Trends in Bar Mitzvah Photography

February 1st, 2011 by Beth Baynum | Share Blog

Bar and Bar Mitzvahs are among the most rewarding jobs we do here at 5th Avenue Digital. They are universally happy occasions, mostly free of drama, capturing families exuberantly enjoying this important milestone.  Even after all these years of photographing Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, it’s truly a pleasure to work with parents and planners on these events.

When it comes to Bar and Bat Mitzvah photography, some traditional elements remain unchanged, such as family portraits, bema shots and photos of the candle lighting.  However, other aspects have changed and new trends are on their way to becoming new traditions. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new in Bar Mitzvah photography.

Model for a Day Photo Session

For the Bat Mitzvah honorees who love to dress up and release their inner Cover Girl, we’ve been providing photo sessions that make every young woman live the life of a top model – at least for an afternoon.  We will arrange for a stylist to help select outfits for the photo session, along with a hair and make-up artist to prep for the shoot.  Then, the Mitzvah girl gets to spend a couple hours with one of our top shooters, posing and having fun just like a real model.  We’ll usually also take some shots with mom and dad as well.  We then pick the best shots for a video montage to show at the Bat Mitzvah and to include in the photo album.  This is a guaranteed thrill for the Bat Mitzvah girl, a day she’ll remember forever.

Portraits with a Twist

In addition to the traditional family and bema portraits, we’re seeing a trend towards more unusual Mitzvah portraits.  In a way, this is the boy’s version of the Model for a Day session, putting him in a grittier, usually urban setting to achieve more spontaneous and distinctive photography.  Even the Bar Mitzvah boys – or, excuse me, young men – are comfortable with this approach.  The results are more distinctive and personal portraits that parents truly cherish.

Focus on Artistic Detail

These days, when parents review their kids’ Mitzvah photos, they’ll probably see a lot more images of the venues’ architectural elements, the flowers and other décor details than they saw when they were kids.  There are several reasons for this.  First, because Mitzvahs today are way more produced than they were years ago, you see a lot more flowers and décor – and photographers shoot what they see.  But there’s a more tactical reason as well.  Photographers shoot, in part, with the future photo album in mind.  They know that album designers use the event’s attractive details as backgrounds for photo montages, so they will seek out these details to ensure they provide lots of choices for the album designer.  It’s attention to the details that sets our experienced professional photographers apart from the newcomers and amateurs.

Photo Booths
Photo booths have been around quite awhile, and were considered passé for a time, but there’s a new breed that give the old concept a twist. The new photo booths, like our YouBooth, aren’t booths at all, but free-standing units that allow kids to take their own photos of themselves without squeezing into a little box. This allows for more movement and more spontaneous, fun photos.  YouBooth uses a foot pedal, which is easy and fun to operate, and entertains the kids for hours.  And unlike the old strip of photos you used to get, YouBooth delivers full size glossy prints that can include a name and date. Even better, parents get a website gallery and DVD of all the YouBooth photos, so everyone can enjoy looking at them later, and they can be included in the photo album.

Green Screen Photography
Although it’s been around for years and had waned in popularity, green screen photography seems to be making a comeback, probably because of the improvements afforded by today’s technology.  The backgrounds are more interesting and interactive, and it’s now easier to offer choices.  For Bar Mitzvahs with a sports theme, this is the perfect tie-in, because we can create photos that actually put kids in the field with or as one of the players.  Plus, the prints are created faster and their quality is improved.

Any decent photographer can shoot adequate Bar and Bat Mitzvah photos.  But with important milestone events, there’s only one chance to get it right.  There are no do-overs.  As professional event planners know, your best bet is to choose a photographer who is experienced, who can show you excellent work done for other Mitzvahs and is backed by responsive, caring personal service.  And that’s what 5th Avenue Digital provides.