Katie and John

It was an overcast day but that created the largest softbox possible. Katie and John were lots of fun! Can't wait for the wedding.

Jen and Shaun's Wedding

Beautiful fall colors helped brighten an overcast day. Despite some intermittent showers, Jen and Shaun managed to stay dry. What a great couple. Thanks to Steve DePino for asking me to shoot second...

Rachael - She's Sooooo Cute....

I don't do a lot of this but I love working with kids. And yes, she's really this cute... It was a bit chilly but Rachael was incredibly cooperative considering the outfit changes and a case of the sniffles.

Sharyn and Ned's Wedding

Well I learned how much fun Sharyn and Ned were during their engagement shoot. But they had more surprises in store for the wedding. The Owenego was the perfect setting complete with flip-flops, a ceremony on the beach, and fireworks. My good friend Carl from Manhattan Media Productions was also there shooting video and DJ Sheila provided the music. Here are some of my favorite shots:

Barbara and Steve's Wedding

On Saturday, I had an opportunity to shoot Barbara and Steve's wedding as second photographer with Steve DePino. It was great working with Steve. Perfect weather, a great couple, and an awesome location; what more could you ask for. Here are a few of the pics...

I made it...

After 8 months of serious running, I completed my first half-marathon; the New York City Half. In fact, it was my first race ever (not by design but my schedule didn't permit even a single 5K race). It was really humid and that affected my overall pace but I managed to finish at the 43rd percentile in the age adjusted ranking. That means that of the 10,000+ people who ran, 57% were faster than me if ages were equal. My overall time was 2 hours, 28 minutes; slower than my personal best but not bad considering the first-race jitters and the heat. What a great experience.

Here is the plot of my run. The heat got to me around mile 9 but then I picked things up again and finished strong.



And a few pics of me in Central Park and in Times Square...

Marathon Training

Many of you know I've been training for the upcoming New York City Half-Marathon later this month. Today marks a milestone of sorts since I completed my first 13.1 mile run in 2 hours, 14 minutes. That's an average pace of 10'15" per mile; not too bad... My long runs were averaging 10 to 12 miles but I thought it was time to do the full half. So at this point, I think I'm ready...

Sharyn and Ned

What a great day for an engagement shoot. The weather was perfect. It's even better when the couple are lots of fun... These guys know how to enjoy each other and it really shows in the images. Thanks for a great session; stay tuned for more images.

Grease is the Word...

I recently had the pleasure of shooting the dress rehearsals for the high school production of Grease. What a talented group of kids; they're so good it's easy to forget they are only in high school. With so many opportunities for great shots and so much action on stage, it's hard to focus :)

And it's not just the vocals; these kids can dance and act as well. We have some truly amazing talent in town.

I'd be surprised if some of these kids don't pursue a career in the performing arts.

It also helps to have outstanding direction, choreography, lighting, and many volunteers who help put together an outstanding production. The hard work really shows; the show was fantastic.

Click here to view the slideshow

Here are a few additional shots; it's hard to decide between the color or black and white version...

Harlem Wizards in Town

The Harlem Wizards were in town so I took the opportunity to capture some fun shots. These guys were exciting to watch and very entertaining. I think the entire town was packed into the gym!

These images were shot with my 70-200 f2.8 IS lens on a 1D Mark III @ 1250 ISO, 1/100 sec at f2.8. As you can see, the images are very clean, even at this ISO. The Mark III is amazing; shooting at 10 frames per second allows me to capture an entire action sequence. I can then select the exact moment I'm looking for.

In between the fun and the exhibitions, they did play some hoops. The teachers and parents were awesome but were no match for the Wizards. They did score a few points but lost in the end.

Click here to view the slideshow...

London at Night

I just returned from a 5-day trip to London; it's one of my favorite cities (except for the exchange rate). Network connectivity was poor so I didn't have a chance to post from the hotel. The weather was OK by English standards but not optimal for photography (generally overcast and gray). So I decided to try some night shots with my Mark III given its low noise at higher ISO values. I started shooting as the sun began to set. The above image of Big Ben and Parliament was handheld at ISO 1600, f2.8 at 1/40th sec. The only retouching on this photo was a simple white balance.

I also had a chance to eat at Punjab, my favorite Indian restaurant located just down the street from Covent Garden. As always, the food was excellent! I miss London already...

Master Your Craft

Based on a suggestion by Steve DePino, I attended the "Master Your Craft" seminar in Hartford yesterday. Mike Colon and Bob Davis covered a wide range of topics including workflow, lighting techniques, creative equipment use, and marketing tips. These guys patiently shared what they've learned shooting countless celebrity and destination weddings.

The session was also a great opportunity to network with photographers from the area. Some traveled 4 hours to see these guys. I'm sure they would agree it was worth the drive. It was certainly worth the price of admission!

Disk Storage Solution

If you're like me, you now have accumulated gigabytes of digital photos, music, and movies. You may have even added an external USB drive as expansion or backup. About once a year, you outgrow this space and struggle to upgrade your disk by copying your files to a larger drive.

I recently ran across a solution which can change all that. It's called "drobo" from Data Robotics, Inc and it's simply the most flexible storage solution I've seen in years (photo courtesy Data Robotics, Inc). To really understand how simple this is, watch the video. If you are familiar with the storage dilemma, the demonstration will convince you. For more information, visit www.drobo.com.

Here's the video:

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish my family, friends, and customers Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Here are a few photos of my favorite ornaments from our tree...

Zion National Park

I arrived at Zion National Park before dawn. It was still raining but lighter than yesterday; flash flood warnings were in effect for Zion and the surrounding area. Except for the occasional passing car, I was literally the only one in the park. As the sun began to rise, I could see the snow-capped mountains of Zion draped in haze. No words or pictures can begin to describe this park.

The intermittent rain continued most of the day but I shot non-stop (except for a late breakfast at the Zion Lodge). As I made my way up the canyon mountain pass, the sides of the road were covered in snow; the view was spectacular! Zion spans an area of over 147,000 acres; a small fraction of this can be viewed from the road. I did my best to see as much of the park as possible but Zion has many hidden secrets; some of which I hope to visit tomorrow.

Valley of Fire

The Valley of Fire State Park looks like another planet. The sand and stone is red like the surface of Mars and the terrain varied. This photo of Arch Rock is an example of the formations sculpted by wind and rain. With a major storm approaching, I shot as much as I could before, during, and after the rain.

This area was once occupied by Indians who scratched petroglyphs into the desert varnish (black coating) on the sandstone. The petroglyphs are over 3000 years old.

Next stop, Zion National Park, Utah...

My Week Away

I spent the week at a conference at in Las Vegas. With so much to do and see, I had a hard time deciding what to photograph first. It's a lot to carry but I had my 1D Mark III with me every night.

In the lobby of the Bellagio Hotel, the first thing you'll see are 2,000 spectacular, hand-blown glass flowers on the ceiling. The sculpture was created by world-renowned artist, Dale Chihuly. Here is one of the many shots I took.

Another great spot is the Paris hotel with its version of the Eiffel tower. The tower is an exact replica of the original but rendered at 1/2 scale. The tower can be seen for miles at night but I prefer this close-up I captured standing just under the tower.

Next stop is the Valley of Fire State Park; just outside of Vegas.

Last Leaves

The last of the leaves are about to hit the ground so I took my camera along while running errands today. It was a bit overcast but that helped with the saturation. These vibrant, yellow maple leaves caught my eye. The last of the chlorophyll was visible in the veins which added some interest.

Concert Pics

My wife surprised me with tickets for the Sara Evans concert. As with most concerts, "professional" cameras are not allowed. Although it's frustrating that I couldn't bring my DSLR, my Canon S5 was allowed and did a decent job. Here are some pics.

Concerts shots can be challenging due to the constant changes in lighting, proximity to the stage, and fans who always seem to be in the way. These shots were taken in between the wiper-blade arm action of a fan directly in front of me. I don't think she put her arms down once during the entire concert. It was almost hypnotic.

Despite the challenges, I managed to get some decent shots but still wish I could have used my DSLR!

By the way, the concert was great!