Thursday, January 31, 2008

Fun Lifestyle shoot!!!

A couple weeks back I had the pleasure of a Lifestyle shoot with Alex & Nick and can't forget Alex's mom, she was the best. It means so much to me when the family tells me photography is a Priority!!! Just a couple of shots of the day .
I love this family! Alex and her mom are teachers just like my wife. Teachers are the best!!! I can't wait for this wedding next year in Jan of 09. I've had so much work lately I've been backed up a little but will try to catch up soon. goodtimes

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Boda Bag

Win A Boda Bag!!

CONTEST RULES:

1.How many miles does my 2007 car have.The person who comes closest to my actual miles wins.
2.Entries must be submitted in the form of a comment to this blog post.
3.Submit as many entries as you like.
4.Must have a working wedding photography website or blog.
5.All entries must be submitted by January 29, 2008.
My good photographer friend Jim Garner out on the West coast Founder of the Incredible boda bag just came out with a New line of bags for 08 the Boda Dry a fully weatherproof professional lens bag. Available in February 2008 in standard & the more compact jr size.
The new boda dry lens bag is not out, be the first on your block to have it.

Check out Jim Garner in Las Vegas at WPPI on March 16, of 08 for the Young Guns program it will feature 12 of the hottest young photographers in the business, discussing their innovative styles and demonstrating their unique skills in a combination of panel presentations and live shooting. Let these photographers inspire you with fresh ideas and cutting-edge techniques that will leave you wanting more!

Hint: My car is a 2007 Porsche Cayenne I purchased it on May of 2006.
I got my boda dry a couple weeks ago and let me tell you this bag Totally Rocks!!!
Thanks so much Jim your the best...
Have fun and enjoy!!!

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Grace Ormonde Wedding Style

Published Wedding in Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine...

Published Fashion shoot for Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine, shot in Puerto Rico...

Published Chanel 2008 Resort and Cruise Collection in Miami, also published in Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine.
Below is a shot of the Opener for my Published Wedding in the New Grace Ormonde magazine for 08 of the President of Fisher Island and wife, what an Amazing wedding it was...
Chanel shoot below "Exclusive" Saks Fifth Avenue Dadeland approved All-Access
photographer Ray Santana for the Chanel 2008 Resort and Cruise Collection in Miami.
Some shots of the Puerto Rico Fashion shoot for Grace Ormonde.Unclemike and I were in Puerto Rico for about a week doing the shoot for Grace, it was the Biggest Blast we were all over PR with the most Beautiful models...goodtimes
I have to give a Huge Thank You to unclemike and Grace Ormonde and all the girls that work with Grace and also The Man Yanni you guys are the Best!!!! Not one Published Wedding but Three Published shoots in one Issue of Grace Ormonde Wow!!! o8 is starting out SO Sweeeet!!! I have to give my Beautiful wife Anna a Huge thank also for letting me escape with unclemike when the phone rings to these Beautiful locations all over the World tough job I know...lol
Go to the news stand and check it out I think its the best Issue yet...ps a photo of unclemike and I are even in the magazine. A thank you to Tracy from the Grace Ormonde team for the the photo above, its a shot of unclemike Gretchen and myself this was taken at 9 or 10 at night during the Puerto Rico shoot we did not use any flash on the cameras during the night shooting it was so much fun....

Saturday, January 12, 2008

City of Miami Police: Hostage Negotiations

This morning when I stepped out to walk my dog, I found my neighborhood besieged by law enforcement. My first instinct was to grab my camera... IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOOT ( no pun intended ). I grabbed my Nikon D3 70 to 200 2.8 and ran to the crime scene. As it turns out I didn't need this lens because I was called in from behind the yellow tape by the Hostage Negotiator to document the whole event. In case your wondering it turned out well. The hostage taker gave up her gun and the hostage too.
SWAT Team in bullet proof hummer...
The shot above is from inside the Negotiations truck...




Bad Boys, Bad Boys Whatcha You Gonna' Do, Whatcha Gonna' Do When They Come For You?

I would like to thank the City of Miami Police for keeping our neighborhood safe and for the peaceful outcome.

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Awesome Christmas!!!!

Ok so where do I start my Beautiful wife Anna surprised me with my second Nikon D3 body like I always say when your going to War have your guns loaded, TWO Nikon D3's baby!!! o8 weddings watch out...Below are some Xmas gifts I got from Great friends.

I treated myself to a NEW PANERAI Watch for Xmas. Luminor 1950 8 Days GMT Special Edition...
It's always a good thing to look sharp for the High End Bride PANERAI Rocks!!!! Probably the classiest watch out.This is my third pani in the family...
Below are two gifts I got from unclemike a Japanese coin from his trip a couple of weeks ago to Japan for La-Vie Album he knows I collect special coins, and the coolest flashlight around the E2E Excutive Elite from SUREFIRE the worlds finest flashlights and tactical products. He was shopping 4 days before Xmas and came across these Awesome flashlights since we're techy guys and are camera bags are exactly the same gear lights everything he got two for both of us thanks unclemike your the best thanks for always thinking of me...
This cool gift above I got my good friend Frank Saldana form California a watch that wireless controls my ipod! Thanks dude...

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Master Your Craft with BOB DAVIS AND MIKE COLON

Miami, FL - Feb 4 (Monday )


Master Your Craft Tour - Miami, Florida

Sponsors: Apple, Epson, GraphiStudio, Calumet, WestCott, liveBooks

Description: Join Mike Colón and Bob Davis in this intense one-day workshop covering everything including: camera settings, creative lighting techniques, efficient workflow for high volume shooters, high quality printing, marketing techniques, and detailed explanations of Mike and Bob's most successful images. You will leave this workshop with a new passion and a ton of new information that will change the way you run your business forever. Seating is limited and this tour WILL sell out!

How often do you get not one but two of the Best photographers from all over the country at one time it's gonna be a Blast!!!

register

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Alien Skin Software, It Rocks!!!!

"Give your digital photos the look and feel of film."
Introducing Exposure 2.
" The world's best film simulator just got better."
For a couple of weeks now, I've been chatting and emailing with the Alien Skin guys. We've been discussing their incredible software Exposure 2. This software is so cool. In the wedding industry there are lots of plug-ins and actions out there to enhance a bit or ad life or even give your photographs a different look and feel.When I first tried Exposure 2 it blew me away!!! I'm not the best with words but I will give it a try. The great thing about Exposure 2 is that you get what you see. Here is a shot of the interface and some of the before and after look of the shots. In the first preview, the preview split top left b/w Kodak TRI-X 400 bottom in original color. The next preview is a shot of the Pointe Vecchio in Florence, Italy when I was there 3 years ago and if you look to the left I gave it the Fuji Reala look. Look at the photo to the bottom right side and see how sharp and the colors how they pop out!!! Just giving you a taste of this incredible software... it gives you over 300 yes 300 different presets. You're going to get that look and feel you want!!! Check out the article in Photoshop User Magazine (Jan./Feb. 2008) they gave Exposure 2 five stars! " The closest thing to film since film." I will be giving away a Brand New Boxed Exposure 2 + some cool Alien Skin t-shirts . Rules!!! what you have to do is be the 25th comment on the blog can not be the 25th in a row there has to be at least 3 different people in front of you the 25th comment on the blog Wins a $249.00 Exposure 2 by the way have I Mentioned this software Rocks!!! A Huge thanks to all the Alien Skin Software guys for all your help you guys are the best!!! For a little video tour on Exposure 2 that I made click here.
ALIEN SKIN SOFTWARE RELEASES EXPOSURE 2 FILM STOCK SIMULATOR AND EFFECTS PACKAGE
Posted By PSN Editorial Staff
Latest Version of Industry-Leading Photoshop Plug-in Features More Than 300 Presets for Film Simulation and a Full Range of Photo Lab and Darkroom Effects

(www.alienskin.com), the award-winning developer of photographic filter and effect plug-ins for Adobe® Photoshop® and other compatible host programs, today announced the release of Exposure® 2, the latest version of its industry-leading film stock simulator and effects package.

Exposure 2 lets digital photographers and graphic artists enhance any digital photo by simulating the rich, organic look of film.

Developed from a detailed, scientific analysis of current and discontinued color and black and white print and slide stocks, Exposure 2 features more than 300 presets that emulate the warmth, softness, and realistic grains of film — the vivid colors of Velvia®, the natural skin tones of Portra®, and the ethereal glow of infrared — to provide new and alternative looks for fashion, wedding, magazine, event, and portrait photographers, photo hobbyists, and a wide array of creative, printing, and graphic arts professionals. Exposure 2 even simulates the retro colors of faded Polaroid®.

More sophisticated than merely adding simple digital noise, Exposure 2’s grain simulation models the size, shape, and color of real world grain, including the unique salt and pepper grain of TRI-X® and the large, intensely colorful grain of the discontinued GAF® 500. Exposure 2 grain size is automatically adjusted to image size so grain looks the same on high- and low-resolution photos. A roughness control gives Exposure 2 users subtle control over grain shape.

While other digital image products produce flat, lifeless black and white conversions, Exposure 2 also brings back the high impact of black and white film to digital photography. A simple yet flexible channel mixer interface provides subtle control over the color to black and white conversion process. Color toning, contrast, and grain add the finishing touches to turn color photographs into dramatic black and white works of art.

Beyond the ability to reproduce the look and feel of film, Exposure 2 offers a range of effects previously available only in darkrooms and photo labs, such as push and cross processing and glamour portrait softening. Exposure 2’s controls enable users to easily manage color saturation, tone, sharpness, and grain, streamlining workflow for photographers and graphic artists with one comprehensive yet easy-to-use tool.

Applying Exposure 2 settings to batches of images is easily accomplished using Photoshop Actions. Any Exposure 2 preset can be the starting point for a signature look by adjusting it to suit a particular subject. This new look can be saved as a setting for future use. All Exposure 2 settings can be deployed nondestructively in a new Photoshop layer named after the setting used. Exposure 2 supports Photoshop CS3 Smart Filters.

For ease of use, Exposure 2 settings are organized into categories, and last-used settings are remembered and highlighted. Previews are automatically scaled to fit the current window size. Multithreaded to run faster on multiprocessors or multi-core processors, Exposure 2 also easily handles 16-bit images, allowing RAW images to be manipulated at their highest quality.

Pricing and Availability

Exposure 2 sells for $249 USD with an upgrade price of $149 USD for registered users of Exposure 1. Online delivery is available directly on the Alien Skin website at www.alienskin.com. Exposure 2 is also available worldwide through stores, catalogs, and resellers. Free upgrades are available to purchasers of Exposure 1 who purchased on September 1, 2007 or later.

Host Requirements

Exposure 2 is a plug-in and will require one of the following: Adobe Photoshop CS2 or later, Adobe Photoshop Elements® 4 or later, Adobe Fireworks® CS3, or Corel® Paint Shop Pro® Photo XI. Exposure 2 is a Universal Macintosh® application. Live Effects in Fireworks CS3 are not supported.

System Requirements

Microsoft® Windows® users must have at least a Pentium® 4 processor or compatible and Windows XP or later. Apple® Macintosh users must have a PowerPC® or Intel® processor and Mac OS X 10.4 or later. A monitor with 1024×768 resolution or greater is required.

About Alien Skin Software

The developer of award-winning plug-ins since 1994, Alien Skin Software created the first drop shadow filter for Adobe Photoshop. Our reputation for bug-free software and fast, friendly tech support has grown worldwide throughout the years. Alien Skin continues to write and sell digital photo filters and effects that users love. For more information, visit our website at www.alienskin.com.

Exposure, Alien Skin Software, and the Alien Skin Software logo are registered trademarks of Alien Skin Software, LLC. All other trademarks or service marks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. We will never wear suits.

Whats new in Exposure 2
More film stock settings.
We doubled the number of settings, adding a bunch of color print films, various Polaroid looks, hard-to-find and discontinued film stocks. We even saved a few from extinction in Exposure 2. In sheer quantity of styles, not to mention quality of reproduction, no other software comes close to the sophistication and power of Exposure 2.

The most realistic grain on the market.
Exposure 2 simulates the size, shape, and color of real film grain and then applies the variations separately to shadows, mid-tones, and highlights. It also automatically adjusts grain size to image size for consistent results across cameras and resolutions.

More than 300 presets.
Exposure 2 offers more than 300 presets for film simulation and special effects. Use any of these presets for a look or take them and tweak them for a specialized custom look.

More effective effects.
Exposure 2's special effects give users even more control of photo adjustments that were in the past thought of as film lab and darkroom technique. Exposure 2 features push and cross processing, vastly improved infrared simulation, sophisticated black and white conversion, color shifting and fading, and lots, lots more.

Easier to use.
When Exposure 1 users suggested interface improvements and enhancements to simplify workflow, we listened and responded. Settings are now organized into groups, the preview is zoomed out to fit the image to your screen like Photoshop, and the last setting used is remembered and highlighted.

Performance enhancements.
Exposure 2 is multithreaded for a noticeable speed boost on multiprocessor or multi-core systems. It's also a Universal Macintosh application, so it runs native and fast on Intel processors.

Technical goodies.
When run for the first time, Exposure 2 automatically upgrades and copies all custom settings from Exposure 1. And because Exposure 2 is compatible with CS3 Smart Filters, effects can all be applied nondestructively.

For more info check out there website Alienskin.com