CT Wedding Photographer Val Nanovsky

Meet Grace Mahoney of Blushing Brides. An absolutely amazing  hair and make-up artist from Boston. Grace and I recently met and had this great conversation about doing a photo shoot together. It had to be something different though, something aside from what each of us has done recently, something that would definitely stand out. It had to be hot. Sensual. Timeless. Classic. Victorian. Fairy Tale… Wedding…. There you go!

…And after quick a morning session around my house here we are, at the City Hall in Hartford, several months from the initial conversation, along with our stunningly beautiful model Marisa and the out of this world dresses that Jess Watcke from Bliss Bridal in Cheshire, CT so graciously provided us with.  Needless to say, every single person absolutely ROCKED this shoot, and I am so so happy and blessed to work with such amazing professionals.

Grace did her magic early in the morning – spot on, and exactly how we imagined it to be. Marisa sparkled like a fairy all the way from A to Z, and handled the heat of the day (boy, it was really hot) like a true soldier. What can I say about our dresses…. they were simply magical… …amen!

….This is a tiny bit of what came out of the camera. Enjoy.

How we started:

Where we ended:

If you are interested in hiring these truly talented professionals for your wedding day, here’s how you can find them:

Grace:
http://blushingbridesboston.com/

Jess:
http://blissbridalct.com/

Marisa:
https://www.facebook.com/marisa.barnard

Stay tuned, and I’ll see you around,

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

Hi Everyone,

This post is going to be slightly different from my usual wedding photography ranting. Along with Stop & Shop, JJ Promotions, Quest, to name a few, Valdorama recently sponsored a wonderful group of Braeburn Elementary School kids led by Pickard Chilton Architects and united around the idea to help the victims of the destructive Haiti earthquake. The effort was a part of the Canstruction event hosted at the CT Science Center. I was there to cover the event and take photos of the entire process of building a ship using only one material – cans.

Needless to say, it was totally breathtaking to watch these kids working so hard and pouring their heart and soul into what they were doing. The result was nothing short of phenomenal. Check it out for yourself:

Everything has been happening so fast lately and I never had a chance to upload the pictures from my planned and unplanned European trip. The following galleries contain a small part of these photos and will give you a rough idea what I saw through the lens. Enjoy.

The Eiffel Tower through a fisheye lens, some time around midnight:

La Pedrera from below – Barcelona, Spain:

(continue reading…)

Last night was a memorable one.  I won first place in the “Non-Fauna” category at the yearly Charter Oak Photographic Society (COPS) contest. The second place in that category was also awarded to an image of mine.

To be honest, I never expected these awards, because this year I chose to be not so competitive, be true to myself and submit only what I, not the judges, really like. Obviously that paid off.

Cheers, everyone! Thank you so much for the inspiration, encouragement, for keeping me keeping on and being there for me. This one is for all of you too.

Here are the goodies in question:

First Place (You can view an enlarged version of this image along with the rest of the photos from that NYC fisheye series  HERE.)

Manhattan

Runner Up (Second Place):

Engulfed in Silence - pt. II

The Award

Bulgaria is among the countries in the world with the richest cultural heritage. A big part of that heritage is clearly visible in the traditional architectural style that still graces many cities. This is the next round of images from my Bulgarian slide saga. I hope you enjoy it.

This is the second installment of my NYC fisheye Christmas saga.  I don’t have as many photos this time, but these are definitely worth seeing.

I have an interesting story about the spot where I shot these images. Apparently it is a popular location for wedding photography -  I have seen so many great wedding shots taken there. I always knew this place existed somewhere.  At the end of our day trip to Manhattan we had some extra time and decided to give it a shot and look for it and with some more persistence (and  some luck ;-)  ) we found it.

The place turned out to be a fairly large dock where you can relax, watch Manhattan on the other side of the river and enjoy yourself. And the view…  breathtaking. I can only imagine what a spectacle this turns into on a warm summer night.

One thing is for sure – when I do a wedding in New York City, this will definitely be a spot on the list.

Pictured here are the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges along with the Southern portion of Manhattan. If you look closely, the Statue of Liberty can be seen as a tiny green dot in some photos. Happy browsing.

A very good friend of mine owns and manages this fine Italian Cafe in Prospect CT. I recently did this photo shoot for him. The photos will be used mostly for advertising purposes. I don’t know about you, but I am on my way there for a nice Italian Gelato and may be a Cappuccino right after I post this. Yum!