Creating the Viral “What Bagel Are You” TikTok Filter
Does getting 65 million views and 9.4 million likes in 4 weeks count as going viral? Because if so, I guess I went viral this year by creating the What Bagel Are You filter on TikTok.
A Year In Review: The Year We All Want To Forget
If I say the name of the year, it confirms its existence, so let’s just dive right in.
The photo industry came to a screeching halt in March and rightfully so. I’ll be the first to say it: although I find photography incredibly valuable, it’s absolutely non-essential during a worldwide health crisis. Luckily, I was still able to find some wonderful people to safely work with this year, and I can’t wait for you to see some of the new projects I’ve been cooking up.
I’ve been pretty good about updating my Instagram and Facebook page with photos, but this poor blog needs some love. So here in all its glory are some of my favorites from this unrelenting year.
Lizz and Mark’s Fantasy Wedding in Sparta NJ
Two truly interesting people made the very end of 2019 that much more memorable by getting married at Mohawk House in Sparta, NJ. The bride, Lizz, is a theater nerd (in the absolute best way) and a bona fide world traveler, having lived basically everywhere you can think of. Her now husband, Mark, is an Eagle Scout and, probably just as impressively (maybe), a fan like myself of all-things comic book movies.
Sarina and Rick’s Andover Boro Fire Department Wedding
“God Bless America and God Bless Iron Man”
That’s how the best man ended his toast to Sarina—the bride and his mom—and I think it summed up this lighthearted fire department wedding really nicely.
Caitlin and Kevin’s Backyard Branchville Wedding
If one moment can define Cait’s personality, it’s the moment that someone spilled a bright red, homebrew, cherry ale on her wedding dress... while we were walking to go take her portraits as a new bride.
If you gasped when you read that, you’re sharing the reaction that I and everybody else had seeing it live…
Bea’s 100th Birthday Party
Meet Beatrice Gillar, or Bea to you. Bea and her family celebrated her birthday at McLoone’s Boathouse in West Orange, NJ, just a short walk from the Turtle Back Zoo. You might know Bea as a published songwriter, a college graduate, trumpet player, mom, a grandmother, an aunt, cousin, friend, and now a centenarian.
This Sketchy App Converts B&W Photos to Color
I'll be honest: I full expected to download a virus when I found the Deep Color app on iOS. It was from an unknown developer, had no ratings, and I've always seen the inside of my head from rolling my eyes so hard at services that claim to "convert" black and white photos to color.
As I downloaded it, I thought to myself, "Cool, I'll get a new phone when this one inevitably gets fried or hacked." Then upon opening it, the app prompted me that it needed to download... something but didn't say what. "Cool," I thought again, "load that malware right on in."
George Sella Jr.’s 90th Birthday Party
CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Trustee Emeritus of Fairleigh Dickinson University. Captain of the Princeton football team, subject of a NY Times article, husband, father, grandfather… George Sella Jr.’s list of accomplishments seems endless.
Alysa and Sean’s Magical Wedding in the Woods | Stillwater, NJ
Having spent a lot of time in Stillwater, NJ growing up, I was surprised and excited to be back in the woods for Alysa and Sean’s wedding at Brook Falls Farm, a venue I’d never been to before.
Alysa and I go pretty far back… like, pushing two decades back. We met in high school, went to shows together through college, and even worked together for a little while. So when I rolled up to her venue, I couldn’t have been more excited to see her marry Sean.
Michelle and Bill’s Backyard Wedding | Vernon, NJ
Michelle and Bill weren’t going to let a little rain stop them from celebrating their wedding this summer. It had absolutely poured the morning of in Vernon, and it had only just let up when I arrived at their house. Bill was prepared: He set up huge tents in their backyard to accommodate everyone for the reception, and they had a backup plan if they couldn’t get married outside like they’d planned.
Luckily, seats were dried, decorations were hung, and despite some lingering humidity and more possible rain in the forecast, they pushed on.