AJL Studio - Hudson Valley & New York City Based Wedding Photographer

11/28/2020

Alright everybody. It’s been a YEAR. A bad year, a good year, a terrible year for some who’ve experienced human loss, financial loss or both. Or an oddly wonderful year where maybe you read that book you’d been wanting to read and never previously had the time, finished a home improvement project or something of the kind. And some people were wedded. And it wasn’t what they planned for or expected or dreamed of or originally envisioned. The world turned upside down on them. But they got married. They did it anyway, and they did it wonderfully, with full hearts and a love that was more understanding and less presumptuous. It was raw, it was wild, it was different, but most of all, it wasn’t taken for granted. To be able to share it with fewer, but healthy and safe family was a true gift. To be able to say “I do” and have it mean something entirely different than what it did before the world changed. To create small yet incredibly intimate gatherings that maybe hadn’t remotely been thought of before - like a wedding of 10 on a yacht in New York harbor ☝🏻 - and guess what? It worked out. Above and beyond the weddings of 2020 were absolutely glorious and perfect and beautiful. That’s why I’ve decided to give every couple I’ve ever worked with 50% off all prints from all albums for the rest of the year. You should put your photos to paper because your wedding is art, and photography on canvas is how art should truly be seen in the world. Because you should walk down a hallway or into the bedroom of yours and your newly minted spouse and see a framed work of love captured and have it really make you smile. Change the outlook of your day, let yourself see the past, present and future all wrapped into one moment hanging on the walls of the place you’re making your family. That’s what 2020 is and should always be. Enjoy this holiday season safely and happily, everyone. Enjoy it with serenity, calm, thoughtfulness, and love.

03/04/2020

Getting a roll of film back tomorrow and can’t wait to scan some negatives and share with internet friends so STAY TUNED peeps! In the meantime to whet your whistle ... A stolen wedding day kiss in a Tuscan garden in Castelli di Fighine on the Umbrian border. I miss Italy 😭. Shot on with my perfect beautiful and amazing . Analog is really just the freakin best.

02/28/2020

Faces are so great. The lines of the nose, the glint in the eyes, everyone's life and should expressed in every corner of accentuated highlight contrasted with the shadows cast
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This term applies more to the masters of renaissance painting, particularly Italy, but it's an idea that stuck with me while studying the greats in Florence. It creeped into my heart and thus into my camera work for weddings:
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chi·a·ro·scu·ro
/kyärəˈsk(y)o͝orō/
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In art, it is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achieve a sense of volume in modeling three-dimensional objects and figures. Similar effects in cinema and photography also are called chiaroscuro.
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"The underlying principle is that solidity of form is best achieved by the light falling against the darkness"
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Thanks for letting your truth shine through, .
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Location + Venue :
Revel32

Flowers :
Macari Floral

Model :
Savanna

Hair :
Hair Honey by Kate

Make Up :
Corey Jason Crysler

Dress Shop :
Wild Blooms Bridal

Headpiece :
Forever Brooch Bouquet

Jewelry :
Hyperbole

Workshop Creator:
The Ramsdens - Lady Ramsdenramsdens

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@ Poughkeepsie, New York

02/28/2020

This shoot. These two beautiful human beings. We had ourselves a SNOW DAY SHOOT!
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Kate and Tyler got to relive their alternate universe engagement shoot, and they brought the goods. And though it’s been scarce as of late in the Hudson Valley, we caught some snow which was downright spectacular.
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This post is also interactive believe it or not! I got the chance to shoot these two alongside some other super dope photogs - you should check out my shots here, leave a comment below on what strikes you about my photos…THEN...bounce on over to my friend/colleagues/ shoot fam accounts (see below) with whom I ventured into the outdoors for this adventure shoot, and check out THEIR picture internet instagram posts of this fine looking duo. Comment on similarities, differences, and what your eye catches in the variances in color, posing, et al. Don’t forget to TAG ME () in the comments so I can check ‘em out!
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The most rewarding part of shooting with other photographers is seeing how they interpret the scene, how they frame and capture the couple, and then solidify the final touches with their indelible edit style. This is the beauty of photography - everything about the subjects could be the same, but the photographer’s eye will forever be their own.
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Big big THANKS to .ramsdens / for putting this magic together yet again. Go check out my peeps!!! : @ John Burroughs, Slabsides!

02/20/2020

Because we both love black and white so much, here’s to you both on this fine Thursday afternoon. Can’t WAIT for June!!

01/26/2020

What a proposal!!! Full of drama and a big twist. So we’re in this marsh and the vista is beautiful and BAM he gets down on one knee. She’s shocked but not for the reason you think - he does the whole thing with the ring and she is just so happy and then SLAP and I’m like WOAH wtf. Then it becomes clear that he had inadvertently BOGARTED her proposal to HIM! Did it deserve a slap? Well in her mind it was justified and it proves that if your love is true and you’ve met your soul mate, it stands to reason you’d probably propose to each other on the same day at pretty much exactly the same time. These silly kids are two of the most uproariously funny, authentic, and big hearted betrothed I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing and creating images (and flipbooks ;) with. Glad you guys got to put a ring(s) on it, with only one minor violent outburst followed by huge laughter.

01/09/2020

I feel like this image invokes comic book exclamations. I look at this image and I get WHAM! KA-POW💥! BOOM 🤯

Florals: .co

Gown:

Venue:

01/08/2020

01/08/2020

See that soft halo? They look like angels...but don’t be fooled 😈

Look at this VIIIEEEEEWWWWW I can’t stand it 😮 Look at that hooooooooot 🔥 couple. This shoot took place in July and everything was hot all over. I’ll expand on the heat theme in my blog post of this shoot shortly. But the haze added a boldness to the colors of the sunset that I can’t describe fully. It speaks for itself in the photo. We’re on such a high elevation that we won about 25 minutes more of sunset before she ducked behind the catskills. This pre magic hour color explosion was what I’d been waiting for all day. The payoff was jumping into the infinity pool right after to put an indelible stamp of awesomeness on the day….dresses included ;) That's epitome of the term 'chasing that light'.

This shoot was an experience very close to my heart. The idea behind had been ruminating for a long time, the video element was so important and executed so perfectly (also coming soon). And the wedding pro vendor dream team. Ugh. The TEAM, people, DAYUM. Everyone down below, I owe them so much gratitude and praise for their work and expertise and talent. You really get such a rush when you get to create with like-minded creatives all day. It’s an opportunity that’s not squandered or taken for granted by me, I assure you.

Thanks to my two beautiful subjects / real life loves for just being hands down the most expressive, natural, gorgeous, playful models I could have ever asked for. They took risks that paid off like nobody’s business. A big shout out to MY real life love for bringing the art of florals into my world every day and helping me realize this photoshoot. I love you. You are just so f*cking good at what you do it makes me choke up thinking about it.

GET MARRIED HERE, people.


Florals:co

Models:


Venue:


Gown:


Jumpsuit:


Bridal Boutique:


Wardrobe:


Glam Squad:


Estate Jewels:

01/08/2020

Im in the midst of blogging this unreal summer styled elopement. Writing again has been such a challenge and a creative awakening. I had no idea how much I missed it.

01/07/2020

Close up black and white is how I’m feeling Monday night. All passion all the time....ok...THERAPY TIME: For 2020 I’ve decided I need to reconcile my feelings regarding posting to social media. I don’t know if any of you guys feel this way but I go crazy thinking about what photos to post and when. I go through a catalog of wedding albums with literally tens of thousands of images and I get so overwhelmed with my love for all of them that i device i just can’t pick - and then i don’t post. Is it peak activity time for my hashtag SEO hoopla? Will anyone like this photo as much as I adore it? There are 10 others that people might want to see more?! SCREW IT ILL JUST POST ALL 10! OH NO, 10 IS WAY TOO MANY and now im tired im going to bed ... Is this totally nuts? Is it a crazy “anti” obsession? Arent there some unspoken social media smart posting strategies to help me through this? I need some resonation here, internet friends! Well - my solution is I’m just gonna post. More often and more awesome. W***y nilly. Fancy free. Because it’s all just silly and who wouldn’t want to see a bagillion photos of gorgeous people amaright? Here’s to getting out of my own head in 2020 and goin for it 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻😝🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻