Urban Fine Art Fave - "Throw Your Veils In The Air"

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

The one word that encapsulates Eurice and John's wedding was Fun (also would say Dancing). People were dancing all night, even before the Bride and Groom were introduced.

I love this photo I caught of Eurice being demonstrative in her dance with her veil. It truly is an urban fine art portrait.

Urban Fine Art

Olivia, Our Hero [Repost]

PORTRAITURE

In the fight against Leukemia, I would like to introduce you to my young friend Olivia via this brief photo slideshow.

Olivia, our Hero from Joseph D. Martinez on Vimeo.

God Belongs in The Bronx

This weekend I participated in a Prayer Walk as part of the event "God Belongs In The Bronx". It was my first Prayer Walk.

The group I was with walked from the West Farms Square area to Crotona Park (about 30 blocks) praying for the people of the Bronx.





We also prayed for the safety and development of the children.





We prayed for the growth of businesses and employment.





We prayed for God's power to be made manifest in the Bronx to combat poverty and homelessness.





We prayed God's anointing would deliver people from drug, alcohol, and gambling addictions.





In the afternoon there was a rally to celebrate the great things God is and will be doing in the Bronx.

HeeSun Lee, Gauge, J-Skywalker, and various artists blessed the mic.





There were even some guest speakers (including yours truly).

All in all, it was a beautiful and amazing day of ministry.

I Get Around!

This photo is more for my non-New Yorkers. I just wanted to give you an intimate perspective of travel in NYC.

This #2 train goes from the Bronx into Manhattan, and then on to Brooklyn.

(Southern Boulevard Station, Bronx)

Google Read Me This!

I enjoy reading articles and blogs through my Google Reader either online or through my jPhone. Often I find really good reads which I share on FB or Twitter.

Interestingly enough Google Reader has a SHARE component which now I use more often as I only need to push one button. :)

You can access what I share in my Google Reader at:

www.google.com/reader/shared/josephdominickphotography

Feel free to stop by there and catch a good read. If you like what I share, click the Follow button.

Enjoy!

Empire State of Mind

I was born and raised in New York. Most of my life I lived in the borough of the Bronx. Presently I live in Manhattan.

The urban landscape has always been a part of my life. So it comes as no surprise that it is a major component of my work and art. It is part of how I see the world.

In the middle of the island of Manhattan there is this tall iconic edifice called the Empire State Building.

The photo above was taken with my jPhone at ground level about half a block away.

Welcome to the Empire State!

Goya Anointing Oil

This weekend I had the privilege to photograph at the Promised Land Covenant Church in the South Bronx in NY. The church is working on their new website so they brought me in to tell the story of PLCC through photos.

Towards the end of the service I caught this photo of the anointing oil which the church uses for prayer. It was located on a shelf inside the pulpit.

Senior Pastor Michael Carrion confessed they purchased it at the corner bodega. That's one of the many things I love about PLCC, they definitely keep it real....lol.

The Alphabet Game Outro [Video]

PHOTO GAME

The Alphabet Game which I facilitated on Facebook was extremely enjoyable. We went from "A" to "Z" in 26 days.

In keeping with the low tech concept of only using our phones for the game, I recorded this congratulatory video with my jPhone.

Urban Fine Art Fave - "At The Doorway"

PORTRAITURE

Of course I had to pull out another photo from my Bronx rooftop photo shoot with Melissa. This shoot was the beginning of a new personal project I will be working on for a lil while.

This doorway was the open path to the roof. I think Mel looks amazing in this photo. She is both classy and sexy whilst having her clothes on. I love it. You go girl!

Urban Fine Art

Can I Kick It?

By purchasing a 3 light strobe kit and seamless white background, today I am definitely kicking it. And kicking it hard (I hope).

I have been meaning to upgrade my mini studio with a white backdrop for a while. With the summer weather basically gone in the NYC, I need a space where I can control the light and the room temperature. Portrait sessions in the cold are not always the most enjoyable time in the winter months. Clients want a warm space too.

This new upgrade will also extend my creative work. Now I can explore new lighting schemes as most of my work to date has been with an on-camera flash.

I am believing it is going to be a warm winter. :)

Step Up Your Game!

So this weekend I had a meeting with a friend who is also a photographer. Somewhere between ordering my waffles and waiting for their arrival, the analytical/strategic consultant in me came out and I "got into" my friend pretty hard. In a loving/shepherding way I SHOOK her awake so she could DREAM again about doing photography as a career.

Many people see me as cute and sweet, but few know about the motivator/instigator/call you out on your stuff Joseph. I do it because I love people. I do it because I see people going in a certain direction and either I want to help them get there or help them go in a more positive direction.

So if you are a photographer or you love photography, trust me that you too can enjoy the pleasure of taking photos as a business. I got my first camera 2 1/2 years ago and have been doing photography professionally for the past year and a half.

It is doable. You need to be clear WHY YOU ARE NOT DOING IT. And you need to know WHAT WILL IT TAKE to invest yourself in actually doing it.

"For a dream comes through much activity" - Ecclesiastes 5:3

The Alphabet Game - "Z"

Today's Z is sponsored by Zed.

*So this last letter was all about composition. I placed a vignette on it in the CameraBag app just to draw ur attention to the main subject, being the letter "Z".

The Alphabet Game - "Y"

This creative "Y" is sponsored by Yosemite's Youthful Yak Yelp.

*This is the "Y" from the Subway food chain. I just wanted to make it look different.

I added contrast, helga, saturation and a border in the CameraBag and PS Express apps.

The Alphabet Game - "X"

Today's "X" is sponsored by Xyla's Xstatic Xstravaganzas.

*I made this "X" by using two public telephone receivers. It was very hard balancing them w/ one hand while trying to photograph then w/ the other...lol.

I wasn't in love w/ the photo so I added contrast, sharpening & sketch in the PS Express filter. Then I finalized it with some colorcross in the CameraBag app.

The result is way better than the original shot. :)

The Alphabet Game - "W"

This creative "W" is sponsored by Wildstyle Waterbury Walrus Water.

*While sitting in a conference room I decided to put the sugar packets together to create my lovely "W". Then I photographed it in HDR w/ my jPhone.

Afterward I dropped it in the CameraBag filter to add some contrast and a border.

The Alphabet Game - "V"

This creative "V" is sponsored by Victor Vega's Vegan Veal.

*I saw this "V" on the exterior of the Valley National Bank in Manhattan. I already liked it's form so I decided to play up it's texture.

I added contrast and sharpening in the PS Express app. Then I added a dreamy look in the Plastic Bullet app. Afterward I added a magazine filter to the whole image in the CameraBag app.

The Alphabet Game - "U"

This creative "U" is sponsored by Uganda Ultrasonic Udders.

*While depositing money from the ATM I saw this "U". Because I had to rotate it 90 degrees I used the PSExpress app. While I was there I added some contrast, sharpening, and this Four Square effect.

I call this photo "4 U".

The Alphabet Game - "T"

This creative "T" is sponsored by Tantalizing & Tortured Tacos.

*I saw this crossbar at a Japanese restaurant. It was part of a room divider.

I definitely highlighted the cross with contrast & sharpening with both the CameraBag app and the Photo FX app. Yeah the apps help me add "extra" to the "ordinary".

The Alphabet Game - "S"

This creative "S" is sponsored by Sassy Sapphire Sandals.

*I have no clue where I found this "S" because I shot this two weeks ago...lol. It is a simple S. I just added a lil character to it with the border and some contrast.

The Alphabet Game - "R"

Today's "R" is sponsored by Roscoe's Rambunctious Ranch Dressing.

I saw this "R" on the window of a store in Manhattan. It looked really flat so I moved to the side to get about a 30 degree angle (math nerd? Yes.) which gave some dimensionality to the letter.

I jazzed it up with the Plastic Bullet app. Then I boosted the contrast in the BestCamera app.

Urban Fine Art Faves - "Rap Fest Treats #3"

EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

As I continue putting together the "Rap Fest 2010 Urban Fine Art Gallery", here is a sneak peek of some of those photos.


Demonic Spirit Skit before Richie Righteous set



HeeSun Lee blazing the mic



Humble Tip



Andy "C-Lite" Mineo



Seda



Mele Mel

The Alphabet Game - "Q"

This creative "Q" is brought to you by Qbert's Qurious Queries.

I found very few "Q"s today especially since I was in chill mode. This Q is a vanilla scented candle with a collar pin. Simple & sweet.

Of course I ran it through the CameraBag app to sweeten it up...lol.

The Alphabet Game - "P"

Today's creative "P" is sponsored by Pluto's Premier Pyrotechnics.

*This P is actually etched from fragments of the moon. I bought this...lol...j-k. This is the P on the parking muni-meter in NYC. I just used the CameraBag app and the Plastic Bullet app to give it a very different look.

The Alphabet Game - "O"

Today's creative "O" is sponsored by Olivia's Oxygen Octagon.

*This is simply the drain in my bathtub. I gave it a more "interesting" look by adding a dreamy vignette in the PlasticBullet app.

OMG Video (Eurice & John Engagement)

ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY

Right now I am editing Eurice and John's wedding photos. It dawned on me I never shared their engagement photos in an amazing way. So of course I called up my boy Usher and we put this lil video slideshow together.

Enjoy the remix of OMG via Eurice and John.

OMG (Eurice & John Engagement) from Joseph D. Martinez on Vimeo.

The Alphabet Game - "N"

Today's creative "N" is sponsored by Nenna's Nambia Noni Juice.

*The original "N" I found on the wall of the Hampton Inn in Manhattan. All I did was use an Infared filter in the CameraBag app to give the image a lil more character.

The Alphabet Game - "M"

Today's creative "M" is sponsored by Matilda's Mount Mofongo.

*I grabbed this "M" at the Disney Store. It was on a Mickey Mouse bookbag.

I just jazzed it up in the CameraBag app and then really pushed the color and saturation in the BestCamera app.

238 Beats - Ras Kass NYC Album Release Party

EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

I went to high school with the three guys who run 238 Beats. The latest event they asked me to shoot was the NYC Album Release Party for the hip-hop artist Ras Kass.

Ice T was the host for the night. There were various opening artists but the one who ripped it up was a female Canadian rapper named Eternia. Her lyric flow, her stage presence, and her control of the audience was phenomenal.

Below is a video slideshow of the night I think you will enjoy.

238 Beats - Ras Kass Album Release Party from Joseph D. Martinez on Vimeo.

Wedding Fave - "Tennia & Mario"

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

I met Tennia a few years back at Harvest Fields Community Church in the Bronx, NY. She was involved with singing on the worship team and with the R&B/Funk group NuSoul Generation & Da Funk Factory.

While hanging out with some of my friends from Harvest, I had the opportunity to attend a hangout at Tennia's place. To this day I still joke with her about the ingenious door handle she had in one of her rooms.

Mario and Tennia were dating when I visited this hangout so I had the chance to hang with Mario. He is a funny/mellow dude.

Some time earlier this year I had a conversation with Tennia where she asked if I would be her wedding photographer. I was honored.

Since I knew some of the guests at the wedding I had even more access to intimate/candid photos of the night. The wedding was slamming. We definitely partied it up at The Social at Dunwoodie.

[Editor's note: I love photographing and dancing during the reception so it is always more enjoyable when I am doing this with people I already know.]

Congratulations to the fun and very loving newlyweds, Tennia and Mario.


*This wedding portrait which was taken out on the golf course.


Wedding Portrait Fave

Yes, I Do!

This summer has been a busy one, relatively speaking. I have only been photographing professionally for 16 months now. Last summer I was trying to figure out the art of photography and the business of photography. I still do not have it down but thankfully I am much further along than I was last summer. Yet I still understand I have a whole lot more to go.

In the midst of establishing this new business I still get overwhelmed with the work and the learning. I feel like I am in school constantly. Daily I read blogs regarding business, marketing, & photography. Daily I run through strategies of what photos to edit and which ones to post. Daily I consider how to market/promote/share the work I do and connect with various networks.

It's kind of amazing because the only formal training I have had in the Arts is with Acting. So it really is a walk of faith to open a Photography Co. I so enjoy working as a photographer. It is another task I do along with being a minister, director, producer, writer, consultant, and counselor.

My life is definitely an eclectic one. I am so privileged and blessed.

Thanks for journeying with me.

The Alphabet Game - "J"

While brushing my teeth in the bathroom I saw this "J". My jPhone would not take an upside down photo so although I shot it upside down I still had to flip it back to get it properly in the PSExpress app.

Afterward I added some contrast & color in the Best Camera app.

So now you have a creative view of my bathroom...lol.

The Alphabet Game - "L"

Today's creative "L" is sponsored by Loila & Lace

*This "l" was found behind my parent's front door. It is a mini-bat in case anyone gets stupid. Hey, we're from the Bronx...lol.

All I did was add a little contrast in the BestCamera app.

The Alphabet Game - "I"

This creative "I" is sponsored by Indio's Illest Ideology iKnife.

*Yes with the popularity of iPhone, iPod and iTouch, my boys from Castle Hill Projects invented the new iKnife.

This is not just a blade for shanking people. No you can also slice tomatoes, cut a penny, navigate via GPS, text message internationally, and communicate via ultrasound to dogs and dolphins.

Lol...okay so I came up with this one in the wee hours of the morning...seriously. It is what it is...a knife.

I ran the image through PlasticBullet app to give it more of a vignette/dreamy look.

The Alphabet Game - "H"

So today I cleared out the top row & placed two Motts Apple Juice containers together. I originally wanted to put the dozen egg container in between but I thought that might be dangerous. Instead I placed the Country Crock spread in between to complete my "H".

I then enhanced the photo in the BestCamera app.

The Alphabet Game - "G"

*This "G" is from an "In The Heights" advertisement I saw on top of a yellow taxi.

I added some texture and glow in the PlasticBullet app followed by some Colorcross in the Camerabag app. And voilà!

The Alphabet Game - "E"

Today's creative "E" is sponsored by Ebenezer's Everyday Eggnog.

*I saw this door handle in my parent's home. Well the actual door handle is the upside down version of this. Immediately I thought I could shoot the camera upside down and I would get a beautiful "e". Unfortunately my iPhone kept rotating to landscape mode when I turned the camera upside down.

So I was stuck having to photograph the original door handle and turn it right side up in the PS Express app. This turned out to be not so difficult.

Now that I had my "e", I applied a vignette in the CameraBag app. Lastly I added texture to the image with the BestCamera app. This is how I got this unique looking "e".