Next up was an amazing evening at Del Vino vineyards in Northport, covering a fundraiser for Give a Dog a Dream with the Huntington Town Animal Shelter and their incredible team.
We also returned to British Aerospace's facility in Greenlawn to record their picnic to celebrate their delivery milestone for the US Navy...
And of course I should mention the golf fundraiser for Parker Jewish Institute - a sunny and fun day for all. Give us a call to get us on the calendar for your next corporate or fundraising need!
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Island Federal bank brought in a really fun shoot with Lucy the wonder dog, who'll grace their ads and billboards in the coming year. We shot about 1,000 images of Lucy between the studio, parks, and beach - more to come, there, once the graphics work is together.
And last but by no means least, I've been working with a wonderful local couple who've put together Moon Breeze, an amazing retail collection of infant and toddler pajamas which were a pleasure to photograph. Whether they feature the Montauk Point Lighthouse or Amagansett Bouquet patterns, they're sure to make a great gift or just a great pair of PJs for your little 'uns. Their site is live here: https://www.moon-breeze.com/ .... oh and Blake at Moon Breeze just wrote, readers of this entry can take 15% off PJs with code HELLO15 - neat!
And meet Arlo! Arlo joined Doreen's clan of Australian Shepherds last year, and as expected with any of her furry companions Arlo is sweet, smart, and destined to rule the agility rings. That made it fairly easy to make some super portraits for them just as the light started to disappear. A nice way to welcome winter, it wasn't too cold that evening and we all had a blast in the process.
Fun to pop in for a haircut and find this New Beauty magazine to flip through - they'd hired me out of their Florida offices a few times to make portraits of two local doctors, and the images have landed in print. Always nice to see how they've managed the printing process, what they've chosen to do stylistically, and how the layout looks.
The product photography continues in the background, here, as we continue our efforts for Maggie's Mission and their new pairing of their S'Mores for More with Solo Stove - big props to Donna for her design eye and appreciation for the same music that blared from the speakers overhead as we tweaked and fiddled and brought things to this point, with more to come. Also we added Rue Gilt Groupe to the resume, filling their web pages with beauty supply stock items - well over 100 with this shoot. Their sales team called one Friday morning, we accepted delivery of cases of goods that very afternoon, then worked the long weekend to get them digital assets by Tuesday. Happy to do it!
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https://us.givergy.com/celebrationofrescue/?controller=lots&action=showLot&id=212
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The other week I popped into Farmingdale's KFA Dental to see how their new camera system was working for them - they're very diligent in their image collection when working on your pearly whites, and had a few questions on color management and DSLR operation - happy to help! They had up the new canvases from our last shoot together, and the offices look amazing. Photographing their clients and staff is always a pleasure.
Last, this great bunch from Cross Country Mortgage in Melville. Great smiles from a team looking to upgrade their online presence, check them out at https://crosscountrymortgage.com/Melville-NY-5616
Gunne the Weimaraner was very happy to play well with others in the studio, here! "Will pose for treats" was the phrase of the day, and it left everyone involved happy - especially Gunne. Still a great gift idea, reach out for pricing and availability with Spring right around the corner - lending us beautiful outdoor sets for shoots with the fur babies. Call 631.561.8191 or write at [email protected]
Perkins had us back for more singles and group updates, which is always a pleasure at their offices in East Meadow.
And of course I have to be sure to mention this year's first road gig, where I spent 6 days driving the gear down to Virginia then back up to Northern NJ, and then finally into NYC for an amazing job working with the friendly and welcoming crew of Veterinary Innovative Partners - who are revamping their website and marketing materials. I met the vets, visited their offices, their homes, and photographed everyone from office management to the ever-important gang in I.T. The sets were white seamless paper, which let us stroll into a rental studio in NYC to get right to work photographing the Empire State gang just before the snow storm hit last Friday night. I must have met 50 of their pets and visiting animals, including some we brought in just for the shoot - which meant hanging with some terrific trainers and even Tic Tok animal stars and their humans! Lots to fine tune with the results, but here's some behind-the-scenes and in-progress images for this week's update. Thanks to everyone who helped make it all happen!
And here’s three finals from our shoot with Dr. Kally Papantonion at her Melville office of dermatology for New Beauty magazine. The good doctor brought her A-game and was a terrific subject and comedic host - a great shoot. The offices are gorgeous, and lent for a single backdrop setup and eventually this perfectly good wall! Have lights, will travel.
Several weeks back I received a call from the Art Director for the esteemed Chemical & Engineering News, a weekly news magazine first published by the American Chemical Society in 1923 - they provide professional and technical news and analysis in the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering. Steve, the story's subject, met Joe and me at a rental property in Bayville that didn't offer much visually, so we built a set in the yard. Then, we walked over the the beach for a few more - several made the cut for the magazine. Fun assignment, and satisfied to have made that magazine's pages.
Certilman & Balin continue their loyalty with more legacy portraits of their new attorneys, including Farrah - welcome, Farrah!
The marketing team at Melville's North American Partners in Anesthesia had us in for a series of headshots and environmental portraits - a great day in the air conditioning in our own private space in the Marriott.
And Tyler came into the studio with a very proud mom, this year in uniform! I do love pulling out the hand-painted canvas backdrops from Europe for these kinds of images. I'll try to keep up with more regular posts as school starts for our daughter and we continue to stay busy!
I'll leave you with a few of Skipper, whose humans wanted me to photograph his having a typical great day on the sands of Eaton's Neck. Good dog, Skipper!
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Next, Duke Health in Durham, North Carolina, reached out to send me on a shoot to make editorial portraits of Long Island local Donna Bernstein, whose generous contributions to their health system has built a garden outside where patients can receive their chemotherapy in a remarkably beautiful setting. A cancer survivor herself, Donna has owned tennis clubs in Glen Cove and continues to teach. Special thanks to Huntington's Park Ave. Tennis - Karen and Phil - for hosting our socially-distanced efforts one frigid afternoon when the club was empty.
And lastly but importantly, we're partnering with the animal rescue heroes at Ollie's Angels for a fundraiser: $20 gets you one raffle ticket that gives you a full photo shoot for your pup, complete with either a 20"x30" wall canvas OR a gorgeous wood, leather, or fabric-covered box with ten mounted prints inside that features our efforts together! Please be as generous as you can for a great cause - winner to be chosen this Saturday. $20 tickets are purchased via
Venmo (@olliesangels)
Paypal ([email protected])
Check them out and all the good they do at: http://www.olliesangelsanimalrescue.org/
*Please write: Pet Pics in the notes section when purchasing.
Good luck!!!
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Arielle is a talented writer and photographer (def check her Instagram feed if you're hungry) who's sat for us before, and of course I was happy to reunite for another round of what we hope are great images! I'll post more soon, including a collage of test shots with masks and COVID precautions in place. *Days after the shoot, she was kind enough to leave a Thank You basket on the doorstep, including tea cups, teas, and a box of latex gloves to replace all the ones we went through. Because she's awesome. Check out her work here: http://arielledollinger.weebly.com/
Curt from The Field Marketing sent me to Ronkonkoma, where the assignment was to create some "day at work" images for the amazing Kundig Woodworks. Curt (shown helping to carry in some lighting) met me with his mask on before we entered and it was a pleasure working in an environment that had multiple open loading doors, an incredible ventilation system, and conscientious employees. I also learned a ton about what it takes to make an array of desks, reception areas, dorm rooms, and more. Check them out at https://www.kundigwoodworks.com
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The pandemic has us making sure everyone stay safe on the sets, and one way we do that is to offer composite group shots for business marketing - we photograph everyone separately taking care to maintain consistent lighting and angles, then later edit them together in Photoshop. The gang at RBC Finance did great!
After some careful planning and scouting Dan brought the show's humor and enthusiasm to the outdoor set, letting us create some socially-distanced video for the gang at ZeroPointZero Productions to work with before we grabbed some stills just as the light faded. Check Dan out and have a listen at http://www.sporkful.com
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Harrison's mom brought him in for some heads shots for his acting needs, they're right here in HUntington so it made it an easy experience:
And then there was Simbal, who we really enjoyed having in to update his acting portfolio. Somebody hire this guy, quick!
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We're immersed in pet photography requests, and our product line of wall art and photo boxes. If you don't see pricing on the site yet, PLEASE call or email a request for the product pricing and session costs - we can't wait to hear from you and meet your dog or other pet!
I mention your dog OR pet above as we've photographed birds, rabbits, chinchillas, a lizard or two, cats of course, and really - MORE.
We mentioned our shoot with Robin in the last post, and the images she ordered on canvas are fantastic. What a fun shoot, and a neat challenge to get out into the trails of Eastern Long Island to make them.
We first met Robin over a decade ago when we photographed her rescue greyhound, putting her into the Loyal Client category - she's amazing, what she gives of herself to helping animals. I still have all the images we shot with the folks at the Grateful Greyhounds, including Robin's amazing pup and more.
We've had a lot of pet shoots in the past several weeks as we try to get ahead of the cold, snowy weather - we try to coordinate colors and keep in mind everyone's goal of prints and decor before the shoot.
Then again, a little snow never hurt anyone if you're willing to lay down in it and wrap your camera in plastic, as Doreen's dogs' images illustrate. What an amazing morning... It was hard NOT to get a bad shot as these Australian Shepherds hit the fresh, white playgrounds!
And of course who could forget to mention our fundraiser with the great local gang at Greenlawn's Pawfect Pet Den? Santa came by - a very good, patient Santa - and cuddled with scores of local area pets to help raise funds with Give a Dog a Dream for The Town of Huntington Animal Shelter. An amazing day, we think, where the community came together with local businesses to help shelter pets. Thanks to all who participated!
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Ameriprise Financial had us in for a workup on their leadership, and Ryan, below, was auditioning as a musician for Disney so we put together a fun marketing package for him. Outdoor portraits were in full swing before we got too cold, and lastly, bottom-right, we were happy to photograph the managing director of investments at Bank of America for her new work profile. No shortage of variety, and none of the shooting anything less than fun.
So many fun dogs lately that it's hard to choose favorites to mention, but I will give a nod to Dorene and her Australian shepherds and Chris and his bull mastiff - we photographed them during such great lighting conditions those nights.
And I don't want to forget to mention that Casey and I made a very special portrait session for a huntington client at their horse property in Islip, where making everyone's portraits was a thrill - especially with the autumn colors. More of those finished images to follow!
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I also traveled to Montauk for another fundraising event with Maggie's Mission, bringing research funding and awareness to rare, pediatric cancers. Maggie's family are neighbors and friends, and are always in our thoughts.
I covered the Newton Awards for Teaching Excellence at LIU's Westbury campus, where every year we diligently record the event for some truly amazing educators.
...And of course our 12th annual bombing of Brooklyn at Peter Luger's Steak House with the gang at Firstborn, where promotions are announced, milestones achieved rewarded, and laughs fill the air on the second floor. Great to see you, gang!
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Every now and then we get asked how the pet photography aspect of the business started, and it IS a great story - but I think I've hashed it out here on the blog before so I'll just have to tell you when we get together for a shoot.
Here's a link to the current pet photography brochure that you'll see in stores and schools around the Island: https://www.flipsnack.com/AppoldtPhoto/appoldt-pet-photography.html
We always are sure to mention that if you're a local shelter or charity, we're happy to do what we can to help you with placement of animals and fundraising - please ask!
Over the years we've enjoyed photographing countless animals and getting them into print in calendars, books, product packaging and advertisements. But first and foremost, we enjoy getting them into prints and onto canvases, wood, and even metal presentations that look great in your home. Call and book today while we have a great spring to go play in!
We've been shooting some amazing fashion and beauty projects as well, and our resident mascot Kaya has wanted "in" on those sets, too - reminding that rain or shine, we'll get that pet portrait for you.
Other work in-studio has included several great local businesses, from the Smiths at Rustic Capital to Natalie for her yoga practice and too the fine folks over at The Look Spa Salon. All three will have great websites soon, and I'll put links up here or on social media.
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Avalon Fenster came in, she's the Northeast Regional Director at March for Our Lives; tired of waiting for action on gun safety, Avalon and company want to create a safe and compassionate nation for our youth to grow up in. She's a 16 year old leader in both her community locally and nationally. She has served as Founder and President of the Youth National Organization for Women on Long Island, National Director of Diversity for Next Generation Politics, and was great to meet and spend some time with.
It was also great working with the crew over at AMR Care Group, who provide comprehensive services to those in the aging process or adults challenged with physical or cognitive abilities. Great ladies, big hearts. Ask for Anne, and tell her Chris sent you.
And I can't forget a tip of the hat to Gabby, who came in again after we worked together on some modeling images - this time she came in for some head shots for acting, and it was a pleasure. Go get 'em, Gabby!
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I have to give an amazing shout out to the folks at Long Island LitFest and the Cinema Arts Centre who invited me down to meet and make portraits of author Lee Child, who later took the stage to discuss just how cool it is to be the author of the Jack Reacher novels. Mr. Child was remarkably fun, easy to photograph, and thrilled the audience.
Head shots and location portrait work was the name of the game over at Walden Environmental Engineering, where we returned to make sure their Marketing Team had everything they needed to make them look good - their website is really coming together and looks awesome. Thanks to Kristin, who was as welcoming as ever!
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We had the pleasure of meeting and photographing journalist and author Katy Tur while in town for her book promotion and Q&A, and let me assure you she's every bit as smart and pleasant and clever as you'd imagine from seeing her on the news broadcasts.
The gang over at Tona Law had some group portrait updates for their business marketing and promotion - nice bunch to have over here, and they photograph very well.
Lastly a quick mention about the efforts of the folks running HACO, a local outreach and food pantry, an incredible help to those in my community that are in-need. We volunteered the lenses for a day of pet portraiture, earning donations for the cause. Thanks to everyone who came!
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I had an amazing time - again - with the crew from Firstborn up at their 3rd annual team-building retreat in the Catskills. From tug-o-wars to canoe races, I enjoyed watching them laugh and run (and sometimes, unintentionally swim) as they reinforced the camaraderie that put them at the top of the talent pool. Work hard, play hard.
Trading my hiking shoes for polished ones, I can't fail to mention covering the amazing gala night for the United Veterans Beacon House, at The Heritage Club in Bethpage. Beacon House helps provide both temporary and permanent residences for families of veterans and of course single veterans. Shout-out to the evening's entertainment troupe, The American Bombshells, flooring everyone with their incredible charm and voices.
Had a great time helping Laura, whose wedding we photographed several years ago, put together some image sets for her health and wellness site.
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And I can't fail to mention the great team over at Local Long Island Bred, a new website that lets you order gifts and packages that bring the flavor and charm of Long Island to your doorstep. Such a great idea, and their site is now loaded with the photographs we made together. Check it out by clicking RIGHT HERE!
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Diana was a pleasure to work with, offering a variety of looks for portrait and print work. She's going to be great in catalogs and ad campaigns.
Barbara at B. Thayer Associates leads an amazing team of architects, where we're now complete with the first half of a marketing campaign for their print and web needs. To keep the campaign consistent, something orange had to appear in most if not all of the shots to pick up on the firm's logo and office themes.
Lastly, a fun note that we continue to love our work with Jay Franco in NYC, who send us lots of great kids' items that we shoot on local talent, making celebs out of the community on their shopping trips to familiar box stores. Keep your eyes peeled this fall for these!
Last month I mentioned spending some time with a local pair of bald eagles, and a few of the shots ended up printed in large format and used within displays at Harborfields Public Library to promote a summer theme of bird watching, which I think is neat - and know my dad would have loved. My daughter seems to think it's something that happens every day, so I'll go with that.
Lastly, I'll remark on our event coverage in Montauk last month for Maggie's Mission. Please, if you can, take the time to visit the charity's website and understand that anything - ANYTHING you can do to help will assist families like Maggie's, who want to help find cures for rare pediatric cancers and help families affected.
When launching a new business it's always a good idea to have a marketing plan in place, and with our client featured below we were excited to help her get her health and wellness collateral together for a new campaign. One day, lots of looks and settings means everyone has more than they need - and having fun while we're at it! These will work well into her print and online marketing materials.
Speaking of fun, some bald eagles have set up shop in the vicinity and I've been doing my best to spend some early mornings and late evenings with them for flattering light. They're amazing to watch and learn from, and it's great to know that we now have five breeding pair on the Island.
I spent some time with Smithtown Honda's president, Lee Certilman, at his dealership to make portraits of him for a trade magazine cover - super nice guy and and fun folks to know!
Last but never, ever least? I spent the afternoon with the folks at Firstborn as they recognized their own for another years' accomplishments and enjoyed amazing food and drink at Peter Luger's steak house in Brooklyn. A perfect spring day with one of my favorite regulars!
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I'm excited to send our clients with canine companions to pick up a new Kong H2O, as the product's packaging reflects our photography work (and I may have slipped my dog onto a few hang tags, too). Shop locally, or shop for them at Bampz.
And last but by no means least, my favorite portrait from our shoot with Raj Tawny, director of marketing at the Huntington Cinema Arts Centre. The theater is independently owned and shows current blockbusters as well as fantastic indy and foreign films. Raj will be happy to tell you all about it! Before it was all over, he was interviewing me for his podcast. Have a listen HERE if you have nothing else to do today - I can be kinda boring, but Raj's enthusiasm carries me a long way!
Speaking of catalogs, we also came across Nicolock's paver catalog - also featuring days of work by three of us on-site at their HQ. That was a fun week, and a lot of work. "High intensity interval training" is pretty much named after our job moving the pavers into position, then out, then in, then out, then in....
While speaking of Works in print, our Kaya the wonder Chinook made the February 2018 breed calendar! A working sled dog, our studio mascot loves the snow. Also, she loves making me hike in it. And play in it. And freeze in it.
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We're excited to see our packaging work head to the stores; it was great working with creatives from Kong to bring this cool new item to market - a water canteen with a lid that acts as a bowl. I know I'll be using it on hikes and playtime with our Kaya...!
And lastly, bore yourself silly listening to me ramble as I answer questions posed by the great Raj Tawney over at the Cinema Arts Centre:
Cinema Stories - Christopher Appoldt Interview
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With our first snow on the ground come and gone, December has done its job and brought winter upon us. End-of-year budgets often mean a stampede of businesses updating their web presence or marketing materials, and it was no different these past few weeks with clients calling to have new head shots for incoming staff such as with our friends at Certilman Balin, a fine young man named Dan at Ernst & Young, and some fresh new faces from a new, local immigration attorney firm, coming soon at riverajulka.com.
We're also still all-business prepping for the holidays. We just participated in an amazing fundraiser where we partnered with local business The Pawfect Pet Den, All proceeds went to The Town of Huntington Animal Shelter, through Give a Dog a Dream. It was a really fun day. Lots of Christmas spirit, goodwill, and of course licks. FYI? Santa was very, very cool.
We photographed the last wedding of the season for us out on Shelter Island, where our happy couple ended the evening with a personalized fireworks display by Grucci. Super fun day, wonderful guests, amazing band. We wish Jennifer and George all the best!
We were up in the Catskill Mountains again with Firstborn, recording their team building, laughs, and sweat through events such as tug-of-war, canoe races, and pie eating. Firstborn has once again been named to Crain’s Best Places to Work in New York list, recognized for their diversity, employee perks and education programs, and overall workplace practices and policies. Which also makes them a blast to photograph all day!
From attorneys to actors, we've seen a non-stop request string for new head shots. Keeping your LinkedIn, portfolio, or business website up-to-date with fresh, attractive images is a great way to bring in your clients (unless you're me, then you use an old photo because there's no one to make the shot me? Yes! That's why!) We try to provide a series of options for clients, changing the lighting, angle overall presentation about 3 times during a visit to our lenses. That gives you a nice array of choices, and if we change your wardrobe, too, you can leave with several photos in your digital asset bin - offering the opportunity to market yourself a little differently across several platforms.
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We’re also seeing our images branded with their Star Wars logos, popping up in the aisles in most major chain stores. Have I mentioned I love Star Wars and love having ANYTHING to do with the saga? So cool – as were our young models! Thanks, Jay Franco & Sons!
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I can’t emphasize enough how happy we are to walk you through wardrobe and other preparations for your business and promotional portrait sitting.
While every day brings something different and exciting, sometimes we get to revisit familiar faces and places – which is even more fun, as we’re all comfortable with each other. Such was the case this year on our 10th anniversary with Firstborn and Peter Luger’s Steakhouse. Everyone was amazing and fun, as usual! Firstborn will be around the lenses three more times this year – can’t wait to see them again!
Lastly a mention of the just-completed Bloomberg New Energy Finance Summit, where world leaders and industrialists, innovators, and scientists get together to present, discuss, and evaluate the future of energy. Mr. Bloomberg was there to discuss his new book on how to organize against climate change, while Rick Perry appeared to address concerns about the Trump Administration’s stance moving forward. It was a busy few days, and an interesting one for Fitbit records! Great to see everyone for the 4th year straight, and we look forward to next year.
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Local talent Kristen Traganas, authoring her first novel came in and we lit her for the light side and the dark side in this series of images destined for the book’s dust jacket. Links to the completed work soon!
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Locally, we’ve only seen a few snowfalls this year – really only one of significance. That doesn’t mean sitting on haunches, though – for dogs or owners. After some fun sledding with the family, out we went.
Which leads us to what it’s like owning a working dog – a breed developed for sleigh pulling in particular. No snow to pull a sleigh in? Well then to exercise, we’ll have to bikejor. And who do you call on Long Island for bikejoring? Paul Kearney at pawesomedogs.com, that’s who. Wild fun, and more to come!
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Also, on Christmas Eve – an uncommon, warm day but with very common smiles and warmth we met with the Muellers for their family portrait. Such a fun bunch – we also made a quick video.
We just spoke with Bloomberg’s event crew, ensuring we’d again provide the event coverage for the upcoming Future of Energy Summit in 2017. The images go straight to the marketing materials, blog, Twitter, and website.
I’m personally looking forward to the Chinook Centennial celebration in New Hampshire, when the breed turns 100 years old. I’m going to wear out a shutter for that one:
And lastly, one smiling faces from Garfunkel & Wild law firm – corporate/business head shots for website updates!:
With all of that said, we’ve been having a lot of fun. Certilman Balin continues to hire some amazing law talent, and then send them over here for their photo workover for press releases and marketing. Darren was no exception in any of the talent or charm departments.
Our ties to the Chinook community are only becoming stronger, and we’re really looking forward to the breed’s 100th Birthday celebration up in New Hampshire – cameras will be tearing through their shutters, I assure you! We had a few images of our Kaya end up in the breed calendar, too. Great fun. Here’s Ukko, who’s as stoic as he is playful.
Speaking of our four-legged friends, we’re just about out of time to get your holiday cards made with images of your furriest (or two-legged!) family members – give us a call soon before the holidays are upon us!
Susan’s layout came in from First for Women magazine, that’s fun to see pop up in print:
Gina has been here to the studio first with her products for photographing, then herself for a portrait as she launches her business, marketing campaign and website selling an all-natural skin care lineup. Having survived cancer and authored a book about the subject, it’s amazing to work with her and learn about her approach to her product, and her new lease on life. 
While on the editorial vein, we just finished our first shoot with First for Women magazine, and I’m excited to see the images in print. Susan has a great story to share, and while not a fan of limelight thought her story was worth the smiles – we agree.
We’re also excited to see a lot of our work up on Metpar’s site, after a full day of commercial photography featuring their partition wares. Stainless steel is very reflective, and we had a definite goal in mind – so scrims were the order of the day.
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We also had a great time with Ainsley, who needed a series of images for her business marketing and personal websites. She couldn’t have been more lively and fun a visitor here to the studio, and the results prove it. 
Lastly, we wrapped up shooting on Jeff’s new product line, including his new weight belt for sale online – take a peek if you’re in the market, here. 
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Here at the studio, Steve came in for a head shot workup to refresh his LinkedIn profile. Within an hour we’d completed a set of natural light shots and a variety of studio images. Go get ’em, Steve.
After Day One, we decided that our legs hurt. Hm. So, on Day Two, we clocked our activity on the iPhone: 14,855 steps, 6.79miles, and 14+ flights of steps. And that was just Tuesday.
Great to see Mr. Bloomberg again, who’s always gracious, and to meet John Kerry. Kerry is tall. Taller than me. That’s tall.
A nod to Josh and his event team, and the gals in Social Media – great job, gang!
With Kaya the Chinook added as our newest family member and unofficial mascot, we’ve been taking in a lot of questions about our pet photography schedules. YES, we’re still in the business of pet portraits! Just shoot us an email of give us a call.
Kaya’s almost 6 months old, now, and making friends everywhere.
On a frigid day we cranked the heat and filled up with kids again for a great shoot for Jay Franco & Sons for their new hooded towel line, and as usual the smiles were adorable and the packaging complete within a week of the booking – done and done! I think the greatest part about working on these shoots is that we get to cast local kids, and I love seeing their folks update their Facebook pages with posts about finding their children on boxes on shelves in department stores.
Lastly we were revisited by the gang at Helios, who are revolutionizing the art of tattoo application. Their site is looking great, check it out by clicking HERE.
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We always try to make it fun for the younger clients when planning a day in front of the lenses for comp cards. These days that means I have to change the Pandora station from where I usually have it, and I’ll just let you pop in some day to see what that station actually is. Meanwhile, Ashley was great and her agent gave the thumbs-up with our results.
Lastly, we had a great and easy shoot for a client in Illinois, who needed us to merge studio shots of remote staff here in New York with pre-existing portraits from their office in Chicago. You get to guess which are which…
EVO Payments International had us in for executive head shots , and the gang couldn’t have been nicer. Their lobby has this fish tank that has sharks in it… it’s huge…but the point is that the lobby offered us enough space for multiple sets, and we had a fun and brilliantly efficient time making the images.
TopTrenz kept us very, very busy with a large portion of their product line, putting over 400 items in front of the lenses here at the studio. Cheers to Heather for her steadfast skill at arranging shoulder bags!
Lastly, a quick introduction to the new, unofficial mascot around here, Kaya. Kaya is adorable. Loves to play, lick, pounce, bounce, and make hilarious “roo roo!” noises. She’s pretty darn good at going potty outside (only), too. Kaya is a Chinook, which is a fascinating breed – by all means read yourself an eyeful by clicking HERE.
‘Tis the season to be busy! Our sales and booking calendar here trend to ramp up to almost uncontrollable every November and December, right before trailing off to a similarly predictable quiet January as everyone examines their budgets and digests all that holiday food. So, knowing there will be some time to adjust it’s been decided that a new family member will join us here as we welcome a dog into the fold! Time to elevate all the camera bags from the floor for a while.
We had the pleasure of welcoming Dana and Jayson over from radio station WBLI, they were great fun. They’ll join a compilation of others, which I’ll display in an upcoming post.
The gang over at Proactive Medical have too been keeping us busy with their product line, and my fluency in bed alarms is certainly on the rise.
It’s also been the months of family portraits, where repeat customers come back in preparation for their annual holiday shout-out. So great to see kids growing and hear the families’ updates. To everyone: have a great holiday season and new year!
Casey and I revisited Long Island Lutheran schools to vamp up their marketing assets, and had an amazing time with their kids in the Day School as well as their athletes at the High School. A big tip of the hat to their marketing gals Kate and Susan, who not only facilitated a few dozen athletes and locations but rescued my beloved tripod from under the golf cart’s seat.
The studio here hasn’t been empty once since September, with all sorts of great items headed to market. Pop onto Amazon and check out GreenPaxx’s eco-conscious items, or Marmara’s Turkish Delight offerings (and yeah, we were able to keep the samples of the latter – delicious!). Proactive Medical has particularly been keeping us busy – a big thanks and thumbs up to them! Really there have been so many products through the doors lately we had to order a few more items for the studio to keep up with it. Keep ’em coming!
Our friends and regulars over at Garfunkel & Wild had us back to make portraits of their attorneys staffing their new Albany offices, and they couldn’t have been nicer. There’s no real trick to having a great day there – the load-in is easy with the elevators, the receptionist is quick to smile and make sure we’re settled, and hey – electrical outlets in the floors of the conference rooms. Now that, my dear readers, is strobe-friendly.
On the topic of portraits, we had an amazing time marking an important birthday for Nellie here in the studio. She was nervous and excited all at once, and no amount of chit chat, music, or assurances seemed to get the edge off. So, I made funny faces. That worked! Happy birthday, Nellie – you look awesome!
The marketing team over at Certilman-Balin has us continuing with the photography of their new hires, and we’re always happy to welcome new business subjects here at the studio. Good luck, Jen!
Jerry Zarin, a businessman, actor, and a fine singer too, popped back for some stylish head shots for his portfolio. Great to see you, Jerry – both here under the lights as well as online over at Humans of New York!
Last but by no means least, we too had another stage performer pop in for some head shots to accompany her bio in the Playbill, soon to be read before her NYC performances – Cailin, you were great!
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We’ve just wrapped up a big job with Lutheran Day and High schools, where we spent several days capturing a day in the life of students and faculty for use as marketing . Schools are big and gear is heavy, but their cooperation made it all a pleasure. Looking forward to seeing their new website in a few weeks.
Lastly, as we wrap up our spring wedding season, a special shout out and thank you to all of our brides and grooms. Shown below are last weekend’s happy couple, Ricky and Jessica, who are now in Greece – where I hope they’re enjoying their honeymoon (and access to ATMs). Best wishes, everyone!
We also paid a fun and interesting visit to the folks over at NeuLion, who are responsible for streaming TV content. With a control room every bit as cool a setting for images as you’d hope as a photographer, we went in with only a few lights to make our subjects stand out as they were interviewed by editorial staff – keeping the images natural, lit with subtlety, and candid. And, for the first time in a long time, we found a parking spot to load in the gear right near the front door. I call that a win.
Also, below spot the Thank You cards from Craig and Abby’s wedding – I love seeing our shots in print every month, no matter where they appear!
We have a great new client for product photography here in the Huntington area, the world-renowned Wood Violins company, founded by legend Mark Wood. It was an honor and a pleasure to be able to see and handle the violins up close, and have a very educated and excited staff explain the nuances of the creation and marketing of electric violins. Here’s a screen grab from the studio work, where every angle and reflection are thought-through when we execute the series to conform to their specs:
Business as usual as the winter churns on, Victor and I sent a great day at the Chelsea Pier ice rink (yep, cold outside and inside) on Manhattan’s west side with the gang from Firstborn, with whom we work with a few times a year chronicling their fun and often hilarious respites from working hard to stay the top multimedia company in the nation. Employees with tenure wear their Firstborn hockey jerseys and tear up the ice (when it’s not tearing them up), enjoy a skyline view of New Jersey over dinner and welcome the holidays. Santa made an appearance in the photo booth, too. Cheers guys – see you at Peter Luger’s in a few weeks!
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At least today our subjects are wearing more than a towel, as illustrated here with Kassandra for our latest endeavor with Jay Franco & Sons for their new product line’s hang-tags.
We’re also starting to see our round of marketing images for the law firm of Certilman Balin show up in the papers and on their website here, where we spent a great morning getting to know their staff and lawyers. Want to know what beats having a coffee machine four feet from your photo set? Not much…
We had an amazing time meeting and photographing the legendary Norman Lear, an icon in the television production world. I mentioned that Sanford and Son may have been my favorite of his, but just stating that I saw the show, albeit on reruns, dates me – so maybe I shouldn’t mention that at all. Great guy and full of sprightly vigor, his new memoirs just hit the book shelves.
We also returned to the offices of CitiBank in Long Island City for more executive head shots, and by this time we have the procedure down pretty well when it comes to getting through security – the trick is to pack gear bags compact enough to go through the x-ray conveyor.
I never really wear sneakers to assignments – they would be out of place at most of our gigs. But when Long Island University’s Post campus called for marketing coverage of their Homecoming celebration, I slipped on the ‘ol comfy Merrell’s for a day in the field. At least until the dinner event later. You know what? Football players are fast.
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Locally, we’ve teamed up with the Greenlawn-Centerport Business Association to produce visual media for their advertising and outreach marketing materials. This means visiting members at their place of business and making photographs that both the association and the business can use to promote themselves and their services – and to remind residents that their local business owners are residents and neighbors, too. It also helps residents and businesses shape the way services in the towns grow. It’s been an honor meeting them, and of course, making their photographs!
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We were hired by XSport Fitness out of Chicago to visit their Long Island location in Massapequa, in order to create a series of marketing images of their offices as well as photograph their Get Fit Challenge winner. Our own challenge was to photograph our subject working out and presenting her new physique in over 5 locations in just under four hours’ time, a bit of a workout in itself – but not a problem with the proper planning. Also, elevators – elevators help a lot, when the gym is two stories of equipment and floor space! 
Lastly, a shout out to Katie,who came in for some tests for her modeling portfolio. Mixing it up on location as well as in the studio, she was a great personality to meet and work with. thanks, Katie!
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Also, we were thrilled to return to Dr. Leon Klempner’s offices to see Saline, whose surgeries were progressing well. In fact, the doc just sent a status update – she’s returned to her village in Nairobi, where she hugged her sibling and wouldn’t let go, having missed her so much with all of the time passed since she came here to New York to have her surgeries performed. I’m sure everyone who helped support Saline’s surgeries and Dr. Klempner’s mission to make it happen will miss her, and certainly we’ll never forget her over here, either. Best of luck to you, Saline…! The following was just published in the Tufts University alumni magazine… 
Shifting gears, we’re initiating our show coverage at the Greenlawn Equestrian Center next month, with on-site print sales and online order capability. Look for our newest branding there (easy, no pun intended)…!
And lastly, a quick shout-out to Liz, whose Workplace Wisdom series looks great with the images we made together – cheers, Liz!
That said, headed into 2014 we’ve been busy, especially with our corporate work – head shots, office images, and products. Ditto for the editorial work. But too, we’ve been shooting a line of kids’ clothing products, and in the process we’ve made a bunch of new friends as they return to bulk up their portfolios. Especially with my own adorable toddler running around, it’s been a lot of rewarding fun working with all of the kids!
I went to the mailbox today to find that my Nikon Professional Membership delivered me a new card and a pin, commemorating their 40 years of service. Nikon Professional Services are a great asset for us, here – repairs are priority for us, which means we can get back to work, and whenever we need some specialty gear for a job they’re happy to send over a loaner. Cheers, Nikon Gang – glad to have you as an asset- and a big brother!
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We’re headed for winter, so goodbye to our outdoor sporting shots of the tennis crew over at NYIT – the images were a blast to make, and by “blast” I mean we had to pull out some big strobes to overpower the sun. This is one of my favorites, and we’re working on some football player images to match. But for now, off to rake the leaves and gear up for some engagement photos.
One of the most challenging aspects of making photographs on location is the lighting; for this shot of a catering team in action, we had to match the existing lighting of the room, so that there wouldn’t be a color shift, then determine our exposure, then add a series of supplemental lights to balance our image with the prominent subject. We have four strobes in this scene, ensuring the image had depth and commercial appeal for its purpose in the facility’s literature. It’s like a puzzle to put together, and one of my favorite aspects of photography – keeps the ‘ol noodle sharp, all the while under a time crunch to get as many options for the client as you can. Oh and if you haven’t secured the DeSeversky Center for an event? Do it…
Earlier in May, Victor and I hustled out to CitiCorp in Long Island City to create some head shots for executives on their way to the Cannes Film Festival to present on marketing. The toughest part of that job was the load in and load out, as that monolith of an office building has its loading dock about the furthest from where we needed to be as possible – but then Victor and I are strong, mostly-healthy lads, and we eventually made it up to the 30th floor… We photographed our subjects on backdrops, around the building, and delivered the shots almost overnight as their plane was on its way that weekend. Cheers gang- I’ll bet you did great!
In the end, everyone cancelled but one client that fateful Friday – and it was a client in Manhattan. The shoot was scheduled down in Tribeca, at a hotel that really pissed us off and put our backs against the wall had a strict policy about photo shoots: NO. Truly a shame, especially as the interiors were visually incredible – no expense spared with the decorating.
So, our subject Carlotta De Luca, who’d flown in from Italy for Fashion Week, patiently – and very sweetly with complete understanding – worked with Victor and me to get the shots we needed for the magazine. We braved the oncoming blizzard for a few minutes outside the hotel, getting Carlotta an umbrella to shield herself from the sleet and winds. A SWAT team promptly showed up right about then, no kidding… they were reluctant to tell us why they were there, but assured us all was ok – so we simply kept clicking through a stream of black-clad men and body armor, complete with M-4 rifles as they spilled from the back of the NYPD van.
Then, we made our way up to Carlotta’s room, which was thankfully just visited by maid service. I really, really wanted to pop a few strobes into an umbrella-box on the top floor blacony, but we knew that would make Carlotta’s stay an uncomfortable one. So, we shot it with a reflector, then headed back to Penn Station. We made it out just in time, as the storm really started kicking up when we were unloading at my place. Three sets of images from various locations where a blizzard raged and a wagging finger said “absolutely not.” I’ll call that a good day…
Here’s page from a new website that features scores of our images of hookahs, shisha, and more. Two very cool and entrepenurial gents spent a few days in the studio with me as we twisted hoses, polished metal and glass, and used up to 9 strobes at a time to well-capture their product line. Check out their site by clicking here.
Speaking of product shots, here’s a screen grab from a job we did at the studio that saw a lot of visibility in regards to your January 1st favorite, Tylenol. The trick to this job as well as the hookah job was allowing the items’ curvatures to show depth and form with the lights’ reflections, while managing the color for a perfect rendition:
Lastly, here’s a graphic of Matt’s latest CD case artwork, including images we made together while at his recording studio. The best part about Matt is that when he’s playing or singing, I don’t have to direct him to look relaxed or natural – the man’s already there.
Bowtie Publishing’s latest and greatest book on Australian Shepherds just hit the shelves, and there’s plenty of company with many of my photos among titles’ content and covers at the local bookstore and PetSmart. There are five of their publications presently on the shelves that feature some of my pet photography. Felt good taking a peek at the new book especially…
Firstborn had me join them at Belmont Raceway again, for a good, fun and this year not-too-hot afternoon at the races. Michael had everyone dress the part again, as per their work-function rules. Awesome.
I’ve been having a blast with a dew set of tri-split canvas backdrops we purchased, allowing the appearance of a a wall and floor combo that work particularly well with children and pets. In this case, a pleasant young pup named Jackson…
There have been more than a few editorial shoots and events we’ve covered, too, and Berger Bros. camera has pinged me to teach some lessons at their new Huntington location – stay tuned for that! Also, note that The Best of LI has me listed under Pet Photography – dunno how that happened, honestly. But hey, since it’s there, give a vote for me! http://vote.longislandpress.com/engine/YourSubmission.aspx?contestid=71119
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I also just had another book releaed featuring photos of Golden Retriever’s I’ve met and photographed; that’s a local Long Islander on the cover, with plenty of his pals inside the book’s pages. Keep an eye peeled.
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I’m also psyched to see a lot of the bicycle photography we made finally make it to print, within the pages of a new book out about the best and the raddest of the 1980s BMX bikes. I was there for that history, skinning my knees and getting as much air as I could on my Mongoose and Kuwahara – so it’s not a surprise I ended up restoring a few of the bikes I could find while I was at it. Check out the book here.
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The day illustrated below began as a routine assignment – photograph subjects X, Y, and Z at their respective locations, for a magazine piece on the efforts of doctors and their students at the university. The catch is that when you show up, with one assistant and a confident stride, the shot list grows. Doubles. In this case, triples. Now I’m not a guy who says “No, I can’t do that…” very often, because the truth is that I probably can do it (I believe that we all can, if we choose to); my client, who I like to think of as a best friend who doesn’t want to be let down, needs something – and if I can deliver, I will.
So, Jen and I exchanged a few looks throughout the day, but we pushed through. Tore down one set after another, moved up a floor, set back up, and kept listening carefully to what our client needed, and kept shooting. We shot in tight hallways, enclosed rooms where closing the drapes was the only option to create a compelling image, set up strobe after strobe, tried out everything we had to. We even stood next to about 7 corpses, who were quietly reclined in the anatomy lab, to get the shot we needed. In the end? We broke a record for most sets in one day on location, had every shot requested “in the can,” and discovered just what my old, crackling knees can do in just under seven hours. Big thumbs up to Jen for being a trooper, and a toast: to never saying, “No, I can’t do that.”
Gabriel Sloyer, who aside from being an active actor, is a clever and fun guy to make portraits with. He’s been to the studio twice in the past few months for a variety of images that display not only his physical attributes, but his range as an actor and chameleon. Here’s just one of about 1,000 images I’m going through of Gabriel; I’ll post another soon, where hopefully you can compare and contrast what we’re trying to do with his comp card.
We also just delivered Carly’s headshot set, and a few of the images I really loved – her eyes are ice blue, and they just pull the viewer in. Carly, you’ll be great!
Here’s a quick post about a very noble and dedicated young man at NYIT in Westbury, where as captain of NYIT’s cross country team and ECC Preseason Male Runner of the Year, he seldom fails to pace himself with both his running and his studies. He plans to return to Kenya after graduation to open a community health center in Chuchuniat, but took the time to pose for a location portrait to be featured in the university magazine.
We had to overpower the ambient light for this, using several carefully-aimed strobes to create the dramatic effect that lets the sky become a detailed part of the image as well.
Also, if your caught the Oscars the other night, you saw Christopher Plummer finally get what was coming to him! It was a great pleasure to meet him a while back, and make his promotional portrait in Huntington. Cheers, Christopher – you know I knew.
Ed is a remarkably affable fellow, as I’m sure anyone who’s worked with him will tell you – we found out we likely know some of the same peeps from high school back in the day, but that had nothing to do with his willingness to be a great subject for a few stills. For some reason, all the gals wanted to see the pics from this shoot before the camera batteries had even cooled off, too. Check out his website to see the great stuff he’s writing, directing, filming, and starring in here: http://www.edwardburns.net/
Ed is a remarkably affable fellow, as I’m sure anyone who’s worked with him will tell you – we found out we likely know some of the same peeps from high school back in the day, but that had nothing to do with his willingness to be a great subject for a few stills. For some reason, all the gals wanted to see the pics from this shoot before the camera batteries had even cooled off, too. Check out his website to see the great stuff he’s writing, directing, filming, and starring in here: http://www.edwardburns.net/
]]>I’ve seen a lot of Melvin’s work, and meeting the legend himself was an absolute pleasure. While we only had a few minutes together for the shoot, we were able to talk about film, his home in Paris, and how absolutely cool it was that he could produce that cigar (half smoked) from his pocket while having his portrait made. Melvin, I’m going to take you up on that invite for a coffee in Paris one day – I mean it.
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On a recent shoot with America’s VetDogs, several images we made together were selected by American Greetings for holiday cards, as shown at left. If you’re not familiar with America’s VetDogs, take the time to read this link here. Located in Smithtown, they work with some of the same great staff and crew that train the great pups of The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. They’re fantastic clients to work with, and every job I see in print (or on their website) from our time together makes me feel great, knowing that they’re making a difference. Happy holidays, everyone.
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The three little pigs shown below were an absolute BLAST to meet, scratch, pet, play with, and photograph. Their owner – or maybe “minder” is a better word – runs what’s regarded as the largest pot-bellied pig rescue on the Eastern seaboard. My hat’s off to Janice – she and her family’s generosity are matched only by their love for these amazing animals in their time of need.
I was listening to another photographer talk about how exhausting it can be to photograph dogs, and man oh man could I associate with that. Now don’t get me wrong – it’s the usual great time, filled with people who share my love of dogs, on a great mission to help others! But too, it’s a lot of knee-poppin’, back-bending, and sweat to accompany all of the laughs and smiles. It’s a joint effort, a collaboration – the furry friends are a part of it, the trainers and handlers, the organizers (who forsee all of the chaos), and even my assistant were all part of the fray. As the shooter, my mind is on the tech end of the shoot as well as being part Director, part active participant. And with dogs on a mission such as these pups, an important part of the shoot is knowing when to stay the heck out of it – to just let the trainers do their thing. Most of all, everyone involved needs patience and the constitution to stay in the game.
So, what does it take to get a group shot of these handsome breeds that lend their lives to helping veterans and the visually impared? A lot of bags of ice for knees, coffee, pizza for fuel, hyper organization, and 100% focus – for 7 hours at a time. Maybe a back rub would help, too. Thanks again to all the staff there – you guys and gals were amazing.
One of my favorite (air conditioned) shoots several weeks back was with North Shore Animal League America, where we made a variety of images for their Public Service Announcements and ads with their lovely spokesperson, Beth Ostrosky Stern. Beth was great as usual – she brought several perfect outfits, her can-do attitude, love for the animals, and of course her great smile. NSALA staff had some amazing kittens and puppies ready to be adopted, and it was rather obvious that the animals wanted to make a great impression, too. It’s always a crazy variable, the animals – sometimes they want to cooperate, sometimes they don’t – but our subjects this day all wanted to play along and mug the camera. Bingo.
It was everything I’d envisioned: textured oak walls, the vague smell of old wood, cigars, coffee, and leather. The locker room was familiar, and after asking why was told that they shot a scene with Jodi Foster and Christopher Plummer there in the film Inside Man. I remembered the shot – she stormed in on him receiving a haircut.
The library where we decided to make the portrait was a charming, warm, and very dark room. The former attributes you love as a photographer – but the latter, well – “photo” does mean light, after all…
This took a little bit of wrangling with the gear, and with our subject somewhat pressed for time there was little room for error, not to mention trials. The result is below, and I love the shot. Thankfully, so did my client!
http://www.bocker.tv/bockerstale.htm
Meanwhile, churning away. My great university clients are keeping me very busy, with upcoming shoots from Brooklyn to MTV in Manhattan, then back to the financial district. My two favorite animal shelters, too, have been keeping me running – but more on that later. Anyway, with a wedding coming up later in the month and a ton of print deliveries to prep, I’m pooped. More to come…
Jennifer Grant: laughing with me, thankfully...not at me.
My first stock image, sold to Avanti Press for this card - see if you can spot it!
I would be remiss not to post about yet another great visit to the law offices of Garfunkel & Wild to make the official portraits of their new attorneys, which happens about once each year with us – and has since 2006. Daniel and I spent the entire afternoon there sitting 16 of their new faces, and this time we shot with the camera tethered to a laptop PC, allowing us to perform the proofing for the subjects right there on the spot. Shooting tethered lets us keep a close eye on the results, too, and all-told lets corporate photography clients see their order turned around in a fraction of the time. Cheers, gang – great to meet the new faces, and see the familiar ones!
With that said, I’m back from a few weeks abroad having visited family and friends in the Netherlands and in Spain. I left when it was 50 degrees and raining, only to return to 85+ degrees and lots of sun…and even a tornado warning? With summer officially here, then, it’s time to dive in and get back to work. Two weddings, a band shoot, some model testing, more corporate work, and a few editorial jobs are already inked in; should be a great summer!
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The first thing I learned is that WordPress Blogs are a hassle if you want to write about more than one photo shoot, as posting more than one image creates a bit of layout nightmare. So, I’ll only be posting one image per post as I move forward here.
The second thing I learned is that iPhones don’t float. Apologies to all that may have inconvenienced over the past several days – but know that now even my voice mail is up and running again. Whew. Special apologies to my head shots on the 16th, you shouldn’t have to wait for more than a day for a call-back!
The third thing I learned is that Dalmations, Chinese Cresteds, and dog trainers named Lisa Hartman are all very, very cool. Lisa took the time to drive out from Southampton and brought over her Dal Jay-J and her Crested Saffy for a shoot, and it was a great day. The subjects were fantastic, Lisa tolerated shares my sense of humor, and the afternoon flew by. As a result she has some fun portraits to choose from, and I’m proud of a new homepage image set. Don’t hesitate to give Lisa a call if you’re looking to start off with a new puppy, change some bad habits, or even just need help to understand a rescued new best friend. Lisa’s training covers Long Island’s East End as well as Manhattan; you can read more here: http://www.lisathedogtrainer.com/
I'm pretty sure if Saffy wanted to change a lightbulb, she'd do it by merely jumping and spinning. She also likes rubbing of just about any kind. And turkey dogs.
Tricolored heron, Sanibel Island FL
The catch is always the same on such trips – know your subjects and their behaviors, position yourself with the dawn or setting sun as appropriate, get down to their level, and shoot the heck out of them. You can read all about the photography on the trip and see more of my images by visiting the blog of my favorite lens and camera equipment rental service, who flatter me by being interested – click here:
http://www.lensprotogoblog.com/
Next up is a shot of local band Inner Situation, whom I’ll formally introduce just prior to their upcoming gig in Bellmore. The catch to this shoot was that we didn’t really have the space to light them as a group, so we carefully shot them each singly then assembled the group. We used four lighting setups so that the band could get the most mileage out of the time, and then took their requests for group images and single head shots.
Inner Situation
I actually had to miss the band’s LI debut as I was on-set shooting Edie Flaco, of Sopranos and Nurse Jackie fame. She’s a local hero, having grown up in Northport, which is steps away from my hometown. Ms. Falco was considerate, sweet, and a treat for crowds at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, where she was engaged in a Q&A about her latest film.
Too I’m happy to mention being invited to Peter Luger’s steakhouse in Brooklyn, to cover another fun event thrown by Firstborn Multimedia. Firstborn is an admirable company for a variety of reasons; from its leadership to its culture, its inherent talent and amazing products, their award-winning efforts cater to the likes of Pepsi, Wrigley, and AT&T.
I’ve also been crazy filling the home studio with everyone from dancers to local singers to actors and dogs, it looks like it’s going to be a great year in there – so I don’t regret the investment one bit. Take a peek at the finished product, below.
Firstborn Multimedia works hard, plays hard.
Open for business!
This first image is Emily, who really pulled off a couple of great looks as we went for catalog fashion, shown here on green, and too a glamor/editorial with much more vivid color as shown here. Emily is a little new to the game, but you’d never have known it from her professionalism and enthusiasm.
Also below, a few great examples of images that have made it into recent print. First up is a spread in Fetch about the ever-generous Beth Ostrosky Stern, which also features the book cover we shot a few summers back. 
The great Adam Pass did a perfect job of angling a reflector to help us give Beth a little edge lighting in this shot.
And Lastly, an advert for North Shore Animal League’s mascot for Mutt-i-Grees….man, were we lucky to get this cute guy smiling. All he wanted to do was play once he was taken out of that kennel.
I was happy to see my portrait of actor Keir Dullea made it into an article in Rangefinder magazine this month, and even was the first image in the article. Take a peek at their site in the link, the magazine has been the premier magazine for professional photographers for as long as I can remember – I’m flattered.
On the topic of magazines, Bird Talk has been running scores of photographs in its pages from my shoot with members of the Long Island Parrot Society over the past few months. Special tip ‘o the hat to the gang – great posing! I tried something new with my parrot photos on this submission, taking special care to produce a life-like color print – and think it paid off.
Lastly, here’s the famous and loveable Eli, the chihuahua. Eli has graced the packaging of Milk Bone dog bisquits, countless ad campaigns, and is now sharing screen time with his mom Karen on Doggie Moms. Check out Karen & Eli’s webpage here, too. We shot Eli for the upcoming issue of Dog Fancy magazine, and as usual Eli was as professional a model as one could ask for. Thanks you two!
]]>We had a pretty big room to photograph him in, and while the setting was medical I wanted to de-emphasize it and focus on our subject. The first task was to set the exposure to correctly capture the iPhone screen, then build up an edgy and engaging look to the lights for our subject himself. This took a lot of running around few more minutes of setup than usual, so I was glad I brought all of the lights in the arsenal – I used five altogether. It just ran in the NYIT alumni magazine, along with the full story.
Next is a shot is a rare behind-the-scenes snap for you, of my miraculous crew of photographers and elves on location at an undisclosed location on Long Island, where we met a US Navy MH-60R for some images of the crew, the machine, and its capabilities. I work regularly with this contractor, but never mention them by name here (nor do I show their work) as I’m bound by Copyright agreements.
I'm the tall, nerdy guy in black, obnoxiously leaning on the $28M Seahawk as though it were a pickup truck.
I mentioned it was shaping up to be a cold and snowy winter, yes? On the bright side, that meant a really great opportunity recently when Stella Betty Davie came over to the studio for a head shot workout. Stella is originally from Scotland, and her original songs – along the folk vein – are amazing. I was treated to a few, I insisted! It was also a great way to get Stella into some natural poses, and garner some smiles. When the snow started, it was perfect – big flakes, nice light. It didn’t hurt that one of her most popular songs is about winter, which let us nail some appropriately thematic images. Way to go, Stella!
Stella Betty Davie
And lastly, I had a bit of a breakdown yesterday, what with the snow and sleet. I’m gearing up to head down to Sanibel Island in Florida, I just need a break from the winter. On the plus side, it will be a working vacation for wild bird stock photography. I’ve been down there a few times for 4:30 a.m. alarm clock mornings, wading into lagoons, and making images of my favorite dinosaurs. Of course, the grouper sandwiches and Coronas at the beach bars after never hurt a guy, either…
A few from my last trip to Sanibel Island
Here is Major General Phillip Volpe, Commanding General of Western Regional Medical Command in Puget Sound. He flew a long way from Washington State, so I arrived more than 90 minutes early to set up for his portrait. Having scouted the location a few weeks before, I though that I’d use the leading lines of a speaking room’s seating to create a pleasant editorial portrait that put him in context where he was to be speaking that day. A lot of this idea was based on the warning that he’d likely not be in uniform, a potential request from the Army. But when I heard he’d been spotted in uniform, I adapted quickly to re-set for the shot you see here. This way, we get to focus on the man alone, his uniform and smile telling us all we need to know.
Next up is Crystal Ackley, model – and host of the Sportsman Channel’s American Airgunner. We wanted to create a series of images of Crystal in various wardrobes by a local designer, but too we wanted to be sure she walked away with a few head shots that showed a bit of a softer side of her than she shows on her cable program. Aside from using studio strobes, we also went for a nice, flattering shot as illustrated below. Reflectors and natural light do the work for lighting, Crystal and I did the rest.
I just delivered the final DVD sets to Annabelle and Mark, whose beautiful wedding we captured in late August. It was an amazing day of photography; we started early in the morning with Annabelle’s preparation, covering just about every move she and her family made at the house. From there we headed to the church, where the light was just perfect (almost never happens!). The reception was nearby at the Harbor Club, where their manicured waterfront property gave us an amazing setting. Congrats, you two.
Lastly, I’d love to mention the coverage I again provided for the American Parkinson Disease Association’s 6th annual dog walk. Every year it seems they bring in a larger crowd, with more donors, smiles and fun. My mom worked for the local Parkinson’s clinic for as long as I can remember, and I’m always happy to hear from the APDA when they need photo coverage. This year brought even more dogs with amazing skills, talent, and warmth to declare the day a success, and admittedly my knees were sore from the up/down to get some great angles. No matter how crackly my knees, it was worth it.
I used six light sources to photograph Keir, with two strip lights showing prominently in his eyes.
Next up of mention is a collage from a recent event I covered for North Shore Animal League, at their 2010 celebrity Gala and fundraiser. Red carpets can get pretty sweaty, but Rachael and I held our own and photographed the likes of Stephen Baldwin, Sandra Bernhard, and scores of other familiar and generous faces. Deborah Cox sang her heart out for the crowd, and by the end of the night I was wondering if I’d need a cortisone shot for the strain in my arms from the camera weight. Worth every second!
2010 NSALA Gala
First up, a big mention to the ever-patient and talented Scott Portugal, who is awaiting his last set of re-touched and color-corrected images from an interior shoot we did of his design work in NYC and NJ. Scott doesn’t mess around, and he’s a dedicated perfectionist (which is why the final photos have to be just as immaculate, for his portfolio). Here’s a sample of thehigh dynamic range (HDR) photography we made, combining the best of up to five exposures of the same scene. The end-look is a little surreal, and bypasses the need for extensive lighting – unless you need an off-camera flash pop or two, which I did add from time to time.
Scott's designs are done here, he's off to Florida - and he's leaving behind some great work.
Next, a shot from a day I sent with Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer. Cesar was visiting a local elementary school to promote the Mutt-i-Grees curriculum, in conjunction with North Shore Animal League America. I covered his visit and interactions with the students and parents, and watched them all delight in his warm and caring personality. Nice guy – not the first time we’ve worked together, but I definitely enjoyed a more intimate setting with him, and he had me laughing more than a few times throughout the day. Watch for the rest of the shoot in his magazine, Cesar’s Way.
Cesar shoots me a smile after 6 hours with the kids - the man has more energy than you'd imagine possible, and he's doing great things with it.
Lastly, I’ll finish up my first entry with the lovely Beth Stern, spokesperson for NSALA. Over the years Beth has become my most regular and favorite of subjects, and Beth has charmed everyone & everything from my mother to my lenses with that smile and her kindness (and I’m betting the fuzzy friend in her arms will feel the same) in the process. Beth and Howard adopted the cat, Walter, from NSALA – making it two cats and a dog that now share their home. Hat’s off to you for your big heart, Beth – and don’t ever let anyone say anything different.
Beth adopts Walter, who took cues on great poses like it was his job.