This past Tuesday I did another Bat Mitzvah portrait session with Jessica Antiles and her family at Oheb Shalom Congregation in South Orange, New Jersey. The Antiles were great to work with. They were really excited about their session, which really showed through in their images. Jessica becomes a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, so good luck to her!

Jessica and her mom stand in front of the ark

Rabbi Cooper joking with Jessica before I started shooting. They didn’t know I was there and getting this shot until it had already been taken!

I really love this image of Jessica reading from the Torah

Jessica stands at the Torah with her two younger brothers. Her brothers were not exactly excited to be there, but we finished their shots quickly much to their delight.

Jessica’s parents watch their daughter with pride as she reads from the Torah

I shot Josh Harmon’s Bar Mitzvah Party last Saturday night at The Warehouse in East Hanover, New Jersey. What an incredible venue. The place is set up with retro 60′s decor, ping-pong and foosball tables, and lots of food. They really packed a lot of stuff into a small space. Everyone had a great time.

Josh plays doubles ping-pong with his friend. What’s really incredible is who he’s playing against.

Yes, that’s a Converse shoe in his hand. This guy was incredible. He’s a professional ping-pong player, who the Harmons hired to play against all the partygoers. And wow, was this guy good. When he used a paddle, he used one half the normal size. He used shoes, small frying pans, you name it, he could play ping-pong with it without breaking a sweat. It was truly incredible.

You can find the images from the Harmon’s family portrait session in honor of Josh’s Bar Mitzvah on my blog.

The Nelsons brought a lot of family to their Bat Mitzvah synagogue portrait session for Sarah Nelson’s Bat Mitzvah at Oheb Shalom Congregation in South Orange, New Jersey. Lots of people in a portrait session tends to mean rushing, difficult logistics, and a less enjoyable experience. Not with the Nelsons. Not only were they cooperative and excited subjects, but they were willing to invest extra time to make sure they had every image they wanted. After over an hour of shooting, we left the synagogue with everyone enjoying themselves and images that showed it sitting on my memory card. Thank you to the Nelsons for being so enthusiastic and willing to experiment, and congratulations to Sarah on becoming a Bat Mitzvah!

Sarah looks up at Rabbi Mark Cooper as he speaks to her about becoming a Bat Mitzvah

Sarah and her younger sister Eva get their favorite shot where they’re both wrapped in Sarah’s tallit

Sarah stands in front of the ark with her grandmother

Sarah reads from the tour as Cantor Erica Lippitz watches and smiles

Everyone smiles as Sarah reads from the Torah in front of her parents

Sarah and her parents stand with the sanctuary in the background

A unique and modern looking shot, in which Sarah and her parents stand in front of one of Oheb Shalom’s beautiful stand glass windows

You can also find the images from Sarah’s Bat Mitzvah Party on my blog.