IT'S NOT ALL BLACK & WHITE WHEN WERE TALKING ABOUT BLACKS & WHITES

OK I have to admit it I'm falling in love. After being married 24 years I 'm falling in love all over again and my wife does not mind at all. You see I'm falling in love with black & white imagery all over again.
I have been "seeing" in color  from my very beginning days of photography. Then digital came and the colors could be so rich and deep and the way we exhibit our work can make them look even deeper & richer. I went crazy. I was addicted to those wonderful colors; the great red sunsets, and the beautiful blue in the sky or in the eyes of a young child. Oh my god look at those flowers yellow, greens, blues, purples and reds, I was infatuated.
Then about a year ago I heard voices, talking to me when I was alone working on my images or even when I taking them. They came as whispers and then a little louder "this might look good in black & white", this portrait is good but it just might look better in black & white" and finally" HEY DUMMY process it in black & white!!. So I started doing just that, I started looking at different images and different ways of making them black or white. That is when it happened I started seeing those rich blacks and clean whites and all the shades of grey. I was hooked, in love and mesmerized by the wonderful world of black & whites. Ebony & Ivory became my favorite song. Ok maybe that's going to far!! But I do love those blacks & whites.
 There are different ways, many different ways to develop a black & white image. They can be made in camera ( not my choice, lack of control) or in post production. In post production you can use LR3 and there are several ways in LR3 to do it. In Photoshop and there are many plugIns or stand alone software programs out their that will help in the process. Most of them have presets that might do the trick with a click of your mouse or you can adjust them to your liking. I will not go into the nuts & bolts of how to in this post, there are many places to find that information.
So I suggest  that you start seeing in color and black & white. Your art will benefit as well as your clients.
So when you hear those voices in your head, listen, listen carefully. If they tell you  to climb up on a water tower with a rifle, do us all  a big favor, do not listen but go see a doctor, real quick. But if they start telling you to expand your artistic vision, then listen it just might be your subconscious pulling on your creative cape!
 Everyone have a great time tonight but be safe. Drive sober, I might be in the car next to you!

Have a happy New Year.

DO YOU TAKE THAT DARN CAMERA WITH YOU EVERYWHERE??

" Do you take that camera everywhere?"I hear that a lot and I am guessing you also hear it. At one time, when I was new to photography, I was actually self conscience about it, didn't want my relatives and friends thinking ,"Oh oh here come weird uncle Jim with his camera". As time went on I became less worried about what people might think and do carry it everywhere, well almost everywhere. I try to leave it home when going  into stores and doctor visits and definitely funerals. But I'm a photographer that is what I do, not just professionally, that is what I do everyday. I think about it, read about it, study it and love it. Ok maybe I'm a little too passionate about it and that's ok for others to think but I don't. I gave up worrying about it years ago.  Think of the moments in history that were captured by someone with a camera, not just newspaper photographer but just regular people with a camera. Zapruder taking movies of President Kennedy's motorcade caught the assassination  on tape and the many 911 images taken by just someone with a camera.  So keep taking your camera with you!! You may not capture an image of historical importance but there are other reasons to do so. To feed your creative soul is always a great reason. Today Phyllis and I took our daily walk down our street, about a mile and a half each way and in that time I photographed a Black Vulture, a Turkey Vulture and a few Sand Hill Cranes. Now I am not saying any of these images are earth shattering but I enjoy seeing them and even more so I enjoyed taking them. 

So I'll continue to take my camera with me and photograph scenes that pull on my creative cape and I really wont care what others think. I hope all you new and not so new photographers will do the same.

SO WHAT THE HELL KIND OF PHOTOGRAPHER ARE YOU????

I received an email the other day asking this question, never been asked this in quite this way. It did  make me read on. It seems he had seen images I had posted on my blog and on Facebook and wanted to know why I didn't just post wedding or just nature images. I'm not sure if he thought I was better at one then the other or  just not good at either lol. 

But it made me stop and think, because we are asked that question, on occasion. Usually when we meet people in a social setting and they find out that we are photographers. I usually say that we shoot everything we can. While that is true, when I thought about it, I realized that it sounded less then professional and well kind of lame.

So I decided to answer Tim and I asked myself the same question. As I thought about it I realized that I do like photographing just about everything but what would I call myself? I know that I usually look for interesting light either natural or man made but that was not the complete answer.

Then as I looked at my images it struck me. What kind of photographer am I ? I hope a story teller. That is what I try to do in each image I take. The image can be of a dad waiting to see his daughter, in her wedding dress, for the first time. An egret tending to her egg in it's nest or two people relaxing on a beach looking out on a wonderful sunset.

The images should inform and also make you add to the story be part of the story telling expierence. What is the dad thinking? Is he excited, happy, a little sad, is he thinking about when he first held her as a baby?

What exactly is the egret doing? Is she moving the egg around to cover the egg with the twigs or is she just taking a rest from sitting on it for hours? Will the egg hatch and if so will the hatchling survive, not always a sure thing.

The two people sitting and watching the sunset  are they on vacation, in retirement? Have they been married for years or only known each other for a short while?

I know what story I see each time I look at the pictures but you might see a completly different story and thats ok, actually in most cases that is what I prefer. I enjoy making you part of the story.

 So Tim, thank you. From now on when asked the same question I'll reply I'm a storyteller.

I WAS ON THE INTERNET THIS MORNING READING THE BOSTON GLOBE!!!!

I was  on my patio this morning around 7AM having coffee and reading the Boston Globe. I had just finished reading about the Blizzard about to hit eastern MA. when I look outside and saw this great light as the sun was rising over PSL Florida. I rushed to get my camera and tried to capture what I saw, the light was changing really fast and I could only get a few shots before it was gone. The top image was the first one I took the lower was taken about 2 minutes later as the sun was higher in the sky and the light cooled.

I will be thinking of all of you and hoping you all stay safe. You might also want to think about visiting soon lol!

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS..ROMANCE UNDER THE TREES!!

     This image was taken at Matt & Laura's wedding. This is one of the bride & groom formals, we alway photograph. We always try to include the unique characteristics of each wedding venue in the images. After all they picked this special place to host one of the most importent days in their lifes, so we want to include memories of the day, in the moment.

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS!!! Engagement Sessions!!!

We love photographing engagement shoots,for many reasons. One reason is  they give us a chance to really spend some time with the bride & groom and allows for them to get comfortable with our style.
This session took place in Boston MA. Emily & Chris had chosen the waterfront in the North End of Boston. A great Italian neighborhood with really great food lol.
During these sessions we basically follow the couple around on a date and try not to be intrusive. When we were walking by this spot overlooking the harbor, they stopped to watch the boats and the clouds . When Chris lovingly placed his hands on Emily's hips, I had the shot.

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS!!!

WE always try and take an image including as many of the wedding guests and the bride and groom as possible.
This image just has so much happieness and fun in it, that it has to be one of our favorites. Just look at all the faces concentating on the bride&groom and displaying the love & happieness for the lucky couple.

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS .. NATURE

This is truly one of my favorite images from this past year or any other year. Phyllis captured this image at the St. Augustine's Alligator Farm. These two egrets were nesting/courting and Phyllis stayed with them till she had this pose. The way she caught the one wing spread out gives it an almost dance like and ethereal quality. Just a wonderful image .

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS .. THE BRIDE

This simple closeup of Emily putting on her earing is one that I really love. Stripped of all color and distracting elements present in the room it becomes all about Emily's beauty and the light. In its simplicity it helps tell  the story

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS!!!"why cant we all just get along"

This image was taken at the Saint Augustine Alligator Farm this past March.
The Egrets were making their nest and this one was in the tree tops gathering branches and twigs  to help his mate build their nest. The Alligator Farm is a great place to photograph birds even though it is a paid admission zoo, the birds are not part of the farms inhabitants. They fly in and out of the trees and farm whenever they want. One of the reasons that so many nest there is the protection offered by the dozens of alligators patrolling the ponds, which surrounds the trees. Really a great lesson in nature and wildlife coexisting. Made me think of Rodney Kings plea of "why cant we all just get along" OF course if one of the birds should get to close to an alligator or a baby should fall out of it's nest...well lets just say that is what the alligators get out of this relationship.  Lunch anyone???

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Phyllis photographed this image from Lisa and Brian Egnitz's wedding during the bridal preparations. Lisa had a great smile as she looks at herself in the mirror, getting ready for her day. Phyllis' way of  composing the shot to include her bridesmaids' reflections helps tell a special part of the story.

JUST TAKING A WALK ON MY STREET

It is a beautiful day here, in PSL Florida, in the 70s and sunny, so I took a walk on my street. There is this pond about a 1minute walk from my front door and there are these plastic ducks floating in the pond.
I guess this comerant decided it was a good resting place as any!!

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Now is the time when many start listing their favorite things from the past year so with all due respect to Rogers & Hammerstein, I thought we would do the same. These are our images, both professional and our nature/wildlife images. We will share a different image each day.

The first is an image that was taken this past March in Ding Darling. It was early morning and there were many types of birds in the ponds, trees, on the shore and flying around. I saw this egret in one of the first ponds along the road. We had parked and were standing on the shore looking out on the pond with many other photographers. I was trying to decide which scene I would shoot first (talk about your kid in a candy store). When I looked down, not more then 40 yards from where I was standing, there was this lone egret. 

In the early morning light his white form really stood out against the still blue water. The only ripples were from him fishing. 

I just love the simplicity of this image, white egret on the blue water, nothing more.

Stephanie & Dan's Wedding Album!!

SARAH & KEVIN'S WEDDING ALBUM... Video

THE RECEPTION.....WHEN THE FUN & MEMORIES START !

The reception is the part of the wedding that everyone , including the bride & groom, cannot wait for!!!

This is when the party starts! We always stay right  through the last dance , after all we enjoy the party also. This is the time when everyone relaxes and enjoys themselves. We have to opportunity to capture the bride & groom and their quest having a great time. Years from now these images/memories will be precious; seeing the parents on the dance floor, their favorite aunt or uncle doing the electric slide ( yes the still dance it at some weddings), their parents holding the very young niece or nephew in their arms, their friends dancing up a storm , all these candid moments that they will want to have.

So much fun for everyone including us and all that great music!!!

( All images from Brian and Lisa's Wedding) 

The Bohemian Hotel, Celebration, Florida

Celebration is a community developed by Disney, a master-planned community in Osceola County, Florida, United States, near Walt Disney World Resort . Celebration is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,736 at the 2000 census, but as of 2010 is estimated to be more than 11,000 people.
 We were there this past weekend and I saw the reflection of the Bohemian Hotel in the Celebration Lake and knew I wanted to capture it.
I get emails asking for the tech info on some of these photographs and will start including them. 
So for those who have asked ; Photographed with my Nikon D300s, using the Nikon 17 - 55 lens at about 20mm, ISO 1200,1/5 second at F5.0
For your approval!!
Click on picture for a larger view, Thank You

Love In The Afternoon!!

My brother, Vinny and his wife, Susan visited us in Florida. This was taken at Epcot Center, one of the iconic (ionic if your from Boston) places to visit here in Florida. Vinny and Susan are very much in love and do not have a problem showing affection for each other.  I thought this picture was a great representation of their relationship. They are leaving today to go back to Boston and we will miss them.
This was taken with the Nikon 80 - 200 VR lens.