Chesler Photography

Karima and Frank Trash the Dress

2008-07-18T18:29:00.003-05:00

Karima and Frank made their trip in to Canandaigua yesterday for their Trash the Dress session. We borrowed Amanda's father's orange pick up truck for the shoot. Thanks Steve!!!! They also went out on Daryn's sail boat, but I did not get to attend that part of the shoot. It ended with a dip in the lake with full wedding attire on.

Heaven's Rainbows

2008-07-16T20:35:00.003-05:00

Since my Dad passed away in 2001, whenever I see a rainbow I always say "Hi Dad." I feel like he sends them to me. Since Sandi died last November, they have both been sending rainbows by the dozen. I have seen more rainbows this year than ever before. Today though was different.

Back in December I posted about Janie, our little friend from Hamburg who was fighting cancer. Praying for a Miracle
In March, I posted how the doctors couldn't find the cancer anymore, unfortunately, they were wrong. It is with great sadness that I tell you that Janie lost her fight overnight.

The rainbow we saw today was different. Not only did it last for over a half an hour, it was a double rainbow, one very strong and bright and the other soft and faint, standing by it's side. It was as if Sandi were coming down to lead Janie by the hand and show her the way "home".

Sue had a dream the other night. She was at Janie's house and Janie needed help standing. Sandi was there also and was the only one who was able to touch Janie and help her up. In the dream she heard church bells ringing. She went around the corner and saw Janie's mom. Sue said, "She's gone isn't she?", and her mom said yes.

New Senior Video

2008-07-15T20:30:00.002-05:00

Karima and Frank

2008-07-12T23:47:00.004-05:00

Daryn and I went to Niagara Falls today for the wedding of Karima and Frank. What a great couple. They were so much fun. We went to Albright Knox Museum for photos and then to the Delaware Casino for the reception, which is not a casino at all but rather a beautiful old stone building on a pond across from the museum.

This coming Thursday, Karima and Frank are coming to Canandaigua for a Trash the Dress session with Amanda's father's antique truck and Daryn's sail boat. Stay tuned for more from Karima and Frank.

It's Alive!!!!!!!!

2008-07-09T21:41:00.011-05:00

My new Destination Wedding website is up and running. Once again I have to thank my web designer extraordinaire, Ellen, from Lake Effects Web Design for her brilliant work. Check out the site at:

DestinationsbyCheslerPhotography.com

Endless Possibilities

2008-07-09T20:30:00.003-05:00

I posted back on May 28 about our new album company and how there is such a huge variety of options for the creation of the album covers. We recently got a few more in including some with the photographic canvas covers which look amazing.

Jennifer and Vinnie

2008-07-06T20:48:00.003-05:00

You've all seen her face as the evening news anchor for Channel 10 along with Rich Funke. Yesterday, News 10 NBC's Jennifer Johnson traded the lights and glamour of TV for the elegance and romance of a wedding to Irondequoit politician Vincent Esposito. A Fairport wedding followed by a reception at the Inn on the Lake in Canandaigua set the stage for a holiday weekend party that won't soon be forgotten.

Clarity

2008-07-06T09:05:00.005-05:00

"One moment you're holding a dripping, sparkling fish, the next you're looking at the water seeing an image of yourself and no one else. For a moment, you know precisely who you are." -Ken Marsh

Over the past few days I've spent a bit of time fly fishing on some beautiful rivers in the Southern Tier. There were moments of solitude where it was just myself and the weary trout rising a few yards in front of me. Whether or not I catch the fish seems to matter less than the time spent reflecting on how I want my life to be and what's important.

Spending time with my kids is a bigger trophy than any trout could offer. However to be able to share my passion of being on the river with my son, teaching him to fly fish is what life is all about.

Since I started fly fishing about six years ago I have always been the student with my friend Daryn as the teacher. The table has turned. I am now the teacher and my son, my cousin and my neighbor are my students. I see the frustrations they experience as they learn to develop their technique. I am reminded of my mistakes and what I learned from them. I don't make those same mistakes anymore, I make new and more interesting ones. It is so satisfying though to share in their successes, to see the excitement and disbelief in their eyes as they and the lone trout before them realize they are connected to the same line.

My neighbor Zach, who just last week caught the largest fish he ever caught on my boat, was with me on one of the rivers this weekend. On Friday, he caught his first ever trout and did it with a fly rod. I could almost see his heart beating out of his chest as he reeled in the small, colorful Rainbow from Cattaraugus Creek.
Here are some photos from our fishing adventures from the past few days.

Cade reeling in a small Rainbow Trout on Elton Creek. He had a little help catching the fish, but reeling it in was enough excitement for him.

Zach's first trout.

Dan casting on McKinstry Creek.

Yours truely with a small Brown trout on Cattaraugus Creek in Arcade, NY.

Trestle Treat

2008-07-05T23:35:00.006-05:00

I spent a lot of time this week at our camp near Arcade, NY. I was fly fishing on Cattaraugus Creek near a train trestle when I heard an unusual whistle and saw puffs of smoke rising in the distance. I carry a small water resistant digital camera with me to take pictures of the fish we catch and was able to capture the photo below. It was a brief moment of stepping back in time.

The train was the newly restored #18 of the Arcade and Attica Rail Road. You can read about some of the history of this gem at http://www.arcadeandatticarr.com/our_history.

Next weekend I will be heading to the Geneseo Air Show to see planes from the World War II era in flight.

Wandtke Wedding

2008-06-28T23:23:00.004-05:00

We did the wedding of Katie and Ben today in Canandaigua. The ceremony was held at St. Mary's with the reception at Steamboat Landing. I shot the wedding with Jess and my good friend Brody Wheeler, who is a photographer from Darien, NY. As with most of the weddings this season, we had a bit of rain to start the day, but by the time we got out of the ceremony, the skies were clear.

Johnson Wedding

2008-06-28T22:50:00.005-05:00

Amanda and I photographed the wedding of Quinn and Natalie at the Inn on the Lake in Canandaigua. They're from Flagstaff, Arizona, so next January we are planning to do a Trash the Dress session with them in Sedona while I drive from Vegas to Phoenix in between two conferences. Their wedding was great in spite of the heat. The warm evening on the lake is what makes summers so spectacular in the Finger Lakes.

Fish Tales

2008-06-23T21:55:00.002-05:00

Daryn and I went fishing on the north end of Canandaigua Lake today. We caught a bunch of rock bass and a few other assorted specimens. At around 3:00, I picked up my 12-year-old neighbor Zach at the pier. He wanted to go fishing on the boat so bad. I told him if he could get a ride to the pier, I would pick him up. He ended up convincing my other neighbor to take him down there after school. So I pick him up and what does the little stinker do? He catches the biggest one of the day! He caught a 17" 3 lb smallmouth bass. As long as we are telling fish stories, here is a photo from a few months ago when Daryn and I went up to Sandy Creek in Hamlin. Once again I was outfished and here is the photo to prove it with Daryn holding a beautiful brown trout.

Thanks Casey

2008-06-22T22:23:00.002-05:00

Friday's shoot with Annelise and Dan was made much easier with the help of my little friend Casey. She was very helpful with her horse Cotton, who was a little free spirited at times. Casey is also the goalie on my daughter's hockey team. Thank you Casey, your help was very much appreciated.

Down On The Farm

2008-06-22T09:31:00.005-05:00

Annelise and Dan, who were married at Belhurst a few weeks ago, put there wedding clothes back on for one more stomp in the hay. We went to my friend Marcia's house and did some photos with her horse Cotton. Everything went great until Cotton brought Annelise under a low hanging branch and in her attempt to duck low, she did a 4 point dismount into the dirt. No worse for the wear, she hopped back on the horse and finished a great session.

Another Soggy One

2008-06-21T22:33:00.004-05:00

If it's good luck to rain on your wedding day, this season's brides and grooms are going to be the luckiest ever. The day started out with crystal clear skies for Jason and Sarah in Clifton Springs. There was not a cloud to be found. By the time the ceremony was over, the sky was dark and thunder was rumbling in the distance. We just finished the receiving line when the storm was on us with bolts of lightning striking so close the thunder was ear splitting. Luckily, Sarah and Jason had a room at a beautiful bed and breakfast on Main Street in Clifton Springs, called The Clifton Pearl. We went there with the bridal party to take some photos and then headed over the the Clifton Springs Country Club for the reception.

Rain Drops Keep Falling on Our Heads...

2008-06-14T23:26:00.004-05:00

Amanda and I did a great wedding today for Tasia and Eric. They didn't let a little rain dampen their spirits, even with an outdoor wedding at the Kershaw Park Gazebo. We did some photos in the park and then went down to Eddie O'Briens where Eric used to work. If you've ever been at Eddie O's you know the big red telephone booth. We had a lot of fun with the booth and some video light. The reception was up at Ontario County Park where we had an awesome meal of pulled pork and barbecued chicken. Tasia and Eric are heading to Tennessee for their honeymoon in the Smokey Mountains. Sue and I had our honeymoon there and are bringing the kids with us this August. Congratulations Tasia and Eric.

Finger Lakes Ballet Academy

2008-06-13T23:45:00.002-05:00

Over the past week I have spent a lot of time with the Finger Lakes Ballet Academy. I photographed their recital last Thursday and Friday in Honeoye and then we did classic individual photos in the dance studio around the corner from my studio this week. We are creating some really cool things from the photos. We are creating a coffee table type book from the recital, as well as a poster from the group shot we did during the dress rehearsal. From the individual photos we are doing more traditional prints as well as Gallery Wraps and canvases. Here are some photos we did just this afternoon.

Molton Matrimony

2008-06-08T14:18:00.004-05:00

To say that Annelise and Dan's wedding at Belhurst Castle on Saturday was a warm one would be an understatement. Despite the heat and humidity, they took it in stride and had a beautiful ceremony overlooking Seneca Lake. We were even treated to a rainbow after a brief but heavy rain shower during the reception. The highlight of the day had to be when the bride's father made a speech during dinner that had everyone in tears, including me and MK, the videographers, the staff at Belhurst and anyone else within ear shot of him.

Lora and Kylie

2008-06-08T13:59:00.004-05:00

I did a recent E-session with Lora and Kylie in Canandaigua. We found a few cool locations I've never used before. There wedding is up in Canton, NY next summer, so I'll get to see a part of the state I've never seen before.

Lighting Lightfoote

2008-06-04T22:18:00.005-05:00

Amanda and I photographed her cousin Adam at the Finger Lakes Technical and Career Center in Flint this week. He works on cars in the auto shop, so we did one of our "Car Session" senior modules with him. We had the opportunity to play with our new Video Light to get some creative lighting effects.

For more ideas on our Senior Portrait pricing and add-on modules, visit our senior page on our website at http://www.cheslerphoto.com/seniorprice.htm. Scroll back through our blog for some of our current senior specials through the end of June.

Sports Posters

2008-06-01T08:57:00.007-05:00

Hey sports fans, check out the new posters we are creating for high school sports teams. I want to thank the Canandaigua Girls Lacrosse team for allowing me to use them for the first poster. They are on a strong playoff run now with a 16-12 win over Irondequoit this past Friday.

If you're interested in having a poster of your team, call the studio at 585-393-9242 or send me an e-mail to steve@cheslerphoto.com.

Experiment

2008-05-29T14:31:00.001-05:00

I'm experimenting with a new program. Testing 1,2,3. Can you hear me now? Goooood.

Little Jewels

2008-05-28T22:43:00.004-05:00

When we went to Tampa for the PPA conference back in January, we picked up a vendor of photographic jewelry. Our first order has arrived and the items are really cool. I'm not a jewelry person, so I left this endeavor up to the ladies in the office, but I have to admit, they're cool. Hey guys, they even have stuff for you, like tie tacks, cuff links and money clips. They would make a perfect Father's Day gift wouldn't they ladies? If you see Sue or Amanda around town stop them and have a look. They are wearing the samples.

One of a Kind

2008-05-28T22:29:00.002-05:00

I love our new wedding album company. Not only do they have awesome quality and environmentally friendly packaging, but the choices of different cover materials combinations are almost endless. I will post photos of many of the albums as they come in just to show you the tremendous variety available. Each album is truly one of a kind.

Triple Double

2008-05-27T22:10:00.005-05:00

I've been working on a few sets of twins photos tonight. We're collecting stories and have begun the layout of the book. It's nice to see things starting to fall in to place with the book. We're planning on celebrating the completion of the book with a gallery reception at the studio to inaugurate the book.