Frank DiMeo Photography bio picture

Welcome!

Thanks for stopping by!  Please sit back, relax and enjoy your visit.  It is my intention for this to be a simple, pleasurable way for you to experience my images, and what it is like to work with me.  I encourage you to read the comments my couples, their families, and our friends have left.  Of course, please leave your own comments too.

Keeping you comfortable during your search (and your wedding) is important to me.  My goal is to provide you with the information you are looking for without having to leave the serenity of your own home or office.  Hopefully this will alleviate the stress of meeting with a bunch of different photographers, and allow you to explore and make decisions at your own leisure.  Have fun, visit often, and please call or email me if you have any questions.

Andrea & Chris, Love and fun times at an Ivy League Wedding in Ithaca New York

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This was a fun wedding! Andrea, Chris and I have been emailing back and forth for a long time now but I actually just met them a few weeks ago for their engagement session. Andrea’s mom and sister came into town too so I have able to meet them as well. It was great to spend a couple hours with everyone and get to know each other. Plus it was exciting knowing we would be together again in less than a month for their wedding. Of course that month flew by and it seemed like it was just yesterday when we rejoined for the big day.

As time goes by it seems like I do more and more weddings away from home. I am traveling quite a bit this year but this wedding was the first of two in a row that were actually back in Ithaca. When I first started out I shot a lot in Ithaca and there are several vendors that I am quite fond of. It is always a pleasure to shoot at the Statler Hotel on the Cornell Campus, and it is a special treat to work with Melissa Hill, Nicole Boosembark, and their incredible staff. They are always so friendly and accommodating, and go out of their way to make sure everyone has a wonderful time. I have been to a lot of venues now and this crew is still one of the best in the business. Another huge favorite of mine is my man and DJ’s extraordinaire Nicky Wood and Jeannette. Nicky and I have done a lot of weddings together now and I can say for sure that it is comforting to me when I know he will be there. Andrea and Chris also choose my all time favorite officiate, the one and only Rev. Janet Shortall. I have said it before, and I will say it again, nobody does it better.  It was also great to meet the extremely friendly and helpful Janelle Hanson. I must say that Sage Chapel has never been in better hands.

There were a bunch of other factors that helped to make this the fantastic wedding it was. Andrea wore a spectacular Vera Wang dress that flowed with her every move. It was fun to watch her on the dance floor with it. My good friend George Cannon came along to shoot the early part of the day and was a big help. George is a super terrific guy and it was special for me to work together with him again. We are shooting another wedding in a couple of weeks, and I am looking forward to it. Nathan Baker from Finger Lakes Entertainment did a fabulous job with perimeter up lighting. The room looked wonderful and I thought his lighting worked well to compliment my photographs. It is definitely an investment worth looking into if you want quality images from your reception. Don and Melissa Bazley from Cascade Video were a pleasure to work with and seemed to do a great job. The flowers by Michaleen’s were beautiful as always, and the cake was an incredible, edible chocolate. I was kind of surprised to see a dark brown cake (it was definitely different to photograph) but even more surprised when the sweet aroma it was giving off practically intoxicated me while I was photographing it. I think it may have been the first time I actually smelled the cake while I shot it, and I tip my hat to Ithaca Bakery for doing such a tremendous job.

Thanks so much Andrea, Chris, your families, and friends for welcoming me with open arms and for providing such a pleasurable experience. I wish you much love and happiness now and always. A big thank you to everyone I mentioned above as well for being so great to work with.

Lisa Kretschmannn - These are all such fun pics...I am loving the one in the library!! I love fun weddings!

Janelle Hanson (formerly Cabrera) - These are great photos Frank! It was a pleasure working with you as well! Andrea and Chris are a great couple and what a fun wedding party! Thanks for your shout out, and while I am biased, I have to agree, Janet Shortall is the best of the best!!

Sam & Jenni a Staten Island wedding and love story

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Sometimes the venue will want to put me in another room to eat.  I really feel uncomfortable having my bride and groom out of my sight.  Sam and Jenni told me beforehand that it was important for me to get photographs of her Great Aunt.  I asked the host (and table members) if it would be possible for me to join an end table that had seats available instead of leaving the room.  Right after that this happened and I was able to jump up from my seat and capture this moment and several other related images.  Had I been in the other room these photos would have never happened.

Sometimes the venue will want to put me in another room to eat. I really feel uncomfortable having my bride and groom out of my sight. Sam and Jenni told me beforehand that it was important for me to get photographs of her Great Aunt. I asked the host (and table members) if it would be possible for me to join an end table that had seats available instead of leaving the room. Right after that this happened and I was able to jump up from my seat and capture this moment and several other related images. Had I been in the other room these photos would have never happened.

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The great thing about shooting with two cameras (especially one equipped with a long lens) is that I can get spontaneous moments like this between the best man and maid of honor from across the room.  You still have to be aware of everything around you but there is no way I could have run over there in time to get this image.  Yes…they are doing shots in chocolate cups, yum!

The great thing about shooting with two cameras (especially one equipped with a long lens) is that I can get spontaneous moments like this between the best man and maid of honor from across the room. You still have to be aware of everything around you but there is no way I could have run over there in time to get this image. Yes…they are doing shots in chocolate cups, yum!

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Well it seems like a long time ago when I first talked to Sam and Jenni about photographing their wedding. I think it was about two years ago when they booked me. We communicated back and forth so many times but never actually met until I got off the elevator at the hotel. If you follow my blog then you know I usually spend a lot of time with my couples getting to know them at their engagement session. Unfortunately we never managed to hook up because we all had such off the wall schedules. After several unsuccessful attempts they decided to have me shoot the rehearsal dinner instead. Of course this was a great idea too because I was able to spend a little time with everyone before the wedding. It didn’t really matter much with these two though because I could instantly see the love they have for each other. I realized the moment I saw them that they had a sparkle in their eyes, and it impressed me. It made me think of something Sam wrote to me way back when the plans were falling through for an engagement session. He said, “Thank you so much for your understanding and patience with our hectic life.  There’s only one thing Jenni and I have that is certain, and that is each other.” I remember being moved when I read this, and after meeting them I could see how much in love they are. It is wonderful to witness such love, and even more incredible to be able to capture it in photographs for people. It gives me even more appreciation for how truly blessed I am to be able to do this for a living. Thanks for everything Sam and Jenni. I hope you enjoy your images as much as I enjoyed creating them for you.

“The Bandulos” are an incredible band and had everyone dancing and having a good time. I would definitely check them out if you are considering a band for your reception. The Island Chateau is also a beautiful venue and very photo friendly.

Sam and Jenni - WOW! These are amazing, Frank. We love the way they came together. Can't wait to see the rest. Thank you so much for helping us capture this day. Just perfect. You are the man!

stacey belhumer - jenni and sam....truly beautiful couple...so happy...wishing you the HAPPILY EVER AFTER you both deserve!!!

Randy Mercado - pictures are worth a thousand words, but frank i don't even know where to start... these shots are all PHENOMENAL. you truly captured the essence of the wedding with these shots alone. i'm sure EVERY picture you took did exactly just that. i WILL be hiring you if/when i get married! and hopefully i can give chocolate shots to my eventual wife and have a shot of that taken. haha you're the man frank!

Carmela - The photographs of Sam and Jenni are absolutely beautiful! You really captured their love and some of the shots are so creative.

Lisa Kretschmann - I love the one in the mirrors..so cool!

Sylvia Borgo - This couple is so obviously, madly in love. I love this set, Frank. What honest and powerful images!

Andrea & Chris… In Love at Cornell University

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Andrea and Chris told me that they were going to be in town to take care of some final details for their wedding next week, so we decided to get together for their engagement session. I don’t usually do shoots this close to the wedding but sometimes it is tough to make it happen any other time. There was a solid chance of rain (and it did rain) but we went forward with the shoot because it was the only opportunity we had. I’m glad we did too because we got a chance to get to know each other a little bit before the big day. Sometimes I think a few of my friends are lucky because of the rich variety of shooting locations they have at their fingertips. Other friends have said the same thing to me about the locations I shoot at. I think when it comes down to it we are all lucky because no matter where you are there is beauty to be found if you look for it. Thank you Andrea and Chris for a wonderful day. It was a pleasure to meet you, your Mom, and sister, and I look forward to meeting the rest of the families soon.

Lisa Kretschmannn - I love the campus so beautiful and classic...that last shot is too amazing for words!

Annie Warren - Oh, aint love grand? These are gorgeous Frank. Beautiful light and colour, and such a lovely, relaxed couple. Wow, I love the location and the way you've incorporated so many different elements into the series. I've been waiting my whole life to find tree roots as cool as those! Awesome work!

Erica & Dan, A Syracuse Engagement Session with Love

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Erica, Dan, and I met up in Syracuse and spent a wonderful afternoon getting to know each other while shooting their engagement session. Their offices are located in a neat building that used to be a firehouse. When Erica did the interior design (quite beautifully too if anyone is in need of an interior designer) www.jgbproperties.com she decided to leave the original pole that the fireman used to slide down on. Well, it isn’t everyday that I have access to one of these so it seemed like the perfect place to start. I have to tip my hat to these two for doing such a great job too because I usually start with something a little further away and gradually work in closer. As I have said before, it can be a little strange to take direction from someone you just met, especially when that person is putting all of this sophisticated camera gear in your face. People always ask me what they are supposed to do. Should we do this, or should we do that? Should we smile, should we look at you? I always say that I will put them in a place that I like and make suggestions. What they need to do is be comfortable, do what feels natural, and just have fun and respond to each other. It can be frustrating for all of us at first because it is such a strange/different experience (any of my past couples reading this and want to comment please do) to be photographed on this level. It is amazingly rewarding for me when we turn that corner and they start to reveal their true inner selves. That is when the magic happens. I think these two hit the magic point big time, and by the end of the day they were experienced models.

Next we spent a little time in Franklin Square with a few thousand carpenter bees. Okay, so that was a little rough for everyone. We finally gave in and decided to head over to one of my favorite parts of Syracuse, Armory Square. We shot in an alleyway there that I had been in before for an engagement session with Nicole and Marcus. I absolutely love the textures and light in this area. I don’t know what it is exactly but something just seems to feel right about this place. It is always interesting for me to revisit an area (especially one I really like) and see how different the images come out.

Erica and her friends are huge fans of the movie Dirty Dancing and love the line when Baby says, “I carried a watermelon”. So she wanted to do a shot with a watermelon, and it worked for me so that is why the watermelon is in the sunset image (incase you were wondering). Bugs covered the three of us as we were literally attacked while shooting these images by the water at sunset. Bravo to Erica and Dan for hanging in there! It took a lot of retouching to get rid of all of them and I’m not sure what was worse, actually standing in them or reliving the experience again in front of my computer. I swear I can still feel them on me after working on these images.

Afterwards they treated me to an incredible sushi meal at Ocean Sushi (another great sushi place in Liverpool/Baldwinsville that I just found out about). The next day they were a big hit with my kids too because Erica and Dan gave me the balloons and watermelon to bring home. I thank you both for everything, and it is much appreciated. I am really looking forward to your wedding and making some spectacular images together.

erica - Thanks for the blog post Frank! I was laughing when I read the part about the bugs, they were so BAD! It was awesome spending time with you! I just got a chance to look at all the pictures and I love them, thanks for all the work you did to put them together so beautifully...Looking forward to seeing you again in ten short weeks!

Lisa Kretschmannn - I love the ones on the firemens pole! It seems like you really captured their personalities!

Yuka photo art - Beautiful session, sweet couple and amazing photographs, Frank!

Sylvia - These are great, Frank. So fresh and fun! And romantic, of course!

OHANA PHOTOGRAPHERS - beautiful couple! love the shots with the fireman's pole!

courtney - They look absolutely smitten with each other. Great job capturing such emotions. :)

Essex Wedding Photographers - They look very much in love. You've really captured the essence. Lovely use of filters too.

Beth & Marco, Love, Love, Love, and a Wedding in Saratoga Springs

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The best thing for me is when I instantly know that I have captured something truly special.  It is like having a jolt of energy surge through my veins.  This image is one of those times.  Beth doesn’t have any make-up on and her hair isn’t done but none of that matters because this is about a father seeing his daughter in her wedding dress for the first time and realizing that she is getting married.  His love and admiration is written all over his face and reflected back to him in her face.  Is there anything more beautiful?  To record something like this is magical for me.

The best thing for me is when I instantly know that I have captured something truly special. It is like having a jolt of energy surge through my veins. This image is one of those times. Beth doesn’t have any make-up on and her hair isn’t done but none of that matters because this is about a father seeing his daughter in her wedding dress for the first time and realizing that she is getting married. His love and admiration is written all over his face and reflected back to him in her face. Is there anything more beautiful? To record something like this is magical for me.

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This is Katie and Chirag.  A past bride and groom, (not married to each other.)  How could this not be a fun reception with these two in the house?

This is Katie and Chirag. A past bride and groom, (not married to each other.) How could this not be a fun reception with these two in the house?

This was done with an incredibly high ISO and no flash in a very dim part of the room because I didn’t want to wake her up.  The capabilities of the new cameras are phenomenal

This was done with an incredibly high ISO and no flash in a very dim part of the room because I didn’t want to wake her up. The capabilities of the new cameras are phenomenal

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Beth and Marco’s wedding was extra special to me because it was the first time that I had three brides (and grooms) at the same wedding. It all started in 2007 when I photographed Katie & Matt’s wedding in Saratoga Springs. Beth was in that wedding and when her friends Anita & Chirag announced that they were getting married she told them that I was the guy they had to get. Their 2008 wedding was a four-day Indian extravaganza on Long Island that is without a doubt the biggest event I ever shot. Of course, Beth was in that wedding too, and I told her then that I was looking forward to shooting her wedding. Three years and three weddings later have created some wonderful friendships with the most amazing people. I treasure these friendships and hope to stay connected to them forever.

I did Beth and Marco’s engagement session and knew that Katie and Anita were going to be in Beth’s wedding and I was looking forward to seeing them again for the longest time. I also knew that Katie’s Mom Carol (whom I absolutely love) was going to be there as well. So I was really excited about being together with everyone again. The sad thing about this type of gathering is that it comes and goes before we have a chance to really appreciate it. It always seems like the wedding is so far off in the future, with so much to plan for, and then suddenly it is over and behind us.

I came into town Friday night and joined Beth, Anita, Chirag, and a bunch of family members for pizza at her Mom’s house. On Saturday everyone met for an early rehearsal at the incredible Bethesda Episcopal Church. Then I scouted the area for interesting places to shoot on the wedding day and discovered the amazing Adelphi Hotel. This place is a rare surviving High Victorian Inn in the heart of Saratoga Springs from the end of the 19th century. Built when Saratoga Springs reigned as America’s “Queen of the Spa’s.” The Hotel was constructed in 1877 during the heyday of the national rage for “taking the waters” at Saratoga. Please check this place out if you are ever in Saratoga. The décor is breath taking and it is worth the visit just to see the artwork on the walls. Thank you to the Adelphi for opening their doors to us, and thanks to Beth’s sister Julie for making arrangements and getting us the okay to shoot there. I could have easily been there the whole day, and thank Julie again for keeping us on schedule.

Next, I met Beth and her dad for a dress rehearsal at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio. This was another first for me, and something I would highly recommend to everyone that has access to a dance studio. Leslie Valencia is the owner/operator of the studio and it is obvious that this is her passion and her life. I was very impressed with her and the studio. She is like a ray of sunshine that lights up a room and puts a smile on every face in it. Beth and her Dad had so much fun (me too), and did such a great job. Please see the caption below the image of them dancing because it was a very special moment and one that I was proud to be a part of. Thank you Leslie, you are the best!

Before we knew what happened it was time to be at Limoncello Ristorante for the rehearsal dinner. What a fabulous place this is.   Limoncello Ristorante is an upscale Northern Italian trattoria in a beautiful romantic setting. Every meal is prepared with a passion and served with a flair for an out of the ordinary dining experience. The food is delicious, and the staff is the most friendly and accommodating people you could ask for. Apparently everyone in Saratoga is incredibly friendly. Or at least everyone I have met so far at the three weddings I have done there is. So much so that it is worth mentioning here that this is a very welcoming place. I wish I could move there and be there all the time.

So, we spent a lot of time together before the wedding even started. That is always the best way to do it though. As a result, Beth and Marco have such a range of photos with all of their friends, and I am so glad that I was able to do this for them. It also gives Marco a glimpse into a lot of the behind the scenes things that went on. We started out the big day with me hanging out with all the girls as they prepared for the ceremony (yes, this is such a tough part of the day). It is always a lot of fun and very exciting for me to watch someone’s little girl be transformed into a beautiful bride. A princess if you will, just like in the fairy tales. It is magic and I feel blessed to be able to record this for people. Then I checked in on Marco and the guys for a few quick photos and rejoined the women just before it was time to go. The ceremony of course was spectacular, and then we ran around like crazy trying to do as many wonderful photos as possible before the reception.

The reception was at Longfellows Hotel and Conference Center, which again had amazing food and a great staff. This is a huge place with lots of wedding experience, and they definitely know what they are doing. So I’m working and working, and working (I shot all this alone with no second shooter or assistant) and then it comes time to eat. So I look to see where I am sitting and well, Beth made my night. She had me seated right next to my favorite, Katie’s Mom Carol. It gives me a nice feeling to even write about it. I feel like I have known this woman forever now, and it was such a pleasure for me to sit with her for a little while and catch up on things. Thanks Carol for always making me, and everyone around you feel so great. You really are special to so many of us.

When you shoot something so intense like this there is always the chance that you could forget something. I really try to be extra careful about everything but sometimes it happens. That is why I always ask people to remind me of anything that is important to them because I would rather shot it several times than not at all. Afterwards I was so disappointed because I never got together with my three brides for a photograph of the four of us. How often does something like that happen and what a missed opportunity it was. I hope we get the chance in the future to take that photograph. It would have been very special to me, and one that would definitely be up in my office, and on my blog.

Well Beth, Marco, Katie, Anita, Chirag, Matt, Carol, your friends, and families, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of this special weekend. I hope everyone enjoys the images as much as I enjoyed creating them and working on them. I wish you guys much love and happiness on your journey together, and I’m looking forward to doing a big group photo with my three brides, their husbands, and their kids in a few years.

Beth - Oh Frank! These are just wonderful!! What beautiful colors you captured! Thank you so much, I will cherish these forever!

Alice - Gorgeous wedding, and how lovely to have so many of your clients in one special day! I particularly love that first portrait of the groom... very nice!

Candy - Yowzers Frank! So glad I stopped by!! There is soooo much inspiration in these shots!! Just gorgeous!!

Katie - Frank - fantastic shots! It was so great to see you at the wedding. Thanks for capturing Beth and Marco and their day so beautifully!

Carol Fitzgibbons - Wow Frank, these photos of Beth and Marco's beautiful wedding are just incredible! Yet again you possess this special gift of capturing the heart and soul of this loving couple! It was so great seeing you once again! Hope our paths cross again one day. My best to you and your family. Super photos and thank you!

Sylvia Borgo - GORGEOUS! I love the first 2 images, Frank!