Transition Week for Sunny

Time for my Wife Erica to go back to the office. Because we are both in NYC just about every day, it seemed the best place to look for day care. Yeah...I know. We are not happy about it either. But at this point in our lives, day care seems like the best option for us until that Lotto thing works out.



We found an awesome place half way between our offices so we can see our daughter during the day from time to time. Great place, but I kid you not...it is pretty close to what our mortgage is.










So to transition both Sunny and Erica in to commuter mode, we started off with transition week where they both softly transition to work and preschool mode. Neither of them were happy about it.
















Like most bitter pills, we started off with something fun. Two hours of preschool, then the rest of the day with Mommy and Daddy.

What....should we do?

How about a nice lunch...


Mmmmm, Cuban sandwich!
(No! We did not actually feed a 4 Month old a Cuban Sandwhich)





Then the zoo!

She slept through the WHOLE THING!


"Easy Doc! Do you need your whole fist in there?"


Zzzzz

Then a walk in the park to relax...
And listen to some great music!

The Few, The Proud, The Band? Fleet Week NY

Fathers, lock up your Daughters...Fleet week is here!
The Maestro !

Forget politics. Forget if we should be doing what in whatever godforsaken part of the World. That is not these folks decision.
These folks are soldiers, in one way or another and they follow orders. Jack says "They follow orders or people die. It's that simple".

These men and women are working hard, risking their lives for our freedom. If you see military personnel on the street, take a moment to stop them and just say "Thanks! I appreciate what you do". Buying them a cold beer would be a nice gesture too.
I bumped into these Navy Band members walking from Penn to Rock Centre this Morning. They were "Armed and Ready" to play. Really nice group of people. Some of them were a little overwhelmed at being in NYC.

Am I going to be on TV? Hi Mom!!!

Long Beach Breast Cancer Coalition 11th Annual Walk to Erase

My heart is always with the beach community that I grew up in and I try to find ways to give back to Long Beach. One way is by providing event coverage for the Long Beach Breast Cancer Coalition. Today they had their 11th Annual Walk to Erase, Family Fun Walk. You can learn more about the LBBCC at:
http://www.longbeachbcc.org/

There was a large turnout and a lot of last minute registrations, as passers by realized what a great cause was being supported. The weather was perfect, mid 60's with a light breeze and a just right sunny day.

Look back to this blog and on the J. Mitchel Photography proofs site for all the images from the day. http://jmitchelphotography.instaproofs.com/category.php?event=51838&id=79052

J. Mitchel Photography provides the best in creative Long Island Wedding Photography.
I also have a gallery week coming up June 9th, at Grind Coffeehouse in Bellmore, so stop by to gain a viewpoint Long Beach and NY you may not have seen.

Janeda & Michael's Engagement Session...Sneak Peak

If you read my blog regularly (Hi Mom!), you know that the blog rarely has Wedding images on it. I have been using it more as a sort of get to know me on the personal side kind of thing. Just images from my daily travels, meandering thoughts kinda thing. But Janeda specifically requested...so here it is:
A sneak peak image from Saturday's engagement session
Janeda and Michael are diehard Mets fans, and got some great seats last night at the last minute. Sounds like it was a good Mets game last night...even if they didn't win this time. Pssst. Want to see some cool Mets pictures? Check on on my website, www.jmitchelphotography.com the real estate images section...then click on Citi Field. I shoot for the construction company building the new stadium and did a marketing shoot for the mock ups of the new Sky Booths in the stadium.

Is the Economy affecting your Wedding Budget?

Harder times are starting to take hold and many folks are cutting back on luxuries and giving serious thought to their own personal "Latte Factor". Even Kitty here, caught on 5th Ave in NYC begging for a saucer of cream, is starting to feel the pinch and is willing to go to half & half.

Your Wedding is a once in a lifetime event. But that doesn't mean the best way to start a marriage is to put yourself in debt paying for your Wedding. There are tons of ways to make your Wedding budget go further while having a beautiful, memorable and elegant event.

Think about stacking beautifully wrapped favors as centerpieces instead of the traditional flowers. They make a wonderful presentation, can be color coordinated to your look, no one has allergies to them, no one fights over who takes them home because everyone gets one and...you save on flowers because you are giving the favors anyway.

Another way to make your Wedding buget go further is to look beyond the Wedding Factory photography studios and the venue's house vendor list that treat Weddings as a boring chore. Using a smaller, independent photographer can often get you more creative images, more personal attention and a far better value.

J. Mitchel Photography provides outstanding creative Wedding photography in the NYC Metro area starting at just $1500. Most of my Brides are complete with beautiful custom albums for under $2500.

Macro Mondays...Today's Post on noticing the beauty around You

Boring ride to the office today on my usual 7:32 from Baldwin to Penn. But there is beauty and a unique view almost anywhere if you look hard enough.
This first of three images is the treeline thru the train window at normal view. Notice how the acid rain marks balance the light and dark green of the trees as we fly by? Abstract, but kinda cool anyway.
Take a look at the lettering molded into the window. Gotta love that GE makes light bulbs, jet engines, nuclear submarines and train windows. They got all their bases covered.

Now lets take a closer look at that lettering...See how the light has changed and now it is smooth tones black to white? You can see how the letters were melted into the window and appear almost chrome like. The acid marks have depth.

Last one, then you can move on...I promise.
The letters are chrome now, as if raised from a steel plate, cold and forboding. If the Terminator were Italian, he might be made from an advanced Atofina alloy.

Amazing how the view and the story changes the closer you get.

Constantly looking for the unique view to tell your story, J. Mitchel Photography provides the best in Metro NYC Wedding, Event and Realestate images.

Neon Taxi Fetish

Those who read my blog from time to time know I have a thing for NYC taxis and neon together. This morning's wet weather provided a slippery racetrack for the yellow speed demons. Only this driver's intense focus and nerves of steel keep him ahead of the pack. You can hear "Radar Love" blasting thru the glass.

This MIB Agent is just popping out of HyperDrive on 6th Ave. And you thought Men In Black was just a movie...

Don't even THINK about it!

New Yorkers are not rude.

It's just that we are direct. No parking, No standing, No Nothin'!

Now MOVE IT BUDDY!

Macro Mondays...

Macro Mondays are a weekly look at the world close up. Usually there is a story in the image. Today...the story is simple.

The Months before your Wedding are going to be hectic. The Weeks before will be chaotic and move faster than you thought possible. Write tasks down. Work a plan.
Keep your Fiance involved. Don't get caught up in the preparations too much to spend quality time together. You will only do this once...so make sure to make some happy memories of the process.

Grooms-to-be who are reading this...Plan a surprise for her for no reason. Maybe it is flowers delivered to her office, maybe it is a hand made sign stuck at her exit on the Southern State. Do something spontaneous for her.

J. Mitchel Photography provides the best in affordable Wedding and Event photography in the NY Metro area.

Long Island Wedding Photography

Sharpening the Skills....always working to sharpen the skills. I have fun last night at a marathon seminar that didn't let out until after 11PM. Ed Pierce is a master with over 30 years experience and his Captivated by the light tour presents some new ways of solving traditional lighting problems in a digital environment. http://www.edpierceseminars.com/learn.php

Not only did I gain some really great insight from the speakers into what I am doing well and why, but I learned a few new tricks and even won the raffle! I love presenting my work on framed Canvas and I won a nice 16x20 canvas print credit from WHCC, one of the Pro Only vendors I use to give my Brides the very best in prints.

By constantly sharpening my skills, I can provide the very best in Long Island and Metro NY Wedding Photography.

Interestingly, one of the hot topics of the forums was how the "wedding factory" photographers try to stay fresh and creative. I was not surprised when the straw poll came back that out of 350 seminar participants, when the question was asked: "How many of you shoot weddings"?. Almost every hand went up. "Now put your hand down if you shoot ONLY weddings" Ed said. There were three hands left, including mine.

Ed asked "Why? How can you stay creative like that"?

Parker Pfister ( http://www.parkerjphoto.com/ ) had a very insightful presentation that summed up my philosophy... By shooting for yourself...a creative outlet in landscapes and the world around you, you can see, shoot and capture the story of your Brides Wedding day in ways you would never notice when you only shoot if you get paid for the shot...when you shoot only weddings.

J. Mitchel Photography provides the best in creative editorial Wedding and event photography in the NY Metro area. By shooting with an artists eye and mindset, I get the shots that the Wedding Factories who shoot 2 or 3 weddings each weekend can't. They get tunnelvision and resort to shooting the same stale shots week after week.

Each event is special to me, and it shows in the images.

New Toy on the Way !

I had so much fun with the ringflash a few weeks ago when shooting a class in NYC, that I just ordered one. Look forward to some really great engagement shoots with a high fashion look in unique locations! J. Mitchel Photography offers inexpensive NYC and Long Island Wedding Photography.
http://www.alienbees.com/abr800.html

Since I am getting my taxes done today,

Since I am getting my taxes done today, this seemed appropriate.

How nice was the weather Today?

So nice that there were more folks waterskiing than iceskating at Rock Center Rink today.
The sun made short work of the ice at Rockefeller Center today. A balmy 74 degrees in Midtown. That was not going to slow down this guy...

Website is Down Temporarily...

Updated 7PM, Dynamods got their act together and we are back up and running.

Dynamods, my webhost, seems to be having some issues at the moment. The have been great, with zero downtime in the last 12 months, so I am cutting them some slack. The site should be back up shortly. This is affecting my email as well, so please call me if it is urgent, at 516 236 9277.

For recent Weddings and Corporate Interiors clients, you are able to view your images on the separately run proofing site at: http://jmitchelphotography.instaproofs.com/ and enter your password for access to your secret folder.

I appologize for the outage and lookforward to having the website up shortly.

Thanks,

Jeff

Macro Mondays

As an Long Island Wedding Photographer I need to always be looking for the hidden image in plain sight. Sometimes that means not only seeing the forest for the trees, but finding the hidden beauty, even when the trees aren't looking so hot. So, Monday's I am going to find something unexpected in everyday life. Today....it is a lush view of green fields of Waimea Canyon in the mountains of Kauai.

Or maybe it is just some moss on a tree stump. You decide.

What makes Wedding Photography so expensive?

J. Mitchel Photography provides outstanding wedding photography at accessible prices.

Weddings starting at just $1500.

Because my photography is done on location, I don't need an expensive storefront studio. That means I can price weddings at an affordable level for creative, professional pictures.

To provide creative and dramatic images I am always sharpening my skills and learning new techniques. I frequently attend seminars and training programs on every facet of my studio's business, from photoshop, lens work, lighting...even a marketing class now and then.

Today, I am spending the day with the President of Lumedyne Lighting, D. J. LaDez. We are discussing some new ideas on using studio strobes on the streets of NYC.

Take photos in NY and nobody blinks. Have some decent off camera lighting and a couple of attractive models...EVERYBODY stops and asks "Who is that? Is she famous" and you get a crowd around you.

Art vs. Going Green

From the end of Feb I have been seeing this Electric Fountain sculpture in Rockefeller Center. There is more info about it here: http://www.cityguideny.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=9415

My question is, if Rock Center is making a big push about being "green"...how does a piece that uses over 3400 watts of electricity support that statement? That said...it is an interesting work.

Not Quite Summertime Yet...

But I was down at the Lido Beach mushrooms scouting some engagement shoot locations on Sunday. The Cabanas are still all wrapped up for Winter, but there were some dogs walking their owners on the beach.

The Lido Beach Mushrooms are one of my favorite photo locations. They are just not something you will see anywhere else. Who took your picture? Only The Shadow Knows...

A little cross processed look to the image here. Not bad for a cameraphone.

The Mushrooms are concrete shelters at the beach park. Most folks don't know that across the street was an active Nike (no, not the sneaker) nuclear missle launch site until the mid '60s. The bunkers are still in the ground there, near the school buses. http://alpha.fdu.edu/~bender/NY29.html The below images courtesy of Google Maps:

And the "Magic Mushrooms" of Lido Beach:

There is Nothing as NYC as...

A "Black Car" livery taxi and a "Yellow Cab" taxi fighting over a lane in Midtown. This was at 8:30AM today. Posted from my Sony Cameraphone.

Noticing the details is important in a Wedding Photographer. Check out J. Mitchel Photography for the best in affordable NY wedding photography. In fact tell your friends. Stop people on the steet and tell them. Shout from the rooftops... www.JMitchelPhotography.com !
Actually, I am dying to do some more proposal shoots, so if you know anyone who is thinking of popping the question, have them call me.

The best way to propose
J. Mitchel Photography will capture that magic moment when you pop the question! In addition to creative wedding and event photography, J. Mitchel Photography will capture the look on her face when she says YES! Unnoticed in the background, I will be in position at our prearranged location and time to get the photos that she will be bragging to her friends and family with. She will not even know I am there.
This is your shot to be her hero! You want this picture! Call Jeff at 516 236 9277 today, and see how you can have truely inspiring photos, for less than you think. Proposal imaging is just $249 for up to 2 hours, with prints! www.jmitchelphotography.com

Traveling for Easter

We are heading up to the Grandparents in Boston for the Weekend. First time for them to see the baby. Everybody seems to think my daughter looks like me. I was hoping she would look like my wife, who is the good looking one. I got to spend some time playing Bob Vila and fixed stuff around the house. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Villa

At 94, my grandfather could kick Jack La Lanne's ass. Sharp as a tack, but twice as dangerous. With 40 years as a proctologist, he has a great sense of humor and can always see the brighter side of things.

My grandmother, Chef extraordinaire, has sharp tastebuds only exceeded by her sharp wit. She could debate Clinton...ANY Clinton and make him or her cry.

We were supposed to stay until Monday, but could not get anyone to cat sit for my wife's cat on Monday. Apparently a 19 year old cat needs a chaperone. Wild parties and such. So we make the trek home on Sunday night. TWO AND A HALF HOURS from Newton to I84 on the Mass Pike. Normally, 45 minutes. Maybe the toll collectors all took break at once? Once thru the tolls, it was clear sailing all the way home.

The way up, 3 hours and 32 MPG. The return trip, 5.5 hours, 28 MPG. I love that Saab has a "NightPanel" button. Turns off all the gauges and lights except the speedo. Nice dark dash.

Baby slept the whole way up. We stopped to feed and changer her on the way back. McDonald's coffee is still Waaaaaay too hot for me.

It is absolutely beautiful out!

If you are a duck.

Bring an Umbrella, it's Gonna be a Wet One. But wet is good. It helps bring out the colors and increased contrast. I snapped this, like almost all the images on the blog, with my Sony K790i cameraphone, on the way in today.

I have a thing for taxis with neon behind them. Don't ask.

Met's Spring Training Comment of the day...

Met's Spring Training Comment of the day...

Backup Catcher Ramon Castro commenting on an apparent hamstring injury: "I didn't pull nothing," he said. "I don't think it's nothing big. I feel something, so I stop running. I stopped running and it went away." (quote courtesy of Newsday, Image is © J. Mitchel Photography 7/2006)

"I stopped running and it went away..."

Reminds me of the old joke; A guy walks in to a Doctor's office. Says to the Doctor, it hurts my arm when I do this....Doctor says. Don't do that. Please pay the receptionist on the way out.

Do you have to be a Met's fan to be a Wedding Photographer in Queens? No, but it helps.
Check out http://www.jmitchelphotography.com/ for the best in Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island Wedding Photography.

Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whacha Gonna Do?

The parade is tons of fun. But behave yourself because NY's Finest is out in force today.


These folks have a tough job. Don't make it harder by being foolish out there.

Don't drive to NYC today

In fact, avoid the trains too, because there is nothing so much fun as the evening St. Pat's drunk train home. Do what these wise folks did. Take the Magic Bus.

No Parking Even if your Irish

Or even if your not Irish

Happy St. Patrick's Day

The city is alive with activity and everyone is wearing their green like a badge of courage.

One Night Only...OK, Two Actually.

Sunday Morning my time at The Grind is up until another couple of months, so definitely stop by Grind in Bellmore tonight or Saturday night and view/purchase my landscape prints.
The prints present some unique views of life in NYC and Long Island with lots of energy, color and light. I am also showing the Doors images from my Artisan Series of work in Italy.

Can't make it to The Grind? Stop by Spoon, in Lindenhurst! They always have my work up and I call that place my second home. Tell Joe you came because you saw it on the blog. That will drive him nuts. Speaking of nuts...you would be if you went there and did not get a frozen hot chocolate. Better yet...go there on a Saturday night for some really good live music and dessert.

Remember, if the folks shooting your wedding are not artists, they are just pushing a button on a black box. Your wedding deserves more than that. For the best in Long Island Wedding Photography, go to http://www.jmitchelphotography.com/

Finally Home to JFK

My flight from ATL was going on to Venice, Italy....Hmm, I like Italy. Maybe I could stay on board and no one would notice.
Nah, I miss my family. Ok, to the Airtrain!

Last Minute Pit Stop in Atlanta

I had a last minute change of plans and had to make an 8:30AM meeting Wednesday in Atlanta, so it will be another day before I am home with the family.

I got in around Midnight, but if you get in to Atlanta with more time, stop at Fat Matt's, a couple of clicks North off 95. It is the kind of hole in the wall place you can't find unless you know it, but it has the best BBQ for a hundred miles and live music from bands that will be a household name in a few years.

I was up in time to see a beautiful sunrise.

Last Flight Out...

Change in plans. Not going to JFK today. Going to ATL at 9:20PM.

I woke to catch the sunrise and now I am watching the sunset, waiting to board a flight to Atlanta for an early AM meeting.

It's not always Sunny in Miami

Maybe just a cute play on words, but I am in Miami for a couple of days and already miss my daughter Sunny and of course my wife Erica.

I am heading to Coconut Grove for two days of FINRA classes on Ethics.
I have spent more than the last 15 year on Wall Street in trade operations and compliance. Ethics is something that constantly comes into play. One of the examples to be discussed in the course, is doing business in a foreign country where bribes are part of the culture and not only accepted, but the way things are done...how does a responsible company handle that? Adopt a "when in Rome" attitude? It is just not that easy. It is an interesting course with real world applications that nobody likes to talk about, but have broad reaching effects.
What is FINRA? www.finra.org for more details.

Not sure if you are on the right blog? You are.

What does this have to do with the best Wedding Photography on Long Island? Well, it is interesting to see how my worlds collide.

The ethics course isn't just about the financial world. The next time you are at a reception venue and they show you a "Preferred Vendor" list, ask the coordinator how much kickback they are getting from the photography studio. I have been asked for 15-25%. I won't do it and never have. Anybody recommending me, is doing so because I provide outstanding work for a reasonable rate, Not because I am paying them. Not all venues do this, but many do. Ask them about it. It doesn't mean the photographer is a bad photographer...but it is something that is effecting your purchase and you want to think about it. What is the "right" answer? Ideally, the venue should be open with you about it, be able to explain why they do it and have it make sense to you.

One of the reasons J. Mitchel Photography provides such a strong value as a photographer is that I am doing it because I truly am passionate about it. I have the skills, knowledge, and resources to make your images something you will enjoy for decades. I price my services very aggressively to make them accessible to young folks just starting out. Together, You and I create a package that really fits your unique needs and make it work for your budget.

The Miami classes are the last ones in the FINRA CRCP Wharton School certificate program. The CRCP is a way to wrap up my 15 + years of securities work, boil it down to it's essence and exchange ideas with other compliance and market professionals about the methods we use to protect your investments. You can read more about it here: http://www.finra.org/EducationPrograms/FINRAInstitute/index.htm

Oh, the cute baby in the slightly crumpled picture above? That is Ms. Sunny Logann, my 5 week old daughter.

Why should a Wedding Photographer be an artist?

I spent the better part of a week wandering the small towns surrounding Lake Guarda in Northern Italy just to knock on doors.

Ok, maybe a little more to it than that.

In the quaint villages surrounding the lake there stand buildings and homes hundreds of years old. Built by artisans with workmanship that is hard to find today, particularly in seemingly mundane things like a doorway. I roamed the empty streets of dawn to find the doorways to the past. Built with pride and artistry, this collection of images captures the workmanship of the past, and lets you peer thru and into the old world.

My mind's eye sees shape, shadow and color in a way that is different from most. Am I a cynical new Yorker? Maybe sometimes, but it is with that eye that I find beauty in the ordinary and look beneath the surface for the real story. 15 Years commuting to Manhattan honed my people watching skills and allows me to learn their stories. By combining the two skills, I am able to capture images that concisely express the emotion of the moment and the sense of place in events and architecture.

Come view my latest landscapes at Grind in Bellmore or Spoon in Lindenhurst and see why I can capture wedding images like no one else can.

Local Long Island Photographer Wows crowd at Grind!

What does this have to do with Weddings or interiors photography? The larger studios pump out 3 or more weddings a weekend, every weekend. They are machines.

I am an artist. I am able to capture images that concisely express the emotion of the moment or the sense of place in architecture and landscapes.

That ability, and that I work with just 15 couples per year so I can take the time to know them as people and have their photography be a reflection of who they are, is what sets me apart from the wedding factories.See you there!

The Grind
2975 Merrick RdBellmore, NY 11710(516) 409-6633

The Daily Grind for Wedding Photography ?

Ahhh, March is here and Spring is just around the corner. Warmer weather and botanical renewal is only a few weeks away. To celebrate, I have a slew of new work up at The Grind Coffeehouse in Bellmore.
If you are on LI, definitely take a coffee break and check the place out. Great desserts and coffee that reminds you that Starbucks is swill.
Oh, did I mention I have new landscapes up? About 30 new works from Long Island, NYC and Italy.



See you there!
The Grind
2975 Merrick RdBellmore, NY 11710(516) 409-6633