S + A Long Island New York Wedding, Westbury Manor Teasers!

I had such a pleasure being the photographer for  Sabrina and Drew's New York wedding at the Westbury Manor in Long Island! The venue had great food, and beautiful settings for photos indoor and outdoor. The garden had peacocks that were happy to have their pictures taken (I think they expected it and took offense if you didn't!), a bridge over a little river, seating area and more. A perfect place for a perfect wedding. Sabrina and Drew are not just your regular or ordinary couple. They're creative, no-nonsense bride and groom who likes to get things done. Their wedding was very touching and approximately 300 guests attended the big day to witness their matrimony. The wedding was simple, but not traditional and that's how the bride and groom wanted it. Guests arrived in droves and with so many happy faces, it was truly fun to photograph their reaction and their little moments during the wedding. One thing with being the photographer, you get to meet so many people and during weddings everyone is happy and enjoying themselves. It's always good to be surrounded with happy people! The surroundings were even more complimented by the details. I LOVE the details they had at the wedding. Wall-E and Eva as the cake topper is such a cute idea!!!! The ode to the Beatles during the ceremony was definitely a hit and very memorable. It depicted their relationship and allowed guests to really see  their history. I LOVED Sabrina's shoes and you can ask her how she came by them. Enjoy the teasers and can't wait to finish everything up!!!!

As if he's telling you that he's pretty and you better appreciate his feathers and get his good side...

Cell phones were not the only smart devices recording the wedding (in addition to The Godfather Films videography), iPads were there too and guests were happy to use them to videotape all the good details.

You already know I LOVE LOVE LOVE this! It's so perfect!

About the Photographer: Angelica Criscuolo is a photographer that shoots weddings, portraits and events in New York, NJ, PA, CT, and Destination Weddings like Barbados, Dominican Republic, Philippines and travels anywhere in the USA and foreign countries. She has been published in many publications including The New York Times, Engagement 101, Merci New York, Lela New York Weddings, Pretty Pear Bride, The Urban Style NY, Un-Jersey Bride, Engaged Wedding Blog UK, The Knot, Wedding Wire,Brides.com and more! Angelica specializes in capturing various vital memories and her goal is to provide the best images for all couples and clients. Taking photographs to commemorate memories is what she does best and Angelica is very passionate about her work. She continues to mentor with the industry's finest in wedding and commercial photography. Angelica is also a proud member of Professional Photographer of America (PPA) and Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI).

Newborn Session of little Milo Y.

Here's a quick sneak peak of little Milo! Such a sweet baby boy and glad mommy and daddy are doing well!

FREE Photography Session Giveaway Contest! Thank you Facebook Fans!

FREE Photography session giveaway is here! Well this is exciting (no I didn't get a turtle...and no don't ask why I have a picture of a turtle that isn't mine letting you know about the contest...he's cute...or she's cute...that's all that matters!) I learned my lesson from not being pro-active about my FACEBOOK page when I started my business, but thanks to everyone who helped me reach 500 Likes on FACEBOOK ! I know to a few it may not seem like a lot, but to me having people from friends, family, clients, potential clients, vendors I love and anyone who enjoy seeing my work like my page and share my page with those they know is a very big deal for this little person! Okay...I'm not that little, but at 5'2" I'm grateful and I'm all bottled up with happy tears :-). Because of you I am happy to do this Free photography session giveaway contest! It's free, it's fun and it's...err...facile (easy!). Why am I doing it? First, I really want to pay it forward since without supporters and friends and networkers who have helped spread the word about Angelica Criscuolo Photography, I wouldn't have bookings at all!!! I know there were those in doubt, but since I don't listen (my poor mommy knows this and is probably shaking her head beacause of my stubborness as well as commending me for my stubborness to pursue my goals and dream) to negative remarks and have put my mind and effort into this full fledge business (got the budget, forecast, balance sheets and everything!) I am here doing what I love and with the support of YOU who I in turn want to make happy by creating beautiful images, albums, prints and more! Second, I LOVE taking pictures! I'm itching to always go on a session! Third, contests are fun!!! Spread the word! My goal is to do bigger giveaways in the future, but small steps at a time.

So here's how the contest works:

PRIZE: GRAND PRIZE- ONE FREE PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION  of the clients choosing plus DVD of edited high resolution images. (Engagement, Trash the Dress, Newborn, Family {immediate only}, headshot, maternity, or a children session - must be done in NYC or if mutually agreed within 30 miles of NYC). GOOD LUCK!!!

2nd Prize- ONE mini 30 minute photography session of the clients choosing (NYC location only).

HOW IT WORKS: Comment on this BLOG POST using the THE FACEBOOK  Comments section box as shown by the example below with Dear Kristy being the first to enter the contest (Thanks Kristy!)  and  let me know you are a FAN of my FACEBOOK page (I will check this) and this is good for one entry.

BONUS ENTRY: Everyone loves a bonus! Share on a friend's Facebook page, Tweet, or post on your favorite forum about the contest giveaway and make sure to link back to this post! Feel free to use any of the social network icons to share in your favorite forum. AFTER sharing or tweeting etc, post a new comment stating where you posted (provide a link) and this is also good for ONE entry for the contest giveaway. (One entry per household).

RULES: Not everyone likes rules, but rules must be created to keep us all sane...kinda...

• So the contest starts today Wednesday, January 25, 2012 to Wednesday, February 1, 2012. Contest ends midnight February 2, 2012...so get those entries in!
• Winner will be chosen on February 3rd 2012 (Hopefully that gives me enough time to go through all the entries and ensure they are valid...so please be nice and stick to the rules!)
• As I've mentioned, one entry per household. If you're a family of 6, that wouldn't be fair to others and plus it shows all of you are posting from the same IP address!
• Winner will be chosen using RANDOM.ORG. I'll even post a picture of the lucky number!
• Prize has no monetary value and cannot be exchanged, gifted, sold, traded, or put on sale or auction or whatever creative things people can think of these days! The session is for the winner only. If you believe someone could be interested, feel free to let them know about the contest!
• Everyone play fair! The session entails labor in service and editing plus free images you are able to print poster size so please...adhere to the rules, have fun, play nice and any negative, ugly, mean comments to the admin or to other participants will be deleted. You have been warned!
• Contest is open to anyone, but the session MUST be done in NYC or if mutually agreed, within 30 miles of NYC Columbus Circle (As the crow flies).

 ENJOY everyone and Best of luck! Looking forward to working with the lucky winner!

Engagement Session in New York Central Park-V&J

What a fun Engagement photography session! Love New York City in winter and any weather. It was definitely a cold day a few weeks ago, but Vanessa and Jermaine were such troopers that here we were in Central Park in New York...walking around looking like we were having fun for their engagement session...and we were! Despite the cold, these two carried on and made sure the weather didn't dampen our moods or our photo shoot! Good job guys! Here's a few teasers from the shoot! Hope to get to edit them all soon...cannot wait! The first is by a tunnel/bridge by the upper east side. We went through more areas on our way to Strawberry Field where John Lennon is memorialized with the simple work "IMAGINE." I LOVE how my August wedding couple from Staten Island did not hesitate to lay down and take the amazing shot! Actually...several shots. There were many tourists who were standing around wanting to take pictures with the famous emblem on the ground, but we were also not shy about standing our ground to make sure we were next...after all this was an engagement session and the others around us was more forgiving with our enthusiasm. As soon as we were up, off they went and there goes my bride and groom lying in concrete gazing at each other's eyes. Always wanted to do this idea for an e-shoot and finally accomplished it! Thanks V & J! You two are awesome for making this engagement shoot a smash hit. I have so much more pictures to show everyone, but have a lot of other pictures to edit first so please stay tuned and bear with me. I'm also posting pictures at my Facebook page here. Just IMAGINE all the possibilities and what the future holds for these two...cannot wait until August for their wedding in New Jersey!

We found a wooden bench at the end of The Ramble and it was such a scenic sight I had to take pics with it and have the forrest in the background. This was one of my favorite pictures because my assistant (which is also my wonderful and talented husband) was making jokes towards V& J making them laugh. Sometimes I need to tell hubby to tone it down, but sometimes he knows the right moment to make people laugh and the end result is this fun pic of V&J just happy as can be in their engagement shoot. :-).

Talk about LOVE BIRDS!!!!

Cayetano Legacy Collection on Bravo's Tabatha Takes Over!

  If you missed it, look for the re-run of Bravo's Tabatha Takes Over 2012 season premiere featuring Cayetano Legacy's Collection in the fashion show sequence Tabatha set up. So exciting to see the gorgeous work of the Cayetano sisters, Karen Cayetano Leano, Gail Cayetano and Christine Cayetano Brigino, on air worn by gorgeous models on a fabulous show! Whenever I wear CLC necklaces in shoots or at parties, people always ask me where I get them and I happily let them know they're made by Cayetano Legacy Collection!!! This growing company is getting so popular that they can be found in many media outlets. If you love what you see in the show or on their FACEBOOK page or WEBSITE, then head over to their site to purchase their work!

http://www.cayetanolegacy.com

http://www.facebook.com/CayetanoLegacy

Portraits Are More Than Paper - Why photographs are very important and lasts forever....

Today I read a post by Jeanine Thurston, re-posted by so many photographers and non-photographers alike, and the letter that created the post stirred old memories that I too had to post it: http://fototails.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/a-letter-on-my-doorstep-portraits-are-more-than-paper/ After reading the letter, I cannot help but feel this person's regret of not understanding how pictures are so much more lasting than "trivial" items. Portraits and photographs  are more than a piece of paper, since it helps memorialize an event or a person or a special memory of a newborn being born or children growing up with families, a wedding, and more. From time to time I do get the "oh no! there she is again!" when I take out my camera and start photographing family and friends when we're together privately or out so I can capture those memories.  Many say their memories are in their mind and do not need photographs or videos of an event, but for me, personally, I love having a tangible visual of an event or memory with my husband, family and friends. Why do I do it? I do it because I know memories are fleeting. Getting older, my memory is not what it was years ago...and that is scary. How many times have we told ourselves I'll remember this moment forever...but later stumble upon a picture (maybe years or weeks later) taken by someone else and you truly forgot that moment occurred? I LOVE going through my pictures from time to time and remembering time spent with those I love. I have folders of digital images going back from 1999 with a miscellaneous folder where I added scanned images of older paper photographs.

Maybe some think that going overboard...and some may think its not...but each of us must do what feels right and capturing memories the way I know how feels the right way. I also take pictures because I know often time pictures are all we may have left of someone one day. A sad thought but true...and it was true for Karen L. who wrote the letter. Her letter has made this past hour an emotional roller coaster, leaving people wondering why I look like I've been crying...so here I am pretending to have a cold, but in reality I'm remembering the feeling of not having that picture I wanted and needed of someone who suddenly passed on. When my father passed away in 2007, I was creating a memorial board of him, and realized that the last picture I took with him and I alone was taken...well I couldn't find one. Honestly the last good one (not blurry or anything else) was from 2001 when I graduated college. There was one picture from my birthday party my dad threw for me at his house in 2005 that had me, him and my siblings together, and I had to cut out my siblings so I can frame that picture of me and my dad in my apartment. The picture was also blurry, but it was all I had standing next to him. Other pictures before he passed was of me taking the picture, or a group picture. Just remembering that realization made me panic. This was the eve of my father's wake and I'm scrambling to find pictures of my dad and me and I couldn't find a one.

Photographs of any event or a portrait of your family or pictures with friends are something that should not be taken for granted. For many they are not just a want or a need, but a priceless memory that can be passed on. If you haven't read Karen L's letter, read on: http://fototails.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/a-letter-on-my-doorstep-portraits-are-more-than-paper/

Thank you Jeanine for posting this letter. Karen L. and many more are in my prayers.