The Art Of Photography

The Art Of Video

Reflections Videos

Quality Cannot Be Added Later!

Why Spend So Such on a One, Two or Three Day Celebration?

You will get more pleasure from your REL photographs or video over the years than any other Bar/Bat expense. Since I own the company, I can spend as much time as necessary to give you my best. I will personally direct and edit your video, and/or take your photographs.

Most people have to go through the Bar/Bat experience before they understand how important really good Bar/Bat photographs and video will become. This is a day that will never happen again. Most of the things you spend money on will soon become faded memories. Not your photographs or video. The magical moments will come to life again in your photographs and video, if they are done well. At REL, we want you to view our work. We invite comparison. Your photographs and video will be as individual as you are. REL images are clear and colorful (except for black & white, of course), even when the ambient lighting is dim.

Our videos are steady, unless you like a "jiggly" look. Lots of close-ups. The sound is crystal clear. The coverage is complete. Nothing is missed. The style is your style. The story flows. It's fun! It's exciting! We pay total attention to detail. REL videos are put together with loving care, combining the best of several cameras, or using film-style techniques with a single camera. No careless or sloppy edits. No technical glitches. Pure silk!

Everything about our photography says quality. We don't cut corners like most other photographers. In addition to digital, we still offer large negative professional portrait film photography for it's unique ability to enhance the beauty of people. This is a more expensive option, but it gives you the flexibility to do anything with the images in the future.

What Is Your Style?

The style of your Bar/Bat photography is so important. Do you like posed pictures or would you like us to fade into the woodwork, capturing your day as it unfolds? Most people like a combination of formal pictures (for posterity – who knows what you'll want in ten or twenty years) and a lot of photojournalistic-style candid shots of people just having fun. You may like some moody black and white, or other monotone pictures (or video) such as sepia-toned. Pictures that look like drawings or paintings.

You might like to be put into scenes that aren't possible on your special day. Maybe there's a special person who can't attend who you'd like to have in one of the pictures. My goal is to make your photographs and video as suited to your individual needs and personal style as possible. I want you to be absolutely delighted every time you view them.

We put the highest quality into your original images, because if we didn't, we could not give you the quality you deserve. We give you the absolute highest quality for the lowest price we can afford to offer.

Who Should We Please?

At REL, we think everything else is secondary to delighting our clients. When we take care of your needs, everything else falls naturally into place. We are truly interested in you. Your dreams. How you want your photographs and video to look and sound. We listen carefully to you so that we can fulfill your needs and desires. Along with our standard packages, we can build your own custom package that will meet your exact requirements.

We guarantee  we will do everything possible to give you the most wonderful photographs and/or video. We do very little advertising. Almost all of our business comes from the referrals of previous satisfied clients. We depend on my clients telling others how much they enjoy their photographs and videos. Your satisfaction is our most important goal.

We believe in redundancy. We bring duplicates of everything – cameras, flashes, lenses, microphones, etc. Our flash systems (both on-camera and studio lighting) use more than one flash, so if one flash were to fail, there would still be enough light from the other flash to make a perfect picture. We use back-up video cameras, back-up microphones, and record back-up videotapes.

Technology Rules, Right?

Hardware is important, but it is only one of the parts that determines how much joy you'll get from your Bar/Bat photographs and video. We use the absolute best equipment that has been uniquely modified for the very demanding Bar/Bat environment, but without our exceptional skill and creativity, the promise of this wonderful equipment would go unfulfilled.

Our technology makes it possible to make wall-sized photographs that you can walk right up to and not see the grain or pixels in the picture. Our artistry makes you want a wall-sized print!

We create our videos so that they will not only look wonderful now, but will benefit from future enhancements as technology improves. The camera has no idea what the image is supposed to look like, so we use manual control over all-important functions to get exactly what we want.

Can We Have Fun?

We insist on it! Your Bar/Bat party is about having the time of your life. We believe in having fun and think you do too. This is what your Bar/Bat party is all about.

Why Do We Offer Both Large Negative and Digital Photography?

Like other fine photographers, we offer digital photography. Unlike most others, we still offer large negative film-based photography. We are so confident you will love your photographs that we offer you an unconditional money back guarantee.

Most photographers have switched to taking digital Bar/Bat photographs, primarily because digital is so much less expensive to produce. Film-based photography has become very expensive. But, large negative film offers some important benefits with people pictures. Professional portrait films are formulated to produce flawless, silky-smooth skin tones. Digital is designed to produce reality. There are times that reality is not the best choice, especially at this time of your life.

Most of our clients will choose us because they like our style, are confident that we will give them the best possible images in their price range, and are comfortable with us. Some will understand that the subtle, but noticeable, ways large negative film-based photographs differ from digital are worth the added cost. We can take a small number of large-negative pictures where it matters the most, such as a series of close-ups of the honoree and family group portraits, then use digital for the rest to keep the cost down. We convert the negatives to ultra-high resolution digital files so the images can be included on your CD, if you choose that option.

Do Digital and Film-Based Photography Really Differ?

The best digital cameras (16+ megapixels) have caught up with the resolution of 35mm film. But their resolution still pales when compared with the 6 x 7 cm negatives, which have the equivalent to a 150MB digital file. There is no need to add the sharpening that is necessary to make digital images appear to be sharp. That sharpening emphasizes skin irregularities, and is not complimentary in portrait photography.  More important, the wider exposure latitude and finely-tuned color formulation of professional portrait film produces the glowing images everyone wants.

Large negative photography has so much exposure latitude that spot-on exposure is not necessary to create perfect photographs. The film can record a wider range of contrast than the scene. This benefits you because you will enjoy your portrait session, rather than  wait for the photographer to adjust the exposure. And we can be more creative because we can concentrate on creating your unique photographs rather than fooling around with the camera controls, knowing that every frame will produce a perfect exposure, just like the tens of thousands of other pictures we've taken over the years.

Whether you choose digital or large negative,  we will put the highest quality into your original images. We give you the absolute highest quality for the lowest price we can afford to offer.

We Offer CDs, In Addition to Photographs and Albums

This way, you can save money by either printing your photographs yourself, or taking (or uploading) them to a lab to be printed. Naturally, you can still take advantage of our expertise and creativity by having us make your most important photographs and albums by hand.

On-Camera Backup Video Recording to be Sure We Will Get the Shot

Electronic devices are very reliable today, but not flawless. We want you to enjoy your day without a thought about your video. That's why we not only use the best cameras for the job - we make a second recording of the main camera while we're recording your ceremony, just to be sure that everything goes right.

Remote Video Camera Control at the Ceremony or Ceremony Rehearsal

We strive to be invisible while recording your Bar/Bat memories. Besides being very discreet, we offer full remote control of our cameras so we can get the intimate close-ups with no worry about the camera guy showing. For synagogues where ceremony coverage is not allowed, consider having us record the ceremony rehearsal.

Why Use More Than One Video Camera?

Multiple video cameras offer additional perspectives, and help us to tell your story. Make it so interesting and lively that you will never get tired of it. Instead of long, static shots, you are delighted by frequent changes of scenery, revealing nuances and new parts of the story. This also makes it possible to give you a much more refined video without distracting focusing or zooming. We can use wireless remote control of our cameras, so we don't become a part of your ceremony. Single-Camera, Film Style offers the multi-camera look for a budget price.

I direct the video. That means that I can control what all of the cameras capture. In this way, I can weave together an aesthetically pleasing flow of images rather than merely assemble pieces that have little relationship to one another. Your video will be like a real movie – only better, because you're the stars!

Is Video Editing Really That Important?

Only if you want to watch your video more than once! At REL, my focus is not on how quickly I can edit a video. It is on how well I can edit it. I use not only my skills as an editor, but also my sensitivity as an artist to create a masterpiece of sights and sounds. Every edit is carefully thought out and meticulously executed to make your video worthy of a lifetime of enjoyment.

Do You Have the Sound Up When You Watch a Movie?

The quality of the audio can make or break your video. Turn down the sound of one of your favorite TV programs or movies to get an idea of how important sound is.

We don't rely on a single wireless or on-camera microphone to capture the sound. We combine multiple studio-grade wired and wireless microphones, recorded on separate audio tracks, and then mix the best tracks into your video, complete with surround sound.

What About Lighting?

We do not use video lighting during the ceremony. Most sites don’t allow it, and it really is not necessary. Our cameras produce beautiful pictures under candlelight, sunlight, and the lighting at your site.

For photography, we bring studio lighting for formal pictures taken inside. Fill-flash, light reflectors and natural light outside are blended to create beauty lightto make you look your best.

How Will You Be Treated?

You can absolutely depend on us to provide you our best in every way. We will be available to help you design your photography and/or video according to your preferences, and to make it uniquely yours. We will listen to you carefully, ask questions, and offer advice when you ask.

If none of our packages gives you exactly what you need, we will put one together that does. There are no hidden extras or surprises! All video editing is included. Your contract includes all of the details.

We do only one event per day and we are yours exclusively on your day. I will personally photograph you, record or direct the recording of your Bar/Bat on video, and edit your video. I will not send others to take my place. I will wear a black tuxedo, or other attire you are comfortable with.

There is one common thread in all of the REL products and services: the quality. We give you images and sounds found nowhere else, at any price!

What Others Say About Us

2008 REL Bar/Bat Photography Prices

Standard digital coverage includes a CD with image files of all pictures taken, so you can save money by either printing your photographs yourself, or take (or upload) them to a lab to be printed, and up to 6 hours of time. $800.

If the highest quality is important to you, you can order a full set  prints or individual prints and albums from us. Add $50 if there are two different locations. Add another $100 if coverage is spread over two days. Additional time @ $80/hour. To add large negative coverage, add $200 for up to 20 pictures, then $80/20.

Large-Negative Photography Up to 6 continuous hours and 200 pictures taken. Apply  the full $2000 cost toward your album and print order. Additional time @ $80/hour Additional pictures taken @ $80/20. Your print order can include items such as a set of original 5 inch photographs, albums, wall-sized portraits, gift sets, a CD of hi-resolution image files of all pictures taken, etc.

2008 Bar/Bat Video Packages

Reflections Montage $150 for 25 pictures added, then $2.50 per picture. 1 DVD.

The following packages include editing and three standard (4:3) or wide (16:9) DVDs.

Standard Single-camera, six-hour coverage @ $1000. Add $80/additional hour, including editing.

Deluxe Two camera, six-hour coverage @$1400. Editing and a montage of 25 pictures showing the honoree's life from baby to present, set to music, are included. Add $80/additional hour, for one camera, including editing.

Deluxe 3 Three camera, four-hour coverage @ $1800. Editing and a montage of 50 pictures showing the honoree's life from baby to present, set to music are included. Additional time is available @ $80/hour for one camera.

Highlights Your Bar/Bat's "greatest hits". Still images set to a favorite song. Stills montage $295.*

Outtakes, raw footage and many additional features and options are available. Please ask, if interested.

Crème de la Crème Pictures of the honoree as a baby through the present, rehearsal scenes, played fast if you like, your ceremony and party. Slow-motion and other effects, and your favorite music add to your enjoyment. A Highlights sequence features video stills and slow-motion of the most memorable moments, and credits, all set to a favorite song. As good as it gets. Three ceremony cameras and one camera for the party. $2500.

Crème de la Crème HD Same features as the previous package, but includes two HD cameras, full HD production, and is delivered via HDV or HD-DVD, when available. $8000.

* Price valid only if we also do a bar/bat mitzvah video package. Please ask for a quote if you do not also choose a bar/bat mitzvah video package.

If none of the plans described in this price list is what you want, we will put together a plan that includes exactly what you want. Please ask.

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