This past Saturday I had the pleasure of joining thousands of photographers, makeup artist,  and volunteers all around the world to take part in Help Portrait Day.  What is Help Portrait Day?  In a nut shell, families and individuals that maybe less fortunate than others,  received portrait sessions, prints, and fun for free.  If you’d like to learn more about it just check out the HELP PORTRAIT site.

At our location we were able to photograph 40 families, and even had make up stations for those that wanted a little extra kick.  For some of our families it’s been quite awhile since they’ve had portraits taken, for others it was actually their first.   The expresions on their faces, and genuine gratitude for the day was priceless. And it’s those expressions they’ll be able to share for generations to come.   From cave wall drawings, Egyptian Hieroglyphics,  European paint portraits, to glass plane images, civil war era tin type photos; portraits have always recorded who we are for those yet to come.

If you’d like to see the expressions of happiness a portrait captured on the faces of our families,  I’m sorry those are private.  You’ll have to get your own.   For now you’ll have to settle for the expressions on our faces, one of the side affects from  sharing a day with these awesome people.

OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS, MAKE UP ARTIST AND VOLUNTEERS!!!!!

GO GET A PORTRAIT TAKEN!!!

I recently had the opportunity to photograph a beautiful family here in the Brooklyn. The weather was great; Melanie and Daniel were awesome, and little Sidney was packing enough energy to light up the whole of Manhattan.  Gotta Love It….

Minor technical difficulty…..

Family…. While I do admit as a photographer having a camera around family can really be a…… ahhh….. interesting thing. Spending a weekend in Sheffield to document the wedding of my niece was truly “Beautiful” I really do love my family.  They were married at the Burngreave Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Pitsmor, Sheffield, and the Village of Bradfield hosted the celebration along with the beautiful background you see in the last image.  That really hot looking Beauford was curtsy of Occasions Cars

Couldn’t really have asked for a better day, or a better couple.  I mean you could but why would you.   Joy was introduced to me by our mutual friend Myrdith Leon- McCormack, owner of World Bride Magazine, and a partner of the M2M Nail Polish line.While Joy and Frank (a rock drummer that found the fountain of youth but won’t tell anyone where it is) will be exchanging their vows on the island of Jamaica next year, the wanted to express their passion for each other here in New York.  We spent the day in Chelsea, “got to love it there, ” up on The High Line, and wrapped it up in the garden of their friend, and awesome fashion stylist Mia Morgan.   At Mia’s urging, Joy wore a dress she had on hand, and WOW is all I’ll say.

Here’s some of my favorite images.