CT Wedding Photographer Val Nanovsky

Hey there everyone,

Today I am posting something slightly different from my usual blog stuff. As some of you might know, I spent the New Year holidays in Bulgaria. There, along with Photo Forum (photo-forum.net) we put together a two-day seminar on wedding photography business and creativity in wedding photography.

The first day was strictly about photography business. The second day the topic was a little more about creativity and using a number of tricks  to win the hearts of our brides on the spot. The photos below demonstrate some of the basic concepts we talked about. I am very happy with the way they came out, and thought I’d share some of them with you.

• How to play with color, lines, shapes and design – and generate emotion;
• Isolating the subject from the background in less than perfect environments such as those brides often get ready in;
• Brainstorming and generating cool ideas;
• Clean visual communication of those ideas;
• Using inexpensive or free props to transform our photos into true works of art;
• Creating and manipulating a sense of space;
• Workflow and artistic editing tricks;
• Creating something out of nothing, otherwise known as the “Paint from Fart” concept. …Yeah, I know :)

We had a gorgeous model – Ina – who did a phenomenal job – from A to Z. KUDOS Ina, can’t tell you how happy I am we met. Can’t wait to work with you again! …on to the results:

I am currently working on a document discussing how each concept applies to every photo. It will be a good reminder of everything we talked about, something worth keeping and using in your photography on a daily basis. Along with the seminar presentation, each participant will get a copy of that document too. Yay!

Needless to say, I had an absolute blast at the seminar, and hope everybody enjoyed it as much as I did. It was a true honor and pleasure to be with you – you guys totally ROCK!!!

Cheerz, and stay in touch,

- Your Pal Val

a.k.a. Valdorama CT Wedding Photographers

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Hi everyone,

Just like last year, we are putting together an Earth Day Landscape Photo Contest, and this year it is getting even bigger!

April 22 is the official Earth Day, and all that counts is your participation. You don’t need to be a pro or even an avid enthusiast to participate. Valdorama encourages EVERYONE to take part. It’s FUN and it’s EASY (just email me your photos). It will be a wonderful opportunity to raise more awareness about what is happening to our planet – especially in the light of the nuclear tragedy in Japan. By sharing our images  we’ll generate more appreciation and show everybody how beautiful our planet is.

The winner will be getting a Valdorama GREEN artistic outdoor portrait session – for you, your loved ones, your kids, family or friends! The best part: it’s ON ME!

HERE’S HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS:

* There is no charge to participate. The contest is open and FREE to all residents of Connecticut (CT), Massachusetts (MA),  NYC and Rhode Island (RI);

* Send your images to valdoramaphoto@yahoo.com 
The subject should be “Earth Day Photo Contest”;

* You can submit up to 3 (three) landscape photographs;

* You need to be the author of the photo and be able to prove authorship;

* Images should depict wild places with no traces of human activity. Flora and fauna are acceptable, as long as the subject is wild, and not domesticated;

* There are NO constraints as to which season / which year your images are taken – give me your best shots of all time;

* Physical size – up to 1024 x 768 px, @72 dpi;

* File format: JPEG or PNG;

* It is OK to watermark your images should you feel the need for that;

* Images will be judged based on 4 main factors:

1. Originality,
2. Impact,
3. Composition,
4. Technical execution;

* Results will be announced on this blog on Tuesday, April 26th;

* This year we’ll be having ALL HONORABLE MENTIONS ONLINE displayed in a gallery on this blog, along with the winners
(make sure you are OK with having your images posted online before submitting);

* If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment (below) or send me an email at valdoramaphoto@yahoo.com

GOOD LUCK TO ALL PARTICIPANTS, and I am looking forward to your beautiful landscapes!

- Valdorama CT Wedding Photographers,
a.k.a. Your Pal Val

Hey folks,

As you can tell from the photos below, Lauren  is a beautiful young lady with a ton of charm and hot Southern temper.

Recently she approached me with the idea to start working on a modeling portfolio for her. It had to be simple, clean, and focus on some of Lauren’s best sides to help her apply for future jobs in the modeling industry. We got together at my studio in Vernon CT, and boy, we had so much fun! Lauren was soooo cute in the outfits she had on, and one thing in particular that I became a big fan of – that killer red dress. Let me tell ya… it took my breath away!

And last, but definitely NOT least, I wanted to give my credits to the fabulous Naomi Martinez & team (www.salonnaomi.com), who did an absolutely amazing  job with the makeup. Thanks so much guys, you were fabulous – as always! We banged out some shots we are truly proud of!

Check ‘em out & leave some love.

See you around,

Your Pal Val

a.k.a. Valdorama CT Wedding Photographers

This past summer I had the opportunity to help a very good friend of mine – Danny Kash – with a wedding he was shooting down in NJ/NYC.  Danny asked me to photograph everything that was happening away from him while he was concentrated on the bride and the groom. After the main ceremony the whole bridal party along with some of the guests headed to Liberty State Park in NJ for a fresh breath of ocean breeze in the hot day.

While Danny was doing his magic with our newlyweds, I started photographing everybody else – family, friends, guests …until I came across Anya. The moment I lifted the camera and started shooting, I instantly knew this was going to be a bit different from most other sessions I’ve had. Anya was easily one of the most beautiful bridesmaids I’ve seen …period. And with somebody like that it really didn’t take long to produce the results you see below.

There is not much to be said from this point on… other than what I am talking about is defined in the thick photography books as a pure serendipity – an amazing girl, great light and colors, the perfect amount of wind for that extra glam touch, and the classic New York City skyline in the background. Boy, what can I say…

Here we go:

The Color:

The B/W:

Have fun,

Val

Boutique Photography for Special People by Valdorama CT Wedding Photographers

Hey Folks,

Valley Falls Park in Vernon CT is a beautiful place, easily accessible from anywhere in CT. The park has great trails, and amazing rock formations up the hill. In the winter there are huge icicles all over the place, and that just begs to be photographed. I’ve had a couple of engagement sessions in the area. When Sarah and Jimmy recently approached me, Valley Falls Park was the obvious choice.

I’ve known them as a couple for not too long.  But there was something magical going on with them. The moment I picked the camera and snapped the first few of photos, it felt like I was photographing two old friends. Everything started flowing so smoothly and nicely right from the start. We got right into creative mode. Angles, light, different little places around the area – you name it – and Sarah and Jimmy were so totally amazing. After a while we totally lost idea how late it had gotten – until something amazing happened in the dark. One of my flashes ran out of juice, misfired and left only Jimmy & Sarah’s backlit silhouettes. When we saw the image in camera we were… totally blown away! I had never had such a beautiful serendipity.

Every once in a while these things happen, I guess. And when they do, they are truly magical. This shot is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorites. Check it out below – image #10.

Cheers Jimmy & Sarah – for such an amazing photo session. And thank you so much for picking me to be your photographer. You guys ROCK!

Val

Valdorama CT Wedding Photographers

Hey folks,

I’ve got something really exciting for you this time. It starts with a well-known green wedding business in Boston, MA, called SEAMS and specializing in custom hand made bridal fashion. Through the use of natural fibers and organic materials they can make your dream wedding dress a reality for you. Their owner, Harper Della-Piana has created costumes for Batman Forever, Spin City, Saturday Night Live, and The Late Show with David Letterman, Martha Stewart Living Magazine, Victoria’s Secret, Max Factor, among others …WOW!

I was recently approached by Harper with the idea to photograph some of her latest creations, two British Royal-themed bridal dresses. To the already off-the-beaten-path idea we added some punk-rock flavor, threw in a bit of snowy New England outdoor charm, and boy, what a TOTAL BLAST we had taking the actual photos!

The team was joined by Amanda Wilkes with her make up magic, and man, what an amazing job she did… absolutely breathtaking. Brides, don’t forget to check out the contact info below. Amanda is a HOT HOT HOT ticket!

There are models, and then there is Miss Q. What can I say… I can’t really say much, lol :) From the very beginning to the very end… so many creative directions, and so many reincarnations… she nailed absolutely every single one of them. With a bang. I am so happy to get to know her. And from my perspective now, I really couldn’t think of a better person for something like this. Miss Q ROCKS! Hats off.

…Enough talk. Time to see the goodies. Here we go:

THE PREPARATIONS

THE PORTRAITS

THE ROYAL DRESS

THE BLACK & WHITES

THE BLUES… LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN… HERE WE COME

Here’s some contact info for you. Psssssst! It’s TOP SECRET! Have fun ;)

SEAMS:
1.978.473.3398
http://seamstheshop.com

Amanda Wilkes | Makeup Artist:
1.781.662.5204
http://www.styleseat.com/amandawilkes?referrer=fbshare&image=16767

Amen.

See you around,

- Your Pal Val (a.k.a. CT Wedding Photographer Val Nanovsky)

Hi everyone,

Today I wanted to introduce a little angel to you, named Gracie. She is such a cute girl from New Jersey who gave me a hundred and fifty percent of herself in front of the lens and had such a blast posing and smiling for me.

…She would pose for about 15 seconds and then come to me every single time to see how she looks on the camera LCD… how cute! We had tons of fun exploring different situations and outfits in the studio, and I feel so humbled and honored to have the opportunity to photograph her and bring smiles and warmth to her family for the Christmas holidays. Huge thanks to her parents for helping me out with making Gracie smile and do so many wonderful things for me. You guys were fantastic!

Enjoy,

Peace & Blessings,

Val

/Your CT Portrait Photographer/