so many pictures

Uggh I am so bad about providing updates. My son graduated college and the other one 6th grade. I’m so proud of both. My life and heart is full. I’ve been doing portraits and some other private photo assignments. I have so many pictures to share, however I was distracted by this older wedding from a couple of years ago, that I started to show in my last post. I have so may pictures that I don’t share, and want to. Do you ever feel like life is moving so fast, it’s hard to document everything?

Why photograph weddings?

I know so many photographers who refuse to do weddings. They say it’s too emotionally-charged, too fast-paced, too personal, too repetitive, too risky, and uncontrollable, and too labor-intensive. Those, my friends, are precisely all of the reasons I love to photograph weddings.

Aren’t weddings too emotionally-charged?

Yes, and that’s what draws me to them. I laugh and cry at every wedding. There are unexpected emotions that come up during weddings, and I’m there for all of it.

Aren’t weddings too fast-paced?

When I do commercial shoots, the art directors and teams always say, “You’re so fast!” At a wedding, you’re moving from a dark room, to a bright exterior, and then back inside; you’re asked to switch from photographing dancing, to small details, to setting up a family portrait in a matter of seconds. You have to be technically adept and at a moment’s notice.

“It’s my job to work at the speed of a snapshot, with the quality of a studio photographer.”

• I shoot film

  Secret passion: vintage photos. I shoot film and my assistant shoots digital. For all of us I’d say that’s a win-win. Inquire about this package.

• I offer video too.

  We also provide video, and live social feed posting.

• I'm booking 2023 and 2024 weddings

  Normally I can’t commit that far ahead of time, but now I can.

Great news!

I found a studio!

Well, I’ve been searching for a photo studio, and visited a few spaces. I wanted something with natural light, preferably from more than one window angle, and high ceilings, with a private space for outdoor pictures. I wanted something warm and welcoming, something on the Westside, and something close to where I am. I found it. It checked off all of the boxes and I can’t wait to set it up and show you pictures. It’s only about 15 by 20 feet, and it will definitely work for single portraits, headshots, full body, and small groups.

I’ve been taking pet photos!

Recently, I photographed my cousin’s beautiful kids with two horses and two dogs; a couple with three very adorable and well-behaved dogs on a golf course; and a family of four humans and three large not so well-behaved dogs (they were very sweet, just energetic.) The animals so far, have outnumbered the humans on my photo shoots. Eight humans and 10 pets. Will this be a trend?

I’ve been eating a lot!

The other piece of great news, is that I’ve had the privilege to explore some restaurants.

I loved Destroyer, an utterly chic lunch/coffee spot in the Hayden Tract. Mizlala is a no-fuss, fun falafel place in West Adams. I actually went there twice. La Flama got average reviews, but it was my family’s favorite (Oaxacan) Mexican place so far (We’ve tried several). Such nice people, too. I went on a work dinner Sestina, a heart and brainchild of chef Matthew Kenney, “one of the world’s first leading chefs at the forefront of plant-based cuisine.” In a (very unsophisticated) word (for very sophisticated food): yum. I did go to a French restaurant that got almost 5 stars, but I’d give it one. Moral of the story, don’t believe reviews.

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

I have a new strategy to help people combat inflation and still be able to get the amazing headshots they need for their promo cards, book covers, or linkedin (or tinder) profile. I keep it short and keep the price down, because there are very few people who want to pose for pictures for more than 15 minutes. So I keep them there for 20, just to be sure we get what they need. This session lasted a little longer, because there was a wardrobe change and we talked a lot, but was still well inside an hour.

I’m super inspired by author headshots. This one was quick and affordable. I normally don’t use much natural light, especially bright sun, but this was an author headshot and seemed to work. We were in back of Iconica, a coffee shop +. If you haven’t been there, and are local to Northampton, be sure to visit. It’s closed now, but even when it’s closed, it’s worth a visit. The care that went into decorating the outdoors was something I never noticed until this headshot. It’s steampunk, it’s upcycle-y - it’s like this person spent a lifetime perusing thrift shops, yard sales, dumpsters, architectural ruins, lost cities and interesting people’s attics to curate a multi-sensory experience. There’s actually a table made of carefully selected aged-wood with a similarly aged metal frame out there that I’m shocked nobody has stolen. Here are some pictures from this speedy shoot where the author was able to scurry out with some useful pictures. Not sure which ones he used, but I like these.

The most rewarding part of my job is meeting people. In this case, I got to meet this delightful person, and his spouse and furry child, an adorable chihuahua. (How I spelled chihuahua correctly is truly a miracle).

Finally, my youngest child loves sports, especially Boston sports. Just started watching basketball with the family over the last 3 years starting during the pandemic. The Boston Celtics pulled off an incredible win last night. I’ve never witnessed the Celtics win a buzzer beater, and they did it with one of their best players on the injured list. They unconventionally punted on the opportunity to use a time-out on their last possession with around 10 seconds left in the game. It was Marcus Smart*, who made the very smart move to pass to Jayson Tatum who did a spin around layups to in the game at 0.1 seconds. If it had all happened 0.1 seconds slower, or if JT missed that difficult shot, they would have lost the game. Marcus oh so Smart said after the game (I’m paraphrasing), “I tell my team that when they think I don’t see them, that’s when I see them most. Nobody expected the fake/pass.”

They have a long series ahead of them. The Nets are a great team. There’s also a lot of tension because the Celtics fans have venom for former Celtic now Nets player Kyrie Irving. Irving actually gave fans ‘the finger’ multiple times during the game. He didn’t get ejected or fined for it. Anyway, it’s my wish that all of that stops. Stop booing (besides being rude, it’s not even helping - he played a great game) and stop with the fingers. It’s bad vibes all around. Happy Spring everyone. Get out there and do what you do. xo.

Senior photo

*Marcus Smart was just named the Defensive Player of the Year. But evidenced by his incredible assist last night, his offense isn’t so shabby, either.

In the corner of my sun-filled living room, I saw a round object covered in dust. I walked over to it and did like they do in the movies. I blew on it. Dust went everywhere; the room became a sunny glowing cloud. The object that I found was a blogosphere that I had almost forgotten about. I now work in digital media and it seems more than ever the place where I live. I see the world through my phone and the social channels. But I do remember the days when things were different. Screens were bigger and we were able to find content rather than receive it in our feed. If you’re here, you found me. And for this reason I’ll have fun sharing things that I don’t share on social. Like the pictures below. And more personal stories. J Mascis says that the only social media he uses is Strava and that he’s gone almost 5,000 miles on his bike. Sounds fun.

Togetherness

I just spoke to a potential client today. She’s getting married. One of the questions she asked was*, “I know you do weddings, but what do you really love to photograph.” Usually it’s, “do you have an assistant” (no) or ‘can you show me an entire wedding gallery.’ (no). I loved this question. I answered, “There are things about weddings that don’t exist anywhere else: the clothes and dressing up; and the togetherness- usually only for weddings do people travel from all over the country and sometimes the world to be together.” A couple of more times in the conversation the person used the word togetherness. She helped me realize that togetherness is one of the big reasons why I do weddings.

Then, I said that I also love portraits/people photos. And that I really don’t do landscapes much. But I forgot all about my flowers and my abstractions (see above) that I had so much fun doing in early 2021. And I forgot to tell her about how I love to write. How I love to paint. How I even make music sometimes. It wasn’t a conversation about me. It’s about her special event where everyone will be together.

Peacocks

There have been many lowlights this year, but I’m going to hang on to the pinprick of a highlight that occurred during the NCAA basketball tournament. St. Peter’s College (in Jersey City) made it to the Elite Eight. They didn’t have money, or legacy, but they were cool and confident and they surprised everyone. I did photography through Erbach Communications for St. Peter’s for a couple of years when I lived in Jersey City. When they won, I celebrated and reconnected with my JC friends. Jersey City’s rents went up more than any city in the country since 2020, so I guess they didn’t put Jersey City on the map. But they sure did make a lot of people proud.

*quotes are paraphrased

This was such a thrill for him to sit in the bull pen with the team.

at Cornell

I always thought 2021 would be a really special year. It has been for me, and I hope it’s been for you. It started out rough with hybrid learning. Then, it slowly got better. Summer came and the first thing we did is visit Emile in Ithaca. We also went to Cape Cod several times to watch the Cape Cod Baseball League. I camped for the first time, and did it alone with my younger son. We were all in good health. Nothing terrible happened. I like to punctuate the passing of time with pictures, so here are some below that were special highlights from this year.

I also want to invite you to order some prints of your own family, or choose from my art gallery. Here you will find reproductions of original photos. You’ll have lovely affordable art for your home or office. These can be gifts for yourself or for someone else. https://elizabethsolakaphotography.zenfolio.com/p175902758

I also made lots of blossom pictures that you can order to beautify your home or gift to someone, https://elizabethsolakaphotography.zenfolio.com/p483928320

Visually, I feel that my pictures for the coming year will be cooler, brighter, cleaner, more vibrant.

I wish this for all of you. A fresh new year, bright and vibrant.

Special person — generous beyond measure.

From a Chester Theatre Production

A nice backyard sunset.

Matthew is a bar mitzvah.

My longtime clients had their first grandbaby. This picture is everything.

Wedding at the Hotel Northampton.

View fullsize

I photographed a most beautiful wedding evidenced by these most beautiful flowers, in Lincoln, MA.

Stunning family. Loved getting to know you.

There’s nothing better than grandparents reuniting with their grandkids after a long absence.

My son peers at a cool new informational sign by Soofa, and yes this kid is truly interested in the map.

Small business pictures for a new website. Michele Feldheim https://www.michelefeldheim.com/

Super excited for the young generation to take the reins, wield the gavel, and all that. Wonderful to meet you, Samantha.

Another family reuniting after a long time apart.

I provided pictures for the new Abundance Farm website: https://www.abundancefarm.org/

I did pictures for one of the most gracious, kind and relatable people I know, Keiko, https://keikomedium.com/

Trixie Garcia at a Garcia Hand-Picked event.

I love this picture.

I did a whole series of photos on this block, because of the cool reflections on the street. Soon after they paved the road so I guess these are extra special now.

What a joy to work with and get to know Candace.

I made lots of blossom pictures that you can order to beautify your home or gift to someone, https://elizabethsolakaphotography.zenfolio.com/p483928320

Seems like as recently as posting that I’m wearing earrings again, the earrings came off. In fact, I just removed the wedding section of my website because for the foreseeable future, I can’t commit to photographing weddings. I do have some weddings and bar mitzvahs in the pipeline. I will be there with bells on, and a mask.

Headshots are a different story. I love them. I love setting up the lights, meeting new people, understanding their vision of how they want to be seen. Surprising them with pictures that they couldn’t imagine themselves.

One shoot I’m really looking forward to is a session at dawn, on top of a mountain, with a floral structural piece and the person who made it. It wasn’t my idea, it was hers. Well, the mountain at dawn was my idea, but the flower structure was hers. In addition to headshots, I’ve been shooting theater performances, cannibis grand opening events, pictures for a company that makes informational signs in cities, and of course, families that haven’t seen each other in ages.

Be well.

PS Today is my late dad’s birthday. A difficult day. Every day with loved ones is a gift.

From earrings to wedding photography.

I never thought this would happen, but I’m wearing earrings again. Little silver hoops a friend gave me. I’m not quite at the point where I’m wearing lip gloss, because the mask still comes on and off, but earrings, yes. Sometimes they get caught on my mask, but it’s worth the gentle tugs. I’m a person in society again. I’ve started getting out into the world, too. I go on small trips in my car. I’ve seen family, carefully. I sat by a pool outdoors, with other humans. Am I more cautious that most? Definitely. But I’m making progress.

rising planet, 2021

Last year I did a lot of art photography in studio. You can see my general gallery here, where I escaped reality with experiments in light refraction, as illustrated in Rising Planet above. I also went out and took pictures of spring blossoms. The gallery is here. People have purchased the flower pictures for their homes. I always wonder why people don’t but rising planets, though.

blossoms, 2021

I’ve also started doing contract commercial photography again. whether it’s Brand Storytelling, family get togethers, eadshots or theatre productions, it’s happening. We’re doing things again. We’re busy again.

family portrait, together again

But what about indoors? It’s starting to happen, too. People are calling me to take photos of their weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs. Now, I’m warming up to the idea of indoor weddings and have actually booked a few in 2021. We’re getting there. How are you feeling about it all?

This year I’ve been thinking a lot about my past and my family. I wanted to do something traditional this year, so I decided to make a traditional New Year Chaldean dish, Hammeth Kibbe. I found it in a cookbook that my aunt gave me, Ma Baseema. All my life I’ve been told that this dish is incredibly difficult to make. As a child, I asked my Grandma Peach (pictured) to teach me how to make it. She would just laugh. As much as I love it, I’ve never been inspired to make it for I never thought I had the time or the skill.

A painting of my Grandmother, “Peaches” Oil on canvas 2016

When I told people that I was going to make it, I got the expected reactions: “Wow good luck!” “Really?” and even, “I never did like that.” I took it as a challenge. With the help of my 19 year old, who at the same time prepared a loaf of bread (pictured below), we did it. and not only did we do it, we did it magnificently.

Yummy homemade sourdough bread, made by Emile, 19.

And here’s the twist, perhaps for the first time in the History of Mankind, a plant-based Hammeth Kibbe was made instead of the traditional beef and lamb version. (Prove me wrong.)We used Impossible meat. Emile’s a vegetarian, and so is the 10 year old child. We haven’t eaten meat in ages. It just didn’t feel right for our family to use the traditional recipe. So we began by sautéing the Impossible meat with onions and spices. Mind you this is not a step-by-step recipe piece. You meed to get Ma Baseema for that or look on youtube.

Impossible meat

It seemed to take longer for the Impossible meat to cook. But that’s okay. When it was ready I tasted it. Yum! Then it was time to make the outer shell. We didn’t have enough cream of rice so we had to use some cream of wheat. So the consistency was different. We also have no food processor. We added an egg to make sure that the paste stayed together. This was a variation of the recipe but hey, it works for mazoh balls. Everything seemed to work out just fine.

Hammeth Kibbe with Impossible meat

We all sat down to eat and critique the dish. I was frankly wondering if it was possible to boil Impossible Meat (the kibbe is submerged in the boiling sauce for 20 minutes) Since it seemed to take longer for the Impossible Meat to sauté, I boiled the kibbes for a bit longer. Any flaws in the meal was not due to the meat. Out of fear of exploding kibbe, we made the outer shell too thick. My spouse affectionately likened them to corn dogs. My youngest child called them ‘gross’ but ended up eating plenty of them (If he really thought they were gross he would not have touched them.) My older son loved them but wanted more spice in the sauce. And what did I think?

1. I felt like I entered a higher frequency with the angel of Grandma Peach by my side. I remembered my grandma forming the kibbe in her kitchen in Lafayette Park Towers, Detroit. I remembered her hands, the stool she sat on, the scarf on her head, the details of how to add just the right amount of water. I even remembered the exact shape and size of the kibbe. She was right there with me. It was a powerful exercise, and really connected me to my childhood and family traditions. Even more powerful was that Emile was by my side. I fulfilled my duty to pass on the tradition.

2. I actually liked them last night. I made two different batches, one with the traditional sauce, and one with the Sweet sauce (for a sweet New Year). I added more spices to both after we ate. This morning, I mixed the two sauces and had two kibbe for breakfast. These types of dishes are always better the next day and better mixed together.

3. As for the meat? Yes, it was different. Yes, I have to admit I may have preferred the taste of real meat. But would I really have? I’ve tried eating meat after a long spell without it. And it’s disappointing. My stomach doesn’t feel great and I just feel like it’s not worth it. Also, after all of those trips to the petting zoo coddling Earth’s most adorable creature (lambs); after reading countless articles about helping save mankind by eating a plant-based diet; and after remembering to watch my health (I just turned 50, after all), I just couldn’t. Most of all, if I did make it the traditional way, my kids would (rightly) refuse to eat it and leave me with endless kibbe in the freezer. The upside is that we didn’t feel like we were part of the problem. We didn’t have that heavy full-feeling after eating and our digestive systems were thanking is.

Have a Happy New Year, everyone, from our family to yours.

xxo, E

This is a 5x5 print that I took in South Boston in the mid-90s. I hid behind an old tan leather chair, used an extension tube on my Hasselblad and a cable release. I printed it on fiber paper and the original is for sale for $600 matted on 4-ply museum board. Email me at esolaka@gmail.com if interested in the original.

If you are interested a reproduction of this print, please go to https://elizabethsolakaphotography.zenfolio.com/p94015192/ee87ddd9d There you can order an affordable framed image of this picture, and choose from a variety of sizes and frames.

I will be posting several images for sale per week. Mostly landscapes.

Thank you.

It all started at a rehearsal

in late February, and we all know what happened after that.

I had the honor of photographing three performances at UMASS in late February. A few of the performers seemed a little under the weather, coughing. But at that point, I didn’t really think much of it. I was more or less alone for most of it during the dress rehearsals anyway.

By the time I finished editing the music pictures, it was well into March. I realized how fortunate I was to be in the presence of such art. Live music coming from beautiful instruments. The talented trained voices of the Magic Flute. In fact, I then realized that the most important things are art, love and health.

A few days later, I had a job photographing a team of employees at a local non-profit, ICA Group. As you can see, everyone seemed very care-free. This was the beginning of March. In fact, I was helping with styling, touching people’s hair, etc.

I’d also photographed a headshot for an individual, a young Luciano Pavarotti:

Late February portrait.

At some point, we learned that we couldn't live as we normally do. A very kind man contacted me on the phone. He needed a picture. So I met him in the park. We stood several feet away from each other. It seemed okay.

And now here we are. Some of us are working from home trying our best not to lose productivity. Some of us are medics and store workers going into battle every day.  Some of us are working from home and trying to home school our kids. Some of us had to come home early from college and leave our friends. Some of us are laid-off. Some of us are trying to start a new business, but we don't know when that business will have an economy to stand on. Some are nearing retirement, looking at our dwindling savings. Some are still employed, but waiting for the pink slips. Some of us are ill to begin with, and have this added fear of contracting the virus. Some of us live alone and don't want to be alone. Some of us wished we lived alone. Some of us have lost loved ones and couldn't even say goodbye.

I'm not sure which of these scenarios best describes your situation. My situation is that I lost a loved one, my father, and couldn't say goodbye in person. And at the same time, the singer Bill Withers died. It's such a cliché but his song Lean on Me couldn't possibly be more relevant right now. At this time, people have reached out to me by messages, phone, and mail. This support has literally held me up from falling down. This period in time is crazy. People don't even know how hard it is because we're all just trying to cope. I hope that we can continue to lean on each other and call each other. Be well.

Since May I’ve probably done almost 100 portraits for clients. Portrait photography is my heart’s work.

Sometimes I wonder what it all means. Why am I doing this? I’m not saving the world, curing disease or fighting for justice. In mid-May, I met up with a friend I’ve known for years. She looks the same, but still wanted to hire me to take her portrait. After sending her the pictures, I saw her instagram post . It read:

“my friend Elizabeth walks with a camera and an eye for beauty. To me her photography finds that essence that is beautiful and unique in each of us. and it reminds me that noticing it in each other is a loving labor of presence and openness...reflected here in a snippet of her fabulous Portraiture ”

— Lillian Fuchs

My life’s work, that I could never describe, summarized so well. Yep, that’s why I do it. And it doesn’t just apply to portraits. It’s in every moment I capture. Okay, moment I capture is a cliche that I’ve alway avoided. It’s in every encounter I have with the camera. My loving labor of presence and openness is what I try to give back to people. So that they can see how amazing they are.

It applies equally to events, fine art and abstractions. Editorial would call if documentary, or lifestyle. In marketing, it’s branding or brand storytelling. If it were a hashtag, it would fall under #candid It’s why I love Diane Arbus so much. Her portraits are these things too. Such context, such human-ness, and such a loving labor of that stuff.

A Christening in Queens, NY

I’ve been spending so much wonderful time photographing portraits and headshots around Northampton. So much time that I’ve been neglecting to post them on social media, or here.

First and foremost, my son has graduated high school. And he’ll be studying at Architecture Art and Planning at Cornell. I’m wildly excited for him and have been counting on him since day one to ‘save’ the world. But first, our trip to LA, and some prom pictures.

There are no words.

I did corporate headshots for a whole office at The ICA Group, samples chosen randomly:

Even before this I photographed Ivan Oransky, VP Editorial of Medscape. This might be obvious due to the 3D quality and wonderful range, that this was taken with my vintage Hasselblad, developed by hand, and then digitized for your viewing pleasure:

There was the portrait of Lillian Fuchs, my dear college friend, on a red bridge at Smith College.

Jennifer Rosner, author

And here, Carla Savetsky

Did I mention my son went to prom?

I photographed a very important wedding in Boston:

Then there was my full time job: Little League.

Maple Sugar in Western Mass

If you look carefully, you can see the blue tubes that extract the sugar from the trees.

I miss the snow

It feels like ages ago that I was called to photograph Maple Sugar producers in Western Mass, and I almost forgot about it. That is, until I scrolled to CISA’s Instagram post: It states, “as the snow is disappearing and spring sweeps in, sending our appreciation to the maple producers who've been working their tails off this maple season. Pictured here, Paul Zononi, of Paul's Sugar House in Williamsburg, this past March. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I kind of miss the snow.

Paul and his helper. Can you smell the sugar?

I also visited the wonderful Dufresne Sugar House, and met Jacqueline.

She loves red.

Jacqueline told me the story of when historically people would only use cane sugar when company came over or for special occasions. And that for daily sugar, as it was called, they used maple syrup. Funny how things have become reversed over time.

I went back and visited the sugar house during boiling, at night.

So much has happened since I photographed this lovely season. The snow has completely melted. The daffodils are blooming and trees are blossoming. I’ve photographed so many people and things. I’ll be back with more little stories.

children’s pictures in spring

For years and years, I photographed the Hamilton Park Montessori school pictures in Jersey City. I lived right across the street from the school, in a charming brownstone in an historical neighborhood. I was in close contact with the school administrators as the exact date of the pictures was always a little iffy. Why? Because I took the pictures outside, and during the peak blossom season in the park.

School pictures

to order or not to order

School pictures, order now or forever hold your peace

It’s something that has sort of fallen out of fashion, those school photos with the generic backgrounds and kids with hairstyles combed so perfectly you barely recognize your own child. I for one treasure prints of my kids. In fact, I order prints of my past year’s phone and camera pictures at the end of each year as a holiday gift to myself.

My son goes to a private school, and I am told that beyond the sitting fee, hardly anyone orders prints. What? All the pictures I’ve ever taken for schools, I always require parents to order prints. I know, not fair, but they’ll thank me later.

When you miss the blossoms

For years as I’ve mentioned, I coordinated with the school to get the perfect pictures while the apple blossoms, cherry blossoms and dogwoods were blooming in all of their glory. I even called the sessions Blossoms. One year, though, we missed the boat. I don’t recall why. Maybe it was a bad year for blossoms. Maybe the school had scheduling issues. Maybe I did. But in lieu of blossoms, we purchased some potted flowers. Below you can see the results….. Enjoy!