KRifkind Photography

Cooper loves International Dog Day. He can’t contain his excitement!

Cottage life.

Surprise visit! Coming to Winnipeg! Only a few days open so if you've been waiting for me, now's your chance to book me! Message me for dates.

Somebody has a haircut coming up :)

The other day I volunteered with this organization to take photos of reserve duty soldiers and their wives on a "Yom Kef" (fun day). These guys have been in Gaza almost exclusively for 7/9 months we've been at war. Look at some of the babies...they were born while their dads were away. I can't even imagine. Was an amazing day and they all expressed how thankful they were for all the acts of kindness they have received from others - bbq's, equipment, boots, care packages etc. Nothing is too small to show our soldiers our support.

This is what Aviv, the organizer/owner of Israel Unlimited had to say -

"Dear Friends,

We are thrilled to share the success and impact of our RESTART PROJECT. This initiative is truly a win-win-win for everyone involved:

•⁠ ⁠*For our donors *: Your generous contributions are the backbone of this project. Your support makes a tangible difference, providing the resources needed to create unforgettable experiences.

•⁠ ⁠*For our dedicated team*: Our incredible team works tirelessly to bring this project to life. Their passion and commitment ensure every event is a resounding success.

•⁠ ⁠*For the soldiers*: The heart of our mission. Through RESTART, soldiers get to enjoy a fun-filled day, boosting their happiness and resilience. It’s a small way to give back to those who give so much.

Your donation can help us continue this amazing journey. If you would like to support the project, please click here to donate:

https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/RESTARTISRAEL

Thank you for being a part of this incredible mission.

Yours
Aviv"

Graduations are pretty much done for the year. These guys started their degrees of Social Work at the Yeshiva University on Zoom but finished in person. Tough times but they did it!

Sometimes I have a pretty cool job. Happy to say I did not get sick, but many did.
Israel Unlimited

Remember that glass blowing event I gave a little sneak peek to? Well here are some more from that. It's a great family activity! It is a bit hot but they do have fans going and I wasn't uncomfortable. And so worth it! You get to take home some gorgeous, unique pieces. This was at Olya's Hot Glass Studio in Aviezer. Not far from Beit Shemesh.

PM me for address.

Am Israel Chai!

Booooooooook time! Some girls really like doing wardrobe changes and multiple locations. And hey, add in their favourite pet while we're at it. I'm up for it! We luckily caught the tail end of the sunflower season. Mazel Tov!

Wonderful pre Bat Mitzvah shoot in my favorite place - the Old City of Jerusalem, and on another day, the party at the Isreal Museum. Both gorgeous locations and both shoots so fun! Fabulous family, fabulous friends, fabulous locations. Gilda Posner of Epic Events Israel helped plan everything and it was obvious because nothing was left out. Food, decor, vendors, and swag was perfect. Mazel Tov!

And the last from my mini shoots from up in the Golan. Last but not least. This family and mine are close. We have spent every Passover and Sukkot together for many years. We also see each other a couple more times during the year. Crazy that I remember the girls as so little and now they both look like high fashion models! Can’t wait for my next time going up North for shoots. Please be in touch if you have a few families interested. Have camera, will travel.

Shabbat Shalom.

Part 2 of my shoots from going up North to the Golan. Such a gorgeous place. I really hope that the fires are under control and Hezbollah is stopped from sending 100’s of missiles at us. There is an abandoned building we always pass on our way past the Kineret up to Hispin that I’ve always thought looked cool. So I checked it out and did two of my shoots there. Was awesome.

Not long ago I went up to the Golan to do a series of photoshoots in a 24 hr period. It was glorious up there. I’m saddened to know that now so much of the North is on fire due to Hezbollahs continuous rockets. But for now I will post the series in the coming days to remember the good moments with gorgeous families. Have camera, will travel 😄

Part 2 of this crazy gorgeous Bat Mitzvah shoot. I wish we had time to take pictures all day, but because of protestors blocking traffic, we only had 15 mins to shoot. I’m glad we got all the shots we did in that time. But obviously it wasn’t hard, she knew how to pose.

Pre Bat Mitzvah party shoot. This young lady rocked her look. She knew what she wanted and found her dress on Etsy. How gorgeous is she??

Day 1 of a Mission with Emunah America.
I've lost count how many times I've gone down to the areas most affected by terrorists on Oct. 7, yet each time it's still so unbelievable.
How can it be almost June and we're still dealing with missiles coming at us and terrorists trying to kill us yet the world somehow has changed the narrative to this all being our fault??
Ridiculous and heart shattering.

The thing about documenting with Missions what happened here on Oct 7, is that I'm back in that day, and all the days afterward. I hear new horror stories, see more destruction, visit with soldiers in hospitals, and meet more heroes. It's hard. And editing the images takes a lot out of me. Each time. But. It's important. Bear witness. Don't let the crazies rewrite history.

This image breaks me. A soldier was visiting the Nova site and I saw him from afar quietly crying in a spot. A fellow from the Mission I was on went up to him and offered solace. The pain on our young men's faces, those who have been given the task to protect us, is terrible to witness. We aren't murdering maniacs, we are every day people trying to live in our land safely. That there are people in the world trying their best to paint us as evil is so ridiculous to me. I invite any of them to come here and have a dialogue based in reality.

Kibbutz Be'eri

Waiting for the siren to go on for the saddest day of the year, the worst year Israel has ever known.
Memorial Day.
Too many lost this year, too many families broken, hostages still remain in the hands of Hamas, including bodies never returned. But yet, we still stand proud, still fight for good and light. We give over our son's and daughter's to help protect us in the hopes that one day we can live in peace in our land.

Doing a shoot in a glass blowing workshop over Passover was pretty darn cool.

Need a smile on your face? Missiles from Iran getting you down? Here's a cutie patootie picture to take your mind off impending Armageddon :) She had me chuckling all through our mini-shoot in preparation for her Bat Mitzvah. "Shady" is one of her favourite words and she used it appropriately.

Editing these photos makes me happy. These colors...amazing.

Yesterday I asked online for a subject to come with me to test a site. My friend Ora stepped up and here are some of our images. Gorgeous time to be out in nature.

Not too many days left of the almond blossoms. Check out my mini-shoots going on now and be sure to book! Do something fun just for yourself even, like this client did!

Mind blowing story.
Last week I went down South with Young Israel of Woodmere and one of the places we went to was Sderot. First we went to the where the police station once was, and while there one of the members of the tour asked a policeman if he knew of a certain family. Turns out this member has been saying Kaddish for someone who died from Sderot. The police officer knew of the family and was going to get in touch with them to see if they wanted to meet this fellow.
From there we went to a children's indoor play area that the synagogue sponsored. Again this member asked someone if he knew of the family he was saying Kaddish for and the man said he did. About 10 mins later he came up to him to tell him the wife of the fallen man was here with her children. It was the first time she has been back and out in Sderot in months and there she was! What are the chances?? There were only about 20 families there. So they met and talked and she said that she has had a couple dreams from her husband since he's died and he seemed unsettled, but now after meeting this member she feels a weight lifted off her. It was a very emotional meeting.
Sometimes Hashem's hand is visible.

For so many of my friends, everyday is a count down to when their children come back from a war zone, usually only for 24 hrs. I’ve been lucky enough to photograph some of these moments. These parents have been so strong and brave as they wait for news. And of course, we can’t forget all the parents and families who are waiting to hear about their loved ones taken hostage. I feel like we are all living in a perpetual “waiting game.” My game is just beginning with my son drafting in a month and my daughter a few months later. Gd give us all strength.

Started our mini shoots in the almond blossoms! It's gorgeous out there.