St. Louis Bat Mitzvah Phototography - Madi's Bat Mitzvah Party at Meadowbrook Country Club

Madi's Bat Mitzvah party at St. Louis's Meadowbrook Country Club was sweet!

The party even had its own dounut machine in addition to the ubiquitous chocolate fountain.

But, Madi and her friends didn't need the sugar high to get out on the dance floor. They were such a fun group and Reggie from Pure Entertainment Company did an outstanding job of keeping the party going.

Mazel Tov to Madi and her family. Thanks for letting us be a part of your celebration!

A Tip for Getting the Best Bar/Bat Mitzvah Photos - Jaime's Bat Mitzvah

Jaime's Bat Mitzvah was held at St. Louis's United Hebrew Congregation.

We hear that she did a great job and that it was a beautiful service, but we weren't there! The photos above were all taken during Jaime's walk-through (basically a Bat Mitzvah dress rehearsal). Had we taken photos during the actual event, we would not have been allowed to get up close - and we couldn't have gotten the variety of camera angles shown above.

For the ultimate Bar/Bat Mitzvah photography experience, we would definitely advise our clients to invite us to the walk-through in addition to the big day.

Here are a few of our other favorites. Mazel Tov again to Jaime and her family!

St. Louis Bar Mitzvah Photos: Alex's Bar Mitzvah

Stef and I shot Alex's St. Louis Bar Mitzvah photography at Shaare Emeth Congregation last December. Alex did a fantastic job and made his parents, grandparents, family, and friends very proud. Plus, now he's considered a man according to Jewish law and must therefore always remember to leave the toilet seat down for the women in the household.

Doesn't he look ready to conquer the services?

His sister, Gabby, joined for a few photos...

...but couldn't get too close.

Here are some of Alex with his grandparents:

The ceremony went down without a hitch:

Alex's party was at Demolition Ball / Adrenaline Zone and all the adults and kids had a blast.

Mazel tov to Alex and his whole family!

Paparazzi-Style Photography: What Do You Think?

I've been thinking about offering something completely bizarre: paparazzi-style photography. I know I didn't come up with this idea (who originated it?), but I'd like some feedback on this from both photographers and the public - especially if you're in the St. Louis area. I'm personally unsure of how it would be received, and it's somewhat of a departure from my normal style since I don't typically shoot celebrities.

Here's what I envision, from a customer's perspective:

1. We plan out a schedule for the day, or a chunk of the day.
   
2. I trail you (with an assistant or two) and we take photos of you, both in plain sight and hidden - you're the celebrity, remember?
   
3. You get several proofs in the mail with different tabloid-style layouts, concepts, and headlines along with a DVD of the photos that make up the proofs.
   
4. You select a layout (or two, or three) and place an order with me. You can use these pages as announcements or invitations.
   

I think this could be great for maternity announcements ("Laura's Baby Bump?"), baby announcements ("Exclusive! Tim and Jen's Love Child!"), Sweet 16 invitations ("Sixteen and Out of Control!"), Bat Mitzvah or Bar Mitzvah invitations ("Alex, All Grown Up"), engagement announcements ("Sara's Getting Hitched!"), and many others. There's going to have to be a lot of creative thinking all around.

Am I crazy? Would anyone sign up, or is this just too weird for St. Louis? Is anybody interested in giving it a try?