Newport RI photographer Peter Silvia

Random California Images

2011-10-26T14:04:00.002-04:00

Forest Lawn Mausoleum

2011-10-26T13:06:00.003-04:00

Eucalyptus tree, La Crescenta, California.

2011-10-26T12:58:00.001-04:00

Equipment

2011-08-23T17:13:00.000-04:00

This is what I have been using this season if anyone is curious.

Backyard Sunflowers

2011-07-29T11:20:00.000-04:00

Greer is an avid gardener. This year she tried her hand at planting "dwarf" sunflowers. At this stage the tallest is about 5 1/2 feet. The honey bees have been having a ball.

Green Hill, RI, July 4th

2011-07-05T13:54:00.000-04:00

July 4th was Greer's birthday. We celebrated by spending the day with our friends Angela and Parker at their seaside cottage in Green Hill, RI. These are a few snaps from our walk on the beach...

Finals Week

2011-05-10T10:03:00.001-04:00

Preparing for Finals

2011-04-23T12:10:00.000-04:00

Captured moment of college student studying for finals.

Dream

2011-02-28T12:18:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my friend Jay for sending me this inspirational commercial.

Glasses

2011-01-28T10:49:00.000-05:00

This caught my eye (no pun intended) while on a commercial shoot...

Fall Afternoon

2010-10-30T10:16:00.000-04:00

Greer and I sneaked away for an afternoon with a trip to Roger Williams Park. A little bit of nature and a visit to the Botanical Gardens. Nice to get "out of our heads" for a while...

Kempenaar's Clambake Club

2010-10-12T11:03:00.000-04:00

Taken at the last clambake of the season on the occasion of Faith and Jefferson's Engagement Party.

World View

2010-10-07T12:22:00.000-04:00

Adirondack

2010-09-24T16:18:00.000-04:00

Just returned from Ali and Ollie's wedding weekend guest sail on the Adirondack. This was taken while passing under the Newport Bridge...

Naptime

2010-09-20T13:00:00.000-04:00

From yesterday's wedding reception...

Fishermen at Sunset on the Ocean Drive, Newport, RI

2010-09-14T09:37:00.000-04:00

Luis, New London, CT

2010-09-07T14:46:00.000-04:00

Putting Practice Green

2010-08-12T16:09:00.000-04:00

Barber Shop

2010-07-30T13:23:00.001-04:00

While our son, Casey, was visiting last week I took him and his grandfather to the barber shop. Turned into a family photo-op with them getting haircuts side by side. The second photo shows three generations of Silvia's.

The Run

2010-07-13T11:27:00.001-04:00

Sam out for a run on the Sommerville, MA bike path...

Letting Go

2010-07-09T10:21:00.000-04:00

The Fourth of July

2010-07-06T11:32:00.001-04:00

Memorial Day, Boston, MA

2010-06-01T09:36:00.002-04:00

RIP Wafflez, May 2005 - May 2010

2010-05-19T12:13:00.002-04:00

Our son, Casey wrote this about Wafflez...

It’s a scientific fact that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred. How we got here and where we go after we die are questions that have plagued man since the beginning of time. I’d like to think that all will be revealed when our time comes, but for those left behind, there is only confusion and sorrow. We ask “Why?”, trying to make sense of something that we only have the smallest fraction of understanding about. Death comes for everything, whether you are ready or not.

My cat Wafflez died on May 8th, 2010 and at first I wasn’t sad. Shocked for sure, but for some reason the tears did not flow. My mom called early that morning, early enough to know that it was nothing good and my mind immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion. With Vavo getting up in age I figured that was what it was about, but when she told me that Wafflez died I was completely dumbfounded. I dropped to the floor with mouth wide open, trying to make sense of what I just heard. Through her tears, my mom choked out the gory details of the last moments before the cat’s death, with a stroke being the ultimate cause. “How could this happen to such a young, active cat”, I thought, my brain unable to process what it had just heard. Time stopped and rolled backwards, sending me back to the moment I first saw her, so small and fluffy, but with a vicious smile that went straight to my heart. It was love at first sight. I had never really been a cat person either, having only had dogs for most of my life, but one look at her and I knew that I had found a friend for life. Ruthless, independent, curious, funny, cute, fluffy, vicious, all these things would come to define the Wafflez in the small amount of time I was lucky enough to know her.

Robbie, my girlfriend’s brother, found Wafflez on a doorstep one rainy, October night. She had survived about three weeks on her own and was just looking for shelter from the rain. Due to the fact that they already had two cats in the house, Robbie was forced to give her away, much to his dismay. Erica brought the cat over to my parents house while we searched for someone to take her. Not being cat people and the fact that we already had one animal in the house, they gave us three days before having to take her to the pound, making us scramble to find her somewhere to live. It was really hard though, not only is owning a pet expensive, but nobody wanted to take a feral cat that didn’t have her shots and might end up being too wild in the long run. By this point both Erica and I had become quite attached to the kitten, but despite my many attempts, my parents would not give in. Things were looking grim. The night before our time was up my father came downstairs to find the two of us asleep, with the cat curled up on my chest. At this point I think he realized just how much I loved her because the next day she became the newest member of our household.

In the days that followed we all had some adjusting to do, especially the dog. Ozzy had to learn his place in the pecking order quite quickly, so as to not incur too many beatings from the big headed one. The rest of us soon followed, ready to obey all the cat’s commands. Fresh tuna, homemade toys, nothing was too good for the Wafflez.
In 2006 Erica and I moved to Seattle, fully intending to bring the cat with us on the plane. Moments before driving to the airport we changed our minds. I mean who are we to take this cat away from the paradise that was her life. Sleep all day, hunt all night, she roamed around the neighborhood asserting her dominance over the other cats in the area, not to mention all the poor little birds and voles. Sometimes we were even lucky enough to receive leftovers on the back doorstep. It seemed wrong to just drop her on my parents, but by this point you could tell that they had been changed by her just as much as I was. This totally random, unexpected thing that just dropped into our laps had enriched our daily lives a thousand times over with only her presence. Even though I was only able to spend 1 out of 5 years with her, Wafflez helped me so much. At a time when it was hard to find a reason to get out of bed in the morning, she was always there, ready for the day and wanting me share part of it with her. Either that or she was just hungry... I write this to remember my friend, my child, whose memory will never be far from my thoughts, for she is right next to me all the time. I’m still not sad, but no longer confused as to why. I know that wafflez had the best life she could have possibly imagined and when I think of her only a smile comes to my face, bringing a certain satisfaction knowing that somewhere, Wafflez is still somersaulting at the gate waiting for me to return.

Dancer Portrait

2010-05-10T12:28:00.001-04:00

This was during a dance performance at Roger Williams University. Her pose is accentuated by the use of a wide angle lens and the composition is helped by the window frame. A nice "quiet" moment.

The Berkshires

2010-04-29T10:07:00.003-04:00

Just returned from our Anniversary trip to the Berkshires. Rained for three days straight, the museums were closed and it actually snowed! These two images were taken in VT while we explored the area in the car.

Dad at 92 series

2010-03-28T13:50:00.001-04:00

Dad enjoying a moment with the cat...

Point and Shoot

2010-03-27T15:42:00.003-04:00

Lately I have been carrying around an old film camera I found in the back of a drawer. It is a Yashica/Contax T 4 with a 35mm lens. Using some Fuji 1600 (that is all I could find in the fridge from the film days) I started playing around. Here are some images...

Library

2010-03-12T10:47:00.002-05:00

While on a recent assignment, I happened upon this scene. It is a natural composition, the door frame and the subject framed in the door all contribute to the frame of the camera viewfinder.

Dad at 92 Dentist Visit

2010-03-01T13:25:00.002-05:00

Dad visits the Dentist for an adjustment on his dentures.

Dad at 92

2010-03-01T13:20:00.000-05:00

Dad fixes himself a breakfast of oatmeal, english muffin and coffee every day.

Fragment

2010-03-01T13:15:00.001-05:00

Line and Form

2010-02-22T14:28:00.000-05:00

I am always fascinated with discovering line and form compositions.

Dad Goes To The Doctor

2010-02-22T14:12:00.002-05:00

We stop by the Lab for a blood test.

Waiting his appointment with the Doctor.

More Dad at 92 Photos

2010-02-16T16:33:00.008-05:00

Dad wearing his winter hat while reading the afternoon paper, taken just after Christmas.

Last week Dad caught a cold and spent two days in bed.

Casey's "Hoop"

2010-01-20T12:53:00.001-05:00

This image is not meant to be "art" or an abstract. All that it is to me is a memory of my son Casey's childhood. He was then ten years old and Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were the best team in the NBA. Casey started playing in the 10 and under league at the local Boy's and Girls Club. I ended up coaching teams for the next 5 years winning one championship.

Casey is now 24 years old. Any parent will tell you the the time goes by so fast. I was very lucky that as a photographer I was able to arrange my time so that I hardly missed any "moments" in his growing up.

Back to today. I was testing a new lens (Voigtlander 40mm/2 Ultron on my Canon 5D) and I saw the rusted hoop. Instantly I was transported to afternoons of shooting hoops and getting beat to the basket more and more as Casey got older.

He finally ended up spending more time with his friends and less with me. Now he lives 3000 miles away. We don't see him as often as we would like, but I guess I keep the backboard up just in case...

Luke Portrait

2009-12-22T14:56:00.004-05:00

I was inspired by looking at some photographs that were taken using an old fashion Daguerreotype process. I tried to replicate the look with this portrait of Luke from my files. I really like the "film like" feel.

Winter Fragments

2009-12-22T13:46:00.000-05:00

Green Monster Wall

2009-11-30T14:48:00.007-05:00

Here are two interpretations of "The Green Monster" at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox.

Church Door

2009-11-24T11:45:00.002-05:00

Quote for the Day

2009-11-20T16:27:00.001-05:00

Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera.

Yousuf Karsh

Dad at 92 - Around the House

2009-10-14T12:19:00.010-04:00

Starting his day.

Working in the garden.

Detail of Dad's bureau.

Dad is a devout Catholic. Here he "attends" Mass on TV.

Dad likes crossword puzzles.

Dad enjoys working in his workshop.

Dad doing his laundry.

Dad taking a nap.

Dad's Hands

2009-10-14T12:08:00.003-04:00

I have always be amazed at the strength that Dad's hands convey. For a small man, he has large hands that have acquired a history of their own from years of hard work.

Dad Goes To The Doctor

2009-10-14T11:50:00.001-04:00

Dad on a recent visit to the doctor for his checkup.

Today's Quote

2009-09-21T16:39:00.004-04:00

A photographer's work is given shape and style by his personal vision. It is not simply technique, but the way he looks at life and the world around him. -Peter Turner

Jesus Forever

2009-09-10T15:15:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday, while I was driving from a wedding ceremony to the reception venue, this biker waited for the light to change.

Update on Emilio Morenatti

2009-08-29T14:38:00.005-04:00

Emilio Morenatti arrives at Kernan Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Hospital in Baltimore Tuesday Aug. 25, 2009. Morenatti, whose left foot was amputated after a bomb blast in Afghanistan, was transferred Tuesday to a rehabilitation hospital in Baltimore, where he will be fitted for a prosthesis.(AP Photo/Enric Marti)
Associated Press

Emilio Morenatti takes pictures as he is carried on a stretcher out of the University of Maryland Medical Center's R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center to be transferred to the Kernan Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Hospital in Baltimore, Tuesday Aug. 25, 2009. Morenatti, whose left foot was amputated after a bomb blast in Afghanistan, was transferred Tuesday to a rehabilitation hospital in Baltimore, where he will be fitted for a prosthesis. (AP Photo/Enric Marti)
Associated Press

In this photo taken Aug. 21, 2009, Emilio Morenatti and his wife Marta Ramoneda speak to Emilio's family on his computer at the University of Maryland Schock Trauma Center in Baltimore. Morenatti, whose left foot was amputated after a bomb blast in Afghanistan, was transferred Tuesday Aug. 25, 2009 to a rehabilitation hospital in Baltimore, where he will be fitted for a prosthesis.(AP Photo/Enric Marti)
Associated Press

Around the House

2009-08-28T10:24:00.002-04:00

I like to exercise my "eye" and limit my photography to a familiar surrounding...the house. These were taken last week.

Ted Kennedy Photo by Stephen Crowley

2009-08-27T12:32:00.010-04:00

Photo: Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

Today's New York Times featured a cover photo of Ted Kennedy by Stephen Crowley. What struck me is that this photo told an entire story in just one frame. Stephen penned a tribute to former Life Magazine photographer Grey Villet, which will provide an insight to Stephen's photographic approach. You can view a portfolio of Grey Villet's on Pixcetera.

Dad goes to Home Depot

2009-08-27T12:13:00.003-04:00

Here are a few images from Dad's trip to Home Depot.

Dad Project

2009-08-27T11:56:00.005-04:00

I have just started a new personal project photographing Dad at 92. Here he is puttering in the garage. More to come...

Inspiration: Matt Mendelsohn, "The Lessons of Lindsay"

2009-08-21T17:24:00.008-04:00

While browsing the blogs I read daily, this feature on A Photo Editor stopped me in my tracks. Photographer Matt Mendelsohn not only photographed but also wrote the accompanying 10,000 word story as a self-assignment. True photojournalism at its best. You can view the blog post here. Be sure to click the links for an interesting Q+A with Matt about this self-assigned project. Thanks to Rob Haggart for posting this story.

Today's Quote

2009-08-15T11:58:00.001-04:00

The limitations of photography are in yourself, for what we see is only what we are.

- Ernst Haas - in "Outdoor Photographer" September 2003

Inspiration: Emilio Morenatti

2009-08-13T12:01:00.010-04:00

photos:© Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press

Emilio Morenatti was wounded while working in Afghanistan. He is a hospital in Dubai. His conflict photography has an artful quality. You can view a slideshow at LENS.

Update: Press release from Associated Press.

Inspiration: One in 8 Million

2009-08-09T09:18:00.018-04:00

photos:©Todd Heisler/The New York Times

Spent some time this morning looking at the latest multimedia installment of NY Times photographer Todd Heisler's project One in 8 Million.

Everyone has a story to tell and Todd's passionate approach certainly comes from his heart. He typically makes two or three visits with his subjects and spends a few hours each time. After editing down the take to 80-100 images, he and a project editor narrow the take to 25-40 images. A sound producer then blends the recorded interviews and paces them with the images. Todd achieved a "film" look, although the photos were shot digitally, using a Canon 5D on monochromatic mode with 35mm and 50mm lenses. Toning of each photo took less than 5 minutes and was limited to dodging and burning. Congratulations to The New York Times which has given birth not only to a year long project but one that has a personal project feel.

Todd Heisler and The Rocky Mountain News were given the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography for the photographic series "Final Salute".

Castle Hill Lighthouse on a Foggy Night

2009-07-29T14:54:00.002-04:00

Sunset at Castlehill

2009-07-28T17:28:00.003-04:00

Egret Pond

2009-07-20T14:31:00.002-04:00

Rainbow over Easton's Beach

2009-07-15T12:21:00.002-04:00

I have been busy with weddings this July, but I could not resist this rainbow following a midweek storm.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-22T10:56:00.004-04:00

There is a story about this rose. My father (who just turned 92) planted this rosebush in 1966. It has survived harsh winters and hot summers. I will always think of Dad when I see roses in the yard.

Sunday's Photo

2009-06-15T12:12:00.003-04:00

Today's Image

2009-06-12T15:34:00.003-04:00

Ryan Anson photographer

2009-06-03T17:39:00.006-04:00

I was "surfing" Hulu for photography and came across this multimedia story by photographer Ryan Anson. I was curious to see more of his documentary work so I googled him. Indeed he has a website of some fine documentary work. Great eye and a fantastic journalistic storyteller.

To my surprise, I discovered that he is also a wedding photographer based in San Francisco. Take a look at his work. You will not be disappointed.

Someone once told me that "you should shoot a wedding like a war a shoot a war like a wedding". Well, Ryan does both very well.

Today's Quote

2009-06-03T08:01:00.003-04:00

The trick is not becoming a writer. The trick is staying a writer.” - Harlen Ellison

Today's Quote

2009-05-30T09:28:00.002-04:00

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. - Scott Adams

Today's Quote

2009-05-29T08:48:00.000-04:00

"If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough." Robert Capa

Today's Photo Quote

2009-05-24T09:59:00.001-04:00

Of course it's all luck.
- Henri Cartier-Bresson

Foggy Day

2009-05-18T12:23:00.003-04:00

While photographing a wedding this past weekend at Oceancliff, I made these two images that captured the "feel" of fog on the coastline.

Glass Roof

2009-05-12T14:29:00.004-04:00

Once again while on assignment, I took a moment and looked up at a piece of architectural design.

"Spider Web"

2009-05-07T11:36:00.004-04:00

While working on a commercial assignment, I discovered this "spider web", which is actually an art project, on an outside stairwell. The rain had created these droplets and I could not resist photographing it.

Quote for the Day

2009-05-01T09:23:00.000-04:00

Art is not to be found by touring to Egypt, China, or Peru; if you cannot find it at your own door, you will never find it. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quote for the Day

2009-04-28T09:13:00.001-04:00

We don't take pictures with our cameras. We take them with our hearts and we take them with our minds, and the camera is nothing more than a tool. - Arnold Newman

Quote for the Day

2009-04-27T08:09:00.000-04:00

I realized the most important part of a photo was not the subject matter. Vision--or how you viewed things--was the most important part. - James Brandenburg

The Travel Photographer Blog

2009-04-26T08:45:00.006-04:00

One of my favorite blogs to visit is The Travel Photographer. Tewfic El-Sawy is a travel photographer who conducts travel workshops and expeditions. His blog features new photographers, and a variety of information from his point of view and of course his own photography. Here is a recent example of a new photographer discovery, Farazana Wahidy.

Quote for the Day

2009-04-26T08:06:00.000-04:00

A picture is the expression of an impression. If the beautiful were not in us, how would we ever recognize it? - Ernst Haas

Graphic Juxtaposition

2009-04-25T10:43:00.004-04:00

A personal photo taken on assignment while walking between locations. I was struck by the natural composition and juxtaposition the architecture used in the building design.

At Work

2009-04-25T10:39:00.007-04:00

While on assignment photographing a group of students, I turned around and found this young woman working while waiting her turn to be photographed.

Who Are You ?

2009-04-23T07:10:00.000-04:00

Who we are is the most important thing about photography. -Sam Abell

Today's Quote

2009-04-22T08:46:00.001-04:00

If a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it's as though I've neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up. - Richard Avedon

"Leaving Hollywood"

2009-04-21T18:24:00.000-04:00

Just discovered on Multimedia Muse this series of photographs by Nienke Kunder. Great use of a sequence of photos to tell a story. Reminds me of Duane Michals work.

This Morning

2009-04-21T12:03:00.001-04:00

Quote for the Day

2009-04-21T08:48:00.000-04:00

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly,; what is essential is invisible to the eye. - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

No is a Complete Sentence

2009-04-20T13:32:00.002-04:00

Blithewold Moments

2009-04-20T13:27:00.000-04:00