I own a Mac... Finally!

It's about time!!! On May 29th, 2010, I became the proud owner of a MacBook Pro with the i5 processor! I'd been telling myself for years that I'd buy a MB, but I never got around to it. When the MB's came out in Black, I was extremely close to getting one, but things fell through and... you know... I can honestly say, the wait was well worth it. The MB comes with a hefty price tag, but you get what you pay for. This machine was well worth it! I have yet to find something I dislike about it.

With the speed, quality, ease of use, efficiency, and awesome battery life, I am sure that I'll eventually fall in love with it. I've loaded it with Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac, Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended and will be getting Adobe Lightroom in the near future. It's safe to say that I promote this product for anyone looking for something that's easy to use and is not prone to the many viruses that Windows products carry. This will definitely make my journey towards professional photography a lot less strenuous. Don't worry, the editing of photos will be much better. Stay tuned...

Highly DIsappointed

On April 14th, 2010, I decided to get on the subway and go to Union Square to get a few shots of the people that skateboard out there. Little did I know that the Police had everything on smash and the City of New York posted signs up that said "No Skateboarding"!!! How pissed was I??? I guess it's been so long since I've hung out in that area that I had no idea what was going on there now. So here I am, stuck on 14th St watching people eat outside on their lunch breaks and the society which is overindulged in their electronics (i.e. cell phones, laptops, mp3 players, etc...).


What I found amazingly funny is that even though there were tons of people out there taking photos (journalists, tourists, professionals, amateurs), I'm the one that get's looked at like I shouldn't have a big ass camera around my neck? Maybe because I wasn't dressed like I was on my way to a rock concert or probably because I didn't have on a "I Love New York" T-Shirt. I don't know what it is about being myself that people don't understand, but it's time to stop judging a book by it's cover!

Fresh kicks, mean denim and a fly ass jacket does not mean that I'm scared to get in the grass or dirt and take a picture. A hobby or profession doesn't manifest from what kind of clothing a person has on. But it should derive from the mindset of the individual; the place in his/her mind that yearns for something to do that makes them happy. It comes from years of searching and paying attention to what intrigues you and finally getting off of your ass to say "I'm gonna do that".

I was highly disappointed that I didn't get to take any pictures of skateboarders. However, I did find out that there is talent all over the city and tried to use that as my muse for the afternoon. I had fun... I guess...

Business Cards / Website

My business cards were designed by me! I went IN on those things! I am thinking about redesigning them and creating a whole new card and getting them printed on plastic instead of regular 14pt card stock. But the ones I have now will definitely hold me over until I come up with another design that I like as well that would look sick on a clear or frosted business card!

I am in the process of taking down my existing site (www.troysumpter.com) and replacing it with much more relevant content reflecting the person I am today and the business I've conducted throughout the years. I'll give myself to the end of the month to atleast have a splash page. if not that, then I may have to reach out to some folk and get er done!

Anthony Alfonso Green (Tre)

Lil Tre fell in love with grass and it was hard to get him to turn away from it. LOL. He was a good sport and took some great pictures thanks to his mom and his cousin acting a fool! This was the day I also fell in love with my 28-135mm lens. The FOD (Field Of Depth) on that thing is sick!

Tre's dedication was on 4/12/10 and thanks to his mom, Babe and Aunt Jo, I was able to connect with some other parents that wanted photos of their children. Can't wait to see my next subject...

Diva Boot Camp

Soooo...

"Babe" said she was finally ready to be shot by me. With much hesitation and much reservation, she put on her game face, got dressed and quoted "I'm ready for my close-up". And that's what babe got! It took just about 2 hours, but the shoot was very fun, very interactive, and it has helped me travel on my path to take your next favorite picture.


Babe titled the shoot "Diva Boot Camp". She took direction very well and was an excellent team player. She dedicates the shoot to her dad who fought for his country in the Vietnam war. Her dad is very much alive!

Overall, it was fun. i wish I had a damn site to post the pics on. But, that will be taken care of shortly... *wink*

I Should Just Shoot Myself

I woke up this morning kind of early. Knowing that I had to get some more practice in, I picked up my phone and looked for a bit of inspiration. Originally, I wanted to go outside and get a few shots since it was so nice out. But lord knows that I needed to stop BS'ing and get my ass up and start taking pics. I figured, hey, why not shoot myself??? I'm no model, but I was definitely one this morning. I shot a few in color just to have some highlights, but for the most part, everything was done in B&W. I am very open to feedback, so please, comment if you will. I'll come back and edit this post with a link so you can view the rest of the pics from the shoot.

Born A Brooklyn Boy

I know it's been some time since I've last left a post, but let me get right in to it...

Most people are born with 1 or 2 strikes against them. I was born with 3: Being a male, being black, and being born in Brooklyn, NY. The first 2 are a given. Being born in Brooklyn puts a negative connotation on your character. People assume that everyone born in the urban areas of Brooklyn are from some type of "thugged-out" background or from a dysfunctional family. Worse, they assume you aren't smart enough to know any better or that you won't amount to much. Especially if you love loud music and have a plethora of tattoo's.

In life, everyone goes through their own struggles. Mine were having teachers tell me I wouldn't amount to sh*t, dealing with being too dark or too big, and a host of unlucky streaks. Being born in BK didn't make anything easier. Sitting outside and watching all the cool kids get whatever they wanted from their parents and teachers bothered the f**k outta me! Lots and lots of temptation flooded the streets of Brownsville whether it was being cool, selling drugs, pretty girls, being fly, etc... But growing up here gave me the strength to endure much of what life as already thrown at me.

I am not looking for sympathy nor am I crying for help. I'm just giving a brief overview of how it was fo me growing up in BK. Now, all of that I once admired is now mine and I've worked hard to get to that point. Nothing was handed to me!!! All of those kids that got whatever they wanted, never learned the true value of a dollar and aren't doing too well right now. The teachers, I pass daily and wish them well seeing as though I'm providing for myself much better than they'd ever had to chance to do for themselves.

Long story short - Momma raised me, Brooklyn raised me. Enjoy my Brooklyn Eye!