This is Sam Tsui doing one of the most phenomenal covers I’ve ever heard (and it just happens to be a cover of one of my all-time favorite songs). The video is pretty cool too. Check it out; this guy has got some serious talent!
Kuba & Rachel: Wedding in Philadelphia, PA
On Sunday, I had the honor of photographing Kuba & Rachel’s wedding at the beautiful Morris House Hotel in Philadelphia. I started checking the weather forecast about a week before the wedding and there were nothing but thunderstorms predicted for Sunday. I was hoping against hope that the weather would turn around, and sure enough, it did. Things cleared up just in time for their evening ceremony and it was a beautiful event.
I had to post this photo of Rachel’s stunning hair. I mean, just look at it! It’s gorgeous! And I LOVE the vintage hair ornament. I love hair ornaments in general, but this one was particularly lovely.
And then there are the flowers. I really like this type of loose, un-fussy arrangement. And do you see the passion flowers? How appropriate for a wedding. :-) I took this image while Rachel sat in the bridal chair, waiting for Kuba to come and veil her.
And here’s Kuba coming around the corner, seeing his beautiful bride-to-be for the very first time. I think he looks quite happy, don’t you?
Kuba places the veil over Rachel’s head. Just look at her expression. If you want to know what love looks like, here it is. I have to admit, my eyes got a bit glossy while I was photographing this (shhhhhh). It’s really hard not to get caught up in the joy and beauty of the moment.
Getting ready to sign the Ketubah.
And just look at the intricate artwork of the Ketubah. It was difficult to capture with a photograph, but it was absolutely gorgeous. A true work of art.
Signing the Ketubah.
And now it’s time for the ceremony! Rachel’s father walked her down the aisle to an absolutely beautiful song. I’m not sure what it was called - I’ll have to ask Rachel (after, of course, she’s had plenty of time to recover from the wedding).
Rachel walking the seven circles around Kuba.
First kiss as husband and wife!
First dance. Let me tell you, these two could give Fred and Ginger a run for their money!
Hava Nagila! This was quite possibly the most enthusiastic dancing I’ve ever seen. Those chairs bounced around for quite a long time (and then again with Rachel’s parents and Kuba’s parents). I felt exhausted afterward and I wasn’t even dancing!
The cake! Mmmm… one of the best perks about photographing weddings is getting to sample the cake at the end of the night. I love cake!
Rachel and Kuba, thank you so much for allowing me the privelage of photographing your wedding. It was such a beautiful day and I feel very honored to have been a small part of it. You are both so very fortunate to have one another and so many wonderful friends and family. I wish you all the happiness the world has to offer as you begin your new lives together as husband and wife.
Don’t worry Rachel, your photos will all be in vibrant color - this black and white one is for me. I had to get at least one in here. 
Rufus
This is my cat Rufus. I adopted him from KittyKind in March and he joined Stella (who will have her own post later) here in her little Park Slope kingdom.
Rufus is very laid back and easygoing and he LOVES attention. It’s one of the first things I noticed about him at the shelter. He was a stray kitty in Brooklyn who decided to follow someone home one day. That someone couldn’t resist those big, sweet eyes of his and very generously took him in and brought him to the shelter, where he charmed his way into the hearts of many of the shelter volunteers. When I was certain that I wanted to adopt a second cat, I headed to the shelter to visit the many wonderful cats there and to decide on the right cat to bring home with me. I visited the shelter with a few friends of mine who were visiting from out of town. There were so many wonderful kitties there, but as soon as I spotted Rufus, I was certain that he was the one for me. I wasn’t in a position to adopt him and bring him home that night, so I went home and hoped that he’d still be there in a few days after my guests headed home and things got back to normal at home. Sure enough, when I went back a few days later, Rufus was still there; it was just meant to be. One of the adoption specialists opened his cage and when I reached in to pet him, he immediately rolled onto his back and began to purr. I petted his belly for a bit and when we were both comfortable with one another, I filled out the paperwork, paid the adoption fee and and agreed to come back first thing the next morning to bring him home with me.
I took care of everything that need to be set up at home (setting up a litter box and food and water dishes and a bed for him in his own room, where he could settle in and he and Stella could take a few days getting used to each other), then I grabbed my SleepyPod and headed to the shelter to bring him home. The volunteers were all a little sad to see him go, but happy that he’d finally be out of his tiny cage and have his “forever home”. I brought him home on the subway and he meowed his little lungs out the entire time. He also commanded a lot of “awwwwwwws” from passersby. It took a while for Rufus and Stella to get used to each other, in fact, it’s a process they’re still working through, but they have their moments when they curl up next to each other and act like the best of friends. Then, of course, they usually proceed to bite, punch, bunnykick and tackle each other. Typical sibling behavior, really.
Rufus is extremely curious and must investigate every single thing in the apartment. And then re-investigate it. He follows me around everywhere and talks his little heart out to me. He sleeps by my feet and then crawls on my head every morning around 5:00. He’s jumped onto my keyboard no less than four times since I began typing this and he’s knocked lamps, vases, candlesticks and bowls off of every surface they’ve been placed upon. He knocked a glass off of the dishrack in the kitchen the other night while I was sleeping and then proceeded to bat around the broken chunks (I never said he was smart). He is constantly trying to engage Stella in wrestling matches and games of tag, but she’s usually not terribly interested. He loves to sit in the windowsill and chirp at the birds who hang out on the fire escape. He also loves furry and feathery cat toys, especially if they are small enough to bat under the fridge. And he LOVES to gnaw on cardboard. Every time I receive a package in the mail, he is nearly beside himself with glee with the possibility of sinking his teeth into the shipping box.
I love this little guy more than I can express and I wanted to introduce him to you. Internet, meet Rufus.
Ava
On Saturday, I headed to the upper west side for a fun shoot with beautiful little Ava.
Isn’t she adorable?
It was such a beautiful day, that we decided to head out to Riverside Park to enjoy the weather. I think Ava was more interested in her mom’s sunglasses than anything else. Who knew shades were so delicious?
Mom and dad were prepared and brought along some bubbles. Ava LOVED the bubbles (I did too)!
Mom, Dad and Ava had fun playing in the shade of a large tree. It was a beautiful way to spend a morning.
Thanks, Adam and Nina, for letting me spend time with you and your lovely little Ava.
Kuba & Rachel
I had a fantastic shoot today with Kuba & Rachel, who came up from Philadelphia. We walked around SoHo and then headed up to beautiful Fort Tryon Park. They are both so much fun and we had such a great time. I can’t wait to shoot their wedding in Philadelphia next month!
by Sherri
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