Event: Lighting Up Mary’s Place 10th Anniversary
L-R: Maria McKeon, Malin Mumford, Michele Gannon, Kara Grimes
A few weeks ago, I stepped out of my comfort zone a bit, thanks to a couple of photographers from Asbury Park.
Because they were not able to shoot an event, they both recommended me to the organizers. For that I thank them for that kindness.
On their recommendation, I was hired to shoot the Mary’s Place By The Sea 10th Anniversary gala.
Mary’s Place By The Sea is a respite home in Ocean Grove, NJ, for women battling cancer. The women there are some of the best work I’ve seen, a work and a passion that renews one’s ideas about humankind.
It’s easy to get sucked into the muck. Just read social media or the news.
But then you mean great people making a positive difference in the lives of the ill and despairing.
Anyway, the specifics: It was general event coverage for the evening. They had a step-and-repeat set up for “formal” photos and I was advised that the venue (Asbury Lanes) would be dark. Could I light it?
Sure, I could! I decided to use either my Neewer Vision 4 strobe…or a set of Neewer 300W studio strobe lights I had that are not battery-operated. Both can be triggered wirelessly.
I was a little worried about the battery life on the Neewer 4, so I decided to use the other set I had, which plug in. I bought this set earlier this year, and never used them. Kinda thought I never week, so, for the past month or so, I had been trying to sell.
But, now they came in handy and they did an excellent job! I say “they” but I only use one of the lights. Here was the set-up.
Pretty simple: One strobe and a shoot-thru umbrella. Camera on Manual, worked great all evening for the step-and-repeat shots.
Most of these shots were done early in the night, though as people loosened up later in the evening, they’d stop back for further portraits. These were the very fun ones, in my opinion.
Bobby Bandiera, a local Asbury Park musician, as well as Quincy Mumford, a young guy who I actually photographed 10 years ago at my first Polar Bear Plunge event, both provided musical entertainment.
Bobby Bandiera
Quincy Mumford
And the emcee for the evening (there was also a silent auction and other fundraising) was New Jersey comedian/impressionist Rob Magnotti, who was hilarious.
It was a very fun event to help highlight the great work Mary’s Place does. Happy to report they also raised the money they were hoping to achieve.
I’m also happy I didn’t sell that Neewer lighting kit! Guess I have to hang on to it now.
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