I wanted more functionality and ease of media posting moving into 2010. With this new theme and setup I can now post images and articles directly from my phone.

Cool.

Please update your links to http://nicholascritelli.com/blog and stay tuned for more images more often!

 

I’ll be tweaking it over the next few weeks, as always your comments and suggestions are welcome and wanted.

 

I know that it's been many moons since my last post, however much has been happening in my life both professionally and personally.

I'm in the midst of building a wedding specific website, as I prepare to make a major move into a new realm of photography.

I've moved my business from Pittsburgh to Baltimore.

I'm gearing up for a serious push forward. Stay tuned for more to come....

Spent a few hours with a cool young talent today. Ricky Rogers has been in front of the camera since about 4 years old and he has a great awareness and saavy about him for a 14 year old. This is one of the many great shots from the day.

Tech Details for the curious: 5D- f/22.0 @ 1/250 / 70-200mm @ 170 / Sun almost overhead, slightly behind left of subject. Single bare 580EXII Full Power 70mm Zoom just off camera right. Tweaked in ACR but nothing special in post.

Fun times.

 

Image from a model portfolio I shot this past weekend. This was the last shot of the day as the light was fading and the sky was about to open up on us.

Pretty intense for an 11 year old.

 

This past Saturday - July 4th, 2009 - I had the good fortune to spend the whole day with a couple whose love was truly palpable. 3000+ images later, I had a complete story of their day that I can't wait to fully share with them.

This is just a taste of some of my favorites. (I threw in the one of the priest because I love the negative space.)

 

Thu and Kris, from the bottom of my heart - congratulations.

 

I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of my new PocketWizard Mini TT1. Being able to sync at upwards of 1/500th of a sec is new and exciting for me - I know what a geek that makes me, but that extra bit of speed opens up a lot of creative control that I previously didn't have.

Like the ability to make the sky a deep enough blue (or threateningly cloudy) that it now becomes a design element. I think that's pretty good stuff.

Testing and examples coming in the next week...

Heather Morton has resumed her insightfully written ArtBuyer blog after a five month hiatus.

I'm glad to see she's back at it, her posts are always worth reading. If you haven't been there yet, check it out - it's an intelligent view into the mind of a professional art buyer.

 

Must be an AD.

Earlier this week Life.com and Getty Images; "joined forces to provide you instant access to millions of breathtaking photographs - for free.”  … “When you find a photo you like, you’ll be able to share it, print it, and sometimes even buy it.”

When I see the word "free" attached to something that I place a high order of value on, I have to force my brow not to furrow. I know that in this age of creative commons, freely transferred 1's and 0's and the overall lack of public knowledge regarding intellectual property; that copyright is gasping for breath. Life Magazine's catalog of imagery is the highest regarded in the world. Many of the photographic masterpieces created in the last century reside within it's confines.

While I know that this isn't a copyright issue, it does speak to the larger issue of the value of an image. If my clients can go online and download Karsh, Penn and Capa for free, what value will they place on these images? What value will they place on mine? Does the inexpensive/free availability of this massive archive alter our perception of the intrinsic value of a photograph? Do we now shift the balance towards art over commerce?

I recently had the opportunity to discuss some of these issues with one of the industry's leading commercial photographers. I saw one of his images, produced for an ESPN Magazine cover, being sold online as the main component of a screensaver. His response to learning of this was as surprising as it is telling, "Copyright is dead man."

After 6 weeks of after-hours work, my newly redesigned website is now live.

Please take a moment, take a look and tell me what you think! There are more images to be posted in the coming days and weeks, but I'd love to know what you think now. Constructive criticism is highly sought after.

Be kind, be cruel - just be honest!

 

 

Not photography related, but a little perspective is something we could all use.

Have a great weekend!

© 2008 NBC Universal, Inc.  All rights reserved.

It's that time of year again...

Excited brides calling with questions about engagement photos, wedding coverage and prices. Trying to tie up all the loose ends before they tie the knot. I love talking to the new brides-to-be because they're always effusively happy. It's tangible even over the phone. You can't help but smile when you hear that kind of joy.

I don't do too many weddings, and the ones I do tend to be of the smaller, boutique variety; but I do love them. There's really nothing like being able to play the part of "official witness" for the most important day in someone's life, recording moments of blissful happiness.

Sorry for being so sentimental, but this time of year is always special for me. When the first few calls start rolling in, it reminds me that we'll soon be seeing new leaves on the trees, hearing the birds in their nests, and watching young couples join hands forever.

Wondering around my neighborhood late this afternoon and found an alley I've never been down.

I love experiencing the world on a small scale, it helps keep everything in perspective.

I'm lucky enough to count one of Pittsburgh's most ingenious and prolific artists as one of my good friends.

Tom Mosser is a brilliantly talented illustrator and painter. From being selected Harvard Magazine's 2005 "Illustrator of the Year", to painting a 30'x180' mural for the N.J. Devils @ the Prudential Center, Tom constantly produces work of the highest caliber.

He would argue it, but he's an inspiration to all those artists (including myself) who are trying to make a living doing what they love.

 

Tom Mosser in his studio on 2.18.09

Mosser's continually paint-covered hands.