|
 Rabbat
stands out for energy-filled photojournalism with a hands-off
approach
Interviewing
Danielle Rabbat, Owner of Rabbat Photography, and associate
photographers, Janette Rojas and Jason Hashimoto
Rabbat Photography offers a true, hands-off photojournalistic
approach to your wedding photos. This studio consists of three experts whose
visions are the same; to give you the best possible collection of memories their cameras can capture. While it may be nearly
impossible to tell their work apart, there's no question that their
portfolios have the power to inspire just about any bride and groom.
From their incredible style to the fact that they automatically offer
two professional shooters to every wedding day, Rabbat's
energy-filled shots earn them a place on your must-see list.
We sat down with Danielle, Janette and Jason of Rabbat Photography
to find out more about what makes them so good at what they can do for
weddings. Let us explain...
Hands-off photography at your wedding
The 3 photographers at Rabbat Photography all work towards the same
goal when it comes to weddings;
to provide a stress-free wedding photography experience. They do
this by offering a large amount of photojournalistic
photography. You can see from looking at Danielle Rabbat, Janette
Rojas, and Jason Hashimoto's work that they take a very 'hands-off'
approach to photography style. They like to stand back and capture
everything as it unfolds. "We're there to record your special day,
not orchestrate it," Danielle told us, insisting that except for the
formal portraits, they stay out of the way. "Just forget there's a
camera there and enjoy every minute of your wedding. Not only will
you have more fun, but you'll have more natural, beautiful photos."
By looking through their portfolios,
it's clear that each image holds
the energy, reality, romance, fun and emotion that truly make up any
wedding celebration. Associate photographer, Janette, admits that she loves
the entire ritual of the wedding day. "So many things add up and
blend together to make an expression of the bride and groom's unique
personalities. The
ceremony, the first kiss as a married couple, the exchange of
rings, the first dance... I love to take pictures of two
people who are very much in love."
Knowing, as well as you do, that your parents want a few
traditionally posed shots - particularly ones that include important family
members - Rabbat Photography makes sure to take care of the
must-have and must-pose shots. And when it comes to the 'formal
photos' (the wedding party or bride and groom photos), they aim to make
sure that each image is creative and that it reflects the bride and groom's
collective personality. They
work with composition, light, the atmosphere of your day and your
personalities to make sure that every picture they take on your
special day reflects
you.
Rabbat Photography, in person
The
Rabbat Photography studio is home to three extremely talented
Toronto-based photographers. Studio owner,
Danielle Rabbat
has been
photographing weddings professionally for over 7 years, "But I've
been taking pictures since I was 4 years old." Danielle's father
gave her first camera to her when she was only 4 years old. Her first
photo - of Danielle's father holding a sign that says 'Danielle's
first picture' - still hangs in her parents' home. "It feels like there's always been a camera in my hands."
Danielle has an Honours Psychology degree from the University of
Guelph, and studied photography at Sheridan College and continues to update
her skills through classes and workshops. She admits it's doubtful
that
the learning will ever come to an end. "You can always change, learn
new techniques, improve..."
Janette Rojas is in her third year of working with Danielle and Rabbat Photography. She has been photographing weddings for about six
years in total, and has always been fascinated with portraiture and
candid photography. "Ever since my art school days ten years ago...
Taking candid portraits of people and later converting them into oil
paintings led me to my love of wedding photography where every
moment is infused with passion and energy." Janette graduated from
the University of Windsor BFA program with her major in Photography
and Painting. When she met Danielle, Janette decided to make the leap
into digital photography, "...and I love it!" She says that the
photojournalistic style allows for the greatest amount of creative
freedom, and she's completely hooked.
"It's an
exciting time to be a wedding photographer," Janette says. She says
more and more couples are looking for more than just your average,
statically posed pictures. "I
believe that I uphold our philosophy of photojournalism in a
professional and competent manner."
Jason
Hashimoto has been shooting for seven years, three of which
have been focused on wedding photography. "I love making great
images, and I love that wedding photography allows me to express my
creativity... It is full of fast paced action and challenging
situations." Jason
came to Rabbat from a career in fashion photography in Bermuda. He
is a guest teacher of digital photography at the McMichael Gallery
and holds a degree in Media Information and Technoculture from the
University of Western Ontario. Adding to his credits is a certificate
from the New York Institute of Photography.
Choosing
between pros
Keep in mind - when it comes to deciding who will be the photographer on your
special day, Rabbat Photography works as a collective and it is
their similar style that creates a cohesion within the studio.
Danielle requires her photographers to shoot weddings with her until
she has the confidence that they share her vision and above all, her
high standards. Your initial
appointment with Rabbat Photography gives you the chance
to look through the albums, portfolios and proof book samples of the photographers
who will be shooting your wedding.
All of the packages at Rabbat Photography come with
two photographers. Not just an assistant -
a second fully trained photographer will help capture every nuance
of your day. With two photographers, you'll get shots with two
different perspectives, of both the bride and the groom and from both sides of
the church. Essentially, you're secure in the knowledge that you
have all your angles covered. "It's the only way to truly get full coverage."
Rabbat
photographers
shoot all digital and assure couples that they use only the best
quality equipment. Doubling up their safety measures, all images are
downloaded so that everything is backed up directly after the reception.
Rabbat Photography at your wedding
To make sure you get the photographer of your choice
for your wedding day, Danielle recommends booking six to twelve
months in advance, although last minute bookings are always welcome.
Because some dates and months are more popular than others, 'the
sooner, the better' applies.
A $750
non-refundable retainer holds your date on the Rabbat Photography
wedding calendar. The balance of
your chosen package is due before the wedding day.
Danielle personally does all the post-production work on the images
that result from engagement and wedding day shoots. It's her goal to
make sure that every image is perfect. This includes colour
correcting and applying special effects on fifty of your favourite
shots. Some images may be converted to art
images, black and white, sepia tones or modified just to make the colours pop.
Six to eight
weeks after your wedding, you'll receive a DVD of your images
set in a slide show format. These images are printable and can also
be viewed and shared in an online photo gallery four to six weeks
after your wedding. In fact, one of
our favourite things about Rabbat is that all of their packages come with Thank You cards
with the online gallery address on the back, to help your friends and
family find and fall in love with your wedding photos.
Prints and albums are available, and Rabbat Photography tells us
that they use only the best labs to
ensure that you receive the best quality of prints and albums.
Danielle, Janette and Jason are happy to travel anywhere within an hour of Toronto
at no
additional charge. If you are outside of the one hour radius, you
may
discuss travel rates with Danielle.
Rabbat Photography also does what it can for the local economy and
the environment. They try to use local companies whenever possible.
Also, they are environmentally conscious with the choices they make
without compromising the quality of your wedding memories. The studio is powered by BullFrogPower, 100% Green Electricity.
 In other words...
"We would like to thank you for making our wedding day
such a
smooth and pressure-free one! We wanted a day where we could enjoy
ourselves without
having to worry too much about posing or being
held back from spending time with our family and friends - and, you
did just that. We hardly even knew that you were snapping away! The
pictures turned out amazing - we especially loved the detail shots
of our day, as well as all the great candids. Your special effects
editing were also a great touch. Having the DVD of every picture
that you took is such a 'bonus' because we never have to wonder what
other pictures were taken, and not shown to us (which can happen
when a photographer only presents you with 'proofs' that he/she has
chosen). Thanks to Rabbat Photography, we will never forget the
beautiful details of our special day!"
- Sara & Lee
"We've
shared our photos with pretty much everyone on our mailing list.
Thought you would enjoy what some friends had to say about them:
'Such beautiful photos - this photographer did a great job capturing
your lovely smile and the warm sentiment of the day! I absolutely
will recommend her to Toronto folks' and 'We all gathered around
Maria's computer (because she opened your file first) - and we all
ooohhhhedddd and aaaawwwwedddddd for about 7 minutes. Everything
stopped! What gorgeous pictures, truly lovely. I thought the family
shots at the Pavilion really set Danielle apart from the usual
photographer. Having the families, etc. offset in groups to the side
was really nice.'"
- Mariana & Dan
"Rabbat
Photography is fabulous! My husband and I had Danielle (who started
the company) photograph our wedding at Vineland Estates in 2004, and
we were blown away by her photos, professionalism, and enthusiasm
for making our day perfect."
- Sarah
 detailsdetailsdetails
•
In order to book, call 6 to 12 months ahead. Last minute bookings
are always welcome so call Rabbat Photography to see if they can
accommodate you.
• As a non-refundable deposit, $750 is due upon booking.
• The balance is due before the wedding day.
• All images are backed up immediately after
the reception.
• You will receive a slide show of your
images on DVD six to eight weeks after your wedding.
• All packages come with Thank You cards with
approximately five images printed on them (one large one on the
front and up to four on the inside).
 To book Rabbat
Photography...
Email
Danielle at
danielle@rabbatphoto.com or call the
Rabbat Photography team at 416-763-3546. Their studio is
located in the Bloor & Islington area in Toronto.
To check out their latest work, visit their blog at
rabbatphotography.wordpress.com and their online
portfolio
at
www.rabbatphoto.com.
- The Staff at TheWeddingRing.ca
- Review is based on research,
personal interview, and personal opinion and may be
subject to errors or omissions. Details may change without notice. Please
contact this vendor personally for more information and confirmation of details.
- Photos used with permission of
Rabbat Photography.
- Prices are all
approximate and are subject to change and verification by authorized staff and
management of Rabbat Photography. |
