Diversity...

My passion for photography does not end in wedding photography...
I love fashion and editorial photography just as much. I just haven't had time to pursue it much over the last two years...

VC28 is making it possible to go back to this.

-As always, one of the most important rules for me/us is to have fun while doing our job. For this particular job we rented a convertible to go to Coney Island and had a great day... and got some amazing shots!!!!-

I hope you all agree!






All shots by Victor Affaro and I.
This shoot was done for a Dance/Art magazine.
Thanks to Bandwagon productions for making this shoot such a success!
Oh and thanks to our Mini Cooper convertible for making it so much fun to get to Coney Island... and get wet because our top wouldn't work!!!

Developing a "style"...

Eric (an amazing fashion photographer) and his beautiful stylist bride -start off the session!

When I began shooting weddings I really wanted to shoot them under my own perspective and hopefully by doing this, I would bring a unique style to wedding photography, or at the very least to the weddings I would shoot under my name...

Over the last several weeks I have been adamant about going back to this and working hard on developing a style that is truly unique...
I have been shooting constantly all summer long...
Weddings every weekend and fashion on weekdays...
Finally, I feel I am getting closer.
These are definitely exciting times...

My photobooth has been extremely popular since it's launch, probably because it was very different to the photobooths that weddings photographers set up. I am in no way saying it is better, just unique and different.
Truly a Cavaweddings photobooth.
And now it comes in different backgrounds!!!!
enjoy!

This has to be my favorite "family portrait" of all time!!!!

Victor and I loving what we do!

I will hopefully have the time to post more often now...
There is so much new and amazing images to share.
I have to thank two people who over the last several weeks have taken the time to give me some invaluable advice and have been there while I made some very important decisions that will affect the way I shoot and handle my business.
Of course one of those is my inseparable photography partner Victor!
And thank you Mel Barlow there is no doubt that I wouldn't shoot the way I shoot without having the inspiration that your photography gives me! (-check out her site... like a friend of mine said: "it's nasty!")

VII and Workshops

In my opinion the core of wedding photography, more than the great angles, posed portraits, fashion like settings, is photojournalism.
Well I am so excited to know that in October, I will be taking a five day intensive workshop with what many believe to be the best photojournalists in the world!


After September 11, 2001 seven of the top photojournalists got together to form one of the most prestigous photographic agencies:

VII

The agency now is composed of nine members and is compared to Magnum constantly, with news agencies and corporations all over the world buying images and hiring them to shoot everything from wars to ad campaigns! You can read more about them by clicking here.
To find out about their workshops you can click here.

FRUSTRATIONS!!!

The DROBO machine is much too slow and now my computer is going haywire. I have had the hardest day! It seems like all my settings and much of my personal info has disappeared from my computer... I'm trying to see if I can somehow recoup my e-mails on this computer....
Fortunately all my images and files ares still where they should be and thank goodness I use .mac and sync constantly....
I'll keep you all updated.

The Coello's and coincidences...

Sometime last year I called up one of my favorite design stores (Design Within Reach) to ask about buying some Aeron chairs.
Lucky me that Cortney answered the phone...
It didn't take long to find out I was a wedding photographer ; )
... Skip to several days later and I had an industrial design guru and a photographer as future clients!
Yes, Carlos (coincidence?) is also a photographer.

These guys are cool.
But not above anything, just down to earth.
I even asked them to pose for some really, really, really cheesy shots -just for fun- and they played their role to the T.
And you guys should see their apartment. Very DWR.

As with most weddings, everything didn't go as planned but they just kept on smiling and having a good time.
The icing on the cake for me was when I saw that they had a band that played Salsa!!!

Cheers guys!!!
See you both soon!


Enjoy!

(Shot with an infrared D70 with grain added later)

As always please be patient while the slideshow loads! And don't forget to lower the volume -also, sorry about the music... I have no choice in the matter-...




I want to also thank Allan Zeppeda for coming and shooting this wedding with me!

ps. Cortney will be my first bride to do a "trash the dress" session. Any ideas????

Two tips...

Do not install software into your computer which you're not sure of... and ALWAYS back up your hard drives -often-.
I just spent an entire day trying to fix my computer.
fortunately I back up my files after every wedding but the editing and color correcting on my most recent weddings have all been lost...
Frustrating.


I just ordered Drobo and bought 3 Terabytes worth of hard drive space. I really hope this will save me unnecessary pains in the future.

Palenke and A.A.

My cousin Felipe "Popa" Erazo from Palenke Soultribe

On Wednesday Palenke's concert was a bit behind schedule...
Only three and a half hours late.
But hey, on Monday my A.A. flight was two hours behind schedule.
It seems like I just have to get used to delays in my life.
But it seems like I have learned to deal with them a lot better since Friday....

Both events however had great endings.
I made some new friends at American Airlines.
And Palenke's live concert was just amazingly... Amazing!!!!
If you like Electronica, you have to see these guys.




I am considering changing my opinion of A.A. because I had a great time with the flight attendants during my flight back from New Mexico. I even got an ice cream treat (reserved for flight crew only)!!!!

I arrived to JFK around 2 hrs late (around midnight)

The smiling faces of A.A.!!!!

Palenke's concert for tonight has been cancelled. Bummer.

Contests: WPJA

A few days ago I learned that one of my images had been selected for recognition on the latest WPJA contest:

19th place: Ceremony

A nice surprise; to say the least!

Reminder! Palenke Soultribe...

Don't forget to come if you can to Palenke's first New York City performance!!!
I hope to see many of you there. Here is a link to their myspace page.

The concert will take place at:
Kion ( 9 East 6th Street, NY, NY 10009)
On Wednesday July 11th, 9PM.

Unnecessary Risks...

Today I almost drowned.

I thought I could swim to the middle Isle.
I knew I was 7000 feet above sea level.
I remembered I used to get asthma attacks.
I thought I was in shape.
I remembered I had swam longer distances before.
I guess I thought I was 23 not 32.
...
My asthma attack began after I had made it a little more than halfway...


My friend Violetta invited me to go skydiving about a month ago.
I said I to her "I don't take unnecessary risks"

Ironic.

Don't take unnecessary risks.
It's not worth it.

Carlos Andres
ps. I am fine now. My lungs still burn but I thank God I am still here.

The I-dinner...

New Apple concept being tested in New Mexico...
The I-dinner.
No longer will tv dinners be a thing of the home!!!

Sopapillas and Enchiladas W/ Green sauce

4th of July fireworks in Santa Fe, NM

Finally!!!

After 3 regional flights and no sleep I made it to New Mexico!
I've been missing the local cuisine so much that I even ate at Albaqurque's airport restaurant... And thoroughly enjoyed it. Even airport food is great here!

As you can tell I am extremely happy to be back.
It is just so beautiful here. -I will post some pics soon...

While in Santa Fe I hung out with my good friend Ben Chrisman and his girlfriend Lauren. Ben is one of Santa Fe's premiere wedding photographers and his work is a constant source of inspiration.
He also seems to know a thing or two about Absinthe...

Ben and Lauren in their Santa Fe home

--------------------
I am now spending the night at a beautiful ranch in Northern New Mexico.
I will be here for the next couple of days to photograph Terra and Dave's wedding which will take place on 7-7-07. A date that seems to be a bit popular... to say the least.

- On another note, the lack of cell phone reception here makes me happy to not have bought an I-phone. It would have been ironic to have spent an entire night waiting in line to buy it, just to go away a few days afterwards and not have service.
In any case, I do not recommend you buy the first generation Iphone...
it seems it's built in web browser Safari does not display Java sites;
Which means you would have a hard time accessing my wedding site...
-A deal breaker if I ever saw one.

PS. -The fireworks (from the top picture) are being reflected from the top of a white van not water!!!-

Avoid A.A.

American Airlines that is.
I'm stuck in Dallas tonight. All A.A. flights have been canceled.
I had been wanting to post about American for a while now... last time I flew with them I had so many problems...
And here they are again. Misinformation central.
It seems I'm not the only one who says that customer service here is terrible. Everyone in the airport was saying it...I hope I never have to fly with them again.
When flights are canceled or delayed they don't even send one person to let you know. In January I found out only through the loudspeakers and the monitors.
Today I had to go out back to the ticket counter and wait an eternity in order get my questions answered!!!
And let's not even get into how confusing their signage is. This girl was crying today 'cause she missed her flight, not because she didn't make it to the airport on time but because the gates weren't properly labeled!
I'm not exagerating, it happened to me and two others as well.


Oh, and today a flight attendant informed me that now they don't let you take pictures out the window once you're in the plane.
Oh yeah?

I guess I showed them...
or did I?
I should have shot a picture of a Jetblue plane instead,
now that I think about it.

So tonight I had to find a hotel last minute -which of course AA did not pay for.

At least I made some new friends here.
I named them Girl One and Girl Two.

Girl One was not happy about being stuck in Dallas.
Girl two was happy to find a bar.
And I? I was happy I wasn't being photographed ;)



(And I had been so looking forward to being in New Mexico tonight).
Can't wait to shoot my first N.M. wedding!