2011 Favorite Photos

My second square collage of the year.  New trend?  Not sure.  Anyway, after around 5,000 images taken in 2011, I've narrowed it down to this small set of images that stood out for me.  For more about each photo, scroll below for some detail about each one.

Row 1, Picture 1 - Model & friend Anna, from Madagascar taken in downtown NYC
Row 1, Picture 2 - Bride Marian from a second shoot of a wedding taken in November
Row 1, Picture 3 - Kate & Jeremy's engagement shoot in Long Beach, NY
Row 1, Picture 4 - Second image that stood out for me from Anna
Row 2, Picture 1 - Wedding shot upstate NY, bridal party showing off their boots
Row 2, Picture 2 - Another one from Marian's bridal party
Row 2, Picture 3 - Kate & Jeremy's showing their hands
Row 2, Picture 4 - "Just Married" from Marian & Antwan
Row 3, Picture 1 - Bathtub of beer from rooftop work party at Cooper Square in NYC
Row 3, Picture 2 - Ring of lights from the Red Rock Hotel in Las Vegas
Row 3, Picture 3 - Random building in Pittsburgh, PA
Row 3, Picture 4 - NYC skyline from the rooftop of Cooper Square
Row 4, Picture 1 - Emersyn smiling pretty just after her nails were done
Row 4, Picture 2 - Emersyn's friend Lara playing dress-up
Row 4, Picture 3 - Son of one of the groomsmen from Marian & Antwan
Row 4, Picture 4 - Emersyn on the up-swing on a playground

Marian & Antwan's Wedding

As a follow-up to my previous post for the wedding of Marian & Antwan I wanted to put together an album layout from the images captured as a second shooter.  It doesn't give you the entire flow since my role is to help the primary shooter get what he needs.  There were however, a few opportunities for me to capture images and what I'm posting here is a result of those moments.  I picked out a few of my favorites to give you a sense of how I experienced the event from start to end.
 
I arrived in the morning with the task of shooting the groom getting ready.  Uh, didn't work out exactly because they were already ready!  Hmm...go with it, right?  So, we shot a variety of shots with the guys in the house where they were getting ready.  There was a really cute little boy that I wanted to feature.  The image below is the result.  I also shot some reflection off the party bus as the guys were waiting to jump in.  Kind of different.

Guys prep

This was a Egyptian couple and the church had some interesting detail.  By the way, I was really thrown when people were chanting in the ceremony.  Everyone has their traditions and it's interesting to be an outside observer.  Just wish I had some audio to share with you to give you a sense of how it sounded.

Church Detail

Bride & Bridal Party

Since the priest was running a few minutes late, I was lucky enough to get a few minutes with the bride to shoot a couple images.  She was beaming on her special day and is as nice in person as she appears to be in pictures.

Bridal PartyCeremony

A couple shots of the bridal party and a quick capture of the bride and groom during the ceremony.

Just Married

This shot of Marian & Antwan just after they exited the church is one of my favorites.

Reception Details

First Dance

Finally, a few of the first dance as bride and groom and the dance with their parents.  Congrats guys!  This was the first time I worked with Mike and his crew, and they were such a nice bunch of guys.  Two were shooting video and we all had fun working this event.  I'd love to work with them again.

Help Portrait: Take 2

This past weekend I took some time away. Time away from friends, from family and from anything else I could potentially do on a Saturday to volunteer for a great cause called Help Portrait.  This the second year I've participated and this year was just as rewarding as the last.  Here's how it works: 

First, you find someone in need.  Take their picture.  Print it and give it to them. That's pretty much it.  Oh, and you do all of these things in the same day, for free.

This year, we were at a small church called Humanity Baptist Church in Newark.  As I rolled up, I sat in the parking lot for a few minutes since I was the first one there.  It was 11:00.  Shortly after, Jarvis (the organizer for this event) along with several others arrived.  I got out to introduce myself and help bring some things in.  Once we got setup, people began to arrive and it was already noon.  I was on the edit/print station again this year which is a tough spot, especially at the end of the day.

For the participants, they would enter and immediatlely be paired with a greeter which would explain how things work, have them fill out a permission form for using their photos, take them over to a hair/make-up person if they so desired, escort them over to have their pictures taken and then make sure they knew where to go to get their final product (that's where I come in).  I would grab the files from the shooter, import them, speak with the family for them to pick one they want to have printed.  Once the selection is made, I clean up the image and print it.  If the family chose to, we would print a second image for them on matt paper for them to write a message. This is one example shown to the left.

Of course, I'm leaving a few things out.  The patience of the families, the good spirits of all that were there and the great feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day.  One story that stuck out was a family that asked to have their picture taken but couldn't make it to the church where we were setup.  So, a few of us went to them. The picture was of a little girl (about 10) that had breathing tube and wasn't expected to live much longer.  She gathered with her mother and father for a special family portrait.  Very sad but a great example of the power of photography capturing that moment for that family.

When Opportunity Knocks...

...you answer!

A few weeks back I saw a posting on a forum for a second shoot opportunity...and it was local...well, kind of.  I very quickly put together an email and ended it with the hope that I'd hear back.  As I'm sure you've already guessed it, since I'm writing this post, I did hear back in a favorable way.  A few days later, I met Mike (the primary shooter) at lunch in the city and we discussed the couple and the details of the day.

I'm still making my way through the images but this is one that I really like from that day.  More to come soon...

 

It Takes Two To Make It Outta Sight

I heard the song on the radio that has this phrase and it reminded me that I needed to write about a recent shoot I had with Anna.  I met Anna through another photographer friend of mine, Lou.  They're both from the same country, Madagascar.  Anna came to a meetup style shoot a few years ago where you have a bunch of photographers, models, and make-up-artists get together for the sole purpose of everyone working on their portfolio.  Once in a while, I like to pull together a really simple shoot to accomplish the same goals...keep the portfolio fresh with new material.

Anna has - uh - a few things going for her here.  First, she's super nice, speaks French, which is always fun to listen to, she's easy on the eyes (stating the obvious), and she's totally professional; show's up on time, no drama, respectful, etc.  She mentioned she was able to be an extra in an upcoming feature film.  I'm hoping she'll remember our work when she's famous :-)  Oh, and I forgot to mention that she makes my job super easy because she just magically falls into these great poses without me needing to guide much at all.  Love it!  This particular shoot was pretty short (setup to breakdown was probably 60 minutes).  There were less than 100 photos taken.  Enjoy a few of my favorites.

 

And a few more...

 

Cutest Girl(s) at the Party

A good friend of mine that I used to work with was organizing a family gathering at a country club for people from his church.  The goal of the night was to have fun, relax, and be entertained all in the spirit of good family time.  He offered me up as the "official photog" at this event...and I jumped at it.  I'm always up for shooting and even though one of the things I provided was the posed family shots, what I tend to really get into shooting are the candid images.  There was one little girl that I knew I would be taking lots of pictures of as soon as I saw her.  What a doll!  Most of the children were so engaging and well behaved.  So nice to see this at a big event like this. 

The venue was this great, old, country club/resort called Timber Point.  Its out in Long Island which isn't exactly around the corner from me plus, because I knew I was going to attempt to market and sell that same night, I needed help.  I picked up another friend in NYC on my way from NJ to Long Island.  Thanks Avi.  Couldn't have done it without you!  Needless to say, this turned out to be a long day.  I tend to follow and read about things in the photography industry and something I read recently that I can identify with is the sentiment that unless you love photography, its hard to get past some of the negatives.  Long hours, little and sometimes inconsistent pay, etc.  The thing that keeps me coming back is the interaction with people and always striving for better and better images.

 

New Ventures: Stock Photography

Hard to believe that a few weeks have gone by since I've posted anything.  I have to be better about posting quick, little things.  Lots of new and exciting things happening but one that I want to share now is about becoming a photo contributor for a company that I now work for - Shutterstock.

Stock photography is an industry that's relatively new and its setup to allow for customers (people like ad agencies, designers or other creatives) to use "stock" content for their advertising.  Because there's both photo and video, this could be for something like a print ad or possibly a television commercial.  What the stock house (e.g., Shutterstock) does is license the use of the media (photo or video) to the buyer.  There are a few competitors in the space and probably the best known is Getty Images.

So, shortly after I started here I attempted to create an account and become a contributor but....I was rejected.  10 out of 10.  Not even one got through.  Hmm.  Okay, plan B.  I met and became friendly with the content manager and asked him to sit down to take a look at some of what I consider to be my good work and it turns out I was just submitting the wrong stuff.  He helped with what to submit and after I obtained a few model releases to grant permission from the subject of the image to sell them, I resubmitted new content and was APPROVED!  Yay!  When you get a chance, check out my images for sale on Shutterstock.

Pittsburgh: Our answer to Hurricane Irene

Every year, we take a family trip out of town for our anniversary at the end of August.  This year, it coincided with Hurricane Irene.  We originally planned to go to Ocean City, MD however, this was directly in the path of the storm and made a decision to go elsewhere.  So, the day before we were supposed to leave, we canceled our trip to Ocean City and that evening we had to plan for a new location.  We knew the destination had to be: 1) Out of the storm's path, 2) Drivable in a day and 3) Has a mix of kids and adult things to do.  After an hour or so of looking, we landed on Pittsburgh.  

Neither of us had been before so our expectations were low.  We did some additional research in the car using our iPhone, something that wasn't even feasible not so long ago.  We packed several things into the trip for such a short time (we were there for 2 full days, not including driving time).  We went on a cruise that had a pirates theme.  As you can see from the picture above, Emersyn was into it!  We also went on an inclinator up a large mountain to get some great pictures (that's where I got the pano at the top of this post - its about 15 shots stitched in Photoshop).  Finally, we took a ride around the city on a "ducky tour".  Pretty fun time and we made it in and out of the water on this "boat" without a hitch.

6 hours drive in, 2 days there and 6 hours back to fortunately find our house in the same condition we left it in after the storm.   Sweet.

Mom's Visit

Its always nice to have grandparents in to visit, especially when its not for a birthday or holiday.  It allows for some quality time.  We didn't have a ton of 1:1 time with "Grandma Sharon", as she's known, and Emersyn but I managed to get a few good pictures I wanted to share.

Lights, Camera, Wall Street

Everyday can be an interesting day when you commute into lower Manhattan.  There's been extra activity around Wall Street lately with the media and the focus on the economy.  Here's a quick snap-shot of what I walked through this morning...

People Watching: How People Take Picture

Something that might turn into a series here on the blog, since I now have access to LOTS of great people watching, is various takes on things I see each day on my commute.  First up is my observation of how others (mostly tourist) take pictures in NYC.  As you'll notice from my collage below is that there are a variety of ways people approach the basic snap shot.  Some get in what seem to be very uncomfortable positions.  Some focus the lens with their hand from the top, others from the bottom.  Some try to emulate the expression they're hoping to get from their subject (like a smile) others don't appear to have their eyes open.  Some count down with their fingers.  Some hide behind objects.  The collage shows a pretty diverse selection of tourists.  Old and young and people from all over the world.  That's NYC for ya.

One interesting fact behind this mini project image is that I probably spent more time putting this image together than it took to take all these pictures.  I took these on two separate days and probably spent 10 minutes on each day snapping away.  There are lots of tourist to choose from and what I found fun and interesting at the same time is that people are so focused on the picture they're taking they hardly paid attention at all to the fact that I was taking a picture of them taking pictures.  :-)

 

 

My Commute is like a Scrum Project

I like to draw parallels between different things sometimes just for fun. I have a new commute now and it got me thinking that I can see a lot similarities between my commute and running a Scrum project. Check out this link for a longer explanation but it's essentially a way of approaching problems (like with software development) in an iterative way where you have short blocks of time to deliver something and after each time boxed iteration you think about what you could do better next time to improve.

In my commute I'm bound by very specific timelines. I have a train to catch and things to get done at work so every minute counts. So here's how I think of it. See if you see the similarities....

My requirement or "story" would read something like, "As a commuter, I want to make my train each day with minimal delay so that I can accurately predict my arrival time and maximize my work time." Some tasks that might fall under this story are things like:
- research paths from train to office
- research paths from office to train (can't assume they'll be the same)
- understand average elevator time on the office building during rush hour times
- know range of walking times during different weather
- know the time table for the train from NYC to Hoboken which is my connection to the NJ commuter train home (how long and when does it leave)
...you get the idea

I've done this commute for a few weeks now and it sounds like a lot to think about...and it is, at first, but you get to know all the variables pretty quickly and once the process is repeatable an predictable, you're on your way to being successful. Got to make something like commuting challenging and fun!

 

A Wedding To Shoot

One of my bigger goals this year was to shoot a wedding.  Actually, to second shoot.  Its a pretty big difference between the two as the primary shooter is on the hook for really delivering the goods to the bride and groom.  The second shooter duties vary a little but for the most part, they are there to help the primary shooter in any way they need to make the day better for them and ultimately for the couple.

There are a couple forums I watch on a regular basis to keep an eye out for postings from established photographers when they need a second shooter.  You'd think that in the NYC area, there would be a lot of opportunity for this but there are very few.  A couple months back, I was able to line up a second shooter "gig".  Not terribly local however, it was a great opportunity.

I exchanged many emails with Erin (the primary shooter) prior to the event and then made my journey up about 4 hours north the night before the wedding to be ready for shooting the next day.  My first task was to shoot the groom getting ready.  As I got closer to the house, I was waved on by a few guys sitting in the garage drinking beer and smoking.  Its 10am. 

They were very nice and invited me in. As I was approaching, I heard the groom say to the other guys, "I forgot the photographer was even coming by today".  Hmm.  Not sure what to think so far.  I proceeded into the garage and hung out for a few minutes as they said they were waiting for someone else to arrive.  I met the grandmother and the grooms son from a previous marriage.  He was about 8.  The other person they were waiting for never showed and time was running out so we proceeded into the house to start the prep.  The room was poorly lit, on the small side, and had a lot of distracting elements.  That's okay, its my first challenge and I was able to get a few images I was happy with before we moved onto the church.

I headed to the church and met Erin in person for the first time.  We talked quickly about what she'd like me to get and went to it.  She was so easy going and that helped me so much when it came to relaxing and focusing on the images.  The ceremony started around noon and felt like it went so quickly.  I said to Erin afterward that either that was a super fast ceremony or it was just the fact that I was so focused on capturing as much as I could that I lost track of time.  Either way, it was fast.

 

Onto the formal shots.  The weather wasn't cooperating so we shot most everything inside and I was there to catch the alternate angle.  One thing I noticed throughout the day was that I really needed to have a second camera body on me because there's NO TIME to change lenses. Next time, I'll have to rent that second body to help me with speed. :-)

For the reception, we setup some off-camera lighting that Erin had so that was fun to experiment with a bit.  From what she was saying, its a little unusual to have a second shooter that knows much about off-camera lighting so I was glad I could add that to the mix.  I got some table shots and a few of the toasts…and that's about it.  Actually, no.  One other interesting thing came up that I think is fairly common.  Toward the beginning of the reception, we heard that the groom was DONE with pictures.  Didn't want them anymore.  That was a bit of a problem considering we hadn't taken any "formals" of the bridal party.  I managed to kind of nicely talk them into a few pictures which helped Erin out since she really needed these shots and she needed to focus on some other things at the time I was getting these.  Hence, the value of a second shooter, right?  Anyway, because of the long drive, I had to leave around 3:00.  By the time I got home it was around 8:30.  Long day.

It took me a while but I finally went through the ~450 images I shot and narrowed it down to about 30 that I was pretty happy with.  From that, I've further filtered it down to about 8 to post here and add to my gallery.  Its true what many have said about this profession.  You really have to love it.  Its a lot of work, long hours, and often not much pay.  Even still, I'm looking forward to doing it again.!

Work isn't supposed to be like this…

Just the word "work" should conjure up certain things for you.  Everyone's job is different but for me, especially recently, I would think of words like "politics", "power struggle", "resistance", "complicated", "restrictions", etc.  That's not to say that it was all bad.  It wasn't.  It's more that if someone asked me what I thought of where I worked last, I would use these words first to describe it.  I just started a new job and for me, its a whole new way of thinking of "work".

Now, to be fair, this new gig does very nicely line up my personal interests (photography) with my professional skills (Agile Project Management) so that's a great step toward happiness.  My previous employment was in NJ (driving) and now I'm back in NYC on the train and for me that's a plus.  It allows me to get things done (like writing this blog) that I would have otherwise lagged for quite some time to finish. 

When I interviewed for this new job, I could tell that the culture was somewhat similar to where I was a couple years ago except for one major thing.  Big vs. small company.  All my previous employers have been for pretty large organizations.  I know that I'm still in the honeymoon period so I hope I don't eat my words later but so far, I'm lovin' it.  Things are just easier.  I'm thinking it may be difficult to work for a large company again. Time will tell. The other welcome change for me is being able to work on a Mac all-day-long!  This is huge for me. 

To summarize:
- Fun work focused on Photography and Video
- Work in cool setting in NYC
- Work on a Mac all-day-long
- Train time to get things done

I'm hoping to try out the well known phrase, "if you do what you love, its not work".

Amy's Bat Mitzvah

A few weeks ago, we were able to make a family trip up to CT for a special party to celebrate Amy's 13th birthday; and in the Jewish religion that can also mean that you have a Bat Mitzvah.  Before I get too much further, Amy is my mother-in-law's, boyfriend's granddaughter.

The event was held at a country club that we had been to one other time (for Amy's sister's Bat Mitzvah a few years ago).  It has a nice area for eating, a bar, and a dance floor.  They also have some entertainment for the kids with a magician and DJ and a little candy booth.  Emersyn enjoyed the magic and I think she understood some of it :-).  Its fascinating to watch her learn and grow.  Check out the hula hoop competition pictures.  Emersyn gave it her best shot!

A little piece of [photography] history

There's so much information to consume these days that you have to be selective about what you choose to spend time keeping up with.  For photography, there are only a handful of photographers I follow on a regular basis.  One of those photographers is Chase Jarvis.  He's a commercial photographer that has done a lot to bring a sense of community to photographers around the world and oh, by the way, he take some pretty great pictures too.

A recent project was of interest to me to check out, especially since it's being displayed in NYC and now that I'm working again in the city, its pretty easy for me to get to. Yesterday at lunch, I made the trek to the Ace Hotel to check out the "Dasein: an invitation to hang" display.  Its a collection of snap shots from around the world, hand picked by Chase and placed in this gallery space for people to take it all in and contribute either in person or virtually.  To some extent, it takes on the next step to a "Best Camera" app his team also developed.  Fun stuff.

Here's a couple pictures I took of what the display looked like...

Grillin' it up

As we get closer to May, one thing I'm really excited about is getting back outside to grill.  I'm writing this as I'm sitting in Phoenix and it reminds me of the different mindset you have around weather.  Here, the weather is warm most of the year and hot the rest of the time.  By April, you can probably break out your shorts and keep them around until probably October.  For those that don't absolutely love 100+ temperatures, you'll try to stay indoor as much as you can during the summer and be outside to enjoy the weather the rest of the year.  

On the east coast, people tend to hibernate in the winter.  This particular winter brought us a lot of snow and cold.  Personally, I'm glad to be done with it and looking forward to being outside with a beer (Sam Adams, of course) and the grill fired up.