Precious Moments

Ok, so this is the first time I've posted to our blog.....to any blog for that matter.....EVER! I wanted to discuss the different 'visions' two different photographers can have while shooting. Whether we are shooting an event or just shooting nature; it always amazes me how Ray and I can be looking at the same thing but see two totally different things worth capturing with the camera.

The bride in this picture is cradling her sweet nephew at her wedding reception. The desired picture for the bride and groom was to have a joint picture while holding their nephew. As that picture was great, this image just unfolded in front of me, and I had to capture it. After the initial picture was taken the groom went on to continue to visit with family and friends. However, the bride continued to hold and cradle her nephew. She was just holding him in her arms and swaying to the music being played. As the sun set on the day and the bride continued to sway......she lifted her nephew for that 'oh so sweet' moment and kissed his sweet face.

As a woman, I was just in awe watching her dance around holding him, while Ray went about the reception shooting pictures of other things. I'm not saying what he did was wrong, not by any means because he was doing his job. I'm just amazed at how two photographers can be shooting the same event, and looking at the same things, but capture two totally different images and moments.

Is this the product of two different eyes for detail.......the fact that there is a male and female photgrapher.....OR......is it a little of both? You decide.

Memory Problems

So there has always been a debate on whether or not a photographer should use a larger amount of small memory cards or a fewer amount of large memory cards. Now, thank God that i've never had any problems with my memory cards. I have heard horror stories from other photographers about cards being damaged or lost. Here is my take on it. If you have a huge memory card, say 32MB and you shoot an entire event on it, and the card gets lost then you just made a very big booboo. Think about it, let's say you shot someone's wedding. How are you supposed to get all those images back. Even worse, wait untill the bride and her mother find out about this. I know a person to whom this happened to when she got married and the photographer lost all of the rolls of film. Multiple rolls of film. That is a huge volume compared to a little, itty-bitty memory card. There's also the possibility of the card getting damaged or erased and the data recovery software not being able to recover the photos. That is too much to risk in my opinion. About as bad as doing work with only one camera body. I will stick with my smaller memory cards and if ever something goes wrong with one of them, I should still have enough images on my other cards to keep the client happy. What are your opinions? Please comment and let me know.

No Shooting This Weekend!!!!

As you can see plainly see, there was a downpour this weekend here in Blue Bell, PA (just west of Philladelphia). Beej and I had our hearts set on exploring this weekend and sharing with you guys but yes, that rain gauge says 4.5 inches on it. That is a lot of rain. We ended up visiting my sister and going to the movies. I guess we will have to wait until next weekend to go exploring nature. Btw, this photo was taken with my iPhone 3GS. Not bad at all IMO.

Greg & Jody

One of the crazy aspects of my job is not being able to keep up with my blog. Back in March 2009 (yeah, yeah, I know that was like 5 months ago) R&B Photography had the pleasure of shooting the wedding of Greg & Jody Garrison.

Say hello to Greg and Jody. This lovely couple had an intimate ceremony on the beach at Ana Maria Island, Florida. They could not have ordered a better day to get married. It was around 79 degrees, very low humidity, bright sun and cool breeze coming in from the Gulf. It was a gorgeous day for all to celebrate the joining of this couple.
One of the first tasks that Greg and Jody had as husband and wife was to patiently wait on the sun to set. We wanted the sun in a certain position to capture the perfect shot.
As you can see, their patience paid off. God blessed us with the perfect day.

Statler Family

We have a beautiful story to tell you about this photograph. The Statler family lives in Mt. Olive, NC and they are very special to Beej & I in more ways then one. First of all, this is Beej's brother and his wonderful family. That right there makes them special to us however, there is more to the story. Not only do they have two children of their own, they are the foster parents to two other children. Their family grew literally over night. God not only blessed them with two additional children, He also continues to bless them with patience and understanding as their family grows together. As you can imagine, this transition has been a difficult one for the entire family with the change of routines, rooms, schedules and life in general. By God's grace, they are striving to move forward in a positive direction. This is just one of the many misterious ways in which God works to improve His children.

Daniel & Karina

I had the privilage to do a small shoot for Daniel & Karina Cruz while I was in Bluefield, WV. They wanted some pictures taken of themselves and their puppy dog "Big Poppa". Trust me, he was not a small dog. The shoot went well and Daniel & Karina were extremely happy with the results. This of course makes me very happy that R&B delivered as promised.

Color Purple

This is at the beach in Montauk State Park. Eastern most point of Long Island. Home of the oldest lighthouse in New York. What you are looking at is the actual color of the sand that Beej and I were walking on in order to get to where the Harbor Seals were sunbathing at. It had this purpleish color to it that just caught my eye. This is yet another wonder of nature that I got to enjoy with Beej during our travels. To be honest with you, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Canon EOS 40D

Shutter Speed: 1/250 sec

Aperture: f/8

ISO: 100

Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-56.L IS USM @ 100mm
Color Purple, originally uploaded by Rehuel.

Harbor Seal

Today Beej and I drove to the Eastern most point of Long Island. It is called Montauk Point State Park and it's a great way to enjoy nature and wildlife. I researched on the internet that during winter months, the seals hang out on the rocks as they like to sunbathe. Beej and I arrived at the Montauk Point Lighthouse and started walking the beach. After quite a walk, we finally found them. This was the first time either one of us ever saw seals in the wild. Normally we have to see them in a zoo so this was absolutely great. I just love nature and wildlife and can go exploring all day long every day (which is why I need to win the lottery). Beej and I were there in the morning as we had to get back before the Superbowl started so we walked back to the truck and headed to our hotel room. It was a very good day.

Canon EOS 40D

Shutter Speed: 1/250 sec

Aperture: f/8

ISO: 100

Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L US USM @ 275mm

Getting Dirty

I have been shipped to Long Island, NY to clean up a contaminated site. What I love about my job is the fact that I get to go sight seeing on the weekends when i'm not working. Lately i've been taking my Fiance with me to keep me company (Trust me, it has it's rewards). Well, today we went to Fire Island. Fire Island is a small secluded island just south of Long Island. There are only two roads to get to the island (one on each end) and plenty of ferries if you wish to go by boat. Once you drive over the bridges onto the island, you are directed to a few areas where you can park. You have to walk everywhere else on the island. You need to have a federal permit to drive on the island and only 100 permits are given a year. Those go to the people whom live there and the few whom work there like the lighthouse keepers and utility contractors. This place is abundant with wildlife as most of the island is a wildlife refuge and is a photogs nature dream come true. If you ever get a change to go, I highly recommend it. Okay back to the reason for the title of this blog. My Fiance (whom is getting to learn her way around a DSLR) took this candid picture of me.

It was freaking 31 degrees out in mid sun an the wind was blowing with Hurricane force winds. Wind chill to me (remember, Florida boy) was like -154484554 degrees Fahrenheit. When I see a shot, I just go out there and do what I have to do. I left my jacket and gloves in my Yukon, I just grabbed my camera and got down on that very cold concrete boat ramp. As you can see, the water was frozen solid and it's something I've never seen because its the Atlantic Ocean and not a lake or canal somewhere. The freaking ocean!!!!! I was actually warm until I finished shooting. The adrenaline went down and I got cold quick. I'm glad Beej was there to capture this though, I don't have many pictures of myself in action. Btw, this was the shot I was setting up for:

Fire Island Lighthouse

This is the light house located on Fire Island National Seashore, South Shore of Long Island, NY. This is just East of the Robert Moses State Park. There is plenty of wildlife and nature to keep anybody going back for at least a month. That's my plan anyways.

Canon EOS 40D

Shutter Speed: 1/1000th of a sec

Aperture: f/5.0

ISO: 250

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM @ 24mm