One of my favorite ways to photograph people, whether it be kids, entrepreneurs or brands, is in a studio. Since most of my portraits are taken in environments or outside, I find it really fun to flex the studio lighting muscles I honed years ago when I worked at a big photo studio! Here's a few faves from past years' sessions. They're filling up fast but if these entice you, feel free to drop me an email to inquire about updated availability! Sessions take place in a loft in Manhattan.
The AG Print Shop is Live! | Ana Gambuto
I travel a lot, and I love-love adding to my travel photo archive. After getting inquiries on Instagram about buying my travel work printed, I decided to open a print shop online! I was planning a newly re-vamped website anyway, to include branding with my new married name, Ana Gambuto.
My bestie Julie then had a brilliant idea - and kindly offered her home - a prosecco party to launch the print shop! Julie's beautiful apartment and fabulous taste was integral to my curating a beautiful (pink!) neighborhood happy hour to look at the work, large and all over the walls.
As a child on the coast of California, I spent my days experimenting with art and imagination.
As an adult, that sense of exploration feeds my love for big cities, new friends and travel.
The works in this collection are all deeply meaningful to me. There's a thread of beauty--often mystery--and always a sense of possibility. From my heart to your walls!
There's prints in three sizes, framed or unframed.
**Photos at the party were taken by my beautiful friend and photographer Sandy Soo Hoo!
There were pink cake truffles from the Milk Bar, beet-cured salmon bites from Poppy's, and my favorite-ever prosecco from Waterfront Wines!
The Gambutos thank you for coming!
BABIES! | Brooklyn Photographer Ana Gambuto
I've been a professional photographer for fourteen years, and I've photographed all kinds of stuff. My favorite-favorite lens candy though, will always be your weird, hyper, spectacular, drooling, messy little baby-kid person. Here's a few favorite baby photos I've taken, new and old, that make me smile ear to ear!
The 1-year-old CAKE SMASH! | Brooklyn Photographer Ana Gambuto
Recently I've had a lot of requests for a special kind of photoshoot - and it TICKLES me good - the CAKE SMASH to celebrate a one-year-old's birthday!
Ooh-lala! Baby pink ruffles on three tiers, created to perfection by Nine Cakes.
The first year of life is so much fun, with new milestones early daily. There are rites of passage left and right, though often, babies reach their 1-year mark having never or rarely eaten sugar! What better way to break in those new teeth than a camera-ready crowd of cheering people initiating baby into the world of The Sugar High!
The key is to place the cake down, and then... give it time! It takes sometimes 10-15 minutes for the little one to figure out the whole cake situation and how fun it can be!
How cute is this puppy-themed cake? Betsy at Nine Cakes does it again!
It can also be a good idea to get down to just a diaper before the grand cake smash begins!
Clear the floor, it's about to get a sugar-crusted coating.
This gorgeous little number is from Ovenly bakery!
The Women's March on Washington | Brooklyn Photographer Ana Gambuto
On Saturday I marched on Washington with my new sister @isabellagambuto and about 800,000 of my female humanity-positivity-solidarity-sisters. What an incredible and overwhelming wave of joy we rode together, refusing to sit quietly in our place, refusing to accept the unacceptable. TOGETHER! Here are even more photos, up today on Cup of jo!
My new sister Isabella (I just married her brother!) makes these wonderful embroideries. She handmade all her jacket's patches! Visit her Etsy shop here.
We hopped up here to get a better view!
And finally, here is a video I made during my day of marching. I am so honored to have kept stride with each of the beautiful strangers I met! Onward, ladies! (The next step is 10 Actions in 10 Days, learn more about that here.)
Making Signs for the Women's March | Brooklyn Photographer Ana Gambuto
My friend Ashley is an artist. She makes incredible crafts and art works by hand, with just paper, pen, and paint. She and l realized we were both going to the Women's March together, and we decided to throw a sign-making party for our community!
We gathered and purchased supplies, and Ashley painted us a party logo sign. We sent out a bunch of emails, and the response was fantastic! Kids and adults alike showed up to make signs to march for Women's rights here at home in NYC or in Washington DC. Some people weren't even able to attend a march, but wanted to make art anyway. We figure everyone will need posters and buttons to wear for the ongoing resistance!
Ashley created some button designs to start us off, and then people could also use a circle template to make their own buttons!
It started crazy snowing outside during our art party! It was so pretty to watch the flakes out the ninth floor of our workshop. We rented the beautiful space by the day from Breather, and had a great experience! It's a nice way to hold a short gathering in NYC when there's too many people to be at your own house.
Selfie!
Just a few of the buttons we made!
Who runs the world? GIRLS!
A Sign-making Party for the Women's March on Washington! With Artist Ashley Page Norton and photographer Ana Gambuto.
We're so proud of our work and we had a blast just hanging out and making things with our community. See you at the March, or if I don't, I stand with you wherever you are!
A family shoot at home | Brooklyn Photographer Ana Gambuto
Yeah, I know it's dark at 3pm and it's colder than cold out, but the sun DOES still rise... and from in here, you can't even tell! Don't be afraid to plan a shoot indoors in the winter, especially if these slower months are the only time you might get around to it.
53 Faces from 2016! | Brooklyn Photographer Ana Gambuto
Thank you to ALL the beautiful people who let me photograph them this year, these fifty-three faces and all the rest! Your energy is still with me as I post this, grinning from ear to ear.
Ali Forney Center | Brooklyn Photographer Ana Gambuto
Tonight my friend Sole and I hosted a dinner at my house. Food, feels and a bit of action. Sole cooked a beautiful meal, and we all sat down together.
We watched a five minute video on the Center, telling us about Ali, the youth whose light shined so bright that he inspired the work of helping generations of others.
Donations go in the basket! The sign is a handy prop left over from my recent wedding.
December 2016 feels crazy. There's been one wave after another of change in the the world, and one development is crazier than the next. This week as each new cabinet member gets announced feels especially nuts. It feels like being flattened between two whooshing subway trains, barely able to grasp the scope of one disaster before the next barrels toward you. It is easy to feel paralyzed.
One thing that felt important was connecting with others. Last night we had some really great conversations about our fears and concerns, the steps we've taken to enact change, and the different histories and personal experiences that brought us together.
We thought, let's do something super-local, to benefit our community. The massively unknown future our country faces has stakes that are too high to stay still.
We asked each guest to bring $40 bucks or so, and we'd provide the dinner. The whole pot goes directly to the Ali Forney Center.
Our mission is to protect LGBTQ youths from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently. -Ali Forney Center
They provide shelter to young people who need it. Enough said. That's why we chose them.
There are many groups of people who are in grave danger of losing their rights in the coming months, and gay youth are high on that list; these are, for the most part, kids whose very identity has brought abuse and violence upon them, often by their own parents, who have kicked them out or made them feel unsafe.
I think about all the good fortune in my life, the basics of which are having been born white, heterosexual, and with a culturally acceptable gender identity. I was loved and cherished as a young person in my home.
Home is supposed to be a safe place, the safest place you know. What if that essential part of your life is the very part that shames you and kicks you out in the cold? I quite literally can't imagine it. I'm aware of my incredible good fortune, and I vow to act on behalf of those who don't have that luxury.
We raised $1,000! I am proud of our efforts and uplifted by the conversations we had last night. One little step at a time!
Sole Anatrone, chef hard at work!
Sole and Ana!
To read more about the Ali Forney Center, or to donate. CLICK HERE.
(post not sponsored, this was a labor of love).