Happy 1st Birthday Serena !

A whole one year has passed since I held you for the first time in the delivery room. Wrapped tightly in linens, you barely opened your newborn eyes to a strange world and the parents who unconditionally love you. The sleepless nights waking to your cries for formula, soiled diapers, runny nose, high temperature fevers and projectile vomiting are slowly waning each day. 12 months later, parental anxiety takes over with baby crawling hazards and potential chokables in the household. Ahh...parenthood!



Happy first birthday, Serena! You are now one year old with many accomplished baby milestones and much more to conquer in the upcoming months ahead. Soon you will be walking with confidence and marching to a different tune. The tune of the next generation Apple iPhone with all the bells and whistles. You can never start them too early!



A pink frosted cake and your very own personal side of roasted meat are the perfect accompaniment for any birthday celebrant. With emerging four baby teeth, Serena's feral instinct kicks in to devour any rotisserie prey.



Call it a celebration of life and the carnivorous consumption of red meat at Texas De Brazil, a Brazilian Steakhouse in Tampa, Florida. Serena's family and friends gathered for the big one year birthday and to bathe in Churrascaria delicacies. I will take my flank steak rare and bloody but charred on the outside please...



You definitely have your mother's beautiful genes, quite literally. The eyes, face and even your infant lips are almost clone like. Yikes! I will soon have two bosses in the household.



Singing "Happy Birthday" can never get old, especially to children. Maybe by next year, Serena can figure out the candle blowing by then. If you are new to my ChadSorianoPhotoBlog, here is a recap of my baby daughter over the year in a "George Lucas" video trilogy. Enjoy!







Show me the babies! These videos are only the tip of the iceberg for this year. More birthdays and milestones to document and capture with my Canon HD DSLR's. My computer hard drives are bursting at the seams just thinking about all the upcoming photos and video footage. Newegg.com to the rescue...



"Count my five pudgy fingers...each one for a gift without an iPhone 4S." There is always next year. My Vera Bradley Hipster will have to suffice for the moment.



Happy Wedding Anniversary to my beautiful wife! I am blessed to have three wonderful children from her and a gorgeous view of the pay here-parking lot at the Plant City, Florida Strawberry Festival in the trunk of our family minivan. Mahal Kita, Kathleen!



Bonds hold strong in my family. Weakness is spelled baby p-o-o-p and v-o-m-i-t. My will power is not that strong...



You can view more photos and videos in my Serena's First Birthday 2012 Gallery shot with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and the Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D.



Stay updated with the latest HD DSLR gear by becoming a Fan on my Facebook Fan Page and following me on Twitter!

You may have noticed rarely seen and unheard portraits of me. I have to give thanks to my son's God Father for a helping hand at Getawaymoments.

Magical Milestones

She had me at the first few moments of her newborn life. Now at 10 months old, my baby daughter looks into my camera lens with such natural poise and beauty. This "poise" does not last for long because she quickly crawls off to the next saliva adventure fast and furious.



If life is like a box of chocolates, then raising a family is like juggling flaming torches. Taking a step back and looking at the big picture of life's multi-tasking can be fulfilling and entertaining. Fixating on the problems and not enjoying the "moment" can get you burned.



My oldest daughter, Madeline, recently took interest in animating her LEGO Friends playset. I did not expect "Toy Story 3" during this production but I jumped at the chance at my daughter's interest in photography. With a quick instruction with my old Canon Powershot TX1, my daughter instantly picked up the "time lapse video" concept. With every snapshot, Madeline posed every figure for at least an hour and a half. I spent the next 2 hours sequencing the video with Quicktime 7 Pro and editing with iMovie'11.

Apple iPad and iPhone users click here to play for mobile devices.



My mini clone, otherwise known as my son, grew impatient and chose to tackle his large collection of LEGO's by himself. The NASA Space Shuttle at LEGOLAND Florida was not part of his conquests. LEGO Technic, LEGO City and the new LEGO Dino playsets are more his liking. Although,despite the price, the large scale LEGO Star Wars Millenium Falcon tempts my son's fancy. Milestones can be very expensive.



Happy one year anniversary to my loving wife's business at her new location and building. With a new and supportive staff for 2012, my wife is looking forward to more landmark events in her practice.



Class is in session. There are more magical milestones to come for my pint sized wonder. I am ready with my Apple devices, Canon HD DSLR gear and my humble parental know-how to juggle life's multi-tasking with unbridled patience. This time with no flaming torches.

Stay updated with the latest Canon HD DSLR gear by Becoming a Fan on my Facebook Fanpage and following me on Twitter!

Little Red Wagon

Precious cargo. The classic Radio Flyer of 81 years still hauls the unselfish sacrifice and pride of nurturing parents. A mother's intuition and a father's advice grease the squeaky wheels down the path of unknown. Everyone has a little red wagon in some shape or form. This one is bright red plastic.



My daughter, Serena, turned 7 months old with enough saliva filled slobber to fill buckets. Her yearning to crawl or rather, lunge and mumbles indiscernible "mama" fascinates her family on a daily basis. Her older cousin and little red wagon passenger enjoys a first birthday ride together to nowhere.



The thankless guidance with many tests of patience almost negates the overall satisfaction of parenthood. Luckily, there are Apple devices, Canon HD DSLRs and Jollibee Chicken Joy to sooth this overwhelming task. Yet, tangible objects do not replace the warm feeling of a job well done.



The invention of the radio and flight named the little red wagon of yesteryear. The emotional, social, physical and intellectual support of my children named the little red wagon of today.



You can view more pictures shot with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L, EF 35mm f/1.4L and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lenses in Keelan's 1st Birthday Gallery.



Stay updated with the latest HD DSLR gear by becoming a Fan on my Facebook Fan Page and following me on Twitter!

Serena on the Fourth of July

The Stars and Stripes are big and bright. My newborn daughter is four months old on this very Independence Day. A celebration of a nation and the many milestones of Serena. The laughing, giggling, smiling and rolling over on her tummy runs deep in the hearts of her mom and dad.



Only if milestones could explode and cause pyrotechnic havoc, my son would pay more attention to more sentimental occasions. This is the extent of my firework photography. Grilling ten pounds of meat and conducting the explosive celebration was not conducive to image making.



There is no doubt Serena looks like her mom and her big sister. My oldest daughter loves her baby sister with all her heart. The uncanny resemblance is unmistakeable. Check it out yourself.



Every month from now we will see Serena grow and her family glow with anticipation. I could very well see an Apple i-device in her future, pink of course.



Serena is poised to crawl east on Hillsborough Avenue towards her favorite restaurant. Just follow the trail of slobber and spit-up.

You can view more pictures shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II in my Serena on the Fourth of July 2011 Gallery.

Stay updated with the latest HD DSLR gear by becoming a Fan on my Facebook Page and following me on Twitter.

Super Target Rebel-lion

Armed with the Canon Rebel T3i, the Soriano tribe descended upon Super Target to hunt and gather edible subsistence. As the pseudo-dominant male of the family, basic essentials such as fragrant baby shampoo and baby back seat mirrors filled the fire red shopping cart.



I train my young at an early age to listen closely for announced overhead bargains and have a sharp nose to smell refreshing baby body wash. With provisions gathered by my newborn's siblings, the real hunt for big game begins with a turn of my nomadic mini-van key.



With precise focus, I point my Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D towards my prey. As soon I hear the AF confirmation beep, I pull the trigger and my 22 ounce Rib Eye goes down one juicy bite at a time.



Of course, you cannot end the carnivorous meal without a sweet ceremonial finish. We track the "pitter patter of little feet" towards the local Carvel Ice Cream store. The weekday special of buy one get one free Banana Barges rewards our glorious hunt for the day.



Just one more year until Serena can enjoy the sweet taste of ice cream! Until then, it is Kirkland Signature Infant formula and water on her menu.



We just celebrated Serena's 1 week old birthday with a Carvel Ice Cream cake topped off with sparklers. Who said one birthday a year was a steadfast rule?



This "Rebel-lion" was entirely shot with the new Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D paired with the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens.

You can read and view more pictures and videos from this wonderful camera in my Canon EOS Rebel T3i Verdict and Video Review.

Please become a Fan on my Facebook Page and follow me on Twitter for the latest updates and reviews of Canon HD DSLR gear on my ChadSorianoPhotoBlog!

Canon EOS Rebel T3i Video: Serenity

Routine is never routine. Any planning, organizing and reading cannot mentally prepare you for the unexpected. Meet my new addition to my family, Serena Soriano. Scheduled as a routine natural delivery like the two previous siblings before her, minor complications preceded mother nature and my wife was quickly whisked away to the operating room for an unscheduled C-section.



Caesarean sections are performed on a daily basis in hospitals across the world. My world was visibly shaken because this was my wife's very first major surgery in her entire life. Overwhelming concern for my wife and undelivered daughter filled my mind. I have been previously planning for months a well orchestrated and produced child birth video of our third child. My hands were trembling from worry but I managed to preserve the glorious moment.



At a healthy 8 pounds and 3 ounces, Serena emerged to a welcoming family and a Canon EOS Rebel T3i in the operating room. My oldest daughter finally has a younger sister to nurture and guide to everything Apple and Justin Bieber. My once youngest son and now middle child is outnumbered and has no comment on the matter.



Forgive me Father for I have sinned, it has been a long five years since my last child birth experience. 4 hour feedings, burping, diaper changing and the dreaded infant car seat installation quickly comeback as a harsh reality. A happy harsh reality.



The "boss" is slowly but surely recovering. I could not wait for my wife's heavy narcotics from surgery to wane because she can finally hold her newborn child in her arms. Anticipation of her baby daughter's touch pulled her through the worst of times. I am personally looking forward to the good times.



Welcome to the "Modern Family". iPad, iPhone 4, WiFi, HD DSLR's, 1080p video and Facebook connected child birth announcements invaded the maternity ward of the hospital, as if we never left home.



With the "all clear" from Pediatrician and Obstetrician, child in mother's embrace head home for some well needed rest in comfortable serenity.



I captured the entire journey with the Canon EOS Rebel T3i paired with the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens. With the small, lightweight and versatile T3i/600D around my neck, I easily documented my newborn daughter into this world. I could not think of a more practical and realistic test of a digital photographic tool than real life. The T3i/600D exceeded my expectations in versatility and image quality just like my previous Canon EOS Rebel T3i Verdict and Video Review.

You can view more pictures and videos in my Canon EOS Rebel T3i Serena Soriano Gallery.

The World Welcomes Newborn Cousin Keelan !

Another potential ChadSorianoPhotoBlog fan emerged into this digital world with open arms to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. My sister in-law's newborn son gazed into my "L" series lens in Full HD 1080p resolution. Infant Keelan looked forward to the 5D Mark II Full Frame "bokeh" and 21 megapixel resolution. My son and daughter only anticipated another playtime cousin to the family.



Did I mention 1080p video resolution? Yes, I captured video at 29.97fps and edited with Final Cut Pro. I used Compressor at best quality and utilized the Canon E-1 Movie Plugin to transcode to AppleProRes422. There is nothing cuter than a sleeping baby and all the adoration that comes with it. I can already smell the dirty diapers.



You can view more Canon EOS 5D Mark II photos in my Baby Keelan Gallery.
I used the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS and EF 50mm f/1.2L prime lenses for stills and video.