My name is Ira Casel and I am a New Jersey-based bar mitzvah photographer and bat mitzvah photographer. I also photograph bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs in New York (NYC) and the surrounding areas (aka NYC Mitzvah Photographer).
I create beautiful bar and bat mitzvah photographs with strong emotional content. My clients choose to work with me because of my beautiful lighting, my ability to see and capture genuine moments of interaction and for the wonderful client experience that I create for them.
Since launching my business in 2009, I have photographed 400+ bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, and bnai mitzvahs throughout New Jersey, New York City, and Westchester County.
For every mitzvah family, I create expressive pre-mitzvah portraits, dramatic synagogue portraits, elegant décor images, and compelling photographs of the celebration that bring my clients right back to the emotions they felt that day.
I work with mitzvah families all over the New Jersey-New York area. My mitzvah clients live in Millburn, Short Hills, South Orange, Maplewood, Livingston, Westfield, Scotch Plains, Summit, Randolph, Montville, Morristown, Tenafly, Closter, Rye Brook, Scarsdale, Larchmont and Manhattan.
If you’re looking for heartbreakingly beautiful images that bring tears to your eyes and a photographer who helps make the whole mitzvah process easy, stress-free and fun, then I'm the mitzvah photographer for you and your family.
Clients and guests often tell me that I am the hardest working photographer that they’ve ever seen. I promise that on your family’s mitzvah day I will give my all to create gorgeous, authentic, emotional images that will become family heirlooms, just as I have done for other families throughout New Jersey and New York.
During the bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah party, my working style is to remain unobtrusive. During ceremonial parts of the party such as the candle lighting, motzi or speeches, I’ll be front and center photographing the proceedings. At most other times, dressed like a guest, I’ll blend into the crowd to create images that will make you wonder how I captured the moment without being noticed.
I seek out the genuine moments in between the obvious shots. I strive to capture the emotions and personalities of my clients and their loved ones, so I can deliver authentic images that evoke gasps, grins, goosebumps and tears. Very often my clients will tell me that they didn’t really notice me at the mitzvah party, but when they needed me, I was right there.
I understand the needs and concerns of parents making a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah, and since I attend so many mitzvahs, I am always willing to offer advice and ideas about venues and other elements of the celebration. I can help you figure out the timeline of the day as it relates to photography and will make suggestions of groupings and ideas for your family formal portraits.
I have made two mitzvahs as a father, so I understand and appreciate how meaningful and emotional the event can be and how helpful it is to work with professionals who take pride in making their clients’ lives easy and their milestone events go smoothly.
Find out if I'm available on your mitzvah date.
I've photographed bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs in many leading venues in New Jersey and New York. Examples include:
Take a look at example photographs from my pre-bat mitzvah and pre-bar mitzvah portrait shoots (the "pre-shoot") here
Interested in seeing more of my bat mitzvah and bar mitzvah party photography? You can see more by clicking here
You can see more of my bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah party pictures right here
NJ + NYC Photographer - 23 Edgewood Terrace, Millburn, NJ 07041 - (973) 580-4594 - ira@iracasel.com - Copyright © 2025