January Ten Eyck Tuesday

Hi! Let me introduce myself! I am a BROKEN freaking RECORD!! Know why?

BECAUSE JUST WHEN I THINK IT CAN'T GET ANY BETTER...IT DOES!!!

ok, pause, rewind. So yesterday's class was, well, yesterday! On the first Tuesday of the month, as always, right? Let me start by saying that there was nothing normal about this class for a few reasons:

-it was ALL beginners! And I was SCARED!! I can talk trash with the best of 'em but you know when you are so close to something that it's hard to back up and get some perspective on things? Well, that's me and photography. I'm in it up to my eyebrows, like all the time, so thinking of it from a 'coming to you new' kind of way was challenging to say the least!

-we had one model, not a couple. Doesn't sound like a big deal, right? Oh but it is.

-we stayed in my house to shoot! What? It was warmer, plus we got WAY more shooting time since there was no travel time involved, and no one froze! Bonus.

-I didn't make Mexican food! Unless four cheese baked macaroni and cheese is Mexican!! aye aye aye!!! with a baby spinach salad with feta, strawberries and walnuts. No, YOU stop!

OK, onward and upward people!! Let me spin my tale for you all......

First, meet our gracious model, the uber comfortable in front of the camera, Miss Jacklyn Greenberg of Jag Studios! She is something else!!

Like I was telling the class, having Jackie model for us was kind of like cheating...she is just SO photogenic...



We stayed in the upper hallway of my house, which Dave and I just repainted a nice soft gray (Pebble Beach, Benjamin Moore if you are curious) with crisp white trim... and it just sings to me in the mid morning...the light is ridiculous

Check out the ladies in Georgie's room watching Maura shoot

Love the toys leading to Jackie


The doll with the red hair my Mom made for me when I was little


We really tried to use the entire corner up there, it just yielded so many shooting opportunities





Meet Miss Jessica - she is from Sialia Photography in western CT. She excelled at taking her time to get what she wanted from the day- one of the hardest thing for most photographers to do!!

This is a new one for me: meet Maura, our resident newbie! You want to know what Maura knew before she came to my class? NADA!! She told me, and I quote, sort of 'I pretty much only know how to turn on the camera' Yeah, I was scared because I wasn't sure she would absorb it all but OH.MY.GOD!!! She left completely understanding the concept of aperture, shutter speed and ISO and their relationship to exposure!!!!! She has a killer eye as well, which we all know is half the battle!

Here is Miss Traci from Tru Blu Photography in Simsbury. I was very excited to meet this one as she is good friends with my girl Eileen Broderick... because Eileen is NUTS. Tell Dr. Phill I said :P


And she comes back for more abuse!!! Melissa Wilson just couldn't get enough of C 10 ike love and had to have some more. I can't tell you all how far this lady has come in her understanding of what she wants to capture and what she gets... it's nothing short of amazing to me to see the transformation!!


Had to add this one too...now that blogger is working again :P


And come on, how dope is my salad

photoNATION

Have you checked out this new site? Connecticut's own Steve DePino is responsible for creating what is sure to be a great new online photography community. You don't have to be a professional photographer to join, just have a passion for photography!

Sign up HERE


Coming soon to the site is a Photo Challenge section- not sure if many of you know but jpgmag.com is shutting down I think effective this coming Monday. Very sad news! They had an online community like no other. One of my favorite parts of it was the photo challenge section where they throw out a challenge and then you go and shoot it- post your shot, and then people got to see how everyone interpreted the same assignment!

Mr. Depino had given me the reigns at photoNATION to be in charge of coordinating this for the site- which I am BEYOND excited about!! I already have a looooog list of fun challenges- so make sure you check it out!!

So? What are you waiting for? GO SIGN UP!!!

some ladies, and some laughs

Last night I got together with some close lady friends- Ralph Mouth aka Miss Robin Dini, the vocal GPS imitating stylings of Miss Eileen Broderick, and the super incognito Miss Julia of Salty Grapes fame- to shoot at Meriden's Hubbard Park with all of the fancy schmancy holiday lights. I haven't laughed so hard in a long long time, I swear!

Here are a few of my favorites- and all were shot by this train that my son Jack would just be foaming at the mouth for, right Val?

And can I get an AMEN for GPS's- I know you knew where you were going Robin, and that you just took the scenic route for fun and all but here is a crash course in 'YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN THE GHETTO WHEN...'

1) There are Check Cashing places, like EVERYWHERE
2) Bars on windows, even on the third floor
3) Liquor stores are mano y mano with adult 'bookstores'
4) Ali Baba Bail Bonds

'nuff said!!!

I was LUV-in' the reflections in Robin's glasses!


Julia and Robin can't HELP but bust out laughing in front of the camera!!

And can I get a shout for Julia's Frosty the Snowman Hat?? AWESOME!!!


When it was Eileen's turn to be in front of the 'firing squad' she was all like, 'I'm not fun and playful like Robin and Julia' But MAN can she rock the serious shots!! Keep in mind that she is tearing me UP while I am shooting her, this girl is so freaking funny I could split my pants from laughing so hard!





Girls, it was fun, thanks for motivating me to get some nice stuff!

xxoo

Mystic 4 Seminar coming in January- check it out!

Last year a bunch of us went to the Mystic 3 in January and saw some really great speakers. This year proves to be an even more impressive line up with some really talented people! I HIGHLY recommend checking it out!

Read more and sign up HERE

They feature a dinner (which is EXTRA. but only like $31) on Sunday January 17 at the Steak Loft in Mystic the night before that all of the speakers attend- and I am sure some of us will go down earlier and coordinate some type of shooting event...!

Then ALL day on Monday Jan. 18 there is back to back speakers- and a bunch I am really pumped to see! My girl Michelle Turner is back- Mike and I had the pleasure of attending a workshop she taught for two days back in June and we learned so much.

So go on, what are you waiting for!!!!

SIGN UP!

See you there! :)

not sure why this is fun....but I'm game

That dang Robin Dini! She tagged me like, five days ago and I am just getting around to this. I wonder what the point of this is though- to see what kinds of books you have near you? So you can judge me on the smut that I read? Or be all shocked when I whip out like a camera manual or something? Or a 'How to Speak Mandarin in Minutes' book?

Here's how it works:

- Grab the nearest book.
- Open to page 56.
- Find the fifth sentence.
- Post the next two to five sentences in your blog with these instructions.
- Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one - pick the CLOSEST.
- Tag five other people to do the same.

This is from Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
"The first Elizabeth is a novelist and the second Elizabeth is a food writer. With an apartment in Rome, a house in Umbria, an Italian husband and a job that requires her to travel around Italy eating food and writing about it for Gourmet, it appears that the second Elizabeth must have saved a lot of orphans from drowning during a previous lifetime. Unsurprisingly, she knows all the best places to eat in Rome, including a gelateria that serves a frozen rice pudding (and if they don't serves this kind of thing in heaven then I certainly don't want to go there).She took me out to lunch the other day, and what we ate included not only lamb and truffles and carapaccio rolled around hazelnut mousse but an exotic little serving of pickled lampascione, which is- as everyone knows- the bulb of the wild hyacinth."

Figures I'd pick the book by the writer who is the QUEEN of the run on sentence! But it's a great read- so read it if you haven't!

Not sure if I'm supposed to pimp my read or not but I'm gonna throw caution to the wind!

I'm also going to throw some friends to the wolves by tagging them, which is a sure way to bring this little game to a screeching halt- as they are all the least likely to participate in this! Or so I think.... and so, the gauntlet has been thrown!!

I tag, in no order of favorites, so don't get your skirts in a twist!!

my sister Tere
her super sarcastic and hilarious husband Charlie Everyone should read his blog he is funny as hell
Sister O aka Jamie Oppenheimer aka Scruffins Multimedia (Mary Nelson you are lucky you don't have a blog)
Mike Mike Mike (yes you can quote 'Gamer Addict Magazine')
and The Marantz's, I dare not chose one over the other, and so I choose BOTH! Who I am going to actually just say that I am embarrassed to tag bc their blog is so pretty and fabulous and this would just plain old mess it all up!!


So THERE!! :P

did you hear the one about Paris Hilton, Barack Obama and the iphone?

Neither did I. I just wanted to pop up randomly in search engines! :P

So here's a little studio update- some BIG things are on deck for us this September!

I will be out of town for a few weeks on quite the west coast adventure! Seeing as my boy Mike is 'otherwise engaged' and rightly so with the impending birth of his little boy... I am bringing my good friend Steve Depino with me to shoot a wedding in Seattle- on Cypress Island- this weekend! It is going to be quite the adventure... let's just say there is camping involved! Stay tuned for pictures from THAT!! Or you might wanna skip it... ;)

Then from there Steve and I fly to LA for Pictage's Partner Con where our good friends Justin & Mary Marantz will be featured speakers!! Partner Con is like the condensed version of WPPI in Vegas- For one I enjoy LA a teeny bit better but also everyone there is SO much more accessible, you can pick people's brains over a cocktail and really bond- whereas in Vegas it tends to be super overwhelming as there are like THOUSANDS of photographers there...! Still a good time, certainly but I am really looking forward to seeing my buddies speak and running into some really talented friends like my girls Davina Fear & Millie Holloman- and Chris & Katie Humphries just to name a few! (I also believe they are all featured speakers as well)

The incredible Amanda Harris Herzberger will be meeting me in LA where we will then travel up the coast, in a convertible hopefully! Thelma and Louise style minus the whole murder thing, but maybe with the Brad Pitt thing?! to Sonoma where I have the world's sweetest corporate job to shoot! Hard work, I know...!

All the while I am sure I will be posting about the random adventures I am sure to have with my friends from CT as we invade the west coast!!

2008 PUG photographers retreat

This past Monday & Tuesday about 28 photographers from across this great state that we call Connecticut and some folks from MA, NJ and NY converged on Amanda Harris Herzberger's family lake house in the Berkshires for our second annual PUG retreat!! It was very relaxing and motivating and I left with a renewed sense of direction and purpose with my business.

The only scheduled class, so to speak was when Mary & Justin sat us all down and we wrote what we struggle with in the five areas of life: personal; family; spiritual; business and financial. We then did the same for what our goals are in those five areas.

The rest of the time was spent coming up with 101 goals to achieve in 1001 days. My list includes personal things like #48. 'put curtains up in the entrance' to #60. 'Get fitted properly for a bra' to Business related items like #53. 'Learn a new function on my D3' to #75. 'Add Maternity section to my website'

to much loftier goals like #98. 'Shoot U2 in concert' and #58. 'Learn how to make tamales'

I encourage everyone to do this, not just photographers! Make yourself a DOER and LESS of a TALKER!!

Check back in a few days, we are all supposed to pick one goal from our list that we have accomplished and blog it!!! I'll be checking on everyone so get ON IT!!!

Miss Julia from Salty Grapes in Guilford is just one of the most genuine and lovely people I have met in a long time... she just lights up a room when she is in it!

Mr. Justin Marantz is one hot ticket!

Miss Mary was reading this book called 'Skinny Bitch' out loud to us on the dock, and I was cracking UP! It's basically a book about what certain foods do to your body so that you can make educated decisions about eating but told in a let's just call in 'honest as hell' slant!!

Nikki Nicole loves herself some fishing! One of my goals (#37) is to go fishing with Miss Nikki!

Amanda Harris Herzberger and the other man in her life, Strider

Jacob Bergmeier of NoDo Photography in NY, is such a HAM! I tried to be so sneaky but this guy had some serious C 10ike radar on and every time I came with in a 50mm lens of him he was ON, all flexing and stuff!

Travis Flynn of Travis Flynn Photography in Milford TENNESSE! Just kidding, in CT- he sounds like he is from down SOUF with his crazy southern lilt.

Could Amanda be cuter? I am sure she is laughing at some dig on me as innocent as she looks, that girl will keep you in LINE! :)

Mr. Strider, looking all regal

I told you that book was GOOD

Christy Murray (my fellow Mafia member!!!) was taking it all in- the sunset and the photographers!

Tina Parsadanov, also a Mafia alum, laughing it up- or just clearly uncomfortable with em shooting her! But she can make a MEAN peach martini....

Dave & Jo of Allegro Photography- the narrator and townsfolk respectively...

Miss Eileen Broderick of Eileen Broderick Photography (the INFORMER!) having an intense conversation with Mrs. Mary Marantz!

Miss Joy Moody of soon to be Philly fame striking a pose for Krystal Prue of Studio Foto and Mr. Justin Marantz. How crazy do those two look with their one eyed willy eye!!

Ummm.... I wanna look this hot when I shoot! Go Mary!


The Marantz's did a mentoring session with miss Val McCormick and asked Paul & Krystal of to model... they are SO CUTE!!!! I loved these two I shot of them on the dock.

mayor mike's update!

Last night was such a blast, I want to thank everyone who came out to support not only me but all of the new nine that are currently hanging on the wall! It was a great crowd of people and I had so much fun with my family and friends... so thanks everyone!

So I brought my camera because I SWORE I was going to document it this year but Miss Amanda Harris Herzberger stripped me of my D3 and did the honors! Which was kind of nice for me to just focus on the people's reactions as they saw themselves being unveiled... ends up I couldn't really see but Amanda did a great job of catching them for me, so thanks honey!!!

There were people asking where they can buy more copies of their prints- follow this link and sign up, they should all be up by Friday from the past four years!

http://www.pictage.com/514474


Here are some highlights from the night!

My right hand gal Robin Dini and the illustrious Robert Norman, MD... pre-unveiling

Miss Krystyle double fisting it with not one but TWO Canons!

Mike has stepped over to the Canon dark side, momentarily.... it's OK he had some cocktails, he made a mistake. He is forgiven! ;)

I am clearly laughing at something Robert Norman just said!

My big guy Jack Bibbs

Jack just loves to make fart noises and was demonstrating his skill

During the unveiling Jack couldn't tell me enough that 'this is SO BORING Mom!' Like a thousand times! Thanks big guy! It was his and Georgie's first year coming... and maybe their last! ;)

Hartford Housing Authority head Alan Green with his wife just moments after they saw his portrait

Sandra Stern, another one of the nine is wiping away what I hope is a tear of joy!

Hyacinth Yenne, who is one of FIFTEEN kids...! Checks out her portrait

Little Miss Georgie Picklepuss tries to get my attention during the unveiling - I was on the other end of the restaurant

Donna Berman, who is head of the Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford, gets some back patting after her portrait is unveiled

Here Donna is taking it all in...

I just can't stop smiling and laughing all night, it was so much fun to see everyone's reactions

The man, the myth, the legend...MAYOR MIKE himself!

Krystyle doing her weird one eyed willy thing while she shoots


Miss Harris talking to who?? Probably Mr. Herzberger!

Miss Freckles herself, Kim Romano!

Our good buddies Nicole & Jennifer of recent wedded bliss fame came by and spent the evening with us all... I can only imagine what Mike was telling Jen


The Marantz's in full effect!

ahh yes, Miz Dini! ooot OOOOOT!