Father’s Day in Harlem

Posted on July 1, 2009

In my travels, one of the things I’ve always done is tell people that I’m from Harlem. I do this for no reason other than to show the pride I have for the place where I grew up. Another thing I’m proud of is the fact that I have a very close-knit group of childhood friends who are still my friends to this day. We grew up in a place called Schomburg Plaza, which is located at the northeast corner of Central Park on 110th Street and Fifth Avenue.

Schomburg Plaza

Since 1995, this group has gotten together on Father’s Day for a cookout in Morningside Park in West Harlem. We do this not only to reminisce about the “good old days”, but to celebrate our transition from childhood to fatherhood. Many of the fathers bring their kids and make them listen to us tell stories about how great we were and how tough life was back in the day. You know how the saying goes: “The older you get, the better you used to be.” This definitely describes us and it applies to just about everything we talk about, especially sports.

This year, one of our founding members, Melvin Smith, was honored with a proclamation from the New York State Senate. The proclamation was hand delivered by New York State Senator Bill Perkins, who also happens to be from Schomburg Plaza. In fact, his political career began there as a District Leader in Harlem, representing the neighborhood he lived in…..something he still does today.

Senator Bill Perkins

Hamtak Family Portraits

Posted on June 28, 2009

Last weekend I hooked up with the Hamtak family for a portrait session. They were a fun group and very easy to work with. I had a ball and really enjoyed the time I got to spend with them. Rainy weather forced us indoors, but we were able to squeeze in a few individual portraits outside. Here is a composite featuring some of the images from that session.

Kings Point 2009 Change of Command

Posted on June 25, 2009

The rain held up just enough to allow the Kings Point Class of 2009 Midshipmen Officers to turn leadership of the Regiment over to the Class of 2010. The ceremony took place in the Oval outside of Wiley Hall. The gloomy overhead sky and impending rain did nothing to contain the enthusiasm of the Regiment or that of the onlookers to this traditional rite of passage. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Class of 2009 made their customary dash to the outdoor swimming pool, where they dove in and splashed around in celebration.

You can view and order images from this set by clicking the Kings Point Photos.com link at the top of this page.

Kings Point 2009 Graduation Cruise

Posted on June 23, 2009

This past Friday, we had the opportunity to shoot the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Class of 2009 Graduation Cruise in NYC. Although we’ve had a ton of rain dumped on us lately, Mother Nature was nice enough to take a break and give us some really nice weather for our evening on the water.

The USMMA is located in Kings Point, New York and is a maritime college, so it only makes sense that the graduating class would take one last cruise together before heading off into the real world.

The cruise was held aboard the Cornucopia Majesty, which happens to be the largest capacity yacht on the East Coast. She departed from Chelsea Piers in Manhattan at 7pm, just in time for us to catch a beautiful sunset. The New York City skyline made a great backdrop to a wonderful evening. The water was calm, the ship was steady, the people were festive, and the dance floor was rocking! These Kings Pointers really know how to throw a party!

You can view and order photos from this set of 500+ photos by clicking the Kings Point Photos.com link at the top of this page.

And no party would be complete without my trusty (and equally beautiful) assistant.

1 Happy Dog, 3 Spoiled Cats

Posted on June 15, 2009

We love our pets and they love us back……except for Hunter (the light colored fella). He’s a stuck up Birman cat that doesn’t seem to like anybody. The black tabby (”Halle Berry”) is my baby. She loves me because I’m the one who feeds her. Same goes for Timbo (the “Morris” look-a-like), he also uses me for my feeding skills. He’s the vocal one and has no trouble letting you know when he’s hungry. All of the cats are spoiled rotten.

Grant, our Chocolate Lab, is a really good guy and is the happiest dog on the planet. He gets along with the cats and they all get along with him……except Hunter of course. But that’s just Hunter being his usual crabby self…

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