The Year-end Highlights

Taking a break from wedding album design and production provides a good time to look back on some of the year's highlights.  The folks at Technicolor Salon in Bethlehem invited me to hang some work in their gallery space  which they generously devote to local artists.

Easton's Cosmic Cup on College Hill makes the best cup of coffee in the Lehigh Valley and also encourages local talent by inviting them to use wall space to display their work.  Cosmic's owner, Troy Reynard, is actively involved in the community- locally and globally-and encourages musicians, poets and writers into his cafe.

Being at Bear Creek Mountain Resort felt more like Colorado than Pennsylvania.

I'm not sure how event planner, Laura Fleischer, charmed the limo driver into letting the bridal party

shower the bride and groom with rice but the pouring rain outside didn't dampen their spirits for some merry mischief!

A 50th wedding anniversary was the occasion of a family gathering at the Weyhill Guest House at the Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem. Here's a photo of just a few of the grandchildren.

The magnificent Washington Memorial Chapel in Valley Forge Pennsylvania, was the backdrop for this wedding.

The wedding was followed by a reception at the Waynesborough Country Club in Paoli, Pennsylvania.

The talented crew at Renae Mendall and Company Hair Salon came over for another fun-filled studio session. (Think synchronized swimming without the water).

 Flower girls and ring bearers are unpredictable and totally authentic which is why I love them!

The Club at Morgan Hill (above)

 The views of the vineyard and mountains were spectacular at this lovely outdoor wedding in Bangor, Pennsylvania.

The late afternoon sun provided dramatic lighting of this bride and groom in Philadelphia's Fairmont Park.

Stolen moments at a 20's themed wedding at Bridgewater Manor New Jersey, which had a 30-piece big band orchestra with a lead singer who sounded just like Frank Sinatra!

Two lovely brides instead of  just one at the commitment ceremony in Easton, Pennsylvania.

A beautiful outdoor Bucks County wedding with the best man successfully delivering the rings!

The Inn at Pocono Manor was the setting for this sweet couple's elegant "Tuxedos & Tatoos" wedding.

An autumn engagement session with an adorable couple whose wedding I'll be photographing next May.

The Cantor at Temple Beth El in Allentown Pennsylvania, played a critical role in this young man's Bar Mitzvah preparation.

An outdoor summer family photo session.

Why do I love kids climbing trees...'cause I used to and still do...just ask my startled neighbor who was putting out trash one afternoon and caught me 15 feet off the ground pruning my Saphora Japonica.

It was so much fun photographing the hardworking and talented children, teachers and principals who won math achievement awards in Philadelphia.

The creator of the First in Math Online Program (Robert Sun) congratulates one of the winners at the achievement awards ceremony in Philadelphia.

I loved photographing this event because the excitement and pride in achievement was palpable!

Children came up to meet the 'rock star' of the 24 math game world.

  (Children and trees . . . a recurring theme).

Easton's Silk Mill Project:

Outdoor film night at Easton's Silk Mill Project was an exciting look into the future of the City.  Construction on the sculpture path linking downtown Easton with the Silk Mill site begins in the Spring of 2010!

   Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

(for some more 2009 highlights, check out my previous months posts)

Young People's Philharmonic Holiday Concert at Lehigh University's Zoellner Arts Center

I love music and listen to everything from classical to country to Coltrane.  Music and photography have so much in common.  A well composed photograph has its own visual rhythm and must fit perfectly within a frame . . . a visual musical measure.

Two days ago I photographed the very talented musicians of one of my favorite non-profit groups, the Young People's Philharmonic (YPP) of the Lehigh Valley.   These high school students play the classics just as God and Composer intended: no arrangements or adaptations. Unadulterated Classics!

Jerry and Nancy Bidlack have been conducting youth orchestras for decades.  They give children the opportunity to participate in an orchestra. . .  the original 'surround sound' experience!  Nancy conducts the Junior String Philharmonic for middle schoolers and Jerry conducts YPP for high schoolers.  My college-aged daughter was a cellist in the orchestra for four years and this past summer interned with a very cool musical group called the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) in Brooklyn.

Here are some senior photos of two YPP cellists I had taken earlier this year.

Emmaus Triptych Dedication

Yesterday I was lucky enough to photograph the Dedication of the Emmaus Triptych paintings by Pennsylvania's own preeminent realist painter Dana Van Horn, at the Church of Saint Joseph in charming Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.

After the dedication service we headed over to the funky restaurant/art gallery in Jim Thorpe called Flow, a "sparkling tavern" inside a silk mill dating back to the first half of the 19th century. Why the name "Flow"?...there's a creek running through it, visible through glass panels which reveal the exposed subterranean space below! 

Dana Van Horn has now added a fourth masterpiece to the other three murals he has painted for churches in the Diocese of Allentown. He is creating quite a legacy of iconic religious paintings in the Lehigh Valley area.

Food and Photos

I am frequently asked by brides if there are any restaurants I'd recommend in Easton for a rehearsal dinner.  Easton is rapidly becoming known for its fine dining options - Valenca (above photo), Sogo, River Grille, Phenom, Mex Tex Trio, Touch of Thai and last, but not least, Sette Luna, where I had lunch on Thursday with three remarkable photographers: Ed Eckstein, whose book "Bricks and Mortals" reminds me of Eugene Smith's photo essay "Country Doctor"; David Haas who has documented our national parkways and taught photography at Muhlenburg College, Lehigh University, and Kutztown University; and Leif Skoogfors, who has covered the White House for Gamma, and photographed conflicts in many parts of the world for Time as well as documenting disasters in this country for FEMA.  


The discussion ranged from bullet-proof Kevlar, to copyright infringement, to how taking a photograph at the wrong moment can escalate a potentially volatile interaction during wartime negotiations (knowing when NOT to take a photograph).  Such photojournalists have my unending admiration for putting themselves in the most dangerous situations so that they may witness and document history for us all and for generations to come.  

*Any serious students of photography should visit Larry Fink's new website at  www.larryfinkphotography.com .  It felt like an online retrospective show that I attended in my pajamas . . . and you thought only Julian Schnabel could get away with that!
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On a sad note, one of the masters of the medium, Roy DeCarava, passed away on October 28th.  His book the "Sweet Fly Paper of Life" about everyday life in Harlem in the 50's had a great impact on me. The book was produced in collaboration with the 'Shakespeare of Harlem',  Langston Hughes.

To become a better photographer, study their work.   'An artist who has not mastered the tradition cannot be truly innovative'. (T.S. Eliot)

Welcome!

Perfect timing! The engagement and the season, too.  The fall leaves and autumn sun were at their best this weekend, offering the kind of backlit glow that photographers love, and romantic couples--well, they don't necessarily notice the lighting.  That's my job.  The location for this photo session, on the hilltop campus of Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, is one of my favorites for so many reasons.  Notice the century-old  Japanese cutleaf maple surrounding the couple with those amazing branches?  Naturally, it's a great backdrop, but it's also a reminder that some things become even more beautiful when they endure.  I'm really looking forward to photographing this very sweet couple once again at their wedding at the Hotel Bethlehem next summer.