What I love about this photograph is the juxtaposition of two worlds. In one, we have a couple on the most important day of their lives, and in the other, we have a couple in their day-to-day lives. For just a fraction of a second, these two worlds meet. In other words, it is a perfectly caught NYC moment, photographed by Mike Falco. 
The image for today's Portfolio Series is not only beautifully shot, but also a reflection of the style of photographer, Sue Kessler. Sue shot against the light, while very conciously capturing the activity happening in the background AND the very fleeting moment of the flower girl looking directly at the camera to tell a story. And not only did she do that in a perfectly composed shot, she was also able convey her fine art background that adds a creative edge to the photo as well.
There are so many factors of today's post that quantify it for the Portfolio Series. The composition is bar-none. The eye is immediately drawn to the the bride and the veil that is caught by the wind. The landscape of the city skyline is breathtaking, creating that quintessential New York City backdrop. This photo was taken by Shawn Connell.
Today's Portfolio Series is all about Layers. This image is striking, without question, but the layers are what make it so. The layers give the image context, intrigue, mystery. The layers make the image look aged, soft and contemporary. Utilizing space, time and good old Mother Nature,the photographer took advantage of the tiny specs you see on the glass, the reflection of the sun and the unusual framing of the several squares piled on top of each other instead of a single pane or door frame. Our photographer, Sue Kessler, prides herself on such wistful, subtle yet inspiring images and we just love it. 
Today's addition to the Portfolio Series is a true example of composition; utilizing the complexity of geometric shape, mixed with the expression of movement. The shot, which was taken by photographer Shawn Connell, emulates so many emotions in one moment. There is the buzz of the room that is expressed by the movement of the people - long exposure allows for the subjects to be forever "moving" instead of stagnant in the image. However the eye is drawn upward toward the breathtaking geometric designs of the glass ceiling. Combining the two allows the eye to rest on a steady spot, while also feeling the movement and energy of the room.
An extra note on this photo, this was captured during the first cocktail hour held at the Palm Court at the Plaza, which is clearly a stunning location in its own right. And has also only recently been open to the public for such events. 
We continue our Portfolio Series with this charming photo of the finishing touches before the Bride sees her Groom. The photo is subtle, yet narrative. You can see both the Bride's anticipation of the day and the bridemaid's concentration while assisting the bride in her final preparation.
Photo By Michael Falco
Off to Italy for image #8... Shawn captured this amazing shot at a wedding in Lake Como. This is just one of many of an absolutely stunning bride at the most gorgeous venue. More about this wedding in the near future.
As 2011 draws to a close we will be sharing 10 of our top images each day until New Year's Eve. Come back here each day to see our top picks for the year! Kicking off this mini series is this amazing shot of a couple in front of a windmill at Mulford Farm in East Hampton.
A few months ago I photographed a wedding that took place both in New York and in Istanbul, so I thought I'd share 2 scene setter images from both cities.
This is one of many great images that we were able to come back with during an amazing bride & groom shoot on 5th Ave. We simply embraced the teeming busyness of Midtown Manhattan. This is definitely one of my all-time favorites! I hope you love it just as much as I do!
This image evokes spontaneity and I was instantly drawn to it. This image by Meredith Davenport captures a great free-flowing moment.
The composition of this image is subtle and refined just like the detail of the wedding dress. Shawn Connell chose to shoot this dress detail against the light to make it feel delicate and ethereal. Tomorrow we'll have more images up of Kimberly and Allen's majestic wedding at the Plaza.
This is one of my favorite shots from a recent wedding. It's kind of almost too perfect with the girls witnessing the bride as she emerges as well as the groom --- it feels almost staged, but the only element that I had control over was to make sure I was there to take the pic.
This is hands down one of my favorite weddings. I will share more images from it very soon!
The obvious allure to this photograph is the juxtaposition of the orange seats and the couple. For sure, it's one of those visual eye-poppers because of the bright colors and the content. However, even though this image made it into our portfolio series we decided to not include it in Sue's upcoming portfolio precisely because of the orange color and thus felt too distracting. The color simply transported us away from the other images.
Sue Kessler's updated portfolio can be found here. Would love to hear if you agree...
I have seen many mirror shots, but this one by Sue Kessler captures a moment that is very genuine. The first element I like is that you see the hairstylist's hands and thus has a narrative. The second element is that the bride isn't looking at the camera or herself, but seems caught up in some pleasant thoughts. Very sweet.
This photograph was taken by Michael Falco at The Plaza Hotel just as the bride was leaving her suite en route to the wedding. It is definitely one of my favorite photographs about an unexpected moment captured.
These images were captured by Sue Kessler, and they show Sue's expert eye for cropping the subject just perfectly. Sue focused on the beautiful details of the bride's dress and her radiant smile in reaction to her bridesmaids, while also cropping out any background distractions or clutter in the room. Although both of these photographs are beautiful on their own, the narrative that they create when placed side by side brings out more meaning in each of them, making them complimentary to each other. Recently I wrote about the benefits of juxtaposing images, and Sue's photographs are a great example of what can be gained by creating images that compliment one another.
Both of these photographs are included in our portfolio series because they each represent portraits that show the subject in their environment, and they use creative framing to direct focus. In the first photograph, the bride and groom are framed neatly by the window of the old fashioned checker cab. Including part of the car in the photograph gives the couple context and helps tell the story of their day, instead of simply showing the couple posed against a nondescript background. The lines of the car and the orderly rows of black and white squares provide the perfect border to direct attention inward.
Similarly, the second photograph depicts the expressions of the parents of the bride in the context of the wedding ceremony. This intimate portrait was created by keen observation and astute awareness on the part of the photographer. The focus of the photograph frames their faces, while their distinctive glasses also help to draw attention.
This photograph was taken by Meredith Davenport as the bride was getting ready. Although there are several other people in the background of this image, the dramatic spotlight puts the focus completely on the bride. Meredith took this shot through the reflection in the mirror, and was able to perfectly capture this behind-the-scenes moment highlighting the bride before her big event.
Photograph by Christian Oth
I consider this a portfolio image because I had never done this shot before. It was during a late afternoon ceremony at a Hampton vineyard wedding that "found" this shot. Kind of unusual to take a detail or "decor" picture on a live person while something is happening, but I thought that this is what makes this shot: the floral bouquet in a ceremony context.
This photograph was shot by Sue Kessler outside of the Bowery Hotel in New York. It was raining lightly, and the couple had a clear plastic umbrella with them which turned out to be a fun and whimsical prop. Sue positioned herself facing traffic to include the headlights of the cars on the street, and asked the couple to walk across the street together. She shot this photo just as the bride turned around and laughed, perfectly capturing this natural moment between the bride and groom.
This enchanting image was captured by Michael Falco at the Garden of the Gods Golf Club in Colorado Springs, and it truly embodies the joy and whimsy of childhood. Michael caught this moment from afar during the cocktail hour, just when the girl pictured ran off to play by herself.
Sometimes you know instantly that you got a portfolio piece as you're taking the photo. I didn't quite know before I asked the bride to stand in front of the window, but when she turned around and laughed in the most natural way I knew this would be a winner. The one thing you don't see here is all her bridesmaids standing to her right being in awe of the dress as they just saw the bride in her dress the very first time moments ago.
This beautiful image was shot by Sue Kessler at the Hoboken Train Station in New Jersey, and was an instant addition to our Portfolio Series. Sue used the classically arched windows to frame the bride, and shot into the light streaming in so that the bride was almost a silhouette in front of the window. The inclusion of the architectural symmetry and repetition of motifs on either side of the center window also added visual interest to this stunning photograph.
Photograph by Sue Kessler
I love how this photograph truly captures a special moment between the bride and her father. As our main focus is on photojournalism, it is moments like these that we look for, and this photograph taken by Sue Kessler perfectly immortalized the visual exchange between the bride and her father just as it occurred. Sue caught this moment by sitting in the front seat of the car and angling the rearview mirror until both the bride and her father were beautifully framed in the reflection. Her creative framing gives great context to the photograph as well--with the bridge barely visible in the background and the recognizable shape of the rearview mirror, the image comes to life and becomes part of a story, rather than just a static portrait. This image captures the non-verbal communication taking place at that moment.
Photograph by Michael Falco
The dramatic rock formations and stunning natural beauty of the environment in this photograph made it an instant addition to our Portfolio Series. Photographed by Michael Falco at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, this image perfectly captures the romantic, nostalgic feel created by the vintage car winding through the canyon. In black and white, the incredible rippling texture and varied shades of black and grey in the rocks stand out, creating a stark contrast with the sleek curves of the white car. Because the Garden of the Gods is typically a popular tourist destination, Michael shot this photograph from a low point of view and used the road and rock formations to block out people and clutter in the background past the bend. The result was this peaceful, secluded shot of the car just before it dips out of sight.
The photograph below was shot by Shawn Connell, and beautifully illustrates how artisic vision and framing can turn a simple photograph of a wedding gown into a work of art. Shawn shot this photograph in front of a window and intentionally over-exposed the image to bring out the shape, texture and detail in the bride's dress. The result was this stunning and ethereal image of the gown against glowing white light.
Photograph by Shawn Connell
As a continuation of our Portfolio Series that I began last week, I want to share more of the best recent photographs taken by the photographers at our studio. These represent the best-of-the-best, photographs that made us stop in our tracks for a second look. Every year we compile a portfolio of these winning photographs so we can look through them and see what we did right. We are always striving to find new and interesting shots, so it’s good to take a critical look at the moments when we tried something new and it worked. What we learn from looking at these photographs is what we try to incorporate into the next years’ shoots, so that we are always making progress as photographers and constantly learning to take better pictures. I hope you enjoy and feel just as inspired by these photographs as we do.
Photo by Carolyn Monastra
In my previous post, I discussed how important it is for professional photographers to find inspiration from art and new photography outside of the wedding industry. Here at the studio, we are constantly striving to come up with new kinds of images and unique points of view, both in our personal and professional work. The ability to visualize and capture moments from a different perspective often results in some of the most beautiful and iconic wedding images that our photographers have created. Each year, we pull together a portfolio of the best and most creative images taken by our photographers, and we try to learn from and incorporate those types of shots into the next years’ weddings. Today, as part of our new portfolio series on the blog, I want to share some of these winning photographs with you.
above photo by Michael Falco
