NYC Wedding Photographer | Nick Nishizaka Photography

Allison and Dave Married!

nicksan — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:23:15 +0000

It was great hooking up with Small Moments Studios to help shoot Allison and Dave’s wedding. Great couple. Great crowd. The Westin Governor Morris was a fantastic reception venue. They had their new Photo Booth up and it was a huge hit. Check them out if you are looking for one! As usual, I had an absolute blast shooting with the gang!

Congrats Allison and Dave!

Off Camera Flash at Weddings

nicksan — Sun, 12 May 2013 22:21:49 +0000

I’ve been using studio strobes at weddings receptions for a few years now. I’m slowing trying to work them into formals and group photos, particularly for shooting outdoors when I need to overpower the sun. Part of the issue is that I shoot alone and without an assistant so it’s important that the system I come up with is conducive to the fast paced day!

I recently had an opportunity to shoot with NYC as my backdrop, thanks to a wedding I shot in Queens, NY. You can find the blog post here.

I used the following combination for “running-and-gunning” outdoors:

Paul C Buff Einstein 640 Studio Strobe + 7″ reflector.
Paul C Buff CyberSync CSXCV Transceiver
Paul C Buff Vagabond Mini Lithium Battery Pack
Calumet 9′ light stand

It’s not super portable but I managed to carry this over my shoulder and integrate it pretty well. As long as I don’t have to walk with it for more than 5-10 minutes I should be fine!

I’m still trying to figure out a better system so that I can operate more smoothly. For example, I need to get a shorter cable so that it’s cleaner and tangle-free. I also want to figure out whether I can use my Kacey Beauty Dish and still keep it reasonably portable. Wedding days are usually pretty hectic and time is always of the essence so keeping things simple is very important.

Anyways, here are a few shots taken with this setup. Setting used: 1/200 f11 ISO100. Strobe at almost full power.

5D Mark III Firmware update version 1.2.1

nicksan — Sun, 12 May 2013 21:55:38 +0000

I’ve been reading in various photography forums regarding an issue with the 5D Mark III when used with a Speedlight and its AF Assist beam. Specifically, some folks were claiming that focusing became very sluggish to a point where they were missing shots. While I haven’t noticed a glaring problem to a point of it becoming a show-stopper, I always felt that the focusing was indeed deliberate. That said, I don’t recall ever missing an important shot because of it. But any improvement of course is welcome!

So when I heard a new firmware was coming out that addresses this very issue, I jumped on it and upgraded to version 1.2.1. Fortunately, I happened to have a Wedding booked the very next weekend so it was a perfect opportunity to test the new firmware out.

Let me just say that I immediately noticed a difference at the Wedding reception. Focusing with the AF assist beam on the 600EX-RT was extremely responsive. Definitely much better than before. This despite the fact that I was not one of those who felt unhappy about the previous performance. So that’s saying something!

I highly recommend this firmware update!

Here are a few photos from the Wedding Reception.

Ingrid and Juan Married!

nicksan — Wed, 08 May 2013 03:42:27 +0000

When I met Ingrid, Juan, and their adorable daughter Madison at a local Diner for the consult over some good old fashioned Breakfast, I felt like we just clicked. We were all from Queens, NY and they were a very down to earth couple. I was really looking forward to their wedding day. You know what’s awesome? Having the wedding on their daughter’s Birthday. Talk about memorable! The ceremony was at a familiar place. St. Leo’s Church. Shooting the guys on cool motorcycles around the church before the ceremony? That’s a different story! Cool guys. Really cool! After the ceremony we made our way to the interesting 5 Pointz and the Pier at the Gantry Plaza State Park for some great scenic photos. We capped off the day with a lively reception at the awesome roof-top restaurant, Penthouse 808, at the Ravel Hotel. Oh yeah…people were dancing the night away and having a blast. Gorgeous view of the Queensboro bridge too!!! It was great keeping it in Queens. Wish I had more weddings like this!

Congrats guys!

Surprise!!!

Dawn and Wycliffe Married!

nicksan — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 04:11:08 +0000

Dawn and Wycliff got married on a cold and crisp Saturday in early February! Temperatures were in the 20′s but that didn’t stop us from capturing some great moments! Dawn, Wycliffe and the rest of the bridal party were troopers! Bring it on baby! Oh, and the venue, The Landmark Loew’s Theater in Jersey City, NJ…I mean, WOW. What a stunning place! I had Keith Jurow helping me out for this one and I sure was glad I had him around. I’ve shot with Keith many times and as usual, we had a blast!

Dawn and Wycliffe, Congrats!!!

Happy Holidays!

nicksan — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 20:55:31 +0000

I just want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season!

2012 was a life changing year for me. Back in March, I became a Father to a beautiful little girl. She’s almost 10 months old now. It’s pretty awesome being a Father folks!

I’ve also had a great time photographing weddings and feel blessed to be able to take part in such joyous occasions and make lasting memories for my clients in the form of photographs. I look forward to the Wedding Season in 2013!

I hope every one has a great Holiday Season and an awesome 2013!

-Nick

Kate and Joshua Engagement Session

nicksan — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 01:52:05 +0000

It was great finally meeting Kate and Joshua to shoot their Engagement Session at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and Prospect Park. Great couple. All smiles! We had to work our schedule around Hurricane Sandy but I am glad we were able to get this done on such a fabulous Sunday morning in November. We had a pretty rough November but this day was awesome. Mid 60′s. There were plenty of people enjoying the nice weather! I had a great time. Good luck on your Wedding in 2013! “)

Soo Hyun and Sang Hoon Married!

nicksan — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 05:36:15 +0000

Had another opportunity to help out Steve Kang shoot Soo Hyun and Sang Hoon’s wedding. What a great couple! The reception was at the Maplewood Country Club. Terrific venue. Had a blast at this one!!!

Corri and John Engagement Session.

nicksan — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 02:55:27 +0000

When I met Corri and John for the first time, I just knew they were going to be a fun couple. I was right! We met up at the Desmond Campus of Mount Saint Mary College. We had the place all to ourselves! What could be better right? Their dog, Emmett, joined in on the fun as well. Boy, can he sprint! Throw in some nice greenery, interesting trees, and a battle with the leaves, we had a blast. Can’t wait to shoot their Wedding in 2013!!!

5D Mark III Sports Action Photos

Nick Nishizaka — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 01:49:52 +0000

I’m not much of a sports photographer. Actually, I’m just not. With that said, every year, I go to the USTA National Tennis Center to check out world class Tennis players practicing on the Sunday before the U.S. Open officially begins. It’s free and it’s a great opportunity to check out these players up close and personal.

Anyways, this year, I had my family, including my almost-6-month-old with me so shooting time was rather limited. However, I did manage to sneak in a few tennis “action” shots with my 5D Mark III and 70-200 f2.8 L IS MKII! Suffice it to say the AF system on the 5D Mark III did exceptionally well as did the 6fps burst rate.

Here are a few photos from the day!