I’ve been talking about redoing my office for about a week. Then Sunday came along and Kelley and I ended up with a free afternoon. So we shopped a little for office stuff, picked a color for paint, and bought a rug. I realized that in the next 4 weeks I don’t have a whole lot of free time. But this week, hmmm…. OK! Sunday night, start packing up the office.
Monday everything was moved out and the room was stripped bare, including the floor. My friend Paul came and took most of my desk and helped out. Once we cut into the carpet I thought, oh no… this is really happening. Then Paul noticed he cut my internet and phone lines running along the edge of the floor. DOH! We were a little worried about the sub flooring at first, but it’s all dry! It must have happened during the build or the problem has been fixed.
Tuesday I had a lot of sanding to do from patching up some really bad wall mishaps, but not without a run to Lowes and a run to Ikea in the morning. I think I’ve been to each place 3 times in the past 3 days.
I had Jacklyn here, followed by Paul and Krystal. Then it was just a paint party!
The plan for Wednesday is to paint in the morning, another run to Ikea (maybe Lowes too), install the floor with my friend Tom, then I have to go be interviewed and photographed for something special I can’t announce yet. Then paint more, followed by dinner with friends. Thursday I’m on a plane to Florida!
For now… a few hours of sleep.
But before I go I have to say this. I have some really good friends, and I mean true friends. I opened a fortune cookie today that said someday I will be known for my generosity. I do hope that is true because I know how good it feels to be on the receiving end of it. I can only hope I can make my friends feel as thankful as I do. Thank you to Jacklyn, Paul, and Krystal for generously giving your time and effort helping out.
Besides friends, there is my wife, Kelley. She is my voice of reason, inspiration, and support. I wouldn’t be doing this room without her driving forced behind me. Even though we live together, I really haven’t seen her for a few days. Honey, all I can say is that we leave for a short vacation on Thursday.
To Paul’s comment: YA they DO!!! and YA I do!!! (that’s probably not grammatically correct, but you get my drift!) We had a great time helpin’ out. Kelley and Rick–enjoy your trip to Florida! See you soon.
Friday night Kelley and I went to the Omni in New Haven for Project Glam. There were plenty of vendors there from hair salons, to spas, clothing boutiques, and even one of my new favorite companies for weddings, Wedding Runways.
Here are a few images from the fashion show!
There’s a newer photo competition in town called WEDCOMP that’s been earning some good credibility. The judges are photographers who are well respected in the photography community. I entered a couple of images from this past year and one of them captured 3rd place in the Getting Ready category! I entered the image, then realized I sent the wrong version in! Check WEDCOMP for what I sent in, otherwise here is the version I meant to send in. The only difference is the now missing pillow and a little color toning.
Judges comments: “The warm tone of this photo and the loose composition are captivating. I particularly responded to the bridesmaid’s arms in motion. Since the composition is somewhat static, the movement of the bridesmaids surrounding the dress is beautiful. The photographer shows off his/her skills by backing off and composing the photograph carefully. It’s a scene setter as well as a storytelling moment.”
***UPDATE***
I didn’t even look! I also have a 7th and 11th in receptions! Here are the two shots!
Judges comments: “Everyones’ face is great in this moment. Great capture of peak emotion. Very nice B&W conversion.”
With so many changes coming to my website very soon, one thing I needed to do was to have my head shots redone. Well, I never really had them done in the first place. My current head shot was part of the engagement shoot that Chris Humphreys did for Kelley and I in California. I just managed to crop Kelley out of one of those photos. She’ll never let me live it down.
My friend Carla Ten Eyck made an offer to a group of us one night, and I really couldn’t pass it up. Here’s what Carla had to say on her blog:
“These head shots came about when I made an announcement at a PUG meeting a few months back that Mike’s son Aiden was born with a cleft lip and would be needing surgery, soon. We weren’t sure what would be covered by surgery or not, and I was determined to help my friend and his family in any way I could. So I offered to do any and every type of shoot for people, with all proceeds going to help defray the cost of Aiden’s surgery*.
After that meeting, RE rushed over to me to sign up. I have not forgotten that.”
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Carla for doing this. I will have these and some more on my various websites very soon! Check Carla’s blog for more and give her the props she deserves for having such a difficult subject to photograph!
A few people I am lucky enough to call friends, who are also photographers, videographers, assistants, and personal friends, got together Sunday for a little camera practice. I wanted to teach my assistant Greg (who’s now second shooting for me) and my friend Bryan the basics of photography and my philosophies behind the camera. Then a former assistant of mine said she wanted in. Then two videographers I know, and their wives, wanted in on the class! So a party of 8 is was! Oh wait, add my wife Kelley and her cousins Leah and Colby who modeled for us!
Since Bryan had to leave early, I photoshoped him in over the restaurant managers face.
From left to right, front row, Rebecca Murphy, my assistant and 2nd shooter Greg Wood, Marcin & Joanna. The back row is Kate and Geoff Boka, my trainee Bryan Irolla, and me!
We started the day at my place for a quick review of how to decide on shutter speed, f/stop, ISO, and color temperature. I went into how I come up with my composition as well. From there we went to Cascade, a reception hall, to review using your flash and lighting for receptions. Then it was off to a little spot I know in Branford.
Here are a few photos that I took! Most of these were taken during a demonstration and/or while I was talking.
In the following picture I was testing out the new Pocket Wizards with two 580ex flashes in daylight.
Since Greg was using one of my cameras I have some of his images that I edited.
When I get some more images from the other photographers I’ll post them here as well! The next mini workshop (with the same group of people) is going to be on post production.
If anyone wants to have an all day, on location, workshop followed by a second day post production workshop, please let me know. It will be two days during the week this summer. Most of us work on the weekends, so I’ll avoid the weekend.
ugh, we have a long way to go. our photos sucked. these are great. i really like the one that Greg got of Colby sitting on the ground where you see the sun flare. beautiful shot! They were cute kids huh? We had a lot of fun. Now I gotta go out and buy some pro gear already. Can’t do much with amateur equipment. Thanks again RE!
Joanna and I had a blast and we are so looking forward to part 2. Glad we had a chance to meet everyone and promise not to talk video (Geoff started it) during photographers meetings. BTW… Kelley’s cranberry/walnut salad is #1. Good times! Thanks again.
I figured since it’s the end of March, I should probably get this out soon. Today I finished the photo editing and put together the big show. Now I wasn’t the only one choosing what was going to be included. I took a lot of input from various people. So without further ado! These are the highlights from the Best of 2008!
Now that’s not all! There are more highlights that didn’t make the show because of the timing of it. Next week my website gets revamped with the full selection, 4 featured weddings, my RE:MASTER art series, and new album examples!
Soon after that there will be even more changes! To name a few… my new wedding packages (with my new Hybrid service!), a new logo, new head shots of yours truly, and hopefully in the next 2 months I’ll have a portrait and commercial website up and running. Besides this I have someone working here in the office now, Stefanie! You may remember her wedding I photographed this past year? And my main assistant for the past two years, Greg, is now my official second shooter! So there is a lot going on here! Keep an eye on the blog to know when all the changes happen.
Someone once said to me, “I’d love to see what the world looks like through your eyes.” All I could think of saying is “just like it is through your eyes?” Do photographers or artists see things differently?
During my recent trip into Manhattan I brought my 5D Mark II with a 50mm f1.2. I only shot video on this trip and I wanted to show what I observe when I’m out and about. I usually like to listen to music when I travel for some inspiration, and to pass the time. It always sets the mood for when I’m going to shoot. At the same time I like to just listen to my surroundings. I drive with the radio off a lot. This trip I wanted to do what I do most, listen to my surroundings and observe. I’m a big people watcher. I watch everything in my view and just wonder how it all flows together. I like to watch the relationship between people and their environment. This probably explains why I’m not always the most social person you’ll meet. I’m a thinker.
I wanted to talk about the video before you see it, so I am posting stills from the video with explanations first. I did not bring a tripod or anything to stabilize the camera. I used every pole, mailbox, etc that I could find to keep it still. Here we go!
As the train was moving through Stamford I was trying to watch the shadows the train made followed by the traffic on the highway in the background. I noticed all the patterns and visuals that were seemingly just blocking my view, but it really put the motion in my travel.
No, I wasn’t stalking this person. I was noticing the big difference between the views on my side of the train and her side. Me being not that far away from her window gave me a more narrow view. Just a window to the world.
When I was a kid my family took many road trips to Florida. What do you do in a car for 3 days? Among other things, I would watch the power lines move up and down from pole to pole. While I was doing this another building came into view and added some pattern and sun.
I wonder how much life is different on this street compared to the next street we went by.
Underground headed into Grand Central Station. The patterns, depth, and lights aren’t something you see underground everyday (unless you take this train everyday).
The walk off the train into Grand Central always has this busy, gotta get moving, rush out the door feel. You’re always behind the slow person and that’s usually all you can see.
In Grand Central, wishing I had a wider lens, everyone walks in a different direction.
Probably my favorite part of the day. The woman in the lower right was waiting for her husband to take her picture. He took a while and she was getting impatient. Now if you watch the electronic billboard in the upper left, it was pretty amusing for what was going on below. I just kept watching between the two. I love coincidences! Then add in a great landscape of all the traffic cutting through the city? One of my two favorite shots from the trip.
Here are my people watching skills at work. I just loved the 3 shops sitting side by side and a few people just calmly walking by. Then add the traffic going through at a much faster pace.
Need I say more? It’s my Pork Shop!
I sped this up a little. I liked watching the building and sidewalk in the background thinking what a peaceful spot. Then came the fast paced traffic flying by. It made me think that if you rush through anything, you miss the good parts.
And now for my other favorite part of the video. First the traffic zooms by in the direction of the lines. I thought about how long it took someone to paint those lines only for them to get trampled on. But that’s not what I was waiting for. I was waiting for the people to start crossing. I just loved watching their shadows tell their story.
I’m still not really sure why I stopped here. I liked the trees hanging over the sidewalk horizontally reaching across to the vertical buildings behind them and the people walking the line in between.
Quite, still, old and new buildings making the people and cars look like ants scurrying in a forest.
A carousel with a city backdrop?? come on! It’s so peaceful with no one here. All that crazy city life around me and you walk into one thing will make you stop, breathe, and think about your childhood.
So there are the stills from the video. Now, here’s the video:
i can’t believe how sharp those stills are from the video. they’re beautiful. amazing to think they’re just basically 2megapixel images that are probably somewhat compressed. good camera work too! did you compress the video a lot for blip? its a huge frame size.
Courtenay and I have been trying to get this shoot done for months. We finally found a day I was able to get into Manhattan to photograph! I used some studio space belonging to Jason Groupp for about 2 hours. I kept showing Courtenay some of the photos as I was taking them and she couldn’t believe how they were coming out. I kept telling her how great she looks, she kept saying it was all me and the camera. I can’t take full credit!
After the shoot Kelley and I went out to dinner with Courtenay and her husband Jordan, along with Jason Groupp. Then Kelley and I went to see Avenue Q! It was awesome. We left there singing some of the songs from the show.
Courtenay wanted some head shots, but she wanted to put some art into it. She made it easy for me.
This is one of my favorite shots from the shoot. I really wanted to do something with the back of her shirt. Courtenay was sitting there as I was setting up the camera. I just happened to look down, I asked her to look at me, and I took the shot. It was that easy. I took more trying to perfect it, but the first shot ended up being the best. It’s funny how that happens often.
I really needed to do some toning to these next two images.
The day before this shoot I got a call asking if I can do a team photo for the Branford Girls Hockey team. Um YES! So in a matter of 1 minute we got on the ice between the previous game and the zambonie, with two assistants holding the flash units, and snapped I a couple of shots. I was just happy I didn’t slip on the ice with my new camera in hand.
Besides taking the photo, I stayed for the game. I just had to watch! Um… wow. It ws really fun to watch. I ended up photographing some of the action through the rink glass.
A while ago I took the plunge and joined Facebook. Both for personal and business reasons. A lot of photographers use Facebook for marketing purposes. I’ve managed to get in contact with friends from High School more than anything. I even just asked a friend who I hadn’t heard from in a while if she was on Facebook. Her response was “I am starting to get a complex about my lack of a Facebook page. I have been reprimanded on more than one occasion for not having one, I think that I will continue to hold out on principle.” I actually liked that answer. If you haven’t seen the “25 Things I Hate About Facebook,” you should.
Where are the 25 thing I hate about YouTube? How many more ads and icons are they going to put across the video???
Now I joined Twitter! I actually like it much better than Facebook. It’s more like micro-blogging. Just a quick update as to what’s going on with me, business and personal. What’s nice is that I can choose who I want to follow and whoever wants to follow me can. I don’t feel obligated to say yes or no to who can be my friend. Plus there are no constant notifications, apps to install, etc. However, you’re constantly watching Twitterrific to see what everyone updates are. Now my A.D.D. has kicked in and productivity has taken a plunge. Thank you to Jon Stewart for the Twitter explanation.
***UPDATE***
I had to add this…
I also just saw something on CNN about a woman who decided to get rid of her cell phone! WHAT? Everyone was asking here where she’s been. When she said she got rid of her cell phone, people were like “WHAT?”I understand the occasional need for disconnect from the world. Kelley and I went to San Diego before heading to Vegas and we had two days in San Diego with little to no internet connection and really not much contact with anyone other than the people we hung out with. I even turned to Kelley at one point and said “We have nothing to do. What are we going to do?” I felt so lost! It’s nice to disconnect once in a while from the world of instant communication and trying to keep up with what the Joneses are doing.
My question is, what is happening to our communication skills? Whatever happened to the phone call, or heaven forbid, a face to face conversation? I just heard about people working in the same office, in the same room, messaging each other instead of talking across the cubicals. I’ve been to a few functions where the youth are just sitting around on their cell phones texting, twittering, etc. Dare I walk up to them and say Hi? Or should I text them first? What are kids communication skills going to be like when they get older? I was walking in central park one beautiful day looking at my surroundings. The birds were chirping, and it wasn’t the Twitter bird. I would have missed so many wonderful things if I were face down in my phone. I don’t want to be that that guy walking down the pathway, missing out on real life, walking at 5 different speeds holding up the pathway while I was doing e-mail.
I’m always amazed when Kelley just walks up to someone and says hi without knowing anything about them. She can have a great conversation with a total stranger. I envy that. I always watch this and think, do they want to be bothered by a stranger? No one communicates like this anymore. I’m an open book, come say hi to me! I’ve had photographers come up to me to introduce themselves and say hi, but that was the extent of it. Yet later on my blog, e-mail, twitter, etc. It’s “It was great to meet you…” and then they go on for 500 words. I guess it really is much easier that way.
There are so many connections to make in the virtual world. I feel like people are losing their connection to the actual world, like the sound of the wind blowing through the trees, visiting your family and friends (with your cell phone locked away in the car). You can get so caught up in the virtual world of Twitter, Facebook, and blogs. Just don’t forget about what surrounds you and what’s important to you.
Today, and hopefully this weekend, I am taking a break from Twitter and Facebook. I just have a few calls to make today. This will be the only blog post till Monday, and the only blog post I’ll read today. Lets see how productive I get today. Let’s see how much I live this weekend when my office will be closed.
A quote taken from the last tweet I’ll read today “Imagine what you can do with all those extra hours of life” -Jesh de Rox
If you want to be connected, my Twitter updates automatically update my Facebook status… So if you want to friend me on Facebook, here’s my page: Richard Espostio
If you want to get my tweets on Twitter: REPhotoDesign
I will continue to check my e-mail only twice a day.
So very true! I’ve noticed recently just how often I am checking facebook and I’m trying to make it a point to cut down on how many times a day I check in and how long I spend on there! I just started on twitter and I’m not addicted yet, but facebook… watch out! Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the little taste of Spring! =)
i’ve ben deleting my ‘friends’ on Twitter—don’t REALLY need to know everyones waking moment activities, ya know? Facebook is fun, but don’t comment as much as I have been. It’s all rather exhausting.
Well said RE! couldn’t agree more. I’m finding it all an exhausting burden that doesn’t come close to human contact. It’s like we’re being plugged into the matrix early early beta version. soon we’ll become like emaciated zombies staring open mouthed and drooling at some virtual reality playstation 15 and just stop living life altogether cause its not nearly as interesting as being online. hello 1984. good post!
Great blog and awesome images Richard! I found you through J Sandifer. 11th place in Vegas, not bad! When are you going to come and play poker with us on line? We play every Wednesday at 10:00 est. I’m not on facebook yet…I know, I know, I will be soon. Well, I just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed your images, and your writing. I will try to check back often.
Love it!
4.02.2009
REAL friends ROCK. Krystal LOVES the Desk
4.02.2009
Lol… niiiice! What a lot of work!
4.02.2009
To Paul’s comment: YA they DO!!! and YA I do!!! (that’s probably not grammatically correct, but you get my drift!) We had a great time helpin’ out. Kelley and Rick–enjoy your trip to Florida! See you soon.
4.02.2009
holy cow – that is a MAJOR project!!!! cant wait to see the final result!