Second Chances

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Weekends, they are what many live for. They are the 2 days a week we get to do what WE want and not what a boss asks etc.… Well most of them anyway. They are exciting when you are young and a little less as we age and the Honey Do list begins to eat up the weekend with projects, the lawn etc. This past weekend was not extraordinary because of a great party; we did not win the lottery or anything however we did work our buts off painting the house.

 

What made this weekend so fantastic began nearly 9 years ago, the year my son and I began to drift apart. His mom & I divorced 7 years earlier and by this time (9 years ago) she was remarried with a second son. Daniel & I drifted to the point we rarely spoke unless it was his birthday or a holiday. As time passed, he approached adulthood and college I started to make my peace with decisions I made long ago and was preparing myself to accept that I had lost him. That’s the backstory now our weekend.

 

I started renovating my front porch around Christmas 2011 for additional living space and a small portrait studio where I could shoot family portraits, headshots etc. All is done accept to paint it and 3 other rooms in the house, LOL. Why paint 1 room when you can be a gluten for punishment and paint 4 rooms in a weekend? Anyway, my fiancé and I planned to spend the weekend painting, romantic I know, as we are planning my son calls for a ride home from College, he’s home for Spring Break, and I mention the weekend plans and he volunteers to come help. Mama did not raise a fool and I quickly accept the help.

 

Saturday morning, well morning to my son-afternoon to the rest of us, he arrives with his best bud and they immediately start painting. We have many fun exchanges and the banter is lively if not hysterical at times. Here it comes – as I am painting the ceiling in the kitchen I can’t help but listen to the laughter in the other room and the two boys (young men) singing breaking chops with my fiancé and chattering to me occasionally to insure I am clued in on what’s going on. At that very instant an overwhelming wave of gratitude and thankfulness just consumed me and I thanked god for this second chance with my son. That one day, one instant made this past weekend the BEST any man could ask for. To have my son his best friend and my fiancé with me all at once laughing and just enjoying the absolute mundane task of painting was absolutely priceless.

 

Here is the cherry on top of the whole thing, yes just when I could not be happier or ask for more I get this text later that evening from my son. “Just thinkin randomly but I’m really happy that your in my life pop, couldn’t have asked for a better dad.” Now I am 6’ 5” and 260 lbs that made me crumble like a cookie! It just doesn’t get any better than that.

 

My point in all of this is that Second Chances do come along and no they most definitely are not overrated they are all anyone will tell you they are. They are HUGE!! You have to be ready and you have to do the work, I always let my son know I was there for him regardless. I never pushed it, forced him to come with me and let me tell you that was hard. As hard as it was and as much as it hurt at times this past weekend told me I did the right things. We all make mistakes; it’s what we do to correct them that matter. We cant undo the past and we cant predict the future. What we have is the present, reflect upon the past to learn, act in the present with the future in mind and place yourself in the best possible position to capitalize on opportunities when they present themselves.

 

Here’s hoping you are prepared for your second chance what ever it may be.

D

 

 

Ender’s Falls CT

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Took a trip to Granby Ct over the Labor Day Weekend and went to Enders State Forest to check out Ender’s Falls. Enders Falls is comprised of a series of 6 waterfalls that are easily accessible from the parking lot and although a bit steep in places it is not daunting. So we, my girlfriend and her 12 year old daughter, headed out from our base in Middletown CT and arrived around 11ish in the morning. The parking lot already had 2 or 3 cars there as we headed down the trail.

We hit the first falls within 5 minutes of walking, small drop of approximately 4-6 feet and very picturesque. We were able to cross above the falls with a short bush whack and easy stream crossing to the other side for a better angle on the falls. I set up and shot a couple of cascades and then the first of the Ender’s Falls.

With a moderate water flow the falls were beautiful and I was able to get some varying exposures anywhere from a quarter of a second to 10 seconds as well as wade in close to the fall offs and the plunge pools. For one series of shots I was up to mid thigh to get to my spot. The water was refreshing and super clear.

While I was occupied with the falls Niki and her daughter went exploring in the stream beds and trail close by, they had a blast turning over rocks and such to see if any salamanders or frogs were hiding out. At one point Niki caught a med sized bull frog; he wasn’t as thrilled about it as she was however. Outings in nature provide great opportunities to just talk and catch up away from the hustle and bustle of life one of the reasons Niki & I enjoy hiking so much.

We worked our way down thru all six of the falls and each one was progressively more complex than the previous one. Longer drops, deeper plunge pools, opposite angles of falling water in a single fall, splitting flow around a large boulder, fallen trees and more difficult wading all made this a keeper of a trail. It also made each falls interesting to compose and capture the beautiful serenity they provide. I took several minutes to just observe and take in each of the falls to find the best placement of the camera and composition within the frame. Then I played and just enjoyed being there.

By the time we arrived back at the truck for our packed lunch it was close to 2:30 and we had no idea we were there that long, the proof of our immersion was the lost concept of time. Forgetting about time is liberating and a luxury many don’t often indulge in. Oh what they miss…

I hope you enjoy these images as much as I did making them, if you would like to own one; they are available on my website at http://www.danielpstudios.net and at The Maine Avenue Galleria in Ocean Grove New Jersey http://www.mainavenuegalleria.com

Thank you for checking out my site, stop by again soon,

Dan

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HELP-PORTRAIT 2011

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Well, it’s the Holidays again and everyone reflects during the Holidays right. I am no different or so I thought. I have reflected more in the past few months ethan most people do in this crazy and frantic paced world … Continue reading →

Falling Waters

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It’s no secret I love waterfalls, the beach and moving water. It soothes and centers me, the percolation of water stealthily traveling beneath rocks, the rhythmic raspy friction of receding waves grating over sand on its return journey to the sea or the steady trickle that eases my mind when I allow it to enter my consciousness. It literally washes away the dis-ease that tugs at my mind after a long week or a particularly stressful day and allows me to be….

They lure me back regardless of how many I have seen, sat next to and photographed, their magnetism is difficult to explain. I am not particularly interested in the geology of the falls or the evolution of how they came to be, no my interest is more spiritual or soul based. I am relaxed, open and childlike when I am in their presence, I revel in their presence.

My affinity for them has led to some beautiful images and even better walks and contemplations. Travelling several hundred miles and hiking 9-12 miles in a day is not uncommon in my quest to see more and more picturesque falls and to capture more stunning images.

To wake an hour before dawn to be at the beach for sunrise is standard fare for me and I enjoy this solitude 2-3 times each week always with my camera. I enjoy the walk amongst the waves, sand and photography equally. The peacefulness before dawn is soul centering, the lack of crowds, the unique colors that predawn uses to light the world are surreal, comforting, and a wonderful start to any day. My predawn affinity stems from the promises a new day offers, all things are possible and the possibilities, endless. It is up to us which opportunities become reality and that just sits right with me on a deep, deep level. I hope you enjoy these images as much as I enjoyed being present in the moment when they were made. They are available on my website @ http://www.danielpstudios.net and at The Main Avenue Galleria in Ocean Grove NJ http://www.mainavegalleria.com

Thank you for reading and checking out my site, become a fan on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/Danielpstudios

Dan

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The Clearing Storm, Reflections of Asbury Park NJ

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This image aptly named The Clearing Storm was captured Tuesday morning August 16th 2011 from the Ocean Grove Pier looking toward Asbury Park @ sunrise. I stood absorbing the landscape before me and as I observed the buildings of Asbury Park I thought of how it has transformed in my lifetime (and I am not that old). Studying the shoreline, the casino building, carousel house, water, light and clouds setting the mood before my lens I reflected upon what I knew of the “storms” and disarray that shook and reshaped Asbury. I grew up not far from Asbury Park NJ and as a child was warned to “stay away” as it was a town in a downward spiral, that was in the late 70′s post riots. Yes for those who don’t know the July 4th 1970 riot resulted in many buildings destroyed, 46 people shot and a city on the precipice of decline. Many blame the riots as the beginning of the nearly 4 decades of struggle and neglect. A far cry from the shore destination of choice it once was in the 1800′s and early 1900′s it has endured much and is ready for its reemergence as a destination city, The City by The Sea.

Fast forward to 2011 and Asbury Park  with an active  Main Street, a revitalized and bustling boardwalk, happening downtown  Cookman Ave and a burgeoning scene on Bangs Avenue, The City by the Sea is back from the so called brink. The neighborhoods are coming back on the East side of the town with momentum swinging across the tracks westward.The Arts scene propelled by The Arts Coalition of Asbury Park, ARTSCAP ,navigating with a clear strategy to promote the arts as a positive force for growth in Asbury Park by  advocating for supportive public policies that promote creative communities, supporting arts based enterprises and initiating public private partnerships is solidifying the Arts as a permanent part of Asbury’s culture.

All of these factors drew me back to Asbury Park, there are still some great structures here, the Carousel house, Casino building the Paramount, Convention Hall and The Berkley Carteret to name a few. The iconic Stone Pony where Bruce Springsteen played and many others from NJ started out all call to the locals and visitors alike however the attraction for me has always been the boardwalk and beaches. As a teen coping with various stages of turmoil, self discovery, growth, deep thought and quiet trials the beach was my where I found suave for my restless soul and where I could always relax and work through whatever I was dealing with. The past couple of years have been most enjoyable walking around town and coming back to the beaches. This town has been on one hell of a journey, the entrepreneurs who have come in and set up their shops and the Gay and Lesbian community who are calling Asbury Park home are the winds what are blowing the dark clouds out and allowing the sun to shine again on the City.

All of this brought me to name this image The Clearing Storm and it is available on my website http://www.danielpstudios.net and soon to be at The Main Avenue Galleria in Ocean Grove NJ.

So, if yo have not been to Asbury Park NJ in a while,  come and check it out Asbury Park its back in a big way.

Be well and thanks for reading

D

 

 

Jay & Aubrey

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Aubrey and Jay are a cute couple who clearly have a special love for one another. They quip, laugh and are very comfortable with who they are and you can not help but get caught up in it. WHen Aubrey approached me about photographing their special day I had to say yes.

Did I mention Aubrey is one heck of a cook? No? Well she is and she brought dinner to the shoot, not too shabby.  Easy to work with and their engagement shoot was fun even in the heat and humidity. With Ocean Grove NJ as their backdrop they were in their the  environment. Victorian homes with wrap around porches, the fishing pier, salt air and ocean they were content. They love the beach and the sea shore so thats where we went. Something simple she said, nothing crazy so we kept it simple and most importantly FUN!

I am really looking forward to photographing their wedding this October.

Paint Around

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Yesterday I had the pleasure of watching two of my photographs be transformed into paintings at a charity event hosted and organized by The Main Avenue Galleria in Ocean Grove NJ for the benefit of The Bradley Beach Food Pantry. Which by the way raised $1150 in 3 hours. So it is called a Paint Around, what is it you ask. paint around is where several artists, in this case 7, work/paint for 30 minutes on a canvas recreating their impression of a photograph and then switch canvases. The result is 6-7 painters work on the same photograph and canvas creating an impressive work of art. Norma Tolliver is the owner of Main Avenue Galleria and she puts one of these on several times each year for the benefit of local charity.

The Galleria has 3 photographers represented there and they choose 2 images from each to paint. At the end all are raffled off @ $20 per chance and the paintings are signed by all the Artists including the Photographer. The paintings are not for sale they are raffled off and that’s it. The Artists for this Paint Around were – Norma Tolliver, Susan Winter, Nina Douglas, Ken Ahlering, Sue Gioulis, Christine Rotolo, and Martha Furguson. Photographs were chosen from Kelly Andrews, Bill Walker and myself. It was a very interesting and fun process to witness, I cant wait for the next one. You can visit the Main Avenue Galleria at http://www.mainavegalleria.com/ I would be  remis if I did not mention that the Galleria represents some 50+ artists and their art, a very eclectic mix of Art, Jewelry and one of a kind treasures, so stop in and check them out….. Tell Norma you heard about it here :-)

Enjoy some pics fro the event……

Dan

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Nature’s Palette My First Solo Show

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SO I have been a bit busy lately with work and getting ready for my first solo show. Yeah, a solo show….WOW, very excited and a bit nervous.  40-45 of my best images will hang for the month of April at The Gallery 13 in Asbury Park NJ, very cool! A great Gallery dedicated to emerging photographers, John Vigg and a team of very talented Resident Photographers have this eclectic and positive vibe  just oozing from the walls and they are a pleasure to work with.

Now the whole SOLO thing sounded so cool (and it still is) then reality sets in and you wonder IF, that dreaded word. WHAT IF my images, WHAT IF…. you get the drift. Well let me tell ya you have to answer those questions quickly. I did. I worked through my library and did a first cut, then a second and a third before I asked 2 others to review my selected images. One was my Uncle Sam who was a professional photographer and the other was Nicole – my girlfriend. I know what you are thinking and you’d be wrong, she is tougher on my work that I am at times and always, ALWAYS gives me honest feedback. From this there was a 4th cut and viola 45 Images to show.  Then the fun began.

Mats, Frames, Backing, and what color mats, how would we mount them and so on. We did have fun getting this all together and here we are. Monday just 5 days until the opening and I will be hanging the show Wednesday this week. What a ride to get  to the trail head, Saturday night April 2nd at 6pm the journey begins. Nature’s Palette my solo show opens for all to see my body of work, talk about feeling naked. Nervous, excited and I feel like I am at a crossroads to boot. I can not wait for Saturday!

ndThen we were getting the word out and we still are. Handing out flyers to every restaurant a business who would accept them and getting a few posters up here and there. It has been a learning experience and a damned good one. Regardless of what happens I am so grateful for this opportunity!

If you happen to be in Monmouth County NJ near Asbury Park drop in to 658 Cookman Ave and check out both The Gallery 13 and my show there Nature’s Palette and say hello. Nature’s Palette is a collection of images inspired by Mother Nature’s vast and endless combinations of colors, textures and moods.

I look forward to meeting you at the Gallery.

Dan

HELP PORTRAIT 12/4/2010

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On Saturday December 4th,  15 Photographers, 3 Photo editors and 7 other volunteers gathered at The Bull Dog Clip Production Studio located in Asbury Park and provided portraits for 90 families and nearly 500 people, many of which were these family’s first ever portraits. Help-Portrait is a world-wide collection of photographers  and volunteers using their time, equipment, and expertise to give back to those who are less fortunate.  What does that look like? It looks like photographers taking pictures, printing them, giving them, but more importantly, giving hope.

In 2009, Help-Portrait involved 3,400 photographers and 5,000 photo-assistants, producers, make up artists, and volunteers in 543 different locations, around the world in 42 different countries.   This year though early and with not all locations reporting in only about 300 Help Portrait was already close to last years total of 41000 portraits given.

This was the most amazing thing I have ever organized or participated in, it is difficult to describe the range of emotions and overall feeling of satisfaction that came out of this. The stories we heard, the smiles we received the appreciation and thanks from the people we photographed just amazing. For many it was the first  portrait they have ever had. I photographed one family , a mother and her 4 daughters and 9 year old yorkie pup and the oldest must have been close to 17 or 18 and it was their first family portrait. The mother was speaking with one of our volunteers as I was posing the daughters and I heard mom crying, she was so happy to finally have a formal picture of her family. This was one of many similar stories we encountered throughout the day, we got caught up in the day and the people. By 7 pm Saturday night I for one was drained, physically and emotionally, yet soooooo happy to have made a difference. The volunteers were simply magnificent, they really made everyone feel at home and important, we were there for them after all.

Speaking of the volunteers I could say much however AWESOME barely covers it.  As I addressed our team before our first families arrived a wave of emotion crashed over me and I realized then what a great and life changing day this was going to be not just for the families  but for everyone standing in that room, powerful is a gross understatement.

December 3rd 2011 can not get here fast enough, that is the date of Help Portrait 2011 and we will again be working through the Mercy Center in Asbury Park NJ as well as several other organizations. For now I am posting some behind the scene pics from our volunteers. They say more than I can with words. We are seeking contacts at CANON NJ and in other organizations now to begin planning for a bigger and better 2011 event, so Photographers, Photoshopers Corporate Officers, local businesses and all around volunteers we are looking for you. Contact me.

To an amazing team-Nick Strickland, Tom Gilmour, Jeff Gross, Laura Trommer, Jennie Martin, Mike Damon & Tess, Lauren Penza, Kate Denberg, Ian Tseng, Vincent Lee, Cory Dibiase, Kevin Alex, Tracey James, Nicole Fitting, Josie Tav, Dena D’Zio, Jen Cottrel, Kathy Vitallano, Mike Bagely, Danise Cavallaro, David Scelfo, Michelle Parks, Jay Ambrust, Victoria McDougal, Cathy Ruggeiro, Shannae Upton, Miss Veronica, AFR Furniture Rental for the stools  and Beth McLoon for the gift bags for our families THANK YOU for your time talent, heart and commitment, you made this event a huge success.

Featured image is courtesy of Joe Allocco.

Below images here are compliments of Jay Ambrust of JSA Photography Oakhurst NJ 732-768-3699 he and most of our volunteers can be found on Facebook so show then some love! Happy Holidays!

4 Ways to Compete With Mall and Discount Store Photography Studio Prices

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I found this on MCP Actions blog this morning and just laughed because I just had this conversation with 3 or 4 people over the last week or so and just couldn’t get over the timeliness of this article. So a special thank you to Jody for posting this and a BIG thank you to Viki Reed who is the author of the article.

4 Ways to Compete With Mall and Discount Store Photography Studio Prices

Written by guest blogger, Viki Reed, a former employee at A Mall Photography Studio

Someone saw your website, or was referred by one of your old clients. They want to know: your rates and what packages you offer. How do you convince a new client (especially in these brutal economic times) that your highly personalized services are a better value than the department store coupon they got off the internet? Do you get asked “why is your photography priced so high?” What do you say when your potential customer says “Why do you charge so much for your photography? I can just go to the mall and get photos cheaper.”

I worked at a mall studio for a short time. Let’s not name the store, but suffice to say it rhymes with “A.See Lennies.” Now I can say certainly, that there’s no doubt: ANY client will do better by an independent, custom photographer than a mall studio.

Understanding what people truly get at the department store studio is the key to explaining the advantages of giving YOU their business.

1. TIME

The mall schedules people on 5-20 minute increments depending on the season, day of the week and even which part of the country you’re in.

How much time do YOU spend with your clients? When dealing with toddlers, elementary school kids and blubbery, hungry babies 5-20 minutes isn’t really time that allows anything special to happen. The expression ‘quality time’ can’t even be applied when you’re sitting in a tiny hot airless room, your children crawling the walls after waiting too long because the customer before you is in the camera room on your scheduled moment and then you have to be done in 30 frames or less? If something causes you to be late on a busy shooting day, the mall will not take you because they are overbooked.

Mall and discount store photographers cannot give customers the time needed for “true” custom portrait photography.

2. EXPERIENCE

The mall studios pay only $8-10 an hour to their shooters. These are typically very inexperienced people in a transitional period of their lives. Who will be in the camera room when you arrive at the mall? Will it be Kevin, the 19 year old whose sole training is through the mall? Or Brenda-who had to go back to work after being stay at home mom for 6 years-maybe photography’s a hobby for her. These aren’t people who are committed to being great photographers in control of the final product. These folks don’t own any of their photos so you can’t see what they can do before choosing a day or photographer at the mall.

Conversely, your photography can be viewed by clients via your website,, studio, sample book and on social networking pages. Portrait work is what you want to do, you spend time learning about your equipment and light and how to command the environment you’re in.

Passion describes what you do. Mall and discount store photographers cannot compete with that.

3. CREATIVITY

Not to say that all mall shooters are devoid of true creative and artistic skills; but sales are priority. More time is spent training the ‘photographers’ to sell prints & packages or how to use the cash register and process coupons than they are trained to understand photography.

At the mall, once you step out of the camera room, they have to ‘sell’ you. Often the person ‘enhancing’ and selling your photo session is not the original photographer. I can tell you that perfectly awesome shots I got in the room were horribly cropped or fully deleted or ignored by a clueless $8 an hour shooter who was trained for years by the corporation’s ‘photography academy.’

When I worked at A.See Lennies, I was relieved to have SOME creative say in the sales/‘enhancements’ process, even though it was restricted to adding vignettes, limited cropping, and ‘multi-image’ presets. Even then, creativity was shut-down. I was told to reel it in, because the client wouldn’t order tons of expensive prints with ‘too many’ choices. Then I was told that the computer system in the store would crash if I kept making ‘enhancements’ for every photo. (My husband is an IT professional and I knew that pat-answer was rubbish).

Finally I was taking too long by being so ‘creative’. Move the line along. Sales, remember? Consider how and why you work. Can you even describe the creative touches you give each client? A mall store can’t even erase a pimple or scratch. These are big deals when you’re talking baby or teen photos.

For me it starts with trying to conceptualize portrait ideas with the client. People choosing me & my Canon get 2-3 hours to create something wonderful. Detailing what I do in post production is so lengthy that I only say that I am as excited about that part of the deal as I am about working with people to begin with. I still live to yank magic out of my camera and learn more about what I do.

Remember a mall or discount store studio will not be as creative in the shooting, editing, or retouching process as you can. They cannot complete!

4.PRICE

The potential and very excited client gets quiet when you mention your price. Even if I customize a price for a client, it’s still going to seem pricier than what the mall charges. Seem being the operative word. A true examination of pricing at a mall studio reveals that you get very little for a lot of cash. The coupons tend not to apply to large expenditures. The mall packages always include options you can’t alter or meaningfully substitute out-of, and you won’t be getting very many photos because the maximum number of frames a department store can shoot is an average of 30.

Even if every photo survives the camera room and each one gets an enhancement that’s only 60 photos. To get them on disc is typically an additional fee (in the area of $100 in American dollars). If you create and order a collage, those can’t be burned to disc, even though the ‘multi-images/collages’ cost an average of $40 to print through the mall store’s printing system. Your photos are deleted from the mall store’s system after 30 days. You pay extra to see your images on an online album via the mall store (also disappears after 30 days).

The mall stores, like A.See Mennies, they depend on the coupon to get you in the door and push you hard to buy lots of prints or a CD of your photos. That’s the priority. Pricing and product are strictly obeyed and narrowly defined at the mall and the two can never be disengaged at places like A.See Tennies.

Do you brow beat your clients after they sit down for you and your camera? What does your pricing include and foster for the future? If people select the mall for their family portraits because it’s cheap, tell your clients just how relative the term ‘cheap’ actually is. You get what you pay for and you won’t get something special if you’re holding a coupon designed to draw you into a store where the photographer makes $8 an hour.

So remember, from an experienced, former mall studio employee, even when it comes to price, you provide a value that they cannot complete with.