If your family is celebrating a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah at Temple Aliyah, I would love to help you document it. I’ve photographed many Bar and Bat Mitzvahs at Temple Aliyah in Woodland Hills over the years, and it continues to be one of my favorite synagogues to work with. The sanctuary photographs beautifully, and the community always brings such a warm and meaningful energy to every simcha.
Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are such a special moment in a young person’s life, and it's a true honor to be able to photograph this transition into Jewish adulthood. Whether your child is reading from the Torah, leading parts of the Shabbat service, or putting on their tallit for the first time in front of family and friends, I aim to capture the emotion, the pride, and the joy of the moment.
My photography style blends classic, editorial, and documentary approaches so that your final gallery includes a variety of images. We typically begin portraits about an hour and a half before the service starts. I like to begin with the essentials: your child holding the Torah, standing at the bimah, opening the ark, or practicing their prayers. Then we spend a few minutes capturing more relaxed portraits that show off their personality and style. I take the same approach with family photos, starting with traditional groupings and then mixing in more candid moments and top it off with some magazine-style images to really give your album some variety and texture.
If photography isn’t permitted during your service at Temple Aliyah, we’ll plan a weekday photo session in the sanctuary before the actual ceremony to get those important images. If it is allowed, I’ll photograph the full service as it unfolds, capturing the aliyot, Torah reading, and meaningful interactions between your child, your clergy, and your loved ones.
Once the service concludes, the celebration begins. Whether you’re planning a kiddush luncheon at Temple Aliyah or hosting a party at a venue nearby in Woodland Hills or the San Fernando Valley, I’ll be there to document the entire celebration. From dancing and speeches to the hora, candle lighting, and the little in-between moments, I make sure you’ll have a complete and heartfelt record of your child’s big day. Once the party starts, I focus on capturing true candid moments - those real, expressive, joy-filled photos that show just how much fun everyone is having.
I also offer portrait sessions in the months leading up to the event if you would like photos of your child or family to use as part of your invitation or décor for the party. Portrait sessions can be at your home or on location. I’ve done creative shoots in Venice, with a basketball theme (with the Bar Mitzvah boy playing basketball with the Rabbi and Cantor!), as well as a graffiti theme in front of the many murals in downtown Los Angeles. If you have a vision for a photo session for your child as part of the style of your event, don’t hesitate to ask. I’d be happy to collaborate on a fun, themed mitzvah photo shoot.
The last step is the album, of course. Designing a mitzvah album that documents the day is the final piece of the process. I have many examples of finished album designs online and am happy to send over the links upon request.
It is a great privilege to photograph such an important moment in your child’s life, and I would be thrilled to photograph their Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Click the button below to get started.