Jessica and Gaetano’s Big Day

Posted on November 18, 2014 by toastphotoblog

Shooting weddings in the rain is a real challenge. I recently had the pleasure of shooting Jessica and Gaetano’s wedding. The ceremony was held at a beautiful church in Tuckahoe and the reception at the Surf Club in New Rochelle.

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With tons of food and dancing, it was an unforgettable night for the Mr. and Mrs; Chris from Double Image really made the whole party come together.

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But one thing that no bride or groom has any control over on their day is the weather.

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There were so many beautiful architectural elements outside of the venue the couple wanted in their photos, but this wasn’t an option. Despite the downpour, I found all of these cool architectural elements inside and still ended up with great photos for the day. I was really happy to be a part of it.

How to be a Skinny Guy in a Chubby Business

Posted on September 22, 2014 by toastphotoblog

What’s everyone’s favorite part of an event? Is it the beautiful location? Is it the awesome people you get to spend time with? nah…its the food! One of the best parts of my job is the endless food. From sizzling steaks to tons of amazing sugar, its a day you and your stomach relish! (no pun intended)

With the endless events I go to and all the food offered at them, I’m sure you’re wondering how I stay so good looking (haha) and in shape… From running 4 miles every morning at 6am and eating healthy I’ve lost 12 pounds since August, but eating healthy at these all day events is practically impossible when you’re kind of a pig like me! Walking around an event and seeing this everywhere you go is kind of like a cruel joke. I’m sure that all of us have fallen into the traps of food temptation, and if not I’m here to tempt you some more. Here’s a couple of my shots to get you going…

Wonderful Wedding Details: Flowers

Posted on September 15, 2014 by toastphotoblog

The Wedding Checklist: Groom? Check. Venue? Check. Dress? Check. Let’s not forget about the flowers! From boutonnieres to bountiful centerpieces, flowers play a big role in most weddings. But they’re not that easy to choose, there are many factors that go into your floral … Continue reading →

The Bar Mitzvah “Breather”

Posted on September 10, 2014 by toastphotoblog

The Bar and Bat Mitzvah is an unforgettable day in a child’s life. Once they have become a bar/bat mitzvah, they are officially an adult of the Jewish community. That can be a lot of stress for a 13 year old! Studying months in advance leading up to the big day, one couldn’t help to be nervous standing up in front of all those people.

One of my favorite parts of the ceremony to photograph is the Hakafah, when the child carries the Torah around the synagogue in procession. While the child is carrying the Torah, it becomes a break in the service for them to catch their breath and relax. The smiles and surroundings of their loved ones brings ease to them, leaving them recharged and less stressed for the latter half of the service.

As the photographer, the service can be challenging. I am usually not allowed to photograph inside the ceremony, and when I do it’s with available lighting, which most of the time is poor. When this moment of the service comes, I get three or four frames to catch it and then it’s gone forever. This is one of the more memorable pictures for the family that I love to capture.

Emma’s Prom

Posted on June 30, 2014 by toastphotoblog

My daughter Emma is growing up so fast and is now a young woman. She had her prom a few weeks ago and it was quite the photo-op. It was really beautiful to see all the kids dressed up and looking so dashing. Since there was no official photographer I decided to photograph all these pictures with my fancy point and shoot (Canon gx 1), because I didn’t want to draw a lot of attention to myself with my big DSLR. Despite using a point and shoot, the pictures came out great. I was able to shoot RAW, which means the photos retain all their information to make it easier to edit. It was amazing some of the camera hardware that the parents had. There were so many parents taking pictures of their kids posing and hamming it up. It was so funny and such a delight to see.

Rachael & Jimmy

Posted on June 23, 2014 by toastphotoblog

I’ve been going to Bear Mountain for years, mostly to ride my motorcycle on it’s amazing roads. The first time I went there I couldn’t believe that such a place existed so close to NYC. When Chris, from Double Image, asked me to shoot Rachael and Jimmy’s wedding at the Merry Go Round Pavilion, I thought “Wow this is going to be really cool”. I went there a week ahead to scout for some good backgrounds since this was the first wedding I was shooting there. All the locations had to be close to the hotel, because it was a little wet and muddy and I didn’t want Rachael’s dress to get dirty.

The day of the wedding was very challenging because it was suppose to storm. Luckily, the rain held out and we were able to shoot all the family photos outside. This was also very helpful, because the lighting in the pavilion wasn’t great. Also, since it was just me with no second shooter it was a little challenging to be in the right place at the right time while staying out of the videographers way. It all worked out well in the end and we were really happy with the results. Rachael and Jimmy’s families couldn’t have been nicer to me and it was great to see everyone so happy on their special day.

Una & John

Posted on June 5, 2014 by toastphotoblog

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It’s so important for the photographer and the couple to have a test run together. An engagement shoot is perfect for this, because it really breaks the ice and at the end of the shoot the couple knows what to … Continue reading →