redleather studios

Sick for the Big Sun

2011-10-12T20:00:00.000-04:00

True... and everlasting, that's what you want
True...
True... and everlasting, that's what you want
Better than looks
Better than looks
Better than looks
Better than looks
We're sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick
We're sick for the big sun

Cool... an everlasting, that's what you want
Cool, cool... and everlasting that's what you want
Better than looks
Better than looks
Better than looks
Better than looks
We're sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick
We're sick for the big sun

We're sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick
We're sick for the big sun…

Portraits in the Desert

2011-10-08T13:00:00.000-04:00

Black Rock City, Nevada

With a Little Help from my Friends

2011-06-02T19:30:00.000-04:00

A Home at the End of the World

2011-05-31T20:01:00.000-04:00

19°55′8.88″S 43°56′19.2″W
Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil

Tea for the Tillerman

2011-05-30T12:58:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the photos from my last trip to Brazil. Great weather, family and friends and lots for food and drinks! This date we were celebrating my father’s 55th birthday.

Bring tea for the Tillerman
Steak for the sun
Wine for the women who made the rain come
Seagulls sing your hearts away
'Cause while the sinners sin, the children play
Oh Lord how they play and play
For that happy day, for that happy day

Tropicalia Hotness, I

2011-03-16T19:30:00.000-04:00

Here are some of photos taken this winter season, this sizzling Brazilian model and friend, Fernanda Barbosa. We shot in the coldest backwoods of Westport, Connecticut: brutal weather, near 25F, but she is a super trooper and delivered this great work! Great model and fun to work with, can’t wait to shoot her again this summer time.

As usual, click on photos for biggies!

WDYDWYD?

2010-10-18T22:00:00.000-04:00

Why do you do what you do?

I was able to participate in this beautiful art project created by Tony Deifell. It goes beyond photography and visual arts; it challenges people to really put in words what they believe is their drive in life. How deep it goes depends on the person: some people keep at the surface level and others really get into it. Very beautiful and real project. Thanks again Tony for materializing the concept and making it happen. Also, thanks for actually letting other artists collaborate on it.

For more info, please visit the official website: http://www.wdydwyd.com/

At the same time I would like to invite anyone interested in participating on the project to contact me. Just think about it, why do you do what you do? Simply combine those thoughts into words and we are ready for it!

Miss Brasil USA 2010 Edicao Connecticut

2010-10-13T20:00:00.000-04:00

Candidata: Isabella Demedeiros
Idade: 17
Origem: Minas Gerais

Candidata: Beatriz Berthi
Idade: 16
Origem: Mirassol D'Oeste / Mato Grosso

Candidata: Carol Bastos
Idade: 14
Origem: Recife / Pernambuco

Candidata: Bruna Guimaraes
Idade: 23
Origem: Governador Valadares / Minas Gerais

Candidata: Eliane Carneiro
Idade:23
Origem: Central de Minas / Minas Gerais

Candidata: Bethania Tavares
Idade: 22
Origem: Minas Gerais

Candidata: Carolina Delfino
Idade: 16
Origem: Ipatinga / Minas Gerais

Candidata: Rose da Silva
Idade: 26
Origem: Tiros / Minas Gerais

Candidata: Millena Oliveira
Idade: 15
Origem: Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo

Candidata: Ana Paula Medeiros
Idade: 17
Origem: Ceara

Candidata: Stephanie Lima
Idade: 18
Origem: Ipatinga, Minas Gerais

Candidata: Laura Fleury
Idade: 20
Origem: Goiania / Goias

Candidata: Lisa Juny
Idade: 19
Origem: Goiania / Goias

Candidata: Iris Cristina
Idade: 18
Origem: Minas Gerais

Candidata: Edna Alves
Idade: 19
Origem: Galileia / Minas Gerais

Yellow Bike Town

2010-10-11T23:20:00.000-04:00

Black Rock City, Nevada Population: 51,515

Alice in Wonderland

2010-08-20T20:00:00.000-04:00

As I was working on the pictures of this young pretty lady, Paola Viana, I realized the resemblance with the character Alice, from Wonderland. After few minutes fooling around in photoshop, we have the results below. As usual, click on it for biggies!

And coming back to reality, here we have the results of this evening session with this young model. She is incredibly comfortable around the camera and very spontaneous. It is always a pleasure working with kids, but this day was even easier, as she naturally helped me compose some shots!

Enemy Shots: StudioWN

2010-08-05T19:30:00.000-04:00

[Well, definitely poor wording choice from my side, but let's keep it this way, as I usually make fun of my video friends for their media choice ]

Here are some (extremely) overly due photos of a great videographer located in Brazil, Walmir Neto. He is part of this new digital-savvy generation, which makes us mortals look so, well, analog!

These photos were taken in Brazil back in May for his website, which is about to be launched anytime soon: www.walmirneto.com

And some special thanks for the best model in the planet, Natalia Borges, for the help in making the shooting so easy and more interesting!

Big Apple

2010-08-04T12:00:00.002-04:00

MANHATTAN

The big apple. The city. The photos above were taken this spring, while walking from Times Square to Grand Central Terminal.

BROOKLYN

Unknown place. Mysterious village. Secret society. Brooklyn, the underrated. Not so popular with tourists or even NY visitors, but it is okay. That is exactly what makes Brooklyn, well, Brooklyn.

Stuck in reverse

2010-07-23T16:20:00.000-04:00

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I

Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I

Fix You, by Coldplay

Underneath it all you’re NAKED

2010-06-26T18:58:00.001-04:00

The Sidewalk Catwalk Exhibit’ in NYC features mannequins in designs made completely of New York City local fabric on display along Broadway Ave. Well worth the nice walk along Broadway!

It is all done for moments like this…

2010-06-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

What’s the thing about photography that moves this species so-called photographers? Some do it for the beauty of the art, others for the challenge, many for the fame and allegedly kewl lifestyle, with a few insane mortals actually doing it for money. I know when it started for me, though I don’t actually recall what I was feeling: I used to admire my father shooting pictures with his old classic manual Pentax camera… and even at the age of 15 I knew his photos were very appealing to me. The essence of it was very appealing. The beauty of the science was intriguing for a yet-to-be engineer like myself.

From what I recall, my father’s photography hobby was never taken too seriously for reasons beyond my understanding: it peaked at some point when he was often traveling to Italy and it dried somehow after a period of time. I was too young to understand what went on, and honestly it does not matter at this time: the dent was already made; the seed was already planted; it’d be only a matter of time for me.

The reasons may have evolved, changed and transformed after 15 years, but as I get older and I am aware of the constant changes around my world, I’ve found yet another reason to love this crazy thing called photography: it is the ability to re-live moments that were special to me, the ability to have the time-machine to take me anywhere I want in the timeline of my own life.

Today I am very proud to take this time-machine and rush it back 17 years, when my very first model was born. Today this machine takes me to very special moments with my little sister that i love very much and unfortunately have spent very many years apart from. Today this machine makes me smile and cry at the same time. It is the power of photography.

January 2001, Bahia, Brasil

May 2006, Brasil

January 2002, ES, Brasil

June 2001, MG, Brasil

January 2002, ES, Brasil

January 2003, Bahia, Brasil

May 2010, Belo Horizonte, Brasil

Natalia, today I look at you pictures, and I am very proud to have you as my secretary-model-manager-art director-and-most-important-FRIEND. Happy happy birthday, from your crazy brother that loves you!

Goodbye Stranger!

2010-06-15T11:27:00.000-04:00

“Goodbye strange it's been nice
Hope you find your paradise
Tried to see your point of view
Hope your dreams will all come true”

The photos below were taken during my short visit to Rio de Janeiro, when I was roaming around taking pictures and suddenly I notice this classic white VW Beetle park near the bay and two guys started setting up some musical instruments. It was a perfect combination, with the city of Rio de Janeiro as the background. And the music was so good that I actually felt compelled to video these guys, playing a very popular song in Brazil.

Here we have the Rabeca (left) and an acoustic guitar.

The infamous White VW Beetle, or popularly known as “BiBi”

Close view of the Rabeca

Here are pictures of Renato Boia de Oliveira, playing the Rabeca, with friend Marcos Chaparol, playing the guitar.

And here we have the small clip, giving a taste of the Rabeca! (Song: Asa Branca, by Luiz Gonzaga)

First Stop: Rio de Janeiro

2010-06-15T11:02:00.000-04:00

No clocks, no emails, no meetings, no deadlines: I am on the road to find out and ahead of me I see new places, new faces, new experiences. The starting point of my journey is the City of Rio de Janeiro / Niteroi.

Pictures taken at a beach in Niteroi

City of Rio de Janeiro, as seen across the bay, from Niteroi .

Rio-Niteroi Bridge, as seen from the UFF Campus

Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum (MAC), design by Oscar Niemeyer

Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro

“Is It Cause I is a Catholic!?”

2010-05-26T16:41:00.002-04:00

Derry, Ireland – Sunday Bloody Sunday

Garota De Ipanema

2010-05-20T01:09:00.000-04:00

Olha que coisa mais linda
Mais cheia de graça
É ela menina
Que vem e que passa
Num doce balanço, a caminho do mar

Happy Mother’s Day, Elenea!

2010-05-10T13:27:00.001-04:00

Here are some pictures of the latest (or soon to be the latest) mom on the block: Elenea Davenport.

Mi sei mancato molto!

2010-05-09T20:04:00.000-04:00

Vieni con me!

2010-05-05T17:59:00.000-04:00

Here is another piece of the springtime shooting at Capriccio Cafe few weeks ago. A totally different style, also created on the spot (this one I named “Cartoonish” preset).

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

2010-04-29T18:50:00.000-04:00

This is the partial results for the shooting last Saturday, at Capriccio in Stamford. The original plan was to shoot three models - Katrina, Jessica & Gislaine. I also had confirmed for shooting a make-up artist and some extra hands to help with the lighting. Unfortunately, due to bad weather, I had to improvise: Katrina was available, so Saturday we did the shooting.

I came up with the style below right after the shooting, with few tweaks in Lightroom. Nothing fancy, actually pretty simple, but effective: I wanted a 1950s look to it, and the style suits me. I saved it as “Godfather” preset.

World at large

2010-04-29T10:30:00.000-04:00

Ice-age heat wave, can't complain.
If the world's at large, why should I remain?
Walked away to another plan.
Gonna find another place, maybe one I can stand.

Soon to come…

2010-04-28T17:41:00.002-04:00

… springtime, flowers, Vespas, models… My next project is to create a classic movie scene right here in Stamford. This will be fun…
These are my location test shots, showing my background:

Pictures of You

2010-04-21T20:30:00.001-04:00

The famous creative process!
For those curious about the digital photography steps, I present below my routine when attempting to create a certain style to my photos.
The photos below were taken few weekends ago, it was a short session with my sister’s friend Elenea.
Well, let me first start saying that pregnancy shots are not my specialty, if I could even say I have one. My approach to these photos was very similar to what I would normally do in a portrait shooting. Right? Wrong? Who knows, what really counts is the client’s feelings about the shots.
So back to the topic, the creative process, shall we?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
The original photo is below. The first impression after looking at the photo below, is that some post-editing had been done to it. Yes and no. White-balance adjustment, saturation and tonal curve were the only tweaks applied. Also, it is important to clarify the use of (1) Vivitar 285 with a CTO gel, hence the warm (READ: orange) temp in the picture.

I actually liked the result, with minimum post editing, but I felt there was space for something more “shocking”, more RedLeather!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
After checking the color results comes, naturally, the black & white conversions! For B&W i have two options: some presets in Lightroom or manually converting it. In the picture below, I manually did the conversion, mostly because of the sky: i wanted to recover all the sky, so i set the recovery to 100 and adjusted the rest of the exposure to my likings.

I think the B&W conversion turned out pretty well, with high contrast and good sky details. I'll definitely have to provide a few B&W,s but the pursuit for the right color continues….
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Below is a preset I have in LR. IT doesn't hurt to try it, it just wastes HDD space and bandwidth.

Not the look I wanted… at least not for a pregnancy shot.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Here comes another preset, the famous “Sin City”. This preset actually I do use often, even if just as a start point to my own tweaking.

I kinda like the dress and background colors, but not the skin colors. I should’ve tried adding some vignette, but I decided to start on a new alternative.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Here is my latest alternative. Funny how I wanted something “shocking” and at the end, I considering something very “normal”. Nothing wrong with that, actually nothing yet is defined. This adjustment was basically done manually, with the major difference being some Photoshop Blue-Filter application. Actually, this photo was edited in Photoshop instead of Lightroom.

I really like it, not so warm as the original, with better skin colors and nice levels.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Same as before, but with some vignettes added to it.

Currently my preferred alternative. I don’t think yet I am done with it, but if at the end I decide for a more “natural” look, it will be something very similar to this.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Here are the small versions side-by-side for better comparison:

Help!

2010-04-18T13:41:00.000-04:00

“Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round.
Help me, get my feet back on the ground,
Won't you please, please help me”

Evolution, Part 3

2010-04-17T11:03:00.000-04:00

Adjective: Individual

1. Being or characteristic of a single thing or person
2. Separate and distinct from others of the same kind
3. Characteristic of or meant for a single person or thing
4. Concerning one person exclusively
5. Burner

God Save the FlashHolders!

2010-04-12T23:28:00.002-04:00

My sister-assistant-director and most important, flash holder executive! These were shot during Elenea’s pregnancy shots, this past Sunday at Seaside Park. Amanda was doing a great job “executing” the flash holder task, and the sky light was so nice, I had to snap a couple of shots of her as well! Elenea’s pictures baking in the oven, and will follow soon!

Evolution, Part 2

2010-04-06T22:44:00.005-04:00

Noun: Art
1. The products of human creativity; works of art collectively
2. The creation of beautiful or significant things
3. The superior ability that is attained by study and practice and observation
4. Burning Man

Celebrating the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox

2010-04-06T13:33:00.002-04:00

I just love Google! I needed a title for this Easter Sunday post, and Google had this great definition. It is very very cheesy, but the truth is I had no idea how Easter Sunday was determined… and now I know! So in name of knowledge, I’ll keep the cheesy blog title!
Happy Easter everybody!

¡Arriba! ¡Arriba!

2010-04-06T12:37:00.002-04:00

Lot’s of birthdays lately. Few days ago my neighbor and warrior friend Gabriel has his day. I went to PF Chang’s in Stamford then the usual: bar hoping and drinks!

Evolution, Part 1

2010-04-02T12:24:00.000-04:00

Adjective: Surreal
1. Characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtapositions
2. Resembling a dream
3. Burning Man

Kids Toys

2010-03-31T08:26:00.001-04:00

I've read once somewhere "that men are just like boys, but with more expensive toys" or something of that sort. This post here actually illustrates this idea: you actually can see the little boy's face in this man's expression!

A week ago, a photographer friend of mine ( Joao Carlos ) just received his H4D loaner, directly from Hasselblad! You can read all the details about his journey to Portugal shooting with the shining new Hasselblad in his blog, but right now I just want to share some of the photos of that night.

Congrats on the achievement and have a fun trip man!

Birthday Celebration

2010-03-30T20:19:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday was my good old friend Sonata's birthday. Actually, her birthday is this coming Thursday, April's 1st, but just many of us, the celebration was set for the weekend.

House full of alcohol and old friends in the house and there you go: perfect recipe for a party.

Sonata, once again: Happy Birthday! Love you!