A Thank You Video from Us to You! Enjoy!

November is National Adoption Awareness Month

If you didn't already know November is National Adoption Awareness Month, and Photo Phrame Photography and family are very excited to be donating our time, energy and talent to Bethany Christian Services, a not-for-profit Adoption Agency that puts children and family first every time.

We have decided to take on this journey with Bethany because (YES), it is for a great cause, but also because adoption is very close to our hearts and our family. Our son, Eli, is now 3 years old and was adopted at just 10 days old out of  NYC. Our family has been blessed with a trove of good fortune. but most importantly we never would have been able to love a child without the overwhelming help, support and incredibly hard work Bethany Christian Services of Latham NY (Albany Branch) has done for us. 

Since Thanksgiving and the entire month of November is the Month of Giving. We are proud to be finally giving back what we can to an agency that has made our family whole. 

See it in your hearts to give a little and we will do the same. 

Family is everything in life as well in our business of Photography. Stand with us and help us make Bethany Christian Services Albany Branch thrive to help other families this holiday season and beyond.

Andrea and Dillon's Wedding in Old Historic Kingston

An amazing thing had happened in Old Historic Kingston, NY..

The beautiful Andrea married the in-conquerable Dillon Kelly.

I loved shooting at the Historic Downtown area, whether it was at a Bed abd Breakfast down the road, at the church, or in the cemetery...

 it was all very beautiful..

I couldn't have asked for a better couple and a better day. As a Photographer, we all hope and pray to have great people like Andrea and Dillon to photograph. To be apart of their day was truly something special.

Big thanks to the Kelly and Amelio Family.

Trash the Dress Session with Lisa, Nisr and Tex.

We had the distinct honor and privilege of shooting a "Trash the Dress" session with Lisa and her 2 horses Nisr and Tex.  It was a wonderfully exciting shoot because it was our first foray into capturing horses and their riders/ owners professionally. It was quite a challenge because the lighting and horses were entirely unpredictable; something in part we hadn't really anticipated, but adapted very quickly.
Below you will see a great collection of images we have chosen that we feel really define these amazing moments between animal and human.

"Trash the dress" sessions have been always a niche obsession for brides in our area, but certainly are a main stream obsession for us, as we love doing them! So if you are a Bride looking to "trash" your wedding gown for the sake of an incredible experience and amazing imagery. Give us a call, Lets create a story and a list of images that you would want to show off for a lifetime.

If you are a rancher, farmer, horse owner or rider and would like us to capture your day with your Filly, Mare, Stallion or Colt. :-) I am certain we can create an experience you will remember with images to match.

Smart Phone Etiquette for Weddings... Part 1

I've had wedding couples come to me at the very end of our first consult and ask me, "Will our guests with smart phones and iphone's make our images look bad?"
I thought to myself "Now that's a loaded question."
And here is what some photographers might believe...
Professionally speaking (if I was a control freak), I'd say... "Anyone with an iphone, smartphone, camera phone, camcorder, regular camera can throw off the aesthetic and appeal and over all quality of the image (particularly if the flash and LED's go popping off."
Luckily for all my amazing couples I am not a control freak and.... I couldn't disagree with this above statement more.
Here is why I disagree...

Out of the nearly hundreds of thousands of images I've taken with a person holding a camera phone, you may or may not get 1 or 2 "distracting" images between 2 different weddings captured and nearly 3000 images shot. That rather low ratio of distracting images (with a camera phone), is so meager in quantity... that it is hardly bother.. let alone a distracting quality.

So here is another question. Why even create a Blog about it, if its such a measly little problem?
 Because I was recently approached by a photographer who ranted to me (seeking to find me in agreement) about all these guests who jump in their way and spoil a wonderful shot or moment captured.
Simply put, I had politely disagreed with them, and told them that "on the contrary, Smartphones and people using them can enhance the ambiance and composition of an image."

The ranting Photographer balked and gave me a look as though he was wrong.
Well.... he was, in my opinion.

When I compose my wedding images I look to the audience and guests of the wedding for any kind of participation I can find. After all, my couples getting married are Rock Stars (at least for the day) and deserve to be showered in praise, love, respect, admiration and lights; lot's and lots of lights!
Take a look at the picture below.
A wonderful image of a couple just recently married. Its a nice image... its sweet and tender.

Now look at this image below...
Its the same image, but now we have a story being told. We have a moment that can not be replicated or artificially created. Now the couple in this image are truly Rock Stars for a day.

The image shown above provides an additional layered  secondary subject that amplifies the moment. The same could be said for the image posted below...

Without that excitement (a.k.a: young women with the Camera Phone) displayed in this image... the image would show another beautiful bride walking down the aisle.  Its so much more than that.
Weddings are more than a spiritual and religious ceremony. It is a celebratory moment in time where family friends and even the occasional Wedding Crasher can unite and in their own way to show the Bride and Groom how much they appreciate witnessing this day.
So the next time a Wedding Professional discredits or discount the fact that camera phones can distract from the overall image. You all can show them this blog and prove them wrong.
Wedding couples, camera phone junkies and fanatics rejoice! You've heard it here first. :-)

Part 2 of this series coming soon...

Congratulations to Katie and Robert...

I had the pleasure of meeting Katie at a Bridal Show. Of course during those brief periods of time it feels more like a sales pitch than someone getting to know you better or vice versa.
but I still felt that connection to this couple.
My business is built on solid connections with perfect strangers... and well... this was a perfect situation.
Below you will find a small sneak peak of Katie and Roberts Wedding at the Mohawk River Country Club, a venue I frequently photograph for weddings more than any other.
Lots of love to you Katie and Robert.... and I promise more great stuff is here to come! Soon!.

Wedding Season is in Full Force for the Summer of 2013

Although weddings are typically sought or found in the fall now days, we still see brave bridal couples book their wedding dates for the summertime. This means high possibilities of rain, lots of sun, humidity and high heat.
I wish I could go into greater detail about each couple and how amazing our time was together, but jumping into this wedding season with both feet has me busier than expected (thank heavens for that). Here is a small sneak peak of 3 Weddings we've had over these past 2 months or so... enjoy the visual feast.... we LOVED every single one of our couples seen here!

The Big Easy...

Yes we usually post images of our business and our clients here... but today here are a few images of New Orleans (The Big Easy)... where everything isn't quite what it seems and everything is exactly what they tell you!  Enjoy everyone!

Who Says Lightning Can't Strike Twice!

Ok Everybody, I am getting personal here. WARNING! :-)

As much as we'd all like to believe (perhaps even hope) that our first marriage will be our long lasting and our best; thats not always what happens.
Case and Point....
Meet Cherie and Dennis.
I had the opportunity to meet them through a referral from Diane's Floral Design's my mother's floral business.
First off, in my business you can never know what to expect from anyone just by meeting them the first time. But my initial feeling was (even before the wedding), These guys are forever.
This was their second marriage and in my humbled opinion... the best marriage between 2 people and 2 families. They are so meant for each other, and I love to see that in all weddings that I have the honor of Photographing.
To you Cherie and Dennis, your entire family and friends, your wedding images are nearly complete... look for a link to your photo gallery over the weekend in your email. All of you were so wonderful to work with.
In the end, first marriage or second marriage.... it doesn't matter, because Its long lasting. Its enduring, Its Love. From my family to yours....

God Bless!
Tom Bryant and all of the Photo Phrame Photography staff and family!

If you'd like to know more about Photo Phrame Photograhy and how we can provide a Beautiful Fun Experience at your next wedding and event.... check us out on www.ph3pix.com  or even like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Photo-Phrame-Photography/108854445848214