Judy Licht Photography

Down by the river, the boats seemed far away, and the wind was blowing.  I wasn't planning to take my camera out of my bag as I watched my sons row.  And then, the faces of the kids captured my eye…

People always ask, what do you like to shoot?

Performances and actors' portraits might be my favorite.  Finding a character who responds to my camera is my favorite gig.  It's great to make a connection, and it's even more exciting to motivate subjects to push beyond their everyday facade.  Photography energizes me, and when there are sparks — whether it comes from acting, kids running circles around each other on a playground, teens dancing at a party, or couples embraced in a warm moment — finding a fresh dynamic gets me click click clicking and always wanting more.

A mom just called me for shots of her son in a play that our high school put on in the fall.  I was happy to find the photos for her, and here are a few of them.  So please contact me if you know any actors or drama ensembles looking for a photographer.

Wednesday night, I photographed Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, and yesterday, Rabbi Fred Reiner posed for me in the sanctuary.  Less than 24 hours separated the events, which gave me the idea for today’s blog headline.  Both shoots were great!

Here are the photos..

This weekend, we celebrated our friend Benjamin's Bar Mitzvah.  It was very relaxing for me, because I was a guest.  Benjamin did a fantastic job.  Who knew he was such a performer!!!  He chanted beautifully.  He had great timing, presence, and a sense of humor.  We all knew he would be great…even still, he revealed an outgoing side of himself on stage that was new to us, and exciting.  Still, I think we are all hanging onto our images of him as one of the youngest kids in our group of families…which is why, this weekend, though I saw the man he is becoming, I couldn't let go of one of my favorite images of him.  Take a look…