|
10.01.2016Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 12 mm (10-24mm) Settings: ISO 400 - WB Direct Sunlight - SS 1/100 - f/4 - 0.0EV Lighting: Off-Camera SB-700 - TTL - Lastolite TriGrip 2-Stop Diffuser - FC-0.3 My wife and I really wanted a creative way to announce to the world that we're expecting. Here's what we came up with. Natural sunlight filled the bathroom as a back light for Melissa. But past the door, it quickly faded to darkness. Fear not, I was equipped with a flash. I aimed it low and through a Lastolite TriGrip Diffuser from camera right nicely wrapping around the foreground elements. It took a few test shots to get the light to look seamless throughout the frame. Ultimately, my sister helped me check focus and pushed the shutter a coupe of times until we got the shot. This was the final frame we posted on Facebook. It went viral!
|
|
05.08.2015Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 24mm (10-24mm) Settings: ISO 400 - WB Cloudy - SS 1/5000 - f/4 - +0.3EV Lighting: Natural I made this picture while walking through Millennium Park one morning. The quality of light coming from the sun was just gorgeous as it hit the buildings. I decided to include some foreground and mid-ground elements to better frame the structures. Surprisingly, no polarizer was needed to achieve that rich blue sky. I switched to cloudy white balance to give the scene a bit more warmth. Ironically, the weather was in the mid-40's when I was there.
|
|
04.27.2015Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 14mm (10-24mm) Settings: ISO 1600 - WB Incandescent - SS 1/40 - f/4 - 0.0EV Lighting: Natural This is my first time in Chicago. It's gorgeous! The architecture is amazing. For this frame, I perched myself up on the ledge passing through the foreground. This is the Wabash Avenue Bridge over the Chicago River. Believe it or not, it was built in 1930. That's a long time ago. Personally, I'm a big fan of buildings made of brick and stone. Luckily, the reflection on the river added an extra dimension to the image.
|
|
04.21.2015Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 10mm (10-24mm) Settings: ISO 800 - WB Incandescent - SS 1/30 - f/3.5 - -0.3EV Lighting: Natural I love this lens! I can fit so much into each and every wide frame I make with it. The distortion at the edges is forgivable, as well as the variable aperture. It's a lens that allows me to get immersed in the action of what I'm shooting. This, for example, was taken while waiting in line to make a purchase at Disney California Adventure. There's a section in the main gift shop there that's just buzzing with multiple embroidery machines all going on at the same time. They were a hot commodity, so I figured I'd make a frame to commemorate the experience. The ladies didn't mind as well.
|
|
04.20.2015Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 35mm (Prime) Settings: ISO 1600 - WB Cloudy - SS 1/3200 - f/2.8 - 0.0EV Lighting: Natural Framed by a mix of foreground and background elements, this mallard struck a pose for me in profile. I wanted to use the branches to draw you into the image. However, in retrospect, it might have been a little big too much. I think it still looked cool.
|
|
04.17.2015Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 105mm (Micro Prime) Settings: ISO 1600 - WB Direct Sunlight - SS 1/640 - f/3 - -1.0EV Lighting: Natual Slow, but sure. This little guy caught my eye as I was getting back from walking my dogs in the morning. I made multiple frames. But this one stuck. I felt that the negative space on camera left really conveys the snail's never-ending journey in this big world. I was flat on my stomach and less than a foot away when I made this frame. I'm sure my neighbors were thinking: "What the heck is he doing?"
|
|
04.04.2015Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 10mm (10-24mm) Settings: ISO 800 - WB Cloudy - SS 1/1600 - f/3.5 - -0.3EV Lighting: Natural As the sun began to set in Indianapolis, I stepped outside with my camera. The Lucas Oil Stadium is enormous. I love the warmth of the sun against the towering brick columns. The yellow jackets were also a nice touch to the overall palette. I kept a close eye on the placement of the yellow jackets and waited for them to ignore my presence.
|
|
03.26.2015Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 10mm (10-24mm) Settings: ISO 800 - WB Cloudy - SS 1/125 - f/3.5 - +0.3EV Lighting: Natural I went to Downtown Disney looking to make a picture. Oddly enough, the picture that resonated with me the most from my afternoon stroll was the one I made just before I headed back to my car. The reflections and intersecting lines make for a uniquely layered image.
|
|
03.22.2015Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 300mm (70-300mm) Settings: ISO 400 - WB Cloudy - SS 1/2500 - f/5.6 - -0.7EV Lighting: Natural This little set up facing the 16th fairway caught my eye. In fact, from what I've seen around the course here at Bay Hill, Arnold Palmer permits his neighbors to create these unique viewing areas to get a better glimpse of the action during his Invitational. Red, white, yellow, and green are the four colors on Arnold's iconic umbrella logo. Hence, the befitting connection. Shot from a far, I made do with the access I had. Although, having the sun provide a natural edge light really made the chairs and umbrellas pop from the background.
|
|
03.18.2015Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 35mm (Prime) Settings: ISO 1600 - WB Incandescent - SS 1/50 - f/2.8 - -0.7EV Lighting: Natural Took the new prime for a spin while out at Ripley's Believe It Or Not in Orlando. Not a bad piece of glass. Sharp. Sexy. Good build quality. So far I've been extremely satisfied with Nikon's line-up of G series lenses. Fingers crossed, I'm looking to invest in more quality glass this year. I know working nonstop will definitely help me speed up that process.
|
|
03.08.2015Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 85mm (Prime) Settings: ISO 400 - WB Cloudy - SS 1/15 - f/16 - 0.0EV Lighting: Natural The rain had finally stopped at Disneyland. Time to whip out the camera. Found this hidden gem by the Thunder Mountain Railroad ride. At first, I made this photograph with a faster shutter speed. It looked okay. But then, I decided to slow it down a bit to make the water look more silky smooth. Made a couple frames. Now we were talking. The hardest part was handholding the camera after practically ingesting a fresh cup of Joe just minutes before.
|
|
02.22.2015Camera: Nikon P7700
Lens: 28.4mm Settings: ISO 3200 - WB Incandescent - SS 1/40 - f/3.5 - 0.0EV Lighting: Natural Meet Mr. Oscar. I made this photo on my way out from working an 18-hour day at the 87th Academy Awards. I knew I had to be quick about this because the rest of the crew was in tear-down mode and I didn't want to get in any one's way. I'll admit: It's not the greatest photo in the world. But I wanted to walk away with something in my back pocket just to prove that I was there on the red carpet.
|
|
02.21.2015Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 85mm (Prime) Settings: ISO 1600 - WB Incandescent - SS 1/160 - f/2.0 - 0.0EV Lighting: Natural First and foremost: No, this is not a self-portrait. Secondly and more important: I love how sharp this glass is. This photo was made in the Hall of Human Origins exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The background was a large, white light-box, which I purposefully slightly overexposed to look like a seamless.
|
|
02.13.2015Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 85mm (Prime) Settings: ISO 800 - WB Incandescent - SS 1/125 - f/1.8 - 0.0EV Lighting: Natural I made this photo as a test at Grand Central Station. I wanted to see how well my Nikon would be able to handle the highlights coming from the bare bulbs of this fixture. Truthfully, I had to rack the shutter up and down a few times to get the right amount of glow coming off the chandelier. Also, I noticed there's very minimal color fringing from chromatic aberrations produced by this lens. Looks good to me.
|
|
02.12.2015Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 112mm (24-120mm) Settings: ISO 400 - WB Preset - SS 1/160 - f/4.0 - 0.0EV Lighting: Natural A quick snap outside my hotel room. It was another cold, dreary day in New York. For some reason, I was drawn to this intersection below me. I noticed the colors of the frame were mostly monochromatic without applying a filter. The lines and arrows take you through the frame. The compression of the buildings' windows add a greater sense of depth.
|
|
02.11.2015Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 35mm (Prime) Settings: ISO 200 - WB Preset - SS 1/200 - f/2.0 - 0.0EV Lighting: Off-Camera SB-700 - TTL - Westcott Apollo Orb Something big is about to happen! A very close friend of mine is going to be releasing his very first mixtape on Valentine's Day. He goes by the name of "Albert." And there was no doubt in my mind I wanted to collaborate with him to produce his promotional photos. It was a blast! My key light was a Westcott Apollo Orb with a grid placed at camera left, 8-feet high, aiming 45 degrees down.
|
|
02.02.2015Camera: Nikon P7700
Lens: 28.4mm Settings: ISO 1600 - WB Cloudy - SS 1/800 - f/3.5 - -0.3EV Lighting: Natural In the aftermath of Super Bowl XLIX, I'm still in disbelief that the Seahawks just let it slip away. Why did Wilson throw the ball? Every time I think of that play, I can't help but feel the sudden urge to bury my head in my hands to ease the pain. Now that's saying a lot coming from a guy who doesn't even necessarily follow the sport. I can only imagine the heartache the fans must've been feeling. This picture, however, was the continuation of the high from the NFC championship game. I love the look of the young boy's face. Clearly, he seems utterly entranced by the get-up of the 'Magicman.'
|
|
01.18.2015Camera: Nikon P7700
Lens: 6mm Settings: ISO 1600 - WB Cloudy - SS 1/640 - f/2.8 - -0.3EV Lighting: Natural I was there for the 2015 NFC Championships in Seattle. It was the Seahawks versus the Packers. Late in the game, the Hawks finally woke up and started playing. The fans went nuts. Again, no DSLR this trip. So I whipped out the baby Nikon and waited. When the Hawks scored again, I went to town. Unfortunately, with the Coolpix lineup, there's a bit of a delay when processing RAW files after you hit the shutter. So even though I was reacting to all the action, my camera was still trying to catch its breath behind me. Luckily, I got this one. I was happy. Overall, it was a great experience being out on the field that day. Those Seahawks fans are truly something else. Go Seahawks!
|
|
01.14.2015Camera: Nikon P7700
Lens: 9.9mm Settings: ISO 1600 - WB Incandescent - SS 1/30 - f/2.5 - 0.0EV Lighting: Built-in Flash Working from my hotel room, I momentarily looked up from the desk and saw this quadruple reflection. Now I normally don't take selfies. But this, I couldn't resist. I reached for my baby Nikon, which was actually the only camera I had on this trip. No DSLR within a 10-foot radius. Shocking. Anyway, I opted for a more textured monochrome look and just like that I made a picture. I held the camera about six inches away from the mirror. And by the way, when I took this, the only light in the room was coming from a very dim lamp next to the bed. In other words, my baby Nikon was digging in the dark for an AF point to grab on to. All in all, it worked out.
|
|
01.01.2015Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 85mm (Prime) Settings: ISO 1600 - WB Direct Sunlight - SS 1/500 - f/2.0 - -0.7EV Lighting: Natural 2014 was an amazing year for me! I was blessed to be able to keep traveling from one adventure to the next and, not to forget, getting married to the love of my life. Nevertheless, I wanted to wrap up the year by posting the last portrait I made of 2014 and hopefully 2015 will yield even more opportunities for making pretty pictures. This is a very candid portrait I made of my Grandma Sid who is 90-years old. She is truly a beautiful soul and I love her to death. I positioned her about 10-feet away from these two large windows with sheer curtains. The lighting just wrapped around her face.
|
|
11.16.2014Camera: Nikon Coolpix P7700
Lens: 11mm Settings: ISO 800 - WB Direct Sunlight - SS 1/60 - f/2.8 - 0EV Lighting: Natural The season to be jolly is upon us once again. I can't believe how time flies! And the good folks over at Disney have wasted no time in decking their halls with holiday decor accompanied by the sounds of Chrismas-time cheer. This troupe of singers was a wonderful find at Disney's California Adventure Park. I waited for their faces to fill the frame. As your eyes wander around it, you can't help but find yourself gravitating towards the girl with the blue eyes and festive red lipstick. It was a fleeting moment I was fortunate enough to freeze at 1/60th of a second. Not to mention, I wasn't shooting this with my DSLR so having my point-and-shoot try to keep up with me was an uphill battle. That's what I get for wanting to give my shoulders a break. Although, you've got to change it up once in a while.
|
|
11.15.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 48mm (24-120mm) Settings: ISO 1600 - WB Incandescent - SS 1/125 - f/4.0 - 0 EV Lighting: Natural A recent visit to a popular reality show set currently in production yielded this near-dizzying photo of a wall of wines waiting to be consumed. Truth be told: I'm not much of a drinker. Maybe you are. But I was immediately drawn to this set piece the minute I stepped into the room. It shined brightly in all its glory beneath a carefully placed spotlight. I just had to make a picture.
|
|
10.29.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 31mm (24-120mm) Settings: ISO 400 - WB Direct Sunlight - SS 1/6400 - f/4.0 - -0.3EV Lighting: Natural Originally, I considered this frame to be a mistake. The flaring and the framing just wasn't up to par for me at first glance. But after taking a second look, I've reflected on its imperfections. I never usually put the horizon in the center of my frame. In this case I did. The geometry of the surrounding environment, including the monument, the leading lines of the reflection pool, and the placement of the subjects in the foreground, oddly balance each other out. Your eyes really start to wander around the frame because there's so much to take in. I guess that's how I really felt when I stood from this vantage point and made the photograph. I instinctually made this picture because I was in awe of the location I was in. I think that feeling ultimately translates. And truth be told, I only made one frame of this which makes it even more special.
|
|
10.28.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 270mm (70-300mm) Settings: ISO 400 - WB Direct Sunlight - SS 1/2500 - f/5.6 - -0.7EV Lighting: Natural If he can do it, so can you! This past weekend was the 39th Marine Corps Marathon, which is a whopping 26.2-mile course from start to finish. I was able to intersect the race and photograph a few of its participants near the Washington Monument. It was truly inspiring to see them go by and help cheer them on. This gentleman in particular was a true testament of the strength of the human spirit. Despite the adversity he has probably endured, it hasn't stopped him from still pushing his body to new limits.
|
|
10.27.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 14mm (10-24mm) Settings: ISO 1600 - WB Direct Sunlight - SS 1/40 - f/4.0 - 0EV Lighting: Natural This was not the picture I had set out to make. In fact, I was hoping the sunrise would yield a slash of light right down the middle of Mr. Lincoln's face. If that were the case, then I would've of shot him in profile to capture that iconic face. The sun would've been at a 3/4 back edge position. According to a colleague of mine, this was not the time of year for that shot. So I just worked with what I had and made this photo instead. The janitor provided a size reference for the monument. It was definitely bigger than I originally thought.
|
|
10.21.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 65mm (24-120mm) Settings: ISO 400 - WB Cloudy - SS 1/4000 - f/4.0 - -0.3EV Lighting: Natural This morning I was delighted to see someone making a painting of the U.S. Capitol on the National Mall. She was a very sweet lady that didn't mind the company, so I made a portrait of her own creative process. Based on the resulting painting, she was actually quite good. It was truly refreshing to watch another artist of a different medium create their art.
|
|
10.19.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 28mm (24-120mm) Settings: ISO 800 - WB Direct Sunlight - SS 1/800 - f/4.0 - -1.0EV Lighting: Natural The lighting coming in through the overhead windows was gorgeous! All that was left for me to do was to wait patiently for the right people to walk in and out of the pools of light.
|
|
10.18.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 220mm (70-300mm) Settings: ISO 400 - WB Direct Sunlight - SS 1/3200 - f/5.3 - -0.3EV Lighting: Natural This weekend I had the opportunity to make some pictures at the Santa Anita Race Track. I participated in a tour of the facility, then positioned myself alongside the track to make some killer action shots of the horses whizzing by. A high shutter speed was a must! In this particular photo, I decided to crop it down to a 16:9 aspect ratio which emphasized the long stride of the horses and gave them nose room to move within the frame.
|
|
10.09.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 30mm (24-120mm) Settings: ISO 400 - WB Preset - SS 1/100 - f/4.0 - 0EV Lighting: Off-camera SB-700 - TTL - FC0.0 Meet my friend, Bryce. I made this portrait of him in celebration of his beard. He's been growing it for nearly a year now and we both thought it would be fitting to eternalize his beard in a photograph. Bryce is lit with a 60" white reflective umbrella from camera left. I decided to go monochrome with this portrait to keep it simple. My only concern was to make sure that my lighting would allow Bryce's beard to have separation from his shirt. Creating a slight drop shadow beneath his beard definitely alleviated that problem.
|
|
10.05.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 10mm (10-24mm) Settings: ISO 400 - WB Direct Sunlight - SS 1/2000 - f/4.0 - -0.3EV Lighting: Natural Look up once in a while. You might see something in a whole new light. I loved how the use of my ultra wide lens really enhanced the perspective of this tree jutting out from this neighbor's backyard. The tree looks gigantic!
|
|
10.04.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 75mm (70-300mm) Settings: ISO 800 - WB Direct Sunlight - SS 1/1000 - f/4.5 - 0EV Lighting: Natural Yes, she's levitating! This magician wowed audiences at Disneyland's Big Thunder Ranch Halloween exhibit. Most of the stage where he was performing was covered by tarps, which essentially produced open shade for me to photograph in. However, a few slivers of blazing sun still managed to cut its way through. This forced me to rack my shutter speed so that I could at lease keep some latitude in my highlights. I think I found a happy medium.
|
|
10.01.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 85mm (Prime) Settings: ISO 400 - WB Flash - SS 1/100 - f/2.8 - 0EV Lighting: Off-camera SB-700 - TTL - FC-1.3 This is my dog, Peanut. He was kind enough to squeeze me into his busy schedule and allow me to make a portrait of him lounging on the couch. To light this exercise, I used a Lastolite Ezybox Speed-Lite that was placed 4 feet away from Peanut and raised just above his eye level. I then double-diffused the light with a Lastolite TriGrip Diffuser, which I handheld right in front of the Ezybox. Doing so gave the light a creamy texture. The fall off was very, very smooth and the catch light in Peanut's eyes was right on the money. Since this lighting technique turned out as good as it did on Peanut, I can't wait to apply this to a human face! Any takers?
|
|
09.24.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 85mm (70-300mm) Settings: ISO 1600 - WB Incandescent - SS 1/100 - f/4.5 - 0EV Lighting: Off-camera SB-700 with CTO Gel - TTL - FC0.0 I made this photo this past weekend during the Aris Elijah Pugal Foundation Fundraising Ball. The lighting in the image is completely artificial. The only exception was the practical light bulb hanging over the subject's head. Although, I kind of liked it because it added to her expression as if an internal light bulb had just turned on in her head. It made reading a raffle ticket appear a bit more dynamic. The venue lighting was quite dull so I used a couple of speedlights to provide me with a more bright and airy look. Her key light was from an SB-700 placed about 50' across the room firing over my left shoulder. There's actually a second SB-700 placed at camera right aiming into the ceiling to push the ambience on the left side of her face, as well as adding a nice glow to her hair.
|
|
09.15.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 85mm (Prime) Settings: ISO 200 - WB Direct Sunlight - SS 1/1600 - f2.8 - -0.3EV Lighting: Natural with 14" Silver Reflector I made this image while on an early morning stroll through the neighborhood. Funny thing, however, is that I found it growing on the ugliest bush I'd ever seen. But you wouldn't have known that because I got in pretty close. It was a hidden gem. That's definitely one of the advantages of photography. Ultimately, what's not in the frame doesn't matter. We have the ability to direct the viewer where to look in our images. In addition, I contorted myself to hold a small silver reflector to help give the beautiful flower a little extra glow to separate it from the others around it.
|
|
09.12.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 85mm (Prime) Settings: ISO 200 - WB Direct Sunlight - SS 1/125 - f/2.0 - 0EV Lighting: Off-camera SB-700 - Manual - 1/16th Power I'm a firm believer in using the right tool for the right job. But often times the "right" tool might come with a hefty price tag that makes it ridiculously out of reach for most of us. In this case, instead of going for a 7-foot parabolic octabox, I went with a 43” white shoot thru umbrella. And it worked out great! The fall off of the light teamed with her expression really makes the picture come to life. Admittedly, the umbrella was the only light modifier I had in my back pocket for this impromptu portrait session. At the end of the day, its instances such as this that remind me that the tools we use are just tools. It’s ultimately up to the operator to make it work.
|
Photo Credit: Melissa Cadelina
|
09.10.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 50mm (Prime) Settings: ISO 200 - WB Cloudy - SS 1/640 - f/4.0 - 0EV Lighting: Natural Today is D-day. The official launch of my site. Mere words cannot describe how happy I am to finally have this outlet to showcase my work. Thank you so much for stopping by and showing your support. It means the world to me! In the process of distilling the thousands of images saved on my hard drives, I stumbled across this photo which was actually taken by my fiancé on a recent family trip to San Francisco. I think it's a great candid shot of my family and I. Generally speaking, I rarely make it into any family photos. But in this instance, it was a very pleasant surprise to see that my photographic tendencies had inspired the "Future Mrs. Rojo" to try creating some edgy images of her own.
|
|
09.07.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 120mm (24-120mm) Settings: ISO 400 - WB Cloudy - SS 1/1000 - f/4.0 - -0.3EV Lighting: Natural The "5 & Dime" band is one of my favorite performances to photograph while out and about at the Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim. These two colorfully-costumed characters literally jumped out at me as they saw me zeroing in on them with my camera. I watched and waited to capture the perfect moment between the two guys playing in a slightly stacked position. I think it worked out nicely. Bonus: I got the band's sign on their car, which they used as a stage, in the bottom right-hand corner of my frame. Meant to do that.
|
|
09.05.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 24mm (24-120mm) Settings: ISO 200 - WB Direct Sunlight - SS 1/250 - f/4.0 - 0EV Lighting: Natural Love the texture of this scene. This is something that I pass everyday but have paid no attention to it. That is, until I finally decided to slow my frantic walking pace to a crawl. Funny how you start to become a little more observant that way. I had to shoot this in black in white. It just felt right with the harshness of the sun.
|
|
08.31.2014Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 35mm (Prime) Settings: ISO 200 - WB Direct Sunlight - SS 1/1000 - f/1.8 - 0EV Lighting: Off-camera SB-700 - TTL - FC-0.3 Late night camera test. New light modifier thrown into the lighting toolbox, a Lastolite 32" TriGrip 2-Stop diffuser. I used the TriGrip as a reflector at camera right to provide a soft fill just kissing the back of the subject's head. I love the versatility of it. Plus, in a pinch, it's one-hand operable.
|