The Dutch Chasidic photographer - Mendel Meyers

All right, >> welcome back to another edition of the Clappy and Frank Show. Today we have with us a world famous photographer, Mendel Meyers. Throughout my entire life, I always knew Mendel Meyers is a name of superiority, the best. I remember growing up in Crown Heights when I was like 13, 14 years old. I remember people saying, "YOU KNOW WHO THEY HAD at that wedding? Mendel Myers." I remember looking out the yeshiva window. I learned all >> your wedding you had. >> That wedding was in London. I wish I could have had Mendel Myers. That's a whole separate drama. We had a package for my wedding in London and the >> kind of package >> kind of package before the famous Rabbi Krinsky package in Crown Heights and I remember they said they're only doing a certain amount of hours and the album and then we called and we're going to get to that in a moment. So Mendle Myers is a name of top photography and I remember people saying are they having Mendel Myers? And I remember then I was 13 14 years old in Yeshiva and people were saying do you know he's getting like $5,000 today. $5,000 you can't go to a restaurant 5,000 like it's $5,000. I remember looking at but what's very interesting about Mendel Meyers is that like all the cool people all the rich people want to have Mendel Myers shoot their kids weddings by mitzvah. But I never had a conversation with him until a few weeks ago when I said I got to get you on my podcast. But growing up at the same time you were in Bur Park in in Long Island with all the Fitch fancy people. But whenever I saw you, you were holding a safer. You were in 770 diving with Minyatum three times a day. I want to know what it's like to be a famous popular photographer and a little bit about how you got into the industry and your background. So I want to start off asking you how you got into the business and where you grew up. >> Okay. Well, thank you for such an amazing introduction. Wow. Um, >> are this all true or I have half true? Well, >> we haven't said it. I'm just check. No, whatever he said is I'm just I'm just factecking him. >> I know you have this cool accent, so we never had such a cool accent on our show. >> Um, I grew up in Amsterdam, Holland. Actually, a suburb of Amsterdam. It's called Amstain. It's a It's a city, right? We lived across the street from my house was the border of Amsterdam. So, we had a little bridge across the street and if you cross it about probably 50 feet, we cross into. >> So, you're smoking weed since you're 12, I guess. In fact, I never knew anything. It's funny you brought this up because I grew up in Amsterdam not knowing nothing. And then as I go to Yeshiva and I go, people start telling me Amsterdam. As I grew up in the Sabbreistic, I don't know nothing. Went to school, we went home, we went biking, we didn't know anything. Played soccer, you know. So, >> no, for our audience, Hamster's legalized weed for tell about our audience what's legal over there. I'm not going to talk about >> basically in in we I live in Crown Heights and you guys also and uh what you smell over here in the street you don't smell over there over there where I grew up I grew up in the suburbs very peaceful beautiful um and uh yeah we grew up in um in in Amsterdam my father um joined Lobarich uh when he was about 20 years old I think in 1960 around his first letter from the reb was a very very famous letter it's printed in in it's not famous unless it was talked about on the show. So make it famous now. >> So it's it's it's a very well known letter about Amuna. It's a very it's a four-page letter. The Reb speaks about >> AI summary please. >> All all the different religions. One of the my father went to the Holocaust. He was in a concentration camp and he had a very troubled upbringing obviously because of what he went through as a little kid. So he had a lot of questions and he went to Lobic. We found lob to Saul and basically he wrote a very long letter to the Reb about all his questions very common questions very generic common question people asked and the Reb wrote him back a letter the Reb started the letter but it's not it's not so the questions you're asking me are questions you could have discussed with your local Rabani Mbim but since I see your sincerity I'm going to answer all the questions and the Reb goes into every question about the uh about the different religions Christianity Muslim all the different things what's what set Yiddish kites apart and the famous answer that har 600,000 adult men that were there and they pass it on from generation to gener it's a very fundamental letter that it's and the Reb is humble not says I'll answer you because it's there but this became a very famous letter of the Reb that that a lot of people use even the same arguments are being used a lot I see that uh people like Amnetk use the same argument I can't say for sure he got it from Reb. But the point is the Reb made a point and my father was actually the Reb empowered him. The Reb kind of adopted him almost empowered him to start lobage in Holland. He wasn't a he was a student in anthropology and he wanted to become a because everybody in the 60s everybody that's what the age of now everybody wanted. Then there weren't too many people. People went literally to nowhere and the rabbit told my father that um I'll translate it in English with the langster the board from Holland because it's a young man with a big beard and lectures for whom to mention but zer so he says standard Jew with the longest beard of Holland and sets lectures for hundreds of people that's a very big thing for me and so he stayed in anthropology and years later he he started writing in fact his colleagues were telling him you know he he went to the native Americans he did research and esimos and all kind of things and and his scholars are saying you know there's more there's more es there's more anthropologists than his native Americans. So he said why don't you you're you're why don't you do something and this is >> anthropology is a study of the history study of the well the social his field was social anthropology of the behavior current behavior of people basically why people do what they do and and basically uh why different culture it's basically about cultures different culture how to how you evolved and different so he end up specializing the reer started 30 years early he end up specializing about um he started specializing in cases He wrote books about in Israel, not just Loavage. >> What language? >> In Dutch. He also had a book in English. He wrote many books, short stories. He wrote books. When Amy magazine came out, they were desperate for writers. So he would write fiction stories based on true experience and write. He would have a weekly or monthly column there. >> A picture of me in army magazine >> of you. Yeah, I saw it. Yeah. Anyway, >> took 40 years. >> Yeah. Not 40. The whole army is 20, 15 years old. >> Finally, I made it. >> Hold on. Most people if they get into the army they usually paid for it or some way clappy got paid >> right to the company. Now I feel like I identify with the army magazine. I'm sorry for interrupting. No but it was also mishbah not just >> my picture was a mishbag. Now you HAVE TO GET BACK. >> NOW YOU HAVE TO CHARGE MORE. >> The company use you as an NIL deal on all the magazines. Yeah, you're right. >> I don't even know that. >> I'm sorry. Back to Rob Myers. >> No problem. >> Writer of the army. Um so whatever he wrote and he he he actually professor what was his profession he he was a professor on social anthropology was his title was Dr. Prof doctor professor >> in fact very interesting in I think it was bamshin >> I think it was gimmel was a very big famous for 63 >> the reb called over >> 1963 >> professor block over by the forbranian >> and he said those forbrangas used to be a little more more if I may say so casual more yeah and the rebbit called over and said professor blocks and the rebbit gave him and then the rebbit said professor kan Kan Kanoka whatever should come over and say and the went to my father like this he didn't call his name he went like this and he gave him a cup full cup of mashka and he said a professor >> but he was a young man he was 24 >> you'll also be a >> you will also be a professor now remember that in Holland Europe is a bit square you grow you get married in Europe Europe is not like here a guy that teaches in high school is considered a professor in Europe it's home you have to get a promotion and So professors really in the universities there is a head of a department >> big prestigious thing >> very prestigious it's not like here you you teach in high school you're professor if you teach at satma you're professor you know so him he told me growing up he said the rabbi gave me a braha but he was an what what they would call here an assistant professor he was teaching in a big free university of Amsterdam he was a very well-known prominent university you can compare like NYU over here associated with a very big hospital emergency But he said, "Mr. Tama, that's what the Reb meant. The Reb meant that I would I would basically um I I would basically teach assistant professor. Professor means professor. It doesn't have to be exactly." And then what happened was um about 30 years tough. It was 1993. For maybe political reasons, social reasons, they needed a special chair for Judeaic studies in the university. And I asked my father to take that chair and become a professor. real professor >> a group to get the title even though he didn't wasn't the head of the department. So he got that title and it was a whole ceremony >> and he got it nailed it. There was a whole ceremony and represent it. The interesting part of that was amazing that the date the non-Jewish date the uh what do you call the uh the calendar date of the forbran that the rabbi gave a bra corresponded to the exact date >> that he became a professor he had a ceremony >> and my father said that because his study because his field was in was in non-Jewish studies that's why the date had correspond >> in uh in it had to correspond to the same date the bra had to correspond in a non-Jewish day. >> Malo, how old were you when the first time you got paid to take a picture? >> So I got to the first job I did was for Manu Vovvski. I don't know which son. It was probably 19 I got married in 93. So it must have been beginning of 93 94. >> It's probably his son that's a in Silver Springs, Maryland. >> Very possible. If I do the math there used to be a big mil restaurant in Anony Island. I forgot the name. Weisses. >> Weisses very good >> on H and and Coney. >> So the funny part from my house. >> So I got a job. I remember >> the fountain. You remember the fountain? >> No, but I charge him I colorful fountain. Comment below if you remember. >> I didn't want to be too expensive charging $99 because I didn't want to I didn't want to charge him $100. How'd you know you were take pictures? >> So be whatever people knew what happened. >> Whatever knew. We need to tell the story. >> So >> no one asked me no as how I got into pictures. >> Yeah, for sure. >> Okay, first let me finish No one ever offered me $99. >> I'll tell you the story and then I'll tell you how we got there. >> Okay. >> So, I remember >> because we're a teaching platform. People want to know what >> I want to be. You want to know how to compete with you. You want to tell everyone. >> I want to look professional. So, I bought a tripod, >> but I need a tripod. But to look professional, I have to put in that tripod. I did a job. I got paid $99. That was the first job. >> Um, >> like 1996. >> Uh, 1993, four around that time. >> It was digital photography or >> No, no, no, no. Digital. We got film I I went digital 2000 end of 2002. >> So that's already a long time ago. In fact, I have a huge database from since then since 20023 >> which is now 23 years from every single wedding organizer. So if you're looking for any wedding in two seconds I can pull up any wedding. >> But you save all the files >> of course multiple locations on cloud and I have a three two three two locations three hard drives plus cloud. So >> because all our studios they refuse to save our files. >> So we have to back it up ourselves. something called Dropbox and you you should definitely keep everything because you never know >> how valuable the footage first of all your footage whatever you should definitely keep hold on to it but that's a separate conversation how I got into the business as follows um so since I grew up in Holland my parents had friends we had neighbors that were Jewish not totally not religious and um that neighbor but they were five houses away and we became close to them and eventually they moved to another from a regular area. They moved to a farm somewhere in the in the middle of nowhere in the in Holland >> where all the tulips where all the tulips are grow. >> Not exactly. But in the farms now, if you you probably a lot of people are not familiar with Holland. In my opinion, Holland is probably one of it's one of the most beautiful countries in the world. If you're looking to go on vacation, you go to Holland, but don't stay in the city. Go to the outskirts because they're small villages, very religious people, very very um pe just amazing. Just an amazing place. Very peaceful. The quiet is so quiet you can tap into it. It's it's unbelievable. It's just an unbelievable place. >> Mountains, rivers, it's the flattest country in the world. >> So if you want you go on a biking vacation, you could technically buy the bike the whole country and >> that's why they all bike all day cuz there's no hills. Oh, >> it's an amazing easy biking. It's an amazing amazing. >> Where the tulips it's a seven-hour flight >> and you're the most beautiful place. >> Where the tulips? >> That's that's farms. Tulip Farms. It's cool. It's a it's a place it's a place not not far from Amsterdam but about a half hour from first of all everything it's a small country you could probably drive from the bottom to the top in three and a half hours the whole country it's probably the size of Jersey but anyway so I grew up um I went to yes I yes but Ben we came home my parents had these friends I moved to another to to a farm they bought a beautiful farm he was a psychiatrist but they they lived they want to live in the countryside and we went to visit them and I'm like an abs absent-minded teenager and I'm just walking around and they had next door to the farm that is windmill and the and the cows and the horses walking around just dream scenery like beautiful and I promise you this this sounds very cliche but I find myself looking at the at the windmill and I'm literally going like this I'm trying to see what it would look like in a picture and a paint I'm just because I'm I drew I I I always used to draw as a kid and I designed in fact I bought my uh you can look at this this is what I did before I went to photography ready to go >> I used to do the Um, >> oh, monograms. >> This I used to do when I before I got married. >> Can I see? >> Beautiful monogram. >> You had to kinsy on. I did his monogram is there also. >> Mandel, could we make a deal if they they do a photography? They got also a free. >> No, no, no. I don't I don't have time for this. This is it. >> Oh, this is the real stuff. >> This is when he got married. It was >> whatever. But anyway, so what happened was um I used to be my family's writer. My father's a writer, my mother is an artist and the whole family we used to uh >> So you're a real artist family. >> So yeah, so eventually I I felt the need to buy a canvas. So I bought a point and shoot in those days in one of the department store like like here like you have Costco some of those stores. It was I don't know what it cost me probably $79 at the time and I took it to Israel where I learned and I felt very limited with it. So eventually it's funny because there was a little store next to yeshiva teras that used to sell danishes and and chocolate danish all the things. So I used to go there because >> yeah it's called mcdana. Yeah. And the yeshiva there was the food you can imagine yeshiva. So I used to go there try to go there as much as I can just to you know to eat something. In fact I was there a half year ago and I went to say hello. They remember me they remember the camera remember every amazing two Iranian guys amazing people. So I um they bought the camera off because I wasn't happy with it. So fast forward a few years later we went to I learned to Morris I went to Miami. At that point I was a dormc on so I was making $100 a month whatever I was making. So I had enough money to call B&H and buy a proper SLR camera and I started going around Miami and taking pictures. So I always enjoyed photography and then I was doing as a bacha back in 77 I need to make some money. So I started doing monograms and that was my pona making. I was charging at the time $150 a monogram. I would say it's equivalent to today probably charging 350. I'm just throwing a number at you for it was a little bit expensive but bar hashem I was people were hiring me and um that's it. I was doing the monograms and then I got married and I was trying to figure out what I want to do looking for a job looking went to different interviews while first kyle and then looking for a job and while I was looking for a job people were approaching me and they said well you're doing monograms and we oh so I I was going to the sham looking 770 who had a baby called them up and said you need a photographer for the Brits I think I charge $35 for a bris so what you know so >> so your first job was a bris one ball of film one ball of film would cost $56 to buy probably $10 to buy a new I fig I make $25 in one hour. So Bris not bad. >> So I used to do so people started. >> So your first job were Bristen you used to call them. >> I was doing Bris >> just for a second. He said $56 for a royal film plus you had to develop it. >> I figure developing I forgot what the >> developing cost is $6. >> Yeah. In a film the ro the role cost $23. I don't remember. So So I used to do Britain >> um and I used to do whatever. So people saw me my s my monograms. They said would come to my house. They want a they want you know what do you like? What style do you want a picture of something? You want letters and basically they would they would basically oh you do photography too. So I say yeah I don't do weddings I do basic stuff. Um so fast forward there was a show whoever remembered the roads castle all of a s there was a hall in Williamsburg on flushing called the rose castle. >> Still there? >> No they developed the whole place. >> What's the place on? >> They put up an apartment building there. >> What's the other one? Myrtle Avenue is a big one. >> Yeah, Eden Palace. Yeah, that's probably also coming down already. They're not putting any money to the thing. I don't know if it's still it's still open. I wouldn't know. >> But anyway, Rose Castle. So, there was a big bridal show. >> So, I figured I'm going to go with my monograms there. Show my monogram. $150 a piece. I'm going to get 100 m $15,000 for a young man. It's going to pay uh almost my yearly salary. It's gonna, you know. So, I went there and people walking by and looking. It was very impressive. People say, "Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful." I didn't sell one monogram. Hi. >> Well, wait. I tell you how how God I mentioned and got lucked. There was another photograph. There were two photographers there. And if you remember Freriedman photography. >> Yes. >> Freeman. I don't you know they had an entire wall with free portraits with samples and it was a whole a whole big deal. And there was another photographer who had a half a boot. You know, you can't afford a whole you take a half a boot. And he had about seven 11 by4s on this table in Matt. And me with my ADD, I uh after a few minutes I can't after a while get up to go a little walk around >> walk around the booth and >> you took a booth. >> I took a half a booth. >> A half a booth. The other photographer took a full and another one took a hole. >> One guy didn't took a full booth. He took an he was a sponsor. He took an entire wall. >> How much do you remember how much your booth costed those days? >> No, I wouldn't know. >> 200 bucks. >> I I honestly wouldn't know. >> Okay. I'm just curious. >> Anyway, so the other guy, so Freman is a whole matziff and and the other guy was this humble quiet guy. His name is David Tictton. >> Tictton. >> Tictton. David Tictton. He used to be Aura Studios died. He's now a in Colia in Columbus, Ohio, which is part of a big building. >> So Zami was Zami. >> They just had a opening number one is a great guy. So Zami was my Zi Zami was my uh was for and he got married the night before. So I said, "Who are you using for photography?" He told me using Orura Studios. Ora sounded to me Israeli. I I don't like doing business. Didn't didn't sound attractive to me. My wife wanted something. You feel the same or you? >> No, no, no. One sec. I have I'll tell you about that, too. So, all the Zionist person. >> I'll squeeze in one little story. I had an Israeli customer. I did a fancy job for Marina Re. He comes the next morning to my office. >> I went to AA Marina D when I was eight years old. Must have been It must have been a million dollar wedding. I'm just letting you know. So this Israeli guy isn't realistic that comes to me next morning, pays me full and I look at him like what's because the night before he I didn't bring money. It's not a good sign. So he tells me why like you're looking to I said honestly I didn't expect you to come so quick. He says don't worry I don't like doing business with Israelis either. >> So but anyway go going back to since I'm bar plenty good Israelis. >> You're at the trade show the bridal trade show. >> Yeah. So I walk around and I see this photographer with seven 11 by14s on the table and I'm I have an eye for art and I'm blown away. I have never because to me wedding photography is boring static pictures with a cassand under the chin and a stiff boring portrait with a tuxedo you know the oldfashioned pictures and with the green backgrounds and I said it's totally meaningless by the way that's why you have a whole new reg generation now of basically of rebels now the whole now the whole photography became a rebellion style because of that because it was so STIFF >> OH MY GOD 35 YEARS AGO I remember there was green backgrounds and they stood there like a bunch of your girls. Exactly. That's all. I never saw that again. >> So, so what happened was so he had he had very very he had very interesting photographs. Every I'm saying photographs, not pictures because they were photographs. They weren't just snapshots. They were welld designigned with foregrounds, backgrounds, hallways, chandeliers. It was everything was incorporated. It just made sense to it. It was amazing. And I remember till today I don't have a good memory, but I have a visual memory. I tell him, "This is beautiful. This is amazing." And he was very humble. He says, "Well, thank you very much." you know that was the end of it and I all of a sudden read this is or this the guy's done we died whatever and the work was just totally different than everything else so I was very impressed and about six months later people started pushing me can you do my wedding can you do this I'm doing monograms and doing bit and I said you know maybe I can hire a photographer because I don't know how to do it I'll hire a photographer and I haven't do the work for I'll develop it so um in fact we had a stint my wife and I a Schlick a stint in Florida in uh in south south Florida north Miami we actually went there for for a month or two so at that point I already had booked a wedding and the people were looking for me I know because I was nowhere to be found so I said don't worry I arranged somebody to shoot it and everything worked out >> I just want to say because we're a business show and you said that people were trying to hire you to do a job to do weddings and you were comfortable in your bar mitzvah and you were comfortable >> not even bar mitzvah you were comfortable $99. Yeah. >> Doing your and doing your your doing your your monograms. >> And I had the same exact experience where people want to hire me for gigs and events to be an MC. And even Mishi was telling me I'm going to get you a gig. He got me a comedy show in the lower side. It's very intimidating. >> People are I'm to myself. You're very comfortable in your own skin. A guy could have a job. He makes $35 an hour. And then a guy says, "No, I want to hire you to do a gig." And you go on your own. It's millions and millions of people in the world are dealing with this um anxiety and stress of being offered opportunities and it's self-esteem and people don't feel like they're up to the task and it's something that you experienced at first, >> right? So I I don't think it was a self it was much more than self-esteem. Self-esteem is you can do it but you don't feel comfortable. I said I don't have right how can I I wouldn't know what to do. >> Well, what is the right of passage to say that you're ready for it? Who decides? So, so what happened was that's why I decided let me hire other guys who are doing it. Ask them how much would you charge me to show up and do this for me and I will charge on top of that a couple of hundred. I'll take care of the film or whatever. So, I booked one or two jobs like that. Um, and it didn't matter if the guy was good or not, but I got the job covered. So, at least but going back to this guy David, people started asking more and more and I don't I have no So, I started I actually went open. People don't know what the yellow pages is. Maybe they do. I open a phone book and I started looking for all the photographers in Brooklyn, Queens, everywhere. And I called them up. Would you shoot freelance? And as they hang up on me, you know, but one or two guys said, "Yeah, I'm actually shooting for this Jewish studio. That guy I've been doing Italian guy." There was a guy, Italian guy. I went out, drove to Queens, met him and was amazing guy. Just a great typical Italian, very nice guy, sweet sweetheart. And he said, "I'll shoot for you. No problem. And he showed me some samples of the work. I loved what he showed me. So here now I have one guy that I can hire. >> Guess the go will be happy. You'll pay them. They'll do FREE LUNCH. YOU DIDN'T. OH, I WANT TO BE THE COOL GUY. >> I you didn't have Yeah, I have you. I had a local hair. But anyway, going back to um so this talent would shoot for me, but I started hiring people, but it was always like I had a vision and I would ask them to do something and it was not digital, so you can't see the result and all of a sudden it's not what I had in mind. You know, it's telling it's like telling somebody else to draw for you and there's no design. It's not what you have in mind. So then I heard a rumor that this David or he went bankrupt. A lot of people were waiting for the albums different. He went back went out of business. So I called this guy. I I heard he was working B&H at the time. So I called B&H. B&H wasn't as big at the time. Can I speak to David Tickton? One thing by the way, okay, we got him on the phone and he his answer is, "Oh, you're the monogram guy. So I said, you know, I love your work. I heard you're not in business. would you shoot for me? He tells me, I'm working here full-time, but I can take off two two days a month. I can I can I made a deal that I can take off two months a day. Two months a two days a month I can work. >> The rest is history. He started two days a month. Became very in demand. My first customer was my friend Michael Butler. I don't know if you know Michael Butler's father. >> Father, South African. >> Yeah, he's my he's a friend of mine. So I >> Dutch South African. So I walked over to him. South Africans are Dutch. >> Yeah. Originally 300 years. So I said, "Would you like me to do your wedding?" So where are your credentials? I said, he didn't say that, but I said, "I have this and this guy. You can do it for me." He got back to me. He said, "Listen, um, no problem." He was a friend of mine. He gave me he gave me the job and and a few more people hireing the rest is history. Now, what happened was he could only do two two jobs a week, but he knew >> two jobs a month. >> Two jobs a month. He knew all the other guys because he used to work for him. All the guys already >> I just want to say from 14 years working in that company what you were paying him for one event was probably two weeks salary. >> So we're not here to put anything down. >> I'm just I'm not putting down anything. I'm just saying >> so what happened was this guy >> coming six month anniversary of quitting. >> So what happened was >> we didn't quit. We left respectfully. He basically he basically went and he um and we were getting busy and at one point he had to make a decision because a lot he had to say no he gave me a lot of other guys who used to work for him freelance photographers so within it's not like the internet today have access to everything is a secret he said this is a list of photographers these are the premium guys these are the less better guys these are the third grade guys this is where you make your albums this is where you develop your pictures this are the children He gave me all the insights. So in in one I was in business overnight. So >> 30 30 years of his hard work. You were getting information. Great. Great. >> And he was extremely loyal. Extremely loyal. He was in his low 40s. So uh prime talking about you're talking about it takes years to master this. Trust me, you're going to business it takes 20 years to master the craft. >> So you leaned on his branding experience, but you were a better business manager than >> not as his branding, but his experience and his talents and experience. I was the businessman. I'm a very massudical person. I I consider myself extremely reliable. I don't go to sleep till everything is, you know, I write everything down. I I make sure every day what I have to do. I'm a very very organized. >> I like that. >> And he is >> So, hold on. My takeway is if if if you're looking to get into new business and you see someone recently closed down, don't look at him as a failure. Say, let me bring him into my business. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. >> You do let him do what he does good and I'm going to do everything else and we have a great >> Exactly. Exactly. Lot take away. A lot of people are very talented, but they're not business people. And a lot of people are business people, but they're not necessarily talented. So, you you have it's it's very rare to find people that that have both sides of the brain. I'm like the type of person I'm I have the business brain and I have the artistic brain. And I think I force myself to have a business because I'm a bit, you know, I'm I'm like passionate about organized because by nature I'm not necessarily organized. So, I make >> so amazing. is like the most golden thing you said when a guy goes bankrupt but he was in a business for many years most people say he's a failure but the smart people say how could >> I just said that >> it's I'm just blown away people have to do this >> so so basically it came to a point where he says he says to me where do we um he says to me listen I I can't leave more than two days but I see you're busy let's let's have a meeting he lives near Lakewood in New Jersey South Jersey we met in Lakewood and some flesh you could play some and He said to me, "Listen, give me first choice. Try to give me all the jobs first choice. Don't give me, you don't have to promise me nothing. Just give me first choice. I'll be the first guy to come on a job and the last guy to leave so I can make the maximum hours and I'll come and work for you exclusively." Now, that was the end of it. That was the beginning of everything. And then he what happened was he was so loyal. He had a lot of old customers, very wealthy customers or people were in the circles of very wealthy. You know, you go where do you go to the country? >> I you were in inner circle recently. >> A lot of relatives in a circle. >> So what's next in a circle? >> Evergreen multic. >> No. What is >> luxur? So the whole luxury estate were my customers overnight. >> The billionaires, >> right? Overnight all of those people were my because they were all his customers. And did he he didn't piss off enough of those people that didn't want to deal with Elizabeth after. >> First of all, >> he said there's a lot of outstanding >> some people some people were upset. >> Um I'll tell you something. >> There's some damage control. >> He had language the show. >> Yeah. The legend. >> Rabbits and >> rabbits and hang. You know what he heain used to be his customer. He did all their weddings under himself and then under me. He did some of the weddings too. And he told me the only reason I have respect from people is because of annual. That's what he told me. >> He wasn't He was Jewish. He was >> Yeah, he's Jewish. She's still working. >> Feedback she's getting. >> Huh? >> He told me that. He told me. >> Her phones are blowing up. >> He told me the only reason he said because No, because she gave him the benefit of that. After he went bankrupt, a lot of people wanted to kill him and she gave him the benefit of the doubts. Is David were going to work it out. He end up coming to her house. He helped her with the albums. She was she she didn't called the script. She she said, "Let's you know, she worked it out with him." So he said, "Instead of coming after me, try to work with me." But he was extremely loyal to me throughout the last uh since since those years. >> You know, Uncle Manny, the watch guy, was on the show. >> I saw the show. Yeah. >> He told me something very interesting. And he has to collect millions of dollars from people. He gives jewelry and watches on credits. >> He said, "When a guy's not paying his bills, >> people think you're going to come and attack the guy and threaten the guy. I'm going to send the mafia." And he says, "I meet with the person, right, >> like a mench, >> right? >> Coffee, maybe a Danish." And we say, "What's going on that you're such a mess that you're not paying your bill? But you have to be Uncle Manny with his demeanor to do it. If you and I going to do it, it's not going to work. >> But I don't think people are successful collecting debt, coming and holding a baseball bat. Right. I think you have to find out what's going on. And it's just something he mentioned. >> He still works with you, this guy. >> Yeah. So now it's I changed everything around now over over the last several years. Um David has gotten a little older and um Baram is still working. We're working together next week. We worked together two weeks ago. But also a lot of people, not everybody wants to do a photographer. So to run an entire wedding yourself, 10 hours. Um I feel at this point I'm going to be more efficient. >> And basically what happened was in between. So I still didn't know how to take I knew how to take snapshots. I didn't know how to press the button. But you talk about lighting. There's this there's so much goes into a composition. Lighting. There's a million things that go in posing. Posing is a very dirty word by the way because posing means you're manipulating somebody to look unnatural. That's but real posing is basically re what happens is when when I point a camera at you become very maybe not you but most people become automatically >> stiff >> stiff they become awkward even especially young girls when they pose in front of the camera they shoot they put the headband they break their neck and they start looking very awkward and they feel that's the way you're supposed to feel. So the job as a good photographer is understand what's a buddy what how a buddy is supposed to look natural and put the people back in the proper position. It's not very complicated by the way. Most people today most photographers don't know that and that's why they're struggling. They have to take another one, another one, another one because they don't understand how to reposition a person. So if you position a person properly and that's what he taught me how to position people properly. What works and what doesn't work. I'm going to tell you something that everybody's gonna think it sounds crazy, but it there's only one way. One way to pose a male, a man, and two ways to pose a female. Sounds crazy, right? How can you do a whole wedding by there's only one and it means it means like this. There's only one way a man can look good in a photograph and there's only two ways a female can look good in a photograph. Everything else you >> What's here are the secrets? >> It's very simple. There's a muscular mus pose where where a person when when a man basically sits. I have to do it standing. But a man can only look good if you basically um I have it's hard to do when I'm sitting but basically this is a muscular photo straight the head tilted a little. A lady if your head is tilted too much in either direction it looks unnatural. So for a person the way you're sitting right now is natural. If you don't even make your head is a little tilted this way and you look you you just look natural. You look comfortable. If I tilt your head the other way. If you try it and turn your face now this way. No. Sit up. Turn tilt the top of your head this lower lower your head a little. If you tilt it this way, it looks feminine. It doesn't work for a man. It looks feminine. >> For so a female can compose both ways. The head to head. For male is really own way. So everything else is gravy. everything else around that you there's different ways of bringing foregrounds, backgrounds, closer, further. There's a lot you can do. So, he taught me everything about photography. He there wasn't much talking. It was just me looking at what he did, looking at the results and asking questions. And he learned he went to college and then one thing led to another was introduced to another very famous photographer passed away. Hi, Rosen. I don't know if you you probably never heard of the name, but it was a guy Larry Gand. These were the the famous photographers. And I was lucky enough because I made connections. I always paid my bills on time. So the binder loved me. The lab loved me. There was never So they said, "You got to meet this guy. You meeting that guy." Because they like me. So I got introduced to to real stars and they started working for me. And I looked at the work and I asked questions and that's how I learned how to shoot, how to do things myself. >> I got a compliment a few weeks ago. >> A dealer, a Judeic dealer told me that you have a very good reputation in the business that anybody that does business with you, they get paid right away. And I never thought about it. I thought like in life you pay bills. No, I didn't realize that by just paying your bills on time, you get a good reputation and people talk about >> I'm OCD. When I'm in a home, I'm in Lakewood at Lake Terrace in Lakewood. The job is over 11:30 at night, but at times the guy step in the car has everybody their payment. >> You know why? If I don't pay myself, that's fine. I can't go to I I I can't deal with the because you you push it off one time, you push it off two times, and now you can't pay your people anymore. It's very very dangerous. Slippery slope, >> right? Yeah. It's And and >> when do people usually the customer usually pays you when? The night of before. >> The night off of you have to pay for. >> If they don't pay, what do you do? You walk out. >> There's nothing I could do. Eventually, they pay. Trust me. >> Okay. They want the picture. They want the picture. >> Oh, so you have leverage. >> Yeah. And and I explain them that that I'm not in the furniture business. If you don't pick up your custom piece, I can sell it, resell it at the cost price. >> Nobody wants nobody your wedding picture. You have to pay. You have to pay. Uh I had I had one in the early days. I was very proud of very when I started out in cry a couple came to my house and uh were a little and >> hold on I just realized they end up in divorce within a week then you don't get paid and they don't has that ever happened >> I tell you what it comes to a point where people don't pay and a half your year goes by I don't bother them because I figure one or two things happen either they got divorced or they're going to wake up one day want the pictures and most of the time they call me all of a sudden we need the pictures or the kassan himself or the kala Somebody calls me or an uncle, somebody's called me in. >> She never got stiffed. >> Everybody, everybody somehow manages to get stiffed once in a while. >> You gave him a picture. >> I had a wedding in Long Island once. >> They had every star on the sun. They had an some mansion in Long Island. They had the kid got a Rolex of everything, the pictures, they're like I think everything was borrowed money. No, everybody got stiffed. The problem was I had a I had a news secretary and they wanted to come and pick up the pictures and they had a very large balance to pick because they never paid me. And >> what was the bill? 20 >> I don't honestly it was a long time. It was 20 years ago. >> Thousands whatever even was $5,000 whatever was 20 years ago and they came they sent over a driver to pick up the pictures. >> She got confused. She gave him the picture and I still have the video signal on you though. >> Oh they didn't never got the video. I what I heard is every single vendor they got stiff. So they didn't >> they hired every star under the sun. They made a party. But that was a unusual. Most people of most people are very honest. They're happy. They have a good experience. Sometimes people tell me, "Can I tell you in the morning?" No problem. People pay. >> No. Could you ever predict a divorce when you're handling the wedding? >> It's a very uh it's a touchy subject, but um most Let's Let's talk Let's stay positive here. >> No, we want some funny stories. We're we're a funny podcast. Um, >> we're not like grabberstories.com. We're more a lot more relaxed >> or I'm sorry.org, but should also work. Um, talking about >> can you predict but you said grabtories.org as well. >> Oh, can we first focus become drama stories? One second. One thing one tell us if you could predict trouble simmering at weddings. >> Well, so >> and has you ever prediction ever come right? >> So you see young couple most of the times happy weddings are very happy occasions. positive happy occas or the kala they're not acting and you don't know what's going on but then you're not surprised later to her that they got divorced >> how later six months a week >> whatever I it's very hashem I would say most people let's put it this way most most couples most couples that are regular normal well behaved bar hashm this you can it's not a prediction but usually most of the time not always most of the time there's there's already by the wedding there's some there's something going on that's funky you know that that >> what about family sides fighting with each other how like you taking too much time with the photographer too less to this >> no I I I'm very good at handling the I'm very good to make to make sure there's enough time for everyone um I can't say I was always perfect with that and when I started out it's everything in life takes years to master the experience to now I run a wedding like a trainer. I tell people whether you have a party plan or not I can do it myself. I run it very tight. I I I know how to do my stay. Timing is very important not to mess up the wedding. >> I want to cover some of the olive bays of photography and ko get engaged. >> It used to be that the kos that that one of the sides paid for photography. I think the the man side used to pay for photography. Flowers still like that. It's still like that in the in the flowers >> in the liter by lit in flatbush mainly flatbush and uh flatbush and lakewood that that you know typical it's flop >> flower liquor photography and orchestra is the side and the kal pays for the whole even though it doesn't make that much sense because the shouldn't the kala pick the photographer you know >> my my follow-up question was is that who decides on who the photographer should be what happens if they don't but what happens if the kala doesn't like that photographer Nobody. So you will have people today that will ask the caller who do you prefer? But I have plenty customers who are very good loyal customers and they say you know we would love to use you but it's not our department >> and the other side they won't even suggest. >> No but we're here to give Sha bias here says business. We're also here to give Sha bias to help people with happy wives. One of the first things that's going to come up when you're engaged is planning the wedding. Sometimes it's a day after the dated a few times they get engaged the next day because you need to book a hold. There's not enough holes, especially in Kabad. There's very few holes and they have to decide on photography. Now, I got married in London. I knew nothing. I just went along with whatever they told me. And by the way, my wedding album, we didn't get it until 10 years later. We're going to get to that in a moment, which is a big issue. But the problem is is that I hear people talking about it that they're sitting down and they say, "I want this photographer." And they say, "I want that photographer." And then the parents are taking sides. And that could already become an issue. You know, if the babush if this caterer makes it, that cater makes it. But the photography is going to be hanging on your wall for the rest of your life. Kos take it very serious. But sometimes the cousin's mother wants a certain photographer. Now if they're hiring Mendel Myers or getting the best photography, everybody agrees. >> That's definitely true. >> But what do you recommend people? The first fight might be which photographer to use. What should they do? >> So, >> and how often do people cancel you? Cuz they thought they made a decision and suddenly the call is like you crazy. I want this new guy with tight pants and >> tight. Well, they're pretty tight. some young bishop coming out of whatever >> but bar hashem the people I so the people that come to me usually are people they come to me for a reason they're not call coming to me because I'm the cheapest guy on the block they're coming to me because they know my work they like they like the experience they had in other weddings or their friends had or their cousins or siblings whatever had hired me for another photo that's hired me for the wedding in terms of it's like everything else in life when you when you have a uh when you have met shem Hashem for both of you when you start marrying over your children. You sit on you work things out in a peaceful way. And if the kala has a request, you you you I have daughters that that wanted certain things when it came to um whether which hole to get married in. I prefer this hole, they prefer that hole. It's their wedding and I want to make them happy. So most of the time, if there's such a thing, most of the time people will try to accommodate the couple's needs. But a lot of couples especially I would say in the literature world in a more yeshivish world where the people the couples don't get involved the planning most of them gets involved with the music that's his thing he has a friend he knows somebody you know aside from that the parents run everything and know this is my part this is my department that's your department and and I have all the time people tell me call me they want to book me for the job and then they tell me well making a pay and they decide they want to have their photographer that's That's m >> I have I have a friend super poorim somewhere. >> Mhm. >> They married super wealthy like wealthy with names on buildings multiple buildings in multiple cities. >> He told me in the middle of the wedding >> the mother of the rich lady starts screaming who do you think you are stealing a photographer so much time we're paying for loud and clear screaming publicly. So that's why I asked you the question. No, most I another the guy told me >> when you're dealing >> it was his sister. So I don't know that's a very unique case most of the time you're dealing with >> funny >> I I would say most of my clientele I would consider middle to upper class a lot of middle class most people most people are very honest majority of people are honest majority of the people are nice majority of the people are kind and majority of the people are very men so it's not like you're dealing um with problems in general um it's have smooth sailing, you're dealing with nice people. When you deal with the very lower end, you're dealing a lot of times with people cannot afford it. They can't even afford $1,000 and every dollar they spend is is paying for them and they want to torture you because they they feel that they you're taking something away from them. But if you're talking to middle to upper class, they understand things cost money and and they have to you have to pay for something and they they're happy to pay and they're happy. Talking about photography, >> we're in 2026. >> You just have a cup or another cup or not? >> Okay, I'll take the bottle. >> Do you want to drink from a bottle? >> No, I can drink from the bottle. >> In 2026, when somebody's planning a wedding and they have to deal with photography. So, I understand that there's When we say photography, there's also videography. People Everybody wants a video of their wedding. Everybody wants everything video today. >> So, you you're dealing with a a photographer. So you're gonna be doing poses for the kawa like early in the afternoon and then the poses and then the >> and then you're going to be doing after the family with the anda together and then photographer at the whole event and [ __ ] till till the end of the wedding >> and I one time went to in B&H they had a room where they used to do events like to talk about it and I they have it on YouTube you could watch it and at one time I was bored I was watching about a wedding photographer and a wedding photographer was saying that people think like we're making eight nine 104 $14,000 and it was a guy. I think it was a girl. She was saying what she does in the wedding photography. She was saying that by the time she spends hours making all her equipment is recharged and insurance on the equipment and loading up her car and driving to the event. I guess over here you move local people drive two hours to get to an event, whatever. And then usually you have a second photographer and you have the guy holding the lighting stand and the meter and the setups and you do 10 hours. It's crazy. I don't know. Your back probably hurts. I don't know what sneakers you wear, but many, many hours of brutal work >> and creativity. >> Creativity, patience, >> unpacking, bringing it back, editing. You probably pay editors. I don't know how much you pay them, 20, 50, I don't know, average an hour to edit the stuff. >> Post-production, whatever. >> She was saying that the and she's considered like an amazing top photographer. She had books written on obviously not. She was saying that she's considered whatever. She calculated it that she makes about $150 to $175 an hour after she pays every single bill. She says and she said there's less doctors and lawyers than that than than than what the skill set that I have. Like in doctors, there's millions of amazing doctors and dentists and lawyers, whatever. She said, "In the world of photography that she specialized in wedding photography, there's less amounts of people. People think I'm making millions." She's like, "I'm getting paid less than any doctor." >> Are you making She's not a doctor. Are you making millions or not? That's what we want to know. >> Absolutely. >> You definitely eat well. >> Every night you eat well, right, Mandal? >> How do you know? >> Eat at the wedding. >> Oh, >> you don't eat at the weddings. >> I always say catered food all tastes the same, but but everything there's a certain It's like a oneline taste and it's a little above, a little sweeter, a little everything. >> No, you let us say your favorite caterers. You're going to offend people. >> No, there's honestly there's nothing like coming home >> from a wedding and the next day just have a spaghetti with a homemade spaghetti with meatballs. My wife is an excellent cook and there's nothing like homemade food. No catered food ever ever comes close to home food and it's not possible. >> That's what I always tell people. I >> It's never It just It doesn't mean it's bad. It's just not the same. There's something about homemade food. It's amazing. It's It just doesn't come. >> So, what's your best dish at what hall? Did you see it on camera? I >> I wouldn't know. Probably the cockers cake in Monroe. >> In Monroe. >> The cockro get there. What is a wedding package looking at and what are the options? >> What are starting prices? Right. Is that your question? >> You come with two photographers to me. >> So, so it's a very good question. >> How many video guys? >> How cheap could you be mail and how how what was the biggest your invoice you ever did? >> I'll answer the that we're not going to answer. >> Why? That's exciting. We're on some drama here. >> People are planning weddings. We've got to educate them. What's going on here? >> So, I'll explain you how things work. Every photographer is different. Some photographers will only work at least two have at least another assistant photographer. They call it two photographers. Sometimes it's a Bakan 770 that shoots for for one of the websites. But they call him a photographer. He comes here. You have a guy in a nice suit or a nice pair of pants and he and he he has a a camera and he jumps around and he's cool and you have another photographer. So look, we have two photographers. I have a little bit of a different way of doing things. My personal philosophy is depending on the size. If you have two sides with eight married children on each side, you need to have two photographers because chances are everybody's going to be late because they're little kids and you're going to run into a problem with one photographer. But if you don't have that, there's a certain mile, believe it or not, to have one person do all the portraits. So if I consider myself very good at what I do when it comes to portrait work, whether it's indoor, whe it's outdoor, whether it's more modern, whether it's more traditional, I like to do a mixture of everything. I like to give people very solid bread and butter portraits that they can hang up in a wall. that gonna look good in 50 years from now. Like you have the pictures of your parents or grand I have pictures of my grandparents wedding probably 1908 or 1918 and they they probably took one portrait but it's an it looks perfect. It's a has a it's a timeless portrait. So I'm a very big fan of timeless portraits. I think it's ex I think it's something very overlooked today because people have all the cool shot jumping on the top of cars and down of cars on a stopping traffic. It's all wonderful. There's nothing wrong with it. But you also want to have something that that you can put in a frame, something on your wall in your bedroom or your living room, something that's absolutely stunning. So you want to have stunning and you want to have fun. You want to have both. But only fun is not good enough. Only stunning, it could be boring. So you want a mixture of both. So what was your question? >> My question is what? >> So So the way I work, I'll get to that. So my so the way I I like to work is I personally try to do all the artwork what I call the portrait part do myself meaning a family k family if the larger families what I you what I do is depending who the second if let's say David is the second photographer we just split up no problem because we have a very consistent style if it's anybody else I'll do the kala I'll do the kala with the parents move her over to the flowers have the second photographer finish her and her family I'll continue with the kassan and his family one number one I want the kassan to have something matching to the kala number two is the kassan is always over he's always second class because you know he's only a who cares about the so once I finish with the kala and their parents the siblings the family pictures are not as critical so the second guy does that but I try typically a lot of weddings many wedding I do myself I do everything myself up to the dancing for the dancing I >> you have an assistant at least >> I don't use assistance anymore >> who helps all the equipment >> I set everything up myself don't forget nobody needs that lighting stand the game. No, not anymore. The game is over. >> It depends. But so I see a lot of photographers who come with an assistant. I had a my daughter got married a year ago. A little over a year ago >> and I had I couldn't shoot it myself and the people who I necessarily wanted weren't available. One guy, but the other guy wasn't. So I had to kind of take whoever's available. So the guy wants to bring an assistant. So I said, "Listen, whatever you need, I'll pay for it. You know, I'm not going to tell you how to how to do it." This guy, this assistant is in half the pictures with a light that is larger than alive. Messed up half the pictures because he's in the picture like these lights twice the light standing in the pictures running around burning out the pictures. What do you need an assistant for? So assistant, we're ignorant. >> So they're holding the light. >> What does that stick do? What does that stick do? >> Holding the light. The guy that don't exist anymore. >> It's a light meter. No. What does >> No, no, no. Meter we don't use anymore. Meter before film in the days of film digital. >> I mean I'm sure fashion stars to use meters. The meter can tell you right now how much what your aperture is, what you what you need. But the digital, you can just take a test picture and you can you can see right away what you need. So you don't have to >> So who took away the job from the guy with the light? I feel bad for those guys. >> Most photographers today or a lot of photographers still use assistance. Okay. I believe the reason they use an assistant is because this is what we do. >> They don't want to justify their price. >> No, this is what we do. >> They don't want to gear. >> The gear became much smaller. Everything is digital, much more compact, much cheaper. Today you can buy things in a much more I had a job last week and uh my flash fell down and my daughter with me in a job. She also shoots. I take throw it in the garbage. I'm not even trying. It's $120 light. Just throw it out. Don't don't don't lose next. You know sleepover, >> right? So the point is I'm not going to judge people to use assistants. I'm sure there's a reason why, how, and what. You can use I can use an assistant if I want to, but the assistant really has to understand what his what his job is. If you have an assistant just for the because you have an assistant and he messes up your pictures, I personally think come a little earlier. Set up all the lights you need. You don't need an assistant. You don't need it. >> Now, do people ever do kala shots on the price? >> Okay. He doesn't want to talk about it. Kala shots. Could they do that a different day or like why are they I I like to look at the photographer as the most annoying person at the wedding. Like you don't want no one wants to go to pictures and it's just a headache. It's a necessary evil. Has anyone ever done custo shots a different day? Not the day the wedding does. >> So I'll tell you um for >> I'm being honest. You're the most annoying day. >> So far so And how do you deal with that position being so so annoying? >> So I'll tell you two things. How do you handle that? Let me answer the simple question. It's a very good question. Very valuable question by the way because a lot of people look at photographers and myself I don't like when it comes to my own simp photographer. It's annoying part of the wedding. You just want to enjoy yourself. Um the first part is what was I said has anyone decided to do a different >> talk about a different day >> because also a very holy day like it's annoying and it's unholy. >> So for a kassen to put on a put on his suit or tie or kapat or whatever backl it takes five minutes for ka makeup hair and everything forget about it. It's not going to happen. >> So no one ever did it. You ever >> it's never say no one I did it ever happened that you did it. >> I had a situation many years ago. I'll get to it soon. You remind me. We had to redo a whole shoot day to film because one of the lenses end of the portrait my photographer tells my lenses they used to look into the lens and the shutter was not functioning. They had to redo all the things but but that these days no one ever did it. >> No talking about the annoying part the photographer the reason photographers seem to be annoying. >> No they have to. I I'm just >> No, they because they are annoying unless you're not. So I think part of the skill of a photographer and I I'll be very straight. I don't want to say honest because then you sound like you're lying all the time. But yeah, >> I'll be very very I'll tell you >> it takes years unless some people have naturally they incredible personalities. Most of those guys are not necessarily the best photographers because usually an artist mentality is a very intense mentality. You're a musician, right? If you want to produce something, you have an idea. It's like in your mind. You have a spark came to your mind. If you want, you have an incredible idea. Nobody should stand in your way now from producing that idea. Nobody. So what happens? All of a sudden get an idea. You see a light, you see a tree, you see, you see a porch, you see you see something, you say, I have this I must do this right now. And then all of a sudden the mother of the color comes over. Can you take a picture of me and my friend who's in a veillance and just came in and wants to take a picture? So you get totally thrown off, right? So you want to be an artist. At the same time, you have to be a gentleman too. And that took me personally many many years to master. Now my philosophy is I'm going to do the best I can but if somebody throws me off I'll be a bit less better but I'm still going to I still want to the people that have an incredible experience. So >> because you give a client attitude they'll be more anger you than getting a creative they'll never hire you. >> You got to you got not just that >> your their wedding their day is already not the way it's supposed to be. So the most important thing what I try to do now is and I I mean this sincerely when I come to a wedding and I think barrage and people I did a wedding for somebody cry he he came over to me at the end the father not the mother the father was a rasha he comes over to me and he wants he's thanking me thanks I said I like look at him you're thanking me you're probably never going to look at the picture he says I don't care about the pictures but I saw you were motivated and I like that you're the meter I I love the way you handled the family the was a little bit intense you know a from you have to be a cover with everybody and what happens is by a wedding I feel at this point where my skills come in I believe I'm able to get the people not just nervous but the opposite I get them in a mode kids I start singing songs I tell them an uncle moisture story I tell them I I tell the parents you guys go away let me messize the kids love my story about Bozo the clown whatever I make up stories on the spot I do the same with my grandchildren at home but and the people are Just I always tell people always tell, "Wow, you're so amazing with the kids." Don't tell that to my wife. You know, all of a sudden, I'm amazing kid. Come to business. You're amazing with the kids. But the point is, you get the people. You get the people. >> My favorite line of the show right there. My favorite line. >> You're on their team. If you're on the people's team, you >> sponsor, >> you really care about the people. You really do what they want and they know you care. >> Customer first. >> Customer first. Speaking about customer first. Clappy. >> Speaking about customer first. First of all, first of all, we have a >> we got another price reduction. >> We have a person that wants to sponsor the Hayim is a safer that the Labavich Reba wrote in 1943. And today's says something very very powerful. It's Ben Rifka passed away very young. The Reb writes, "Refraining from deriving pleasure in the fullest sense from this world is only a fine preparation for a itself is transforming the physical into a vehicle for godliness." That means just not to have any involvement with worldly things and say, "Oh, I'm a big sadic." That's not what it is. You use the physical world and you make it spiritual and you refine everything that you have. And uh that's >> I want to say a mention of this sponsor um and I told him this face the guy who's who there's a guy started nudging me one of my neighbors about singer in the show this guy does not uh qualify for someone who you would think would nudge you right >> tren beir this what are you just not I said zama what are you telling me about I didn't think it would come from you so I said if you pay I said it sarcastically you pay we'll put it on and then we got kah >> put his money where his mouth is now So that pushed me to find a a a a uh book sponsor and we had cause and now we have the gutish >> one of the most proud sponsors. It's the first week that they're sponsoring, but >> it's also the first. >> What makes me so proud about the which is commonly referred to as the gutish the gutish is the first that Kabad published under the name Kabad Rabbi Gutnik. And what's interesting about this kish is is that it not only translates into English but they translate the puk with rashis burim already incorporated in it. A lot of it's impossible to understand based on just the words don't understand unless you have rashi you can't understand what the what the is saying. So in the goodish it translates the English of the with Rashi already included. On top of that when you open up the it's all in one volume. Not only is it in one volume but it has like a leather hard feel which was tested in laboratories that it does not get old. It will stay in your house and in your um shul for many years. At the beginning of the kish, it goes through every single para explaining a little bit about what the parish is about. On the page, it explains on every page there's terroristic insights into the soim. There's just so much about um the on every page giving you so many explanations all in English. There's tidbits on each and you know they give them you can read up about the para in little tidbits. So this week's paral lighting the manra and the says arin did so whatever hashem told him arin did so on the words rashi writes this tells the praise of arin that he did not deviate from HASHEM'S COMMANDMENTS BUT WHY WOULD SOMEBODY THINK THAT arin would deviate from god's commandments about himing the manura the answer was in rashi's comment on verse four that god caused the manura to construct itself he threw the whole piece of gold into the fire and hashem constructed the whole entire mana by itself. So you might think it's a very simple thing lighting the mana or something. It's very simple. You see even Hashem created the whole thing in a second you put it in says the Torah is saying that that Ain didn't deviate. That means even though it got built so quickly he didn't just lie to Mona quickly and get on with it. He did he put vigor enthusiasm work. He didn't just say oh Hashem built it quickly. No, lighting the miner was taken very serious by our and he put all his entire self. He put everything into it to give it its full that anything Hashem tells us we put ourselves all the way into it into it based on volume 38. >> Did you see the new feature? Look what he said. Just message us my father about the price of the special just for our show. >> The price of the who? >> Dr. Nick. Yeah, >> they second. Theim the website is going to be having a huge sale. >> 55% off. >> He just changed. >> Oh, he it was even bigger than we were supposed to do. >> Yes. >> Now, I wanted to just go uh change the price. Okay. Oh, he just messaged me that they're making an even lower price. Kman.com. The website's kanahim.com. The sale is running until June 19th. 45% off. 45% off. This is an incredible, incredible, incredible Kish. Every uh library, every Jewish home, every Shaw should have multiple copies. And they are a proud sponsor of the Clappy and Frank show. >> Now, summer is starting. You need a reliable car, minivan, SUV to get all your photography equipment to the weddings. You can't >> drive. Man, what do you drive? >> What do you drive? >> I'm the pilot. >> WHEELS TO LEASE. ALWAYS TELLS ME YOUR FAVORITE CAR >> SAUL AND IZZY. EVERY TIME I CALL THEM, EVERY TIME I CALL THE OFFICE, SAUL AND IZZY, I SAY, "WHAT SHOULD I TALK ABOUT?" They said, "Izzy, nobody could do the price on the Honda Pilot." Every time I say, "Did the changes? Did the month THE PRICES CHANGE?" THEY SAY, "NO, NO, NO. THE HONDA PILOT WERE ALWAYS THE BEST PRICE ON. Is it a good car and a Honda Pilot?" >> I love it. It just gets me from one place to >> And you need to get there and you're on time. >> It's very spacey. It's roomy. Reliable car. >> Better than higher in the winter. You want something a little higher. four-wheel drive. >> It's all wheel, whatever it is. But you want the minivans are low, so if I have to go to a job in the winter, >> I don't want to get stuck anywhere. So, I need a car that's it's a bit a bit just higher. DID YOU HEAR A VOICE NOTE? I PLAYED IN THE CAR ON THE WAY from the gym a FEW DAYS AGO. GUY CALLS ME UP. He hasn't lived in Crown Heights in like seven years. He's diving in my shel. >> He tells me I had a car. I was 20,000 miles. He sent the voice note to Saleskov. >> It's a two-minute voice note. Erruis. Now, I remember when he sent it to me. I played a few in the car. He said his car was 20,000 miles over. He had a car he got from somewhere else. 20,000 miles over. He called every company in the world. Nobody could figure out how to get him out of the predicament. Had to get rid of the car. He called up Saul. >> What do you mean 20 miles over? >> He was 20,000 miles over the limit on the car. >> Okay. >> He called up Saul Hershk from wheels to lease. >> You got set miles per >> set miles 10,000 miles a year. If you go over, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY BECAUSE IT'S 15 25 >> cent 25 per mile. 20,000 for 20 cents. Whatever it adds up 20,000 miles over, >> right? Did Saul tell him to roll back the miles? >> No. No. He said Saul was able. >> He said Saul was able to get rid of the car for him. >> Get rid of the car for him. Didn't cost him a penny legally. Told him where to get it, where to sell it, what price he should get for it. Got him a new car. He said, "I'll have the car for you for turns out that the dealership closed early the day before. I don't know the calendar, whatever." He said the guy he had a worker go 5 IN THE MORNING 9 O'LOCK IN THE MORNING THEY were in his house in Connecticut with his brand new car and he says the price on the new car was mishuga >> amazing >> when you have any issues that you think can't be resolved wheels to lease call Saul and my friend Izzy Herman they will give you the royal treatment you know what I told my friend I said I don't even get all these stories but when I get a story from the the wheels to lease it's always five star >> vacations I just got back from vacation yesterday very important to go Where'd you go? Clap you. Where'd you go? >> Went to Israel for eight days. How was >> it? It was out of body experience. >> What was your favorite part? >> My son said his favorite part was a pantry packers. >> Wow. That's a real boy. >> We We went to We went to Mara. We went to the tunnel tours in David. We went We went We went to the best restaurants. We went everywhere. I took him to the to the to we were in Tel Aviv at the beginning of the trip. I went to the My son woke up 5 in the morning. I went I googled the Kabad. We went to the Kabad in downtown Tel Aviv. It was a young lab guy. What was the guy's name? >> Huh? >> Nish. >> Nish. Nish. You went to Kabad house packed like 50 people on a Monday morning. >> Everything was amazing. Everything was amazing. But you want to plan vacations. You want it to be hassle-free. Hassle-free. My friends at Central Travel. When you go to 845202775, they have readymade vacations. It's a business WhatsApp. Readymade vacations. It includes getting you to the airport, getting you to the resorts, full resorts, food, everything bother you. These are just examples. You could do Miami for 1875. You could do um Playa, Mexico at 5 days, 4,200 bucks. You could do um Dominican Republic, five grand. You could do Panama City, three grand. But you go when you reach out to them, they'll take care of your entire vacation. Bako Mikl Curl when you go on there. WhatsApp. You just look at packages and you get readym made packages. Everything's there. >> CH Butcher. >> CH Butcher. CH Butcher is >> Can you make a correction? After advertising that they have a deli, they don't have a deli yet, but they said people come keep on coming to the store. >> To me, when you go into a butcher shop and you have readymade meats ready to go and you have beautiful the most >> the marketing is working, all these people are coming because you keep on saying there's a take out. >> You have to buy a roll across the street and they take it open. Kitser. They have the most beautiful fresh butcher shop in the world on Albany Avenue. CH Butcher. American Angus beef. Not the foreign haka chinic stuff. American beef. They have the most beautiful restaurant, the butcher, ch Butcher on um Troy Avenue. You get the Manhattan experience here in Brooklyn. Best food in the entire world. You just, it doesn't get better than CH Butcher. And they are our first corporate sponsor ever. >> Yeah. So CH Butcher is our oldest and then Will Ser number two >> and the Kman the Kimish you it makes the most incredible people go talk about wedding photography it makes the most incredible wedding gift the Kawa should come home and have tidbits on the parish show every week and I want to tell you something couples that learn together it strengthens the show and bias it's going to be amazing >> and hold on speaking of show and bias Mandel asked me >> no no no >> Mandle mentioned since you know it's one of my hot questions Mandal dealing with so many families and husbands or wives in the most tense moments and peak moments of their life. How often do you have to end up uh mediating between couples? >> It's very you're bringing that up. I actually >> and in-laws. Yeah. >> You know what I actually do? But it >> that's like exciting stories. >> You know, if I see the wife really wants something, she wants a very she wants a certain picture. Let's say she wants a picture with her and her brothers and her husband is very under pressure because the guests are coming, the people are leaving, whatever it is, and the cater is bushing. I know the husband is going to regret not letting his wife take that picture. I just know that because the five minutes are not going to make a difference in the he's just nervous. So many times I'll go to a husband and I'll tell him, "Listen, I'll take care of it. Let your wife I'll do quick. Let me do it." because I know for her this is really important and for him he's just naturally he wants to host event he wants to be successful and he's right now under pressure so many times you I believe it's important you have every like you read before everything you do in life you can make a positive difference if you see something and you can just say I'm not getting involved that's that's the easy way out let everybody find it out let the wedding planner let coordinate let the matraee let them tell me what to do. Or you can actually intervent in a very classy way. Engage to the h. Go to the husband and says, "I'll take care of it. I promise you it'll take two and a half minutes. Well done. It's not going to affect your wedding. We're going to make up for the lost time." And the husband says, "You're on his team." The wife is happy to she's re whether she's going to do some of the picture or not. The point is it's important for everyone to be happy. I I believe so. >> No. What about parent uh weddings where the parents are divorced? Does that get a little exciting? >> So, it's a how do you deal with that these things? How do you deal with it? So people >> obviously in the form of divorce rates are not that high as even though the drama articles want to say >> but it's it causes anything else first of all before >> and do they do the I'm just curious do they do are they in pictures together not together separate >> it's a very very by the way I'm impressed with the question because it's it's a real question >> by the way I have a bigger issue I had a cousin he had a million girlfriends and every time he went to a wedding group by mitzvah was a different girlfriend and I always wondered it's going to be so funny when we look back at these pictures I'll address it. So the same person. So by the way, so what happens? I'll answer both questions. Remind divorce first. So what happens is I have a couple of jobs next week. So some of the jobs I already have what I call a job sheet. I have a template on my computer >> and basically I basically have a basic template in a in an email draft and I fill in the names, the blanks, brothers, sisters, how many grandchildren. Sometimes there's no grandchildren yet. So whatever I need to do I feel about I said what time we starting what what's important what's not important whatever so I have to be very sometimes people don't tell me the divorce I said or there's no there's no father or mother so you says okay so I speak to the mother I said okay so you and your so the so let's say the cow's name is Aviva say okay Aviva Aviva and her parents or Moi and his parents you're kind of smelling them out if everything is normal and then usually go, oh well, her father's not going to be by the wedding or or her father unfortunately has passed away or it's a stepfather, whatever. So they so once they tell me there's whatever the situation is, whether it's a stepfather divorce or so I said, "How do you want me to handle this? Do you are people going to be taking so let's say people are divorced but they're still going to get in a picture the will take a picture both of the parents together and sometimes people tell me we prefer not to be in the same area." So you just again what your goal is to enhance their day >> not have to be in the same area >> your your goal is your goal is as a photographer like anything else let's let's put it straight for inkite everything you do has to be godly doesn't matter whether you're a plumber photographer or you're sha your intentions have to be for the for the for the good so how can I make this easier better smoother for the people and you interview ask the people everything and based on what they're telling you you come up with a quick plan it's experience parents, you tell them, "Listen, don't worry about it. We'll do your family, you with your children first, and when you're done, you quietly leave the room and your ex-husband will come in and we'll do the rest with your ex." You do, if you do things sincerely and you care about >> people, I'm just want to ask from a data journalist perspective, what percent of people who are divorced parents do pictures with both parents together? >> I'm just throwing a number. Half, but >> half some don't want to do it, some it depends of the relation. It depends. It doesn't matter. It's not important. It's not important. >> Is it? What's the What's the better? >> Some people walk down. >> Some people walk down the They walk down the parents. >> Oh, the real parents. >> The real parents father on the right, the mother on the left. >> People walk down twice. Once with one set of parents, other seen that >> anything funny. Can you get some funny stories there? >> What's up? Before funny stories, you asked me important question. What happens if you have a temporary person in the family or potential temporary? You're not sure if they can stay. So what you do is you don't want to offend them especially something your families that are very f and a child is dating somebody but they're dating for the last two years. So I don't want to tell the golden gum to the picture. So the first thing so you what I do is I put them in an edge >> the edge is it's much easier >> crop it out >> not either crop or another digital you take it out it's not like you have to refill the position. So either you put them on the edge. Another thing is like um a lot of times things are sensitive there. Like last week a mother tells me um can I take a picture just me and my daughters two weeks ago month to your wedding? I said you sure you want to do that? You have daughter-in-laws too. It's it's a little bit if you have one or two daughter-in-laws where you're not part of the family. It's like tricky. >> It's tricky and and truthfully what do you need it for? Well you just take a picture you. So I said you sure you want to do Yeah. And I'm trying to hint to her like maybe you should consider not doing it, but she wanted no problem. So what did I do? I we're taking the picture of all the daughter-in-laws together. And I said I'm said, "Mommy, I'm really sorry." And I I said, "Can can the two daughter-in-laws step out?" And and I tell mommy, "You'll forgive me for asking for this as if I'm the bad guy." She didn't ask me to do that, but I don't care to be the bad guy, but I don't want it to be. She didn't ask me to do that. But I just feel that She doesn't realize what she does could be damaging. >> Is it saying when you hire Mendele Meyers as a photographer, you're also getting sensitivity. You're getting like therapy over here. >> By the way, >> is it with many years of experience? This is >> blood. You're saying it's a weird thing. I'm just I'm I I I have been to a few weddings. Not that many. >> You couldn't Isn't blood people make separate pictures just the real siblings versus in-laws? Isn't that common? So, I'll tell you what. I've seen it. Unless my f my my family is totally out of their mind. I >> How many married siblings do you have? >> I have uh >> you have you have a large family. Three. Okay. So, let's say there's eight married siblings. And now we're going to do one of the originals. The parents are everybody's happy. Everybody's laughing. The husbands or the wives are holding the children and the parents. That's perfectly okay. But when you have when you have a family, let's say you have eight children and and you have one daughter-in-law, don't tell her to leave the picture. >> It's not appropriate. It's just not It's not >> She's being single. She's being singled out. >> Exactly. But if you have eight daughter-in-laws and you say, "We were doing one of just the originals." They're all laughing. They They're laughing at >> Oh, so the original is comments. You're saying it's it's totally weird that you have to be the bad guy. >> You have to be sensitive to people's feelings because everywhere you go, you can hurt people's feelings and you can make them feel better. >> It doesn't cost you anything. >> And the weird thing is pictures seem so insignificant, but when it comes to cover, it's like the most important thing. Why you do a picture with him? Not with me. >> I tell I tell the husbands, >> you know, older husbands, the older husbands, they they when it comes to the food, only the >> when you do the big family picture, we do only lob they do an extended family picture. It's it's like a mic only mic they have to do after all the cousins whatever together. >> Oh, it's it's not a kabat thing. >> Only kabat because >> my family always did. >> There's no your family's kabat. >> Yeah, but we >> only kabat. Only lobage were to take an extended family. >> No, I mean my wife's family did every Okay. I don't know. So, >> by the way, I'm sitting at a wedding and I'm eating the salmon and the baba ganoush and the kavar roll and it's like a third cousin's wedding and I was starving and I was at work all day and I'm like get pouring the soda and the ice cube and then sometimes they bring hot garlic bread and whatever. You're being called and THEY SAY, "OH, PHOTOGRAPHER, YOU'RE CLAPPING. YOU GOT THE SAFE GO TO THAT SIDE OF the hall and I want to punch the man. I'm going to come back. My food's GOING TO BE GONE. THEY'RE GOING TO STEAL MY CHEER. I DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE >> WEDDINGS. THE WEDDINGS you look at your watch and you play this guy. You know the waiter comes and takes you you be have a smor and you put your place down to look at your phone and you play this guy. >> The guy that told me that they want me for the picture. It's like he gave me like a >> Right. So personally I think I think it's a mistake because you're sucking all the energy out of the wedding. Do it after the wedding or don't do it >> after the wedding. One at 1:30 in the morning >> or don't do it. Who's that? Where does it say you have to do this? Why do you have to take a picture of every cousin? But it's not my whatever people want to do. >> It's nice. You want to know which cousin to still keep in the you want to know who came to you when it's >> so what I do is when the people come and usually they're all standing there and all of a sudden nobody wants to sit down you know the man all of a sudden nobody wants to stand in the front so I always tell thank you by the kinets right now let's see how quickly you know how quickly we sit down >> man what do you think is the biggest money waster that you see at weddings >> not the photography >> so I'll tell you a very interesting story a good story I believe I have a customer in B park I did two very very big weddings for them. I mean they I don't know how much you spend. >> Is your office in Bur Park? >> Yeah. >> You sold on you had a you said a retail store. >> No, I have an office. >> You never had a retail? >> No. >> That was the other >> I have a very balabatisia family very wonderful people. I'm not going to mention names who I did. They actually made they had the same mutton twice. Barcel weddings very on the very high end largest you know talking Hilton Melands probably a thousand people the whole field >> they just rebranded >> and they they they just went all the way out both weddings all the way one was in a Brooklyn Marriott one it's Hilton Mel >> and I'm sitt family in Brooklyn Marriott >> and I sit with the the mother and we're sitting by the table for Bang making the albums and this is about 10 year 15 years ago for Bangan talking about different albums that you know as you said to people you you oops you mingle and these people spend a lot of money they didn't come originally for money they became very wealthy and she told me let me tell you a story she tells me we were building a house in bar park and we're we felt we're going a little bit overboard and at one point the square was coming to bar park for shabas and they asked if they can use our house now in order to use the house we have to leave the house in order for rabbit to be in the Wow. >> And it was an honor to give our house to the Reba, but we got the benefit to have a meeting with the square reb. And my husband asked the square a question. I feel a bit guilty about the house. I'm I'm going a little overboard. Very a people. Also people didn't come for money. So they they knew what it means not to have. And she told me the square told her do whatever you like but make sure you hire Hamish constru H am contractors Hish electricians whatever as long as you as long as you hire highish people you can build till the sky and the same you make a wedding for half a million dollars you hire Jewish florist florist photographer educator party planner you're distributing your wealth that's that's isn't that you always say you're a big you're a big fan of uh >> keeping the money in >> keeping the money do it why Why keep it all? Spread it out. So there's nothing. The idea of spending money by a wedding if you give it if you hire a local florist. Yeah. You have in Crown Heights wherever you are and you spend $50,000 on flowers. So what are they going to do? They got to pay the tuition. They you giving people path. It's the most recent way to distribute your money without having had people to ask for it. Are you? So there's no problem. But it's my opinion. >> Man, are you part of any kind of package? >> No. >> Why not? >> I'll tell you why. because >> and what do you think about it? >> I think it's wonderful. I think it's amazing. I think it's beautiful. It's it's it's the best thing that ever happened. Um the reason I'm not because I I tried it. Um I can't give my heart and soul because it's there's no budget for it. And if you can't give your heart your heart and soul, you may as well get a different job. >> It's a beautiful thing. I got a phone call. I got I I I had this question written down last night and I keep remembering it and I keep forgetting it in between the conversations. I got a phone. I got a I got a I got a phone call and I was an initial for a week and I got a phone call from a big Assin. Should I say his name? I don't know. No, >> I got Askin multiple times. He called me up. >> He says, "Is I want you to discuss a huge scandal going on in the film community." >> I was waiting on what's this big scandal and you're the first person on the show that might have an idea. He said that there's a scandal going on. He said I could show you a million people sent me voice notes and paperwork. He said that people come to a wedding. They come to a wedding and they know the wedding is costing them $78,950 or $112,000. He said they come home that night from the wedding and at the wedding they got shakedowns. He said he has documented shakedowns. He's like they're at the music is blasting and whatever. And the guy's like, "Oh, we made up that band the 7300, BUT YOU'RE IT'S ALREADY 11:15 and benching. If you don't do benching and finish by 11:30, the band has to leave." AND ALL HIS FRIENDS ARE DANCING WITH HIM AND THE How much IS IT? I'LL STAY TILL 12:30. LIKE, "OH, IT'S NOT $1,600." He's like, "The photographer says, "WE MADE UP EIGHT HOURS." AND HE'S LIKE, "YEAH, BUT he gave me tons of examples." He said, >> "The shakeowns will not get them returning business." >> He says the people, he said, "It's common." He said, "It's common that almost everybody is demanding more money at the wedding." He's like, "People keep calling up this Oscar and saying they left, they came home from the wedding and it was another 10 grand." >> Okay. So, what's the real story? >> I bar made five weddings myself. Barashem >> nobody ever shake me down. Period. Nobody. I hired I had two different caterers. I had ladies, >> have you ever shaved someone else down? >> That's a different question. >> Okay. So, >> and what's considered normal over time? What's Because you're paying overtime. You're hiring other people. >> The way I work, the way I work with people is I tell people like this. >> I start the wedding three to four hour depending size of family before the kabal pond. Typically, three hours before the kabal pan is a five. You're there at 1:00. Let's say that's one or two depending what yeah I start about depending if they want to go to the park any more time typically let's say let's talk let's say it doesn't matter if it's crowds outside it's the same thing I tell people I give you um I start three hours and I stay till the end of the wedding late is 12:00 you want me to go past 12:00 if there's a mitzant I charge a flat fee or $1,500 for the whole mitzutant okay now you have to understand the industry used to be different. It used to be, I'm talking about many years ago, the industry of photographer used to be a six-hour package and then it's overtime. That's how everybody worked. It was the photographer got six hours, but it's overtime. Now, you can call the shake, however you want to call it. There's nothing wrong with telling people the package includes a half hour and the rest is overtime as long as you tell them, explain him everything up front. The key with everything is communication. A band typically as far as I know the bands usually give five hours if I'm not wrong. I think typically if a cabal is spun if it's called for five at six o'clock the band's going to go to 11. If you want them to stay longer you have to pay overtime. There's nothing wrong. The band's not telling we're staying till after the wanted to stay for the first time to pay more. We're staying at a normal amount and a lot of people will do what they will do is if the kabaspers go for 6:00 they'll tell the band start at 6:15. So we because nobody's really coming in the college are coming in until 6:30. So then they work things around. I worked with bands. Most people have a some kind of a time limit. Um I worked with different caterers. Some caterers will give you a larger number and they're not going to nitpick you. Some cers will give you a lower number and nitpick you later. But they're very upfront about the numbers. You can do whatever you want. The most important thing is communicate with a customer and explain it to them. Visique and then all of a sudden um but the style used to the style of the business used to be very different. I what this guy is telling you I don't believe it's true. I I I really don't believe >> men do you like working with party planners and are they necessary? >> It's a very good question. Sometimes they are and sometimes they're not. Um you talking about a coordinator or a party planner >> and or both? >> There's two different things. >> Okay. Explain. What's the verb of Benjamin? >> She's a She's not a party, but she's a coordinator. She helps you plan the party, but she's not a classic party. If you make a half a million dollar wedding, you need somebody to come up with the flowers. You need need a designer. You need somebody to plan everything for you. It's too much. So, that's a party planner or even a $150,000 event. Usually those people hire a party planner. You mentioned D'vorah. D'Vorah is doing something. D'vorah runs the schedule. Okay. So the the there's a mila working with Dvar. The biggest mila is that she takes a lot of the load of me a lot of the pressure off of me because I have to put the families together. I have to go call the people. I have to go bother you if you baban to come out and she does all the work. The concern could be and it's not even a concern. It's just different because like I said before, if I'm in the middle of designing a picture in my mind and I have this impulse that I have to do this picture, she comes running to me, you have to do this and this now I'm going to listen. They hired her. She's in charge. I'm going to go with her flow. So when you have your when you're when you're an artist and you have your own flow, you can't be in your own flow if somebody's telling you every minute what to do. So it's it's kind of going with their flow and make the best out of it. So there's a mile and a for a lot of people it's a very big mile because a lot of people get lost when it comes to wedding they don't know for me making a wedding is I do it in my city because I've been with thousands of wedding but a lot of people don't know where to start so they hire somebody like D'vorah or Simma Gold Hoover Goldstein and GR now the Shulamit Pellin a young another lady um Schulam Schulam Pellin is also somebody working with her this Sunday all great people they all do a great they they're working they they're helping you make the wedding they're all they're all Great. The the bottom line is they're helping the customer go through the wedding. Um whether it's I worked with many times with Mrs. Goldstein, Sema Goldstein, I call her Mrs. because she's elderly person. She makes a schedule before the wedding and she calls the people. She calls me, she negotiates times. >> Oh, her daughter Ava Fogo, man. >> Aa her daughter, Huva Hoova. Yeah. Did I say I'm sorry. So whether it's her or her daughter, they all they they really work with the customer to make sure that everything is by the minute and they will work with you as a photographer. They'll try to work with you to make sure that everything works with the schedule and they make sure for the customer it's amazing because they're having a headache-free day and they and they and they care. They're doing a great and D'vorah and that D'vorah does a great job too. So they all do a very good job. >> I like that D'vorah is gets hired to be at weddings. This way you don't know if it's a poor husb or a rich she's there no matter what. >> Yeah. Yeah. And she doesn't differentiate. D'vorah is is super super dedicated. when she does a wedding, it's like >> she's very involved. And the truth, they all are. They all do very good work. >> I want to ask you, you did a lot of weddings 25, 30 years ago. >> Did it ever happen that you lost a younger child or a grandchild um that they didn't use you? They hired a 22-year-old that had tight pants or a young cool chick lady, whatever, and they didn't like the jumping on top of the limousine. And then they had to call you back the next wedding and say, you know, we want the men, the liars, the good old, you know, not oldfashioned. We want somebody that has a lifetime experience the classic. Does that happen a lot? And how do they unbusher themselves that they're coming back to you? What's their story? >> And do you not do the cars and the jumping men? You don't do cars in Eastern Market. >> First of all, I'll do whatever you want. >> Okay. >> That's bottom line. I I can't answer that. I I can't think of any specific case. >> I can't think of any specific case where you >> people Let me tell you, there's many reasons why people hire you and many reasons why they don't hire you. And the reasons they don't they don't I I'll be very honest. When I used to years ago, I would eat my heart out every time somebody would hire me. Where's the loyalty? You know, loyalty, loyalty. Loyalty, loyalty. Everybody has their own you. You, Mr. >> Let's say that one more time. Kabi has a hard time with sponsors. Should we get him or not? I'm loyal. He wants looked at me. Let me tell you something. He wants to pass me a cracker. And now we can bring his competitor. That one time you gave me extra herring and we can bring the competitor. And I'd say, Climman, are you looking to buy a house or not? What's the story? So >> the guy who didn't pass you the cracker, does he care about you? Anyway, thank you for saying that, Madler. I appreciate very >> I I as I get a little older in life, I see and I I believe I I live at this that it's not just, oh, I'm trying to make myself feel better, you know, you know, it's not a copout. Not a copout. We get hurt. >> Exactly. But the truth is it's really the panel will come to you and you don't know what the enam is could be the guy who loved you and the reason he said no because his 16-year-old daughter is driving everybody really crazy after he's the new young photographer because and this is don't want to or the kala or I I have people that are very loyal customers and they're telling me the kala is insisting on I I had I had somebody I'm don't want to go to somebody I'm very very close with very close with and by the art I come to the and they said you know you're hired this is the date and I wouldn't take a deposit from them and she calls me up and said can you send me a little more some romantic pictures and samples I send her whatever I have everything I have a database whatever you want I have almost everything >> what I was about to say >> and she gets back to me says she's really sorry but she just I I my daughter-in-law wants a very specific photographer and uh I said don't worry about it I'll still come to the castle because I know she's telling me the truth and I don't want to make them they already feel uncomfortable. The only thing you can do right now, first of all, there's nothing you can do. Only thing you do is make them feel guilty and make them feel stupid and the truth is it doesn't belong to me and let the other guy make a few dollars. You know, the bottom line is you don't have control over what >> men as a community photographer. Do you find yourself having to be nicer to more people than people who I don't know who who manage a nursing home in Westchester because they don't have to deal with anyone? >> Do you have to like intuitively you're friendlier to more people than >> while I'm working or when I'm not working? >> In general, you're walking down the street. >> Okay. >> Is it a certain like consciousness? >> So, so, so >> because I know if I walk by a sponsor with potential I'm trying to get I'm sure I start smiling a little extra a bigger shot at him. As a comedian photographer, do you find yourself acting more than you would theoret if you're let's say you're you're visiting Chicago, you're not you're not >> he's always on show. >> No, like you're you know you're you know >> it's it's a it's a it's a little bit of a a personality type of question. I'm I'm a by by my nature I'm a very reserved person, >> right? >> I'm very a bit absomed. I'm a bit of an introvert. I love doing my editing alone. I do all my work alone. I lock myself in a room. I work for hours myself. I can listen to your show while I'm working. I don't have to look at it. is great. I listen to Il since you approach me. I I listen I want to see what's going on. >> So >> bottom line is >> the last thing I do person I can speak for myself. I won't drive the car to impress anybody. I'm not going to do anything to impress anybody because you Mr. Shim live once and you want to live the life to the fullest and be yourself and and some people going to love you and some people are not going to care. You have your people in Sure. You the people you sit at the Kdish with. You have the people in the bungalow. You have your neighbors. You have your friends, you have the people you you associate with, you can't be friends with everybody and to to live the life for yen. It's a miser I think it's a miserable life. I think whatever friends I have, let them be real. I I don't I'm not looking for for and yet you know there is there is >> you go to more than most people or >> No, I don't go limes to get if you see if you see there are the you see people who are on the docks. I I think it's >> talk about going to the to get the wedding business. No, you get you get No, not as a joke, but do you get LA business to photograph? >> I'm not looking for that. I'm not looking for that. >> But but a second people I just realized you get engaged. People always hire a photographer for the then you have to hire the photographer again for the wedding. But I guess the you get like a cheaper photographer. >> Once I leave my leave my house with my equipment, whether I leave for two hours or 10 hours, it's a mindset. You're going out to work. >> So for for me to go >> So you don't go to more than most people. Most people avoid going to you don't not avoid >> if I'm this is a very simple rule. >> Yes. >> If I get a if I get a WhatsApp and a personal it doesn't it could be a a broadcast >> but they were they they took their time to put me on the broadcast I'm going to lime to say m >> don't you think it's good better to go to more than necessary to pick up but again I'm not running my life you're >> I'm not running my life around my business. Exactly. I'm I'm not running by second. If a guy you're >> a guy manages a hedge fund, he has a billion dollars and he wants you to come to it and it'll pay you any price in the world. You don't mind doing a >> Of course I do. But I was the farthest I'm not They're not cheap. I'm not the >> Mandal. How was the farthest you travel to do a job? >> You asked how far did I travel? >> Farthest you ever traveled to do a job. >> Did somebody pay you to go to Australia for a wedding? >> No, but I I did London many times. Manchester. Um >> that's like a seven hour flight. Paris they don't have photographers. >> I had a funny story in Paris. I tell you like I did a pair in Paris and Kala come to me and tell me you know I have a let's say till 12:00 at night or I have a there's a cap. Everything has to be >> first of all do you have to fly first class to go to a wedding in Europe? No. No. But you're going to I spoke to a musician. I spend pes with the musician >> leverage all about leverage. >> I spoke to a musician on Pes and he told me that he has to fly business minimum but he prefers first class. He said, "Not because I'm I'm too buff to to sit in the stony row 47." He said, "I can't sit." >> I'll sit in 47 and I close my eyes and I close. >> But why? No one second. He said he's going to come to the wedding. So you don't feel sitting like this. >> He doesn't have to perform. >> I I first I do, but it's a different type. >> Hold on, Slappy. It's called leverage. Right now, if we have to fly out to do a show, I don't know if we can we can negotiate first class, but as our views keep on going higher and higher and higher, it's first class and Let me ask you, let me ask you. It's about leverage. Let me ask you leverage. It's about a simple question. Let me ask you a simple question. Let's say you charge when you're a singer. >> Let's say you're a singer. >> Let's say you Let's say you charge $5,000 for a wedding. >> Now I have to spend $3,000 or $4,000 and put in your first class. >> Okay. >> Wouldn't you rather give you $8,000 and you paid the give me $9,000 a five business of fly economy and put it on 3,000? I'm happy to sit seven hours in a a little bit uncomfortable seat. First is not uncomfortable. Why do I have to fly first? Am I better than Yen? >> I think seeing me also just for branding. They don't want to be seen in economy. Then you think you have to pay them. I'm just giving if if you're a big star and everybody's going to bother you. It's different because you have to be because you just want to be you can't be, you know. >> Definitely. He's a big star. Clabby, how many people bother you on the plane to Israel? >> Nobody bothered me. >> Not one not one selfie on the flight >> going there. I think one guy said he know me mayonnaise whatever going back who was sitting next to guys I don't think >> you're the pment guy he's the type of guy when he gets brought down to play at a wedding he doesn't demand first class he's a he's a simple guy >> right so you can't imagine you as a machine you know so we walk by so towards the end of the flight >> they lost the kua by the wedding so listen listen they can't call not allowed to go home without exu they're not allowed to be on the one roof without exua >> so now 12:00 at night trying to reach the rough to write up a books to somebody must have thrown out but in the meantime they're waiting for >> they're trying to renegotiate whatever it's wrong >> the rough is waiting there they're waiting for to get back to them I don't it's all you're middle of >> you're middle of Paris okay >> it's fine you're >> it's not a lens it's not a lens >> you're middle of Paris you're middle of Paris and and you you basically what are you going to do so what happens is in the meantime we have nothing to do so they wanted me to take a picture with every gas cousin or >> abusing you I left 230 in the morning. So, I learned my lesson. I don't care where I'm flying, you're always going to have a there's going to be a time limit no matter what. >> Practically for a Jewish vendor wedding, how many days of work could you potentially have? 200. >> No, Chabas Friday much less. I work >> Chavez Yante Fridays. >> So, I used to work I my business was structured very different many years years ago. I didn't shoot myself or very little. I didn't want to shoot because I was running the I was the business me man manager. I was the CEO. I was running everything. Managing. I was sending out crews to different jobs. Sometimes you can have two, three jobs in one day or sometimes five depending. You're sending people out to different different crews, different jobs. You you're basically managing a business and I stopped I whatever for whatever reason it is I stopped doing it. Now my I change everything around. Now I'm the only one I'm the main photographer. Part of the reason since co basically co till co everything was in person then people hop you don't have to be in person you can do things forget about zoom an email a phone call you don't have to meet anymore >> and it became acceptable not to meet people so all of a sudden when you had to meet people you have to have a whole staff and you have to meet people so all that overhead went you don't need that anymore so now I'm available have much more time man so I like to be active so now I'm shooting myself when you shoot yourself. There's something that nobody can replace you. The bottom line is nobody as good as good as they are. It's different when you do when you do it. Even if something comes up at a wedding, you deal with it right away. So nobody can do what you do. So now I do everything myself. >> So how many how many days a year could you actually work? Back to that question. >> Average I would say comfortably >> potentially. What's a max? >> Potentially there's no max. >> Theoretically waiting a bull day. If I do a wedding, you have to remember the next day I'm in a recovery room. Meaning to say you after being 10 hours your feet trying to get people's attention, the next day loud music, the next you walk out a headache the whole day because the music is still going on. Post production when you do a wedding. Now I can speak for me. A lot of people don't edit. Some people just feel on camera is good enough. Some people um give out to edit. >> You don't work two days in a row. I will. Oh, >> you will. >> Yeah. So, but I'm saying if you don't I'm saying if you don't have a choice, but technically speaking, the ideal way >> back to original what's the potential number? >> 150. There's a real number. How many non-spirate 50 take off 50 to 50 100 Shabbat Fridays >> plus another probably 30 to days whatever. Do the math. >> Somewhere about 180. It's somewhere around this. >> Yeah. Plus minus. Who's your favorite band? >> My favorite banda. >> Favorite singer. >> Favorite singer for what? For weddings. >> Yeah. >> I wouldn't know. >> Favorite hall. >> I'm You're going to laugh at me. >> That was a fire series. I like that. >> Huh? >> Yeah. Favorite hall. >> I like the Monty Halls. Any whole Monty. Why? >> Because I have a parking lot. >> Lakewood also. >> Lakewood also. But Lakewood is far. So Lakewood is much further than Monty. If you can't do a wedding, who's the photographer that you recommend? Your book that night. There's nothing. >> He doesn't recommend anybody. Just >> I could answer that question. I >> No, no, no, no. I I heard that a lot of videographers and photographers have a have a deal. I heard that Mlei and Ben Shimone, they if you if one of them is not available for music, they recommend the other one. Do photographers have that P? >> I don't recommend. Practically speaking, I don't recommend anyone. And the real reason I don't recommend them is because I don't want to come up the wrong way. If they mess up, it's my >> No, no, no, no. Because there's no reason why people should mess up. I have a unique style. Okay. I really do. I mean, what I do is I'm a mix of the previous generation and new generation. I do a lot of very classical stuff, very artistic, very well-designed, very very the pictures, but there's a foreground, background, this lighting, this it's a whole design. You you're sitting around here, that's what my portraits look like. Five I use five lights for portraits. A lot of the photographers, everything is very very different. I can't there's his >> signature my style is unique to me. This is what people come to me because of my style because the way I conduct myself with a wedding if they if if there would be somebody who who does what I do I would recommend it but it's it's different. Everybody's a different style. >> You enjoy sphere? It's not a matter of first of all sphere is not that long these years >> because people have never been before. >> First of all, which means till after till the night of people make weddings. >> Yeah. >> Then so you're talking for days that's no 16 days because you take off two days from the 18. So it's you designed at night already and then after people make weddings already. >> What do you do? So what do you do? You go on vacation or you just >> No, first of all, if I want to go on vacation weeks, I I edit most of the time. I edit. I edit all my work. Edit is like when you finish cooking now, you're starting to find it's like it's it's by the way photography I I compare a lot to cooking. It's it's the refinement of the finished product. You can do a wedding. You shoot a wedding and then you start refining the images. It's like polishing. >> What's the expectation that when do people expect pictures and video? So I always tell people 30 years ago we're one thing we didn't finish he besides the 10 hours at the wedding he has hours and days editing for every hour you shoot you edit for an hour. >> When do people expect to have pictures or some pictures send them a few like the day later? >> No. So my my my goal I tell people I tell people six weeks I try to deliver to I just did a wedding when was the 19. What was that? At 5:19 May 19th. >> Today's the today's the first. So, uh, about 20 days ago. >> No, 11 days. 11 days ago. I just delivered the job yesterday. >> Whoa. >> Do you ever send them some picture the next day? People like that. >> No, because I just want to knock out the whole job and get Oh, do they ask you for that? >> So, I can't guarantee it. Six weeks. >> Yeah, but it's you have to edit everything. I I I basically um I tell people six weeks because I don't want to be under pressure. I try like I said, I just delivered a job the 17 and 19 within within less than two weeks. entire thing, every single >> edit to finish everything. They're already on Instagram. >> What's the story with the albums? It used to be that like when my older siblings got married in the 90s. I remember like a few months later, six months later, we had an album. Now, you don't get an album. And it took us till our 10th year wedding anniversary till my wife made an album. >> So, albums is something very personal. I don't include in a price because it became the style that some people want to make their own albums. But I do albums all the time. All the time we make I I design my own albums, by the way. I'm probably the only photographer actually designs their own album. Again, it's part of the process. It's part of what I do. I'm an artistic person. I have my own style. I So, I edit the pictures. I design my own album. So, people always ask me, "Oh, you vacation." There's no vacation. It's just a vacation when you want, but you always >> My wife gave me this box for our 10th year wedding anniversary in a box with Italian leather. The box is probably just a box of the album and it's this big. It's on very very very expensive like card. Like it's the one thing I told today. My wife won't even tell me how much money it cost. She hired a consultant to help her make it. This labage lady that made a whole business out of it. But the fact that she won't even tell me how much money it cost, I'm scared. >> Do you prefer high energy weddings or low energy or you don't care? >> Who wants a low energy wedding? >> What percent has a high energy wedding? How much does the band affect the energy of the wedding? >> Absolutely. >> 20% 30%. Where do you >> So the band is the most important part of the wedding >> after the photography? No, before the photographer. In all seriousness, the most important part of the wedding is the band. >> So, how much of a difference? You have a dead dead audience. How much? >> If you have no band, if you don't have a good band, you don't have no wedding. The wedding, everything at the wedding, the music is everything. The music is everything. >> Even if the wedding, even if the attendants are dead and they're all old or they're all in fighting with each other fighting over, don't give me hypotheticals. I don't know. I'm just saying. >> So, the band is everything. The the bent is what makes your wedding volume not the photographer. >> I think my last question volume of music at wedding. I know it's a hot topic. What's your opinion about it? >> It's personal, you know. I personally don't like loud. I don't think it's necessary. Do >> we ear plugs at wedding? >> Yeah. I think the quality of the music I think the quality of the music is is more important than than the quantity. I think sometimes people try to first of all the real you can't even walk in there. You have to wear a helmet. It's I had a wedding and >> you mean earplugs? >> Not even a helmet. >> Oh, a helmet. Why? >> I mean I vibrates. >> They're so ridiculously loud. It's part of dangerously loud. But in Crown Heights, we don't really have the problem. Musicians are normal here. They they they uh not just Crown Heights Lakewood Most not super highish. Most middle class liter. It's not too loud. >> What's the biggest difference in weddings today and when you got into the business? >> Same thing. >> Nothing changed. the the the the idea of electronic music became much more popular. You every wedding used to be five to 10 piece bands. Now you have a lot of one man or three men. You can have three men. Excellent. Uh you can have smaller bands. >> Once you go from like three or five to like 10, 15. It's just to show off how rich you are. No, >> that's your comment, but I'm not going to comment on that. >> He said you >> I'm in industry. >> Yeah. >> Any other We're good. Clappy, you cover all your questions. You ready to hire next? >> How does somebody call you to quickly quickly book you. There's not that many days you're available. >> Um they can look me up Instagram. Uh just search my >> You put in MyersB. >> Yeah, I I tried to and you interrupted me. >> Before we go to Rebbit store, if somebody's looking for my for my You can go just Google my name, Mendle Myers, and you'll have >> spelled weird. Tell people how to spell your name. >> No, m. >> No, that's my legal name. That's how it's spelled in Dutch. >> M y There's no point for phone number. You can just look me up and you'll find every possible gallery under whatever. >> We asked other people that have a trade. Do you want your children to go into that trade? Do you have any children that are passionate about photography? >> So my daughter, I have a 20-year-old 21 year old daughter, Rifka Myers. She basically is doing family photos. She also comes to me to weddings. She's very talented and she's very personable. She's very refined the way she carries herself and she's not >> Oh, see this your crowds. They don't want maybe men and women. >> Even even our weddings. our wedding she's doing she working she's working with me this Sunday by the ladies why do I have to be she can be we have a lady by the ladies she's very >> you trained her how to hold >> I trained her I didn't that's something she has to kind of do on her own but in terms of um in terms of how to light up a room how to set up a room what's important how to deal with the whatever there's a lot of small things >> how does it you're her boss but if she doesn't if you know >> the best the biggest mile of hers she's a she's a very good student she I think anybody and this is in general business if you're willing to learn the way what what tells you if a person is willing to learn if they're willing to take critique and you don't have to yell you can sit down listen we could have done this different and they make note of mental they make them they take note of it and they improve and that's how you become very good at what she does and she's very good >> none of your sons >> no my guy is with me he's a tall kid brown beard he tells me he's riding a cipher >> yeah that's my son huge is he a cipher >> he's a cipher He's an artist. >> He writes he's by the way I told him why don't you go you have you have a brain you're very talented artistic but you're also very learned why don't you go to suffer >> beautiful >> so he's a cipher >> okay >> you ask me about anything else >> you ask me about oh reba stories last thing your other your other side >> hobby I get the I get these beautiful videos of the rebbit stories and I I asked you about it in front of 770 like three weeks ago >> revis.com >> how did you get into producing reba stories >> so it's a it's an interesting story >> no pun intended very um I was probably about 16 years old. Imagine before you did rebbit stories I didn't even look at you once you did rebbit stories brought it in my head give you a whole new dynamic you're not just a peddling wedding photographer you have you're altruistic you're interested >> in the airport >> forget just the rabbit stories you out of nowhere no one ever heard of Melamar's outside the business and out of nowhere Melamar showed up with this whole rabbit project so it was >> so let it give you it's spun my head a few times just letting you know >> sorry for spinning yet >> let me tell you about >> because it came out of nowhere it's not you're not I think about probably probably 40 years ago. >> Um I saw somewhere on a television a television program something miracles in modern days. It's a some Christian talk about a television Holland some some Christian program of the unexplainable things that happened and I remember I remember it really I said why don't we have something like that ourselves you know we have a rabbit barrage at the time and and why do we and whatever and that was a kind of a seed planted in my mind and then hashem gem started doing amazing work and they started collecting stories about the rep and they're doing great work but then you start hearing stories after giml Thomas after Reb's passing you start hearing all kind of a miraculous story. the oil the video this and there's almost every lobavature there's not I don't think there's one lobaturer who doesn't have a personal story but it's a big story small story everybody has a story and I learned I have a kis his name is and yet and I were you know we we learned he also has time at the airport >> yeah he got me into it so >> he's a recruiter >> yeah so we we learn and obviously we talk more than we learn sometimes and I always I'm a very creative person, so I always have new ideas, but I'm not good in following through. King of execution. Exactly. So >> gets fired up and he tells her, "We're doing this. We're going to do this together. We're going to I told him we have to record these stories." >> So I tell yuk whatever the rest of history. So Yetuk says, "We have to do it." And then we found a story has all these story. They actually the one that's doing they're doing this first but not videos. There was a guy in bar park um I forgot his name had a story >> by the way I watched the hair podcast every week so so >> it's not a competition I love what they're doing >> so the hair >> what's his name Yasi Cayman >> Cayman but Cayman has a magazine >> that's original I pay for it and they have always a rebbit story >> yeah so we did a story which is a very interesting line we'll get to that soon >> so one of the stories was published a guy in Bora Langanger Rabbi Rabbi Rabbi Langanger and yet tracked them down and we asked can we interview say the story says no problem so all of a sudden we're doing the story I don't know what I'm doing so I'm a filmmaker meaning I know how to produce I know how to use lights I know how to use videos I'm standing in the morning diving in some the whole time thinking how am I going to do the sound I'm going to do this but we're doing it so we come with tons of equipment that somehow or another I figure everything out and we did an amazing amazing interview after he tells her the story he says I have another story that happened 30 years ago So I said the camera's rolling let's just continue. So he told us a story the next we produce the story we publish it and everybody what is this jam what is this I get a phone call from Cayman the next the day the date gets published and from a schmutkin if I can come for a meeting so I kind of asked me said call you're doing a beautiful job and he wants so maybe I want to come and work with them and do it under them so whatever I wasn't interested because I don't want to be bound to anybody but I took it as a compliment and Yasi said maybe we can work together maybe you can share a story whatever bottom line is we started doing stories. >> Oh, why don't you actually ask us after we start our podcast? He never made us offer >> offered to what? >> I don't know. He says he makes offers with people. >> Whatever. We started doing we started accumulating stuff. >> By the way, I was I was on the flight and I realized I left my hair at home and I'm going to miss out on the hair the whole 10 12 hours Israel. I second before I left the the plane, I messaged their hair guy that came and could you send me a digital copy to their hair? He sent it to me in a second. I read like 30 pages on the plan. >> Celebrity service. Great magazine, >> right? No, it's absolutely great. >> And you made this video of this guy, Langanger. >> So, we did that job. >> How many episodes you so far? How many people? >> I don't know. It's on YouTube. It's good. Probably more. 30. >> How does somebody watch your videos on YouTube? >> It's Rebbit Story. Reb YouTube. You It has a logo story. It's a Rebbit story. >> Who sponsors it? >> Yet talk is the main sponsor. >> It cost probably whatever. I'm a producer. I I'm the one that most most of me most of the time. I used to film a lot of them myself and then produce them. Now we have other stories were filmed by other people. Um that happens to be very interesting because when Jam called me they were kind of saying like they they thought we're going to do what they are doing. So I told I promise you I'm not touching anything before and I said in fact we just had a story. We recorded the whole story from before GMO. I'm going to give you the footage in good faith and you guys would they never produced the story. It's a great story. Amazing story. Amazing story about about family. How the Reba got involved with a family. This guy Langanger had a brother that became Natum. It >> says his parents are Holocaust survivors. They had a hard time with he had an older brother and he moved to Australia and long story shortly but surely fried out totally fried out. The Reb somehow got a whole got got involved and the Reb basically sent Yarmush in Park to go to the house. He said one day they're going to knock on the door and Rebish comes to our house and he came with a dollar from the Reb said the Reb said he wants you to go to Australia to visit your son. >> Wow. >> So this son in Australia was rabbi but together was friend with rabbi Gordon. So they weren't in talking terms or so this so the the father said his fog he said my father was an elderly person. So I went along and we followed the notes. We went to Australia and this guy was getting nervous. My husband, my husband's my kosher, my father, my brother's coming. What do I do? I called Rabbi Gordon. So, Rabbi Gordon says, "Well, Kasha ads for you." They cashed a house. They came to visit. The guy moved to Sydney. The guy became from me. He has an >> Yeah. But this is a story that wasn't published yet. But this happened. I see the trend. You say to the airport, >> you gave the you gave you gave the story the footage of the story to Jim. >> Yeah. >> They didn't publish it. >> All right. They should publish it because you just published the disc. You would just say push him to go to the rash and push push him to do the rebastories.com the power of a good frienda. That's all I want to say. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. >> Something I noticed a trend. >> Absolutely. >> Thank you so much. >> It was really an honor. It's a pleasure. A lot more than just a wedding photographer. A really amazing motivational life story. >> Our first European guest. >> It's a nice accent. By the way, accents make you sound probably 35% smarter. >> You should know. I don't >> That's why I keep it right. You should know the Dutch accent is the least accent of all the accents. There's it's not very heavy for some reason. Dutch people >> I'm here for. I'm here. >> No, no. All Dutch people the accent is not >> almost almost 40 years. >> It's not I have to write the word. It's it's not in your face for some reason. All Dutch accents you know. >> Anyways, we strongly recommend people use Mendelers photography. Thank you so much. Have you ever not yet? >> I just did the thing in Israel. We had a local guy. He said he flies only to Europe. >> Are you going to use him for your next >> 100%. I want I want that on camera. There should be a customer at least one customer out of it. >> Thanks so much. >> Meanwhile Meanwhile, Frank has a lot of children. Thank you so