Nicole.

So when my friend Nicole asked me to take some photos of her, I immediately said yes. Working with my friends is one of my favorite things to do because I find that those shoots are so much more relaxed and comfortable. Us photographers get nervous too. Haha! We decided to shoot at the Ringwood Manor in Ringwood NJ because it’s just an interesting and gorgeous place with a bunch of history behind it.

I throughly loved shooting with this lovely lady and I hope to capture her again.

Here are some of my favorites from the shoot.

Apr 3

Dodger.

After my Grandparents passed away within a week of each other this past January/February, my family and I took in their cat Dodger. Even before the cat was living with us, I shared a special bond with him. Yesterday was the first day I really let him in my room because I was unsure of how my allergies would react. I’m allergic to my cat Flash (who you’ll hopefully see photos of soon) and I feared the same for Dodger and expected an itchy and sneezy night if he even stepped paw into my room. I ended up taking some photos of him while he lounged around my bed. Oh and for those who are wondering, I’m sneeze and itch free!

Apr 1

The Protomen/Out Of The Beardspace 3.27.13 [show photos]

So roughly a year ago, I saw The Protomen at Mexicali Live in Teaneck NJ. Fast forward to 2013 and they were coming through to the same venue. Now despite seeing them a week prior at Santos Party House in NYC, I knew I had to go to their show in my homestate and shoot it at a venue that never lets me down when it comes to lighting, sound and food. The opener was Out Of The Beardspace, from the Philly area. Their sound wasn’t my cup of tea but were interesting to watch nonetheless. The Protomen blow me out of the water every time I see them play. Here are some photos from the show, click the photo for a larger view.

Out Of The Beardspace

The Protomen

Mar 28

Let’s play catch up.

It’s been about a year since I updated this blog, so I think it’s time to clue everyone in onto what’s been going on……in photos (and some words). For starters I now shoot with a Canon 5D Mark III and I love it. So the photos from here on out are taken with that. Yay!

http://www.morning.bandcamp.com

http://www.reesevanriper.bandcamp.com

Apr 5

Photos from probably the best show I’ve ever been to.

So Thursday, March 29 I possible shot and attended the best show of my life. Here are some photos from the night, enjoy! View the whole set here.

Lawrence Trailer

Chasing Bear.

The Protomen.

Jan 29

First shoot of 2012.

So on Saturday I had my first shoot of 2012. Of course, it was with my wonderful best friend, muse, and test subject- Ellie. She had her first shoot behind the camera in Bergenfield and I went along with the ride to help with posing and whatnot. Afterwards I wanted to take some shots of my own so after a quick lunch at Fresco’s Fried Chicken, we headed towards Cooper’s Pond and the cemetery that is behind it. Because of the fantastic state of the lighting and her outfit, we decided to start in the cemetery where the magic happened.

For most of the shots, I stuck with my 50mm f/1.8 because it is such a great portrait lens. The bokeh that one can get is fantastic and the speed of the lens itself truly makes it one of my favorite lenses. I decided to really experiment in Photoshop a bit this time. I opted for using different color fills inside of a typical black one to create interesting tones that I feel really go along with the overall mood of the shoot. Here are 13 of my favorite photos from the shoot, scaled down a bit for space.

This is my favorite photo from the shoot. Everything about it makes me glisten and squee with joy.

I hope you all have enjoyed this update from my first shoot of 2012! I had a blast shooting and editing these photos!

Dec 31

Top Photos Of 2011: Live Bands.

As 2011 comes to a close, I figure it’s about time to post the final part of my photo countdown. I’ve been to many shows this year and I’ve fallen in love with bands and venues all over the place. Band photography is my passion, it what fuels my fire. I hope through these photos you fall in love with the moment that they captured.

Crystal Stilts performing at The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn NY.

Happy Refugees performing at The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn NY.

Morning... performing at The Bitterend NYC.

Explosions In The Sky performing at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair NJ.

Explosions In The Sky performing at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair NJ.The Antlers performing at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair NJ.

Morning... performing at The Irish in Kearny NJ

Rye Coalition performing at Kilkenny Ale House in Newark NJ

Those Mockingbirds performing at Kilkenny Ale House in Newark NJ

Wyldlife performing at Kil Kenny's Ale House Newark NJ

Wyldlife performing at Kilkenny Ale House in Newark NJ

Nicole Atkins performing at The Bowery Ballroom, NYC.

The Gay Blades performing at The Bowery Ballroom, NYC.

Mae performing at The School Of Rock in South Hackensack NJ

Terrible Things performing at The School Of Rock in South Hackensack NJ

Windsor Drive performing at The School Of Rock in South Hackensack NJ

Dec 30

Top Photos of 2011: Portraits.

The second entry in my Top of 2011 posts will be of portraits. Over the past year I’ve captured various people in various settings. Here, some of my favorites will be posted.

The lighting is provided by a Blackberry Flashlight App.

My nephew and my brother playing with the little one's first Christmas gift.

My nephew, William.

Ellie on the subway.

My cousin Aiden at my Aunt's wedding.

My Aunt and my Grandpa at the wedding.

Ellie in the grass at a park in Fort Lee.

Cindy sitting on the rocks in Central Park.

Dec 27

Top Photos of 2011: Miscellaneous.

To start off my Top Photos of 2011 series, I figured I’d post some of my favorite miscellaneous photos from the year. The photos in this cateogory range from animals, to still life, to landscapes- pretty much anything that isn’t a portrait or band photo.

Dec 25

Happy Holidays!

The holiday season can be a time of wonder and enchantment, which can make for some magical photos. December 23 I made my way into NYC after a long day at work to take some holiday shots. Needless to say, the city was swarmed with tourists and natives visiting the sites in hope to gather some more holiday cheer.

I was able to get some decent shots while navigating the busy crowds. I mainly shot with my two go to lenses, my 28mm f/2.8 and my 50mm f/1.8, which provided me with a fast shutter and didn’t cost me much when it came to lighting, despite the fact that I was shooting around 8p.m. Below are some of the shots from my mini adventure!

Bokeh from the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

Lights around the city can make such wonderful bokeh sometimes.

This was intentionally taken like this. I was on a bit of a bokeh binge and I didn't want to make the tress completely unrecognizable.

NBC Studio's Rainbow Room.

Light statue near Radio City Music Hall.

Times Square.

Ornament statue.

St. Patrick's Cathedral.

The following day was Christmas Eve, which in my family, is an adventure in itself. There was so much food and it was a time to celebrate. For the first time in many years we have a baby in the family. This Christmas will be my nephew’s first Christmas and I took some photos of him opening his presents.

That's my brother, Billy, and my nephew, William, and his first present of the night.

My nephew, William.

Later on this week I’m going to start posting my favorite photos of 2011, so stay tuned for that.

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday.

rsmithphotos

The work and adventures of Roz Smith. All photos and words are © Roz Smith.