Fresh Market

Brazilians love fruits. It is summer time and it is a tradition to have lots of fruits on the table for New Year's Eve dinner. 

Santander Bank

Santander Bank has a beautiful architecture. It used to be a Sao Paulo State Bank and it was sold to Santander this year. 

Sao Paulo View

Today, I went to downtown Sao Paulo to find a good spot to demonstrate how big this city is. Sao Paulo is the 3rd largest city in the world. Unfortunately, it is also called a city of concrete with 20 million people. I am on the top of Santander Bank. It used to be the tallest Brazilian building in 1948. 

Fresh Coconut Water

We also have lots of hard workers like Mr. Santos. He works in front of The Pinacoteca Museum in Sao Paulo. He does not like been photographed but he opened an exception today. 

Homeless

Even though the economy is doing better in Brazil we still have social differences. The number of homeless in Sao Paulo is considerable large. There are lots of institutions supported by the population trying to help them. 

Skin Heads in Brazil

I was surprised about seeing that in Brazil we also have gangs. The teenagers in the photo are Skin Heads. They were nice to me and excited about the picture but one of them was holding a hammer. 

Visiting Sao Paulo - Brazil

This weekend I went to Hilton Hotel in Sao Paulo to shoot this new bridge crossing Pinheiros River in Sao Paulo. It was decorated for Christmas. It is good to be home for a while. Happy New Year!

Photojournalism Final

This is my Final Project for Photojournalism Class. I covered the Presidential Rallies in North Carolina. Some Barack Obama's supporters like Bill Clinton and Mrs. Ann Cooper's photographs were included.

Peter Kaplan

"Peter B. Kaplan is a commercial and editorial photographer who has captured subjects ranging from wildlife in the Serengeti to the high-rise buildings in New York City and nudes perched at lofty altitudes. He's climbed and photographed the Golden Gate Bridge, The Empire State Building, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the St. Louis Arch, the World Trade Center and numerous other sites. He is the "Preferred Photographer" for the Statue of Liberty/ Ellis Island Foundation." If you want to learn more about Peter Kaplan just click here.

Personal advice from Gregory Heisler

The interview with Gregory Heisler can be named as "inspiration". The opportunity of having a very professional photographer with simple and valuable advices was really a gift. In the end of the interview I asked him what he would suggest to someone like me, 43, and just starting on this field. He said:  "You can succeed but do not waste time"! I think it was everything that I wanted to hear.

Tutankhamun Exhibit at Atlanta Civic Center

I went to visit the Tutankhamun Exhibit today at the Civic Center. Due to the weather there was no line and I was the last ticket buyer! During my visit I tried to look everything with photographer eyes. I start thinking how interesting the mums discoveries were to the photojournalists at that time and  how much the egyptians appreciated symmetry. Some studies have proved a relationship between symmetry and beauty. Their jewelries were very symmetrical and beautiful. It was a great experience!

5th Quarter is over!

It is amazing how time goes by so fast. Last year, when I started this program I though:" Photography Program... few mornings during the week...easy, I can handle it.  I WAS WRONG. 

This is a very intensive program. I have learned a lot and as much as I research about well known photographers in the world like Ansel Adams, Bill Eppridge, Gregory Heisler, Dennis Heggie and others I feel liket I still have a lot to learn but at the same time I feel motivated to pursue my dreams.  It is not an easy path but it is worth. This is a wonderful team. I am glad to have joined this journey. 

Gregory Heisler at Gwinnett Technical College

Today is a very exciting day, we are honored to have Mr. Gregory Heisler here at Gwinnett Technical College.  He will be interviewed by Mel Scott . This will be the first Pilot Project among 12 planned by Photography Network.  Gregory Heisler  is a "New York based photographer who is renowned for his technical mastery and thoughtful responsiveness. He is perhaps best known for his more than seventy TIME Magazine cover portraits."  Check it out!

Mustafah Abdulaziz

It is worth to spend more time going through Mustafah Abulaziz work. Mustafah specializes in social documentary and reportage as well as wedding photojournalism. His website is getting a facelift due to the 2008 Photojournalism 1st Place Award. According to his site "he is a self-taught photographer, and he has photographed reportage for the Tribune newspapers,  the Morning Call, Newsday, Baltimore Sun and Macleans magazine as well. His goal is to use photography as a means to communicate effective and accurately across borders and fences so as to do his part in creating bridges of understanding in an increasingly technologically interconnected world." Click here if you want to access Mustafah Abulaziz's blog.

2008 Photojournalism Contest

The Photojournalism Organization has already published the 2008 contest winners.  The attached photo by Mustafah Abulaziz received the first place with Sebastian Iglesias, a Chilean cowboy leading his horse through the mountain in search of roaming cattle in far Southern Patagonia, South America. Click here if you want to have more information about the 2008 contest and seminar.

Bill Eppridge at The Photojournalism Seminar

It was a pleasure to be in the presence of Mr. Bill Eppridge. He became very famous for his documentary about Robert Kennedy Assassination and Panic in Needle Park. Click here to access his blog.

Mrs. Ann Nixon Cooper

Mrs. Cooper is going to turn 107 years old soon. This year she voted for the first time. She became known through CNN Headline News and Mr. Barack Obama's telephone call to Mrs. Cooper thanking for her support. I really enjoyed visiting and listening to her childhood history. Mrs. Cooper is very sweet and she looks good! By the way, the picture that she is holding was taken by me.

Great Women of Photography at Lumiere Gallery

Lumiere Gallery presents "Great Women of Photography" with Berenice Abbott and Imogen Cunningham from the Twentieth's Century.
The exhibit will be held through December 23, 2008. Lumiere is located at the Galleries of Peachtree Hills, 425 Peachtree Hills Ave. 29B - Atlanta, GA 30305. More information at www.lumieregallery.net.

J. Garner Wedding Photographer

This week we had a lecture about Wedding Photography. This is J. Garner's photography who was considered "One of the 10 Wedding Photographers in the World by American Photo Magazine and Best of Seattle by Seattle Bride Magazine". Click here and take a look on his blog.

Glamour Shot

This is the Glamour Shot that my Advanced Portraiture teacher, Mrs. Harkins selected today for my assignment. I love that place with white walls and fake red window. It is a car dealer located in Cumming. My little girl, Sophia, is posing again. I feel under pressure since she asked me if I am going to have her picture in my portfolio like Miss Amy does!

Tutankhamun Exhibition in Atlanta

I received a very interesting Make Up Assignment for Multimedia Class this week and it is about photographing the Tutankhamun Exhibition held in Atlanta at the Atlanta Civic Center from November 15th, 2008 to May 2009.
The exhibition includes approximately 130 objects from the tomb of the King Tut and other famous Egyptian pharaohs . "King Tut was born during the Amarna Age, a time when the pharaoh Akheneaten, his probable father, had introduced quasi-monotheistic beliefs into ancient Egypt, replacing the traditional religion. . The prince, however, ultimately did not maintain the religious movement his father introduced. He ascended the throne (around 1333 BCE), while still a child. Tutankhamun restored the traditional gods and re-established Thebes as the religious capital and Memphis as the administrative center. He also changed his name to Tutankhamun in order to direct attention to the restoration of the pantheon and the god Amun at its head. King Tut reigned for only about nine years."He died before turning 20 years old of unknown reason.
Tickets for students for the exhibit + movie is around $29.00. Click here if you want to know more about this interesting exhibit.

Robert Doisneau

Robert Doisneau was a French photographer known for his frank and often humorous depictions of Parisian street life. His iconic work "Kiss at City Hall" sold recently at Articurial's Paris auction for a record-breaking $240,000.00 - over twelve times the low estimate.

Environmental Portrait III

I tried few more Environmental Portraits like this one of Mr. Thomas Nicholson, one of the conductors for the Polar Express Train Ride.

Polar Express Ride in NC

We also went to Bryson City for a Polar Express Rail ride. The kids were all in their pjs and excited about getting the golden ticket. It is one hour trip with hot chocolate included. I loved it!
Click here if you want more information about this amazing ride.

2008 Black Friday

I went to Smoky Mountains, NC for Thanksgiving. It was cold but anyway we decided to drive to Asheville and check how crazy the Black Friday would be during this economic crises. The Wal-Mart was 24 hours by 7 days, so we went to Belks and Target. I could take some pictures of the crowed. We were very surprised with the organization. I did some shopping too for sure!
Unfortunately, we had 2 deaths at Wal-Mart in NY.

Ale Hamdan

Collage became very popular in Brazil. Some photographers like Ale Hamdan has been doing a good job with this. I remember that my mom also ordered one for me 40 years ago! Click here if you want to see few more examples of collage that Ale created. By the way, "montagens" means collage in this case.

Welcome Andrew Comer

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Comer for the new arrival! Welcome Andrew!

This maternity photograph was taken in the end of October. Mrs. Comer was looking great!

Executive Portrait at Gwinnett Tech

Yesterday, we had a very interesting class (Advanced Portraiture) with Mrs. Harkins. Each student picked a Gwinett Tech Executive name from inside of a hat for the Executive Portrait Assignment. It was a good opportunity to meet some members of Gwinnett Tech staff. I was responsible for Mr. Bish's, Welding Program Coordinator, portrait. He was very gentile with us. Thanks Mr. Bish!

Environmental Portrait II

This is also an Environmental Portrait taken during the Lighting Workshop. Mr. Don Giannatti was very nice attending my request to pose for my assignment. Thanks Mr. Giannatti!

Environmental Portrait

Yesterday, I went to "The Cooler" looking for an Invironmental Portrait for Photojournalism class.

The place is very nice and the it deserves the name. I thought it was freezing outside until I entered the Cooler!

Fashion Assignment

This is a fashion picture taken using the ambient light and two white foam boards working as reflectors.

Clinton looking strong

Bill Clinton looked upbeat today at Clark Atlanta University despite the fact he has been working the campaign trail very hard.

Bill Clint stumps for Jim Martin

I was on the campaign trail at Clark Atlanta University with Jim Martin and Bill Clinton. The Democrats are looking to close the voting gap in order to have a filler buster proof majority. With the loss of Stevens in Alaska you can feel the excitement in the air.

Post Graduation Plans Interview

Today, I was interviewed by Peggy Attaway from Gwinnett Technical College when I shared my post graduation plans. I invite you to join us.

Better Photo Holiday Tips

By the way, I found this article with some tips to photograph Holiday Portrais from BetterPhoto.com.

Holiday Portrait 2008

Today it was my first day working on the Holiday Portraits. I was feeling very shy in the beginning but after receiving a very special client, Sophia Palmer, I felt much better! My family loved the Christmas set. Congratulations to Janet Kelley and Sammi Kate for the wonderful job done coordinating this project!

IPod Touch

Another very cool recommendation that I got this weekend is to have a copy of your best work in your IPod Touch. There are some wedding photographers including this option in their packages!

Paul C. Buff Lighting Accessories

I noticed that the Studio used for Don Giannatti's Workshop uses Paul C. Buff Lighting accessories. I heard that it is a cheap and good option. I particularly liked the soft boxes.

Lighting Essentials Workshop in Cleveland

I decided to attend the Lighting Essentials Workshop in Cleveland. It was a great experience. We worked from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm Saturday and Sunday. Several indoor and outdoor scenarios were created. We played with strobes, speedlights (most SB-800 and the new SB-900), reflectors, diffusers, etc. This is Tina posing at Lake Erie Ramble. First of all, we metered the ambient light then I increased my shutter speed to be sure that I was capturing the clouds details. We added a speed light at 1/8 of power and I got this beautiful picture.

Don Giannatti - Photographer

Lighting Essentials Workshop by Don Giannatti to be held in Cleveland, OH on Nov 15th and 16th. I am considering to attend to this workshop. There are good reviews available about this event!

Jessica Horwitz Photography

The photographer Jessica Horwitz is the Audience Winner by Best of Citysearch, Atlanta Services in 2007. She has a nice website that can give us wonderful ideas of wedding pictures. Click here to check it out! I will contact her for possible internship.

Winter is coming. For those who appreciate good wine I would recommend visiting the Wolf Wine Vineyard and Winnery located in Dawsonville, GA. I particularly like red wine Cabernet Sauvignon. They offer a wine tasting for $12.00 (six types of wine included).

Flash Assignment

Shooting with Flash unit still a challenge for me! I am looking for more opportunities to practice and gain expertise. This was also shot at Chattahoochee River.

Apogee Photo Magazine and Flash Photography Article. Maybe, this can give us some inputs for our next flash shooting.

David Smith Website

A friend of mine who races motorcycles turned me on to Dave Smith's website. It is a great site for inspiration. From his bio: Dave Smith is a professional photographer with over 15 years of commercial, agency and magazine experience. Working on assignment locally, nationally and in Europe on Formula One, Superbikes and travel editorial. Published in Sports Illustrated, motor sports publications, newspapers and magazines in the U.S.

Suzuki Violin Graduation

Today my daughter, Sophia, graduated from her first Suzuki violin level.

More than forty years ago, Mr. Suzuki realized the implications of the fact that children the world over learn to speak their native language with ease. He began to apply the basic principles of language acquisition to the learning of music, and called his method the mother-tongue approach. If you want to know more about Suzuki Music Methodoly click here.

2008 Buddy Walk

Last month we had the 2008 Down Syndrome Buddy Walk. I was very lucky to be invited by friends because it was an amazing event in Duluth, GA. I was surprised to see how organized the groups are. The kids had a wonderful time with the entertainer clowns. If you want to participate next year or learn more about Down Syndrome Events click here.

Glamour at Chattahoochee River

Yesterday it was beautiful to walk close to the Chattahoochee River Parks. The fall colors were amazing and I took advantage of that and also the ruins to have some glamour pictures taken. Again, Tatiana posed for me. Good place for workout! Click here if you want to see more pictures!

Fort Frederica in St. Simons, GA

Fort Frederica in St. Simons, GA.

Fort Frederica, now Fort Frederica National Monument, was the military headquarters of the Province of Georgia during the early colonial period, and served as a buffer against Spanish incursion from Florida.

Starephotography

This is a Starephotography article that I believe can help us with the Glamour assignment.  It talks about the difference between glamour and fashion and also give us some tips. 

New President

Today my daughter asked what Mr. Barack Obama represents now and I said:"I am not sure but I want to believe that he represents hope. Hope for a better world". I am very proud of leaving in this country.

Nikon D700

For Nikon users this is a cool movie about D700 specs. I have just bought one. By the way, www.costco.com is offering a $300 rebate and free shipping during the month of Nov,08.

Democrats Celebration at the Holiday Inn

Barack Obama wins the Presidential Election. A celebration was held at the Holiday Inn in Decatur. Click here if you want to see more pictures from this commemoration.

Ola Brazil!

Christmas time...I feel homesick. Maybe, it is time to start planning my next trip to Brazil.

Click here if you want to see some pictures from Sao Paulo where I came from.