Published on: 12/17/2015IST

Photographer captures couple on a tiny edge of a high over a valley

User Image Anuj Tiwari Last updated on: 3/13/2018, Permalink

Picture taker Jay Philbrick and his wife Vicki take their customers for unnerving photograph shoots on a precipice 350ft over the ground in Echo Lake State Park, New Hampshire. They let their subjects down the bluff and photo them dressed formally with a superb dawn out of sight. 

"What I get a kick out of the chance to do is get individuals and get them out and give them an affair some extraordinary photographs as well as an awesome ordeal that they will always remember," says Jay Philbrick. "A few individuals believe it's not genuine, so we've truly begun pushing for a great deal off camera shots, " included Vicki. 

Back in the days, Jay was an expert mountain aide; amid the precipice photograph shoots he likewise works with a third picture taker Justin Macomber and another long-lasting aide Marc Chauvin, so his customers are certainly in great hands. The Philbricks likewise love to investigate other bizarre settings, for example, profound wells or soak snow slants.


A photographer takes the world's most extreme wedding pictures - by dangling newlyweds 350ft from a cliff. Daredevil Jay Philbrick offers couples a truly unique wedding album by encouraging them to put their lives in each other's hands and suspend from a sheer drop. In some jaw-dropping images, bride and groom Christie Sulkoski and Kevin Coleman can be seen hanging off the cliff in their full wedding outfits. 

Christie Sulkoski and Kevin Coleman can be seen testing their new marriage to the limit as she holds on to her husband's hand for dear life while dangling from a rocky ledge

Christie Sulkoski and Kevin Coleman can be seen testing their new marriage to the limit as she holds on to her husband's hand for dear life while dangling from a rocky ledge. They test their new marriages to the limit by holding on for dear life while dangling from a rocky ledge. Jay, 62, said: 'The ledge is about 30 feet below the top and 350 feet above the valley floor. 'We lower the bride and groom down to the ledge on one rope while they are belayed with another. 'The systems and back-ups are quite advanced, redundant, and safe. In fact, we are all probably at greater risk driving to and from the session than we are when cliff side. 'The bride and groom are lowered one at a time and tied into a hidden anchor on the ledge.

The brave couple can be seen perched on a ledge about 30 feet below the top and 350 feet above the valley floor

The brave couple can be seen perched on a ledge about 30 feet below the top and 350 feet above the valley floor

Bride Christie leans back from the rocky ledge as her new husband grips her hand tightly. Both are tied into a hidden anchor on the ledge so there's no danger of slipping�

Bride Christie leans back from the rocky ledge as her new husband grips her hand tightly. Both are tied into a hidden anchor on the ledge so there's no danger of slipping 

Jay says that sometimes the bride will wear her dress as she's lowered on to the ledge, but some choose to change into their wedding finery once they're down there�

Jay says that sometimes the bride will wear her dress as she's lowered on to the ledge, but some choose to change into their wedding finery once they're down there. 

'Depending on the bride's gown she may wear it down during the lower or put it on while on the ledge. I don't really have to twist any arms to get models or subjects into the locations I'm interested in.

'We are sort of known for this kind of photography, so many come to us looking for something different.'

Jay, who lives in North Conway, New Hampshire, found his forte for extreme photography after spending years working as a mountain guide.

He claims not to go 'looking for trouble' but sets up shoots in the most weird and wonderful locations, including ice cliffs, steep snow slopes and even underwater.

'They are all fun but have their own special challenges, they usually come off without a hitch,' said Jay.

'We don't go looking for trouble. I was a climbing guide for a long time and have had extensive training in risk management, client care, rope work, avalanche hazards, and so on.

'So, these are all environments we have a lot of experience in. Once the couple is in place, I direct them into different poses and shoot from different locations and angles with different lenses to get a variety of looks.

'I am often hanging off the side of the cliff and am sometimes to the side, right above, or even on the same ledge with them.

'For most of the images we try to use posing and camera angle to hide the ropes and anchors, there is no Photoshop whenever possible.

'Sometimes something sticks out a little due to an oversight and I remove it in post [production], but I try really hard to just have all the safety gear hidden.'

For each 90-minute shoot, which take place in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Jay works with his wife Vicki and they occasionally take a third mountain guide to help with lighting.

They did their first extreme shoot in 2008, after a couple getting married asked them to do the photography before letting slip that they were also mountain climbers.

Jay said: 'A couple who had just hired us to cover their wedding mentioned they were climbers and that got the ball rolling. I asked them if they were up for it and they were.

Jay claims not to go 'looking for trouble' but sets up shoots in the most weird and wonderful locations, including ice cliffs, steep snow slopes and even underwater

Jay claims not to go 'looking for trouble' but sets up shoots in the most weird and wonderful locations, including ice cliffs, steep snow slopes and even underwater

Former climbing guide Jay uses his extensive training in risk management, client care, rope work and avalanche hazards in his work

Former climbing guide Jay uses his extensive training in risk management, client care, rope work and avalanche hazards in his work

A ballerina in a red tutu practices her steps on a narrow cliff ledge while being photographed by Jay�

A ballerina in a red tutu practices her steps on a narrow cliff ledge while being photographed by Jay 

'For most of the images Jay tried to use posing and camera angle to hide the ropes and anchors, and he tries to use Photoshop as little as possible afterwards�

'For most of the images Jay tried to use posing and camera angle to hide the ropes and anchors, and he tries to use Photoshop as little as possible afterwards 

�'I am often hanging off the side of the cliff and am sometimes to the side, right above, or even on the same ledge with them,' says Jay

 'I am often hanging off the side of the cliff and am sometimes to the side, right above, or even on the same ledge with them,' says Jay

'When we began our wedding photography business I had a couple places in mind from my guiding days that I thought would make great backdrops for a bride and groom.

'In my photography I had always been attracted to contrasts of a beautiful subject in a stark or unlikely location and the cliff ledges I had in mind seemed perfect for this.

'We have done 4 or 5 couples on the cliff and have another booked for next season.'

However, Jay claims it's only once that a bride has got cold feet after stepping out on to a sheer cliff face.

For each 90-minute shoot, which take place in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Jay works with his wife Vicki and they occasionally take a third mountain guide to help with lighting

For each 90-minute shoot, which take place in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Jay works with his wife Vicki and they occasionally take a third mountain guide to help with lighting

Jay claims it's only once that a bride has got cold feet after stepping out on to a sheer cliff face. He did his best to persuade her, but she wouldn't budge so they shelved the idea�

Jay claims it's only once that a bride has got cold feet after stepping out on to a sheer cliff face. He did his best to persuade her, but she wouldn't budge so they shelved the idea 

Jay uses nature as a backdrop to his photos. He's shot a bride and groom against the stunning background of the Northern Lights�

Jay uses nature as a backdrop to his photos. He's shot a bride and groom against the stunning background of the Northern Lights 

He said: 'The model was very excited about the session and seemed OK with the whole thing until we got her right on the edge where she had to go over.

'She said, "no way". We talked about it a bit and tried a couple things to reassure her but she wasn't comfortable with it so we moved on.

'There were plenty of other things to do.

'These sessions usually begin well before sunrise so we can have the couple in place before the sun comes up to catch some beautiful light and to catch the sun rise, if there is one.

Jay admits that one couple patiently waited on a cliff for hours for snow and mist to clear before they had their shoot�

Jay admits that one couple patiently waited on a cliff for hours for snow and mist to clear before they had their shoot 

One bride went for a Frozen style theme for her shoot, posing in an icy cavern on the side of a cliff�

One bride went for a Frozen style theme for her shoot, posing in an icy cavern on the side of a cliff 

'We got some great shots of them by rappelling down very close to them and shooting from above,' Jay says of his photographic subjects

'We got some great shots of them by rappelling down very close to them and shooting from above,' Jay says of his photographic subjects

'Some days we have had a lot of fog and mists which we weren't hoping for but made for some dramatic images.'

On another occasion, the fog was so thick that by the time the newlyweds had been lowered into position, they couldn't be seen.

Jay said: 'The fog was that thick. I couldn't see them at all from where I needed to shoot.

'That poor couple waited on that ledge for maybe a couple hours for it to clear up and it never did.

'We got some great shots of them by rappelling down very close to them and shooting from above.'

But it's not just those getting hitched who get the sky-high service as Jay also offers his services to anyone wanting to live on the edge.

His portfolio include models, pageant queens, and dancers, all looking for a 'photographic adventure'.

It's not just those getting hitched who get the sky-high service as Jay also offers his services to anyone wanting to live on the edge. His portfolio include models, pageant queens, and dancers, all looking for a 'photographic adventure'

It's not just those getting hitched who get the sky-high service as Jay also offers his services to anyone wanting to live on the edge. His portfolio include models, pageant queens, and dancers, all looking for a 'photographic adventure'

Christie Sulkoski, Jay's wife, accompanies him on almost every session and takes care of the lighting�

Christie Sulkoski, Jay's wife, accompanies him on almost every session and takes care of the lighting 


3/13/2018 | | Permalink