A Beautiful Mind - Isaac's Bar Mitzvah at The Charles River Museum of Industry
Isaac, alongside his parents, Ellen and Orran, celebrated his Bar Mitzvah on March 28 at the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation. I was there to document this special day along with my second shooter, Meg Belanger.
When a family hires me to capture their child's Mitzvah, the first thing I do is offer a practice session for the child. This way, the boy or girl feels safe around me the day of their actual Bar or Bat Mitzvah. It also allows the children to invite as many of their BFF's as they want along for the ride. Then, when the big day comes, the children and their friends feel comfortable around me and kind of just know how to ignore the "lady with the big camera".
So that's how I got to know Isaac first. During his practice session, I found out that his friends are awesome. They all LOVE LEGOs, Minecraft, and sports. I learned that there was to be zero “top 40 music” songs played and that Isaac's favorite groups were Queen and the Who, to name a few. I was thrilled to know this boy and even more thrilled that he was happy I was there for his big day.
We knew beforehand that Isaac's temple would not allow photography of any kind for his actual Bar Mitzvah, so his parents and I decided to break things up. The day before the Mitzvah, I came to their house to capture all the friends and family that had arrived from as far away as Israel for dinner, drinks, and early celebration.
On the actual day of the Bar Mitzvah, I arrived at Isaac's house super early and photographed him getting ready with his family. I like to think that having gotten to know me during his practice session calmed his nerves a bit. He talked about classic rock and all things 70s—a boy after my own heart for sure! I followed his family as far as the temple doors before turning around and meeting them again that night at the museum for dancing, speeches, games, and fun.
Event coordinator and caterer East Meets West did a great job with the setup and food, and DJ Saigel kept everyone dancing all night long.
I have to say, my favorite part during the Mitzvah was listening to Isaac's parents toast him and talk about how proud they were of him. It literally brought a tear to my eye. This young man was so loved and supported. It made my heart sing!
Thank you Isaac, Ellen, and Orran for choosing me to capture this special day. I loved every minute of it!
