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17 Jan 2017

Sunday Engagement Shoot

Yesterday I did an engagement photo shoot with some close friends of mine from my home town of Mahwah, NJ. As it happens, they have recently moved to Jersey City as well so we chose Liberty State Park for the location and we could not have asked for better weather either. I love working with clients whom I already know because they are so comfortable with me and I know their story as a couple too. Mike and Mandy have been dating since 2008 and my girlfriend and I have been lucky enough to have know them throughout and to enjoy some great times with them. As far as clients go, they were perfect; so natural in front of the camera and even willing to climb over some railings to get the shot!

As usual, I was shooting on my Canon 5D Mark III all day and spent most of the day with my 24-70mm 2.8 II attached. From wide to close, this lens is the most versatile in my arsenal and when I only have the room for one lens, this is certainly my go-to. When I needed to get a little closer I used my 70-200mm 2.8 II. When I can let them be themselves and laugh and not be so close and interfere at all, the telephoto provides some excellent shots.

Overall, we had a great time and I will definitely be using Liberty State Park for future shoots, as well as for catching a sunset after work. Nina and I could not be happier with living in Jersey City and the more we explore, the more I find some great locations for shoots with clients or just for exploring alone with my camera. I wish Mike and Mandy the best of luck on all their endeavors and cannot thank them enough for the opportunity to do their engagement photos. Congratulations guys!!!

04 Dec 2016

Top of the Rock

For the last month I have been quite ill so I was unable to get out and take photos, let alone explore. (Hence no blog posts for the last several weeks)  Now that I am finally feeling better, Nina surprised me with tickets to Top of the Rock at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan. We got there early to get some lunch and get a good spot for sunset. I was switching between my Canon 70-200mm 2.8, 24-70mm 2.8, and 16-35mm2.8 but eventually settled on the 24-70mm because it is the most versatile and as the crowd got larger, I would not be able to get the room to safely swap lenses after sunset. That is usually my go-to lens when I know I can only bring one lens or need to save weight and space while out and about and it also happens to be the first L-series lens I ever purchased.

Aside from some cold fingers, we had a great time and ended up getting a really awesome sunset with plenty of color. I wish we stayed longer to watch the colors fade as all of the lights went on throughout the city, but with all of the people packing in and our stomachs growling, we decided to pack it in and head back for dinner. I am looking forward to more exploring and photo adventures throughout the winter now that I am feeling back to normal! Now if we could only get some snow….

18 Sep 2016

The Brew Hop 5k and Beer Fest

Today I was the photographer for The Brew Hop 5k and Beer Fest, another event put together by Peak Projects. There was a great turnout and despite the weather forecast, there was some beautiful weather as well. There were some impressive performances by the runners as well and the line for BareBurger would say that they saw a pretty great audience as well (myself included). I was shooting on my Canon EOS 5D mark iii and most of the time with my Canon 70-200mm 2.8. That is always my go to lens for any event photography and it always provides stunning results. I shot a lot of video today too which was a nice change of pace and there should be an edit sometime in the near future. I always like to focus on candids when I do events like this because they really capture the atmosphere and show how fun it is for everyone. And I must say after doing many weddings this summer, I have started to focus more and more on candids for any type of event. More info can be found at http://www.thebrewhop5k.com/nyc/  and I am looking forward to more Peak Projects events too!

17 Sep 2016

New York Fashion Week

Last weekend I had the incredible opportunity to work with Vivre Couture for New York Fashion Week. They were premiering their new line and celebrating their first time on the Red Carpet. After the runway, We brought some of the models outside into Times Square for a photoshoot amidst the traffic and crowds. I was using my Canon EOS 5D Mark III all day with my Canon 70-200mm 2.8 II for the runway and the Canon 24-70mm 2.8 for portraits. You can check out more at http://vivrecouture.com/. Designer Kristen Alyce does all of the design and crafts pieces out of artists canvas. Artist Sarah LePierre then hand paint all of the designs onto the canvas with acrylic paint. It really is wearable art and they got quite the reception from the crown with the original and innovate designs and the beautiful models. I really had a great time and got to work with some awesome people and definitely looking forward to doing more fashion photography before winter.

05 Sep 2016

Labor Day At the Lake

I spent my Labor day weekend upstate with my dad, a few friends, and of course My Canon 5D and my 50mm 1.2. It was a more relaxing weekend than usual with less adventures and exploring and more time spent editing in the tent and playing with my camera. I’ve eaten nothing but hot dogs and egg sandwiches for the last 72 hours and I must say, I don’t hate it. Between shooting guns, building bonfires and shucking clams we found some time to do long exposures and shoot off some fireworks as well. I kept my 50mm 1.2 on my camera all weekend and love it more each time I use it. Alex brought his DJI Phantom 3 drone and I got the opportunity to fly it as well and was really impressed with the ease of use and the quality of the footage. The problem is now I want to buy one immediately. I will definitely miss summer but bring on fall! I have way too many flannels in my closet right now begging to be worn.

19 Aug 2016

Flatiron Friday with my new 50mm

I recently added the Canon 50mm 1.2 USM L-series lens to my arsenal and I could not be happier with it. Coming from a lot of experience with zoom lenses, I wanted to focus on prime lenses for portraits and weddings this summer as well. The image quality is absolutely stunning and the bokeh at f1.2 is as smooth as silk. I brought it with me to work last Friday and explored outside the office on my lunch break. If you couldn’t already tell, the Flatiron is one of my favorite buildings in all of manhattan and I had a great time playing around with the nearby flowers for framing. I love how the prime lens forces you to move your body and walk to different distances to get the perfect framing instead of relying on the zoom to get your shot. I have a feeling this will become my desert island lens and I do not see it coming off my Canon 5D anytime soon until I absolutely need that longer focal range.

24 Jul 2016

Exploring Brooklyn

Despite the 90 degree temperatures, Nina and I walked across the Brooklyn bridge after work on Friday and caught the sunset from the park after walking around DUMBO and taking pictures. I was using my canon EOS 5D Mark III and the Canon 24-70mm 2.8 USM and 70-200mm 2.8 USM II. No matter where I am going I always try to bring my 70-200mm with me since it yields such incredible quality photos despite the size and weight. We stuffed our faces at Shake Shack once the sun went down and walked back across the bridge with a perfect summer breeze blowing. Today I treated myself to a Canon 50mm 1.2mm L-series lens for portraits and the weddings I have in August. Can’t wait to explore Jersey City and test it out when it arrives!

10 Jul 2016

Luray caverns

While going through my photos from our trip to Shenandoah National Park, I found some shots from Luray Caverns in Virginia. It was an amazing place, with some formations that were over 7 million years old. And it is crazy to think how long it had been there before someone stumbled upon it. Nature really amazes me sometimes and it makes capturing it with my camera that much better. I was shooting on my Canon 5D Mark III with my 16-35mm 2.8 USM II with my Canon Speedlite 6ooEX. I just got the Gary Fong diffuser for the flash because I noticed the lighting was coming out hard indoors. This really made a difference and softened the light and gave it a more even look.

09 Jul 2016

Shenandoah National Park, VA

A few weeks back, Nina and I drove down to Virginia to explore Shenandoah National Park and do some hiking and camping. Saturday, we did the 9 mile round trip hike of Old Rag Mountain which was truly breathtaking at the top but murder on my legs. Rainy and cloudy afternoons made for one one of the most epic sunsets I have ever seen in my life on Sunday night as well. After sending my days in the city, it is always great to spend a few days out in nature unplugged. All week I was shooting on my Canon EOS 5D Mark iii and alternating between my Canon 16-35mm USM II, 24-70mm USM II, and 70-200mm USM II lenses.

19 Jun 2016

Backstreet Cafe Shoot

Last weekend I spent Sunday afternoon at the Backstreet cafe in New Milford, NJ taking photos for their website and advertising. The owners, Kim and Tom Phelan are some of the nicest people you’ll meet and the food was awesome as well. The best part was getting to eat everything after the photos were done! I used my Canon ESO 5D markiii and EF 16-35mm 2.8II with the Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT flash. I just got a Gary Fong flash diffuser for wedding and used that as well; I was really happy with how it softens the flash and helps with shadows. You can check out the Backstreet Cafe at: http://backstreetcafenj.com/.