Shira Z Photography

FINALLY!!!

2010-04-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

My new blog is finally up and running yay!! http://shirazphotographyblog.com/

NEW YEAR NEW BLOG :)

2010-01-09T20:45:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!! I'm getting jealous of all the other photographers new improved blogs so I figure it's time for me to do the same. Hoping it will be up by the end of the month. I have a bunch of shoots I haven't blogged yet that I've been saving up for the new blog. In the meantime you can follow me on Facebook where I've uploaded a few. I will also be announcing a contest soon so stay tuned!
And here's a recent photo of my little girl just because I am obsessed :)

Robert's Bar Mitzvah

2009-12-15T21:39:00.000-08:00

Last month I photographed Robert's Bar Mitzvah celebration at Buckley's in Brooklyn. It was a fun party with yummy food, nice people, dancing, and some games. Robert is probably one of the sweetest 13 year olds I've met in a long time. He has a great family who all really love each other which was so nice to see. Here are a few photos!

Congrats again on your Bar Mitvah Robert!

Greg & Debra's Engagement Session

2009-11-27T18:07:00.000-08:00

I'm really looking forward to photographing Greg and Debra's wedding in October. They are just awesome. I feel like we're old friends even though we met not too long ago. And they have the greatest story of how they met.. Myspace! Actually its much more interesting than that but I won't get into the whole story. We met at the Planting Fields in Oyster Bay for their Engagement shoot and it was a gorgeous day. We got away without having to pay the $100 permit fee which was another plus :)
I love this place, I can't believe I never even knew it existed. Well now that I know I plan to shoot there as often as possible!
Here are a few of my favorites.

Paul at the park!

2009-11-23T19:18:00.000-08:00

If I could photograph Paul everyday I would lose 20 pounds. He had me and his parents following him all through Cedar Creek Park. It was a workout! I guess I should get used to it because I'm sure Talia will be the same way once she starts walking! These are some of my favorites. I love the fall colors.

I wish I could shoot in light like this all the time.

This one is my favorite. You can't tell from the other photos but this was Paul most of the shoot! :)

Tali Molly

2009-11-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post these photos I took of my Tali Molly. Thats what I call her because her middle name was supposed to be Molly after my aunt Molly but I thought Talia Molly didn't sound so nice so we went with Talia May instead. Incase you were wondering :) Anyway this was a few weeks ago when Talia was just starting to sit up. I stuck her in a pile of leaves and she was able to sit up long enough for me to get these. I am thinking of using these for my holiday cards if I ever actually get around to making them!

after she fell...

Newborn Kelly

2009-11-23T18:59:00.000-08:00

This little lady was a doll and so is her mom. I had a great time getting to know them. Kelly is about a month old here and we were still able to get some cute sleepy shots which doesn't always happen once they get past 2 weeks or so. She has lots of hair just like my Talia! I hope to see you both again soon!

Jennifer and Christopher's Big Wedding!

2009-11-23T18:42:00.000-08:00

I first met Jen and Chris when I photographed their intimate wedding ceremony about a year and a half ago in Hoboken Park just before Chris had to leave for Iraq. Well he is back and I was lucky enough to work with them again, this time to photograph their big wedding this October at the Rockleigh Country Club in NJ and it was awesome!!
Brian Calabrese 2nd shot for me and it was a lot of fun. He let me play around with his fast fixed lenses that I am totally jealous of and need to buy asap :) Hopefully we will work together again soon!

I really love photographing Jen and Chris because they just love each other so much and it makes it so easy to take great photos of them. Check it out...
Congrats again guys!

Yes she already had this saying on her wall and it was totally perfect for wedding photos!

got to love all the men in uniform!

It was windy out! :)

playing around with my new light... how pretty is this place?

mom/dad dances

Viviana's Baptism

2009-11-20T15:26:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos from Viviana's Greek baptism a few weeks ago. She is a gorgeous little girl! I loved photographing her in her little dress. It was a beautiful church and beautiful party at the De Seversky Center.

taking a walk with her godmother

the happy Mom and Dad :)

Arthur & Andrea's Wedding

2009-11-05T13:58:00.000-08:00

Arthur and Andrea got married at The 3 Village Inn in Stoneybrook, its such a cute, quaint place I really enjoyed shooting there. It was a beautiful outdoor ceremony with some funny readings from friends, but my favorite part was when Andrea walked down the isle to the Star Wars theme song!

Thanks for having me guys! Hope to see some photos from your honeymoon in Turkey soon!!

Noah & Jordan turn 3!

2009-10-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

My good friend Lea asked me to take a few photos at her sons Noah and Jordan's 3rd birthday party. It was Talia's very first kiddie party, she even got her own goodie bag :) The kids were so cute. They made hats, ate pizza, took turns hitting the pinyata, played in the backyard, and ate yummy cake!

Go Yankees!

2009-10-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

My daughter is 5 months old today so I thought what would be more appropriate than dressing her in her Yankees outfit for a few photos! :)

and one girlie shot..

Montauk Wedding!

2009-10-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

Kertin and Patrick had an awesome intimate wedding in Montauk last month. We took some portraits at their hotel on the water beforehand and then headed over to Harvest on Fort Pond for the ceremony and reception. They got married on the edge of a dock while everyone watched from the windows of the restaurant. It was really gorgeous. I had a great time photographing the two of them and hanging in Montauk for the weekend. Kerstin hope you are feeling good!!

J. Reilly's Baptism

2009-10-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

I'm finally posting these photos from Reilly's baptism last month. Krystal and James made one gorgeous little boy, I could photograph him all day. Here are Reilly's Godparents dressing him for the big occasion, he didn't seem too happy with the outfit ;)

Passed out after a bottle... how cute are his little booties???

His big moment.

Family photo with Reilly's Godparents

Happy Mommy & Daddy :)

Grandpa giving a speech

This was quite the party, more dancing than some weddings I've been to!

How cute??

Thanks for having me at J. Reilly's big day, can't wait for the next family event!!

Tanya's Maternity Shoot

2009-09-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from Tanya's maternity shoot. I had a lot of fun posing her and her little belly :) She was a trooper, I got there and she told me she was in the hospital the night before for dehydration! Her husband wanted her to reschedule the shoot but she didn't want to! She even works 12 hours days as a nurse at 31 weeks pregnant!

Just a few more weeks and she will know what she is having, I love surprises!!!

Sissy & George!

2009-09-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post a few photos from Sissy & George's wedding since I posted engagement photos I took of them a while back. Sissy was my old college roomate and it was so great seeing her so happy. Basically everything about their wedding was over the top, it was insane! I loved every minute.

Sharon & Jeff Engagement Shoot

2009-09-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

I just love shooting in Central Park, no matter how many times I shoot there its always an adventure. It was a beautiful evening and I was very excited because Sharon and Jeff brought their doggie Dodger and everyone knows I am a sucker for dogs. After a little barking on my part to get his attention, he did a great job! Sharon and Jeff did pretty good too! ;) Check it out!

I really love this one.

My little girl

2009-09-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share a few more recent favorites of Talia!

Baby Ava

2009-09-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

Ava was just about 3 weeks old when I came to photograph her. She has a full head of hair just like my Talia. Now that my daughter is 3 months old Ava seemed so small to me!! Her parents were great sports both getting peed on at some point during the shoot! I'm sure Ava will hear all about it when she is older ;) Here are a few of my favorites.

Josh & Raji

2009-08-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

I had the best time shooting Josh and Raji's wedding! Josh is an old friend that I used to be in a carpool with back when we were really young. It was so awesome to be a part of his big day. Everything was really beautiful, especially Raji :) and it was so much fun to see old friends!

Newborn Naya

2009-08-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed photographing Naya and her parents, how could I not with this cutie??

Talia

2009-08-03T20:19:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share my new favorite photo of my daughter Talia! She loves her changing table!

Alex's Christening Party!

2009-07-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from Alexandra's Christening party. It was at the Port Jefferson Country Club which was really gorgeous. There were lots of kids at the party and everyone was dancing up a storm so I had fun shooting away!

Vivian and Mike

2009-07-26T18:19:00.001-07:00

I had a great time photographing Mike and Vivian's engagement party at Terrace on the Park back in June. Last time I saw Mike and Vivian was back in October at their Halloween party. They had awesome costumes!! Mike and my husband, Adi, work together as high school Social Studies teachers. Adi says Mike's been like a mentor to him, it is very cute. So when Mike's fiance Vivian emailed me about photographing their engagement party I was really excited! They are both Greek and so are a few of my closest friends so I know how much fun they can be at parties! The rain stopped just in time for the outdoor cocktail hour and a few photos. It was a great night!

Krystal's Baby Shower

2009-07-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've known Krystal and James for years now! Well I guess it has been years. We first met at one of my engagement day shoots almost 2 years ago and I've photographed several events for them since. Krystal and I were both expecting our first child within 2 weeks of eachother! I think I was 35 weeks pregnant when I photographed her baby shower. I was glad I could be there to document her special day! Everything was gorgeous and I really loved the place, Le Chat Noir in Rockville Centre.

I'm a mommy!!

2009-07-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let everyone know why I've been slacking so much with my blogging lately. I had my baby girl on May 28th! Her name is Talia and we are in love. Here she is!I'll be posting plenty more along with the other shoots I haven't blogged yet in the next few weeks.

baby announcements

2009-05-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share these baby announcements I recently designed with images from two newborn shoots.
Can't wait to design my own!!

Newborn Benjamin :)

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

Here are some images of my shoot with baby Benjamin. He was so good, he slept through most of the shoot so I got lots of sleepy images which are my favorite. Unfortunately getting him with his eyes open was a little more difficult!

Stinky the Cat posed for a few shots while Patricia was feeding Benjamin

Ben in my little bear hat!! I love it!! We tried to get Stinky to pose with him for this one but he wasn't having it.

I think this is my favorite

Newborn Andie!

2009-05-01T21:11:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos of Amanda and Matt's gorgeous little girl Andie. She is about 2 weeks old here.

So comfy in Daddy's arms!

so far I think she looks a lot like mommy!

she loves her crib mobile!!!

Lila's Newborn Photos

2009-04-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

Baby Lila was the perfect little model! See for yourself...

Laura with her little girl

I love this one!!

Lila's gorgeous bedroom! I told Laura she needs to come help design mine!

How cute is this family????

George & Sissy's Engagement shoot

2009-03-23T07:46:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Sissy and George came all the way from Brooklyn to take some engagement photos with me by the beach. They were a little chilly but the sky was so beautiful, I'm hoping they will think it was worth it after seeing the photos! Sissy was my college roomy my Sophmore year and I'm sooo happy to see her so happy! George proposed just a few weeks ago and they already set the date for the end of August! Talk about some quick planning, I don't know how she's doing it. The first photo is of them behind Sissy's "engagement gift", apparently George didn't think the ring was enough!! Sissy definitely found the right man for her!!! ;)

Mike & Rebecca

2009-03-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Rebecca, Mike, and Herbie The Love Pug modeled for me last weekend in Central Park for a mock wedding shoot. It was a so much fun and we got some great shots! Here are a few favorites...

Jake's Newborn Photos

2009-03-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to photograph Dana and Josh's firstborn Jake. Dana and I went to high school together and are both having our first child a few months apart! Jake is such a cutie! Maybe I'll have a girl and we can set the two of them up down the road ;)

Annamaria getting ready...

2009-03-02T16:20:00.000-08:00

Annamaria asked if I could take a few photos of her before she left for her wedding ceremony.
I had a great time with her and her family. Congrats again Annamaria!
How cute are her Mom & Dad??
and her adorable nephew!

My maternity photos!

2009-03-02T15:27:00.000-08:00

I attempted to take my own maternity portraits about a week ago. It was interesting to say the least, I am not used to posing for the camera at all! But I'm glad I did it. I'll probably do it again in a few weeks if I can. Here are just a few..

Barry's Surprise 60th Birthday Party!

2009-02-24T16:38:00.001-08:00

surprise!

Colin

2009-02-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos from my shoot with Jessica and her gorgeous 6 month old Colin. I just love him. He is so much fun to photograph because he's such a happy baby!
I've been playing around trying to figure out how to post larger photos on my blog (ok ok my husband is doing it for me ;-) ) I think he's got it but if you notice my blog looking a little funky lately that's why!

Check out those eyes!!!!!!!

Phillip's newborn photos

2009-01-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

Melisa hired me as a gift to her sister Stacy because she knew from experience how much these photos would mean to her. When I showed up at the house everyone was still waiting for the new mommy to arrive home with baby Phillip from the hospital! It was a bit of a crazy day for everyone but one I'm sure Stacy will thank her sister for in the future. Good thing I had Phillip's smiley cousin Evelyn there to keep me busy shooting while we were waiting! :)

How adorable is he?

This one is my favorite...

Josh & Raji's engagement photos

2008-12-22T14:18:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to photograph Josh & Raji's wedding in August. Josh is one of my oldest friends from back in the day when my we used to carpool to school together. If I write too much about him he will probably hate me so I'm just going to say this... His fiance Raji is a sweetheart and its just so nice to see them so happy together! Any girl that can get Josh to pose in front of my camera on a cold December day in Battery Park is ok in my book!! :) Looking forward to the big day!!

Theodoris Baptism

2008-12-22T12:16:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago I had the privilege of photographing the baptism of Maria's beautiful little girl and her family at a Greek Orthodox Church in Bethpage. It was such a nice little intimate place.

giving her baby sister a kiss

Grandpas with their Granddaughter's

Jamie & Mike

2008-12-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

I just thought I'd share a few photos I took at my good friend Jamie's wedding. It was at Woodbury Country Club the day after Thanksgiving. I had a great time and can't believe its all over already! I also got to meet Thomas Paul another photographer I've heard a lot about. Hopefully we will be working together in the future! Anyway, congrats again Jamie and Mike!!

Mike waiting for his bride...

The first dance

The End! :)

60th Birthday Party

2008-12-01T10:31:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of John's 60th Birthday that his daughter Dana hired me to photograph as a birthday present to for him. I thought that was so sweet. It was at a cute little Italian restaurant in Queens...

The birthday boy!

My New Logo!!

2008-11-18T17:06:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to write a quick post announcing my new logo because I'm so excited about it! Its simple yet fun and I just think it is just much more me. I want to thank my friend Thea Karas for designing it for me. We met working in the Art Department of a magazine a few years back and I always remember loving her work. If you're ever looking for a graphic designer I highly suggest checking her out! www.theakarasdesign.com

I'm hoping to have my new website up with a whole new look and tons of new images by the new year so keep an eye out!

Rebelle Friendship Bags

2008-11-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

When my good friend Daisy asked me to photograph the launch party of her Friendship Bags at FAO Schwartz I was so excited! Mostly for her but also just to be involved. It was a lot of fun and the girls who showed up loved it! They all had their hair and nails done, made bracelets, and posed in front of my camera on the Rebelle "red carpet" with a Friendship Bag. Daisy has worked really hard designing these awesome bags and I'm sure they will be a big hit! You can read more about Rebelle Frienship Bags and see more photos from the launch party at www.friendshipbags.com

Daisy signing autographs!

Shana & Yuriy

2008-10-29T07:57:00.001-07:00

I was very excited to photograph this wedding not only because it was at a winery, and because Shana & Yuriy were a very sweet couple, but also because I got to meet another photographer I admire, Laura Ryan. Thanks again for your help that day Laura!
Shana & Yuriy had a gorgeous vineyard wedding out east at the Borghese Vineyard. I always wanted my wedding at a Vineyard but was too chicken to have to worry about the weather! Luckily, they had a gorgeous sunny day!!! Their wedding party was made up of all the kids in their families which I thought was the cutest thing!! I love photographing children at weddings! Thanks for letting me be a part of your big day guys, it was really beautiful!!

Cindy & Adam's Rehearsal Dinner

2008-10-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

I had a great time photographing Cindy and Adam's Rehearsal Dinner! They are so cute together and Cindy is just a sweetheart. I was so excited to finally meet them. Their rehearsal dinner was out east in Mattituck at this cute little restaurant on the water called the Old Mill Inn. I'm a little jealous that their kids are probably going to look like the Gosslin's from Jon & Kate plus 8 one of my favorite TV shows!! They have the cutest kids!!! :)

Cindy & Adam were very generous with their wedding party gifts!!

probably the biggest hit of the night, American Girl dolls for all the little girls! They were in heaven!

Rhonda & Dionne

2008-09-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

Rhonda and Dionne got married at the Westbury Manor and it was a beautiful day. My friend Cathy came along to help me out and do some second shooting. It was a totally fun relaxed wedding just as I expected after photographing their engagement shoot. Here's a little taste of the day...

The Westbury Manor peacock

first dance

Nick & Megan

2008-09-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

Nick is one of my husbands best friends from high school. They used to run track together. I find that pretty funny since I've never seen him run or attempt running in the 6 years that I've known him. Anyway, Nick just married Megan an awesome girl he met in Med School and my husband Adi was one of their groomsmen. I was the designated driver so I took a bunch of photos and thought I'd post a few.

Me and my hairy husband :)

The boys

The Bride & Groom

Tom & Trinity

2008-09-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

I recently started using this new program that allows me to create these fun slide shows. Check it out. This slide show is of Tom & Trinity's wedding at the Watermill last month. It was a great day!

Rowe Family At The Beach

2008-09-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

Here are more photos of one of my favorite families to photograph!!! We took them at the beach by my house. They were all in matching outfits it was the cutest!!! The boys are getting so big and will not stay still for a second! I had to do a lot of running around, now I know how Lea and Steffen stay in such good shape!! This one cracks me up. It sums up how the day went!

I love little kiddie feet!!
My future assistant!

Emma/Emmy/Pom Pom

2008-09-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share some photos of the newest member of my family! My husband found her on a Boxer rescue site and we couldn't believe how much she looked like our dog Mya. We went to see her at her foster mom's in Brooklyn about a month ago and fell in love. She is so sweet but sooo stupid. I just hope its because she's still a puppy! We think she is about 10 months old. She was named Pomegranite at the shelter and her foster mom called her Pom Pom. When we took her home we decided to name her Emmy after her foster mom that saved her, Emily. They were going to kill her just a few hours before Emily decided she had to get her out of there!!
My husband decided he likes the name Emma better but she doesn't seem to respond to anything but Pom Pom to this day. Anyway here is our baby Emma/Emmy/Pom Pom.

Here is our 6 year old Mya...

I'll try to get a good shot of the 2 of them together also, its the cutest!!

Lisa & Jardine

2008-09-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

I met Lisa & Jardine at my very first engagement photo day last year. When they asked if I'd photograph their wedding I was so excited! I already knew they were a fun couple who were very easy to photograph. They are one of those couples that will just start kissing and being all cute with eachother as if I wasn't there. Thats the best!!! Lisa recently started her own wedding planning business called Elite Affairs, and after seeing all the little details she put into her own wedding I know she would be the perfect wedding planner!
Lisa and Jardine were married at the Queens Botanical Gardens. The second the ceremony started it began to pour!! Lisa somehow managed to keep her cool and we all moved under the tent to finish what was a beautiful ceremony. Lucky for us the sun came back out just in time for photos.
Here are some favorites.

Dara & Roi

2008-09-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

Dara was one of my closest friends in college. We were in the same sorority and were both not so sure how we ended up there! We also studied abroad in Israel together our junior year and she loved it so much she moved there and has never come back!! Luckily my husband and I have family there so I've been able to visit her every few years. She was in town recently with her fiance Roi for their engagement party. They wanted a few photos taken of the two of them around the city before heading back. I was happy to take some and I know Roi was too!! ;)

How great is that? Totally happened by accident.

Probably my favorite shot.

pretending to be surprised to see my husband Adi!

Sandy & Roody

2008-09-02T10:00:00.001-07:00

I am the worst at blogging!!! I am so behind once again. I don't know what my problem is! Even when I tried keeping a diary when I was younger I had the same problem. I promise I will get better!! Here are a few shots from Sandy & Roody's awesome wedding at the Sandcastle in Franklin Square. They make such a cute couple!! I was really glad I finally got to meet Christine Viola of Exquisite Affairs Productions who I will be working with again in a few weeks. It was a great day all around and my husband did a great job once again as my assistant/2nd shooter!

Rhonda & Dionne's Engagement

2008-08-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

In just a few days I'll be photographing Rhonda & Dionne's wedding at The Westbury Manor. I'm really looking forward to it because after spending a little time with them I felt like we were old friends! They both have a great sense of humor which made for great smiles in their photos! Here are some of their engagement photos we took by the Nautica Mile in Freeport.

Trinity & Tom's Engagement Shoot

2008-07-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to photograph Trinity & Tom's Wedding Labor Day weekend! They really know how to have relax and have fun and it sounds like their wedding is going to be a blast. Trinity has big plans for their first dance being that she is a dancer, and I can't wait to see if Tom can keep up! (no pressure Tom!) :) Here are some shots from their engagement session in the park.

Joshua's 1st Birthday!

2008-07-10T14:07:00.001-07:00

Last month I photographed Joshua's 1st birthday party. It was so great! There were lots of little kids running around the backyard enjoying a puppet show, a guest appearance by Elmo, animal balloons, and lots more. Take a look...

Mom & Joshua enjoying the puppet show.

Joshua excited to give Elmo a hug!

The birthday boy & Grandma

Josh feeding Dad cake...

Joshua loved the cake, although I'm not sure any of it actually ended up in his mouth!

Jennifer & Chris

2008-06-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

Tears were streaming down the faces of the maid of honor and the mother of the bride even before the ceremony began. When Jennifer and Chris looked at each other you can just feel the love. Somehow I managed to hold back the tears and photograph one of the most touching ceremonies I've seen in a while. Chris was leaving to serve in Iraq and wanted to marry Jennifer before he left. The ceremony took place in Hoboken at Pier A Park on the water. It was really beautiful and even though it was an overcast day you could still see the New York skyline peaking through. Check it out...

Claudia & Amanda

2008-06-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from the beginning of May. I photographed families on the day of their oldest daughter's Communion. They both looked adorable in their dresses and were ready to smile for the camera as soon as I arrived!

Claudia loved the camera!

I love the missing tooth smile!! :)

with Mom & Dad

Here are a few of Amanda...

Kisses!

how cute?!

Grace's 1st Birthday!

2008-05-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I photographed the first birthday party of a gorgeous little girl named Grace. I love photographing children and there were plenty of them there so I just shot away! I also took lots of photos of the cake. Grace's mother Megan made it and it was amazing! Take a look...

Engagement Photo Day update!

2008-05-29T10:29:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to write a quick thank you to everyone who made it out for our free engagement shoot! It was a gorgeous day and everything went nice and smoothly. I hope to see some of you again soon! For those of you who couldn't make it, don't worry, there will be more free engagement shoots to come!
Here is a small sampling...

Anna & Jose

2008-05-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

I recently second shot for my friend Christopher of Threshold Visions. It had been a while since we last worked together so I was really looking forward to it. I'm always learning something new from him, he's been a huge help to me with getting my photography business up and running. Hopefully we'll work together again soon! Here are are a few of my favorites from Anna & Jose's wedding in nyc.

Amira & Brad in NYC

2008-05-15T06:28:00.000-07:00

My friend Amira asked me to take some photos of her with her husband Brad around NY before they move back to Texas at the end of the month. Brad wasn't too enthusiastic about being in front of the camera but I think he eventually warmed up to it. We took a few of them walking down their block, in front of their street sign, and the rest at Central Park. Here are a few...

Brad acting goofy

Walking down their block

In front of their apartment building

Jessica's Maternity Photos

2008-05-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

I was really looking forward to taking Jessica's maternity photos.
She's almost 8 months pregnant and looks great! See for yourself...

Machida & Amol

2008-05-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

Kim & Amol's wedding was a blast! It flew by way too fast. And somehow I managed to give my maid of honor speech without passing out! :)
Kim looked like a princess.
I was able to take a few photos, more towards the end of the night...

Free Engagement Shoot!

2008-04-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! On May 17th I'm having another free engagement shoot for couples who haven't booked a wedding photographer yet. There are a few time slots available so email me for more info or to schedule a time. shira@shirazphotography.com
There's no commitment!

Weekend of Rehearsal Dinners

2008-04-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

So I recently photographed 2 rehearsal dinners. One I was hired to photograph and the other I was a guest, but I wanted to take some photos for them. They were both lots of fun you could feel the wedding excitement in the air.
This one was Kim and Amol's rehearsal luncheon/dinner at Boccaccio in Hicksville. We all got really fun gifts and the food was good too. Here are a few photos..

Father of the brides speech...

The bride and groom to be!

opening presents!

The smiley best man...

I hadn't seen Krystal and James since their engagement shoot and party so it was great to see them all excited the night before the wedding. Krystal did a great job with all the little details as usual. And she loves to be photographed which makes my job easier!

Krystal's adorable nephew!

Cheers!

Surprise 60th!

2008-03-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

Once again I'm a little behind on my blogs. Here are some photos from a 60th surprise party I photographed for Cheryl's father not too long ago. Everyone was very excited for the surprise, the guest of honor even cried a little, it was very touching. Cheryl does beauty/spa parties for kids which I'm hoping to photograph in the future! The company is called Spa ESCAPE Parties for Girls, feel free to email her if you're interested! clatif@consultant.com

lots of food!

February.

2008-03-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

Machida's Bridal Shower!

slideshow!

Kim was very excited about the purring massage lotion!

the favors

Cheers!

Stephanie and Brian's wedding at the Thatched Cottage was really great. I was so excited to be a part of it, especially since I know most of Stephanie's family. And let me tell you, these people know how to party!!! The night really flew by and Stephanie was just glowing. Here are a few of my favorites from the night.

The first dance :)

My husband loves taking the dogs to the beach to run in the winter since there is no one there. I usually don't like to go because I hate the cold, but this happened to be a nice day. My mother in law and her 2 dogs like going also.
This is Woodstock, a Greyhound my mother in law rescued. He's super fast.

Our baby, Mya. How cute is this face?!!?

Baby time! :)

2008-02-05T14:30:00.000-08:00

As you can probably see I can't get enough of my friend Lea's twin boys Noah and Jordan. They are two of the happiest kids I know. Here are some more recent photos of them...

Noah

Check out Jordan's teeth!!! Too cute.

Nicole and Rafa, a couple who's wedding I photographed back in April of 2006 now have a baby boy, Mateo. He is another cutie I was lucky enough to photograph recently.

He thinks my sneezes are hysterical!

Mateo & mommy

My cousins Roee & Melissa had a beautiful baby girl not too long ago named Sophia. They live in LA so I just met her for the first time this weekend. She's tiny!!! I was so excited to finally take her baby photos. Here are just a few.

Barry & Roberta

2008-01-22T14:30:00.000-08:00

The first wedding I shot this year was really special. Barry and Roberta knew each other from high school, ran into each other on the street one day years later, and the rest is history! They had an intimate wedding with their family at their Long Beach apartment. It was beautiful, I had to hold back the tears during their ceremony. I feel really lucky to have been a part of their special day.

Barry breaking the glass

The happy couple!

on the boardwalk outside their apartment

More engagment photos!

2008-01-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

I was already yelled at for forgetting to post some of these engagement photos. I'm not sure how I could forget these since all 3 couples hold a special place in my heart! :)

In about 3 weeks I get to photograph Stephanie and Brian's Wedding. I'm extremely excited for this wedding not only because its Stephanie and Brian's big day but also because I've known the brides family for years and they are sooo wonderful and love to party!
We went to the beach to take their engagement photos. Unfortunately, I had to cut it short due to a horrible migraine but with my husband's help we managed to get some nice shots anyway...

Kim Machida, one of my best friends is getting married this April. I'm the maid of honor so I don't get to photograph the wedding but I did get to take some engagement photos for them. Its always fun photographing friends but sometimes it makes me more nervous. Once they got into it though there was no stopping them! I told them to be silly and do things they'd do if they were alone. Little did I know they like to practice wheelbarrow racing and dancing to Saturday night fever! hehe

Me and the happy couple!

I was also lucky enough to photograph my good friend Chris and his beautiful fiance Megan. Megan was loving every minute in the spotlight while Chris took a little longer to warm up to it. By the end they were dancing around Central Park like two love birds. It was great. I've never seen Chris so happy.

The rest of 2007...

2008-01-14T07:46:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to finish posting about the last few events & portraits from 07.

My friend's sister asked me to photograph her son Garin, she wanted a nice photo to use for their holiday card. He'll be a year in May. He is so adorable I could photograph him all day long!!

JOJO...

Here are some images of Jojo the french bulldog I photographed in Riverside Park. I love animals so even though she wasn't too happy changing outfits and being photographed I loved every minute of it!

The last 2 events I photographed this past year were both really fun to be a part of.
The first was a fundraising event. It was amazing to see how many people were there to help, even channel 12 news showed up! Here are a few shots.

Everyone waiting for the guest of honor!

selling raffle tickets...

In December I photographed David's 50th suprise birthday party at Panama Hatties. He was totally surprised it was great! And the food there is yummmy!!
waiting...

Surprise!!!

The whole family : )

I'm back...

2008-01-10T08:26:00.000-08:00

Happy new year! Ok so its been a few months since my first post but its a new year so what better time to get started again than now. I've been pretty busy these past few months. Here's a quick recap.

In November I held an engagement shoot at Eisenhower Park. It was great getting to meet everyone, the day flew by. All 7 couples were in good spirits despite the cold weather. Here are a few of my favs.

Lisa & Jay

Janice & Jack

Kelly & Chris

Krystal & James

Thanks to all the couples who showed up! I hope to have another engagement shoot once the weather warms up so spread the word!

A few weeks ago the Shehigian family welcomed me into their home to take some family photos. Their daughter loved being in front of the camera and even behind it! They may have a future photographer in the family!

How cute is she!?

Krystal and James, one of the couples from my engagement shoot, asked me to photograph their engagement party at Chateau Briande. It was a great time, they love to party so I felt right at home! I'm looking forward to shooting her shower in February!

My first blog!

2007-10-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine convinced me recently that I should start a blog so here I am! Thanks Christopher!
Today I took some photos of my friend Lea's twin boys Noah and Jordan. They are such happy boys its so cute. They also just started walking so they are a bit of a handful!
Here are a few of the photos...