Yesterday as I was walking home from a shoot, I came across a bunch of kids doing Parkour in the street. One of them was my neighbor Jake, who taught me what Parkour actually is. I caught a couple sweet mid-air moments.
And here is a video I found displaying some serious Parkour tricks. Yikes!
My good friends at UTTBK (www.uttbk.com) put together an intimate dinner experience with wine/beer pairings for 10 people at their sommelier's house to benefit the Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts in the Philippines. They served up a delicious 5 course meal with ingredients that were graciously donated by their favorite local vendors throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. The meal was a surprise to the guests and it showcased exciting ingredients such as saffron from India, local wild salmon, wines from Slope Cellars, and beer from Brooklyn Brewery. All of the money raised went to Direct Relief International and a good time was had by all. Here are some photos capturing the essence of the eve along with action shots of the dynamic team of makers; Matteo Boffo, Nicole Baum, Can Misirlioglu and Michelle Snow.
We braved the frigid air and headed outside to get some headshots for Actor, Jason Serrano. The cool industrial environment of Gowanus, Brooklyn and Jason's warm smile were a perfect combo. Here are some of my favorites.
Four years ago, I had the pleasure of shooting the Bar Mitzvah of Jake's older brother Aaron, in the same location, on the UWS of Manhattan. I was so pleased to be called back to duty to document Jake's special day. I hadn't seen the family in four years, so it was fun to reconnect not only with them, but with their extended family and friends as well. One older gentleman I remembered from four years ago was Gene, a Great Uncle to Aaron and Jake. When we first met I remember having an instant connection - he had a great smile and warm energy that was topped off (literally) with a well worn felt hat, covered in small pins from his travels over the years - if that hat could talk...
When I re-introduced myself to Gene, I found out that he recently lost the beautiful wife who was by his side four years ago. I immediately remembered her and told him that I would dig up some photos of the two of them from Aaron's Bar Mitzvah. Shortly after, he handed me a scrap piece of paper with his email scribbled on it.
Before leaving that evening, Gene asked me to take another photo of him. He wanted to see what he looked like at 84 years old, and I happily obliged. You judge for yourself, but I think he makes 84 look sunny.
Connecting with folks like Gene along the way make my job as an event photographer fun, and I feel privileged to play a small roll in facilitating these memories.
Also, enjoy some photos of Jake and his party buddies at the tender age of 13.
Above : Photos above of Gene, from Aaron's Bar Mitzvah in 2010.
Below : Jacob's Bar Mitzvah 2014
And a few shots of the "adult" party upstairs ...
