This Video Proves It: Love Makes Everyone Feel Like a Teenager

At a wedding last weekend at The Loeb Boathouse in Central Park, the groom serenaded his partner with a flash-mob rendition of “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry. This all-male revue is proof positive that love can make everyone feel like a teenager — and you’re never too old for love.

Video by 5th Avenue Digital: http://vimeo.com/66319330

Watch it and smile!

Fresh Photography Talent Makes This Yale Club Wedding Glow

While the Yale Club is a tried-and-true traditional wedding location, our new team of fresh young talent brought new vision to photographing a recent wedding there. Dakota and Kris are a husband and wife team that recently joined 5th Avenue Digital’s roster of photography talent. One look at their photos will tell you why we brought them on board.  Their work highlights the romance and the softness of a wedding, and the synergy of their combined efforts creates truly stunning wedding photography. Read the rest of this entry »

The Mansion at Natirar: A Wedding Photographer’s Dream Location

Our photographers were thrilled to finally shoot a wedding at The Mansion at Natirar, the place in Far Hills, NJ that Richard Branson bought as an event space.  The most obvious advantage The Mansion has over any other location we have seen is the killer views during the ceremony.

Formerly owned by the King of Morocco, The Mansion is an historic estate that has been transformed into a luxury Banquet and Catering venue, in partnership with Restaurant Associates.  Their attention to period details and modern accommodations makes The Mansion a distinctive location for weddings – and for wedding photography.  The exceptional creative powers at By Robin, the wedding planners, made full use of the space, giving this couple and their families a wedding experience that truly expressed their individuality, complete with a drum solo by the groom.

Vendors:

Planner – Suzan Salmon at By Robin    http://byrobin.com/

Band – Kenny I band    http://www.kennyi.com/

Getting Ready Location – The Bernard Inn    http://www.bernardsinn.com/

Décor- Robin Lathrop, Owner of By Robin  http://byrobin.com/

Location-  The Mansion at Natirar    http://www.natirar.com/

Principle Photographer - David Nicolas for 5^th Avenue Digital

A Look at Why June Weddings Are So Popular

Ah, June: the most popular month for weddings…or is it? Ever wonder why this came to be? Apparently, we can thank the Romans, Celts, and medieval Europeans. Historians tell us that brides-to-be in ancient Rome planned their weddings for June in honor of Juno, the goddess of marriage, to secure her favor and protection for a good union. Druids likewise scheduled their wedding day in June so as not to compete with the rites of Beltane, in which the gods and goddesses celebrated the spring with fertility rituals and mating (good for the gods, but unlucky for mere mortals). Theories also persist as to people in medieval times taking an “annual bath” in May and so marrying in June while still “relatively fresh,” but this does not appear to be rooted in fact, as soap was readily available and going without washing for a month was considered a penance. Read the rest of this entry »

Best of 2011: YouBooth Photo Booth favorites

We saw the photo booth trend grow even stronger in 2011.  We are lucky to have had our YouBooth photobooth at some fabulous events last year.  From Fashion Night Out to Google’s holiday party, the New York City photo booth phenomenon is staying in full gear.  With the advent of our Social Media Portal, YouBooth is all the rave in event marketing, mitzvahs and weddings alike.

We are very pleased to share some of our favorite  YouBooth photobooth images from 2011.

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The Fun (and Art) of Marketing YouBooth photobooth at Trade Shows

Having been in the event industry for over 20 years, naturally I’ve become adept at working trade shows and other industry events.  I like them because they offer opportunities to mingle with some of the movers and shakers in both the social and corporate events industry.  This week was one of the most fulfilling for my little networking self.

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. Read the rest of this entry »

Details Matter – In Life and Photography

Most clichés are born of truth, and “the devil’s in the details” is no exception.  The importance of attention to detail is true for most areas in life and especially so for wedding photography.

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.
Read the rest of this entry »

The Changing Landscape of Wedding Photography

Wedding photography is rapidly changing before our eyes.  While I knew this before attending WPPI, the annual Wedding & Portrait Photographer Conference in Las Vegas, absorbing what I learned there certainly underscored this fact.  With so many young talents rapidly entering the market, established photographers can stand out only by virtue of their experience, and how they use it to push the boundaries of their art.
The abundance of blogs and other media outlets for photographers to get their work published has provided a plethora of places looking for good content to brighten their pages. This phenomenon has infused the industry with fresh perspectives.  Not since Dennis Reggie gave way to the photojournalistic movement in weddings, back in the 80s, has there been such a radical shift in style.
High-end digital cameras have engendered a new style of shooting, which has brought an emerging category of stylized engagement shoots to the foreground.  Whether featuring a vintage aspect or some romantic romp in the city, this new type of shoot lends renewed excitement to the photographer, as well as the bride and groom looking to personalize their particular love story.
One of the hallmarks of this style seems to be the use of natural light – or in my terms, lack of good lighting equipment!  This is where real, hard-won experience pays off, and where the true artists separate themselves from the pack of newbies.
Every year, I look forward to seeing the work of the established players in the field and what they are able to do with their artistic passion. There is no denying technique and the gorgeous results these masters deliver for their wedding clients.  This is clearly seen in the competition sponsored by the conference.  An annual highlight, the competition allows photographers to submit images for judging by their community.  It’s sort of like a wedding and portrait photographers’ Oscars.
Not being a photographer myself, I’m able to fully appreciate the artistry and expertise that goes into taking some of these images.  These are not the editorial-style images seen in blogs and brides magazines, but photographs taken by skilled masters of real people in real-time life situations.
I am proud to be representing some of these masters at 5th Avenue Digital, and to watch our long-established photographers incorporate these new trends.  It is our goal to represent a wide range of talent and creative options, at price points suitable for almost any wedding budget.  In my next post, I will introduce our newest addition, Alan Weiner, and showcase the exceptional work our established photographers are doing that reflect this modern, fresh style.