This weekend we had the opportunity of meeting and photographing Jay and his wonderful family at his 70th birthday party at the Ramsey Country Club. It was a lovely occasion and everyone was so nice – and look at that cake!!!
Bergen County Police Chief Association – Bergen County Photographer
We celebrated the swearing in of the police chief of Mahwah, NJ at the Venetian in Garfield, NJ.
Christmas Baby
There’s no better Christmas present than a new addition to the family. Baby Ryan arrived just in time for Christmas and why not celebrate with some Christmas pictures. She looked so cute with her red bow and Christmas outfit which made her stand out against the grey wall and her siblings clothing. The photos came out so precious with her loving brother and sister holding the baby together. She is the perfect addition to this already wonderful family!!
Baby Ryan also came into the studio by herself one day to have some newborn photographs taken. We tried to make the studio as comfortable as possible for the little bundle of joy by having lots of comfy blankets and extra heaters around for her. She was a natural in front of the camera, which Mommy must have anticipated since she brought us just the cutest little pink crown for baby Ryan to wear in the pictures. Such a sweet princess! We also took some black and white images with Mom, and with Mom and Dad’s rings on the her toes. They really weighed down Ryan’s tiny toes!
Hogue Family Portrait
There are few things we love more than outdoor family portraits – one of which is outdoor family portraits during the fall season. Fall foliage is a cozy backdrop for families to snuggle up. The Hogue family had to snuggle extra close because it happened to be a very cold day. Towards the end of the season, the leaves begin to fall, the days become shorter, and the temperature drops. Portraits in the afternoon are often stressful because you have to beat the sunset, so sometimes early morning portraits can be calmer. This shoot with the Hogue family was in the morning and it was a bit overcast. The weather was making everyone’s nose rosy. The red noses aside, the Hogue’s looked wonderful in their red sweaters against the leaves of the Ramapo Reservation in Mahwah. The Ramapo Reservation has some great spots to shoot, for example, an old brick structure and an old greenish bridge. Not to mention there are trees and trees and trees everywhere. The most fun photograph we captured of the Hogue’s was the family standing together on a peninsula of land surrounded by water and nature. Since it was shot from far away the red of their sweaters really pop among the somewhat muted earthy tones of that day. Even though some leaves had fallen already, we were able to capture oranges, yellows, and greens in the background of every image. Overall, we just love fall family portraits.
Engagement photo shoot ~ Ramsey, NJ photographer
Her eyes filled so quickly I didn’t know what happened. Did I say something wrong, did he? We were all so relieved the torrential rain fall earlier in the day had passed and the sun had actually come back out – could she still be upset by that? Then I realized, I had asked Chris and Julianne to look into each others eyes, the happiness just over took her. I have to admit I got a little teary eyed watching the love between these two.
This was Julianne and Chris engagement shoot shortly after he popped the question. Liking the fall colors they wanted to have the session outside, so we chose the beautiful Wyckoff Environmental Center just as the sun was setting which gave us some really warm and cozy portraits. Since both Julianne and Chris have children, we incorporated Jack and Julianna in the portrait session, giving the children a sense of what their new family life will be like.
Ramsey Rescue Trunk or Treat
This Halloween we set up a photobooth at Ramsey Rescue’s Trunk or Treat. There were some other vendors there to give out candy to trick or treaters, including the Shannon Rose and Weichert Reality. Since it was held outside, we fortunately were able to use one of the Ramsey Rescue vehicles as our backdrop for the pictures. We even set up some wooden crates with pumpkins and leaves for people to stand next to in the photos. However, the weather got a bit dicey. With there being some light rain, we needed to find a way to protect the equipment. With the help of the friendly people from Ramsey Rescue, we were able to put our van up next to where the photobooth would be set up and kept the printer inside! We also were able to find a tent to use to cover the camera, flash, and (more importantly) the candy. We decided to do a classic photobooth set up – four quick shots in one strip because we thought it would be fun for kids and Halloween. It was funny watching the costumed children try to do four different poses. Some of my favorite costumes of the evening included the hot dog, Robin, and the cereal killer. The Shannon Rose held a costume contest, but it must have been too hard to choose because they ended up giving everyone a prize. Ramsey Rescue’s Trunk or Treat was a great time and we hope to do it again next year. Below are all of our photobooth pics! Enjoy.
Mazel Tov Cheryl
It’s always a pleasure when we are able to photograph the Bima portraits before the actual Bar/Bat Mitzvah day. This way there is much more time and the environment and family is much more relaxed. Luckily we were able to do this for Cheryl’s Bima portrait shoot at Temple Emanuel in Woodcliff Lake, NJ. Temple Emanuel is located at the top of a hill which gave us the opportunity to include beautiful scenery behind some of our images of Cheryl and her family because we were able to capture the great view from the large windows behind the Ark. It was also a very warm and sunny day so we had to take advantage of some great lighting coming through the stained glass windows. There were areas of the stained glass which were purple so it matched Cheryl’s purple colored dress and perfectly coordinated outfits that her family was wearing. The color purple, Cheryl’s favorite, continued into the decorations at the party the next week.
A few weeks before Cheryl’s Bat Mitzvah, the stuffed animals that would be used for decorations at the party had their very own photo shoot at the photography by Sky studio! These beautiful and wonderfully detailed animals are part of Cheryl and her family’s collection which they’ve acquired from all over. A zebra, a gorilla, an elephant, a tiger, a rhinoceros, a giraffe, and many more each had their individual close-up. Our favorite was the pink flamingo, even though it was a little tough getting it to stand up straight. These animals portraits were used on the sign in board and physically as the centerpieces at the party. Cheryl also had multiple portrait shoots of her own at the studio, one in her safari clothes for her sign in board as well, and another in her pretty dresses from the Bat Mitzvah and party. She looked lovely.
It’s not a coincidence that Cheryl’s favorite song is “Roar” by pop artist Katie Perry, because she had herself a wild safari themed Bat Mitzvah party at the Stony Hill Inn. When guests arrived, they wrote personal messages on her sign-in board which featured Cheryl in a leopard print top with a pair of binoculars, gazing at all of her animals pictured around the board. After making her grand entrance to her favorite song, (“Roar”), her family and friends danced and celebrated not only Cheryl’s Bat Mitzvah but also her birthday! The ballroom was decorated with purple and silver balloons to match Cheryl’s dress, and of course zebra balloons as well. The animal theme continued throughout the party, each guest receiving animal printed hats and zebra striped sunglasses. We set up a photobooth for partiers to come and take quick pictures with Cheryl, couples, family and friends, which were placed in fuzzy frames, (including leopard and zebra), for guests to take home as a keepsake. All in all Cheryl’s Bat Mitzvah was GRRRReat!
Vow Renewal Photographs
On a lovely day in August, photography by SKY had the opportunity of photographing the vow renewal ceremony for Martina and Kirkor – what a beautiful couple! They have been longtime clients of photography by SKY because Kat has been photographing their daughter, Lois, for 10+ years. The ceremony was held in a small church in Suffern, NY, which was the sweetest location to renew their vows after 25 years of marriage.
Mazel Tov, Scott!
Scott’s Bar Mitzvah this past June at Temple Beth Haverim Shir Shalom in Mahwah, NJ was a fabulous day for his proud parents. We took Scott’s Bima portraits in the temple before the service began. You can see Mom and Dad beaming at their only son!
Scott incorporated the primary colors (blue, red and yellow) throughout his celebrations as well as a sports theme. After the service, Scott’s family and some friends attended a luncheon at the Saddle River Inn, which was beautiful. The bright colors of spring in June is a lovely backdrop for photographs and outdoor parties. The cocktail hour was held outdoors and everyone enjoyed the special entertainment, including live music, the famous bottle dancers and a magician! After the cocktail hour, the Gurian’s guests enjoyed the rustic space of the Saddle River Inn with tables decorated with sports team themed centerpieces.
Scott also had another party to celebrate with his friends at the Yogi Berra Museum in Little Falls, NJ. The Yogi Berra Museum was a really unique and fun venue for a sports-themed Bar Mitzvah. Scott’s Mom and Dad thought of everything, they even had the entrance full of hot pretzel and hot dog vendors for the guests, just like any good stadium. There were also card games, foosball and air hockey, as well as airbrushed t-shirts!!! The guests could also exit the museum right into the baseball stadium where they could sit and watch a game or just enjoy the weather. We set up a photo booth in front of some old stadium seats and a painting of some baseball players. Scott and all his guest including the adults had fun posing. However, there’s more! There was plenty of Yogi Berra memorabilia and information everywhere to soak in and another room for dancing with a DJ. The finger food they served fit right in with the theme so that the guests could continue playing games and did not have to sit down to eat. My personal favorite was the individual Chinese food containers and the basket of sliders. All in all Scott had a terrific Bar Mitzvah!
Legacy Portraits – Ramsey, NJ Photographer
Our families are never too big or old for a family portrait! What a wonderful gift for the whole family and one that will be cherished for generations to come.
Whether it is a gift for the grandparents:
Or the grandparents are included:
Getting the clan together can be a joyful experience, especially when one has a sense of humor and can laugh through the inevitable tears (mostly from the babies but sometimes from the Dads – lol!)