Bridal Portrait

Here is an example of a wedding “Devin Style!”

If you like weddings that are unique, you will love these photos.  This wedding took place in Virginia.  The motif was a southern lawn party.   Invitations called for attire to be “Southern Sassy.”

The bride was…….my mother in law!

They set up a tent, croquet, mint julips, bananna pudding, all things southern.

Decorations

Wedding cake

The Tent

She made a grand entrance down the staircase to her husband…

The Entrance

The Bride

The Moment

The Ladies sang for the guests….

Wedding singers

All the southern belles wore their finest hats!

The hats

The FAMILY!

Family

Boys

Girls

The party went on into the evening….

The Couple

My girl and her mother

Andrew

Kiss

Cake

Dance

The end

I have been expanding my services.  In addition to family and maternity  photography, I am doing some corporate work.  One client is a hospital.  I am doing executive headshots of some of the doctors.  This image was made in Brooklyn, NY with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background.

I have recently been photographing live music acts at a great spot in Chester, NY named Bodles Opera House.    Here is the response from one of the musicians from a recent show…

hi Devin..great,great work!

There are two shots of me with my bass I’d love to use for my website,(I’d give you credit, a plug..etc,of course)

or just basically because it’s a nice shot of my new bass,which i liked alot.

really cool,man.. will try to mention u to anyone i can,who might need your services, you’re the best i’ve seen,really super work…wow.

thanks again,you are very.very talented..best band shots I’ve seen in a long time..

sincerely,

Kevin Moon

Live Music Photography

Exceptionally romantic at heart, he needed her betrothal to be exquisite.

The Romantic

His version of exquisite was defined by the betrothal itself, not the pomp surrounding it.  She deserved a memory to be cherished for a lifetime.

The scene was set upon a mountaintop.  The ruse elegant and simple.  “Please, meet me and enjoy the sunset together.”

The Scene

The coffee was warm, conversation easy.  The natural back and forth chatting of man and woman.

The romantic  had two tricks with which to surprise her.  One, a joke engagement ring made of fishing line.  The other, his coupe d’grace of exquisite.

He enlisted the services of a photographer to forever preserve the images that were soon to be burned into her memory.  A surprise to last a lifetime.  Hidden out of sight, her betrothal was becoming a keepsake.

The Joke

The photographer recorded the beauty of new love as a silent movie unfolded before him.

The Moment

The Ring

She said yes!

True Love

The Ring!

The Beginning....

Kathy is an interior designer.  She has a new website, and needed photos of herself.  As an artist, she wanted photos that stand out and relect who she is as a person.

She saw my website and felt very connected to what I am doing with my portraiture.  She felt so strongly about it that she travelled two hours each way to come to the studio for her photos.  She brought a friend along for the ride and made a day out of it.  We had a great time!

Here is what she had to say about her photos:

I just love them!! Thank You so much! Now I have a portrait to be proud of.

Here is my personal favorite from the session…

Creative Portraits

Here are some comments from a recent shoot.  We went outside and did some cool shots in the snow.

Pun intended!

Oh my goodness, Devin…I absolutely love these photographs! There have to be at least 10-15 that I love, love, love (which I didn’t think would be possible given how critical I am of myself) and I have no idea how I’m going to narrow it down! I would definitely like to consult with you over the phone after I decide which ones I am most interested in getting. You were right–I feel like these could be in a magazine! (hehe) And I love the emotion that comes across in the pictures. They’re EXACTLY what I was looking and hoping for. THANK YOU!

I’ll be in touch with you within the week to see if we can set up a time to chat a bit.

Gratefully,
Carrie & Brian

Outdoor Maternity Photography

Whenever I get the opportunity to work with other artists, I get excited.  I just worked with a  great group of musicians called Sharp 9.

They needed a band photo for publicity.  I met the leader through a good friend who thought we would work well together.  Boy, was she right!!

I asked the leader to try to describe the feel he wanted with this image.  Here is what he said:   “Emotional, Artistic, seductive undertone, captivating, reconnection with memories, dreams, desires, actualized or not, passionate,confident, assertive, I want to grab people deep in their soul, I want them to surrender to the excitement of their own dreams. maybe people them to reignite them. rekindle their own passion. To engage them in a journey from what was, to what they hoped it would be, to what it still could be.”

I had to do the shoot before a rehearsal in one of the band member’s basement.  Very little space, ELEVEN people, challenging lighting.  I had a vision in my head of what I wanted to do, and….it worked!

Musician Photography

This is what he said after seeing the result:

Devin is the consummate professional. A true artist and visionary, his work speaks for itself. He is more than deserving of my highest praise and gratitude.

Rebecca and her family are terrific.  I really enjoy working with them, and we always get great photos.  One thing I really appreciate about her is that she is very creative and adventurous.

The images below are from their third session.  They are expecting their second baby.  She wanted this maternity session to be more about the FAMILY compared to the first pregnancy which was more about the PARENTS.

I asked her to get some finger paints as preparation for the shoot……

Fun Maternity Portrait

There are two things I try to avoid at all costs:  I never want to give my clients the same old pictures that everyone else does.  I also do not want to give you MY same images.  Every session needs to be unique and special.

Here is Rebecca looking fetching after her makeup job!

Fun Maternity Portrait 2

I had a nice session today with a couple who are expecting their first baby in about four weeks.  We had a great time.

Beautiful maternity portrait

I sent her a sneak peek of one of her images.  (There are even better shots…I never send the best as sneak peeks LOL).  Here is what she had to say…

Awww, this is literally the only shot I have of my belly!!! My sisters and mom love this shot! And I have to say, there’s not a thing on myself that I don’t like, which is shocking! lol

Thank you, I had so much fun too!! You really helped to make me feel comfortable and at ease.

I look forward to seeing the rest!

Michele is an executive coach and owner of Intuaction Coaching.  She needed photos for her website that help to show her approachability and professionalism.  She later told me that she has done professional modeling, and her shoot with me was her favorite of all her photoshoots.

Executive Portraits

You can view another of her images on her website.

Here is what she has to say about her experience with me:

“Devin is an incredibly creative photograher. I highly recommend him to anyone who is seeking to be photographed in a creative, non-traditional way. He makes you feel relaxed and photogenic. The quality of his work is outstanding!”

Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, Creative

I love to make what I call “personality portraits.”  Instead of the typical “studio portrait”,  I give people something that tells the story.

Personality Portrait

This is a portrait of Michael’s portrait.

I was at his home to make a family portrait.  They are a very interesting family, and I spent some time doing portraits of the individuals aslo.

Michael was given a painting of himself by a client, and he wanted a photo of himself with it.

He was thinking side by side mimicking the painting.  I put him profile with no tie to create a subtle difference.

The difference in poses and missing tie give the resulting image something to really look at.  He loved it!

Baby Portrait

What a great shot!  This just might be the most awesomest, bestest, baby photo!

In October, I met a very inspiring individual.

Men's fashion photography

Michael Forde is a designer of custom, made to order men’s suits. Wet met through a common client.

He expressed to me that he was in need of a photographer because the person he had been using moved away.

I thought to myself, What a great opportunity! I have done very little photography with men, so here is a chance to grow, and expand my range.

We have done four shoots together, photographing some of his clients for his portfolio. It looks like we are kindred spirits…we both inspire the other to new levels of creativity and ambition. The images are now with a graphic designer who is putting together a book for us to use as a very elegant portfolio.

Stay tuned - I hope to make it available on the website soon!

My opinion is that a family portrait should increase in value every day.

Your family is your most important thing in life, and your portraits should reflect that.

Artistic, memorable, family portraits, NJ, NYC, CT

Everyone who has seen this image has something to say about how beautiful it is.  What is interesting is that you do not see one face.

Although we did images where we do see their faces, this image stands out because of its VALUE.  It shows the beauty, joy, love at a specific point of time in their lives.  They know who they are - they do not need to see their posed faces with fake smiles.  They need to see the dynamic of their family.

Don’t settle for a family portrait that looks just like everyone else’s.  Get YOUR portrait of YOUR family.

Fangs

I told this client that I think this might be my favorite image of the year!  I laugh every time I see it!

The photoshoot was really centered around creating a family portrait.  They had just moved into a new house and wanted a portrait of the family and dog to use on their cards.  After we got that accomplished, we started having fun in the back yard.

The girls each had a set of fangs, but they could only find one.  So we had to improvise.

To me, the feature of this image that makes it great is the younger sister in the background.  Her FIERCE expression makes this image come alive!  It is an example of how I work on the set.  I DIRECT the set, and make it fun!  Without direction, she would not have been snarling.  Without fun, it would have looked staged.  I intentionally put her out of focus to add dimension to the image.

What a great family!!

I have had the opportunity to work with some very well known people over the past 18 months.

2008 NY Giants Superbowl Ring

As a result, I have made several connections that will help me to continue offering my portrait skills into the celebrity/athlete arena.

In addition to the quality of photography, one thing that truly sets me apart from others is my respect for the privacy of people who need it. I never mention the names of my clients on the website or any other public forum, and I never post images that are intended to be private. I have a confidentiality contract that protects the interests of people who need assurance of privacy.

A couple of people are working with me as agents, helping me to connect further into the market.

I am actively looking to meet and network with agents, publicists, managers, and others interested in creating mutually beneficial arrangements.

If you would like to discuss opportunities, please contact me.

contact@devinphoto.com

I realized that I have never discussed my brand photo - the image you see on the first page of the website.

Brand Photo

This is one of the first newborn images I ever made. Several years ago, I made the decision to pursue the maternity and newborn portrait market. I had several friends who were pregnant at the time, including both of my sister-in-laws. I practiced on all of them, perfecting my technique before bringing it out to the public.

This beautiful image was made in my sister-in-law’s living room. To this day, it continues to be one of my all time favorites.

I have had a lifetime dream to build a log cabin from scratch. This blog describes how that has actually begun to come true!!

Click here to visit the blog and see the whole story!

Devin's Dream

Heart Shaped Baby

This couple is expecting their second child.

They are doing another two session series with me - a maternity session (now with the older sister included), and a newborn session.

We were chatting after the maternity shoot, and they began telling me about this image from their first series. They have gotten some very interesting reactions when people see it printed and framed….

People are actually asking them where they bought the photo! They think that it is a commercial print that was purchased as decoration. It has happened several times to them. Makes them feel great.

The wife told me that she loves this image because, to her, she sees the baby framed in the shadow of a heart between the parents.

I love hearing the reactions and interpretations of my work from my clients.

Not all high school seniors are satisfied with the “cap & gown” photos they get through the school. Some girls (and boys) want photos that stand out, make a statement, and make them proud.

High school senior portraits, NY, NJ, CT

We have done several shoots together. This shot is particularly beautiful. The image was made on a handball court. Notice the intersecting lines that help to frame her. I had a portable strobe to her right, lighting her face from the side. The shot was taken through a chain link fence, giving the sparkles of light on the left of the frame.

Now THIS is a senior portrait!

I had a good time shooting with Michele and Vincenzo. Something about their narrow stairway caught my eye….

Maternity photography at home

I put them in black outfits. Notice how Vincenzo’s black clothes create a backdrop to accentuate her belly.

The single, overexposed light source coming through the door gives a sense of mystery to me. Where are they? What is on the other side of the door? The smile on his face softens the mystery and makes it a happy portrait of an expecting couple. I felt the scene had a “Fellini” feel to it when I was shooting it (not so much of the surreal, fantasy aspect, but the lighting and location…), but Vincenzo’s smile takes the “darkness” right out of it.

“FIVE GENERATIONS!!!”

Well, you don’t get this opportunity every day!

Family portraits, NY, NJ, CT

The couple used me for a mini series - one maternity and one newborn session. We did the maternity session at the beach over the summer. During that shoot, she mentioned to me that her baby would be the fifth generation of women in her family, and she wanted to incorporate that into the newborn session.

She wanted to do some shots that had an “old world Italian” feel. We used a nice table in the kitchen with all of the women sitting around, fussing over the baby for those shots. (Which came out great )

I wanted to try something else also. I wanted to have the women looking stoic with the new baby standing out on her own. I had the women all wearing black dresses looking serious. Great, Great Grandma is holding the baby. The baby in white, with the big smile makes it work.

For me, this is not one of those extremely “artsy” images that makes everyone ooooh and aaaaah, but it is very special because of the five generations, and the feeling it evokes. When we were shooting this scene, the mother was a bit skepitcal about how it would look, but she loved the result when we got the proofs!

Abstract

I put up a facebook page for Devinphoto over the weekend.

Check it out! Become a “fan”! Tell your friends!

This couple contacted me after they had their baby. We are going to do a series of shoots together over her first year, and this was the first session.

newborn, infant, baby, portraits

We got some great shots during the session. At the very end, we were doing some abstract shots with hands. The baby was getting tired, so I called it a wrap. Then, Mom started going after her feet, having a great time.

So, I turned the camera back on and got this terrific image. I hope she likes it!

“NO CLICHES”

I really love this image…

This couple signed up for a mini series. We did a maternity session at the beach, then a newborn session.

During the newborn session, the husband asked for a particular pose. At the wedding, they got a shot of him kissing his wife from the left side. (I didn’t do the wedding…) Then, we got a shot of him kissing his wife’s belly from the left side during the maternity session. So, you guessed it, he asked for a shot of him kissing the baby from the left side…

I said we could do it no problem, but I hate cliches, so I need to figure out a way to do it differently.

I looked around the house and found the huge mirror in the entrance. I put his wife upstairs in a position where we could see her reflection. I lit her face, and positioned him with the baby under the mirror.

To me, this image accomplishes what he asked for, and then a whole lot more. It pulls the entire experience together for him, and his wife looks so ethereal looking down on them.

They have not seen this yet…I hope they love it as much as I do!

No Cliches

This was a really nice session.

When we consulted on the phone prior to the shoot, she told me that she wanted a session with an elegant classy result.

The funny thing about it was how the shoot went. I have some techniques that I use with posing to get the look I am going for, and I could tell that she was not thinking that the way I was getting her to move was consistent with “elegant and classy”. At a couple of points, the expression “hoochie mamma” was used…

HOWEVER, in my opinion, this result is VERY classy, elegant, and beautiful!

I hope she likes it also…..

Maternity portraits

Laura and Joe have TRIPLETS!

I have many clients with multiples, but they are all twins. Laura and Joe are the only clients so far with triplets. Laura originally booked me to do her maternity portraits, but there was not enough time before she went into the hospital. So I went to their home after the babies came and did a newborn session. One of their photos is on my home page.

Like many husbands, Joe was not very excited about doing the photos. He later told me that he has not had great experiences with photographers, and thought that most of their work is boring. After seeing the results of our first session, he has a much different opinion now!

They recently came to my studio for one year portraits. We were all very happy to see each other and had a GREAT session. Laura’s comments are below…

Got them and LOVE THEM!!!! Sending them to Joe right now. He is going to love them so much too!!

Thank you Thank you Thank you!

Portraits of multiples

Interesting Email!

November 6, 2008 by devin · Leave a Comment (Edit)

This is an email a client recently sent me the day she got her proofs and shared them with a coworker. We did a portrait photography session with her son. He is an artist himself, plays guitar and loves to skateboard.

The images captured his interests and personality.

Child portrait

Below is their correspondence back and forth…

This is what I think of your work. Thanks so much - I really appreciate the time you put in with Luke, he had a good time. Looking forward to the next session.

RFM KERRY (9:29:16 PM): i really like what this guy does

New Jersey child photographer

RFM KERRY (9:29:34 PM): check out his wwebsite

RFM KERRY (9:29:41 PM): devinphoto.com

tammi esquire (9:29:45 PM): ok

RFM KERRY (9:30:00 PM): he took unbelievable pics of luke

RFM KERRY (9:30:04 PM): not staged stuff

RFM KERRY (9:30:11 PM): really aewsome

tammi esquire (9:30:37 PM): wow, they’re really awesome

RFM KERRY (9:31:34 PM): i like what he does with light

tammi esquire (9:32:50 PM): wow, his website is really awesome

RFM KERRY (9:33:14 PM): his studio is above an awesome boutique also

RFM KERRY (9:33:30 PM): womens clothing, cool belts, bags, candles

RFM KERRY (9:33:39 PM): not expensive

RFM KERRY (9:34:01 PM): in the spot when luke 1st went to preschool when i moved here

RFM KERRY (9:34:09 PM): montessori in vernon

RFM KERRY (9:34:29 PM): do u want to go there sat?

tammi esquire (9:35:00 PM): ok

tammi esquire (9:35:08 PM): i’m definitely impressed

RFM KERRY (9:35:08 PM): cool

tammi esquire (9:35:18 PM): i can’t stop looking at his pics

RFM KERRY (9:35:32 PM): i really wouldnt have bothered if i didnt think he was REALLY good

—– Original Message —–