Mitzvah-Palooza

Every Picture Tells A Story

Tom Petty plays in the desert room for Elizabeth Brooks, daughter of David Brooks, $10 million Bat Mitzvah at the Rainbow Room in New York City on Nov. 26, 2005. ©Mark D. Phillips New York City is known for its extravagant lifestyle. Mitzvah-Palooza was so over the top that it’s in a category all its own.

I was hired by the producer of the staging to photograph a party at the Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center on Nov 26, 2005, that he assured me “was going to knock my socks off.”

I had no idea. It was the party to end all parties for the Bat Mitzhah of Elizabeth Brooks, daughter of David Brooks. The $10 million dollar extravaganza was a prelude to the end of his lifestyle.

Our Meeting with Nelson Mandela

Every Picture Tells A Story

Andrea Peyser asks Nelson Mandela questions on the eve of his 1994 election in South Africa. ©Mark D. Phillips April 1994 was an exciting time in South Africa.

Nelson Mandela was campaigning to become the first black president of South Africa. My wife, Andrea Peyser, had been assigned to cover the election by the New York Post, and I was hired to accompany her to photograph the historical campaign.

This was the very early days of the use of digital technology. I had purchased my first laptop and film scanner, taking them along to the African continent with the purpose of providing instantaneous reportage using the first international Internet service, Compuserve, to send images back to New York. This was revolutionary.

Our trip was a combination of old and new technology. Cell phones were not common place, beepers ruled, and instant communication was far in the future.

Mikaela Shiffrin shows why she is a Role Model

Every Picture Tells A Story

The best skiers in the world came to the East coast of the United States and the fans of the sport came out in force. As one of the accredited media photographing the event, it was one of the greatest sporting experiences I have had. And I have had many.