two years ago today we witnessed a young couple share their lives right before us and a few (hundred) of their dear friends and family. it was also on this day that we captured one of our top 100 images to date.
jessica and nic's 2007 blog
jessica's love letter
as a special surprise karen and i created a video that celebrated the "old married couple" of 2 years!
CONGRATULATIONS!
well here it is. our very first iPhone Blog post. I really wanted to add to our experience of sharing who we are and what and how our photography is shaping our lives. i am hoping to add yet more "updates" to our site as well. change is good!
michelle and mark on-line proofing website
when we meet a couple we usually spend time talking with them about how they met and their story for a while before we even begin to talk about photography... to see the thread of our connection. with michelle and mark we were instantly comfortable and felt like we had known them for years. i can’t even begin to tell you how much joey and i wanted to be part of mark and michelle's wedding! many have heard us speak about natasha... aka “tash” she not only introduced us to them... she introduced michelle and mark to each other! they, tash and her cohorts conspired to have them meet at her son’s bar mitzvah... a few years ago! the thread was sown. they had their very first date on mark’s boat where we actually photographed their engagement session. hmm, pretty cool we thought.
m&m seeing each other for the first time. a whole new wow factor in the romance category.
michelle’s dad sasha brought out vodka shots for the guys to celebrate along with pickles and sweet bread to chase down the peppered vodka.
mark’s portrait is taken right outside of michelle’s parent’s sauna. we learned earlier the sauna has a special meaning and hosts a men’s night that you have to be pretty “confident” to be part of…
this classic portrait of michelle and mark has a studio vibe to it… however, we shot this right in the living room. a chapter taken right out of her parents past.
after the editorials at UCLA we really could have gone home… but no way could we miss this incredible celebration.
glad we din't cause that wouldn't been good PLUS we would have cut short a day that was just beginning to go into full swing. you see when you get a call from the groom the day before the wedding to go over a few last minute details and he ends with..."be prepared for a really BIG party!" mark...you weren't kidding. we started our day at 1pm and said our last goodbyes at 1am the next morning.
love, love, love our couples. we had a blast and can't wait to see them again.
-karen and joey
editorials: ucla
venue: hollywood temple beth-el
iranian american jewish center, director of events: irma smith
entertainment: david & the high spirit
caterer: maxim restaurant
floral design: majestic flowers tony and lana
videographer: peter vaysman studio effects
make up/ stylist: patrice miranda
limousine service: ps limo
favors: chocoveda
katubah signing and ceremony rabbi cantor larry ellis
jaime and anthony on-line proofing website
jaime and anthony on-line bridal album
"within every man and woman a secret is hidden, and as a photographer it is my task to reveal it if i can. the revelation, if it comes at all, will come in a small fraction of a second with an unconscious gesture, a gleam of the eye, a brief lifting of the mask that all humans wear to conceal their innermost selves from the world. in that fleeting interval of opportunity the photographer must act or lose his prize."
-yousuf karsh
i don't ever recall reciting a quote as a post on one of our brides...but i find it quite ironic that i just finished posting this as our "quote of the month". the reason i bring this up is that when we met jaimie and her parents to discuss her wedding day she was outwardly reserved but on the inside she shared in our style and sense of fashion. we came away, yet again, with a renewed passion in our photography and could not wait to share in their wedding day at the skirball cultural center. a dynamic Jewish cultural institution and museum tucked away in the canyons of los angeles, ca.
when it comes to a location of an image, having "listened" to the choices of why a couple has chosen a location, i consider what speaks to me. to some a long, rectangular grey corridor might appear cold and stark but to me the beauty of this lies in the angular lines of renowned architect Moshe Safdie's vision. the building adds height, contrast and drama to a photograph of three beautiful bridesmaids in red.
do you think the architect ever envisioned jaime and anthony's wedding when he designed the skirball?
what warms my heart is celebrating a day in the life of a couple.
"...the revelation, if it comes at all, will come in a small fraction of a second with an unconscious gesture..."
i think this is evident in our photography.
shah- lohm -joey
rehearsal dinner – cheesecake factory woodland hills
venue – skirball cultural center los angeles
skirball coordinator – lainy parlen
day of coordinator – rachel brooks
floral event design – luna gardens – ricardo luna
entertainment – city connection – sal kuenzler
cake – cake crumbs – susan and john
bride's gown lili bridal boutique – tarzana, ca
hair and make up – art lab – cheryl and ozzie
ketubah signing and ceremony - rabbi kircher
honeymoon – italy
okay, so the husband, aka, “joey” has been asking me to blog about a contest that i won last year while on location in kauai, hawaii. i entered the marriott’s waiohai’s digital photo contest while we were staying there.
i love a good challenge, so i whipped out my "purse camera", a canon powershot point and shoot and took a really cool sunset shot on the beach of poipu
and... i won! it was so much fun!
i won $75.00 of resort $$$ and took the family to a nice lunch on property to celebrate. here is the photo! i thought it was pretty cool, i had others but really liked this one.
oh, did i mention that joey spent a little time at wilcox memorial hospital with doc schumacher that trip?
yes, while on a day off joey sliced his foot open on the FAKE lava rock...in the jacuzzi. go figure! so here are some of my other favorite photos from that excursion. this although, on one hand was painful, but i have to tell you was one of the highlights of the trip. the staff their was not only awesome but hilarious. they get us!
aloha,
karen
i often speak of the impression that my parents photographs have left on my heart...here is such an image.
i love the candid beauty of this moment. my parents look amazing.
yesterdays images reflect in today's vision, style and look that shape us today and for many years to come...if we embrace it with open arms.
salute!
they say photography can transcend time, culture and most often speak multiple languages.
blair and saul on-line proofing website
karen and i had the unique pleasure of capturing a young couple that came to us from a personal referral. when we met blair and saul they were taken back by our knowledge of their faith and the traditional moments that make their ceremony so unique in its very special way. i was complimented by saul for giving attention to small details that even surprised him that i knew. as a photographer i have embraced the many cultures that our brides and grooms have shared with us throughout the years. having photographed intimate weddings throughout the u.s. and the globe this compliment hit a special part of my heart i am sure few know at first glance.
the very unique details that are right in front sometimes go without notice. i believe karen and my talent lies in being astute throughout the couples day to uncover them and produce images that warrant attention the way they are meant to be seen. like the challis that blair and saul shared their first glass of wine together as a couple, to an embroidered star of david, an orchid floating in a vase and a bracelet worn by the bride and by all her brides maids. sometimes having to stand on a chair to get the shot, because your 5'3'', doesn't prevent us from noticing. huh karen?
our day with blair and saul was celebrated with family and friends that not only witnessed a beautiful ceremony but came to PARTY with the couple that everyone would be talking about for months, if not years, to come.
one of the highlights of the evening is when blair and saul broke out into, one of the longest, HORRAH dances...love, love, love the energy of this dance!
one of the signature hallmarks of our photography is whisking the couple away to capture a editorial that will either jump start their day or cap their evening. with a nyc edge for timing traditionally this is no more than 2-5mins. max. this photo has got to be the fastest "whisk" we have ever whisked. all tolled this image took us 102 seconds before blair and saul were requested back to the dance floor.
A very special thanks to kay neilsen and to our gracious and talented good friend "ROD" of
William Innes Photography.
Venue: Sinai temple los angeles
Entertainment: Skye Michaels orchestras, Beverly hills
