ELEGANCE AT THE OLD FORT!

Today we take you to Old Fort Niagara, in Youngstown NY. It is a piece of history to go see. And now a great place to take photos. Neal and I love shooting there! 

Normally when we shoot weddings at the Fort, we work with the wedding party in the main entanceway and take the Bride and Groom through the rest. It is a historic and public landmark, so we do need to take that into consideration. Most of the time, there are tours and reinactments going on as well. Sometimes, there are cannons going off in the background! We like to walk around the property with the couple and stop in all different areas.

This image was taken in the largest building on site. We walked from room to room and came upon this beautful spot. The light was pouring in from the window. There was on old wooden chair in the corner that we pulled forward for the Bride. I did a quick test to make sure it was safe to sit on first! If I fell, no big deal haha! But it was good to go! While Neal was positioning himself for the shot, I was making sure the Bride looked perfect. We wanted her to have an elegant and graceful feel. At first we did not have her bouquet in the photo. But we noticed, there wasn't much room for her to put her hands and it looked a bit awkward. The simple addition of the bouquet and a tilt of the head away from the window was the ticket! Since her head turned away from the light we used a bounce board for some fill light to light up her face. There was so much light pouring through the window, we didn't need any other light source. The Bride looked stunning and it turned out to be a beautiful image!

-Danielle

Buffalo Wedding Photography by - Neal Urban Studio

Church - First Presbyterian Church, Lewiston NY

Photo Session - Old Fort Niagara

Buffalo Wedding Reception - Classics V

Buffalo DJ - Premier Sound

LOVE ON LAKE ONTARIO!

Neal and I love engagement shoots. It is a great way to build a relationship with the couple. It gives them a taste of how we work. It also helps to build confidence in front of the camera, so the Bride and Groom are not as nervous to have their picture taken.

This engagement shoot was done at Fort Niagara State Park in Youngstown, NY. There is beautiful foliage plus a small beach right on Lake Ontario. Sometimes, you can see the highrise buildings in Toronto, Canada across the Lake. Neal loves shooting in tall grass. To the normal eye, you wouldn't think much of the tall grass. But, to Neal, it can make for a beautiful image. We placed the couple right in the heart of the tall grass, slightly off center.

We used as much natural light as possible, but it was a bit too dark on their faces. We added some artificial light to help brighten them up. The clouds were starting to roll in as well! They were big and puffy with a hint of gray to them. Neal was in heaven! We had the couple do a few different poses. Then we asked them to slowly go in for a kiss.

Sometimes the image right before the lips touch, is the more intimate shot. In this instance, it had a very dramatic feel to it. The couple is so in love and you can feel it through the image. The final product...Amazing!

-Danielle

Neal Urban Studio