"WHAT DRIVES YOU?"

How has your your upbringing contributed to what you have achieved? Were the experiences you had as a teenager, something you now regret or cherish? How have those experiences contributed to who you  are now in the world? Do you sometimes come up with new answers for these questions? I know that at different points in my life the answers changed but throughout my years, the questions have stayed the same. I think questioning is the answer.

HOW DO YOU REACT WHEN SOMEONE PAYS YOU A COMPLIMENT?

Do you blush? Do you smile? Do you question their motives? Do you deny it, or embrace it, or do you simply say thank you?  Celebrate who you are! There is no one exactly like you.  Happy New Year!
Postcard #5 Interpose.

WHAT DID YOU "ALWAYS WANT TO BE" WHEN YOU WERE A KID?

I never dreamed I'd be a photographer as a youngster. Doctor and fireman were always high on my list.  I've always excelled in math and sciences, so being a doctor's path had been somewhat implied. Photography was a sideline in school that became a more serious desire three years into college. I realized the life I was pursuing was not the life I wanted. After a brief bar tending stint in New Orleans, I came to New York City and found a job as a photographer's assistant. The rest is my history.  
I have traveled the world capturing images of people. This is my passion. What's yours?
This is Jasper, she is one of my warriors from the American Heart Association Campaign. Luckily she has many years to dream about what she wants from her life.

"blank" IS THE NEW COOL!

What do you think is the new cool? I think Estelle is....Not only is she passionate about music, but also acting and writing.  And she's still the same small town southern girl with big city coolness.  Polymath is Estelle's word for cool. Check out what she has been up to at her website; http://estellebajou.com

SUBMIT YOUR CAPTION FOR OUR POSTCARD IMAGE (Hint: make it playful!)

Meet Drew Dernavich, cartoonist extraordinaire. His humor and irreverence can be experienced weekly on the pages of The New Yorker.

Have you ever tried to come up with a line for the cartoon on the back page of the New Yorker. About a recent cartoon Drew created, I asked him what his caption was... His answer was completely different from the winning caption. As a matter of fact, Drew thought the winning line was better!

What's your caption for our postcard image? Comments are open.

Andrew Glover Gala on October 25th

Building Brighter Futures for New York Youth  http://www.agyp.org/ 
Tickets are still available for the gala Dinner and Auction at the Lighthouse in Chelsea Piers.
Hope to see you there.

Q&A: WHO'S ON YOUR A-TEAM?

Hint: You can include friends, mentors, or anyone who is influential in your life.


For many years I have been doing portraits of the kids associated with the Andrew Glover Youth Program. These are kids growing up in the housing projects on the lower east side. They are wonderful spirited New Yorkers who need attention, support, and mentors. They flourish in front of the camera. The Glover Program helps these kids complete their education and find jobs. Who might these kids be without the Glover Program as their A-Team?  The Andrew Glover Youth Program

 Subscribe to my blog to see the whole campaign unfold regularly through March 2012.

RED HOOK, BROOKLYN

It was a hot Saturday in Brooklyn and the locals were enjoying the water.  The dares were being exchanged but all in jest.
Louis Valentino Junior Park on Coffey St. has the best view of Lady Liberty and a great pier for fishing, kyacking and jumping off.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee Jones was at City Winery last night. Time has been hard on her but the voice is amazingly the same. The show was great with renditions of all of the old songs from Pirates and of course Chuck E's in Love. I can remember driving to Cape Cod from NYC with headphones and a "walkman" singing along with Chuck E around 1980ish.

David Sipress created a dream today...

David a Brooklyn neighbor and New Yorker cartoonist visited the studio today. Even though his cartooning can be dark he is a wonderful spirit and full of life. We had a great time collaborating and I am honored to have him be part of my project.

American Heart Association

The crew from CDM and our client from this weeks shoot. The theme was warriors. Great team, amazing warriors and a wonderful project. Thank you all!

Fulton Ferry Wedding Party

The sun came out and so did the wedding limo carrying this party. The children were having a grand time in their special wardrobe and the young couple were all ready for the photo op.
It had been raining all day before the sun was able to shine through and brighten everyone's day at sunset.  I congratulated the couple and had fun with the kids. Spring weddings with the Brooklyn Bridge as a background is a prime location for wedding party photos.

SPRING IS HERE

Our doves have flown back from their winter break. This is a true sign that spring is back even though for the last week it has been hard to believe. The ivy plant has found use as the nest, again. Mom has settled in. We have been watching for the past 2 weeks for the egg(s). Fred and Myrtle have been taking turns. Yesterday was the big day. Rain or shine life goes on. Next the trees will blossom and our courtyard will be filled with green and some more doves.

UP TO MISCHIEF

Jackson was in the studio at the end of the day. He came with his older sister for a portrait and was a delight. All of 3 years with lots of energy. You can just see the wheels turning in his mind.

KASHA KATUWE TENT ROCKS, NM

What an amazing day we had exploring this national park. The tent rocks are cones of soft pumice and tuff beneath caprocks. They were formed by volcanic ash and erosion over many years. Pam and I hiked through the formations, which is about a 2 hour hike up and back. At every turn you see another breathtaking photo opp. I couldn't even remember what I took going up so not to repeat it when coming down. Lots of pics. A must for any trip to Albuquerque or Sante Fe.

CECIL HAS ARRIVED!

With much anticipated happiness Cecil has flown in from Dallas to NYC and settled nicely in with Matthew and Jaye in the East Village. He has been making quite an impression around town.

Drew Dernavich cartoon

New Yorker cartoonist, Drew better known as Dd created his cartoon and then relaxed with a brew in my studio.

What is Mr. Boots saying?

COLD AND SNOWY

I think it was around 10 degrees. A warm spell. We were out for a walk-a-bout. Beth and Nina were good sports even stopping for a picture here and there.
It was so quiet and beautiful with the setting sun. The shadow on the barn almost looks like palm trees but the snow on the ground and the puffy clothes tell a different tale.

The TOBOGGAN

Fluffy powder and an inviting hill make for a fun run. It's a great ride but the walk back is all up hill so to do it again becomes the challenge. Sarah seemed all smiles after 4 times but the calves burned.
Time to warm up.

January 1, 2011 (1/1/11)

While it was a quiet week in the industry, Joan Chiverton brought life to the studio. She invited Hui Cox and his guitar to serenade her while she drew herself into one of her illustrations. We all had a great time. This was a great way to say good bye to 2010 and hello to 2011.
Wishing everyone a year full of great adventures.

Happy New Year "2011"

Hoping everyone has been enjoying the holidays and getting ready for a great year. Wishing all, the best for a healthy and happy new year.

Marty, Pam & Cody

Ray & Katie's Wedding

Katie and Ray sharing their vows in a beautiful ceremony in Brooklyn this Saturday. They make such a great couple. I loved this picture because it shows their joy and fun loving spirit that is contagious. We wish them all the best for a long and blissful life together.

Santas in Brooklyn

I walked out my door this morning to a group of Santa's crossing the street. It was a surprisingly funny sight.
Happy Holidays!

Danny Biondo

Danny plays the blues. He was at the studio for a portrait. If you search him on google he is also the rock and roll hair cutter. Check out his music and his salon.

SHADOW PLAY

This is Iris and her octopus. We were in LA last week for a shoot and Iris came by on Saturday. She had such a great time climbing the walls in the studio. One picture just couldn't catch all the energy.

Abby & Benjamin "Atari"

Ben is now five months old. If you look back on the blog you can see Abby and Chris about 6 months ago. Such a great way to spend part of a day, taking pictures of babies (and their parents). His dad calls Ben, Atari. It's probably a long story. I think Abby won that battle. Later in life Ben-Atari can choose, right now he is just adorable.

Fernanda and her Dancing Ladies

Fernanda Cohen, http://www.fernandacohen.com/
my newest illustrator in the series, created and painted a scene that she could feel at home. Jane Choi, http://www.janechoimakeup.com/
our make-up stylist lent her skills to add  the painting onto Fernanda. The collaboration was seamless. Many thanks to all who helped make this a very creative addition.

Father & Son Commuters

September brings new commuters. I do not know where they originated but I just happened to sit across from this family moment on the 1 train heading downtown to the studio after a late afternoon meeting. Both were so intent in doing their work. It seemed a little odd at first that the dad was writing away in the composition book and the son was working on the puzzle (assumption). Their expressions mimicked each other so beautifully. I took three frames on my iphone. Within one stop and then they were gone. I did notice on their exit both sneakers were untied.

Arcadia National Park, Maine

We hiked, swam and ate lobster. Totally an enjoyable week with glorious weather.
The trails are just great for hiking. This is Cody and Chris and a bird friend on top of Pemetic Mt.
We explored mountain ponds, where it's hard to distinguish sea from earth.

Excuse Me

Nicole and her band mates are on their way to Puerto Rico for an upcoming performance. Their energy and fun loving spirit is as contagious on stage as a No Doubt tribute band or in my studio. 

Baby Dove

We have a new addition to our studio family.
Our fire escape doves are the proud parents of this fluffy hours old baby dove. The ivy plant has looked better.

Morning dove at my window

There are a pair of doves we have heard and seen since moving here over a year ago. Last week the female made a nest in my ivy plant. We have seen one egg as the male and female switch roles. I am hoping to shoot the hatch and post that for all.
I know this is not a human by Umans but this is too good, so I had to share.

Melanie Reim plays in the studio.

One can feel the heat and dance to the beat of the music.
If you want to know more about Melanie go to
http://sketchbookseduction.blogspot.com/

Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana

I was away all week in Montana with my good friend, Ulf. We went to go fly-fish, see his son and explore the wilderness of Montana. This is a beautiful area below the Hungry Horse Reservoir. Adam, Ulf's son, lives in the Whitefish area. His sister Sara also came in from San Francisco.  We camped, hiked, fished for cuttys, bulls and graylings, drank, cooked, laughed a lot and had just a glorious time.