Anyone fortunate enough to get married in St. Patrick's Cathedral know how amazing the church is. The streets of Fifth Avenue always join in the celebration as the bride and groom exit the cathedral so it's always a grand party!
Joan & Melissa Rivers hosts AFSP's Annual Gala
On May 11, 2011, celebrity personalities Joan and Melissa Rivers hosted the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's annual benefit dinner and gala. Attendees came together for the Lifesavers Dinner from different backgrounds ranging from politics, science, media, entertainments and business. Each individual has been dedicated to raising the public awareness about suicide and support for the AFSP's research, education and advocacy programs. Joan and Melissa started the evening with their story of how this issue affected them directly after Joan's husband committed suicide and how mother and daughter dealt with the aftermath of such a tragic event. They continue to help others and are great supporters of AFSP with Joan being a founding member. The evening's gala was designed by Celadon & Celery and everyone was mesmerized of how the Jazz at Lincoln Center's Allen Room was transformed to a beautiful dining hall complete with cherry blossoms and creative center pieces. Bess Wyrick was on site ensuring every piece was in place for such a special occasion and once again C&C Events did an excellent job.
Headshots - "L"
Shot an indoor shoot using continuous lights in a studio setting. Enjoyed it tremendously and had a great model to work with. Wished we were on location with the equipment!
Headshot Session - David
Meet David! He wanted to update his headshots and we wanted to play around with a fun and also theatrical look. It was a good session, where at one point a few kids who just got out of class stopped us during our shoot to ask David how they can become actors. Young minds! Many do succeed with enough work, persistence, and passion for such a craft. I wish David all the best in his path to success!
Celadon & Celery Events - Audrey & Vijay's Long Island, NY Wedding at Garden City Hotel
Weddings are beautiful ceremonies to attend and add the right design by Celadon & Celery Events, then you have a magical day, or night, to remember! Everyone at the Garden City Hotel were amazed with the details and vibrant colors of the reception's entryway for Audrey & Vijay's wedding celebration. Each angle guests discovered new things to see as they find their place card on their way to the cocktail hour. I had a lot of fun at this wedding since New York being a small world, I saw a few friends dressed up for the bride and groom's special day! Much blessings to the bride and groom as well as to their family and friends who all looked beautiful that day.
Cherry Blossom Festival - Brooklyn Botanic Garden
What a way to start the month of May! Attended the last day of the Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival, which is the end of the month long Hanami celebration of the Japanese cultural tradition of enjoying each moment of the cherry blossom season. The last day of the festival was packed, and rightly so with all the cherry blossoms in bloom. Many dressed for the occasion, and others came as they were ready to picnic and lounge by the orchards. Below are some moments from the event. Enjoy!
French-American Aid For Children honors CHANEL
Another classy event at The Plaza this time with the French-American Aid for Children (FAAC). Celadon & Celery designed the event, where the FAAC honored CHANEL for their commitment to helping underprivileged children. The occasion also marks FFAC's 70th anniversary of The Bal des Berceaux, which is an elegant, black-tie affair featuring a debutante ball and live auction complete with a dinner-dance. Everyone looked glamorous in their gowns and tux and I am honored to have been there.
New York Headshot Session - Lia
Had the best time capturing Lia's headshots a few weeks ago! A beautiful woman whose career is taking off, Lia was great to work with. JP Makeup Design's Jen Paelmo was on site and created Lia's natural to the more dramatic look. The result was an amazing session and it was truly a wonderful experience working with such professionals! Here's a few teasers from the beginning of the session. Towards the end of the day, the three of us explored Astoria and captured more images of Lia with her gorgeous face, makeup and hair.
Hea
HeaNew York Headshot Session - Raquel
Recently had the pleasure to work with Raquel with her headshots. I love it when a person can show various emotions with just a look. Sultry, Sexy one minute then happy, fun, All-American girl next door the next. Every casting person's dream! Here's a few commercial and theatrical shots we took.
Spring is here...and flowers are blooming!
Spring is definitely here! To see trees and flowers in bloom is a great feeling and we're all ready to shake off the winter and welcome spring and new beginnings. Yes it's still cold for my taste, but seeing flowers in bloom is just a very good feeling. I love flowers!
Faces...
We all have that inner beauty that photographers capture in an instant. That's why portraits, especially candid portraits, show a person's true personality. Catching someone in their natural state often times captures their "true" self. Once they see how the camera can be their friend, and not something to shy away from, they become more relaxed and can look into the camera more comfortably.
Precious Angels
Children are such precious angels! Each child show so much energy and different personality. Very refreshing and I love capturing each of their beautiful faces. Bless each and every one of them and how fortunate parents are to have them in their lives! Newborn, children and little one sessions are available and catered to parent's choice of location to maximize the child's comfort.
I always wonder what toddlers think about when they have their down time and mommy or daddy are feeding them their milk.
Every child has to have a whirly pop once in awhile! It's fun watching them attempt to eat something at times bigger than their faces!
Here TJ smiles for the camera after having a few bites of one of my favorite snacks, Cheetos! After running around he makes a couple of stops to the bowl of Cheetos for energy. Let's just say mom was not too happy, but children will be children.
Who doesn't love cupcakes? I truly enjoy a child diving into a delicious cupcake.
Birthday parties and fairy princesses...to be young and innocent!
The soulful eyes of young ones are truly remarkable. I love trying to capture them and wonder when they're looking at you, what they are truly thinking of and when they smile...are they laughing with me or at me? :-).
USA vs. Argentina - New Meadowlands Stadium
I'm giving much of the credit for these pictures to my other half, Matt, who took all the later pics of the game. We were at the coach level, and being petite I was not able to get any good shots. Matt on the other hand blended in with his 6' frame and with a 200mm lens he was able to get some shots of a very exciting game. USA and Argentina tied in the end 1-1 and everyone left happy.
Exploring Dumbo
This past weekend I had the chance to learn from one of the most respected photographers in the industry, Joe DiMaggio. He may not be the well known baseball player, but he is the well known photographer whose work have graced the pages of Sports Illustrated, Life and Time Magazines just to name a few! Time Magazine chose his 1981 Cooney-Holmes fight as picture of the year. Deciding to do one of his workshops was one of the best decisions I've made since it was a very good experience learning from one of the best. I'm actually giddy with excitement that Mr. DiMaggio posted some work on his blog site: JOE DIMAGGIO IN THIS CORNER. You can also see some other works from other talented photographers who attended the workshop. Being part of a group of individuals who were all very creative and loved photography was also worthwhile. No one looked at you odd when you're with 15 others with DSLRs hanging around their necks and taking shots of buildings, people, the ground and sky in all angles! Mr. DiMaggio took us through the Brooklyn bridge, stressing that you should always walk, stop, and look back and see the different angles, look at how different the angles and horizons are after just walking 15 feet. He also stressed that not everything has to look sharp! He also stated do not be afraid to raise your ISO! Get that shot, that moment, and you'll be amazed at how wonderful it can be even if it is not as sharp or more grainy than you would have liked. He also mentioned whatever he speaks of are a matter of opinion. Well, his opinion, in my opinion, does count.
After shooting pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge, getting sceneries, motion, angles and more, we headed to Gleason's Gym where many of the best boxers have trained. We were also warned not to touch anything and then touch our face...Duly noted! Gleason's is not your modern day gym so do not expect a NYSC feel to the place. This training gym is worn, used, and the facility is filled with experienced trainers and legends looking for the next champion. After Gleason's we headed to the home of Engine 205 and Ladder 118. Thanks again to everyone at Engine 205/Ladder 118 for allowing us freedom to access the firehouse and capture everything! They were all very cooperative and patient with our questions. Just seeing the hundreds of pounds of gear a single Fireman or woman must carry is definitely an eye opener when seen in person and not just on TV. The jacket and pants they wear are about 50 pounds, plus additional gear consisting of oxygen tank, mask, axes, pulling hoses, plus a body to carry if it ever came to that. That's on top of the person's weight! Very humbling indeed and we all walked away thankful for the experience, and thankful to each of them for doing what they do. After seeing the home of these brave Firemen, we were off to the pier overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge. A natural scene in this area are newlyweds and we saw one such couple who were happy to have our workshop take pictures freely. We then ended the day at the East River Park...of course along the way we stopped at Jacques Torres Chocolate factory for some much loved hot chocolate (some got the Wicked drink while the rest including yours truly tried the Classic).
All in all a very good day and a very fun experience. Thanks again to my fellow classmates and for Joe DiMaggio for sharing their experience, knowledge, and providing advice and hopefully we'll meet again at the next workshop! Below are some more shots from the day.
Teasers from the Bangsil Baby Shower!
Here's a few teasers from the Bangsil's baby shower in New Jersey. These two very in love husband and wife cannot wait to meet their newest addition to their family... friends and family are excited to meet her too!
Celadon&Celery Event:NY Junior League Winter Ball w/ Mary J. Blige
I was truly blessed to have been a part of this wonderful event! Thank you Celadon & Celery for inviting me behind the scenes of the New York Junior League's Winter Ball at The Plaza Hotel. One of the honorees was singer/song writer and highly acclaimed celebrity Mary J. Blige who was one of many awarded that evening, specifically for her Leadership and Excellence in helping at-risk women in New York. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney presented Ms. Blige with the award. Celadon & Celery's work was simply fantastic and The Plaza's ballroom never looked better. The black and white theme included gorgeous centerpiece designs that varied from lampshades with hanging white orchids and flowers in bloom where rather than a usual vase, the centerpiece was encased in a black hand bag or clutch piece. Each table had a unique design, which truly created a breathtaking vibe in The Plaza ballroom making the night feel like a chic, stylish, fairy-tale event. Owner of Celadon & Celery Bess Wyrick was there to ensure each detail was set. Readers may also be interested in taking a few classes with Celadon & Celery during their floral workshops headed by Ivie Joy A Agustin, the company's school director. Check out their website to find out more details.
Fabric Flower Hair Clips by Addie Bean Blossoms!
Here are some pictures of various fabric flower hair clips I took for Addie Bean Blossoms! In these pictures, little Meggie is wearing these gorgeous clips, which will stay on the finest hairs. Meggie was running around in the Children's Museum in Manhattan wearing the hand-made creations and they stayed on her precious head the whole time.Check out Addie Bean Blossoms' website on Etsy and you can also find them on Facebook.
The Health Dish - Truffle Event
I had a wonderful time in New Jersey earlier this month covering The Health Dish's Truffle Event Party! Lynn Nalupta, owner of The Health Dish - Holistic Health Counseling, showed how everyone can enjoy a healthy truffle using simple ingredients. What I love about this event was that not only was it very educational and enlightening, the audience enjoyed every minute of the presentation and each had a chance to make their own truffles! Learning and eating truffles (and other healthy appetizers provided by The Health Dish) is definitely a great way to spend a Friday evening. You can check Lynn's webpage at http://www.thehealthdish.com and drop her a line for any nutritional counseling question and answers. The event was definitely a success with many laughing faces leaving the Sparkhouse venue in South Orange, NJ.
Winter Wonderland
Hawaii & Tahiti
