Reena Rose Photography

Interiors: The Bar Method Ridgewood by Coastal Points Construction

Tuesday, May 1, 2012 Posted in Real Estate Photography

Reena Rose Photography recently shot another fine job by Coastal Points Construction: the newly-opened branch of The Bar Method in Ridgewood, N.J. Check out their work!

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On Assignment: Space shuttle Enterprise arrives in New York City area

Friday, April 27, 2012 Posted in News, On Assignment

JERSEY CITY, N.J., APRIL 27, 2012 — People gathered at Liberty State Park to watch the arrival of the space shuttle Enterprise on top of NASA’s 747 shuttle carrier to New York City. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Spectators at Liberty State Park in Jersey City await the arrival of the space shuttle Enterprise. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

With her grandsons Matthew Frangipane, 10, second from left, and his brother, Jacob, 10, all bundled up against the wind and cold, Linda Giaquinta, 61 right, of Wallington, wait for the space shuttle Enterprise to make its flyover. Giaquinta said she originally told her grandsons she was taking driving them to school this morning, but while on the road told them they were going to Atlantic City instead. When Jacob complained he was going to miss a baseball game tonight, Giaquinta was forced to reveal her surprise to the boys -- she was, in fact, taking them to watch the space shuttle flyover. "It's great to see it for yourself and it's something you'll never forget," she said of the event. "It's something they (her grandsons) will be able to tell their grandchildren." Asked if they were excited to see the space shuttle, both boys were unenthusiastic. "We could have watched this on TV," said Matthew, who was actually looking forward to going to Atlantic City. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

The space shuttle Enterprise on top of NASA's 747 shuttle carrier arrives and flies over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge towards Liberty State Park. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

The space shuttle Enterprise on top of NASA's 747 shuttle carrier flies above Liberty State Park in Jersey City past the Statue of Liberty. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

The space shuttle Enterprise on top of NASA's 747 shuttle carrier flies over buildings in Downtown Jersey City as seen from Liberty State Park. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

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On Assignment: “Entourage” star Adrian Grenier and filmmaker Ari Gold in Jersey City

Monday, April 23, 2012 Posted in Feature, On Assignment

JERSEY CITY, N.J., APRIL 19, 2012 -- Actor Adrian Grenier (Entourage), right, and filmmaker Ari Gold, left, visit School 3 in Jersey City in support of the VH1 Save the Music Foundation. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

See more of my photos and read the story by The Jersey Journal’s M.G. De Guzman: Celebrities visit young musicians of Jersey City’s School 3, recipient of Save the Music grants

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Birthday: Linda

Sunday, April 22, 2012 Posted in Birthday, Event Photography

Last year, I photographed a book signing event for Linda Lauren who published the fictional novel, “Hostage in Time.” I had the pleasure of photographing another event for Linda Lauren last week. This time, it was a personal milestone: her 60th birthday. Linda is a fourth generation psychic medium. You can learn more about Linda and her services on her website. How does a psychic celebrate her big 6-0? Well, with a few close friends and family, and a crystal ball cake, of course!

by Reena

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On Assignment: Blue Angels over the Hudson River

Monday, April 2, 2012 Posted in News, On Assignment

JERSEY CITY, N.J., APRIL 2, 2012 -- The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron (Blue Angels) perform a survey flight in New York City to prepare for Fleet Week New York 2012. The Blue Angels aerial survey included two F/A-18 jets which conducted passes as low as 500 feet and at speeds up to 345 mph. The aircrafts made multiple passes over the Hudson River between 9:30-11:00 A.M., and made turns in the area south of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and north of the George Washington Bridge. Here, the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels fly past the Statue of Liberty as seen from Liberty State Park in Jersey City. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

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On Assignment: Learning the art of wrestling and mixed martial arts at Edge Hoboken

Thursday, March 29, 2012 Posted in Feature, On Assignment

HOBOKEN, N.J., FEB. 29, 2012 — A day in the life at Edge Hoboken Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts, located at 417 Newark St., the first satellite school of the original Edge School of Wrestling in Martinsville founded 25 years ago by Ernie Monaco and his family.

Edge Hoboken has trained some of New Jersey’s best all-time wrestlers and MMA fighters. The Edge offers mixed martial arts training for both beginner students and professional athletes alike. The Edge also instructs youth wrestlers 6 to 14 years of age.

Edge Hoboken, owned by Dave Esposito and Brandon Kinney, also offers beginner and professional training in Jiu-jitsu, boxing and Muay Thai.

Phillipe Nover, 28, of Brooklyn, right, trains with Edge co-owner and coach Brandon Kinney, for a Bellator Fighting Championship in May that will air on Spike TV. Nover also coaches regularly at Edge Hoboken. When Kinney was in high school, he was recruited by Dave Esposito to be part of the wrestling team at Columbia University. Years later, the two teamed up again to open Edge Hoboken. Kinney, 27, recalled how he started off in wrestling, "I was always wrestling with kids in the playground. I didn't know it was actually a sport. I got a flyer in my school mailbox when I was in third grade." Kinney, who works for the same real estate company during the day with Esposito, said, "Working at Edge, it's not the same thing everyday, not just sitting behind the desk." Kinney is a two-time NCAA Division 1 Qualifier and a two-time Michigan State Champion, among his numerous achievements. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Edge co-owner and head wrestling coach Dave Esposito, 34, upper left-hand corner, oversees a wrestling class. During the day, Esposito and fellow co-owner Brandon Kinney, work at a real estate company. "I love the job I have during the day," Esposito said, "but wrestling has helped my life so much that it's good to give back. What's nice about this place is that we can coach young kids who step on the mat for the first time...then we have guys who are elite level who train here and we get to work with them, too. And then you have the general public who are from the area who are looking to get a good workout in, to learn mixed martial arts, self-defense. So it's such a variety of people coming through here that you're meeting and interacting with. It's a rewarding thing." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Facility Manager Jeff Marsh, 26, who is also a coach at Edge Hoboken, takes care of the laundry which consists of towels and instructors' uniforms. Marsh has competed in wrestling for over 20 years. He was a four-time letter winner at the University of Michigan where he received his BA through the Program in the Environments' Sustainable Urban Design program. His achievements include: NCAA Division 1 qualifier, Big Ten Tournament semi-finalist, 67 Varsity Division One career wins. Jeff garnered 16 career wins over Division One All Americans, and currently trains fighters competing in Bellator And UFC Championships. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Facility Manager and coach Jeff Marsh, 26, schedules an orientation for a prospective student in the Edge's upstairs office/lounge. Marsh said he quit his nine-to-five office job in Michigan selling commercial real estate to move East to be part of Edge Hoboken. He said he wanted to "achieve something, help build national champions, help people meet their goals, help inspire kids and shape their lives. You learn a lot of life lessons in wrestling. It teaches us how to persevere in tough situations and to reach your goals." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Wrestling coach Zachary Lamano, 27, of Union City, changes from his office clothes into his workout clothes. By day, Lamano works for the government regulating credit unions. Lamano is currently training for the 2012 US Olympic wrestling team and will be wrestling in the Olympic trials in April. He is also working closely with the Edge MMA Combat Team athletes in preparation for their upcoming fights. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Edge Hoboken co-owner Dave Esposito, 34, right, being lifted by Gerald Javier, 25, of Bergenfield, teaches takedowns and defense wrestling techniques for mixed martial arts (MMA). (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Zachary Lamano, 27, of Union City, in green shirt, demonstrates a Greco-Roman wrestling move he likes to call "The Houdini"--a move used to get out of being pinned against a wall and to gain control of the opponent and eventually take him down--with the help of Edge Hoboken co-owner and coach Brandon Kinney, 27. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Greco Roman 2012 Olympic hopeful Zach Lamano practices a suplex on head wrestling coach Dave Esposito. The move includes the lifting of an opponent in an attempt to score five points. Esposito has been involved in wrestling for 25 years. He wrestled at Lehigh University where he received his B.S. in Marketing and was an assistant wrestling coach at Columbia University where he received his Master's degree in Communication and Education. He has had 105 career victories in college and high school wrestling. He has competed at the Black Belt Level at the Pan Am Games and the Abu Dhabi Trials with a record of 2 and 2. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gracie Jiu Jitsu Black Belt David Branch is looking to secure a single leg takedown as ACC Wrestling Champion Cody Hamrah defends with a lift, creating a scramble. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Mike Hussey, 26, of Kearny, a junior Jiu-jitsu instructor at Edge, warms up on a chin-up bar attached to the National and World Championships Wall of Fame. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Chris Walsh, 29, of Hoboken, who owns a local moving company, Bin-it, arrives for a Jiu-Jitsu class at Edge Hoboken. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Students change into their Jiu-jitsu kimonos. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Students Joe Leonard, 23, of Hoboken, right, and Christopher Perez, 22, of Jersey City, left, learn guard passing from instructors Kevin Ottino, 19, of Bayonne, on the ground right, and Mike Hussey. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

A Jiu-jitsu class. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Sidney Nemes, 34, of Hoboken, applies a triangle choke on Josh Ocasio, 22, of Union City. Nemes has a purple belt and took third place a year ago in the New York International Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Federation. Ocasio is one of the first students at Edge Hoboken and worked as an assistant. He has since competed in Grapplers Quest where he won first place in the intermediate level. He is the first blue belter in Jiu-jitsu at Edge instructed by David Branch. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Head Jiu-jitsu instructor David Branch, on the floor, demonstrates a straight arm bar technique on student Kenny Wise, 26 of Bergenfield, as student Bryan Baldicanas, 26, of Dumont watches. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jiu-jitsu student Christopher Abeel, 28, of Hoboken, lies exhausted on the mat. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Juan German, 23, of West New York, wraps his hands in preparation for a Muay Thai (also known as Thai kickboxing) class. Though German said he has experience in boxing, this will be his first lesson in Muay Thai. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Head Jiu-jitsu instructor David Branch promotes Chris Walsh, 29, of Hoboken, to a blue belt after the class. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Junior instructor Mike Hussey after a Jiu-jitsu class. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Head intro Muay Thai coach Gerald Javier, 25, of Bergenfield, directs students to execute raised-leg crunches as part of a warm-up routine. Javier has trained in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu for over ten years. He holds both NJ Golden Gloves titles, as well as multiple Grapplers Quest Championships in NoGi and Gi competition. He is also the captain of the Edge Muay Thai competition team and is currently training to make his Pro MMA. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Greg Luthor, 23, of Harlem, executes knuckle push ups as a warm up to a Muay Thai class. Luthor, who is an aspiring actor, said, "I was always interested in mixed martial arts. I can actually use it in film acting." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Harry Castro, 36, of Jersey City, paid a visit to Edge Hoboken with his wife, Jessica, 21, and four-month-old daughter, Arrayah, to observe the Muay Thai class. Castro, who has had other martial arts experience said he is interested in signing up for Muay Thai classes but that he wanted to see "the discipline, technique and curriculum" at Edge. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Edward Javier, 17, of Bergenfield, teaches first-timer Kristin Svorinic, 28, of Hoboken the basic moves in Muay Thai. Svorinic said, "I like to stay active and I thought this was an exciting new way to just be active and be fit. I do a lot of running and yoga. I grew up playing soccer and basketball so I have a little background in contact sports. My sister heard of Muay Thai at the Edge and thought I'd be interested. I don't know what to expect yet, I'm just going to have fun with it. It's a little intimidating (being the only girl in the class) but I know that there are other girls who are members here and who come here regularly." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Michael Alvarez, 18, of Kearny, kicks at pads held by Mike Hussey during his first Muay Thai class. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Muay Thai students push themselves to the limit during a "burnout" session of punches and knee kicks at the end of the class. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Muay Thai students, including Rakesh Lalbiharie, 30, of Jersey City, center, push themselves to the limit by executing a mountain climber exercise during a "burnout" session at the end of the class. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Omar Ali, 27, an accountant from East Orange, who has been learning Muay Thai at Edge for a week now, works out on the ropes in front of a poster of Olympic gold medalist Dan Gable who was a legendary wrestling coach at the University of Iowa where he won 15 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) team titles, and posters of NCAA Champions who trained at Edge Hoboken. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Hung Nguyen, 27, of Lodi, left, spars with head intro Muay Thai coach Gerald Javier to see if he can be a last-minute fill-in for a March 9 Friday Night Fights match. According to Jeff Marsh, "Hung did indeed take the fight as a last minute replacement, and made his amateur debut (his very first fight ever) and lost a very close decision and was offered a rematch of the same bout. He was happy with his performance and started strong but faded through the fight as his nerves and adrenaline had him on edge." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jeff Marsh mops the mats he sprayed with ammonia. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Students shoot some hoops in a space Edge Hoboken leases out to recreational groups for sporting and other events. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

A signed poster of Henry Cejudo, the youngest American wrestler to win a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics. Cejudo came to Edge Hoboken and coached in one of their programs. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Students and instructors head home at closing time. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jeff Marsh closes up the gym. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

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On Assignment: Man’s best friend is king at Hoboken Unleashed

Sunday, March 11, 2012 Posted in Feature, On Assignment

HOBOKEN, N.J., FEB. 20, 2012 — A day in the life of the staff and dogs at Hoboken Unleashed Dog Day Care, Hotel & Spa located at a 9,000 square foot facility at 716 Clinton St. and is the only one of its kind in Hoboken. It is owned by Mike Stigliano and Peter Lin who bought an existing dog day care center called Graceland in 2007 in what used to be a Wonder Bread factory in the mid 1900s. Services include day care, overnight hotel, dog walking, pet sitting, grooming and pet taxi. In May, a new Hoboken Unleashed Pet Resort will open at a three-quarters of an acre property in the Newport section of Jersey City. It will include a separate area for cat day care and boarding and will even have a pool for dogs. For information about Hoboken Unleashed’s services, visit their website.

Clockwise from top left: Employees call Lenny, a Siberian Husky with one blue eye and one brown eye, the "alpha dog" at Hoboken Unleashed; though he looks friendly, Sam, a Samoyed, is kept in his stall as he doesn't play well with other dogs; Jack Bauer, a Yorkshire Terrier; Elvis "The King," a Basset Hound, in his cage. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Dog handler Arcely Aguilar, 48, uses a floor scrubber/wet-vac to clean up after the dogs at the medium dog run. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Hobs on the play structure at the medium dog run. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Rob Berberabe, 28, of Jersey City, plays with the big dogs. Day care dogs get a total of five hours of play time between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. while overnight dogs get an extra half hour in the early morning and at night before bed. Though the dogs generally get along, fights do break out from time to time. For minor fights, dog handlers spray the dogs with a bit of water. But for fights that could turn dangerous, dog handlers are armed with citronella spray, Berberabe said. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Dan Szwed, 24, of Jersey City, with the small dogs during playtime. Szwed, who has three dogs of his own, said he will be adopting Jonas, a dog fostered by Hoboken Unleashed from Liberty Humane Society. HU often fosters dogs from LHS to help with crowding at the Jersey City animal shelter. Co-owner Mike Stigliano said, "We take dogs who have been there for a while and give them a vacation to be able to run around and play with other dogs." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Dan Szwed cradles Zoe at the small dog run. Asked what he likes about his job he answered, "I get paid to play with dogs." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Dan Szwed with the small dogs during playtime. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Dog handler Mitul Shah, 20, of North Bergen, places blankets inside the small dog cages. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Mitul Shah with Jackson inside the big dog run. Shah loves to work with the big dogs. "I was a little scared of dogs at first coming into work because I got bit as a kid (nine years old)," he said. "But what better place to get over my fear (of dogs) than at Hoboken Unleashed." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Tango, a Labrador Retriever mix, barks from inside the big dog run. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Sam peeks out from inside his stall. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Small dogs squeeze their faces through a space in the gate of the small dog run to take a look at a visitor. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Michael Ocasio, 20, of Jersey City, fills the water bowls inside the small dog cages. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Michael Ocasio prepares meals for the dogs from food brought by their owners. Hoboken Unleashed recommends owners to leave food for their own dogs to prevent an upset stomach. One dog prefers having the dry and wet food mixed (bottom right) "or else he won't eat," Ocasio said. Bottom left, Ocasio slathers peanut butter on a toy, a special treat for one of the dogs. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Sami Shaikh picks up his dog, Ziggy, a Border Collie, who stayed for five days at Hoboken Unleashed, as another owner brings in her dog, Elvis, a Basset Hound, for day care. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

From left to right, assistant manager Laura Pycik, and dog handlers Rosario Tinta and Dan Szwed welcome dogs as they are dropped off by their owners at Hoboken Unleashed. The center receives an average of 70 dogs a day, according to Pycik. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Mitul Shah uploads photos of the dogs on the Hoboken Unleashed's Facebook page so their owners can see them. Webcams are also set up in the dog runs and are turned on an hour twice a day so owners who are at work can watch their dogs play. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Mitul Shah takes Kona for a 20-minute walk. Some of the dogs get walked outside when requested by their owners. Shah said he wants to study veterinary medicine. "I can write this off as experience for school," he said of working at Hoboken Unleashed. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Hoboken Unleashed co-owner Mike Stigliano gives Cooper, a three-year-old black Labrador retriever, a bath. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Dan Szwed blow dries Cooper's hair. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Co-owner Mike Stigliano plays catch with Axel in the courtyard. Axel is co-owner Peter Lin's dog. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Dogs play in the courtyard. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Co-owner Mike Stigliano sprays the artificial turf in the courtyard with a solution of diluted bleach and household detergents to sanitize areas where dogs have gone to the bathroom. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Co-owner Mike Stigliano plays with the small dogs in the lounge. Boarding dogs may sleep in the lounge overnight, subject to availability, for an additional charge. "One of the things that sets us apart from other pet care centers, is our drive to constantly evolve the business and make the experience easier and more enjoyable for the customers and the dogs. It's hard work, but we enjoy doing it!" Stigliano said. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

A television is kept on for dogs who sleep in the lounge overnight. It is usually tuned to Animal Planet. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Hoboken Unleashed offers plenty of space for dogs to run around. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Assistant manager Laura Pycik, 25, of Jersey City, and co-owner Mike Stigliano, of Hoboken, hang with the dogs in the lounge. Ironically, Mike says he does not have a dog, but has a cat "that I've trained as a dog. It can fetch and jump on my shoulder like a parrot. So, really, I have a dog, cat and bird in one. I've always loved dogs but never had the perfect opportunity to own one. I'm like the fun uncle to these dogs which I see everyday." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Assistant manager Laura Pycik with Sarge, a French bulldog. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Sean Ruane, 21, of Jersey City, gets doggy kisses from pit bull Ella during a play session. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

The staff feeds the dogs in their cages. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Dan Szwed gives Indy, a beagle, his dinner. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jackson gives 19-month-old Stella, a sloppy kiss as he and his canine brother, Cody, gets picked up from Hoboken Unleashed by their owners Jeff and Amy Lage. Stella calls the two dogs, "Dodos." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Michael Ocasio prepares to load dogs into the Pet Taxi to transport them back to their homes. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Michael Ocasio secures dogs in cages inside the Pet Taxi to transport them back to their homes. Hoboken Unleashed also offers taxi service to take dogs to the vet when their owners don't have time to do so themselves. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Sean Ruane mops the floor of the lounge. "For most of my shift, I will be cleaning," he said. "But of all the minimum wage jobs I've had, this is by far the best." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

by Reena

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On Assignment: “Ready to go at a moment’s notice”

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 Posted in Awards, Feature, On Assignment

Just found out these photos won second place in the National Press Photographers Association’s Region 3 Monthly Clip Contest in the Feature/Multiple Picture category for December 2011.

JERSEY CITY, N.J., DEC. 21, 2011 — A photo essay on a day in the life of Jersey City Fire Department’s Rescue 1.

Walter Milne performs inventory on the Rescue 1 truck's tools and makes sure they are in working order, a routine that has to be done by every shift. "The priority is making sure everything is ready to go at a moment's notice," he said. The truck is packed with equipment such as ropes, harnesses, chainsaws, inflatable jacks and even an inflatable boat for a variety of scenarios including floods, high-rise rescues, confined space rescues and extrications. "We call this rig the giant tool box," he said. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Firefighter Mark Petrucelli sweeps the firehouse at Kearny Avenue. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Firefighter Carmine Rizzi, left, helps Firefighter Greg Fuehrer into a harness for the training exercise. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Capt. Stephan Drennan, right, leads his men in a training exercise using a confined space rescue tripod. In the harness is Firefighter Greg Fuehrer and looking on is Firefighter Mark Petrucelli. Capt. Drennan recalls using this confined rescue technique in 2008 to hoist a worker who had passed out while doing welding work from the hold of a barge. Capt. Drennan explained that when there are no emergencies to respond to, his unit takes advantage of the downtime during their shift to refresh their knowledge and skills in using their rescue equipment and to familiarize other firefighters from other fire companies on what they do as well. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Carmine Rizzi, left, and Mark Petrucelli put on their turnout gear as they prepare to respond to a report of smoke at a residence at 73 Woodlawn Avenue. A neighbor had called upon seeing the smoke which turned out to be from a barbecue grill in the backyard. Seeing no need for their expertise in this case, Rescue 1 left the scene and turned it over to firefighters with Ladder Co. 11 who put out the embers with a garden hose. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

From left to right, Rescue 1 firefighters Walter Milne, Carmine Rizzi and Greg Fuehrer share a laugh with another firefighter during lunch. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Firefighter Walter Milne sears prime rib for dinner, a special entree for an early Christmas celebration. Milne said firefighters in the house take turns cooking. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

by Reena

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On Assignment: JCMC EMS: There when they’re needed the most

Sunday, February 12, 2012 Posted in Feature, On Assignment

JERSEY CITY, N.J., FEB. 7, 2012 — A photo essay on a day in the life with the Jersey City Medical Center’s Emergency Medical Services.

The Jersey City Medical Center EMS Department provides Basic Life Support to the City of Jersey City, Advanced Life Support to greater Hudson County and 9-1-1 Communications in greater Hudson County. The JCMC EMS responds to more than 90,000 incidents a year. Their headquarters is located at 415 Montgomery Street which also houses a training center. EMTs and paramedics work 12 hour shifts for three to four days a week responding to calls ranging from transporting patients from the medical center to other facilities, to life-threatening emergencies such as gunshot wounds, fires and traffic accidents. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Melissa Isidro, an EMT for six years, is the station supervisor during this shift. Her responsibilities include scheduling employees and taking charge of all equipment. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Vehicle service technician John Roper makes IV kits to put in bins containing other medical paraphernalia, ready to replenish supplies in ambulances. The bin system was developed to keep supplies organized and help EMTs and paramedics re-supply their ambulances quicker. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

EMT and dispatcher Dennis Patrisso works in the HUDCEN 9-1-1 call taking center located at the Jersey City Medical Center. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

The JCMC EMS uses a system which uses past statistical data of what day of week and time of day and in which area demand for emergency service is great to determine where and when ambulances will be dispatched and how staff will be scheduled. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

A screen shows the status of each unit whether they are on the way to an emergency call, are at the scene, are transporting a patient or are on their way to their assigned post. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Bill Bayer checks his jump bag, a basic medical kit EMTs carry on every call, at the start of his shift. Bayer, who was Jersey Journal's former chief photographer, has been working as an EMT since 2002. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

EMTs Bill Bayer and Stephanie Cordero, who has been an EMT for seven years, prepare to leave for their assigned post. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Paramedic and Tour Chief Ian McFarland cleans his command vehicle at the EMS headquarters on Montgomery Street at the start of his night shift. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Station supervisor David Mastropietro distributes radios to EMTs who are just starting their shift. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

EMT Melissa Isidro, second from right, supervises a group of students in an EMT class during a hands-on excercise teaching them basic skills on what to do when a patient is not breathing. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

While responding to a call for a pedestrian struck on Montgomery Street, Tour Chief Ian McFarland and EMTs Bobby Burns and Adam Gonzalez ask each other if they have seen the victim who was not seen at the address the caller had provided dispatch. After driving just a few doors down, McFarland was able to locate the victim, who was brought to a nearby mosque by witnesses. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

EMTs Bobby Burns, right, and Adam Gonzalez, uses a gurney to move the victim of a hit-and-run on Montgomery Street from inside a mosque to their ambulance to transport to Jersey City Medical Center. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Tour Chief Ian McFarland keeps track of where units working the night shift are stationed and dispatched using a MARVLIS system in his command vehicle. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Tour Chief Ian McFarland stops at North Street where a call came in for a woman having difficulty breathing. McFarland says sick calls are the most common calls they get. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

EMTs Julia Smith, left, and Matt Curasco, right, and paramedic Robert Beddoe, second from right, with help from firefighters, place a man who was hit by a car on Central and Laidlaw avenues, onto a backboard to be carried to the ambulance. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

From left to right, EMTs Julia Smith and Matt Curasco and paramedic Robert Beddoe load the man who was hit by a car on Central and Laidlaw avenues into the ambulance to be transported to Jersey City Medical Center, as paramedic Astro Ayala prepares the IV drip. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

From left to right, paramedic Astro Ayala, EMT Matt Curasco and paramedic Robert Beddoe, perform patient care on a man who was hit by a car at Central and Laidlaw avenues inside the ambulance on the way to the emergency room. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

An IV drip is attached to the arm of the patient. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

EMT Matt Curasco drives the ambulance transporting the injured man to Jersey City Medical Center. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

EMTs Jamel Clark, left, and Tim Peterson prepare to transport a man who was reported to have an "altered mental status" from the bus platform of the Journal Square PATH station. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Carolina Campo and Henson Barnes, EMTs for 10 and 18 years, respectively, turn over their radios, ambulance keys and Zoll Tablet ePCR--used in writing up electronic patient care reports--to Tour Chief Ian McFarland at the end of their shift. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

by Reena

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On Assignment: Gus Breakfast & Lunch truck serves up a smile

Wednesday, February 8, 2012 Posted in Feature, On Assignment

JERSEY CITY, N.J., FEB. 1, 2012 — A photo essay on a day in the life with Gus Breakfast & Lunch food truck.

Gus Papathanasis, 58, is the owner of the Gus Breakfast & Lunch food truck for 27 years. It's 5:05 a.m. and Gus replenishes the food truck's bread supply before heading off to New Jersey City University on Kennedy Boulevard where he regularly parks his truck. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus is also the owner of Papa's Restaurant at 896 Bergen Ave. in Jersey City for 21 years. Every morning, he opens the restaurant and loads his truck with fresh ingredients. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus brings out condiment bottles to refill at the restaurant. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jose Gomez, Gus' employee for 16 years, carries eggs, sausages, and other ingredients from the restaurant to load into the truck. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jose stocks up the food truck with milk. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Inside the restaurant, Gus picks out donuts to sell in the food truck while sharing a laugh with an early customer, left, and Martha Gomez, right, his employee for 10 years and Jose's wife. Martha said two of their children have worked part-time as teenagers for Gus at the restaurant and have learned to cook from him. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

While waiting for Jose to finish loading up the food truck, Gus helps cook some home fries for the restaurant. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus serves breakfast to early morning customers. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Pete Tserpelis, 31, is Gus' nephew and has worked at Papa's Restaurant for 11 years and is now the manager. With no children of his own, Gus said that when he retires, he will turn the restaurant over to Pete. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus shows Efrain Beltran, who has only worked at the restaurant for two weeks, how to make a sandwich. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

With the food truck all ready, Gus prepares to drive from the restaurant to his regular spot outside the NJCU campus on Kennedy Boulevard. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

At 6:28 a.m., Jose and Gus, open up the food truck outside their usual spot on Kennedy Boulevard outside the NJCU campus. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Dennis Ciszkowski, a long-time customer of Gus' and an NJCU employee greets Gus and Jose from behind the fence. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jose serves Dennis, the first customer of the day. Dennis has been a loyal customer for 13 years and sings praises for Gus' "great food." "One of these days, I'm gonna buy stock in his business," Dennis said jokingly.Throughout the day, Dennis returned to the truck three more times. Gus said that he is one of his best customers. "He is happy all the time," he said. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus chats with NJCU employees who stopped in to get breakfast. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus has somewhat become a confidant to his long-time customers telling him about deaths in their families and even their health problems. An NJCU employee remarked that Gus would know first if the school will be closed during a winter storm even before the school makes an announcement because even administrators disclose things to him. Gus said that even the president of the university is one of his long-time customers. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus, left, wraps a blueberry muffin as Jose makes change. The two work at a frenetic but almost rhythmic pace in a space that's about 15 feet long and only two feet wide. Ten years ago, there used to be four people working in his truck at the same time, Gus said, but the sluggish economy forced him to lay off two. From the time they opened at 6 a.m., they have been serving customers non-stop until a brief lull around 2 p.m. The food truck leaves at 5 p.m. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus, left, said he never went to high school. His father owned a restaurant in Greece where Gus first learned how to cook. After working for several restaurants in Hudson County, he bought his first food truck. For 27 years, he said he has never had any competition save for his brother, Bill Papathanasis, whose food truck is parked on the south side of the NJCU campus. But a new food truck took up a spot on the north side just a day before. Gus said he's not worried about the competition. "I have plenty of steady customers," he said. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus toasts a muffin on the grill where bacon and eggs are simultaneously cooking. Gus said his father taught him to only serve food he himself would like to eat. "I can eat anything," Gus said, "except eggs. I don't like the taste of eggs." But his years of experience in the food business in Jersey City taught him that American fare is what sells the most to his customers. Being Greek, he said he used to have gyros on the menu, but they didn't sell as well as bacon and eggs--which people would order for breakfast, lunch and even dinner. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus gets his first break of the morning at 9:36 a.m. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus chats with his friend John Economou, 24, during a lull. John who is a student at NJCU often comes by the food truck to keep Gus company when things slow down.Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal

Gus fixes up a couple of California cheeseburgers. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jose serves some late morning customers. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Customers wait for their orders. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Customers wait for their orders as Gus hustles at the grill. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

The lunch crowd made up of mostly NJCU staff and students line up at Gus' food truck. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus said he has not changed the prices on his menu for ten years because he knows students don't have a lot of money. Sometimes, he said, a student would tell him he can't pay for lunch, and Gus would give him a sandwich for free or would tell him to pay when he can. "I used to be a kid, too, with no money," Gus said. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus chats with customers Ro Pietranera, left, and Pat Murphy, who are teachers at the A. Harry Moore School across the street from his food truck. Murphy recalls how she once brought her pre-school students to the food truck and Gus taught the kids how to handle money. "He showed them how to make change. He was very patient and supportive of the kids," she said. "We love them!" said Pietranera of Gus and Jose. "They are great people. And they have the best memories of anyone I know. They can remember each customer's name and what they like to order," she said. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus and Jose say goodbye to customers Ro Pietranera, left, and Pat Murphy. The two have become such fixtures in the community that people often greet them when they pass by their food truck. And they would greet back with a smile and a wave. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus grills some onions for a cheesesteak sandwich. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Customers have commented on Jose's sense of humor. He loves to play jokes with the regulars, for instance telling a customer with a straight face he owes $25 dollars for a $3.25 sandwich, or sneaking whole bottles of ketchup and mustard inside a brown paper bag and passing it off as the customer's lunch order or, in this case, handing an entire 5-lb. bag of sugar to customer who asked for some in his coffee. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus and Jose get another coffee break from what has been a busy morning. He has had no bite to eat since he opened up this morning save for a slice of bacon. He jokes that he doesn't eat much so he can "fit and move about" in the truck. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gus lights up a cigarette during a break. He said he loves his job because it keeps him out of the house and gives him something to do. Even when he retires and turns over the business to his nephew, he said will still help out at the restaurant. He really is fond of cooking, too, and at home he loves to barbecue. "I also love my customers. I've never had any problem with any of them," he said. In fact, he said, when the city proposed an ordinance that would force food trucks to relocate every two hours, his customers called up and wrote City Hall to petition against the proposed ordinance. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

by Reena

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On Assignment: Burns Bros. provides loved ones a lasting tribute

Sunday, February 5, 2012 Posted in Feature, On Assignment

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JAN. 25, 2012 — A photo essay on a day in the life at Burns Bros. monument makers.

Owner John M. Burns Jr. operates a forklift to unload from a truck a shipment of granite and marble stones he ordered from China. Though most stones he uses at his business come from Vermont, he said other types that are not available in the U.S. are ordered from China and India. John opened Burns Bros. on Tonnelle Avenue in Jersey City in 1987 with his brother Fred, but now operates the business by himself. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

A 1992 Jersey Journal article by Sally Deering displayed in the Burns Bros.' shop tells the story of how John first became interested in the monument business: "John remembers playing childhood games like manhunt and baseball in the (Bayview) cemetery with his brothers and the kids in the neighborhood. 'The cemetery's a beautiful playground when you're a kid,' John says. On the opposite side of the cemetery was the monument company Memorial Art Studio, and John became intrigued as he watched a workman, Joe Lupo, chisel the lettering on gravestones. So, he began carrying Lupo's tools, which led to part-time work after school, learning the business." The article continued, "After graduation in 1979, John went to work in North Arlington for the Albert H. Hopper monuments company. John opened his own business, Stonemasters, in Newark in 1982. When the lease expired in 1987, he and Fred opened the Tonnelle Avenue location they're in now." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

There are a few shops around that sell monuments, but "we're the only monument maker in Hudson County," John said. John estimates his business makes "a couple thousand" monuments in a year. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Granite stones. Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal

Granite cross and angel memorials. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Department manager Jorge Cabra, who has been working at Burns Bros. for four years now, uses a computer to design the artwork for a gravestone ordered by customers who have lost a young child. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

The finished design. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jorge operates a vinyl cutter used to make stencils for designs on the monuments. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

In a sandblasting booth, Julio Florat, an employee at Burns Bros. for 10 years, uses a hand-held sandblaster to carve out shallow or frosted letters on a gravestone. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Julio holds the hose where the sand shoots out to carve the letters on a gravestone. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Inside this sandbasting booth, shallow or frosted letters were carved out on a gravestone. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

This other sandblasting booth has a computer-controlled machine which can carve deeper letters on stone. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

With the vinyl stencil still in place on the stone, Yolexis Vazquez, an employee at Burns Bros. for three years, spray paints the Hebrew letters that have been carved out by a computer-operated sandblasting machine to make them stand out from the grey background. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Manager Jose Balcaceres uses hand tools to carve flat letters into a v-shape on a gravestone, a technique sandblasting machines can't do. Jose has been working at Burns Bros. for 20 years, and has trained employees on every job in the shop. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Boris Mikhailov etches a portrait by hand on a gravestone. He also etched the portrait on the gravestone at right. Boris arrived from Russia in 1992 where he was an art professor. Though etching can be done by laser, etching by hand, according to manager Jose Balcaceres, brings out the subtle characteristics of a person's face in a portrait and requires a lot of skill. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Marco Valencia applies glue to a gravestone. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Marco, who has been working at Burns Bros. for only seven months, attaches vinyl stencil on a gravestone. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Yolexis attaches the vinyl stencil on a gravestone. The areas not covered by the vinyl gets carved out. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

An overview of the shop. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

A view of the shop's yard. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

A civic plaque ordered by the City of Jersey City for the rededication of Bayside Park. Apart from crafting gravestones for private clients, Burns Bros. also makes monuments for city's and towns, such as the Korean War Memorial and the 9/11 memorial in Jersey City and plaques for institutions such as the one installed at the Hudson County Community College Culinary Arts Institute. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

A few times, customers ordered gravestones as spoof gifts. In Dec. 2008, an associate producer for the Howard Stern show and a friend of John Burns', ordered a gravestone for Stern as a Secret Santa gift, which was John's idea. Stern's reaction? "This is the (expletive) gift I've ever received." The article, which ran in The Jersey Journal, hangs in the Burns Bros. reception area. Burns Bros. has also made props for television shows like "The Sopranos," "Dellaventura" which starred Danny Aiello, and "The Montel Williams Show." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Some finished and unfinished monuments in the shop's yard. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jose takes care of paperwork at the front desk. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Yolexis peels the vinyl stencil off a monument he spray-painted earlier. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jose, left, and Yolexis gently moves a partially-finished monument. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jorge takes a picture of a gravestone which he will download on the computer to aid him in properly designing the text that will be engraved on the stone. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jorge measures a stone to aid him in properly designing the text that will be engraved on it. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jorge with a finished printed design and the vinyl stencil letterings ready to be placed on a stone. But first, the customer has to give final approval before the text is carved in stone to make sure everything is correct. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

As he sits down to lunch with Jose, left, and Joe Cerone, John checks The Jersey Journal's obituary page. "It's good this week," he said, "not a lot of cremations." Later, a discussion ensued between John and Jose on whether or not the practice of recycling cemetery plots should be adopted in the U.S. as in Europe and some other countries. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

A gravestone shaped as a lighthouse has arrived. At left is the design for the artwork. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

John works on paying the bills in his upstairs office. John Burns said that his company is the "only monument maker in Hudson County" but through the years, his company's sales, which rely on in-ground burials, have been negatively impacted by the rise in cremations and community mausoleums which can house thousands of the deceased. "But we try to keep visible in the community," he said, which helps to keep business flowing in. "We have a solid network with funeral directors." But it's not all just profits for John. "People have always been good to me," he said, "so I try to help out people in need whenever there is an opportunity." He recalls an incident where a man drowned his two daughters in a bathtub in Montclair and then hung himself. The wife had little means to pay for the burials so Burns Bros. donated the gravestones which cost over $5,000. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Standing on a forklift, maintenance engineer Joe Cerone replaces a worn-out wheel on the overhead hoist used to carry and move the heavy stones around in the shop, as John, left, and Jose, look on. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

John drives through Holy Cross Cemetery on his way to his sales office--the Albert H. Hopper Monuments--in North Arlington. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Along the way, John comes across one of his subcontractors, Frank Mangano, of The Stoneworkers, carving a second inscription to a gravestone at the Holy Cross Cemetery. John said he and Frank have known each other since they were teenagers when John worked part-time after school at the Memorial Arts Studio near Bayview Cemetery in Jersey City, which was owned by Frank's father. It was at that studio, which was right across from where he lived on Cator Avenue near Bayview Cemetery, where John first learned about the monument business and inspired him to pursue it as his career. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

At Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington, John Burns stops at a plot with a newly-installed gravestone made by Burns Bros. for a young man who passed away. John said that the most challenging thing about his business is "dealing with families who lost a young person in their life. Everybody has to bury their parents sometime, but to lose a child is an unnatural thing." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

The Albert H. Hopper Monuments at 329 Ridge Rd. in North Arlington, the sales office for Burns Bros. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

John conducts business over the phone at the sales office as a sales associate takes care of customers, at right. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Bernadette Finelli looks for a key to one of the mausoleums at Holy Cross Cemetery where a body will be laid in a few days. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

John inspects one of the mausoleums at Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington where a body will be laid to rest in a few days. Right after graduating from high school, John Burns started working for Albert H. Hopper Monuments in North Arlington which has been in operation since 1882. John bought Hopper Monuments in 2006 and along with the business, he inherited the mausoleums the company built for its clients. "About 75 percent of mausoleums in North Arlington were built by Hopper," John said. He said he kept the name Hopper instead of changing it to Burns Bros. because "it's an established name with a good reputation." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

At Holy Cross Cemetery, John looks for monuments his company made. "We put more stones here than anybody else," he said. When asked what he finds fulfilling about his line of work, he replied, "We are creating something that's going to be here forever. Long after I'm dead and buried, monuments are still going to be here." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

by Reena

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Snapshot: Still Life

Sunday, February 5, 2012 Posted in Architecture, Personal, Snapshot, Street Photography, Travel

From the archive:

1.18.12 Liberty State Park, Jersey City, N.J. (Reena Rose Sibayan/Reena Rose Photography)

by Reena

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Snapshot: Celebrating the Year of the Dragon

Sunday, January 29, 2012 Posted in Personal, Snapshot, Street Photography

I was born in the Year of the Dragon so this year’s Lunar New Year Parade in New York City’s Chinatown was something I definitely had to see and shoot. Kung Hei Fat Choy!

1.29.12 Chinese New Year Parade, Chinatown, New York City, NY

by Reena

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On Assignment: U.S. Marines give high school football players a taste of boot camp training

Monday, January 16, 2012 Posted in On Assignment, Sports

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JAN. 16, 2012 -- U.S. Marines conducted a leadership seminar and a physical fitness challenge for St. Peter's Prep football players. Here, Capt. Christopher Simpson, left, and Staff Sgt. Richard Jones motivate St. Peter's Prep football players as they run back and forth while executing a fireman's carry. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Lance Cpl. Davian Rima motivates St. Peter's Prep football players as they execute medicine ball squats. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Lance Cpl. Davian Rima keep St. Peter's Prep football players moving as they execture tire flips. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Gunnery Sgt. Nelson Roman yells motivations at a St. Peter's Prep football player as he strains to complete a set of pull-ups. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

A St. Peter's Prep football player, right, screams at his teammate to keep going as they execute push ups. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

St. Peter's Prep football players shout motivations at another as he executes a push press. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

St. Peter's Prep football players endure wall squats. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

A St. Peter's Prep football player grimaces as he performs a leg lift hold. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Capt. Christopher Simpson puts his fists under St. Peter's Prep football players to keep their bodies from touching the ground as they do push ups. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

A St. Peter's Prep football player grimaces as he performs ab ball throws while two others do wall squats. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

St. Peter's Prep football players perform ab ball throws. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

St. Peter's Prep football players execute push presses as others do leg lift holds, at right. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Exhausted St. Peter's Prep football players rest after the fitness challenge. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

by Reena

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On Assignment: On the Road with My Way

Saturday, January 14, 2012 Posted in Awards, Feature, On Assignment

4.18.12 UPDATE: This photo essay won third place in the Feature/Multiple Picture category of the National Press Photographers Association’s Region 3 Monthly Clip Contest for January 2012.

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JAN. 10, 2012 — A photo essay on a day in the life of the people (and dogs) of My Way Automotive Services, Inc.

Henry Cueva, 63, is the owner of My Way Automotive Services, Inc. at 770 Tonnelle Ave. in Jersey City. His business is towing and repairing cars, but he also operates a gas station. Apart from towing disabled cars and recovering vehicles involved in wrecks, his business also moves heavy machinery such as construction equipment. They also have a government account, which lets them tow broken down FBI cars. In this photo, Daisy the dog rides shotgun with Henry in his tow truck. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Henry, who claims to have been a Nascar driver in the 60s, has owned and operated My Way since 1980. His first shop was located at 3375 Kennedy Boulevard. He moved his business to the Tonnelle Avenue location in 1987. He started his business after working for Ford Motor Company for three years wanting to be his own boss for a change. Frank Sinatra's song, "My Way" was playing at the time Henry was thinking of what to name his shop. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Henry and his office assistant, Jessica Arb, tackle paperwork. Though Jessica has only been working with Henry for two years, her mother, Loriann, was also his employee for seven years. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

My Way's not-your-usual but tongue in-cheek business hours. Henry considers My Way as the "neighborhood shop," a place customers can take their cars and trust that they are getting good service for a fair price. "Other (big name) auto shops charge a lot because the workers get a commission. They suggest repairs customers don't even need. When a customer comes to my shop, we check everything out because we care for their safety, not because of the money." He added, "I don't steal from nobody and I sleep real good." Henry recalls how competition between tow truck companies used to be in the 80s in Jersey City. "They would slash tires and burn trucks," he said. But together with his friend, Al Francis, he said they formed the Jersey City Towing Association which helped foster amity among rivals. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Henry peers under a van with a brake problem. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Daisy sits on the photographer's feet--as she often does to customers--at the entrance to the shop, waiting to be petted. Henry calls her the shop's "greeter." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Henry with his dog, Oreo, barking inside his office. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Sitting under the office desk is the oldest of Henry's three shop dogs, Becky, who is 18-years-old. Henry said the Jersey City police gave Becky to him after they found her wandering in the street. Henry loves to rescue stray dogs and has nine in total. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Mechanic Celso Paguay checks underneath a van which has a brake problem. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Daisy rolls around on the floor of the shop as mechanic Celso Paguay works on repairing the van. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Sunny Deol pumps gas for a customer. Henry says his station always sells gas for one cent less than the lowest-priced competition on Tonnelle Avenue. "I can afford to offer a low price since I own the pumps so I pay no franchise fees. In fact, Getty pays me to use their name," he said. Henry recalls a time many years ago when his gas station's low prices caught the attention of the news media which swarmed his business while he was away on vacation. Dozens of cars were lined up on Tonnelle Avenue waiting to fill up. When Henry saw his gas station in the news, he called up his employees to find out what was going on. "They said people think we have cheapest gas in town," he said. It turned out, his employees mistakenly posted the price as "$1.19" when it should have been "$1.91". (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Mechanic Raymond Zepeta organizes lug nuts at the shop. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Henry restores classic cars such as this 1962 Ford Thunderbird convertible. When he retires, Henry said he would keep one tow truck and just restore old cars. "If I can get two old cars to restore in a year, I'd be set," he said. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Daisy is Henry's constant companion, often tagging along on his errands. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Daisy gets a treat from delivery man Joe Ackerman during her visit to J.C. Auto & Truck Parts Inc. where Henry is buying a new brake line from Michael Walsh, left, at J.C. Auto & Truck Parts Inc. on Laidlaw Avenue for a van being repaired at his shop. Henry, who has been a customer at this store for almost 30 years says he prefers to come here because at big name stores, the sales people are "not mechanics. When you need a part, they look at a catalog and don't really know how it works." He says Michael and his wife Joanne Walsh, who owns the store, are "like family to me." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Henry and mechanic Celso Paguay re-attach a tire on a vehicle in the shop. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Tow truck driver Scott Oswald carries a bumper to deliver to Rendies Auto Body Repair where work has been subcontracted by Henry. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

During another run, Scott loads a tire onto his truck to take to Dewland Auto Wreckers where a bead breaker machine can safely separate the rubber from the rim. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Henry, left, seeks the help of his friend, Al Cyril, owner of Tonnelle Auto Repair, to determine--using a car diagnostic computer--what could be causing the engine of a customer's BMW X3 to misfire. With newer cars come new technology. Henry earned his degree in automotive engineering 40 years ago but he admits most of what he learned back then no longer apply. "Cars don't even have carburetors anymore," he said. Henry said he constantly has to teach himself and to study his craft to keep up, even going online to do research. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Scott jump-starts a disabled SUV in Union City to make it run long enough for him to position it better to be lifted onto the tow truck. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Scott prepares to hook the SUV to the tow truck. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Scott operates levers to raise the disabled SUV onto the tow truck's flat bed. Scott has worked at My Way for 10 years. For him, a good day is "when I can just pull up and hook a car up without having to push or jump-start it." A good day is also a busy day, he said. "Makes the day go by faster." And being busy helps with the tips, but these days he said, not many people do because of the bad economy. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Scott drives the disabled SUV to the customer's mechanic. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

On Madison Street in Guttenberg, Scott secures another disabled car with chains to his tow truck. Sometimes, he said, he would do as many as 15 tows in a day. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Scott writes out a receipt for customer, Jim Donnelly, after towing his car in Guttenberg. Donnelly praised Oswald, "He's the nicest to truck driver I've ever met." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Daisy gets a rub down from tow truck driver Scott after he returned from a delivery. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Back at the shop, mechanic Celso Paguay perfoms an oil change. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

It's lunchtime and Henry makes calls as he waits for his food at Healy's Tavern. He has two phones, one to receive calls from customers and another to send his employees on tow jobs. There is no routine to his work, he said. His business has him working 24 hours a day, seven hours a week. Once he said, he got a call at 5 a.m. to tow cars involved in a crash on the Pulaski Skyway. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Tow truck driver Joe Spino, 27, drives into the impound lot at Phillips Street to pick up a brand new Cadillac which was stolen and stripped of its four wheels to transport back to the dealership. Joe said that being a tow truck driver, "is probably the best job I ever had. It's not really hard work and Henry pays well, twice what other places pay." He added that apart from learning a lot about towing from him, Henry encouraged him to go back to school. Joe is currently studying for his GED. "Henry helped me to grow up, to improve my life. I used to want to beat other people up. I now have a lot more respect for myself and others." He said Henry would tell him that if he ever sees an elderly person or a woman with a disabled car in the middle of the road, to help by towing her car to a safer place, even for free. He continued, " Henry's got a heart of gold. A lot of other companies, if you make minor mistakes or damage, they dock your pay. Not with Henry, he is very fair." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Burned cars at the impound lot. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Joe spots the Cadillac Escalade he is supposed to pick up at the impound lot. The release papers, however, were still not ready, so Joe will have to return the next morning. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

On the way from the impound lot, Joe got another call to tow a disabled car on 14th Street. The owner of a BMW said his car broke down inside the Holland Tunnel and was towed by a Port Authority truck out of the tunnel. Joe said that he has towed the cars of a couple of sports stars before like Avery Johnson, the coach of the New Jersey Nets, and Boone Logan, a pitcher for the New York Yankees. But neither tipped as big as the owner of a beat up old Jeep Cherokee who gave him $100. Not all tows have perks. Sometimes, they can be grisly, as in the case of a murdered Jersey City Heights woman whose body was found encased in cement inside a drum last September. Joe said one of their night drivers got the call to transport the drum for investigators. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Joe arrives with his cargo at My Way. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

by Reena

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My 2011 Year in Review: Photojournalism

Sunday, January 1, 2012 Posted in News, On Assignment

A compilation of my best news photos from 2011.

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JAN. 28, 2011 -- Protesters burned a picture of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak during a rally at Journal Square. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Grand opening of the Eigth Street Light Rail Station in Bayonne

BAYONNE, N.J., JAN. 31, 2011 -- Tim Gaydos looked at the mural by artist Richard Haas at the new Eighth Street Light Rail Station. Gaydos said he will also be working on a mural for the 22nd Street station. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Egyptians demonstrate in Journal Square in Jersey City after Mubarak's resignation

JERSEY CITY, N.J., FEB. 11, 2011 -- Egyptians demonstrated in Journal Square after President Hosni Mubarak's resignation. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Emil Sarofidem, a supporter of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who resigned today, gets into a scuffle with anti-Mubarak demonstrators in the middle of the street.

Emil Sarofidem, a supporter of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who resigned today, got into a scuffle with anti-Mubarak demonstrators in the middle of the street on Journal Square. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

UNION CITY, N.J., MARCH 9, 2011 -- Catholics received ash on their foreheads in observance of Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten season for Christians around the world, at Saint Augustine Roman Catholic Church on New York Avenue. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., MARCH 19, 2011 -- What NASA says is the biggest full moon in 18 years rises in view of the Statue of Liberty as seen from Liberty State Park. (Reena Rose Sibayan & Max Pasion/Reena Rose Photography)

BAYONNE, N.J., MARCH 23, 2011 -- Wet snow sat on a branch of a cherry blossom tree at Stephen R. Gregg Park after a spring snowfall. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., MARCH 28, 2011 -- The Bergen Arches. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., MARCH 31, 2011 -- Circus of the Kids performers entertained students at School 25. Here, when teachers were asked to balance peacock feathers on their nose, teacher Jimmy Benedetto took the easy way out and stuck the peacock feather into his clown nose. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., APRIL 5, 2011 -- Artist Sam Cintron photographed in his home art studio. Cintron held his second solo art exhibit and released his new CD, both entitled "Standing in Babylon," at The Hope Center for the Visual and Performing Arts on Cambridge Avenue on April 14. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

The Ninth Station: Jesus Christ (Jack Santopietro) falls for a third time. At right, Ezekiel Lupianez, 4, dressed as a Roman soldier, breaks character, when upon seeing his mother, Maria Lupianez, in the audience taking his picture, he breaks into a smile and waves for the camera. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

BAYONNE, N.J., APRIL 22, 2011 -- At right, Ezekiel Lupianez, 4, dressed as a Roman soldier, broke character, when upon seeing his mother, Maria Lupianez, in the audience taking his picture, he smiled and waved for the camera. Staying true to their roles as Roman soldiers are, from left, Ezekiel's three older brothers: Seth, Henry and Isaiah, and Francois Rodas. Jack Santopietro plays the role of Jesus. Students and teachers of St. Henry's Religious Education staged the Living Stations of the Cross -- a series of tableaux depicting the last hours of Jesus Christ -- at St. Henry's Roman Catholic Church in observance of the Christian holiday, Good Friday. In this photo, the ninth station: Jesus Christ falls for a third time while carrying the cross on the way to Calvary. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Pre-NFL Draft luncheon for LSU star Patrick Peterson at Jersey City restaurant

JERSEY CITY, N.J., APRIL 28, 2011 -- Patrick Peterson, Louisiana State University football star, attended a pre-NFL Draft luncheon at Michael Anthony's Restaurant. He is likely to be a top five pick in the NFL Draft. Here, Patrick Peterson makes a toast with his father, Patrick Peterson Sr., left, his mother, Shandra Peterson, second from right, and his girlfriend, Antonique Larry, right. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

HOBOKEN, N.J., MAY 4, 2011 -- Giants quarterback Eli Manning and fellow teammates, wide receivers Hakeem Nicks, Duke Calhoun, Samuel Giguere and Michael Clayton, as well as tight end, Kevin Boss, practiced for over an hour in rain at the Hoboken High School field. Here, wide receiver Duke Calhoun made a catch. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

HOBOKEN, N.J., MAY 6, 2011 -- Chris, left, and his brother, Albie Manzo Jr., sons of "Real Housewife of New Jersey" star Caroline Manzo, were photographed in the Chandelier Room at the W Hotel. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., MAY 11, 2011 -- Evelyn Malzberg, 84, of Jersey City, graduated with the 2011 class of NJCU during the commencement ceremony held at the IZOD Center. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

At the NJCU graduation, from left to right, Narciso Espiritu Jr. of Jersey City, Stephanie Herrera of Union City, and Elias Shamir Jimenez of Bayonne, who all graduated with a BFA in Illustration, displayed caricatures of themselves on their mortar boards. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

HOBOKEN, N.J., MAY 25, 2011 -- Hoboken artist Joe Borzotta was photographed at his Monroe Center For the Arts studio. Borzotta hosted the Mixed Bag Variety Show at Maxwell's on May 30. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

NEWARK, N.J., MAY 26, 2011 -- Graduates waved to the their loved ones in the audience before the start of the Hudson County Community College commencement ceremony at The New Jersey Performing Arts Center. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

The North Bergen Police Department's annual D.A.R.E. Day

NORTH BERGEN, N.J., JUNE 1, 2011 -- Jean Carlos Alfonso, 13, left, and Ohamy Rosario, 12, waded through a pool of muddied water at the bottom of a giant inflatable slide during the North Bergen Police Department's annual D.A.R.E. Day at the Stan Newman Sports Complex. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Mickele Perito, 12, rode Betsy the mechanical bull. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JUNE 1, 2011 -- Elgin Louis Taylor Jr., of Jersey City, was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2008 killing of Michael Fuccile of Metuchen, at Hudson County Superior Court. Here, Michael Fuccile's mother, Joan, read her statement in court, as his wife, Nancy, center, and sister, Christine Dovner, listened. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Funeral for U.S. Marine slain in Jersey City

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JUNE 3, 2011 -- Funeral service for slain U.S. Marine Anthony Chenay Adams, 23, of Jersey City, at Monumental Baptist Church. Here, U.S. Marines placed Adam's flag-draped casket on a pickup truck hearse after the funeral service. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JUNE 6, 2011 -- Nimbus Dance Works performed a Taiwanese-inspired number called "Butterfly Dream" choreographed by Xiao-Xiong Zhang at Middle School 4. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

The High Line in New York City, Tuesday, June 14, 2011. A street-level billboard peeks out at visitors on the High Line. Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal

NEW YORK CITY, JUNE 14, 2011 -- A street-level billboard peeked out at visitors on the High Line's Chelsea Grasslands. The High Line park's second section opened this year adding ten blocks--from W. 20th Street to W. 30th Street along Tenth Avenue--doubling its length. It’s built on what was an elevated railroad track. The first section–from Gansevoort Street to W. 20th Street–opened in 2009. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jon Huntsman sits down for an exclusive interview with Fox 5 News after making his presidential bid announcement. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JUNE 21, 2011 -- Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman announced at Liberty State Park he is seeking the 2012 Republican nomination for president, the same location Ronald Reagan–his former boss–chose three decades ago to announce his own candidacy. Huntsman is also President Barack Obama’s former ambassador to China. Here, Jon Huntsman sat down for an exclusive interview with a television news station after making his presidential bid announcement. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JUNE 23, 2011 -- Graduates entered the Margaret Williams Theater during the processional at the start of the County Prep High School graduation at New Jersey City University. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Maria, 69, and her husband, Jose Iraheta, 72, renewed their wedding vows during a ceremony at the Advanced Adult Daycare Center on Morton Place. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JUNE 23, 2011 -- Maria Iraheta, 69, and her husband, Jose, 72, renewed their wedding vows during a ceremony at the Advanced Adult Daycare Center on Morton Place which was organized by Director of Recreation Brunella Belfiore. The couple has been married 54 years, but the center threw them a golden anniversary celebration complete with the traditional cake cutting, and bouquet and garter toss. They have seven children, 16 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. When asked what their secret to a long and happy marriage is, Maria said, "A lot of patience." Jose's advice, "Take it easy." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Graduates, including Terrence Bell, center, give hugs outside the school after the ceremony. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JUNE 27, 2011 -- Graduates, including Terrence Bell, center, gave hugs outside the school after the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School graduation ceremony. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

HOBOKEN, N.J., JULY 6, 2011 -- Eric Klein (E.S. Klein) makes art with duct tape. He was photographed at his home and studio in the old Wonder Bread factory. Here, the artist with his artwork entitled, "Tangled." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Eric Klein (E.S. Klein) with his dog, Gia, sitting at his "Endless Chess" art piece. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JULY 20, 2011 -- Ivan Reyes Sr., holding his son, Ivan Jr., lunged at killer Martey J. Williams during Williams' sentencing hearing in a Hudson County courtroom. Reyes lunged at Williams when the convicted killer grinned as Reyes tearfully showed the court scars left by stab wounds on his young son, who was only nine months old at the time of the attack. Williams had pleaded guilty to stabbing to death Jacqueline Reyes on Dec. 8, 2009, at their Paulus Hook Towers apartment. Reyes was charged with contempt of court but Superior Court Judge Kevin Callahan sentenced Reyes to time served and he was reunited with his son that same day. On July 26, Williams was sentenced to 30 years for felony murder of Jacqueline Reyes and 10 years for the attempted murder of Ivan Reyes Jr., the maximum sentence the judge could impose. When asked if he had anything to say before being sentenced, Williams said, "I would do it over and over again." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JULY 21, 2011 -- Emma Grace, 2, wiped away tears as pallbearers carried the casket of her father, Army Spc. Rafael Nieves Jr., 22, out of St. Aloysius Church after the funeral Mass. A military funeral was later held at Rosehill Cemetery in Linden. Nieves, who grew up in Jersey City and Bayonne, was killed in Afghanistan on July 10. Also in the photo are other family members of Nieves' including his wife Sarah McKinney, holding their daughter Emma Grace; his mother Tina Roman with stepfather Thomas Priolo; his father Rafael Nieves Sr. who is carrying his four-month-old son, Rafael Nieves III; and his brother, Matthew Nieves. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

U.S. Army Major General Anthony R. Ierardi presents Sarah McKinney, the wife of Army Spc. Rafael Nieves Jr., with the flag that was draped on her husband's casket. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Jonathan Roa comforts Matthew Nieves, brother of Rafael Nieves Jr. Roa said that it was Rafael who introduced him to his future wife. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JULY 22, 2011 -- Lailani Susana, 5, played at an open hydrant at the corner of Belmont and Bergen avenues during a heat wave. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JULY 28, 2011 -- Aniyah Royster, 2, ate Italian ice during the 13th annual Chalkfest at Exchange Place Plaza. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., AUG. 2, 2011 -- Paul Tofiles, 16, competed in a relay event during the Jersey City Recreation Department's city-wide swim meet finals for local grammar school students at the Lafayette Aquatic Center. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Lifeguards and a team mate cheered on Brionna Berry, 13, as she competed in the individual medley. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Lifeguards timed competitors during the city-wide swim meet finals. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Best of 2011: The Jersey Journal General News Photos

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., AUG. 9, 2011 -- Funeral for Kan Mei Chan, 24, of Jersey City, at the Ng Fook Funeral Service on Mulberry Street. Officials said Chan was a student at a medical school in Curacao when she was stabbed to death in the school's dormitory on July 22, while coming to the aid of a teacher who was being attacked by her classmate, Moustapha Khalesa, 20. Khalesa has been charged with murder, attempted murder and assault. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Kan Mei Chan's aunts wailed in grief as her casket was placed in the hearse. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., AUG. 9, 2011 -- Firefighters and an EMT moved a non-critical patient out of an ambulance that was disabled on a flooded portion of Merseles Street after a torrential downpour. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J. AUG. 28, 2011 -- Flooding on Chopin Court near Wayne Street, the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Freddie DeJesus scooped water out of his Jeep after driving through the flooded Chopin Court in Jersey City where he said the water reached up to his chest, after Hurricane Irene passed through. Some Good Samaritans helped him push his car out of the water. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., SEPT. 7, 2011 -- Grammy winner Marc Anthony attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for his clothing line at Kohl's Department Store in Newport Centre Mall. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., SEPT. 10, 2011 -- Jersey City Battalion Chief Steven McGill, right, and Firefighter Mike Somma, played the bagpipes at the Empty Sky Memorial in honor of their friend, Joseph Lovero, a JCFD dispatcher who was killed on 9/11 and whose name is one of those etched on the memorial's walls. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., SEPT. 11, 2011 -- Hundreds of people visited Liberty State Park to see the newly-opened Empty Sky Memorial in Jersey City and the Tribute in Lights in the Manhattan skyline across the Hudson River. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

UNION CITY, N.J., SEPT. 11, 2011 -- Port Authority Police Officer Kevin Loughmane played "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipe during the renaming ceremony of 16th Street between New York and Palisade avenues in Union City as David P. Lemagne Way in honor of the Union City Port Authority police officer killed on 9/11 on Sept. 9, 2011. Loughmane said he and Lemagne were classmates in the police academy in 2000. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., OCT. 6, 2011 -- Miguel, left, and Beth, right, (no last names given) led the Occupy New Jersey demonstration--an offshoot of Occupy Wall Street--outside of the Goldman Sachs building. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Mike Primo, of Montclair, with his 9-month-old daughter, Ella, participated in the Occupy New Jersey demonstration. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., OCT. 7, 2011. -- Curator Dylan Evans of Mad Mad Media with works by artists PAWN, left, and LNY, at 227 Coles St. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Artist Then One, in silhouette, talked about his installation at 227 Coles St., part of a show curated by Mad Mad Media. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

HOBOKEN, N.J., OCT. 10, 2011 -- Marian Roland was the honoree at the annual Columbus Day Italian senior luncheon at the Hoboken Elks Lodge. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

BAYONNE, N.J., OCT. 20, 2011 -- Washington Community School held its second annual Fall Ball with face-painting, a wagon ride and a petting zoo. Here, students giggled as they petted Dottie the sheep. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., OCT. 31, 2011 -- As his schoolmates danced, third-grader Isaih Bernardo relaxed on a bale of hay during the Golden Door Charter School's 11th Annual Fall Festival at their new home on Kennedy Boulevard, formerly St. John's School. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., NOV. 21, 2011 -- Rolando Lavarro was congratulated after being sworn in as Jersey City councilman-at-large. Lavarro, 41, is the first Asian-American and Filipino to be elected to the Jersey City City Council. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

A supporter of Rolando Lavarro held a poster which reads, "We Made History," during the swearing in ceremony for at-large council seat winners Lavarro and Viola Richardson on Nov. 21, 2011. Lavarro, 41, is the first Asian-American and Filipino to be elected to the Jersey City City Council. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

During the ceremony, 22-month-old Gabriella Lavarro, daughter of newly sworn-in councilman-at-large Rolando Lavarro, seated right, played inside the council chambers. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

SECAUCUS, N.J., NOV. 23, 2011 -- With her harness off, a Seeing Eye registered dog was allowed to be petted by first-graders. Trisha Ebel (not pictured), who is visually-impaired, a graduate of The Seeing Eye, a school based in Morristown which trains dogs to be guides for the blind or visually-impaired, together with her Seeing Eye registered dog, visited Huber Street School along with three Seeing Eye puppy raisers and a Seeing Eye dog trainer plus their dogs, to teach kids about guide dogs. According to Ebel, all four schools are each sponsoring a new puppy and are holding a fundraiser, Pennies for Puppies. If each school raises $5000.00 and come up with a total of $20,000.00, then all 4 schools will be able to each name a puppy. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Seeing-eye dogs Apache, left, and Kola, basked in the attention from the Huber Street School students. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., DEC. 1, 2011 -- Patricia Freire, on wheelchair, remembered her friends "John" and "Jose" during the candle lighting ceremony for those who have died from HIV/AIDS during the Jersey City AIDS Task Force observance of the 24th Annual World AIDS Day at City Hall. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

BAYONNE, N.J., DEC. 5, 2011 -- The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Squad investigated a triple murder-suicide at 96 Avenue A Officials said, Adepso Collado, 28, shot his estranged wife, Kenia Collado, 26, Jose Guzman, 31, and a 14-month-old child before turning the gun on himself. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY, N.J., DEC. 16, 2011 -- Constance Zappella saluted Fire Chief Darren Rivers as she was promoted to the city's first-ever female captain--a decade after becoming the first female firefighter in Jersey City--during the fire and emergency services promotion ceremony at City Hall. Looking on are Mayor Jerramiah Healy and Fire Director Armando Roman. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

Best of 2011: The Jersey Journal Spot News Photos

BAYONNE, N.J., DEC. 22, 2011 -- A plane took off from Newark Liberty International Airport as thick black smoke continued to billow from a five-alarm warehouse fire in Elizabeth as seen from Bayonne across Newark Bay. The blaze, which began Dec. 21 at the former Burry Biscuit factory on Newark Avenue and raged for several days, grew to eight alarms and drew more than 250 firefighters at its peak. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

UNION CITY, N.J., DEC. 27, 2011 -- Senior William Calderon (Max), right, and junior Danny Milano (Carol), rehearsed a scene in the Union City High School play, "Wild Thing," an adaptation of Maurice Sendak's book, "Where the Wild Things Are." (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

by Reena

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Snapshot: Brighton Beach

Saturday, December 31, 2011 Posted in Personal, Snapshot, Street Photography

Last photos of 2011. Happy New Year!

12.31.11 Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, NY (Reena Rose Sibayan/Reena Rose Photography)

by Reena

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New Jersey and New York Wedding Photography: Melissa & Barry

Saturday, November 26, 2011 Posted in Weddings

A few photos from a laid-back couple’s simple wedding ceremony at Jersey City City Hall on Nov. 1 and their fun-filled Chinese banquet wedding reception at the Golden Unicorn in New York City’s Chinatown on Nov. 25. Congratulations, Melissa and Barry!

Melissa Enriquez and Barry Tsang's Wedding

Melissa Enriquez & Barry Tsang's Wedding Reception

by Reena

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Wedding Sneak Peek: Michele & Thomas

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 Posted in Weddings

Here are a few photos from Michele & Thomas’ wedding I and my hubby, Max, photographed last weekend at the Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange, N.J. Check back for more coming in a few weeks. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Moran, and have a great honeymoon!

Michele Donohue and Thomas Moran's Wedding

by Reena

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New Jersey Wedding Photography: Stephanie & Stuart

Monday, November 14, 2011 Posted in Weddings

After a much-needed vacation, I’m finally posting more photos my husband, Max, and I captured during Stephanie & Stuart’s beautiful, rustic-themed Sept. 24 wedding. The sweet bride wrote this glowing review on The Knot:

Reena and her husband Max were absolutely amazing! We were looking for a photographer with a unique photo-journalistic style and personality – one that could make the day seem real (and not posed). The day went by so quickly but they were able to capture all the best moments. Every picture was stunning, we can’t stop smiling and looking through them. Reena was professional, friendly and helpful throughout my time with her – from the engagement session to the actual wedding day we had nothing but great experiences. I would highly recommend her to anyone – you can trust her completely with your day! Thanks Reena!

I posted some sneak peek photos right after their wedding day. Also, view their engagement photos.

Stephanie Ruffino and Stuart Berg's Wedding

Wedding coordinator: Simply Stylish Events
Flowers: Mariah Rose
Band: The Hometown Sweethearts
Cupcakes: Eileen Rutzler
Catering: Country Courtesy Caterers

by Reena

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On Assignment: Fall Ball at Washington Community School in Bayonne, N.J.

Thursday, October 20, 2011 Posted in Feature, On Assignment

BAYONNE, N.J., OCT. 20, 2011 -- Washington Community School holds its second annual Fall Ball with face-painting, a wagon ride and a petting zoo. (Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal)

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Wedding Sneak Peek: Stephanie & Stuart

Sunday, September 25, 2011 Posted in Weddings

Here are a few photos from Stephanie & Stuart’s wedding I and my hubby, Max, photographed this weekend. Stay tuned for more coming in a few weeks. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Berg!

Wedding coordinator: Simply Stylish Events
Flowers: Mariah Rose
Band: The Hometown Sweethearts
Cupcakes: Eileen Rutzler
Catering: Country Courtesy Caterers

by Reena

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New Jersey Wedding Photography: Kelly & Michael

Friday, September 16, 2011 Posted in Weddings

Some of my favorite images from Kelly and Michael’s wedding at the Robert Meyner Reception Center at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel, N.J., on Aug. 13, 2011. They both decided to hire me for their own wedding after I photographed the wedding of their friends, Meghan and Justin. I also posted a few sneak-peek images a couple of weeks ago (Wedding Sneak Peek: Kelly & Michael).

Michael was kind enough to post a glowing review on The Knot:

I would absolutely, without any hesitation, recommend the immense talent that is Reena Rose!! I’m not sure there are enough positive words or phrases in the English language to properly convey Reena’s ability and personality! She is incredibly talented behind the camera lens and she is also a delightful person to work and communicate with, especially during a stressful time like a wedding!! I can’t tell you how many times my new wife and I have gone over our pictures and have laughed, cried (all good tears) and felt like we were re-living that amazing night all over again. That is how powerfully talented Reena Rose is when she is in her zone and she doesn’t leave that zone until the last possible moment. Capturing moments that will bring us a lifetime of smiles and stories!! People, if Reena Rose is on your list of potential wedding photograhpers do yourself a huge favor and contact her!! You will not be dissapointed, in fact you will be as speechless as we were upon seeing the results and you’ll have also gained a wonderful person as a friend!!

Congratulations, you guys! It was a pleasure photographing your wedding and working with you both. Thank you and I hope we stay in touch!

by Reena

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