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Studio Update

The guys from Hi-Fi House came out and installed the Sony 46″ Hi-Def and a whole slew of other electronic gear on which I now have to train myself.

What have I done! I’m never gonna be able to learn all this stuff!

Ok, so the first deadline has been blown but it now looks as though we’ll be wrapped up in two weeks. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Perfect Autumn Day

I love Autumn. The cool, crisp air energizes me. So what did I do? I put the kids to work (mean daddy that I am)! Tommy is armed and ready.

This is what 5-year olds wear when no one helps them get dressed.

Gaining control of the leaves was as futile as Paul Newman digging holes in Cool Hand Luke. Especially when we couldn’t readily locate the rakes. “What we have here is a failure to communicate!”

So the leaf thing wasn’t really as bad as I made it out to be. The fun part was going to Linvilla Orchards for a hayride. Woohoo!

Gourd shopping. What do you do with these things once you finally bring one home, anyway?

 

Apple cider donuts and hot cider to warm the bones. Stay tuned for Christmas tree hunting coming up soon!

Goodbye to Venice

Doh! Just realized I had shot some video in Venice.The last day of the Yervant workshop, we visited the brand new Graphistudio headquarters in Arba, Italy. Check out the Dolomite Mountains as they come into view. So cool!

Buy a Pie and Help Others!

Click here to buy a pie!

The Philadelphia Wedding Photographer’s Group is selling pies for MANNA (Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance) – each pie purchased provides three nutritious meals for a MANNA client coping with a life-threatening illness.

Pie in the Sky pies are delicious and will be ready for pickup just in time for Thanksgiving.

Helping never tasted so good!

Don’t forget to place your order by noon on Nov. 19!

Today Was a Good Day

Just got back from teaching a Super Monday one-day seminar on wedding workflow and it was fantastic! Five eager photographers showed up at McKenzie’s Brew Pub in Chadds Ford. We laughed, learned and made new friends. No photos, though. :o(

However, I came home and Tommy was Wii dancing. This is hilarious!

Studio Update

Things are really starting to move along this week. I’m sad to say the new studio won’t be ready for the Super Monday seminar but I’m sure to be hosting my grand opening in the not-too-distant future.

This is the corner which will host the wine and espresso bar.

This is the view from the shooting area.

The HVAC system is pretty slick. Two cassette-type units are housed inside the drop ceiling out of sight.

Nick hangs the door to the dressing/powder room. No, it really doesn’t look quite this red in real life.

My patio and garage are staging areas for all the stuff that’s going to be installed in the next week or two. The garage is completely full!

I’ll post more as stuff happens. The tile guy is coming in tomorrow to start the heated dressing room floor and then the vanity and fixtures will go in. Should look pretty cool.

Yervant in Venice

Just came back from the Yervant workshop in Venice and it was a doozy! So many cool settings and beautiful models. A photographer’s dream! And again, as we did in Santorini, we clogged the streets.

Even when I was supposed to be looking forward and participating in the shooting, I couldn’t help looking all around at the cool colors of the buildings.

Yikes! Gondola crossing!

The locations were incredible.

We attracted a crowd wherever we went. Some shopkeepers, though, weren’t too amused.

Even the kids around us got in on the action.

I don’t think there are any ugly parts of Venice.

Shooting went on well into the night. Good thing I brought my video light.

Although I only hit the sack a few hours before, Cathy and I just had to get up to catch the sunrise. We weren’t disappointed!

The busy Grande Canal. I’d take this over an I-95 traffic jam any day.

I played hooky one day and took a boat to Murano to check out some of their famous glass sculptures. What a great day tip.

The setting sun was spectacular as we headed back to Venice.

You meet the coolest people in Venice. We ran into Flat Stanley at San Marco one morning!

When in San Marco, the pigeons rule the roost and they’re not afraid to let you know it.

There is a distinct pecking order in Venice and the gondoliers are at the top. Even with the ribbon hanging from their hats, they’re cool and they know it.

Me and Cathy took a gondola ride our last night in Venice. It was awesome! Shoulda brought a bottle of wine with us, though …

What an incredible trip! I’d recommend Venice to everyone and the Yervant workshop to every photographer. I met a lot of great people and learned a lot from them. Can’t wait for the next trip!

Lots more photos at Flickr!

Sarah & Matt at Sofitel

When I first met Sarah and Matt, I thought that I had gained their trust. But when we got thrown out of Eastern State Penitentiary during their engagement shoot, I was in fear that they were questioning their choice of wedding photographers. But my fears were unfounded as they gave me every chance in the world to redeem myself by getting married at Sofitel, the swankiest hotel in the city and giving me literally hours to do whatever shots I could dream up. I’m kinda pressed for time right now so this is just a rough edit. No time to even start up Photoshop!

A proud mama.

If Sarah hadn’t already reserved the Presidential Suite, I would have offered to chip in for it. What a great room in which to shoot! Awesome light and decor everywhere! (Note to self: Get rid of light fixture before shot goes into album.)

Handsome Matt has yet to see his bride at this point.

It’s awesome being able to plan a first meeting

Heading down to Rittenhouse Square for photos.

Oops! Wait a minute! I found great light reflecting off a building across the street!

Life is too short to be serious.

Back to the hotel for the party!

The dance floor was beautifully lit so I didn’t want to blow it out with flash. My able and willing assistant, Mark, was right on top of things with the video light. An what a great Daddy-Daughter Dance!

Modern camera technology is awesome. It’s now possible to get fantastic shots using just candle light.

Just one more before I go.

Sarah and Matt kept on partying way into the night but I had to head home and pack for the Yervant workshop in Venice, Italy. So watch this spot for plenty of photos!

Kim and Anthony at the Mendenhall Inn

I had been looking forward to this one for a long time. We really hit it off from our very first meeting so I knew Kim and Anthony’s wedding photos would be incredible. So much so that I’d rather check out each and every one right after their wedding instead of going to bed.

Kim looked so elegant. Very Audrey Hepburn!

I’m so loving the new Adjustment Brush in Lightroom 2.0!

Don’t know why I made Anthony do this but I thought it looked cool. Sometimes my brides and grooms wonder where I’m going with my ideas but sometimes even I don’t know until I get there.

Loved the squiggly light-up thingies in the limo bus. Or maybe that was Kim’s smile lighting up everything!

The weather was iffy so natural light was not guaranteed. But I did find some peeking through a skylight so I grabbed it before it got away!

I think reflections are my new favorite toy.

As I’ve said before, leave nothing on the table. I love Kim and Anthony because they had patience with me and my seemingly kooky ideas. I don’t want to quit until I’m sure I can give them absolutely stunning photos! Special thanks (again!) to Linette and Mark.

Alane and Frank in Manayunk

I love Manayunk. It’s one of those real Philadelphia neighborhoods that’s so full of cool stuff. Since Alane and Frank live only 5 miles away, it was a natural spot to go.

Along Manayunk’s famous-but-now-defunct canal system.

Plenty of places to stop for drinkies on Main St!

Alane is so playful. She’s the perfect match for Frank. A little hip check now and then is just as good as an “I love you.”

For such a big city, Philadelphia is sometimes still a small town. I bumped into Jon from Studio Nine as he was racing home to catch the Eagles kickoff.

What a fun day! Now I have to squeeze in a lot more work before I leave for the Old Country in less than two weeks. See ya!

Elizabeth & Bob

Elizabeth’s and Bob’s wedding is fast approaching and since they live in Virginia, we had to hope for the best with the weather as we probably wouldn’t get another chance to shoot their engagement session.

Their wedding will be at the Blue Bell Country Club in November. I know this one’s gonna be a blast!

Lisa and Brad at Greenville Country Club

Lisa and Brad are such a trip. Good times follow them wherever they go and their wedding at Greenville was no exception. By the way, Lisa was absolutely gorgeous!

A proud dad…and one heck of a partier!

The groom and his groomsmen appear over the horizon.

A late start to the day meant extensive use of off-camera lighting. Joy and Mark really pulled through for me on this day.

Gotta use light wherever you find it. And take a free cigar whenever you can!

I’m betting that Lisa’s and Brad’s life together will be a real blast! I wish them the best of luck.

Giovanna and Ricky at Brantwyn

I was looking forward to this shoot for a long time. I convinced Giovanna to give me what basically amounted to unlimited time and creativity and it really paid off. They got married at beautiful Brantwyn Estate in Wilmington DE. What an awesome place for photos!

So much beautiful light that day.

I should have thanked them both for being so good looking. That makes it so much easier for the photographer!

Giovanna had a bought of nervousness before she exited the limo at the church but she shook it off. I think she’d rather I didn’t get in her face with a camera just then but I didn’t want to miss the light. Oh, well. She’ll thank me for it later!

I also warned her ahead of time that we may get kicked out of the church. Almost but not quite…

I tell my couples that I get excited on my way home because I want to see their photos right away and this day was no exception. Giovanna and Ricky are going to have a kicking album to show!

Studio Update

The rebuilding of the studio is in full swing. The new stairs are in and work has begun on the new powder room/dressing room. What was my old darkroom has been gutted. :o(

It was sad to see everything go but sadder still to see all my equipment just collect dust. But that will all be behind me when the conversion is complete. It will feature designer everything as well as a heated floor so visiting supermodels won’t have to endure cold toes!  :o)

Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty

Although they’re only two hours away, I got to be 43 years old before I finally got around to visiting Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. No, I have no idea who this guy is but at least he stood nice and still in the shot.

 

I tried to explain to my kids where we were going and why it is important before we went but I wasn’t prepared for the emotions I felt as I imagined people leaving their homes forever with little more than the clothes off their backs. I almost lost it when I saw their pictures and read their stories.

 

The Registry Hall has been rebuilt to like-new but one can only imagine the conditions that prevailed as thousands of immigrants waited for medical examinations, criminal background checks and, if all went well, eventual entry into the US.

 

 

Lady Liberty was also recently restored and looks as good as new. I can imagine tears in the eyes of more than a few immigrants as they caught their first glimpses of The Statue of Liberty. It must also be noted that the statue was a gift from the people of France to the people of America as they admired our free republic.

The statue, [Joseph Pulitzer] said, was paid for by “the masses of the French people. Let us respond in like manner. Let us not wait for the millionaires to give this money [for the pedestal]. It is not a gift from the millionaires of France to the millionaires of America, but a gift of the whole people of France to the whole people of America.”

If you go to the Ellis Island website, you can look for family members in the manifests. My own great-grandfather, Pantaleone Pulcinella, came from Chieti in the province of Abruzzo, Italy and arrived in the US in 1906.

I’d highly recommend the trip. The whole thing is as easy as hopping on a ferry in either New Jersey or New York.

A Streetcorner Named Desire

We should all be so lucky as Deborah and Pat. Even though they’re young, they’ve known each other for a long time because they literally lived around the corner from each other.

We headed down to The Philadelphia Waterworks in Fairmount Park.

Boathouse Row is crazy almost every day of the year. Deb and Pat mix it up with the regular skaters who meet there.

Deborah has been watching Tyra Banks on a regular basis getting ready to make her entrance at the swanky Hotel DuPont next summer.

Ok, now off the beaten path. I like to find little nooks and crannies around the city that no one else seems to be using. I found just the thing with these fountains on Drexel University’s campus.

They claim not to have taken dance lessons but they’re not fooling anyone!

I wish Deborah and Pat all the best and I can’t wait to photograph their wedding next June. I’m lucky to be part of their storybook romance.

Another Cool Pano

My friend, Mike, shot this cool panorama in Corolla in the Outer Banks. The look and feel is unaltered. He was right on the edge of a storm (left side of photo) while the moon shown brightly on the right side. You can even see a lightning strike off in the distance. Click to view the full-size version.

Yanks vs Royals

Went on a bus trip up to the soon-to-be-torn-down Yankee Stadium to see the Yankees beat up on Kansas City. I did this cool panorama from our seats in the nose-bleed section. I used six overlapping shots and stitched them together in Photoshop. Click to see a much larger version. It looks pretty cool!

I had only my Digital Rebel Xt with a 28-75mm zoom but I was able to catch Derek Jeter get hit in the hip with a pitch. Yikes!

There is a running count of how many regular season home games are left at the original Yankee Stadium (under Snoopy). After this one got past the sixth inning, Jerry and Ben Still (shown on large screen) pulled the switch to put another one in the books.

My friend Steve and his two boys, Cole and Ryan, went up with me and my boys. It made for a very quiet and peaceful bus ride. Yeah, right!

Right next door is the nearly-complete, brand new Yankee Stadium.

Bye for now. More wedding-related stuff to appear in this spot soon.

Beautiful Day For A Wedding…

…but no wedding to shoot so me and the kids went to the zoo to ride the Zoo Balloon. However, the balloon was grounded due to what was a very comfortable breeze at ground level. Grrr!

Pete, Tom and Tina has as much fun playing in the fountain as they did seeing animals.

The zoo had a mist machine going for those who needed a little break from the heat…or just whatever. Yes, I know, I should really break my daughter of this habit before her first Spring Break.

I guess we must have missed a really wild Friday night!

Ok, ok, I’ll get some better posts up soon. Stay tuned.