Eugenio Cebollero Photography

A Few More Track Panoramics

2009-04-19T11:39:00.006-05:00

A Few More Track Panoramics

Bristol Motor Speedway

Martinsville "Paperclip"

Texas Motor Speedway

Phoenix International Raceway

After a while, they all kind of start to look the same to me. I'm ready to visit Infineon Raceway Park in Sonoma or Watkins Glen. It's nice when there is an evening qualifying or something other than the mid-day sun to break up the appearance of the track on the background. So far this has been a nice diversion and incentive to trek the 30+ minutes to the rooftops at most of these tracks.

Atlanta Motor Speedway

2009-03-10T20:51:00.001-05:00

Atlanta Motor Speedway

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

2009-03-03T09:19:00.001-05:00

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Fontana, CA

2009-02-23T06:52:00.002-05:00

Fontana, CA

This panoramic is of the track at Fontana, CA. I had an incredible view from the spotter's area atop the grandstands this past Friday and took a sequence of 6 photos with the camera built into my Samsung Ace cell phone. The images were stitched together on the computer to recreate the awesome vantage point I had. Next weekend we travel to Las Vegas, NV where I hope to bring back some great nighttime photos of the Las Vegas strip. I truly never know what I will have time for, but I will keep you posted with any new images I can bring back home.

10 Days in Daytona

2009-02-17T09:03:00.010-05:00

10 Days in Daytona

The NASCAR season is here and so begins my life on the road traveling. I am proud to work for a company who owns some of the top NASCAR contenders for the series championship. I am hoping for a successful season of individual race wins and a legitimate shot at taking home the big trophy. The past 10 days took me home to Florida where I enjoyed watching several races that start off a season of individual races. When possible, I try and take a moment to remember my friends and family back home by snapping a few photos of things I see along the way with my camera phone or whatever camera I happen to have with me at the moment. I feel very fortunate to not only have the opportunity to work behind the scenes of this very popular sport, but in this economy to have employment. The Big Guy upstairs is certainly looking out for me. So, on with the show.

Most mornings start early. 4AM wakeup calls are not at all uncommon. Days at the track are long sometimes spanning up to 16 hours. On mornings like this I really cannot complain all that much. Most people head to a stuff office with a cubicle maze. The view above is just off the parking lot in the hotel we stay in. Across the street is the 7-Eleven where I would pick up my morning supplies: a muffin, cup of coffee, packet of Vitamin C powder, water, and a small orange juice. While waiting on the rest of the crew to assemble at the van, I would usually take a minute to take in the sound of the waves and calmly settle into the busy day ahead at the track.

My first order of business once I arrive at the track is to set up wireless data radios atop our race haulers for garage area network coverage. It's usually a good place to watch the hustle and bustle of garage crew unloading cars, tool carts, and other equipment out of the transporters. This is also a good time to visually check and make sure our mobile satellite tv and internet dishes have deployed and don't have any parts or pieces hanging off of them.

The first unloading of cars is always a sight to see. At the moment the garage opens crew members race to their haulers. Dozens of platforms lower while crew members secure the car from rolling off the back of the trailer. I shot this while inside of the 29 car hauler hallway. I believe this was the Bud Shootout car that was being wheeled out for inspection. Behind the wheel is one of our engineers ready to steer the car while being pushed by crew members.

By mid-day the garage area is in full swing. Cars are being pushed through inspection stations or getting tuned in the garage for an upcoming practice or qualifying session. Tire guys are busy checking air pressures, measuring the outside diameter of tires, and creating sets for the weekend. Transporter drivers are usually restocking coolers with drinks, carting car parts to the garage stalls, or meticulously keeping things organized and clean inside of the hauler work areas. Throughout the morning at various times teams will start cars, rev engines, and fine tune various suspension components.

This image is one of many practices throughout the week. The #17 car would go on to win the Daytona 500 after rain ended the race early. Ironically, he leads the pack during this practice.

Body work on a car is a common practice throughout the weekend; however, I have never seen it done to this extent. Most of the time, after a fender bender, panels are straightened and decals re-applied, but if teams are unable to go to a backup car after a collision during practice, it's serious repair time. Just like replacing a motor or swapping out transmission components, the 07 team rebuilds the rear end body of their car in record time using bondo, automotive primer, and finally a professional paint job in a makeshift paint booth an an adjacent empty garage stall. Come race day, you couldn't tell the car had ever been damaged. Amazing. If you look closely at the image on the left you can barely make out the Sharpie writing on the paper masking which reads "Special: $295 Paint Jobs. Today Only." I suppose you have to use a little humor to get by every now and again.

Crew members for the 31 Catepillar team assemble on pit road just before the start of the race. I happened to be in the pit box scrambling to fix an issue on the crew chief's tablet just before the cars started to roll onto the track. Last minute issues always make for stressful moments.

Most weekends end just like this - a blur. A long walk onto the tarmac after a weary day at the track signifies our finish line. Once on the plane there isn't a whole lot of commotion or chatter. We usually eat, pop in earbuds to listen to music, or most recline their seats and get in a nap before landing back at home. It's the start of the next race where we'll get up early and start all over again. Next weekend we travel to Fontana, CA. After that Vegas baby! Stay tuned for more images from the road.

NC DOT Museum of Transportation

2009-02-01T16:05:00.011-05:00

NC DOT Museum of Transportation

This past Saturday I met with an enthusiastic bunch of shutterbugs from the "Triad Photography Group" via Meetup.com and enjoyed watching every eager eye work diligently to make a unique capture of the many locomotives and transportation relics crammed into the North Carolina DOT's Museum of Transportation located in Spencer, NC. The displays were enormous, plenty, and enough to give me a mild headache. I was a bit overwhelmed knowing my time was limited. I spent most of the morning walking about and snapping a frame here and there. Of most interest was my Yashica MAT 124G TLR. I completed a black and white roll of film and look forward to the results when the prints arrive back from the lab in about 10 days.

Prior to the group invite I was not aware of this museum. If you have children, need to burn a few hours touring a museum, want to ride a train, or are just looking for something unique, this museum is sure to impress. Enjoy some of the photos I put together.

Snow on My Street

2009-01-20T07:44:00.003-05:00

Snow on My Street

For the second time this season we have received some snow. The first snowfall was back on November 21, 2008, but it was hardly a dusting. This morning I woke up to a nice small blanket that covered the streets and rooftops. One test drive around the neighborhood confirmed my tires are probably not safety rated for snow. For now I will stay comfortably warm until the sun pops up and the road conditions clear.

Grand Canyon - October 1999

2009-01-04T12:41:00.010-05:00

Grand Canyon - October 1999

As the last calendar day of 2008 passed by I found myself with a desire to reminisce and dig through boxes of old pictures. The New Year always seems like a great time to take a peak back on previous years to see where one has been, what one has accomplished, and creates a hope for what is to come. I have been very fortunate and feel very blessed to have had many memorable years of travel, quality time with family, and many work opportunties that have provided once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. The friends and experiences made along the way offer a sense of completeness and fulfillment, and yet, I still have a long road ahead to create many new life experiences - and photos. On this latest particular photo dig I came across memories of a time and place I experienced in Arizona with good friends.

I served in the Air Force from Feb. '97 - Feb. '01 which anymore by a measure of time is literally a decade ago now. Crazy, where does time go?! During my commitment with the military stationed in Alaska - which in and of itself offers a truly unparalleled living experience - a good friend and co-worker of mine were sent to Arizona on TDY for continued technical training. Ironically, the best recollections of this trip were not so much the material we learned, but the good times we had while on our weekend roadtrips.

During our 45 day stay out west courtesy of the military we took advantage of opportunities to visit Mexico, Las Vegas, California, and the Grand Canyon. The photos from my visit to the Grand Canyon on the morning of 10/9/99 was my third trip ever. On previous visits with family we spectated from the rim and visitor's center, much like this latest visit. One memorable summer during my elementary school years my father had planned a vacation for my family to hike and camp down in the canyon valley. (Those pictures are stashed somewhere in a family album or in a box at my father's house.)

Our impromptu road trip to Las Vegas on a 3-day weekend included a stop at the Grand Canyon National Park and a drive by viewing of Hoover Dam. My Air Force buddies and I drove 5 hours from Sierra Vista on a Friday afternoon to arrive at the outside of the park in the late evening. We were fortunate to find a motel to get some rest. On previous family vacations I recall the Flagstaff area generally packed full of tourist limiting lodging options. After a short night's sleep, we gathered up at around 5:30am and headed towards the park entrance which was open sometime in the early hours before later heading out to Las Vegas.

Our morning at the park was brief. We wasted little time finding a place to park near the visitor's center and lodges. The views offered just inside the park are incredible. If you are ever in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon it is definitely a "must see" attraction. After all, it isn't one of the "Seven Wonders of the Natural World" for nothing. The Grand Canyon shares this accolade with other locations and natural phenomenon such as the Great Barrier Reef, Harbour of Rio de Janeiro, Mount Everest, Aurora Borealis, Paricutin Volcano, and Victoria Falls. Of this list, the only other I have experienced are the northern lights in Alaska. Elaborate planning is not required for an enjoyable visit. Simply stand in amazement of the natural wonder that the canyon offers. You will leave refreshed and in awe that is mother nature.

Afterwards, once the sun was up in the sky and the heat started to set in, we had breakfast at a restaurant within the park and started on our way to Sin City. The highway to Nevada from Arizona takes travelers across the Hoover Dam. To the best of my knowledge, if you are taking the shortest route from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas, all passenger vehicles must cross here. Although time was already pressing, the traffic delay at the dam was enough to allow us time to hop out of the car, take some quick snapshots, and chase the progress of our car in moving traffic.

I am excited for what 2009 has in store, what places I might visit, or what new experiences I will be introduced to. I hope you and your families get to enjoy life and truly "get out there." There is so much life to enjoy and to sit in a home and never experience was this country has to offer is truly a shame. Part of what got me started on this blog was to promote the local offerings in Florida. Of course, there is not much in the way of a plane ticket and a brief visit to another state to enjoy this country. Get out, experience new things, and in 10 years have the opportunity to look back on a life well lived.

All the best in 2009. - Eugenio

A Few Reasons to Visit Florida

2008-12-26T23:22:00.005-05:00

A Few Reasons to Visit Florida

Roadside Views - 421N

2008-12-07T01:55:00.003-05:00

Roadside Views - 421N

Here are two frames from a couple of things I saw along the way to Boone this weekend. I took these from a moving vehicle which was mostly for an impromptu opportunity to capture something...anything. I hope to eventually capture something more relevant to winter. Perhaps a weekend of snowboarding or maybe a lucky chance at catching some snow drifts here in the Triad will make for some good photography. All in good time.

Sun Sets on Tampa Bay

2008-12-03T00:10:00.002-05:00

Sun Sets on Tampa Bay

...and rises for a new day to enjoy the Florida lifestyle.

Breakfast..My Favorite Meal

2008-11-23T00:30:00.005-05:00

Breakfast..My Favorite Meal

This is a typical breakfast for me on my days off. It's probably the one meal I most look forward to and also exert the most effort into. On this Saturday morning I was waken up by a phone call. It was my brother reminding me of an 8AM gym commitment. So yes - we got up and got through a nice workout, but as soon as I got home I knew I would be hungry so I wasted little time. I got the espresso pot on the stove to get my Cafe Bustelo going while I hit the shower. Immediately after I was ready to play chef. The morning's menu consisted of a fresh spinach, mushroom, mozarella, and sausage omelette with a side of diced potatoes, red/green peppers, and onions. It's quite possibly my favorite meal. Sometimes I'll vary the selection to include fried eggs and a couple of bacon strips, but being gym focused and health conscious I try and keep it healthy. Follow up that meal with 2 pints of Simply Orange and you have yourself one happy day.

My Hometown City Skyline

2008-11-13T13:02:00.001-05:00

My Hometown City Skyline

It's funny how nice it looks when you come back to visit.

My Sister's Wonderful Wedding

2008-11-11T19:34:00.007-05:00

My Sister's Wonderful Wedding

This weekend I traveled down to Florida to attend and witness my sister marry her friend, her baby's father, and my newest brother - Dave. Attending weddings in previous years has typically meant that I was immersed in the day's events and documenting the moments for the newlywed's recollection in photographs. Although on this day I was in the ceremony alongside my brother and Dave's best friends, there were particular moments when I would have enjoyed creating a special photo for my sister and Dave. For me photography transcends any rules, barriers, or obligations. Being the enthusiast that I am, I decided to pocket my newest camera toy and pull it out for a snapshop on occasion. I was thankful that I did tote my portable camera around as I now have some great new photos to share with friends, family, and most importantly - Mabel and Dave.

The day was incredible. Florida couldn't have cooperated any better. The day was cool, but warm in the sun. A breeze helped collect any hint of perspiration and the late afternoon sunset produced incredible color.

Family gatherings a best enjoyed during a happy and eventful occasion. Our family has experienced gatherings of every kind it seems. Tough times make us stronger, happy times forge those relationships. Weddings can be stressful for anyone involved, but thankfully all went smoothly. I observed my parents give away their only daughter, my brother and his wife relive their wedding day with expectations of their first child in early spring, and my sister and Dave enjoy the genuine happiness weddings are intended to be. Me? I danced, drank, and even flirted around a bit. Hopefully my garter dance doesn't find it's way to YouTube. Hey - what else is a single guy to do at a wedding? All in good fun.

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. David Boatenhammer. I love you guys...and my handsome nephew too. (They say he takes after his uncle.)

City Landmark

2008-11-04T02:49:00.002-05:00

City Landmark

Every city has it's landmark. For certain, one of the first buildings to ever record in my memory from my first visit to Winston Salem was the dome top Wachovia Building easily visible off of the main business route. By spring of 2009 the city will get a new ballpark for the Winston Salem Warthogs. I look forward to many "Thirsty Thursdays" and incredible summer evenings of watching the sun fall over this place that is my home.

Early Fall 2008 (Part 3)

2008-10-28T18:53:00.005-05:00

Early Fall 2008 (Part 3)

It was a cold day for October today, but I headed out anyways to see how the trees were developing in color here in Kernersville and Winston. The day was already getting late so I decided against the 45 minute ride out towards King. I am a bit confused as to when "full on peak fall" is supposed to hit this area, but either I am clueless or nature is confused by the weather patterns. Some trees are brilliant red, orange, or yellow, while others are still green. Even more strange is coming across a tree with zero leaves. I guess the change is progressive. My best hope of getting dense color is to probably find a forest trail where all of the trees are working in coordination. Before I know it, winter will be here. If the weather continues with temperatures dropping, we should see some snow this year. January 2008 brought us a little bit of snow - just enough to run out and grab a few snapshots. Time will soon bring temperatures cooler than fleece capable, so dig out your coats and OJ gloves.

October Moon

2008-10-22T16:28:00.003-05:00

October Moon

It's been a while since I photograph a full moon. I took this one last week Tuesday when it was near the horizon. At some point I'll want a longer lens so you can see the dust on the surface. Enjoy.

Early Fall 2008 (Part 2)

2008-10-14T19:51:00.006-05:00

Early Fall 2008 (Part 2)

I didn't quite make it too far from home on this trip. From what I've heard Grandfather Mountain and the Blue Ridge Parkway are experiencing peak fall colors as of today. It's a real bummer too since I've never been there in the fall. I'm looking forward to the Triad's peak fall colors which are forecasted to show next week. I look foward to a lake hike in Greensboro or perhaps around the corner in Salem Lake where I might be able to capture some water reflected trees.

Today's short hike was at the base of Pilot Mountain. I've been there about a dozen times now since living in North Carolina, but I try and vary each visit as to not wear it out. I had never hiked any of the trails there before so that's where I started today. Very few of the trails offered any decent landscape views. Most of the hike was designed around taking the rock climber to and from rock ledges and walls inside the forest. The area still made for great photo subject matter. I took my time and just enjoyed being outside. The air was still cool despite weather reports of it heating into the upper 80s. I suppose being up high and in the forest where the sun doesn't reach helps things out a bit.

Overall I was fairly satisfied with some of my shots. Fall isn't quite here yet, but there was enough color hinting at the extremities of tree branches and treetops to suffice. The "knob" that is Mt. Pilot isn't quite fully dressed in fall colors yet either. I may not return again until the spring so I'm thankful to have gotten a few new shots with my newest camera and lens combo.

Enjoy the photos. Get outside. Relax. 'Til next time.

Early Fall 2008

2008-10-10T10:58:00.008-05:00

Early Fall 2008

It's been a while since I've updated the blog, but as you can see we went from a summer of mountain biking to the appearance of an early fall. In another week or so the colors of this season will be at ground level. For this set of photos I hiked up the Cook's Wall trail at Hanging Rock Park to get a sneak preview of what's in store. I hope to head further north towards the Blue Ridge Parkway next week to find more vibrant colors. Of course, I may not need to travel much further than my own backyard to capture all of fall at its fullest. Enjoy.

US Nat'l Whitewater Rafting Center - MTB

2008-08-25T22:37:00.011-05:00

US Nat'l Whitewater Rafting Center - MTB

On the rare ocassion that I have a Sunday at home I typically attempt to get out and enjoy the outdoors away from everything. This past weekend was no exception when my brother and I made a short 1.5 hour road trip south to the US National Whitewater Rafting Center complex for a little mountain biking. Web searches and trail reviews underestimate the near 12 miles of awesome single track trails that encircle the facilities. USNWRC has something to offer for every outdoor enthusiast from rafting, kayaking, rock climbing, rappeling, zip line rides, tower climbs, hiking, mountain biking, canoeing on the Catawba River, and eating on the decks and patios overlooking the rapids.

We really didn't know what to expect before making the drive. Just a few weeks ago we drove down to Asheboro to ride the trails in the Uwharrie National Forest and were somewhat underwhelmed with what was offered. I suppose the allure of a cold beer and some kick ass food after a long ride would put to shame any forest trail that has nothing but mosquitos and a trip through what appear to be abandoned ghost towns after 9PM. USNWRC had everything put together quite well so much so that if I was mistaken I would have thought we were in Orlando, Florida near all of the other Disney attractions and touristic theme parks. From the entryway landscaping to the gift shop inside, this place had something for anyone with a sense of adventure. After speaking with one of the girls from inside the shop I was sure I had met someone who had a better job than I. They get 2 hour lunch breaks to essentially get out and play. Whether it's grabbing a ride on a raft or hitting the trails on the mountain bike, a clean locker room with showers and a restaurant all within walking distance makes staying fit and having fun while working somewhat of a stress free work environment. If I was a college student living in the Charlotte area I would more than likely make this place the part time job of choice.

If you've never been mountain biking before, I would place a strong recommendation on going to USNWRC. All the equipment you would need is available onsite in their rental shop. They even offer mountain biking instruction for the absolute novice. I suppose if you're unsure of how to operate brakes and the gear shifter on a bike you might look into this, otherwise hit the trails hard and have fun.

We arrived sometime near mid-day due to some incorrect driving directions all thanks to the Garmin taking us west of downtown instead of east downtown Charlotte. Upon arrival we paid a nominal $5 parking fee and made quick work of exploring the activities offered. I was amazed at the variety offered and will look forward to returning in the spring of '09 for a 2-day stay to participate in some biking, kayaking, and maybe even a little rafting. The zip line was another appealing attraction that I would like to ride on a future visit.

We made good time through all of the trails offered including their single black diamond trails. There weren't too many obstacles unfamiliar with some of the trails in the Triad although the gradual terrain changes and lengthy downhills made for some adrenalin induced fun. We finished off our day with a couple of cold draft beers and some chicken rice bowls at the restaurant. The breeze and sounds of the rapids sure placed me somewhere in the wilderness except within a stones throw of the interstate and a short ride from home.

I look forward to returning to the US National Whitewater Rafting Center with my "nice" camera in tow to make some great photos. In particular, some action sequences of intense rafting, rock climbing, or mountain biking would do well for my little photography blog. For now, enjoy the few cell phone snapshots. I'll see you next time whenever or wherever life or this road with work takes me.

- Eugenio

For more info, visit: http://www.usnwc.org/

"Located on the banks of the Catawba River in Charlotte, N.C., the U.S. National Whitewater Center is the world's largest artificial whitewater river and an official U.S. Olympic Training Site. The USNWC is a locally owned and operated non-profit dedicated to promoting healthy, active, outdoor lifestyles. Opened in August 2006 at a cost of $38 million, the 307-acre public adventure-sport facility includes whitewater rafting and kayaking, mountain biking and hiking trails, a climbing center and a ropes course, along with a 2,400 square-foot conference center and 300-seat River's Edge Bar & Grill - all overlooking the home rapids of the U.S. National Slalom Canoe/Kayak Team.

Olympic-caliber athletes, weekend warriors and casual observers share this world-class sports and training center. Whether you want to play hard or relax on the river's edge, the USNWC offers a great place to take it outside."

At the Shop

2008-08-13T22:33:00.003-05:00

At the Shop

During my 10+ years as an computer technician I can claim to have had a desk in a basement, cluttered closet space, in the press box of a pro football stadium, a cubicle maze, and in a garage. Most of those jobs didn't necessarily offer a view with the exception of working in the NFL. Above is the window view from where I sit twice a week when I am in the shop.

This is essentially one of many offices or departments within a larger organization where I work. It's certainly a room to keep your co-workers within a foreign object's throwing distance.

Sometime down the road I hope to have photos of some of the views from around the track.

Take care all,

Eugenio

Passing through NYC

2008-08-09T19:02:00.010-05:00

Passing through NYC

For the second time this season I had the opportunity to visit NYC if even for a brief few hours. The last time we visited we made it a point to play the part of tourists and visit a few popular landmarks before calling it a night. This last visit was all about taking part of the local culture and enjoying an evening with friends we traveled with - and friends we didn't know we had until a few beers were exchanged. On our ride from the Poconos we debated for a while on where we'd go or what we'd do. Chinatown was mentioned as was Angelo's - a restaurant we had visited on our previous trip. This time around we settled on a pub crawl. Specifically, we wanted to visit local NYC pubs that offered a true pub like experience. #1 on the list was McSorley's. Established in 1854 and deep rooted in American history, we were going to go regardless of the 30+ minute wait that greeted us at about 4PM on a Saturday afternoon. Of course, it was rated #1 so that's where we went and it had to be worthwhile.

While in line a hispanic guy standing behind me asked if we had been waiting in line for long. He was from out of town and had mentioned that he was in NYC for 3 days on an extended layover while on his way to Canada for a few months of English schooling. A friend of his from his home country of Brazil had given him a strong recommendation to go visit the small Irish pub. After a bit of talking, I convinced him to stay seeing how we had heard the same albeit from a few internet resources. We spoke a bit about Brazil and the island where my family came from - the Carribean island of Puerto Rico. I always look forward to a cultural experience and learn what some foreigner's perspectives are on their first visit to the US. Of course, our conversation delved into the beautiful Portuguese speaking ladies of Brazil and what an amazing experience Carnival in Rio is like. I was certainly intrigued.

Once inside the pub we knew we had not only hit a locals' favorite, but also a landmark known only to the tourists that sought out that sort of experience. Irish pub songs could be heard and a little leprechaun looking host wandered about delivering fist-fulls of pints. McSorley's only serves 2 beers - a light and a dark ale which coincidentally went down very smoothly. Not even a few minutes passed before 2 sets of pint glasses were emptied and sitting on the bar counter for a refill. The buzz in the bar was awesome. Everyone had lively conversations about and our good Brazilian friend Allen had partaken in the tradition of buying the gang a round of beers. A young local couple was well aware that it was our first visit and welcomed us with a round of pints. Servings came in pairs - one light and one dark. Often times I'd have a pair in one hand and a half empty glass in the other. Time in the pub crawled. I watched people circulate through the constantly opening and closing door while at the same time noticed the dust covered picture frames and light fixtures hanging from the ceilings. Across the bar I noticed a very appropriate wood carving affixed to the top of a cabinet with the saying "Be Good or Be Gone." For some reason I looked down at my glass, gulped the last bit of ale, and took on the next pair in my hand. Allen continued telling me stories about soccer, his days of studying for law school, and different Portuguese phrases aimed at impressing the Brazilian female. None of those phrases stuck of course, but some of what he was teaching me certainly made me laugh out loud a few times.

Time passed us by, but what called our attention were the empty stomachs. Conversation turned from best places to drink in the city to the best places to eat. A suggestion to hit up a local taco stand was made, but we all quickly knew that being the last trip to New York for the season we had our last chance to head to Angelo's for that amazing Italian cuisine. We finished the last of our pints - somewhere after a dozen a piece - and headed to a street corner to hail a cab. I've never ridden in a New York City cab before and I already knew I was in for an exeperience. Cabs are a fixture in the streets of Manhattan. Yellow is a primary color aside from the greys of the city streets and buildings and the greens of the few trees that were planted in the sidewalks of the city streets. We said our goodbyes to Allen and our other newly made friends at the bar and boarded a cab for a short ride to Little Italy.

A brief ride down a few city blocks landed us back in a very familiar part of the city. The sidewalk cafes and the awnings hanging over the entrances quickly took us from Ireland to Italy. This time around we waited a while to get into Angelo's. Of course, upon seeing our old waiter - one that we tipped generously - seating time went from 20 minutes to about 5.

Dinner came and went. We ate, drank some great Italian wine, and repeated our walk through Little Italy to look at knock off watches and eat some gelato. Night fell and so did the energy levels. Somehow a few hours spent in an Irish pub has a way of draining whatever energy one has. For the evening's subway ride we enjoyed the local subway entertainment. At our boarding location we enjoyed some local folk music by a guitarist that actually had a good tune. We passed up the opportunity to hop on a few trains while we listened to him play a few songs and learn where he was from. Once we were ready, we all dropped him a tip and sped away towards the Port Authority garage where our rental was parked. On the receiving end a show was just about to start. A group of young kids was forming an audience for their local jam session. They cranked up the volume on a small boombox attached to a large club speaker. How it was powered was still beyond me, but after rocking a freestyle jam from the early 90's they had most of the crowd bobbing their heads. A few flips, somersaults, and headstands had everyone clapping in approval and digging for their pockets. After paying a small entertainment fee, we quickly made our way for the car and headed back on the freeway to Pennsylvania where we would have another long day with an early morning start in the Poconos.

If you're ever in the city and are in need of a memorable afternoon at bar, definitely check out McSorley's. Whether the light ale or dark, either will go down smooth and at a great 2 for $4.50 price. According to the locals, don't eat the food. Instead, go around the corner to the local taco bar. We went to Angelo's, but maybe the tacos will hit the spot if we do ever make it out on a dedicated bar hop.

http://www.mcsorleysnewyork.com/

'Til next time,

Eugenio

Christmas in July

2008-07-22T23:52:00.010-05:00

Christmas in July

Yeah, Christmas is still a few months away, but the mention of it in July somehow serves as a reminder to start saving the change from those lattes for all of those expensive things your wife will ask you for. For some of you, you'll simply have to cut out lattes all together. Haha...I kid.

These are some photos that never quite made it to the blog. Perhaps I was tired of the holiday season before it started that I just never really was up to posting them. Actually, these photos were taken for a Winston Salem Monthly assignment and published in the December 2007 issue. After 60 days copyright licensing expired, it was more than likely mid March of 2008 before I gave them anymore thought. So here we are in July having a look at holiday photos from last year. Good times.

If you're local to the area and have never been to Tanglewood during the holidays, I'd defintitely give it a shot. The lighting display is basically a drive-thru show where you dim your headlights, tune into the local park's station for holiday music, and slowly cruise through the various displays. I'd recommend going sometime early in the season when you don't have 10,000 other locals clogging up the roads leading up to the park. If you've got a hot date it's a definite bonus as there are many areas of the park where it's just too dark for anyone else in any other car to really see what's going on in your vehicle. If you've got a family, calmly tell your kids to cover their eyes. (Ok, who actually reads what I write anyways? It kind of gives me the right to say whatever I wish, right? haha)

Around the midway part of the ride - right around the time that dinner has settled and is making you sleepy - there is a nice place to park, get out of your car, buy some hot chocolate and smores making ingredients, and gather around a large fire pit for roasting with a bunch of strangers. This is an opportune time to make up stories, lie about some big deer you killed on some hunting trip, or make mothers round up their kids as you drunkenly wave around a flaming marshmallow. If you haven't gotten lucky with your date, perhaps this would be a good time to spike her hot chocolate with something that will get the night moving along a little more quickly.

It's hard to believe I will soon be spending a third Christmas up here in North Carolina. It's more unbelievable how time flies and how bringing up photos from last Christmas reminds me of a very much different time in my life. Just a few short months can certainly bring about change and make a whole world of difference. Of course, if you're going into next Christmas still complaining about the last one then you should probably do something a little different to change your life.

I have no idea what this Christmas will bring - maybe a hot chick in a Santa suit. Ehh, actually that'd be better after the holidays seeing how I won't need to save any left-over change from lattes this year. Who knows. Have fun this holiday season. Get in your car, check out some holiday lights, and maybe get lucky. (Are you still reading this?!)

California Burning

2008-07-16T23:36:00.007-05:00

California Burning

Mother nature is at it again in this post. I snapped off a few frames of a part of California east of Oakland as it burned. As we flew home from Sonoma I wondered what the people losing houses below were having to deal with. It's an interesting perspective to look down from the comfort of a seat on a plane and know you're fortunate to not have this scene as your worry. Perspectives - some people need new ones. Hopefully these images might offer you a fresh one.

Armageddon - Or a bad summer storm

2008-07-14T22:15:00.002-05:00

Armageddon - Or a bad summer storm

In all the years I watched thunderstorms approach the coastlines of Florida I have never in my life seen anything like this. Over the weekend we were in Joliet, IL at the Chicagoland Speedway. As this storm approached I thought it might be wise to lower the 25' poles extended above our race haulers. A few minutes after I was done I ran like an idiot towards our van while getting showered by sideways wind blown rain. I couldn't stop laughing - it was quite fun actually watching everyone run for their lives. One of our spotters even shouted out "Auntie Anne" as he pushed a cart out of the storm and into the garage. Good times.

Stay dry - or play in the rain and catch that cold your mother always warned you about!

- Eugenio

Golden Gate Bridge - Black/White

2008-06-23T22:13:00.005-05:00

Golden Gate Bridge - Black/White

A short visit to San Francisco this weekend included a brief daytime ride over the Golden Gate Bridge on our way to dinner at Fisherman's Wharf. I would never miss the opportunity to photograph such a well known landmark and extended myself with yet another inferior camera. Without the luxury of time I was unable to stop, compose, steady, or shoot properly. Instead, I settled for aiming out the window of a wildy racing van with my point and shoot and firing off as many frames as this vintage 2MP Nikon could handle. In the back of my mind I muttered off expletives regarding the camera shake shooting through the filthy window. In the end, heavy cropping and color absent images reveal the architecture that so many tourists and locals seek. The photos produced again reinforce my belief in disposing the cliches that insist only the finest cameras create the finest photographs. Although your definition may vary from my best effort presented here, I clearly define these images by the brief moment I had to enjoy this first visit to San Francisco - priceless. Of course, don't come asking me for poster sized prints. The best I might offer is a postcard.

Come back often. I have a folder of images to present. If not here, then someplace on the web.

- Eugenio

5 Hours in NYC and 1 Cell Phone Camera

2008-06-10T19:22:00.016-05:00

5 Hours in NYC and 1 Cell Phone Camera

Over this past weekend my travels with NASCAR took me to the Poconos region of Pennsylvania. One of the perks of traveling to a different city each weekend is the opportunity to explore beyond the track's walls and take in the local culture. Little did I know it at the time, but we were within reach of New York City. We were exactly a short 1 hour and 48 minutes away to be exact. On Saturday the garage closed at 2:30pm which basically meant we had the rest of the day to ourselves. There was no sense in returning to the hotel to clock watch, and I cannot imagine what I would have devised to entertain myself, but honestly, there isn't a great deal of anything to do in Blakeslee, PA, unless you intend on hunting, fishing, camping, or skiing during the winter season. I, however, was fortunate to receive an invite to ride along with a few of NASCAR's finest mechanical engineers into the city for an evening of expedited siteseeing and a planned stop in Little Italy for dinner at one of NYC Italy's finest restaurants.

After parking and making our way out of the Port Authority, we had about 5 hours to spend downtown Manhattan since we needed to reserve time to drive back and settle in for the following morning's track activities. We wasted little time in making our way through Times Square and into Central Park. I was amazed to see how many people were out just enjoying life in the park. It was hot. I made the brutal mistake of wearing jeans. I had no idea where we were headed or if I would require something casual for dinner. At one point I even estimated the weather to be cool enough for a long sleeve shirt. I suppose the locals prefer the company of their neighbors in a charming place such as Central Park to a boring stuffy apartment somewhere tucked away in a high rise. Perhaps being clustered together on those grassy lawns extended the old adage that misery really does love company. Or, maybe I was too discontent with having worn jeans and was just constantly reminded by the sweat pouring off of my forehead. Overall, the excitement of being in the "big apple" trumped any discomfort I had dealing with the heat. I am a Florida boy afterall.

For those super fans that keep up with my blog or have been here since the beginning, you will recall that I made this trip to the city back in December 2005. Boredom and repition are feelings I may never have for visiting NYC. The city has a certain appeal. Whether it's the vast diversity of human beings, the collective unorganized-yet-efficient chaos, the variety of activities, or the intriguing quality of the architecture that is downtown Manhattan, I could look forward to visiting regularly. Or, if someday the opportunity presents itself, I might consider actually living in this urban mecca.

A poor selection of apparel to tour the city was mistake #1. Mistake #2 came quickly when I realized that I had no suitable camera to document my short visit. Graciously, I recalled having a trusty 1MP cell phone camera on hand for emergencies such as this. A 1MP camera, mind you, is hardly a camera in today's market of digital portable cameras and advanced cell phones. In good time, the trusty i870 Motorola will find a deep dark drawer to retire in once I make room for something a little more worthy of image capture. In this instance, I will spare you the complaining and whining of the lack of image quality and just move forward with presenting the best "Hello Moto" 2005 has to offer. A camera is a camera so long as the memory is captured, right? I should at least feel fortunate to have a piece of portable technology on hand to make the most of the few hours I had. In that vain, I shall digress and continue on with my trip report.

Upon exiting Central Park in search of the nearest subway station, we spotted a mammoth large glass cube resembling a monument. In the center, near the roofline, and suspending virtually weightless was the trademark logo of the white apple with a bite missing. We knew right away that either some artist had either created some piece of modern art paying homage to the cult-like computer company on the city's streets or somehow there was a magical doorway that led pedestrians into a virtual shopping world full of technical wonders manufactured on the opposite coast. It indeed was possibly one of the coolest Macintosh stores I have ever browsed. The entrance, set above the concrete jungle, was a simple circular staircase, made out of - you guessed it - glass, which led eager shoppers down into the subterranean technology shopper's paradise that Macintosh created. Inside there were tables showcasing the latest gadgets. The hoards of tourists and locals snatching up the trendy and pricy miniature techno-gizmos would rival the patronage of a gift shop near the exit of the Magic Kingdom during the park's closing hours. Had I observed this storefront entrance from above, the scene might have resembled a glass ant farm I once owned as a child.

After a thorough examination of some of the store's newest and most advanced wares, fighting a sudden urge to make an impulse purchase, and after having enjoyed some air conditioning, we resurfaced on the city streets to locate the nearest subway station. By this time in the early evening we had grown an appetite from our walk through Times Square and Central Park and were looking forward to arriving at an Italian restaurant that was highly recommended by another team member that had visited in a previous trip to the Poconos.

A swipe of the Metro Card and a short ride on the subway landed us on the streets of NYC's Little Italy. The district resembled the scene out of any great movie ever created depicting mobsters sitting to dinner. We made our way down Mulberry Street to Angelo's. Seating was limited indoors, so we settled for outdoor seating under an umbrella. Once the ice water was served and the first glass of red wine poured, the worries of the weekend melted away. Even more delectable was my dinner choice of Canneloni. Oh my word. I have never quite enjoyed Italian cuisine like I did on the sidewalk seating at Angelo's. The time slowed to a crawl. Each one of us fell silent and only spared a moment to comment on how f'ing awesome the food was. (Excuse the insinuated expletive, but in times of great frustration, or in our moment of grand exuberance, word choice is loose and non-specific in terms of expressing ones thoughts on a given moment.)

Dinner finally came to a close. Although most in this situation might complain about time moving quickly, I was admittedly gracious towards whatever phenomenon controls the space time continuum for slowing the clock so that each bite could be savored. Once the ticket and gratuity were settled, we mosied along Mulberry Street in search of dessert. The sweet tooth craving was easily satiated with an oversized serving of amaretto gelato. The cold treat closed out the evening in a refreshing fashion. My hosts spent a little time navigating the street vendors in search of faux time pieces or last minute trinkets to bring home to their significant others. I enjoyed a chat with the locals and settled on soaking in the dusk that quickly fell on New York City.

The early gesture offered by the spiritual force that gave us an extra moment at dinner quickly took back our borrowed time by speeding up the clock straight into the evening. We walked briskly back to the subway station, and in an instant we were back in the rental car on our way to the Poconos where an early alarm would wake us from that great, but brief experience in New York City.

I cannot thank the fellas enough that extended me an invitation to join them on this getaway visit to the city. I enjoyed their company immensely and look forward to future experiences while living and working on the road with NASCAR. Hopefully, my next effort to capture my surroundings will include a device more sophisticated than my trusty Motorola i870.

Thank you for stopping by. Check back often as new experiences on the road will be published right here.

All the best,

Eugenio

Spring MTB Pt. 2 - Tanglewood Park

2008-06-01T22:02:00.008-05:00

Spring MTB Pt. 2 - Tanglewood Park

I went out on Thursday morning last week on a challenging 9+ mile mountain bike ride at local Tanglewood Park. The area experienced fairly bad weather the day prior with lots of wind and rain leaving a difficult muddy and slippery ride through the forest. The morning was gorgeous and the day was shaping up to be too good to stay indoors. Typically, any mountain bike enthusiast would look forward to getting down and dirty on a forest trail, but after a few minutes into my ride and one solid smack onto a rooted trail, I quickly became humble and toned down my typical aggressive riding style.

Roots, mostly smooth and covered in some kind of algae, are perfectly slick and "channel" the front and rear tires of a mountain bike much like the rails on a train track direct the wheels of a train. I had just coasted down a slope and made an attempt to bank a righthand turn when out of nowhere the front wheel pulled hard to the left and my body flew off the bike to the right. Setting my right foot down to catch the fall did no good as I lost footing and slipped right along. Momentum carried me forward, a right knee impacted the ground, and not even could the glove on my hand slow me enough to soften a full body flop. A system of roots of varied sizes broke my fall to the ground. The bruise on the outside of my right thigh is still going through the changing colors of a healing injury. Luckily no other bones made contact. The rest of the ride was slow and cautious. I look forward to days when the trails are dried and the mud hard packed. I enjoy a good lung busting aerobic workout on the bike and the local trails seem to be the best way to enjoy getting in some exercise.

Being that the trail made for a nasty surprise around every corner, I decided to stop every so often and seek out anything of interest to photograph. Of course, the forest looked the same through most of the ride. Every so often the trees filtered the sunlight into interesting patterns. I even managed to find a fallen log decaying in fungus which made for interesting subject matter. I saw plenty of squirrels and a few chipmunks - which are way to fast for a photo - but no deer on this day's ride.

Tanglewood trails offer a nice mixture of small bridge crossings, log pyramids, and a few fallen log obstacles to challenge the off-road enthusiast. Every so often there are hints of what may have been at one time large rock gardens to bike through. Most of them are worn down baseball sized rocks mixed with loose gravel. Overall, I would definitely recommend Tanglewood to the beginning mountain biker. Just be ready to feel the leg burn. Oh yeah, and avoid riding after the rain or be prepared to take home a bruise or two and a muddy bike.

Stay tuned as I will soon be venturing out to some exotic mountain biking locations such as the Uwharrie National Forest on one of my days off.

All the best -

Eugenio

Spring MTB - Greensboro, NC

2008-05-24T00:43:00.008-05:00

Spring MTB - Greensboro, NC

I started my annual mountain biking outings this year with the goal of capturing a few images from the trail. This year has started out fairly slow since getting back in shape is the main priority. I spent all of last spring, summer, and early fall finding all sorts of moutain biking trails in the Triad, but never once carried a camera. This year shall be different and I look forward to sharing photos from my adventures biking North Carolina.

This area is somewhat of a mecca for trail riders. In all, there are about 12 different trails to choose from varying from an easy afternoon ride to a full Saturday workout. I had today off and chose to give myself the torture treatment. I rode for about 3 1/2 grueling hours and covered about 17 miles of rough terrain. Along the way I stopped at a few creek crossings to peer at the aquatic life and to catch a breath here and there. Last year I did not ever get a chance to spot any deer, but this year they seem to have been more abundant. As pictured below, I was upset to come upon a fawn dead not even but a few weeks old or less.

I have also determined it's time to upgrade the old Coolpix 2200 point and shoot to something a little more robust and with more manual control. I had a difficult time getting non-blurry shots in low light areas. The use of the built in flash makes for poorly lit photos. Perhaps a pocket tripod will do the trick.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed some of my newest photos. Hopefully I will have some more as the weeks pass.

All the best,

Eugenio

Love your job

2008-05-19T20:51:00.002-05:00

Love your job

February of 2008 marked a significant anniversary that I perhaps subconsciously chose to not celebrate. You see, February of 1998, a date 10 years previous, signifies what I officially mark as my first venture into an adult working career. I had landed my first position in a computer repair shop courtesy of the US Air Force. Technically, I joined the service back in February of 1997, but I don't count my first year since it was spent training and sitting in a classroom. Most college students drag through 2-4 years, but in the fast track that is the Air Force I zipped through an education in 1 year before being sent to my first duty station to do "real" work.

Fast forward 10 years to February of this year. I was on the verge of starting a call center (aka tech support) position with a bank which will remain unnamed. Only 3 1/2 weeks into my "new" opportunity I decided to call it quits. It was the first time I had ever voluntarily terminated my own employment. Don't get me wrong - I've never been fired before and don't hope to anytime soon, but if you consider that my call center job was my 9th job since my journey started in the military, then I can comfortably sit here and say with certainty that it was a job not meant for me. How on earth did I go through NINE jobs in TEN years?! I'm still scratching my head over that.

Just a few weeks ago we had the pleasure of a visit from Shanti's sister Risa and our good friend Patrick who lives just down the road in Raleigh. On a walk through downtown Winston after dinner, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a somewhat odd oxymoronic setting. There was a man perched above what appears to be computers and copier equipment painting a mural. Only now, as I write this, am I making the connection as to what I was intrigued by. I saw myself standing on that scaffolding. When I consider my current employment situation - enjoying computer work, passionate about photography - I wonder if perhaps that man was me reincarnated or some brother from another mother. Mind you, I don't paint, but I do enjoy the intricasy that is finding light, color, shape, etc. in a subject. I capture with a camera while a painter creates with a brush.

I have had some unfortunate luck over the years with my career. I have had 3 employers close shop and I have experimented unsuccessfully with other career possibilities; yet, here I am tapping a keyboard and clicking a mouse for a living. I was recently having an online exchange with a friend from Florida about my misfortunes. She encapsulated my experience over the years in one word - adventurous. When I think back to every job I've had I can easily conjure fond memories. For instance, I remember goofing off with an old co-worker while handling thousands of dollars worth of expensive military computer systems in a frigid open doored hanger in Alaska. I still remember how awesome those F-15 fighters were just parked a few feet away. And then there was a time when I somehow found myself piloting an inflatable radio controlled blimp over a packed NHL hockey arena during a live game! I was just an intern. While working at a law firm, I made a great friend who somehow got me aboard a sailing yacht - a first for me. I've had the opportunity to run out of a tunnel with an NFL team during a halftime, chat with a celebrity football player during a runway model photo shoot sponsored by his charity, and I remember a summer in 2001 when I was at the bottom of a drained swimming pool shoveling sludge, frogs, and avoiding snakes for my "Uncle Freddy" who at that time was recovering from his surgery. He needed my help to avoid losing his pool business. Here I am - 10 years later and not even a month into my 10th job and I had a moment to sit down and enjoy eating an Arby's roast beef sandwich in the chair across from a famous NASCAR racecar driver. How exactly did I end up here? Why? I don't care, but I love my newest job for its richness in experience.

I look back at all of my jobs and hold very little regret. I loved those jobs. Sometimes not so much for what I was doing at the time, but for the memorable life experiences I had while performing those tasks. As the great poet Thoreau once explained his purpose in wandering into the woods in the book "Walden", "...to suck the marrow out of life," I hope you love your experiences while you are "doing your job" even if what you do is not what you love. I have surely wandered into the unknown with both fear and excitement. What I discover next is a big unknown.

When I look back at this picture of a guy painting his mural, close to the midnight hour in some office downtown, all the while bopping to music playing through earbuds in his ears, I have to stop and think - he must love his job.

Congratulations Justin & Aubrey!

2008-04-15T21:12:00.006-05:00

Congratulations Justin & Aubrey!

It's been ages since I have had the opportunity to create engagement style photos. In recent months it's mainly been weddings and magazine photo assignments. Engagement photo sessions, unlike weddings, are loose, relaxed, stress free, and for the most part much more enjoyable for both parties to shoot. I was thrilled when Justin recently contacted me to help him celebrate his recent engagement to his girlfriend Aubrey by asking if I could create some engagement photos for their friends and family. In case you don't recall, I collaborated with Justin and Aubrey back in September of 2007 to create some bike photos. Meeting up again for their engagement photos made our day that much more enjoyable and laid back. We had a good time scouring a local junkyard filled with late model vehicles for awesome photo opportunities. Later in the day we headed to a Mocksville home with an amazing azalea garden. Those photos will come soon. In the meantime, her are a few from the day's shoot at the junkyard.

(More photos from this shoot can be found here: Portfolio - Enjoy!)

Pizza & Pastry

2008-04-07T22:23:00.004-05:00

Pizza & Pastry

In keeping in line with my latest hobby - food - I have decided to make another blog entry featuring some food I happened upon last year during a magazine shoot. These days I'll funnel almost anything down the hatch. Next month, once my the magazine usage rights expire, I'll post up some photos of hotdogs I had the pleasure of eating...errr, photographing these past couple of days. In the meantime I hope you're checking this blog entry some time before your lunch hour. I hope these photos inspire a little bit of salivation and maybe a stomach rumble. Yum. Now go eat.

Exiting? No Way! Fooled ya!

2008-04-04T12:19:00.004-05:00

Exiting? No Way! Fooled ya!

At some point I might take a break from photography, allow the dust to settle, and maybe thin out the collection, but you're going to have to pry the camera from my cold dead hands to get me to give up photography.

Sorry about my previous post, but I too have to enjoy a good April Fool's gag!

- Eugenio

For Sale

2008-04-01T22:47:00.005-05:00

For Sale

I regret to inform my dear friends, family, and general public to stumble upon my blog that due to unforseen circumstances I will be exiting photography entirely. In the coming weeks most of my equipment will be listed for auction on eBay including my vintage collectibles, digital cameras, lenses, and lighting equipment.

This decision has not been easy and is one I made after many weeks of thinking things through. Without going into detail regarding the circumstances forcing me into this position, I truly assure you it's in my best interests. It's tough to say these things, and after seeing the many months I have put into this weblog along with my journey shooting for a local magazine, I will miss photography wholeheartedly.

Thank you for the many years of visiting my blog to see my latest work. I hope you saw some photos that you enjoyed or were even moved by. I sincerely hope some of what I have done here will inspire others to pick up the journey where I have left off.

Enjoy life. Take up a hobby. When it's time to say goodbye, just say goodbye, move on, and never look back.

- Eugenio

(P.S. - For those of you looking to score some great equipment at great prices, please check back in the coming days where I will list the eBay auction IDs and links to items being sold. Thank you.)

Starr's Sunday Brunch

2008-03-30T23:40:00.004-05:00

Starr's Sunday Brunch

There's something special about brunch. It's a meal that combines the best of breakfast with a taste of lunch. Okay, so that's probably the most obvious thing you've ever read on a blog, but skipping breakfast often means that the hunger setting in creates a unique craving that begs for a delicious compromise. During the week it's far too easy to abandon breakfast, but on a weekend when the pace is slow and relaxed, sometimes it means that typical morning fare can relentlessly be craved throughout the day.

Brunch at Starr's is an experience all to itself and the food is only just the start. Starr's ambience is artsy, but masqued in a warm and welcoming setting. Visit sometime in the spring when the cold wind and warm sun confuse your senses about the time of year. For some odd reason this mixture of sensory experiences creates a natural parity. Perhaps this is why nature chose this time of year to grow living things of beauty. Starr's on a weekend is certainly a thing of beauty.

Exactly one year ago to this month the local magazine I shoot for assigned me to photograph several local restaurants with weekend brunch offerings. My first stop was in Mocksville at Starr's. Starr's is located in the downtown area of a really small town. I was thrilled to have blue skies outside, but what was more exciting was the colorful inside. The front reception area resembled the storefront of a bakery. Unbeknownst to me, Starr's probably was a bakery. I was simply taken aback by the vibrantly painted interior and the charming staff inside. It didn't take but a few moments to speak with the restaurant's owner and head chef. Before I knew it, brunch was served. Photos were a breeze given the large front windows, and of course, the colorful walls, table setting, and dish.

I could spend the next few sentences describing what you see above, but you would perhaps best be served by staring and salivating at the image. Yep, it was that good. Oh yes, samples for the photographer are often consumed by the photographer.

Brunch is now a new weekend incentive to sleep in until at least noon. I can comfortably hug my pillow and allow my belly to ache me awake into the day already in progress. A warm shower, a short drive away, and a brunch in a small town fulfills one of many weekends in continued search for a better quality of life. Find a restaurant offering brunch in your town. You might just find yourself comfortable with skipping your next breakfast without regret and with a new found sense of weekend relaxation.

Florida, In a Blink, Many Memories

2008-03-18T22:59:00.009-05:00

Florida, In a Blink, Many Memories

My trip to Florida this weekend was determined a few years ago when our family lost my Uncle Gilbert, and more recently, the loss of another uncle, Uncle "Jessie." Shanti and I drove overnight on a Friday and into Saturday for a ceremony to celebrate their lives. Our time in Tampa - only just a few hours on Saturday followed by an 11 hour return trip to North Carolina on a Sunday - imprinted a lifetime of memories in my mind. It was my purpose to photograph our family's reunion, but a heavy heart made it difficult to commit. I found solace in the hours after the ceremony to take photos of what used to be my home and again capture my Florida's beauty. Our day on Saturday ended just like many others when our families would leave a beautiful sunset behind us from a long day at the beach. Watching that sun setting on the drive home was like leaving the beach for the last time with my uncles. On Saturday we said our final goodbyes. As I watched that sun set into that beautiful Florida sky I felt as if I was leaving the beach that one last time, except without my uncles. I miss my home. I miss my uncles.

Creating a Cover Photo...and Opportunity

2008-03-10T18:29:00.008-05:00

Creating a Cover Photo...and Opportunity

(Above: Photo selected for magazine cover.) For nearly two years - a few months short of a full two years - I have enjoyed seeing my name in print by way of the Winston Salem Monthly Magazine. Success, as measured differently by many different people, can be achieved in so many different ways. I cannot tell you what my measuring stick looks like or how I go about defining one achievement or another, or why some months make my smile wider than others when I see a finished product; however, in this short amount of time I have spent with the magazine I arrived at a crowning moment this past January when I was assigned to shoot the cover portrait of the Wake Forest University Men's Basketball Coach Dino Gaudio. These are my insights into creating a cover photo, and a lasting memory for many photo shoots to come.

(Above: Inside article photo) The enormity of this challenge - and possibly great opportunity - was one that made me scared and entirely optimistic all in one thought. Not a whole lot went through my mind when I was first offered this assignment - not until I did my homework. You see, Coach Gaudio was tasked with an enormous challenge: take the reigns of a basketball team formerly directed and inspired by the late Skip Prosser. Coach Gaudio's exploits, achievements, and personal insights into accepting this tasks are documented in the interview printed in the finished February 2008 issue, but how does one correlate and capture the intensity found in the words of the article? If you are a fan of college basketball, or even live near "Tobacco Road" where some of the greatest schools in baskball hail from, then add the pressure and expectations of sports readers whose hands might thumb through an issue of this local magazine.

My time with Coach was very brief - somewhere in the neighborhood of about 5 minutes of actual shooting time. Those were 5 minutes that I could not afford to miss the opportunity to get the right shot. As one can imagine, a collegiate level coach's time is very limited and I certainly did not want to waste any time fiddling with lighting or locations. In this particular instance, Wake Forest was to take on the Air Force in the minutes after my time with Coach. In that top photo there were previously about twice as many basketballs on the arena floor. One half went to players already warming up for the game. Thankfully I got to keep a few. For this particular shoot I did quite a bit of research ahead of time in terms of options and location poses. (Many thanks to Gary C. at "A Little News" for his insights on sports portraiture.) I pre-arranged two lighting setups to create two different posing options and environments. The first arrangement was an array of three remotely triggered Nikon speedlights mounted on small 6' stands out on the arena floor. In the locker room I had a studio flash shooting through a large softbox. For the locker room shot, I figured a single light would create a dramatic effect.

Sometime in the first week of February I finally received my copy of the finished product. I was smiling ear to ear for sure. Although I may never know what the images did for the readers the magazine serves, I received my finest complement a few weeks later when I was contacted by the Gaudio Family.

Although I still find difficulty defining for myself what success is, or what it should be, the lasting impression I get to take with me is the enormity of knowing that I not only achieved a difficult task, but in the process I made the mother of one of my photo subjects smile. I suppose in life this is all we can ask for: another's happiness at the hand of one's own talents. I look forward to my next cover photo, tackling that next great hurdle, and making someone smile - creating opportunity.

Until next time....

Ishi Japanese Restaurant - Food Photos!

2008-03-06T19:41:00.009-05:00

Ishi Japanese Restaurant - Food Photos!

For the February issue of the Winston Salem Monthly Magazine I was tasked with creating some great food and restaurant photos of Ishi Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar for a monthly column and feature that highlights some of the local digs. This was quite possibly the most fun I've had at a restaurant during an assignment. The hosts were great, the manager absolutely humble, and a fun and energetic environment to boot. We now have our favorite Japanese restaurant for whenever we get the craving.

We were treated to a tray full of sushi, a great Hibachi chicken dish, and some other goodies during the shoot. Afterwards, I created the collage you see above, had it enlargened in print, framed, and delivered it to the manager at Ishi for his wonderful hospitality and accommodations during my time there. Outstanding. If you hit this blog from a local Piedmont Triad area, definitely check them out!

Ishi Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar
110 Stark St, Winston Salem, NC
(336) 774-0433

Tell them Eugene sent you!

Holga in Hawaii

2008-02-19T19:31:00.005-05:00

Holga in Hawaii

(Above: A common view of Hanauma Bay Preserve photographed with an uncommon camera.) I finally took the time to drop off a "mystery roll" of 120mm medium format film at the local Ritz Camera. To my surprise, the photos that were returned to me were actually Holga photos I took while on vacation in Hawaii back in October 2007. I was intrigued and pleasantly surprised to review each photo since I vaguely recall taking them. During that trip I had 3 cameras and well over 1200 digital photos. Of the meager 12 exposures on the Holga, I got back 4 interesting and delightful conversational piece photos. Not too shabby. I have yet to beat my personal best of getting back 8 of 12 outstanding photos which incidentally was the first time I had ever used a Holga.

I am always amazed with the exposure or "what turns out" whenever I get back the prints from a roll of film. Despite my best efforts to guage the lighting conditions for the given specs of the film in use, the results with a Holga are anything but typical. This photo (above) is of an old church on North Shore. I'm sure if you're from Hawaii you'd know the name and exact location, but for me it was great Holga fodder and a neat subject to grab an exposure of. The day was slightly overcast and evenly lit, but given the lower light I guess this particular frame was a bit underexposed. The neatest part of the image still shows through - an old church framed by an archway covered in vines.

I took this photo while on a drive toward North Shore. This view can be seen along the highway that takes drivers through adjacent Dole pineapple fields. (This view is similar, but taken with my digital.) Again, predicting what would show on the exposure was difficult. Of course, the scene was a bright sun and dark clouds. Everything else almost seemed to be left in the dark until the sun broke the clouds and highlighted the fields. In this particular frame I managed to capture most of the scene since the sun was out. I would be interested to know what this same photo would have looked like with color film.

I will leave you with this last image and final thoughts. I took this photo from the balcony of the Hale Koa Hotel in downtown Waikiki; and, much of that is often conveyed in a vibrant colorful image. Sure, the day was beautiful and warm. This black and white image serves for me as a "memory template." My mind is left to conjure and illustrate the memories of that beautiful morning. I can easily fill the color palette of the picture with the blues of the water, the greens of the palm trees, and even that off-white weathered wall of the hotel next door. What is more are the sounds of the waves easily heard way up from that balcony. I even feel the warmth of the day just getting underway. I love black and white photos. The mind is left to fill in the blanks and imagine that day however one wants much like the reminiscing conversations two old good friends have. I look forward to getting lost in this image on the morning that I wake up desperate to go anywhere but my job or on the days where no place else will do but the balcony of that hotel. We all need an escape from time to time. I captured mine in this one simple view. I hope it takes you there just as it does me.

See you next time. - Eugenio

Tim & Jessica Tie the Knot

2008-02-13T00:19:00.008-05:00

Tim & Jessica Tie the Knot

So I've been in Florida for a few days taking a lot of pictures. One of those opportunities came by way of my good long time friend Tim. Tim, who I've known since the 1st grade (or sooner maybe), finally found his "perfect other" in a beautiful girl named Jessica. You see, originally I intended on attending Tim's wedding and spectating the event. He and Jessica had the unfortunate experience of losing their photographer a couple of weeks before the big day because of a serious health complication.

I'll never forget the Email I got from Tim explaining the situation. I heard his despair all the way up in North Carolina. What are good friends for? Of course I obliged and flew down to document the event. It was my pleasure and a true honor to have been present to photograph his and Jessica's big day. At his wedding were other close friends, and of course, lots of family and relatives. Being an integral part of a friend's wedding will mean only one thing - a lifetime of memory and gratitude.

I feel fortunate to have stood in place of the photographer that was to be there, God bless his soul. Tim and I go way back and have numerous stories to recount over some beer and pizza, but I definitely think this particular moment marks another great moment in our friendship. I got to be his photographer. Perhaps someday when I have my first child he can write me a piece of software to manage my child's life. Haha - in all seriousness, I look forward to the many great years and opportunities ahead to create more memories. Of course, Tim and Jessica are now there own family and have their fair share of responsibilities to each other, but in the back of our minds, as we grow older, we can thank each other for a lifetime of great friendship and many great memories. Tim and Jessica, I wish you all of the happiness in your relationship. Thank you for allowing me to be such an integral part of your day.

Sincerely,

Eugenio

Snowboarding Ski Beech - 1st Run 2008

2008-01-31T02:22:00.000-05:00

Snowboarding Ski Beech - 1st Run 2008

Last week Shanti was off of work for her winter break which meant only one thing - let's get out of the house and have some fun! Typically, getting out of the house for us means a roadtrip of some kind with a few overnight stays. Take the spring of 2007 as an example. We both had some time off, a great destination is nearby, so why not take some time to go explore and have a good time?

Snowboarding isn't something new for us. Although after one day of snowboarding after a 10 year hiatus it might as well feel new. The bruises, aches, and pains certainly reminded us that time is moving our bodies along. Nah, we're not old...yet. I guess we're not adjusted to the challenges of a snow covered mountain is all.

Our destination of choice for our day outing was Ski Beech right here in North Carolina. Located about 2 1/2 hours northwest of Winston Salem, Boone offers the local Carolinian a variety of ski resorts. While none may rival those of Nevada or Utah, the terrain and mountain slope offer a nice little getaway from the daily grind. While Boone may only be a short drive, we get to enjoy snow-free roads right here in Winston. I think it's great that if I want the experience of living up north I can drive a couple hours and have it when I want it. This isn't such a bad place to live afterall! Just across from Ski Beech is another ski resort called "Sugar Mountain." If we wanted to travel to West Virginia we could hit up "Winter Place." If we *really* wanted the northern exposure feel of a ski resort complete with cabins and a small ski town, there's always "Snowshoe" in Virginia.

I think it's crazy that in a few short month it'll be t-shirts and shorts weather. Just 2 hours to the north and we'll have skiing or snowboarding. Or, if the day's weather suits a day at the beach, all we'll need to do is head eastbound for 3 hours and we're on the Atlantic shores. Ahh, life is good. For now, I will look forward to another opportunity to head northbound and visit another resort while the powder is still fresh. Before I know it, summer will be here and you'll be seeing pictures of water parks and spring gardens. Enjoy the views for now. Maybe you'll join us on our next outing.

Old Mill of Guilford

2008-01-26T19:00:00.000-05:00

Old Mill of Guilford

Today I met up with Meetup.com's "Triad Photography Group" for an informative seminar in portrait photography, intro to Adobe Lightroom, camera white balancing, and some tips and tricks in Photoshop CS2. Although much of what was presented in the seminar was mostly familiar, I still enjoyed listening in and picking up a shortcut or two. Afterwards, we headed out to the Old Mill of Guilford for a group photo session. The day was cold and grey and the colors few. However, the folks that maintain the site make certain to keep the window frames and water wheel painted brightly red. I picked up on this bright accent and decided to put together a little collage.

Thanks to the Triad Photography Group for putting together an informative day. I look forward to future events and to contributing towards an evolving membership.

Winston Salem Winter Scenes

2008-01-20T04:10:00.000-05:00

Winston Salem Winter Scenes

Winter 2008 - my second winter living in North Carolina. I remember last year's winter...well, sort of. It lasted for one day - one day of snow that is. I recall waking up to a light snowfall that offered about an inch of ground cover and a somewhat precarious drive to work. At the time, my car's "summer" tires were not rated for any sort of snow or other frozen precipitation. I barely got it back up the driveway after I realized that the corner of our street was the farthest I would drive it. Shanti (wife) was in Hawaii at the time enjoying the warm weather. Her vehicle - a rear wheeled Nissan Xterra - could surely handle one inch of snow. I took it for a brief test drive in the neighborhood. Being that I was already running late for work I decided to just extend the test drive to a four mile drive where the office was. Yes, I said it - I used to work 4 miles from where I live.

For a brief moment on that cold weekday morning in 2007, I briefly contemplated calling in sick. After all, neither of our vehicles were truly safe to drive in the snow. Of course, calling in meant that going home would put a camera in my hands and eventually the keys into the ignition for a trip throughout the city in search of photo ops. That could possibly have ended badly as the temptation would certainly have led me to a probable encounter with a ditch, guardrail, or parked car. The winter snowfall was surely going to be around for a few days I thought, so off to work I went. It took maybe a few hours until mid-day when the sun was in full effect. The snow was gone and there wasn't even a chance for me to take an extended photo lunch. I was astonished. Just like that - winter came and went.

Fast forward about 11 months to November of 2007. I got that familiar Email from my editor asking if I had any stock photos from the previous winter's snowfall. She was shopping for a double page spread for the December 2007 issue. Remembering the short day's worth of snow and my precautionary drive to work that previous winter, I painfully keyed my Email response which mentioned something to the effect of me being a stupid Floridian and assuming winter would last a week or so. This year I would not make the same mistake.

Yesterday morning the snow fell. The weather forecasters promised increasing snowfall throughout the day. The day progressed with very little of what fell sticking to the ground. Thoughts of global warming and conversations with locals about how disappointing winters here have been lately lingered in my mind. I took no chances and decided I would head out - frozen roads or not in search of stock photos for an image for a future December 08 or January 09 issue.

I drove most of the city passing through some of the more recognizable landmarks. The snow accumulation was a bit underwhelming and somewhat non-existent where I most needed it to be. I was thrilled to at least get the best of the day's snowfall. On the Wake Forest campus I found students playing a pickup game of soccer on a field dominated with white. The geese at the local golf course had no qualms about waddling through the heavier drifts. Late in the evening, at a park closest to home, I even stopped off to capture a bit of dusk a traces of white on tree limbs and walking trails.

The bitterness of the wind and temperature set in. Mother nature had already decided to go against the knowledgeable weather man and discontinue this year's offering of snow. I wonder what is left of this season and if we will ever get another chance at emulating a northern state. Perhaps a trip about an hour north to Blowing Rock where the Ski Beech Mountain offers slopes will give me the satisfaction of at least enjoying the season for longer than a few hours. For now, I hope you enjoy the scenes I have captured because it may not be until January 2009 until you see them again. Stay warm.

Making Memories of Marley

2008-01-18T22:54:00.000-05:00

Making Memories of Marley

I have had a lot of time recently to spend with my dog Marley. I suppose unemployment opens up all sorts of possibilities when it comes to how I might spend each waking moment. Although most days consist of laying on the couch watching movies with a ball of fur keeping my feet warm, wrestling over a purple bear on the living room floor, or taking an occasional walk through an undeveloped part of the neighborhood, I realize daily that this animal will only live a fraction of my normal life. This is a tough concept to come to terms with, but a necessary truth one must come to understand when taking on the responsibility of adopting a pet. As a working photographer, I often neglect to aim the camera at things most important in my life. Today I took a moment to focus my lens on the incredible happiness this animal has offered me.

Photographing an animal has its challenges. Of course, photographing ones own pet offers the advantage of knowing the habits and routines. Today offered some great lighting conditions. The skies are gray, overcast, and show the promise of winter weather. This mixture of natural conditions offered terrific lighting. For whatever reason, I hadn't ever taken the time to follow Marley around the house. Maybe I was waiting for that next best camera, lighting equipment, or that latest lens. I am grateful to have taken the time, regardless of camera gear, to follow him around and just take photos of him as is.

Change has made the past 5+ years zip by. Somewhere along the way Marley came into our lives. I cannot imagine what changes the next years will give, or worse, when it is that Marley is taken away. I suppose it's still very premature to think like this, but life is short afterall. In the grand scheme, the next few years are nothing compared to the rest of this lifetime. For now, I am happy to have a pet like Marley. Life stands still when you stare at a photo. Life moves quickly when you experience the ups and downs with the people (and pets) you love. These photos have thankfully stopped this moment and saved them for a time when I will look forward to again remembering my happiness with Marley.

Happy Belated Birthday Mr. Owen!

2008-01-10T01:06:00.000-05:00

Happy Belated Birthday Mr. Owen!

Step 1: Eat Cake

"Mr. Owen", as my mother affectionately calls him, is my sister and her fiance Dave's baby boy - my first nephew. Born on January 6, 2007, Owen instituted a new hope, inspirational presence, and blessing for our families. On this first birthday, which is the first of many to come, I am grateful to have been able to spend time - albeit very short - to commemorate the event.

Midway through the cake eating, Owen generously began extending his arms with hands clutch full of cake to offer anyone standing nearby. In good fashion, we each took a turn being fed by a one year old.

Step 2: Open Presents

This picture made me wonder what my expressions as a one year old were when I first began tearing gift wrap and pulling on bows. I was very entertained, as most of us were, when Owen recognized his favorite Sesame Street character "Elmo" on a large gift bag. Not surprisingly, his attention was always on that bag.

Step 3: Take a Nap

After a belly full of pizza, birthday cake, and opening gifts, baby Owen sleeps in the one place he's most comfortable - with momma. It's funny, but in a few months I will turn 30 and I imagine my birthday to go exactly as Owen's. Eat cake, open presents, and fall asleep...on the couch.

Creating a Stock Photo: Goggles

2008-01-08T02:48:00.000-05:00

Creating a Stock Photo: Goggles

Tonight was one of those rare occasions where I felt the need to finally replace an aging fall blog banner. Even though it's not quite winter here in North Carolina, I still must keep with the times and keep the top of my homepage fresh.

Despite it being January already, North Carolina is not feeling very much like a northern state. We haven't seen too many dramatic cold weather drops nor has any precipitation closely resembling snow fallen in this area. So, that being said, I haven't gone in search of a wintery scene for my blog banner. Instead, I decided I'd try something in-house and something with a little more eye catching appeal. I also wanted to continue my practice of creating product or stock photos.

As you can see by the above collage of thumbnails, it took me a few tries to nail the shot exactly as I had envisioned. Most shots start out with something in my mind's eye on how I imagine the end product to be. It can be frustrating often times to spend a significant amount of time only to be disappointed with the results. I am grateful to know that many professionals in the industry will go through the same trials I do before getting to their mind's eye photo.

In recent months I have gained a much greater deal of knowledge in lighting techniques and the use of wireless flash units. (Thanks Strobist.com!) Although I may never net a single penny for this photo, I feel comfortable knowing that I can accept work down the road that might include this exact type of work. Just like anything else, practice makes perfect.

So there you have it - a picture of some goggles and me in a nice comfortable warm pull over sweater. If the weather around here keeps up, I may not need that sweater for much longer. I hope you like the new banner. If not, I guess you'll just have to get used to staring at me acting cold until spring.

Take care all. And as always, THANK YOU for stopping by and checking out the blog.

- Eugenio

Draft from the Past, Looking forward to the Future

2008-01-04T00:20:00.000-05:00

Draft from the Past, Looking forward to the Future

CLICK HERE!!! CLICK HERE!!! CLICK HERE!!!

For those of you out there aspiring to do something you only thought you could do in your dreams, follow me. It's out there and I found it. The above link takes you back to September 2007, an entry that remained a draft for a few months until this week. I started a post back then to remember a time when I had my first opportunity to photograph professionally at an NFL game and to share that moment with you. I enjoyed every minute of that day and still do. The thought is everlasting. Please visit the above link. Find what it is you want out of life, and pursue it.

A New Year's resolution? Focus on me. Focus on photography and continue to pursue those opportunities within my reach.

All the best in 2008.

Sincerely,

Eugenio

Northeast Puerto Rico (Cont'd)

2007-11-26T20:35:00.000-05:00

Northeast Puerto Rico (Cont'd)

On my last blog entry I left you off with a view of some visits along the northeastern Puerto Rican coast. I pick up where I left off on my last entry with another dedicated visit to Old San Juan which is also located towards the northeastern coast. Without offering a great deal of history on this entry - hey, that's what Wikipedia is great for - I think it is worth mentioning that the history of Old San Juan dates back to the early 1500s and is aptly named after Saint John the Baptist. Along with many great stories of Spanish settlements here, the images I collected during our tour of the city speak to the terrific architectural sights that await any visiting tourist. Old San Juan is truly "another time and another place" to the outsider. Without flying to Spain you might feel like you are in another country being in the heart of this city. If the architectural appearance of the surrounding buildings, signage, or vistas don't take you to another world, the culture present surely will.

The city's interior streets - barely wide enough for a single vehicle to navigate - often make for a challenging navigational experience for almost any driver. Forget paved blacktop roads. You know you are in Old San Juan when you hear that constant rumble entering the cabin of your vehicle. The bluish purple brick roads have accommodated many a vehicle during its test of time. Some areas of the road are uneven. Potholes, surprisingly enough, are seemingly non-existent anywhere where you drive over the brick covered roads. I didn't say they were smooth to roll over, but at least you don't stand to lose an axle in a 3 foot deep pothole often found in modern roads.

Our visit to Old San Juan was often limited by - you guessed it - rain. Most of our day was grey and overcast. When we could we took some time to stroll through the streets and dart in and out of small gift shops. Thankfully, the late afternoon to evening yielded much better weather. Breaks in the cloud cover offered some glimpses of blue sky mixed with bright sunlight. One of our stops included "El Parque de las Palomas" or "Pigeon's Park" for you non-Spanish speaking folks. This is a park - you guessed it again - full of pigeons which offers terrific views of the harbor, city, and mountains. The park's unique charm is the frantic scattering of pigeons. They live in the city walls, trees throughout the small park, building ledges, and scramble for bits of pigeon food sold just inside the gates. The birds, who are very conditioned to being fed, often scramble to steal from anyone who possess a handful of feed. If you stand with an outstretched palm of food expected to have a flock of birds land on your head, arms, shoulders, and anywhere else where they can perch and grab a bite. Nowhere else in Old San Juan is there such a concentration of pigeons. Why else would you live any other place if there was free food constantly being given away in one place?

Our day's visit also consisted stops at a local convalescence chapel, the governer's house, "la fortaleza" (spanish fort), and a tour via trolley throughout the city. Our day ended with extremely favorable weather. I managed to get a great set of sunset photos at the port (picture above) amongst many others. For an up to date view of photos from my trip, be sure and check out my Photo.net gallery (under "Links" above).

More updates to come as I wrap up my visit to Puerto Rico. It's been an outstanding vacation full of relaxation, eating, drinking, photography, quality time with mom, and a well needed escape into another world.

Take care. See you soon. - Eugenio

Destination Northeast Puerto Rico, Days 4&5

2007-11-22T11:03:00.000-05:00

Destination Northeast Puerto Rico - Days 4 & 5

Yesterday (Wed 11/21) wrapped up our tour of the sights closest to the town where my mother lives. The first several days of my visit consists of several brief stops including Luquillo Beach, Loiza, Piñones, Caguas, Las Croabas, Fajardo, Humacao, Patillas, Cayey, and two days in Old San Juan in addition to other smaller towns inbetween. The weather has been hit and miss with many grey overcast days and small rain showers. The dreary conditions make for less than desirable images, especially anyplace where there is a coastal view.

The map above represents the area covered to date. Today (Thurs 11/22) is Thanksgiving and our day of rest. Tomorrow we hit the road again for a 3 nights stay throughout smaller cities scattered on the west and southwestern coastline. I hope to visit historic towns, pristine beaches, and most importantly, pray for great weather.

By Spanish design, almost every small city in Puerto Rico has a small plaza located directly in the center of town. Fountains, elaborate landscapes, and park benches are typical. Here you will also find small businesses, restaurants, and local government offices.

Museo Casa Cantiño

(Above, Left) This small beach town resort, also know as "paradores", are scattered across the island. A single night's stay is incredibly affordable at prices starting at $79 and up. (Above, Right) Across the street from the small resort is a public beach access park. The palm trees here a rooted within a few feet of the water's edge. Go to your favorite search engine and type "paradores" for more info and photos.

(Above) "Palm Tree Forest" - I don't know that I've ever seen a forest so densely populated with palm trees, so I took a photo.

(Above) "El Nuevo Horizante" Bar & Grill offers spectacular views and a perfect balcony to hurl from if you had one too many mojitos or cans of Medalla beer.

(Above) This corner neighborhood bar was once a grocery store in the mid 1920s. While visiting friends of my mother's, we hung out on the corner just outside of this little bar. The establishment is locally operated. On the weekends, neighbors bring meats and veggies and make a giant pot of soup and rice. Everyone pitches in and spends a Friday or Saturday eating and drinking in the street on this corner. If you look closely in the upper righthand window, there is a large speaker playing the best of local salsa music. With enough festive and alcoholic spirits, dancing often ensues in the streets.

(PHOTOS & TEXT CONTINUED ON NEXT ENTRY)

More Island Views - Day 3

2007-11-20T08:03:00.001-05:00

Welcome back and thanks for stopping by again. I am making a tremendous effort to stay on top of my vacation photos selecting only the best from our daily excursions. For those of you that pop in every month or so, please check back daily as I have had plenty of time in the evenings to settle in and post some new images.

More Island Views - Day 3

"La Pared" Surf & Boogie Boarding HotSpot - Playa Luquillo, PR.

For local surfers, "La Pared" - or "The Wall" - is a favorite destination for catching a wave. We arrived at this beach closer to the evening yesterday shortly after sunset and I only had a few opportunities to take a few non-blurry photos. I look forward to coming back here during the daytime so that I can actually enjoy the water and catch a tan...or, sunburn on this white skin of mine.

Just a day or two ago I spotted my first iguana roaming in a local neighborhood and was thrilled to have a chance to photograph it from a distance. Yesterday, while bringing some things to the car in preparation to head out, I was fortunate to spot one lounging up in a palm tree on the outside wall near the entrances to the condominium complex. I took several photos from a distance, and once satisfied, moved in closer to see if I could actually get some closeups. Sure enough, this green reptile must have had enough confidence in its camoflauge to stay in defensive mode. After a few close shots, I let it be and went about my day.

Along our daily drive my mother and her good friend Hector took us high up in the mountains bordering Ceiba and Fajardo. As you can see by the proximity of the condos to the sea, she chose a wonderful place to retire. Her building offers a view to the mountains and to the Carribean on the northeast side of the island.

I photographed this neighborhood from the same mountainside we traveled on. This particular arrangement of homes is typical as are the varied bright colors. Homes have flat rooftops for storing large water tanks that serve as reservoirs whenever there are issues with city water and most every home I have seen has white or black iron window and doorway treatments. This serves as both a simple method of securing a house, but is also a typical adornment for island living. In the upper righthand corner of this picture is someone's property comlete with a few goats and sheep.

"Chalko Frio", or "Cold Stream", is a favorite off-the-beaten path for locals to swim and cool off. This particular stream is fed from the mountains of "El Yunque" which is a national rain forest. Just ahead from where I took this photo is a small park where people gather to barbecue and enjoy the stream.

This is a view of the river rocks from above. I hopped out of the car on the bridge and took several photos from this vantage point.

"Pepo el Caballo" - This is Pepo, my mother's friend Hector's horse. Pepo is kept in a small field along with another horse on the mountainside. The grass is always green for these animals and they always have a small creek to drink from.

"Marina Croabas"

Much of the coastline that I have seen is littered with small restaurants, businesses, or outposts for fresh seafood such as this one. I don't know whether they actually cook anything in this little building, but since they are near a dock I would assume it's a fisherman's storefront for selling the fresh catch of the day.

Puerto Rico, Day 2

2007-11-19T10:17:00.000-05:00

Puerto Rico, Day 2

To any displaced Puerto Rican living anywhere but here, this image should conjure some wonderful memories. Mmm...a typical dish complete with "arroz con gandules", roast pork, macaroni salad, and a side of plantains with garlic and onion.

My first iguana spotting! Apparently, this is a smaller sized iguana compared to what's out there. Iguanas aren't native to Puerto Rico, but apparently were brought onto the island by locals who would later release their pets into the wild.

A Puerto Rican doorbell...seriously!

Plumeria, a flower commonly found in Hawaii, can be found all over the island of Puerto Rico.

Dusk begins to fall. I took this photo from the front yard of one of my mother's relative's house.

Night falls quickly. We drove to the nearby beach in Loiza for a view of late dusk on the beach. Looks like a Corona commericial!.

"Centro de Convenciones, San Juan" - Convention Center. In the evenings, they offer a fountain and light show coreographed to local music.

Night is upon the city. Check back later this week or maybe even tomorrow. We're getting out and seeing A LOT of neat places!

"Todo Puerto Rico!"

2007-11-18T00:25:00.000-05:00

"Todo Puerto Rico!" My Vacation Begins.

Today begins a 2 week long vacation that is a few years in the making. I came to Puerto Rico to visit my mother, to find rest, some serious relaxation, and of course, the opportunity to photograph an island whose culture is very much different from that of North Carolina...very different.

This journey begins in the small town of Piñones which is compressed into small villages full of side-of-the-road kiskos offering good eats, locally known as "frituras", or fried foods. This town colorfully illustrates the Caribbean with its brightly colored homes, aqua marine beaches, and the local residents.

Our next stop on the day's tour path was Old San Juan. Our primary reason to visit was to tour the Bacardi factory - a place sure to erase old memories with its fruitful rum blends and relaxing dark concoctions. Along the way I spotted a surf shop, and on one of our stops, had the fortunate opportunity to photograph a local who performed a tree climbing coconut retrieval stunt especially for my camera.

We walked Old San Juan on foot and found a nice restaurant to sit and dine on some local food. I ate a mixture of a mashed up green plantain dish seasoned with onion and garlic and some tender chunks of fried pork. This is referred to as "mofongo." Mmm...After dinner, we strolled back to parking lot for a long ride back to my mother's house. We spent some time visiting my grandmother who conveniently is about a mile just down the hillside from where my mother's condo is.

In 2 weeks time I will have to return home where I have a beautiful wife to greet me and no longer have an employer to report to whenever a Monday rolls around. Finding work, at least for now, is the last thing on mind; however, not having my lifelong companion to take in these moments with me is. She will visit someday.

Check back in a few days where I should have some great new photos from other areas of the island. Thanks all. - Eugenio

Black Widow for Halloween

2007-10-31T15:07:00.000-05:00

Black Widow for Halloween

Today, October 31st, coincides with my first ever spotting of a black widow spider. While pacing along the courtyard in the back of our office today, I noticed this familiar spider resting in a web spun inbetween electrical conduits. Fortunately, my manager was toting her "Easy Share" point and shoot camera which I quickly put to work. Today's calendar date marks the 2 weeks remaining before the closing of our office and the loss of my employer. I consider the fortuity of today's events symbolic. Much like the painful bite of this sinister arachnid, counting the days until I enter the vast unknown and diminishing wherewithal to sustain a normal quality of life shall prove to be equally as harrowing.

I look forward to this evening's spook festivities, where for the first time since I was a kid, I will display some evil jack-o-lanterns carved from pulpy pumpkins. Our yard will feature some creepy delights and my parading in a freakishly delightful skeleton costume. I am relieved. For once, I can release my inner fears on others on this great night of "All Hallows' Day Eve." Trick or Treat. See you soon.

Beautiful Bride

2007-10-28T22:01:00.000-05:00

Beautiful Bride

“You don't love a woman because she is beautiful, but she is beautiful because you love her.” - Author Unknown

Colorful Memories

2007-10-05T00:36:00.001-05:00

Colorful Memories

I recall a day when picture taking was not a method of art I embraced. A daydream reminds me of a time when six hours of mind torture extorted mixed thoughts and feelings into blends of great smeared nothings onto sheets of paper full of hopeful somethings. Charcoal, a medium I once favored, is now just a colorful memory.

Panthers Fans in the House?

2007-09-24T22:59:00.000-05:00

Panthers Fans in the House?

Ok, so I've probably alienated my entire blog readership base since most of you are from reading from Tampa, but it had to be done. I had to post some photos from my NFL photography experience even if none of the players in these pictures are wearing red and pewter. This is, afterall, a PHOTO BLOG! With the exception of the last game between the Panthers and Bucs this '07 season, I would definitely maintain that despite a dream trip to the sidelines of this NFL game, the Bucs keep a place in the back of my heart for life. After all, they were the organization that placed me on the sidelines first.

One of my three major goals in photography - all of which I achieved within the first couple of years of camera ownership - was to land a photographer's credential to the sideline of an NFL football game. I find this to be somewhat of a difficult feat since "knowing the right people" is only the start. Many other key items come into play such as experience, proper equipment, a credentialed organization, and conduct while jockying for position along with other pro photographers. In that tall order of attributes I most likely possessed the latter of the three. Experience with knowing the sidelines, a knowledge learned through familiarity and maturity from working with an NFL team, is an invaluable tool to have in ones belt. Chaulk it up to "paper" experience with photography coupled with real world working experience on the sidelines allowing me to at least finish the day with some keepers.

Having worked for the Bucs and previously experienced some sideline time, I figured I was a shoe-in for at least a one time credential. Despite my obvious desire to pursue this whole photography thing, I thought that someone within the organization would share my desire. It wasn't to be. This is pretty much where my rant shall stop, but somewhere before I reach the end of this blog entry I had to provide some background history to support my recent ways of thinking. In life one must draw the lines of loyalties. Having been a long time Bucs fan and former employee, my latest passion for photography quickly clouded any true ties to anyone. For me, getting on the sidelines with cameera in hand was a Rudy moment only someone connected with the Panthers could deliver. I have long desired to join the ranks of Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, and many other pro-sports dedicated shooters on the green turf of the Sunday gridiron. "Rudy", a character in a the movie titled "Rudy" is based on the hopes and dreams of the underdog who some day yearns to live his dream if not but for one moment. I had my Rudy moment. Sure, I wish it had come in my hometown, but I won't stand in the way of fate to deliver me my epiphany moment.

So there I was - late, nervous, and enamoured with the fact that I had made it. I had found a way albeit via a terrific blonde co-worker's connection to a man named John O who saught talent for just this kind of thing. I had my prosumer D100, pricey 70-200 Sigma glass, and a humble ego in tow. It was intimidating to stand next to pro photo journalists carrying equipment quadrupuling my mediocre investment. I didn't care. I was just as professional as they were if only in attitude, creativity, and motivation. Cheerleaders...my goodness were they ever aware of a camera when they saw one. Many of times I attempted the simple candid shot, but sure enough, as soon as my lens pointed their way they posed for that million dollar shot sure to propel them to their next grand opportunity. Who was I to deny them of that hope? I sure had hope. So off I went snapping and looking for that next great NFL experience photo.

I understand the meaning of life - I think. If anything, doing photography, no matter if it's for the NFL or for the wildflowers surrounding my grandfather's grave, I hope to do this full time some day with the hope that I will again return to the green fields of America's Sunday afternoon past time.

For now I have achieved one of my greatest moments in living a fulfilled life. I never thought I'd get here. I certainly hope you are inspired to do whatever it is you need to do to fight your odds and achieve success - even if it only lasts the length of one football game.

Happy 2008 - Eugenio

Justin's Triumph

2007-09-20T13:48:00.001-05:00

Justin's Triumph

I have found along my short time in photography that the best opportunity to create photographs is when friends lend their time and faces to pose for my camera. The benefits are wonderful - there's no pressure on me to get it right and no one's feelings are hurt over the exchange of money. Often times, there is no discomfort at all since we all know each other. But in truth, finding anyone - friends or not - to agree to meet and spend some time being photographed is quite difficult. Friends or not, let's face it, I am not the most outwardly person there is when it comes to asking complete strangers to pose for a picture. In the few times that I have asked, I am often met with a sense of skepticism and curiosity as to why. I generally don't have a good answer other than "I need the experience and you seem to fit the bill. By the way, will you sign all of your rights away on my model release form?"

A few short months ago I met a guy named Justin by way of the husband of a girl I work with. (Okay - nevermind the relationship as to how. Let's just say I found someone with a need for some photos.) Justin had recently won a motorcycle burnout competition at a local event. One particular magazine in attendance expressed interest in featuring his bike. In comes the need for a photographer. A few chats over a few beers and I agreed to help him out. This arrangement is the perfect setup for me - a bike, a girl, and a guy to model at my disposal. The opportunity to work with all of these new elements was a great deal of incentive for me. This also proved to be the perfect opportunity for me to play with some remote flash units to create new lighting situations.

Aubrey - Justin's girlfriend who is also pictured in this shoot - was somewhat timid and new to this whole "take my picture" experience. It was evident after the first few minutes of the shoot that she too was lending her time to help out her boyfriend. I was particularly thankful as the mixture of a guy, girl, and piece of machine made for some great photo opportunities. Aubrey was a good sport, and as you can see by these photos, has the potential to model professionally.

The bike itself is a 1960's custom built "Triumph" brand motorcycle. I tried to ask as many questions as possible during the shoot - as I am not all that experienced with motorcycles - about the effort put into the bike and how much of it is built from original parts. I suppose if you are a rock collector then you collect rocks. If stamps are your thing, then you should have many stamps. I was not surprised to find out that this particular bike is one of many in his collection that he builds from the ground up for fun. A guy needs to have his toys and as such Aubrey stands by him and enjoys seeing Justin engrossed in his bike hobby.

I did my best to capture the essence of the bike and its maker given the awesome location in downtown Winston Salem. We met on a Sunday afternoon sometime after the rain had passed. The sun was low in the evening and left behind a nice welcome cool breeze from the summer heat. We posed the bike in two different spots and exchanged many ideas for posing the couple. We even stole a few suggested poses from a copy of one of Justin's bike magazines. Some poses were a bit to risque for Aubrey. I chose to not push the issue and was honestly just thrilled to have their attention.

Hopefully Justin's bike and my photos will soon appear on the pages of his favorite bike magazine. I will be thrilled to yet again see my name in print elsewhere and also see the work put into his hobby on display for other readers. We had a great time. I look forward to many other opportunities to photograph another Justin and Aubrey. Thanks guys.

(Justin and I cut it up a bit with this silly self-portrait in the reflection of the bike's headlight.)

Wink at Me.

2007-08-03T23:44:00.000-05:00

Wink at Me.

Sun Drive

2007-08-03T16:50:00.000-05:00

Sun Drive

Driving home into a rainy sunset after a belly full of pizza is often the best way to end a weekend at the beach.

"The Waiting Room"

2007-07-30T09:42:00.000-05:00

"The Waiting Room"

Over the weekend I photographed this sea bird who found refuge in a room with standing water at the ruins of Fort Dade. This particular bird did not appear to be startled nor bothered by my presence. It allowed to approach it and take a photograph from within a few feet. The bird did not necessarily seem concerned with fleeing nor did it care to acknowledge my presence with any particular head movements or precautionary stares. It would simply take a step or two, peck its beak into the water, and continue about its day. My only guess was that it was sick and needed a place out of the hot sun to wait it out. In the next room a similar bird had already met its fate and lay lifeless in a pool of water.

Beach Girl

2007-07-23T06:41:00.000-05:00

Beach Girl

Run

2007-07-19T06:32:00.001-05:00

RUN

Congratulations Heather & Paul

2007-07-02T15:49:00.001-05:00

Congratulations Heather & Paul

Heather and Paul, thank you so much for having Shanti and I attend and document your wedding. It is our sincerest hope that we captured your special day exactly as you had envisioned and to high degree of quality and expectation.

You are both an inspiration to the two of us.

Sincerest regards,

Eugenio & Shanti

Congratulations Robyn & Todd

2007-06-22T00:51:00.001-05:00

Congratulations Robyn & Todd

Thank you for entrusting me to capture the special moments of your most important day.

- Eugenio

Somewhere in Paradise - No Camera?! No Worries!

2007-06-17T21:59:00.000-05:00

Somewhere in Paradise - No Camera?! No Worries!

This is the first summer Shanti and I have spent away from Florida since moving north. Living in North Carolina has been a real treat, honestly, but the accessibility to beautiful Florida white sand beaches we once had sure has a way of tugging at those home sickness heart strings. Ask me how many times I went to the beach in the few years we lived in Florida and admittedly, the figure would be in the low numbers. However, the escape from NC to FL was a wakeup call, if not for me, then for those of you that still live close to those beloved places only a tourist would love. I am all for promoting the place I once lived, but what is living if you are not participating? I can honestly say that my quality of life has improved greatly over the last year, but finding a place in my new home that competes with the cool waters, sounds of palm tree breezes, "exotic" beach wildlife, and a sun tan souvenir has not yet revealed itself. I just need to make it through summer and report back next year. Until then, get out and go to the beach (or whatever it is that makes your home "home")!

If you have gotten ahead of my typing and clicked through the photos and wondered "Sheesh...those look like pictures from a family vacation taken back in the 70s", then you would not be all that off on your assumption except that these photos were taken this past Friday (6/15) by yours truly with a camera built in the late 70s. (See inset photo.) So why the crappy 35mm film photos? Simply stated, I didn't feel like toting a DSLR home. It took about 10 steps off of the plane for my dad to ask "Did you bring your camera?" Regret, pain, panic, and all of those feelings an addict has quickly set in. I had the shakes. We were going to go to the beach the next day. WHAT was I thinking?! As luck would have it, I happened to give my dad a vintage camera for his birthday last year - the same one we were all photographed with as kids. A trip to the "Wonderful World of Sam Walton", a 4-pack of cheap Fuji film, and an old camera in hand I had all I needed to get my fix.

So I wanted a shot of the boats, condos, water, and bridge railing. Instead I luckily got a picture of an Aston Martin Jaguar beautifully reflecting a whispy clouded sky. Luck - it happens and I will be the first to admit it. Come to think of it, the previously described scene would have been incredibly boring. What you don't see in this picture is the obnoxious telephone pole obscuring a block of condos in the backdrop. Don't look for it. Just enjoy the cheap 35mm photo hacked into a digital format. :)

What is not to love about a shady place from which one can take in the hypnotic sounds of the ocean? These brought back some great memories of a falling asleep with Shanti on the beach on an early Sunday morning after breakfast at the Clearwater Beach IHOP. There were no tourists and the cabana merchant had not yet opened shop to collect rental fees.

This is the clever work of an 8 to 9 year old boy and his dad over the course of their weeklong Florida vacation. Admitting that I was no longer a Florida resident and that I had given up that life for another up north was a tough one. The change of perspective from that of a once Florida native to tourist was a difficult moment to accept. Nonetheless, it made my appreciation of this sandcastle much greater.

So after a small weekend getaway to a place that I could chalk up to the arrogance of "been there, done that" I confirmed something about my life in photography. Much like a chef who does not travel without his recipe book or secret spices, or the drummer with his drumsticks, I should never again leave home without a camera - any camera regardless of the destination. Thankfully, the camera that both my dad and I share in our collections came in handy. Shooting a manual focus prime lens camera really made me work much harder for those shots. Instead of 400 photos I only had 36 to pick from. Sounds like a good time to me. No camera in paradise? No problem! Any will do. Until next time....

Vineyard Views - Yadkin Valley

2007-06-10T11:50:00.000-05:00

Vineyard Views - Yadkin Valley

In late May to early June I had the opportunity to seek out a great wine country landscape view for a July edition of the Winston Salem Monthly Magazine. Within 35 minutes of Winston-Salem is a string of wineries offering beautiful views and wine tasting rooms outfitted from former horse stables and vintage homes. On a Sunday afternoon Shanti and I headed north on Highway 421 straight to the heart of Yadkin Valley seeking out some great vistas. The sun was already fairly low in the sky at about 6:30pm and the tasting rooms had long been closed, so being picky was not an option if I did not want to have to make a return visit.

Our first stop was at RagApple Lassie Vineyards which probably offered one of the most picturesque opportunities to net my shot. I wasted no time pulling the car over on the sides of country roads and was even treated to some horn blowing by the locals. I cannot imagine what I looked like with the camera strap around my neck acting like a panicked paparazzi. My first thought is that I was more than likely some lost tourist stopping off the side of the road for a photo op. Surely enough, a photo op I had with the great skies and views of Pilot Mountain.

Little did I know, but I did not have to go much further than RagApple Lassie. One of my best shots selected for the magazine came from this particular vineyard. The view of the winery offers winding rows of grapes with a dusk view of Pilot Mountain far in the distance. The images was taken from the same vantage point as the one just above, but inclusive of the rows of grapes and recently tilled soil. Regardless, Shanti and I scurried along from vineyard to vineyard until the sun offered little light or little hope of another print worthy view. Overall, we visited four vineyards in a one hour stretch. Getting lost proved to add a little humor to the stress of having to get "that one shot." All is well that ends well and surely enough I will have something to smile about when the July edition lands in my mailbox. I sure wish I could have all of these images put to print, but alas only one lucky one gets the honor. The others are here for your enjoyment. Wine anyone? Cheers. Come visit Yadkin Valley sometime. You will not be disappointed.

For the ride home I elected to sit in the passenger's seat with Shanti at the wheel. The vantage point offered a unique glimpse of a moon rising and sun setting.

At the Feeder

2007-06-07T06:47:00.000-05:00

At the Feeder

For me, watching birds at the feeder is the equivalent to watching the waves at the beach or enjoying a sunset. If not the same, then at least a chance to be distracted by something nature provides. It's entertaining to watch these flapping and hopping finches dine at the Cebollero household at almost all hours of the day. Relaxation is not far away my friends.

Happy Colors, Happy Place

2007-06-02T05:43:00.001-05:00

Happy Colors, Happy Place

If I had to make one admission about color selections regarding decisions to purchase almost any personal accessory, it would be that I am typically not fond of most brightly colored objects. I am your typical conservative navy blue, hunter's green, tan, or grey kind of guy. That is not saying much for a photographer with an artistic intuition I suppose. However, when I saw this umbrella on the beach I then quickly realized that being at the beach had nothing to do with color choice or being conservative. What is not to love about a brightly colored homes, bicycles, snow cones, beach balls, or maybe even an umbrella when you are AT THE BEACH? After all, aside from Disney World, the beach has got to be one of the happiest places on Earth that I could ever find myself in place of, say, a desk and a cubicle. So Mr. Conservative colors guy, "Leave you bland grey beach chair at home and trade up for something a little more cheerful."

Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-29T00:10:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day Weekend

Summer is officially here. We celebrated by taking a long drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway in search of meager accommodations (aka camping). Finding a single tent site proved to be a difficult task as everyone across America had the same idea as we did. After about 2 hours of driving from site to site, we eventually came across a public park with one or two open spots. We parked, unpacked, and settled in for a great Saturday evening overnight camp.

There is something to be said about camping in the mountains. The breeze is all you need to keep cool and there is a never a shortage of fresh air for those moments when the last thing on your mind is a day at work.

Homes on Kure Beach, NC

2007-04-28T22:51:00.000-05:00

Homes on Kure Beach, NC

Trapped between a real life Skittles commerical and the end of a colorful rainbow is a small coastal community in the town of Kure Beach, NC. If ever there was a place to paint a house using colors only a child's crayon box could contain, then choose any coastline, Carribean community, or some South American home to do it. Perhaps a fishing village tucked away someplace in Europe inspired this Carolinian coastline development to paint vibrant colors in this community, but in truth, the real inspiration behind this brightly color palette has mostly to do with one thing: relaxation. If you have the need to get away and own a beachfront home, then perhaps the only "cure" is Kure Beach.

Stone Mountain Sunday

2007-04-23T18:43:00.000-05:00

Stone Mountain Sunday

In exchange for Florida beaches are North Carolinian mountains full of hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, climbing, you-nameit-ING and it's here. Sure, there is no replacing the sound of waves and seagulls, but the hypnotic sounds of waterfalls, flowing creeks, and the wind blowing through the trees sure gives me that same feeling of just being relaxed. I have yet to decide which I prefer, whether the mountains or the beaches, but I am in no hurry to abandon either. I figure a few years in the deserts of Arizona or New Mexico might be another future quest for tranquility. Maybe someday I will pursue life in a big city filled with sky scrapers and subway systems.

Shanti, Marley, and I hiked a nice 6.5 mile "Stone Mountain Loop" trail that takes hikers to the summit of Stone Mountain. The view at the top was spectacular and so was the nice breeze that cooled us off after a near vertical climb to the top. We had been here before a few years ago with our good friends Russell and Becca, but for some reason I do not recall the hike being this painful.

Stone Mountain offers many trails varying in degrees of difficulty. The trail guide for the hike we took was labeled as "Very Strenuous." At some parts of the hike you nearly have to lean down and place a hand on the rock face just to keep your balance. The incline becomes near vertical, and in some places, the exhaustion could make one dizzy and susceptible to tumbling down the stone face. Most of the trails are littered with broken stones, gravel, and other loose debris. Without exercising care, one could easily twist an ankle on the exposed roots.
Carrying my camera became quite the chore after the first rigorous hour of hiking - so was anything else in my pockets. The day was cool and the wind was constant, but the sun was on overdrive making my clothes feel like it came out of the dryer.
The views were worthwhile and the photos perfect souvenirs of a day of exercise. I absolutely enjoy every minute of being outdoors. I look forward to some rugged trail riding on my new mountain bike and many more adventures with a camera strapped around my neck. Hopefully you'll keep dropping in to see what is new and what life in North Carolina has been like for this Floridian.

Washington DC - Holga Photography

2007-04-04T21:42:00.000-05:00

Washington DC - Holga Photography

"Dinner at Union Station"

"Shanti's Starbucks for Starters"

"Gravel Path to the Capitol"

"Washington Monument by Moonlight"

"White House Lawn"

"Leaving Rosslyn Station"

Right This Way

2007-04-01T09:25:00.000-05:00

Right This Way

*This painting in the National Gallery of Art is used to assist the gallery patron in locating the restroom.

"Family Outing"

"A Room of Gentlemen"

*Ok, so that's as funny as I get on April 1st. See you soon. :)

World War II Memorial - Washington DC

2007-03-29T21:22:00.000-05:00

World War II Memorial - Washington DC

This particular memorial had far too many features to capture. So, instead I decided to take a series of about six photos and stitch them together and present them as one photo. If I lived remotely close to DC (i.e. within a rail's ride) I would be there quite often just to photograph and seek unique opportunities to capture life. But, I live in North Carolina. Perhaps I should get back out into the mountains more often. Enjoy.

Kids at Play - Washington Monument

2007-03-28T16:50:00.000-05:00

Kids at Play - Washington Monument

At the base of the Washington National Monument is a series of vents that release steam from below the surface. I had no idea what the source of the steam was from, but it made me wonder if I would allow my child to play on top of the grates. It made me remember how boring I thought DC was when I first visited. If I were their age I would have been doing the exact same thing. Now, whether or not my parents would have allowed me to play on there is a different story.

Hello Mr. President....(sort of)

2007-03-27T21:51:00.000-05:00

Hello Mr. President....(sort of)

We spent Sunday walking the National Mall and surrounding monuments just taking in the awesome weather and walking up to some of the monuments and memorials. Sometime in the early afternoon while we were at the base of the Washington Monument we had seen a horse mounted officer directing anyone with an airborne kite to bring them down. Now, I know in the post 9/11 world there is plenty of room for paranoia, but this seemed a bit odd. After all, it was a beautiful day and there were plenty of kids with their parents enjoying their day. Well, sure enough not but a few moments later we heard Marine One just over the horizon. Luckily for us, we were in the right place at the right time. I watched Marine One fly right over head and land on the White House lawn just like I had seen on TV all of those times on the news. It was an interesting moment. I have a feeling that is the closest I will ever be to meeting the President.

A Weekend in Washington DC

2007-03-26T01:38:00.000-05:00

A Weekend in Washington DC

In my previous post Shanti and I ventured out to a local part to revisit and relearn some history. We were supposed to head back to the Guilford Courthouse for the annual battle re-enactment, but unfortunately the task of tearing up our yard and starting over in the hopes of growing grass took precedence. This weekend, however, we took advantage of the short 5 hour drive to Washington DC. For Shanti, this was her first visit to our nation's most important city. When I was younger my family took a trip, but of course that particular visit felt like it took place in another lifetime. My recollections are far and few.

DAY 1: Find the hotel, get our bearings, and figure out the public transit system. As luck would have it, I happened to choose a hotel with a "Metro" rail station just across the street. Previously, I anticipated days of driving and fighting for parking with other tourists. The Metro system proved to be a huge convenience and relief. Riding subway trains are just another part of the experience.

Our first "day 1" did not actually take place until Saturday (3/24) when we woke up early and headed out to see the sites. The weather forecast called for clouds and rain. Luckily, all we got were the clouds and the occasional mist. We spent 90% of the day walking into museums. On our first day out we visited the National Air & Space Museum, National Art Museum, and the National Museum of Natural History. I can tell you with a great degree of certainty that I could have easily spent an entire day exploring each of these museums. We did the best we could with the time we had and walked briskly and attentively. One of the attractions that caught our attention in the Nat'l Air/Space Museum was a Japanese kite festival. Inside of the museum were kite flying demos, kites for kids build sessions, and many other wings on display.

On the occasion to where it did not appear to be raining Shanti and I walked throughout the National Mall taking a moment every now and again to make a photo of anything in sight. The overcast sky made for a great black and white image of the Capitol Building.

A good friend of mine from a model rocketry forum suggested we spend the evening riding the "Monuments by Moonlight" tour that operates just outside of Union Station. This was exactly what we needed - a quick way to get around town, see the sights, and have someone narrarate the history behind all of it. One of our first stops was at the FDR Memorial. Across the river was a stunning view of the Washington Monument.

One of our final stops of the evening was at the Iwo Jima Memorial. I had no idea how big this statue was nor did I ever really reflect on the significance of the event that this memorial represents. It was truly moving to stand beneath this larger than life statue and reflect on the sacrifices made by US Marines at the Japanese island.

I have many more photos to upload and share. Please check back later in the week when I have more photos from our weekend trip to DC posted. See you soon.

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park

2007-03-13T22:30:00.000-05:00

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park

I cannot believe I have been away from Florida nearly 1 year! The last weekend of March marks my first week living in North Carolina. Exploring this state - mostly the surrounding areas - has been a lot of fun and a large part of what consumes my weekends. I enjoy the simplicity of toting my camera and capturing bits and pieces of my new experiences.

This week also marks a much more significant anniversary. Nearly 226 years ago a major Revolutionary War battle was fought not only 25 minutes from where I live! Rather than repeat the history found all over the web, why not check out their website and do a little reading? ;) http://www.nps.gov/guco - Lucky for me, this weekend is the annual re-enactment of the war. As a kid this kind of stuff would have bored me to tears. Many many years later and it still does. I am kidding of course although I look forward to photographing the event and bringing to my weblog some new images from the event.

Guilford Courthouse Park does not offer all that much for the eyes to enjoy. Rather, the park is host to many walking and biking trails for anyone looking to enjoy the kind of weather we are having this spring. Along the trails are markers with informational panels describing what major event took place at each site. Every so often there is a statue to commemorate some other historical figure that had some major involvement. I would probably prefer to have some book reader narrarate through a headset as I envision a battle or some other event. I just have a hard time reading something and then looking into an open field. My imagination is not as vivid as it was when I was a kid. For those without an imagination, the park developers did a great job of putting together a museum chock full of artifacts, displays, mini-movies, and plenty of reading material. They even have a small gift shop for the thrilled tourist.

I am not a history buff nor do I know anything about nature. Perhaps some day I might take the time to learn a little bit of both seeing how much I enjoy capturing their images. Next weekend promises to have a lot of activity at the park. I look forward to the mock encampments, gun battles, and demonstrations for us non-history folk. I may even make a mental note or two.

This mini-history visit is just the warm-up for our visit to Washington DC in the next couple of weekends. I truly look forward to seeing history through the eyes of an adult. I can't even remember my last visit to DC. I'll be taking plenty of photos. Who knows what I will remember in another 20 years!

Above: A park patrons enjoys life by sitting on a park bench, enjoying the weather, and admiring the statue of Nathanael Greene at the end of the field.

Upper Cascades - Hanging Rock Park, NC

2007-03-04T23:36:00.000-05:00

Upper Cascades - Hanging Rock Park, NC

Wow - it has been forever and a day since I got out and just took pictures for the fun of it. Most of what has been delaying my blog content for the past few months has been somewhat tied to work. I'm not complaining - photographing for a magazine has been fun, but getting out to shoot without any strings attached is just plain relaxing. Shanti and I decided to get out and enjoy the early spring weather on this Sunday. We visited one of our favorite local parks just outside of Winston Salem.

I have mentioned Hanging Rock probably two other times in previous posts. Each visit is unique and always enjoyable. Today's weather was quite deceptive since we measured how things would feel based on how it felt on the doorstep. We probably experienced temperatures somewhere in the mid 60s. However, upon arriving at the park in higher altitudes we both realized that it was more like low 40s. The hike kept us warm and Marley sure enjoyed being out of the house.

Every visit to Hanging Rock means that we will hike a different trail. We have probably only hit 3 of more than a dozen trails scattered throughout the park and around the small mountains. This particular trail led us down 1/3 of a mile to a very peaceful cascade where we spent a good 45 minutes or longer just enjoying the sound. As you can see by the above black and white image, some of the icicles were still holding on for dear life. I found several detached pieces on the floor beneath the small ledge where I was setting up to photograph. Those icicles quickly reminded us that it was cold and that staying out for a sunset was not going to happen unless a hot chocolate vendor happened to be wandering through the woods.

To those that are coming by to check on this blog, I assure you it will soon have more content. The weather is getting warmer and let's just say that I "skipped" winter entirely. Thanks for stopping by.

Shanti and Marley find a comfortable spot to sit and enjoy the sounds of the falls.

This Close

2007-02-01T22:04:00.000-05:00

"This Close"

A conversation to be had 30 years from now - "Well son, I came 'this close' to making it to the pros."

Where are the pictures?

2007-01-16T12:44:00.000-05:00

Where are the pictures?

I saw the list below posted on a photography forum by member "BigRed450" recently. The post date was actually in June of 2005, but the comments resonated with my current situation.

Progression of a Photographer

1. You start out with very little knowledge
2. You start doing research and realize it is much more difficult than you imagined.
3. You begin to pick up knowledge, the technical side of things.
4. You begin to use the technical knowledge and it works.
5. You start to feel as if you are mastering the technical
6. You begin to feel you know a LOT.
7. You start posting images that you are proud of.
8. You KNOW your images are better than much of what you see.
9. Family and friends start to oooo and aaaahhh at your images
10. Pro's don't seem to acknowledge you.
11. You think it's jealousy.
12. You reach a valley in your photography. You are starting to notice that your images aren't quite what you thought they would be.
13. You start to notice that, in your images, the models hands, the composition, the depth...isn't quite what you wanted.
14. Even your very favorite photograph isn't as good as you once thought. "I should have . . . "
15. You are now completely dissatisfied with everything you have ever shot.
16. You begin to realize that your photography is NOTHING compared to the masters.
17. You begin to see the differences in your photography compared to what you see published.
18. Now you are beginning to learn.

So I am at a crossroads. I am somewhere between burned out and curious as to what is next. This is truly a learning process more painful than anything I would have previously imagined.

Somewhere after item #18 is something I came up with called "The Rule of 1000." Basically, I have purchased every piece of starter equipment that I can afford for under $1000 and I have done a decent job at what I've done with that equipment. Those purchases have gotten me to where I am now. But, where do I go from here? "The Rule of 1000" now says that any piece of equipment I buy from this point forward will cost me a minimum of $1,000 dollars. Example - An Entry Level Pro Lighting Kit: $1,600; A new camera body: $4,999; A Pro Printer: $1,200; A competent computer with storage for processing hundreds of digital images: $2,400; Lens (any kind - wide angle, portrait, telephoto): $1,200 - $8,000+; A professionally designed website outsourced to a designer: $2,600+

The rub here is that I have found a level of competance that can no longer "make do" with prosumer equipment. I have also found myself at a crossroads of actual cost versus creative fees. I'm stuck. Without a formal education in photography or the accessibility of a "master" willing to take on an "apprentice" I will soon have to make a distinction between hobby and profession.

I have been very fortunate to have experienced so much in such a little amount of time. Memories are many and experiences unique from anything else. #18 is prevalent - I'm beginning to learn.

Pictures will eventually find their way back on this website. Some day.

A Saturday on the Parkway

2006-12-17T10:23:00.000-05:00

A Saturday on the Parkway

"Lone Tree Lookout"

"Bare Tree Reflection"

"Edge of Winter"

"Solo Swim"

"Sunset Lake"

the liberty & ellis island collection

2006-11-30T18:13:00.000-05:00

welcome associate artists of winston salem gallery visitors

Thank you for visiting my weblog and journal of my personal experiences in photography. This site has served as my temporary home where I have shared my works with friends, family, colleagues, and respected artists each month. I look forward to a permanent residence with an extended online gallery in the coming weeks. In the meantime, please feel free to browse the monthly archives filled with photos and personal sentiments.

If you are interested in quotes for services, prints, or have any other inquiries please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Eugenio C.

________________________

About the photos:

The two works currently on display at the AAWS Gallery ("Eyes on Liberty I", "Eyes on Liberty II") are part of a collection of works from a visit to New York City in the winter of 2005. The photographs were created with an unrefined medium format film Holga 120N "toy camera" and printed on an enhanced matte paper with archival inks. The prints are professionally mounted on acid free cores and mats and outlined with black gesso finished wood frames. The finished pieces represent my gallery debut and will be on display from Dec. 1 - Jan. 13 or until they are purchased by a gallery patron.

"P" is for Parking

2006-11-28T23:36:00.000-05:00

"P" is for Parking

After an evening of assignment shooting, Shanti and I went to the roof level of a downtown parking deck. I was actually trying to locate a high vantage point to photograph a local hospital for another assignment. The side wall is just tall enough to put it out of view. Perhaps if I brought a ladder I might have a shot.

It's funny how an empty and almost featureless parking deck offers a challenge. I started to see patterns in the shadows and parking lines. The solo letters even stood out on their own. Perhaps some day I'll meet the owner of a fancy sports car and offer to shoot their car up on this deck.

Going down?

Landscape Photography Workshop

2006-11-15T07:30:00.000-05:00

Landscape Photography Workshop

Last weekend I enjoyed an opportunity to attend published photographer Carl Galie's fine landscapes photography workshop through the Associate Artists of Winston Salem Gallery. The workshop started on Friday evening where we were introduced to Mr. Galie and to other attendees. The goal of the workshop was to improve our eye for landscapes and to address issues that digital workflow photographers face. We saw plenty of Carl's work on a slideshow where he described the many facets of what it takes to bring in such great images. We were also priviledged to view some of his current work which will be published in one of his new books due sometime next season.

The morning sun is reflected off of the side of this canoe covered in dew.

The best part of attending the workshop was our Saturday morning field study where we all met at a local city park. Perhaps you have heard me mention it before - Salem Lake Park. (Click through or search my blog. I've featured photos from there twice in the past.) Attending this park at 7am offers a whole new perspective. The lighting is different, the weather had changed, fall had fallen, and it was early in the morning instead of the afternoon for once!

After the field outing we had lunch and headed straight back to the classroom for a review of our work. It was odd for me to present work without taking any time to make modest adjustments; but, truth be told I worked much harder at getting results straight out of the camera rather than depend on the computer. This is one other mantra of our instructor's. He has a 3-minute rule where if the image does not look right after 3 minutes of adjustments, then the image is simply discarded. Great rule!

The photo of the geese in flight was touted as the day's luckiest shot. I felt rather fortunate myself to have captured the image. Timing, luck, right-place-at-the-right-time....they are all factors. It should make for a great print down the road.

Thank you Mr. Carl Galie for your time and your advice. Best of luck with your newest book.

(A few more photos from this shoot can be seen on my Photo.net account. See "Links")

Winston Urban Nightscape

2006-11-10T07:17:00.000-05:00

Winston Urban "Nightscape"

Most of the "city life" that I have posted in previous blog entries have been representative of Winston Salem's downtown environment. I promise to one day wander over to Greensboro and give that city it's fair amount of coverage. For now, Winston is just a short 10 minute ride to downtown from Kernersville and an easy place to meet up with my good friend Larry for some photo opportunities. Being the swell guys we are, we invited our ladies to join us while we walked through some of downtown. Afterwards, Larry treated us to Mellow Mushroom pizza. Thank you Larry!

Murals can be seen throughout the art district.

A hip Toyota FJ Cruiser is conveniently parked under great street lighting and with a view of the Wachovia building in the background.

(Left) Larry awaits passing traffic to achieve a motion blur in his photo. (Right) this alley was rich with art and urban style.

Wind

2006-11-07T21:51:00.000-05:00

"Where had I heard this wind before
Change like this to a deeper roar?"

- Robert Frost

Fall Sunset on Pilot Mountain

2006-10-26T05:54:00.000-05:00

Fall Sunset on Pilot Mountain

There are only 2 other places on this planet that I have gotten to experience a sunset from atop a mountain - Alaska and "The Grand Canyon" in Arizona. Ask me where those photos are and I might as well shrug my shoulders at you. The memory is certainly still in my mind. Watching a sunset from a high vantage point offers one of the most spectacular experiences. This past weekend's evening visit to Pilot Mountain was no different. Mix in a cold snap and some colorful leaves and I am instantly reminded that Florida is nowhere nearby.

A tree full of colorful leaves creates the perfect canopy for this park bench.

These young tourists made me a bit nervous as they scurried wrecklessly over this large rock. I guess I was no different as a kid. They were facing an already golden sun which was casting a nice warm color.

I found the multi-colored leaves on this tree to be unique from most any other trees seen around here in the fall.

All of these colorful trees made the scene felt as if I were walking through someone's oil painting.

This is a view of Pilot Mountain to the southwest.

The sun begins to race for the horizon. Pinecones hanging from a nearby wintergreen allude to the coming of winter.

The fall has come and is quickly going. Bring on the winter. I hope you have enjoyed this last segment of photos. Every weekend provides new oppotunity to get out and photograph. I encourage you to do the same.

Until next time - emc

The Grape Harvest

2006-10-22T14:26:00.000-05:00

The Grape Harvest

I am told of the many amazing things that happen in the spring in North Carolina. For those that have not gotten out to experience everything that fall has to offer, I would have to challenge their perspective of the other great seasons here. Otherwise, it would be a matter of preference.

If there was any other place on Earth that offers a more harmonic changing of seasons than North Carolina, I would love to visit and photograph their region.

In the springtime the cool slowly turns to warm. Stuff starts growing. Life is reaffirmed. In the fall stuff starts to die. (Stuff...you like that?!) Colder air starts prompting people to do things like pick all of those grapes and make some wine before the first snow hits the ground.

In the past few weeks I think I have sampled more wine at tasting events than I have ever consumed at dinner events in years. I would not dare even think of myself as a connoisseur, but the fermented grape concoction has certainly grown on me. I think it's a great past time to enjoy a glass of wine in the company of family or friends or even with a nice home cooked dinner. If you ask me, I am more interested in the serene landscapes, fall colors, and ambience a winery offers. Now that fall is upon us and a chill is in the air it's all the more reason to get out, enjoy the wineries, and celebrate the grape harvest.

A small front loading tractor collects stems from freshly picked grapes.

Through odd fate and the coincidence of having a somewhat rare last name, I received an awesome phone call from my brother a few weeks ago. Apparently, the co-owner of one of the local wineries matched our last names because of some pictures she had seen in the local magazine I work for. She had expressed interest in possibly having me come out and photograph their winery and also take advantage of the upcoming grape harvest. Although we never formalized any agreement in terms of usage, I still enjoyed the visit and took advantage of an opportunity to capture this moment in a winery's annual harvest.

A colorful butterfly blends in and enjoys the sweetness of freshly picked grapes.

Since moving to the Piedmont Triad I have had the opportunity to visit eight different wineries, sample numerous varieties of wines developed here, and collected well over a dozen wine glasses representing various wineries. With the exception of The Biltmore Estate, each of the seven wineries I have visited is no more than a 45 minute drive from Winston Salem. (Wayne - if you're out there and reading this, you seriously need to consider a ROAD TRIP!) If you are ambitious enough and have access to a designated driver, there is a good possibility you could visit all of them in one day. Along one of our stops we spoke with an elderly couple that had visited TWELVE in one day! Overall, I believe there are over 21 wineries in the North Carolina winery appellation.

A small wooden sign with the type of grape being grown is handwritten and posted at the end of each row of grapes.

Just as quickly as the fall came will come winter. With the end of one grape harvest will come another season of spring flowers. I cannot wait for what photos the winter season will bring. Scenes of steam hovering over lakes, snow covered trees and frost covered barns quickly come to mind. I hope you have enjoyed this latest entry.

As always, stay tuned. I have another great photo entry this week with more great landscape views and fall colors. If you are resourceful enough, and want to sneak preview these photos before they make it on my blog, you will find these photos elsewhere. If you have made it this far and have read through this entire weblog entry, be the first one (of maybe 3 loyal readers, hehe) to Email me with the correct location of these new pictures (taken yesterday) and a reward is yours. For your diligence, I will send you a free 8x10 enlargement from my newest photos or any other photo from my online publishings of your choice.

Have fun. Get out and photograph.

PS - I am thrilled to let my fellow readership know that as of yesterday I am now a member of the Associated Artists of Winston Salem. Ok, so it doesn't take talent to become a member - just a membership donation. :) I do, however, plan on making the most of the membership and getting my photography exposed to as many people as possible. Thank you for your continued encouragement and visitation to my weblog.

A year and a lifetime ago

2006-10-17T20:07:00.000-05:00

A year and a lifetime ago

If you had asked me how long ago I thought this picture had been taken I might have possibly scratched my head and responded with a confused answer: "Two years ago? Three years? I don't think I remember." That is exactly what it feels like having lived under three different roofs spanning over a few short months. That is exactly how far removed I am from the out of body terrific experiences I had working with a hometown NFL franchise.

By trade I am a computer guy. By desire I carry a camera and create imagery. In my dreams I will get to experience things that will forever start long conversations that stir the retelling of fantastic stories. Working for the team I got to hear our sportscasters berate as a kid is now just a dreamy haze.

It was my desire to carry a camera in October of 2005 when our "Pewter Pirates" flew north to New Jersey - bringing me along for the ride - where our team would face the Jets. For my first trip, we were ironically be beaten by "Vinny" - a quarterback who started his career with the creamsicle orange and red Bucs that I remember growing up watching. I didn't care. I was out of my skin and probably out of my mind for toting my pocket sized point and shoot; but, to this day I cannot thank myself enough for taking that chance. I remember running on and off of the field and riding in a bus next to an athlete whose leg was bigger than my torso. I remember helping our equipment crew peel jerseys from game soaked shoulder pads. My memories are now tangible. That year ago is now yesterday. In my retirement it will have been a few years ago. Perhaps the kids I might someday raise will remind me of what a lifetime ago was.

Tampa, Florida - what a great city that was to grow up in and experience as an adult. Life could not be more fitting to have given me an opportunity to work for a team that represented the one city where I created the fondest lifetime memories. I couldn't be more thankful for the opportunity.

Finding Fall - Hanging Rock Park, NC

2006-10-15T22:13:00.000-05:00

Finding Fall - Hanging Rock Park, NC

The above panoramic of the lake at the Hanging Rock recreational area was created from 4 images and "stitched" together on the computer.

Larry and I were up and at it again early this morning in search of fall foliage. I suggested a trip to the Hanging Rock Park where I hoped to find the colors of the changing season. If you search my blog for "Hanging Rock" you will find a trip report and photos from other visits, so I will keep the documentary write up short and just share some photos.

Today's visit was strictly photo fun. Larry is a native of this area, and despite many visits to Hanging Rock Park throughout his youth, he had never actually taken any of the hikes. Hike is exactly what we did.

The temperatures this morning were will under 50 degrees. After a breakfast at Biscuitville, we headed north on a short 40 minute ride to the park's entrance. Shortly after arriving, we hit the visitor's center and decided on a hike to the actual "hanging rock." When I asked Larry why he had never hiked any of the trails "back in the day," he honestly admitted that "laziness" had gotten the best of him. I have to hand him some credit - we both hiked with our heavy Bogen/Manfrotto tripods all the way to the peak. It's a long hike and after a while camera gear and tripods can really get heavy. We didn't do so bad. A nice stop every now and again to closely photograph the leaves and other scenery made for opportunities to regain our breath and shed some fleece sweaters. Regardless, I still have to give him some flak for not exploring the surrounding attractions.

Being the Florida boy that I am, I truly enjoyed every bit of color displayed in the forests. The locals here swear that it's still to early to really enjoy the fall, but from what I gathered today the colors are well on their way. I cannot imagine what full fall colors will look like. Next weekend will probably be another repeat trip out to the mountains. Hopefully I can continue to offer some nice photos for your review.

This couple took in the views and enjoyed a snack while perched on the edge of Hanging Rock.

Larry sets up for a photo near a ledge offering a great lookout

In addition to the golds and greens was the fiery red foliage.

Mayberry Mill - Blue Ridge Parkway

2006-10-07T01:49:00.000-05:00

Mayberry Mill - Blue Ridge Parkway

As you can see by the amounts of updates and images this past week, I have been a very busy bee snapping away at everything in sight. All of the images - with the exception of the jeans - are a result of a full 10 hour day long trip last weekend with my good friend and associate through work, Larry Watson.

Larry's brand new blog: Larry's Blog

Left: Larry gets in close to capture some of the weathering on the painted brick wall.

Larry recently purchased a new Nikon D50 D-SLR and had all sorts of questions for me regarding camera operation and photography in general. It wasn't too long ago that I was bugging a co-worker of mine that just so happened to be a pro-shooter with many of the same questions Larry had for me. I am no expert by any means, having only started a little over a year ago, but I could quickly see that Larry appreciated what knowledge I had to share. I told Larry that the best way to start learning - a piece of advice Matt May offered me when I first started out - is to get out and shoot. So, shoot is what we did.

Our day trip consisted of an early 7am start - which we later regretted not starting sooner - with breakfast at the local Biscuitville followed by an hour and fifteen minute drive through Mt. Airy and to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Along the Parkway we stopped at an abandoned bed and breakfast. (See image above.) Larry and I spent well over an hour scavenging for great shots. The bed and breakfast had its own water wheel in the front. Just behind the main office and rooms were some cabins on the mountainside that had been invaded by the elements and creeping vines.

The mid-day sun left many of my daytime shots unusable due to the high contrasty light coming straight down on everything. Larry and I left the mill later in the mid-day and headed back out off of the Parkway and back towards Mt. Airy. Before exiting, we stopped at a great lookout of Pilot Mountain. I stacked my ND Grad. and .6 ND filters to cut out a lot of the daylight glare. The yellow wildflowers in the foreground made for a great experiment in macro photography. There were all sorts of bees, wasps, and other little bugs crawling along and hanging on for dear life as the wind batted them around.

We finished our day in Mt. Airy with some great pizza at a local Italian restaurant and discussed the day's events. We were both fairly tired from being in the sun and having a camera tug at the neck all day. Overall we both had an enjoyable time. Larry learned a lot as did I. I'm looking forward to another outing where we can do nothing but take in the day's great weather and capture more great imagery.

Stay tuned as I am on a photo blitz. Today (later this morning) I will be joining my brother, his wife, and a group of our friends for a day of winery hopping and a chicken stew benefit dinner in the evening.

Thanks for stopping by! - emc

Straight Fit

2006-10-06T00:11:00.000-05:00

Straight Fit

Just in case "the Gap" ever needs my services... :) Now that would be nice. Actually, this is the end result of facilitating the need to test photography techniques in ones own home. This idea hit me a while back when I was in a dressing room trying on these jeans just before I bought 'em.

Have you ever been in a Gap and noticed how much flourescent light they flood those dressing rooms with? How about the store? Did you notice how evenly distributed the light looks in there? Why is it that those red jackets are conveniently hung next to the yellow ones with maybe some jeans on shelves just below? Ok, maybe just me - but, the fact is that those jeans look good fairly decent on that rack. Once outside they just never quite look the same. It's akin to buying a piece of glass artwork from a table of dozens of other similar pieces. Once you have that one special purchase at home it just doesn't look as attractive sitting on your own shelf under some dingy yellow bulbs.

In this particular setup I wanted to 1) attempt to reproduce what the jeans looked like hanging on the wall in the dressing room - don't ask me why, and 2) try some long exposure "light painting." The top image is fairly straight forward minus the duotone tweak during post production. The cool blue image was made with my cell phone. Cell phones have all sorts of neat blue buttons and built in lamps to project all sorts of interesting light. The 3rd image was made with a lighter. At near 30 seconds of exposure, my fingers felt the heat quickly. I only made 2 attempts at this "gap" light-writing. I kept the first image over the second. If the last photo (below) makes you a little dizzy, well, maybe I accomplished the effect. A slight twist of the lens barrel during the exposure gives this image a somewhat drunken effect.

Overall, it was a quick and easy way to experiment with the camera without having to get in the car to find images. Our local fair is in town. Hopefully I can make it before it ends on Sunday. Stay tuned!

PS - Thank you for visiting my photoblog to check out my latest toyings with photography. You people - the 3 or 4 of you that visit regularly make it worthwhile.

Green 'Stang

2006-10-05T19:40:00.000-05:00

Green 'Stang

Ride the Parkway

2006-10-04T00:38:00.000-05:00

Ride the Parkway

The Reds - Stairs. Door. Cinema.

2006-10-03T21:48:00.000-05:00

The Reds - Stairs. Door. Cinema.

Blue Sign

2006-10-02T11:49:00.000-05:00

"Blue Sign" - Mt. Airy

Blue Car

2006-10-02T11:44:00.000-05:00

"Blue Car" - Mt. Airy

Blue Door

2006-10-01T23:27:00.000-05:00

"Blue Door" - Mt. Airy

Eggs. Anytime.

2006-09-25T23:35:00.000-05:00

Eggs. Anytime.

So it's late and I got a craving for a fried egg. Don't ask me why. Coincidentally, I was having a tough time trying to sleep and couldn't get the thought of photographing a fried egg out of my mind. I've seen it perfected in food photography circles and decided to try it for myself. Well, I was hungry and 1...maybe 2, eggs would have a shot at looking just right. I give those food prop people many kudos. This is about as good as it gets for me. Frankly, I was tired and hungry. I fried my 2 eggs, had a cold glass of water, uploaded these pictures, and I am now going to bed.

If an egg keeps you from sleeping at night, just fry one up and eat it. They're good. Anytime.