TJT Photography Blog

I hope you can join us all at the Bridal Fair.

You may email your question to:

natureswayfloral@yahoo.com

Actress Linda Bove, a Sesame Street regular from 1971–2003, came to Rochester for a Public Service Announcement produced by the Ad Council of Rochester for the University of Rochester’s Deaf Wellness Center. The TV spot, filmed entirely in American Sign Language, is aimed at educating the deaf community about depression as a treatable mental health issue. The production team included Roberts Communications, the lead pro bono agency on the project, with Nick DiBella, Director, and Chris Hart, Cinematographer. Film, equipment, processing, and transfers were all donated by Eastman Kodak Company. Still photography was donated by Timothy Toal, TJT Photography. The commercial should be ready to air this summer.

This winter I will be teaching a class on Environmental Portraits at the Community Darkroom. Students will learn posing and lighting techniques using tungsten, strobe, small flashes, and available light. We’ll work in the studio and outdoors on location. Some basic lighting experience and knowledge of film or digital SLR cameras is required. Class meets from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. on four Thursdays—January 29, February 5, 12, and 19. Class fee is $100 for Center members and $115 for nonmembers. If you are interested, visit www.geneseearts.org/index.phtml for more information. The Community Darkroom is located in the Genesee Center for the Arts at 713 Monroe Avenue, Rochester.

Four of my images will hang in a gallery show, at The Community Darkroom, featuring work by the five area photographers invited to participate in Meet the Photographer. The show’s Opening Reception is Friday, January 16, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., at the Community Darkroom located in the Genesee Center for the Arts, 713 Monroe Avenue, Rochester. Admission is free and open to all. I hope you’ll come out to support me, the Community Darkroom, and the Genesee Center for the Arts. The show runs from January 16 through March 29, 2009.

Meet the Photographer is a lecture series presented by the Community Darkroom. This year photographers will share their work and personal approach to photography. My date is Monday, January 26, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The lecture fee is $6 for Center members and $8 for nonmembers. Will I see you in the audience?

For more information, visit the Center’s website at www.geneseearts.org/index.phtml.

Come join me and the Anderson Alley Artists for our annual Holiday Gala. Bring your shopping list! Wander the halls and visit our studios amidst bright lights, live music, and holiday nibbles. Some of the very best in local art and fine crafts will be on display.
TJT Photography will be open. I’ll be offering some awesome landscape images and will be pleased to take orders and answer questions.
Our happy building (Artists love what they do!) is located at 250 North Goodman Street in the Neighborhood of the Arts. We’re on the corner of Anderson Avenue. Come visit us on Friday evening, December 5, and Saturday, December 6.
Hope to see you there,
Tim

Our adventure began on the Fourth of July. My good friend, Eric, and I flew west to Seattle, where we met friends, Chris and Corinne, for a four-day, three-night hike on the isolated and unspoiled beaches of the Pacific coast in Olympic National Park. All Points Charters & Tours, run by naturalist and wildlife biologist Willie Nelson, shuttled us from the trail head to the wild, rugged shoreline. Along the way, he told us about the trail we would be hiking and shared stories of the Indian tribes who lived in the park. Willie said some hikers think it will just be a trek along the beach, but it really isn’t.
We set out from Rialto Beach with high spirits and great enthusiasm as we headed north. The first five miles posed no problems, outside of heavy packs loaded with four days of food and a lot of camera equipment. Communing with nature is it’s own high, and we were relishing every minute. None of us had ever spent the night on a beach with the tide. We chose our first campsite very carefully, lest we get washed away in the night.
Willie was right. The trail was far from ordinary, and it challenged each of us to stretch our limits. What began as a firm, sandy beach gradually changed to a rocky beach, then morphed into a stony beach that nearly ate us up! With 60-pound packs, we began to sink—as if we were walking in eight inches of snow. But it was rocks the size of footballs and basketballs, then boulders way bigger than me! We almost had to rock climb some of that beach. Then we had to detour to avoid a stretch of coastline impassable at high tide. The path went up and was set with ropes to maneuver the steep terrain.
What a wonderful adventure it was! We built our campfires on wild, pristine beaches and fell asleep listening to the waves wash the sand. Everyone should have the opportunity to experience wild America.
Thank you, Eric, for sharing the adventure. Thank you, Chris and Corinne, for your friendship, planning the logistics, and sharing your home as base camp. Hugs, kisses, and love to my wife, Ginger, for giving me the opportunity to do what I love—along with the plane ticket as a birthday gift.
Start at Rialto Beach

Yellow Banks Camp site

One year Anniversary Portrait at Wedding Rock

Shi Shi Beach

Last week I had the pleasure of photographing Mr. Harry Smith, news anchor of The Early Show on CBS. He is a very cool guy who made his audience at the Hyatt Regency feel at ease, even though his speech was soul searching and focused on today’s sometimes disturbing social dilemmas. Harry was in town as the keynote speaker for the Ad Council of Rochester’s Annual Spring Luncheon Celebration. The Ad Council organizes public awareness campaigns and provides marketing and communication education to nonprofit groups. This year’s fundraising luncheon netted some $20,000. Congratulations to the six award winners!

Growth comes from trying something new and venturing into different. New York Model Talent sent Emily and Jinelle over last week for some test shots with new lighting techniques. Lorrie and I chose hairstyles from the ‘40s and ‘50s for our session. Does one of these shots appeal to you? Call and ask us about it!
Thank you, Emily, Jinelle, and Lorrie. We had a great afternoon!

Last week I had the pleasure and privilege of donating my services to Susan’s Strength, a member organization of the ALS Association. ALS is Lou Gehrig’s Disease; and the Association is a not-for-profit voluntary health agency dedicated to finding a cure for ALS, as well as directly providing care and services to people living with it.
These images are from a benefit concert in Wantagh down on Long Island. The evening was filled with music, friends and family, good food, great raffle prizes and, most of all, hope for the future. If you know someone with ALS, please consider helping the cause.

We’ve just updated this site with some new images, an awesome new product, and a bit of insight into why I do what I do—capture memories. On the High School Portraits page, click Senior Portrait Show to watch a sample video. A TJT Music Video is the ultimate addition to any session. You can view a variety of available music and sample videos at www.pictureshowmaker.com/portfolio_listing.php.