Longtime business keeps capturing memories

As the country recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, social gatherings have started to become increasingly more prominent. Founded 20 years ago, The New York Photo Video Group focuses on capturing those moments that people have missed from the past year, including weddings, birthday celebrations and communions.

While the company intended to open in April 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic delayed their opening until June 10, 2021.

“The reason we got into the business is because we love photography. We love video. We like making movies,” Peter Rodriguez, co-owner and founder, said.
NYPVG is a family-owned business in Bellmore that provides services for photos, videos and photo booths at various events. Their website describes their style as a mixture of modern, documentary and photo journalistic, which Rodriguez highlights as a benefit of the company.

Part of NYPVG’s goal is to capture not just the imagery, but also the deeper side of each event. At weddings, for example, Rodriguez said, “We try to capture the emotions of the father when he’s dancing with his daughter. And we try to go into his mind. Each of those dances, he’s thinking about when his daughter was three or four years old… it’s the same thing with the mother when she’s dancing with her son. That’s very emotional, so we try to get a nice tight close-up when she’s crying.”

Although the pandemic prevented NYPVG from covering social events, the business used the opportunity to expand their online presence. They started streaming different podcasts and shows, many of which were created in partnership with psychologist Steve Vaccaro with the purpose of spreading their knowledge to others.

“We all got together and kind of figured out a way where we can provide a platform for people with disabilities or a young people, and to provide a source where they can be a voice to others through TV productions,” Vaccaro said.

One of their programs teaches youth about filmmaking and videography by demonstrating concepts such as camera angles and audio. Similarly, another program helps youth build up the skills needed to become effective talk show hosts.

In total, NYPVG helps host 14 shows, not just on Facebook, but also on Bronxnet TV, YouTube, and social media.

Beyond creating their own content and expanding their own platform, NYPVG looks to highlight local businesses by sharing video clips and sound bites of different owners in the area. Through this collaborative effort, NYPVG hopes to empower other businesses to find success after the pandemic, Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez added that NYPVG is looking forward to more social gatherings as Covid-19 becomes less and less relevant. The wedding and party business continues to open up, which allows the company to continue what they really enjoy — preserving people’s memories.

NYPVG, located at 305 Bedford Ave. in Bellmore, can be found at www.nyphotovideogroup.com and their Facebook content is located at www.facebook.com/nyphotovideogroup.