Suzanne Tenuto Photography Blog

My trip to Alaska!

suzannetenuto — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 03:23:36 +0000

The number one question people asked me when I said I was going to Alaska was “Why Alaska?” Actually, it was more like “Alaska? WHY?” There were a few key things that played into the decision to visit Alaska:

1 – Go somewhere I’ve never been.

2 – Go somewhere remote and beautiful where we might have epiphanies about the meaning of life and other similar things.

3 – Go somewhere that isn’t sweltering in August.

To be perfectly honest, Alaska was not at the top of my list of places to visit. It’s one of those places that I’ve always said I’d visit someday…after I see Greece, China, Australia, Brazil…and probably about a half a dozen other places. This ended up being mostly about timing (and the criteria above), and I have to say, I am SO GLAD we visited Alaska, and I’m glad we did it the way we did. My friend Michael and I flew to Anchorage, and drove around south central Alaska for a little over a week. Seeing Alaska by car allowed us to really get a feel for the culture and stay away from all the tourist drop points that are frequented by cruise ships. We experienced the stunning beauty of the mountains and lakes, and the got a true feel for the warmth of the people. It’s a trip I’ll never forget.

I’ll let the photos speak for themselves…though every one of them has a story to go with it, so if you are curious, just ask! To see more, check out the slideshow here, and to hear Michael’s perspective on the trip, take a look at his blog entry in the GoMad Nomad Travel Mag.

FEASTIVAL Contest Winner!

suzannetenuto — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 03:35:20 +0000

Thanks to everyone who submitted entries for the FEASTIVAL ticket contest! Reading the submissions was kind of like going grocery shopping on an empty stomach…I wanted to eat everything that was mentioned on the page!

To eliminate any biases I might have had toward the submissions (my biggest problem is that I liked them ALL), I solicited the help of 3 judges to read all the entries blindly and give me their thoughts on who should win. Before I get to the winner…let’s meet our judges…

1. Mike Sendek – Mike and I have known each other a LONG time (you may remember him from his engagement session abroad). Mike is a very talented technical designer for the Walt Disney Company and has recently started doing some graphic design work for some of my clients! A fellow foodie, he supported my decision to pick a completely random dish at our first meal in Germany, and when it turned out to be boiled pork knuckle, he still helped me eat it.

2. Russell Mahoney – A very good friend of mine from college and extremely talented artist, cook and wine/beer maker (he made rhubarb wine last year that was TO DIE FOR!). He’s been involved in the Live Arts and Philly Fringe Festival so I thought he’d be a perfect judge for this! If Russell could live in Di Bruno Brothers, he would (I think he has tried).

3. Ed Tenuto – My dad. Thanks to him I got the foodie and photographer genes. He’s been a cop, media/public relations consultant, pastry shop owner and best of all fantastic cook. A beer snob, a wine maker for 25 years and an avid cook book collector, he has shown me how to make every meal an event. It’s not about eating to live, it’s about living to eat.

And now – on to the winner! *drum roll* Chris Mazzino! Chris’ entry showed a true passion for food and all of the judges agreed that it was deserving of the big prize! The entry is below. There are still some tickets available for FEASTIVAL but they are going fast, if you are interested in buying tickets, visit www.phillyfeastival.com.

Food, like air and water, is a necessity of life. Good food—no, great
food, however, takes this basic need to a whole different level.
Whether it be the simple comfort food of my youth, like creamy tomato
soup with crisp toast or saltines, or baked macaroni and cheese with
the burnished, tan skin of the cheese and milk on top keeping it warm
and moist—both homemade, of course—or one of the many ethnic dishes of
my hometown, when I indulge in a good meal or sweet treat, that basic
need in life is elevated to a level that only true foodie can
appreciate. In its simplest form, food excites me. The crunching of a
baby cucumber from my grandmother’s garden when I bite into it or
thick, rich panacotta made from fresh cream and honey create an
intimate experience between the palate and the food, almost like
making love. Besides its taste and appearance, I would have to say
that one of the best things I like about food is how it brings people
together. Read any good novel or watch any great movie and you will
see the communion between family and friends as they gather together
to eat. This bond has been the same for me all my life. From early
childhood through today, some of my most memorable experiences with
family and friends come from us spending time together eating simple,
delicious food. I suppose FEASTIVAL is much the same—good food, good
friends, and good experiences for the palate and the soul.

Win FEASTIVAL Tickets!

suzannetenuto — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 03:34:00 +0000

Those of you who know me personally know that I love food. Ok, I know everyone loves food, we need it to sustain life…but I LOVE food. Almost to the point of embarrassment. I get giddy when I see something on a menu that is unusual (like geoduck). I do a little happy dance when I see components of a dish that I would never have thought to mix together (like a burger between two Tastykakes). I do the Nutty Professor Hercules clap when a plate gets put in front of me that is so beautiful I almost don’t want to ruin it (but I will). Remember the scene in the diner in When Harry Met Sally? The “I’ll have what she’s having” scene? Ok, maybe her actions were not specific to what she was eating, but that’s how I sometimes act when I am enjoying a good meal. See? Embarrassing.

To me, food is art, and there are no better culinary artisans than those in Philadelphia. So you can imagine my excitement that I am going to be the official photographer for FEASTIVAL on September 14^th! FEASTIVAL is a culinary event that gathers together some of Philadelphia’s most distinguished restaurateurs and chefs to benefit the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe. You get to stuff your face while supporting the arts in Philadelphia. Sign me up!

Wait – there’s MORE! I’m giving away a pair of tickets to FEASTIVAL, valued at $500! It’s simple to put your name in the hat…just leave a brief comment below stating why you are a foodie. And then be sure to stop by my Facebook page and hit “like” because that’s where I’ll be announcing the winner on Wednesday, August 31^st. Deadline to enter is Friday, August 26th. To purchase tickets, visit http://www.phillyfeastival.com.

Because I can’t post without a picture, here’s one of me at age 3 enjoying a lovely breakfast of eggs and cereal…and wishing I had a couple of Tastykakes to go with it.

Sara & Ralph’s Engagement Session – Citizens Bank Park

suzannetenuto — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 01:53:14 +0000

I’m not quite sure it gets more fun than this, especially if you are a Phillies fan (like moi – I grew up with the Phillies practically in my back yard). When Sara and Ralph suggested doing their engagement session at Citizens Bank Park, I was ALL OVER IT. Did you know that if you ask really nicely, the fine folks at CBP will let you have free reign of the park for an entire hour?? Ok, maybe not free reign, we were escorted around by a very nice staff person with gave us all sorts of tidbits about the park. The only thing we couldn’t do was step on the turf…OMG it looked so tempting to just jump in and make a big old grass snow angel. I tried to just dip a toe in it when no one was looking, just to be rebellious. But I am a rule-follower (so boring). After the ballpark, we went across the street to FDR Park for a few more photos.

Enjoy the photos and if you’d like to see more, check out the slideshow!

Christina & Anthony’s New York City Engagement Session

suzannetenuto — Thu, 26 May 2011 22:39:10 +0000

Last night I watched the season finale of Glee (which, by the way, was filled with so much cheese that I just might be lactose intolerant). Anyway, in the episode, the Glee kids go to New York City for a national competition, and it got me thinking about the big apple and how it’s portrayed in movies and TV shows. New York can be romantic (think When Harry Met Sally), action-packed (Spiderman), funny (The Muppets Take Manhattan- ha!), gritty (Taxi Driver), bittersweet (the final scene of The Way We Were), sexy (Sex and the City), enchanting (ummm…Enchanted). I probably wrote down a dozen more adjectives while watching Glee, partially because the episode didn’t really hold my attention (except for the Wicked duet!) and I knew I needed to write a blog post.

When I was photographing Christina and Anthony’s engagement session I was trying to capture the romantic New York. I hope I succeeded.

We spent a couple of hours roaming around Central Park and I saw parts of the park that I never knew existed. Did you know there is a castle in Central Park?? Well, there is. Believe it or not, Central Park was not the highlight of our session, we were lucky to have access to 620 Loft & Garden, which overlooks 5^th Ave and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Aside from the people in the office buildings across the street, when do you have the chance to be eye level with that beautiful building!? This is a pretty exclusive space, so I can guarantee you Christina & Anthony are among the special few to have engagement photos taken there! Enjoy the photos below, for more, check out the slideshow!

Something’s fishy…

suzannetenuto — Thu, 05 May 2011 02:35:39 +0000

I was having a conversation with my blog recently, it went something like this:

Blog to me: I miss you
Me to blog: Me too. I miss you too.
Blog: What is it? Is it Facebook, Twitter…did you get a boyfriend?
Me: No…I’m just being dumb.

Ok but seriously, the lack of blogging has to stop. My only excuse is that I have been wanting to change up my content a little bit to make it more creative and to share photos and other things that are not just about the work I get paid for…that’s how my blog started…so I am getting back to my roots. I’ll still blog about weddings and babies and all that fun stuff (actually have some really great ones to share from this winter!), but that won’t be ALL I blog about.

Since one of my blog posts wouldn’t be complete without a few photos, let me introduce one of the newest members of my family – the fisheye lens. I think the name is pretty self-explanatory…this 16mm ultra-wide lens gives a 180 degree view and squeezes it into the photo frame, so there is some distortion, but that’s what makes it cool. Also, if this is how a fish really sees…well, I don’t ever want to be a fish…it’s a bit nauseating. Here are a few shots taken with it, I think it will become very obvious why this lens is not made for portraits, but it’s fun nonetheless!

Thanks to my friend and fellow blogger, Stephen Bugno for allowing me to show a sample of portrait lens (that’s the normal looking photo, taken with a 105mm lens) vs. the distorted fisheye. I swear to you that is the same guy. If you have the travel bug (no pun intended, get it, bug…Bugno…I crack myself up), check out Stephen’s online travel magazines - gomadnomad.com and bohemiantraveler.com.

Winter Babies

suzannetenuto — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 02:37:57 +0000

I was so far into wedding land in the fall that I forgot how much fun it is to make good old family photos. Particularly of the little bambinos – oh those teeny toes and fingers, I don’t know how their moms haven’t just gobbled them up (I’ve been known to sneak a little kiss of the baby feet periodically…whatever, you would too, they are irresistible and it makes them laugh!).

Here are some of my favorites from some of the baby sessions I’ve done this winter. If you simply can’t get enough, check out some more on my Facebook page!

Natalie & Steve – Engagement Session

suzannetenuto — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 21:40:13 +0000

When most people think of Orlando, they think of theme parks, tourists, t-shirt shops, and let’s not forget the lovely scorching heat and humidity…but there is a hidden Orlando, free of all that (you can only escape the extreme heat in January though!). And while I love The Mouse, it’s always nice to see the other side of Orlando that’s a little artsy-fartsy, non-touristy, and almost California-like in its architecture and ambiance.

I met up with Natalie & Steve in Winter Park, FL for their engagement session last weekend. I totally loved this area! Great little restaurants and shops – and the folks at The Wine Room were kind enough to let us do part of our photo session in there (even in the very exclusive “rare room” which housed bottles of wine priced in the thousands…I was afraid to fire my flash for fear of a fine wine avalanche!).

Speaking of flash, my favorite assistant (dad) was with me and so that made it easy to incorporate some off-camera lighting into the session. Now you all know my love-hate relationship with artificial light, but I am slowly moving over to the dark side (or is it the light side?). I kinda like having control instead of letting my surroundings control how and where I shoot!

In an effort to be paparazzi-free for their nuptials, Natalie & Steve will be tying the knot on April 30th in Costa Rica – the day after the Royal Wedding! Enjoy the photos, and check out the video for more!

Happy Holidays!

suzannetenuto — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 15:05:20 +0000

I’ve been a little MIA from the blog-o-sphere lately – but for good reason. I am getting construction done on my office space (remember #7 from my 10 in 2010?) and so my computer has been under a tarp and it hasn’t been too easy to work. I will admit though, it’s been a welcome break. I wrapped up all my essential tasks before the demolition started (yes, I said demolition, this is huge!), and it’s given me an excuse to kick back and enjoy the holiday season. I’ll definitely be sharing lots of before-and-after photos once I have the studio all set up.

In the meantime, I just wanted to send out a quick note to wish everyone a very happy and safe holiday season in the best way I can – through pictures! Click here to view my holiday greeting. See you all in 2011!

Reagan & Cliff’s Wedding – Treasure Island, FL

suzannetenuto — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 23:40:20 +0000

Before you ask, yes I am aware that these are beach photos and it is December. I am fully conscious of how much of a tease this is for most of you (including me) considering that so far this December has felt more like February. But I swear to you, these photos were from just a few weeks ago!

Raegan & Cliff tied the knot in Treasure Island, FL on Nov 13^th. Beach weddings are so much fun because there is a relaxing mood just built right in, and in many cases (like this one) everyone is on vacation. It didn’t hurt that we had sunny skies and 70-something degree temperatures!

What made this wedding extra special was that my dad was my 2^nd shooter! I get the photography genes from him, and he got to see me in action, so that was it super fun!

To see more photos, check out the slide show here!