xynn tii imagery.

I’m Tellin’ You: Ultra Never Gets Old!

Be sure to friend request me via facebook. I released this photo to my facebook friends way back in March along with 99 other great Ultra 12 images! For those not too familiar with Ultra Music Festival… it’s pretty much the sheeeiit! It the largest and most successful electronic music venue in the United States. This year, it easily surpassed its record, attracted more than 100,000 during the 2-day event.

What I look forward to more than anything is Ultra 13! From what I hear, the venue will be extended for a day and just may double in size. This, by far, was the most amazing photo opportunity I’ve had thus far. Another ginormous music venue, that usually succeeds Ultra and takes place every April, is Coachella! The west coast hosts this; I really look forward to attending next year (unrealistic goal).

Miss Out on the Premiere?

If you did… I forgive you, but let’s get you up to speed on the latest. My Eyecandy Portfolio came to life on 1 June! The grand opening went pretty snazzy and I made sure to celebrate the occasion responsibly with a handful of Associates here in Miami FL! You can check out the photos from the party I hosted over at my facebook profile. Yea, that was clearly a joke; I just wanted to find a way  to sneak in my facebook link. ^_^

At any rate, make sure to check out the Screenshot Tour I created for Eyecandy so you can get familiar with all the nice features. The greatest thing about Eyecandy is that you can buy prints directly within the Portfolio! This redefines what it means to have a user-friendly site!  I created a separate Screenshot Tour for purchasing prints as well, over at xynntii.com/buyprints. Prices start at a remarkable $12 and because of this, they are selling pretty damn well; much better than I projected for this first week. Get in on the fun: Go consume (and buy) my Eyecandy today!

Yohji Yamamoto = Genius!

Last summer, around the time I had just established :xynn tii imagery as a company, I tagged up with Ludwing Laboriel to embark on a awkwardly diverse photo session. Nothing was really planned, we just rolled with whatever. I have to admit: most of the shots involved his abdominals more so than anything else.

We took some editorial shots at the amenities level of my condo residence and in the studio, which turned out great! But I enjoyed the candid ones the best! We walked randomly in the dwntwn streets, Ludwing with guitar  in one hand, and a colossal ego in the other. It was funny how many blank stares we attracted.

Ahh, those sunglasses; the most superior eyewear I’ve ever witnessed. Fortunately in 2002, Japanese high-fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto and Adidas went into collaboration to mold the Y-3 brand, Adidas Style. I’ve been following Y-3 for a few years now and they’ve become a serious powerhouse, considering that the brand combines elements of couture with that of sportswear. It’s worthy of attention! It’s pretty pricy, but as I always say, “You get what you pay for.” Marinate yourself in Adidas Style by visiting y-3.com.

By the way, those are MY shades! Ludwing just borrowed them for the photos. Sorry, I couldn’t hold that one in; my self-indulgence made me do it! =/

It’s More Than Just a Slideshow

A goal that has been 12 months in the making, this is the sole reason why I continue to taking photography so seriously. I’ve worked and progressed tirelessly to establish portfolio.xynntii.com and it is finally here for everyone to consume! I call it Eyecandy because this portfolio is remarkable and includes a variety of neat features! First off, it opens up with slideshow that displays a handful of fan favorites (and some of my personal favorites too).

Don’t be misled! The slideshow is just an appetizer. The following screenshot details how to navigate to any of the 6 genre gallery’s. Here, I’ve neatly organized all my images based on the genre they fall under. Like many of you already know, I take a crazy amount of different shots, so I make sure to categorize them for a user-friendly viewing experience!

Buy Your Prints Directly w/ in the Portfolio!

The greatest feature of Eyecandy is the ability to Buy Prints with just a couple clicks while you browse the different genres gallery’s. Head over to the Buy Prints page where I included an easy-to-follow screenshot guide on how to choose your prints, the sizes and paper finishes. Sizes range from 4×6 to 30×40 canvases! I was surprised myself on how diverse the size selection is. Here’s the remarkable part: Prices Start at a Jaw-Dropping $12! The massive size variety will be able to accommodate all requests.

Enough of my jaw-flapping; go check out my Eyecandy Portfolio now! The best thing to happen for :xynn tii imagery thus far!

Great Discussions over at the Fansite!

Make sure to become involved in the deep conversations I have with fans and opposers alike at :xynn tii imagery’s facebook fansite. One of my latest responses to a question sparked a big rally of comments and constructive controversy I suppose you could call it. Actually, as I write this update, the conversation carries on, so go throw yourself in the mix! It’s within the landscape image titled ‘Soaring Above the Cloud Beds’.

Since xynntii.com is only around 6 months old, I still have a very lop-sided fanbase over at facebook. But patience and time will soon bring all of that traffic here to my photo blog. Also, look forward to the premiere of my online portfolio with smugmug coming next week! 3 months is the making ➥ This is going to be a revolutionary playground extension to xynntii.com where you will be able to view my 6 genres of photography and also buy prints directly within the portfolio site! I’ll leak all of the details in the next update. Can’t wait to share it with all of you!

Late Night at the ol’ Bayfront Park

Living across the street from Bayside Marketplace and the Port of Miami is probably only a bad thing if your condo faces Biscayne Blvd. Next to Bayside is the Bayfront Park Amphitheater where all the cultural festivals take place annually. The Haitians have some serious pride and when I say noisy, I mean straight rambunctious! Sometimes the crowd can have a way of guiding to them with all of the crunk in the air. I took the time to head out there after it had died down a bit. I didn’t take any shots on the festival grounds, but saw an Eyecandy opportunity at Bayside. I decided not to mask out the moving people or the moving ship because I feel it adds some meaning to the frame. c:

It Feels So Real Up There!

Well, during my time near the runway strip I got stopped by airline security as I tried to snapshot the American Eagle Jet that flew me from Miami to Pensacola, Florida. Guess I wasn’t sneaky enough and too far away from their sights, but there’s always a next time. ^_^ Because I didn’t get a shot while on the ground, I made sure to take full advantage of my window seat! I’ve never really looked out at the clouds while being level with them. There’s an ironic feeling that hits you in the gut once you notice how much of a contrast there is above and below the cloud beds. Such a tranquil vibe seems to exist where humans don’t reside, this case being up in the sky. Then of course you have the world that exists under it where we as a people implement countless strategies on polluting the air, but cannot find one successful way to stop a damn oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. Everyone say “awkwardly pathetic” on three!

Photographer or Photoshopper?

The other day I received an excellent question from Danilo over at my facebook profile. He asked: “Are you a photographer or a photoshopper?” Alright, so let me get right to the point. Asking a photographer that question is the same as asking James Cameron: Are you a filmmaker of a CGI-er? [Cameron is writer and director of Avatar.] To answer Danilo’s question, which I gratefully appreciate him asking, I am a photographer and I’m not sure exactly what it means to be a photoshopper. If by using the Adobe program Photoshop at least once in life deems me as a photoshopper, then… okay and whatever, sounds like fun to me. =D

What I do know is that software and technology have escalated beyond our years, providing endless possibilities within the realm of visual arts. If one is to notice the post production techniques used on photos, you can’t help but see similar techniques used in film as well; our levels of creativity are evolving. This all plays into the part of :xynn tii imagery‘s slogan – have an open mind – and not limiting yourself. But of course, this is simply my opinion.

The Comment Cabin Nears Completion

I’m always gonna be about making xynntii.com as user-friendly as possible. One of the most engaging sections of this website needs to be the comment section, where people can not only share their thoughts on posts and pages, but also read up on previous comments. Hence, the Comment Cabin, another inutitive piece of this website that I’m sure you’ll find useful.

Approaching completion next week, the Comment Cabin will display your comment magically within it’s individual block. =D [that was corny]. You’ll also be able to comment directly with your Facebook, so your profile pic will appear as a thumbnail alongside your comment! I’m real anxious to add this to xynntii.com’s playground!

“Brickell or Dwntwn Miami?” Same Thing, Ignoramus!

I try to be as polite as I can be but tourists [and some natives] just don’t get it: Brickell is considered within the dwntwn area. I suppose you can call it the ‘business district’ of Miami. Countless times I’ve had to explain that to people. I’m a ridiculous hypocrite though, considering that I just found out for myself, about 6 months ago, that Brickell is part of dwntwn Miami. & I’ve been living here for 2 years so that’s pretty disgusting.

This image was shot at the Epic Hotel pooldeck looking to the south into Brickell. I found it hilarious that all traffic was heading towards me, leaving this District, the entire time I was setting up. Brickell is a great site for photos though! So many random skyscrapers used for nothing more than office space. I get the feeling that we’ve gotten to the point where architects and realtors are only constructing towers to be able to say “Hey yea, I’m the owner of the tallest building in Miami; how you like me now?” I think our ego’s drive us into bankruptcy, not our ignorance.

100° in Vero Beach & Smugmug Portfolio

Just came off a necessary celebration vaca in honor of xynn tii imagery‘s anniversary on 1 May. What an excellent time for the semester to end. Vero Beach was actually better [and hotter] than I anticipated. I would have never imagined that it would reach near triple-digits. There was such a drastic temp-difference from Miami to Vero so it really caught me off-guard. Nevertheless, Vero is crazy beautiful and its beaches have nice seclusion to them [something you'll never get from South Beach]. I definitely look forward to heading back up there within a couple months.

In relation to my portfolio [hosted by the unmatched Smugmug]; the deadline of 10 May still stands and I’m really looking forward to sharing it with you! As I mentioned earlier, it’s going to share the same playful layout theme of xynntii.com, along with the 6 genres of my photography: Commercial, Editorial, Landscape, Media, Monochrome & Runway. This portfolio will be versatile; you’ll be able to purchase prints and the photo files directly within the portfolio interface. So user-friendly. c:

The Ultimate, in Blasian Persuasion

Alright, so I’ll try to keep this appropriate and PG-13ish.

I was fortunate enough to have a close friend visit me in Miami last year. But unfortunately for her, she was sick the entire trip. I call her Sonja, which she doesn’t like but that’s okay. [Sonya, Sonja: same thing] She drove down from Virginia with a few of her college girlfriends [Julia, Jody & Stephanie] during the Spring Break. They were the typical Miami newbies so I did my best to make sure they didn’t leave disappointed.

The reunion was beyond memorable though, I loved it. It had been a few years since our last rendezvous, dating back to high school in South Korea. Her personality hasn’t changed a bit but her level of persuasiveness has multiplied! She’s so pretty; it was only right that I got a shot of her at the hotel, while she coughed all over me.

Spring Semester Ends & Smugmug Portfolio

Finally! I just completed my last final for the semester. I’m pretty sure I didn’t do too well on it, but to be honest I really don’t care. I busted my ass this semester [for the most part at least] so I’m pleased overall.

Anyway and more importantly to you is the announcement of my premiere portfolio, which is being hosted by smugmug. I actually found these guys on accident but I’m convinced that everything happens for a reason. Currently, I’m getting the layout designed to match the theme of xynn tii imagery. So when you go there, it’ll appear as if you never left xynntii.com! Pretty sexy, you’ll see.

As of right now, you’re more than welcome to visit my portfolio; all of the photos are up! Once the xynn tii imagery layout theme has been applied you’ll find my Eyecandy even more entertaining. I’m shooting for 10 May as the deadline to have the portfolio theme complete. I’ll keep you in the loop within the next few image updates!

I Anticipate Being Sent to Court at Some Point in my Life

A random stroll down flagler street in dwntwn Miami makes for the perfect scenario of getting mugged, run over or even, in my case, starred at. But regardless, the fact of it being a great photo opportunity is always superior.

Surprisingly, no one stopped me from taking this photo; security was no where in sight. I think there are regulations that prohibit photo-taking of governmental buildings. This is something I didn’t know about until after taking this shot and attempting to photograph another in which I got in trouble for.

Will I ever attempt to do this again? More than likely because I tend to be a rebel. This is why I wouldn’t be surprised if I ever were to be arrested or thrown in court. The saga continues.

‘xynntii.com/about’ is Pretty Much Done!

There’s nothing I enjoy more than having the opportunity of adding to xynntii.com, which is evolving pretty fast. Thanks a billion to the escalating flickr community for all of their visits and photo-support. Until recently, I wasn’t really into the world of flickr but I see now how beneficial its sources can be for xynn tii imagery. Besides, I have to pay for that damn pro account, so I’m being a lot more productive with it now. c;

Anyway, xynntii.com/about, my conversational biography, has been released! I dislike biographies that are so serious and are written more like a novel; in this case, the story can get dry and boring. So I decided to stay consistent with the entire theme of xynn tii imagery by making my bio a little bit corky and playful. Make sure to also see 8 Disturbing Things About Xynn Tii, which is pretty inappropriate, but that’s why I like it!

The Audience Loves Playing with Toys

If there is anything that’s steadily consistent with Ultra Music Festival every year, it was how crazy the crowd acts. Well, considering how expensive those tickets are, I would dance my ass off too! But surprisingly, there seems to always be a positive vibe between everyone in attendance. This year attracted well over 100,000 fans and yet there were 0 reported injuries, which is amazing considering that amount of traffic!

I always find myself getting hit in the head with one of 200 beach balls flying around the stage. But it’s a fun, exciting and safe environment filled with diverse hardcore fans. That’s the reason why I look forward to Ultra in 2011, which apparently is set to be 3 days long instead of the usual 2. 0_0 Oh sheeeiit!

More From Gusman Center During MIFF 2010

For some reason this year I took a completely different approach toward the Miami Int’l Film Festival. Instead of the usual boring podium pics, I made it a priority to capture the architecture of the Olympia Theatre, inside and out. Because of this initiative, I was able to see so much more of this place in comparison to last year, where I was highly distracted by Miami Female Eyecandy! 0_0

In continuation of the random discussion I created within the last MIFF image post, I was very shocked at how many people just stood around and starred at me as I got this shot. I didn’t received those “Oh, I’m so interested in what you’re doing” type stares. I got those “What the hell is he doing, he look ridiculous” type stares. I decided to set up for this shot after nearly everyone had left this area [the main entrance] and were seated in the theatre. I figured this would help alleviate traffic, which it did. But it didn’t prevent the spectators. Too bad no one bothered to raise their head to see what displayed above them. =/

“There’s No Way The Ceiling is Really That Illuminated!”

Well I have to be honest: it really isn’t. Obviously there would need to be a ginornous light source to create such an orgasmic-looking scene from above. Those ceiling lamps clearly would not provide that much illumination; hence the High Dynamic Range Imaging process. ^_^

1. I always use a tripod, so get in the habit of using one as well. It makes the editing process so much easier. At this site, I captured 3 shots at the exact same position using 3 different exposures, bracketed at -2, 0, +2. For HDRI’s, I consistently use Photomatix to fuse the exposures together. There is also a great tonemapping feature included in the program. Keep in mind though, Photomatix is typically only the first of about 8 steps.

2. Next, it’s time for Photoshop! Using color correction, desaturation and tonal contrast is a must. Color Efex Pro, an excellent plug-in that I use, can get this job done the best. I use it more than any other plug-in. I’m sure you  will find it very productive and user-friendly.