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Here are a couple of my favorite spreads:

If you’ll give me a moment to talk about the elements of design we use in our albums – in this horizontal spread, I cropped the images in a tight panoramic 1:5 format to show the tight moments of the bride and groom placing the rings on each other’s fingers. The tight spacing and blurred edges allow for a quick ‘read’ of the eye across the page. That emphasis is heightened by the horizontal bars of color running through the background of the image at the grooms eye height and the bride’s ring height. The lines tie together the separate pictures with implied continuation of line that I ‘felt’ between the photos while laying them out. This extra amount of care and attention brings your album to life telling the visual stories of your wedding.

In this spread we use the design element of a light vignette to tie together and soften the overall page design, can you see the subtle darkening at the coreners?

And if you’re looking for a creative photographer, look at how we tie the action of the day into the album design! We’re wiling to see the whole day for what it is, without presuppositions about what wedding photography ‘should be’ – so we notice the littlest things that make your wedding yours! (did you notice the bee on the clover in the above spread? – I know it’s hard on the web, but we noticed it and shot it!)

Enjoy your album Kelly and Tom.

Take silly pictures…

What would you do?

Aw, my long arm technique needs work – can’t get our faces in focus!

International men of mystery, the Ontario Place pavillions do look like something out of a mid 70′s James Bond film.

So we better act the part!

And turn it into a fight scene on the precipitous edge where only the strong survive the sunset.

Or maybe it’s a kung-fu movie, who knows – after working a wedding for 8 hours your minds a little bent.

Ok but just in-case this is the first time you’ve met me or Amish – take a look at what I shot that day, and here’s a few of Amish’s images if you’re looking for a Toronto area wedding photographer.  Just moment’s before our silliness:


 
Creative composition above – and being creative with the gel’s from my lights below:

It’s always good to have a second shooter for weddings because there’s often too much going on….Amish got mom coming down the isle:

While I got the bride crying

A nice close up of the ringing of the groom

Other times the assistant can scout areas to shoot when we’re limited for time – like Amish did for these portraits.

Amish also thought up this nice series of shots contrasting the boutonnieres:

Amish is a good natured guy who’s fun to shoot with so check him out for your Toronto wedding.  He’s also got a rich cultural heritage and understanding of Indian wedding traditions if you’re planning something big like that.

PSSST – You’ll want headphones to savor this 4min experience.

The slideshow track is by John Martyn – Small Hours from the album Sweet Little Mysteries: The Island Anthology

Many of the slides on this slideshow are longer than 10 seconds.

I enjoyed stretching the rules and am beginning to feel the space between the photos more fully.

Check your wedding date to see if we are available for your wedding!

This was my last wedding in Lima, my once-upon-a-time hometown, where My wife and I bought our first house, and where the sky invites the face of god. It reminds me of the amazing tropical thunderheads I’ve seen in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.  I am so  grateful  I was blessed to experience this August evening.

Just a technical note of interest – the web is the best place to view these photos because of the amazing Electric Magenta, or Fucia color of the sky.  It is nearly impossible to reproduce that coloring in a print as explained by wikipedia:

Electric magenta vs. process magenta

When electric magenta is reproduced on paper, it is called fuchsia and it is physically impossible for it to appear on paper as vivid as on a computer screen. In order to reproduce it, a small amount of cyan printer’s ink must be added to printer’s magenta to make fuchsia, and therefore fuchsia is not a primary color of pigment–it is the color of printer’s magenta that is one of the primary colors of pigment (along with cyan and yellow).

The name fuchsia was chosen as the alias for electric magenta because that is the color name for the color that in printed reproduction is its equivalent.

Since prior to the introduction of  personal computers magenta was synonymous with printer’s magenta, colored pencils and  crayons called “magenta” are usually colored the color ofprocess magenta (printer’s magenta) shown above.

So while we experience it – it’s not yet something that we can fully capture!

I just thought that was a beautiful analogy to a photograph.

However the judges comments went like this:

But I have to comment on this category in general. There were so many pictures of people walking away from the photographers that it puzzled me. I saw so many pictures with stunning light in other categories that I wondered what the photographers were thinking when they got to this category. All of the moments and good storytelling went away.

Who is this judge that feel’s so strongly that there’s no story from this image that they take the liberty to complain about my photo as exemplary of the category? But they award first place to a haphazardly composed and monochromatic image of the same theme? Boy does that sting.  In my experience this goes to strengthen the stereotype that ‘photojournalistic’ images are ‘careless snapshots in black and white’ and doesn’t work toward showing how a good photojournalist can transcend the basic elements of what’s happening and make an image with stronger themes. I would love to hear Sister Wendy discuss the results.

Realistically, when you’re up there your eyes are glued to the splendor that’s enveloping you! When the couple looks at the camera the image loses it’s compelling fixation on the mountain. When you’re there, just as in the picture, it feels like you can reach out and touch it. In my picture I worked to transcend the basic experience of being dropped off on the side of a mountain by helicopter, and tried to capture gesture and pair forms that form an allegory for the wedding experience.  I was looking for body language that helped describe the awe we all felt.

It’s funny how every time I hand out the business card with this image on it, the response is – “did you photoshop the background?” Nope, I was really there – and the story of this image, doesn’t just begin when the shutter clicked. You see, it was my vision to wait until the very last minute to get the sunset on the mountain. In this position, we’re in danger of being surrounded by clouds moving up the mountain. Here’s Nigel, our pilot on the lookout for clouds coming in.

The only reason we were able to make this picture is because of Nigel’s experience, daring and willingness. He told us that on his warning we would have to be back in the chopper within 1 minute, because if a cloud covers us – we can’t take off – because the pilot flys visually. The helicopter is perched on loose stones, and Nigel got out and propped us up with extra stones before he would let us get out. The helicopter is idling with the blades spinning so we can make a quick takeoff. On the port side of the bird, there’s probably only two meters to the edge of the cliff from the rotor tips. So Nigel has made a pretty difficult landing at my request, so that I can capture this scene.

From this angle, you can see the clouds at our elevation across the valley.

Oh boy wouldn’t I have loved to had the time to get to the Tasman Peak & Ben Ohau Mountain Range side of the valley to land the couple on the west facing ridges – but that will have to wait until next time. From that side I could get more of the turquoise hues of the glacially fed Lake Pukaki also. Just plan your destination wedding at the Luxurious Mt. Cook Hermitage Hotel and I’ll be there to make unforgettable images with you!

So as a bride which would you be satisfied with a few snapshots from the top of the mountain, or would you want something that transcended your experience? something with allegorical intent?

Little Ryan Anthony was born November 17th 2007 and I was there to help Shannon make her birth announcements.

But sadly that’s another blog post you’ll have to look forward to another day – this one is is about “Where Art Lives” – we hope the different answers you see us helping our clients making, gives you creative ideas about how to use the art we make for you.

So here’s a look at Shannon’s classy cute bedroom arrangement, decorated with her wedding photos.

Shannon paired small prints with the added the  cutesy  touch of brown ribbon bows and hanging from a pewter pin over her bed.  The prints are a romantic selection from her reception with the signature pink lighting that pops off the walls like little pink polka-dots.

The room doesn’t end there however, on no – we took a few more than three good pictures!

The light touch of the summer sky blue, is starkly broken by the chocolate frames and ribbon on the  opposite  wall above the bed.  White shelves hold a light arrangement which is the focus of this wall.  

Shannon’s two shelf arrangement with white frames keeps the tones light, and the focus on the photos.

If you’re super-proud of what you’ve done with your wedding photos (and we don’t yet know about it) send us in a couple snapshots, or let me know when I can stop by and promo your interior design skills!

“um, aaah, well….the face of God smiled on me”

I can’t really explain it any other way…in case you were wondering what I was doing earlier tonight.

We had to tolerate thunderstorm downpours – but we got to  receive  the blessings of the August sunset.  If you’re planning an August wedding in Upstate New York be sure to plan some time for sunset portraits.

But, while that may partially be true – really I’m just lucky that I wrote Erik…

…and Danielle was smart to encourage him to call me back…

…and I was lucky enough to get the voicemail as I hiked to the top of Pilsbury mountain with Eben…

Some know that there is more than luck.

Thanks for letting me join in the, well, more than formal – fun!

Oh wait, just when you think there couldn’t possibly be more – well thanks to Erik there is!

Wedding Splashers from Neil Cowley on Vimeo.

The ring

The ring in a pink peony of the boquet.
If you’d like to see the rest of the story, subscribe your e-mail address on the right to get the updates – or check back tomorrow.


Sweet Briar – Wedding location Geneseo NY

Click play to listen to their engagement story, and enjoy the music by Helios from the Eingya album, titled Coast off

This will be the last post on these images, so here’s a summary of the saga!

• The first glimpse
  
• Intoxicated engagement shooting – tounge in cheek
  
• Neil show’s off his biking ‘skills’ for the camera
  
• Deanna’s wardrobe alterations for the engagement shoot
  
• Neil’s attempt to reach Deanna’s level of hilarity, in the shoot and in the post
  
• WPJA awards sunrise photo 11th place in 2007 engagement category
  
• Double sided, full color save the date cards.
• Engagement photos custom designed wedding signature journal.
• Read Deanna’s posts from her wedding planning experience.

That completes their 3 media engagement session.   This project has to be a highlight of my career this far and I look forward to getting to know so many more of you as I meet you for your engagement sessions.

I say sumptuous, but maybe I should say scrumptious – I like the three square meal aspect of Indian weddings!

And as a wedding photojournalist, so many allegorical ceremony elements gives me lots of action to capture.

Ok so here’s some of the characters, that’s Upda looking like a bride and giving someone a wink as she’s escorted in by the boys – Amish her brother is picture right in the blue.

That’s Pravin the patriarch and senior photographer, overlooking the guests, as Kenan (groom) holds hands with Upda under the cloth.

I loved all the mini traditions with a playful tone in this wedding.   The Thakrar’s practiced many of their ethnic traditions carried from their close knit Indian society.   Here is the start of something that ended with people wrestling over shoes….

Ok so here’s the real scene at this wedding – how many photographers can you count?

Since Pravin and Amish are photographers many of their friends are too. I was one of 7 or 8 photographers, there were two video guys and probably 10-15 more photographers simply in attendance. It was quite a fray, but if you were to compare our pictures, it’s unlikely two were similar as we each found a perspective and approach that expressed our own interests.

I also appreciate the performances by family members at the wedding, it’s an elegant touch that I’ve not seen in any other tradition.

So if you’re searching for a culturally experienced Indian Wedding Photographer in Toronto Canada or the US – give Pravin or Amish a call at Radisson Photography.

Click below to see their complete design…

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I shot this wedding with the help of Gary Ventura and Mary Corcoran because My wife  inconveniently  decided to get sick and those two skilled photographers stepped in and helped Holly & John’s wedding go of without noticing.  I was able to take the images and design a modern, urban and graphic representation of their day with sharp black backgrounds and endearing pink touches.  The design clearly reflects Holly & John’s personal style and the styling of their wedding day.  

Stay around to see the end of the design as I made it all the way back to their bedroom with them, and I dragged the petals used in the ceremony back to use for their ‘first night’ photos.  A spectacular way to end their wedding night!

“Jake sees Tini”

And various other subtly emotional pj images

See all the photos from this Chautauqua NY victorian wedding experience

The kind of evening that makes you want to stay up and dance all night….where the aromatic humidy just slighty condenses in your lungs as you breath deaply….the gentle cool carrying the scents of a hot day’s work and the promise of the refreshment of night as it settles into your bloodstream.

Pair that with the evidence of young love and you’ve mixed a coctail that’s sure to ignite some crazieness.

May the sweetness of this evening follow you for years.

<a href=”http://neilcowley.com/weddings/2005/casa_larga_vineyard/casa_larga_vineyards.html”>Atmospheric Glory for Christina and Ben’s Casa Larga wedding reception – view this link for the complete gallery and sideshow.</a>