French Quarter Engagement Photography

This engagement session features a couple that is truly a team, and it was such a pleasure being able to hang out with them for a couple of hours, watch them interact, and witness how truly in love they are.  Mindy and Jeff are co-workers for a marketing company that has them touring in a sprinter van and living out of  hotel rooms- these two are together almost 24 hours a day.  They are so adorable I can hardly stand it.  I was lucky enough to photograph them on their recent swing through New Orleans, and I’m so glad they found me.  They had their choice of a number of really cool cities and super great photographers for their engagement portraits, and the fact that they chose New Orleans speaks to their true level of coolness.  We spent some time in the French Quarter, then headed towards the oddly low Mississippi river after an outfit change.

Here are the pictures!

Elegant New Orleans Bridal Portraits

Yesterday’s wedding with Julie Ann and Ryan was a fun filled, fabulously planned day.  Plan B handled the wedding planning, and everything went off utterly hitchless.   Here’s a shot of the newlyweds on their way from the St. Louis Cathedral ceremony to the Ritz Carlton reception in a classic New Orleans second line:

I’ll be going through yesterday’s pictures and getting a blog post together soon for your viewing pleasure.  In the meantime, please allow me to present to you the beautiful Julie Ann and her fabulous collection of bridal portraits.  We began the shoot at St. Louis Cathedral, headed over to the New Orleans Museum of Art for a dramatic stairs shot, then wrapped up the shoot at the Ritz Carlton hotel’s beautiful lobby area and elegant Ritz Carlton Suite.  I think we were able to come up with some classically New Orleans bridal portraits, and the ones on display at last night’s wedding were a huge hit!  Here are my favorites from the photo shoot- please click on any image for a larger view:

Like the new look?  In the next couple of weeks I will be debuting a new company name and website, transitioning from Harlequin Studios to Babs Evangelista Photography.  I’m really excited about the new site, and I’m thrilled with the new logo.  Updates and links forthcoming soon!

Destination Wedding

Occasionally I am called outside of New Orleans to photograph a wedding in an exciting and exotic location.  In this case I photographed Holly and David’s wedding in North Carolina.  It was a destination for the bride and groom as well- they are currently residing in Paris, and chose to fly home to get married in their home state.  They chose the lovely Crystal Garden of the Castle McCulloch in Jamestown.

Holly chose a birdcage veil for a vintage feel to her bridal look, David selected white tuxedos for himself and his groomsmen for a classic summer look.  For a unique twist on the guest signature book, professional basketball player David couldn’t resist bringing in white basketballs for the guests to sign.  It was a beautifully put together wedding, and a true honor to photograph.

New Orleans Senior Portraits

I love photographing high school seniors!  All that enthusiasm and youth takes me back to my teenage years, when I photographed my friends for fun, and even for some of their senior portraits.  Needless to say, I was thrilled when this gal stopped into the studio to schedule her senior portrait session.  Sarah happens to be quite the photographer herself, and even has a few senior portrait sessions under her belt.  My clients tend to be a bit more creative and artistic than your average folks, but it is always an extra honor when another photographer chooses me to photographer her!

These senior pictures were taken in the French Quarter.  We started at my French Quarter studio- on the third floor of a fabulous 170 year old building on Royal street.  After some interiors and balcony shots, we headed down to Pirate’s Alley, Decatur street, and the Mississippi river for the rest of our shots.  One extra nuance of this particular shoot is that I did the makeup, which I haven’t done in a while.  I forgot how much fun I have painting on faces, and I’m really pleased with the look.

Without further ado… here’s Sarah!

Portrait Studio Session- Engagement

When shopping for wedding photography services, engaged couples have a lot of decisions to make about their wedding photographer.  Does the package include an engagement session?  All of my wedding packages include an engagement portrait session- it helps the clients to become comfortable with me, and “warm up” for their wedding photography.  Does the photographer have a studio, or are all supplemental sessions on location?  Harlequin Photography Studio and Fine Art at 614 Julia Street doubles as both an art gallery and a portrait studio, and my clients really appreciate the intimate and focused nature of studio photography.  The simple white walls and casual dress of the clients allow the pictures to showcase their faces and their relationship with each other.  I’ve already photographed Jenna and Jeremy on location, and I asked them to pose for a quick studio session when they came by for a closer look at their location session proof images.  The simple portraits compliment the atmospheric French Quarter pictures, and I think they will look great on Jenna and Jeremy’s walls.

New Orleans Wedding Photography- Church Ceremony, Rosy’s Jazz Hall Reception

All of my wedding packages include a custom designed wedding album.  Albums are a timeless and sophisticated way to preserve wedding day memories, and having one made is definitely one of the plus sides of hiring a professional wedding photographer.  A blend of photojournalism and classic portraiture are used to tell the wedding day story, and most of my clients end up ordering copies to share with their parents and other family members.

These album layouts feature Erin and Lee’s summertime New Orleans wedding.  Their ceremony was a full mass at Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church- an excellent choice given the sheets of rain falling outside for most of the day.  Lucky for us, the clouds parted for a few minutes on our way to the reception at Rosy’s Jazz Hall.  We were able to hop out of the limo bus and capture a few Bride and Groom portraits in Audobon Park.  The album begins with Erin’s Bride Prep at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, and Lee’s cocktail hour with his groomsmen at the Hotel Monteleone.

It is such a thrill to share the joy of a wedding day, and take great care to present a collection of pictures that precisely reflect the memories that began swirling in my client’s heads just moments after they were created.  If you are planning a wedding and like my blend of artistic photojournalism and modern portraiture, please visit the website for Harlequin Photography and Fine Art to see more wedding pictures and learn more about wedding photography services.

I am super lucky to have an awesome second shooter who does more than carry my bag and hold lights.  All wedding packages include a second professional photographer who not only covers critical second angles throughout the wedding day, but also independently covers additional locations and captures fantastic posed portraits.  Here are some of Titus’s pictures from the Hotel Monteleone:

We arrived at Rosy’s Jazz Hall and Erin and Lee were ready to boogie after posing for a few quick portraits upstairs.  Rosy’s Jazz Hall is a super fun venue that is filled with New Orleans ambiance, delicious food, and a festive atmosphere.

Modern and Fun Kids Portrait Photography in New Orleans

I met these adorable young ladies on White Linen Night, and I was delighted when their dad booked a studio session for later in the week.  As per my usual fashion, I have eschewed stiff poses and fake backgrounds in favor of capturing each of their fantastic personalities, and exploring their relationships with each other and their father.  Family and kids portrait photography is a rewarding and fun change of pace from my usual wedding photography and editing, and this group was no exception.  After getting our “serious portraits” on the card, I brought out the costume box and had the girls create an alter ego for some zany fun.  I love how all of the pictures have turned out, and I look forward to seeing which portraits the family selects for their wall art collage.

New Orleans Portrait Photography Wall Art Collages

New Orleans families are on the cutting edge when it comes to portrait photography.  In a day where even professional portraits can sometimes never make it past a facebook album, these wall art collages have been a huge hit with my clientele.  Whether it’s a quick children’s studio session, a one hour location shoot, or images from a wedding day, the collages tell a story and evoke a mood.  The size makes a statement, and you will never get tired of the oohs and ahs the wall art inspires.   The commissioning of a wall art collage includes a complimentary studio or location sitting fee, as well as a proof disc of High resolution JPEGS with full printing rights.

This three canvas collage features images taken during a fifteen minute Kids Studio Portrait Photography session.  Posing is relaxed and natural, the goal being to create portraits that truly capture the personality of the children, as opposed to their stock “cheese” face.

These are images from a one hour French Quarter location session at a Royal Street home built in 1830.  I shoot here a lot- it has the most beautiful natural lighting and glorious walls.

These images are from a two hour engagement shoot taken along the Mississippi River, and in the Algiers and Canal Street Ferry Terminals adjacent to the French Quarter.  Many of my clients are like Nicole and Jeremy- they hate having their picture taken!  The idea of having a wall devoted to photographs of themselves makes their stomachs church.  With the wall art collages, however, the clients see art they would like to hang on their walls anyway, and it just happens to feature themselves in the composition.

These images are from a one hour “Trash the Dress, Trash the Tux” session in the aforementioned Royal Street building and on the surrounding streets of the French Quarter.  It was cold and slightly rainy on Jessica and Alex’s wedding day, and they chose to schedule an additional portrait session to capture a few slightly edgy, totally romantic Bride and Groom Portraits.

Please visit Harlequin Photography Studio and Fine Art, in person at 614 Julia Street or by heading over to the website to commission your wall art collage today!  Gift registries and payment plans available.

2010 Whitney White Linen Night

New Orleans isn’t known for its mild summers.  The syrup-like air and blazing heat tend to make for a sparse events calendar compared to the relative hubbub of spring’s festival season.  A magnificent oasis of culture and class is Whitney White Linen Night, an annual fundraiser for the Contemporary Arts Center that has become the largest arts event of the year.  The New Orleans Arts District becomes host to a block party along historic Julia Street’s “gallery row.”  More than 20 galleries, along with the CAC, open their doors to showcase new art and create buzz for the upcoming fall art season.  The party is free, the wardrobe suggested by the event’s title is one most attendees embrace with aplomb.  The word on the ground was that this was the largest White Linen night ever, and Harlequin Photography Studio and Fine Art was packed to the gills with people!  The wall art collages and giant canvases are the perfect way for art collectors to display their own family portraits, and I was excited to meet so many potential new clients.  To make an appointment to visit the wall art in person, and consult about portrait or wedding photography, please visit the website of  Harlequin Photography and Fine Art.

Special thanks to Meschiya Lake of Meschiya Lake and Dem Little Big Horns for stopping by to visit her wall art collage.  Her amazing new album, Lucky Devil, sold out of its first printing within weeks and they’re already on the second one.  It thrills me to no end that my cover photograph is in the hands of so very many lucky people.  This wall art collage was made using images from the album art photo shoot.  The image on the far left is the copy of the original Bellocq photograph we referenced for the cover.

New Orleans Wedding Photography- French Quarter Engagement Portraits

At Harlequin Photography Studio and Fine Art, all of my wedding packages include an engagement portrait session.  Engagement sessions help clients gain confidence in front of the camera, and show them that they can, in fact, look awesome in a photograph.  By the time the wedding day rolls around, they know that no matter what happens, the wedding pictures will be fantastic and they will look spectacular.  As a New Orleans Wedding Photographer, I have a city full of historic, aesthetically amazing backdrops for my location portrait sessions.  Jenna and Jeremy, two dentists who are all smiles for one another, chose the French Quarter for their shoot.  We were able to get great images in front of Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop and Jackson Square, amongst other places, before the rain interrupted us.  Fortunately, the soda fountain of Stanley, a delicious restaurant serving up New Orleans style comfort food, provided refuge from the storm and a fun shot showcasing J and J’s more playful sides.  As with all June storms in New Orleans, the rain didn’t last long, and we were able to make it to the streetcar before dark for a shot they were very excited about trying to capture.  It was a fun shoot, and I cannot wait until Jenna’s bridal portrait session, and the couple’s December wedding at the Audobon Tea Room.  Nice work if you can get it!