Rebecca's Bat Mitzvah

Last weekend I returned to Westchester for Rebecca's Bat Mitzvah. Rich and I have become regulars at Temple Israel in New Rochelle. I drove down to the NYC area a few days early to do an engagement session in Brooklyn and do casual photos of Rebecca and her family the day before her Bat Mitzvah. We did photos at her house and then went down to The Surf Club on Long Island Sound. The venue was still preparing the beachfront for the next day, so we went over to Manor Park in Larchmont. I've been there a few times but I'm always following someone there so I'd never be able to find it on my own. I used to look at maps all the time to find my way. I would take a mental snap shot of the lay of the land and would be able to navigate wherever I needed to go. Now with GPS units and following other drivers, I don't have that same birds eye view in my mind. 

 On Saturday, we photographed Rebecca at the Temple and then headed over to The Surf Club. Pulling in to the club felt like arriving at Caesar's in Las Vegas with a brick lined driveway wrap around a massive fountain. The venue was gorgeous. The party was great, as was another event I get to shoot with my brother. We have so much fun shooting together.

Steve's List 2

After cleaning some more in the shooting room, we came across some seamless paper backdrops that have taking up space for years. Here is what's going if you're interested.
Red Seamless 107" x 50 yds (Yes, 50 yds. It's big and heavy) $25
Yellow Seamless 107" x 50 yds $25
Blueish Grey Seamless 107" x 12 yds $15
Light Blue Seamless 107" x 12 yes $15

I also have some remnant rolls and cores in red, white, brown, black and grey.

Steve's List

After being in business at the same location for thirteen years, we've accumulated a lot of stuff. It's time to do some house cleaning, so I will periodically posting things online that need to go. Think of it as a cyber garage sale studio style. We'll be slowly going through things such as extra frames, props and backdrops we don't use anymore, cameras, lenses and electronics that are not in use, or items that were sent to us incorrectly but still totally useable like a wedding album that's the wrong color. We'll start Steve's List with a collection of baby frames that come mounted on small ceramic pieces. Two are Sleeping Bears, one is a Goose with Balloons and one is a Bear with Balloons. Originally they were $14.99 each so I'll price them at $5 each. These are the only four I have so it's first come first served.

What's the Big Idea?

Last Summer my wife went to see a medium at Lily Dale down in Chautauqua County near Jamestown. I'm torn between being a skeptic and believing in it. I want to believe, but I've never experienced it first hand, so I have a rough time with it. One of the things the medium mentioned was that I was going to come across something business wise that was going to change the direction of my business. Naturally I was intrigued. She said it was going to happen in January. The thought of it popped in to my head now and again, but I wasn't sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for it. January came and went without any Earth shattering revelation, however, in hind sight, there were probably a dozen things I could look back on and say maybe that's what she was talking about.

 I'm still waiting for the Big Idea. It doesn't have to be big in size. Take the paper clip for example, something so small has changed the face of paper work across the globe. I'm not even sure why I'm searching for the idea so strongly. I love what I do, I'm just getting tired of the roller coaster ride of having a busy season and a slow season. I don't want the stress of the slow season anymore, so I'm looking for the idea maybe to fill the gap. The photography industry is evolving at such a fast pace that if you don't evolve along with it you get left behind. I'm not content to just merely evolve with it, following the trends. I want to lead some of the evolution. Now if only I could figure out how to make an iPad.

The Reveal

Seeing my wife come through the French doors at La Galleria Restaurant in Orchard Park as she made her way down the aisle toward me made my heart sink. I whispered to my brother who was standing next to me as my best man, "I think I just fell in love again." She looked so elegant, like she was gliding on air. Before I knew it, the moment was over. We were married in a blur. 

 As a wedding photographer, the more time I have with the bride and groom the better. With so many of our weddings at a single venue for the ceremony and reception, we're not left with much time between the two. More and more we are doing what's called a "Reveal", where the bride and groom see each other a few hours before the ceremony, allowing us to spend plenty of time with them without taking them away from their guests. They still get ready separately and then we have them meet in private to see each other for the first time. It's very emotional without all the pomp and circumstance of the ceremony to attend to. It's just the two of them, soaking it all in. 

 On Friday I photographed the wedding of Sara and Sourabh at Belhurst Castle. Their reveal was so cool you could feel the excitement bursting from them. We had a great time going down to the dock and train tracks along Seneca Lake below the castle. We were even lucky enough to time it right for the train to come by for a great photo opp. Sara's dress was a really cool renaissance style that would catch the wind perfectly. She had so much fun playing with it like she was on the bow of the Titanic. Sourabh had some fun of his own, taking one of my cameras to photograph his beautiful bride. It was a great way to kick off the busy wedding season.

One Day Senior Sale

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 2 for our One Day Senior Sale from 10:00-5:00. This is our biggest sale of the year to kick off our Class of 2013 senior season. Sessions must be booked and paid for during the sale so have your credit card ready to reserve your spot. Book early in the season for huge savings on senior sessions. Here are the session discounts based on the month your schedule your session for: May 80% Off, June 70% Off, July 60% Off, August 50% Off and September 40% Off. This discount is for the session only. Orders will have separate discounts based on package purchased and ordering early. Call the studio at 585-393-9242 with questions or to book your session May 2.

Video Intern Wanted

We are seeking a student intern to help out at the studio with a few video projects throughout the summer. A photography student with experience with a Video-DSLR and Final Cut would also work. We will be interviewing candidates over the next few weeks. Interested individuals should e-mail us a resume with experience as well as what they would like to get out of an internship at Chesler Photography. There will be an opportunity for some paid assignments as well. We would be happy to coordinate with school administration if credit is available. E-mail resumes to steve@cheslerphoto.com.

Testing 123

Whenever I come back from a conference, I can always count on my daughter Sarah to be my test subject for some new things I want to try. One of the speakers I saw at the PNE conference was a fashion photographer who did a lot of cool lighting and editing techniques. I brought Sarah in to the studio to try some of them. I didn't quite get the look I was going for but what evolved came out pretty cool. I did the editing in Lightroom creating my own presets. Once I catch up at the studio, I'm going to bring the images in to Photoshop and see what comes of it.