Poor Lighting

First off -- to the handful of you who actually read this blog -- my apologies for the temporary hiatus. Some personal family-related problems have stolen my attention these past few months. But, I'm back now, and I'd like to take things back to February when we in New York were in the height of the Winter snowstorm. It was quite possibly the longest winter I have ever had to endure. For most, it was a nuisance - having to shovel and salt the sidewalks, only to do it all over again in a few hours. For me, it was a nightmare... to shoot. So. Much. White. But, when you look past all the hardships and obstacles, you can find something so pure and simple in the world around you. "In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more than reality." - Alfred Stieglitz

For my 25th birthday back in November, Nick got me a new lens - Nikon Nikor AF 28mm. I hadn't really tried it out yet so I brought it to work with me the other day, determined to put it to use. Granted, it was nearly 7pm and 20 degrees outside (and I didn't have gloves, smh) when I finally got the chance to shoot anything, It was so cold that the lens fogged up! Since I'm so used to shooting on the 50mm (and because it's the only lens I've ever really worked with), it did take a bit of adjusting with the 28mm with the wider frame. It was quite nice having all that extra space to work with -- so much room for activities! -- and Rockefeller Plaza seemed like the perfect location. I quickly found, for me anyway, I had to really make sure that there was a focal point in each photo since these aren't the portrait-type pictures I'd been taking with the 50mm. Here goes... Comments and feedback are always welcome!

Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to preview the New Year's Eve ball the weekend before the big New Year's show, hosted by the Times Square Alliance and Waterford Crystal. There was champagne and cookies, hot chocolate and an ice cream sundae bar. Of course, I had to bring my camera. Let me set the scene... It's 4:30pm at the top of One Times Square. The sun is about to set. There's a giant 12,000-lb. crystal ball, illuminated by 32,256 Philips Luxeum Rebel LEDs. I have roughly 20 minutes to take pictures. Inevitably, this happened: And this: And this (which actually looks pretty cool): I adjusted the white balance, changed the ISO, checked the aperture, and anything and everything else. 5-10 minutes later, I finally captured this (I didn't even care that it was blurry): And then... It's not perfect, but what a sense of accomplishment! Happy New Year, all! Here's to 2015!

Gotta jump in with both feet, right? Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Hoping to post a new blog every Wednesday. #2015goals

Loooong overdue. New York Comic Con. Where else would one find a more eclectic bunch? A group of people who are so passionate about their hobbies/obsessions that they proudly where it on their backs, literally. Seriously nerding out in the best way and not afraid of what people think of them. Where else can you find folks in cosplay, outside in a dance circle, shaking it to the "Cupid Shuffle"? And where else can you find people who are not afraid to admit that they're 25 and still love these little guys? For me, the most difficult part about shooting at Comic Con was adjusting to the lighting. Initially, a lot of my shots came out blue, so I spent a lot of time playing with the white balance until I was finally happy with the result.  And, the second most difficult part was that there was just SO MUCH going on, which is my usual problem. My eyes were overly-stimulated, I guess. I just wanted to capture everything, but in my mind, I...

There's a reason why they call New York City the "concrete jungle where dreams are made of." Everywhere you turn, there's excitement, inspiration, spirit. There's nothing like taking a stroll around this island to show you just how full of LIFE this city is. Exhibit 1: A few weekends ago, Nick and I went in search of the 10.Deep sample sale. For those who don't know, 10.Deep is an urban street-ware company that was established in 1995. It isn't exactly my style, but Nick is all about it. So, we crossed the Hudson on my new favorite mode of transportation - NYC Waterways Ferry - to TriBeCa. We'd actually found ourselves in the middle/tail end of a 5k race, benefitting 9/11 volunteers, celebrations with BBQs, runners, camaraderie, and pride. A little hidden gem on the southern tip of Manhattan that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. There was a nice mix of barbecue smoke and sunlight that made for some cool shots. At least I thought so, but...