A Pumpkin Patch of Plenty

Call it Thanksgiving in October. The early settlers of North America celebrated the final harvest of their crops with a feast. Harvest festivals around the world rejoice with merriment and song. The Soriano family gives humble thanks for the ultimate gift with pumpkin patch jubilation.



In preparation for Halloween, the family departed to the local pumpkin patch for some prime pickings of Jack O Lanterns and some adorable harvest time pics. Pumpkins of every size imaginable for the choosing but that special one catches my wife's eye for the carving.



A good rule of thumb is to wait until "Golden Hour" to shoot pumpkin patch photos for fabulous results. Another good rule of thumb is to purchase pumpkins you can easily lift and carry without angina. A pumpkin you cannot budge is a good pumpkin to sit on.



When big pumpkins are not your fancy, my daughter thinks small ones are cute. Easy to carry and very cute like her smile. We had to limit her purchase to three.



My almost 8 month old daughter Serena chose this pumpkin. After much debate and drool, she was convinced with one lick this larger than life gourd would make a good teether and a hollowed out playpen. Who does not love pumpkin pie?



We submitted to temptation. The gratuitous "Harvest Festival" staged family portrait flowed through my Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with the EF 35mm f/1.4L prime lens. Obviously, my unsmiling baby daughter Serena did not like the location either.



With every click I give thanks for the baby horn of plenty. Serena with her older siblings give me abundance and nourishment. The "Cornucopia" of family makes it all worthwhile in the pumpkin patch of plenty.



You can view more plentiful pick'ins in my A Pumpkin Patch of Plenty 2011 Gallery shot with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L lens.



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

First Day of School 2011

The dog days of summer are behind us and the infamous first day of school hit the Soriano household like freight train. Up before sunrise, get the lunches packed and bulldoze the kids out of bed is just the short list of morning endeavors. There is something refreshing about this school season. It is Serena's introduction to her sibling's and cousin's elementary school. Consider it a precursor to her preschool days!



I remember six continuous weeks of preschool tantrums of year's past for my grown up son. Those days have come and gone. First grade complete with addition and subtraction tables is the new stubborn obstacle for my mini-clone. Wait! I take that statement back. Getting out of bed is obstacle number one.



A big whopping Fourth grade already! Social networking is now a required course for these up and coming Millennials. Without a doubt,my daughter is awaiting the arrival of the iPhone 5 with open arms of anticipation.



I am counting the days, hours and minutes when my youngest daughter Serena will join this first day of school portrait. They will have iPad 5's in their backpack for course books and iPhone 8's in their pocket to text each other about the latest cool App!

Happy 6th Birthday Jude !

Kindergarten days are soon over. Nap times and sing alongs will soon be replaced with addition and subtraction tables. My son turns 6 years old and celebrates with a new sibling this year. Despite the foreboding end to Kindergarten nirvana and the obvious gender imbalance in the household, my mini-clone still loves a good Whoopie Cushion prank.



The "Donut King" celebrated his birthday with his classmates and his older sister's class with 60 delicious glazed rings of pure sweetness. As you might have guessed, he was voted as "Most Popular" for the day.



Fond memories of my son 6 years ago relives with my newborn daughter, Serena. The diaper changing, mixing formula and sleepless nights make a comeback in the Soriano family. Seeing my children grow in front of my eyes makes it all worth it.



My son's birthday would not be complete without a trip to Cheesecake Factory. I passed on my usual Hibachi Steak and pursued the slow roasted Beef Ribs with Onion Rings. The Cheesecake Factory special Mac and Cheese made my son's 6th birthday complete.



I have been field testing the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM lens the past couple weeks for my upcoming practical review. The Sigma is designed exclusively for crop sensor cameras like the Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D.



The scourge of baby smiles and bed wetting are things of the past now. Call of Duty :Black Ops and SOCOM 4:U.S. Navy Seals fill my son's itinerary. Hope is not lost when it comes to nurturing baby time. Serena fills the void.

You can view more in my son's Birthday Gallery.

Stay updated with the latest equipment reviews and tests like the upcoming Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM by becoming a Fan on Facebook 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!

Fort De Soto Beach Park

Thirteen pounds of charcoal briquettes. Check. Ten pounds of marinated chicken. Check. Large bag of frozen corn on the cob. Check. Canon EOS Rebel T2i with EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens. Check. This may sound like a Thanksgiving feast but it is only a day trip to my favorite Fort De Soto Beach Park with the family.



While the entire Northeast suffers through another record blizzard, the Tampa Bay weather enjoys another 74 degree sunny day. The local beaches invade my ChadSorianoPhotoBlog like Gasparilla Pirates.



As you may have noticed, the "boss" is expecting. Six more weeks to be exact until the cameras are rolling and clicking. I may have to expand my hard drive space. Baby Serena in Full HD coming soon. Do you think the maternity ward has room for an IGUS Drylin Camera Slider?



Somehow this attempt at a family maternity shoot went horribly wrong. Cute sibling kisses turned into "Twilight" turmoil.



Let me leave a favorite video of mine from my past local beach visits.

You can view more pictures in my Fort De Soto Beach Park 2011 Gallery.

IGUS Drylin Camera Slider Preview

I would like to introduce my upcoming HDdslr video test with the IGUS Drylin W Camera Slider with much anticipation. No, it did not come out of the box assembled as you see in the iPhone 4 picture but with a fluid video head, tripod legs and a quick trip to Home Depot, you can be setup very quickly.



I have a small video production shoot this weekend and I thought this would a great test bed for this neat little rig. Of course, I will have the video, production shots and a brief review of the IGUS Drylin Camera Slider very soon after. Stay updated on my Facebook Fanpage and Twitter!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

There came a time where January 2nd of the New Year provoked my celebration of the dreaded holiday season. The hustle and bustle combined with work and family commitments tests even the most patient people. There came a time where Christmas gave only a gift of misery.



Irony fills these pages of my ChadSorianoPhotoBlog. Misery is replaced with that ever so subtle faint of brighter things to come. It will be wrapped hundreds of layers thick with melancholy, you will need a "Call of Duty Black Ops" weapon upgrade to blast to the core of hope.



Time heals all wounds. Misery has no chance in my family, no more. When I see my kids decorate their personal miniature fake Christmas trees with decorations 10 layers thick, I know it is now Christmas time.

You can view more photos and videos shot with the Canon EOS Rebel T2i with the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 lens. As well as the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L lens in my Christmas 2010 Gallery.

ChadSorianoPhotoBlog would like to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!