How time flies - another Halloween - and another drive up to West Hollywood Carnival. Should have lots of pictures to bring back and will post some here. The weather is perfect, and hopefully won't get too chilly tonight, but then, all I have to do is check out the East Coast - I've heard "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas," but never a white Halloween! I'm from Long Island, and never had snow this early. They're probably wondering where the global warming went.
Anyway, back to West Hollywood tonight - I go to photograph the really great costumes. And one thing I've noticed over the years - everyone is in a great mood and friendly, having a great time. Although it does get a bit crowded from around 10pm - 1am or so - can hardly get through the crowds. 400,000-500,000 is a lot of people, all in a relatively small area. But if you get the chance, definitely go and have some fun. Perhaps I'll have some good stories to tell tomorrow about tonight.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
It's Friday.......Almost
I'm still planning things for the Wedding Photography; meanwhile, during my planning, I am finding some pretty neat software for free on the internet. One is called Fast Stone Photo Resizer - you can do several things with it besides resize photos. The reason I tried it is that you can watermark your photos, and I believe you can do any size batch that you might want.
The other software that is pretty neat (thus the name) is called NeatImage, and it does a great job of lessening the noise, which is especially good for high ISO images. The other day I had been testing my camera, set the ISO to 1600 during the testing, and neglected to put it back to 200. After using NeatImage on it, well, I guess I should post a crop of the before and after.
If you click on each photo, it will be obvious which is before and after. If I had spent a little more time, probably could have even done better.
Now, about my special pancakes. Which I totally make from scratch. They're good....no, they are great. So I've been told. And I use grade B organic maple syrup on them, along with coconut oil instead of butter. So, how do I make them and what's in them?
First, I grind my own grain into flour (sometimes use spelt, sometimes wheatberries, and occasionally mix in some other grains). I add some baking powder and baking soda (non-aluminum). An egg. Sesame seeds and almonds. Blend that with purified water, banana, and strawberries. Mix it all up into a batter, and then add sliced strawberries and blueberries. Heat up griddle, pour batter, cover it, then when one side done, flip it and cover again. And that's it. Hope you enjoy!!!!
If you try it or have any questions on making them, don't hesitate to contact me, as you can do with questions about anything related to photography (also vitamins, supplements, and health).
In my next post, I will talk about why photography means so much to me, and why it can and should mean as much to you.
The other software that is pretty neat (thus the name) is called NeatImage, and it does a great job of lessening the noise, which is especially good for high ISO images. The other day I had been testing my camera, set the ISO to 1600 during the testing, and neglected to put it back to 200. After using NeatImage on it, well, I guess I should post a crop of the before and after.
If you click on each photo, it will be obvious which is before and after. If I had spent a little more time, probably could have even done better.
Now, about my special pancakes. Which I totally make from scratch. They're good....no, they are great. So I've been told. And I use grade B organic maple syrup on them, along with coconut oil instead of butter. So, how do I make them and what's in them?
First, I grind my own grain into flour (sometimes use spelt, sometimes wheatberries, and occasionally mix in some other grains). I add some baking powder and baking soda (non-aluminum). An egg. Sesame seeds and almonds. Blend that with purified water, banana, and strawberries. Mix it all up into a batter, and then add sliced strawberries and blueberries. Heat up griddle, pour batter, cover it, then when one side done, flip it and cover again. And that's it. Hope you enjoy!!!!
If you try it or have any questions on making them, don't hesitate to contact me, as you can do with questions about anything related to photography (also vitamins, supplements, and health).
In my next post, I will talk about why photography means so much to me, and why it can and should mean as much to you.
Friday, October 14, 2011
It's Friday
We've had another one of our short lived heatwaves in L.A. the past few days. Thankfully, all of our heatwaves this past Summer have been short. And the ocean helps keep things a little cooler the closer you get. Great for bike riding along the bike path at the beach. The scenery is beautiful, the air is clean, the exercise is wonderful.
I ride my bike to the paddle tennis courts at Venice Beach. The courts are in the process of being resurfaced, and reconditioned.
On to other things. Besides writing about photography, I will be writing a lot about health, too, because without great health, you won't get the absolute best photography.
Most photographers are now using digital cameras. Some photographers will give you a CD of your images instead of, or in addition to, prints. Depending on how the CD was manufactured will determine how long the images on it will last. Some will be for 3 - 5 years, others will last for 100+ years - always ask for the long lasting ones, and then copy them anyway. And keep the copies in different locations (a friend's or family member's home).
About photography with me - I ALWAYS like to make sure it is fun for all involved, that you have a great time, and that you get great photography. Always! Which is why when you visit my site you'll see my guarantee. You won't find a better one. And you can always contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. About photography. Or health, too! I have over 25 years experience in both. Why am I passionate (I hate to use that word, as everyone uses it, LOL) about photography (perhaps I should say why I LOVE photography)? And why do I want to photograph weddings? Many reasons, but most important - it's so great to see two people in total love with each other, and celebrating it. I love beauty - and on that day, you will look your most beautiful ever! I like happiness - and what day will ever be happier? And to record memories of that day for you is a total honor.
This is all for today - have a great day and weekend, and enjoy all that you do.
I ride my bike to the paddle tennis courts at Venice Beach. The courts are in the process of being resurfaced, and reconditioned.
On to other things. Besides writing about photography, I will be writing a lot about health, too, because without great health, you won't get the absolute best photography.
Most photographers are now using digital cameras. Some photographers will give you a CD of your images instead of, or in addition to, prints. Depending on how the CD was manufactured will determine how long the images on it will last. Some will be for 3 - 5 years, others will last for 100+ years - always ask for the long lasting ones, and then copy them anyway. And keep the copies in different locations (a friend's or family member's home).
About photography with me - I ALWAYS like to make sure it is fun for all involved, that you have a great time, and that you get great photography. Always! Which is why when you visit my site you'll see my guarantee. You won't find a better one. And you can always contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. About photography. Or health, too! I have over 25 years experience in both. Why am I passionate (I hate to use that word, as everyone uses it, LOL) about photography (perhaps I should say why I LOVE photography)? And why do I want to photograph weddings? Many reasons, but most important - it's so great to see two people in total love with each other, and celebrating it. I love beauty - and on that day, you will look your most beautiful ever! I like happiness - and what day will ever be happier? And to record memories of that day for you is a total honor.
This is all for today - have a great day and weekend, and enjoy all that you do.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
What a beautiful day it was today in Venice Beach. Perfect weather for anything. For me, it was paddle tennis - as I've become addicted to that sport. There could be worse things to be addicted to, no? If anyone is curious about what paddle tennis is, you can check it out, live at Venice Beach, by clicking on this link: venicebeachlivecam.tv.
On to other things - I keep finding great sites related to photography, the latest is this one: http://www.facebook.com/rocktheshot . I haven't fully explored it yet, but it looks pretty interesting. Each day I am doing research into doing wedding photography again, and each day am moving closer to making it a reality. One of the things I will be looking for is a second photographer to work with at weddings, to insure that we get the best possible photos of the bride and groom and of all the meaningful, emotional, and beautiful moments of that day. So if you are a photographer who happens by here, and you are interested in this, please let me know. I can be contacted at tonybel@gmail.com.
Now, for some more of my past wedding photography:
These last two photographs were taken inside the ladies room at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset.
On to other things - I keep finding great sites related to photography, the latest is this one: http://www.facebook.com/rocktheshot . I haven't fully explored it yet, but it looks pretty interesting. Each day I am doing research into doing wedding photography again, and each day am moving closer to making it a reality. One of the things I will be looking for is a second photographer to work with at weddings, to insure that we get the best possible photos of the bride and groom and of all the meaningful, emotional, and beautiful moments of that day. So if you are a photographer who happens by here, and you are interested in this, please let me know. I can be contacted at tonybel@gmail.com.
Now, for some more of my past wedding photography:
These last two photographs were taken inside the ladies room at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Rainy day in L.A. - so watched wedding photographer Jasmine Star interviewed by Chase Jarvis (http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/2010/09/chasejarvislive-repost-jasmine-star/) - great interview, lots of great info, but one thing I think was left out was her FABULOUS personality. Interview was 1hr 43min and I found it difficult to take a break. Couldn't wait to hear what was next and enjoy her laughter.
If you are a photographer just starting out, check out Jasmine's blog and FaceBook pages - she offers lots of very helpful information. Also, feel free to ask me anything - if I can help in any way, I will be happy to! If you are planning to get married, check out her blog, too, and also her website. And in the near future, please check mine, too. My early New Year's resolution is to be doing wedding photography again in 2012.
Afterwards, heard the sad news of Steve Jobs, and read these two quotes, which perhaps will make a difference in someone's life:
“.. almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
I don't want to go into too much detail here, but do want to mention that besides over 30 years of experience in photography, I have over 20 years experience in vitamins, supplements, and nutrition, with a masters degree in Holistic Nutrition. I mention this because I cannot overstate the importance of good health, especially as related to good photography. If you feel your absolute best, your pictures will look their absolute best (assuming you have a good photographer, who also feels his/her best). The more variables you can eliminate (and health is one of those), the more likely you will improve your results in photography.
This brings me to one more of my favorite quotes (not sure of exact quote, but this is the gist of it): "He who has health, has hope, and who has hope, has everything."
In future posts I will be talking about anything from photography to health, recipes, and many other things. Hope you will find it of interest. Oh - and adding pictures, of course.
If you are a photographer just starting out, check out Jasmine's blog and FaceBook pages - she offers lots of very helpful information. Also, feel free to ask me anything - if I can help in any way, I will be happy to! If you are planning to get married, check out her blog, too, and also her website. And in the near future, please check mine, too. My early New Year's resolution is to be doing wedding photography again in 2012.
Afterwards, heard the sad news of Steve Jobs, and read these two quotes, which perhaps will make a difference in someone's life:
“.. almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
I don't want to go into too much detail here, but do want to mention that besides over 30 years of experience in photography, I have over 20 years experience in vitamins, supplements, and nutrition, with a masters degree in Holistic Nutrition. I mention this because I cannot overstate the importance of good health, especially as related to good photography. If you feel your absolute best, your pictures will look their absolute best (assuming you have a good photographer, who also feels his/her best). The more variables you can eliminate (and health is one of those), the more likely you will improve your results in photography.
This brings me to one more of my favorite quotes (not sure of exact quote, but this is the gist of it): "He who has health, has hope, and who has hope, has everything."
In future posts I will be talking about anything from photography to health, recipes, and many other things. Hope you will find it of interest. Oh - and adding pictures, of course.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Some Sample Wedding Photos
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. As mentioned in my very first post on this blog, I would add some wedding photos that I had taken many years ago with film, taken with a Nikon FTn. Due to the age of the images, many had faded or shifted colors. During scanning, some of these problems were lessened or eliminated. I was then able to repair many more of them with PhotoShop; however, there may still be some remnants of age visible. If some of you have old photographs that you've given up on due to fading, spots, torn photos, or other problems, many times these can be fixed and the photo can once again look like new.
I remember this wedding in particular because the bride and groom were wonderful to work with, and everyone involved were also great. Because this was photographed with film, the total amount of exposures was limited - I think around 144 exposures were taken. With digital, which I now use, the amount of exposures is almost limitless (only limited by the amount of time of the wedding and reception). That is one advantage of digital. Another is that you can choose to have each image in color, B&W, or any combination of the two.
I remember this wedding in particular because the bride and groom were wonderful to work with, and everyone involved were also great. Because this was photographed with film, the total amount of exposures was limited - I think around 144 exposures were taken. With digital, which I now use, the amount of exposures is almost limitless (only limited by the amount of time of the wedding and reception). That is one advantage of digital. Another is that you can choose to have each image in color, B&W, or any combination of the two.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Introduction to Tony
Hi everyone and hope you enjoy my new blog!!! I'm hoping this will grow in popularity and that I can offer you useful and fun information on a few topics. Some of it will be about me, so that you can get to know me better, most will be about photography, and some will be about health. And, of course, anything else I can think of to share with you that you will hopefully find interesting, enjoyable, informative, and fun.
Because this is mostly a photography related blog, let me start here. I took my first photos at age 7, with a metal box camera that cousin gave me after he returned from Germany (he was in the army). Fast forward about 16 years, and I bought my first Nikon while in the Air Force. I got it on December 31st, and shot the Rose Bowl parade the following morning. Talk about a fast learning curve! During that time, I learned how to develop B&W film, and print pictures (digital photography was still far in the future). After the Air Force, went back to college where I became the yearbook photography editor, and shot thousands of photos. I also got married, received my B.A. degree in Psychology, and then moved to Santa Barbara. Since then, have been a nightclub photographer for the Jockey Club in Marina Del Rey, worked for a talent agency in Beverly Hills, photographed headshots and composites for models and actors, and in 1991, opened a health food store in Santa Monica (Here's To Your Health).
I am now in the planning stages to continue wedding photography again. I had photographed around 15 - 20 weddings prior to the 1990's. Since that time, wedding photography has changed from more formal and stiff poses to more candid, photo-journalistic, showing more emotions, and also more relaxed photos, which I personally prefer - but will be happy to follow whatever wishes you may have. Another BIG change was the switch from film cameras to digital, which has soooo many advantages, which I will cover in my next post. As well, I will add some of my past wedding photos to that post (they were shot with film, then scanned - but because of their age, and because film deteriorates over time, please keep in mind that they may not be perfect. But thanks to PhotoShop, I was able to fix them quite a bit).
But for now, it is a beautiful sunny Sunday, and the paddle tennis courts in Venice are calling me, so gotta get out there and play some.
Because this is mostly a photography related blog, let me start here. I took my first photos at age 7, with a metal box camera that cousin gave me after he returned from Germany (he was in the army). Fast forward about 16 years, and I bought my first Nikon while in the Air Force. I got it on December 31st, and shot the Rose Bowl parade the following morning. Talk about a fast learning curve! During that time, I learned how to develop B&W film, and print pictures (digital photography was still far in the future). After the Air Force, went back to college where I became the yearbook photography editor, and shot thousands of photos. I also got married, received my B.A. degree in Psychology, and then moved to Santa Barbara. Since then, have been a nightclub photographer for the Jockey Club in Marina Del Rey, worked for a talent agency in Beverly Hills, photographed headshots and composites for models and actors, and in 1991, opened a health food store in Santa Monica (Here's To Your Health).
I am now in the planning stages to continue wedding photography again. I had photographed around 15 - 20 weddings prior to the 1990's. Since that time, wedding photography has changed from more formal and stiff poses to more candid, photo-journalistic, showing more emotions, and also more relaxed photos, which I personally prefer - but will be happy to follow whatever wishes you may have. Another BIG change was the switch from film cameras to digital, which has soooo many advantages, which I will cover in my next post. As well, I will add some of my past wedding photos to that post (they were shot with film, then scanned - but because of their age, and because film deteriorates over time, please keep in mind that they may not be perfect. But thanks to PhotoShop, I was able to fix them quite a bit).
But for now, it is a beautiful sunny Sunday, and the paddle tennis courts in Venice are calling me, so gotta get out there and play some.
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