Cup of Joe Photo

D3 Test Drive

The D3 rocks. These are images from the corporate event I shot on Tuesday night. The ISO ranges on these images from 800 to 6400. Sweet. It's about time:)

Test Drive D300

A couple of days ago Armando Florez (a former Nikon NPS rep who is now doing outside sales for Samy's) brought me down a D300 and a D3 to play with. I photographed a corporate event Tuesday evening at The Ritz Carlton and gave the cameras a spin. How fun it was to have full frame on the D3 and the capability to shoot at high ISO with fine grain in both models. They are both amazing cameras. I'll be posting more images over the next couple of days. These are two images of the entertainers from the D300 at 800 iso. For those of you in So. Cal. Armando can be reached at 310-856-9023 to get you hooked on the new cameras. Thankfully, Samy's is now doing Nikon's job of getting cameras in the hands of the pros. Props to Samy's and Armando!! Thank you both for your dedication and service.

Joe and Brooks' Excellent Adventure

Saturday in Pasadena was an awesome fun time. I got the chance to hang out with some really great California photographers. Here's a few highlites - in photos of course.

href="http://joephoto.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/02/27/blog_12.jpg">

Midnight in the Rain heading back to the hotel. Another excellent adventure:)

Episode 2

I'm so excited about Episode 2 of my ongoing web-saga. I've got an incredibly talented supporting cast and a director, writer, producer, screenwriter, editor that makes me look good. (Thanks Ron). Keep the PR going. Embed this Episode on your blog and fill out this form for free admission to WPPI 2009! Killer deal.

I'd like to thank the Academy..

Why We Buy

Honestly, I didn't finish this book. It's a mammoth examination into the science of product placement for businesses who sell product off the shelves. Parts of the book were fascinating to me, such as the direction most people move through a retail environment, to the size and effectiveness of text in a window display. But the book for me seemed to go very slow, and I found my mind wondering often. So perhaps I'll come back to it another time, or maybe not. There are soooo many good books to be experienced. I hope your having fun reading (or listening) to the books that interest you.

The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it. ~James Bryce

From the Publisher Is there a method to our madness when it comes to shopping? Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as "a Sherlock Holmes for retailers," author and research company CEO Paco Underhill answers with a definitive "yes" in this witty, eye-opening report on our ever-evolving consumer culture. Why We Buy is based on hard data gleaned from thousands of hours of field research -- in shopping malls, department stores, and supermarkets across America. With his team of sleuths tracking our every move, from sweater displays at the mall to the beverage cooler at the drugstore, Paco Underhill lays bare the struggle among merchants, marketers, and increasingly knowledgeable consumers for control. In his quest to discover what makes the contemporary consumer tick, Underhill explains the shopping phenomena that often go unnoticed by retailers and shoppers alike, including: How a well-placed shopping basket can turn a small purchase into a significant sale What the "butt-brush factor" is and how it can make sales plummet How working women have altered the way supermarkets are designed How the "boomerang effect" makes product placement ever more challenging What kinds of signage and packaging turn browsers into buyers For those in retailing and marketing, Why We Buy is a remarkably fresh guide, offering creative and insightful tips on how to adapt to the changing customer. For the general public, Why We Buy is a funny and sometimes disconcerting look at our favorite pastime.

Use your time wisely

Sunday is a great day to daydream. I love to consider how I will succeed, and imagine what that looks like. Sunday is a perfect day to turn off your phone and journal the goals you'd like to achieve. Press on toward the finish line and be specific about using your talent. Make the most of the gifts you possess.

" Fear is a waste of precious time, for time is something that can't be earned or created, but it can surely be destroyed. Fear creates hesitation and hesitation creates failure. Success comes from those who view each day as an opportunity to come one step closer to achieving their goals." Copyright © 2007 Allen Steble

Off to Pasadena

Alright, I'm off to The Western Convention in Pasadena to hang with all the cool So Cal photogs. Here's another image from my best of 2007. Cheers!

Happy Friday

It has been a wonderful week full of unexpected surprises. I'd like to send you into the weekend with this image. For those of you in So. Cal. I'll be at the Western States Convention in Pasadena on Saturday to hang with my brutha, Brook Todd. Come out and say Hi.

Alfred Eisenstaedt

It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter.

- Alfred Eisenstaedt

This statement obviously applies to photographers who work with or around people. You nature photographers don't really need to worry about this one:)

Infrared Church

It's always fun to play with alternative processes. Last year, my buddy Charlie Samples brought out his infrared converted d1x and I played with it on a wedding he shot with me. Sweet!