Robert Giordano's Photo of the Day

Stoned Wheat Thins?

2012-02-03T19:28:00.001-05:00

Yes, I thought this was amusing, so I photographed it in my studio. The setup I used for this shot is common for products. The background paper is solid gray but the background gradient results from the light falling off as the background paper bends upward and away from the product. I used a 44" soft box, hanging directly over the product, facing down. The large soft box provides even lighting on all sides with no hard shadows. Because it is facing down, there is no direct light on the background paper behind the product. All other lights in the studio were off so there was no other ambient light. No adjustments were made to this image other than adding the text.

Nikon D7000 with Nikkor 50mm f/2.0 manual focus lens. Exposure: f8 1/60 ISO 100. Studio strobe with 44" soft box

Record Tables at Johnny Rockets

2012-02-01T09:26:00.000-05:00

This morning I did a shoot for Johnny Rockets in the Sawgrass Mills Mall. The client wanted overall shots of the restaurant and detail shots of their cool, phonograph record tables. The lighting was a little tricky because of the many existing fixtures in the ceiling of the restaurant. I wanted to combine the ambient light with a light source I could control. I used a Nikon SB-800 strobe on a light stand, with an umbrella. I used a wireless transmitter to trigger the strobe. My goal was to minimize the reflections from the light fixtures in the restaurant, while emphasizing the design of the table. I took pictures of the table from several different angles, with the table empty and as you see it here. I felt the reflections from the items on the table added to the image.

The camera was on a tripod so I could use a small aperture, a slow shutter speed, and a low ISO. The small aperture increased the depth of field so the entire table is in focus. The slow shutter speed let me mix the ambient light in the restaurant with the light from my strobe. A low ISO keeps the details sharp and noise to a minimum. The D7000 is really good when it comes to noise however. I probably could have used ISO 400 or 800 without much of a noticeable difference.

Nikon D7000 with Nikon 35mm f/1.8 lens. Exposure: f8 1/2 ISO 200. Nikon SB-800, manual mode.

Passion 4 Sound

2012-01-31T06:11:00.000-05:00

My friend Winona came over at 5am because neither of us could sleep. She brought her headphones.

Nikon D7000 with Nikkor 105mm f/2.5 manual focus lens. Exposure: f11 1/125 ISO 200

Happy Birthday Edgar Allan Poe!!

2012-01-19T14:25:00.000-05:00

Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809, the same year as Abraham Lincoln. He is best known for his poem, The Raven, and short stories like The Tell Tale Heart. In 2005 I built the educational web site, Poestories.com so anyone could learn about Poe and read his stories and poems. I've always wondered what Edgar would have written, had he lived in the 70's and 80's of the 20th century. Would he have listened to death metal?

Technorati: A356KMSXU5Q7

Las Olas Boulevard at 2am

2012-01-17T02:02:00.000-05:00

I was working late and all of the regular restaurants were closed. I went to Rocco's Tacos on Las Olas and had some of their amazing guacamole. Its raw, its good for you, and it tastes really good too. When I finished, it was almost 2am and I was the last patron in the restaurant. I've had a lot on my mind lately and I didn't feel like going home just yet so I went for a walk. I love empty city streets in the middle of the night.

Nikon D7000 with Nikon 35mm f/1.8 lens. Exposure: f2.8 1/30 ISO 1600, handheld.

Saturday Wakeboarding

2012-01-14T15:30:00.001-05:00

Here's my nephew, Eddie, wakeboarding with some friends. Eddie is a Team Rider for Exceed Wetsuits. Although I've done Exceed's catalog photography and magazine ads, this wasn't a commercial shoot. We were just out having fun on a Saturday. Eddie asked me to get a shot where he and his friends were all in the same picture. This is the result. =)

Nikon D7000 with Nikon 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 lens. Exposure: f8 1/640 ISO 800. Weather: overcast.

I can haz Tumblr?

2012-01-13T00:48:00.002-05:00

Yes, I have a Tumblr. Please Follow me. Thanks =)

2010 Ultra Music Festival Photos

2012-01-08T01:50:00.001-05:00

I just finished posting all of my best Official Ultra Music Festival photos from 2010. Over the next few weeks, I'll be uploading my best pictures from previous years, back to 2005. The entire collection will be a visual history of Ultra. I've posted many pictures over the years but they were always in different places- MySpace, Flickr, and so on. This new collection is well organized, uses friendly URLs, and each photo has its own link. If you didn't make it to Ultra last year, you can also view my best Official Ultra Music Festival photos from 2011.

Free Facebook Timeline Cover Photos

2012-01-05T01:56:00.006-05:00

Recently, I switched to Facebook's new Timeline Layout. While I certainly don't like everything about it, I LOVE being able to put a big, panoramic image at the top of my page! What photographer wouldn't like that? I started going through all of my favorite photos and cropping them to 850 x 315, which is the exact size they need to be if you don't want any weird cropping or resizing when you upload them to Facebook.

After I made a bunch of cover photos for myself, some of my Facebook friends asked me if they could use a couple of them on their pages. I said, "Sure! Why not?" All of my cover photos have my credit in the bottom right corner so really, its free advertising for me. A few more people asked me if I had specific images of this or that, and I went back through my archives and made a couple of custom covers for them. Finally, I added a section to my web site where you can download ALL of my Free Facebook Cover Photos that I've made so far. If you have an idea for a Cover Photo you'd like to see, send me a message on Facebook and I'll see what I can do. =)

Scarlett's New Year's Party

2012-01-01T00:29:00.000-05:00

For the second year in a row, I was hired to photograph the New Year's Party at Scarlett's Cabaret in Hallandale, Florida. It was a crazy night and I had a lot of fun. Yes, Scarlett's is a strip club, but during their New Year's Party, there are no strippers. Instead, there are go-go dancers, fire dancers, stilt walkers, midgets, and people in crazy costumes mingling with the crowd. The photo above is an example of one of the costumes. Although I did a little post processing to this image, I took the photo at the club, shortly after midnight.

If you want to see more of my photos from this event, try this link to Scarlett's Facebook album. If that link doesn't work, you could visit Scarlett's Facebook page and look for the album.

Teen Paranormal Romance?

2011-12-23T19:42:00.000-05:00

Wow. I'm glad my local Barnes and Noble has an entire section dedicated to this.

Happy Holidays from Robert Giordano

2011-12-17T22:30:00.000-05:00

Today I did a photo shoot with my friend Winona Kamman. She's a great model and we had a lot of fun. In case you're wondering, I added the background later, digitally. I live in Florida and it was in the 70's today. Happy Holidays!!

Guy Using a Jet Pack in the Boat Parade

2011-12-10T21:15:00.000-05:00

Tonight I watched the annual Fort Lauderdale Boat Parade with my family. We were on my brother's small boat which he anchored in one of the side canals of the Intracoastal. Although we had front row seats, it wasn't all that exciting. Maybe I had seen this parade too many times and I was tired of the same thing every year. But wait! There WAS something new. Between two garishly decorated yachts, was a person flying what appeared to be a jet pack!

I did some Googling and the company that makes it is JetLev.com. I found a number of videos on YouTube including this one. How does it work? In a nutshell, you are tethered to a small boat by a flexible hose. The boat has a 200 horsepower engine that pumps water through the hose to your jet pack. The water spraying out of your jet pack lifts you off the water. Ever play with a Water Wiggle when you were a kid? Well its basically the same thing, except you sit on top of it and control it. Sadly, it costs a little bit more than a Water Wiggle. Prices start at $99,500.00 USD.

In case you're wondering, those weird colored shapes to the right of the guy with the jet pack are the result of "lens flare". Lens flare is caused by a bright light (usually the sun) pointing directly at the camera, that makes reflections on the glass elements inside the lens. The spotlight pointing at me from the lower left is causing the lens flare in this photo.

Creepy Music Box

2011-12-06T04:14:00.000-05:00

Just a little video I made at my friend Kellen's apartment. I used my Nikon D7000 with a Nikkor 35mm f1.8 lens. Sound was recorded using the built in microphone. Exposure was f1.8 1/30s @ ISO 800.

Hello Kitty Microwave Oven

2011-12-02T21:34:00.000-05:00

That's right folks, its a real, fully functional microwave oven, and its only $79.99 at Target. I wonder what age group this thing is targeted to? It certainly couldn't be safe to give your 6 year old daughter a 700 watt microwave. Maybe its meant for college students? I wonder how many college girls really want a Hello Kitty microwave in their dorm room or apartment? Does a microwave oven become cute just because its painted pink? Seriously, what is wrong with people? Its a microwave oven. Its a byproduct of radar technology developed for World War II. It heats food by saturating it with microwave radiation! The door has a protective metal layer with small holes punched in it so you don't fry while peering inside to see if your frozen pizza has received enough radiation. Personally, I don't use a microwave. I can't think of any healthy food that needs to be heated in one.

This photo was taken with my EVO 4G.

Otters at the Museum of Discovery and Science

2011-11-21T15:48:00.000-05:00

Here's one of the otters in the new wing of the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I was hired by the museum to photograph the interior and exterior of the new building, all of the new exhibits, and of course, the otters! The otters live in an open air habitat with a lake and waterfalls. On the inside of the new building, there's a glass wall where you can watch these playful creatures diving and swimming around underwater.

Nikon D7000 with 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 lens. Exposure: f4.8 1/125 ISO 800. Weather: cloudy

What Do You Think Keeps Him Jolly?

2011-11-19T21:37:00.000-05:00

That's a good question. I really don't know. I also have no idea what this piece of advertising is trying to accomplish. I remember seeing this in a store window but I don't remember the store or what they were selling. Frequently, I see advertising that goes out of its way to be clever and memorable, yet fails to sell the product. So the question remains. Was it a clothing store? A liquor store? A dentist? An adult video store? Anyone have any clue?

This photo was taken with my EVO 4G.

Time Lapse Setup

2011-11-12T16:02:00.000-05:00

Today I installed a camera for a 9 month time lapse of a construction project. The camera is mounted to the outside of a parking garage that faces the building under construction. Just below the bumper of my car, you can see the weather housing I built for the camera. The housing is mounted to a small platform that I attached to the side of the garage. I brought a good selection of stainless steel and aluminum hardware, and I fabricated the mounting brackets on site. All the gear you see in the photo used to be in the back of my truck. Now it all fits in the back of my car. =)

QR Codes are Everywhere!

2011-11-04T12:48:00.000-04:00

In case you didn't already know, QR codes (Quick Response codes) are those funny looking little boxes filled with a pattern of tiny square "pixels". Normally you see them in print advertising and when you scan them with your smartphone, you can receive more information about the product. Here's one on the door of this van. I took this photo with my phone while we were stopped at a light but I think giving people another reason to do something with their phone while they're driving is a REALLY BAD idea! If you agree with me, call the company and tell them to take the QR codes off their vehicles.

Heavy Duty Urinal

2011-10-24T03:49:00.000-04:00

The title says it all. This photo was taken with my EVO 4G.

Sheyenne Rivers at Bull Bar

2011-10-18T23:35:00.000-04:00

Here's my friend Sheyenne Rivers at Bull Bar in Delray Beach, singing "Zombie" by the Cranberries. Homero Gallardo is on guitar. I used my Nikon D7000 with a Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 lens and a Zoom H2 recorder for the sound. Exposure was f1.8 1/30 @ ISO 1600. Considering how loud the crowd in the bar was, I'm actually surprised at how well the sound came out. I had the rear mics on the H2 turned off. I think the video quality of the D7000 is excellent, especially at ISO 1600. Watch any of my other videos and you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm usually shooting at night, in some poorly lit venue. Everyone raves about using the Canon 7D for video but I think the D7000 surpasses it for low light capability.

Empty Guacamole Bowl, Available Light

2011-10-14T22:48:00.000-04:00

Tonight I went to Rocco's Tacos in Fort Lauderdale for some of their guacamole. They make it fresh, in front of you, when you order it! You watch them cut open fresh avocados and mash them up in a cool looking, stone bowl. Next, they add fresh cilantro, diced tomato and onion, fresh lime juice, and some spices. As many of you know, I try to make raw food a substantial part of my diet and guacamole is one of my favorite raw foods. When I order it, I always ask for extra jalapenos. The chips are certainly not raw, so I try not to eat too many of them. The staff probably thinks I'm crazy because they always return to find my guacamole bowl empty and my basket of chips still full.

After I finished eating, I was talking to my friend Thea in New York. Thea is a dedicated raw foodist who is also studying photography at Columbia. I told her the guacamole story and she prompted me for a photo. It was pretty dark but I didn't use a flash or a tripod. Thea likes taking pictures at night so I added the captions so she could see how I set my camera. I have no idea why I used that font.

Lightning Over The Galleria

2011-09-30T19:25:00.001-04:00

Tonight, I was working on my laptop at Starbucks, across from the Galleria Mall in Fort Lauderdale. The sky was really dark and there were numerous flashes of lightning. I stepped outside to get a few shots. I took around 20 pictures, all handheld, and this was one of them. It might have been a better shot if I had used a tripod. I could have combined several different exposures into an HDR image. Maybe next time.

Nikon D7000 with 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Exposure: f4 1/50 ISO 400.

The Shovel and the Fury at Monterey

2011-09-23T23:58:00.000-04:00

Tonight I went to Monterey Club in Fort Lauderdale to shoot my friend's metal band, The Shovel and the Fury. My friend Dee Mulligan is on the left, playing lead guitar. Watch as I try to hold my Nikon D7000 steady in a mosh pit, lol. Personally, I think I did a pretty good job of holding the camera steady with no tripod. I used my old school 24mm f/2.8 prime lens for a wider view than my 35mm f/1.8. I knew I wasn't gonna have much room to move around. I used my Zoom H2 to record the sound. The built in mic on the D7000 would have been WAY overpowered by the sound at this show!

Rotten Tomato 2.0

2011-09-23T14:05:00.000-04:00

I had an organic tomato that was going bad so I thought I would put it on a plate and let it sit another week, lol. This is actually my second attempt at a rotten tomato photo. I did this one in 2008. I wonder if I should try to sell this shot to RottenTomatoes.com?

Nikon D7000 with Nikon 35mm f/1.8 lens. Exposure: f8 1/125 ISO 100. Studio strobe with 36" soft box.

Exceed Wetsuits Shoot

2011-09-20T19:39:00.000-04:00

This evening I did a shoot for Exceed Wetsuits and photographed a few of their updated wetsuit designs. I shoot all of their wetsuit catalog photos against a white background, with a live person wearing the wetsuit. I get rid of the head, hands, and feet in Photoshop. These shots were done outdoors in the late afternoon. I used a Nikon SB-800 on a stand with an umbrella, triggered with a wireless remote.

Nikon D7000 with Nikkor 105mm f/2.5 manual focus lens. Exposure: f5.6 1/125 ISO 200

Clematis Street, West Palm Beach

2011-08-18T21:50:00.000-04:00

This was a little exercise I created for myself, kind of a homework assignment. I wanted to shoot a number of street scenes, at night, using only available light, then edit them together like a television commercial for the area. I selected Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach, FL. Its an older area of town that has been transformed into a lively destination for tourists as well as locals. There are upscale restaurants as well as pizza parlors. There are wine bars, a tequila bar, nightclubs, and various shops along Clematis that all stay open late on certain nights of the week.

For this video, I used my Nikon D7000 and Nikon 35mm f/1.8 lens. This lens has become my favorite for shooting at night, whether stills or video. For sound, I used a Zoom H2 digital recorder. I'm learning to edit in Adobe Premiere and like I said, this video was a homework assignment. Working on this project, I learned simple transitions, syncing audio tracks, and the overall pacing of the different shots. I realize I still have a lot to learn but I think it turned out pretty well. I also learned that you need to shoot a LOT of footage to have enough for editing. The more you shoot, the more creative choices you can make later. I invite all constructive criticism so please leave me comments. =)

Something that's already been brought to my attention is that I should use a tripod. The irony is that I frequently carry a tripod with me to shoot still images at night, but it didn't occur to me to use a tripod for this video. For some of the shots, like the fountain, I simply set the camera down on a wall. Also, I need to buy a pan/tilt head for my tripod. Anyone have any suggestions for a good DSLR pan/tilt head?

35mm Lenses Tutorial

2011-08-17T02:03:00.000-04:00

I just finished updating my 35mm Lenses Tutorial for anyone learning photography. I started this project to help my friend Thea, who's studying photography at Columbia University in New York. I decided to expand it and post it on my web site for everyone. When it comes to lenses, there's a lot of information out there, not to mention a bunch of confusing jargon. In my tutorial, I've tried to simplify everything and make it as easy to understand as possible. Let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy =)

A Storm Coming HDR

2011-08-01T16:46:00.000-04:00

I was running some errands in the Boca Raton area and I noticed a thunderstorm rolling in. I drove around, looking for a good vantage point and finally found a spot on Spanish River Boulevard where it crosses over I-95. I had to park some distance away and walk to the top of the overpass with my camera and tripod. I took a few shots, then headed back down to my truck. Less than a minute after I finished loading my gear, the heavy rains of the storm reached me.

Nikon D7000 with Nikkon 12-24mm f/4.0 lens. HDR processed.

Guacamole Roll at Hiro's Yakkosan

2011-07-04T01:00:00.000-04:00

I took a break from working at Budget Video and stopped by Hiro's Yakkosan for some late night raw food. Hiro's isn't a typical sushi restaurant. It more of a Japanese tapas restaurant. I had a salad and the guacamole roll, pictured above. Notice there is no rice. Nom nom nom.

Nikon D7000 with Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 lens. Exposure: f1.8 1/30 ISO 400

Color Lab of Florida

2011-07-03T14:51:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time, before digital cameras, professional photographers in Fort Lauderdale would take their film to Color Lab of Florida to have it developed. Many photographers, including myself, loved to shoot transparency film, also known as reversal or "slide" film. You could get deep, rich colors with slide film that you couldn't get from color negative film. The process for developing color negative film is called C-41, while the process for slide film is E-6. Consumer photo labs like the ones in Wal-Mart or CVS only had C-41 machines because the general public didn't buy slide film. If you brought a roll of slide film to your neighborhood drug store, they would send it out to a lab. Professional photographers used to rely on local labs like this one to develop their film quickly.

Many years have passed since Color Lab closed its doors, never to open them again. Today, the building still stands on Dixie Highway in Fort Lauderdale. Sometimes I miss shooting film but now I can use HDR techniques to create images that weren't possible with film.

Nikon D7000 with a Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 lens. ISO 200. HDR processed.

Steve Aoki at Club Cinema 2011

2011-05-11T23:11:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, I was invited to shoot Steve Aoki at Club Cinema. I photographed DJ Aoki at the Ultra Music Festival earlier this year. Club Cinema in Pompano Beach used to be a multi-screen movie theater before it was converted into a club several years ago. As you can see, its a fairly large venue. For this video, I used my Nikon D7000 with a Nikon 35mm f/1.8 lens. I also used a Zoom H2 digital recorder for the sound. Unless its been a big, multi-camera production for television or film, I haven't seen anyone else capture the live sound at these events. This is probably because the music is so loud, it overpowers most built-in mics. After a little trial and error, I learned how to set the levels on the H2 and I think the live sound is so much better than simply adding some random music track to the video later.

Scan of a Sunset on Fujichrome 35mm film

2011-04-21T21:30:00.000-04:00

Tonight I was at my office scanning some of my old slides. Those of you who have only used digital cameras may not know what I'm talking about. Before digital cameras, I used different types of 35mm film. I used black and white, color negative, and slide film. Color negative film was used by most consumers. It was cheap, and you could take it to any drug store to have it processed. When you returned, you would get a set of prints along with your negatives.

Slide film, more accurately known as transparency or reversal film, is a special type of film that produces a positive, not a negative, when its developed. In other words, you didn't pick up prints and negatives, you simply picked up your developed film. You could hold your developed film up to a light and there were all of your pictures, in beautiful, rich color! You would cut your film into individual frames and load each one into a plastic holder called a slide. Slides could be put in a slide projector and shown on a big screen, you could have prints made at a special lab, or they could be scanned.

This particular image is from a slide I shot 7 or 8 years ago. I was on I-95, returning home from a photo shoot. I saw this amazing sunset, pulled over to the side of the road, and took this picture. This image has not been adjusted or modified in any way. This is exactly the way the slide looks when you hold it up to the light.

Nikon FM2 with Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 lens. Fujichrome Velvia film, ISO 50. I didn't record the exposure.

Necrophiles at Monterey

2011-02-25T00:15:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I went to see my friend's band, The Necrophiles, at Monterey, a small bar in Fort Lauderdale. I brought my Nikon D7000 and Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 lens. I really think the D7000 is superior to the Canon 7D for shooting video in low light. I've been a professional still photographer for over 10 years but I'm just getting started with video. I shot some video with my D90 but I wasn't impressed. With the D7000, I can shoot in situations like this dimly lit bar and it looks like something from a movie set. Take a look at the establishing shots of the bar at the beginning of the video and see if you don't agree. I just started learning how to edit video in Adobe Premiere so my skills are very basic. My lesson for this video was adding titles and fading them in and out. I'll get better. You have to start somewhere.

I recorded the audio using the D7000's built in microphone. While it isn't horrible, its a good thing the band wasn't very loud. The D7000 has a stereo input jack so I definitely need to look into an external recorder like a Zoom H2 or H4N.

Making Raw Food while listening to Dubstep

2011-02-19T00:36:00.000-05:00

Go ahead and laugh at my video! I know its odd to say the least. If you're wondering what I was thinking when I made it, please read on. First, I'm exploring the capabilities of my Nikon D7000 camera. It seems to be an excellent tool for making high definition, film quality videos. I have a number of super sharp, Nikkor prime lenses and I'm excited about working on some short film projects in the future. Before I can do that, I have to learn the camera. Obviously, the camera work for this video was simple. I used a Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 lens and my exposure was f4 1/30 and ISO 800. The incandescent fixtures in my kitchen were the only light source so I set the white balance to 3000K. The camera was on a sturdy tripod and I manually focused the lens.

Second, I'm learning how to edit video. Each time I make a video, I create a homework assignment for myself. Naturally, my first few videos won't be winning any prizes. This particular video was a lesson on editing sound. I recorded the sound AFTER I shot the video and ate the sandwich. Nothing was recorded with the video. My narration consists of about 10 separate pieces of audio that I arranged to fit the action in the video. At 02:57 you can hear the grinding of my pepper mill. This was also recorded separately and added at the right moment. Finally, I added a dubstep track so it seems like I have music playing in the background while I'm making the sandwich. If you watch this video and it seems like everything was recorded at the same time, then I did a good job with my homework. =)

Finally, if you want my raw bread recipe, go to my Facebook page, open my photo albums, select the Raw Food album, and find the recipe under the photo of the raw bread.

Birthday Shoot with Michelle

2011-02-15T19:52:00.000-05:00

Its my birthday today and I'm just about a year older than I was last year. My friend Michelle asked me if I wanted to do a lingerie shoot on location at some big mansion in West Palm Beach. I usually don't make plans on my birthday so I accepted the offer. I've known Michelle a long time and we always have fun when we shoot. A few years ago, she was the model for my fine art print, Circles of Thought.

Art Collaboration with Kellen and Sheyenne

2011-02-09T03:24:00.000-05:00

My friend Kellen did a watercolor sketch based on artwork by Alberto Vargas. I took Kellen's finished sketch and made this composite with the help of my friend Sheyenne Rivers. I asked Sheyenne to be the model for this project because her curvy body matched the sketch almost perfectly. I set the lighting and posed Sheyenne as close to the sketch as possible. We actually did about 30 shots, making small adjustments in posture, camera angle, etc. Finally, I scanned Kellen's sketch and combined it with the best matching photo of Sheyenne. It was a fun project and I hope to do more like it in the future. I also added this photo to my web site.

Zombie Apocalypse Thea

2011-02-05T03:32:00.000-05:00

This is my friend Thea, in a zombie apocalypse. First, I took a picture of her while she was in Whole Foods, deciding which organic vegetables to buy. Next, I found some preliminary artwork for the movie, "I Am Legend" and I created this mashup. In case you're wondering, she didn't have a bloody hand print on her shirt when she was at Whole Foods. Her clothes were much cleaner too.

One last thing. Usually, the date on each of my blog posts reflects the exact time I TOOK the photo. On this one, it reflects the time and date I saved the final image in Photoshop. =)

Montauk Lighthouse

2010-11-03T16:06:00.000-04:00

Today, I made my way up to the north end of Long Island to get this shot of the Montauk lighthouse. It was commissioned by George Washington and built in 1796. I was with my friend Dan Beyer.

Saint James' Church, New York City

2010-11-02T10:12:00.000-04:00

I'm staying at my friend Jon's house in Long Island. Today, he had to meet with a client in Manhattan and I went along for the ride. He dropped me off near E 65th and Madison. Saint James' Church, on 71st and Madison, is one of the first places I stopped. The church was originally built in 1884. Next, I walked up to 82nd and 5th to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I went inside for about an hour but I could have spent the whole day in there! I tried calling my friend Thea but she never got back to me. I walked a total of 8.6 miles before returning to meet Jon.

Nikon D90 with Nikon 12-24mm f/4.0 lens. Exposure: f4 1" ISO 200. I'm using the church bench as a tripod.

Here's my track on Google Maps:

View NYC in a larger map

Long Island Wooded Path

2010-10-31T13:27:00.000-04:00

Today is Halloween but I don't have a costume and I'm not going to any parties. I was out exploring the countryside of Long Island, New York with my friend Dan Beyer. We're both staying with our friend Jon Kavajian. We borrowed Jon's pickup truck, drove around the island all day, and actually found our way back to his house by dinner time.

Nikon D90 with Nikon 12-24mm f/4.0 lens. Exposure: f8 1/250 ISO 200

Studio Shoot with Michelle

2010-06-29T23:51:00.000-04:00

Tonight my friend Michelle came over and we experimented a little in my studio. I had her doing hair flips until she was about ready to pass out but I think we got some good shots. After the shoot, I did some editing in Photoshop. Sometimes I like to mix black and white with color. The color in this portrait is a little extreme but it was an experiment after all... and Michelle likes it =)

Kellen with Purple Hair

2010-04-15T16:30:00.000-04:00

Today, Kellen and I went to the Old Spanish Monastery in North Miami and I took this photo of her in the gardens there. Kellen recently dyed her hair and I thought she looked great against the green leaves and pink flowers. In Photoshop I added some saturation but her hair really is pretty bright, lol. I also added a blur overlay for a slight soft focus effect.

Ultra Music Festival, Day 2

2010-03-27T20:25:00.000-04:00

Armin Van Buuren on the main stage. This is one of my favorite shots from this year's Ultra. Everything about the Ultra Music Festival was amazing this year and I have a ton of photos from both days. If I took a picture of you or if you see yourself in any of my photos, please leave a comment on my web site or friend me on Facebook.

To see all of my photos from Ultra 2010, visit www.design215.com/ultra/2010.

Ultra Music Festival, Day 1

2010-03-26T22:39:00.000-04:00

Here's Tiesto on the main stage at the Ultra Music Festival. The is the sixth year I've been hired by Ultra to photograph their event. Its not an easy job but I love it.

To see all of my photos from Ultra 2010, visit www.design215.com/ultra/2010.

Kellen gets inked at Bulldog Tattoo

2009-08-21T01:01:00.000-04:00

Tonight, I took Kellen to see my friend Eric at Bulldog Tattoo. Eric worked with her beforehand to create some preliminary sketches of the "Sea Horse" she wanted. I took this photo using the available light in the shop. I use available light whenever possible. Using a flash in a situation like this usually produces ugly results.

Nikon D90 with Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Exposure: f5.6 1/60 ISO 800.

Confused...

2009-02-24T17:22:00.001-05:00

Okay, I'm a little confused. Does anyone else see a problem here? This mishmash of signage is on Oakland Park Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale, by the Intracoastal bascule bridge.

Vacant land in Fort Lauderdale

2009-02-17T16:47:00.004-05:00

For your viewing pleasure, I photographed this large section of vacant land on East Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale, FL. There used to be a number of stores and shops on this land. There were two car dealers, a clothing store, and a couple of fast food chain restaurants. Now there is nothing. Sign of the times? Perhaps.

Awww, a Valentine's snake?

2009-02-14T14:47:00.006-05:00

I left my house this morning... alright, so it was 2 in the afternoon... that's morning to me, ok? Anyway, there was this snake right outside my door. I bent down to take a picture. At the same time, she raised herself up to get a better look at me or something. Did she want a Valentine's Day kiss? I have no idea. I left to get some lunch. If anyone knows what kind of snake this is, please let me know.

Edgar Allan Pwned!

2009-02-11T19:19:00.004-05:00

I visited the Apple store in the mall today and I couldn't resist leaving my mark. I keep a little USB drive on my keychain, loaded with all kinds of fun little goodies. By the way, if you haven't already been there, you should visit the world's most popular site about Edgar Allan Poe, Poestories.com. If you want to download my Edgar Allan Pwned photo for your own computer (or others') you can download it here.

Kiewit crane time lapse

2009-02-09T11:41:00.007-05:00

I started another time lapse project today. My job was to document the disassembly of a Manitowoc 999 Crawler Crane for Kiewit Southern in Miami, Florida. The gigantic crane had to be taken apart and shipped to another Kiewit job site. This time lapse project was challenging for several reasons. First, I wanted to shoot enough frames to produce a film that played back at 24 frames per second. The original footage is 1920 x 1080 and so I ended up having to swap 8GB memory cards while the camera was running. The second thing that made this time lapse film more difficult was the shifting center of the action. I had to change the camera location several times and do a few pans and zooms while keeping the timeline visually seamless. I have to say its one of my best films to date.

Kiewit crane time lapse by Robert Giordano on Vimeo.

Publix Escalator

2009-02-08T13:11:00.005-05:00

Here's the escalator in the Publix Super Market on S Andrews Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The actual grocery store in on the second floor so you have to take an escalator up when you enter and back down when you leave. But what about your shopping cart full of groceries? Well, they seemed to have solved that problem, although its a bit of a weird ride. By the way, look closely and you'll see a sign at the top that says, "STEP OFF QUICKLY"

VAG Plaza

2009-01-25T14:19:00.004-05:00

I pass by this sign almost every day. It's in Pompano Beach on US1, just north of Atlantic. Its a nice sign, right? Every woman I show this to thinks its hilarious and can't even believe its real. When I show this photo to men, some get it but most scratch their heads and ask me what they're supposed to be looking at. I wonder what the people think who work at the various stores in the plaza? What about the company who made the sign? What does the property owner's mother think? What they need in this plaza is a gynecologist. Maybe several.

Birch State Park Railroad

2009-01-23T16:50:00.008-05:00

Birch State Park is located on Fort Lauderdale Beach at the corner of A1A and Sunrise Blvd. It's an oasis of natural beauty in the midst of a sea of condominiums, bars, restaurants, and tourist attractions. When I was a kid, Birch Park had a narrow guage train that took visitors through swampy areas of the park that were difficult to get to on foot. The train crossed over a creek at one point with people paddling canoes underneath. Here's a postcard from the 1970's...

My photo at the top shows all that's left of the bridge and the railroad. The train and the canoes were taken away years ago to keep greedy developers from seizing the park and building more condos. The details of this story aren't easy to find but if you dig into the details of Hugh Taylor Birch's agreement he made when he donated the land, you'll find the answers.

The Poe Toaster

2009-01-19T01:24:00.004-05:00

Every year on Edgar Allan Poe's birthday, a mysterious figure known as The Poe Toaster, sneaks into the Westminster grave site and leaves roses and half a bottle of cognac on Poe's grave. This photo shows the last remaining Poe fans waiting outside of Poe's grave to get a glimpse of the Toaster. It was 13 degrees outside. One by one we succumbed to the cold and retreated to the warmth of our homes, hotel rooms, or vehicles. No one saw the Toaster. Happy Birthday Edgar!!

Rob and Poe

2009-01-18T14:14:00.004-05:00

Here I am in Baltimore Maryland with my buddy Edgar Allan Poe. I was here on a road trip for Poe's 200th birthday celebration. I think it was 16 degrees outside. Now go to www.Poestories.com

Edgar Allan Poe 200th Birthday

2009-01-17T19:00:00.008-05:00

Edgar Allan Poe fans gather in Westminster Hall for Edgar Allan Poe's 200th Birthday celebration in Baltimore, Maryland. To learn more about Poe or read some of his famous short stories, visit www.Poestories.com.

Piano and Poe

2009-01-16T17:06:00.004-05:00

I went on a road trip to Baltimore, Maryland for Edgar Allan Poe's 200th birthday and I stopped to visit my friend Kellen. Among other things, she is quite an awesome pianist. She's also a Poe fan. =)

Gator Jerky

2009-01-11T17:04:00.005-05:00

Driving back from Tampa, I pass through Yeehaw Junction. At some point in history, people thought this intersection of State Roads 60 and 441 would become a booming little town. It didn't happen. Gas stations that were on three of the four corners have all been torn down. Tall weeds grow where the car wash used to be. The only things remaining are the Desert Inn and a guy selling "P-Nuts" and Gator Jerky out of his 1978 Ford pickup.

Queen of Hearts???

2009-01-08T03:07:00.006-05:00

My wacky friend Courtney Christopherson is a makeup artist. She wanted to do a random photo shoot one night and here's the result. You can see her work at www.TheInnovativeArtist.com.

A Pair of Hideous Dwarves!

2009-01-04T00:12:00.004-05:00

My friend Laura was reading an old comic at the coffeehouse and we were amused.

New Year's Eve, 11:11

2008-12-31T23:11:00.005-05:00

New Year's Eve is not one of my favorite holidays. My friends tell me that's just because I don't drink a lot. I was actually at a party down the street but I was bored. I was wishing I was out in the middle of the woods somewhere, dancing around a bonfire. I resorted to taking random pictures of whatever I could find. This photo reflects what I was thinking about. =)

Up in Smoke...

2008-12-26T00:26:00.000-05:00

I actually had nothing to do with this. I was simply hanging out at the coffeeshop with my camera. All of a sudden, clouds of smoke! We all left a few minutes later. =)

Holiday Cheer in 30 Minutes or Less?

2008-12-25T11:04:00.005-05:00

It was Christmas morning and I was on my way to my parent's house. This guy happened to be in front of me as I was driving along. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but it just struck me as odd. As always, I probably put way too much thought into these things but that sign isn't homemade. It's the kind of sign a pizza delivery chain would use. Is he delivering Gefilte fish in 30 minutes or less? Does he enjoy driving around randomly with that sign strapped to the roof of his car? Maybe he's protesting the fact that you can't post "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hanukkah" anywhere without someone complaining? Does he know he left his fuel door open?

Joe's Gloves

2008-12-24T22:24:00.004-05:00

These are Joe's gloves. I took this picture at the Undergrounds Coffeehaus of course, where else? I think he was showing these to me because he's selling them or something. Yes, its Christmas Eve and I'm hanging out at a coffeehouse taking random pictures of whatever people want to show me. =)

Sarah, with belts

2008-12-23T23:22:00.002-05:00

This is my last photo shoot with Sarah before she moves to Portland. She's a great model. Thanks to Carole and her mom for lending me most of the belts.

Whistling Squirrel

2008-12-22T13:19:00.004-05:00

So I was just walking along, minding my own business, when I heard someone whistling. I'm pretty sure it was the theme song to the Andy Griffith show. I looked all around but all I found was this squirrel.

West Palm Beach

2008-12-20T00:36:00.002-05:00

This is City Place in West Palm Beach. The shops are closed and most people have gone home to bed. I like it much better that way. I was here visiting a friend and we saw the film, "Slumdog Millionaire". It was quite good.

Portuguese Man o' War

2008-12-10T14:09:00.006-05:00

Today, I took a break from my work and walked along the beach. I don't spend a lot of time on the beach during the day but it was quite windy and the ocean was rough so I pretty much had the beach to myself. Soon, I saw another reason why the beach was deserted. The shoreline was littered with seaweed and little blue balloon-like objects. Growing up on Fort Lauderdale beach, I knew these were Portuguese Man o' War. My parents had warned me about them as early as I can remember. Every year I hear about some unfortunate tourist who touched one in the ocean, stepped on one that washed ashore, or even tried to pick one up, not knowing what it was!

Contrary to popular belief, the Man o' War is not a jellyfish. It is a specialized siphonophore. Its blue "balloon" is an air bladder which it inflates to float on the surface of the ocean. Long, venom filled tentacles dangle beneath the surface, paralyzing fish that come in contact with them. The following is from the Wikipedia article:

Detached tentacles and dead specimens (including those which wash up on shore) can sting just as painfully as the live creature in the water, and may remain potent for hours or even days after the death of the creature or the detachment of the tentacle.

Stings usually cause severe pain to humans, leaving whip-like, red welts on the skin which normally last about forty-five minutes after which it should subside. However, the venom can travel to the lymph nodes and may cause, depending on the amount of venom, more intense pain. A sting may lead to an allergic reaction. There can also be serious effects, including fever, shock, and interference with heart and lung action. There have even been deaths, although this is rare. Medical attention may be necessary, especially where pain is intense or there is an extreme reaction.

Stop Her!

2008-12-09T16:46:00.009-05:00

I'm standing near the intersection of Oakland Park Blvd. and US1 in Fort Lauderdale. I'm looking for something to shoot. I see words within words. I move a bit forward and then to the right, watching for traffic. There's a bus coming. I step back. A moment later I step forward again and line up the words. Click. ISO 200 F/5.6 1/250.

I've had a very busy week. I spent all weekend trying to get caught up with client work after completely reconstructing my office. I shot this photo during my 4pm lunch break. No matter how busy I am, I always take a few minutes to sit and look at everything around me. I think many people would be surprised at the things they would see if they just took the time to notice. If I ever become so wrapped up in the commercial world that I fail to notice random things like this, I hope one of my friends will smack me. =)

New Office Furniture

2008-11-18T17:52:00.007-05:00

Okay, so everyone has been asking me what happened to my office furniture. Well, here's my new office! On the back desk is a Windows machine and on the front desk is my new MacBook Pro and a Powerbook G4 that I use to make time-lapse films. I connect my Nikon D200 or a D70s directly to the G4 via a USB cable and use Nikon's software to control the camera. I'd like to point out one final thing. My desks and bookcase were designed and built by me. They were not kits. I built them from solid, marine grade plywood. This is the same type of plywood used to make cabinets on yachts. I applied heavy duty black formica to the desktops and stained the rest.

Rob Sunrise

2008-11-17T07:36:00.005-05:00

This is what Rob does when he's worked all night and returns home at 7:30am. Actually I filmed a short time-lapse but I'm going to incorporate it into some additional footage. This is all you get for today. Deal with it.

Ocean Moonlight Time-lapse

2008-11-13T02:26:00.012-05:00

What does Robert do when the moon is full and he can't sleep? He sits on the beach with his camera and tripod and watches the moonlight and clouds over the ocean. Today's image is the last frame of a 2 hour time-lapse sequence. There was a strong breeze from the southeast and the clouds were moving quickly, even in real time. Other than being resized for this page, the image appears exactly as it was shot and has not been adjusted. The exposure is ISO 400, F4 @ 18 seconds, using a Nikon D200 and 12-24mm ED IF DX Nikkor lens. As it says below, this photo was taken at 2:26am. The illumination is all from the full moon overhead. Notice the stars in the background.

The original footage is HD 1920 x 1080 but here's the YouTube version:

Downsizing?

2008-11-10T23:39:00.002-05:00

Yes, this is my office. No, my company isn't downsizing. I'm getting all new furniture tomorrow and I needed to clear out the old stuff. We're actually planning to open our New York City office soon. =)

Hiro's Sashimi Salad

2008-11-09T23:59:00.000-05:00

It was another Sunday night and I was in Miami, working on web sites like BudgetVideo.com. Around midnight, my friend David either makes some raw food or we go to Hiro's Yakko-san. Tonight, David was busy so I went to Hiro's by myself. My photo of the day is Hiro's sashimi salad, made with organic field greens, avocado, daikon radish, cherry tomatoes, sprouts, and thin slices of whatever fresh fish is available. Everything is raw of course.

Raw Chocolate

2008-11-04T22:16:00.006-05:00

Tonight I made a batch of raw, 100% organic chocolate bars. Raw you ask? How does that work? Well, here's my recipe:

1/4 cup raw, organic agave
1/2 cup raw, organic almond butter, smooth
1 tbsp. raw, organic coconut oil
1/2 cup David Wolfe's raw, organic cacao powder (plus more as needed)

Pour the agave into a mixing bowl. Add the almond butter and the coconut oil. The raw coconut oil will be a white paste at room temperature because it hasn't been boiled and refined. Mix in 4 tablespoons of raw cacao powder. Stir until completely smooth. Keep adding more cacao until the mixture is about as thick as dough. Form the mixture into cookie size "bars" and place on a flexible tray suitable for the freezer. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn and place in the freezer for about an hour.

Once frozen, they're perfect. You can keep them in the freezer indefinitely but whenever I make them, they don't last long. Believe it or not, these chocolate bars are actually good for you! They're "choc" full of antioxidants, magnesium, and more! Watch this short video where David Wolfe talks about the nutritional benefits of the unprocessed cacao bean...

Minivan Crash on A1A

2008-11-03T06:04:00.007-05:00

No, I didn't crash! I was driving home from Miami just before sunrise as I usually do on Monday mornings. When I reached A1A and Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale, I saw a couple of police cars parked in the middle of the street with their lights on. It was 6am and the sun was just starting to create an orange glow on the horizon. It was quiet. There was no traffic yet. I pulled over to the side of the road and started shooting pictures of the scene. There was no ambulance and no signs of any injuries. Both airbags in the minivan were deployed. Maybe the driver had already been taken to the hospital or maybe he fled on foot. I thought it was odd that police cars were blocking the entrance to Birch State Park, which is just to the right of where I'm standing. News Helicopters arrived and circled above. By the time I left, morning traffic was being diverted away from the scene. People heading south on A1A were forced to turn around and head back north. Luckily I was already inside of the road blocks and continued home to write this blog. =)

Nikon D200, ISO 400, F4 @ 1/60

Hiro's Seaweed Salad

2008-10-27T01:26:00.004-04:00

As usual I was in Miami working on various web sites for my friend David. Around 1am I took a break and went to my favorite Japanese restaurant, Hiro's Yakko-San. I have sushi quite often but this isn't a sushi bar. You won't find sushi rolls on the menu but you will find an amazing selection of authentic Japanese cuisine. This is the place the sushi chefs go when they get off work. I started off with the seaweed salad pictured above. I had to take a picture of it before I ate it. It comes with ponzu and spicy mustard sauces on the side.

Books vs. Amazon Kindle

2008-10-25T13:40:00.028-04:00

"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him..."
-from Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

There's a new product on the market called the Kindle, made by Amazon. It's a handheld device that lets you read books electronically. It has several features that set it apart from other eBook readers. Probably the most important of these is its ability to download electronic versions of books and newspapers wirelessly. It can connect anywhere there is a cell phone signal because it uses Sprint's EVDO network. There is no wireless bill but you cannot make calls and web browsing is limited.

The Kindle doesn't use an LCD screen like laptops, PDAs, or cell phones. Instead, it uses a new technology called Electronic Ink or E-Ink. Basically the screen consists of millions of microcapsules that have a black side and a white side and flip depending on the electronic output. Since the screen uses physical particles, there is no problem reading it in direct sunlight, but it also means you'll need a reading lamp in the evening. Since the display doesn't constantly give off light like an LCD screen, it uses much less power. Finally, because the particles only flip between black or white, it cannot display color. The Kindle is not the first to use E-Ink. You can read about other devices here.

I've spent some time reading through many forums to get an idea of what people think about this device. People either seem to love it or hate it. Some go on and on about why books will always be better than any electronic reader while others feel this is the best thing since sliced bread. As a professional photographer, the discussion reminds of the arguments over film vs. digital. I have the same opinion for both disputes. They are two different tools that each have distinct advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of my thoughts on books vs. the Amazon Kindle...

Kindle Advantages

Keep a large number of books in one small, portable device.
Font sizes can be made larger or smaller for easier reading.
Books, newspapers, and magazines can be downloaded wirelessly anywhere a cell phone works.
All text can be searched and pages can be bookmarked.
The screen is easy to read, especially in bright sunlight.
Battery charge lasts for 5 days or more when not using wireless.
The New Oxford American Dictionary is built in so you can easily look up words.
More than 190,000 books, 11 major newspapers, and 8 magazines are available for download.
There is free wireless access to Wikipedia.org, many blogs, and other web sites.
If you lose or break your Kindle, a record of everything you've purchased is saved on Amazon's servers so you can download all of your books again for free.

Kindle Caveats

As of today, the Kindle costs $359.00
Content is encrypted. This is called Digital Rights Management or DRM. Books cannot be downloaded to a computer, shared, or printed. You can copy a clipping of text to a special file and transfer it to your computer but you cannot transfer or share whole texts. You aren't buying a book. You are buying the rights to read a book on your Kindle.
There is a fee (10 cents per document) for uploading your own files to your Kindle because they have to be converted to a special format first. You must first email them to your online Kindle account, then they are converted and sent to your Kindle.
You can't loan someone one of your books without loaning them your entire Kindle.
You can't transfer books you've read to someone else's Kindle unless its on your account and connected to your credit card. You can have up to 6 Kindles on one account.
Currently you cannot get magazines and newpapers you already subscribe to on your Kindle for free. For example if you already subscribe to The New York Times and want it on your Kindle, you have to purchase a separate subscription.
There is no color. All illustrations are black and white. Web sites are rendered similar to other mobile browsers but with no color.
Many people who otherwise like the Kindle have complaints about the controls. You can read some here and here.

Advantages of Books

They don't need batteries.
You can loan them to friends or give them as gifts.
You can write in them, underline passages, and make notes in the margins.
Books can be enjoyed for generations. Show me a computer that's been passed down from grandfather to father to son, and isn't a paperweight.
Many people like the tactile feel of a book and the process of turning physical pages.
Many books have beautiful, full color photographs, reproductions, and illustrations.
Books have lasted for hundreds of years. Electronic storage devices have not proven a lifespan past 50 years. Books can be dropped, stepped on, thrown against a wall, or stacked together and used as a step stool. Books are no less resistant to fire and water than electronic devices but they are more resistant to damage from sand, coffee, and EMPs.

I'll end with this thought. In 1953, Ray Bradbury published a novel called Fahrenheit 451 about a dystopian future in which books are outlawed and anyone caught reading them is arrested. All books are confiscated and burned in order to dull the minds of the population. Bradbury's classic is his critique on an an increasingly dysfunctional American society. A device like the Kindle could motivate people to spend more time reading than watching mindless television. On the dark side, how much easier would it be to simply flip a switch and erase everything, instead of burning all the books?

Additional Links:
Kindle FAQ on Amazon.com
Kindle FAQ on MobileRead.com

Hula Girl Lamp

2008-10-21T20:55:00.003-04:00

Here's a detail of a table lamp at Carlos and Pepe's 17th Street Cantina in Fort Lauderdale. I haven't been there in a while but they are one of the few mexican restaurants in the area that makes chili rellenos filled with vegetables instead of meat. Yum. Nikon D200, ISO 400, F5.6 @ 1/8.

Fort Lauderdale Sunrise

2008-10-20T07:18:00.006-04:00

I spent another late night in Miami, editing web sites. I returned to Fort Lauderdale a little after 6:30am and I decided to watch the sunrise before going to bed. What an amazing and peaceful moment it is to sit on the beach just before the sun comes up. Before people are engaged in their mad scramble to get to work. Before the beach is filled with tourists and retirees. Before the noise of the city overtakes the peaceful sound of the ocean. For a moment I imagine I am somewhere else, on a tropical island, far away from cell phones, clients, and venti mocha frappuccinos.

1945 Penny

2008-10-18T18:25:00.006-04:00

I found this 1945 penny in my pocket today. I don't usually see coins this old still in circulation. Somehow this 63 year old penny found its way into my pocket. I sat on the beach at dusk, holding it between my thumb and forefinger, trying to imagine its journey.

It was minted in 1945, the year World War II came to an end. Joe Rosenthal took the award winning photo of the Marines raising the American flag at Iwo Jima. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died suddenly and Vice President Harry S. Truman became the 33rd President. Perhaps a reporter in Washington D.C. first acquired the penny as part of his change for a cup of coffee. In 1954, it could have been part of the 18 cents someone paid for a burger when the first Burger King opened here in Miami, Florida. I'm certain my penny was in someone's pocket at Woodstock in 1969. Perhaps it was in the change purse of a New York City hot dog vendor at the opening ceremony of the World Trade Center in 1973. I wonder how many pockets its been in, how many times it was lost between the cushions of someone's couch, how many times it was picked up off the ground as a token of good luck?

Some interesting facts:
Lincoln has been on the front side (the obverse) of the penny since 1909.
My penny does not have the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse. That began in 1959.
The copper in my penny is worth 2.65 cents. Today's pennies are 97% zinc with copper plating.

I'm so drunk...

2008-10-12T01:02:00.005-04:00

I was walking around the Design District in Miami and spotted this sticker on a concrete lamp post. So simple, yet so profound. Think about it.

The Mask

2008-10-11T23:53:00.005-04:00

Here's my friend Laura at the Undergrounds Coffeehaus again, hiding behind some type of ceremonial death mask. The mask is the handiwork of a local artist named Bill Landis, another frequent patron of the Coffeehaus. Undergrounds is open late every night except Monday when they're closed, and they're open till 1am on Friday and Saturday. The coffee is tasty and you never know what you're going to see there.

Scary 7-Eleven

2008-10-09T05:27:00.006-04:00

I was working late at my friend David's facility in North Miami until around 5am. On the way home, I stopped at a desolate 7-Eleven on Dixie Highway. I went straight to the back and grabbed a large bottled water from the cooler. When I approached the counter, this is what I saw. For those of you who ask me why I always have my camera with me, I have just answered your question.

I find it interesting that the colors match quite well. Notice the 7-Eleven logo on his shirt. =)

My Artwork at Vagabond

2008-10-05T23:38:00.004-04:00

I stopped by The Vagabond in downtown Miami to see some of my artwork which is on display there.

Artwork by Robert Giordano, from left to right:
"Love is Pain",
"Inverted Torso",
"Conductance", and
"Appetite for Convolution".

Almost Raw Pizza

2008-10-04T21:20:00.003-04:00

Saturday night I went to my friend's raw and vegan restaurant in Miami, Om Garden, and had an "almost" raw pizza. I say almost because its made from all raw vegetables but the crust is a pita which of course, is baked. On the menu, it is listed as "Peace Pizza" and consists of pesto, mushrooms, black olives, sun dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, and a raw topping made from nuts and olive oil. It was absolutely delicious.

Church of Internal Combustion

2008-10-01T18:10:00.006-04:00

Welcome to the Church of Internal Combustion. All you need to join our congregation is a new 2008 4WD Truck or SUV. Yes, we know this is Florida, where everything is flat and it never snows, but hey that four wheel drive is bound to come in handy! We are a Non-denominational Church. You can make your donation to any brand of gasoline pump you wish, but please support your church and donate often.

Seriously, who killed the electric car?

Weird display at Home Depot

2008-09-30T23:33:00.012-04:00

I was at Home Depot looking for a new sink and I spotted this scene. This is a store display in Home Depot. I don't know about you, but this just struck me as odd. On the left is a cardboard cutout of a large Home Depot employee apparently punching a smaller cutout of a man with a baseball cap on backwards. A third cutout of a woman stands by with her hand raised as if to say, "Hold on a minute!". Can someone explain this to me?

Happy Birthday: Dan Beyer

Sheyenne Rivers at O'Hara's

2008-09-28T14:50:00.003-04:00

Saturday night I stopped by O'Hara's Pub on Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale to hear my friend Sheyenne Rivers sing. The band was great. Sheyenne was great. Everyone had a good time. Unfortunately I heard that O'Hara's is closing and Sunday (today) is their last day. I'll ask Shy where's she's playing next.

Techno Sluts

2008-09-27T05:01:00.002-04:00

Jackal and Hyde on the main stage.

I was invited to shoot the "Techno Sluts" show at Voodoo Lounge in Fort Lauderdale on Friday, September 26. I've been to these shows before but this one was amazing. In a few days I'll have a gallery of photos from the event on my myspace.

Visuals by Psyberpixie. DJs Andy Laplegua, Infiniti, and Danny Bled. Fetish performances by Rubberdoll and Rebecca's Rubber Room. Piercing play by Jason. Hosted by Joe Freedom.

David Wirth Sculpture

2008-09-26T13:50:00.002-04:00

I met with marine wildlife artist David Wirth to photograph one of his latest sculptures. Here is the result. It's solid bronze and has four level points on top to support a glass table top.

Fort Lauderdale Beach Underwater

2008-09-25T19:30:00.012-04:00

Well, for a day anyway. These are a few pictures of Fort Lauderdale beach between Oakland Park Blvd. and Sunrise Blvd. There was no storm that I'm aware of and I didn't see anything about it in the paper.

Yes, I'm standing in the water. Why do people keep asking me that, lol?

The surfers were enjoying the day. No one else seemed too concerned. I remember this happening a few years ago before they built the low retaining wall. The beach ended up in the road. This time, most of the sand stayed on the beach.

I shot these pictures during high tide, around 6pm. I set my alarm and woke up the next morning before sunrise for the next high tide but nothing unusual happened. Later that day, the beach looked normal again.

Which blog format?

2008-09-24T02:52:00.004-04:00

That's my friend Sarah. She's one of my artist friends and she is just very cool. We did this photo in my studio.

So... I'm trying to decide if I want to use Blogger for my personal blog. I already own the domain www.robertgiordano.com and I could choose one of the following:

a) build my own site, as I do for other clients and use my own content manager. It has very simple blog editing features but it would do fine. I use it to update sites like www.Poestories.com
b) build my own site and use something like Wordpress.
c) use Blogger and redirect my domain name to it.

I definitely want to make my own custom layout and I'm good with CSS and all of that. I'm still exploring the Blogger controls to see how difficult it will be to completely customize my layout.

I like that I can email a post if I need to. The primary purpose of my blog will be to post the many random photos I take from day to day that don't make it to my commercial web site or aren't such works of art that I plan to show them anywhere else. I do take a LOT of photos so I need a place to share them.

Why not use Flickr you ask? Well, I do have a Flickr page but its not like a blog, or at least it just didn't satisfy the "blogging" aspect that I want. I posted a bunch of pictures but then I got bored with it. We'll see how this goes.

Okay, so I'm off to work on my layout in Photoshop and then I'll see how difficult it will be to adapt the layout to Blogger.

Moonscape

2008-09-16T21:36:00.004-04:00

It was a beautiful moonlit night. I grabbed my camera and tripod and headed for the beach. I used my Nikon D200 to make this image. ISO 200, F4 @ 15 seconds.

Thanks Kellen for texting me to look at the moon. =)

Rotten Tomato Still Life

2008-09-11T16:56:00.007-04:00

I left an organic tomato sitting in a window sill for a few days and I decided to do a nice portrait of it. I used my Nikon D200 with a vintage, manual focus 55MM/F2.8 Micro-Nikkor lens. The sheer curtain acts as a diffuser for the sunlight while an SB800 bounced off the ceiling provides some light on the front. Balancing the two light sources took several tries but in the end, I think its a fairly nice exposure. As for the tomato, it is apparently teeming with life. =)

Rough Seas

2008-09-09T14:15:00.001-04:00

Rough seas and high winds on Fort Lauderdale beach today. No one was on the beach except for me and a couple of surfers. People stopped, got out, couldn't take the wind, and left. The surfers didn't look like they were having much fun either. We were feeling the trailing edges of Hurricane Ike. We got lucky.

Happy Birthday: Mark

Aileen Roxs

2008-09-05T02:40:00.006-04:00

Sarah, a regular customer at Undergrounds Coffeehaus in Fort Lauderdale created this poetic arrangement of Scrabble tiles. Aileen is the proprietor of Undergrounds and is responsible for the coolness of the place. In a word, she roxs.

Laura in the Bathroom

2008-08-27T23:50:00.004-04:00

Here's my friend Laura in the bathroom at Undergrounds Coffeehaus. Here in South Florida, we have a serious lack of cool coffeehouses like they have up north. Fortunately we have Undergrounds. Have some coffee, dessert, or tater tots. Look through hundreds of used books. Check out art from local artists. Play scrabble. Hang out in the bathroom. It's all good.

You can read more about Undergrounds and get directions here.

Kitchen Bat

2008-08-24T03:02:00.002-04:00

I was hanging out with Sedna after our photo shoot and we went to visit one of her friends. This was hanging in their kitchen. I thought it was cute.