Poor Lighting

This time of year, I find myself watching commencement speeches from various universities around the country. They invite historical figures, political leaders, and industry trailblazers to inspire, to challenge, to give hope to the graduating class. The speeches are filled with words of wisdom, and they're also filled with metaphors that are a bit out of a reach, or worse, a cliché. "You're a ship embarking on its maiden voyage," "Be true to yourself," "Follow your passion/heart/dreams/fear." But, I guess they're clichés for a reason. As corny, overused, and unoriginal as they sound, these phrases tend to have a big impact on those who are standing at the precipice. They instill a sense of grandeur that is supposed to empower you to make more out of your life, become more. It's as if these commencement speakers are handing over the reigns to this country's future, for you to do with it what you will. In essence, they are. They c...

I had started this blog with the intention of learning about photography. It had always been an interest of mine and I thought blogging about it would help me stay honest with this new hobby. Plus it was a great way to track my progress. At first, my voice was that of a novice (which I am), taking slow, wary steps into the world of photography, seeing it through a fresh lens (pardon the pun), hoping to glean some sort of insight from it all and perhaps -- in some miraculous way -- change my life. It's still the case, but ever since my dad passed four months ago, I've put the blog and photography on the back burner. I had zero desire to continue. How could I when my family needs me? Family, and work -- Those were my two main points of focus. Even now I feel guilty thinking about my passions. How could I even begin to imagine my future when my present is still crumbling? But in my attempt to "be there" for my family, I've lost sight of my path, and I don't k...

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!

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