Rebeca - Modeling in Urban Territory

October 8, 2011 - It was a gorgeous warm and sunny day, and likely one of the few remaining truly ideal weather days left for the year. I met Rebeca last month and we also have mutual friends. She's modeled before and after photographing her once at an event, we set up a photo shoot in DC.

Due to our schedules we did a late morning/early afternoon shoot. Our location for the shoot was in a residential building which gave the shoot an urban appeal. Thanks to our mutual friend Leyla for helping with makeup and for the location. It was an enjoyable afternoon and I think we got some nice images out of it.

A Night of Pink Hope

October 8, 2011 - Being October, it's breast cancer awareness month and this event called "A Night of Pink Hope" gave a new voice to young women battling breast cancer and gave back to the community. This event at The Sheraton Annapolis, showcased beauty and fashion in a special way.

The mission of the evening was to use the talents of stylists in hair and makeup to achieve a couple goals: 1) raise awareness about what it means to be a young woman battling breast cancer and 2) showcase the diversity of Robert Andrew stylists under the direction of Artist Director and Redkin Designer Brian Washburn.

The event gave thanks to clothing designers Cloud 9 and Zweet Sportswear, as well as their four jewelry sponsors: Diamond Cutters of Maryland, Mijou Jewelry, Little Treasury Jewelers and Zachary's Jewelers.

The Pink Hearts of Hope (PHH) Fund of The We Believe Foundation is creating a legacy for the Funds first Director Rosemary Quade who wanted to reach beyond her battle with breast cancer and give back to the young adults she loved very much. Rosemary's vision and dream lives on through the support of Pink Hearts for Hope Fund.

It was a very full and fulfilling evening with guests enjoying the many things on the agenda such as the VIP Cocktail Hour, Silent Auction, Hors d'overes and Cocktails. A step and repeat was set up and many photographs were taken of the guests, which included several local celebrities.

The FACES (Fashion, Attitude, Courage, Energy, Survival) show brought out fashion with stories from those affected by breast cancer and more was shared with platform models around the room. After that show the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders and Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders each gave a performance that stomped the runway. The silent auction was held and many people contributed to the cause.

Several people were responsible for helping to make this event a success including: Paul Wharton was the master of ceremonies. Jinahie as a Spoken Word Artist, Kristina Granados as VIP Entertainer, DJ Neekola, Andrew Larris as Technical Producer, Eddie Fam as the Event Producer and Promoter, and Rose DiFerdinando as Director and Celebrity Stylist of IMPACT Marketing and Events. Terri Shaffer stepped in as the PHH Executive Director in 2011. Thanks to Sarah Miller, President of The We Believe Foundation for her involvement with this evening and supporting the cause. All proceeds benefit We Believe Foundation's Pink Heart of Hope Fund. It was certainly a night of hope, belief and action.

http://anightofpinkhope.com/

Pia Toscano - Hard Rock Cafe DC

October 6, 2011 - It's PINKTOBER. "The answer is out there. Together we'll find it." Pinktober is Hard Rock Cafe's campaign for breast cancer awareness.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Hard Rock Cafe Washington DC along with HOT 99.5 rocked for the fight against breast cancer in presenting an appearance and performance by Pia Toscano of American Idol fame. Proceeds from the evening will benefit Breast Cancer Research at City of Hope.

Pink Jams! recently signed a partnership deal with Hard Rock Café and as a partner, I and others were given complimentary tickets to attend the event. Pink Jams! is a Washington DC area non-profit promoting early detection and breast cancer awareness to young men and women.

There was a VIP meet and greet with Pia Toscano before her performance and then Pia performed by singing several songs, some of which were sung during her time on American Idol. Pia was amazing to hear and she also answered questions from the audience. Pia donated a dress that she wore during her American Idol appearance to Hard Rock Cafe.

After her performance Pia spent a few minutes having pictures taken with her fans. I was able to get a photograph of Pia up close and it was good to see her and have her here for this performance and cause.

Sarah - Georgetown DC - Photo Shoot

October 6, 2011 - It was an incredibly beautiful day and great weather for a photo shoot, so I photographed model Sarah in historic Georgetown DC. We were envisioning a somewhat vintage in foliage look. Sarah put on this long red dress and we found a spot that we felt captured our vision.

Even though we did the shoot around 2:30pm in the afternoon, we still made the photographs work and we felt comfortable working with each other. After shooting for awhile in this park-like place, Sarah changed outfits and we went to other locations in Georgetown, looking for more of that urban look. Sarah wore a stunning black and white striped dress, but modified the outfit by wearing a black wrap-around short skirt, and over the knee high black boots. It was a fantastic look and we used this row of columns as the background for an interesting perspective.

It was a long afternoon but worthwhile for the experience we had and the shots we got out of our time together.

A Tribute to Steve Jobs

October 5, 2011 - It was hard to believe in hearing the news that Steve Jobs passed away today at the age of 56 due to pancreatic cancer. Steve was an incredible visionary, computer genius, businessman, and an inspiration to so many.

Steve was the co-founder of Apple, Inc., and up till last August he was the CEO. The world has benefited from his passionate work and the products he developed. Here's to you Steve. Thank you for making the world and our lives better.

Dirty Vegas Video Shoot by 8112 Studios

October 2, 2011 - I was fortunate to be able to come to a video shoot for Dirty Vegas courtesy of 8112 Studios. The venue was the Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington DC. The models and extras were to arrive at 2pm and I arrived soon after to take some behind the scenes pictures of the video shoot, as I had also done a behind the scenes coverage of another video shoot by 8112 Studios. I knew several people there as we are in the same industry, so it was good to see familiar faces and catch up a bit. Unfortunately I couldn't stay long as I had something to go to that was preplanned, but said I'd be back later on in the evening.

When I arrived back to the video shoot, everyone was on a break so it was good timing. I continued to take pictures as everyone resumed the shooting for a concert scene and then onto other scenes till we finished up at about 10pm. It was exciting to be there and it reminded me of being on set as I did a few modeling and extra jobs years ago. The hours are long and it can be tiring work along with a lot of waiting, yet in the end, it's rewarding to see the final product.

Here's a short video slideshow of some of my favorite pictures from shooting behind the scenes of this video shoot for Dirty Vegas by 8112 Studios.

Six Months of Full Time Photography, Life Reflection, and Credentials Nostalgia

Headshot taken of me years ago
when I was pursuing acting.

It's October 1st 2011 and it's like an anniversary of sorts. It's been six months since I've gone full time into photography, so that's something to celebrate but I also have to keep things moving with it. Like an anniversary or birthday there comes a deep reflection of life and it's moments. People will wish you a happy day and say congrats, and that's wonderful, but sometimes I think inside we feel a bit like there's got to be more to all this.

In growing up I recall my father and uncles who were into photography a bit, although I never was quite that interested at that time. I must have just been too busy having fun and thinking I would be a rock star someday. I did play guitar and tried to at least sing backup vocals. I was into role playing games, arcade games, and video games, yet I also enjoyed playing outside and was quite good at football in the neighborhood. I didn't have much cares and wasn't too disciplined or desirous of really taking steps to get into a career path. I would just let the chips fall where they may.

I've been into photography since High School as I remember taking a photography class. Then in college I took a couple more photography classes, but my major was varied for a little while dabbling in liberal arts, architecture, interior design, yet I finally settled on Electronic Graphic Design. My interest in photography seemed to wane a bit and my attempt to start courses in the New York Institute of Photography didn't go very far. Perhaps I didn't want to do the work and get critiqued. I hear that being critiqued is an essential part of growth. I would prefer genuine constructive criticism from someone who cares rather than someone who wants to rip my work apart. To use an old Army slogan, all this is to help you "be all you can be."

I'm reminded of my time in the U.S. Army where I was told that in basic training they tear you down to build you up again. I went in to the U.S. Army to serve my country and become a new man. They say that the Army is for some and not for others. When I entered the Army I walked into a new world. I started out as a private and didn't really have anything, but what they gave me. At the time I couldn't understand why the Drill Instructors seemed so harsh, yet just before my tenure in the Army was done I remember going into the Sports Club and talking with one of my Drill Instructors, and he talked with me like an old friend. It dawned on me that they did all this for my benefit, but I couldn't see that at the time of being "disciplined." It was for training. It was to make me into a soldier. That was their job and lives depended on it. I had some of the best years of my life as a soldier and they taught me values. I like to think that once a solder, always a soldier...as they say.

So as a photographer I enjoy life and capturing it. There was a span of several years after college where I wasn't so much into photography. I believe it's because I was involved in activities such as acting, dancing and sports that kept me focused on personal performance in addition to pursuing my career in graphic and web design. Eventually as I wanted to capture the fun times, I used disposable cameras, then used compact cameras, but it wasn't enough. People could see that I really enjoyed photography and wanted to improve. One year for my birthday amongst a group of friends I got a digital photography handbook and that added fuel to the fire. About four years ago I started using a DSLR camera and became more serious about photography as time went on. These past few years I've taken a more behind the camera role, but I still enjoy the occasional pastime interests.

In the past four years I've been able to attend and cover a lot of events and wonderful moments. It's been exciting to be able to go places and experience things. It's also been a lot of work and sacrifice, and it's not like in the Army where I was recognized and awarded for what I did. Being behind the camera I ensure that the event, it's cause and people are recognized and captured in camera, making images that last throughout the years. I feel a sense of contribution to humanity and history.

For some reason I've kept a lot of the badges, name tags and passes from events that I've covered, which you could call credentials nostalgia. It's a nice reminder like saving a ticket stub or postcard or anything that reminds you of an event. I suppose you could say I kind of think of these badges and name tags as sort of like medals and rewards. It's not something to be cocky about at all, as it's more of a sense of pride, like the pride of having served in the armed forces. Yes, that's what it's about...growth, appreciation, pride, purpose and passion. It's also all about love. With thanks to my Father.