As a freelance circus team that has worked in over 20 countries (without an agent), we know that a single image can be the difference between a contract or the dust bin. We have pictures taken of us frequently, in every country, every circus, every festival, but few ever make the cut to be promotional images. We knew we needed to find a photographer who could find iconic images in a difficult space, who could ably handle post-photo light and color work, and who could create a picture that told a story with depth and context (not just document what happened.) After all, these were the photos that would make or break the next step in our career. It was immediately apparent from Florence's portfolio that her work was gorgeous, tactile, and showed a mastery of composition, color, depth of field, and story. Florence knew we needed something very particular, and spent our introductory meeting clearly defining our goals and needs, as well as her prices and contract. She had only one performance to complete the work, and the restrictions placed upon her were brutal: no control of lighting, limited viewpoint, split-second focusing, and constantly moving subjects - not to mention sawdust, haze, and jostling neighbors sitting next to her in the audience. The day came and we all held our breath, knowing full-well that even the best planned attempts do not always create usable images. And then she delivered. Not just one perfect image, the kind we will use for the rest of our careers, but a handful. Plus, her images collectively created a complete world, fully engaging and surprising to a viewer or potential buyer. We decided to make her photographs the basis for all of our international circus promotion, and created our website completely out of her work. You can see for yourself the warmth, story, and humor her photos evoke, with the sparkling clarity of light, depth, reflection, and detail that make you want to gaze even longer. Our website is www.acrobuffoscircus.com, and you are welcome to enjoy Florence Montmare's excellent work. Florence was fairly priced, clear in her negotiations, professional on site, and delivered more than we expected. To top it off, she is engaging and humorous as a person. read more

I should start by saying that I have never hired a photographer before in my life. The reason I hired her was for not only great pictures but to capture one of the most important moments in my life. Proposing to my fiancé was one of the most nerve racking things I have ever done. I wanted to hire a photographer to get some great photos but mainly to capture the moment when I would ask my girlfriend to marry me. Florence did a amazing job of understanding my needs and objectives while supporting me with a professional and comfortable atmosphere. Florence allowed me to focus on my objective, not once was i worried about the photos. That was a major relief. She has a incredible way of capturing moments and emotions through her images. I was astounded when I saw the final images. She captured a day that was so beautiful at the time but was so hard for me to enjoy due to nervousness. Now I have a collection of wonderful photos that allow me to appreciate one of the most important days of my life. I would highly recommend Florence to anyone that is looking to hire a photographer. We used her in Central Park and her knowledge of the area was incredibly beneficial. She exceeded my expectations and has set the bar incredibly high for personal photographs. If you use her you will not be disappointed. Needless to say that the next time a need a photographer, I will be calling Florence. Thank you again for everything, I couldn't have done it without you. read more

Over the years I have used a few photographers' service (both personally and professionally) and none were as engaging and passionate about their work as Florence. I chose her after looking at her portfolio on her website and speaking with her on the phone where it was apparent that she believes that each photo should tell a story. That resonated with me. From the first conversations on phone to the first minutes after we met on location (I had asked for outdoors photos) Florence paid 100% of her attention to me and how to get the best out of the time we had. I was the center of her attention for the one hour we had and she took many shots from many different perspectives, angles and locations. She constantly gave me real-time feedback on my stance, my walk etc. We would look at each shot together and decide whether we liked it or wanted to refine an element. If there is a certain image that she has in mind Florence will make you go through the mechanics so many times to get that shot perfect. Almost like you are the movie star and she is the director. This enthusiastic focus is something that I have not seen in other photographers. She has a great sense of color and composition. She does it all with great joy and smile and it is indeed a joy to be working with her. I will be calling on her for a future project I have in mind. read more

Last week I had the pleasure of working with photographer Florence Montmare. I had been looking for a photographer for my new album and when I saw Florence's work, I got so excited! Florence is an amazingly talented artist and takes breathtaking and gorgeous photographs. Working with her was such a great experience. She had so many wonderful ideas for my shoot and really listened to what I wanted as we explored possibilities together. She's a good communicator, both efficient and also very warm at the same time. I felt confident about our plan going into the day of the shoot and things just got better from there. We did our shoot outside, and Florence was totally focused and at the same time very spontaneous. It felt like true collaboration and we worked really well together. She has a wonderful way of finding shots and recognizing "moments", conveying pose suggestions and complimenting her subject to bring out the best in every shot. I felt very free and open and in great hands. Florence has really positive, engaged energy and everyone on the shoot came together as a team with her leadership. Working with Florence was super magical and even more special than I imagined! It's rare to find someone who has such extraordinary abilities both photographically and personally. I highly recommend working with her! read more

I asked Florence to photograph the night I proposed to my now-fiancee while remaining unseen. Florence was wonderful to work with, and I can't say enough good things about her level of professionalism and willingness to accommodate my several requests. I wanted Florence to get pictures at the restaurant we went to that night in addition to Columbus Circle where I actually proposed. This involved getting into proper position at the right times, traveling between the two locations, interacting with managers and security officers who were also involved, and of course taking the actual photos. Florence had taken the time to go over my detailed plan for the evening at length, and she followed it flawlessly. Florence was on board when I suggested we use the Find My Friends app on our iPhones to let her track my location, so she always knew where I was that evening. And when something went wrong at the proposal location, she went out of her way to find potential alternatives for me which she texted to me while we were still at dinner. Florence managed to remain hidden right up to the end, and thanks in no small part to her efforts, my fiancee and I now have great pictures of that very special evening. read more

Florence nos ha realizado el reportaje gráfico de nuestra boda en New York y la experiencia ha sido muy positiva. Contrátamos sus servicios desde España y antes de hacerlo, cruzamos varios correos electrónicos, en los cuales resolvió cualquier duda que nos pudiera surgir. Buscábamos un reportaje en exteriores que no nos ocupase más de tres horas y en todo momento se ajustó a nuestro horario y necesidades, queríamos fotos paseando por sitios típicos de la ciudad y ella misma nos ayudó a elegirlos, proponiendo alguno que no conocíamos y consultando cualquier cambio que viera oportuno. En el tiempo que pasamos juntos, consiguió contagiarnos de su entusiasmo y energía, haciendo que todo fuera muy divertido, también notamos como cuidaba con esmero cada una de sus fotos, aprovechando los diferentes momentos de luz y proponiendo varias escenas según la situación, además nos ayudó, aconsejándonos diferentes poses (no estamos acostumbrados a ir paseando con un fotógrafo al lado). Sin duda, recomendaría a Florence a cualquier persona que necesitase de un fotógrafo profesional y con experiencia en New York, tanto el trato recibido por su parte como el resultado han sido inmejorables. read more

We chose Florence to capture our wedding day after reading the great reviews on thumbtack. We weren't disappointed! We were coming from Scotland to get married in New York on the 12.12.12 All the communication prior to the day was done by email, a few miscommunications but to be expected long distance. We are awkward in front of the camera and Florence put us both at ease. She is so warm and bubbly, her enthusiasm soon rubbed off on us. Not being from New York her local knowledge was invaluable. We decided on walking the Brooklyn Bridge ending in Dumbo for pictures of the Manhattan skyline. The end results are stunning! They are very natural and capture the emotions of the day beautifully. Can't wait to share them with friends and family. We had a tight deadline for our reception in the UK. Florence managed to get us a few choice images before then so we could display them for our guests! So anyone needing a photographer in NY book Florence, you won't be disappointed. Thanks again Florence for making our special day more memorable! read more

Florence was absolutely amazing! My husband and I planned an extremely small and personal wedding ceremony but wanted photos to commemorate the day. We wanted both elegant and fun photos. Florence delivered on both with style! Planning the photography schedule and locations was a breeze over email, phone calls and texts. Florence was very accommodating before, during and after the shoot. The day of, both my husband and I felt like we were in the very best of hands. It was an extraordinarily cold day and Florence managed to make getting photographed outside fun...even in the cold. She somehow managed to capture the fun-carefree style of my husband and I. The finished product...the high resolution photos we received were absolutely perfect. Florence made what could have been a stressful endeavor incredibly fun. I would recommend Florence to anyone looking to have professional, artistic and elegant photos taken. read more

I hired Florence to take my professional pictures for my business Tara Liz Healthy Steps Forward. When I first called Florence she immediately made me feel at ease and I sensed a connection right away. I told her what I was thinking and she brought it life. At that point. I knew that she was the right photographer for me. On the day of the shoot we met in Central Park. It was a beautiful day and Florence knew the best spots to shoot. She gave me direction and made me feel comfortable. I had so much fun during the shoot I didn't want it to end When my pictures were ready I couldn't believe how beautiful they turned out. Her creativity and artistic talent was above and beyond my expectations. I highly recommend Florence! She is super talented and a doll to work with. You can view some of her pictures on my website.. http://taralizhealthystepsforward.com/index.php read more

I needed some professional shots taken for my job (I work in publishing and sometimes speak at conferences, where program directors invariably ask for head shots they can include with a professional bio) and I asked Florence to take some photos for me. She did a truly amazing job. I'm not naturally comfortable in front of a camera, but Florence immediately put me at ease. The shots were entirely professional, but not at all corporate, and she created work that was artistic, engaging and that fit my personality perfectly. She captured the warm, natural and slightly informal tone I was hoping for, and which is so hard to achieve. She also tries to only use natural light, which I love. I can't recommend her highly enough, and think she's a great source for anybody looking for a professional or personal portrait. read more

I was in the market for a photographer to take pictures of where my wife and I had our first date in Little Italy. We have since moved to Chicago so I was a little nervous about hiring a photographer without being able to meet them. After emailing and speaking with several local photographers, I decided to go with Florence. Her prices were slightly higher than some of the other bids I received, but the quality of work was not comparable. I also had to go with my gut given that I was essentially hiring on faith. Florence not only produced amazing pictures but also was a pure professional throughout the process. My wife cried when I gave her the picture for Christmas. As a husband, I highly value those brownie points! read more

We booked Florence for our wedding photos in New York. Coming from the UK we weren't able to meet Florence before the day, but communication via email was quick and easy, which put us at ease before the day. On the day Florence was really friendly and approachable. She gave us good direction for photos without being domineering and she took into account the type of photos we wanted. We are very happy with the photos taken, some were posed shots and others were more natural which is just what we wanted. We had brilliant weather and Florence has captured the colours of spring and the sunshine perfectly. All in all we are very happy with the service Florence provided and would definitely recommend her! read more

MICHAEL--I used Florence to take pictures of my engagement. We are from Dallas and I decided to propose in one of our favorite New York restaurants and wanted shots of the look on my fiancé's face when I popped the question. I had not met Florence prior to the big day but found her online. She was very fairly priced, easy to work with over the phone and email and always got back to me in a timely fashion. I can't say enough great things about her and the quality of her work. Both the posed and candid shots of the evening turned out amazing. My fiancé, our family and our friends are still raving about how wonderful the pictures turned out. I HIGHLY recommend Florence. Thank you so much Florence! read more

My training as a tax lawyer as always made me somewhat up-tight when I get in front of a camera. It was a totally different experience with Florence Montmare. Not only is Florence a great photographer, but her mannerism put me so much at ease that I felt totally relaxed and comfortable before the camera - resulting in my looking better than ever. She also goes the extra mile. When I had a problem with my home computer and was under pressure to submit the photograph, Florence took a taxi to my apartment at 10 PM to help with the selecting process at no charge. Well beyond the call of duty - and a great photo besides. I would highly recommend her without reservation. read more

My son was planning a surprise proposal in New York and asked me to find him a Photographer, Well truth be told I could not have asked for anyone better. Florense was outstanding, very warm and very profesional. She captured the moment to a tee!! After the proposal both families came to dinner and she took some shots that captured the entire evening. We are from 3 different parts of the country and all came together for this wonderful event so to find someone who is so kind and very good at what she does was a true blessing. If anyone needs a photographer who truely enjoys making others see through her lens Florence is the one. read more

Florence Montmare recently photographed me for promo shots needed for my Cabaret Act and website. She along with her assistants were professional and worked very hard. I searched for someone who would take the time to do something a little different and outstanding (artistic). I am using a very wonderful shot Florence captured for both the website of the venue where I have my singing debut and also for my personal website. Thanks to Florence Montmare for the hard work! You can see her work at www.KenBascue.com also at www.Metropolitanroom.com , plug in Ken Bascue into the search. Congrats Florence on all of your success!! read more

Fantastic experience. Florence was great, very professional and helpful. I scheduled a shoot because I needed a corporate headshot to use for talks and professional publications. As this is an infrequent experience for me, I wasn't prepared and I was a bit nervous. Florence walked me through it, helped me select the backgrounds, framing, angles, etc. in a way that met my needs for a corporate photo. She also reviewed some of my colleagues' headshots to provide a similar look. Overall, a fantastic experience. No hassle, very relaxing, and I'm extremely happy with the photos I received the following week. read more

I have had the distinct pleasure of working with the very talented and highly creative Florence Montmare. Specifically, she photographed the cover of my book "Inner Business" and shot surrounding portraits. I get an overwhelming amount of praise for the look of my book, and few people realize that the shot was an "accident" made possible by Florence's quick eye and creative vision. She is a delight to work with, a professional through-and-through: a rare combination of strategic, structured and artistic. I highly recommend anyone to work with Florence and would gladly work with her again. read more

I am an author and was in need of a photographer for both my book cover as well as the author photograph. The book I am writing is a memoir and therefore I wanted a photographer that was both sensitive and willing to be flexible with my vision for the book. Florence Montmare did not just listen to me but was extremely flexible and sensitive to the vision I had in mind. The entire process, from the first call to actually seeing my book cover, was easy, fun and extremely professional! I highly recommend Florence for any kind of photo shoots! Janique www.janiquesvedberg.com read more