“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” - Marcel Proust

CENTRAL PARK, NY – Recently, I documented the wedding story of Jessica and Francois. Their ceremony was held at Cop Cot; an outdoor cottage at Central Park (along 5th Avenue). For Jessica and Francois this was a destination wedding. The couple traveled from their home in Luxembourg and hosted a celebration spanning New York (from Midtown to The West End). Festivities were attended by close family and friends from around the world including: Dubai, Belgium, Italy, Sweden, Portugal and of course Luxembourg. The day before their wedding, they traveled around Manhattan for their New York engagement photography session…

The morning began just after 9:00am with a quick tour of the High Line.  The park itself is offers a wonderful historic lesson about New York. Originally constructed in the 1930′s for freight trains passing along Manhattan’s West End, the space was scheduled for demolition almost a decade ago. In 1999, Robert Hammond and Joshua David founded Friends of the High Line to preserve the space.

The newly renovated High Line park was opened to the public in 2009.  As I learned at the 99% Conference last year, Building the High Line was truly a community effort.  Jessica and Francois selected this location for their engagement photography session because they wanted to visit a new yet historic attraction in New York.

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Exiting the High Line, Jessica and Francois began to explore The Meatpacking District of Manhattan. Arriving at Hotel Gansevoort they visited Plunge; a rooftop lounge with a really amazing view of the city and a pool. On the way over, they noticed this street art by Frenchmen Thierry Guetta (he goes by the pseudonym Mr.Brainwash). Guetta is the central figure of the documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop; a film directed by guerrilla artist Bansky that documents the origins of street art. Recently, Guetta’s work was boycotted by some New York street artists. The above piece was covered over 10 days after I captured this photograph.

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Pastis is a world renowned French bistro in New York. Accordingly, Jessica and Francois really wanted a photograph outside the restaurant (we had lunch there several moments later). On their way out, the couple brushed past Martha Stewart who had just arrived with a party of three. I was surprised and a bit amused to learn that Jessica and Francois did not know who Martha Stewart was. So what do park officials, street artist and french bistros have in common?

Reflections on the Day
Each of these movements challenge us to re-examine our ideas about convention and to look at familiar concepts from a fresh perspective. The resulting work is unique, personally engaging and memorable. In the 2008, a street artist helped a president get elected. Every week, hundreds of people flock to Pastis to enjoy fine food at a French restaurant founded by an Englishman (ala Keith McNally). Similarly, each location that Jessica and Francois explored for their engagement photography session was eclectic yet intentional. The High Line is an elevated park (about three stories off the ground) on the fringe of Manhattan (you don’t get there by accident). Pastis offers a very specific style of cousine; their restaurant doesn’t appeal to everyone and they don’t try. Ironically, Pastis was one of the first venues to arrive in the Meatpacking District before it was transformed into a “chic” New York hotspot.

A passion for food, travel and art define the key ingredients in many love stories I document. In this way, each recipe yields a photography collection that is unique and specific to the couple (some like spicy…others prefer savory). Creating a photography collection is more than injecting flavor into a bland arrangement of ingredients. This organic process requires time, patience and engagement. I really enjoyed the months of preparation that went into creating this photography story for Jessica and Francois. Through this experience, I was able to better appreciate their engagement and wedding celebration.

UPDATE: This Online Journal was just nominated for a Bridal Blog Award:

If You’re Engaged: Please read this short article about How to Choose the Ideal Photographer for Your Wedding.