WELCOME HOME DAN!

We had the honor to document a military homecoming on Friday at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport!

This homecoming was also very special because while Dan was overseas, Nicole had their baby girl. This was the first time he got to meet her and hold her. It was beautiful. What a feeling that must have been for him. The family also had t-shirts made for the little boys that said "My Dad is my hero." They were so cute.

Now if you know anyone who has come home from the military, you know that arrival day and time is constantly changing. Dan's flights and arrival location changed a bunch of times during the week. Luckily I had great contact with his sister who was coordinating everything with me. I felt so bad for the family getting their hopes up and then receiving word Dan would be delayed another day. They told us that their jobs were notified and the schools were notified about Dan's arrival date. They were ready at a moments notice to pick up the kids and leave work to meet him at the airport. 

This was such a great feeling. I don't know how they do it. They have such a wonderful family. It was such an amazing experience to capture these moments.

Thank you Dan and to all of the military for serving our country. Welcome home!!

-Danielle

Buffalo Photography: Neal Urban Studio

Buffalo Military Homecoming Photo Location: Buffalo Niagara International Airport

Dance with me my loves

(I apologize for today's long post but today's image has been in the works since "The Singing Brothers" image we created last year and we knew we had to get this shot for Nina's wedding. Like all wedding images, it was either now or never!)...

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Daniels! Nina and Vinny were married Saturday, May 30th. What a beautiful wedding. Nina and Vinny are such an amazing couple and it was an honor to photograph their wedding.

This was the last shot of the night. It wasn't easy to get either. Possibly one of the most complicated. We don't like to steal the Bride and Groom away from their party for longer than 3-5 minutes (one song). This time we had more people to work with to help tell a story but we had a big rain storm coming in along with a lot of expensive camera equipment at stake. All of this had to be done in a dark parking lot. We chose the back corner of the lot because it was an older asphalt that had more sheen to it. Getting a reflection in the image was a nice little extra detail.

But, first things first, we had to wait for it to rain. Yes, we wait for rain on a wedding! But the big question is...."When will it start raining?" During the reception we kept an eye on our weather apps and it was supposed to rain at 9:00PM. "Why rain" you ask? We wanted this image to be dramatic and certain elements such as rain, snow, fog or mist adds drama to an image so we do what we can do add that extra magic. We try to do everything in the camera when we can but more on that later...

You will notice there are two other couples in the shot as well. These were two of Nina's Bridesmaids (Alicia and Vanessa) and best friends. We actually photographed both of their weddings as well! We mentioned in last weeks blog post that Nina was a huge Disney fan. Well, so are these two lovely ladies. All three of them had weddings with Disney themes incorporated into them. We wanted Alicia and Vanessa to be part of the magic we were creating for Nina and Vinny. How awesome is that?

After the success of last years "The Singing Brothers" image that was inspired by a popular painting called "The Singing Butler" (Jack Vettriano). The painter also painted "Dance Me To The End of Love" which inspired todays image. "Dance Me..." had more meaning because it was hanging in Nina's parents' house where she got ready.

We had no idea that they knew about the painting, so we got even more excited for this shot when we saw it hanging in the house. At that point we knew it was meant to be and we had to do whatever we could to get it. Later on during the reception we approached Alicia and Vanessa (and their husbands, Elliot and Anthony) told them our idea. They loved it and were all for it! As the reception went on, they were all excited for the picture. But, we had to wait for the rain. We kept giving everyone updates.

9:00PM hit and we were ready to go but mother nature wasn't. Still no rain. Neal kept checking outside, he could tell that a storm was coming as it got windy and the temperture dropped. The forecast changed to 10:00. 10PM hit and still nothing! The dance party was rocking so we didn't have a problem waiting for mother nature to perform. Then the radar showed a huge rain cloud that was coming in fast at 11:00. Every 15 minutes Neal kept checking outside. And then about 10:45 it started! Finally....RAIN!!! Neal ran into the reception fist pumping, he was ready to create magic. We knew it was go time. I asked Vanessa to round up the troops while we tested out the lighting. Of course I was the guinea pig standing in the rain for the light test. It was quite fun! We used four lights for this shot. That morning we packed clear plastic bags to cover the lights just in case. Good thing we did because our expensive gear stayed nice and dry.

When we had all of the lighting ready to go, we had all six of our beautiful models head outside. We had umbrellas waiting for them as they came out. Neal positioned Nina and Vinny first and then everyone else. After a few test shots, and me running back and forth making minor adjustments when needed, it was time for me to take their umbrellas away! And then, this magnificent image was created! We waited 2 hours for it to rain and it only took about 4 minutes to get "the shot". All images should tell a story and this one tells a story like no other. It was a real life fairy tale, it was magical and it was meant to be!

What an amazing way to end the night! We thank Nina & Vinny, Alicia & Elliot, and Vanessa & Anthony for being a part of this beautiful image. And for being such great sports in the rain. We know that Nina and Vinny will appreciate everything you did for them. And to Nina and Vinny, Congratulations again on your wedding! We were so excited to be able to create this image for you and many, many more to come from earlier in the day. This image looks amazing in high resolution, we can't wait to print it for our studio and we hope to see it hang in your home (maybe Nina's parents house too)!

-Danielle

Buffalo Wedding Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Niagara Falls Wedding Ceremony - St. Mary's of the Cataract 

Buffalo Wedding Photo Location - Shea's Performing Arts Center

Niagara Falls Wedding Reception - Antonio's Banquet and Conference Center

Buffalo Wedding DJ, Photobooth and Uplighting by - CJ Sound

Buffalo Bridal Dress by - M.A. Carr

NINA, VINNY, AND MICKEY AT FORT NIAGARA!

Nina and Vinny are getting married Saturday! Here is one of their engagement images done at Fort Niagara State Park in Youngstown NY.

Nina is a huge Disney fan! They actually got engaged in Disney World! We began their shoot inside the Old Fort (take a look Saturday to see an image from that part of the shoot). She brought a Mickey balloon and it really didn't work well inside the Fort with their outfits. We decided to keep it to use down by the water. We found a lonely picnic table facing Lake Ontario. This shot wasn't as easy as you would think. It was a little breezy and it kept moving around the Mickey balloon. Nina and Vinny couldn't really see what was going on because we needed them to look straight ahead. But, we really wanted to get a cute shot for Nina. It took about 10 minutes for Mickey to be visible haha! We knew she would love it! 

-Danielle

Buffalo Engagement Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Buffalo Engagement Photo Session - Fort Niagara State Park

DAVE & KRISTINE ENGAGEMENT SHOOT!

Dave and Kristine began their engagement shoot last week at Forest Lawn Cemetary. All Kristine wanted were some pretty flowers and pink trees. The shoot started out great! There were little goslings, deer, and bunnies everywhere. Kristine said she felt like she was Snow White! Time to find some pink trees! As we were making our way through the grounds, we found a great spot. We get Dave and Kristine in place and the grounds keeper comes around and says the gates close in 10 minutes. Oh no! We didn't panic. We continued to shoot and got some beautiful images!

Plan B! We went into Delaware Park and continued shooting. We found some great spots that Kristine and Dave loved! We found some more pink trees and some other beautiful landscapes. Now, Neal wanted to get a little more creative. He wanted a pink tree, but not for them to stand in front. He wanted the effect of just the leaves. Neal needed a tree he could climb to get a shot over the couple. We pretty much got everything we needed for the shoot, so this was just another idea. We began to walk the park and it started to sprinkle. Oh great! Neal was so bummed. But we didn't want to keep them in the rain. As we made our way back to the cars, Neal spots his tree and the rain stopped! Now we needed some of the leaves on the ground. We shook the branches a bit to get the effect Neal wanted. Kristine and I had a blast doing that! Then Neal climbed the tree and positioned them head to head directly below him. He shot through the branches. As Neal was taking the picture, I was making sure he didn't fall out of the tree. There sure were a lot of laughs during this shoot! Kristine and Dave were such good sports!

-Danielle

Buffalo Engagement Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Buffalo Engagement Photo Session - Forest Lawn Cemetary and Delaware Park

Dave LaNasa - LaNasa Studio

A simple glance...

I love this image! Jennifer was such a stunning Bride. She had a wonderful personality that just stood out in all of their images.

This was taken at her parents house before the ceremony. We walked in and Neal loved this room. Luckily we didn't have to move that much furniture! We loved that everything in the room was white or off white in color, with just a few color accents.

The light was coming in from the huge windows at the front of the house. Jennifer had a beautiful glow to her skin. Paired with her darker skin and hair, it looked great. We do a lot of standing poses throughout the day. We try to mix it up as best we can when we have the opportunity. Jennifer brought such elegance and had great posture.

Neal shot it straight on with her looking at the camera and then looking away. We fell in love with her glancing out the window! Neal edited the image to give it more of a timeless piece of art.

-Danielle

Buffalo Wedding Photgraphy - Neal Urban Studio

Buffalo Wedding Ceremony - St. Louis R.C. Chruch 

Buffalo Wedding Photo Session - Knox Farm

Buffalo Wedding Reception - Fox Valley Country Club

Something Blue....

Happy Sunday! Let's talk about details. When we first arrive on site to see the Bride we always start shooting the details. We ask for everything the Bride is wearing and try to get creative. I love this part!

Christine and Ron's wedding and reception took place at The Barton Hill Hotel and Spa in Lewiston NY. It is located on the Niagara River. It is a beautiful location. While hair and makeup were being finished, we took Christine's dress, shoes, and bouquet to the main lobby for some photos. Time to get creative! While doing photos of the dress, Neal took the shoes. He found a really cool globe on one of the coffee tables. Why not hang the shoes from it!! And I sure do love those shoes! A very nice way to incorporate "something blue" too! Neal used the lamps in the background as a bokeh (the background is blurred out and creates a cool design). What a fun shot to start off the day!

-Danielle

Lewiston, NY Wedding Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Lewiston, NY Wedding Ceremony/Photo Session/Reception - The Barton Hill Hotel and Spa in Lewiston, NY

BEAUTY AT OUR LADY OF VICTORY

Our Lady of Victory, aka, the Basilica, is an amazing church to photograph a wedding at. Everything about it screams beautiful. It is almost impossible to get a bad shot there! Everyone anticipates the Bride walking down the aisle as an amazing shot. I agree, but I also love the shot of her walking down, but from behind.

Neal was at the front of the aisle as Jenna and her father walked down the aisle. I am always in the back with the Bride and Bridesmaids before they walk down, documenting all the nerves. Jenna was nervous, but her sisters and father had her laughing and smiling. At one point, there was so much talking the organizer at the Basilica had to tell us all to be quiet. I guess you could say the nerves passed at that point.

It was Jenna's time! Before walking down, I always make sure the dress is perfect if nobody is there to do it. After a nice fluff of the dress, it was go time. The doors opened and Jenna and her dad started down. I always keep a little behind and crouch down, so I am not in Neal's photos in the background. I love this shot because you get to see the back of Jenna's amazing dress coupled with the beauty of the Basilica. There is so much detail in the ceiling, statues, and alter. You can see it all in this image. Another nice thing is the entrance was really bright from the sun. So, when the doors opened for Jenna to walk, there was enough light coming in from behind to light them up. 

Simple. Elegant. Beautiful.

-Danielle

Buffalo, NY Wedding Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Buffalo, NY Wedding Ceremony - Our Lady of Victory in Buffalo

Buffalo, NY Wedding Photo Session - Niagara Square

Buffalo, NY Wedding Reception - Statler City

THE GROOM AT OLD FORT NIAGARA

Last week we showed you a beauitful image of a Bride (Dana) at Fort Niagara. Here is fantastic image of her Groom (Chad) in his solo!

Their images were done at Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown, NY. Like I mentioned before, we love shooting here. There is so much history brought into every shot. We can always find locations to do things with the men or the ladies.

For Chad, we found a room that had an amazing old fire place and chair. There were windows to the side, but they didn't let in as much light as the other room Dana had her image in. This was perfect for Chad. We needed to give him a more manly scene. Next to the fireplace was an old, ornate, wooden chair. He actually took it upon himself to sit there while we were scoping out the scene. He did a great job because that's exactly where Neal wanted him. We asked him to sit how he normally would if he was just hanging out.  A casual male cross of the leg! It fit him perfectly. Chad was cracking jokes the whole time too. He had so much commentary during all the photos. But he could be serious right on que when we needed him to be. Neal asked for him to look toward the window and all talking and jokes immediately stopped from him. This shot also had that old vintage feel to it. It turned out really nice for Chad.

The posing for the guys is usually a lot more simple than for the ladies. Most of the time they do not want to be in pictures. Luckily with Chad, he was all about being center stage!

-Danielle

Fort Niagara Wedding Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Lewiston, NY Wedding Ceremony - First Presbyterian Church of Lewiston

Niagara Falls, Wedding Photo Session - Old Fort Niagara

Buffalo, NY Wedding Reception - Classics V

WEDDING AT STATLER CITY

Statler City is a wonderful venue for a wedding reception. The rooms are beautiful to hold your special day in! This reception was located in the Terrace Room. There are massive windows along the entire back wall of this room. 

We always arrive at the reception before the guests start to arrive to get shots of the room. They always look better with no one in them to get all the details. We also like to have the Bride and Groom back to freshen up and have a few drinks! While shooting the details, Neal asked if I could grab the Bride and Groom really quick for a shot before anyone arrived. There is a Bridal suite off to the side, so it was easy to find them. To the back of the room, there were giant statue type columns in front of one of the windows. The windows had interesting curtains and drapery. There was also a giant chandelier hanging from the ceiling. What a great spot for a photo!

Let's bring in the newly married couple. Instead of having them look at the camera, we decided to go with a more artistic pose. We posed the Bride with her back to us, with a slight profile of her face. Then brought in her Groom facing her. We had the Groom bring in his wife just a little. Then had her drop her bouquet to her side. Neal needed a tiny bit of fill light besides the light coming from the chandelier. We wanted a nice glow on them, but keeping a elegant overall feel to compliment the scene.

You can see the giant smile on the Groom's face as he looks at his wife. And even though you cannot see the Bride's entire face, you still see her happy reaction from the side. The couple almost looks like statues waiting to go in for a giant kiss! And don't worry, they did go in for a kiss right after this shot!

-Danielle

Buffalo Wedding Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Ceremony- Christ the King Chapel

Photo Session -  Canisius College

Buffalo Wedding Reception - Statler City

Buffalo DJ - Signature Entertainment

Buffalo Central Terminal Wedding

To get some great shots, we sometimes have to break the rules. I mean how much trouble can you get into when there is a Bride and Groom on site for their wedding day! 

This is what we needed to do for this wedding. The couple wanted to get some shots done at the Buffalo Central Terminal. However, we did not have access to get into the building. It was time to improvise! We did some beautiful images with the Terminal in the background, but we needed more. Off to the side, there was another building where the train tracks ran through. It was very abandoned and a bit creepy. You really weren't supposed to be in there, but everyone was up for it. The worst that could happen was we would need to leave.

We were basically done with photos so this would have been a nice added bonus. The entire wedding party was excited to be off the beaten path. Once we finished with the party, we sent them back to the limo and ventured to the opposite side of the building. That's where the magic happened. Windows were broken and the ceiling was missing. The light was pouring in. It was overgrown with trees and plants (well weeds, but they were so green and bushy, they passed for plants)! We made a safe path for the Bride and Groom to walk and placed them. Even though there were rusty beams in the background, it gave the location such character. With the light and greenery, it balanced out really nicely. We told the Groom to go in for a kiss. The Bride naturally picked up her dress slightly and it worked great for the image. 

Looking back on this image, I love the feeling of abandonment of the building with the Bride and Groom completely alone enjoying the moment!

-Danielle

Buffalo Wedding Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Church - The Basillica, Our Lady of Victory Buffalo, NY

Photo Session - Buffalo Central Terminal 

Buffalo Wedding Reception -  Avanti Mansion