The Celebration of a Miracle, Captured in Photography

January 22nd, 2010 by Beth Baynum | Share Blog

We were honored to provide event photography for the one year anniversary celebration of what’s now commonly known as “The Miracle on the Hudson,” when Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and Co-Pilot Jeff Skiles safely landed US Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River.  The flight’s passengers, united by this experience, traveled to New York City to officially thank the flight crew, first-responders, air traffic controller and the volunteers from New York and New Jersey who aided in their rescue. Passengers pooled their resources to organize the anniversary events on Friday, January 15, with the assistance of Amy Vecchione and the team at Aventina, LLC, who asked 5th Avenue Digital to photograph the proceedings.
The day started with a thank you breakfast hosted by the Red Cross of Greater New York. Co-pilot Jeffrey Skiles called the first responders and the volunteers “the true heroes of that day.”  After meeting with the press, approximately 95 of the flight’s passengers and the crew, along with their families, friends and their rescuers, took one of the NY Waterway ferries, the Henry Hudson, which transported them to the plane’s “splash landing” site in the river.  After some remarks and remembrances; along with smiles, laughter and tears they toasted “To life!” with Grey Goose vodka, an ironic nod to the geese who brought down the plane. Read the rest of this entry »

An Engagement (photo) to Remember

January 13th, 2010 by Beth Baynum | Share Blog

It’s not a request we receive often: could we surreptitiously take pictures of a marriage proposal in Central Park, hiding behind the scenes until after the bended-knee moment?  Of course, that’s something we’re able to do – but not a typical assignment for us.

So began our most recent “unusual” request, from a gentleman named Chase from Virginia.  He was bringing his girlfriend to New York for a few days, and wanted to propose to her in a way that was special and memorable.  The plan was to have lunch at Tavern on the Green, then go for a walk in Central Park, where he would make his proposal.

He wanted a professional photographer to document the engagement so they could share it later with their family and friends.  We arranged for our photographer to wait for him at the restaurant, out of sight, and follow the couple into the park, using a long lens for the photos – paparazzi-style. Read the rest of this entry »