The Huntington Cinema Arts Centre, and really the entire film community, recently lost a great asset : co-founder Vic Skolnick. Vic was one of the gentlest souls I've ever met, and in all honesty I've never seen him without a smile on his face...and usually a warm, welcoming smile at that. He introduced March of the Penguins to me, and the rest of the theatre audience, years ago when I'd just moved back from Chicago. I remember that even then I was impressed by his presence, his enthusiasm; something most of us would need to muster to introduce a film about penguins, but I'm sure flowed right from Vic as second nature - talking about and rousing respect for filmmaking, which was his life and passion.

He had a bit of a habit of ducking portraits, I'd heard, but every time I've had him on set he'd always be great, as illustrated with this photograph. I was saddened to hear the news of his quiet passing in Centerport last month, which was accompanied by a request for a nice photograph of him for the obituary and dedication. You can spend an entire career making photographs that you hope bring smiles, memories, and meet functional requirements...but it's rare that you find you've made one of such somber purpose that it's ended up being, in its way, important. I chose this one because it was the face that always met me in the Cinema, and radiated the qualities I'll always remember him by. We'll miss you, Vic.

Here's a photograph of a lovely and remarkably happy couple, on the occaision of their engagement. With their obvious collaboration, Kate and I used careful lighting to accent a perfectly enchanting evening on Lloyd Neck, where a century's-old setting offered us so many photogenic opportunities that I had a lot of trouble choosing which image to use for this blog entry. The leading lines of the steps and the European buildings made the entire area a thrill to shoot in, and at the time of this writing the couple is still a bit baffled as to what images even their favorites are. Now that's a good shoot! Their wedding is coming up in short order, and I'm genuinely thrilled to be a part of that day, too. So, more to come! Congrats you two!

You can't invent the smiles and jubilation at a Commencement ceremony, which was the case I found at the New York Institute of Technology's event in this year. The weather was warm, but not too warm - the sky was just a little overcast, for amazing, soft light on the students. It was a long morning - I started at 6:30am to attend their staff orientation on the day's menu, then it was off to the grounds to cover the tents; the students, their families, and specifically their interactions were all fair game for the lenses that day. When I finally returned home I couldn't feel my feet, and my knees were making funny popping noises - but wow did we make some great images. Events are often like that, if you let yourself feel the vibe and keep the camera to your face, ready to depress the shutter. It just happens, the crowd becomes an active part of the creative process without their even knowing it.

Such was the case at Belmont Raceway, when I covered a "thank you" day as catered by the founder of Firstborn Multimedia. Work hard, play hard - when these guys are rewarded for their efforts and dedication, it's yet another event for me to enjoy as the sideline spectator. I always feel like I'm a part of the fun, there to record the jovial moments dutifully as they unfold. As the group isn't quite the size of a graduating class of college students, they always do me the huge favor of forgetting I'm there very quickly, and even pull me in on the laughs more than a few times throughout the event. This time, dressed appropriately for a day at the races, the heat didn't daunt the mood a single bit as they bet not just for money, but for prizes offered by their boss Michael Ferdman, who sure seems to know how to keep morale high in his company.

Nutshell: If you're shopping for an online multimedia solution with a marketable creative theme to edge out your competitors, just follow JetBlue, Wrigley, Pepsi, and scores of other of Firstborn's clients by clicking HERE.

Ah, the photographer's go-to for a giggle, What the Duck. Alas, I DID in fact get the studio up and running, and it's marvelous. No job too big or small now, or at least without a half-day of packing and location setup; it's all ready to go, and open for business.

Lessee, what's new? I have covered a few North Shore Animal League America events, and finally scored a glimpse of the calendar for 2010 - there are 8 of my shots in it, I think, including the cover. Good stuff, great cause. I'll get some shots of Cesar Milan's visit up in a few weeks, too.

And I can't forget to mention meeting the ever-charming and beautiful actor Jane Alexander, who has been nominated for more Oscars and Emmys than I can count. From her role alongside James Earl Jones in The Great White Hope, to Kramer vs. Kramer, Brubaker, and so on...what a career she's had. She was even in one of my recent Indy favs, Gigantic, and the more mainsteam Terminator: Salvation. She was an absolute delight to meet and work with, and I'm looking forward to getting her an 11x14 print of the shot here, her fav.

The new studio had its first clients with the fine folks shown here, and their lovely 4-week-old daughter. We did several wardrobe and lighting changes easy-breezy, and that let us get a wide array of looks and feels for the proud new parents. White-on-white is always nice as the real contrast is in the skin tones, so your eyes are pulled to the faces of our three subjects.

Of course, the classic New Father look on black is amazing, too...Steve, well done! I wanted to make sure there was just a little extra light on his lovely daughter, making her the scene stealer - and the new studio's setup let that be a piece of cake. Not that you could make a bad photograph of these two...

Lastly, a rare portrait of the artist as a not-so-young man. Beth Ostrosky Stern was in Huntington Village for a book signing, so we popped in line to get a signed copy of her great book on dogs, which is noted in the blog below for the cover photograph we made together. I'd just gotten some sun while photographing helicopters for a local defense contractor and thought for a sec it might give me a healthy glow in a photo, but looking at this shot I seemed to have forgotten the photo was with Beth, and that there's nothing I could have done.

The wait is finally over, and Beth Ostrosky Stern's new book on choosing, training, nurturing,and feeding, and caring for your dog is on sale! We photographed the cover for her and Simon & Schuster last year, but I've been keeping it off the Blog here until it was released. It's an amazing book. It compiles scores of experts' advice on all of the above and more, allowing Beth, who is the spokesperson for NSALA, to finally help answer all of the questions she gets about dogs...but in one easy to read compilation.

Here's a behind the scenes shot from the cover shoot, including Kate who's using the best squeaky toy ever to get Bianca to keep her focus near the camera lens. It was a fast-paced but VERY fun morning. Check out Beth's book by clicking HERE, or if you're local you can pop down to Book Revue on Tues the 18th and get a signed copy!

Here's a life lesson for you: Moving into a house is a lot of work, but building a photo studio while you're at it is exhausting. But everything - from doors to lighting systems - are ordered, paid for, and on the way. Whew. Maybe four more weeks, and I'll be popping away. Very cool.

It would have been great to have the studio together when we had the actual print shown here in front of my lenses. This is an early Kees van Dongen, found at a curbside sale in Chelsea many years ago. The gentleman who is putting it to auction in Paris needed some smart images of it (on Kodachrome slide film, no less!) for the catalog. Wonderous to be in the same room with it, but atounding to watch it be removed from the frame it called home for so many decades and display the colors that lurked beneath the glass. What a privilege...

At left, meet Liz Kislik! Liz just re-vamped her business website, where she's put her best foot forward with content and images to tout her consulting firm. Need a customer service culture overhaul? Your business' human relations faltering? Call Liz. With intelligence, smiles, and a wise comprehension of the room and issues at hand, she's positively amazing. Special thanks to Lauren and Kate, without whom the day would have been half what it was; thank you ladies! Check out Liz's new website by clicking HERE.

I meant to tell a neat story about my return trip to the law offices of Garfunkel Wild, P.C., but may have forgotten to get into the details with the move the past few weeks. I've been getting over to their firm a few times a year, almost religiously on Fridays, to keep their online and press libraries stocked with the great legal talent they're equipped with over there. As usual, the day was made easy by the subjects, our familiarity with the lay of the land, and the smiles. Thanks folks!

I was recently proud to be a part of America's VetDogs recent celebration with Novartis Animal Health US, Inc., which is providing a one-year supply of Sentinel Flavor Tabs for the more than 1,100 canine graduates, dogs in training, and puppies of both VetDogs and the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. Events often offer one challenge or another with lighting, but this time we had a breeze making images of the daytime event when all were in good cheer. Way to go to all involved for the difference you're making.

And last but by no means least, here's a shot of the lovely and generous Beth Stern, spokesperson for North Shore Animal League America. Beth's efforts with the League to raise awareness of pets in need of adoption led to her newly adopted cat, which I'd love to tell you about, but she does it better than I ever could HERE.

I'm really excited that it's getting warmer out, and that the days are growing longer. "Rebirth" is a common theme for Spring, but with all of the changes ahead each time the weather starts warming here in New York? I can't help it - I look forward to changes, and with excitement...especially while building our new studio. These days, every time I take out the camera, it's something new and fun. Geraldo Rivera or another person of noteriety may let me get in close, and the mood is infectious when all are having a good time.

The person may not be known to anyone outside of their family, though, but it won't make the experience any less fun or rewarding. Katie here gave us wonderful smiles, and let the shoot go completely without a hitch. Her parents were great and cooperative, and the talk about how we'd get the shots we were after was planning time well-spent. It doesn't always go as planned, but when it does? You're thrilled right along with the client.

One shoot stands out as particularly amazing - I was to follow a tour bus of NYIT students, just off the jet from China, on their first experience seeing New York City. The job was to document their experiences, and it was truly a lot of fun being a part of their special day.

I write all of this to say that I'm looking forward to what the summer of 2010 will bring,and know that if I'm lucky, my life will be enriched as much as my subjects'. But with all of this, I too know that it's work. Work I can't disappoint a client with, and work I have to take from others to pay my bills while providing them with services they absolutely need.

Take Scott's end design for his promotions at left, which really look great, if you ask me! We had a fun day shooting these, but it was a long day involving cars, ferrys, and wagons.

A lot goes into what we do as photographers, and a big part of the bidding process on jobs is explaining where a client's money will go. I was browsing a photo business article the other day, and came across an Internet link that pretty well sums it all up. Click HERE.

Snow. And lots of it. Just what you want when you're moving your home! It's been a long few weeks, but the Appoldt residence has moved! I'll have an in-home studio that will go online roughly in April, if all goes well. In the meantime, though, it's been location, location, location. Such as with the shot at left, in Manhattan, where we contuinued to make images for NYIT's website and print collateral. Balancing the light and using an appropriate angle for a wide-screen presentation, as usual we had a lot of fun with the staff and students.

I received a call from Bill over at The Guide Dog Foundation, where their VetDogs program is still moving at a great pace to bring therapy dogs for wounded soldiers to war zones and military hospitals. To further support the effort, they're looking to use some of our photographs for packaging on dog treats, the sales of which will help fund the VetDog program. Great going over there, as usual, Bill. . .and folks, if you see these treats in the stores in the days to come, support a good cause!

I'm still working up scores of shots from the shoot we had with the gals of the Suffolk County Coors Light promotion team! Assistant Kate and I worked until almost midnight with the team, echoing our shoot with the Nassau County gals as seen further down on this blog. It was a lot of work, but somebody had to do it, right?

It's a new year, and today, incidentally, is my birthday! I haven't updated the blog here this month, an unusual lack of tidiness...but it has been crazy. Between working, house hunting, house BUYING, and now closing on the deal and moving, the Appoldt Residence is in a general state of disarray and overall insanity.

With the camera, I've been covering holiday events, working up deliveries for the Suffolk County Coors Light gals (not the Nassau gals as shown below, but the Suffolk team this time!), and hopefully, this week, we'll install a series of 10 large-format prints at the Huntington Cinema Arts Centre. The prints are of a variety of notable guests to the Cinema, and I'm excited to see them on permanent display there.

That said, happy 2010 - I really have to get back to work! Has anyone seen the bubble wrap and tape gun?

Well. The temperature has dropped, we've been buried in snow, and eveywhere you look is the evidence of warmth and good cheer. With my last photo job of 2009 officially out the door to clients, I want to remember to say thank you to everyone who helped make it such a great and fun year. Let's do it again in 2010!

Happy holidays!

Above are two images we made for the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind in Smithtown, which were then combined to make this presentation for their holiday cards.

'Tis the season! As the cold weather sweeps in bringing a snap to the air and the smell of woodsmoke to the suburbs, I end up standing in the street with shivering subjects, pretending it's warm! But, that's part of the fun of this kind of work - the illusion of perspective. Here, we needed a generic image for advertising use (guess the theme?).

Dusk in Manhattan is a fun time to shoot, especially when working with gels on your strobes - if you play the color balance game, you can get a cool blue for the ambient while keeping your human subject in adjusted, warm light. The catch to shooting in NYC is that you can't use stands or tripods without a permit. We didn't have one as the idea was a bit spontaneous, spilling out to the sidewalk from inside. So, my 1st Assistant , Kate, is just out of frame holding a battery-powered strobe to light our scene. Guerilla shooting, love it - keeps you sharp!

I needed to supply a series of images of campus buildings for NYIT in Old Westbury, in both daylight and evening settings. The night shoots were fun, especially on this particular cool Sunday - little foot traffic, and lots of challenges. There are a few ways to make an image like this, but my choice was a single, long exposure with the camera on a tripod. Throughout the exposure, while wearing all black, I walked through the scene with a strobe in my hand, popping it again and again at the building to bring the outdoor light levels up to what was being recorded in the gallery within the windows...all the while invisible in the final images, as I never stop moving and remain unrecorded in the shot. Took some trial and error, but I love the result.

My assistant Adam and I had a blast a few weeks back working with the Nassau County Coors Light Girls for their local ad campaign, which we had to schedule on an evening to make sure all of our student subjects could make it. We shot just up until midnight, and went home with about 300 great photographs to promote their team of go-getters.

The trick to these shoots going smoothly is having a great production team, which in this case was simply named "Andrea." She was great - kept everything moving at the pace we needed it to, and was amazing at posing and arranging the gals - not to mention she had all the props ready to go by the time I popped the first test flash. Thanks everyone - !

First up is a really fun portrait subject - Mr. Tony Curtis: silver screen icon, painter, and one heck of a nice guy to have in front of your lenses! Mr. Curtis and his wife came into town for a book signing, and to lead the Veteran's Day Parade in Manhattan. I was very fortunate, and very happy, to have had the time we had together to make a short series of portraits of them both, especially as it was right at their anniversary together.

Take a look at his website, where paintings and more are available, by clicking HERE.

Next up is Lisa - one of the coolest cats (and cat owners!) out there. If she looks familliar, that's because you've been catching glimpses of her with the Saturday Night Live crew for the past decade, where she works as an actor, walk-on, and just last Sat., January Jones' body double in a hilarious tounge-in-cheek how-to guide for the Housewife of the 1950s. We shot Lisa in a variety of outfits and poses for her career promotion, and had a blast doing it - from casual sweaters to business attire to the gym, she's all set to go with comp cards, head shots, and website collateral. Thanks for the laughs, Lisa! Too, thanks to Stephanie and our mutual friend at the Powder Bar!

I spent a fun - and busy - evening with Kate at the North Shore Animal League America's annual celebrity fundraiser Gala, too, clicking away at the generous personalities who donated their time, talent, and checkbooks to helping out America's largest no-kill shelter. Check out all of our photos of Beth and Howard Stern, Geraldo Rivera, Martha Stewart, and more by clicking HERE. At left, giving up a big smile while singing and playing the piano, is singer Diane Birch...who I must say gave an incredible performace at the gala with her band. Definitely check out her stuff HERE.

Life's been more than interesting lately, keeping the lenses trained wherever I'm asked to be - whether that be at fundraisers, commercial shoots, or even the NYC Marathon...!

At left is Alexandra, posing in an original dress and jewlery deisgn; we had a lot of fun on this shoot, with a full-day shoot schedule...thanks to everyone who was there!

This week is North Shore Animal League's annual fundraising gala, and this year many a celebrity designer has contributed a one-of-a-kind collar for the charity auction. We spent two days on-site at the League, with some of the most cooperative fuzzy models yet. Be sure to see what's up for auction by clicking HERE.

The League also sponsored a team of runners in the NYC ING Marathon this year, which took place last Sunday. The alarm went off at 3:00am for me on that one, as we had to meet the transport busses in Central Park to get us to the starting line in Staten Island. I was very impressed with the League's organization for the event, and I learned more about the marathon than I've ever known as a bystander or casual observer. It was a lot of fun, and certainly exciting.

I was standing idle for a few minutes about to walk into a media tent for some info when the flaps peeled back to release a throng of folks inside, including the celebrity faces at left. I was actually bumped into by Mr. Norton, it was a funny moment...spying the 40lbs. of cameras, I had to reassure him I wasn't there to papparazzi him to death, but rather to shoot another fundraising team (his was raising $ for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust). He got a laugh from everyone by replying (razzing me a little) about his team being important, too...so I took that as an invitation! Anthony Edwards and Alanis were in good spirits, too, despite the early, overcast morning.

Here's a fun shot of Stephanie Powers and Ken Eckhardt from LI News Tonight. We were on a tight time schedule to make the shot, and the studio's lights helped us a great deal in getting the shot ready - these are all about the lighting. We used four small Nikon SB flash units around the set, too, including one in a soft box held by wonderful assistant Kate Best. That way, we were able to see detail in the background as well as soften up the light a bit to flatter our subjects. We snuck their Emmy award in the shot, too!

Boy, I'm getting very bad at keeping the Blog updated. Ironic in that in theory, clients can stop in here to see what I've been up to, effectively making this a marketing tool...but what if you've got too much work, and never find the time to update it? Will have to write Socrates about that one...

Anyway, at left is an advertisement featuring some of the dogs we've photographed over at North Shore Animal League America, you'll see it locally in newspapers in the weeks to come. NSALA's Mutt-i-Grees Club promotes the love of mixed-breed dogs, which of course is what you're likely to find the most of at their shelter. Stop in their new site and have a look, by clicking HERE.

Here's a shot that has been made into a 16x20 gallery wrap, and as of this week will hang in a Farmingdale dental office along with 7 other images of the office's clients. We enjoyed a fun-filled shoot(s) making commercial images of smiling, happy clients from the office, and now the images are used for the office marketing. A smart idea, if you ask me...makes it personal. That's a good thing. Check out their site, the docs there are all affable, professional, and hey, they have great decorating taste with these prints! Click HERE.

I do a lot of assignments with the fine gang of folks over at the New York Institute of Technology, and never seem to mention them frequently enough in this blog. The Magazine and Marketing and Comm directors there are first-rate, a lot of fun to work with, and are always a pleasure. We keep things clean but also creative, and as a cooperative provide the university with what hopefully helps them to visually put their best foot forward.

Here's a shot of the university president, who thankfully is a camera buff as well as a fine subject. You have to love it when they provide cool backgrounds for dramatic event shots like this...

And last but by no means least, here's the wonderful and talented Bocker the Labradoodle. Bocker is a bit of a celeb to say the least - he works in film (he just shared the screen with Julia Roberts), on commercial tv work, print ads, and a variety of charities.

Bocker and his mom (and Lisa, too!) popped by my place last week to update his headshots. In this one, his tux is adding a dapper polish to the image, while we make sure his gaze lets us see those eager eyes and the fuzzy smile.

We'll see Bocker again soon at the NSALA Gala in Manhattan...thanks so much for coming by you guys! Oh an next time, I'll go with serving croissants and jam instead of bruschetta - it was kind of early for that, wasn't it.

See more of Bocker on his website HERE!

Ah, where to even begin! It's been an absolute crazy month...photography a few times a week, with every other minute in Photoshop. Business, party planning, and trying to wring the best and the last out of the warm days.

At left is a head shot for Greg, who, after writing for much of his career in the industry, is now going to move to the other side of the camera. We met one overcast afternoon in the charming residential area of Cold Spring Harbor, and made a series of shots to let him put his best side forward in securing some new roles. Good luck, Greg!

Also, Lauren from The Powder Bar and I paid a visit to Sarah in Kings Park. Sarah's embarkinbg on her modeling career, so too needed some flattering 8x10 prints to bring around on her auditions. She has great poise and presence, so I have no doubt she'll do very well.

Both for Greg's shot above as well as Sarah's here, we were sure to pay close attention to the lighting and the angle of the face, and with the variety of poses the subjects will have a great selection to choose from with several different backgrounds as well.

Here's an editorial shot of Mr. John Michaels, Chief Technology Officer for the Maxim Group (and no, not THAT Maxim, but rather the investment corporation). With such a large resonsibility for the safety of thousands of financial clients, John's job keeps him from taking any real vacations - but you're glad he's always on the clock.

To shoot him in this location, with computer servers and tech, we went with a portable lighting setup gelled with blue to keep the mood as serious as his position. It was a fun shoot, thanks John!

And last but by no means least, here's a few teasers for Liz and Trevor, who were married last weekend at the glorious Gramercy Park Hotel in Manhattan. What a day for them, and what an amazing photography opportunity for me and Kate!

The hotel has keys to the tightly-secured Gramercy Park itself, so we began with their formal portraits inside the gate. I loved this series in particular, which due to its shallow focus lets Trevor be the main subject, but lets his new wife share in the shot. Perfect for her desk at the offices of J. Crew!

The interior of the Gramercy Park Hotel was stunning. . .their decorators hardly made so much as a stich that was out of place for a tasteful, contemporary event such as Liz and Trevor's wedding. BUT, we did have an issue shooting in the lobby and lounge area as photography is VERBOTEN, not allowed, nuh-UH, NO WAY. It's a courtesey to their high-profile clientelle, and the artwork there is more than a "little" protected by Copyrights.

But, no one said anything about the cool-as-heck hallways, and with one of Nikon's latest SLR bodies in-hand, we stole a few of Liz outside her room. Modern, a little edgy, yet positively glowing with the happiness of the new bride...you looked amazing that night, Liz! Congrats to you both!

Here's a photograph of a very interesting man named David Rivera, who is the President at DRProServices LLC. He's an expert in his field, and his field is keeping digital information safe. After speaking with him, you'll change all of your PIN numbers and passwords. Twice. I know I did.

To make his photograph, we had to think outside the box - or rather inside of it, as the reception area we had secured to shoot him in was small, cluttered, and completely inappropriate considering we wanted to show him in a context with his work. The solution? Careful lighting and creative angles!

We cleared the reception desk, and I looked for an angle to use the screen in front of the desk in an interesting way. In addition to a main light for the scene, we put a little remote flash in the keyboard of his laptop to make it register in the shot, making the computer appear "on." Then we added lights just for the foreground and screen, then a gelled, orange light for the wall behind him. Voila! Computer security consultant at work!

Here's a corporate portrait of Kathleen A. Dunn, VMD, who's now heading up the staff at North Shore Animal League America's animal hospital. Doc Dunn, after being obviously in love with all of her patients, strikes me most as someone with the energy and dedication to get her job done. . .and she was wonderfully cooperative and fun on the shoot; it was a great day of photography.

We made several portraits of her in a studio setting with a cuddly kitten, but then decided to go into the vet offices, guerilla-style. That meant grabing a light stand, some portable strobes, and a positive attitude about the unkown lighting conditions ahead.

With two portable Nikon flashes and a small diffuser and some gels, we nabbed a series such as this one in just a few minutes, moving as quickly as we could so the staff could continue helping animals in need.

Last but by no means least, here's a head shot for Stephanie - who's certainly going to be a fine actor. We put Tiffany through several wardrobe changes, and found the most flattering light we could to make some evenly-lit, flattering and tight portraits.

We were just about finished shooting when we tried shooting from a higher angle, and nabbed some more great photographs. Go get 'em, Steph!

Fun stuff lately, and so many interesting people and places. First off, here's acting legend Christopher Plummer. What a great person to photograph, I've been a fan of his work for literally decades. While most of us might first remember him as the Captain in the Sound of Music, my memories of him are of a much more diverse screen and stage career (he mentioned he never felt comfortable being known for that role in the Sound of Music - it wasn't one of his favorites). His sense of humor is fantastic, and the man is the epitome of politeness and courtesy - facets I appreciated, and hope I equally returned during our time together. Read his new book about his life and career, it's a truly great read. Click HERE to check it out.

Here's a fun shot we pulled off guerilla-style, of Sirius satellite radio personality Dennis Falcone. Dennis was a hoot, a regular character - which I suspect you would predict in his career, and experiencing it is great fun.

Back in the day, he used to broadcast a program titled "From the Woods," so we figured we would run with that theme after shooting him in a radio station. Woods aren't always available, so you use what you can and force the viewer perspective to see what you tell them they're seeing. So, this little grove off of a parking lot? Woods. And come on - how cool is that microphone???

Lastly, if you live in the NYC/Long Island area, I hope you're seeing these flyers posted in every store front. We photographed this Guide Dog puppy in an adult Guide Dog harness to help promote the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind's need for puppy walkers. Give them a call at (866) 282-8046 if you think you might help. Thanks!

At left is the final product of a shoot we did a while back with America's VetDogs, in association with the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. The dogs are carefully selected as therapy dogs for use in war zones and veteran's hospitals, keeping our wounded military personnel on the up and up. Amazing program, and amazing people behind it.

And while on the topic of dogs, here's one of my favorite shots of late. It doesn't matter if it's a person or animal for your subject, but once you remove the eyes from a photograph, you get to walk the thin line of abstract with an image. This pup's owner was sure to order more than a few prints of this image, and I too ordered one for my portfolio just to illustrate how playful and fun you can be with a pet, while too retaining some artistic integrity.

And last but by no means least, here's a shot of bride Alex. A neighbor near the shoot had this dilapitated garage in their back yard, out of the direct, harsh sun, so I walked up and introduced myself, asking if we might make a few photographs with the wall as a background. He was confused, inisting it was being torn down soon as it was in such bad shape it wasn't even safe. PERFECT!

It's been a while since I've posted any portraits of children on the blog, and if any deserve the exposure, it's these handsome triplets. I visited a past client for a follow-up shoot, a little over a year since their last session, and wow, had the boys grown! They'd gone from infants we needed to prop up to exploring, smiling, curious fellas who paid virtually no mind to my clicks and flashes.

With kids under a certain age, you're best off if you hang in there for "the shot" where you can at the very least get all their faces, even better with smiles. Frustration can never become a part of the shoot - you have to know going in that you're looking to capture the personality and moment more than a formal portrait (well, we made those, too!). Pays off every time if you just keep shooting, and stay low to reduce the angle on your little, ever-moving subjects.

While the above shot was styled to be a classic, black & white shot of the boys and their surroundings, I was thrilled to have a few shots such as this one, at left. Three's a charm in my book, and more importantly, my photographs. With three, your composition is balanced, and the eye moves through the frame from each person or object, exploring the entire frame. A fluid composition such as this one doesn't offer any bumps or erratic stops, until you get to the closet subject, who is looking to the lower-left...notice how when looking at the shot, you start in the back, and end there in the front? Love that.

So while we can't see our third subject's face, we still have an awesome composition, and a little story is told by their positions and cast of their gaze. I'd love to see this one blown up to -over-the-sofa dimensions, and framed in a contempory manner - maybe even printed on acrylic, or canvas. Artsy!

Also, a quick note to check out this month's Hamptons magazine, with our shot of Beth Ostrosky Stern printed as a full page on the table of contents. Beth's captured here with a North Shore Animal League America puppy, who by now I'm hopeful is long settled in its adoptive family's home. The shot is from a fundraiser luncheon at Savanna's restaurant in Southampton, the event mentioned a few posts down.

Keep your eyes peeled, too, for Beth's upcoming book from Simon & Schuster. Oh My Dog will be released in Spring of 2010...can't wait to share the cover photo we made with you folks!

Well, July has offered us some sunshine here on Long Island, letting us out of the house for a change - it's great. The past months' work has therefore been mostly indoors with few exceptions, though it's always great when you can work in a studio and practice with controlling the light to an even greater degree than you did the last time you made photographs.

Here's an image of bride Stacia, who was carefully lit with a diffused beauty dish and about four other lights and reflectors. The idea was to create a classic, yet modern/edgy fashion image with soft highlights and rich colors and tones.

Conversely, with this next image, we used a lighting scheme that allowed for glistening, gleaming highlights that let her makeup and details really pop.

With no two brides the same, everyone's wants and desires in their bridal portraits are different, and that has to come through in the photographs. It's challenging, fun, and as usual, rewarding when you can catch that glowing, blushing bride in a manner that not only flatters, but captures the beauty of the ceremony to come.

Just a quick peek, too, at a new product offering - Float Wraps. Float Wraps are similar to Gallery Wraps or Standout mounted prints in that they add dimension by extending out from the wall. Float Wraps are unique in that they appear to be floating on the wall with the main focus on the image! Create a modern display with a Float Wrap wall collage that is ready to hang once removed from the box!

Float Wraps are made with a Lustre or Metallic Photographic Print that is wrapped around masonite to create a thin wrap. The prints are protected with a matte laminate with added padding between the print and the masonite to give the front of the Float Wrap a raised, elegant look and feel. The back of the Float Wrap is complete with a black paper backing and a black 3/4" thick gatorboard block that allows the Float Wrap to extend out from the wall. The back of the block also contains holes for hanging. If you'd prefer to display your Float Wrap on an easel, you can order your wrap without the gatorboard block.

Float Wraps are available in 6 popular sizes: 8x10, 10x10, 10x20, 11x14, 16x16, and 16x20.

Here's a new magazine cover that's hitting the stands...that's Grace's Portia the Yorkie - we made her portrait set a few months back during a stock call from the publisher. I was really excited when we made these, Grace was all over making sure Portia - Portia the Patient - was well-groomed and looking pro. Always a great time with the dogs!

Here's Beth Ostrosky Stern and a puppy looking for a new home in the Hamptons last weekend, at a North Shore Animal League America fundraiser at Savanna's restaurant. What a fun day - the rainy weather gave us a break, and the event's sponsor, Bodhi Handbags, put up a great display.

Here's Beth with Bethenny Frankel and Kelly Kiloren of Housewives fame, just a few of the celebs that turned out for the event. Everyone was great fun, and I must say - Savanna's is a wonderful restaurant with amazing food, atmosphere, and charm. This time, regardless of the 40lbs. of camera in my hands, I did grab a few bites to eat - including the tiramisu.

Finally, here's a rare, behind-the-scenes look at a recent fun shoot we did for Simon & Schuster publishing, where once again I thrill my blog audience with a great shot of my back. That's me sitting on the floor with the camera stuck to my face, as usual.

Special thanks to the crew on this one...Adam, Kate, Jimmy, and the gang from Jack Studios...couldn't have done it without you.

More details on this one in a few months...!

The summer's here in full-force! June remains booked solid, which is fun with all of the diversity. My favorite part about photography is that no two days are the same, as this week's post illustrates!

First up, here's Mylene, one of four models we worked with for a shoot featuring brides. The crew was so fun that we played a bit, too, and as the dress designer was on-set with his amazing creations to help we aimed for some high-fashion looks while we were at it. Lauren's makeup work flattered everyone, and we had a long and great day of making photographs. Thanks to all involved!

At left is Tiffany, who needed some head shots for her portfolio update. I went to her at her place, this was...oh...the last sunny day we've had here in New York...weeks ago (feels like eternity). The sun was important for us, as we used it as an ambient fill light to evenly illuminate her face, and give her a natural glow. Speaking of which, if I don't get these proofs done today she's going to go to her next audition with empty hands, so moving on...

I'm thrilled to see some of my shots of Law & Order: Criminal Intent actor Kathryn Erbe on the cover and within the pages of this month's Fido Friendly magazine. We enjoyed a great day of shooting on-site at North Shore Animal League America for these images, and Kate's enthusiam for the League's efforts came through in every single shot. Lilah, her pooch, is an NSALA adoptee - and as you can see was just as into the shoot as Kate was...pick up an issue if you get a chance!

It's been a nutty few weeks again, and I've finally come up for air (again!) I'm booked solid through June, too - I don't even think there's a single weekend day where something isn't inked in. Exciting stuff, though, so stay posted!

I'll kick off this post with a portrait of actor and director Mary Stuart Masterson, who we photographed using a modified fashion lighting setup one evening a few weeks ago. Mary was wonderful and patient as she posed, as we explained that the final image would be nothing crazy, but rather straightforward and flattering. Hope you agree!

I also spent an evening making formal portraits for the gang at Long Island News Tonight. As seen with anchor Ken Eckhardt here, my approach is aways to take the lighting and subsequent portrait a little up the evolutionary ladder than what I all too often see with competitors. Nothing makes me cringe more than hearing a client - or potential client - refer to their previous "mug shots" or DMV-style publicity shots. If you can take the time to deliver a product with more attention to flattering your subject than that, you'll always be able to eat, I feel.

Lastly, our work in lights in Times Square! Beth Ostrosky and her bulldog Bianca were a few stories tall, thanking the folks who adopted pets from NSALA - and reminding folks to remember their moms - for Mother's Day. For this one, a picture tells a thousand words! That's the second time I've had an image in the Square, but the first time it was electronic and that large. Really fun stuff!

OK, so I've been blogging here about being busy with a lot of event photography, but haven't been putting up images to back up the claim . .so here we go!

I've been shooting a slew of events, which I'm going to say right up front has been a lot of fun. I get to meet a variety of great and interesting people, most local, and can count on absolutely nothing being consistent from one event to the next, which is challenging, rewarding, and satisfying when I go home with a bag full of photographs I never could have anticipated.

I've learned to be well-prepared for this kind of photography work, and I'm happy to rememeber a conversation with a guy I had in Boston last year after we'd been photographed together by an event photographer. "What a dumb job," he said, pointing to the photographer. "Anyone can do that, snap pictures at an event." Well to be sure, anyone can - but my reply to him was more than he was expecting, and is pretty well detailed here as we move on.

For events, there's a lot of prep. You've got two to three cameras with you, because if one fails, you still have to deliver. You have to always be ready for anything. For instance, above, I was sure glad to have more than just a camera bag and a flash for event work - because you never know when you're going need a light stand topped with a strobe, gelled to match firelight, and a tripod to get a shot of a cool guy swirling rope with fireballs on each end. You just never know. But when you have to get that shot? You're ready for it.

Sometimes, too, you're faced with expanding the "event shooter" role a little further. So, that light stand and strobe - as featured here firing into an umbrella I also always keep with me, lets you get frame-worthy portraits of little girls with their favorite PBS puppet, in this case Lomax, the Hound of Music. That's Peter Linz at Lomax's side, helping the cuddly pup be charming at the NYC FAO Schwartz-hosted Adopt-a-thon for North Shore Animal League.

Peter's in the top 5 of this month's most interesting people met while shooting an event; his career as a puppeteer is way, way impressive. I thought I had a fun job...this guy gets to wear a full-body sloth suit a couple of days a week! Check out his website by clicking HERE.

Then, sometimes when on an event, you've got to be sure you brought the right camera. Nikon's latest and greatest digital SLR bodies are wonderful at low-light shooting, producing near noise-free (think distorting grain) images...and with the right lens, you can get keepers like this one, from a local university's play, in merely their stage lighting. OK, OK...it helps when the director lets you onstage, too.

Events also challenge the photographer to find the best light to flatter subjects. Admittedly, in most cases we're relegated to photograph subjects in dark restaurants or dining halls, which requires a camera flash...and that flash has to be coupled with the camera at all times, because the subjects are moving about the rooms, as is the shooter. It gets heavy after a while...

But now and again, you can spot light that would flatter your subject better if you have an event that's also outdoors. Here, the light was very soft underneath a tall porch area - it seems to come from all directions, which is glorious for portraits. With the sun behind the building (and the subject), we get just a little more light there, highlighting her hair and shoulders, giving the shot a little depth. Oh and too, of course, letting her look as good as her radiant personality.

Now here's a shot that features that on-camera flash. On a bracket, the flash is higher than the lens barrel, which defeats the dreaded red-eye effect. Point that flash unit up instead of straight out, and you bounce the light off the ceiling - letting it softly and evenly flatter your subjects as it comes back down.

Did I mention you have to be rather socially "on" during events, too? If you're not coaxing that smile out of the attendees, no one else will do it for you.

So. To my pal in Boston who thinks the event shooters are just button-pushers who show up to harass party-goers and get a paycheck, easy breezy? Try to keep this kind of stuff up for a while. Say, a few weeks. Or, even for your whole career. And don't forget - your clients are paying you to get not one shot right, but all of them right - and all the while, there's a guy or gal who wants your client to use them instead next time, and likely for less $. Noooooooooo pressure.

It's a lot of fun though, Boston Guy - I do promise that. But get to bed early when you can! Thus endeth the lecture, and my chronicle of the past few weeks. Whew!

Lastly, if I may? A quick shot of Ophelia. Ophelia left us Monday night, succombing to pancreatic cancer. She left us quietly while at home, in the sunroom, her favorite spot. I've never really been a cat guy, but Ophelia really had a way to charm you with her almost humorous indifference, her obnoxious vocal requests, and ever persistent insistence of sitting on your head when you were watching tv on the sofa. . .a sofa she never once scratched (well, ok there was one time). Goodnight, Ophelia - we'll miss you. That window sill we kept clear for you will always be yours, and yours alone.

I had a great time photographing Sascha Paladino and his brother, banjo virtuouso Bela Fleck, during their presentation of their film Throw Down Your Heart. Throw Down Your Heart follows Fleck on his journey to Africa to explore the little known African roots of the banjo and record an album. The film celebrates the beauty and complexity of Africa - an Africa that is very different from what is often seen in the media today. Check it out by clicking HERE. Thanks to both - and their dad- for stepping onto the set...it was great to meet you.

Next up, a quick post of young Michael, who was a pleasure to work with while making his portrait on a local beach. His mom must have been very proud of him, as he was wonderfully spirited and cooperative during our forty minutes together. . .and the images we captured together as a result really let that show. Thanks, you guys!

Otherwise, I'm backed up again as usual. Lots of event coverage to post, as well as some super fun portrait sessions, after I survive the upcoming week...

Here's a shot of Brianne jumping for joy...or...for Spring? I can't tell you - really - how glad I am we're warming up outside. That was one heck of a long winter, folks. But, I'm thrilled to report we're booked up through the end of the month, and well into May, with a variety of shoots that will take advantage of the weather. If you have a need for some child portraits, family portraits, or pet portraits that would look amazing in a spring setting, shoot me a mail or give us a call. . .I truly can't wait to spend every minute I can outside!

Here's a recent shot of a certain creative director for Optimum Lightpath, thinking hard on what sorts of very cool networking solutions he'll help bring to our doorsteps here on Long Island. This was a little bit of a challenging executive portrait, as we had a room for a set that didn't lend itself well in regards to backgrounds.

The solution? Shut out the lights! Or in this case, sync my strobes to flash brightly and set the camera for s fast shutter speed - illuminating my subject, but not much else in the room. Location photography presents a different equation every time, and I think that's one of the things I find so fun and attractive about it. No two days the same, and I get to excercise the 'ol noodle.

And this fuzzy fellow? He's a Portuguese Water Dog, and a darn cute one. In fact, President Obama and his family just welcomed one of his cousins into the White House. This puppy was VERY spunky when I photographed him, but too just as compliant as could be when we got down to business. As a stock image, it's flying off of shelves. If you're in the market for a truly presidential dog photograph, click HERE.

I've fallen pretty far behind on keeping my current shoots here on the blog, and there are a few four-legged subjects that definitely need to be mentioned...! Here's Tasha, who's breaking into show business and needed some portfolio pictures to be sure her agent has her looking her best. The shot list was specific - sitting, standing, and laying down.

Tasha did great with all three of her poses, and even gave us plenty of tell-tale (no pun intended) smiles to let us know she was enjoying the attention. Go get 'em, Tasha.

Also, our friend Grace recently brought over Portia, who was just a riot in how ambivalent she seemed to the whole photo shoot thing. We made nearly a thousand exposures of Portia for her own portfolio as well as for a magazine stock call, and when she wasn't falling asleep she was doing an amazing job of looking great for the lenses. Next time, Portia, I'll wear my chicken suit and crank some disco to keep things more spirited...? But that said, GREAT job, and thanks to you both!

Lastly, I don't want to forget to mention that NSALA is holding an adoption event at Lord & Taylor in the city on Thursday, April 16, at 6 pm - the address is 5th Ave. at 39th St.

The advertisement for the event features a shot of Beth Stern, one we made on our last visit to the League...

It's been a manic few weeks, and one of the highlights was having a few minutes with screenwriter and director Paul Schrader. Schrader wrote the screenplays for such films as Taxi Driver, The Last Temptation of Christ, Raging Bull, The Mosquito Coast, American Gigilo, and many more. His film direction includes such titles as Auto Focus, Patty Hearst, and Cat People.

We knew we'd shoot in the movie theatre, but had a tight window of opportunity between showings of his film Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. So, as soon as the crowd let out, the Cinema Arts gang kept the line at bay while we set up a few lights and had the film tech get the projector hot to incorporate it into the image. Nothing like the pressure of just a few minutes to capture such a legendary personality and talent! We ran in with at least two of everything to be sure if one strobe or camera or wire failed, there was a backup. Nothing failed...especially Mr. Schrader, who calmly struck a pose with that awesome red scarf. CLICK.

Here's a few shots of the generous Mrs. Beth Stern, who sat in for a quick photo session to help promote awareness for North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington. Both Beth and her cuddly co-model looked fantastic for the shoot, and too, no surprise, both behaved very well in front of the lenses!

The idea for most advertising/marketing images in this vein is to create something special, but you also often want it a bit generic - the latter facet so that there's a maximum amount of versatility for your client's art department to find malleable when working up the graphics. This shot lets the background be transformed into just about anything they might want, and the colors are neutral on our subjects to allow a lot of versatility. We used a bit if a harder light for this round, as the contrast looks amazing on Beth while letting the puppy's fur show its depth and detail.

With a quick switcharoo of the strobes, we brought in some more dogs in need of homes at the shelter, and went for a brighter, more 'advertising' look to give NSALA some further stock. We backed out a bit, and both Beth and this pup fell right into pose as if they'd been doing it together for years. Now don't get me wrong, lots has to go right for just one image out of twenty to be 'great,' and we certainly had our discards when the pup was more interested in licking my camera's sync cords than sitting still, but we scored more than a dozen amazing shots, in no small part due to Beth's willingness and generosity in getting down and in there with the dogs. Thanks, Beth!

Lastly, here's an editorial shot from a few weeks ago, which worked really well in that we had a lot of even light and a near empty student library. When you have a shot like this that forces you to use a cluttered area with lots of items that might otherwise distract a viewer of the image, it's best, if you can, to use them to you advantage instead. We spent quite a lot of time "dressing" the set, making sure that chairs lines up in a symmetrical way, computer screens were well-placed, and lines were straight. Add a little extra light from some strobes for filling in shadows and adding a catch light to our subject, and voila...!

Also, if you're looking for an amazing eye in interior or exterior design, have a peek over at Scott Portugal's new website...we made many of the photographs for it together last summer...the site looks great, Scott! Click HERE

We recently had a wonderful shoot at North Shore Animal League America to create some public service announcement ads with tennis legend Monica Seles, whose efforts in pet adoption caught the eye of television's news program 20/20. Their tv crew was on-site at NSALA's Port Washington headquarters to film Monica and Beth Ostrosky-Stern as they toured the facility, and I tagged along at the request of management to get some behind the scenes shots. Watch for the taping to air in April!

Too, I spent an evening with the talented Ellen Rassiger of Happy Dog Behavior, shooting some of her finest students as stock for her web site's graphic library. We used mostly primary colors, and went with an assortment of themes to make sure she had everything she could need to keep her site fun and visually gripping. I've worked with Ellen on various projects for years, she's a wonderful teacher and trainer...check out her site by clicking HERE.

Here's Admiral Rosen (retired) posing for an editorial photograph outside of his company's offices on Long Island. With his wife, Florence, and their family, Admiral Rosen envisioned and then created The Florence and Robert A. Rosen Family Wellness Center for Law Enforcement and Military Personnel and Their Families at the North Shore-LIJ Health System - recognized as the first of its kind and a national model. The center treats what Admiral Rosen calls "the invisible wounds of war," the psychological and behavioral conditions that are sometimes hidden, but just as serious as bullet wounds. A critical and distinguishing feature of the Center is its emphasis on caring for the entire family, recognizing that dangerous and stressful assignments can have a serious impact on spouses, partners, parents, and children - and that the reintegration of families after long and sometimes multiple deployments brings unique challenges. We made the image for a magazine published out of Chicago!

Bird Talk has kept our image llibrary very busy with check outs, and lots of members of the Long Island Parrot Society have been wonderful help in providing a variety of parrot species to pose for our lenses. If you're in a pet shop this month, you'll find the handsome fellow shown here smiling and displaying for his moment in the sun, on the cover of the March issue.

And to compliment our portfolio of commercial pet stock photography, here's a great layout promotng NSALA's Tour for Life, featuring Law & Order's Kathryn Erbe and friends. We photographed Ms. Erbe with her dog on the right, a NSALA adoptee, as well as with the puppies in her arms...then the marketing group added the remaining dogs, which we photographed in the same lighting setup, to the mix for the promotion. Commercial photography of this kind requires more than a little foresight when you're hoping for seamless integration in post production...and in this case, I'm happy to report it was a lot of fun, too!

I have about ten killer images I'd love to get up here on my blog from weeks-past, but I had to pop a few up from just yesterday after having a n absolutely killer time in CT! I traveled up to photograph some champion Labrador Retrievers, coutesey of a referral from the Long Island Lobuff Labradors with whom we worked last summer for some editorial shots of gorgeous, award-winning Lab pups. We met with some of the pups' parents and siblings, along with their charming and hospitible two-legged owner Linda - who was just so great to work with, as she "got it" as to what we needed to do to get the photographs she was after!

We were set up for indoor location portraits, but with a warm Feb. day we also hit a nearby coastal location to take advantage of the late afternoon light. Light like this is perfect for photography, as it lets you have a tonally-even exposure to really flatter your subject.

A few weekends back I had not one, but two shoots for head shots scheduled...I think we're definitely seeing an upswing in the area for fine folks looking to break into show business in one form or the other!

Trends with head shots vary with the temperature of the industry; once upon a time they were the classic glossy 8x10 prints with "Hollywood" glamour lighting, and lately they've gone from a more modern, studio-styled black and white image to a flattering, softly-lit color shot...which is mostly what we went for as a result. I try to hit comedy clubs in NYC as often as I can manage, and as you enter the clubs the walls are lined with a history of these trends dating back to the 1970s (if the club has been around that long). I always find the photos amazing...but I digress.

Tracy, shown above, needed her shots quickly - in a time-crunch for a dance audition the following week. She was psyched for the shoot, but nervous, too. I think it's safe to say from the results that we hit it off great, she immediately relaxed, and aside from some frigid posing in the cold outdoors we had a blast. Hope the audition went well, Tracy!

Ricky is destined to be a fine actor; the guy is personable, smart, listens well, and really relaxed. We were shivering a little during his shoot, too, but it didn't stop us from clicking through about 400 frames to be sure he had a nice array of images for his own audtions, including the layout of a Comp Card to give the casting agents several angles and expressions to evaluate.

All told it's been a very busy few weeks, and I even managed to cram my 40th birthday in there.

Late last summer Stephen Lang and I met at North Shore Animal League America to photograph Beth Stern and some pups to fulfil a request for a cover for Chicago Tails magazine, and the shoot was great fun for all. We over-shot, so-to-speak, a practice you'll see a lot of photographers do when there's a magazine editor and art director involved, as well as the potential for further use of the set of images...it's just called playing it safe; you're making sure that by offering variations, there will definitely be something that will make everyone happy.

It turns out yet another magzine could use the images, so we're really glad we had so many spares with variations in Beth's clothing and the dogs - this is this month's Fido Friendly! Special thanks to Beth as usual, far and away one of my favorite people to work with as she's cool, calm, and always wants everyone happy - she photographs so well, too - I don't think I have a bad image of her.

I'm thrilled to post a final product from the Sharlatts of Port Washington! Shari and her great family have thrice been repeat customers, the third meet taking place in time for them to put together their holiday cards. I was so happy to receive one in the mail, it's not too often I see my work in any form other than an image on the computer screen these days. The layout looks great, doesn't it?! Well ok, the adorable kids and photos ain't so bad, either.

I recently spent a full morning over at North Shore Animal League America, photographing Kathryn Erbe of TV's Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Ms. Erbe has been gracious enough - along with her mixed-breed cohort Lilah - to be the spokesperson for The American Mutt-i-Grees Club (AMC). AMC registers and provides personalized certificates to mixed-breed dogs. Their website, found HERE , is giving 50 million mixed-breed dogs the voice and the status they deserve, committed to changing the perception of mixed breeds and promotes adoption as the responsible way to obtain a pet.

Well, it's a new year. 2008 let our camera lenses see more than ever before, with a variety of people, pets, products, and National Parks. Even the Yucatan. Now to see if I can out-do myself? Might be tough, but it's unquestionably going to be fun trying!

At left is the cover of the Birds USA annual, featuring a few of my parrot shots from the past year. Annual issues are fun to score a shot for the cover as they're on news stands for 12 months, and it's inspiring to walk past your images for that long a time. Keep your eyes peeled.

Pet photography makes up a good portion of my business, defintiely a niche. How did it start for me? That story goes back to my first paying freelance job, ever. I was in Chicago, and a stock company gave me a job for a greeting card company. They needed a dog...in a specific pose. So I open the letter, very excited (my first freelance photo job!) and see the details of the assignment, complete with a crude sketch. Imagine the look on my face...

I had to scour the local parks, awkwardly approaching people with their dogs, asking them if I could follow them a while to get the shot. I had the stock company's letter and the sketch with me as proof that I wasn't just some lunatic, but still, I was turned down a few times, go figure.

Anyway, I was recently in the NYC offices of Avanti, signing another 5-year license for the shot you see here (it's actually a composite, the dog replicated in Photoshop). Seems this is one of their best-selling Father's Day cards, and they want to do another print run! Hilarious, and excellent. The inside of the card reads, "Thanks dad - for teaching me to aim higher." Special thanks to Bridget at Avanti for the hospitality, grand tour, and laughs.

That said, my connections in the pet industry have grown as a result, of course. To the point that my likeness is being used as a squeaky dog toy. I'm a zombie, and my skin glows in the dark. I'll make grunting sounds to excite my four-legged "owner" into chewing me to pieces.

At left is the concept art, and the first 3-D prototype is due in anytime. I'll give you an update then, but in the meantime, smile and laugh with me. You just can't make this stuff up...and I must say, I definitely didn't see any of it coming on my 7th grade career aptitude tests.

Happy new year!

I didn't realize so many photos from Beth Ostrosky and Howard Stern's wedding made it online! It seems US Weekly and People popped a few into their printed pages as well as their Web galleries.

What a wonderful night for the couple, I'm so happy for them - they are so obviously in love, and it was an honor to be a part of their evening.

I'll let the photos of Beth in her Marchesa dress tell the rest in pictures...

Keeping busy and having a blast while at it! Here's a very happy sample of a private session's results with some black labs in East Northport, where at least 10 dogs ended up in front of the camera. Ever-flexible here, we set up a backdrop and some strobes in the middle of the backyard and just went for it, dog after dog. The resulting images were brilliant fun, even when our subjects got a little wet from our trying to run and play the life out of them so that they'd hold still long enough for a portrait.

Next up is an editorial image made for a university publication, and one that required a little flexiblity again. Our plans were dashed by an overcast sky and quickly setting sun, in addition to the NYC restrictions for setting up permanent lighting stands and tripods on the streets. So, we used a single, small Nikon Speedlight, warmed up a bit with a gel and held by the art director, to light our subject. We were a lot easier to dodge by pedestrians, and with the mobile options created by keeping the gear light were able to make a nice composition for a two-page spread.

I recently had an opportunity to work with Brianne again, and as usual we cranked out some really fun images for her portfolio. We met up at Caumsett State Park in Lloyd's Neck, where the scenery always provides a lot of opportunity for a diverse set of images.

There are usually about two weekends each year I find you can really capitalize on the autumn foliage, so before we even started we knew we'd have to get one shot of her in the leaves. . . she brought a great compliment of clothing for a shot like this, so her face keeps us riveted with the contrast of the other colors - I love this shot.

With the white sweater off, we then went with a nice red top and selected an area nearby that wouldn't compete with her - the browns in the tall grasses were an obvious choice!

Special thanks to assistant Bryan on this one, who had to hold a large, heavy strobe just out of frame while we clicked off some keepers.

This shot was made with just the ambient light, though we also bounced some light back up into Brianne's eyes from below with a large, silver reflector. By concentrating just the available light there, that smile keeps our focus where we want it while the leaves and a dark-red brick wall behind her stay out of focus and don't compete with the final shot, but rather compliment it.

I also asked Brianne to bring an outfit that would have absolutely no place in an isolated field, and she went with this great evening dress. The idea here was to let the light we had outside, which was overcast and growing ever dark, drop off a bit as we filled in with a large strobe for Brianne. By keeping the soft, diffused strobe close to her, we were able to really let it wrap around her in this shot.

Again, my hat's off to Nikon's D700 - I love the colors it produces!

Thanks Brianne!

Here's a shot of Matt Sullivan, who helped NYIT to win the National Lacrosse Championship this year. I loved the opportunity to use some small, portable Nikon Speedlights to create some cross-lighting with this shot, under-exposing the ambient light a little so that our focus remains on Matt. It's a cool, edgy look, I think - and when reviewing the shots with Matt, we agreed that they were "bad ass" enough to run with for the magazine editor...just excellent. The composition works well in this shot, too - the eye is given just enough to start with Matt's face, then wander through the shot to see the scoreboard and leading line of the goal net. It flows a bit. Good fun!

Working our way into the gymnasium at the NYIT Old Wesbury campus, we then met up with Lauren Caggiano of NYIT basketball. Lauren was a great sport, of course, and waited patiently as we positioned a ladder so that we could shoot down on her and get the NYIT logo in the shot.

I again chose the portable Nikon Speedlights for this shot, but softened the look by using a diffusing soft box with the main light. Then, we gelled a few others to get the gold and blue school colors in the image, too.

At left is a fun shot made between takes on a recent shoot at the DeSeversky center in Old Westbury, an absolutely astonishing home that's been converted to a catering hall/restaurant/office center/convention center, and part of the NYIT campus. They filmed parts of Dudley Moore's Arthur, here, it's gorgeous.

Ytla was manning the welcome area when I needed a sit-in to test the lights, and with a few fine-tunes we nabbed this fun shot. The main light tapers off from being feathered away from her a little, so the brightest part of the image remains her face - where the attention should be. To separate her from the background, though, I added another light (behind her) to spotlight the wall.

And once again, here's adorable chihuahua Eli, who's flying high over Times Square for the next few weeks helping promote the Dog Day Masquerade. If ten years ago you'd have told me I'd be photographing dogs for a Times Square promotion, I'd have gone back to what I was doing with a dismissive wave...what a riot.

Eli (and Karen!), you guys are tops - what a fun shoot!

I was very excited to bring Nikon's new D700 digital SLR camera onto a commercial set last week, when I made images to populate the website of Doctors Kahn, Ferrari, and Aldieri in Farmingdale. This was a follow-up shoot to images we made together last winter, when they asked a score of their clients to come and pose for their promotional materials - what a great idea!

Anway, I must say that I'm thrilled with the current Nikon digital line. The D700 shares the imagine processor with the Nikon flagship D3 body, and the resulting photographs show a simply remarkable tonality and color rendition. The skin tones in the shot at left are un-touched, and by the numbers, seem spot-on. Brilliant!

As it was nearing sunset, and the light was just fading, I couldn't help but notice when I pulled up at their offices. I immediately asked Dr. Ferrari if she'd like a few extras for her family, and pulled her outside to take advantage of the evening. Holding a reflector below her, we bounced a little light back up and into her face and eyes while letting the remaining sun highlight her hair on the right. She looks great, doesn't she? Again, love the new camera!

Wow - set a record this month! This is the first time since opening our doors that I have failed to update this blog within two weeks. The irony is that from a marketing perspective, I should update it as often as possible so that clients know I'm active...but WHEN do you update if you're TOO active!? I'll ask a sage on a mountaintop sometime, I guess.

Meanwhile, here's a shot of a New York Institute of Technology instructor, one of several dozen I photographed earlier in the month. The idea was to give them headshots for the Web and for print matter that took more than a few quality steps "up" from what a meat-grinder at the DMV might deliver for a Driver's License, and I'm happy to say we pulled it off. It's a collaborative effort, portraits like these - the subject has to be just as into making a great photo as I am. Love it when a plan comes together!

I also had the pleasure of making 10th Anniversary portraits of this happy couple, who even had the same clothes they wore on the day of their Florida wedding back in '98. They were so much fun, and though some disinterest may have been feigned by a certain male subject during the shoot (ahem!), I know they're delighted with the few dozen keepers we're making them choose from for a wall print. I've been hired often, lately, for Anniversary and engagement work. It's Autumn, guess love's in the air!

And once again, here's one of our many shots of Eli the chihuahua, a local NYC pawed celebrity. He'll be helping to advertise for the Times Square Dog Day Masquerade, and as usual I'm thrilled for his and his owner Karen's time in the spotlight. Also, can't wait to see those posters around the city, always puts a smile on my face.

I've been over with the fine folks at North Shore Animal League America again to build up an image library for their calendars and their new Muttigree website. So much fun, and so heart-wrenching to meet so many great dogs - and the people that help find them homes. From the Muttigree site:

The American Mutt-i-grees Club is all about change and choice: Changing how mixed-breed dogs are regarded, by celebrating the unique characteristics of each one of them, and helping people make the right choice - the choice to adopt mixed-breed puppies and adult dogs at shelters across America. Three out of every four shelter dogs are mixed-breed, and for many Mutt-i-grees, their lives end before they begin: No hope, no help, no voice. The American Mutt-i-grees Club was established to help join together mixed-breed dog owners - a group over 25 million strong - to incite change, and help these extraordinary dogs receive the hope, help, voice and loving homes they all deserve.

We have had enormous fun turning our furry pals into models, setting up studio strobes everywhere from waterfront to conference rooms in an attempt to get some of the most endearing photographs we could make. We brought in props, treats, whistles, bells...and a few of my Double-Top-Secret noisemakers to make sure we had bright eyes and big smiles on the dogs.

It's a lot of work, but bet that it's worth it for all involved. When you have a minute, check out the new Muttigree website by clicking HERE.

I also made a trip into New Jersey for the fantastic wedding of Tiffany and Ryan, both marvelous artists in their own right as well as one heck of a fun couple. They were each so fun to be around, and so happy it was infectious. It's great from a photographer's point of view, being able to be "on the outside" while attending, and noting that all in attendance had such a great time - not a frown to be found.

The best part for me was that they loved the cameras so much - not in that they were deliberatelly hamming it up for the lenses, but that if I kept a camera trained on them? They'd do something fun and spontaneous every twenty seconds...so, thought I'd share a few of those images here. Congrats, you two!!!

I've been ducking the admission that I've been doing quite a few weddings and engagement photography sessions on Long Island, lately! Each and every one has been an absolute blast, and there were no hiccups or lack of smiles from each and every particpant - such a great time, all of them. Here's a collage of Peter and Karen, our happy Huntington couple. They met after being neighbors, and the rest, as they say, is now blissful history. I like that the moving-in process for them only meant walking across the street...!

I don't advertise as a wedding photographer simply as it means that my present 60-hour weeks would undoubtedly turn into 80 hour weeks if I worked constant Saturdays and Sundays, too - when of course folks are most likely to marry durng day and evening-long ceremonies. But, when a friend or previous client asks or refers me, the answer is most always "yes, of course!" when I don't think it will make their images suffer that just the week before I was running on nothing but caffeine and adrenaline for 7 days straight.

Engagement sessions and portrait sessions are another matter entirely - those I love to do all of the time. I'm really looking forward to a few sessions we have booked when the leaves start to change colors this autumn (watch this space!).

Here's a shot of Kim, who posed for the cameras for a few hours in Centerport in a make-shift large studio. Kim's photo shoot was to build up her acting headshots and modeling promotional cards. We used a standard beauty/fashion lighting scheme for shots like the one shown here, and too we hit the local waterfront for some shots that showed off her athleticism - giving her agents some variety to choose from.

Kim was great, and I'm still chuckling at the fiasco over the gas can and the 1972 Cadillac. Kim knows what I mean...eeesh. Anyway, Kim was a natural, and a great sport about all of the wardrobe changes and dashing around. Great to meet you and good luck, Kim!

A few months back I posted about a great shoot we had, hosted at North Shore Animal League America for Chicagoland Tails magazine. Beth-O, the generous League spokesperson, was chosen to be the first person featured on the cover in the magazine's 20-year history. The reason? Her tireless efforts in the name of finding homes for shelter animals.

We had a fun shoot, racing the sun from location to location to offer the magazine the greatest variety of images. Beth was her usual amazing self, or should I self-less...she followed our dog's lead and hit the grass for this series, while Stephen Lang kept our subjects in shaded, even light and repositioned the strobe so I too could hit the ground and get this keeper.

Working with Tails and NSALA is an honor, it's amazing to know the images resulting from the efforts help to make a difference in placing shelter animals. Congrats to Beth on being the first person to grace the cover, and all the best to our furry model and magazine friends in the Windy City.

I've been blogging here for years now, and never asked anything of you, gentle readers - but PLEASE help Beth raise her goal for NSALA when running the NYC Marathon by clicking HERE.

And whoops - there's our Eli AGAIN, this time in Women's World magazine. I'll never forget when Eli's adoptive mom Karen brought Eli out to the set in those sneakers, it was great - I mean c'mon, some things you just can't "un-see." The photo has been a big hit, with it appearing in several books, advertisements, and magazines.

Eli's too been going strong with his own career, and is now even on a Milkbone box. Remember the little people, Mr. Supermodel.

Busy end of the summer! We're booked through August and most of September already, but with a little help from my coffee-peddling friends at Starbucks, whom I'm pretty sure I'm putting through college with my constant business, I think everyone who's been before the lenses lately will be delighted.

Above ls a fine young man we photographed last week on Long Island, producing some great portraits for his family. This guy's smart, funny, and just loves that dog (and the pup loves him back, from what I could tell!). The light was perfect around 6:30 p.m., so we took advantage of it by placing them in some shade with their backs to the bright sky. Add a little light with a reflector for a "pop" (all credit to his mom Sheila for that!) and bingo! Fun keepsakes!

A few weeks back, we spent many hours at the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind in Smithtown, Long Island, for photography of some of the guide dogs in-training and puppy litters. Our theme in this shot was that the little 'uns want to grow up to be like the big guide dogs, and we were having a heck of a time getting them to cooperate with the posing. One of the GDF's brilliant trainers suggested we just back off and let them be dogs, and within about 10 seconds, we had the shot we wanted. Adorable.

Continuing our themed shoot with this image, our puppy poses in an adult harness for guide dogs. This one wasn't as hard to get, though our puppy did want to be just that and romp around a bit.

We were also shooting for a cooperative with Raytex Industries, the parent company of Glory Days pet beds. Specific beds purchased from Glory Days will help to raise funds for America's Vet Dogs, an absolutely wonderful program run by the same fine folks over at GDF. Take some time and check out the above links for all involved, their causes are wonderful.

We met up with Brianne again a few weeks back to provide her with some shots for her portfolio and comp cards that she'll distribute to land more modeling gigs. Brianne's great to work with, and she's been featured on my blog more than once already as a trooper when it comes to shoots that offer...complications...! Last time, it was pouring rain throughout, and this time, come sunset, not only was Brianne forced to look into the bright setting sun, but we were swarmed by sand flies and all bitten into a million pieces. She never flinched (maybe once, but to her credit, she laughed about how crazy it was). Ah, the glamour of it.

We also met up with dancer and actor Laura, who needed some headshots for her own promo materials for her agencies. Laura was great to work with my crazy scheduling, and I assured her a late-afternoon meet at her home would be perfect for what we were after is we could find some shade and control the light well.

This first image is a straight headshot...we matched her clothes to go with the light background, allowing her skin to pull us in with its tonal difference - and her eyes, offering the most contrast, to allow a focal point to the viewer when looking at her head shot.

We had great backlighting from the West, so bouncing some light up into her face gave us a glamour look on this selection of images. By setting the camera's exposure for her skin , the backyard went dark and lets her face ane eyes again be the focus of the image. That there 's such a wonderous glow to her hair is what separates the genre of the photography here, and gives her such a wide range of usage on the 300-plus photos we made together over the course of an hour. Great work, Laura!

And of course the pet-end of the business here is still in full-swing. We had yet another parrot from one of our stock shoots hit a magazine cover! I'm pretty sure this is Charlie the African Grey, I remember the shoot - and remember Charlie being the perfect, cooperative (and talkative!) model. Thanks, Charlie!

Just a few more images here from my recent trip to the Seattle area in Washington - what a relaxing and scenery-filled trip! I made the image at left when driving from the Olympic National Forest area towards Seattle, on the coastal road that winds through some wonderful seascapes and woodland. I practically squealed the tires when braking so abruptly as I almost passed this sight around sunset, my mind's eye envisioning the photo with just the quick glimpse through a thicket of pines afforded by a break in the branches.

This shot was made compositing four exposures from my Nikon D300, which was firmly mounted on a tripod with a 12mm-24mm lens for a wide field of view. I had to blend the four exposures to be sure to shot the entirety of the tonal range in the scene, it's an option available when you don't have a camera bag filled with neutral-density filters.

My favorite part about this shot is the way it will always remind me of the smell of wet forest, wildflowers, and seawater. Also, the perfect quiet - it was utterly silent and peaceful.

This is a shot of the peak of Mount Rainier, made at about 7:00 in the morning from the eastern side of the mountain in an area appropriately named "Sunrise." I rose from my tent at camp at 4:00 a.m. to make the drive to get into a spot where I could hike to have this view, and it was well worth it. I stood on the edge of a valley of wildflowers at dawn, and marveled at the enormous mountain - a mountain so enormous that it quite literally has its own weather system, as illustrated by the Lenticular cloud - a cloud that forms when tall mountains get in the way of strong winds.

This image is of "old growth," a term used to refer to forests that have never been disturbed by human development (mainly timber harvesting). The complexity of an old-growth forest is the most striking difference between it and the second- and third-generation forests that cover most of the United States.

Old-growth forests are thick with life in a way that newer forests can't be - they just haven't had the time to develop. Little old-growth forest remains in the United States today, and much of what's left is concentrated in the Pacific Northwest and on the Olympic Peninsula in particular. I loved it.

It's hard to transmit scale in this photo - but imagine it taking two or three people to stretch their arms around a tree trunk....that's what it would take with the trees in this photo.

Just a quick note to say that I'm back from a camping photo trip to the lovely state of Washington, where I spent a week climbing and hiking through the Cascade mountains - especially Mt. Rainier.

It was amazing, and absolutely beautiful this time of year. I was a little surprised by the cool nights in the woods, but made it through just fine - especially when waking up at 4:00 a.m. to be sure to catch the sunrise on the eastern side of the mountain.

With a day and a half left, I strolled through Seattle - its delicious and welcoming coffee shops, its markets, and even took a tour of its remarkable "underground," where the city founders buried nearly a floor and a half of its buildings to keep the roads dry.

More later as I get settled in!

The past few weeks have seen a ton of people and pets before our lenses, and we've had an absolute blast meeting so many new faces. It's a really great facet of the photography business, meeting so many people - and every day brings someone new.

Here's a shot of some Diamond Doves, that we made for a magazine publisher in California. Lanette, the birds' owner, was so cool about bringing them over for the shoot. She worked with them for a full week, every day, to get them acclimated to a perch that would work for the editorial needs. Lanette basically rocks the dove world for her efforts.

Diamond Doves are native to Australia, and generally must live in pairs or flocks, as their need for companionship is high. Single diamond doves can bond to humans if acquired when relatively young, but this requires a commitment of time and attention from the owner because they require months or years to tame and will then require significant companionship time with their owner, much like a parrot. Once tamed, the dove is a sweet and gentle pet, who greets its owner with happy coos and will perch on the finger or shoulder. Anyway, thanks so much, Lanette!

Also, above left, here's a shot of fav model Brianne, who was gracious enough to pose for a variety of stock needs surrounding cool summer drinks - just in time with the weather out there. Brianne's great to work with, and she's popping up all over the place in ads and Internet banners - good going, Brianne!

If you're looking for stock photography, Acclaim has been a great choice for us - you can view some of our shots for sale on their site by clicking HERE.

It's been pretty crazy lately, but as usual lots of fun. I've been covering more events as of late than I thought Long Island could have, but then again it is that time of year when outside and smiling is where we all should be! With all of our Labrador Retriever puppy images delivered to the magazine, later this week and next we'll turn our attentions to parrots for some more stock shooting - the variety is an absolute blast!

Speaking of stock shooting, at left is an image of the lovely Gabrielle, a local model who helped us make some perfect fitness images for stock sales. She was great and very flexible (no pun intended with the Yoga shot), the sincerest of professionals when we had her running in-and-out changing into different clothes and makeup and hairstyles . . .thanks so much, Gabrielle - you're great.

A quick note about local poet and literature instructor Annabelle Moseley, who's done it yet again! Annabelle has had a publisher take on her new children's book, which is planned for release late this summer - just in time to be added to several school district's curriculums. Congrats, Annabelle!

Annabelle has been before our lenses for portraits on Long Island a half dozen times for one reason or another, and it was great to take her call for what's now her third published book's author-page photograph. I am pretty sure it will be printed in black and white, but the color version is shown at left along with a few publicity images we've made of her in the past at the William Cullen Bryant home. Her website is under redesign, but I promise I will post a link when it goes live for more reading about her.

Other recent shoots have included some pet stock photography for our favorite magazine client on the West Coast, in this case Labrador Retriever puppies. Ok, ok - so just about all puppies are cute, but these little ones were a bit over the top amazing. I think every time I dropped to the ground to get an eye-level shot, the subject would prance from the posing spot to come up and lick my face. Such behavior would be totally unacceptable for a human subject (well ok, MAYBE it'd be alright on a swimsuit calendar shoot), but it definitely worked out just fine for all involved on the set. The pups are from a fine lineage, and one of their close relatives won Best of Breed at last winter's Westminster competition - not hard to believe looking at the puppy at left. If you're in the market for a champion-line Lab (yellow, black, or chocolate...all flavors!), don't hesitate to contact Lisa at Lobufflabs@aol.com

Another cool item of note is that North Shore Animal League America has asked me to write regularly on their site with tips for making pet photographs! It's the usual pleasure to help the League in any way I can, and if this effort helps their site traffic and adoptions then I'm all for it - so I dove in headfirst. Take a look by clicking HERE!

A few weeks ago I spent a warm afternoon making pet portraits with Andra and her two greyhounds, learning all about the dog walking business and enjoying the smiles from the pups. Andra owns DogWalkingPlus.com, and is more than happy to offer her services when you can't make it home in time to give your pooch some exercise or make sure the water bowl is filled to the brim. If you're anywhere in the area of Baldwin, The Harbor, Bellmore, Freeport, Long Beach, Lynbrook, Merrick, Oceanside, Rockville Centre or Valley Stream, I certainly recommend Andra and her services - especially after seeing her in action.

I loved both greyhounds, each of them rescues - adopted by Andra after their "usefulness" at the dog racing track was determined to be over (it's a damned shame what happens to these poor dogs) - and they were of course a pleasure to photograph.

I don't think I've ever met a greyhound with a poor disposition, they're always affectionate and gentle. Greyhounds are bred for their sprinting ability, and are generally not a very active dog with endless energy - they're even sometimes known as the 45-m.p.h couch potato. They're pack animals by nature, and readily let the humans act as the alpha, which means if you own one, they look to you as boss. . .they don't bark much, are great with kids, and their short fur isn't usually something that lets allergies act up. Check out www.gratefulgreyhoundsny.com if you're looking for a wonderful dog to add to your family. These great pups could sure use a break, and the rescue group is first rate.

The portraits came out wonderfully - we used a white seamless paper for a backdrop, and too let some bright color in by shooting them with a diffused strobe in a room that was painted bright yellow (here shown in black and white). As it was warm out that day, they were often panting off the heat - which gave us a few perceived smiles for the shots...great! In all of the images shown here, I added some film borders to the images in Photoshop for a little variation. Lots of fun...thanks again, Andra!

About ten days ago I had the opportunity to make some photographs for designer Scott Portugal, whose exterior and interior design work is as tasteful as it is contemporary - his recent home's lines and contours were a delight to put before the lenses.

I had the pleasure to see the "before" album of photographs, as well as the construction shots. The home featured in the photos on this blog entry was taken down to its foundations, then raised, then rebuilt - it was hard to imagine all the work!

The back and deck area were as comfortable as they were functional, creating almost an oasis in the Fire Island dunes. The planking is seamless aside from stainless steel hardware that indicates a storage closet or outdoor shower, and the accent plants so perfect that a family of ducks is nesting in them.

All of the imagery was made with a steady tripod and multiple exposures so that the optimal exposure for each detail could be blended into the final photograph. This technique is perfect for wide-latitude scenes such as the house at sunset and its interiors, as it lets the final image render a look that's closer to what the human eye sees, as opposed to the dark-shadowed, blown-highlights of single capture limitations.

Scott is an absolute pleasure to work with, AND, he stocks Fresca soda in the fridge - perfect for when you're making photography on Long Island in June! Thanks, Scott! I owe you a case! If you're looking for any interior or exterior design work, don't hesitate to reach Scott at scottportugal@earthlink.net, where he works from his Park Ave. office in NYC.

I recently had the pleasure of working with the amazing people of Sanctuary for Families, a NYC-based shelter that assists victims of domestic violence. I was asked to photograph their annual fundraiser at Chelsea Piers' Pier Sixty, and was very glad to witness their turnout. I am not sure of the exact number of attendees and supporters, but it was fantastic to see so many fine people come out for such a worthy cause.

The first part of the night was spent photographing the wonderfully decorated venue, then the attendees as they arrived. It was a perfect June evening, which let us make images from the entrance all the way to the river walk behind/outside.

As guests moved into the dining area, the presentation and recognitions began with an educational film short about their mission. Brief introductions and speeches by committee members and honorees were both eloquent and enlightening - I do truly hope their benefit evening was what they need it to be to bring support to all of those in need.

Their guest list included Marcel Vigneron, Susan Pruder, Charles Rockefeller, Beth Ostrosky, DJ Grandmaster Flash, and hockey great Brendan Shanahan.

Mr. Shanahan goes down in the books as among the most gracious photo subject at events. I seem to have a knack for finding myself rounding a corner and being face-to-face with the man every time we're at the same venue, but it's always just the two of us, alone, no other guests to be found... me with my obnoxious 10-lb. camera rig in hand and my sudden but absolute apprehension in having to trap him for a quick shot for the event organizers (let's just say he's not a tiny, feeble-looking man). When it happened this time, I was popping out of the dining area only to find him right there in the hallway, and boom, once again it's just us, facing off. I started laughing a little at my "luck," and I introduced myself, assuring I wasn't papparazzi and apologizing for always wanting to blind him with a flash in an otherwise empty hallway like a stalker...then politely I asked for a quick shot. He was more than happy to oblige. Thanks, Brendan!

I'd also love to write a quick entry on how great Beth-O and the fine folks at NSALA were a few weeks ago, when we photographed her and some of the League's furry guests for Tails magazine. Editor Janice Brown flew out from Chicago to help us put the shoot together (and essentially charm us with her publication's mission of goodwill towards pets and the pet community. Janice, you're tops!).

Beth even went on to write about the shoot HERE, on her blog at the North Shore Animal League website.

I won't post any of the images destined for the magazine so that you can see them there first, but suffice it to say that Beth was her usual wonderful self, and her cooperative pawed companions in the shots were the usual pleasure to photograph. Thanks to all involved, especially Stephen who volunteered his time as my assistant.

Several weeks ago we held a stock photography shoot on Long Island, with the intention of amassing images for both commercial sale and purposed as a portfolio muster. We were all set to go in regards to hosting with catering, shuttles to and from the train station (many of our participants were coming in from Manhattan), and one of the finest makeup artists I have the pleasure of knowing. What we didn't count on was 14 hours straight of rain to force us entirely indoors! We practically needed an ark to get from one end of the property to the other, but we found that a large wedding/catering tent we had set up as a contingency did the trick just fine.

The shoot started off with portraits and headshots, lit both with studio lights as well as with natural light. The subject of this blog entry will be just the natural light images.

With the constant rain, we had precisely what we needed for soft, even lighting - the clouds were very accommodating in that regard! That left us with the need to simply control that top-down light a little bit, making sure the ladies looked their best.

The great thing about natural light is that you can reflect it, block it, and sculpt it to your needs. To start, we sat them near the edge of the rain cover, so that some light came down at an angle that offered highlights in their hair. This essentially serves as light number one. The ambient light was fine for light number two, creating near-shadowless illumination on their faces. But to make the light completely shadowless, we filled in by using white reflectors below them, just out of frame. In addition to lifting shadows on their features, this also lit up their eyes quite a bit.

Lastly, we were sure to be careful choosing backgrounds for the images. Two of these shots offers a gold reflector, the other an empty garage. But keeping the composition and focus limited to their faces, these backgrounds stay smooth, and thanks to the wonders of Nikon lenses almost creamy in nature. The backgrounds are completely non-distracting from our subjects, which is just the way we like them!

Special thanks to Brianne, Tory, and Gabrielle for being such pleasures to work with, and a tip of the hat to Simon, Terry, Lisa and gang for being the best support crew we could ask for.

Also, we were thrilled to see more of our pet photography on the cover of July's Bird Talk magazine, as well as on many of the pages within. We have hosted several pet stock photography shoots in New York as well as on Long Island, and it is always great when we see the editors at the magazines are using the photos. Special congrats to Linda and Bob on seeing their macaws in print!

This week promises to be another busy one, and as I look through the shoot results from the past few weeks I'm not even sure where to begin with my blog entries, here! I guess I'll start by talking about the fine folks we met over at the law offices of Steven A. Morelli in Carle Place, in an after-hours shoot that illustrated each attorney in the firm as well as group shots for their upcoming website.

The offices had a bit of foot traffic as we started, so to nab the individual headshots posed a quandary as to where we'd shoot. We decided to stay put in an office, which never offers as much space as I'd love for portraits - if I can I like to have a little more separation between the person and the environment. So, to thwart the confines we pulled out an old trick: we grabbed a nearby leafy office plant, and put it between a second strobe and a blank wall. The resulting shadow, which we varied from shot to shot by simply moving the light, let the look of the final shots offer a more dramatic sense than we would have had if we had simply used the blank wall.

Turning around, we were able to make a shot with the desk again by being a little creative with the lighting. With one light for Mr. Morelli, one for a little ambiance in the room, and a third gelled with blue below and behind, we give the shot a little depth and interest as opposed to delivering a standard, deer-in-the-headlights photo that really doesn't do a subject any credit at all. Not that Mr. Morelli needs a photo to help - he's a wonderfully inviting and friendly man whose confidence and intelligence immediately let you know he'd be precisely who you would want on your side should you need his legal services. And next time, folks, we're going to get that shot from the third-floor window like I'd hoped!

Special thanks to Stephen for his running around on that shoot...!

Recently, I was lucky enough to meet two Northern Irish vacationers to America, Jemma and Craig, who were full of questions about our Memorial Day and its significance. I won't get into how we all met last week (Craig, don't forget - in these shady U.S. pubs, the pool table rack is usually in a slot in the back of the table!), but will say that I can't help but wonder what they took away from the holiday weekend between the barbeques and the flags and somber moods. That said, meeting again before they left for Ireland, we went to Jones Beach for the practice workouts of the Blue Angels flight demonstration team and quite a few other jet and propeller-driven performances. It was Jemma's first time to the ocean in the U.S., and I'm pretty sure the first time either of them were treated to an F-22 Raptor in a deafening, vertical climb at 700 knots. My first time, too!

I made about 1,200 images of the jets over three days, and have to admit that the one above from a day before is among my favorites. I have a few dozen close-up, tightly focused shots of the Blue Angels and others in a perfect, cloudless sky - but love the depth and drama of the clouds that rolled in on Thursday. I think it sets this shot apart.

Here are some photos from a few weeks ago, again at the Huntington Cinema Arts Centre, where we managed to get cartoonist and animator Bill Plympton to hold still for a few fun and zany shots.

I've always been a fan of Plympton's, I believe since seeing his animated short Your Face in the late 1980s, for which he won an Oscar nomination. Once you've seen Bill's distinctive style, you recognize it every time you see it - whether it's in a TV commercial or on paper.

For this shot on yellow (which we planned to match his pencil), we pretty much flooded Bill with light from every direction - including dead-on, with a ringflash. The look is a bit harsh, of course, but fun, too, when your subject plays along!

On this second shot, we see Bill signing the back of the theatre's door. The door was lit by a single overhead bulb, but it wasn't bright enough to do the job well enough. So, we had one assistant hold a strobe over his head, and another behind him to create his shadow on the door. Add in a little Photoshop "illustration" effect to stick with the theme, and voila, we nabbed this in about 30 seconds, letting Bill get back to his reception in the theatre.

For the record, the marker he's using here is of the dry-erase type, something I brought along deliberately for my initial plan for this shot...getting him to sign a stall in a public toilet. I think it's safe to say that the plan as it actually happened, with the theatre's logo on the door, worked out better. Ahem.

Don't hestiate to check out Bill's website by clicking HERE - and do watch him via webcam there as he illustrates his latest film short, too cool.

Every now and then when we're making location portraits, a corporate office area offers up a wonderful setting for an image. I knew when we entered the lobby of this particular office building we had to walk away with at least one shot from here, if not just to have that amazing green wallpaper as a background.

As an added bonus on this shot, we had our wonderful subject here take a seat, too, which let us use the table with the flowers in the composition. The only thing we needed to do to make this image as stunning as it is was to have our subject sit, pull a chair next to her out of the way, and trigger one strobe in a large softbox. About 90 seconds total, and voila. Love it when that happens!

We've been back to North Shore Animal League America (NSALA) a few times in the recent weeks, too, making some fun photos for potential use in their 2009 calendar and general stock usage.

I'm smiling here as I type, because we had more than a few laughs trying to get their dogs and cats to be especially cute - by putting on hats, placing them in baskets, and adding props that are appropriate for certain months on the calendar, such as Halloween, or the Fourth of July (aka Rebels' Day, as my Brit pal Alisdair refers to it. . .yeah yeah, ok, Cheers, mate!).

All the while, I'm contorting my 6'3" frame to ground level in a series of one-armed pushups to get to doggie-eye-level, and contorting into positions no Yoga master has dreamed of to keep the camera steady. It's a sweaty workout, this dog photography stuff! But, it all pays off when you view the fruits of your labors...and I think we did a great job, especially thanks to all the cooperative staff and crew at NSALA who stayed so late into the night as we made the photos.

It's been a fairly manic week! We took advantage of the weather and made a few long island family portraits, and took a trip north of the Catskills, and too there was more writing on the subject of photography. Then, Friday night in Huntington I had the opportunity to meet and photograph the iconic David Lynch, writer and director of such films as Eraserhead, Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, and producer and writer of television's legendary Twin Peaks.

When planning to photograph someone who has been photographed so many times before, I like to poke around the Internet and see what other photographers have photographed the subject, and how they approached the shot. . .I want to avoid "just another shot like...", while also making a photograph that the client (Cinema Arts) can use for their archives, and leave space for them to drop in their logo.

I had two ideas for the lighting, and settled happily on the scheme that produced this shot. It's contrasty, with a little light on the background (he's standing in front of that light ) to allow him to be visually separated, but all the while nothing overbearing or too bright.

Mr. Lynch was at the Cinema to take questions from the crowd on his career, as shown here at the podium, and to sign is new book on meditation. Lynch's Foundation provides '...funds for in-school Quiet Time programs utilizing the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique. In the past year, the Foundation has provided millions of dollars for thousands of students, teachers, and parents to learn to meditate. The Foundation also provides funds for independent research institutions to assess the effects of the program on creativity, intelligence, brain functioning, academic performance, ADHD and other learning disorders, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse.' As a once-upon-a-time schoolteacher myself, I can tell you the efforts are commendable.

Mr. Lynch was great to pose for the top series of images, as I think we blind-sided him a little with our lighting setup backstage. But, not only did he take it in stride without so much as flinching, he was also super-great as to be the first one in history to ask me, "Chris, are you sure you have all you need? I'm happy to stay here longer." That says an awful lot about the character of the man, I think. Thanks again, David!

We had another very excited and promising future actor pose for the lenses recently, and we used some local building structures to vary the results of the shoot as much as possible. Beams of light, slits illuminated by sun rays, and soft, overhead light bounced off of light-colored cement walls as shown here flattered Susan, and let us have some fun trying not to laugh too hard as people we knew kept drivign past us in cars.

( The moving cars and light chasing are a good segue, too...I was recently turned on to this post at Reuters, about an assignment editor who thought she'd try making photos for the day(s) instead of the writing. Whoops - harder than you think, especially with dogs;) Read HERE)

Anyway, good luck with the auditions, Susan - but bet you won't need much, you're charming and great!

We were also honored to race through traffic and shoot another fun gathering of the gang at Firstborn Multimedia, who had rented the Sky Rink at NYC's Chelsea Piers for the evening. Owner and president Michael Ferdman treated his talented staff to a couple of hours of ice skating, food and fun while Lindsay and I made images of the event for the archives.

Something different we like to do at parties is set up a quick portrait station for "photo booth"-style images, where the subject is encouraged to have as much fun for three images as they can. Usually we'll do this in black and white to mimic what a photo booth might give you at the carnival, but with the ring flash getting bored of fashion use and fill-lighting only, we brought that along to make some contrasty, color-popping images for this crowd. Safe to say they needed little encouragement to let loose in front of the camera, their kinship and personalities shining...and that's a great thing, saying a lot about what it must be like to work there at Firstborn. Cheers, gang - you're all fantastic for playing along!

We had a fun spin on an assignment last week when we were asked to make a headshot for a film production company. They're working on the sets and props for an upcoming film starring Robert DeNiro, Kate Beckinsale, and Drew Barrymore titled Everybody's Fine, with filming commencing in CT. The fun part for them, as set producers and prop masters, is that they get to slip a little of themselves into scenes from time to time...their name on an office door, paperwork, etc. This time, Gina, as pictured here, will appear inset on a television news broadcast that's integral to a scene in the movie, posing as a news anchor. She's also using a framed family portrait in another scene from the Appoldt archives. Fun stuff!

We were also at North Shore Animal League America a little while back, too, bolstering their advertising stock. We photographed for several hours, bringing in a variety of cats and dogs for their print and advertising use. We usually shoot photos like this using white paper as a backdrop, as it allows for the graphic artists to cut the subject out and use it in a variety of ways.

This shot is of a cat that's a lot bigger than it looks here - it's a Bengal, a relatively new hybrid breed of cat developed to have a gentle and friendly temperament, while exhibiting the markings (such as large spots, rosettes, and a light/white belly), and body structure reminiscent of the wild Asian Leopard Cat. In a nutshell, it's a wild-looking but friendly, affectionate pet.

We had some NSALA staff pop into the shoot as well, making some absolutely endearing images of the interaction between pet and people. This particular couple were the winners of the day, I thought, for heart-wrneching factor.

I was driving to Stamford, CT, this weekend when we missed an exit and had to turn around. The exit we used took us through the quaint town of Mamaroneck, NY, where I did a double-take at the first stop light, spotting a bus stop with a large advertisement for North Shore Animal League on its glass side. It was great to see the image we made with actress Tamara Tunie printed at such a large dimension, and in such a public place (see the released version inset in the photo here). North Shore Animal League America does a wonderful job reaching out to find homes for the dogs and cats in their shelter, and in Mamaroneck particularly from the four other instances of the ad we spotted before FINALLY making it back to 95 North...!

Last week we delivered the framed 16"x20" print of black labs Budge and Boe as presented to the U.S. Army 85th Medical Detachment by America's VetDogs. The print will hang in the hallway of Walter Reed National Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., celebrating the first delivery of the therapy dogs to active medical units in Iraq. I made the photo several months back at the handoff ceremony at VetDog's co-home with The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind in Smithtown, and remark on the event further down on the blog.

So - this week it's a bus stop and a hospital for Appoldt prints, at the very least. Feeling good, here, and so glad to see both NSALA and VetDogs making a difference out there.

Other recent shoots have included this image of a veteran Athletic Director at NYIT in Old Westbury, where we setup in a gym to put her in a context that would help illustrate her various participatory endeavors over the years.

Lighting wasn't too complicated, involving some strobes, some diffusers, and some gels on the light behind her. The catch was that instead of being closed as we'd anticipated, the gym was filled with NYIT students working out on the equipment. This meant that wires needed to be taped down extra securely for safety, and lots of ballerina dancing as I worked in-between the students headed for a workout. Gotta love it when a plan has kinks and makes you hustle a little faster...!

Lastly, here's another installment of the photography-themed What the Duck comic strip...in this case, very appropriate for the tax deadline this week.

The strip jokes that while our feathered photographer is not going to have to write a big check to the Government for taxes, his expenses have about negated his profits...something I've found I really have to watch when writing up invoices lately.

I'm now very careful to include line items on the invoices accounting for paper, battery, and travel expenses, for example, when warranted - it's the little things that get you when you add it all up later. Another way to write the invoices would be to let my fee absorb the costs, but I think this way it's a little more educational to the client - especially as I am never invoicing the general overhead of being a photographer, which includes tens of thousands of dollars of equipment that constantly needs to be updated and replaced...from lenses to cases, from light stands to memory cards. Maybe I should have been a watercolor painter, just to save on expenses...?

It's been a while since I've offered any prints for sale, and have been very negligent in keeping a local gallery presence with any of my works. From time to time I've listed prints for sale here, and figure I should continue the tradition when I find the time to put some of my (and your) favorites through a diligent print proofing process, to ensure that they're transferring to the printed form with the quality they should.

This series of prints will all feature text on their three sizes, and I'm printing fifty of each to keep the cost down to buyers. I suppose that makes these "limited editions," which is something I've tried to steer clear of in most cases as often it's to be considered a marketing ploy. . .there's not much to say I won't print them again on demand. So - let's call these Limited Editions in this print run!

The first image above is of the Montauk Point Lighthouse, here on Long Island's East End. I made the photograph late in the afternoon on an overcast day, and found that the late winter grasses were a nice anchoring element to incorporate into the image.

At left is an image of a Moon Orchid, made during a workshop under the tuteledge of photographer Stephen Lang. The image was lit with a single diffused strobe, and offers the viewer a naturally-occuring composition of nature's finest.

Below is a photograph made last fall, in Bushkill, Pennsylvania, featuring the lower portion of Bushkill Falls. The lighting was soft and just right for valley, captured from an overpassing footbridge with a Nikon D200 and 12-24mm lens to show a wide angle view that encompasses as much color and texture available.

There are 50 prints of each available in the following sizes and prices:

-11x14 @ $69.00

-16x20 @ $95.00

-20x30 @ $135.00

These prints arrive on Kodak Endura archival paper, and are made with inks that should resist fading for over a century. Each is signed by request only (sometimes signatures are rather awkward), and the price includes shipping and handling to anywhere in the continental US.

There will be more in this format to follow, and please don't hesitate to write or call with requests for non-conformal prints outside of the series.

Payments can be mailed (please contact for address) or made with credit card to my PayPal account, which has a payment email address as cappoldt@yahoo.com

They make a great gift, too!

I usually don't mention it, as this site is about photography, but I also do a formidable amount of writing and editing on a daily basis - and these past few weeks too quite a bit of print production. My schedule has been hectic, as deadlines loom.

So, not particularly able to promote myself lately it was nice to get a call from Huntington's Village Connection magazine about how they wanted to feature me in their "Local Exposure" section in the April issue (on stands approx. April 4). Everyone at the magazine was great to work and chat with, so a special thanks to them for calling!!

The two-page spread offers quite the variety of images, spanning people, pets, wildlife, a landscape, and hey - even a new self-portrait of moi.

The spread mentions that I consider myself a "...photography generalist, with an emphasis on portraiture." This is often considered the kiss of death in this business, by the way. You can't be a generalist anymore and succeed, they say. You must specialize, tailor your portfolio to that specialty, and stick with it.

Yeah well, easier said than done.

Portraiture is a driving force with me, and I love meeting new people and figuring out how to flatter them in photographs. Now, if people stopped calling me to photograph dogs and parrots, I likely wouldn't shoot them that often, as much as I love to - and those I consider portraits too, so you know. If I didn't take these trips to make stock images of wildlife and landscapes that sold pretty well through my stock distributors, I likely wouldn't post any of those on my site either (but I'd still make the photos - I simply have too much passion for the birds and camping, and even getting up early enough to meet the dawn is something I enjoy). But too I'm often called on for shots of new homes, products, etc. The variety is stimulating, challenging, fun, and keeps me on the move.

So. I'll stop being a generalist if clients stop asking me to be. Fair enough? Good!

At left, here's the wonderful Mya, who has been fantastically kind and generous in supporting the North Shore Animal League America's Tour for Life .

Mya was in Port Washington recently to help kick off the campaign, and gave a very warm-hearted speech to introduce herself and the League's efforts.

It was a partly cloudy day around noon, which meant instead of harsh, top-down hard light and deep shadows we had soft, even lighting for photography. A friend pointed out the other day that photographers are some of the few who are gleeful when it's partly cloudy. Yup!

Thanks for all the kind words sent on the avian photographs in my last post - ! Encouraged, I'll put up a few more from the trip to Sanibel, FL. At left, here's a tight shot of a great egret with lunch. The thing about photographing birds in FL is that they're often very tolerant of humans' close proximity, so when you think you're about to make a nicely composed shot that shows the bird's entire beak he steps a little closer to you, to enjoy his meal further from the other birds. So, while I lost the tip of his beak, I still ended up with one of the most detalied shots I've ever made.

This laughing gull was hanging out on the beach at the water's edge, so I took the camera off the tripod and attached it to a home-made "ground pod," which let me keep the camera stable while in a prone position. The idea is that you want to be as close to a subject's eye level as possible, and as this fella was on the sand as opposed to a tree branch, getting low was the order of the day.

Gulls will get used to your presence pretty quickly...and if you wait them out they're bound to yawn eventually, as you see here, allowing a more interesting image.

Attack of the clones! This group of beach-combing sanderlings struck me as a young group, as they wouldn't stray far from the location on the beach I found them in the day before. So, I figured I'd see if I could crawl up with that home-made ground pod again and get a few frames. A very wide f-stop kept the depth of field very limited, allowing for the composition to work a little better as the eye isn't pulled to the others behind the lead in the wedge-shaped configuration they strode into in order to check me out.

This year marked an absolutely wonderful and successful return to Sanibel Island in Florida, where the birding is simply first rate. I'm driven by nature photography, especially when it's of avian subjects...I thank dad for that, as he loved pointing out birds to my brother and me. Also, I remember as a boy that dad always had a birding guide nearby that drew me into its pages, offering its colorful illustrations and curious descriptions of the different habits and nests of the birds.

Aiming for some well-composed images for magazine and general image stock, we wanted some artful photographs that could have text added in above and around them . . .and Sanibel Island and its surrounding areas was the perfect location to try and create those images.

So, it was back to the books on making sure all of the wealth of knowledge out there on popular - as well as competent - avian images was in the forefront of my mind before boarding the plane.

This burrowing owl above, who nests - surprise! - in a burrow - was very tolerant of a slow approach on my belly, which included some audible grunts as thorns and ground debris tore up my forearms. But the low, late-afternoon light was golden, a little diffused by clouds, and otherwise perfect ...so of course I was compelled! About 10 inches tall, this species is a real charmer and a treat to be able to photograph.

Not nearly as common as the brown pelican, a tip from a local fishermen led me to a pond where a few dozen white pelicans were wintering. Photographing white, moving birds in outdoor, changing daylight conditions is tough; you have to be careful with what your camera meter is telling you, as its not sure what you're trying to do and the big blob of white comfuses it. The proper exposure for this guy was almost a full stop of light less than the camera suggested, and bless digital for being able to give me that in a technical language on the back of the camera so I could compensate. Once the exposure was dialed in, it was only a matter of waiting about 30 minutes before I had a series of photographs like this one - and my image library had a new, gorgeous species.

The great blue heron (often known to ornitholigists as the GBH, but to me as the GEB, or Great Elusive Bastard) has always been a grail bird for me. They're pretty common even here in NY, but for some reason I'm never holding a camera with a telephoto lens when one is around. So this year, I was thrilled to locate about 5 of them in one place and have them cooperate to the degree that they did!

Added bonus for the shot is that he's feeding, so there's some diversity to the images aside from the bird "standing there." Another added bonus is that this fella's in breeding plumage. See the plume coming out the back of his head? That's a dead giveaway that he's looking for a girlfriend. Very cool.

Want to send a thank you out to www.lensprotogo.com for their great customer service and affordable rental fees. They sent me a brand-new, never used Nikon 400mm f2.8 VR lens for the gig, and it was a great performer...it gave such vivid colors and contrast, and offered super-fast autofocus. At almost ten pounds, it took a bit of getting used to in regards to handling - but in the end, bruises on my shoulder aside, the perfect tool for the job.

Playing catch-up on posts, this week it's a rather diverse entry in this journal. I paid a visit to a feathered friend's home, where his adoptive parents wanted his portrait made for some home decor. We're likely going to print a set of three images as he goes through some supermodel motions, and perhaps print them on canvas as gallery wraps - a cool presentation.

To light the shot, we used soft light and hard light; a single strobe in a diffused box for soft light illuminating the bird and the perch, as well as a white reflector behind to bring some light back in from the opposite side - giving us a wrap-around, three-dimensional feel.

We also used a "gridded" strobe on the green paper background to create the bright circular highlight you see, bringing the viewer in to what is obviously the subject of the photo - and adding some emphasis.

This friendly pup and his sibling also posed for us recently, and at this time of year with nothing but bare trees and muddy lawns we needed to control perspective a bit to make the portraits aesthetically pleasing. So, in the owner's backyard, we used the red storage shed as a background, throwing it out of focus, to keep our subject isolated. The light was soft, a mostly cloudy day - though it was brighter behind the shed at that hour. So we faced him away from the brighter part of the sky to add a defining/separating edge, and popped a Nikon SB flash unit in a small softbox to even out the illumination - and add a little twinkle to his eye.

Oh by the way, pup, the dry cleaner was able to get all the mud off my jacket after your enthusiastic greeting...how about next time, we just shake?

Lastly, we spent a quick evening with Annabelle to make a few potential images for her upcoming book jacket. It was almost dark outside, and the sky offered nothing but heavy cloud cover. To add a little life and creativity, we again used the small and portable Nikon SB flash in a small softbox to add the light for her portrait. As the colors were drab and gloomy, we spiced things up a bit by adding a warming gel to the flash, and setting the digital camera's white balance to match. This let the sky go cool blue - a quick and effective technicque for countering the winter duldrums!

Typically, December through March are the slowest months. It's cold, budgets are being reworked, and holidays infringe on everyone's time to schedule. These past few months, though, I've been pretty crazy - anything BUT slow. Between advertising, word-of-mouth, and referrals I've been on more jobs lately than anytime I can remember. This is a good thing! I've usually posted images on this blog from just days past, but am now falling behind in keeping you updated with what's new. Sorry 'bout that!

This shot is of a particular charming and giving Doctor on the campus of NYIT Old Westbury, and the image may well be one of my favorites, ever. We were shooting editorial photos on the second-floor landing of a lecture hall, and the architecture was just perfect for building strong compositions with leading lines that woked well with human subjects (thanks to Diego, Photo Editor and location scout extrordinaire). When my subject walked out of the range of my main strobe to peer over the railing, instead of stopping and waiting for him to get back on his mark I kept shooting - a habit I'll now incorporate every time if not just for thoroughness. The backgroud strobe was strong enough to turn the opposite wall into a giant reflector, which gave the scene an almost eerie glow....and certainly a cinematic look.

These three photographs are of Jessica Ingui, a young lady with some incredible talent in the singing department. Very impressed over here, I was delighted to have her, some family, and a friend over for some workups to help promote her and her undoubtedly appropriate singing career.

We started with a classic fashion/beauty lighting setup, and emphasized the theme of "blue," to let her eyes be the center of focus. When we pulled out with the lens, we still had a great shot that let us catch a ton of variations on the theme.

With a quick change of clothes, we next went to a new lighting scheme and color backdrop. Want to make a subject interesting? Don't light of all of it! The shadow play adds a little mystery, and gives a bit of depth to the image.

Jessica was a real trouper through all of this, by the way. I dare say she was in the top three most cooperative and fun to work with subjects I've ever had, and on top of that she got into the groove of working the camera very, very quickly - something the shy and inhibited usually can't adjust to with such haste. So, as much as I'd like to take some credit for it, I'm really going to throw the shoot's success back at her as being a great subject.

In the last moments of the daylight, we made it outside to a nearby location I like to use as illustrated by this image. With one portable strobe to add a little "kick" to her face, we nabbed yet another series of great shots.

Thanks to Jessica and her dad Jason for the fun time, I really appreciate it - and wish Jessica all the best with her undoubtedly up-and-coming career. To see more and hear some of Jessica, check her out by clicking HERE.

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of working with Bideawee, Alan Colmes, and Monica Crowley on a really fun shoot in Bideawee's offices in Manhattan. The reason we all came together was to create some images to supplement Alan and Monica's First Great Pet Debate on Bideawee's website, where "...Two of TV and radio's most outspoken political pundits, from opposite sides of the political spectrum but the same side of the family tree (Alan is married to Monica's sister), bring you the "scoop" on the candidates, the controversy, and the dog and cat fights in this historical First Pet Race of 2008."

It's a fun idea, and the launch of the website seems to be going really well.

Monica and Alan were wonderful to work with, and we enjoyed a lot of laughs with good spirits as they posed for the 'argumentative' shots to portray their opposing cat & dog views. We posed them with some of Bideawees temporary residents as well, of course, with furry friends coming out on set too for some camera time.

This was the second shoot in which I employed Nikon's new D300 digital SLR body, and I have to say I'm thrilled with the results. Nikon's new CMOS sensor captures skin tones very well, especially with the availability of a D2X (their former flagship camera) algorithm for nice color gradients. Add to that some large, soft light sources and some pleasant subjects, and we're off and running with a great new camera set in the arsenal.

Thanks to Monica and Alan for volunteering their time, and to all the hospitality and fun from the fine folks at Bideawee.

I've been out of the loop for several days, having made a trip to Tulum, Mexico, on the Mayan Riviera. Tulum is about an hour and a half south of Cancun, a small town that's turning into yet another tourist retreat, but still retaining enough local heritage and flavor to make it a fantastic trip culturally.

The area is not a big destination for Spring Break folk, though the beaches there are legend and seem to cater to a 30-plus crowd.

We stayed at a great little hotel in town proper, as opposed to one of the beach clubs/resorts on the strip. I can't reccommend the hotel enough, it was great. About 8 rooms, a bed & breakfast-style morning with the other guests and the owners. . .and it was then we'd receive good tips on where to go, where to eat, where NOT to go, where NOT to eat. Consider staying at the Luna del Sur if you're headed that way, I promise you won't regret it.

The area around Tulum offers beach clubs and Mayan ruins, a perfect blend of things to do from my perspective. The Mayan cities were fascinating, and the 1,000 year-old sites well preserved. Tulum's sites are mostly ocean-front, and you can spend at least a few hours exploring there, no problem.

There were lots of little shops in the area, too, to cater to the hoardes of tour buses bringing people in from Cancun on day trips. Lots of fun little things to buy, and most prices are negotiable. I personally enjoyed haggling for the Cuban cigars...

I should note here that we drove ourselves, opting out of the mass-tourist-style vacation. The roads were often open and desolate, and other drivers polite, though frequently surpassing the speed limits...we saw at least one fatal accident in just 5 days of visiting.

However, that didn't dissuade me from piloting the Jeep across 300 miles of the Yucatan to get to the Mayan city of Chichen Itza, one of the largest and most mysterious of the excavated Mayan ruins. Their civilization was incredible, and their knowledge of math, astronomy, and building incredibly impressive. We hired a personal guide to take us through the ruins, and I highly recc that anyone traveling there do the same so that a lot of the intricacies of the site can be explained. If you have any interest from where you're sitting, read this Wikipedia entry HERE.

Neat stuff this past weekend! I hosted a small gathering for a stock shoot featuring a fine feathered collection of parrots. . .and the turnout was great. Here you can see a sun conure, a Major Mitchell's cockatoo, a black-capped conure, a white-bellied caique, and the largest of all parrots, a hyacinth macaw.

I had a steady stream of fun locals, all member of the Long Island Parrot Society, streaming into the studio for most of the afternoon. The birds were all well-behaved, interesting, and cooperative. A few (yes you, Bentley), even seem to be now familliar with me and my lenses, and are taking the time to do a few 'vogue' poses.

Thanks to everyone, both bipedal and feathered, for the shoot - the editors at you-know-where are asking for a few already, so I'll cross my fingers we get you into print in the magazine soon.

And how can I forget Oso. . .all 175lbs. of him? Oso came out to Port Washington this past weekend as well, for a full portrait workup in-studio and out. Oso is a Newfoundland, a breed that's large for a reason - he's a natural human lifesaver. Like other Newfoundlands, Oso had just about the sweetest disposition you could ask for, and was very cooperative in front of the camera. It took me a while to get used to his size - man, is that some dog. And his adoptive parents swear he barely eats a thing. . .

He was a little afraid of the steps going down from the studio shoot (ok, he was VERY afraid, as his hips have been giving him trouble), but he eventually made it down and out to a good park for romping, as shown here. Promise next time, Oso, we'll spare you those steps...if you remember to bring a bib.

This shot is from an editorial shoot for a local university magazine, and one I think worked out pretty well. The setting was an atrium, which we cooled using the digital white balance in the camera to a smooth blue, but left our subjects in warmer light. The leading lines and shapes, and even the ceiling fans, lent themselves to the compostion for an overall solid look.

That said, looking over this image and the past couple of dozen shoots is making me look at the results critically, searching for things I can be sure to improve on for the future. One thing I've pressed myself to do lately is not settle into a routine, as the idea of that scares me a little...I'd hate to look over a year's work and find the collection as a whole...stale.

So, I'll keep pushing to avoid that routine, and try to push my boundaries a little.

It's one of those weeks where the universe aligns itself, causing it to rain pugs. Likely an occurence as rare as Haley's comet, after last week's visit by Lucy Liu the pug, I photographed three more of the same breed in the past six days. . .what a great breed, and what a great time.

It started with the return of Deni Alexander Designs - this time with a fawn-colored Pug, Sushi - to make some additional shots for the advertising featuring the dress you saw last week (below). This time, when we wrapped, we made some additional images as shown above. . .some pretty swanky portraits, I think.

To take them a little beyond the norm we used a "beauty dish," which pretty much looks like a giant mixing bowl with a disk inside. Essentially, by making a bounced, indirect light source, it creates a lovely cone of contrasty light - don't you think?

Back in late November, when we covered the North Shore Animal League Gala, we also donated a portrait sitting to the League's silent auction. The winning couple of the auction (thanks for your generosity!) brought their two pugs into Port Washington to shoot their session, and we had a fun time (the dogs the most, I dare say) romping around the waterfront in Port Washington with late afternoon light to help us make the images. We went with a black & white conversion on many of them, as the grass was more brown than green this time of year, so kind of unattractive. I'm delighted to report our auction winners love the proofs, but now are so torn between color and b&w on the delivery prints that we're stalled while they decide. No problem - would hate it if they didn't like them at all, so take your time!

I also made my way over to the campus of NYIT for a shoot to provide photographs for their magazine, and had a history lesson in the process. We made the portraits in the de Seversky Center, an enchanting corporate meeting and catering locale. The house was built in 1916 for businessman and philanthropist Alfred I. Du Pont, and was the set for a few scenes from the 1981 film Arthur, starring Dudley Moore (I took my first date ever to that movie...so go on, do the math...it was 7th grade...).

Atbove-left is the new Director of Alumni Relations, Mr. Joseph Fortini. Mr. Fortini is a tall and charming man with a great sense of humor and clever wit, so in addition to having a great setting to make some nice portraits of him we had a little fun with the shoot, too.

Special thanks to the mag Editor Michael; Michael, I won't forget to dig up that Lucas item I mentioned...and thanks for everything.

Well I'll be - at left, see the cover of the just-published special issue of Popular Dogs magazine, which centers on Bulldogs. That's Munch on the cover, a pet photograph I made a few months back when with the pup's owner Deirdre and some other fine folks from the Long Island Bulldog Rescue group in St. James on Long Island. Dog photography was never so easy and fun as with this group, and the hits kept on comin' as one dog after another posed for the photos.

Munch received a double-whammy of good news this week; in addition to scoring the cover of the magazine, he was accepted to show at Westminster next month. Keep an eye out for him in the ring on Feb. 11. Good luck, Munch!

Here's another pet photograph we made here in Port Washington of Lucy Liu (no relation, best of my knowledge, to the film actor), a blue pug. Lucy Liu is donning a bridal gown, hot off the sewing machine, as designed by the utmost of cool Deni Alexander of Deni Alexander Designs. The photo will be used for a Bitch New York advertisement in Modern Dog magazine, so keep your eyes peeled for their Spring Issue.

Special thanks to Deni, who was a lot of fun to work with. Deni "gets it," if you know what I mean. . .so we had a lot of fun with the dry sarcasm and Ren & Stimpy references during the shoot. I'll have to get her together with pal Cherie at Ripe Art Gallery, as I'm pretty sure they're doppelgangers; can't wait to see what happens from a quantum physics standpoint when they try to occupy the same space at the same time.

Last but by no means least, here's a photograph from a family portrait session we did here on Long Island with Port Washington local Shari, her husband, and two great kids. The weather was warm enough for us to hit the beach for a few minutes in the fading light, which let us capture some wonderful, evenly-lit photograhs of them all.

I met Shari a few weeks back at her birthday party, which I also photographed, and in the process had a wonderful time meeting her friends and family. Speaking of, she needs to see the rest of her proofs from this shoot, so I have to sign off and get to work...

One quick note on the status of the photography industry and its relation to Copyright law:

Photographs, like any artwork, are protected by U.S. and International Copyright law the moment they're created. Diligent photographers send in their work to the Copyright office in Washington DC about once a month, myself included - and often, I'll also watermark them visibly as Copyrighted. Regardless, the metadata - the information embedded in the digital file - is also always there.

But, that doesn't always stop folks from swiping photo from the Internet, especially blogs like this one. And sometimes, the images will even be used commercially. So figure that - someone downloads a photograph without permission, then uses it to help bring in more business for their own profit. Not good. Not fair, either. Also, not legal. If you're bored, read the story in the Washington Post about some real horror stories, in a piece titled "Hey, Isn't that...."

Happy new year! After a quiet and relaxing holiday break, business as usual continues here - so imagine me cracking my knuckles and cleaning my lenses in anticipation of a wonderful 2008.

Just before the holiday, I paid a visit to regular clients at the Great Neck, Long Island law firm of Garfunkel, Wild, & Travis for some additional corporate-style headshots of their newest attorneys. The headshots were consistent with the rest of their website and promotional offerings, used for their guides and listings. With recurring work such as this, I like the familiarity of the offices, their welcoming staff, and the lighting setup we decided to use back when we started the project over a year ago.

The look is clean, the lighting focuses us on the face of the (primarily healthcare) attorneys, and at this point we have a nice routine down where setup and take-down of the gear is a snap.

As it's easier and easier for me as time goes on with something like this, it's also great for my clients who expect a similar if not identical photography product as we see each other again and again over time. I have more than a few regular clients, both commercial and family, that have me back (or send assignments) regularly to do their photography, and at the beginning of a new year it's always on my mind to say "thanks!" for both the business and the trust. It's always a pleasure.

On that note, I returned again to the offices of North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington to begin what will be a long-term project of photographing various "standard" types of pups for their American Mutt-i-Grees Club, a program the League is starting to help adoptive families bring some lineage to their new family member. Eventually the photography of the dogs will be used online and in print to help you figure out just what your "Mutt-i-Gree" dog's breed history may be! It's a fun project, and as usual a great time working with the fine folks at NSALA (thanks, Devera!).

Last week I spent some time at the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind in Smithtown (Long Island) making portraits and photographs for the Foundation's affiliate, America's Vet Dogs. For the first time in the history of the United States Army, skilled therapy dogs, provided by VetDogs, will be deployed to Iraq to help relieve combat stress of soldiers in the field. It was a great experience meeting the people (and wagging tails) behind this effort, and we had a lot of fun making the images together.

I've had more than a few soldiers in front of my lenses lately, from fund-raising events to casual encounters, and can say that they all take their jobs seriously - and that often, that means I'm not likely to get a smile out of them! I understand completely of course - no one wants to represent their branch of the military as looking anything but their most serious, professional selves. But this shoot broke down our uniformed servicemen rather quickly, as shown left - which I think is a great indicator as to how well the program with the dogs will go as they head overseas, bringing unconditioal affection and attention to service men and women who could likely use a paw, or...a lick.

Following the portrait session, I joined cameras from CNN and many other news stations and newspapers to photograph the hand-off ceremony, clicking away through a flawless presentation that gave us some great speakers and history on the landmark proceedings. With studio strobes and light modifers in another room for the images shown above, I also made some headshots of GDF's Chief Executive Officer Wells B. Jones and others, taking advantage of the VetDog backdrop in place for the event.

Great job to all involved, and thanks for having me.

I recently made my way over to the New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury on Long Island to make some corporate portraits of a new vice president and dean, allowing me an opportunity to meet some really great people and explore the campus - which is gorgeous. I've always wanted to make casual portraits on the campus' front lawn area, where a grove of trees offers about as picturesque a setting as imagineable - especially in the fall.

This time, though, we headed into the library for the shots. With several locations to choose from, I loved the the curving wall of windows in front most, and set up some strobes there to make the image you see here. I think it works from several perspectives, especially as the university is technology-centered; the architecture and design of the library is very modern, lending itself as an appropriate environment for the portrait.

I also wanted to share a few from a recent family portrait session on Long Island, where the young man and young lady pictured at left were kind enough to let us make some wonderful keepsakes for their parents. For the first shot, we created a make-shift set in the living room...I loved the drapes, knowing it would offer a non-distracting yet attractive background. A plush rug underneath and some diffused studio strobes I brought to the location did the rest. Check out that smile, he just wouldn't stop...awesome.

It was really too cold to do what we wanted to do outside, but in the 5 minutes we tried we had some really great light in the backyard. The wind was really helping make it uncomfortable, but gave us just enough motion in the young lady's hair to give the image some flair. I'm particularly pleased to show with this shot that I am FINALLY comfortable with the way my digital black & white conversions are turning out. It's easy to simply desaturate an image to grayscale, but getting it to look like the glory days of film has taken a few years of experimentation.

"What the Duck," a comic strip that centers on the photography business, is a favorite read over here. I even chose to buy some of the creator Aaron Johnson's holiday cards this year to send to clients. I should post them more often, as they do get me to chuckle almost every time. ..and the scenarios are almost always so close to home it's as if Johnson is a fly on the wall in my office. This time though, I'll just post the little ironic stab you see here. See more at www.whattheduck.net

Last Sunday morning here in the NYC area it was bitter cold and snowing, with trecherous roads and perhaps more trecherous drivers. . .but it didn't keep us from arriving for an 8:30 a.m. setup at the offices of Doctors Ferrari, Aldieri, and Kahn for a shoot that enlisted the smiling aid of about 14 of their patients and two helpful makeup artists/stylists.

The shoot was for their advertising collateral, to allow them a catalog of images to use to promote their marvelous dental work. I was very impressed by their approach of using their own clients as it clearly transmits that they're proud of their work, and keeps it "all in the family."

We enjoyed music, catering, and laughs as we posed everyone on a white, seamless backdrop which allows for a photograph that keeps the subject as the only object of interest in the shot. Too, it lets you "cut out" the person, and use them on literature, posters, and websites with minimal fuss, as white offers no color fringing when you use an editing program to put them into a poster with text on it, etc.

Those are our talented and amicable dentists there on the bottom, and they were a great trio to work with. Their offices are gorgeous, comfortable, clean, and impeccably decorated. Their equipment is state-of-the art, and overall my impression is that it's the finest dental office I've ever been in. Their clients are from all over Long Island and the NYC boroughs, so if you're in the market by all means head in for a consultation...Check out their website (which is about to have a lot more photos on it!) by clicking HERE.

At left is Mike, with whom I enjoyed working for years. Many months back I was surprised to hear him tell me he'd be leaving the job, joining the Army, and shipping out in a few weeks. We all loved working with Mike, but were excited for him as we knew his future held something great. As pictured, he's right out of the Army's Airborne training school and home on holiday leave. I haven't seen Mike since a few days before he shipped to Basic Training so the changes in his physical appearance alone warranted I grab the camera for a quick shot in the parking lot.

A pal asked me how I made this shot in three minutes, improntu, and I told him there wasn't much to it. The catch is that you have to shoot your camera on the Manual setting that lets you control the shutter and f-stop, and too you must have the ability to control an off-camera flash strobe. Most Nikon digital SLRs have this flash-control capability built-in, so I was good to go. I metered the cloudy sky, and set the aperture to under-expose it by about a stop and a half, which would make it dark gray (those are clouds, though featureless ones). Then I had an assistant hold the flash about three paces to my right, high enough to be just over Mike's head. From there I just adjusted the flash strength until I had a nice exposure.

Mike, it was great to see you, friend. Happy holidays, KATN, and stay safe - we're all proud of you.

It was time again for the North Shore Animal League's DogCatemy Awards fundraiser at the Capitale ballroom and restaurant on Bowery in the city, where celebrities and fine folks with good hearts gathered to do good for the League. I worked the red carpet with some press photographers, capturing smiles from NSALA spokesperson Beth Ostrosky and her fiancee Howard Stern, Richard Belzer, Miss New York USA, Katie Lee Joel, Hallie Kate Eisenberg, Rachel Ray, Jodi Applegate, and many more generous actors and personalities. From there I left the wire photographers as we went in to dinner, where short films made by entrants competed for the DogCatemy Awards - all great fun, and a good cause.

While at the Gala, I caught up with Cheryl from Leashes and Lovers and lots of other friends and clients - was great to see you all, and may I say you were all looking handsome, beautiful, and were perfectly charming.

Me? What was I wearing? Well. I called the ballroom in advance, and asked what their waiters and table bus people were wearing, so that I might "blend" better and get some cool candid shots. So, black pants, black dress shirt - the usual. What I DIDN'T count on was being scolded by the coat check staff upon my arrival, who insisted that me AND my coat had better get to the kitchen pronto, because I was very late. I was also handed more than a few empty drink glasses throughout the night.

Yeah. Laugh it up, 'cause you know I took the empty glasses with a smile and nod and walked all over looking for someplace to put ithem down. . .

Anyway, if you'd like to see more from the Gala, just click the dog on my site's hompage, navigate to Client Proofs, and type the password in all lower-case: nsala

At left, what I feel was a very successful family portrait of the Speeds in Greenlawn. They were given a portrait sitting as a gift, and had the image you see printed on a 20"x30" canvas - it looked just wonderful. They're also sending the photo out on this year's holiday cards, something many of my clients choose to do - and sometimes, we weave in some personal flair for the intended recipients.

Earl here, a border collie mix, had his portrait made with a Yankees backdrop, as his owner, who received the portraits as a gift, is a big fan. Great gift idea, and a lot of fun to shoot. To get the shot, we set up a few studio strobes, and simply draped the Yankees pennant/flag instead of a paper or cloth backdrop - worked like a charm. Earl...just love that name for a dog.

Recognize the fellow at left? Here's a few hints - his talk show format launched the genre as we know it, and aired longer than Oprah's. He's collected 20 Emmy Awards and the George Peabody Broadcasting Journalism Award, and hails from Ohio. Ok, that was likely too many hints...

It was great of Mr. Donahue to pose for a formal portrait while at the Cinema Arts Centre last week, which he did graciously after discussing and introducing his new film, Body of War. Wonderfully approachable and still at the top of his game for intelligent and engrossing speaking, I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet him.

Could mention lots of shutter clicks these past few weeks, as I've been running around enjoying myself making scores of holiday photos for families, and have had a few editorial shoots, too. All of it will culminate with the arrival of Turkey Day, and then I'll have a few days off to receive an old pal who'll stay with me for a few days as we visit friends of yester-year at our High School Reunion. I'm not telling you how many years it's been, so don't ask...I don't like to think about it.

A quick note on leaving comments on this blog: I've been forced to disable comments for now, as some clever folks figured out how to write computer code that searches the Internet and leaves multiple remarks about hair growth formulas and other fancy pills all over the Blogosphere...my blog included. If you have a comment you'd like posted, just shoot me an email and I'll put it up - thanks!

Some sad news came in via television, radio, and the newspapers (read HERE) regarding the discovery of a large puppy mill in Virginia from which authorities removed nearly one thousand dogs from a breeding operation where the pups were found crammed into tiny cages, some covered in feces, and some in very poor health as a result of the expereince as a whole. It's a shame that such operations exist at all, a harsh reality that should remind everyone that the almighty dollar will motivate people to do some of the most deplorable things. . .in this case, breed dogs en masse, with little regard to in-breeding health dangers, place stress on females forced to have too many litters, and the storing of the animals like they were TV sets as they wait to be shipped to the highest bidding pet shop.

Please know that over one hundred of these dogs were taken in by North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington on Long Island, and will be available for adoption first thing this Friday morning. They're all wonderful, and all desperately in need of a loving family.

I spent the evening at the League last night, photographing a few dozen of the puppies for their website and literature. The pups were all cute, and some so obviously sad and mistreated that it broke the heart. They loved the attention, and it's clear that they need and crave it. One in particular just sat in the back corner of its cage, staring at the floor with its back to the door...an obvious indicator of what its been through. Please, if you're considering a pet for someone special this holiday season, stop in at NSALA to see the dogs they've taken in from the Virginia mill rescue. They're open very early, and very, very late - easy to access. Thanks!

A few months back, we spent the morning at Islip's McArthur Airport to photograph Southwest Airline's Ground Crew manager, and this past week I received the tear sheet via email for the job. You can read more of the details on the shoot further down on this blog, but suffice it to say it was a lot of fun, especially the behind-the-scenes tour of the airport. . .it's not everyday you get an all-access pass to a runway, and get to use a Boeing 737 as a prop!

This month Bird Talk magazine's 25th Anniversary issue hit the stands, and sure enough, there's Joan Napolitano's African Grey, Charlie, up close and personal on the cover (and in the centerfold, AND in the back page ad for a bird food vendor who purchased some of his images for stock!). Congrats, Charlie!

The shoot was a lot of fun, and challenged his rules on personal space as we moved in as tightly as we could with a 60mm macro lens.

Did I mention I love this bird? Charlie and Joan, thanks!

A few weeks ago I spent an afternoon at ACDS in Plainview, making photographs of students for the school's website and promotional material. What a fun (and fast-paced!) afternoon...with some of the most charming kids ever to sit in front of my cameras!

We wanted a lot of versatility available for the resulting photographs, so we chose a gray backdrop that could later be brightened or darkened (or even completely removed) in software. It's little things like this you have to think about when considering the photographs' destination and use, as gray and white don't offer color fringing in hair and clothing when you're working in programs like Photoshop. If you used red or blue or yellow, for example, it would be a lot easier to see the post-production work on the photographs.

A little about ACDS, from their website: ACDS is dedicated to providing lifetime resources of exceptional quality, innovation and inclusion for individuals with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities and their families. As Long Island's leading service provider for children and adults with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities, ACDS provides a continuum of year-round programs and services that include diagnostic evaluations and treatment, early intervention, day care/ nursery, preschool, special education and clinical services for children, from infancy to age 5; individualized residential services (IRA) for adults, age 21 and over; and evening and weekend recreation and socialization services for children, age 5 and over. The agency also provides nursery/day care programs in an integrated setting, with typically developing children.

The image at left offers a glimpse at what just might be the most adorable toddler to ever pose for me - and pose she did, like a pro. Her clasped hands just put this image over the top, I think! Notice how by cutting down and directing the light, we were able to allow the same background to appear darker, bring the focus to her face and hand position. There's the benefit of that gray-colored backdrop again...

Here's a portrait of Scott Ritter, made in the few minutes we had together before he went on-stage at the Huntington Cinema Arts Center to speak about his new book, Target Iran. Ritter, I'm sure many of you recall, was an authority during his tenure as a United Nations' Weapons Inspector - particularly when he was the Chief Inspector in Iraq with UNSCOM after the first Gulf War. He's still an authority now, though his credentials have changed from U.N. inspector to author and speaker. His opposition to many of the Bush Administration's policies has made his TV appearances extremely controversial depending on your politics, so if you're interested in learning more about Mr. Ritter and what he has to say, I'll recc his book, which you can find by clicking on the link above.

For his portrait, I felt a scarlet color would be appropriate for the seriousness of this man's mood and message. There's open space for text to be added later, of course, but too, this man often stands alone - so I wanted to illustrate that as well. The lighting was crafted in my studio before the on-location shoot, and while arguably minimal, I hoped to sculpt just Ritter's personality , which if you've met him - or even just seen him speak on the news - you'd know projects as friendly, educated, and earnest - yet with the utmost gravity of a man who almost knows too much.

I recently had an opportunity to spend a few days in Pennsylvania, where my lenses joined forces with quite a few other Long Island photographers from NWPLI as we sought out some scenic waterfalls in the Bushkill area.

The weather was near perfect, offering cool nights and mild afternoons to hike the miles of trails and man-made paths that snaked their way through the rocky region, allowing view after spectacular view of the many creeks and streams. All of the waters head towards the Delaware River, twisting through the stone faces of the hills and moutains to bring the main falls' 100-foot -tall roar to life with mist and foam. Nutshell? Pretty damn cool.

The falls in Bushkill were first opened to the public in 1904, when the Peters family - whose decendants still own and operate the area - built a swinging bridge over the main falls. There are actually eight sets of waterfalls in the Buskill portion of the trails, making the area one of the most unique places to visit in the Poconos.

With 30lbs. of camera gear on my back - and over 1,000 steps to area inclines and staircases, I was pretty well beat up by the end of the weekend. But, the shots shown here made it worth the while for me, and certainly reminded me that with the cool weather coming? I have to make an effort to excercise some more. . .might just avoid steps and stairs for a bit, though...

Firstborn Multimedia, who design interactive and print media as well as websites for such clients as Victoria's Secret, Calvin Klein, Madonna, and many more celebrated their tenth anniversary last week at the elegant and stylish Xchange. The attendees were in great spirits, particularly president and founder Michael Ferdman, who was surrounded by his talented and creative staff as well as loved ones and clients. Congrats to all - your work is brilliant (take this particualry from a guy who's tried to do this stuff on his own), fashionably edgy, and attention grabbing - which is undoubtedly why you've carved your way into your vast client lists' hearts in such a competitive market. Kudos, and hat's off to what is undoubtedly the first of many decades to come!

The Xchange venue was envigorating and attractive, in a converted warehouse in West Chelsea - overlooking the Hudson River. Staffed by professionals who sure know how to make a party swing, guests' reception was provided by the charming ladies at left. We made this shot by backlighting them with a radio-triggered strobe, taking advantage of the architecture. . .and pulling them away from their duties for a few minutes. Hopefully, no one slipped in past their direction, as they made sure guests made it to the bar and freight elevator that waited to greet guests further.

A few red gels and off-camera strobes helped us photograph the enticing and energetic DJ Eve, pictured at left, who entertained the NYC party even though it wasn't exactly around the corner from her U.K. home. Her repetoire and song list were incredible, and the crowd couldn't help but dance to the beats and rythyms she mastered from her boards. She was also great for the camera, knowing how to work it - a special thanks to that, Eve, as that allowed more than a few keepers!

With a caricature artist atop a ladder with a birds'-eye view of the party, the night went off without a hitch our lenses could spot. The sushi bar and foods served were impeccably prepared and delicious (so they say - did I remember to eat?), and the Perfect Ten cocktails - in honor of the date - were definitely well-receicved (I may have remembered to try one of those around 10:30 - thanks Luba!).

All-told, a fun night with a fun bunch. Special thanks to everyone at Firstborn who cooperated with the prying eyes of the Nikons, and of course to Michael for having us - congratulations, may the best be yet to come!

With fall fast-approaching, I've had a fun time with a local pet shop's request to fill their website with images of their puppy offerings (their website isn't live & online yet, but email me if you want to know where these little pups are for sale). Drawing on some browsing of the gazillion fall fashion catalogues, what some local stores offered for props, and what the puppies were willing to submit to, we captured a few dozen shots like the ones you see here.

Above is a Yorkshire terrier, who really wanted to keep that scarf. At left is a boxer pup, who really needed a lot of convincing that he wanted to pose for photographs. I think I was blowing whistles, squeezing toys, and waving my hands around like a madman for nearly ten minutes to get this one. Note how his ears are up - at this point, I may have reduced myself to meowing like a cat to get his attention. My humility knows no bounds.

Then, there was this little guy, a cuddly bulldog. We worried about whether or not this shot would work, as obviously he wasn't going to be able to reach the pedals...not like he'd know what to do if he could. So, just out of frame on both sides are sets of hands ready to pluck him from the air should he slip. However, fact is, he just sat there like that, seemingly happy as a clam, and let me snap away.

I wonder what would have happened if we'd put him on a Harley....?

Ever since I was a boy, I've always longed to know what a certain local property - featuring a horse stable and farming field, complete with sheep and wonderous old barns, looked like from within. This week, after nearly 20 years of curiosity, I found out when meeting Brittany and her warmblood gelding Bayley, as well as Tom, the manager of the stables, and Brittany's family. They were all fantastic and enthusiastic, as well as cordial and polite (Brittany, tell your mom and dad that never have I met such a respectful and intelligent lot as you and your sisters - you were all great!).

We spent about three hours photographing just about everyone, but mostly the lenses focused on Brittany and Bayley - the latter being among the friendliest and most charming horses I've ever met.

We made shots in the barn, outside the barn, around the barn...in the fields, in the ring. The sunlight was perfect and golden, late in the afternoon, affording us the side lighting we wanted to flatter all involved.

I think Brittany spooked her mom a little with her and Bayley's jumping (nice ankle position, Brittany!), but we kept those tries to a minimum as we enjoyed the warm afternoon. We even let Bayley loose a while, and managed a few shots of him before he trotted off to the gate to look for carrots and equine company.

We also made it out to Stony Brook to visit with members (and dogs!) of the Long Island Bulldog Rescue, hunkering down for a three-hour magazine shoot that yielded more "keepers" than I could ever imagine.

We first spent about an hour making formal portraits such as the one at left, with a wonderful group of both gown dogs and puppies.

Afterwards, we moved outside for group shots, play shots, and a mix of editorial needs for a Popular Dogs magazine submission. As usual, eye-level works best when you're shooting pups, so I was up and down and all around trying to make the angles work as well as I could.

Special note to Lindsay, my ever-diligent and tolerant assistant: THANKS! Couldn't have done it without you!

Also, special thanks to Bulldog Rescue President Laurette for hosting, and to everyone who came over for an afternoon of fun. If you haven't looked into their site's link above, take a browse - their mission is as follows: ...to provide education, prevention, intervention, and adoption services to ensure that all English Bulldogs enjoy long, healthy lives in loving, safe, appropriate homes where they are provided the life-long care they require. We commit to each English Bulldog and adopter(s) we serve for the life of the dog.

They also provide guidance, breed-specific education, and fund raising efforts to assist English bulldogs.

Hat's off to you, folks - from what I saw, you're doing a very, very good thing.

This week I had the pleasureof making a series of child portraits, and in the process decided that foregoing a large, formal production with assistants and lighting rigs might be the best way to approach the work, especially considering the subjects' ages - they were little! That meant a session with only natural light, where I could focus much more on my interaction with the kids as opposed to the technical aspects of the thousands of dollars worth of gear - which can be a bit overwhelming, I assure you.

I love the results when the light works well in your favor, such as with this image of a just-snacked little lady. Outdoors, pupils constrict, irises pop with color, and there's lots of ways to interact with the subjects aside from strict posing "rules" in a studio.

However, as with this next photograph, adding a little light to what's available from Mother Nature can make all the difference. You can point it, direct it, modify it - in a nutshell, control it. You can shape your subject and the composition with the light, and put attention right where you want it. It does take a lot more concentration, and a lot of direction to crew and subject, but in the end you're left with something a client was seeing in their mind's eye, and it's something that could never have existed without the collaboration of the people, gear, and the light itself. We had a lot of fun with this shoot, figuring ways to incorporate the surrounding buildings and debris with the models. . .and in the end, it was all about the light.

Have to be brief this week, prepping for lots of shooting with horses - take a peek next week to see how we did.

I recently received an email from the graphic designers at the Philadelphia Zoo, who found a fun use for one of my scores of avian photographs made during last February's trip to Sanibel Island. The shot was one of the first photographs I made, interestingly enough, as I approached the fishing pier upon arrival in the late afternoon. The brown pelicans - this male in his mating plumage - were feeding about 10 yards offshore, gulping down fish that I think were being discarded by the local fishermen. A moment or two after I made this shot, a dolphin surfaced right in the middle of the pelicans, scaring them off. I'm not sure if the dolphin was playing with them, or going for the fish - but either way, it was a wonderful 'welcome!' to what turned into a great weekend photography trip.

Other than that, it was a leisure weekend for me in Boston, where I attended a wedding and made a sight-seeing trip out of it. Lots of great historical sites to visit there, so it was easy for me to fill just about every second with something to do. I was also hoping to not make a lot of photographs that looked like every OTHER photograph that comes out of Boston, and will put together a few for the site's galleries when I get back to normal here. Here's a quick one, though - from the Frog Pond at Boston Common...the local kids were having a riot in the water on an absolutely perfect September afternoon.

Lastly, when writing a blog entry on a somber day such as today, I'm compelled to include a shot I made from a tripod in Brooklyn. 'Nuff said there.

In case anyone's ever wondered what it would look like if my photographs of dogs were printed at 10'x16', like I have? Well, here's your answer at left.

With pet services and the general industry still on the rise, I'm seeing more and more calls for four-legged fine art. . .the question is whether or not I should pursue such calls. After seeing one of William Wegman's exhibits of the genre at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, I'm thinking I'll leave it to him. A conservative move, maybe - but a move based on rational thinking. . .the man is brilliant.

Bird Talk magazine hunted me down (ok, it was pretty easy to find me in my post-surgery state, which placed me on a sofa holding a remote control for a week) for a shoot , hoping for some images that would grace the cover of their 25th anniversary issue. A cool honor, and one I immediately accepted! We cast five birds for the shoot, including this cockatiel, and in two sessions had made over 400 photographs for their consideration. The editors narrowed it down to 7 potentials, so we'll see what happens!

And lastly, here's a cute little fella - a boxer pup - who posed just last night for us in Christopher Morley Park, on the edge of Manhasset. The idea was to garner some stock images for a website, and get down to eye level with the puppies in the grass. The downside turned out that we could sure have used some more hands...these little 'uns sure wanted to play and romp (and lick, and sniff, and roll, etc.).

So, imagine me putting a puppy on its mark where the strobe would effectively light him, then taking two long strides back to where I'd placed the camera, promptly falling to a push-up position, flattening out, aiming the camera...only to find the puppy was now on its way to my camera bag, eleven feet away, to see what it smelled like. Repeat that procedure 58 times, and essentially that's what onlookers at the dog run saw (and chuckled at!) for 45 minutes...Slept like a baby last night - still a little weak from the doc's work on me, and fascinated by how the human body diverts energy to heal itself.

On another note, over 4,300 visits to the site in August(!) - that number keeps multiplying...thanks for stopping in!

Also, thanks to Alan Maltz for the fine conversation. Alan and I spoke at length as I interviewed him for next month's Studio Photography magazine issue, discussing his approach to running a very busy gallery in Key West, and also about how he's keeping his corporate clients lined up for more. The July issue of Studio Photography featured an interview I wrote up on product photography specialist Bill Truran - take a peek and read the online version HERE.

First and foremost, thanks to everyone who's written a well-wish. My little hospital stay was fine, and without incident - and the stitches come out tomorrow. And hey, I'll have a cool scar from the surgery.

I was going through some paperwork and came across this image, above, which is still active with the fine folks in Chicago who use it for their advertising. I made this photograph just before the sun peeked over the horizon, near my old place in The Windy City. It was one of my first tries of creating a high dynamic-range (HDR) image, which displays more than the camera is capable of recording in one frame.

That immediatey had me thinking about shooting landscapes, something I find wonderfully relaxing and serene. . .and something I have to remember to do more often. Not because I'm particularly great at it, just because I love to be up before anyone else, when the light is perfect, and have the world to myself. I remember making this shot in Vermont last year, at about 6:00 a.m. - I'd scouted for covered bridges, and started making photographs with this image. It was a great three-day weekend, with delicious breakfasts, great antique shopping, and clean air.

I also made a trip to Martha's Vineyard, which involved camping as opposed to pampering - a situation that was fantastically rewarding, as we spent the weekend mostly on bicycles, getting to know the area intimately. The dock shown here gave up a great lobster lunch, some cold sodas, a few frisbee tosses with a black labrador, and a walk down memory lane when thinking about where they filmed a few scenes from Jaws.

All of that said, it's about time I start thinking about making more landscape photographs, and where I'm headed for a few long weekends this autumn - which will be here sooner than we think. Definitely New England again, somewhere. Perhaps simply Upstate New York...and hopefully the Blue Ridge Mountains, in NC, to chime in on pal Scott and his family (free beer!). Any ideas? Send me an email!

Can you believe how cute this little feller is? He apprently can't - and just doesn't seem to appreciate it that the camera thinks so, too, here. Regardless, I love the end result, and look forward to seeing the shot, along with many others, on the website for Pets of New Hyde Park, when it launches.

As I mentioned on the blog previously, I have recently spent some time there helping the shop build an image library of many of their in-store offerings, which have ranged from bearded dragons to chinchillas. All good fun!

Next, I think this second shot is a great example of an effective 'head shot.' Not only is our subject lovely and captivating in her own right, but the light and color coordination of background and clothing really flattered her, letting the viewer focus on her face as opposed to your eye wandering around looking at other elements in the picture. This is something I encourage friends and other interested parties to try with their own cameras, point-and-shoot types or otherwise. Get in close! Fill the viewfinder with your subject, and place the eyes in the upper one-third of the frame.

I have more shots to share from the past few weeks, and will get around to posting them, as soon as the docs are through with me...seems I have to go into the hospital for a few days to get poked, prodded, gassed, sliced open, etc. Nothing to worry about - just a routine operation, but my first overnight in any hospital as the patient, so I'm rather nervous and unsettled about it. See you soon, and please be patient if you need a call back or a proof set posted - as I'll be offline a bit over the next few days...

It's been a wild few weeks as I romped around Long Island looking for German Shepherd dogs (GSDs) to photograph for a magazine assignment. One of the best things about jobs like this, after meeting such great new people and getting to know them, is getting to know their dogs. Learning about the breed I'm photographing is wholly fascinating to me, as there are so many facets to them that the 'average Joe' - that'd be me - is usually unaware of.

This adorable puppy is from the kennels of Deb-Mar's German Shepherds in Deer Park. Diane Piagentini was a marvelous host, and let me tumble around with the pups and meet her stud for some handsome portraits. You can visit Deb-Mar's website by clicking HERE. Diane also breeds some awfully gorgeous Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, too.

I also spent an evening with Harry Lozada, shown at left in a Search/Rescue role, who works as a general dog trainer as well as develops K-9s. Bob Conklin, who teaches his methods to trainers such as Harry as well as runs a K-9 academy, was also present and a giant help by bringing some gorgeous pups and working dogs.

I learned a lot about bloodlines on this shoot, discovering that a certain Czech kennel produces German Shepherds very well suited for this kind of work. Their lineage goes back to a program that began for border patrol, and the dogs are very well attuned - from a genetic level - to their jobs.

Harry took one for the team - and for the photo shoot - as Bob guided and oversaw the Kodak Moment at left. That's a protective suit Harry's wearing, which I'm pretty sure was kinda stuffy in the late July heat (thanks, Harry!). It's something to watch, I can assure you, from the standpoint of an onlooker. Harry, I suspect emulating what a perpetrator would react like when the dog takes hold, had to resist, holler and yell and flail about during the process. A few young ladies in the park at the time sure got a heck of a show...

Take a look at Harry's website to learn more about his work at USA K9 in Massapequa park by clicking HERE, and explore Bob's Hudson Valley K9 Academy by clicking HERE. Thanks again, guys!

Lastly, I'll leave you with a photograph we made over at the shop of Pets of New Hyde Park. This is a fennec fox, a desert-dwelling, cuddly fellow about the size of a large cat. Those ears are to help it dissipate heat in its rather stifling environment, so it must have been just listening in the air-conditioned pet shop. We made scores of photos that night of a variety of the store's furry offerings, more to come...

Here's an interesting thing about hosting your own website: You can view all sorts of curious information about who's looking at it, where they are geographically, what other sites are linked to you and vice-versa, etc. Recently, I was awed - as well as humbled - so see that over 1,500 people stopped by this website to have a peek here in June.

But at this moment I'm thrilled - and even more humbled - to see that this month that number has more than doubled. It's only July 24, and over 3,000 people have poked around at ChristopherAppoldt.com since the 1st of the month . . .so to that I say an almost nervous, "Hello! Nice to see you! Come on in..."

Maybe I should get an espresso machine, or something...?

It's been less than a year since we overhauled the website into the interface you're experiencing now, and I've been thankful every time someone has offered feedback on its ease - or not-so-ease - of operation.

So far, I'm hearing that the interface is solid and comfortable, though from time to time the password-protected proof gallery can give one a stitch in the side. Please know we're taking in all of your feedback, on the website and regarding the business in general, and doing everything we can to keep you satisfied and coming back for more. But don't let that statement cause a pause in your comments, as they're not only welcome, but necessary to know what you're thinking. Keep it comin'!

That said, it's been another fun and busy week - a little too busy. I'm staring at a recently-recovered hard drive's contents, and hoping we'll recover even more that was lost in an ill-timed computer crash. I'm also staring at a few dozen gigabytes of photographs that need to be processed, from family portraits to puppies.

So, with 3,000 of you stopping by, I thought I'd post a few from my favorite shoots, as recent ones need some more time in the oven. Up top, you can see a few visitors to the NYC Transit Museum...and no, I have no idea what they're looking at, but I am glad they posed for this candid - it's one of the more interesting street shots I think I've made.

Second down is Ms. Laura Day, a briliant NYC-based interior designer and host to The Learning Channel's Trading Spaces program. Laura was energized and fun during the shoot, and I was excited to find that we could photograph her in a room on the 14th floor, with three walls of glass to help us with the lighting. I think the photos really flatter her, and the magazine used several from the shoot - so hopefully, she thinks so, too!

Lastly, just a quick landscape snap I made while in Sicily, atop the active vocano, Mt. Etna. The trip was very educational, and I loved learning all about "Mother" Etna on the ride up. The volcano is constantly putting out lava, which, while a meance to Visitor Stations and souvenir shops, can't daunt flowers from finding a way to grow, bloom, and flourish.

It's been a while since I've had any friendly felines in front of my lenses, but this week I had the pleasure of photographing Max, at left. Max is a young kitten, very playful - which was fantastic, as it allowed us to make some photos of him interacting with just about everything we put near the backdrop (the catch, of course, was getting him to STAY on the backdrop!). I thought the white backdrop would be fun with Max due to his coloring, and that if I could get the "clean" look I was after we could pick and choose among the exposures to make three-panel presentations such as this one.

I also had the pleasure of meeting these three daschunds (and their wonderful adoptive parents), who seemed to be made purely of caffeine, coiled springs, and playful intentions. However, due to preserverance and patience (and a bit of sweat), their dad and mom kept them still long enough to let me nab this composition. As usual with darker breeds, controlling the light and exposure is everything - so the dogs had to be in the precise area we'd lit with strobes for the shot to come off great. Thanks to all five of you for the cooperation!

I don't photograph weddings.

I just don't .

No way.

Under no circumstances.

Why? Because I LOVE photographing weddings.

Confused?

Let me explain - I'm busy (and count myself lucky for it !). I try hard to keep a regular schedule in a career that often asks for odd hours, and retain a few days open on my weekly calendar - namely, Saturday and Sunday (usually). Life's short, breaks are important - physically, mentally, and creatively.

I just know that if I said "yes" to shooting weddings regularly, I'd love every minute - and work 7 days a week. Every week. I'm just like that, kind of a work-a-holic.You'd think that being so aware of it, I'd keep it in check, but no...

I know it'd be unwise to enlarge my ambitions by working weekends, on top of the work week. I'd age rapidly, my free time would vanish, and my dog, who spends too much time as it is in the kitchen behind "bars," would starve to death looking for attention. Oh, and of course I'd never get to go fishing (honest to a fault?).

Now, I do love making wedding portraits, which usually take place with bride and groom in full wedding day regalia before the wedding, and accept jobs of that nature all of the time - after all, they're easily scheduled for a Wed. evening in the most picturesque venue we can dream up. Please, know that I'm always happy to accept those proposals, and encourage one and all to book me for them!

But this wedding? A perfect exception! First of all, I was asked by one heck of a great couple - I've come to know them pretty well, and didn't even hesitate when they asked me to photograph their special day ...and, it was scheduled for a Friday - not not the weekend. Voila! (Note: my 'rules' are as firm as a wet noodle).

Anyway, to the wedding:

Gorgeous day, gorgeous couple. Wonderful, feel-good vibes and love in the air. Fantastic guests, great venue - Westhampton Bath & Tennis Hotel and Marina . Great food, and fantastic music. I really have to say congrats to our happy couple, who are as in love as could be...and even had their evening magically blessed by a series of rainbows that gave us lots of photo opportunities, including the image at left (to which I hear Phil now believes he's "divine," as the rainbow appears to spring from his head).

Congratulations, Leslie & Phil!

It was an honor to be your photographer, and a wonderful time as a guest, too (yes, I finally sat down to eat!).

Another busy few weeks! I've been on more shoots than I can list here in a reasonable space without a fear of running on at the keyboard, but I'll list some highlights to keep the constant readers informed.

At left are members of the Fitzsimons family, who recently gathered to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Linda and Ed, shown flanking just some of their children and grandchildren. We set up a small production on their home's front lawn for the shot, which caused a few cars to slow down and at least one neighbor to ask me what on Earth was going on with the 5' lights we were setting up (sorry for the spectacle!).

We had 23 people in one set of shots, as well as smaller groups as shown, to document the occasion for one and all. Really, I can't say enough nice things about everyone there - thanks so much for the smiles, the cooperation, and the patience. Most of all, though, a big well wish and congrats to Ed and Linda!

At left is Emma, one of the sweetest black labrador retrievers I've ever met. Emma's family met me at a sunny (and warm - boy, I'll bet that fur coat on Emma was a little much that day) waterside location for the shoot, which offered a few different settings and looks to the shots. Emma was very cooperative, and did a great job of holding still while we made her portraits.

Black dogs are always a bit of a challenge to photograph, as any camera set to "automatic" wants to expose for an average of approximately 18% gray, assuming there's something actually IN the scene that offers that tone. Black labs rather offset the reading, and need to be compensated for manually. Bringing an additional light source as we did helped, too, and the results were great.

A fun and talented actress by the name of Allison Kelly was also a subject for my lenses these past few days, as she came in for a full workup of headshots to expand her portfolio. We ran the gamut of looks and moods, expressing a wide range of Allison's abilities for casting agents.

In this shot, we added a little motion and fun to the image when using a fan to keep her hair moving, and chose b&w as an output for the 8x10 prints - a traditional approach, but one that agents like to see - especially with that smile, Allison!

However, we also spent some time on the waterfront (fighting off swarms of gants - the recent rains really must have had something to do with that) and at a local park to add some "lifestyle" images to her portoflio, and too we snuck in some fashion-oriented looks to let her potential employers know that she'd be great for a variety of roles.

Before Allison came in, I mentioned that we had some great reds here at the studio, and that if she had any outfits in a similar hue she should bring them along. We added some gold reflectors to a ring flash, keeping a healthy glow on her skin, and the resutls are seen at left.

Last weekend I was invited to return to The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind in Smithtown, where they held their annual Open House and Recognition Day. It's always wonderful to see support at non-profits such as these, especially with their recipe for success. This year, the Lion's Clubs of the tri-state area were also present to donate funds raised on the Foundation's behalf.

They're always in need of puppy walkers and adoptive families, so please, if you'd like to help or donate some time, don't hesitate.

Above-left: two of the day's youngsters.

I had an exciting Thursday morning at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, making some portraits for an upcoming magazine piece. The subject of the shots was a marvelous Southwest Airlines ground manager, who was great fun and certainly a pleasure to photograph. She was also a fantastic and generous host , and gave us a 'behind-the-scenes at the airport' tour that I'll always remember and appreciate.

I was up at 4:00 a.m. for the shoot, as we had our very own Boeing 737 for a backdrop. Before the jet filled with passengers and flew into the friendly skies, we needed it for the images - meaning the shoot needed to wrap by 7:15 in the morning. Coffee is your friend.

Aside from a few gusts of wind that toppled our strobes, the shoot went without a hitch. The light was soft and diffused by clouds at that hour, perfect for letting us have more control with our own lights. I'll let our subject get around to choosing her favorite from the shoot, and perhaps post the results here on the blog at a later time. Meawhile, enjoy the behind the scenes shots here, where I'm the guy on the ground with the camera to his face, trying to get the subject and the jet's tail into the frame at the same time.

Thanks to everyone at Islip that morning - Rosa, Peter, and Lindsay...and thanks of course to Christi, at Southwest's PR office in Texas.

Meet Theo Torres, entertainer extrodinaire. Theo is a blast, and he's clever, too, with an infectious laugh. Also, he's a heck of a good sport when a guy is popping camera flashes in his face. For an hour. That guy was me. Sorry, Theo.

I hooked up with Theo at Georgio's Coffee on Jericho Turnpike, where a coordinated meet between myself and a writer for Canvas magazine had Theo and Lydia Testani being interviewed and photographed for the piece. It's a story about what life has been like for six particular immigrants to Long Island, describing both the challenges and triumphs they've faced. Theo, who is a nurse's aid now, came to LI from Peru to initially find work in a lamp factory. His music has been his steady friend through the experience, as illustrated above. Lydia, who has one of the most disarming smiles I've ever seen, is from Columbia. Along with her husband Georgio, they have opened a wonderful coffeehouse. Read more on Theo by clicking HERE, and do not hesitate to get a great cup of coffee Georgio's Coffee at 146 West Jericho Tpke. Huntington Station, NY - 631-470-7797.

Ready for a night on the town, this handsome chi is becoming a tad of a sensation. Dog Fancy will publish him in August, and I know his owner will be thrilled. The shot wasn't as hard as you might think, as he was very well-behaved. I think the trick we had to pull off centered more on keeping the little guy awake throughout the shoot.

The dog photography this spring was amazing, and with luck, so will be the summer. With so many private sessions booked and plenty of magazine stock shoots underway, I'll be pretty well beat up by just the end of June...

Friday, before heading to a weekend of photography in Maryland and the nation's capital, I spent the afternoon with the attorneys at Garfunkel, Wild, and Travis. Seems they're happy to continue growing their staff , so it's the fourth time I've been in their offices this year to be sure that their website and photo library are up to date. Noting the news, the founding partners have recently been lauded as among The Best Lawyers in America, particularly in the area of health care law. One thing for certain, there's not a soul on their staff that isn't first-rate in the 'nice to meet' category. As usual, I had a great time. Best part about going over there to shoot? It's getting a genuine smile from each and every one of them - it just isn't a hard thing. For the record, that kind of openess says a lot about the hiring practices and firm's atmosphere in general.

North Shore Animal League America's art department has again made a heartwarming and tender advertisement from my shoot with Ashleigh Banfield, who is very generous with her volunteerism for the League, as well as a fun person to work with in portraiture. We had a good time wrangling a few puppies for her to hold, and we were done in about 40 minutes. Special thanks to Frederick for his styling services that day.

Oh and if you're reading this, Ashleigh, you should know that Scott and I both "got" the Joseph Merrick wisecrack...

I've just completed and sent in a submission to Bowtie Publishing for their upcoming book on toy breeds, and this smiling old timer was just one of my favorite models for the shoots. As usual, the trick to photographing pups is to make sure there's a nice light for their eyes to stay bright, and a non-disctracting background to allow them to be the focal point of the image if you're the viewer.

We sat this min-pin on his mark on the grass, adjusted the light, and then spent the most time trying to get him to look at me. Normally I pull out a squeaky toy or a whistle to achieve this goal, but this time all I had to do was make a bunch of odd, clucking sounds. Repeatedly. Please know that I do not perform this Sound Effects routine when photographing children.

I'm happy to see another of my articles published in Studio Photography magazine this month, and this time it's a cover story, too. I had the pleasure of interviewing car photographer Brian Garland for the piece, and I learned a lot about what it takes to make the likes of Nissan happy for the advertisements. Also, I learned that Brian is having the time of his life creating these images. If you'd like to read why, click HERE.