Joanna & Joe

Monday was a unique one. A Jewish wedding, a British groom, a Cuban Salsa Band, on Memorial Day. Not your typical wedding, but very, very cool. The whole event took place at Gled Foerd Estate in Philadelphia. The weather was beautiful and the ceremony was outside, with a roaming reception that spread throughout the house. Joe and his British groomsmen were a riot, and the speeches were some of the best we've heard in a long time. Check out the pics and the slideshow below:

http://www.karenscape.com/kempner/

WPJA Contest - First Quarter

The first Wedding Photojournalist Association Contest of the year closes in a few days, so i spent some time yesterday culling my favorite images from the winter months. here are a few that i submitted. if you have a free moment this holiday weekend, i suggeset indulging in a little raindance on my behalf to win the favor of the contest-judging gods...(:


the following three images were all taken from last week's wedding: eliza and gavin. they got married on a beautiful sprawling farmland estate in katonah, NY, owned by eliza's grandfather. it was a phenomenal place for a wedding and i bet many a bride would've chosen it as their wedding location if it were open to the public--eliza is a lucky girl (and a stunning bride).

anyway, this wedding was unique in that their dog was a guest at the wedding, and he roamed about freely and quietly enjoyed the party. it was quite funny and unusual. the photo below of the dog with the flowers was a candid moment i grabbed while the dog relaxed under eliza's dress during the formal shots. the whole day was worth it just for that, but the wedding proved to produce a plethora of potentially winning images (i hope!). here they are....

Rhea & Scot: Good things come in simple packages

yesterday's wedding was the best. city hall, 90 degrees, terrible light, tons of people, and i was in heaven. after more than 300 weddings under my belt, a beautiful setting is--pardon the pun--cake, but with no flowers around, no breathtaking scenery, and no frills, my job was a challenge, and i love nothing more. it was also quite enjoyable, because rhea and scot are a wonderful, unpretentious couple and were so much fun to be around.

they got ready at the thompson hotel in soho and then we walked down the street and stumbled upon an amazingly imperfect mural of three scantily clad betty-page style ladies. across the street from that was a pyschedelic black and white mural, both of which were my favorite sort of spontaneous finds. on the way downtown we walked past a flower shop and rhea and scot decided to grab a simple bouquet. the unplanned-ness of it all was so cool.

at city hall the wait was long and the air was hot, and the ceremony was so fast i only had time to get in three or four shots. but i walked away feeling like it was one of my favorite weddings in a while.

i got this email from the b & g today:

"We just wanted to thank you again for making our special day even more
memorable, not to mention sticking it out for the long ass wait at
city hall. We got the slideshow while at the hotel on Saturday and LOVED it.

Truth be told, it made us a little "misty-eyed." It was a blast hanging out with you and we're thrilled that you had the time to squeeze us in.

We can't stop watching the slideshow. It truly captures the spontaneity of day and tells a wonderful story.

Thanks again,
Rhea & Scot"

it was my pleasure guys!

and by the way, no, the groom is not--nor is he related to--kiefer sutherland. (:

check out the slideshow i put together of the event.

Rebecca & Robert

On sunday I had the pleasure of shooting engagement portraits for Rebecca & Robert at the Botanical Gardens on 105th street and 5th Avenue. I can't pinpoint why exactly, but they were such a fun couple to be around. We laughed a lot, which is always my favorite criteria for a good time. Here are the gems that floated to the top of my visual pile....

The 5th Time Is The Charm!

The Castle on the Hudson in Tarrytown, NY has the distinction of being the reception site I've worked at more than any other location. But this time--my fifth wedding at the Castle--was by far my favorite.

Heather is unbelievably photogenic and such a fun, relaxed, cool bride. Kenny is equally chill and the two of them are so in love, my job was cake (stupid pun intended). After the ceremony at a church nearby, we headed over to the Castle for the reception. In the grounds behind the castle there is a life-sized chess board that I've been itching to photograph all four times I've been there prior, but this was the first occasion we had the time and the light to do it, and thankfully, Heather and Kenny were game (stupid pun intended again--sorry, couldn't help myself).

Marissa & Zeke

Last Saturday Heather shot Marissa and Zeke’s wedding for us at Charlie Palmer’s Metrazur in Grand Central Terminal. Here's what she had to say about it:

I can’t begin to tell you how much fun I had shooting this one. The day started at Hotel Mela where Marissa began getting ready. Even before the finishing touches I was in complete awe (this bride was smokin’). Once the dress and Rene Caovilla’s were slipped on we went out to take a few portraits (She was a natural and needed very little direction). Then it was off to Grand Central but their car was no where in sight. Marissa tried coaxing some cops into driving us in their car. No dice. Luckily, two pedicabs pulled up. Marissa jumped right in and I followed grabbing some “only in NY” shots. Once we arrived it was time for the ceremony. Zeke and their guests stood at the stairs leading to the restaurant as Marissa was walked up the “aisle”. Grand Central stopped... All eye’s were on her. Vows were exchanges a sealed with a kiss. Now it was time to celebrate! Marissa and Zeke’s first dance was to Amando Mio by Pink Martini followed by Chuck Berry’s You Never Can Tell (song from the infamous scene in Pulp Fiction with Thurman and Travolta). And the party was just beginning...

Welcome Devon

Well I just invited my partner, Devon, to be a contributor to my blog so, you're going to start seeing posts from him as well as me here. This is Devon while he was second shooting with me at a wedding we did last year:

Whenever people call Karenscape, Devon's almost always the first person you'll speak with, which is nice, because he really likes talking with you.
He also has a profound appreciation for Love which comes through in how he works with clients and how he treats everything leading up to a wedding.

In any case, you should see some posts from him from soon - not to mention more blog developments to help you prepare for your big day and beyond.