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Digital G.Arroyo

Adam

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Adam and I have known each other for a few decades now. It may sound corny or sappy, but I’m glad to be part of his story and happy that I get to continue making history together. There are two people pictured here, of course my friend, but also myself.

I stole this candid photo of him while we were getting ready to take photos for his engagement. I’m happy that my camera was ready to shoot and I am skilled enough to nail the composition and focus without having to think. Otherwise this moment would have only been captured in my mind. read more

Digital G.Arroyo

Yale

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One of the reasons I label myself an urban photographer vs. a street photographer is that I love to shoot architectural features. Seeing a cool building is as exciting as coming as finding a great street scene unfolding. Much like street photography, taking images of these structures captures a moment in our history.

The photo above is a yet to be completed building on the Yale campus. It is a stark contrast to the other buildings lining the streets.

For my photographer friends this was shot with my Fuji XE-1 with an old Minolta Rokkor lens attached. It is also a jpeg straight out of the camera. read more

Digital G.Arroyo

New York

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As a true blue (red??) Chicagoan this next sentence is very hard to type. I love New York. Ok, there, that is out of the way. Now I can breathe again. I’ve had these feelings about NYC before, there is something in the air in that city, something that is exciting. I really love visiting New York. Would I leave Chicago? Not a chance, I need the hot dogs and proper pizza that we have.

Did I mention that New York is a street photographers paradise? It is!

Events G.Arroyo

Creek Gallery

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I’m excited to be taking part in Creek Gallery hosted by Willow Creek Crystal Lake. Opening night is Friday, July 11 from 6-9. For more information please check out
https://www.xculturearts.com/creekgallery.html.

The piece that I will have displayed until July 27th is “Lights and Darks” printed on aluminum. If you have never seen any of my prints in person you owe it to yourself to check one out. “Lights and Darks” is a large stunning piece that deserves to be out on display. read more

Digital Film G.Arroyo

Cheating on film

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Besides the look of film, I also like how a classic camera feels. Not a lot of plastic, manual controls and things just fall in place. Well as of the past few months I feel like I am cheating on my film cameras. I become obsessed with my little Fuji X-E1. It has become my go to camera, the one I pick up and take with me everywhere. It has a metal case top and bottom. I have adapted vintage lenses to it. I shoot it entirely manually, focus, aperture, iso, shutter speed.

The jpeg photos that come out of this camera are awesome and Fuji has done a great job of simulating their film emulsions. I can plug it into my iPad and upload photos on the fly. I really do not have many complaints with it. Maybe I could use a better viewfinder, but for my first mirrorless camera it has blown me away. read more

Digital Events Film G.Arroyo

Marketing

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Ask yourself, what is the difference between a famous photographer and an unknown one?

15 years ago did you know who Vivan Maier was? Why had you never heard of this now famous photographer?

It is all about marketing. The difference between a famous photographer and an unknown one is not about the quality of their art (not always) but about the people who get to see their work. Yes the dirty word in the art world, marketing. But in order to share your work, and have people know your passion you will need to market. Don’t be afraid to market your work. Professional, or hobbyist you need to market what you love in order to share your passion. read more

Digital G.Arroyo

Anticipation

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One of the greatest skills for a street photographer is the ability to anticipate. Picking out a stage, knowing who the players are and how the scene will unfold is crucial to capturing exactly what you envisioned.

For this photo in the old part of San Juan I noticed the girl walking from the right as well as the person walking towards the darkened hallway. I set the stage and anticipated when both players would be in the location I wanted to capture. (You can click on the image to see a larger version) read more

Digital G.Arroyo

Alone on a Bridge

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“Alone on a Bridge”

Sometimes I feel alone.
I am a Puerto Rican born in Chicago, I am a Chicagoan living in the suburbs, I am a hispanic living amongst anglos.
Where do belong?

Art is a look inside the heart and soul of the artist. Sometimes I feel alone.

“Alone on a Bridge” was shown at the May 4th Fridays at the Starline Gallery in Harvard.
The black wooden framed metal print totalling 23″x19″ is available for purchase for $250. Viewing in person is highly recommended, a monitor can not come close to showing the dynamic range nor reflective surfaces.
Contact me if you are interested in this or any of my other work. read more

Puerto Rico Protest Giovanni Arroyo
Digital G.Arroyo

Protests

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Protests just seem to find me. I don’t go looking for them, but they must be looking for me. I enjoy walking around cities and feeling the life that each individual cities have. In San Juan, Puerto Rico last week I was doing just such a thing, walking around the old portion of the city taking photos when, down the street, I could hear the chants. Yep another protest had found me and I dove into see what was going on. Below are some of the photos I took.

Digital Film G.Arroyo

Post Birthday or Birthday Post

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I want to say thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday, in person and via social media. I am grateful to have to have such awesome friends and family. I had a great day!

I wanted to share a couple of new things going on. I “borrowed” a record player from my father, a cool Micro Seiki that he will be upset to hear is playing great. Just as I seem to be turning more and more analog, I picked up a new digital camera a Fuji X-E1. The cool part is that I am adapting film camera lenses to it. I initially mounted up a Nikon Nikkor 50mm F1.4, but have now switched to a smaller Minolta Rokkor 50mm f1.7. The camera is much better balanced. I also have adaptors for my collection of Canon FD lenses. I am more and more impressed with the camera each time I use it. The shot above was taken at ISO 6400 and is still usable with the grain present. It is also neat to combine my love of the old cameras with the convenience of a digital camera. The little Fuji will be replacing my film rangefinders and Canon G12 as walk-around cameras.
That reminds me, I need to develop a couple of rolls of film. read more