photography by arun paul

NEW BLOG

2010-04-26T21:14:00.003-04:00

Please note that my Blog has found a new and more robust home -

http://www.arunpaulphotography.com/blog/

See you there !!

New Site ..

2010-04-16T07:42:00.003-04:00

Hey folks - I am working on my new blog design which should be up and running in a week. My new website is up though (www.arunpaulphotography.com) and I would appreciate your feedback. I will post the new link for the blog here. Thank you.

PS - If you are on Facebook, please look me up as Arun Paul Photography. Thank you.

Photo Sampler 2009

2009-12-22T11:58:00.002-05:00

Wow. The last few months have been delightfully exhausting. I have had the most incredible time working with some wonderful families, some of whom I have had the opportunity to work with for years. Some of these shoots were shot in a variety of situations and circumstances, a couple even in 30F weather. I do want to thank the families for their patience and co-operation that made for a great experience all around. A special thanks to all the dancing moms and dads behind the lens !!
A Merry Christmas and a Joyful New Year to all !!

Pano in Bucks County

2009-11-19T07:32:00.001-05:00

I have been shooting pretty heavily in the last few months, which has been a blast and then a moment like this comes along which stops you right in your tracks. I made this image while I told my wife that I would severely regret not doing it. I am glad I jumped out the car and ran into the wet mud !!

PS - Keep an eye out for a sampler from the wonderful family sessions I have been having.

Wedding at Christ Church, Philadelphia

2009-10-28T18:30:00.003-04:00

I had a opportunity to be the second shooter with my old friend, Suzanne Collier ( www.collierimages.com). We had a good time talking about the old times inspite of the rain, making images with the wonderful couple who made for some exciting moments. The ceremony was at the beautiful and historic Christ Church in Philadelphia. Congratulations Rebecca and Richard !! It was great working with you.
God Bless you both.

A Sunday Afternoon in Autumn

2009-10-26T18:33:00.003-04:00

A beautiful Sunday Afternoon called for a date with my bride. A fantastic time to enjoy the season. I grabbed the pano above of a local lake. Hope it stays that way for a few more weeks.

Autumn in Upstate New York

2009-10-12T19:46:00.002-04:00

A great tip to extend the wonderful experience the Fall Season has to offer is to take a quick weekend up north and get an early glimpse. Now I am ready for it to hit Bucks County.

Welcome Leah.

2009-10-08T20:45:00.002-04:00

Little Leah, my niece- who is so adorable. Her little hands and feet and everything about her reflects the attention to detail by her MAKER.

God's little blessing.

Congratulations Kate and John !!

A Union of Blessing

2009-09-12T09:48:00.007-04:00

I have to say that my wife and I consider ourselves really blessed to do what we do. Every Wedding we shoot imprints on us again, the beauty of Marriage, as we join in celebration with the Bride and Groom, right beside them, capturing those moments that will be treasured as precious memories. The Wedding we did this past weekend was no exception. In fact the story of how this couple met, is so beautiful that I would love to share it - but it is not mine to tell !!
Let me just say that there was not a dry eye in the house. Tears of joy and overwhelming emotion was the nature of the day - Beautiful !!

Congratulations, Monica and John.

Book Your Fall Session Now - Limited dates available !!!

2009-08-28T14:30:00.003-04:00

LIMITED DATES AVAILABLE. Please schedule your sessions as soon as you can so we can lock in your date.

Michelle Bonilla/Israel and the New Breed in Concert

2009-08-26T20:19:00.005-04:00

Our dear friend Michelle and the crew performed at a venue near me at a concert with Israel and the New Breed. I miss playing with the fellas ( too bad there are only so many hours in a day !!). Michelle truly has a God given ability to communicate the Truth through word and song.

Check out Michelle's work at - http://www.myspace.com/michellebonillamusic and keep an eye out for her latest project that is to be released shortly.

Keep the FIRE alive !!!

The No Longer - LIVE

2009-08-22T13:05:00.002-04:00

A Rocking band of Brothers with very original compositions with strong melodies and crunchy guitars. Check them out here.

Heros - At Home and Abroad

2009-08-18T15:32:00.002-04:00

I did a shoot for my brother-in-law and his good friend and their families, last weekend in North Carolina. It was a quick trip to say goodbye (for a little while) to them as they deployed this past weekend to serve.
While they have become my heroes already, their wives are the unsung heroes, as they manage life on the home front. I am proud of all of them and this shoot was the least I could do to show them my whole hearted appreciation for their brave service. We love you guys.

Hats off to the troops !! God Bless

Twins

2009-08-12T19:51:00.003-04:00

A few of my favorite "twin" shoots. There is a serious connection between twins - the energy and the excitement they share is quite overwhelming and yet beautiful.
Of course there are the stories of when I could not tell one twin from the other or when I shot one twin, the other ran off with my D700 with my workhorse 70-200 like it was a little teddy bear fitting to be flung in the woods. At the end of the day it is "all good" as they say, to be able to capture those moments for the family !!

Philadelphia Italian market - Photowalk

2009-07-28T20:37:00.002-04:00

I took a photo walk in the Italian Market section as part of the WWPW a few weekends ago. I love the hustle and bustle of the Market and making your way past a few drunks of course .............. at 8 AM.

A Fantastic Old City Wedding

2009-07-16T20:08:00.009-04:00

Eileen and Justin certainly seemed to have had a great time planning their Wedding. During my conversations with the wonderful couple prior to the Wedding, I had the feeling that this was certainly going to be a spectacular Wedding flooded with emotion, passion and enthusiasm. The father of the Bride gave one of the sweetest toasts I have heard in a long time. There were too many memorable moments to make mention here and I was glad to be there to capture them. Congratulations to you both !!

Vacation in Savannah, GA

2009-07-11T09:15:00.004-04:00

A wonderful and quaint town, sprinkled with several squares, historic homes and warm Southern hospitality. Here are just a few of the many images.

Eric

2009-07-06T20:21:00.004-04:00

A good young man and a great brother. This was quite the fun shoot and an opportunity to experiment with some lighting ideas. Thank you Eric.

A beautiful Philly Wedding

2009-07-06T19:46:00.006-04:00

June has been quite a rainy month where I had Weddings that had severe storms on consecutive weekends. However, Gina and Sean were fantastic. A wonderful couple who did not let the rain put a damper on their beautiful Wedding Day. Gina and Sean were both terrific sports as I dragged them out to get a few quick images and you could tell from their friends and family that they are indeed, truly wonderful people. Congratulations to you both !!

The first image is my favorite one of the day.

Engagement Session in Philly

2009-07-04T08:20:00.002-04:00

Kandice and Tom were great to work with and completely in love with each other. This is the making of a fantastic Wedding. Looking forward to it.
Thanks guys.

Greg Merkle Live

2009-07-04T08:17:00.001-04:00

My dear friend and phenomenal guitarist Greg Merkle was playing locally and we were able to catch him live. Blessed with riveting technique without sacrificing pure musicality !!
Check out his work at http://merkleworks.com

My dear friend and phenomenal guitarist Greg Merkle was playing locally and we were able to catch him live. Blessed with riveting technique without sacrificing pure musicality !!
Check out his work at http://merkleworks.com/

Happy Independence Day !!

2009-07-04T08:06:00.002-04:00

Its more than just a barbeque.

Unbranded Beauty by Megan

2009-06-06T13:18:00.006-04:00

I was able to get a quick shoot this past week with a dear friend of mine, Megan, who in spite of the slight drizzle, was just her exuberant self. Nothing really deters Megan. The turns that her life has taken so far and what she has been blessed to accomplish so quickly has consistently been an encouragement to both my wife and I. She is looking forward to serving again on the Mercy Ship in West Africa in a few weeks for 6 months. She had worked on the Ship as a pediatric nurse and will be going soon to work in the Communications Department. If have never heard of the Mercy Ship ministry, please do check it out on her blog. She also worked on another amazing project which is close to my hear as well, titled "Unbranded Beauty." She has put together a short video which I would encourage you to see. This is a message that young men and women NEED to hear in this culture.

Congratulations Debbie and Bill !!

2009-06-03T21:29:00.008-04:00

This was truly a fun and exciting Wedding to shoot. My lovely wife and I had terrific time with the enthusiasm and energy shared by this beautiful couple. Above all, they were immersed in each other. One of the great aspects of what I get to observe is watch couples like Debbie and Bill, continue to grow in their love and romance as we meet during the course of planning their Wedding's finer points of detail. Bill and Debbie pulled off a wonderful Wedding surprising on all their guests with a beautifully choreographed "first dance". Bill had a surprise of his own earlier when he burst out in song at the altar and had everyone snapping their fingers, literally. Congratulations guys and keep that romance flowing !!

"Hanging" out at Ralph Stover

2009-05-31T12:17:00.005-04:00

I had a pretty incredible time hanging out, literally with some old friends and some new ones. We started off at 5:30 AM at the Ralph Stover Park and I was able to make some frames while perched off an anchor (Kevin). I was straddling the rock face at atleast a 100 foot drop( I think ).
Its all about trust, eh Kevin !!
The quiet of the morning mixed in with some rock faces with interesting names, made for a relaxing shoot. Thanks guys.

Memorial Day

2009-05-24T20:34:00.006-04:00

A couple of weekends ago, my wife and I ventured out to DC for the weekend and went through the Holocaust Museum and after that, paid a visit to the Arlington Cemetery. To say the least, it was quite an intense day. If anyone has not taken the time to visit the Holocaust Museum, I highly recommend it. In spite of the portrayals Hollywood (ick) has put out through the years, it certainly takes a hold of you as we somberly walked through the halls and watched the actual video footage with heavy hearts. It is tragic that World turned the other way while atrocities were inflicted on a specific group of people for no fault of their own, through evil and calculated strategies. And there is certainly a lot of that going on now as we speak as well.

At Arlington we witnessed the changing of the Honor Guard, which was a solid display of reverence, discipline and patriotism. We met a veteran who was 93 years old named Dodd. A fantastic human being and quite the engaging conversationalist. He was one of the first Honor Guards way back in 1937, I believe. He even invited us over to his home.I told him I would take him up on the offer as I hope to make the trip and grab a photo essay in the process, soon.

I was able to capture some images of Dodd as he placed the wreath and some images of the Honor Guard who did not let the severe downpour affect them one bit.

Fuel House with the Wedding Factor

2009-05-18T22:21:00.004-04:00

I did have the opportunity to do a quick shoot at the Fuel House for a Wedding co-ordinated by the Wedding Factor. It was a rather hectic day for me as I had multiple shoots that day and was there just to capture the set up and some of the delicious food served up by Laurent Leveque of Fleur de Lys Catering.When all was said and done, it was truly a fun experience working with such talented Wedding Vendors and do look forward to collaborate again in the near future !!

A Charcoal sketch by Ryan Jackson

2009-05-10T14:06:00.003-04:00

A good buddy of mine, Ryan Jackson, completed a wonderful rendition of my adorable niece as a charcoal image and I was blown away by the outcome. He truly is a gifted man !!
Check it out. I have posted the original image and the Sketch.

In the Flex Zone

2009-05-03T22:16:00.010-04:00

I had quite a busy weekend with shoots all over the place. I was excited for each shoot as they were completely different. I went from doing a shoot for a Hospital to shooting a couple of extremely strong men, Michael and Shawn and then zipped into Downtown Philly to capture a Wedding Venue. I will post images from the others shortly but here are some of the images from the shoot with Michael and Shawn. The guys were great and quite patient as I cross lit them between sets with hard light. The next time I shoot them I will venture to try some more advanced lighting methods.Thanks to McNally, I was able to try some methods I would not have attempted before. Michael was most recently featured as one the gladiators from the TV show -"American Gladiators". Thanks guys !!
PS - Some post work done in LR for that "burnt red" look.

Reptile Mania

2009-05-01T19:01:00.004-04:00

I have been wanting to shoot some reps for a long time now. Finally I had an opportunity to do it a few weeks ago. It was quite exciting as they are beautiful creatures and seemed to be camera shy. I am already looking forward to the next one.
I have a busy weekend ahead - 4 different shoots !!! Gotta get those batteries charged up and go through my check list.

A Spring Weekend

2009-04-20T22:18:00.004-04:00

It was an amazing weekend at the Longwood Gardens, PA. I certainly do not claim to be an expert on flowers but these were quite spectacular and had I known, I would have packed in some extra gear. But for the most part the conservatory served as a very large Soft box which was great.

My Ammachi

2009-04-08T13:40:00.009-04:00

Every now and then you might encounter someone who will radically change the way you see life and the way you live it. My Grandmother (or Ammachi as I called her) did that many times over in my life. I have memories of her reaching out to me when I was 2 or 3 years old and that continued way into my adult life. Ammachi was a rock in my life and the wisdom that flowed from her was immense. She would speak words of Truth into my life and if the amount of tender reproof was any indication of how much she loved me, I think she loved me quite a bit !!

My Ammachi went to be with Jesus on Friday, the 2nd of April 2009.
I had the blessing to see her before she passed on. She waited till all of her surviving children and some of her grandchildren and great grandchildren came by her side from all around the world. It was a sobering and precious moment for all of us.

She had fought a good fight, she had run the race well, she had lived a life that was honorable in every way. An incredible woman in every way, married an incredible man, continued to raise 8 children after she was widowed 44 years ago, provided for her children's needs by putting a sewing machine to its limit, she spoke 6 different languages,composer of several hymns, a sharp wit and a warm sense of humor, she could make a meal fit for a king with 2 ingredients, she had travelled and lived around the world, she had memorized and studied most of the Bible, she prayed steadfastly for many by name daily and now it certainly can be said that she fought a good fight.
"Her children rise up and call her Blessed...." Prov. 31:28

P.S. I had the blessing of making those images a few years ago which seem to capture that warm smile and the glow in her eyes.I shot a series of images as she gently chided me for "wasting" the pictures. Not a waste at all Ammachi, not a waste at all.
I also have her on Video recounting her "story" and her walk of faith. I will keep you posted when I complete it. God Bless!

Jonathan Krist Foundation

2009-03-21T12:31:00.007-04:00

I had the wonderful opportunity of working with the Jonathan Krist Foundation and capturing images for their event. The foundation is managed by Bob and Peggy Krist who are both truly wonderful people and serve the community locally and internationally. More information about this foundation can be found here.If the name, Bob Krist jolts you, its because he is THE one and only Bob Krist, renowned photographer for such esteemed publications as National Geographic and the Smithsonian and most of all a real gentleman. Being asked to shoot an event for Bob felt like LeBron asking me to take the last free throw, with a second to spare - or Holdsworth asking me to take his solo while he got himself a cup of tea!!!! It was a lot of fun as I shot with available light with the D700 and D300 - using the 70-200mm 2.8 and the 24-70mm 2.8. I got to hear the amazing Jazz Band from Camden and they were in High School. They swung hard and grooved tight!!
P.S Bob has a new blog going. Do check it out.
Here are my favorite images from the afternoon.

Swiss Alps Sunset Pano

2009-03-21T06:59:00.003-04:00

The last pano I posted reminded me of my favorite pano shot in the Swiss Alps, shot off our balcony, capturing a Sunset.

First Day Of Spring!!

2009-03-20T18:46:00.004-04:00

I guess there are some benefits to waking up early. I made this capture this morning. It was a series of shots that were stitched together.

My Niece's First Birthday

2009-03-19T21:00:00.004-04:00

God's Little Princess and my favorite baby model!!

Métisse at Zestys

2009-03-09T20:51:00.003-04:00

Keep an eye (and ear) out for this band that sparkles with Jazz, Fusion and Latin grooves. Of course it just so happens that my cousin Anil happens to be the keyboard player. Arthur on Bass, Ben on Drums and Laura on vocals.

Finally Some Snow That Stuck Around

2009-02-11T21:58:00.003-05:00

Wedding in Philadelphia

2009-02-09T18:37:00.003-05:00

These images are just a sampler from a recent Wedding this January. Claudia and Ricki have been blessed with each and they looked great together. Every thing from the ceremony to the first dance to the cutting of the cake, you could see their love for one another blossom. Congratulations to you both!!

Matt and Megan's Wedding Day

2009-02-05T20:43:00.004-05:00

This was a fantastic Wedding to be a part of and we were blessed with some great weather as well. Megan and Matt were a adorable couple to work with and we were able to capture some fun and candid images on the golf course.

McNally Shoot - Part 2

2009-01-26T21:06:00.002-05:00

Joe McNally Workshop -Phenomenal!!!

2009-01-25T18:52:00.003-05:00

Joe the Fire Fighter has been serving for over 20 years and was one of the most gracious people I have met. All the best as approach retirement. Aaron and the other talent were wonderful and braved through the "meat locker" temps as we shot in our jackets and hoodies.

A picture with the man himself. Joe is one really down to earth chap. He is obviously fantastic at what he does and has a solid crew supporting him. It was a very informative shoot and I came home inspired and educated. We rallied through many different setups from small strobes to soft boxes as large as a KIng sized bed. It was particularly interesting to see Joe's vast experience from shooting all over the world in strange situations. Most of these images were created with the lighting Joe had set up with his crew. I captured a few with available light and tweeked some of them in Lightroom.

"

Katinas in Concert in Philadelphia!!

2009-01-23T11:29:00.004-05:00

The Katina Brothers

A Couple of Favorite Landscapes from India

2009-01-23T11:13:00.001-05:00

These were shot with my old Olympus Evolt-300.

Meeting Joe McNally this Weekend

2009-01-22T22:17:00.002-05:00

I am pretty thrilled to be doing a Workshop shoot at the Dobbs Ferry with the one and only Joe McNally. I am hoping to glean as much information as possible and hopefully post some images here.

Indian Classical Dance

2009-01-22T21:23:00.002-05:00

Here are a few old images made at a Indian Classical Recital a few years ago. They just caught my eye again. I intend to do some parallel dance style images with varying dance genres. We'll see what happens.

Bucks County Wedding

2008-12-17T20:55:00.009-05:00

Wow - I have been quite busy and my posting has been left seriously lacking. I will have quite a few images up from the last few months from various projects and events. Here are some from a recent Wedding where the Bride and Groom certainly had some great taste in location and decoration. I completely loved capturing some of the excellent pastries that were made by a local French Bakery in New Hope. This was the first time I had seen a Cream Puff Wedding Cake - of course I had to taste it too!!

Fall in Bucks County

2008-10-26T21:19:00.002-04:00

A beautiful fall weekend !!

Harvest Crusade 2008 - Philadelphia

2008-10-08T07:10:00.004-04:00

The gig is up

2008-09-29T23:27:00.003-04:00

Well so to speak actually. I had to say goodbye (for now) to Michelle Bonilla and the band as it was just becoming too hectic to manage the photography side of things along with a full touring schedule. I miss you guys !!
Michelle and Lee are an awesome couple and God has blessed them both and the band, of course, was a lot of fun to play with.

Click here for most of the Live Show !!
Click here for some behind the scenes cuts and sound check.

Summer vacation in Switzerland

2008-09-29T22:56:00.002-04:00

Italian food at Gino's, Brooklyn.

2008-07-14T20:44:00.002-04:00

Fantastic !!

Jonathan Butler at the Brooklyn Tab

2008-07-14T20:40:00.004-04:00

A truly gifted man !! God has sure blessed him. Check out his music here.

Philly Gospel Fest 2008

2008-07-07T22:25:00.005-04:00

We, as in Michelle Bonillia and the Band, got to play a short set during the Philly Gospel fest while I was able to grab a few frames before we went on. The rain held off, but the groove was all over the place, raising the PRAISE !!

Philly Wedding !!

2008-07-07T10:21:00.005-04:00

The rain did not stop this lovely couple from thoroughly enjoying their beautiful Wedding Day. We scurried over as quickly as we could to get some pictures at the Art Museum after the ceremony. Back at the reception, the festivities and celebration continued till the wee hours - until the family just hung out and celebrated together by playing "musical chairs". Great Stuff - the love that the families shared was self evident. Congratulations Marina and Milan !!

src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PAuiqVzZLNo/SHKMcwDacMI/AAAAAAAAAIE/vANYcxOYoXo/s320/MarinaMilanWedding++5983.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220389343639269570" />

Recent Food Project

2008-07-07T10:10:00.000-04:00

Credit to Food Photographer Lou Manna - for his tips and tricks and his wonderful workshop and Master Chef/Photographer, Dennis as well. Certainly a great team of teachers who were down to earth, very accommodating and just decent guys. If you are looking for a Photo Workshop, centered around Food Photography - this is it !!

Michelle's Video is out !!

2008-06-09T19:36:00.000-04:00

It is my fault for this late posting. I will give you a heads up on the LIVE concert Vid !!

Jersey Shore Wedding

2008-06-09T19:12:00.000-04:00

A wonderful Weekend like this with a sweet couple like Michele and Shawn,makes that Wedding Shoot all the more fun !!

This was a beautiful weekend for a Wedding !! We had the beach to ourselves for the session - well almost. Michele and Shawn were great to work with and were wonderful together.

The Michelle Bonilla Concert at the Mixmasters Lounge.

2008-05-06T07:07:00.000-04:00

I was able to put my camera down for a few minutes here and pick up another instrument. I was blessed to be a part of this gig and it was a lot of fun as well. As far as the band goes - I think we relished every moment. Michelle was fantastic !!! In song and in the Word.

Posting Scarcity !!

2008-05-05T21:15:00.000-04:00

To say I have been a bit busy is putting it mildly. Here are some of my favorite pics from some recent shoots !!!

Wonderful Families and great locations !!! I love this Job.

DC Cherry Blossom Festival

2008-04-13T09:33:00.000-04:00

It was an absolutely wonderful trip to see the Blooming Cherry Blossoms. It only seemed like there were 10 million people there so it was tricky getting a shot - minus the crowd. It was still beautiful nevertheless. The Washington Monument was spectacular at night !!

The Day time shot of the monument was surreal. I was able to get a decent reflection. These images are straight off the D300.

So I was Hungry

2008-03-25T10:08:00.001-04:00

Some nice Filet !!