Quince With A Twist

Andrea Newell is one blessed little 15-year old girl. She has good looks, a great family that loves her, and lots of “cool” friends. What more could a girl want? How about an awesome quince party at The Signature Grand in Davie along with all of her best friends as invited guests. Well, thanks to her parents Ruth and Fred her fairy tale party came true, but with a twist.

Whenever I photograph a quince party I strive not to create boring dated shots of the birthday girl. After all, she’s wearing a stunning dress, the décor is fabulous, and it’s a fun, magical moment in her life. So, I believe her portraits should reflect all of the pomp and elegance, but let's toss in some classy images to cap off the event.

I hadn’t met Andrea before her “big night”, but as soon as we were introduced by her mom, we connected right away. It seemed she already knew what I had in mind. Andrea looked like a princess in a Walt Disney animation with a hint of “super model” attitude underneath her well-mannered personality. With no one in the ballroom except Andrea and her family, I immediately started creating some unique fashion shots of her near the stage set. I was looking for something totally different than the cheesy shots that most quince photographers deliver to their clients. Andrea had a blast working with my ideas and offered some of her own. With such a great start, photographing the rest of the party was a snap. See for yourself.

Andrea, I hope you had a great time. It was wonderful capturing your fun time with family and friends.

To see additional images from Andrea's quince party, go here: Portrait Corner, and enter this case sensitive Session ID: Andrea

Roxanna & Chris

One of the fun sessions I enjoy photographing for my brides-to-be is their “Love Story” session (aka “engagement session”). I prefer this title because I truly want to show the love relationship between the bride-to-be and her fiancé. I strive to create portraits that burn with passion and friendship. Usually, this is the first time that I get to meet the groom-to-be in person, and I really want to impress him with my style of photography before the wedding day.

Meet Roxanna Urena & Chris, one of my latest couples. Roxanna met me at a recent bridal show, fell in love with my work, and booked me on the spot. (I love it when that happens). Anyway, Roxanna couldn’t wait to have me photograph her with Chris. To be quite honest, after viewing the images I created for them, I now know why. They are totally in love with each other and have a rock solid relationship that is quite evident in their portraits. See for yourself.

I'll show you images from Roxanna and Chris'
wedding on a future blog listing.

Spot on Lung

Six months ago my daughter Dana got fed up with a chronic little cough that I'd had for months (who knows...years?) and scheduled a doctor's appointment for her dear 'ole dad'. Prior to the appointment an episode one night where I had a complete shortness of breath put the icing on the cake for me. So, I took every one's advice and submitted to a CT scan. Results? I had a tiny nodule on my right lung. In January my primary care doctor said "nothing to worry about; we'll check again in 6 months".

Fast forward: Two weeks ago I had another CT scan and was told by my PC not to worry again, but then he wanted me to have a PET scan today. Ummm? Not sure why (yet). The good thing out of all this so far is that in February 2008 I joined a local gym and I now have a daily routine from 9-10AM, Monday through Friday. I spend an hour weight lifting one day and cardio the next. I feel great (better than I have in a long time) because sitting behind a computer all day working on digital images CAN make you fat and lazy. I'll keep you posted.

Ena Bernard & The Kennedy's

This weekend I had the pleasure of being a part of history that can never be repeated. Imagine photographing the 100 year old nanny for the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy's family. Well, both my daughter (Dana) and I were the exclusive photographers for Ena Bernard's birthday celebration at The Signature Grand in Davie. We were honored that Ena's daughter (Josefina Harvin) chose us from among the Recommended Photographers at The Grand to document this special occasion.

The Event Producer for Ena's party was Linda Blanco and she saw that everything progressed smoothing with the high profile guests that would be in attendance. After meeting Ena and photographing her with Josefina, throughout the event I photographed her one on one with each arriving Kennedy, including mom Ethel Kennedy. You could feel the excitement building with each dignitary's arrival until finally the entire Kennedy clan was present. Awesome!

It was amazing watching the Kennedys embrace, touch, and kiss Ena in their own special way as they greeted her. Her eyes sparkled with each greeting and her lips broke into a smile as they snuggled their faces close to hers. The significance of the event, however, was so eloquently explained when Josefina introduced the audience to Ena and the Kennedys. She graciously thanked everyone (especially the Kennedys who had flown in from various parts of the country) for coming to her mom's birthday celebration. As Ena's only child, Josefina's humble words of appreciation and gratitude to the Kennedys brought tears to our eyes and a standing ovation for Ena.

While I was documenting this event I sensed a little of the humbleness and pride that Ena was experiencing for herself and her family. As a father, I watched my daughter photographing this "once-in-a-lifetime" event with me. She was getting both a history and photography lesson that would stick with her the rest of her professional life. Thanks for inviting us Harvin and Kennedy families.

Happy Birthday, "Mimi!!

The Harvin FamilyEna with the Kennedy children she lived with & helped raise.Ena & Josephina with the entire Kennedy clanEna and Ethel Kennedy
Me with Joe Kennedy & wife
Dana with Joe Kennedy and wife

Jorge Antonatos (DJ) with Joe Kennedy and wife
Josefina holding a greeting card to Ena
from Presidential candidate Barack Obama

To view more images: Click here, select View Events, and enter Ena as the Session ID

DJ: Jorge Antonatos (jorgeant@visiondjs.com)
Event Producer: Linda Blanco (lindablanco@thesignaturegrand.com)