Rabbi's Son Bar Mitzvah | Lexington
While I give my heart to every story, this one was a first - a Bar Mitzvah for the son of a Rabbi. While we’d planned to begin with a Home session, we ended up with Friday at the Synagogue, the Party and Sunday Brunch. And while I knew emotions would run high, I wasn’t prepared for the heartfelt joy that permeated every moment from his siblings, parents and family. While it may seem ordinary to document the moments leading to Shabbat, it is actually far from it - here in particular, with the Rabbi draping the Tallit over his son. In returning for Habdala and photographing in candlelight without flash, it was the beam of light that shone on the faces that formed a circle around the room. The transition to the Party was jublient and the fleeting imipressions of time as it sped by so quickly during the Party. And then there was the brunch held on a beautiful warm summer day; the light, the love, the color and relaxed exhaustion among family.
THE STORY IN A BOOK
A SELECTION OF PERSONAL FAVORITES
Beautiful Chaos | Bat Mitzvah Documentary
“Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion. ”
― Martha Graham
Imagine you’re about five months from a major move with three boys ranging from four to ten and a daughter with a Bat Mitzvah - one who’s danced in the Boston Ballet Nutcracker, has played the harp since she was a tiny girl not to mention her love of gentle bunny.
The meaning of "beatifiul chaos" is an understatement. And while there were more than one concern on documenting at their home let alone on the Friday before the ceremony, it was within those stolen moments at home, and in those at the Synagogue following that tell the story of a calm among the storm. The love that’s expressed in the most everyday of moments to stolen vignettes that felt near epic in their rendering.
While we began earlier in the week to document a Rehearsal (one in which the girl asked her Mom to wait outside), it was the Friday sessions - first at home, later at the Synagogue - when the true story surfaced: one of love, family, chaos and calm. We opted for portraits on Saturday afternoon at their new home and finished up on Saturday night with photography of an intimate and moving Habdala ceremony through the joyful Hora celebration. This is her story in 140 pictures over one hundred beautiful pages.
THE STORY IN A BOOK
A SELECTION OF PERSONAL FAVORITES
@home session
In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future. Alex Haley
In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future. Alex Haley
As I was headed onto a flight to NYC for a site visit on an event I''m working on, I had a call from this family to photograph their son's upcoming Bar Mitzvah that was taking place one week after I was returning from a week of work on another event with over 50,000 in attendance. (For those not in the know, my profession prior to photography was event management and I still pick up programs in tandem with photography clients). At any rate, they were very eager for the pre-Bar MItzvah home session and the only day we could manage between our schedules was the afternoon after my overnight flight across the country which landed at 6am. I was thankful to my husband for offering to drive; even though I'd had a nap, I was preserving everything I had to give to this family. On arrival I was greeted by warmth and conversation (and a welcome cup of coffee) and soon after, we began. I'm always so pleased when a family not only appreciates black and white photography, but knows how to dress for it (ie dark clothes tend to allow for a focus on hands and faces). We covered a range of activities that highlight their everyday time together - soccer, athletics, a silly family portrait they've taken since they had children, semi-formal portraits, fresh lemonade (as in the real lemons, sugar and water) - and then rehearsing for the Bar Mitzvah service. We ended our time together with an idea they had to look through old photo albums together. Their laughter, love, connection and joyfulness was a visible tonic. It was through them, and their beautiful spirits that I left lighter and brighter and refreshed.
at home on a pond near the woods
The day-to-day in mid-summer with a three year old might look something like this ... a deck filled with toys, a silly question and the dog simply worn out.
The day-to-day in mid-summer with a three year old might look something like this ... a deck filled with toys, a silly question and the dog simply worn out.
A friend with a kind heart and a girl with a beautiful spirit, I wanted to share the joy these two share together in the everyday at home. We took advantage of their location overlooking a pond and the proximity of the woods nearby. While the portraits were a little trickier in holding one this little still, we got a natural exchange that involved a kiss on the cheek. Here was our day together.
living in color | new mexico
The path to this week-long story of photographs started the year before in creating a lifestyle website for Michelle and an ensuing need for photographs ...
The path to this week-long story of photographs started the year before in creating a lifestyle website for Michelle and an ensuing need for photographs - in particular, portraits of her surfing. And as she'd learned how to surf in on the seacoast of New Hampshire, she decided to travel to New England. One year later, and a need for new photographs, a refreshed website and a new food and wisdom website which she was launching the following year, Michelle decided it was time for me to travel to her home in Albuquerque for a week-long documentary featuring all the elements of her life - her dogs, entertaining, food, writing, cooking, restaurants, grocery shopping, her faith and her love of sports - golf, tennis and swimming. Additionally, we wove in a fair number of portraits and stock images of her home and surroundings. While I've opted to pull just a few of the many presented, I can only say I hope this opportunity presents itself again. Traveling to a new area, being inspired by different surroundings ... and for me, working primarily in color - it's a project I'd take again in a heartbeat.
Winter Bar Mitzvah | Newton, MA
From a session at home a few weeks before and a rehearsal a few days before to the party and the brunch.
I'm not a boy now. I'm a man, I hope. I hope I've had my artistic bar mitzvah somewhere.
Jeremy Piven
When asked by this Mom if I’d document her son’s Bar Mitzvah, I was speechless - I’m not Jewish and hadn’t ever photographed a Bar Mitzvah before, and I hold her work and our past collaborations together in high regard. But after thinking about it a little more, the story I envisioned was rather beautiful - one that wove the threads of what life is right now stitched together with the formal and celebratory aspects; pictures that expressed a story of the transition. I was fortunate to be met with an open enthusiastic ear and together we collaborated on a plan.
This story began late afternoon on a beautiful winter light day to document life at home weaving activities, hobbies, interests and day-to-day interactions. Given the centrality of hockey in their lives, we began with street hockey, took a break with smoothies and then documented a long awaited family tradition - creating the ice rink in the back yard. We followed with casual portraits of everyone together and then of the boy in his own world and ended the day with the more formal elements or rehearsing and a Bar Mitzvah portrait.
I returned a week or so later to photograph the practice rehearsal and while I'd planned to document the party, mother nature decided to drop a nor'easter which impeded my ability to actually get to the location (and yes, I was horrified). While I was able to use guest photos of the Hora in the book, I photographed the gathering the following morning at the Brunch in a relaxed gathering of warmth and love - and the first time of hockey in their cousins back yard.
Since this initial Bar Mitzvah, I've been thankful to receive a steady stream of commissions. In each I feel a deeper connection to the grace of spiritual values, the magic of this special rite of passage, and the importance in documenting the story.
THE BOOK
A SELECTION OF FAVORITES
the gift of serving
“You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
― Khalil Gibran, The Prophet
april | 2012
As a season with giving at its core, we are often overrun with a blur of activities that veil the real magic in the air. Between the buying and wrapping and baking and decorating & the gatherings and events, the real gift of giving can get lost in all the have to's and must do's and need to's. Yet the most magical gift we can experience lies in giving to others. I can't take credit for how I feel about serving others either; it's how I was raised/who I am, and it's at the core of photography & my business.
A few years ago I had the opportunity to photograph this family of four generations and when I learned that Vanessa (the mum of the little) was going to be serving in the National Guard and would need to be away from her four year old for six months, I offered her a session (and the best time for her was in December when she was back on break). And after months of following the updates and photos between she and her girl, I got to see a little video of April seeing her mom for the first time over Thanksgiving - the most impacting exchange I saw that day.
So for me, giving to one who is giving to our country, and to a little who's giving up her mom for a period of time, is one of greatest gifts I can give this season. While I have much more to say on giving this season and in the year ahead, I will end with a few photos from our last time together two years ago.
be happy
i've been spending a lot of time going through my portfolio...and came across this little lineup of tiny dancers taken last year at the beginning of summer. all the little girls lined up for a bit of light makeup. i'd always liked the arrangement - the rhythm of all those little faces in various poses, the mom on the right anchoring things by looking across to the other side, the dancer on the far left gazing back over the scene of girls.
dancers | june, 2013
yes, all the little legs, and feet and hands and faces and stories going on here and only one looking right at me. but what i didn't see until the other day was the irony of that t shirt - be happy - within a row of slightly bored, anxiously patient faces.
wishing you all a "be happy" second to last week of summer.
a photograph of prom
having never gone to a prom myself, i have an impression of junior prom as one that's exciting but carefree in the sense that it's not the "last" one; the pressure and emotions i imagine wrapped around a senior prom are absent. instead, there is just a pure raw vibrant sensation of excitement and anticipation....in a way that's breathable. so after the portraits were taken and we were officially wrapped, i saw this photograph take shape; i composed, waited, and the resulting picture turned out to be my favorite. i like what's going on here. the composition of a "v" with the daughter turning to her mom, boy to his. that split defines all that is being a teenager. though yes, they are grown and no longer need "mommy" in quite the same way, the heart is still young enough to naturally turn toward their mother who are bursting with pride & joyfulness & i'm sure a "where did the time go" running through it all. yes, this photograph holds all that emotion and meaning in it.
junior prom | marblehead, ma
& the portraits ...
Wells Blog
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