This is the old blog following the incredibly exciting career : ) of ricky restiano. If you subscribe to this blog please update the rss feed with the information from the new blog that you can see HERE. So yeah, I’ll see you over there!

Its always exciting for me to see Gretchen’s reaction to new stuff. She did see some snow last year but she couldn’t communicate her excitement.  This year she couldn’t contain herself. We read her a story called “Welcome To Your World Baby” about a new big sister who teaches her new baby how to do everything , including how to catch snowflakes on her tongue. She spent an hour trying to catch snowflakes, so cute!!

After we warmed up with some hot chocolate.

This time of year I usually spend as much time with Gretchen,  and now Stella too,  to make up for some lost time. Once the wedding season starts,  I’m away from home almost every Saturday and Sunday. So the winter is when I catch up!

We just got back from a day trip to Maple Row in Easton, Connecticut.  We began a tradition last year where we  go with our friends Karen and Hermann to choose and cut our very special Christmas tree.   By the way, Hermann was one of the brilliant architects that designed our home!

Christmas casualties!

Morbid I know.  Gretchen got a little upset when I cut the tree down.  Kind of funny, how even a 3- year- old realizes that maybe there is something just not quite right about this whole tradition!  haha  So, when Cath saw this tractor of chopped trees, she labeled it the Christmas casualties.

When we got to the Rye Town Hilton yesterday morning Katie was not done with makeup yet so Dave (oh moving pictures did the video) and I went to find the groom. When we got there Tom was dressed and ready to go. I looked out the window of his balcony and there it was the coolest rock with sun blasting it. What a perfect place for a photo. I referred to it as the Last of the Mohicans shot, your going to be able to pick it right out! Back to the bride, Katie informed me that she hates hotel rooms for wedding photos so we snapped a couple of her getting ready and out we went. I was in search of another spectacular rock but with the shoes Katie was wearing that was impossible. So I found a cool path with some nice landscape and perfect light. After making the girls freeze there asses off we were off to church.

After I rushed all of the guest past the receiving line we hurried off to playland for some photos before the sunset. Honestly it was 20 degrees. I kept asking Katie to tell me when she has met her limit, apparently Katie has no limit!!!! We got some of my favorite Playand photos of all time. The sun was in a perfect spot and the Playand boardwalk was empty. I’m really thrilled with the results and would love to post all of them but that nuts. So if your interested go back to my website and click on the client login. The passowrd for this gallery is jones. Check them out, I would love to here your thought, right her POST A COMMENT : )

Dave set this next shot up, I guess I can let him set more next year! : )

Don’t forget to see all of them go to the client login section of my site the password for katie and tom is jones.

Lisa and Steve were a little nervous that the whole daylight savings thing would screw up the time for outdoor photos. No Problem we bumped the settings on our cameras and used a video light, the result AWESOME, seriously awesome photos. I’m so excited to show these. We are way up state and the backgrounds are so different from what we are used to in Westchester. Check out the old house we found. Ronnie and I are having a blast. woo hoo!

Are you kidding me, I love this photo seriously love this!!

God I love my job : )

For this reason I decided not pressure everyone, parents included, into a one hour session. I want to spend a few hours with you guys. All the details have not ironed out yet, but the concept is to be sort of “a fly on the wall”. I show up around breakfast and shoot all the little moments that unfold. After around half a day of shooting, I feel that I will have such a relationship built with each family that I will for sure get more than the one shot everyone is always praying for.

So, for my first attempt at this I decided to photograph the Restiano family. Yeah, yeah that’s my family so its not really hard. Anyway, this morning when I woke up I grabbed my camera and started shooting all the little moments that Catherine and I usually take for granted. Here are just a few of the hundreds of photos I shot.

G got to wear her new kicks in honor of this special day!

After breakfast we headed out to our cousins house to enjoy the warm weather. G swiped this cool tricycle.

It might have been insanely cold but the the light was like I’ve never seen at Untermeyer. (Something had to go our way today!!) I’m going to post more photos than normal simply because we had to work so hard to get them. Enjoy these next few post their is only two more weddings to go before I hibernate for the winter!

One of Jasons shots, your all going to love Jason, he’s awesome

Jason again

I told you the light was perfect

Oh, I fogort to mention that we worked with moving pictures and Silverstar Limo two of my favorite companies to work with.

In response to some of the comments below:

- Mark. As a loyal tax paying citizen, I’m doing my part in keeping the bridge OUT of the water.
- Christina. I thought the map would get a chuckle. If you liked that I will email you my stick figure giraffe and elephant, two of gretchens favorites.
- Jo. Looks like your gonna have to get in your car to come see me.
- Jake. Yes Hiku is the best, but obviously you have never eaten at the Red Hat. Oh my god that is the best food in Westchester. And its located right on Bridge street!!!!

Thanks for the help everyone. In reality I’m not 100% sure yet that I’m moving, I will give everyone plenty of notice before the day comes. Thanks for the help. I have such a great bunch of people supporting me!!!

I am considering the village of Irvington. It is directly across the river from Piermont and would cut my commute to 10 minutes. Its 40 now, Yikes.

So what do you think?

Just so you dont think I hung up my camera for the winter here is an amazing photo (i think) of the tappan zee bridge from the pier in Piermont. oh and a map of my new commute.