Balls.
Vegetarian matzoh ball soup, courtesy of my amazing wife. Delicious.
3.31.2010
365:8 Matzoh 3.30.10
Hillel Sandwich: one half horseradish (red, in this case), one half charoset (the apple stuff on the right) sandwiched between matzoh. One of the many delicacies that come out of the symbolism and cardboard that embodies passover. Say goodbye to clogged sinuses.
3.30.2010
365:7 Fisheye 3.29.10
1st attempt at a long exposure trail-of-light photo. I think it might be better without the fisheye, but I stuck with the theme. Maybe I'll try another like this when its a bit warmer out...
3.29.2010
365:6 fisheye 3.28.10
From the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. I had 3 great-grandparents who were from Kiev. They came to the US before WWII but I believe some of their family stayed in Kiev. Any relatives of mine who were killed in the Holocaust, were likely murdered at Babi Yar - the ravine outside Kiev. It is believed that about 100,000 people were buried in this mass grave. It still blows my mind to think of the sheer numbers of Jews that were murdered for being born a Jew.
Tonight is the first night of passover, where many of us (Jews) complain about the food we have to eat. I know that I will be thankful that we are able to celebrate this holiday openly without fear of persecution or death. It seems inconceivable that the holocaust even took place, let alone in such a recent past, but we must remember that it did take place. As a new father, I'm wondering how I will explain this to my daughter. I still can't wrap my head around it as an adult. Sorry for being a downer in this post. If you have a chance to visit any holocaust memorial museum, please do. It's not happy, but it's important.
3.27.2010
3.25.2010
3.24.2010
Adat Shalom Bar Mitzvah
Noah's Bar Mitzvah at Adat Shalom and The Sommerset Inn in Troy. I always enjoy a good Hillel Bar Mitzvah with the "Come On Eileen" dance. One day someone will have to explain to me where this tradition came from, but it's fun nonetheless.
365:1 Fisheye 3.23.10
Happy Birthday to me!
Week 1 Theme: Fisheye
Why did I pick fisheye for my first theme? Simple, I got a fisheye lens for my birthday (thanks Sarah, Matilda, Marc & Randie!) and I want to play with it. Actually, it isn't really a new lens, it's a fisheye optic for my lensbaby. More on this next Monday.
3.23.2010
365 - Here we go!
So I've decided to give myself a birthday present. (It's my birthday, by the way). I am starting a 365 photo project today. I will post 1 photo every day of my 28th year of life. Why am I doing this? Well, a few reasons...
1. I am a professional photographer and I love my job, but I often find that I'm only taking photos when I being paid to do so. I want to continue to love what I do for a living and I think it's important to take photos of things I'm not being paid for as well. I can only imagine that this will make me look at my professional work in a new light (pardon the expression...).
2. It's a challenge. I like to challenge myself to be a better person, a better husband, a better father, and now, a better photographer. I am good enough at all those things, but I can always be better and it often takes challenging yourself to make you better at something.
3. It's cool. Everyone is doing it... And that's not a bad thing. There are so many moments in our day that get ignored simply because we aren't taking a moment to look around. This project forces me to look around, find those moments, and share them with all of you.
So now that I have the "why" what about the "how?" I have seen many people attempt the 365 and it is quite a challenge at first. They end up taking photos at 11:59PM of their clock because they didn't get anything else that day. I'm not saying I'm better than that, but I'm saying I don't want to have to resort to this and knowing myself, I would. Instead, I have decided to do more of a 52:7 project. No, that's not a bible passage, I plan on focusing (literally and figuratively) on a different subject, style or theme each week, for 52 weeks.
Being self-diagnosed with a mild case of ADD, I think this will be a good way to make the whole year seem less daunting and possibly even more interesting. I was always more interested in the books with short chapters (check out sideways stories from wayside school - it was my favorite book in 5th grade) and this is my way of giving myself, and you, my followers, a lot of short chapters. I will pick a different theme each week and all 7 photos for that week will be some interpretation on this theme. I've come up with a good list of different themes, but I welcome your suggestions of something you would want to see. It could include a particular subject (My daughter Matilda will definitely be one week at least) or a technique or style, like black & white or one specific lens.
The deal:
1. I take one photo each day related to the theme of the week
2. I post that photo the following day to my blog and facebook. Yes, I will post today's photo tomorrow. Why? So that I have the whole day to look for something and not be worried that I won't get it posted in time. Then I can post the photo first thing the next morning. Just logistics.
3. On the 7th day, when I should be resting, I will try to write a post about the experience of the past week's theme. If I don't get to it, don't sue me. I'll do my best, but as you can tell, my brevity comes in the form of images, not words so it may take me a little bit to get it all out.
3. You comment, like, dislike, critique, send smoke signals, shower me with birthday gifts, etc.
4. On my 29th birthday I will post the final photo and proceed to make a book out of the whole year.
So, to make you all who are still reading enticed a little further, I will print two copies of the book. One for me and one for YOU. You are the person who follows regularly, leaves comments on facebook or mountain standard time, you give words of encouragement and helpful critiques, you are my biggest fan (and not my wife) and offer suggestions for themes. If this is you then you will get my book, because this will only be possible with your support, so thanks in advance.
Here I go. Happy birthday to me.
1. I am a professional photographer and I love my job, but I often find that I'm only taking photos when I being paid to do so. I want to continue to love what I do for a living and I think it's important to take photos of things I'm not being paid for as well. I can only imagine that this will make me look at my professional work in a new light (pardon the expression...).
2. It's a challenge. I like to challenge myself to be a better person, a better husband, a better father, and now, a better photographer. I am good enough at all those things, but I can always be better and it often takes challenging yourself to make you better at something.
3. It's cool. Everyone is doing it... And that's not a bad thing. There are so many moments in our day that get ignored simply because we aren't taking a moment to look around. This project forces me to look around, find those moments, and share them with all of you.
So now that I have the "why" what about the "how?" I have seen many people attempt the 365 and it is quite a challenge at first. They end up taking photos at 11:59PM of their clock because they didn't get anything else that day. I'm not saying I'm better than that, but I'm saying I don't want to have to resort to this and knowing myself, I would. Instead, I have decided to do more of a 52:7 project. No, that's not a bible passage, I plan on focusing (literally and figuratively) on a different subject, style or theme each week, for 52 weeks.
Being self-diagnosed with a mild case of ADD, I think this will be a good way to make the whole year seem less daunting and possibly even more interesting. I was always more interested in the books with short chapters (check out sideways stories from wayside school - it was my favorite book in 5th grade) and this is my way of giving myself, and you, my followers, a lot of short chapters. I will pick a different theme each week and all 7 photos for that week will be some interpretation on this theme. I've come up with a good list of different themes, but I welcome your suggestions of something you would want to see. It could include a particular subject (My daughter Matilda will definitely be one week at least) or a technique or style, like black & white or one specific lens.
The deal:
1. I take one photo each day related to the theme of the week
2. I post that photo the following day to my blog and facebook. Yes, I will post today's photo tomorrow. Why? So that I have the whole day to look for something and not be worried that I won't get it posted in time. Then I can post the photo first thing the next morning. Just logistics.
3. On the 7th day, when I should be resting, I will try to write a post about the experience of the past week's theme. If I don't get to it, don't sue me. I'll do my best, but as you can tell, my brevity comes in the form of images, not words so it may take me a little bit to get it all out.
3. You comment, like, dislike, critique, send smoke signals, shower me with birthday gifts, etc.
4. On my 29th birthday I will post the final photo and proceed to make a book out of the whole year.
So, to make you all who are still reading enticed a little further, I will print two copies of the book. One for me and one for YOU. You are the person who follows regularly, leaves comments on facebook or mountain standard time, you give words of encouragement and helpful critiques, you are my biggest fan (and not my wife) and offer suggestions for themes. If this is you then you will get my book, because this will only be possible with your support, so thanks in advance.
Here I go. Happy birthday to me.
3.22.2010
great question...
Yesterday, I met with a prospective wedding couple (as in they haven't hired me yet, not that they are considering getting married). They asked me one of the best questions I've ever been asked in a get-to-know-you session. It went something like this: "Was there anything you would have done differently on YOUR wedding day or was there anything in particular that you remember as being special?"
At first I didn't know how to respond. I have been asked all kinds of questions about other weddings I have photographed, but I never really thought about this in terms of my own wedding (which was almost 5 years ago). I had an amazing wedding. In my memory, I couldn't think of anything I would have done differently. Everything about it was special and memorable and US (probably the most important part). I did however, have one thing that stood out as being particularly special...
Sarah (my wife) and I were married in a Jewish ceremony at the Temple that I had grown up at, Temple Shir Shalom. We had the ceremony and the reception there and did many of the traditional components to a Jewish wedding, with a modern interpretation of some of these traditions. One of these traditions is called the "yichud," which translates to "seclusion". Traditionally, this was the time that the bride and groom would go off together after the ceremony to "consummate" the marriage. Don't worry, that is not what I'm about to talk about here. The modern interpretation of this tradition simply means that the bride and groom are given time to be alone together after the ceremony, before the reception. Right after we walked down the aisle, we kept going straight to the brides room where our caterer had put out two glasses of prosecco (sparkling wine) and a plate of the hors d'ouvres. We were able to be alone together after we had just committed to spend our lives together. It was quiet and calm, unlike the rest of the day. We were able to truly enjoy this small moment in the day and reflect on what we had just done. We were probably only alone for 5 or 10 minutes, but that was the one of the most memorable times of the day.
So often, in the weddings I photograph, the bride and groom are scheduled down to the minute of where to be at what time. While there aren't many weddings that actually run exactly as planned, it is important to remember that this is ok - the wedding won't happen without you! One of the other traditions that my Rabbi told us about was that we were not supposed to wear a watch (or another way to tell what time it was) and that we shouldn't leave each others side during the night. I was given a pocket watch as a wedding gift from Sarah, so the first rule went out the window, but the idea behind it is what's important and we took that to heart. The day will progress as you want it to and you shouldn't worry about staying on a schedule, but instead, enjoy the beauty of all the little moments. And we did, side-by-side.
As a photographer, the yichud is off limits. I will occasionally get a photo of the couple entering or exiting the room and get the "guards" posed outside the room who are there to make sure the couple is given their privacy until they are ready to come out. I would not want to intrude on this special time. There won't be any photos of a couple in yichud, but they will likely remember those few moments more than any other part of the night. My job as a photographer is to capture the little moments you won't often remember in 5 years (or didn't even see on the day of your wedding).
You don't have to have a Jewish wedding to take part in this tradition. I would recommend that any couple getting married take a few moments time after the ceremony to reflect on the enormity of the day and be together, alone. Your guests won't notice that you are gone for a few minutes and you will remember it forever. Call it whatever you want, Yichud (if you can pronounce it), alone time, seclusion, meditation, sexy time, whatever. Just put it on your schedule and then don't worry about the schedule.
Going into yichud at our wedding. (Photo by Jeffrey Sauger)
The only other advice I can give is to pass on what my Zayda (grandfather) told Sarah and I on our wedding day: "In your marriage, there will be many ups and downs. Hopefully, most of them will be in the bedroom."
At first I didn't know how to respond. I have been asked all kinds of questions about other weddings I have photographed, but I never really thought about this in terms of my own wedding (which was almost 5 years ago). I had an amazing wedding. In my memory, I couldn't think of anything I would have done differently. Everything about it was special and memorable and US (probably the most important part). I did however, have one thing that stood out as being particularly special...
Sarah (my wife) and I were married in a Jewish ceremony at the Temple that I had grown up at, Temple Shir Shalom. We had the ceremony and the reception there and did many of the traditional components to a Jewish wedding, with a modern interpretation of some of these traditions. One of these traditions is called the "yichud," which translates to "seclusion". Traditionally, this was the time that the bride and groom would go off together after the ceremony to "consummate" the marriage. Don't worry, that is not what I'm about to talk about here. The modern interpretation of this tradition simply means that the bride and groom are given time to be alone together after the ceremony, before the reception. Right after we walked down the aisle, we kept going straight to the brides room where our caterer had put out two glasses of prosecco (sparkling wine) and a plate of the hors d'ouvres. We were able to be alone together after we had just committed to spend our lives together. It was quiet and calm, unlike the rest of the day. We were able to truly enjoy this small moment in the day and reflect on what we had just done. We were probably only alone for 5 or 10 minutes, but that was the one of the most memorable times of the day.
So often, in the weddings I photograph, the bride and groom are scheduled down to the minute of where to be at what time. While there aren't many weddings that actually run exactly as planned, it is important to remember that this is ok - the wedding won't happen without you! One of the other traditions that my Rabbi told us about was that we were not supposed to wear a watch (or another way to tell what time it was) and that we shouldn't leave each others side during the night. I was given a pocket watch as a wedding gift from Sarah, so the first rule went out the window, but the idea behind it is what's important and we took that to heart. The day will progress as you want it to and you shouldn't worry about staying on a schedule, but instead, enjoy the beauty of all the little moments. And we did, side-by-side.
As a photographer, the yichud is off limits. I will occasionally get a photo of the couple entering or exiting the room and get the "guards" posed outside the room who are there to make sure the couple is given their privacy until they are ready to come out. I would not want to intrude on this special time. There won't be any photos of a couple in yichud, but they will likely remember those few moments more than any other part of the night. My job as a photographer is to capture the little moments you won't often remember in 5 years (or didn't even see on the day of your wedding).
You don't have to have a Jewish wedding to take part in this tradition. I would recommend that any couple getting married take a few moments time after the ceremony to reflect on the enormity of the day and be together, alone. Your guests won't notice that you are gone for a few minutes and you will remember it forever. Call it whatever you want, Yichud (if you can pronounce it), alone time, seclusion, meditation, sexy time, whatever. Just put it on your schedule and then don't worry about the schedule.
Going into yichud at our wedding. (Photo by Jeffrey Sauger)
The only other advice I can give is to pass on what my Zayda (grandfather) told Sarah and I on our wedding day: "In your marriage, there will be many ups and downs. Hopefully, most of them will be in the bedroom."
3.02.2010
Get your drink on...
Verde Martini from Tre Monti Ristorante in Troy. Photographed for the March issue of StyleLine Magazine (on newsstands now!) Check out page 86 for the full recipe.
3.01.2010
Vote Now!
My Real Wedding from The Knot and The Nest.
***UPDATE***: They made the finals(top 10)!! You can vote once a day until April 4th. If they win, my photos will be in The Knot!
Melanie and Laurence have entered their wedding into The Knot's best wedding of 2009 contest. I enjoy every wedding I photograph, but it was one of the best of 2009! If you have a second, click on the link above and vote for them. If they win, they get a trip to Hawaii and my photos would be featured in The Knot's magazine. It's basically a popularity contest, so the more votes the better! You can vote once a day from now through March 21st. Melanie and Laurence thank you in advance for helping them to win a trip and the title of Best Wedding of 2009 (I think it should come with a big belt like the kind you get for winning Wrestlemania!)
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