One day, a cello walks into a studio…
The punchline is that beautiful music was made.
Roee (sometimes Roy) was long overdue to update his headshot. We thought it best to do something expected, classic:
…but Roee also wanted something fun…
We were joined in the studio by his fantastic wife, Kelli, who honored me with some BTS images.
Not only is Roee available for weddings, but he gives lessons as well. Reach out to him at https://royharran.com/
With 3 kids 2 and under, New York was feeling too small for Daniela and her family. They wanted to move to a vibrant city with space to breathe and a friendly community with playdates for her growing family. Having supportive family already in Atlanta made it more enticing. With her degree in Social Work, she bid adieu to her role as a counselor in a performing arts school, and opened up Spark Teens Coaching.
“Here at Spark Teens, our mission is simple: to provide tailored guidance and support to teens and their families. Drawing from a foundation of listening, collaboration, and a genuine passion for addressing the unique challenges teens encounter, we are dedicated to sparking positive change by helping teens reach their highest potential with confidence and resilience.”
Daniela works with teens and their families to focus on an issue, create a plan, and IMPLEMENT it.
Here’s what I can promise about Daniela: she’s incredibly easy to talk to. She’s open, friendly, and vibrant. I know she came in for a branding session, but I felt like we were “out for coffee.” I can imagine being a teen and finding her comforting, safe, and relatable.
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I first met Junko Horvath at a talent night at our Synagogue. She had no idea what I did, until I was a suggested connection on LinkedIn.
Her daughter was in town briefly, and she wanted to snag the opportunity to update their marketing images, as she’s a member of the team from afar.
Chris met me eagerly at the door, and we discussed potential backdrops. While their stunning office is a part of the “King/Queen” complex, I wanted to showcase them, rather than their jaw-dropping building.
Chris is just as impressive as the company, he told me he was off to run the Chicago Marathon, raising money for charity.
Junko is also author of the book, “Women in Financial Transition.”
Reach out to Fujiyama Wealth Management at their website: https://www.fujiyamawealth.com/
Ann Scoggins and Lea Long have been there and done that in the Real Estate world. As seasoned professionals, they decided to join forces and create a brand new realty team, Anlea.
They aren’t going it alone. They assembled a powerhouse team of women, with Julie Groke, Martine NG, Michele Collier, and Cher Wichman at their sides.
But it’s not just their know-how that makes you want to work with them. Let me tell you this, working with these women all day was an absolute riot.
We couldn’t stop cracking up. The whole crew was working so hard: our goal was big, and the session was long. But the attitudes were phenomenal.
With Anlea, you are looking at experience, power, and ladies you want to hang out with all day long.
Rabbi Chaim Lindenblatt is a Rabbi. And an attorney. Which makes sense, as both delve into the application of the law.
After the passing of a friend and colleague, Rabbi Lindenblatt is stepping in, and taking over his practice. He’s a defense attorney, working specifically with the Latin community. He needed an image for their flyer that featured both him and his talented translator, Janet. He wanted something that looked warm, welcoming, and professional.
If you or anyone you know needs their assistance, reach out to rabbichaimlaw@gmail.com
Randy was in a nervous rush, trying to get a headshot in by Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta’s deadline. She had been accepted into the new cohort of “Agents of Change,” and didn’t know a portrait was part of the process. She Googled “Headshots Atlanta,” and found my website.
But there are no accidents. She was dreading the process, but said as she poked around my site, she began to feel reassured. This would not be painful! She was meant to come to my studio, where I would hold her hand through the process.
There is so much to admire about Randy. She, like so many of us, has been dealt some real challenges. But she sees and moves through them. She remains focused, centered, and loving. She sees opportunity and beauty. And in our session, I hope she saw her own beauty.
Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta found a true Agent of Change. Randy has so much to offer the world. Seeing it through her eyes, for even a moment, was changing for me.
Behind the scenes
I LOVE WHEN THIS FAMILY COMES TO THE STUDIO!!!!
This is the second year creating a family image for their holiday card. They are just straight up models. The come in, stand with ease, connect to one another, and then flash some megawatt smiles. Boom.
And then we sit around, chilling, chatting, talking about vacation plans. We probably spend more time hanging out than actually shooting. Because, trust me, you want to hang out with the Kosoff family. You don’t want them to leave. All of them equally. The kids are just as relaxed and engaging as the adults.
Do I still have their photo on the mantel? Why yes, yes I do. Because looking at their card is a guaranteed smile, every time.
It was terrifying to take the plunge.
For years, I had been incorporating Kashrut (eating kosher food) bit by bit in different ways, but when I went all in, it felt equally liberating and sad. I was relieved to no longer live in the in-between, to totally commit and have another avenue for connection. But I’m a foodie. There were so many delectable elements I took for granted in my cooking, like a nice wedge of parmesan rather than the powdery stuff. I was saying goodbye to my homemade curries, to exquisite cheeses…
Until The Spicy Peach showed up. Tzippy, Jodi, and Lydia came together to revolutionize the Kosher scene in Atlanta. Not only with an outstanding cheese selection, but with ingredients from around the world critical to recreating international cuisines.
It’s not just that they brought super-fresh sushi, salads, and panini; it’s not just that they shipped in foodie amazingness, but they upped the game across the board. We started seeing the chain groceries stretching a bit.
But these women aren’t just spicy.
They’ve got a lot of heart, too. You see it in the people that come around, the people they employ. They take the community under their wing and provide more than just comfort food, but true comfort.
They also are the real deal southern ladies, with multiple generations here.
Jodi’s story (and my photography capturing her) was told by Faces of Orthodoxy.
And I’ve popped into the store, and not known which of three generations of Schloss/Teller was going to greet me behind the counter.
Want to see the community? Grab a bite, sit at a table out front, and watch as everyone comes by.
Y’all come back now, y’hear?
I was thrilled to be hired as the photographer for Faces of Orthodoxy Season 6 Atlanta (backed by the Orthodox Union). They profiled 6 movers and shakers, to tell their dynamic stories, and show the world that Orthodox people are relatable, rather than exotic or strange as seen in the media.
Week five: Dr. Joseph Tate
“I’m named after my father, Yosef Leib, who was killed on D-Day while my mother was pregnant with me. He was from Eastern Europe & my mother was from India. They met in England during the war. My father’s dream was for me to be brought up in America, so my mother moved to Boston. I went to public school & Hebrew school through 7th grade. I probably had ADHD, but when my mother took me for an evaluation, the psychiatrist said, ‘There’s nothing wrong with him, he’s just bored.’ I went back to England to attend an upper-class Jewish boarding school. After returning to America, I got a chemical engineering degree at @northeastern & then went to work as a computer engineer. I helped invent & patent a part used in every car battery & got my MBA. But I didn’t feel fulfilled. I investigated many alternatives, & finally, much to my surprise, I chose to become a physician.
Once I got married, my wife and I decided to take on more Jewish practices. I made kiddush on Shabbos & we had a kosher home, but we didn’t keep Shabbos fully. Against what seemed like all odds, I got into medical school when I was 30 at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. I learned Dutch in a panic because that’s what my professors spoke. But there was nothing in Leuven for a Jewish family, so we moved to Antwerp. Two years later I transferred to the University of Antwerp.
We became best friends with our next-door neighbors who were religious, many of whom were Ger & Belz chassidim. They guided us along as we became more observant. As it turns out, we weren’t in Antwerp, of all places, for medical school; we were there to find our Judaism! And when Hashem knew we were on the road, He rewarded us. I transferred to @yale where I received my MD. Yale, of course, opened doors for residency. I matched at @emorydeptofmed & joined the Atlanta Beth Jacob community in 1980.
I’ve been in the Emory system for over 23 years & get to teach residents. Teaching is the best way to improve myself clinically. But I never thought I’d deliver babies in the Orthodox community. Today, there are 2nd generation kids I’ve delivered in the shul. I’ve delivered over 800 babies in the community.”
“@bethjacobatl was the first time I ever really belonged to a synagogue. We always understood the importance of giving back to the community. We were one of the builders of @tdsaofficial & I’ve been the president of the Eruv for over 30 years. The eruv is an urban boundary that allows carrying on Shabbos. Georgia Power helped us maintain it over the years. When we needed to switch over to a new method, I went out every Sunday rewiring 15 utility poles a day. I also counsel brides from all over the world leading up to their weddings. I get tremendous fulfillment being in service to my community & Creator.
I delivered my first “community baby” when I was still a resident. At one point, I had delivered 80% of the kids at Beth Jacob. On Simchas Torah, I’d pledge a donation for every kid I delivered who showed up to shul. Once it got to over 180 kids, I got sponsored by the community to raise even more for charity, and all the children come under a giant tallis prayer shawl with me while I give the blessing.
My wife & I have 6 children who were born all over – Boston, Antwerp, New Haven & Atlanta. We have 17 grandchildren & 2 great-grandchildren. Having a large family is the greatest blessing for an only child.
I maintain an inherent belief that women are created with the ability to have babies. This is how they are designed by G-d. Of course, we utilize modern science, but it’s not the be-all and end-all. I don’t think the current 35-50% C-section rate is right. I don’t believe in doing major surgery on a patient if we don’t have to. A large portion of my patients had previous C-sections. Most of them prove me correct and can give birth again without a cesarean. Before long, my name got out there as a proponent of VBAC. I was even featured on a @pbs Religion & Ethics Newsweekly series about how my Orthodox life impacts my delivery of babies. I truly believe that women can have babies if we allow them the chance.”
BTS photots and video by Yelena Hertzberg, best person ever to have on set with you.
We have a formula.
In 2018, we did our first Cohen family session. Their three precious girls dipped their hands in the water.
In 2019, we recreated that image.
In 2021, we captured it again.
2023…
We also do a family photo.
And then each year we alternate, Dad with girls, Mom with girls. It was a mom year.
And then individuals of the three girls.
Every year we combine them into an accordion album to gift the grandparents, so they can enjoy them all on the go or displayed on a shelf.
What was cool, as we designed this year, is we continued to build upon what we’ve hung the previous three years. But did so with an intentionality regarding where we want to hang things next year, and the next. Avital has a vision, that she wants to continue to build every year “until they turn 18.” She loves being able to directly compare their growth and their journey. She is creating their legacy, she’s creating it now.
Behind the scenes, thanks to Avital!
I like to have a sense of who a client is, and the type of work they do, when they come in for a headshot. Emily told me she was working with the top executives of many massive companies, and she needed to look sharp. But I couldn’t quite make heads or tales of what she did, until she was in my studio, filling me in, and blowing my mind.
Emily is changing the world.
She is working to create a space that enables face time between the major components of the heath industry. What if the city’s top leaders in government, philanthropy and healthcare were all in a room together on a consistent basis, communicating and collaborating freely, rather that maneuvering thoughts through a long and beurocratic pipeline? What if the brilliant minds developing the next wave of medications had a cubicle next to someone at the CDC, someone in the field of Health Equity, The American Cancer Society, and Johnson & Johnson?
Emily is the force making it happen. She is working to create a space to aid in communication between all the sectors in the healthcare field. Helping to make emergency response swifter, and tackling the problems before they exist.
We are rooting for you, Emily!
It suddenly struck Steven that his headshot was 15…maybe 20? years old, when he was asked to speak at a prestigious conference in Boston. We hustled to get him into the studio.
His daughter, Leah, arranged the whole thing. She is the Special Projects and Events consultant at Congregation Beth Jacob, and through my wedding work at the venue, she knew I was a photographer. She warned me that her father is hilarious.
As he entered, I asked about what he does, and what our goal was. He told me he works with US Customs and Border Patrol. “Constantly controversial…” I mused. He showed me an example from a colleague.
The conversation spun from there. He was far more interested in discussing his family than his work, which has been in this neighborhood since 1903! I learned about his dramatically different twins, and we discovered the best way to get his twinkle in his eye, was for him to tell me jokes.
But the biggest smile of all was mine, when he texted after receiving his image. Not just the self deprecating jokes, but the top prize: a compliment from his wife.
Some were on their way in. Some were on their way out. But it’s so rare they are all together, Robin wanted to make sure she had it to remember.
Some were moving to Israel, some were off to camp and then Seminary. Great grandma down to newborn baby, Robin has it all to keep and admire daily.
Robin is passionate about art. Her touch is in every inch of her home. This is another way for her to show who she is and who she loves.
Our virtual gallery design. Art is not yet actually on her wall.
The actual gallery, installed!
If you live in Atlanta and haven’t met the Kosoff family yet, YOU MUST.
Warm, friendly, and hilarious, your life needs them. Birmingham’s loss, Atlanta’s WIN.
And it’s all of them. Sometimes you find you click with a family member or two. But 5/5 Kosoffs are awesome.
We were very focused on this session. They needed a family portrait for their holiday card. We set it up, made a few adjustments as we went, nabbed the image they were going for, and were done. Too soon. I would have been good with hanging with them a while longer.
Michael was a referral of a referral of a referral. I’m grateful!
Sooo I thought he was an architect.
Because he forwarded two pages of instructions from his architecture firm, Array Architects, on requirements for our images: 6 shots, black background, dark suit, horizontal, waist up, 3 expressions (neutral, slight smile, smile) and two body positions for each (full on, turned slightly)
Obstacles: 1. Dark on dark is technically challenging. The goal is to create separation between the client/suit and the background. 2. I’m ace at getting relaxed smiles from my clients. Telling them not to smile? Not my forte.
Here’s how the shot was set up. Notice the light peeking over the top? That’s called a hair or rim light, and it creates the separation. You will also notice that we’re shooting on grey, not black, in a bright room. I set my camera settings to cut ambient light and darken the backdrop, so the only light at play was that which I deliberately introduced to the scene. I love shooting on grey- I can create anything I want with it!
I’m grateful that the firm was thrilled with the results! The kicker?
Michael is NOT an architect! He’s a Healthcare Strategy and Business Development Executive! He’s currently advising Array Architects in their current project with Northside Hospital. (Which is full circle, as they were one of the buildings I photographed behind the scenes as an artistic installation for a HVAC firm a long time ago.)
He explained the type of analysis he provides to heathcare centers (he gave a fascinating example of a hospital purchasing hospital beds, and the way he advises them that incorporates not only their current numbers and projected growth, but the trends of the industry, which is moving towards remote locations and away from, say, needing a massive amount of beds…)
So Michael is not an architect, working for an architecture firm, and blowing my mind.
I’m grateful that this is my fourth session with Joey and Esther. I got to capture them with their parents, once they became engaged, a wedding re-do, and most recently with their sweet baby. He’s the most good-natured 11 month old! A true people person, eager to connect and beaming ear to ear. We’re keeping him off social media at this point, but I’m grateful to share this sweet family with you here.
Joey and Esther kept gushing about how all the grandparents were going to need prints of their sweet baby. They loved this image, saying it truly is the essence of their son. I can’t wait for him to see these as he ages, always with a proud sense of self, and then show his own children one day.
Lisa reached out in a rush for a headshot. She’s joined a new legal firm as Partner, and needed an updated shot to accompany the press release.
She gushed about her friend, Laura. She said Laura was one of her first friends upon moving to Atlanta 25 years ago. She had loved the headshot I did for her dearest friend, so when she needed one for herself, she reached out for the referral. (Thank you, Laura!!)
Lisa had experienced a challenging day when she arrived, including her makeup artist cancelling with a possible case of pink eye. She was exhausted, and frazzled, and amazing. Regardless of it all, she came in with a rush of energy, and allowed herself to completely relax in front of the camera. This shot was the second image we took! Nailed it! I love her glasses and stacked necklaces: She wanted to stay true to who she is, give people a taste of who they will meet when working with her.
I asked that she send me some information about what she does. She sent the pending press release. It was so impressive, I couldn’t whittle it down to a sentence or two. Read on about this dynamic lady, and her Woman-led Law Firm!
FORMER NOKIA SENIOR COUNSEL LISA ROVINSKY JOINS CULHANE MEADOWS AS A
PARTNER IN ITS ATLANTA AND BOSTON OFFICES
ATLANTA, GA — Culhane Meadows is pleased to announce that Lisa Rovinsky ( lrovinsky@cm.law ) has joined the firm as a partner in their Atlanta and Boston offices.
Lisa has had two distinguished legal careers. Starting in advertising and marketing law, she served as Vice President & Counsel for Mastercard International and Chief Marketing Counsel for The Coca-Cola Company. She left Coca-Cola to go into private practice at the law firm Alston & Bird, moving on to become Senior Counsel at Nokia. Her move to the telecommunications giant refocused her career towards technology law and she has continued to build on that experience, working with a variety of technology-based startups.
“Lisa is an outstanding addition to our Technology and Corporate practices, “ says Kimberly Verska, Co-managing partner of Culhane Meadows, “Having worked with her in the past, I know that her creative and practical approach to problem-solving is a great fit for our firm.”
Culhane Meadows Co-founder and Co-Managing Partner James Meadows agrees, “During our time together at Alston & Bird I knew Lisa to be an advocate and mentor to women attorneys and a passionate proponent of diversity. Finding a partner who fits so well with our business and cultural goals, and who adds a wealth of experience to our team, is exciting.”
“I’ve followed the growth of Culhane Meadows for years and have had the good fortune to work with some of the partners throughout my career,” Lisa adds. “When I began to seriously consider joining the firm, one of the drivers was how impressively innovative Culhane Meadows is, and how they use technology to benefit both their attorneys and the firm’s clients. I’m looking forward to collaborating with such a forward-thinking group and the clients who value their innovation.”
Lisa graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University and attended Harvard Law School.
_______
Culhane Meadows is the largest woman-owned, national full-service law firm in the country (WBE) and has over seventy partners who work virtually from eleven offices around the U.S. Built to be fully remote from founding, Culhane Meadows serves client that range from startups to Fortune 100 businesses, offering outstanding efficiency and sophisticated legal knowledge from partners who are former BigLaw attorneys or in-house counsel, and have years of experience in creative problem-solving.
I have lots of great things to say about Daniel Wachtel (and his family.)
He is (They are) generous and welcoming. Accepting and genuine. He loves their community, staying active, and attending concerts.
Pretty much the type of person you would turn to when you need help. When you are struggling and need guidance. When you are ready for change.
My Mother
She asks me to take her portrait.
I ask if she loves it.
She says, “It’s not for me, it’s for you.”
I pretend I didn’t really hear it. Because I can’t really hear it.
Rubbing my back as I fall asleep in my childhood bedroom
Walls covered in the mural she commissioned that would spark stories
She listens. The greatest gift she gave me was that she made space for listening.
She was safe, and she taught me to listen to my own.
But I can’t hear her today.
It’s interesting. When I meet a client for the first time, we frequently open with “getting to know you” questions, divulging where we are from and the like. Caren and I somehow skipped right over that, and plunged right into dissecting Ozark and talking about mortifying Zoom mishaps.
Which is amazing. She connects so easily, something you might not expect from someone who is equally comfortable presenting in Federal Court.
Caren is a civil rights and voting rights attorney, transitioning from her work at the Southern Poverty Law Center. She’s going to be the legal director for the National League of Women Voters. If you are saying “wow,” you’ve got that right. And if you haven’t heard of these organizations - go Google them now.
I wish Caren tremendous luck changing the world. And I hope she continues to have amazing anecdotes to show for it.
