We’ve arrived again at my favorite time of the year – the grand culmination of all we seek to accomplish in a year summed up visually – the big 2015 Year in Pictures. It’s the time to look back on the incredible opportunities that helped our business grow, how we served our clients, and creatively told family stories in photographs.
By this time of year, I have seen hundreds of thousands of photographs and I love the process of going through the year’s archive and showcasing images that personally speak to me as an artist.
A big story this year was the launch of our new website. It was completely redesigned and we spent a considerable amount of time this summer preparing it for release. Non-developers will never know what goes on behind the scenes to port over 15 years of content and make a website appear snappy – especially one that is so photography-intensive. The site is now super responsive and fluid and looks great on your smartphone.
PARTY TIME
I really love parties. For those of you who know me, you know this kind of work suits me perfectly. That’s why many of my dance-set photographs reflect a high-energy, kinetic vibe. Here are some great ones from this year…
MAGNIFICENT ROOMS
Being able to photograph room design artistry of the most talented designers in the world is something I look forward to at each event. Here are some of the highlights from this past year – incredible work from Ed Libby, Dejuan Stroud, David Stark, Jennifer Gould, Larry Scott, Frank Alexander, Stone Kelly, Anthony Taccetta, Pat Glenn and Preston Bailey. Shout-out to Victoria Dubin, Amy Shey Jacobs at Chandelier Events, Allison and Lani at Plan Great Events, Randi Levy, and Jana Rosenkrantz at the Rainbow Room. Shout-out to the teams that bring the heat to every party – Total Entertainment, Untouchable Events, Element Music and More Than Music. We LOVE PARTIES!
DESTINATION MITZVAHS
Another trend I’d love to see continue is destination Mitzvahs. This year, I went skiing in Utah and sliding in the Bahamas to document wonderful families who chose to celebrate in a slightly different way, and what a way they were!
Summer Lovin’
Summer time is a great opportunity for me to capture families for their holiday cards. Here are a few of my favorite photographs from this past summer that have remained unpublished until now.
TRAVEL
Travel is a big part of our life and it’s the opportunity to really capture the beauty of the world far from home. Traveling to Albania was a major highlight and one that deserves a second review – check it out here.
Here are a few other destinations in Jamaica, Albania, Montana, and Israel that colorfully speak to my heart…
Fashion /Sports Sessions
My favorite part of photographing kids is the big fashion/sports session. It’s the time we can both spread our wings creatively (for me) and confidently (for them) to really show their true personalities. I love these…
Here’s a few favorites that we turned into movie posters for Olivia’s montage screening at her party…
TORAH
Each time I walk into a synagogue, I feel deeply spiritual and try to create photographs that reflect that special moment in time.
COOL
Here are some of the cooler things I’ve shot this year…
MY 2015 TOP PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE YEAR
While I seek to make all my photographs my favorites, sometimes circumstances, lighting, subjects and settings just come together in a way that I personally feel a “wow” after capturing it. Here are a few of those from this year…
Looking Forward
Looking forward to 2016, I have two big announcements. I’m so excited to reveal that next year, Harriette Rose Katz will produce my first fine art gallery show in collaboration with The Chosen Few Event Designers. This show promises to inspire fans of majestic, sweeping beauty extremely unique works of art that blend rich, high-contrast infrared black and white, large format photographs with colorful accents of concepts created with mixed-media from the designers of The Chosen Few.
Rivercloud, Rockland, Maine 2013 Infrared
The other big announcement is that Gal and I will be living in Israel for the month of August 2016 and would love to document your trip to the holy land. We can collaborate on fashion shoots for your Bat/Bar Mitzvah child, photograph the service and/or party and produce a gorgeous book of your Holy Land experience. Contact us if you are planning your trip for August 2016.
Bat/Bar Mitzvah Fashion Sessions in Israel
I’d like to express my deepest gratitude for so many opportunities to create art and tell stories for the most important times in families’ lives. Thank you so much to my amazing team Paolo Ferraris, Mark Sweeney, Michael Rodenbush, Bia Sampaio, Nathaniel Johnston, Kali Ventresca, Samuel Fisch, Mike Reid, Stacie Mindich-Jordan, John O’Connor, Robin Sharma, Priscilla Howell and of course my wife Gal – the photography A-Team! Thank you to Harritte Rose Katz, Melissa Rosenbloom, Claudia Warner and their amazing team at Gourmet Advisory and all the members of HRK’s The Chosen Few – what a wonderful collective of artists to be associated with – look forward to amazing collaborations in 2016! We are so grateful to be in this business – each event is an opportunity and a masterpiece to paint. Have a wonderful and successful 2016!
