A new trend at weddings these days is getting ice sculptures to accent your cocktail hour and or reception. Some are elegant pieces of art and others serve a more functional purpose like alcoholic luges, which chill your drink as they pass through holes in the sculpture. This one just served as an artistic accent at the wedding and was presented nicely with lights under and behind it. It's easy to find caterers or personal artists/sculptors who offer these relatively cheap so if you are interested in adding a great piece of art and a focal point to your cocktail hour I'd recommend investing in one of these. 

Whether you’re shooting a formal wedding, portrait session, event, or just out exploring, always remember that thinking outside the box and letting your most primal instincts dictate what images you capture is the best way to get really ‘stand out’ work. And don’t let it end there! If you have captured a great image, EDIT it to perfection! Bring out the best in the photo, because we all know that cameras can only do so much. Its whats in your head that makes all the difference. Go out and let loose

This particular shot was for Travis & Katelyn’s engagement in Old City, Philadelphia.

               

          Where do I begin with this one? When I tell you that this was one of the most adventurous engagement shoots I have ever been on it could easily be perceived as an understatement once I get done telling you how it went down. 

          About a week before the shoot I had decided that, since they wanted to have their shoot at the shore in Cape May, NJ, we would take an hour and a half long drive down from our hometown and stop at different shoot locations on the way. You see, I find that when Im driving around to and from places, I notice so many different locations where I can't help but envision a couple placed perfectly in them, so that's exactly what I proposed to them: that they'd follow me down and I would stop at different spots that caught my eye. 

          A day before I got a message from Kaitlin saying that the weather might be an issue and I had thought the same thing myself, but remained optimistic as I always do. Give me any situation and I'll do my best to make it creative and unique. That's my motto. And what a motto to have had to keep this incredible shoot from taking a rain check. 

          We started off heading south as the clouds were heavy (providing a nice diffused light, might I add) and the rain holding to a steady mist. I found my first location in Hammonton, NJ where there were nice old 50's styled buildings and train tracks. We made it work and the weather played no factor in the least. Right then and there I knew that the day wasn't going to be hindered by anything, especially the weather. 

          That's exactly how it went, from place to place, each a new stage for ideas and creativity. All of the spots we stopped at were completely different which made the shoot so much more fun and interesting.

          All in all, it took us a little over 2 hours to reach our destination (Kaitlin's parents shore house) so we decided to take a break and order some lunch. While eating and watching the radar to see what the rest of the day looked like, the rain really started coming down. We looked at each other and laughed knowing full well that if it kept up like this there would be no hope to finish the shoot at this last and most important location. We told ourselves we'd wait it out, but after an hour I started getting concerned with how much light we'd have left by the time we got back out there. 

          The rain seemed to have let up a bit so we thought taking a ride into the center of town to scope out locations and be ready for them once the rain stopped would be a smart move. Just then, the thunderous roar of a waterfall (or so it seemed) erupted on the roof - Just our luck. They looked at me with concerned smiles and I shrugged as if the options of making this successful were sliming with every drop. Just then, I had an idea. I looked across the room at an umbrella by the door and said, "come with me". My optimism to make art out of rain prevailed as you'll see and I'm so glad it did. 

          Under the most torrential rain South Jersey has seen in years a newly engaged couple stood under their umbrella embracing each other. Camera aside, it was one of the most beautiful moments I had ever been a part of. Yelling through the deafening downpour to tell them to kiss was our biggest challenge (lol), but all in all, the shot came out completely beautiful and the risk was small in comparison to the reward. 

          We continued to ride into town despite the rain and posted up for a few drinks at a local tavern. We waited and waited, but it never subsided so I planned to reschedule in a couple of months to finish up with them. From there, we drove back to the house, said our goodbyes, and I was off. 

          Literally, 15 minutes into the drive, I looked into my rearview and saw a line in the sky which which looked like a high-pressure front bringing warm air and clear skies. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?", I said to myself. Right then I got a frantic call from Kaitlin saying, "Dave! The skies literally just cleared up! I don't believe it!". Damn straight I turned around and we finished the entire shoot in the beautiful sunshine. 

          We stuck with it, period. I never would've thought, given all of the obstacles that we ran into that day, that one of the most amazing and adventurous shoots would've come out of it. I'm so glad we made the choice to go ahead with it and I can't wait to shoot their wedding this June :)

 

Have a look!

 

 

 

 

 

Had the pleasure of shooting this destination wedding with one of the greatest couples I've ever worked with. We had an amazing time at the the Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. Visit here at http://www.wyndhamriomar.com. Whether it was hiking through the mountainous jungles or swimming in the crystal clear waters of the Atlantic, Puerto Rico remains one of my top favorite destination weddings to shoot and be a part of.  Truly a great experience! 

Check it out here!

 

 

These are two shots I took: One of the meteor shower on 12.13.12 and the other of a Southern NJ sunset superimposed on one another. I wanted to give the sense of how our Earth's atmosphere and space interact. Art is made by following how things make you feel. Follow those feelings and they will lead you to greatness.

A beautiful foggy Black Friday morning. Notice the falcon perched in the background?

Tomorrow night, I invite all of you to come to my first art showcase in the city (Philadelphia) at Metropolitan Cafe, UPenn, 4013 Walnut Street. The reception will be from 6-8:30pm. Wine and cold beer will be served along with Hors d'oeuvres. This, although a small step, is just the beginning of my ultimate goal of being featured in galleries all over the world. Never stop following your dreams; I promise you it will pay off in the end. Hope to see you all there!

Never really messed with night photography or long exposure shots except for a few night sky shots. So, in light of that, I went out on the town and got some really interesting stuff. Don't let the night discourage you from staying creative. Get out there and do your thing!

Despite the fact that October is my birth month (the 15th), it really possesses some of the most amazing colors, sunsets, temperatures, and of course scents; the smell of a distant burning fireplace in fall does something to me that really grounds me to earth. On a walk through Haddonfield, New Jersey, I came upon a stream that had just begun to collect newly fallen leaves from the trees upstream. I saw this beautiful collection. Every color leaf you could imaging was fitting snugly against another all unique and individual to themselves. Fall has begun, get outside and enjoy it before its gone.

I've always loved going back into my unedited photo archives and finding a picture that I can turn into a piece of art. Sometimes when you scan over unedited photos you can easily skip over or miss a photo that can be made into something truly beautiful. Don't forget about your old photos! Go and find a picture you missed and edit it back to life.

Whether you're shooting a formal wedding, portrait session, event, or just out exploring, always remember that thinking outside the box and letting your most primal instincts dictate what images you capture is the best way to get really 'stand out' work. And don't let it end there! If you have captured a great image, EDIT it to perfection! Bring out the best in the photo, because we all know that cameras can only do so much. Its whats in your head that makes all the difference. Go out and let loose.

For all of you people who enjoy giving some of your photos a quality HDR (High Dynamic Range) look, there are some ways of achieving it without purchasing expensive HDR software. For beginners, who love their iPhones and want to get an HDR look, I use the 'drama' effect' on the Snapseed app.

For semi-professional/professionals who edit their work on computers, I edit all of my pics with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Now since I dont have an HDR fuction for Lightroom, I can manipulate the photos in a way that makes it look like three exposures combined into one (HDR) by raising the fill light (not so much as to create noise), but just enough to fill in the underexposed areas. This may introduce slight noise, but thats ok for an HDR look. If you do introduce slightly more noise than you intended, you can always heighten the contrast and or darks to eliminate noise in the darker areas.

Just remember, when editing to achieve an HDR look, try not to over do it. Too many times I find that people editing photos go over the top, effectively eliminating the art that would normally make it a good photo, but when done tastefully and used more as an accent, HDR work can be really captivating. Enjoy editing.

Matis and his production team called on me again to photograph his concert in Norfolk, Va!

http://blog.talenthouse.com/2012/08/03/matisyahu-crowns-his-winners/?1344018988060

Took a walk north along the Jersey Shore a few years back and captured this photo.

Passed by this graceful horse while I was taking a walk today

Yesterday I received an email from Matisyahu's management team asking if I would be his official photographer for his huge show in Philadelphia, Pa! I'm so excited about it and it's only the beginning! Stay tuned for the concert and backstage photos! OPENING HUGE DOORS

I just want to let you all know that this blog will be updated frequently with shots of my daily life and encounters so I can guarantee that it will be enjoyable to scroll through! Dont forget to subscribe to my twitter and facebook pages via the icons on my home page. Thanks again and come back soon for updates and great ART!