Wedding Photography for the budget conscious

Carlos Valentino | Northern California Wedding Photographer

2009-01-20T23:32:00.000-08:00

I know that many follow me in blogger so I wanted to let you know that after almost 300 blog post in blogger I'm moving out! Please update your links and RSS feeds and again thank you for following me. Here are the new links.

Carlos Valentino Photography

Wedding Blog

Daily Blog

Sacramento Chic

FaceBook FanPage

Wedding Investment

Texas thank you for your Bush, Obama and Oprah

2009-01-19T14:15:00.000-08:00

It's wonderful to be around to see America embrace her first African American President. To see the emotions of so many and hear the older people tell their stories is great. I heard today that "Rose sat, so Martin could march, so Obama could run, so our children could fly"; that is beautiful. However, things are never perfect and you can't satisfy everyone and yes I'm not happy. How can we throw such a big party with so many jobs lost and yes I lost my job too; why are we spending such great numbers for this inauguration bash, couldn't we spend this 150 million dollars more efficiently? Yes it is a big milestone and significant moment in history but, today Americans are losing their jobs and homes! Why can't we have a simpler celebration and throw the big bash when he comes through with his campaign promises. I must say that I really didn't have faith in Bush and now in Obama, the issues are too great! The only way we can get through this recession is if we raise taxes, cut government programs, bringing jobs back to America and shrink government. Mr. Obama, nothing personal and not that you care, but I would have much more respect for you, if you would just pull the plug on the big bash. Or instead of using our money to pay for your party maybe you can have Oprah and her friends host it.

Changes are coming

Something New

2009-01-16T21:48:00.000-08:00

Hey I'm working I'm something new and I would like your input. Please come back soon

Camaro 1968

2009-01-13T11:26:00.000-08:00

One never knows when one needs his camera. I was making my way to Fed Ex yesterday afternoon and this monster of a car comes rumbling in, it's a 1968 383 Camaro. This encounter made buying my Nikon Coolpix camera with it!!!

Bridal Show Set Up

2009-01-11T01:00:00.000-08:00

Wedding shows are fun to put together, and it's even more fun and less stressful, when you are setting up someone else's booth rather than your own. I volunteered to help my good friend Carmen Salazar with her booth tonight. Here the lovely Carol Niles is taking a break; she is going for a all niter. Carol, nothing is going to get done if you don't get off your bum!

Hanging with the suave and talented Mr. Jeremy Underwood from Sharpe Photography.

Me and my ontourage crashed the Tiny Waters Booth!!!!

We after this we invaded the space of John and Stella Vu; we had a fun night.

These guys are great professionals and great when it comes to their craft. Brides if any of these guys are available you better book them quick because this are top shelf pros!

Bridal Showcase at Cal Expo

2009-01-07T17:02:00.001-08:00

Did you get engaged over the Christmas Holiday? If so, don't miss out on going to the Bridal Showcase show at Cal Expo on January 11th 2009. Here is a quote from their website:

"You will find the best bridal professionals in the wedding industry. Bridal Showcase features professional California d.j's, bands, bridal salons (gowns), formal wear (tuxedos), cakes, photographers, videographers, florists, honeymoons / reception sites, specialty items such as favors and invitations."

HOURLY FASHION SHOWS.
No boring runway shows, but full production numbers to help give the bride an idea how she will look on her wedding day. More wedding gowns to view than any other bridal show.

THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PRIZES AND CONTESTS.
Giveaways all day long. Need not be present to win.

SAVE MONEY
Vendors will have in-show specials on their services.

It will be my first time visiting this show. However, the one show that I have seen for that last 8 years is the Dream Wedding Show, it's put together by my friend Buzz Gallardo and his team. The Dream Wedding show is also partnering with my favorite local wedding magazine, Sacramento Bride and Groom, but you already knew they were my favorite. To be fair, let me quote from the Dream Show website, it says:

"We believe you deserve to see the best vendors, and largest variety of bridal services without jam packed aisles. The Dream Wedding Show has plenty of aisle space, to allow you walk comfortably, and interact with our exhibitors. We bring you numerous experienced, quality vendors so you can see what they have to offer you."

I don't know if this is true about the Bridal Showcase but, I do know that Buzz is very much involved in hand selecting each vendor that is allowed to display their work at this show. I know most of the vendors and, they are passionate about their service and love what they do; not like other shows that will remain unmentioned. So if you don't get to make it this Sunday to the Bridal Showcase, make sure you make it the Dream Wedding show, and if you would like a complementary Sacramento Bride and Groom magazine, send me an e-mail.

Dane VS. Bambi in "The Longest Day"

2009-01-06T15:14:00.000-08:00

When we last saw our Super Hero's, they were in the studio of Robert Evans waiting instructions from Ron Dawson, the mastermind behind Cinematic Studios. This league of extraordinary photographers, were separated into 2 groups, and led by the steady hand of either Dane Sanders or Bambi Cantrell. Once the teams were assembled, they soon learned the details of their mission was to write and produce a 10 minute video which we, "The Public", will vote on at a later time. Now that you are all caught up, please follow me into the studio, where our hero's are plotting their next move.

Pugs on the Couch

2009-01-04T00:14:00.000-08:00

Pooches love having to get their picture taken, unless your a pug. We are a strange breed that loves standing behind the lens and not in front of it. However nothing like booze to make us all if good cheer. For more on these images go to Winter Weather Advisory

It's Time for 2009!

2008-12-31T10:10:00.000-08:00

2008 is coming to a close, and I would be the first to admit that it was a challenging year. Here are my 2008 highlights, of what happened to me, and around me?

Barack Obama is elected for President

George Bush is the target of a shoe toss

The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported on December 5th that 10.3 Million are unemployeed

New Kids are back on the block

Britney Spears goes "Whack" and then comes back

Negative Space Studio Grand opening

Gasoline hits over $4.00 in Sacramento

Oprah gets dupped and gains weight again

The house that "Ruth" built is closed

California say "Yes" on eight

House blows on Christmas Eve due to a gas leak

Saw Lenny Kravitz in San Francisco

Joey left but Kevin is back

Alex and Melissa are now my Compadres

I Went to Vegas to WPPI

Pictage PUG leader

I got an iPhone

Sunny gets a Nikon

Sophia does great on her first performance

Joey is iTouched

Kevin now drops his top

My Resolution for 2009 is simple - Get Things Done (GTD)
Here is some of my friends resolutions:

Liz said "balance"

Nathan said "To show up for PUG more often"

Andrea said "To eat less processed foods and watch more movies in bed"

Dennis said "Go to the gym"

Jennifer said "To network more"

From me to yours, wishing you the best in 2009 and for more on events that happened in 2008 take a look at these links:

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

Sac Bride Winter 2009

2008-12-23T14:27:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the new Winter / Spring 2009 issue of Sacramento Bride and Groom? The team at Sac Bride has done a wonderful job in putting this beautiful magazine together. My ad is sitting pretty on page 154. I wish it was closer to the front, maybe on the cover, that’s a goal, hey, can I considered that a New Year’s Resolution? On this issue, I had the privilege of shooting the ad for TLC Catering, and for Monica Events. I want to take a moment, and mention the gracious, Rachelle Stogner and give her props, for winning the cover contest, congrats Rachelle. Also, my lovely friend Lisa Marie Lemus of, "The Sweetest Things", is mentioned in the kudos corner on page 188; she sure is Sweet. These vendors are prime examples of the kind of professionals that can found in Sacramento Bride and Groom. I personally want to thank the team at Sacramento Bride, for their quality, service and for creating a network of the very best wedding vendors that Northern California has to offer. To all, have a Merry Christmas, and may 2009 be jumping.

Winter Weather Advisory

2008-12-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

Hey it's the first day of Winter, and there's a weather advisory here in Sacramento, flights are being canceled, and Christmas is almost here. Today I went to the mall and braved the Christmas shoppers. I wanted to go and see the decorations, the Carolers, and the children as they waited to get there picture taken with Santa Claus. I know that the flat panel is constantly telling us how bad it is out there, but I think it would benefit us if we get back to basics, and look at the world through the eyes of a child this Christmas. This season, break away from the norm and sing a Christmas song, bake cookies for Santa, squeeze your partner tighter, and regardless of what you receive on Christmas day, be cheerful and take notice that you have been blessed with family and friends. My wish for you, is that regardless of the weather, or how many gifts have your name on them, that this Christmas be the best one yet, and take a moment to reflect upon the reason for the season.

Shout outs!
The image above is of the Sacramento Pictage User Group members. We got together for a small Christmas get together.

Allison Stahl

Brooke Azcarate

Carmen Salazar

Keri Wenker

Mark Dong

Sharon Hoyt

John Vu

Want to see more images, go to Pug on the Couch

Crumbler - in Brooklyn?

2008-12-21T00:28:00.000-08:00

When I visited New York City last month, I went over to the photographers mountain top; B&H Photo, to see what was available to me. I played in the Nikon circle, and held the D3 and D700 cameras, and I must say that the D3 is a monster of a camera, and I love it. However, I was in the market for a new camera bag, and I found the Crumbler line. I had seen this bag at the 2008 WPPI convention, and I wanted a bag that I could fit a body, 2 lens and a flash, without it looking like a camera bag, and the "7 Million Dollar Home" was the one for me. So what's the big deal? Well maybe it's not the fact that I seen that bag almost a year a ago at Vegas, or that I bought it at B&H, it's something more. My wife and I have been talking of packing up someday soon, and heading back to the east coast to be closer to the family, and the funny this is, that as I was researching for the article I found out that the Crumbler factory is only a few blocks away from my old neighborhood in Brooklyn, so the question is; Crumbler, are you hiring!! By the way I love my bag.

Yes Virginia - My Christmas Card to You

2008-12-18T07:43:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the Christmas commercial where, Jessica Simpson, Donald Trump, Martha Stuart and others are talking to a person called Virginia? I was touched when I heard it, and I did a little research. In 1897, Virginia O’Hanlon, wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Sun, and the beautiful response of Francis Pharcellus Church, has become part of Christmas history. I have provided a brief of his response, and a copy of the actual News Paper clipping.

“DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN, it's so.'
Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

The most real things in the world, are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive, or imagine, all the wonders there are, unseen and unseeable in the world.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exist as certainly as love, and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound, and give to your life, its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world, if there were no Santa Claus.”

The Commerical, Thank you Macy's

Now Meet Virginia

Merry Christmas.

Serena Williams in Brooklyn

2008-12-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

While in NYC my wife and I went over to Timothy Greenfield - Sanders and Elvis Mitchell exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum titled "The Blast List Project". Sanders prints were beautiful and larger than life, about 8 feet tall; Serena never looked more gorgeous. As a photographer all I could do is drooll over images of Lorna Simpson, Chris Rock, Colin Powell, Toni Morrison, Russell Simmons, Al Sharpton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Sean Combs and so many more. HBO had a special, here's a teaser for you.

Here is more if your interested.

Apple for Christmas

2008-12-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

I've been using and loving my Palm Centro phone. It's compact and able to compete with the big boys but, it could never sync with my Apple apps without 3rd party software, and even when it did, it was a painful process. This week Christmas came early for me. My son gave me my Christmas gift early, a spanking new iPhone. Wow! now I understand the fan base that follows this device. Besides being sleek and sexy it keeps me updated every where I go. My next step is to learn how to use FaceBook from my iPhone.

Merry Christmas!

It's Your Day

2008-12-04T14:42:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's hard to believe that, I used to rock you to sleep in my arms once; Happy Birthday.

Pondering My Multiple Personalities

2008-12-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

I believe that outside looking in is best when trying to describe oneself. I drafted the help of a friend to tell me what words best describe me, so here is the list. "Plausible, vivacious, warm, pleasant, tough, trustworthy, unbiased, warm, willing, wise, witty, responsible, decisive, decorous, delightful, detailed, determined, diligent, discreet, dynamic, eager, likable, lively, alluring, ambitious, cultured, selective, self-assured, sensitive, skillful." Wow, I never thought my multiple personalities were visible.

I love the billboards on Times Square. They were screaming to be photographed, and I was happy to do it!

TLC Catering and City Street Gallery

2008-12-02T09:01:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago I had the privilege to work with Dawn and Nestor of TLC Catering, and I photographed a few dishes for their magazine ad, which will appear in the next issue of Sacramento Bride and Groom. This husband and wife team, is passionate about the entire customer dinning experience. Nestor, who has been professionally trained, and has worked with Wolfgang Puck, presented a plate that was beautiful and tasted fantastic. For more information please visit TLC Catering.

I went to my old stomping grounds for Thanksgiving last week to visit my friends and family, I was amazed at the amount of images that I was able to create from things that I saw on the street; I call it, Street Art. I'll be putting them up soon for you to view and comment.

Happy Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-26T12:01:00.000-08:00

The time of eating and spending is upon us once again. This year, I decided to spend my Thanksgiving at my old stomping grounds with my family and friends and, it’s freaking cold here!!!! Anyway, I’m hoping that the love of family will keep you warm, and the food is nothing but the best.

Happy Thanksgiving, from my family to yours.

God Bless

Sacramento Wedding Network Seminar

2008-11-20T22:27:00.000-08:00

Kisty Rose of In The Mix brought the Sacramento Wedding Network to Negative Space studio yesterday, and it was a great turnout; here are the highlights. The seminar was from 11AM - 4PM, and it covered many topics pertaining to business administration. My favorite speaker of the afternoon was Rebecca Johnson of Getting Networking Now! She was spunky and understood and explained, the true meaning networking. I also like the fact that she spoke about the many social networks that are available to us today. I’m always surprised the amount of vendors who don’t have a website and don’t take advantage of the social networks like FaceBook or Myspace; it’s free advertising!

Taking a moment for a “Shout Out!”
I meet a few good people like:

A Pictage member and future friend Doug Miranda

I spent sometime talking to Shalini Goyal from RS and Couture, about Keith Ferrazzi's book “Never Eat Alone"

And the lovely lady Rebeca Botelho of A Floral Affair

Event Coordinator with Style

2008-11-14T23:16:00.000-08:00

Wow I love this add. Monica of Monica Events came over to the studio a few weeks ago, and we had a blast. Her company is re-branding a bit, and she needed a new head shot. We worked for a few hours that night at the studio, and this is the reward we received for our hard work.

Bridal Shoot It Ain't Sex

2008-11-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

Flash Light

2008-11-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

I've been using my Nikon SB800 for years, and it's never let me down. My buddy Keri has the new SB900, and though the light this device produces is stronger than my 800, Keri tells me that it also gets hot fast, and sometimes she has to shut it down so it can cool; that doesn't work during a wedding. That reason alone made me think of looking for another light source besides the 900 strobe. Today the sky was menacing as a storm rolled through, and I decided to experiment with a flash light, I love the results.

Do you have a 900? Does it get hot?

Obama Wins and I'm Angry

2008-11-05T14:59:00.001-08:00

Wow, history was made last night and I was here to see it. America has elected her first African American President; it’s a beautiful thing. I can’t wait to see the first Hispanic President but, watch out America if our first Hispanic President is a woman. People who say that a woman would run the country better, don’t know how a Hispanic woman runs her household. My mother is one of those strong headed Hispanic women. I remember her coming up to me and smacking me upside my head for something I did a week before, something that I totally forgot about; talk about holding a grudge. I could image my mom going up to the president of another country, and kicking his butt for something he did or said a decade ago; could you imagine the backlash! Anyway, why am I angry, look at the image on the bottom! People seem to care more about a freaking Bullet Train, or the stupid animal that is going to end up on my plate, over the rights of parents. It seems like 52.1% of California voters believe, that parents should not be notified if our daughters have an abortion. As parents, we have to feed our daughters, keep them safe and warm, educate them, and keep them healthy but, we have NO RIGHT TO KNOW IF OUR DAUGHTERS ARE HAVING AN ABORTION!!! WHY ARE WE LOSING OUR RIGHTS OVER HOW WE RAISE OUR CHILDREN. WHY DOES THIS GOVERNMENT BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO TELL ME HOW TO RAISE MY CHILD!! LATELY IT SEEMS THAT THEY HAVE THE FINGERS IN EVERYTHING. I THOUGHT COMMUNISM WAS DEAD!

InDesign at the Pug

2008-11-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Our Pictage User Group is growing, and is pulling resources from within. At our last meeting Brooke gave us a high level introduction to InDesign, and she did great. These meetings are such a great asset to me and my business. To sit with other photographer professionals, and bring questions and ideas to the table is priceless. If you are a Pictage member and haven't done the joined us yet, what are you waiting for?

Citizen Cope Bullet and a Target

2008-11-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Ok I don't where I've been to miss out on Citizen Cope. So far all I've heard is "Bullet and a Target", I love it and it was released in September 2004! The title is artistic, the song is a mix of hip-hop, folk, and blues and the lyrics are bad ass. I've provided 2 links, one you can listen to the song right off my page or, the other will take to you to the video on YouTube.

Watch It

Me in a Wedding Dress

2008-10-29T00:51:00.000-07:00

This is an oldie, but a goodie.

Obama or McCain

2008-10-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

Julissa Ortiz, My Dreams Realized

2008-10-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

I had a great time hanging out with Julissa Ortiz and the Negative Space crew this morning. Julissa has so much energy and is so much fun to be around. Mister X proposed to her in NYC, my home town, on restaurant row; way to go Mister X! Behind the scene, Julissa grabbed our cameras and shot a few pictures while Dave showed us pictures of his lovely family, but when the camera lights came on, it was on! She and Dave ran around the studio like 2 well orchestrated whirlwinds. While Julissa talked to Carmen, Dave ran around with his camera over his shoulder, showing off the studio and our photos. Then she ran over, dropped our names, spoke to Jesse and POOF! It was over. I wish we had more time but it was fun. Thank you Good Day Sacramento for sharing this great moment with me.

My dreams no longer linger in the dark of night, but they wake with me, talk and inspire me all day long; thank all for the impact you have had in my life.

Preparing for a Good Day

2008-10-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

Fours days to the grand opening party, and I’m getting butterflies. Today we have a few friends coming down and help us clean up and prop the studio. We’re getting the walls ready to hang our artwork, going over our final checklist, and anything else that might come up. Excitement for me is not unusual; I’m excited every time I pick up my camera. I get a rush everytime I work an event, nor matter if it's a wedding or a portrait session. My excited has increased, ever since my buddy Carmen told me that Good Day Sacramento will be interviewing us live from Negative Space Studio, on Friday morning. Don’t forget to watch, we’ll be on the 8am timeslot; it should be fun and don't forget to come down to the studio on October 25th and say hello.

Jennifer Moon and Second Saturday

2008-10-20T00:16:00.000-07:00

Here I am chilling with my fabulous friend Jennifer Moon, at her first gallery showing. She and other photographers were show casing their work at a the Tempest Gallery in downtown Sacramento on Second Saturday. She was very excited to be asked by a viewer if she would be so kind and tell him the story that lead to the image. After their conversation, she was even more surprised to find out that the viewer, went over and purchased her image. Passion pays, just stick to it.

Stepping Back a Notch

2008-10-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Sometime ago I had a conversation with my buddy Dennis, about the amount of noise that can be found in the photography industry. The seminars, DVD’s, newest programs, cameras, lenses and websites; can make a lot of noise, and if allowed to grow, can become a distraction and a killer of the creative process. In our conversation, I told him that I wanted to go back to the basics for a bit, and play with my camera and capture great images straight out of camera; not that tools like Light-Room and Photoshop don’t have their place in the digital darkroom but, like Brook Todd said in the "F-Stop and Beyond" interview, and I'm paraphrasing here, "photographers should know how to shoot before they use Photoshop." In response to our conversation Dennis gave me this fully manual 1.8 55mm macro lens. I think it's a very thoughtful gift, and one that I will use and treasure always, thanks bud.

Sacramento High 20th Reunion

2008-10-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend marked Sacramento High 20th anniversary. My buddy David of D3 Productions, asked me to come down and shoot this lighting set up; I think it's kind of sweet; congrats to class of 1988.

In 1988;

Roland Reagan was President

Rain Man was nominated as the best movie of the year

And George Michael was #1 with Faith

Bridal Gowns

2008-10-12T00:05:00.000-07:00

Today I'm at a bridal photo shoot and this collection of gowns was provided by Lisa Andrews from, Dream Weddings. We will be working with many models and other vendors today, and I will be posting images of the shoot in the next coming days, so come back soon.

Monica Lynn Events and Roy Guira

2008-10-11T00:29:00.000-07:00

Last night I did a photo shoot for Monica of "Monica Lynn Events"; I'm having so much fun doing these types of photo shoots. Her Sacramento event planning company specializes in weddings and social events, and is currently working with the eWomen Network. Monica introduced me to Roy Guira, my new friend. Roy is a hair dresser by trade, and by looking at his MySpace page, it seems like he has worked with Leticia Ordaz,
Pamela Wu, Jennifer Smith, and Edie Lamberat. If you want to see his work, please ask to be his friend at his MySpace page. For all up and coming brides, these are two vendors that your wedding should not go without; did I mention that Monica also advertises in Sacramento Bride and Groom? Well now you know!

Half Moon Bay, Le Rivage and Clean Up

2008-10-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

I've been happily busy these past few weeks. A few weeks ago it was the wedding of Betty and Jose at Half Moon Bay and last night it was Susan and Mike at the beautiful Le Rivage. I had a great time and I'll be posting the images of these events in the next coming weeks. In between weddings, and the studio grand opening, I've been working on my websites. I'm in the process of pulling all my pages together, and aiming for a cleaner theme. Please take a look and tell me what you think, www.carlos-rivera.com.

Majestic Whisper

2008-10-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

"...Love you, more than my life, my eyes, my breath."

Michael and Anna Costa Coming to Sacramento

2008-09-22T23:32:00.000-07:00

It was great making new friends at this month PUG meeting. If you haven't heard, I have been given the honor of being Sacramento's new Pictage User Group leader. Rose left big shoes to fill, and I aim to make her proud. We have planned topics of discussion all through March 2009, and to kick it off, we are going to have Michael and Anna Costa, at our October meeting. Come, learn and listen, what this fantastic team has to share. If you are a pictage member, and haven't been to a pug meeting as of yet, or if you haven't been to one for a while, this is the moment for you.

New Friends Shout Out.

Triag and Greg from, The Image Smith.

Genevieve from, Genevieve Stevens Photography.

Brooke from, Brooke Imagery.

Much Love.

Swopmeet - La Provence Restaurant & Terrace

2008-09-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

Where do the beautiful vendors of Sacramento hang out!!! You guest it, at Swopmeet!!! I had a great time photographing this event. First, let me tell you about "La Provence Restaurant & Terrace", it's a bit a France in are own backyard. It's charming, warm and romantic, great place for a date. The Swopmeet was a slamming success, a great party, put together by the professionals of Sacramento Bride and Groom. This event is getting better every time. Great music, provided by, Exquisite Entertainment, great conversation and the best looking vendors in town!! The next mixer will be held at Arden Hills, November 19th and I aim to party. Hey DJ! Get your records on, and play something, like what I got going on the slideshow below for the next mixer!!!

List of new friends.

Stefan Hack from, Pyramid Focus Photography.

Cheryl Sage from. Accents by Sage.

Carol & Johnny from the, Groove Than Band.

Elana Chambliss and Danielle Beck from, Facia Bella.

Jenifer Haupt from, Image Provocateur.

Jacqueline Willard from, Jacqueline Photography.

TLC Catering.

Lisa Andrews from, Dream Weddings.

Beda and Andy Foley from, The Beda Place.

Much Love.

Negative Space Studio - Sacramento Party

2008-09-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to invite you to our grand opening of, "Negative Space Studio". It's a collective of photographers, brought together by their passion for the art of Photography. Negative Space, is the 1st Cooperative Photography studio in Sacramento California, with the goal of building a bridge between the community, and the arts.

Please join us:

Saturday, October 25th.

2114 P Street, 2nd Floor.

From 6pm, to 9pm.

More about Negative Space

Wardrobe Change

2008-09-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

I'm working on changing my look to the blog and carrying through out. Take a minute and share your input with me and tell me what you think; love to hear it.

Mood Crash

2008-09-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

This beautiful model happens to be my wife. I love it so much that I am contemplating using it as my new business card. If asked, she and other professionals would oppose this idea saying, that the card should be more a representation of me. And though I know they are right, I must confess that I consider myself merely a reflection of my art, captivated by the beauty that captured my attention, to lift the camera to my eye.

While on the topic of beauty, let me tell you that, I'm growing tired of perfection. Tired of it taking over my TV Shows, Magazines and at times clouding the minds of the people around me. I’m exhausted of the quest for the perfect image, the newest equipment and software plug ins. It saddens me that a woman would be so worried about her looks that she would dare to believe that she is not beautiful enough to have her photograph taken, and that she would say to me after a photoshoot, "You can fix me in Photoshop, right?" I am angry that we have allowed the ugly side of perfection to invade our lives.

With that said, I know that I will be forced to buy the newest toy or the newest photoshop plugin. Let's be real, I am a businessman and I must meet the expectations of my clients. However, what I want you to take away from this rant is to "Love Thy Self", and accept the fact that all of your precious oddities are the exact things that make you beautiful and unique. It is these special uncanny features that intrigued and makes us sexy and attractive. I don't know what brought up this rant. Perhaps it was the gloom and doom of the financial markets, or it could have been a podcast, an email, a rude waiter, a bad phone call but, yup, I’m in a mood. Regardless, the next time you feel your not meeting someone's standards repeat this mantra to yourself, "Yesterday is past, tomorrow is not promised, but today is a gift, that is the reason why we call it the present, and it's a beautiful gift, just like me".

You know your a Lucky MF when your wife can be your model; love you babe.

Mike and Isabel Photos at the Capitol

2008-09-12T00:12:00.000-07:00

Wedding on the West Steps.

2008-08-14T23:05:00.000-07:00

It was such a treat to photograph this wedding. The day was bright, the sky blue, and the temperature cooperated, as we stood underneath the canopy of the trees, while on lookers and passer-bys watched, as these two gave their hearts to each other. I was taken back to see people approach the couple after the ceremony, only to wish them the best. To read more or watch the slide show, click here.

Paris Hilton and Me on iTunes.

2008-08-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

With our busy schedules and multi tasking lifestyles, how can I expect you to sit down and read my blog. Thanks to the cool people at Odiogo, you can now listen to my blog entries anytime, anywhere. You can either click on the listen now icon, which is underneath each blog title and listen right off my blog page or, you can click the Odiogo link on the right to download all my entries and listen on your iPod on iTunes. You got to love that; now Paris.

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Artist Beware of FaceBook

2008-08-04T23:14:00.000-07:00

The following is a very interesting piece of FaceBook "Terms and Conditions" page. "By posting User Content to any part of the Site, you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to the Company an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate, excerpt (in whole or in part) and distribute such User Content for any purpose, commercial, advertising, or otherwise, on or in connection with the Site or the promotion thereof, to prepare derivative works of, or incorporate into other works, such User Content, and to grant and authorize sublicenses of the foregoing."

So, it sounds to me that when we add our stuff on FaceBook not only do we have to worry about other people trying to rip off our work but now Facebook has found a way of doing just that by creating this document and hiding it deep inside the terms and conditions page; they knew we weren't going to read the terms. Why would artist agree to such a thing and why would Facebook want with my images anyway? Big Brother are you watching me AGAIN!!!!

Is Google Cuil

2008-07-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

Ok Techie's here is a new search engine that has been dubbed the "Google Killer". Don't get me wrong I love Google in fact it would be really hard for me to use another search engine, but this new engine is really Cuil. The selling point? Many of us fear the powers at Google are collecting and storing our searches as a way of creating a profile, big brother in action. Cuil statement is clear and simple: "Privacy is a hot topic these days, and we want you to feel totally comfortable using our service, so our privacy policy is very simple: when you search with Cuil, we do not collect any personally identifiable information, period. We have no idea who sends queries: not by name, not by IP address, and not by cookies. Your search history is your business, not ours." However I did noticed one bug, when I searched for www.carlos-rivera.com the images didn't match up to the search. Try it out and tell me what you think and take a look at the video below.

Randy Pausch Update

2008-07-25T14:41:00.001-07:00

Follow the link to learn more about Randy Pausch

My Love, Complete.

2008-07-24T00:27:00.000-07:00

Today I celebrate the day my beautiful girlfriend became my beautiful wife. It amazes me how the older I get, the more I love her. I thank God for this woman that makes me perfect, tolerates my craziness and keeps me whole. She is my center, my partner, my passion, my heaven and at times, my hell. I pray that all my friends find the love that makes them complete.

Happy Anniversary Babe

Adios Niko

2008-07-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

This is my little buddy Niko, cute, white, charming and very loving. On his good days he would follow me and be closer than my shadow and especially when I smoked a cigar. Unlike his sister who hangs out the window when we go for drives Niko would sit up on the back seat of the car like a little boy enjoying the ride. Tonight at 8:00pm my little buddy left this world for the next. I loved him, I wrote this on my blog so I wouldn't forget how much I loved him and how much he loved me. I miss you, much love, your dad.

Sterling Hotel, Stamp Your Feet

2008-07-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

I bet by know many have heard that the Sterling Hotel and Chanterelle Restaurant is closing, another victim of this tough economy. With things the way there going, it's easy for many of us to feel down and out. Chin up, success is sweetest only after we conquer our biggest challenge, put your game face on; even darkest night is no match for the rays of the dawn, speak your destiny into being.

Here is my current mantra, share it with all the need encouragement - "Stamp Your Feet".

Much Love

SWOPMEET at CHOPS

2008-07-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

I had a great time hanging out and photographing my friends at Chops Steaks Seafood and Bar for the Sacramento Bride and Groom SWOPMEET event. It was so cool to be on the other side of the lens while rubbing elbows with Sacramento's best wedding vendors under one roof. Chops provided a sweet lounge atmosphere, the food was good, the music great, the guys were smooth and the ladies, well..... watch the slideshow and judge for yourself.

To see more images please visit Swopmeets.com.

Here is a list of links of all my new friends:

Monica Lynn Events

Rev. Jeri Murphy

Philosophia

DayCare on Demand

Simple Serenity Spa & Wellness

Casto

Fantasy HoneyMoon Wishes

P.W. jitters

Image Provocateur

Unique Photograpy

Music in Motion

Extreme Productions Pro DJ Entertainment

Pechan Photography

Rachelle Photography

Element

Nelson Dental

Jennings Chiropractic

Peak Design

Connected Living

Pro Fitness

Much Love to all my beautiful friends, see you at the next one!

California Fires

2008-07-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

The Smoke is clearing up but for a while it was driving me crazy. To my friends outside of Sacramento it was 108 degrees last Wednesday and the smoke gave us as little as 3 miles of visibility. This morning the sky was so dark that though it felt like a summer morning it looked like winter.

RE's Work-Flow Workshop on how to handle your customers from the initial appointment to the wedding day was great and I will be implementing many of his techniques to my administrative work-flow very soon.

Lastly, this is my assistant and son Joey. He's come a long way from being the chubby cute child that I use to play and pinch to the outstanding young man that his is today.

Happy Birthday.

Definition Beauty

2008-07-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting Leslie Domingo and Wendy Labbon, the ladies behind Definition Beauty, at the last SWOPMEET; Wendy and I hit it off. It was a great surprise to see them in the June issue of Sierra Style. I look forward to working with them and maybe I'll meet them for a makeover and to read the interview please click on the image.

Sign Up!

2008-07-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hey you can still sign up for this great workshop.
Check out these links for more information.

California Hands Free Law

2008-07-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

I’m not happy with this law. I don’t like it when government gets involved in what happens in my car, which happens to be an extension of my home. I understand that laws are in place for the greater good, but every now and again there are a few laws that are sprinkled with “Stupid Dust”. A person of authority answered the question below.

Q: Does the new "hands-free" law allow drivers 18 and over to text page while driving? A: The law does not specifically prohibit that, but an officer can pull over and issue a citation to a driver of any age if, in the officer's opinion, the driver was distracted and not operating the vehicle safely. Text paging while driving is unsafe at any speed and is strongly discouraged.

Q: Does the new "hands-free" law prohibit you from dialing a wireless telephone while driving or just talking on it? A: The new law does not prohibit dialing, but drivers are strongly urged not to dial while driving

So I can’t use one hand to hold my phone while driving but I can text a novel size conversation with both hands while driving? Is this stupid or what? Instead of helping us with the current oil crisis we are being forced to go out and buy a hands free device!! Maybe they should stop spending so much sending men to space to install a 19 million dollar toilet and use that money for something else, like adding more bus routes to encourage us to use less fuel! Give me a brake!

Flowers by the Budhha

2008-06-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

Sitting and thinking.

"Jesus grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Amen.

Off to my Pictage User Group meeting.

Randy Pausch Last Lecture - Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

2008-06-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

Updated July 25th 2008

What are your dreams, what have you always wanted to do? Where have you always wanted to go or visit? Now here is another question, what are you waiting for? Randy Pausch inspirational "Last Lecture" is a beautiful love song that has shaken my foundation. His wise and powerful words come with warmth, love and Heavenly enlightenment. I have posted these links for all of you who haven't seen or heard of Randy; prepare to be inspired and look out for his book "The Last Lecture"; it's on my list of must reads.

Here's an ABC PrimeTime interview with Randy.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Thank you Randy for sharing your gift, God Bless you an yours.

Sacramento Bride Summer / Fall 2008

2008-06-23T21:31:00.000-07:00

The new issue of Sacramento Bride and Groom is now available. This great resource is all that a Bride will need to find the best Wedding Vendors that Sacramento has to offer; you can see my ad is on page 176.

The beautiful cover image is from Unique Photography

Wake Boarding while Sleep Deprived

2008-06-21T11:42:00.001-07:00

My good friend has a good eye for video. When asked he would tell you that he shoots to edit. He latest wave board video rocks and he has added a teaser for all to see.

What is your Photography Style? Guerilla

What makes you squeeze the shutter? To catch the vision

Where do you draw your inspiration from? Sound (music, ambient, or the absence of it)

Favorite time of day to shoot? The Golden Hour

Destination Wedding, if you had a choice where would you go? Somewhere in the Mediterranean

Do you prefer Warm or Cool images? Warm

Who are you at your core? The one looking out

Favorite Artist? Too many… Orson Welles, Sam Peckinpah, Edwin S Porter

If you were a top shelf bottle what would you be? Crown Royal draped in that royal purple velvet

A word that best describes you? Details

Flats, Boots, Pumps, Sneakers, Thongs or Loafers? Flip flops

What would you like clients to know about you? I’ve got a good ear, my instincts are clean, I anticipate well, my reflexes are like a cat, and I trust my gut.

Happy Birthday Zayzay

Fathers Heart

2008-06-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to let go. This week my son decided that he was going to move out on his own. We as parents have our own vision for our children and it surprises us when they deiced that our dreams are not their dreams. I never gave it much thought before, but I was really broken up to say the least when he left. I called home for support and to my surprise my aunt told me the story about how much my uncle cried when their oldest son moved out and she told me how broken up my mother was when I moved to Sacramento from NYC. Why isn't anyone talking about this? Oprah instead of "A New Earth" how about the pain in a Dads heart! Why isn't it listed on the New York Times book and review? How does one let go? How does one stand back and allow their beautiful child, which they protected from the world, to go out and battle with the evil things of the night! I know better, I've been down that path, I know what lurks around the bend, stay I'll protect you! As a wedding photographer I now understand why the Father cries when he is giving his daughter away. If I hurt this much now wait until my little princess becomes a bride! I wish he never left and though he isn’t too far away I miss him greatly.

To all the Dads with young ones, hold them tight.
To all the Dads that have to let go, hold on, they tell me it gets easier.

Happy Fathers Day

Love Ya K,
Much Love Dad

An Apple On Your Wedding Day

2008-06-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

Here at home we are big fans of the products from Apple. Their product line is chic, sexy and very functional; I believe that this is the reason behind our love affair with these products and why I decided to include a device in all of my wedding packages.

PS God Bless you Tim Russert, our love goes out to the Russert family.

Work Flow Workshop at Negative Space

2008-06-10T06:12:00.000-07:00

Richard Esposito is pitching his tent in Sacramento at Negative Space Studios. Please feel free to look at this link to read more about RE and click on the image to go directly to the Workshop Page to sign up. I hope to see you there.

Networking 101 with Keith Ferrazzi

2008-05-31T00:13:00.000-07:00

A buddy of mine said to me last week that she admired that I was so involved in Networking Mixers and in the creation of making new connections. I always had a love hate relationship with Networking Mixers but Keith Ferrazzi's book "Never Eat Alone" made it clear to me that it wasn't the Networking experience that I hated but the lack of being honest enough to know that I just didn't want to hand my card and run. What I've learned about myself however, is that I take great pleasure in making a new connection and that a connection can not be made in 90 seconds over a brief handshake in a loud room while balancing a card holder and a glass of wine.

SwopMeet, IL Fornaio, Ed Hardy and Sexy Laundry

2008-05-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

The last Swopweet was held at the famous IL Fornaio, what a great restaurant and Sacramento Bride and Groom throws another successful mixer. The place was full with Sacramentos' best wedding vendors and I had the pleasure of making a few new friends, I've taken the liberty of listing their links below.

Angie Zimmerman of Heavenly Flowers & Events

The ladies of Luxury Linens & Charicovers

Katie Edwards of Ambience Floral Design

The fishstocking and Red pumps of Nellie were on fire that night!

Jesse of Aloha Limo

The lovely Audrey of Botanica Floral Designs

And let's not forget the smooth moves of Ryan Middleton of Blasian Photography

Lastly, I want to give a big EAST COAST SHOUT OUT! to my new friend Wendi Labban of de-fi-ni-tion, love this girl!

Music was provided by my friend David Dodson of D3 Productions

Photos of the event where taken by Anthony's Portraits

The image above was rated #1 by the members of Pictage User Group of Sacramento, I'm bringing Sexy Back with the help of Ryan and Courtney. Keep a look out for my new Youtube installment.

You Tube, WPPI

2008-05-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

I saw all but one of these guys at WPPI. I love their images, their style and I'm glad that they have taken Wedding Photography to the edge and into new heights. In the event you don't know who they are I've added links of the You Tube videos below, please take a look and tell me what you think

Michael Greeco - On You Tube

Mike Colon - On You Tube

David Jay - On You Tube

Dane Sanders - On You Tube

Yervant - On You Tube

Jerry Ghionis - On You Tube

I'm reading for the second time Keith Ferrazzi's "Never Eat Alone"
You can check him out at What is Networking

Golden Nuggets: "Success in any field, but especially in business, is about working with people." Keith Ferrazzi

Crown Royal on Ice

2008-05-25T16:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went out to celebrate my buddy's birthday. Hot wings at Hooters and Crown Royal on Ice at Zukkos', sing it Jill. Today I'm synchronizing my contacts and other data a my new Palm Centro smart phone. I wish this was an easy task, but as you all know it's going to take me a few days to get the phone dialed in. I hope you guys have a great and safe Memorial day weekend, be cool.

Who Am I

2008-05-24T12:38:00.001-07:00

I’m a New Yorker, Bold, True, Cool and Authentic.

I play in California where the sky is big and beauty is throughout

I’m Puerto Rican, a lover of Emotion, Style and Color.

I’m a Son, Father, Husband, Teacher and a Friend.

I’m a contemporary Storyteller armed with glass to balance the light.

Who am I?
My name is Carlos Rivera
A photographer and I shoot Nikon

Happy Memorial Day, to all the families that work to keep our country strong and free.

Photographed by Annette

RE Workshop in Sacramento

2008-05-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

I met RE and his lovely wife Kelly at WPPI in Vegas at a party that Becker was hosting; what a nice couple, they are so easy going. It's a amazing, within a few minutes I felt like we were life long friends and I'm happy to announce that RE will be hosting a seminar at Carmen Salazar Studio sometime in July; I'll keep you posted. On top of his photography and a great blog RE also has RE T.V. an on-line tutorial page. In the spirit of sharing and learning I thought it would be great to interview RE, here are my 13 questions.

What is your Photography Style? I feel like so many other people when saying I'm a photojournalist, so I won't. I'm a "artistic - candid - ographer". I look for art in candid moments. I tend to be sneaky about it, never letting my subject know what I'm doing. When it comes to look and feel of the edited image, I like to consider it art, and I try not to over do it. Consistency is key.

What is your Photography Style? I feel like so many other people when saying I'm a photojournalist, so I won't. I'm a artistic-candid-ographer. I look for art in candid moments. I tend to be sneaky about it, never letting my subject know what I'm doing. When it comes to look and feel of the edited image, I like to consider it art, and I try not to over do it. Consistency is key.
What makes you squeeze the shutter? The peak of emotion and action. I watch for the moment to happen instead of firing off the shutter and choosing one later.

Where do you draw your inspiration from? Very few photographers have made my list of inspiration. I can probably narrow it right down to Ben Chrisman and Dennis Reggie for Weddings. I love the long exposures of David Fokos (davidfoxos.net). Inspiration comes everyday, even if it's just looking out the car window.

Favorite time of day to shoot? 12am-11:59pm. I love doing night shots.

Destination Wedding, if you had a choice where would you go? Italy or Fiji. Just give me color, texture, and scenic views.

Do you prefer Warm or Cool images? Warm. I even warm up my black and whites a little.

Who are you at your core? Someone who just loves to give. I sometimes forget to take care of myself!

Favorite Artist? Again, David Foxos has been the most memorable for me. I listen to a lot of Medeski Martin and Wood while I edit.

If you were a top shelf bottle what would you be? IBC Root Beer. I don't drink! Although the local soda company makes a really good one too, Foxon Park. I've tried so many brands it's hard to decide! Send me Root Bear to try!

A word that best describes you? I don't know, so I took a weird online test that would tell me. It came up with "intriguing." I think I'll go with that. People always seem interested when I talk about my current and past work.

Flats, Boots, Pumps, Sneakers, Thongs or Loafers? It used to be sneakers, not I think it's my flip flops.

What would you like clients to know about you? I really don't think much of my success. Rarely do I tell anyone that I've won 4 Emmy Awards. I just enjoy what I do and hope that I can keep on doing it.

Final Words
I've always tried to have a motto to follow, but could never come up with anything. I get so involved with things that I used to make things more difficult than it really is. Now I just think, K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple, Stupid!

There is now more information about this workshop available, click here

Over Power the Sun

2008-05-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost here and you what that means, Vacation!!! However, before you decide to photograph the family in front of the worlds biggest ball of yarn here’s a photo tip. Bright mid day sunlight is the worse light for photographs. Using the sun as your main light source at this time of day can produce harsh raccoon eyes. One way to correct this problem is by using your flash as a "Fill in"and over power the sun.

Follow these steps for the perfect afternoon portrait.

Set your cameras’ “White Balance” to “Sunny”

Turn your flash on

Bring your family into the shadow, like under a tree

Have your subjects with their backs facing the sun

Get in tight to your subjects

If your flash is making the image is too bright, step back a few feet and zoom in. I hope this tip was helpful and it works great even in places where there isn’t any shade like the beach.

Sexy Sacramento PUG

2008-05-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

At our last Pictage User Group meeting we went out and shot a few models. I had the pleasure of working with models Ryan and Courtney; what a sexy couple. There is nothing better than working with a model that trust you. I'm very passionate about life, sexiness, style and light and though I might have a plan when I go out with a model sometimes the photo-shoot takes a life of its' own. For example, here we are in the street late in the evening when from the corner of my eye I see the traffic light go from red to green and I knew that I wanted to have this couple posing with the traffic light behind them while it was on green. Nothing better than sexiness getting the green light in the night. Our PUG is having a contest I will post my favorite image of this shoot after the contest; wish me luck.

Volunteering with United Way

2008-05-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Great news. I am leading my time and talent to the local Chapter of the “United Way” photographing all the great people and the projects that the United Way is involved with in the Sacramento Valley. My goal with these entries is to keep you informed and inspired by showcasing the great stories of our local community. Visit frequent and stay informed.

“Give and it shall be given to you…” Luke 6:38

Oprah, Eckhart Tolle and Steve Webb

2008-05-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

On my blog entry of 4/01/08 I had asked for a heads up on Eckhart Tolle’s book “New Earth”, it’s like Steve Webb from LifeSpring Podcast was reading my blog because not long after he discussed this on his podcast. Before I begin I want to state that I have been a fan of Oprah for many years. I’ve been intrigued by her story of climbing up the ranks to became the person who she is today. Her “Midas Touch” has also fascinated me, whatever she supports on her show is bound to make someone rich and famous. But lately it seems like Oprah is promoting a New Age way of thinking that I don’t subscribe to. In fact there has been much chatter about this matter on the internet, here's an example. A few months ago she turned me on to the "Secret" and after listening to the audio book I noticed that the "Secret" sounded a lot like the bible, but the names of "God" and "Jesus" were replaced with “The Universe”; praising the creation instead of the creator. It was at this moment that I knew that Oprah and I were at a crossroads in our belief system. I still believe that Oprah is one of the worlds’ movers and shakers and she has made a big difference to many people in many ways. With that said I have listened to Steve Webbs’ podcast for quite sometime and we don’t differ very much when it comes to faith, respect, fun and geekiness. I think that he is in-line with Gods’ message and I support his views on the subject of Oprah. I still love Oprah.

MeetUp

2008-05-09T23:05:00.000-07:00

I went to my very first MeetUp meeting on Thursday and met some cool people that I hope to know a bit better. This group seemed jazzed to go out and shoot, share and learn from each other. This MeetUp network goal is to work with models and though that is a great idea I think in order to work with a model one should first try to be a model. Not too long ago my friend Jennifer Moon and I learned how it felt to be photographed by a professional by agreeing to be each others' model subject. The lesson I learned was how hard it can be to visualize what to do when in front of the lens and how much the subject depends on direction from the photographer. We suggested to the MeetUp group that this be the first assignment and to take advantage of this shoot as a way to work with a fellow photographer, break the ice, learn, share and have fun and I'm proud to announced that they agreed. Among these individuals I would like to briefly mention:

Annette

Hassid

Mannix

And Vikki

I plan to interview and showcase their work here as we learn and build on our relationship.

Happy Birthday Sophia, Alex and Kristi

2008-05-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Today is a special day in our house hold. Today my little Princess is 3 years old. Now that she is back from her national tour we are going to celebrate with close friends and family, cake and pizza; it should be a blast. We also want to send out a shout out to our friends Alex and Kristi "HAPPY BIRTHDAY; we love you guys!!!

Photography Portraits are Time Capsules

2008-05-04T17:02:00.001-07:00

I've been looking at the meaning of photography through the eyes of a lady who's mother passed away last week. I noticed the way she carefully held the pictures of her mother in her younger years in her hands and the way she smiled when she talked about her with tears in her eyes. She showed me a portrait of her mother as a toddler, then another of this little girl, now a woman, with her own family. At that point I felt proud of being associated with the professional that photograph her mother and family. In a world where photography has been cheapened to camera phones and .13 cents Walmart prints it's wonderful to see how this daughter held these pictures close and dear to her heart.

In her own words she said:"A recent turn in my life made me realize how important photo's are when it comes to gathering memories of our loved ones. My mother just passed away, and the only thing I could think of is that I wanted to see her beautiful face again. So that lead me to "digging" out my photo albums and going through them and looking back on the fun times I've shared with my mother. I only wish I had taken much more photo's of her. Once you lose someone, there's no more memories to create so it's important to keep the ones you do have close to your heart. - Brenda"

To her these images are like a time capsule taking her back to the many times of remember when.....

Don't put it off, have a portrait taken, don't make your love one wished you had. God bless you Brenda and your family in your time of grief.

Kodak, OutKast and Technology

2008-05-01T16:10:00.000-07:00

I’ve been asked many times if I remember my first camera and in fact I remember 3 cameras that really influenced my love for photography. The Kodak Instamatic X-15 was the first camera that I ever played with. The 126 film came in a cartridge the size of cigarette box and don’t forget the flash blubs. They would easily blind or burn you if your weren’t careful. Then it was the Kodak 110, this was a slim camera that allow you to stash it in your purse or pocket and then the Polaroid. Like many of us I took many pictures around the holidays with this camera it’s a shame that Kodak decided to stop making this film. In fact they said that as soon as it had enough instant film manufactured to last it through 2009, it would stop making it; for more read here. Three plants that make large-format instant film will close by the end of the quarter, and two that make consumer film packets will be shut by the end of the year. These were fun cameras and easy to use. It’s too bad that this is happening but the fact is that this is the way of technology. So be prepared to explain to your kids what “Outkast” means when he says
“Shake it like a Polaroid Picture”.

For more on this discussion please visit:
Mark O'Brien "Random Camera Blog"

Mother's Day, Self Portrait and William's Tell Mom

2008-04-29T14:40:00.001-07:00

Mother’s day is almost here. This is the day that statistically Men run around looking for the perfect gift for Mom. As a Son I think of candy and flowers as a Photographer I think of creating a family portrait, but this time with a twist. Instead of running over to Sears or Macy's for your gift, how about if you take one of those images of yourself when you were a beautiful and adorable little person and blow it up as a gift for Mom; wasn't I the most cutest baby ever! I bet she will tear up as soon as she sees it and I bet this will lead into the story of the day she took you out for this picture and to many other stories as well. You will be a hit and Mom will feel special because of the amount of thought you put into her gift, trust me I won't tell her that it was my idea.

Happy Mother's Day Mom,
I love you!!!

SWOPMEETS Ask Members of AFWPI & NACE

2008-04-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

"What’s in your Wallet?"

How much is it costing you to network with other professionals?
Here are the five groups in Sacramento that have regular mixers (in alphabetical order).

Afwpi (Association for Wedding Professionals International)

Annual membership dues – between $240.00 and $340.00

Monthly mixers - $15 for members, $40-$45 for non-members

Beverages may be an additional cost

May be asked to purchase raffle tickets

NACE (National Association of Catering Executives)

Annual membership dues - $345.00

Monthly mixers (dinner included) - $40 for members - $65 non-members

Beverages may be an additional cost

May be asked to purchase raffle tickets

Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau

Annual membership dues - $450.00

Monthly mixers – free with membership

Beverages may be an additional cosT

Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce

Annual membership dues - $363.00

Monthly mixers – free with membership

Beverages may be an additional cost

SWOP MEETS (Sacramento Wedding and Other Professionals)

No annual membership dues

Bi-Monthly mixers - $15 with RSVP

No additional charge for beverages

No raffle ticket sales

It's all about quality and not Parachute Jumping baby!!!

Bruce Hudson "Reality Check Tour"

2008-04-26T23:25:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to sit in and listen to Bruce Hudson at his "Reality Check Tour" and his topic was about the four pillars for studio success, Marketing, Sales, Image Creation and Studio Management. I recommend all photographers to invest time and listen that what he has to say. Here is a link to an article about Bruce in RangerFinder Magazine.

Free Weddding Give Away Contest

2008-04-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

God has blessed me recently and now I want to be a blessing to someone else. I want to give my services away as a wedding gift to a lucky couple and what better way to do it, than with a contest. If you are getting married anywhere between September 2008 and December 2008 and you haven’t contracted a photographer, give this try, you might wins.

Follow this link for playing rules and instructions.

Human FootPrint and Love Revolution

2008-04-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

Have you seen National Geographic “The Human FootPrint?” Wow, it made me think how much waste we as Americans create in the name of confront. The aim of this show is to show us how many resources it takes to get an Amercian through 77 years of his life. I felt bad and helpless while watching this program because as an American the only way I know how to live is the American way, when my cell phone contact expires I buy a new phone, my shoes are a bit worn I buy new shoes, if my shirt is faded; well you get the picture. The producers of this program decided to show what a pile of diapers of a 2 year old would look like and what it would take to manufactor these diapers that would out live the children; in fact they said that we don't really know how long it wuld take plastic to break down! Check this out if you can.

Have you ever felt charged after hearing someone speak, maybe after reading an article or a book, or maybe hearing a the lyrics of a song? It happens to me all the time and because of that I have decided that I was going to add small quotes to my blog entrys of words that inspire me and I hope they inspire you.

Todays quote comes from Lenny Kravitz, Love Revolution

“You were designed, To use your mind, To move what you can’t see, So don’t be blind”

Can you Digg it?

Jay Z, Beyonce' and a AFWPI Member

2008-04-10T22:35:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your passionate comments on my previous entry. The focus for the last entry was to start a dialog on a issue that is plaguing the wedding community. A reader wrote in and said..."We are also apart of the same organizations (AFWPI, WPPI, PPA, SWOPmeets). I was very interested in your blog that was a response to a new photographer. We are looking into advertising with Sacramento Bride and Groom. We have looked into a few other publications as well. Your blog made me aware of some issues I would have never known about. Thank you for being honest and informing those who are not involved... I saw your add in Sacramento Bride and Groom. Do you mind if I ask how that is going for you?"...

Thank you for reaching out to me and for your kind words. The object behind my last blog entry was to warn all of my peers of the things that can happen to us as Wedding Professionals if we are not careful. In these times of economic instability we must be diligent and careful with whom we decide to invest our money. I agree, there are many institutions battling for our money; in fact my inbox is crowded daily with e-mails from advertisers trying to sell me ad space. You asked how things were going related to my ad in Sacramento Bride in Groom. I’ll begin with stating that I strongly believe that there are two sides to advertising. Yes, my magazine ad is geared towards getting the attention of future clientele, after all it is my clients that allow me to do what I love; however there is another side to advertising that I believe is overlooked. Look around, I know you would agree with me that there are many wedding vendors; some would dare to say that there are too many vendors. If fact I finally met a photographer whose name I’ve seen around town and when I told him that I too was a photographer his response was “Yup they’re a dime a dozen now”. Early on I decided that I was going to use my advertising resources as a way to reach out not only to Brides and Grooms but also to my local wedding vendor community. For me my full page is ad is an extended handshake to all respected wedding professionals that have paved the road me in my community. I know that there are many other good magazines in the valley that will do but for me, Sacramento Bride and Groom works well and there service is great. Is my phone ringing off the hook; nope but ask around inside and outside of the wedding community and I bet it’s the same everywhere you look. About the pug meetings, yup they are great and the group is fantastic, please join us.

Lastly Joe, did you know that the lovely Beyonce´ and Jay Z got married! Check out Frank Micelotta

Member of AFWPI, PPA, WPPI and SOHK

2008-04-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

On my last post someone commented, "Carlos I'm a big fan of your work, your images are always full of fun and emotion. You have inspired me to follow my dreams. I would like to ask you what, associations do you belong to, and what do you think of advertising? Thank you much".

First, let me start by thanking you for your kinds words. I wish you would of left me a way to contact you. To answer your question, I’m a member of AFWPI, PPA, WPPI and SOHK, (School of Hard Knocks). I don’t advertise in many magazines but, if your in the Sacramento Area I recommend, Sacramento Bride and Groom Magazine, this publication is well laid out and the team behind it is of the highest caliber. From Marlene, my area rep, to the owners Marcia and Gary and everyone in between; and they even run SWOPmeets, its’ high class all around. I’ve been approached by many wedding publications but, if I were to leave you with a word of advice, it would be to be careful with whom you invest your advertising dollars.

I have a friend that is currently having issues with a magazine. He said “The magazine has not been published when promised, the one and only proof of my ad was in the wrong font, and color and then there is the lack of communication on the status of the magazine delay, that is truly unacceptable. When I approached the organization with this, their response was " …our printer told us the graphic design was included in the cost estimate, it was not. We spent two weeks trying to find another printer that would offer a better price. We couldn't find one, so we went back to the original, even though it meant that we would lose money on this project. Then, we found out that we would still have to design the layout, that delayed us tremendously laying out a magazine takes about 80-100 hours. I did that in between working on all the other projects we had going on, the Christmas Party, the Recognition Dinner, and our Bridal Show. That delayed us another 2 weeks. The first proof I got back was a couple of weeks later, and they were a mess. It took me another week to make corrections, and dig up photos that we could use. As it turns out, that wasn't the end of it. Bottom line is, we aren't publishers. I don't know what else to tell you...

I love the final line, you know your in trouble when you hear, “I don’t know what else to tell you”. The real bottom line is, you get what you paid for. You would have better fun using the money, to fill up your gas tank.

"Take the Red Pill you stay in Wonderland
and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes."

Act 1 Act 2 Act 3 Act 4 Act 5

Pugs and New Earth

2008-04-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

Wow I had such a great time last night at our monthly Pictage User Group. It was held at Carmen’s studio, which is under construction and planned to open on April 12th; I’ll keep you posted. We hung out and played with off camera flash and I was finally able to play with my new pocket wizards instead of Nikon’s infrared system; I love them. Afterwards we had cake in Sharon's honor and I met and mingled with some new friends, they are Antoinette Smith, Mark Dong, and Ruben Gonzalez. Have you read Eckhart Tolle book "New Earth"? I've heard many people reference this book and I seen it in all the shelves, another best seller graced by the touch of Oprah. If you read it give me the load down.

Happy April Fools Day!!!

WPPI - Recouping from Vegas

2008-03-27T23:19:00.000-07:00

After a small hiatus I'm back to tell my story, I'm sorry to all my friends that read my blog at a regular bases. My first time in Vegas was cool and WPPI was a blast! I crashed the room of my friend Jeremy from Sharp Photography, shared a heart to heart moment with my new friend Carol Niles, danced with Kim and McKenzie and chilled out with my buddy Carmen at Beckers' suite at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Their I hung out with Dane Sanders, Mike Colon, RE and his lovely with wife Kim. RE made a video called Vegas Day 2 & 3 video take a look and see if you can spot me! I also hung out with my Cuban friend, Dennis, we were so hot that a girl hair caught fire at the bar; I burned my hand slapping the fire down! There was so much to see, to hear and learn at WPPI. My favorites presenters were Yervant Zanazanian and Jerry Ghionis, Shelton was right about these guys, they really changed the way I look at my subjects. Their presentation and lecture was so inspirational that I couldn't wait to come home and get to my camera. Congratulations Rose, she is leaving California and getting married!

Al and Linda Gunby - Trinity Lutheran Church

2008-03-14T01:15:00.000-07:00

The wedding ceremony was conducted in front of a stain glass window depicting St. Peter and St. Paul by the niece of the Bride. The Bride and Groom sat in opposite sides I was very touched by the way they watched one another. Want to read more?

Blue Angels Air Show

2008-03-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

The beautiful jets of the Blue Angels are flying over me as they get ready for their air show this weekend, these planes remind me of the G-Force cartoon that I loved as a kid. Wow, 2 years ago I climbed on my roof and took pictures of the planes as they went through their maneuvers and right over my house. I have no doubt that the Blue Angels are a team this will always be but I had no idea that I would still be writing a blog! This year I plan to take more pictures and maybe even a video, I'll keep you posted. If not able to see them in Sacramento this year here is a list of their 2008 schedule.

Hey have you voted for me yet?

Happy Birthday

2008-03-07T10:06:00.001-08:00

Today is my lovely brides birthday, yup she is a Pisces born the year of the dog! I found this website that gives the characteristics of a person born on the year of the dog. It says that a person born on this year is:

Responsible

Compassionate

Reliable

Honest

Pessimistic

Anxious

Overwhelming

Nosy

But it really doesn't make a difference to me if she is nosy, she is still my love.

Happy Birthday.

Carlos Rivera Photography En Español

2008-03-06T12:45:00.001-08:00

I grew up in a neighborhood where English wasn't the only language, in fact I learned three languages at a very early stage in my life. My conversations with my mom were always in Spanish, I spoke to my friends in English and my mom and teachers had their conversation in SpanEnglish. Funny that even though my mom didn't understand English very well, she understood enough to come home from parent teacher night and kick my butt! Anyway respecting my roots I decided to translate my webpage to Spanish for all those who feel most comfortable speaking their native tongue. Llámeme para hablar sobre su boda. Sauve bro y cojelo con take it easy.

KCRA Sacramento A-List

2008-03-05T21:36:00.001-08:00

Click here to vote

I don't usually do this but a good friend once told me "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" and I thought, what a beauty day for a squeak :) As you know I'm a photographer and once again KCRA is having their A-List contest. I think it's a honor to be on the same page with the best photographers of Sacramento. I would like to impose on you look at my images and vote for me this year and please feel free to pass this along. Thank you for taking time away from your busy day to read my e-mail.

Click here to vote

Lufthansa Flight Escapes Crash

2008-03-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

Last night my wife and I were watching a documentary on Delta airlines flight 191 the crashed in DFW and chill ran up my spine as I watched the video of the Lufthansa flight as the crew of the Airbus A320 corrected the plane as it approached the runway. God bless the crew, the passengers and their families, by the grace of God you have more time to live life and make your mark.

Happy Birthday Laura

La Shooting, Bush and Britney

2008-02-28T14:42:00.000-08:00

It's so easy to get depressed by watching tv. The president says that we are not heading towards a recession, some dumb ass in LA goes on a shooting spree and shoots a bunch of innocent people as they wait for the bus and Britney Spears may have been drugged. Man all that was in five minutes of the morning news, I felt like making a dive towards the bar!!!. Nothing like a little Bigelow Tea with my camera to soothe me. Hey have you checked out my 365 project!!!!

Senior Portraits

2008-02-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

Seniors portraits are great to shoot and I love shooting them at sundown, the colors are so warm and the subject always looks great. Currently the best time to do a shoot is about 5:30pm, as we get closer to spring that will change of course. I took these young guys out and we headed over to the school yard and had a blast doing this shoot.

Nick Jr, Oswald, Squiggy and Hooters

2008-02-26T13:56:00.000-08:00

My buddies took my out a few days ago and the funniest conservation took place at Hooters. We began talking about a show that is on Nick Jr. called "Oswald". Our core discussion was around the voices of the show; guys this is what I found out. David Lander played Squiggy on the sitcom Laverne and Shirley. On Oswald, he is the voice of the penguin who is Oswald's best friend. Laraine Newman was one of the original cast members on Saturday Night Live. As Madame Butterfly on Oswald, she runs the Big Diner and cares for her daughter, Catrina Caterpillar.

The Tony Orlando known for the classic "Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Ole Oak Tree" is the voice of Sammy the Starfish. Mac Davis had a #1 hit with "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me" you have to watch this clip, it brings me back. Mac plays Bingo Bunny. Hooters , who knew, a great big for friends and the family.

St. John Vianney Drive Through

2008-02-24T15:14:00.000-08:00

We got married in 2004 at St. John Vianney. The church was established in Rancho Cordova in 1958 and it seems like the last time it was renovated was in the late 70's. I remember the first time I walked through the sanctuary church doors. The floor had a dark green rug, no doubt a donation gone bad, accompanied by a dank stale smell, but it had sky lights; great natural lighting for any photographer. However no matter how stale it's still a place of worship, that's why I was surprised when I heard that Harold Zequeda drove his Ford Windstar through the front doors of the church. No one was hurt and the man was arrested. Why did he do it, don't know. In fact it would be a safe bet to say that he might have been angry with God. The bible doesn't say that we can't be angry just that we not sin in the process. I know that driving your truck through a church will not send anyone to hell, I do think that there is a better way of dealing with these issues. One way of dealing is to sit down and dig deep. We all go through our moments of crisis, so if you feel like a drive through make sure you go to a place where you can pick a up a burger and fries and if your angry with God, talk to him, he'll listen.

Shaper Image is Cash Strapped

2008-02-21T12:43:00.000-08:00

Certainly this is a sign of the times. CNN reports that Sharper Image has filed for Chapter 11. It's reported that the company is 199 million dollars in debt, makes my debt look like pocket change. However the real question is what are we to do when the fed claims that we are not in a recession? Foreclosures are at a all time high, ABC News reports that car repos are predicted to go as high as 1.6 million this year and Reuters reports that 17,000 jobs were lost last month alone! I think it's time to get on our knees, we are heading for a economic quake but we are not all suffering, Yacht sales are up! Lastly if you have a tooth ache see a doctor, Jeanine Pirro must be strapped for cash, yuck! Honey I guess we need to go out this weekend to redeem the gift card.

Lunar Eclipse in Sacramento

2008-02-20T19:48:00.000-08:00

We were returning home tonight, about 6:30PT, when we noticed that the bottom left corner of the moon was getting darker by the shadow of the earth. The radio reporter said that the next Lunar Eclipse is going to take place in 2010. I rushed into the house and grabbed my camera and my tripod and ran to the backyard, the Sacramento sky was picture perfect. The moon didn't go black because indirect sunlight still reaches it after passing through the Earth's atmosphere. Since the atmosphere filters out blue light, the indirect light that reaches the moon transforms it into a reddish or orange tinge, depending on how much dust and cloud cover are in the atmosphere at the time. My equipment, Nikon D80, Nikkor f4.0 70-300 zoom lens and my camera settings were f8/30 secs at 100 at 800 ISO.

Let's Go On A FeedBlitz Together

2008-02-20T00:39:00.000-08:00

I hope you guys are doing great and all is fantastic for you so far this year. Many of my friends have told me about FeedBlitz and I think I should get on the band wagon. This tool promises to make my readers happier by sending them an e-mail of my latest blog entry. I've subscribe to a few of my friends blogs this way and I love that I can read it as I filter my e-mail. So please add your e-mail so you can start receiving updates when they become available and I want you to understand that I promise not to hand over your e-mail address to anyone. Lastly, I have reached my first seven days of my 365 project, please take a look and let me know what you think.

Focused Like It's Beijing 2008

2008-02-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

Photographers have to stay motivated while continually understanding how to use the light to present their subjects in a flattering fashion. To do this some of us give ourselves assignments and on my birthday I decided to give myself such a task. The project is to shoot one photo a day for an entire year, from birthday to birthday. I aim to look at the subject from every angle, study the light and get the image right out of the camera. I know that this will not always be possible but I hope to shoot all these images with my Sigma 20mm 1.8 lens; I love this lens. I've done this in the past and it takes dedication to make it through the year. I believe that if I stay focused like an Olympic Sharp Shooter at the Beijing 2008 games from this project my photography style will emerge. To see the images click on the Flickr badge below.

Wedding Photography for the budget conscious

Carlos Valentino | Northern California Wedding Photographer

Texas thank you for your Bush, Obama and Oprah

Something New

Camaro 1968

Bridal Show Set Up

Bridal Showcase at Cal Expo

Dane VS. Bambi in "The Longest Day"

Pugs on the Couch

It's Time for 2009!

Sac Bride Winter 2009

Winter Weather Advisory

Crumbler - in Brooklyn?

Yes Virginia - My Christmas Card to You

Serena Williams in Brooklyn

Apple for Christmas

It's Your Day

Pondering My Multiple Personalities

TLC Catering and City Street Gallery

Happy Thanksgiving 2008

Sacramento Wedding Network Seminar

Event Coordinator with Style

Bridal Shoot It Ain't Sex

Flash Light

Obama Wins and I'm Angry

InDesign at the Pug

Citizen Cope Bullet and a Target

Me in a Wedding Dress

Obama or McCain

Julissa Ortiz, My Dreams Realized

Preparing for a Good Day

Jennifer Moon and Second Saturday

Stepping Back a Notch

Sacramento High 20th Reunion

Bridal Gowns

Monica Lynn Events and Roy Guira

Half Moon Bay, Le Rivage and Clean Up

Majestic Whisper

Michael and Anna Costa Coming to Sacramento

Swopmeet - La Provence Restaurant & Terrace

Negative Space Studio - Sacramento Party

Wardrobe Change

Mood Crash

Mike and Isabel Photos at the Capitol

Wedding on the West Steps.

Paris Hilton and Me on iTunes.

Artist Beware of FaceBook

Is Google Cuil

Randy Pausch Update

My Love, Complete.

Adios Niko

Sterling Hotel, Stamp Your Feet

SWOPMEET at CHOPS

California Fires

Definition Beauty

Sign Up!

California Hands Free Law

Flowers by the Budhha

Randy Pausch Last Lecture - Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Sacramento Bride Summer / Fall 2008

Wake Boarding while Sleep Deprived

Fathers Heart

An Apple On Your Wedding Day

Work Flow Workshop at Negative Space

Networking 101 with Keith Ferrazzi

SwopMeet, IL Fornaio, Ed Hardy and Sexy Laundry

You Tube, WPPI

Crown Royal on Ice

Who Am I

Who am I?My name is Carlos RiveraA photographer and I shoot Nikon

Happy Memorial Day, to all the families that work to keep our country strong and free.

RE Workshop in Sacramento

Over Power the Sun

Sexy Sacramento PUG

Volunteering with United Way

Oprah, Eckhart Tolle and Steve Webb

MeetUp

Happy Birthday Sophia, Alex and Kristi

Photography Portraits are Time Capsules

Kodak, OutKast and Technology

Who am I?
My name is Carlos Rivera
A photographer and I shoot Nikon

Happy Mother's Day Mom,
I love you!!!