Gather Around The Table

I have photographed Gather around the table before, but it has been a few years thanks to Covid.This years event was held at The Shorehaven Golf Club, which I am also very familiar with. It is a great concept. Get designers to design a table, have a luncheon to display the tables and then raffle them off to the over 250 guests who paid money to attend the luncheon. This raises a lot of money for homes with hope.

Homes with Hope is a Westport-based organization dedicated to ending homelessness in Fairfield County. They provide safe emergency shelter, food, and supportive services as tools to help their clients achieve independent lives.

Designers used their expertise to make the tables look elegant.

Each table setting with flowers were raffled off.

Cocktail hour with a luncheon, make plans to attend next year.

I photographed wide angle and got really close too.

All very unique offerings.

For more info on Gather Around The Table, click here.

First Selectwoman and Andrea Moore

Homes With Hope Board Members

I had time to take a selfie!

Fairfield University Graduates

My second year photographing Fairfield University Graduates was another success. I used my Godox 200 flash units for fill and shot with a canon 5d mark4. I would have used my Octobox but couldn’t use it because of 25 mph winds.

Godox 200 set up

With the flash fill.

I took the ladies out far enough so I could get a lot of the building in. This makes it more recognizable to them seeing where they actually are. With a long lens, we were pretty far away.

But the results are pretty good. I like this rather than a close up of a door in the background.

Flash stands are tough to keep steady on undulating ground.

My 85mm 1.8 canon lens has such gorgeous bokeh.

Juleen’s Walkathon

Ray Flanigan organized a walkathon to support his wife, Juleen, who is battling Alzheimer’s. Videler Photography documented this incredible event, capturing the love and resilience displayed by participants.

Friends and family gathered at the starting line, united in their determination to fight Alzheimer’s. Videler Photography captured the profound bond between Ray and Juleen, showcasing their unwavering commitment. The walkathon not only offered support but also raised awareness about Alzheimer’s. The walkathon was held at The Bethel High School track in Bethel Ct. If you would like to contribute to Ray’s cause at Juleensteam.com.

Videler Photography’s ability to capture the essence of Ray Flanigan’s walkathon for his wife, Juleen, battling Alzheimer’s, encapsulates the love and unity of the event.

Drone image of the walkers at Bethel High School Track

Right before the walk, Juleen kisses her granddaughter.

Here is Juleen with her grandson.

Gather around Juleen

Bethel’s first selectman had some words to say.

Juleen and Ray

Corporate Headshots

Look how beautiful these are!!! These images are very consistent and professional looking. I really recommend your company, small business, club, or team to hire me to photograph them. I am very organized and match each name to the image file so we can find the person real quick. I also use lighting and posing techniques that I will use on you. I let everyone choose their favorite image files and then I will retouch and send these image files to you.

For this company, I photographed over 150 people with the goal of making them look happy, professional and a clean look.

Check out the website here. https://www.commonfund.org/commonfund-teams#outsourced-cio

Fairfield Theatre Company

I have photographed many events at stage one at The Fairfield Theatre Company but never at the warehouse at FTC. This was my first time at the warehouse which is 4-5 times larger than stage one. I hope this makes sense.

I was in awe of the space, it really is a great place to capture an event. It is really a test to photograph in there, the ceilings are very tall and all of the walls are black. It has a large stage in the middle with a bar area to the side and a second level area that has extra seating and a unique view of the stage.

I used the banister to prop my camera for a time exposure.

Stage lights can be used for a positive solution for a good image.

I always like “reactions” or “emotions”.

The more natural the better.

FTC Warehouse is a great place to hear and see music.

The band Ellis Island.

Fashionably Westport 2023

Each year the Westport Downtown Merchants Association produces a fashion show to raise money and awareness to Homes With Hope. Homes with Hope provide solutions to help homelessness in Fairfield County.

I do not get to photograph runway models often, but when I do, I really enjoy it. The hardest part is holding my camera in a vertical position for so long. your arm starts to get wonky after the 10th model so you have to find ways to give your arm a little break.

My favorite part of the shoot is the backstage stuff. Going unnoticed and capturing expressions of people who are not aware of you and being a native Westporter, I get to meet and talk to my old and new neighbors.

Here are the links to my photos. Have fun.

https://videlerphotography.pixieset.com/fashionablywestport2023/

https://videlerphotography.pixieset.com/fashionablywestport2023runway/

Before the storm.

Can you find my logo?

Another view before the show.

Backstage catching sportscaster Lynsday Czarniak in a candid moment.

Hats off to all the models that donated their time and look

Last minute advice on walking down the runway.

More advice.

Young love caught in the dressing room.

70-200mm canon lens gets pretty heavy after 5 minutes of vertical shooting.

But it is such a great lens. Tack sharp. Even caught a wink.

My spot at the end of the runway in “the pit” it was so much fun. ( photoshop of me)

Homes with Hope Helen telling the audience about what their organization does.

Lux Bond & Green Westport

I photographed the renovation of Lux Bond & Green for Westport Lifestyle Magazine. I have been shooting for the magazine now for 3 years and I really enjoy the assignments. I get to meet fascinating people and places and I get to photograph them. I am very comfortable photographing interiors and it was an easy for me to say yes to this assignment. In most cases I like to tell a story with my camera so it was a very nice assignment.

These interiors come from experience photographing for architects, builders and real estate. They each have certain characteristics that you follow so that the clients are happy.

Architects are more detail oriented and want certain images to be perfect. Sometimes I will work on one image for an architect for 3 hours.

Builders want photographs of their structures but usually want to show scale and how a building will be used.

Realtors want it shot quick and pretty. No 3 hour shoots for them, but you still have to produce pretty images.

Photographing commercial properties is very rewarding for me.

I like to compose a nice clean image.

I am a fan of shooting straight on. It makes the room look smaller but more intimate.

Scale is another way of showing space. Here I wanted to show the whole space.

I really enjoy the detail images.

I can not, not get a picture of Paul Newman when given the chance.

Depth is another nice characteristic to show in photography.

The details.

DeTapas

I photographed De Tapas restaurant for Westport Lifestyle Magazine and I could not be more happier to do so. One I love food and two, I really enjoy photographing people in their environments. Call it environmental portraits but I like to call it branding photography where you show the world a business and images to promote that business.

Chef/owner Carlos Pia could not be any nicer to me. He helped with the set ups and had all of the food prepared and ready to be photographed. My father was a food photographer working mainly with Campbell Soup and Pepperidge Farm so I would watch him as much as I could to learn how to photograph it and how to eat it.

De Tapas has a great vibe and a very friendly atmosphere. I photograph many interiors.

I also like “dead on” shots it has more of a geometrical look.

Love this color, shot with the Canon 5D mark4

What service!!

Here is Carlos Pia owner of De Tapas.

PAL Fundraiser

The police made it very clear that photographing this event would not get me out of getting tickets for speeding in Westport.

It was a blast! The first annual PAL ( Police athletic league ) Gala. Many of Westport’s heavy hitters were there and I really had fun fraternizing and photographing them. Here are just a few images.The event was held at The Inn at Longshore in Westport, CT.

The Inn at Longshore always looks good.

These guys hired me and put the whole Gala together.

I always love the silent auction, they had some really good stuff too.

Some people ham it up.

An award was given to Coach Lane and his son Skip accepted on his behalf.

Think about attending next years Gala, it was truly amazing!

Westoberfest

I was fortunate enough to have Westport Downtown Association hire me to capture Westoberfest. Westoberfest is a beer tasting, food eating music playing festival that takes place in downtown Westport. The previous beerfest there were 750 people and in this one there were over 1200. So I think people were in the mood to taste beer and have fun.

For me, I really enjoy getting down tight with people and getting their expressions. I will also mix anything like this with some drone footage. I do have my drone license so I am authorized to fly above people. For a perfect day like this, it is really fun to capture candid photos of what is going on.