New York City Family Portraits | Joe, Filloreta & Paolo

Joe, Filloreta & Paolo were a delight to shoot last week in midtown Manhattan. Due to inclement weather, Filloreta suggested shooting at their midtown residence in lieu of our original location, Bryant Park. That was a GREAT idea! As you can see, the rooftop of their building overlooks the East River, UN and Empire State Building. Lucky Paolo!, who was ecstatic to be outdoors, exploring what the day had to offer. Isn't he just the cutest? I felt tickled by his excitement on my arrival when he crawled, in giggly delight, up to my footsteps and then looked up to smile at me. Paolo, you're the best! And the smartest! When asked in Italian, how old he is, Paolo knows to hold up one finger. Watch out Mom & Dad, Paolo's going to break a lot of hearts.

 

I Still Believe Networking Party/ New York City Special Event Photographer

Last weekend my dear friend Chester Asher, founder of the nonprofit Transform America, invited me to shoot one of his infamous networking parties. The party was co - sponsored by Our Take, The Foster Parent Advocacy Foundation, and Community Lab. Chester and many of the co - sponsors are Harlem based, as am I, so naturally a Harlem rooftop to showcase each organization's cause was in order. Talk about some of Harlem's most beautiful, albeit intellectual, young professionals! To see more images from the soiree, CLICK HERE. 

Young Lex Boyz Entertainment/ Bronx Lifestyle Photographer

Believe it or not, before my career in photography, I was the Dean of Students at a school in Harlem. It was there that I met Taron Johnson, who is a friend and a young Harlemite grinding it out to launch his own record label, Young Lex Boyz Entertainment. Taron contacted me back in February to take portraits of a few of his artists  to be used for media relations. On a frigid Sunday afternoon, I trekked up to a BX rooftop for some urban shots. We had a good time under the winter sun. Doesn't the tall guy look like T.I.?

Amie and Rob February 2010/ New York City and Lower Eastside Engagement and Lifestyle Photographer

In my spare time I work as a Teaching Assistant in the digital photography and darkroom departments at The International Center of Photography. It was there that I met Amie Rogosin Roditz who had a very eccentric look: a little rock’n’roll and a little Lower Eastside, which made the perfect combination for a very New York shoot. We became friends over the 10 week course and at it’s conclusion we exchanged business cards. Though it was the dead of winter, Amy and I reconnected and decided to do a lifestyle shoot of her and her husband, Rob, on their LES rooftop. Both Amie and Rob work for Montecastelli Selections Ltd. so naturally they have incredibly sophisticated wine palettes and a winter long supply of fine Italian imports. My advice to them was to just “be themselves,” which translated to organically suave with a little swagger. Rob and Amie were great sports as we worked together to style the shoot with an old vintage movie camera that belonged to Amie’s Dad, Rob’s guitar and aviator glasses and a very cool jacket that Amie’s Grandfather once wore. The hairpiece was made by yours truly and it was perfect on Amie! The shoot definitely had a vintage energy which is evident in each image and after a few glasses of vino, it was all smiles with the sun creating an urban glow across lower Manhattan.