Sunflowers & The Man

On my walk in Washington Heights this past weekend,  I came across a small bodega with a rather large assortment and display of flowers up front.  The sunflowers trumped all others and were truly a beautiful sign of Spring and great days to come. The man attending to the flowers was deep in his work when I took the time to ask his permission for a photo.  "Si" he said and continued with his work as if I wasn't there.  But then, out of nowhere,  knowing I was there,  camera pointed,  he suddenly put a flower up to his face, playfully hiding behind it and giving me a grin.   I laughed of course and thanked him for letting me bother him.  Wasn't until I uploaded the image later that evening that I appreciated his sense of humor.   Below is another crop.  (Nikon d800, 50mm)

Holiday portrait shoot!

I've never had the pleasure of shooting any type of holiday photos for anyone.   All I thought about was feeling like one of those Sears or mall photo store operations.   That said,  I had a great time shooting the Delacruz holiday portraits.   I couldn't pick a finer family to photograph.   Jose & Elizabeth along with kids Victoria and Mateo have to be some of the loveliest people I know and are dear friends.    For a minute there,  we were thinking it may not happen due to the weather.  We were originally scheduled to shoot Friday night but my schedule that day was hectic.   A snow storm was on the way for Saturday and Elizabeth thought perhaps, we'd have to cancel Saturday as well.  No way!  Bit of snow wouldn't stop me from handling my business.  So, after a long day of my own,  I packed my "Stormer" up  with some gear and trekked out into the snow.   They only live about fifteen minutes away so the trip wasn't too bad.  Upon arrival I was treated to some delicious food and wine. (a truly acceptable fee for this photographer!)   Jose decided he would handle wardrobe and styling and his commitment to said job was both outstanding and hysterical to say the least!   Some great music by "DJ Elie' and we were ready to go.   Kept it all pretty simple and just captured traditional portraits of the kids,  husband and wife and of course,  the beloved family dog Benji who actually sat in for me for a minute at the start while I tested the lighting.  (see solo shot of Benji below!)   Well,  eventually the fun had to end.  The kids got tired and the wine ran out!  Got the shots the family wanted and all went well.

And the star,  Benji!

Miss Dominican Republic - Yaritza Reyes

About a month ago,  I had the good fortune to photograph Miss America Nina Davuluri.  A few weeks later,  I found myself in the company of the lovely Yaritza Reyes,  the current Miss Dominican Republic.   Hey,  I may be onto something here with beauty queens!   Anyway,  Yaritza was in the states for the first time to get her visa for travel to Moscow where she'll be competing in the Miss Universe pageant.  After her day of interviews and such ended,  we got to spend some time with Yartiza.   We ate dinner and had a lovely time with her in our home.  Later, we spent some time in our great city of New York where she had some fittings to attend for a fashion show the next day.   Seeing this beautiful young lady, all of only 19 years old, her first time in New York was fascinating.   She was mesmerized by the city and you could see the whole world in her smile as she marveled at everything around her.  It was late by the time we returned from the city.   We popped a bottle of Champagne to wish Yaritza well on her journey and to congratulate her on her success so far.  Even though it was past midnight,  she was gracious enough to me get a few photos of her.   We truly wish her all the best!  This year,  will be the first time I actually tune into the Miss Universe pageant and watch with all eyes on and rooting for Yaritza to win!   When she does win,  of course I'm hoping to add MISS UNIVERSE to my portfolio!