Paulo Jordao Photography - BLOG

Kindergarten poem - BabyBrother…

Pre-IFA 2009: As anticipated Canon has today announced the EOS 7D digital SLR. It boasts a new 18MP APS-C CMOS sensor, Dual DIGIC 4 processors, ISO range expandable to 12800, continuous shooting at 8 fps and full HD video recording. It also incorporates a new viewfinder with 1.0x magnification and 100% coverage and a 3 inch LCD with 920k dot resolution.

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 Canon EOS 7D Specifications

Today I want to talk about a Style of photography that I don’t shoot as often. As most of you know, I am an Event Photographer (Weddings, Bar Mitzvah, Sweet Sixteen, etc…) - CLICK HERE TO CHECK SOME SAMPLES -, and I for some reason I didn’t feel the “call” of doing nature and Landscape Photography.

But for the rest of you that would like to check more about that, I would recommend you to get the newly released book “THE NATIONAL PARKS: OUR AMERICAN LANDSCAPE”- by photographer Ian Shive.

The National Parks: Our American Landscape(Earth Aware Editions, August 2009) presents a wonderfully updated photographic survey of the nation’s greatest treasures. Seen through the eyes of the National Parks magazine photographer and International League of Conservation Photographers member Ian Shive, America’s National Park System comes to life through a collection of more than 200 new photographs.

Sponsored by the National Parks Conservation Association and the International League of Conservation Photographers, Shive’s first book of photography is a journey to the places that have long inspired him. “Since my youth,” Shive writes, “I’ve seen the national parks as the last authentic vestiges of America’s wildest places — symbols of its one-of-a-kind spirit.”

Thomas C. Kiernan, President of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), has contributed a foreword to the book.

A portion of the proceeds from book sales will go to the NPCA.

CHECK THE LINKS BELOW… 
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=6970164 (ABC L.A piece)

http://www.waterandsky.com/  (Ian’s official website)
http://current.com/items/90662576_photos-across-america-the-northern-rocky-mountains.htm
http://current.com/items/90650611_photos-across-america-the-southwest.htm

Check it out and leave me a comment. OK?

One year ago,  I wrote a post on my blog about how disapointed I was with prices and services of one specific airline company: http://paulopics.com/blog/2008/03/22/more-bad-news-about-spirit-airlines/

Now, one year latter, it is even worse. Not just that airline company, but almost all Airline Companies in US started using the same low standard quality services and with extra charges for everything.

I’ve wrote that post, because I was upset that Spirit Airlines had charged me $20 to bring my luggage on board. At the time, I argue that it was irrational and probably even illegal to do that. What would stop them to start charging for everything else, even to go to the restroom?

Today, I just saw on the NEWS that some airline companies started doing exactly that (charging to go to the restroom).

Do you still think that I was wrong complaining about that?

It will not take to long to them start charging for our caring-on luggage… you will see!!!

Good luck to all of us!!!

 I was raised Catholic, and even if I don’t practice my religion as much as I should, I still like Christmas Time.

For me, the best thing about Christmas is that most of people enjoy more their friends and family this time of the year and that for few weeks, during the month of December, people come at you with open hearts smiling and wishing you Merry Christmas.

But this was before I came to America.

This December, I celebrate exactly 10 years since I first came to Florida - USA.

I was lucky enough to watch at first sight the beauty of Las Olas Boulevard Christmas Lights and the beautiful people walking at the streets.

After that I noticed that people would approach me wishing me Happy Holidays and not Merry Christmas. It took a long time to understand why people were doing that - in my mind, a holiday without a name does not have a meaning.

On 4^th of July, you say “Happy 4^th of July” - On Thanksgiving, you say “Happy Thanksgiving” - so… Why that on Christmas, people were wishing me Happy Holidays and not Merry Christmas?

I understand that you might not share the same religion or believes, but when you wish me Happy Holidays, I certainly don’t feel as special as when you wish me Merry Christmas (for me Happy Holidays mean “Happy Commercial Shopping Time”) .

And if you are Jewish, I would prefer you wishing me Happy Hanukkah, because Hanukkah means something important to you as much as Christmas is to me.

So for this Christmas I will wish you MERRY CHRISTMAS and I will be ok if you turn back to me and wish me HAPPY HANUKKAH.

Merry Christmas to All!

Paulo

Would you believe if I told you that there is this video on YouTube that has been viewed more than 64,538,000 times?

You read it right… Sixty-Four Million!!!

So… What do you need to have a Killer Video to have this many people watching it?

1) Good Title (Achmed the Dead Terrorist)

2) Good Content (Great Show)

3) 64 millon of people with nothing else better to do

I couldn’t believe how good Jeff Dunham (American ventriloquist and stand-up comedian) is.

Here is the video…

Or you can watch it direct on YouTube

Every single day I am more and more surprised on how the “quality of services” in this country has been deteriorating. I love to read and suty about marketing and the effects on how it has been applied to successful business all over the world. I just don’t understand how we keep going lower and lower on this road of BAD SERVICES.

Yesterday, I was watching on CBS news a story about Jet Blue and other airline companies charging all kind of different fees, including luggage, food, soft drinks and even water. Can you imagine if you have to travel a 5 hours flight and you have to pay for your water? I had this problem few months ago, where I had to buy some water to drink with some medication. If I could have wait, I would. Even Football Stadiums, where they try to charge you as much as they can for their food and drinks, they still offer free water (water fountains).

We are not to far from been charged to go to the restroom inside the airplane. They were also showing how the Airline companies have been raising their prices up to almost 300%.

There are people that might react bad about this blog saying; “it’s the gas prices” - “if you don’t like it, just don’t travel” - “It’s Obama’s fault”…

The only question that I have for you today is…

HOW LOW CAN WE GO?

This weekend I went to the beach in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea (North of Broward), to check the place where I want to organize my next Photowalk (coming in August).

I got some nice shots there, but today I just want to show you some pictures that I took of a 5 Feet Tall SHARK that Died in South Florida Hot Water.

A local surfer found it and brought to the beach.

Everybody wanted to touch it…

Here are Two of the few shots that I took.

Twitter or not Twitter, that is the question. I recently signed with twitter, and for you that doesn’t know what Twitter means, you can visit their page Click Here.

When I signed my new account, I was in doubt about how to use it and what kind of benefit it would give me. But, mainly, it is just a way to you let your friends and people that follow your steps to know what are you doing and what you are up to (like an instant message). It might help me alot with the FORT LAUDERDALE PHOTWALK.

You can use the computer or your cell to send your messages. I didn’t try use my cell for that yet. Personally, I don’t see my self stop doing what I am doing when I am shopping, working out or working outside, just to send a message trough Twitter. I normally update what I am up to 2 or 3 times a day here on my computer, But as I said… I am new with Twitter. But do you know a very cool feature? Every update that I write there, is instantly sent to my Web-site. Give a look - Click Here

My twitter is: paulopics1

Let me know how you use your Twitter. OK?

Paulo Jordao

I know that maybe where you live the weather might be a little different from here, but what would you do to celebrate Mother’s Day when is a beautiful 96* outside?

Peggy’s Parents Came from South Carolina for my son’s birthday and to celebrate mother’s day here, and after the Birthday (SATURDAY)… we were all exhausted (Click here to check all the pictures - PICTAGE).

So Sunday morning we were all inside the house asking each other about what we would do to celebrate Mother’s day. That’s when the idea of going to the beach and having some lunch around there came up.

Here are some pictures of our day.

P.S. Since I am the Photographer… guess the only person that does not show on these pictures!!!

We all went for a nice lunch at Oasis Cafe (Fort Lauderdale Beach)

At the end of the day we enjoyed the beach for a while

Ryan loves the beach

Jennifer and Peggy having a portrait with Dad and Mom

Happy Mother’s Day!

Today is my son’s birthday, but is also mother’s day. So My wife and I decided to celebrate Ryan’s birthday yesterday, so today we could focus more on mother’s day.

Ryan just turned 4 years old. We always celebrate his birthday in our house. So we have to organize the backyard, clean the house, take care of the garden, paint the deck, etc… To say the truth, It is a realy hard work just for a birthday, and we do that every single year.

But now, the party is gone and we have one year to rest until Ryan’s next birthday . I just want to wish him a Happy Birthday and show you few of the pictures that I took yesterday.

If you want to see all the pictures, please CLICK HERE.

Here, Ryan is hugging few of his friends ( most of his friends are girls )

          Few other friends…

          The kids enjoying outside activities

          Peggy’s parents and her sister Jeniffer

          My cosing Edson with his wife and daughter

          Peggy and her best friend Rosana

          These ones are For the moms… Happy Mother’s Day!

          Here is Ryan… The birthday boy!!!

          Happy Birthday Ryan!!!

Ok. You already know that I love Photography and Video, etc… etc… etc…

But, what I haven’t told you yet, is that I also love to read. The only thing is… I don’t read drama or novels. I just read books that I think that will improve my life in somehow. Example: I love to read books about Photography, Photoshop, Video, Editing Systems, so I can improve the quality of my work. But I also like to read books like; Marketing, Do it yourself (projects), Self Help, HOW to… (books) and any other book that teach me how to be a better person or how to improve my financial status.

I just finished reading a great book “The Automate Millionaire Homeowner - by David Bach”, you can read more about the book or the author at www.finishrich.com.

It is a very easy book to understand and give you a lot of helpful tips about how to built a secure financial future using Real State as a tool. The author also gives a lot of other helpful websites so you can keep you own research. Remember that this book is not about making money fast, or flipping houses.

Anyway.. I thought that this information would be helpful to you. If you have the chance, please don’t hesitate to try this book.

Let me know what you think. OK?

As I mentioned on my last post, I just came back from a convention in Las Vegas ( WPPI ). It was the best convention ever… But I will talk more about that on my next post. OK?

Today I want to finish the Post that I started last week about Spirit Airlines.

I was really mad after Spirit Airlines Charged me $20.00 per bag. I was so mad that I wrote that other post and I started taking pictures of people sited on the floor eating their home made sandwiches, or the huge line of people trying to buy some water before catch their flight. I want to show how the quality of flying have been deteriorating these last few years.

When they started calling to board the Airplane, I just had one thought on my mind: “great now I am going to Fly for 6 hours and the only thing that they are going to offer to us are some snack and a glass of coke”.

Now… I feel even embarrassed to tell what happened next. Do you know that they are not offering the snack or coke anymore? Not even water? I had to buy my water inside the airplane so I didn’t get dehydrated.

What happens next? Will we have to pay to use the restroom? How about pay a little extra to turn on the air-conditioning?

Anyway… I normally don’t like to use my posts to complain about these kind of things, but I just felt abused. I can not remember any other event of my life that I have felted so violated and powerless. The sensation that I had, was that I had been hold “LIKE” a hostage and I still had to pay to drink that glass of water.

If I learned a lesson from this experience is “…”

Sorry… I don’t think that there was a lesson to be learned here. I just wish that the authorities that are responsible for Airlines regulations would stop this kind of abuse.

Sincerely… Paulo

Today is a great day for me, I am flying to Las Vegas for our annual convention WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International). The only problem that I have is… SPIRIT AIRLINES. Oh gosh I don’t even know how I should start this post.

After the “circus” that Airports and Air Companies started doing here in America, I can say that it have taken away all the pleasure of flying. I know that they say that is because of security, blah, blah, blah. Than you have the huge lines, blah, blah, blah. Than, you can not bring liquid, blah, blah, blah. Than you have no food inside the airplane anymore.

But today I got the latest of I can qualify “lower quality company” in a modern world. I got my tikets and hotel confirmation, form TRAVELOCITY.com and haded to the airport. When I got here, the lady from SPIRIT AIRLINES told me that it would cost me extra $20.00 for my only bag that I was checking in. I was surprised that my medium bag would be that heavy. Than she told me that was not because of the weight. That was the new Policy ($20.00 per Bag).

Can you imagine that? Would you be OK if you were taking a taxi and the driver turned to you and charge for each bag or each person, etc?

I don’t know… Maybe it is just me, or it is just because I am still waiting my Flight here at Fort Lauderdale Airport.

But tell me… Am I wrong? What happened with quality and excellence of service?

Anyway… Get away from SPIRIT AIRLINES!!!

So… Last week I decided to buy 2 more domain names at GoDady.com, and I also decided change the company that hosts my paulopics.com.

I found this great deal at Hostgator.com so I could have many domain names using just one account. That would be perfect for what I was looking for.

The problem is that I don’t like to wait forever for other people to do their job (most of the time too SLOW). So I bought these 2 new domain and transfer the other one to Godady, and I also signed with Hostgator.

NOW WHAT?

Since I didn’t have to much help trying to triangulate information between the 3 companies (Godady, Hostgator and GATE), I decided at least start the process of changing by myself.

I went to Godady and changed the “Name Server” from my old GATE to new HOSTGATOR.

That went quite well (easy… I thought). Just to learn on the next day that my page was off-line.

I didn’t know that I was supposed to wait 24 to 48 hours to Hostgator transfer my files and DATBASE from GATE, and since I had changed the codes… You can imagine what a mess!!!

They finally got all the files. My page was on-line again, but how about my BLOG?

Don’t get me wrong, I love Wordpress… but it was impossible to get the database from my old server. And since I didn’t have the patience to wait the two companies get on the same page, I just decided forget my old posts and start a new blog from the beginning.

I just want to apologize to any people that come to my blog and don’t find the old posts here anymore. If you want to see any pictures from any old post, I still have them here in my computer… I just don’t have the post.

I hope that you don’t make the same mistake. OK?

Let me know (comments) if you also had some similar experience!

Paulo