Snow Bunny

I managed to get a parking spot, backing into four feet of snow, right in front of my destination, the Caribbean Social Club (also known as Toñita’s). It was a good omen.

My sitter was 45 minutes early to a shoot that was running an hour behind. Luckily, both he and his campaign rep were relaxed and friendly. So much so that the candidate helped me reload my car so we can go shoot some pictures in a snowed over courtyard nearby. I was so surprised that I exclaimed, “A politician doing actual work, we should get pictures of this!"

Antonio Reynoso is currently the Brooklyn Borough President and is running for a national House of Representatives seat, long held by Nydia M. Velázquez, who recently received endorsement him. (Election Day is November 3rd, 2026.)

For a man on the rise, he was about as down to earth as it gets. We exchanged notes about the old neighborhood, as he grew up about three blocks from where I used to live in hipster Williamsburg in the early nineties. His family is in fact from the Dominican Republic, although when I mentioned there was a Puerto Rican flag in the background of our photo, he shrugged in a playful, “Yeah, these are all my people,” kind of way.

Not only did he pose in the deep snow of the courtyard, he also was careful with his footprints in entering the frame — next level photo subject! And then we moved into the social club, where we shot for another hour.

Our host, Toñita herself, watched over the proceedings in her space, and even sat in for a quick photo with the candidate — now that’s a real endorsement!

Top Image: In the snow filled courtyard of a Williamsburg apt complex, shot for City and State Magazine.

Second Images: With neighborhood icon Marie Antonia “Toñita” Cay; a portrait in the doorway of the Caribbean Social Club.

Bottom Image: BTS portrait by Sophia Pallwein-Prettner.