Southward Ho Country Club Wedding Photos
Kayla + Jonathan
Apollo Fields | Long Island Wedding Photographers | Best Wedding Photos | Southward Ho COuntry Club Wedding | Bay shore Wedding Photographers
Some say rain on your wedding day is good luck, but what happens if it rained during your engagement photos too? Is that extra good luck? Like when a bird poops on your head? I’ve always thought that saying these things are good luck is just our way of being a supportive friend/spin doctor rather than an indication of actual good things to come. That’s because I’m a strong believer in making your own luck; in choosing a good partner to weather the storm so that when good things actually do happen it just seems like they’re an added bonus. Kayla and Jonathan are the epitome of this kind of mindset.
Fire Island Engagement Photos
Capa and I were actually supposed to tag along for Kayla and Jonathan’s awesome engagement photo shoot on Fire Island, but because of the aforementioned weather they pushed up the start time. I missed out on a windy boat ride across the Great South Bay and oysters at one of our favorite restaurants, but Kayla and Jonathan rolled with the change of plans. They enjoyed showing Heather a couple spots along the boardwalk and had no problem going with the flow. All in all, the weather held off, but this is the kind of happiness that arises when you have a supportive partner rather than one who demands uncontrollable circumstances to bend to their will.
The Nostalgia of Your First Kiss
Kayla and Jonathan decided to have their first look underneath the tree where they each had their first kiss in 6th grade (!!) in Kayla’s backyard. What a wonderfully romantic idea! It immediately flew me back to the memory of my first kiss: the nervous jitters, the thinking back to the countless movie scenes where a group of teenage girls sit on a bed and gossip about who-is-and-who-isn’t a good kisser, and of course, having no actual idea of what to do. Kayla and Jonathan remember missing each other’s lips (lol) but knew better than to come back to their respective friend groups and say that it wasn’t totally awesome. The icing on the cake is that it was a dare (of course it was). Mine was too!
Robert Moses Beach Wedding Photos
Following their church ceremony in Bay Shore, Kayla and Jonathan and their wedding parties hopped on a bus for some photos at the beach. The weather luckily held off for a few hours in the middle of the day to do ALL family and wedding party formals and their romantics before the rain resumed. This is the kind of flexibility from Kayla and Jonathan that lended to their wonderful wedding celebration. They could’ve easily gotten down on their luck and let it dampen their day, but instead they made the most of what mother earth gave to them and had the best time. Their amazing friend groups did too!
Southward Ho Country Club Wedding
Kayla and Jonathan held their reception at a local country club to emphasize the importance of their Bay Shore roots. One of the things they were most proud of was the seating chart and details that they DIYed from recycled oysters! We love when our couples take the time to leave their fingerprints on the celebration, even if these projects typically take a lot of it! They had a great live band and the food and staff were fantastic. Never have I ever seen a fresh mozzarella bar but oh man was it delicious. We can’t wait to meet up with them for the gallery reveal which will definitely involve oysters as long as it doesn’t trigger some DIY PTSD!
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Southward Ho Country Club | Bay Shore, NY
Montauk Engagement Session at Camp Hero State Park
Montauk Engagement Session at Camp Hero State Park | Hamptons Engagement Photography | East End Wedding Photographer | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers
Ijeoma + Richard
Coastal Wedding at Water's Edge in Centerport, NY
Apollo Fields | Long Island Wedding Photographers | Best Wedding Photos | Water’s Edge Wedding in Centerport | NY Wedding Photographers
Erin + Gavin’s Wedding
Wedding season 2022 is upon us and it feels gooooood! Heather, Capa, and I spent most of our “off-season” traveling: a couple of work trips to Florida, and a few leisure trips to Mexico City, Aruba, and Vermont. Everything and everywhere seems to feel fuller, more enriching with Capa growing by our sides. The bigger he gets the more he engages, and the more I want to throw him on my shoulders and show him the world.
Water’s Edge Wedding Photos
The venue formerly known as Thatched Cottage on 25A in Centerport has gotten a fancy new facelift and it is stunning. Clean, marble surfaces, pristine white walls and columns, and a beautiful expansive patio out on the water. The decor is modern and inviting, well lit, and flattering. We were so excited to work in the space and Gavin and Erin’s wedding did not disappoint!
Oyster Bay Engagement Photography
We began the day at Gavin and Erin’s gorgeous home in Oyster Bay, where the girls were getting ready while the guys relaxed at the Marriot hotel in Melville. As a photographer, there are a few things you come to expect when you walk in the door: clouds of hairspray, half-drunken mimosas, curling irons, makeup kits, and empty water bottles, and a bride slightly on edge. Everything is finally coming together and the reality of their wedding day is beginning to set in. We like to plan to arrive 30 minutes before the bride gets in her dress, and Gavin and Erin’s home checked all of the boxes except that Erin was as calm as a breeze passing over Oyster Bay.
Wedding Vibes Come From the Top Down
You can pretty much tell how a wedding day is going to go when you see a couple engage with each other after their “first look.” Up until then, the jitters of marrying your partner play in your mind like those nostalgic butterflies on the playground—except they feel a lot larger. Before Gavin even turned around to see Erin he turned to me and said, “I know I’m gonna cry,” and that’s all you really need to know about their relationship. They have a kind tenderness to the way they look at each other; and we knew that when we did their engagement session a few months earlier.
Bridal Parties Amplify the Vibe
A proper bridal party knows their couple inside and out, tends to their wants and needs, and parties their faces off. Whether that means packing the dance floor, carrying the bride’s train, or pouring her a baby shot of vodka to curb the jitters, a bridal party knows what to do. That couldn’t have been more true for both sides of Gavin and Erin’s bridal parties, who gave support and care when their best friends needed it, and were the first ones to lift them off the ground when they asked for that too. They were a photographer’s dream: photogenic, packed with energy, and followed direction to a tee. Bravo to the couple for picking solid crews to surround them!
Rain Happens, But Don’t Let it Cloud Your Wedding Day
The more perfect you expect your wedding to be the more upset you will be when things out of your control happen. I’m not saying don’t get excited, I’m saying be prepared to embrace contingency plans. On an otherwise gorgeous day, Gavin and Erin had to shift their ceremony location change at the last minute due to rain in the area, but they didn’t let it get them down. The strength of their relationship and their connection to each other permeated the stress of the situation and they still had a beautiful ceremony thanks to the fast-moving team at Water’s Edge. Love is a top-down thing on your wedding day, and that is even more true for the rest of your life!
vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Water’s Edge | Centerport, NY
Band | Silver Arrow Band
Cake | Dortoni Bakery
Floral | Verbena Designs
Rings | Catbird | Brooklyn, NY
Dress | BHLDN
Suit | Men’s Wearhouse
Invitations | Minted / The Printery (Oyster Bay, NY)
Transportation | Mark of Elegance
Northport Long Island Wedding Photographers
Apollo Fields | New York Wedding Photographer | Best Wedding Photos | Outdoor Wedding Photography | Long Island Wedding | Photographers Near Me | | Northport Wedding | Huntington Wedding Photographers
Ashley & Andrew’s Wedding
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Reception | Huntington Crescent Club
Ceremony | Private Residence
Welcome, Capa: The Home Birth Story of Our Son During the First Snow
Apollo Fields | Lifestyle Photography | Home Birth with Gaia Midwives | Northport, NY
Welcome, Capa: The Home Birth Story of Our Son During the First Snow of the Year
I watched the moonlit blizzard from my living room window, trying desperately to get a couple hours of sleep before the midwives arrived. My lungs felt shriveled and dry, unable to expand my chest with each breath. Just then a pair of headlights slowed to a stop in front of our house, illuminating the whirling snowfall in its high beams. As I walked upstairs to put on my ski jacket and pants, I told Heather as she came out of the darkened bathroom, “the midwives are here.”
That’s the first moment that it felt real. That Heather and I were about to have a baby. I met our first midwife, Ashley, halfway down the driveway as I shoveled out a pathway. As she went inside to tend to Heather in early labor, my chest became tighter and tighter with every load of snow I heaved into the street. I’d like to say that I was out in the cold clearing my mind but to be honest I was just doing what I had to.
I had to clear a path for the midwives, their assistants, and our doula to safely reach our front door. I had to sit on the floor, watching as Heather writhed in pain laying on blankets on the living room rug. I had to let her interlace her fingers on the back of my neck, clench and thrust my head into her collarbone when she went to stand during transition. I had to sit by her side as she screamed and pushed Capa out of her and into a warm pool on December 17 next to the Christmas tree.
The entire labor, front-to-back lasted around 24 hours. The early hours of the day were dark and uncertain, but once daylight emerged the comfort of a warm home in winter shone through the frosted windows. Our second midwife, Michele, arrived in the early morning, and we began to hash out a game plan as I fried a few eggs over toasted bagels. Over the next few hours I napped, Ashley left, and Michelle guided Heather through the ebbs and flows of her contractions.
Around 2 PM Michele did something I would never expect. She left. She knew that Heather was a couple hours away from transitioning and jokingly said, “the way he went in is the way he’s gonna come out,” on her way out the door. Then Heather and I just laid there. On blankets on the living room floor like we were camping in a tent. We stared at one other and just sank into the moment. We were right there, and all Heather’s body needed was a little push. And then we kissed.
The next couple hours things ratcheted up rather quickly. Heather requested the entirety of DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar to be played from front-to-back. And then told me to turn it up. Heather began to go inward, working through the layers of pain in her mind, reverberating them across various octaves with her vocal chords. She seemed to be going deeper and deeper into her thoughts with every contraction. Our doula, Nancy, could not have arrived at a better time. She began coaching me to comfort Heather as Michele gave the cue to begin filling the tub.
The last centimeter of dilation violently yanked Heather’s body and mind over and over again. I cried as I watched her suffering. I know how strong she is and that made it even worse. At the same time I could also hear a tinge of positivity—a purpose behind her every bellow and moan—like she knew that every ounce of her pain was productive.
When Heather made it to the tub, she ‘ooed’ her way into the warm water. She felt the weight of Capa lighten as she kneeled, settling her forearms onto the tub’s inflatable walls. I sat a couple of feet in front of her face, again, watching as she pushed through the pain. I admired the fact that she faced wave after wave and kept showing up to face the pain head on. I passed her glasses of water as she chugged them down and frequently replaced the cold towel she pressed against her forehead.
Right about then our friend and photographer, Cait, slinked in through the front door almost unnoticed. She rotated around the room, past Nancy, Michele, and her midwife assistant, Farah, adjusting settings as the shutter on her camera fluttered. I kept my eyes on Heather. Every scream seemed to increase in volume and intensity as Michele and Nancy coached her to exhale down through her pelvis. I sat watching, astonished at her strength. “You can break your own water if you want, Heather, it’s kind of in the way—but I will not do that unless you want me to,” Michele said softly. Heather then gathered a breath, reached down, broke her own effing water, and pushed Capa into the world.
The first look on her face was surprise, like she couldn’t believe she did it. She says she didn’t need to see his face, immediately pulling him up to her chest, because she knew what he looked like. She held him the way a child holds a pet when they’re upset, clenching them with an almost desperate love. Given all that we’ve been through, the first word that came to Heather’s mind when we later talked about her birth experience was—healing.
We waited 17 minutes before clamping the umbilical cord to make sure that Capa got all the nutrients he could from the placenta. I ceremoniously cut the cord and after a few minutes of cathartic reflection, Heather stood up, got wrapped in a towel, and casually walked upstairs (I was so caught in the moment that I didn’t realize how badass this was). We climbed into bed together, staring at Capa as I opened a beer in celebration. Michelle followed shortly after to look over Heather and stitched up a second-degree tear.
We cried as we took pictures, and Cait snapped a few before heading out. We laid there in silence as we heard Michele, Farah, and Nancy shuffling downstairs, cleaning and packing up. After a few last measurements, the midwives left and Nancy came up with some oatmeal and tea. With the wind whistling against the windows, we cuddled together, a warm family on a cold winter night.
Backyard COVID Elopement in Long Island
Roy and Randi's Backyard Elopement in Long Island | Intimate Wedding Photography | 2020 Weddings During Quarantine | Apollo Fields Eloping Photographers
Many couples are obviously having to postpone their big wedding celebrations this year due to the effects of coronavirus and subsequent travel bans. While this might mean obviously having to wait to have hundreds of people on a dance floor all hugging, drinking, and partying together, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you cannot still get legally married and celebrate safely with your closest friends and family.
I have been so inspired by the resiliency of couples who are taking all of the current events in stride and prioritizing the health and wellness of their guests by moving their receptions to a later date but still focusing on the importance of honoring their marriages. One popular option has been backyard and otherwise private elopements where social distancing and staying outdoors are easy options. By taking the worry and stress off of health concerns, you’ll be able to focus more on celebrating one another and staying in the moment.
Roy and Randi were able to have a sweet backyard wedding with their closest family and friends in a very laid back and stress-free way. They each have children and even some grandchildren in the mix, so it was obviously imperative that they were able to be present, in addition to their matriarch of their family. We were able to use their landscaped yard for nice family formals, and even took advantage of their koi pond and waterfall out back.
The ceremony was sweet and intimate, with a chuppah even impromptu fashioned out of the garden terrace that they have on their fencing. The chuppah is one of my favorite elements of Jewish wedding ceremonies because it symbolizes the home with the four pillars, but intentionally keeping the sides open so visitors know that they are welcome. Roy and Randi made theirs out of Randi’s family tallit, which was another special touch. They were still able to exchange vows, rings, and break the glass even though a lot of the other wedding formalities had to be postponed.
After the wedding ceremony, we did a champagne toast outside and Roy surprised his newlywed wife with a brand new Audi— her dream car (black on black) that she has always wanted! Such a sweet touch to always remember the day by.
Photography: Apollo Fields
Clean & Classic: The Importance of Timeless Wedding Photos
Hey guys! Heather here...
It's a balmy -2 degrees F here in Denver, so I'm calling it a snow day and have gone ahead and rescheduled all of my clients (trust me, it's no fun being outside in this weather).
Snow days used to be highly anticipated events, huddled up in bed watching the flakes falling from the window, listening to the radio station with your fingers crossed, toes crossed, pajamas inside out, and any other superstition that you thought might help the chances of your school being announced on the list of cancellations.
But now, twenty years later, I don't get that same luxury. Being a business owner means that you have to be the one to make those calls, and it's not always as easy as just wanting to stay in your sweats all day drinking hot chocolate and watching movies.
Clean & Classic
It seems that the wedding photography world has been dichotomized into two categories and photographers are pressured to define themselves as either "dark & moody" or "light & airy".
Now, don't get me wrong... I personally love both of these styles. I frequently find myself scrolling through the work of some of these masters envious of their well-crafted brand. As for myself, I know how-to and can shoot "dark & moody" as well as "bright & airy" while still properly exposing for my subjects. Sometimes it is fun to play around and push my own artistic boundaries, it keeps my eye fresh and it a fun challenge.
But I think there is a risk involved in subscribing to trendy editing techniques and why I shy away from them: they will one day be out-of-style. I would hate for someone to look back at photos I shot of someone's wedding and go, "eek, that's so 2018".
Let's all take a moment to remember when super-desaturated photos were in, or the all black-and-white except one color splash was considered artsy; circa early 2000's. Or a real life example: My parents got married in the '80s and let's just say their wedding photos are "so 1980's". Sepia-washed prints and shoulder pads. Oh my god, so many shoulder pads.
This is why if I had to categorize myself, I will confidently say "clean & classic". I want you to look back at your wedding photos and love them ten years, twenty years, and fifty years from now. I don't want your kids laughing at them. I mean, they can laugh a little, because that's what kids do, but it should stop there. I want to give you timeless photos that withstand the test of trends, fads, and increasingly savvy technology.
Here's a fun one: we have such a great time with our grooms and want to give them the attention they deserve. This photo captures our groom at a very flattering angle, but shows off his personality – fun and easygoing – to give it some uniqueness.
Another classic photo that I love. My couple is so happy in this moment and the photography stays really true to the season, their decor, and the overall mood of the day. Even though it is posed, it doesn't feel forced. I love when something feels candid even if it's not.
I love this photo because it has beautiful soft and warm light. There is still a lot of emotion, and yet in some ways it is also a classic bridal portrait. As an artist, I want to keep my viewer's eye on the image which is exactly what you get here.
It’s okay to not perfectly fit into either the “Bright and Airy” or “Dark and Moody” Categories
I love when I am building out my albums and I feel like I can re-live the entire day. Depending on the season, weather, venue, dress, florals, and other design and natural factors, there will be some variation in my photographs... and I think that's a good thing! I don't want my couple's to ever feel like they are just being plopped into posing placeholders, trying to replicate some picture they found on Instagram. I want uniqueness and storytelling, without compromising correct exposure and composition.
I think the mark of a true artist is to have your work become distinctive enough that the viewer no longer needs a signature or a watermark to know who created it. For me, I prefer not to categorize my work into somebody else's style. I would say "clean & classic" if I had to label my work, but in some ways that feels boring. Even the word "timeless" can begin to stale. My photos aren't stale or boring, and I am constantly searching for new ways to craft my art into true storytelling and bold narration. That is my pledge as an artist to all of my clients and viewers alike.
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