A New Servant of God. Fotis is Baptized.

It’s ,February 21, 2016.
Driving down on Garden State Parkway to Hamilton, I can’t help but feeling the quiet day of Sunday. Traffic is an easy hover, no reckless drivers, and a light overcast that asks for self reflection, and energy save mode for the week to come.Being on time always helps in enforcing that feeling.
Reaching my destination, I already envision some great shots of the church from the outside.Saint George Greek orthodox Church looks beautiful on the inside and out. “Dramatic mode” style kicks in and I start my creative process.

Inside the church, Dimitri, the Godparent, was already there with the family, excited to be part of such an important day in Fotis becoming a Christian.
The most magnificent light came through the huge tainted windows on both sides of the room. Eyecandy all around me, and I’m wondering if I have enough to capture all of that with my 2 cameras, 3 lenses, 6 studio lights and 6 memory cards. But time was of the essence.Everywhere I looked was a picture asking to be taken, and I’m firing away.

Parents Marianna and Michael was a happy reencounter. It all comes back to me from the last time I saw them on the unforgettable  October 29, 2011. Remember that ominous fall day when a heavy snowstorm covered all the green of Jersey? Trees fallen and entire woods came down under the heavy weight of the white snow? Well, I was driving down to the same place for Maria’s Christening, cutting it very close  to meet my Maker a few times.
But on with this story, I was glad to be with them again and meet the new family member Foti, a quiet boy just like the Sunday I was half way through. Or so I thought 🙂

The beginning of the service, and Foti started to feel uneasy about taking a bath. After all he just took one home not long ago.. Just common sense.But little did he know this was a cleansing in the Fountain of Blessings. Oil anointment and a sacred rite that brings us into the world of innocence.

With a little bit of confusion and crying, little baby Foti finnaly got through all the needed steps to become an official Christian in the service of human kin and God.

Father James Pavlos explained the entire service to the attendees and off we went with some more formal family photos:

Getting to the Receptio place at the Princetown Mariott, there was lots of good vibe and good food waiting for all the guests.Ballon guy was waiting for the kids, cocktail hour ready, and dining room tables filled and ready

A good Start Speech and dancing filled the night with chatter laughter, friends and family seeing each other again at yet another joyous occasion

Music being an important part of the reception, I guess it’s worth mentioning that Jimmy and his son Kosta brought the party to the dance floor and everyone enjoyed hearing their favorite tunes, being it was an old greek traditional song, or the latest in the music charts.

A quick Thank You to  Marianna and Michael for having me again, and thrusting me to document what life is all about.Appreciation of each moment as it happens, seeing the tree and the forest at the same time.

 Please enjoy  all the photos in a story line that I specially made for the parents, close family and friends here: