Creatively Self-Employed

Several months ago, I was somehow selected, along with 65 other artists and business entrepreneurs from around the country to be interviewed for an upcoming book titled, "Creatively Self-Employed." To be honest, I completely forgot about it, but received an email today from the author with notification that the book has apparently been published and selling at all major bookstores across the country. (I guess they taught us not to judge a book by it's cover when we were kids for books like this :)

Anyway, the book features 65 different artists and entrepreneurs that have taken the plunge into creative self -employment, and discusses the ups, downs, anxiety and frustrations associated with running your own business. The author did not send me a free copy of the book as I thought, and since I forgot most of what I even talked about, I will probably head down to Barnes and Noble tomorrow to see if I can find it on the shelf (and re-educate myself, haha)!

Whether the book takes off and sells a million copies or not, I'm honored to be featured in the book, and am reminded of how lucky I am to be able to not only provide a great service, but also do something that I truly love and enjoy. Even more important than this however, is knowing that I am capable of bringing joy and capturing future history through my work for my clients.

If anyone's interested, you can check out the book or purchase the book here:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780595421541&itm=1

Jacquelyn & Peter Album Completed!

The last wedding of 2006 was probably one of the more special weddings as it was that of good friends Jacquelyn & Peter. Jacquelyn and I have known each other (and worked together) for nearly 8 years, so it was very special to not only watch her end up with a great guy, but also have the honor of capturing her special day. I think all weddings are high stress because you want to do the best job possible for the couple you are working with, but there is always added pressure when you are shooting the wedding of a good friend (I probably shouldn't be admiting that outloud :)

Some couples take longer than others to gather all their wedding photos together that they want in the album, however Jacquelyn is a trooper and was able to get everything together quickly for us. Anyway, it's always an honor and a lot of fun to post our sample wedding albums as I know so many of you like to check them out to get ideas, etc, and this album is one that I'm extra happy to post!

You can check out a sample of the new Mr. & Mrs. Vaccaro's album by clicking the link below... as always, make sure you turn those speakers up first!

www.mattramosphotography.com/vaccaro

By the way, Jacquelyn & Peter chose one of our 10x10 flush-mount, coffe table style albums, which I think is going to really look fantastic! below is a copy of what the cover will look like when printed & binded. Keep in mind, you are looking at a full layout cover, which is wrapped entirely to cover the front and back covers (the fireworks will be centered nicely over the spine or binding of the book)

30 Years of Happiness!

Today, we had the pleasure of meeting Ro & Ed for a quick and fun portrait session. What I admire the most about Ro & Ed, is the fact that they have been married for 30 years, which I find to be amazing, considering 50% or more married couples don't make it in this day and age. I also thought it was pretty cool that they decided to come in for a portrait session, as they have not had professional portraits of anykind done since their wedding!

Tonya and I celebrated our 5th year together this week, but have only been married for 2½ years now .......... While we bicker at each other every day, I hope to have the same, long lasting relationship as Ro & Ed have. Thanks for a fun shoot today guys, and hope you enjoy your photos once uploaded! (We should have them done by tomorrow for you :)

On a side note, today has been interesting as Dexter decided to get into the trash and eat an entire onion that was thrown out from our Buca Di Bepo left overs last night. If you thought dogs breath was bad before, imagine smelling your dogs breath after he's eaten an entire onion soaked in garlic and whatever else they used (it's enough to make you go cross-eyed!) Onions, garlic, and chocolate are like the worst things your dog can have as it can make them sick, so we are paying close attention to see if he acts strange.

I'm officially done working for the weekend, and Tonya and I are headed out to Best Buy to get a few more external backup drives for the upcoming wedding season, and whatever else I can accidentally slip into the cart when she's not looking. Hope everyone had a great weekend :)

Jennifer Holmes....."This Must Be Hello"

We had a blast today, working with musician, Jennifer Holmes for her new CD cover and album layout. Jennifer is amazingly talented and is due to release her new album, "This Must Be Hello," in a couple months. It's really exciting to see people like Jen, that are young and have talent, put words into actions in terms of making their dreams come true. I suppose one day when Jennifer makes it big, I'll be running around with her CD trying to get people to believe that I shot the front cover of her first album :)

We have tons and tons of images to go through, but here are a few samples above that I saw and liked. I look forward to seeing what the final design will look like when all is said and done. In the meantime, you can learn more about Jen and hear samples of her music at the following links:

http://www.myspace.com/jenniferholmes

www.jenniferholmes.net

Thanks for a fun shoot today, Jen, and best of luck with your new album when it's released!

Photo of the week!

I decided to dedicate this week's "photo of the week" to our pride and joy, Dexter by posting one of our favorite photos of him. Tonya and I don't yet have kids, so our dogs are sort of like our kids for now (which means they get spoiled rotten). I know everyone says this about their pets, but Dex seriously is like half human and has a personality you wouldn't believe. I've been meaning to get the camcorder out and record it, but Dexter is the only dog I know that can catch a ball (or football, etc) with his hands. What makes this even more strange is the fact that he can't catch anything with his mouth, unless it's a chunk of steak or piece of cheese. I'm going to start getting into some video blogging sometime in the near future, and will definitely have to post this if I can remember!

Anyway, here's one of my favorite shots of Dexter doing his half-ass (pun intended) sit-stand manouver on the stairway. He was actually smiling in some of the previous poses, but asked him to give me a serious look for this particular shot :)

Tomorrow should be another fun day for us............ we are meeting with another candidate for our new associate photographer program and then have a shoot later in the afternoon..... then more fun on Sunday... be sure to check back for more of my corny jokes and maybe a few samples in the meantime!

Collandra Album Complete!

Probably one of the hottest days of the year fell on the wedding of Christina & Jason last year. (I specifically remember losing about 10 lbs. in sweat that day) Despite the scorching temperatures, it was a beautiful wedding, and we had a lot of fun! Christina and I hit it off right away as she is very interested in photography, and has worked in a few studios throughout the Capital.... anyway, she and Jason are such great people, and we really enjoyed being a part of their wedding :)

The newlyweds took some time to pick out which photos they wanted in their album, but after submitting them last week, we didn't waste anytime before working hard to complete their album as quickly as possible (I am a very "want it right now" type of person, so I sorta pay the same respect to our clients). Anyway, you can check out a copy of Christina & Jason's album by clicking the link below - as always, make sure you turn those speakers up first!

www.mattramosphotography.com/collandra

A Whole New Concept....

I got a call this morning from a good friend of mine that happens to work for Travelers Insurance. Apparently, Travelers is now offering a completely new type of coverage, which insures weddings (if you can believe that). I'm not necessarily saying I recommend that brides and grooms run out to get insurance to cover their wedding, however I did think it was interesting to see a major national insurance company begin to offer this type of service. Their coverage options cover pretty much everything such as problems/disasters with the dress, wedding gifts, sudden illness, the reception hall, weather mishaps, and yes - even problems with vendors :)

Anyway, found this idea to be very interesting and though it's a new concept, it's not the worst idea I've ever heard of..... especially, for those spending an absolute fortune on their wedding. The coverage options seemed pretty reasonable for what it covers, but I will leave that up to you to decide!

If anyone is interested in learning about this program, you can check out the site and program at: http://www.protectmywedding.com/

Have a thought or opinion on this subject? Leave a comment below!

Video on Demand Project

In the midst of an already great new week, we were selected to have 9 of our images from the Capital District showcased and aired on Video on Demand (tv), as well as on their website, which I'm super psyched about (by the way, I'm the king of the run on sentence). The images cover anywhere from downtown Albany, the Catskills, the Twin Bridges, parts of Troy, and Schenectady. I decided to head down to GE tonight here, in Schenectady, to get the last shot for the project. I haven't decided which of the above versions I like better, so maybe someone can give me their input in the comments section :)

By the way, thanks for all the friendly notes I got about the leak situation with our house! We had an insurance agent out today to check out the damage, and write us a nice big check, which was nice (and will certainly take care of any repairs). I'm almost looking forward to having another leak! (only kidding)

The rest of the week is looking pretty busy......... we have a few more interviews lined up for our associate photographer program (which I'm enjoying meeting with some talented people), and have a few shoots lined up for the weekend - be sure to check back for some samples this weekend as well as the new photo of the week!

Fraley Wedding Album Completed!

I'm not a big coffee drinker anymore (even though I love it), but decided after getting our taxes done this morning, to try out my wife's new cappuccino maker. Little did I know I would be bouncing off the walls and feel like working on the weekend! Anyway, I decided to put my energy to good use by diving into one of my wedding album projects for the week. (I have another wedding album and two DVD slideshows to finish this week, so this certainly will give me a nice heardstart to my workflow :)

With saying that........ I'm pleased to announce that we have finshed the wedding album for the Fraley wedding a week early! Joe and April are famous in my book for having the best "slam in the face" cake cutting session I have ever seen - I laugh over and over equally as hard everytime I see the photos. Anyway, April and Joe were a blast to work with, and you can check out a sample of their wedding album at the link below - make sure you turn those speakers up to get the full effect!

http://www.mattramosphotography.com/fraley

Photo of the week!

Today has been an extremely busy day for us, as we are both meeting with clients, as well as conducting a few interviews for our new associate photographer program. Of all days to have this happen, all the snow on our roof from the storm has caused a major leak problem, which is now dripping down 3 stories all over the house. We had to shell out some pretty big bucks today to have a professional roofer come out and get all the snow off the roof, and help stop the leakage. When you own a home, things like this are sooooo stressful (and expensive) and can drive you crazy.... with the damage, chances are we will be needing some ceiling and roof repairs, and are having to now get our insurance company involved.... it's been a nightmare to say the least, and I'm doing my very best to try not to think about it.

Other than that, it's been a great day, and we are enjoying meeting with different candidates that may be joining our photography team in the near future..... we have one more to go, and then are headed out with some friends for dinner and drinks/games tonight, which should be fun! (and will take my mind off our home problems :)

You'll notice that even in a busy, chaotic day, I still remembered to post the photo of the day.... I'm good like that! Anyway, the shot of above was taken last year and is one of my all-time favorites of the Twin Bridges of Albany, NY. I obviously did some work to enhance the colors and make it "pop," but love the way it looks and feels. I found a secret place near the base of the bridges that is great for getting some cool shots, and have a few ideas I may try when the weather gets warmer.

Ok.... I'm off to clean up more water, meet with our last interview of the day, and then out for dinner/drinks, so will catch up later - I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend!!!

College of Saint Rose Model Contest!

I was called last week by the College of Saint Rose to ask if we would be willing to sponsor a free private shoot session as a prize to be awarded to the winner of this year's modeling contest, which takes place this Saturday night. I had no idea colleges did this type of thing, but think it's a fantastic idea and of course, agreed. I've learned in business, one of the best things you can do is help others, and give back to the community when you can, so I enjoy doing things like this every now and then :)

Not only was I honored that they selected our studio for one of their main prizes for the winner, but sold on the fact that I'm guarenteed to work with a photogenic model (if they're good enough to win the contest, that means they've gotta be pretty darn photogenic/attractive, which makes my job that much easier, right? :)

On a serious note, I'm super psyched about this and will of course be sure to post some shots of our session with the crowned winner of this years contest.... I suppose you'll just have to check back to see the outcome of this one!

P.S. Since I love giving plugs in my blog entrees, here's a link to their website! :)
http://www.strose.edu/

Snow, Snow & More Snow!

Today has been interesting to say the least (as I'm sure for many others in Upstate, NY), as we continue to get absolutely hammered with snow. It started last night around midnight, and snowed all night, and all day so far.... I don't think it's supposed to stop until tomorrow, but who knows? When it snows this much, I always seem to have that mental battle with myself over whether I should shovel 25 times little by little, or just let it go til it stops and figure it out then ......... I'll be sure to keep you all posted when I figure out the answer!

Anyway, Tonya and I decided to go out for a bit (to do some shoveling for the dogs), and get a few fun shots while we were out there. You can't tell by looking at the first photo with our house how deep it actually is, but there is a row of bushes in the front yard you can't even see as they are completely buried! I thank God I don't work for the Post Office today! :)

New Model Shoot!

Today was a lot of fun, as I had the opportunity to work with a new model, Shawna. While 85% of our business is weddings these days, working with actors/models is something that I really enjoy doing. Now that our new studio is up and running, I am hoping to work a lot more with the modeling aspect of the business this year! Shawna was a blast to work with and I think we got some AMAZING stuff! Anyway, here's a few shots I thought I'd share from the day.

Thanks for a fun shoot today, Shawna, and hope to work with you again soon!

New Photo of the Week!

This weekend, has been slightly stressful as we had family staying with us from out of town, but even more stressful.... I woke up to my new $2,000 30" Apple monitor (that we just got yesterday) with all sorts of lines going down the screen - eeeeeek!! The Apple receipt says if you return an item and it's been opened, there is a $199 re-stock fee, however they were super friendly and let me exchange it this morning, so we are good to go again - whew!

Anyway, this weeks photo of the week is one that sorta relaxes you just by looking at it, so I thought it might be an appropriate post - haha. To give some background info, this one was taken in the backyard of someone's multi-million dollar home that they allowed some of our clients to use when getting married a few years ago in Stowe, Vermont. They say "one man's home is another man's vacation," but I thought how nice it must be to wake up to this scene every morning..... obviously, I couldn't hold back from getting a shot :)

If anyone is interested in ordering a print of this, I do have it available and all you have to do is ask. I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend - be sure to check back later in the week as we will be working with a new model and may have some shots to share!

P.S. We have booked 3 weddings for 2008 this week alone, so if anyone knows someone getting married, make sure you tell them to book their vendors (or photographer) early - hint hint! :)

Our Wedding Slideshows Just Got Better!

For those that haven't booked a wedding photographer yet, should know our packages just got that much sweeter!

About 9 months ago, we decided to get a new 17" Apple Macbook Pro to do wedding slideshows with, and have really enjoyed the attention these presentations get as hundreds of people take their turn to check out images of the bride & groom on their big day! Capturing amazing images on the day of the wedding is one thing, but to be able to present them in the form of a slideshow 2 hours after they were taken, certainly adds an extra treat for the bride, groom, and their guests!

Today, we decided to up the standards of our wedding packages even more (at no extra cost of course), by purchasing a new 30" Apple display monitor that we will be using now at our weddings to present the slideshows with. The 17" laptop has been fantastic for these shows up until now, however I'm really looking forward to delivering that "wow" factor at our next wedding!

For those that haven't yet booked a photographer for their upcoming wedding, this is just one more example of how we continue to go above and beyond and invest big bucks into making sure our clients get the very best of service and extras when choosing us to shoot their wedding.

For those that are new to the blog and our website, you can check out more information about our packages by visiting the following link:

http://www.mattramosphotography.com/packages.html

Photographing Artwork by Marc Deppe!

I had the opportunity today to work with and photograph some of the works of Marc Deppe. Marc is a professional artist from the Capital Region, who does some absolutely amazing work! Much of his work is showcased in art galleries in various places as well as on the web, as he is becoming increasingly more popular amongst his peers.

While shooting, I had a chance to ask Marc a few questions about some of his work, which was really interesting from one artist to another. While some of these works may not make sense to the average eye, it all makes perfect sense to Marc, and he often spends weeks if not months working on any given project like the ones above. I think I'll stick to the photography, but certainly enjoyed seeing some of his stuff and of course photographing these samples above to help him further showcase his work. Good luck, Marc - hope to see you again in the near future!

Photo of the Week

This week's "photo of the week" is a bit boring compared to what I had planned to post, but when I looked outside and noticed it finally actually looks like Winter, I decided to grab a few shots! Believe it or not, this photo was taken around 9:45pm in the backyard..... sometimes long exposures are fun to play with at night like this. Since it was snowing and I didn't feel like going out in the cold, I decided to just shoot it from the window instead :)

Tomorrow should be a fun day .....apparently I will be shoveling snow which is always a blast, but we do have an artist coming over in the morning to have us photograph some of his artwork. Photographing art is fun, but can be tricky, especially to get perfect lighting without glare and perspective, so I look forward to the challenge! Hopefully, my artwork of his artwork will make some great art if ya know what I mean! Ok, enough of my stupid humor for one day - As you can see, I'm in strange form tonight, which means it's time for me to go to bed. If you have nothing to do tomorrow, be sure to check back for more updates!