North Island Photography Blog

Fine Art Velvet Timepiece

northislandphotography — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:45:30 +0000

Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed the holiday season, and had a wonderful time celebrating the arrival of 2010. We are excited to introduce our most recent product. Michael selected a recent image of his beautiful wife Debbie to display on this unique photographic surface–velvet paper. The texture is so appealing that you cannot resist touching it when you see it.

Michael loves taking time out to take photos of his wife and children, to learn new techniques, and to be creative with different types of props. Multiple lights and filters were used to enhance this particular image. Please continue to visit our blog and our website to view our most recent work.

2009 was an amazing year for us at North Island Photography. We worked with so many wonderful clients. We cannot wait to offer you more products and creativity in 2010.

Holiday Portraits

northislandphotography — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:49:25 +0000

Decorated mantles are the backdrop of so many warm family gatherings during the holiday season. We want our clients to feel at home when they visit us in our studio, and hoped that the children we photograph would feel comfortable in front of our birch-covered mantle. The results so far are so much more than we could have asked for. We have been seeing the most natural expressions and movements. The smiles we receive are genuine. The children, as well as their parents, seem truly happy to spend some time with us, and we have been unbelievably happy to spend time with them as well.

It has been so much fun reconnecting with different families who have revisited us for portraits over the years. With each of the different families comes a different aesthetic look– some vintage, some more modern, all of them a joy to photograph. We look forward to spending time with more families over the next few weeks.

These are a few of the spectacular moments we have captured so far:

Of course I couldn’t resist photographing my own beautiful children in the midst of such a terrific scene:

We would love to meet new families as well. Please contact us if you would like to set up a time for a portrait at our studio.

Vanessa & Dan: Wedding

northislandphotography — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:22:41 +0000

With their cheerful and playful demeanor, I could tell Dan and Vanessa were going to be up for a fun-filled wedding day. They have been fans of our work for some time, and they treated us with the utmost respect and put complete trust in all of our photographic requests. They were eager to take suggestions for different types of movement and expression, because they appreciate our style and our work, and wanted to get the perfect shot.

Dan and Vanessa were wed at the Vanderbilt Estate in Centerport, NY, every square foot of which contains eye-catching Spanish revival architecture. We had a wonderful time at Dan and Vanessa’s wedding, and were able to create spectacular imagery. Here are a few images with our latest graphic work applied.

Dan and Vanessa, thank you so much for asking us to share in your wedding day. We truly enjoyed working with you and your wonderful family members and friends.

Silhouette Canvases and Pillows

northislandphotography — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:43:14 +0000

We love it when we have the opportunity to present our clients with new products. Our silhouette canvases and pillows are fun and unique, and are completely customizable to match any decor in your home. Our clients are able to select the color of the silhouette, and the color of the background. They can both be personalized with names or monograms. The pillow has a removable cover for easy washing. Our canvases are available as Gallery Wraps, which are immediately ready to hang without a frame. The image on both the canvas and the pillow can be the silhouette alone, or with a circle or scalloped border. Both of these items make for a perfect family heirloom.

Holiday Portraits at North Island

northislandphotography — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:44:28 +0000

Another exciting holiday season is approaching and we are eager to create an exquisite winter scene for family portraits. This is a very special time of year when we reconnect with dedicated clients who visit our studio for portraits yearly, and it is also a time when we get to build relationships with new clients, all of whom are looking to capture treasured moments.

Each year we conceive a new, beautiful backdrop for our holiday portraits. We are delighted to work with Jennifer McKeon of Verbena Designs, Inc., a floral artist and event decorator who is enthusiastic about creating wonderful scenes. She has designed a sketch for our 2009 holiday portraits that we cannot wait to construct and unveil to our clients.

Here is a preview of this year’s scene:

Here are a few of the scenes we have previously used. We still offer these looks for portrait sessions.

Amy & Matthew: Wedding

northislandphotography — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:01:51 +0000

Photographing at the Bourne Mansion is always a welcomed trip down memory lane. My wife and I held our wedding there, and it was truly a spectacular affair. When Amy and Matthew revealed that they would hold their wedding there as well, I was instantly overjoyed to have been asked to photograph their special day.

The Bourne Mansion of Oakdale, NY was once the home of Frederick G. Bourne, the president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Today it is among the most stunning architectural structures that I have the opportunity to use as a backdrop when photographing brides and grooms.

Amy and Matthew’s wedding day was filled with fun, laughter and love. They were so free-spirited. They wanted nothing more than to host an event during which each and every guest and vendor would be talking, dancing, smiling, and dining on the most exquisite cuisine. They were incredibly hospitable, and a joy to work with.

Fall is here!

northislandphotography — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:10:47 +0000

We are always so excited for Autumn, with its stunning hues. This scene in particular was a photographer’s wonderland. The wind created a soft and beautiful natural backdrop. Here is one image from Michelle and Justin’s engagement shoot that we simply adore:

North Island: Reinvented!

northislandphotography — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:10:28 +0000

I have been successfully photographing wedding, portraits and landscapes for the past twenty one years, and I am always implementing new techniques to improve my imagery. While I continue to perfect my exposures and composition in order to get my in-camera images to be of the highest quality, I realize that graphic retouching/design is an essential and exciting aspect of my craft.

With the right team, anything is possible. Our in-house graphic designer, has been using the knowledge he has gained in web and multimedia design at one of the top schools of studio art. With tools such as Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop, Rich has given our portraiture a more modern visage. Rich will daily offer new actions to our images that create anything from a soft glow to a vintage green scene. Please take notice to our frequently updated website and blog.

Here is just one example of Rich’s work:

My wife Debbie has also been using many wonderful techniques in graphic retouching/design. She digitally paints our imagery , then when mounted on canvas, it simulates an original painting. Debbie is a talented artist who has experience with oil,pastel,and watercolor. She uses her experience with color and lighting to create what we refer to as our masterpiece prints. Debbie is the artist behind so many of the images in our gallery and on our website.

Here is her most recent masterpiece:

We offer our clients canvas gallery wraps, which are a stunning way to display large wedding portraits.

We also provide new Press Printed Books. These hardcover books are personalized with photographs and text on the cover, spine, and back. We have recently created a multitude of textures and backgrounds ( sand,stone,metal, etc) to use with any image. Our clients can choose the size, the cover material, the paper, and of course, the images that will go on each beautifully printed page.

Last, but certainly not least, we are now offering our clients a wide range of styles of new thank you cards, with various papers, finishes and textures to choose from such as linen, watercolor, pearl, metallic, pebble and lustre. We have added tri-folds and accordion-fold cards to our collection.

We welcome you all to visit and view our updated, contemporary gallery, and to see how North Island Photography is being reinvented.

Kristin & Sokol: Wedding

northislandphotography — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:38:23 +0000

I love it when couples agree to do a “first look.” A first look is when the bride and groom plan to see one another and take pictures before their ceremony. It is the first time a groom sees his beautiful bride on their wedding day. I could tell all I needed to know about Sokol’s love for Kristin by the smile on his face as we set up for the first look. We set him up outside, and as he waited for his soon-to-be wife to tap him on the shoulder, he could not have looked happier. Unfortunately, the rain began to fall on us and we had to start over under their tent, but that gave me an opportunity to see that smile once more. When he finally did get to see Kristin, he was simply beaming.

Kristin is so happy and full of life. She made us feel so comfortable when we arrived to photograph her with her family. She could not wait to get to The Inn Spot at Hampton Bays so that she could finally marry Sokol.

Kristin and Sokol both share a passion for music. They belong to the Belle Arti quartet–Kristin plays violin and viola, and Sokol plays the cello. When I learned this about them, I knew that they would have a blast during their reception, and they certainly did. Kristin and Sokol were an absolute pleasure to photograph. They didn’t seem to care at all about the weather. They were happy to run out during dry moments and snap a few shots out on the dock. We are thrilled to have shared in their special day!

Alex & Nicole: Wedding

northislandphotography — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:43:46 +0000

As a business owner and resident in Suffolk County, New York, I often photograph weddings on Long Island. Every so often I am asked to work in upstate, NY. Glen Island Park in New Rochelle is an awe-inspiring location where I would gladly photograph again and again. With its plentiful statuary, rubble-stoned archways and towers, and grand castles, there were abundant opportunities for the pictures to be taken…

And then Alex and Nicole step into this scene and turn an already stunning scene into absolute perfection.

Their reception was held at the Glen Island Harbor Club, with a backdrop of fishermen, boaters, and a brilliant sunset. The cocktail hour offered savory delicacies from various nations. The ballroom makes up a half circle overlooking the harbor. The view was simply spectacular.

Alex suggested we take pictures along the water beneath the moonlight for a romantic look. In that short session I believe we did achieve romance in addition to sweet, fun, playful love. Flawless.

Alex and Nicole, thank you for asking me to share the day with the two of you as you pledged your love for one another in such an unforgettable locale, among a group of unforgettable people.