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Archive for February, 2010

The Goldbergs | Central Park Family Portraits

February 20, 2010

The Goldbergs are easy to love. They were warm and sweet from the moment I met them, and you can see from the photos (click to see the slideshow!) that there’s a natural and easy affection between all of them.

We met up yesterday at their apartment on the Upper East Side and walked over to a snow-covered Central Park, with Heller and Jeff keeping up a steady and comfortable stream of chatter with me and the kids.

Once inside, Reede and the twins, Theo and Shelby, climbed everything in sight: Alice in Wonderland statue, low walls, benches. Theo in particular climbs like a monkey and was in a different tree every time I looked up.

It was my favorite kind of shoot – we walked around, laughing and being silly, and stayed just long enough to catch some beautiful late afternoon light. Between the five of them, there was always a moment to photograph. Plus, it was fun tramping through the snow–at least for me in my snow-proof boots; I think Shelby’s feet had frozen over by the end.

We finished at the Italian cafe Sant Ambroeus, a favorite family hangout around the corner, where the kids got gelato. The bench shots are some of my favorites.

To get a sense of the day, and especially the kids’ energy, you really have to check out the slideshow: http://katcheng.com/slideshow/goldberg/goldberg.html

Reede, I’m looking forward to photographing your bat Mitzvah in April.

<3,
Kat

Sant Ambroeus, Madison Avenue Location
1000 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10021
Telephone: 212.570.2211

Tags: central park, family portraits, fun shoots, outdoor portraits, sant ambroeus, upper east side
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Gusford Henry Puppetmaster III | Dog portrait photography

February 10, 2010

His full name is Gusford Henry Puppetmaster the Third, and he is like no dog I’ve ever met. Here is a short list:

- He acts like you don’t exist. He will not run up to you when he sees you. He will not sniff your hand. He generally won’t even look at you. This is generally true even if he really likes you.

- Because of his indifference, people clamor for his attention. I’ve seen people bribe him with walks, fix him a bed, buy him treats, and in general do everything to desperately win him over. It’s amazing to watch.

- His response to fireworks and thunderstorms is to stand, unmoving, facing the corner of a room, face inches from the wall.

- When acapella gospel music comes on, he howls along, and it’s an anguishing sound.

- He sleeps in your bed with you, under your covers, with his head on your pillow.

Tags: brooklyn, dog photography, natural light portrait
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Leah + Paul | Love and rain

February 4, 2010

It wasn’t just a light drizzle or even an afternoon thunderstorm that day, which was the most Leah and Paul could have hoped for. Nope. It was hurricane weather – hot, humidity at 100%. And then on the afternoon of the wedding the skies opened up and poured water all day and all night long.

Moisture was everywhere, making Brooklyn feel lush and tropical, with sweat dripping down everyone’s backs, water beads on the tablecloths and a constant curtain of water around the party tent in the backyard.

But the torrential rain fit right in with everything else that was unique about the wedding – Leah’s vintage wedding dress and hat, the amazing food she made herself the night before (like the wedding pies), and the art- and love-filled Park Slope brownstone where it all took place.

<3,
Kat

Tags: brooklyn, magic realism, park slope, rainy wedding
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Your mulch smells delicious | Mulchfest 2010

February 2, 2010

Christmas trees on the sidewalk – that’s how you know it’s January in NYC. Once proud and handsome centerpieces of a warm and holiday cheered apartment, they lie on their sides on the curbs with a sad bit of tinsel still hanging on, waiting for their end in some landfill.

The ones at Mulchfest 2010 met a better fate, though. I worked with the NYC Parks Department to document the big event at Tompkins Square Park, McCarren Park and other sites, where families, roommates, and Million Trees NYC lined up and mulched their trees.

Click here for the slideshow. Watching it will make you feel better about winter, the music especially – this Fleet Foxes song I sing all the time while showering, cooking, waiting on the subway platform…

Below we’ve got: super happy Million Trees NYC volunteers at Tompkins Square Park – one on crutches even; Mulchfest 2010 outreach surveys waiting to be filled out; more volunteers at McCarren Park – awesome bunch; a little boy at McCarren waiting while his parents filled out a survey. I love the light in the last one.

Million Trees NYC does much more than Mulchfest – check it out: http://milliontreesnyc.org/html/involved/get_involved.shtml

<3,
Kat

Tags: mccarren park, million trees NYC, mulchfest, NYC Parks, outdoors nyc, tompkins square park
Posted in Events | No Comments »

New year, new blog.

February 2, 2010

Hi! I’m Kat. I’m a New York photographer and I shoot weddings, portraits, and events. You can check out more of my work at katcheng.com. Say hi via the comments section or email – and ask me about celery and beer cream soup.

On a personal note – Usually January 1st comes and goes without much fanfare for me, but somehow 2010 seemed to demand a proper reception. I think it’s because 2009 brought changes and challenges for me that I couldn’t have possibly imagined back in 2008 – wonderful and amazing changes, but at the time I felt like all I could do was hold on tight. This time I’m on my feet ready to take it on. I also feel like this year something important and interesting is going to happen with my photography work – I don’t mean some big break, but I mean with the work I do, and my style. I feel it like a deep quiet rumbling that is getting bigger… I’m really looking forward to seeing what it will look like when it’s here. Hopefully you’ll stick around and get to see it too.

<3,
Kat

Tags: kat cheng, Personal
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