I'm getting old. Found some footage..

This is the 1990 world championships where I was a member of the world champions Cadets of Bergen county

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Nmi0WWQSs6M&search=cadets


I'm playing one of the huge horns.

wow - this is 16 years ago!!!!

I'm on cruise control

I'm kicking butt on these slideshows. Finally, got Fiona and Mike's wedding up. Click here to view.

And another 3 or 4 went up today. You should start to see a counter or the Number of couples turned away for 2007. It's upto 37.

Guys - my goal is to book 45 weddings in 2007 and to reach that goal by October. Plus I want to apologise to 100 couples for NOT being able to shoot their wedding! So, if you know anyone getting married next year - get them to give us a call in August rather than September. After the 3 bridal shows in September October we will sell out for 2007 for sure.

ps - thank guys.


Ever have a dream? Not one at night, but sort of like a goal to accomplish. When I was about 14 I was growing up in a pretty rough neighbourhood. Although I can't complain, our house was right in the middle of 2 housing complexes with lots of problems. And the school I went to was made up of kids from both these areas.

Of course, when your 8, 9, 11 you don't understand the difference, but in my case my parents decided that I should transfer to another school. This had a profound effect.

You see when I went to George Syme pubic school - I was the geek. I skipped a grade. The teachers loved me. I was considered one of the rich kids. (Funny when you take into account that my parent paid $37,000 for the house and it was a 2 bedroom built in the 30's.) But in the new school I was a poor bum from the hood.

As I try to teach my children the value of honesty, and importance of character I remember the days when my own self perception took such an incredible turn. Its these events that shape who we are.

Anyhow _ guess I have no point but, it's been on my mind since a dream I've had for the past 3 nights.

Wow, I'm getting tired. (another older one) 2001

I've been on the South Beach diet for nearly 2 weeks now. I even set up a personal blog to track how I'm doing. ( Lost 12 lbs so far)

But although I find myself with more energy I'm tired at night. I used to work until midnight every night and now I can barely stay up until 10pm - and I'm getting behind!!

So this weekend I plan to catch up. Probably finish this quarters taxes (@#*(!@&#)(*@)

In the meantime I will get some more slideshows done so look back here when you can.

New Presentation - Best so far.

I finally finished last weekends presenation - You can find it at

http://www.excellencephoto.com/2006site/couples/2006/Natalie_Enzo/nat_enzo2/nat_enzo2/

Anyhow take a look then let us know what you think by leaving a comment@!@

What a fun day~~ (old pic from 2001, we've been doing digital since 99)

So today I admit it. I skipped off. Well sort of. I met Pricilla and Vince downtown in Yorkvill for an Engagement Video session then went to one of my favorite restaurants - Yamato.

Yamato Japanese Restaurant
24 Bellair St. Toronto, ON M5R 2C7

Phone: (416) 927-0077 Fax:(416) 927-1413
Business Type: Restaurant
Neighbourhood: Rosedale,Toronto,Downtown,Toronto West
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am-3pm; Sat-Sun 12pm-3:30pm (lunch)

Great Sushi in uptown Toronto

Then we pick up Samuel and spent an hour in the park. It's nice just to chill once in a while. Of course, during their bath I worked on my laptop - Just wait - you guys are going to see my favorite Web Slideshow of all time - this one made ME cry!


I'll try to get it up tonight - but after the kids went to bed I snuck back to the studio and have been working for a few hours, so depended on when I leave here it will go up tonight late or tomorrow.

Interaction is Action

Hey everyone - Let me explain a little about this blog. The point of me writing everyday is first cause it helps me think. Taking the time to organize my thoughts and feelings has done a great deal to improve the way I get work done.

The second and peripheral advantage is that I get to share a lot of photos and pieces of who I am with my wonderful customers.

For this to work better; I really need you guys to post your feedback below.

Positive or negative.

Time to get writing again.

Wow I sure hope to get more time to write in the next few weeks. We are likely going out of the country again at the end of this month. Only 5 days but I could sure use the break.

Shot Natalie and Enzo's wedding yesterday - boy it was hot. All went perfectly and I will upload a new presentation tonight. I just need to attach a new song. I'll post the link here as soon as its up.

Pig's testicles

Eating testicles is always a transcendental, yet unsettling experience.

I love to read the BBC new site - so many interesting thoughts : Below is a bunch of photos of strange food around the world.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/programmes_food_for_thought/html/1.stm

test2

Vacation time!!!

I had a funny conversation with one of my brides today. I was telling her how I can't wait for her wedding. She reply - I'm sure you always say that.

But then I let her know - I really mean it.

Imagine - no email, no corporate clients, no phone ringing like crazy - It's like all I concentrate on is my Bride and Groom, having fun, and taking amazing photos.

Marriage Advice

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.


TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.


THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.


FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.


FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.


SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.


SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.


EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.


NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.


TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.


ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.


TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.


THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"


FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.


FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.


SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson


SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: R espect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.


EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.


NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.


TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.


TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

Art is...

Music is art
Photography is art
Clothing design is art
Architecture is art
Painting is art
Poetry is art
Cooking is art

Wow so much art! Can you think of anything I've missed? If so click below on the comment button.

Before I was a photographer I was a musician. Actually I've played in hundreds of stadiums all over North America. I miss it a bit. Few months ago I was with a bunch of friends downtown and we went into one of the pawn shops. There was a baritone horn. None of these guys had ever seen one up close and had no clue I could play. So I made them a bet I could play in exchange for lunch at Yamato's (expensive sushi restaurant in Yorkville)

Of course I killed and damn near bought the horn. But the guy could sense I wanted and tried to gouge me, so I settled for tapanaki.

You see art is part understanding the fundamentals and part soul. Utilizing all your feelings, experiences and hopes into your own personal vision.

I love competitions!

A few weeks ago around 3am in the morning Alex and I were sitting in the studio giddy from shooting weddings all day, talking about our adventures when we got to talking about the beginning of the interent for each of us.

For me, I remember when my parents got dial up before I did at home. Marianna was at a photo convention for the Professional Photographers of Canada. It was the first night of our marriage that we did not sleep in the same bed. I was soooooooo depressed and sad that like the suck that I am I went to my parents house.

Anyhow. I started playing on the interent with their dial up account around 6pm and became addicted immediately. In fact, I was so in love that when Marianna did call around 10pm all I cold talk about was how damn cool this web stuff was. I think even rushed her off the phone.

Without the influence of today's site design or Internet marketing I came up with plan on how my customers would most benefit from the excellencephoto.com website. We didn't have blogs but I did start the couples pages.

I had a ton of contests and I loved to have polls.

Polls are when I would take 4 photographs and let you the guest to the site vote for your favorite. At the end of the month the couple whose photo had the most votes would get a free 8x10.

Check out my new poll on the front page. Its located at the bottom.

http://www.excellencephoto.com/site/

Quality #2

Writing this blog is a fun, yet weird learning experience. I think of a topic and then as I start writing the initial theme changes. I guess it's just a learning experience. If I wanted to become a true writer I would search in google for the top 5 writer websites, subscribe to a writers magazine, search out the best writers...... see it's so easy to change topics.....

Back to the quality thing. As we have traveled and experienced many incredible things our perspective has changed.

Take food.

We love sushi. Nearly as much as I love Starbucks. For the past few years Marianna and I have eaten sushi in Toronto, New York, Boca Raton, Orlando, Los Angeles, Tokyo, London and Cancun to name a few. The art of making sushi is very much like photography. There are so many ways that it can be made. Everyone thinks they can do it and few people know how to do it right.

In Tokyo of course the sushi kicked ass. So many varieties and the rice perfectly made - always.

In Cancun, let's just say the place looked nice but I was sure I was going to be sick. The fish just wasn't fresh.

My favorite sushi story involves a trip to London. Marianna and I flew Air Canada to Gatwick overnight. Serious how do people actually sleep in these tin cans? Anyhow we were tired. By the time we got to our hotel room it was 11:30am London time. We were hungry and decided to go for sushi. I had purchased a Foders guide (something I always do for every city) and it said there was a sushi restaurant a few blocks away.

After getting lost, visiting 25 shoes store (damn I hate shoe stores) we ended up across the street from the Metropolitan hotel that had a sushi restaurant on the second floor. The thing was we were like on one side of six lane street with barriers that made it impossible to jaywalk. Click here to see a map

At this point we had been walking for 4 hours Marianna had to pee, I slept like 2 hours and we wanted some damn sushi.

30 min later we finally made it to the restaurant. The time was 5:45 I remember cause they still weren't open and Marianna made them open the door so she could go to the washroom. When she got back we told them table for 2 and they looked us like we were crazy.

The really trendy looking women/girl asked us if we had a reservation. I like laughed and said - "seriously guys we've been walking for 4 hours, we flew in overnight we just want to eat and go to sleep, so just seat us quickly cause were going to pass out" So girl's eyes bug out and she says I sorry if you don't have a reservation I can't seat you. Marianna and I look in the empty restaurant look at each other and laugh" the I get pissed.

"Look there's no one here, save the sales pitch get us seat. Get your manager do what you have to do. The sushi probably not even any good - this is London after all.

Anyhow the girl chokes out OK and takes off to the back. A Japanese dude comes back and says - look we are fully booked but if you promise to be finished by 7:45pm I'll get you a table. I remember Marianna being annoyed that they were trying to rush us.

So we followed him into the dining room. Wow this place was amazing. Very expensive contemporary decor. Waiters dressed black, and when we entered fully intro the 400 seat restaurant the sushi chefs welcomed us with a great big "Irasshaimase" (please come in),we were definitely not in a Kansas anymore. As we began to order I look at the prices $24 buck a plate for a roll, wow a bit expensive but hell we're on vacation.

When it was all done the sushi was really good, if fact the best we ever had. The manager came by to ask how it all was. Since we had put down all our bags, ( in those days I always traveled with a Nikon F4s around my neck) we finally relaxed to a point where I could take everything in.

Looking around us at 7:15 the restaurant was packed. Every single table full. And not just full but every person was dressed to the nines. I saw some business men pull up in a Rolls Royce and be told they had to wait for their table. And the guy happily took a drink at the bar.

In the end we left. The bill was 98$ -

Marianna to this day never figured out the 98$ we paid for Sushi at Nobu in London actually cost us 268$ Canadian.

-------------------------------------

OK this post was supposed to be about quality. Seriously as we have tasted the finest foods, visited the most expensive shops throughout the world, made friends with exclusive jewelers and artists (tell you about the time Marianna and I went to Faberge in Paris another time), we have seen the difference.

When we shoot at a wedding our perspective is influenced by things we have seen.

Below is a photo that is a copy of a shot Marianna took of me on some Cruise ship in the Mediterranean recreated at Queeen's Quay. Funny how things repeat themselves.