Leah's Long Island Bat Mitzvah
A Pandemic Won’t Stop this Bat Mitzvah!
Last week I photographed Leah’s Bat Mitzvah in Bethpage, NY. Her Long Island Bat Mitzvah was different than her cousins, friends, and what she had envisioned thanks to the pandemic. So, Leah and her parents did everything they could to still recognize the important moment and meaning of the day.
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While the synagogue was not packed, Leah still had family and a few friends in attendance to celebrate her becoming a bat mitzvah woman, and even some attendees made the event via Zoom!
Capturing a New York Bat Mitzvah
Spring on Long Island, NY means unpredictable rain and while the days leading up to Leah’s Bat Mitzvah were looking good, the day of her Bat Mitzvah was a different story. While torrential rain outside meant we couldn’t do family photos in the Bethpage park before the ceremony as planned, I was able to pivot and set up a nice spot in the synagogue. Inside the synagogue, I setup a mini studio with my lights for family photos and photos of Leah.
A Professional Bat Mitzvah Photographer knows what to do
For Bar and Bat Mitzvah’s to-be, the ceremony itself can be a little nerve-racking and the last distraction you need while reading Torah is a loud photographer. Knowing this, I set my camera to “silent shutter” mode and quietly photographed from the back of the synagogue, while still capturing all the important moments! I was conscious not to block the view of guest both physically attending and virtually attending.
After the ceremony was Leah was officially a Bat Mitzvah! And as if to celebrate the occasion, the skies briefly opened up long enough for me to take some nice portraits of her outside with a green nature backdrop.
Afterward, Leah and her family and friends were off to celebrate this great accomplishment!
Congrats Leah!
Photographer: Trent Campbell