Vendors I Love: PHILLIP VAN NOSTRAND
Photo by Katie Doherty
I met Phil as a member of WIPA in 2019. Our paths crossed again in 2022 when I joined his business and self-help book club. We get a bit personal and vulnerable as we read, so I’ve gotten to know Phil as a person. However, more recently I started stalking him on social media and was wowed by his sense of color and how he captures intimate moments. Without further ado, I’m excited to shine the spotlight on PHILLIP VAN NOSTRAND!
What was the path that led you to photography?
I studied abroad on Semester at Sea in 2003 and in Cordoba, Spain in 2005. I fell in love with travel and photography at the same time. I spent the next six years working and exploring the world and getting better and better at photography. I taught middle school math at the time, but did small photo projects on the side. I photographed my first wedding for a friend of a friend for $500 back in 2009.
What excites you about weddings?
I very much love the people and family aspect of a wedding. I get excited to see people rally around a couple for a weekend and support one another in a myriad of ways. Feeling like I've made friends for life with a whole family or couple after a wedding is my favorite thing ever.
What do you look for in a couple?
My favorite kind of couple is kind and altruistic. They care more about their family's and friends' experience on the wedding day than having their moment in the spotlight.
What is the greatest compliment you’ve ever received?
A mother of one of my brides emailed me out of the blue to give me this wonderful compliment:
"Whenever one of us in our family has an experience that involves photography your name always pops up! Mostly because of your fantastic bedside manner, for lack of a better term, and your beautiful pictures. You adjusted seemingly effortlessly to the lighting (or lack thereof, on a dreary rainy day) and other challenges to make us all look our very best."
What do you desire for your business?
To find more work for my associates and photo partner! I want them to be busier than me all year long.
What are you grateful for?
I'm grateful for the wonderful wedding community in New York and around the world. They have become my friends and mentors and support.
I'm also grateful for my life and the freedom I have to travel, to play, to work hard or hardly work at all. I love the life I've designed for myself.
Any recent cause for celebration?
Not yet! But I've got a lot of really cool travels coming up that I'm excited about. On the list is my first trip through Wyoming, a travel industry trip to Switzerland, a conference in Mallorca and another in Tuscany. I can't wait to travel through the end of summer and fall!
Oh my gosh, that’s awesome! Bon voyage, Phil!
AND DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT PHILLIP ONLINE: