Greetings!

I am desperately in love with people in love and I want to photograph this phenomenon in every form. I am a documentarian of the nuance, essence, and the perfectly positioned spontaneous moments that describe what deep love makes people. I also love my Husband, my cats, a bunny, dresses from Anthropologie and the summertime. I so very long for a Bulldog, and eventually, perhaps, some wide open spaces... maybe a chicken coop. And some pigs. But for now I'll have to do with my struggling-to-live garden of herbs on my too shady porch. Mojitos, I say - before the mint goes bad!

I'm a photographer of people who love each other very, very much. I live in NYC. In this, my first year of business I've booked over 30 weddings all around the world, here in my home town, and also in California, Florida, Jamaica, Venezuela and Nigeria (just to name a few places). My images have been described as emotional, magical, and powerful, which is nice, cause that's how I feel about the people I get photograph. I will travel anywhere to watch beautiful love happening. (can you tell?).

Many things. Thank you for being here.

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A Leap.

This morning I woke up and I didn’t have any idea that I would be taking a leap of faith. But that’s what you do when you love someone, and you decide to spend the rest of your life with someone. The leaps of faith don’t stop when you decide to get married, or have kids… I mean, you can know that you want to, but to actually make that life altering decision is a leap. And there are small leaps, and big leaps… sometimes you fight, sometimes you want to quit, but you just leap, and you connect, and you triumph.

We were at the zoo this morning to meet Soo Jin and Paul for their engagement session (coming soon!). I was really excited to do a session there because it’s our place. We like it there. So we got there early so I could eat my favorite pizza (seriously, zoo pizza is awesome), grab some dippin dots, and view some nice animals. It was hot, and I was very sweaty, and it was making me tired. And Husbone made a suggestion. 

I am one of those people that other people always say, you know, you probably could get away with it. And I kind of agreed. I mean, I’ve come close. But I never thought I could make the leap. Until Husbone, and his various suggestions.

Let’s do it together! Husbone really had to think about it… for a minute. A minute passed… ok! Team time!

I woke up this morning, and I didn’t know my Husbone was going to shave my head. Husbone woke up this morning, and he didn’t know I was going to shave his head. But somehow it happened, and we took the leap together. (I think it’s more of a leap for me because I’m a girl, but whatever!) And as lock after lock fell down upon my shoulders, and the crucial parts of my do parted ways with me, a riveting feeling stole through me, and I felt more connected to this wonderful man than I ever have. I suppose it’s not for everyone, but I highly recommend it!

Also, there are all these cool breezes wafting around my head I never knew about! I feel awesome! And Husbone thinks I never looked better. Which is why I keep him around. 

A marriage!: Mubina and Andrew

In an expression of flirtation, Andrew passed Mubina a note during assembly. No, they were not school age, but teachers, and passing notes. 

You look nice. Sort of.

Mubina laughs when she tells the story. Well, apparently, it worked, because here we all were. And I seriously could not get enough - thank you guys so much for being the reason why my job is so awesome!!

I’ve been looking forward to this wedding for some time. Mubina is just one of the sweetest people I have ever met, and it wasn’t surprising that so many people were in the bridal party for this relatively small wedding. So many different people helping out, sharing memories and saying wonderful things. I was a little nervous, because we never got a chance to do an engagement session and I never had the chance to meet her Andrew until Thursday, for the Henna Party (pictures to be posted in the coming days.) I was just so excited about these images that here I am, it’s 3 am (don’t read that post time, it’s two hours behind for some reason I have yet found the energy to investigate!), and I’m currently having to rip myself away from gazing into my monitor. 

Thank you to Emma for helping me out today, and to Steve, who took some great pictures.

Hair: Stacy, Styles on B 

Makeup: Laura Nadeau

Caterer: Real Food Catering (soo yummy!)

Ceremony: Central Park

Reception: The Goethe Institut (closing on Monday forever! So sad!)

Mubina, by the way - is GORGEOUS!!

These were the “cake” toppers! (though the cake was a tiered thingie of cupcakes!)

This was the coolest thing! For those of you familiar with NYC you may also be familiar with the double decker tour buses! They had their very own to take their guests all around New York after the reception! And Mubina arranged a very nice message for which Andrew was very excited!

Husbone and Jose Villa

Jose Villa is one of my most favorite wedding photographers ever, and by some random chance The Two Man Gentlemen Band just happen to find themselves at the same wedding in the Bronx. Check it out!

http://josevilla.bigfolioblog.com/weblog/post/49806

http://josevilla.bigfolioblog.com/weblog/post/49807

(Thanks Aruna, for the heads up!)

National Geographic!! (vote for me)

Woo Hoo! Well, that was quick! Thank you very much to my friend and faithful blog reader Shannon for pointing out That I was in National Geographics Daly Dozen Yesterday! My image was picked from thousands!!! She was even kind enough to send me a screen shot!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3022/2607240897_c4805e1c8f_o.jpg

The best rated images are chosen for publication, so pretty please go give me a good score!

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/voting-machine

It’s under June, week 4. You have to vote for a few other images before you get to mine!

I uploaded the image under an old account, so it’s under my real name, which is Punam Bhattacharya. You can imagine why I changed it. I had NO idea they would use the picture so hopefully they’ll change it to my new (and slightly unofficial until I can afford to pay a lawyer cause I have no time to do it myself) name. 

The image was featured for yesterday’s daily dozen, but you can also view it here. You have to scroll to the end, though. 

Thanks so much Shannon, for the tip! 

 

Engagement!: Jennifer and Jose (and a trip to Coney Island!)

I have lived in this great city for about 8 years now, and I’d never been to Coney Island. I’m not sure the thought of it even ever really crossed my mind… I mean, I’ve seen it in movies, I’ve heard about it, I always knew it was around. But it wasn’t until Jennifer suggested we do their engagement session there that I thought DUH! That will be awesome! 

And so, the young woman from Long Island, who found herself in Peru, and the Young man from Peru who found himself in love, are getting married, and I found them to be delightful. And beautiful. And we took so many photographs. And I seriously was salivating when I came home, so excited to post these, only, I just couldn’t make a decision. When I went through and marked the winners, I had more images than one post can swallow. So I just started attacking at random (kind of how like the mosquitoes are attacking me right now.)

And speaking of mosquitoes, I just have to say, that my house is filled with them at the moment. My little kitty, Walter, he’s the shy, not very smart one, ripped a whole in the screen window that keeps our home ventilated. He ripped a hole in it and crawled out on to the deck, and waited there, convinced that he couldn’t get back into the house the way he got out. So he just sat there, and cried, and waiting for rescue. But the mosquitoes were much smarter than poor Walter. And so I replaced the screen when I came home. All by myself (mostly). And I am like a proud momma. Of a screen. And I am also a T Bone steak. For the mosquitoes.

And now! Pictures! (We’ll start of with the delightful couple, and finish it off with some pictures my Husbone and I took in this colorful place).

 

Husbone and I got there about an hour early. We had planned on being early, but we didn’t expect the unusual phenomenon of Brooklyn barely having any traffic. And we learned on our drive that there’s an Ikea in Brooklyn!! Woo Hoo!!

Best. Hot Dog. I’ve ever. Had.

A Show of Slides!: Sara and Andrew

How much I love.

That’s right people, the bulk of the magic is done right here, at 4:22 in the A. M., with a little bit of Grey’s Anatomy (where do you think I get my song ideas) and a box of peanut butter puffins. It’s nice to be an obssesive kind of person, unless you have to wake up in the morning… which I dont!

Anyway. Amazing wedding. Amazing families. Amazing couple. Thanks for making me feel like part of the family. Also a special thanks for Muriel for her help. It was her first wedding and she totally rocked it!!

Clean Getaway.

I finally made it. It was this amazing lovely man. He was like coming home. Only to a home that was safe and sound. I made suggestions, and he took them into account. He let me make an impact. He made me feel like I could make a difference, like I could be anything. And I marvel, I constantly marvel at the gifts he gave me. And it is through those gifts that I am able to see love, and it is through that love that I long to make record of it. It seems lately that everything is starting to make sense about the world. And I’m in awe of it all the time. It’s kind of goofy at times and I have to really laugh at myself. Because it’s silly, really, to be so stupidly happy. But thank god I’m a silly person.

You never understand love songs until you are in love, and then it all just becomes voices in your head, nodding in complete agreement.

A Trip to the Bronx Zoo!

My new pet lens arrived today, the super yummy and delicious 50mm 1.2. This was cause to celebrate! And so, Husbone and I finally renewed our membership to the Wildlife Conservancy Society and made our way to the Bronx Zoo to put our membership to work. Armed with a free T-Shirt and many shiny parking passes, we cut in front of the line (members only, people), and frolicked, cameras in tow. Husbone chose the zoom lens, a fine choice for our excursion, but we were very lucky, perhaps because it was such a nice day out today, because many of the animals chose the up close and personal approach to being nagged at by small children and the general public.

I love the zoo! I love my new lens! This was the first time both Husbone and I made pictures together at the zoo, and the challenge of many fast moving animals, the obstactle of ankle high children speeding past us and stealing my flip flop, the various lighting conditions, and the limited time that is polite to grab a shot and go made for very good practice and was a blast! The zoo is kind of our place. If all else fails - go to the zoo! Support wildlife! Take pictures!

 


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**Edited To Add: I just stumbled across this one as I was looking through all the photos we took today and I felt that it needed some blog love…
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3052/2593845439_5a38db0ef0_o.jpg 

A Show of Slides!: Janet and Wye

Yum.

 

Engagement!: Shannon and Damion

She knew it was coming. She knew that the ring had arrived. And so the only option he had was to fake her out. It was the perfect day - they had already met with me, but the actual proposal part hadn’t taken place yet, so there really wasn’t any doubt… they were spending the day at Coney Island, her mother and her Aunt from Norway would be in town the following evening and it would make for perfect timing to announce some… ahem… big news…

I thought I’d do it next weekend he cried! And she was not a happy camper. They mounted the famous Cyclone roller coaster, and she was not happy about his seeming unromanticness. Will you marry me! He cried as the coaster came underway! Surprised - yes! she cried, but he couldn’t hear her. Anyway, sometime before the old coaster had their way with them, they were engaged, and somehow she managed to find a ring on her finger by the end of the tumultuous journey. And then they came to meet me in Central Park (this was a couple days later, of course.)

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