Judy Licht

Graduation Day

My good friend Lena told me to revamp my websites.  She convinced me to use Facebook.  So, today, I am going to post a slideshow I made on Pictage on my blog (Pictage is the printing website I use).  I  also linked the slideshow to my new Facebook page -- judylichtphotography.

Please check out my work.  I'm having a great time photographing the kids in my life.

GRADUATION PHOTOS

Summertime and my camera is busy...

It's crazy...when I'm not posting blogs, I'm usually at my busiest, steeped in photographing and editing, so that I have very little time to stop and switch to reporter mode and reflect on what I am seeing.  In the past few weeks, I've photographed a beautiful Bat Mitzvah girl, the 75th reunion of Wilson High in Washington, two crew regattas, hats and scarfs for a knitting marketing campaign, and an investment banker's portrait for a website.  Not to mention a pre-prom dinner and a Memorial Day weekend beach party.

Whenever I shoot a lot, I ask myself a lot of questions.  My first impulse is to see my subjects as stories. The first time I seriously picked up a camera, back in the 70s, I had to make sure my photographs complemented the articles I wrote for a daily regional newspaper.  My editor was fiercely critical of every word and image that he published and he demanded strong photos, composed well, sharp, innovative, and intuitive.  I was much more afraid of him than I was of anyone's personal space boundaries.  

When I started shooting for people...and not for an editor...I had to change my perspective.  Making someone look good...making someone look the way they want to look...is much harder than shooting a picture to tell a story.  As a photographer, I often step back, taking in a wider palette, to find the essence of my subject's personality at its most attractive and least vulnerable.  

Party Party Party!

In the middle of a four-hour Bar Mitzvah shoot, I stopped and thought about what I was doing.  The room was crowded, the lights were low, the guests were dancing, swirling around the floor, and my job was to capture moments, creating still photos out of frenzy.  Here's a sampling of a very fun night.

 

On the Potomac

Down by the river, the boats seemed far away, and the wind was blowing.  I wasn't planning to take my camera out of my bag as I watched my sons row.  And then, the faces of the kids captured my eye...

 

Actors Studio

People always ask, what do you like to shoot?

Performances and actors' portraits might be my favorite.  Finding a character who responds to my camera is my favorite gig.  It's great to make a connection, and it's even more exciting to motivate subjects to push beyond their everyday facade.  Photography energizes me, and when there are sparks -- whether it comes from acting, kids running circles around each other on a playground, teens dancing at a party, or couples embraced in a warm moment -- finding a fresh dynamic gets me click click clicking and always wanting more.

A mom just called me for shots of her son in a play that our high school put on in the fall.  I was happy to find the photos for her, and here are a few of them.  So please contact me if you know any actors or drama ensembles looking for a photographer.

Separation of Church and State

Wednesday night, I photographed Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, and yesterday, Rabbi Fred Reiner posed for me in the sanctuary.  Less than 24 hours separated the event, which gave me the idea for today's blog headline.  Both shoots were great!

Here are the photos..

Old Favorite

This weekend, we celebrated our friend Benjamin's Bar Mitzvah.  It was very relaxing for me, because I was a guest.  Benjamin did a fantastic job.  Who knew he was such a performer!!!  He chanted beautifully.  He had great timing, presence, and a sense of humor.  We all knew he would be great...even still, he revealed an outgoing side of himself on stage that was new to us, and exciting.  Still, I think we are all hanging onto our images of him as one of the youngest kids in our group of families...which is why, this weekend, though I saw the man he is becoming, I couldn't let go of one of my favorite images of him.  Take a look...

COMPANY -- the play

In the last month, my kids have kept me busy photographing their plays.  Last week, my daughter invited me to her school to shoot Stephen Sondheim's Company.  It was a great show!!!  Bravo to the director, David Eisenman, and to all the actors, musicians, stage manager, and producer.

Neighborhood Watch

Bright Lights, Big City...

Local artist Lena Frumin has been busy in her studio painting cityscapes for the auction for Alice Deal Junior High School.  Her work is beautiful...take a trip around the world with her and see for yourself.

 

Image Building

Repeat clients are the best.  Over the years, you develop a rhythm, a voice, and a vision together. Laurie Gonyea and I were two moms back in elementary school when we met and started working together.  She has a knitting business, Knit Outta the Box, which sells all different kinds of kits from baby sweaters to texting with your cellphone mittens.  I featured her latest shoot last month.  Today, I thought I'd show some of her earlier photos, back on her front porch, when she started to figure out where she was going with her talent.  Check out her great products at www.knitouttathebox.com

 

Check out Laurie's new products at www.knitouttathebox.com