Back in December, I received a call to create a “duplicate” of a picture.  I thought, okay, I’ll just scan it in, make a print, and we’re done – simple!

Not quite, it wasn’t a picture, rather it was a wood-inlay of a castle in Newark Scotland.

That changed the scope a bit, not a quick scan and off to the printer.

Come to find out, this was a pretty big piece and was hanging over the mantle of the client’s house.  A beautiful piece for sure, created back in 1956 by a sheriff that lived near the castle.

This piece has sentimental value to the client, who wanted to make an “exact” duplicate of the piece to give to his children.

The challenge, was trying to get as close to the size (which was an odd shape to begin with something like 37″x26″.  So, I had to try to get it around that size, and the size we agreed upon was 30″x40″.

Original setting of the picture at the mantle.

The first challenge I immediately ran into was the location, while I could have moved the picture, I though it best not to potentially damage the piece.  So, I set up my tripod about 10 feet away from the mantle and set the height so that the camera was eye-level.  This was so I could keep the perspective of the piece in-tact and not have a skewed image.

The next challenge with lighting.   This was the very first shot I took:

Using flash dead on was like shooting into a mirror!

I couldn’t tell when the piece was sitting nicely on the mantle, but being wood, it had a nice coat of varnish on it, which, when fired upon WOULD show the flash!  It was like shooting into a mirror.

For the shot without the flash glare, I took it with my external strobes, one on each side, about 10 feet from the subject on a 30 degree angle to the wall.

Once I got my basic settings down, with the ISO, shutter speed and F-stop I started snapping away.

I took dozens of shots with the 35-70mm f/2.8.  And then a few dozen with my 105mm f/2.8.  The sun kept going in and out and was reeking havoc on the shots.  The glare was a bit of a problem, and (unfortunately) there wasn’t enough sun to use ONLY the sun to light the picture.

Even though I took as many safeguards as I possibly could, I still wound up with some distortion.  I shot this with my D700 35-70mm f/2.8 lens.  Shot at f/5.6 at 1/125 @ 200 ISO.

Some distortion @ 35mm

Through the many series of shots, I actually wound up using the images I shot with my 105mm f/2.8 lens.  They had less lens distortion, and were just a tiny bit sharper (because they were closer).

This is the cropped image:

Cropped image, with the frame.

I started out using the frame with the shot, because I thought I would print it with the frame in-tact.  After showing a sample print I made with my Canon Pro 9000II, we decided that I would strip off the frame and crop the image so that it would fit into a 30″x40″ print, which would most closely mirror the existing picture.

Cropped, 30" x 40"

The one thing I failed to mention to this point was the amount of work I had to do in Photoshop.  In realizing that there was some distortion, when I made the initial crop (to get the background out and just have the picture IN the frame).  I had to do a ton of transforming in Photoshop.  Luckily, I had lots of straight lines on the picture to use as my guides!  I was able to use a couple of tools, such as Skew, Distort and Perspective to get it just right.

Almost ready for the printer!   Just had one last adjustment to do, well a couple actually… I had to color-correct the image, and I hit it with a couple of the Lightroom presets like Punch and then adjusted the contrast a bit.  Then, the last, last thing I did before exporting the final image and sending it to the printer was SHARPENING!

Since I had to upsample the image to make it fit to the 30″x40″ final size, I had to give it just a bit of sharpening to get rid of the pixelation that I saw.  I was actually the only one that noticed that the image was a little “soft”, so I probably would have been fine just as it was, but because I’m a perfectionist…

This is the final image as it went to the lab:

Final image as it went to the lab.

The lab I use is absolutely amazing, they were able to turn around the image in no time flat! I placed the order on a Friday morning, and I received the prints – two of them, mounted on 3/8″ backing, and Lustre coated THE FOLLOWING MONDAY!   Simply amazing.

I had a local framer custom-make two oak frames and stained them to match the print.  I picked them up today and will be delivering them this week.  Just to show you the final finished size, here is my last shot with me standing next to it  - up on my fireplace!

Finished, framed and hung to show the size!

I loved working on this project! This was one of those unique projects that makes being a photographer something special.

You can always contact me via my phone number 413-366-1215 any time!

Click to view!

It doesn’t get any better than this!  Great promotion from a company that keeps adding great features and great products!

I’ve used Zenfolio for years now, and I love their service!

http://www.zenfolio.com/

http://www.blackrapid.com/

Check out both, you’ll be happy you did!

It’s BACK!  Holiday cards at an affordable price… and YOU don’t need to take the pictures!

My package includes a one-hour session fee, 100 greeting cards with envelopes of one shot chosen from your session (with over 40 designs to choose from) for a great low price of only $150*!

Book before October 31, and I’ll include a free 8″x10″ (unframed) of the photo you chose for your holiday cards!

This is a great way to update your family portrait.

NEW FOR 2011!!

New for 2011 - Folded Cards!

Along with my standard offer, this year, I am offering a premium line of Folded Cards** that are sure to please:  I can show you samples at your session.

A wide variety of sizes
5×5, 5×7, 5×7 wide format, 8×4

Beautiful Paper types
Premium Bamboo, 100% Recycled, Smooth, Linen, or Pearl press papers

Free Envelopes
White envelopes included with order; choose plain, gold, or silver lined envelopes

Click here to contact me to set up your appointment today!

* 1/2 due on the day of the shoot, remaining 1/2 due upon delivery of photos.
** minimum order applies.

They have a nice variety of themes, and you usually have to take the picture in the month of the theme, which makes you get out and take pictures! My favorite one so far was the Scavenger Hunt they did back in February – featuring twenty-eight different items (some with specific instructions) to photograph.

One of the professional labs I use is doing a contest right now, and it’s for Baby/Children portraits. I don’t do tons of these, but I do have a few in my arsenal that I could pull from, so I went and found this shot. Of course, when I went to upload it, I found out that it had to be taken between January 1 and May 21 of 2011…. I shot this back in November – so it did not qualify!

Click to view Before and After transformation

I’m sharing this here, because I learned a few techniques from the time I took the photo (and did subsequent retouching), until now… I wanted to show off some of the Photoshop techniques I used in this shot.  Skin smoothing, hair clean-up, tone blending and eye sharpening – just to name a few.

It’s too bad, because it’s such a beautiful shot!

So, back to the drawing board I went, and decided to go with one of my “Sportraits”.  I couldn’t use my oldest daughter, because she’s “too old”.  The competition clearly states that the cutoff for age is 12 (she’s almost 14).  I actually am submitting the Sportrait and another portrait of my youngest daughter.  Who knows, she brought me luck back in December (I won first place in Boston.com’s RAW).

Here’s the first:

Click to enlarge

This was taken using a technique I picked up off another photographer’s website.  He used available daylight for his shot, I cheated and used one of my portable LED lights… what’s really cool is that I paid 1/2 of what they’re listed for now… but I digress!

I used the LED light to light her face, then had my SB-800 behind her head to light the stick and the back of her head.   I then used Photoshop to convert the shot to Black & White and used a layer mask to bring the color back just to her eyes.

This is the other:

Click to enlarge

This last shot was taken when my little monkey was playing up in the tree.  I had my 300mm lens on the camera at the time, and was doing some playing around trying to take pictures of birds around the yard.  She was in the mood for a little photo shoot, so I grabbed as many as I could before she changed her mind!  I didn’t do a ton of post-processing, I used an effect I have saved in Lightroom to get the “vintage” look.

We’ll see what comes of it, I started in one direction and wound up in completely different one!

Since you really aren’t supposed to smile or be creative or anything really with these, I took a few extra shots with my Gary Fong PowerSnoot… they came out GREAT!

I got my wife Eileen in on the act taking pictures (she did a great job). I hope you enjoy the pics as much as we do!

Special thanks to many of the volunteers that helped make it happen (forgive me if I forgot anyone):
The Caltabiano’s
The Murphy’s
The Howard’s
Paul Cyr
Jim Coville
Julien Drapeau
Mike Naumec
Dan Finnegan
Michael Mazzuca
Jim Bartolomei
Matt Cowles
Barry Sanborn
Jim Langonovich
Sr. Mary McCue
and of course my wife Eileen

Coach Stevens (center) recently had her 800th win… only a rare few are in her company!

It’s hard to remember when our own kids were this small… they grow so fast!

It wouldn’t be any fun if there weren’t a couple of wise guys in the crowd

A little bit of creative fun…

And last, but not least, there was a great basketball game too!

Love these shots – and these are two of my favorites!!

And, let’s not forget about the walls!  They sprawl all over the campus and make for excellent spots for portraits.

Even the little bridge provided a fun spot for something a little different…

We managed to find some santa hats – it really made these pictures fun and festive!

They have such a beautifully decorated home, it was so easy to find places inside the house to shoot… here are three for a black & white series…

Of course, it doesn’t hurt if mommy tickles to make little girl laugh!

Then, the rain stopped, the clouds parted and here’s what we got:

Even the dog cooperated!

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikon 35-70mm f/2.8D

10x30 Custom Poster of a 1999 Porsche Boxster

I’m very pleased with the outcome either way… I had this printed on 10″x30″ metallic paper and mounted on Gator Board.

Know someone with a cool car that would want an awesome poster made of it?

The same can be made of a property, a favorite pet, just about anything! Contact me for details.

October 2010 Desktop

Right-click and save the link below that closely matches your screen resolution:
October 2010 – small (1280 x 1024)
October 2010 – medium (1440 x 900)
October 2010 – large (1900 x 1200)
October 2010 – extra large (2560 x 1400)

It’s never too early to get your Holiday Cards done – as a matter of fact, it’s one less thing to add to your hectic holiday season schedule. I’m pleased to announce that my special package for your Holiday Card needs IS BACK!

My package includes a one-hour session fee, 100 greeting cards with envelopes of one shot chosen from your session (with over 40 designs to choose from) for a great low price of only $150*!

Book now and I’ll include a free 8×10 (unframed) of the photo you chose for your holiday cards!

^{* 1/2 due on the day of the shoot, remaining 1/2 due upon delivery of photos.}

Click here to contact me to set up your appointment today!

Need a passport photo? Call me!

This was a picture I took last May in Colchester, CT. I love this shot!

May 2010 Desktop

Right-click and save the link below that closely matches your screen resolution:
May 2010 – small (1280 x 1024)
May 2010 – medium (1440 x 900)
May 2010 – large (1900 x 1200)
May 2010 – extra large (2560 x 1400)

Please download and enjoy May’s theme and stay tuned for June 2010!

Speaking of ideal lighting situations, I recently shot my daughter’s AAU team at Clark University in Worcester, MA. The gym wasn’t very well lit, but I got lucky in that the sunlight from the windows made up for it. The first game was right next to the main windows of the gym so the lighting was very good – the second game was on the court farthest from the light and… without using my flash, the pictures weren’t so good. Here’s a slideshow of the shots. The girls went 3-1 this weekend, just in case you were wondering .

The kids and I had a lot of time to tool around and I took the opportunity to take a cool panoramic of the New York skyline.  This month’s theme is that skyline!

April 2010 Desktop

Right-click and save the link below that closely matches your screen resolution:
April 2010 – small (1280 x 1024)
April 2010 – medium (1440 x 900)
April 2010 – large (1900 x 1200)
April 2010 – extra large (2560 x 1400)

Please download and enjoy April’s theme and stay tuned for May 2010!

March’s is a shot I took last April in San Juan, Puerto Rico. What I like most about this shot is that it’s very colorful and has that Old San Juan feel to it. My favorite thing is that I was able to use my Photoshop acumen to get rid of a tourist that was right in the middle of my shot. Gotta love symmetry!

March 2010 Desktop

Right-click and save the link below that closely matches your screen resolution:
March 2010 – small (1280 x 1024)
March 2010 – medium (1440 x 900)
March 2010 – large (1900 x 1200)
March 2010 – extra large (2560 x 1400)

Please download and enjoy March’s theme and stay tuned for April 2010!

Data Robotics’ Drobo was just what the doctor ordered for me.  I had finally had it with the myriad of external 250GB drives (one for video, one for photos, one for music and one to kind of back them up), when one day the drive holding my videos up and died on me.  Of course, that was the only disk I didn’t have a back up for!  Figured.  But fear not, I have a trick or two up my sleeve to recover the data from that drive, or at least most of it.  If you happen to have a drive go belly up try this: put the drive in the freezer overnight.  Believe it or not, that can give you just enough time to pull off sensitive data from a bad drive.  Not sure the physics behind it, but I know that I’ve been using that technique for years and it’s saved me a lot of heartache.

Back to the Drobo.  I can’t remember when I first heard about the Drobo, but I was intrigued with it’s ability to expand on-the-fly.

It’s a sleek black box with shiny LED lights to indicate drive bay activity (green LED) and capacity (blue LED).  It’s pretty quite, although sometimes the fan spins up and you can hear it, but it’s just doing it’s job keeping the drives cool.  I have the Drobo 1.0 version which is USB 2.0 only.  They have a 2.0 version that supports USB 2.o & Firewire 800 connections… and yet a super duper new one that does USB/Firewire 800/eSATA and gives you a FIFTH drive bay!

For the moment, I’m sticking with my 1.0 version because I’ve already made the investment and I don’t see the need for the FW800 version.  One day, when this baby is at capacity, I might then consider getting the newest version and use it to backup my backup, but since the capacity can be expanded on the fly, I really don’t foresee needing another any time soon.

The Drobo comes with four open bays (you get just the empty Drobo, no hard drives – although you can purchase them as a package).  As you can see in the picture, the drives go in and they are plug-and-play.  No need for rails or any other hardware, just slide the drive in until it clicks into place and Drobo does the rest.  You need a minimum of two drives for protection.

I purchased mine bare and found a good deal on Hitachi 500GB drives – so I loaded the Drobo up with 4x500GB drives for a total of 1.4 Terabytes of usable storage.  You might say, “hey wait a minute, 1.4 Terabytes, should it be 2 Terabytes (500×4=2000)?  Here’s how it breaks down:

How Drobo uses space

1.4 TB are available for data storage

469.5GB used for protection
2.1GB  overhead

I’ve had the unit for almost two years now and it’s worked flawlessly.   I do wish that they had the Firewire 800 version on the original model.  Even still, it performs just fine with USB 2.0.  I can listen to my iTunes library (59.6GB) and use my Lightroom library (250GB) or my Aperture library (50GB) or iPhoto (56GB) at the same time and have reasonable performance.  The FW800 would probably be a little bit better, but again, until I have an actual NEED, I’m happy with what I have.

Laptop and Desktop Drives!

As you can see from the picture (left), it accepts both SATA Desktop hard drives as well as SATA laptop hard drives.  I like this because you can utilize existing hard drives (that you have either upgraded or pulled from old machines, etc.) and not have to put them into external enclosures.  If you don’t need to take the drive with you, that’s important.  I can’t tell you how many times I ripped open an external enclosure to swap out a hard drive!  It’s time consuming and a pain in the neck.

Quad Interface Goodness

I REALLY love that this has a quad interface: eSATA, USB 2.0/1.1, Firewire 400 and  Firewire 800.  This means that I can use this one device on every model of Mac I have in the house.  I can even use it with my wife’s Windows laptop, although I won’t be able to create a bootable backup.

This makes this device especially useful for me because now I can purchase any SATA I/II drive, plug it into the drive bay, and have instant access to additional storage space.  In my case, I’m using this as a disaster recovery device for my Mac.  The my 27″ iMac i7 has a 1TB hard drive in it, so backing that up with Time Machine would require LOTS of space – I was using a 500GB portable Firewire 800 drive I picked up last year, but I have already passed the 500GB mark on the iMac’s hard drive (I’m now using that drive to hold a copy of my Lightroom library so I can use it on both my iMac and MacBook Pro as well as saved videos, recorded programs, etc.)

The Firewire 800 interface is nice and fast, I cloned my 1TB drive in just about 3 hours (554GB).  I use Carbon Copy Cloner, which is a great little app.  Once I ran the full backup, I setup a job that runs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday that does an Incremental backup, which will just copy over the files that are new or have changed since the last backup.  The last incremental I ran took about 12 minutes.

I’m really psyched about this solution because there’s nothing worse than losing all your files to a hard drive crash.  I have backups of my stuff, but having to recover from a crash can be time consuming and painful – this makes it a breeze.   I know I could use Time Machine, but so far, in my limited use of it, I find that it uses way more drive space than I’d like it to and this solution gives me a bootable backup, so if I’m busy (or lazy), I can boot off the external copy of the drive and use that until I get the drive in my machine replaced.  *** I should knock on wood real quick here… In the 8 years I’ve owned my various Mac machines, I have not ONE single drive failure, so I’m double-happy that I have this because I’m sure I jinxed myself! ***

I have a couple of other products that help my life a lot, and I’ll post them in separate posts – one being that Verbatim 500GB Firewire drive I spoke of earlier, the other being the 1st Generation Drobo – which I LOVE… and another NewerTech product that I just can’t live without in my box of tools…

So, with that in mind, I’m going to try to pick an appropriate photograph out of my library of pics and present to you a new calendar each month.  Not that I need more on my plate, but it’s something that will help me keep focused on taking photographs, working in Photoshop and updating my website!

This month (actually February’s) is a shot I took in Feb ’09 in Essex, CT.  The sun was setting and there was the most beautiful pink reflecting into the water.  I took several dozen shots and this one seemed to capture the beauty of the sunset reflection from the clouds.

February 2010 Desktop

Right-click and save the link below that closely matches your screen resolution:
February 2010 – small (1280 x 800)
February 2010 – medium (1440 x 900)
February 2010 – large (1920 x 1200)
February 2010 – extra large (2560 x 1400)

Please download and enjoy February’s theme and stay tuned for March 2010!

One of my most favorite sports actions shots.

Welcome to my website!  I hope to share with you some of the tips and tricks I learn along my journey to becoming a better photographer.

I have the most fun doing Sports Photography – but lately, I’ve been doing more portrait work and I’ve found that to be quite rewarding as well.

Stay tuned for more posts, I plan to chronicle a few shoots, talk about some new equipment, discuss some, ahem, new(er) equipment I plan to get and various tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way!

Drop me a line and share your thoughts, wont you?

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