That being said, I wanted to say something to all of you.  As I’ve gone through these last months, I’ve had a lot of ups and downs.  I’ve had friends and family support me, the love of my children to guide me, and a passion for photography to drive me.  I can’t begin to tell you how hard things can get and how easy it can be to focus on what you don’t have, what you have had taken away from you, what you can not do.  It’s far too easy to get knocked down…..

….but content of character is measured on how many times you get back up.

The truth is that there is no limit to the human spirit and for every failure that we have, a  lesson is learned.  Some things that I have learned about myself and my business is that nothing great worth having comes easy.  My mother (God love her, I’ll be taking her out this coming Sunday and I encourage all of you to remember your moms as well!) has instilled a tenacity in me that I cherish and has gotten me through some pretty rough times.

Now is the time to look forward and to say thank you for everything that I do have.  Thank each and every one of you who lend me your kind consideration by reading what I have to say.  Thanks to each of my clients for trusting me.  Thank you to my friends for always being there for me. Thank God for my children, and most of all I am completely thankful for new beginnings!

Here’s to all of you!  Thanks…

mM

PS: Check out this tune by Adele….it’s excellent!

Last week I was able to attend a 4 hour seminar and a 9 hour master class named “How to Photograph Everyone” with the one and only Clay Blackmore. For those of you who don’t know who Clay is, he is the mentee of Monte Zucker. Monte was a true master of understanding the relationship between lighting and posing.

Clay is a true photographer’s photographer. Meaning that he makes the vast majority of his income on taking pictures rather than teaching or selling training. Its’ nice to have a working photographer t0 educate you with continued real world experience.
Clay’s mantra is “POSE, LIGHT, LIFT, REFINE!”  Repeat that over and over again until it’s drilled into your head.

The take aways from Clay’s course are wonderfully simple. I’d like to share them with all of you.

Take away 1: There are only 3 positions that the human face can be photographed in.  Each of these shots taken below were taken specifically using Clay’s in class instruction.

1. Full Face
2. 2/3rds View
3. Profile

Full Face View | Feminine Pose

2/3rds Voew | Feminine Pose

Profile View | Feminine Pose

Take away 2: Don’t over complicate light.

1. Use loop lighting as much as possible because:

a)      It’s a flattering light for male and female subjects

b)      It’s a very easy lighting setup & easy to detect

Loop Lighting Pattern

Take away 3: Posing made simple

1. Once you understand Take Away 1 (Full Face, 2/3rds View, & Profile) you can instantly have a picture in your head of what you are going to start with
2. There are only two STYLES of posing

a) Basic (formerly Masculine)

1. The body and face are positioned towards the light

b) Feminine

1. The body is positioned away from the light
2. The face is positioned towards the light
3. Groups: This was a MASSIVE help to me

a) Group Posing

1. Build triangles! They can be a standard triangle or inverted but you want your subjects to be posted in a way that builds the shape of a triangle. 

If you’re starting to see a theme here, everything revolves around the word “simplicity”. All great artists know that in its basic form, art is about purity. The more simple a design, the more elegant it can become and the more pure it is. While I realize that we are in a world full of complexity, art always has been and always will be about communicating a vision/thought/emotion/idea. The best way to communicate these things is through pure representation of your subject matter.

How was Clay as a person? Clay is hyper. I like that Clay is hyper because I’m hyper. Clay is passionate!!! The man LOVES his job, LOVES his clients, LOVES who he works with and gives EVERYTHING he has to his audience when he is presenting. From an inspiration standpoint, Clay continues to repeat the same universal principals of truth, passion, & hard work that will bring you to peace. Do what you love, love doing it, and do it the very best way that you know how and you will be able to bat 1,000!

What is my conclusion?

The value of education and inspiration is immeasurable and invaluable. I encourage all of you, no matter what it is that you do to get involved with what you love and do it with reckless abandon (just make sure you have a business plan if you are going to do it professionally). Be who you are and celebrate it! Do not apologize for living your life the way you want to. Learn as much as you can. Understand that you’ll never know it all and that there is always more to learn. Love and respect yourself and your craft so you’ll be able to do it to the very best of your ability. That, is purity. That, along with a lot of sacrifice, pain, frustration, hard work, tenacity, grit, and repeated failures, is what it takes (at least for this artist) to TRULY become a “master” of any craft.

I will always look at my subjects and images now in a very different, more polished, and more educated manner, but the biggest take away from Clay’s course was that Clay is doing what he loves to do, he is giving of himself, at peace, finding time for his craft, his family and God and most importantly he is giving back to the photography community by sharing what he knows.

I think it’s fair to say, I really like Clay Blackmore.

A special side note: Amber McCoy did me a real solid with this entire project. I wanted to take a second to personally thank her and everyone at Westcott. It’s people like you that truly make extraordinary happen.

Until next time my fellow mMericans….

mM

I must say that this trip was quite impromptu and very needed.  As with all things in life, there are times when we simply must engross ourselves in the things that we love, or to escape from the realities of the day to day grind that comes along with life, or simply, to play.  I needed a combination of all three!

WPPI is an annual event that focuses on wedding and portrait photographers.  It is attended by upwards of 15,000 – 20,000 attendees strong each year.  A huge conference hall(s) that sport all kinds of wares will make even the most modest of us salivate at the possibilities of purchase.  I particularly spent a lot of time at the Canon and Westcott booths (but more on that later).

After catching a flight out of Chicago’s Midway airport I flew into Las Vegas in the evening arriving near midnight to temperatures in the mid 60′s.  Coming from Chicago where it was sub-30, I must say that this city boy was quite happy to be in warmer temps.  After a short cab ride I headed over to the MGM and to my accommodations.

As I entered the MGM, I had a flood of mixed emotions.  I was away on business at this time, but not 8 years prior I had been wed at the Forever Grand (or not) Wedding Chapel contained inside of the MGM.  I remember thinking to myself “wow, I’ve come full circle”.  After a short lived trip down memory lane and a couple quick pictures to send over to my friend Jamie who adores Las Vegas (so that I could rib her) I headed up to my room.

Day 1…Meet ups, greet ups, conference halls, handshakes and casinos.

My friend Amber (Westcott superstar galore) were sharing a room under the strict agreement that she had to have hair and makeup done for models each and every morning during the convention.  I remember thinking “oh this won’t be a problem at all!” as I’ve been around a million models getting hair and makeup done and I might be able to learn a thing or two.  After all I’m trying to make my footprint in fashion and beauty photography larger.

Enter Debra Weite (pronounced white)…hair and makeup stylist rock star who lives in Vegas and has worked with some of the biggest names around.  Quite the character and more alive at 7am than most people are at noon.  Each and every morning Debra would enter the room and ready or not, let me know just what she was feeling for the day.  More on that later however….

As I walked out of the room to start my day I coordinated with Amber and  we agreed that we would meet up later for dinner.  I didn’t have classes until much later in the afternoon so I walked the conference halls and familiarized myself with the layout of the land.  My schedule for the day was simple.

1. Get familiar with the layout of the conference
2. See the Expo Hall (halls in this case as there were two of them for WPPI)
3. 3:30pm Jasmine Star
4. 6pm Tamara Lackey
5. 8:30pm Dinner with Amber at Fiamma Trattoria & Bar

So if you’ve seen one show floor you’ve pretty much seen them all.  I’ll spare you 90% of the details but the bottom line is that everyone and their mother had a booth and something new to see.  Pocket Wizard had Mark Wallace showing off the new Pocket Wizard III system.  Canon was showing off the new D1x and of note I did happen to fall in love with a new printer.  The Canon Pixma Pro-1 Professional InkJet Printer makes prints that will have you drooling at professional quality.  At a price point of $1,000, it’s sitting in the back of my mind right now with thoughts of decorating my new townhouse with all kinds of fabulous images!  If you haven’t seen it yet, go check it out!

 One of the coolest parts about shows like this is the free education that you can get simply by walking the Expo floor.  Fashion & Beauty photographer Mathew Jordan Smith was showing off how he uses light using a beauty dish (apparently it’s his go to modifier) and specifically why it works in that niche of the market.  Specular highlights fall on the cheeks and forehead that truly flatter subjects (especially female subjects) and evenly light the face.  I’m a fan of the beauty dish myself and often use it in studio work.  If I want softer light I’ll go to a softbox but you can soften up a beauty dish by putting on a diffusion sock of you want to.  I spent about 20 minutes watching Mathew give his presentation and then did a very small meet and greet with him and on my way I went.

If you have never been to a show like this before (as it was my first time) I suggest that you bring a pair of comfortable shoes because you’re going to spend a lot of time on your feet.  I brought a pair of sneakers as well as a pair of dress shoes for when I went out later in the evening.

Keeping in mind that not only are you walking the show room floor, but going up several flights of stairs to your classes it’s important that you are not only comfortable but that you don’t tire so quickly that you run out of gas before you can get everything out of the experience that you wanted to.

After a quick lunch and a few meet ups with the likes of the O Snap Crew from Black Rapid, I headed to Jasmine Star’s course called “The Anatomy of Lips and Clicks”.  Knowing Jasmine’s work and story is now second nature to me as I’ve watched both of her Creative Live courses and have followed her growing success online.  Ultimately, Jasmine is a refreshing presence in the photography world because she is very honest about her work.  She knows that she is not the greatest photographer out there in the world but she delivers for her clients time and time again by hustling and continually learning about the craft.  I think what I respect most about her is that she remains humble in an industry that celebrates “stars”.

Ok, who is ready for the bonehead story of the trip?  I’m not certain if any of you know who Tamara Lackey is but I certainly know her.  About two years ago I wrote Tamara a very detailed and open email to which she very kindly and thoughtfully replied once her schedule cleared up enough to do so that absolutely changed my life.  I have been on a mission to do two things relative to Mrs. Lackey.  1. Meet her & 2. Properly thank her.

Ok so here goes.  It’s been a long day, I’m still kind of out of it after my travels from the day before and not sleeping well.  I head to the class that Tamara is having called “Portrait Photography – Building (or reBuilding) A Portrait Business”   and it was typical of Tamara….well presented, organized, funny, and enjoyable.  After getting to the hall at 5:30pm and waiting in a very long line to see if I could get in, I finally got a seat and thought to myself “this is it! I’m finally going to meet her!”  After listening to the class, at which I now have to pause to say that by far the funniest story I heard the entire trip came from Tamara.  During the class, she says that raising children has been by far the most interesting experience thus far of her life.  She then went on to tell the tale of how her husband and she had decided to have a nice date night.  They got everything ready, got dressed up, got the sitter and off they went.  Tamara stops the presentation and says “And this is the voicemail that I got 30 minutes later”.  To which a very sweet voice comes over the auditorium speakers that say something like this.  “Mommy, um, hi.  So we were in the bathroom and the faucet was on and there is water everywhere.  I mean everywhere.  It’s actually coming through the top of the ceilings downstairs and I tried to tell them not to do it but they wouldn’t listen.  I didn’t do anything wrong but I tried to help.  Don’t worry though because I put a towel down to help.  Don’t worry about coming home.  Have a good time.”  Now let that sink in for a moment and then grasp the fact that basically this child just told her mother that she had ruined her house and done thousands of dollars worth of damage and the entire audience was laughing hysterically at it.  I give Tamara full credit because if that were me and my children, I’m not so certain I would have handled it with quite the same grace.

OK, so the class ends and everyone is getting ready to head out for the night.  I decide that ‘THIS IS IT!” I’m gonna march up to her and have my moment.  Unfortunately so did about 20 other people who wanted various signings and conversations to be had a plenty.  I’m going on far too long without food in my stomach, my blood sugar is telling me “warning Will Robinson! WARNING!” and after about half an hour of waiting to speak to her finally I inch up to her.  Two years have culminated into the words that I’m about to express to her and Tamara greets me with a smile and extends her hand and I shake it and say…..

“Hi Tamara I’m Michael Montalto”…to which she replies….

“I thought you looked familiar”… to which I reply ….

“Yup”…..

*Cricket chirping*

“OK good to meet you” … to which she replies!!!

“That’s it?!” …

*To which I walk away*

Ladies and gentlemen……only I could have handled that situation with such dignity, class, insight and motivating words of kindness.  Yes, after two years of waiting and communication my lasting impression that I leave on her is “That’s it?!”  This, by far, was the funniest and most awkward moment of the entire show.  Don’t worry though…there is a twist in the tale yet to come!

So after that debacle I realize that I need to make a b-line to a restaurant.  I get in touch with Amber and we fly over to Fiamma Trattoria & Bar and we find a way to have a lovely meal and several cocktails to ease the pain of my earlier blunder.  After informing Amber of my folly we began to discuss Westcott, Ohio, and her job.  After a lovely meal and my body finally saying “ahhhhhh” I hit the Twittersphere to see what was going on for the evening.

Little did I know that the folks over at CreativeLive were having a party at the West End Bar but as it turns out, I headed on over with Amber to meet and greet some of “the industry insiders”.  In truth, I had been looking forward to meeting the likes of Craig Swanson, Kenna Klosterman & Susan Roderick for quite a while and I finally had my chance.

You know what they say, when in Vegas, meet everyone!  I don’t quite recall what time I got in that morning (OK I do, but I’m not going to admit it!) but it was not the normal time that I go to bed!

End of a long day 1……

Day 2…”WELCOME TO THE BIGS KID” & WESTCOTT

I’m not certain if any of you have ever had those moments in your life where you question not only the logic of your choices but the very foundation of everything you have ever based a decision on but waking up for Day 2 went something like this…..

*Knock knock knock* “Michael, Debra is here time to get up”.  As my eyes opened to the sharp metal rods of sunlight that came beaming into my eyes I thought to myself a single word “no”.  Prancing (and she might as well have been dancing) in Miss chipper Debra looks at me and says “well, someone had fun last night huh?” To which I mumbled something about my head hurting.

Now, there are moments in life that define you, and there are smaller micromoments in life that you’ll always remember because they were just the perfect happening at the moment in time…this…was one of the latter.  Debra simply laughed and said to me “Welcome to the bigs kid.”  I swear if she could have spit out chew and patted me on the fannie right there she would have.  The ear to ear grin was legendary.

Somewhere in there I managed to stumble out to Starbucks.  I remember something about caramel and whipped cream but…it’s all kind of hazy after that.

After a lot of more of the same relative to courses, & walking the showroom floor I was invited to drinks with the folks from Westcott.  Don’t worry it only took me 8 hours to clear my head enough to find a way back to liquid courage!

After scooting my way up to the bar I was introduced to some of the most lovely, kind and fun women that I’ve had the pleasure to meet in a long time.  Kelly Mondora (VP of Westcott) was not only incredibly bright, charming and articulate but she was very easy on the eyes.  (Sorry guys, she’s married).  We spoke about Westcotts plans to rule the universe which apparently was to begin somewhere in the UK.  I’m not certain how Kelly’s trip went but I did have a sense that she is the type of woman that if she wants something…she gets it.

Intro to Amanda Roberts.  Now, I have a special place in my heart for a well made dirty martini.  Amanda apparently likes them not dirty, but filthy.  It was one of those interesting moments when I ordered my drink that we instantly decided that we should create a secret handshake ..and so we did.  Friends for life!

Who tied all of this together for me you ask?  Well, if you don’t know her already (and everyone does) Amber McCoy basically handles everything and then some over at Westcott.  Ranging from marketing, to sales, to management of pros, to audio/video the girl does it all.  I tip my cap to her as I can truly say that she is one in ten million and I truly enjoyed her company.

mM & Amber from Westcott

Somehow I ended up getting invited to dinner.  Now, I’m thinking this is going to be a simple gathering of some fo the Westcott peeps.  You know, the usual Las Vegas brouhaha of 5-8 people.  Nope…not at all.  As I walked into FiAMMA I was escorted to the back of the room where apparently the ENTIRE BACK WALL was reserved.  Kid?  Oh no my fellow mMericans, I kid you NOT.  From El Presidente to industry pro photographer James Schmelzer the gang was ALL here.  Unfortunately however there wasn’t anymore seats available.  Not to worry of course though.  A simple wave of the hand and a request for some help and viola, a connected table for two along with the rest of the twenty(ish) people that were dining.

You know how these things go.  Wine, food, someone tells a bad joke but people laugh anyway.  Someone new in the group has to be “checked out” (psst…that was me) and “messed with”.  Add it all up and a few hours later what’s left is a bunch of happy people and a really, REALLY big food bill.

I want to say something about Westcott.  Everyone that I met, and I do mean everyone, had such class, dignity, and a fun loving spirit that I completely understand why the firm is a success.  They have outstanding leadership, groom their up and comers well and have a culture that is truly wonderful to be around.  I had the chance to speak Tom (El Presidente of Westcott himself!) and complimented him on putting together such a fine team.  Their graciousness is a memory that I will always be thankful for.  A-Players.  A-Players indeed.

Day 3: Redemption

Remember “The Tamara Lackey Incident” as I now refer to it from above?  Well the story doesn’t quite end there.  You see I’m not the kind of man that takes failure very well.  I believe wholeheartedly that we learn far more from failure than we do from success, but it is only by virtue of recognition of that failure and executing a plan to not make it again that we find triumph.

Let’s get straight to the point shall we?  I waited two years and flew across the country to have a MOMENT with Tamara and I was going to have it damn it!  OK, in today’s world how do you get the message out?  I used Twitter of course (my personal favorite form of social media).

Here were the tweets:

Me: @TamaraLackey I TOTALLY blew our first meeting. I hadn’t eaten in 15 hours. Free anytime for a second chance? -mM

Her: @mMontalto hah – no worries! am heading to awards show tonight if you’ll be there

Me: @TamaraLackey I’m supposed to be doing dinner with some of the Westcott folks but not sure when. Tonight is my last night. #partytme -mM

Me: @TamaraLackey so I don’t know! But I hope I run into you! Still a fan -mM

So you know that I’m just playing coy here right guys?  I knew damn well I was gonna get suited up, meet and greet me some Tamara and then enjoy my last evening in Vegas.  The short of it goes a little something like this.

I walk up to the Nikon “Awards” area and walk the floor.  I happened to bump into Bambi Cantrell, did the usual “love your stuff, great Creative Live class, etc” and wished her well.  As I walked up to the bar to order a drink there she was.  Walking toward the bar.  Tamara coming my way.  Eye contact was made and you know what happened next?!

She turned away from me and walked in the other direction…… No seriously.  That’s exactly what happened.  To this day I still laugh at it.

So I decide that she has to be busy or someone called her name but if/when the moment was right I would get a chance to say hi.  You see in truth, about 2 years ago I sent Tamara an email that changed my life.  In one of the most wonderful acts of kindness Tamara had gotten back to me (a total stranger) with a thoughtful, insightful, and honest email relative to my dreams.  THIS was the driving force in me to shake this woman’s hand!

Ten minutes pass.  Fifteen.  I’m people watching and starting to think that perhaps, maybe it’s just not going to happen.  I get to the bottom of my glass of wine and out of the corner of my eye I see her.  Only this time, I don’t turn towards her like a gawking hen and smile.  I stand there, coy, confident, looking carefully at my watch to ensure that people understood that I either had somewhere to be or I REALLY wanted to know what time it was in only the suave and savvy way that I can look at my watch.

I look down, I look up, I look down, I look up and …. there she was.  I tell you in full truth that is how this moment happened.  Tamara looks at me, does one of these little backwards movements like “OK, this better be good” in somewhat of a cocky yet incredibly intriguing manners.  I smile and say “Hi again Tamara.  I just wanted to say thank you so much for what you did for me.  It had a profound impact on my life and has given me a great amount of happiness in these last two years.  I really appreciate it.”

<Pause>

<Smile from her>

And that is when Tamara Lackey hugged me and said “You’re welcome.  Have fun tonight”.

……that ladies and gentlemen…..was my WPPI Las Vegas 2012 experience.

mM

In case some of you might not have known, last summer I shot a charity event with Dana Beverly called “Let Your Hair Down for Sarah” to help raise funds and awareness for alopecia.  As an interesting twist, I went to both high school and college with Cheri so when I got word about this event and that I could help, I would eager to get going and dive in.

NAAF National Newsletter - Let Your Hair Down For Sarah

Part of my business has a goal to “give back” at least four times per year.  I’m looking for great new ideas for 2012 so if any of you have a need, please shoot me an email to the studio at Studio@MichaelMontalto.com.

I can’t thank Sarah, the NAAF, and Dana enough for making this experience one of the best of 2011.  Remember, you are measured in life not by what you acquire, but by that which you give away!!!  It really was a beautiful day.

If you didn’t get a chance to see it the first time around…here is a link to the slide show that I put together!

mM

• The short of it?
• 22.3MP full frame sensor
• 61AF points (41 cross type)
• CF/SD dual slots (wifi tethering anyone)
• ISO 100-25600 (expandable to L:50 H1:51200, H2: 102400 (That is RIDICULOUS)
• Oh….and it’s 6FPS!!!!

Head on over to the site to check it out!

Canon 5D Mark III Spec List

mM

Hold up, hold on Don’t be scared,
You’ll never change what’s been and gone
May your smile shine on
Don’t be scared,
Your destiny may keep you warm

‘Cause all of the stars have faded away
Just try not to worry,
You’ll see them some day
Take what you need
And be on your way
And stop crying your heart out

Get up
(Get Up)
Come On
(Come On)
Why you scared?
(I’m not scared) You’ll never change what’s been and gone

‘Cause all of the stars have faded away
Just try not to worry,
You’ll see them someday
Take what you need,
And be on your way,
And stop crying your heart out.

‘Cause all of the stars have faded away
Just try not to worry,
You’ll see them someday
Take what you need
And be on your way
And stop crying your heart out

‘Cause all of the stars have faded away
Just try not to worry,
You’ll see us some day
Take what you need
And be on your way
And stop crying your heart out

The Black Crowes – Good Friday (Lyrics by Chris Robinson)

“We’ve been avoiding this for too long

Luxury is temporary than it’s gone

I thought that we would happen I guess I’m wrong

We’ll say hi on the street

Then we’ll move along

I know this will be awkward

But not for long Cause soon you’ll have a new boy

To sing you songs

I will not forgive you

Nor will I accept the blame

I will see you on Good Friday On Good Friday

I’m sorry I couldn’t do this yesterday

And tomorrow I am busy

And what It is I can’t say

And Saturday’s no good

Ya see I got a show

So it’s got to be Good Friday

Then it’s so long

You, You come and go when you please

I know unfulfilled needs

I know you do too

But I, you know I never see things through

I never paid attention to you

But honey I tried….”

To all the Dad’s out there who love their kids and have had their ex’s “follow the script”…. FIGHT BACK! Don’t let other people’s labels of you be what you become.  Although some people will genuinely support you and show you kindness, others will shun you and  judge.  You have to accept it and move on. Those who have not the courage or character to question the norm do not need your understanding or explanations, and were likely never willing to give it in the first place. These are the people who will gather to nod like geese and furiously give currency to validation. Validate….validate….validate…. Remember the only validation you should need is the truth. Not blatant lies or HALF truth, truth.

Remember with vigor those needed to be labeled Judas. When you see them, hold your head high. Remind them that THEY are the ones who have wronged you by drawing conclusions, not the other way around! Remind them of your kindnesses to them, their children, their pets, and their families. Look at them and pity them, because you have risen above the treasonous crowd and are moving on with grace and a wealth of opportunities.

Make new friends, find your voice, ditch dead weight, upgrade your life, and never forget that if they’ll go that far, they’ll go as far as they can. Do NOT react. Think. Feel. Recall. Write and speak out! Fight for your rights with everything you’ve got!

You may be feeling that this is all incredibly unfair, and it is… but life isn’t fair. Move on. Continue to fight.  Fight harder than you’ve ever fought before in anything in your life EVEN when you’re so drained, scared, and alone that you can barely think.

When it comes to your kids, it really only boils down to one question. Fight or flee? For me it’s not even a question…it’s a responsibility.

No more Fear…

…no matter what!!!

mM

When I was a boy, I loved baseball.  On every warm day possible, I would be out with my friends with a ball, a bat and a mit.  I played as much and as often as possible.  Chicago parks weren’t beautiful, but they offered a place to be a boy, and my friends and I took advantage at every opportunity.  I emulated the hero of my childhood, Ryne Sandberg, as much as my body would allow.  There was something pure and elegant about Ryno’s quiet demeanor and constant dedication to the fundamental practices of the game.  I did everything in my power to play like him.  Looking back, what I admired most was that he was the most fundamentally sound, two way player that I had (at that time) seen play the game.   He worked harder at practicing the basics of his craft than anyone I had seen (to my knowledge) before or since.  He was (aside from my grandfather) the first male role model in my life.  His work ethic and well rounded nature were the huge take aways for me as a child.

Somewhere around the age of 21, a friend of mine (James) introduced me to what he called “The Rock & Roll Diet”. A grouping of various bands, put together for me to enjoy and recommended highly.  I had no idea that one of them would become as much a part of me as breathing or my own children.   The Black Crowes were a loud, brash, in your face, annoyingly talented and very “we’ll do it however the hell we want to” kind of band. I loved them from day one. I could go on about their music, which songs speak to me, etc.   That’s a given if you’re passionate about music.  Some people have The Beatles, others have The Rolling Stones, and I have the Black Crowes. I would tell you that it’s just the music, but it’s not. I’ve gotten to know a lot about these guys over time and what I admire most is that they’ve always done things their way. They have the courage to be themselves and they do so unapologetically. I’ve always deeply admired the courage and candor that the band (especially Chris) continuously display as they kicked, clawed, and make some of the best music ever without any regard for the critics and haters. They don’t fear anything or anyone…..and I love them for it.  “There is a passion in being alone…a grace in a loveless time.”

In my opinion, Chris is the coolest person living on the planet. He’s tough, he’s soulful, he’s overly opinionated, he’s hard to handle…pun intended. He’s an artist and a father. He’s been scoffed at and scorned. He’s rubbed people the wrong way most of his life and I’m certain he wouldn’t change a thing. Photographers are often asked what their dream shoot would be. For me, it would be to shoot Chris (along with Rich and Steve) and offer a simple handshake and a sincere thank you.

…”Bond, James Bond”.

In my mind, no one word is more recognizable in the movies than the name Bond.  He’s adventurous, well-traveled, sophisticated, confident, mysterious, provocative, and has exquisite taste. What is there not to admire about this character?  He dresses well, appreciates fine time pieces (Oh, Rolex… how I love you), drives cars with shapes as seductive as his women, and rides the line of confidence so well that you would swear that he’s got a few toes on the arrogant side! Who is my personal favorite Bond?  Connery, Sean Connery (but of course).  My personal favorite Bond film, you ask? From Russia With Love (1963)

I’m not going to draw any conclusions about what the cumulative effect of those three people have on my life, but for what it’s worth, these ARE people/characters that I have looked up to and admired. I certainly have others, but these are the three that I instantly identified with.  Who are your heroes?  Food for thought!

Finally…I leave you with a thought and a quote;  Some of us are good decision makers and some aren’t.  Some of us have to test the limits on everything and some of us don’t want to know what the limits are in the first place.  Some of us realize that the wise man learns from others mistakes instead of learning from our own, and some of us never learn at all.  Some of us can say we’re wrong, some of us can’t.  There are some that go the long way, some the short.  In the end, our journey is our own, and no matter who loves you (and there will be some) and no matter how many haters stack up (and there will be plenty of those too) all you can be is you.  Hopefully…..along the way we’ll get to share the ride.  Our heroes matter because they are the values and representations of what we hold most dear as individuals.  Well…at least that’s what I’ve taken away from this lesson….

“You’re young and you leave home with a T-shirt and a pair of jeans in a bag and say “bye, Mom” and smile! Fifteen years later you come back with your arms full of shit packed everywhere, scruffy beards, drug addictions, wives, ex-wives, kids, rehabs, friends, enemies and a couple of really great songs. You have a lot more bags man!” -C. Robinson

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The lovely Renee Parrish

The goal for this type of session is to create classic headshots that showcase the unique personalities of my clients. I do that by giving each client thorough training on how to always look your best in front of a camera. If I told you that I could guarantee that I could teach you how to instantly look better in front of the camera, would you want to learn it? The best part is that these techniques always work, and you’ll come away from the session with more than just the best headshots of your life! You’ll come away with more confidence in front of any camera that you stand in front of….forever…I guarantee it!

You can see the Renee’s session here:

I’ve been focusing a lot more on my business model heading into the deuce zip one deuce (2012). That means that I’m really focusing on exactly what it is that I want my business to be & how I want it to develop. I always feel very natural in the studio. The experience is always different based on the client I’m working with. Not only did I like this session, I loved it! It was the PERFECT way to start deuce zip one deuce (2012)!

If you are interested in a headshot session, please contact the studio at Studio@MichaelMontalto.com and I will forward you over some information.

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