Ellen Zaslaw Photography bio picture
  • Welcome to my website. I'm a photographer based in Ithaca in the scenic Finger Lakes region of New York, specializing in wedding photography and portraiture. I work largely in a photojournalistic style but portraits are a strong suit too. As well, I'm devoted to landscapes and cityscapes. Call me versatile.

    Locally, I photograph here in Central New York--in Ithaca, Syracuse, Cortland, Skaneateles, Geneva, Elmira, Corning, Aurora, Binghamton, Alpine, Watkins Glen, or anywhere else the roads go. But I've enjoyed travel to the far corners of the earth, so if you have a photo project somewhere between here and Antarctica, run it by me. You never know.

    Please enjoy a tour of my site. I hope it will be the start of a conversation.

    Ellen Zaslaw

Spirited wedding at Celebrations

portrait of bride in hotel room, head shotfirst look, bride and groom in wedding finerybridal attendants assist bride with her gownIthaca wedding photography - bride and her attendantsgroomsmen with groombride and groom embrace in Dewitt Park, Ithaca, Finger Lakes weddingsportrait of bride and groom, adoring lookbride and groom peer from behind columns at  Clinton House, Ithacawedding couple, urban grunge, Ithaca, wedding photoscandid cuddle, bride and groom, Ithaca wedding photographerflower girl and ring bearer arrive at ceremonywedding photography Celebrations Ithaca, laughtera light moment during the wedding ceremonygroom carries bride from ceremonybride and groom's first dance, Celebrations, Ithacacupcakes, wedding dessert, Celebrations, Ithacabride and groom cutting the cakering bearer and flower girl dancinggroom and father of the bride dance togethermen crouching in group dance, Ithaca wedding photographers, Celebrationsmen dancing in a huddle, Ithaca weddingsmen dancing at Celebrations wedding receptionspirited dancing, wedding reception, bride in mini dressbride and groom whirling around at wedding receptionplayful group at wedding reception

Lawn wedding at a gracious Aurora home – Ithaca photographer

Casey and Jamo had been a fixture for so long, many thought they were married already. But they decided finally to take their vows in Jamo’s home town, Aurora, in the gardens of dear friends. This informal, country-style wedding expressed the couple’s values in a variety of ways. The meal was a foodie’s delight (they are foodies), and it included, of all things, chicken provided by the Aurora Fire Department. Chicken provided by the fire department? Seriously?

In Jamo’s words:
“Seriously. …Fire departments… often hold chicken barbecues in the summer to raise money. We’re quite fond of the version made by the AFD, and thought it would work well with some of Pumpkin Hill [the caterer]‘s salads/etc, to help create the hybrid casual/rustic/elegant feel we were going for. Most of all, we liked the idea of some of our wedding spending going to help the fire department — we tried, when possible, to direct our spending and that of our guests to causes and entities we care about.”

Ithaca wedding photographer - Aurora weddingdetails, Aurora country weddingattendant helping bride with her shoes, Finger Lakes weddinggroom, Aurora wedding, Ithaca photographers, Ithaca portrait photographerbride descending staircaseBride and groom on porch swing, romantic portraitcheek to cheek: romantic wedding portraitbride and groom embrace in front of barn doorsbride and groom, wedding portrait, Ithaca photographeroutdoor wedding ceremony, Aurora, Ithaca wedding photographyreturn down the aisle, candid wedding photography, Ithaca photographerhomemade parking sign, Aurora wedding, Ithaca wedding photographerbride laughing with her mother at cocktail reception, candid photobride dancing with her father, wedding photography, Ithaca, Auroragroup dancing at Aurora wedding, Ithaca photographers bride framed in barn doorway, Finger Lakes wedding photographersflower girl making dance moves at country wedding, Finger Lakes photographygroom and his buddy celebratinglively dancing at wedding, Ithaca photographerbride and groom dancing, Ithaca wedding photographer

Casey’s gown: Punk Rock Bride
Flowers came from a few places, but primarily Hometown Florist in King Ferry
Caterer: Pumpkin Hill Bistro
Wine: Thirsty Owl
Rentals: Auburn Party Rental
Deft DJ: Jamo himself!

Picturesque wedding photographs at the Fontainebleau Inn

The weather could have gone either way. It had been raining earlier, more rain was threatening, and Terri and John Van Soest, the owners of the Fontainebleau Inn, waited until the last to decide whether to put the chairs outdoors for the ceremony. Groom Don was checking online weather reports practically by the minute, but finally they all took a leap of faith, and they were rewarded. The ceremony took place largely in sunshine.

Fiona and Don are an adventuresome couple. For picturesque backgrounds for portraits, they were willing to walk through spongy wet grass and muddy paths, Fiona in trailing gown and high heels, to the historic Lawrence Chapel and its cemetery. Afterwards, Fiona, undismayed, rinsed the mud off her gown and the wedding proceeded. They were going to be hiking in Austria on their honeymoon, but no hike would be quite like this one. I’d like to think our visit to the old graveyard was a way for Fiona and Don to say “till death do us part.”

I thank David Spellman for assisting me in photographing this wedding. He’s always an asset, that man.

wedding gown hangs as junior bridesmaid finishes dressingbride glances back toward best woman, who fastens her dressbest woman fasten bride's veilportrait of bride with veil - wedding portrait
first look - groom is rightly impressed with his bride in her gownbride leans on groom's shoulder in front of wooden shedbride and groom scamper up the hill at the Fontainebleau Innwedding portraiture - Ithaca photographer - the gate at Lawrence Chapelwedding portraits - bride and groom in cemeterybride, viewed by groom, in old cemeterybride and groom at an old stone chapelViewed from behind, bride and groom walking in the woods.Fiona and Don are married at lakeside at the Fontainebleau Inna wedding ceremony at the Fontainebleau Inn features a butterfly releasebride and groom kiss at the conclusion of their wedding ceremonybride and groom exult as they come down the aisle after their wedding ceremonyroses, hydrangea, and other flowers with programs for Fiona and Don's weddingbride and groom laughingly display gift hockey trophybride and groom dance romanticallybride and groom join lively dancers at their wedding receptionlively dancing at wedding receptiona wedding guest talks on her cell phone away from the crowdthe sky darkens at the cozy Fontainebleau InnFiona and Don are a little more rumpled but just as much in love at the end of their wedding day

Hair & Makeup: Satori Day Spa
Dress: Bella You, Rochester, NY
Florist: Ithaca Flower Shop
Music at ceremony and cocktail hour: Jeffrey Sherner
Catering: Word of Mouth Catering, Trumansburg
Cake: Sincredible Pastries
Bus: Swarthout Coaches
DJ: Michael Erb

A church wedding in Ithaca, reception at Dano’s on Seneca

Lauren and John were married at Immaculate Conception Church in Ithaca on a sunny, sticky, sizzling, rainy, cloudy, clearing, chilly day. They celebrated later at Dano’s on Seneca Lake. The day’s weather was simply an advance on their wedding trip to England, where the weather is famously changeable. It didn’t begin to subdue the spirits of this adoring couple, euphoric to be married at last.

bride receives a touch of makeup from her sisterflowy silk wedding dress hangs on bookcase  wedding party approaches Ithaca Commons en route to churchalmost overcome with emotion at wedding ceremony bridesmaids and bride's parents are very attentive during ceremonybride eagerly takes vows at Immaculate Conception Church in Ithacaexultant couple just married come down the aisle wedding guests in Immaculate Conception Church, Ithacabride's sister carries baby in car seat in a downpourIthaca wedding and portrait photographer - expressions and moodsIthaca wedding and portrait photographer captures playful couplebride and groom chat in the kitchen garden at Dano's on SenecaIthaca wedding and portrait photography - bride and groom embracebide and groom are about to kiss passionatelywedding attendants ham it up on steps in the read of Dano's on Senecacocktail hour as seen through rained-on partition artistic photograph focuses on foreground candelabra, guests are in backgroundThe clouds part - the view from Dano's on Senecabacklit rose champagne, to be distributed for wedding toastsmaster of ceremonies holds forth at wedding reception at Dano's HeurigerThe groom laughs at a remark in a toastbride and groom look at each other adoringly as they dancebride and groom dance while smiling at each otherWedding guests are invited to light sparklerssparklers greet bride and groom as they exit the reception at Dano's

Hair: Satori Salon
Flowers: Plenty of Posies (from the Ithaca Farmers Market)
Gown: Reva Mivasagar
Milliner: Blair Nadeau
Tuxes: Hage Tailor Shop
Band: Mike Titlebaum Jazz
Cake maker: Sarah’s Patisserie
Bus company: FitzGerald Bros Finger Lake Winery Tours
My thanks to Peter Ozolins for assistance at the ceremony.

maternity and paternity portrait photography

Though this photo shoot originated as an expectant father’s gift to his wife, envisioned as portraits of her, in the event the couple decided they wanted the first “family portraits” of the three of them, mom, dad, and baby Ella. Ella was traveling incognito at the time, but she would reveal herself very soon. We needed to go no farther than the couple’s back yard to find pleasing backgrounds for the session.
pregnant woman lying above stone wall in the woodsIthaca maternity photography - contemplative couple in the woodsromantic maternity photoexpectant couple laughing in the woodsexpectant couple in lovepregnancy portrait - woman sitting on ground contemplating her belly expectant parents delighting at the mother's bare bellypregnant woman in woods - eyes closed - graceful tilt maternity portrait - sitting on stone wall looking at skyexpectant parents looking in each other's eyesexpectant couple sitting at glass cafe tablematernity portrait - Ithaca in the springtime - forsythiamaternity and paternity at the green fence