Travel & Portrait Photography

As a photographer, I enjoy capturing images that reflect a broad range of cultures.  The subsequent ones represent a small sample of regular portraits and global images that speak a thousand words.  Both genres are captivating because they personify the things that make the world go round.

Tradition

History

Religion

  Tranquility

Tragedy

Wonder

Symbolism

Industry

Admiration

Child's Play

Siblings

Friends

Family

 

Love

 Stay tuned for more images from Villa Décor Photography’s global archive!


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Religious Images of a Roman Holiday

The images of the enthusiastic crowds spilling into the streets of Rome and the Holy See, during the papal conclave, brought up a memory of one of my fondest trips to Italy. This particular vacation revolved around more than just gastronomic binges, great shopping, cultural exploration and the endless warmth of the Italian people. This holiday was also steeped in religious traditions and photography (of course).

Anyone who shares a great passion for photography and traveling can understand the need to capture the uniquely beautiful images of places that he/she visits. This is especially the case for anyone who sets eyes on Rome, the Holy See and every other Italian City. 

Visitors can’t help turning their attention to the intriguing cliques of clergymen and nuns, who casually stroll or rush through the streets, donning a wide array of religious vestments that either suit them the best or reflect the orders that they serve.  These candid images personify a country that is shrouded in strong catholic traditions.

Regardless of one’s religious beliefs, the sight of St. Peter’s Basilica invokes an unparalleled fascination with the seat of a 2,000 year old establishment. The sheer size of this iconic structure, the rich history, breathtaking sculptures and stunning works of art that cover every square foot of the Vatican, will leave a person in awe.

 

The greatest part of visiting the Holy See becomes evident when massive crowds of the faithful and / or the curious flock to St. Peter’s Square to catch a glimpse of the Pope presiding over a catholic service.

 

 

This week, as I watched the crowds anxiously waiting for the newly elected Pope Francis to emerge from the papal balcony, I thought about the day that I got an opportunity to see and snap pictures of Pope Benedict XVI, on the very same spot.

It was a moment in time that I will always cherish, but hope to repeat, someday, when I take another Roman holiday. *Fingers crossed*...hoping to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis, on a future trip.

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New Yorkers

Always on the move. 

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Photo Props

Remember when a winning smile, great backdrop, model pose or a beautifully candid moment provided the perfect elements for capturing outstanding photographs.  Of course you do.  Those traditional photographs are still in demand, but so are the images that possess a "wow" factor that cannot be projected in cookie cutter pictures.

A fascination for exploring creative photo trends has inspired a growing population of subjects to incorporate props into their photoshoots. Such images help convey a story that speaks volumes about a poignant moment in a subject’s life.

REMEMBER...

Sharing some exciting news.

Anxiously waiting to unwrap one of life’s greatest gifts.

The carefree moments of childhood.



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Changing With the Digital Times

As a media professional, I am very well aware that an organization’s success is contingent on its willingness to change with the times…especially in the rapidly evolving digital age.  Exponential volumes of consumers are placing greater dependency on mobile devices and internet resources for various purposes… shopping, entertainment, catching up on current events, fact finding, job hunting, socializing, photo sharing… you name it.  The digital age is offering modern conveniences that consumers expect their service providers to deliver. Organizations that are indifferent to the digital revolution, are surviving on borrowed time.  They risk being abandoned by loyal audiences / consumers, who will flock to the competitor that can deliver on conventional computers, SMART PHONES and TABLETS alike.

Switching gears…As a photographer, I was very eager to develop a website that featured my work.  Like many other photographers, I immediately gravitated to a flash enabled website that offered the most graphically appealing solution, with animated features, that would surely attract the masses.  I was convinced that I had the perfect vehicle for showcasing my portfolio and promoting my brand.  Why???  Because this website was “cutting edge”, it looked professional, it was easy to navigate and it was a great representation of my brand.  In truth, such aesthetics were trivial and not enough to effectively reach the masses, promote my brand or maintain a presence in the digital arena.  Reality hit when it became clear that this beautifully designed site could only be accessed on desktops and laptops.  It could not be accessed on the mobile phones or tablets, that possessed a tight hold on an increasing volume of consumers.

Translation… People who relied on mobile devices for everything would not to see my site.  Consumers who were accustomed to immediate conveniences were not wasting their time trying to figure out why they couldn’t access the site.  As a result, they were likely moving on, in hopes of finding another photography website that was mobile-friendly / easily accessible.

Lesson learned…Repeated attempts to engage a growing population of mobile dependent audiences and drive them to my flash site were futile.  I recognized the necessity of changing coarse and severing ties with the non-mobile friendly flash platform that so many photographers embraced.  It was time for me to take the logical step of practicing what I preached in my media profession -- change with the times, in order to meet the needs of consumers.

As much as I loved my flash site, I had to replace it with a mobile-friendly HTML site that was accessible to everyone, on every digital device…especially smart phones and tablets.

Adapting to mobile devices won’t be the last challenge to be presented to service providers.  As the digital world continues to make advances, consumer demand will keep evolving and organizations will continue to face new trials.  A few simple solutions for managing such challenges include remaining vigilant of digital trends, staying attuned to consumer behavior and adapting to changes that will meet the needs of your audience.   

Quick and final note… establishing and maintaining a presence on social media platforms is also a major “plus” for organizations that want to remain competitive in the digital age.

Lessons From a Golden Hour Photoshoot

Villa Décor Photography's inaugural blog is finally here!  I’m super excited about sharing professional experiences, photography trends, the latest news and inspiring perspectives.   

With each project that I have undertaken, a new lesson has been learned.  Some of the lessons that I took away from photo sessions revolved around being flexible, having a plan B, C, D, etc and having fun!

At no time was that more evident than the day that I scheduled a sunset beach maternity photoshoot.  Since I was familiar with the position of the sunset at a particular beach, I was adamant about using that venue for the photoshoot.  Although there was a high probability that we would have been surrounded and interrupted by multitudes of beach goers, I was confident that everything would still go my way.  Why???  Because the perfect beach was located, the weather was cooperating and an appointed time was established.  In a perfect world, these variables would have been the perfect recipe for a golden hour photoshoot. 

Reality hit when we realized that the day was coming to an end… only 40 minutes remained until dusk…and, the expectant mom lived several miles away from this perfect beach.  There was no way that we would get to the designated venue in time to take advantage of the sun’s coveted golden hour.

Plan B materialized when the expectant mom suggested that we switch venues, and go to a beach that was within a closer proximity to her house.  I wasn’t familiar with the sun’s angle in that environment, but nonetheless, I ambivalently agreed to change beach locations.  As we drove to this new venue, I became increasingly worried, as I noticed the sun’s decent in the rear view mirror.  The expectant mom didn’t understand why this was even an issue, because it was still daylight.  As I continued to fret and chat, another unexpected problem emerged. We missed the exit to this backup beach.  At this stage, I was past the point of concern, because I knew that it would take too long to find a quick path back to the new venue.  The sun continued diving into the horizon…we were losing the light…there was no beach in sight… and I was ready to throw in the towel of defeat.   I came to terms with the fact that the golden hour photoshoot would not be happening, on that day.  As I continued to talk myself into giving up, the expectant mom casually (somewhat half jokingly) mentioned that we could still make it to the "fake beach".  That’s right, she said "fake beach".  When I looked at her in disbelief and realized that she was serious, I burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter, tinged with more disbelief.  My perfect beach was replaced by a backup beach and the backup beach was replaced by a "fake beach".  I couldn’t have made this story up even if I tried.

In any case, we ended up finding this easily overlooked "fake beach" that was situated on the side road of major boulevard.  It was a small strip of concrete land and semi-rocky sand that was sandwiched between the ocean and a busy boulevard of motorized traffic and commercial venues.  

The tides were beginning to turn. This replacement beach had a small but nearly empty parking lot, right in front of the sand. There were only a few wind surfers and beach dwellers hanging around.  There were still a couple of minutes remaining until the sun disappeared into the horizon. But best of all, as I looked across the ocean’s waves, I noticed that the sun’s position was even better than it would have been at the original "perfect" beach venue. We rushed out of the car and immediately got to work with the photoshoot.  The perfect golden tones surrounded the expectant mom’s silhouette, in the forefront of the sun’s final decent. We beat the clock and captured tons of great shots during that golden hour. 

It could have been a missed opportunity without the willingness to be flexible…without the willingness to listen to the alternatives and without the willingness to have a sense of humor that compelled me to take a chance.  In the end, the sunset maternity photo session worked out better than I could have imagined, with stunning results.