Chad David Kraus – Studio Owner / Photographer

View Chad’s gallery of B’nai Mitzvah photography here.
View Chad’s gallery of Wedding photography here.
View Chad’s gallery of Celebrity & Political events here.

I love life.  It’s what feeds my passion for photography, ever since I was 12 when I traded in my lemonade stand earnings for a 35mm camera. For 20 years, that camera was an extension of me, capturing incredible travels around the world, the simple beauty of nature, and my children growing up.

After photographing a relative’s bat mitzvah, I received such praise and encouragement that I realized it was time to share my love of photography with others. Chad David Kraus Photography was born in October of 2008.

Since then, I’ve shot over 1000 weddings, bar & bat mitzvahs, and other special events all over the New York tri-state area and beyond.  I’ve parlayed my love of the theater and my acting background into photography of the rehearsal process to the stage for numerous Broadway shows including “Hamilton”, “Dear Evan Hansen”, “Wicked”, “Jagged Little Pill”, “MJ The Musical”, and many more.

I also had the honor and privilege to shoot on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and am proud to say that one of my photographs is hanging in the Clinton home in Chappaqua, NY.

My photos have appeared in the New York Times, Times Square billboards, in marketing materials, and on countless mantelpieces, coffee tables, stairway walls, holiday cards, and office desks.  😉

I will travel anywhere in the world to shoot a special event, but my home is in Pleasantville, New York, with my wonderful wife, 4 children, 1 yellow labrador retriever, 1 hamster, 2 fish, and that 35 mm camera sitting on a shelf… always reminding me of my roots of this fun and fantastic photographic journey I’ve been on since the time of lemonade stands in front of my apartment building in NYC.

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 Jeffrey Fleisig – Principal Photographer / Senior Team Member

View Jeffrey’s galleries of Mitzvah and Wedding photography here.
Check out a highlight reel from a full Mitzvah captured by Jeffrey by clicking here.

Since high school, I have had a passion for documenting life through the camera. Years later, as an award winning photographer, my images have widely been exhibited and have appeared in numerous national publications including Time, People, InStyle, EveryDay with Rachel Ray, American PHOTO, & Popular Photography. In addition, my lifestyle portfolio has been represented world-wide.

I would definitely describe myself as a “people person”. There is always a smile on my face and an enthusiasm for sharing the happy moments of life’s big events. I simply love capturing real moments, in a photojournalistic style, as each special event unfolds naturally into amazing keepsake memories.

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Alba Reeves – Principal Photographer / Senior Team Member

View Alba’s gallery of Mitzvah photography here.
Check out a highlight reel from a full Mitzvah captured by Alba by clicking here.

It’s amazing how one road can lead to another. When I was a child in Brazil, I loved taking photos.
I even taught my mother how to take pictures, because somehow, I was the expert in the house. But when I grew up and moved to New York, I got away from photography. That is, until my path led me to Chad.

I met Chad Kraus in 2012 at a bar mitzvah he was shooting and thought about how much I would love to reconnect with photography… and this is the person I want to learn from! I contacted Chad and he agreed to become my mentor, helping me to develop my photojournalistic style.

I love telling stories through my photographs and capturing the moment between the moments. It has been said, “If you find what you truly love to do, you won’t work another day in your life”.  I can now believe that, because I am living it.

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 Nancy Rief – Principal Photographer / Senior Team Member

View Nancy’s gallery of Mitzvah photography here.
View Nancy’s gallery of Wedding photography here.
Check out a highlight reel from a full Mitzvah captured by Nancy by clicking here.

I have had a camera in my hand since I was 8 years
old. The picture, the moment, and the emotion have always had a special meaning to me. I am always intrigued by capturing a moment in time. I love the unexpected picture. The one that tells a story when no one is looking

A number of years ago a picture appeared on my Facebook newsfeed. The post reminded me of a picture I would take. I followed the link and was continually drawn to the style of pictures that reminded me of myself. I liked the page and followed the photographer. I was so impressed I reached out to him and asked if he would be willing to work with an assistant, and that is how my relationship with Chad began.

I have had the pleasure of working with Chad since 2012 and it has been a wonderful journey. I am continually inspired by the moments that are captured at each event photographed and I look forward to freezing that moment in time for all of the clients we work with.

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Tadej (Tah-day) “TZ” Znidarcic – Principal Photographer / Team Member

View Tadej’s gallery of Mitzvah photography here.
View Tadej’s gallery of wedding photography here.
Check out a highlight reel from a full Mitzvah captured by Tadej by clicking here.

The first camera I picked up was an old, manual Canon that belonged to my
mom. I was in high school and there was something magical in looking through the viewfinder, pressing the shutter and creating a photograph. Things got even more interesting when I started to develop and print my own black-and-white photos. Fast-forward some years and the cameras I now use are digital and one can see the results almost immediately. But the magic of creation, of capturing a slice of life, remains.

Once I started taking photos there was no turning back. As my craft and understanding of photography developed, my work started to be recognized, and I’m honored to have had my photographs published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Conde Nast Traveler, Economist, and The Guardian, among others. I’ve traveled to all 7 continents to create stories and brought back unforgettable memories.

I now spend most of my time in NY and love shooting events. The energy of people brought together for a special occasion is amazing. I photograph moments and portraits, details and wider shots, to create a beautiful document of the unique event that will be viewed for years to come.
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Mark Liflander – Principal Photographer / Team Member

View Mark’s gallery of Mitzvah photography here.
View Mark’s gallery of wedding photography here.
Check out a highlight reel from a full Mitzvah captured by Mark by clicking here.

Everywhere and nowhere. That’s how someone described me after one
of my first events. That’s been my motto ever since. I’m right in the thick of the action… up close or at a distance. Either way, I get the shot and I get it unobtrusively. I’m excellent at being exactly where I need to be without interfering with guests or the story of your family’s day. While I try to remain unobtrusive, I’m also present and happy to converse and engage with guests when appropriate and I’m always approachable and friendly with a welcoming smile.

I take great care to capture all the key moments of an event. Years of experience photographing Mitzvahs and weddings enables me to always be prepared and to anticipate the next moment. I take a candid, journalistic approach to photography, capturing emotions and spontaneous moments and the look & feel of an event. I capture personality and emotion with dynamic lighting while really connecting with people.