Chesler Photography New England

Gift Certificate Sale

2011-12-13T20:06:00.001-08:00

Back by popular demand, we are once again offering our gift certificate sale for Christmas. Beginning now and continuing through Christmas Day, we will be offering "Buy One, Get One Free" Gift Certificates or "Double Value" on one certificate. The gift certificates are for new sessions only and will be valid from January 1st, 2012 through April 30, 2012. The certificates are good toward sessions and product orders. After April 30, 2012 the certificates are still good, they are just at face value. Call the studio at 585-393-9242 to purchase a certificate which comes tastefully wrapped for immediate giving.

Groupon Fun

2011-09-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we had the good fortune to work with Groupon...which everyone knows is one of the most highly sought after marketing machines for growing companies, and very tough to get the attention of, since everyone is trying to work with them (That was an awful display if grammatical ineptitude). We ran a very successful campaign and are very pleased with the results, having already completed several of the photo shoots that came about as a result of the Groupon offer. In the coming months, we hope to run the campaign again, or one similar through Groupon. In the mean time, we'd like to extend the offer to all of our clients and friends. For a limited time, as we approach the holidays, take advantage of our special offer of a One-Hour Photo Session which includes an 8x10 print, a 5x7 print, and 8 wallet prints for $69. Take advantage of the Fall folliage, take some family portraits for the holidays...whatever you want. We've had people use these shoots for families, senior photos, and even an engagement shoot. Get creative. And have some fun!

Call us on 508-667-0602 to schedule! Book soon....the schedule is limited!

Here's a few shots from one of the shoots....enjoy!

Mustang Rally

2011-09-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate this summer to spend a little time at one of my favorite venues, Watkins Glen Raceway. Dan Bremer, who is the head of IronhorseAutoSport.com was kind enough to organize a Mustang Rally last month and invited me (and my Mustang) to join them. Over the course of two days we lapped the track at Watkins Glen and then participated in the Sauerkraut Festival in Phelps, NY., first with an autoshow featuring nearly a hundred Mustangs spanning the last 46 years, and then snarling up the parade route, leaving patches of rubber and scorched asphalt every few yards.

The high point for me was the hot laps at The Glen. I was in the middle of the pack of about 35 Mustangs entering the track along the middle of the 1/2 mile long front straight (pulling across into the pits or so I thought), when suddenly the whole field made a hard left turn and ripped down the front straight entering Turn One at nearly 100mph. I still had the top down and my camera gear across the back seats. I yelled to Kristen, hold everything down! We're going!!

There we were, thirty-five Mustangs boasting between 300 and 550hp, flying around the track in a tight pack at (in some cases) up to 140mph. I was shocked! I figured we'd be allowed to lap a couple of cars at a time, nowhere near each other. This was fantastic. I had to bail into the pits after two laps, though, so I could actually photograph some of the other cars. What a blast!

Check out the whole event on our website, and please visit www.ironhorseautosport.com for more news, pics, and info.

New England Romance

2011-08-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

I'm way behind on blogging. I have to admit though, I did enjoy the short vacation from it. I put so much stress on myself to keep up with it even though I have no real reason to stress about it. It's like when we go on vacation and set a fictitious deadline as to when we want to get on the road. The stress of not meeting that deadline is very real even though the deadline isn't. I do the same thing watching the number of blog posts each month as if I need to meet a certain quota to have a "real" blog. If I had a shrink I could imagine spending an entire session on this.

Now let's get to the reason we're really here and that's to see some cool images. On July 9 I was out in Massachusetts to shoot Ali and Joe's wedding in Cambridge with Rich. The wedding reception was at the Charles Hotel on the banks of the Charles River, also known as the "Chals Riva". We drove through the heart of Harvard Square to get there. What a cool place. I wish I had time to explore the area more.

We had so much fun with Ali and Joe and their bridal party. So much so that we closed out the party with them. Here are some of the images from an awesome day the Charles.

Preparing for the Nationals

2011-06-30T08:38:00.001-07:00

For years I've been searching for ways to make Chesler Photography a year round business. Let's face it, coaxing people out of their igloos in the dead of winter for photos is a daunting task. Yes, we do our fair share of winter weddings, but not enough to avoid eating the acorns we've stored throughout the summer. We are finally making some ground with our weddings in South Florida during the winter months, which will help supplement those winter weddings and give us some much needed sunshine that time of year. It's amazing what a little sun will do to lift the spirit during our 6 months of grey.

In a few weeks, we will be heading out to Syracuse where we will have a vendor booth at the Syracuse Nationals Car Show, which is one of the largest shows in the north east with over 7,000 cars. We will be displaying our metal prints, blankets, backlit images and more, with the hope of booking many car shoots across the state. If this goes well, I may hit the road during the winter and look for more shows down south and spend a few weeks in each location doing car photography. I always say someone has to play for a living and I can think of no better way than to play with cars and cameras.

This week, I did photos of my buddy Brian and his decked out motorcycle. I wanted to create a dramatic photo to use for a back lit image at the Nationals. I love Nikon's wireless flash system to create photos with drama and depth. Check out the results below. Also, check out some of Amherst medias books on using wireless flashes and multiple flash set ups. They have a whole new crop of books coming out on the subject. If you're interested in some of these books, please click on the link below. It helps us support our craft and doesn't cost you any more to use our link.

Vogue

2011-06-29T21:43:00.001-07:00

Over the winter I did a photo shoot of two little girls in the studio. One of their mom's was a fashion stylist from North Carolina. As luck would have it, she moved back to the area this Spring. We sat down and discussed ideas of how we can incorporate her services in to some of our shoots for those clients who want that extra pizazz to their photos. The best way to introduce Courtnei and her sense of fashion was to do a photo shoot of her. More used to being behind the scenes than in front of the camera, Courtnei warmed up to opportunity very quickly. Here are some of the images from our shoot in Canandaigua.

To inquire more about hiring Courtnei for your photo shoot, call the studio at 585-393-9242.

Facebook Link

2011-06-13T19:31:00.001-07:00

After several weeks of my blog not transferring to Facebook, we're back in business with it. Let's face it, my blog gets way more hits and comments on Facebook than on the blog site itself. It's very frustrating when the link goes down. Now I can get back on track posting.

We left off Memorial Weekend with the first half of our back-to-back weddings in Geneva. On Sunday, Rich and I were back in action, this time at Ventosa Vineyards for Lindsay and Jeff's wedding. I photographed Jeff's brother Stuart's wedding several years ago, so it was nice being back with the family. In fact, I photographed Stuart and Jackie's maternity photos a few weeks before the wedding, which I will post this week. Jackie is due today so hopefully everything is going smoothly.

Lindsay and Jeff had an awesome day. We photographed along Seneca Lake, in downtown Geneva and then over at Ventosa. The weather held out until we were on our way back to Canandaigua. We raced a line of storms head on to see if we would beat it home. The sky was lit up with non-stop lightning. Streaks were hitting the ground with alarming frequency as we pulled in to the driveway. We ran from the car as the first fat drops of rain pounded the asphalt. What a storm it was!

Lindsay and Jeff were married on the balcony at Ventosa. It's like being transported to Tuscany. Ventosa is one of the most beautiful vineyard's in the Finger Lakes. I'll let the photos speak for the beauty of the area.

Before and After

2011-06-01T21:19:00.001-07:00

Much as a chef can envision the final result while staring a pile of raw ingredients, as a visual artist, I can see the finished work of art while looking at the raw ingredients in front of me. One such moment was while I was in Detroit at the abandoned Detroit Train Station. All the ingredients were there, the location under the rail over pass, the light spilling in through the holes above, and a bride and groom willing to indulge in my vision. The image that came out of the camera was cool and with a little enhancement made the slide show we played at the reception, however it was not my complete vision. With a little Photoshop magic, the end result is what I would imagine if Kincaid were lost in Detroit. Here are the images before and after the magic.

Click on the image to view a larger version. If you're viewing this on Facebook, visit our blog at http://cheslerphotography.blogspot.com to see the larger version.

Danielle and Steve

2011-06-01T20:15:00.001-07:00

Mother Nature seems to know when Memorial Weekend and Labor Day Weekend are. They weather always seems to change right on cue, ushering in the following season. This year was no different with the first of this years hot, humid weather.

Rich and I set up camp this weekend in Geneva for back-to-back weddings, the first of which was at the Geneva Ramada. Danielle and Steve traveled to the Finger Lakes to tie the knot on the north end of Seneca Lake. The ceremony included a Ketubah signing, an old Jewish marriage contract, traditionally signed before the wedding ceremony. They also did the Hora and the chair dance during the reception.

Danielle and Steve set aside time between the ceremony and reception to do photos in downtown Geneva. We took them to a few of the murals that decorate some of the buildings in town for an artistic, urban feel to some of the photos.

Eat 'Em Up Tigers!

2011-05-17T07:58:00.001-07:00

Rich and I drove to Detroit this past weekend for the wedding of Drago and Sarah. Poor Rich drove from Marlborough, Massachusetts to Canandaigua and then hoped in my car for another five hour drive to Michigan. We went through Canada which is an adventure itself. I don't know why, but I always get fidgety going through customs. One year, Sue and I went over to Fort Erie, across the border from Buffalo, to go to a hockey store specifically for goalies. I bought a goalie glove and had them ship it back to me to save on taxes. Approaching the border, Sue kept coaching me, "You live in the United States and you didn't buy anything." When I approached the agent, I obediently answered United States when he asked my citizenship. Then came that all important question. My heart pounded and my fingers trembled. "Did you buy anything?", he asked. I quickly replied, "No, it's being shipped." The look on Sue's face said it all. Oh great, we're going to jail!

We arrived in Michigan to a great light show from approaching thunderstorms. For the second week in a row, rain would be the theme, but once again several timely lulls in the action allowed us to get our planned photos in on Saturday.

Drago is Serbian, so there were a lot of traditions that were very similar to the Macedonian Orthodox wedding I photographed a few years ago. They were married in an ornate Serbian Orthodox church in Detroit. The ceremony was fascinating with crowns, incense, even the bride holding up a baby as she left the church. The reception featured a Serbian band and traditional Serbian dances.

After the ceremony, we traveled throughout metro Detroit to photograph Sarah and Drago with some of areas landmarks. Our first stop was to the Fox Theater and then across the street to Comerica Park as people were filing in for a Tigers game against the Royals. We borrowed some tickets from a scalper for a few photos and even took a photo with Detroit icon James Van Horne, the "Eat 'Em Up Tigers" guy.

Detroit has seen some rough times in recent years which is painfully evident in the amount of vacant and damaged houses and buildings. One of those places is the abandoned Detroit Train Station which was shut down in 1986. It is in rough shape but makes an awesome backdrop for some cool urban photos.

The weekend ended with breakfast in the hotel with Sarah and Drago and a few members of the wedding party. One was even still wearing his tux pants, but they were inside out with the pockets hanging down like a lop eared bunny. Some times it's best not to ask.

App Update

2011-04-27T19:27:00.001-07:00

After weeks of waiting for App Store approval, version 3.0 of the Chesler Photo app is live and ready to be downloaded. You can download it by clicking on the icon located to the left. The new app is much more extensive and user friendly, with all new galleries, photo tips, news, and more. You can even request an appointment right from the app. The app will also link you directly to our website, blog, Facebook page, map to the studio and it will even text, e-mail or call the studio directly from the app.

I'm sure not many of you need such direct and intimate access to the studio, so to make the app more enticing, we will be offering app only specials that will be presented as news events in the app. As always, the app if free and now that is updated in the App Store, we will be releasing more galleries and news events in the coming days.

Key Largo

2010-10-26T21:28:00.001-07:00

Since Saturday, I've been down in Boca Raton, Florida, visiting my Mom. The purpose of my trip was to see my grandparents, which I will blog about soon. However, while I was down here, I spent some time on Sunday with my cousin Jared and his wife Colleen. They were married a year ago at the Marriott Key Largo Bay Resort.

Sunday was their one year anniversary, so what better way to celebrate then to go back to the Keys and do a Trash the Dress shoot at the Marriott where it all began.
Ellen and Rich shot the actual wedding. I was so jealous. I couldn't go having my own wedding to shoot in the Finger Lakes. They did a great job. So good in fact that we were added to the Key Largo Marriott's preferred vendor list.

I was very excited for this shoot, not only to see the tropical venue first hand, but to add to the portfolio of images they could show to potential wedding couples.

Colleen and Jared were awesome, putting up with my crazy ideas, even swimming with some interesting sea creatures, like star fish and jelly fish.

We should probably call this a Drown the Gown session instead of a Trash the Dress. Yes, the dress did get wet and sandy, but it is no worse for the wear. In fact, Colleen is having it cleaned and is donating it to charity for some one less fortunate to have a beautiful gown.

Happy Anniversary Colleen and Jared. Same time and place next year? :)

Nor' Easter

2010-10-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

I wrapped up my stay in Massachusetts with a wedding in Spencer, MA during a Nor' Easter. Despite the adverse conditions, we got some nice fall photos. Julie and Jon took it all in stride and had a ton of fun. The wedding and reception were at Zukas Hilltop Barn, located in the hills of Central Massachusetts. The setting was spectacular, I just wish we had more of an opportunity to be outside. The bride was holding a huge umbrella for a few quick photos outside and at one point it took all the bridesmaids to hold on to it so the bride wouldn't get air born from the wind. I was picturing a scene from The Wizard of Oz only with the bride spinning inside the tornado with the Wicked Witch zooming by.

Not Your Mother's Wedding Album

2010-10-20T20:42:00.001-07:00

For years we have shifted away from the standard wedding album, offering couples Coffee Table albums with a magazine style layout. We have now taken things a step further designing a new package, called the iPackage, which replaces your album with an iPad. The iPad comes packaged in a unique custom made box with your choice of several accompaniments. You can choose from 10 matted prints, a disc of images or a 5x5 hard cover book to go with your iPad. Preloaded on to the iPad will be your album layout as if it we created it for print, along with a multimedia slideshow set to music.

We recently purchased on iPad to show as a sample with this package and have fallen in love with it. We can watch Netflix movies on demand, use it to read iBooks, play awesome games and more. I have to convince my wife to let me pry it from her hands whenever I have a wedding consult. Along with my iPhone, it's quite possibly the best "toy" ever.

Witch Hunt

2010-10-20T20:40:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure if I've ever actually come face to face with a real witch, however last Saturday's wedding in Salem, Massachusetts was surrounded by a very interesting crowd. The village of Salem turns in to a festival of witch's and warlocks for the month of October, creating among other things, massive gridlock. The wedding of Ryan and Erin had to be delayed for a while since so many guests were stuck in traffic.

The environment felt like a movie set with the streets and alleys overflowing with crowds of people dressed in all sorts of creepy attire. Despite the entertainment factor of what was going on, the village itself was dripping with history. Many of the buildings and the entire layout of the town date back to pre-Revolutionary War times. We even did a few photos at the harbour which is home to the three-masted Friendship, a 171 foot replica of the original ship from 1797 at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. It wasn't until after we were done photographing that not only did we not know we where on a National Historic Site, but we needed a permit to be there. The nice man in his green park ranger outfit equipped with a large side-arm made us aware of that. I'm still waiting for my ticket in the mail. Live and learn I suppose.

Erin and Ryan were awesome though, taking all the "trials" of the day in stride. Their ceremony was at the Salem Old Town Hall. Old Town Hall is the earliest surviving municipal structure in Salem, Massachusetts (dating from 1816-17) and an outstanding Federal Style building. The ceremony was held on the second floor of the building in the Great Hall, which has always been used as a public hall, and contained Town offices until 1837.

The reception was held at the beautiful Salem Waterfront Hotel.

Lucky in Love

2010-10-20T20:39:00.000-07:00

Whenever I hear the song "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Callait, I can't help but smile. The lyrics, "Lucky I'm in love with my best friend," tell the story of last Sunday's wedding couple, Tina and Lucas, in Hudson, Massachusetts. When you look at them, you can't help but smile.

Their emotional ceremony brought tears to everyone's eyes, followed by Lucas's fist pump at the end like he just won the lottery. His lucky numbers 10-10-10, were the winning numbers worth more than any money could buy.

Tina bought Lucas a flat panel TV for a wedding gift. I told him I would come watch the Super Bowl with him since the Jets will be in it. As a Patriots fan, he didn't share my enthusiasm.

Congrats Tina and Lucas, you guys are awesome.

There's an App for That!

2010-08-10T21:18:00.001-07:00

Just a few short years ago, if you mentioned the words Tweet or App, people would think you were making bird noises. Now they are common household terms. I haven't yet jumped on the Twitter band wagon, simply because I don't think anyone would give a rats patooty if I were drinking a double mocha frappalatte chino at that given moment. If I do anything worthy of shoutinig about, I'll put it on my blog. Apps on the other hand, I have found to be quite useful and entertaining. So much so that I now have my very own Chesler Photography App in the iTunes store.

The App has some cool features, such as:

* DailyPic – You will automatically be presented with unique, one of a kind images directly from Chesler Photography. Each day an exclusive, new image is presented to you for your inspiration and enjoyment that showcases our style of portraiture. The DailyPic image can even be saved as your wallpaper on your iPhone/iPod Touch. View our DailyPic feature every day! Your image may even be featured.

* News – Keep up with the latest news & events just for app users.

* Keep In Touch – A great feature for app users, see what's happening with us with a live feed on Facebook, and our Blog – all right in the palm of your hands.

* Request a Booking – We make it simple & convenient to request an appointment with this exclusive app feature for our studio.

* 'For You' – This one of a kind feature for our app users allows you to see personalized images, galleries, and information that’s meant just ‘For You’. You can easily register with us so we know you have our app and we can make selected images, galleries, and information available for you specifically. This one of a kind feature is a great way to take images with you on the go and share with family, friends, and co-workers.

It has a map to the studio, direct links to our website, blog and Facebook pages. It will even automatically call the studio or direct link you to our e-mail. We will be placing App only specials that will automatically show up on your app without having to download updates. The best part is that it's all free.

You can view the up by clicking here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chesler-photo/id385311153?mt=8

Sam's World

2010-07-13T14:32:00.001-07:00

We did a great session last week with Sam, a very talented CA senior. Not only is she an accomplished writer, she's an amazing artist. She brought some of her drawings along with her and we were able to incorporate them into her photos, or should I say we were able to incorporate Sam into some of her drawings. Either way, the two worlds collide with amazing results.

Did You Know?

2010-06-21T20:32:00.001-07:00

With so many new people coming to our blog and Facebook pages, it seems like the right time to reintroduce some of the things we do that people might not know about. Every few days I'm going to post a "Did You Know?" item as my status update to feature a different aspect of the photography business. I don't want to do it everyday to avoid spamming people.

The first one I'm going to do is Destination Weddings. I don't want to bite the hand that feeds me since local weddings are our bread and butter. Keep in mind though that many of our local weddings are in fact destination weddings for the bride and groom, lured to the area by the beauty of the Finger Lakes. However, we are more than willing to travel where ever your heart desires. I've had the pleasure of photographing weddings in Mexico City, Key West, the Jersey Shore, Philly and Boston, as well as all over New York State from New York City to the Thousand Islands and across to Niagara Falls. We've also done Trash the Dress shoots in Vegas, Sedona, AZ, Boca Raton, New York City and later this summer in New Orleans.

We have two websites for our destination weddings. The first is a subheading on our parent website at http://www.cheslerphoto.com/destinations.htm and the second is our destination exclusive website at http://www.destinationsbycheslerphotography.com/.

As with most of our business, word of mouth is king, however destination weddings rely on it way more than the rest since we are going to new places and don't have the venue as a referral source initially. We know how valuable your kind words are as a referral and we reward you for it.

Alexis and Mark

2010-06-06T19:09:00.001-07:00

After Friday's wedding with Mike and Sarah, I got up early the next morning and drove to Massachusetts to shoot a wedding with Rich in Hudson, MA. Mark and Alexis got married in the Dominican Republic May 5th. They had their reception at the Charter Oak Country Club yesterday. What an amazing venue!

The wedding colors were light blue and orange (pronounced R-ange in New England). One of the guests had a beautiful orange Dodge Charger that we photographed the bridal party with. We had a blast. Now I just have to figure out how to get people to take us to the Dominican Republic. :)

Memorial Day in New England

2010-06-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

New London, CT - May 30, 2010

Ocean Park Beach is one of my favorite beaches in New England. A big beautiful boardwalk, adjacent carnival, ice cream shop, after hours bars with live music, views of Fisher's Island less than a mile off shore on the left, and Orient Point on the North Fork of Long Island 9 miles off shore on the right..so close you could almost swim to it. Ninety degrees, bright sunshine, sugar sand...does it get any better? Yes it does....Waterford Speedbowl is 10 minutes away, and Rita's Italian Ice is right in between. Life is good!

A Day to Remember

2010-05-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

A wedding is often one of the most memorable days of a person's life. For some, decades of dreaming and planning culminate on that single day. Hundreds of guests, often traveling hundreds of miles help celebrate this day of days. And talk about memorable...Destination weddings are a wedding and honeymoon all in one. Truly unforgettable.

I'm going to remember Joanne and Bryan's wedding for a long time. Not because of an exotic venue, or Hollywood guest list, but for one guest in particular. Joanne's father has been battling an illness and no one was sure he'd still be able to walk her down the aisle come October, which is when the wedding was to take place. Joanne and Bryan decided to move the wedding up to May. They'd have to sacrifice some of the amenities that they would have saved for during the next five months, but it would be worth it.

When I spoke with Joanne a month ago to go over final details for the wedding, she had come to the devastating realization, one of the things she would have to do without was a photographer. There just wasn't enough money in the budget. She changed her wedding plans for her dad because it was that important to her. There was no way I was going to allow this day to slip by without capturing it. I'd decided to shoot the wedding anyway.

When she arrived, she was surprised to see me there, and feared I was simply honoring our contract, and that I would be expecting payment. I smiled and told her I was here because she was getting married today. And her father was going to dance with her, the way she'd always dreamt. And that I would take beautiful pictures. She could relax.

This I would do for free.

Life is Good

2010-04-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

April 4th. Easter Sunday. Everyone in town dressed in their best. Sunny and warm...high of 78 degrees. Unusually warm this early in the year, but I don't hear anyone complaining. After a delicious brunch at Cyprian Keyes it's off to Jen's house for coffee and cake. Every street along the way is lined with parked cars as families gather at each others' houses on this holiest of holy days. But on this 94th day of 2010, there was only one thing on everybody's mind. At 8:05 tonight, under the lights at Fenway, the Red Sox would open their season against the New York Yankees. The Hatfields and the McCoys, the North vs South, The Cold War.....mere squabbles in the shadow of this, the oldest of rivalries in all of sports, dating back to ancient times when they still played in skirts and sandals, and hot dogs cost under $5. Back even before Hi-Def.

Yeah, Summer 2010 begins tonight.

Erin and Andrew

2010-04-04T20:53:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago Rich and I photographed the wedding of Erin and Andrew at Belhurst Castle. It was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon wedding, albeit a little chilly in late March. We had so much fun with them. In fact, that's were Rich and I started playing with the fish eye lens from the previous blog post. Here are some images from the day.

A Kinder Gentler Winter

2010-04-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

Old Man Winter is a reasonable dude. This past Winter was mercifully average. While not balmy, we spent most of the season in the 20's, and very little time below zero. Good skating weather. Though we did have a dozen snow storms, most were in the 3-6" range and fell on weekends. And sometimes only on the grass. When the calendar said Winter is over, it was...unlike some of those six-month Winters of the recent past. I'm just hoping June arrives in June this year, instead of August, like last year. Here's to Winter 2009. My hat is off to you...as are my gloves and boots.

Big Print Sale

2010-03-31T13:41:00.001-07:00

Now this can be read in two different ways, one is a (Big) Print Sale and the other is a (Big Print) Sale. We are running the latter with a 25% off sale on all prints 16x20 and larger, including Gallery Wraps. There are some new options with Gallery Wraps as well called Photo Splits, which are three Gallery Wraps of a single image split into a series. See the image below. We are also extending the sale to include float mounts which are a thin canvas wrap mounted on a block so it sits farther from the wall. Depending how it's lit, the shadow it creates can add a unique design element to the image. There are other options for the Gallery Wraps as well, such as high gloss wraps and leather wraps. For those of you who don't know what a Gallery Wrap is to begin with, it's an image printed on canvas that wraps around a wooden stretcher frame and part of the image wraps around the edge so it does not need to be framed.
If you want a more traditional look, we just picked up a new line of frames and mattes at the PPSNYS trade show, which not only look awesome, but they are priced right as well.
The "Big Print" Sale will run through the end of April, however plan ahead and come in soon if you would like these back for Mother's Day.

Little Miss Maddie

2010-03-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of Holly and Rob at Belhurst Castle. Fast forward to 2010 and I had the joy of photographing the result of their union, Little Miss Maddie. She was a riot to photograph, ranging in emotion from pure joy to tears and even got in a spontaneous nap. I'm already looking ahead to next years print competition with some of these.

Snow Day

2010-03-06T20:55:00.001-08:00

With the south getting all the snow this year, when winter finally did arrive late in February, I took full advantage of it. I went to Cumming Nature Center with Stacy, who you may recognize from our waterfall shoot earlier this summer. She's great. She always puts up with my crazy ideas, which also usually coincides with her freezing her butt off. We're not done yet though. We have one last hurrah planned for her with her dress before it's retired.

Winter Print Sale

2010-02-18T23:18:00.000-08:00

Through the end of February, we will be having our annual winter print sale. Until midnight on February 28th, all reprints will be 40% off, any size, any finish. Now is the time to decorate your wall with that large Gallery Wrap you've had your heart set on.

Important Note: If you want to pay by credit card and you're ordering from our ImageQuix proofing site, click "Paying by Check" and call the studio with your credit card. ImageQuix will not take the discount off and will charge you card for the full amount.

Stay tuned in March for our Big Print Sale as well as our Graduation Announcement Sale for seniors.

Unto This Night A Child is Born

2009-12-25T21:40:00.001-08:00

The beauty of being in an interfaith marriage is that we get to share in both of our religions and family traditions. Although I'm not Christian, Christmas is a magical time to share with my family, seeing the joy and excitement in my kids eyes. For my wife, it's a time to celebrate her faith and for us sharing in that celebration brings us closer.
Over the last few weeks, I've had the pleasure of being able to photograph several newborn babies. The miracle of birth is incredible any time of year, but it holds even more significance this time of year. To share not only in the birth of a child, but the birth of a new family is amazing. It is the ultimate gift.
Whatever your faith may be, have a Merry Christmas, and enjoy the magic this time of year brings.

Double Value Gift Certificate Sale

2009-11-30T10:48:00.001-08:00

Cyber Monday is cool, but let's make this for the entire month of December. Beginning November 30 and continuing through Christmas Day, we will be offering "Buy One, Get One Free" Gift Certificates or "Double Value" on one certificate. The gift certificates are for new sessions only and will be valid from January 1st, 2010 through April 30, 2010. The certificates are good toward sessions and product orders. After April 30, 2010 the certificates are still good, they are just at face value. Call the studio at 585-393-9242 to purchase a certificate which comes tastefully wrapped for immediate giving.

090909

2009-09-11T21:07:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday, Amanda and I photographed the wedding of Jillian and Jason at Belhurst Castle in Geneva. Normally a Wednesday wedding would be unheard of, but I actually got quite a few calls for this date since it was triple nines. Jillian and Jason had a great wedding, with only 10 people attending. It was very intimate and emotional as the tears flowed on the back lawn of Belhurst. We went down to the tracks and we were treated by a passing Norfolk and Southern freight train that stopped to pose for pictures. Congratulations Jillian and Jason. You guys are awesome.

Fischer Wedding

2009-08-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Rich and I shot the wedding of Melissa and Steve at the Riverview in Hudson, Massachusetts. It's been a crazy week with high school seniors so I'm a little slow posting. Hurricane Bill was lurking off the New England coast, pumping up hot and insanely humid air, with torrential downpours that flooded the roads. After the rains stopped, we had a beautiful, sunny afternoon to take photos with Melissa's dad's motorcycle in Hudson. Melissa and Steve were great and so much fun to work with. Their sense of humor was awesome. I'm looking forward to doing a lot more weddings in New England with Rich. We'll be doing a bridal show in Marlborough, Massachusetts on September 13th.

Sorbello Wedding

2009-08-13T20:11:00.001-07:00

MK and I did the wedding of Christina and Don last Friday. We started the day at Belhurst and finished at Ventosa Vineyard with a fireworks display overlooking Seneca Lake. Christina's late father left behind a 1970s Lincoln that he restored, which was one of the focal points of the wedding. Christina's shoes matched the powder blue Lincoln which they used as their chariot for the day. Here are a few photos and a video of the day.

Happy Birthday Rich

2009-07-18T21:46:00.002-07:00

My brother Rich turns 44 today. Happy Birthday Bro!

Ally and John

2009-07-18T21:46:00.001-07:00

I just experienced one of my all-time favorite weddings today. Some days everything just goes right. I had the privilege of working with John and Ally. They were so easy going, natural in front of the camera, good looking and the settings were awesome. We photographed at Salon Brio in Bushnell's Basin, then Chapel Hill for the ceremony and finally Artisan Works in Rochester for the reception. I also got to play with a new toy, an 85mm f1.8 lens for you camera geeks out there.

John is a NYC editorial photographer, so he was able to appreciate what we do to create the images we do. I look forward to seeing some of his work soon. Ally is a fellow Long Islander but you wouldn't know from her accent, their love of the outdoors or their taste in Bluegrass music.

They're off the Australia next week for their honeymoon. I'm so jealous.

Brace Yourself

2009-07-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

I have weird children. Back in my day….my youth, braces were a necessary evil for many teenagers. Nobody wanted them, though most were probably grateful adults later on. Orthodontists were sadists, and even Marsha Brady had an episode devoted to hers. Her braces, not her orthodontist. Don’t know who he was. Didn’t even get a credit at the end.
My girls wanted braces. Especially Brooke. Not because she wants perfect teeth. She loves the glam. She sprung for designer braces with colorful doodads. Mouth bling, she calls it. Did I say SHE sprung for…? Ha. I sold off two acres of the family farm to pay for those. Thankfully, it wasn’t my farm. Boy, are they gonna be mad. But they won’t ever find me. I sold it under the name Marsha Brady.

Acute Anxiety

2009-07-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

I was speaking with someone recently who asked me if I had ever heard of fainting goats. I thought he was kidding (no pun). He said, for real....when they get scared, their defense mechanism is to faint...something akin to playing dead. I thought this was a fairly ineffective counter measure to an attack. Something Darwin should be able to clean up in a single generation. I envisioned finding a herd of such animals...myself armed with a video camera for what I'm sure would be the next YouTube hit. Sneaking up to the herd. And then jumping up and down screaming, sending these little beasts to the ground en masse. But then the vision changed. I imagined I was duped. There is no such thing as fainting goats. It was a ruse. I was misled to believe I'd be startling a bunch of defenseless animals into horizontal submission, only to discover that the startled herd would turn on me, en masse, and drive me screaming over the fence....captured on video like a cross between a Benny Hill sketch, and the Blair Goat project with closeups of my face as I run away in terror. And naturally, this would be a smash hit on YouTube.

Here's a link to the real thing...

Hail to the Chief

2009-07-07T19:52:00.000-07:00

Although it has rained for 26 out of 30 days of June here in New England, I still long for a good ole fashioned summer thunderstorm every now and then. Truth be told, it's an addiction. I always want it to thunder. If there's a storm nearby, I'll drive to it. Storm chasing is a hobby, and a passion of mine, though today I may have gotten more than I bargained for.

While driving through the Adirondack Park north of Saranac Lake heading for a wedding shoot in Massena, I encountered an awesome sight. A full fledged, textbook thunderhead, complete with anvil top sheared by the jet stream racing by at 150 mph at 40,000 feet. I could see the plume of hail erupting out of the top and wondered what I'd do if it suddenly starting hailing on me and my beloved Mustang. In the absence of any man made shelter out here on rural route 86, I reasoned, should the need arise, I'd veer off the two-lane blacktop into the woods hoping the leafy trees would offer sufficient cover. I tuned the AM radio to a place on the dial between stations to listen for the signature lightning static of a nearby storm. I can usually gauge the intensity of a storm by the gap between static bursts on the radio. Less than 10 second gaps usually means it's a pretty active storm. The gap at that moment was about two seconds. Sometimes less. Sometimes no gap between static bursts. I smiled nervously. As I got closer, and the road turned me directly into the storm's path, I saw a huge bolt of lightning come down straight ahead. It was thick and purplish-white, and very bright. I counted to 4 before I heard the boom of thunder. That was pretty close. The next one was closer. Much closer. What is it that makes a car a safe place in a thunderstorm? I used to think it was the rubber tires. That's a myth. They are as insulating as a pair of rubber soled sneakers. It is the metal structure of the car that directs the charge around the occupants. I thought of this as I looked up at my convertible canvas roof. Stylish, yes. But about as much lightning protection as a hat. Then came the hail. Big. About the size of chick peas. Only they were coming down all stuck together in clusters as big as golf balls. Very loud! Suddenly I was not thinking about the lightning. I had just enough reaction time to swerve right onto a tiny dirt road that led immediately down a steep embankment into the woods. It was a very rough road with big ruts and holes. I skidded to a stop with my ABS vibrating frantically. The leaves and twigs overhead were raining down onto my hood, and the hail was thunderously loud on the roof. I was sure my car was going to look like a dimpled golf ball in a few minutes. The hail piled up quickly on the ground. It was an inch or so deep in less than a minute. Amazing! I kept praying it would quickly turn to just rain. It was as dark as midnight and the lightning was vivid. I could see debris blowing across the road in my rear view mirror each time the lightning flashed. I hoped the leaves and twigs landing on the car meant they were taking the punch from the bombardment of hail, and what I heard hitting the car was only a fraction of the intensity above the trees or on the roadway.

Then the hail stopped. It was deafeningly silent. I had to get out to clear the windshield of twigs and small branches before I dared use my wipers. I wondered if I'd be able to get back out of the hole I had made in the forest back up to the road. My beloved Mustang climbed like a champion. Once again en route with the sky brightening ahead, and midnight behind me I decided to be more careful what I wished for.

Here is a photo. I was a little too busy to unpack the camera, but this is very much what it looked like.

I Love My Album Company!

2009-06-19T20:34:00.001-07:00

Some companies just get it. It's not always about the best price, it's about the best product and the best service. There will always be bottom feeders out there slashing their prices to claw at business, but you usually get what you pay for. My album company is one of those exceptional companies that do it right. The quality is amazing, backed by great service. It comes at a price but I wouldn't settle for anything less with my clients. The albums are so cool, we are expanding our market with them by offering them to our high school senior clients, family portrait clients as well as a few niche markets. We are beginning a concept where we will photograph Harley Davidson owners with their motorcycles, including some close up detail shots of the bike and some action shots on the road. We will then create a custom album for them with the cover being a blend of black and orange leather. We are looking for a few Harley owners to get this going. E-mail me at Steve@cheslerphoto.com if you're interested.

A Slammer

2009-06-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

When a thunderstorm hits close, or better yet, directly, you often get the privilege of experiencing a "slammer." That's when there is no time between the lightning and the thunder. No precious second or two to get your hands up to your ears. No time to count and estimate the distance. This one was right here, right now.

This story is not about lightning. The slammer I'm talking about in this case is when two cars hit, sometimes you can estimate speed by the length of the skid mark or the duration of the skid sound if you are there at the moment. Sometimes not. Sometimes a long skid just tells you the speed when the car began stopping. Sometimes a short skid is the worst of all. No time to react. That's what happened earlier tonight.

I was walking through an intersection. The road was wet, but it was barely drizzling at the time. I was through the intersection and about 20 feet past it continuing to the parking lot where my car was waiting for me. Behind me came the sound of tires skidding on wet pavement. It was a short skid. Maybe 1/2 to a full second. As I whirled around I saw the two cars collide where I had walked through about 15 seconds earlier. Both cars, opposing directions, had green lights. One of them turned left across the path of the other. Apparently he just didn't see the other car. The little Chevy Aveo slammed right into the side of the turning Honda Accord. I immediately ran to the scene to offer what aid I could. Not much at that point. A helpful "Look out!!!" 10 seconds earlier might have been useful.

The side curtain airbags in the Accord had deployed, but no one was in either passenger side seat. The steering wheel bag had not deployed. No airbag deployment in the Aveo, which was surprising considering the frontal impact. But the little Aveo seemed to fare better than the Accord. It hit like a battering ram sustaining less frontal damage then the devastated side of the Accord. Both passenger side doors on the Honda were wrecked leaving 3 inch gaps at the top of the door frame where rain would surely pour in later tonight. I told him to pull it into the parking garage and leave it until morning. But he took it home anyway, even though he said he had no garage.

The couple in the Aveo were shaken but not stirred. Neither was hurt at the scene, but the driver said her father was going to kill her. So there may have been a fatality after all.

A little excitement after a hard day's work. I'm glad no one was hurt. And the couple had recently gotten engaged, and want us to shoot their wedding. How serendipitous!

I think I'll have to loiter around intersections more often. Though next time, I think I want to see a real mismatch....like a Smart Car vs an ice cream truck. If the little Aveo tonight is any indication of David's might against Goliath, the smart money is on the Smart Car.

Home Invasion

2009-06-02T20:22:00.001-07:00

Squirrels are bigger and faster and meaner when they are in your house. Or behind your dresser, for example, where one may resemble a large cat, or small gray bear.

As I crept toward that side of the bedroom, hockey stick in hand, prepared to see a small mouse, I had no idea my initial reaction to seeing the large furry tail unfurl as I moved the picture frame he was hiding behind, would be to leap up onto the bed and scream obscenities in a voice that was not my own. Apparently I was impersonating a 12 year-old girl, who knew a lot of very bad words.

Still, it was a good plan, and I executed it flawlessly, managing to lift my entire body 6 feet off the carpet in a single bound, while somehow not hitting the ceiling. A masterful plan, until the squirrel went crazy and began running around the room, ultimately jumping up onto the bed. My hiding spot. My perch. My haven. OMG, there’s a squirrel next to me on the bed!!! RUN!!

I locked him in the bedroom and quickly ran around the house closing off doors and barricading hallways to force him out the front door. For two hours I chased him around and around, and out from under every piece of furniture he could fit under. I finally had the loveseat and matching oversized chair (Rotmann’s $895/set) tipped up on end, and a makeshift laundry basket trap right out of Bugs Bunny set and ready to capture the beast. At one point he ran by the open front door and I tried to “one-time” him out the doorway with my hockey stick. But he was in too close to my feet and I heeled it. Just spun him out as he rocketed by.

Eventually, he did go out the front door and I immediately slammed it shut behind him. And locked it. They’re very smart. I hoped he hadn’t already made a copy of my key.

Six days later, I got a call at the office. Stacey was whispering. “Come home now….he’s back.” “Who’s back?” “The squirrel. He’s here. In the basement. He’s looking right at me. Please come home. I’m afraid.” “I’m busy," I told her. "Flip over the furniture. He’ll leave.” Then she began to scream. Apparently the beast rushed her.

Twenty minutes later, there we were together…she with a bat…me with my trusty hockey stick. “That’s right…punk. Remember me?” I glared at him. He glared back. It unnerved me. He has a very intimidating air about him. A kind of rodent confidence that strikes fear in his rivals.

There comes a time in every man’s life, when he has to look at himself, and dig deep. Beyond his fears. Beyond his own limitations. Recognizing it’s either kill or be killed. For me that time was in 7th grade. Jill Levine had me pressed up against a locker. I screamed like a 12 year old girl that day too.

The squirrel had to go. His time had come. And he was overmatched. We chased him around the room for a few minutes until he finally went up into the wall through a small repair opening in the bathroom. He had nowhere to go. We set a (humane) trap for him in the doorway, and waited. Twenty four hours later, bound and gagged, we went for a little car-ride. He now lives a few towns away in a planned community for wayward mammals. He has a new identity and a restraining order against him. But I still have nightmares.

Dalton Wedding

2009-06-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about shooting weddings is getting to know the families. Most often, I don’t meet the close friends and extended family until the morning of. It’s very interesting to watch how first impressions from early in the day, when things are at their most stressful, change as more relaxed moods and laughter pervade later on.

Once the jitters are gone, and the hard part is over, everyone seems to be smiling. They mingle. They eat. They dance. They laugh. Everyone loves a wedding. Or maybe it’s the open bar. Either way…I capture it all.

I had the opportunity to work with Michal-Kathryn, one of the New York crew of Chesler Photography over Memorial weekend. It was at Leigha & Jeremy's wedding in Fitchburg with the reception at Perwinkles in Auburn.

~Rich Chesler

Weathering the Storm

2009-05-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

With the sound of the rain splashing on the roof and rushing down the gutters, it only seems fitting to reflect on the economic storm soaking us all. We hear the daily reports on the news of this company in bankruptcy or that bank needing a bailout, but what are we to do locally as small business owners? More specifically, what am I supposed to do with my own business? Compared to stories I'm hearing from across the country with other studios, we're holding our own. Sure business is off a little bit, but it's not anything that will drown us. However, there are members of our community, my clients, my friends that this storm is effecting. That's were the question comes in as to what to do with my business in order to help those in need around me. What could I do to be sympathetic to my clients financial stresses without devaluing the quality and integrity we've spent the last decade building?
We've decided to implement a new payment structure to spread out the financial commitment to our artistry. We don't want you to have to skimp on quality with such milestones in life such as a wedding or senior portraits, so we've decided to allow those who need it to spread their investment out over 12 monthly payments. Every situation is unique so we will work with each of our clients on an individual basis.
The sky is getting brighter on the horizon and as we experienced with many of our weddings last year, at the end of the rain we find the rainbow.

Ryan and Alex Slideshow

2009-05-17T08:59:00.001-07:00

Naples, The Morning After

2009-05-15T08:51:00.001-07:00

What would a destination wedding on the Gulf Coast be without bridal photos on the beach. We woke up early Sunday morning and went down to the beach with Alex, Ryan and the rest of the bridal party. The guys wore tan pants and white shirts while the girls wore sun dresses. Alex was able to obtain a few extra wedding dresses for the extra photo shoot so she was not bashful about letting it get full of sand and water. We had a great morning except for the sand fleas that at my feet.

After the beach shoot, we enjoyed a great brunch with the families down at McCabe's. I love destination weddings. After spending so much time with everyone involved, you become like family. I look forward to many future events with them.

We said our goodbyes and trekked north toward Ft. Meyers with an obligatory stop at the Bass Pro Shop and the we took a side trip to Sanibel Island. Sanibel is one of my favorite places although it was chewed up a bit by a few hurricanes since the last time I was there. My previous trips there were with my Dad, so it has a special place in my heart. As amazing as the trip was, it was nice to come home to my family, especially after having been apart from them for Mother's Day.

Wedding Day Naples Style

2009-05-15T08:50:00.002-07:00

The big day arrived for Ryan and Alexandra in style, waking up at the Inn on Fifth in Old Naples. The ceremony at the First United Methodist Church of Naples was beautiful and funny. After the ceremony, we headed down to Third Street in Naples to an area of upscale shops and fantastic architecture, before returning to the Inn on Fifth for a reception that rocked the house. After the reception ended, we went out on to Fifth Avenue to get some night shots. Even at 11:30 at night, the air was a tropical, steamy soup. Ryan and Alex were awesome.

Friday in Naples

2009-05-15T08:50:00.001-07:00

After exploring the area around Old Naples on Thursday, Rich and I spent the day with Ryan and Alex on Friday. We started the day with lunch with the bridesmaids and some family at McCabe's right outside of our hotel. I love the covered porches with ceiling fans that most restaurants in the area have. It's such a tropical "Keys" feel. After lunch we headed down to the nail salon for the girls to get manicures and pedicures complete with glasses of wine and a foot spa. (For the girls, not Rich and myself) While the girls we still being pampered, we headed over to the church to scope out the location. It was a beautiful Methodist church with palm trees towering over it. Inside, the church had a split in the wall that let in the natural light in the shape of the cross. There were also teddy bears dispersed throughout the pews. They were there for the congregants to take and bring to those who are in need of a hug and a prayer. Later in the afternoon we had the rehearsal at the church than went to a family friend of Ryan and Alex for dinner. The four course dinner was not only homemade, but was worthy of a five star hotel. The desserts were out of this world.

Naples Day 1

2009-05-15T08:49:00.001-07:00

Rich and I flew in to Ft. Meyers today to photograph this weekends wedding of Ryan and Alex in Naples, FL. We're staying at the Inn on Fifth in Old Naples. Fifth Avenue is a affluent area with high end shops, restaurants and galleries. Rich made me eat sushi for lunch, then we had huge ice cream cones with homemade waffle cones that are still warm when they scoop the ice cream. After that, we walked down to the beach along the Gulf of Mexico. It's amazing how warm the water is already. It felt like bath water. Tomorrow we'll be tagging along with the bridesmaids for lunch then manicures and pedicures before the rehearsal dinner. Here are a few shots taken with my indestructible, waterproof point and shoot camera.

Flight #666

2009-05-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

Captain's Log.....Stardate 05.09.09
En route to Ft. Myers, Florida to shoot a wedding in Naples, we experienced a little turbulence. I'm not referring to the kind that makes the plane bounce. I'm talking about life turbulence. The kind that makes your mind bounce. It began with the bacon and egg sandwich I ordered at the airport in Atlanta during my lay-over. That sandwich, and its accompanying Ruby Red Grapefruit juice came to a total of $6.66. Clue #1. I shook off the anxious thoughts and headed to the gate. I noticed an off-duty pilot "deadheading" a ride to Ft. Myers on my flight. (Doesn't every air-disaster movie have an extra pilot deadheading on board?) Clue #2. We waited on the tarmac for 45 minutes before finally taking off.....What were they fixing or diagnosing? Clue #3. Again, I wrote off my trepidation to imagination.

The flight seemed uneventful for the first 60 minutes, but the next 15 minutes took 30, and felt like 3 hours. Our approach seemed normal enough, until I noticed we were no longer at 1,000 feet on final approach, but rather 5,000 feet, heading away from the airport. It wasn't as noticeable as an outright waive off over the airport, but we were definitely further from landing than we were a few minutes before. I glanced over at the extra pilot sitting across the aisle one row back. He didn't look nervous, but he was paying close attention. Then we began a series of steep turns, altitude, and throttle adjustments that seemed so peculiar to me. I'm no pilot, but the maneuvers definitely felt out of character for a commercial airliner. I half expected to see the pilots involved in a bar fight rolling around and kicking the controls had I opened the cockpit door to see. The engine noise was alternating full throttle and then no throttle, pressing me into my seat and then pitching me forward in my seat, not once or twice, but dozens of times over the next few minutes. I looked at the extra pilot again. He may have looked nervous. Was that a bead of sweat on his forehead?

We finally headed back toward the airport and our decent was anything but smooth. Still accelerating and decelerating aggressively, tipping side to side. I could hear the concerned comments of those around me, and focused on the terrain outside the window. I wondered if these were the last images I'd ever see. I wondered what people think about before a crash. I thought it was funny to wonder what people think about, rather than thinking about something myself. My knuckles were white, and I quickly downed the last of my grapefruit juice. Was that the last thing I would ever taste? It was delicious.

What separates the survivors from the victims in an aircrash? Luck? Fate? Precise position in the plane? Strength of character? Soul? Morals? Karma? Am I as truly indestructible as I hoped? Was all of this in my head?

We touched down hard and clearly too fast. We didn't slow down for a long time. I wondered if we could. The extra pilot was sweating now, no doubt. And then it was over. Welcome to Ft. Myers. The local time is 11:56am and the temperature is 83 degrees. Hmmmm, no mention of the near disaster. Not a quiver in his voice. Nothing.

As we left the plane, I turned to the extra pilot and asked him if that landing seemed peculiar to him. He looked at me for a long time, and finally said "No." He thanked the pilot as we left the exit near the cockpit. "Thanks for Ride," he said. What did he mean by that?

Still the safest way to travel, and I won't hesitate to fly again. Though I may add hash browns if my bill ever comes to $6.66 again.

~Rich Chesler

Jack

2009-05-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

I came home from dinner tonight to find sitting in the middle of my kitchen a brand new "Jack" camera bag made by Jill-E Designs. It's one of their new line of upscale camera bags for men. It looks awesome, like it just came out of an Indiana Jones movie. I leave on Thursday for a wedding down in Naples, Florida, so I will get to put the bag through it's paces. Thank you Daryn and Gail.

Chris and Angel

2009-04-30T17:58:00.001-07:00

We did some photos for my friend Chris and his girlfriend Angel a few weeks back. We found a cool roof top to get some interesting lighting and angles. Chris is one of my teammates on my hockey team. If you have trouble finding him just look in the penalty box. He has his mail forwarded there during the winter. :)

Going Green

2009-04-22T12:31:00.001-07:00

One of our goals for this year is to convert the studio over to a more environmentally friendly business, and what better day to announce this than Earth Day. The photographic industry for years has revolved around chemicals to process and print our products. While some of this is still happening, the transition of the industry to digital has reduced this significantly. We are always looking for new ways to be more environmentally conscious by doing small things, like recycling our ink jet cartridges and using energy saving fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent. Now we are taking it a step further and taking a look at our packaging as well as the packaging coming from the suppliers we use. We are using recycled paper for our packaging and reusing any shipping supplies possible. We are also encouraging our clients and perspective clients to pass along our cards and brochures instead of throwing them out when they are done with them. There are literally hundreds of things we can do or change to help preserve our planet for future generations, but we have to do it one step at a time. We invite you to take the journey with us by sharing ways you have successfully implemented an environmentally conscious process to your home or business.

Happy Earth Day.

Justin and Melanie

2009-04-11T20:30:00.001-07:00

Rich's First Blog Post

2009-04-11T15:48:00.001-07:00

Here is a copy of Rich's first blog post on our Chesler Photography New England page. I'm so proud to call him my brother:

Sometimes it seems as though we are inexplicably drawn like
magnets toward the very things to which we least want to be
drawn.

Case in point. No wait....first an analogy. It is my
modus operandus to wax metaphorically via analogy. Though
sometimes esoteric, analogy is the Brett Favre of language
devices for conveying a simple idea in 12 different ways,
each one further and further from the original idea, usually
punctuated by an apology, and an attempt to get back on
topic, usually via anecdote or another analogy.

If there was a road through the desert (any desert...it
doesn't matter which) and there was a single tree, more
than 100 feet from the side of this road (either side, it
doesn't matter which, though it will in the next part of
this story) somehow, seemingly unrelated events would
transpire, and circumstances would align, to cause a single
car (mine of course), to somehow, find this tree, and
attempt to merge with it.

Ok...forget the whole desert thing....and the tree. Just
the car. Keep the car. I was driving along the Merritt
Parkway in southern central Connecticut last Sunday,
keeping with the flow of traffic at about (will my students
be reading this piece?).....highway speed. As we entered
the Fairfield, CT theoretical dome of unusual circumstances
(which actually exists (I have encountered multiple strange
events in this area)), the hood of the car inexplicably
popped open. Ghosts? Gremlins? You decide. With
hurricane force winds attempting to lift my hood and fold it
back over my windshield, I quickly stood on the brakes, and
moved the 6 foot-wide car immediately into the 5 foot-wide
breakdown lane to get out of the way of the rest of the pack
of cars traveling at (er...) highway speed. Naturally, in
the middle of the narrow breakdown lane was a 40 lb animal
carcass. I could neither stop in time, nor turn the car at
all given the guardrail to my right, and the speeding cars
to my left. I had to straddle it and hope to clear it. One
out of two ain't good. I successfully straddled the
animal, but the car was just about an inch too low. Bang!

Now what are the odds that I would find a reason to hit the
only animal on this 65 mile stretch of highway? Actually,
this animal wasn't on the highway. He was off to the
side. The odds of my encountering a reason or set of
reasons to savagely challenge this dead animal lying
peacefully on the side of the road, with my 3,000 lb car,
are approximately 1. Or 1:1 or 100%. I stay out of deserts
for this reason. Hitting this animal was an inevitability.
A certainty.

Fortunately, he missed the front air damn and hit something
very sturdy under the car. Nothing a wire brush and some
liquid hair remover couldn't fix. I still don't
know why the hood popped open. In 25 years of driving, this
has never happened before, and probably never will
again...unless there's another dead animal on the side
of the road needing a shave.

PS. So what else has happened in this dome of unusual
circumstances? I've encountered a 100 foot-wide
hailstorm (over my car of course), I've had a llama run
between my car and the car in front of me while traveling at
60mph only 10 car lengths apart. (Revisionist history now
calls it a deer. I was sure it was a llama at the time.)
I've gotten off the highway onto Black Rock Turnpike,
traveled 4 miles in a straight line and gotten back on the
highway at the same exit I got off. I could swear I'd
even passed myself going the other way. I didn't wave
at myself, but there was a llama in the passenger seat.
Strange place.

Caren and Bruce

2009-04-11T15:47:00.001-07:00

It's been quite a weekend with the wedding of my sister Caren and my new brother Bruce. I haven't had much time or access to the internet to do my usual posting. Obviously with three photographers in the family there are literally thousands of images to go through. Today we walked around Asbury Park along the Jersey Shore and did some really cool romantic photos of Caren and Bruce. Here is just a sampling of some of the shots we got this weekend. There will be many more to come when I return home tomorrow.

Big Sis Gets Married

2009-04-11T15:45:00.001-07:00

I know these posts are a little out of order, I just wanted to get some of yesterday's photos posted while I had limited Internet access.

Caren and Bruce tied the knot Saturday after a courtship that lasted for, well lets just say a while. They are so perfect for each other. I'm so happy for them, and selfishly for me too since I now have a new brother. I needed a new brother, my old one was getting moldy. I had the honor of walking Caren down the aisle along with my moldy brother Rich. It was an honor to be chosen by Caren to do this, not just to give her away, but to fill the shoes of one of the greatest men who ever lived, our Dad. I very much felt his presence this weekend, more so than I've felt in a long time and it was very comforting. I had a dream about him and his father (my grandfather) the night before the wedding. I was mostly talking with my grandfather, going over old photos and he was telling me the stories behind them. I wish I could remember more details now.

It was very odd to be in the wedding and be one of the photographers at the same time. There was no shortage of photographers there. I was shooting along with my sister Ellen, and my brother Rich, both of whom shoot for Chesler Photography. Sarah also grabbed the camera often which was critical when we couldn't shoot like when we were walking down the aisle. She did a great job, especially during my toast when she not only shot the toast, but had the awareness to get reaction shots as well around the room. That's extremely impressive for an 11-year-old.

I'm glad we got to do the outdoor photos on Sunday along the shore. Saturday turned out to be a nice sunny day, but the wind was insane. The plan was to have the ceremony on the boardwalk or on the beach itself, but mother nature "blew" those plans. The ceremony ended up being inside at The Berkley Hotel in Asbury Park. Very cool place. Asbury Park is neat. It was once one of the prime hot spots on the Jersey shore and some where along the line fell in to disrepair and urban decay. It is now in a revival that is bringing it back to it's former glory. Some of the cool photos from yesterday though focused on the former icons of this sea side town.

Here are some of the photos from the wedding, along with photos of the obscene amount of photographers.

Even Cade got in on the action...

and now, the wedding...

John and Annette

2009-03-21T20:25:00.001-07:00

Alicia and Mat

2009-03-06T06:15:00.000-08:00