Vanessa & Tony ~ New York
photography
Location
MAY 7, 2017
New York
With the movies I grew up with in mind, I flew across the continent to meet this wonderful couple.
Neil Slattery
A New York Engagement
nostalgic, urban, busy, elegant & memorable.
When Vanessa asked if I would fly to the East coast to photograph their New York engagement session, I was thrilled. I instantly pictured all these epic images of Vanessa and Tony in all those iconic, New York places. Unfortunately they didn't want to get up that early. I'm teasing. These first few images are from my first morning in New York. As many of you will know, this is Central Park, but probably unlike you've seen it. If you're like me, however, and get up before the sun, you'd be treated to images like these. Can't you picture Vanessa and Tony walking hand in hand down this lane?.
A Wedding at Oak Estate
Romantic, picturesque, serene, elegant & memorable.
September and October offer some of the best light at Oak Estate Winery. The scenery is absolutely spectacular. It's a rare gem in the Okanagan. Oak Estate is also one of those venues that has everything you need right on site. If you can book the Villa, your accommodations are taken care of. The ceremony takes place on a cliff overlooking Okanagan Lake. The sage brush and vineyards provide all the photo opportunities you could want. There's not much shade anywhere, but that's why September and October are the best months to hold a wedding at Oak Estate Winery; the sun is politely veiled with a few clouds here and there. Plus it tends to dip behind the hill fairly early in the day.
For a bit of fun, I gave my camera to Tony and had him snap a few pictures of Vanessa. We got to see her playful side, and Tony did a pretty good job. When it was Vanessa's turn with Tony as her model, she gave some of the most inspiring direction I've ever heard; "Do something," she said. And Tony was like, "Whadda ya wan me da do?"For the following image I had to act as my own assistant. I placed my camera on a tripod and underexposed the scene a bit. I used a single speedlight, triggered manually to illuminate Tony and Vanessa. We had to work fast because of all the people I was holding back. I like the way this image turned out
Rockefeller Center
Crowded, epic, fullfilling & memorable.
One of the ideas I had for this engagement shoot, was sunset on top of the Rock. Many would choose the romance of the Empire State building, as did I, but I wanted it in the shot. Unfortunately, we had already spent the sunset in Brooklyn. Not that I don't love those images, but I'm a dreamer, and a perfectionist. I wanted all the images I dreamed of for this couple.
In my hotel room later that night, I felt as though I hadn't captured all that I wanted. Based on passed experience, I had my doubts that Tony and Vanessa would be willing to meet me again, but I called them. Of course, Vanessa was on board, but Tony wasn't sure he could leave work in time.
I went ahead and purchased tickets, and stood in line. Time was marching on, and there was no sign of them. The light was waning, and the queue for admission was long. I had this dark lamenting pit twisting my guts. It's the feeling I think many photographers feel when they experience the fleeting beauty of amazing light and no subject to photograph. But alas, they arrived. But man, was it busy up there. Was it worth it? Oh, yes.
