My Journal of RodRick Moore Photographers

New Logo

2011-09-20T20:13:00.003-04:00

Coming soon, a new logo for the new style.

Water fountain in Miami

2011-09-20T19:52:00.001-04:00

This was an interesting water fountain on our way down the strip.

Please Vote for RodRick Moore Best in Business - Best Photographer

2010-10-18T19:48:00.002-04:00

RodRick Moore Photographers
Best in Business - Best Photographer

Password = dba2010
http://www.delawareblackawards.delawareblack.com/vote.php

I am always grateful to all my family and friends who have supported me over the years. Please continue to support me by voting for me and asking your family and friends to do the same.

This has been a busy year with the additions to my family, announcement of my new branding, a few setbacks and preparing for my 2011 rollout of a newer RodRick Moore Photographers.

I look forward to your vote and seeing you at the awards ceremony on Nov 13th.

Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation 2010 Teal Ribbon 5K Run-Walk

2010-05-15T17:41:00.012-04:00

The morning began overcast until the clouds parted to bring full view of this worthy event. The Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation (DOCF) held its annual 5K run/walk event to raise founds for the fight against ovarian cancer. I was honored to have been asked to document this year's event.

Before the start of the run/walk, doves were released and then the race for a cure was underway. Participants ranged from infants to seniors, all in support of loved ones or strangers who may fall victim to the disease.

I decided that 5K was a bit far to walk and carry my gear, so I hung out at the start / finish location. The track covered a great portion of the Wilmington downtown riverfront area. At the end of the race, everyone was eager to see the results.

Special speakers were Dr. Mark Cadungog, M.D., Rep William A. Oberle, Jr., and Sen Karen E. Peterson.
Here is a video of the event and the excitement. Enjoy.

Cloned

2010-05-02T18:19:00.003-04:00

Give it a moment to load if the space below here is blank.

JenkinsonGoode — April 27, 2010 — "Cloned" - A Jenkinson/Goode Production

How would you like it if someone copied your skills and abilities, but didn't reimburse you for them? That's the concept this PSA explores as it raises awareness of what really happens when someone illegally downloads someone else's creative work.

www.valueartists.com

Doctor/Clone..............................SUZANNE BASTIEN
Manager..........................................JOHN PROWSE
Patient................................................DEBRA SEARS

Director/Writer/Producer...........................................DYLAN JENKINSON
Producer......................................................................JASON R. GOODE

Director of Photographer...........................................BENOIT LAMARCHE
Camera Operator........................................................DARYL HARTWELL
Assistant Camera........................................................BORIS MARTENS

Assistant Director.........................................................SARAH MCNAMARA
Assistant Director.........................................................OTTO MAK

Hair/Makeup Artist........................................................KALINA BEEDIE

Sound Mixer/Boom Op.................................................TOM SUSKI

Grip/Lamp Operator.......................................................TIMOTHY HAY
Grip/Lamp Operator........................................................DAVID GRAVE
Grip/Lamp Operator........................................................CLINT BARGEN

Motion Graphic Design - Website.................................CHRIS BUFFETT

Craft Service..........................................................DEVE CHUA JENKINSON

Picture Editor..................................................................DANIEL KRIEGER
VFX Supervisor..............................................................GEOFF ANDERSON
Composer....................................JACK CORDUROY, CORDUROY AUDIO
Sound Mixer/Designer..........................MITCH LEE, REDEMPTION AUDIO

SPECIAL THANKS

Ian McDougall, Charles Lyall, Carol Schafer, Phaedra Eccleston,
Chrissie S. Vides, Attila Szalay, Victoria Soderholm, Lynn Werner,
Denise Nadredre, Matthew Power, Paul Goodwin, Michael Rosser, Jonathan D. Watson, Kevin Santarossa, Aieisha Li Louis, Lyall Heighton, Blaine Ackerly, Riley Pearcy & Craig Stauffer

lia sophia in Cancun, Mexico Part 2

2010-04-29T06:37:00.005-04:00

A trip full of jewelry, people talking about jewelry and having fun. We still have warm feelings of the trip now that we are back in the cool weather of the Northeast.

Here's a slideshow highlighting LaShawanda, her participating team and a few other advisors. Give it a moment to load if the space below here is blank.

You can view the first video at this LINK.

Our Vacation in Cancun, Mexico in One Post

2010-04-29T06:28:00.003-04:00

We had such a great time in Cancun, Mexico that we almost did not want to leave. We thought about moving the family there until it started raining toward the end of the trip. So many interesting things happened in the span of the short week that I can only focus on the events of just LaShawanda and me.

Here's a slideshow of LaShawanda and my Cancun vacation highlights of LaShawanda and which you can enjoy. I kept it short to the events of just us.

Give it a moment to load if the space below here is blank.

Prom Expo at the Christiana Hilton

2010-04-27T06:23:00.003-04:00

Prom season is here and the 2nd Annual Prom Expo and Fashion Show Extravaganza highlighted some of the best dresses and complimenting tuxes available. Presented by the Formal Dress Project and Especially For You Events, the event was narrated by the reigning Miss Teen Delaware and featured entertainment by participants of the Delaware Teen Idol.
The Formal Dress Project is an organization whose mission is to provide under-privileged youth with the opportunity to obtain formal prom gowns. They collect new and gently-used dresses. With assistance from The Foster Care Association, YWCA, Rose Hill Community Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Club, St. James Millcreek and other volunteers, girls will have the opportunity to shop for a dress, free of charge.

Fashions were provided by Morgans of Delaware Ave, Davids Bridal and Matthews Formal Wear. Jewelry was provided by lia sophia. Flowers were provided by Bloomsberry Flowers. Hair and make up were provided by Paul Mithcell, The Delaware Academy. I was on hand to provide complimentary photography coverage of the event.

Here's a slideshow of the event highlights which you can enjoy. Give it a moment to load if the space below here is blank.

Another lia sophia Gift at Cancun

2010-04-14T14:33:00.004-04:00

It was nice coming in from our day trip to find another little gift on our bed. Peter and Bonni left a wonderful snapshot book for LaShawanda to place special photos from our trip. Needless to say, she will have many from which to choose.

A Chichen-Itza Adventure

2010-04-14T08:23:00.004-04:00

From our room I was able to capture a beautiful sunrise peeking over the resort. Before we leave, I will need to venture out early to catch the sunrise from the beach.

This was a great way to start off our day with an adventure to Chichen Itza. Our tour guide told us this one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. This means we were given a full history lesson of the Mayan people, the site and just about everything else on our 2 hour drive to the site and 3 hour plus time there. I soaked it in. Others in my immediate group did not.

I have not seen the pyramids, so the Temple of Kukulkan was huge. The most amazing thing was the precision of the Mayans in constructing it. I can see why it made a world wonder.

Unlike the Egyptians, the structures have no tunnels or interior chambers. They are built on a sub-base of stone and other fill material. The shell is where the details are applied. The Temple of Kukulkan, however, is built over another structure.
All of the major structures are roped off, not allowing visitors to climb the steps. Just looking at the steep sloe is intimidating enough.

The picture above gives a good reference of the height of the goal in the Great Ballcourt. No one is sure of the exact game rules, but the players had to basically put a solid rubber ball through the goal using their hips. The winning team's captain was later sacrificed and his head placed amongst others (photo below).
Though this was an all day tour, we still had a little time to kick back and have some fun at the Chichen Itza resort.

Fiesta Time lia sophia Style

2010-04-13T02:48:00.003-04:00

lia sophia knows how to throw a great reception / party. Hosted on the terrace overlooking the sunset, the one thousand or so attendees grouped together for a large portrait and then quickly spread to the many dining stations. LaShawanda and some of her team were available for a quick pose shot. They quickly went into fun mode (see the video in the earlier post).
There was live music, dancing and lots of networking within and between different regions.

The sunset was wonderful. Now I am ready to the view the sunrise from our room's balcony as LaShawanda and I get ready for an early morning trip into the jungle.

Video of lia sophia Reception at Cancun Palace

2010-04-12T20:39:00.006-04:00

Refresh your browser if you can't see the video below.

Over 100 Martini Flavors at La Madonna

2010-04-12T20:17:00.004-04:00

We had only planned one event for our stay at Cancun Palace. Therefore we have time to do as we wish. After picking up the tennis shoes, we decided to stroll through the walking streets of the outdoor mall. La Madonna drew us in with the large mural and sculptures. Then we realized they had over 100 Martini flavors. I allowed LaShawanda to pick a couple of nice flavors with fruits from Mexico.

Cancun - Forgotten Tennis Shoes

2010-04-12T17:44:00.005-04:00

LaShawanda explored our resort last night and discovered the gym. She was excited about all the things she could do until she realized she had forgotten her tennis shoes. Does this sound familiar? Sounds like a shopping trip.
After a failed attempt last night of walking to a mall and finding nothing. We received directions for a better mall and store to find a good pair of shoes.
With only 10 pesos to my name, I wonder what would be the damage.
One happy shopper.

Our Room at Cancun Palace in Cancun, Mexico

2010-04-11T18:55:00.000-04:00

This room is nice with double beds (a single king would have been great for us), jacuzzi tub, HDTV, bottomless bar (we really don't drink), and more.
The walk out balcony put this at the top of my list for places to stay. The doors open wide to let in the ocean breeze.
Did I say that this was a free trip LaShawanda received from lia sophia? It included this great bag with beach towel/robes.
The owner of lia sophia left a little note and bottle of wine for us in our room. Nice points scored here.
More of the view. I also found out about 1,000 lia sophia people and their guest are here. We made their week a bellhop told us. Only 200 other guests are here.
La could not get enough of the view.

Flight to Cancun, Mexico

2010-04-11T12:18:00.000-04:00

Wow! Heading to Cancun, Mexico for a free vacation! Thank you lia sophia.

We were happy until we were delayed for about an hour. No matter we were still happy to get a little getaway trip.

The boys are well cared for at the house... their grandmother is in town and she has help.

Touched by the Light - Raymond Holman, Jr.

2010-03-29T20:41:00.005-04:00

On Sunday my wife and I spent some time with a great photographer friend of ours, Raymond Holman, Jr.

He has some great work and on the day of our visit, he was displaying a keynote piece, "Touched by the Light." He captured this astonishing image the fall of 2009 and it has changed his and others' life.

See and learn more concerning Touched by the Light at http://1raymondwholmanjr.wordpress.com/touched-by-the-light

Zeta Phi Beta Finer Womanhood Awards Luncheon and Fashion Show at Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue

2010-03-29T06:06:00.011-04:00

This was a fabulous event. In the years I have been covering the Zeta Phi Beta Finer Womanhood Awards Luncheon and Fashion Show, this has been the best so far. The atmosphere, the vendors, the honorees, and the fashion... all were outstanding.
The event photos will be available soon. Sign the event guest book at this LINK to be notified when they are available so you may see it all.

Here's a slideshow teaser of the event to give you a taste. Give it a moment to load (or refresh your browser) if the space below here is blank.

Embrace Life

2010-02-22T08:06:00.003-05:00

This clip is so powerful that I had to post it. The clip is receiving publicity and especially timely for our focus on driving safety. It was produced by the Sussex Safe Roads Partnership in the UK.

SSRP Sussex Safer Roads Partnership - Embrace Life - (2010) :90 (UK)

Pinch More Than an Inch Challenge

2010-02-17T08:33:00.003-05:00

When I was younger (under 10 years old) I really did not understand the "pinch more than an inch" phrase. No matter where I pinched, I only grabbed skin. It was confusing.

Fast-forward a few decades and I get the point. I can now pinch more than inch in most places. Generally, I'm a fairly slim person, but i was once told that "skinny people can be fat too." How true that is.

This year is a monumental year in my life, business and a few other things. So, this year my plan is to get back into my twenty-something shape. Plus, I can't be outdone by my wife who has just delivered our youngest son and is getting in shape for a trip to the islands. Stay tuned for my journey back into shape.

Here is a video from 1979.

Time for a Portrait Party

2010-02-17T05:32:00.004-05:00

It is time for a portrait party!

We started offering these on a special basis a year ago and are happy to say that they are back. These fun little events are great when you want to have a few families or groups over and have pictures at the same time. Each group has their own mini session. The party can even be geared around a theme such as maternity, newborns, Valentines, girls night or whatever.

Contact us for more details and get your party on the calendar.

Quickoffice Connect

2010-02-10T07:55:00.005-05:00

Who needs a laptop? Okay, I still need the laptop, but Quickoffice is a beautiful app which keeps me connected to my files from anywhere using my iPhone. I can't wait for the iPad to ship so I use a larger screen than my iPhone.

This little app has editing capabilities for Word, Excel, and other applications. I could always access my MobileMe account, but with the current release, I can now access my GoogleDocs account.

Portrait Session for My Boys

2010-01-29T12:34:00.012-05:00

I have been getting hate mail from friends and family for not posting pictures of my Christmas baby. So, I took a break from work and had a little portrait session to celebrate his first month. We rounded up the boys, treated them to Goldfish, and dressed them up.

Here he is. Here is the newest addition to my family with his older brother. He is a great pride and joy for my wife, my sons and me. My boys can't get enough of him. The main thing is reminding them that they can't be rough with him. At least, not rough with him yet. Give him a year or so and toughen him up.

We tried several times to get a nice pose of the boys sitting up. We were able to get a few, but I like this one. Never under estimate the energy in Goldfish. My boys were all over the place in their normal fashion. This shot was as relaxing as it was going to get. Did someone say energy is wasted on the young? (click the picture to see a video of the session celebrating Brothers)

I forgot to mention that their cousin was visiting during the shoot. At 6 months, he fit right in to the group. The only issue was trying to get a shot of only the babies. He decided he just had to pull my son's hair. (click the picture to see a video of the session celebrating Cousins)

It's nothing like having a cousin close to your age. Though they are miles away, they may be able to see each other regularly. (click the picture to see a video of the session celebrating Dominique being 6 months)

NILMDTS Foundation Executive Director Search

2010-01-21T11:13:00.003-05:00

I donate my time to families who have lost an infant. Today I received a notice that the foundation is searching for an executive director. Below is the notice:

Executive Director Search now underway!

Dear NILMDTS volunteers, donors, and contacts,

As you may know, the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation, has begun the search for a new Executive Director. The Foundation is an important so

Publish Post

urce of support to families who have lost an infant, providing the services of 7,000 volunteer photographers across 25 countries to capture sensitive, meaningful portraits of these very young children and their families. We have been able to help many families preserve special memories of these precious young lives, and the Board is now looking for an experienced, dynamic executive to lead the Foundation in its next phase of growth and development. If you have candidates who meet these qualifications, please let them know about our search. Our headquarters office is located in Littleton, CO.

Executive Director - Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation

Job Level: Senior

Job Description:

The Executive Director is responsible for the overall leadership and operational management of the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation. The Executive Director directs all fundraising activities, acts as primary spokesperson for the Foundation and builds its image nationally and internationally, directs staff development, and works with the Board on enhancing their capabilities. The Executive Director reports directly to the Chair of the Board of Directors and works closely with the Business Operations Manager, other staff members, volunteers, and the Board to fulfill the mission of the Foundation. The Executive Director manages an annual budget of approximately $400,000 and a staff of 4.5 professionals.

Job Qualifications:
7+ years of nonprofit fundraising and management experience including experience working with staff, board members, and other volunteers in a variety of fundraising activities. Must have strong organizational, creative, and written/oral communication skills with a proven track record.

Supervisory experience required. Ability to handle multiple responsibilities, prioritize work, solve problems, and operate under time and work volume pressure. Effective interpersonal skills and flexibility required. Ability to provide strategic direction and strong fiscal oversight.

Above all, we seek a leader who can embrace our artistic, compassionate, motivated culture, who is flexible, entrepreneurial, strategic, and visionary. We want an executive who will lead our organization into making an even greater impact in the lives of our clients and in our community.

Download a detailed job description from our web site.

Salary: TBD

Application Deadline: 03/10/2010

How to Apply: To apply, please send your resume, cover letter, and salary requirements to Carolyn McCormick of Peak HR Consulting at Carolyn.McCormick@peakhrconsulting.com.

The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are dedicated to diversity and encourage all people to apply.

NILMDTS Executive Search Team

Jacque Lopez
Interim Executive Director

www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org
7201 S. Broadway Suite #150
Littleton, CO 80122

Dr Martin Luther King Jr Celebration - Chase Center on the Riverfront Wilmington Delaware

2010-01-20T00:42:00.016-05:00

Another fine year for the City of Wilmington and surrounding areas to merge to the riverfront for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Celebration event. The weather was bitterly cold on Sunday, but warmed up beautifully to allow children, parents and grandparents to come enjoy the activities.
Over thirty children from kindergarten through high school were among the winners of various art and essay contests. Many children from local schools participated and even one child from the West Coast entered. Yes, you read it correctly... the West Coast. They had come across the contest while doing research via the internet of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and promptly submitted their entry. I can't recall if they won, but it seems this Wilmington event has gone national.
I photographed all of the winners, dignitaries and event core team with the keynote speaker, Judge Hatchett. The very one from the TV series. Of course, I found a nice photographer in the mass of parents and grandparents to take a photo of me with the judge. I would imagine that we photographers spend all of our time on the creative side of the lens missing such key moments of ourselves in the moment... not this time.
The Judge's speech was a dose in old southern Baptist church. If she didn't mention she was from Georgia, I would have sworn she was from home state Louisiana. She was so personnel and inviting with the stories and points she pulled from her life's journey.

Here's a slideshow of the event highlights which you can enjoy. Give it a moment to load if the space below here is blank.

The Wedding Affair event at Jennifer's Bridal in Hockessin, Delaware

2010-01-18T07:28:00.007-05:00

This Sunday will be a great event for brides seeking the boutique experience for their wedding.

The Wedding Affair will host a select few premier wedding vendors specializing in creating special moments for brides.

I will be there along with Desserts by Dana, Jennifer's, Jillian Grace Salon, The Perfect Wedding Guide and Especially For You.

This will be a nice event with beautiful wedding gowns, desserts, door prizes and specials by the attending vendors.

Click this LINK to RSVP and for directions.

Michael and Myoshi Family Portraits

2009-12-07T21:55:00.005-05:00

Can a family be any more cute? Michael and Myoshi have such a beautiful family. Their personality just draws you in to them.
I generally like to start with the formal pose and then move into the fun stuff. However, these two adorable little girls stole the show from the beginning and dictated fun first. They are my kind of people.
Myoshi requested a backdrop for some of her family portraits to have the classic look before moving into the lifestyle shots. I set up a nice backdrop in their kitchen, opened the curtains, added some light and let the little girls have their fun.
Within and hour of shooting, we moved through three different scenes in their home. Family portraits, in my opinion, is what it's all about. It's about the love, the fun, the future and the memories.

I really enjoyed this session.

View the slideshow...

Music volume and disable controls are at the left.

Moore Maternity Session

2009-11-26T08:23:00.007-05:00

Wow! It's just around the corner when my family will be introduced to our newest member. We can't wait.

My sons continue to claim things for the new baby and are ready to start playing with him. For my wife and I, we're taking it one step at a time. With a growing family comes growing needs.

We felt it was the right time to have our session. Out came the gear and the wireless trigger for the camera. The trick was to keep the boys in position and be themselves without going overboard. At that point, they would go watch their favorite movies while we continued. The boys fell right in.

The good thing about the remote is that I can't set up a rigid pose, but show everyone a location and let them fill the scene with their personality. There are no mirrors and no one behind the camera (when I'm in the scene). There is only what happens.

Check out the results of our session on the following slideshow...

Music volume and disable controls are at the left.

Family Photos in Time for Christmas

2009-11-04T06:52:00.008-05:00

Here's a great offer for everyone nearWilmington, Delaware who want or need to get those family portraits before the Christmas holiday rush.
It is always great to send a family photo to grandparents along with your holiday card. So celebrate the upcoming season with a NO SITING FEE family portrait session.

That's right, NO SITTING FEE.

Rodrick Moore Photographers is hosting a Portrait Party the early afternoon of Saturday November 14 in a location to be determined.

We're trying something different by advertising this via Facebook and email. So spread the word to anyone you know who wants those family (or individual) photos taken in time for the holidays.

Here's how to get on the list:

Have an email account (each mini session will have online proofing available soon after)
Submit your request to attend by completing the form below or by going to this -closed-.

The number of requests will determine the location. Therefore, as the location is finalized, you will receive and email with the location and time of the shoot.

--- Closed ---

Family Pictures Should Tell What Not Just Who

2009-11-01T01:56:00.006-04:00

This is a moment from my personal life. My told me she could tell I really love this picture.

Near bath time, the boys had gone before me and started going through their ritual. This time, I noticed my older was assisting my younger son as I would normally do. Being the father / photographer I am, I quickly grabbed my camera because this moment they would never remember.

The what? Just the act of helping.

Sharpening My Tools at the PDN PhotoPlus Conference in NYC

2009-10-25T07:25:00.003-04:00

I just returned from a great conference in New York City and feel energized. Professional photographers from all over the world come to this annual PDN Photo Plus International Conference.

The workshops and presenters were phenomenal. Well renouned photographers and authors shared vital information and techniques. Exhibitors displayed the latest technology and methods. One I truly loved was the new DVD media which etches data into the DVD better than traditional methods resulting in an actual archival medium for digital files. Wow, this will be great for my clients.

Here are a few of the presenters and special guest presenters:

Scott Kelby - author of the Photoshop tutorial books

Zack Arias - developer of the One Light Workshop

Joe McNally - lighting master

Here's a quick shot to demonstrate the more than humongous advertising that is done in New York City.

Please Vote for Me

2009-10-14T16:07:00.002-04:00

You have nominated me as a finalist for the Best in Business: Photographer category. Now, please vote for me to acquire the title at this LINK.

Yeah, my name is spelled wrong in the Best in Business: Photography category, but it is me.

I am honored to be nominated and will greatly appreciate your support in voting for me and my work.

Kevin - Corporate Head and Image Session

2009-09-02T21:07:00.005-04:00

Sometimes the best place is out of place.

Kevin told me he wanted the look similar to my profile picture. I asked him what was that and he told me... that look. And all that time I thought he was talking about contrast and shadows. We all see things differently.
When I picked the location for the shoot, I wanted texture and something that put a DJ out of place. In place could have been any city look with graffiti or not for that urban look. However, this spot was clean, had white clouds on a blue background, and beautiful red brick. It was the spot.

The rest was to be filled with the emphasis of focus on my subject, Kevin.
Two lenses (zoom + 85mm fixed) gave me the depth I needed. Ambient light gave me the contrast I like and a flash blend lightened the shadows to give detail for those selected frames.

I sought to capture an essence of Kevin as I saw him. Solid and in the groove of his profession.

Blush & Brushes Nominated

2009-08-31T21:03:00.002-04:00

I've worked with Blush and she does wonders for brides. I'm happy she has been nominated for the My Fox Philly Hotlist for Best Makeup.

Belvedere Family and Friends Day

2009-08-30T22:26:00.009-04:00

We received a special invite a little late so my boys and I made our way to enjoy the family friendly event sponsored by the Belvedere Volunteer Fire Department. My wife headed the opposite direction for a previous commitment.

Coming from an earlier photoshoot, I decided to carry along one of my D3's to capture the festivities with whatever ambient lift that was available. From the start my sons enjoyed the moon-bounce and the music.
A few members of the community brought out their show cars showcasing the results of timeless hours they spent preparing the vehicles for shows and competitions. We had seen the movie Transformers so my oldest was very interested in the yellow and black car. He told me it was Bumblebee and asked if it was a real transformer. I told him unfortunately not, but it was a true transformation to a nice show car.

The festivities wrapped up with drawings for family fun prizes and school supplies giveaways. The sun took a nosedive and I spent the second half of my time shooting at high ISO going for the mood.
This was a great event centered around family, one of my favorite subjects. If my calendar is free, I would enjoy returning. Next time, I would arrive a little earlier. By the time I had wrapped up my photoshoot, gathered my boys and arrived, just about all of the fish was gone. I still had a sufficient supply of grilled meats, but I missed the southern styled fried fish. Maybe next time at this event or when I'm in the South.

View a quick slideshow of the event's highlights...

Music volume and disable controls are at the left.

Baby Stages 6 Months in the Park

2009-08-27T23:11:00.010-04:00

I had a great time in the park with Lawrence and Titania celebrating their son's sixth month. The little guy has started crawling... well kind of, since he scoots in in reverse. He didn't need to show his skills since his parents planned a picnic outing.
Such an adorable guy, he was his mother's focus of attention. I zoomed in close as much as I could under the soon to be setting sun to capture the emotional bond between parent and child.

This little guy wanted to give his dad some attention... including the nice little buttons on his shirt. However, nothing says I love you like a wet kiss (one of my favorites, below).

View the slideshow...

Music volume and disable controls are at the left.

Does "Life Matters" to You?

2009-08-25T19:50:00.003-04:00

I am all about family and will be providing photography coverage for the Life Matters Conference which will be held Sep 12 in Wilmington, DE. This conference will focus on topics that matter such as marriage communication, being single, self image, domestic violence, anger, grief and more.

Not only will the attendees (and hopefully me also) will be feed through word and food, but the event will end with a concert by the fabulous Norman Hutchins.

This is geared to be a great event which I cannot wait to place before my camera.

What I Love about Apple

2009-08-25T06:25:00.004-04:00

Aside from the cool factor, beautifully designed hardware, and knowledgeable people to assist you, Apple works at reducing the size of its software. The latest version of the operating system, OS X Snow Leopard is 7 GB smaller than the current version. My dust collecting Windows run computers experienced large leaps in size of their operating systems.

I do like the fact that when I upgrade, the process is pretty easy. Apple products are on the upper end because a lot of research and development goes into them to make them what consumers like me desire and obtain. When it comes to upgrading, Apple generally keeps that simple too by offering a low price to not only upgrade a single computer, but for upgrading a family of five from a single disk. With currently three Macs, I need the family pack.

If you are on the borderline of leaping into a Mac, now is as good a time as any to jump in with Snow Leopard. I can't wait to get my copy soon.

Bill Jr Stages - 1 Year

2009-07-30T12:40:00.005-04:00

It has been wonderful watching this young miracle grow from a moment is mother's belly to a moving and grooving one year old. Moving and grooving really describes him because he was all over exploring and having fun in the park with his mother and dad.
I came with my trusty 50mm and 85mm prime f1.4 lenses, but the 24-70mm lens ruled the day. This lens allowed me to zoom in and out as needed following all the energy Bill displayed.
Every once in a while Bill would slow down for a family shot, but not for long. The above photo was rounded off with more smiles and laughs.

I was told the swing his favorite and I could tell why. I think I have never seen anyone laugh as much as he on this pendulum ride. Well, I guess mom may be in the running since she was really having a good time on the seesaw.

View the slideshow of this great time I had...

Music volume and disable controls are at the left.

Clifford Brown Jazz Festival

2009-06-17T22:43:00.003-04:00

My boys enjoy music so my wife suggested we make a family outing downtown at the jazz festival. There was great food and music. Because of the likelihood of rain, I left my camera in the car. However, after sitting for a while watching my boys having fun, I had to get my gear and a blanket for us to share.
I only had the 50mm f/1.4 lens, but this workhorse can get the job done, flash or no flash. I cranked up the ISO and caught the moments. Soon it began to rain and we opened our umbrellas. The large golf umbrella served as a mini tent as my oldest son let rain drops roll down the back of his hand.
It wasn't long before the boys had to burn off some of the funnel cake energy and played in the rain drops. My youngest let the light rain sprinkle his face.
Little moments like these are what I like. My oldest took a picture or two of me. However, the funnel cake sugar didn't allow him to keep a steady hand and the shots were left on the editing floor.

BPAS - Family Photography Workshops Beyond Point and Shoot

2009-06-15T22:59:00.008-04:00

I have been asked many times for advice on photography methods and if I give classes. On rare occasions I have given private lessons, but had not given workshops much thought until now.

Why now? Well, because as I enjoy the moments I spend with sons capturing the little things they do, I realize the connection my clients have when they request my services. These loving parents want to document a special time in the life of their family. Some of these moments happen when I am there and other moments are not so structured and occur at the oddest of times. If I have my camera available, I capture it as close to the way it occurs as I can. Most of my parent clients would like to do the same. So, I have started gathering my notes from what I have done or shared to put together the BPAS Workshops.

Here's how to tell if BPAS is for you:

You are a parent or grandparent of small children
You love or want to take pictures of your children
You want more than the traditional and common point and shoot poses
You want to get more out of your camera

Well, BPAS is designed so you, the common parent can feel comfortable with your camera and take pictures beyond the stop-pose-point-and-shoot method. Topics include camera basics, advanced camera settings, personal style and digital file management. Yes, I have forgone film years and years ago and like the quick gratification of digital.

The workshops are structured for small group, direct interaction between me and the parents. There will be hands-on activities setup in a comfortable family room setting staying away from the technical theory and more toward the application to get family album results. The information is derived from my personal documenting style for my clients and my own family life.

If you are interested, send me an email or use the contact link and I will add you to the distribution list to be notified as the sessions are scheduled.

Baby's First Year for Lawrence and Titania

2009-05-13T21:34:00.008-04:00

I love this couple. From their wedding until now, they have been great. Now there is more to love about them with their baby son. For this session they chose to mingle with the vibrant colors of a local playground. Nothing says baby more than bright colors.
With my extra gear in my backpack, the baby bag and my two cameras, we started off with a few posed shots since the baby was into it. The 50mm f/1.4 was great for the opening shot, but I switched to my trusty 70-200mm f/2.8 for the lovely portraits.
Toward the end as the sun began to get lower in the sky, I decided to give the photos a kiss of flash to brighten up the family while maintaining a decent background. For the photo below, I blew out most of the frame and then brought it back in with post production exposure to give it a special look.

Every family has a story and this one has beautiful stories.

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Corinne - A Day in the Life

2009-05-04T21:43:00.008-04:00

Corinne is a high achiever with many accomplishments to her name. On this day, I had the opportunity to document a day in her life with her latest milestone of her prom. No prom day would be fitting without fresh make up and hair styling from the professionals. In the presence of her onlooking father, she transformed from the day to day to Miss Extraordinaire.
It was a fun day hanging out with Corinne and her family learning about the major tasks and volunteer efforts she had done. Using my prime lenses, I was able to up the ISO and capture nice photos in her home with no flash (except for one or two posed shots). Outdoors, lovely shallow depth of field portraits were achieved of her, her date and her friend.

A fairy tale ending for a princess to be home by midnight (or there about).

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Give Emerald Some Love... Your Vote

2009-04-27T23:36:00.003-04:00

I covered Emerald's wedding last year in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. A beautiful wedding with a 1930's era feel and theme. This year, she is one of the finalist in a bridal contest.

Show her some love by giving her your vote at this link http://www.totheeiwedbridalshow.com/Face_of_the_Show.html

The contest ends soon so act fast. Vote. Forward. Encourage to vote.

One More Year - Birthday

2009-04-27T06:31:00.003-04:00

Yes, I have officially added one more year to my age. This year I had a small celebration with my family before going back to work. Oh yeah, one candle is all I need. I have learned that there is a point when you go with one candle and forgo needing a leaf blower to extinguish the multitude of candles.

Ice cream and cake for everyone!

Walt + April = Family

2009-04-20T20:54:00.006-04:00

I love it when I just feel the love. Three generations in one photo in a place they call home. I was happy when Walt asked me to schedule some time for his family to celebrate their bond at his home. He and his wife always appear to be great parents and It was confirmed at the session.

I arrived a little early to see if we were going to shoot inside our out. Though it was a sunny day, the wind drove us indoors to protect the ladies' beautiful hairstyles. A quick count let me know immediately we were missing the oldest son, his wife and the third generation. With a bright outside and windows bringing it in, I opted to add some internal lighting from my Qflash set up in a stationary location to insure proper contrast and light to the shadows for this family fun setup. For couples only, I would opt for more contrast to set a special mood. Here, light means fun, see for yourself...

While finishing up with one set, this adorable little guy gave a quick lovable poses on the sofa. He feel into so naturally that I quickly stopped speaking to Walt and started capturing him.

They told me that not posing was the hardest part of the session. I guess they didn't believe I would catch a few good, unrehearsed shots, but here's proof. I love laughter. I love good, heartfelt laughter. Aside from that, I love to see cute babies having fun with their grandfather.

If this last picture does not make your heart melt, I'm not sure what will. However, there are a few more heart warming shots from the session. Check out the rest on the slideshow and at the event.

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Data Robotics Scores Again with the DroboPro

2009-04-20T20:12:00.001-04:00

Okay, I already love the Drobo, but this goes well beyond that! My current Drobo holds up to 4 drives at any size and connects either via USB2.0 or ethernet (droboshare). I was waiting around to get the newer firewire800 model until I saw this.

The DroboPro can handle up to 8 drives of varying size and connects via USB, firewire or ISCSI (ethernet based SCSI or something like that).

I can contest that the Drobo has saved me a couple times through its ease of file management and storage failure security. I can only imagine the possibilities with a single unit that can hold up to 16 TB of data.

How Can You Help Fight Breast Cancer

2009-04-16T06:08:00.000-04:00

If you could do something, even so small, but could make a difference... would you?

I have friends and acquaintances who have been affected by breast cancer in one way or another. I have donated my time and photography talent to some of these same people and others and wqant to donate more of my talent.

The other day, a friend sent me an email about a way to help:

"I received this note from my sister. "G" (at an early age my sons called her Aunt G because it was easier to say than Aunt Gloria) is a breast cancer survivor and ask me to help with this request. Thanks, Den"

Here's G's note:

"Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window in the middle).

This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/
AGAIN , PLEASE TELL 10 FRIENDS TO TELL 10"

Take less than a minute of your time to make a difference for a lifetime.

Huey and Nneka are expecting...

2009-04-13T16:41:00.009-04:00

One of my favorite brides is expecting her first child and had a nice baby shower at her hometown in Louisiana. Nneka and Huey have settled on a baby theme of frogs for their little child. However, I was told that the room was not yet ready, but should be by the time he arrives. Yes, he. They decided to find out who was on the way.
I guess knowing is great because the room had a nice feeling of a boy's room with the frogs and blue accents. I really loved the army of frogs on the second cake.
I haven't been a regular at baby showers, but I have found they have some good games to include nursery rhyme trivia and baby BINGO. This reminds me that one of the best loved games is not to say baby or forfeit your clothes pin. One attendee was the queen of the hill with her listening and collecting skills. Needless to say, she won that round.

I decided to go 95% of my shots available light on this one. When I did use flash, I didn't like them as much. At ISO 1600 and above, I was able to pull some nice shots which were representative of the event.

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Learning from Joe Bussink

2009-04-08T00:20:00.004-04:00

One of the well known wedding and portrait photographers from California came by to speak to a few of us East Coast photographers about his style, the wedding industry and shooting film.
He had some great words of wisdom concerning technique and showed us some of his famous work. I really enjoyed some of his comments about being a second shooter on his own assignments to allow him the freedom to seek those amazing shots without others pulling him away to get the tradition images.
A man after my own heart, Joe spoke of his charity work and giving back. I like to hear others who do this because it is one of the cornerstones of my work. Joe has been influential in my style and it was a great opportunity to discuss the emerging styles for wedding and portrait photography.

Finer Womanhood Event

2009-04-01T22:25:00.008-04:00

The Philadelphia chapter of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority held yet another excellent event the other weekend. The Finer Womanhood Luncheon honored several key people who have made great contributions to the community ranging from a motivated child to an always caring couple.

However, the event would not have been a signature event without the sea of different hats displayed by the members. Waves of white, blue, black and more gave a brilliant glow to the room. There were several vendors showcasing even more hats that were sure to be worn at next year's event.

Between my zoom lens and 50mm, I preferred the 50mm wide open for these up close photos using the ambient lighting. These ladies were dressed to impress and did not mind a little camera time.
The fashion show started off with an outstanding dance number which was followed up by many fashionable wear for both men and women by local designers. I would surely like to see my wife in some of these nice dresses. Now let me pause to say that my wife always dresses nice and keeps me from throwing on my old jeans and shirt from time to time, but these would make a great addition to her wardrobe.
Perched on my ladder I had an excellent view of the parade of colors and styles. I shared my spot with Jerry a videographer who had a nice digital video camera and Mitchell another photographer. There was plenty of space for us and the wait staff who traveled back and forth in front of us (good thing for the ladder to take me above them). I really enjoyed having Jerry there because he had one great spotlight on top of his gear. This additional light helped with focusing whenever I was shooting what he was shooting. At other times I had to rely on the D3's to catch the fast motion before the remote flash popped.

I'm comfortable in pink and could see myself in this denim outfit with matching shirt. The models always make these things look good. This reminds me that there was a very vocal group of ladies seated a table immediately in front of my position and at the head of the runway. I think they just about whistled or cheered when every male model strolled their way.

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BJ - 6 Month Stages

2009-03-25T21:12:00.000-04:00

He's growing up so fast. BJ is confident and he's moving. When he was not quickly crawling everywhere, we were able to catch a few family shots. He promptly took center stage and stole the show for this session.

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Guess Who's on facebook?

2009-02-16T22:32:00.005-05:00

Yes, I have made the plunge into facebook. Look me up to see what is going on with me between blog posts.

Pocket Wizard Has Done It Again

2009-02-16T21:42:00.003-05:00

I just love these things! Pocket Wizard is my favorite brand of wireless transmitters for controlling my lights. Though my Nikon system can use Nikon's infrared setup to control multiple speedlights, it has its limitations. With Pocket Wizard's new line of transmitters/receivers, I can mount both the unit and speedlight on my camera versus the current setup which is one or the other. This is great and more efficient than my current process!

Here's a clip:

Yes!

Martin Luther King Jr Celebration

2009-01-26T23:51:00.012-05:00

This year, the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration held in Wilmington, DE featured Chris Gardner as the keynote speaker. Chris Gardner is well known for his best selling autobiography and successful movie version, The Pursuit of Happyness. I had a great time donating my services to cover such an event. There were many adults and children eager to see what new and exciting exhibits and presentations were available. They were not disappointed.

Chris has a great story which is way better than the movie. So pick up a copy of his autobiography. I picked up one and a signature from the author.

Chris is a great guy with a great sense of humor. He decided I need a two more ears in this quick shot we took. Later he posed with the event design team me.

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Salihah - Life Moments

2008-12-26T14:37:00.000-05:00

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Carlton + Cheryl = Life

2008-12-21T00:13:00.000-05:00

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Lawrence + Titania = Belly Moments

2008-12-20T13:36:00.000-05:00

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Carlos and Dina | Family Portraits

2008-12-18T01:12:00.000-05:00

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Gerald and Shakira | Family Portraits

2008-12-18T00:36:00.000-05:00

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New Jersey Networking Expo at Solar do Minho

2008-12-04T20:47:00.005-05:00

This was a pretty nice networking expo in New Jersey. The above photo booth by WOW Entertainment was a hit (see my pics at the end of this post).

Is that Tony Soprano? Well, at least a look alike.

Here are my take away pics from photo booth experience.
Venue:

Solar do Minho

A few Vendors:

Blush and Brushes - makeup
Elite Affairs - planner/coordinator
Essential Entertainment - video
Gemini Productions - DJ
Soprano Doubles
Stylish Events - planner/coordinator
The Kairos Moment - planner/coordinator
Videoallstar - video
WOW Entertainment

BJ - 3 Month Stages

2008-11-29T15:24:00.000-05:00

He's here and he's spending a bit of face time in front of the camera during this "Beginnings" stage.

Still a way to go before you can fill those shoes...

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Christmas + Moores = Portraits

2008-11-28T11:05:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year for me to pull out the camera remote so my family can take a few joyful holiday portraits. Nothing less than I give my clients for a nice in home lifestyle portrait session.

I planned the event for a couple of days and then sprung it on my wife the morning of the session. Well, she wasn't happy (late notice), but she always works great under pressure. We were well color coordinated and all together for a bit of face time.

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Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade

2008-11-28T05:02:00.006-05:00

We were planning to attend the New York City Thanksgiving parade, but changed our minds and opted for a closer and more historical parade. The Philadelphia Thanksgiving parade dates back to 1920 and is the nation's oldest parade. The kids don't know it now, but they were viewing history.

After such an adventure, we were ready for a fine Thanksgiving meal. Since we're from Louisiana, we decided on a traditional deep fried turkey along with other Southern style side dishes.
A fine drink for the adults...
And something for the kids.
Now that was a hand slapping good meal!

Holiday Special - Portrait Sessions and Portrait Parties

2008-11-19T19:30:00.000-05:00

Just in time for the holidays!

I'm offering a special on Lifestyle Portrait Sessions and Portrait Parties in my local area for portrait sessions occurring on or before December 19, 2008.

Holiday Portrait Sessions ($100 Reduction!)

Your $100 reservation fee includes:

One-hour session of unlimited photographs, poses and emotions captured
Group or family up to 7 persons
Location of your choice
Online Gallery for proofing and sharing your photos
$100 print and product credit at Online Gallery

Portrait Party

As a host, your $100 reservation fee includes:

Multiple families or guests with separate sessions
No sitting fee
Unlimited photographs , poses and emotions in your session
No buying at the party (no pressure)
Online Gallery for proofing and ordering
Host rewards based on your guests
Reservation fee converted to cash or print credit

Click here to find out more about Portrait Parties by Rodrick Moore

Contact me to schedule a session or party

*Travel beyond 50 miles, venue admission and other related fees are not included.

Portrait Party by Rodrick Moore Photography

2008-11-19T19:28:00.000-05:00

A portrait party is a fun and exciting way to have professional portraits for you and your friends at a location of your choice. Here are the benefits:

No sitting fee
No buying at the party (no pressure)
Online Gallery for proofing and ordering
Host rewards

How it works

The host reserves the date and invites 4 to 12 families. The host also provides the location, coordinates the refreshments, activities, the guest list and scheduling the 15-minute session times for each family. Everyone has fun during their session and enjoy the activities. A day or two after the party, the portraits are posted online for the guests to view and place their orders. After the guests have placed their orders, the host is able to place an order based on credits received from the guests’ purchases.

Host Rewards

As the host, you receive rewards for free portrait products:

20% print credit on guests orders during the online gallery period
Free printable digital photograph, 8x10 or 8x10 equivalent for each guest who reserves a portrait party

Party Themes

Portrait parties can be held as a sole party or combined with an activity or function already planned. The best parties have a theme such as:

Maternity
Newborn
Babies
Couples
Family
Teen
Seniors
Girls Night
Holiday
Valentines
Halloween
Christmas
Wine Tasting
And more

Reserving a Party

After finding several interested guests, find an available date on Rodrick Moore Photography’s calendar and then secure the date with a reservation fee. Using forms provided by the studio, schedule your friends’ portrait time. Email invitations and reminders. The more guests you invite and schedule, the greater your rewards.

The reservation fee is refunded with guests purchases that exceed $200 or it is converted to a print credit.

Jazz and Jewelry Fashion Show

2008-10-04T11:22:00.021-04:00

A great event for jazz, jewelry and breast cancer awareness.

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Charity: DBC Coalition

Jazz: Aniya

Jewelry: lia sophia

Venue: Double Tree Hotel

NILMDTS Annual Fund Drive

2008-09-24T20:02:00.000-04:00

With the Month of October being recognized as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, The Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation holds its Annual Fund Drive for six weeks starting in mid-September and ending in October.

President Ronald Reagan enacted Proclamation 5890 in October of 1988 to recognize that each year, approximately a million pregnancies in the United States alone end in miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of a newborn child. Reagan stated, "A national observance offers us the opportunity to increase our understanding of the great tragedy involved in the deaths of unborn or newborn babies. It also enables us to consider how, as individuals and communities, we can meet the needs of bereaved parents and family members... " To read the full Proclamation signed by Reagan, CLICK HERE.

If you are in a place to make even a small contribution to NILMDTS, please know that doing so will continue to allow the organization to provide improved resources, training, communication, and other tools necessary in support of our amazing contingent of professional photographers who provide the gift of free remembrance portraiture to families in need.

Our next project we are working on is an online, interactive webinar version of our Formal NILMDTS Training taught by Co-Founder Sandy Puc' allowing anyone in any country with access to a computer to complete the course online. Donations help make programs like this a reality!

CLICK HERE to donate to the NILMDTS Annual Fund Drive

Your Donations Support the Organization in Many Ways -

By supporting the continued education of our volunteer photographers
By allowing us to further our outreach to hospitals and hospices across the world
By offsetting the costs associated with outreach efforts including Formal NILMDTS Traingin Seminars
By supporting the Family Forum which creates a productive and supportive haven for healing
By supporting the Photographers' Forum which provides a helpful environment for our member photographers to express their feelings and receive advice on the various issues that they face in this noble work
By supporting the day to day operations of our Headquarters Offices

NILMDTS Annual Fund Drive

2008-09-24T19:50:00.004-04:00

CLICK HERE to donate to the NILMDTS Annual Fund Drive

Your Donations Support the Organization in Many Ways -

By supporting the continued education of our volunteer photographers
By allowing us to further our outreach to hospitals and hospices across the world
By offsetting the costs associated with outreach efforts including Formal NILMDTS Traingin Seminars
By supporting the Family Forum which creates a productive and supportive haven for healing
By supporting the Photographers' Forum which provides a helpful environment for our member photographers to express their feelings and receive advice on the various issues that they face in this noble work
By supporting the day to day operations of our Headquarters Offices

Jazz and Jewelry Breast Cancer Benefit

2008-09-02T06:54:00.005-04:00

If you love jewelry and enjoy jazz, then spend time with both as you contribute to this Breast Cancer benefit. Find more details at www.JazzJewelryDE.com.

Donations are also welcomed to assist in breast cancer research.

Jewelry: lia sophia

Jazz: Aniya

Day 7 - Anniversary Trip

2008-08-23T23:05:00.001-04:00

Back Home to the FamilyOur boys were happy to see us and had a little welcome back card for us.
Our oldest enjoyed his jacket and wanted to keep it on no matter the temperature.

My mother was a little camera shy, but felt more comfortable with my boys around her. Thanks Mom for looking after our boys!

Does our youngest look more like mommy or daddy?

Here are my future photographers!

I'll have to post their shots later.

Day 6 - Anniversary Trip

2008-08-22T23:04:00.002-04:00

Back in Houston
Houston is my town. However, get the cash ready for the toll roads. This leg of the trip was to be filled with friends, but we still took a side path to take a quick shoot of my last house in Houston.

My wife and I went several rounds over which restaurant would be great to meet our friends... Papacitos or Papadeauxs's. In the end we decided on Dave & Busters so we could play some games after eating. La was happy to see her good friend Dana.
The laughs were on Phil at this point, but everyone got their turn at being the point of impact.
The ladies (Paula, La and Dana) decided not to go with a pose of "See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil), but this one was just as good ;-)

Our first round of competition came from the motorcycle racing.

Phil had his turn (at his expense).

Dana tried cheering up Terry who was doing that great. I think he placed something like 17th. However, there were only 17 riders.
Arthur and I were the only none bike riders and Arthur placed handled the first curve the best of us all.

Dana and Terry decided to show La and me a thing or two about air hockey.
A little less celebrating would have been appreciated ;-)

Terry and I tried our luck at the shoot 'em up games. We didn't know all the concepts of the game, but we had fun.

In the end, we had a great time as we took a self portrait with the camera on timer and placed on the mantle. Viva Houston!

Day 5 - Anniversary Trip

2008-08-21T23:03:00.002-04:00

Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley

Napa Valley isn't that far from Sonoma Valley, so we decided to travel over and spend the day. Our first stop was the Robert Mondavi Winery after a fine breakfast at the local Jack in the Box.

Here we had our first tour which was very educational. We were able to taste the berries (grapes) and could tell the difference between the sweeter and somewhat tart. Each row was labeled by the type of wine the grapes were destined to be.

Our tour guide led us to the Carneros Room where she explained the principles of tasting decanting and tasting wines.
Who needs a decanter when a vinturi works even better and per glass?

La has already started making her list of things she wants to add to our kitchen such as this cheese cutting board and Vinturi.

Magellan Navigation

I know I'm not the best at asking for directions. So I became pretty good with a map. However, when we bought our minivan, it came with a navigation system which La and I adore. So we got La a Magellan GPS navigation device which is her "tool". What we like most about it is that it is portable and allows us to travel with it. Look out world!
Since La knows where she wants to go and she has her "tool", I'll take a nap. Wine tasting can be tiring business.

V Sattui Winery in Napa Valley

The V Sattui Winery had a lovely layout and was one of the few major wineries which allowed weddings at their grounds. Is that a chocolate mousse cake in there?

Berringer Vineyards in Napa Valley

Beringer Vineyards was to be our next educational wine tour. I threw in the next image because this was once the leaning oak tree depicted on various Beringer wine labels. It was over a hundred years old at the time it finally fell. Luckily no one was ingured.

Here's our tour guide. He didn't want us to taste the wine alone so each time we tasted, he tasted.

A Castle in Napa Valley

Castello di Amorosa was a very unique winery in that it was built to resemble European castles with a courtyard, towers and wine basement.

We liked most of the wines here and will place a few orders for delivery back home. From our tours we discovered it was bad for wine to sit in a hot car. So we decided not to buy any more than the one bottle we did (before we learned this fact).

This one's for our boys back home who love to see mommy and daddy in the pictures.

Day 4 - Anniversary Trip

2008-08-20T23:00:00.001-04:00

Breakfast at Carneros Bistro
La and I decided to eat local this morning. At least local to our hotel room since we had a 9AM appointment at the resort's spa. So the local restaurant - Carneros Bistro and Wine Bar was on our list. This proved to be the second beast breakfast we had on our trip, thus far.

The pancakes were light and fluffy along with an omelet of all egg whites. La loved the syrup which had a nice smooth taste. I recommend eating here!

Relaxation at the Raindance Spa

Our appointment at the resort's Raindance Spa was a brisk walk to the rear of the property. We were about an hour early since our breakfast went so fast (quick service) so after getting into our robes, we relaxed in the spa's courtyard.

La told me I was so relaxed that she heard me snoring! Hey, it was great just to lay there without running all over the place. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Now that the massage was done, we decided to jump in the whirlpools before we started our winery visits.

First Stop - Gundlach Bunschu Winery in Sonoma Valley

Gundlach Bundshu Winery is one of the oldest family owned winery in the area. The grounds were beautiful and large, which allowed for many different flavors and climates for the grapes.

La and I decided to have a mini photoshoot to send images back to our lovely boys and my mom (who's keeping them for us). We figured we would play around with the 85mm fixed lens at almost wide aperture to get some real shallow depth of field shots.

We had to get a few shots of both of us with the 17-55mm lens at arm's length. I guess lay wanted to keep my head from floating away ;-)
Maybe it was screwed on tightly for this shot.

Second Stop - Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma Valley

Do you swallow the wine? Swallowing 5 to 10 samples per visit can get you a little woozy. Maybe that's why they start with the less expensive and move you to the extremely priced wines as you progress through the tasting. No wine purchase yet, but it's great to have GPS to get us to the next winery.

Third Stop - Benzinger Winery in Sonoma Valley

We barely missed the last guided tour of the grounds at Benziger Winery. So we settled for the wine tasting instead. Remember what I said earlier about wine tasting and prices? Well, this was our last winery stop for the day and over a couple dozen tastes (swallows) later we bought a wine.

Fuzzy grapes? They look like kiwi to me.
Jack London Village - Great for Chocolate and Cheese

We decided to stop at Jack London Village on our way from our last winery to taste some chocolates and cheese. After all that wine tasting, trying purchasing and eating cheese and chocolate was a must.

We'll have to get more of this cheese later!

Day 3 - Anniversary Trip

2008-08-19T11:00:00.001-04:00

Breakfast at Mama's on Washington Square

We had a great time in San Francisco, but we had one more stop after checking out... Mama's restaurant for breakfast. Mama's on Washington Square sat at the corner of Filbert and Stockton which made it hard to find a parking spot. La stood in line while I almost drove back to the hotel to find a spot and then hike back. I can say we got our walking in.

The menu was great and made it hard for us to choose.
Warning! Crackberry sighting! La tried hiding it under the table, but the camera found her.

A meal well eaten...

Redwood Trees at Muir Woods

Bye bye Golden Gate Bridge. We have an appointment at Muir Woods. I always wanted to see the tall Redwood trees in California (other trees will be the Sequoias in Yosemite).

Did I mention how much walking we have been doing? Well, we had to park about a mile away and walk back to the park. We were happy to see we only had 500 feet to go.

The trees were magnificent! Tall!

Who's that in there?

Sonoma Valley - Wine Country

The drive to Sonoma Valley was scenic though it was pretty flat. Toward the rear of the resort was a great mountain (or large hill).

Ooops! Another crackberry sighting!

The little town of Sonoma has a Farmers' Market in the town center every Tuesday and it's Tuesday! We cancelled our dinner reservations and joined in the fun and made a meal from all of the vendors.

Now that's one satisfied person... or is she thinking about the spa for tomorrow?

Day 2 - Anniversary Trip

2008-08-18T23:08:00.000-04:00

Shell Vacations Club

These are the guys who allowed us to have a great dinner Sunday night... Shell Vacations Club. If you have never been to a timeshare presentation, I suggest you do one to get the experience. Plus a lot of them offer great packages along with the free gifts and stuff. However, allot a lot of time because they say the presentation is about 90 minutes. An d they are right. After the presentation, however, is when you start adding time with the negotiations for buying into the timeshare.

These guys had some good property, but it isn't our time to buy one right now.

Here's the restaurant where we ate with our $75 voucher - The Franciscan Seafood and Crab. Excellent seafood. La had seafood cioppino soup and then prime rib. I had a clam chowder soup (don't mistake this for New England Clam Chowder, which is better) the surf and turf (fillet mignon and tiger prawns). I topped mine off with a chocolate mouse dessert.

The menu in the restaurant was a book! This was a good thing because each dish had a picture, description and the recipe. They sold it for $7 if you wanted to keep one. After rolling ourselves out to go back to the hotel, we forgot all about it.

Hop On - Off Bus Tour
Monday morning was the start of our first full day in San Francisco. There was a little "whole in the wall" restaurant we picked up a hearty breakfast of french toast, eggs, toast, hashbrowns and fresh fruit. These guys really piled it on.

For us, I guess everything starts at Pier 39. This is where we jumped on the bus that was a part of our free City Sightseeing bus --> Hop On - Hop Off (compliments of Shell Vacations Club). For two days we were able to ride these buses all over the city. Just hop off where you want to walk around and every 30 minutes another bus comes by the stop for you to Hop On.

Now, La didn't bring her laptop, but she spent quite a bit of time on her crackberry.

I guess La wanted to show me taking a power nap during one of the bus' stops.
Nice Shots From Downtown San Francisco

This was some interesting artwork on the top of a building. Its a sculpture of a lady laying down. Do you see it?

The interesting thing about this dome is that they used real gold for the trim.

First Stop... Chinatown

We decided to do a little pavement beating and Hopped Off our bus in Chinatown. From watching the movies, you would would think this place was humongously large, but it seemed quite small to us. I loved the entrance.
Everywhere that served sushi, La checked out the menu.
We figured we would spend time with a few locals... monkeying around.

Speak no evil, think no evil, see no evil and hear no evil.

Back to Pier 39
Pier 39 is a great place for adventure, shopping and entertainment. So we made a bee line back to it where I decided to see how heavy one of those ship docking chains was.
Three links are enough for me.
I guess one link was enough for La.
Like kids, we had fun in the mechanical museum near the submarine and Liberty ship.

Here's a self portrait!

A great view of the activity.
All this adventure started making us hungry. So we decided to have a healthy snack of fresh fruit. La loved the size of these figs. Aren't figs a natural laxative?
Again on the phone ;-)
We didn't think about it until we had picked everything we wanted, but there were no prices at the fruit. Our little fruit adventure turned out to be a $15 meal! See all that we got... a few grapes (large and very small), figs, peaches (which turned out not to be sweet), and strawberries.

Very small grapes. I think I had about one or two berries. La ate the rest before I knew it.
A 17 mm (24 mm with DX conversion) lens and a closest object focus comes in handy for quick self portraits.
La wanted me to take the picture over so she could open her eyes. I really couldn't tell the difference except her eyebrows went up.
La found a guy with a large camera and figured he knew how to work mine to get a full body shot of us. Most people look puzzled when I have to explain the two finger focus I have set up on m camera.
Entertainment at Pier 39

The seals are a great attraction at Pier 39. Their playful or harsh actions (depending on how you see it) are entertaining. People lined the rails for hours just watching these guys. Like rubbernecking an accident while driving, we made our way through the crowd to get a few zoomed in pictures. No, we really aren't that close to these guys. They look fun, but I guess these guys can be pretty rough.

Now this guy was funny. He was a juggler who drew a crowd. One of the funnier things was that he was constantly pulling up his pants. He may have needed both a belt and suspenders.
This was a great trick where he sat four guys down and had them leaning on each other. Then he pulled out al of the chairs and all of the guys were still with butts in the air without falling. He had to lean in and help them down so they could get up. Try this at one of your next parties ;-)

The Famous Lombard Street

Lombard Street is a must see!

After our Pier 39 Adventure, we noticed we were a little short on cash and decided to walk to our nearest bank branch office. I typed it up on my iPhone and it said 1.1. miles. No sweat until we started our journey and discovered that this included a constant uphill hike. La had flashbacks of our biking tour in Punta Cona. Ask her about it sometime.

After making our withdrawal, we took the scenic route through the city and came across Lombard Street (of course from the bottom of the hill).

I guess this is a great idea if you don't want to come back to you car and discover that it rolled down the hill.
From the top of the hill, you can see how Lombard Street has a zig-zag pattern to help slow cars down.
This picture is actually of us at the top of the hill looking down. You made it La! It was funny to see a few people walking backwards up the hill so they didn't get depressed seeing the constant and steep up cline. I wonder how much the houses up her go for. The view is great.
On our trip downhill.

Ghirardelli Square - Chocolate Lovers Only Please

Ghirardelli Square is a chocolate lover's dream place next to Hershey (where I would like to visit). There are other shops there like food, wine, and apparel, but the main attraction is the chocolate.

I have another crackberry sighting... ;-)
As you can see, I had to try one out. I'll bring the rest home so my boys can help dad savor the delicacies.