining the same ankle 3 times in one day you feel like a total a@#!

Almost done.

My last lesson of the weekend I also picked up with James, are you starting to notice seeing a pattern? Thankfully, I think, this lesson came the next day on the way home, after Kristine and Warren's wedding.

Never, Never, Never leave Rhinebeck, New York 12:30 in the am and get on the Taconic State Parkway with the needle of the gas gauge sitting on "E" That's really not a good thing to do.
No.... We didn't run out of gas, if you count fumes as gas. But we came close enough that while taking 3 to 4 mile drives off exits, and down roads that look like outer space minus the stars, thoughts of movies like "Wrong Turn" and "The Hills Have Eyes" came to mind.

Not a good thing.

Kristine and Warren

Wow, what a weekend. I hope you have a comfortable seat because this can be a long one. Were do I start? Well how about I start in the middle, because the focus of this post is the wedding of Kristine and Warren. I want to first thank Kristine and Warren for giving me the honor of sharing their wedding day with them and being more than just clients. My friend James Ravenell helped me out on this day, but the cost was high, I'll explain later.

Beautiful Rhinebeck New York was the setting for beginning of this couple's day. While Kristine enjoyed her beautification session at FACE STOCKHOLM in the middle of Rhinebeck, Warren anxiously waited for his bride at St. James Church in Chatham. He didn't have to wait that long (time is in the eye of the beholder, or is that beauty), as Kristine ran back to her room at the Beekman Arms Inn and got dressed in record time. Now when I say record time, I'm talking NY Fashion week, models in the back quick change speed, I'm talking Warp speed for Trekkie's, Light speed for Jedi Knights, Hyper Drives for Stargate SG1, and FTL Jump Drives for Battlestar Galactica Fans). And if you still don't get it, she changed really, really fast.

We climbed in to a mini bus that must have been upgraded by a NASCAR racing team, equipped with Nitrox, and driven by Jeff Gordon himself. We safely arrived at St. James, a really beautiful church, where Kristine and Warren proceeded to have great ceremony that was performed by REV. Gary Paul Gelfenbien, Pastor. He really did a great job, as his words brought smiles to every ones face, including mine where on a personal level, they were truly needed.

After the ceremony it was back to the Beekman Arms Inn for the reception celebration. Beekman Arms Inn also happens to be America's oldest Inn. Any place that can handle the number of kids that attended this weeding is ok in my book.

Kristine and Warren also happen to be good friends of my good friend and fellow photographer Jason Groupp and his wife Liz. So when I saw him walk into the Beekman I was truly more than happy to have him join James and I outside with the Bride and Groom for some night shooting. Rhinebeck is a great place to capture images during the day, and even better at night. Afterwards the party continued back in the Beekman. It was a Great Day!

Kristine, Warren, James, and Jason, I can't thank you enough for the day.

Thank You Guys!!




Of course there's a slide show.

Check out some of Jason's images from that night outside. And if you're upto the task check
out his workshop "The Revolution" I did, and it was awesome!!

E Session with Jeannette and Lionel

Hey everyone, I know it's been a while but I'm back. Almost two weeks ago I had a cool (weather's changing), engagement session with an awesome couple. Jeannette and Lionel met with me down under the Brooklyn Bridge. I was planning to take most photos with Manhattan in the background, but there had to be at least 3-4 wedding shoots going on at any given moment at the water's edge. So we just did a little improvising and had fun anyway. So far it seems that Jeannette and Lionel's wedding will be my first of the new year at "The Foundry" in Long Island City. It's a great location and I can't wait to share their day with them. You'll have to check back for that one. Until then check out some of their e-session images.

Click here for the slideshow

Jacklyn and Mario

I first met Jackie and Mario a few months ago during their engagement session in the city. Our journey together continued up in Beacon NY. Below is a list of things that I learned, shared and experienced with Jackie all before her ceremony.

1. One of her sisters once decided to practice her nail polishing skills on Jackie, but for some strange reason still known only to her paint only one of her hands.

2. Jackie has still yet to see Gladiator.

3. Watched a whole lot of people try to glue eye lashes onto Jackie's beautiful set of eyes. For HOURS!!!!

4. Hit on by a beautiful woman slightly my senior.

5. Experienced first hand the very terrifying driving skills of one of Jackie's dearest friends.

6. Ate 2 parts of a 60' Italian hero, (kidding on the length), while the bride and party dressed.

7. Heard a rumor that Mario's mom took a rake to the back door window of her home because she was looked out and didn't want to be late. (Now that's Love)

The ceremony took place at St. John's Evangelist Church in Beacon. The rain tried to stick it's head out and wet the place up, but was held back. I guess someone knew like I knew that Jacklyn and Mario deserved to have a wonderful day for their wedding. Not that I feel a little rain would have done anything to dampen the mood of these two great people.

After the ceremony we went to a location suggested by the limo driver. We ended up at Boscobel Museum, which sits up on the banks of the Hudson River. What a beautiful location, the clouds decided to retreat as we arrived there. The limo driver really made a great call on this one. The best man almost had to work a miracle when we discovered that we needed a permit to shoot there. But since it was a very last minute decision the staff at Boscobel performed their own form of a miracle and allowed us to proceed. At one point I lied down on the ground to take a photo of Jackie and Mario. But I guess one of Mario's sisters didn't understand how I work. She thought I fell down. Not that she was worried about my welfare, she actually seemed disappointed when Mario and Jackie explained to her that I do that from time to time. She said she wanted to take a picture of me because she thought I fell. Yeah I felt the love there boy. LOL

The reception was held at Nicole's in Highland Falls, right next to West Point Academy. The party ran into the dark night. Why did I say dark night instead of late night? Because it was extremely dark outside. I'll come back to that in a second. Jackie and Mario also happened to get married on the same day as Jacklyn's mother's birthday. Nice addition to a great celebration. Since I was staying overnight in a nearby hotel Mario had a designated driver attempt to drive me to the hotel. No here's a lesson I'd like to share with everyone. Never let the Groom, or the boyfriend of the Groom's sister give your driver directions after a really great wedding reception where the spirits flowed like a river, in an area that doesn't really believe in street lights. Not a good idea. But if you absolutely must do so, just make sure that your driver understands that he is under no circumstances to stop the forward motion of the vehicle while driving in this unlit, hilly, and heavily wooded area. After driving for miles we decided to go back to Nicole's and ask for directions. And it was on our way there we discovered my residence for the evening not 100 yards away from where we started.

Need I say I had the time of my life, it was everything that I expected from Jackie and Mario's day. Well, all except the crazy ride with Alicia. LOL

Check out the slide show.