I was looking forward to Heidi and Scott’s wedding, but even more so when Scott told me I had free reign to do what ever I needed in the church. “We have total confidence in you” are words I love to hear, and always put a smile on my face. This was also going to be my first wedding with a groom in his Marine Blues, so there was a lot to be excited about. To make things even more exciting, my friend Erich Camping saw their engagement shoot on my blog and offered to come along since it was in his hometown. It was a lot of fun doing this together, and we captured many wonderful images for the families to treasure.
Thank you to Peter Rogers at Locust Hill Country Club for looking out for us, and to everyone else for allowing us to share this wonderful day. I wish you many blessings Heidi and Scott as you begin your journey together. Please click on an image to see it larger, and click here for their slideshow. Please visit Erich’s blog too and leave him some luv.
It was a pleasure to meet up with Michelle and Jeff in Syracuse for their engagement session. We started out at the Everson Museum of Art. Usually, I will ask for forgiveness rather than beg for permission at a last minute location because no one in charge wants to be responsible for granting permission. We asked, and of course it was denied, so we decided to go outside and make the best of it.
More and more of my couples are either into the arts or have close friends that are. Sometimes their creative friends have a lot to do with choosing me as their photographer. Now and then, they will come along to help out. Jonathan is a designer, and he was with Michelle and Jeff for support and camaraderie. I am not one to shy away from working with another professional. So it was definitely a treat, and a lot of fun to have him with us.
We were right next to the Landmark Theatre and I was thinking it would be great if we could do some things inside this majestic place. The guys were finding nothing but locked doors and had given up when we saw Michelle inside waving for us to come around. The place was locked up tighter than a drum, but Michelle had convinced the maintenance guy to let us in. For future brides out there, I have to tell you that photographers love it when a bride does things like this! Well we only had about 240 seconds but it was better than nothing and definitely convinced me that I need to do an extensive shoot, or even a workshop there at some point.
Thank you Michelle and Jeff, and thank you for the awesome dinner at Wise Guys. The food/company were excellent, and I would strongly recommend both. Thanks also to the incredible Mother/daughter wedding consulting team of Ann and Andrea Crowley from Bellabrations Event Planning. Email: [email protected] for introducing us. I’m really looking forward to working together again. I know we are in good hands, and it will be a lot of fun for everyone.
Ariel, Adam and I met at a popular indoor/outdoor coffee house in Ithaca called Collegetown Bagels. Actually, not much happens outside right now as we approach our annual stretch of single digit numbers in temperature. It is so strange meeting people like this for the first time. It is kind of like a blind date (not that I have been on a lot of blind dates) but you instantly recognize each other with the first eye contact. I mentioned this before in a post http://frankdimeo.blogs.com/frank_dimeo_blog/2007/05/nora_and_eric_i.html and I think it is interesting to talk about. It is something that fascinates me, and I thought it would be nice to share it again. This time I even left my bag in the car so the 40-pound anchor around my neck couldn’t identify me. Maybe Ariel and Adam recognized me from my photo? Or maybe I just look like a lost photographer looking for an engagement couple, I don’t know. Could also be that everyone else doesn’t look like they are looking for someone.
Their first date was at Rulloff’s (I have actually photographed his brain) so we went there next. Edward Rulloff’s unusually large brain is preserved for public viewing in the Psychology Department at Cornell University. It is a crazy story about a local Cornell establishment so click on the links if you are interested. Of course we also took advantage of Cornell’s beautiful campus for a bunch of photos too.
We discovered some new places (even for me) and that is always exciting.
They said, and my couples say this quite often, “We had a great time and really enjoyed you showing us some unique locations that we didn’t even know existed in our old stomping grounds. It is obvious that you love what you do and your energy and enthusiasm is amazing.” This was my 3rd engagement shoot in six days (all over the state). I also did 2 days of weddings, a workshop and trade show in NYC, and photographed Sandra Day O’Connor for the Cornell Law School, all in the past 11 days. That works out to 10 major shoots in 23 days, and gives me barely enough time to back the images up properly before I shoot again. The post-production, blog posts, and everything else pile up really fast though. So yes, energy and enthusiasm are prerequisites, but determination, hard work, and resiliency are also essential ingredients. Isn’t that the case with everything worthwhile in life?
It was a pleasure meeting/photographing you Ariel and Adam. I’m looking forward to doing your wedding together.
As I do more weddings, it becomes evident early on if a bride and groom really want to work with me, or if I am one of the many photographers they are considering. Of course, no one likes to be one of the many, and nothing feels better than being “the one”. I felt this instant connection I’m describing with Jen when I first talked to her on the phone. Then the feeling was amplified when I met with her and Hernando, and confirmed at the engagement shoot. Once again, I am blessed, and thankful for another fabulous couple that I am excited to be working with.
Hernando purposed to Jen in the top of McGraw Tower at Cornell University. It is a special place for them so I didn’t hesitate when the asked if I would be up to climbing the 163 steps to the top of Cornell.
Autumn in New York has always been one of my favorite times of the year. The temperatures are perfect, the colors are luscious, and the sunsets are spectacular! My wedding schedule is also full at this time for the same reasons. I try to take advantage of the perfect conditions and shoot as much as possible. I call it “getting it in the can” while we have the opportunity, because to me the saddest part of the season is knowing the monochromatic, cold days are not far off. The reason I call it this is because I know that it will be some time before I can actually get back to the images and work on them. However, most people (including me) would much rather do them before it gets too cold. I will do them during the winter if we absolutely have to, but usually I will try to wait until spring whenever possible.
It was a pleasure doing the engagement shoot with you Jen & Hernando. I’m looking forward to the wedding and meeting your families.
Congratulations Marti and Steve! You two are the best!
This one is thanks to the wind goddess Rachel
I loved the way Steve looked at me. Pictures really do say a thousand words.
o.k. sometimes much more than a thousand
My favorite Mom of the year
Brothers
Dancing with Dad
Another great Mom
This is special for you Rachel, thanks for all your help
On the wine tour
Twins
I love the feeling in this image
Well, what can I say? I don’t even know what to say, or where to begin, everything was so fantastic!
I do know that Marti and Steve are one of the funnest, and classiest couples I have had the pleasure to spend quality time with. They are the most considerate and friendly couple I have ever met. Everyone, and everything was thought of. Nothing could have been better for this amazing weekend wedding in the Finger Lakes. I will always look back on our time together with admiration and fondness. Honestly Marti and Steve, it was an honor, and a pleasure to spend the weekend together with you and your wonderful families.
I thought it might be nice to unveil the new look (large images) of my blog for your post, as a kind of thank you for everything. This is something I have wanted to do for a long time, but haven’t had the chance to refigure yet. I hope you like it, and look forward to feedback from everyone about it.
I’m exhausted and traveling as I type this, but I wanted to write it while the memories are still fresh. It would have been nice to do the fog shot by the lake, but I was kind of glad you didn’t call. We can do it another time, if you/we are up for it. I think the main reason I am so wiped out is because of the band ATLAS. Wow! These guys have it going on, big time! They blew the socks off everyone there! If you are ever fortunate enough to see them and you aren’t grooving, then you may not be breathing either. Seriously folks, these guys are the best I have ever heard! They no doubt take over the top spot as my number one recommendation. They are an interactive band coming off stage to sing and play in the audience. Steve’s Dad and brother even sat in with the horn section! Believe me, the next time I see Atlas cannot come soon enough.
It was also my first wedding at the magnificent Heron Hill Winery. I must tip my hat to their amazing event coordinator Doni McCann, and her incredible staff. The strange thing is they were practically invisible, until you needed something, and then they magically appeared as if they were reading your mind. Every detail was meticulously addressed with the utmost of care. The winery also has some of the most spectacular views anywhere. It was a pleasure to meet you and your team Doni, and I look forward to the next time.
My good friend Shai Eynav was able to join us as a second shooter. It is always a pleasure for us to work together, and the bride and groom are very fortunate when ever this is possible. Of course, Shai captured a bunch of wonderful photos, but I decided to use only my images for the slide show. Mainly because, after spending so much time together shooting the engagement session, wine tour, and rehearsal dinner, I felt a special connection to Marti, Steve and their families.
As always click on an image to see it larger. Oh wait, I don’t have to say that anymore, Yeah! The slideshow (click here) is about twelve minutes long so please kick back, relax, and relive the weekend with us.
Thanks again Marti, Steve, and your families for everything. I wish you much happiness, love and blessings, today and always.
Edit; I knew I was forgetting something. Marti is an excellent writer and has been keeping a blog at http://becominglefthanded.typepad.com/becoming_lefthanded/ on what it is like to be engaged. I have been following it from the very beginning and have enjoyed it immensely! She has changed it to http://www.becomingwritehanded.com/ since the wedding, and it is now about everything and anything she wants to write about. Please check it out and leave her some blog luv.
Does it get any better than a beautiful fall day in the Finger Lakes for a wedding? I’m not sure, but days like we had for Nora and Eric’s wedding are always welcomed and appreciated.
I met Nora, her Mom, and the rest of the women while they were having their hair and make-up done at Satori's Day Spa and Salon. They finished getting ready at the Statler Hotel, and then we enjoyed a gorgeous walk to Sage Chapel together. Reverend Kenneth I Clarke, Sr., Director of Cornell United Religious Work (and a great guy) performed another incredibly beautiful ceremony.
The flowers from Michaleen’s were beautiful! Hope’s Way presented cuisine extraordinaire (as always), and Just Deserts provided the icing on the cake. New York State top spinning DJ Nicky Wood was there to make sure everyone worked off this incredible meal, and had a great time. Of course, he didn’t let anyone down! It is always a pleasure to work with experienced professionals that are at the top of their game, and deliver like all of these people did.
Well I think Eric gets the award for the most groovin groom of the year. This guy can boogie! Just watching him will make you want to get up and join him. He lit a fire under a lot of feet, and it was fun to be a part of.
Congratulations Nora and Eric! I wish you many blessings on your new journey together, and thank you for trusting me to capture these special moments for you. As always, click on an image to see it larger, and click here for their slideshow.
It was a pleasure and an honor to photograph Nikki and Michael’s fabulous wedding at Mallozzi’s Villa Italia Pasticceria in Schenectady, New York. They hooked me up with a room on Friday and Saturday night at Mallozzi's Belvedere Hotel so we were able to spend a little more time together than usual. They also saw each other before the ceremony (which is always great for photographers) so we were able to go into Albany and do some things at the Capital Building. A special thank you goes out to Ryan for watching the clock for us, and Tam for being the best Maid of Honor ever! You two did an awesome job, and it would have been a lot harder without you. I also have to say that Nikki was a beautiful bride (her Mom said that she has always photographed well) who seemed to get more enchanting and elegant as the day went on.
Mallozzi’s is a classic place, with excellent food, service, and ambiance. I tip my hat to the entire staff for doing such an excellent job. They are extremely professional, courteous, and entertaining. Yes entertaining, it was amazing to watch their presentation. Speaking of entertaining, the DJ was none other than the great Cap Capello! This guy has got it going on. I thought that it must have been a recorded professional doing the introductions because his voice sounded so good. Actually, it was a professional, but he was there in the room with us. He was a lot of fun and definitely on top of his game. I can’t rave enough about Mallozzi’s or Cap Capello, and I highly recommend both to anyone getting married. Brett Wasserman from Silhouette Art on Video was the cinematographer and I’m sure he did an excellent job. Everyone knows how hard it is to find good video people. Do yourself a favor and check out Brett’s work if video is important to you.
Nikki, Mike, and I did their engagement shoot about a year ago in Geneva, and had a great time together. The engagement sessions are such a positive thing on so many different levels. With out a doubt, one of the main reasons I do them is to avoid being a stranger at the wedding. It is a lot more fun, and much better to show up having a little history together. I’m sure that all of my couples would agree that the whole experience is better because of it.
Well Nikki and Mike, I really enjoyed your families, friends, and of course, both of you. Thank you again for the wonderful couple of days, and for looking out for me “Arch it”. I have said it so many times before, and have to say it again, that I am really blessed to work with such terrific people. I wish you many blessings, and much love in your future together. Please click on an image to see it larger, and click here to see their slideshow.
New York City has always been one of my favorite shooting locations. The plethora of visual eye candy it provides a photographer is like no other place in the world.
Hye Jin and Ashish are planning a beautiful Korean/Indian wedding in Seattle later this year, and we have been talking about the wedding for months. Hye Jin actually found me through the PDN/Photo District News Top Knots Wedding contest, and photography is very important to her and Ashish. Photographer’s love couples like this, and I was looking forward to finally meeting them.
We decided to meet at their condo in Hell’s Kitchen. Of course, it always takes me a day or so to get reacquainted with the city so I got off the subway too early, walked for forty-five minutes, hopped into a cab (which I had drop me off too soon), and finally ended up walking the remaining twenty minutes. Fortunately it was a lovely day for walking, but it isn’t easy when you are lugging a bunch of heavy photo equipment. As I neared their address, there was obviously one building that was higher than the rest, and I was thinking, “Oh yes, please let that be their building”. To my delight, it was. So I went up to the 24th floor, met this charming couple, and we began our exciting adventure together.
Ashish had to travel the next day to Shanghai for business, so we were hoping for nice weather because this was our only opportunity. We were fortunate because it was better than nice. In fact, it was a perfect autumn day.
We took a few photos from the top of their building, went down into the streets, then decided to go back up to the top of the building for sunset. Afterwards they treated me (and wow was it a treat) to some awesome Indian cuisine in Mid-Town at Baluchi’s. Please do yourself a favor and check this place out if you like Indian food.
Next we went to Times Square and created some fantastic night imagery. I didn’t feel like we had a lot of time for the daylight photos so I offered to meet them again in the morning to shoot more if they were up for it. So the next morning we met again, and did a few more things in Central Park. We were all exhausted by the time we finished but it was worth the effort, and a great chance to get to know each other.
The following week Hye-Jin asked me for my address because she wanted to send me something. A few days later a beautiful Korean coin purse, and two magnets of a couple in traditional Korean wedding attire arrived from Macy’s. I was so impressed by the hospitality that Hye-Jin and Ashish had showed me the whole time we were together, but this just blew me away. My daughter Bella pleaded with me to take them to school for show and tell. I told her she would have to treasure them and be really careful. She was so proud when she gave them back to me unharmed.
Thank you so much for everything Hye Jin and Ashish. It was such a pleasure to meet and do this with you. I am really looking forward to doing the wedding together, and producing spectacular images for you and your families. Please click on an image to see it larger, and click here for the slideshow.
It is 4:00 am, and a week has passed since the wedding as I write this. After being able to reflect for a while, I think I know what I want to say about Kelly and Brian’s wedding.
Wow, this wedding is definitely one that I am sorry to have in my past instead of my future. There are so many wonderful things to talk about, but the best place to start is with the bride herself. It is a pleasure to be around her, she is amazingly calm about everything, and her beauty is breathtaking. I guess the best way to put it is, the woman has got it together. Obviously, the groom does too, because he married her.
This is the first time that I have photographed a wedding for a sibling from a previous wedding. Last year I was fortunate enough to be the main photographer when Kelly’s sister Hanny married Jesse. I knew Kelly and Brian were going to get married soon, and really hoped they would call me, and that I would be available. It is also another exposure to the extended Hindu wedding ceremonies. It makes me wish my wife and I could get married again and have our own Indian events. They are truly that magnificent!
I have come to know the family pretty well after spending almost two weeks together with them for both weddings. The father is truly a gentleman. To watch him guide the other father’s through the ceremony is a beautiful thing to witness. The grandmother has the presence of a saint, all she has to do is look at you, and you feel blessed. The mom and her brothers and sisters fill you with their generosity and friendliness. Rocky, the brother… well I have never seen women stand in line before just to have their picture taken with a man. He is very handsome, has a great personality, and a whole lot more. He has the rest of these wonderful people in his life, and it shows. They all share and exhibit so much love, respect, and kindness with each other, and everyone else in their lives. It is an amazing thing to be a part of, and is definitely something all of us can appreciate. I have grown quite fond of all of them, and will miss them until I am fortunate enough to have our paths cross again.
The other great thing about this wedding is that I was able to have my good friend (and an excellent photographer) Shai Eynav by my side for all of it. Shai helped me with Hanny’s wedding, and there is no one I would trust more to do this with. This is also the first time that I have produced a slideshow using images from another photographer and myself (images #12-#15 on this post are Shai's too). We have both come to the conclusion that to do these huge weddings right, we should do them together. It is impossible for one person to cover everything, and Shai and I are so in sync that we do it in a way not many people are capable of. Once again, the two of us shot over one hundred gigs of images. That is an unbelievable amount of digital files, and utterly unheard of in the days of film. Individually, we are both successful, busy photographers, so it has to be worth it for us to do these together. That raises the price considerably but there is no better way to go if you want to have full coverage. I have to say that I whole-heartedly recommend this to all of my future Hindu brides.
Thank you Kelly, Brian, your families, friends, and Shai for everything. It has been an honor, and a pleasure to create these wonderful memories for all of us to hold on to and appreciate for a long time to come.
As always click on an image to see it larger, and click here for the slide show. I have to warn you that it is over twelve minutes long, so please kick back and relax. Mark, my groom from the last wedding post offered to mix some music for me like he did for his slideshow, but Kelly and Brian like the “True Companion” song by Marc Cohn so much that they didn’t mind if it repeated.