Punam Bean Photography (observations)

Have you noticed I’ve blogged every day this week? It’s true! To make up for my frequent lengths of blogging silence, I’ve grown committed to trying to blog every day (Monday – Friday, anyway). I’m really excited about challenging myself in this way, because once I run out of the stockpile I have lined up for the next few weeks, and before wedding season is actually in full swing, I will have to strike out into the world and bring back what I see as the days pass. Whatever it is, it’ll be awesome. Street photography from NYC? Memoirs of being on the road with Huz? Sentiments on the subject of my favorite things? My favorite people? We’ll have to see. But I’m stoked!

In the meantime, let us continue with Answering Everything! And we start this lovely Friday with probably the most epic, and possibly unanswerable question of all, from Dev:

How is it that you became who you are?

Well. That’s a doozy if I know anything about doozies. Here’s a little snippet: http://www.punambean.com/blog/?p=419

Beyond that, I’m afraid I’ll just have to buy you lunch if I’m ever in your town! Seriously, email me!

Jenna: I am curious to know how you deal with shooting at receptions at night time without natural light? Where do you bounce the flash usually? What do you do if there are high ceilings at the venue? Do you ever use direct flash with a diffuser. Do you use off camera lighting? What ISO do you typically shoot at during the reception? I guess my biggest issue is my flash and getting the lighting right indoors!

In case you missed Monday’s post: http://www.punambean.com/blog/?p=868

Christina New-Watling: Punam! Are you still living in LIC? Mike and I are planning our big move back to NYC and LIC is one of the places we are interested in looking. Any advice on locations? Row houses for sale in your hood?

I am and I will be here for some time yet! Come live with me in the condo buildings on the river! We haven’t made it out there yet, but we’ll be there soon!!

Hannah: 1. would you ever think about doing a little video to post here? a video blog? 2. what’s your favorite part about being married? 3. what do you think the best part about photography is?

1. Sure. What would you like to see? Also, There might be a contest coming up later this year, and you can look forward to a video presentation!

2. My husband was also my first real boyfriend. Dating in New York City is like being in Sex in the City, except for me, without the shoes. And without the shoes, you can imagine how disheartening it can be when everyone seems to be playing this giant game. I felt very unequipped, coming from the suburbs of San Bernardino County, CA. My husband was the first man I’ve ever met who was exactly who he said he was. There were no secrets when I met him, and in our first conversation, which lasted about 10 hours, he leapt across the table and kissed me as I recalled something I was passionate about. I wouldn’t admit it to myself for a time, but I realized something then. The sincerity with which he pursued me, actually changed the way I saw the world. Even from that moment. Up until that time, I always suspected that people had ulterior motives, especially men, especially in my experience of them throughout my entire life. But here was this deeply sincere, sweet, caring and sensitive man. For whatever strife our relationship may have endured at any point in time, before or after we became married, The core of him is so easy to see, he is light a shining through storms. There have been times throughout our marriage, where I’ve been so angry at him, and he’s been so angry at me, and all we can think of doing is walking away because it feels like nothing is working. We fight and we fight and it never seems to get better. Until suddenly, we just figure it out, and it just does. The most miraculous thing about my marriage to this man is that I can always see his true nature. He is a kind, loving, amazing human being with relentless love for me. When we fight, I don’t fear that he’ll leave me, I don’t fear that he’ll ignore me. I don’t even fear that he’ll choose himself over me, even though sometimes it feels like we each are just trying to get our own way. He’s here and I’m here, and neither of us are going anywhere. That knowledge runs so deep within us both that when it heals us, something unimaginable happens. We love each other even more. Marriage has a different meaning for everyone. For me, and for us, it means knowing that the hard times we go through are opportunities to learn to love each other more than we ever imagined. Opportunities to better ourselves as people, and as a unit. He is my chosen family, he is my whole life, and I’m his. It can be hard, but it’s really just so easy.

3. Photography is amazing! It’s just so amazing, my brain is flooded with all there is to celebrate about photography! First of all, since a photograph is a slice of the what that we see, to be a photographer is to search the world for all the things there are to show the world, all the people, the events, relationships – the possibilities are endless! And to be successful in photography offers so many opportunities in travel, experiencing new cultures, meeting new people, learning things about the world you never imagined! I’ve seen photographs that made me burst out laughing, crying, that I just can’t take my eyes off of. One photograph can change the world, it can change the way everyone sees the world, and all it is is a tiny fraction of a moment, captured at the most opportune time, of something that’s happening somewhere that most people can’t see. It’s miraculous!! And to be a photographer of people in love! It’s just ridiculous! I can’t believe that wedding photography was ever something to “fall back on.” Weddings are a culmination of all the drama, beauty, emotions, relationships of a person’s LIFE. And to be a person, to have been married, to feel the understanding of all the epicness that is getting married, I can’t imagine NOT wanting to shoot weddings. It’s ridiculous!!

Jennifer – Can you tell us a little about your own wedding? I would love to see some photos of Punam-the-bride if you don’t mind sharing

You got it! Husbone and I got married at the Foundry – to this day, one of my favorite places to shoot weddings in the city. There were a few things that we loved about it. First, it was a short walk from where we met, and then where we lived. Long Island City has always been the backdrop to our love story, and so we could think of no better place to be wed. We walked to our wedding from our house. It was awesome. And the space is amazing – it’s an old metal foundry/turned event space. The chimneys are high and the ceiling is made of glass and metal. I wore a blue Reem Acra dress, and Husbone wore an AMAZING vintage suit that the guys over at Rue St. Denis put together for him in one try! He still wears that suit to this day – it fits him great. If you are a man looking for an amazing wedding suit or an awesome fitting suit in general- they have dead stock un-tailored never-been-worn vintage suits from every the past 40 years. Totally worth a trip to NYC! AND they have high end designer vintage for ladies, like Oscar de la Renta and Chanel. They are my favorite vintage store in NYC! We married on December 10th, 2005, a couple of weeks before my birthday and the historic subway strike! We had about 200 or so guests, a cocktail reception, and our wedding ceremony was late in the evening – 8:30. Our dear friend Travis was an AMAZING DJ, and I was on the dance floor the whole night in my crazy dress. It was, more than anything else, a frakking awesome party.

All photos by Aurole Studio.

Check back Monday for Madhu and Devaraj’s wedding, and Tuesday for more Answering Everything!!