Stefania's 40th Birthday

As a referral from someone I used to work with, he connected me with Stefania and after a conversation about what she wanted she hired me for the gig.  It was a special occasion.  A 40th Birthday Party in Williamsburg Brooklyn.  This was held at the Wythe Hotel.  A very hip place in Brooklyn that had a line of people outside to get in - as I left the event at 1:00 AM.  Not something I'm used to these days.

Stefania had the idea of bringing some props to get people in front of a backdrop to have something entertaining for the group.  It did actually did the trick - but not until the end of the night.  The venue had some very attractive food for the guests to enjoy.

All the goods were out for snacking!

Great food and conversation prevailed.

Several people taking part in the props.

Blowing out the candles

Happy Birthday Stefania!

Andrew's Bar Mitzvah

April was a busy month.  We had my daughter's birthday, a wedding I shot with a friend, a birthday party I shot the next day, some new video work I took on, and a family Bar Mitzvah in CT.  ​

​My disclaimer for this event is that I was an attendee, not a hired photographer.  Although, I did bring a couple things with me just in case I got the urge to capture the family event.  I felt awkward as I walked into the party and wasn't there to work the event.  On the other hand, it was nice to just shoot what I was interested in.  Here are some of my favorites.

And the last set of images here are pretty fun.  Emersyn held her own against the older kids at a game on musical chairs.  She lost to the Bar Mitzvah boy, Andrew.​

Wellness with Friends

A good friend of mine, Jill, has started a business called "Wellness with Friends".  It promotes the enjoyment of massage coupled with the fun of having your friends around all in the comfort of your own home.

​Example room setup

If, for example, you were looking for a bachelorette party idea, you could call Jill to give her the details of how many people would attend, what types of services would they like, and what time do you want to start and then she would take care of the rest.  Everything from the scheduling of the staff to provide the service to the food to the transformation of the rooms in your home along with communicating with your friends to let them know about all the details.  That sounds pretty valuable to me if I could have someone take care of all the details.

​Services received

For my part, I have two things I'm helping with. The first was to capture what a "Wellness Party" would look like. Everything from the food, to the attendees, to people learning about and receiving services, and featuring the robes and other elements that help set the stage for the party.  I've put together a few images that help show you what I mean.

​Robes and socks used during the party

​Food & Drink

​Attendees of the party

​Wellness materials

The second part, to come soon, is helping Jill setup a website to allow people to easily learn about and book a reservation for a Wellness With Friends party.

Deepa’s Pre-Wedding Party

This was the second event I shot for Deepa and Anuj.  Something that comes across so strong with this couple is the importance of family and friends.  Yes, we all say it’s important but, when you see the genuine nature of the love expressed at events like these, I consider it a real honor to be able to capture it.

This event was just before their wedding (August 11), and many of the same faces from the bridal shower were here as well.  There were fewer people but no less emphasis on quality.  Food was catered, a live band was in place for music, a bartender for drinks and yours truly to capture it all.

Deepa had the henna done earlier in the day, which took hours to complete.  The artistry that goes into this work is really impressive!  If you look closely, you can see their names written on the palm of each of her hands.

By the time they’re reading this, they are already married, so congratulations to Deepa and Anuj. I can’t wait to be a part of the next event in your lives.

Shirley & Chris' Engagement Party

Ahhh, to be young and in love!  

A week ago Saturday, I was invited to attend and capture the memories from the engagement party for Shirley & Chris (check out the details from the engagement shoot).  As I mentioned in a previous post, I met Shirley and Chris through Suman (someone I used to work with).  Referrals are the best!

The party was set for 9pm – 2am in NYC.  I arrived at the parking garage and the guy says to me, “Hey, I just need to let you know that the elevator for the cars hasn’t been that reliable but ‘if you’ll take care of us’, we can park your car on the main level and it won’t be a problem to get the car out”. So typical NYC.  Uh – what do I say to that?  I’m pretty sure I’m being scammed but there are cars behind me at this point so I gave the guy $10 and he seemed happy enough with that.  They parked it on the main level and I left feeling somewhat confident that I could get my car out when I needed. :-)

I walked across a few blocks to get to the party and as I enter I see that the space is pretty nice, open, and ….wait, do I see a white seamless (something like this, minus the dude in the middle of the picture) area in the back!?  Oh, that could be fun!  I said hello to Shirley & Chris, then proceeded to scope out the place for some ideas and setup for the night.  

I’ve photographed parties before so I had some idea what to expect however, each situation is different so I was ready for anything.  As it turned out, people were seeking me out for pictures.  Everyone was very friendly and as the night wore on, and people were drinking, they were more and more animated and willing to pose in groups that were sometimes quite large.  The white seamless area was a hit.  For a good 45 minutes, one group after another made it over to make their mark. Some of my favorites are below.

For more images, check out what’s posted on Facebook and if you’re in one of these photos, be sure to tag yourself and anyone else you know.  Congratulations Shirley & Chris!  You had a lot of love in the room that night.  Oh, one more thing...a quick video for a fun way to experience the evening in about 4 minutes.

Shirley & Chris' Engagement Party from Darrin Estep on Vimeo.