New York City Noir

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2

 
I'm planning a trip to Tokyo in May and wanted to have a professional camera to take with me that would be lightweight and portable and yet have all (or almost all) the functions and quality of a DSLR.  After checking reviews and specs on the web, the camera I finally decided on was the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2. The lack of a mirror and the "four thirds" sensor enable a design that resembles an extremely compact DSLR and is not much larger, or heavier, than a point and shoot.

The other factors that in my decision were the 16.0+ megapixel sensor, the ISO sensitivity (up to 12,800), the extremely bright electronic viewfinder, and an interchangeable 14 - 140 (equivalent to a 28 - 280) zoom lens.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who was impressed by this camera's specs.  At B&H, the camera -- with the above mentioned lens -- was only available by mail order and went in and out of stock in one day (based on the elapsed time from B&H's email advising that it was available to the following day when the website description again changed to "Temporarily Out of Stock.")  I actually picked up the camera in store at Adorama but, at the time, there were only three in stock.  The price at both stores was the same -- approximately $1,500.

I hope soon to post photos taken with the GH2 and to report more fully on its capabilities.

NYC Fashion Week -- Viktor Luna Show

 
I was invited by model Lira Y to photograph a fashion show on 14th Street today by designer Viktor Luna.  It was a very well thought out show with the models assembled as mannequins in stationary poses.  The imagery was creative, and the visuals worked very well.

As the press release phrased it:

The designer's Fall/Winter 2011 collection consists of calibrated compositions, balancing military attire with soft femininity.  The salient structure and purple, gold, and black colors are inspired by the royalty of the past.  In contrast, the subtle delicacy and intricate detail of each garment create effervescence, alluding to universal comfort and empowerment.  Tying in with this theme of time, the luxury and sheer sophistication of each garment undoubtedly manifest our prosperous future.

At the end of the show, I had a chance to speak to Viktor and congratulate him, and he turned out to be a really nice guy who seemed sincerely appreciative of my comments.

 
 

Infrared Photo of Model with Dog

 
In my November 21, 2010 post, I showed a digital photo of Bella Bianca  (MM#1017976) with her pet chihauha.  I think it's fascinating to look at the difference between digital and infrared photos of the same subject. 

Celina

 
On November 27th, I posted about Celina, a figure model I'd worked with recently.  I decided the digital pic I put up then was really not that good, so I deleted the post in order to put up an image of better quality.

On the original post, I had written:

Celina (MM# 1881049), originally from the Bay Area and working in NYC as a singer, was totally professional and had that natural beauty women from NoCal project so effortlessly.

Wonderful Figure Model

 
I worked yesterday with a wonderful model who, besides being extremely attractive, is probably the sweetest person I've met in a long time.  Cassandra is located in Manhattan and is extremely versatile as a figure model and, on her own, was thoughtful enough to bring props and wardrobe that worked really well with my style of photography.  I recommend her highly to other photographers. 

Bella Bianca

 
I worked with a great figure model named Bella Bianca  (MM#1017976) who arrived yesterday at my studio with her chihauha, who was so well behaved I put him in the pics too. 

I lived in the Bronx when I was going to college at Fordham University not far from where Bella is now located, and working with her brought it back to me how great the Bronx and its people really are.  Bella was down to earth, a lot of fun to photograph and totally professional.

Veterans' Day Parade

 
Although I often disagree vehemently with politicans who begin wars, I have the highest respect for those who have served in the Armed Forces and risked their lives to keep Americans safe.

 
 
 

Alfred Stieglitz Exhibit at Seaport Museum

 
I went to the Seaport Museum for the first time last week.  The museum is showing an interesting exhibit of Stieglitz' photos of NYC spanning a number of years of his residency here.  They range from his pictorial work from the late nineteenth century to his views from the Shelton of the construction of the RCA building.  One thing that should be noted, though, is that most of these photos are not original prints but extremely high quality photogravure reproductions (taken, I assume, from issues of Camera Work).  There is also a smaller exhibit of photos of NYC taken by other photographers associated with the Photo Secession as well as a number of out of print photo books of NYC shown under glass.

The price of admission is $15 and includes admission to the museum's boats, where I took the photos shown.

 
 

Great Model and Great Smile!!!

 
I worked for the first time yesterday with a ModelMayhem model (#1771449) named Cui Wang.  I'd recommend her to any photographer looking for a beautiful model.  Cui was a totally fun, down to earth person; yet at the same time, she was completely professional at all times.  I hope to work with her again in the future and to post more photos of her here.

Easter Parade, Part 4

These are the last of the photos from the Easter Parade earlier this month.  I had so much fun taking them.