xynn tii imagery.

The Most Legendary Landmark in Dwntwn

Well, you can’t even see it in this shot, but the Freedom Tower encapsulates 85 years of Miami history. You can’t say that about too many structures still standing in the dwntwn area.

Currently, this guillotine is still on display just outside the Freedom Tower, apparently for the awareness of past torture methods used by… yea, I really have no idea why this random guillotine is out there. But I was asked to take a shot of it for a last minute assignment a couple months ago. Came out pretty well, but I made sure to keep my distance. :p

Fansite Community Growing Rapidly! Join In.

In May of last year, I started a puny sharing platform for :xynn tii imagery over at facebook. Soon enough it became a Fansite and folks actually started looking at my photos and reading the write-ups (at least that’s the impression). But don’t be discouraged; now that you’ve been informed, you don’t have to be an outsider any longer! Join the facebook fansite now and take advantage of that sexy Like Button. c:

Now, All It Needs is Some Paint

Back in February I rendezvous’ed with the construction workers in Dwntwn Miami. This was my first and (still so far) only photo opp on a satisfyingly dangerous construction site. I really want to do this again, but Turner Construction doesn’t seem to be budging. Either way, it’s a bit too late to return to these specific grounds because the structure of the building has been enclosed and is waiting for primer and painting.

These guys are working on what will be the Culinary Arts building for Miami Dade College, a couple blocks from where I live. It’s about 9 stories with abnormally high ceilings, which caters too the students cooking activities.

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!

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.

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The only reason I’ll ever leave my balcony door open is to hear the sound of drills and jack-hammers raping the Miami streets [and also to save money on my energy bill! c;]

There is never a day that goes by where you will not come across a construction site in Miami, especially in the dwntwn area! It’s just human nature. As you may have already seen through some of my previous images, Miami is going through a serious facelift, or self-proclaimed “Manhattanization wave.”

29 floors and two blocks away from my place of residence is a relatively new construction site on the Miami Dade College campus. Apparently a premiere 13-level Culinary Arts building will be added to the MDC Wolfson campus by October of this year. 0_0 It was so crazy how many people I had to go through just to get permission and access to this construction site. Affiliates of the MDC campus and managers of Turner Construction Co. were so focused on my safety, it was ridiculous. Everyone was afraid of getting sued in the event of me getting injured, so I had to wear the hard hat and vest, as expected anyway. =/

I’ll be posting several other eye-candy images from this construction site during the course of February, instead of all of once [everything in moderation].

Huge Appreciation ↓

to Andrew Knight of Turner Construction Co. for getting me on the site smoothly. & thanks a billion to Lazaro, Manolo & Sergio [great Miami press colleagues of mine] for helping me choose the best image from this assingment to share with all of you. Make sure to see the larger version at xynn tii imagery.™ flickr! c;

& yes, I’m always in love with your fanbase! ^_^

Let’s Be Facebook Friends

Your fanbase over at the xynn tii imagery.™ fansite is escalating beyond imagination and I sincerely appreciate all your comments/critique. I find myself just as engaged to your feedback and it’s definitely making me better at what I do. Keep ‘em coming fans!

Also! I’ve been getting an overwhelming amount of fans requesting my facebook friendship at my personal profile. You can become my facebook friend too! Make a quick trip to ➠ facebook.com/xynntii. Get it in! I’ve been chatting one-on-one with fans that want to know more about my technique and even Miami in general. I’m here to respond to whatever you’ve got, so request me now. c;

Image Detail.

AHH! I wish you could see how many glass doors make up that entrance. Brings a new meaning to excessive. O_0

So, 4 consecutive upgrades containing images from the Inter-Continental Hotel? I think I may have a crush. Or maybe these are the only HDRI shots that I’m biasly [yea, that's not a word] deciding to prepare for the fans to see? =/ Either way I need to diversify a little bit more. This was one of the first images I took before damn-near being raped by the Valet as I tried to head inside. I didn’t even come in a car, WTH!? All I had was my camera on a tripod that looked like a rifle at first glance. :p

A Serious Problem ↓

The flags on the far left were a serious pain to fix. Why did it have to be so windy yo!? Actually, I didn’t even really fix them. The typical Miami distraction [women] and American Idol kept me from altering its appearance in time, so I did what I could with the lack of focus I had.

This HDRI contains 3 exposures, tonemapped in Photomatix and color-corrected/masked in Photoshop CS4. Lightroom 3.0 did its thing as well, helping me with correct lighting sources. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did taking it! ~_=

Twitter = The Best I Ever Had

Yea, it’s kind of a big deal to become an active Twitter user. For serious, make sure you’re following each and every tweet of xynn tii imagery.™ I like to think I am a true twitter user [& there goes the ego].

Some often get the misconception that Twitter is simply a social network where you only let people know what you’re doing every minute of the day. WRONG, WRONG! It’s more than that. Trey Ratcliff [the best HDR photographer in the game] will tell you firsthand that its about sharing the Internet with… with the Internet. Twitter makes it easier to share links with one another at the fastest rate possible.

Links are what make up the world wide web, and we’re constantly searching for news, inspiration, etc. Twitter is ideal for bringing all of this together as one big foundation. As a person that enjoys taking photos, I am constantly receiving links via the people I follow for inspiration and… everything. You can only get the most out of this Twitter by simply following the right people and being proactive and educational within your own tweets.

Look, the bottom line is: If you use Twitter for what’s its truly meant for and if manipulate all of its capabilities, you’re bound to discover that it’s actually quite useful and worth your time. Most importantly, follow xynn tii imagery™ c;

Image Detail.

The Marina Blue. Yea, it’s pretty sexy. It’s architecture is just ridiculous, and I mean that in a good way! It’s another relatively new condo residence of the dwntwn Miami area. It’s almost directly across the street from where the Miami Heat play [AA Arena]. I really don’t know much about it except that I know I can’t afford to live there… and that… it’s a sexy-looking skyscraper. ><

I wanted to lead the viewer’s eyes to the tower by finding an angle in which it would be centered and in the background. Do you think I accomplised that? =p I would love to go inside this place and hopefully within the next few days I will have the opportunity to shoot some images from one of their top floors. I would be able to get a decent shot of the AA Arena from up there, with the traffic strobe-lighted through the long-exposure process. Mhm, sounds like a plan.

Soooo, do you like this photo? Are you a Twitter user? Are you following xynn tii imagery™? Do you strongly dislike how the media is eating Tiger Woods inside out!? Tell me what you’re thinking. Comment this post and leave a comment via Twitter using the hastag #vlogcast. [ I will be able to find your tweet easier when you use the hashtag c: ]

Become a fan via the xynn tii imagery™ facebook fansite. c:

In honor of the first one to do it, the late great André Kertész.

For class, I was assigned to mock the style of renown photographers.Thought it would be crazy boring, but I’m glad I did it. c;

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This is one of several courthouses in dwntwn Miami. Wouldn’t this make a nice postcard? ^_^

Join the fanbase via xynn tii imagery™ facebook fansite.

Who said dwntwn Miami doesn’t have bright lights?

I was really grateful to have gotten this shot! I was actually allowed access to one of the highest levels of my condo residence in dwntwn Miami. I’ve been craving this opportunity for months. c; This image points to the south, toward the Brickell district. I am a serious fan of the Bank of America Tower [purple skyscraper at right] because decades it has managed to remain a highlight of the dwntwn Miami area, literally. It began groundbreaking in 1983 and to much surprise still has that modern look to it.

What separates this Bank of America Tower from its surroundings are the interchangeable LED lights that mock colors based on specific times of the year or event. [For instance, during Breast Cancer Awareness month, the tower was lit in pink] Remarkable idea, I love it. This image also depicts the architectural renovation process of Miami. You can clearly see that the buildings start to look more modern as you track from the bottom of the image to the top, which is a true representation.

It really is only a matter of time before the Hyatt Regency Hotel and James L Knight Center [white buildings at center frame] are renovated and the same goes for much of the dwntwn area. I think its necessary and I look forward to seeing how Miami will look in 5 to 10 years from now. c;

This is a high dynamic range image and also my 1st taken with my new Canon D7 ! I used a -2 to +2 exposure metering [where I merged 3 images together during post production] No photoshop! was used during this process. I developed the image with photomatix and lightroom. c:

Believe it or not, I believe the most interesting section of this photo is actually in the very back. You can see a cruise ship from a far that separates the water from the sky! That divide gives the background more of a 3D-rounded look. But hey! Please supply your critique on this image via commenting here or even via twitter. Is this image in or out ?

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