dslr

Digital G.Arroyo

So long DSLR! Why and why now.

Posted on by gdotarroyo

For the first time that I can remember my main camera is no longer a Canon. For the longest time it was a Canon SLR eventually when switching to digital it has been a few Canon DSLR. This fall I made the decision to sell my Canon DSLR and all the lenses that I had and fully switch to mirror less cameras.

This decision was not one a took lightly, I had this though in my head for over 6 months and finally pulled the trigger. This decision was also heavily based on my experience this year with shooting a Fuji X-E1. Without having the hands on experience of using the Fuji I doubt I would have had the confidence to make the jump and purchase a Sony A7 as my main camera. Bellow are the reasons I decided to switch. read more

Digital Events Film G.Arroyo

Marketing

Posted on by gdotarroyo

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

Alone on a Bridge

Posted on by gdotarroyo

“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

Digital G.Arroyo

Diptych

Posted on by gdotarroyo

Christmas Card Diptych

What do you do when your two year old refuses to sit for a picture with her sister?

You work out a solution.

My solution was to hand her a prop and not ask her to look at the camera. No saying “cheese”. If you look at any of my photography I’m not really that type of photographer anyway. Of course my older daughter is much easier to pose, the problem I ran into taking her photo would be that I didn’t have the natural window light I benefited from when taking her sister’s photo the day before. So I simply created my own window light with my flashes. I also took a Polaroid of each girl, but that is for another post. read more

Digital Film

Determination

Posted on by gdotarroyo

I am always amazed by my 2 year old. She is determined to always figure out a way. Once her mind is set on accomplishing something, usually getting herself into trouble, she will figure out a way to do it. I love the way she works out complicated situations and isn’t restrained to conventional uses of items.

What does this have to do with my photography? A lot actually. I am determined to get the photo I envisioned in my head. Sometimes that means figuring out a way to make it happen. That may mean using household or unusual items as props, backgrounds, light modifiers, or stands. It may mean working a scene by trying different angles. Or it could be something completely different. I don’t know what challenges or obstacles will present themselves when capturing images. I embrace the unknown and figure out a way. Much like my daughter. read more

Digital

Don’t Forget Your Camera!

Posted on by gdotarroyo

Don’t leave your camera at home. Your camera should be an extension of your eyes, like a pair of glasses. Without it you should feel like you are missing a part of yourself. I know it is a pain to luge a DSLR with you every where you go, but why not a point and shoot, a film camera or at the least your cell phone. You never know when the opportunity to capture an exciting image will occur. I do my best to always have at the least my Canon G10 or a 35mm film camera with me. As an example of why, the photo above was taken at the Lake in the Hills Summer Sunset Fest. A few miles from my home, I went with the girls and grabbed my Canon on the way out the door. The sky was unique and resulted in a few photos that I love. So… read more

Digital

Get Outside Your Comfort Zone

Posted on by gdotarroyo

Last year I decided to enter a competition. Not surprising-I’m competitive. What was surprising is that I entered a nature photography competition. I have never been one to stand and wait for nature to come to me, or really been a big fan of taking landscape or nature photography. The reason I entered the contest was to push my comfort zone. I know where my strong points in photography are, but how could I strengthen my weak points? Could I take excellent pictures of nature? This pushed me to go outside of my typical photography style and learn new techniques. I learned to use a super telephoto lens correctly, how to wait for an animal to “pose” for the portrait and how to compose nature and wildlife shots. After months of waiting and photographing different aspects of an conservation area, as assigned by the contest, I finally came up with this photo. I, of course, had to stalk this green heron for an hour before he or she “posed” for me. Proudly this photo of the Green Heron won second place in the competition. I am glad I went outside of my usual photography comfort zone, and became a better photographer because of it. read more

Digital

Chicago Bench

Posted on by gdotarroyo

I love my home town of Chicago. It is one of the best places to just hang out and shoot street photos. This photo was captured near Millenium Park. I noticed this gentleman sitting on a bench early in the day. He has a unique style that I wanted to capture. The fact that he made this incredible facial expression when I pointed the lens in his direction just added to the photo. Remember to be observant and always look for the characters who make up our daily life.