New website, finally
I have finally put the final touches on my new and improved website. The URL is the same; www.angelvalentin.com, and it’s a product of Livebooks with whom I’ve had a relationship for over 6 years. In my humble opinion, Livebooks is the best in the SEO department Being ranked high on search engines is the #1 consideration for me. I also like the “scaler” effect and how huge the images are..
Please let me know what you think once you take a look at it.
Enjoy, Angel Valentin
Digital infrared photography
Digital infrared in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Infrared in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Just got my hands on a used Canon G9 which was convert to infrared (more about that later). I’m currently in Puerto Rico and decided to go out and play around with it. Here are a couple of frames I shot.
Long lost filed rolls of 120 shot on a Holga in Cuba
I have the bad habit of getting into these streaks of wanting to shoot film. I have a box full of expired 120 and 35mm film. So one of the last times this happened I was in Cuba and decided to shoot exclusively with my Holga. Of course I filed the film away and it wasn’t until about 3 years alter, when I found a lab in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, that wouldn’t rip me off completely that I decided to process the black and white 120 film.
I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up the negatives. I remember shooting the images I was looking at, I had just forgotten them. Here are a few of the frames I re-discovered.
I’m in love and it was love @ first virtual sight.
She is soooo very fine and I can afford her. This is the rangefinder I’ve been waiting for and I can get her. In fact, I’ve already put an order in for one. As soon as I get her I’ll be gentle @ first but eventually she’ll have to adjust to my lifestyle and rough it a little bit. She’s gonna love it here in in my beach apartment and on the nasty streets of Puerto Rico. You;ll see some our work together. I’ll even post some video clips.
Stay tuned:
Newspaper photographer…again…for now
I accepted a full time job as a staff photographer for a subscription based, digital newspaper aimed @ smart phones and web use. I have not been a staffer for the last 3 years so this was a drastic change in the pace of work since I left my last newspaper job. Been doing a lot of running around. Fortunately or not, depending on how I look @ it, we’ve had a university strike which has taken a lot of man hours to cover. A lot of pushing and shoving, running and the occasional contact with pepper spray or tear gas are part of the course now. I’m probably going to limit my work days to 2/week so I can continue paying attention to my freelance career which I’m really happy with these days. Also, my destination wedding photojournalism side job also needs a lot of attention.
Here are a coupla pics of me working in my NotiCel.com job.
Good advice
This article is from the folks who designed FotoBiz and FotoQuote:
http://www.cradocfotosoftware.com/tips/10-ways-to-fight-for-your-digital-rights-as-a-photographer.html
Last roll of Kodachrome
I shot a little Kodachrome and a lot of Ektachrome when I started out as a pro photographer in the 80′s. This is a nice piece by a shooter I’ve always admired but have never met, Robert Cohen. He was leaving South Florida when I was starting out as a Miami Herald intern there.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/multimedia/vmix_4e9f782a-aca0-11df-806f-00127992bc8b.html
After Charo and Mike’s Old San Juan wedding…a beer and some jazz
The Island Wedding Fotos Puerto Rico team of Jose Jimenez, Isaida Ortiz and myself (Angel Valentin) shot Charo and Mike’s awsome wedding in Old San Juan last weekend. It was a hot hot Puerto Rico summer day. Destinations weddings in Puerto Rico in the summer are beautiful and fun, but HOOOOTTTTT. I changed shirt 3 times !
After the reception ended Isaida and I decided to grab a beer @ the Old Harbor Brewery (http://oldharborbrewery.com/) less than a block from the venue. Traffic out of San Juan was brutal and we were tired. To our delight Old Harbor had a jazz sextet jamming away next to the bar which is where we sat. Had a good hour or so of R & R with nice music, cold beers and some appetizers.
Here’s a snap I shot with a 5D Mark II and a 50mm 1.4 @ 2000 ISO.
Zmo in bikini, Miami
Was in Miami recently and was recruited to shoot a promo campaign for a bathing suit designer. The model, Zmo is a good friend. This was fun and easy to do. The only problem was the underwater housing started leaking water in the middle of the pool shoot but the camera wasn’t damaged, I don’t think.
My Review of Flashpoint Vertical Battery Grip for the Canon 5D Mark II
Great (for the price…)
Pros: PracticalCheap
Cons: You get what you pay for
Best Uses: Portrait Photography, Digital Photography, Travel
Describe Yourself: Pro Photographer
I never buy 3rd party items. I only got this grip after a colleague’s highest recommendation. I bought 3 of them, 2 for 5D2 and one for a 7D. Out of the 3 I only got 1 bad one. It sometimes fails to operate and when on disables the top dial on the body. This is frustrating when it happens in the middle of a wedding or news event. I called Adorama and was told to return it, no questions asked. I wish I’d had the money to buy the Canon brand ones but I didn’t and I have to say that the other two I got work perfectly. I love the option to use the grips and to take it off when I do some jobs. I just noticed the price dropped. Nice.
(legalese)
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