Room With A View

My lease was finalized today so I move in June 5th. Turns out the beach that is in my view just so happens to be a famous beach. Not to everyone, but to a selective group. In the summer the best Wind and Kite Surfers come from all over the world to this beach to train. These are Pro Circuit and Olympic Athletes. I don't really know why yet and nobody can really explain it to me, but you can be sure that when they get here in the Summer (December, odd huh) I'll get plenty of images and get to the bottom of the why. Looking forward to the show. Starting to get cold here.

Stuck in Registration No More!

So I'm stuck in car registration no more. After three trips, obviously the third time was a charm. As of 1115 am, II am now the actual South African Registered owner of my car. I thought the guy that was helping me out was happier than I was. I'm not surprised with the friendly attitude especially where the ramps of the auto Registration place and Library have signs reading, "Skateboarding Allowed". I rhen headed over to a place called Canal Walk. It is the largest most elegant mall I've ever seen. The majority of the stores were name brand like Guess, Puma, Hugo Boss, Nike, etc. Very few department stores. I was only able to walk one wing. I heard a couple I people talking about Oscar Pastorias, the Blade Runner which brought something interesting to mind. If you are hear more than a day you know what Armed Response is. They're basically ex-military Commandos that patrol the more affluent areas. By that I mean the majority of the suburbs. They are private security forces with helmets, bullet proof vests, and machine guns. Additionally they have specialized trauma training. Their response time is in single digit minutes usually less than two. The Police and ambulance, however, respond in the same amount of time that people are accustomed to in the US. So to that end, if there is a problem you immediately call Armed Response who will call Police while they are responding. To that end, here, this is in his defense. If he had called Police first there would have been raised eyebrows in Cape Town. Anyway went by the coolest Outdoor Adventure store. They had a guy there exhibiting Tarantulas and let people hold them. Got my picture taken with one. And they had a climbing wall that went as high as any you have ever seen with a large mat on the bottom. All the kids were climbing without ropes, or waivers of liability. Imagine that! Theres a reason they play Rugby here. These are tough people! Anyway gotta go for now. Enjoy the images!

Downtown Capetown as crazy as any city

Many things on my plate today. Bank account, car registration, and fixing my Visa. My work Visa is good for three years, but they stamped three months at the airport. So out of all of these nightmarish projects in a foreign country, which do you think would take the longest. Banking, no, I have a personal banker in the Premier division of FNB, a subsidiary of Barclays. Took 10 minutes to open my account and they'll send someone to deliver my debit card. Twelve dollars a month for unlimited transactions and rewards points. Take that Washington Mutual! Visa problem, no, another 10 minutes. Mistakes on their part go to the front of the line. How about that. Registering a car in your name is a NIGHTMARE! But, at least you can gift a car and not pay the tax of 14%. My old boss was gracious enough to give me his Mercedes! I'll bet all of the private car sales are gifts! Stopped by this cafe in downtown Capetown. It was unique. It had a Steampunk decor (Marisa) and they roasted and ground their own coffee (Ana & Janelle). The Roaster and Grinder were huge. When you paid your bill it came in a pewter mug. Very cool. I congratulated the owner and asked if I could make some images. He was flattered. Also looks like I may have an apartment. Really hard to come by in Melkboss. Only three condo complexes. Lucky enough to find a large, very modern one bedroom across a neighborhood street from the beach with an unobstructed view and most importantly, sound of the waves. Mesmerizing. No more iPod with fake wave sounds. Comes a small little yard that includes a slab where you park your car and a beautiful electronic wooden/stainless steel gate. It's almost art. Anyway, would have rather have had a two bedroom but the price is right. Furnished, all new stuff, stainless and granite bath and kitchen for R7500. That's about $789 including utilities. Pictures to follow if I get it. Later.

First Week in Capetown South (Suid) (Zuid) Africa

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Image of two surfers in Melkbosstrand made with my Leica X2. Melkbosstrand is a a northern suburb of Capetown, South Africa.​

As you can see by the title there are many ways to say South in South Africa. There are eleven official languages, the most common being Afrikaans, and English. Afrikaans is a mixture of Dutch, German and English. If you want to read more about it you can follow the link. The flight here I must say was painful starting off with the worst airline I've flown in, Jet Blue and finishing with the best South African Airways. The "old hag" Stewardess, and I say that because that was the word used when she was hired was rude and was not knowledgeable. She told me my carry on was over-sized and I'd have to check it. I told her that I had measured it according to their information and before I got on the plane and it was more than legal. I also told her that I had $15,000 worth of photography equipment in it and I could not check it. Anyway she was wrong and didn't even apologize. On the other hand the South African Airways Flight Attendant were just that. Helpful and accommodating through the whole 22 hours. Yes 16 hours from JFK to Jo'burg (Johannesburg) and then another 3hrs to Capetown after a lay-over. ​Everything I have found so far was underrated, except the fear of crime. That is overrated. Everyone smiles, they actually drive the speed limit and get this, the let you in when you put your turn signal on. Not bad for a city of 4 million. You are always going to find bad incidents in every large city, but if you are aware of your surroundings and don't act like a victim, you'll probably be OK. I'm spending most of my time in a Northern Suburb of Capetown called Melkbosstrand. Melkbos (the name) strand (beach). So the locals just call it Melkbos. It's a beach and surf town. This past weekend there were as many 3,4, and 5 tear old's surfing as there were old guys. Of course the kids were not far from shore. The shark thing is overrated as well with the exception of False Bay where Nat Geo spent four months filming Great Whites feeding on Seals. Swim in False Bay and you're risking life and limb unless you swim at a beach with protective shark nets. That is however on the other side of Cape Point. The water is warmer and the Seals are plentiful. North of the Cape there has never been a recorded shark attack. More than I can say for Florida. So surf North of Capetown and you're OK. I did go down that way to see the Penguins. Yes, there are Penguins in Capetown, and Zebra's in Melkbos. I wanted to make some images of the Pengiuins for Julia's Birthday, so I made some short movies and stills and sent them to her for her Penguin themed Birthday Party. Word is, she loved it. The Penguins were a blast. Just like it should be. They had run of the place and the humans were restricted to walkways. Still trying to find a permanent place. Having it narrowed down by a Real Estate agent. I don't just want anywhere. Gotta be on the beach! Trying to stay in Melkbos. I know it's only a week, but this beach town is a little bit of Paradise. Everybody smiling, surfing, and riding bikes. Simple! Until next time! Here's a couple of friends I met in Melkbosstrand proving that old guys can surf too! And they were rather good at it too.

Sometimes it's an Accident, or is it?

Like the title states, sometimes it's an accident, or is it. Is it an accident if you have your camera with you, attempt to make an image, but the final product surprises you?​ Did I plan this image to look the way it does? No, but there was a plan to have my camera with me to make images. I suggest you do the same and take the surprises that come your way.

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Crossing Miami River on Brickell Avenue Bridge

Raleigh Concrete Company at Night

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B&W Leica X2, Raleigh Concrete Company at Night

I made this image in Raleigh, North Carolina using my new Leica X2 camera. I really enjoy night photography and ​industrial photography. The key about this image was that it was hand held. The X2 has a leaf shutter in the lens that makes it much easier to be able to make an image using slow shutter speeds. The image was made at ISO 400, f 2.8, and shutter speed of 1/4 second.

Photo Shoot for "Into the Basement"

I had the opportunity to create images for an upcoming comic book series based on the graphic novel "Into the Basement"  featuring the character Kimmy Bennett. The premise was to create an image of a living model that best portrays the character in the series. While I made the images, the imagination behind creating the living character is completely attributed to the model. After the session the portfolio was sent to the author of the novel, Norman Applegate, and he said the images are exactly how he envisioned Kimmy Bennett would appear. So I consider that a success. The original images were shot against white seamless paper. I added the background and border in post production.

The Passionate Photographer

I just finished reading "The Passionate Photographer", by Steve Simon. The book concentrates on three basic elements: intent or passion, practice, and technique. The is a must read for photographers of all levels trying to improve their photography. The beauty of this book is that it details specific techniques while emphasizing tried and true composition theory to practice as assignment suggestions throughout the chapters. Steve Simon sprinkles his own images, good, and bad, to give examples of what to, and not to do when creating an image. Please do not think that you need to be an experienced photographer to understand, or put in practice the ideas in "The Passionate Photographer". On the contrary, I would also gift this book to the beginning photographer. I don't believe that I am lacking in the passion, but I can honestly say that I learned from every chapter. I recommend it highly. I purchased the book online at Amazon.

Photographer's Rights

You may beat the Rap, but you may not beat the ride. Just ask Carlos Miller, a Miami photographer who hosts: www.photographyisnotacrime.com

Here is an image of a MetroRail station in Miami. Had I not used an iPhone and some authority had been around, I'm sure I would have been harassed.

1. You can make a photograph of anything and anyone on any public property, except where a specific law prohibits it.

e.g. streets, sidewalks, town squares, parks, government buildings open to the public, and public libraries.

2. You may shoot on private property if it is open to the public, but you are obligated to stop if the owner requests it.

e.g. malls, retail stores, restaurants, banks, and office building lobbies.

3. Private property owners can prevent photography ON their property, but not photography OF their property from a public location.

4. Anyone can be photographed without consent when they are in a public place unless there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.

e.g. private homes, restrooms, dressing rooms, medical facilities, and phone booths.

5. Despite common misconceptions, the following subjects are almost always permissible:

* accidents, fire scenes, criminal activities
* children, celebrities, law enforcement officers
* bridges, infrastructure, transportation facilities
* residential, commercial, and industrial buildings

6. Security is rarely an acceptable reason for restricting photography. Photographing from a public place cannot infringe on trade secrets, nor is it terrorist activity.

7. Private parties cannot detain you against your will unless a serious crime was committed in their presence. Those that do so may be subject to criminal and civil charges.

8. It is a crime for someone to threaten injury, detention, confiscation, or arrest because you are making photographs.

9. You are not obligated to provide your identity or reason for photographing unless questioned by a law enforcement officer and state law requires it.

10. Private parties have no right to confiscate your equipment without a court order. Even law enforcement officers must obtain one unless making an arrest. No one can force you to delete photos you have made.

These are general guidelines regarding the right to make photos and should not be interpreted as legal advice. If you need legal help, please contact a lawyer.

----OTHER RESOURCES----

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_place#Restrictions_on_state_action_in_public_spaces_in_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography_and_the_law

http://www.flickr.com/groups/nomorefreephotos/discuss/72157604655395007/

http://www.krages.com/bpkphoto.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/andrewkantor/2006-08-11-photography-rights_x.htm

Tessa and Jeremy Baby Belly Portraits

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I met Tessa and Jeremy at Matheson Hammock Park for a portrait session of Tessa's Baby Belly. It is true what they say about a pregnant woman having a beautiful glow about them. Tessa is beautiful and just to keep you posted Aidan was born shortly after Christmas and is home with them. Jeremy and Tessa are a special couple and Jeremy was a good sport with all of my posing requests. Originally I posted and delivered these in color with a few Black and White images thrown in, in this post I wanted to emphasize and show the strength of B&W. If it was up to me the vast majority of my portraiture would be B&W because you are attempting to gain the emotion and character of the subject(s). It is my feeling that the color in the image is irrelevant in most portraiture. Of course there are always exceptions. Those exceptions in my opinion would be when the color is important to add to the image. Anyway here are six images I picked. Hope you enjoy them, and feel free to comment and/or critique.

Natalia's Photo Shoot in SOBE

I had the pleasure of having Natalia model for me again, this time in South Beach. I wanted to make portraits using only existing light as much as possible. With the exception of a very few images toward the end at the Jackie Gleason Theater, all were in fact existing light images. All were made with my Canon 50mm f 1.2L lens. I really appreciate this lens as it allows me to be rather invisible to those that might care about doing photo shoots in SOBE. So as long as you fly under the radar, no one is likely to ask for your permit. I would also suggest changing locations as that will help with not drawing attention. Anyway, we were able to get in several locations and different looks. I hope you enjoy the images.

Carolina's Portrait Session

Recently I sent out a call for complimentary portrait sessions for women that are not professional models. The idea was to make an effort to offer the opportunity to women of all ages and types a Glamorous Modeling session. I know a few photographers who have offered this service in other areas of the country with great success. After your teens or a wedding, how many times do you have the chance for a portrait session of your own. The answer is universally simple, not at all unless you're in the entertainment industry. I'm not talking about a Boudoir session, just a regular portrait session of yourself with a couple of outfit changes. Carolina was my first model. She initially needed some head-shots, but was intrigued with the portrait idea also. My object was not only great images, but to also have her feel the pampered modeling experience for a couple of hours. I decided to do the session outdoors to see how that worked. This time of year is beautiful and comfortable. The images were mainly made with natural light, with the assistance of a reflector to fill in some, but not all of the shadows. Shadows tend to show depth and make an image more interesting. At the end of the session I was pleased to find out that Carolina really enjoyed the session and did in fact get the "model experience" while we were shooting. I plan on doing several of these sessions. The session is complimentary, and the images may be purchased at a considerably reduced rate. Facebook images are always free. If you are a woman over thirty-five (or close) and are interested please contact me. The reason I am offering a limited amount of complimentary sessions is that I plan on making this genre a part of my core photography business. Everyone should be able to feel like a model for a day!

All grown up!

I had the honor of making images for the wedding of a very close friends' Daughter. It was an all-weekend experience starting on a Friday night and going through to a Brunch on Sunday. While I enjoyed the entire event, my favorite part was making images of the Bride and Bridesmaids getting ready. The suite was perfect for making images with two large wall-to-wall windows. I worked almost exclusively with existing light using my Canon 5d Mark III and Canon 70-200mm f2.8 lens at anywhere from 400 to 1600 ISO. The great thing about this lens is that you can make very intimate images from a distance at low light, without being noticed. The other great thing about this portion of the event was that the girls were so busy getting ready and having fun that by the time I was there for fifteen minutes I was not noticed. That's when you get the real images! Many photographers tout themselves as having a photo-journalistic style as if it were some kind of magical term for getting good images. That is only partially true. First, you have to be good at that type of photography. Personally, I consider that my strength. But what does photo-journalistic mean? Simply put, not posed and not interfered with. The moment you move the glass on the table, you have altered the scene, and by definition are not photo-journalistic. Do I move glasses to improve the image? Of course! Where have I struggled in the past? Posing. I find it intrusive to an extent. But, as a photographer you have to know that, so I have studied it quite a bit and am pretty good at it now. The important point about posing is that it has to look like a believable, natural act. To make it easier, study your subject beforehand as much as possible. Spend some time with them, or even look at old images. One great way to get an idea of how to pose someone especially for a wedding situation is to observe them at the rehearsal dinner. Study their mannerisms. The way they lean and reach, and hug. At least it will give you a starting point. So my wedding shoots greatly lean toward being photo-journalistic. Don't get me wrong, you do need some posed formals also to complete the day.  Above is an image of Janie. Un-re-touched with the exception of color balancing. Personally, this may be my favorite image of all. I have known Janie since she was a little girl and in this image she reminds me of a porcelain doll. All I can say is she is a natural beauty! And yes, this was a candid image where she just so happened to look in my direction. I am so glad she chose me to be part of this very important point of her life. Good Luck Janie and Russ. I hope you allow me to make images of more important events in your lives together.

Natalia Loves Wearing Red

Natalia Loves Wearing RedI had a photo-shoot yesterday with Natalia in Wynwood. This is in Downtown Miami, and my favorite place to make images due to the various backgrounds provided by walls of art. Natalia wanted to do the shoot in Wynwood with performance artwear designed by herself. I used mainly existing light with just enough flash, backed down two stops, to get the eyes to sparkle. The key in all portraiture is to do your best to get that sparkle in the eyes. The same thing can be done with a reflector or even having your subject look at a brightly lit wall opposite them. It was a bright sunny day so I used the shadow side of the street the entire time to avoid harsh shadows. I shot with my Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 600 Flash and a Canon 70-200 mm 2.8L Lens. All of the images were shot between f2.8 and 3.2 to allow the background to drop off out of focus.

Is it Street Photography?

Last evening I attended a meeting of the Miami Street Photography Group. There were quite a few people and the discussion was interesting and disturbing at the same time. There was an expectation in the group that street photography must be pure as shot with no manipulation, cropping, or the appearance of Street Portraits. While I appreciate the group and is possibly the best photo group in Miami, I fundamentally disagree with the premise. We are in an era where we are the photographer, and the lab all in one. I know based in my photographic education that great street photographers such as Walker Evans, Margaret Bourke White, and Robert Frank cropped and manipulated images albeit in a darkroom to refine the vision they had for the final product when the actually made the image. Technically, based on the discussion last night the aforementioned masters would mistakenly not be classified as Street Photographers because of the environmental portraiture below. I walk down the street or visit public places, and I make images. That is the only reason I need to call myself a Street Photographed.

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.

Jessicuh Art, a.k.a. Supergirl...

On my last post I spoke to a lot of people that love to be photographed. I was able to connect with Jessicuh Art that wanted some images made in a couple of outfits including a new SupergirlCosplay outfit she had just purchased. For those of you who do not know what Cosplay is here is a brief definition. Cosplay short for "costume play",[1] is a type of performance art in which participants do costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centred on role play. A broader use of the term "cosplay" applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context. Some cosplayers choose to have a cosplay photographer take high quality images of the them in their costumes posing as the character. This is most likely to take place in a setting relevant to the character's origin, such as churches, parks, forests, water features and abandoned/run-down sites. Such cosplayers are likely to exhibit their work online, on blogs or artist websites, such as deviantART. They may also choose to sell such images or print the images as postcards and give them as gifts. So as you can see this type of photography is both desired and appreciated. Jessicuh also has several tattoos and like Cosplayers, people that are heavily tattooed are also appreciative of images of the art on their body. We did the shoot in Wynwood using the walls of art as a background. At first I thought that they may be a little too distracting, but because of the Bokeh (blur effect that high end lenses create beyond the subject) it worked out. I did some extra work by adding texture, vignetting, and borders to create subtle mood and to better direct the viewer to the subject. What I am always most concerned with is the reaction the client will have toward the final images. I am happy to say that she was more than satisfied and we had a lot of fun.

Submission Fetish Ball

A friend was kind enough to notify me of the "Submission Fetish Ball" produced by Antonio Angelo, additionally, an excellent photographer. The event was a first for me in the world of Fetish. I met the nicest, warmest people that immediately accepted me into their world. I made it a point to respectfully ask before making images and it was appreciated. I will write more on the event, however, I wanted to give a bookmark to those that attended. In respect of privacy the more explicit images where individuals are identifiable will be posted to a private password protected web gallery. The images and Gallery will be forthcoming this evening. For event participants, click on the image above or on the FaceBook tab of the website. You will be directed to my page. You will then see a post with the link to a private gallery. The password information is in the post. This is being done for as much privacy as I can give you and still view your images. Enjoy. If you like the images please like my page.