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  • About Shira

    I am an international photographer based in New York, an award-winning member of the prestigious Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) , ISPWP, and a member of the Best of Wedding Photography Association. My work has been published and acclaimed internationally, appearing in Brides Magazine, Anhelo (Japan), The Knot, and The Knot China. I have also been featured on many industry-leading blogs such as Grace Ormonde, Style Me Pretty, WellWed, Essence, Bride's Cafe, Brooklyn Bride, OneWed, Merci NY and more. Originally from Israel, I have had the pleasure of photographing many American, French, Yemenite, Ethiopian, Korean, Indian and Moroccan weddings and events. I have photographed in New York's most legendary spots like the Waldorf-Astoria, The Plaza, The Pierre, Gotham Hall, the Hamptons, and more. Through my photojournalistic style, I aim to capture the spontaneity, joy, emotion and ambiance of the important day with photos that present an unfolding story. My incredible clients have taken me all over the world to photography their weddings; including India, Canada, the Caribbean, etc. I am free to travel throughout the US and internationally, and am available for a wide variety of events. Feel free to look at my website.

    Also, here are a few testimonials from some of my wonderful clients.

  • My Blog

    Welcome to my blog!   This blog showcases not only my work from many of the beautiful weddings I am privileged to photograph, but also reveals glimpses of my personality.    Here is an opportunity to share some great moments  as well as give clients,  guests and friends the chance to comment. I also hope prospective clients will be able to not only explore my photography and style, but will also find inspiring ideas, recommendations , and tips for their own wedding planning.   I myself got married five years ago and I remember how overwhelming it all was- especially picking the right photographer!  :-)

Posted in Weddings

Heather and Matthew were married at Grand Central, in the presence of dear friends and family, and perhaps most importantly, their adorable baby Genevieve.

Heather’s preparation was at the Mandarin Oriental, while Matt got ready at their apartment, which by sheer coincidence is the building directly across the street from where I live.  Sojouner Auguste at Erganic Design was their planner and did a spectacular job.   I must say I was thoroughly impressed with Sojourner’s work and dedication. I have never in fact received a more detail oriented and well organized schedule from a planner before and I would highly recommend her services.

The wedding and reception took place at Charlie Palmer’s Metrazure, which sits perched above the Main Concourse of the terminal and under the famous astronomical murals of the night sky.

There is something poetic about being married at Grand Central.    Manhattan is a city bursting with energy, and Grand Central is an iconic symbol of that.   Commuters, travelers, and sightseers bustle through its halls and corridors in that famous NYC rush, brushing in haste past each other with barely a thought or glance on their way to their next stop. So, one must take a certain pleasure when a wedding take place there, when amidst the usual bustle a moment is frozen, when lives rather than racing unbeknownst past each other, become instead inextricably linked, and rather than the fleeting glances of rushed commuters, we witness eyes intently locked in loving vows.

This was the first wedding I actually had where the couple had such a young baby with them.   I love the way Heather and Matthew incorporated her into the ceremony, presenting her with a locket after reciting a vow they entitled “Honoring Genevieve.”   While Kelly, Heather’s amazing friend, was thankfully there to tend and care for the baby, I must give great credit to Genevieve for not crying once through the whole event.  She must have known that it was an important and special day she would look back on.

Vendors:

Cake:  Ivy  League Confections (Ayana Kimi 917.570.0504)
Flowers:   Designs by Ahn
Hairstylist: Jeff Chastain
DJ: djkanbeats@gmail.com
Officiant: Rev Susanna Stefanachi Macomb
Videographer: Brian Sarkinen Wedding
Transportation: Silver Star Limousine
Make-up Artist: Nam Vo makeupnv@gamil.com
Quartet: Ambiance Quartet (Shane Thor Galligan 516.313.9581)

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Posted in Weddings

Vendor List:
Gown – Ian Stuart
Veil – Erin Cole
Hair – Allure Salon
Make up – Michael Angelo Wonderland
Ceremony – St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church
Reception – Tribeca Rooftop
Band – NYC Swing
Flowers – Marine Park Florist
Stationairy – Georgia Fountoukis

I can really appreciate the special bond that Jennifer and Vinny share. They were together for seven years before deciding to become wed, which exactly matched the amount of time I was with my husband before we got married. The qualities that such a long term relationship nurtures- deep love, friendship and an ease with each other- were very obvious between them.

In the morning, when Jennifer was getting ready, she showed me pictures of her mother’s wedding at St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church. She explained to me that her mother and grandmother had both been married at this church, making her the third generation to be married there. I was holding the pictures and looking through them, and it gave me chills. It made me think, I am the one who is going to be the photographer for this generation, I am the one who will capture the memories for the day that her family will cherish for the next generations. It was a very powerful feeling. Jennifer told me that getting married at that church was a way for her to be close to her Grandmother and Father who have passed away. It helped her feel that they were there with her. Her Mom said that the church holds happy and sad memories, a wide and powerful variation of emotions, all very special to them.

On the day of the wedding, Jennifer was surrounded by very special people in her life. Her maid of honor and most of her bridal party have been her best friends for 20 years. One of her best friends who she met in first grade, was the one that introduced her to Vinny, who was also her best friend for many years. It’s amazing that someone that Jennifer met in first grade 20 years ago would be the one to find her the guy she would marry. It’s so nice that she was the matchmaker for her two best friends.

Jennifer planned her wedding in a way that everything meant something special. Vinny’s brother was his best man, and he had also been friends with his Groomsmen since childhood. The invitations, menus, place cards and anything paper were designed by one of Jennifer’s best friends, Georgia Fountoukis.The flowers came from a friend of Vinny’s, and attention was given to every detail. The band even welcomed Jennifer’s brother to play drums, inviting him to play a special role in the wedding as well.

These two are now away on their honeymoon in Greece. I wish they could have packed me up in their suitcase and taken me along with them! I think I may have been kind of a third wheel on a honeymoon trip. :)

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Posted in Weddings

A City Hall wedding is imbued with a special sense of romance and intimacy. In forgoing the trappings of lavish weddings, one is forced to focus on the simple beauty of shared love and commitment and the warmth and closeness of immediate family and friends. As a photographer, I must confess that a stark and imposing municipal building can present artistic challenges- glorious gardens overflowing with radiant blossoms it simply is not. However, Mark and Yee were a couple with fine taste, and the careful attention to detail and the thought and efforts they put into styling, were an undeniable source of inspiration.

I found Mark and Yee to be a stunning couple. Mark, with his English accent, carries himself with a bit of Hugh Grant and made me feel like I was shooting a scene from Notting Hill. Yee, who works in product development in the fashion world,  has an artistic sensibility which shined through in her choice of shoes, hairpiece and accessories.

I always find it to be an especially emotional tribute to love, when families fly in from all over for the wedding. Mark’s family, who are from England, made the long trip across the Atlantic. Yee’s parents came from the opposite direction out from Minnesota. In total there were 13 family members. Perhaps most special was that they only met for the first time the day before the wedding, embracing not only Mark and Yee as a couple but also eachother now as one large family.

After a short ceremony at City hall, we all went to the wonderful Asiate Restaurant in the Mandarin hotel.

I’ll add the story soon of how Mark and Yee met in their own words. For now, I will just say that they met in a bar where Yee was part-time bartending as a supplement to other full-time work. He was mesmerized by her beauty, but had trouble getting her number as she was not comfortable with handing out numbers at work. So, Mark’s friend read a book of pickup lines, and Marc took and tried his luck with one.  I’ll have to find out which line exactly for all the men out there, as evidently, it worked uncharacteristically well.

Vendor List:
Dress: BCBG
Shoes: Kate Spade
Veil: Bridal Veil Falls
Feather Hair Piece: Regina B.
Flowers: Florisity
Necklace: J. Crew

Suit: Zegna
Cuff Links: Paul Smith

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Posted in Weddings

I wanted to share Jennifer’s reaction to the photos, I love good feedback from my wonderful Brides!

HI Shira,
First I’d like to say, WOW!!!! The pictures are amazing! It was really great to see that you and Paul captured so much at the reception – especially since Jim and I didn’t get the chance to take in everything that was happening! I felt like I was able to see the wedding from everyone else’s perspective – and I really appreciate being able to see how much fun it seemed everyone else was having! I keep watching the slideshow over and over again because I can’t get enough of seeing all the pictures!!! You truly did a wonderful job!!!

Everyone has commented on how much they love the slideshow and what a great photographer you are! I can’t thank you enough!

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