Tuesday, November 6, 2012

V-O-T-E and H-E-L-P–New York, NY

Posted in Personal

It’s been a long week since the storm and NYC is still getting back on our feet, but many took a pause today to get out and vote.  Kudos to Governor Cuomo for signing an executive order that allows NY’ers to vote at any polling place in NY State.  Some great kids who had today off from school–again–for election day, went up and down our long voting line selling coffee and baked goods while repeatedly shouting “to benefit Hurricane Sandy’s victims!!” (repeat).  It was nice to see.

There was a flurry of volunteerism over the weekend and a strong feeling of the community pulling together.  One place where I tried to lend a hand had so many volunteers that I was turned away.  But many city residents are still out there without heat or power, it’s getting colder, and we’ve got a storm on the way.  If you are still looking for ways to help, here are some ideas:

LOCAL:
Check here for various places to donate and volunteer.
The JCC near us stopped accepting warm clothes on Sunday, but most donation places are still in need of: batteries, lanterns, toiletries (think toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo), baby items (formula, baby food, onesies, diapers, wipes), new socks, new underwear, and cleaning supplies. Also needed are new sleeping bags in packaging, new hats and gloves—the kind people can wear to sleep in.

Try to follow these helpful tips if donating clothes.

FROM AFAR:
Donate to: The Food Bank of New York, who has set up an emergency fund for the disaster.
The American Red Cross or donate $10 by text-messaging the word REDCROSS to 90999.
Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City or donate $10 by text-messaging the word NYCFUND to 50555.  Donations will support immediate needs, including distribution centers in the city where people can get food, water, blankets, and hygiene supplies. One hundred percent of the funds will go to relief efforts and organizations. The fund will also go toward long-term restoration.

Some moms in my neighborhood have also set up registries for friends of theirs who live in the affected neighborhoods and lost everything.  One woman was evacuated by raft from her home with her 2 yr old daughter and newborn son.  If you would like to directly help this family, please visit http://www.diapers.com/baby-registry/148081/Yois-Molano.

Off to watch the election results.  Fingers and toes crossed to move FORWARD.

Posted in Personal
Friday, November 2, 2012

What a Long Strange Week It’s Been–New York, NY

Posted in Personal

Photo Credit: Charles Sykes, AP

I’m taking a break from Fine Art Friday today to share a few thoughts on the last week, which was bizarre to say the least.

I feel lucky.  Lucky that my family is alive, healthy, and safe.  Prior to the storm, a family in our neighborhood experienced a horrific tragedy in which they lost two of their three children.  I cannot begin to imagine their loss.  I can’t stop thinking about it–I think about it when I put my daughter to bed, when I walk her around the neighborhood, and when I give her a bath, and I vow not to take my time with her for granted.

With our community still reeling from this murder, Superstorm Sandy roared into the area and left parts of our city in shambles.  Aside from losing many trees and subway service, our neighborhood fared very well because we are on high ground.  Luckily, we still have power, water, and heat.  Most stores have reopened, though the parks remain closed.  But the devastation elsewhere is unbelievable.  I give credit to the photojournalists who braved the elements to record the storm and its aftermath–their images are unreal.  My heart goes out to the 75 people who lost their lives, to the many who lost their homes, and to those who are still in the dark.  I’m not sure how I got so lucky, but I’m grateful.

Here are a few before/during/after iPhone snaps.  Here’s to hoping next week is a little closer to normal.

Left: My friend’s house in Westport, Ct, first high tide on Oct. 29th.  Right: My friend’s street in Brooklyn, second high tide on Oct. 29th.

Posted in Personal
Thursday, November 1, 2012

Halloween, Take 2–New York, NY

Posted in Kids,Personal

What a difference a year makes!  I always like too many costume ideas, so like last year, my daughter had one costume for daytime (giraffe-a great cousin hand-me-down,) and another for nighttime (NYC marathon runner).  It’s not that I have a lot of time on my hands, I just can’t make decisions!  Despite the storm, we were still able to go out trick or treating, and her marathon costume attracted all sorts of fans!  Thankfully she still doesn’t understand candy…as evidenced by her excitement at one trick or treat favor- a toothbrush.  My family will agree that I love a good late night project, so the fact that I created her runner bib in photoshop til 2am the night before was no surprise.  I even went so far as to base it off of a bib from 2011, right down to the logo and text color.  I know, I’m so lame. Here are some pics of my favorite gal…Happy Halloween.

Posted in Kids,Personal
Monday, October 29, 2012

Mimi and Henry–Central Park–New York, NY

Posted in Kids,Portraits


When Henry and Mimi met me at the firehouse on 83rd street for our foggy morning shoot, I knew we were in for some fun.  Maybe it’s because I’m the youngest of four, but I love working with siblings. They bring great energy to a shoot as they broadcast their quirky (but always loving!) relationships.  Within the first 5 minutes, Mimi and Henry busted into a thumb war to break the photographic ice (see below) and things just got better from there, as evidenced by their “tebowing” in Central Park.

And don’t get me started on their outfits.  Maybe I came close with my stirrup pants and sambas in 2nd grade, but I wish I had been that stylish and cool when I was their age.  From shoes to blazers, they were a perfect example of what to wear to a shoot–a mix of casual, comfy, and fun with coordinating colors that were not too matchy matchy.  We had a great morning as the fog burned off to reveal some gorgeous fall color in Central Park.  We wandered into The Ramble and used this amazing stone archway as a backdrop, and also found some beautiful spots on the Oak Bridge  and adjacent boulders as we sought out places where pastoral meets urban.  Thanks to their dad’s help, this adventurous twosome also scaled a fence and carefully climbed down to a hidden boulder for the sake of a cool photo!

Mimi and Henry, thanks for a great morning–I hope the pancakes that we promised for those wonderful smiles were as delicious as we claimed they would be…see you in the neighborhood!

Posted in Kids,Portraits
Sunday, October 28, 2012

Keeping Up, Take 2–New York, NY

Posted in Personal,Uncategorized,Weddings

I spent the last few days at the PDN PhotoPlus Conference at the Javits Convention Center.  The field of photography is constantly changing and reinventing itself, so it’s important to keep up with professional development throughout the year.  It’s also nice to surround myself with fellow photographers, as many of us work from home and spend much time editing photos and talking to clients, but little time interacting with other artists.  I attended lectures with children’s portrait favorite Tamara Lackey, and wedding photographers Denis Reggie, Bambi Cantrell, Melanie Nashan (who I also saw speak in Montana in 2005), and Liz Banfield.

The venue? Terrible (literally not an outlet in the place to charge a phone-and currently in the flood zone for Hurricane Sandy.) The content? Awesome.  Fellow photographers in my lectures had traveled from the Philippines, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Argentina to name a few, so I’m pretty lucky that this annual conference is located just 50 blocks south of my apartment.  The conference also includes an overwhelming trade show floor with EVERYTHING you could ever imagine for gear, albums, lenses, software, data storage, and live demonstrations…I had to keep my wallet in check.

Some interesting takeaways from the week:
-I studied the history of photography in grad school, but learned much more about the history of wedding photography.  It has drastically evolved in the last 100 years.  Example: in 1930-60, wedding parties usually went to the portrait studio to have their photos taken, while the current emphasis is on a “fashion portrait” style, which means the main focus is on environmental portraiture of the couple (think of them standing in a wheat field with sun flare behind them) and their wedding details.

-Of the 2 million weddings each year in the U.S., 1.3 million are photographed professionally by America’s crop of 160,000 professional photographers.

-the field used to be 90% men, but now 86% of new entrants into the field are women.  Interesting!

-80% of women have read a wedding blog before they were even engaged, and 50% had read a wedding magazine.  I like ladies who plan ahead!

All in all, a great few days.  Now I’m hunkered down editing some portrait shoots and plotting a way to use all the perishables in my fridge before Sandy hits!!  Have a great weekend!

Posted in Personal,Uncategorized,Weddings