** Please note - Our blog has moved to wordpress -> http://danmarinophoto.wordpress.com **
To enter the raffle, click here.
Hello friends,
Great news! We have just announced our online raffle available immediately through end of day December, 29, 2009. This is through my company TopStar gallery which many of you have heard me promote online and now with our Bryant Park storefront (come visit us please!).
TopStar recognizes that their are many unfortunate people living all over the world. With a recession that has staying power, 2009 is going to be a year where end of year giving is not on the same levels as years past.
As a result, we have decided to have an online raffle with fabulous one of a kind art to give away to the raffle winners. We will be basing the number of prizes on the dollar value we receive; however our Grand Prize winner will be walking away with a Framed, Matted & Signed 20×24 photograph of their choice (a $300 value!). Click on the link above for more details.
50% of the proceeds will be donated to the Make A Wish Foundation on December 30, 2009.
We appreciate your support and hope that you can spare at least $10 this holiday season towards a great cause.
Also, the store is doing great! We have a great location and traffic has picked up each week. Wish us luck as the full force hoilday shopping is coming now! All in all, this has been one risk worth taking and our 7 promoted artists are benefitting as well!
Please forward to your friends and family as well. Every dollar makes a huge difference to those that are not as fortunate as us! Strength in numbers forever!!!
To enter the raffle, click here.
See you all soon!
- Dan
Dan Marino
Founder
TopStar Gallery / Marino Photography
www.topstargallery.com
www.danmarinophoto.com
Friday, December 11, 2009
TopStar Online Holiday Charity Raffle – Enter Now
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Client Spotlight | A Family Plot Live - View my images inside!
Our blog has moved to wordpress -> http://danmarinophoto.wordpress.com
Click on the title above or CLICK HERE to view our client spotlight on an upcoming rock band. We photographed them in September and will be doing so again this Thursday, October 22!
Enjoy the story and the images! And while you are at it, go to http://www.afamilyplot.net and listen to their music. They are really good and their CD just went on sale on iTunes.
Friday, August 21, 2009
We've Moved!
Visit us at our new home - http://danmarinophoto.wordpress.com - current subscribers are still on the mailing list and are receiving blog stories.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
NYC "Old World" Imagery 2009
Happy 4th of July! I thought I would share some scenic and architectual detail NYC images with you. I am working on these for a client who wanted an "old world" feel with landmark images as well as many of the details NYC has to offer in their building designs.
Dan
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
WE ARE MOVING TO WORDPRESS!
HELLO,
WE HAVE MOVED OUR UPDATES TO WORDPRESS - PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ OUR LATEST AND GREATEST NEWS!
HTTP://DANMARINOPHOTO.WORDPRESS.COM
Sunday, May 24, 2009
You're Invited! Open Studio Tour Next Weekend
Hey everyone - exciting start to the unofficial summer thus far. Here is an event that I have chaired that would be a great event to attend to. Hope to see you all there!
I hope to see you there. Let me know you are coming and I will find you out there!! (or you can make it easy and visit me at the Extreme Paper Studio on 160 Union St. - I will have photography displayed here and at 91-99 King Street)
Sincerely,
(917) 207-2091
Friday, May 8, 2009
Dan's PIZZA ART SERIES, opening Sat May 9 in Red Hook Brooklyn
Hello Friends,
I would like to invite you to Red Hook, Brooklyn beginning this Saturday at 1PM for the opening of a 5 week art gallery exhibit titled, "The Color of Hope" by the Brooklyn Waterfront Artist's Coalition (BWAC - http://bwac.org). This is Brooklyn's largest art gallery. Free admission & complimentary hor d'oeuvres and cocktails to be served.
The show runs from Saturday May 9 - Sunday June 14 (weekends only) from 1PM - 6PM. There will be live music and entertainment on the 2nd floor and a silent art auction that concludes about 4PM with a final roll call on June 14.
I hope you are a pizza lover because when you walk through the 1st floor doors, I have a featured wall to the the right of the entrance themed, "The Art Of Pizza"! 9 pieces are on display that will tell you a story of how a perfect pizza pie is hand made, cooked and finally devoured. OK now I am hungry!
This gallery is located in an old warehouse down by the Red Hook Pier. This is an interesting space and an equally interesting area due to the amazing views from Red Hook's many piers. Look right and observe a very close-up view of the Statue of Liberty along with lower Manhattan. Look Left and see the Verrazano Bridge). Right outside the gallery sit 3 old trolley cars - these are the remains of what was left from attempts to put the trolley cars back on the streets a few years back.
I hope to see you there. The address is:
499 Van Brunt Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(all the way down to the Pier, Fairway's market on the right hand side)
http://danmarinophoto.com/pizza to see "The Art of Pizza" series (I am not telling you which ones are in the show until you get to the gallery!)
Sincerely,
--Dan
dan@danmarinophoto.com
www.danmarinophoto.com
www.brooklynstudiotour.com
(917) 207-2091
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Featured Artist at CollectiveArt Gallery in DUMBO, April 24-25
I will be a featured artist at the CollectiveArt Gallery (http://generalparticular.com/collective-art.html) located at 45 Main Street in DUMBO Brooklyn on April 24-25.
For those of you who have not been to DUMBO, jump on the train now - it is phenomenal and located Directly Under The Manhattan Bridge Overpass (hence the name - DUMBO - duh!)
The gallery is on the top floor of a beautiful pre-war building and is filled with windows showcasing breathtaking close-up views of the Brooklyn & Manhattan Bridges, as well as picturesque NYC skyline visuals. Within itself, this gallery's views are artwork.
I hope to see you all there. Opening reception is April 24 from 7PM -10PM. Cocktails & finger foods to be served complimentary.
The gallery season is among us and kicking into full gear. I am very excited about this gallery because of the location and the collectors from NYC and Brooklyn who attend.
Stay tuned as May, June and July are packed with gallery showcases for me (http://danmarinophoto.com for more info) and I am chairing an Open Studio Tour in Carroll Gardens and Red Hook on May 30-31 (http://www.brooklynstudiotour.com).
Speak with you all soon (hopefully on April 24!)
- Dan
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Featured Artist at MargaretPalca Bakes - March 30
Hello Friends,
Quick notes...
For starters, thanks for continuously looking at my Totonno's images.... I have been getting many many web hits and contact by many people who are letting me know how much they enjoy the work and are linking it to the reopen of this Pizza Haven!
Second note, I am going to be featuring 8 - 12 fine art photographs at Margaret Palca Bakes in Red Hook /Carroll Gardens Brooklyn on Columbia Street beginning on Monday March 30 for 3 weeks. This bakery serves up delicious pastries and cakes, as well as excellent coffee and gourmet sandwiches - just enough to sit back and let the taste buds do their work while your peer at my work and decide if you like it!
These images will be very much Brooklyn and NYC nostalgic as it fits the area - you will see when you get there!
The website with directions is as follows -> http://www.margaretpalcabakes.com
Once again, thanks for all of your support!
- Dan
www.danmarinophoto.com
dan@danmarinophoto.com
(917) 207-2091
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Another Sad & Tragic Coney Island Event - Totonno's Fire Causes Major Damage
CHECK THESE PHOTOS OUT IN THE GALLERY HERE -> http://danmarinophoto.com/__cl/totonnos
Hello friends,
Unfortunately, another NYC, Brooklyn and Coney Island Icon have suffered a great tragedy. As Coney Island itself continues to go through numerous unresolved issues, Totonno's Napolitano Pizzeria, the oldest running family run pizzeria in Brooklyn, went on fire Saturday morning. From what the news stories say, it looks like the coal oven sparked a fire that reached the ceiling and made its way to the roof.
This small pizzeria that is still very much designed as when it first opened in 1924 is very near and dear to my heart. I have been going there for all 33 of my year s and still manage to get there every 2nd or 3rd Fridays to bring home a pie or two.
I will save a photo essay I was planning to put out here very soon for when the proposed re-opening occurs. I just convinced Cookie the owner to allow my to do a photo shoot at Totonno's which I did complete on February 19. I think that a masterful story with supporting pictures is very necessary for this almost landmark of a place and a grand re-opening which hopefully does occur is most fitting.
** SOME DETAILS ABOUT THE SHOOT **
CHECK THESE PHOTOS OUT IN THE GALLERY HERE -> http://danmarinophoto.com/__cl/totonnos
I will share some fond memories from past and present here and use some of the 
photos from the shoot to support it. I will also link you to my gallery so you can see all of these images now. My goal with the shoot was simple. I went into it with no pre-conceived desires; just the passion and feeling that I needed to shoot it for my own pleasure and archives. What I intended to capture were hidden treasures that uncovered themselves as I snapped the camera and focused the lens. The only design goal was to try and create a nostalgic feeling; making sure to mix in images that had an antiqued and rustic feel, really crisp BxW's and vibrant color images the visually show Totonno's in its current state today.
** MY OWN MEMORIES **
1) Nothing beats the pizza eating competitions I got into with Uncle Dennis as a young boy. Who can eat as many of these coal fired delicious thin crusted slices was the sole rule! Uncle D definitely cheated and I always let him know because he wouldn't eat the crusts!
2) I will never forget the apartment shared by my wife (then girlfriend) Vanessa and I on Bay 50th Street and Cropsey. This location pretty much made Totonno's our resident pizza haven for a few years! Can you say extra pounds!!! There many nights we would walk over the Cropsey Bridge and pop in for a white and a red.
3) To this day, I go in and ask for a medium red and a medium white only for Cookie to tell me, "We don't have medium; just small and large!" I mean seriously why I can’t remember this!
4) I vividly remember Cookie's mom sitting on the bench outside Totonno's day in and day out.
5) I will never forget finally taking my camera and having the opportunity to document this special place.
I hope this wets your apetite prior to the photo essay hopefully coming sooner rather than later. In the meantime, please enjoy the pics and let me know what you think! Leave your comments to share your memories and thoughts of Totonnos.
Regards,
Dan
CHECK THESE PHOTOS OUT IN THE GALLERY HERE -> http://danmarinophoto.com/__cl/totonnos
Thursday, March 5, 2009
APW Art Gallery Opening - 3/6 Reception from 6-8PM
Hey everyone,
I am late getting this note out the door. My first art gallery opening of the season is upon us.
From Friday, March 6th through March 29, I will have 2 fine art photography abstracts on display. Interesting concept with this gallery; over 450 presenting artists showcasing work on 12 x 12 canvases. The gallery is large enough to hold thousands of pieces at this size. The theme of the show is titled, "World of Imagination".
There is an opening reception this Friday evening from 6-8PM. The gallery is located in Long Island City on Van Dam Street. I will be there for a while to check out the works, meet some of the artists and catch the overall vibe.
For more details, please check out the APW Gallery website here -> www.apwarts.com!
---
As always, I appreciate all of your support! 2009 is going to be a great year! If you are reading this after 12PM, Happy Friday!
Stay tuned for more exciting news. I will be a featured artist on March 29 through the end of April; you will hear about this in a week or 2.
Feel free to contact me sooner for information!
- Dan
Sunday, February 22, 2009
5 Challenges in Photography by Sarah Scrafford
Good morning all,
As mentioned in my last post, I am undergoing a website and blog redesign and my posts will resume in March where I will have many art gallery opening announcements and portrait stories to share with you.
In the meantime, I invited Sarah Scrafford, a known photography journalist, to post an interesting article related to the field.
Speak with you all very soon,
Dan
-------
5 Challenges in Photography
It may seem like an easy job – all you have to do is focus and click – but photography is anything but simple. In fact, most photographers work really hard to produce those stunning effects in their pictures. There’s much that goes on behind the lens that is not reflected in the final pictures, events and situations that tell the true story of an ardent photographer and the passion exhibited for his/her work. It’s a challenge more often than not, to come up with great pictures on a regular basis, even when they have to contend with:
• Difficult subjects: If you’re a fashion or portrait photographer, you have to contend with the vagaries of human nature, soothe ruffled feathers, and play peacekeeper when you’re trying to shoot a group of people. Although children are by far the most difficult of models, it’s easy to lump celebrities with the kids too because of their star tantrums and moody behavior. It’s a real challenge to cancel a day or more of shooting because your model leaves in a huff, especially after you’ve got everything else set up and ready, and then continue later after much begging and pleading as though nothing untoward has happened.
• Bad light: This is a photographer’s nightmare, because no one can control nature. If you’re stuck in the outdoors in light that’s not good for your shots, there’s nothing you can do but wait it out till the conditions are to your liking. One of the greatest challenges in a photographer’s life is the cultivation of patience, especially when you rely on nature for most of your pictures.
• Natural shots: There are some shots that must be captured immediately because they can never be acted out again in exactly the same way. It’s a challenge to photographers to be ready at the right time and the right place so that they get the right shot they want. Sports photography is one discipline where you must be quick on the button. With no action replays to aid you, it’s time to rely on burst mode photography to capture shots in succession so that you don’t miss the exact shot that you’re looking for. The same holds for wildlife photography where you must wait patiently and attentively for the creature you’re observing to make the move you want, because if you miss the opportunity to shoot when the event does happen, you may never get a chance to capture it on film again.
• Moving subjects: It’s always hard to photograph moving subjects without losing your subject in a blur. There are various techniques that help you take good shots of moving people or objects – you can blur either the subject or the background or both or none to achieve the effect you’re looking for with these techniques. Being prepared to capture a moving target is a challenge that ranks among the most difficult for any photographer. Just ask those who’ve trained their lenses on a cheetah or on Usain Bolt.
• Difficult positions: And last, but not the least, any photographer worth his/her salt is expected to get down and dirty and do what it takes to shoot a scene that’s waiting to be captured on film. And so you may find people with cameras on top of high ledges, on the edge of cliffs, on the ground under moving cars, twisted and contorted into tiny spaces, running behind celebrities and putting themselves in danger, underwater chasing sharks in a cage, and so on and so forth. It’s a challenge to get into a difficult position, just so you can get the kind of shot that you want.
By-line:
This article is contributed by Sarah Scrafford, who regularly writes on the topic of Online Photography Colleges. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Amazon Kindle 2
Hello everyone,
It has been a while since I last wrote a blog story but for good reason. I am undergoing a website and blog overhaul to compliment my true photographic offerings so much of my time is spent there nowadays so my brand is out there as my recognition is expanding.
That being said, I would love to hear from all of you with your updates. I am in a busy cycle, which is excellent given the current economy. My portrait work has been growing and many of you have provided me with referrals - as always I want to personally THANK YOU for all you have helped me with!
While I am in transition, I wanted to pass you information on the Amazon Kindle 2 - the electronic book wich is the size of a magazine but has the abaility to store your entire book collection. Not sure if you have made the transition to reading your books on a screen, but this device provides a similarity to a book - you can e-turn the page to have the effect, and it is something you can hold in your hand as compared to trying to read on a laptop or phone.
Anyway, I thought some of you may enjoy this. If you are like me and commuting on a bus for a 1/2 hour plus 5 days a week, then this may be something you want to add in your bag.
Here is the link -> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00154JDAI?tag=danmarinophoto-20
Please pass to anyone else you may think is interested as well. Let me know what you think!
Thanks and I will speak with you soon. I will be reaching out to you once I have "re-branded". The bi-monthly blogs should begin again in March.
- Dan
