CARLOS VALENTINO

I dusted off my Nikon D70 and took it with me on a family trip to New York City. I grew up in Brooklyn New York and the neighborhood is going through some big changes. Williamsburg, aka The South Side, now is home to great restaurants, art galleries, condos and bicycles; lots and lots of bicycles. It was cool to learn that we no longer have to cross the bridge by car or train to get to Manhattan, now we can be in midtown in minutes via the East River Ferry. My little one loves the subway; it’s in her blood. We commuted by train to the Hayden Planetarium for Journey to the Stars, Little Italy for pizza, this place is packed for the Feast of San Gennaro and Luna Park in Coney Island where we shared Nathan Hot dogs on the boardwalk; but her favorite was Chinatown. To be honest, returning to NYC was a bit emotional but to see all the changes was exciting. I fell in love with the pier at the EDGE apartments complex and with the BMW F800, you never know I may get rid of my car. Would I ever move back? I hate the humidity, but I love the city and it would be nice to shoot a wedding in Spring or Fall. Now that I’m back in Sacramento it’s back to what I love. I have a engagement session tonight, one in Los Angeles in a few weeks and I’ll be at the Folsom Bridal Show at the Lake Natoma Inn on August 28th.

I want to take a moment and thank you for thinking of my family at this time. In the late 60′s my mother moved from Puerto Rico and made Brooklyn, New York her home. A single parent she taught me that school; family, hard work and trust in God were essential for a good life. With her I learned how to be dependable, respectful, cook and even how to dance the hustle.

In the early eighties doctors had found that brain tumors were the reason behind her headaches. In October 2000, I moved from NYC with her blessing with hopes of her moving to Sacramento with me but that never came to be.

My Mother loved Christmas, two days later, on the eve of NYC worse snowstorm of 2010, she passed way. I am deeply sadden that she is no longer here and I know that this is part of the grieving process, the only consolation I have is what can be found in the bible in 2 Corinthians 5:8 “…to be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord.”