Preparing for the Nationals

For years I've been searching for ways to make Chesler Photography a year round business. Let's face it, coaxing people out of their igloos in the dead of winter for photos is a daunting task. Yes, we do our fair share of winter weddings, but not enough to avoid eating the acorns we've stored throughout the summer. We are finally making some ground with our weddings in South Florida during the winter months, which will help supplement those winter weddings and give us some much needed sunshine that time of year. It's amazing what a little sun will do to lift the spirit during our 6 months of grey.

In a few weeks, we will be heading out to Syracuse where we will have a vendor booth at the Syracuse Nationals Car Show, which is one of the largest shows in the north east with over 7,000 cars. We will be displaying our metal prints, blankets, backlit images and more, with the hope of booking many car shoots across the state. If this goes well, I may hit the road during the winter and look for more shows down south and spend a few weeks in each location doing car photography. I always say someone has to play for a living and I can think of no better way than to play with cars and cameras.

This week, I did photos of my buddy Brian and his decked out motorcycle. I wanted to create a dramatic photo to use for a back lit image at the Nationals. I love Nikon's wireless flash system to create photos with drama and depth. Check out the results below. Also, check out some of Amherst medias books on using wireless flashes and multiple flash set ups. They have a whole new crop of books coming out on the subject. If you're interested in some of these books, please click on the link below. It helps us support our craft and doesn't cost you any more to use our link.

Vogue

Over the winter I did a photo shoot of two little girls in the studio. One of their mom's was a fashion stylist from North Carolina. As luck would have it, she moved back to the area this Spring. We sat down and discussed ideas of how we can incorporate her services in to some of our shoots for those clients who want that extra pizazz to their photos. The best way to introduce Courtnei and her sense of fashion was to do a photo shoot of her. More used to being behind the scenes than in front of the camera, Courtnei warmed up to opportunity very quickly. Here are some of the images from our shoot in Canandaigua.

To inquire more about hiring Courtnei for your photo shoot, call the studio at 585-393-9242.

All in the Family

Several weeks ago I photographed the wedding of Jeff and Lindsey, who is the brother of past wedding clients Stuart and Jackie. A mere two weeks later I had the honor of shooting the wedding of Erin and Harrison. This time it was the other side of Jackie and Stuart's family with Erin being Jackie's cousin. It's really cool seeing some of the same people several weddings in a row.

Erin and Harrison were married at the George Eastman House in Rochester followed by a reception at Cobblestone Creek in Victor. It's kind of ironic to photograph at the Eastman House with a digital camera which essentially put Kodak in it's current state of financial difficulty. If George Eastman could knew that the technology his company invented would eventually lead to it's downfall he would roll over in his grave. The Eastman House is a beautiful place to shoot, split between the historic mansion and the addition which houses the International Museum of Photography.

I used to live at the Eastman House. Well actually I lived in an apartment above what used to be the carriage house for the Eastman House. It was in a beautiful section of the city and the rent was reasonable, however I was just out of college and starving to death. My attempt at independence lasted six months before I moved back home to Long Island with my tail between my legs and my ribs showing. Six months of Ramen Noodles takes a toll on the body.

I met with Erin and Harrison at the Lodge at Woodcliff. I had never been in the bridal suite before. It's a really cool two floor room with amazing views and cool orange walls. Both Erin and Harrison got ready in the same room at separate times. We got some great shots of both of them there.

Don't Judge a Book by it's Cover

Have you ever walked down a street that was a little off the beaten path and come across a character that looked a little too shady for comfort? Did you look him in the eye or keep your glance down and walk away a little quicker? I too am guilty of making a snap judgement as to someones character based on the way they're dressed, or the way they groom. Unfortunately too many stories on the news and too many episodes of Criminal Minds have conditioned us to assume the worst.

Several weeks ago I had the privilege of photographing a personal trainer before he entered a fitness competition later that week. Had I not known Henry, his appearance would have been very intimidating coming across him alone on the street. His bearded chin, shaved head, tattoos and muscles that could crush my skull would have sealed my fate. Nothing could be further from the truth. Henry is a laid back, soft spoken guy who kept throwing a smile in to every pose to keep his wife happy, smart man.

With outfits destined for a biker bar and even some heavy chains, we made Henry look like an episode of America's Most Wanted. The photos came out really cool.

Facebook Link

After several weeks of my blog not transferring to Facebook, we're back in business with it. Let's face it, my blog gets way more hits and comments on Facebook than on the blog site itself. It's very frustrating when the link goes down. Now I can get back on track posting.

We left off Memorial Weekend with the first half of our back-to-back weddings in Geneva. On Sunday, Rich and I were back in action, this time at Ventosa Vineyards for Lindsay and Jeff's wedding. I photographed Jeff's brother Stuart's wedding several years ago, so it was nice being back with the family. In fact, I photographed Stuart and Jackie's maternity photos a few weeks before the wedding, which I will post this week. Jackie is due today so hopefully everything is going smoothly.

Lindsay and Jeff had an awesome day. We photographed along Seneca Lake, in downtown Geneva and then over at Ventosa. The weather held out until we were on our way back to Canandaigua. We raced a line of storms head on to see if we would beat it home. The sky was lit up with non-stop lightning. Streaks were hitting the ground with alarming frequency as we pulled in to the driveway. We ran from the car as the first fat drops of rain pounded the asphalt. What a storm it was!

Lindsay and Jeff were married on the balcony at Ventosa. It's like being transported to Tuscany. Ventosa is one of the most beautiful vineyard's in the Finger Lakes. I'll let the photos speak for the beauty of the area.