Portland, ME

I remember the first time I trekked myself up to Portland, ME. It was back in the mid 90's and I was on a project that required me to do some work in the various plants we had in New England. This very well may have been one of the first trips I had made to Maine since a young kid when we used to go to York Beach for a day trip.

What struck me about Portland was just how lively it was, filled with culture and amazing places to dine. Certainly it was very different than what the average person would think of when they think of Maine.

For this trip I was once again on a business trip to do the photography for HP Hood Dairy Cook-Off which i'll write about in another entry. The night before though we spent nearly 4hrs at a wonderful restuarant in Downtown Portland, 5-5-5 is the name. If you make your way there, you must try the mussels. To die for!

To add to the whole evening, upon exiting the restaurant we were met by some very interesting by-standers who were out to have a festive evening. And as much as I wanted to venture around for more Street Photography, for me, it was time for bed!  Goodnight!

A "Hole in the Wall"

One of my favorite things to treat myself to on the weekend is going out for breakfast. And there's nothing I like more than  to find out that one place that only the locals know, for the perfect local breakfast experience. That place, at least in Melrose, MA is Ernie's.

Thanks to my good friends Jack & Eileen Billiel for taking me and my son Tyler to such a awesome place. As you can see, yes, the place is small. In fact I don't think it really fit much more than 12 people comfortably. On this particular day, it happened to be Halloween. Although I'm not personally "into" that holiday, it did add to the whole experience.

I couldn't seem to find a website for Ernies, but if you are interested in hearing what others who have stumbled upon it are saying check out some reviews.

Road Trip

Travel is something that is a regular part of my routine. Usually every three weeks or so I have a meeting to attend in one place or another. But in the fall, things get a little crazy as there is usually a conference or two to attend.

This fall I'm attending the Microsoft Sharepoint Conference under the bright lights of Las Vegas. This is a long conference, running from Sunday -Thursday. Extending it were the meeting in Boston, bring to a total of 9 days away. For me, that's a long time away from the people I care about. 

But, a good thing is that I always take my camera, which gives me something to do in my free time and to remember it all by.

Here are a few pictures of the interesting things from the conference. For one, there was this very interesting magician doing magic trips. This guy was amazing. He had everyone watching flipping out over how he pulled off his trips.

The other interesting booth was the one that had a air tunnel blowing money around. The person catching the most money won a few bucks themselves.

Today I'll be on the lookout for a few more pictures worth shots...

Business 101

If you didn't already realize this, photography is a hobby for me. No, actually, "addiction" is probably a better description. See, it's not only the fact that I carry a camera almost everywhere I go, it's that if i'm not processing the pictures I took, I'm reading about some other new gadgit that's come along.

Fortunatly, the addiction has the ability to pay for itself simply by doing what I enjoy, photographing other peoples special events. And although I don't do as many events as I wish I had time for, each and everyone that I have done, I have had a blast.

Andre & Andrea's wedding is was no exception. It wasn't too long after moving to North Carolina that we started getting inquires to shoot some weddings. What was really interesting is that Andrea found us on Flickr, a service that both Maribel and I had been using for years.

Needless to say, we were both very excited about this wedding as it was local to us and we suspected the wedding was just going to be a lot of fun. Lets just say, we were not disappointed and the images showed it. I'll never forget pulling away from the reception hall and needing to get to a gas station to something to drink because I can't remember ever being so dehydrated. We had both worked our butt's off in 90 degree weather all afternoon then ran around the hall to take all the guest shots that the bride wanted.

Like any wedding though, as great as it goes, there is always something to learn. Usually though, these lessons come as I'm combing through the days images. "I should have stopped down here", "should have used flash here", "should have caught the bra strap there". These are things I find myself telling myself. This time though my lesson was a little different as this time it had nothing to do with photography but rather with general business rules. What lesson you may wonder? Let's just say, I now know why photographer are paid in advance rather than after the fact.

Regardless, Andrea & Andre's wedding was fun and I did learn alot about shooting in a different kind of setting. A bonus was that a couple of our images were published in a wedding magazine printed here locally in Cary, North Carolina.

That made it even more worthwhile!

Breaking the Rules

Like in anything, there are always "do's" and "don't" and it seems that when it comes to photography, even the most casual photographer has a general idea of what those rules are. But again, like with most things, there is usually a way to break the rule and still end up with a great shot. In fact, I argue that you could end it with a better shot, mostly because the result will be very different from others who wouldn't even have given it a whirl.

So, you want some examples?

Rule-Use a tripod in low light

Well, often it is said that that you shouldn't shoot in low light with out a tripod. Although that's mostly true, I happen to almost never use a tripod, simply because I can't take one to the places I go with low light. So my work around is to boost the ISO (the sensitivity of the camera) on the camera to it's highest point, open my Apurature to its widest point (make sure the most amount of light comes in through the lens) and tuck my arms in tight to the my sides and then breath out and hold my breath...

Remember, with a point and shoot camera, you can do the exact same thing and get very similiar results.

Rule-Don't shoot in the brightest part of the day

Another often "rule" is to avoid shooting in the brightest part of the day. The reason is that usually this is the least flattering to your subject, especially people. Generally you will find harsh shadows on there face.

Lately I have actually been doing more shooting during this time of day. The reason is simply is that it is my lunch time and no other time really works as well to get my camera out. So, how do I get around this generally bad lighting? Well, since I can't control the light of the day, I insert a light that I can control, namely flash. As you can see from the shots here Maribel is very well lit and quite beautiful if I may say so..

So, grab your camera, turn the flash on and get out and shoot the people you care about.. And remember, DELETE the unflattering shots... :)

Just Another Guest

You probably already realized this, but the older one gets, the less likely you are to be invited to a wedding. This has nothing to do with your popularity or likability. It's just a simple fact of life. Most of us have friends that are out age. The average age that people get married is 25-35. So, if your past that, most of your friends are married (perhaps already even divorced), so thus, less weddings to attend.

I've been fortunate to have been able to attend a lot of weddings the last few years simply because I've been hired to do the photography. Now, even though most of the wedding I don't really know the bride and groom or their friends and family, I still have a blast at each and everyone. In fact, I can't think of a one in which ultimately I didn't say that I felt more like a guest than a hired hand.

In August of this year though, I was actually a bonfied invitation holding guest. Yup, I actually got to sit down during the ceremony. Let's not even go into how hard that was to do. I kept wanting to jump into the aisles and start shooting.

The wedding was for Casie & John, two of my newer friends here in Apex, NC. Let me just, Casie & John are two very special people. Both are much wiser than their years, especially when it comes to understanding people.

More outstanding though is was their ability to plan a wedding and make sure their guests (like me) have a good time. And, I have pictures to prove it. :)

This image was one of a handful of shots that I got from a very different perspective than usual. Although it would have been awesome to be their wedding photographer, it was even more so to be their guest..

Best wishes to you both, Casie & John. And thank you for being such wonderful friends.

If you would like to see all of the images from this wedding, head on over to Casie & John's Wedding

People People

From as far back as I can remember, I have always been surrounded by people. Not just family and same age friends, I mean people of all ages, color, race and background. So to me, people are people. I can honestly say, that it would be highly unusual for me to ever meet someone and give thought to anything more than struggling to make sure I remember their name. Even more true is that I am surrounded by people just like me.

So, I had a person mention to me recently that they had been going through my pictures and was impressed with how diverse my pictures are. Now at first, I was thinking my style of photography, maybe perhaps even the mix of black & white vs color processing. But then she was perfectly clear, she meant how diverse my subjects are. From the conversation, I understood that I was being extended a compliment.

Having given thought to the my encounter with this women it made me think just how much can be learned about someone from the ways they express themselves. Perhaps that's why I spend as much time looking at other peoples photography as I do my own. I'll admit, I do that so as to learn, but, I really do draw conclusions about a person by what they capture in their photography and how.

Which brings me to my last point. As much as I love all forms of photography, landscapes, food, architecture, there is nothing more I love than seeing pictures of people. Both of people I know and those I don't.

So, ask yourself, do you take enough pictures of people, which are the most important in our lives? If not, why not? If it's not lack of opportunity, then challenge yourself to change that.. If you do, you may have the result that will give people more insight into who you are.

For me, that has been a good thing.

Memory Lane

I'm hoping everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. It's hard to believe that yet another summer has come to pass.

For me, I can't say it was a boring one. This was perhaps one of the most event filled summer I have had, but, to be honest, I can't say I am one to ever be bored.

This weekend closed my summer with a trip to see my cousin Juli and daughter Brittany. Although I have done this before since moving to North Carolina over 2 years ago, this time I made the trek East with my mom. Now, this was the first trip my mom has made to see me. In future posts I'll have a few more stories regarding her visit.

The thing with taking my mom to see my cousin is that I actually forgot that she had spent a lot of time in North Carolina many years ago. Back when I was just a small tike of say 2-3 years old. My mom used to come to visit Juli's mom and then later moved to NC and lived in Cherry Point Marine base with my then step-father who was stationed there.

What we thought would be interesting is to visit a few places that my mom may have remembered from way back then. So, we decided to drive over to Newport, NC, were Juli lived as a child. Now wow, that is an interesting town. Not much to speak of really. Even the shops in the downtown look like either small brick buildings, but many, well, many look like dressed up trailers. The only "solid" looking building was the local church.

What was as interesting as the sightseeing was hearing the stories my mom would tell about the period of her life. Funny, the things we find out about our parents only once we have been.

One regret of this little trip is that I did not take more pictures. I have no idea why when we drove by the house Juli lived in I decided NOT to pull my camera out and snap a shot. It begs the question, How many shot do we not take that we regret not taking later? For me, it's not many fortunately. But, in this case, I truly messed up.

Well, I made up for the disappointment by stopping at a local ice cream parlor/candy store. That made me feel better. :)

Do as Smokers Do

So far, this week has been pretty busy. It's one of the type of weeks were there is so much going on, that I actually am feeling unproductive. After jumping from one thing to the next, at one point yesterday I just needed to step away for a few minutes. So I grabbed my camera, slipped on my shoes and took a few steps out the front door.

Immediately I noticed there were two dragonfly's buzzing around and one landed smack in front of me. Four clicks later, I had this shot. I then turned around and headed back in, knowing I had the shot that would make my day.

Turns out, after posting it to my FaceBook account, it seems I'm getting two days out of it.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

(BTW, if you would like to copy this picture, feel free. If you would like to buy a print, head on over to here.)

Don't Judge a Book by it's.......

I spend a lot of time at a gym. Far more than the average. Sure, it's mostly because I like to keep in shape, but honestly, there is a huge social aspect as well.

But, it wasn't always that way. In fact, for years, I had told myself I would NEVER join a gym. The reason? Partly because of a perception I had of the types of people that congregated there. To be honest, I thought they were all egotistical, vain, totally into themselves types of people.

Now someone who stumbles across this blog, who after looking at the photo's of David, may think that he's the type of person who likes nothing more than staring at himself in the mirror. One may draw the conclusion that he obviously must spend more time in the gym than he does in a 'real job'. After all, how else could he get into such great shape.

Let me tell ya, you'd be dead wrong!

I had the hardest time even getting David to take his shirt off in front of the camera. David is modest, humble and yes, would give the shirt off his back to help out a person in need.

David is one of the most motivated Personal Trainers I know. Not only is Personal Training a profession for David, but it's his passion, solely because he loves to see people improve themselves. David is currently employed by Lifestyle Family Fitness and operates his own website at Freeman Fitness. If you are one that is or wants to invest to invest in yourself, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

So, were am I heading with this. Again, to be honest?, no idea.

Oh, I know.. I was going to make a point about photography. After all, isn't what this blog is all about? (ya, right)

This particular shoot is less about equipment than it is about making your subject feel comfortable. Sure, I have a decent camera, but it's pretty common place nowadays, even among amateurs. the background is a simple black bed sheet. I'm using one light to the camera right and a reflector on the left.

That's it.. No meters, no fancy background. Even the prop is old and just lying around the house.

Lesson learned.. Get a light, a sheet and a simple prop and take a studio quality shot!

Childrens Portrait Sessions

Speed Racer
Originally uploaded by -shawn-

In the years since I started my small photography business, I pretty much have focused on event photography. On a much smaller scale I have done headshots for companies and even shoot NASCAR for commercial sponsors.

One area in which I would have to say I have a lot of experience by default is children photography. Heck, for 18 years I literally took tens of thousands of photographs of my 2 boys. Likely, to the point of which they would be happy if they never had to see another camera again.

Recently though, I've scheduled a few sessions scheduled with kids. Although not completely unique, I choose to shoot children in what I feel is an friendly atmosphere for both them and I. Usually a park or their own backyard, playing with the things that are familiar to them.

An added benefit beyond that fact that you have a kid that's not screaming while you try and force him into a pose is that natural light because the primary light with a reflector or flash filling in areas when needed. Most people agree that we all, even children, look our best in this type of lighting.

Personally, I'm finding that the reward is pretty great when looking at the end result. Of course the look on the faces of the parents is even better.

If you would like more information on how to schedule a , feel free to drop us a note @ shawn@candidcaptures.com.

Over the years I have visited Washington, DC several times. I remember the first visit, my oldest son was not much more than 1 or 2 years old. In fact, if after I post this I can find an early pictures I just thought of, I'll post it.

Well anyway, each time I go there I always take my camera. Some of the early shot were your standard Lincoln Memorial, White House and a zillion other shots taken in the many museums.

Well the last two trips, May of 2008 and 2009 I made it my goal to take pictures that are very different from what I would normally take. Although last year was a awesome getaway to our countries capitol, it was a trip I did alone. This year was much more special! This year I took my oldest son Ryan who graduated High School this year. The very one I took on my first trip.

Ryan and I had such a blast together. Not only did we take a bunch of traditional tourist shots, I have many very unique ones that I will cherish for years. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Right: Ryan doing his "Freedom Jump". I actually have two versions of this shot, one with people in the background, the other with out. Personally, I prefer this one.

Below: Ryan and I did a ton of walking on this trip. Museums and monuments galore. But the most relaxing night was going to the Capitol stairs to take in a concert. The sunset was just amazing.

Racing with a Flare

When I was growing up and we talked about the wide world of sports, there was really nothing more to it than Baseball, Football, Hockey (at least till the strike) and Basketball. Being from the background that I am, Golf and Tennis never really came up. One things for sure, one sport that never was spoken of was NASCAR.

But, last year, I had the opportunity to attend a couple of races, one in Dover, DE and another in Loudon, NH, simply because my company was sponsoring the race and wanted me to grab a few photos.

Well, was I in for a surprise.

Even though I new almost nothing about anything related to this sport, I found my self pretty excited to be there. After all, from a photographers point of view, whats not to like. Theirs lots of action, people, color and thrill. Couple that with the fact that I had FULL access to all areas of the track, both in inside and outside. That meant I was able to pretty much get a shot from any view. Of course, there was the issue of simply not knowing where I should be.

Thus I needed a crash course on racing. Well, there is no shortage of fan knowledge. After finding out that the average person pays over $60 for a ticket for a seat that is as uncomfortable as they come, in the open sun for as many hours as a race can run, with poor air quality all around and the need for HUGE headsets to block out the noise. You HAVE to be dedicated to the sport to endure all that. And since a fan spends ALL day at a race that runs just a couple of hours, they are just dying to talk to you about racing while guzzling down their beer while I'm enjoying my morning coffee.

So, what does a new photographer at a race with a hundred other photographers expect to shot that comes out any different than anyone else?

Well, for sure I had to capture signage of our company, but I wanted it to be different. After seeking out a couple track locations, I settled on this one. It was a quite spot on turn 2 late into the race. At this time the sun was settling down a bit. To capture this one I had to stop down to get the sun to flare and boost my ISO way up so as to still freeze the movement of the cars...

Turns out this shot was a hit, not only with my company but a few other NASCAR fans... I have to say, I like too...

Heck, I just my frame and hand it on my wall.. The question is, which wall? The right or LEFT? Hmmm, LEFT it is.. :)

The last few months have been very tough for a lot of people. Some of those I am closest with have had to deal with changes in their life that makes the day to day extremely difficult.

When I went to "process" this picture, I immediately thought of those I care so much about. Although dark and turbulent, the majority of the image is bright.... thus is life.

more about this shot

This was taken on a very cold (by Florida standards), windy day at a beach in Englewood, Florida. Very few people actually were walking on the beach at this time, which is highly unusual.

..

This past week I was invited to shoot a Dance Show at the Middle School in Cary, NC. Like the recent band event that I shot, this too was very new to me and certainly more challenging. Why? Take a low light venue with fast paced action that you want to freeze and not have the use of flash as a option. Now that's a challenge.

Despite all that, when I look at the shots , I can't help but think about the dedication it must have take by each girl in preparing for this show. The time and discipline it took to pull it all off, wow, amazing. Oh, lets not forget the dedication from their teacher.

I have to say, even if I wasn't doing the photography for this, it's a show I would not want to have missed.

To Fine Wine and Good Friends

To Fine Wine and Good Friends
Originally uploaded by -shawn-

Meeting people, ones you actually like to hang out with, is no easy feat. Now imagine how difficult it is to meet new friends when you move 900 miles away from where you grew up all your life.

To make things even more challeging, imagine you work out of your home and your only contact is by phone.

So, after relocating to Cary, NC, a place where you "can't get there from here" , from Boston, where everything is just a hop, skip or a jump away, meeting people was WAY challenging. (ok, Cary isn't that bad :) )

If this isn't the first blog entry you've read, then you know that the local gym is a major hang out for me. And it's there that I come to know so many wonderful people. Being that we all have fitness in common AND that people into fitness generally do not mind having their picture taken. (a little vain are we?) we have hung out with a bunch of wonderful folks.

Of those, there are some that have become very good friends, and this passed weekend was proved it.

I won't bore you with all the details, but , this toast and entry is to them!