December 25, 2009

  • Happy Holidays from Dan Wagner Photography

    Happy Holidays! I'd like to thank all the brides and grooms who've allowed me to photograph their weddings this past year. The wedding day goes by so fast, that I wish I could relive it, or at least rephotograph it.

    A new decade is a week away. I plan on dedicating the 2010's to one of my all time favorite photographers, Richard Avedon. I just discovered an amazing blog: http://lifeslittleadventures.typepad.com/lifes_little_adventures/avedon_years written by one of Avedon's former assistants, Earl Steinbicker. He's writing a book about his experiences (due out in 2010), that I can't wait to read. As a former NYC photographer's assistant, I find Steinbricker's anecdotes especially poignant, and illuminating. So much so in fact, that I spent $30 and bought myself the same exposure meter Richard Avedon used -- a Norwood Director B.

    To learn more about the Norwood Director B, and other vintage light meters check out James Ollinger's phenomenal web site: http://www.jollinger.com/photo/meters/meters/norwood_directorB.html. Be sure to download the Norwood Director B's instruction manual; it has an incredible section on how to use a light meter to measure contrast ratios, and to meter accurately for a variety of lighting situations. If you've never read photographic technical literature from the 1940's, you're in for a real treat -- clear, concise, and educational.


    The Norwood Director B Lightmeter. Photos courtesy © James Ollinger 2009

    My next recommendation is to buy/rent a copy of the 1957 movie Funny Face starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire. The movie is a dramatization with music and dance of Avedon's exploits as a fashion photographer. In fact, Avedon served as a technical consultant, and shot the opening title photographs. Unfortuantely, he must have been absent the day the Greenwich Village bookstore scenes were filmed, because during exposures with the 8x10 view camera, the dark slides were left half-inserted in the film holders, instead of removed, and would have resulted in a half exposed image. Be sure to check out the scenes with Fred Astaire holding a Norwood Director B. By the way, back in my photographer's assistant days in Los Angeles, I used to hang out with Fred Astaire's grandson, Kevin McKenzie. Small world, n'est-ce pas?

    Check out my new "Avedon" camera, a 1961 Rolleiflex 3f
    To the photographers who follow my blog, please seriously consider getting a copy of Richard Avedon's book Evidence. It can change the way you shoot. Here's a link to an eBay auction where you can get a new fist edition for only $34: CLICK HERE.

December 7, 2009

November 30, 2009

November 28, 2009

  • Janice and Tom's Westlake Inn Wedding

    Getting married the day before Thanksgiving is a great way for a couple and their families to double their holiday pleasure. Janice and Thomas had a fantastic ceremony performed by father Tom at Saint John The Evangelist Church in Center Moriches, followed by a photo session at a nearby park and beach, and a wonderful reception at Westlake Inn in Patchogue, New York. Thomas' father John, capped the evening by leading the guests in a spirited rendition of Hey Gumbaree. The Internet photo gallery is now up, photo discs are burned, video editing has begun, and I'm looking forward to designing Janice and Tom's wedding albums. I can already imagine some of the photos below featured as double-page spreads.


    Angles and leading lines always result in satisfying compositions.


    My favorite shot of the day.

November 18, 2009

  • Bob Dylan at the United Palace Theater in New York

    Whew, just got home from an incredible Bob Dylan concert on 11/17/2009 at the United Palace Theater in Washington Heights, New York. Dylan will be playing two more concerts at the same venue. The consensus from fans was that this was one of Bob Dylan's best concerts, and that the United Palace Theater is one of the best places to see him. Here are a few photos I shot with my trusty Canon G-9 camera. Tech: Manual Mode, ISO 1600, 1/60 sec, and f/4.8. Enjoy. Scroll down for my wedding photography work.


    This two pesky fans held up their "I want you Bob" sign all night long.

November 16, 2009

November 9, 2009

  • Long Island Batmitzvah Mazaltov

    Yesterday, I spent the day photographing a Batmitzvah party on the South Shore of Long Island in East Meadow, New York at a local Jewish Center. These events remind me of coronations. Going from photographing weddings to photographing a Barmitzvah or Batmitzvah is positively lilliputian -- mini-grooms, mini-brides, and mini-guests. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the party.

October 31, 2009

  • Kimberly and Szymon's Cold Spring Harbor Engagement Shoot

    The lighting was all over the place, cloudy, sunny, contrasty, soft, and the wind seemed to come from every direction. All of which combined for a fun and challenging photo shoot. Variety is good. So is fast service. After the photo shoot I joked with Szymon and Kimberly that my nickname is "fast Dan." Considering the fact that I was able to have this blog and Internet photo gallery up within 3 hours, my nickname really fits.

    Here's a photo of the DVD with full size images I'm mailing to Kim & Szymon tomorrow.

    This image is an example of the effect photographers may achieve by properly exposing the subject, and underexposing the background. In most situations photographers try to balance the flash to the ambient light so that the flash fills in shadows, adds catch lights to eyes, and results in a pleasing photo that appears to be lit with only natural light. Tech: Nikon D3, Nikon 24-70, Nikon SB900 at plus one, Quantum Turbo SC. Fun stuff.

    © Dan Wagner 2009, All Rights Reserved

October 26, 2009

October 24, 2009