Carolyn Monastra is full of adventure and an outstanding photographer. We are excited to share her portfolio, along with a peek into life outside of shooting weddings. Take a look at her interview!

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio

Years in NYC: 18

Outside of Christian Oth Studio, how do you spend your free time?

Traveling when and where I can. I recently returned from a nine-month around-the-world trip where I was photographing landscapes affected by climate change. Needles to say, it was a life-altering experience. I met so many amazing people and got introduced to a variety of cultures. In the city, I enjoy going to art exhibits, concerts or movies, riding my bicycle around Brooklyn, doing yoga, swimming, and reading.

When did you begin to have an interest in photography?

From the time I was nine or ten I always remember taking pictures with a little plastic camera. I became a devotee when I got my first 35mm camera for my 15th birthday and my father set-up a darkroom in our basement. I started taking photography classes for high-school students that same year at the Cleveland Institute of Art. At Fordham University, even though I was an English Literature major, I kept taking photo classes and a couple years later I was accepted at the Yale School of Art and received my Masters of Fine Art in Photography.

What is the most important thing you bring to a shoot besides your camera?

Almonds! They are the perfect power food to get me through the day. But more importantly, I bring my relaxed nature and sense of humor. I think there can often be some stress on the day of the wedding and I keep a light-hearted attitude to put people at ease. I was a social worker for my first few years out of college and I think that training allows me to deal easily with all kinds of people and situations. It also helps that I come from a large family (one of 23 cousins) so I am energized by the activity of big events.

What is your favorite moment to shoot in a wedding?

It’s hard to pick just one isolated moment but I do love the activity of the bride (and the groom too) getting-ready. There is a heightened sense of anticipation – both nervousness and excitement – in the air. I love the unexpected tender moments that can happen between family and friends during those hours before the ceremony. I feel privileged to be a witness to those moments.

If you were not a photographer, what would you be doing?

Maybe I would be a pastry chef. I enjoy baking breads and sweets and seeing the expression on people’s faces when they eat them. (Which is why I also enjoy the cake-cutting at weddings.)

If you could pick anywhere, where would be your favorite place to shoot?

Antarctica. I had the pleasure of going there last year and it was a photographer’s dream-scape. The light was ever-changing and the landscape is breath-taking. I am lucky to be going with the Arctic with same expedition company this summer as their artist-in-residence. So if anyone wants to plan a destination at one of the Poles, then I'm your gal! 

Where do you find inspiration?

In New York City there are so many places; in the streets, the parks, and restaurants. I enjoy observing people’s gestures and the way they interact with one another – especially young couples in love. I have recently become a fan of the social media sites Pinterest and Instagram because I like the surprise of seeing what other people are looking at on the web and out in their daily lives.

What is your most memorable New York moment?

That’s a tough call. Having lived here for so many years, I have many. I do remember one stormy summer night when I was attending a concert downtown. I had to fight strong pre-storm winds just walking to the venue. But when the concert was over and the crowd spilled outside, we were treated to the most glorious sky filled with cotton-ball shaped clouds. In awe, everyone pulled out their cameras while exclaiming how we’d never seen such clouds. A few months later, I was doing an engagement shoot with a couple and the groom happened to pull out his phone to show me some pictures he'd taken. It turns out, they has also had seen that magnificent sky from another location in the city. It was a great New York bonding moment!

Next up is our newest emerging photographer, Jack Jeffries! He is all about adventure, traveling and music. Read more in his interview below!

Our first emerging photographer is Kirra Cheers, who has been named one of Rangefiner's 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography. Take a look into her interview!

Hometown: Adelaide, Australia

Outside of Christian Oth Studio how do you spend your time?

If there is a passion for me that rivals photography it is travel. Outside of the studio I run a travel blog that documents my adventures. I love that New York is so central and I am looking forward to seeing South America and the northern lights of Canada. I also take salsa dance classes. Salsa keeps me fit and healthy and is a whole lot of fun.

When did you begin to have an interest in photography?

I enrolled in a photography class at school. I still have the very first roll of black and white film I took. All the kids in my class handed in one photo each from my roll of film. We all got A’s – that was the first time I thought I might have a future in photography.

If you were not a photographer what would you be doing?

During school I had a music scholarship. It was always expected I would finish school and study at the conservatorium.  I found photography and eventually I had to make a choice between the two. It was an easy choice; photography is my passion and has always come first.

What is the most important thing you bring to a shoot besides your camera?

Many of my brides have become friends that I still keep in contact with to this day. I like to think that people feel comfortable around me. Getting your photo taken should be a fun experience where you can relax, enjoy the company of those you love, and feel confident that your photographer is capturing you at your natural best.

What is your favorite moment to shoot in a wedding?

I love the moment, when the ceremony has finished and friends and family come to congratulate the bride and groom. I filter through the crowd capturing moments of unbridled joy and emotion. All the nerves and tension of preparing for the day are over and the happy couple can relax and enjoy the moment.

If you could pick anywhere, where would be your favorite place to shoot?

I would love to photograph a wedding in the Greek Islands. I love the clear, clean colors and stark architecture. I also have dreams of hiring a sailboat and exploring the islands.

Where do you find inspiration?

I really believe in feeding your creative mind. I enjoy all art forms from music to cinematography - there is always something I can learn and apply to my photography. Lately I have been watching a lot of Scorsese films. The way he frames each scene is so moody, each frame tells a story.

What is your most memorable New York moment?

Not long after I arrived in New York, I went for a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a warm summers night and the lights of Manhattan were sparkling on the water. It was one of those moments I had to pinch myself to make sure it wasn’t a dream. I was here – I had finally made it to New York. 

As you can see, all our photographers at the studio have one thing in common: great talent and a personality that goes with it. Every photographer at the studio is highly trained, motivated and has lots of experience.

Wonder what it takes to become a photographer for us in the first place? How do we recruit, train and mentor great talent? There are many schools out there of course, but a new photographer must gather experience in the field and at times it takes many years until someone is ready.

At the studio we have exact standards to manage expectations, whilst giving the photographer creative freedom to further his or her own vision. This is truly important, because we have an over-arching “studio style” which has developed quite naturally over the years. Then, each photographer has their own style within that umbrella - so different visions and personalities form their own eclectic mix.

So, how do we then foster new talent? 

At most weddings, we bring a team of a lead photographer, a second photographer and an assistant. All of our lead photographers were second photographers for a good while. There is usually quite a bit of training, feedback etc. before we let a photographer take on his or her own weddings. 

Every now and then we feel someone is ready, but it’s a big step from second photographer to being a lead and shooting a wedding at the Plaza with 300 guests. Enter our “Emerging Photographers Program."

It is specifically designed to ease our great new hot talent into photographing fantastic weddings. As we offer our emerging photographers at introductory rates, we are looking for weddings that are creative and will greatly enhance the photographer’s portfolio.

Right now we have Kirra Cheers and Jack Jeffries in our program. Click here to view their portfolios. In the coming days we have interviews prepared with these emerging photographers to show what makes them tick!

Seems like the newest Macs don't come with a drive. Not sure about PC's, but hey, we're not taking chances here... so from now on we're sending our high rez via USB drives. 

We had to take a picture because they are stunning, right?

Every day needs a pop of red.

Today is the day when we release yet another outstanding portfolio. This time from Mr. Lens-Flare himself, Glen Allsop. Glen has graced our blog the past few weeks with stunning shots in our portfolio series. All of which you will see today in his newest portfolio. 

I thought it would be fitting to share with you a fireworks image from a wedding that I recently photographed in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast. The display literally brought the village to life by using the lower part of Ravello to stage the show. It was a truly scenic spectacle with the most incredible backdrop. 

Our editors are working today on Sunday to make up for the many missed days. A few of us were able to work remotely, but our editors, designers and retouchers had no access to our server during the power outage.

Okay Mike, tell us about your hobby-

About three years ago, after years of shooting exclusively digital, I felt like I needed to slow down.

I wanted to trade, at least occasionally, the ease, precision, and instant gratification of digital photography for something that required me to spend more time with my subjects, to really immerse myself in the meaning and composition of each frame.

I was missing the mystery of photography, the magic that happens in the box.

I wanted to put some of the guesswork and intuition back into my image making.

The pinhole images you see here are the result.

(click on the image above to view more)

The pinhole camera is the most rudimentary camera one can photograph with: a simple black box with no lens, no viewfinder, no shutter. Just a pinhole to let light in and film in the back of the box to capture the light and record the image.

They can be made out of a shoebox.

To shoot with a pinhole camera is, quite literally, to get back to basics.

At first it sounds like a novelty, and I suppose it is, but in the best meaning of the word - something fresh and original. All the better is that it is also a throwback to something more primitive, painstaking, and pure.

What I did not anticipate is that stripping back to this most basic method of shooting would somehow yield images that also seemed more elemental, that brought me back to an earlier, uncluttered, more innocent way of seeing.

It reminds me of when I was child, sitting in the back seat of my parents car, looking out the window. The world flies by, you take in only little slices of life, fleeting images that nonetheless fill your head with wonder, questions, and stories spun from your own imagination. They are images that remain embedded in the mind’s eye, and one upon the next, become the iconography of deepest memory.

On beholding a pinhole image, I am once again that child, laying on my back on the grass, imagining and reimagining a world, the universe, in the puff and billow of the clouds.

Pinhole images are at once panoramic and dreamy. Everything is in focus, but that focus is uniformly soft, even gauzy, capturing not just what’s before you, not just a particular pinpoint in time, but an image deepened by the creep of time, the stirring of the wind, the rotation of the Earth. It lends the photos a timeless quality, an emotional sweep.

Where digital photography is like great nonfiction, pinhole photography somehow has the emotional honesty subjective truth of the novel. Each photograph carries with it a story, or many different stories. Just as it took more time to make, it can take more time to take in.

They are images that can make you pause, slow down, and think about the world.

They are photos you can simply stare at, melt into and muse on.                

They are daydreams. They are meditations. They are an attempt to record archetypes of the collective unconscious.

___

Amazing, right? Mike is currently working with pinhole cameras in a new ongoing project to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War. 

To continue with our portfolio series, I'd like to head off with this image by Glen Allsop. This gem caught my focus last week; I just love the beauty in the softness of it. The lack of focus is more of an "accident," even a flaw. But, it is on purpose that we put this photo in the top selects of this particular wedding. 

Continuing with our portfolio updates, today we have  Shawn Connell who indeed, is a master of photography in every sense. We constantly get feedback that Shawn is considered to be one of the top photographers in New York.

We are very excited to show his new portfolio of recent work. It is absolutely captivating. Below is an image from a Loire Valley wedding that was recently featured in Town and Country. Click the photograph to view the rest of Shawn's portfolio. 

You have seen her most recent work in her stunning new portfolio released yesterday, now we have Sue Kessler in the hot seat. Lights, camera, action!

Years in NYC: 12

Outside of Christian Oth Studio, how do you spend your free time?

I run an Obie award-winning theater in Brooklyn. I photograph performers around the City. I travel. But mostly, I chase after my eight month old daughter, Willa!

When did you begin to have an interest in photography?

I got my first camera when I was about 10 years old- a film camera, of course. I remember instantly falling in love with the feeling of independence the camera granted me. The idea that I could go off alone and explore places, things, and people from my own point of view was a big part of my maturation as an artist and individual. Taking pictures introduced me to a sense of freedom and self-expression that I still try to cultivate through my work. I was lucky to discover photography at such a young age.  

What is the most important thing you bring to a shoot besides your camera?

I bring a good attitude. I think it is so important to be good-natured, calm, focused, and generally full of positive vibes when photographing subjects. I am a very easy-going person, which has always served me well during shoots because everyone can just be themselves and have fun. I am able to roll with the punches, make the most of challenges, and find the art in any moment.

What is your favorite moment to shoot in a wedding?

The bride getting ready is one of my favorite times. There is so much anticipation in the air. She is with all the important women in her life- everyone is looking fresh, feeling excited, and emotional. It is a very dynamic time for me as a photographer because I can grab a mix of detail shots, special moments like mom surprising her daughter with a family heirloom to wear, and gorgeous glamorous pictures of the bride.

If you could pick anywhere, where would be your favorite place to shoot?

Definitely backstage at the fashion shows in Paris and Milan. My background is in performance photography and portraiture, but they go hand in hand with the drama of a runway show. Movement, lights, music, personalities, always an element of surprise, and the visceral energy of a live presentation. To me- a photographer's dream!

Where do you find inspiration?

I am most inspired by editorial images from the 1940's and 1950's. Avedon's fashion photographs from Vogue, Lillian Bassman's romantic black and whites from Harper's Bazaar, and the iconic photos in Life Magazine from that era. I love pictures that are timeless, yet bursting with expression. I also take inspiration every day from New York City itself for those same reasons.

If you were not a photographer, what would you be doing?

I think I'd be an Art Director. 

What is your most memorable New York moment?

There are so many. I was here on 9/11, which was of course memorable to say the least. But the most powerful New York City moment, I have to say, was when I was visiting here as a kid. My family came for a long weekend when I was about 12 years old. I had never been to a big city, having grown up in the suburbs in Ohio, and we flew in to NYC on a dark and rainy day. We were rushed into a cab, and my sister and I were smushed between my parents in the back seat, so I could not really see out the windows as we approached the city. We were staying at the Ritz Carlton in midtown, and when we got out of the cab, I was completely awestruck. I could not believe the enormity of the city surrounding me. Madness, beauty, noise, the incredible energy that lives in the city streets- all the classic things that make the tourists stop and stare. Well, they got to me too. My mom quotes this moment to this day- I turned to her, stunned, and said, "Mom, this is where I am going to live someday." I still get chills when I remember how I felt in that moment. 

Over this past summer, we were able to enjoy the sites and sounds of one of our favorite destination wedding locations, Martha's Vineyard. We were asked to capture both the Lobster Lovin' rehearsal dinner as well as the Lavender Infused wedding ceremony the following day. Both will be featured tomorrow on Style Me Pretty's main blog - with the cooler than cool rehearsal dinner featuring on the Massachusett's blog.

But for now, we can leave you with this adorable little sneak peek of the day. The dress, the hands on the hips, the chalkboard table list? We absolutely adore it!



Photo: Shawn Connell

The day has finally arrived! After spending the last 2 months building our new studio we are moving to our new space on 25th Street. We're all very excited here at the studio as we'll have more space for our work stations and have an adjacent studio. 

Congratulations to all New Yorkers (and non- New Yorkers for that matter...) who got married yesterday during the historic first day of legal same sex weddings in New York. What an exciting time! 

Sunday marks the first day of legal same sex weddings in New York. To celebrate, we are offering a wedding gift of sorts and inviting 2 couples whose wedding took place on this historic day to do a couple portrait session free of charge. Simply send us a picture of yourselves in front of City Hall along with the marriage license and we’ll set up the shoot.

Please check back with us on Monday and we'll send more information on how to submit your license and photo. Above all, Congratulations!

Above photos by Shawn Connell

UPDATE: If you are one of the lucky couples, please pre-register  here

It's my pleasure to introduce Glen Allsop. He is our newest photographer at the studio. 

I met Glen last year and was so impressed with his work that I asked him to come shoot for us. A few of our clients already had the pleasure to meet him and see his work in action. He has photographed over 100 weddings in Australia and shot several in the USA. In fact, many of his clients loved his work so much that they flew him from Australia to the US. Not bad, if you think about the photography talent that we have here in the first place.

So, I am very fortunate to announce Glen as the newest member of our team. 

His work has been seen in Bride to Be Magazine, Real Weddings Magazine, Woman's Day among others as well as on many blogs.

Also ProPhoto Magazine (Australia) recently did a cover feature on Glen.

Click on his headshot to see Glen's full portfolio and bio.

“The relationship between photographer and client is crucial in creating beautiful, honest photographs. It’s my passion to catch you at your very best, which may be when you least expect it.” - Glen

Popular Photography Magazine goes behind the scenes in an interview with Christian where he reveals some of the secrets of his craft, from the lenses he uses to the details that catch his eye.

Check out the article in the June 2011 issue of Popular Photography on stands now. 

Every now and then I get to shoot some cool celebrities. Last week I shot Ric Ocasek from the Cars for the New York Times Magazine. The shoot took place during a break of the rehearsals at the Gibson Showroom in Midtown. Ric was very calm and professional and a genuinely nice person to work with. He made my job really easy as he had done so many shoots in his career.

 Link to article: The Return of Ric Ocasek

Stop by our booth and get your picture taken. We'll be at the New York Weddings Event. 

WHEN: Wednesday, March 30 from 5 - 8pm.

WHERE: Metropolitan Pavilion 125 West 18th Street

Get tickets here 

Over the last few days and weeks the news images show devastated Japan after the earthquake and tsunami with a nuclear catastrophe unfolding. There are many charity organizations that help the unfortunate and one that we support here at the studio is Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors without Borders. 

The constant effort by Doctors without Borders to be in disaster areas and conflict zones in over 60 countries is a cause worth supporting. These doctors go where nobody else goes and are very quick to get there. Event though Japan is a wealthy country and seems to be in a much better position to help itself, Doctors without Borders has sent medical teams to support the earthquake and tsunami response in Japan. Their teams are running mobile clinics and are conducting needs assessments at this point.

For this reason we'd like to hold a fundraiser here a the studio by offering a portrait shoot. Our photographers will donate their time. 100 % of your donations will go to Doctors Without Borders/Medicins Sans Frontieres. 

The fundraiser will take place on Thursday, March 24th and through Monday, March 28th. Christian Oth Studio is offering a special portrait package that includes a 1-hour session with one of our studio photographers. For further details and questions about how you can make an immediate contribution please contact Meredith Goforth at meredith@christianoth.com by 5pm on Monday, March 28th.

  Details of the Fundraiser:

- Purchase a portrait session with one of our studio photographers for a specially reduced rate of $750

- Your portrait session must take place between April 1 and April 15

- We will schedule a time and a place for your photography session. There are 3 areas that we will shoot at: Manhattan's Meat Packing District,     Central Park and Dumbo. It will be early Spring and these locations will have a special allure.

- Samples of portrait shoots can be found here, and here. There is also good sample here about several engagement shoots.

- You will receive your images as a link to our proofing site.

- You will also receive iPad and web ready files of the best images from the shoot.

Please contact Meredith Goforth (212) 634-7949 or meredith@christianoth.com to book your portrait session. 

We will book as many of these portrait sessions as physically possible within this 2 week period. We have several photographers ready and available to shoot several sessions a day.

Please note that your donation is a general donation to Doctors without Borders and it's not Japan specific, however this will help their efforts there.

We are also looking for corporate sponsors who will match the contributions by our clients.

All of us here at Christian Oth Studio would like to extend our thanks to those who will contribute to the cause.

UPDATE: We just got our first sponsor: The Tara Circle, inc at The Alder Manor (location of many movies such as the Royal Tenenbaums and one of Martha Stewart's favorite locations) has just very generously donated their premises as a backdrop for our portrait shoot.

The concept is simple and brilliant--beautiful dresses at a fraction of the price: Rent the dress instead of owning it. If you haven't heard about it yet, let me be the harbinger of good news: RentTheRunway has arrived!!! 

Recently I shot a wedding at Ellis Island that was a top-knotch event. Senators, even our own governor were there. Yet in the hallways I could hear how women rented the dress for the evening instead of owning it. I wish we had something like this for us guys  (tuxedo rentals notwithstanding)

Anyhow, Shawn and I shot their latest campaign which can be seen on the new  RentTheRunwayWeddings site. Please register!

Today we are thrilled to announce a new collaboration with several of the most respected and revered names in the wedding industry.  Launched by my good friend Lyndsey Hamilton, the new partnership, called The Collective, includes New York and L.A. based event planning firm Lyndsey Hamilton Events, Christian Oth Studio, Matthew Robbins floral and event design, Ceci New York couture invitation design, Belle Fleur New York, and Marcey Brownstein Catering.

"Our goal with 'The Collective' is to offer clients the unique opportunity to have our favorite and most recognized industry partners to produce the luxury wedding experience" says Hamilton.  We are excited to be a part of a partnership with some of the most creative minds in various fields and are honored to be included in The Collective, as each of our partners in this venture represents the top talent in their respective field.  Click on the link below for a  sampling of some of the real weddings that our studio has worked on with each of the partners in The Collective.  We look forward to many more to come.

Last night marked the 100th anniversary of the New York Public Library, and to celebrate this monumental landmark event, they hosted a resplendent gala. Our studio was asked to be the exclusive photographers for the evening, and we were absolutely thrilled to accept.  We have had the pleasure of photographing numerous weddings and events at the New York Public Library throughout the years, and its classic gracefulness and grandeur makes it one of our favorite iconic New York places.

To add to the historic nature of the event and kick off the party, a classic jazz band in full flapper-era attire serenaded guests with upbeat melodies.  Giant candelabras lit the room, while literature and the constellations were projected onto the ceiling.  An original mock up of the building, which opened to the public in 1911, sat front and center.  The event was catered by Peter Callahan, one of New York’s finest chefs, and guests enjoyed everything from tuna tartare to sweet desserts served in champagne glasses.  The food was artfully presented and appealed to all the senses--a perfect presentation.  As the evening wound down, we reflected on the success of the party in honoring what was truly an historic occasion.

I hope you enjoy the photographs from this wonderful event.  

Thanks to Lis Pearson from the NYPL for hosting such a great event. 

Loved the food from Creative Edge, Peter Callahan, Glorious Food & Sonnier & Castle

and the incredible band Carte Blanche

Christian Oth Studio is proud to announce that we have been selected as The Knot Best of Weddings Winner for 2011. This prestigious award is presented annually to those wedding vendors whose commitment to excellence ranks them far and above their peers as rated by the brides.

What a great way to start off the year!

I hope you all had a very happy new year!  2011 is shaping up to be a great year for the studio already--the talented editors over at Martha Stewart selected this beautiful wedding shot by Shawn Connell for a feature in their winter weddings issue.  We are so honored and excited to see the photographs in the magazine, and of course we would like to thank Eric and Angela (the bride and groom) for letting us share their beautiful celebration below.  I hope you enjoy the feature, and stay tuned for even more photographs of this wedding tomorrow.

Happy holidays from all of us at Christian Oth Studio! Whew, what a year it has been... we started off with an all new site, added a blog and had some truly amazing weddings to share. Well there are quite a few more to come in 2011 - we will have lots of destination weddings and some truly amazing New York affairs too. 

The studio will be closed for the holidays and we will be taking some much-deserved time off to relax and enjoy friends and family.  We'll be back in early January, so until then we wish you a peaceful holiday and a happy new year!

Recently I photographed "Das Racist", a Brooklyn indie-rap group, for the New York Times Magazine (click here for the full interview).  Initially I wasn’t very familiar with their music, but Himanshu Suri (in the red and white jacket) and Victor Vazquez were relaxed and extremely comfortable in front of the camera and I love how their personalities came out in the photos.  Immediately after arriving they dismantled a bouquet of flowers to use playfully as props.  After that we just had fun--they were not afraid to joke around in front of the camera, which resulted in some really great shots.  I hope you enjoy these extra takes from the shoot.

I recently got the opportunity to photograph the lovely Melinda Gates for the New York Times Magazine (click here to read the full interview), and want to share some extra shots and a behind-the-scenes photograph from our shoot with you.  I was not surprised to discover that Melinda was both kind and incredibly eloquent, traits that have served her well as a philanthropist (she is co-founder and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation).  A rigorous schedule necessitated that Deborah Solomon from the magazine ask questions over my shoulder while I photographed Melinda, and at one point, Deborah noted “Everybody wants something from you...”.  I volunteered that all I wanted from her was a great photograph, and Melinda’s gracious response was “That’s all right with me”.  She was elegant and poised throughout the shoot, but I found out that there is one thing she does not tolerate...Apple products in their home!  I asked if she would allow her children to have iPods and iPhones, and the answer was a resolute “No”.  I enjoyed photographing and talking with Melinda Gates, and her kindness and generosity in person was truly inspiring.  I hope you enjoy the photographs from our shoot below.

Mark Ingram, Carley Roney, me, Preston Bailey

Rebecca Crumley, me, Sylvia Weinstock, Carley

Preston Bailey, Carley Roney, Monique L'Huillier

Meredith Goforth, Nicole Fazzini, Karen Bussen, me again...

Lisa Ceci Johnson and of course, Lindsay Landman who did such an amazing job putting this event together. 

Photos by Shawn Connell, Rob Northway and Joshua Dalsimer

See more pictures on our Facebook page here

UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal just wrote about the big event here

I met the legendary Grammy Award-Winner at the Atlantic Records headquarters in Midtown Manhattan.  I just love it when I am able to photograph someone whose music I started listening to as a teenager, and still enjoy today.  We met in the Atlantic Records art bay for the shoot, and it was inspiring to be in the presence of such great works of art with someone as creative and innovative in his own right.  Phil fit in perfectly with the setting, and was a genuinely cool guy to work with.   During the shoot, we talked about each of our young sons, who are roughly the same age.  It was an honor to photograph someone whom I admire, and it was even more refreshing to see how down-to-earth he is. 

While we were in one of the staff meeting rooms, I discovered this pin board and it turned out to be the perfect backdrop for our shoot.  Sometimes finding unexpected elements in the environment can lead to great photographs, and this pin board was just the right color and texture so I went with it. I hope you enjoy these portraits of Phil Collins from our shoot.

UPDATE: The New York Times Magazine just published an interview by Deborah Solomon of Phil Collins. 

Click here to see the article

I started this blog early this year to create a forum where brides, grooms and photographers alike could communicate with our studio and one another.  I casually tested the waters by sharing my philosophy and standards for wedding photography, and I got some great comments, questions and suggestions from those of you that follow our blog.  Recently, I’ve decided to step up our efforts and become more active with our blog posts, so I am very happy to introduce Molly Dembner as a new addition to our team.

Molly is now interviewing our brides and creating the Real Weddings posts on this site.  She has some expertise in this area, as she was one of our real brides just last year!  Sue Kessler from our studio photographed her elegant wedding in Dumbo, Brooklyn, and the photographs turned out beautifully.  Molly kept in touch with the studio and I ran into her out and about several times in New York, so she naturally popped into my mind when I decided to increase our blogging efforts.  She recently moved to San Francisco for her husband Joey’s job at Apple Inc., so west coast brides, keep an eye out for her around the city!

A warm welcome to Molly.

- Christian Oth

I shared one of our previous creative meetings with you because I think it is important for our clients and other photographers alike to see what our creative process here at the studio is, and how we are able to stay innovative as a team.  This time around, we took a look at some great examples of portraits at recent weddings and discussed what techniques we had used to capture all of the essential actors while still maintaining our creative photojournalistic approach.  Everyone at the studio is incredibly talented and passionate about what they do, so we love getting together and sharing new techniques that we have discovered.  For those of you out there who are just as passionate as we are, I have included some of the portrait techniques that we discussed below.  

SHOW THE LOCATION

One of the ways to make a posed portrait visually interesting is by including an element of the location that makes it distinct in the background of the photograph.  For example, if the wedding is located in Connecticut, the photographer could include a white picket horse coral in the background to give the actors (bride and groom, family members, wedding party) a setting for their story.  Additionally, making that background slightly out of focus gives the photograph beautiful contrast and texture and draws attention to the people in the portrait.

Props can also be used for a similar effect.  At a wedding that we shot on a farm in upstate New York, there was a beautifully weathered old tractor on the grounds, so we had the bride, groom and family members sit on or stand alongside the tractor in one of their portraits.  The tractorgave the people in the portrait a sense of place without creating a distraction.

MIND THE EDGE

As photojournalists, we always try to take beautiful photographs using creative framing, but it’s important when taking portrait photographs to make sure that all of the key participants are fully in the frame.  When it comes down to it, the photographs of friends, family members and the wedding party are often the most important to the bride and groom.  It’s important to us that we have great communication before the wedding with the couple to make sure we know who all of their family members are and which shots are important to them.  Using the right techniques and coordinating with the couple to make sure we have captured all of the key participants can lead to stunning, naturally beautiful photographs.  

PAY ATTENTION TO PERSPECTIVE

Sometimes there are parts of the background that are not visually appealing and should be excluded if possible.  By paying attention to perspective, you can focus on your subjects while excluding elements of the background.  For instance, if you are shooting a couple and want to capture the beautiful foliage above them but don’t want to include the traffic behind them at ground level, you could shoot from a lower perspective, so that only the foliage is in the background of the portrait.  Getting close to the people in the portrait and only including a hint of the foliage behind them is another way to do this.

Similarly, if you are shooting portraits of a couple in an expansive space and want to show them in their environment, a higher perspective taken from a distance and using a longer lens can create beautiful depth to the portrait and draw the focus to the couple.

We chose to talk about portraits this week because they are an essential part of wedding photography, and when they are created thoughtfully, they can be just as innovative and unique as some of the candid moments.  Feel free to share your thoughts with us below. 

- Christian Oth

The first few boards have color themes and we've previewed a few here already. Look for our summer-themed yellow board in the coming days!

Happy Birthday, America!

Leave it to the ladies to dress as colorful and playful as their personalities.

Out with photographers Michael Falco and Shawn Connell we happened to catch some candid moments while taking some new head shots.  Being in front of the camera can be a truly vulnerable time.  It's a feeling of being exposed, to which not even photographers are fully immune.  Just out for these shots it makes me appreciate the importance of having a great photographer who put you at ease.  

Photographer Alison Mayfield recently had an engagement shoot with a fun couple Brenda and Alvin.  They came prepared with props and a costume change!

Our studio is very central and we do all our client meetings here as well as photo shoots. All the other magic, post processing and book design happens here.

It also doesn't hurt that 28th Street, which is New York's flower district, is right around the corner. Our studio manager loves to always get new flowers for the studio.

We've been here for over 5 years and have really grown into it. This image was taken recently for the website for our new "About Us" section.

The New York Weddings Event offers brides-and-grooms-to-be a one-stop resource for their big day. All the vendors you need to plan your special celebration: the city’s top jewelers, caterers, bridal fashion designers, planners, tabletop brands and much more.

Event begins at 5:00pm on April 7th. Get your tickets now!

I always knew that Alison was an incredible photographer. One only has to watch her work! This is such a great and unusual picture. 

This is now the second PDN cover that we got in our little studio collective. For those of you who are not photographers, you probably don't know Photo District News (PDN), but it's what photographers look at.

Congratulations, Alison!

This is the second time that we got the cover for the PDN annual wedding issue. See the 2006 cover here .

Photographers are inherently interested in technology. When digital cameras came of age I was all about them and mastering all the technical implications of it. What a wonderful combination of technology and photography.

Enter 2010 and Web 2.0 or whatever you may call it. For the past 7 months we have been working on getting our new website off the ground. Even before Apple announced the iPad we wisely decided to create the site in Html5 and have not one bit of Adobe Flash in it. The fruits of this endeavor are now on display in the new iPad.

The above is a screenshot we took in the iPad simulator. We have one on order at the studio and can't wait to see the real thing.

UPDATE: I was just informed that we still have Flash on the site: we had to use it for the music. We're still looking for alternatives on that end.

We are so excited that one of Shawn Connell’s photos was chosen as the cover shot for this year’s Quest Magazine’s Wedding Issue! 

Shawn captured this amazing wedding flawlessly. To see more images click here.

Congratulations Shawn!

Please see our coverage in the most recent NY Weddings Magazine! Of course not all the images from this wedding can get published, so we uploaded the wedding to our real wedding gallery, click here to view our favorite images.

This page was meticulously and thoughtfully compiled with creating the ultimate guide in mind. We were very precise when handpicking each of the vendors making sure each and everyone met our quality standards. We love partnering up with these companies/people and respect their work. To meet all of our standards one must deliver top-notch work, BUT also be a pleasure to work with.  I invite you to stroll over to the listings and see for yourself, whether you're window shopping or in desperate need for some yummy wedding cake.

The much anticipated Whitney Biennial opens today to the public. This exhibit highlights lesser known artists that are expected to set the temperature for the next two years in the contemporary art world. This year there are 55 artists showing, 4 of which are photographers, I am especially excited to see the youngest photographer (23) Tam Tran’s work.

While Biennials are always affected by the cultural, political, and social moment, this exhibition simply titled "2010” embodies a cross section of contemporary art production rather than a specific theme.

Click here for more. 

Tam Tran

Jake McBride, currently on assignment covering the 21st Winter Olympics, was recently named one of "Australia's most renowned and prolific snow sports photographers this country has ever seen" by Chill Factor Magazine. To see Jake's full interview go to Chill Factor Magazine. Jake's Olympic coverage is updated daily on Mountain Watch. 

Shaun White celebrating his victory with his long time coach.

Our new website has been live for a little over 2 weeks now, and what a busy couple of weeks it has been. To put it mildly it's been raved about by many in the industry and clients alike so far. This project started last August and everyone involved in it thought we'd get this out in about 6 weeks. How wrong we were.

The primary obstacle was to improve on a site that already scored highly on aesthetics. I pretty much told my web developers to do most of the same that my old site did. There was definitely some head-butting and there were at least two occasions when I picked up the phone and wanted to call the entire project off only to change my mind during the conversation, because of the charisma and intelligence of .... my brother!

Yes, the web developer behind all of this IS my brother Roland. He is running a startup company in Austria doing all sorts of geeky internet backbone stuff (quite brilliantly so). When he decided to take on this project he collaborated with the graphic designers from Abloom with whom he shares his office. We were truly telecommuting: Skype video and Google Waving. However, oddly enough, we got the bulk done during a ski trip in Austria.

So here it is. The new site. Roland: thank you so much for all the work and hours you put into it. I couldn't be happier and more proud that we worked on this together! Bro, you rock!

The last time we re-designed our website was only 18 months ago, but we felt like we had to stay current with today's communication needs. First and foremost we wanted to add a blog. Then we realized that our photographer's work needed to be featured in a better way - so one thing led to another... and voilà a new website is born.

The new site not only features gorgeous weddings, but it's also a dynamic resource about photography, and more. Register with the site, and you can enjoy and share our new "Favorites" feature -- our one-of-a-kind tool that will be useful to many, as we continue to bring more stunning images to our site. "Star" any image to create custom slideshows that you can share with your friends, use as inspiration as you plan your big day, and help guide you as you choose a photographer. For fans and journalists, you can follow the evolving talents and style of our photographers.

Having been in this industry for a number of years we thought that we had something valuable to share with couples planning their wedding. We have been so privileged to work with many talented and distinguished vendors -- planners, designers, florists, make-up artists and musicians. We have also shot at the top venues in NYC and across the globe for a bevy of unique clients. If you find a resource on this site, you can trust that it's a good one - useful, tasteful and helpful.

New functionalities and resources will evolve over time. Bookmark our page as a valuable, concise and easy-to-use resource. No clutter, I promise.

Christian Oth