The overall morale in 2011 was higher than it has been for the past three years.  There was hopefulness in the air.  Here at 5^th Avenue Digital, we saw:

•    Companies having summer outings and holiday parties for the first time in years.

•      Advertisers spending marketing dollars on events with consumer interaction and (thankfully) photo capture, for   mementos or social media benefit.

•     The return of corporate incentive trips and large company celebrations.

•      Companies putting money back into their image and deciding to update their employee’s headshots.

•      Business surging once again for the venues and planners we work with.

It seems like everyone is starting to see the economic woes dissipate. The many jobs we were lucky enough to be part of this past year indicate we are on our way, after two years of corporate celebrations being relegated to the back burner.

I’ve worked hard to assemble a team of super-talented photographers, who have captured not only incredible corporate images this year but have also taken our 5^th Avenue Social division to new heights.  We have partnered with a dynamic group of planners and venues and are very excited to share our new portfolios that feature images from their clients’ events.  I am already anticipating the new images we’ll be seeing in the coming months.

One of my proudest accomplishments in 2011 is the newest model of the YouBooth photo booth.  The collaborations with our clients have allowed us to introduce the newest technology crazes to their events.  The YouBooth has a new exterior design, plus the most exciting new feature: a social media application that allows guests to upload their photos directly to Twitter, Facebook or email.

This year the YouBooth was proudly used at pop-up store events, holiday parties, mitzvahs, weddings – any occasion where fun was required.  What we love the most is finding creative solutions that maximize each client’s use of the booth.  I owe a special shout-out to my producer, Rylan Crooks, for always finding ways to execute our clients’ unending ideas of how they envision using the YouBooth.

Building a strong business in this economic time is certainly a challenge.  We have watched many of our partners in event planning scale down the past few years, and it’s so comforting to watch them scale back up.  We are very grateful for their trust in us and we treasure these partnerships.

I am also very grateful to my 5^th Avenue Digital team: the amazing group inside the office, Beth, Rylan and Tim, and the photographers, videographers and designers that make our clients their number one priority.  Teamwork and partnerships have been the overall theme in 2011.  Knowing that you have the right people in the ship makes being the captain a joy.  I am grateful every day that I get to work with the team I have, and I would not have been able to double our business this year if it hadn’t been for them.  There have been some rough waters in terms of owning a photography business over the past three years, but it looks like smoother sailing ahead.

Thank you all who have contributed to an amazing 2011.  We will be sharing some of our favorite photographic moments in galleries over the next few weeks.  Here are a few more of my favorites.

Lots of engagements take place in New York City, but rarely do you see an engagement like the one we covered over Thanksgiving.  An inventive man from Canada was determined to propose in a truly memorable and impressive way while he and his girlfriend were in New York.  So he decided to rent out the Rockfeller Center Skating Rink and propose on the ice, beneath the glittering Christmas tree and holiday crowds.

The day before the proposal, the groom-to-be realized that this momentous life occasion should be photographed. He turned to his concierge at the W Hotel for a photography recommendation, and found his way to us.  We were able to provide an exceptional photographer at the last minute, and the couple’s special moment was captured.  The results are magical – take a look!

As her Bat Mitzvah approaches this November, Isabel and her family wanted to create a glamorous affair at The Capital Theater.  Isabel’s mom asked 5^th Avenue Digital to set up a modeling shoot in advance of the Bat Mitzvah, so they could have great photos to use for the sign-in book and other décor elements at the Mitzvah party.  That was the original reason for doing the shoot, but what resulted was an interesting realization.

Modeling is hard work, and everyone learned soon enough that it’s not nearly as exciting as a 13 year –old Bat Mitzvah girl would imagine.  There was more time spent sitting still in a make-up chair than there was in front of the camera.  The dresses were gorgeous, but heavy and a little itchy.  By the end of the day, our Bat Mitzvah girl was exhausted!

All in all, the camera loves Izzy and the shoot was a big success.  We called upon the amazing Debra Martinez for her hair styling expertise.  We said we were looking for Hollywood glamour as inspiration, and she provided the rest!  The taming of Izzy’s modern-day curls into soft, old school glamour was transformative.  The shoot also couldn’t have been done without the stunning gowns supplied by All Dressed Up.   Our photographer, Jennifer DelCastillo is simply perfect for Bat Mitzvahs.  Her quiet demeanor put Izzy totally at ease in front of the camera and the photographic results were better than we imagined.

We were able to provide everything our client wanted for the Bat Mitzvah: amazing photographs that they will cherish always, and Izzy and her mom got to check off modeling on their bucket list.  We can’t wait to be part of her Bat Mitzvah.

The YouBooth photobooth was a huge hit at The Knot gala, the first event I attended in my marathon week of networking events.  We brought in our YouBooth “photobooth” to give everyone there a chance to see it in action.  Carley and her dynamo team at The Knot were lovely to work with and many industry friends stopped by to check out the photobooth.

To give the picture-taking a focus, we decided to pose the question, “What’s Hot in Weddings?” and provided an erasable white board on which everyone could write their answer.  This infused the YouBooth photobooth function with some creativity and gleaned many interesting answers.

Bottom line: everyone found the YouBooth entertaining, and best of all, they had an opportunity to upload their photos directly to Facebook, Twitter or email.  This was the first time we’d offered the image sharing feature for a large group, and it was a huge hit. I was beyond thrilled to hear Xochitl from Always A Bridesmaid declare it was the best photobooth she’s seen.

The next night we made our yearly appearance at the BizBash pre-tradeshow party, and brought along YouBooth photobooth.  The social media mavens were in full blast and the crew enjoyed our new social media feature.  We included props for this event, which reminded me yet again of what a difference adding a few fun props makes.  Everyone seems to smile more when you add props!

The following day was the BizBash Expo, where we did double duty.  Our YouBooth was in the social media lounge, and at the ISES booth we offered headshots with professional make-up, beautifully provided by Filis Foreman Make-Up view images here.  Everyone who signed up with ISES at the Expo received the make-up session and a professional headshot.  The promotion was a huge success for ISES, yielding 15 new memberships in one day – a record number that’s sure to be envied by other ISES chapters.  We’re happy to have been a part of that.

I treasure the relationships I’ve developed in our industry, and these events give me wonderful opportunities to reinforce them.  It was so gratifying to show the newest developments of the YouBooth photobooth to the world and to hear all the valuable feedback from my friends and colleagues.  Working these events takes some finesse – and stamina! – but the payoff is invaluable.

We’ve photographed Bar Mitzvahs at The Hard Rock Café a number of times, and at every occasion the venue offers a completely new experience for both the kids and parents alike.  This time, the venue was decorated by the talented folks at Shine Events.  Matt and his team not only planned the entertainment, they put their special flavor on the entire party.

One of the best things about hosting a Bar Mitzvah at The Hard Rock is the fabulous photo opportunities available in Times Square.   Check out Chloe and friends (below), at a Bat Mitzvah we photographed last weekend, with the Times Square backdrop.  The location, the décor and the entertainment all came together to create a cohesive whole, and a Bat Mitzvah Chloe will always remember.

What I love about photographing families during their children’s Bat Mitzvahs is the look of pure joy on everyone’s faces as the party kicks into gear.  It’s priceless – and great material for the photographer.  Capturing these heightened moments is what great Bar Mitzvah photography is all about!

I am so touched by the yelp review we received by one of my favorite Bar mitzvah clients- i just had to share.  Thank you linda for your kind words:

Beautiful photography that reflected all the special and unique elements of our bar mitzvah. They were creative from start to finish in planning the timing of the photos, to incorporating a range of pictures including our family trip to Israel a week prior, to the painstaking work of perfecting the book. The book has all of the most current benefits of digital photography with the quality of the finest leather bound traditional bar mitzvah albums, the attention from start to finish was personalized and Elizabeth, the owner became a friend by the time we were done!! Don’t hesitate or spend your time scouring the city, this was my 3 rd child and we used top photographers for all but no one gives the personalized attention to detail that you get from elizabeth, her photographers, and staff!

Funny, so many of our clients worry about the big shots: certain poses with specific family members, the ceremonial kiss, the first dance.  While it’s crucial that we capture these major moments, it’s really the detail shots that give wedding photography depth, texture and interest.

The most memorable and evocative wedding photography includes lots of detail shots in addition to capturing the big moments.  These might include close-ups of the cake and flowers, the back of the bride’s gown, the wedding rings, and most important of all: the emotions.

So much of great wedding photography is about capturing the look between a mom and her son the groom, or dad as he dances with his daughter and the couple, as they secretly share a joke with a knowing look.  A good wedding photographer instinctively knows when and how to zoom in on these fleeting moments without being intrusive.

A wedding we recently photographed at The Four Seasons perfectly illustrates these principles.  The exceptional wedding photographer we provided, Daniel Krieger, played off the spectacular architectural simplicity of The Four Seasons, using the beautiful space to full advantage.  He included a variety of details in his wedding coverage, delivering a stunning visual story of Melissa & Johnny’s wedding at The Four Seasons.

Take a look…

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The stage was set with beautiful decorations, designed by Shawn Rabideau himself from Shawn Rabideau Events and Designs. The colors were bright and brilliant and everywhere you looked there was another décor element that tied into the theme. There was an awesome dance floor, colorful balloons, and circus performers everywhere!

Best of all, there were dozens of cool events for the children to do throughout the whole day. There was face painting, balloon animals, carnival games. Shawn Rabideau even made a hat specifically for one-year-old Dejan… now that’s dedication. The circus-themed decor worked well with the space, and it looks like everyone loved it, especially the birthday boy!

I really wish I could have been at this birthday party because it just looks like so much fun! One of the things I liked most about this party is that you can tell from the photographs that the adults at the party are having just as much fun as the children, something you don’t see at every first birthday!

This truly was a birthday party to remember for little Dejan, his friends and his family, and 5th Avenue Digital is so happy to be able to have been a part of it!

Rebekah had reservations about her original photographer, and after talking to us and seeing our wedding work, she listened to her gut and decided to go with our photographer Jesse.

We are so glad she did!  Despite the 90 degree weather, Rebekah and Makenzie were serene … even blissful.  Theirs is a beautiful love story told in the way she looks at him.

During these hot summer months, we witness an interesting phenomenon: an uptick in calls from mothers who want an album made of their child’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Many times this happens because their children are at camp and are sorely missed at home!  For those with children at summer camp, you know that while you are happy they are making friends, learning independence and having fun, you also miss them a lot.

We have found that one of the ways that mothers get over missing their beloved children while they are away is by looking through old photos of them, especially those from family events. You probably have some hastily thrown together photo book of your child’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah, but very likely it is missing some photos or is not very well organized.

Thankfully, we have a solution. You can either meet with us at our 5th Avenue Digital office and we would be happy to help you organize your photos or you can upload your images directly to our sister site www.albumboutique.com and facilitate your album that way.

Following the easy 4-step process outlined below, you can have an amazing keepsake album at home waiting for your child’s return from camp. It’s a great gift, and a perfect way to keep a memory alive forever.

Four Step Album Creation

1.  Separate your pictures into piles: Portraits, Service, Cocktails, Celebration.

2.  Separate these pictures further into piles: child alone, child with mom and dad, child with friends, etc…

3.  Pick favorites from each pile.

4.  Narrow down images to the number you want in your album – most albums have between 50 and 60 images.

It’s that simple.  Shortly after submitting your order, you’ll receive an electronic proof of the album pages, so you can review the design and make any changes. A few weeks after approving the design, your album will arrive! It will make any mother’s heart sing to see their pride and joy in a beautiful and professional photo album.

Here at 5th Avenue Digital we are 100% dedicated to helping you relive memories and moments from the special times in your life.  Give it a try and see for yourself how easy it is to make your memories last a lifetime.