I had the great pleasure to photograph the wedding of Suzanne and Michael Ettinger, at their beautiful home in Rhinebeck, NY. The way I came to know Michael, and to be his wedding photographer is one of the lucky stories in my professional life. Two years ago I had an exhibit of my work at Cinnamon Indian Cuisine in Rhinebeck. It so happens that Michael is a regular customer and friend of the owners, Shiwanti & Chaminda Widyarathna. Michael was about to open up a new office of Ettinger Law Firm in Southampton, Long Island. He was looking for artwork that had a cohesive look and theme, and made the delightful choice to have my photographs in every room of their beautiful offices.

This past winter, I was exhibiting at Chaiwalla, the wonderful tea house in Salisbury, CT. One afternoon I dropped in and owner Mary O’Brien told me that my lawyer friend had stopped in with his fiancee. That led to me getting to document their lovely wedding, with fantastic food from Cinnamon, of course!

Their plan was to have the ceremony underneath the large portico at the side of their home. This was a situation that presented the technical challenge of how to get better light on my couple positioned under the deep shade of the portico. I fretted about this a lot as there was no easy place to put additional strobe. Well it turned out that it was super hot–too hot to have people sitting in full sun. All the worrying I did about how to light them, and how to set up the groups outdoors was a big waste of energy because we ended up having to do the groups indoors, and the spot for the ceremony had to be under a canopy. I hope that I have learned the lesson not to obsess about things that haven’t happened yet!

I love photographing what really happens in life–the challenge of capturing real moments. I loved Suzanne and Michael’s unflappable ability to roll with what came. They look cool as can be, which they truly are!

We were planning to do the group photos outside, but it was too hot, so we quickly found a place to make it work inside

Food and settings by Cinnamon Indian Cuisine in Rhinebeck

I love when a group photo shows people truly laughing. What did the bride’s brother-in-law (standing next to me) do to make them laugh so hard?

Hudson Valley wedding photojournalist B. Docktor specializes in capturing the spirit, emotion, and love of your wedding. Straight wedding, gay wedding–I’d love to photograph your wedding day and make images that will be cherished for generations–please call me at 518-329-6239.

Secluded, one-of-a-kind jewel hidden in Fort Lee cliffs.

You will be amazed that a property like this still exists in Fort Lee.

In 1957 my father, artist Irv Docktor, found an amazing property in Fort Lee–totally private in the woods, with a great view of the Hudson River. We lived in the woods, yet got to see the sun rise over the New York skyline everyday. 

My mom has been living there until a few weeks ago, when she moved to Five Star independent living in Teaneck, NJ. My brothers and I have been working to get the house ready to rent, and it looks amazing!

Click the photos below to see the listing in NJMLS with agent Ila Kasofsky, 201-585-7659.

If you want to see the photos individually, click here.

From the listing: Totally secluded private oasis, with spectacular full Hudson River view. Views from living room, master bedroom, huge bluestone patio, and wrap-around third level deck. Spectacular and expansive artist’s loft with sliding glass doors facing east to the Hudson and south to the downtown NYC view, with cathedral ceiling and skylights, hardwood floor, bathroom, darkroom or storage room, and access to the deck. Great for artist, musician, writer, photographer, or any creative person with love of natural surroundings. Endless possibilities. Entry level living room with large windows to the Hudson view and surrounding woods, two bedrooms, full bathroom and kitchenette. Lower level features kitchen/dining/entertaining area, windows with views, powder room, washer/dryer, and private entry. One mile south of the George Washington Bridge, walk to the bridge for bus to NYC, or shuttle to the Edgewater Ferry into NYC, or take the bus (a 2 block walk to the bus stop) to the Port Authority Bus Station at 42nd Street, via the Lincoln Tunnel. The town of Fort Lee has numerous Pan-Asian and classic Continental restaurants. All 3 NYC airports are accessible, LaGuardia is closest, but Newark is the easiest commute. Public library, recreation center, senior center, indoor and outdoor tennis, baseball fields and great public education within walking distance.

From my brother Paul, who has worked tirelessly to save and categorize my father’s work: This home will inspire your creativity. There are no neighbors, just a haven for deer, wild turkeys, and birds of all kinds. There is even a waterfall that you can hear.

The upstairs studio encompasses the entire square footage of the other floors is large enough to convert to an extra bedroom, entertainment area and creative area.

Another amazing aspect to this property is that there’s room to park 4 vehicles here, and no parking fees.

There are creative opportunities galore. As our father did, one could have art classes on the patio, deck, or the grounds. The upstairs space could be used for yoga and dance as well.

Sunrises and sunsets will thrill you with a 180 degree panorama from the George Washington Bridge to the New World Trade Center. 

The house is private, at the end of the road

This is how it looked in the late ’50s.

This is the view you get when you walk into the house.

This is the top floor. My father built it to be his art studio. Spectacular views east and south, with a deck that wraps around 3 sides.

Incredible privacy with a wonderful large patio and upper deck.

The view looking south.

As I do on-location portrait and pet photography  in the Hudson Valley and Berkshires, it’s no wonder that autumn is everyone’s favorite time for outdoor sessions. We only have a few prime days for doing this, so please call now to book: 518-329-6239.

What an incredibly beautiful summer we’ve had! I had a blast photographing some fabulous parties and weddings and family gatherings. I would absolutely love the opportunity to photograph what’s meaningful to you. Your family, your pet, the parties you give, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries. Whatever it is that lights you up–that’s what I want to photograph for you in a way that makes you feel happy every time you see that image.

Today I hung the photos for my exhibit at Spencertown Academy Arts Center, which opens this Saturday, September 26 with reception from 4-6pm. “Spaces and Moments: Images by Marcia Powdermaker and B. Docktor,” is a photography exhibition by the winners of last year’s Spencertown Academy juried regional art exhibition. The show runs through October 18. Spencertown Academy Arts Center is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, New York, open weekends 1-5pm. More info here.

I am showing landscapes of our region, mostly from the beautiful area around near my home in Ancram, NY. Also, lovely scenes  featuring majestic trees, flowers, waterscapes, and the always engaging and humorous farm animals I love to photograph.

Marcia’s work is beautifully composed and printed, and our images work great in that lovely space. She printed all the pieces herself and presents them with traditional white mat a simple black frame.

I had always shown my work in this way until I started going to the photo expos and saw large prints on canvas. I started working with my lab, Simply Canvas about 6 years ago. What I love about canvas is that larger prints are more affordable as  there’s no need for glass over the print, and without glass there’s an immediacy that allows you to feel more like you’re there in the scene you’re viewing.

Something I really love about showing my work is the opportunity to see how it looks in different spaces, and how the images transform the space. It’s especially fun at a place like Spencertown Academy where the rooms are bright and have very nice proportions, and there are large expanses of white walls to work with. Like most photographers, I have certain favorite subjects, and I love playing with groups of images and seeing how the design of a group becomes like another work of art beyond the individual image. In the past couple years, I have done this in various spaces like the Roe Jan Community Library, Manna Dew Restaurant in Millerton, Cinnamon Indian Cuisine in Rhinebeck, The LGBTQ Center in Kingston, and Kenver in South Egremont. Each space has its own beauty and challenges, and I just love figuring out what works best in combination, and how to make each show fit the space perfectly.

I used to sit and tinker with measurements and drawings and a whole lot of revisualization when designing a show. My background in graphic design and print production served me well in planning my shows. Like everything else in our lives, the digital age has transformed how I do this task. I use software called ProSelect, made for professional photographers to display their work to clients. With a photograph and measurements of the wall I’m designing on, I’m able to superimpose my images at various sizes and immediately see how it will look. 

Below is the big wall at Manna Dew Restaurant in Millerton, and  how it looked on-screen as I figured out which of my images would work in that size space. 

Below is how the actual canvas gallery wraps looked in the space:

Here is one of the newly printed canvas prints in the Spencertown Academy show–from a beautiful early morning on Tim’s Road in Ancram, NY:

Would you love to have a wall of photos

that will make you smile every time you see it?

I’d love to make it for you! I bet you passionately love your pet.

My passion is to show your passion!

Pet portrait photography on-location is my love.

Our animals bring us so much joy! And their lives are so short. Let me create a portrait that captures your pet’s playfulness, joy, and humor. Before our session we’ll consult on what would be the best thing for us to capture about your pal. We’ll also figure out where in your home you’d like to display the images, and which type of images you like best. The session can be at your home, or at a place you love to go with your dog. After the images are made, we’ll get together to go over them and figure out what to make that will delight you.

I love to create art for your walls that will thrill you. I also love designing albums, which I believe are one of the best ways to keep your precious memories alive. The albums are beautiful and sturdy and intimate. There’s nothing like holding an album in your hands–so much better than viewing the images on a screen. Plus, you have the piece of mind of knowing that you will always be able to see those photos. How would you feel if you couldn’t see or find your digital files sometime in the future?

Why would you hire a photographer when you may be always photographing your pet anyway?

Unless you are very skilled or very lucky, you probably can’t capture the kind of in-action image that I love to make. And if your dog is black, then you know it’s especially hard. Please take a look at the pet slideshow video I’ve made to get some inspiration for what we could do together to make images that you’ll treasure forever. Click on the red play button below (in the bottom image).

Now is the time to have me photograph your pet.

ON-LOCATION PET PHOTOGRAPHY*

1-hour session

With 12×18″ canvas gallery wrap: $499
With 4 12×18″ canvases, as shown in photo above: $1299

With 8×8″ 20-page album as shown below: $725

Many other products available. Please call to learn more!

518-329-6239 or bd@bdocktor.com
         
*Yes, I do family portraits, weddings, and events too. Prices vary.

The prices above are in effect during the month of June, 2015.

(Over 30 miles travel fees apply)

FOR INSPIRATION & ENJOYMENT,

PLEASE CLICK RED BUTTON BELOW TO VIEW SLIDESHOW VIDEO

I’d be honored and grateful if you would share this with your friends who would enjoy it,

and may like to have their animals photographed.

518-329-6239 or bd@bdocktor.com

This Saturday at Kenver, 39 Main Street in South Egremont, I’ll be participating in their 2nd Annual Summer Opening, from 11-5. Lots going on–hope to see you there!

Art Exhibit: I’ll be showing photographs along with other artists, potter Sue Browdy, photographer Michael Lampro, Jill Reynolds of Cheshire Glass Works, and painters Janice Schumacher and Jean Stover.

Also, live music by Highland, SoCo Ice Cream, wine and beer.

This will be the second year that the renowned ski shop is staying open for the summer. They’ve got bikes for sale and rent, great clothes and gifts for the home, and a new room with special things for pets!

I recently had a great time photographing Lucinda’s dog Bear (the standard poodle) and Joan’s dog Charlie (the West Highland Terrier), and their portraits are featured in the Pet Corner. I love photographing dogs outdoors, doing what they do! If you have a dark colored dog, you know how hard it is to photograph them! Call me! I love the challenge.

Now is the season to book your session! Pets, family, parties, weddings, your garden, your home, your art. My passion is showing YOUR passion.

Call me at 518-329-6239 to find out about creating personal, customized art for your home or office.

Ancram Farming: Past, Present, & Future

Sunday February 22 at 2pm ~ Ancram Town Hall ~ 1416 Cty Rt. 7, Ancram

The perfect antidote to cabin fever! Please come join us to see the new exhibit about farming in Ancram created by Lynne Perrella and Jane Shannon, along with three presentations. Historian Jim Mackin will present “Ancram: The Two Sides of Farming History.”  Also speaking: Jim Miller, whose family has been working the land since 1770 at Millerhurst Farm in Ancram. Photographer B. Docktor will be presenting an  animated slideshow called “Ancram Area Farmscapes.” 

The beauty of our landscape is what drew me and so many other artists to this area. This animated video is literally years in the making–I’ve been photographing the beauty of the land and animals here for a long time. Several years ago I was asked to document the farms for Ancram’s Farmland Protection Plan. That got me on a roll and since then I’ve photographed at these farms which are all represented in the slideshow: Thompson-Finch Farm, Herondale Farm, Millerhurst Farm, Ronnybrook Farm Dairy, Coach Farm, Cricket Hill, Hillover Hillsteins, Chaseholm Farm Creamery, Pleasant View, Mill Farm, Shagbark  Farm, The Horse Institute, Tollgate, Fox Hill, Hillrock Estate Distillery, Dashing Star Farm, Western Riding Stables, Black Sheep Hill, Golden Alpacas, Copper Star Alpaca Farm, and Buckwheat Bridges Angora Goats.

The animated slideshow with music is a media form that I have been working in since 2008 when I created one to show the work and life of my father, the artist Irv Docktor. The digital world makes it possible to merge the images and music in a way that feels more like watching a film than looking at individual images–I just love it! It’s a great way to tell the story of a person’s artwork, a life story in pictures, or in this case, a love affair with a place. The transitions from one image to another yields some extraordinary effects with my photos of sunflowers that have been cultivated at nearby Coach Farm. 

I’d be honored to have you come see!

SAVE THE DATE!   SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2015 at 2 PM

The Grand Opening of the NEW Historic Exhibit at Ancram Town Hall

“ANCRAM Home Grown / Farming: Past, Present & Future”

 

TO SEE MORE OF MY PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY, CLICK ANY PHOTO

Family Photography Dutchess County, Harlem Valley: 

Is this little guy cute enough? This is the kind of family photography session that I absolutely love to do. To begin with, we had the perfect spot for on-location lifestyle portraits,

here in the Hudson Valley–southern Columbia County, NY. 

Then the ingredient that makes for natural portraits: getting people moving and doing what they love to do together. My passion is to make photos that show emotion, joy, love–

the real moments of your family’s life–essential moments.

Photos that have staying power . . . that will be cherished for generations. 

Amy said “I couldn’t be more thrilled with the portraits you made of our family.

We had so much fun, and we LOVE these photos!”

Making photos full of love and life–that gives meaning to my life. Thanks Amy, Reed, and Rob.

I had a ball too! 

TO SEE MORE OF MY PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY, CLICK ANY PHOTO

Saturday September 6, 2014 at 6pm with photo exhibit

Essential Moments at the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center

300 Wall Street, Kingston NY

I’m honored to have the opportunity to present a range of work on subjects that captivate me: the importance of family pictures, the beauty of the people, animals, and landscape of our region. Of course any time I exhibit photographs, the choice of work is limited by the space, so it’s great fun to have a chance to show lots of images that don’t usually get seen. The Virginia Apuzzo Hall at The Center is a great big space, so I am lucky to be able to show a wide range of work–from Hudson Valley farm animals to landscapes of our region, to a set of dog portraits, to a set of photos of gay folks that I’ve never exhibited. When I put that last set together, I felt like I was making a present to my younger self, as a group of images like that would have been unimaginable in the 1960s.

The slideshow will include some images of from my childhood to show where my love of family photography started. My father was an illustrator/artist who used photography, and we had a darkroom in our house. There will be a range of photos of people, nature, animals, and pets. It will be a big dose of beauty–I hope you can come out!  Here are a few images that’ll be in the slideshow. Click on any photo to see more on my website.

The Center has a big screen and projector and it’ll be a wonderful chance to get together, to talk and ask questions, to connect in enjoyment of beauty.

The exhibit Essential Moments will be at the Center through September 30. The Center’s business hours are 9:30 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, and during the Uptown Kingston Farmer’s Market from 10 am – 2 pm most Saturdays. 845-331-5300