Last year I had a shoot at the Colonnade Hotel in Boston. The Colonnade wanted a set of images to highlight their recent purchase and marketing of their super cool Smart Car (Otherwise known as the Smart Passion, Smart 451, and just plain old Smaaht Cah). They bought a couple of Smart Cars to offer to their guests during their stay with select hotel packages and to have a sweet way to market their hotel around the city. I approached the project with the idea of the final image being a composite image that was created using the "painting with light" technique. Essentially I set up my camera on a tripod and set the proper exposure. I then hooked up a remote activation device, a Pocketwizard. I then took my hand help flash and connected another Pocketwizard. I walked around the Smart car and created a single exposure with the desired flash on each frame building a group of images that once compiled and Photoshop'd together would yield an image with a look that seems to be lit from many different angles. The final image had some minor post processing  to increase saturation and color correction.  This process has been popularized by Las Vegas photograper, John Michael Cooper/ALT F. He's been exploring this technique for the last few years and has taking his concept mainstream. This was my first foray into the process for a commercial client and I'm ecstatic with the results.

Back to the point of the post. Last week as I was checking out twitter I found a post on Twitter by the Colonnade, which happen to be avid social media evangelists. Here's the Tweet: "Our Twitter Profile photo makes the cover of a magazine! http://bit.ly/9XVdSX - Thank You to: @jeffnewcumphoto + Selbert Perkins" Needless to say, I was psyched!!! So, here's my first cover shot for a magazine. First is the magazines cover and the second is the original shot. Thanks Colonnade and Sign of the Times!!!

Last night I made it back to my favorite outdoor skating rink, Frog Pond at Boston Common. I used to work in Cambridge about 8 years ago and I used to ride the red line from Braintree to Alewife. On the way home I'd get off at downtown crossing and head over to Frog Pond for some after work skating. Frog Pond is a smaller outdoor rink with a nice snack bar, skate rentals, skate sharpening, and some cool old school music. Needless to say, years ago I spent many hours skating and enjoying the Boston scene. Hopefully, I can convince a couple to shoot their engagement session at Frog Pond before it closes for the season in the spring. C'mon, I know there's a couple out there that's has the sense of adventure and fun. A bit of advice, Frog Pond is a great place for a first date. There's nothing more romantic than skating under the stars. Ahh.. the memories.

More info: Boston Common ice skating at Frog Pond is open Mondays 10am to 4pm, Tuesday to Thursday and also Sunday from 10am to 9pm and Friday and Saturday from 10am to 10pm. Admission is $4 per person and children under 13 skate free. Skate rentals are $8 for adults and $5 for under 13 years of age with lockers at $1. Seasons passes and lunch passes are also available for families as well as individuals Check rates before visiting. When at Boston Common ice skating there s a snack bar on sight with an ample menu of hot and cold treats to keep everyone happy.

Above is a post card that I picked up at the admissions gate.
This was shot with my iPhone and processed with ShakeItPhoto app.

I had the great pleasure and honor to attend the opening of Aria at CityCenter in Las Vegas last year. The 4,004-room Aria Resort and Casino is the crowning jewel of CityCenter. The resort features more than 150,000 square feet of gaming space, 16 restaurants, 10 bars and lounges, a 215,000-square-foot pool area with 50 cabanas and an 80,000-square-foot spa, the largest among MGM Mirage properties. Aria is home to Cirque du Soleil’s newest show, “Viva Elvis,” which takes guests on a trip through Elvis Presley’s life and music. Here's some images from the grand opening that move me and groove me.

**Very limited availability, Sign up NOW!**

I just signed up for 3 days of fun at Mystic 5 (a smaller convention in the northeast for portrait and wedding photographers)  in Jan 2010! I can't wait to see Jerry Ghionis, Joe McNally, David Williams, John Michael Cooper (Alt F), David and Quin Cheung, Tricoast, Andy Marcus, Greg Gibson, Michelle Turner, George Weir, Jason Groupp, Storey Wilkins, Andrew Funderburg, Jerome Braga, and the one, the only, the supah suacey Stacey Doyle!!!! Take a look at the schedule, it's amazing!

I attended Mystic 4 earlier this year and I have to say that I was very impressed with the setup. I had heard about Mystic 4 from the local photographers and they raved about it. I guess I was a bit renascent from attending the bigger conventions but, honestly.. I was blown away. The venue was sweet, the layout of the seminar room was astounding, the speakers were way cool, and offered a plethora of information.

Additionally, the hotel staff were way cool. No bs for shooting indoors, serving myriads of drinks to the wee hours, and tolerating our late night social scene with much patience.

I'd highly recommend Mystic as a regular gathering for those local and from far away. Great job Walter! You really impressed me!

Here's a taste of the Mytic 4 experience:

Walter van Dusen Mystic 4 extra footage from Vladimir Chaloupka on Vimeo.

I was reminded by a good friend today that sometimes you need to trust that you'll make it in life and not to be afraid of taking risks. Here's the short essay and a picture from the Mayor's Cup Cycling Race last Saturday 9/26.  I thought the image and the story carry a  relationship of achievement.

Kyle Wamsley sprints around the last to win the men's elite group. Congrats Kyle!

Let Go and Let Flow
Taking a Leap of Faith
by Laurie Benedict

Many people, in heeding the guidance of their souls, find themselves contemplating goals that seem outrageous or unattainable. In the mind’s eye, these individuals stand at the edge of a precipice and look out over the abyss at the fruit of their ambition. Some resist the urge to jump, paralyzed by the gap between their current circumstances and the life of their dreams. Others make a leap of faith into the unknown, unsure of what they will encounter but certain that they will gain more in their attempts than they would bowing to self-protective instincts. This leap can be exceedingly difficult for individuals with control issues because the act of embracing uncertainty requires them to trust that surrender will net them the rewards they seek. Yet when you make a leap of faith, believing without a doubt that you will land safely on the other side, you can accomplish almost anything you set out to do.

There have no doubt been times in your life when you chose to go where the universal flow took you. Yet you may encounter instances in which your objectives require you to step outside of the boundaries of your established comfort zone so that you may freely and actively jettison yourself into a new phase of your life. While you may fear what seems to be the inevitable fall, consider that in all likelihood you will find yourself flying. A successful leap of faith requires your attention, as it is the quiet and often indistinct voice of your inner self that will point you toward your ultimate destination. Understand that the leap across the chasm of ambiguity may challenge you in unforeseen ways but you will make it across if you trust yourself.

If your mind and heart resist, you can dampen this resistance by building a bridge of knowledge. The more you know about the leap you are poised to take, the smaller the gap between "here" and "there" will appear to be. Your courageous leap of faith can lead you into uncharted territory, enabling you to build a new, more adventurous life. Though you may anticipate that fear will be your guide on your journey across the abyss, you will likely discover that exhilaration is your constant companion."

Courtesy of DailyOM.com - Here's a link to the original: http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2009/20395.html

Over the weekend I shot the engagement session of Maria and Matt. Two wonderful teachers who teach at the grammar school level in central Massachusetts. We met  up in Chinatown and proceeded to make our way to the ICA in hopes to shoot some shots inside. We had a beautiful day to shoot in Boston but, there was a bit of a fall chill in the air. Maria and Matt's wedding is next year at the Publick House in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. Here's some of the images that I really love.

Yesterday I headed down to Natick Center for our annual celebration and tenth anniversary of Natick Days. The weather was perfect and the festivities were numerous. Natick Days is a festival of entertainment that celebrates our community by providing fund raising opportunities for Natick youth groups and non-profit organizations, and highlights the work of Natick's service organizations. I arrived early to take in the day and here's some of the images that caught my eye. Enjoy!

One of my constants in my life. I had to finally get a picture of him.

A cool perspective for the cotton candy man.

A new twist on dunking - Bursting

Natick Fire Department was out in full display - I think every kid has the dream of being a firefighter, some actually achieve it.

Beat the Natick High School Redmen's Goalie

The entertainment was diverse and always funny.

The kids always have the most fun.

Natick's Department of Public Works had a first class showing and a great time for dad to show his son the ropes.

Natick's Finest kept the order and assistance as needed.

The Bungee run!

The adult pie eating contest was a hoot!

Some of the staff that kept the everyone aware of the day's schedule and upcoming events. Thanks!

This image on the banner was shot by me at last years Boston Marathon. It's pretty cool to see my image daily. ;)

One lucky bride to win a chance to wear diamond earrings for her special day
NEW YORK – September 15, 2009 – BridalTweet.com today announced a contest awarding one lucky bride a complimentary rental of dazzling diamond earrings to wear on her wedding day.

Each bride who joins BridalTweet.com before October 30 will be entered to win, compliments of Adorn Brides*. “The Red Carpet Wedding contest is our way of thanking brides for joining our wedding community,” said Christine Dyer, creator and founder of BridalTweet.com. “We’re seeing that brides will rent anything from visual props to floral arrangements, table linens, head-pieces and sometimes even dresses; why not rent diamonds for the special day.”

Each bride that joins BridalTweet.com will also gain access to the wedding community’s ongoing benefits such as free wedding advice, exclusive offers, giveaways, information about local events, a local vendor directory, and more.  All BridalTweet.com members, including brides, wedding vendors, and wedding bloggers, can also share tips and information via chats, blogs, discussions, groups, photos, and videos.

Early results indicate BridalTweet.com’s growing leadership position within the wedding industry.  Since its inception in April of 2009, the wedding community at BridalTweet.com has exceeded 3,500 members, with 64 percent of the community’s visitors returning to the website in a given month – a strong signal of BridalTweet.com’s active and engaged audience.

“We are excited to work with BridalTweet.com to bring the red carpet glamour of diamonds on loan to one lucky bride’s big event,” shared Laura Carrintgon, co-founder and Chief Stylist for Adorn Brides. “Every bride, regardless of her budget deserves to have access to the very best in bridal accessories. Now, brides can rent thousands of dollars of diamond jewelry for a fraction of what it would cost to purchase them thanks to Adorn Brides.”

*Rental cost not to exceed $150 in value.  The retail value of the earrings can be up to $4,100.  Subject to general rental terms and conditions of Adorn Brides.  See official Red Carpet Wedding rules for complete details: www.bridaltweet.com/notes/Red_Carpet_Wedding_Rules

About BridalTweet.com: Headquartered in New York, NY, BridalTweet (www.BridalTweet.com) is a free online wedding community where brides, wedding vendors, and wedding bloggers can create meaningful relationships.  At BridalTweet.com, brides can find free wedding advice, exclusive offers, giveaways, local events, and more.  This is one of the first wedding communities that enables wedding vendors to have a voice - allowing for deeper marketing conversations.  Since April 2009, 3,500 members have joined BridalTweet.com and membership increases daily.

*About Adorn Brides: Headquartered in New York, NY, Adorn Brides (www.adorn.com) is the leading online diamond jewelry rental company designed specifically to meet the needs of today’s bride. Cited as the #1 resource for bridal jewelry accessories online, Adorn Brides’ unique service is fast becoming the latest trend among fashion conscious brides.

I recently had the pleasure of capturing the love and passion of two wonderful people, Jessica and Stan. We met at the paifang on Beach Street. We took some time to create some fun images around Chinatown then, we headed towards Boston Common. I really enjoyed working with the environment to create a diverse set of images. Jessica and Stan's wedding is quickly arriving and I look forward to capturing their wedding day. Here's some of the images that I love.

I recently shot an engagement session with Sam and Christy at Sail Boston (aka Tall Ships). We started out in the morning taking a tour of one of the boats and a bit of shooting. It was fun working indoors aboard the ship and in the shaded areas around the boat. The ship was full of people gawking and smiling but, Sam and Christy managed to smile and be sexy. We walked around and found several different locations for shooting. Late morning sun is a bit intense and very directional so, I had to work the shaded areas. Their wedding ceremony will take place at the Immaculate Conception Church at Medford, MA and the reception will be at the Tewksbury Country Club in Tewksbury, MA. It was fun capturing your love Sam and Christy! I'm looking forward to your wedding day.