CARLOS VALENTINO

Stand up America and fight for what you believe in! Is Bank of America the only one to blame? Didn’t Obama take our money and give it to Citibank, Freddie Mac, Fanny Mae, AIG, & GM! Elizabeth MacDonald of Fox Business reported that BofA needs anywhere from $36.6 billion (says Oppenheimer Research) to $70 billion in more capital (says Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group). Citigroup needs even more. So far I believe that Roy De Young said it better than any analyst. Roy, designed tee shirts at Cafe Press with the new logo.

I want to buy a new car, but maybe I should wait now that I will be owning a piece of General Motors. GM announced plans to cut 23,000 U.S. jobs by 2011 and slash 40% of its dealership network; man this is scary. How the hell can we take care of our families. GM is closing Pontiac and getting rid of Saturn, Saab and Hummer, laying off people, closing dealerships and suppliers. These are people, what are they going to do! How are they going to pay their bills!!! I want to buy a Hybrid but, I don’t want to buy a foreign car. I’ve had my eye on the Honda Insight however, I want to support my neighbors, family and friends. The only answer I see is the Ford Fusion. I not crazy about Ford but we need to support our family, friends and neighbors. Welcome to the new dawn of Government Motors!

I don’t need to remind you that these are challenging times. So many of us are out of work while others are working in places that we can’t excel in. Research shows that only 2 out of 10 of us play to our strengths at work. In times like these I feel that I can’t afford to fly under the radar and go through the motions. In searching for personal growth, I found Marcus Buckingham book,“The Truth About You”. Marcus is a independent consultant and has been the subject of in-depth profiles in The New York Times, Fortune, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, USA Today and overall I like what he has to say.

When I sent the e-mail out about doing the Studio Spotlight my buddy Carmen Salazar was the first one to take action; that is one of the many reason why I love this lady. Her bio say: “I have traveled the world and photographed many great places and I am constantly amazed by the people I meet through photography. I have the privilege of working with so many wonderful people who give so much of themselves to me and I am a better person for that. Growing up I always adored the timeless images from my grandparents wedding and have always been in love with the notion of love and it’s eternal nature. I find weddings to be the culmination of love at it’s best – a most amazing ritual and exchange. Each one so unique. Each one so intense with emotion. To photograph it is an honor. In fact, I cry at every wedding I photograph. Something about the father daughter dance always gets me. Don’t worry though – I’m a discreet sober…you’ll never know.”

For more of this interview please go to http://www.sacramentopug.wordpress.com

Why was Perez Hilton a judge at this pageant anyway? Perez purposely asked a loaded question for his benefit!!! Perez Hilton is great a gorilla marketer and self promoter and this is just another way of keeping the spotlight on himself. He says that he gave Miss California the easiest question. I’m glad she spoke her mind and stood up for what she believes in; it cost her the crown but fuck it! Lately people are so stupid with this Political Correctness crap! Hatred is not the answer. I don’t believe that anyone so should disrespected because of their sexual preference. Drop the PC crap! If you can’t handle the truth, don’t ask the question!

I added four more subjects to my project making the total 13. I think it’s cool that my subjects are digging deep for a word best describes them and about the type of poses that best portrays them. I aim to create a quick video every time I get 10 new subjects, I need 7 more to create my next one. Check out the link if you wish to see the words that have already been chosen for Project 50, and to see the images that I have so far, feel free to visit my website, CarlosValentinoPhotography.com and look under Project 50.

Looking at it now I know that the my audio is a bit low in comparison to the music.
Regardless of that would you let me photograph you for my project?

Wow, I can’t watch the news tonight, it’s so sad the way children are being abused here in America. I think if they were just to hang the person as soon as they found out who did it, without a trial, without holding them in a cell, without letting them say good bye to their family, that is justice. Instead they’ll find the fucker and let him sit in a cell for years and it’s my tax dollars keeping the fucker alive!!!!! I say give her dad the rope and let him bring little Sandra Cantu justice!!

Project 50 is alive and well. This project is no longer just something to do on my down time but more of a personal discovery for me and of those around me. I chose this project at a time when my economic and emotional stabilty was crumbling; that happens when one faces the fear of losing their home due to a job loss. However instead diving head first into dispair, I’ve embraced my first love. So far I’ve been touched by the reaction to the emotions of Love and Hypersensitivity.

LOVE:
I can’t believe the amount of people that have been taken by my project. Last week I was honored to photograph Jennifer Smith of News Ten. When Roy e-mailed me and said the he and Jennifer were looking forward to being photographed I almost cried; one gets this way when one’s crafted is validated by their peers. I was so elated when I met them, so much so that I couldn’t even hold a conversation, almost star struck. Roy is a beautiful soul, Jennifer is a gracious lady and Olivia is just stunning.

HYPERSENSITIVE:
This one is weird. I thought that because I was a New Yorker I have buried myself underneath thick skin. However, this weekend I visited a fellow artist with the intention of asking him to be my subject, but before I could ask him he said, “I don’t get it”, that response blew me away. Would he reacted that way if he was asked by David La Chapelle or Duane Michals to be their subject? Not that I’m anything close to these artist, but is name recognition needed for one to participate? Apparently to some. I felt attacked! And it was at that moment, while I was swallowing hard, that I knew that I wasn’t just going to the motions. The camera was no longer a device of making money but it has returned to it’s original function, an extension of my heart and mind. I was now the proud father of this project and like a parent I said in my head “Your a Dick!” smiled and went my own way. We’re still cool, but at that moment I called it for what it was.

Thank you all that have taken part in my journey. I have some many others to shoot and if you want to partake in this project just follow the link and leave me a comment.

Today I had the great pleasure of working with Lisa Maire of “The Sweetest Thing”.
I love this lady and her work is divine. I recommend to all my brides that before they sign a contract with a Pastry Chef that they call Lisa Marie for a tasting, you won’t regret it.