Category Archives: Family

When a boy becomes a man

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This morning my son, Mendel, put on Tefillin for the first time.  According to Jewish custom a boy becomes a man at the age of 13, his Bar Mitzvah.  Once he is 13 he is required to put on Tefillin every day.  As is tradition in our family, the boys start putting Tefillin on 60 days before their actual Bar Mitzvah.  This is a very father/son type of experience, but I was up at the crack of dawn with my camera in hand to record this momentous occasion.  It was beautiful and emotional. Dini Groner3

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Here is Mendel feeling really good after saying a traditional ‘Mymer’ flawlessly.

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New York Children’s Photographer

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I get asked a lot about outdoor winter photographs.  I love all seasons and winter gives the photos a frosty fun feeling.

Both of these sessions tested the elements, we were freezing in the first and battling the snow in the second session but the results are worth it (at least I think so).  Of course I don’t recommend these sessions for the youngest children, the older tougher ones can hack it 🙂

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I’ll be in Los Angeles next week for photo sessions.  I’ve been watching the weather all week, getting more and more depressed as the chance of showers increased.  As it is, I already rescheduled these sessions from January due to rain.  But no matter, I will work rain or shine and the rain will definitely give me new INSPIRATION!!!  So bring it on and stay posted for the results.

Updates

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There are just a couple more days left to ‘The Big Giveaway’ and I’ve received some very moving nominations.  Some of you have written to me asking how I decide on the winner.  After reviewing all the nominations I select 5 of the most moving stories and I forward them to a panel of 3 people asking them to choose the top 2 nominations.  The panel receives the stories with names removed.  The story that has the most votes is the winner.

I don’t advertise the winner of ‘The Big Giveaway’ for obvious reasons, but I want to share the introduction to last years essay (the details are private).  The winner was nominated by 2 friends that admire her in every way.

We are writing to nominate our friend Y to be the recipient of The Big Giveaway.

The reasons we thought of her are obvious in some ways but yet so subtle in others. She “qualifies” on paper because she has a special needs child.  But in our hearts she qualifies because of her amazing spirit, friendship, determination and ability to embrace what Hashem (G-d) has given her.

So far, for this years GIVEAWAY, I’ve received nominations from cousins, neighbors, mothers and friends.  Each story is heartfelt and I truly wish I could do something for all of them.  I look forward to making the call on January, 15, 2010 to the winner.

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Here are some recent studio sessions.  Do they cuter?

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On a visit to Sao Paulo, Brazil

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I was lucky enough to visit my sister in Sao Paulo earlier this month.  While there I scheduled a couple of photo sessions.  The thing about kids is that no matter where they are in the world they just want to play and have fun.  That’s why even though I didn’t speak much Portuguese I was able to work with them and capture their individuality.  I love to travel and if I you would like to schedule a session in your neck of the woods get in touch with me.  My travel plans for the near future include Los Angeles, CA and Jerusalem, Israel.

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Remembered…

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I’m often asked why I got into photography.  I’ve always been drawn to photos, as a teenager I used to pour over my mothers childhood photos, my mother grew up in Paris and her photos had a timeless quality to them and it gave me a glimpse of the young woman she was before she became my mom.  On the other hand my father had no photos of his childhood, he grew up in war-torn Russia, orphaned at 5, brought up by an uncle, there was no place for photos. At one point, when I was about 10, a family photo of my father’s was discovered, in it were my father’s parents, his brother and a young girl, a sister that I never knew he had.  It was very emotional to be able to picture the grandparents I never met and see my father as a young boy.  That is what photos do, they are a moment in time, frozen, to be preserved and shared throughout generations.

The reason I’m bringing this up now is that yesterday I got a call from a client telling me that her mother had passed on.  She was calling to tell me that the photos I took at her son’s Bar Mitzvah in August were the last thing her mother was able to see and that in the past few months, seeing her mother in pain she got great comfort from the photos I took of her mother at the Bar Mitzvah.

Gabriella Grossberger  Z”L  –  1928-2009

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The Bar Mitzvah Boy

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His beautiful nieces, the great-grandchildren.

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Win a free portrait session by Dini Groner – Monsey, NY Photographer

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Yeshivas Ohr V’Daas is having their annual Chinese Auction on Monday, November 9th at the Atrium, at 7:30 PM. For ten dollars, you can purchase a ticket for the chance to win a free portrait session and support Yeshivas Ohr V’Daas. There will be a delicious buffet and sushi bar, and lively entertainment by the Monsey Players. Yehudit Gelbein will be the featured Parent Speaker. Yeshivas Ohr V’Daas is an amazing school for children with special needs. The level of care and individualized attention given to each child is truly inspirational. You can check out all the fabulous prizes, purchase tickets, and learn more about the school at www.yeshivasohrvdaas.org.

To purchase tickets over the phone, call:  DAY: Chana Leah – 845.425.1849  EVENING: Risa – 845.362.2375

I had the pleasure of photographing Yehudit’s family this summer. Many of the photos from this session will be featured in a slideshow during Yehudit’s presentation. Here are a couple.

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It’s still summer here :) – Rockland County Kids Photographer

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I’m still working on summer orders and since I was so busy during the summer I’ll be sharing lots of summer portraits in the next couple of weeks.  These were taken in right on the Hudson, I’m always looking for great locations, this time we went south to Piermont.  Great place to take your family for a picnic.  Talking about families, this family was so much fun.  We connected as soon as we drove up to the pier and had a lot of fun all through the session.

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