Congratulations Kevin & Nicole!!!

Last night we celebrated the wedding of good friends, Kevin & Nicole.... despite some light showers, it was an amazing day! I've known Nicole for quite some time as we used to work together, and despite the pressure of photographing one of the most important days of one of your friend's lives, I'm glad we could be a part of such an incredible event. We have hundreds and hundreds of images from the wedding that I'm really excited to share, and will have everything online for viewing & ordering as soon as possible (usually within 2 weeks or less).

For those interested, you can pre-register your email to receive notification of when images go live by simply clicking the link below.

http://mattramosphotography.instaproofs.com/enterEvent.php?id=15487

Congratulations, Kevin & Nicole, and best wishes in your new marriage!

Hanging out in the Ocean State......

It's been a long day for me, but it's always fun to get away when working on various projects. I spent around 6 hours in the car today driving (thank God for GPS and iPODS) to Rhode Island and back to help photograph Lincoln Tech's Rhode Island institute. Having to walk in and out of classrooms without trying to disrupt the class was a little awkward for me, and reminded me of my high school & college years (I'm sure glad those are over!). I've been working a lot with Lincoln Tech lately, and they offer amazing educational opportunites as well as services that play a major role in technology, and the auto industry - I was definitely impressed with all that they do.

I'm a little burned out from everything this week and all the driving, (even though it's only Tuesday), however am sure I'll bounce back tomorrow. It's hard to show glamorous shots when you are shooting image for brochures and marketing purposes, however, here's a few quick samples from today's shoot.... everyone there was super cool to work with, and in the odd event someone reads this, thanks allowing me to hang out today!

Where in the World Are You!!??

Like I said in my last post, I've recently become fascinated with maps for some reason.... I think it all started when I got my first GPS system in my car a couple years ago that I use for weddings.

When you run a business, the more you know about website traffic to your site the better. For example, of the $10-$15,000 in advertising we spend a year, I always know which places to keep paying for, and which to dish since I track all website hits and can view things like the link the website was accessed through (or if someone just typed it in), origin, time, operating system, monitor resolution, and even IP address if I wanted to. (plus, I can usually tell when someone's talking about me :) It sounds like a lot to look at, but I'm fascinated with not only the amount of people that visit our website on a daily basis from around the world, but how, when and where they got there!

Above you can see some of the tracking devices I use to check out stats for our website, which I think are really cool. The map above of the earth shows locations of anyone on the blog right now, as well as past visitor locations - if you click it, you can see your location and some other details of other visitors, which is really cool. I think I will be adding this to the main website as well as that pulls in double traffic as the blog :)

I llllllove gadgets and cool technology tools! I'm off to Rhode Island - catch ya later in the week!

Amazing History our House - Wow!

George Westinghouse (1846-1914)I never really paid attention to history in high school, simply because I thought it was boring and I couldn't stand trying to memorize all these meaningless dates for tests. In hindsight and as an adult, I'm suddenly fascinated by history and wish I would have paid more attention...... especially being a world traveler and having no real appreciation for what I got to see as a kid, growing up! I can tell I'm getting old since I now for some reason am obsessed with both history and maps (what a geek, right!)

We've remained good friends with the previous owners of our house, and while seeing a movie out this weekend, Dave (the previous owner) handed me a few copied pages from a history book he found in a public library. I was absolutely amazed to learn that the exact house we live in, was also lived in by George Westinghouse, who was one of the most famous and well known inventors and entreprenuers of the 1800's! I was told my house was by far the oldest house on the street, but had no idea of it's history.

I'm ashamed to not know much about Mr. Westinghouse, but I am doing a ton of research to learn as much about him as possible now. There are rumors of many inventions being done in the basement, which is absolutely insane to think about. I was amazed to not only learn this, but see an actual photo of my house taken in the 1800's! The house is much different now as it has been modernized and built onto, however you can clearly tell that it's the same house when looking at the photo (although tough for you to see since the images I have above are taken from oposite angles). You can click the photo to enlarge and see the similarities if you want..... and if you are really really really bored.

As freaky and cool as this is, I guess I now know who keeps turning the lights on and off, hanging picture frames upside down, and moving my bedroom furniture around while I'm asleep. Perhaps I should sell the photography business and open a Westinghouse museum! You can check out more information of who George Westinghouse was by clicking the link below (again, this is for those that are really really really really really bored :)

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blwestinghouse.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Westinghouse

Spring Fever!

The weather today has been awesome, and it's nice to have Spring finally here! We kicked off the day with a quick portrait session with Lilian here, who is soon headed off to Africa and wanted to get some photos taken before going. Some of the photos will be used for a billboard and some for her personal portfolio, so we did a little bit of everything today. I never was big at airbrushing when it comes to skin textures, but I think I've now got it down to a science! :) Anyway, here's a few shots I really liked from the session.

We spent the rest of the day at Home Depot looking at new patio furniture, garden stuff, etc..... Our grill is a couple years old and don't really work, so I also treated myself to a new stainless steel, gas grill. I was in a great mood until I had to put the wheelbarrow together, which you'd think would be the easiest thing in the world to do, but turned out to be a nightmare after I learned I was missing screws from the package (I think all wheelbarrows should just come assembled - they are the worst thing in the world to try and figure out.... at least for me).

The rest of the week is going to be absolutely crazy - I'm due in Rhode Island for an all day project Tuesday, am supposed to be in West Palm Beach, Fl. the next day for another shoot, and then have meetings, family birthday parties, and another wedding this weekend to attend. I was able to work something out with the Florida trip so I won't need to travel, however it will still be an insane week I think!

Sorry for rambling.... wifey and I are off to dinner and to relax after my traumatizing wheelbarrow experience. Be sure to check back later in the week for updates on upcoming stuff.... hope everyone enjoys the weekend and amazing weather!

Congratulations Geoff & Kristen!!!

Getting back into the wedding season each year, after months of not shooting one, is always scary yet exciting at the same time. You suddenly become dumbfounded, and wonder if you're still able to create the same quality/creative or better images as the year before, which can be stressful. Despite my mental battles within, I've come to realize it's like riding a bike, and all comes back very quickly..... it was so awesome to get back into the swing of things today by celebrating the day and new marriage of Geoff & Kristen!

Geoff and Kristen are from California, and were crazy enough to come back to the Catskills to get married outside, in the 40 degree weather! You couldn't ask for a nicer couple, and I'm really excited to have been able to help capture such a special time in their lives. We also had one of our new assistant photographers, John, shooting with us today, who did an amazing job..... between the 3 of us, we have hundreds of awesome shots from the day that I can't wait to share!

I quickly grabbed a few samples above that I liked, but we should have the entire wedding uploaded for online viewing/ordering within 2 weeks! Those interested are more than welcome to pre-register their email to receive notification of when images go live at the link below:

http://mattramosphotography.instaproofs.com/enterEvent.php?id=15489

Thanks again to Geoff, Kristen, and their families...... we wish you the very best in your new marriage!

On that note.... it's now 1:35 am, and I'm off to bed!

Chast Album Complete!

Steven and Tina Chast had an amazing wedding last year, on one of the most beautiful days we had all year. With blue skies, sunshine, and an amazing setup right on the Hudson River, you couldn't have asked for more.

It's been months since the wedding as the lucky couple has had their hands full going through all the images (and life in general), but we are pleased to finally have their album design completed for them. We allow all our clients to make any final edits to their album they'd like, but for those interested, you can check out a sample by clicking the link below!

http://www.mattramosphotography.com/chast

International Auto Show - NYC

It's been a long day of driving and shooting, but we had a blast today photographing one of the largest car show events in the world - the New York City, International Auto Show! I'll be honest in admitting, I have never attended one of these before, so I was like a 5 year old in a candy store being able to check out all the latest and greatest upcoming vehicles, and prototypes. After spending a day looking at dozens and dozens of exotic and luxury cars, it was tough to get into my Trailblazer to come home in, I'll tell ya that!....... the the good news is, I got to check out my new 09 Camaro, which I'm pretty excited about.

It's amazing how technology is quickly evolving, not only in the overal design of the future vehicles, but in how even some of the large SUV's are now becoming hybrid vehicles with top miles to the gallon.... before you know it, you can probably buy a tank and get 35 mpg. (ok, maybe not just yet). We took hundreds of photos, and many of them will be featured in upcoming brochures and magazines for Lincoln Tech, who is one of the major sponsors of this year's event. As promised, here are a few shots from the day!

On that note, my feet are absolutely killing me, and I'm off to bed.... be sure to check back Saturday night for some "teasers" of our upcoming wedding!

My New Obsession!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter and was able to spend some quality time with their familes! This weekend was fun as we had a few client meetings, and have otherwise just been lounging while family is in town for the holiday.

Since I will soon be posting "teaser" images from weddings withing 24 hours and the season is just about to take off, I'm going to slow down a bit on the whole "photo of the week" thing, and realize I missed it this week :) I didn't take the photos of above (yet), but am really excited about the upcoming International Auto Show this week, and have already decided on my next toy when it becomes available! (and trust me.... I WILL have it!) Consider the new 2008/2009 Chevy Camaro my new obsession that I will be probably drooling over until I can get my hands on it next year.

I had a Camaro once when I was younger, and would say it was probably one of my favorite cars to drive of all time.... I was so bummed when the Camaro stopped production in 97, so when I heard they were bringing back a bigger and badder version (400+ horsepower), I got really excited. I worked in the auto industry for years so I don't get that excited over cars that much anymore, but this car definitely has my attention. I'm hoping to look at one up close at the auto show this week, and am sure that will only further my drooling!

P.S. Be sure to check back later this week, as we will have samples from the International Auto Show in New York, and also have our 2nd wedding of the season this weekend that we'll have samples of as well!

Yet Another Finished Album Post.......

We received one of our high-end, Graphi-Studio albums in today from Italy, and thought I would share the finished product. As I've mentioned a few posts back, we do a great job of sharing the album design presentations, but also think it's important for current and future clients to be able to see some of the amazing albums we are offering with our packages. I think the wedding album is such an important investment for a couple, and I may be a bit biased being a photographer, but I'd even go as far to say it is the single most important thing (besides the relationship of course!) that can come from a wedding.

The Graphi-Studio line is considered to be one of the best wedding albums you can get, and one thing is for sure - people will go absolutely nuts when they see how beautiful it is at 9½ X 13" and 40 pages full of your favorite wedding images! Frank is on his way over to pick this bad boy up, and I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees how amazing it came out.

For those that are new to the blog, you can learn more about the various albums we offer by visiting the "albums" section of the website.

Fun With Tom & Jamie!

Tonight was a blast as we got to hang out for a bit with one of the upcoming wedding couples of 2008! Tom and Jamie make such an amazing couple, and are both so down to earth and fun to work with. It's not everyday someone drives all the way from Staten Island for an engagement session, so we were extremely honored to have them make the trip to take photos and have dinner - no pressure! (gulp)

What's really cool about Tom and Jamie, is the fact that they are almost like kids trapped in grown up bodies, and they compliment each other so well in the way they interact with one another. Tom is a huge fan of Superhero's, and has an ongoing private joke with his Superman shirt that we decided to have a little fun with. (It's actually pretty funny how much like Clark Kent he looks when he's got the glasses on!)

Anyway, here's a few shots I liked and thought I would post. We'd like to again thank Tom & Jamie for not only making a 3 hour drive, but for a fun shoot tonight as well as the opportunity to have dinner, talk and hangout for a bit. You guys are truly awesome, and we very much look forward to shooting your upcoming wedding next year! We'll have your images ready to check out in a few days - thanks again!!!

Mission Accomplished!

About 6-7 months ago, we bought our new house because we needed more space and a larger sized studio to work out of. The house is awesome because it's 100 years old, but it has these old, cheesy blue carpets throughout some of the rooms in the house that aren't exactly in style these days.

Since we've been trying to make as many home improvements as possible (to increase the value), I thought I would attempt to put down hardwood flooring in our living room myself, rather than pay an extra $2,500 to have someone do it for me. I'm not the most handy guy in the world, so it was an expensive risk to take, and after two long days of work, it paid off. I'm mad at myself for not remembering to take a "before shot," but you can imagine what it looked like with old, stingy blue carpets if you want. For not knowing what I was doing really, I really surprised myself on this one... here's the end result!

For anyone who has never tried to do this in their home, I highly recommend trying it instead of paying even more $ to have someone do it for you. Including some of the tools I needed (but now have to keep), I paid just under $2K to do the room.... it probably would have been close to $4-5K to have Lowes or Home Depot do it based on what we paid in our old house. I may just have to do the whole house now...... If I can do it, I suppose anyone can! :)