McAfee's Knob Sunrise Morning Hike

An early morning sunrise hike on the Appalachian Trail just outside of Roanoke, Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains to capture the sunrise at McAfee's Knob. McAfee's Knob is the most photographed location on the Appalachian Trail. Hiking McAfee's Knob is not hard at all. The hike offers two ways up to the top; a fire road of compact dirt and small rocks, and a more rugged trail with roots, big stone steps, and some mud.

blue ridge mountains photography

Hiking with a camera takes some effort. You want to bring your best camera, all of your lenses, a filter or two, and a tripod, but then you realize your hike is 5,8,12,15 mile round trip hike. Packing light when hiking is key. When camping or hiking my outdoor camera setup consists of 1 camera body and 1 lens.

Hiking with a tripod

Although a tripod would’ve been nice on this early morning sunrise hike, it would’ve been heavy and cumbersome to carry. Instead of carrying a tripod for slow exposure shots I always:

• Find a rock to balance my camera on

• Increase my ISO

• Photograph slightly under exposed and increase exposure or shadows in post production

Battery Park NYC Family Photographer

The Best nyc family Photographers are the ones that photograph annual family photos

2020 marked my second year photographing family photos for this Lower Manhattan family. Our annual family photo session always starts with everyone in the apartment and then we take a cab to Battery Park for outdoor family photos, which tend to be more casual. This year we were greeted with perfect mid-September weather and light.

as an nyc family photographer I try to capture what makes your family unique and the amazing place we all call home, NY.

As a family photographer in New York City, I’m always asked where is the best place to take family photos. I personally believe the best location for family photos, especially with younger kids, is a place where everyone is comfortable. It could be the local park (Central Park, Battery Park, Gantry Plaza Park, or the small park down the street) or just on the block where you live.

Family photographers go with the flow

When you go online and see Pinterest or Instagram posts we all get ideas of how we want our family session to look. We also envision how are family session will go, against our better judgement; all smiles under a perfectly blue sky. Well, not everything you see on the internet is true. Most of the time, you just see a highlight reel of the good times, and not the not so fun times. I too was a kid once. In fact, I was really difficult kid.

When photographing younger kids I like to photograph a ton of candid moments. I do give direction throughout the session, but only little suggestions and I never get frustrated when our vision does not go to plan. Letting kids be kids, whether that’s playing or talking to mom and dad as I shoot, is key to having them become comfortable in front of the camera.

Central Park Family Session - The Whitmans

Happy Friday! My early fall family photography session last Friday was a wild success. We had amazing late September lighting at our 5:30pm family session in Central Park NYC. As a NYC family photographer , I have a lot of different options as to where I can photograph and when. Central Park’s West side offers an almost endless list of looks/ feels; Strawberry Fields, Bethesda Fountain, 72nd Street heading West with the sunset.

Photographing families with young kids can be challenging. That’s ok!

Prior to photographing a family session with younger children, I always suggest parents bring the following 2 items.

• The first are snacks. Snacks are a great mood booster for little kids. Sometimes all it takes is some sugar to turn a frown upside. And other times, snacks act as a good-ole-fashioned bribe.

• The second must have item are toys. I love having toys on photoshoots because the best thing a kid can do is play and just be a kid. Not all of our photos have to be posed “look here and smile” type photos. Candids make the best photos!

The Best nyc family photographer is relaxed.

There’s instagram and then there’s reality. Not every pose or idea we have will go to plan, and that’s A-OKAY! 90% of the time, the best photos are the ones we least expected. These are the candid photos of your family being themselves; laughing, giggling, talking to one another, and playing. As an experienced and professional family photographer my best advice is to be comfortable. Forget you’re being photograph and focus on being yourself. It will 110% show in your photos.

Have a good time! :)

Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) Product Photography Shoot

A recent lifestyle and product photoshoot for client Defender Safety capturing Level 1 and Level 3 surgical masks, along with their eye/face protection solutions. On this assignment, my main goal was to photograph the life of a PPE mask from start to finish. The “life cycle” includes everything from the boxes that safely store the masks, how the boxes are opened, the process of how to properly put a mask on, and lastly how/where the masks are used.

product photographers vs lifestyle photographers - What are the differences?

Defender Safety’s facial masks are surgical grade with all of the necessary certifications. Their masks have seen a huge success during COVID19, both for professional usage and civilian life. On this assignment, we staged a medical office and a dental office by bringing in the equipment needed to portray a healthcare setting; stethoscope, lab coat, scrubs, and product. Using ambiguous rooms at North Shore Comprehensive Dentistry this shoot covered a wide gamut of possible healthcare settings.

While I am a Product Photographer for several clients throughout New York, Defender Safety was not interested in having me simply photograph their product. They wanted to show their products in the field being used. Enter Jonathan Heisler the Product Lifestyle Photographer. These images were created for ads and marketing pieces (email, websites, print materials) showing the products in use. For example, some of these photos and scenarios will be used to show step-by-step how to properly wear a face mask.

Upper East Side Hot Fit Group Exercise

Recent shoot for HOT Fit, a group exercise class, which incorporates mixed martial arts (MMA), stretching, and HIIT workouts. Thursday night’s class was held on the Upper East Side at John Jay Park. The goal of this fitness photoshoot was to capture marketing images for Hot Fits’ new website, their social media pages, and promotional material.

I have photographed plenty of fitness classes and fitness shoots for individuals before, but I am no fitness photographer. On this assignment, I tried to capture the instructors fast movements, intensity, and facial expressions, along with the group atmosphere of “group exercise”. Another aspect I needed to capture was Hot Fits’ safety and health precautions around COVID 19. I made sure instructors and attendees always wore their masks when working together and to photograph the instructors wiping down gear after every use.

Some of the photos above show instructors or attendees not wearing masks or social distancing. This was done on purpose, at specific time and with specific people, for 2 main reasons. Reason #1, the precautions are about whatever you’re comfortable with. Reason #2, the photos will be used for a long time and the risks of COVID will soon pass.

Rashad and Sara - Queens Marriage Proposal

Rashad chose Sara’s parents backyard in Queens, NY to propose while visiting from Philadelphia. Prior Sara’s arrival, Rashad decorated the backyard with candles, rose petals, and photos of the two of them. Leading up to his secret proposal, we discussed how I would photograph the moment and how he envisioned proposing.