John Saponara
Brooklyn-based event photographer, working in New York City and the surrounding area for over 20 years. His style is modern, simple, and photojournalistic — often described as a fly on the wall, working unobtrusively so as not to disturb the day, while still catching every important moment.
That approach didn't come from weddings. It came from years of documentary work: five weeks and eleven thousand miles across twenty-one states photographing strangers and roadside America on 4x5 film; time spent as archivist and printer to Joel Meyerowitz; a habit of showing up somewhere and waiting for it to reveal itself rather than arranging it. A wedding day rewards the same patience. The best moments announce themselves for about a second and a half, and you either saw them coming or you didn't.
He rides — the Balkans, Argentina, and across the width of America and Canada, mostly on a motorcycle, usually with a camera. Long solo distances turn out to be good training for events: you learn to read a room the way you read weather coming over a ridge, and you get comfortable being the person who's paying attention while everyone else is busy living. Closer to home, it's baseball and bicycling, both of which involve a great deal of standing around waiting for something to happen, which is more or less the job.
His editorial and fine-art work includes a cover image for the New York Times bestseller Eat, Pray, Love, with commercial clients including Penguin Books, HP, Intel, and InStyle Magazine. His personal documentary and travel work lives on his photography portfolio site.
For rates on weddings, mitzvahs, PR events, conferences, or concerts, get in touch at john@johnsaponaraevents.com.