[Engagement] Jay & James – New York City, NY

For an unusually-extroverted wedding photographer (like myself) who works primarily in the New York City market, it may be surprising to some folks to hear that I avoid crowds like the plague. Don’t get me wrong; I love people, and all the interesting characters that help me create the story of an image  But crowds just make me go a little cuckoo sometimes. Why? Because somewhere in that large moving mass of humans, there’s a wacko who’s probably going to ruin everyone’s day. Maybe it’s the cynical New Yorker inside of me. But I still believe that the more people there are in any given environment, the higher the probability (that something crazy will happen). For this reason, I plan 99.99% of my Central Park engagement sessions for the early morning. This allows me to create images like these, these, and these. For many of our couples who’ve never been professionally photographed before, this is also good news for them; they don’t have to be all cuddly/romantic in front of a dozen tour buses full of Chinese tourists (armed with a whole bunch of cameras, foam fingers or whatever-have-you). Our couples can just focus on being themselves, to the background music of birds chirping behind the soft clicks of my camera shutter.

Bethesda Fountain in Central Park.

Jay and James kicked off their morning at 7:00 in Central Park.

Engagement session on the steps of the Bethesda Arcade in Central Park. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.Engagement session on the steps of the Bethesda Arcade in Central Park. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.Engagement session on the steps of the Bethesda Arcade in Central Park. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.Engagement session at the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.Engagement session at the Bow Bridge in Central Park. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.Engagement session in Central Park. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.Engagement session in Central Park. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.Engagement session in the Meatpacking District. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.

We then stopped for a coffee break in the Meatpacking District.

Engagement session in the Meatpacking District. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.Engagement session in the Meatpacking District. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.Engagement session in the Meatpacking District. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.Engagement session in High Line Park. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.

Trips to the High Line are always fun.

Engagement session in High Line Park. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.Engagement session in High Line Park. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.Engagement session in High Line Park. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.Engagement session in DUMBO. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.

Then this elephant just came out of nowhere.

Engagement session in DUMBO. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.Engagement session in DUMBO. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.Engagement session in DUMBO. Captured by NYC wedding photographer Ben Lau.

Congrats again, you two :).

 

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Northern NJ, NYC documentary Wedding Photographer, Educator & All-Around Nice Guy

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