"Right Of Passage”

"Right Of Passage”
©David A. Ziser

I have to admit, I really enjoy photographing Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.  Maybe it’s the parent in me that likes to see these young men and women do well on their very special day.  As I make these images I feel the pride each of each parent whose child is making this rite of passage. 

It takes about one year of study for the young Bar/Bat Mitzvah to make it to the bemah.  That means learning Hebrew, studying the Torah portion, and then preparing a lesson to the entire adult congregation.  Each of these kids are indeed “Rabbi for the day.”

This image was made Friday before Charlie’s big day.  Charlie was a great guy to work with – obliging his parents wishes and mine for the entire photography session.  This is one of those images from our Friday shoot.  It’s a simple set-up showcasing our Bar Mitzvah reading his Torah portion which will be featured in the next morning’s service.

For this image I strived to get a dramatic profile view on my young subject then added my signature “loop light” to his face with my Quantum shooting through my Zumbrella at 1/4 power camera right and slightly behind the subject.  Balancing the ambient light to underexpose by a about 1 stop makes the subject “pop” from the background and gives us a very memorable image for our clients.

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with Sigma 8-16mm lens at 8mm, F6.3 @ 1/30 second, ISO 800.  Enjoy!  -David