Posts from — September 2007

Today, I spent the afternoon in Miami Beach with Jen who graciously volunteered herself and her precious wedding dress for a full blown Trash the Dress Session Miami Style! I had a blast and got the chance to meet some new photographers and shoot with Carmen and Fabio who I meet last month in California @ Mike Colon’s place! Hope you enjoy the shots! By the way if you are photographer and plan on taking a bride on a shoot to Miami Beach stay away from the Loews Hotel. They do not like photographers. lol We had not reached the first step of the hotel and security was already sending us on our way! Oh! and lets not forget the Lenny Kravitz looking freak on the beach! Step on me? I don’t think so. Hope everyone had a good time and look forward to meeting up again soon.   

Fortunately the weather was spectacular. Its been raining most of the week, so up until I made it past the Miami Herald building headed towards the beach I was not sure what to expect.

We started at the Apple Store on Lincoln Road and walked toward the beach. On the way over we stopped at a small apartment building and I got this shot.

Here are some more shots along the way to the beach. 

Now we return to our regularly scheduled programming, as I clear out my CF cards and charge up the batteries for tomorrows job!

I am very excited about this, I recently joined a group of select photographers who have come together to help families who have welcomed into their home a new child through adoption.

In the groups own words….

“Celebrating Adoption is a national organization of professional photographers dedicated to promoting and celebrating adoption.

Our gift to adoptive families is a complimentary portrait session to capture this wonderful time in their family’s life. In addition to the session, each participating family will receive a set of 4×5/4×6 session prints, suitable for framing, scrapbooking, or giving to family and friends.

Because the adjustment period is different with each family, we offer the complimentary session to family’s anytime during the first year after the adoption.

To schedule a session, a family only needs to visit the Celebrating Adoption website and find a local participating photographer. The next step is to contact the photographer to schedule the session.”

Please contact me if you are interested. If you know a family that has recently adopted please let them know about Celebrating Adoption.

Several weeks ago I came across the website for Kiva. In their own words….”Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can “sponsor a business” and help the world’s working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you’ve sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.”This is absolutely one of the most incredible ways to help others that I have seen in a long time. I am a firm believer in the human will to succeed. The entrepreneurial spirit in every human is one of the most powerful motivators in human life. Through Kiva we all have an opportunity to help an aspiring entrepreneur in a third world country realize a once in a lifetime dream. These entrepreneurs are looking for loans between $600 and $1,200 and YOU can help with as little as $25. Imagine that, these people are looking for $600 to fund a business or expand an existing business. For those of us who are photographers that is less than half the cost of a lenses.I encourage all of you to take a moment and help someone in need. For as little as $25 you can help change the world.

I am a big CNBC fan and thanks to XM Radio, I listen to CNBC quite often. While listening to Mad Money with Jim Cramer, he mentioned a free service that would text me Cramer’s daily show recap.

I receive a call from Brandon Kirk VP of Marketing at Tamrac. He was responding to my recent experience with my order for a new Tamrac LP2 bag. I could feel the genuine disappointment and willingness to do whatever it took to make things right. He was calling to offer me a replacement kit that converted my “new” LP2 with the “old” LP2 internal configuration. He sent it FedEx next day delivery, I now have it all setup. For me this is the best of both worlds. This is without a doubt the perfect camera bag for me!

A friend of mine Jose Capo is raising money for Down Syndrome Association and needs your support.

Please take a moment to visit his online fundraising page and if possible make a donation.

http://www.firstgiving.com/NatalieCapo

All donations are secure and sent directly to Down Syndrome Association. Please join me in supporting Down Syndrome Association of Miami Inc and a fabulous cause!

Hope everyone was able to enjoyed the Labor Day weekend. I have been blessed with spending the weekend with my family and friends. This is my first full week home without travel in the past four or five months!

Today I snapped our oldest daughter Sarah looking through our wedding album with our little one Sophia.

I love it!

Hope everyone had a safe and fun filled weekend.