Art Museum Wedding

Art Museum Wedding – Nathan and Jeannette

Nathan and Jeannette held their wedding at the Decordova Art Museum. This was certainly apt as Jeannette is a talented artist. Meaningful details revealed themselves at every corner as the day unfolded. I will try to list them, but I know there are many that will elude me… I feel as if I got to know the two better through the intelligence of the decisions they made in planning their wedding. They met when they were teachers, so their wedding favor was a triad of pencils inscribed with a quiet and gorgeous fragment form a Walt Whitman poem, “There we two, content, happy in being together, speaking little, perhaps not a word.” On the wedding altar was placed a table occupied by a bonsai tree into which Nathan had poured his attention and love for more than a decade, and succulents belonging to Jeannette’s mother. Nathan’s father donned three outfits as the day progressed, a suit for getting ready, his vestments to officiate the wedding, and a tux to celebrate. Not only did Nathan’s mother make the cake, and enough ice cream cake to feed all the wedding guests, but she commissioned a sculptor to make a cake-topper depicting Nathan and Jeannette’s three dogs. The florals were exquisite, almost avant-garde in places, perfect for an art museum wedding. Jeannette’s dress was at the same time elegant and sculptural. There were many moments where it inflected the art on the museum walls. Thanks again, Jeannette and Nathan, for having me make art about your wedding!

printed pencil wedding favors

Venue : deCordova Art Museum
Dress : Amsale
Florist : Hanaya Floral Design
Makeup : Christie Torres
DJ and/or band : Fine Tune Entertainment, Joe Kaszuba
Cake : Rachel Coppersmith
Catering : Swartz Catering
Invitations : DWRI Letterpress

Garden Wedding – Maggie & August

Maggie and August’s wedding day was one of those days that stretches on, blissfully, for years instead of hours. The confidence, the comfort, the certainty of their love put us all at ease, meaning us humans, me included.

Bay area garden wedding at the gate

bay area documentary wedding photographer

Waiting for his bride first look

Shoulder tap first look wedding

Bay area first look wedding

casual and elegant black tie bridal party

vanity fair wedding party photos hazelphoto

light airy bride smiling

A bamboo arch for wedding decoration

san francisco brenizer wedding portrait

Sausalito Woman’s Club Wedding

Sausalito Woman’s Club Wedding – Deena & Jason

The lovely Alexandrina Owens brought me on as a second for Deena & Jason’s Sausalito Woman’s Club Wedding. Deena and Jason were laid back and overjoyed to be marrying each other. A few highlights: the weather kept changing, with direct sun and fog chasing each other through the valley which made for some exciting, and dynamic portraits. Don’t miss the parental fist pump in the recessional. The Sausalito Woman’s Club is perched on a hill with the most delightful view of the docks and the bay. The building is full of history including an incredible mural in a very tight space, that just has to be seen in person. I had seen a paella that would not fit through my aunt’s door and had to be carried on an angle, but I had never ever seen a paella quite as large as this one. There was a puppy chasing a boy with a cupcake. It’s hard to ask for much more than that.

Why You Don’t Need A Wedding Photographer

Why You Don’t Need

A Wedding Photographer

Welcome to my blog post about why you don’t need a wedding photographer. You are probably thinking, “Wait a minute, Paul! You are a wedding photographer. You run a wedding photography business called Hazel Photo. Why would you tell anybody why they don’t need you?” There are a few good reasons for this:

A)

Nobody needs a wedding photographer. We need food, shelter, water, healthcare, human contact. We want weddings, because we like beautiful and meaningful events that honor our love and our families!

Why you don't need a wedding photographer

B)

I truly believe there is no one right way to make family with other people. Weddings aren’t for everybody, and when people do decide to get married, there are thousands of ways to do it. I have photographed city hall weddings where I signed official documents as a lone witness. I have photographed 300 person balls at swank rooftop clubs. I have photographed thirty person farm weddings complete with tutu clad sheep. You name it! Some people are happy to have a few snapshots from friends, others hire a team of five photographers.

Why you don't need a wedding photographer

C)

I don’t want to work with anybody who doesn’t really want a wedding photographer. I want to work with people who appreciate my photographic style, documentary wedding photography, and my approach to weddings, all warmth and good communication. I want to work with people who are seriously excited to work with me. That’s the recipe for incredible photographs, and good feelings.

Why you don't need a wedding photographer

…So… Here are some reasons why you don’t need a wedding photographer?

Everybody has a camera on their telephone, and newer smartphones are actually capable of taking some pretty good pictures! Maybe you have seen the billboards advertising the new iphone featuring a gorgeous sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge. My iphone did beautifully while my wife and I traveled in Turkey.
Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 1: Smartphone cameras are getting really good.
Sometimes the quality of the camera isn’t the most important thing. The joy on my wife’s face when we discovered this litter of puppies shines through any nitpicking issues with camera or technique. As Chase Jarvis says: “The best camera is the one that’s with you.”
Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 2: The best camera is the one you have with you.
The proliferation of cameras is not limited to telephones. There are watch cameras, and eyeglass cameras, and video cameras that mount to your bike helmet.
Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 75: DOGGIECAM! Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 110: Snapchat Spectacles!
You probably also have friends and aunts and cousins who are photography enthusiasts. They will bring their fancy cameras and snap away. They may even be talented photographers!
Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 101: Kids really really really love cameras.
There are some awesome filters on instagram.
Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 33 1/3: There are lovely filters on Instagram
Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 33 1/3: There are lovely? filters on Instagram.
Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 33 1/3: You can Instagram the kid with an 80s era film point-and-shoot and score a zillion likes.
Wedding hashtags allow your guests to make photos from your wedding easy to find. There are even apps that makes an online gallery that everybody can post to for viewing and sharing.

So… given all this, are there reasons why you would still want to hire a professional wedding photographer to take pictures at your wedding?

Indeed. There are.

You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer because…

You want your wedding guests to be fully present at your wedding rather than running around and taking photographs the whole time.
As you walk down the aisle to meet the love of your life at the altar, you want your guests to look at your glowing beautiful face, not at a row of tiny digital screens. Consider a tech-free ceremony if you want to see your guests faces, not their phone cases.
You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 36: This is not a tech-free ceremony, but she has the most beautiful smile ever.
You know your uncle has a fancy camera, but you aren’t certain he knows how to use it perfectly, and you have never seen his portfolio, so you don’t know if his style is to your liking.
The idea of seeking out an artist whose work you admire, and commissioning them to make artwork about your love, is appealing to you. Have you ever commissioned an artist to make a work of art? You may never have the chance again. Who knows, maybe you will really like it.
You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 37: Artiste at work!
You want an album, like your parents have, a solid thing that sits on the shelf, or the coffee table, that has weight to it, that always opens to memories from your wedding day, that your children, and their children will be able to look back on.
You spent $$$$ on floral arrangements, and you wouldn’t mind a few artful photos of them before they wilt.
You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 38: Artful photo of a floral arrangement.
You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 39: Artful photo of a bouquet resting by Buddha.
You spent $$$$ on catering, and alcohol, and cake, and we all know where that will end up soon enough, so you want a few photos to remember what all that was about.
You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 39: Artful photo of glazed lemon trout.
You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 39: Artful photo of gratuitous fresh figs resting among laurels.
You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 40: Artful photo of one of the most beautiful cakes I have ever seen. Can you tell I like fresh figs?
Your fancy-camera-cousin might come down with the flu, and she may not be able to provide another fancy-camera-cousin to take her place.
Your fancy-camera-friend has been to “a lot” of weddings, but does not have the experience that comes with being the official photographer at dozens of weddings.
You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 47: An experienced photographer knows where to stand to get the best angle.
You think it could be useful to have an experienced wedding photographer to help plan out the timing of photography during your wedding day so that you can be certain to make time for all of the family and bridal portraits that you want.
You want to work with a photographer who is skilled at finding the most flattering angles for your face, and who is able to comfortably coach you into effortlessly beautiful poses/non-poses.
Your fancy-camera-aunt might get a bit too tipsy, and forget to take a single photograph after cocktail hour ends. Your fancy-camera-friend might dance his heart out, and drop his camera. A professional will have backup equipment at the ready.
You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 86: You want your friends to do the worm, not spend all night behind a camera.
Sure, your cousin’s camera has a pop-up flash, but you don’t want picture A. You want picture B. There are different types of flash photography.
A.

B.

You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 13: This is what strong flash technique can look like.

So… in summation, even if reading this blog post has been informative, and you find that in the end you really would like to hire a professional wedding photographer, the truth is there are many reasons why you don’t need a wedding photographer. Click here if you are excited about my documentary style wedding photography and you want to see more images! Click here if you want to send me a message!

San Francisco Marriage Proposal Photographer

Boston Public Garden Proposal

Boston Public Garden Proposal – Peter & Caitlin

What can I say? I was moved to tears while photographing Peter’s Proposal to Caitlin at Boston Public Garden. She was surprised, overjoyed, in disbelief. It was over the top incredible.

A Proposal at the Boston Public Gardens This sweet boston public garden proposal boston-public-garden-proposal-3 He proposed down on one knee for this Boston Public Garden Proposal groom proposes at boston public gardens boston common engagement photos a proposal at boston common

Poconos Camp Wedding Photographer

– Becca & Josh

Camp JRF (a Jewish camp in the poconos) is where Becca & Josh met as campers. During the wedding weekend there was even a sign posted on a footbridge in the woods to mark the location of their first “date.” Becca and Josh are both incredibly friendly and welcoming people. This was made clear by all the close friends in attendance, seemingly from every era of their lives. The most remarkable thing about Becca and Josh’s wedding was the attention to ritual. The rituals began in the morning, and stretched until after the sun set. Each led by yet another eloquent officiant. I have never before scene a couple so “thoroughly” married.