We are ecstatic to announce that Kristin has placed with not one, but TWO photographs in the Winter 2012 ISPWP Contest: 2nd place in Pure Art and 5th place in Humor.

At Photomuse, we view photography as more than a skill. It is an art. 

2nd Place Winner. Click the picture to view the other top images!

Photomuse is proud to introduce our new intern, Rochel Spangenthal!

 Rochel hails from North Carolina and is presently studying Neuropsychology and Biology at Yeshiva University. During the day she is an Organic Chemistry whiz, but at night she transforms into a creative artist. Besides for being a photographer and active writer, she is an avid collector of useless facts and can often be found speaking to strangers because (as she phrases it) “people are awesome”. And without further ado, we’ll let Rochel speak for herself:

Hello fantastic people and photography enthusiasts! Pleasure to meet you. I just wanted to share a bit about why I’m ecstatic to join the Photomuse team.

As a single girl in my 20’s, it is expected for me to concern myself with the question of whom I’m going to marry. As a single photographer in my 20’s, I’ve been more occupied with fantasizing about who is going to be my wedding photographer (The groom is a minor detail).

For me, photography is magic. Gazing upon a perfect photo is like being sprinkled by a pinch of Tinkerbell’s  fairy dust – you begin to fly and are transported to a land far far away. After spending countless hours scouring photography websites, I was dismayed that wedding photography seemed standardized. Tens of businesses  presented a homogenous collection of poses with open spaces in which to paste a face in a white dress.

And I couldn’t find that magic. I had almost given up hope. Until I stumbled upon Photomuse. And suddenly, my faith in the world of photography was restored.

Kristin and Steven capture something intangible. A hope. An emotion. Their photos are not only reminiscent of an event, but an epic tale. Each image is a unique composite of past, present, and future tied into a single shot. Their photographs convey the magic, tension, and joy of your moment. They communicate your individual message.  I’m thrilled to be allowed to partner together with them and you.

No couple is standard. Why should your photographs be?

-Rochel

Since great proposals are often accompanied with beautiful engagement rings, it seemed only fitting that our first guest blog post for Michael C. Fina be about the proposal itself. Steven and I trekked from one end of New York City to the other with an adventurous couple (who will be getting married this year), to show some unique proposal locations that are off the beaten path.

We hope you enjoy this post! Please feel free to leave commentary about your own proposal or locations that you know about!

Off The Beaten Path

Steven and I shot Jeanine and T.J. last week at his hot rod shop, Throttle Jockey Originals. I have known about how talented Jeanine is from the artwork I’ve seen (did I tell you the envelope her contract came in was even inked??) SO cool! So when we got to the hot rod shop and saw two of T.J’s builds, I wasn’t surprised at all to see how these two talented artists found their way to each other!

It was a fun shoot and they were both really patient as we tag teamed their session coming up with new ideas all while showing the great relationship they have.

Enjoy!

Jeanine and T.J. Jeanine and T.J. Jeanine and T.J. Jeanine and T.J. Jeanine and T.J. Jeanine and T.J. Jeanine and T.J. Jeanine and T.J. Jeanine and T.J.

This is one of our favorite blogs so I am thrilled to have our work featured here. Coupled with that is the fact that this session was one of my favorites as well! Meeting Jean and Sam and shooting their engagement and then their elopement was like living Casablanca! I love their story and they did such a great job of styling their own session, it made it quite easy for us.

Check out the session today on the OMG blog.

An interactive wedding event pairing hopeful young couples with an assortment of New York’s best wedding providers in a unique and dramatic new venue.

To celebrate their launch, The Space at Fifty North Third will play host to WilliamsBrides, an alternative interactive bridal event on Sunday, February 12th, 2012 in cooperation with their preferred caterer, Naturally Delicious and NYC wedding professional network WeDo. The event will be an opportunity for couples to meet with Brooklyn’s top wedding vendors and serve as an exclusive first look at The Space at Fifty North Third.

Zachary and Kim Zachary and Kim Zachary and Kim Mike & Danielle Mike & Danielle Mike & Danielle Mike & Danielle Mike & Danielle Mike & Danielle Mike & Danielle Engagement Engagement Engagement GOF10060_0848 Engagement Engagement Engagement Engagement Engagement Elopement of Jean and Sam Elopement of Jean and Sam Elopement of Jean and Sam Stacey and Daniel Stacey and Daniel Stacey and Daniel Rachele and Danny Rachele and Danny Rachele and Danny Stacey and Danny Stacey and Danny Stacey and Danny Stacey and Danny Stacey and Danny Stacey and Danny Artem & Joann Artem & Joann Artem & Joann Rod & Sue Rod & Sue Rod & Sue Rod & Sue Rod & Sue Rod & Sue Rod & Sue Rod & Sue Rod & Sue Rod & Sue PAT10035_0373 PAT10035_1379 PAT10035_1710 Trishna and Deena Engagement PEL09029_0156 PEL09029_0179 PEL09029_0274 PEL10046_1035 PEL10046_1053 PEL10046_1760retouched PEL10046_2198 PEL10046_3373 Elopement of Jean and Sam SCH10064_0145 SCH10064_0233 SCH10064_0193 SCH10064_0312 SCH10064_0369 SCH10064_0521 SCH10064_0844 SCH10064_1150 SCH10064_1240 SCH10064_1269 SCH10064_1635 SCH10064_2256 Proposal of Giancarlo and Diane Proposal of Giancarlo and Diane ZUC10034_1198 ZUC10034_1395 ZUC10034_1501bwbaby ZUC10034_1585 ZUC10034_1744 ZUC10034_1904

2011 brought many ups and downs, but I think the best thing I can say about 2011 was that it ushered in so many new friends into our lives, both professionally and personally. Without the relationships and collaborations, this year would have been a very different one.

Thank you to you all. It has been a pleasure to work with you, to get to know you, and to grow with you.

On October 30, 2011, I ran my first half-marathon as part of Team ASPCA. I started training in the summer for roughly 4 months. When I started, I was unable to maintain a run for a straight 60 seconds. When I was making my decision to take this on, my personal trainer, Dani Tsukerman told me “you will be a different person when you cross the finish line.” I had grand visions of being 100lbs lighter with a runner’s physique and becoming the perfect specimen of health, both in body and mind. Running suddenly seemed like the magic cure-all. While my grand visions were just that…”grand,” I can indeed say that I crossed the finish line a different person. Before the glamour fades from my eyes, I wanted to take a moment and record my experiences.

I met with one of our coaches from Terrier Tri on July 1. Prior to our meeting I expressed all the concerns I had about running this marathon. The concerns all seemed significant enough that I questioned if I should be participating or not. I was overweight, bad shin splints, knee issues and… simply put, I have always hated running. To top it off, during my first meeting with the coach, I discovered I have not been running properly and I would have to relearn how to run. On the bright side, maybe this would be the fix to many of my complaints.

Coach Spencer was realistic about the amount of work I had in front of me, but he was encouraging and supportive and he convinced me I could do this. Besides, things I hate become challenges and challenges I relish… so I was hoping this would turn the tide and I’d come to love running. I can say this…there are some things in life that I am right about.

When my partner Steven heard about this, aside from the enormous amount of support he bestowed upon me, he also discussed doing a photographic journal of my progress. While the photographic record didn’t pan out, in my head I can see the moments that would have been the defining shots in his essay. Moments such as:

• The look of wonderment and excitement when I bought my first pair of running shoes. My sneakers seemed to hold the key to success. I thought with the right pair of sneakers I could be transformed instantly into a runner!
• The look of failure and frustration when I wasn’t able to maintain sixty seconds of running. I quickly learned time takes on a new meaning when running, 1 second can last an eternity.
• Scared in bed. Like a child about to go to school for the first time, I didn’t want to get up and go for my first group training. I was afraid of being the slowest, the heaviest, the one who would be last in the group. Funny, as I read this now I realize those things were true, but it never mattered. Getting there that morning was probably the most important moment of the entire 4 months.
• The biggest visual for me? I would have to say it was the morning I was running the track and I was pushing myself towards 20 minutes straight. I did it. I watched the time adding up, feeling expectant as I got closer to 20 and I was still running. And the moment I hit 20, my arms went high into the air and I smiled what felt like one of the biggest smiles in my life. It was such a joyous feeling and I didn’t care who saw me acting like a giddy little girl. I did it. I pushed myself and I did it. I lived on the adrenaline of knowing my body was listening to me.

Beyond those, some memorable moments for me included things like the transformation of my shopping experience. Athletic stores became like candy stores. I was enraptured and curious. I wanted to buy everything and it all came in childlike hues of pinks and baby blues or racy and sleek black, form-fitting apparel. Standing in the magazine section of Barnes & Noble every month reading Runners World magazine. The ritualistic approach I took to putting together my gear the night before my early morning runs. The sprint in my steps as I neared our weekly meeting place in Central Park as I would meet my teammates and see how far I would push myself that day. Each week became a mysterious and exiting challenge to see how my body would react and how far I could go. Times when my body would hit the wall and I felt like I couldn’t go a step further, or the grimace in my face the day after a long run when my body was in pain. I can see the look on my face when I would dress up to go out and I couldn’t fit my swollen feet into a pair of pretty heels.

It’s at this moment I want to take a step backwards. I had been training hard. I was keeping my heart rate up, running 4 times a week, increasing speed, distance and time.  I was nurturing my body, stretching, icing, eating and drinking properly. I was so aware of how my body was changing as it relates to stamina and endurance, but where was the weight loss? People said they thought I looked different and I suppose I could see those changes, but when I considered how much work I was doing, when I stepped on the scale or put on my clothing, I was disheartened by the lack of change. It was depressing, and I figured it had to do with age. I stopped thinking of my grand vision of losing 100lbs or gaining a runner’s physique. However, something else happened, I faced unanticipated results of my training that took my mind away from those thoughts.

On the morning of the marathon, I stood in our corral waiting for the moment we had been training so hard for. My teammate Irka remarked to me how different, and lonely, all of this would be had we not been together in a group. I agreed and I looked around me at the large crowd of people surrounding me and I saw eight, unique individuals who were part of a summer of transformation together. In an instant I had a rush of memories as I thought about the last 4 months. Eight of us coming together every Saturday in Central Park under the nurturing guidance of Coach Kevin. In the beginning, the accomplishments I remember were solitary ones, only to replaced later by memories of victories that happened from being part of a team. Working together and encouraging each other. Supporting each other and helping to push each other on. Together we were able to push ourselves harder and go further than we would have done had we been training alone. We shared our stories and our reasons why we started running. We empathized every week when one of us was feeling sick or in pain. We laughed with each other as we realized we were actually becoming, dare I say, “runners.” We shared our accomplishments, our disappointments and our frustrations, and I might add, those frustrations certainly took center stage as we neared the end of our training! We discovered through each other that these disappointments were normal, we were normal. We were okay. We were better than okay. And here we were, standing together as one unified team among so many. We all made it.

When I crossed the finish line that day, I was elated for myself and what I had done. I laughed and cried for my journey. But as I sprinted towards my goal, the crowd faded away from my peripheral vision and all I could see were the open arms of the people who had faith in me. My coaches who understood what work was necessary and how to help me get there stood as a beacon by my side and over the finish line, bringing me in. Steven, who empathetically endured every step I took during those 4 months and who stood patiently in the sidelines as I worked my way there, photographing me and the team along the way. And my teammates who all finished before me, but who were with me every step of the way, and will forever have a place in my life as those who helped me cross the finish line a different person.

Acknowledgements

The greatest part of this entire experience? When I think of the ways my life changed as a result of this experience, it’s nothing compared to the changes that I was able to help bring to stray cats and dogs as a result of the fundraising. Knowing that this process was going to do such greater good was certainly a motivator at those times when it seemed so difficult. And I have so much gratitude for the people in my life who were so supportive and helped contribute. Thank you.

I met these two pugs, Rebels and Lula (short for Rebelina and Vilula) this past weekend. Their parents, Chloe and Matt, won a raffle I had donated on behalf of a fundraiser for KittyKind. If you don’t know KittyKind, please check them out and pass the word along if you know anyone looking to adopt a cat. KittyKind is a no-kill, all volunteer run cat rescue group. They have many cats and kittens looking for a good home!

Since I like to photograph pets where they feel most comfortable, it was suggested that I come to their home and photograph them in their favorite spot….. the couch. These two were real sweethearts and so deserving of their own photo shoot. I’m sure they slept very well that night!