I know a lot more about Miami after Little Havana photowalk!

I attended a Little Havana walking tour that I used as a photowalk for my group. The tour was led by Miami Historian, Dr. Paul George. It started at the Tower Theater on 8th Street and headed West through many of the first neighborhoods in Miami during the turn of the century. I realized how new Miami is after walking through areas near 15th avenue that were Groves and Pineapple Plantations. West of 27th avenue was considered the Everglades. Imagine that. The area near the Tower Theater is not a new or modern epicenter of Miami activity. Many of Miami's most prominent families lived, worked and played in the area. The most colorful place I encountered was the Ball and Chain. The Ball and Chain was and is a Nightclub across from the Tower Theater that used to be a Gambling Club when Gambling was highly illegal. At first the club had doormen to ensure that only trusted people, and not police could enter. After a time, the "Wild West" attitude of Miami removed the need for doormen at the Ball and Chain and illegal activity brazenly thrived with the knowledge of the authorities. Here are some of my images from the tour. I encourage anyone seeking a more historical perspective to check out Dr. Georges walks.

Spring is Here in the States

So that means the majority of weddings are here also. Here are some things to think about when hiring a photographer. Remember a photographers website will only show the best, so if it doesn't look good, walk away! If you go for the $500 wedding photographer, that's exactly what you're going to get. GET AN ALBUM! You'll look at that a lot more than the video. Do you really need video? Most photographers can do video clips for you. Whomever you're hiring for video is not Steven Spielberg. Don't expect a Hollywood production for $3000. Not gonna happen. Remember that when the expensive meal, flowers, chair covers, DJ, and cake are gone all you have left are the images. If your photographer does not initiate a meeting or lunch or portrait session with you prior to your wedding, do not use that photographer. The first words out of a good photographers mouth will be to ask what you expect as a final product. When you hire a photographer you will probably not have a detailed schedule so you can't be very specific about time. Remember his time is money. The average time of a wedding from start to finish can be up to 8 hours so don't book the photographer for 4 hours.  A good photographer will attend the rehearsal to meet the important people. The  Best Man and Maid of Honor should actually help in keeping the Bride stress free. Let them know that they may be asked to be a trouble-shooter. Don't pick a drunk. Make sure the DJ knows to announce important points in the event and does not let those happen without the photographer present. Have the wedding planner organize as much as possible. That is why they get paid. And last but not least remember that if everyone at the ceremony jumps in front of the photographer with their iPhone when you are walking down the aisle, you images will not look good!

Spring is Here in the States

So that means the majority of weddings are here also. Here are some things to think about when hiring a photographer. Remember a photographers website will only show the best, so if it doesn't look good, walk away! If you go for the $500 wedding photographer, that's exactly what you're going to get. GET AN ALBUM! You'll look at that a lot more than the video. Do you really need video? Most photographers can do video clips for you. Whomever you're hiring for video is not Steven Spielberg. Don't expect a Hollywood production for $3000. Not gonna happen. Remember that when the expensive meal, flowers, chair covers, DJ, and cake are gone all you have left are the images. If your photographer does not initiate a meeting or lunch or portrait session with you prior to your wedding, do not use that photographer. The first words out of a good photographers mouth will be to ask what you expect as a final product. When you hire a photographer you will probably not have a detailed schedule so you can't be very specific about time. Remember his time is money. The average time of a wedding from start to finish can be up to 8 hours so don't book the photographer for 4 hours.  A good photographer will attend the rehearsal to meet the important people. The  Best Man and Maid of Honor should actually help in keeping the Bride stress free. Let them know that they may be asked to be a trouble-shooter. Don't pick a drunk. Make sure the DJ knows to announce important points in the event and does not let those happen without the photographer present. Have the wedding planner organize as much as possible. That is why they get paid. And last but not least remember that if everyone at the ceremony jumps in front of the photographer with their iPhone when you are walking down the aisle, you images will not look good!

Mallory and Nick

What a special day. The wedding of the little girl of my dearest friends that has blossomed into a beautiful woman and a fine young man that makes her very happy. I made these images as a family friend to share with everyone on their wedding day. My love to both of you!

First Annual Miami Music Month Kickoff Event Images

https://twitter.com/BONNIEBEATS I was asked by New Times Miami to photograph the First Annual Miami Music Month Kickoff Event. The event was held at a space in Downtown Miami called Grand Central Lofts on N. Miami Ave. The evening started out pretty slow. I was asked me to be there at 9:30 pm. The place was empty until about 11:00 pm when the band Radioboxer got things moving. Radioboxer is a bilingual, indie-alternative rockpowerpop band from Miami, Florida. Started in 2008, their music is highly varied, mixing styles from punk and electronica with Latin rhythms and folk, with a hint of 60's and 70's music, altogether in their own genre. They are known for their dynamic shows, which include high-energy theatrics to accompany their unique style.Radioboxer has been voted the Reader's Choice "Best Band" in Miami in the newspaper The Miami New Times. The band was really good with an excellent stage presence and a fascinating show. I recommend them and plan on checking them out again. The event was great and a lot of fun to work, and the New Times Staff as always was a pleasure to work with. The image I selected to use for this post was an Environmental Portrait of DJ Bonnie Beats. I enjoy capturing the image of an individual performing something that may define them. I found Bonnie Beats to have an incredibly interesting look and asked her to pose for a few portraits. I hope you enjoy it. Bonnie Beats can be contacted on Soundcloud, Twitter, , and Facebook, or email, bonniebeats@behindcolorbars.com Additionally, everyone I met was great and loved being photographed. Thank you all for the experience. Enjoy the images! Hi resolution images are available for purchase HERE.

Shadows are the Soul of your Images

Shadows are the Soul of Your Images as they give shape, mood, and depth to your photography. They must, however, be used creatively, and not left to chance or environment. One of the best ways to do this is with a single off-camera light, whether held in your hand or on a stand. When I use the term light, this can literally be ANY light: a studio light, camera flash, shop light from Home Depot or even a bare hanging bulb. It need not be fancy. There are various ways to trigger the strobes/camera flash, such as a cord connected to your camera or if using the same manufacturer of flash and camera, wirelessly. After you have your light source established, now it's time to shape the light. There are several types of light modifiers on the market that will suit your needs. Bouncing flash off a white ceiling produces much softer light, where a flashlight or "on camera" flash produces harder light. The idea is to experiment with everything. In this image II used a snoot opened up on the end to give the image more of a spotlight effect to emphasize the shadows. I recommend paying a visit to B&H Photo www.bhphotovideo. com, www.strobist.blogspot.com, or even www.YouTube.com. They all have tutorials and an abundance of information on photographic lighting.

2012 Art Wynwood

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I photographed the 2012 Art Wynwood VIP / Press Preview Night and After Party at Wynwood Walls for NewTimes Miami. Here are selected images from that event. The art was amazing. About thirty percent was photography. Of course I was very focused on the photography. Photographers, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Andy Warhol,  and Douglas Kirkland were among the most notable ones featured.

What is "Fair Use?"

I went to an art show a couple of weeks ago and many of the artists and craftspeople had signs reading "No Photography." I guess they were either ignorant or hoping that fair goers were. How can someone demand that when they are in public and there is no expectation of privacy? It was really ironic because some of the artists either photographed or painted things that other people had made, I.e. buildings, famous structures, copies of artwork etc. you would think that the rules that people further should apply to them also. Just saying!

Wynwood Gallery Walk, Miami, June 2011

Models showing off their hats at the Wynwood Gallery Walk 2nd Saturday in June. Great experience. Very hip vibe with all types of people and dress. Great for checking out art and people. [caption id="attachment_124" align="alignleft" width="1000" caption="Models at Wynwood Miami Gallery Walk June 2011"][/caption]

Iphoneography

Decided to try my hand at manipulating a simple image taken with my iPhone. All manipulations were done with Adobe Photoshop Express for the iPhone. There is an exhibit by Jaime Ferreyros coming up at MAGQ Gallery. He works almost exclusively with the iPhone. I see this as another tool to express creativity. As I always say, "the best camera is the one you have with you."