Norah & Joe | Philadelphia Wedding Photographer

Norah and Joe are the first among their friends to get married so they stepped gingerly through their planning process, not having loads of friends with recent experience to rely on. One thing though they seemed confident about was that they wanted a certain kind of photography experience that I was happy to be there for. It was great to be able to see how well organized and clear they were in how they wanted things to be on their big day. If only I could say that their level-headed demeanor and easy going nature was refreshing but I can't, all of my clients are wonderful laid back folks completely void of drama. Sorry, no bridezilla stories to share here, there or anywhere.

We absolutely love the pictures!! Also, we have received many compliments on the slideshow - it truly captures the day perfectly.

Joe and I are still sorting through all of the gallery pictures, but I just wanted to say thank you for the awesome photos!

– Norah

A full slideshow can be found (here).

Breaking with traditional music

On today's Soundcheck on WNYC, they're going to be talking about breaking tradition when it comes to wedding music choices. This is always a great program so even if you're not in New York, you can always stream it or check it out on their website.

Jilian & Jay | Philadelphia Wedding Photographer

I must admit, I was really looking forward to Jilian and Jay's wedding. Jilian and Jay are part of a great group of friends and acquaintances whose weddings I've been photographing since 2007. I won't go into the details but let's just say it's great to get passed around from one awesome couple to the next. So first, off I owe Whitney and Maurice from 2007 for getting this ball rolling.

Jilian, Jay and I had a great engagement shoot at their home and neighborhood of Northern Liberties earlier this year. I also happen to love the restaurant group where Jilian works in the office for Zahav, Xochitl and soon to come Percy Street BBQ.

I love having couples who fully embrace what I try to do as a photographer. I really hate formulas and love discovering whatever is unique about a couple and their situation and their wedding day and photographing in a style and approach that works for them and their day. There's an extra level of artistic freedom that comes from feeling really in sync with the moment as opposed to putting on a formula approach.

So as Jilian's getting her makeup put on I see she's in front of this gorgeous toned wallpaper with a perfect combination of light from the window and a nearby lamp. It just made for a gorgeous place to follow her range of expressions and emotions as the nerves and excitement progressed toward the big ceremony moment. I played with blur, color, traditional black and white and even some antique wet-plate negative look. (Anything you see here that is blurry is done so intentionally for a more impressionistic or abstract look. There's almost always a non-blurry version as well.)

From there the day, despite the massive rainstorm before the ceremony that soaked the ground, was light and fun and relaxed, just like they wanted. The location of Historic Waynesboro was lovely and gorgeous as the sun set.

A full slideshow is (here).

Woohoo!!!! I love them! Thank you thank you. We were enjoying them over and over together last night. I am especially happy to see that it really reflects us and our personalities, and is a great representation of the party we had. I guess this is "documenting.." :) We were thoroughly impressed and have so many favorites! Thank for for everything - you are awesome!

–– Jilian

Lauren & Josh | Philadelphia Wedding Photography

Non-traditional. That's the way Lauren described pretty much every aspect of her wedding. The dress isn't white, the "rehearsal dinner" is going to be on the evening of the wedding, wedding party pictures were going to be in a cemetery, no aisle, the ceremony is going to be very short – 2 minutes and 17 seconds as it turned out – performed by a friend, in the middle of the reception at some point, no cake, no formal father-daughter dance.

And it was a lot of fun. Non-traditional, in all it's many forms, doesn't have to lack meaning, in many ways it becomes a rather meaningful event. Couples who really go for non-traditional weddings tend to talk a lot more about why they're getting married or what it means then worrying about colors and themes and other more traditional elements. Not to say there's anything wrong with traditional weddings, in all their many forms. Non-traditional is just a fun time showcasing a couple's personality in a very individualistic way. I love 'em both and love it when they get blended together with elements that give homage to something older and bigger than the current moment or trend but also embraces the current moment and uniqueness of the couple.

Enough about me, on to Lauren & Josh.

Full slideshow (here)

This is awesome. I am so excited. It took my breath away when I watched it. Everyone is absolutely blown away by your work. Josh friends typically don't care about this type of stuff but even they are impressed.

–– Lauren

RIP Irving Penn

Irving Penn died today at 92. Penn was one of the absolute giants of 20th century photography. He had an amazing career blending fashion, documentary portraiture and amazing studio work ranging from highly polished advertising and an amazing series on trash he found on the streets of New York. Penn was one of the great pioneers of advancing the power and purpose of photography not just in the mass mediums of magazines but also in galleries and museums across the globe.

One of the things I've always admired about Penn's work to this day is the controlled use of space and light. The environments he photographed people served as platforms for being able to show this person's essence. His minimalist but powerful use of big, soft and directional light shows a restraint rarely seen in today's gadget crazy portrait photography which tells you more about the toys in the studio than it really does about the person being photographed.

A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart, leave the viewer a changed person for having seen it. It is, in a word, effective.

Irving Penn

So here's a a few of his images, more here.