Their wedding was on halloween day but there was nothing scarry about it.  The wedding was held at the beautiful Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the reception followed at the Avila Golf and Country Club.  It was a great wedding that was so much fun to photograph.

There wedding was a suprise to their families.  Soon after they told them they all went down to the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota for a beautiful wedding ceremony on the beach followed by a moonlight reception. 

This image speaks to what weddings are really all about.  One of my favorite images ever.

Their wedding was a suprise to their parents so I had to wait until after the wedding to post these.  I enjoyed the session especially with the addition of the Harley. 

It was a beautiful wedding day for Nicole & Pram.  The wedding was at St. Mary’s Church and the reception was at the beautiful Renaissance Vinoy in St. Petersburg.  All of the details were finely planned and it showed as the guests were ready to dance the night away.

Four Seasons Floral and Events - Florist

Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club - Reception

This last week I had the pleasure of attending a presentation by Sylvia Weinstock which was sponsored by the West Coast Chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives.  She is know affectionately as the “Queen of Cakes” for good reason.  Her cakes are beautiful!!!  You may want to pick-up her book “Sensational Cakes”. You can see more images from her presentation by clicking here.

Such a nice person, she even signed my book.

I had the pleasure of being asked to photograph Abby and Sam’s wedding in Delaware last weekend.  It was a beautiful day for an outdoor wedding.  Their story is so beautiful…they met in Ghana when they were young.  Years later they are married. 

Enjoy the images.  You can see a slide show by clicking here.

A slideshow of more images from the wedding.  Just click here.

What a beautiful wedding day in Maryland.  The wedding and reception overlooked the bay and was such a great site for the wedding.  Guest arrived from far and wide for the wedding and it was such a pleasure to  photograph their special day.

I jumped on a early train from Maryland to New York after a fun wedding that lasted well into the evening.  (love taking trains.)  The main reason I wanted to get to New York early was not only to visit B&H Photo the mecca of all photography gear.   No, I wanted to get enough time to visit the Museum of Modern Art, MOMA.

There is so much to see there but for me I enjoy the third and fourth floors the best.  The fourth floor has the paintings and sculpture of the latest periods and I find it so enjoyable to see in person these works of art.  The third floor is where for a photographer it is pure gold.  Photography takes a major portion of the floor and I had time to see the work of Richard Avedon.  My main reason for my visit.

If you are not familiar with his work I suggest that you take the time to google his name and view his photography.  What I find so interesting with his work is that he incorporated such movement into his work. At times he even has his subject out of focus but it was intentional in order to convey what he was trying to say through his photography.  The Malcolm X photograph is a great example.

The thing that you realize by looking at his photographs up close is that the power of an image comes from as much what is NOT shown as for what is.  Avedon use of slow shutter speeds and small areas that were in focus allowed the viewer to see mystery in the soft areas.

As an example, Alfred Hitchcock was a master of the mystery movie but he rarely if ever showed someone being killed.  This allowed the viewer to project their fears onto the experience and it was so powerful.  The fear of the unknown is almost always more powerful than the fear of the known.

Avedon’s allows the viewer to place their own feelings onto the image.  This makes the image relevant an powerful.  It also takes a master of his craft to make the camera sing in a way that most photographers simply don’t.  When you also realize that the camera’s he used were so simple as compared to the camera’s that we have now,  you start to view them as only a tool just like charcoal and paper.  The real camera is the mind’s eye.  The ability to see the unseen.  If we only record the event a simple camera and a person with a little experience would be just fine.

Weddings are a reflection of a couples hopes and dreams.  Sure they want to remember how their flowers and cake looked but more than anything they want to remember how they felt on that day.  The impact of the wedding day is not just the wedding dress on a hanger but how did the bride felt wearing the dress that she has dreamed about since she was a little girl.  Did she feel like the princess wearing the dress?  What were the couple’s emotions as they took their place in the family?  These things are not easily photographed but they are the most meaningful things to focus on.  This is what Avedon was a master of.  The synthesizing of a moment those feelings into a photograph.

Just a note to everyone that the Florida West Coast Chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives (Which I am a member) will be having Sylvia Weinstock as a featured guest on September 21st.  If you are not familiar with her these are some of her clients:  Mariah Carey, Maria Maples, Eddie Murphy, Tom Arnold, Whitney Houston.  She is not known as “The Qeen of Cakes” for nothing.  I think you will find this event to be most enjoyable, especially if you are still planning your wedding cake. 

If you are one of my special bride’s and you want to go to this event let me know and it will be on me. 

You can find more information by clicking her.

I hope to see you there.