This weekend my family and I celebrated my dad's birthday. We visited a restaurant in New Rochelle called "Cholo's Kitchen". I happened to find this Peruvian spot online and it was great. My dad can be a picky eater but he loved it.
Having visited Peru this past summer I made sure I had some Hot Chocolate.
This artwork caught my eye.
I couldn't leave without taking some Inca Kola home.
In order to get around New York City, the subway system is the most economical/convenient/fastest way. Having grown up in the Bronx I was (and still am) a frequent rider of the #6 train.
For my photo shoot with Alexis I made sure our first stop was Castle Hill Ave. Originally I planned on having this as a Black and White but once I started playing around I created this urban fine art piece.
Last month I began working on my photo retouching skills. I know before any portrait is placed in a magazine or on a billboard it is retouched professionally. I figured while I am continuing to work on my skills behind the camera it would be a good look to enhance my skills behind the computer in post-production.
Over a year ago a friend of mine, Eddie, gave me some dvds of retouching training. I finally decided to watch them over these past four weeks...lol. The dvds were amazing and definitely added multiple levels of retouching epicness to my skill set. Before watching them I had some basic retouching skills which I learned from reading blogs.
Around the same time I started watching the retouching videos, I had the great pleasure of photographing Miss Kels at JDP Studios. Wow, we really took some amazing indoor and outdoor portraits. Of course I decided I would use her photos as my homework for the retouching training.
Here is the first portrait.
I love the sharpness of her eyes, her hair, and her skin.
Big kudos to my boy Eddie for the retouching videos and much love to Miss Kels. You will be seeing more photos of her soon.
You are not an official photographer until you photograph an angel. No, I mean a real angel.
Booshetto Celestial Angelical, aka Booshiee, flew in to JDP Studios last night and did an exclusive photo shoot with me. And she killed it. Her wings were looking extra fluffy and her divine beauty lit up the studio.
At the end of the shoot I had the privilege to have my portrait taken with Booshiee. Check out the flyness.
I love collaborating with my clients on photo shoots. The pre-shoot time allows for the building of intimacy. I find it necessary for me as an artist and a person.
When time, energy, and intimacy are put together the creative possibilities are amazing. The photo below is an example of this.
Here are Ruthy and Ricardo in a remote area of the Bronx right before sunset. I love this portrait. It is funky, urban, beautiful, and real.
For most of my life my private persona and my public persona did not match. Growing up as a shy kid I never dreamed of sharing exactly who I am with the world outside of the comfort of my family and close friends. As an adult I learned to push through these boundaries and take the leap to BE me in all spheres.
The caterpillar steps have been worth it. In the past couple of years my writing voice has gotten much stronger and bolder. The recent inclusion of photography as a communication skill has forced me to address new topics and discover new things about life and myself.
Intimacy. It is a powerful word. In 2012 I will be intentional about exploring this topic visually. Of course it starts first with me.
Taking pictures of myself is not something I normally do. However it is forcing me to look at me and see my self image. I listen to the negative thoughts that run through my mind. Some are mine. Some belong to others. And yet I continue to journal with my camera as I maneuver through this journey of healing and wholeness.
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