Archive for Jewish Wedding
Destination Weddings – Emma and Effi – Israel
Posted by: | CommentsShalom! That’s about the extend of my Hebrew. Luckily for me most folks in Israel speak English. Strangely a lot of them speak American English as well. So I fit right in. Yes, this is Emma and Effi’s Tel Aviv wedding. I had never shot a ‘destination’ wedding before. I suppose I’ve been to Scotland and Wales but as neither require a passport I didn’t really see it as international. Leave it to me to not go in with a half hearted effort instead traveling 5 hours by plane to the Middle East for my first attempt. What an attempt it was as well. If only someone could have sneaked a few shots of me unaware. There were times when my mouth was just wide open in amazement. Things like overlooking the skyline of Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean sea. Wandering through Old Jaffa – a most amazing and historical religious and cultural location. Working along side two other photographers plus two videographers. Watching the videographer physically move the Rabbi and the Rabbi just went with it (if only my Vicar this coming Saturday could have seen that). The whole experience…the light, the heat, the Israeli way of doing things. All of it was just amazing.
If nothing else I now have a new catch phrase…a mantra if you will. Later in the evening I was speaking to the videographer who moved the Rabbi. I teased them about how in England they would have been removed from the premises (at least at a CofE wedding). He said ‘in Israel we have saying…if the Rabbi is in the way, its time to move the Rabbi’. Magic. Can’t wait to use that one.
For my part it all just went too quickly. In a flash it was over. I met some great people and have been swapping emails with Ronen from TLV. I need to extend a warm thank you to Emma and Effi for having me along to a most amazing experience. Perhaps I should extend a special thanks to Effi…who was, at first, dubious but soon realised I wanted only the best for him. Now we’re like long lost brothers :) Everyone made me feel so welcome!
I would buy light like this if I could!
I was bricking it for this. If those shoes fell they would not have been retrievable! I was shaking by the end of it!
Me to the left of me, sea to the right, here I am stuck on the balcony with you
TLV!
Shortly after mum showed me the lemon pucker! Take that as you will!
Remarkably…completely unposed.
Had to work that in…surely
It became clear that this would be no ordinary wedding for me
Loo-loo
Ronen.. (one of) my Israeli counterparts..and fabulous photographer
Old Jaffa and the Mediterranean Sea — with a little help from Asif who is holding a reflector!
Here you might feel lucky to get a seat outside…but not if you don’t like it at 34C
Effi’s Mum
I know you’ve seen it before…but I still love it
Grandad (in Effi’s words) fought cancer to be there — magic!
This is NO great shot…but it was just to give you a context
Groom-Rabbi Quality Time
This takes walking down the aisle to a whole new level
The best ring shot I’ve ever got…but with 5 ‘media’ people someone was bound to be in the way — I suppose on the flip side I’m on the other side of his lens as well
Time to shoot the Rabbi
Effi prepares to smash a hot dog from Yankee stadium…oh wait…no…its a glass
Through all the commotion, hugs and celebrations, one thing stays constant
Even the (moved) Rabbi is loving it
Time for a little walking tour of Jaffa…sadly with the ceremony starting late we had to do this ASAP
By the end of it I was playing the “I know you from the EasyJet flight” game!
Shay givin’ a speech (daft football double entendre)
Look hard…its (or rather he) is there
Hey look…its my favourite videographer..AGAIN!
Buxted Park Wedding Photography – Chrissy and Arnon
Posted by: | CommentsI hated this wedding…
No seriously…hated it. I mean, great light, great couple, great guests, great weather, great location…how the hell does it get any better. I’ve seen utopia and damnit, I want it back!
Joking aside yesterday, yes…a Thursday, was just wonderful. Wedding photographers love weekday weddings…and even more so when you get [....] (see the long list of ‘greats’ above). As an added ‘bonus’ Chrissy and Arnon have asked if I could prepare a few more images to display at their Israeli wedding which takes place next weekend. As a result I picked out a bit more than usual and found it hard to cull back to the usual 30ish. I’ll also post a Facebook gallery to see more. I’m really excited about the images…there is SO much more to come as well!
It’s a little game I like to call ‘Ask Rafael’
This is a total cockup (is that a naughty word)? Meaning I’ve got a button near my ‘next’ button that sometimes I accidentally hit. It runs part of an action (Photoshop speak), executes the ‘next’ and then restarts somewhere in the middle. The net effect was this…and boy did I like it! Happy accident.
Chrissy, a loyal blog follower, challenged me to do something interesting with flat shoes. I reckon this will suffice.
“I gotta be me!”
Not a setup shot actually…
Oh yes…in literature we call this ‘foreshadowing’
Arnon was organising all day
Last minute dash to put some holly on the Chuppah…
..giving time for Chrissy to get a little anxious….
…but ultimately decide to enter (at least to the beginning of the aisle) with her heart-shaped glasses (foreshadowing complete)
Yep…very little during the ceremony. It would appear Rabbis and Vicars have more in common than they think
LIGHT…it does a body good
Arnon’s favourite part of the day
No OCF…just great light
He said he wanted a ‘Lord of the Manor’ shot. I wasn’t expecting Lord Flashheart (do your own Blackadder research)
Ribbit
Chrissy made all the table decorations and wrote a note to each guest
Arnon avoids a speech and opts for a song…
Recreating a scene from Shawshank Redemption? No, releasing a candle lantern
The video man (Steve…top bloke) and video light. Ta very much!
Make that Ta to the power of 2
Unfortunately we couldn’t do the latern launch about an hour earlier (the one of the B&G was a special one done…well…about an hour earlier) to get more blue in the sky…but it was still pretty cool.
This image CANNOT be explained
In the words of Simba “oh I just can’t wait to be King”
Don’t forget, there are loads more from this wedding on my Facebook fan page. If you like what you see do select ‘Become a Fan’.
Claire and Richard
Posted by: | CommentsClaire and Richard — Manor of Groves — Sunday, 14 September, 2008
Richard arrives, mostly suited and booted, but its not long before the first….
…spreadsheet check!
According to the aforementioned spreadsheet “15:07:23 Adam check Richard’s tie”
Being near enough to Stansted’s landing pattern meant that Ariella was always captivated
I quickly became captivated by the lights in the lobby…also I learned that the hat/Rabbi thing wasn’t just something I had only seen in the movies
See…there’s those lights again
By tradition the Groom comes to meet the Bride to confirm to the Rabbi and a witness that she is, in fact, his bride of choice…this is called Bedecken
Both parents walk the Bride (and the groom incidentally) down the aisle
Naturally I was captivated by the cultural symbols. I was also given a skull cap to wear. Being the ever astute photographer it only took my about 5 minutes to realise that everyone on the left was wearing one…thats because everyone on the left was a man. It all made sense once the light bulb turned on!
The B&Gs Brother-in-law Sha’anan does a ‘reading’ (not sure if readings the right word as it was sung)
But, no matter what type of service, theres always a receiving line — YAY!
Ariella misses the warm Israeli sunshine
Wine?
The B&G weren’t much into couply shots…this is number 1 of 2
I’m not sure if this is the Hamotzi or whether the act of cutting it is called the Hamotzi — either way I was something different for me
The fabled Israeli dancing…everything I expected it to be only faster!
Shortly before Hamotzi guests can participate in the Washing
Ariella (quite a star in the blog as well as a star for the entire family) sits in the middle of the Israeli dancing
Father’s for Justice are taking it all a bit too far :) I took Spanish in High School so I have little chance with Hebrew
Fortunately, for the boys, all that dancing had made Richard about 4 pounds lighter
“Oops up-side ya head I say oops upside ya head”
On a day when Torro Rosso won their first Grand Prix it was only fitting that Rabbi Davis did a great bull imitation…what you can’t see is the chap holding the serviette awaiting his charge
The entire room — all 178 guests — toasts the bride. No pressure.
When giving the speech you are all on your own :)
Richard’s dad
Dancing with Dad
The chaps in the most amazing band, Creation, take to the floor to stir things up
You’re being a bit greedy don’t you think?
Blue tone
Regular blog readers will know that I predicted this!
It certainly wasn’t New York, New York
Many thanks to everyone for a genuinely unique experience. I felt privileged to be a part of it.
