Meet Danielle

This is Danielle.  She is a personal friend of mine and she came to me in need of some updated pictures.  She recently moved to Lakeland, FL and we chose this as the location of our shoot.  For those of you that don't know, Lakeland is named for having many, many lakes.  We drove around downtown Lakeland and finally decided on the best spot for what we were looking for.  The shoot went great and Danielle got what she needed.  Hopefully there will be many more shoots for her as she was absolutely great to work with.  Thanks for making it easy for Betty & I Danielle.                  

Arthur & Margaret

On March 14, 2010, we got the pleasure of photographing the union of Arthur & Margaret Brown.  The ceremony took place at the Chestnut Hill Seventh Day Adventist Church in beautiful downtown Chestnut Hill, PA.  The couple have been together for many years and recently started attending Bible Study classes at the Church.  Arthur says that he just felt that the Lord asked him to to accept Margaret as his wife.  They got married a week and a half later.  You can imagine the hard work that everyone at the church put forth in order to get a wedding ceremony set up in that short amount of time.  I couldn't believe how wonderful it turned out.  This goes to show that when you let God take the reins in your life, everything will turn out as planned in the end.  May they be blessed for many years to come.

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

Sweet Quinceanero

Today I had to do a shoot for a Quinceanero. This is the Spanish version of a Sweet Sixteen but it's done when the girl reaches the age of 15. This is also a pretty big deal like a Sweet Sixteen in which it ends up being handled much like a wedding. What I was doing today was shooting the photo that will be used on the invitations that will get sent out to all of the guests. Like I said, handled like a wedding. The actual celebration (her birthday) isn't until March but as you can tell, they've been working hard on preparing this all ready. This beautiful girls name is Frances and R&B Photography would like to wish her a Happy Quinceanero as well as many more birthdays to come. Frances, I enjoyed seeing your face light up when you saw the photo after I finished processing it and I just knew that this is what you were looking for. Enjoy and relax your time until the Quinceanero and I can't wait to capture that moment as well.

Skin Re-Touching

One of the things that I am repeatedly asked at R&B Photography is if we do "airbrushing" or "skin re-touching" on portraits or close up pictures. The answer is always a big YES and I wanted to show an example of such technique here on the blog. Look at the example below:





This was just a candid shot that I decided to apply this technique to. As you can see, there is a noticeable difference between the two pictures. This technique allows for the natural redness and blemishes of her face to disappear. As a result, this automatically draws your attention to her beautiful eyes. This is just one of the many techniques that we can perform in the Digital Darkroom to give the client the look that they are looking for.

Me In Action!!!!

This is me on the hunt for wildlife. To me this is so freaking relaxing and it makes me enjoy my photography so much. I love getting down and dirty chasing wildlife for the perfect shot. There is no pressure, no client to make happy, not a real time frame, nothing like that at all. It's just me (and Beej now that she's learnnig and enjoying it as well) enjoying God's creations. I can sit in a position all day long and not get the shot I want and go home perfectly happy with a big smile on my face. I guess that it's what a lot of people get out of fishing. They may not catch any fish at all, spend money on bait but are very happy and keep on going at it day after day. This is my fishing, fishing for pictures. On this particular day I was hunting for Bald Eagles along the Delaware River. This was taken just south of Minisink Ford, NY where they have Eagle viewing stations set up. It's a little too early for them

So I didn't get any shots but none the less enjoyed myself greatly. I hope everyone finds an out every once in a while and get to enjoy yourselves and your lives. These shots were taken by Beej whom was accompanying me on this great day. She is having a lot of fun learning photography and I am enjoying teaching a willing student. I'm trying to get her to start a photoblog of her own but I am being met with some resistance. I'll just have to keep trying harder I guess. I have another month or so up here in upstate NY and I hope to get many more images from wildlife and great scenery. Believe you me, I will certainly be out there chasing the perfect shot. I hope you guys enjoy the images and feel welcome to leave any comments or critiques on any of my posts.

-Ray

Hawks Nest

This is the view from Scenic Byway 97 (Route 97). This unique highway follows the Delaware River, connecting the rail road city of Port Jervis to the bluestone village of Hancock. A snakelike portion in Sparrowbush that has been featured in many car commercials.

Canon EOS 40D

Shutter Speed: 1/60 sec

Aperture: f/8

ISO: 100

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

Beej

This is on Route 97 just outside of Port Jervis, NY. It is beautiful country up here and can find myself spending a lot of time trecking through the woods. My work will have me here for another month or so and i will be busy shooting.

Canon EOS 40D

Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec

Aperture: f/8

ISO: 100

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

Enjoying Nature

This is on Route 97 just outside of Port Jervis, NY. It is beautiful country up here and can find myself spending a lot of time trecking through the woods. My work will have me here for another month or so and i will be busy shooting.

Canon EOS 40D

Shutter Speed: 1 sec

Aperture: f/22

ISO: 100

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

R&B Photography Portable Studio 2

Just got to processing some pictures from a recent photoshoot. This shot was taken in a small hotel room using one of R&B Photography's portable studios. Everything I need fits into two bags and I can shoot just about anything a client requires. My first bag is a LowePro Vertex 300 AW backpack. In this bag I carry my two bodies, lenses, flash (I keep one in the bag in case I am out and about and need to use it), external battery pack for the flash, Stoffen Omni-Bounce, Rocket Blower, cleaning solution, shutter release cords, wireless triggers, memory cards, bunch of Eneloop batteries and various cables.

The second bag is a KATA OC-97 Organizer Case. This case is made for small to medium lighting kits with 4 heads and light stands but that is not portable enough for me. I use small flashes to light my subjects. I like the bag because it's a padded hard case which I can check on an airplane without concern. In it I carry additional flashes, light stands, tripod, monopod, flash bracket, umbrellas, reflectors, colored gels for flashes, battery chargers, medium sized foldable light tent, back drops and more. Seems to be working out great for me as I just carry the back pack and pull the organizer case (it has wheels) and i'm off to a photoshoot in a rather small package.

For this shot I used three strobes. Had the 580EXII as a master mounted on the 40D. 430EX camera left with silver bounce umbrella as my key light. 430EX camera right with shoot through umbrella for fill.

Ready For Battle!!!

Ready For Battle!!!, originally uploaded by Rehuel.

I had to do some work at this firehouse in NYC. All of their gear is lined up ready for the bell to ring. These guys were out in less then a minute and a half from sound of bell to trucks rolling.

Canon EOS 40D

Shutter Speed: 1/140 sec

Aperture: f/2.8

ISO: 640

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L @ 42mm