I NEVER envisioned myself photographing weddings.

I was an accomplished photojournalist, the only woman in the world under contract with Newsweek Magazine. I photographed breaking news and political stories across the USA and in more than a dozen countries for Newsweek, including The Pope’s historic visit to Cuba and three presidential campaigns.

It’s funny how life changes when you least expect it and how your vision of who you are and what’s important can turn 360 degrees. 2001 was a life changing year for me. I turned 40, our son Mikey was born and the World Trade Center collapsed.

With my three-week-old in tow, I photographed the Towers crumbling across the river. The crowd shrieked as tower 2 collapsed, Mikey cried wanting to be held.

They say there are a few defining moments in your life, that day was one for me.

September 11th affected us all differently. For me, a great desire to photograph new beginnings grew. After two decades of photographing countless tragedies, the opportunity to document the beginning of a family seemed so much more important. A day filled with love and joy and everything good about life. A day of commitment, a vision of the past, a glimmer of the future.

It’s a privilege producing a photo journal of the first day of a couple’s life together; recording their family history.

A Wedding Journal.

I can’t envision myself NOT photographing weddings.

BIO

Magazines world-wide hire New York City based photojournalist Najlah Feanny for her "Day-in-the-Life" style of reportage photography, commissioning her more than 2000 assignments.

From national issues involving the Supreme Court, women's rights, poverty and guns, to news stories covering hurricanes, floods, wild fires and school shootings, to the business world of mega mergers, chief executive officers, politics, presidential campaigns and The White House.

Her work has appeared on more than two dozen magazine covers including Newsweek, Time, US News & World Report, People, Forbes, Chief Executive and has been widely published in Business Week, Fortune, Money, Der Spiegel, Stern, Focus, Macleans, The London Sunday Times, Paris Match, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and numerous other publications.

She has contributed to several books including "An American Journey" and “America 24/7”. Foreign assignments have taken her to Africa, Bahamas, Brazil, Cuba, Canada, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Haiti, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama and Scotland.

Najlah is a former NEWSWEEK magazine contract photographer and currently has six photographs hanging in the permanent collection at the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library.