latest work by Cohn Frankel Photography

Jefferson Street Mansion

2011-03-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

Erin and Elijah
September 26 2010

Slideshow
Full set of pictures

Time to catch up on my blogging! Thank you all for being so patient with me as I moved house and studio (again) and wrapped up the 2010 weddings. Here's one of my favorite, fun, quirky weddings from 2010, that took place at the Jefferson St. Mansion (a perfect venue if you're looking for something beautiful and retro and different, with great staff and a great wedding coordinator team).

E session pics at Legion of Honor Museum and the nearby coast.

Erin trains, rides, and cares for horses for a living, and so naturally horses and riding were themes that appeared throughout the wedding--from Erin's low-backed dress, which made visible her tattoo commemorating her beloved horse, Usual Suspect, to the Stetson hat she wore during some of my favorite of their E session pictures, to the horseshoes used as decor elements around their table card tree, to the kickass white leather cowboy boots Erin wore under her dress in lieu of heels.

Valley Flora, who I've worked with quite a few times before, did the flowers for this event, and I think it was one of those dream events for creative professionals where the client says something like "Just do whatever you think will look good--I trust you." because the flowers were incredible. Centerpieces consisted of bare branches forming small potted trees, with crystal ropes draped around them and glass votive candles hanging from them, and blue hydrangeas growing out from the base. The bouquets were also unique and gorgeous; Erins had peacock feathers, orchids, white roses, and little chocolate flowers in it and the bridesmaids' were mostly these adorable little soft blue flowers with matching blue and chocolate ribbon (pics below, if anyone knows what these flowers are called let me know...).

The officiant was Elijah's step-father, which always makes for a more intimate and emotional ceremony. It was really sweet to watch both groom and bride cry during the vows.

This was the expression on the best man's face after handing the rings over, glad to be relieved of the responsibility of carrying them.

even during posed family portraits, especially groups of two, I like to ask the people to look at each other every once in awhile. Their expressions are more genuine than when looking at the camera, and I can capture more of the relationship between them.

Whenever I shoot a wedding at the Jefferson St Mansion I always do a lot of the couple shots indoors. There are so many cool rooms with interesting, unique decor in them to work with. I especially love this vintage "lover's chair" in one of the main rooms, which allows couples to sit in it and face each other to talk with their bodies facing away from each other.

here's that moment I've talked about before on my blog, during the first dance, where the couple forgets about the fact that they are performing for a crowd of people and just gets lost in each other. Sweet.

okay I'll admit one of the reasons I really liked this wedding was the proliferation of 80's music at the reception...

Erin throwing her bouquet off the balcony, to the waiting throng of singles below.

vendors:

Jefferson Street Mansion

Valley Flora

Van Noy Catering

Cakes Made By M.E.

DJ High Yellow

Gesinee's Bridal

Hair: Sharlene Luzano

Cedar Boulevard Neighborhood Church and Sunol Valley Golf Club

2010-07-23T06:54:00.000-07:00

Cindy and Derek
June 5 2010

Slideshow
Full set of pics

This wedding was a last minute fill in for a photographer friend of mine, and although I only met the couple 2 weeks before the wedding I was happy to jump right in and be a part of things.

Interestingly enough, the Sunol Valley Golf club is the venue where one of the first couples I ever booked got married. Despite being in contact with the venue coordinators and having a few inquries over the years, I haven't booked another wedding there since--until this one. It was therefore an interesting experience to shoot there again, and made me think about how much I've grown as both a photographer and a person.

vendor list to follow shortly

Sofitel and San Jose Gurdwara

2010-07-21T00:19:00.000-07:00

Reena and Simon
May 08 2010

Slideshow
Full set of pics

So this wedding is forever going to be one of the stories I tell people when they ask me about the "what if something happens to you" clause in my contract. I broke 2 ribs about a week and a half before this 16 hour, 4 location wedding in May. Don't ask me how--I basically tripped over my own feet and fell sternum first on a sharp step-thingie near my bank. Two days after the fall I couldn't breathe properly, couldn't really sleep unless I was propped in a kind of diagonal halfway between my back and side, and couldn't do anything (including lifting my arms, moving, or breathing) without major pain. Now unlike a leg or an arm they really can't do anything for you if you break ribs--they cant put a cast around your chest, and even a wrap is usually frowned upon because it can cause chest constriction and pneumonia. If you have little pieces of rib floating around inside you they will operate and remove them, but other than that you kind of just have to wait it out. By the time the wedding rolled around the worst of the pain was over, but I was still only about 35% healed. Still, as long as I was able to stand and hold a camera I wasn't going to let my couple down.

I already had a 2nd shooter for this wedding and was considering hiring an assistant as well, to carry my gear and help me hobble around, but I couldn't find anyone on short notice and so I decided to just pack really light. I stocked up the morning of the wedding with advil, aleve, and more 5hr energy shots than I care to remember. The couple was scheduled for 10 hrs with a break in the middle, but I knew that they would probably need me for a minimum of 5 extra.

The wedding was hard, and long, but it was surprisingly easy to lose myself in my work--especially when we didn't have to move around too much. The hardest part of the day was probably the ceremony, because the room was packed with people and the longer we were in there, the hotter it got. I told Julio (my 2nd) what I was dealing with and that I might need to have him take over primary shooting for a few mins if I needed to rest, but if I remember correctly I don't think I ever ended up needing to do that. There were a few points in the day where I really had to push myself, especially during times when we were waiting for something or between events--I found that as long as I was shooting actively, I could forget about my body, but when the action died down and I came back into myself it was really hard to keep my energy up.

This is not the first time I've had to shoot a wedding with some kind of debilitating illness or injury. When I first started shooting, I was terrified of getting the flu or something like it during wedding season...but after the first wedding I shot with the flu, sick as a dog, I looked at my pictures and saw that they were not only fine...they were good. I had hired a 2nd shooter for the day just in case, but I ended up only using her images to supplement mine; the couple from that wedding never knew there was anything wrong with me, they adored their pictures and so did everyone else who saw them. I realized then that I was good enough at photography at that point in my life that I could do a great job at it, no matter how I felt or what was going on with me personally. And from that point on, I was a lot more confident about walking into any situation.

Anyway, getting back to Reena and Simon. The couple got ready at their respective parents houses, and then had their ceremony at the Gurdwara (Sikh temple) in San Jose. They went back to Simon's parent's house for a few traditional post-wedding games and family time, and then we set off to shoot couple portraits at Stanford. I loved how their glittering hot pink outfits looked alongside the repeating collumns and brick facades of the school, and Reena and Simon came prepared with a few ideas to play with, which were inspired by both traditional Indian wedding portraiture they'd seen and my own previous weddings at Stanford.

After Stanford we headed to the reception at Sofitel, which is where I shot Marc and Daisy's wedding reception last year. I love their Chihuly inspired glass sculpture, and all the other little touches of art and design that make this hotel a really fun place to shoot.

The decor at the reception was spectacular--the colors were bright and poppy, and I've never seen BLUE orchids in my life. I'm pretty sure they were dyed, but I didn't care; I must have spent 20 mins just shooting the flowers. The couple planned an entertaining reception for their guests, including many funny and touching speeches, and a Bhangra dance performance by their young relatives. I was a little sad that, because things were running so late already, Reena didn't want to keep us on to shoot very much of the dancing/party portion of the evening. But by that point I had been up and working for nearly 20 hours straight, and I think maybe she was taking pity on me as much as on her checkbook. ;)

By the time it was over I was physically and emotionally drained--after I packed up my stuff and dragged myself out to the parking lot, I climbed into the front seat of my car, put my head in my hands, and just sat there like that for awhile before I felt awake enough to drive. And then I went home...and didn't get out of bed for 2 days. Whew.

But in the end it was a small price to pay both for keeping my client's trust, and doing something I can be proud of.

reena's outfit for the ceremony, in morning light

I love heels anyway, but seeing them with mendhi (henna tattooing) is just that much better.

mmm...negative space...

so i kind of have a shoe fetish. But I really didn't mean to put two shoe shots from the same wedding in one blog post, it just happened...

exchanging Jam Mala (leis)

in both Sikh and Hindu ceremonies, the couple circles the altar mutiple times, with the bride following the groom. In Hindu ceremonies only however, the couple makes the circle one final time with the groom following the bride.

I think this shot is freaking gorgeous; I love their body language and how cool Reena's nose ring looks.

Sofitel ballroom; decor by Yasin from Prime Party Rentals and Decorations

Reena's evening outfit, which just happened to match the carpet at Sofitel almost exactly.

another one of those lovely public/private moments

the Bhangra dancers

blue and purple orchids

vendors:

ceremony: San Jose Gurdwara

reception: Sofitel

event coordinator: Tiffany Aurielo for Sofitel

event design, flowers, linens, decor: Prime Party Rentals

catering: Bombay Garden

cake: the Cakery

videographer: Suresh Roy

DJ: Roneel Prakash

hair/makeup: Ruby's Beauty Studio

big thanks to the talented Julio Duffoo for 2nd shooting with me!

Garre Winery: Martinelli Center

2010-07-20T23:54:00.000-07:00

Kristie and Jeff
April 16 2010

Slideshow
Full set of pics

I've shot at the Martinelli Center before but it had been awhile, and at a totally different time of year. I was excited to hopefully see some flowers blooming and to photograph Kristie and Jeff's wedding in the warm, crisp almost-spring light of April.

It can also be really fun for me to go back to a venue I haven't shot at in years, since my work improves so markedly year by year--I like seeing how much of a better job I can do with the same location.

The first thing I remembered when I walked into the bride's room was this mirror, which confounded me like crazy when I shot back here in 2006--my flash kept bouncing off it, which would mess up the camera's light reading and cause the image to underexpose. Thankfully I know a lot more about flash now than I did then. I shot on manual, and got some great images with and without flash in the dressing room.

this is one of the ones without flash. I like how black and white can turn a relatively straightforward image into a collection of abstract parts. The body language and elegant turn of Kristie's foot makes me think of ballet, maybe like a Degas painting.

(yes, I just compared myself to Degas. It's all about the self esteem. ;)

I don't know what these are--can anyone tell me? They are really cool. They look like they were put there as decoration but I think they are just naturally growing on the tree. Beautiful shot by my intern Jason: this is totally the kind of thing 2nd shooters are great for; taking the quiet pictures that the primary photographer is too busy to notice exist.

myself, Kristie, and Jeff went out shortly after the family portraits to do some couple's shots around the venue in really nice late afternoon light...

and then slipped out again right after the first dance, to shoot at sunset.

this baby was loving the spotlight

the corks were used to hold place cards, so I nabbed a few and took pictures of them with the rings, and the flowers, and the shadows of the rings. I figured this one was a little more appropriate for a wedding ring shot than the "Menage a Trois" cork, LOL. Although, because there were 3 rings, it ended up as kind of a cool play on words. I took a shot with each--guess I'll let the couple decide which one they want in their album.

one of the many things I could not have done back in 2006--playing with shadows from off camera flash.

vendors:

ceremony and reception venue: Martinelli Center, Garre Winery

event coordinator: Alanna Grossnickle for Garre Winery

flowers: Flowery Affairs by Annie

DJ: 21st Century Sounds

officiant: Larry Wilkerson

St. Mark's Lutheran Church and San Francisco Design Center Galleria

2010-07-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

Imran and Sarah
December 27 2009

Slideshow
Full set of pics

This wedding was a little while ago but I'm catching up on my blogging and I had to post it. It was my 2nd time shooting at the design center, and a unique wedding with two ceremonies--the first, an interfaith ceremony at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in San Francisco, and the second a Muslim ceremony on stage at the SFDC Galleria where I had shot Bhavna and Emil's wedding last year.

There are only a handful of venues in the bay area that can handle the guest count at Indian and Pakistani weddings, which often gets up in the mid to high hundreds. The Galleria is by far one of the classiest.

I had met and shot an E session with Imran and Sarah only a few weeks before. The first thing I noticed about them was how good they looked together, in that way that some couples have; where they look not alike as if they were related, but rather they complement each other so well physically that they almost could have been cast to be a couple. They just look like they were meant to walk through life side by side. They also had great chemistry and that relatively rare but cherished ability to phase out the rest of the world and focus only on each other when we're shooting. So the e session was a breeze, and the wedding was a visual treat from the moment I got there.

this whole wedding had pretty much amazing lighting from moment one

I love little private moments in the midst of big public ones like this

It was great that they did a spontaneous 2nd kiss, at the end of walking back up the aisle.

OMG, those shoes.

the videographers were really nice and accomodating to work with. They spent some time posing the couple for specific shots they wanted after the ceremony, which left me time to shoot quiet, beautiful portraits while no one was paying attention to me.

I rarely get time inside the limo with the couple because I have to drive my own car to the reception, but at this wedding I made it happen. It's some of the only alone time they get during the whole day, so emotions are visible and easily captured.

I love shots that show a couple getting lost in each other and the world just going on around them.

Sarah and Imran got tons of sweet gifts from friends and family on the stage. I don't think she was expecting some of the things they received, but her expressions of surprise and gratitude made for some really beautiful images.

yay video lights! Years ago, before I started learning how to creatively light my own weddings using off camera flash, I would get really excited whenever I shot a wedding that had a videographer, cuz I knew I'd get to take advantage of their lights. Now I don't need to rely on them anymore as I bring my own supplemental indoor lighting, but they're still fun to play with.

I'm also a big fan of shots where the point of focus is not at the obvious place. The faces of Sarah and her dad are a little soft in this image (the point of focus is her arm, not their faces); which, combined with the low light, lends a soft warmth to the image that wouldn't be there if their faces were tack sharp.

and I had to put this one in. Denon and Doyle DJs inspire random breakdancing.

vendors:

church: St. Mark's Lutheran Church

reception venue: SF Design Center Galleria Jill Schnaps, Director of Events

other pastor: Pastor Tom

wedding coordinator: Clever Girl Consulting Karin Kamb

event design: Aesthetika Noreen Tariq

florist: The Flower Shop Fremont Steven Okada

caterer (Pakistani food): Mehran Restaurant

cake: Ambrosia Bakery

church music: SF Strings

DJ: Denon and Doyle Mark Haggerty

drinks/coat check: GML

hair and makeup: Salon DNA

nails: Nova nail spa

dress: Priscilla of Boston www.priscillaofboston.com

videographer: Lee Studio

big thanks to the talented Julio Duffoo for 2nd shooting with me!

mini session pictures

2010-06-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the mini portrait sessions I've been doing lately:

I will be holding a new series of mini session dates very soon! See the previous post for info on the way mini sessions work, cost, etc. If you're interested in doing a mini session, please comment or email me asap with some dates and general locations (ie east bay, SF, south bay, sacramento) that might work best for you and I will give you first consideration when I pick the dates/times.

Thanks!

mini sessions!

2010-04-22T01:34:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to send a quick note to let you know I'm going to be offering mini-portrait sessions throughout the summer this year! This is a great way to get professional portraits done for significantly less than the cost of a full session.

What is it?
Mini-Sessions are short and sweet 30 minute sessions that take place in a variety of awesome pre-selected outdoor locations in the Bay Area. They’re designed to capture a few great images of your child or family as an alternative to a longer, more-personalized Full Session. Within two weeks after your session, you’ll receive a link to a private online gallery where you can view your finished images (typically 15-20 final images).

These are perfect for those fleeting special moments in time that need to be captured quickly:

Maternity portraits
Baby's First Year
Children's milestones (birthday's, graduations)
Mommy and Me
Families
Couples
Senior Portraits
Pets

How much?
Sessions are $99 each and last 30 mins long.

When?
Check your email, or contact me, for available dates and times.

What do you get?

The mini session is an all-in-one package priced at $99 (plus tax). Included in the price is your 30 minute session, online image viewing on Pictage, and one 8x10 print OR one high resolution file of your favorite image. There is no additional session fee and no minimum order. A disk of all the high-resolution digital negatives is available for purchase as an add-on, or individual files can also be purchased.

Details, details...

All sessions are by appointment only. Full payment is required at the time of booking to hold your slot. The session fee is non-refundable, however you can transfer your session to a new date if it's cancelled no later than 48 hours before your session time.

Please email me for more information or to reserve your session time today!

Featured on Offbeat Bride!

2010-03-10T01:52:00.000-08:00

I've admired Offbeat Bride and it's founder, Ariel Meadow Stallings, for quite some time--the weddings and couples on that site are always so unique and awesome, and in many ways they represent the core of what weddings are about for me--substance and individuality. So I was super excited to hear that I got accepted to be featured on the site!

In addition to talking about me and showing some of my favorite pictures from Lydia and Mike , Nicole and Steve, and Karen and David's offbeat weddings, OBB also talked about my one-of-a-kind Couture Book albums. This is exactly the audience I had in mind when I created them.

I can't wait to meet all the cool clients who will find me through this resource. If you're looking for some inspiration on how to make your wedding your own, check out offbeat bride !

See the whole feature here.

Presidio Interfaith Chapel and Presidio Log Cabin Wedding

2010-03-01T00:14:00.001-08:00

Viani and Aldrich
November 21, 2009

Slideshow
Full set of images

Viani and Aldrich's wedding had a lot of unique style. The feel of the wedding was rustic, earthy, warm, and fun, with details inspired by from the couple's passions-- like the bride's love of coffee, or the groom's motorcycle club vest and prized Harley. You can see some of the ways they incorporated those themes into their decor in this collage, and the images below. I loved all the nature/tree/bark motifs, and the use of textures and items not normally associated with weddings, like burlap, clothespins, twine, twigs. It was clear the designers really thought outside the box on this one, and the coolest part was that even with all the quirky variety everything totally came together into one cohesive design.

I loved these windows and the light in this suite at the JW Marriott in Union Square.

Christal Seville working on Viani's makeup. She not only has her own stylist business but her own line of products as well.

mmm...sparkly. I never wear pumps myself but I've developed kind of a love affair with shooting them.

I love "too many cooks" shots like these at weddings.

this was actually a request by the bride, to do a remake of a shot from the chapel's display book. I wanted to do a more candid, natural looking version than the one in the book; I like how this one looks like she might actually be looking out the window on her own accord.

Sometimes the ring can get stuck going on or coming off; usually because of nerves and/or lack of sleep causing swelling in the hands and feet.

beautiful, simple bouquet by Orchid Floral.

such a cool cake! It was a gift from a friend of the family, who is not even a professional cake designer. The topper is not edible, but I think the leaves are.

Neapolitan, vanilla w chocolate, and chocolate with chocolate cupcakes by That Takes the Cake. I actually think people were supposed to wait until the cake cutting to eat the cupcakes, but they were sitting out from the end of dinner onward, and it only took a couple of brave souls quietly stealing a cupcake or two for the whole crowd, and perhaps one sugar-deprived photographer, to jump right in.

Its funny how different couples react to the garter tradition in so many different ways; whether it be embarassment, enthusiasm, exhibitionism...I'm sure I could find another e-word if I had my rhyming dictionary. ; )

I love the little clothespins and the whole setup of the placecards.

That bike is gorgeous, by the way...we played with it a lot during the couple's E session. I ended up taking so many pictures with it I feel like I should have charged Viani and Aldrich for a family shoot instead. ;) Of course it was a guest at the wedding, too--it sat outside during the reception for guests to pose for pictures on it.

Vendors:

ceremony venue: Presidio Interfaith Chapel

reception venue: Presidio Log Cabin

coordinator, caterer: Thomas John Events Dana Miller

linens/rentals: Presidio Trust

florist: Orchid Floral Ellen Wahyuni

dj: DJ Known II Rock, c0n8n@hotmail.com

officiant Jacqueline Eigen, Wine Country Minister

cake: Cupcakes from That Takes the Cake

dress: Mary Me Bridal, James Clifford design

makeup/hair (name / website/ email) Christal Saville Artistry By Christal

Stationary Design (programs, table/escort cards, menus): Papercake Designs Larissa Linn

Winner: Bride's Choice Award for 2010

2010-01-22T23:11:00.000-08:00

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Cohn Frankel Photography has been selected to receive the WeddingWire 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Photography!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

The award signifies that Cohn Frankel Photography is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, including wedding planners, venues, djs, and of course photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

I would like to thank all my clients for nominating me for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards. I'm so happy to get this award for the 2nd year in a row!
For more info about this award and website, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront here.

Mayacamas Ranch and Spa

2010-01-03T23:39:00.000-08:00

Deborah and Bradley
October 24 2009

Slideshow
Full set of pics

I had been looking forward to this wedding for months; not only because Deborah and Bradley are themselves connected to the event service industry, but because their wedding was being coordinated by Jenne Hohn, wedding coordinator extraordinaire and director of the International Special Events Society (ISES). I'd shot an ISES event for her last year as a favor, to reach out to her and familiarize her with my work and myself, but this was the first real wedding I'd ever worked with her on and I really wanted to knock it out of the park. Not like it would be too difficult to do a great job with such a creative, obviously in-love couple and everything planned as it was to be he best of the best.

But I think Deb and Bradley are a good example of one of my favorite types of clients; their taste is impeccable and they don't want to cut corners on anything important, but at the same time the material aspects of the wedding are a means to an end, not an end in itself. They want everything to be awesome because doing so brings more fun, more personality, more heart to the wedding and because it provides them a chance to share some of the best things in life with the ones they love.

Mayacamas Ranch is a spa and yoga retreat center located in the middle of a private valley in the mountains of Calistoga that is teeming with natural beauty. It was the perfect place to capture the feel of the wedding that Deborah and Bradley were going for: natural, organic, comfortable, and fun.

rarely do I have the opportunity to shoot the dress outside, for fear of getting it dirty. This one is technically kind of half-in half-out but I think the sun flare is really cool for a dress shot.

I love unique and different flowers, and florists who can take a bunch of incongruous blooms and make them work. By Bonnie Z of Dragonfly Floral.

this dress looks like it was just made for Deborah.

I like it when the guys put their own little personality touches in their clothing too

one of my most satisfying moments was watching people watching my slideshow at the wedding, and hearing 3 seperate groups of people have the exact same reaction to this photo when they saw it for the first time:
"[gasp!] awww...."

Best. Rabbi. Evah. I believe this shot was the reaction to her joke about it being an honor to marry "the two tallest Jews in the world." She was warm and hilarious, and a genius on the dance floor.

because we'd done an engagement session a couple months back, the fact that we were only allotted 10 mins to shoot with the couple alone didn't stop us from getting amazing images. The couple's easy chemistry and the beauty of the location definitely helped...and I guess maybe my skill had something to do with it too. ; )

Deborah's brother greeting her as they entered at the start of the reception.

Deborah's maid of honor needed some hugs to finish her speech.

no shortage of dessert at this wedding!

mmm...sundae bar. They had to beat guests off with a stick to keep them from attacking the ice cream before it was time. I'm now totally addicted to Three Twins cookies and cream and its 100% these guys' fault.

When it comes to Neil Diamond, resistance is futile. You will dance, and you will love it.

the rings, on one of the bottles of limoncello that the couple gave as favors.

Vendors:

coordinator: Jenne Hohn Events Jenne Hohn, Michelle Dillon, and Jill Sandy jenne@hohnevents.com

Mayacamas Ranch info@mayacamasranch.com

caterer: Olive Green Catering tdeserio@earthlink.net

officiant: Rabbi Sydney Mintz 415.751.2535 smintz@emanuelsf.org

flowers: Dragonfly Floral bonniez@dragonflyfloral.com

cake: teenycake

ice cream sundae bar: Three Twins Ice Cream

dj: Rob Doughty 707.253.0868 djrjd@mac.com

ceremony music: Daniel Maya & Mano a
Mano 415.297.9149 dmaya44@aol.com

videographer: Thomas Hughes Films info@thomashughesvideo.com

hair: Francisco Giron 415.346.3939 fgiron@gmail.com

makeup: Glowing Bridal Audrey Crandell glowingbridal@yahoo.com

tent: Zephyr Tents 510.559.8694 jenowsley@zephyrtents.com

lighting and event design: Hartmann Studios

transportation: Pure Luxury

Chaminade Resort and Spa, Santa Cruz

2010-01-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

Olivia and Josh
August 22 2009

Slideshow
Full set of pics

By far one of my coolest couples of the year. Olivia and Josh planned a destination wedding in the Santa Cruz mountains, hired me over the phone, and then flew to SF for our first meeting and engagment session in Golden Gate park. Josh is freaking hilarious, and Olivia is beautiful, and they are both of an artistic mind--I knew their wedding would be not only stunning to photograph but fun and refreshing and different.

Oscar de la Renta dress = d r a m a. Look at those ruffles! It was so perfect.

can't have a hot dress without hot strappy heels.

Speaking of shoes, Josh's gift to each of his groomsmen was a pair of custom designed running shoes--each one designed especially for each groomsman in his own color scheme. You can see some of the colors in this shot and Josh's pair in the one below. More shoe shots in the slideshow and online, of course.

I really liked their bridesmaid dresses too- the way the deep purple bleeding into lilac color was pretty and flattering. And Olivia's giant bouquet of baby's breath went well with her dress.

I found out later that Olivia refers to Josh's little chin cleft thingie as his "Flux Capacitator" Did you know they actually sell a replica of the flux capacitator, complete with working lights, for $250 at thinkgeek.com? I want everything on that site btw.

I thought Olivia's dress and veil were particularly pretty in backlit shots like this one

My 2nd shooter Gustavo and I both had the idea to shoot her mimicking the pose in this painting, but I liked his version better. That's one of the signs of a great 2nd shooter for me; when I find myself saying "why didn't I think of that?!" every time I edit their pictures.

I love the drama of this image; the dress, the staircase, the half turn and sway of her skirt and veil, and the body language of the event coordinator handing off her veil and her dad waiting for her at the bottom.

getting giant veil over the head of the bride in one flip: it's all in the wrist.

when presented with a balcony at a wedding, you must take advantage of it.

adorable place cards saying "eat, drink, and be merry"

the lighting and staging of the room was top notch! I could tell even the staff at Chaminade were impressed as I wasn't the only one taking pictures.

and yes, she's an easy crier. What more could I ask for in a bride? : )

the dress was great on the dance floor. The bride and groom weren't so bad either. ; )

the live band, Steve Ezzo Entertainment, was great and everyone stayed on the dance floor all night long.

Vendors:

Chaminade coordinator Shannon Norfleet snorfleet@benchmarkmanagement.com

(Chaminade's packages are all inclusive so they also handled the catering, cake, flowers, linens, etc.)

band: Steve Ezzo Entertainement ezzoentertainment@comcast.net

bridal boutique: Ultimate Bride (Chicago)

and a big thank you to Gustavo Fernandez for second shooting with me.

Saint Raphael’s Catholic Church and Corinthian Yacht Club

2010-01-03T19:22:00.000-08:00

Liz and Matt
September 5 2009

Slideshow
Full set of pics

This wedding was kind of nostalgic for me, first of all because Liz first heard about me from her friend (and bridesmaid) Courtney, whose wedding I shot way back in 2005; and second of all because it gave me a chance to finally work with wedding coordinator Kathryn Kalabokes of Dream a Little Dream Events. Kathryn was one of the very first wedding coordinators I sat down with way back in late 2003 when I was starting my business, and awkward and green as I was she was so nice to me and really helped me understand the wedding business. It was awesome to finally work on a wedding with Kathryn and day-of coordinator Brittani Waldman.

a rare quiet moment for Liz during getting ready

we went to a park in downtown Tiburon a few blocks from the CYC to take pics with the couple and bridal party. The sky was gorgeous that day.

The CYC was prettily decorated and full of light. I liked how it backlit everyone during the toasts and first dances. The warm wood paneled walls made it so that light colors in the decor really stood out.

The tables were named after significant places and things in their life together. Most of them were cities or physical locations, so it was kind of funny to see one of them named after this. Is there anything you CAN'T find on Craigslist? ; )

beautiful, painterly cake by Jill Branch. It looked great in the light-filled side hall off the main ballroom too.

if you look closely you can just make out the purple bouquet at the top near where the tulle ribbons come together

we grabbed a few private shots on the deck outside after dinner

and then a couple more under the full moon. I took a few with a still background but I like the motion blur of the lights and moon in this one best.

Vendors:

coordinator: Dream a Little Dream Events Kathryn Kalabokes kathryn@dreamalittledreamevents.com

Saint Raphael's Catholic Church Vicky Otto votto@straphael.com

Corinthian Yacht Club Leila Heyman leila@cyc.org

cake: Branching Out Cakes Jill Branch jillbranch@aol.com

flowers: Julie's Flowers Julie Stevens julie@juliestevensdesign.com

DJ: Perfect Day Music Noel Plumb noel@perfectdaymusic.com

hair and makeup: Anything for You Salon Selma (415) 459-1453

Stanford Memorial Church and Hillsborough Racquet Club

2010-01-03T06:19:00.000-08:00

Teresa and Jason
August 01 2009

Slideshow
Full set of pics

Teresa's garter was a family heirloom, decorated with pieces saved from her mother's and grandmother's weddings and from her own first communion.

Yay for dogs in weddings! Teresa and Jason have a bulldog of their own, but only certified assistance dogs are allowed in the church--so they used her brother's guide dog as their ringbearer instead.

But of course, their dog had to participate somehow even if only for pictures. It took a few tries to get the flower wreath on him...

beauitfully decorated courtyard at the Hillsborough Racquet Club

flawless wedding cake...

...and groom's cake by Carolyn Wong

there was no shortage of laughter or funky dance moves at this wedding

Vendors:

Stanford Memorial Church: coordinator Mary Gallagher marygal@stanford.edu
Father Nathan Castle ncastle@stanford.edu

Hillsborough Racquet Club

cake: Carolyn Wong Cakes carolyn@carolynwongcakes.com 510.528.2415

dj: Sound in Motion Raffi Nalvarian raffi@simdjs.com

bridal boutique: Rin's Bridal

The Mountain Terrace, Woodside CA

2010-01-03T05:41:00.000-08:00

Andrea and Matt
July 25 2009

Slideshow
Full set of pics

The Mountain Terrace--what a cool little venue secreted away in the hills of Woodside CA. Andrea and Matt are an intelligent, fun, informal couple whose wedding had the feel of a garden party; their celebration gave me the chance to work with some of my favorite vendors from way back, and make some new ones in the process.

vintage inspired dress from bay area bridal

a few of Laura Miller's gorgeous creations: she really outdid herself this time...I'm impressed by how she put such bright summery colors together without clashing or losing the delicate feel of the flowers. She always puts together something unique and beautiful, and that's why I keep recommending her to my clients.

my favorite bouquet

I loved the shafts of light falling in the garden ceremony area

very cool, rustic chuppah with fresh flowers and raw branches

Rabbi Familant was hilarious and full of great stories

Componere Fine Catering and Karin Kamb (who was catering manager that day) are some of my new favorite vendors. I was happy to have another chance to work with Karin later this year through her coordinating business, at my Imran and Sarah's wedding in December 09.

I like ultra candid, quiet, almost awkward shots like this sometimes--they add an element of realism to a day that is often larger than life.

hidden makeout nook behind the property

I love how intimate the first dance shots can be

Robbie and the Magnolia Jazz Band

excellent presentation by Carolyn Wong Cakes

Vendors:

The Mountain Terrace: coordinator Caren Pearlman caren@themountainterrace.com

catering: Componere Fine Catering kerri@componerefinecatering.com 510.420.0900

florist: Laura Miller Design lauramillerdesign@yahoo.com, 510 336 9226

ceremony music: Sara Spieth sara@saraspieth.com

reception music: Magnolia Jazz Band robbie@magnoliajazz.com 408-245-9120

officiant: Rabbi Yeshaia Charles Familant yeshaia@sbcglobal.net

cake: Carolyn Wong Cakes carolyn@carolynwongcakes.com 510.528.2415

bridal boutique: Bay Area Bridal

and a big thank you to Julio Duffoo for second shooting with me.

the Claremont Resort and Spa, Cathedral of Christ the Light, and Sofitel Hotel

2009-07-23T07:49:00.000-07:00

Marc and Daisy
May 23 2009

Slideshow
Full set of pics

What a fun, cool couple. These guys were the first to book me for 2009, way back in very early 2008 (it might have even been 2007...), so I've been looking forward to their huge wedding for a long time. When we did our E session at Fisherman's Wharf last year I got to know Marc and Daisy well enough to know that no matter what else, the focus of their wedding would be on two simple things; fun...and family. With a guest list well into the triple digits and over 100 miles between locations, this was to be quite a day; but the spirit of pure celebration and closeness surrounding Marc and Daisy and their loved ones carried the day.

Daisy getting ready in her suite at the Claremont, a Berkeley resort hotel where I've shot weddings twice before (just not today). Great light in those rooms! The videographer took a few mins out to do some traditional style bridal posing, which I was happy to also shoot from the sidelines, watching for relaxed moments and real expressions.

I often use a 3rd party like the groom or a bridesmaid in my own natural portraits of the bride, in order to distract and entertain her and make her less self conscious and camera-aware. This works great with kids portraits too, but the other person has to be encouraging--no frowny moms threatening their kids into smiling.
For this to work best, the 3rd person should be engaged with the subject but NOT talking about or involved in the photography--no fixing hair, no advice about posing or clothes, etc. The only thing that kind of "helpful" advice does is make the subject more self conscious, which shows clearly in their face and body and can ruin an otherwise great shot.

Moving on, Nona Tai of Floral Design Studio did a great job on the flowers: taking a somewhat traditional wedding color (red) and going in a totally unique direction with it. Her designs were sexy, strong, bold, fresh, and chic, themes which fit well with the wedding and the couple; and she did a great job complementing the layout of both (huge) venues without over- or underdoing the flowers. I love this cute little flower-girl purse.

The Cathedral of Christ the Light is well named. The structure is entirely made of glass, which fills the inside with diffuse sunlight even on overcast days. No need for flash, even during the processional.

The inside is modern, with Renaissance-type paintings, and dramatic angular metal sculptures/icons that look almost like Russian Orthodox art.

Great minds think alike. This shot taken by my 2nd shooter, Alex...

And this one at practically the same moment taken by me...

Post ceremony portraits: I thought this little room downstairs was so cool and special and romantic, until Daisy realized it was a crypt...

Pole dancing in the limo-bus. Marc's brother has obviously done this before...

In addition to entertaining the bridal party in the bus, BeeJay Visitacion did the cool little invitation booklets for each guest, with pictures and stories from the E session and their past. These and other wedding collateral by his company Honor After Sunday Design

Sofitel lobby

This piece in the lobby chandelier is inspired by the work of incredible glass artist Dale Chihuly, whose intricate blown glass sculptures decorate hundreds of museums, hotels, and corporate buildings.

I loved the variety of light and composition I could play with at Sofitel

each bridal party couple did a little dance as they entered, most of them circa 1988.

The gobo spelling out their initials on the dance floor made for some cool strips of light when I wanted to go sans flash during the first dance.

Yep, she's a crier. There were at least 6 toasts during dinner, each one as funny, heartfelt, and sweet as the last. Most of them were done by family and it was clear to me how close these families are. The toasts often teach me things about the couple that I never would have known otherwise, and are a great opportunity to get animated, totally candid shots of close friends and family reacting to what's being said.

Daisy dancing with her dad

Cutting one cake with the other in the background: I love the contrast between them. Both by Satura Cakes were great, but the groom's Super Mario Bros. cake (a surprise for Marc from Daisy) was something completely different.

the garter retrieval turned out to be another surprise, one which ended in Marc singing "I'll Make Love to You" by Boyz II Men to Daisy and their 350 guests.

which won him the right to retrieve the garter

Brave as Marc was, not one of the single guys there would catch (or even go near) the garter when it was tossed. Plan B was to have them stand in a circle and play hot-potato with it, passing it around from guy to guy until the music stopped. The one left holding the garter was then stuck with it, and everything it stands for...

Vendor List:

hotel (getting ready): the Claremont Resort and Spa, Berkeley

ceremony site: Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland
Fr. Quang

reception site: Sofitel (San Francisco Bay), Redwood City.
reception coordinator: Tiffany Aurielo, Social Catering Mgr. (650) 508-7104 email

flowers: Floral Design Studio Nona Tai (510)656-3010

cakes: Satura Cakes Anne Richards (510) 604-3267

videography: Lumitone Productions (925) 522-1412

DJ: Macala Entertainment Eugene Macala

bridal dress: Trudy's Brides designer: Pronovias

tuxes: Men's Wearhouse

makeup and hair: Lux Image Agency Jenna and Tallie

invitation & graphic design: Honor After Sunday Design, BeeJay Visitacion

and last but not least, thank you to Alex Barsuk of Door51 Photography, who I was honored to have 2nd shoot for me at this wedding.

WPJA winning image from Lisa and Keith's wedding

2009-07-08T20:55:00.001-07:00

This contest was a little different, in that it was open to BW images only. My image won 6th place in the "Kids being Kids" category:

JUDGES COMMENTS: Fun lively photo that is really in the spirit of the category title "kids being kids"! A really photojournalistic image. Great moment captured within a perfect composition.

Link to winning image

Fish Out of Water: a film by Ky Dickens

2009-06-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

Fish Out of Water is a documentary by Ky Dickens that looks at the impact of homosexuality and religion on America...exploring the seven most notorious Bible passages on the subject with the help of theologians from across the religious spectrum. Presented as a mix of insightful interviews, endearing animation, and witty illustrations, Fish out of Water takes the subject (but not itself) seriously.

Golden-Globe nominated Kaki King, whose music has been featured in films like Into the Wild and Twilight, created the original score for this genre-bending work.

This is a really important film and, while I was contacted months ago about contributing images to it, nothing prepared me for the excitement of actually seeing my pictures in the trailer--I think I scared the dogs yelling so loud when I played it. I think there are at least 2-3 of my gay wedding images in there, and possibly more in the full feature. It's premiering at Outfest in LA on July 18th, I wont be able to be there but if any of you live in LA you should go, you can buy tix on the website.

Here's the website with the trailer: www.fishoutofwaterfilm.com

And here is a fascinating Chicago Reader article about filmmaker Ky Dickens, why she made this film, and what she hopes to do with it, here.

Sts. Peter and Paul Church and the Marine's Memorial Club

2009-05-06T09:36:00.001-07:00

Lisa and Keith
April 25 2009

Slideshow
Full set of proofs

While only my 3rd wedding of the year, Lisa and Keith represented a few different "firsts" for me. First of all, they were the first clients in 3 years to talk me into meeting with them at a location other than my studio. I normally don't meet with prospective clients anywhere else-- it's too difficult to control the ambience in a public place, where every little thing (from the crying baby in the corner to the cleanliness of the floors to the type of soap in the bathroom) has an unconscious impact on what the client thinks of me, regardless of whether I have anything to do with those things or not. I want them immersed in a comfortable, quiet environment that is all about my photography, and consistent with my image. A studio or dedicated meeting space lends a lot of credibility and value to a business. Plus, those sample albums are heavy!

Despite all this, Lisa and Keith managed to convince me to come to Redwood City to meet with them before they booked (I think the dessert they offered to buy me may have had something to do with it. ;) And obviously I'm happy I went!

Their E session turned out to be another first--it was my first time shooting in an aquarium, as well as my first time incorporating fish into the background composition of a shot:

I love the unique images we got and how easily the distraction of the exhibits helped Lisa and Keith loosen up, despite the bit of spectacle we made with the other people who where there.

Their wedding was my first time shooting at Sts. Peter and Paul, a beautiful ornate church in San Francisco with, like last week, really decent light (this time it was mostly from well placed spots rather than window light). And for their reception, I got to check out the Marine's Memorial Club, and this wedding was a great introduction to the space as Annie Siu went all out with her bright, luxurious candelabra floral arrangements on the tables. Mariell from the MMC was a doll to work with--she actually took the time to do a run through of the schedule with us when we arrived and we vendors got our own table, complete with name tags, full course dinner, and bread!

Here's some of my faves:

bride's bouquet

flower girl's headpiece

Lisa by a window in the MMC hotel

the ride to the ceremony in the cable car was a bit bumpy!

giving flowers to Mary during the ceremony. This is a new Rose tinted b/w I'm trying out,
I think it has kind of an old fashioned feel.

we took the cable car out after the ceremony for some bride and groom shots.
I gave this one a little texture to emphasize the grain in the wood.

I was trying to get this shot with just Lisa before the ceremony, but she had her ring on the opposite hand. I'm glad I waited though because the couple's kiss really makes this shot.

fabulous decor by Annie Siu and the MMC

this kid caught the garter. There was talk of a do-over but it never happened.

same kid, breakdancing.

Vendors:

Saints Peter and Paul Church

Marines' Memorial Club

Annie Siu Floral and Events

Peter Haley and the Spinheads (DJ)

Victoria Pastry Co. (cake)

Trudy's Brides (dress)

Diana Debiagio (makeup) and Cheri Farina (hair) for Indigo Salon

Lydia and Mike Featured on San Francisco Style Unveiled!

2009-04-30T03:37:00.001-07:00

Style Unveiled's new San Francisco-specific resource site is a fresh, bright, and upscale alternative to other wedding planning sites. Their mission is to connect brides with the "hottest fashion, innovative ideas, and most elite vendors...to help you create a day as unique as you are". They contacted me in December to ask me if they could feature Lydia and Mike's wedding in their Real Weddings section, as one of only 8 photographers from around the state who would be featured.

Well, the feature just came out this week and Here it is. Good timing too, cuz the couple just picked up their finished Couture book wedding album.

The site interviewed Lydia and Mike about every aspect of their wedding. I love what they had to say about me:

Aww you guys...{blush}.

Golden Gate Club and St. Agnes Catholic Church

2009-04-30T02:18:00.000-07:00

Nicole and Greg
April 18 2009

Slideshow here
Full set of proofs will be here

After a looong break I had my first wedding of the 09 season with Nicole and Greg's wedding. It was a great way to get back into the swing of things, with beautiful light everywhere we went and some new (to me) but awesome vendors.

I usually cringe when a bride says she's getting ready at a friend's house "because it's close by", esp. in SF...experience has led me to expect a tiny, windowless apartment with barely enough room to move, much less photograph. But this MOH's apartment above the park was lovely, spacious and full of light in all rooms, and even the MUA was knowledgeable enough to seat Nicole as close to the window as she could get while doing her face.

I've been wanting to try the "rings standing on end" thing ever since I saw it beautifully done by Jules Bianchi, a colleague of mine and fellow Pictage PUG leader for Southern CA. But most women's rings are thin and circular and wont balance upright by themselves without something holding them up. Finally at this wedding I got the squarish rings necessary to try it out with! The trunk I sat them on was cool and antique looking and provided interesting reflections with the light coming from head on.

pretty bridesmaid dresses, and flowers by Annie Martinson

Nicole gets into her Paloma Blanca dress, with help from her mom

I love the lace and lines of Paloma dresses.

I looooove this shot! I looove dramatic light!

only a bride would cry while riding around in a Rolls. ; )

OMG the LIGHT in this church! It was amazing, shafts of golden light coming in from the huge high stained glass windows on both sides.

sometimes the awkward in between moments at weddings end up as my favorites

This cake, by Kelly Zubal of Inticing Creations, was by far one of the most delicious wedding cakes I've ever tasted. There were two flavors in it but I only got to try one, because the cake was totally GONE in about 10 mins. My assistants didn't even have a chance to get a piece, that is how quickly it went, which never happens at weddings by the way. There was a line across one side of the entire room for it. Anyway the layer I got was salted caramel chocolate, which is not something I would have thought translated well into cake form (and I'm usually not a big chocolate cake fan anyway), but this was amazing. The little salty-sweet sugar chunks in the caramelly buttercream really made it stand out. And Kelly did a great job on the butterflies, which were a recurring theme of the wedding, making them look artful and painterly.

cute and elegant little butterflies on the place cards.

more beautiful open light at the Golden Gate Club. I had been here for a networking event previously but had not seen a wedding done here before this. I loved the potential for unique shots offered by the overhead balcony and the lawn outside the windows.

great live music by Laurent Fourgo and his Ensemble

this is my 2nd wedding in a row with impromtu, surprise guest singing. Is this a new trend?

I took lots of reaction shots during the playing of the slideshow, which included shots from Greg and Nicole's childhoods through the present. Many people teared up. Greg will probably lie and tell you he just had an itch or something...but we know the truth. : )

I love the way the 3 different sources of light (one from the windows and 2 different off camera flashes) highlight their embrace, the dress, and the crowd's reaction.

right at sunset I took the couple outside for some final shots with the venue in the background. This is them going back inside to their party. I think it's a nice note to end things on.

Thanks Nicole and Greg for having me there!

Vendors:

Golden Gate Club

St. Agnes Catholic Church

Ann Walker Catering

Flowery Affairs by Annie

Laurent Fourgo and his Ensemble

Inticing Creations (Cake)

Isis Boutiques (bridal dress)

Madu Salon (Jackie Shyu and Theresa Wondra, hair and makeup)

Winner: 2009 Bride's Choice Award

2009-02-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

WeddingWire, a very cool bride-driven wedding website, just contacted me to let me know that Cohn Frankel Photography has won a 2009 Bride’s Choice Award! Here is some info about the award:

"In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US. That means Cohn Frankel Photography is one of the very best Wedding Photographers.

Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews.

“We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.”"

Thank you to all my past clients for speaking on my behalf, leaving your awesome reviews, and helping me win the 2009 Bride’s Choice Award! Also thanks to all the wonderful vendors I've worked with who also left endorsements on my wedding wire page. Here's a couple of my favorites:

Brides:
"We couldn't be happier with our wedding photos. I receive so many compliments on our pictures. Lauren does way more then take pictures, she turns wedding memories into art.
During the wedding she's just a fly on the wall and captured us in very sweet moments that we'll treasure forever.
Choosing Cohn-Frankel Photography for our wedding was the best vendor decision we made.

"Some people may be wary of reviews with 5 stars in every category, but Lauren was fantastic! She was attentive to our needs and worked with us to give us the most for our budget. She surprised us with little extras here and there, which made us feel like she really values her clients and the relationship she has with them.

We booked her services over a year in advance and decided to purchase one of her wedding packages. We also ordered an album and plan on purchasing the digital negatives from our wedding.

If you're looking to capture your event, wedding or otherwise, with an experienced photojournalist, request some information. You won't be disappointed when you see how beautiful your event turned out when all of the special moments and details are captured by Lauren."

Vendors:
"Lauren is definitely one of the most highly regarded photographers in the Bay Area. Her photojournalistic style is very sought after and she's also a really great leader amongst the photographer community here."

"Lauren is a true photojournalist at heart capturing beautiful touching moments. Not only does she have a great eye, but she has fun yet professional personality that puts couples at ease."

"Lauren's work is beautiful...filled with touches of perspective an humor and a overtone of vintage glamor. It was truly my pleasure to meet Lauren and have the opportunity to get to know her. Laurent would be an incredibly fun, unique, and sincere person to have at your side on your wedding day!"

You can read the rest on my wedding wire page here.

A Certified Star!

2008-12-10T04:41:00.000-08:00

This week I was delighted to learn that Lisa Edd, Managing Editor of Here Comes the Guide, decided to feature me on their blog for the 2nd time in a row this month!

Here is the text from the recent post:

"Wedding photographer Lauren Cohn-Frankel has had quite a year. In addition to being officially Certified By The Guide, she was nominated for this year’s San Francisco Chronicle Baylist Best list and had her gorgeous photos featured in Today’s Bride, and on East Bay Express’ Wedding Wednesdays, KRON 4’s gay marriage special, HBO Family. Busy girl!

To see what all the fuss is about, take a look at some of her photos."

Here is the link to this week's post, and here is the link to the older post. In that one, Services Coordinator Denise Auerbach mentions some of my most recent awards and accolades, and describes my work as "gorgeous and full of personality." [blush!]

Thanks Lisa, Denise, and HCTG for the awesome recognition!

Five Wounds Church and Villa Ragusa

2008-12-10T04:33:00.000-08:00

(with getting ready pics at the Cypress Hotel and portraits in downtown San Jose and Santana Row)

Karen and David
November 08, 2008

Slideshow
Full set of proofs to be posted here

(I am swamped with work right now so I will add text to this post and the last one later: for now please enjoy the pics!)

San Francisco Design Center Galleria

2008-12-10T04:32:00.001-08:00

Bhavna and Emil
September 25-27 2008

Slideshow
Full set of proofs to be posted here

(I will post text and credits when I have more time: for now please enjoy the images)

New Couture Book Design: Lydia and Mike

2008-11-01T01:15:00.000-07:00

Lydia and Mike's Couture Book

Full layout viewable here

I am working on blogging my last 2-3 weddings, but in the meantime I just had to post this now: it is my newest Couture Book design from Lydia and Mike's wedding. All my Couture Book albums are the result of a collaboration between myself and my designer Jenn (who is also a talented wedding and portrait photographer in Northern Virginia, and has been incredibly patient with me! :). My goal with each Couture Book album is to go beyond just storytelling with images; to incorporate colors, textures, and illustrative graphic artwork along with the photographs themselves, thereby creating a unique piece of art which matches the style and sensibility of the couple and their wedding.

The Couture Book is one of two different kinds of albums I offer, the other being the understated, classically elegant Heirloom album, whose pages are designed using photos only (sans embellishments). The primary difference between the two types of books is the design of the pages themselves, although there is also some variation between them in terms of construction and physical feel. Both books are handmade by master bookbinders, guaranteed to last a lifetime; yet the Heirloom album is more photo-album-esque with thick, hefty covers and rigid pages made up of actual photographic prints mounted back to back on archival board. By comparison, the Couture Book album is a lighter weight, coffee-table-style hardcover book with flexible press-printed pages made from luxurious papers.

I created the Couture Book early last year because I wanted a way to pay homage to the couples who suffused their weddings with creativity and intent; weddings that were not only momentous and fun but also unique, stylish, visually stunning.

I wanted to offer my couples a book that was more than just the sum of the pictures within it, that was not just a tool for displaying artistic images, but that was in itself a work of art...because the wedding that inspired it was a work of art also. And, I wanted to be able to offer my couples something that they couldn't get anywhere else.

Here are a few spreads from the new design. These spreads will be printed 10x20" on white felt paper stock, which will really emphasize the textured backgrounds on some of the pages. They will then be folded in the middle to create 2 left and right facing pages, before being stacked, trimmed, and mounted into the cover itself.
(like all my other images, the logo and black borders are for blog purposes only and will not appear in the final book)

And to illustrate the unique and custom nature of each Couture Book, here is the link to my last CB design from Tammy and Jamey's wedding.

Pictures of the other type of primary album I offer, the classic Heirloom album, can be found on my wedding website, in the Featured Weddings section. Once my copy of Lydia and Mike's book is back from the bindery I will be creating an in-depth guide to the different album options, for couples who can't come see them in person.

In the meantime, if you would like to learn more and see and touch both album types, you can email me to make an appointment to meet with me in person.

The Clift Hotel

2008-10-16T06:49:00.001-07:00

Nicole and Steve
November 5 2008

Slideshow
Full set of pics will be here

I appreciate my clients from this year so much. More than any other year Ive been doing this, the 2008 wedding season has been filled with brides and grooms who march to the beat of their own drummer. It's so cool to see the kinds of things couples come up with when they put a lot of effort into making their wedding their own.

Nicole is a talented artist and designer, and her funky, artistic, elegant style was all over this wedding. The Clift was a great location for this wedding as it is one of those SF hotels that manages to be cozy, elegant, and full of unique style all at the same time.

I've been trying to find the time and words to describe everything properly but for once, I think I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

loved Steve's vows.

Nicole did the paper flowers around the chuppah herself.

fun group!

this light in this place was amazing. I loved the soft side light from the windows in the main room and the low, romantic light in the lobby.

Love it when they choreograph the first dance. These guys were good!

finishing move:

the little handbound books were their favors, from etsy.com, which is a great place to buy everything from makeup, to clothing and jewelry, to art and gifts and food, esp. if you want to support small biz and handmade, environmentally conscious and often upcycled products with way more heart than you can find at your average walmart.

vendors:

Clift Hotel: Lauren Balukjian was the awesome coordinator, and they also did the catering and cake/desserts.

flowers: Yoshiko Williams (don't have a website for her)

dj: Randy Harris, Pacific Entertainment

dress: Paris Connection

makeup: Christy from Addiction Salon

hair: Renee from Maire Rua

San Francisco Film Center

2008-10-13T02:12:00.000-07:00

Melissa and Greg
September 13 2008

Slideshow here
Full set of pictures will be posted here.

This is the second time I've shot at the SF Film Center, the first being last year's wedding of Christine and Andrew. This wedding proved to be a real treat for me however, because it brought a lot of photographic elements together in one place that I've been wishing for for a long time.

1. A spiral staircase.

I've seen many other photographers do the "couple in the center of the spiral staircase" shot, although the one that always sticks in my mind is Renee Allen. It is such a powerful composition and metaphor and I love to use it, but rarely do I get to shoot at a location that has one. So I was thrilled when I walked into Le Meridien hotel in downtown SF, where Melissa and Greg were getting ready, and saw this staircase in the lobby!

2. Extended time with the couple in the limo.

Logistically this doesn't often happen, because usually when they are going somewhere in the limo I have to get there too, and my car full of wedding gear has to arrive with me. But occasionally there is cause to take a drive with the couple in their limo, and something about the enclosed space, the quiet soothing ride, and the distraction of the scenery results in a level of inimitable unselfconsciousness that makes me a happy photographer.

3. A super huge long veil.

Brides in the bay area don't tend to wear cathedral length veils, and I don't blame them: it's hard enough walking around in heels in a dress that is longer than you are. But the image of the bride in a nice long veil is so appealing, and when you combine that with a windy day and a nice view you can do some incredible things. We've all seen those shots of the bride and groom under the veil...but how about when the camera goes under the veil too? Melissa and Greg and I had a lot of fun with this: big thanks to their friends for helping.

4. A deep blue sky with puffy white clouds.

I'm always kvetching about how we don't get a lot of "big sky" in the metropolitan bay area--by the time the sky darkens enough with the passage of day, the fog has usually rolled in and if you're lucky you might get some weird grey streaks in the sky resembling clouds. But this day blessed us with a gorgeous sky worthy of the midwest, and I was all too happy to kneel down low and grab some of it in as background for my pictures of the couple, the ceremony, and just about everything else.

5. One of my favorite florists as decorator.

This is kind of a no brainer, but when the florist and the photog know each other from before the wedding you can usually bet on a stellar performance from each of them: the florist is trying to outdo herself so that she can get some great shots for her portfolio, while the photographer knows she is counting on her and will go the extra mile to be worthy of it.

In this case Laurel Winzler was the florist extraordinaire. She also did Tammy and Jamey's wedding last year.

6. Outside looking in.

Most of my work focuses on shooting from within the event, like a fly on the wall, showing what it feels like to be inside the moment with no sense of emotional distance. Distance is, in fact, avoided at all costs. Maybe that is why I like the contrast of a shot taken from the outsider's perspective so much. It both intensifies the closeness of the B and G, cocooned in their little world...and at the same time draws some focus away from them and onto the outside world, which often seems cold and pale by comparison.

I'm sure you can think of 100 more metaphors for that.

Two more shots I like are below. Much more on the slideshow.

Vendors:

San Francisco Film Centre

florist:
Laurel Winzler

caterer:
Union Street Catering

cake:
Inticing Creations
I love Kelly's style of offbeat, unique, beautiful cakes and I really loved this one. Here is a detail.

dress:
Trudy's Brides

Recent E sessions: Crissy Field : Palace of Fine Arts : Peju : Domaine Chandon : Rutherford Train Station : Golden Gate Park Conservatory of Flowers

2008-10-13T01:46:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted any e sessions in awhile, so I thought I'd put up some of my recent faves.

Nicole and Steve (with Joe), Crissy Field and the Palace of Fine Arts
(wedding 10/05/08)

Sanjay and Shereen: Peju, Domaine Chandon, and Rutherford Train Station
(wedding 11/15/08)

Nicole and Greg: Golden Gate Park Conservatory of Flowers
(wedding 4/18/09)

Trentadue Winery, Geyserville CA

2008-10-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

Ann and Drew
September 13 2008

Ann and Drew's Slideshow
Ann and Drew's Full set of pictures will be posted here

About time for a new wedding, wouldn't you say? Ann and Drew were married at Trentadue Winery in Geyserville CA, on September 13 2008. Something that really struck me about Ann and Drew's wedding was the sheer number of people who love them. Their wedding was attended by around 250 people: I've done bigger weddings, of course, but with Ann and Drew's wedding you could tell that every single one of those people was like family to them. The warmth and connection in this crowd was huge.

Ann wore a simple, Monique Lhullier halter top dress with a sexy open back, her hair down and adorned by two simple white flowers. I love retro fashion and to me she looked very 40's femme fatale, which was an unexpected surprise to me (from the beginning I pictured her in a more classical/romantic, spanish lace kind of dress for some reason, kind of like the one Erica wore in our bridal session at Flourish) but it suited her perfectly.

One unique thing about the ceremony was when Rev. Dalton had Ann and Drew's parents and grandparents each bless the rings individually, infusing them with their love and support for their marriage.

My good friend Laura Miller of Laura Miller Design did the flowers and she really hit it out of the park. The bouquets were feminine and beautiful and the table settings were colorful, chic, and made the huge, high ceilinged banquet room feel warm and personal. The wedding colors were navy blue and pale pink and the guys wore navy jackets and khakis.

I am falling back in love with lens flare--the interesting, unpredictable effect you can get from shooting directly into a light source (in this case my off camera flash, but also works with the sun esp. when it is low in the sky like just after sunrise or before sunset). In this image the flare is subtle but you can see it as the slight texture overlaying Ann's hair and the top part of the image. Here is a better example of flare from this wedding (the rainbow lines and green circle above the couple):

Flare is caused by light bouncing around in the body of the lens between the glass elements inside it, and like many artistic techniques it takes some playing-with to get what you are looking for...it is also something you don't want to overuse. I like the ethereal look it gives to photos of the couple alone or during private moments, like kissing shots... like a visual reference to the "fireworks" produced by a great kiss.

This is one case where as a photographer you gotta spend the money--the quality of the lens (and the glass inside it, the way it renders light and color) has everything to do with the way lens flare will look in photos taken with that lens, and different lenses produce different flare effects. Top of the line pro lenses like the Canon L series lenses produce the best flare because they have the clearest, largest, highest quality glass inside them. Prime lenses especially (fixed length lenses like the 85mm f1.2L, as opposed to zooms like the 24-70mm f2.8L) are known to produce awesome flare.

Of course any pro photographer will tell you that you are much better off spending your money on top of the line lenses than dropping $5000 on the latest camera body. Bodies come and go and are obsolete in a year, but good glass can last a lifetime, and all the megapixels in your shiny new camera's sensor will do nothing for you if the images you capture have to pass through a cheap kit lens first...

Ok, school's over. Back to the wedding.

Trentadue has some amazing grounds to shoot in, including rows of vineyards, stands of trees, huge pine trees diffusing the sun into golden shafts of light and train tracks that pass right through the entrance to the property. All those awesome converging lines going off into the distance make for one very happy photographer.

This one deserves an explanation. During MOH Shonda's toast, she mentioned how at a family event years back, when Ann and Drew's relationship was just getting started, she had been told that Drew's dad, Andrew Elliot, was capable of chugging a beer while standing on his head. She asked Mr. Elliot to demonstrate at the time and he declined, but placated her by saying "on Ann and Drew's wedding day, I'll do it". Well, now that day had come, and Mr. Elliot was being called out...And he did not disappoint.

This is one of those moments where you can't believe you're getting paid to do this.

3 cheers to Ann and Drew for actually spending time dancing at their own wedding! ;)

And OMG the food was amazing. Trends catering did an incredible job, the cocktail hour appetizers alone were the best--I'm still dreaming about this cheese spread they had with nuts and dried fruit in it--and dinner was fabulous. When I first met Ann and Drew they told me they were not having a wedding cake because they really weren't into desserts and sweet stuff--instead they would be serving some individual desserts for the guests. Well, if this is the kind of spread put on by a couple who "aren't into sweets", I think I'd be scared to see what it would look like if they WERE.

Mmm...rings and bokeh!

Vendors:

Trentadue

flowers
Laura Miller Design

dj
Scott Grothe
That’s Entertainment

officiant
Rev Peadar Dalton

caterer
Trends Catering

videographer
Thomas Hughes

bridal boutique
Glamour Closet, San Francisco

makeup/hair
Tami Maytum
Indulge Salon
(925) 933-2220

I'm kind of a big deal around here: SF Chronicle's Best of the Bay Contest, award winning images, and other silver linings

2008-08-29T06:53:00.001-07:00

It's been an incredible summer to be a wedding photographer. Yes, it's true that overall consumer confidence is down, even when it comes to wedding spending (the so-called "recession proof" industry), and I know a lot of people, including photographers, who are struggling.

At the same time, so many amazing things are happening, I cannot help but be affected by them. So while like every other small business owner I have felt the strain of the declining economy, I have also seen more than one silver lining on this cloud, and I cannot help but feel hopeful about the future. It's funny when you've been working for something so long and then all of a sudden the day comes when everything seems to fall into place. So in order to keep things in perspective, I made a list.

Cool stuff that's happened this summer:

1. Nominated for SF Chronicle's Best of the Bay!

The Baylist Best contest allows SF Bay area citizens to choose their favorite local businesses by voting for them. This is just amazing--it's awesome just to be nominated. I'm up against some very heavy competition, photographers who have been in the limelight a lot longer than I have, as well as some of my incredibly talented friends like Lisa and James Sanders, Lilia Ahner, Tara Arrowood, and others. But I think I've got a fighting chance as long as everyone I know puts in their vote!

I also just had a look for the first time at the reviews people have left with their votes, and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to read all the wonderful things people wrote about me! Here are a couple of examples:

"Lauren is able to integrate beautifully the technical aspects of photography with the heart and soul of her clients. She is a very gifted and passionate professional artist."

and

"Lauren a phenomenal photographer who never stops honing her craft so she can deliver the best service possible to her clients. Beside being a very talented artist, she's an amazing person who cares deeply about her clients and the meaninfulness of their weddings."

I've got nine 5 star reviews on there already. Thank you so much you guys! If you haven't done so already, you can vote for me for best wedding photographer by going here.

2. My wedding pictures are in demand: images from Wedding Wednesdays get published in newspapers and broadcast on the 11 o'clock news, a KRON 4 primetime special on gay marriage, and HBO Family!

Ok, here's the backstory: The last time I was on TV, I was 8 years old. My class was interviewed by 20/20 on the subject of "gross toys" (Madballs, Garbage Pail Kids, and the like). John Stossel asked me if my mom knowingly bought these things for me, and I in all my adorable little smartass glory replied, "She buys them, she just doesn't know what she's getting into."

Let's say it all together now; "Awwww..."

So as you might imagine, getting TV attention as an adult is something entirely different. I have been inspired by these incredible weddings and the rich, varied, yet shared experiences of each couple. I am lucky to be the one to tell their stories, and thrilled at the opportunity to bring my work to a wider audience. It would be exciting to carry this work outside of the context of weddings, perhaps as a gallery show or something else having to do with the fine art world.

3. Certified by Here Comes the Guide!

Here Comes the Guide is a prestigious wedding resource that represents only the best wedding vendors in California. In order to become a part of it, you have to go through a screening process, in which they interview 30-40 references about your business, including established wedding vendors, and at least 10 actual wedding couples who have hired you. If these people don't absolutely RAVE about you, you don't get in.

I originally heard about HCTG early in my second year of business and wanted to get on board, but when I got to the part about the screening process I stopped--I couldn't even think of 15, much less 4o, wedding references I had worked with at that point. So I put it aside until a few months ago, when I looked at their site again and realized that now approaching my 5th year in business I had more than enough references and happy brides I could send them. This is actually one of the major benefits to the brides who use HCTG to find vendors: the screening process weeds out the fly by night or newbie businesses, as well as those who have a less than ideal reputation.

Unlike most other wedding resources, the text part of your listing on herecomestheguide.com is written by the staff at HCTG, made up of all the nice things your references said about you during the interview process. It's great if you are a bride, because you know that what's written about the business is not self promotional hype. I'm really excited to see what my references said about me.

4. Published in Today's Bride magazine!

I knew when I shot Tammy and Jamey's wedding last fall it was special, which is why I have a lot of images from that wedding in my sample albums and on my walls. As beautiful as the decor was, I also knew it would probably make it into at least one bridal mag. I am happy to say I was right! Two images from their wedding at the Ferry Building made it into the Idea Gallery section in the latest issue of Today's Bride. TB is a nice little publication, handbook sized, with lots of information and ideas for engaged couples. Unlike many other wedding mags there is a LOT of great photography in there and the vast majority of it is from actual weddings (as opposed to editorial photo shoots with models). TB targets an upscale but individualist, somewhat offbeat modern bride population, which makes it a great fit for my work.

5. My image of Ted and Brian wins an award from the WPJA!

This image won 5th place out of hundreds of entries in the "Emotion" category of the WPJA's Q2 wedding photojournalism contest. You can see the placement on their site here and a list of the judges and their qualifications here. Here are some of their comments on my winning image:

"From the distance and lens selection, the photographer has let us see this couple in their own world in the middle of a very big day in their lives. It’s a great picture of a couple paying complete and compassionate attention to the other."

All of the WPJA contests are judged by critically acclaimed working photojournalists and news photographers at the top of their field. Having judges like these insures that the winning images maintain a high standard of journalistic integrity and storytelling, and are of sufficient quality to stand on their own, outside the context of weddings. This is my third WPJA winning image this year.

Holy Trinity Cathedral and the Presidio Log Cabin

2008-08-05T06:37:00.000-07:00

Lydia and Mike
July 20 2008

Slideshow here
Full set of images here

I've been looking forward to this one for a long time. Lydia was actually my first booking for 2008, over a year ago, and I knew when I first met her and Mike that their wedding would be special. Then when we shot their E session together it pretty much sealed the deal: I was inspired by the couple's edgy, glam/punk rock style and LOVED the images we took out in the Mission at night. They were very fun to work with too. I was very excited to see what the wedding would be like.

The ceremony at Holy Trinity was a traditional Russian Orthodox service, filled with ritual. The inside of the cathedral was intense: covered wall to wall with shiny golden objects, relics, candles, and reflective paintings. The ceremony managed to be both solemn and lighthearted at times, such as during the crowning of the bride and groom. Heavy ornate crowns are held one handed over the couple's heads by the best man and maid of honor, for what seemed like 20 minutes, and about halfway into it you could see the muscles in their poor arms start to tremble violently as they tried to keep the crowns up. As the minutes ticked by it became a kind of hilarious inside joke among the wedding party; with everyone watching and waiting to see if the two could keep it up, and ending in a collective sigh of relief when the preist finally told them to lower their arms.

In contrast, to the ceremony, the reception venue had more of a rustic, casual feel. The Presidio Log Cabin is in many ways a typical log cabin...but I loved the bank of windows in the dining area, which gave the room a soft glow from the sky at dusk, and the chandeliers which dressed up the exposed wood ceiling. It was the flowers and decor however that made the venue come alive. The head table alone had about 15 separate pieces on it with interesting combinations of grass and green plants in pots, spiky seedpods and trailing ferns, and big tropical flowers in green hurricane glass vases, all of which sat on deep orange tablecloths and napkins. It's one of those complex, multivariety set-ups that could be either bold and incredible, or tacky as hell...and only a genius designer like Sara Hackforth could take all those contrasting elements and make them work perfectly together. And to top it all off she wasn't even a hired vendor, but a friend of the bride, who does do this for a living but not under her own business name. I'm hoping she has a website or portfolio out there somewhere so I can give her credit.

I almost forgot to mention the Queen Anne Hotel, where everyone got dressed. The QA is a campy, retro-burlesque paradise filled with velvet curtains, beaded lampshades, tassles and brocade on everything...plus great natural light in the lobby and in many of the rooms. Lydia tipped me off to the place months beforehand so we made sure to set aside a few minutes for some bridal portraits in the hotel before we left for the ceremony.

Lydia looked gorgeous in her simple, elegant strapless A-line dress with a ribbon at the waist and a custom made shrug by Designs by Erika. Her pictures below are a great example of an important motivator in my work, which is to celebrate the beauty of real women; to illustrate that even in a wedding dress a woman doesn't have to give up her individuality or strength to be gorgeous, and that it is in fact the outward expression of her inner self which makes her that.

Bridal portraits are typically something that gets put on the backburner at weddings-- brides only take time out for them if there is extra time to be had. But Lydia's bridals have reminded me how much I love doing these, so from now on I think I'm going to ask all my brides to set aside a few minutes for them. Speaking of portraits, the Queen Anne would be a great place for future hot photo (boudoir) sessions, especially those who want a pin up-type look.

Well, now that I've spent 5 paragraphs talking about wallpaper and flowers, I should probably mention the people! ; ) First of all, Lydia and Mike's friends rock. They all know how to have a good time and they frequently hammed it up for the camera, especially the guys. Lydia's dad is also a very funny man: he introduced the cake cutting with his very accurate impression of that "Lets get ready to rumbuuuuuuuuuuuuuuullllll!" guy. All the other vendors were super nice and fun to work with too. DJ Matt was particularly awesome and the 80's music he played helped keep up my energy all night, and videographer Dana was very friendly and helpful. I was told the caterer, Caterman, helped with the awesome decor, and the made the BEST carrot cake I've ever had. Overall, this was just one of those magical weddings where everything seemed to go right.

Here are some highlights, with links to the slideshow and full set of images (pending) below.

family heirlooms

lydia does marylin

check out the funky hotel decor

cathedral detail, by my assistant gerry. I took basically the same shot but i think i like his lower lit version better.

those crowns are heavy! you can see the look of grim determination on the best man's face.

pics with the couple at City Hall

presidio log cabin interior

awesome unique flowers

one of the favors, a chinese finger trap (with their rings). Hmm, what's the metaphoric significance of a chinese finger trap at a wedding anyway? ;)

i think this shot really shows what it feels like to catch the bouquet.

this one kinda reminds me of the dance contest scene in Pulp Fiction. i love my 85mm f1.2L!

San Francisco City Hall

2008-07-28T04:01:00.000-07:00

Maryellen and Diana
July 16, 2008

Maryellen and Diana are New Yorkers who have been together for 15 years. They had planned to be married in Big Sur, California on their 15th anniversary, but due to the CA wildfires they found themselves having to move their plans to San Francisco City Hall at the last minute. Irene Kane, a wonderful officiant who I had met at Stella and Phu's wedding last year, presided over their ceremony and was also the one who referred me to the couple in the first place (thanks Irene!). We both started and ended shooting in the couple's hotel room at the Four Seasons, which gave Maryellen and Diana a chance to have pictures taken in both their formal wedding attire and in comfortable regular clothes.

City Hall has 4 seperate areas where weddings are normally held on weekdays, the most popular of which is the Rotunda. I shot Neeraja and Mads wedding there last year. Maryellen and Diana however wanted something a bit more private, yet no less majestic, so Irene suggested the 2nd floor balcony facing the grand staircase. This area has some of the best light and views of the whole building, yet a cozier, more intimate feel than the Rotunda.

Maryellen and Diana wrote their own vows, of course, and they were beautiful. They took their time in saying them, and then re-exchanged the rings they had worn since their private ring exchange ceremony years ago.

After the ceremony we took pictures all over city hall, as well as in the plaza area out front, and then went to Golden Gate Park for more. I rarely get this much time alone with a couple on their wedding day, so the shoot had a relaxed, comfortable feel to it. We ended up back at the hotel where I had some lunch while the couple changed back into street clothes, and then did a few more images of them snuggling in the room with the city view out the window behind them. There is something about a couple that has been together that long...they just fit together, like they were made for each other.

Normally I might wish Maryellen and Diana all the happiness in the world; but they've already had that, and for more than 15 years. So instead I think I'll just wish that their next 50 years together is even more wonderful than the last 15 have been.

It was very sweet the way Diana was always looking after Maryellen.

I got to sign as witness on the marriage certificate!

Slideshow here.
Full set of images will be here.

Wedding Wednesdays, Day 2

2008-07-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

Bryan and Robby : Ted and Brian : Molly and April

Images have now been added to the Wedding Wednesdays slideshow from Day 2: see the post below to check it out. It was awesome! A little smoother since we had already done Day 1...but no less meaningful. I was particularly happy to hear Brian's toast, which invoked all the guests to get out and vote against Measure 8, which if it passes would reinstate the ban on same sex marriage ((shudder)).

(by Jessamyn)

Also please note the new, extended deadline on my Fabulous Gay Wedding Giveaway! I realized that because the court ruling didn't go into effect until the middle of June, many couples are still getting their plans together for a fall wedding. Therefore to give everyone enough time to have their plans solidified before they enter, I have extended the contest deadline to October 31st. Entry information and full contest rules can be found here.

Wedding Wednesdays, Day 1

2008-07-06T05:13:00.000-07:00

Scott and Victor : Bruce and Mallory : Tanika and Patrice
June 25, 2008

The first day of the Express' Wedding Wednesdays event at Periscope Cellars was so much more incredible than I could have ever imagined. Some of it was a little bit crazy, with three separate wedding ceremonies to shoot within one hour and three separate sets of couples to coordinate with, photograph, and care for. But all three couples were a dream to work with: they were funny, friendly, creative, extremely appreciative, and very much willing to go with the flow.

The way it all came together surpassed my expectations; all the vendors obviously put a great deal of effort into making everything about the wedding worthy of its significance. With Terry Furry from the Express officiating, each couple took turns walking down the aisle; exchanging moving, personal vows and rings; having their kiss; and then moving aside to make room for the next couple. The vows were incredibly moving and had most of the guests in tears...but for some reason it was the first dances that hit me hardest, and I found myself happy to have a large camera to hide behind.

As if that weren't enough--we made the TV news! A camera from KRON Channel 4 was there for the ceremony, so we knew there was a chance it would be covered, but I don't think any of us were expecting it to be the Top Story. I missed getting home in time to see it by about 5 mins, but apparently you could see me shooting away in the background almost the whole time. I am still trying to get a recording of it and will post it when I do.

In terms of lighting Periscope Cellars can be a real challenge--thankfully I'm good with challenges. I have so many incredible images from the day, and I feel like posting only a handful of them would be impossible to narrow it down, so I'll just embed the slideshow here for everyone to see:

I want to give a special shout out to my friend and fellow photographer Jessamyn Harris, who second shot this entire event with me, generously donated her services in the midst of an extremely busy summer workload. It was great having her there to share the event with as well.

Here is a list of all the other vendors who helped knock it outta the park:

event planning and officiant: Jody Colley and Terry Furry (resp.) East Bay Express
venue and wine: Periscope Cellars
bridal gowns: Bridal Image
prep location: Bancroft Hotel
honeymoon: Stevenswood Resort & Spa
decor: Discount Fabrics
cakes: Chef Ani's Catering
catering: Cafe de la Paz
transportation: Angelica Limousines
band: Alex Mack and her Ensemble
afterparty venue: the White Horse Inn
painted portraits of couples: Johanna Uribes

Day 2, with 3 more couples, took place this week, and will be posted in another week or two. For now, here are the links to the event sites where you can sign up to see all the pictures when they are ready for viewing:

Day 1: June 25
Day 2: July 02

San Francisco Ferry Building and Fort Mason E session

2008-06-28T03:07:00.000-07:00

Bhavna and Emil

I had a lot of fun at this E session. Bhavna and Emil were great to work with, one of those couples who just seem to read my mind--knowing exactly what to do and when to do it to portray everything about their love for one another. In planning our session they said that they wanted to visit some SF locations that were meaningful to them as a couple, of which there were many, but after talking for awhile on email we settled on the Ferry Building and Fort Mason for their variety and placement close to some of the best views in the city.

I always ask my couples to choose an E session location that has some relevance to who they are, as opposed to just somewhere pretty or romantic, or where "everyone else" is doing it. It could be a place that is a part of their history, like where they got engaged or where they went on a first date, somewhere they used to go or have always wanted to go, or merely a place that reflects their personalities...but it has to be relevant. The reason for this is that it helps get their minds off the fact that they are being photographed.

If they've been there before, they can talk and reminisce about the last time they were there. If they've never been there but have always wanted to, they can enjoy the process of discovering the new place and everything it has to offer. Both of these activities help to get them out of the stiff, self conscious, camera-aware frame of mind that is the enemy of any documentary-style shooter looking to capture real connection. The couple gets wrapped up in the moment and in each other, they start to forget I am there (or at least they cease to care), and everything feels and looks very natural.

Its kind of like watching a good movie. Even during the best movies you don't 100% forget that you are watching something contrived, for the sake of entertainment; but you do make the choice to suspend your disbelief and to allow yourself to be sucked into the moment. That is similar to what my couples do during our E sessions, and finding a relevant location is the same thing as turning down the lights in a theater. In the dark, with the movie images and sounds filling your senses, you are able to become fully immersed--sometimes having very intense emotional reactions. It is often only when the movie is over and the lights come back up that you realize just how far gone into that other world you were.

Here are some highlights from the shoot:

out behind the FB

in the front of the FB, where the low sun made for some incredible light puring through the arches

B & E were such troopers out on the windy, freezing pier at Fort Mason

across from Greens, one of the couple's favorite vegetarian gourmet restaurants

Gay Wedding Photography Giveaway

2008-06-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

Update post-election:

Sadly, in an unprecedented move based on bigotry and small mindedness, Prop 8 was passed this week and therefore (for the time being) gay marriage is no longer legal. I just want to let all my LGBTIQ clients from this past year know how sorry I am that we lost. I will cherish the images I have from your weddings and the memories of them, and I have every confidence that this is not the last CA or America will hear from us on this topic. Lawsuits are being filed, and as of this writing Gavin Newsom has pledged to keep issuing licenses until he is sued (Go Gavin!).

For my part, the past 48 hours have been such a mix of bitter and sweet, of sadness and hope. Even though we lost this initiative, progress is still being made and we are still moving forward.I will keep this post and link open for any gay couples getting married in defiance of the proposition, or those having commitment ceremonies or other partnership ceremonies who need a photographer in the future. I look forward to having the chance to stand with you and support you. Here's hoping that the time between now, and the day when all of us have the right to marry who we love again, is short.

Love,
Lauren

"Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." MLK Jr.

same sex wedding images:

Click here to see the slideshow from Days 1 and 2 of Wedding Wednesdays, an event which was organized by the East Bay Express, in which 6 different gay couples were married over two days.
Click here to see Maryellen and Diana's City Hall elopement wedding'

~or~

View my portfolio and read more about my wedding and lifestyle photography on my main website here

for posterity purposes, my old post text is below:

CONTEST INFORMATION

The background:
For the first time in my 30 years on this planet, I am beginning to feel like the good guys are winning. The legalization of gay marriage in CA is awesome, and with NYC following close behind in recognizing out of state unions...I feel giddy just thinking about it. They are predicting something like 30,000 gay marriages taking place in this first year alone-- I can't wait to meet all the GLBTQ couples who will be my clients in the next year, to hear their love stories, and to document their marriages.

So it is in celebration of this thrilling victory, and to show my gratitude toward all the couples who fought for it (especially my previous civil union couples who got married before they could even legally call it that), that I announce my first official contest! Entries will be taken via email (see below), and one lucky winning couple will win my complimentary services for a full day's coverage of their fabulous wedding.

The basics:
~ NEW extended Deadline:
December 31st, 2008

~ Requirements:
Wedding date between January 1 2009 and April 30 2009 (subject to Lauren's availability).

~ How to Enter:
send an email containing the details of your wedding plans, your unique love story, and why you feel you deserve to win to MY EMAIL ADDRESS (lauren@cohnfrankelphotography.com). Wedding plans should include such things as the location(s), guests, decor, approximate timeline or duration of events, and details on why you are doing what you are doing and what it means to you. Please don't forget to include your names, date, and a way to contact you!
At least one photo of both partners is required for entry, but feel free to submit as many photos/videos as you like to show me who you are and why your wedding is special!

~ the Winners:
Blog readers will vote for one winner from among three finalists. Check the blog after Jan 1st to see who the finalists are and vote for your favorite!

~ the Prize:
Full Day Wedding coverage by Lauren Cohn-Frankel (up to 8 hours). All images at high resolution on DVD. Plus all the usual goodies that come with all my weddings (engagement session, event cards, images posted online, etc).
Travel within the greater San Francisco Bay area is also included, entrants with weddings outside this area are welcome but they should be prepared to cover travel costs for Lauren and her assistant.

~ Where do we send our entry again?
CLICK HERE TO EMAIL ME

The fine print:
No purchase necessary. Entry open to engaged couples planning a wedding which will take place between Jan 1 2009 and April 31 2009, subject to Cohn Frankel Photography's availability. Entrants whose wedding date falls on a date for which CFP is otherwise booked, as of entry closing date, will not be eligible. Current or former clients of Cohn Frankel Photography are not eligible for entry. Prizes are non-transferrable and not redeemable for cash or trade--failure to claim prize(s) within the time period specified will result in forfeiture. CFP reserves the right to substitute equivalent services and/or products in the case of illness or other circumstance beyond our control.
Cohn Frankel Photography (CFP) does not discriminate in any way on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, or any other protected status, so technically this contest is open to all engaged couples regardless of identification....however, please note that the winning couple's names, stories, and photos will be used by Cohn Frankel Photography to promote wedding photography services for same sex weddings and to advertise in local and national same sex wedding resources and to same sex wedding clients. By entering the contest, both partners hereby agree to allow the unrestricted use of their likeness, story, and images for this specific purpose, and/or for any other promotional or other purposes deemed necessary by CFP or its assigns, including editorial or promotional use by other companies, and agree to sign a release specifying same. The winning couple must also agree to the terms of my standard wedding photography contract, which can be emailed upon request.

Gay Wedding Wednesdays

2008-06-03T23:18:00.000-07:00

I'd like to announce a really incredible event that I'll be photographing in a couple of weeks. In honor of the recent CA supreme court ruling legalizing same sex marriage, the East Bay Express is putting on an event called Wedding Wednesdays, in which they are throwing a wedding for 6 separate gay couples on two seperate Wednesdays this summer. The Express is covering the costs of the wedding and reception at Periscope Cellars in Emeryville, and sending all the couples on a honeymoon at the beautiful Stevenswood Spa and Resort in Mendocino.

The ceremonies will take place on June 25 and July 2, with 3 couples being married each day. Right after photographing the ceremony I will take each couple for a post-wedding portrait session, followed by the reception. Pictures from the shoot will be published in two issues of the Express newspaper and on their website, and hopefully be picked up by some other papers and/or online resources as well.

This is a very exciting time for many reasons, both for humanity in general and the wedding business in particular. The biggest thing is, of course, the ruling itself; what it means for this country and the future of equal rights. I am usually pretty pessimistic about this kind of thing, with little expectation of seeing the good guys win or experiencing the changes I wish for during my lifetime...but the result in CA (as well as similar news in New York and elsewhere) gives me hope.

Then there is the fact that an estimated 30,000 gay couples will be married in CA during this first year alone. I can't wait! The gay weddings I've shot in the past have been so much fun; the atmosphere of pure joy there is really something to experience. It is as much about family and personal celebration as it is about universal humanity and triumph at the end of a long, hard road.

In honor of the ruling and my desire to do more of these weddings, I am planning something special; both to celebrate the victory of the ruling and to honor the couples who have been waiting for it for so long. Stay tuned for more on that in the next week or two!

For now, the Express still has some space open for couples for their event, so if you know any gay couples who might want to participate, pass it on. You can read more about it and find the link to contact them here.

*picture above is of Robyn and LG, right after their first dance, from one of my very first gay weddings.

San Francisco Night Engagement Session #2: Lydia and Mike

2008-05-16T00:58:00.001-07:00

Lydia and Mike weren't sure where they wanted to do their E session...until they saw Karen and David's E pics on my blog. They loved them, and wanted to do something similar. But, every couple has a different feel, and no two are alike.

We started off in the Mission, planning to shoot a bit in a pie shop since it was Lydia's birthday, and I thought a birthday cake and candles would be a nice starting point. But no one thought to bring candles, and the shop was kind of small and packed, and it's usually a bad idea to start off an E session in a busy place anyway (makes the couple more nervous if they are not used to being photographed, as they feel like a spectacle). So we shot pics of the couple feeding each other banana cream in a little alcove down the street, and then got up to start walking around the neighborhood, which is when I noticed this cool sign:

Mike has that punk rock wall-lean thing completely down. I always used to try it myself when waiting for the Subway but could never get my leg up high enough to look cool.

Most of the shoot took place in and around mission dive bars like the 500 club and the Elbow Room...but as usual the best shots came from little places that just caught my eye as we walked around.

Finally we ended up in Muni, and I was psyched to try a blurred train shot or two. I'm surprised how nice I was able to get the color of these shots in post, given the horrible florescents that are everywhere underground.

Lydia and Mike wanted a shot of them jumping the turstiles, as a finale. I have about 6-7 images of the entire course of the jump, taken within a second or two, but so far I like this one best.

Angela Gail Banchi, my friend and fellow photographer, was kind enough to be my official light schlepper when my regular assistant was not available. She was a trooper, especially in light of the fact that the shoot was again approaching 4 hours in length. In my defense, most of my E sessions don't pas 90 mins and if the couple begins to look bedraggled, then we end it...but Lydia and Mike seemed to be right there with me the whole time.

After we dropped them off at 11PM, Angela and I stopped for food at the one restaurant in the Mission that was both still open and not a taqueria, and then headed back over the bridge for home.

Two recent baby shoots

2008-05-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

Both of these youngsters are between 9-12 months of age. Boy can they move! Nothing at all like shooting newborns.

Baby Elle alone and with mom Lisa;

Baby Ishan with mom Rupam

with dad

big sister Ayesha

affecting boredom as only a 4 year old can...

Technical notes: I usually start out the session by photographing the baby on a neutral background...either white seamless or black cloth works nicely. This gives us a lot of really nice, clean images we can use for announcements, holiday cards, etc. and it works no matter where we are shooting or what the location looks like. I shoot with my Qflash in a medium (24x36) recessed softbox, for soft directional light that wont bounce all around the room.

We will normally take some shots "au naturel," and some with baby in various states of dress. Overall I am looking for natural expressions, personality, and not needing (or expecting) the baby to stay still. I let the parents play games with baby or use a noisy toy to get him/her to look towards the camera once in awhile. If the baby is quiet for a moment, I take the time to shoot details of the hands and feet, along with some more solemn images of the baby herself. Newborns and the very young may be photographed sleeping or lying/sitting semi-awake. It is important to start shooting shortly after feeding time, when the baby is relaxed and content.

From there it's time to bring mom and/or dad in, and this is where we start to capture more of the interaction between them and baby. I love it when the home has a large window to backlight the parents with, and a nice couch or chair that helps focus the composition on the baby and parent. I tell the parents to just cuddle and play with their child, to forget that I'm there.

After a few minutes of this the older babies will usually get a bit fussy, from being held down and focused on for so long, and may need a break. If he/she seems ok to shoot again after 10-15 mins, then we can put baby on the floor and let him crawl around a bit and play with toys in a more active way. This is a good time to get environmental portraits.

Finally, if there are older children to be photographed, the baby's break time is a good time to do it. Younger kids will want their own time in front of the camera, and they are more likely to share the spotlight later for family portraits if they get it. It's very important to notify the parents that you don't need them to tell their children to smile, or to order them around in any way. Younger kids especially don't know how to fake a smile, and when they try they usually end up looking constipated. :) It's enough to just talk to them, and let their natural happy expressions come out when they talk about something they like.

San Francisco Night Engagement Session

2008-04-25T03:20:00.000-07:00

Karen and David

(a bartender at Fuse celebrates Karen and David's engagement by fixing up some complementary fire shots; a mixture of Malibu, pineapple, and 151, poured into shot glasses and lit on fire)

My session with Karen and David was awesome and HOT (in more ways than one); easily one of my favorite E sessions of all time.

From the beginning the couple had expressed a desire for something new and different, with perhaps a bit of an urban/edgy feel. After weeks of thinking about where to start shooting, they chose the Mint bar on Market St.; a location with sentimental value from early in their relationship. They also wanted to incorporate some of the city's famous neon signage in their pictures, such as the marquee of the Presidio theater and the strip clubs around North Beach. We planned to meet shortly before sunset, and continue beyond dusk to catch the different parts of the city as they were lit up for the night.

I was a bit worried when I saw it was going to rain; of course I've shot E sessions in the rain before with no problem, but usually in the park or other places that provide some partial cover. I knew that if the couple felt cold or uncomfortable it would be hard to get good expressions from them, and we might have to reschedule. But K & D really were up for anything, and didn't mind getting a little wet...of course it probably helped that we started in a bar, and then hit another bar about halfway through to warm up both inside and out. In the end the weather turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as the wet, foggy atmosphere gave the streetlights and neon signs a kind of mystical glow, and the water on the ground provided lots of cool reflections to play with in the pictures.

Karen and David were SO much fun to hang out with, and so easy to shoot--their chemistry is undeniable. They had lots of ideas and suggestions of their own, and we often found ourselves noticing the same place or having the same idea at the same moment. Furthermore they trusted me completely, and were not afraid to try new things or feel a little silly for the sake of good photography.

Here are a few teaser pics (more than usual because I am just so in love with them);

Inside the Mint

walking around the Presidio area

on to Broadway and Chestnut

(thanks to my friend Ed Pingol for the inspiration)

ending up in Chinatown at 11:30PM, (4 hours of shooting! time just flew by)

The rest of the images will be posted here by the middle of May.

Edit: someone asked about my lighting--most of the images were lit with an off camera Qflash (in the hands of my totally awesome and quite-a-trooper intern Gerald), gelled with 1/2CTO and with a 20 deg. grid. The sitting on the bar image also included on camera flash bounced off the ceiling for fill.

Couture Accessories for any bride

2008-04-21T03:33:00.000-07:00

I have developed kind of a thing for designer shoes, especially heels. For all stylish bridal accessories, really. I just love a good shoe or dress or jewelry shot. These items are the first thing I look for when I enter the bridal room and the first thing I usually photograph, when nothing is really happening yet and I have the time to walk them around a bit and look for new and creative ways to shoot them.

And, while getting married can be a great excuse to buy some amazing accessories, not everyone can afford to devote thousands to their purchase. But now, thanks to a website called Bag Borrow or Steal, even brides on a budget can afford couture!

The website offers you the opportunity to "borrow" (aka lease) 100% authentic designer bags, purses, and other accessories on a weekly or monthly basis, for a fraction of what the items cost to own. They have things from famous designers like Chanel, Gucci, and Hermes, and even have a whole bridal section devoted to wedding-specific items.

Here is just a taste of what I found in my first few minutes on the site:

Vera Wang Double Diamond Earrings $128.00/week or $375.00/month

Rosiblu Pave cuff bracelt (13.97 carats!) $265.00/week or $795.00/month

Leiber 'Slender Curve" evening handbag $51.00/week or $150.00/month

Don't miss the vintage collection. Hermes midnight blue vintage Birkin bag; $816.00/week or $2,400.00/month

I happen to have picked some of the more costly items on there, but there are plenty of beautiful bags and jewelry pieces to be had for $50-$150 per week. So go there now, and borrow something fabulous for me to photograph on your wedding day! :)

Thanks to my friend Angela Anderson for tipping me off to this resource!
(all jewelry and bag pictures (c) bagborroworsteal.com)

WPJA Top 100 Wedding Photojournalists in the World Announced

2008-03-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

Last week, the WPJA announced their list of the Top 100 wedding PJs in the world for 2007...and to my great surprise and elation I found out I am on it! :)

The list is based on each photographer's winning images from the previous year; you can read more about the WPJA's conditions for membership and their challenging contest requirements in my post about my latest win from a few months ago. Given that their membership extends well into the thousands, I probably don't need to say what an accomplishment and an honor this is... And it becomes even more so when you factor in rankings by state or city.

For example, the 93rd-ranked WPJA member is actually #1 in Florida. The 96th-ranked is #1 in Singapore. And so on. And even the lowest ranked photographer for any given state or city is still well above the hundreds or thousands of other photographers in that area who didn't make the list in the first place.

As for California, I happen to be in the top ten. :)

Here's the list

Flourish Pt. 2 (finally)

2008-03-07T19:35:00.001-08:00

The results

I was really happy with my images from Day 2 of Flourish Workshop: the bridals and Lights Out sessions especially. I am hoping to do more of both of these this year. Taking bridal portraits is not really something that we do on the West Coast, perhaps because of the stigma of formal, stuffy, cheesy studio photography that the genre has endured. Yet brides out here put just as much thought into their dress, and their overall wedding look, as do brides in the South or East...sometimes even more so. With all of the cool location possibilities that exist in the Bay Area, I think it would be a no-brainer to reframe the bridal portrait as a way to express the individuality and real beauty of the bride on her own, without her partner in tow. And although these bridals were shot in the studio, the variety of set design and lighting gave all three women a very distinct look and feel:

Soft and classically romantic Erica (gown by Romona Keveza)

Clean and modern (and kinda sultry) Sarah (gown by Amsale)

Quirky, avant-garde Leah (gown by Paloma Blanca)

And one shot to convey the papparazzi-like atmosphere of the sessions:

The Lights Out shoot began with Kitty going over her approach and what inspires her to do this kind of work. Her work is very much about creating a fantasy...but not the cliche, bubblegum-fake Playboy starlet fantasy that currently dominates the boudoir genre. For her the illusion is not about altering reality; rather it is a place for a woman to find herself by becoming something else...by adopting a character (or caricature) and giving herself permission to play.

One of my favorite quotes from Kitty's presentation was, "Put a woman in a costume, and she will act. Put a woman in her underwear, and she will hide." It is because of the fantastical nature of these shoots that she finds the courage to be the beautiful, sexy person that she truly is; free from the limits and expectations that come with being "herself."

I am fascinated by this approach for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it shares a common inspiration with my wedding images. Showing brides how beautiful they are while staying true to who they are is and always has been a huge part of my wedding work. Of course the interplay between fantasy and reality is a huge part of weddings as well, and it is always interesting to see how each couple takes the tradition of the wedding day and makes it their own. I have shot many intimate portraits on request, but it's not something I ever advertised...mainly because I feared that it would be misinterpreted, and might put off some of my more traditional brides. But now that I've found a way to reconcile it, and a language to explain why I do both and what I'm trying to accomplish, I can see that changing. :)

Here are my images from the Lights Out shoot: (mature content ahoy!)

Denise
I love the way the shadow of the camera gives this shot a touch of voyeuristic thrill

Sarah

this shot makes me think of Uma Thurman circa Pulp Fiction for some reason

Kristen

I love that her red velvet shoes are just barely visible here

We also did an Engagement shoot at Flourish. I am very well versed in shooting E sessions, but it was fun to shoot one in a real winter environment for once!

Sam & Lizzie

and with a little extra flavor:

Angela & Luke

If Day 1 of Flourish dealt with all things practical, Day 3 dealt with all things artistic. We covered Photoshop first, specifically how (and why) to retouch images from the Lights Out and similar intimate portraits. Kitty again talked about treading the fine line between the fantastical and the real, and showed us how to do subtle body retouching to smooth imperfections while still retaining the overall natural look of the woman's body. Kim went over her Lightroom workflow for editing and post production. And Angela discussed creative album design.

Speaking of which, I am very excited to debut my new Couture Book line of albums for weddings shot in 2008; these books will offer an alternative to the straightforward flush mount wedding book that is made up solely of images. Each Couture book is the result of an intense collaboration between the photographer (me) and my handpicked professional graphic designer, combining beautiful storytelling images with elements of design, texture, color, and line art, all of which will be influenced by the look and feel of your wedding including invitations, monograms, fonts, decor, colors, flowers, etc. The result is an art book that is entirely your own, reflecting the intrinsic feel of the wedding and the couple themselves, that elevates your wedding story to a work of art. No two books will look anything alike...because no two weddings are entirely alike. More details and images on the new Couture book to come soon...

When all is said and done, the most important thing I took home from Flourish was a sense of how crucial it is as a photographer to be yourself. You can't be all things to all people, so don't even try...instead, find what you truly love to do, what you are good at, and do THAT. Once you do, you'll find yourself loving every aspect of your work...and surrounded by clients who support your vision.

Shoutouts:

Dresses courtesy of Bluegrass Bride
Makeup by Ana Crane-Simpson
Hair by Rodney Farmer, Salon Figaro
Studio lighting and set design by Angela Anderson and husband/cinematographer Gary, Kitty Maer
Kim Reed, Kitty Maer, and Angela Anderson for being so generous with their knowledge
And special thanks to all the women and couples, none of whom are professional models, who gifted us with their time and their permission to post images publicly.

Flourish, Pt 1

2008-02-21T02:17:00.000-08:00

So I'm finally ready to talk about Flourish, the amazingly fun and incredible workshop I went to in January in Louisville, KY. Flourish is run by three photographers who I really look up to: Angela Anderson, Kitty Maer, and Kim Reed. The workshop was basically their opportunity to tell us everything they have done that has worked for their businesses...and also what hasn't worked. All three women have very unique styles and approaches to wedding photography, and bring vastly different levels of experience to the table, so I figured that somewhere between the three of them I was sure to find ideas that I could apply to myself and my business...and I wasn't dissappointed.

Day 1 and Day 3 were classroom days, in which we spent most of our time listening to presentations and asking questions. Day 1 focused on business basics, starting with a worksheet Kim, Kitty, and Angela created to help each of us determine our costs of doing business and basic living expenses in relation to our package pricing. It may sound elementary, but a lot of photographers jump into doing business without any sense of a financial plan, budgeting, or any idea of the real costs of doing business. Professional Photographers of America (PPA) recently completed a benchmark financial survey of wedding and portrait studios, the first of its kind, in which they determined that the average home studio has to take in over $100,000 a year just to break even. If the studio operates out of a storefront, that number jumps to $250,000. And in reality, between the costs of equipment, computer hardware and software, and storage/uploading/editing tools, photographers as a whole end up spending way more now to run a digital photography business than we ever did with film.

Anyway, the worksheet basically confirmed for me what I already knew, which is that I have to take in slightly more than $3500 per wedding avg. in order to pay my expenses and break even. I so wish I had done something like this seminar 4 years ago! I really envied the one or two attendees who were just starting their businesses...that first year of doing really well in bookings, yet still being broke at the end of the year, was a hard lesson to learn. I think that budgeting is one of those things that, the longer you put it off, the more scary it seems and so you put it off even longer. I'm so glad to be past that point now.

After the budgeting discussion we talked about other key aspects of business, such as marketing, customer service, and contracts. I left for the hotel that night buzzing with ideas and with really warm feelings about how friendly, generous, and supportive both workshop leaders and attendees were turning out to be.

In addition to learning, Flourish was also about treating yourself for all the hard work you put into your business. I viewed it as part education, part vacation (of course only a workaholic like myself would go to a workshop for "vacation!:P) The workshop fee included accommodations at 21C Museum Hotel in Louisville, which is part modernist four star hotel and part art museum. The lobby is divided into gallery spaces and artists rotate throughout the year so there is always fresh work up, and each room comes with your own Ipod preloaded with your favorite genre of music. Here's a shot of my room:

The workshop fee also included 3 gourmet meals and 2 snacks per day, and quite a bit of champagne. Unfortunately at first I couldn't enjoy any of it, due to my coming down with a raging stomach flu. By the night before I left for KY I knew I was sick; on my way there, I slept most of the flight, but I think being on the plane itself weakened my immune system as my symptoms peaked during the initial night there. I left dinner early, and spent most of the evening staring at the inside walls of the hotel bathroom...

By the end of the first full day of the workshop, I was feeling MUCH better, and was so excited about everything I was learning that I couldn't get to sleep right away. Plus I was ravenous from having eaten so little for the past 36 hours, and room service was closed, so I was "forced" to raid the mini bar. This particular mini bar has sensors in it, so if you remove anything for more than 10 seconds you automatically get charged for it.

Alas, Brian was back home in CA, so I wouldn't be using the $10 21C branded "intimacy kit".

Okay, now picture how fast I had to set up this shot so I could get the kit out and back in place behind the pretzel can within 10 seconds. :)

The little bottles of alcohol were cute, but I instead decided to go with something a little more familiar for late night snackage...

Of course all that sugar led to this shot: : )

It took about 20 tries to get the bed jumping shot right. Which then led to this:

...which was what I was trying to accomplish anyway.

I haven't taken a self portrait in a looooong time...but I did a lot of them in art school. Quite a few of which involved the bathroom mirror in various houses I lived in during my 20s.

I think I look kinda cute here. Note the strategic upward head tilt, to minimize double chin-osity. That's why they pay me the biiig bucks. :P

Day 2 was a shooting day. We had guided shooting opportunities with 2 couples for an Engagement session, and models for a bridal session and "lights out" session. Lights Out is the term Kitty and Angela use to refer to their avant garde-style boudoir work...Anne Ruthmann calls hers "Film Noir Boudoir". I like that a LOT, but she was smart enough to trademark it. So I'll have to think of something else to call mine. :)

Below are a few behind the scenes shots from Day 2. For the actual results of the demo sessions, you'll have to wait until the next post!

this is Kim Reed rockin the engagement session demo at Flourish

Here is a candid photo of me on day 2, taken by Indiana photographerAnne Ruthmann (whose work I also love and am inspired by; having her there was a huge bonus)
shot by Anne Ruthmann, and here is Anne's Flickr.

Latest Vendor Collages

2008-02-04T00:19:00.000-08:00

I am chomping at the bit to post about all the incredible experiences I had at Flourish photography workshop in Louisville KY, which I attended two weeks ago...but there is so much to write about, and I think I need just a few more days to organize my thoughts. In the meantime, I thought I'd share some of the collage pages I made recently for wedding vendors I worked with last year.

Silicon Valley Capital Club, San Jose

Winter is my chance to catch up on making custom books and print pieces for all the florists, designers, venue coordinators, caterers, and other vendors who made last year's weddings so fabulous. Any vendor who asks would have already gotten images on disk by now, and/or maybe a few prints for their portfolio...but when I've done a wedding with someone whose work really inspires me, I feel compelled to give them something more.

Like photography, a lot of other wedding-related businesses are artistic in nature. So much of what these artists do is about the intangible experience of their clients: using color, light, taste and/or textures to create a mood or feeling the bride is looking for. It takes more than one image to convey these things to a prospective bride--the whole story must be told. That's what I try to do with my vendor pieces.

I love providing wedding vendors with beautiful pictures of their work. I think that as a photographer I am in a unique position to be able to give something of real value to them, with only a minor amount of extra time or expense on my part. And hopefully in doing so, I am increasing the chances that I will get to work with these awesome people (and their awesome clients) again and again.

Hiddenbrooke Golf Club, Vallejo CA

Florist Stacey Miller Designs, San Francisco City Club, San Francisco CA

PS. If you are a wedding vendor or venue manager who has worked with me before and you haven't gotten collage pages and/or a book from me yet, please email me with the wedding date and bride's full name, and your logo in pdf or eps format attached. Thanks!

Ritz Carlton Modern Bridal Show

2008-01-12T17:43:00.000-08:00

On Sunday Jan 6th, I participated in the Modern Bridal show at the Ritz Carlton San Francisco...and had a fabulous time! A lot of thought and effort went into my booth, and I was really happy with the amount of attention it got from both exhibitors and brides. The show admission included champagne and lots of yummy cake and food to sample...although I really didn't have time to eat any of it myself as we were about 6-8 people deep for most of the show. However I had a chance to talk to about 80 couples in depth, which I really enjoyed; it was fun hearing so many varied stories and wedding plans and I enjoyed hearing all the nice things people had to say about my work.

My booth was about 3-4 months in the planning; I had the two back walls made custom for me by my carpenter Aaron, who also set up and broke down the booth for me and that alone proved to be more than worth what I spent to hire him...I definitely couldn't have done it without him. The walls were made from 4x8' wood boards, painted chocolate brown, with crown molding painted blue along the top and bottom. They were held up by wood braces in the shape of a sideways "A".

Large prints were purchased from my pro lab, mounted on styrene board and mounted on the wall using velcro (so they could be easily removed). Florist Laurel Winzler, who worked with me on Tammy and Jamey's wedding at the Ferry Building last October, did my flowers: she did an incredible job even though she came down with the flu the week before the show! Laurel really came through for me, and her flowers were beautiful. And fellow photographer/part time second shooter Nick Lostracco made himself available at the last minute to assist me with set up and talking to brides at the show, after the girl who I originally planned to hire had to cancel due to the storm.

Probably the most talked about part of my booth were the little goodie bags I made up to give all the brides, which contained a mini-album, a few prints, a brochure, a personalized letter, and a few gifts to thank them for taking the time to come out and see me. Brides went crazy over the cute, tiny mini albums, as well as the other gift in the bag including homemade caramels, handmade mocha candles and blueberry lip gloss, and chocolate scented soap. I picked all the gift items so they would go with my branding and colors (chocolate and blue), and I found all of them from a wonderful site called Etsy.com.

I was first turned onto Etsy by another photographer. Etsy is basically a community of artisan businesses, whose products are all handmade and most of whom use all natural, earth-friendly, and/or upcycled materials for some or all of their creations. It's a great place to find things like handmade stationery, exquisite bath and beauty products, and all kinds of yummy food and gifts. Plus you can feel good about buying from them, as the people who advertise on etsy are almost always small, highly ethical businesses.

In addition to talking to brides, I also collected names at the show for a Free Engagement Session drawing I held earlier this week. I'm happy to announce that the drawing has been made and we do have a winner... now I'm just waiting to hear back from her to make sure she is able to accept the prize. I'll post her name and pictures from the E session soon!

For everyone else who entered, thank you SO much for your interest in my work. It was wonderful meeting you on Sunday, and I am so looking forward to your weddings! I encourage everyone whose wedding date is this year to contact me ASAP, so we can take the next step and make sure to secure my availability for your date!

Finally, although I wasn't able to get my sample in time for the show, I am very excited to be rolling out my new Couture Book wedding albums in the next couple week for this year's wedding clients. I should be receiving my sample book any day now, and as soon as I do I'll take pictures and post a complete description. For now, let's just say that I think these books are going to represent something truly unique and different among Bay Area photogaphers, and that the clients who get them should plan to be the envy of all their friends!

San Francisco City Club

2008-01-02T15:52:00.000-08:00

Just like shooting a wedding, minus the bride and groom...

On New Years Eve I had the pleasure of shooting detail shots at a wedding for my friend and rockstar coordinator Amy Nichols, of Amy Nichols Special Events, at the San Francisco City Club. The couple had hired their own photographer for the event but Amy wanted to make sure someone was there who could capture all the work she, florist Stacey Miller, catering manager Alison Bianchetti, and lighting designer Brandon Cruz put into the event. The decor was top notch-- gorgeous white orchid centerpieces were spotlighted to give the cozy room some depth and clarity, and the blue embroidered tablecloths and chrome highlights cooled things down and made the tables sparkle. They way the room was laid out and all the little touches made it easy to find lots of different beautiful shots: seriously, I think I shot about 500 images in the dining room alone.

The City Club is a beautiful place to have an event in it's own right: it's laid out over two floors at 155 Sansome, with a brass square spiral staircase joining them. One of it's landmark features is the huge Diego Rivera mural adorning the wall in between floors; called "Riches of California", it spans at least 15 vertical feet of wall space and continues out onto the ceiling, making it possible to admire from both floors.

I've just finished backup up my images, so here are a few of my immediate favorites. Amy will be making a portfolio of the final images, and hopefully this wedding will get published in bridal magazines...it sure deserves to be.

Gorgeous, unique cake by The Cakemaker

Cake detail. I love it when cake designers can transform edible things to look like something completely different: in this case, fabric.

I couldn't decide which bouquet shot I liked better, so I put them both in

The end. And I still got home in time to eat caviar and watch the ball drop with Brian!

Lauren Cohn-Frankel, International Award Winning Wedding Photojournalist!

2007-12-25T07:45:00.001-08:00

***FREE SECOND SET OF PRINTS FOR EVERYONE!***
(Scroll to the bottom for info on how to get your free second set of prints)

in honor of

HUGE news! Some of you have been reading this since early last year, when I posted about getting accepted into the Wedding Photojournalist Association or WPJA. It was (and is) an honor to be accepted--they accept you based on an evaluation of your work, and they have very strict standards. Less than 5% of people who apply get in.

One of the many perks of getting into the WPJA is entering the quarterly contests--entries must be fresh work, from weddings shot during the same year as the contest, and they are always judged by established, working photojournalists (not other wedding photographers). These are the guys whose images grace the cover of national news magazines and papers, who cover wars and conflicts, foreign affairs, politics, etc...You're considered a winner if you place between 1st and 3rd, but honorable mentions for 4th-20th place are also given. Thousands of images are entered each quarter, and having a winning image is a very big deal.

Well, I said all that to say this: I WON! Twice! (ie with 2 different images in two separate categories).

Here are the winning images:

Just winning alone would normally be enough, but some of the judges of this particular contest have been inspiring me and my work for more than 10 years! One of them in particular is Eugene Richards, who has authored numerous photographic books and projects on such diverse topics as breast cancer, drug addiction, emergency medicine, pediatric HIV and AIDS, the meat packing industry, and aging and death in America. Richards' work was a huge inspiration to me in college; his work became the inspiration for a lot of my own, including a solo show I did in my senior year called "Scars" which was laid out like the pages of a book; containing 20x30" prints and accompanying text pieces mounted along the gallery wall.

Another contest judge I admire was Lauren Greenfield, who directed the Emmy nominated documentary "THIN", aired on HBO, about the lives of young women struggling with eating disorders. The movie spotlights her own emotional journey through the Renfrew Center in Coconut Creek, Florida, a residential facility dedicated to the treatment of anorexia and bulimia. It is a beautiful, touching film; and IMO any woman or man who has ever struggled with body image and weight issues (and who hasn't?) should see it.

The incredible team of judges also included Gary Knight, John Stanmeyer, and Ron Haviv. You can read bios of all the judges here, and see their work on the VII site here. It is such an incredible honor to be recognized by these photographers.

As for the images, the funny thing is that they are both from the same wedding! Kevin and Caitlin's wedding from September was SUPER fun, and the couple themselves are two of my favorite clients from this year.

About the cake smoosh image: Because the cake cutting is such a staple in wedding photography, the WPJA judges cake cutting images especially hard: contest rules for that category specify that entries should show a unique perspective, something beyond the usual "cutting and feeding" shots. Knowing this, I've been on the lookout for shots that I thought were unique enough to meet that standard, and with Caitlin and Kevin's shot I had a feeling even as I shot it that it might be the one. The judges' comments about my image praised it for good interplay between the main subjects and the guests in the background; Kevin as you can see is a real comedian and knows how to play to the crowd.

You can see all the winning entries for this quarter starting here (use the arrow buttons to more from image to image, and the drop down menu if you want to look at past contests or flip to another category). My winning images are here and here.

I just want to take this opportunity to thank Caitlin and Kevin for being such freaking awesome clients, subjects, and friends...and also thank you to all of my brides and grooms, for helping me to create work that I am proud of. Without you guys, this never would have been possible.

To express my thanks to all of you and in honor of my second place award, I'd like to offer anyone who places a print order from now until the end of January a FREE SECOND SET OF PRINTS! YAY! Just email me with the words "WPJA2" in the subject and the name of your event, and wait for my response, then you can go online and order like you would normally. Please wait for my response BEFORE you place your order!

(make sure to do it like I say above, sorry but I can't honor this on orders already placed or if you forget to wait for my response before you order. I also can't honor this on albums or anything else other than individual prints)

Silicon Valley Capital Club, San Jose CA

2007-12-25T05:41:00.001-08:00

Melanie and Paul, 10/27/07

Another opportunity to shoot a wedding at Silicon Valley Capital Club and I was not to be disappointed. Knowing Mel and Paul, I was looking forward to a fun wedding with no small amount of wackiness (hello? E-session at a mini-golf/arcade anyone?) :). And knowing Lynn Lakia from the Club, I knew I could expect beautiful decor and super organized, helpful coordinating. The best of both worlds!

Mel had incredible hair and makeup done by Dina, and she really looked amazing in her beautiful dress from Elegant Lace Bridal in San Jose. We had a great suite at the Fairmont to shoot her getting ready pictures in, with a view of the park and (under construction) ice rink down below. I was a little sad about the rink construction, because the circle of palms where it was being constructed is a great place to shoot at night when all the lights come up in the trees...but no matter, there is plenty of photographic gold to be had in the rest of the square block surrounding the Knight Ridder building.

Although not my first time shooting at the Capital Club, my previous oppportunity had had their ceremony somewhere else. Mel and Paul were having their whole wedding at the Club, with the ceremony right in front of the 17th floor windows that look out onto the city--a backlighting challenge for sure but not beyond my ability to meet it. After a beautiful ceremony in which Paul cried more than Mel did :), we headed right out to shoot a few fun and candid couple shots in the park. We had the whole park to ourselves, and since we had already worked together during our E session Mel and Paul knew just what to do; ie. ignore the camera and cuddle. After about 15 mins outside we headed back upstairs to shoot a couple on the balcony, and that was when we got the above image.

This was one of those "eureka" moments, where I just knew as I pressed the shutter button that I was taking an iconic image. After getting home and looking at it more closely, I got even more excited--to me it represents almost everything my business and work is about--real beauty, moments, love, having fun, being yourself...and especially being able to laugh at the unexpected, not taking everything so seriously. Since then, this shot has now graced the front page of my website, become the cover of my '08 brochure and giveaway mini albums, and will be displayed as a 30x40" print at the Modern Bridal Fair at the San Francisco Ritz Carlton on January 6th.

They say in the photo biz, that what you show is what you get. If every wedding I get from now on is like Melanie and Paul's... I will be one happy photographer.

A little more about the wedding, interspersed with some images:

the dress: (I love it when I show up and it's already hung artistically for me) :)

Melanie looking slightly fed up with the buttoning procedure

dad seeing Mel seconds before the walk down the aisle

Awww....

I must've said something funny...

Beautiful flowers by Ingela's Floral Designs

Cake by Bijan Bakery

Tim from Sound in Motion kept it rockin from the beginning

this was so cute--the MOH couldn't stop crying long enough to make her toast!

you can see how close they are

the first bouquet toss came up short...

2nd time's a charm

told you they're wacky

Slideshow
Proofs

Special thanks to Lynn again for being so attentive and helpful to me!

Kayden, 7mos

2007-11-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

Here are some new pictures of Kayden, our akita puppy. He is almost as big as Luna now, he weighs 82 lbs, and he is really turning into a beautiful dog. He is also one of the friendliest, most tolerant akitas I have ever met, liking people and dogs of all shapes and sizes. He could become more aloof as he grows, and there is no guarantee with akitas that they wont eventually decide he doesn't like other dogs, especially other males...but for now we are really enjoying his happy-go-lucky attitude at the dog park and everywhere else. Sometimes he will even take on the role of "protector" to a smaller dog at the park.

We also just got him microchipped, as a precaution since we will be boarding him and Luna with a friend of ours when we head to LA for Thanksgiving with my parents. For those who are unfamiliar with it, pet microchipping is very important for dogs and cats because it gives them some way of being identified if they are lost, besides their collar and tags (which can come off or be removed by a determined pet). Basically, a teeny tiny microchip is implanted, using a needle, below the skin between the animals' shoulder blades. When the lost animal is picked up by animal control, local shelters, or vets, they pass a reader over the animal and if the chip is inside, a number will come up on the reader. This number can then be looked up via a database, and the pet owners name, address, and contact info will show up, so the pet can be reunited with the owner.

Not too long ago there were serious issues in the microchip industry, with different companies making different chips that were only readable using their own readers. If the local vets or AC had a reader from a different company, your pets number just would not show up--it would appear like the animal was not chipped at all. There were more than one instance of lost, microchipped pets, whose owners were actively looking for them, being adopted out to new owners or even euthanized because their microchip was not readable by the scanner that the shelter had. In one tragic case a man was able to track his dog down to a specific shelter, only to learn that the dog had been euthanized not 30 mins beforehand, because his chip information did not show up on their incompatible reader.

Thankfully, in 2005 a bill was signed into law ordering the companies to standardize their technology. Now chip manufacturers like ResQ, the company that we used for Kayden's chip, are making universal chips (that can be read by any reader) and universal readers, that can read any chip.

Having up to date tags on your animals, especially dogs, is extremely important too. I put the words "Large Reward" on the top of my pets' tags, with my phone number--to me I feel that is a better use of the space then the dog's name, which will not help him be found anyway. Earlier this year, we were out at the dog park with Kayden while Luna was at home. Somehow she managed to break down part of the wooden gate leading out of our yard, and was found running up and down the side streets near our house by a neighbor out walking her dog. The neighbor captured Luna (it wasn't hard, she's not at all skittish and will do anything for food) and put her in her garage, then immediately called the number on the tag...which was my cel number. Luna was back home in less than 30 mins, and the neighbor got a nice bottle of wine from us for her trouble. When she was younger Luna had this annoying habit of bolting out open front doors, but this was the first time she (or any dog of mine) had escaped without us knowing about it and running right after her...so I'm really glad we were prepared.

Anyway, enjoy the new pics of Kayden. What a cutie huh?

San Francisco Ferry Building, plus new featured weddings!

2007-11-12T00:12:00.000-08:00

I just updated parts of my website with new pictures from this summer and fall's weddings! I added some new images to the main slideshow, and also replaced my old Featured Wedding with three new ones-- Jenny and Roy's wedding from 7/7/07, Stella and Phu's wedding from 7/01/07, and Tammy and Jamey's wedding from 10/6/07. One of my goals in updating the site was to make sure there was more representation of different ethnicities on my website; this year I've had the pleasure to be a part of some fabulous weddings from all parts of the cultural spectrum, and I wanted to make sure my site reflected that. I will be working on putting more new images into the main gallery sections later this winter.

I also want to announce that I will be participating in the Modern Bridal Fair at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco, on Sunday, January 6th. This chic event will showcase some of the best high end wedding vendors in the Bay Area, and I am thrilled to be a part of it! I am working on my booth design right now and should have some cool goodie packages to hand out, so if you are in the area that Sunday and you want to stop in and say hi, I'd love to see you.

Speaking of Tammy and Jamey, their wedding at the San Francisco Ferry Building was definitely one of the most beautiful, upscale events that I did this year, but between editing their pictures and getting ready for the show I realized that I never had a chance to blog about it! Well, better late than never...

Tammy and Jamey currently live in New York, but most of their family is in the Bay Area. Tammy and I exchanged emails for months leading up to the wedding, to make sure everything was in place--Tammy was a meticulous planner, yet I appreciated how she kept her easygoing attitude the whole time. This was a technically challenging wedding because of the lateness of the year: in October, the sun sets at around 6PM, and their ceremony was scheduled to start at 5:30. I knew we would have to rush out after the ceremony to shoot pictures of the bride and groom in the last bit of remaining light. Not being from the area, it was very important to Tammy to have a lot of iconic San Francisco pictures, and given the location of the Ferry Building, I knew we would not have to look far to find them. I have been perfecting my lighting techiques this year, so I was looking forward to finding creative ways to solve the problems that this wedding would present.

To light the outdoor, post-sunset images, I used a combination of natural light for some and judicious amounts of softened, bounced flash...I was able to utilize the environment to this end, bouncing my flash off of nearby white walls and the sides of trucks to create an impromtu softbox and a fashion lighting-type effect. Back in the reception, I used a couple off camera flashes and my Pocket Wizard radio slaves to illuminate people on the dance floor and at the head tables, while still retaining the atmospheric lighting and natural ambience in the background. This is a technique I find myself using more and more, as it allows a greater amount of flexibility in lighting and the results are much more dramatic and interesting than the standard bounced on-camera flash.

Tammy and Jamey were so cute together: in addition to being a naturally attractive couple, they just sparkled when they got around each other. We had done a short engagement session the night before, just prior to the rehearsal dinner; which helped them to understand what I wanted from them during the our time alone. By the time the actual wedding rolled around, they were well versed in letting themselves be caught up in the moment of being with each other...although I can't take all the credit for that, as I think they were just naturally susceptible to becoming lost in each other.

One of the highlights of the evening was a speech by best man Ladell Robbins, whose deadpan humor and sense of timing had everyone rolling. Another highlight involved the bride's grandmother, whose was celebrating her 95th birthday that weekend--the couple surprised her at the wedding by bringing out a cake and candles for her, and singing.

The wedding was catered and coordinated by Paula Le Duc--it was a real pleasure working with June and Tim, the onsite coordinators, who ran a very tight ship, and made themselves completely available to help us get the best shots we could (including Tim escorting myself and my second shooter up to the overhead balcony every single time we needed to get a shot from above). The food was amazing, and very artful--desserts included two "strawberry trees" (see below: these are fresh strawberries mounted on toothpicks around a palm leaf sphere, set atop a wooden branch planted in brown sugar "dirt", and with bowls of cream and sugar below for dipping), and miniature ice cream cones. The strawberries and cream were so good, when I got around to editing the images of them I actually couldn't resist taking a break from working to go to the store and buy myself the same ingredients for snacking.

There was a candy bar, and late night munchies in the form of miniature hamburgers. Flower decor was by Laurel Winzler--my first time working with her, she completely transformed the stark upper floor of the building into a warm, colorful atmosphere,. and was able to work with the lighting scheme so that the flowers and lights never competed, but rather complemented each other perfectly.

Tammy's hair was done by Arelis Pena, and makeup by Melissa Bugarin kept her looking flawless all night. The wedding was officiated by the Reverend Dr. Dorsey Blake, ceremony string music was provided by players from the SF Conservatory of Music , while the cocktail hour duo and dinner music band was led by Bob Marshall. After dinner was over, DJ David Carvahlo kept everyone dancing.

Here are some highlights:

strawberry trees

You can see more of Tammy and Jamey's pictures in the Featured Weddings section of my site, or their slideshow here.

Their full set of images from both the rehearsal dinner and wedding, will be available here in about a week.

Special thanks to Vic Valbuena, my second shooter at this wedding.

Photographing the "Yes"

2007-11-02T00:52:00.000-07:00

Since we are getting close to this years' peak proposal season (12/25 - 2/14), I thought it would be a good time to talk a little bit about photographing proposals. A lot of men (and some women!) put a great deal of thought into their proposals, be they large and extravagant or small and private...but it doesn't often occur to them to bring along a photographer to capture the event. Most people have no idea that this is even something that pro photographers do.

I think it's a great idea to have a pro there to capture the look on your fiance's face when you pop the question, especially if you are going to the trouble to plan something REALLY special...but how can you make sure your proposal is photographed, without tipping off the bride-to-be? In my experience, there are two main ways this can be done without spoiling the surprise:

1. The photographer can remain hidden, shooting from afar with a long lens. This kind of thing will have to be closely coordinated with the groom, including a visit to the planned proposal site to make sure that a) you keep an open line of sight with the photographer, so that he or she can shoot what is going on while staying hidden, making sure to pick a spot where the photographer's angle isn't at risk of being suddenly blocked by a car pulling up, by people getting in the way, etc...remember the photographer will not be able to communicate with you on the day of the proposal without giving herself away, so you need to figure out some way to confirm that you are in position and that the photographer is able to see you and ready to shoot. Text messaging could work. At some point after she has said yes, the photographer can come out of hiding, and the couple can spend a few minutes with her taking some fun, romantic couple shots to commemorate their engagement.

2. The photographer and the groom can make up a plausible reason why the couple is being photographed--for example the groom could tell the bride-to-be that he won a free couple's portrait shoot, and the photographer can act in the beginning just like she would during any normal portrait session...or if the couple is very attractive, the groom can tell the bride that he volunteered the two of them for a modeling gig, maybe even promising her pay or the opportunity to be published. The number of scenarios you could make up are endless--you just have to come up with something your bride will believe. The groom and photographer should have pre-arranged a location/time when he will pop the question and the photographer will just stand back and shoot as it happens.

If you can't afford a pro, you might be able to recruit a friend or family member to stand in as the photographer...keep in mind that the very presence of someone she knows with a camera might tip the bride off. If you are using a non-pro, it's very important that they use a camera with a high FPS (frames per second) rate, and a good optical zoom lens. Most consumer point and shoot cameras have a long lag time between when you press the shutter and when the image is actually taken; for this kind of shoot you need a camera that is very responsive, so you don't miss those split second moments. A pro-sumer digital SLR like the Canon 40D or Rebel XTI are good choices for a moderate price. Make sure your zoom lens is capable of covering both wide and tight shots from where you will be standing--in order to show the emotion of the couple, you will need a lens that can zoom in far enough to fill the frame with their heads and shoulders. At the same time your lens should also zoom out far enough to allow both of their bodies to fit in the frame, in order to capture the groom kneeling and the bride standing before him. The 70-200L f2.8 by Canon is a great lens for this purpose. All of the above equipment can be rented from reputable pro shops like Lens Pro to Go.

If possible, you should plan the proposal to take place outdoors, during the last hour before sunset. This time of day provides the most flattering natural light. Second choice would be outside, in open shade, during the morning or middle of the day. Shoots done in direct midday sunlight will have a harsher look to them, and the amateur photographer will have a harder time getting good exposures and flattering pictures from these conditions. If you plan to propose indoors, your photographer will need a flash, perferably on that can swivel and bounce light off of walls or the ceiling like the Canon 430EX , which gives a softer quality of light than direct on camera flash. Of course, having a flash going off every other second will make it hard for your photographer to stay anonymous.

As with the wedding itself, the proposal is a once in a lifetime event, one that cannot be repeated or restaged with any sincerity. It pays to have a photographer who knows how to capture moments beautifully, who isn't going to be limited by cheap equipment (good zoom lenses like those mentioned above can cost from $1600-$5000 to own, or $300-$500 a day to rent), and who has experience moving stealthily, being quiet, and waiting patiently for what photojournalist Henri Cartier-Bresson called "the decisive moment".

Here's a New York Time's article about it.

For more information on setting up a proposal shoot, you can email me or call me at 510 882 1980.

I got tagged...

2007-10-04T04:29:00.000-07:00

it's like a game you play with blogs, apparently. Jennifer Longaway tagged me so now I have to write 8 interesting things you may not know about me and see if I can get 8 other people to do it too...reminds me of chain letters (the pre-email version of spam).

So here goes:

1. In elementary school I was addicted to Sweet Valley High books. So much so that, when we were given an assignment to write a novel in 4th grade, I basically totally copied the plot of one of them (the one where Jessica gets kidnapped) almost verbatim, changing the names and details around a little bit. The teacher had no idea but all the girls in the class called me out on it. I didn't really get why they were so upset...Since then I've become slightly more respective of copyright.

2. Also in elementary school (kindergarten), most of my friends had allergies to something, asthma, lactose intolerance, etc...but I was perfectly healthy and terribly jealous of them. So I made up that I was allergic to wax.

3. My favorite food right now is Palapa Azul coconut sorbet pops.

4. My childhood pet cat's name was Paul. He was named after my best friend's dad. He lived to be 17 and I took a trip out to Long Island, New York to scatter his ashes after he died at our old house there.

5. I was terrified of the little finger stick blood test machine at the doctor's when I was a kid, so my mom used to bribe me with promises of a hot fudge sundae at this gourmet ice cream place after the Dr.'s appointment.

6. When I was 17 I shaved my head, except for two long thin pieces in the front that were kind of like bangs. Those I dyed various colors. They hung in my face and people constantly used to ask me if I could see properly (they weren't THAT big).

7. When I was 5, my favorite movie was Annie. My favorite record was the Annie soundtrack. I used to play it and sign along, and my favorite song on it was "Maybe"...but I couldn't get through the song without crying (it's a sad song).

8. My first paid job was as a waitress in a restaurant two blocks from my house. I got $2/hr plus tips. My first paid photo gig was photographing a painting student's canvases with slide film, for her art school portfolio. I got $50.

Okay, your turn to embarass yourselves. I'm tagging James Sanders, Angela Banchi, Nathan Smith, Juliet Nicole,
Tiffany Fosnight, Rose Hyc, Millie Holloman, and Jen Manuele.

PS Nice work Jen and thanks for the shout out! Now can I make you come over to my home office and do all the work I should have been doing while I was doing this? :)

Tenaya Lodge, Yosemite CA

2007-10-03T00:32:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth and Robert
September 22, 2007

This was the first time I'd ever been to Yosemite, although if I'd had any idea what I was missing I would have gone ages ago. The cool mountain air, the enormous Sequoias (some people think Redwood trees have a special kind of energy, since they are so ancient), the quiet and peace...it was uplifting and incredible just being there.

Elizabeth was a destination bride, coming from Texas, and since I live more than 3 hours from Yosemite we didn't actually get to meet until the day before the wedding--but we talked over email a lot in the months before the wedding and we read each others blogs to get to know each other. Elizabeth's blog is called Clutching Boxes. She is a great writer, with a sharp wit and a masterful way of putting words together--I love her blog. She is also a photographer, and one of her recurring themes is to create composite photographs of herself playing different characters in the same image, like this:

image (c) Elizabeth Stewart

Her work reminds me a lot of Cindy Sherman's. It has the same pseudo-serious feel, like it has something important to say but at the same time is making fun of itself. She also has some beautiful landscape and texture shots on her blog.

I love working with other photographers, not only because it is flattering to be appreciated by someone who knows photography but also because most photographers are really familiar with both the strengths and limitations of photography. They know that the more they put into their pictures, the more they will get out of them, and this was definitely the case with Elizabeth and Robert--I barely had to give them any direction during our E session, and they had a lot of fun with both that shoot and the portrait part of the wedding shoot the next day. They had great ideas and it was really fun collaborating with them. And during the documentary parts of the wedding day Elizabeth gave me the kind of physical and emotional access that makes it possible to get to the heart of what the wedding is about. It was a bit of a crazy day, with rain, wind, and eventually hail forcing us to move the ceremony into the large lobby of the Tenaya Lodge (moose antler lamps and all), and a mixup with the officiant that I'm sure will seem funny to the couple in...oh... about 10 years or so. ;)

When all is said and done, though, Elizabeth and Robert really made this day their own. It was one of the most laid back weddings I've shot, and by the end of the day I felt more like I was hanging out with friends than working. I plan to bring the dogs and Brian up to Yosemite this winter (since I found out it snows there) and let all of us enjoy the slow pace and relaxing atmosphere of the place.

Local vendor shout outs: Flowers were done by Sweet Pickin's Floral, who did a gorgeous job on the bride's bouquet, melding little curly twigs, miniature pinecones, and white and green flowers into something that reflected the natural colors of the park around us. The yummy little 10-person cake was by Sweet Dreams Bakery. Elizabeth's makeup and hair was done by the awesome owner of Revive Day Spa & Salon. Finally, the event staff at the Tenaya Lodge were great to work with and very accomodating. It's a great place to stay in the Yosemite area--I just wish I would have had time to take advantage of their spa while I was there!

Here's some faves...

Engagement session:

Wedding:

Slideshow
Proofs

PS: on the way up to my hotel room after the E session, I noticed something fluffy waddling around behind the front desk. I leaned over to have a better look, and saw what may be the cutest, fattest, pomeranien in the Sierra Nevadas. While petting her I had to take a few pics, although she was a bit afraid of the camera at first (I don't blame her, it was bigger than her).

Hiddenbrook Golf Club, Vallejo CA

2007-10-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

Caitlin and Kevin
September 15, 2007

It took until about halfway through the first dance for me to realize how much I identified with Caitlin and Kevin. We spent more time than usual together shooting their E session at the Vacaville Fair, which meant more time to get to know them. And some aspects of their relationship do mirror mine; like how long they've been together and the sometimes rocky road they've traveled to get to a place of stability. Also many of the details of their wedding were how I would want mine to be--the personal vows, the music, the candy bar... (who needs dinner anyway when you've got a vase full of grape taffy and tootsie rolls?) ;)

As a result of this I found myself imagining my own wedding in some parts of theirs; such as when I stood, trying to hide my tears behind the camera, while the couple danced their first dance together (it didn't help either that the song was Five for Fighting's super sentimental "100 Years"). Or again near the end of the night, when Kevin surprised Caitlin by pulling out his guitar and serenading her with the "I Want to Grow Old With You" song from The Wedding Singer movie. Just two of many perfect moments that had a great impact on me.

I turn 30 in December, and I'm in that transitional period...still nostalgic about the excitement of my early twenties, an intensity born of naivete that can't be recaptured. Everything seemed much easier then. Values are changing too: where I once wanted to change the world, it can be hard not to feel somewhat pathetic now for being more interested in a nice comfy couch to sit on and a healthy savings account.

Yet what I saw at Caitlin and Kevin's wedding touched me deeply, reminding me that love and contentment are valid, and have their own purpose. As I drove home at the end of the night I felt happy to be alive, and grateful for the comfort and love that awaited me there.

A few shout outs: The incredibly gorgeous flowers were by Atalanta Jackson, Flowers by Atalanta. Seriously guys, I see a lot of flowers, and I was REALLY impressed by hers. Ceremony music was played beautifully on classical guitar by Jay Alvarez who, ironically, also played the ceremony music at Gabriela and Ron's wedding at the Martinelli center in Livermore last fall, although I didn't have a chance to say hi to him this time. And Caitlin's dress was from Gesinee's Bridal in Walnut Creek. Finally, Shannon, the event manager at Hiddenbrooke, was lovely to work with and very helpful to me throughout the day.

Some highlights:

Slideshow
Proofs

Carneros Inn, Napa

2007-09-08T01:46:00.000-07:00

Molly and Gary
August 25 2007

Molly and Gary were married at the Carneros Inn, which is definitely on my list for great vacation spots--the inn is vast and beautiful, with views of the surrounding vineyards and an apple orchard for the ceremony to take place in, as well as ballrooms for events, a restaurant, and a gourmet grocery. The decor of the orchard and the ballrom was enhanced by Laura of Laura Miller Design--lots of bamboo and deep purple lilies in wooden boxes with light pink and white accents made the table settings beautiful and unique, and in the apple orchard larger pieces of bamboo and white orchids framed the spot where the couple said their vows.

Highlights of the wedding included a suprise tea ceremony to honor Molly's parents, and the speech made by her dad during dinner. Mr. Shen talked about how it is a tradition in his culture to buy a bottle of good rice wine on the day of a daughter's birth, which is then kept in storage until the daughter becomes old enough to marry, and then finally presented to the groom to welcome him into the family. He then proceeded to give Gary the bottle that was bought when Molly was born.

This wedding was a team effort for me--Molly and Gary wanted pictures taken of the guests, to be printed and framed onsite and then given as favors at the end of the night. I enlisted the help of Juliet Nicole as second shooter to take the guest portraits, and Janki Thakkar as printer/framer/assistant. Thanks to their hard work everything went off without a hitch, and everyone was really happy to take home a picture of themselves at the end of the night.

Great article about wedding photography

2007-09-08T01:32:00.000-07:00

From Matt Mendelsohn’s piece in the Washington Post:

Getting The Picture
By Matt Mendelsohn
Sunday, September 2, 2007; W20

When he was a photo-journalist, “wedding photographer” sounded like the punch line of a joke. Then he went soft and discovered that taking photographs of the most important moment in people’s lives actually is funny. Also moving, sad, scary and profound.

IT WAS 10:15 P.M., AND THE BAND WAS HALFWAY THROUGH GLORIA GAYNOR’S “I WILL SURVIVE,” a song I’ve heard so many hundreds of times in the past nine years that I think I should start earning some sort of secret ASCAP royalty, when the tiny phone in my pocket began to vibrate.

My cellphone, like any good wedding photographer will tell you, is always on vibrate, even when I’m not at a wedding. Just one of those silly things, really, but I don’t take any chances. I never trust traffic on the Beltway, even on a weekend. I don’t eat strange foods on Friday, lest I become sick on Saturday. And I absolutely cringe at the thought of my phone going off during a wedding.

I cringe because it’s my job as the photographer to document the nuptial events unfolding in front of me — from the hushed nave of St. Matthew’s Cathedral downtown to the Potomac overlook at George Washington’s River Farm — not become part of them. I’m hired, of course, to chronicle, but after nine years and some 400 weddings — think Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day,” but with a lot more salmon — one can’t help just plain observing. And so, here is observation Number One: On average these days, one and a half guests will receive a phone call during a wedding, often smack during the vows, the inevitable tinny strains of Beethoven’s Ninth emanating, just as I’m sure Beethoven himself would have wanted, from the circuit board of a Motorola RAZR.

One and a half guests. Welcome to my world. This is what I’ve become after all these years, a deranged comic book character: mild-mannered wedding photographer by night, captive observer of the human condition by day. Who could pretend not to notice, after all, when a mother’s very first words upon seeing her daughter in a wedding dress are: “Your earring is crooked.” And who could look the other way when a priest tosses the couple he’s married only three minutes earlier out of a warm and dry church and into the pouring rain because he has a confessional schedule to maintain? (Though not Christian myself, I’ve heard Paul’s letter to the Corinthians about charity — the one with the noisy gongs and clanging cymbals — enough to appreciate the rich irony.) Or when an orthopedic surgeon, minutes away from his own marriage, takes time to treat the leg of one of the waitstaff who, while setting up tables, has slipped on a wet floor and happens to speak not a word of English.

I witness acts of incredible tenderness — a bride quietly pinning a photo of her mother who died of breast cancer into her dress; acts of incredible joy — just about any father dancing with his daughter; and acts of questionable sanity — a group of adult groomsmen allowing an 8-year-old to pilot a golf cart into a lake comes to mind. And each Sunday morning around 2 o’clock, as I collapse into bed after another wedding, I’m convinced that I must be part of some kind of clinical trial, with no end date in sight.

And so, on this particular June night, it wasn’t until a few more songs had whizzed by — I can’t be sure if it was “Mustang Sally,” “Shout” and then “Love Shack” or, more likely, “Love Shack,” “Shout” and, finally, “Mustang Sally” — that I had a chance to look at the flashing display on my phone, a strange number with a strange area code. I put down my cameras, walked outside to the patio of Vienna’s Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and dialed in the dark.

“Hi, this is Matt Mendelsohn. Did someone call this number?”

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER.

What is it about those two words together that seems to evoke so much pity? No one thinks twice if you say that you’re an architectural photographer, or a photographer who shoots nudes, or a globe-trotting photojournalist. Friends will feign interest, at least, on the architectural front; be really excited about the nudes; and ask you again and again if you’ve ever been shot at as a news photographer. In fact, for years when I was a photojournalist, I went to parties where I was the only non-attorney out of 30 guests — attorneys making a jillion dollars a year more than I — only to be told that I had the coolest job. You’ve shot Michael Jordan?!?!

What was Nicole Kidman like?

How long were you in the Gulf War? Have you ever been shot at?

Wedding photographers, needless to say, have never inspired such levels of envy. Instead, they reside in a category usually reserved for car salesmen and stamp enthusiasts, a little bit of Willy Loman with a pinch of Charlie Brown. Adam Sandler already made the movie about the wedding singer. Is there any doubt that the movie about the wedding photographer would star anyone but Albert Brooks? It’s the reason that, even today, when the guy sitting next to me on the Delta Shuttle asks what kind of photography I do, I have a tendency to say, “Well, I worked for USA Today for 10 years, and now I have my own business.” Move along; nothing to see here.

Then again, maybe I’m just missing something. In the past few years, a whole new breed of wedding photographers has emerged, particularly on the West Coast, determined to give the musty reputation a makeover. They share ideas on message boards (”Show us your cake pictures!!”), pat one another on the back (”You’re a rock star of photography!!”) and spend much of their time hawking seminars as if they’re selling Herbalife products. They also conveniently sidestep the fact that shooting a wedding is a bit like taking an SAT in which you’ve been given all the answers in advance. I feel certain James Nachtwey, the legendary war photographer, would find life much easier if he knew where the bad guys were going to start shooting week in and week out.

This is why none of this was supposed to happen. Like all good young photojournalists, I was raised to mock wedding photography and all that it represented. I wanted to be a photojournalist, not some dork schmoozing up Aunt Alice. “I don’t shoot weddings,” the standard response of any self-respecting White House news photographer, was always more mantra than simple statement of fact. And in the late 1980s, when I was establishing myself here in Washington as a photographer, first at United Press International, with its constant going-out-of-business sales (”No, Pat Robertson was last week’s buyer; this week it’s the Saudis”), and then at USA Today, it was a badge of honor not to shoot weddings, and, by golly, I wasn’t about to let the side down.

All of this was understood those many years ago. My photographic dreams lay in the desert, as in Kuwait, not in dessert, as in chocolate-covered strawberries. And I was well on my way to fulfilling them. I was five feet from Rodney King when he stammered, “Can’t we all get along?”; 150 feet from President Bill Clinton as Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin shook hands; and 27,000 feet above Earth, lying on my belly in a flying gas tank, photographing one stealth fighter after another as they refueled en route to the Persian Gulf. I was shooting cool things and loving every minute of it.

By the mid-’90s, I had crawled around newly discovered tombs in Egypt, photographed huge celebrities in tiny hotel rooms and been splattered with blood — curiously, something that is a badge of honor in photojournalistic circles — while covering boxing title fights in Las Vegas. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, though as the years went by, little by little, I began to feel pangs of ambivalence.

Where you once asked a band for permission to photograph a concert, now you navigated a phalanx of lawyers. A one-on-one shoot with Jennifer Aniston in a hotel room had become a one-on-eight shoot, if I were to include all the publicists, with their little black dresses and walkie-talkies, breathing down my neck (and repeating the words “Three minutes, three minutes!” within the first 33 seconds). And, lastly, and perhaps most important, I began to grow tired of chasing people.

Chasing people is a staple of a news photographer’s diet — you can’t claim conscientious objector status and elect to shoot the pet of the week instead. I spent a lot time chasing people (though “chase” is a misnomer because the actual act involves mostly walking backward, throwing elbows and focusing at the same time) at courthouses around the country: U.S. District Court (Marion Barry, Ollie North); the U.S. Supreme Court (pick an abortion case); Simi Valley (the LAPD/Rodney King trial); Los Angeles (O.J. Simpson); and, though she had no court to call her own, the chase of all chases, Monica Lewinsky.

For weeks and weeks in 1998, as that scandal broke, I chased Lewinsky for USA Today, with limited success, if one can even use that word. Though tame by Hollywood paparazzi standards, my Lewinsky chases became increasingly fraught with doubt and regret. Then, one Sunday morning, while walking with my wife and my dog in Georgetown, I found myself, sans camera, holding the door for Lewinsky at Starbucks on M Street — like a hunter accidentally bumping into the stag he’s been stalking for days. As she brushed by me, balancing a couple of lattes, she smiled and said, “Thanks so much!” and I said, “Soy-tinly!” — for some odd reason playfully playing up my New York accent. And I thought to myself, What am I doing chasing this poor woman?

Perhaps it was coincidence, or maybe kismet, but the more the journalism ennui began to set in, the more it seemed people were asking me to shoot their weddings. Like a parent who is asked by his 9-year-old “Are we there yet?” 900 times, I couldn’t seem to shake this damn question. And none of these people were looking for a dork in a tux: They wanted me to cover their weddings no differently than if I were covering a White House event or a rally on the Mall. With each wedding I photographed, I realized that there actually existed events in which people wanted you to take their pictures, where there was no yellow police tape and where the only lawyers present were the ones getting married.

And that’s when I did it. There came a day several years back when, with reckless abandon, I decided to leave the noble pursuit of journalism, with its Page One budget meetings filled with smart people discussing Saddam Hussein or the latest North Korean standoff, not to mention the not-so-noble pursuit of, well, pursuits. I was ready to throw myself down a most unusual rabbit hole, reemerging into the bizarro world of Weddings, where family relationships can often be broken into the in-laws and the outlaws, where self-absorption can be raised to an art form, where a Jewish guy can recite the entire Catholic Mass by heart, as well as reel off, like an idiot savant, the date of every Saturday for the next year and a half.

“MATT, IT’S MISSY LANGERT, YOUR NEIGHBOR JOEL’S DAUGHTER, CALLING FROM DALLAS. Mom’s had a massive heart attack while attending a wedding here, and Dad is home all alone. He didn’t come out for the wedding. Is there any way you can go over and sit with him? He’s all by himself.”

Taken by surprise, I tried to process all of this information in a room filled with happy people having a wonderful time. She was at a wedding in Texas. I was at a wedding in Virginia. And Joel was all by himself.

My 85-year-old neighbor Joel Langert is one of my favorite people, a curmudgeon’s curmudgeon with a soft spot he guards fiercely. One minute he’s grumbling about how movies used to be two for a nickel, and the next he’s leaving a beautiful orchid — a phalaenopsis or perhaps a paphiopedilum, a lady-slipper, grown lovingly in his backyard greenhouse — on my kitchen counter. He just walks in, puts down the flower and berates me later for leaving the front door of my house unlocked. Without asking, he once planted a fig tree on my front lawn, a tree that now yields succulent fruit by the hundreds and a tree that I adore. And he’ll often ask me to buy him packs — he doesn’t drive anymore — of his favorite Dutch cigarillos, Schimmelpenninck, even though he knows he shouldn’t be smoking them. When I took him to his first Nationals game, Joel didn’t stop complaining about the noise — the constant stream of musical snippets aimed at inciting the crowd — for the first eight innings (we didn’t make it to the ninth). I asked him when was the last time he was at a baseball game, and he replied, “Lou Gehrig was playing at Yankee Stadium.”

Joel and his wife, Eileen, had been married for 55 years, 11 longer than I’ve been alive, and enjoyed a beautiful relationship. “It was love at first sight,” he remembered of their meeting at the Gertz department store on Long Island where they both worked. “I wrote up a petition that she should marry me, and I took it to everyone in the store to sign.” After their wedding in New York, on January 29, 1950 — “I remember the church was candlelit” — the newlyweds drove with another couple down to Fort Lauderdale. Joel laughed as he recalled the two songs that played on the car radio nonstop that trip: “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” a cowboy’s lament, and “Sixteen Tons,” a depressing number about the perils of coal mining. Not exactly the most romantic driving music. (I laughed, of course, because Gloria Gaynor was only 4 months old at the time, and it could have been much worse.)

But it was a fitting start, as driving and travel would play a huge part in their lives, on trips over the years from Finland to Singapore, and in cars such as their 1956 pink T-Bird, the 1957 Jaguar Mark VII Saloon (”It looked like a Bentley,” Joel says), the 1972 E-Type Jaguar (”Eileen was never into the shifting thing”) and, finally, the S-Type he bought Eileen for Christmas in 2002, parked in the driveway with a big red bow tied to the front.

After decades in advertising with the Hecht Co., Joel now spends much of his retirement tending to his beloved plants. Eileen, on the other hand, was always abuzz with activity, always off, it seemed, on one of the many trips for senior citizens she organized and chaperoned for Arlington County. When a mutual neighbor on our block gave birth to triplets, several of us chipped in for a night nurse for a couple of evenings. We felt rather proud of our gift, not realizing that, for months and months, Eileen was baking the family fully prepared dinners with no fanfare.

Despite Joel’s faux crankiness, his most endearing trait, it was easy to see how much he loved Eileen, and how proud he was of her. I asked him recently what made his love for Eileen so special, and without even a second to ponder, he replied, “She was two-thirds of me.” Two-thirds of me. I tried to soak that one up. “We never once said no to each other,” and then, reverting back to prime Joel form, “except the time I wanted to pull up the grass and replace it with those small paving pebbles.”

So now, as I stood in the darkness, the band’s music coming through the windows in that muffled way, where you only hear the bass, I knew I had to act quickly. I collected my cameras, two Canon EOS1 Mark IIs, my bag filled with lenses and my very sweaty suit coat, and headed for the parking lot. I would have left in half an hour anyway, and I had already taken more than 1,500 images that day, starting with the “getting ready,” as it’s referred to in wedding speak — the ceremony, the family pictures, the dancing, the cake-cutting. I tucked my little pouch filled with identical, neatly stacked 2-gigabyte memory cards — memory cards, how apt, I always think — into the bag and headed back to Arlington.

MY OWN BEST MAN DIDN’T SHOW UP FOR MY WEDDING.

Nine years ago, my younger brother, Eric, was directing his best friend and unknown actress, Edie Falco, in a tiny independent film he wrote specifically for her. Filming was scheduled for the day of my wedding, and Eric bowed out. I was devastated, having shared a room with him for 16 years while growing up on Long Island. My older brother Daniel, an esteemed critic and classics scholar, came to the rescue, with a lengthy toast about the differences between ancient Greek — my wife, Maya, is Greek — and ancient Jewish traditions. Given that I had rarely been inside a synagogue, except for weddings, since I was 13 and am decidedly non-religious, the toast struck me as wonderfully intellectual and, not surprisingly, impersonal.

Eric went on to win best director at Sundance the next year, and Edie went on to become the most famous mob wife in television history as Carmela Soprano, and all was long forgotten years ago. Truth be told, we don’t really discuss it very much, and that seems to work pretty well. We all serve some kind of penance, and maybe mine is having to listen to touching best man speeches every week of my life. Ironically, it would be Daniel, with whom I was never close growing up — he, spending much of our childhood reading about pharaohs and Greek gods; me, worrying how the Mets could possibly survive without Tom Seaver — with whom I would, years later, travel all over the world, tracking down Holocaust survivors for a memoir he was writing. The emptiness that I felt during his stand-in toast — I kept hoping for some funny little anecdote about me, until I realized that my own brother didn’t know me well enough to have any funny little anecdotes — would be replaced by the camaraderie of many, many long trips together, from Australia to Ukraine, just me and Daniel on very long plane rides.

This is why we all love weddings so much — decades of family history rushing to the surface, like a submarine after nine months under the ocean. Of course, it’s usually just minutes after that spectacular arrival that you want to run for cover yelling, “Dive! Dive! Dive!” A tug of war between a bride and her mom over something as simple as where to place the headpiece can get to Defcon 1 remarkably quickly, as this exchange I recall hearing at a Georgetown church illustrates:

“Mom, it should go here.”

“Well, I just think it should be back a bit.”

“Mom, please let the hairdresser do her job. She knows best.”

“I know. It’s just that I think it should it go back a little.”

“Mom, please! You’re making me really stressed out. Please don’t say another word, and let the hairdresser do her job!”

(Dead silence in the room. Now, count to 10.)

“Fine. It’s just that I thought it should go back a little.”

These are the things I witness weekly. No catastrophes, no disasters, just little glimpses into family life, 2007. Without a doubt, the question I’m asked most often is, “What’s the worst thing that ever happened at a wedding?” It’s also the one that always makes me laugh, because it precludes the obvious converse, that is, what’s the best thing that’s ever happened at a wedding? In all these years, no one ever has asked me that one, despite the fact that, last I checked, and with the possible exception of a handful of dour church ladies I’ve come across, weddings are tremendously happy events. But let’s face it: We watch NASCAR for the crashes, despite our protestations to the contrary, and we follow celebrity romances so that we can get to the celebrity breakups.

And, of course, it would be overly simplistic to single out mothers and daughters as the source of all wedding drama, my favorite fake Freud quotation notwithstanding: “If it’s not one thing, it’s your mother.” More often than not, the drama that we all expect to see played out at weddings is just a byproduct of the bridal-industrial complex, a perfectly evocative moniker bequeathed to me by a bride many years ago.

Weddings long ago migrated from traditional daytime affairs — where the men looked dashing in their morning coats, the women had dresses with (gasp!) straps, and the nonstop giggling of flower girls could be heard wafting though the air — into lavish evening extravaganzas, where children are not even invited. They’ve gone from the simplicity (and, to be fair, dullness) of the “chicken or the beef?” into menus that boast medallions of veal with a port peppercorn reduction. Today’s weddings have price tags the size of a small mortgage (something for which I clearly share responsibility), time schedules that would make a railroad proud, golf outings, spa retreats and 19-seat minibuses taking bridal parties on magical mystery tours around Washington. Things have gotten so bloated that I was actually taken aback when a bride once said to me, “I’m so excited to be marrying Derek today.”

Between the countless reality shows with names such as “The Real Wedding Crashers” and “Bridezillas,” (Episode 10: When Kristina’s sisters show up late for a nail appointment, the bride is furious!), it’s no wonder people focus on the negative — or bizarre, or just irritating — aspects of weddings. The myriad wedding magazines on the newsstands, and the thousands of wedding blogs, don’t help much. Consider this easy-to-follow advice from aboutWeddings.com: “Transition of color in the wedding is ‘hot.’ The color and theme of a wedding is first seen with the save-the-date card. At the ceremony, the colors are different than what was seen in the save-the-date card/invitation. At the cocktail reception, the colors are different from the ceremony. At the dinner reception, the colors are a combination of all colors previously seen. More than just two colors and no matchy-matchy!”

See? Simple.

Luckily, that kind of silliness isn’t ever enough to trump the genuine moments of love and the celebrations of great happiness I’m often privileged to witness: I cried like a baby when a 5-year-old flower girl, blinded by the brain tumor growing inside her head, was led down the aisle by the little ring bearer at St. Aloysius years ago. But I must admit that the moment is annoyingly linked in my memory with the posting, around that same time, on theknot.com, a wedding message board (”Driving Brides Crazy Since 1996!”), by a bride who sought advice on what to do about one of her bridesmaids who, as a result of a worsening muscular disease, was now in a wheelchair, something that would potentially ruin her wedding photos.

(The Knot can be a great source of amusement. My sister, Jennifer, a “Knottie” herself, once related to me an e-mail exchange she had with a woman who had been told, as a Jew, not to use Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March,” because the composer had famously converted from Judaism. She had instead settled on Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” When Jennifer, with tongue in cheek, suggested that perhaps — just perhaps — that one wasn’t exactly kosher either, the woman responded, “Why? It’s about Jesu, not Jesus!”)

At first I was afraid I was petrified/
Kept thinkin’ I could never live without you by my side.

As I sat across from Joel on that June night, I realized the song I had come to hate so much, the song that, perhaps more than any other, constantly reminds me that I have become a wedding photographer, shooting the same thing week in and week out, was now racing through my groggy brain. This time, though, it was reminding me of why I am a wedding photographer. My years of downplaying what I did for a living seemed silly as I sat on Joel’s sofa. How bad could it be to be around people who are desperately in love, all the while surrounded by friends and family who love them desperately. Yeah, big deal, they all go crazy when “I Will Survive” or “YMCA” starts playing, but they haven’t heard those songs thousands of times; I have. And when I think that I could be tallying billable hours, or working in a cubicle in E Ring, or selling widgets, I think my life is pretty darn okay.

Just the other day, I received an e-mail from a photographer looking for an internship. His short note almost brought me to tears: “I come from Sarajevo, Bosnia, and my life has put me though many challenges. I am saying this because I have had the chance to see the worst in humans and was lucky enough to survive it. Since then, I have made it my goal to help people record their happiest moments, because those moments are rare and precious, and one never has too many of them.”

I kept Joel company for hours, long into the next morning, information coming in very slowly, and me, still in my sweaty wedding clothes, nodding off occasionally. Around 4:30 a.m., the phone rang, and I could hear the voice through the receiver telling my neighbor and friend that the woman he had been married to for 55 years didn’t make it.

I felt so out of place, so not the person who should have been there at that terrible moment. But looking back, two years later, it almost seems as if Eileen was just being her usual giving self, not just allowing me to see how much she was adored, but allowing me to see marriage in its barest and most naked form. For nine hours that day — nine years, really — I had watched a marriage begin, and, now, for nine hours, I would watch one end. I wanted to turn away as Joel shook uncontrollably. I tried so hard to soothe him, but I knew there was nothing I could really say. Though I was in the presence of profound loss, all I could feel was love. This wasn’t about linens and party favors, or caviar stations and big bands. There were no toasts and no blessings, no Bible readings, no clanging gongs or blaring trumpets. At long last, I was seeing the embodiment of marriage itself, the very reason man and woman have been wed from the beginning of time. True love.

Something else floated through my brain, this time decidedly more literary than Gloria Gaynor. In my days as an English major, some 20 years ago, the book that had the most profound effect on me was Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward, Angel, a tattered paperback edition of which is never far from my grasp. Now I could hear my favorite line, the book’s second sentence, coming through: “Each of us is all the sums he has not counted. Subtract us into nakedness and night again, and you shall see begin in Crete four thousand years ago the love that ended yesterday in Texas.”

It was 8 a.m. when the little cellphone in my pocket began to vibrate. My wife was calling, and I told her the news. I gave Joel a hug, grabbed my jacket and my cameras, and walked across the street and into my house, where, unable to sleep, I went downstairs and began to download, with newfound respect, memory cards from the previous night’s wedding.

Matt Mendelsohn is a photographer based in Arlington. He can be reached at matt@mattmendelsohn.com.