Colleen standing in

Our summer intern Colleen Cummins (CC) was volunteered (or pimped) by me to stand in for fellow Palm Beach Post shooter Damon Higgins as we both waited for a couple of University of Miami Hurricanes football players to show up for portraits. CC was standing on my little step stool trying to look like the 6'5" dude Damon had to shoot. She was about a foot shorter even on the stool.

Fujifilm's new cameras

So I get my dpreview.com e-newsletter and guess what ? Fujifilm has a new line of Finepix cameras coming out in September ! This only a week after I sold my F31 and bought a Z5. Now I'm having 2nd thoughts. One of the models sounds too good to be true. The F50fd is only .1mm thicker and .2mm longer than my current Z5 which is super small. It's described as the newest replacement for the F30 and F31 which is ranked as THE BEST low light performing P & S digi in the market. The awsome thing is that it now features FULL MANUAL controls, which to me takes it to a different ballpark. It's carry all the time small, low light kick ass performance and now it has full manual controls. The other 2 models are basically outside design upgrades to the Z5; the Z50 and the Z100. Both look great but are pretty much the same camera as the Z5. AND, there's the S480 which is slim and black AND it features a 28mm wide angle lens.
Here's the link: http://www.dpreview.com/

Mija gets a treat

Mija got a rawhide bone from our neighbor Ellie yesterday. This was a thank you from her and her son Jose. Tuesday I found their dog "Mickey" who had gotten out of the house when they were getting ready to leave their house for the day. Actually, Mickey found me. He walked up to me. Anyway, he's back home and Ellie and Jose gave Mija the treat and we got a thank you note written by Jose. After almost an hour of her chewing the thing I took it away, some dogs will choke on the pieces of rawhide.

Yeah, why not ?

I think this was in the old David's Diner in Miami Shores (currently a Starbucks).
Gotta love the eyes.

My bling and Josue

My buddy Josue Fraticelli got me some serious bling during a Puerto Rican Christmas celebration in Miami 2 years ago. It was December in South Florida, temperatures were all the way down to the low 70's, brrrrrrrrrr.

Cheo Feliciano

Isaida and I flew cack from P.R. on the cheap 1st class section of a Spirit Air flight from San Juan last January. Sitting behind us was the legendary Cheo Feliciano ! I didn't realize he is so short (he's my height), he sounds larger than life. Isaida recognized him. We did our groupie pic. He was very very nice. The next day we saw him on tv promoting a upcoming show in Miami. I kept looking for "Amada Mia" in my ipods. No luck. I gotta get that song. I do have Raton (or whatever that song is called), "de cualquier malla, sale un raton oye..."

Life's simple pleasures I miss

Today I had to shoot a swimsuit trade show @ the Miami Beach Convention Center. Sounded like something I'd enjoy. WRONG ! I had to check in @ the show office where I was quickly told I'd have to have a chaperone w/me @ all times. The chaperone was to get permission from anyone I was to photograph BEFORE I shot anything. So much for candid moments. Turns out the fashionistas are super protective of their newest designs. Apparently fashion people go around stealing other peeps designs and selling the crap before the originators have a chance to do so. Who knew ? I was questioned several times by different minders in the booths who I was ? what where the pics for ? blablabla. After about an hour trying to make pics, my minder told me that the woman in charge called her and said that my time was up and it was time I for me to leave. She even took my credential away when we walked out of the hall ! When I got to my car I found 2 text messages and a voice mail from one of the models I shot in one booth (she had asked for a biz card). She was all freaked out about her picture running in the Sentinel. Turns out she's a teacher in Broward and doesn't wanna appear modeling in the paper, like she was turning tricks or something. A complete disaster of an assignment. My pics sucked and my attitude about it too. Call me old school but if we're gonna give a damn swimsuit trade show a free plug, they should kiss our behinds and be more grateful. Enough bitching. I shot this pic of this kid playing w/his PSP outside of the trade show hall. I wish I was him.

Miguel, Dontrelle and me

Shot a portrait of Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis last year for some story. I had a few minutes with them. Shot them in some eating area with lockers, a small ass room I was told I could use to set up. They were really cool and funny, no egos and attitude. Please don't laugh @ my setup.

Cancun @ night

A snapshot with my F30 (3 secs xposure) from my hotel room balcony last year. I was on my way to Cuba.

Ahi viene Iris Chacon

I had never done this before, and haven't done it since this happened. I had to shoot a portrait of Iris Chacón in a hotel room. I was still working for El Nuevo Herald. It has to be a very powerful thing to know that amost every man who sees you thinks "coño, que rica esta esa jeva". Even though she is a little over the hill now, when I see her I think about that Coolant commercial. Anyway, I asked her to pose w/me for a picture and she suggested we jump in the bed together. I had my sneakers on !!! Si tu boquita fuera, de chocolate, de chocolate, yo me la pasaria, bate que bate... Jaja

Isaida and FALV

I found this old picture of Isaida with the guys from Fiel a la Vega "backstage" after performing a set in Calle 8 in Miami a few years ago. I don't really remember what year this wasy, I shot this w/a FILM point and shoot ! I had just given Tito the personalized license plate from my convertible VW bug (which is STILL parked in my garage). Tito didn't wanna take the plate, I had to convince him to.