Alejandra and Noah - studio city, california

i enjoy getting to know our brides and grooms for many reasons, learning about their influences and culture is pretty high up on the list. alejandra and noah are, in every sense of the word, very colorful people. meeting the couple at their home to discuss their wedding day they seemed, at times, very business like... until they started to explain what was "different" about their wedding day from most. they LOVED the throw back days of the 40's so much so they wanted me to capture the heart and soul of that era and everything it represents. right down to the guys wearing the ever so iconic zoot suit, felt hat, calcos (french wing tip black/white shoes) and the swooping watch and chain! i was beside myself and found myself more excited about being apart of their day. more than they expected, i think.

upon arriving at the sportsman's lodge in studio city, ca one is immediately transported back in time. the architecture is anything but simple and oh so 40's lodge with a touch of nouveau decor that any creative could admire with great appreciation. i remember karen and i arriving when alejandra was getting ready and she let out a really big sigh of relief when she saw us. it caught me by surprise but made alejandra that more endearing. shortly afterwards i photographed one of the more poignant moments of the day. i call it the portrait of alejandra's grace.

alejandra and noah's on-line proofing website








one of the more unique shots of the day was taken with all the guys kickn' back in a restaurant just before the ceremony. pretty cool.




this photograph happens to be one of my favorite of the ceremony. didn't foresee the cover of night come upon us so quickly as it did but the kiss turned out to be a still frame right out of a movie.







throughout our time together with alejandra, noah, their family and friends we got a sense that fun was the order of business and taking time to enjoy simpler moments ran a close second.

Diana and Albert - los angeles, california

diana and albert's on-line proofing website

diana and albert started planning their wedding day, what seems like a life time ago, with one...maybe a couple things, but really , one thing on their minds. to celebrate everything "diana and albert". they, like a lot of us, live a very busy, high impact, fun filled life with family and friends and the most common denominator is L'chayim!

to witness diana and albert's wedding day is to participate in their life to which one would laugh, cry, yell out with excitement, love, be grateful, eat, dance, tell stories...oh, did i mention dance!? from the first dance of the bride and groom until they raised the lights to say goodnight everyone was dancing...and i mean everyone.

the whole day started for karen and i with a tribute editorial to diana's grandfather and his many talents that have shaped his family as well as the skyline of downtown los angeles.


the chance to make a time stamp of this family monument was unquestionably a very unique and memorable time in all of our lives. being surround by such awe inspiring buildings really made for some beautiful and unexpected backdrops that reminded us that "surprising things happen to us all at every corner."

the day turned quickly into night and we were amazingly transformed into another time when diana made her entrance into the temple. to say that her entrance didn't bring those present to their feet gasping at the sheer beauty of the moment would be an understatement. the service touched on the relationship of diana, albert and their families. what it meant traditionally and in the eyes of those she loved. the service was both inspiring and reflective of their past as well as such a great future with those that surround them.













i am drawn to beautiful light be it available or from a creative source. the attention to such a subtle accent sometimes brings heartfelt moments to center stage and can tug at your heart with a simple touch of light. being surrounded by their family and friends and their cameras, their videographer added for a beautiful backdrop when the couple took to the floor either on their first dance, when their favorite song beckoned their call or the father/daughter dance.







oh yeah, quick funny moment. diana and albert asked if they could take a picture with a few of their friends.

here, meet "a few of their friends". i love it! - lol


mazel tov! diana and albert.

gown: pronovias
make up artist: denise at sweet dreams salon, sherman oaks
hair: sharle kochman
entertainment: nara productions
mc: eddie grimberg
catering: jem catering, sinai temple
rabbi: zvi dershowitz, emeritus rabbi sinai temple
cantor: arianne brown, sinai temple
video: kruzhka digistudio
accommodations: century plaza hyatt hotel
florals/lighting: luna gardens
chairs/linens/dance floor: briana alexander

Karen

come back with me, for a moment, and let me bring you up to speed. i met karen a few years ago, really almost 14 years now, in nyc and was not only attracted to her beauty but found myself equally attracted to her spirit. she was and still is very silly, caring, sexy, quick witted, punchy, passionate but most of all very caring about those closest to her and who she comes to know. upon getting to know karen i learned of qualities that both touched my soul as well as made me take notice. simple things that made us uniquely compatible like making one laugh at a drop of a hat and sometimes even making each other cry by being so passionate in sharing our hearts. a few days ago karen and i set out on a photoshoot and errands that took us into the evening but something happened along the way that i wanted to share with you. karen was overwhelmed with joy, excitement and passion coupled with an enormous amount of pride when she unveiled, to our bride, her custom designer bridal album...personally. to witness this moment was a highlight in my career as well as privately. i was reminded, yet again, of how beautiful her spirit is. all too often we, karen and i, find ourselves yearning not only to give of ourselves through our photography but to be well received in our efforts. this sometimes has made us extremely vulnerable but ultimately has made us extremely grateful. grateful that those that embrace us, embrace us whole heartily, without reservation. our bride brought out in karen what is so close to the surface ready to explode. her passion. her passion to give and share what she loves. so, when the moment came and the bride expressed an overwhelmingly amount of joy in her album karen responded by shedding a tear of happiness. happiness that she had shared her "gift" and that she has come full circle in doing so. this is why i am so very proud of the growth karen and i have shared together as well as what i have witnessed in karen. to truly experience her spirit is to see it in her eyes.

It Was A Good Day... - playa del rey, ca

today was a good day, a great day actually.


today joey and i hand delivered and presented our sweet bride brooke her bridal album. words truly cannot describe this moment of giving. it was like christmas but only better!


to witness her not only open the package but to carefully look at each image, each page and reflect on every moment was the kind of joy artists only dream of. we were there with her every step of the way and the circle was complete. you would have thought that i was the bride by the emotion that came over me… but to share this with her in their beautiful home where our photos were adorned everywhere…




well let’s just say… it was a good day!

karen

Gold’s Gym 2008 Annual Holiday Party.

relationships are our most cherished gifts
during this holiday season. this is why karen
and i have partnered with gold’s gym of the greater los angeles area to kick of their 2008 annual holiday party. bringing together our surrounding community with those who provide guidance, support and great strength to those of us who strive for better health through physical fitness or primary care. this falls nothing short of our continued commitment shared by karen, myself and those that know us personally.

this is why karen and i were so excited when asked to photograph angel, willie, terri and all our friends at gold’s gym at their 2008 annual holiday party. this came to us as a wonderful opportunity to give back.

so, a portion of the proceeds, from the sale of all photographs taken throughout the evening, will be donated to the amazing people at the valley community clinic located in north hollywood, ca.. the mission of the valley community clinic is to enhance the well-being of the community by providing high quality, culturally sensitive primary medical care and related healthcare services to those in need, regardless of their ability to pay. “holding the health of the valley in the palm of our hand”.








you can view all the cool photos by clicking on the following link:
gold's gym 2008 annual holiday party on-line proofing website

happy holiday’s.

And the Grammy Nomination goes to?

last night we took a holiday break to celebrate with our dear friends stephanie and grant at the 2008 grammy nominations at the nokia theatre in los angeles.


what an amazing time we had. walking the red carpet was a blast especially since we were on the other side of the lens. aeg live has completely transformed the courtyard outside of the theatre (across from the staples center) to this winter wonderland. gorgeous lighting and a tree that was built from the ground up, by hand, each light was strung. it has a feel of tokyo meets time square so for us new yorkers it was a real treat. oh how we miss the east during this season. tune into ktla each night as they will host special holiday events at 7pm live. the grammy museum is now open too.


inside the nokia, bb king and john mayer took the stage by storm and did not let go! john also took a sweeping 5 nominations. not only is he this amazingly gifted artist but he is incredibly funny! his storytelling and lead-ins was just as enjoyable. he made a great reference to our current climate and our election to his song "waiting on the world to change" and changed the lyrics to a joyful "no longer waiting on the world to change." it was awesome!


the setting was as intimate as a night club. mayer sang a version of tom petty’s "free falling" that even tom cruise in jerry mcguire would be proud of. our favorite quote of the night was "laugh, out loud, laugh until you choke." thank you john for sharing your talents and humor with us. we are no longer waiting! congratulation’s and we’ll see you on grammy night sunday, february 8th 2009.

karen

Happy Birthday Regina

on-line proofing website

our portraits are about unveiling the heart and soul of our subjects. the quite elegance of a woman waiting to celebrate her life with her loved ones on her 80th birthday is a very powerful moment. regina celebrated her birthday a few weeks back with her close friends and adoring family that made for a very nice afternoon. plans for an outside family portrait was hindered by rain but the family soon came together for a fun impromptu studio shot. all in all i think i counted just around 50 people! wow, some portrait. waiting for the family to settle in i captured this candid portrait of regina that speaks volumes about her faith, love of her family and the road that has led her to this day. happy birthday regina!

Quote of the Month

"Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it."
~ Buddha ~