Robert Madrid Photography

so the battle goes on....

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:36:45 -0700

Pete & Missy Wedding - West Palm Beach Photographer

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:09:29 -0700

Sarah Beth & Justin Wedding - West Palm Beach Photographer

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:35:34 -0700

Kaluana - West Palm Beach Photographer

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:39:36 -0700

I did this bridal / photo session with my good friend Kaluana. These photos were taken I think in 2007. Kaluana is/was truly a friend, she bought this dress to help expand my portfolio back then. We did the photos this way, which is probably my favorite session ever, because it truly shows everyone what she loved the most.

Kaluana passed away two days ago, please keep her and Kelly (husband) family in prayer.

She truly believe in me. Thank you Kaluana so much on helping me.

another sneak peek...

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:14:56 -0700

Lauren & Joe Wedding - Sneak Peek

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:28:08 -0700

{Alissa + Brendan} West Palm Beach Photographer

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:51:00 -0700

our disney trip

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:24:35 -0700

{ Jenn & Jeff } West Palm Beach Photographer

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:38:33 -0700

{Seth & Katie Wedding} West Palm Beach Photographer

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:52:28 -0700

must read for all...

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:02:09 -0700

SEATTLE BRIDE MAGAZINE . . .
PHOTOGRAPHY

By Cody Ellerd

Photography by Cody Ellerd (left-hand photos) and John & Joseph Photography (right-hand photos)

I consider myself a pretty good amateur photographer. I've taken a couple of classes, I have a nice Nikon D60 and, as a professional travel writer, I've even had a few of my shots make magazine covers and pages. If you didn't budget for a professional photographer at your wedding, I'm the friend you might call to take pictures.

So when Seattle Bride sent me to the late-winter wedding of Vicky Wu and Chris Nicoll to shoot alongside Joey Hong of John & Joseph Photography, a local award-winning team of two brothers who have been shooting commercial, fashion and wedding photography for more than eight years, I was curious to see how well I could keep up with a seasoned pro.

From the moment we started shooting in the bride and groom's room at Hotel 1000, I was floored. "Vicky, look down at your shoulders...put a gentle smile on your lips. Chris, look straight at my lens--no, smile. Relax your forehead." Joey's attention to such minute detail went way beyond "Say cheese" and brought out the couple's absolute best. He knew how to manipulate the room's light and reflective surfaces in ways I never would have dreamed of, transforming what I thought was an unremarkable setting into a photo studio with endless possibilities.

Joey commanded family portraits with a gentle control and confidence that only comes from years of experience. He had the right flashes and steadiness of hand for getting great dance photos, while I snapped shot after blurry shot in a mild panic that my precious memory space was quickly dwindling. I was giving it my best, and in a few instances it showed: an inside shot of Vicky simply glowing in the window's natural light; a close-up kiss in the sunlight where the couple wore the sweetest smiles. But when those spontaneous moments that are here and gone in the blink of an eye happened, Joey caught them with lightning speed, while I lost many of them to improper focus or exposure.

I now disagree more than ever with the digital-age adage that "now everyone is a photographer." Tens of thousands of dollars in education, equipment and experience separate me from the pros. Professional photographers, like any other artists or business owners, need to spend money to make money. When you hire them, you're helping them pay for their investments.

"Photography is a very equipment-intensive business, and the equipment is expensive," says Scott Squire of NonFiction Weddings, a Seattle-based photography team with 10 years of experience. To each wedding, he and his partner bring six or seven top-drawer lenses, a handful of strobes, three camera bodies, one backup and innumerable accessories. (In contrast, if my equipment had failed, my backup would have been my camera phone.)

Staying on top of new technology in the digital age is its own challenge, one that takes a professional commitment and expense. "The rate of change [in digital media] can be stupefying," laughs longtime Seattle-based wedding photographer Sharlane Chase. She keeps up with the flow of information at annual weeklong workshops and seminars, and it shows in her final product.

On a side note, like all of you reading this magazine, I also happen to be planning my own wedding. My fiancé and I are on a tight budget and had planned to take a gamble and hire an amateur photographer friend. Now? We're determined to find a way to get a pro.

Vicky and Chris would have been pretty disappointed if I had been their only photographer. If anyone ever does ask me to take pictures at their wedding, I'll be happy to show up with my Nikon, and I may even take the best disposable-camera shots of the whole night. I just hope someone like Joey is there, too.

"This was such a cute moment, totally unscripted," Ellerd remembers. "They bumped fists and it was clear it was a little habit of theirs, one that conveyed their friendship. Joey was right there to catch it while I was fumbling with my focus ring."

"This image is so painfully inferior," says our rogue photographer Cody Ellerd about her image. "My angle is bland while Joey's is creative. His is crisp and perfectly exposed, while mine is washed out and grainy. Joey knew exactly how to take advantage of the sense of motion created by this cool backdrop at Hotel 1000."

"The couple was getting a little photo fatigued," Ellerd says, "but Joey turned it into a beautiful and intimate shot. I thought there was enough light, but without using a flash and spoiling the cool light bouncing off the building behind them, I couldn't get my hand quite steady enough."

For this "exit shot," the clarity and color of Joey's shot versus Ellerd's is evident. "Notice the white car in front of Chris and Vicky," Ellerd says. "Joey magically made it disappear--I'm not even gonna try."

having fun!

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:02:03 -0700

So today was a fun day, well every day is a fun day, but however, today was especially fun.

My friend Tom DiPace got his new Canon MK IV camera !!! What does that mean, well... a bunch of new ideas and projects are in the works :)

Here is a project i did with my friend Gaby DiPace using Tom's new camera. The music is a bit off but I hope you enjoy this funny project. We spent 30 mins outside shooting random footage. I can't wait on learning FCP.

more than you can see.

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:38:34 -0700

Drought in Kenya

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:10:21 -0700

From time to time I come across such news that I must share. I did not photograph this story. Some of the images may be strong, but I hope it affects you to the point of starting something or at least being knowledgeable. Please share this story with family and friends.

The story was written and photographed by Stefano de Luigi (Group VII)

Kenya hasn't seen a drop of rain for several years and is now facing a devastating drought, the worst in the last decade. Livestock and crops are dying and people are getting weaker every day. The lack of resources in Kenya and in neighboring countries is sparking intertribal conflicts as communities fight for limited grazing land and water. The spread of weapons are turning those conflicts bloody.

Agriculture has fallen as arid lands stretch towards the capital of Nairobi, where water taps have run dry causing increased tensions in the neglected slums. Tourism, the second heart of the Kenyan economy, is in jeopardy. Wild animals are dying of hunger and thirst in the parks, while predators have started getting closer to the villages, killing cattle to get drinkable water from their stomachs.

Aid organizations have been warning of a catastrophe for months. Until now, nothing has happened. The Kenyan government has been unable to take the proper steps to improve the situation - halted by political divisions and corruption - while no real relief operation has yet started.

Droughts in the Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea are not unusual. But Kenya is one of the most developed countries of the continent, and a key ally to the West in East Africa. In a time of great debate on climate change, with Kenya on the brink of a disaster, the international community cannot afford to keep it eyes shut.

HERE IS A DIRECT LINK:

http://www.viiphoto.com/showstory.php?nID=1024

{ Fern Forest , Florida - Gill & Synder Wedding } West Palm Beach Photographer

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 09:14:54 -0700

one of the funniest weddings I have been to since I started my business, i love my friends !!!