A New Camera, A New Photographer, A Not-so-New Model!

BIG NEWS!

It has come - the time to upgrade to a new camera. It is an exciting time! There is some more news that will be coming along with it (good news of course), but it's not quite at sharable status yet. So stay tuned! But in the meantime, I enjoyed taking my Canon 7D out for a "get to know you date" with my lifetime date (aka wife) to get to know how to use the 7D a little better - and of course enjoy time with my wife. Having my Rebel XTi for 4 1/2 years had me so used to the settings, how to change things quickly and make them the way I wanted, I was so used to the weight and size, and everything changes with the 7D. In order to do the very same things, I had to read the owner's manual...the OWNER'S MANUAL! You think, "Who even reads those anymore??" Well, I read a lot of it. It's very informative and a good reminder of settings, but more importantly I needed to actually LEARN how to change the settings quickly, rather than the slow way which I had figured out easily.

Short story long, here are some photos I took of my beautiful wife Christina - we went down to South Beach Miami (look for my next post) and walked around for the day. It was 95 degrees...and humid of course. So it's not a photographer's dream to be sweaty and trying not to drip all over his camera, nor is it fun for a model who is also sweating. These shots were taken after cooling down for a good half hour or so in a coffee shop, enjoying cold drinks and VERY cold a/c (Florida knows how to keep things cool!), so we weren't too bad by now!

Since we were both pretty unfamiliar with South Beach - as far as finding cool spots to take photos - I tried to keep my eyes peeled for some good ones. I definitely like this one we found (above). This is along the sidewalk that follows the beach - I wouldn't really classify it as a boardwalk. But this short wall added some cool dimension to the photo and elevated my beautiful subject, which also helped remove the people walking and cars behind her.

Here's my new photographer! Christina now tells me this is her camera (the XTi). It mostly is, unless I need a backup! I'm so excited to help teach her how to use it at a more advanced level, since she already knows the basics. She'll be a pro in no time.

I don't think I can pick a favorite between this photo and the first on this post. She is SO beautiful! Stay tuned for a post about South Beach!

Some Magazine-Like Photography: From New York

So here they are - a few of the "model-y" shots.
Erin is a GREAT model, huh?! Let me know if you have any favorites - use the comment box!

 Have a great weekend! New posts will be coming soon...that's a GUARANTEE!! Good news is coming too...

NEW Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital - Officially Open to the Public Today!

In honor of the official first day of seeing patients, I wanted to share a couple more photos of inside the brand new hospital - part of Memorial Regional Healthcare System. The doors opened at 7 a.m. from what I heard and I'm not exactly sure when they started moving patients from the old hospital to the new hospital, but it was probably sometime this morning!

3rd Floor - Imaging Service

Child Life Specialist explains the play CT scan
machine - rumored to cost about $20,000! The scan
can be pushed in (usually with a teddy bear on the bed)
and the screen will show a "photo" of the bear's heart,
brain, or lungs - the photos are on a loop. I think I
should get into the medical play toys industry.

This is one of the opertaing rooms at JDCH - this is a panoramic
photo that didn't come out perfectly, but still looks cool!

Above is the Oncology holding room - with a little play area/lounge

Check my previous post for more photos of inside of the Hospital and July 16th's grand opening celebration...
Let There Be Light Photography: Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Grand Opening Celebration SATURDAY! JDCH Hollywood, FL

Lauren's College Graduation Portraits

Well, I know that a little time has gone by, but I wanted to share these photos I took of my sister the day of her graduation - towards the evening. I pretty much made her do it, but hopefully she enjoys some of the shots at least. I'm sure I'll be able to tell if one of them becomes her Facebook profile photo. Anyways, they were all taken in her neighborhood (well, old neighborhood now) and Wingaersheek Beach, in Gloucester, MA - near Rockport, Beverly, Wenham, etc. It was still a little chilly, especially on the beach!

 Though I think her face is a little dark, Lauren
preferred this one to the one where the sun is in 

her face!

And what would this collection be without a lovely finish?!

Congratulations to Lauren on graduating! If anyone has favorites, please share!

Lauren's Graduation Part II: Family Photography

Looking towards Gloucester/Rockport peninsula -

Saw this lighthouse on a walk we took around

Lauren's neighborhood. Lauren insisted I take a photo.

Mom, Lauren, and Dad on the beach

Mom and Dad on the beach

Kyle striking a pose...

Me, Lauren, and Kyle on the Beach - I think between

graduation for Lauren, my wedding, and Kyle's wedding,

there will be plenty of pictures to choose from of
the three of us!

A lovely photo of Mom and Lauren!

Some senior portrait style photos of Lauren
will be next and last of this series!

Weekend Wedding: Palm City, FL Part III - Reception

So I went up to Massachusetts to good ol' Gordon College for my sister's graduation - so before I post those photos I have this post and one more of the family wedding from a week and a half ago! Enjoy!

 

 Kyle preparing for his bestman speech!

Kyle delivering the speech to the newlyweds!

Our last wedding being engaged!

Almost sisters!

Future daughter-in-law and mother-in-law!

 

Hummel cousins

Many of the ladies in the family doing a dance...

Mom and Aunt Robin

Mom and Lauren

Grandma and Uncle Kurt

Weekend Wedding: Palm City, Florida

This past weekend I went up to and stayed on Hutchinson Island (Fort Pierce Vero Beach Palm City area) for my cousins wedding. My cousin and his wife live in Illinois, but his parents live in Palm City now - and work as the pastor and pastor's wife at a Presbyterian Church there. Anyways, that is where they got married and why they chose Florida - not just for the warm weather! Though that would also make sense, it is slowly getting warmer and warmer and more and more humid. So I can imagine that summer weddings are not quite as popular as in my native Northeastern culture in New York and the surrounding areas. It was a little rainy for their special day, but since it was an indoor wedding, it didn't put too much of a damper on things. I hadn't seen my cousin for years, so it was fun to catch up with him and also to see Angie again - I had met her probably once before.

As always, it was great to see family and this was the first wedding that my fiance and I were able to attend together as an engaged couple and will also be the last one since we are getting married in just ONE short month! How exciting!

Here are some photos from the wedding - I will post at least one more time with reception photos and the like....

They had the flower girl pulling a wagon with two babies
in it - they were very cute and managed to stay happy the whole time!

He caught me taking a photo!

__________

Top Left: Beautiful bride, Angie, walking down the aisle with her father

Top Right: Reverend Anderson during the service

Bottom Left: My Aunt Robin being ushered to her seat (mother of the groom)

Bottom Right: Officially husband and wife!

__________

So the order is more how I liked it and
not chronological! But the photo
above is during their vows...

They chose to have rose pedals thrown as they made their way to their car - after talking with Christina, we definitely both like the rose pedal idea but will probably go with something like bubbles if we have something at all. It's a little different since we don't have to drive anywhere for our reception! Side note on what to throw at the bride and groom as they exit...bird seed, rice, and any other small projectile seems like such a terrible idea when there is a bride involved. It is easy for the groom (usually) to get something out of his hair or brushed off his tuxedo or suit, but for a bride it proves much more difficult. Maybe some people just really want to feed birds? And yes, I am aware that rice is "so out" since it can injure birds.

It is much more fun to go to a wedding when you have your own wedding coming up. It helps you appreciate all the work even more, and also helps with the final ideas and thoughts about your own wedding. And it's always fun to see people get married!

I will be working on the next post, so stay tuned for some more photos!