“James Bond has a license to kill, rockstars have a license to be outrageous. Rock is about grabbing people’s attention” ~ Gene Simmons

Whenever an opportunity for me to get back into a studio arises, it’s a project I’m excited to take on. Late last year I was contacted by Jennifer Leah Gottlieb, a talented actress, singer, dancer, and model, who was interested in working with me for a rocker chic styled photo shoot. Jennifer also happens to be Miss Box of Junk on “That Metal Show” on VH1 so it was a fun concept to take on as a personal project with Genevieve.

So we set out to plan the shoot, and we were fortunate enough to secure the services of a talented team to get some great images. The credits for all images are as follows, with specifics noted by image:

Photographer: [ david teng photography ]
Talent / Model: Jennifer Leah Gottlieb
Makeup Artist and Wardrobe Stylist: Genevieve
Hair Stylist: Joey Oso
Wardrobe Stylist: Jeanette Converse
Hat Designer: Cara Crass Styling
Production Assistant: Tee Jae
Guitar: Courtesy of Alan Rappaport

Jennifer was a consummate professional, which made her so easy to work with throughout the shoot. The day went by so fast, and we ended up rushing through some of the concepts faster than I would have liked, but overall we were successful in capturing what we set out to get.

And here is Jennifer’s quick video interview that was filmed during our photo shoot by lifestyle & entertainment magazine “New York Pudding”, which chose her as their Pudding Pop of the Week! Congratulations, Jennifer!

Wardrobe Stylist: Genevieve
Waist Cincher and Gloves: Jeanette Converse

Wardrobe Stylist: Genevieve
Waist Cincher and Gloves: Jeanette Converse

Wardrobe Stylist: Genevieve
Waist Cincher and Gloves: Jeanette Converse

Wardrobe Stylist: Jeanette Converse

Wardrobe Stylist: Jeanette Converse

Wardrobe Stylist: Jeanette Converse

Wardrobe Stylist: Jeanette Converse

Wardrobe Stylist: Jeanette Converse

Wardrobe Stylist: Jeanette Converse

Wardrobe Stylist: Jeanette Converse

“Love is not written on paper, for paper can be erased. Nor is it etched on stone, for stone can be broken. But it is inscribed on a heart and there it shall remain forever.”

There’s always a special energy when I am requested to travel for a wedding. It’s the excitement of discovering & exploring new surroundings, intermixed with the joy of capturing the new experiences that await.

Rupal and Anoo’s traditional South Asian/Indian wedding ceremony and reception took place at the Hilton Washington DC/Rockville Hotel in Maryland. As Genevieve & I drove down to DC, I was completely taken with the excitement of capturing their wedding. I adore photographing South Asian/Indian weddings. The explosion of colors and details are like eye candy for my eyes. There are so many details to capture: the vibrant gowns, the intricate henna artistry, the intense jewelry, as well as the significant religious ceremony decorations. But in my opinion, what differs traditional South Asian/Indian wedding from others, besides all the amazingly orchestrated customs and rituals, is the interaction between the two families. There is nothing like seeing two families becoming one in a celebration of music, laughter, joy and most of all, love.

And Rupal and Anoo’s wedding celebration exceeded my expectations. The day started early with the bridal prep. Rupal’s makeup artist, Mala Amin, was extremely talented, and her enthusiasm and professionalism made her a joy to be around. The morning was relaxing and calm, which was perfect because before long it was time for the start of the first of many wonderful ceremonies.

Without a second photographer, my challenge at their wedding was to not only concentrate on documenting this complex flow of events, involving huge groups on the move from one location to another in short time, but to also do so without losing sight of capturing the small tender moments. So even with the tight schedule of the day, I made sure to pull Rupal and Anoo aside for some alone time to savor this unique and special moment of their lives together.

So here is Rupal and Anoo’s love story:

“The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.” ~Thomas Jefferson

This year we decided to offer some holiday family portrait sessions. The concept was a stylized winter wonderland in a silver and white color palette which included a snow-covered floor.

Niya, her husband Tony, her mother, their precious little girl, Alexa & their faithful Shiba Inu, Max, joined us on our set for a little holiday photoshoot and definitely brought their own holiday style. Incorporating Max & the sled for Alexa was such a joy. Here are some highlights. Thanks for coming out, guys!

Santa's little helpers, Alexa & the amazing Max!

What a precious present.

An adorable bundle of sweetness.

Now that's one photogenic family!

That's three generations of lovely women.

Tony's attempt to steal a kiss on camera. Who could blame him?

The official Tweet Button is here!

Greetings, everyone! Genevieve here. I was just browsing through one of my favorite sites Mashable where I chanced upon the following article on HOW TO: Use Tweet Buttons as a Blogger or Site Owner. After reading the full post and the comments, I realized no one had posted any instructions for embedding the official Tweet Button code in a blog page template so I commented (accidentally as David so look for the comments from [ david teng photography ] LOL) on how I was able to achieve this. So here you go!

How to embed Tweet Buttons in an individual post

Edit your Single Post (single.php) file. Copy and paste your customized code from http://twitter.com/goodies/tweetbutton as is where you’d like to place your Tweet Button. It’s that easy.

For those of you who aren’t too familiar with code, a good place to put your Tweet Button near the top of your post is after your post title and before your post content. So you would want to paste the Tweet Button code somewhere between the lines that contain the_title(); and the_content(); tags.

How to embed Tweet Buttons in a blog page template

Generate your Tweet Button code at http://twitter.com/goodies/tweetbutton to your liking. Put some placeholder text for the URL (data-url) and Tweet Text (data-text) options so that the code generator will include those options in the code. To properly tweet 1) the permalink to the individual post instead of the URL of your blog page (for example, www.yoursite.com/blog) and 2) the title of the individual post instead of the title of your blog page, you’ll want to edit your placeholder text as follows:

Edit your Blog Page Template (page-blog.php) and paste your modified Tweet Button code where you’d like to place it. Again, a good place to put the code is somewhere between the lines that contain the_title(); and the_content(); tags if you’d like your Tweet Button to show up near the top after your post title and before your post content.

I hope you all found this helpful!

Amazon.com: Scott Kelby's Book and DVD combo
Photo Recipes Live: Behind the Scenes:
Your Guide to Today’s Most Popular Lighting Techniques

“Ability is of little account without opportunity.” ~Napoleon

One morning last September, I woke up to discover a Facebook message in my inbox from Mr. Scott Kelby asking if I would be interested in assisting him for a book and DVD he’s shooting here in NYC!  [If you don't know who Scott Kelby is, he's currently ranked by Nielsen BookScan as the #1 bestselling author of all computing and technology books as well as the #2 bestselling author of all photography books (after Ansel Adams).] After a moment or two of confusion (and possibly a dance or two in my PJs) I composed myself, checked my calendar, and replied as professionally as I could muster at that time.

The day at Suite 201 (an amazing studio in NYC) was busy and filled with great experiences. Watching Scott rip through 10+ setups in usually in a couple of takes each was simply incredible! The entire Kelby team was a joy to work with as we spent plenty of time laughing between tapings. Watching Scott break down those lighting setups on camera was great because he does it so easily. He’s just a great teacher.

The entire experience just reminded me how much I love being in the studio. It doesn’t even matter if I’m shooting or just assisting. There’s something captivating about being part of a collaboration of creatives working towards a common goal. The challenge of working with the technical to achieve the artistic is so alluring.

The Photo Recipes Live: Behind the Scenes: Your Guide to Today’s Most Popular Lighting Techniques Book and DVD combo was released back in December. It’s a great pick up if you have some light experience with studio lights and want to add some setups to your arsenal. There’s also some great recommendations for some gear that I picked up after watching Scott use them.

iTunes.com: Scott Kelby's iPhone and iPad App
Photo Recipes Live: Behind the Scenes: Your Guide to Today's Most Popular Lighting Techniques

Now Mr. Kelby has released his new companion iPhone and iPad app: Photo Recipes Live:  Behind the Scenes:  Your Guide to Today’s Most Popular Lighting Techniques. With this app you can take all of Scott’s techniques and setups from the book and DVD with you on location on your iPhone or iPad. The app is a whopping 1.3GB, but at $9.99, it’s a steal for the amount of information that is given. I’m definitely looking forward to future apps from the Kelby team.

And here’s a review on the new app from Adobe’s Worldwide Creative Suite Design Evangelist and bestselling technology author Terry White!

“If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle.” ~Vincent van Gogh

Please meet Aaron!  This bundle of innocence was a joy to be around. It was supposed to be a pure newborn shoot, but I couldn’t help but include the proud parents. 

Of all the forms of photography I’ve experienced, I have to admit that there is something very uniquely special about capturing the expressions of a newborn.  Maybe it’s the utter cuteness with every move or just the simple joy of exploration in every gaze.  Aaron definitely reminded me to always explore in the same way every time I’m behind the lens.

Introducing Aaron!

Chubby cheeks!

Superman!

GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLL!

Striking the pose.

My favorite capture of the series.

A quiet moment.

I think Aaron knows how irresistible he is.

The colors just pop in this one.

I saw this Buffalo at their home and knew right away I had to shoot Aaron on it.

Baby foot!

“Why people used to go to clubs was to have a great time and to forget their troubles and worries and stresses of the week and enjoy themselves and I think that the music was a huge, important part of that” ~Paul Oakenfold

Networking with other professionals plays an important and essential part of my life, professionally and personally. I enjoy it so much more as a photographer because it brings me in contact with such amazingly creative and talented individuals. DJ Amlan (and the entire crew at DJ Raj Entertainment) is a perfect example of this.

I met DJ Amlan a couple of years ago working the same event I was covering. I could tell right away he knew what it takes to get a crowd going. But what sets DJ Amlan and his crew apart in my opinion is their attention to creating the atmosphere with a combination of sound, lighting and an even a little danger (confetti explosions and even fireworks). It’s easy to rock the reception shots when they’ve been hired. That’s saying a lot.

Venue: Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson, Jersey City, NJ

DJ Amlan doing what he does best

The custom display for Alpha Phi

I wish every event I cover had LED up-lighting

Crowd shot during the confetti canon firing

DJ Amlan & DJ Raj

I had to get on top of chair in the middle of the dance floor to get this shot

Love all the technology DJs get to play with

Who can turn down a music request from a couple of beautiful women?

New intern?

I couldn’t turn down taking a quick image either

The crew at DJ Raj Entertainment