kimberly craven: photography for lovers

jordan + matt: the wedding

2010-01-17T11:40:00.002-05:00

jordan and matt's wedding was my double wedding-duty trial run. in july i'll be bridesmaid and photographer for two of my dearest friends' wedding; and since my cousin jordy had asked me to be a bridesmaid and to bring my camera, this was a great opportunity to see how it's going to work out.

i have to say that watching another photographer is tough. it's so hard to let go and let someone else do "your job". i wanted to be behind the camera, i wanted to be the one to say "let's shoot here!" i wanted to see the framing, fix the settings, feel the victorious release of the shutter.

instead, i shot whenever i could and stood complacently in front of the camera when it was time. luckily dan was there with me to shoot when i couldn't!

it was a beautiful day on st. simon's island in georgia and the locations were amazing. it was a photographer's dream.

matt gave all his groomsmen hatchets... i love the "american gothic" quality of this one:

this was one of my favorite shots from the entire day...

dan got this one - you can see me poking my head out on the right.

the reception was held right by a lighthouse on the beach. i was so glad we had enough daylight left to get some shots before the party began.

another fantastic capture by dan:

matt used to be (?) a rapper. he was part of a group called another robot sunset (the music is fantastic - check it out!). anyway, that was the inspiration behind this amazing cake topper.

celebration!

one of the best moments of the day - for me - was seeing matt on his brothers' shoulders, pumping one fist in the air and holding on for dear life with the other, a look of pure joy on his face, yelling - almost as if it were a sudden epiphany - "I AM AWESOME!" it was a perfect expression of what i wish for every bride and groom on their wedding day.

i got to have some fun too :)

cindy + john: the wedding

2009-09-13T18:39:00.001-05:00

several of my friends were guests at cindy and john's wedding. one of my best girlfriends was a bridesmaid. it's really amazing how the more comfortable you are, the better the photography is going to be. i think it takes some of the pressure and stress out of the job and allows you to really just have fun with it. it's really important to get to know the people you're working with!

i really liked this image when i took it. when my beau pointed out to me that the trees behind them make a heart with their linked hands, i liked it even more. do you see it? cool stuff.

one of my favorite images ever...

fonthill castle in doylestown, pa was a really amazing location. how often do you have a castle as a backdrop? it had been raining all weekend until the morning of the wedding - and it held off until half way through the reception. perfect timing, allowing for some perfect pictures!

photo of the week

2009-09-03T12:19:00.003-05:00

One of the images I shot of Joy and Michael is PHOTO OF THE WEEK on the Collages.net blog! Further proof that Dumbo is a great place to shoot.

cindy + john: coney island

2009-08-27T15:15:00.004-05:00

i'm really excited about shooting cindy and john's wedding at fonthill castle in doylestown, pa this saturday! they're both so nice and laid back that it turns all the pressure and stress into a really good time with some really good new friends. of course, as an added bonus, they're both hotttt!

check out some shots from our session in coney island earlier this month:

cindy is a graphic designer and keeps a great blog going - she had some incredibly sweet things to say about finding and hiring me to shoot their wedding. check it out.

it's gonna be a fun weekend!

wedding of the week + blog love (!!!)

2009-08-24T17:29:00.005-05:00

joy and michael's wedding images have been a big hit. the event was featured on the east side bride blog earlier this month.

additionally, joy and michael's proofing site is WEDDING WEBSITE OF THE WEEK at collages.net! you can check it out below:

cindy + john: preview

2009-08-13T19:05:00.004-05:00

cindy and john met me out at coney island on monday. what a fun place to shoot!

a preview of what's to come:

joy + michael: the wedding

2009-07-13T18:04:00.008-05:00

joy and michael's wedding day was PHOTOLICIOUS! it was truly a lot of fun; and they are an adorable and incredibly kind couple.

joy and michael were married at smack mellon, an art gallery in brooklyn. both joy and michael are very creative and put together most of the wedding details themselves, from the dried lavender and cotton branches to napkins with random typewritten facts about the couple. homemade cookies made by the bride and her bridesmaids served as guest favors. michael shared a surprise slideshow of images he had taken around new york of various friends, family members and strangers wishing the couple good luck on whiteboard speech bubbles. joy’s dad is an alaskan fisherman (featured on discovery’s deadliest catch) and provided crab he had caught himself for the reception. he also wrote and performed an original song on the harmonica for the couple.

with their creativity and ours combined, we created some really beautiful images.

we started out at gramercy park hotel.

and then took a cab over to smack melon.

this has to be one of my favorite venues - if only because the surrounding neighborhood is so fantastic for cityscape portraits:

the space is flooded with light from windows looking out on the east river and manhattan bridge.

lindsay thorne shot with me. here are a few of her spectacular images:

ADVENTURE QUEST

2009-06-06T13:06:00.001-05:00

After hitching a ride from the Giant Winged Toad, our Hero arrives at the gates of Perilton. He discovers that an evil wizard has seized control of the town and the Mayor's Daughter has been kidnapped. What’s a hero to do?

In the town square of Perilton, our Hero stumbles upon the Beggar...

...and the Merchant...

...and meets the beautiful Peasant Girl.

Our Hero happens upon a strange man in the cemetery. The man looks untrustworthy.

Eventually he figures a few things out.

Hide behind plant.

[points music]

Will our Hero save the Mayor's Daughter? Will he defeat the evil wizard? You'll have to see Adventure Quest to find out.

New York Press review
New York Theater review

Tickets are $15 and available at The Brick's website.

Sat Jun 6 @ 5:30pm SOLD OUT
Wed Jun 17 @ 8pm SOLD OUT
Thu Jun 25 @ 7pm
Sat Jul 4 @ 5pm

Extended dates with Game Play:

Fri July 10th at 8pm
Sat July 11th at 8pm
Mon July 20th at 8pm
Fri July 24th at 8pm
Sat July 25 at 8pm

Featuring...
Danny Bowes
Anne Carlisle
Sarah Engelke
Richard Lovejoy
Kent Meister
Timothy Reynolds
Alley Scott
Jesse Wilson

Written by Richard Lovejoy
Directed by Adam Swiderski
Stage Management by Kimberly Craven
Original Music and Sound Design by Chris Chappell
Graphic Design by Jamie Marshall
Costume Design by Marc Borders and Jim Hammer
Lighting Design by Ian W. Hill

bozo block party

2009-05-25T12:38:00.003-05:00

A good friend of mine was instrumental in initiating and perpetuating what became known as the Battle of the Bozos. You can read about how the whole thing started and progressed here:

Bozo Blog
New York Magazine coverage

The back and forth of the Bozo the Clown bop bags came to a halt with this culminating event. Proceeds went to the Ronald McDonald House.

joy + michael

2009-03-27T13:24:00.006-05:00

i don't know if i already mentioned how adorable joy and michael are... it's hard to be around the two of them together without smiling. how lucky they are to have found each other - and to have made it work!

i met them at city hall and snapped some shots of their quick ceremony:

so happy to be married!

then we took a stroll around the neighborhood, stopping to play wherever we felt so inclined. here, for your enjoyment, are some of the shots we ended up with:

my favorite:

look familiar? i adore this storefront.

these two kind of belong in a magazine, don't you think?

mustache kisses!

what a fantastic shoot! thank you, joy and michael, for sharing your love with me. i can't wait for the wedding day!

joy + michael - preview

2009-03-20T17:14:00.003-05:00

joy and michael got married at city hall today!!

it was the first time i'd been there to shoot and i must say, it was madness. the place was full of energy, and EVERYONE (at least everyone I saw) was smiling and happy. what a great way to start my day!

it was really strange to see everyone lined up and waiting for their names to be called, waiting to get into one of these two tiny rooms and get married. the place is a long hallway full of beautiful chandeliers and warm light, couches and computer terminals (where you sign in and/or register for a license, i guess). it's an experience!

after the quick ceremony, joy and michael and i ran around tribeca to take some pictures. it was FREEZING, but they were good sports. here's a sneak peek.... more to come :)

goto's crystal ball - 2009 winter gala and casino night

2009-02-26T16:32:00.000-05:00

I recently met a group of young professionals I've been very impressed and inspired by. They've part of a charity organization called The GoTo Group and their mission is to enrich the lives of promising, underprivileged middle school students by immersing them in art and music.

I helped out by shooting their winter gala and casino night at Capitale. It was an amazing venue... and a fantastically fun event!

Unfortunately I lost all my chips on the roulette table :)

leo + simon

2009-02-07T13:43:00.000-05:00

leo and simon held their ceremony in a suite at the ritz carlton at battery park surrounded by their close friends and family. they welcomed me with open arms. even though none of them had met me before, i was made to feel like part of the family. days like these make me so happy to be doing what i do.

leo got ready in the ginormous bathroom with fabulous mirrors.

the kids were a special part of the day - adding to the joy and fun :)

and after a few shared vows, a poem read by leo's beautiful daughter and exchanging of rings - leo and simon became a family.

thanks for letting me be a part of your day!

Jasmine Luz Park

2008-12-03T10:45:00.003-05:00

Hands down Jasmine is the most adorable bundle of love ever. Ok, so maybe I say that about every baby, but she REALLY IS the sweetest little girl. Just look at the joy in her eyes! She's got so much personality, too. It made my day just to shoot her.

Baby feet! Can't get enough.

The proud parents. It's so great to spend time with such happy people, surrounded by so much love. I can't wait to shoot Jasmine again in a few months!

amanda + chris

2008-08-12T17:14:00.008-05:00

july 26, 2008

amanda and chris got married at muirs chapel united methodist church in greensboro, north carolina. their reception was at bryant park. we all had a great time - and everything went off without a hitch. well... almost ;-)

mom was almost as excited as the bride!

the girls had some fun in the parking lot...

...while the guys played in the grass.

boston

2008-07-01T20:37:00.000-05:00

june 17, 2008

amanda

2008-05-15T15:39:00.005-05:00

may 3, 2008

i flew down to raleigh, north carolina to shoot amanda's bridal portraits at meredith college, where she went to school. it is an absolutely gorgeous campus. we took full advantage of the amphitheater and lake.

amanda also played soccer at meredith.

check out the new soccer brand name on the ball!

we couldn't resist...

brooklyn botanical gardens

2008-04-30T16:58:00.001-05:00

april 26, 2008

carolyn's mom was visiting new york for the weekend. the cherry blossoms were in bloom and we just couldn't resist those cotton candy clouds of frosty pink.

these guys were also quite stunning.

and i found this happy little guy on my way home...

new york comic con

2008-04-22T16:50:00.000-05:00

april 19, 2008

if you've never been to the new york comic con, it's a not-to-be-missed experience. especially for those of you with kids. you can dress up like your favorite superhero or supervillan. it's a day of fantasy and fun. oh, you thought i was still talking about the kids?

i went with patrick mcgoohan... i mean, number 6.

stan lee certainly had a smashing time - check out that smile!

lilly was sad she didn't get to go...

sue + dan

2008-04-19T15:32:00.001-05:00

april 5, 2008

sue and dan got married in tribeca at the bikini bar - just down the street from where i spend 90% of my waking hours! i was second shooting for mantas-wright photography. the couple wore leis made from fresh orchids and shipped directly from hawaii. they incorporated their love of surfing and tiki bars, friends and family into all the details of the day. we had a great time!

happy birthday, hoover

2008-04-16T15:36:00.001-05:00

april 9, 2008

i took hoover out for a classic - yet casual - new york evening on his birthday. a walk across the brooklyn bridge (during which i forced him to wear a sticker that said 'whoo hoo!' and gave him up to the mercy of the crowds while i took pictures) and dinner at grimaldi's pizzeria.

we met up with jae and jacob after dinner. fun was had by all!

vegas, baby

2008-04-04T13:06:00.002-05:00

march 16, 2008

i just got back from a photastic week in las vegas. at brian dorsey studios, we'd spent weeks preparing for the wppi convention. it was my first time in vegas and my first time as part of an intensive photo convention. i met a lot of the faces from the world of new york wedding photography and we ended up winning several awards in the 16x20 competition.

we stayed at bally's - and my room had a view of the bellagio fountains!

we celebrated st. patrick's day in typical irish fasion.

and our last day there, brian and i took a walk down the strip. here are some of my favorites...

thanks, brian!

amanda + chris

2007-12-08T15:03:00.002-05:00

november 24, 2007

who knew downtown greensboro, north carolina was so cool? i took amanda and chris to the botanical gardens - but my favorite images happened after we left the park...

i'm looking forward to the wedding in july!

carolyn + max

2007-11-18T14:48:00.002-05:00

november 4, 2007

tribeca's a really cool neighborhood. it just looks like new york. cobble stone streets, graffittied alleys, interesting textures and colors - it's an awesome place to shoot.

i took carolyn and max out one afternoon and had some fun...

my favorite:

hula halo

2007-11-15T14:58:00.001-05:00

november 10, 2007

i clearly didn't take this one - but i had to share. it's just so damn cool.

coney island

2007-09-24T14:43:00.002-05:00

september 12, 2007

this was supposedly the last summer astroland will be open. the city's wheelers and dealers are going to make something else entirely out of the historic amusement park.

i got to thinking about it and it made me really sad. so i took a trip out to coney island to say goodbye.

i really liked this series. an ode to coney island...

liam and me

2007-07-28T14:41:00.001-05:00

july 26, 2007

after discovering liam and me when they opened for electric six at the bowery ballroom about a year ago, we made friends with these guys as we watched them really build a name for themselves.

they're no longer the opening act - these images are from a show they headlined at the bowery ballroom.

patriotic giraffe

2007-07-08T14:34:00.002-05:00

july 4, 2007

i spent this fourth of july shooting a wedding with brian at battery gardens. friends and loved ones, good food, dancing, sparklers... what else could you ask for on the fourth of july? except they weren't MY friends and loved ones, and all my dancing was from behind the camera.

so my beau and i went out for a drink when the event ended. i was drawn to this strangely austere giraffe inside the bar.

mandy + brad

2007-06-30T12:36:00.004-05:00

june 2, 2007

mandy and brad got ready at thor (the hotel on rivington). it's a really cool hotel in the lower east site. but their ceremony was in brooklyn at smack mellon. and what better way to get there than the metro transit authority?!

smack mellon is across the street from the brooklyn bridge park - where we took advantage of the stunning views of both bridges.

it was a beautiful afternoon. and i really hope to shoot there again.

graduation day

2006-12-12T09:15:00.001-05:00

december 10, 2006

my younger brother, john, finally graduated from appalachain state and i flew down from new york to join in the fun family festivities. it was a wonderful weekend. it's amazing how different north carolina is - especially the mountains - from new york city. quite refreshing. and it was a beautiful day.

graduation looks itchy...

family hug (minus the official photographer, of course) with the new graduate! we're so proud.

after commencement excercises were over, the four of us grabbed a bite to eat at a tex mex joint near campus.

team craven...

and, true to form, there were some beautiful views on the plane ride home. i believe these are all new york city oil tanks. that just gives the beauty an interesting twist, right?

ubc

2006-11-18T17:03:00.000-05:00

fall 2006

housing works is a not-for-profit organization that provides housing, advocacy, health care and other essential services for homeless new yorkers living with hiv and aids. i volunteered at their flagship bookstore-cafe in soho making a variety of caffienated beverages for avid readers.

it is a truly amazing bookstore. and orlando bloom made a special appearance for my first day as a barista. he wanted to know what was in a knish.

subway

2006-11-08T09:37:00.001-05:00

november 5, 2006

the new york city subway. no where will you find a more diverse flurry of activity. lovers of literature, traveling musicians, devout evangelists, studious pupils, make-up artists, pole dancers, break dancers, barbershop quartets, young lovers, rude new yorkers... the list goes on.

i recently realized just how much time i spend on the subway. and just how many people i share the experience with on a daily basis. it's an amazing phenomenon.

the starting line on my race to work each morning:

(the most magical part - you can see the statue of liberty from the stop)

and a smoky corner down the street from work:

marty + troy

2006-10-21T13:00:00.000-05:00

september 23, 2006

it's so nice to shoot weddings in north carolina. there really is something to that idea of southern hospitality - and it's always nice to be back home! marty and troy had a blast on their day...

marty's mom, nancy, and sister, ginger - sharing the love.

it was a big secret that ginger was pregnant. i don't think nancy could hold it in... she told me the minute i walked in the door!

marty and troy's flowers were gorgeous. lots of roses - and orchids were incorporated into the bridesmaids' bouquets.

troy was quite popular with the ladies.

but there's only one he wants to spend the rest of his life with.

george k's was a beautiful spot for the reception...

...and it was quite the party!

stephanie + tim

2006-09-02T12:29:00.001-05:00

august 5, 2006

i flew home in early august to shoot stephanie and tim's wedding. these two were just a few years behind me in college. it's been strange to see so many people my age - and even younger - getting married. i guess that's what happens when everyone starts to grow up!

stephanie's bridesmaids looked absolutely gorgeous.

our flower girl had a little trouble getting dressed.

but after a few pins to the head, she was good to go. as was our mischievious ring bearer!

stephanie's parents MIGHT have been just as excited as the happy couple.

the church was packed out with over 500 guests.

presenting mister and missus...

watch out girls... here comes the bouquet!

the girls were all really good friends. team huddle after the bouquet tossing...

and off they went - a happily ever after story.

drake

2006-07-31T10:42:00.001-05:00

july 29, 2006

a great friend of mine, evan markfield, is a multi-talented man. not only is he a distinguished writer of sports stories and a novel-to-be... he's a singer/songwriter as well. some call him by his stage name: drake. currently hailing from north carolina, he played his first gig in manhattan at the knitting factory.

our friend bob, aka deer, was headlining the show with his band, the guppies

under the sea

2006-07-28T10:17:00.000-05:00

july 23, 2006

the brooklyn aquarium is probably one of the greatest places i've been in new york city. and it's right next door to all the coney island festivities!

i had fun playing with silhouettes in front of the jelly fish tanks.

yo la tengo

2006-07-15T09:38:00.001-05:00

july 13, 2006

an organization known as celebrate brooklyn sponsors a series of performances in prosepct park every summer. my roomate jen and i would occasionally wander down there together to check out the festivities. we got to see some cool things. we saw philip glass et al. performing the original score to the 1931 version of dracula while the movie showed on a screen behind them. strangely enough, this one got cut short by a pretty intense thunder storm. there were even bats flying around the trees overhead. i kid you not. watching jen try to dodge lighting is pretty funny though :)

one of the other amazing performances we saw was yo la tengo: the sound of science. they played their own score to a series of documentaries on underwater life by French filmmaker jean painlev. it was beautiful.

my favorite...

independence day

2006-07-06T17:24:00.000-05:00

july 4, 2006

my first july 4th in new york was spent with carolyn and max, two great friends who live just a couple blocks away in brooklyn. we took an overnight trip out to the hamptons to take in some sun and cook out. then we headed back into the city for the firework festivities. manhattan had three sets of synchronized fireworks, and we could see them all from our friends' roof in prospect heights.

prospect park

2006-07-03T17:17:00.000-05:00

july 2, 2006

there's nothing better than laying in the grass in prospect park on a sunny july afternoon.

unless you add friends, ultimate frisbee, wine, cheese and a bunch of blankets!

we call him sherbet man

2006-07-02T17:03:00.000-05:00

june 30, 2006

on my way to jersey one evening, i found this guy on the subway. he was quite a character- and you can see why he caught my attention. what you can't see is the sherbet-colored cane he was also carrying! we got off the subway at the same stop. i sereptitiously followed him, taking pictures, all the way to the path train.

i still wonder where he was headed.

manhattan by boat

2006-07-01T16:45:00.001-05:00

june 29, 2006

i was invited to try out one of the many cruises that goes around manhattan. this particular cruise involved dinner... and a whole lot of rain. i was unsure what i'd gotten myself into as i ran, in my "little black dress" and black flip flops (it's a trademark. don't mess with it.), onto a rain-soaked boat deck furiously rocking back and forth.

fortunately, the storm died down quickly, and it ended up being a beautiful evening.

while i enjoyed the skyline, the most popular part of the cruise was our momentary brush by lady liberty. she's green and beautiful...

cloud nine

2006-06-26T16:34:00.000-05:00

june 25, 2006

since my move to new york, most of my trips home have been to shoot weddings. i've always loved the window seat- and, now that i have my camera with me 9 times out of ten...

the rents visit nyc

2006-06-05T10:01:00.000-05:00

june 3, 2006

once upon a time, my parents came to visit new york city. the truth is, it's not really their scene. mom's a homebody and dad's a country boy. the big city isn't on their list of preferred destinations.

so when they did make it up here, we made the most of it...

we took the circle line from battery park to liberty island.

and then to ellis island.

this window looks out onto manhattan from the hallway where immigrants had to wait to be processed, before they could enter the country. the romantic in me loves this one.

then we headed uptown to the most classic of tourist spots, times square.

and we spent some time resting around rockefeller center.

all in all, a wonderful - though exhausting and extremely touristy - weekend. will they visit again? i'm not holding my breath :)

the magician, and other new york magic

2006-05-08T16:00:00.000-05:00

may 6, 2006

some friends and i took a saturday afternoon trip up to visit david blaine in lincoln center during his 7-day "drowned alive" stunt.

pete thought ahead and scribbled a note to blaine as we approached the sphere. "read any good books lately?" blaine's clever response on a magna doodle: "the fountainhead."

this one was strikingly similar to da vinci's vertuvian man.

later in the afternoon, we took a stroll across the brooklyn bridge. no less magical than blaine underwater, this is honestly one of the best "new york" experiences. cross the bridge from brooklyn into manhattan and you'll take in the statue of liberty, the manhattan bridge and an absolutely amazing view of the new york skyline. it still takes my breath away every time i see it.