Your Life Photography

2011-03-06T11:52:00.001-05:00

2010 Top Kisses!!!

2010-12-31T17:37:00.004-05:00

If you have ever worked with me you know I love kisses!!! To me it is such a beautiful gesture of love- all forms of it, from romantic love to unconditional love and all the loves in between! So in celebration of ending the amazing year of 2010 and welcoming 2011, here are my favorite kisses of the the year!

Wishing you a year full of Love and Kisses!

We're Under Construction

2010-12-31T17:19:00.004-05:00

...in more ways than one! 2010 has brought about a lot of changes for us! The largest change would be the happenings inside my womb! I am currently 25 weeks pregnant and couldn't be happier, even though this has meant some rough times! Let's just say the term "morning sickness" is one of the largest lies society has ever created! All in all we are thrilled and look forward to our new addition in April.

The 2nd has come from changing the name of our company! We are changing from Your Life Photography to Susannah Gill Photography. With this change comes a new logo, blog and a facelift to our web site.

So while we are "under construction" and sometimes stressed with the work and decision process of change, we are thrilled for all the new changes and announcements that will happen in 2011!

We wish you and your family an incredible New Year!

Cheers!

Susannah & Greg

Hope and Danny

2010-06-08T13:32:00.003-04:00

Meet Hope and Danny! Danny is the younger brother of one of my favorite clients Mara. I have been photographing Mara and her children for 3 years now and I was so excited to be able to meet her brother and his beautiful and very pregnant wife! We did this session on an incredible spring night a couple of weeks before her due date. They were both glowing and so happy thinking about the child that they would soon be welcoming into the world!

I loved how Hope and Danny were so willing to move around the park and even contributed ideas they had to the shoot!

Boy or girl? Guess!

Congratulations Hope and Danny on your..........BOY!!! I'm so looking forward to meeting and photographing the new little guy!

Lisa and Nico's Wedding

2010-05-08T20:26:00.004-04:00

Lisa and Nico got married at the James Ward Mansion in New Jersey. Their wedding was one of love, laughter and then a lot more laughter! I have never seen a couple laugh more then these two!

The mansion is an incredible venue, there were tons of different rooms, each with unique look and feel.

"something blue"

This is the bridal suite, a HUGE room, beautifully decorated.

Lisa gets her finishing touches before she goes down to see Nico before the ceremony.

laughing

more laughing...

A quiet moment before the ceremony.

I love this shot, it was such a touching moment, Lisa's Father gave Nico such a loving, welcoming embrace.

The kiss shot from up above by Greg. Great shot Greg!

The mansion was decorated so elegantly with white flowers.

Lisa and Nico make their entrance into the reception!

Yes, more laughing, the hysterical kind during the speeches!

The best man brings a touch of Greece to the reception!

And I will end on this shot of Lisa and Nico. Of course they are still laughing, though I think at this point for the first time all day Lisa might have been a little nervous!!

Congratulations Lisa and Nico!!! Keep up the great laughing!!!

Big LOVE, round BELLY and a DOG!

2010-05-06T11:17:00.004-04:00

Somebody call ABC or NBC because Allison and Andy need their own TV show! These two are such a great example of a couple that is madly in love with each other! It was clear to me that they spend their days laughing hysterically! As I was photographing them and watching how they interact with one another all I could think about was how great they would be on TV!

And the latest news is....its a GIRL!!!! The baby was born last week!! I can't wait to photograph the new edition!!

The Brull Family

2010-04-11T21:07:00.005-04:00

I knew it was going to be a great shoot when I was greeted at the door by the smiling and excited little ones, Abby with her lamb, "Joey" and TJ with Buzz Lightyear- who else? I knew for sure that this was my kind of family to photograph when Dad said, "Casual, right? Like a regular Sunday morning..." Why had I not thought of that? What a perfect way to describe the best way to capture the love and fun of a family.

We started off by everyone jumping in bed!

Baby Kirsten was exactly 4 weeks old. She was such a sweet angel the whole time!

Big sister Abby helped out with some of the detail shots.

Taking pictures is exhausting!

Eventually we did some shots focusing on just Abby and TJ! We had so much fun in their room with all their toys and their height chart!

This is Abby's lamb, "Joey". Does it get much cuter than that? I love photographing children with their favorite items.

TJ showed me how big he is!

How cooperative are these kids?! Anything I asked them to do, they did! ( For the most part )

Their house has this sun room that I would LOVE to have, oh the light, it was so pretty!

Next was Mom and Dad's turn to get in some shots with Kirsten.

Lastly we all went outside. I love this picture and how this new family of 5, excuse me- 6, is hanging out on their front porch. So happy that the dog is in this shot too!

One more...I was all packed up- gear ready to catch the train. That is when TJ came around the corner for one more goodbye. Of course he was wearing his hat from the St. Patrick's day parade and of course he looked adorable and of course the gear had to come out again! I'm thrilled it did, I love this shot of him! Thanks TJ! And thank you to the Brulls for the fun morning and all these shots- what a gorgeous family you are! Congratulations on the new beautiful baby girl!

Kathryn & Matt's Wedding

2010-03-14T15:15:00.013-04:00

I just read recently that when you photograph a wedding it should be considered an audition for future weddings. I wish I remembered where I read that! I like that and I think its true, and I especially knew it was true when I received a phone call from Kathryn.

Kathryn is the sister of Kevin, from Eileen and Kevin's (click on their name to see the images) wedding in 2008. I was so excited when she booked us because this was our first sibling wedding! AND after Katheryn's wedding, I received a phone call from Jackie, the newly engaged fiance of Timothy, the brother of Kathryn and Kevin! Now we have our first trifecta! I couldn't be happier since the McCabe's are one of the loveliest families you will ever meet!

~~~

On to Kathryn and Matt! Between Matt being in the Navy and Kathryn being part of Fordam's basketball team, they had a lot fun friends at this wedding! The space was so beautiful, the music spanned incredible songs from several decades and the overall atmosphere was simply of love and happiness!

Kathryn decided to get ready at her parents house, the house she grew up in. Here in this picture the dress was hanging in her parents bedroom, I wanted to capture the dress in the reflection showcasing her parents wedding picture.

Katheryn looks so gorgeous and happy as she put on the final touches with Mom beaming in the background!

Grandpa and the flower girl, Kathryn's niece stopped to "knock on wood"!

Although I had met the McCabes this was my first time at their house. I LOVED IT! It brought me right back to the house I grew up in! Like Katheryn, I am also one of 5 children. From the bunk beds to the group pictures in the oval matted frames, it reminded me so much of my childhood being there! They also had the same oven we had and I took a picture of it! At that point I think Mrs. McCabe must of thought I was crazy!

As Kathryn waited her in the living room for the limousine I wondered how many times she may of waited in that window, maybe for the bus, or a ride from a friend, and now the limousine to take her to her wedding.

A quiet moment captured by Greg as Kathryn and her father wait to walk down the aisle together.

A proud Father.

I love these side moments that happen during ceremonies. While a prayer is being read or a song is being sung, the ring bearer is in a world of make believe with his action figures!

Married!

Matt's brother delivered an incredible speech! He had the place in tears from both touching moments and roaring laughter!

First dance as man and wife. Below, I love the looks on the faces of family and friends during these dances!

Let the fun begin!

This has to be one of my all time favorite father~daughter dance pictures. The main reason is the uncle in the background. He is such a fun man and also a photographer himself! He is the brother of Kathryn's Father and I enjoyed watching him throughout the day as he celebrated this great occasion not only for his brother but for his niece as well.

A great moment with Matt and his Mom and their fan club behind them! I love how one man is giving them a thumbs up!

The ring bearer. From action figures to turning the camera on himself, this little one knows how to amuse himself and others! He was the life of the party and he is only a little guy!!!

Thank you Beyonce for creating "All the Single Ladies" and giving women yet another song to get together and get down to! (And put their hands in the air in a fun way that looks great in pictures!)

I have a feeling something was happening in this shot, about the song or an inside joke- not sure what but it makes me laugh!

I will leave off on this image, of Kathryn and Matt singing their hearts out to one of their favorite songs - having a great time on a wonderful night!

Congratulations Kathryn and Matt! We wish you lots of love and happiness to you and your families!

***Great Idea***

Kathryn asked me if I would be willing to re-create some images from her parents album! I had done this once before with Dan and Arianna's wedding and it was lots of fun! Kathryn kept this a secret from her parents and gave it to them as a holiday gift! How sweet! I love my clever and creative brides!

Aneela and Manish

2010-02-13T10:55:00.005-05:00

One of the greatest aspects of being a photographer is the permission to be present and to document some of life's most precious and sacred moments.

I have had the honor to photograph a husband and wife as they work through labor to deliver their first child, a little baby girl as she is baptized in a traditional Greek ceremony, a 101 year old great grandma as she prepares the traditional passover meal with her daughter, her grand daughter and her great grand sons- one of whom is 100 years younger than she. These are just a few of the wonderful occasions that make me feel so honored to be a photographer.

Today I have another one to share with you. A few months ago I was asked to photograph an Indian wedding. I was thrilled at the opportunity and deeply honored to not only document the wedding day, but also to be invited to the ceremonies that preceded the wedding day in preparation for the occasion.

Enjoy.

Aneela and Manish we wish you a bundle of love and good health for your future. We enjoyed photographing your wedding more than words can describe!

(If you would like to see more imagery from this wedding, please visit the web site and look for Aneela and Manish under the slide show tab.)

Meg and Joey Save the Date photo shoot

2010-02-09T17:15:00.005-05:00

Meg and Joey are getting married this June. They decided to use their engagement session as a creative way to make Save the Date images! First we headed to the Brooklyn Bridge, but truthfully it was very crowded and hard to get shots without all the tourists in the background. We tried our best and then ended up at a bar to use the ladies room...while quenching some hard earned photo session thirst Meg had the great idea to take some pictures in the bar! And of course, those are my favorites! Great idea Meg!

My absolute favorite shot of the day is this last one. This image speaks so perfectly to Meg and Joey- hanging out, relaxed and of course smiling. And yes, Meg is barefoot- love this couple! We cant wait to shoot their wedding this summer!!!

My New York

2010-02-01T20:17:00.002-05:00

The following images are part of my personal project I referee to as "My New York". They are images created with my point and shoot camera as I go about my days here in the city. All of the images are shot "from the hip", meaning to never bring the camera to the eye. My intentions with shooting from the hip are to not disturb city life as it passes me by.

34th and 9th

34th and 9th

Penn Station

Penn Station

Upper West Side

Harlem

Harlem

Bronx

Bronx

Port Authority

Mid town

Harlem

Allyson & Glen

2010-01-27T18:27:00.008-05:00

Allyson and Glen got married on a beautiful day this fall in Central Park. It might look familiar to some of you, the location is the Cop Cot, which is the same location as a wedding from last summer. It is a Central Park gem, a perfect place to be literally and figuratively surrounded by your friends and family as you get married.

How sweet it that?

A great big laugh right before the big kiss!

Married!

Glen's Mom and Dad welcomes their new family member!

Everybody!

Beautiful Tiffany wedding bands, simple and elegant.

Allyson and Glen went for a stroll through the park as newly weds! This gorgeous bride and groom were turning heads everywhere.

Under Greyshot Arch.

On Pine Bank Bridge, built in 1861- Central Park's last remaining cast iron bridge.

Walking back to their friends and family created quite a stir with a group of tourists!

And the finale, how amazing is this....they rejoined their friends and family to take a
double-decker bus trip around the city and then to the reception! Note the sign on the bus!!!

Congratulations Allyson and Glen!!!!!! Keep up all that smiling!!!

NOTE TO FUTURE BRIDES AND GROOMS: You need a license to get married at the Cop Cot, and yes its important. As Allyson and Glen's wedding was about to start, another wedding party and their guests showed up to get married too!! I could not believe my eyes! It almost was some heated wedding photojournalism! Luckily and quickly, Glen pulled out the license!

Arianna & Dan!

2010-01-10T15:55:00.013-05:00

This fall we had the honor of photographing the wedding of two good friends of ours in Rochester New York. The wedding was unique in many ways and filled with details planned out from the heart. It was our first day time wedding and I highly suggest it for any future brides that may be reading this blog.

Arianna arrives at the church in the limo, could she look cuter?

Arianna and Dan decided to get married in the same church that his parents got married in. One of the parts of the service I thought was extra meaningful was when the priest asked the rows to fill up the aisle and hold hands. I love how it brought together both families as one.

Married!!

Behind this gorgeous couple is a stunning Tiffany Stained Glass window.

How adorable is Dan with his bouquet!?

The first dance.

Dan's late mother was remembered in many ways on this special day. Such as when he danced with his mother's sister. Halfway into the dance, Dan's family members held hands and circled around them. It was a moment I will never forget, truly a beautiful moment.

My photo competition. Move over boys ;)

The cake topper that was also on Dan's parents cake. It was so retro, I loved it!

Classic!

Arianna's sweet parents sharing a dance and smile!

Dan and his Dad are recreating an infamous old school wedding shot from Dan's parents wedding album! It was a typical shot set up to represent the groom realizing that he was going to be late for the wedding! This was fun to do, but I am thrilled that this is no longer the standard for wedding photography!

Arianna's sister's dress, legs and shoes made this shot!

If photographs had sound, right now you would be hearing the "New York New York" song that Dan loves- yes he is a HUGE Yankee fan!

Arianna and Dan your wedding was such a pleasure and joyful in many ways! We had so much fun meeting your friends and family too. Congratulations- we wish you a life time of happiness!

FUTURE brides: One of the great aspects of this wedding was the daytime factor. The church was in the morning, so Arianna and Dan were still able to stick with the tradition of the groom not seeing the bride. Afterward, we all went to the reception for the cocktail hour and group photographs. At the end, I was left with a stress free, smiling, kissing, newly married couple that were open and ready for couple portraits! (And it was only 4 pm so there was plenty of light!)

It was great, and everyone commented on how much they loved the day time wedding! Later back at the hotel, everyone gathered at the bar for more fun!

Daytime weddings are also perfect if you are having children at your wedding!

2thousand10

2010-01-09T17:18:00.005-05:00

I love new beginnings. Opportunities to have fresh starts and new goals. For these reasons the new year and back to school always excite and recharge me. Except for this year, this year was different.

My husband and I went away for the holidays. We flew off to Sayulita, Mexico and loved every single minute of it. We came home dragging our heels.

We took the red eye and landed in JFK. It was January 1st. It was 20-some degrees and the sun was nowhere to be found. I had the blues, I had them bad and I had no intentions of being in a good mood. I certainly had no intentions of whistling around my house joyfully starting all my new years resolutions.

Finally we had to eat and the fridge was bare. Forced by hunger we left for the not so great outdoors. On the way I counted mockingly all the shades of gray while my camera stayed at my side. There was nothing I could see that was even worth the effort of taking my gloves off.

Ten blocks later I saw it. The broken down, stranded ATM machine that looked as pathetic as I felt. It stopped me in my tracks. I stared at it in awe. Then I noticed that I was smiling. Graffitied, dilapidated, and so old, I wondered if it even dispensed money anymore? Yet there it was shining on, with it's ugly greenish fluorescent gleam, lighting up the steel doors behind it. It was oddly beautiful and hey, it made me smile on a gray day with a bad case of the blues.

I learned at that moment, that even in my worst moods, on the coldest of dreariest nights, if I look around I can find beauty in almost anything and anywhere.

My hope is that 2010 is a year for everyone to be able to find beautiful things that make you smile, even on the blah days.

Happy New Year!

Melissa & Brian

2009-12-21T17:33:00.006-05:00

Melissa and Brian had a classic New York City wedding in Bryant Park. Everything was perfect, from the intimate wedding service for just a few to the full out party at the reception following.

Recognize Melissa's friends? Lisa on the right was one of my brides years ago on Fire Island. Melissa was one of her bridesmaids. Laura on the left, Lisa's twin if you couldn't tell was also on the blog earlier this season. We had a photo session with her little guy PJ on one of the most beautiful Fire Island nights ever!

I could not resist ending on this shot- take a look at the wine glass!

Congratulations Melissa and Brian!

Neeve and Justin

2009-12-06T13:33:00.008-05:00

The email said: would you be against shooting in a cemetery?

Meet Neeve and Justin, two creative lovebirds from Brooklyn. On a crisp and colorful day we met at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Did you know that in America's early history that cemeteries were used as public parks? Way back when on a fine day you might have found yourself flying a kite and dodging tombstones!

So no, Nevee and Justin are not morbid. They are like many, fond of this cemetery as a place of tranquility and inspiration. If you are ever in Brooklyn I would highly suggest a visit. Read this below from the Green-Wood web site. Fascinating!

Founded in 1838 as one of America’s first rural cemeteries, the Green-Wood Cemetery soon developed an international reputation for its magnificent beauty and became the fashionable place to be buried. By 1860, Green-Wood was attracting 500,000 visitors a year, rivaling Niagara Falls as the country’s greatest tourist attraction. Crowds flocked to Green-Wood to enjoy family outings, carriage rides and sculpture viewing in the finest of first generation American landscapes. Green-Wood’s popularity helped inspire the creation of public parks, including New York City’s Central and Prospect Parks.

http://www.green-wood.com/index.php/GWC

I included this picture because it is becoming quite odd that on almost all engagement shoots there have been hawks close by!!

Neeve and Justin are not yet married if you are curious about his ring. They had these rings custom designed and on their wedding day they will exchange them for the second time.

I will end this series with my nod to Norman Rockwell.

Neeve and Justin, thank you so much for this wonderful idea and great day in the cemetery!

~Neeve's dress was created by Joanna Baum out of Brooklyn
~The rings were created by Blanca Monros Gomez also out of Brooklyn

PJ

2009-11-10T21:55:00.006-05:00

Let me start by apologizing for the lateness of my blog posts! It has been crazy days here with wedding season, summer portraits and back to teaching! I have my last wedding of the season next weekend and then I hope to fully catch up on all my posts!

Now onto the star of this post- PJ!

Pj is the son, of the identical twin sister, of a past bride of mine! Sounds like one of those tall tales but its true!

Similar to Cole a few posts down, PJ is a little guy with fast legs and a mind of his own! The first quarter of the shoot was just what you see in these first two shots, PJ moving away from us and squealing with laughter!

The light in this shot was was so amazing. The whole evening was incredible, but there was this moment for about 4 minutes before the sunset that created this glow. It was really unique!

PJ I had a blast with you and your parents on truly one of the most beautiful evenings on Fire Island!

Amber and Brendan ~ Fire Island Wedding

2009-10-25T11:49:00.004-04:00

The 10 day forecast did not look good, nor did the morning of the wedding. Rain on any wedding day is not great, but rain on a beach wedding day I think is even worse. Luckily we had a weather miracle that day, not only was it dry, but the weather was so dramatic it made for incredible lighting! I could not have wished for better weather! We felt so lucky that day, not only for the weather, but also to have been chosen by such a fun, sweet and loving couple to document their wedding day!

The children of Fire Island are wonderful entrepreneurs! On wedding days they create shells with appropriate messages that people from the wedding cant help but buy!

I love this picture of Amber and Brendan, they both have beautifully colored eyes. Here Amber and Brendan are enjoying their cocktail party before their wedidng, a new and popular tend in weddings.

Amber shot from above at the cocktail party. Love it!

Amber is walked down the sand by her Aunt.

Married!!

Amber and Brendan's wedding was held at The Fire Island Hotel in Ocean Bay Park. A great little place full of charm and character and right on the ocean.

Congratulations Amber and Brendan! We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!!

A Fire Island Family

2009-10-18T16:03:00.004-04:00

Remember this little guy from above?

Well this year I got the honor of photographing him again! This year he could walk, and well, when a little boy can walk they know how to walk away too! Although it would be great if the little people were not walking away, I always love the honestly of a child. So at the times the light was as perfect as could be, yet he had no interest - walk away. At the times Mom and Dad were ready with big smiles - walk away!

I love this challenge in both photography and teaching, every age group has its charms and its obstacles! This year it was definitely Cole calling the shots, but you know what, in the end he lead us to some great shots! Thanks Cole!

This year I brought a little prop. Fire Island is famous for its iconic red wagons and right before the shoot I noticed that my husband had this mini one that he used for change! We washed it out and Cole loved it!

Mama love!

Here Cole took his favorite doggy for a wagon stroll!

We at least got a few family shots in, you 3 are gorgeous!

Although he is walking away, I just love it!

And if you wait patiently you might get a look back.

Father and son.

Mother and son.

The precious little feet that I followed....

...that lead us to this. Incredible, a Mama deer and her baby arrived on the beach at sunset for a stroll. Cole was watching them as intently as they were watching him. It was such a sweet moment, and oh so Fire Island!

Thank you so much for once again allowing me to capture a slice of your life at the beach! Cole, you're an amazing kid and your parents are amazing too! After the session we all sat down to a glass of wine, sippy cup for Cole, all shoots should end on that note!

Gina and Louie

2009-09-28T19:41:00.006-04:00

Live statues, tons of hugs and kisses, dancing galore- Gina and Louie's engagement party- easily one of the best parties we have ever photographed!!

Gina and Louie we wish you a life time of love and happiness and singing to each other!!!

Julie and Matt's Wedding

2009-09-28T13:58:00.010-04:00

Julie and Matt had one of the most unique engagement stories (he proposed to her during spin class...) I have ever heard and I was thrilled that their wedding was just as unique and spontaneous!

The day of the wedding I headed out to spend the morning with Julie and her 4 sisters and her other bridesmaids getting ready. During that time Greg spent the morning with Matt and the men...although I think they spent less time getting ready and more time hanging out!

Julie's family church- right out of a fairy tale! It was amazing!

As a photographer there are moments you know are going to happen during a wedding ceremony. You don't know when, so you have to wait for them. Then there are other moments in between, ones that spontaneously happen, and if they are captured, it is pure photo joy.

The above is one of those moments. It happened so fast and I only knew I had captured it when I got home and uploaded the pictures. As the priest was talking about Matt and Julie and their love for each other, Matt lifted Julie's hand and kissed it. It was so romantic and touching and I am thrilled to have gotten this moment frozen in time for their future enjoyment and sharing.

Married!

After the ceremony, Julie, Matt and I stole away from the crowds and headed to a rose garden. This garden was so delightful, but is more than just pretty flowers. This garden is also where Julie's parents had their wedding pictures taken.

Afterward, we left for the John Edwards' Winery where every detail was perfect! Guests enjoyed a cocktail hour amongst the vineyards, during which time I again got to take some shots of Julie and Matt against yet another beautiful location.

Julie and Matt headed back to join their guests and to start their reception.

Please notice below, another unique detail was added- but this one was not planned...an exquisite rainbow appeared in the sky and seemed to land right on the location of the reception!! ( it rained elsewhere, thank you mother nature )

There were many fantastic speeches during the reception. From the best man, the father of the bride, the father of the groom, and even Matt himself-but this one struck a special chord with me. Julie's sisters and cousin reflected on how when they were growing up in a household of girls that they would play a game pretending to be grown ups. And here they were now all grown up- doing for real what they had so often pretended to do.

Julie here was clapping as Matt's cousin sang a self written song about love...or was it when Julie's little sisters performed a Irish step dance? Either way, more unique details- family members expressing their happiness and love for Matt and Julie with touching performances.

One of the younger reception guests!

Oh and the conga line- this wedding had one of the best!!

Matt taking one of his many BIG squeezes of his new wife!

A tradition in Julie's family- a little air guitar on the leg! This couple here, Meghan and Joey are next in line to get married!

And nothing states a great time better than kicking the shoes off and dancing the night away!

The final hug and squeeze of the evening- at least for the camera! Congratulations to Julie and Matt and your families, your wedding was amazing and surely will be a memorable one for all who attended!

Julie and Matt's Clam Bake

2009-09-24T11:54:00.005-04:00

Weddings have greatly evolved over the years and for the better in my opinion. Weddings often now include a whole weekend of festivities, starting with the rehearsal dinner. Rehearsal dinners used to be more about the rehearsing and less about the fun. These days they can be a great time for hugs, kisses, catching up, speeches and dancing- and all in a more relaxed atmosphere for the bride and groom and family members.

Julie and Matt had a Clam Bake to kick off their wedding weekend. The event took place right on the water at the Mystic Seaport in Connecticut.

Stay tuned for their wedidng pics that will be posted very soon!

An Adorable Family!

2009-08-25T20:43:00.003-04:00

In tune with the summer of 2009, I had a photo shoot that was canceled due to...yes, rain. But this time it was a good thing, because the next day was an incredible day of sunshine!! My favorites from the photo shoot took place in Grandma's garden, a true wonderland!

This little girl was just amazing. She took me on a tour of the garden and showed me all the special plants. I loved watching how genuinely fascinated she was by the nature. If only we can all be as honest and true and open as an 8 year old.

Little brother was full of smiles!

Grandpa!

A tomato that she had grown herself....and to my surprise, she gave it to me. She told me it was a souvenir from the photo shoot!

During some family portraits we also had some big laughs as the little guy starting pulling hair!

Pictures with Grandma and Grandpa!

And finally we made it to the beach...but it was the garden that really stole my attention! It was lovely, and this family- one of the loveliest! Thank you for the great time, the big smiles and the laughs!!

Allison and Michael

2009-08-20T20:35:00.007-04:00

Allison and Michael got married on a beautiful day in July on Long Island. Everything about this wedding was perfect. Starting with the gorgeous bride and groom, the quaint church, the rolling hills of the golf course, the amazing evening sunlight and the friends and family that danced all night to the sounds of the band to celebrate with Allison and Michael!!

The happy bride!

I love this shot, Allison practices the position of her bouquet as her Mother looks on.

The stunning Maid Of Honor, her little sister.

The Mom and the sister made sure Allison was perfect before leaving.

The proud Dad and his beautiful daughter.

The look on Michael's face was of pure awe- classic!

This has to be one of my all time favorite shots, pure love and joy and happiness!

And some more love from the Best Man!

Little sister's speech inspired some big tears...

and big hugs!

Wishful thinking...

The get away car, compliments of their buddies!!

Congratulations Allison and Michael!!

Julia & Seaver

2009-08-12T19:11:00.007-04:00

Photographing proposals is quickly becoming one of my favorite photo jobs! I love everything about it, from the sneaky plans of the "to be" groom, to the mapping out of locations and places to shoot from, to the stealth behavior I have to use while capturing the moment, as to not ruin the moment!

Meet Julia and Seaver, a couple whose first few dates revolved around getting some ice cream and the good old NYC past time of stoop sitting. There are very few better ways to pass a summer evening in NYC!

After a special dinner they arrived at Tasti D Lite to get ice cream, Seaver cleverly sent me a text message to let me know it was all beginning...

Without even Seaver knowing, I found a location up the street to photograph them walking up 2nd Ave.

Finally the couple is in position, and I was told to be ready when the ice cream was finished...

I crept down the street and hid behind a car on the opposite side of the road. I could see them by looking through the car windows and over the hood of the car parked on their side of the street. The light was fading, and I was wishing the ice cream will get eaten quickly as to not let it get to dark. All of a sudden I hear in a loud and annoyed voice,
" EXCUSE me, what are you doing?"- I turn behind me and I see a man in the front door of his lovely brown stone, obviously feeling suspicious of me ducked in front of his property and maybe even his car! I look and see Seaver and Julia still eating their ice cream. Quickly I crawl over to the man and I explained to him that the couple over my shoulder was about to get engaged and then I crawled away. He smiled and laughed...whew!

Finally the ice cream is finished...

Seaver drops to one knee and asks the question...

Julia admires the ring...

The ring is placed on the finger...

The hug...

And the surprise...out jumps a photographer!! I love the look on Julia's face in this picture!! Pure shock!

Big points for Seaver!

A very happy Julia!

An extremely happy, beaming, and now engaged couple!!

Congratulations Julia and Seaver!!! I wish you both lots of love and happiness!

My New York

2009-07-29T09:59:00.004-04:00

These images are some of my latest from my series "My New York". These are images that I take with my little camera as I make my way through my days here in NYC. We have had some stormy weather here, but with that comes some beautiful light!

The man above proudly showed off his signs to me, he had 4 different ones, but the others were much to outrageous for this blog! Even the homeless are having to get more creative in this recession!

I just love how this ray of light was hitting the church and how the rainbow seems to be landing perfectly on it, its almost as if the pot of gold is in there creating this affect!

Now this is cracking me up. It seems that all over Harlem and even in the lower areas of the west side, there are kids signs EVERYWHERE. They are all about smoking!!! The bottom sign is very hard to read, it may have been rained on, but the top one is hysterical! Go kids!

Cory and Rob

2009-07-27T15:29:00.007-04:00

Cory's brother, a NYC fire fighter, used to warn her to stay away from firemen. Well, you know a sister hardly ever listens to advice from a brother on men....meet Rob, also one of NYC's bravest, a fire fighter in Brooklyn! Cory works for Project Hospitality and also is a sign language interpreter. What a match!

Although we had to wait out a storm in the rain, when it did let up the the wet trees and the grass made for a beautiful setting.

Cory and Rob also have matching tattoos, the symbol means "fate that leads to marriage". Oh and by the way, this was not Rob's first professional photo shoot- he was also Mr. July 2008 for the FDNY calendar!!!!

Congratulations to you both!

Dana & Dave!

2009-07-21T21:12:00.005-04:00

I met Dana and Dave after taking my favorite NYC transportation, anyone? Yes, the Staten Island ferry.

We had a lot of fun going from one location to another and even getting kicked out of one, because no pros were allowed! I tried to pretend I didn't know how to use my equipment, really work the dumb blond thing, but we still got booted! It didn't really matter because we ended up at the boardwalk where Dave had proposed to Dana and it was wonderful! I loved hearing all their stories about how they met and fell in love!

Dana is a sign language interpreter in training, she is telling Dave " I love you!"

And last, a kiss where they got engaged!

Congratulations you two, you're a perfect match!

Michael Jackson follow up!

2009-07-20T17:52:00.005-04:00

The day of Michael's funeral I decided to take a ride back to the Apollo and see if there was anything going on. I was stunned to find 25 yards or so of paper filled with messages for MJ. There was even a plastic tarp placed over the paper that then got signed as well!

It was very touching to see the range of ethnicity and ages that this man and his music influenced. I am sure that that very fact, that his music can bring people together who may not normally be together, was a great source of pride and happiness for Michael.

And the vendors! 125th Street has become lined with vendors selling everything MJ you can imagine!

..even home made silver gloves!

Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T19:37:00.010-04:00

Surely, the death of Michael Jackson will be added to a long list of historic flashbulb memories. "Where were you when Michael died?"

Well I was in Harlem at Dinosaur BBQ having way too much pork and mac 'n cheese than I needed with Greg and a couple of good friends. I was shocked, stunned, saddened and covered with goose bumps as I stood at the bar watching the news on TV with other New Yorkers. I still remember clearly when I was a little girl trying to perfect my "Moon Walk". Our kitchen floor, which was linoleum was perfect for the sliding technique!

After dinner, Greg and I jumped on the bikes to go to the Apollo Theater. There, hundreds of people had gathered to mourn and celebrate the loss and life of this great pop icon.
Forty-two years ago, when Michael was only 9 years old, he and his brothers won the amateur night at the Apollo with "I Want you Back".

In my pictures you will see people crying, laughing, dancing, singing, remembering and some in shock of the current news.

Thank you Michael for the endless great songs, videos and dance moves! RIP

This man was videoing his sentiments on his laptop...you can see me in the reflection...he was at 48 minutes already!

Peace for Iran

2009-06-25T15:40:00.006-04:00

Two days ago at dusk, several hundred people of all ages and nationalities gathered at Union Square NYC. They came dressed in green, holding signs, candles and flowers. They stood side by side to honor those who have lost their lives in the recent political turmoil in Iran.

There is a lot of conflicting information and opinions on the role our American government should take in this situation. I also know that in the past there has been media coverage that depicts the Iranian people in a way that scares some Americans. I am lucky to have a friend from this country and to have a first hand experience at knowing how good these people are, and that they are not all like the scary images we often see via the media.

I hope that my pictures can portray that the people from Iran are beautiful people that want the same as us; freedom, safety and rights for themselves and their children. We fought the battles long ago to have these rights and now it is their turn to fight for what they deserve. No matter what our government decides to do, we can support the Iranian people by staying informed and opening our eyes, ears and our hearts to this situation.

A Sunset Proposal

2009-06-18T09:45:00.008-04:00

Robyn and Marc are Fire Island regulars. They love sunsets and watch them set religiously. Marc, an enthusiastic photographer, is always taking pictures, not only of the sunsets but of himself and the love of his life Robyn.

Thinking creatively, Marc made a book with images of himself and Robyn, but with a surprised ending. The last pages of this book were images of Marc, and in the pictures he was down on one knee with a ring. Clever thinking!

So that Saturday night, like all others on Fire Island, the two headed down to the bay to watch the sun set. But this night Marc showed Robyn a book. As she looked through it the sun was setting and when she got to the last pages...the look on her face was incredible, just beautiful.

The song chosen for this song was from one of their favorite artists. It was at his concert that they first met at years ago. Enjoy!!!

Congratulations Robyn and Marc, may you share a lifetime of love and happiness!

A Greek Baptism

2009-06-12T15:46:00.010-04:00

I feel so lucky to live in a city of so many cultures, and even more lucky to be asked to document the events of these cultures. Starting with an Indian wedding to a Jewish holiday dinner to an Italian birthday party to a Greek Baptism, and lots in between, it certainly has been a fascinating year so far!

Below are some of the still images and the slide show from the Greek Baptism. I had never photographed a Greek Baptism before and found the tradition of it so beautiful. I have included a link to some information about the ceremony.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~goawa/baptism.html

After the ceremony the family celebrated, Greek style!!! You often hear on TV and read in magazines about how long the Greeks live with their healthy diets. Well, add to that lots of love and dancing! The reception for this little baby was more exciting than some people's weddings!!!

Oh, and the money. Well the band gets it all! OPA!!

Rain Delay...Missing Steak

2009-06-02T16:49:00.006-04:00

I was very upset to have a photo shoot that I have been looking forward to postponed for the second time due to rain!!

So instead of heading out to take pics, I had to head to the grocery store. I decided to treat us to a nice steak and fresh summer vegetables to make up for the disappointment. After shopping and giving myself something else to look forward to I headed back home with more bags than I could carry...I was hobbling! Then I saw them, two ladies having a great chat watching the storm roll in on the Hudson! Camera around neck...bags perfectly balance and hanging off each finger, without one to spare. Decisions. I couldn't miss this one! Bags down, I played dumb like I was going through my bags as I took the shot! Little did I know that I would soon find out I should have really been looking...see below..

This shot will serve to me as a reminder that you should always take the shot, even if it means re-loading all the grocery bags onto the fingers once again!

I'm so happy I took it, because when I got home the cashier had left the steak at the register when she was packing the bags....

Baby Matthew!

2009-05-27T14:52:00.004-04:00

Is this not one of the sweetest baby rooms you have ever seen? I just loved it and I had to photograph the baby in his room! Only 3 weeks and he already has good taste in baseball teams!

I love the look on Mom and Dad's face in this picture as their little boy snuggles up amongst them! It would have been quite natural I am sure if it wasn't for me hovering above them on a ladder to get the shot!

Meet Molly, the first baby of the family! She was absolutely adorable and just could not stop herself from giving her little brother a lick! Molly has the most incredible eyes, I am sure they get her out of trouble every time!

A family portrait on a stoop- I have been waiting for one of these! Thank you!!!

Staten Island Ferry

2009-05-19T10:08:00.008-04:00

I don't know what it is, the light, the history, the mix of tourists and locals...but I love the Staten Island ferry.

For those of you that have never used this vehicle of transportation, I highly recommended it. Its free, its only 30 minutes, you can get drinks and snacks on the boat, there are indoor seats and outdoor seats and it offers the best view of the Statue of Liberty you can get.

There is something magical about seeing "The Green Lady" ( that is what my students used to call her) with people from around the world. They are so excited when we pass her, their cameras are clicking, they have an incredible look of awe and appreciation on their faces, and they are pointing like crazy for the kids to look! They remind someone like me who has seen her a thousand times how special The Statue of Liberty really is and also what she represents to this country. The tourists help me see her with new eyes every time.

Here is a perfect example of a local and tourist on the boat.

Making the Passover Gefilte Fish!

2009-05-13T20:19:00.017-04:00

Any time someone hires me to do a job I feel honored. It is such a privilege to be allowed into people's personal lives. I felt extra privileged with this two day job because not only was I documenting something important, I was documenting a family's religious tradition.

I am sure many families that are Jewish prepare the Gefilte Fish for Passover every year, but what was extra special about this situation is that the fish was being prepared by GG, a 101 year young whipper snapper! GG has been preparing the fish every year since she was a little girl with her mother, and this year I was given the honor to document her preparing it with her daughter, her granddaughter and her two great grandsons!

Every year special cookware just for Passover is brought out and used. This pot still has its label on it from long ago!

Caleb takes his bottle while his great grandmother cooks- there is a 100 year age difference between these two- Amazing!!!

You have got to love the patience and determination of a dog!

Hayden loves to help cook. Above and below he is seen participating in the family tradition!

GG quickly and skillfully makes balls out of the fish with her daughter and granddaughter's help.

Although this shot is out of sequence, I have to close on it because an image of GG and her sweet and upbeat charm is a wonderful note to end this photo story on!!!

Thank you so much for allowing me into your lives for two days to experience this event rich in culture and tradition! It was a great honor to be there.

Work Distractions

2009-05-08T12:15:00.003-04:00

Maybe you work from home such as myself, or you work in an office. Either way there will always be distractions. Meet mine....Maxi! There is nothing Maxi loves more than to be at the center of attention. She will do anything in her power to stop me from typing, using my mouse, or sitting comfortably at the computer. The funniest thing is, when I am not working and I am relaxing on the couch she wants nothing to do with me and would prefer to sit by herself!

Spring photo walk

2009-04-30T19:34:00.009-04:00

Wave Hill- the Bronx

Riverside Drive

135th St

The lotto line, this guy must have been feeling lucky!

For those of you that may not know me, I love statues. They just really seem to speak to me. One thing that really bothers me about NY is that we have so many male statues and not enough of important historical women. But this statue of Eleanor Roosevelt is a little gem and she also gets her own garden!

A City Nature Walk

2009-04-16T12:36:00.007-04:00

Yesterday finally cleared up and created a lovely evening. I decided to go see if I could be amongst nature even here up in Harlem! I had to be creative. There was a patch of grass inside a triangle created by two roads and a turn off. The highway department must have decided to make it look pretty and planted the flowers. To get a nature feel and not a city feel I decided to actually lay in the patch of flowers. When I told my Mom this she said that people probably thought I was crazy. Well here in NYC I think you actually have to be running down the street screaming to get the crazy label!

I then walked into Riverside Park which is a quaint little park. I love how the Pear Tree is in full bloom set against the other trees that are just starting to bud. It makes for a stark contrast.

This last picture was again in a little patch between roads...thanks highway department!
I hope everyone is enjoying this weather- soak it all in because before we know it will be the 3 H's- hazy, hot and humid!!

Spring 2009

2009-04-14T17:20:00.006-04:00

I had started awhile back to post seasonal pictures and I should not have stopped. So I am now officially starting again, newly inspired by this image.

I was in a New York rush when I saw this flower on the ground and just had to take a picture, rush and all. The beautiful, yellow Daffodil is in perfect contrast to the wet, littered pavement. And it is crushed. Someone, in a New York rush stepped on it. Someone, maybe the same person or not, picked it, but didn't want it and tossed it. Yet, it's beauty persevered and was a wonderful reminder to me, on a cold wet day, that Spring is on its way. Hopefully when it comes we will be ready to appreciate it.

Buffalo Structures

2009-04-14T16:33:00.006-04:00

Recently I had a trip back to Buffalo. While I was there I took a yoga class. From out the window of the studio there was this structure in the distance that was so amazing to me and also quite unusual. I could not stop staring at it or thinking about it during the class. After class a great family friend of ours navigated the side streets to bring me to this structure. The structure is abandoned and it was not clear what its function ever was. I just thought it was so beautiful.

While driving down a country road to visit a friend, we passed another structure that struck me. I didn't stop on the way there but on the way back we did a pull over. The sky was so blue and the structure was so white in comparison. My mind raced with images of what I am sure it is, a fruit stand or a vegetable stand during the peak season days. But that day, all closed up it was just like a sculpture, so still and so intriguing. Well, at least to me it was.

This is another shot taken from the weeds and made in infra red tones.
Enjoy

Happy Birthday Rose- Marie!!

2009-04-11T18:07:00.006-04:00

Rose- Marie is the beautiful mother of one of my good friends. They invited me to spend the afternoon with them at Mambo Italiano in Brooklyn to celebrate her birthday! They are an Italian family and I decided that in my next life I want to come back as an Italian! Not only do they know how to eat, but they sure know how to have a great time and love their family!

Kissing Cousins!

Singing Happy Birthday to Grandma!

Here the men got up and sang "That's Amore"- it was hysterical!

The ladies sang back with "I Will Survive" and topped the men by singing AND dancing around the room!

The Puma Family! Thanks for letting me be apart of the special day!

My New Friend Mike

2009-03-17T16:49:00.006-04:00

Today I woke up not feeling great and decided to skip the high energy of the St Patrick's parade and trade it in for a stroll around Harlem. It was so beautiful out and the blue sky was a gift for all this gray we have been having!!! Maybe someone up there is Irish??

So on this walk I saw this pharmacy and joking around in my head I called it the Pepto Bismol pharmacy!! As I walked by I looked in the windows and what I thought was a super clean window was an empty window!! I started laughing as did the guy inside! He yelled for me to take a picture...which I did, and that is how a made my new friend Mike. After talking for a bit he asked me to come with him to OTB to pick some horses. He thought I might have beginners luck. We lost. Sorry Mike- I'm English not Irish!!!

Lastly, I got yelled at in OTB by some crazy old lady who said she would find me in my home and kill me if I took any pictures and he jumped to my defense!!! Thanks Mike!

I had such a wonderful time talking to Mike. He was actually born and raised right by where I used to live in Brooklyn. He moved to Harlem 10 years ago. He gave me some great advice that I truly appreciate.

Mike explaining to me about how in Africa they race zebras and donkeys!

Ok- so this is place I smelled long before I saw it!! It is a place that sells live animals and then they kill them for you and send you on your way with some fresh meat!! Notice how high above the birds fly by this place!

Poor things!! I have chicken marinating in the fridge right now...but I am not sure how I will feel about dinner later!

This sweet lady told me all about how they kill them and pluck them and do all the dirty stuff for you!!

I love all the famous people in the windows.

You tell 'em kids!!!! Love that!!!

I was really interested in this. Wasn't sure if it was going up or down- but I really liked it. Harlem is so creative!!!

And well...this just speaks for itself!!! AWESOME!! Thanks Greg for finding this!!!

My New York

2009-03-14T17:55:00.007-04:00

I fell in love with this little girl. The joy she received from the 60 seconds that the train went above ground was so pure and so contagious.

Greg and I hung out with this man for about 20 minutes this morning. He is a retired nurse. His son and daughter are now both nurses. He told us that he collects bottles because he likes to work, it keeps him busy. He also told us that he has a huge farm down south and he is going there soon. I hope this is true, seems like a good man who deserves a nice retirement. He also said he is trying to quite smoking but it is harder now than ever. I wish I had asked him his name.

Not only are there now white people in Harlem, we have white cowboys too!

I really am curious as to how this car is moved. It was stuffed to the brim.

One of the things I love about Harlem, is that when you capture it in a frame it becomes timeless in some ways. This shot seems so 70's to me.

My New York

2009-03-12T19:00:00.006-04:00

Currently I am working on a personal project I call, "My New York". I am not sure if that is the final title but that is what I call it. It is nothing more than pictures that show how I see this city. I have been here for a long time and a few years ago I fell out of love with it. In recent months my crush has re- appeared, not sure why but I welcome it. And so with that crush I am back to photographing the city. Here are some of my shots from this weeks trip to the grocery stores, the gym and other errands. All these shots are done with a point and shoot camera shot from the hip to avoid disturbing life as if plays out for me here in New York.

Women Photographers

2009-03-08T19:35:00.014-04:00

Today I had the incredible opportunity to attend a seminar at B and H photo. It was in celebration of Women's History month and the fine people at B and H created a panel of 5 female photographers to share their images. There are few things I enjoy more than a good old slide show presentation of some great images and the stories that accompany them. I was in photo heaven!

The women were varied in their styles and photo niches and that is what made the whole seminar so well rounded and motivational.

The following are a series of images that I took on the way home. I thank the women who inspired me and reminded me of what I already know but sometimes forget to look out for, that photographs are everywhere!

I took this picture in the store before I left. I was cracking up watching these kids! I shot from the hip so the mother or whomever was watching them would not be suspicious! I look at this shot and all I think is GERMS!!! I hope that little girl does not get sick!

One of my new recent photo fascinations is reflections. This came by accident when this summer I was trying to photograph a church. I could not fit the whole church in from where I was standing but when I looked down I saw the whole church reflected perfectly in a puddle. I was fascinated by that shot and since have been giving reflections some extra attention.

Reflections add so much depth and dimension and give the viewer layers to dive into. Then the layers themselves can create new images or shapes that are not even existing but are the result of the two overlapping images.

This woman reminds me of my trip across the US on Route 66, yet the sidewalk with its gum spots and the signage scream NYC.

I added this shot for personal reasons. I actually do not think it is a great photograph but it adds to what I am about to share with you.

As a subway rider of 18 years, you can come to really appreciate the train and hate it. Today was a love day! What I loved about tonight's ride was the contradictions of stereotypes. I feel that there are a lot of stereotypes in NYC. As a seasoned New York subway rider I can usually take a good guess as to who to stand in front of while waiting for a seat based on what they look like and what neighborhood I think they will get off at. This might sound awful, but trust me, I get stereotyped all the time- I think it is just a part of New York. I also do not think New Yorkers are being mean when we do stereotype. I believe it is derived from our distinct neighborhoods that most people tend to live in with others like themselves. Remember, we are a salad bowl, not a melting pot! I was once on a train when a black guy said to his black girlfriend, (they were both standing), "Dont worry- you will sit where she is after this next stop because this is where all the white people get off". And he was right, although I was so tempted to stay on just to prove him wrong!!

OK, back to my point. Knitting, as we see this young woman doing here on the uptown #3 train. My grandmother, Nanny B was an extremely talented knitter. She was amazing!!! She would knit us beautiful complicated sweaters, watch TV, and hold conversations and never miss a beat or a stitch! Plus she was fast! I remember the sound of her needles as she zoomed though one sweater for us after another.

Well,here was this young woman with her hip sneakers and her music blaring out of her ear phones swaying to the beat to her tunes and checking out everyone that boarded the train at each stop...while knitting so skillfully, all I could think of was my grandmother. For those that don't know me, my grandmother came from England every year and was very BRITISH and proper. To be on the uptown #3 train and be reminded of my grandmother's knitting from a young woman knitting to the beat of hip hop was so incredible for me! In my eyes, this young woman beat a stereotype- and I LOVE that!

After switching trains to the uptown #1 train, I came across another defeated stereotype!

As I said, I was loving this train ride! Here were two young boys, NOT playing video games! The boy on the right in the middle had a chess trophy. I could not resist talking to them after I took this picture. The boy started to learn chess when he was in second grade. Do you know that they teach young kids how to play chess because it has proven to improve a child's ability to read? It mostly has to do with prediction skills, which is an invaluable reading skill as it is a chess skill.

This kid was so proud! He and his buddy were actually playing chess on this mat without pieces. I heard them saying which pieces they were moving to each other, such as "this is my knight that I am moving here" and they were remembering each others positions. These were obviously two very smart and highly motivated chess players!

Great to see kids playing chess and also having a passion! Thank you kids for breaking yet another NYC stereotype!

Thank you to B and H for the great event and to all the women photographers who were so inspiring to me!

What Happened?

2009-03-06T15:56:00.003-05:00

It was so nice to go for a walk today, I finally feel better and it finally is starting to feel like spring!! As I strolled along the Hudson, admiring my favorite trees I noticed purple ribbons. Upon closer observation I discovered they were on a cake, a half eaten- half smooched cake!

I'm not sure what happened, but my mind went wild with ideas and pretend stories! I hope the birds, the squirrels and the rats enjoy it!

A Snow Day

2009-03-02T16:08:00.010-05:00

For those of you that know me, you know that I grew up in Buffalo and I love snow. Give me the white stuff any day over the gray concrete jungle that NYC becomes for 5 months out of the year!

I was so excited to see on the news last night that a storm was coming and was looking forward to going out and taking some pics. Well, sadly I have been sick and woke up still sick, so I decided to stay in.

I mourned the images I dreamed of last night; people fighting the snow on Broadway, children throwing snow balls, and other snowy images of Harlem. Instead I went about my day as normal, at the computer, and then I heard shrieking. Loud, high pitched shrieking, the kind of shrieking that can only be created by... little girls. I looked out of my studio window that faces a pretty bleak courtyard to find just what I heard, two little girls dressed in pastels having a blast on a snow day. These two screaming, shrieking pale pink and blue girls were the highlight of my snow day! Thanks!

Its amazing to me what NYC kids have to come up with as far as places to play. These two were thinking pretty creatively and it sounded as if they were having fun...but still, it was no match to the hill we used for real sledding, with real snow, growing up in Buffalo.

Jeelna and Ronak

2009-02-28T15:29:00.011-05:00

Jeelna and Ronak had an intimate wedding off the beautiful shores of the Hudson River in NJ. Their full on wedding ceremony is coming this October in India and we have been invited to photograph it. We cant wait!

How sweet is this? After he put the ring on Jeelna's hand he added a kiss, so romantic.

Following tradition, the newly married couple received their parents blessing by touching their feet.

This was a great part of this day! These two brought cutting the cake to a whole new level! Not only did they feed each other, but everyone got a turn to be fed by the bride and groom and also a turn feeding the bride and the groom...including myself and the minister!! It was so much fun and finally I get to have some cake too! Its hard on us photographers to have to take pictures of the cake and not have any! Especially us photographers with a wicked sweet tooth!

Friends phoned in with their best wishes.

I love this picture, Ronak's Mom adoring her new daughter in law!

Jeelna was a real sport for these photos. You wouldn't be able to tell- but it was actually quite cold and breezy out! We even took a few moments time out for her to throw on a jacket and warm up- and then she would jump back in for some more pictures! Thanks Jeelna! I am sure it will be warmer in India!

Congratulations Jeelna and Ronak! We wish you lots of love and happiness!

Lady Friends

2009-02-27T18:33:00.006-05:00

I am very lucky to have taught with a group of ladies who are now producing photo material for me! They have brought having lunch to a whole new photographic level!

Caleb

Anna- Rose

Jack

Hayden. Hayden is a very talented musician just like his parents. He plays the drums like his dad- here he was playing for me a Beatles song. Did I mention that he is 3?

Hayden is getting a special treat from one of the best women ever created- Sr. Kathy! Sr. Kathy works at St. Francis, the school where we all taught together. Sr. Kathy has more energy than any other person I have ever met- she is so incredible and always on the move! I used to joke at school that we needed to put a GPS tracker on her!

Here is the whole group of ladies! Its hard to tell, but Stef on the right is currently cooking up some more photo material for me!

And they sleep...

sleep...

sleep, just like little angels! Thanks ladies for the great lunch, freindship and allowing me to snap away!

Baby Jackson

2009-02-24T18:10:00.009-05:00

Remember these two? Well now there is three, welcome baby Jackson!

(Jackson's Dad, Lucas, is an incredible, successful painter. He grew up in Brooklyn and for those of you that know Brooklyn, you can really feel the influence of that borough in his work. His pieces are amazing, complex, generally large and saturated with layers of color. This painting is actually for sale as are others. If you are interested just let me know and I can connect the two of you!)

I am not sure if these images can even begin to capture the love buzzing around these three. Missy and Lucas since I have known them have been clearly in LOVE- deep love, storybook love. And now their love for each other is overflowing onto this beautiful baby. The three of them make one happy, gorgeous, and lucky family. Congratulations to the three of you!

Vagina Monologues

2009-02-14T16:06:00.007-05:00

Last Night Greg and I went to go see the play, Vagina Monologues, co-directed and acted in by a friend of ours Pia Padukone. For those of you that don't know, the play is an assortment of monologues from various women on the topic of their vagina. The play brings you on a ride of emotions from hysterical laughter to complete society disgust and sadness, back to laughter again and all the other emotions along the way! The play is a wonderful experience for both men and women! These women (Samantha Deka, Asia Drag, Ann Fisher, Suzette Freedman, Hannah Kim, Jessica Krause, Nitika Nadgar, Nina Padukone, Pia Padukone, Cathy Sun, Ilona Walldid) did an amazing job putting on the production- the house was packed! It was an incredible way to kick off Valentine's day weekend! Below are pictures of each of the women as they acted out their monologue. All proceeds from the show went to Women for Women. http://www.womenforwomen.org/

The directors! Bravo to all!!!!!!!!!

Cousins

2009-02-10T08:57:00.005-05:00

One house, 3 homes, 4 adorable children! The first two are siblings and twins and the second two are siblings! To each other they are cousins. Each had their own little personality that was so much fun and sometimes challenging to capture! Who is in the third home?? Grandma! Lucky kids!

A Proposal in Central Park

2009-01-27T12:11:00.007-05:00

The plan was discussed. Maps were laid out. Times and locations exact. Gustad had thought of everything for his perfect proposal to Tanaz on Bow Bridge in Central Park. The proposal was so beautiful, I will let the emotions of these two speak for themselves.

After some time Gustad pointed Greg and I out to Tanaz, surprise!! After congratulations were given we went into a full on engagement shoot! It was great to play around in the park and take pictures of these two as they were flying so high with so much happiness and love for each other!

Tanaz and Gustad, we are so honored that we were the ones given the great privilege to document this special moment in your lives. We wish you a lifetime filled with the love and happiness that we saw on this day. THANK YOU!!!

"One Nation Under a Groove"

2009-01-20T16:45:00.008-05:00

Those were some of the chants we heard today as we watched Mr. Obama be sworn in as the president on 125th Street in the heart of Harlem USA! It was a warm day in Harlem even though the mercury only rose to be in the 20's. The human spirit that showed up to witness this historical event was represented by all the colors our flesh tones are able to create! Together we cheered and cried and celebrated a new way of thinking.

(The statue in this picture is Adam Clayton Powell, the first African American elected to Congress from New York.)

I love days like this in New York City. Days when we forget about ourselves and join together for a greater purpose. I have witnessed days like this in the city only a handful of times, they are rare and so incredibly precious.

As an educator I am so thrilled to imagine the minds of young Americans and how they will NOW truly be able to dream and imagine themselves growing up to be ANYTHING- even the president of the United States of America!

"O-BA-MA!!! O-BA-MA!!! O-BA-MA!!! One Nation Under a Groove!!"

Baby Roy!

2009-01-12T21:02:00.004-05:00

Meet baby Roy- the little brother of Vera! I photographed Vera when she was this little a year and a half ago and it was so great to be able to have the same kind of photo shoot with Roy! The photo shoot took place in Mama and Papa's big fluffy bed. Roy was so happy, Vera extra sweet, Mama and Papa extremely proud and the light- just perfect!

Rightfully exhausted after a big day of picture taking. Congratulations to you all, the 4 of you are such a beautiful family. Vera I know you will be an incredible big sister!!!

Party of 5

2009-01-12T11:02:00.005-05:00

Nicole and Marc are old buddies of ours from Fire Island. They left the days of beer games and started an incredible family. They have 3 children that are all unique and interesting, never mind super cute and funny! We had a great morning at one of my favorite places here in NYC, the always beautiful, always fun Duck Pond in Central Park.

Cooper and his Mom and Dad!

2009-01-12T10:30:00.006-05:00

Cooper is the child of a childhood friend of mine. It is always so amazing for me to meet the creation of someone that I knew as a kid. Did we really grow up so much that we are the adults now?

Cooper was such a pleasure to photograph. As you can see he is all boy with his stick and his love of the trees, the ducks and of course his Mom and Dad!

Missy and Lucas

2009-01-09T09:42:00.005-05:00

Missy and Lucas are my new Harlem friends from Pilate class. Missy and I were in the bathroom one day after class when this woman whom we had never seen before came right up to Missy and asked her if she was pregnant! Now Missy, a Pilate superstar was FAR from looking pregnant. When the woman left the bathroom we were in shock over how rude some women can be! Missy went home and told Lucas. Lucas is a big believer in things happening for a reason and decided to get a pregnancy test. Well, sure enough, Missy was pregnant! No one has ever seen that woman again!

I put both the color and the b & w shot of this picture because I could not decide. The whole idea of the photo shoot came about because I had a dream of the above shot. A fall day, lots of colors, Missy and Lucas hanging out on a park bench being the easy going New yorkers that they are. So this shot speaks more accurately to the dream image, but I also just love these two in b & w.

In this shot baby Jackson was doing some Pilate moves! I love the look on Missy's face, so in awe of the the baby growing inside her.

Missy and Lucas thank you so much for allowing me to capture this amazing time in your lives! Missy and Lucas are now the proud parents of baby Jackson! Congratulations!! I am so happy for you 3!!

Our Honeymoon!

2009-01-08T15:51:00.008-05:00

If you have been wondering where I have been...well, I have been on a honeymoon adventure! We went to 5 countries in 1 month and had the most incredible journey. Its hard to believe that all the planning, the wedding day and now the honeymoon are all over! Everything went so fast. It was all so amazing! Here are some pictures from our "Adventure Moon"!

Bali

Singapore- Little India

Thailand - Koh Samui

I love this photo of this little girl. It was late at night at one of the night markets. Her Mom was working in one of the near by shops and she was lost in this soap that seemed quite steamy!

Thailand- Chang Mai

This is Kwan, my elephant! Well only for the day. We decided to do something good for animals on our trip and we spent the day at an Elephant conservation Park. Patera Elephant Farm if anyone is interested. It was hands down one of the most amazing days of my life. And it was easily the best day of our honeymoon.

Basically you are given an elephant and for one day you wash it, feed it and ride it bareback up into the jungle to a waterfall and back down!! Riding an elephant bareback into the jungles of northern Thailand was an experience that I struggle to put into words. Elephants are amazing creatures, as gentle and smart as they are large- and when you are on one you really get a sense of how large they are!

Laos

In Laos, every morning at sunrise the monks, mainly comprised of young boys, collect their alms from the villagers. The food they collect in the morning is all the food they are allowed to eat for the whole day. This is a beautiful ancient tradition that was done by Buddha himself. Witnessing this religious exchange between the monks and the villagers is something that I will never forget.

Some young monks bathe in the river as our boat passed by. They were waving, and then we gave them the surfer sign and they cracked up- giving it right back! It was nice for me to see them smiling, so often during the day when you see them they are very serious.

Japan

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and I wish you the best for 2009!

Eyob and his Mom!

2008-11-22T16:23:00.004-05:00

Eyob and his Mom seemed to have a bond created by years, yet it had only been weeks since Eyob had been brought home to Long Island from Ethiopia. The two of them are amazing together, each fulfilling a role to the other with so much love and happiness.

Eyob fell asleep on the way to the park to take pictures, he honestly looked like a little angel sleeping!

The above image is a little experiment with Photoshop to make the image look like a watercolor.

I wish the two of you a life full of continued happiness and great health! Congratulations to the two of you for finding each other!

Eileen and Kevin

2008-11-12T21:26:00.007-05:00

Eileen and Kevin had an incredible fall NYC wedding! One of my favorite parts about this wedding was Eileen's dress. She wore her Mom's wedding dress but had it redesigned by a good friend of hers. The result- a 2008 version of her Mom's wedding dress. Brilliant idea and gorgeous execution by her friend! Eileen looked fabulous as I am sure her Mom did on her wedding day as well!

This was another one of my favorite ideas...fall leaves decorated the pathway for Eileen and her Mother to walk down! It was such a nice connection to the season!

Eileen takes a peak!

Moments like this are why we all love NYC.

Eileen and Kevin we wish you lots of love and happiness!!! Cheers!

Meghann and Kevin

2008-11-03T10:17:00.006-05:00

Meghann and Kevin got married on Fire Island. The days before the wedding were wet and rainy and things were not looking good for the wedding day. BUT the rains stopped and the clouds created a dramatic background and beautiful lighting for photography! The shot above was taken of the church using the reflection in the flooded streets.

The storms had been so bad that there was hardly any beach left and they had officially closed it off!

Kevin and Meghann are adventurous though and climbed to get to this place on the jetty for some portraits.

If only all brides could be as relaxed as Meghann on their wedding day!!!

Meghann's family owns the general store in town and the two of them hammed it up for the camera pretending to be working on their wedding day!

Congratulations Meghann and Kevin!!!!!

NYC Marathon 2008

2008-11-02T18:44:00.010-05:00

Every year I say the same thing, the New York City marathon is by far my favorite day in this city. It is one day where New Yorkers come together regardless of age, race or this year- political beliefs, to support those who came from far and near to run this amazing and challenging race. For the past 3 years we have been watching the race from our new neighborhood, Harlem. Harlem on marathon day is EXTRA well behaved as DJ Jazz plays great tunes to welcome the runners into Harlem for their last 5 miles. The following images were my pick to represent the runners of all abilities and humor and the locals that come to cheer them on!

I had to add this one. Only in NYC, maybe even Harlem would someone push their groceries in a cart across the path of the runners!!

This man was absolutely adorable! He was there all day cheering on the runners by himself and having so much fun! I am sure the runners appreciated his enthusiasm and support immensely at this stage in the race!

Congratulations runners!!!

Fire Island Family!

2008-10-17T20:06:00.004-04:00

Oh I have been a bad blogger! These are some pics from a great little sunset session we did on Fire Island!

Alicia and Tommy - Fire Island Wedding

2008-10-13T09:36:00.009-04:00

Alicia and Tommy had an incredible Fire Island wedding! It was a beautiful day and these two thought of everything, from ponchos if it rained to a ferry to bring all their guests to the reception. The wedding was so unique and fun, just like the couple! Both Alicia and Tommy had parents and siblings that danced the night away and the guests were all right there with them! It was easily one of the best receptions yet!

This little girl is dreaming of the day that she will be the bride!

The famous "worm" done by the groom and a friend!

Tommy did not get the stuff animal but he got the best prize of the night- Alicia! Congratulations to the both of you and your families!!!

Carmen and Michael

2008-10-05T17:31:00.008-04:00

Carmen and Michael got married this summer NYC style. The stage was a pavilion in Central Park created by twigs and vines. The transportation - pedicab and subway! I was in photo heaven. Notice in the shot above, Carmen was being helped by her mother...with a swiss army knife!

Carmen is an actress and full of expressions. I love this shot! Both Carmen and Michael have a great sense of humor and love to have fun! It was an honor to capture these emotions and others on their wedding day! Congratulations!

One big happy family!

2008-10-02T09:39:00.006-04:00

Kristine and Tom and their 3 beautiful blond boys make for one big happy family! Dressed in all white we hit the jetty on Fire Island for some group shots. The boys were great, but they had surfing on their mind ...see below!

Running back to the house for their boards!

Let's not forget the adorable family dog! He was as excited as the boys to play on the beach!

Femi and Mark- NYC

2008-09-30T19:04:00.016-04:00

Femi and Mark were my first NYC city wedding. It was an incredibly beautiful day in August and all their details and planning made the day like a modern fairy tale. For me, it was a nice extra challenge to include parts of the city to capture not only the bride and the groom but to also showcase their setting.

Trying to get a cab...

Femi and Mark got married at one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen in my life- The famous St. John's the Divine on 111th and Amsterdam. Photography during the ceremony was frowned upon as the church finds it to be distracting- I don't disagree. But located outside of this church was a gem of a garden that we used to take some pictures. I love this shot of them in this secret little church garden.

After the ceremony Mark carried Femi across the street to their favorite weekend coffee shop.

The two of them hammed it up and role played their regular weekend activities of reading the paper with some coffee...funny how Femi turned right to the wedding announcement page!

Femi and Mark had their reception at a wonderful Italian restaurant on the upper west side called Nonna. The light in there was beautiful. The sweetest part of the wedding for me was when Femi and Mark played together. It was an incredible wedding moment. Congratulations to the two of you!

A summer business

2008-09-30T17:32:00.005-04:00

This summer I was able to go home to Buffalo and hang out with the family. This included my sister and her two kids that live in Georgia. By the time I arrived from New York they had a full on business going! My brother Simon had taken them golf ball hunting in the pond off the golf course, and come morning they were clean and ready to be sold to the terrible golfers on my Mom's neighboring golf course!

A successful sale!

Uncle Simon teaches about the different brands of golf balls.

And then there were some not so nice golfers...

Catherine and Tom-

2008-09-30T17:11:00.005-04:00

Catherine and Tom was my first real rainy day weather wedding. I had a great run for awhile, but still it mattered very little. Even though plan B may not have been as visually beautiful as plan A for portraits- their wedding day still contained all the elements that should be involved on a wedding day. Those being an abundance of love, joy, and happiness.

Julie and Matt

2008-07-14T22:03:00.012-04:00

Julie and Matt are newly engaged and very in love! We did a photo shoot on a beautiful summer day in Central Park. Using a long lens we did a mix of candid shots and some portraits. It was great to let them go off and be in love as I captured them from far away- as to not to interrupt their hugs and kisses!

Thank you Julie and Matt for being so creative and flexible! Also an extra thank you to Matt who was tracking down the last rays of sunlight so we could get all these different location shots!
Congratulations and cheers to your love and happiness!

Julia

2008-07-11T11:32:00.009-04:00

Julia was a photographer's dream of a client! She was enthusiastic, cooperative, clever and full of different emotions that came across in the images. Never mind that hair! Amazing hair!

Julia also had a camera, yet when she took a picture her camera spoke about Fairies...Nikon eat your heart out!

When I asked Julia if she would like to sit on a rock and take some portraits she replied yes, not my usual answer! Like a true professional she turned toward the camera, tilted her head and offered me her sweet playful smile. Behind me I heard the laugh of a shocked mother, saying-"this can't be my child"

I love when kids offer their serious side. I feel we live in a society where we are always trying to get people to smile in photographs. Interestingly in Kenya, they refuse to smile in portraits, the exact opposite! I guess I like it because it shows another dimension of kids. Kids do have serious sides, they are thinkers and as parents out there know for sure, they are complex.

These ducks at 103rd on the west side of Central Park are amazing! For many photo shoots now they show up right on time and always add fun for the kids. I am very grateful ducks, keep up the great work!

I had to add this shot because it just cracks me up, and shows another side of Julia! This is the kind of image you can look at when you are having one of those adult bad days and just start laughing..and then get over it!

Thanks Julia!!

Nicole and Craig

2008-07-02T16:29:00.008-04:00

Nicole takes a peek out the window to see if Craig was at their meeting place!

Nicole has some of the most beautiful and arresting eyes you have ever seen! Lucky Craig!

These two are so in love and full of fun. I love this shot because it really captures them laughing and enjoying each other.

I really thought I was going to get my first opportunity to photograph cake in the face, but they played nice!

Nicole and Craig's wedding was FULL of beautiful and creative details, such as above. The wedding was really so well thought out and unique.

I have to thank these two, two buddies of mine. Gina and Nicole are childhood buddies and Gina sent her my way. Thank you Gina and Ben!! Also the reason why these two are sitting is because only days later they had their first baby, Anna Rose! Congratulations!!

Nicole and Craig thank you so much for putting your trust in us! Cheers to your love and happiness!!

Baby Jack!

2008-07-01T17:21:00.006-04:00

Recently I have been extra lucky because so many of my friends are giving me such great subject matter; babies!!! This is Jack, Jessica and Rob's baby! He is such a good baby and was a wonderful model during his photo shoot!

This shot of Jessica's Dad really touches me. I feel like I was able to capture one of thousands of hearts to hearts these two are going to have!

Fire Island Ice Cream!

2008-07-01T14:38:00.005-04:00

Fire Island is in full swing! Last weekend when I got off the ferry I saw this scene. All I could do was laugh at these adorable little kids all lined up completely immersed in their ice cream. Such a Fire Island moment.

I decided to use this image to play around with some filters. I have always been such a straight shooter, trying to capture life and then represent it just how it is and or was. Recently I have had more thoughts about this idea from having some conversations with other photographers who do like to manipulate. Its fun to play around with the tools of the digital age. The problem I have is that my mind wants to see the photograph how my mind remembers the moment. When it comes to other people's images I tend to love the manipulation, but of course my mind has nothing to compare the image to.

The top image was cross processed to create some funky colors and the bottom image was a combination of black and white filters.

Outside of the box Mother's Day Picnic!

2008-05-18T16:23:00.008-04:00

A few days before Christmas, during a time when everyone is running around frantic getting last minute gifts, I received an email with the subject : Mothers Day 2008. Huh? Yes it's true, there was a man out there thinking about his wife and how to surprise her on Mothers Day! How many husbands do you know who think like this? When the day finally arrived it was so exciting for me because it was my first "secret" photo shoot. The husband felt that the ultimate surprise would be to come home that day after the Mother's Day picnic and show his wife pictures on the computer, pictures she had no idea were being taken! Cheers to caring husbands who take the time and energy to think outside of the box!

A Party in the Park with Jungle Jim!

2008-05-12T22:01:00.005-04:00

NYC is always pushing its limits on creative ways, even for birthday parties! Check out these live animal party shots with who else but "Jungle Jim"!

I love this last shot. There is something about the pink clothes and the little girl hands gently passing this lizard with so much love. Stereotypically we tend of think of little girls and women not liking these kind of animals and shrieking as we run from them...not true with these little girls.

Sean Bell

2008-05-12T21:51:00.005-04:00

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7......50" This is what was heard last Friday across 125 in Harlem during the Sean Bell demonstration as passionate people let their voices be heard in a peaceful civil rights demonstration. 6 rallies were set up all at bridge locations across Manhattan and completely brought Friday rush hour traffic to a grid lock. Over 200 people were arrested as they protested what they believe to be an wrong decision in the Sean Bell case.

Lauren and Brendan's Wedding

2008-05-12T21:26:00.006-04:00

Lauren and Brendan got married over a month ago- but I have been trying to figure out how to post images larger and also more of them on my blog. Well its done, now you can see them big and more of them! Lauren and Brendan's wedding was a full day of laughter, tears, love and fun! I am so grateful that they choose me to document their big day! Congratulations to the both of you and your families.

Thank you Heather!!!

2008-04-26T18:26:00.007-04:00

No you are not seeing things, the image from below is now larger! I now have the abilities and the knowledge to have a new and improve blog with larger images! I am so lucky to have had a tutorial from Heather Dipiazza. Heather is a professional photographer and graphic designer and her knowledge of both fields and photo shop is amazing! Best thing about Heather...she has been hired as our wedding photographer! Greg and I are so excited and I feel so at ease because I know she is going to do an amazing job! If you click on the title of this photo (thank you Heather) you will be connected to her blog!

New Yorkers in Spring

2008-04-26T11:47:00.012-04:00

The day I was born...many years later!

2008-04-21T15:46:00.009-04:00

Off to Fire Island we went to clean up the beach house. This is the view from the equivalent of my birthday pony ride- Greg pulled me on the wagon the whole way to the house! We were stopped by one woman who wanted to know what she could do to make her husband pull her on a wagon!
One of the greatest parts of my birthday was meeting Victor on the Long Island Railroad! As we were riding on the train I noticed the man in the next seats over writing in a sketch book that had photographs in it. He was writing pretty privately but those of you that know me know that I have a long neck! I waited patiently for him to look up- and when he did I jumped at the chance to ask him if he took the pictures! He had and they were AMAZING!!! We chatted the whole way and he was so inspiring! One of the things that we discussed were photographs we have mourned because we were not able to capture them for various reasons. Maybe the camera was not on hand, maybe the situation was not safe- could be anything. This morning when I woke up I thought about these pictures that I had wanted to capture but I let go. I knew that two of them were here in Harlem and did not involve people, so I jumped on my bike and captured two of the morned images.

One thing I wonder about is this phenomenon to throw sneakers onto the telephone lines and why it is done. Is it done when the shoes no longer fit them and they have a new pair, or is it done to people by bullies and then they have to walk home without shoes?
I saw this neighborhood memorial weeks ago and wondered if the bottles were always there. Well I got my answer, the bottles must stay. I jumped off my bike and I got all the looks from the neighborhood hood people, these were the looks that originally kept me from taking this shot! I figured that everyone must have known this young man whose life was taken too quickly. I looked them in the eye and smiled and then took the shots with respect. Nobody said anything to me. Maybe Spanish Harlem wont mind after all if a crazy white girl runs around and takes pics! I hope not!

Spring is here- finally!

2008-04-21T11:34:00.007-04:00

I dont think any of the other seasons get welcomed with such joy and pleasure as the first real Spring day! For us NYC people that was Friday and Saturday of last week. I love the picture above of this teenage couple basking in their love and the sun, on a slab of rock overlooking the Hudson river.
These pictures were taken on the Hudson River bike path. There is one section by 116 where there were so many Pear trees clumped together that standing underneath it one was just completely lost in a world of beautiful spring blossoms.

The Pope on 5th Ave

2008-04-19T23:33:00.015-04:00

This was the moment the crowd was waiting for, a too quick drive by in the Pope mobile! It was great walking around and taking pictures of the people that came together to welcome the Pope to NYC. Click on the pictures to view them larger.
This one just could not walk any more!

Notice Grandma in the far right hand corner working her hot pink celly!

Double support.
Double waiting.
Double duty.
Pope in training!

Million Trees NYC

2008-04-12T19:07:00.004-04:00

Often you see people fund raising and wonder where the money goes. Well when Greg and I left our Harlem apartment this morning we were shocked to see HUNDREDS of people in white t-shirts digging in the dirt that was never thought twice about before. All these people gave up their Saturday moring to help make NYC more beautiful, and we felt so honored that was actually our neighborhood that was the fruit of todays labors. This is such a wonderful idea, Harlem looks good in green!

Hayden and his new little brother Caleb!!

2008-04-08T11:28:00.011-04:00

Sunday I had the honor of photographing a good friend's family. Jillian and I taught together and she and her husband Steve now have two beautiful boys! This is Caleb, he is 6 weeks old and just precious!

This picture is Caleb's foot, the hand above is Hayden's. Hayden was helping his little brother take the same shots that he had when he was 6 weeks old!
Notice the lollipop? Well its not a regular day that Jillian would be feeding Hayden a lollipop, but when the camera is out and time is limited it is amazing what leverage a lollipop has!
Hayden like all 3 year olds is establishing his place in this world. He is also adjusting to a life that that involves a little brother! At times he was not thrilled about the photo shoot but he tried his best to be a great sport!
Congratulations to Steve, Jillian and Hayden! Welcome little Caleb!!

Candle Pin Bowling

2008-04-04T22:18:00.003-04:00

What to do in Vermont when the skiing conditions stink? Candle pin bowling. I had never heard of this game, the cousin to BIG ball bowling! The ball is made of the same material, but it is much smaller- slightly larger than a softball. There are no holes for your fingers, you're suppose to hold it with your finger tips. The pins are much skinner and a lot harder to knock down. There are advantages to this version of the game. You get 3 tries for each frame, trust me, you need them! Also, the knocked down pins known as "dead wood" dont get swept away. The dead wood stays right where it lands, leading to some heavy strategy options. Meaning, if you hit the dead wood instead of the standing pin you could knock a whole bunch down at once! Conclusion: Candle stick bowling is a lot friendlier on your thumb! But it is very hard to control the lighter ball- leading to lots of gutter action. Bottom line is I won both games- so I am all for this crazy little bowling game!

The New York Times

2008-04-03T20:53:00.003-04:00

March 29th I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of Lauren and Brendan. I would love to post some of their wedding pics but right now they are in sunny Costa Rica and have not seen them yet. What I can do is say how excited I am that these two got into the New York Times and used one of my photographs! This is my first NYT posting. Thanks Lauren and Brendan so much for thinking of me and giving me credit!

Harlem winter

2008-03-26T10:42:00.003-04:00

I was looking back on my old posts and I saw that I had put up fall pictures. To be thorough I thought I would add a Harlem winter picture. Honestly we had an extremely boring winter. With hardly any snow fall, our winter was mainly cold with gray skies and concrete. I find the winters in NYC really sad, I am I so thankful that Spring is on its way!

Grasshopper

2008-03-19T12:19:00.007-04:00

This is one of my favorite pals Gina! Gina and Ben are expecting their first baby this July. This photo shoot was not planned, we spontaneously decided to take some shots and had so much fun doing so. Gina was telling me that she and Ben thought the baby on the sonogram picture was so long and skinny!! Lovingly they nic named the baby Grasshopper! We decided to raid Gina's sister's lipstick and write the name across the belly!!

I love this shot because Gina looks like a little girl, a very pregnant little girl!!! Gina and Ben are going to be amazing parents!!! I cant wait to take some shots later in the pregnancy too! Congratulations Gina, Ben and little Grasshopper!

Nicholas at 13 days

2008-03-16T21:11:00.008-04:00

Meet Nicholas, yes I know the above is spelled worng, we were missing a "I" so this "T" will be photoshopped. Nicholas is only 13 days old and is easily one of the cutest and well behaved models I have ever photographed! He was a perfect angel the whole time!
This is Nicholas with his Mom, the love looks on her face were just as precious as he was. This photo shoot was also suppose to showcase Matthew, the big brother! Right now Matthew, 2 years old is not so sure about his new little brother. Hopefully in a bit more time he will get adjusted to this huge change.
Perfectly asleep in Mom's arms...

Matthew Propis

2008-03-15T18:43:00.004-04:00

Matthew Propis was the boy next door. Yesterday he turned 35 and made a special request that he get "blogged" for his birthday! Matthew was my very first friend, we meet as babies and were 3 weeks apart in age. We shared germs, games, trees and we even had the same boy doll, "Joey".

This is a picture of Matthew on his wedding day surrounded by his buddies. Matthew I hope you are enjoying your birthday, I cannot believe that we have know each other for 33 years, it hardly seems possible. Thanks for being such a great friend and as you would say, "go blog yourself"!

Maria McKendry aka Baby

2008-02-26T18:27:00.005-05:00

I have had a dear friend now for MANY years named Baby. I am lucky that we are friends because when we first met at a young age I was such a bad girl that she was told not to be friends with me! Good thing she didn't always listen!

Baby was my first buddy to get married. She met a man I said would be perfect for her, and he was! It was at Maria (Baby)and Eric's wedding that I got my first taste of wedding photojournalism. I was a bridesmaid, but I had my point and shoot on me all night. One of my favorite shots of all time was taken of Baby getting ready. This image is one that I will always love for many reasons. Mostly I love it because is it of Baby. It also reminds me that a good image does not always have anything to do with a good camera, but more to do with finding the moment and having the instinct to take the picture.

Baby, aka Maria McKendry, is celebrating her birthday today! She was feeling nostalgic and started Googling old friends names to see what people were up to. She mentioned to me that with her married name she does yet exist on Google. It is a shame, because Baby has done so much since she has been married, she has given birth to 3 incredible children and is raising them to be great little people!

Google should have a whole section for amazing mothers! Happy Birthday Baby! I hope that this blog entry makes it into Google as your birthday present! Thanks for being a wonderful friend, Happy Birthday!!

Giants Superbowl Parade( click title to watch video)

2008-02-08T10:29:00.001-05:00

Although there is something quite graceful about his young man, the scene here was anything but. The parade was very frustrating, the streets to see the parade were blocked off and hundreds of people found themselves with no where to go. As a result, fans became angry and started attacking the vehicles left on the street. The crowds were not cheering for the Giants but rather chanting " F#*K the POLICE!"

Here the same group moved onto another car. The were trying to tip it, that is after they throughly vandalized it.
One might ask, where were the police? I photographed this scene for about 25 minutes. One cop showed up and had no control and left again. 10 minutes after that, cops showed up on horses, about 12 of them. They ran through the streets chasing the crowd away. The horses where so scared, but so were the punks.

It was such a sad scene to me. Here was a winning home town team, and here was a city willing to put on a parade for the people of the town to celebrate. Instead, cars were ruined, people were hurt and day of victory became a day of violence.

CLICK ON THE TITLE OF THIS POST TO WATCH VIDEO FROM NEWSDAY. You can see me taking pictures in the lower left hand corner in the blue jacket. As a photographer is was a wild experience, thrilling yet intimidating as well. One man kept yelling to the others that I was a cop. I told them I wasn't but he got a group to chant that I was a cop. Fearing for my camera and myself because there was no way out I started chanting "F#*K the COPS", luckily for me it worked.

At home with the Garvey boys!

2008-01-11T10:16:00.002-05:00

I have always loved photographing kids. Especially when they are being allowed to be just that- kids.

From the milk mustaches, band-aids, favorite stuff animals, and messy hair, this is what children are really all about. Photographing children like this allows their childhood and how it was lived to be represented. Real children, in their real environment, on a regular day during their lives. These are the kind of images that in 10 years from now will conjure up an accurate memory of the past.

The BIG surprise!

2008-01-07T11:27:00.000-05:00

I am so pleased to announce that Greg and I are engaged! It was perfect, I had no idea what was coming!! For future brides reading this, I now FULLY understand what you are going through when planning your wedding day!

DMC

2007-12-20T13:12:00.002-05:00

Last night I was dragged, ok- asked nicely, to go to a Public Enemy concert at Irving Plaza. Now for those of you that know Irving Plaza know that the intimate setting and the close proximity to the performers is what makes this place such a gem. To see U2 there would be amazing- but hip hop- not my thing. Shockingly enough I was touched, emotionally that is, by a surprise performer- DMC of the past "runDMC". His music was fun, especially live, but what really got me was when he opened up to the crowd. He told us all that he just recently found out after 35 years that he was adopted and that the people that raised him are his foster parents. This new knowledge really had a large impact on him and drove him to look into the state of the foster care system. He told us a statistic that swam in my head all night; 78% of the people in jail were raised in the foster care system. I will leave that fact with you and let you draw your own conclusions. I just want to say, that whenever possible take a second or more to believe in a kid. Kids need to know they are loved, doesn't matter by whom but they need to know that they are little stars, or as DMC called them, Kings and Queens. The more children are believed in, the more courage they will have to achieve any dream they may desire.

Alicia and Tommy

2007-12-17T17:15:00.001-05:00

This weekend I got to meet Alicia and Tommy! Even though it was super cold out these two were troopers for taking photographs! They are adorable together and I cannot wait for their September Fire Island wedding!!