New York Photo Festival

I took Friday to do the NY Photo Festival in DUMBO and could not ask for better weather.
I took the train down to South Street and then walked up to the Brooklyn Bridge to walk over to DUMBO, where the festival was. You can find out more about the NYPF at http://www.nyphotofestival.com/site/
These are some of the images I made during the day:




Is it better to be lucky, or good? I think I am both. What are the odds that while I was taking pictures on the Brooklyn Bridge, I would see one of the last Checker cabs, zooming by, and nail it?


Allan Weitz, from B & H Photo, was giving an excellent presentation. Allan is an amazing photographer, who spent years shooting yacht interiors.
Folks were lined up to get their portfolios reviewed.



DUMBO is all about the lofts now.


My favorite car. The beer car.

Color Calibration for InkJet Printers Class at B & H Today

I will be attending the color calibration class at B & H Photo today at 3PM. I regularly calibrate my monitors and printers for accurate results, but have been having trouble when printing on alternative materials, like wood veneers and metals with a product called InkAid. I am hoping today's class will help me figure it out.

Featured on The Bokeh Pot!

Photographer's are a unique bunch, but still still represent the cross section of society as a whole. There are folks who closely guard the knowledge and skills they have, keeping them from others in a fit of insecurity, and there are those that that live life as an open book and look to share what they have with others.
The Bokeh Pot is a site that profiles photographers who endeavor to share their skills and even their secrets. They each offer unique insights into their practice and their craft.
I am lucky enough to be included with these folks. You can check it out here:
http://thebokehpot.wordpress.com/2009/05/12/j-mitchel-photography-long-island-ny-bokeh-feature/
and read the rest of the features at http://thebokehpot.wordpress.com/

There is a lot to learn in how so many talented photographers all find a way to present their individual styles in common subjects.

When 16 Aircraft Engineers are unavailable...Use Manning Motors

Like most guys, I see a lot of myself in my car and perhaps that is one of the reasons men choose the cars they do. I love my old Saab. The rush when the turbo kicks, the Whoooosh! when the wastegate dumps boost when you jump off the throttle. I find intelligent design among quirky features. But all things mechanical, need service periodically and Manning Motors in Sea Cliff seems to be the hotspot of knowlegable and talented car guys.
The thing about being a photographer is, your never "off duty"...you are always looking for a shot...training your mind's eye on how to best tell a visual story. While there for my 60k mile service, I found the following images:

Family. Like it or not, it influences who you are.

My wife and I drove up to Boston this weekend to see my Grandparents. In their mid '90's and living life like a couple of 50 year olds. My Grandfather could easily kick Jack Lalanne's butt in a dark alley at 2AM.
I know how lucky I am, at 39, to still have my Grandparents with me, cognizant and able to enjoy life. I think about the parts myself that I like the most, gentle, compassionate, strong and occasionally intelligent and even funny...and they all come from my Grandfather. Even my love of sailing, gardening and my value of family comes from him. My Grandmother is an accomplished chef who taught me to cook and largely influenced my system of values. This weekend they got to spend time with their Great Granddaughter, which was a treat for all.

Long Beach Breast Cancer Fun Walk! Mark your Calendars!

One of the ways I give back to my community is by supporting the Long Beach Breast Cancer Coalition, which provides critical support to local cancer victims and their families.
Please, take a few hours and join us on the Long Beach boardwalk May 17th, 2009 for a family fun walk. You get to enjoy light exercise in the sunshine* while helping a good cause.
Find out more about the Long Beach BCC and download a registration form here: http://www.longbeachbcc.org/




*Sunshine not guaranteed. See God for details. Your mileage may vary. It's for a good cause, even if it's cloudy...do the right thing.

Another Custom Aperture Disks in a Lensbaby Picture

While photowalking in Uptown Park the other night, I came across a string of Christmas lights under an awing. It wasn't yet dark, but with a faster than proper shutter speed I darkened the image to bring out the color saturation. Unlike most Lens Baby images, where there is a point that is in strong focus, and the rest of the image is a dreamy smear, I went the other direction and pulled the Christmas lights so far out of focus, that they are taking the shape of the aperture disk. In this case, the shape of the state of Texas.
Want to try it yourself? Get Lens Baby's creative aperture kit and a box cutter. The kit gives you a few shapes to start with, and a few blanks so you can make your own. Get creative, then get to work!

Forgive me Internet, for I have Sinned...

It has been almost a Month since my last blog update.
I have been bad. However, feel free to check out my facebook pages which seem to get updated more frequently although not solely with photography related banter.
Personal page:
http://profile.to/jeffpress/

And the J. Mitchel Photography page:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1705494&id=653460818#/pages/J-Mitchel-Photography/38080587212?ref=ts

I am sure there is a short way to link that, but I have not figured it out yet.

So, it has been awhile since we have had a chat...let's catch up:

For my new viewers:
I use this blog as a way for you to get to know me. Because pictures are a commodity. But, Art, is rare. And I create one of a kind images that turn your wedding day, into art. They capture a moment with your family and children like no one else can.

Don't care about me, and just want to see the pics? No problem. www.JMitchelPhotography.com for weddings and www.JMitchelPhoto.com for architectural. Landscape prints are at http://jmitchelphotography.instaproofs.com

I have two worlds that occasionally collide. I have been a compliance and operations professional for over 15 years on Wall St. and no, I am not to blame for this mess. In fact, with more guys doing what I do, we might not even have been in it.

My other world is that of a photographer. Architectural photography pays the bills, but wedding photography and family portraits are my passion. I think my story telling ability crosses over from weddings into architecture and allows my images to have a much stronger voice than the more technical architectural images.

Occasionally, my worlds collide. And that is a good thing. In my years in the markets I have had the role of protector of assets, guardian of your future and of helping your brokers do the right thing. In that regard, I approach my photography the same way. I am your advocate. I have your best interests at heart. I offer a select group of products, like albums, and my job is to find out your needs and match you up with the service and products you really need, not push stuff I want to sell. And there is a difference. I get paid well to provide awesome images, not to push products.
There, got that out in the open. Now we can move on.

Returning viewers...you already knew all that. Come back in the room.
So, I have been down in Houston doing some consulting work in the operations and trade area for the receivership of a certain large firm that may be involved in a Madoff type scheme, and coming home on the weekends. The work is interesting, the people fascinating and there is lots to both teach and learn. But, definitely hard on the wife and family, as well as myself. Fly home, see the family, shoot, shoot, shoot, hang images in a gallery, see the family, get on a plane.


I love to fly. Of course it is more fun when I am at the yoke, but I love to fly...no matter how gray or dreary the day…it is always beautiful and sunny if you go up high enough. Above the clouds there is always a sunset. And after the dusk, at night, when you are above those clouds…above the pollution, above the world of mankind and can see the heavens for what they are, you see differently. The night sky is the deepest black, but hints of intense colors behind the most brilliant sparkles of light. It is a rare treat to see a night sky for a New Yorker. You go decades or more without seeing it. I think the big blackout was the last decent one I saw. And when you do, you are awestruck. You can almost believe that there is something bigger than you. Something stronger, more powerful and with more heart and imagination than I will ever know that was able to create something so magical.

But, Houston is fun.
There are great wine bars, like the one at Truluck's.

There are cowboy bars, like The Armadillo Palace.
And even good music, like the Armadillo Playboys.
Surprisingly, a lot of fun. And there really are folks yelling "Yee Hawww!' during the show.

Did I mention the 20 foot tall concrete and stainless steel armadillo out front?

Secrets of Grand Central Terminal

One of the things I love about architecture is the stories of our past that can be learned from the details of construction, use and demolition. The evolution of New York, like much of the country, can be followed by learning the stories of it's architecture and transportation systems. By digging beyond the present, understanding the past...I think I get a better sense of who we are today...and maybe even where we are going tomorrow.

The story of the Vanderbilt fortune and legacy is beyond the scope of my blog...but I highly recommend checking it out. Here is an excellent start: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/insidegrandcentral/index.html

While I always seem to have a unique view of New York, I got to some amazing behind the scenes places today, thanks to Dan Brucker, Spokesman for the Metro North Railroad and Lt. Kevin Franklin of the BART SWAT team. Here are a few blog images:
This is the very top of the windows on either end of the concourse. The glass floor in the walkways is two inches thick and has a rough surface. The ironwork is amazing and the windows on each side open, to ventilate the station prior to air conditioning.


The windows open via an intricate gear and chain system.


When your train is late, and nobody else knows why....and if you can find them, maybe you can ask...the controllers.
Here in the Operations Center, every switch is monitored, every train is watched. Actually, except for a few desktops with flatscreens, it doesn't look that high tech. Looks just like the control room in the '70's movie "The Taking of Pelham 123".
Franklin Delano Roosevelt's secret presidential rail car, used to transport the president and his Packard car up to street level. This way nobody saw him in a wheel chair, which he viewed as a serious image concern.
The Zodiak mural is actually backwards. The artist made a mirror image by mistake. Still... breathtaking.

Why pro camera gear is so darn heavy and expensive!

Ok...this post is not for the faint of heart. If you are a photographer...look away. Run. Go to another web page because you do not want to see this.

Folks wonder why our gear is so heavy...why is it so expensive. What is the big deal, what is the difference anyway? My pack for Friday's architectural shoot weighed 27 lbs and was about $8k in gear, not counting the cost of the software on the Macbook I was shooting tethered to.

The below is one of the very rare pictures on my blog, that I did not take. Photo credit goes to ToykoBling.
This is one of my favorite lenses...the Nikon 14-24mm F2.8. Super sharp, amazing in low light and so wide that the state of Montana called and is jealous. It is also almost $2000. One of the reasons is that to get all that amazing performance...it takes a lot of hand ground, very special, glass. They don't normally look like this. This one was attached to a Nikon D3 and cut in half. I shoot it with the Nikon D700, but the look is the same.

The camera is magnesium, for light weight and high strength. The lens body is all metal. And all that expensive glass means it focuses very quickly, in low light and can be superbly sharp. Your Uncle's D60 or Canon Rebel doesn't have what it takes. Of course, the best tools only make the job a little easier. A camera might capture the image, but to see a great photo in your mind first takes skill, practice and a certain level of art. You want to hire a pro for special events...Uncle Bob might take great snapshots...but they are not the same as the images a pro will capture for your once in a lifetime event.

Read more about it and see more scary pictures here:
http://tokyobling.wordpress.com/2008/12/17/nikon-d3-cut-in-half/

20 Dates for 20 Bucks

One of my favorite places was just featured on News 12's story "20 Dates for 20 Bucks".
http://www.news12.com/LI/topstories/article?id=225360#

The Spoon Coffeehouse, in Lindenhurst, is one of those places that should be in Manhattan, cost 3x as much and have a velvet rope in front. Instead, it is down to earth, bright and friendly.

While the food is great, the place homey and comfortable...the real draw for me is the great coffee and live music. Not live music like Mulcahey's, with the amps set to 11, but think acoustic guitar, haunting vocals and music you can have a conversation over. Don't think date place just for the 20 something set either. If you are married, it is the perfect spot to keep that flame burning bright in your hearts and remind yourselves that you need to get out more often.

In addition to the music, coffee and desserts...you simply have to try the Frozen Hot Chocolate. I grew up at Serendipity's and I think Spoon's Frozen Hot Chocolate is far better.

There is a rotating gallery of local artists who have their work displayed and complement the sophisticated feel of the place. I am the resident artist and always have 20 or so pieces up, so it is also a great way to see my work. In my pieces you will see a lot of everyday images, presented in a whole new way that tells a story. And, really, that is what wedding photography is all about. Telling a personal story, showing how your event is different, even though many of the motions and locations might be the same.