Here’s just a couple of quick shots from a recent engagement session we did. After a few weeks of trying to get the weather to cooperate Raquel, Nicholas and I decided that we were just going to to brave the elements and have some fun and do their engagement session. It was a beautiful day…except for the wind! The wind wasn’t our friend but we managed to make it work as we toured around downtown Middletown and did some shooting and got to know each other a little bit better.

Couples who have worked with me knows how important I feel that an engagement session is. It is a chance to get to know each other so that on your wedding day it isn’t the first time you have had me pointing a camera at you. As a wedding photographer we are asking for special access on a very important day and it is much easier if we have developed a strong relationship with our clients and sessions like this go a long way toward that goal.

Thanks again Raquel and Nicholas!

First of all, congratulations to all the Valentine’s Day engagement brides! If you were one we’d love to hear your story. You never know, we might have something special for you too!

Here we are more than halfway through February and as you can see, the blog has been barren. I am glad that my New Year’s resolution wasn’t tied to the blog…

Resolutions aside, we are going to get back on track here. With all the various social media such as Facebook, Twitter and the like it can bet tough to decide which one gets the attention. And when you do a short Twitter burst you sometimes feel like you that doesn’t warrant a post. It can be crazy to keep it all straight but we are going to work better to do that. We are also going to start adding more more little tips and things to consider to help add value to your photography dollar. The economy has been tight lately and we want to help provide the best value we can for our clients. And with 2010 booking up quickly and 2011 inquiries rolling in we should probably get things rolling. So here we go!

Today I want to post a link to a sunrise/sunset calendar. One of the things that, as a photographer, we often have to take into account when planning your session is the location and time of day, especially when it comes to wedding photography where we often don’t have a lot of extra time to be setting up elaborate lighting and we may cover two or three locations throughout the day. One of the first things I do when I get a wedding inquiry is to look at the date and time of the ceremony and do a quick guesstimate of how much time we might have for any outdoor photographs. The summer months are usually not much of an issue but in the beginning and at the end of the year this is one of those little items that can sneak up on you if you aren’t careful. Let’s say you want to do some outdoor photographs to capture the scenic venue you have selected and your ceremony is around 5pm. Well that shouldn’t be too much of a problem if your wedding is in July, but if you are getting married in November or December it is a bit of a different situation as the sun may be down before your ceremony is over. That’s not to say that there aren’t ways of capturing the beauty of that venue after the sun has set, but it may be different than you had been envisioning and it’s certainly worth discussing with your wedding photographer. Here is a link where you can take a peek at some of those sunset times. www.sunrisesunset.com

We recently had the pleasure to photograph Janine and Matt Brogan’s wedding in Middletown, NY and we couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful day. After their blustery engagement session I was hoping that mother nature would help us out and she did.

We had a great time with Janine and Matt and wanted to get a couple of peeks up now that they have returned from their honeymoon so here they are!

Janine and Matt, thanks again and congratulations!

And here’s a little compilation from the Bare Wall Photo Booth. These are just a blast….

Wedding gallery link (password required)

Bare Wall Photo Booth gallery link (password required)

I recently had the opportunity to do a New York City engagement session for one of our 2010 brides, Jennifer and her fiancé, Mike. We had to reschedule because of the rain the first time around but we we fortunate enough to have a beautiful day for our second try so we just kind of headed off around the city to see what we could find, and of course to hit some special places! We headed out to the Staten Island Ferry, still the best value in NYC, and enjoyed a great view of the city and Lady Liberty. And in one of those weekday only kind of lucky breaks we were able to catch the same ferry back, no Staten Island layover for the ferry tour!

Our next stop was going to be the Brooklyn Bridge but as luck would have it our path took us past the wonderful Table Tales Café owned by one of Mike’s relatives, Steve. So we poked our heads in to say hi  and the next thing you know we were treated to one heck of a meal! Talk about a bonus for me, thanks Steve! After filling up on some fantastic pasta and Sunday gravy we strolled, albeit much more slowly, on up to the bridge. We enjoyed the bridge for a bit and then it was off to One if by Land, Two if by Sea. This little restaurant on Barrow St. has been called one of NYC’s most romantic restaurants and it just happens to be where Mike popped the question to Jennifer so there was no way we could not stop by there and take a quick shot! They weren’t quite open but it’s amazing what a smile from a beautiful girl can do and they let up pop in and take a quick shot at the table where it all went down. A big “thanks!” to the folks there for indulging us and helping to make the day complete!

Here’s a few shots from the day! Enjoy and as always, comments are welcome!

Below is a quick little video of shots from the day. Thanks again you guys!

Updated! Here’s a quick video that shows some of the fun that we had at Julie and Jake’s wedding.

The gallery is here (password protected).

What a great way to wrap up the wedding season! I had the honor of photographing Julie Sanders and Jacob Hsien’s wedding up in Binghamton, NY over the weekend. The weather had been threatening but held off and they had a wonderful day for their wedding. It was like 60 degrees, who would have guessed that halfway through November?!

It was a wonderful coming together of these two families and since neither Julie or Jake currently live in Binghamton, they both live in Los Angeles now, it was a huge gathering of friends and family from around the country and around the globe! And what a celebration it was! The day began with a beautiful ceremony at the gorgeous St. Patrick’s Catholic Church which was officiated by Rev. Booth who added a much appreciated touch to things. Normally at ceremonies the couple spends most of their time with their backs to the guests, but Rev. Booth was thoughtful enough to turn Julie and Jake around so their friends and families had a chance to watch them as they took their vows and began their life together. Thanks Rev. Booth!

After the ceremony we headed to the reception which was held at Traditions at the Glen in Johnson City, NY. The resort has a long history and is a wonderful venue with awesome character and a staff to match! They did a superb job and I hope I get a chance to shoot again there soon!

Now for the quick teaser photo and then a little video from the  psudeo photo-booth we put together for these guys!
Thanks again Julie and Jake and we wish you guys all the best as you begin your life together!

Everyone loves the photo booth…

Congratulations to Kelly and Nate on their recent wedding! It was a bit of a rainy day however according to many folks this is a sign of good luck and we certainly wish this happy couple all the best! The wedding took place in Campbell Hall, NY with Nate’s father serving as the officiant. That’s twice this year for me that the father of the groom has appeared in that capacity! Very cool!

After a beautiful ceremony we all headed over to Round Hill in Washingtonville, NY where FEAST Caterers had a wonderful reception just waiting for the couple’s arrival and where everyone had a wonderful time enjoying the food and fun.

Kelly and Nate, thank you again!

Gallery Link (Password Required)

Here are a few peeks from Katie and Joe’s wedding in Port Jervis. It was a wonderful day and we had such a great time, I felt like I was apart of the family! After a beautiful ceremony at St. Mary’s we headed over to the reception at Anthony’s Pier 9 in Newburgh where the staff did a terrific job and fun was had by all! Here are a few peeks from the day.

Gallery Link (Password Required)

We recently had the honor of photographing Melika and Greg’s wedding at Letchworth State Park up near Rochester, NY. Melika and Greg had traveled up from South Carolina for their wedding and although the weather had been touch and go the skies were cooperative and we only had a brief shower that did nothing to dampen the excitement of their day. If you have never visited Letchworth State Park then I think you should add it to your list of places to see. It was spectacular and a wonderful setting for a wedding.

Gallery Link (Password Required)

We had the pleasure of photographing Lucrezia and Peter’s wedding and reception at Colonial Terrace in Cortlandt Manor and had a wonderful time. Here are a few sneak peeks from their special day!

Gallery Link (Password Required)

It took a while, but schedules and the weather finally cooperated (sort of) and we were able to spend some time shooting Janine and Matt’s engagement session. Janine was determined not to let the howling wind get the best of us so we pulled on some warm clothes and headed out! As a photographer you spend a lot of time trying to “find the light” and sometimes that can really be a challenge. Couple that with trying to find a place that your client doesn’t get whisked away and it becomes really fun!

Thanks for hanging in there and making the most of the blustery day!

(More images in their client gallery, please contact Janine for the password)

*Yes it is a thinly veiled Winne the Pooh reference, but it sure fit the circumstances!